Presence and identity of secondary metabolites are two of the main components of lichen taxonomy. Aromatic compounds formed via the acetyl-polymalonate pathway are the most studied lichen substances. In addition, compounds derived from the mevalonic acid pathway (e.g., terpenes and steroids) are sometimes detected in the medulla. However, their identity and value as diagnostic characters in the genus Usnea are yet poorly understood despite the fact that they were mentioned in several taxonomical papers. We conclude that i) aside from the previously recognized polyphenolic compounds, carbohydrates and steroids are also detected in the medulla of some Usnea species; ii) the use of sulfuric anisaldehyde reagent greatly improves the detection of terpenes, carbohydrates and steroids compared with the sulfuric acid reagent routinely used in thin layer chromatography; iii) among carbohydrates, we detected arabitol and sucrose in the medulla; iv) steroids and terpenes remain unidentified and deserve further investigations.

This paper gives an overview of the large-scale tectonic styles encountered in orogens worldwide. Thin-skinned and thick-skinned tectonics represent two end member styles recognized in mountain ranges. Both styles are encountered in former passive margins of continental plates. Thick-skinned style including the entire crust and possibly the lithospheric mantle are associated with intracontinental contraction. Delamination of subducting continental crust and horizontal protrusion of upper plate crust into the opening gap occurs in the terminal stage of continent-continent collision. Continental crust thinned prior to contraction is likely to develop relatively thin thrust sheets of crystalline basement. A true thin-skinned type requires a detachment layer of sufficient thickness. Thickness of the décollement layer as well as the mechanical contrast between décollement layer and detached cover control the style of folding and thrusting within the detached cover units. In subduction-related orogens, thin- and thick-skinned deformation may occur several hundreds of kilometers from the plate contact zone. Basin inversion resulting from horizontal contraction may lead to the formation of basement uplifts by the combined reactivation of pre-existing normal faults and initiation of new reverse faults. In most orogens thick-skinned and thin-skinned structures both occur and evolve with a pattern where nappe stacking propagates outward and downward

Skin disease is a very common disease for humans. In the medical industry detecting skin disease and recognizing its type is a very challenging task. Due to the complexity of human skin texture and the visual closeness effect of the diseases, sometimes it is really difficult to detect the exact type. Therefore, it is necessary to detect and recognize the skin disease at its very first observation. In today's era, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly growing in medical fields. Different machine learning (ML) and deep learning(DL) algorithms are used for diagnostic purposes. These methods drastically improve the diagnosis process and also speed up the process. In this paper, a brief comparison between the machine learning process and the deep learning process was discussed. In both processes, three different and popular algorithms are used. For the machine Learning process Bagged Tree Ensemble, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Support Vector Machine(SVM) algorithms were used. For the deep learning process three pre-trained deep neural network models

Current instrumental technology in evaluating performance of skin care creams is still rather limited and there are no industrial standard testing equipment, method and performance specifications for it. In this paper, we report our attempt in using an instrument called PhabrOmeter for this purpose. PhabrOmeter is a commercialized instrument for sensory performance evaluation of textiles, leather, paper and nonwoven and has been designated by American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) as a standard test method for textiles, AATCC TM 202 in 2013. By adopting artificial skin samples treated with skin care creams, we have developed a procedure to apply this instrument for evaluation of skin care creams from sample preparation, measurement to data analysis and interpretation. The results using commercial skin care creams to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of this instrument are provided.

Diabetes mellitus is the fifth deadliest disease in the developing countries. Even with all the research and new drugs available, combating diabetes is still challenging. There are successes in finding new cost effective drugs without side effects, even if not perfect. In our investigation we studied binding mechanism of secondary metabolite of T. chebula in silico. It was observed that three compounds out of 16 have a higher binding affinity for the target proteins. Ellagic acid showed highest binding affinity with alpha amylase, beta glucosidase and alpha glucosidase with lesser binding energies -4.5kcal/mol, -5.36kcal/mol and -4.48kcal/mol respectively. Arjungenin has lesser binding energy of 4.77 kcal/mol with glucokinase while luteoline has binding energy of -7.25kcal/mol for enzyme glycogen synthase kinase. These entire compounds interacted with non-covalent interaction. Petroleum ether extract showed the significant alpha amylase inhibitory activity i.e. 51.22% as compared to standard drug (65.99%).TLC analysis revealed the presence of total 9 compounds in different plant extracts one of them might be a lead compound which could be further exploited for the development of novel safer and potent antidiabetic drug.

POH (Peri Orbital Hyperpigmentation) represents a minor clinical entity that attracts immense aesthetic damages and it generates social integration difficulties. This review focuses on the etiopathogenic causes of this entity, differentiating and reclassifying this defect as having, on the one hand, genetic causes of melanic hyperproduction – for Fitzpatrick cutaneous phototypes IV and V – and, on the other hand, both genetic and acquired vascular causes, in individuals with light-coloured skin phototypes. Hence, there is a big difference in the field of pathogenic treatment, for the two entities. In addition, this study notes the direct relationship between skin aging and POH, especially for aquired vascular causes. In this reasoning, other aesthetic deficiencies of the skin in the palpebral area should be also considered, like: blepharochalasis, wrinkles, the anatomical causes of the lower eyelid shading, symmetrical or asymmetric suborbital oedema. All of these issues will complicate the therapeutic decision and subsidiary, the pharmaceutical advice. In this context, the review shows the guidelines for a honest councelling of the patients, pointing the efficiency limit for the topical pharmaceutical medication (depigmentants, exfoliants) versus the necessity of minimally invasive or/ and surgical treatments (in blefarochalasis).

Electrostatic endothelial cell seeding has evolved as an exceptional technique to improve the efficiency of cell seeding in terms of frequency of attached cells and the amount of cell adhesion for the treatment of vascular diseases. In the recent times, both untreated and superhydrophilic thin film nitinol (TFN) have exhibited strong prospect as substrates for creation of small-diameter endovascular grafts due to their hallmark properties of superelasticity, ultra low-profile character, grown hemocompatible oxide layer with the presence of a uniform endothelial layer on the surface. The purpose of the current study is to understand the effects of endothelial cell seeding parameters (i.e., applied voltage, incubation time, substrate chemistry and cell suspension solution) to investigate the cell seeding phenomenon and to improve the cell adhesion and growth on the TFN surface under electrostatic transplantation. Both parallel plate and cylindrical capacitor models were used along with the Taguchi Design of Experiment (DOE) methods to design in vitro test parameters. A novel in vitro system for cylindrical capacitor model was created using a micro flow pump, micro incubation system, and silicone tubings. The augmented endothelialization on thin film nitinol was developed to determine the effect of cell seeding and deployed in a 6 Fr intravascular catheter setup. Cell viability along with morphology and proliferation of adhered cells were evaluated using fluorescent and scanning electron microscopy. Our results demonstrated that the maximum number of cells attached on STFN in the catheter was observed in 5V with the 2 hr exposure of in the cell culture medium (CCM) solution. The condition showed 5V voltage with 0.68×10-6 µC electrostatic charge and 5.11 V·mm-1 electric field. Our findings have first demonstrated that the electrostatic endothelialization on the superhydrophilic thin film nitinol endograft within the catheter prior to the endovascular procedure could enhance the biocompatibility for low-profile endovascular applications.

This article develops algorithms for the characterization and the visualization of micro-scale features by using a small number of sample points, and with a goal to mitigate for the measurement shortcomings which are often destructive or time consuming. We implement the algorithms to rapidly examine the microscopic features of a Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) surface. Such images are highly dense; therefore, traditional image processing techniques might be computationally expensive. The contribution of this research include first, we develop local and global algorithm based on modified Thin Plate Spline (TPS) model to reconstruct high resolution images of the micro-surface’s topography, and its derivatives by using low resolution images. Second, we obtain a bending energy algorithm from our modified TPS model, and use it to filter out image defects. Finally, we develop a computationally efficient Windowing technique, which combines TPS and Linear Sequential Estimation (LSE), to enhance the visualization of images. The Windowing technique allows rapid image reconstruction based on the reduction of inverse problem.

Optical tissue imaging has several advantages over the routine clinical imaging methods, including non-invasiveness (does not change the structure of tissues), remote operation (avoids infection) and ability to quantify the tissue condition by means of specific image parameters. Dermatologists and other skin experts need compact (preferably pocket-size), self-sustained and easy-to-use imaging devices. The operational principles and designs of ten portable in-vivo skin imaging prototypes developed at the Biophotonics Laboratory of Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia during the recent five years are presented in this paper. Four groups of imaging devices are considered. Multi-spectral imagers offer possibilities for distant mapping of specific skin parameters, so facilitating better diagnostics of skin malformations. Autofluorescence intensity and photobleaching rate imagers show a promising potential for skin tumor identification and margin delineation. Photoplethysmography video-imagers ensure remote detection of cutaneous blood pulsations and can provide real-time information on cardiovascular parameters and anesthesia efficiency. Multimodal skin imagers perform several of the above-mentioned functions by taking a number of spectral and video images with the same image sensor. Design details of the developed prototypes and results of clinical tests illustrating their functionality are presented and discussed.

Nowadays asymmetric thin film composite (TFC) polymeric hollow fiber (HF) membranes are extensively used in industrial gas/vapor separations, water treatment etc. There are numerous advantages to use hollow fibers such as: low energy requirements, simplicity of operation, and high specificity. In the present article we discuss the progress made during the past decade in the preparation of the HF substrate and preparation/modification of the thin selective layer. Their applications in water treatment, dehydration of alcohols via pervaporation and gas/vapor separation are also demonstrated.

The application of geophysical methods for the characterization of geomorphologic subsurface features has become very popular in recent years. Convential geophysical applications on undifferentiated and weathered slopes have been less effective. Multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) is a new hope for the solution of the problem. MASW methods was used to the first step in order to reconstruct the ancient eruption of Mount Samalas. MASW was applied to the remnants of ancient volcanic sediment on Lombok Island to determine the physical and physical characteristics of seismic subsurface features. This paper is also discussion the application's capabilities of the MASW method on undifferentiated and weathered volcanic deposits on the slope area and classified them. The results of the research show that MASW technique is powerful in characterizing and delineating the stratum of the layers of undifferentiated and weathered volcanic precipitation areas. MASW is able to predict subsurface structures, especially for shallow and thin layers and presenting site class information for internal structure (vertical resolution). Based on S wave velocity structure, undifferentiated and weathered volcanic layer, genes are classified into site class C, D, and E. In the future, this method will completed with combination of other geophysical method and parameters variation (frequency and spaces) for isopach mapping of volcanic sediment and then analysis of ancient volcanic eruption dynamics.

There is a skin allergy epidemic in the western world, and the rate of deterioration has increased significantly in the past 5-10 years. It is probable that there are many environmental contributing factors, yet some studies have linked it primarily to the rise in the use of synthetic chemical ingredients in modern cosmetics. Our challenge, therefore, was to find a mechanism to determine the effect these substances have on skin health, and whether they really are a primary cause of long term damage to the skin. The first problem is the lack of any definitive way to measure skin health. Motivated by the overwhelming evidence for a link between deficient gut flora and ill health, we decided to look at whether our skin microbiota could similarly be used as an indicator of skin health. Our research illustrates how it is microbiota diversity alone that can predict whether skin is healthy or not, after we revealed a complete lack of conclusive findings linking the presence or abundance of particular species of microbe to skin problems. This phenomenon is replicated throughout nature, where high biodiversity always leads to healthy ecosystems. ‘Caveman’ skin, untouched by modern civilisation, was far different to ‘western’ skin and displayed unprecedented levels of bacterial diversity. The less exposed communities were to western practices, the higher the skin diversity, which is clear evidence of an environmental factor in the developed world damaging skin. For the first time we propose benchmark values of diversity against which we can measure skin to determine how healthy it is. This gives us the ability to be able to predict which people are more likely to be prone to skin ailments, and start to test whether cosmetic ingredients and products are a main cause of the skin allergy epidemic.

Stenting is an alternative to endarterectomy for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis. However, stenting is associated with a higher risk of procedural stroke secondary to distal thromboembolism. Hybrid stents with a micromesh layer have been proposed to address this complication. We developed a micropatterned thin film nitinol (M-TFN) covered stent designed to prevent thromboembolism during carotid intervention. This innovation may obviate the need or work synergistically with embolic protection devices. The proposed double layered stent is low-profile, thromboresistant, and covered with a M-TFN that can be fabricated with fenestrations of varying geometries and sizes. The M-TFN was created in multiple geometries, dimensions, and porosities by sputter deposition. The efficiency of various M-TFN to capture embolic particles was evaluated in different atherosclerotic carotid stenotic conditions through in vitro tests. The covered stent prevented emboli dislodgement in the range of 70-96% during 30min duration tests. In vitro vascular cell growth study results showed that endothelial cell elongation, alignment and growth behaviour silhouettes significantly enhance specifically on the diamond-shape M-TFN with the dimensions of 145µm×20µm and a porosity of 32%. Future studies will require in-vivo testing. Our results demonstrate that M-TFN has a promising potential for carotid artery stenting.

The Galvanic Skin Response (GSR, also widely known as electrodermal activity EDA) is one of the signals related to this emotional reaction. Given the sparsity of studies related to and the variety of devices, we experimented at the Human Health Activity Laboratory with 17 healthy subjects. The goal is to know the variability of detection changes in the electrodermal activity among a test group with heterogeneous respondents in response to valence and arousal stimuli, correlating GSR biosignals measured from different body sites. We experiment with the right and left wrist, left fingers, the right foot's inner side using Shimmer3GSR, and Empatica E4 sensors. Results indicate as the most promising homogeneous GSR measure place the left fingers and right foot. Results suggest that due to a significantly strong correlation among the inner side of the right foot and left fingers and moderate correlations with the right and left wrist, the foot is a good place to measure EDA. This paper also contributes knowledge about some wearable sensor technologies available in the market. Shimmer3GSR sensor may be better reliable to homogenous detecting electrodermal activity changes, as these have fewer anomalies among the respondents. However, we found some anomalies in signals from the Empatica E4 sensor, which we discuss in this work.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by skin lesions. Psoriasis development has been associated both with genetic and environmental factors. Though skin and gut microbiota has been implicated in number of pathologies including atopic dermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, allergy, obesity, its role has been poorly studied in psoriatic disease, which incorporates both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. This literature review summarizes the most recent and major findings on microbiota features in psoriatic disease as well as gives immune system role in the given condition. Despite conflicting findings, psoriasis patients were frequently found to have distinct microbial composition in both skin and guts especially in the major bacterial phyla, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Akkermansia. Furthermore, bacterial DNA has been found in psoriatic patients both locally and systemically, and altogether suggesting role of bacteria in the chronic disease and future studies in this field.

The present study describes the activities performed to test a new method for measuring the mobility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the solid phase of sediments within the context of environmental pollution risk assessment. The method is based on the design of a new configuration (new materials) of the commercial passive sampler Chemcatcher as probe for predicting the bioavailability of persistent organic pollutants in marine sediments (or in water saturated soils).

X-ray fluorescence is largely employed in the measurement of the thickness of coatings. Despite of its diffusion, the task is not straightforward because of the complex physics involved that results in high dependence on matrix effects. Thickness quantification is in practice accomplished using the Fundamental Parameters approach, adjusted with empirical measurements of standards with known composition and thickness. This approach has two major drawbacks: i) there are no standards for any possible coating and coating architecture and ii) even relying on standards, the quantification of unknown samples requires the precise knowledge of the matrix nature (e.g., in case of multilayer coatings the thickness and the composition of each underlayer). In this work, we describe a semiquantitative approach to coatings thickness measurement based on the construction of calibration curves through simulated XRF spectra built with Monte Carlo simulations. Simulations have been performed with the freeware software XMI-MSIM. We have assessed the accuracy of the methods by comparing the results with those obtained by i) XRF thickness determination with standards and ii) FIB-SEM cross-sectioning. Then we evaluated which parameters are critical in this kind of indirect thickness measurements.

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) are the leading cause of skin cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Effective strategies are needed to control NMSC occurrence and progression. Non-toxic, plant-derived extracts have been shown to exert multiple anti-cancer effects. Graviola (Annona muricata), a tropical fruit-bearing plant, has been used in traditional medicine against multiple human diseases including cancer. The current study investigated the effects of graviola leaf and stem extract (GLSE) and its solvent-extracted fractions on two human NMSC cell lines, UW-BCC1 and A431. GLSE was found to: i) dose-dependently suppress UW-BCC1 and A431 cell growth, motility, wound closure, and clonogenicity; ii) induce G₀/G₁ cell cycle arrest by downregulating cyclin/cdk factors while upregulating cdk inhibitors, and (iv) induce apoptosis as evidenced by cleavage of caspases-3, -8 and PARP. Further, GLSE suppressed levels of activated hedgehog (Hh) pathway components Smo, Gli 1/2, and Shh while inducing SuFu. GLSE also decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax while decreasing the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. We determined that these activities were concentrated in an acetogenin/alkaloid-rich dichloromethane subfraction of GLSE. Our data identify graviola extracts and their constituents as promising sources for new chemopreventive and therapeutic agent(s) to be further developed for the control of NMSCs

Background: Skincare products are used daily to maintain a healthy skin (cleansing, moisturizing, protecting…), but their impact on this first layer, which corresponds to the skin microbiome, is still poorly understood. Preserving natural resources and mechanisms of the skin ecosystem is essential; an original approach based on these premises, called ecobiology, has recently emerged in skincare. Ecobiology considers the skin as an ever-evolving ecosystem which hosts human and microbial cells that interact together with their environment. In this context, we evaluated the impact on the skin microbiome of three types of leave-on face skincare products: a hydrophilic sterile solution, a micellar solution, and an oil-in-water emulsion. Materials and Methods: The individual microbial profiles of 20 Caucasian females were investigated. Samples were obtained twenty-four hours and four days following a daily application of the skincare products versus control area where no product was applied. To analyze the bacterial diversity and abundance of skin microbiome, a 16SrRNA gene sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Results: Our results confirm the overall diversity of skin microbiome as previously observed and notably reveal the prevalence of Cutibacterium spp. and Staphylococcus spp. on sebaceous site (the back). Bacterial diversity and abundance were not affected by the products either twenty-four hours or four days after application, as indicated by comparison with the control. Moreover, no dissimilarity was observed between the three products versus their control, neither between each product. Conclusions: These preliminary results demonstrated for the first time that three different types of leave-on face skincare products such as a hydrophilic sterile solution, a micellar solution, and an emulsion have no impact on skin microbiome and can be considered as “microbiome friendly”.

Ultrathin Bi₂Se₃-NbN bilayers comprise a simple proximity system of a topological insulator and an s-wave superconductor for studying gating effects on topological superconductors. Here we report on 3 nm thick NbN layers of weakly connected superconducting islands, overlayed with 10 nm thick Bi₂Se₃ film which facilitates enhanced proximity coupling between them. Resistance versus temperature of the most resistive bilayers shows insulating behavior but with signs of superconductivity. We measured the magnetoresistance (MR) of these bilayers versus temperature with and without a magnetic field H normal to the wafer (MR=[R(H)-R(0)]/\{[R(H)+R(0)]/2\}), and under three electric gate-fields of 0 and ±2 MV/cm. The MR results showed a complex set of gate sensitive peaks which extended up to about 30 K. The results are discussed in terms of vortex physics, and the origin of the different MR peaks is identified and attributed to flux-flow MR in the isolated NbN islands and the different proximity regions in the Bi₂Se₃ cap-layer. The dominant MR peak was found to be consistent with enhanced proximity induced superconductivity in the topological edge currents regions. The high temperature MR data suggest a possible pseudogap phase or a highly extended fluctuation regime.

The nucleation and dynamics of Josephson and Abrikosov vortices determine the critical currents of layered high-T_c superconducting (HTS) thin films, grain boundaries, and coated conductors, so understanding their mechanisms is of crucial importance. Here we treat pair creation of Josephson and Abrikosov vortices in layered superconductors as a secondary Josephson effect, in which each full vortex is viewed as a composite fluid of micro-vortices, such as pancake vortices, which tunnel coherently via a tunneling matrix element. We introduce a two-terminal magnetic (Weber) blockade effect that blocks tunneling below a threshold current, and simulate time-correlated vortex tunneling above threshold. The model shows nearly precise agreement with voltage-current (V-I) characteristics of HTS cuprate grain boundary junctions, which becomes more concave rounded as temperature decreases, and also explains the piecewise linear V-I behavior observed in iron-pnictide bicrystal junctions and other HTS devices. When applied to either Abrikosov or Josephson pair creation, the model explains a plateau seen in plots of critical current vs. thickness of HTS coated conductors. The observed correlation between theory and experiment strongly supports the proposed quantum picture of vortex nucleation and dynamics in layered superconductors.

Abstract: Radiation-induced skin injury can be a serious cutaneous damage and have specific characteristics. Asymptomatic periods are classified as the latent stage. The skin barrier plays a critical role in the modulation of skin permeability and hydration and protects the body against a harsh external environment. However, an analysis on the skin barrier dysfunction against radiation exposure in the latent stage has not been conducted. Thus, we investigated whether skin barrier is impaired by irradiation in the latent stage and aimed to identify the molecules involved in skin barrier dysfunction. We analyzed skin barrier function and its components in SKH-1 mice that received 20 and 40 Gy local irradiation. Increased transepidermal water loss and skin pH were observed in the latent stage of the irradiated skin. Skin barrier components, such as structural proteins and lipid synthesis enzymes in keratinocyte, increased in the irradiated group. Interestingly, we noted sebaceous gland atrophy and increased serine protease and inflammatory cytokines in the irradiated skin during the latent period. This finding indicates that the main factor of skin barrier dysfunction in the latent stage of radiation-induced skin injury is sebaceous gland deficiency, which could be an intervention target for skin barrier impairment.

Marine algae have been considered as abundant source of bioactive compounds with cosmeceutical potential. Recently, a great deal of interest has focused on the health-promoting effects of marine bioactive compounds. Carbohydrate is a major and abundant constitute of marine algae that have been utilized in cosmetic formulations, such as moisturizing and thickening agents. In addition, marine carbohydrates have been suggested as promising bioactive biomaterials for various skin beneficial properties, such as anti-oxidant, anti-melanogenic and anti-skin aging. Therefore, marine algae carbohydrates have potential of skin health benefits for value-added cosmeceutical application. The present review focused on the various biological capacities and potential skin health benefits of bioactive marine carbohydrates.

Background: The efficacy of sunscreen is evaluated by SPF values, which are quantitatively determined in laboratories on the backs of human subjects according to a standardized procedure. However, SPF cannot be directly translated to sunburn protection under real-life situations because actual efficacy depends on various factors related to human behaviors and environmental conditions. This study clinically evaluated the efficacy of two sunscreen sprays (SPF 30 and SPF 70) under natural sunlight exposure on healthy subjects at the beach. Methods: Twenty subjects were divided into two cells for the two sunscreen sprays (SPF 70 and SPF 30) in a single-center, actual usage test. The primary endpoint of the study was sunburn protection on the dorsal arms and the secondary endpoint was protection on the face and neck. Subjects stayed at the beach for 4 h after application of the sunscreens with normal beach activities. Subjects’ behavior at the beach, the amounts of sunscreen applied and reapplied, and environmental conditions were all recorded. Results: There was no significant sunburn for a majority of the subjects in either cell. However, neither sunscreen completely blocked the sunburn, especially for the face/neck area. We found that the SPF 70 sunscreen was more effective than the SPF 30 sunscreen. Conclusion: Modern sunscreen sprays, applied liberally, are effective in providing sunburn protection for the body in a beach setting.

Recently scientific research began to shift their focus on looking at both the gut and the skin microbiota as having a reciprocal and integral relationship with one another, rather than assessing them as separate and unrelated fields. In the past five years, the field of microbial endocrinology emerged, which examines how our gut microbiota influences and modulates hormones. We’ve known for decades that hormones greatly affect the condition of the skin, and many skin conditions are often treated with oral hormonal therapy as means to internally treat skin conditions visible on the dermis. Now, a growing body research and discourse examining this triad of biological spheres – gut microbiota, skin microbiota, and the endocrine system – as interconnected rather than binary and unrelated. While there is ample research established and being conducted examining the gut-skin axis, the gut-brain axis, and the gut-hormone axis, through this paper I will review and synthesize some of the significant advancements in this emerging and inclusive field of science to suggest that the fields need to expand the axis and their modality for researching these fields as a connected whole in order to better understand the role of the microbiota in disease prevention as a whole.

The epidermis is the outermost layer of skin and provides a protective barrier against environmental insults. It is a rapidly renewing tissue undergoing constant regeneration, maintained by several types of stem cells. Hedgehog (HH) ligands activate one of the fundamental signaling pathways that contribute to epidermal development, homeostasis and repair. The HH pathway interacts with other signal transduction pathways such as those activated by Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein. Furthermore, aberrant activation of HH signaling is associated with various tumors, including basal cell carcinoma. Therefore, an understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of the HH signaling pathway is important to elucidate fundamental mechanisms underlying both organogenesis and carcinogenesis. In this review, we discuss the role of the HH signaling pathway in skin development, homeostasis and basal cell carcinoma formation, providing an update of current knowledge in this field.

In order to reach the theoretical efficiency limits of lead-based metal halide perovskite solar cells, the voltage should be enhanced because it suffers from nonradiative recombination. Perovskite materials contain intrinsic defects that can act as Shockley-Read-Hall recombination centers. Several experimental and computational studies have characterized such defect states within the band gap. We give a systematic overview of compositional engineering by distinguishing the different defect reducing mechanisms. Doping effects are divided into influences on: (1) Crystallization; (2) Lattice properties. Incorporation of dopant influences the lattice properties by: (a) Lattice strain relaxation; (b) Chemical bonding enhancement; (c) Band gap tuning. The intrinsic lattice strain in undoped perovskite was shown to induce vacancy formation. The incorporation of smaller ions, such as Cl, F and Cd, increases the energy for vacancy formation. Zn doping is reported to induce strain relaxation but also to enhance the chemical bonding. The combination of computational studies using (DFT) calculations quantifying and qualifying the defect reducing propensities of different dopants with experimental studies is essential for deeper understanding and unraveling insights, such as the dynamics of iodine vacancies and the photochemistry of the iodine interstitials, and can eventually lead to a more rational approach in the search for optimal photovoltaic materials.

This paper studies the combined effect of corrosion and fatigue on the growth of cracks in aircraft and on the effect of skin corrosion and stress corrosion cracking on the load bearing capacity of rib stiffened aircraft wings. In this context it is shown that the growth of cracks from surface pitting, and also from intergranular cracking at a fastener hole, can be accurately computed using the Hartman-Schijve variant of the NASGRO crack growth equation. The examples studied support the lead crack approach, that has been independently developed by the USAF and the Australian Defence Science Technology Group, in which the growth of lead cracks is often exponential. In the case of skin corrosion it is shown that to be consistent with the US Joint Service Structural Guidelines (JSSG2006) assessment of its effect on the load bearing capacity of the wing should involve an assessment of whether at 115% DLL the remaining material exceeds the yield stress of the material.

Repeated air pollution exposure is one of the major threats to skin health. Air pollution causes skin damage and accelerates skin ageing mainly through oxidative stress mechanisms. Since it is difficult to minimize skin exposure from air pollutants, especially in urban areas, strategies to protect the skin are needed. On the other hand, plant phenolic compounds have been found to be effective in attenuating cellular oxidative stress and inflammation induced by different air pollutants. Therefore, we conducted a 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind study to assess the efficacy of a polyphenol-enriched dietary supplement (comprised of olive leaf, lemon verbena, rosemary and Sophora japonica extracts) in reducing pollution-induced oxidative stress and in improving different skin parameters related to skin ageing of Caucasian and Asian volunteers living in a polluted urban European area (Milan). One hundred healthy women were recruited and randomized in the placebo or in the test dietary supplement treatment arms. To assess the efficacy of the dietary supplement, the total antioxidant capacity on saliva (FRAP) was determined, as well as the oxidative damage on skin (lipoperoxides content), the skin moisture (corneometry), the trans-epidermal water loss (Tewameter), the skin radiance and the skin colour, (spectrophotometry), the skin elasticity (cutometry), the skin sebum content (sebumeter), and the skin roughness (image analysis). As a result, both inter-group and intra-group analysis proved that the dietary supplement improved all clinical and biochemical monitored parameters, in both Caucasian and Asian individuals. In conclusion, the results of the study indicate a reduced oxidative stress-induced skin damage in both Asian and Caucasian women living in a polluted urban area.

In this work performance improvements are described of a low power consumption non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) methane (CH₄) gas sensor using customised optical thin film bandpass filters (BPF). BPF’s shape the spectral characteristic of the combined mid infrared III-V based light emitting diode (LED)/ photodiode (PD) light source/detector optopair, enhancing NDIR CH₄ sensor performance. The BPF, deposited using a novel microwave plasma assisted pulsed DC sputter deposition process, is deposited at room temperature directly onto the temperature sensitive PD heterostructure. BPF’s comprise germanium (Ge) and niobium pentoxide (Nb₂O₅) alternating high and low refractive index layers respectively. Two different optical filter designs are progressed; with BPF bandwidths (BWs) of 160 nm and 300 nm. Comparison of modelled and measured NDIR sensor performance is described, highlighting maximized signal to noise ratio (SNR) and minimized cross talk performance benefits. BPF spectral stability for various environmental temperature and humidity conditions is demonstrated.

The noble metals palladium and silver find use in many high performance applications, and their alloys (PdAg), known for more than sixty years, are industrially important, finding use in many fields including hydrogen purification and separation, numerous facets of catalysis, and in fuel cells. In recent years, interest in these materials has grown significantly, particularly in energy generating applications and due to their performance as solid-state chemical sensors for a range of small molecules. PdAg thin films can be prepared using traditional physical methods such as cold rolling, or more modern and controllable chemical or physical deposition techniques such as electrodeposition or chemical vapour deposition. Despite the wide-reaching uses of PdAg, several recent advancements in materials preparation, such as additive manufacturing, better known as 3-D printing, remain unexplored for this material due to the differing chemistries of the two elements. In this review, we explore the manufacturing methods commonly employed for the preparation of PdAg thin films, the common and niche applications of these materials, and opportunities for the future development of these two aspects, with an emphasis on how preparation of thin films can utilise additive manufacturing approaches.

Skin cancer is an exquisite disease globally nowadays. Because of the poor contrast and apparent resemblance between skin and lesions, automatic identification of skin cancer is complicated. The rate of human death can be massively reduced if melanoma skin cancer can be detected quickly using dermoscopy images. In this research, an anisotropic diffusion filtering method is used on dermoscopy images to remove multiplicative speckle noise and the fast-bounding box (FBB) method is applied to segment the skin cancer region. Furthermore, the paper consists of two feature extractor parts. One of the two features extractor parts is the hybrid feature extractor (HFE) part and another is the convolutional neural network VGG19 based CNN feature extractor part. The HFE portion combines three feature extraction approaches into a single fused feature vector: Histogram-Oriented Gradient (HOG), Local Binary Pattern (LBP), and Speed Up Robust Feature (SURF). The CNN method also is used to extract additional features from test and training datasets. This two-feature vector is fused to design the classification model. This classifier performs the classification of dermoscopy images whether it is melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer. The proposed methodology is performed on two ordinary datasets and achieved the accuracy 99.85%, sensitivity 91.65%, and specificity 95.70%, which makes it more successful than previous machine learning algorithms.

Gas membrane-based separation is considered one of the furthermost effective technology to address energy efficiency and large footprint challenges. Various classes of advanced materials including polymers, zeolites, porous carbons and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were attempted as membranes for gas separation. MOFs, among other porous materials, possess uniquely tunable nature, in which the pore size and environment can be controlled by connecting metal ions (or metal ion clusters) with organic linkers with various functionalities. This feature makes them attractive for thin membrane fabrication, as both diffusion and solubility components of permeability can be altered. It is interesting to notice that numerous reports have addressed the synthesis of different MOFs, fabrication of their corresponding thin films and their applications, nonetheless, relatively limited studies addressed their gas separation application as membranes. In this review, we provide a synopsis of the various MOF-based membranes that were fabricated in the last decade. In this review we propose a short introduction touching on the gas separation membrane technology and we shed light on (i) the various techniques developed for the fabrication of MOF as membranes and (ii) challenges and application for MOF thin film membranes in various important gas separation applications.

The nitrogen-doped amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) thin film transistors (TFTs) with double-stacked channel layers (DSCL) were prepared and characterized. The DSCL structure composed of nitrogen-doped amorphous InGaZnO and InZnO films (a-IGZO:N/a-IZO:N or a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N) made the corresponding TFT devices exhibit quite large field-effect mobility due to the existence of double conduction channels. Especially, the a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N TFTs showed even better electrical performance (μ_FE = 15.0 cm²·V^-1·s^-1, SS = 0.5 V/dec, V_TH = 1.5 V, I_ON/I_OFF = 1.1×10⁸) and stability (V_TH shift of 1.5, -0.5, and -2.5 V for positive bias-stress, negative bias-stress and thermal stress tests, respectively) than the a-IGZO:N/a-IZO:N TFTs. Based on the X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements and energy band analysis, it was assumed that the optimized interface trap states, the less ambient gas adsorption, and the better suppression of oxygen vacancies in the a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N hetero-structures might be responsible for the better behaviors of the corresponding TFTs.

Background: Melatonin is a potent mitochondrial, cytoprotective and antioxidant molecule with potentially strong anti-aging properties. Topical melatonin has shown to improve the clinical signs of skin aging. Melatosphere™ is a new lipid-based delivery system able to improve stability and skin penetration of melatonin when used in topical formulations. No clinical studies, using objective instrumental data, are available so far regarding the positive effect of Melatosphere™ in improving wrinkles in women with mild-to-moderate skin aging. Study Aim: We evaluate, in an open prospective, evaluator-blinded trial, the effects on skin texture of 2 months treatment with a Melatosphere™ based cream. Subjects and Methods: 15 women aged >45 years with mild to moderate facial skin aging (Glogau score ≥2) participated in the trial, after their informed consent. An ANTERA 3D computer-assisted skin analysis evaluation for the assessment of coarse and fine wrinkles of the periorbital area and melanin content was performed at baseline and after two months of treatment. An evaluator-blinded Investigator Global assessment of skin elastosis, roughness, level of dyscromia, skin dryness and presence of actinic damage was also performed at the same time points using a 4-grade score from 0 (no sign) to 3 (severe sign). Results: At baseline the mean (SD) IGA score was 8.2(1.0). After 2 months the IGA score significantly decrease to 4.2(1.4) (49% reduction) (P=0.0007). ANTERA 3D evaluations showed a significant reduction in skin coarse and fine wrinkles volume in the target area of -31% and -18%, respectively. Melanin content was reduced significantly by -17%. Conclusion: Topical melatonin carried in Melatosphere improves in the short-term signs of skin aging evaluated clinically and by ANTERA 3D device in women with mild to moderate skin aging.

Pain is a major problem in sick newborn infants, especially for those needing intensive care. Pharmacological pain relief is the most commonly used but may be ineffective, have side effects, including long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae. The effectiveness and safety of alternative analgesic methods are ambiguous. The objective is to review the effectiveness and safety of non-pharmacological methods of pain relief in newborn infants and to identify those that are the most effective. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched using the terms: ‘infant’, ‘premature’, ‘pain’, ‘acupuncture’, ‘skin to skin contact’, ‘sucrose’ ‘massage’, ‘musical therapy’ and ‘breastfeeding’. We included 24 studies assessing different methods of non-pharmacological analgesic techniques. Most resulted in some degree of analgesia but many were ineffective and some were even detrimental. Sucrose, for example, was often ineffective but more effective than music therapy, massage, breast milk (for extremely premature infants) or non-invasive electrical stimulation acupuncture. There were also conflicting results for acupuncture, skin to skin care and musical therapy. Most non-pharmacological methods of analgesia provide some modicum of relief for preterm infants but none are completely effective and there is no clearly superior method. Study is also required to assess potential long-term consequences of any of these methods.

This work is devoted to physical vapor deposition synthesis, and characterisation of bismuth and lutetium-substituted ferrite-garnet thin-film materials for magneto-optic (MO) applications. The properties of garnet thin films sputtered using a target of nominal composition type Bi_0.9Lu_1.85Y_0.25Fe_4.0Ga₁O₁₂ are studied. By measuring the optical transmission spectra at room temperature, the optical constants and the accurate film thicknesses can be evaluated using Swanepoel’s envelope method. The refractive index data are found to be matching very closely to these derived from Cauchy’s dispersion formula for the entire spectral range between 300-2500 nm. The optical absorption coefficient and the extinction coefficient data are studied for both the as-deposited and annealed garnet thin-film samples. A new approach is applied for accurately deriving the optical constants data simultaneously with the physical layer thickness, using a combination approach employing custom-built spectrum-fitting software in conjunction with Swanepoel’s envelope method. MO properties, such as specific Faraday rotation, MO figure of merit and MO swing factor are also investigated for several annealed garnet-phase films.

In this paper we aim to help topical probiotics research and development achieve its potential as an incredible future solution for skin problems by investigating whether the current products on the market satisfy criteria for safe and effective use on the skin microbiome. As previously defined, this includes whether they use microbes known to be part of a healthy skin microbiome and in healthy amounts. In addition, we evaluate whether they contain live microbes, and therefore can be classified as probiotics according to the WHO’s definition. Using recent market analysis at least 84% of products do not contain live microbes. Of the products that appeared to use live microbes, they contained those used in research and development of probiotics for the gut. Due to the varying composition of each person’s microbiome, there is not a one size fits all probiotic solution. Personalisation of probiotics products is essential to satisfy the criteria for safe and effective use, but none of the products on the market, understandably, offer this. Upsetting the delicate ecosystem balance of the skin microbiome could have damaging effects and regulation could help to stop a loss of trust between consumers and cosmetics industry. Future work will perform an in-depth evaluation of the topical probiotics on the market in the EU, USA, and Canada. We will also investigate how to move the topic closer to achieving its potential by updating the criteria, including by discussing how to measure the success of a probiotic solution.

Although man is still rapidly evolving, he has not co-evolved with all of the modern chemicals made by man, including those in cosmetic products. Care must be taken when formulating products so that commonly used ingredients, such as polyethylene glycol, can be substituted with safer ingredients to which man has adapted and that will not cause irritation and inflammation. This is especially important given that induction of skin inflammation will cause systemic inflammation. A review of the literature and of commercially available products was made to highlight techniques and products that remediate inflammation or induce inflammation. Many skin care products contain chemicals that induce irritation and inflammation that may lead to chronic, systemic inflammation. Well studied natural products, especially skin identical chemicals, may offer an advantage compared to recent man-made chemicals in cosmetic and topical formulations and help to reduce skin inflammation as well as skin derived systemic chronic inflammation.

We set up this preliminary study to evaluate one main question: could strengthening the microbiome have potential benefits for patients suffering with adverse effects after stopping long term topical steroid use? We aim to turn it into a much larger study if the results show promise. After commonly being prescribed for eczema, cessation of topical steroid use, especially after long periods of inappropriate use, can leave lasting adverse effects on the body and skin, known by some as topical steroid withdrawal (TSW). Furthermore, the subsequent withdrawal the body experiences when coming off the drug can leave lasting adverse effects on the body and skin, known by some as topical steroid withdrawal (TSW). This preliminary study involved seven human participants suffering with skin problems associated with TSW who approached Dr. Anja Gijsberts-Veens of their own volition because they were interested in more natural recovery methods. Five completed the study in full. Progress in skin condition was tracked by self-assessed symptom severity questionnaires filled out at the beginning and end of the study. The skin microbiome was addressed by using a 100% natural product shown in previous work to significantly increase skin microbiome biodiversity. Three participants implemented dietary changes and supplementation in response to guidance after fecal sample analysis to improve their gut health and biodiversity. The average improvement in skin symptoms for all participants was 40% and average symptom improvement ranged from 14% for Patient 5 to 92% for Patient 1. On average, the participants saw an improvement in 85% of their symptoms and a stagnation or regression in 11% and 4% respectively. We believe these results show enough promise to warrant expansion of this research to use a larger sample size, preferably 50+ participants, in future work. We also aim to swab the skin of participants to assess the effect on the skin microbiome from skin and gut treatments, as well as including more in-depth analysis of skin and gut microbiomes.

Depending on human body conditions and environmental conditions, it is sometimes difficult to conduct subject experiments. In such cases, it is effective to use a thermal manikin. There are few studies that investigate the effect of the non-uniform and asymmetric outdoor thermal environment on the mean skin temperature. The purpose of this study is to clarify the influence of the non-uniform and asymmetric thermal radiation of short-wavelength solar radiation in an outdoor environment on the calculation of the mean skin temperature. The skin temperature of the front of the coronal surface, which was facing the sun and where the body received direct short-wavelength solar radiation, and the skin temperature of the rear of the coronal surface, which was in the shadow and did not receive direct short-wavelength solar radiation were respectively measured. The feet, upper arm, forearm, hand and lower leg, which are susceptible to short-wavelength solar radiation in a standing posture, had a noticeable difference in skin temperature between sites in the sun and in shade. The mean skin temperature of sites facing the sun was significantly higher than the mean skin temperature of those in the shade.

Aiming at the industrial scale development of a Scandium (Sc)-selective leaching process of Bauxite Residue (BR), a sufficiently numerous set of process design aspects has been investigated, by appropriate exploitation of available experimental data. The interpretation of experimental data for Sc leaching yield, with sulfuric acid as the leaching solvent, has shown significant impact from acid feed concentration, mixing residence time, liquid to solids ratio, and times of leachate re-usage onto fresh BR. The thin film diffusion model, as the fundamental theory for leaching, either with constant particle size for selective leaching, or with shrinking particle size for less-, or non-, selective leaching, interprets sufficiently well the relevant experimental data. In both cases, a concept for an unyielding core supplements the basic model. Especially for the selective leaching mild conditions, the simplest model version keeps step with the experiments, since both prove 1^st order kinetics, while especially for the extreme conditions including very low solvent excess, it is proposed a combined conversion rate model with diffusion and chemical reaction inside particles. The maximization of Sc recovery per unit of consumed solvent (i.e., specific recovery) emerged as highly critical for the process economics.

Vitamin D, sunshine and UVB phototherapy were first reported in the early 1900s to control psoriasis, cure rickets and cure tuberculosis (TB). Vitamin D also controlled asthma and rheumatoid arthritis with intakes ranging from 60,000 to 600,000 International Units (IU)/day. In the 1980s interest in treating psoriasis with vitamin D rekindled. Since 1985 four different oral forms of vitamin D (D2, D3, 1-hydroxyvitaminD3 (1(OH)D3) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitaminD3 (calcitriol)) and several topical formulations have been reported safe and effective treatments for psoriasis—as has UVB phototherapy and sunshine. In this review we show that many pre-treatment serum 25(OH)D concentrations fall within the current range of normal, while many post-treatment concentrations fall outside the upper limit of this normal (100 ng/ml). Yet, psoriasis patients showed significant clinical improvement without complications using these treatments. Current estimates of vitamin D sufficiency appear to underestimate serum 25(OH)D concentrations required for optimal health in psoriasis patients, while concentrations associated with adverse events appear to be much higher than current estimates of safe serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Based on these observations, the therapeutic index for vitamin D needs to be reexamined in the treatment of psoriasis and other diseases strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency, including COVID-19 infections, which may also improve safely with sufficient vitamin D intake or UVB exposure.

In this study is reported the optical, structural and dielectric properties of Poly (vinyl alcohol) thin films membranes with embedded ZnO nanoparticles (PVA/ZnO) obtained by solution casting method at low temperature of deposition. Fourier Transform Infrared spectra showed the characteristics peaks, which correspond to O-H and Zn-O bonds present in the hybrid material. The X-ray diffraction patterns indicated the presence of ZnO structure into the films. The composite material showed low absorbance and a wide band gap energy from 5.6 to 5.9 eV. The surface morphology for the thin films of PVA/ZnO was studied by Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The dielectric properties of the nanocomposites were measured from low to high frequencies, the results showed a high dielectric constant (ε) in the order of 10⁴ at low frequency and values from ε ≈ 2000 to 100 in the range of 1KHz-1MHz respectively, the properties of PVA/ZnO such as the high permittivity and the low temperature of processing make it a suitable material for potential applications in the development of flexible electronic devices.

Electromagnetic eddy current sensors are commonly used to identify and quantify the surface notches of metals. However, the unintentional tilt of eddy current sensors affects results of size profiling, particularly for the depth profiling. In this paper, based on the eddy current thin-skin regime, a revised algorithm has been proposed for the analytical voltage or impedance of a tilted driver–pickup eddy current sensor scanning across a long ideal notch. Considering the resolution of the measurement, the bespoke driver–pickup, also termed as transmitter-receiver (T-R) sensor is designed with a small mean radius of 1 mm. Besides, the T-R sensor is connected to the electromagnetic instrument and controlled by a scanning stage with high spatial travel resolution , with a limit of 0.2 μm and selected as 0.25 mm. Experiments have been out on the voltage imaging of an aluminium sheet with 7 machined long notches of different depths using T-R sensor under different tilt angles. By fitting the measured voltage (both real and imaginary part) with proposed analytical algorithms, the depth profiling of notches is less affected by the tilt angle of sensors. From the results, the depth of notches can be retrieved within a deviation of 10 % for tilt angles up to 60 degrees.

Burns is a pervasive and oppressive basic care issue. In children, burn injuries are a major reason for bleakness and mortality. The quirks in the physiology of liquid and electrolyte taking care of, the vital necessity and the distinctions in the different body extends in children direct that the pediatric wounds administration ought to be brought with an alternate point of view than for adults. Notwithstanding, for the intensivist, challenges regularly exist that muddle quiet help and adjustment. Moreover, burn injuries are mind-boggling and can show exceptional challenges that require deep-rooted recovery. Investigation in burn wound care has yielded progressions that will keep on improving practical recuperation. What's more, pain management all through this period is essential. Managing these wounds requires escalated therapeutic treatment for multi-organ dysfunction, and forceful surgical treatment to forestall sepsis and other inconveniences. The biological therapeutic bilayered skin substitutes with a long shelf life that recapitulates the normal barrier function of the intact human skin and stimulate wound repair and skin regeneration. A definitive objective is to accomplish a perfect skin substitute that gives a successful and without scar wound recuperating. This review article features the headway in pediatric burn wounds with an emphasis on the pathophysiology and treatment of burn wounds.

MAPLE (matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation) depositions of Candida Rugosa lipase were carried out from ice matrices whose composition is optimized in order to minimize conformational damage of the protein, which strongly influences its catalytic activity. To induce lid opening and to protect lipase during the MAPLE process, pentane and m-DOPA amino acid were added to the liquid matrix giving a target formed by a frozen water-lipase-pentane microemulsion. FTIR and AFM were used to investigate the structure of MAPLE deposited lipase films. The ability of MAPLE films to promote transesterification was determined by thin layer chromatography. It was shown that m-DOPA has influence on the aggregation but not on the unfolding of lipase induced by MAPLE, while the microemulsion formed by the addition of pentane to the target composition is effective in protecting lipase during the MAPLE process. MAPLE deposited lipases showed a modified specificity.

Reusing the tactile knowledge of some previously explored objects helps us to easily recognize the tactual properties of new objects. In this paper, we enable a robotic arm equipped with multi-modal artificial skin, like humans, to actively transfer the prior tactile exploratory action experiences when it learns the detailed physical properties of new objects. These experiences, or prior tactile knowledge, are built by the feature observations that the robot perceives from multiple sensory modalities, when it applies the pressing, sliding, and static contact movements on objects with different action parameters. We call our method Active Prior Tactile Knowledge Transfer (APTKT), and systematically evaluated its performance by several experiments. Results show that the robot improved the discrimination accuracy by around 10% when it used only one training sample plus the feature observations of prior objects. By incorporating the auxiliary features, the transfer learning improved the discrimination accuracy by over 20%. The results also show that the proposed method is robust against transferring irrelevant prior tactile knowledge (negative knowledge transfer).

Continuous ultrasonic in-situ monitoring for industrial applications is difficult owing to the high operating temperatures in industrial fields. It is expected that ultrasonic transducers consisting of CaBi4Ti4O15(CBT)/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3(PZT) sol-gel composite could be one solution for ultrasonic nondestructive testing (NDT) above 500 C because no couplant is required and CBT has a high Curie temperature. To verify the high temperature durability, CBT/PZT sol-gel composite films were fabricated on titanium substrates by spray coating, and the CBT/PZT samples were tested in a furnace at various temperatures. Reflected echoes with a high signal-to-noise ratio were observed up to 600 C. A thermal cycle test was conducted from room temperature to 600 C, and no significant deterioration was found after the second thermal cycle. To investigate the long-term high-temperature durability, a CBT/PZT ultrasonic transducer was tested in the furnace at 600 °C for 36 h. Ultrasonic responses were recorded every 3 h, and the sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio were stable throughout the experiment.

The lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is an animal virus and a member of the Poxviridae family, which causes lumpy skin disease (LSD) in livestock animals like cows and buffaloes. LSD is an important transboundary disease of economic importance that was first discovered in 1929 in Zambia. LSDV has been prevalent in African countries, where several outbreaks have been reported previously. However, the virus has spread rapidly across the Middle East in the past two decades, reaching Russia and, recently, the Asian subcontinent. With the unprecedented cluster outbreaks reported across Asian countries, LSDV is certainly undergoing an epidemiological shift and expanding its geographical footprint globally. The recent LSD outbreaks have gained attention from global regulatory authorities and raised serious concerns among epidemiologists and veterinary researchers. Although there is no dearth of knowledge about LSDV, the disease lacks networked global surveillance and management, consequently making the current statistics deficient, fragmented, and unreliable. Hence, recurrent LSD outbreaks seriously threaten the global livestock industry. This review provides recent insights into LSDV by augmenting latest literature associated with its epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission, currently-available intervention strategies, and economic implications on the dairy industries. The review also critically examines the changing epidemiological footprint of LSD and speculates on the possible reasons contributing to the ongoing multi-country LSD outbreak.

In this paper, a novel synthesis for a chemical precursor for nanocrystalline VO2 coatings is elaborated. The compatibility of the precursor towards the substrate is optimized for spin coating. This is done by subjecting multiple solvents to contact angle measurements. A suitable thermal treatment is developed to densify the coating and to induce crystallization. Afterwards the microstructure of the coating is investigated using X-Ray diffraction, electron microscopy and ellipsometry techniques. To assess the thermochromic properties of the fabricated device, optical transmission experiments were conducted both at room temperature and at elevated temperature. A correlation between these thermochromic properties and coating thickness was investigated in order to obtain an optimized thermochromic device, where both high visual transparency and prominent thermochromic switching abilities are aimed for. In this work, an optimal coating thickness is proposed for a thermochromic coating with high switching ability and solar modulation.

Grazing incidence X-Ray Diffraction spectroscopy was employed to characterize crystallinity of Iron, Nickel, Copper and Tungsten, prepared by sparking discharge process in presence of 0.4 T magnetic field at ambient temperature 25 °C. Iron thin film preserved crystallinity even after one year of ageing. Nickel exhibit higher crystallinity when sparked in nitrogen gas flow from the one sparked in oxygen. Tungsten was successfully crystalized after just 40 minutes of sparking inside of magnetic field.

Thin Slab Casting and Directing Rolling (TSCDR) has become a major process for flat- rolled production. However, the elimination of slab reheating and limited number of thermomechanical deformation passes leave fewer opportunities for austenite grain refinement resulting in some large grains persist in the final microstructure. In order to achieve excellent Ductile to Brittle Transaction (DBTT) and Drop Weight Tear Test (DWTT) properties in thicker gauge high strength low alloy products, it is necessary to control austenite grain coarsening prior to the onset of thermomechanical processing. This contribution proposes a suite of methods to refine the austenite grain from both theoretical and practical perspective including: increasing cooling rate during casting, liquid core reduction, increasing austenite nucleation sites during the delta ferrite to austenite phase transformation, controlling holding furnace temperature and time to avoid austenite coarsening, and producing new alloy with two phase pinning to arrest grain coarsening. These methodologies can not only refine austenite grain size in the slab center, but also improve the slab homogeneity.

We report on the development of several different thin-film functional material systems prepared by RF magnetron sputtering at Edith Cowan University nanofabrication labs. We conduct research on the design, prototyping, and practical fabrication of high-performance magneto-optic (MO) materials, oxide based sensor components, and heat regulation coatings for advanced construction and solar windows.

INTRODUCTION: Superficial cutaneous bacterial infections have a high incidence in geriatric patients. The most implicated pathogens are gram-positive cocci (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes) while gram-negative germs are also implicated. Resistances to common topical antibiotics (mupirocin, fusidic acid) require alternatives to gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms.Ozenoxacin cream for topical use (non-fluorinated bactericidal quinolone), in other countries and with other galenics, is indicated in children older than 6 months and in adults as a treatment of superficial bacterial infections, such as acne. In Spain, ozenoxacin cream is indicated only for non-bullous impetigo; scientific evidence show effectiveness also in other superficial skin bacterial infections.A cases series of clinical use of ozenoxacin in bacterial superficial skin infections in geriatric patients (institutionalized or community dwelling) is presented.METHODS: Multicenter case series (March-August 2022) of bacterial superficial skin infections treated with ozenoxacin cream (10mg/g every 12h, 5days); data from medical records (controls: 1-3-5 days), after obtaining informed consent (use of data and images).RESULTS: Series of 28 patients (mean age: 84,79) from nine nursing homes and one outpatient geriatric service, including acute and subacute/chronic cases.In all cases treatment was ozenoxacin 10mg/g topical cream applied every 12 hours for 5 days according to medical prescription (except for one case in which 3 days were enough for complete healing and another case treated for 10 days).Results showed complete healing in all 20 acute cases and significant clinical improvement in all subacute/chronic cases (with complete healing in one of them). Professionals scored the effectiveness in acute cases as a mean 4.5 points (maximum score: 5, p<.0001) and in subacute/chronic cases as 3.8 points (p=.010).There was no skin irritation or other adverse effects in anyone of the patients, and clinical improvement of pain, itching and other symptoms was observed, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our results seem to demonstrate the effectiveness and tolerability of ozenozacin cream in bacterial infections other than non-bullous impetigo. Ozenoxacin cream is indicated only for the treatment of non-bullous impetigo; however, it is also shown to be effective, both in the scientific evidence and in our case series, for other superficial bacterial skin infections, both acute and subacute/chronic, suggesting the opportunity for clinical studies with an experimental design to evaluate the findings of clinical practice and to be able to have a therapeutic alternative to compensate for the complications of the appearance of resistance.

Intradermal injection of botulinum neurotoxin is a frequently performed procedure in aesthetic dermatology to improve facial skin tone, texture, fine wrinkles, and enlarged pores. In practice, botulinum neurotoxin type A is also used to reduce skin oiliness of the face. There is increasing evidence that acetylcholine plays specific roles in sebum production, suggesting that botulinum neurotoxin type A may reduce sebum production by interfering with cholinergic transmission between sebaceous glands and autonomic nerve terminals. Botulinum neurotoxins can also inhibit several pathogenetic components of acne development, suggesting that botulinum neurotoxins can be used as a safe and effective treatment modality for acne and other skin disorders related to the overactivity of sebaceous glands. This review aims to explore the current evidence behind the treatment of oily skin and acne with botulinum neurotoxin type A.

Onchocerciasis causes debilitating pruritus and rashes as well as visual impairment and blindness . Prior to control measures, eye disease was particularly prominent in savanna areas of sub-Saharan Africa whilst skin disease was more common across rainforest regions of tropical Africa. Mass drug distribution with ivermectin is changing the global scene of onchocerciasis. There has been successful progressive elimination in Central and Southern American countries and the World Health Organization has set a target for elimination in Africa of 2025. This literature review was conducted to examine progress regarding onchocercal skin disease. PubMed searches were performed using keywords "onchocerciasis", "onchodermatitis" and "onchocercal skin disease" over the past eight years. Articles in English, or with an English abstract, were assessed for relevance, including any pertinent references within the articles. Recent progress in awareness of, understanding and treatment of onchocercal skin disease is reviewed with particular emphasis on publications within the past 5 years. The global burden of onchodermatitis is progressively reducing and is no longer seen in children in many formerly endemic foci.

In the era of nanotechnology, researchers are implementing point to care service to cancer patients to detect malignancy beforehand and to reduce the mortality rate of cancers. Cancer is known to be the most fatal disease among all other diseases and the survivability from cancer is quite impossible if the stage of the cancer is an advanced level. Though the early detection of cancer can increase the chances of survival with a double fold. Biosensor is a part of nanotechnology which is capable to provide point to care service in the field of medicine. With the rising number of cancer occurrences being identified around the world and the increasing number of deaths because of the identification of advanced cancer, biosensors can play a significant part in the early detection of cancer. New molecular methods, including as genomic and proteomic approaches, are increasingly being used to study patient molecular profiles. When such diagnosis method is paired with bioinformatics tools, they generate new data that can be used to discover new disease biomarkers. Finding precise and sensitive indicators that are corelated to a specific disease, as with many other diseases, can be challenging. Furthermore, the concentration of biomarkers in biological fluids varies according to illness states and phases. Peptides, proteins, up or down regulated expression of gene markers, and gene alternation are all examples of molecular markers that are commonly used to diagnose cancer. In this article, we have highlighted six different deadliest cancers such as Ovarian, Breast, Prostrate, Lung, Colorectal and Liver cancer. The article contains distinct types of biomarkers which are normally found in these kinds of cancer and generally used as a potential diagnostic target in the medicine field. The article mainly summarized the application of different types of biosensors devices in the detection of the mostly found biomarkers in the above cancer types.

Many strategies have been developed for the synthesis of silicon carbide (SiC) thin films on silicon (Si) substrates by plasma-based deposition techniques, especially plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and magnetron sputtering, due to importance of these materials for microelectronics and related fields. A drawback is the large lattice mismatch between SiC and Si. The insertion of a thin aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer between them has been shown useful to overcome this problem. Herein, the high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) technique was used to grow SiC thin films on AlN/Si substrates. Furthermore, the SiC films were also grown on Si substrates. Comparisons of the structural and chemical properties of SiC thin films grown on the two types of substrates allowed us to evaluate the influence of AlN buffer layer on such properties. The chemical composition and stoichiometry of the samples were investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and Raman spectroscopy, while the crystallinity was characterized by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). Our set of results evidenced the versatility of HiPIMS technique to produce polycrystalline SiC thin films at near room temperature only varying the discharge power. In addition, this study opens up a feasible route for the deposition of crystalline SiC films with a good structural quality using AlN buffer layer.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an emerging transboundary viral disease of cattle originating from the African continent. Here we describe the first LSD outbreak reported in the Republic of Kazakhstan, in July 2016. Initially, LSD was reported in a cattle farm located 49 km from Kazakh –Russian border in, Atyrau Oblast in West Kazakhstan. Subsequently, the disease spread to neighbouring farms situated within the same district. Following a preliminary investigation, the local State Veterinary Service declared a strict quarantine according to the State Contingency Plan, along with immediate total stamping out and cattle movement restrictions. During the outbreak, the number of affected cattle within an epidemiological unit reached 459 cattle out of registered 3557 susceptible cattle with 12.90% morbidity and 0.96%, mortality. This manuscript presents the epidemiological situation, the diagnosis, the control measures including mass vaccination and the stamping out campaign.s

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated skin disease that involves interaction of both immune and skin cells, and is characterized by cytokine-driven epidermal hyperplasia, deviant differentiation, inflammation and angiogenesis. Because available treatments for psoriasis have significant limitations, dietary products are potential natural sources of therapeutic molecules, which can rescind molecular defects associated with psoriasis and could be developed for its management. Fisetin (3,7,3′,4′- tetrahydroxyflavone), a phytochemical naturally found in pigmented fruits and vegetables has demonstrated pro-apoptotic and antioxidant effects in several malignancies. This study utilized biochemical, cellular, pharmacological and tissue-engineering tools to characterize the effects of fisetin on normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and CD4+ T lymphocytes in 2D and 3D psoriasis-like disease models. Fisetin treatment of NHEKs dose and time-dependently induced differentiation and inhibited interleukin-22-induced proliferation, as well as activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Fisetin treatment of TNF-α-stimulated NHEKs significantly inhibited the activation of p38 and JNK, but had no effect on ERK1/2. In addition, fisetin treatment significantly decreased the secretion of Th1/Th-17 pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly IFNγ and IL-17A by 12-O- tetradecanolylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-stimulated NHEKs and anti-CD3/CD28-activated human PBMCs. Furthermore, we established the in-vivo relevance of fisetin functions, using a 3D full-thickness human skin model of psoriasis (FTRHSP) that closely mimics in-vivo human psoriatic skin-lesions. Herein, fisetin significantly ameliorated psoriasis-like disease features, and decreased the production of IL-17 by CD4+ T lymphocytes co-cultured with FTRHSP. Collectively, our data identify pro-differentiative, anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of fisetin, via modulation of PI3K-Akt-mTOR and p38/JNK pathways and the production of cytokines in 2D and 3D human skin model of psoriasis. These results suggest that fisetin has a great potential to be developed as an effective and inexpensive agent for the treatment of psoriasis and other related inflammatory skin disorders.

Skin involvement is an overlooked aspect in the management of paediatric patients with type 1 diabetes. A comprehensive search of published literature using the PubMed database was carried out using the following key terms: “children”, “pediatric/paediatric patients”, “skin”, “skin disorders”, “type 1 diabetes”. Dermatological side effects are frequently observed among diabetic children and adolescents. Insulin-induced lipodystrophies and allergic contact dermatitis caused by insulin pumps or glycaemic sensors are the most common skin reactions in these patients. Furthermore, several diabetes-associated skin diseases such as necrobiosis lipoidica, granuloma annulare, vitiligo, and bullosis diabeticorum may already be present in paediatric age. Paediatric diabetes specialists should pay attention to their patients’ skin so as to recognize these disorders, identify the potential causes, and choose the most suitable treatment. Finally, the evaluation of skin concentrations of advanced glycation end-products using non-invasive diagnostic techniques may be used to assess the risk of chronic complications of diabetes as early as adolescence.

Sphingomonas paucimobilis is an opportunist pathogen bacillus gram-negative aerobic with a rare occurrence. We present a case in an immunocompetent man successfully treated by surgical debridement, purulent drainage and with an associated course of antibiotics. A large necrotic infection, approximately 5 cm x 3 cm, in a 74-year-old man was identified. Empirical antibiotic therapy with ciprofloxacin 400mg EV 12/12 hours, associated with clindamycin 600mg EV 6/6 hours and pain control was done through dipyrone 1gr, tramadol 400 mg. Deep venous thrombosis was prevented through the prescription of enoxaparin 40mg subcutaneous once a day during hospitalization. The case was well illustrated with pictures throughout treatment. Complete healing was achieved after 90 days. Herein, we present a case of cutaneous contamination. The presented case is the third cutaneous contamination case reported in the literature and the first reported case in the Amazonia region in Brazil.

Highly macroporous thin films of WO₃ were fabricated on transparent conductive substrates by application of a polymeric organic paste loaded with an amine/tungstate complex. After spin-coating and annealing at 550^oC, the resulting yellow films are found to be comprised of channeled array of clustered nanoparticles. These channels are confirmed by scanning electron microscopy to extend through the entire length of the coating. The high porosity of the material enables the insertion of a co-catalyst into the internal structure of the film. These internally functionalized composites demonstrate good photosensitivity and stability in neutral electrolyte.

This paper presents an approach to the elastic analysis of beams subjected to Saint-Venant torsion using Green’s theorem and the finite difference method (FDM). The Saint-Venant torsion of beams, also called free torsion or unrestrained torsion, is characterized by the absence of axial stresses due to torsion; only shear stresses are developed. A solution to this torsion problem consists of finding a stress function that satisfies the governing equation and the boundary conditions. The FDM is an approximate method for solving problems described with differential equations; it does not involve solving differential equations, equations are formulated with values at selected nodes of the structure. In this paper, the beam’s cross-section was discretized using a two-dimensional grid and additional nodes were introduced on the boundaries. The introduction of additional nodes allowed us to apply the governing equations at boundary nodes and satisfy the boundary conditions. Beams with solid sections as well as multiply connected cross-sections were analyzed using this model; shear stresses and localized stresses at reentrant corners, torsion constant, and warping displacements were determined. Furthermore, beams with thin-walled closed sections, single-cell or multiple-cell, were analyzed using the Prandtl stress function whereby a linear distribution of the shear stresses over the thickness was considered; closed-form solutions for shear stresses and torsion constant were derived. The results obtained in this study showed good agreement with the exact results for rectangular cross-sections, and the accuracy was increased through a grid refinement. For thin-walled closed sections, the shear stresses obtained at the centerline using the closed-form solutions were in agreement with the values using Bredt’s analysis but the maximal values in the cross-section, which did not necessarily occur at the position with the smallest thickness, were higher; in addition, the results using the closed-form solutions were in good agreement with those using FDM.

This paper reports the effect of silicon substrate orientation and aluminum nitride buffer layer deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on the growth of aluminum nitride thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering technique at low temperature. The structural analysis has revealed a strong (0001) fiber texture for both substrates Si (100) and (111) and a hetero-epitaxial growth on few nanometers AlN buffer layer grown by MBE on Si (111) substrate. SEM images and XRD characterization have shown an enhancement in AlN crystallinity thanks to AlN (MBE) buffer layer. Raman spectroscopy indicated that the AlN film was relaxed when it deposited on Si (111), in compression on Si (100) and under tension on AlN buffer layer grown by MBE/Si (111) substrates, respectively. The interface between Si (111) and AlN grown by MBE is abrupt and well defined; contrary to the interface between AlN deposited using PVD and AlN grown by MBE. Nevertheless, AlN hetero-epitaxial growth was obtained at low temperature (<250°C).

In this experimental work, pure nickel oxide and Al-doped NiO thin films have successfully been elaborated onto glass substrates by solar spray pyrolysis technique. The substrates were heated at around 450°C using a solar heater (furnace). The structural, optical and electrical properties of the elaborated Al-doped films have been studied at different atomic percentage ratios (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 at. %). The results of Al-doped NiO films XRD patterns were, the formation of (NiO) phase under a cubic crystalline structure (polycrystalline) with a strong favored orientation along (111) plane were noticed at all sprayed films. When Al doping ratio reaches 1 at.%, an growth in crystallite size over 31.9 nm was obtained denoting the nano-structure of the product, which confirmed by SEM images. In addition, aluminum oxide Al₂O₃ was clearly observed at 1.5 at.% Al ratio. Otherwise, all thin films have a good optical transmission in the visible region of about 65%, the optical band gap energy decreased from 3.69 to 3.64 eV with increasing Al doping ratio. It is shown that the layer deposited with 0.5 at.% has less disorder with few defects. The investigation on electrical properties of elaborated thin films confirmed that the conductivity of NiO films was improved, after doping them with Al which affirms their p-type character of semiconductor. However, an addition of an excessive quantity of Al content causes the formation of Al₂O₃ which leads to a decrease in the conductivity. It is worth mentioning that the Al content of 0.5 at.% is the optimum ratio in terms of electrical conductivity and formation defect. Al-doped NiO can be used in various optoelectronic devices due to its good transparency and high electrical conductivity.

Currently, old-style personal medicare techniques rely mostly on traditional methods, such as cumbersome tools and complicated processes, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient in some circumstances. Furthermore, such old methods need the use of heavy equipment, blood draws, and traditional bench-top testing procedures. Invasive ways of acquiring test samples can potentially cause patients discomfort and anguish. Wearable sensors, on the other hand, may be attached to numerous body areas to capture diverse biochemical and physiological characteristics as a developing analytical tool. Physical, chemical, and biological data transferred via the skin is used to monitor health in various circumstances. Wearable sensors can assess the aberrant conditions of the physical or chemical components of the human body in real-time, exposing the body state in time, thanks to unintrusive sampling and high accuracy. Most commercially available wearable gadgets are mechanically hard components attached to bands and worn on the wrist, with form factors ultimately constrained by the size and weight of the batteries required for the power supply. Wearable gadgets with “skin-like” qualities are a new type of automation that is only starting to make its way out of research labs and into pre-commercial prototypes. In this paper, we studied the recent advancement in battery-powered wearable sensors established on optical phenomena and skin-like battery-free sensors which brings a breakthrough in wearable sensing automation.

MEMThe PdNi film hydrogen sensors with Wheatstone bridge structure were designed and fabricated by the micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology. The integrated sensors consisted of four PdNi alloy film resistors. The interval two of them were shielded with silicon nitride film and used as reference resistance, while the others were used for hydrogen sensing. The PdNi alloy films and SiN films were deposited by magnetron sputtering. The morphology and microstructure of the PdNi films were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD). The output resistance signal was converted to millivolt output voltage signal for easy data acquisition. Hydrogen (H2) sensing properties of PdNi film hydrogen sensor with Wheatstone bridge structure was investigated under different temperatures (30℃, 50℃ and 70℃) and H2 concentrations (from 10 ppm to 0.4%). The hydrogen sensor demonstrated good response at different hydrogen concentrations and high repeatability in cycle testing under 0.4% H2 concentration. Under 10ppm hydrogen, the PdNi film hydrogen sensor had evident and collectable output voltage of 600 μV.

The degradation and detachment of the polyamide (PA) layer in thin-film composite (TFC) membranes due to chlorine based chemical cleaning and material difference of PA layer and substrate are two major bottlenecks of forward osmosis (FO) technology. In this study, a new type of FO membranes were prepared by controlling self-polymerization of dopamine (DA) in the aqueous phase and the reaction with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) during interfacial polymerization (IP) process. These membranes were characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and water contact angle measurements. The influence of synthesis parameters such as pH of the aqueous phase, reaction time, temperature, and monomer concentrations were systematically investigated. The optimized membrane showed enhanced structure stability in ethanol (7.1 times higher) and chlorine resistance (72.3 times higher) than the conventional Piperazine(PIP)/TMC membrane due to（poly-dopamine）PDA bio-adhesion and polyester groups in the membrane structure. In general, DA/TMC membranes could be an effective strategy to fabricate high-performance FO membranes with excellent structural stability and chlorine resistance.

The interfacial polymerization (IP) of piperazine (PIP) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) has been extensively utilized to synthesize nanofiltration (NF) membranes. However, it is still a huge challenge to monitor the IP reaction, because of the fast reaction rate and the formed ultra-thin film. Herein, two effective strategies were applied to reduce the IP reaction rate: (1) the introduction of hydrophilic interlayers between the porous substrate and the formed polyamide layer, and (2) the addition of macromolecular additives in the aqueous solution of PIP. As a result, in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was firstly used to monitor the IP reaction of PIP/TMC with hydrophilic interlayers or macromolecular additives in the aqueous solution of PIP. Moreover, the formed polyamide layer growth on the substrate was studied in a real-time manner. The in situ FTIR experimental results confirmed that the IP reaction rates were effectively suppressed and that the formed polyamide thickness was reduced from 138 ± 24 nm to 46 ± 2 nm according to TEM observation. Furthermore, an optimized NF membrane with excellent performance was consequently obtained, which included boosted water permeation of about 141–238 (L/m²·h·MPa) and superior salt rejection of Na₂SO₄ > 98.4%.

The surface planarity and asperity removal behaviors of atomic scale under the ultrathin water environment was studied for the nanoscale process by molecular dynamics simulation. The monolayer atomic removal was achieved under the noncontact and monoatomic layer contact conditions with different water film thickness, and the newly formed surface is relatively smooth and no deformed layer and plastic defects exist. The nanoscale processing is governed by the interatomic adhering action during which the water film transmits the loading forces to Cu surface and thereby result in the migration and removal of surface atoms. With scratching depth ≥ 0.5 nm, the abrasive particle squeezed out the water film from scratching region and scratched Cu surface directly, leading to the surface quality deterioration mainly governed by the plowing action. This study brings the goals of “0 nm planarity, 0 residual defects and 0 polishing pressure” closer to us in the nanoscale process for the development of ultra-precision manufacture technology.

In this perspective, we identify emerging frontiers in clinical and basic research of melanocyte biology and its associated biomedical disciplines. We describe challenges and opportunities in clinical and basic research of normal and diseased melanocytes that impact current approaches to research in melanoma and the dermatological sciences. We focus on four themes: (1) clinical melanoma research, (2) basic melanoma research, (3) clinical dermatology, and (4) basic pigment cell research, with the goal of outlining current highlights, challenges, and frontiers associated with pigmentation and melanocyte biology.

Amorphous silicon (α-Si) film present an inexpensive and promising material for optoelectronic and nanophotonic applications. Its basic optical and optoelectronic properties are known to be improved via phase transition from amorphous to polycrystalline phase. Infrared femtosecond laser radiation can be considered as a promising nondestructive and facile way to drive uniform in-depth and lateral crystallization of α-Si films that are typically opaque in UV-visible spectral range. However, so far only a few studies reported on utilization of near-IR radiation for laser-induced crystallization of α-Si providing no information regarding optical properties of the resultant polycrystalline Si films. The present work demonstrates efficient and gentle single-pass crystallization of α-Si films induced by their direct irradiation with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses coming at sub-MHz repetition rate. Comprehensive analysis of morphology and composition of laser-annealed films by atomic-force microscopy, optical, micro-Raman and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, as well as numerical modeling of optical spectra, confirmed efficient crystallization of α-Si and high-quality of the obtained films. Moreover, we highlight localized laser-driven crystallization of α-Si as a promising way for optical information encryption, anti-counterfeiting and fabrication of micro-optical elements.

As described in previous work, the use of synthetic chemical ingredients in modern cosmetics is postulated to be a cause of damage to the skin microbiome. The discovery that biodiversity on the human skin is currently the only reliable indicator of skin health, meant that for the first time, a mechanism to test for healthy skin was possible. Using this mechanism and in collaboration with The Medical University of Graz, who carried out the independent study, this work aimed to help answer whether modern day synthetic cosmetics are a main cause of long term damage to the skin microbiome. Thirty-two human participants tested three different face washes for their effect on the skin’s microbial diversity, along with skin pH, moisture and TEWL (trans-epidermal water loss), washing twice a day for four weeks. The upper volar forearm of the volunteers was swabbed at the beginning, two weeks in and end (four weeks). 16S rRNA sequencing was used. One leading ‘natural’ brand full of synthetic ingredients, a leading synthetic brand and a 100% natural face wash were used. Results give the first indications of a link between synthetic ingredients in a cosmetics product, and its effect on skin microbiome biodiversity. It paves the way for future studies on the topic with a larger sample group, longer test period and standardised methodology to create a universal standard for testing the health of skin using benchmark diversity values. This can be used in the future to test the effectiveness of cosmetics or ingredients on skin health, leading to the banning of products proven to harm the skin’s natural environment.

This paper reports on the optimization of thin-film coating assisted self-sustainable off-grid hybrid power generation systems for cattle farming in rural areas of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a lower middle-income country with declining rates of poverty among its 160 million people due to persistent economic growth in conjunction with balanced agricultural improvements. Most of the rural households adopt a mixed farming system by cultivating crops and simultaneously rearing livestock. Among the animals raised, cattle are considered as the most valuable asset for the small/medium-scale farmers in terms of their meat and milk production. Currently, along with the major health issue, the COVID-19 pandemic is hindering the world’s economic growth and has thrust millions into unemployment; Bangladesh is also in this loop. However, natural disasters such as COVID-19 pandemic and floods, largely constrain rural smallholder cattle farmers from climbing out of their poverty. In particular, small and medium-scale cattle farmers face many issues that obstruct them from taking advantage of market opportunities and imposing a greater burden on their families and incomes. An appropriate measure can give a way to make those cattle farmers’ businesses both profitable and sustainable. Optimization of thin-film coating assisted self-sustainable off-grid hybrid power generation system for cattle farming is a new and forward-looking approach for sustainable development of the livestock sector. In this study, we design and optimize a thin-film coating assisted hybrid (photovoltaic-battery-generator) power system by using the Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER, Version 3.14.0) simulation tool. An analysis of the results has suggested that the off-grid hybrid system is more feasible for small and medium-scale cattle farming systems with long-term sustainability to overcome the significant challenges faced by smallholder cattle farmers in Bangladesh.

A gold nanostructured film modified glassy carbon electrode (Au_film/GCE) was developed for the determination of chromium (VI) in water sample. GCE was immersed into HAuCl₄ solution (10^-3M) and electrodeposition of thin gold layer was conducted at –0.4 V (vs Ag/AgCl) for 10 min. The strong affinity between Au and Cr species resulted with increasing of Cr (VI) signal, compared with the bare glassy carbon electrode. The electrodepositing time, type of supporting electrolyte, pH, the scan rate, modulation amplitude, and modulation time were optimized using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP-ASV). The calibration graph using accumulation time of 120 s was linear from 10 to 120 µgL^-1 with a sensitivity 1.3 x 10^-2 µA/µgL^-1. Under optimum experimental conditions, a good correlation coefficient R²=0.9971, and a low detection limit 5.5 µg/L Cr (VI) was obtained. The signal was reproducible with a relative standard deviation ±4.5 %. The developed Au_film/GCE sensor was applied for the Cr (VI) determination of in sewage water samples.

Although our emotional connection with the physical urban setting is often valued, it is rarely recognised or used as a resource to understand future actions in city planning. Yet, despite the importance of emotion, citizens’ emotions are typically seen as difficult to quantify and individualistic, even though knowledge about people’s response to space could help planners understand people’s behaviours and learn about how citizens use and live in the city. The study explores the relationship between the physical space and emotions through identifying the links between stress levels, and specific features of the urban environment. This study aims to show the potential of integrating the use of galvanic skin response (GSR) within urban spatial analysis and city planning, in order to address the relationship between emotions and urban spaces. This method involved participants using a (GSR) device linked to location data to measure participant’s emotional responses along a walking route in a city centre environment. Findings show correlations between characteristics of environment and stress levels, as well as how specific features of the city spaces such as road crossing create stress ‘hotspots’. We suggest that the data obtained could contribute to citizens creating their own information layer - an emotional layer- that could inform urban planning decision-making. The implications of this application of this method as an approach to public participation in urban planning are also discussed.

In recent years, the field of deep learning achieved considerable success in pattern recognition, image segmentation and may other classification fields. There are a lot of studies and practical applications of deep learning on images, video or text classification. In this study, we suggest a method for changing the architecture of the most performing CNN models with the aim of designing new models to be used as stand-alone networks or as a component of an ensemble. We propose to replace each activation layer of a CNN (usually a ReLu layer) by a different activation function stochastically drawn from a set of activation functions: in this way the resulting CNN has a different set of activation function layers.

Electrospun nanofiber-supported thin film composite membranes are among the most promising membranes for seawater desalination via forward osmosis. In this study, a high-performance electrospun polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) nanofiber-supported TFC membrane was successfully fabricated after molecular layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte deposition. Negatively-charged electrospun polyacrylic acid (PAA) nanofibers were deposited on electrospun PVDF nanofibers to form a support layer consisted of PVDF and PAA nanofibers. This resulted to a more hydrophilic support compared to the plain PVDF nanofiber support. The PVDF-PAA nanofiber support then underwent a layer-by-layer deposition of polyethylenimine (PEI) and PAA to form a polyelectrolyte layer on the nanofiber surface prior to interfacial polymerization, which forms the selective polyamide layer of TFC membranes. The resultant PVDF-LbL TFC membrane exhibited enhanced hydrophilicity and porosity, without sacrificing mechanical strength. As a result, it showed high pure water permeability and low structural parameter values of 4.12 Lm⁻²h⁻¹bar⁻¹ and 221 µm, respectively, significantly better compared to commercial FO membrane. Layer-by-layer deposition of polyelectrolyte is therefore a useful and practical modification method for fabrication of high performance nanofiber-supported TFC membrane.

Daily exposure of skin to environmental stressors leads to molecular and morphological changes ascribed as premature aging. These stressors include solar radiation, industrial pollution, fossil fuel and carbon emissions, which cause cellular damage that induces an inflammatory response in skin. Several inflammatory components are known to be involved in triggering the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) which is known to accelerate aging. It is hypothesized that preventing induction of inflammation by environmental stressors can prevent premature aging. Since it is known that nicotinamide (Nam) has anti-inflammatory properties, we tested whether Nam can inhibit environmental stressor-induced inflammation. Exposure of keratinocytes to UVB, urban dust, diesel exhaust, and cigarette smoke extract stimulated production of the inflammatory mediators PGE2, IL-6, and IL-8 and induced gene expression patterns associated with apoptosis, DNA repair, and cell cycle control. In all cases, Nam treatment significantly inhibited these stress-induced responses. Nam also reduced IL-8 levels stimulated by the combination of topically applied particulate matter (PM2.5) and UV exposure in 3D skin equivalents. Under 5% 02 conditions that more closely mimic physiological 02 levels, Nam had a heightened inhibitory effect on UVB-induced PGE2 levels in keratinocytes. In a UV-challenge study, treatment with Nam reduced skin surface IL-1RA/IL-1 inflammatory biomarkers and erythema that were induced by solar simulated radiation. These findings provide a body of evidence that Nam can mitigate in part the skin’s inflammatory response elicited by exposure to environmental stressors. This supports the potential that Nam can inhibit premature aging and help maintain skin’s functionality and appearance.

In the recent years, tissue engineering researchers have exploited a variety of biomaterials that can potentially mimic extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue regeneration. Natural cellulose, mainly obtained from bacterial (BC) and plant-based (PC) sources, can serve as a high potential scaffold material for different regenerative purposes. Natural cellulose has drawn the attention of researchers due to its advantage over synthetic cellulose in terms of availability, cost-effectiveness, perfusablility, biocompatibility, negligible toxicity, mild immune response and due to imitating native tissues. In this article, we will review the recent in vivo and in vitro studies aimed to assess the potentials of natural cellulose for the purpose of soft (skin, heart, veins, nerve, among others) and hard (bone and tooth) tissue engineering.

Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely used for treatment of chronic cutaneous inflammation, such as atopic dermatitis, although it remains unknown how they modulate cutaneous mast cell functions. Murine connective tissue-type mast cells, which were sensitive to mast cell secretagogues, such as compound 48/80 and substance P, were generated by co-culture of bone marrow-derived mast cells with Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts in the presence of stem cell factor. This process was accompanied by up-regulation of a subunit of a trimeric G protein, G_i1, and several Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor (Mrgpr) subtypes. Secretagogue-induced degranulation and up-regulation of these genes were suppressed when they were cultured in the presence of a synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone. The profiles of granule constituents were drastically altered by dexamethasone. Several Mrgpr subtypes were found to be expressed in the cutaneous tissues and their expression levels were decreased in response to topical application of dexamethasone. The numbers of degranulated cutaneous mast cells in response to compound 48/80 were decreased in mice treated with dexamethasone. These results suggest that mast cell-mediated IgE-independent cutaneous inflammation could be suppressed by steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs through down-regulation of G_ai1 and several Mrgpr subtypes in mast cells.

Marine macroalgae have garnered significant attention in the field of cosmeceutical research due to their rich abundance of bioactive compounds. These compounds offer remarkable skin benefits without inducing any adverse effects on human health, such as cytotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity, mutagenicity, or carcinogenicity. Among the various bioactive compounds found in brown algae, phenolic compounds exhibit diverse chemical structures and are present in high concentrations. In addition to phenolic compounds, brown algae also contain terpenoids, bro-mophenols, mycosporine amino acids (MAAs), and flavonoids, with the well-studied poly-phenol compound, phlorotannin, being particularly prominent. Marine macroalgae further possess an array of pigments derived from their natural pigmentation, including chlorophylls, carotenoids (such as fucoxanthin and β-carotene), phycobiliproteins (such as phycoerythrin and phycocyanin), and melanin. These pigments have been extensively investigated for their potential cos-meceutical applications. The phenolic compounds and pigments derived from marine macroalgae have been thoroughly studied for their beneficial effects on the skin, including skin whitening, moisturizing, photoprotection, anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, anti-melanogenic, and anti-oxidant properties. This comprehensive review aims to explore the extraction, characterization, and skin cosmetic effects of phenolic compounds and pigments derived from marine macroalgae, as documented in the existing literature, thereby enhancing our understanding of their therapeutic potential.

Automated skin lesion analysis is one of the trending fields that has gained attention among the dermatologists and healthcare practitioners. Skin lesion restoration is an essential preprocessing step for lesion enhancements for accurate automated analysis and diagnosis. Digital hair removal is a non-invasive method for image enhancement by solving the hair-occlusion artefact in previously captured images. Several hair removal methods were proposed for skin delineation and removal. However, manual annotation is one of the main challenges that hinder the validation of these proposed methods on a large number of images or using benchmarking datasets for comparison purposes. In the presented work, we propose a realistic hair simulator based on context-aware image synthesis using image-to-image translation techniques via conditional adversarial generative networks for generation of different hair occlusions in skin images, along with the ground-truth mask for hair location. Besides, we explored using three loss functions including L1-norm, L2-norm and structural similarity index (SSIM) to maximise the synthesis quality. For quantitatively evaluate the realism of image synthesis, the t-SNE feature mapping and Bland-Altman test are employed as objective metrics. Experimental results show the superior performance of our proposed method compared to previous methods for hair synthesis with plausible colours and preserving the integrity of the lesion texture.

This article reports a novel and efficient method to synthesize graphene by thermal decomposition process. In this method, silicon carbide (SiC) thin films grown on Si(100) wafers with an AlN buffer layer were used as substrates. A CO₂ laser beam heating without vacuum or controlled atmosphere was applied for SiC thermal decomposition. The physical, chemical, morphological, and electrical properties of the laser-produced graphene were investigated for different laser energy densities. The results demonstrate that graphene was produced in form of small islands with quality, density and properties depending on the applied laser energy density. Furthermore, the produced graphene exhibits a sheet resistance characteristic similar to graphene grown on mono-crystalline SiC wafer, which indicates its potential for electronic device applications.

Regenerated silk (RS) is a protein-based “biopolymer” that enables the design of new materials; here, we called “bionic” the process of regenerated silk production by a fermentation-assisted method. Based on yeast’s fermentation, here we produced a living hybrid composite made of regenerated silk nanofibrils and a single-cell fungi, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast extract, by fermentation of such microorganisms at room temperature in a dissolution bath of silkworm silk fibers. The fermentation-based processing enhances the beta-sheet content of the RS, corresponding to a reduction in water permeability and CO₂ diffusion through RS/yeast thin films enabling the fabrication of a mechanically robust film that enhances food storage durability. Finally, a transfer print method, which consists of transferring RS and RS/yeast film layers onto a self-adherent paraffin substrate, was used for the realization of heat-responsive wrinkles by exploiting the high thermal expansion of the paraffin substrate that regulates the applied strain, resulting in a switchable coating morphology from the wrinkle-free state to a wrinkled state if the food temperature overcomes a designed threshold. We envision that such efficient and smart coatings can be applied for the realization of smart packaging that, through such a temperature-sensing mechanism, can be used to control food storage conditions.

The electrical and optical properties of sol-gel derived aluminum-doped0 zinc oxide thin films containing 2 at.% Al were investigated considering the modifying effects of 1) increasing the sol H₂O content; and 2) thermal treatment procedure with high-temperature approach followed by an additional heat-treatment step under a reducing atmosphere. According to the results obtained via the TG-DTA analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction technique and four-point probe resistivity measurement, it is argued that the sol hydrolysis, decomposition of the deposited gel and crystallization of grains result in grains of larger crystallite size and stronger c-axis preferred orientation with slightly less microstrain in the modified sample. The consequent morphology and grain-boundary characteristics turn out as improved conductivity, implying higher values of concentration and mobility of charge carriers. A detailed investigation on samples optical properties, in terms of analyzing their absorption and dispersion behaviors through the UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, support our reasoning for the increase of the mobility, and to a lesser extent, the concentration of charge carriers, while causing only a slight degradation of optical transmission. Hence, an enhanced performance as a transparent conducting film is claimed for the modified sample by comparing the figure-of-merit values.

Ag/TiO₂ thin films were prepared using the sol-gel spin coating method. The microstructural growth behaviors of the prepared Ag/TiO2 thin films were elucidated using real-time synchrotron radiation imaging, its structure determined using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), its morphology imaged using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and its surface topography examined using the atomic force microscope (AFM) in contact mode. Cubical white spots were detected, identified as Ag, while the TiO₂ thin film resembles a porous ring-like structure with each ring coalescing and forming channels. Junction growth is directly proportional with time under continuous heating conditions (annealing), and its growth orientations and patterns were seemingly random.

Most hair relaxers or straighteners used for Afro-textured hair have a pH above 11. This pH, according to international occupational health and safety guidelines, is corrosive to the skin. Further, relaxers are associated with a 3-6 times increased risk of alopecia. The skin also gets into contact with these hair straightening products during application resulting in skin irritation. Using animals as test subjects to determine these products' potential risk and safety margin is standard practice; however, with the European Union (EU) ban on animal testing, the testing method needs to be replaced by newer in vitro laboratory technologies. This study used previously and newly established in vitro cell-based technologies and human-skin derived cells as laboratory models to evaluate relaxer-induced cytotoxicity. These technologies include endpoint (MTT, CCK-8 and flow cytometry) and real-time assays (real-time cell analysis (RTCA) and extracellular flux analysis). Cellular toxicity was evident following treatment of keratinocytes and fibroblasts with acceptable concentrations of thioglycolic acid (TGA, HSCH2COOH), ammonium bisulphite (NH4HSO3), lithium hydroxide (LiOH) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) based relaxers. Real-time assays showed significant reductions (P<0.001) in cell index and ATP production following treatment of keratinocytes with as little as one-tenth of the acceptable concentrations. Increased apoptosis (47.9%, 58.0%, 76.7% and 80.3%) also occurred in cells after treatment with TGA, NH4HSO3, NaOH and LiOH, respectively. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that using skin cells in conjunction with advanced cell-based technologies could serve as alternatives to laboratory animals for accessing the toxicity margin of hair relaxers, straighteners and other cosmetics.

We demonstrated a new approach to the production of three-dimensional-coated patterns using liquid route. Metallic perovskite oxides were coated onto three-dimensional (3D) microstructured substrates with different aspect ratios. The success of the method relies on the solution viscosity monitored by adding viscous liquid. The process of oxide thin films consists in three steps: preparing the precursor solution, coating the solution by spin-coating process onto three-dimensional-Si substrates and post-annealing. The chemical solution 3D-coating is conformal.

The dislocation density tensors of thin elastic shells have been formulated explicitly in terms of the Riemann curvature tensor. The formulation reveals that the dislocation density of the shells is proportional to KA3=2, where K is the Gauss curvature and A is the determinant of metric tensor of the middle surface.

The majority of skin cancers are caused by over exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The effects of UV radiation on the expression of drug transporters expressed in human skin has never been studied. In this the effects of UVA and UVB irradiation on the expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and Solute carrier (SLC) transporters was evaluated in normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) and normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) in primary culture. First experiments were intended to validate the inflammatory reaction in response to stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in NHEK, NHDF and 3D-reconstructed human epidermis (3D-RHE) model. LPS treatment has shown to increase the expression of IL-8 and TNF-alpha in all three in vitro models. Expression of the most expressed ABC and SLC transporters was then measured in NHEK and NHDF after UVA (30 J/m²) and UVB (40 mJ/m²) irradiation. The most striking result was a significant 29-fold increase of the expression of SLCO4A1 in normal human dermal fibroblasts. In summary, this study shows for the first time a significant regulation of the expression of SLCO4A1 in human dermal fibroblasts induced by UVA irradiation. This finding is of particular interest as most of skin cancers are caused by over exposure to ultraviolet radiation and need to be considered in pharmacokinetic evaluation of topical drugs.

Capacitive contact imaging has shown potential in measuring skin properties including hydration, micro relief analysis, as well as solvent penetration measurements. Through calibration we can also measure the absolute permittivity of the skin, and from absolute permittivity we then work out the absolute solvent content in skin. In this paper, we present our latest study of capacitive contact imaging for skin characterizations and vivo skin solvent penetration. We will show how to use capacitive occlusion measurements to characterize skin damages, and how to calculate the absolute water content and solvent content in skin.

The characterization of thin-film solar cells is of huge importance for obtaining high open-circuit voltage and low recombination rates from the interfaces or within the bulk of the main materials. Among the many electrical characterization techniques, the two- and four-wire probe using the Cascade instrument is of interest since the resistance of the wires, and the electrical contacts can be excluded by the additional two wires in 4-wire probe configuration. In this paper, both two and four-point probes configuration are employed to characterize the CIGS chalcogenide thin-film solar cells. The two-wire probe has been used to measure the current-voltage characteristics of the cell which results in a huge internal resistance. Therefore, the four-wire connection is also used to eliminate the lead resistance to enhance the characterization’s accuracy. The load resistance in the two-wire probe diminishes the photogenerated current density at smaller voltage ranges. In contrast, the proposed four-wire probe collects more current at higher voltages due to enhanced carrier collection efficiency from contact electrodes. The current conduction mechanism is also identified at every voltage region represented by the value of the ideality factor of that voltage region. It is observed that a long time given to the charge collection results in increased current density at a higher voltage. According to the results and device characteristics, a novel double-diode model is suggested to extract the saturation current density, shunt and series resistances and the ideality factor of the cells. These cells are shown to be efficient in terms of low recombination at the interfaces and with lower series resistance as the quality of the materials is in its most possible conductive form. The measured internal resistance and saturation current density and ideality factor of the two measurement configuration is measured and compared.

Biomedical aspects of tattooing have been extensively discussed in literature, however pathophysiological effects of tattoo inks in the human body are still unexplored. Oxidative stress is considered responsible for the adverse effects of tattooing, however no experimental evidence for tattoo ink-related oxidative stress in the human body currently exists. The aim was to examine the effect of a blue tattoo on skin redox regulatory network (RRN) parameters in a single human subject. Skin surface oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) was analyzed with a PH60F flat probe. Interstitial and intracellular fluid enriched capillary blood from the tattoo and the control area was extracted and analyzed with I₂/KI-stabilized microORP, nitrocellulose redox permanganometry (NRP), carbonato-cobaltate (III) formation-derived H₂O₂ dissociation rate assay, 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene autoxidation assay, thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) assay and 5,5,’-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB)-based determination of free thiol content in low molecular weight and protein precipitate fractions. Surface ORP analysis revealed a greater antioxidant capacity of tattooed skin in comparison with the control (CTR). Capillary blood analysis confirmed greater reductive capacity in the tattoo sample both by microORP (-4.33mV vs CTR) and NRP (+10.8%). Hydrogen peroxide dissociation rate (+11.8%), and protein sulfhydryl content (+8.5%) were increased, and lipid peroxidation (-15%) was reduced in the tattoo sample in comparison with the CTR. In this N-of-1 study, RRN of tattooed skin was shifted towards a more reductive state with all parameters indicating reduced levels of oxidative stress in comparison with nontattooed skin. The local antioxidant effect of copper(II) phthalocyanine provides one possible explanation of the observed effects.

In this paper a novel type of a highly sensitive gas sensor device based on the surface photovoltage effect is described. The developed surface photovoltage gas sensor is based on a reverse Kelvin probe approach. As the active gas sensing electrode the porous ZnO nanostructured thin films are used deposited by the direct current (DC) reactive magnetron sputtering method exhibiting the nanocoral surface morphology combined with an evident surface nonstoichiometry related to the unintentional surface carbon and water vapor contaminations. Among others, the demonstrated SPV gas sensor device exhibits a high sensitivity of 1 ppm to NO₂ with a signal to noise ratio of about 50 and a fast response time of several seconds under the room temperature conditions.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a strict human pathogen responsible for more than 100 million new sexually transmitted infections worldwide each year. Due to the global emergence of antibiotic resistance, the CDC recently listed N. gonorrhoeae as an urgent threat to public health. No vaccine is available in spite of the huge disease burden and the possibility of untreatable gonorrhea. The aim of this study is to investigate the immunogenicity of a novel whole-cell based inactivated gonococcal microparticle vaccine formulation loaded in dissolvable microneedles for transdermal administration. The nanotechnology-based vaccine formulation consists of inactivated whole-cell gonococci strain CDC-F62, spray dried and encapsulated into biodegradable cross-linked albumin matrix with sustained slow antigen release. The dry vaccine nanoparticles were then loaded in a dissolvable microneedle skin patch for transdermal delivery. The efficacy of the whole-cell microparticles vaccine formulation loaded in microneedles was assessed in vitro using dendritic ,cells and macrophages as well as in vivo mouse model. Antibody titers were measured using an ELISA and antigen-specific T lymphocytes were assessed in spleens and lymph nodes. Here we report that whole-cell based gonococcal microparticle vaccine loaded in dissolvable microneedles for transdermal administration induced significant increase in antigen-specific IgG antibody titers and antigen-specific CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes in mice compared to gonococcal antigens in solution or empty microneedles. Significant increase in antigen-specific IgG antibody levels was observed at end of week 2 in groups that received the vaccine compared to the group receiving empty nanoparticles. The advantages of using formalin-fixed whole-cell gonococci that all immunogenic epitopes are covered and preserved from degradation. The spherical shaped micro and nanoparticles are biological mimics of gonococci, therefore present to the immune system as invaders but without the ability to suppress adaptive immunity. In conclusion, the transdermal delivery of microparticles vaccine via a microneedle patch was shown to be an effective system for vaccine delivery. The novel gonorrhea nanovaccine is cheap to produce in a stable dry powder and can be delivered in microneedle skin patch obviating the need for needle use or the cold chain.

Humans have extremely variable skin pigmentation and melanin production influenced by genetics, UV exposure, and some medications. A significant number of skin illnesses that result in pigmentary abnormalities have an impact on patients’ physical appearance as well as their psychological and social well-being. Skin pigmentation can be divided into two basic categories: hyperpigmentation, where pigment appears to overflow, and hypopigmentation, where pigment is reduced. Albinism, melasma, vitiligo, Addison's disease, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which can be brought on by eczema, acne vulgaris, and drug interactions, are the most common skin pigmentation disorders in clinical practice. Anti-inflammatory medications, antioxidants, and medications that inhibit tyrosine, which prevents the production of melanin, are all possible treatments for pigmentation problems. Skin pigmentation can be treated orally and topically with medications, herbal remedies, and cosmetic products, but a doctor should always be consulted before beginning any new medicine or treatment plan. This review article explores the numerous types of pigmentation problems, their causes, and treatments, as well as the 25 plants, four marine species, and 17 topical and oral medications now on the market that have been clinically tested to treat skin diseases.

The pomegranate, an ancient plant native to Central Asia, cultivated in different geographical areas including the Mediterranean basin and California, consists of flowers, roots, fruits and leaves. Presently, it is utilized not only for the exterior appearance of its fruit but above all, for the nutritional and health characteristics of the various parts composing this last one (carpellary membranes, arils, seeds and bark). The fruit, the pomegranate, is rich in numerous chemical compounds (flavonoids, ellagitannins, proanthocyanidins, mineral salts, vitamins, lipids, organic acids) of high biological and nutraceutical value that make it the object of study for many research groups, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. Its interest is mainly addressed to the knowledge of its biological and functional properties and the research of new formulations to apply it in a wide range of diseases such as neoplastic, cardiovascular, viral, inflammatory, metabolic, microbial, intestinal, reproductive and skin diseases. In this review we highlight the health-promoting properties of pomegranate and its bioactive compounds against human diseases.