Statistical learning shapes pain perception and prediction independently of external cues.

The placebo and nocebo effects highlight the importance of expectations in modulating pain perception, but in everyday life we don't need an external source of information to form expectations about pain. The brain can learn to predict pain in a more fundamental way, simply by experiencing fluctuating, non-random streams of noxious inputs, and extracting their temporal regularities. This process is called statistical learning.

Skin penetration of topical formulations of ibuprofen 5%: an in vitro comparative study.

An in vitro isolated human skin technique with known reliable predictive value for in vivo performance was used to compare the skin penetration of the proprietary ibuprofen gel formulation, Ibugel, with five other commercially available topical formulations containing ibuprofen 5%: Ibuspray, Ibumousse, Proflex Cream, Fenbid Gel and Deep Relief Gel. There was a marked difference between some formulations in the percentage of applied ibuprofen penetrating the skin samples, with Ibuspray, Ibugel and Ibumousse showing the most efficient penetration. The percentage of applied ibuprofen penetrating the skin samples from these formulations was significantly greater (p < 0.

Comparative efficacy of a proprietary topical ibuprofen gel and oral ibuprofen in acute soft tissue injuries: a randomized, double-blind study.

The efficacy of a novel, proprietary topical formulation of ibuprofen 5% gel (Ibugel) and ibuprofen 400 mg tablets (1200 mg daily) was compared in a double-blind, double-dummy, parallel group study in patients with acute soft tissue injuries. Patients received either active gel plus placebo tablets (n = 50) or active tablets plus placebo gel (n = 50) for at least 7 days. The gel was applied and one tablet was taken three times daily.

An effective, cosmetically acceptable, novel hydro-gel emollient for the management of dry skin conditions.

Background: A novel hydro-gel emollient (Doublebase) has been developed with improved moisturizing effects.

Objective: To test this novel hydro-gel for its moisturizing effect, for its potential to cause skin irritancy/allergy and for its clinical effectiveness and acceptability in dry skin conditions.

Methods/results: Skin hydration (corneometry) and trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) studies with a single application in 18 volunteers confirmed its efficacy (p < 0.

Efficacy of a proprietary ibuprofen gel in soft tissue injuries: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

The efficacy of a novel, proprietary topical formulation of ibuprofen 5% gel (Ibugel) was evaluated in a placebo-controlled study in patients with soft tissue injuries. Patients received either active gel (n=40) or placebo gel (n=41) for a maximum of seven days. Pain and interference with physical activity were assessed daily using visual analogue scales.

Analysis of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p18 and p19 in mantle-cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Background: Mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) is characterized by overexpression of the G1 cyclin, cyclin D1, strongly implicating this cell-cycle regulatory element in MCL pathogenesis. Recently, loss-of-function mutations in cell-cycle negative regulatory elements, including p53 point mutations and deletions of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKI) p15 and p16 have been described in a subset of MCLs and have been associated with aggressive clinical course, blastic morphology, and extranodal dissemination. The objective of the present study was to analyze two newly identified members of the p16 (INK4A; MTS1) CDKI family, p18 and p19, in MCL.

Evaluation of a therapeutic concentration of dithranol in the mouse-tail test.

A study of dithranol ointment in the mouse-tail test showed that 0.2% dithranol ointment induced a granular layer and orthokeratosis in mouse-tail epidermis. This provides further evidence of the value of the mouse-tail test in evaluating anti-psoriatic activity of topical preparations.

Short-contact anthralin therapy for psoriasis using an aqueous cream formulation.

A pilot study of five patients was conducted using an aqueous anthralin cream (Drithocreme) and demonstrated that between twenty and forty minutes was an effective contact time to produce an improvement in induration of psoriatic plaques. In a further, bilateral controlled study, the anthralin cream was used to treat twenty patients with symmetrical chronic plaque psoriasis. The cream was applied to one side of the body overnight and then to the other side in the morning.

Hexyl-nicotinate-induced vasodilation in normal human skin.

Hexyl nicotinate in a lotion formulation was applied topically to the skin of 10 healthy volunteers with clinically normal skin. Erythematous responses were assessed visually and skin blood flow determined by means of a laser Doppler flow meter which measures the blood cell flux (Pf2 Perimed, Sweden). Mean erythematous responses and increased blood cell flux were dose-related but in several subjects increases in blood flow occurred in the presence of barely detectable erythematous responses.

Anthralin: historical and current perspectives.

Anthralin was first synthesized in 1916. Earlier, a natural product, chrysarobin, originally derived from the South American araroba tree, had been used to treat psoriasis. Anthralin was first used in Germany, and later in the Ingram regimen in Britain, but it has never been popular with American dermatologists.