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Abstract: Background: Topical agents used in combination with phototherapy or photochemotherapy may have both blocking or enhancing effects in ultraviolet rays. Objective: In this in vivo study, the effects of topical petrolatum, basis cream, glycerine, and olive oil on the transmission of ultraviolet A radiation were investigated. Methods: A test was performed to determine the minimal phototoxic dose on 29 volunteers with only psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) and then the same test was repeated with white petrolatum, basis cream, glycerine, olive oil, and sunscreen (0.3cc/25cm2). The effects of each agent on the minimal phototoxic dose were determined after 72 h. Results: When compared to pure PUVA, there was a statistically significant increase in the mean minimal phototoxic dose values by the application of white petrolatum (P = 0.011), but there was no significant increase or decrease in the mean minimal phototoxic dose values after the application of basis cream (P = 0.326), glycerine (P = 0.611) or olive oil (P = 0.799). Study limitations: Low number of patients Conclusion: The application of white petrolatum, which has a blocking effect, and also of basis cream immediately before PUVA therapy should not be recommended. Although we specify that glycerine and maybe olive oil can be used before photochemotherapy, there is a need for further research in larger series.

Introduction: Petrol pump workers are exposed to fumes emanated during petrol filling and vehicular exhaust thus falling prey to several respiratory diseases. Objectives: To assess the awareness and prevalence of respiratory morbidities among petrol pump workers of selected petrol pumps in Bangalore. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 158 petrol pump workers from 11 selected pumps in Bengaluru. Following IEC approval, the baseline socio-demographic data, knowledge regarding respiratory morbidities and current morbidity pattern were ascertained. Medical examination and Peak Expiratory Flow rate (PEFR) was estimated. Results: The 158 workers were all male, mostly between 18-27 years (65.19%) and high school educated (49.37%). Knowledge regarding respiratory morbidities was 56%, while prevalence of respiratory morbidity was 61%. Those workers who had completed their higher education (>10th standard), earning monthly income (>Rs. 5000) had better knowledge regarding respiratory morbidities. Recommendation: Pre-employment and regular medical examination including lung function tests and promotion of use of PPEs to be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Lawsonia inermis (LI), a naturally grown or cultivated shrub in Northeast of Africa and India, has been traditionally used as a strong remedy for several injuries. However, few studies have reported its use as a cicatrizing agent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of daily application of an ointment prepared with LI leaves' powder on wound healing in Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty female Wistar rats were used in this study. Excisional wound model was realized by removing skin from the dorsal part of the neck of each animal. Wounds have been then treated by a daily application of LI ointment prepared by mixing leaves' powder to petroleum jelly in test group and by simple application of petroleum jelly in control group. Evaluation of wound healing activity was then based on calculating the percentage of wound contraction, period of epithelialization, and wound index every 3 days for a period of 24 days, then, a histological study of the healed excised wound was performed. Results: Treatment with LI has shown excellent wound healing activity, since it has increased percent of wound contraction, and reduced period of epithelialization and wound index as compared to control (p<0.05). These results have been supported by the histological findings that revealed better epithelialization, dermal differentiation, collagen fiber orientation, and angiogenesis in LI treated rats compared to control (p<0.05). Conclusion: We can conclude that LI leaves' can be used as a potential wound healing agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study has been undertaken to formulate and evaluate the herbomineral ointment containing Bauhinia variegata L. extract. The ointment formulation was designed by using aqueous extract of stem barks of Bauhinia variegata (Linn.), mineral and other excipients needed for formulation. Wound healing activity of herbomineral ointment was evaluated in excision and incision wound models in rats. The ointment was prepared by using B. variegata extract, prawal bhasma, propylene glycol, stearyl alcohol, white petrolatum and required amount of distilled water. The prepared herbomineral ointment was evaluated for physical appearance, pH, spreadability, skin irritation to observe side effects and also for wound healing activity. The herbomineral formulation was found to be good in appearance, homogeneity and it possessed significant (P <0.001) wound healing effect compared to the positive control group and nearly comparable with a standard group. In the incision wound model of rats, the formulation showed a significant increase in the skin breaking strength compared to control and reference standard. The results suggested that herbomineral formulation possessed significant wound healing potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The stratum corneum plays an important protective physiological role in providing a barrier to preventing skin desiccation and penetration of external agents. Emollients are used commonly to improve barrier function and skin hydration. Aims: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an emollient, V0034CR cream, and its active ingredients, to restore the cutaneous barrier. Secondary objectives included assessment of the moisturizing activity of each product and tolerance. The study was not designed to evaluate therapeutic benefit. Methods: In this randomized, double‐blind, 4‐arm crossover, clinical pharmacology study, the full emollient V0034CR, its vehicle formulation alone, or with glycerol, or petrolatum, was applied to the forearms of healthy volunteers (n = 51) with dry skin (Kligman score of 2 or 3). Cutaneous permeability by Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) and skin moisture content by corneometry were serially measured for 12 hours following application. An analysis of variance with repeated measures was performed on the evolution of TEWL and corneometry. Results: V0034CR emollient significantly reduced mean TEWL compared to vehicle (P =.0018) and vehicle + glycerol (P =.0001) and significantly increased mean corneometry scores compared to vehicle (P <.0001) and vehicle + petrolatum (P <.0001). Conclusions: The emollient V0034CR presented combined effects, with the petrolatum component improving skin barrier function, with a reduction in TEWL, and the glycerol component improving skin hydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 brought social and economic life to a standstill. In this study the focus is on assessing the impact on affected sectors, such as aviation, tourism, retail, capital markets, MSMEs, and oil. International and internal mobility is restricted, and the revenues generated by travel and tourism, which contributes 9.2% of the GDP, will take a major toll on the GDP growth rate. Aviation revenues will come down by USD 1.56 billion. Oil has plummeted to 18-year low of $ 22 per barrel in March, and Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have withdrawn huge amounts from India, about USD 571.4 million. While lower oil prices will shrink the current account deficit, reverse capital flows will expand it. Rupee is continuously depreciating. MSMEs will undergo a severe cash crunch. The crisis witnessed a horrifying mass exodus of such floating population of migrants on foot, amidst countrywide lockdown. Their worries primarily were loss of job, daily ration, and absence of a social security net. India must rethink on her development paradigm and make it more inclusive. COVID 19 has also provided some unique opportunities to India. There is an opportunity to participate in global supply chains, multinationals are losing trust in China. To 'Make in India', some reforms are needed, labour reforms being one of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Metallophysics & Advanced Technologies / Metallofizika i Novejsie Tehnologii is the property of G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics, N.A.S.U and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) for prophylactic treatment of diffuse actinic keratosis results in an exuberant inflammatory reaction, contributing to patient noncompliance and dissatisfaction. Design: This 5-week split-faced, double-blind, randomized controlled trial involved 30 subjects with diffuse facial AK who received twice daily 5-FU treatment for 2 weeks. This was followed by pre-randomized twice daily use of one of three topical interventions on one half of the face. TEWL, pH, and hydration were assessed on each quadrant of the face at all visits. Additionally, photographs were subjectively graded by three blinded trained observers. Results: Thirty subjects were enrolled, and had an average 27.1 (SD 11.8, range: 13–62) palpable AKs at baseline. Average resolution of baseline AK count was 98.1% by week 4. Clobetasol propionate is best at decreasing TEWL (p =.034), while petrolatum jelly most significantly improves hydration (p =.019) and erythema (p =.014). Though controlled release skin barrier emulsion trended towards improvement in TEWL (p =.17) and hydration (p =.19), there was no significant decrease in erythema (p =.257). Patient free-text response identified erythema as the most bothersome symptom. Conclusions: Given the low cost, wide availability, and ability to significantly reduce erythema, petrolatum should be used for post-5-FU treatment for diffuse AK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Some of the most serious complications of burns include septic infections. Instead of fulfilling the function of a protective barrier, tissues damaged by high temperature create a niche that serves as an environment and source of nourishment for pathogens. An accepted practice is to use antibiotics to inhibit development of pathogens. Taking into consideration the characteristics of the burn wound and increasing antibiotic resistance, the search for new substances that have both antimicrobial and regenerative effects seems justified. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of lauric acid on bacteria-colonizing tissue samples taken during surgical treatment of burns.Methods: Lauric acid was combined with 5 different ointment bases: Anhydrous Eucerin DAB, Anhydrous Eucerin II, Hydrophilic Vaseline, White Vaseline, and Lekobaza. The content of lauric acid in the ointment bases was 10% to 20% w/w. The preparations were applied onto samples of burnt skin collected during surgery. The samples were subsequently subjected to a microbiological test with the use of model strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli.Results: With one exception (White Vaseline), lauric acid showed a more pronounced effect on bacteria in 20% w/w concentration. In a 10% lauric acid concentration, no effect on bacteria was observed on the Hydrophilic Vaseline ointment base. Lauric acid had the strongest inhibiting effect on microbial growth of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. Satisfactory zones of inhibition were also observed in the case of Escherichia coli. Growth inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was observed only when pure lauric acid was used.Conclusions: Due to its aseptic and regenerative effect on chemically damaged tissues, lauric acid can be a promising modifier of the burn healing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of KPI Science News is the property of National Technical University of Ukraine KPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Trauma & Emergency Surgery / Ulusal Travma ve Acil Cerrahi Dergisi is the property of KARE Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Lipids are widely used in cosmetics regardless of intended application: skincare, make-up, toiletries. If they are found in all products, it is because they have many beneficial properties for the skin. A lipid is a nourishing ingredient, a penetration vector and an emollient agent all at the same time, hence, when a finished product contains lipids it allows its manufacturer to make various claims in terms of biological activity. In addition to their well-known efficacy that is often widely promoted in conferences and in scientific journals, lipids also have a structural and functional role in formulations. This is mainly what is used in makeup. Indeed, make-up products often highlight immediate performance such as brightness, matt effect, intensity of color, sumptuous consistency or length of time the make-up stays in place, but boast few results related to biological activity demonstrated in the long term such as antiageing, repair of the skin's barrier, control of acne if we are talking about vitamin A ... Thus, the functional role of lipids being as great as their role of active ingredient, this publication aims to bring them out of the shadows and comprehensively set forth all the properties used in cosmetics. This article focuses on makeup products and on the lipids used in each of the textures. The reasons for which these lipids are present are detailed. The functions of each within different make-up preparations are reviewed. Particular attention is paid to the new raw materials - or the old ones that are coming back into fashion - in the current context of eco-design formulations. Thus, we do not elaborate greatly on mineral waxes, ozokerite wax, paraffins, and petroleum jellies, since these are not the raw materials of the future. Changes in consumption patterns are driving formulators to replace controversial ingredients with raw materials that do not engender bad press and that have a lesser impact on the environment. We present the development of the lipids used in make-up product formulations together with the impact of the same on product performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Topical occlusive agents, such as petroleum jelly and silicone oils, kill head lice by coating and blocking its excretory system and are unlikely to induce treatment resistance. Although a popular alternative to neurotoxic pediculicides, their efficacy and safety remain unclear. Methods: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, HERDIN (from inception to October 31, 2017), and other relevant sources for randomized controlled trials that compared topical occlusive agents with neurotoxic pediculicides to treat patients with head lice infestation. Using Cochrane collaboration methods, we selected studies, assessed risk of bias, and pooled similar studies. We assessed certainty of evidence using GRADEPro. Results: Seventeen trials (N = 2005) testing occlusive agents met inclusion criteria. Risk of bias was moderate across trials, mainly from lack of blinding of participants and personnel. As a class, occlusive agents may be more pediculicidal than neurotoxic agents (final cure rate, RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02, 1.41; 16 RCTs, N = 1779; I2 = 88%; low certainty of evidence). Post hoc subgroup analysis suggests that this benefit may be limited to synthetic combination occlusive products. Adverse effects, such as skin and eye irritation, are similar between groups (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.36, 1.17; 15 RCTs, N = 1790; I2 = 28%; low certainty of evidence). Conclusions: In treating head louse infestation, evidence suggests occlusive agents may be superior to or equally efficacious as neurotoxic pediculicides. Adverse effects are few and minor. Future trials should use appropriate comparators and consider effects of confounders such as neurotoxin resistance. Additionally, optimal occlusive formulation and dosing regimen need to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undisturbed lysimeters are widely used to study water and solute transport, where both natural and unnatural preferential flow can greatly influence leaching rates. The objective of this study was to use chemical and isotopic tracers to quantify the effect of initial soil water content and lysimeter design on preferential flows. Ten undisturbed lysimeters (900 cm²) were collected from an agricultural field, with the gap between the soil and lysimeter casing sealed with petroleum jelly for five lysimeters. Lysimeters were subjected to two rainfall simulations (3.3 cm h-1) under contrasting initial soil water contents, and leachate near the soil-casing interface was collected separately from leachate through the bulk soil. Three-component hydrograph separation revealed that event water comprised 21-59% of total leachate irrespective of initial soil water content and lysimeter design. Sealing the edges of the lysimeters with petroleum jelly greatly reduced but did not eliminate edge flow during rainfall simulations. Although water and solute transport were similar in both sealed and unsealed lysimeters under dry antecedent conditions due to the formation of shrinkage cracks on the soil surface, edge flow was substantially greater for the unsealed lysimeters under wet antecedent conditions. Unsealed edges under wet antecedent conditions facilitated the preferential transport of both event and pre-event water, resulting in greater solute leaching. Using multiple tracers to contrast lysimeter designs under different initial soil water contents not only allowed for rigorous testing of a commonly used edge-flow suppression technique but also provided new insights into preferential flow processes and patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case Presentation: A 65-year-old man was referred for evaluation of several years of chest congestion and cough productive of yellow sputum as well as recently noted abnormalities on chest imaging. He denied dyspnea, weight loss, fevers, chills, or hemoptysis. He had no history of systemic illness, pneumonia, other respiratory illness, gastroesophageal reflux, or sinusitis. He had a remote smoking history. He worked as a railroad conductor and had occupational exposure to asbestos, as well as to other uncharacterized dusts and fumes. The patient spent most of his life in Washington and California and regularly traveled through the California Central Valley. Other travel history included trips to Southeast Asia, Iceland, and Europe in the remote past. The patient had one dog but no exposure to other animals. His only medication was loratadine, taken daily for allergic rhinitis. He applied petroleum jelly to his nares nightly to moisturize his nasal passages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunological factors play important roles in the occurrence of hypertrophic scars. Imiquimod can be used as an immunosuppressive agent to regulate the function of T‐helper (Th) cell subsets Th1 and Th2. In this article, we explored the impact of imiquimod on scar hyperplasia through Th cells. A rabbit ear hypertrophic scar model was built. Four round wounds were cut in each rabbit's ears ventrally with a diameter of 1 cm and bilateral symmetry. All the right ear wounds were treated with 5% imiquimod cream. The blank control group contained all the left ear wounds, which were treated with Vaseline ointment at the same time. Haematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining showed that imiquimod collagen deposition was significantly reduced compared with the control group, scar index (SEI) showed that the proliferative degree reached its peak on the 28th day after operation in blank group, and the degree of hyperplasia was significantly higher than that of the imiquimod group (P < .05). Real‐time Polymerase chain reaction results showed that the imiquimod induced the expression of Th2 cell‐related chemokines CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CCL7, and CCL13 at each time point, which were significantly lower than that of the blank control group, and the expressions of Th1 cell‐associated chemokines CXCL10 and CXCL12 at each time point was significantly higher than the blank control group (P < .05). Imiquimod can be used to regulate the expression of Th1 and Th2 cell‐associated chemokines to control scar hyperplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Removal of thin petroleum jelly soil layers by static and coherent jets investigated. • Shape of the cleaning front measured at different stages during removal. • Petroleum jelly features noticeable creep behaviour at shear stress < critical value. • Adhesive removal model adapted to include creep gives good description of results. • Model parameters obtained by fitting agree with trends in adhesive model. Impinging liquid jets are widely employed in cleaning operations to remove residual soiling layers from walls and other surfaces of process vessels. Insoluble viscoplastic soiling layers represent challenging soils to clean as removal is primarily by hydraulic forces. The rheological behaviour of a commercial petroleum jelly was investigated and shown to exhibit significant creep below its critical stress. The removal of thin (<1 mm) layers of petroleum jelly from glass and Perspex surfaces by coherent water jets impinging normally on vertical walls were studied experimentally. The jet clears a roughly circular area, forming a berm of removed material at the cleaning front. The shape of the berm was measured and found to depend on the ratio of the height of the water film and the initial thickness of the soil layer. The data were compared with the adhesive removal of viscoplastic soils proposed by Glover et al. (2016) with the momentum flow rate calculated using the results in Bhagat and Wilson (2016). The asymptotic approach to a cleaning limit observed in experiments with static nozzles required modification of the model: a semi-empirical term which represents the transition to a creeping regime is presented. The modified model allowed results obtained using static nozzles to predict the shape of the region cleaned by a jet from a similar nozzle moving across a soiled plate. The influence of process conditions on model parameters is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To design, manufacture, and evaluate a dynamic magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography (MRI/CT)‐compatible anthropomorphic thorax phantom used to credential MR image‐guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) systems participating in NCI‐sponsored clinical trials. Method: The dynamic anthropomorphic thorax phantom was constructed from a water‐fillable acrylic shell that contained several internal structures representing radiation‐sensitive organs within the thoracic region. A custom MR/CT visible cylindrical insert was designed to simulate the left lung with a centrally located tumor target. The surrounding lung tissue was constructed from a heterogeneous in‐house mixture using petroleum jelly and miniature (2–4 mm diameter) styrofoam balls and the tumor structure was manufactured from liquid PVC plastic. An MR conditional pneumatic system was developed to allow the MRIgRT insert to move in similar inhale/exhale motions. TLDs and radiochromic EBT3 film were inserted into the phantom to measure absolute point doses and dose distributions, respectively. The dynamic MRIgRT thorax phantom was evaluated through a reproducibility study and a feasibility study. Comprehensive end‐to‐end examinations were done where the phantom was imaged on a CT, an IMRT treatment plan was created and an MR image was captured to verify treatment setup. Then, the phantom was treated on an MRIgRT system. The reproducibility study evaluated how well the phantom could be reproduced in an MRIgRT system by irradiating three times on an Elekta's 1.5 T Unity system. The phantom was shipped to three independent institutions and was irradiated on either an MRIdian cobalt‐60 (60Co) or an MRIdian linear accelerator system. Treatment evaluations used TLDs and radiochromic film to compare the planned treatment reported on the treatment planning software against the measured dose on the dosimeters. Results: The phantom on the Unity system had reproducible TLD doses measurements (SD < 1.5%). The measured TLD to calculated dose ratios from the reproducibility and feasibility studies ranged from 0.93 to 1.01 and 0.96 to 1.03, respectively. Using a 7%/5 mm gamma analysis criteria, the reproducibility and feasibility studies resulted in an average passing rate of 93.3% and 96.8%, respectively. No difference was noted in the results between the MRIdian 60Co and MRIdian 6 MV linac delivery to the phantom and all treatment evaluations were within IROC‐Houston's acceptable criterion. Conclusions: A dosimetrically tissue equivalent, CT/MR visible, motion‐enabled anthropomorphic MRIgRT thorax phantom was constructed to simulate a lung cancer patient and was evaluated as an appropriate NIH credentialing tool used for MRIgRT systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montmorillonite organoclay, in different amounts (between 1 to 5 wt %), was incorporated into the petrolatum using mechanical stirring and sonication process. Anti-corrosive properties of the compounded nanocomposites were investigated using salt spray and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX) showed that the interlayer spacing of clays was increased after addition of petrolatum resin along with applying shear force and ultrasounication. Electrochemical analyses showed improvement in the barrier and anti-corrosive characteristics of formulated nanocomposite coatings. The best performance of formulated coatings was achieved with coating containing 1 wt % clay concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]