Topically applied, fatty acid-containing formulations provide superior barrier benefits in an ex vivo tape-stripped skin model.

Objective: Ex vivo skin has been used to study various skin conditions from atopic dermatitis to burn injury. The aim of this research is to identify a more effective barrier improvement strategy and to evaluate topical formulations in replenishing the skin. The skin can create new longer chain fatty acids and ceramides (CERs) from topically applied skin natural fatty acid to help renew the skin's barrier.

Circulating myostatin as a biomarker of muscle mass and strength in individuals with cancer or obesity.

Background & Aims: Our study aims to determine whether myostatin (MSTN) is associated with muscle mass and strength in individuals with cancer or obesity, as well as with cancer cachexia (CC) or sarcopenic obesity (SO).

Methods: The ACTICA study included individuals with CC (n = 70) or without CC (NC, n = 73). The MYDIASECRET study included individuals with obesity evaluated before (T0) and 3 months (T3) after bariatric surgery (n = 62).

Compositional Variations between Adult and Infant Skin Microbiome: An Update.

Human skin and its commensal microbiome form the first layer of protection to the outside world. A dynamic microbial ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and viruses, with the potential to respond to external insult, the skin microbiome has been shown to evolve over the life course with an alteration in taxonomic composition responding to altered microenvironmental conditions on human skin. This work sought to investigate the taxonomic, diversity and functional differences between infant and adult leg skin microbiomes.

An Algorithm for Selecting Buoy Skin Paddle Design for Flap Monitoring in Total Autologous Breast Reconstruction After Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy.

Introduction Monitoring buried flaps in reconstructive breast surgery is challenging, and the ideal technique is controversial. Established options include leaving an exterior ("buoy" or "sentinel") skin paddle versus invasive implantable devices to avoid removing the paddle later. Technical modifications and an algorithm for strategic skin paddle positioning to circumvent this while avoiding complex monitoring equipment are proposed.

First use of Braxon® acellular dermal matrix for complex revision aesthetic breast surgery-revision augmentation mastopexy.

Acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) have ushered in a paradigm shift in prosthetic breast reconstruction; however, there has hitherto been no reported use of Braxon® ADM in aesthetic breast surgery. Here, we describe the case of a 42-year-old woman who presented for revision of her bilateral aesthetic augmentation-mastopexy following multiple revision surgeries. The predominant concerns were persistent pain, implant malposition and a wide intermammary distance.

Microvascular breast reconstruction and thromboembolic events in patients on hormone therapy: Audit of practice from a tertiary referral centre.

Introduction: Hormonal therapy with tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors reduces breast cancer recurrence and mortality but represents a risk factor for thromboembolic events. Therefore, most surgeons discontinue hormonal agents before microvascular surgery and for a variable period thereafter. There are no guidelines regarding when therapy should be stopped (preoperatively) or when it should be resumed (post-operatively).

An unusual "venous circle" of the internal mammary vein encountered during microvascular anastomosis and implications for practice.

The internal mammary vessels are commonly used for anastomosis in breast reconstruction. The anatomy when using the 2nd ICS has been shown to be predictable and hence preferentially used by the senior author. We present an unusual case of internal mammary vein bifurcation and immediate confluence forming a 'venous circle'.

Deep Learning on Multi Sensor Data for Counter UAV Applications-A Systematic Review.

Usage of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is growing rapidly in a wide range of consumer applications, as they prove to be both autonomous and flexible in a variety of environments and tasks. However, this versatility and ease of use also brings a rapid evolution of threats by malicious actors that can use UAVs for criminal activities, converting them to passive or active threats. The need to protect critical infrastructures and important events from such threats has brought advances in counter UAV (c-UAV) applications.

The ideal intercostal space for internal mammary vessel exposure during total rib-sparing microvascular breast reconstruction: A critical evaluation.

Background: Total rib-preserving free flap breast reconstruction (RP-FFBR) using internal mammary vessel (IMV) recipients usually involves vessel exposure in the second or third intercostal spaces (ICS). Although the third one is more commonly used, no direct comparisons between the two have hitherto been performed.

Objectives: To compare the in-vivo topography and vascular anatomy of second and third ICSs in patients undergoing FFBR using the rib-preservation technique of IMV exposure.

Strangulated Richter's incisional hernia presenting as an abdominal mass with necrosis of the overlapping skin. A case report and review of the literature.

Although rare, clinicians must be alerted of Richter hernias in patients presenting with innocuous gastrointestinal obstruction symptoms, synchronous with an erythematous hernia. An incarcerated incisional hernia located in a previous laparoscopic insertion site further raises suspicion, while timely surgical management is essential to avoid bowel perforation or resection.

Semi-closed surgical technique for treatment of pilonidal sinus disease.

Introduction: Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is a highly debatable disorder regarding its surgical management, despite an assortment of surgical techniques described in the medical literature. The aim of this report is to provide an alternate semi-closed surgical method for treatment of PSD, with early recovery and a satisfactory cosmetic result.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 34 patients underwent surgical treatment for primary PSD; 32 male and 2 female.

Surgical management of a giant parathyroid adenoma through minimal invasive parathyroidectomy. A case report.

Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disorder mostly associated to parathyroid adenomas. Although those tend to be small in size, rare cases of giant parathyroid adenomas may be present.

Case Presentation: A 42year old female was admitted in our department due to weakness and vague abdominal pain for the past 8 months.

Patient-tailored management of an asymptomatic massive substernal goiter presenting as brachiocephalic vein occlusion. Report of a case and review of sternotomy indications.

Introduction: Substernal goiters are characterized by the protrusion of at least 50% of the thyroid mass below the level of the thoracic inlet. Still their definition is controversial.

Case Presentation: The case refers to a 44year old male who presented to our department due to swelling and a feeling of 'heaviness' of his left upper extremity for the past 6 months.

Treatment of a half century year old giant inguinoscrotal hernia. A case report.

Introduction: Inguinal hernias, although a common medical entity, can on rare occasions present as giant inguinoscrotal hernias, mostly because of the patient's rejection of timely surgical management.

Presentation Of Case: A 77year old patient, with a giant inguinoscrotal hernia history for more than 50 years, was advised to undergo surgical treatment due to recurrent urinary tract infections and vague abdominal pain. Physical examination showed a right sided giant inguinoscrotal hernia extending below the midpoint of the inner thigh.

Targeted inhibition of ANKRD1 disrupts sarcomeric ERK-GATA4 signal transduction and abrogates phenylephrine-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.

Aims: Accumulating evidence suggest that sarcomere signalling complexes play a pivotal role in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by communicating stress signals to the nucleus to induce gene expression. Ankyrin repeat domain 1 (ANKRD1) is a transcriptional regulatory protein that also associates with sarcomeric titin; however, the exact role of ANKRD1 in the heart remains to be elucidated. We therefore aimed to examine the role of ANKRD1 in cardiomyocyte hypertrophic signalling.

Global deletion of Ankrd1 results in a wound-healing phenotype associated with dermal fibroblast dysfunction.

The expression of ankyrin repeat domain protein 1 (Ankrd1), a transcriptional cofactor and sarcomeric component, is strongly elevated by wounding and tissue injury. We developed a conditional Ankrd1(fl/fl) mouse, performed global deletion with Sox2-cre, and assessed the role of this protein in cutaneous wound healing. Although global deletion of Ankrd1 did not affect mouse viability or development, Ankrd1(-/-) mice had at least two significant wound-healing phenotypes: extensive necrosis of ischemic skin flaps, which was reversed by adenoviral expression of ANKRD1, and delayed excisional wound closure, which was characterized by decreased contraction and reduced granulation tissue thickness.

ANKRD1 acts as a transcriptional repressor of MMP13 via the AP-1 site.

The transcriptional cofactor ANKRD1 is sharply induced during wound repair, and its overexpression enhances healing. We recently found that global deletion of murine Ankrd1 impairs wound contraction and enhances necrosis of ischemic wounds. A quantitative PCR array of Ankrd1(-/-) (KO) fibroblasts indicated that ANKRD1 regulates MMP genes.

ALCAM/CD166 is a TGF-β-responsive marker and functional regulator of prostate cancer metastasis to bone.

The dissemination of prostate cancer to bone is a common, incurable aspect of advanced disease. Prevention and treatment of this terminal phase of prostate cancer requires improved molecular understanding of the process as well as markers indicative of molecular progression. Through biochemical analyses and loss-of-function in vivo studies, we demonstrate that the cell adhesion molecule, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM), is actively shed from metastatic prostate cancer cells by the sheddase ADAM17 in response to TGF-β.

Metabolomic analysis of sun exposed skin.

It is very well known that exposure of skin to sun chronically accelerates the mechanism of aging as well as making it more susceptible toward skin cancer. This aspect of aging has been studied very well through genomics and proteomics tools. In this study we have used a metabolomic approach for the first time to determine the differences in the metabolome from full thickness skin biopsies from sun exposed and sun protected sites.

26S proteasome regulation of Ankrd1/CARP in adult rat ventricular myocytes and human microvascular endothelial cells.

Ankyrin repeat domain 1 protein (Ankrd1), also known as cardiac ankyrin repeat protein (CARP), increases dramatically after tissue injury, and its overexpression improves aspects of wound healing. Reports that Ankrd1/CARP protein stability may affect cardiovascular organization, together with our findings that the protein is crucial to stability of the cardiomyocyte sarcomere and increased in wound healing, led us to compare the contribution of Ankrd1/CARP stability to its abundance. We found that the 26S proteasome is the dominant regulator of Ankrd1/CARP degradation, and that Ankrd1/CARP half-life is significantly longer in cardiomyocytes (h) than endothelial cells (min).

Disruption of a GATA4/Ankrd1 signaling axis in cardiomyocytes leads to sarcomere disarray: implications for anthracycline cardiomyopathy.

Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) is an effective anti-cancer drug, but its clinical usage is limited by a dose-dependent cardiotoxicity characterized by widespread sarcomere disarray and loss of myofilaments. Cardiac ankyrin repeat protein (CARP, ANKRD1) is a transcriptional regulatory protein that is extremely susceptible to doxorubicin; however, the mechanism(s) of doxorubicin-induced CARP depletion and its specific role in cardiomyocytes have not been completely defined. We report that doxorubicin treatment in cardiomyocytes resulted in inhibition of CARP transcription, depletion of CARP protein levels, inhibition of myofilament gene transcription, and marked sarcomere disarray.

MafA and MafB regulate Pdx1 transcription through the Area II control region in pancreatic beta cells.

Pancreatic-duodenal homeobox factor-1 (Pdx1) is highly enriched in islet beta cells and integral to proper cell development and adult function. Of the four conserved 5'-flanking sequence blocks that contribute to transcription in vivo, Area II (mouse base pairs -2153/-1923) represents the only mammalian specific control domain. Here we demonstrate that regulation of beta-cell-enriched Pdx1 expression by the MafA and MafB transcription factors is exclusively through Area II.

N-alkyl-4-piperidinyl-2,3-diarylpyrrole derivatives with heterocyclic substitutions as potent and broad spectrum anticoccidial agents.

Diaryl-(4-piperidinyl)-pyrrole derivatives bearing cyclic amine substituents have been synthesized and evaluated as anticoccidial agents. Improvements in potency of Et-PKG inhibition, such as azetidine derivative 3a, and broad spectrum anticoccidial activities in feed, such as morpholine derivative 8c, have been achieved.