Nanotechnology in Wastewater Management: A New Paradigm Towards Wastewater Treatment.

Clean and safe water is a fundamental human need for multi-faceted development of society and a thriving economy. Brisk rises in populations, expanding industrialization, urbanization and extensive agriculture practices have resulted in the generation of wastewater which have not only made the water dirty or polluted, but also deadly. Millions of people die every year due to diseases communicated through consumption of water contaminated by deleterious pathogens. Although various methods for wastewater treatment have been explored in the last few decades but their use is restrained by many limitations including use of chemicals, formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs), time consumption and expensiveness. Nanotechnology, manipulation of matter at a molecular or an atomic level to craft new structures, devices and systems having superior electronic, optical, magnetic, conductive and mechanical properties, is emerging as a promising technology, which has demonstrated remarkable feats in various fields including wastewater treatment. Nanomaterials encompass a high surface to volume ratio, a high sensitivity and reactivity, a high adsorption capacity, and ease of functionalization which makes them suitable for application in wastewater treatment. In this article we have reviewed the techniques being developed for wastewater treatment using nanotechnology based on adsorption and biosorption, nanofiltration, photocatalysis, disinfection and sensing technology. Furthermore, this review also highlights the fate of the nanomaterials in wastewater treatment as well as risks associated with their use.

In vitro clearance of doxorubicin with a DNA-based filtration device designed for intravascular use with intra-arterial chemotherapy.

To report a novel method using immobilized DNA within mesh to sequester drugs that have intrinsic DNA binding characteristics directly from flowing blood. DNA binding experiments were carried out in vitro with doxorubicin in saline (PBS solution), porcine serum, and porcine blood. Genomic DNA was used to identify the concentration of DNA that shows optimum binding clearance of doxorubicin from solution. Doxorubicin binding kinetics by DNA enclosed within porous mesh bags was evaluated. Flow model simulating blood flow in the inferior vena cava was used to determine in vitro binding kinetics between doxorubicin and DNA. The kinetics of doxorubicin binding to free DNA is dose-dependent and rapid, with 82-96 % decrease in drug concentration from physiologic solutions within 1 min of reaction time. DNA demonstrates faster binding kinetics by doxorubicin as compared to polystyrene resins that use an ion exchange mechanism. DNA contained within mesh yields an approximately 70 % decrease in doxorubicin concentration from solution within 5 min. In the IVC flow model, there is a 70 % drop in doxorubicin concentration at 60 min. A DNA-containing ChemoFilter device can rapidly clear clinical doses of doxorubicin from a flow model in simple and complex physiological solutions, thereby suggesting a novel approach to reduce the toxicity of DNA-binding drugs.

Block Copolymer Membranes for Efficient Capture of a Chemotherapy Drug.

We introduce the use of block copolymer membranes for an emerging application, "drug capture". The polymer is incorporated in a new class of biomedical devices, referred to as ChemoFilter, which is an image-guided temporarily deployable endovascular device designed to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy-based cancer treatment. We show that block copolymer membranes consisting of functional sulfonated polystyrene end blocks and a structural polyethylene middle block (S-SES) are capable of capturing doxorubicin, a chemotherapy drug. We focus on the relationship between morphology of the membrane in the ChemoFilter device and efficacy of doxorubicin capture measured in vitro. Using small-angle X-ray scattering and cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy, we discovered that rapid doxorubicin capture is associated with the presence of water-rich channels in the lamellar-forming S-SES membranes in aqueous environment.

Patient-directed Internet-based Medical Image Exchange: Experience from an Initial Multicenter Implementation.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Inefficient transfer of personal health records among providers negatively impacts quality of health care and increases cost. This multicenter study evaluates the implementation of the first Internet-based image-sharing system that gives patients ownership and control of their imaging exams, including assessment of patient satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients receiving any medical imaging exams in four academic centers were eligible to have images uploaded into an online, Internet-based personal health record. Satisfaction surveys were provided during recruitment with questions on ease of use, privacy and security, and timeliness of access to images. Responses were rated on a five-point scale and compared using logistic regression and McNemar's test. RESULTS: A total of 2562 patients enrolled from July 2012 to August 2013. The median number of imaging exams uploaded per patient was 5. Most commonly, exams were plain X-rays (34.7%), computed tomography (25.7%), and magnetic resonance imaging (16.1%). Of 502 (19.6%) patient surveys returned, 448 indicated the method of image sharing (Internet, compact discs [CDs], both, other). Nearly all patients (96.5%) responded favorably to having direct access to images, and 78% reported viewing their medical images independently. There was no difference between Internet and CD users in satisfaction with privacy and security and timeliness of access to medical images. A greater percentage of Internet users compared to CD users reported access without difficulty (88.3% vs. 77.5%, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: A patient-directed, interoperable, Internet-based image-sharing system is feasible and surpasses the use of CDs with respect to accessibility of imaging exams while generating similar satisfaction with respect to privacy.

Atypical MRI features in soft-tissue arteriovenous malformation: a novel imaging appearance with radiologic-pathologic correlation.

BACKGROUND: The absence of a discrete mass, surrounding signal abnormality and solid enhancement are imaging features that have traditionally been used to differentiate soft-tissue arteriovenous malformations from vascular tumors on MRI. We have observed that these findings are not uncommon in arteriovenous malformations, which may lead to misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the frequency of atypical MRI features in soft-tissue arteriovenous malformations and assess their relationship to lesion size, location, tissue type involved and vascular architecture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records, MRI and histopathology were reviewed in consecutive patients with soft-tissue arteriovenous malformations in a multidisciplinary vascular anomalies clinic. Arteriovenous malformations were divided into those with and without atypical MRI findings (perilesional T2 signal abnormality, enhancement and/or a soft-tissue mass). Lesion location, size, tissue involved and vascular architecture were also compared between groups. Tissue stains were reviewed in available biopsy or resection specimens to assess relationships between MRI findings and histopathology. RESULTS: Thirty patients with treatment-naïve arteriovenous malformations were included. Fifteen lesions demonstrated atypical MRI. There was no difference in age, gender, lesion size or involved body part between the groups. However, more than half of the atypical lesions demonstrated multicompartmental involvement, and tiny intralesional flow voids were more common in atypical arteriovenous malformations. Histopathology also differed in atypical cases, showing densely packed endothelial cells with connective tissue architectural distortion and edema. CONCLUSION: Arteriovenous malformations may exhibit features of a vascular tumor on MRI, particularly when multicompartmental and/or containing tiny internal vessels. These features are important to consider in suspected fast-flow vascular malformations and may have implications with respect to their treatment.

Development and Validation of Endovascular Chemotherapy Filter Device for Removing High-Dose Doxorubicin: Preclinical Study.

To develop a novel endovascular chemotherapy filter (CF) able to remove excess drug from the blood during intra-arterial chemotherapy delivery (IAC), thus preventing systemic toxicities and thereby enabling higher dose IAC. A flow circuit containing 2.5 mL of ion-exchange resin was constructed. Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing 50 mg doxorubicin (Dox) was placed in the flow model with the hypothesis that doxorubicin would bind rapidly to resin. To simulate IAC, 50 mg of doxorubicin was infused over 10 min into the flow model containing resin. Similar testing was repeated with porcine serum. Doxorubicin concentrations were measured over 60 min and compared to controls (without resin). Single-pass experiments were also performed. Based on these experiments, an 18F CF was constructed with resin in its tip. In a pilot porcine study, the device was deployed under fluoroscopy. A control hepatic doxorubicin IAC model (no CF placed) was developed in another animal. A second CF device was created with a resin membrane and tested in the infrarenal inferior vena cava (IVC) of a swine. In the PBS model, resin bound 76% of doxorubicin in 10 min, and 92% in 30 min (P < 0.001). During IAC simulation, 64% of doxorubicin bound in 10 min and 96% in 60 min (P < 0.001). On average, 51% of doxorubicin concentration was reduced during each pass in single pass studies. In porcine serum, 52% of doxorubicin bound in 10 min, and 80% in 30 min (P < 0.05). CF device placement and administration of IAC were successful in three animals. No clot was present on the resin within the CF following the in vivo study. The infrarenal IVC swine study demonstrated promising results with up to 85% reduction in peak concentration by the CF device. An endovascular CF device was developed and shown feasible in vitro. An in vivo model was established with promising results supporting high-capacity rapid doxorubicin filtration from the blood that can be further evaluated in future studies.

Radiation dose reduction in pediatric CT-guided musculoskeletal procedures.

BACKGROUND: Computed-tomography-guided interventions are attractive for tissue sampling of pediatric bone lesions; however, it comes with exposure to ionizing radiation, inherent to CT and magnified by multiple passes during needle localization. OBJECTIVE: We evaluate a method of CT-guided bone biopsy that minimizes ionizing radiation exposure by lowering CT scanner tube current (mAs) and voltage (kVp) during each localization scan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all CT-guided bone biopsies (n = 13) over a 1-year period in 12 children. Three blinded readers identified the needle tip on the reduced-dose CT images (mAs = 50, kVp = 80) during the final localization scan at biopsy and rated the image quality as high, moderate or low. RESULTS: The image quality of the reduced-dose scans during biopsy was rated as either high or moderate, with needle tip visualized in 12 out of 13 biopsies. Twelve of 13 biopsies also returned sufficient sample for a pathological diagnosis. The average savings in exposure using the dose-reduction technique was 87%. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a low mAs and kVp strategy for needle localization during CT-guided bone biopsy yields a large dose reduction and produces acceptable image quality without sacrificing yield for biopsy diagnosis.

A simple noniterative principal component technique for rapid noise reduction in parallel MR images.

The utilization of parallel imaging permits increased MR acquisition speed and efficiency; however, parallel MRI usually leads to a deterioration in the signal-to-noise ratio when compared with otherwise equivalent unaccelerated acquisitions. At high accelerations, the parallel image reconstruction matrix tends to become dominated by one principal component. This has been utilized to enable substantial reductions in g-factor-related noise. A previously published technique achieved noise reductions via a computationally intensive search for multiples of the dominant singular vector which, when subtracted from the image, minimized joint entropy between the accelerated image and a reference image. We describe a simple algorithm that can accomplish similar results without a time-consuming search. Significant reductions in g-factor-related noise were achieved using this new algorithm with in vivo acquisitions at 1.5 T with an eight-element array.

Paracrine stimulation of surfactant secretion by extracellular ATP in response to mechanical deformation.

We developed a heterologous system to study the effect of mechanical deformation on alveolar epithelial cells. First, isolated primary rat alveolar type II (ATII) cells were plated onto silastic substrata coated with fibronectin and maintained in culture under conditions where they become alveolar type I-like (ATI) cells. This was followed by a second set of ATII cells labeled with the nontransferable, vital fluorescent stain 5-chloromethylfluorescein diacetate to distinguish them from ATI cells. By morphometric analysis, equibiaxial deformation (stretch) of the silastic substratum induced comparable changes in cell surface area for both ATII and ATI cells. Surfactant lipid secretion was measured using cells metabolically labeled with [(3)H]choline. In response to 21% tonic stretch for 15 min, ATII cells seeded with ATI cells secreted nearly threefold more surfactant lipid compared with ATII cells seeded alone. ATI cells did not secrete lipid in response to stretch. The enhanced lipid secretion by ATII plus ATI cocultures was inhibited by treatment with apyrase and adenosine deaminase, suggesting that ATP release by ATI cells enhanced surfactant lipid secretion at 21% stretch. This was confirmed using a luciferase assay where, in response to 21% stretch, ATI cells released fourfold more ATP than ATII cells. Because ATI cells release significantly more ATP at a lower level of stretch than ATII cells, this supports the hypothesis that ATI cells are mechanosensors in the lung and that paracrine stimulation of ATII cells by extracellular ATP released from ATI cells plays a role in regulating surfactant secretion.

Developmental regulation of claudin localization by fetal alveolar epithelial cells.

Tight junction proteins in the claudin family regulate epithelial barrier function. We examined claudin expression by human fetal lung (HFL) alveolar epithelial cells cultured in medium containing dexamethasone, 8-bromo-cAMP, and isobutylmethylxanthanine (DCI), which promotes alveolar epithelial cell differentiation to a type II phenotype. At the protein level, HFL cells expressed claudin-1, claudin-3, claudin-4, claudin-5, claudin-7, and claudin-18, where levels of expression varied with culture conditions. DCI-treated differentiated HFL cells cultured on permeable supports formed tight transepithelial barriers, with transepithelial resistance (TER) >1,700 ohm/cm(2). In contrast, HFL cells cultured in control medium without DCI did not form tight barriers (TER <250 ohm/cm(2)). Consistent with this difference in barrier function, claudins expressed by HFL cells cultured in DCI medium were tightly localized to the plasma membrane; however, claudins expressed by HFL cells cultured in control medium accumulated in an intracellular compartment and showed discontinuities in claudin plasma membrane localization. In contrast to claudins, localization of other tight junction proteins, zonula occludens (ZO)-1, ZO-2, and occludin, was not sensitive to HFL cell phenotype. Intracellular claudins expressed by undifferentiated HFL cells were localized to a compartment containing early endosome antigen-1, and treatment of HFL cells with the endocytosis inhibitor monodansylcadaverine increased barrier function. This suggests that during differentiation to a type II cell phenotype, fetal alveolar epithelial cells use differential claudin expression and localization to the plasma membrane to help regulate tight junction permeability.