In the protective responses of epithelial tissues, not only immune cells but also non-immune cells directly respond to external agents. Epithelial cells can be involved in the organization of immune responses through two phases. First, the exogenous harmful agents trigger the primary responses of the epithelial cells leading to various types of immune cell activation. Second, cytokines produced by the immune cells that are activated directly by the external agents and indirectly by the epithelial cell products elicit the secondary responses giving rise to further propagation of immune responses. TRAF6 is a ubiquitin E3 ligase, which intermediates between various types of receptors for exogenous agents or endogenous mediators and activation of subsequent transcriptional responses via NF-kappaB and MAPK pathways. TRAF6 ubiquitously participates in many protective responses in immune and non-immune cells. Particularly, epithelial TRAF6 has an essential role in the primary and secondary responses via driving type 17 response in psoriatic inflammation of the skin. Consistently, many psoriasis susceptibility genes encode the TRAF6 signaling players, such as ACT1 (
TRAF3IP2
), A20 (
TNFAIP3
), ABIN1 (
TNIP1
), IL-36Ra (
IL36RN
), IkappaBzeta (
NFKBIZ
), and CARD14. Herein, we describe the principal functions of TRAF6, especially in terms of positive and regulatory immune controls by interaction between immune cells and epithelial cells. In addition, we discuss how TRAF6 in the epithelial cells can organize the differentiation of immune responses and drive inflammatory loops in the epithelial immune microenvironment, which is termed EIME.
The striking rise in the Internet utilization worldwide has led to major changes in the methods of data collection and processing. Online surveying has been used to assess different health services, explore patients’ perceptions and measure interventions. The discipline of dermatology is one of the fields that gained benefits from surveying patients and dermatologists online; however, some disadvantages such as the low response rate and participation bias were suggested. This review summarizes the applications of online surveying in dermatology and discusses the methods of enhancing response to online surveys. It also offers a guide for dermatologists to formulate their online surveys and avoid the possibility of bias. The role of social network in data collection and the concerns about anonymity and data security have been discussed.
Aims
The enormous spread of the novel Corona virus disease (COVID‐19) represents a challenge to dermatological practice. Accumulating evidence has suggested a possible role of teledermatology in facing this challenge. In this article, we aimed to give a general overview of teledermatology in terms of models of practice, modes of delivery, advantages, limitations, ethical considerations and legislative challenges as well as discussing, using examples from literature, how dermatological practice can benefit from teledermatology during the time of the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Discussion and conclusion
Teledermatology could be an accessible, accurate and cost‐effective substitute for conventional face‐to‐face dermatological consultations during the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, teledermatology practice needs updated legislation and guidelines. More efforts should be done to encourage dermatologists, especially in underserved communities, to provide teledermatology services. Ethical issues and data security related to teledermatology have to be considered.
Background: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) has many psychological and social negative consequences. The aim of this study is to detect the potential risk factors associated with FSD among sexually active women in Beni-Suef, Egypt. Methods: A multi-stage random sampling methodology was used to include 490 premenopausal women, residing in Beni-Suef, in this cross-sectional study. FSD was measured using the Arabic version of the female sexual function index (ArFSFI), throughout an interview. It includes 6 domains; desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain. The questions in each domain have five to six choices with a score ranging between zero and five. Results: Age, years of marriage and number of pregnancies correlated negatively with ArFSFI total score (p<0.05). Higher body mass index was associated with lower scores of desire, arousal and lubrication (p<0.05). Compared to those with constant job, unemployed women had lower scores of desire and arousal (p<0.05). No statistically significant associations have been detected between circumcision and any of the studied ArFSFI domains (p>0.05). Conclusions: There are many potential risk factors suggested to be associated with FSD. Further studies should focus on understanding the adaptive strategies used by women to get over their FSD problems. Barriers preventing women with FSD from seeking treatment should also be investigated.
Abstract:As cutaneous melanoma is a highly aggressive and drug-resistant cancer, there is intense research focusing on developing new, efficient drugs. Nanomedicine focuses on developing different groups of nanomaterials for both diagnosis and therapy, and this combination of specific diagnosis and therapy is called theranostics. Nanomaterials tailored as delivery vehicles can be nanocapsules, nanorods, nanotubes, nanoshells, and nanocages. All these structures protect the intended drug against degradation and enhance its stability. The development and characterization of polymeric nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, liposomes, nanohydrogel, dendrimers, inorganic nanoparticles, and hybrid nanocarriers are among the delivery vehicles that transport different anticancer agents. Functionalization of nanocarriers with specific molecules, such as antibodies, can generate different smart nanodrugs for application in cancer therapy and/or diagnosis. Nanotherapeutic strategies deal with several shortcomings that comprise of tumor characteristics, biological barriers, biocompatibility, and so on. As nanostructures interact with various host biomolecules, comprehensive in vitro cellular models call for evaluation of physicochemical properties, dose, and time of action of nanomaterials, while in vivo assessments would provide valuable data regarding the level of absorption, tissue/organ distribution, and metabolism. The future perspectives in nanotechnology applied to cancer overcomes the translational barrier from the laboratory to the clinical application to potentially improve conventional theranostic techniques.
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