Prospective Placebo-Controlled Assessment of Spore-Based Probiotic Supplementation on Sebum Production, Skin Barrier Function, and Acne.

Probiotic supplementation has been shown to modulate the gut-skin axis. The goal of this study was to investigate whether oral spore-based probiotic ingestion modulates the gut microbiome, plasma short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and skin biophysical properties. This was a single-blinded, 8-week study (NCT03605108) in which 25 participants, 7 with noncystic acne, were assigned to take placebo capsules for the first 4 weeks, followed by 4 weeks of probiotic supplementation.

Medicinal Plant Extracts and Natural Compounds for the Treatment of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review.

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a group of autoimmune connective tissue disorders that significantly impact quality of life. Current treatment approaches typically use antimalarial medications, though patients may become recalcitrant. Other treatment options include general immunosuppressants, highlighting the need for more and more targeted treatment options.

A Diagnostic Quagmire: PFIC5 Presenting as a Rare Cause of Neonatal Cholestasis.

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis is a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive disorders defined by defects in bile excretion and transport. We describe a 6-week-old boy from Micronesia presenting with failure to thrive and jaundice. His diagnostic workup was remarkable for direct hyperbilirubinemia, hepatitis, and hepatic ultrasound with possible portosystemic shunting.

Short-Term Western Diet Intake Promotes IL-23‒Mediated Skin and Joint Inflammation Accompanied by Changes to the Gut Microbiota in Mice.

We previously showed that exposure to a high-sugar and moderate-fat diet (i.e., Western diet [WD]) in mice induces appreciable skin inflammation and enhances the susceptibility to imiquimod-induced psoriasiform dermatitis, suggesting that dietary components may render the skin susceptible to psoriatic inflammation.

Total gastrectomy with delayed Hunt-Lawrence pouch reconstruction for neonatal gastric perforation presenting with hematemesis.

The differential for neonatal hematoma sis ranges from benign etiologies to life-threatening emergencies. Neonatal gastric perforation is a rare cause of neonatal hematoma sis but is a deadly condition, requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. The etiology is usually related to conditions predisposing to over distension of the stomach, such as positive pressure ventilation or distal obstruction, but in some cases cannot be determined.

Esophageal pH Capsule Retention.

The wireless pH capsule is widely used to evaluate gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients. Common complications include premature capsule detachment, dysphagia, chest pain, and technical malfunctions. We present a 6-year-old boy who presented to our institution with a 2-day history of coffee-ground emesis.

Randomized double-blind vehicle controlled study of the effects of topical acetyl zingerone on photoaging.

Objective: Acetyl zingerone (AZ), a derivative of the phytochemical zingerone from Zingiber officinale (ginger), is a novel compound that is purported to have antiaging properties. The objective of this clinical study was to assess the role of acetyl zingerone in its ability to improve the appearance of facial skin wrinkles, redness, pigmentation, and photoaging was assessed.

Methods: Thirty-one healthy participants (age 44 ± 7 years) were randomized in blinded fashion to apply either 1% AZ or placebo, consisting of the vehicle base cream, to the full face twice daily for 8 weeks with a total of 3 visits.

Reclassification of the and clades as gen. nov. and gen. nov., including reclassification of 15 taxa.

The genus belongs to the family However, many species with the genus name are found in different families and even crossing into a different phylum. Motivated by recently completed genome sequences, we propose the reclassification of two separate clades that include misclassified species which phylogenetically lie within the family , known for being benign members of gut microbiomes and for their plant-degrading capabilities. We use several phylogenetic and phylogenomic perspectives as well as phenotypic comparisons to gain insight into the evolutionary history of these taxa.

Potential Role of Curcumin Against Biofilm-Producing Organisms on the Skin: A Review.

Turmeric root (Curcuma longa) is predominantly used as a spice, but has also long been known to possess antimicrobial, analgesic, antiinflammatory, and anticancer properties. One predominant group of active compounds in turmeric are curcuminoids, namely bright yellow-pigmented curcumin. While modern science has yet to fully investigate the therapeutic claims of turmeric and its derivatives, results have proven promising in decreasing pain and inflammation in arthritis, improving insulin sensitivity in diabetes, and even curing a variety of infections.

Edible Plants and Their Influence on the Gut Microbiome and Acne.

Acne vulgaris affects most people at some point in their lives. Due to unclear etiology, likely with multiple factors, targeted and low-risk treatments have yet to be developed. In this review, we explore the multiple causes of acne and how plant-based foods and supplements can control these.

Text Message Intervention (TEACH) Improves Quality of Life and Patient Activation in Celiac Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: To determine the impact of the Text Message Educational Automated Compliance Help (TEACH) text message intervention as a pragmatic approach for patient engagement among adolescents with celiac disease (CD) as measured by gluten-free diet (GFD) adherence, patient activation, and quality of life (QOL).

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial with patient recruitment at a pediatric, university-based hospital and through social media; 61 participants ages 12-24 years with CD diagnosed at least 1 year were enrolled. The TEACH intervention cohort received 45 unique text messages over a 3-month study period while the control group received standard of care treatment.

Kineothrix alysoides, gen. nov., sp. nov., a saccharolytic butyrate-producer within the family Lachnospiraceae.

An anaerobic, saccharolytic, spore-forming, butyrate-producing bacterium, strain KNHs209T, was isolated from a switchgrass microcosm seeded with forest soil. Cells were highly motile rods, often forming long filamentous chains which were easily observed moving under the microscope. Its closest phylogenetic relative was Eisenbergiella tayi (16S rRNA gene sequence identity 94.

Mass cytometry reveals a distinct immunoprofile of operational tolerance in pediatric liver transplantation.

Long-term IS in transplant patients has significant morbidity, poorer quality of life, and substantial economic costs. TOL, defined as graft acceptance without functional impairment in the absence of IS, has been achieved in some pediatric LT recipients. Using mass cytometry, peripheral blood immunotyping was performed to characterize differences between tolerant patients and patients who are stable on single-agent IS.

Role of imaging in the evaluation of inflammatory bowel disease: How much is too much?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a lifelong condition with waxing and waning disease course that requires reassessment of disease status as well as screening for complications throughout a patient's lifetime. Laboratory testing, endoscopic assessment, and fecal biomarkers are often used in the initial diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of a patient with IBD. Imaging plays an integral role in the diagnosis and evaluation of IBD.

Video capsule endoscopy impacts decision making in pediatric IBD: a single tertiary care center experience.

Background: Little is known about the impact of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) on decision making in pediatric patients with IBD. Moreover, few studies have reported on the outcomes of treatment changes made based on VCE findings. Our aim was to identify the added value of VCE in pediatric patients in a tertiary IBD center with established or suspected IBD, by assessing changes in treatments and outcomes before and after VCE.

Involvement of a bacterial microcompartment in the metabolism of fucose and rhamnose by Clostridium phytofermentans.

Background: Clostridium phytofermentans, an anaerobic soil bacterium, can directly convert plant biomass into biofuels. The genome of C. phytofermentans contains three loci with genes encoding shell proteins of bacterial microcompartments (BMC), organelles composed entirely of proteins.

Relationship between resting blood pressure and laboratory-induced pain among healthy children.

Background: Adult studies have demonstrated that increased resting blood pressure (BP) levels correlate with decreased pain sensitivity. However, few studies have examined the relationship between BP and experimental pain sensitivity among children.

Objectives: This study investigated the association between resting BP levels and experimental pain tolerance, intensity, and unpleasantness in healthy children.

Children's early approaches to learning and academic trajectories through fifth grade.

Children's early approaches to learning (ATL) enhance their adaptation to the demands they experience with the start of formal schooling. The current study uses individual growth modeling to investigate whether children's early ATL, which includes persistence, emotion regulation, and attentiveness, explain individual differences in their academic trajectories during elementary school. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), the present investigation examined the association between ATL at kindergarten entry and trajectories of reading and math achievement across 6 waves of data from kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade (n = 10,666).

Relationships between individualism-collectivism, gender, and direct or indirect aggression: a study in China, Poland, and the US.

Direct and indirect aggression were studied in college students from China (women n=122; men n=97), a highly collectivistic culture; the US (women n=137; men n=136), a highly individualistic culture; and Poland (women n=105; men n=119), a culture with intermediate levels of collectivism and individualism. Consistent with a hypothesis derived from national differences in relative levels of collectivism and individualism, both direct and indirect aggression were higher in the US than in Poland and higher in Poland than in China. The theoretical implication of these results and directions for future research were discussed.

Nitric oxide further attenuates pulmonary hypertension in magnesium-treated piglets.

Background: Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) commonly appears as a complication of several pulmonary and non-pulmonary diseases. The hypoxia possibly inhibits Ca2+ +/- dependent K+ channels, thus resulting in membrane depolarization of pulmonary smooth muscle cells, which leads to the opening of Ca2+ channels and Ca2+ entry, resulting in contraction of the vascular smooth muscle. However, magnesium (Mg2+) is an antagonist of Ca2+.