The patient perspective on vaccine uptake in adults with psoriasis and eczema.

Having a chronic disease is one of the most consistent factors associated with vaccine uptake for adults in the general population, but vaccination beliefs and behaviors specific to those with chronic skin diseases have not been explored. The objective of this study was to explore factors associated with vaccine uptake and barriers to vaccination in adults with psoriasis and eczema. Virtual, video-based semi-structured interviews were performed with adults who self-reported a diagnosis of psoriasis or eczema. Interviews explored themes around healthcare decision making, perceived risks/benefits to vaccination, barriers, and vaccine knowledge. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Of 34 study participants, 25 participants (74%) were females and 9 (26%) were males, with a mean age of 50.8 years (SD: 16.4, range: 24-71 yrs). Half of participants (n = 17) had psoriasis, and half (n = 17) had eczema. Participants recognized both personal and societal benefits to vaccines. Common vaccination barriers identified were access to appointments, concerns about side effects, and misinformation. Physicians, friends/family, and media, including internet resources, were health information resources identified by patients. These results summarize the unique patient perspective around vaccine uptake in adults with eczema and psoriasis and represent an important first step in a multi-pronged approach to improve vaccination rates in adults with chronic skin diseases.

Reuben Friedman (1892-1956): Dermatologist, historian, and scabies enthusiast.

Reuben Friedman was a prominent physician, scholar, and historian whose work contributed significantly to the development of modern dermatology. He was born into a Russian immigrant family in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, where he established his family and later opened his medical office. He graduated from Temple University School of Medicine, completed his internship at Philadelphia General Hospital, and pursued further training abroad. During the height of his career, Friedman was affiliated with the Philadelphia Skin and Cancer Hospital and served as a faculty member at Temple University School of Medicine. He was recognized internationally for his extensive work on scabies, penning four books, several monographs, and various presentations on its etiology and treatment. His final book, History of Dermatology in Philadelphia, recollects the evolution of dermatology in Philadelphia and numerous biographies of protagonists in the field.

Effects of PEG hydrogel crosslinking density on protein diffusion and encapsulated islet survival and function.

The rational design of immunoprotective hydrogel barriers for transplanting insulin-producing cells requires an understanding of protein diffusion within the hydrogel network and how alterations to the network structure affect protein diffusion. Hydrogels of varying crosslinking density were formed via the chain polymerization of dimethacrylated PEG macromers of varying molecular weight, and the diffusion of six model proteins with molecular weights ranging from 5700 to 67,000 g/mol was observed in these hydrogel networks. Protein release profiles were used to estimate diffusion coefficients for each protein/gel system that exhibited Fickian diffusion. Diffusion coefficients were on the order of 10(-6)-10(-7) cm(2)/s, such that protein diffusion time scales (t(d) = L(2)/D) from 0.5-mm thick gels vary from 5 min to 24 h. Adult murine islets were encapsulated in PEG hydrogels of varying crosslinking density, and islet survival and insulin release was maintained after two weeks of culture in each gel condition. While the total insulin released during a 1 h glucose stimulation period was the same from islets in each sample, increasing hydrogel crosslinking density contributed to delays in insulin release from hydrogel samples within the 1 h stimulation period.