Enantioselective cytotoxicity of ZnS:Mn quantum dots in A549 cells.

Chirality strongly influences many biological properties of materials, such as cell accumulation, enzymatic activity, and toxicity. In the past decade, it has been shown that quantum dots (QDs), fluorescent semiconductor nanoparticles with unique optical properties, can demonstrate optical activity due to chiral ligands bound on their surface. Optically active QDs could find potential applications in biomedical research, therapy, and diagnostics. Consequently, it is very important to investigate the interaction of QDs capped with chiral ligands with living cells. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of the induced chirality of Mn-doped ZnS QDs on the viability of A549 cells. These QDs were stabilized with D- and L-cysteine using a ligand exchange technique. The optical properties of QDs were studied using UV-Vis, photoluminescence (PL), and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity of QDs was investigated by high content screening analysis. It was found that QDs stabilized by opposite ligand enantiomers, had identical PL and UV-Vis spectra and mirror-imaged CD spectra, but displayed different cytotoxicity: QDs capped with D-cysteine had greater cytotoxicity than L-cysteine capped QDs.

No change in developmental outcome with incubator covers and nesting for very preterm infants in a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate in a randomised controlled trial the effect of basic elements of developmental care (incubator covers and positioning aids) on growth and neurodevelopment in infants born at < 32 weeks. METHOD: Infants were randomised within 48 h of birth to a developmental care (DC) or standard care (C) group. Outcome measures at 1 and 2 years corrected age were growth, standardised neurological examinations, and mental (MDI) and psychomotor (PDI) development (Dutch version of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II). RESULTS: 192 infants were recruited (DC = 98; C = 94). Thirteen infants (DC = 7, C = 6) were excluded because they were admitted for <5 days or died within the first 5 days. In total, 179 infants met the inclusion criteria. In-hospital mortality was 12/91 (13.2%) in the DC group and 8/88 (9.1%) in the C group. Assessments were carried out on 147 children (DC = 74, C = 73) at 1 year and 142 children (DC = 72, C = 70) at 2 years. No significant difference in growth, neurological outcomes or MDI was found. A positive trend in PDI at 1 year (p = 0.05) did not continue once the children reached 2 years. There was no difference found when neurological and developmental scores were combined. CONCLUSIONS: Basic developmental care has no positive effect on neurological and mental development or growth at 1 and 2 years of age in infants born at <32 weeks. A positive effect on psychomotor development at 1 year did not continue at 2 years of age.

Health-related quality of life of very preterm infants at 1 year of age after two developmental care-based interventions.

BACKGROUND: In the context of a growing interest in developmental care (DC) this study explores the effect of the basic elements of DC and the additional effect of the individual approach of the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of very preterm infants at 1 year of age. The basic elements of DC in this study were defined as the use of standardized nests and incubator covers whose protective characteristics were hypothesized to have a positive effect on the infant's HRQoL. The individualized approach of the NIDCAP was thought to further increase HRQoL. METHODS: Very preterm (

Parental experiences during the first period at the neonatal unit after two developmental care interventions.

AIM: Developmental care has gained increased attention in the individualized care for preterm infants. This study was designed to explore the effect of a basic form of developmental care and the more extended Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) on parental stress, confidence and perceived nursing support. METHODS: Two consecutive randomized controlled trials (RCT's) comparing (1) standard care versus basic developmental care (standardized nests and incubator covers) (n = 133) and (2) basic developmental care versus NIDCAP, including behavioural observations (n = 150). Parents of infants born <32 weeks gestational age (GA) received questionnaires after the first week of admission in the neonatal unit and on average these 2 weeks after the birth of their infant. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in confidence, perceived nursing support or parental stress. The difference in parental stress between mother and father was less in the NIDCAP intervention group (p = .03), although not significant. CONCLUSION: Both basic developmental care and NIDCAP had little effect on parental experiences during the first period at the neonatal unit. As a result of increased paternal stress, the NIDCAP intervention tended to decrease the difference in parental stress levels of fathers and mothers, possibly because of the increased involvement of father during the NIDCAP intervention.

Case report: lamivudine therapy for submassive hepatic necrosis due to reactivation of hepatitis B following chemotherapy.

This report describes the case of a 53-year-old woman who developed severe hepatitis following chemotherapy for breast carcinoma. The patient was hepatitis B surface antigen positive, e antigen negative and e antibody positive and had high levels of hepatitis B virus-DNA. Liver biopsy revealed submassive hepatic necrosis, consistent with reactivation of hepatitis B. Treatment with lamivudine resulted in rapid loss of hepatitis B virus-DNA, resolution of hepatitis and clinical recovery.

Comparison of [125I]-bolton-hunter substance P binding in young and aged rat spinal cord.

Binding of [125I]-labeled Bolton-Hunter substance P ([125I]-BHSP) to NK1 receptors was investigated in the spinal cord of young (3-4 month) and aged (14-16 month) rats. In homogenates of whole spinal cord, the affinity (equilibrium dissociation constant, approximately 210 pM) and maximum density of [125I]-BHSP binding sites ( approximately 0.25 fmol/mg wet weight) were similar for young and aged rats. Autoradiographic studies revealed a similar distribution of [125I]-BHSP sites in both young and old rats at all spinal levels. Intense binding was observed in the superficial dorsal horn (laminae I-III), grey commissure (lamina X) and thoracic intermediolateral cell column (IML) with lower levels of binding in the deeper dorsal horn (laminae IV-VI) and ventral horn (laminae VII-IX). However, the density of [125I]-BHSP sites was significantly (P<0.05) lower in lamina X of lumbar sections of aged rats compared with young controls. These studies suggest that ageing is associated with a selective loss of NK1 receptors in lamina X of the lumbar spinal cord, although the affinity of NK1 receptors in aged rats is unchanged.