Influence of Coating and Size of Magnetic Nanoparticles on Cellular Uptake for In Vitro MRI.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are suitable materials for contrast enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Their potential clinical applications range from diagnosis to therapy and follow-up treatments. However, a deeper understanding of the interaction between IONPs, culture media and cells is necessary for expanding the application of this technology to different types of cancer therapies.

Masquelet-Induced Membrane Characteristics in Chicken Radii Bone Defects.

This study evaluated the formation of a Masquelet-induced membrane created through the formation of segmental bone defects in the radii of 15 healthy domestic chickens. When the chickens were in a surgical plane of anesthesia, a 1.5-cm segmental bone defect was produced in the left radius, which was subsequently filled with a bone cement spacer during its pasty polymerization phase.

Aggregation effects on the magnetic properties of iron oxide colloids.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), and in particular iron oxide nanoparticles (mainly magnetite and maghemite), are being widely used in the form of aqueous colloids for biomedical applications. In such colloids, nanoparticles tend to form assemblies, either aggregates, if the union is permanent, or agglomerates, if it is reversible. These clustering processes have a strong impact on the MNPs' properties that are often not well understood.

Physiological expression of pancreatic somatostatin receptors in 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy.

Purpose: To describe the frequency of head and/or pancreas uncinate process uptake of 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC, to study its nature, and analyze its diagnostic value.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective evaluation of 47 consecutive 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC examinations was conducted. Head and/or pancreas uncinate process uptake was considered to be physiological in patients with normal CT at the same episode and in follow-up.

Erratum: g-force induced giant efficiency of nanoparticles internalization into living cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep15160.].

In Vivo Deep Tissue Fluorescence and Magnetic Imaging Employing Hybrid Nanostructures.

Breakthroughs in nanotechnology have made it possible to integrate different nanoparticles in one single hybrid nanostructure (HNS), constituting multifunctional nanosized sensors, carriers, and probes with great potential in the life sciences. In addition, such nanostructures could also offer therapeutic capabilities to achieve a wider variety of multifunctionalities. In this work, the encapsulation of both magnetic and infrared emitting nanoparticles into a polymeric matrix leads to a magnetic-fluorescent HNS with multimodal magnetic-fluorescent imaging abilities.

g-force induced giant efficiency of nanoparticles internalization into living cells.

Nanotechnology plays an increasingly important role in the biomedical arena. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs)-labelled cells is one of the most promising approaches for a fast and reliable evaluation of grafted cells in both preclinical studies and clinical trials. Current procedures to label living cells with IONPs are based on direct incubation or physical approaches based on magnetic or electrical fields, which always display very low cellular uptake efficiencies.

BSA-coated magnetic nanoparticles for improved therapeutic properties.

In recent years, magnetic nanoparticles have been widely investigated due to their potential in biomedical applications. For successful in vivo applications, magnetic nanoparticles must satisfy several requirements such as biocompatibility, invisibility to the immune system, high colloidal stability in biological fluids, and long blood circulation times. In this study, we have developed a formulation in which the magnetic nanoparticles are coated with bovine serum albumin to provide enhanced colloidal stability in biological fluids preserving their magnetic properties.

Cl-capped CdSe nanocrystals via in situ generation of chloride anions.

Halide ions cap and stabilize colloidal semiconductor nanocrystal (NC) surfaces allowing for NCs surface interactions that may improve the performance of NC thin film devices such as photo-detectors and/or solar cells. Current ways to introduce halide anions as ligands on surfaces of NCs produced by the hot injection method are based on post-synthetic treatments. In this work we explore the possibility to introduce Cl in the NC ligand shell in situ during the NCs synthesis.

Fondaparinux as a safe alternative for managing heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in postoperative cardiac surgery patients.

Objective: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a rare but severe prothrombotic disorder of heparin treatment that leads to a decline in platelet count and thrombotic complications. If HIT is suspected, then heparin should be stopped and an alternative anticoagulant started. Fondaparinux is a factor Xa-inhibitor that is not FDA-approved for this condition, but preliminary experience in HIT patients has been reported in the literature.

Interfacing quantum dots and graphitic surfaces with chlorine atomic ligands.

The performance of devices based on semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) improves both with stronger interface interactions among NCs and between NCs and solid electrode surfaces. The combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and solid (31)P CP/MAS NMR (cross-polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance) shows that the selective substitution of long organic chains by chlorine atomic ligands during the colloidal synthesis by the hot injection method promotes the adsorption of CdSe NCs to carbon sp(2) surfaces, leading to the formation of well-ordered NC monolayers on graphitic materials.

[Thalamic metabolism and neurological outcome after traumatic brain injury. A voxel-based morphometric FDG-PET study].

Objective: to study the relationship between thalamic metabolism and neurological outcome in patients who had sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods: nineteen patients who had sustained a severe TBI and ten control subjects were included in this study. Six of the 19 patients had a low level of consciousness (vegetative state or minimally conscious state), while thirteen showed normal consciousness.

[Indication for bone scans in early breast cancer staging].

Objective: Evaluate the indication for bone scanning during staging of early breast cancer in the light of scientific evidence to assess the need to modify practices with scant effectiveness.

Material And Methods: The bone scans carried out in our Nuclear Medicine Department in 2007 on patients with primary breast cancer were reviewed retrospectively. Results were analyzed in relation to the clinical and histopathologic findings for each tumor.

[67Ga SPECT/low-dose CT. A case report of spondylodiscitis and Schmorl's node].

A 61-year-old male patient with microbiological diagnosis of L3-L4 spondylodiscitis and persist pain underwent a (67)Ga scintigraphic study to assess the antibiotic treatment response. Pathological uptake foci in vertebral bodies of L2 and L4 were observed in the (67)Ga planar scintigraphy. A SPECT low-dose CT of the lumbar spine was performed as part of anatomical correlated protocol, detecting an active spondylodiscitis in L3-L4 and a second uptake foci in L2 that was identify as a Schmorl's node.

Usefulness of technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy to detect pancreatic necrosis in patients with acute pancreatitis. Prospective comparison with Ranson, Glasgow and APACHE-II scores and serum C-reactive protein.

Background: In acute pancreatitis (AP), pancreatic necrosis (PN) is an important local complication that can be identified by means of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). Pancreatic leukocyte infiltration is a significant pathogenic event in the development of PN that can be detected by labeled leukocyte scintigraphy (LLS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of LLS with technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime ((99m)Tc-HMPAO) to detect the presence of PN in patients with AP.

[Usefulness of FDG-PET in the diagnosis of patients with chronic severe brain injury].

Introduction: To describe the changes in cerebral glucose metabolism after a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), at the beginning of the rehabilitation, to analyze its diagnostic agreement with morphologic neuroimaging technologies (MR/CT) and to correlate the neuroimaging findings with the intensity of the TBI and the functional ability for daily activities.

Material And Methods: Prospective study of 55 patients who had sustained a severe TBI (GCS < or = 8) by means of 18F-FDG PET and MR/CT. The agreement between anatomical and functional neuroimagen studies was measured.

99mTc-hexamethylpropylene amineoxime leukocyte scintigraphy in acute pancreatitis: an alternative to contrast-enhanced computed tomography?

Objective: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is the most efficient imaging technique for the diagnosis and staging of acute pancreatitis (AP); its use, however, may be unfeasible in some patients as a consequence of the drawbacks of intravenous (IV) contrast material. The aim of this study was to test the utility of labeled leukocyte scintigraphy (LLS) as an alternative imaging technique to CECT for the staging of AP.

Methods: Sixty-six patients with AP were prospectively studied.

[Endoluminal percutaneous thrombectomy as a treatment for acute vascular access thrombosis: long-term results of 123 procedures].

Unlabelled: Percutaneous treatment of thrombosis of occluded vascular access (VA) for haemodialysis (HD) has been an alternative to surgical and pharmacological treatments, but long term results are not well defined. The aim of our study was to analyse the long term results of percutaneous thrombectomy as a treatment of occluded VA for HD. We conducted a prospective study from june 1995 to april 1999, including 123 consecutive thrombectomies in 64 VA in patients submitted to our hospital because of recent thrombosis of VA for HD.