Bruise chromophore concentrations over time

Presented at the IEEE - SPIE Medical Imaging. 2008. San Diego, California USA.During investigations of potential child and elder abuse, clinicians and forensic practitioners are often asked to offer opinions about the age of a bruise. A commonality between existing methods of bruise aging is analysis of bruise color or estimation of chromophore concentration. Relative chromophore concentration is an underlying factor that determines bruise color. We investigate a method of chromophore concentration estimation that can be employed in a handheld imaging spectrometer with a small number of wavelengths. The method, based on absorbance properties defined by Beer-Lambert's law, allows estimation of differential chromophore concentration between bruised and normal skin. Absorption coefficient data for each chromophore are required to make the estimation. Two different sources of this data are used in the analysis- generated using Independent Component Analysis and taken from published values. Differential concentration values over time, generated using both sources, show correlation to published models of bruise color change over time and total chromophore concentration over time

3D finite compartment modeling of formation and healing of bruises may identify methods for age determination of bruises

Simulating the spatial and temporal behavior of bruises may identify methods that allow accurate age determination of bruises to assess child abuse. We developed a numerical 3D model to simulate the spatial kinetics of hemoglobin and bilirubin during the formation and healing of bruises. Using this model, we studied how skin thickness, bruise diameter and diffusivities affect the formation and healing of circular symmetric bruises and compared a simulated bruise with a natural inhomogeneous bruise. Healing is faster for smaller bruises in thinner and less dense skin. The simulated and natural bruises showed similar spatial and temporal dynamics. The different spatio-temporal dynamics of hemoglobin and bilirubin allows age determination of model bruises. Combining our model predictions with individual natural bruises may allow optimizing our model parameters. It may particularly identify methods for more accurate age determination than currently possible to aid the assessment of child abuse

How the blood pool properties at onset affect the temporal behavior of simulated bruises

The influence of initial blood pool properties on the temporal behavior of bruises is currently unknown. We addressed this important issue by utilizing three typical classes of bruises in our three-layered finite compartment model. We simulated the effects of their initial shapes, regularity of boundaries and initial blood concentration distributions (gaussian vs. homogeneous) on the hemoglobin and bilirubin areas in the dermal top layer. Age determination of bruises with gaussian hemoglobin concentration was also addressed. We found that the initial blood pool properties strongly affect bruise behavior. We determined the age of a 200-h simulated bruise with gaussian hemoglobin concentration with 3 h uncertainty. In conclusion, bruise behavior depends non-intuitively on the initial blood pool properties; hence, a model that includes shape, area and concentration distribution at onset is indispensable. Future age determination, including inhomogeneous hemoglobin distributions, will likely be based on the presented method for gaussian distributions

ANTIOXIDANT, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND DIABETES RELATED ENZYME INHIBITION PROPERTIES OF LEAVES EXTRACT FROM SELECTED VARIETIES OF PHOENYX DACTYLIFERA L.

Objective: to investigate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic activities of ethanolic leaves extracts of three selected varieties of Phoenyx dactylifera L. namely: Gharsâ€, Deglet Nour†and Hamrayaâ€. Methods: The assessment of the antioxidant potential of crude leaves extracts, using superoxide anions inhibition, DPPH and total antioxidant activity essays, was carried out. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory properties of the extracts were determined by measuring the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production. Moreover, the antidiabetic effect was evaluated by inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. The total phenolic content measured by Folin-ciocalteu method was as well conducted. Results: The raw leaves extracts of the selected varieties was found to contain a high content of total phenolic content (342.45 mg GAE/ gDW for GE) and therefore exhibited a higher antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect of radicals scavenging activity against DPPH and superoxide anion (IC50=7.44 μg/mL and 39.11 μg/mL respectively). The three varieties exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effects using in-vitro inhibition of NO (IC50=240.28 μg/mL for GE). The extracts also displayed high inhibition actions against α-amylase. Conclusion: the results suggest that the leaves of the three selected varieties of Phoenyx dactylifera can be considered as a good source of natural antioxidant and anti-inflammation drugs as well as potent antidiabetic medicine

Feature Selection on Hyperspectral Data for Dismount Skin Analysis

Many security applications require the ability to accurately identify dismounts based on their distinctive identification properties. A dismount can be identified by many personal characteristics to include clothing, height, and gait. In particular, a dismount\u27s skin can be used as an identifying feature because of the vast variability of skin pigmentation amongst individuals. Hyperspectral data, which is comprised of hundreds of spectral channels sampled from a nearly contiguous electromagnetic spectrum, is used to detect skin spectral variability amongst dismounts. However, hyperspectral data is often highly correlated and computationally expensive to process. Feature selection methods can be employed to reduce the data to a manageable size. This thesis presents the results of applying the fast correlation based filter (FCFB) [51] to a data set that contains hyperspectral data from the forearms of 62 subjects. The reduced data is used to train an artificial neural network (ANN) to discriminate a dismount of interest (DOI) amongst a group of 4 non-DOI\u27s. The trained model is then tested to find the same DOI amongst a group of 62 new non-DOI\u27s. The FCBF selected four features (1014, 1024, 1033, and 1348nm) to discriminate amongst the dismounts. Using these four features, the ANN on average misclassified dismounts amongst four separate DOI validation tests. More specifically, the amount of possible DOI suspects was reduced from 62 to 4 dismounts. The FCBF outperformed three other feature selection methods with 4 times less misclassified instances

Latest Trends in Surface Modification for Dental Implantology: Innovative Developments and Analytical Applications

An increase in the world population and its life expectancy, as well as the ongoing concern about our physical appearance, have elevated the relevance of dental implantology in recent decades. Engineering strategies to improve the survival rate of dental implants have been widely investigated, focusing on implant material composition, geometry (usually guided to reduce stiffness), and interface surrounding tissues. Although efforts to develop different implant surface modifications are being applied in commercial dental prostheses today, the inclusion of surface coatings has gained special interest, as they can be tailored to efficiently enhance osseointegration, as well as to reduce bacterial-related infection, minimizing peri-implantitis appearance and its associated risks. The use of biomaterials to replace teeth has highlighted the need for the development of reliable analytical methods to assess the therapeutic benefits of implants. This literature review considers the state-of-the-art strategies for surface modification or coating and analytical methodologies for increasing the survival rate for teeth restoration.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2019-109371GB-I00Junta de Andalucía PAIDI 2020, P20_00671Universidad de Sevilla US-1380878, PPI505/2020, PPI532/202

kinetic and mechanistic studies of fading of fluorescent dyes and application in vital fields

This thesis is divided into six Chapters. Chapter 1 introduces general information about forensic chemistry, dyes and pigments, light, and its effect in chemistry. The second chapter describes the development of a LED device, with support from Dr. Joe Beames, that allows us to generate reproducible kinetic data on photofading reactions by irradiating a sample with high intensity white light. The third chapter shows that thiazole orange (TO) shows increased fading with increased intensity of light. Additionally, we investigated the effect of oxygen within the solution. Many other factors may also play a role in the fading process, for example, temperature, type of buffer, buffer concentration, pH, and the presence of additives. We examine each of these in turn and show that this provides new kinetic insights into the mechanism of fading of thiazole orange. Mass spectroscopy suggests that the product may be formed following reaction of the photoexcited species with a molecule of oxygen. The fading of dyes such as thiazole range (which is a known DNA binder) may have implications for typical studies of DNA binders. The fourth chapter present analyses of the kinetics of the fading process of 3,3'- diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide (DODC) when exposed to light, determining that it is irradiation itself that drives the colour change. Another factor is the presence of O2 with limiting oxygen concentrations limiting the observed reaction rate constant. Many other factors may also play a role in the fading process, for example, temperature, type of buffer, buffer concentration, pH and the presence of additives. We examined each of these in turn. Mass spectroscopy suggests that the product may be formed following reaction of the photoexcited species with a molecule of oxygen. Finally, the fifth Chapter describes the effects of biomacromolecules and serum on fading of TO and DODC. DNA is found to have little effect of fading of TO but to retard fading of DODC. Serum is found to strongly retard fading of TO and DODC. Similarly, added ethanol and DMSO also strongly retard the kinetics of fading. Overall conclusions, future outlooks, remarks and suggestions can be found in Chapter 6

Evaluation of Wound Healing Effects of Leaf Extracts of Simarouba Glauca on Wistar Rats

The present investigation has been undertaken to study the wound healing properties of ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts of Simarouba glauca. The plant Simarouba glauca has a long history in herbal medicine in many countries. Experiments were conducted following standard procedures. Both extracts were evaluated for their in vitro anti oxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties. The EASG and AQSG ointments were administered topically, for evaluating the wound healing potential in excision wound model for fourteen days, in burn wound model for twenty one days, and in infected excision wound model for twenty one days. Povidone iodine was the standard for excision wound and silver sulfadiazine was used as the standard for both burn and infected excision wound models. Extracts treated groups showed higher in vitro antioxidant, anti microbial and cytoprotective activities. EASG exhibited similar wound healing activity that of the standard but with lesser magnitude.The result may be attributed to the phytoconstituents such as flavonoids and phenolics present in it which may be due to their individual or cumulative effect that enhanced wound healing and provided scientific evidence to the ethnomedicinal futures of Simarouba glauca. These findings could justify the inclusion of this plant in the management of wound healing

Evaluation of Wound Healing Effects of Leaf Extracts of Simarouba Glauca on Wistar Rats

The present investigation has been undertaken to study the wound healing properties of ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts of Simarouba glauca. The plant Simarouba glauca has a long history in herbal medicine in many countries. Experiments were conducted following standard procedures. Both extracts were evaluated for their in vitro anti oxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties. The EASG and AQSG ointments were administered topically, for evaluating the wound healing potential in excision wound model for fourteen days, in burn wound model for twenty one days, and in infected excision wound model for twenty one days. Povidone iodine was the standard for excision wound and silver sulfadiazine was used as the standard for both burn and infected excision wound models. Extracts treated groups showed higher in vitro antioxidant, anti microbial and cytoprotective activities. EASG exhibited similar wound healing activity that of the standard but with lesser magnitude.The result may be attributed to the phytoconstituents such as flavonoids and phenolics present in it which may be due to their individual or cumulative effect that enhanced wound healing and provided scientific evidence to the ethnomedicinal futures of Simarouba glauca. These findings could justify the inclusion of this plant in the management of wound healing