Quantitative Analysis of the Fate of Gold Nanocages In Vitro and In Vivo after Uptake by U87-MG Tumor Cells

Not always equal: When a mother cell that contains Au nanocages divides, the nanoparticles are unequally distributed between the two daughter cells. This unequal distribution of nanoparticles as well as their clearance from the cells (see picture) is quantitatively analyzed both in vitro and in vivo using two-photon microscopy and photoacoustic microscopy, respectively

A Facile and General Method for the Encapsulation of Different Types of Imaging Contrast Agents Within Micrometer-Sized Polymer Beads

Polystyrene (PS) hollow beads with holes on the surfaces are employed as containers for quick loading and encapsulation of a variety of contrast enhancement agents: saline solutions for thermoacoustic tomography, iodinated organic compounds for micro-computed tomography, and perfluorooctane for magnetic resonance. Because of the hole on the surface of the PS hollow bead, the contrast agent to be encapsulated could quickly enter the hollow interior via direct flow rather than slow diffusion through the wall. After loading, the hole on the surface is conveniently sealed by annealing the sample at a temperature (e.g., 95 °C) slightly above the glass-transition temperature of PS. In vitro methods are also used to investigate the effectiveness of encapsulation by quantifying the contrast enhancement enabled by the contrast agents

Clinical and Epidemiologic Research Ethnic Variation in Early Age-Related Macular Degeneration Lesions Between White Australians and Singaporean Asians

Citation: Joachim N, Mitchell P, Younan C, et al. Ethnic variation in early age-related macular degeneration lesions between white Australians and Singaporean Asians. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:4421-4429. DOI:10.1167/iovs.14-14476 PURPOSE. We compared early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) lesion characteristics between white Australians and Singaporean Asians. METHODS. Participants of the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES; whites, n ¼ 3508) and the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Disease Study (SEED; Malay, n ¼ 3280, Indian, n ¼ 3400, and Chinese, n ¼ 3353) underwent examinations, including retinal photography. The AMD lesions were assessed following the Wisconsin AMD grading protocol by the same photographic grader. Prevalence and characteristics of early AMD lesions were compared between the BMES and the SEED. The associations between ethnicity and early AMD lesion types were analyzed using logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, lipids, and genetic polymorphisms associated with AMD. RESULTS. After age-standardization to the BMES population, the prevalence of distinct soft drusen was significantly higher in Singaporeans compared to Australians (23.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 22.9-25.0 vs. 6.2%, 95% CI 5.3-7.0), with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 4.6 (95% CI 3.4-6.0). In contrast, the prevalence of indistinct soft or reticular drusen was significantly lower in Singaporeans compared to Australians (6.5%, 95% CI 5.9-7.1 vs. 8.3%, 95% CI 7.4-9.3, with nonsignificant adjusted OR of 1.2, 95% CI 0.8-1.7). Soft drusen of any type were present frequently at the inner and outer macula (within a zone ‡500 to <3000 lm radius from the foveal center) among Singaporeans, while among Australians soft drusen were present more frequently at the central macula (<500 lm radius). CONCLUSIONS. Singaporean Asians had a milder spectrum of early AMD lesions and lesion characteristics (predominantly distinct soft drusen and noncentral location) compared to white Australians

Impact of Migration and Acculturation on Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes and Related Eye Complications in Indians Living in a Newly Urbanised Society

Background: Health of migrants is a major public health challenge faced by governments and policy makers. Asian Indians are among the fastest growing migration groups across Asia and the world, but the impact of migration and acculturation on diabetes and diabetes-related eye complications among Indians living in urban Asia remains unclear. Methodologies/Principal Findings: We evaluated the influence of migration and acculturation (i.e., migration status and length of residence) on the prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetes-related eye complications (diabetic retinopathy (DR) and cataract), among first-generation (defined as participant born in India with both parents born in India, n = 781) and second-generation (participants born in Singapore with both parents born in India, n = 1,112) Indian immigrants from a population-based study of Adult Indians in Singapore. Diabetes was defined as HbA1c≥6.5%, use of diabetic medication or a physician diagnosis of diabetes. Retinal and lens photographs were graded for the presence of DR and cataract. Compared to first generation immigrants, second generation immigrants had a higher age- and gender-standardized prevalence of T2DM (34.4% versus 29.0%, p<0.001), and, in those with T2DM, higher age- and gender-standardized prevalence of DR (31.7% versus 24.8%, p<0.001), nuclear cataract (13.6% versus 11.6%, p<0.001), and posterior sub-capsular cataract (6.4% versus 4.6%, p<0.001). Among first generation migrants, longer length of residence was associated with significantly younger age of diagnosis of diabetes and greater likelihood of having T2DM and diabetes-related eye complications. Conclusion: Second generation immigrant Indians and longer length of residence are associated with higher prevalence of diabetes and diabetes-related complications (i.e., DR and cataract) among migrant Indians living in Singapore. These data highlight potential worldwide impacts of migration patterns on the risk and burden of diabetes

Replacement of Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) by Thiols: A Systematic Study of Ag Nanocube Functionalization by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

In this work, we used surface-enhanced Raman scattering to monitor the replacement of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) on Ag nanocubes by cysteamine, thiol-terminated poly(ethylene glycol), and benzenedithiol. PVP is widely used as a colloidal stabilizer and capping agent to control the shape of Ag (as well as many other noble metals) nanocrystals during synthesis and to stabilize the final colloidal suspension. However, the surface chemistry of Ag nanocrystals often needs to be tailored for specific applications, so the PVP coating must be removed and/or replaced by other ligands. By monitoring the signature peak from the carbonyl groups of PVP, we show, for the first time, that the PVP adsorbed on the surface of Ag nanocubes was completely replaced by the thiol molecules at room temperature over the course of a few hours. We observed the same trend no matter if the Ag nanocubes were suspended in an aqueous solution of the thiol or supported on a silicon substrate and then immersed in the thiol solution

Non-linear relationships of duration of residence with prevalence of type-2 diabetes and its related complications in the first-generation Indian immigrants.

<p>Each plot is derived from a multivariate generalized additive model. The solid lines represent fitted lowess curves. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0034829#pone-0034829-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2A</a> shows the nonlinear relationship with BMI, after controlling for the influences of age, gender, systolic blood pressure (SBP), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL); <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0034829#pone-0034829-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2B</a> shows the nonlinear relationship with prevalence of diabetes, after controlling for the influences of age, gender, BMI, SBP, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, education, income and housing type; <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0034829#pone-0034829-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2C</a> shows the linear relationship with age at diagnosis of diabetes, after controlling for the influences of age, gender, BMI, SBP, hba1c level, education, income and housing type; <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0034829#pone-0034829-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2D</a> shows the nonlinear relationship with prevalence of DR, after controlling the influences of age, gender, diabetic duration, hba1c level, SBP, education, income and housing type; <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0034829#pone-0034829-g002" target="_blank">Figures 2E to 2G</a> show the nonlinear relationships with prevalence of nuclear cataract (NC), cortical cataract (CC), posterior sub-capsular cataract (PSC) after controlling the influences of age, gender, diabetic duration, hba1c level, education, income and housing type.</p

Associations of type-2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications with migration status.

<p>OR = odds ratio; 95%CI = 95% confidence interval; PSC = posterior sub-capsular cataract. Asterisk indicates statistical significance in multivariate model (p<0.05).</p>a<p>: Multivariate logistic model adjusted for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), triglyceride, education, income, and housing type.</p>b<p>: Multivariate logistic model adjusted for age, gender, BMI, SBP, DBP, duration of diabetes, hba1c level, education, income, and housing type.</p>c<p>: Multivariate logistic model adjusted for age, gender, BMI, duration of diabetes, hba1c level, education, income, and housing type.</p

Prevalence of obesity, type-2 diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, and cataract in Indian Immigrants and local Malays living in Singapore.

<p>Asterisk indicates statistical significance between groups in age and gender adjusted regression model (p<0.05). DR = Diabetic retinopathy; VTDR = vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy; NC = nuclear cataract; CC = cortical cataract; PSC = posterior sub-capsular cataract. Prevalence data are age and gender standardized using the 2010 Singapore Indian population census.</p