Current aesthetic use of abobotulinumtoxinA in clinical practice: an evidence-based consensus review.

The amount and complexity of scientific and clinical evidence for aesthetic use of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) has expanded rapidly in recent years, especially for abobotulinumtoxinA, necessitating reassessment of current knowledge about aesthetic use of abobotulinumtoxinA and other BoNT-A preparations. A committee of 13 plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, and dermatologists engaged in a live discussion of information from a systematic literature review and an Internet-based survey of their beliefs and practices. The committee achieved consensus on most issues.

Safety and efficacy of activated transfected killer cells for neutropenic fungal infections.

Background: Invasive fungal infections cause considerable morbidity and mortality in neutropenic patients. White blood cell transfusions are a promising treatment for such infections, but technical barriers have prevented their widespread use.

Methods: To recapitulate white blood cell transfusions, we are developing a cell-based immunotherapy using a phagocytic cell line, HL-60.

Extending stochastic resonance for neuron models to general Lévy noise.

A recent paper by Patel and Kosko (2008) demonstrated stochastic resonance (SR) for general feedback continuous and spiking neuron models using additive Lévy noise constrained to have finite second moments. In this brief, we drop this constraint and show that their result extends to general LEvy noise models. We achieve this by showing that "large jump" discontinuities in the noise can be controlled so as to allow the stochastic model to tend to a deterministic one as the noise dissipates to zero.

Hand augmentation with Radiesse (Calcium hydroxylapatite).

The hand has remained a considerable treatment challenge, as new soft tissue fillers have arrived in the esthetic marketplace. The challenge has been the result of both the multiple visits required for treatment in, for example, autologous fat grafting and the simple management of pain in the innervated areas of the hand between the bones. This paper introduces a novel, noticeably less painful approach to treatment of the hand with calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA; Radiesse, BioForm Medical, San Mateo, CA).

Optimization of a myeloid cell transfusion strategy for infected neutropenic hosts.

Although granulocyte transfusion is a logical, therapeutic option for neutropenic patients with refractory infections, significant technical barriers have prevented its widespread use. A novel phagocyte transfusion strategy has been developed based on activation of a human myeloid cell line HL-60. To further define the potential for HL-60 cells to recapitulate white cell transfusions, a shortened duration of activation was evaluated, facile quality control markers were defined, and the impact of low-dose irradiation on cell function was determined.

Childhood accidents: the relationship of family size to incidence, supervision, and rapidity of seeking medical care.

Background: Large family size may be a risk factor for childhood accidents. A possible association with quality of child supervision and rapidity of seeking medical care has not been fully evaluated.

Objectives: To determine whether children with multiple siblings are at increased risk for accidents, to assess whether quality of child supervision varies with family size, and to evaluate the relationship of family size with the rapidity of seeking medical care after an accident.