A Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Tool to Aid in Melanoma Diagnosis.

Context.—: Detecting copy number variations (CNVs) at certain loci can aid in the diagnosis of histologically ambiguous melanocytic neoplasms. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is a rapid, automated, and inexpensive method for CNV detection in other cancers, but not yet melanoma.

Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen treatment for challenging pyoderma gangrenosum cases.

Introduction: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, difficult-to-treat neutrophilic ulcerative cutaneous condition that severely impacts those affected. Treatment options for PG are limited, and disease remission is not guaranteed. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is a potential therapeutic option for treating various ulcerative conditions not frequently utilized for PG.

Anti-PL-7, anti-Ro/SSA, anti-Mi-2, and anti-TIF1-γ correlate with specific patterns of histopathologic features in dermatomyositis: An analysis of 39 skin biopsy specimens from 25 patients.

Background: In dermatomyositis (DM), myositis-specific and myositis-associated antibodies have been correlated with clinical features. It is unknown if histopathologic findings in lesional skin biopsies correlate with serologic subtypes of DM.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients with DM was performed.

Skin and gut microbial associations with squamous cell carcinoma in solid organ transplant recipients.

Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) are burdened with a significantly higher risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) compared to the general population. Accumulating evidence suggests the potential influence of microbial dysbiosis on transplant outcomes. Based on these observations, we sought to identify differences in the cutaneous and gut microbiomes of SOTRs with and without a history of SCC.

Unusual presentations of chronic graft versus host disease.

Skin is commonly affected by graft versus host disease (GVHD), a complication of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). One-third of hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients develop acute eruption classically described as folliculocentric, maculopapular, or morbilliform, in contrast to the more common chronic presentations of sclerotic, poikilodermic, or lichenoid dermatitides. With the wider use of non-myeloablative (reduced-intensity) transplant therapy, various atypical presentations can occur, representing a diagnostic challenge.

The impact of prices and pricing units on residual and organic waste: Evidence from Wallonia, Belgium.

Waste pricing is important to encourage households to reduce their waste and to increase sorting and recycling. Pricing instruments include differentiated prices for the waste fractions collected and the choice of an appropriate pricing unit (volume, weight, levy). In this paper, we test the effectiveness of those different instruments using an original and complete dataset from Wallonia (the southern region of Belgium), covering 10 years and all the 262 municipalities of the region.

The Role of the Microbiome in Gastroentero-Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (GEP-NENs).

Gut microbiome balance plays a key role in human health and maintains gut barrier integrity. Dysbiosis, referring to impaired gut microbiome, is linked to a variety of diseases, including cancers, through modulation of the inflammatory process. Most studies concentrated on adenocarcinoma of different sites with very limited information on gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs).

Knowledge and attitude towards hydrocephalus among healthcare providers and the general population in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Hydrocephalus is a worldwide disorder characterized by abnormal flow or rarely excessive production of cerebrospinal fluid, leading to the widening of the cerebral ventricles system due to the accumulation of the cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Previous researches have shown that knowledge about the disorder is limited among healthcare providers and the population, affecting attitudes toward patients, as well as patient outcomes.

Aim: To investigate healthcare providers and population's knowledge and attitudes towards hydrocephalus in Saudi Arabia.

Impact of Altered Gut Microbiota and Its Metabolites in Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal, multisystemic genetic disorder in Caucasians. Mutations in the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein are responsible for impairment of epithelial anionic transport, leading to impaired fluid regulation and pH imbalance across multiple organs. Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations in CF may begin in utero and continue throughout the life, resulting in a chronic state of an altered intestinal milieu.

A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Providers and Staff at Al-Zahraa University Hospital Regarding the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and the International Code of Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes.

Four hundred eight providers and staff members who care for breastfeeding mothers and babies at Al-Zahraa University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt were randomly selected to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. The majority of the participants scored above 50% on the knowledge and attitude questions, however, on the practice questions only 45.3% scored above 50%, similar to the result obtained 10 years prior.

Neutrophilic Dermatoses and Their Implication in Pathophysiology of Asthma and Other Respiratory Comorbidities: A Narrative Review.

Neutrophilic dermatoses (ND) are a polymorphous group of noncontagious dermatological disorders that share the common histological feature of a sterile cutaneous infiltration of mature neutrophils. Clinical manifestations can vary from nodules, pustules, and bulla to erosions and ulcerations. The etiopathogenesis of neutrophilic dermatoses has continuously evolved.

Gastrointestinal Microbiome and Mycobiome Changes during Autologous Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma: Results of a Prospective Pilot Study.

Microbiome dysbiosis has been associated with adverse outcomes of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We hypothesized that exposure to high-dose melphalan and antimicrobials in patients undergoing autologous HCT for plasma cell disorders results in oral and gastrointestinal microbial dysbiosis, which in turn is associated with regimen-related toxicities. We conducted a prospective study describing the longitudinal changes in oral and gastrointestinal bacteriome and mycobiome in this patient population.

Fasting and Its Impact on Skin Anatomy, Physiology, and Physiopathology: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

Skin serves as the first protective line and barrier of the body. Like many other organs, skin can be affected by several disorders in response to external factors such as pathogens, ultraviolet light, and pollution, as well as endogenous alterations related to aging and/or oxidative stress disturbance. Researchers have reported new insights into how skin cells are altered in response to caloric restriction diets in mammals.

The Gut Microbiome as a Major Regulator of the Gut-Skin Axis.

The adult intestine hosts a myriad of diverse bacterial species that reside mostly in the lower gut maintaining a symbiosis with the human habitat. In the current review, we describe the neoteric advancement in our comprehension of how the gut microbiota communicates with the skin as one of the main regulators in the gut-skin axis. We attempted to explore how this potential link affects skin differentiation and keratinization, its influence on modulating the cutaneous immune response in various diseases, and finally how to take advantage of this communication in the control of different skin conditions.

Therapeutic options and postoperative wound complications after extremity soft tissue sarcoma resection and postoperative external beam radiotherapy.

Soft tissue sarcomas occur most commonly in the lower and upper extremities. The standard treatment is limb salvage surgery combined with radiotherapy. Postoperative radiotherapy is associated with wound complications.

The Emerging Pathogen Candida auris: Growth Phenotype, Virulence Factors, Activity of Antifungals, and Effect of SCY-078, a Novel Glucan Synthesis Inhibitor, on Growth Morphology and Biofilm Formation.

, a new multidrug-resistant spp. which is associated with invasive infection and high rates of mortality, has recently emerged. Here, we determined the virulence factors (germination, adherence, biofilm formation, phospholipase and proteinase production) of 16 isolates and their susceptibilities to 11 drugs belonging to different antifungal classes, including a novel orally bioavailable 1,3-β-d-glucan synthesis inhibitor (SCY-078).

Burned ear: the use of a staged Nagata technique for ear reconstruction.

Four features, manifested in various combinations, characterise deformity in the burned ear: (i) the presence of scarred skin at the site of and surrounding the ear, with dramatic loss of skin elasticity; (ii) the presence of longitudinal scars of the pinna due to previous drainage of the perichondritis as an initial trial for saving the ear; (iii) absence of different components of the framework of the ear, mostly the helix/antihelix complex (the cartilage-containing part) with or without the ear lobule; (iv) scarred chest wall due to associated burns of the skin of the chest. In the face of these deformities, the surgical goals for auricular reconstruction include the following: (i) removal of the remaining cartilage of the burned ear, part or the whole of it in severe cases, because it may be a source of infection; (ii) wide exposure of the cartilage of the ribs through sufficient chest wall incision to overcome the severe fibrosis of the burned chest wall skin; (iii) creation of delicate smooth cartilage framework, free of sharp edges; (iv) creation of a skin pocket of sufficient size. Eight patients with a unilateral or bilateral deformity of the ear following burns were operated on during the period from May 2006 to July 2007, with a median age of 23.

Absence of capsular contracture in 319 consecutive augmentation mammaplasties: Dependent drains as a possible factor.

Capsular contracture is one of the major complications of augmentation mammaplasty. A review of 638 augmented breasts in 319 consecutive patients who underwent primary augmentation, with an average follow-up of 17.2 months and without a single case of capsular contracture of any degree to date, is presented, along with a discussion of the surgical technique and complications, and an analysis of measures used to prevent capsular contraction.