bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ultrastructural study of synovitis induced by trauma to the rat temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
Authors: Muto Toshitaka , Shigeo Kimiharu , Kanazawa Masaaki , Irie Kazuharu , Yajima Toshihiko , Kaku Tohru 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBackground:  Electron microscopy was used to examine the histologic effect of trauma on the rat temporomandibular joint synovial membrane.Methods:  Trauma to the TMJ in male Wister rats (100–200 g) was introduced through repeated forced condylar hypermobility. Ultrastructural observations were made 5 days and 6 weeks after the trauma.Results:  The early response of the synovial membrane was synovial hyperplasia, type A synovial cell loss, dilation of the r‐ER in the type B synovial cells and fibrin deposition on the synovial surfaces. The late response included degeneration of synovial cells with swollen mitochondria and cell projections, and cell fragmentation. Large amount of fibrin deposition on opposing surface layers was also noticed.Conclusion:  The type A cell loss and fibrin deposition followed by the occurrence of fibrinous materials at opposing surface layers of the synovial membrane suggest that traumatic synovitis causes synovial adhesions.
Five cases of photocontact dermatitis due to topical ketoprofen:photopatch testing and cross‐reaction study
Authors: Matsushita Tetsuya , Kamide Ryoichi 
Published: March 2003

Background: In parallel with the popular usage of topical ketoprofen, the number of reported cases of ketoprofen‐induced photoallergic contact dermatitis has been increasing. It is clinically important to know the cross‐reactivity of ketoprofen in order to avoid cross‐sensitization caused by several structurally similar non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAID) on the market.Methods: To evaluate the spectrum of cross sensitization, photopatch testing was performed on five patients with ketoprofen‐induced photoallergic contact dermatitis using ketoprofen and other structurally similar chemicals, such as oxybenzone, tiaprofenic acid and suprofen.Results: All five patients reacted positively to ketoprofen or ketoprofen plaster on photopatch testing. All four patients photopatch tested with related chemicals showed cross‐photosensitization with tiaprofenic acid and suprofen. However, none of the patients reacted positively to oxybenzone.Conclusion: Either the diphenylketone moiety or a structurally similar tiophene‐phenylketone moiety is important as the antigenic determinants of ketoprofen photoallergy. The arylpropionic acid side chain would not be involved.
Comparison between seasons of the ultraviolet environment in the shade of trees in Australia
Authors: Parisi A. V. , Wong J. C. F. , Kimlin M. G. , Turnbull D. , Lester R. 
Published: March 2003

Background/Purpose: This paper has considered the erythemal UV (UVery), UVA and visible irradiances in the shade of Australian trees for each season at a sub‐tropical southern hemisphere site.Methods: The irradiances in tree shade have been measured with radiometers as a percentage of the irradiances in the sun for each season of the year.Results: Although the solar irradiances are lower in winter, the percentages of the UV in tree shade compared to the UV in full sun are marginally higher (by up to 7%) in the winter compared to summer. The range of percentages for UVery was up to double that of the percentages of the visible waveband. The percentages for UVery were also higher than for the UVA waveband. The percentages of the irradiances in the tree shade compared to full sun are 8–14% lower at noon compared to the morning and afternoon for the UVery waveband. The ratio of UVA to UVery is lower in the tree shade compared to the full sun.Conclusions: The UVA to UVery ratio is expected to be even lower in the tree shade as a result of ozone depletion. This, combined with the visible irradiances in the tree shade not being a reliable indication of the biologically damaging UV irradiances, has consequences for public health and skin cancer prevention.
012 Photodynamic therapy of non‐melanoma skin cancers with verteporfin and red light – tumor response and cosmetic outcome
Authors: Lui H. , Hobbs L , Tope W. , Elmets C. , Provost N. , Lee P. , Herne K. , Mclean D. , Hamzavi I. , Jain H. , Bissonnette R. 
Published: March 2003

Introduction and objectives: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin may be particularly well suited for patients with multiple low risk non‐melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) while providing good cosmetic outcomes as compared to standard treatments. The objectives of this study were to prospectively assess the tumor responses and cosmetic outcomes of verteporfin‐treated NMSC. Patients and methods: This was a phase 11, open‐label, light‐dose ranging, multicenter study of 54 patients with multiple NMSC. A total of 421 biopsy‐proven tumors that were either basal cell carcinomas or in situ squamous cell carcinomas underwent PDT with intravenous verteporfin 14 mg/m2 followed by exposure to red light from LED diode arrays (658‐718 nm FWHM) at fluences of 60, 120, or 180 J/cm2. Each patient was randomly assigned to receive one of the three light doses to all their tumors. Treated tumors underwent follow up biopsies at 6 months after the initial PDT session to determine the pathologic complete response rate. In addition, the treated tumors were assessed clinically for up to 24 months. The cosmetic outcome of each treated tumor site was assessed by the investigators based on color, profile, and surface texture. Results: The pathologic complete response rates at 6 months were 69, 79, and 93% for the 60, 120 and 180 J/cm2 light fluences, respectively. The clinical complete response rates by tumor at 6 months were 78, 89 and 98% at 60, 120 and 180 J/cm2, respectively, while at 24 months, the corresponding rates were 51, 79, and 95%. The cosmetic outcome by tumor at 24 months judged by the investigator to have achieved at least a satisfactory or higher outcome was 92, 76, and 86% at 60, 120 and 180 J/cm2, respectively. Conclusions: PDT of NMSC with verteporfin provides effective tumor clearing that is dose‐dependent with satisfactory to excellent outcomes in the majority of patients.
005 Topical photodynamic therapy in dermatology – 3 years experience at Beaumont Hospital
Authors: Collins S. , Ahmadi S. , Murphy G.M. 
Published: March 2003

Topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves selective photosensitization of a target tissue by means of a topical agent, which is then activated by light to effect an oxygen dependent cytotoxic reaction. Premalignant and malignant skin conditions including actinic keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen's disease), and superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC) have been effectively treated with PDT. A number of studies support the use of topical PDT in the treatment of acne, warts, psoriasis and T‐cell lymphoma. There are many case reports and small series, with varying results, in a wide variety of other non‐malignant applications.We report our experience of topical PDT over a 3 year period. We selected patients to participate in an open study of ALA‐PDT on the basis of failure of, or unsuitability for conventional therapy. One hundred and ten patients participated in the study, with a mean age of 73 years. One hundred and twenty‐nine lesions were treated, which consisted of 95 lesions of Bowen's disease, 21 superficial BCC's, nine patients with multiple actinic keratosis and four with porokeratosis. Patients were assessed at 3, 6 and 12 month intervals.Clearance and recurrence rules, adverse events and patient preference (where lesions had been treated previously) were recorded, Clearance rates for actinic keratosis, Bowen's disease and BCC were 87.5%, 84%, and 57%, respectively. Seventy‐four percent of patients had a single treatment. Fourteen percent had two, and the remainder had up to four treatements in total.Though topical PDT has not proven to be superior to conventional methods, it is well tolerated with excellent cosmetic results. It is of particular value in the treatment of large lesions, in those with poorly vascularised skin, and in areas of diffuse actinic damage. Careful patient selection, prior debulking of lesions, and newer more selective agents with enhanced penetration, promise to further improve outcome.
Several antioxidant pathways are involved in astrocyte protection by melatonin
Authors: Martín Vanesa , Sainz Rosa M. , Antolín Isaac , Mayo Juan C. , Herrera Federico , Rodríguez Carmen 
Published: March 2003

Abstract: Neuroprotection provided by melatonin has been shown to be more relevant in vivo than in neuronal cultures. Given the role of astrocytes in neuronal support and protection, studies were initiated to elucidate the possible protective effect of the antioxidant melatonin against oxidative stress in these cells. Both low and high concentrations of melatonin were able to protect astrocytes with even higher efficiency than the known antioxidant glutathione (GSH). The mechanisms involved may be different for high (1 mm) and low (100 nm) concentrations of the indole. The GSH cycling appeared not to be involved in the protection at high doses. High doses of melatonin neither influenced GSH levels nor gene expression for the several antioxidant enzymes studied; thus, melatonin's protective effect was likely because of its free radical scavenging action in this case. However, melatonin concentrations in the nanomolar range require the presence of GSH to be effective. No increase in GSH synthesis was found, but low doses of melatonin increased gene expression and activity of glutathione peroxidase. As this enzyme requires GSH as substrate to be active, this may be the reason why the effect of this melatonin concentration is GSH dependent. In vivo, melatonin levels exhibit a wide range of concentrations with much lower levels in the blood and significantly higher concentrations in other body fluids and within cells. Thus, melatonin may normally function as an indirect and direct antioxidant in vivo.
Imaging, image processing and pattern analysis of skin capillary ensembles
Authors: Zhong Jicun , Asker Claes L. , Salerud E. Göran 
Published: March 2003

Background/aims: The capillary bed is recognized as the site where metabolic and nutrient processes occur for living tissues at all levels. The evaluation of this vital process is a major concern in microcirculation. Unlike traditional approaches that concentrated on the extreme local properties of this process, a more global analysis toward capillary ensembles is employed here, since capillaries work as a cooperative entirety. As a first step toward ensemble analysis, the static and planar geometric parameters are investigated. Parameters such as the capillary adjacency and size information are very important in predicting and analysing certain malfunctions in the microvascular bed.Methods/results: In order to achieve an objective and accurate analysis of these vital parameters, a computerized imaging system is proposed. Not only the number of capillaries and the capillary cross‐sectional areas are important in describing the microvascular bed but the planar distribution pattern of the capillaries also carries valid information. This information, unique to the ensemble analysis, can be used to reveal, visualise and quantify the clustering of capillaries; and this information, according to the Krogh model, is fundamental in estimating the tissue oxygen supply. Two spatial models, the closest neighbor and triangulation methods, have been applied to the captured images of capillary ensembles. The closest neighbor technique generates a minimal distance map or displays a distribution, which depicts the local clustering of capillaries. The triangulation technique, on the other hand, generates a mutual distance map, which is a global description of the capillary positions. Triangulation methods have been evaluated but all except the Greedy triangulation method have been rejected due to lack of robustness and model weakness. Therefore, the capillaries are triangulated by the Greedy triangulation method, and the capillary distribution uniformity is defined as one minus the coefficient of variance of the edge lengths of the mutual distance map.Conclusions: A series of advanced image processing methods have been developed that efficiently extract the capillary position, size and distribution information from the images. These results facilitate the automatic counting of capillaries and the capillary size‐related pathological analysis.
Axillary pH and influence of deodorants
Authors: Stenzaly‐Achtert S. , Schölermann A. , Schreiber J. , Diec K. H. , Rippke F. , Bielfeldt S. 
Published: March 2003

Background/aims: In moist intertriginous regions, such as the armpit, the pH value is physiologically higher than in other skin regions. The regulation of the axillary pH‐value was examined in an open study with 48 subjects in three groups with n=16 each.Methods: In the first 10 days (run‐in) the subjects received a standard treatment in the axilla with shaving, cleansing and application of a pH‐neutral deodorant. This was followed by a 5 day treatment period with the three test products (pH5 Eucerin® Deodorant Roll‐on, Deodorant Balsam Spray, Deodorant Cream). The study was concluded by a wash‐out period with procedures identical to the run‐in phase. The pH was measured with a calibrated pH‐meter.Results: A significant pH reduction was shown during the treatment period when compared to the run‐in phase. The Deodorant Roll‐on induced a reduction of the mean pH values from 6.1 to 5.3, the Deodorant Balsam Spray from 6.5 to 5.7 and the Deodorant Cream from 6.2 to 5.3. During the wash‐out period all pH values returned to baseline.Conclusion: All of the deodorants tested demonstrated a significant reduction in axillary pH. There is evidence that a high skin pH promotes the growth of several microorganisms that produce malodor. Therefore, the regulation of pH may contribute to the deodorant efficacy of the test products.
High‐frequency ultrasound imaging of the skin during normal and hypertensive pregnancies
Authors: Mirpuri N. G. , Dyson M. , Rymer J. , Bolton P. A. , Young S. R. 
Published: March 2003

Background/aims: Diagnosis of preeclampsia is currently made from blood pressure measurements taken at antenatal visits (either at the hospital or in the community). The aim of this work was to see whether the presence of underlying hypertensive diseases is accompanied by changes in the skin of pregnant women, which can be visualized using high‐frequency diagnostic ultrasound.Method: This was a prospective study of pregnant and non‐pregnant, hypertensive and non‐hypertensive patients visiting the outpatient department of a central London Teaching Hospital. The study group consisted of 93 women, of which 30 were non‐hypertensive in the second trimester of pregnancy, 26 were non‐hypertensive in the third trimester of pregnancy, 9 were hypertensive in the second trimester of pregnancy, and 14 were hypertensive in the third trimester of pregnancy. Fourteen non‐pregnant women of comparable age were recruited as controls. Changes in abdominal skin thickness and also skin structure, as analysed by fractal image analysis, was assessed in each patient.Results: In a normal pregnancy, abdominal skin gets thinner as pregnancy progresses. In hypertensive patients, the skin thickness did not appear to alter. Image analysis of abdominal skin scans showed that the skin of non‐hypertensive pregnant women and non‐pregnant women are different. Whereas the analysis of hypertensive pregnant women and non‐pregnant women showed they were the same.Conclusions: The data used to compare the groups indicates that if the abdominal skin of the patient does not get thinner as the pregnancy progresses there is an indication that the patient may be hypertensive. The fractal data comparing the groups indicates the following when comparing a patient’s fractal signature with the non‐pregnant control data: If the abdominal fractal for a pregnant woman is similar to the control group, there is an indication that the patient is hypertensive. It is difficult to predict hypertension in patients, and it is possible that a patient could develop severe preeclampsia between visits to the antenatal clinics. Therefore, if the high‐frequency ultrasound scanner can pick up potential hypertensives early in pregnancy, these women could be identified as potentially high risk.
Proposal and evaluation of a Monte Carlo model for hair regrowth following plucking
Authors: Roersma M. E. , Veldhuis G. J. 
Published: March 2003

Background/aims: The efficacy of single or multiple hair removal treatments reveals a number of properties of the hair follicle, such as the phase in the growing cycle and the hair growth speed. The aim of the present study was to provide a method to evaluate the results of hair removal treatments, in particular plucking, in order to obtain insight into some properties of the follicle and to propose a strategy for optimal treatment. Our hypothesis is that plucking of anagen hairs may result in either reset of the follicle to telogen, in mild damage to the follicle, resulting in a temporary reduction of the mitotic activity, or in an unaffected follicle, so that the hair continues to grow.Methods: The regrowth of hairs after plucking was measured as a function of time for a number of subjects. Individual leg hairs within the areas observed were followed over time. Besides this, the growth speed of leg hairs was measured, and the extracted anagen hair length was determined to obtain an estimate of the anagen follicle depth on the leg. Monte Carlo simulations of the hair plucking and regrowth process were performed after the experiments. Some parameters derived from the experiments were used as inputs; others were fitted to achieve a good correlation between the result of the simulations and the experiments. Finally, the Monte Carlo routine was used to investigate the influence of the time interval between multiple plucking treatments.Results: The regrowth of hairs after plucking, the growth speed and the extracted anagen hair length were measured. Both experiments and Monte Carlo simulations indicated that the result of plucking of an anagen hair is not limited to reset of the follicle to telogen or continued hair growth, but that a temporary reduction of the mitotic activity is very likely to occur. Finally, a linear relationship between the interval between epilation treatments and the average number of hairs on the skin was found using the Monte Carlo simulation.Conclusions: The combination of experiments and Monte Carlo simulations is a very successful strategy for studying hair removal and hair (re)growth in detail.
Squamometry as a screening method for the evaluation of hydrating products
Authors: De Paepe Kristien , Janssens Kristel , Hachem Jean‐Pierre , Roseeuw Diane , Rogiers Vera 
Published: March 2003

Background/aims: Squamometry is a combination of sampling corneocytes by adhesive coated discs followed by colour measurements after staining the cells. In this study, the correlation between stratum corneum (SC) hydration and scaling was investigated using capacitance measurements and squamometry, respectively.Methods: Stratum corneum hydration and assessment of barrier function by transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurements were carried out on different sites of left and right volar forearm skin of female volunteers (n=13; 24±3 years). D‐Squame® samples were taken on the same test spots.Results: Visual evaluation of the coloured samples by light microscopy and the development of a four‐point‐scale scoring system was found to be necessary to detect and minimise overestimation of chroma C* values. Capacitance measurements revealed neither significant differences between corresponding sites on left and right forearms no between different skin areas on the same forearm. Squamometric measurements, on the contrary, did not show any symmetry between corresponding test sites on both forearms or between different sites on one forearm. No correlation could be found between squamometric measurements and SC hydration values obtained at the same test sites. No skin barrier function impairment lays at the origin of this observation since TEWL values were found to be similar at all test sites in comparison to control skin. In a randomised single blind study, hydration and TEWL showed a significant improvement of 25% and 15%, respectively, after a 14‐day application period of a moisturising cream. Although visual scoring of the coloured samples of both treated and untreated test spots revealed a good correlation with chroma C* values, the quantitative results found with squamometry were very doubtful.Conclusion: Squamometry with visual scoring can be proposed as a screening technique for SC hydration rather than a quantitative method to appreciate skin moisturisation.
Changes of biophysical properties of the skin measured by non‐invasive techniques after Q‐switched Nd‐YAG laser therapy in patients with nevus of Ota
Authors: Duck Kim Sang , Kim Seok Woo , Huh Chang Hun , Suh Dae Hun , Eun Hee Chul 
Published: March 2003

Background/aims: The aim of the study was to objectify the effect of a Q‐switched Nd‐YAG laser on Ota’s nevus in view of barrier function, surface contour changes, dermal blood flow, surface color changes and sebum production rate.Methods: Fifteen Korean patients with nevus of Ota (between 14 and 54 years of age) were enrolled. All the patients were treated by Q‐switched Nd‐YAG laser and followed up for 12 weeks. A reflectance spectrophotometer, a colorimeter, laser Doppler flowmetry, a Tewameter, a Corneometer and a Sebumeter were used to make measurements.Results: P values of less than 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant. In skin reflectance measurements, L* values declined for 4 weeks and increased at 12 weeks, indicating that the brightness of the lesions improved. a* values showed a significant increase at 2 and 4 weeks. On the contrary, b* values decreased at 2 weeks. Transepidermal water loss and dermal blood flux showed identical patterns, showing increases at 2 weeks. The water holding capacity decreased at 2 and 4 weeks, and thereafter showed a delayed recovery. Casual sebum production increased at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. The loss of skin roughness was observed at 4 weeks, recovering at 12 weeks, although statistically insignificant. Reflex spectrophotometry did not reflect the changing properties of the skin.Conclusions: Our data suggest a useful model for evaluating physiologic skin changes after laser surgery in patients with nevus of Ota.