Mid-infrared spectroscopy on skin using a silver halide fibre probe in vivo

Background/aim: Mid-infrared spectroscopy is a versatile method for in vivo investigation of skin after topical treatment with skin care products.
Methods: FTIR-spectrometer (Bruker Optics) with a flexible silver halide fibre probe (Infrared Fiber Sensors).
Results: Absorbance spectra from 700 to 3000 cm⁻¹ have been recorded to gain information about proteins (amide-I and amide-II vibrations at 1650 and 1550 cm⁻¹), esters (1740 cm⁻¹), carboxylic acid (1710 cm⁻¹), polyalcohols (1050 cm⁻¹) and hydrocarbons (CH _n vibrations at 2800–3000 cm⁻¹).
Conclusions: Using the particular light guide, we were able to measure for the first time the effects of lip care products on lips directly. Furthermore, water binding and glycerol content of the skin could be determined simultaneously, as well as the replenishment of lipids by lipid-enriched bath oil.     

Three Cases of Comprehensive Dietary Therapy and Pharmacotherapy of Patients with Complex Obesity-related Diseases

The effect of weight loss with anorectic medications on sleep apnea, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, and steatohepatitis is illustrated in three cases from practice in a clinical nutrition setting. Prevention of obesity, a chronic disorder, is preferable, but when obesity becomes a major obstacle in the care of patients with respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders and osteoarthritis, an intense course of weight reduction using anorectic medications under medical and dietetic guidance is essential for patients' survival and reduction of medical cost.     

Gait speed is more challenging than cognitive load on the stride-to-stride variability in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency

Background

Several investigations have studied gait variability of individuals with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency; however, the effect of dual-tasking on the gait variability of these individuals remained unclear. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of gait speed and dual-tasking on knee flexion–extension variability in subjects with and without ACL deficiency.

Pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae to Ixodidae tick species Dermacentor variabilis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and Ixodes scapularis

Nymphal and adult ticks from three different tick species, Dermacentor variabilis Say, Ixodes scapularis Say, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latrielle, were treated with conidia and blastospores of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. and Metarhizium anisopliae Metschnikoff. Dose-response experiments indicated that a critical concentration of fungal spores is required for infection and mortality. Over a 28-d time course, fungal suspensions of either B. bassiana or M. anisopliae at 10(8) conidia/ml resulted in 50-70% mortality in adult I. scapularis and R. sanguineus, but <20% mortality in D. variabilis ticks. R. sanguineus nymphs were highly susceptible to both entomopathogenic fungi, displaying >60% mortality within 14 d postinfection and >90% mortality within 21-28 d postinfection. D. variabilis nymphs also were more susceptible than their corresponding adults, displaying mortalities ranging from 20 to 40% 28 d postinfection. I. scapularis nymphs, however, seemed to be slightly less susceptible than adults (45% mortality, 28 d postinfection). The addition of nutrients to fungal cell suspensions did not have any noticeable effects on mortality toward any of the tick species tested. Significant mortality against D. variabilis adults (approximately 65%) was noted only when B. bassiana fungal cells with growth media carryover were used as the inoculum against the ticks. Entomopathogenic fungi such as B. bassiana and M. anisopliae may have the potential for controlling populations of I. scapularis and R. sanguineus, and under certain conditions D. variabilis. Our results indicate that inoculum conditions can greatly affect successful virulence and subsequent mortality.     

Analysis of the influence of species,intervertebral disc height and Pfirrmann classification on failure load of an injured disc using a novel disc herniation model

Background ContextAnnular repair devices offer a solution to recurrent disc herniations by closing an annular defect and lowering the risk of reherniation. Given the significant risk of neurologic injury from device failure it is imperative that a reliable preclinical model exists to demonstrate a high load to failure for the disc repair devices.PurposeTo establish a preclinical model for disc herniation and demonstrate how changes in species, intervertebral disc height and Pfirrmann classification impacts failure load on an injured disc. We hypothesized that: (1) The force required for disc herniation would be variable across disc morphologies and species, and (2) for human discs the force to herniation would inversely correlate with the degree of disc degeneration.Study designAnimal and human cadaveric biomechanical model of disc herniation.MethodsWe tested calf lumbar spines, bovine tail segments and human lumbar spines. We first divided individual lumbar or tail segments to include the vertebral bodies and disc. We then hydrated the specimens by placing them in a saline bath overnight. A magnetic resonance images were acquired from human specimens and a Pfirrmann classification was made. A stab incision measuring 25% of the diameter of the disc was then done to each specimen along the posterior intervertebral disc space. Each specimen was placed in custom test fixtures on a servo-hydraulic test frame (MTS, Eden Prarie, MN) such that the superior body was attached to a 10,000 lb load cell and the inferior body was supported on the piston. A compressive ramping load was placed on the specimen in load control at 4 MPa/sec stopping at 75% of the disc height. Load was recorded throughout the test and failure load calculated. Once the test was completed each specimen was sliced through the center of the disc and photos were taken of the cut surface.ResultsFifteen each of calf, human, and bovine tail segments were tested. The failure load varied significantly between specimens (p<.001) with human specimens having the highest average failure load (8154±2049 N). Disc height was higher for lumbar/bovine tail segments as compared to calf specimens (p<.001) with bovine tails having the highest disc height (7.1±1.7 mm). Similarly, human lumbar discs had a cross sectional area that was greater than both bovine tail/calf lumbar spines (p<.001). There was no correlation between disc height and failure load within each individual species (p>.05). Cross sectional area and failure load did not correlate with failure load for human lumbar spine and bovine tails (p>.05) but did correlate with calf spine (r=0.53, p=.04). There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between disc height and Pfirrmann classification for human lumbar spines (r=?0.84, p<.001). There was also a statistically significant inverse relationship between Pfirrmann classification and failure load (r=?0.58, p=.02).ConclusionsWe have established a model for disc herniation and have shown how results of this model vary between species, disc morphology, and Pfirrmann classification. Both hypotheses were accepted: The force required for disc herniation was variable across species, and the force to herniation for human spines was inversely correlated with the degree of disc degeneration. We recommend that models using human intervertebral discs should include data on Pfirrmann classification, while biomechanical models using calf spines should report cross sectional area. Failure loads do not vary based on dimensions for bovine tails.Clinical SignificanceOur analysis of models for disc herniation will allow for quicker, reliable comparisons of failure forces required to induce a disc herniation. Future work with these models may facilitate rapid testing of devices to repair a torn/ruptured annulus.     

High levels of reactive oxygen metabolites in colon cancer tissue: Analysis by chemiluminescence probe

Reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) have been postulated to contribute to the development of various carcinomas, including colon cancer. Indeed, the effects of ROM scavengers are being tested for chemoprevention of adenocarcinoma of the colon. However, there has been no evidence to indicate that high levels of ROM are indeed present in cancerous tissue. In this study, we used a chemiluminescence probe to estimate ROM levels in cancerous and neighboring noncancerous colonic tissues from seven patients with colon cancer. Cancerous tissues contained significantly (p < 0.05) more luminol‐enhanced chemiluminescence (4,808 ± 2,282 counts/min/mg protein) than neighboring noncancerous tissues (2,175 ± 1,111). The addition of an ROM scavenger, catalase (2, 4, and 8 μg/ml), to the tissue suspension inhibited chemiluminescence produced by both noncancerous (—74%, —85%, and —71%) and cancerous (—11%, —61%, and — 53 %) tissues. This study shows that colonic cancerous tissue contains high levels of ROM, which may play an important role in the pathogenesis of colon cancer.     

Serum retinoic acid levels in patients with resected benign and malignant colonic neoplasias on β‐carotene supplementation

To determine whether patients with colon cancer metabolize β‐carotene differently from benign colon polyp patients, a normal control group (n = 13) and groups of resected colon polyp patients (n = 29) or resected colon cancer patients (Dukes A and BI, n = 21) were supplemented with placebo or β‐carotene (30 mglday) taken with their morning meals for three months. Serum samples at zero and three months of the study were anlayzed blindly for retinoic acid and β‐carotene. The results showed that β‐carotene levels in the serum of colon polyp and colon cancer groups were 8‐ to 12‐fold higher than in the untreated control or the placebo‐treated groups. The benign polyp subjects (n = 17) receiving β‐carotene showed a significant rise in serum trans‐retinoic acid at three months compared with Time 0. The trans‐retinoic acid values from the colon cancer group receiving β‐carotene (n = 11) or placebo (n = 10) were significantly lower than the values from the β‐carotene‐supplemented colon polyp group. It appears that trans‐retinoic acid levels in response to β‐carotene supplementation are different between treated cancer and benign patients because of different body demands for retinoic acid.