A case of fungal keratitis: A clinical and in vivo confocal microscopy assessment

A presumed case of fungal keratitis is presented. Confocal images highlight the advantage of using such technology to follow therapeutic progress, particularly when standard laboratory testing is inconclusive. This case also demonstrates the importance of continued patient education regarding overall compliance and lens care.     

Non-gadolinium dynamic angiography of the neurovasculature using arterial spin labeling MRI: preliminary experience in children

Objective

We demonstrate the potential clinical utility of a 4D non-gadolinium dynamic angiography technique based on arterial spin-labeling called contrast inherent inflow enhanced multi-phase angiography (CINEMA) in pediatric patients.

Materials and Methods

CINEMA was qualitatively compared to conventional time-of-flight (TOF) angiography in a cohort of 31 pediatric patients at 3 Tesla.

Results

CINEMA data were successfully acquired and reconstructed in all patients with no image artifacts. There were no cases where CINEMA was rated inferior to TOF in depicting intracranial vessel conspicuity. In 19 cases, CINEMA was rated equivalent to TOF and in the 12 remaining cases CINEMA was rated superior to TOF.

Conclusion

There is a steadily rising concern in adults and children over the potential effects of intracranial deposition of gadolinium. CINEMA is therefore a viable alternative in dynamic neurovascular imaging.

     

Housing quality and resilience in New Zealand

There is extensive research on the negative health impacts of poor housing quality. However, little is known about the potential health benefits of high-quality housing in poor neighbourhoods. Neighbourhoods with unexpectedly good health outcomes despite high levels of deprivation have been deemed resilient places and housing quality in these areas may be a contributor to this resilience. This study aimed to evaluate whether an indicator of neighbourhood housing quality was associated with a previously quantified resilience index (RINZ) in New Zealand. It was found that areas with high housing quality tended to have higher median income, greater proportions of partnered people and shorter-term residents, and very low proportions of Māori. A positive association was found between housing quality and resilience, after adjustment for deprivation. There was no indication of differences by heterogeneity in housing quality within the aggregate unit of analysis. These findings pose the hypothesis that improving housing quality in similarly deprived areas that have poor health outcomes could potentially boost health. To extend this understanding, further development of a more sophisticated housing quality indicator is recommended.     

Physicochemical and toxicological properties of commercial carbon blacks modified by reaction with ozone

Ozonation of two commercial carbon blacks (CBs), Printex 90 (P90) and Flammruss 101 (F101), was carried out and changes in their morphology, physical properties, and cytotoxicity were examined. The hypothesis examined was that different methods of manufacture of CBs influence their chemical reactivity and toxicological properties. Structural changes were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). Introduction of surface oxygen functionality upon ozonation led to changes in surface charge, aggregation characteristics, and free radical content of the CBs. However, these changes in surface functionality did not alter the cytotoxicity and release of inflammation markers upon exposure of the CBs to murine macrophages. Interaction of macrophages with F101 resulted in higher levels of inflammatory markers than P90, and the only structural correlation was with the higher persistent radical concentration on the F101.     

Are oral contraceptives a significant contributor to the estrogenicity of drinking water?

Recent observed feminization of aquatic animals has raised concerns about estrogenic compounds in water supplies and the potential for these chemicals to reach drinking water. Public perception frequently attributes this feminization to oral contraceptives (OCs) in wastewater and raises concerns that exposure to OCs in drinking water may contribute to the recent rise in human reproductive problems. This paper reviews the literature regarding various sources of estrogens, in surface, source and drinking water, with an emphasis on the active molecule that comes from OCs. It includes discussion of the various agricultural, industrial, and municipal sources and outlines the contributions of estrogenic chemicals to the estrogenicity of waterways and estimates that the risk of exposure to synthetic estrogens in drinking water on human health is negligible. This paper also provides recommendations for strategies to better understand all the potential sources of estrogenic compounds in the environment and possibilities to reduce the levels of estrogenic chemicals in the water supply.     

IMing, Text Messaging, and Adolescent Social Networks

Building on previous research in computer-mediated communication, social and communication networks, and adolescent development, this article raises three issues regarding adolescent use of socially interactive technologies (SITs) and their relationship to offline social networks: 1) whether adolescents are creating more, but weaker ties using SITs, 2) to what extent adolescent SIT-facilitated networks overlap with friendship networks, and 3) whether SIT relationships are important for adolescents who have fewer offline peer ties. In order to investigate these questions, network data collection and analysis were integrated with more traditional questionnaire methodology and statistical analysis. The results show that the adolescents in the study were not creating more ties using SITs, nor were they necessarily creating weaker SIT-based ties; that there was little overlap between SIT-facilitated and offline social networks; and that socially isolated adolescents were less likely than other adolescents to use SITs.     

A stability study of green tea catechins during the biscuit making process

A green tea extract (GTE) was incorporated into biscuit as a source of tea catechins. The stability of tea catechins in the biscuit making process was studied. A method was developed for the separation and quantification of tea catechins in GTE, dough, and biscuit samples using a RP-HPLC system. GTEs at 150, 200, and 300 mg per 100 g of flour were formulated. The results obtained showed that green tea catechins were relatively stable in dough. The stability of (−)-EGCG and (−)-ECG was determined at an interval of every 2 min during baking. Their stability decreased as the baking progressed and increased as the concentration of GTE was increased in the biscuit dough. The stability of (−)-EGCG also increased as pH of the dough was reduced and made less alkaline.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Sulfanilamide-Based Nonionic Surfactants and Evaluation of Their Nano-Vesicular Drug Loading Application

Nonionic surfactants are highly stable and cost-effective and receiving acceptance for applications in many diverse fields including drug delivery, due to their distinctive properties. Here, we report on the synthesis and characterization of sulfanilamide-based nonionic surfactants for nanoscale vesicular drug loading applications. Nonionic surfactants were synthesized through alkylation of sulfanilamide with alkyl halides that possessed diverse degrees of lipophilicity. They were explored for their nanovesicular drug loading with Cefixime as a hydrophobic model drug. Drug-loaded nanovesicles were characterized for surface morphologies, size, size distribution, surface charge, and drug loading efficiency using atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and UV–visible spectrophotometry. All of the synthesized nonionic surfactants revealed their CMC values in 0.055–0.035 mM range depending upon the lipophilic chain length of surfactants. They caused a decreased hemoglobin release and low toxicity against cell culture. They self-assembled and loaded an increased amount of drug in the form of nanorange spherical shape niosomal vesicles. Results of the current study verify these synthesized nonionic surfactants are hemocompatible, nontoxic, and capable of self-assembling into nanorange niosomal vesicles. These niosomal vesicles can be suggested as safe and highly efficient nanocarriers for hydrophobic drug loading and delivery.     

The Spatial Patterning of Alcohol Outlets in Post-Disaster Christchurch,New Zealand: Practical and Policy Implications

Natural disasters greatly impact the environment of affected societies with often unknown consequences. In this study we examine the impact that the Canterbury Earthquakes of 2010–2011 had on the distribution of alcohol outlets in Christchurch, New Zealand. Specifically, we compare the distribution of both on-site and off-site alcohol outlets pre- (December 2009) and post-earthquake (December 2014) and use spatial regression models to identify whether any neighbourhood-level factors predict the observed redistributions. Overall, the number of alcohol outlets decreased by almost 13% after the Canterbury Earthquakes. However, we found a moderate increase in the clustering of both outlet types of outlets in the post-quake period. Increases in rates of both on-site and off-site alcohol outlets in neighbourhoods were positively associated with the percentage of residents who resided in their neighbourhood < 5 years and with neighbourhood crime rate change, while negative associations were found with percentage population aged between 15 and 29 years. The results suggest that the changing spatial distribution of alcohol outlets in Christchurch was not random but driven, in part, by the emergent demographic composition of neighbourhoods. The significant practical and policy implications of a redistribution of alcohol outlets are outlined providing a tangible link between empirical research and practice in an urban environment plagued with post-disaster spatial and social uncertainties.