Preparation and biological investigation of luminescent water soluble CdTe nanoparticles

In this study CdTe quantum dots have been successfully prepared in aqueous medium using several different thiol stabilizers. The resulting nanocrystals were purified and the photoluminescence efficiency was subsequently enhanced through post preparative procedures such as photochemical etching and ageing. An optical study was carried out on the resulting CdTe nanocrystals as proof as their improvement. Preliminary tests of the thiol stabilised QDs as potential biolabels have been performed. It has been shown that L-cysteine stabilised QDs localising to the outer cell membrane in living cells. TGA stabilised CdTe QDs can potentially serve as live cell imaging tools as they exhibit strong luminescence and excellent photostability. In addition, the ability of TGA stabilised CdTe QDs to traverse the cell membrane of macrophages is a formidable quality that may potentially be harnessed for imaging and therapeutics. Modulating the delivery of QDs to subcellular locations in living cells opens a myriad of potential applications ranging from drug delivery to examination of intracellular processes

Evaluating the feasibility, experiences, facilitators of and barriers to carers and volunteers delivering Namaste Care to people with dementia in their own home: a qualitative interview study in the UK and the Netherlands

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility, facilitators of and barriers to delivering Namaste Care by volunteers and family carers to community-dwelling people with dementia, and to map family carers and volunteers’ experiences with the programme. DESIGN: Qualitative interview study with two phases: (1) preparation phase; (2) pilot phase. SETTING: Private residences of community-dwelling people with dementia in the UK and the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Family carers and volunteers of community-dwelling people with dementia (phase 1: 36 Dutch interviews, phase 2: 9 Dutch and 16 UK interviews). INTERVENTION: Namaste Care is a multicomponent psychosocial programme, originally developed for people with dementia residing in long-term care facilities. Meaningful activities were offered by carers and volunteers. Each person with dementia was offered 10 one-hour sessions. RESULTS: Phase 1: Namaste Care was deemed feasible for community-dwelling people with dementia and no major adaptations to the programme were considered necessary. Phase 2: perceived effects of Namaste Care on people with dementia included improved mood and increased interaction. The programme appeared enriching for both family carers and volunteers, providing joy, respite from care and new insights for coping with challenging behaviour. A flexible attitude of the Namaste provider facilitated its delivery. High caregiver burden and a strained relationship between the family carer and person with dementia were considered barriers. Experiences of family carers and volunteers with Namaste Care were very positive (mean satisfaction rating: 8.7 out of 10, SD=0.9, range 7–10). CONCLUSION: We recommend offering Namaste Care delivered by volunteers, preferably multiple sessions per week of 1.5–2 hours to optimise quality of life of community-dwelling people with dementia. Working with well-matched, flexible Namaste providers is pivotal. Family involvement should be encouraged, although the extent should be adapted depending on preference, caregiver burden and the relationship between the family carer and the person with dementia. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NL557

Repair of osteochondral defects in rabbits with ectopically produced cartilage

Cartilage has poor regenerative capacity. Donor site morbidity and interference with joint homeostasis should be considered when applying the autologous chondrocyte transplantation technique. The use of ectopically produced cartilage, derived from periosteum, might be a novel method to heal cartilage defects. Ectopic cartilage was produced by dissecting a piece of periosteum from the tibia of rabbits. After 14 days the reactive tissue at the dissection site was harvested and a graft was cored out and press-fit implanted in an osteochondral defect in the medial condyle of the femur with or without addition of hyaluronan. After 3 weeks and 3 months the repair reaction was evaluated by histology. Thionine- and collagen type II-stained sections were evaluated for graft viability, ingrowth of the graft, and joint surface repair. Empty defects remained empty 3 weeks after implantation, ectopic cartilage filled the defect to the level of the surrounding cartilage. Histologically, the grafts were viable, consisting mainly of cartilage, and showed a variable pattern of ingrowth. Three months after implantation empty defects with or without hyaluronan were filled primarily with fibrocartilaginous tissue. Defects treated with ectopic cartilage contained mixtures of fibrocartilaginous and hyaline cartilage. Sometimes a tidemark was observed in the new articular cartilage and the orientation of the cells resembled that of healthy articular cartilage. Subchondral bone repair was excellent. The modified O' Driscoll scores for empty defects without and with hyaluronan were 12.7 +/- 6.4 and 15.3 +/- 3.2; for treated defects scores were better ( 15.4 +/- 3.9 and 18.2 +/- 2.9). In this conceptual study the use of ectopic cartilage derived from periosteum appears to be a promising novel method for joint surface repair in rabbits