Hair Strands Research Articles

Analysis of hair styling wax residues on human hair: A forensic investigation with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometric interpretation

A comparative analysis of hair evidence recovered from the crime scene and the hair of suspects or victims is common in the forensic scenario. However, its evidentiary value increases with cosmetic applications like gel, wax, spray, or other hair treatments. Therefore, after extracting these products from hair strands, they can link the victim and accused to the crime scene and with each other, serving as corroborative evidence. Hair styling wax is one of the daily-wear hair cosmetic products used to manage hairstyles to provide stiffness to the hair strands and offer a high-setting performance. In this work, 19 different brands of hair styling waxes were analyzed using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics (principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis). The results showed 96.49% PCA-LDA training and 94.73% validation accuracies. A blind test was also performed to test the built model's reliability, which showed 100% accuracy. Furthermore, a wearing effect study was conducted using human hair samples with hair styling wax where the wax residues were extracted with acetone which showed 100% matching when visually comparing the spectra of pristine wax samples and wax residues from hair samples. PCA-LDA prediction of the spectra obtained from wax residues from hair samples was also done which showed 87.5% accuracy. This research presents a rapid and non-destructive method of analyzing hair styling wax products, which may act as corroborative evidence to help criminal investigating agencies.

GroomCap: High-Fidelity Prior-Free Hair Capture

Despite recent advances in multi-view hair reconstruction, achieving strand-level precision remains a significant challenge due to inherent limitations in existing capture pipelines. We introduce GroomCap , a novel multi-view hair capture method that reconstructs faithful and high-fidelity hair geometry without relying on external data priors. To address the limitations of conventional reconstruction algorithms, we propose a neural implicit representation for hair volume that encodes high-resolution 3D orientation and occupancy from input views. This implicit hair volume is trained with a new volumetric 3D orientation rendering algorithm, coupled with 2D orientation distribution supervision, to effectively prevent the loss of structural information caused by undesired orientation blending. We further propose a Gaussian-based hair optimization strategy to refine the traced hair strands with a novel chained Gaussian representation, utilizing direct photometric supervision from images. Our results demonstrate that GroomCap is able to capture high-quality hair geometries that are not only more precise and detailed than existing methods but also versatile enough for a range of applications.

Outside-in hair contamination by blood containing opiates and opioids

Hair analysis for drugs has become extensively used for forensic investigation in recent years. To best interpret hair drug content in post-mortem conditions, the extent of external contamination by biological fluids, such as blood, must be taken into account to avoid false positive results. The present study evaluated opiates and opioids incorporation into hair from blood containing different concentrations of morphine (MOR), 6-mono-acetyl morphine (6-AM), codeine (COD), dihydrocodeine (DHC), tramadol (TRA), oxycodone (OXY), methadone (MET), 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3- diphenyl pyrrolidine (EDDP), buprenorphine (BUP) and norbuprenorphine (NBUP). The hair strands contaminated by brief soaking into blood were stored at room temperature (RT) or at 4°C during 6 hours, 1, 3, 7 or 14 days. After decontamination by extensive washing, we show that all opiates and opioids were incorporated into hair within a few hours at RT and 4°C, without significant changes over time. The concentrations of opiates and opioids in hair reached the cut-off levels established by the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) for therapeutic (MET, COD), or toxic or lethal (all other molecules) blood concentrations. The metabolite to parent drug concentration ratios were determined for NBUP/BUP, MOR/6-AM and EDDP/MET and could be helpful as indicators of blood external contamination.

Potential of silk proteins in cosmetics

Synthetic and inorganic chemical ingredients in cosmetic products pose serious health impacts on skin and hair. Much emphasis has been laid on the development of cost-effective, eco-friendly and user-friendly cosmetic products from time to time. Manufacturing cosmetics using natural ingredients is considered as a viable alternative to overcome the side effects of synthetics. Silk is a natural biopolymer obtained from cocoons of sericigenous insects like silkworms. It constitutes two proteins, viz., fibroin and sericin. Fibroin is the central core protein glued with sericin protein forming silken cocoons together. Both the proteins possess remarkable attributes viz, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-tyrosinase activity, efficient UV resistance, kinase activity, excellent release and absorption of moisture. The silk protein attributes are advantageous for body skin, hair and nails. It possesses a wide range of cosmetic applications such as facilitation of hair growth, improvement in softening and lustre of hair, rejuvenation of body and skin cells, UVB protection, prevention of chapping and brittleness of nails, and skin brightening. Due to its low molecular weight, easily penetrates the hair strands and skin cells, binds the keratin in hair and forms a protective layer to prevent moisture loss. A wide range of products have been developed for use in cosmetics viz., SILKPRO, SILKALL, SILKPRO 1000. These products are used as natural ingredients due to their potent applications in cosmetics. The cosmetic industry can be developed by proper utilization of silk in its organic products while promoting value addition to sericulture industry.

LSSF-Net: Lightweight segmentation with self-awareness, spatial attention, and focal modulation

Accurate segmentation of skin lesions within dermoscopic images plays a crucial role in the timely identification of skin cancer for computer-aided diagnosis on mobile platforms. However, varying shapes of the lesions, lack of defined edges, and the presence of obstructions such as hair strands and marker colors make this challenge more complex. Additionally, skin lesions often exhibit subtle variations in texture and color that are difficult to differentiate from surrounding healthy skin, necessitating models that can capture both fine-grained details and broader contextual information. Currently, melanoma segmentation models are commonly based on fully connected networks and U-Nets. However, these models often struggle with capturing the complex and varied characteristics of skin lesions, such as the presence of indistinct boundaries and diverse lesion appearances, which can lead to suboptimal segmentation performance. To address these challenges, we propose a novel lightweight network specifically designed for skin lesion segmentation utilizing mobile devices, featuring a minimal number of learnable parameters (only 0.8 million). This network comprises an encoder–decoder architecture that incorporates conformer-based focal modulation attention, self-aware local and global spatial attention, and split channel-shuffle. The efficacy of our model has been evaluated on four well-established benchmark datasets for skin lesion segmentation: ISIC 2016, ISIC 2017, ISIC 2018, and PH2. Empirical findings substantiate its state-of-the-art performance, notably reflected in a high Jaccard index.

Filling the Gaps: Vitamin D Status in Diffuse Hair Fall Among Pakistanis.

Hair loss can happen for various reasons, including emotional stress, physical strain, certain medical issues, and nutritional gaps. When it comes to nutrition, a lack of vitamin D3 could be linked to diffuse hair loss. The aim was to look for the frequency of vitamin D3 deficiency with diffuse hair fall, especially in the Pakistani population. A total of 120 patients of both sexes and all ages presenting to the Dermatology Clinic with complaints of non-scarring alopecia and loss of over 100 strands of hair within a 24-hour period (counted by patient) of any duration and positive hair pull test were advised to take serum vitamin D3. Tests and results were then analyzed by SPSS statistical software package (version 19.0 for Windows). The mean age of participants enrolled in the study was 28.56 ± 11.62 years. The majority of the patients, i.e., 77 (63.64%), were ≤30 years of age. Among the 120 patients, 17 were males and 103 were females. Mean serum vitamin D3 levels were 17.33 ± 5.43 ng/ml. 95 (79.17%) patients were found to be vitamin D3 deficient, with 37 patients having female pattern hair loss, seven patients with male pattern hair loss, seven patients with diffuse alopecia areata, and 44 patients with telogen effluvium. This study concluded that there is considerable frequency of vitamin D3 deficiency in individuals with diffuse hair fall. Therefore, we recommend that there should be early recognition and treatment of this condition in these particular patients in order to reduce hair fall.

The Inca child of the Quehuar volcano: Stable isotopes clue to geographic origin and seasonal diet, with putative seaweed consumption

The Incas occupied the west coast of South America between 1438 and 1532 CE. Among the many rites they practised was the Capacocha, which involved the offering of children. Here we studied the mummy of a child found on the Quehuar volcano, Salta, Argentina. In order to determine the geographical origin of the child and to understand the living habits prior to its presentation as an offering, we incrementally measured the δ13C, δ15N, δ34S and δ2H values of keratin from a hair strand and the δ18O value of apatite phosphate from a rib bone. Although the origin of the child remains uncertain, the oxygen isotope composition of the drinking water deduced from the rib composition argues for an origin between 2,500 and 3,000 m.a.s.l. bordering the Andes. Furthermore, the sinusoidal δ2H signal measured in hair is compatible with the recording of local seasonal precipitation variations. The results indicate that the child did not move or moved only briefly prior to death. This offering may have occurred at the onset of the wet season (summer), as suggested by the hair δ2H values. By combining δ13C, δ15N and δ34S measurements in hair, we also proposed as the most parsimonious hypothesis that seaweed constituted a proportion (16.2 ± 12.9 %) of the diet, with a peak of consumption during the wet season (summer).

Suitability of Hair Testing in Medical Dispensing Errors: A Fatal Case of Gliclazide Poisoning

ABSTRACTA patient was prescribed a new treatment, 40 mg furosemide. Her pharmacist mistakenly dispensed 40 mg gliclazide instead. After 3 weeks of treatment, the patient was found in a coma, was hospitalised and died after a week. Hair sample was collected during post‐mortem examination and tested for gliclazide on three 2 cm sections, starting at the root end. Hair strands were decontaminated, segmented and incubated in the presence of diazepam‐d5, and a solid–liquid extraction has been performed. Finally, toxicological analyses were performed by UFLC Shimadzu Prominence ‐ MS/MS Sciex 6500 QTRAP. Gliclazide was found on the proximal (238 pg/mg), median (77 pg/mg) and distal (69 pg/mg) segments. The concentration in the proximal segment was largely higher than in the other two, which demonstrates repeated intake of gliclazide by the patient during at least the last 2 months before death. The lower concentrations in the medial and distal segments, as well as a part of the concentration in the proximal segment, may be linked to external hair contamination. These could be due to either radial sweat diffusion, possibly occurring in the last week hospitalisation of the patient, or to biological fluids contamination during post‐mortem examination. This case illustrates the opportunity to confirm slow and fatal chronic poisoning by gliclazide using hair analysis and shows the benefit of hair testing for the investigation of medical or dispensing errors.

Preparation and InVitro Evaluation of Protective Effects of Quercetin-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles on Human Hair Against UV-B Radiation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of quercetin loaded on solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) in protecting human hair from ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light invitro. In this study, solvent-emulsified diffusion method was used to fabricate nanoparticle formulations and then particle size, loading, and drug release tests were performed from different formulations. Variables include oily part proportion, liquid to solid oil part ratio, and surfactant to lipid ratio. The optimal formulation was prepared by examining the eight formulations and optimizing them. Six groups of hair with different treatments were exposed to UV light for 600 h and the changes were investigated by examining four factors: RMS (root mean square average, the microscopic profile peaks and valleys), peak to valley roughness, the amount of chemical changes by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the amount of protein loss. The selected formulation had a suitable particle size, loading percent, and release rate for penetration to hair. Quercetin-loaded SLN controlled RMS factor, peak to valley roughness, and reduced chemical changes and protein loss compared to other treatments. The optimize formulation showed positive effects in protecting the hair strands from UV-B radiation.

Evaluation and Stability Study of Hair Conditioner – A Comparison

The evaluation and stability of hair conditioner was carried out. In this study, six different brands of marketed hair conditioners were randomly selected, evaluated and compared. The hair conditioners went through various evaluation tests like organoleptic evaluation (color, odor, texture, physical state, flowability, consistency and ease of application, visual appearance and texture), washability test; irritancy test; conditioning effect; pH determination; viscosity measurement; hair strand testing as well as stability studies at different temperatures including thermal stability.

Comparison of human hair cortisol concentration stability for 1-year and 2-year test-retest intervals.

Human hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has previously been found to be highly stable for a 1-year interval (r=0.73) in terms of a product-moment correlation. The present study aimed to replicate this finding and compare HCC stability regarding 1-year and 2-year test-retest intervals. Female university students (N=39) provided hair strands twice (t1 and t2) at intervals of 1 (n=21) or 2years (n=18). Multiple regression analysis predicting HCC at t2 revealed a significant interaction term (HCC at t1 × time interval condition). It was determined that HCCs were substantially related for the 1-year interval but unrelated for the 2-year interval. The findings were not attributable to potential influences, such as hair treatment. The product-moment correlation showed nearly identical consistency with previous research regarding the 1-year test-retest interval. There was no significant product-moment correlation for the 2-year interval. Overall, these findings indicate that within a temporal framework of 1year, HCCs may be stable predictors in correlational studies where the focus is on the rank orders of measured values.

Effects of natural environments on drug contents in nails: comparison of drug residual rates between nails and hair to determine the drug-use history of corpses in unnatural death cases using micro-segmental analysis.

We previously developed evaluation methods using micro-segmental analysis (MSA) to examine the effects of external environments on drug content in hair and nails. In this study, the effects of the natural environmental factors (water, temperature, humidity, light, and soil) on drug contents in nails were examined and compared with our previous experimental data on hair. Four hay-fever medicines were used as model drugs (fexofenadine, epinastine, cetirizine, and desloratadine) to evaluate drug stability in the nails. Reference nails containing the four medicines were collected from patients with hay fever who ingested the medicines daily for four months. The nails were exposed to various natural environments for up to four months. The effects of temperature, humidity, and light on drug contents in the nails were comparatively small. Soil significantly decomposed the nail surfaces and decreased the drug content of the nails (up to 17%). Water also decreased the drug content (up to 12%), although no apparent changes in nail surfaces were observed. In comparison with hair data obtained under the same environmental conditions, light affected drugs in the hair rather than in nails, whereas water and soil greatly affected drugs in the nails rather than in hair. Although the disposition of drugs incorporated in the tissues differed between nails and hair, the analytes were detected in nails and hair strands left in severe natural environments. MSA could be useful for estimating drug-use histories and personal profiles using the nails and hair of a corpse.

Real-time Physically Guided Hair Interpolation

Strand-based hair simulations have recently become increasingly popular for a range of real-time applications. However, accurately simulating the full number of hair strands remains challenging. A commonly employed technique involves simulating a subset of guide hairs to capture the overall behavior of the hairstyle. Details are then enriched by interpolation using linear skinning. Hair interpolation enables fast real-time simulations but frequently leads to various artifacts during runtime. As the skinning weights are often pre-computed, substantial variations between the initial and deformed shapes of the hair can cause severe deviations in fine hair geometry. Straight hairs may become kinked, and curly hairs may become zigzags. This work introduces a novel physical-driven hair interpolation scheme that utilizes existing simulated guide hair data. Instead of directly operating on positions, we interpolate the internal forces from the guide hairs before efficiently reconstructing the rendered hairs based on their material model. We formulate our problem as a constraint satisfaction problem for which we present an efficient solution. Further practical considerations are addressed using regularization terms that regulate penetration avoidance and drift correction. We have tested various hairstyles to illustrate that our approach can generate visually plausible rendered hairs with only a few guide hairs and minimal computational overhead, amounting to only about 20% of conventional linear hair interpolation. This efficiency underscores the practical viability of our method for real-time applications.

A PERSONALIZED APPROACH TO DIAGNOSIS OF DEMODECOSIS

Purpose. Improving the diagnosis of demodicosis based on a personalized approach to choosing a method for collecting material, clinical manifestations for extracting ticks and assessing the degree of tick infestation. Materials and methods. The results of an examination of 57 patients with clinically and laboratory confirmed demodicosis are presented. The exclusion criteria were patients with acne, rosacea, perioral dermatitis. Clinical manifestations were assessed by dermatoscopy. The material was collected for microscopic detection of mites using 2 traditional and 3 proprietary methods. Microscopy was also used to identify bacterial flora in pustules and yeast flora in scrapings of the epidermis. Results. A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of 4 diagnostic methods showed the priority of comedone extraction: 5 or more mites were found from an area of 0.5 cm2 in 96.5% of patients. The occurrence and abundance of mites were highest in the material from follicular papules with “spikes” (74.5%, 4.9±1.1 specimens) and typical follicular papules (56.3% and 6.1±1.7). When the disease duration was more than 6 months, the phenomenon of “strands of vellus hair“ was detected in the contents of follicles at the same time with mites (5–17 specimens). Analysis of the contents of the pustules made it possible to prove the antagonism between the pyogenic flora and mites of the genus Demodex.

Formulation and Comparative Evaluation of Herbal Shampoo Powder with marketed preparation

Hair have been associated with beauty since time immemorial. A number of natural and synthetic hair cleansers are available in the market. The challenges associated with hair and scalp health are increasing day by day. Aside from the fast life, stress, dietary issues; the increasing temperature, dust, pollution, erratic climate changes, the sulphates and parabens included in synthetic hair cleansers and conditioners are majorly responsible for deterioration of hair strands and scalp. The aim of the current work was to combine trichologically beneficial herbal ingredients and prepare a formulation that would serve for conditioning and cleaning the hair and scalp effectively. Three herbal hair shampoo powder formulations containing the same ingredients in varying proportions were prepared and evaluated for their physicochemical and stability parameters. The formulation F1 showed better results when evaluated for the physicochemical and stability parameters as compared to formulations F2 and F3.

NURS-21. EXPLORATION OF CORRELATIVE STUDIES IN EARLY PHASE TRIALS FOR PEDIATRIC AND YOUNG ADULT CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) TUMORS AND THE POTENTIAL TRANSLATION TO CLINICAL CARE

Abstract BACKGROUND Correlative studies are common in early phase clinical trials. In addition to primary aims establishing maximum tolerated dose or efficacy, supplementary information from biospecimens is frequently collected with patient consent. The Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC) has included several correlative studies with implications for understanding patterns in the development of tumors, response to treatment, and prognosis. A needs assessment survey of PNOC institutions by the Advanced Practice Provider and Investigational Nurse Committee (APPNIC) highlighted that nurses and advanced practice providers (APPs) desire further education regarding correlative studies. METHODS Blood, stool, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and hair strands are examples of correlative biospecimens incorporated in PNOC protocols. We will share a review of the literature and implications for practice. RESULTS Blood, drawn in conjunction with clinical labs, is commonly analyzed for circulating tumor DNA to conduct molecular profiling in blood compared to tissue, explore less invasive means of molecular evolution of tumor somatic mutations, and identify early markers of tumor response or resistance. Stool is collected to utilize the gut microbiome as a lens into treatment response in CNS tumors via the gut-brain axis. Stool samples are compared to normal controls and longitudinally within patients during treatment. CSF sampling provides less invasive disease monitoring, tumor molecular characterization, markers of tumor response or resistance, and drug pharmacokinetics. Hair sampling can be used to further quantify drug levels for pharmacokinetics and assess treatment compliance. The robustness of these correlative samples collected at various timepoints (diagnosis, pre-surgery and post-surgery, post-radiation and/or with recurrence) informs on prognosis, response to treatment; and ultimately, interventions to improve outcomes for pediatric and young adult CNS tumors. CONCLUSION Our assessment identified a need for APP and nursing-focused education on biospecimen collection to inform on emerging clinical and research advances while improving protocol compliance.

Activity Test of Combination Candlenut Oil and Olive Oil on the Hair Length

Candlenut oil and olive oil have been discovered to promote hair growth. This experimental study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a combination of candlenut oil and olive oil on the length of hair in male rabbits. The experiment involved two male rabbits, with four areas on their backs shaved to apply the test solution, each area measuring approximately 3 cm x 3 cm and spaced 2 cm apart. Hair samples were collected by shaving six strands of hair from each area on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th days. The treatment groups were divided into a negative control group that received no intervention and test groups that were treated with either candlenut oil alone, olive oil alone, or a combination of candlenut and olive oil. The results of the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test revealed a p-value of 0.000 (p ? 0.05), indicating a significant difference among the groups. A post hoc test was conducted to determine the group with the best hair length statistically, and it was found that the group receiving candlenut oil had the highest mean rank value, followed by the olive oil group, and then the combination of candlenut and olive oil group.

Dent versus mèche de cheveux. Quelle matrice utiliser pour documenter une exposition répétée ? À propos d’un cas impliquant l’aripiprazole

In recent years, remarkable advances in sensitive analytical techniques have enabled the analysis of drugs in unconventional biological specimens such as oral fluid, sweat or hair. However, other matrices, including tooth, deserve attention as they can be the unique remain on a crime scene. The authors present here the comparison between tooth and hair specimens collected from a long-term subject under aripiprazole therapy (5 mg per day). Tooth was collected during a standard consultation for removal of wisdom tooth. At the same time, after oral consent, a strand of hair (blonde in colour) was collected from a 19-year-old man. After careful elimination of organic material, the tooth was pulverized in a ball mill and 20 mg were incubated under alkaline conditions (pH 8.4) followed by a mixture of organic solvents. After decontamination by dichloromethane, the hair was segmented, cut into very small segments (< 1 mm), overnight incubated in buffer and 20 mg were extracted by a mixture of organic solvents. Drugs were tested by LC/MS-MS. Aripiprazole was identified by 2 ion transitions (m/z 450.2 > 287.1 and 450.2 > 98.0). Aripiprazole was identified in the tooth at 1.4 pg/mg. The drug tested also positive in the 3 x 3 cm segments, at 3.5, 3.9 and 2.6 ng/mg. The concentrations of aripiprazole in the hair segments were in a 1000-fold magnitude when compared to what was measured in the tooth. Although there is an interest to test for drugs in tooth when this element is the unique remain of a cadaver, this approach cannot overrule the interest of hair to document long-term drug exposure. Tooth preparation is tedious and the measured concentration is close to the limit of quantitation. In addition, the window of drug detection in tooth remains unknown at this time.

The biomechanics of splitting hairs.

Splitting of hair, creating 'split ends', is a very common problem which has been extensively documented. However, the mechanics underlying the splitting phenomenon are poorly understood. This is partly owing to the lack of a test in which splitting can be generated and quantified under laboratory conditions. We developed three new tests, known as 'loop tensile', 'moving loop' and 'moving loop fatigue', aiming to simulate the mechanical environment of tangles of hair strands during combing. We tested straight strands of human hair, comparing low-quality hair (from a subject who experienced split ends) with hair from a control (non-splitting) subject. Significant differences were found, especially in the moving loop fatigue test where the low-quality hair failed in fewer cycles. Splitting occurred in both types of hair, but with the crucial difference that in the low-quality hair, splits originated inside the hair strand and propagated longitudinally over considerable distances, while in the control hair, splits originated at the strand surface and remained short. Bleaching of the control hair changed its behaviour, making it similar to that of the low-quality hair. Some simple calculations emphasized the role of longitudinal shear stress and shear stress intensity in generating microcracks which could then propagate within the moving loop, paving the way for a future theoretical model of the splitting mechanism.

Development and estimation of herbal hair conditioner by Annona squamosa

Hair conditioner is one of the cosmetics which is widely used in daily life. Hair is an imperative part of the human body which protects scalp. Hair conditioner is hair care product, which is applied to the hair and hair tips after shampoo in order to condition the hair and then it is rinsed out. Hair conditioner is wed improve the manageability and to enhance lustrous look of hair. Its main purpose is to reduce friction between the hair strands to allow easier brushing and combing. The main objective is to develop the most effective hair care product to meet people's compliance. The plants product used in herbal hair conditioner like Custard Apple, egg white, Aloe Vera, Hibiscus Flower, Lemon, Curry Leaves, rose oil having various properties like Stimulate hair growth, prevents breakage, prevent dandruff, reduces hair fall, improve manageability, helps in smoothing. Herbal hair conditioner was evaluated by different parameters like pH, dirt dispersion test, cleansing, and stability, moisturizing time determination, and viscosity, physical appearance (color, odor, and texture).