Pseudo-blue lunula and beyond: a normal variant.

A 12-hour-old newborn was noted by his parents and primary care team to have distinctive blue nail color changes. The blue color extended from the proximal nail bed to the mid-nail bed region. This did not resolve over the next 2 days, and dermatology was consulted.

Contribution of dentist anesthesiologists to dental anesthesiology research.

In order to determine if dentist anesthesiologists (DAs) actively contribute to research in the field of anesthesiology, and thus contribute new knowledge to the field, an extensive literature search was accomplished. DAs make up only 1.5% of dentists who actively contribute to anesthesia research but account for 10% of publications.

Longitudinal erythronychia: the value of cosmetic alterations in nail findings.

A 71-year-old man presented to the authors' clinic for evaluation of a red line under his right thumb. He noticed a red streak develop during the past year. It slowly grew in width and become more prominent in color (Figure 1).

Ungual and periungual human papillomavirus-associated squamous cell carcinoma: a review.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and SCC in situ are often reported in the genital region. The association of HPV with SCC in the ungual and periungual skin is less well recognized, and verrucous lesions may undergo years of therapeutic attempts without a diagnostic biopsy.

Objectives: To review the epidemiology, associations, and role of HPV in digital SCC and SCC in situ.

Alkylation of cysteine 468 in Stat3 defines a novel site for therapeutic development.

Stat3 is a latent transcription factor that promotes cell survival and proliferation and is often constitutively active in multiple cancers. Inhibition of Stat3 signaling pathways suppresses cell survival signals and leads to apoptosis in cancer cells, suggesting direct inhibition of Stat3 function is a viable therapeutic approach. Herein, we identify a small molecule, C48, as a selective Stat3-family member inhibitor.

Factors influencing late consultation among patients with rectal bleeding in University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre.

Background: Patients' delay in the presentation with rectal bleeding had been identified as a factor for late diagnosis of colorectal cancer. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of delay in consulting a medical practitioner and identifying associated factors.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study of 80 patients with rectal bleeding, aged 40 and above, was conducted between December 2008 and June 2009 in the endoscopy unit, University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre.

Kinetic and regeneration studies of photocatalytic magnetic separable beads for chromium (VI) reduction under sunlight.

Physical adsorption and photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) in magnetic separable beads were investigated. In order to elucidate the kinetics of photocatalytic process, operating parameters such as catalyst dosage and the initial concentration were examined in detail. It was observed that the reduction rate of Cr(VI) increased with an increase in the catalyst loading, as this translated into an increase in the number of available active sites.

Hair in the middle phalanges: clinical significance.

Middle phalangeal hair has been a focus of study in different populations for the absence or presence of this trait. Clinically, this is often perceived as a solely cosmetic feature. However, because of a series of patients questioning the presence of hair on this location, we have performed a more in-depth literature-based evaluation of the trait.

In vitro development of microcorms and stigma like structures in saffron (Crocus sativus L.).

Saffron is an important spice derived from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, a species belonging to the family Iridaceae. Due to its triploid nature it is sterile and is not able to set seeds, so it is propagated only by corms. The natural propagation rate of most geophytes including saffron is relatively low.

Evaluation of mucoadhesive hydrogels loaded with diclofenac sodium-chitosan microspheres for rectal administration.

Considering the advantageous for the rectal administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the objective of this study was to formulate and evaluate rectal mucoadhesive hydrogels loaded with diclofenac-sodium chitosan (DFS-CS) microspheres. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC; 5%, 6%, and 7% w/w) and Carbopol 934 (1% w/w) hydrogels containing DFS-CS microspheres equivalent to 1% w/w active drug were prepared. The physicochemical characterization revealed that all hydrogels had a suitable pH for rectal application (6.

Ictal kissing: a release phenomenon in non-dominant temporal lobe epilepsy.

Background: A variety of ictal automatisms with strong emotional elements have been described. Ictal kissing has not been well characterized and may provide useful clinical information and insight into the mechanisms of stereotyped ictal behaviour.

Methods: Three of 220 patients (1.

Aspergillus fumigatus allergen expression is coordinately regulated in response to hydrogen peroxide and cyclic AMP.

Background: A. fumigatus has been associated with a wide spectrum of allergic disorders such as ABPA or SAFS. It is poorly understood what allergens in particular are being expressed during fungal invasion and which are responsible for stimulation of immune responses.

Hyaluronic acid filler for steroid atrophy.

The use of hyaluronic acid for atrophy has not been documented in the literature. In this manuscript we present a case of a patient treated with the aforementioned filler with enthusiastic results. This case shows yet another potential application for these novel products.

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis after cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: Periungual presentation.

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) has several clinical presentations and has been reported in various states of immune deregulation. We report the unique presentation of this disease as a pigmented periungual macule in a patient with a previous history of immune deregulation related to cutaneous lymphoma. A literature review did not reveal any previous reports of EV in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Onychoheterotopia: pathogenesis, presentation, and management of ectopic nail.

Background: Onychoheterotopia is an extremely rare condition in which the nail tissue grows outside the classic nail unit of the dorsal fingers and toes. It presents as either small outgrowths of a deviant nail or a complete double fingernail malformation. The histology of the onychoheterotopia matrix is oftentimes very similar to the normal nail matrix, although it plays a central role in diagnosis.

Silver sulfadiazine for the treatment of partial-thickness burns and venous stasis ulcers.

Background: For decades silver-containing antibiotics such as silver sulfadiazine (SSD) have been applied as standard topical therapy for patients with partial-thickness burns and venous stasis ulcers. This evidence-based review intends to answer the following research question: in ambulatory patients with partial-thickness burns or stasis dermatitis ulcers, does the use of topical SSD compared with nonantibiotic dressings improve mortality, wound healing, re-epithelialization, or infection rates?

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and other databases were searched. We considered trials that enrolled patients of any age with partial-thickness burns or venous stasis ulcers and randomized them to either topical SSD or placebo, saline-soaked gauze, paraffin gauze, sterile dry dressing, or nonantibiotic moist dressing.

Statins in skin: research and rediscovery, from psoriasis to sclerosis.

Statins, initially developed as antimicrobials, are primarily considered cholesterol-lowering agents. Recently, researchers discovered anti-inflammatory properties of statins. Studies on the effects of statins and the alterations noted include: bench work that supported a Th1/Th2 skew to Th1, altered lymphocyte migration, inhibition of MHC-II induction and cytokine release on antigen-presenting cells, inhibition of mast cell degranulation and inhibition of Th17 cells and IL-17 production.

Ocular burns and related injuries due to fireworks during the Aidil Fitri celebration on the East Coast of the Peninsular Malaysia.

This study aims to describe the epidemiology of ocular burns and related injuries due to fireworks during the Aidil Fitri celebration on the East Coast of the Peninsular Malaysia. A prospective analysis of all patients with ocular burns and related injuries due to fireworks attended three tertiary hospitals in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia during Aidil Fitri, which was from 10 September to 17 October 2008. We observed the demographic and injury characteristics, extent of the injuries and presenting visual symptoms.

Delayed onychodystrophy of incontinentia pigmenti: an evidence-based review of epidemiology, diagnosis and management.

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is an X-linked dominant disorder that is seen in females. Although the medical literature has focused strongly on the skin manifestations of IP, there is lack of comprehensive reviews focused on delayed nail lesions of IP. The authors thus tabulated reported nail changes in IP with a focus on diagnosis and management of this delayed nail presentations.

Optimization and characterization of diclofenac sodium microspheres prepared by a modified coacervation method.

A modified coacervation method for preparing diclofenac sodium loaded chitosan (DFS-C) microspheres, using sodium citrate as cross-linking agent was optimized. A full 2(3) factorial design was used to evaluate the effect of chitosan (CS) concentration, cross-linking agent concentration, and cross-linking time on the properties of the prepared microspheres. The modified coacervation method resulted in higher yield of spherical microspheres even with a lower concentration of CS (0.