Delayed hepatic uptake of multi-phosphonic acid poly(ethylene glycol) coated iron oxide measured by real-time Magnetic Resonance Imaging

We report on the synthesis, characterization, stability and pharmacokinetics of novel iron based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Statistical copolymers combining multiple phosphonic acid groups and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were synthesized and used as coating agents for 10 nm iron oxide nanocrystals. In vitro, protein corona and stability assays show that phosphonic acid PEG copolymers outperform all other coating types examined, including low molecular weight anionic ligands and polymers. In vivo, the particle pharmacokinetics is investigated by monitoring the MRI signal intensity from mouse liver, spleen and arteries as a function of the time, between one minute and seven days after injection. Iron oxide particles coated with multi-phosphonic acid PEG polymers are shown to have a blood circulation lifetime of 250 minutes, i.e. 10 to 50 times greater than that of recently published PEGylated probes and benchmarks. The clearance from the liver takes in average 2 to 3 days and is independent of the core size, coating and particle stability. By comparing identical core particles with different coatings, we are able to determine the optimum conditions for stealth MRI probes.Comment: 19 pages 8 figures, RSC Advances, 201

Autocorrelation analysis for the unbiased determination of power-law exponents in single-quantum-dot blinking

We present an unbiased and robust analysis method for power-law blinking statistics in the photoluminescence of single nano-emitters, allowing us to extract both the bright- and dark-state power-law exponents from the emitters' intensity autocorrelation functions. As opposed to the widely-used threshold method, our technique therefore does not require discriminating the emission levels of bright and dark states in the experimental intensity timetraces. We rely on the simultaneous recording of 450 emission timetraces of single CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots at a frame rate of 250 Hz with single photon sensitivity. Under these conditions, our approach can determine ON and OFF power-law exponents with a precision of 3% from a comparison to numerical simulations, even for shot-noise-dominated emission signals with an average intensity below 1 photon per frame and per quantum dot. These capabilities pave the way for the unbiased, threshold-free determination of blinking power-law exponents at the micro-second timescale

Water-Assisted Oxygen Activation During Selective Oxidation Reactions

The selective functionalization of hydrocarbons with oxygen to produce valuable commodity chemicals is inherently challenging, because of the thermodynamic stability of the complete combustion products. Emerging green synthesis routes and sustainable energy production also rely on the success of selective oxidation reactions. As one of the unselective by-products, water is always present under reaction conditions and numerous studies indicate that the catalytic activity and selectivity of selective oxidation reactions may be tuned by judiciously controlling the water content during the reaction. Some experimentally verified examples include the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide, direct hydrogen peroxide synthesis, propene epoxidation and alcohol oxidation. Finally, it has been predicted that the direct conversion of methane to methanol can benefit from the right amount of water near the active site during oxygen activation

A double masked randomised 4-week, placebo-controlled study in the USA, Thailand and Taiwan to compare the efficacy of oral valganciclovir and topical 2% ganciclovir in the treatment of cytomegalovirus anterior uveitis: study protocol.

IntroductionCytomegalovirus (CMV) anterior uveitis is a recognised cause of anterior uveitis in immunocompetent patients and is preventable cause of vision loss. Ocular sequelae include corneal endothelial damage which can cause corneal oedema and failure, as well as glaucoma. Recurrences of inflammation are common and therefore patients are often exposed to long-term therapy. Oral therapy is available in the form of valganciclovir, although with the caveat of systemic side effects such as bone marrow suppression and renal failure necessitating regular interval laboratory monitoring. Recent reports have demonstrated that topical 2% ganciclovir solution may offer promising treatment outcomes in patients with CMV anterior uveitis with superior safety, cost-effectiveness and convenience profiles. An investigation into the relative equipoise of these therapies is warranted for these reasons.Methods and analysisThe Systemic and Topical Control of Cytomegalovirus Anterior uveitis: Treatment Outcomes (STACCATO) trial is designed as a multicentre, block randomised by site, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial comparing the efficacy of oral valganciclovir, 2% topical ganciclovir and placebo in treating PCR-proven CMV anterior uveitis. Participant clinical evaluation will occur at three study time points by a masked study ophthalmologist over a 28-day period to assess resolution of ocular inflammation (secondary outcome). A control group will provide additional information about the possible impact that the infected host's immune response may play in controlling local viral replication. The primary analysis is an analysis of covariance (three arms) correcting for baseline to compare quantitative CMV viral load in the anterior chamber (AC) aqueous fluid before and 7 days after treatment.Ethics and disseminationThe University of California San Francisco Committee on Human Research and the Khon Kaen University Institutional Review Board have given ethical approval. The results of this trial will be presented at local and international meetings and submitted for peer-reviewed journals for publication.Trial registration numberNCT03576898

An introduction to crowdsourcing for language and multimedia technology research

Language and multimedia technology research often relies on large manually constructed datasets for training or evaluation of algorithms and systems. Constructing these datasets is often expensive with significant challenges in terms of recruitment of personnel to carry out the work. Crowdsourcing methods using scalable pools of workers available on-demand offers a flexible means of rapid low-cost construction of many of these datasets to support existing research requirements and potentially promote new research initiatives that would otherwise not be possible

The Social Vulnerability index as a Risk Stratification tool For Health Disparity Research in Cancer Patients: a Scoping Review

PURPOSE: The social vulnerability index (SVI), developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a novel composite measure encompassing multiple variables that correspond to key social determinants of health. The objective of this review was to investigate innovative applications of the SVI to oncology research and to employ the framework of the cancer care continuum to elucidate further research opportunities. METHODS: A systematic search for relevant articles was performed in five databases from inception to 13 May 2022. Included studies applied the SVI to analyze outcomes in cancer patients. Study characteristics, patent populations, data sources, and outcomes were extracted from each article. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS: In total, 31 studies were included. Along the cancer care continuum, five applied the SVI to examine geographic disparities in potentially cancer-causing exposures; seven in cancer diagnosis; fourteen in cancer treatment; nine in treatment recovery; one in survivorship care; and two in end-of-life care. Fifteen examined disparities in mortality. CONCLUSION: In highlighting place-based disparities in patient outcomes, the SVI represents a promising tool for future oncology research. As a reliable geocoded dataset, the SVI may inform the development and implementation of targeted interventions to prevent cancer morbidity and mortality at the neighborhood level