Efficacy of a moisturizing cream and facial mask for alleviating skin problems associated with medical mask use: A half-face, randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

Prolonged use of medical masks has increased skin-related issues.

AIM

To evaluate the efficacy of a facial cream and facial mask in mitigating medical mask related skin symptoms.

METHODS

Healthy women were randomly assigned to apply a facial cream (n = 32) or a facial mask plus a facial cream (n = 32) on half-faces after wearing medical masks for 4 h (Tb ). Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), dryness score, and redness area were assessed at Tb and 10 min after using the cream (T1 ) in the facial cream group, and at Tb , 1 h after using the facial mask (T2 ), and 10 min after using the cream (T3 ) in the combined use group.

RESULTS

In the facial cream group, the treated half-face showed significantly better improvements from Tb to T1 in TEWL (-2.95 ± 0.38 vs. -0.68 ± 0.35 g/h·cm2 , p < 0.001) and skin dryness score (-1.00 ± 0.12 vs. 0.00 ± 0.00, p < 0.001). In the combined use group, the treated half-face showed significantly better improvements from Tb to T2 and T3 in TEWL (T2 , -3.46 ± 0.33 vs. -0.09 ± 0.13 g/h·cm2 ; T3 , -4.67 ± 0.31 vs. -0.28 ± 0.22 g/h·cm2 ) and skin dryness score (T2 , -0.63 ± 0.13 vs. 0.03 ± 0.03; T3 , -0.94 ± 0.17 vs. 0.19 ± 0.07) (all p < 0.001) then the untreated half-face. The combined use group had significantly lower TEWL at T3 than T2 (p < 0.05). The reduction in redness area was similar between the treated and untreated half-faces in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The test facial cream and mask significantly improved skin barrier function and alleviated dryness symptoms associated with medical mask use, with the combined use offering superior benefits.

Changes in alcohol consumption according to the duration of unemployment: prospective findings from the French CONSTANCES cohort

OBJECTIVES

To prospectively examine the association between the duration of unemployment among job seekers and changes in alcohol use in a year.

DESIGN

A prospective study.

SETTING

French population-based CONSTANCES cohort.

PARTICIPANTS

We selected 84 943 participants from the CONSTANCES cohort included between 2012 and 2019 who, at baseline and 1-year follow-up, were either employed or job-seeking.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Multinomial logistic regression models computed the odds of reporting continuous no alcohol use, at-risk alcohol use, increased or decreased alcohol use compared with being continuously at low risk and according to employment status. The duration of unemployment was self-reported at baseline; thus, the employment status at 1-year follow-up was categorised as follows: (1) employed, (2) return to employment since less than a year, (3) unemployed for less than 1 year, (4) unemployed for 1 to 3 years and (5) unemployed for 3 years or more. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, education, household monthly income, marital status, self-rated health, smoking status and depressive state.

RESULTS

Compared with being continuously at low risk (ie, ≤10 drinks per week), the unemployment categories were associated in a dose-dependent manner with an increased likelihood of reporting continuous no alcohol use (OR: 1.74-2.50), being continuously at-risk (OR: 1.21-1.83), experiencing an increase in alcohol use (OR: 1.21-1.51) and a decrease in alcohol use (OR: 1.17-1.84).

CONCLUSION

Although our results suggested an association between the duration of unemployment and a decrease in alcohol use, they also revealed associations between at-risk and increased alcohol use. Thus, screening for alcohol use among unemployed job seekers must be reinforced, especially among those with long-term unemployment.

Asthma is associated with increased severity and duration of rhinitis: A study with the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma classes in the Constances cohort

BACKGROUND

Few population-based studies have described allergic rhinitis (AR) according to the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) classification, and none have assessed the impact of asthma on this classification. Our aims were to 1) describe AR according to four ARIA classes and 2) within each of the four ARIA classes, compare participants with AR alone versus those with AR and asthma.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analyses were performed using data from the 2014 annual follow-up questionnaire of the French adult population-based cohort Constances. Current AR was defined by the report of sneezing, runny, or blocked nose in the last 12 months and the report of nasal allergies. Following ARIA recommendations, rhinitis was classified according to its severity (mild or moderate-severe) and duration (intermittent or persistent). Ever asthma was also defined by a questionnaire.

RESULTS

Among the 4675 participants with AR (57% women, mean age 50.2 ± 12.7 years), 44% were classified as mild/intermittent, 16% mild/persistent, 25% moderate-severe/intermittent, and 15% moderate-severe/persistent. Within each of the four ARIA classes, compared to participants with rhinitis alone, participants with rhinitis and asthma had significantly more severe symptoms, more conjunctivitis, a higher mean eosinophil count and more treatments with intra-nasal corticosteroids and oral antihistamines co-medication.

CONCLUSIONS

This is a paradigm shift study as for the first time this large population-based study in adults showed that asthma status has a profound effect on the ARIA classification. Rhinitis alone and rhinitis with asthma represent two distinct phenotypes. These results reinforce the need to include asthma status in the ARIA classification and guidelines.

Inhibitors of Rho kinases (ROCK) induce multiple mitotic defects and synthetic lethality in BRCA2-deficient cells

The trapping of Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) on DNA caused by PARP inhibitors (PARPi) triggers acute DNA replication stress and synthetic lethality (SL) in BRCA2-deficient cells. Hence, DNA damage is accepted as a prerequisite for SL in BRCA2-deficient cells. In contrast, here we show that inhibiting ROCK in BRCA2-deficient cells triggers SL independently from acute replication stress. Such SL is preceded by polyploidy and binucleation resulting from cytokinesis failure. Such initial mitosis abnormalities are followed by other M phase defects, including anaphase bridges and abnormal mitotic figures associated with multipolar spindles, supernumerary centrosomes and multinucleation. SL was also triggered by inhibiting Citron Rho-interacting kinase, another enzyme that, similarly to ROCK, regulates cytokinesis. Together, these observations demonstrate that cytokinesis failure triggers mitotic abnormalities and SL in BRCA2-deficient cells. Furthermore, the prevention of mitotic entry by depletion of Early mitotic inhibitor 1 (EMI1) augmented the survival of BRCA2-deficient cells treated with ROCK inhibitors, thus reinforcing the association between M phase and cell death in BRCA2-deficient cells. This novel SL differs from the one triggered by PARPi and uncovers mitosis as an Achilles heel of BRCA2-deficient cells.