Characterization of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreen powder by comparing different measurement methods.

Numerous consumer products, such as cosmetics, contain nanoparticles (NPs) of titanium dioxide (TiO2) or zinc oxide (ZnO); however, this raises questions concerning the safety of such additives. Most of these products do not indicate whether the product includes NPs. In this study, we characterized metal oxide NPs according to size, shape, and composition as well as their aggregation/agglomeration characteristics. In order to comprehend quickly the characterization of metal oxide NPs, we employed single particle inductively coupled plasma (SP-ICPMS) to help quantify the size of metal oxide NPs; then, we use transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to corroborate the results. The crystal size and structure was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), there are two crystal phase of TiO2 NPs in sunscreen powder showed in XRD. However, SP-ICPMS proved highly effective in determining the size of NPs, the results of which remarkably good agreement with the TEM measurements. Pre-treatment included a conventional copper grid (requiring sample dilution) to evaluate the size, shape and composition of primary particles or plastic embedding (without the need for sample dilution) to evaluate the aggregate/aggregation of native NOAAs. The proposed method is an effective and fast approach to the characterization of oxide NPs in cosmetic sunscreen powder. These findings outline an alternative approach to the analysis of NPs in powder-form matrix.

[Clinical analysis of 128 cases of cervical lesion diagnosed by multi-point biopsy of colposcopy and endocervical curettage].

Objective: To investigate the clinical values of colposcopy and cervical biopsy and/or endocervical curettage (ECC) in the diagnosis of cervical lesion. Methods: Clinical data of 128 cases of cervical lesion diagnosed by Xuzhou Cancer Hospital from January 23, 2014 to October 11, 2016 were collected and retrospectively analyzed, all patients underwent colposcopy and cervical biopsy and/or ECC. Results: Among them, the age between 30 to 50 years old were 70 cases, whose transformation zone types of Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 28 cases (40.0%), 23 cases (32.9%) and 19 cases (27.1%), respectively. The age older than 50 years were 45 cases, whose transformation zone types of Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 1 case (2.2%) and 44 cases (97.8%), respectively. Among the 128 cases of cervical lesions, diagnostic results of colposcopy showed that the chronic inflammation were 57 cases, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)Ⅰwere 35 cases, CINⅡor CINⅡ~Ⅲ were 8 cases, CIN Ⅲ were 5 cases and cervical cancer were 23 cases. Alternatively, the pathological results showed that the chronic inflammation were 81 cases, CINⅠwere 17 cases, CINⅡor CINⅡ~Ⅲ were 7 cases, CIN Ⅲ were 5 cases and cervical cancer were 18 cases, respectively. Among the 81 cases of chronic inflammation diagnosed by pathology, 52 cases (64.2%) were consistent with the diagnostic results of colposcopy. Among the 17 cases of low grade squamous epithelial cell lesion (LSIL) diagnosed by pathology, 10 cases were in agree with the diagnostic results of colposcopy. Among the 12 cases of high-grade squamous epithelial cell lesion (HSIL) diagnosed by pathology, 9 cases were concordant with the diagnostic results of colposcopy. Among the 18 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed by pathology, 17 cases were consistent with the diagnostic results of colposcopy. Conclusions: The type of transformation zone is positively correlated with the age, and it can help to choose biopsy and therapeutic manner. The diagnostic accuracies of HSIL and early stage of cervical cancer by multi-point biopsy of colposcopy and/or ECC are high. The cervical lesions which are difficultly found by direct visualization can be identified by colposcopy, and thus provides objective evidence to determine the therapeutic manner for patients with stage ⅡA of cervical cancer.

Potent cardioprotection from ischemia-reperfusion injury by a two-domain fusion protein comprising annexin V and Kunitz protease inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: Considerable evidence suggests that coagulation proteases (tissue factor [TF]/activated factor VII [FVIIa]/FXa/thrombin) and their target protease activated receptors (PAR-1/PAR-2) play important roles in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. We hypothesized that localized inhibition of TF/FVIIa on the membrane surfaces of ischemic cells could effectively block coagulation cascade and subsequent PAR-1/PAR-2 cell signaling, thereby protecting the myocardium from I-R injury. OBJECTIVES: We recently developed an annexin V-Kunitz inhibitor fusion protein (ANV-6L15) that could specifically bind to anionic phospholipids on the membrane surfaces of apoptotic cells and efficiently inhibit the membrane-anchored TF/FVIIa. In this study, we investigated the cardioprotective effect of ANV-6L15 in a rat cardiac I-R model in comparison with that of hirudin. METHODS: Left coronary artery occlusion was maintained for 45 min followed by 4 h of reperfusion in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. One minute before or 2 min after coronary ligation, rats received an intravenous bolus injection of ANV-6L15 (2.5-250 µg kg(-1) ), vehicle, or hirudin via bolus injection and continuous infusion. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: ANV-6L15 dose-dependently reduced infarct size by up to 87% and decreased plasma levels of cardiac troponin I, tumor necrosis factor-α, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, by up to 97%, 96%, and 66%, respectively, with little impact on the coagulation parameters. ANV-6L15 also ameliorated hemodynamic derangements, attenuated neutrophil infiltration and reduced Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive apoptotic cardiomyocytes. Hirudin was less efficacious even at supraclinical dose. ANV-6L15 confers exceptionally potent cardioprotection and is a promising drug candidate for the prevention of myocardial I-R injury.

[Contamination of seafood by Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Taiwan].

From October 1984 to September 1985, a total of 770 seafood samples, collected from the retail markets of 8 coastal cities in Taiwan, were tested for the contamination of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The results showed that 352 samples (45.7%) were contaminated by V. parahaemolyticus. The detection frequencies of various samples were as follows: 40.0% fish samples, 22.3% fish fillets, 44.4% shrimps and 47.8% crabs of the crustacea group, 68.7% bivalve shellfish and 31.9% non-bivalve shellfish of the mollusca group. Bivalve shellfish samples showed the highest detection frequency and counts. By the analysis of variance, cities and sample items affected the detection frequency and counts of V. parahaemolyticus. Positive statistical correlation was found between the counts of V. parahaemolyticus and temperature variation in some cities, whereas the detection frequency of V. parahaemolyticus was not relative to the temperature variation in each city. 182 isolates from different types of seafood reacted with K antisera. Of those serotypes, K17 showed the highest detection frequency in the serological test. All of our isolates showed negative reaction for the Kanagawa test.