No / As a highly visual and social species we communicate significantly via our physical appearance. Thus, it is unsurprising that the phenotypic aspects (including color) of our skin and hair feature prominently in such communication. Perhaps, one of the more potent reminders of aging is the change in pigmentation from birth to puberty and through to young adulthood, middle age, and beyond. Indeed, the hair bulb melanocyte may be viewed as an exquisitely sensitive aging sensor. In this context, we can appreciate that the loss of pigmentation from the hair tends to be earlier and much more striking than the age-associated pigmentation changes that we see in the epidermis. This phenotypic difference between the hair follicle and the epidermis-melanocyte subpopulations is of considerable interest, not least as both subpopulations originate from the same embyrologic neural crest and that the melanoctye stem cells in the adult hair follicle can occupy vacant niches in the epidermis. A major source of the differential aging of melanocytes in the hair bulb vs. the epidermis is likely due to the former¿s stringent coupling to the hair growth cycle when compared with the latter¿s continuous and UV-sensitive melanogenesis. Also likely to be involved is the maintenance of permissive microenvironments in these different skin compartments including their differing redox environments and variable connectivity with neuroendocrine axis. Over the last few years, we and others have striven to develop advanced cell culture methodologies for isolated hair follicle melanocytes and for intact anagen hair follicle organ culture, which may provide research tools to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of hair follicle pigmentation. Others have assessed the robustness of the hair follicle-melanocyte stem compartment with age and other functional stressors. In the long term, it may be feasible to develop strategies to modulate some of these aging-associated changes in the hair follicle that impinge particularly of the melanocyte populations.

No / Chemotherapy has severe side effects in normal rapidly proliferating organs, such as hair follicles, and causes massive apoptosis in hair matrix keratinocytes followed by hair loss. To define the molecular signature of hair follicle response to chemotherapy, human scalp hair follicles cultured ex vivo were treated with doxorubicin (DXR), and global microarray analysis was performed 3 hours after treatment. Microarray data revealed changes in expression of 504 genes in DXR-treated hair follicles versus controls. Among these genes, upregulations of several tumor necrosis factor family of apoptotic receptors (FAS, TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosisinducing ligand) receptors 1/2), as well as of a large number of keratin-associated protein genes, were seen after DXR treatment. Hair follicle apoptosis induced by DXR was significantly inhibited by either TRAIL-neutralizing antibody or caspase-8 inhibitor, thus suggesting a previously unreported role for TRAIL receptor signaling in mediating DXR-induced hair loss. These data demonstrate that the early phase of the hair follicle response to DXR includes upregulation of apoptosis-associated markers, as well as substantial reorganization of the terminal differentiation programs in hair follicle keratinocytes. These data provide an important platform for further studies toward the design of effective approaches for the management of chemotherapy-induced hair loss.

Yes / Hair fibres are extraordinary materials, not least because they are exquisitely formed by each of the 5 million or so hair follicles on our bodies and have functions that cross from physiology to psychology, but also because they have well known resistance to degradation as seen in hair surviving from archaeological and historical samples [1]. Hair fibres on the head grow at around 1cm each month, together totalling approximately 12km of growth per person per year. Each fibre is incredibly strong for its small diameter; with one fibre typically holding 100g and together a well-formed ponytail [allegedly] has the collective strength to support the weight of a small elephant! Hair – and from here I mean scalp hair – is under constant scrutiny by each of us; whether it be style, split ends, the first few grey hairs or the collection of hairs in the shower that should be firmly attached - leading to the fear that is hair loss.

Yes / Background: Multiple biomarkers have been associated with hair loss in women, but studies showed inconsistent results. Objective: We investigated the association between markers of cardiovascular disease risk (e.g., serum lipid levels and hypertension) and aging (e.g., 25-hydroxyvitamin D and insulin-like growth factor) with hair loss in a population of middle-aged women. Methods: In a random subgroup of 323 middle-aged women (mean age: 61.5 years) from the Leiden Longevity Study, hair loss was graded by three assessors using the Sinclair scale; women with a mean score higher than 1.5 were classified as cases with hair loss. Results: Every standard deviation increase in HDL cholesterol was associated with a 0.65 times lower risk (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.46–0.91) of hair loss; for IGF-1 the risk was 0.68 times lower (95% CI: 0.48–0.97) per standard deviation increase, independent of the other studied variables. Women with both IGF-1 and HDL cholesterol levels below the median of the study population had a 3.47 times higher risk (95% CI: 1.30–9.25) of having hair loss. Limitations: The observational setting limits causal inference of the findings. Conclusion: Low HDL cholesterol and IGF-1 were associated with a higher risk of hair loss in women. / This study was funded by the Innovation Oriented Research Program on Genomics (SenterNovem; IGE01014 and IGE5007), the Centre for Medical Systems Biology (CMSB), the Netherlands Genomics Initiative/Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (05040202 and 050-060-810, NCHA), Unilever PLC and the European Union-funded Network of Excellence Lifespan (FP6 036894).

Yes

No

No

<p>Creating three dimensional hair is still one of the hardest elements when creating characters. Problems occur because of the constant changes in the software every few years. A major goal is to create as realistic hair as possible in Autodesk Maya and to supply this detailed information on to other 3D artist. Techniques are researched and reviewed on how different hair systems are created, as well as how dynamic effects react on the moving hair.</p>

Creating three dimensional hair is still one of the hardest elements when creating characters. Problems occur because of the constant changes in the software every few years. A major goal is to create as realistic hair as possible in Autodesk Maya and to supply this detailed information on to other 3D artist. Techniques are researched and reviewed on how different hair systems are created, as well as how dynamic effects react on the moving hair.

Orientador: Ines Joekes / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T21:43:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wagner_RitadeCassiaComis_D.pdf: 5300466 bytes, checksum: b220b80949a0b5e00e05ecef6360d5ac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O cabelo é uma estrutura protéica de queratina formada por quatro estruturas principais: as cutículas, o córtex, o cimento intercelular (CMC) e a medula. Esta última nem sempre está presente no fio e, por acreditar-se que sua influência nas propriedades da fibra é negligenciável, foi pouco estudada. Este trabalho almeja esclarecer as estruturas da medula e verificar sistematicamente se ela afeta alguma propriedade na fibra. Os fios medulados e sem medula provenientes do mesmo couro cabeludo foram identificados e separados em mechas utilizando um micro-estereoscópio. Encontraram-se dois tipos de medula (fina e grossa) que foram diferenciadas por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e de transmissão (MET). A medula tem uma estrutura esponjosa composta por três unidades principais: a fibrilar (desalinhada com as fibrilas do córtex), os glóbulos e uma camada de CMC na interface com o córtex. Por MET constatou-se que a medula fina é morfologicamente diferente da medula grossa. A medula fina apresenta contraste, interface limitada pelo CMC, nenhum grânulo de melanina e menor diâmetro. A medula grossa apresenta mais glóbulos, bem como maiores dimensões das cavidades, alguns grânulos de melanina disformes e organização gradual das células de fora para dentro. Essas características morfológicas sugerem que a medula seria um córtex em estágio atrasado de formação. Utilizando-se um espectrofotômetro de refletância difusa (ERD), verificou-se que os fios com medula são mais escuros, menos vermelhos e menos amarelos que os fios sem medula oriundos do mesmo couro cabeludo. Sugere-se que as cavidades da medula causem o espalhamento e o confinamento de luz pela diferença de índice de refração com o córtex, diminuindo, então, a reflexão externa da fibra, já que praticamente não possui melanina. Para a mecha estudada, a diferença de cor total está em 4,7 unidades de cor e é visível a olho nu. A medula, então, deve ser considerada em estudos de cor, juntamente com as melaninas e as condições de preservação das cutículas. Já nas propriedades mecânicas, a medula causa uma maior heterogeneidade nas curvas de tensão-deformação, mas não muda os valores médios das propriedades estudadas. Os fios medulados são mais espessos que fios sem medula. Descontando-se o valor do diâmetro da medula do diâmetro total da fibra, têm-se valores aproximados aos dos fios sem medula. A heterogeneidade observada é proveniente da diferença percentual que o diâmetro da medula representa do diâmetro total da fibra. Observaram-se mudanças estruturais quando o cabelo com medula fina é submetido à imersão em SDS 10 % e à 75 °C, transformando-se em medula grossa após os tratamentos / Abstract: Human hair is a keratinous material divided into four main units: cuticles, cortex, intercellular cement (CMC) and medulla. The last one could be present or not in the shafts. There are few studies about it mainly because it is believed to have small or no influence on any hair property. The present work aims to clarify the medulla structure and to systematically verify if mechanical or color properties are affected by its presence in the fiber. Medullated and unmedullated fibers from the same scalp were identified by stereo-microscopy and separated into tresses. Two kinds of medulla were found: thin and thick medulla. Their morphology was characterized by scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. Medulla has a sponge structure composed by three units: fibril (not aligned longitudinally as in the cortex), globular and CMC layer in the interface with the cortex. Thin and thick medullas are different in TEM. Thin medulla has contrast, CMC limited interface, no melanin and smaller diameter. Thick medulla has more globular structures, larger cavities, some elliptical melanin granules and a gradual organization from the outside to the inner side of the medulla. These data suggest that medulla is in an earlier stage of the differentiation process compared to the cortex. Color data obtained using a diffuse reflectance spectrophotometer showed that unmedullated fibers are clearer, redder and yellowier than medullated fibers. Once that medulla presents no melanin, we suggest that the medulla cavities cause scattering and confinement of light by the difference with the refractive index of cortex which decreases the external reflectance of the fiber. For the studied tress, the total color difference was 4.7 (visible to naked eyes). Thus, medulla together with melanin and cuticles must now be considered in studies of hair color. Average values of the mechanical properties are similar for unmedullated and medullated fibers. However, higher dispersion in data for medullated fibers is observed. Unmedulated fibers are more uniform and show smaller diameters. These data indicate that the air cavities in medulla could act as defects but do not interfere in the crystalline character of the fiber. Thus, the heterogeneity observed might be attributed to the difference between the medulla diameter with the whole fiber diameter. Thin medulla regions became thick medulla after immersion in SDS 10 % and after 24 h at 75 °C / Doutorado / Físico-Química / Doutor em Ciências