Photopneumatic therapy for the treatment of keratosis pilaris.

Background: Current treatment options for keratosis pilaris (KP) are limited and are often found to be unsatisfactory to patients.

Objective: Pilot study to determine if photopneumatic therapy (PPx) can improve the erythema and skin texture in KP.

Methods: Ten patients with KP were treated with one session of PPx on the upper arm and then evaluated one month later for treatment efficacy.

Impact of a health literacy intervention on pediatric emergency department use.

Objective: The aim of this study was to measure the impact of a simple parent health literacy intervention on emergency department and primary care clinic usage patterns.

Methods: Study participants consisted of parents who brought their children to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center pediatric emergency department for nonurgent complaints. Study participants filled out questionnaires regarding their management of children's mild health complaints and where respondents first seek help when their children become sick.

Successful treatment of severe refractory atopic dermatitis with efalizumab.

Despite multiple therapeutic modalities, treatment of atopic dermatitis with its chronic, relapsing nature remains a challenge. Chronic use of standard therapies is associated with variable efficacy and potential side effects. Targeted therapeutic approaches using biologic agents may prove to be a novel alternative.

Characterization of a lactose permease mutant that binds IIAGlc in the absence of ligand.

Enzyme IIA(Glc) of the Escherichia coli phosphoenolpyruvate:glucose phosphotransferase system plays a direct role in regulating inducible transport systems. Dephosphorylated IIA(Glc) binds directly to lactose permease in a reaction that requires binding of a galactosidic substrate. A double-Cys mutation (Ile129 --> Cys/Lys131 --> Cys) was introduced into helix IV of the permease near the IIA(Glc) binding site in cytoplasmic loop IV/V and in the vicinity of the galactoside binding site at the interface of helices IV, V, and VIII.

Mechanism of alternating bundle branch aberrancy with atrial bigeminy: electrocardiographic-electrophysiologic correlates.

The mechanism of alternating bundle branch aberrancy in response to atrial bigeminy with fixed coupling intervals lacks adequate explanation. In this report, electrophysiologic studies on five patients with fixed coupled atrial bigeminy, identical impulse intervals arriving at the His bundle and alternating bundle branch aberrancy are presented. The mechanism of alternating bundle branch aberrancy in these patients appears to be alternating changes in the refractory periods of the bundle branches resulting from differences in the activation sequence of the distal bundle branches.