Fluorescence Excitation-Emission-Matrix Imaging.

We present a 4-dimensional (4D) fluorescence imaging system in which each of the 65,536 pixels in the image array contains an excitation-emission-matrix spectrum with 31 excitation wavelengths and 8 emission wavelengths (x, y, λexc, λem). Hadamard-transform multiplexing of the excitation light from a 31-channel programmable light source allows for an increase in the data acquisition rate so that each 65,536-pixel image can be obtained within 8 s. The system is demonstrated and characterized using, first, a 4D image of 10 capillaries filled with four dye solutions and their binary and ternary mixtures, and, second, using a sequence of about 100 images of layered fluorescent dye solutions and their changing fluorescence as a function of temperature. Multivariate analysis using parallel factor analysis produces images of the spatial distribution of the fluorophores together with their relative intensity as a function of time.

Fractional Ablative CO2 Laser Followed by Topical Application of Sodium Stibogluconate for Treatment of Active Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Conventional treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis often leaves permanent scars with frequent psychosocial sequelae. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy, safety, associated pain and final cosmetic outcome of fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser followed by topical application of sodium stibogluconate vs. sodium stibogluconate injections for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. A total of 181 lesions (20 patients) were randomly assigned to receive intralesional injections of sodium stibogluconate (control group) or fractional CO2 laser treatment followed by topical application of sodium stibogluconate (study group). The visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the control group was much higher than that of the study group (6.85 vs. 3.5, respectively, p<0.001). Both the patients and 2 blinded dermatologists found the final cosmetic outcome to be superior for laser-treated lesions (p = 0.001 vs. p =0.008 for controls). Fractional CO2 laser treatment followed by topical application of sodium stibogluconate is less painful and leads to a better final cosmetic outcome compared with intralesional injections of sodium stibogluconate.

Fractional ablative carbon dioxide laser followed by topical sodium stibogluconate application: A treatment option for pediatric cutaneous leishmaniasis.

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis is a protozoan zoonotic parasitic infection with cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral manifestations. Israel is endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis, which is a self-limited disease but is associated with scarring, which is often a source of psychological and social burden for patients. Scars can be especially devastating for children and teenagers. A wide range of physical and medical approaches is used to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis, among which intralesional injections of sodium stibogluconate rank among the most frequently used. Unfortunately, despite being effective, this therapeutic modality can be very painful. Fractional ablative laser creates a controlled mesh-like pattern of tissue ablation in the skin that promotes dermal remodeling and collagen production while at the same time facilitating enhanced delivery of topically applied medications. METHODS: Patients were treated with fractional ablative carbon dioxide laser followed by immediate topical application of sodium stibogluconate. All children were diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis prior to treatment initiation.. RESULTS: Ten children were treated. One leishmania tropica-positive girl failed to respond. The other nine patients achieved clinical cure and demonstrated good to excellent final cosmesis. Self-rated patient satisfaction and tolerance were high No adverse effects were observed or reported during treatment. CONCLUSION: Fractional ablative carbon dioxide laser followed by topical sodium stibogluconate application appears to be a safe and promising treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis infection in children. Future controlled studies are required to validate these findings and compare this technique with traditional approaches.

Effects of breastfeeding on body composition and maturational tempo in the rat.

BACKGROUND: Features of life history are subject to environmental regulation in the service of reproductive fitness goals. We have previously shown that the infant-to-childhood transition reflects the adaptive adjustment of an individual's size to the prevailing and anticipated environment. METHODS: To evaluate effects of weaning age on life-history traits in rats, we repeatedly measured length and body mass index (BMI), as well as physiological development and sexual maturation in pups weaned early (d16), normally (d21) or late (d26). Males were bred to females of the same weaning age group for four generations. RESULTS: Here, we show that the age at weaning from lactation regulates a rat's life history, growth, body composition and maturational tempo. We show that early-weaned rats developed faster than normal- or late-weaned rats; they are leaner and longer than late-weaned ones who are heavier and shorter. Early-weaned progeny develop more rapidly (that is, fur budding, pinnae detachment, eye opening); females show earlier vaginal opening and estrous and males show earlier onset of testicular growth. In generations 3 and 4, early-weaned rats bear larger litter sizes and heavier newborn pups. The entire traits complex is transmitted to subsequent generations from the paternal side. CONCLUSIONS: The findings presented here lend support to the proposition that the duration of infancy, as indexed by weaning age, predicts and perhaps programs growth, body composition, and the tempo of physiological development and maturation, as well as litter size and parity and, thereby, reproductive strategy.

Population-specific association between a polymorphic variant in ST18, encoding a pro-apoptotic molecule, and pemphigus vulgaris.

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a severe autoimmune blistering disease caused by anti-epithelial antibodies, leading to disruption of cell-cell adhesion. Although the disease is exceedingly rare worldwide, it is known to be relatively prevalent in Jewish populations. The low prevalence of the disease represents a significant obstacle to a genome-wide approach to the mapping of susceptibility genes. We reasoned that the study of a genetically homogeneous cohort characterized by a high prevalence of PV may help exposing associated signals while reducing spurious results due to population sub-structure. We performed a genome-wide association study using 300K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a case-control study of 100 PV patients of Jewish descent and 397 matched control individuals, followed by replication of significantly associated SNPs in three additional cohorts of Jewish, Egyptian, and German origin. In addition to the major histocompatibility complex locus, a genomic segment on 8q11.23 that spans the ST18 gene was also found to be significantly associated with PV. This association was confirmed in the Jewish and Egyptian replication sets but not in the German sample, suggesting that ST18-associated variants may predispose to PV in a population-specific manner. ST18 regulates apoptosis and inflammation, two processes of direct relevance to the pathogenesis of PV. Further supporting the relevance of ST18 to PV, we found this gene to be overexpressed in the skin of PV patients as compared with healthy individuals.