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Objectives: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is aggravated by various factors, including perspiration and heat. Thus, it is recommended that AD patients wear breathable clothing to maintain disease remission. Japan has four seasons, so the ideal clothing for individuals with AD may differ throughout the year. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of wearing a newly developed performance fabric, named the Comfiknit Atopic Eczema® T‐shirt, which absorbs excess perspiration from the skin surface and retains moisture within the fabric. We evaluated the effects of the T‐shirts on the clinical characteristics of AD and compared the effects in summer and winter. Methods: Ten adult outpatients with AD took part in an open‐label pilot study for 4 weeks during the summer and for 4 weeks during the winter. The Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), the Patient‐Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), the itch Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the stratum corneum water content (SCWC), skin pH, and skin bacterial cultures were evaluated. A Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication‐9 (TSQM‐9) was filled out only after the intervention. Results: The mean EASI, POEM, and itch VAS scores in both summer and winter fell after wearing the Comfiknit Atopic Eczema® T‐shirts, whereas the SCWC increased. There was no significant difference in the skin surface pH or bacterial cultures before and after the intervention. Conclusions: Wearing Comfiknit Atopic Eczema® T‐shirts helped to prevent exacerbation of AD in summer and winter. Thus, wearing T‐shirts made from performance fabric may help to maintain skin homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrophyllid Scleractinia exhibit a variety of colonial morphologies, formed under the strict constraints on (1) budding sites, (2) orientations of the directive septa of offsets, (3) inclination of budding direction, and (4) those constraints in every generation. Dendrophyllia cribrosa exhibits a sympodial dendroid form, characteristically large coralla, and occasional fusions of adjacent branches within the same colony. Adjacent corallites are bound and supported by coenosteum skeleton. This study examined the inner skeletal structures at the junctions of fused branches using a non-destructive microfocus X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging approach, and considered the reasons for the large colonial sizes and their adaptive significance. Three-dimensional reconstructions of two-dimensional X-ray CT images reveal that individual corallites are not directly connected in fused parts. Additionally, no completely buried individuals were found within fused skeleton. When adjacent branches approach one another, constituent corallites change their growth directions to avoid collisions between the branches. The adjacent branches fuse without a reduction in the number of constituent corallites, leading to the establishment of reticular and rigid colonial structures. In addition, a nearly even distribution of individuals on the colony surface facilitates efficient intake of nutrients. Thus, the growth of large D. cribrosa colonies involves avoidance of collision between constituent individuals, the reinforcement of colonial structure, and efficient uptake of nutrients. These observations provide insights on the dynamics of interrelationships between colony-making mechanisms and the adaptive strategies required under habitat conditions such as specific current activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 65-year-old Japanese woman with a history of type 1 diabetes mellitus, chronic thyroiditis, hyperlipidemia, and lung cancer began to wobble while walking and developed muscle stiffness 19 months before visiting our clinic.