Ratiometric Singlet Oxygen Nano-optodes and Their Use for Monitoring Photodynamic Therapy Nanoplatforms

Ratiometric photonic explorers for bioanalysis with biologically localized embedding (PEBBLE) nanoprobes have been developed for singlet oxygen, using organically modified silicate (ORMOSIL) nanoparticles as the matrix. A crucial aspect of these ratiometric singlet-oxygen fluorescent probes is their minute size. The ORMOSIL nanoparticles are prepared via a sol-gel–based process and the average diameter of the resultant particles is about 160 nm. These sensors incorporate the singlet-oxygen–sensitive 9,10-dimethyl anthracene as an indicator dye and a singlet-oxygen–insensitive dye, octaethylporphine, as a reference dye for ratiometric fluorescence-based analysis. We have found experimentally that these nanoprobes have much better sensitivity than does the conventional singlet-oxygen–free dye probe, anthracene-9, 10-dipropionic acid disodium salt. The much longer lifetime of singlet oxygen in the ORMOSIL matrix, compared to aqueous solutions, in addition to the relatively high singlet oxygen solubility because of the highly permeable structure and the hydrophobic nature of the outer shell of the ORMOSIL nanoparticles, results in an excellent overall response to singlet oxygen. These nanoprobes have been used to monitor the singlet oxygen produced by “dynamic nanoplatforms” that were developed for photodynamic therapy. The singlet oxygen nanoprobes could potentially be used to quantify the singlet oxygen produced by macrophages.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75523/1/2005-05-18-RA-532.pd

Treatment Response and Long Term Follow-up Results of Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term clinical course of non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and to determine which factors are associated with a response to steroid therapy and relapse. Thirty-five patients with pathologically proven NSIP were included. Clinical, radiological, and laboratory data were reviewed retrospectively. The male-to-female ratio was 7:28 (median age, 52 yr). Thirty (86%) patients responded to steroid therapy, and the median follow-up was 55.2 months (range, 15.9-102.0 months). Five patients (14%) showed sustained disease progression and three died despite treatment. In the five with sustained disease progression, NSIP was associated with various systemic conditions, and the seropositivity of fluorescent antinuclear antibody was significantly associated with a poor response to steroids (P = 0.028). The rate of relapse was 25%, but all relapsed patients improved after re-treatment. The initial dose of steroids was significantly low in the relapse group (P = 0.020). In conclusion, progression is associated with various systemic conditions in patients who show progression. A low dose of initial steroids is significantly associated with relapse

Interaction between GSTM1/GSTT1 Polymorphism and Blood Mercury on Birth Weight

BACKGROUND: Mercury (Hg) is toxic to both the reproductive and nervous systems. In addition, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), which conjugate glutathione to a variety of electrophilic compounds, are involved in the detoxification of Hg. OBJECTIVE: In this study we examined the association between prenatal exposure to Hg and birth weight as well as the influence of GST polymorphisms. METHODS: The total Hg concentration in maternal and cord blood was measured from 417 Korean women and newborns in the Mothers and Children`s Environmental Health study from 2006 to 2008. Information on birth weight was collected from the patients` medical records. The genotyping of glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) polymorphisms was carried out using polymerase chain reaction. Regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the blood Hg concentration and birth weight in mothers with GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms. RESULTS: The geometric mean levels of Hg in the maternal blood during late pregnancy and in cord blood were 3.30 mu g/L and 5.53 mu g/L, respectively. For mothers with the GSTT1 null genotype, elevated Hg levels in maternal blood during late pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of lower birth weight. For mothers with both GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotype, both maternal and cord blood Hg levels were associated with lower birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the interactions of Hg with GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms play a role in reducing birth weight.ENGSTROM K, 2008, GENETIC VARIATION GLDaniels JL, 2007, PAEDIATR PERINAT EP, V21, P448Beyrouty P, 2006, NEUROTOXICOL TERATOL, V28, P49, DOI 10.1016/j.ntt.2005.11.002Custodio HM, 2005, ARCH ENVIRON HEALTH, V60, P17Custodio HM, 2004, ARCH ENVIRON HEALTH, V59, P588Counter SA, 2004, TOXICOL APPL PHARM, V198, P209, DOI 10.1016/j.taap.2003.11.032CASANUEVA E, 2003, J NUTR, V133, P1700Ballatori N, 2002, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V110, P689Dusinska M, 2001, MUTAT RES-FUND MOL M, V482, P47, DOI 10.1016/S0027-5107(01)00209-3Castoldi AF, 2001, BRAIN RES BULL, V55, P197Bjerregaard P, 2000, SCI TOTAL ENVIRON, V245, P195, DOI 10.1016/S0048-9697(99)00444-1Chen CY, 1998, J TOXICOL ENV HEAL A, V54, P37Clarkson TW, 1997, CRIT REV CL LAB SCI, V34, P369CLARKSON TW, 1993, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V100, P31BALLATORI N, 1985, FUND APPL TOXICOL, V5, P816BRODSKY JB, 1985, J AM DENT ASSOC, V111, P779

Frequency and predictors of miliary tuberculosis in patients with miliary pulmonary nodules in South Korea: A retrospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Miliary pulmonary nodules are commonly caused by various infections and cancers. We sought to identify the relative frequencies of various aetiologies and the clinical and radiographic predictors of miliary tuberculosis (TB) in patients with miliary pulmonary nodules.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who presented with micronodules occupying more than two-thirds of the lung volume, based on computed tomography (CT) of the chest, between November 2001 and April 2007, in a tertiary referral hospital in South Korea.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We analyzed 76 patients with miliary pulmonary nodules. Their median age was 52 years and 38 (50%) were males; 18 patients (24%) had a previous or current malignancy and five (7%) had a history of TB. The most common diagnoses of miliary nodules were miliary TB (41 patients, 54%) and miliary metastasis of malignancies (20 patients, 26%). Multivariate analysis revealed that age ≤30 years, HIV infection, corticosteroid use, bronchogenic spread of lesions, and ground-glass opacities occupying >25% of total lung volume increased the probability of miliary TB. However, a history of malignancy decreased the probability of miliary TB.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Miliary TB accounted for approximately half of all causes of miliary pulmonary nodules. Young age, an immune-compromised state, and several clinical and radiographic characteristics increased the probability of miliary TB.</p

New prognostic scoring system for mortality in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by modifying the gender, age, and physiology model with desaturation during the six-minute walk test

BackgroundIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD) with variable and heterogeneous clinical course. The GAP (gender, age, and physiology) model had been used to predict mortality in patients with IPF, but does not contain exercise capacity. Therefore, our aim in this study was to develop new prognostic scoring system in the Korea IPF Cohort (KICO) registry.Materials and methodsThis is a retrospective study of Korean patients with IPF in KICO registry from June 2016 to August 2021. We developed new scoring system (the GAP6) based on the GAP model adding nadir saturation of percutaneous oxygen (SpO2) during six-minute walk test (6MWT) in the KICO registry and compared the efficacy of the GAP and the GAP6 model.ResultsAmong 2,412 patients in KICO registry, 966 patients were enrolled. The GAP6 model showed significant prognostic value for mortality between each stage [HR Stage II vs. Stage I = 2.89 (95% CI = 2.38–3.51), HR Stage III vs. Stage II = 2.68 (95% CI = 1.60–4.51)]. In comparison the model performance with area under curve (AUC) using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the GAP6 model showed a significant improvement for predicting mortality than the GAP model (AUC the GAP vs. the GAP6, 0.646 vs. 0.671, p &lt; 0.0019). Also, the C-index values slightly improved from 0.674 to 0.691 for mortality.ConclusionThe GAP6 model adding nadir SpO2 during 6WMT for an indicator of functional capacity improves prediction ability with C-index and AUC. Additional multinational study is needed to confirm these finding and validate the applicability and accuracy of this risk assessment system

New Era of Air Quality Monitoring from Space: Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS)

GEMS will monitor air quality over Asia at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution from GEO for the first time, providing column measurements of aerosol, ozone and their precursors (nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and formaldehyde). Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) is scheduled for launch in late 2019 - early 2020 to monitor Air Quality (AQ) at an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution from a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) for the first time. With the development of UV-visible spectrometers at sub-nm spectral resolution and sophisticated retrieval algorithms, estimates of the column amounts of atmospheric pollutants (O3, NO2, SO2, HCHO, CHOCHO and aerosols) can be obtained. To date, all the UV-visible satellite missions monitoring air quality have been in Low Earth orbit (LEO), allowing one to two observations per day. With UV-visible instruments on GEO platforms, the diurnal variations of these pollutants can now be determined. Details of the GEMS mission are presented, including instrumentation, scientific algorithms, predicted performance, and applications for air quality forecasts through data assimilation. GEMS will be onboard the GEO-KOMPSAT-2 satellite series, which also hosts the Advanced Meteorological Imager (AMI) and Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI)-2. These three instruments will provide synergistic science products to better understand air quality, meteorology, the long-range transport of air pollutants, emission source distributions, and chemical processes. Faster sampling rates at higher spatial resolution will increase the probability of finding cloud-free pixels, leading to more observations of aerosols and trace gases than is possible from LEO. GEMS will be joined by NASA&apos;s TEMPO and ESA&apos;s Sentinel-4 to form a GEO AQ satellite constellation in early 2020s, coordinated by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS)

Synthesis, characterization and reactivity of early transition metal sulfides.

The synthesis and structural characterization of oxo-thiomolybdate anions that contain both Mo = S and Mo = O units are reported. These compounds are obtained from the \rm \lbrack (PhS)\sb2Mo(O)(MoS\sb4)\rbrack \sp{2-} anion, II, that is obtained from the ((PhS)\sb4Mo(O)) \sp{-} complex, I, and all are isolated as Ph\sb4P\sp+ and Et\sb4N\sp+ salts. Oxidations of the II by dibenzyl trisulfide (BzSSSBz) in DMF afford the (Mo\sb2OS\sb7)\sp{2-}, III, and (Mo\sb2OS\sb9)\sp{2-} as a mixture of the (\rm (S\sb4)MoO(\mu-\rm S)\sb2MoS(\eta\sp2-\rm S\sb2)\rbrack \sp{2-} and \rm\lbrack (\eta\sp2-\rm S\sb2)MoO(\mu-\rm S)\sb2MoS(S\sb4)\rbrack\sp{2-} anions, V depending on the stoichiometry of the reaction. The reactions of III and V with one equivalent of Ph\sb3P in DMF solution afford the (Mo\sb2OS\sb6)\sp{20}, IV, and (Mo\sb2OS\sb8)\sp{2-}, VI anions, respectively. The reactions of various thio and oxothio molybdates with benzoyl chloride afford the corresponding chloro adduct of thiomolybdates in which disulfido or tetrasulfido groups are replaced by chloro ligands. The syntheses of the syn-\rm (Ph\sb4P)\sb2\lbrack Mo\sb2O\sb2S\sb2(L)\sb2\rbrack \cdot 2DMF, (Ph\sb4P)\sb2\lbrack Mo\sb2OS\sb2(L)\sb3\rbrack complexes (L = 1,1-dicarbomethoxy-2,2-ethylene dithiolate, DMAD) and \rm (Et\sb4N)\sb2\lbrack Mo\sb2O\sb2S\sb2(L\sp\prime)(L\sp{\prime\prime})), and \rm (Ph\sb4P)\sb2\lbrack Mo\sb2OS\sb3(L\sp{\prime})(L\sp{\prime\prime})\rbrack,\ and\ (Ph\sb4P)\sb2\lbrack Mo\sb2S\sb4(L\sp{\prime\prime})\sb2\rbrack complexes (L\sp\prime = CS\sb3, L\sp{\prime\prime} = CS\sb4) are accomplished in reactions of DMA and CS\sb2 with \rm (Ph\sb4P)\sb2\lbrack Mo\sb2OS\sb9\rbrack, (Et\sb4N)\sb2\lbrack Mo\sb2O\sb2S\sb8\rbrack, (Ph\sb4P)\sb2\lbrack Mo\sb2OS\sb7\rbrack,\ and\ (Ph\sb4P)\sb2\lbrack MoS\sb4\rbrack respectively. The synthesis, structural characterization and reactivity of new thiolate complexes of niobium and tantalum are also reported. These compounds are obtained from niobium pentachloride and tantalum pentachloride respectively. The reaction of niobium pentachloride with NaSPh in a 1:6 molar ratio affords the Na(THF)\sb3(Nb(SPh-pMe)\sb6) complex that contains Nb(V). The reaction of niobium pentachloride with NaSPh and tetraethylammonium chloride in a 1:6 molar ratio affords the niobium(IV,IV) dimer, \rm (Et\sb4N)\sb2\lbrack Nb(\mu-SPh)\sb2(SPh)\sb3\rbrack \sb2 and demonstrates the importance of the counterion in the course of the reaction. The same reaction with tetraphenylphosphonium chloride yields the niobium(IV) monomer, \rm (Ph\sb4P)\sb2\lbrack Nb(SPh)\sb6\rbrack . The reaction of tantalum pentachloride with NaSPh in a 1:6 molar ratio affords \rm Na(Et\sb2O)\sb3\lbrack Ta(SPh)\sb6\rbrack . The replacement of diethyl ether around sodium to 15-crown-5 ether gives the expected molecule of (15-crown-5 Na)((TaSPh)\sb6).Ph.D.Inorganic chemistryPure SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/128643/2/9116223.pd