Underestimated Risks of Infantile Infectious Disease from the Caregiver's Typical Handling Practices of Infant Formula.

The impact on infant caregiver as a reservoir of pathogens has not been exploited with perspective to powdered infant formula (PIF). Here we reveal novel route of pathogen transfer through hand-spoon-PIF unexpectedly occurred by even typical practices of caregivers, handling of PIF and storage of feeding-spoon in PIF container. Hand-spoon-PIF contamination route was simulated to analyze the transfer and subsequent survival of pathogens.

Chitosan-Based Hydrogel Microparticles for Treatment of Carcinoma in a Rabbit VX2 Liver Tumor Model.

Purpose: To investigate potential of chitosan hydrogel microparticles (CHI) for treatment of VX2 carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: Two weeks after liver VX2 implantation, contrast-enhanced computerized tomographic scanning was conducted. Rabbits (n = 2) with successful tumor growth were treated with different sizes of Tc-labeled CHI (60-80 μm and 100-120 μm) via intra-arterial hepatic catheterization.

I-labeled chitosan hydrogels for radioembolization: A preclinical study in small animals.

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to examine potential of I-labeled chitosan hydrogels (Chi) for treatment of liver cancer.

Methods: Orthotopic hepatoma was induced by McA-RH7777-fLuc cells (1×10) that were injected into the left hepatic lobe of rats. Ten days later, tumor-bearing rats evidenced by bioluminescence received I-labeled Chi with left hepatic artery access.

PEGylated nanoliposomes encapsulating angiogenic peptides improve perfusion defects: Radionuclide imaging-based study.

Introduction: Although liposomes hold promise for cancer therapy, the effectiveness of treating myocardial ischemia by promoting angiogenesis has yet to be proved. Nanoliposomes loaded with therapeutic agents can effectively target ischemic myocardium via enhanced permeability and retention. Surface polyethylene glycol (PEG) modification can further facilitate effective targeting by prolonging liposomal circulation.

Cylindrical angular spectrum using Fourier coefficients of point light source and its application to fast hologram calculation.

We will introduce a new simple analytic formula of the Fourier coefficient of the 3D field distribution of a point light source to generate a cylindrical angular spectrum which captures the object wave in 360° in the 3D Fourier space. Conceptually, the cylindrical angular spectrum can be understood as a cylindrical version of the omnidirectional spectral approach of Sando et al. Our Fourier coefficient formula is based on an intuitive observation that a point light radiates uniformly in all directions.

The Alginate Layer for Improving Doxorubicin Release and Radiolabeling Stability of Chitosan Hydrogels.

Purpose: Chitosan hydrogels (CSH) formed through ionic interaction with an anionic molecule are suitable as a drug carrier and a tissue engineering scaffold. However, the initial burst release of drugs from the CSH due to rapid swelling after immersing in a biofluid limits their wide application as a drug delivery carrier. In this study, alginate layering on the surface of the doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded and I-131-labeled CSH (DI-CSH) was performed.

Evaluation of Selective Arterial Embolization Effect by Chitosan Micro-Hydrogels in Hindlimb Sarcoma Rodent Models Using Various Imaging Modalities.

Purpose: Embolization is mainly used to reduce the size of locally advanced tumors. In this study, selective arterial catheterization with chitosan micro-hydrogels (CMH) into the femoral artery was performed and the therapeutic effect was validated using different imaging methods.

Methods: Male SD rats (n = 18, 6 weeks old) were randomly assigned into three groups: Group 1 as control, Group 2 without any ligation of distal femoral artery, and Group 3 with temporary ligation of the distal femoral artery.

Improving Cerebral Blood Flow Through Liposomal Delivery of Angiogenic Peptides: Potential of ¹⁸F-FDG PET Imaging in Ischemic Stroke Treatment.

Unlabelled: Strategies to promote angiogenesis can benefit cerebral ischemia. We determined whether liposomal delivery of angiogenic peptides with a known biologic activity of vascular endothelial growth factor benefitted cerebral ischemia. Also, the study examined the potential of (18)F-FDG PET imaging in ischemic stroke treatment.

Local Retention and Combination Effects of Biocompatible Doxorubicin-Loaded and Radioiodine-Labeled Microhydrogels in Cancer Therapy.

I-131-labeled chitosan microhydrogels (I-131-CMH) that are retained at an injection site without leaking free I-131 into normal tissue can provide opportunities to improve cancer therapy. This study focuses on the development of doxorubicin-loaded I-131-CMH (Dox-I-131-CMH) for use in radiochemotherapy against cancer. The radiolabeling of I-131-CMH was found to be stable over a period of 2 weeks with no disassociation of free I-131, and Dox showed a sustained release from the CMH.

Fast focus estimation using frequency analysis in digital holography.

A novel fast frequency-based method to estimate the focus distance of digital hologram for a single object is proposed. The focus distance is computed by analyzing the distribution of intersections of smoothed-rays. The smoothed-rays are determined by the directions of energy flow which are computed from local spatial frequency spectrum based on the windowed Fourier transform.

Effect of angiogenesis induced by consecutive intramuscular injections of vascular endothelial growth factor in a hindlimb ischemic mouse model.

Purpose: Angiogenesis plays a major role in various physiological and pathological situations. Thus, an angiogenic therapy with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been commonly recommended as a representative therapeutic solution to recover the insufficient blood supply of collateral vessels in an ischemic lesion. In this study, the injection method and injection time point of VEGF proteins were focused to discover how to enhance the angiogenic effect with VEGF.

Stepwise angular spectrum method for curved surface diffraction.

We present a method to calculate wave propagation between arbitrary curved surfaces using a staircase approximation approach. The entire curved surface is divided into multiple subregions and each curved subregion is approximated by a piecewise flat subplane allowing the application of conventional diffraction theory. In addition, in order to reflect the local curvature of each subregion, we apply the phase compensation technique.