Synthetic Antiferromagnetic Gold Nanoparticles as Bimodal Contrast Agents in MRI and CT-An Experimental In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

The use of multimodal contrast agents can potentially overcome the intrinsic limitations of individual imaging methods. We have validated synthetic antiferromagnetic nanoparticles (SAF-NPs) as bimodal contrast agents for in vitro cell labeling and in vivo cell tracking using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). SAF-NP-labeled cells showed high contrast in MRI phantom studies (r* = 712 s mM), while pelleted cells showed clear contrast enhancement in CT.

The interest of 100 versus 200 Hz tetanic stimulations to quantify low levels of residual neuromuscular blockade with mechanomyography: a pilot study.

A more sensitive method than the train-of-four ratio seems required to detect low levels of residual neuromuscular blockade before tracheal extubation. The goal of the study was to determine the potential benefit of 5 s of 100 versus 200 Hz tetanic stimulation to quantify the residual block with mechanomyography in anesthetised patients. Twenty informed and consenting 18- to 80-year-old patients undergoing nose surgery were included.

Azetidinimines as a novel series of non-covalent broad-spectrum inhibitors of β-lactamases with submicromolar activities against carbapenemases KPC-2 (class A), NDM-1 (class B) and OXA-48 (class D).

The occurrence of resistances in Gram negative bacteria is steadily increasing to reach extremely worrying levels and one of the main causes of resistance is the massive spread of very efficient β-lactamases which render most β-lactam antibiotics useless. Herein, we report the development of a series of imino-analogues of β-lactams (namely azetidinimines) as efficient non-covalent inhibitors of β-lactamases. Despite the structural and mechanistic differences between serine-β-lactamases KPC-2 and OXA-48 and metallo-β-lactamase NDM-1, all three enzymes can be inhibited at a submicromolar level by compound 7dfm, which can also repotentiate imipenem against a resistant strain of Escherichia coli expressing NDM-1.