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Human hair is a relatively inert biopolymer and can survive through natural disasters. It is also found as trace evidence at crime scenes. Previous studies by FTIRMicrospectroscopy and – Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) successfully showed that hairs can be matched and discriminated on the basis of gender, race and hair treatment, when interpreted by chemometrics. However, these spectroscopic techniques are difficult to operate at- or on-field. On the other hand, some near infrared spectroscopic (NIRS) instruments equipped with an optical probe, are portable and thus, facilitate the on- or at –field measurements for potential application directly at a crime or disaster scene. This thesis is focused on bulk hair samples, which are free of their roots, and thus, independent of potential DNA contribution for identification. It explores the building of a profile of an individual with the use of the NIRS technique on the basis of information on gender, race and treated hair, i.e. variables which can match and discriminate individuals. The complex spectra collected may be compared and interpreted with the use of chemometrics. These methods can then be used as protocol for further investigations. Water is a common substance present at forensic scenes e.g. at home in a bath, in the swimming pool; it is also common outdoors in the sea, river, dam, puddles and especially during DVI incidents at the seashore after a tsunami. For this reason, the matching and discrimination of bulk hair samples after the water immersion treatment was also explored. Through this research, it was found that Near Infrared Spectroscopy, with the use of an optical probe, has successfully matched and discriminated bulk hair samples to build a profile for the possible application to a crime or disaster scene. Through the interpretation of Chemometrics, such characteristics included Gender and Race. A novel approach was to measure the spectra not only in the usual NIR range (4000 – 7500 cm-1) but also in the Visible NIR (7500 – 12800 cm-1). This proved to be particularly useful in exploring the discrimination of differently coloured hair, e.g. naturally coloured, bleached or dyed. The NIR region is sensitive to molecular vibrations of the hair fibre structure as well as that of the dyes and damage from bleaching. But the Visible NIR region preferentially responds to the natural colourants, the melanin, which involves electronic transitions. This approach was shown to provide improved discrimination between dyed and untreated hair. This thesis is an extensive study of the application of NIRS with the aid of chemometrics, for matching and discrimination of bulk human scalp hair. The work not only indicates the strong potential of this technique in this field but also breaks new ground with the exploration of the use of the NIR and Visible NIR ranges for spectral sampling. It also develops methods for measuring spectra from hair which has been immersed in different water media (sea, river and dam)

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Esta dissertação apresenta a caracterização físico-química e termoanalítica de amostras de cabelo humano. Estudos comparativos entre amostras de queratina comercial e de cabelo caucasiano, oriental, tratados, naturais foram realizados para um melhor entendimento de suas características e comportamento. Para a caracterização das amostras foram utilizadas técnicas como AE, espectroscopia de absorção no infravermelho, difratometria dos raios X, MEV, AFM e análise térmica. Os resultados de análise elementar e espectroscopia no infravermelho não permitem diferenciar as amostras quanto à etnia, sexo, idade ou coloração da fibra. A pulverização das amostras facilita a realização dos ensaios de caracterização, porém amostras na forma de fio são mais adequadas para os estudos de DSC. As imagens de MEV e AFM evidenciaram grandes variações na estrutura superficial de amostras de cabelo natural e submetidas a tratamentos de beleza. Os resultados de análise térmica forneceram informações quanto ao comportamento térmico do cabelo, em relação à desidratação, região da transição vítrea e as etapas de decomposição térmica das amostras na forma fio e pó. O cabelo possui elevada concentração de queratina, como descrito na literatura, independente da matriz, e quando submetido a processos de modelagem, que envolvam elevada temperatura (secadores, piastra/prancha e baby liss) pode sofrer danos irreversíveis à estrutura da fibra capilar. / This dissertation presents the physico-chemical and thermoanalytical characterization of human hair samples. Comparative studies of samples of commercial keratin and caucasian, oriental, treated, natural hair were conducted to better understand their characteristics and behavior. For the sample characterization were used elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, SEM, AFM and thermal analysis techniques. The results of elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy did not vary between samples with respect to ethnicity, age, color fiber and belonged to individuals male or female. Samples in powder form facilitate the testing of characterization, but in the form of wire samples are more suitable for DSC studies. The SEM and AFM images showed large variations in the surface structure of samples subjected to natural hair and beauty treatments. The thermal analysis results provide information about the thermal behavior of hair, compared to dehydration, glass transition region and thermal decomposition steps of samples in wire and powder form. The hair has a high concentration of keratin, as described in the literature, regardless of the array. And, when subjected to modeling processes involving high temperature and (dryers, piastre / board and baby liss) can cause irreversible damage to the structure of the hair fiber.

Esta dissertação apresenta a caracterização físico-química e termoanalítica de amostras de cabelo humano. Estudos comparativos entre amostras de queratina comercial e de cabelo caucasiano, oriental, tratados, naturais foram realizados para um melhor entendimento de suas características e comportamento. Para a caracterização das amostras foram utilizadas técnicas como AE, espectroscopia de absorção no infravermelho, difratometria dos raios X, MEV, AFM e análise térmica. Os resultados de análise elementar e espectroscopia no infravermelho não permitem diferenciar as amostras quanto à etnia, sexo, idade ou coloração da fibra. A pulverização das amostras facilita a realização dos ensaios de caracterização, porém amostras na forma de fio são mais adequadas para os estudos de DSC. As imagens de MEV e AFM evidenciaram grandes variações na estrutura superficial de amostras de cabelo natural e submetidas a tratamentos de beleza. Os resultados de análise térmica forneceram informações quanto ao comportamento térmico do cabelo, em relação à desidratação, região da transição vítrea e as etapas de decomposição térmica das amostras na forma fio e pó. O cabelo possui elevada concentração de queratina, como descrito na literatura, independente da matriz, e quando submetido a processos de modelagem, que envolvam elevada temperatura (secadores, piastra/prancha e baby liss) pode sofrer danos irreversíveis à estrutura da fibra capilar. / This dissertation presents the physico-chemical and thermoanalytical characterization of human hair samples. Comparative studies of samples of commercial keratin and caucasian, oriental, treated, natural hair were conducted to better understand their characteristics and behavior. For the sample characterization were used elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, SEM, AFM and thermal analysis techniques. The results of elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy did not vary between samples with respect to ethnicity, age, color fiber and belonged to individuals male or female. Samples in powder form facilitate the testing of characterization, but in the form of wire samples are more suitable for DSC studies. The SEM and AFM images showed large variations in the surface structure of samples subjected to natural hair and beauty treatments. The thermal analysis results provide information about the thermal behavior of hair, compared to dehydration, glass transition region and thermal decomposition steps of samples in wire and powder form. The hair has a high concentration of keratin, as described in the literature, regardless of the array. And, when subjected to modeling processes involving high temperature and (dryers, piastre / board and baby liss) can cause irreversible damage to the structure of the hair fiber.

Mercury contamination is a global issue due to its neurotoxicity, and China is not an exception due to its increasing industrialization. Fish is of the most concern, in respect to human exposure to mercury, because fish accumulates methylmercury through food chain in aquatic systems. The province of Zhejiang is renowned for its cuisine that incorporates freshwater fish. Qiandao Lake, in Zheijang, was the site of a case study examining the link between the total mercury (THg) concentration in hair samples and fish consumption. A questionnaire survey and hair sampling were carried out on women of childbearing age (17-46 years) from a fishing town by Qiandao Lake. The average hair THg concentration was 0.76±0.51μg/g dw. The most-frequently consumed species included four species of carp (golden, bighead, silver and predatory) and the Mongolian redfin. Hair THg concentrations accumulated rapidly during younger years, reaching a plateau around age 25, implying that the hair mercury concentrations in adult females >25 years can be interpreted by environmental exposure. Hair THg concentrations were positively correlated both with the frequency and the average weekly amount of fish consumption. This indicates that fish consumption is an important contributor to hair mercury concentrations in the absence of occupational or environmental mercury sources. A positive correlation between selenium and mercury in hair samples was also observed, suggesting a possible antagonistic relationship. This is the first study to look at mercury exposure in an eastern China community dependent on freshwater fish. This study also compared element trends (Mg, Ca, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Pb) in hair samples from three groups: 50 residents by Qiandao Lake (QD), 17 people from Fudan University, China (FU), and 20 people from Queen’s University, Canada (KI). Trends of mean Mg, Cu, Ca, As concentrations among groups are the same (KI>FU>QD). Mn, Cr, and Hg share the same trends of QD>FU>KI. Se concentrations follow the trend of QD>KI>FU. Strong correlations between Ca and Mg were observed within each group. Relationships between Se and Hg are clear in QD but not in FU and KI, probably due to the different dietary proportion of fish. / Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-12-14 11:52:06.906

no / Canities or senile hair graying, a universally recognized sign of aging, remains unresolved in terms of physiological causes, although a strong genetic contribution is understood (Gunn et al., 2009). As the hair fiber continues to grow long after melanin production ceases, we suggest that melanocytes in the hair follicle may be more sensitive to the impact of chronological aging than are keratinocytes. Moreover, follicular melanocytes also age more markedly than those in the overlying epidermis. The hair follicle provides a unique opportunity to decouple the impact of age on two hair follicular tissue functions: hair formation and hair pigmentation. ... This study provides analysis of race, age, and anatomically matched cultures of adult human epidermal and hair follicle melanocytes (HFMs).

No / The Raman spectra of two historical specimens of human hair attributed to the engineer Robert Stephenson and scientist Sir Isaac Newton, preserved in private collections are reported. Comparisons are made with the Raman spectra of modern hair specimens and with hair from archaeological excavations. The hair spectra collected with a laser excitation of 785 nm are of a better quality than those collected using 1064 nm. The historical hair specimens are remarkably well-defined spectroscopically in terms of the amide I vibrational mode and the ν(SS), ascribed to a predominantly gauche–gauche–gauche CSSC conformation. The contrast with degraded hair specimens recovered from archaeological excavations is striking. The presence of a weak feature near 2590 cm−1 in the hair samples attributed to a ν(SH) vibration could be indicative of a reduction process operative on the CSSC cystine keratotic linkages and a possible origin of this is bacterial biodegradation identified histologically. This study demonstrates the molecular information available from non-destructive Raman spectroscopic analysis from single hair shafts or small bundles of fibres which complements information available from histological and destructive analytical techniques for rare biological specimens subjected to conservation or curation procedures in museums or private collections.

Yes / Hair fibres show wide diversity across and within all human populations, suggesting that hair fibre form and colour have been subject to much adaptive pressure over thousands of years. All human hair fibres typically have the same basic structure. However, the three-dimensional shape of the entire fibre varies considerably depending on ethnicity and geography, with examples from very straight hair with no rotational turn about the long axis, to the tightly sprung coils of African races. The creation of the highly complex biomaterials in hair follicle and how these confer mechanical functions on the fibre so formed is a topic that remains relatively unexplained thus far. We review the current understanding on how hair fibres are formed into a nonlinear coiled form and which genetic and biological factors are thought to be responsible for hair shape. We report on a new GWAS comparing low and high curl individuals in South Africa, revealing strong links to polymorphic variation in trichohyalin, a copper transporter protein CUTC and the inner root sheath component keratin 74. This builds onto the growing knowledge base describing the control of curly hair formation. / Unilever R&D

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