Maria Crisan

Green synthesis, characterization and anti-inflammatory activity of silver nanoparticles using European black elderberry fruits extract

This research aimed at reporting the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effects of some new biomaterials based on silver nanoparticles and polyphenols rich natural extracts. A fast and eco-friendly extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), using European black elderberry (Sambucus nigra - SN, Adoxaceae family) fruit extracts was developed. The phytosynthesized nanoparticles exhibited an absorbance peak at 426nm, characteristic for AgNPs and their sizes were ranged from 20 to 80nm. The anti-inflammatory properties of AgNPs were assessed in vitro on HaCaT cells exposed to UVB radiation, in vivo on acute inflammation model and in humans on psoriasis lesions. In vitro, our results demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of functionalized AgNPs by the decrease of cytokines production induced by UVB irradiation. In vivo, the pre-administration of AgNPs reduced the edema and cytokines levels in the paw tissues, early after the induction of inflammation. The present study also demonstrated the possible use of synthesized AgNPs for the treatment of psoriasis lesions.

Expression of advanced glycation end-products on sun-exposed and non-exposed cutaneous sites during the ageing process in humans.

The glycation process is involved in both the intrinsic (individual, genetic) and extrinsic (ultraviolet light, polution and lifestyle) aging processes, and can be quantified at the epidermal or dermal level by histological, immunohistochemical (IHC), or imagistic methods. Our study is focused on a histological and immunohistological comparison of sun-protected regions versus sun-exposed regions from different age groups of skin phototype III subjects, related to the aging process. Skin samples collected from non-protected and UV protected regions of four experimental groups with different ages, were studied using histology and IHC methods for AGE-CML [N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine]. A semi-quantitative assessment of the CML expression in the microvascular endothelium and dermal fibroblasts was performed. The Pearson one-way ANOVA was used to compare data between the groups. In the dermis of sun-exposed skin, the number and the intensity of CML positive cells in both fibroblasts and endothelial cells (p<0.05) was higher compared to sun-protected skin, and was significantly increased in older patients. The sun-exposed areas had a more than 10% higher AGE-CML score than the protected areas. No statistically significant correlation was observed between the histological score and the IHC expression of CML. We concluded that in healthy integument, the accumulation of final glycation products increases with age and is amplified by ultraviolet exposure. The study provides new knowledge on differences of AGE-CML between age groups and protected and unprotected areas and emphasizes that endothelium and perivascular area are most affected, justifying combined topical and systemic therapies.

Biomedical signal processing and modeling complexity of living systems 2014.

Living systems are often maintained by information flows and, as such, they present interesting mathematical problems for example, in the modeling and analysis of spatial structures, self-organization, environmental interaction, behavior, and development. Biomedical signals extract information from the complex phenomena being measured, which are typically a time series having both a regular and random components. Solutions attempt to map general principles, which are used to model how the living systems work. Many researchers have been studying these problems because of their interesting mathematical features and because of their scientific importance. The focus of this special issue is the mathematical analysis and modeling of time series in living systems and biomedical signals. It is mostly interested in the related new development of both theoretical study and practical implementation, either with modeling, complexity, statistics, or signal transformation in living systems. The papers selected for this special issue represent a good panel in recent challenges. The topics of the research papers and review papers are connected with the living systems and biomedical signals, including modeling dynamical complexity in living systems, for example, network dynamics, mass action, dynamical systems theory, methods for analysis and characterization of dynamical complexity, biomedical signal analysis such as mathematical pattern analysis of biological signals, generative mechanisms of biological signal patterning, implementation of signal analysis algorithms, linking biological structure to biological signal generation, and intracellular signal processing, as well as related models and applications, such as systems theory, biological organization, and biomedical information processing. This special issue contains 31 papers. In the category of modeling dynamical complexity, L. Sena et al. present a fuzzy model to interpret data of drive performances from patients with sleep deprivation. S. Chen et al. review the modeling of biological intelligence for supply chain management system optimization. M. Li presents approximating ideal filters by systems of fractional order. L. T. Ko et al. present nested quantization index modulation for reversible watermarking and its application to healthcare information management systems. C. Cattani studies on the existence of wavelet symmetries in Archaea DNA. A. Ciancio and C. Cattani present separable transition density in the hybrid model for tumor-immune competition. Q. Guan et al. present solid dynamic models for analysis of stress and strain in human hearts. G. Xiong et al. present theorems and application of local activity of CNN with five state variables and one port. L. Fanea et al. present theoretical compartment modeling of DCE-MRI data based on the transport across physiological barriers in the brain. M. Crisan et al. present a multicriteria optimization model for the study of the efficacy of skin antiaging therapy. In the category of methods for analysis of dynamical complexity, L. Xu et al. present high resolution remotely sensed small target detection by imitating fly visual perception mechanism. J. Zhang et al. present target contour recovering for tracking people in complex environments. M. Li and W. Zhao present a report on CPNs for asymptotic identity in min-plus algebra. M. Xu and C. Wei present remotely sensed image classification by complex network eigenvalue and connected-degree. J. Wen et al. present a batch rival penalized expectation-maximization algorithm for Gaussian mixture clustering with automatic model selection. M. Strbac and D. Popovic show a software tool for the prosthetic foot modeling and stiffness optimization. T. Carletti and A. Filisetti present the stochastic evolution of a protocell: the Gillespie algorithm in a dynamically varying volume. In the category of biomedical signal analysis, S. Chen and X. Li review the annual progress of functional magnetic resonance imaging for imaging neural activity in the human brain. H. C. Hsin et al. present an adaptive coding pass scanning algorithm for optimal rate control in biomedical images. I. Chiorean et al. present a medicoeconomic index for photo-induced skin cancers. C. Vicas et al. present the influence of expert dependent variability over the performance of noninvasive fibrosis assessment at patients with chronic hepatitis C, by the means of texture analysis. G. Nut et al. present a finite element method applied to a problem of blood flow in vessels. S. Chen et al. summarize recent advances in morphological cell image analysis. C. Yao et al. present motion analysis of live objects by super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. H. Castillejos et al. present wavelet transform fuzzy algorithms for dermoscopic image segmentation. D. A. Mitrea et al. present abdominal tumor characterization and recognition using superior order cooccurrence matrices, based on ultrasound images. Q. Guan et al. present a method for modeling and representation of human hearts for volumetric measurement. X. Li et al. present characteristics of evoked potential multiple EEG recordings in patients with chronic pain by means of parallel factor analysis. A. I. Mitrea et al. present iterative methods for obtaining energy-minimizing parametric snakes, with application to medical imaging. K. Lu et al. present nonlocal means based denoising for medical images. K. T. Q. Dang et al. present detecting epileptic seizure from scalp EEG using Lyapunov spectrum. Of 67 submissions, 31 papers are selected in this special issue. Of course, the topics and papers are not an exhaustive representation of the area of biomedical signal processing and modeling complexity of living systems. It can be seen that although some solutions and models become available, most problems remain open and research is highly active in this field. In the near future, we expect more contributions that will address all of the key aspects raised above. Nonetheless, the special issue represents the recent concerns in the community and we have the pleasure of sharing them with the readers.

New nanomaterials for the improvement of psoriatic lesions

The main purpose of the present paper is to emphasize the non-invasive effect of some new prepared nanomaterials on skin diseases (psoriasis) together with the procedures to obtain them. These new materials are based on gold nanoparticles and natural compounds extracted from native plants of the Adoxaceae family (European cranberrybush -Viburnum opulus L. and European black elderberry -Sambucus nigra L.) and possess a known anti-inflammatory activity mainly due to their high content of anthocyanins and other polyphenols. The nanomaterials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Studies in vivo and in vitro were made in order to determine the toxicity of the products. Based on the obtained nanomaterials, specific dermatological creams were prepared. Their effect on psoriatic lesions, in comparison with the hydrocortisone creams, was studied.

The role of vitamin C in pushing back the boundaries of skin aging: an ultrasonographic approach.

Background Imagistic methods stand as modern, non-invasive, and objective means of assessing the impact of topical cutaneous therapies. Objective This study focuses on the evaluation, by high-frequency ultrasound, of the cutaneous changes induced by topical use of a vitamin C complex at facial level. Methods A vitamin C-based solution/Placebo moisturizer cream was applied at facial level of 60 healthy female subjects according to a predetermined protocol. Ultrasonographic images (Dermascan C, 20 MHz) were taken from zygomatic level initially, at 40 and 60 days after therapy. The following parameters were assessed for every subject: thickness of the epidermis and dermis (mm), the number of low (LEP), medium (MEP), high echogenic pixels (HEP), and the number of LEP in the upper dermis/lower dermis (LEPs/LEPi). Results LEP decreased significantly in all age categories during and after therapy, but especially in the first 2 age intervals, up to the age of 50 (P=0.0001). MEP and HEP, pixel categories that quantify protein synthesis also had an age-dependent evolution in the study, increasing significantly in all age categories but most of all in the first age interval (P=0.002). Our ultrasonographic data suggest that collagen synthesis increased significantly after topical vitamin C therapy, and is responsible for the increase in MEP and HEP and consequent decrease of the LEP. Conclusion Our study shows that topically applied vitamin C is highly efficient as a rejuvenation therapy, inducing significant collagen synthesis in all age groups with minimal side effects.

Modelling cutaneous senescence process

During the last years, skin aging has become an area of increasing research interest. High frequency ultrasound allows the “in vivo” appreciation of certain histological parameters and offers new characteristic markers, which may quantify the severity of the cutaneous senescence process. This paper focuses on measuring the changes in skin thickness and dermis echogenicity , as part of the complex ageing process, on different intervals of age. In particular by using a multiscale approach we will compute some parameters which are connected with complexity (fractal structure) of skin ageing.

Ultrasonographic assessment of the cutaneous changes induced by topical flavonoid therapy

Ultrasonography allows the quantification of dermal density and echogenicity changes during the physiological senescence process. Some active ingredients are able to slow down the tissular degeneration and disorganization process. The purpose of this study was to assess the cutaneous changes induced by the topical use of products containing Viniferol® as active ingredient, using high-frequency ultrasound. The study was performed over 12 weeks and included 80 healthy Caucasian female subjects, aged 22–75 years, divided into two groups: the study group and the control group. The product was applied according to a predetermined protocol. The measurements performed for each subject were: the thickness of the epidermis and dermis (mm), the number of low, medium, and high echogenic pixels, and the number of low echogenic pixels in the upper dermis/number of low echogenic pixels in the lower dermis. All the parameters showed a significant improvement. Ultrasound measurements showed an increase of the mean thickness of the epidermis (P < 0.0001) and dermis (P < 0.0001) following the application of the Viniferol product as compared to the control group. The changes in the dermal echogenicity confirm the efficacy and direct action of Viniferol upon the cutaneous fibroblasts. No side effects related to the treatment were recorded. The study proves the efficacy of this active ingredient in the cutaneous senescence process as well, as the fact that anti-aging prophylaxis should be initiated in the 20–40 year critical age group. This interval involves specific changes in dermal echogenicity that quantify intense molecular, biochemical and structural changes, being thus mostly and highly responsive to the anti-aging therapy.

Computer-assisted identification of the gingival sulcus and periodontal epithelial junction on high-frequency ultrasound images.

UNLABELLED The primary aim of this study was to demonstrate that periodontal ultrasonography is a reliable method with which to identify and evaluate the attachment level of the gingival junctional epithelium. A secondary aim was to devise an automated computer-assisted method that allows the examiner to more easily identify the gingival sulcus contour on ultrasound images. MATERIAL AND METHODS This in vitro study was carried out on 36 sites on the lingual surface of eight pig mandibles. For each site, periodontal ultrasonography was performed by the same examiner, using DermaScan C Cortex Technology (Denmark) with a 20-MHz transducer. Subsequently, the mandibles were sectioned with a microtome and examined by direct microscopy. To facilitate identification of the gingival sulcus on ultrasound images, a computational method was adopted. RESULTS Computer processing of the ultrasound images slightly modified the contour of the gingival sulcus. The absolute mean differences in the linear measurements of the Dermascan-automated computer-generated values and the corresponding values of microscopy, which is the gold standard, varied between 0.06 and 1.75 mm. Statistical analysis showed that with respect to the gingival sulcus height, the correlation between the computer-processed ultrasound images and the direct microscopy images was stronger than the correlation between the non-processed ultrasound images and those from direct microscopy. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasonographic examination of the periodontal tissues allows the examiner to localize the gingival epithelial attachment level and provides substantial data regarding the soft gingival tissues.

Fractal analysis of elastographic images for automatic detection of diffuse diseases of salivary glands: preliminary results.

The geometry of some medical images of tissues, obtained by elastography and ultrasonography, is characterized in terms of complexity parameters such as the fractal dimension (FD). It is well known that in any image there are very subtle details that are not easily detectable by the human eye. However, in many cases like medical imaging diagnosis, these details are very important since they might contain some hidden information about the possible existence of certain pathological lesions like tissue degeneration, inflammation, or tumors. Therefore, an automatic method of analysis could be an expedient tool for physicians to give a faultless diagnosis. The fractal analysis is of great importance in relation to a quantitative evaluation of “real-time” elastography, a procedure considered to be operator dependent in the current clinical practice. Mathematical analysis reveals significant discrepancies among normal and pathological image patterns. The main objective of our work is to demonstrate the clinical utility of this procedure on an ultrasound image corresponding to a submandibular diffuse pathology.

Thrombophlebitis of the lateral chest wall (Mondor's disease)

Mondors disease is a rare condition, which involves the thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the breast and anterior chest wall. A 37-year-old woman presented with sudden onset of local pain and edema on her right chest wall, accompanied by a longitudinal retraction of the skin during arm abduction in the area. Clinical, histological and ultrasonographic findings confirmed Mondors disease and the treatment was symptomatic, using pain relievers and warm compresses. The symptomatology remitted within 2 weeks of therapy. Mondors disease is a rare condition where ultrasound complements the clinical evaluation and allows the characterization of certain abnormalities, which correlated with functional biochemical data and other procedures may substitute the need of biopsy.