Translation and psychometric validation of the Arabic version of Summary of the Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) among pregnant women with gestational diabetes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a lack of validated tools to assess adherence to gestational diabetes (GDM) management plan among women with GDM. This study aimed to translate the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activity (SDSCA) into Arabic, culturally adapt it, and test its psychometric properties among women with GDM. METHODS: A multiphase study was used to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of SDSCA using the following steps: (1) cultural and linguistic validation; (2) content and face validity testing; (3) construct validity testing; and (4) internal validity testing. Nineghty pregnant women with GDM were recruited to meet the purpose of this study. RESULTS: The Arabic version of the adapted SDSCA tool revealed adequate content validity, satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.74), and test-retest reliability (Pearson correlation coefficient = .67). Exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors that fit data satisfactory: diet, exercise, and blood glucose monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the adapted Arabic SDSCA tool is an easy, valid, and reliable tool to assess pregnant women's adherence to GDM management plan.

Selective ion exchange governed by the Irving-Williams series in K2Zn3[Fe(CN)6]2 nanoparticles: toward a designer prodrug for Wilson's disease.

The principle of the Irving-Williams series is applied to the design of a novel prodrug based on K2Zn3[Fe(CN)6]2 nanoparticles (ZnPB NPs) for Wilson's disease (WD), a rare but fatal genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of excess copper in the liver and other vital organs. The predetermined ion-exchange reaction rather than chelation between ZnPB NPs and copper ions leads to high selectivity of such NPs for copper in the presence of the other endogenous metal ions. Furthermore, ZnPB NPs are highly water-dispersible and noncytotoxic and can be readily internalized by cells to target intracellular copper ions for selective copper detoxification, suggesting their potential application as a new-generation treatment for WD.

Synthesis, characterization, and X-ray attenuation properties of ultrasmall BiOI nanoparticles: toward renal clearable particulate CT contrast agents.

A unique decelerated hydrolytic procedure is developed and reported here for the preparation of ultrasmall nanoparticles (NPs) of PVP-coated BiOI with a narrow size distribution, i.e., 2.8 ± 0.5 nm. The crystal structure of this compound is determined by X-ray powder diffraction using the bulk materials. The stability, cytotoxicity, and potential use of the PVP-coated ultrasmall BiOI NPs as a CT contrast agent are investigated. Because of the combined X-ray attenuation effect of bismuth and iodine, such NPs exhibit a CT value that is among the best of those of the inorganic nanoparticle-based CT contrast agents reported in the literature.

Gallium analogue of soluble Prussian blue KGa[Fe(CN)6]·nH2O: synthesis, characterization, and potential biomedical applications.

The gallium analogue of the soluble Prussian blue with the formula KGa[Fe(CN)6]·nH2O is synthesized and structurally characterized. A simple aqueous synthetic procedure for preparing nanoparticles of this novel coordination polymer is reported. The stability, in vitro ion exchange with ferrous ions, cytotoxicity, and cellular uptake of such nanoparticles coated with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) are investigated for potential applications of delivering Ga(3+) ions into cells or removing iron from cells.

K2 Mn3 [FeII (CN)6 ]2 NPs with High T1 -Relaxivity Attributable to Water Coordination on the Mn(II) Center for Gastrointestinal Tract MR Imaging.

The lack of acid stability in the stomach and of temporal stability when moving through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has made the development of oral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents based on the platform of Gd3+ -complexes problematic.On the other hand, the negative contrast enhancement produced by the T2 -weighted magnetic metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) often renders the image readout difficult. Biocompatible NPs of the manganese Prussian blue analog K2 Mn3 [FeII (CN)6 ]2 exhibit extremely high stability under the acidic conditions of the gastric juice. Additionally, the high r1 relaxivity, low toxicity, and high temporal stability of such NPs offer great potential for the development of a true T1 -weighted oral contrast agent for MRI of the entire GI tract.

Incorporation of gallium-68 into the crystal structure of Prussian blue to form K(68)GaxFe1-x[Fe(CN)6] nanoparticles: toward a novel bimodal PET/MRI imaging agent.

Similarity between the Ga(+) ion and the Fe(3+) ion allows for partial replacement of Fe(3+) ions with Ga(3+) ions in the Fe(iii) crystallographic positions in Prussian blue (PB) to form various solid solutions KGaxFe1-x[Fe(CN)6] (0 < x < 1). Such solid solutions possess very high thermodynamic stability as expected from the parent PB structure. Consequently, a simple one-step (68)Ga-labeling method was developed for preparing a single-phase nanoparticulate bimodal PET/MRI imaging agent based on the PB structural platform. Unlike the typical (68)Ga-labelling reaction based on metal complexation, this novel chelator-free (68)Ga-labeling reaction was shown to be kinetically fast under the acidic conditions. The Ga(3+) ion does not hydrolyze, and affords the (68)Ga-labelled PB nanoparticles, which are easy to purify and have extremely high stability against radionuclidic leaching in aqueous solution.

Biocompatible D-Penicillamine Conjugated Au Nanoparticles: Targeting Intracellular Free Copper Ions for Detoxification.

High thiophillicicity of the Au-nanoparticle (Au NP) surface leads to covalent attachment of D-penicillamine molecules to Au NPs to form biocompatible D-penicillamine conjugated Au NPs. The latter are highly water-dispersible, exhibit no cytotoxicity, and can readily penetrate the cell membrane to target intracellular free copper ions for selective copper detoxification in the presence of the other divalent essential metal ions including Zn(II), Fe(II), Mn(II), Ca(II), and Mg(II), thus opening up a new avenue for improving the efficacy and pharmacokinetics of D-penicillamine, an important clinical drug currently used to treat the copper overload-related diseases and disorders.

Adsorption of Lead Ions from Aqueous Phase on Mesoporous Silica with P-Containing Pendant Groups.

Mesoporous silica materials with hydroxyphosphatoethyl pendant groups (POH-MS) were obtained by a two-step process: (1) block copolymer Pluronic P123-templated synthesis of mesoporous silica with diethylphosphatoethyl groups (DP-MS) by co-condensation of diethylphosphatoethyl triethoxysilane (DPTS) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) under acidic conditions and (2) conversion of diethylphosphatoethyl into hydroxyphosphatoethyl groups upon suitable treatment with concentrated hydrochloric acid. The DP-MS samples obtained by using up to 20% of DPTS featured hexagonally ordered mesopores, narrow pore size distribution and high specific surface area. Conversion of DP-MS to mesoporous silica with hydroxyphosphatoethyl groups (POH-MS) resulted in the enlargement of the specific surface area, total porosity, and microporosity. High affinity of hydroxyphosphatoethyl groups toward lead ions (Pb(2+)) makes the POH-MS materials attractive sorbents for lead ions, which is reflected by high lead uptake reaching 272 mg of Pb(2+) per gram of POH-MS. This study shows that the simple and effective co-condensation strategy assures high loading of P-containing groups showing high affinity toward lead ions, which is of great importance for removal of highly toxic lead ions from contaminated water.