Search Results (219)

Background: Psoriasis is the most common inflammatory skin disease, driven by cytokines including IL-12, IL-17, and TNF-α. Patients are frequently colonised with Candida spp., while vitamin D₃ deficiency has been implicated in psoriasis pathogenesis and severity. This study compared oral Candida colonisation in patients with psoriasis and healthy controls, evaluated the relationship between vitamin D₃ levels and disease severity, and assessed IL-12, IL-17, and TNF-α expression in oral mucosal cells. Methods: Fifty-nine patients with psoriasis and 32 healthy controls were enrolled. Psoriasis severity was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Body Surface Area (BSA). Oral swabs were collected for Candida spp. culture, and serum vitamin D₃ levels were measured. Cytokine expression in oral mucosal cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantified using digital image analysis. Results: Lower serum vitamin D₃ levels were associated with greater psoriasis severity. Oral mucosal colonisation by Candida spp. did not differ between patients and controls and was not associated with vitamin D₃ levels or psoriasis severity. IL-12 and IL-17 expression was increased in patients with psoriasis compared with controls. IL-12 expression was higher in severe than mild psoriasis, while TNF-α expression was elevated in patients with more severe disease. Conclusions: In this cohort, no significant association was observed between oral Candida colonisation and psoriasis severity or the local cytokine response. In contrast, vitamin D₃ deficiency was associated with more severe disease. Increased oral mucosal expression of IL-12, IL-17, and TNF-α indicates the presence of a local inflammatory response within the oral mucosa, which may be consistent with the concept of psoriasis as an inflammatory disorder extending beyond the skin. Full article

The three-dimensional (3D) documentation of the Similaun mummy (Ötzi the Iceman) and the associated Copper Age equipment and clothing presents unique challenges due to diverse material properties and strict conservation constraints. This study presents a comprehensive digital preservation workflow, primarily utilizing Structure from Motion (SfM) close-range photogrammetry (a method that reconstructs precise 3D geometry from overlapping 2D digital photographs), integrated with Image-Based Modeling (IBM) and Neural Radiance Field (NeRF) algorithms (a machine learning approach that models a complex scene as a continuous volumetric function method). To overcome the non-Lambertian properties of the mummy’s protective ice layer and wet skin (surfaces that reflect light specularly rather than diffusely, creating glares that can disorient standard reconstruction algorithms), a specialized Polarized Light Photography (PLP) strategy was implemented using custom-built hardware. This integration required advanced anatomical segmentation to resolve postural discrepancies caused by taphonomic processes. The resulting web-based application provides the scientific community with a metrically accurate digital twin, featuring interactive tools for cross-sectioning and X-ray visualization. By adopting a Free/Libre and Open-Source Software (FLOSS) ecosystem, this project establishes a sustainable, modular framework for future forensic investigations and diachronic monitoring, ensuring the long-term digital life of one of the world’s most significant archaeological finds. Full article

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a versatile biofabrication strategy that enables the precise, spatiotemporally controlled co-deposition of living cells, biomaterials, and bioactive agents, including growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular matrix (ECM) components, into geometrically defined 3D constructs. By translating digital design models derived from computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computational modeling directly into physical tissue architectures, 3D bioprinting facilitates the assembly of hierarchically organized constructs that closely recapitulate the structural, mechanical, and functional characteristics of native tissues. The principal 3D bioprinting strategies are broadly classified into scaffold-based and scaffold-free approaches. Engineered bioinks, whether formulated as cell-laden natural, synthetic, or composite polymer hydrogels, tissue-derived decellularized ECM (dECM) components, or pure cellular spheroids and organoids, constitute the cornerstone of these biofabrication platforms. Scaffold-based 3D bioprinting comprises extrusion-based, droplet-based (inkjet and drop-on-demand), light-based vat photopolymerization (stereolithography and digital light processing), and laser-assisted bioprinting based on laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT). Each of these modalities imposes distinct constraints on bioink rheology, crosslinking mechanisms, spatial resolution, throughput, and post-printing cell viability; consequently, a specific 3D bioprinting strategy is selected according to the specific requirements of the target tissue application. Scaffold-free 3D bioprinting and bioassembly techniques, including the Kenzan method, aspiration-assisted bioprinting, magnetic bioprinting, and other field-directed tissue assembly approaches, enable the fabrication of spheroid- and organoid-based constructs without the necessity for exogenous biomaterial scaffolds. Because native tissues exhibit diversity in cellular composition, ECM architecture, mechanical properties, and physiological function, no individual bioprinting platform or bioink formulation serves as a universal 3D bioprinting solution. The engineering of biomimetic tissue constructs, therefore, requires the selection of application-tailored fabrication approaches. Under this biofabrication paradigm, 3D bioprinting has been applied across a wide range of tissue engineering targets, including skin, bone, cartilage, osteochondral interfaces, cardiac and vascular tissue, neural structures, ocular, dental, and adipose tissue. This review discusses recent advances in scaffold-based and scaffold-free 3D bioprinting applications for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine across diverse tissue systems. Full article

Background: Treatment of the lower face with botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) is particularly challenging because of the important functional roles of the involved muscles, which increases the risk of adverse events and complications. Methods: To address this issue, a panel of 14 experts conducted a three-round consensus study, including digital surveys and a formal meeting, on the aesthetic treatment of the mentalis (MT), depressor anguli oris (DAO), and platysma (PL) muscles using BoNT-A. The study was complemented by a literature review of 16 international consensus papers published between 2004 and 2024. Results: The primary indications for MT treatment that achieved strong consensus were “peau d’orange” (“golf ball”) chin appearance and hyperactivity. The Italian panel recommended a mean total dose of 8 U (distributed bilaterally), which was higher than the international mean dose of 6.5 U. The preferred injection technique consisted of a combination of intramuscular and intradermal injections. For the DAO, the strongest indication was correction of downturned oral commissures. Both the Italian panel and the international consensus reported a mean total dose of 5.6 U. Most experts (92.8%) preferred intramuscular injections, typically administered at a single injection point lateral to the marionette line in order to remain within a safe treatment zone and avoid diffusion to the depressor labii inferioris muscle. Indications for PL treatment included platysmal bands, jawline recontouring, and improvement of skin texture. The techniques discussed included treatment of both platysmal bands and the jawline. The consensus panel recommended a significantly higher mean total dose (48.4 U) than the international average (38.2 U). The paper also highlights the growing importance of ultrasound imaging as a tool for identifying individual anatomical variations in the lower facial musculature. Conclusions: As the demand for lower face rejuvenation continues to increase, standardized injection techniques and the integration of ultrasound imaging are essential for minimizing functional complications and optimizing aesthetic outcomes. Full article

Deep lower-crustal detachments may control the development of fold-and-thrust belts, but their seismic expression and role in upper–lower-crustal deformation partitioning remain poorly constrained. Here, we present a 2-D deep seismic reflection profile across the thick-skinned segment of the eastern Sichuan fold-and-thrust belt near the Enshi fault, integrated with regional shear-wave velocity, Vp/Vs, and magnetotelluric resistivity constraints. The profile images a segmented upper-crustal fold–fault system above a continuous, high-amplitude laminated reflective zone in the lower crust. This zone, consisting of closely spaced, subhorizontal to gently dipping reflections, broadly coincides with reduced Vs, elevated Vp/Vs, and low resistivity along the Qiyueshan–Zhangjiajie structural corridor. We interpret this zone as a fluid-bearing ductile shear zone that likely acted as the main lower-crustal décollement during regional shortening, enabling rheological decoupling between fault-related folding in the brittle upper crust and ductile shearing in the lower crust. From an exploration perspective, this décollement and its associated anomalies define a deep structural corridor that may have controlled long-distance fluid transport and upward fluid focusing, providing a critical framework for regional mineral exploration along the eastern Sichuan fold-and-thrust belt. Full article

Background: Epicutaneous patch testing is the gold standard for diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), yet its interpretation relies on subjective scoring and remains prone to inter-observer variability. Aim: In this study, we present a machine learning pipeline that complements subjective scoring with objective bioengineering measurements derived from the Antera 3D imaging system. Methods: A dataset of skin reactions was analyzed, with particular attention to how the data was split to avoid information leakage between patients. For this reason, methods such as GroupShuffleSplit and GroupKFold, which account for patient-level clustering, were used. Results: Of the models tested, the Random Forest classifier showed the best overall performance, with an AUC of 0.861 (95% CI: 0.830–0.888) on patient data that had not been used during training, outperforming the Multi-Layer Perceptron model. The incorporation of additional features that capture changes between 48 and 72 h improved the results even further, raising the AUC to 0.902 and achieving a very high sensitivity of 96.8%. Conclusions: Overall, the results show that objective biophysical measurements derived from the Antera 3D imaging system can be combined with machine-learning techniques for objective patch-test assessment. Incorporating temporal changes between the 48- and 72-h readings further improved model performance, suggesting that temporal changes provide additional information beyond single-time-point measurements. Full article

Background: Cutaneous microcirculation is crucial for skin appearance and rejuvenation, influencing color, luminosity and texture. Aging reduces microcirculation and alters skin color parameters. This study investigated the long-term effects of intradermal CellBooster^® Lift (CBL), a mechanically stabilized hyaluronic acid complex enriched with amino acids and vitamins, on skin microcirculation, color, and aesthetics in healthy adults. This study was registered at clinicaltrial.gov (NCT06000839). Methods: 36 women and 4 men aged 35–55 received three intradermal injections of 3 mL CBL across the face at two-week intervals. Cutaneous microcirculation was assessed using a PeriFlux 5000^® laser Doppler system at 7 and 84 days post-treatment. Skin color parameters, including lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellow-blue component (b*), individual typology angle (ITA°), individual whitening angle (IWA°), color homogeneity (H76), saturation, and luminance-saturation ratio, were analyzed using Visia^® CR 2D imaging. Aesthetic improvement was evaluated by both participants and medical practitioners using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). Results: At 84 days post-treatment, CBL significantly enhanced cutaneous microcirculation and induced favorable changes in all measured skin color parameters: L*, ITA°, IWA°, and luminance-saturation ratio increased, while a*, b*, H76, and saturation decreased in women, but no changes were seen in men. No significant differences were observed between female age groups. On the GAIS, approximately 70–73% of participants reported improvement or significant improvement, while medical practitioners rated improvement in up to 93% of cases. Conclusions: Intradermal CBL administration improves cutaneous microcirculation and skin color characteristics, contributing to a more youthful appearance in adults aged 35–55, with consistent effects across age groups and high subjective and clinical aesthetic ratings. Full article

Quantifying the spatial distribution of immune cells within intact skin tissue is essential for understanding diseases such as vitiligo, in which CD8⁺ T cells selectively destroy epidermal melanocytes within the discrete, parallelogram-shaped epidermal compartments of mouse tail skin, which we term scales. Existing workflows rely on manual region drawing, which is labor-intensive and operator-dependent. Here we present ScaleNet, a three-stage deep-learning pipeline for automated per-scale quantification of whole-mount immunofluorescent images, implemented as an Imaris XTension to enable seamless integration with existing 3D imaging workflows. ScaleNet (i) encodes a 3D confocal volume as a pseudo-RGB projection that preserves height information lost by standard maximum-intensity projection, (ii) applies two independently trained Detectron2 Mask R-CNN models—one for epidermal scales and one for hair follicles—with sliced inference (SAHI) to segment whole-mount images at full resolution, and (iii) maps the resulting 2D mask back into the Imaris 3D coordinate system to quantify user-defined Spot objects per scale. Applied to vitiligo mice imaging, ScaleNet produced per-scale counts of CD8⁺ T cells and DCT⁺ melanocytes, enabling unbiased spatial statistics in the tail epidermis, demonstrating that ScaleNet can provide the quantitative spatial resolution needed to dissect the micro-anatomical dynamics of autoimmune depigmentation. Full article

Introduction: Fish skin is the first line of defense against the aquatic environment, acting as a physical, chemical, and immunological barrier. In addition to preventing pathogen entry, the skin and its mucus contribute to osmoregulation, innate immunity, and redox balance. Skin lesions—caused by mechanical damage, parasites, environmental stress, or handling—disrupt this barrier, increasing susceptibility to infections, inflammation, and production losses. Thus, efficient skin regeneration is essential for fish welfare and performance. Nutrition plays a key role in this process by providing substrates for epithelial repair, immune function, and antioxidant defense. Among dietary factors, zinc (Zn) is particularly important due to its involvement in cell proliferation, enzymatic activity, and maintenance of skin integrity. Objective: Our objective is to assess the effectiveness of image-based analysis in quantifying the skin healing process in Atlantic salmon fed diets supplemented with zinc. Methodology: The trial comprised three dietary treatments: a control diet with 42 mg Zn per kg (D1), and two diets supplemented up to 120 mg/kg of zinc, derived from inorganic (D2) or organic (D3) forms. Pit-tagged fish with an initial body weight (78 ± 0.1 g) were fed the diets for 75 days. After 15 days of experimental feeding, a standardized wound lesion (2.5 mm diameter × 0.5 mm depth) was inflicted in deeply anesthetized fish, with a disposable biopsy punch, in the dorsal area. After wound infliction, the fish resumed their normal feeding regime for the rest of the trial days. The progression of skin wound healing was assessed using standardized digital image analysis. High-resolution photographs of individual wounds were collected 8, 16, 24 and 32 days post-wounding. All images were acquired under standardized conditions with the inclusion of ArUco identifiers to enable a subsequent computer-assisted comparison. Morphometric parameters (wound width, diameter, perimeter and area) were used to assess wound contraction and closure over time. In parallel, a semi-quantitative visual scoring system was applied to each wound image to capture qualitative aspects of healing that are not fully described by morphometric data alone. Results: Full data analysis is currently underway, but the first results show beneficial effects of dietary zinc supplementation on the skin regenerative process. Conclusions: The combined use of objective digital measurements and standardized visual scoring enabled a comprehensive evaluation of wound healing progress, bridging quantitative tissue remodeling with biologically relevant phenotypic outcomes. This image-based framework provides a sensitive and reproducible approach for assessing dietary interventions targeting skin regeneration and barrier restoration in Atlantic salmon. Full article

This paper focuses on the significant potential of specific optical non-invasive methods, such as digital holographic microscopy, digital speckle pattern interferometry, and digital holographic interferometry, as scientific and technological tools for retrieving physical and biomechanical parameters embedded in the optical phase of laser-illuminated biomedical samples. These techniques take advantage of the laser speckle phenomena observed when non-specular surfaces are illuminated, enabling whole-field measurements and reconstruction of 3D images. Their versatility in implementation and application has led to advances in various fields of research and has broadened our understanding in both the basic and applied sciences. In clinical environments, the aforementioned quantitative optical studies are particularly valuable for understanding the behavior of biological samples, as they allow precise characterization of deformations, displacements, stress, strain, refractive index, and morphological features. Applications presented span from soft to hard tissues at both micro- and macro-scales, with results obtained from vocal cords, skin tissues, melanoma cells, and teeth. Furthermore, this overview provides a general perspective of some current speckle-based approaches and their growing relevance in biomedical research. Full article

Polyphenol-rich botanical extracts have emerged as promising nutricosmetic interventions against signs of skin aging. Fruit polyphenols improve skin appearance, while biotin plays a recognized role in keratin synthesis and hair follicle metabolism, yet their combined effects have not been evaluated. This study assessed the effects of a red- and blackcurrant polyphenol with biotin supplement (RiboBeauty^®) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Fifty-four women were randomized, and fifty-two were eligible for the efficacy analyses (Placebo, n = 27; Supplement, n = 25). Over 12 weeks, wrinkle morphology and skin roughness were quantified by 3D imaging and hair shedding by a combing test. For skin roughness, mean local peak-to-peak amplitude (Stm) showed significant within-group reductions in the supplement group at D56 (−4.897%; p = 0.0489) and D84 (−6.558%; p = 0.0491), without significant between-group differences. Hair shedding was significantly lower in the Supplement group versus Placebo at D28 (−30.90%; p = 0.0203) and D56 (−41.58%; p = 0.0158), although the treatment × time interaction was not significant. The crow’s feet wrinkle area showed numerically (but non-statistically significant) lower values in the supplement group than in the placebo group at all post-baseline visits. Overall, these findings indicate a favorable efficacy signal, while the limited demonstration of statistically significant placebo superiority across the main skin outcomes warrants cautious interpretation. Full article

This study investigates the composition, morphology and cultural significance of red pigment traces identified on bone pointed tools discovered in the Chalcolithic tell settlement of Pietrele–Măgura Gorgana, attributed to the Kodjadermen–Gumelnița–Karanovo VI cultural complex (4600–4250 BC). The observed use-wear patterns are consistent with repeated contact with soft, non-abrasive materials, including hide working, pigment application on leather or other organic surfaces, fiber manipulation, and perforation of soft substrates. Use-wear analysis revealed polished and flattened distal ends, compatible with repeated use on soft, non-abrasive materials, such as hide, leather, fiber, or other organic substrates. The possibility of pigment application directly on skin, in a practice analogous to tattooing, as previously published, cannot be excluded but remains speculative in the absence of experimental reference data or residue evidence specifically linked to such use. An associated ceramic container was tentatively interpreted as a possible vessel for ochre preparation, suggesting local processing of the pigment. The artifacts were investigated using multi-analytical archaeometric methods: SEM-EDS, AFM, TEM, FTIR, Raman, TGA, CLSM and pseudo-color image segmentation and 3D rendering of porosity distribution. The results consistently identified an iron oxide-based pigment, dominated by hematite and/or goethite, specific to ochre. Pigment particles (50–300 nm) form a well-defined superficial layer on the bone substrate, without Fe–Ca reactions at the interface. The simultaneous presence of Ca, P, Si, Mg and K indicates a silicate matrix with an apatite component, compatible with local and poorly purified raw materials. CIELAB colorimetric analyses revealed significant chromatic variability, suggesting the use of hematite-rich pigments and possible thermal transformations of goethite. The results contribute to the understanding of the pigment technologies of the Chalcolithic communities of the Lower Danube. Full article

Conventional cosmetic human studies rely on pre–post mean comparisons, which have limitations in explaining where and how facial skin changes occur. This pilot single-arm study proposed a privacy-preserving three-dimensional (3D) facial mesh mapping framework and demonstrated its application using an illustrative dataset obtained from participants who used a polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN)-containing cosmetic. Twenty-two participants underwent facial skin assessments before and after product use. Conventional analysis included pre–post comparisons of elasticity-related parameters. Additionally, 3D facial images obtained via stereophotogrammetry were converted into de-identified mesh surfaces, spatially aligned between time points, and visualized using color-coded heatmaps. For each participant, the left facial panel displayed changes in a skin hydration permittivity index, while the right panel displayed changes in the R2 gross elasticity parameter (Ua/Uf). Overall mean values tended to increase after product use; however, the 3D visualization revealed heterogeneous spatial patterns undetectable via mean values. This method improved spatial matching, enabled intuitive regional comparison, and reduced privacy concerns by removing identifiable facial features. The privacy-preserving 3D facial mesh mapping (P3DMM) framework may serve as a complementary tool for cosmetic human studies, enabling the generation of structured, de-identified spatial datasets for future skin response research. Full article

To address the recognition challenges caused by blurred state boundaries and the limitations of single monitoring modalities during aircraft skin laser paint stripping, this study proposes a multimodal data fusion method for state recognition based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and surface imaging. By constructing a synchronous monitoring platform, a dataset covering five key physical states, namely topcoat (Tc), topcoat–primer transition (Tc-Pr), primer (Pr), primer–substrate transition (Pr-As), and substrate damage (As), was established. The proposed gated weighted multimodal fusion network (PGMF-Net) employs SE-ResNet1D to capture variations in elemental composition features from the spectra and integrates ResNet18 to extract changes in surface morphology from the images. The experimental results show that the proposed model outperforms the single-modal methods as well as the compared early-fusion and late-fusion methods, achieving a recognition accuracy of 94.12% on the test set and an average accuracy of 94.87% in stratified cross-validation. The bootstrap-based confidence interval analysis further verifies the stability of this method under the current dataset conditions. Further analysis indicates that the single-spectrum model has difficulty effectively distinguishing coating transition states because different transition states contain identical or highly similar characteristic peak information. The single-vision model, however, shows insufficient sensitivity to subtle substrate damage, whereas multimodal fusion enables complementary representation of material composition information and surface morphological information. Experimental validation under different power conditions further confirms that the model outputs are generally consistent with the macroscopic morphological evolution observed on the sample surface. This method compensates for the limitations of traditional single-source monitoring and provides a methodological foundation for online monitoring and state feedback during the laser paint stripping process. Full article

This work presents a noninvasive imaging method to locate veins using a tuned microwave loop resonator. It offers a low-cost, fast, and effective solution to the challenges in venipuncture. The sensor features a loop resonator with a 5.2 mm radius, incorporating a self-tuning mechanism, and operates at 2.408 GHz with a reflection coefficient of −48.77 dB. It generates localized high-intensity electric fields that penetrate tissues to sufficient depths, enabling the detection of veins based on shifts in resonant frequencies that are induced by the varied dielectric properties of blood vessels. Two-dimensional raster scan simulations of the cephalic and median cubital veins yielded a ∼25 MHz downward resonant-frequency shift between vein and non-vein positions, with the median cubital vein still detectable at depths up to 6 mm. To quantify generalization to real tissues, a decision tree classifier trained on 63 simulation samples and evaluated on 335 in vivo measurements achieved 82.09% classification accuracy (sensitivity 81.25%, specificity 83.02%), demonstrating that the simulation-derived frequency contrast transfers reliably to experimental data despite inter-subject tissue variability. Extensive tests conducted demonstrate the sensor’s effectiveness, producing consistent and distinguishable frequency shifts when the sensor moves on the skin across veins. This technology holds significant promise for improving venipuncture accuracy, minimizing complications, and enhancing patient comfort. Full article