Implant efficiency and clinical performance of Aveir™ VR and Micra™ VR leadless pacemaker: A multicenter comparative analysis of 67 patients.

Introduction: Leadless pacemaker (LP) is a novel pacemaker that has been proven to be effective and safe; however, the majority of LPs in previous reports were the Medtronic Micra™ VR LP. We aim to evaluate the implant efficiency and clinical performance of the Aveir™ VR LP compared to the Micra™ VR LP.

Method: We performed a retrospective analysis in two healthcare systems (Sparrow Hospital and Ascension Health System, Michigan) in patients implanted with LPs between January 1, 2018, and April 1, 2022.

Dysbiosis in the Dead: Human Postmortem Microbiome Beta-Dispersion as an Indicator of Manner and Cause of Death.

The postmortem microbiome plays an important functional role in host decomposition after death. Postmortem microbiome community successional patterns are specific to body site, with a significant shift in composition 48 h after death. While the postmortem microbiome has important forensic applications for postmortem interval estimation, it also has the potential to aid in manner of death (MOD) and cause of death (COD) determination as a reflection of antemortem health status.

Cold Case Experiment Demonstrates the Potential Utility of Aquatic Microbial Community Assembly in Estimating a Postmortem Submersion Interval.

Microbial community assembly (MCA) of both human and nonhuman animal carcasses provides indicators useful for estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) in terrestrial settings. However, there are fewer studies estimating postmortem submersion intervals (PMSIs) in aquatic habitats. No aquatic studies to date assessed MCA in the context of a death investigation, with all previous studies focusing on important basic ecological questions.

Skin cells and tissue are capable of using L-ergothioneine as an integral component of their antioxidant defense system.

The cellular defense system against harmful levels of reactive oxygen species consists of antioxidant enzymatic activities and small nonenzymatic molecules. L-ergothioneine has long been recognized as a potent and stable low-molecular-weight antioxidant that humans consume with diet and that accumulates in cells normally subjected to high levels of oxidative stress. As L-ergothioneine is plasma membrane-impermeative, its protective function is restricted to cells that express the L-ergothioneine-specific receptor/transporter OCTN1.

UV-induced DNA damage initiates release of MMP-1 in human skin.

Destruction of collagen is a hallmark of photoaging. The major enzyme responsible for collagen 1 digestion, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), is induced by exposure to sunlight. To study the molecular trigger for this induction, human skin was ultraviolet-B (UVB)-irradiated and treated with liposome-encapsulated DNA repair enzymes.

UV-induced degradation of collagen I is mediated by soluble factors released from keratinocytes.

Photoaging is a complex condition but its hallmark is the destruction of dermal collagen. This has been attributed to the direct activation of fibroblast matrix metalloproteinases by solar UV. However, we report here that unirradiated fibroblasts increase metalloproteinase production and digest collagen when exposed to cell culture media from irradiated keratinocytes.

A comparison of the relative antioxidant potency of L-ergothioneine and idebenone.

Background: L-ergothioneine (EGT) is a stable antioxidant found in food plants as well as in animal tissue undergoing relatively high levels of oxidative stress. Idebenone is a stable analog of the antioxidant coenzyme Q(10). All are potent antioxidants found in skincare products, but their relative potencies are not well described.

A hydroquinone formulation with increased stability and decreased potential for irritation.

Background: Long-term treatment with a high-strength hydroquinone (HQ) cream (usually 4% HQ) is the mainstay therapy for hyperpigmentation disorders. Instability and high potential for irritancy hinders patient compliance. A new 4% HQ preparation has been designed with an innovative antioxidant for stability and a biomimetic of an herbal extract for skin calming.

The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production.

Background: The presence of sebum on the face is responsible for both facial shine and the formation of comedonal and inflammatory acne lesions. Sebum control is a goal of many OTC skin care products; however, most currently available products function by absorbing sebum from the face rather than modulating its production.

Objective: To demonstrate the effect of topical 2% niacinamide on sebum excretion rates and casual sebum production in Oriental and Caucasian populations.

The effects of minoxidil, 1% pyrithione zinc and a combination of both on hair density: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Recent studies of antidandruff shampoos or tonics containing antifungal or antibacterial agents produced effects suggestive of a potential hair growth benefit.

Objectives: The purpose of this 6-month, 200-patient, randomized, investigator-blinded, parallel-group clinical study was to assess the hair growth benefits of a 1% pyrithione zinc shampoo. The efficacy of a 1% pyrithione zinc shampoo (used daily), was compared with that of a 5% minoxidil topical solution (applied twice daily), a placebo shampoo and a combination of the 1% pyrithione zinc shampoo and the 5% minoxidil topical solution.

Bacterial resistance and therapeutic outcome following three months of topical acne therapy with 2% erythromycin gel versus its vehicle.

Two-hundred-and-eight acne vulgaris patients were enrolled in a 24-week study to determine the bacterial resistance issues associated with the use of a topical 2% erythromycin gel. It consisted of a 12-week randomized, double-blind, parallel-group treatment phase comparing the active gel versus its vehicle followed by a 12-week single-blind regression phase with gel vehicle only. Bacteriological samples were taken from the face, back and nares for quantification by species and antibiotic resistance characteristics.

Intralesional interferon therapy for basal cell carcinoma.

In a clinical trial of 172 patients at four medical centers, interferon alfa-2b (1.5 x 10(6) IU) or a placebo was injected directly into biopsy-proved noduloulcerative or superficial basal cell carcinomas three times weekly for 3 weeks, for a cumulative dose of 13.5 million IU.

The effect of an intralesional sustained-release formulation of interferon alfa-2b on basal cell carcinomas.

Intralesional interferon alfa-2b has been proven effective in the treatment of basal cell carcinomas. Because nine injections over a 3-week period have been necessary to produce clinically significant cure rates, a sustained-release protamine zinc chelate interferon formulation has been developed. In this study, 65 basal cell carcinomas were treated in one of two dosing schedules with intralesional sustained release interferon alfa-2b (10 million IU per injection).

The effect of topical interferon alpha 2b on actinic keratoses.

As a result of the known effects of intralesional interferon alfa 2b (Intron A) on actinic keratoses, we have now examined the effects of topical interferon alfa 2b gel on actinic keratoses. Twenty-four subjects each treated three actinic keratoses with either interferon gel 30 million IU/gm or a placebo preparation applied topically 4 times a day for 4 weeks. Although more lesions treated with the active interferon showed clinical improvement, this difference was not statistically significant.

The effect of intralesional interferon gamma on basal cell carcinomas.

This open label study evaluated the effect of nine intralesional injections of two different doses of interferon gamma on basal cell carcinomas in 29 patients. One group of 15 patients received interferon gamma, 0.01 mg (20,000 IU), intralesionally three times a week for 3 weeks.

Intralesional interferon alfa-2b for the treatment of genital warts.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study has been conducted, and intralesional interferon alfa-2b was tested in the treatment of genital warts. This study design was to give 1 million units interferon alfa-2b intralesionally into the base of each of five external genital warts per patient, on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday treatment schedule for 3 weeks (total of nine injections). Forty-two patients were entered (20 randomized to receive interferon and 22 placebo injections).

Recombinant interferon alfa-2b in plaque-phase mycosis fungoides. Intralesional and low-dose intramuscular therapy.

A two-part clinical trial was conducted to determine the therapeutic efficacy of recombinant interferon alfa-2b in plaque-phase mycosis fungoides. In an initial randomized double-blind study, each of six patients had two representative plaques injected intralesionally with 1 X 10(6) U of recombinant interferon alfa-2b per site and two control plaques injected with placebo three times weekly for four consecutive weeks. Complete clinical regression of disease was observed at ten of 12 recombinant interferon alfa-2b sites compared with one of 12 placebo-treated sites four weeks after treatment with injections was stopped.

Effect of intralesional alpha 2-interferon on actinic keratoses.

The effect of intralesional alpha 2-interferon (IFN) on actinic keratoses was examined in this two-part study. In phase I, 11 of 12 lesions cleared following nine injections of IFN (5 X 10(5) IU per dose) compared with none of 12 keratoses injected with placebo. Smaller doses of IFN (1 X 10(5) IU and 1 X 10(4) IU per injection) produced clearing of 42% and 58% of lesions, respectively.

Intralesional interferon in the treatment of early mycosis fungoides.

Twelve patients with early mycosis fungoides were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Isolated plaques were injected three times a week with recombinant alpha 2-interferon in nine patients and with the vehicle in three patients. Two additional plaques were evaluated in each patient; one was left untreated, and another was treated topically with either placebo ointment or betamethasone ointment.

Topical protection against long-wave ultraviolet A.

A PABA ester-oxybenzone preparation is superior to PABA or sulisobenzone alone in protecting the skin from methoxsalen-induced ultraviolet A (UVA) phototoxicity after water substantivity challenge. Such a mixture would be useful as a UVA screen for uninvolved or actinically damaged skin in patients receiving psoralens and ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy. An effective topical UVA screen also may protect against UVA-induced diseases like solar urticaria, polymorphic light eruptions, drug-induced phototoxicity or photoallergy, and possibly against the deep degenerative changes of solar elastosis.

Sweating responses during changes of hypothalamic temperature in the rhesus monkey.

A technique is presented for preparing a durable thermode implant in the hypothalamus of the rhesus monkey. In unanesthetized monkeys implanted with thermodes in the anterior hypothalamic area of the brain, a linear relation was found between local sweat rates on the general body surface and clamped hypothalamic temperature. Changes in skin temperature were found to shift the hypothalamic set-point temperature at which sweating began but did not alter the gain of the hypothalamic temperature-sweat rate relationship.

Effect of labyrinthectomy on the dynamic vestibulo-ocular counterrol reflex in the rhesus monkey.

Timeline records of eyeball counterrotation to constant speed rotations about the line of sight were examined in the Rhesus monkey via a linear transformer measurement system using a contact lens. Normal monkeys exhibited a decrease in the amplitude ratio of eye-to-chair motion and an increasing phase lag between eye and chair as the frequency of the motion platform increased. Bilateral labyrinthectomy or prolonged dosage with streptomycin was found to nearly abolish the counterroll reflex.