Yes / Background: This study investigated predictors of response to topical diphenylyclopropenone (DPCP) immunotherapy in patients with alopecia areata (AA). Objective: To identify predictors of response, or resistance, to treatment for AA through clinical observations and serum tests. Methods: Eighty four AA patients were treated with DPCP. Serum cytokine levels were measured in 33 AA patients pre- and post-treatment, and in 18 healthy controls, using ELISA assays. Results: Of patients, 56.1% responded to DPCP with satisfactory hair regrowth; the response rate was negatively correlated with hair loss extent. Before DPCP treatment, higher serum IFN-γ and IL-12 cytokine levels were observed in AA patients compared to healthy controls. Non-responders to DPCP had significantly elevated serum IL-4 pre-treatment (3.07 fold higher) and lower IL-12 levels compared with responders. After DPCP treatment, non-responders had persistently high IL-4, increased IL-12, negligible decrease in IFN-γ and decreased IL-10. Post-treatment DPCP responders exhibited significantly decreased IFN-γ and IL-12, and increased IL-4 and IL-10. Development of adverse side-effects was significantly associated with higher pre-treatment serum IgE levels. Limitations: A small number of subjects were evaluated. Conclusions: Potentially, elevated pre-treatment serum levels of IL-4 and IL-12 can be used as unfavorable and favorable predictors of DPCP therapeutic effect, respectively. In addition, pre-treatment elevated serum total IgE may predict increased risk for severe adverse side-effects to DPCP application. Whether serum cytokine expression levels can be used as predictors of response to other forms of treatment is unknown, but it may warrant investigation in the development of personalized treatments for AA. / This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81573066) and Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2014A030313098) to Xingqi Zhang.

Aktivitet som terapeutiskt medium har varit centralt för att utveckla arbetsterapiprofessionen genom att använda aktivitet som mål och medel. Arbetsterapi är grundat på att engagemang i aktivitet är nödvändigt för hälsa och välmående. Trots detta har mycket av professionsutvecklingen lett till interventioner som inte är aktivitetsbaserade. Basal Kroppskännedom™ (BK) och arbetsterapi har flera gemensamma grundantaganden. Vår kliniska erfarenhet visar möjligheter att använda BK-principerna inom arbetsterapi och vi ville undersöka andra arbetsterapeuters uppfattning om förut-sättningar och värde av att arbeta med BK-principerna för att stärka patienternas aktivitetsutförande. Kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med 11 informanter utifrån ett strategiskt urval. Intervju-materialet analyserades och bildade tre teman; Arbetsterapeutens kunnande och görande, Att jobba med sig själv – den mänskliga utvecklingsprocessen samt Hinder och möjligheter i organisationen. I relation till ergonomikunskaper uttrycker informanterna att BK-principerna ger ytterligare möjlig-heter att se, förstå och känna in patienten och åtgärda konkret i aktivitet. Aktiviteter bryts ner i delmoment där enkla, rytmiska rörelser hittas och patientens meningsfullhet fångas. Patienten känner och upplever aktivitetsutförandet i kroppen. Att använda sig själv som instrument beskrivs i resultatet som en förutsättning för att själv vara både i aktiviteten och i kontakten med patienten. Det stärker då möjligheten att utveckla den terapeutiska alliansen. / Activity as a therapeutic medium has been central to the development of the occupational therapy profession by using meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapy is founded on the commitment of activity as essential for health and wellbeing. Despite this, much of the profession has led to the development of interventions that are not activity-based. Basic Body Awareness Therapy (B-BAT) and occupational therapy have several common basic assumptions. Our clinical experience shows the potential of using the B-BAT-principles in occupational therapy. We wanted to explore other occupational therapists’ perceptions of conditions and the value of working with B-BAT-principles to strengthen patients' occupational performance. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 informants, strategically selected. The interview material was analyzed and formed three themes: The occupational therapists’ knowledge and performance, Working with self – the human development process, and The Obstacles and Opportunities in the organization. In relation to ergonomic knowledge, informants expressed the view that B-BAT-principles provide further opportunities to see, understand and comprehend patients and use activities as a part of their treatment. Activities are broken down into stages where simple, rhythmic movements are used to catch the meaningfulness. The patient feels and experiences occupational performance in the body. The results of the study describe the use of self as an instrument as a prerequisite for being both in activity and in contact with the patient. That strengthens the possibility of developing a therapeutic alliance.

De nombreuses études récentes, basées sur des indicateurs physiologiques ou psychologiques, mettent en évidence les pouvoirs stimulants ou apaisants des odeurs sur des personnes souffrant de déficiences neurosensorielles. Or l'évaluation quantitative (rigoureuse, scientifique) des effets d'une stimulation olfactive à base d'huiles essentielles, nécessite de pouvoir contrôler de manière exacte et automatique la quantité de substances actives présentes dans l'air inhalé par le patient. Ce travail concerne la conception et la réalisation d'un système « diffuseur/détecteur » de gaz capable de générer des doses contrôlées d'huile essentielle dans l'atmosphère conditionnée d'une salle d'expérimentation. La diffusion est basée sur le contrôle de l'air bullant dans l'huile essentielle liquide (pin, lavande, orange douce), dont l'analyse physico-chimique et sensorielle nous a aidés à choisir leur domaine de concentrations. La détection des substances volatilisées est obtenue à l'aide d'un réseau de capteurs à oxydes métalliques commerciaux. L'analyse de signaux de réponse des capteurs aux différentes concentrations de l'huile de pin, après un filtrage numérique adéquat, a révélé une bonne sensibilité croisée des capteurs tant au niveau de la réponse temporelle qu'au niveau de sa courbe dérivée. Ainsi, nous avons pu extraire plusieurs paramètres représentatifs des réponses, habituellement utilisés dans la littérature, et surtout de nouveaux paramètres, caractéristiques de la phase dynamique, pour former la base d'apprentissage. L'analyse à l'aide de méthodes de classification (non supervisée puis supervisée) nous a permis de mettre en évidence la meilleure combinaison de paramètres pour une identification rapide et fiable de concentrations voisines. L'application aux deux autres huiles essentielle a été concluante, nous pouvons envisager de réaliser un prototype pour les essais de validation thérapeutique / Recent clinical studies have demonstrated the stimulating or relaxing effects of odorous stimulation on subjects suffering from neuro-sensoriel deficiencies. These studies concern generally the variation measurement of physiological parameters or psychological indicators in relation with odorous stimuli. To evaluate quantitatively the odorous effects of natural oil stimulations on the subject behavior or his cognitive performance, it is necessary to control automatically and accurately the quantity of the active substances present in the air inhaled by the patient. The aim of this work is to conceive a gas ?diffuser/detector? system to generate fixed concentration of an essential oil in an experimental chamber atmosphere. Diffusion unit is based on the control of the air flow arte bubbling through the liquid oil (pin, lavender, orange), and the range of the employed concentration range is determined after physic-chemical and sensorial analysis. The detection of volatilized substances is obtained using a matrix of commercial metal oxide gas sensors. The study of the sensor responses to different pin oil concentrations showed, after an adequate digital filtering, a good cross sensitivity of the sensors. So, we have extracted from each sensor response, several characteristic parameters, firstly classical ones, and then new ones representing the dynamic phase of the signal response, to create the learning data base. The analysis of these data using pattern recognition methods (non-supervised and then supervised) permitted us to highlight a set of parameters for a reliable and rapid identification of closed diffused oil concentrations. The application of the system with the two other oils was decisive: we can now carry out the realization of a prototype for the therapeutic tests

Wilson's disease is a hereditary disorder of copper metabolism, which causes copper accumulation in organism, especially in the liver, kidneys and brain. Current treatment is based on using low-molecular weight copper chelators and high doses of zinc salts. Unfortunately, they can induce some severe side effects due to systemic action. The aim of this thesis is to improve the treatment of Wilson's disease by using of polymeric drug delivery systems. The size of polymer particles in tens of microns should provide non-resorbability of the drug after oral administration. Synthetic microparticles of poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co- ethylene dimethacrylate), natural microcrystalline cellulose and cross-linked chitosan were used as polymer matrices. N,N-di(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, triethylenetetraamine and 8-hydroxyquinoline were selected as specific copper chelators, which can complex copper cations with high efficiency. The principle of the proposed treatment is that the polymeric carrier-bound chelator complex copper directly from the food in digestive tract of the organism. Because of non-resorbability, the entire complex should be eliminated from the body together with stools. This virtually eliminates systemic side effects. The ability of adsorption of copper and the stability of polymer complex under...