Diversity, community engagement and co-design in research: a rapid review.

There is increasing recognition in the field of health and social care research that community-engaged methods should include patients and the public throughout the research process. Therefore, individuals from all backgrounds should be involved in the research. We explored the public and patient engagement experience in research and how researchers and community groups can work together to make the research process more inclusive and sustainable.

Factors associated with glycemic control in type 1 diabetes patients in China: A cross-sectional study.

Aims/introduction: Glycemic control in type 1 diabetes can be challenging, and is influenced by many factors. This study aimed to investigate glycemic control and its associated factors in Chinese people with type 1 diabetes.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study included 779 participants with type 1 diabetes selected from hospital records review, outpatient clinics and inpatient wards.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: An Emerging Epidemic.

Since the initial description of frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) in 1994, increasingly more cases of FFA have been reported in literature. Although clear epidemiologic data on the incidence and prevalence of FFA is not available, it is intriguing to consider whether FFA should be labeled as an emerging epidemic. A medline trend analysis as well as literature review using keywords "alopecia," "hair loss," and "cicatrical" were performed.

Objective outcome measures: Collecting meaningful data on alopecia areata.

Background: Although alopecia areata is a common disorder, it has no US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment and evidence-based therapeutic data are lacking.

Objective: To develop guidelines for the diagnosis, evaluation, assessment, response criteria, and end points for alopecia areata.

Methods: Literature review and expert opinion of a group of dermatologists specializing in hair disorders.

Focal atrichia: A diagnostic clue in female pattern hair loss.

Background: Focal atrichia is a common clinical finding in female pattern hair loss, the specificity and histologic findings of which need further clarification.

Objective: To determine the frequency of focal atrichia in various types of hair loss and its histologic characteristics in female pattern hair loss.

Methods: Part 1 of the study was a review of 250 consecutive female patients seen with hair loss for the presence of focal atrichia, and part 2 examined paired biopsy specimens from haired areas versus those from areas with focal atrichia in 18 subjects with female pattern hair loss.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus care and education in China: The 3C study of coverage, cost, and care in Beijing and Shantou.

Aims: The paucity of data on Type 1 diabetes in China hinders progress in care and policy-making. This study compares Type 1 diabetes care and clinical outcomes in Beijing and Shantou with current clinical guidelines.

Methods: The 3C Study was a cross-sectional study of the clinical practices and outcomes of people with Type 1 diabetes.

Eagle Syndrome: Case Report.

Eagle syndrome (ES) is now defined as both an elongation of the styloid process (SP) and ossification of the stylohyoid ligament (SHL). Because subjective symptomatology is varied or can be absent, imaging is the best approach to diagnosis.

Bivalirudin Anticoagulation for a Pediatric Patient with Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis Requiring Cardiopulmonary Bypass for Ventricular Assist Device Placement.

The direct thrombin inhibitor bivalirudin is an option for anticoagulation in patients with heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). There are a limited number of reports of pediatric patients in which bivalirudin has been used for anticoagulation for CPB. We present the case of an 11 year old male with acute onset heart failure secondary to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy that developed heparin induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis (HITT).

Cardiopulmonary bypass in the pediatric population.

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) facilitates the repair of cardiac lesions in adults and children. Surgical mortality has decreased with improvements in technique allowing for the successful repair of complex heart defects in neonates of increasingly low body weight and gestational age. The physiological effects of CPB are more significant in children.

TEG and ROTEM: technology and clinical applications.

Initially described in 1948 by Hertert thromboelastography (TEG) provides a real-time assessment of viscoelastic clot strength in whole blood. Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) evolved from TEG technology and both devices generate output by transducing changes in the viscoelastic strength of a small sample of clotting blood (300 µl) to which a constant rotational force is applied. These point of care devices allow visual assessment of blood coagulation from clot formation, through propagation, and stabilization, until clot dissolution.

Endogenous retinoids in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease that attacks anagen hair follicles. Gene array in graft-induced C3H/HeJ mice revealed that genes involved in retinoic acid (RA) synthesis were increased, whereas RA degradation genes were decreased in AA compared with sham controls. This was confirmed by immunohistochemistry in biopsies from patients with AA and both mouse and rat AA models.

FAP-related desmoid tumors: a series of 44 patients evaluated in a cancer referral center.

Desmoid tumors (DTs), the commonest extra-intestinal manifestation of familial adenomatosis polyposis (FAP), are monoclonal neoplasms demonstrating fibroblastic - myofibroblastic differentiation; they are locally invasive without metastatic capacity. FAP-associated DT natural history knowledge is limited; we examined patient and tumor characteristics for a FAP-DT cohort and evaluated anti-DT therapy molecular target expression levels (immunohistochemical analyses, FAP-DT tissue microarray; TMA). Forty-four patients were classified as intra-abdominal (IA; n=26), abdominal wall (AW)/extra-abdominal (EA; n=12) or concomitant IA/AW (n=6) based on DT primary diagnosis location.

Global photographic assessment of men aged 18 to 60 years with male pattern hair loss receiving finasteride 1 mg or placebo.

Background: Finasteride (1 mg) has been shown to increase vertex hair growth in men aged 18 to 60 years with male pattern hair loss and to increase frontal scalp hair growth in subjects aged 18 to 41 years.

Objective: A secondary efficacy analysis was conducted to determine effects of finasteride (1 mg) on scalp hair growth in the 4 distinct scalp regions affected by male pattern hair loss.

Methods: Multicenter, double-blind studies randomized patients with vertex hair loss (men aged 18-41 and 41-60 years) to finasteride (1 mg/d) or placebo.

Could Fire and Rescue Services identify older people at risk of falls?

Protecting or improving the efficiency and effectiveness of services while reducing costs in response to public sector funding reductions is a significant challenge for all public service organisations. Preventing falls in older people is a major public health objective. We propose here an innovative model of community partnership with Fire and Rescue Services assisting falls prevention services to enhance the safety and well-being of older people in local communities through early identification of those who are at risk of injury from a fall or accidental domestic fire.

The International Diabetes Federation diabetes atlas methodology for estimating global and national prevalence of diabetes in adults.

Introduction: Diabetes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and its global prevalence is growing rapidly. A simple and robust approach to estimate the prevalence of diabetes is essential for governments to set priorities on how to meet the challenges of the disease. The International Diabetes Federation has developed a methodology for generating country-level estimates of diabetes prevalence in adults (20-79 years).

IDF diabetes atlas: global estimates of the prevalence of diabetes for 2011 and 2030.

Introduction: Diabetes is an increasingly important condition globally and robust estimates of its prevalence are required for allocating resources.

Methods: Data sources from 1980 to April 2011 were sought and characterised. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to select the most appropriate study or studies for each country, and estimates for countries without data were modelled.

The 3C study: coverage cost and care of type 1 diabetes in China--study design and implementation.

Aim: To describe coverage, cost and care of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 2 regions of China--Beijing and Shantou--including:

Methods: This is a mixed-methods descriptive study with three arms--coverage, cost and care. It is taking place in 4 tertiary hospitals, 3 secondary hospitals and 4 primary health facilities in Beijing, and 2 tertiary hospitals, 2 secondary hospitals and 2 primary health centres in Shantou, China. Two additional hospitals are involved in the coverage arm of the study.

New USEPA water quality criteria by 2012: GOMA concerns and recommendations.

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) was tasked by the five Gulf State Governors to identify major issues affecting the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and to set priorities for ameliorating these problems. One priority identified by GOMA is the need to improve detection methods for water quality indicators, pathogens and microbial source tracking. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is tasked with revising water quality criteria by 2012; however, the locations traditionally studied by the USEPA are not representative of the GoM and this has raised concern about whether or not the new criteria will be appropriate.

Histopathology of alopecia areata, acute and chronic: Why is it important to the clinician?

Alopecia areata (AA) is often easy to diagnose but a scalp biopsy for horizontal sectioning is routine in this research clinic. The characteristic histological feature of AA is the peribulbar and intrabulbar mononuclear cell infiltrate, which occurs in the acute stage of the disease but may be absent in biopsies taken at a later stage. AA evolves through acute, subacute, chronic, and recovery phases.

Post-stroke case fatality within an incident population in rural Tanzania.

Background And Purpose: To establish post-stroke case fatality rates within a community based incident stroke population in rural Tanzania.

Methods: Incident stroke cases were identified by the Tanzanian Stroke Incidence Project and followed-up over the next 3-6 years. In order to provide a more complete picture, verbal autopsy (VA) was also used to identify all stroke deaths occurring within the same community and time period, and a date of stroke was identified by interview with a relative or friend.

How real is senescent alopecia? A histopathologic approach.

Senescent alopecia was originally thought to affect people aged 50 years or older with no family history or evidence of pattern balding. It was described as a diffuse thinning involving the whole scalp due to a steady decrease in thick terminal hairs, but without evidence of increased miniaturization. Senescent alopecia is not a primary diagnosis in this clinic.

Can Fire and Rescue Services and the National Health Service work together to improve the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable older people? Design of a proof of concept study.

Background: Older adults are at increased risk both of falling and of experiencing accidental domestic fire. In addition to advanced age, these adverse events share the risk factors of balance or mobility problems, cognitive impairment and socioeconomic deprivation. For both events, the consequences include significant injury and death, and considerable socioeconomic costs for the individual and informal carers, as well as for emergency services, health and social care agencies.

Central hair loss in African American women: incidence and potential risk factors.

Background: Although central scalp hair loss is a common problem in African American women, data on etiology or incidence are limited.

Objective: We sought to determine the frequency of various patterns and degree of central scalp hair loss in African American women and to correlate this with information on hair care practices, family history of hair loss, and medical history.

Methods: Five hundred twenty-nine subjects at six different workshops held at four different sites in the central and/or southeast United States participated in this study.