Skin problems after a tsunami

BACKGROUND: On December 26, 2004, the biggest earthquake for 40 years, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, triggered a tsunami that pounded the coastal areas of South Asia and East Africa. The effects of the tsunami on skin conditions have not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of the tsunami on skin conditions by evaluating the skin problems of patients presenting at hospitals after the tsunami. METHODS: Between 5 and 25 January 2005, two dermatologists evaluated patients who complained of skin problems at an outpatient clinic and emergency room of a general hospital in Banda Aceh, Aceh Province, Indonesia. RESULTS: The total number of patients that presented during the study period was 235 (131 males and 104 females), and they had a total of 265 skin problems. In terms of age distribution, most subjects were in their fourth decade (23.0%), followed by the third (22.6%) and fifth decade (16.6%). The most prevalent skin problems were infections-infestations (32.5%), followed by eczemas (29.8%) and traumatic skin disorders (29.4%). In males, traumatic skin disorders were most common. The great majority of infection-infestation cases involved superficial fungal infections. Contact dermatitis accounted for three-quarters of eczema cases, and mainly involved the arms (40.0%) and legs (27.1%). The majority of traumatic skin disorders were lacerations, punctures and penetrations, and the feet (44.7%) and hands (18.8%) were most frequently affected. CONCLUSIONS: Unhygienic conditions, exposure to a hazardous environment and contact with various objects during and after the tsunami probably increased the prevalence of infections-infestations, traumatic skin disorders and contact dermatitis. To prevent these problems and associated secondary bacterial infections, health-related education and early medical management are required.     

Pesticide assessment: Protecting public health on the home turf

Pesticide regulation is examined in the context of Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s assessment of the chlorophenoxy herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) for turf. 2,4-D is the most common herbicide used to kill weeds in grass.The medical literature does not uniformly indicate harms from herbicides. However, the balance of epidemiological research suggests that 2,4-D can be persuasively linked to cancers, neurological impairment and reproductive problems. These may arise from 2,4-D itself, from breakdown products or dioxin contamination, or from a combination of chemicals.Regulators rely largely on toxicology, but experiments may not replicate exposures from 2,4-D application to lawns because environmental breakdown products (eg, 2,4-dichlorophenol) may not accumulate and selected herbicides are possibly less contaminated. Dioxins are bioaccumulative chemicals that may cause cancer, harm neurological development, impair reproduction, disrupt the endocrine system and alter immune function. No dioxin analyses were submitted to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and the principal contaminants of 2,4-D are not among the 17 congeners covered in pesticide regulation. Independent assessment of all dioxins is needed, in tissues and in the environment.The 2,4-D assessment does not approach standards for ethics, rigour or transparency in medical research. Canada needs a stronger regulator for pesticides. Potentially toxic chemicals should not be registered when more benign solutions exist, risks are not clearly quantifiable or potential risks outweigh benefits. Until landscaping pesticides are curtailed nationally, local bylaws and Quebec’s Pesticide Code are prudent measures to protect public health. Physicians have a role in public education regarding pesticides.     

Cytoskeletal heterogeneity of an epithelioid sarcoma with expression of vimentin, cytokeratins, and neurofilaments.

We studied an unusual sarcoma with morphologic features diagnostic of epithelioid sarcoma by conventional light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. The primary tumor, which was located in the deep soft tissues of the buttock of a 32-year-old woman, and its metastases to lymph nodes, liver, and lung were available for investigation. The histomorphological and ultrastructural appearance of the primary tumor and its metastatic deposits were typical of epithelioid sarcoma. Immunohistochemistry revealed a strong and uniform reactivity for vimentin in both the primary tumor and its metastases. In contrast, a marked cytoskeletal heterogeneity became evident for cytokeratins and neurofilaments, which were observed exclusively in lymph node metastasis. To our knowledge, the observation of neurofilaments in epithelioid sarcoma has not previously been reported.     

3-Alkoxy-1.2.3-oxathiazolidin-4-on-2-oxide und 1-Alkoxy-indolin-2-one aus N-Alkoxyglykolamiden und Thionylchlorid oder 1.1′-Thionyldiimidazol

3-Alkoxy-1.2.3-oxathiazolidin-4-one-2-oxides and 1-Alkoxyindolin-2-ones from N-Alkoxyglycolamides and Thionyl Chloride or 1.1′-Thionyldiimidazole The reaction of N-alkoxyglycolamides 1 with thionyl chloride or 1.1′-thionyldiimidazole is shown to produce, dependending on the substituents at C-2 in 1 , either 3-alkoxy-1.2.3-oxathiazolidin-4-one-2-oxides 4 or 1-alkoxy-3-arylindolin-2-ones 6 .     

成纤维细胞的力学生物学(下)

一、肌腱内成纤维细胞的力学生物学反应 肌腱内的成纤维细胞可以合成胶原蛋白及其他一些大分子。成纤维细胞可以将这些分子排列成组织性较高的单元，并使纤维的方向与张力方向平行。无论是培养的肌腱还是独立的成纤维细胞都可以对力做出相应的反应。