Formulating octyl methoxycinnamate in hybrid lipid-silica nanoparticles: An innovative approach for UV skin protection

Sunscreens have been employed on daily skin care for centuries. Their role in protecting the skin from sun damage, avoiding accelerated photoaging and even limiting the risk of development of skin cancer is unquestionable. Although several chemical and physical filters are approved as sunscreens for human use, their safety profile is dependent on their concentration in the formulation which governs their acceptance by the regulatory agencies. A strategic delivery of such molecules should provide a UV protection and limit the skin penetration. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) may offer an alternative approach to achieve a synergistic effect on the UV protection when loaded with sunscreens as particles themselves also have a UV light scattering effect. Besides, the lipid character of SLN and NLC improves the encapsulation of lipophilic compounds, with enhanced loading capacity. Silica nanoparticles have also been employed in sunscreen formulations. Due to the formed sol-gel complexes, which covalently entrap sunscreen molecules, a controlled release is also achieved. In the present work, we have developed a new sunscreen formulation composed of hybrid SLN-Silica particles loaded with octyl methoxycinnamate (Parsol®MCX), and their further incorporation into a hydrogel for skin administration. Hybrid SLN-silica particles of 210.0 ± 3.341 nm of mean size, polydispersity below 0.3, zeta potential of ca. |7| mV, loading capacity of 19.9% and encapsulation efficiency of 98.3% have been produced. Despite the slight negative surface charge, the developed hybrid nanoparticles remained physicochemically stable over the study period. Turbiscan transmission profiles confirmed the colloidal stability of the formulations under stress conditions. The texture profile analysis of Parsol-SLN and Parsol-SLN-Si revealed semi-solid properties (e.g. adhesiveness, hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness, resilience) suitable for topical application, together with the bioadhesiveness in the skin of pig ears. The non-irritation profile of the hybrid nanoparticles before and after dispersion into Carbopol hydrogels was confirmed by HET-CAM test.

Voice Care from the Student Teachers' Perspective

OBJECTIVE

Voice is an essential working tool in the teaching profession and thus needs to be acknowledged and cared for by student teachers. This study aimed to investigate the presence of vocal symptoms among fourth-year students of teacher education programs and whether students had received voice care advice during their education.

METHODS

We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 70 students in their final year of 9 teacher education programs at Regional Jataí of Universidade Federal de Goiás, Midwestern Brazil, from January to April 2017. Participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic, academic, and work-related characteristics, and were asked to answer an open-ended question on whether they had received any voice care advice during their education (and what type of advice if any). The Screening Index for Voice Disorder was then administered to all participants for self-reported vocal symptoms.

RESULTS

Of 70 students included in the study, 81.4% were women with a mean age of 30 years. Overall, 62.9% were employed: 47.7% in the field of education and 52.3% in other activities. As for vocal symptoms, 35.7% reported ≥ 5 symptoms, including strained speech (51.4%), dry throat (50.0%), dry cough (48.6%), hoarseness (37.1%), and phlegm (35.7%). Most students (87.14%) did not receive voice care advice during their education. Among those who received advice (12.86%), voice care was limited to lay advice, such as drinking plenty of water, speaking in a lower voice, avoiding straining the voice by shouting, avoiding cold beverages, and drinking ginger tea.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the need for the introduction of voice training during teacher education in order to promote efficient voice production and prevent occupational voice disorders among future teachers by raising awareness of the importance of voice care and the risk factors that may affect the voice directly or indirectly.

Factors associated with the burden of family caregivers of patients with mental disorders: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Caregivers are responsible for the home care of family members with mental-health disorders often experience changes in their life that can generate stress and burden. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the burden of caregivers of family members with mental disorders.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with a non-probability sample of family caregivers, whose patients attended a community services program, the Psychosocial Care Centers, in three cities in the southwest region of Goiás State, Central Brazil. Data collection took place from June 2014 to June 2015. The participants were 281 caregivers who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Bivariate analyses (t test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation) were performed, and variables with values of p < 0.10 and gender were included in a multiple-linear regression model. Values of p < 0.05 were considered significant.

RESULTS

The caregivers were mostly female and parents of the patients, were married, with low education, and of low income. The mean ZBI score was 27.66. The factors independently associated with caregivers' burden were depression, being over 60 years of age, receiving no help with caregiving, recent patient crisis, contact days, and having other family members needing care.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified factors that deserve the attention of community services and can guide programs, such as family psycho-education groups, which may help to minimize or prevent the effects of burden on family caregivers responsible for patients' home care.