Blue light-emitting diodes in hair regrowth: the first prospective study.

Different studies highlight photo-receptors' presence on the hair follicle that seems to be capable of eliciting hair growth. This study aims to demonstrate blue light's effectiveness on hair growth in patients affected by androgenetic alopecia. Twenty patients enrolled at Magna Graecia University Unit of Dermatology, affected by androgenetic alopecia, were treated with a blue LED light device at 417 ± 10 nm, fluence of 120 J/cm2, and power intensity of 60 mW/cm2 ± 20%. The treatments were performed twice a week for ten consecutive weeks. Patients were evaluated before and 1 month after the end of therapy clinically using standardized global photographs and dermoscopically estimating hair density and hair shaft width. An increase in hair density and hair shaft width was recorded in 90% of patients after 10 weeks. Photographic improvement was noted in 80% of the patients. No serious adverse events have been reported. The only side effect consisted in a darkening of the hair, perhaps due to melanic stimulation due to blue light in 2 patients. Blue light therapy is a promising therapy for patients affected by androgenetic alopecia and other diseases characterized by hair loss. Further studies will be necessary to confirm the findings of this preliminary study.

Effects of an automatic milking system on milk yield and quality of Mediterranean buffaloes.

A study was carried out to evaluate the effects of an automatic milking system (AMS) on milk yield and composition of buffalo (Mediterranean-type Bubalus bubalis) cows. Performed from January 2015 to December 2015 in an organic buffalo dairy farm equipped with both a traditional tandem milking parlor and an AMS, the study involved 90 primiparous buffaloes randomly allotted to a tandem or AMS group from 5 to 10 d of lactation onward. Number of milkings per day and daily milk yield of each cow were recorded, and individual milk sampling was carried out twice a month. Compared with the tandem, the AMS group showed significantly higher daily milk yield and persistence of lactation. Use of the AMS resulted in higher protein and casein contents, and lower somatic cell and total bacterial counts, whereas fat, freezing point, and pH were unaffected by the system. We conclude that, in terms of milk yield and quality, automatic milking may be a suitable alternative to conventional milking for buffaloes.

Effect of mechanical extraction parameters on the yield and quality of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) seed oil.

The aim of this study was to investigate how the combination of extraction parameters, such as extraction temperature seeds preheating and screw rotation speed, influenced the yield and chemical quality of tobacco seed oil (TSO). For its peculiar properties, TSO can be used for several purposes, as raw material in the manufacturing of soap, paints, resins, lubricants, biofuels and also as edible oil. TSO was obtained using a mechanical screw press and the quality of the oil was evaluated by monitoring the free fatty acids (FFA), the peroxide value (PV), the spectroscopic indices K232, K270 and ΔK and the fatty acid composition. The maximum extraction yield, expressed as percent of oil mechanically extracted respect to the oil content in the seeds, determined by solvent extraction, was obtained with the combination of the highest extraction temperature, the slowest screw rotation speed and seeds preheating. Under these conditions yield was 80.28 ± 0.33% (w/w), 25% higher than the lowest yield obtained among investigated conditions. The extraction temperature and seed preheating showed a significant effect on FFA, on spectroscopic indices K232, K270 and ΔK values. The average values of these parameters slightly increased rising the temperature and in presence of preheating, the screw rotation speed did not affect the chemical characteristic tested. In the extraction conditions investigated no significant changes in PV and fatty acids composition of oil were observed.

Unconventional use of intense pulsed light.

According to the literature, intense pulsed light (IPL) represents a versatile tool in the treatment of some dermatological conditions (i.e., pigmentation disorders, hair removal, and acne), due to its wide range of wavelengths. The authors herein report on 58 unconventional but effective uses of IPL in several cutaneous diseases, such as rosacea (10 cases), port-wine stain (PWS) (10 cases), disseminated porokeratosis (10 cases), pilonidal cyst (3 cases), seborrheic keratosis (10 cases), hypertrophic scar (5 cases) and keloid scar (5 cases), Becker's nevus (2 cases), hidradenitis suppurativa (2 cases), and sarcoidosis (1 case). Our results should suggest that IPL could represent a valid therapeutic support and option by providing excellent outcomes and low side effects, even though it should be underlined that the use and the effectiveness of IPL are strongly related to the operator's experience (acquired by attempting at least one specific course on the use of IPL and one-year experience in a specialized centre). Moreover, the daily use of these devices will surely increase clinical experience and provide new information, thus enhancing long-term results and improving IPL effectiveness.

Cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus: a follow-up study.

We evaluated outcome and the clinical value of cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fifty-one consecutive SLE subjects with or without overt nervous system involvement received two comprehensive neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological assessments, including the Mental Deterioration Battery, the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and tests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. The two neuropsychological assessments were made when subjects were in stable neurological condition. Twenty-seven patients were found to have neuropsychiatric symptoms (NP-SLE) at the first assessment, and three others developed them during the follow-up. Fifteen patients (10 NP-SLE) had cognitive impairment at the first assessment. At retest the cognitive deficit persisted in all patients but one (non-NP-SLE) and had developed in four others. In the cognitively impaired subjects scores on MMSE approached the cutoff for an overt dementing condition. No progressively decreasing scores were found on any of the tests. No relationships were shown between neuropsychological diagnosis and neuropsychiatric disorder, neuroradiological findings, disease activity, or steroid and nonsteroid immunosuppressive therapy. Cognitive impairment thus seems to be a stable symptom of CNS involvement in SLE. It corresponds to the subjective complaint of intellectual difficulties and marginal performance on the MMSE. Intellectual deterioration may occur in patients without other symptoms of NP-SLE. Standardized neuropsychological testing methods should be used routinely to assess SLE patients.