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The article provides a theoretical generalization and a new solution to a scientific problem, which is revealed in new scientific data on the dynamics of the content of sexual hormones in the blood plasma of bull terrier female during the sexual cycle. For the first time, the degree and nature of the influence of the individual characteristics of the body of female dogs (characteristics of temperament) on the dynamics of the level of sexual hormones in the blood were established. It was determined that a high degree of manifestation of fear and anxiety in female dogs reliably affects the content of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in the blood plasma of female dogs three days before the LH surge (P≤0.05) and in the phase of anestrus on LH content (P≤0.05). Thus, the level of FSH in the blood plasma of female dogs with a moderate and high degree of fear and anxiety three days before the LH surge and on the 23rd--30th day after the surge is lower by 24.8--30.5% (P≤0.05) compared to the female dogs of the control group. On 120--150 days after the LH surge in female dogs with excessive and moderate fear and anxiety, the LH level is 30.5--39.4% (P≤0.05) lower than that in control animals. The level of excitability of female dogs had a significant effect on the content of FSH and LH levels on the day of the LH surge (P≤0.05). Thus, the level of FSH in female dogs with a high and medium degree of excitability was lower by 29.4--44.5% (P≤0.05), and the content of LH was higher by 53.0% (P≤0.01) than the indicators of female dogs in the control group. The degree of aggression has a significant effect on LH content two days after the LH surge (P≤0.05). In animals with a high degree of manifestation of aggression, the level of E2 in blood plasma at the stage of anestrus is 11.6% higher (P≤0.05), in accordance with the indicators of female dogs of the control group. Trainability and obedience limit the content of FSH in the blood plasma the day before the surge, and on the 4th, 9th and 35--40th days after the LH surge (ħx²=0.30--0.52; P≤0, 05). Thus, on the day before the LH surge, the level of FSH in the blood of female dogs with high trainability is 22.7--31.6% (P≤0.05) lower than that of female dogs with medium and low trainability. The LH content in blood plasma, trainability and obedience are affected only on the 9th day after the LH surge (P≤0.01). Consequently, on the 9th days after the LH surge, the level of this hormone in the blood of female dogs with low learning ability is 54.9% (P≤0.01) higher than this parameter in female dogs of the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, the disease burden from skin diseases, including skin-related neglected tropical diseases (skin NTDs), is extremely high. These diseases often are overlooked due to limited access to health care stemming from, for example, remote geographical locations and a lack of experts. To address these gaps, we developed a mobile health app, eSkinHealth, which is a field-adapted platform to serve as a portable electronic patient chart and for teledermatology., Objective: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the app in rural Côte d'Ivoire for diagnosing and managing skin NTDs and other skin diseases., Methods: A 2-arm trial with local health care providers and patients with skin diseases was implemented over a 3-month period. The providers were assigned to an intervention receiving the eSkinHealth app or control with usual care. Four nurses and 8 community health care workers participated in each arm. The training was provided on the use of the app to the intervention arm only, while both arms were trained on skin diseases. For the usability study, we evaluated our approach with the System Usability Scale (SUS) and in-depth interviews. For the effectiveness study, our primary outcome was to evaluate the detection and management of 5 skin NTDs as our targeted diseases, namely, Buruli ulcer, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, scabies, and yaws, using the eSkinHealth app. Procedures of our methods were reviewed and approved by the institutional review board of the Ministry of Health and by Tulane University., Results: The mean age of our participants (providers) was 40.5 and 42.5 years for the intervention and control arms, respectively, and all were male (n=24). The average SUS scores taken from the intervention arm at baseline, the midpoint (6 weeks), and the end of study (12 weeks) were 72.3 (SD 11.5), 72.3 (SD 12.4), and 86.3 (SD 10.8), respectively. All participants interviewed, including 4 dermatologists and program managers, were satisfied with the app. Especially community health care workers felt empowered by being equipped with the tool. A total of 79 cases of skin NTDs were reported in the intervention arm as compared to 17 cases in the control arm (P=.002). Besides the skin NTDs, more skin diseases and conditions were reported from the control than from the intervention arm (P<.001). However, 100 cases (66%) were not given any particular diagnosis in the control arm and were documented only as a "dermatosis." In the intervention arm, 151 cases (72.9%) were diagnosed within the eSkinHealth platform, and the remaining were diagnosed on-site by dermatologists., Conclusions: The study provided evidence for the usability and effectiveness of the eSkinHealth app embedded into our surveillance approach to improve the detection and management of skin NTDs and other skin diseases in Côte d'Ivoire and, furthermore, is expected to contribute to knowledge on mobile health approaches in the control of skin diseases in resource-limited settings., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05300399; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05300399., (©Rie R Yotsu, Diabate Almamy, Bamba Vagamon, Kazuko Ugai, Sakiko Itoh, Yao Didier Koffi, Mamadou Kaloga, Ligué Agui Sylvestre Dizoé, Kouamé Kouadio, N’guetta Aka, Luc Kowaci Gontran Yeboue, Koffi Aubin Yao, Ronald E Blanton. Originally published in JMIR Dermatology (http://derma.jmir.org), 14.06.2023.)

Background: There is a high prevalence of skin diseases sub-Saharan Africa, including skin neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that could lead to lifelong disabilities and deformities if not diagnosed and treated early. To achieve early detection and early treatment of these skin diseases, we developed a mobile health app, eSkinHealth., Objective: This paper outlines a protocol for evaluating the effect of our eSkinHealth app in the early detection and effective management of skin diseases in Côte d'Ivoire., Methods: A mixed methods pilot trial will be conducted in Côte d'Ivoire and will consist of 3 phases: (1) the development and improvement of the eSkinHealth app, (2) a pilot trial to evaluate the usability of the eSkinHealth app for local medical staff in Côte d'Ivoire, and (3) a pilot trial to evaluate the effectiveness of early detection and case management of targeted skin NTDs (Buruli ulcer, leprosy, yaws, and lymphatic filariasis) with the eSkinHealth app in Côte d'Ivoire. The pilot study will be implemented as a 2-arm trial with local health care providers and patients with skin NTDs over a 3-month follow-up period. The local health care providers will be assigned to an intervention group receiving the eSkinHealth app to be used in their daily practices or a control group. Training will be provided on the use and implementation of the app and the diagnostic pipeline to the intervention group only, while both groups will receive training on skin diseases. Our primary outcome is to evaluate the early detection and effective management of skin diseases using the eSkinHealth app in Côte d'Ivoire by the number of cases diagnosed and managed. Additionally, we will evaluate the eSkinHealth app with validated questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Procedures of our methods have been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Ministry of Health, Côte d'Ivoire and by Tulane University in 2021., Results: This study was funded in 2021. We started the enrollment of patients in February 2022, and data collection is currently underway. We expect the first results to be submitted for publication in 2023., Conclusions: Our eSkinHealth app is a field-adapted platform that could provide both direct diagnostic and management assistance to health workers in remote settings. The study will provide evidence for the usability and the effectiveness of the eSkinHealth app to improve the early detection and case management of skin NTDs in Côte d'Ivoire and, furthermore, is expected to contribute to knowledge on mobile health approaches in the control of skin NTDs., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05300399; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT05300399., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/39867., (©Rie R Yotsu, Sakiko Itoh, Koffi Aubin Yao, Kouamé Kouadio, Kazuko Ugai, Yao Didier Koffi, Diabate Almamy, Bamba Vagamon, Ronald E Blanton. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 21.09.2022.)

This study investigated the usability of a mobile phone-based system, "eSkinHealth", for healthcare providers in Côte d'Ivoire. The eSkinHealth can be used both online and offline to address the poor Internet connectivity of these rural settings. Data recorded in the mobile application were synchronized with an online database, and specialists in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire and in Japan advised local healthcare providers on difficult cases. In this pilot study, 21 healthcare providers used the eSkinHealth and completed questionnaires assessing the usability. The average score of a system usability scale for eSkinHealth was 84.2 (SD 11.7), which can be interpreted as excellent. The average registration for patient information (e.g., name, sex, age, area of residence) was 8.6 (SD 15.5). Further studies with more targeted areas and participants are needed to evaluate the usability of eSkinHealth in rural Côte d'Ivoire.

Background: Buruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans which manifests as deep ulceration of the skin. Wounds from any cause heal slowly if individuals are malnourished., Objectives: To assess the impact of nutritional status on wound healing, we carried out a nutritional assessment of 11 patients diagnosed with BU in rural Côte d’Ivoire, and followed them longitudinally through the wound healing process., Materials & Methods: We conducted patient interviews to collect data on their socioeconomic characteristics, food intake and perception of nutrition. We then prospectively carried out clinical observations to assess their wound healing until complete healing or the end of the study period (median follow-up period: 19 weeks)., Results: The age of the patients ranged from 6 to 66 years (median: 24; interquartile range: 20.5-52). Nine patients had normal nutritional status, one had mild malnutrition and one had moderate malnutrition as assessed by their body mass index and/or mid-upper arm circumference. Three (60%) of the five patients with adequate caloric intake, but only 1/6 (17%) of the patients with an inadequate caloric intake achieved complete healing during follow-up. Low food intake from appetite loss primarily due to wound pain and odour was reported by seven patients after developing wounds., Conclusion: Our study is the first of its kind, and the findings highlight the importance of integrating nutritional interventions into wound management protocols, and properly assessing and controlling wound pain in patients with BU.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease of unknown etiopathogenesis. The activation of extracellular matrix (ECM)-producing myofibroblasts plays a key role in fibrotic tissue remodeling. The dedifferentiation of myofibroblasts has attracted considerable attention as a promising target for the development of effective therapeutic interventions against IPF. Here, we screened a small library of epigenetics-related inhibitors using dedifferentiation assay of lung myofibroblasts prepared from a patient at the terminal stages of IPF and chose UNC0379. The inhibition of SET8, a histone H4 lysine 20 (H4K20) monomethyltransferase, by UNC0379 markedly suppressed the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) and ED-A-fibronectin in myofibroblasts. In IPF myofibroblasts, SET8 expression and H4K20 monomethylation (H4K20me1) levels, which were significantly higher than those in normal human lung fibroblasts, were reduced upon treatment with UNC0379. Hence, the changes in the expression of the two fibrotic markers clearly correlated with those in SET8 expression and H4K20me1 level. Furthermore, in a mouse model of bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis, the intratracheal administration of UNC0379 at an early fibrotic stage markedly ameliorated the histopathological changes associated with collagen deposition in the lungs. However, treatment with UNC0379 did not significantly affect the number of proinflammatory cells or cytokine production in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from mice treated with BLM. In the BLM-injured lung, SET8 was predominantly localized to the nuclei of α-SMA-positive cells, which colocalized with H4K20me1. Taken together, our results indicate that the inhibition of SET8 resulting in myofibroblast dedifferentiation may partly mitigate lung fibrosis without affecting the inflammatory responses., (Copyright © 2020 Ugai, Matsuda, Mikami, Shimada, Misawa, Nakamura, Tatsumi, Hatano, Murayama and Kasuya.)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease of unknown etiology. Under pathological conditions in lungs with IPF, myofibroblasts serve a key role in fibrogenesis via the accumulation of an excessive amount of extracellular matrix. To develop effective therapeutic interventions against IPF, studies have recently focused on how to dedifferentiate established myofibroblasts. The present study revealed that JQ1, an inhibitor of bromodomain and extra‑terminal proteins, markedly suppressed the expression levels of α‑smooth muscle actin and ED‑A‑fibronectin in myofibroblasts prepared from the lung of a patient with end‑stage IPF. Furthermore, these findings were supported by transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing, in which differentially expressed genes (DEGs) downregulated by JQ1 treatment were significantly enriched in the fibrosis‑related signaling pathway. On the other hand, the upregulated DEGs in response to JQ1 treatment were significantly enriched in glutathione metabolism, which may affect the cell status of fibroblast/myofibroblast. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first study to comprehensively analyze transcriptome profiles associated with dedifferentiation of IPF myofibroblasts.

To investigate the possible influence of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the estrogen receptor-β gene, rs1256049 (Rsa) in exon 5, on the frequency of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 263 RA patients and 174 control subjects with osteoarthritis (OA) were recruited. Rsa polymorphism was detected using a PCR-RFLP, Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism method. The occurrence of both mutant allele (G) and genotype (GG) were significantly higher in RA than in OA patients (allele P = 0.008, OR: 1.501, 95%CI: 1.12-2.02). In RA patients, GG genotype frequency was higher in severe RA patients than mild RA patients. Moreover, there was significant difference between severe RA patients and OA patients (P = 0.009), also the allele distribution was significant different between severe RA, mild RA, and OA patients (P = 0.025, 95%CI = 0.61-0.93). With respect to gender, GG genotype was statistically more frequent in female RA patients than that of OA, while such an association was not observed in men. Above all, the presence of the GG genotype could be a risk factor for RA and such trend might be different in gender, although additional larger scale study is needed.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is highly effective for women suffering from climacteric symptoms, with occasionally severe side effects. To determine which women needs HRT for climacteric symptoms indeed, pharmacogenetical approach for HRT was performed. Under the condition of minimal HRT, 33 patients required HRT for more than 1 year and the remaining 156 did not. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) gene and 3 SNPs and a microsatellite polymorphism in estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) gene were analyzed using LightTyper and PCR. Homozygous for 18 CA repeats of D14S1026 (OR 8.00, 95% CI 2.56-25.02, P<0.001) and rs1256049 (OR 6.35, 95% CI 2.38-16.92, P=0.004) in ERbeta associated with minimal HRT. In contrast, rs1271572 in 789bp upstream region of ERbeta (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.14-0.65, P=0.002) gene decreased HRT. rs2228480 in ERalpha gene also increased HRT. Tailored decisions can be expected on the future use of HRT referring genetic polymorphisms of individuals.

Objective: To identify the health needs of patients with chronic diseases who lived through the great Hanshin earthquake of 1995., Methods: Twenty-nine patients with rheumatism, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease were enrolled in the study. Semi-structured interviews were performed by the authors in 2004., Results: Priorities for patients with all three diseases were securing medications and ensuring that they were able to take their medications. Rheumatism patients required methods of preventing their bodies from becoming cold, fatigued, and stressed in order to prevent aggravation of their disease; they also wanted relief workers to understand the physical limitations they experience. The health needs of diabetic patients included receiving an appropriate diet and developing ways to cope with the stress caused by the change in living environment. Patients with chronic respiratory diseases reported that their health needs included developing methods to prevent their bodies from becoming cold, fatigued, and stressed in order to prevent aggravation of their disease, access to respiratory masks to minimize dust and cold air exposure, and guidance in methods to alleviate respiratory symptoms., Conclusions: The emergency preparedness planning and care priorities for individuals with chronic health problems, such as rheumatism, diabetes, and pulmonary disease, should include attention to medication availability, stress management, support for activities of daily living, appropriate food, and availability of support devices necessary to minimize exacerbation of symptoms.

Objective: To evaluate warm air and paper towel drying for removing bacteria from washed hands., Methods: After hands were washed with non-antibacterial soap, they were dried using warm air with and without ultraviolet light, while being rubbed or held stationary, or paper towels. Each method was performed as a randomized trial using 30 hands., Results: Log colony-forming units (CFU) on palms and fingers increased significantly when hands were dried with warm air while being rubbed for 15 seconds (P < .001), and many bacteria remained at 30 seconds without ultraviolet light (P < .001) Holding hands stationary while drying significantly decreased log CFU on palms, fingers, and fingertips (P < .01 or < .001). Few CFU were detected on palms and fingers dried with ultraviolet light. Although log CFU of palms and fingers did not decrease after drying with three sheets of paper towel, those of fingertips decreased significantly (P < .001). For palms and fingers, log reductions were greater with warm air drying while holding hands stationary, paper towels, and warm air drying while rubbing hands. For fingertips, the log reduction was often greater with paper towels than with warm air., Conclusions: Holding hands stationary and not rubbing them was desirable for removing bacteria. Ultraviolet light reinforced the removal of bacteria during warm air drying. Paper towels were useful for removing bacteria from fingertips but not palms and fingers.

Background/aim: Cardiac troponin T is a highly sensitive marker for the detection of myocardial injury. We studied whether dilazep dihydrochloride affects cardiac troponin T levels in hemodialysis patients., Methods: Our study included 60 hemodialysis patients without symptoms of acute myocardial ischemia. We measured serum cardiac troponin T levels by the Elecsys troponin T assay and randomized 40 hemodialysis patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) into two treatment groups: a dilazep dihydrochloride group (300 mg/day, n = 20) and a placebo group (n = 20). Treatment was continued for 12 months., Results: There were no significant differences between pre- and postdialysis cardiac troponin T levels before treatment. LVH was noted in 40 patients out of 60 hemodialysis patients (67%). Cardiac troponin T levels were significantly higher in these patients (0.23 +/- 0.08 microg/l) than in hemodialysis patients without LVH (0.09 +/- 0.03 microg/l). Cardiac troponin T levels were reduced from 0.24 +/- 0.08 to 0.12 +/- 0.06 microg/l (p < 0.01) in patients treated with dilazep dihydrochloride. There were no change in cardiac troponin T levels in patients receiving placebo (from 0.21 +/- 0.08 at baseline to 0.20 +/- 0.07 microg/l)., Conclusion: Dilazep dihydrochloride may be effective in ameliorating myocardial damage in hemodialysis patients., (Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel)

A case of renal adenomatosis of the left kidney associated with a carcinoma of the ipsilateral ureter in a 49-year-old man is examined. One hundred and eight adenomas, which were smaller than 15 mm in diameter, and a single microcarcinoma, which measured 1 mm in diameter, were found in the kidney. Further, there were more than 800 hyperplastic lesions which could be classified into three groups: (i) 792 of distal origin; (ii) 24 of proximal origin; and 10 of collecting duct origin. The serial sections obtained from 19 paraffin blocks were stained using Leu M1 as the proximal marker and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) as the distal/collecting marker to assist in determining the origins. Ten of the small adenomas (15 lesions), which did not exceed 3 mm in diameter, were predominantly positive for EMA and five were predominantly positive for Leu M1. Further, hyperplastic lesions of distal and collecting duct origins were diffusely positive for EMA and sporadically positive for Leu M1. The lesions of proximal origin were predominantly positive for Leu M1 and sporadically positive for EMA. These findings suggest that a progression from hyperplasia and a direct transition from a single tubule to adenoma occurred multifocally in different segments of the nephrons throughout the left kidney.

A case of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma in the thigh of a 21 year old female is described. The patient had a fist-sized well-defined mass in her left thigh that enlarged over a 6 month period. Histologically, the neoplasm showed contrasting fibrous and myxoid areas with a swirling growth pattern. Cellularity was low to moderate, and the stromal cells were benign looking without mitoses or nuclear pleomorphism. The tissue was not noticeably vascular. Some stromal cells were aggregated around the blood vessels. The stromal cells were immunoreactive to vimentin, but were negative to keratin, desmin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, actin HHF35, S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase, and epithelial membrane antigen. Ultrastructural examinations of the stromal cells revealed well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, pinocytotic vesicles, and numerous intermediate-sized filaments in the cytoplasm. These findings seem to indicate that the stromal cells were fibroblastic in origin. The occurrence of the tumor in a young adult, its location and its large, well defined borders together with the characteristics revealed through histological investigation, indicated that it was in fact what has been termed by Evans as a low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma.

The expression of the p53 tumor suppressor gene protein was analyzed in 35 resected osteosarcomas, 5 resected osteochondromas, and in 2 human osteosarcoma cell lines by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. An abnormality in the expression of the p53 protein was found in 10(29%) of the 35 osteosarcomas. An overexpression of the p53 protein showed no correlation with the clinicopathological features, but the p53 protein staining pattern showed a tendency to be correlated with aggressive growth and the metastatic potential. Diffusely-stained tumors had a worse prognosis than those focally-stained. The relationship between the expression of p53 protein and the cell cycle was examined by flow cytometry. The maximum overexpression of p53 protein was detected in the cells at the S phase. These results indicated that the nuclear accumulation of the p53 protein, especially the staining pattern, was a potentially useful prognostic factor for osteosarcoma. However our study did not show any clear correlation between either the growth pattern or the morphological type of osteosarcoma and the immunohistochemical results for the p53 protein.