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Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a well-known plant containing high levels of natural antioxidants, the phenolic compounds, which have been employed in numerous cosmetic products. However, these molecules are unstable to oxidants, light, temperature, pH, water, and enzymatic activities. Therefore, to enhance their stability and preserve their antioxidant activity, this study investigated the silk fibroin nanoparticles (SFNs) ability to encapsulate, deliver, and heat-protect the phenolic compounds of the guava leaves ethanolic extract. Firstly, the guava ethanolic extract was produced by maceration, which possessed a total phenolic content of 312.6 mg GAE/g DPW and a high antioxidant activity (IC 50 = 5.397 ± 0.618 µg/mL). Then, the extract loaded SFNs were manufactured by desolvation method, and the particles demonstrated appropriate sizes of 200-700 nm with narrow size distribution, spherical shape, silk-II crystalline structure, high drug entrapment efficiency of > 70% (dependent on the fibroin content), and a two-phase sustained drug release for at least 210 min. Using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the antioxidant activity of the guava extract was well-preserved in the extract loaded SFNs. Finally, after being treated with high temperature of 70 °C for 24 h, the guava extract almost loses all of its antioxidant property (5 times decrement), whereas the extract loaded SFNs could retain the extract activity. Conclusively, the SFNs proved much potential to deliver and heat-protect the guava extract phenolic compounds, and preserve their antioxidant activity. Confirmed by this case, SFNs could be further explored in protecting other natural compounds from environmental factors.

L. (WT), a common herbal plant in Vietnam, is popularly used as a strong antioxidant in Vietnamese folk medicine. However, limited studies have reported the application of WT flower in cosmeceutical area. This study explored the potentials of WT loaded fibroin microparticles (FMPs-WT) as a novel anti-aging cosmeceutical product. The WT flower was firstly extracted by maceration with methanol, ethanol 60%, and ethanol 96%, and its chemical compositions and total polyphenol content were investigated. Then, the FMPs-WT were developed by desolvation method and physicochemically characterized. Finally, the product antioxidant activities were in-vitro determined using DPPH assay. The optimal WT extract was the ethanol 60% extract, which contains polyphenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, and organic acids; with a total polyphenol content of 46.47 ± 2.32 mg GAE/g plant powder. The FMPs-WT were successfully formulated, with a distinct silk-II polymorph; varied sizes of 0.592 to 9.820 µm, depending on the fibroin concentrations and the WT extraction solvent; high entrapment efficiencies of >65%; and sustained-release patterns of polyphenol in pH 7.4 for >6 h. Regarding the antioxidant activity, the pure WT flower extracts possessed high scavenging actions with IC of 7.98 ± 0.40 µg/mL, comparable with the standard ascorbic acid (IC = 4.23 ± 0.21 µg/mL). Moreover, the FMPs-WT could retain the extract antioxidant capacity, and exert the effects in a timely manner, corresponding to its release profile. The FMPs-WT could be further investigated to become a potential anti-aging cosmeceutical product in the market.

Ghost scanning refers to when a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is performed, but no images are saved. This is a common, yet understudied, problem with POCUS examinations and has consequences for patient care, billing, and quality assurance. Previous studies were single-site and have shown a high rate of ghost scanning, but there is a lack of direct comparison across institutions. The study aim was to compare the prevalence of ghost scanning across multiple institutions for patients with trauma activations who received an Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (eFAST) examination. This was a multi-center, retrospective cohort study that took place between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2023. Study sites included four urban Level 1 trauma centers with emergency medicine residencies and emergency ultrasound fellowships. Inclusion criteria were emergency department patients >18 years old who arrived as the highest level of trauma activation at each site. Patients were excluded if there was incomplete or missing electronic medical record (EMR) data, if the patient was determined to not be a trauma by EMR review, or if the patient was downgraded from a trauma. Investigators manually reviewed EMR documentation for performance of an eFAST examination, and then searched their respective image repository for corresponding saved images. The primary study outcome was the prevalence of ghost scanning at each site. Descriptive statistics were reported, along with site comparisons using an ANOVA test with a post-hoc Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD). Secondary outcomes included a comparison of ghost scanning rates for each site broken down both by trauma type (blunt or penetrating) and eFAST examination result (positive or negative). A total of 6078 patients were included in the analysis from the four study sites. Approximately 35 % (2182) of all trauma activations had an eFAST performed, ranging from a low of 24.5 % (444) to a high of 49.0 % (596). The overall ghost scanning rate was 49.8 % for the cohort, with 1086 images saved. The ghost scanning rate across institutions was highly variable, and ranged from 21.1 % to 93.2 % at the included sites. There was a significant difference between all sites when compared as independent pairs (p < 0.001). A statistically significant decrease in ghost scanning rates for positive eFAST examinations was seen at site 2 (p = 0.001), and site 3 had a statistically significant increase in ghost scanning rates for penetrating trauma (p = 0.02). Ghost scanning is problematic and has implications for accreditation, liability, billing, quality assurance, and patient care. There was variable, but universally high rates, of ghost scanning for patients with a trauma activations at the included sites. These results show that ghost scanning continues to be a concern in the emergency department and further studies are needed to test interventions to decrease its rates.