Potential of microalgal compounds in trending natural cosmetics: A review

Microalgae are photosynthetic organisms that produce valuable metabolites as a result of being constantly exposed to stress conditions such as high or low temperature, high salinity, osmotic pressure, photo-oxidation, and ultraviolet radiation. These valuable metabolites drew attention from cosmetic and cosmeceutical industries to be used in anti-aging, sunscreen, and skin whitening products. Microalgal secondary metabolites can have anti-blemish or anti-microbial effect; can also repair and heal skin, protect skin from UV damage, and prevent inflammation. Existing cosmetic products can be replaced by microalgae derived cosmetic products which are environment-friendly and safe which make them publicly important since people want to have products as natural as possible. Currently some microalgal derived products are commercially available and biotechnology of microalgae is getting more and more developed every day which will be resulted in more commercial products in short period of time. This review highlights the potential of microalgae species and, bioactive molecules derived by them in trending natural cosmetics with a special emphasis on application areas and production steps.     

The Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasonography for the Diagnosis of Rib Fractures in Patients Presenting to Emergency Department With Blunt Chest Trauma

BackgroundRib fractures are the most common complications of blunt chest trauma (BCT). Computed tomography (CT) is the modality of choice for BCT, but with several disadvantages. Ultrasonography (US) is an inexpensive, readily available, and relatively harmless imaging alternative. However, a direct comparison of the sonographic evaluation of the rib as a whole with CT as a reference has not been performed to date.ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of US with CT for the detection of rib fractures in patients who presented to emergency department (ED) with BCT.MethodsWe included a convenience sample of adult patients who presented to the ED with thoracic pain after BCT in the last 24 h in this prospective, observational, diagnostic accuracy study. The diagnostic utility of US performed by an emergency physician was compared with thorax CT.ResultsThe final study population included 145 patients. The diagnostic accuracy of US was 80% with a sensitivity of 91.2% and specificity of 72.7% for the detection of any rib fracture (positive likelihood ratio 3.4 and negative likelihood ratio 0.12). If we considered each rib separately, the sensitivity of US decreased to 76.7% and specificity increased to 82.7% (81.3% accuracy).ConclusionsA negative US of the site of the highest tenderness and neighboring ribs in a patient with BCT who presented to the ED with lateralizing pain decreases the possibility of a rib fracture significantly. However, a positive US performs poorly to specify the exact location and number of the fractured ribs.     

Growth of children living in the outskirts of Ankara: Impact of low socio-economic status

Background:?Most studies of the growth of Turkish schoolchildren are limited to large cities and to subjects from high socio-economic background. Very little is known about growth and development of rural, suburban and low socio-economic children in Turkey.

Aim:?The purpose of this study is to compare height and weight of school-aged children of low socio-economic background with available growth data from high socio-economic strata, and to verify the possible influences of three socio-demographic parameters on their growth.

Subjects and methods:?The sample consisted of 1052 girls and 1223 boys, aged between 7–17 years, living in the outskirts of Ankara, a suburban area of poor socio-economic background. Centile distributions for height and weight were estimated by the LMS-method. ANOVA and Student's t-test were used to compare mean z-scores for height and weight among the various categories of the socio-demographic parameters.

Results:?Children living in the outskirts of Ankara have lower mean values for height and weight when compared with growth data of upper socio-economic strata children. The differences were most pronounced during adolescence. Skinfolds were higher in girls than in boys at all ages (largest p?≤?0.007). There was no clear relationship between growth and the number of siblings, the number of rooms in the house, the mother's and father's education, and the father's professional status (p>0.05), except for the height of girls (p?<?0.05).

Conclusion:?It is suggested that the lower growth status of children living in the outskirts of Ankara is attributable to the poor socio-economic status of this suburban population, which has not changed over the past decades. It is postulated that the growth impairment during adolescence might be due to a reduced tempo of growth in these children.

Résumé. Arrière plan: En Turquie, la plupart des études de croissance ont été limitées à des échantillons de grandes villes et de haut niveau socio-économique. On sait peu de choses sur les modalités de la croissance et du développement des enfants ruraux, périurbains et de niveau socio-économique modeste.

But: Cette étude compare les statures et les poids d’enfants turcs de milieu socioéconomique modeste avec les données des strates socioéconomiques favorisées et analyse les influences éventuelles de trois facteurs sociodémographiques sur leur croissance.

Sujets et méthodes: L’échantillon est formé de 1052 filles et de 1223 garçons âgés de 7 à 17 ans, vivant dans une zone périurbaine défavorisée de la banlieue d’Ankara. Les distributions de centiles pour la stature et pour le poids, ont été estimées par la méthode des moindres carrés et l’analyse de la variance et le test de Student ont été utilisés afin de comparer les z-scores moyens de la stature et du poids en fonction de diverses catégories de paramètres sociodémographiques.

Résultats: Les enfants de la banlieue d’Ankara ont des valeurs moyennes de stature et de poids plus basses que celles des enfants de milieu favorisés, les différences étant plus prononcées lors de l’adolescence. Les plis cutanés sont plus épais chez les filles que chez les garçons quelque soit l’âge (p?≤?0,007). Il n’y a pas d’association nette entre la croissance et le nombre de frères et s?urs, le nombre de pièces du foyer, l’éducation de la mère et du père et le statut professionnel du père (p>0,05), à l’exception de la stature des filles (p<0,05).

Conclusion: Il est vraisemblable que les modalités de croissance moins favorables qu’on observe chez les enfants de la banlieue d’Ankara, soient dues à leur mauvais statut socioéconomique qui n’a pas changé au cours des récentes décennies. On postule que leur déficit de croissance au cours de l’adolescence peut être le fait d’un tempo de croissance réduit.

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Die meisten Wachstumsstudien an Türkischen Schulkindern sind auf große Städte und Probanden mit hohem sozioökonomischen Hintergrund beschränkt. In der Türkei ist sehr wenig über Wachstum und Entwicklung von Kindern aus ländlichen Regionen und Vorstädten und Kindern aus niedrigen sozioökonomischen Schichten bekannt.

Ziel: Sinn dieser Studie ist es, Körperhöhe und Gewicht von Kindern mit niedrigem sozioökonomischen Hintergrund im Schulalter mit verfügbaren Wachstumsdaten aus hohen sozioökonomischen Schichten zu vergleichen und mögliche Einflüsse von drei soziodemographischen Parametern auf ihr Wachstum nachzuweisen.

Probanden und Methoden: Die Stichprobe bestand aus 1052 Mädchen und 1223 Knaben im Alter zwischen 7 und 17 Jahren, die in den Vorstädten von Ankara wohnen, einem suburbanen Bezirk mit sozioökonomisch ärmlichem Hintergrund. Perzentilverteilungen für Körperhöhe und Gewicht wurden nach der LMS-Methode geschätzt. ANOVA und Student's t-Test wurden verwendet, um mittlere Z-Werte für Körperhöhe und Gewicht zwischen den verschiedenen Kategorien der soziodemographischen Parameter zu vergleichen.

Ergebnisse: Kinder, die in den Vorstädten von Ankara leben, haben, im Vergleich mit Wachstumsdaten aus der oberen sozioökonomischen Schicht, niedrigere Mittelwerte für Körperhöhe und Gewicht. Die Unterschiede waren während der Adoleszenz am stärksten ausgeprägt. In allen Altersgruppen waren Hautfettfalten bei Mädchen dicker als bei Knaben (maximal p<0,007). Es gab keine deutliche Korrelation zwischen Wachstum und Geschwisterzahl, Zimmerzahl im Hause, Bildungsgrad von Müttern und Vätern, und dem beruflichen Status des Vaters (p>0,05), mit Ausnahme der Körperhöhe von Mädchen (p<0,05).

Zusammenfassung: Es wird angenommen, dass das geringere Wachstum von Kindern, die in den Vorstädten von Ankara leben, auf den ärmlichen sozioökonomischen Status dieser suburbanen Bevölkerung, der sich in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten nicht geändert hat, zurückzuführen ist. Es wird postuliert, dass der Kleinwuchs in der Adoleszenz die Folge eines verringerten Wachstumstempos dieser Kinder ist.

Resumen. Antecedentes: la mayor parte de los estudios de crecimiento de los escolares turcos se limita a las grandes ciudades y a sujetos de nivel socioeconómico alto. Se sabe muy poco sobre el crecimiento y desarrollo de los niños rurales suburbanos de nivel socioeconómico bajo de Turquía.

Objetivo: el propósito de este estudio es comparar la estatura y el peso de los escolares de nivel socioeconómico bajo con datos disponibles sobre el crecimiento de los estratos de nivel socioeconómico alto, y verificar las posibles influencias de tres parámetros sociodemográficos sobre su crecimiento.

Sujetos y métodos: la muestra la componen 1.052 niñas y 1.223 niños, de 7 a 17 años de edad, residentes en los extrarradios de Ankara, un área suburbana de nivel socioeconómico pobre. Las distribuciones centilares de la estatura y el peso se estimaron mediante el método LMS. Se utilizaron un test ANOVA y la t de Student para comparar las puntuaciones z medias de la estatura y el peso entre las diferentes categorías según los parámetros sociodemográficos.

Resultados: los niños que residen en los extrarradios de Ankara tenían menores valores medios de estatura y peso cuando se les comparó con los niños de los estratos socioeconómicos más altos. Las diferencias fueron más marcadas durante la adolescencia. Los pliegues eran mayores en las chicas que en los chicos a todas las edades (la mayor p<0,007). No había una relación clara entre el crecimiento y el tamaño de la fratría, el número de habitaciones de la casa, el nivel educativo de la madre y del padre y la situación profesional del padre (p>0,05), excepto para la estatura de las chicas (p<0,05).

Conclusión: se sugiere que el menor nivel de crecimiento de los niños que viven en los extrarradios de Ankara es atribuible al bajo nivel socioeconómico de esta población suburbana, que no ha cambiado durante las últimas décadas. Se postula que las diferencias en el crecimiento durante la adolescencia podrían deberse a una reducción del ritmo de crecimiento en estos niños.     

Syrian refugee children face more peer victimization in schools what leads to poor mental health: a brief report

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry -     

Thermosensitive PHEMA microcarriers: ATRP synthesis,characterization, and usabilities in cell cultures

In this study, we developed a novel microcarrier to enhance the production of anchorage-dependent mammalian cells in large scale by preserving them from the effects of shear forces and to enhance their removal from the surface without using proteolytic enzymes and chelating agents. This ‘thermosensitive microcarrier’ was synthesized by the grafting thermoresponsive molecule, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), to the crosslinked poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) beads by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. NIPAAm was polymerized on bromine-activated beads’ surfaces to prepare PHEMA-g-PNIPAAm microcarriers. Then, they were chemically characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. Surface morphologies were further investigated by scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscopy techniques. The results of characterization studies confirmed that PNIPAAm was successfully grafted onto PHEMA beads by the means of atom transfer radical polymerization reaction. The cellular activities of PHEMA-g-PNIPAAm microcarriers were evaluated at static and dynamic culture conditions by using two types of cell lines with different morphology, i.e. L929 mouse fibroblasts and HS2 epithelial human keratinocytes. The microcarriers exhibited better cell adhesion and proliferation characteristics for both cell lines. Although their thermally induced cell detachment efficiencies are lower than that of trypsinization, thermally harvested cells preserved their surface morphologies and proliferation characteristics.     

Downward percentile crossing as an indicator of an adverse prenatal environment

Background: Postnatal health sequelae of low birth weight have been attributed to ‘poor fetal growth’ from inferred adverse prenatal environments; risks augmented by infant growth rates. Identifying prenatal growth-restricting events is essential to clarify pathways and mechanisms of fetal growth.

Aim: The specific aim of this investigation was to examine whether an episode of preterm labor may compromise fetal growth.

Subjects and methods: Fetal size at the end of the second trimester and birth were compared among women with uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 3167) and those who experienced an episode of preterm labor (<37 weeks) and subsequently delivered at term (≥37 weeks, n = 147). Fetal weight estimated from ultrasound measures, and changes in weight standard scores across the third trimester investigated significant centile crossing (>0.67 standard deviation score change).

Results: Fetuses delivered at term after an episode of preterm labor were smaller at birth relative to their peers than at the end of the second trimester, and were 47% more likely to experience clinically significant downward centile crossing (p < 0.05) than their peers (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.04–2.07).

Conclusion: An episode of preterm labor may signal an adverse prenatal environment for term-delivered neonates. Epidemiologically silent events in the natural history of pregnancy are an understudied source of fetal growth compromise as inferred by small birth size among peers.     

Black Grape and Garlic Extracts Protect Against Cyclosporine A Nephrotoxicity

The aim of this study was to determine if the natural antioxidant foods, dried black grape and garlic, protect against cyclosporine nephrotoxicity. Forty-two Sprague–Dawley rats were given Cyclosporine A (CsA) orally for 10 days, with the antioxidant food supplementation begun 3 days before CsA treatment and continued during the study period (totaling 13 days). In each group (control, CsA alone, CsA plus black grape, CsA plus aqueous garlic extract, aqueous garlic extract alone and black grape alone), there were 7 animals. At the end of the study period, the animals were sacrificed; their kidneys were removed and prepared for biochemical and histopathological investigations. Oxidant (xanthine oxidase enzyme and malondialdehyde) and antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase enzymes) parameters were measured in the kidney tissues of the groups. Histopathological examinations of the tissues were also performed.

It has been found that CsA creates oxidant load to the kidneys through both xanthine oxidase activation and impaired antioxidant defense system, which accelerates oxidation reactions in the kidney tissue. Supplementation with either dried black grape or aqueous garlic extract led to reduced malondialdehyde level in the kidney tissue possibly, by preventing oxidant reactions. In conclusion, the results suggest that impaired oxidant/antioxidant balance may play part in the CsA-induced nephrotoxicity, and some foods with high antioxidant power may ameliorate this toxicity, in agreement with studies with antioxidant vitamins.     

The combination of cytological smears and cell blocks on endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspirates allows a higher diagnostic yield

We compared the diagnostic performances of conventional smears and cell block preparations of tissue samples obtained with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. We retrospectively analysed 451 patients (926 lymph nodes) who had undergone endobronchial ultrasound and for whom both smears and cell blocks were available and compared the diagnostic performances of these techniques when used alone and combined. Cell block preparations showed higher diagnostic performance over smears, but the combination was superior to either alone. The combination of smear and cell block techniques achieved a sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of 92.5, 100, 100, 97.7 and 99.4, 95.0, 98.6, and 97.9 % for malignant and benign diseases, respectively. We recommend cell block preparations during endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration.     

Effects of denture cleaning solutions on the retention of Hader bar clips

Statement of problemThe clinical performance of implant-retained overdentures (IODs) with plastic bar clips made of different materials in the same design and dimensions may vary according to the patient’s daily home care procedures. However, information about the effects of denture cleaning solutions on the retention of Hader bar clips is lacking.PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the retention of Hader bar clips made of different polymers after being soaked in denture cleaning solutions.Material and methodsNinety Hader bar clips made of polyamide (PA, n=30), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, n=30), and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK, n=30) materials were tested. Two multiunit abutments were screwed onto the implant analogs and embedded into an acrylic resin block in a standardized position. The digital scanning of the abutments was acquired, and the bar patrix of each material system milled from a cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) alloy disk by using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM). After the milled bar patrices were screwed onto abutments and the metal housings of the bar clips were embedded into acrylic resin blocks, they were connected passively at the same angulation to a universal testing machine. The initial retention values of all Hader bar clips were measured, and each material system was divided into 3 subgroups (n=10) before soaking in the cleaning solutions: distilled water (DW), 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), or sodium bicarbonate-sodium perborate (SBSP). Each material was soaked for the equivalent of 3 months of clinical use. The final retention values of each Hader bar clip were measured. The data were statistically analyzed by using a 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) test, and the paired sample t test (α=.05).ResultsThe 2-way ANOVA showed that the denture cleaning solution, the clip material, and their interactions led to significantly different retention values (P<.001). A decrease was observed for the retention values of all test groups after soaking in the cleaning solutions (P<.05). No retention was observed for the PTFE clips after soaking in the 5% NaOCI solution.ConclusionsThe denture cleaning solutions negatively affected the retention of Hader bar clips, regardless of the type of solution and clip material. The 5% NaOCI solution not only decreased the retention of PTFE clips but also completely degraded it. It is recommended that 5% NaOCI solution be avoided for the daily care of IODs with PTFE clips.     

Evaluation of styloid chain calcification related to temporomandibular joint disc displacement: a retrospective cohort study

Oral Radiology - The present study aimed to evaluate any relationship between elongated styloid process (ESP) and temporomandibular joint disc displacement (TMJD). Study design: A retrospective...