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Individual heterogeneity in foraging behaviour determines how individuals and populations respond to changes in the availability and distribution of resources. Antarctic krill Euphausia superba is a pivotal species in Southern Ocean food webs and an important target for Southern Ocean fisheries. Changes in its abundance could dramatically impact marine predators, with effects depending on the extent to which all individuals rely on krill as prey. The Antarctic petrel Thalassoica antarctica is a high latitude seabird thought to be dependent on krill in part of its breeding range. Here, by combining fine-scale GPS tracking of petrel foraging trips with diet data, we examined the level and consistency of inter-individual variation in foraging strategies in breeding Antarctic petrels in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, and assessed whether all individuals share a similar reliance on Antarctic krill. We found that Antarctic petrels showed high levels of repeatability in their diet and foraging movements at sea, indicating consistent individual differences in foraging strategies. During consecutive foraging trips, petrels tend to make trips of similar lengths and durations to reach similar terminal locations and to feed on similar prey. These individual differences in diet were spatially structured, with individuals travelling towards the west consuming a more fish-based diet. These different foraging tactics did not appear to be associated with different costs and/or benefits as adult body mass, chick survival and chick growth were unrelated to birds’ foraging movements and diet. Our results show that, even if a large part of the population may be dependent on krill, some individuals specialize on fish. Such inter-individual variation in foraging suggests that this population could be more resilient to changes in the marine environment, such as a decline in krill abundance or a shift in krill distributions.

Background: Despite overall declines in risky teen sexual activity, racial and ethnic disparities persist. This study compared abstinence-only and comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programs to explore the effects of the programs on teen sexual activity-related outcomes that may differ by race/ethnicity., Methods: Program evaluation data were collected from 7th-grade students in comprehensive (N = 3244) and abstinence-only (N = 3172) TPP programs. Differences between outcomes by TPP program were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression for each racial/ethnic group., Results: Black and Hispanic students were significantly less likely to indicate positive attitudes, intentions, and behaviors at baseline. Only white students significantly improved in both programs from pre- to post-assessment. Native American students in the abstinence-only program were significantly less likely than Native American students in the comprehensive sexuality programming to improve from pre- to post-assessment regarding male sexuality, refusal skills, sex and teen norms, and sexual abstinence., Conclusions: The findings suggest that youth of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds do not enter TPP programs with similar attitudes, intentions, or behavior regarding appropriate sexual behavior and that the impact of such programs also may vary by race and ethnicity., (© 2024 American School Health Association.)

During the course of acute ZIKV infection, pruritus is a cardinal symptom widely documented in the literature. Its frequent association with dysesthesia and several dysautonomic manifestations, suggests a pathophysiological mechanism involving the peripheral nervous system. The aim of this study was to develop a functional human model to potentially able to be infected by ZIKV: by demonstrating the functionality on a new human model of co-culture of keratinocyte and sensory neuron derived from induced pluripotent stem cells using a classical method of capsaicin induction and SP release, and verify the presence of ZIKV entry receptor in these cells. Depending of cellular type, receptors of the TAMs family, TIMs (TIM1, TIM3 and TIM4) and DC-SIGN and RIG1 were present/detected. The cells incubations with capsaicin resulted in an increase of the substance P. Hence, this study demonstrated the possibility to obtain co-cultures of human keratinocytes and human sensory neurons that release substance P in the same way than previously published in animal models which can be used as a model of neurogenic skin inflammation. The demonstration of the expression of ZIKV entry receptors in these cells allows to considerate the potent possibility that ZIKV is able to infect cells., (© 2023 The Authors. Experimental Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This publication is the second part of the German-language S3 guideline on urticaria. It covers the management of urticaria and should be used together with Part 1 of the guideline on classification and diagnosis. This publication was prepared according to the criteria of the AWMF on the basis of the international English-language S3 guideline with special consideration of health system conditions in German-speaking countries. Chronic urticaria has a high impact on the quality of life and daily activities of patients. Therefore, if causal factors cannot be eliminated, effective symptomatic treatment is necessary. The recommended first-line treatment is to administer new generation, non-sedating H1 antihistamines. If the standard dose is not sufficiently effective, the dose should be increased up to fourfold. For patients who do not respond to this treatment, the second-line treatment in addition to antihistamines in the treatment algorithm is omalizumab and, if this treatment fails, ciclosporin. Other low-evidence therapeutic agents should only be used if all treatments in the treatment algorithm agreed upon by the guideline group fail. Both the benefit-risk profile and cost should be considered. Corticosteroids are not recommended for long-term treatment due to their inevitable severe side effects., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft.)

The lifetime prevalence of urticaria, a severe allergic disease, is almost 20%. It not only limits the quality of life of those affected, but also their general performance at work and in their daily activities. This publication is the first section of the Urticaria Guideline. It covers the classification and diagnosis of urticaria, taking into account the major advances in research into its causes, triggering factors and pathomechanisms. It also addresses strategies for the efficient diagnosis of the different subtypes of urticaria. This is crucial for individual, patient-oriented treatment, which is covered in the second part of the guideline, published separately. This German-language guideline was developed according to the criteria of the AWMF on the basis of the international English-language S3 guideline with special consideration of health system characteristics in the German-speaking countries. This first part of the guideline describes the classification of urticaria, distinguishing spontaneously occurring wheals (hives) and angioedema from forms of urticaria with inducible symptoms. Urticaria is defined as sudden onset of wheals, angioedema, or both, but is to be distinguished from conditions in which wheals occur as a short-term symptom, such as anaphylaxis. The diagnosis is based on (a limited number of) laboratory tests, but especially on medical history. In addition, validated instruments are available to measure the severity, activity and course of the disease., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft.)

Background: Systemic allergic reactions to vaccines are very rare. In this study we assessed the management and outcome of suspected SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hypersensitivity., Methods: Totally, 334 individuals underwent an allergy work up regarding SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (group A: 115 individuals suspected to be at increased risk for vaccine-related reactions before vaccination and group B: 219 patients with reactions after COVID vaccination). The large majority of the SPT/IDT with the vaccines were negative; however, we identified in 14.1% (n = 47) a possible sensitization to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and/or its ingredients defined as one positive skin test. Of the 219 individuals (group B) who experienced symptoms suspicious for a hypersensitivity reaction after vaccination, 214 were reported after the first vaccination with a mRNA vaccine (157 mRNA (Comirnaty®, 38 Spikevax®) and 18 with a vector vaccine (Vaxzevria®), 5 cases were after the second vaccination., Results: The symptom profile in group B was as follows: skin symptoms occurred in 115 cases (n = 59 angioedema, n = 50 generalized urticaria and n = 23 erythema/flush. Seventy individuals had cardiovascular, 53 respiratory and 17 gastrointestinal symptoms. Of the overall 334 individuals, 78 patients tolerated (re)-vaccination (out of skin test positive/negative 7/19 from group A and 17/35 from group B)., Conclusion: Proven IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is extremely rare and not increased in comparison with reported hypersensitivity to other vaccines. The value of skin tests is unclear and nonspecific reactions, in particular when intradermal testing is applied, should be considered., (© 2022 The Authors. Allergy published by European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Severe allergic reactions to vaccines are very rare. Single severe reactions have occurred worldwide after vaccination with the new mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. PEG2000 is discussed as a possible trigger. We provide guidance on risk assessment regarding COVID-19 vaccination in patients with allergic diseases and suggest a standardized, resource-oriented diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. Reports of severe allergic reactions in the context of COVID-19 vaccination can be made via www.anaphylaxie.net using an online questionnaire., (© Dustri-Verlag Dr. K. Feistle.)

Skin aging is associated with alterations of surface texture, sebum composition and immune response. Mechanical stress induces repair mechanisms, which may be dependent on the age and quality of the skin. The response to mechanical stress in young and aged individuals, their subjective opinion and the objective effectiveness of skin care products were evaluated by biophysical skin quality parameters (stratum corneum hydration, transepidermal water loss, skin pH, pigmentation and erythema) at baseline, 1, 6, 24h and 7days at the forearms of 2 groups of healthy volunteers, younger than 35 years (n=11) and older than 60 years (n=13). In addition, casual surface lipid composition was studied under the same conditions at the baseline and day 7 after mechanical stress induction. Evaluations were also performed in stressed skin areas treated daily with skin care products and the subjective opinion of the volunteers was additionally documented. The tested groups exhibited age-associated baseline skin functions as well as casual surface lipid composition and different reaction patterns to mechanical stress. Skin care was more effective in normalizing skin reaction to stress in the young than in the aged group. The subjective volunteer opinion correlated with the objective measurements., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sensitive skin is a frequent complaint in the general population, in patients, and among subjects suffering from itch. The International Forum for the Study of Itch (IFSI) decided to initiate a special interest group (SIG) on sensitive skin. Using the Delphi method, sensitive skin was defined as "A syndrome defined by the occurrence of unpleasant sensations (stinging, burning, pain, pruritus, and tingling sensations) in response to stimuli that normally should not provoke such sensations. These unpleasant sensations cannot be explained by lesions attributable to any skin disease. The skin can appear normal or be accompanied by erythema. Sensitive skin can affect all body locations, especially the face". This paper summarizes the background, unresolved aspects of sensitive skin and the process of developing this definition.

Purpose: Youth living in group home settings are at significantly greater risk for sexual risk behaviors; however, there are no sexual health programs designed specifically for these youth. The study's purpose was to assess the effectiveness of a teen pregnancy-prevention program for youth living in group home foster care settings and other out-of-home placements., Methods: The study design was a cluster randomized controlled trial involving youth (N = 1,037) recruited from 44 residential group homes located in California, Maryland, and Oklahoma. Within each state, youth (mean age = 16.2 years; 82% male; 37% Hispanic, 20% African-American, 20% white, and 17% multiracial) in half the group homes were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 40 clusters) and the other half were randomly assigned to a control group that offered "usual care" (n = 40 clusters). The intervention (i.e., Power Through Choices [PTC]) was a 10-session, age-appropriate, and medically accurate sexual health education program., Results: Compared to the control group, youth in the PTC intervention showed significantly greater improvements (p < .05) from preintervention to postintervention in all three knowledge areas, one of two attitude areas, all three self-efficacy areas, and two of three behavioral intention areas., Conclusions: This is the first published randomized controlled trial of a teen pregnancy-prevention program designed for youth living in foster care settings and other out-of-home placements. The numerous significant improvements in short-term outcomes are encouraging and provide preliminary evidence that the PTC program is an effective pregnancy-prevention program., (Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Natural selection theory suggests that mobile animals trade off time, energy and risk costs with food, safety and other pay-offs obtained by movement. We examined how birds make movement decisions by integrating aspects of flight biomechanics, movement ecology and behaviour in a hierarchical framework investigating flight track variation across several spatio-temporal scales. Using extensive global positioning system and accelerometer data from Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in Israel and France, we examined soaring-gliding decision-making by comparing inbound versus outbound flights (to or from a central roost, respectively), and these (and other) home-range foraging movements (up to 300 km) versus long-range movements (longer than 300 km). We found that long-range movements and inbound flights have similar features compared with their counterparts: individuals reduced journey time by performing more efficient soaring-gliding flight, reduced energy expenditure by flapping less and were more risk-prone by gliding more steeply between thermals. Age, breeding status, wind conditions and flight altitude (but not sex) affected time and energy prioritization during flights. We therefore suggest that individuals facing time, energy and risk trade-offs during movements make similar decisions across a broad range of ecological contexts and spatial scales, presumably owing to similarity in the uncertainty about movement outcomes.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'., (© 2016 The Author(s).)

Background: The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of a national comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) intervention to a national abstinence-only TPP intervention on middle school students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to teen sexual behaviors in a state with high teen birth rates., Methods: Pre- and post-intervention data were collected annually (2005-2010) from seventh-grade students to evaluate school-based TPP programs that implemented a comprehensive (N = 3244) or abstinence-only (N = 3172) intervention. Chi-square and t tests, logistic regressions, and hierarchical multiple regressions examined relationships between sexuality-related behavioral intentions, knowledge, and attitudes., Results: Students in both interventions reported significant (p < .05) improvements post-intervention. Youth in the comprehensive TPP intervention were more likely (p < .05) to have significantly improved their attitudes (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.35, 1.83, 1.23) and behavior regarding abstinence decisions in the past 3 months (OR = 1.39). The interventions' improvements in attitudes were more explanatory for behavioral intentions for students in the abstinence-only intervention than for students in the comprehensive TPP intervention., Conclusions: The mixed results suggest the comprehensive TPP intervention was only slightly more effective than the abstinence intervention, but that changing student attitudes and perceptions may be a key component of more effective TPP interventions., (© 2015, American School Health Association.)

Background: Curcumin is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anticarcinogenic properties. However, the strong lipophilic compound is not easily applicable, neither in water, nor directly in o/w formulations. So far, loading of nano or micro scaled carriers has enabled only an uptake up to 30% of curcumin., Method: In the present article, curcumin was successfully encapsulated into two different safe and inexpensive polymers, ethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose blended ethyl cellulose with a loading capacity of ~ 46-48%. In addition, the in vitro skin penetration of the two curcumin encapsulated particular systems, which were applied each in three different formulations, an o/w, w/o lotion, and water suspension, was investigated on porcine ear skin using Laser scanning microscopy., Results: It was found that in comparison to water suspensions, o/w and w/o lotions enhanced, especially the follicular penetration of the encapsulated curcumin particles into porcine skin, whereas the w/o enhanced the penetration better than the o/w lotion. Furthermore, the application of ethyl cellulose blended with methyl cellulose improved the penetration of curcumin in all formulations., Conclusion: High loaded encapsulated curcumin systems, prepared from a simple and highly efficient encapsulation system can be used to transport curcumin effectively into the skin., (© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Noninvasive diagnostic tools, such as Trichoscan®, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), and optical coherence tomography (OCT), are efficient methods of hair shaft and growth evaluation. The aim of this study was to carry out a comparative assessment of these three medical procedures by measuring the hair shaft and hair growth after hair removal for a defined period of five days. The application of these techniques was demonstrated by measuring hair growth on the lower leg of six female volunteers. After removal of the hair shaft with a shaving system, the hair follicle infundibula and the length of the growing hairs were measured with the Trichoscan®, RCM, and OCT method. All three methods are reliable hair measuring tools after hair removal. Trichoscan® is best suited in the implementation of hair growth measurement and RCM in the analysis of hair follicles, whereas the OCT system can be consulted as an additional measurement for the evaluation of the hair follicle and length.

There is a high demand for noninvasive imaging techniques for wound assessment. In vivo reflectance confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) represents an innovative optical technique for noninvasive evaluation of normal and diseased skin in vivo at near cellular resolution. This study was designed to test the feasibility of CLSM for noninvasive analysis of cutaneous wound healing in 15 patients (7 male/8 female), including acute and chronic, superficial and deep dermal skin wounds. A commercially available CLSM system was used for the assessment of wound bed and wound margins in order to obtain descriptive cellular and morphological parameters of cutaneous wound repair noninvasively and over time. CLSM was able to visualize features of cutaneous wound repair in epidermal and superficial dermal wounds, including aspects of inflammation, neovascularisation, and tissue remodelling in vivo. Limitations include the lack of mechanic fixation of the optical system on moist surfaces restricting the analysis of chronic skin wounds to the wound margins, as well as a limited optical resolution in areas of significant slough formation. By describing CLSM features of cutaneous inflammation, vascularisation, and epithelialisation, the findings of this study support the role of CLSM in modern wound research and management.

Background: Two risk behaviors, alcohol consumption and early initiation of sexual intercourse (ISI), can have devastating consequences for youth. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of school connectedness and school-related behaviors (eg, academic performance, skipping school, getting into trouble at school) with these 2 risk behaviors., Methods: The Youth Asset Survey (YAS) was administered to 1117 youth/parent pairs in their homes using Computer-Assisted Personal/Self-Interviewing (CAPI/CASI). The YAS measures 17 youth assets and risk behaviors including alcohol consumption and sexual activity., Results: The mean age of the sample was 14.3 years; 53% were female; and 70% were from 2-parent homes. Five school-related behaviors were positively associated with no ISI. Four school-related behaviors were positively associated with reporting no alcohol consumption in the past 30 days, including the School Connectedness asset (only among 12- to 13-year-olds), not skipping school (only among non-Hispanic Caucasians), staying out of trouble, and paying attention., Conclusions: School is very much a part of the lives of youth and therefore the relationship they have with their school experience is important and may influence their involvement in risk behaviors. Feeling connected to school is a positive asset that can protect youth from such risky behaviors as sexual initiation and alcohol consumption., (© 2011, American School Health Association.)

Objectives: To examine how the relationship between parental-related youth assets and youth sexual activity differed by race/ethnicity., Methods: A random sample of 976 youth and their parents living in a Midwestern city participated in the study. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted for 3 major ethnic groups controlling for the other demographics., Results: Parental monitoring had the strongest association with sexual abstinence for all 3 ethnic/racial groups. Family communication and relationship with mother were also important for white and black youth respectively., Conclusions: Parental youth assets, especially parental monitoring, can be important in the decision to delay sexual intercourse.