Knowledge and Influence of Predatory Journals in Dermatology: A Pan-Austrian Survey.

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and influence of predatory journals in the field of dermatology in Austria. A total of 286 physicians (50.5% men) completed a questionnaire. The vast majority of subjects read scientific articles (n = 281, 98.3%) and took them into consideration in their clinical decision-making (n = 271, 98.5% of participants that regularly read scientific literature). Open access was known by 161 (56.3%), predatory journals by 84 (29.4%), and the Beall's list by 19 physicians (6.7%). A total of 117 participants (40.9%) had been challenged by patients with results from the scientific literature, including 9 predatory papers. Participants who knew of predatory journals had a higher level of education as well as scientific experience, and were more familiar with the open-access system (p < 0.001). These results indicate that the majority of dermatologists are not familiar with predatory journals. This is particularly the case for physicians in training and in the early stages of their career.

Survival and Effectiveness of Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha Inhibitors in the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis under Daily Life Conditions: Report from the Psoriasis Registry Austria.

This retrospective multicentre analysis from the Psoriasis Registry Austria (PsoRA) was conducted to determine drug effectiveness and survival of anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) agents in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis over a 9-year period. Data on 1,019 treatment cycles with adalimumab (n = 460), etanercept (n = 501), and/or infliximab (n = 58) administered to 827 patients (272 women, 555 men) were available for analysis. Compared with etanercept, adalimumab and infliximab showed superior short-term effectiveness. Intention-to-treat-calculated median drug survivals for adalimumab (1,264 days) and etanercept (1,438 days) were similar to each other (p = 0.74), but significantly superior to that of infliximab (477 days) (p = 7.0e-07 vs. adalimumab and p=2.2e-07 vs. etanercept, respectively). Their drug survival rates at 36 months were 51.6%, 56.0%, and 22.6%, respectively. Survival rates correlated significantly with effectiveness for adalimumab and etanercept, but not for infliximab.

KvarQ: targeted and direct variant calling from fastq reads of bacterial genomes.

BACKGROUND: High-throughput DNA sequencing produces vast amounts of data, with millions of short reads that usually have to be mapped to a reference genome or newly assembled. Both reference-based mapping and de novo assembly are computationally intensive, generating large intermediary data files, and thus require bioinformatics skills that are often lacking in the laboratories producing the data. Moreover, many research and practical applications in microbiology require only a small fraction of the whole genome data. RESULTS: We developed KvarQ, a new tool that directly scans fastq files of bacterial genome sequences for known variants, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), bypassing the need of mapping all sequencing reads to a reference genome and de novo assembly. Instead, KvarQ loads "testsuites" that define specific SNPs or short regions of interest in a reference genome, and directly synthesizes the relevant results based on the occurrence of these markers in the fastq files. KvarQ has a versatile command line interface and a graphical user interface. KvarQ currently ships with two "testsuites" for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but new "testsuites" for other organisms can easily be created and distributed. In this article, we demonstrate how KvarQ can be used to successfully detect all main drug resistance mutations and phylogenetic markers in 880 bacterial whole genome sequences. The average scanning time per genome sequence was two minutes. The variant calls of a subset of these genomes were validated with a standard bioinformatics pipeline and revealed >99% congruency. CONCLUSION: KvarQ is a user-friendly tool that directly extracts relevant information from fastq files. This enables researchers and laboratory technicians with limited bioinformatics expertise to scan and analyze raw sequencing data in a matter of minutes. KvarQ is open-source, and pre-compiled packages with a graphical user interface are available at http://www.swisstph.ch/kvarq.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Endothelial Progenitor Cells: Unraveling Insights from Vascular Endothelial Cells.

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with several lifestyle-related diseases, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and it contributes significantly to the global health burden. Recent research indicates a link between cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial impairment, and endothelial dysfunction. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are recruited into the vessel wall to maintain appropriate endothelial function, repair, and angiogenesis. After attachment, EPCs differentiate into mature endothelial cells (ECs). Like ECs, EPCs are also susceptible to CVRFs, including metabolic dysfunction and chronic inflammation. Therefore, mitochondrial dysfunction of EPCs may have long-term effects on the function of the mature ECs into which EPCs differentiate, particularly in the presence of endothelial damage. However, a link between CVRFs and impaired mitochondrial function in EPCs has hardly been investigated. In this review, we aim to consolidate existing knowledge on the development of mitochondrial and endothelial dysfunction in the vascular endothelium, place it in the context of recent studies investigating the consequences of CVRFs on EPCs, and discuss the role of mitochondrial dysfunction. Thus, we aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of mechanisms involved in EPC deterioration in relation to CVRFs and address potential therapeutic interventions targeting mitochondrial health to promote endothelial function.

Dissecting the Nuclear Import of the Ribosomal Protein Rps2 (uS5).

The ribosome is assembled in a complex process mainly taking place in the nucleus. Consequently, newly synthesized ribosomal proteins have to travel from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, where they are incorporated into nascent ribosomal subunits. In this study, we set out to investigate the mechanism mediating nuclear import of the small subunit ribosomal protein Rps2. We demonstrate that an internal region in Rps2, ranging from amino acids 76 to 145, is sufficient to target a 3xyEGFP reporter to the nucleus. The importin-ß Pse1 interacts with this Rps2 region and is involved in its import, with Rps2 residues arginine 95, arginine 97, and lysine 99 being important determinants for both Pse1 binding and nuclear localization. Moreover, our data reveal a second import mechanism involving the N-terminal region of Rps2, which depends on the presence of basic residues within amino acids 10 to 28. This Rps2 segment overlaps with the binding site of the dedicated chaperone Tsr4; however, the nuclear import of Rps2 via the internal as well as the N-terminal nuclear-targeting element does not depend on Tsr4. Taken together, our study has unveiled hitherto undescribed nuclear import signals, showcasing the versatility of the mechanisms coordinating the nuclear import of ribosomal proteins.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of malignant melanoma: a retrospective study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced health care services all around the globe, which is also reflected in the diagnosis and management of malignant melanoma (MM). Objectives: We performed a retrospective assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of MM in order to evaluate the effects of the pandemic on MM care. Materials & Methods: The Breslow thickness of excised MM and total number of patients with newly diagnosed MM who underwent surgery during the first year of the pandemic (March, 2020 to February, 2021; 227 subjects) were compared relative to a control period the year before (March, 2019 to February, 2020; 201 subjects), based on a retrospective study design. Results: There was no significant decrease in the total number of excisions (227 subjects in the pre-COVID cohort vs. 201 in the COVID cohort). However, the mean Breslow thickness increased significantly from 1.1±1.4 mm in the pre-COVID group to 1.8±2.3 mm in the COVID group. Conclusion: We conclude that, due to several restrictions in the early phase of the pandemic, melanomas were diagnosed at a more advanced stage.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Advanced Wound Dressings in Split-Thickness Skin Grafting Donor Sites-A Personalized Approach?

Background: Split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) is a frequently used reconstructive technique, and its donor site represents a standardized clinical model to evaluate wound dressings. We compared hydroactive nanocellulose-based, silver-impregnated and ibuprofen-containing foam wound dressings. Methods: A total of 46 patients scheduled for elective surgery were evaluated on the STSG donor site for wound healing (time-to-healing, Hollander Wound Evaluation Scale), pain level (Visual Analogue Scale), and handling (ease of use), as well as scar quality (Patient Scar Assessment Scale, Vancouver Scar Scale) after 3, 6 and 12 months. Results: Almost all dressings compared equally well. We observed statistically relevant differences for pain level favoring the ibuprofen-containing dressing (p = 0.002, ΔAIC = 8.1), and user friendliness in favor of nanocellulose (dressing removal: p = 0.037, ΔAIC = 2.59; application on patient: p = 0.042, ΔAIC = 2.33; wound adhesion: p = 0.017, ΔAIC = 4.16; sensation on skin: p = 0.027, ΔAIC = 3.21). We did not observe any differences for wound healing across all groups. Treatment with hydroactive nanocellulose and the ibuprofen-containing foam revealed statistically relevant better scar appearances as compared to the silver wound dressing (p < 0.001, ΔAIC = 14.77). Conclusion: All wound dressings performed equally well, with the detected statistical differences hinting future directions of clinical relevance. These include the reserved use of silver containing dressings for contaminated or close to contaminated wounds, and the facilitated clinical application of the nanocellulose dressing, which was the only suitable candidate in this series to be impregnated with a range of additional therapeutic agents (e.g., disinfectants and pain-modulating drugs). Personalized donor site management with the tested dressings can meet individual clinical requirements after STSG and improve management strategies and ultimately patient outcomes.

Validation of the S classification of sentinel lymph node and microanatomic location of sentinel lymph node metastases to predict additional lymph node involvement and overall survival in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with a positive sentinel lymph node (SN) have no further metastases in the axillary lymph nodes and may therefore not benefit from axillary lymph node dissection. In patients with melanoma, evaluation of the centripetal depth of tumor invasion in the SN, also known as the S classification of SN, and microanatomic localization of SN metastases were shown to predict non-SN involvement. This phenomenon has been less extensively studied in breast cancer. We sought to validate the S classification and microanatomic location of SN metastases in breast cancer patients with regard to their predictive value for non-SN involvement and overall survival (OS). METHODS: A total of 236 patients with positive SN followed by axillary lymph node dissection were reevaluated according to the S classification and the microanatomic location of SN (subcapsular, parenchymal, combined subcapsular and parenchymal, multifocal, extensive) metastases to predict the likelihood of non-SN metastases and OS. RESULTS: S classification and the microanatomic location of SN metastases were significantly correlated with non-SN status (P < 0.001). Especially patients with a maximum depth of invasion ≤0.3 mm (stage I according to the S classification) and those with SN metastases only in subcapsular location had a low probability of further non-SN metastases (7.8 and 6.1%) and a good prognosis for OS. CONCLUSIONS: S classification and microanatomic location of SN metastases predicts the likelihood of non-SN involvement. Especially patients with subcapsular or S stage I metastases have a low probability of non-SN metastases and a good prognosis for OS.

Serum levels of glycoprotein Dickkopf-1 in patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma: a prospective pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) glycoprotein is an inhibitor of the canonical Wnt pathway. Recent studies have demonstrated elevated Dkk-1 serum levels in patients with diverse malignancies. In vitro studies with melanoma cell lines showed that loss of Dkk-1 expression may contribute to tumor progression. OBJECTIVE: The present study is the first in vivo investigation of Dkk-1 serum levels in patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma. METHODS: We analyzed serum levels of Dkk-1 protein in 82 patients with cutaneous melanoma. RESULTS: Serum levels were significantly increased (mean 83.01 pmol/l) in comparison to healthy controls (mean 29.36 pmol/l). No statistical difference in Dkk-1 serum levels neither between patients without or with lymph node metastases (p = 0.719) nor between patients with or without visceral metastases (p = 0.929) was found. Patients before excision had moderately higher Dkk-1 serum levels than after excision or with florid metastases. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that increased Dkk-1 expression is an early event in melanoma, decreasing in later tumor stages. It was shown previously that Dkk-1 activates cell death in melanoma cells. Our in vivo data indicate that a decrease in Dkk-1 could be a sign of loss of tumor control.

Psoriasis and IgE-mediated allergy: correlation or mutual inhibition? : A prospective cohort study in patients with mild or moderate to severe psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease caused by overactivation of TH1 (Type 1 helper cells) and TH17 (T helper 17) cells. Overactivation of TH1 cells inhibits the activity of TH2 cells involved in type 1 allergies, therefore, psoriasis patients might be less affected by type 1 allergies. This study tested if allergies were less frequent in patients with moderate to severe than with mild psoriasis. METHODS: Psoriasis patients at the study site reported possible allergy symptoms and were tested for common allergens by skin prick test and IgE levels. Psoriasis was classified by PASI scores (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) as mild (PASI <10) or moderate/severe (PASI ≥10). Patients without systemic therapy were assessed separately. Fisher's exact test was used to test for differences. RESULTS: A total of 97 patients were included, 21 with mild and 76 with moderate to severe psoriasis. Allergies were found in 27.8%, most commonly against dust mites (23.4%) and grasses (18.1%). Allergies were found in 23.8% of the patients with mild vs. 29.0% allergic patients with moderate to severe psoriasis (P = 0.786). In patients without systemic medication, allergies were found in 21.1% vs. 35.3% (P = 0.463). CONCLUSION: Allergy prevalence was not reduced in patients with moderate/severe psoriasis, and generally close to the prevalence in the general Austrian population (24%). The inhibiting effect of psoriasis on type 1 allergies was not confirmed.