Propionibacterium acnes susceptibility to low-level 449 nm blue light photobiomodulation.

Background And Objective: Recent advances in low-level light devices have opened new treatment options for mild to moderate acne patients. Light therapies have been used to treat a variety of skin conditions over the years but were typically only available as treatments provided by professional clinicians. Clinical application of blue light has proven to be effective for a broader spectral range and at lower fluences than previously utilized.

Validation of a claims-based algorithm to identify patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension using electronic health record data.

This study aimed to validate an algorithm developed to identify chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) among patients with a history of pulmonary embolism. Validation was halted because too few patients had gold-standard evidence of CTEPH in the administrative claims/electronic health records database, suggesting that CTEPH is underdiagnosed.

The Three-Decade Long Journey in Heart Failure Drug Development.

Heart failure is a global disease with increasing prevalence due to an aging worldwide population with increasing co-morbidities. Despite several therapeutic options available to treat HFrEF, morbidity and mortality remain high. Importantly, no approved therapies are available to treat HFpEF.

Novel sGC Stimulators and sGC Activators for the Treatment of Heart Failure.

The burden of heart failure (HF) increases worldwide with an aging population, and there is a high unmet medical need in both, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The nitric oxide (NO) pathway is a key regulator in the cardiovascular system and modulates vascular tone and myocardial performance. Disruption of the NO-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling axis and impaired cGMP formation by endothelial dysfunction could lead to vasotone dysregulation, vascular and ventricular stiffening, fibrosis, and hypertrophy resulting in a decline of heart as well as kidney function.

Fast Click Rate Electrocochleography and Auditory Brainstem Response in Normal-Hearing Adults Using Continuous Loop Averaging Deconvolution.

Objectives: Using the continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) technique for conventional electrocochleography (ECochG) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) recordings, the effects of testing at high stimulus rates may have the potential to diagnose disorders of the inner ear and auditory nerve. First, a body of normative data using the CLAD technique must be established.

Design: Extratympanic click ECochG and ABR to seven stimulus rates using CLAD were measured simultaneously from a tympanic membrane electrode and surface electrodes on the forehead and mastoid of 42 healthy individuals.

Exploring New Endpoints for Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

The epidemiological, clinical, and societal implications of the heart failure (HF) epidemic cannot be overemphasized. Approximately half of all HF patients have HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). HFpEF is largely a syndrome of the elderly, and with aging of the population, the proportion of patients with HFpEF is expected to grow.

Closed vitrification of human oocytes and blastocysts: outcomes from a series of clinical cases.

Purpose: High survival rates and clinical outcomes similar to those from fresh oocytes and blastocysts have been observed with open oocyte vitrification systems. It has been suggested that the extremely fast cooling rates that are only achieved with open systems are necessary for human oocyte and blastocyst vitrification. However, there is a potential risk of introducing contamination with open systems.

Developing a prevention synthesis and translation system to promote science-based approaches to teen pregnancy, HIV and STI prevention.

The Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation (ISF) is a multi-system framework that can guide research-to-practice efforts by building and supporting the work of three interacting systems: the Prevention Delivery, Support, and Synthesis and Translation Systems. The Synthesis and Translation system is vital to bridging science and practice, yet how to develop it and train support system partners to use it is under-researched. This article bridges this gap by offering a case example of the planning, development, and use of a synthesis and translation product called Promoting Science-based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention using Getting To Outcomes.

Breast and cervical cancer screening and health beliefs among African American women attending educational programs.

This article assessed the relationship between breast and cervical cancer screening rates and health beliefs in African American women participating in Witness Project of Harlem (WPH) education sessions. WPH is a culturally sensitive, faith-based breast and cervical cancer screening education program targeting African American women in medically underserved New York City communities. A questionnaire administered to women participating for the first time in a Witness Project education session collected demographics, adherence to breast and cervical cancer screening, and information about health beliefs related to cancer worry, medical mistrust, and religious faith.

Promoting science-based approaches to teen pregnancy prevention: proactively engaging the three systems of the interactive systems framework.

In the field of teen pregnancy prevention many efficacious prevention programs are available but adoption of these programs is slow at the community level. In this article, we present a multi-site, capacity-building effort called the Promoting Science-based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention project (PSBA) as a case example of a proactive application of the Interactive System Framework (ISF) for dissemination and implementation. The ISF is a multi-system model leading to dissemination and implementation of science-based prevention programming through the work of three interactive systems: The "Prevention Delivery," "Prevention Support," and "Prevention Synthesis & Translation" Systems.

Measuring social change preferences in African American adolescents: development of the Measure of Social Change for Adolescents (MOSC-A).

Studies addressing Black adolescents' social change strategies are nonexistent and might be associated with the absence of social change measures for Black adolescents. In an effort to begin addressing this concern, the 30-item Measure of Social Change for Adolescents (MOSC-A) was designed to measure Black adolescents' first- (i.e.

Intensive insulin therapy for critically ill patients.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of glycemic control of intensive insulin therapy and recommend its place in the management of critically ill patients.

Data Sources: Searches of MEDLINE (1966-March 2004) and Cochrane Library, as well as an extensive manual review of abstracts were performed using the key search terms hyperglycemia, insulin, intensive care unit, critically ill, outcomes, and guidelines and algorithms.

Study Selection And Data Extraction: All articles identified from the data sources were evaluated and deemed relevant if they included and assessed clinical outcomes.

Rest-activity cycles in childhood and adolescent depression.

Objective: To quantify circadian rhythms in rest-activity cycles in depressed children and adolescents.

Method: Rest-activity cycles were evaluated by actigraphy over five consecutive 24-hour periods in 100 children and adolescents, including 59 outpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 41 healthy normal controls. Total activity, total light exposure, and time spent in light at more than 1,000 lux were averaged over the recording period for each participant.