Comparative Study Between the Efficacy of Fractional CO2 Laser/Radiofrequency, PRP and a Combination of Both in the Treatment of Striae Distensae: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: The work aims to compare the effect of platelet-rich plasma versus fractional CO22 laser/radiofrequency versus both methods combined in treating striae distensae. Patients & Methods: The study included ten female patients with striae alba with Fitzpatrick IV skin. Three sites of striae were chosen; one was treated with platelet-rich plasma, another with fractional CO2 /radiofrequency (CO2/RF), and the third received both treatments. Every patient received three treatment sessions one month apart. Patients were photographed, and a skin biopsy was taken from each area before and one month after treatment. Results: Assessment of the clinical photos showed that fractional CO2/radiofrequency gave a mild improvement in 22%, moderate improvement in 55.5% and marked improvement in 22.5%. Clinically, the combined treatment showed mild improvement in 44% of patients, moderate results in 33% and marked improvement in 23% of patients. The PRP as an only mode of treatment showed poor improvement in 22%, mild improvement in 23% and moderate improvement in 55% of patients. Biopsy results showed a decrease in collagen and elastin after treatment with the solitary methods, while the combined approach resulted in an increase in collagen and a reduction in elastin. Conclusion: Fractional CO2 laser/radiofrequency combined with PRP or either of them showed clinical improvement to variable degrees with superior results clinically and histologically with the combined method.

Screening Fungal Endophytes Derived from Under-Explored Egyptian Marine Habitats for Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties in Factionalised Textiles.

Marine endophytic fungi from under-explored locations are a promising source for the discovery of new bioactivities. Different endophytic fungi were isolated from plants and marine organisms collected from Wadi El-Natrun saline lakes and the Red Sea near Hurghada, Egypt. The isolated strains were grown on three different media, and their ethyl acetate crude extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against a panel of pathogenic bacteria and fungi as well as their antioxidant properties. Results showed that most of the 32 fungal isolates initially obtained possessed antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The most potent antimicrobial extracts were applied to three different cellulose containing fabrics to add new multifunctional properties such as ultraviolet protection and antimicrobial functionality. For textile safety, the toxicity profile of the selected fungal extract was evaluated on human fibroblasts. The 21 strains displaying bioactivity were identified on molecular basis and selected for chemical screening and dereplication, which was carried out by analysis of the MS/MS data using the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) platform. The obtained molecular network revealed molecular families of compounds commonly produced by fungal strains, and in combination with manual dereplication, further previously reported metabolites were identified as well as potentially new derivatives.

Environmentally sound approach for imparting antibacterial and UV-protection functionalities to linen cellulose using ascorbic acid.

In this work, multifunctional linen cellulose fabrics were facilely developed by using an eco-friendly finishing formulations and the pad-dry/microwave fixation technique. Both reactant resin and citric acid have been employed as low- and zero-formaldehyde crosslinkers along with their proper catalyzing agents. Individual incorporation of ascorbic acid and selected phenolic compounds namely salicylic acid, resorcinol, and gallic acid, as natural active ingredient (AI-OH) along with PEG-400 or modified nonionic silicone-softener in ether- or ester-crosslinking formulation and their impacts on the performance, functional properties and degree of coloration of the finished fabrics were investigated. FTIR, SEM, and EDX analysis of selected samples were carried out. Results revealed that type of crosslinker, kind and concentration of active ingredient, as well as type of additive play an important role in the imparted functional properties. The durability of the imparted antibacterial and UV protection functional properties was confirmed by washing test.

Green options for imparting antibacterial functionality to cotton fabrics.

This study demonstrated that antibacterial cellulosic textiles can be fabricated in eco-friendly manner by grafting of monochlorotriazinyl ß-cyclodextin (MCT-ßCD) onto knitted and woven cotton fabrics followed by post-loading of any of the green active ingredients namely Rosemary oil, Lavender oil, Clove oil, Cinnamon oil, Aloe vera gel, Vanillin, Ag-ions, Natural Yellow 7 and Natural Red 25 dyes into the hydrophobic cavities of grafted ß-CD moieties. Some of the grafted, post-loaded fabric samples were characterized by FTIR, SEM, and EDS analysis. The enhancement in the imparted antibacterial functionality as well as durability to wash are governed by type of cellulosic substrate, kind, chemistry, antibacterial activity as well as extent of inclusion and subsequent release of the hosted bioactive agent. The obtained results revealed that the antibacterial efficacy follows the deceasing orders: i) knitted fabric > woven fabric and ii) Ag-ions > Lavender oil > Natural Yellow 7 > Aloe vera > Cinnamon oil > Natural Red 25 > Vanillin > Clove oil > Rosemary oil-loaded fabric sample, keeping other parameters constant.

Loading of chitosan - Nano metal oxide hybrids onto cotton/polyester fabrics to impart permanent and effective multifunctions.

New and durable multifunctional properties of cotton/polyester blended fabrics were developed through loading of chitosan (Cs) and various metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) namely ZnO, TiO2, and SiO2 onto fabric surface using citric acid/Sodium hypophosphite for ester-crosslinking and creating new anchoring and binding sites, COOH groups, onto the ester-crosslinked fabrics surface. The surface morphology and the presence of active ingredients (Cs & MONPs) onto selected - coated fabric samples were analyzed by SEM images and confirmed by EDS spectrums. The influence of various finishing formulations on some performance and functional properties such as wettability, antibacterial activity, UV-protection, self-cleaning, resiliency and durability to wash were studied. The obtained results revealed that the extent of improvement in the imparted functional properties is governed by type of loaded-hybrid and follows the decreasing order: Cs-TiO2NPs>Cs-ZnONPs>SiO2NPs>Cs alone, as well as kind of substrate cotton/polyester (65/35)>cotton/polyester (50/50). Moreover, after 15 washing cycles, the durability of the imparted functional properties of Cs/TiO2NPs - loaded substrates marginally decreased indicating the strong fixation of the hybrid components onto the ester-crosslinked substrates. The obtained bioactive multifunctional textiles can be used for producing eco-friendly protective textile materials for numerous applications.

Retraction note to: The effect of lead acetate toxicity on experimental male albino rat.

Retraction to: Biol Trace Elem Res 144(1­3):1120­1132, DOI 10.1007/s12011-011-9149-z. Article has been retracted due to duplicate publication.

Effect of lead acetate toxicity on experimental male albino rat.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of different doses of lead acetate (1/20, 1/40 and 1/60 of LD50) on body weight gain, blood picture, plasma protein profile and the function of liver, kidney and thyroid gland. METHODS: Male albino rats were divided into four groups, the first group represented the health control animals, while the second, third and fourth groups were ingested orally with sub lethal doses of lead acetate (1/20, 1/40 and 1/60) of the oral LD50, respectively. One dose was ingested every two days during the experimental period (14 weeks) including the adaptation time. Blood was collected and used for all analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that, the ingestion of Pb(2+) induced significant stimulation in glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT) and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminease (AST) activity. Also, total soluble protein and albumin contents of plasma were significantly decreased, while the content of globulin was changed by the Pb(2+) treatments. The cholinesterase activity was inhibited, but the activities of alkaline and acid phosphates and lactate dehydrogenase were stimulated, while plasma glucose level was elevated as a result of lead acetate intoxication. In case of blood picture, Pb(2+) ingestion reduced the contents of hemoglobin and RBCs count of intoxicated rat's blood and the plasma levels of T3, T4 and blood WBCs count were decreased. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that lead acetate has harmful effect on experimental male albino rats. Therefore, the present work advises people to prevent exposure to the lead compound to avoid injurious hazard risk.

The effect of lead acetate toxicity on experimental male albino rat.

The toxic effect of Pb ion (lead acetate) was investigated using male albino rats, which was ingested at 1/20, 1/40, and 1/60 sublethal doses. Relative to normal control, the ingestion of Pb(2+) induced significant stimulation in ALT and AST activity. In addition, total soluble protein and albumin contents of plasma were decreased, while the content of globulin was changed by the Pb(2+) treatments. The cholinesterase activity was inhibited, but the activities of alkaline and acid phosphates as well as lactate dehydrogenase were stimulated as a result of lead acetate intoxication. These observations were gradually paralleled across the experiment dose of the three doses of intoxicated Pb(2+). In the case of blood picture, Pb(2+) ingestion significantly reduced the contents of hemoglobin and RBC count of intoxicated rat's blood, while the plasma levels of T3 and T4 and blood WBC count were insignificantly decreased or unchanged. All results of the present study showed that the Pb(2+) ingestion was more effective in the case of the high dose (1/20 LD(50)) than that of the low dose (1/60 LD(50)) ingestion relative to the normal healthy control. The results of the present work advice the need to avoid exposure of humans to the lead compound to avoid injurious hazard risk.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) expression in ameloblastoma.

OBJECTIVE: Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) production has been demonstrated in a variety of tumor subtypes. Local production of PTHrP by metastatic tumor cells in bone has been linked to bone destruction and tumor growth. Ameloblastoma (AB) is a relatively common odontogenic epithelial neoplasm that manifests local infiltrative intraosseous growth. AB recapitulates the developing enamel epithelium, in which PTHrP recently has been demonstrated. Yet PTHrP expression in a series of ABs has not been studied to date. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the expression of PTHrP in ameloblastoma. STUDY DESIGN: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of ameloblastoma (n = 30; 24 conventional, 4 unicystic, and 2 arising in dentigerous cyst) were immunostained with anti-PTHrP antibody using a multistep streptavidin-peroxidase technique. Semiquantitative scoring of immunoreactivity was assessed as mild, moderate, and intense. RESULTS: All cases (100%) demonstrated positive immunoreactivity, with mild reaction in 3 conventional ABs, 1 unicystic and 1 AB arising in dentigerous cyst, and with moderate reaction in 12 conventional ABs, 3 unicystic and 1 AB arising in dentigerous cyst. Intense immunoreactivity was seen in 9 cases of conventional AB. This difference in immunostaining was not statistically significant (Sigma2 = 4.41, df = 4, P = .358). CONCLUSION: The results of this investigation suggest that PTHrP may play a significant role in local bone resorption, offering at least partial explanation for the tumor's infiltrative growth and destructive behavior. The uniformity of PTHrP expression by AB, as detailed in this study, may harbor significant therapeutic implications, particularly through PTHrP-blocking treatment modalities.

An analysis of provider attitudes toward end-of-life decision-making.

The explosion of technological and biomedical interventions over the past half century appears to have enhanced the medical profession's ability to prolong life at a faster pace than society's ability to develop comprehensive bioethical laws governing end-of-life decisions. This study was conducted to determine if there was a correlation between educational and occupational backgrounds and participants' perceptions of end-of-life care. Study participants came from various areas and levels of healthcare at a large federal healthcare facility and included nurses, doctors, pharmacists, dietitians, administrators, and others. Participants completed a questionnaire providing both sociodemographic information and perceptions of end-of-life care. Respondents were classified by type of education or background (technical, professional, or medical) and by level of involvement with patient care (direct or indirect). While the results showed a general consensus about the importance of respecting patients' end-of-life wishes, there were differences among respondents in regard to specific issues.