Tellurium Containing Long Lived Emissive Fluorophore for Selective and Visual Detection of Picric Acid through Photo-Induced Electron Transfer.

A novel tellurium (Te) containing fluorophore, 1 and its nickel (2) and copper (3) containing metal organic complex (MOC) have been synthesized to exploit their structural and optical properties and to deploy these molecules as fluorescent probes for the selective and sensitive detection of picric acid (PA) over other commonly available nitro-explosives. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) and single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) techniques revealed the inclusion of "soft" Tellurium (Te) and "hard" Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O) atoms in the molecular frameworks. Owing to the presence of electron rich "N" and "O" atoms along with "Te" in the molecular framework, 1 could efficiently and selectively sense PA with more than 80 % fluorescence quenching efficiency in organic medium and having detection limit of 4.

Feasibility of multimodal multiphoton microscopy to facilitate surgical margin assessment in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a common cancer with poor odds of survival for the patient, with surgical resection offering the only hope of cure. Current surgical practice is time-consuming and, due to time constraints, does not sample the whole cut surface sufficiently to check for remaining cancer. Although microscopy with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain is the gold standard for microscopic evaluation, multiphoton microscopy (MPM) has emerged as an alternative tool for imaging tissue architecture and cellular morphology without labels.

Development of an auto-phase separable and reusable graphene oxide-potato starch based cross-linked bio-composite adsorbent for removal of methylene blue dye.

In this work, we report the development of a cross-linked bio-composite consisting of graphene oxide, potato starch, cross-linker glutaraldehyde and its application to adsorption of the industrial dye, methylene blue, from aqueous solution. The inexpensiveness, non-hazardous nature and easy bio-degradability are the major reasons for the selection of starch material as one of the components of the bio-composite. The bio-composite has been characterized by FTIR, SEM, XRD, particle size and zeta potential analysis.

Pancreatic cancer cell detection by targeted lipid microbubbles and multiphoton imaging.

Surgical resection of pancreatic cancer represents the only chance of cure and long-term survival in this common disease. Unfortunately, determination of a cancer-free margin at surgery is based on one or two tiny frozen section biopsies, which is far from ideal. Not surprisingly, cancer is usually left behind and is responsible for metastatic disease.

Migrating coil.

We describe a rare case of a 60-year-old man with known history of peptic ulcer disease who presented with melena and epigastric pain secondary to coil migration into duodenal mucosa 4 years after the initial therapeutic embolisation of the gastroduodenal artery. Upper endoscopy revealed oozing duodenal ulcer at the same site of the previously located duodenal ulcer 4 years ago and metal coil impacted at the duodenal mucosa. It is unclear if the coil migration is the effect or the cause of the bleeding duodenal ulcer.

Characterization of TCP-1 probes for molecular imaging of colon cancer.

Molecular probes capable of detecting colorectal cancer (CRC) are needed for early CRC diagnosis. The objective of this study was to characterize c[CTPSPFSHC]OH (TCP-1), a small peptide derived from phage display selection, for targeting human CRC xenografts using technetium-99m ((99m)Tc)-labeled TCP-1 and fluorescent cyanine-7 (Cy7)-labeled form of the peptide (Cy7-TCP-1). (99m)Tc-TCP-1 was generated by modifying TCP-1 with succinimidyl-6-hydrazino-nicotinamide (S-HYNIC) followed by radiolabeling.

Imaging of targeted lipid microbubbles to detect cancer cells using third harmonic generation microscopy.

The use of receptor-targeted lipid microbubbles imaged by ultrasound is an innovative method of detecting and localizing disease. However, since ultrasound requires a medium between the transducer and the object being imaged, it is impractical to apply to an exposed surface in a surgical setting where sterile fields need be maintained and ultrasound gel may cause the bubbles to collapse. Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) is an emerging tool for accurate, label-free imaging of tissues and cells with high resolution and contrast.

NSAID-induced pyloric stenosis leading to oesophageal intramucosal dissection.

We describe a rare case of a 75-year-old woman with significant non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use who presented with haematemesis. Upper endoscopy revealed a large (9 cm) intramucosal dissection of the oesophagus without extension into the gastro-oesophageal junction and a severely narrowed pylorus. We postulate that she developed pyloric stenosis due to peptic ulcer disease from chronic NSAID use.

Clinical Study of Ursodeoxycholic Acid in Barrett's Esophagus Patients.

Prior research strongly implicates gastric acid and bile acids, two major components of the gastroesophageal refluxate, in the development of Barrett's esophagus and its pathogenesis. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a hydrophilic bile acid, has been shown to protect esophageal cells against oxidative stress induced by cytotoxic bile acids. We conducted a pilot clinical study to evaluate the clinical activity of UDCA in patients with Barrett's esophagus.

Label-free multi-photon imaging of dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus.

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a metaplastic disorder where dysplastic and early cancerous changes are invisible to the naked eye and where the practice of blind biopsy is hampered by large sampling errors. Multi-photon microscopy (MPM) has emerged as an alternative solution for fast and label-free diagnostic capability for identifying the histological features with sub-micron accuracy. We developed a compact, inexpensive MPM system by using a handheld mode-locked fiber laser operating at 1560nm to study mucosal biopsies of BE.

Compact dual-view endoscope without field obscuration.

We have developed a compact dual-view endoscopic probe without field obscuration to address the need of simultaneously observing forward and backward fields of view (FOVs) in the colon. The objective is compact with the forward-view and rear-view optical paths sharing the same optical elements. The compact objective is new in that no FOV is blocked.

Single chip interrogation system for a smart shoe wireless transponder.

The objective of this paper is to design a wireless transponder for antenna-based sensors that can be used to simultaneously measure shear and pressure forces for diabetic foot diagnosis. The transponder will be placed on the top surface of a shoe and consists of sensor antennas and an identification system that transmits information to a receiver by modulating the signal reflected by the antennas sensor in the insole. The identification system includes an energy harvester, a crystal oscillator and a passive mixer.

Enhanced visibility of colonic neoplasms using formulaic ratio imaging of native fluorescence.

Background And Objectives: Colonoscopy is the preferred method for colon cancer screening, but can miss polyps and flat neoplasms with low color contrast. The objective was to develop a new autofluorescence method that improves image contrast of colonic neoplasms.

Study Design/materials And Methods: We selected the three strongest native fluorescence signals and developed a novel method where fluorescence images are processed in a ratiometric formula to represent the likely cellular and structural changes associated with neoplasia.

Phase-change nanoparticles using highly volatile perfluorocarbons: toward a platform for extravascular ultrasound imaging.

Recent efforts using perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoparticles in conjunction with acoustic droplet vaporization has introduced the possibility of expanding the diagnostic and therapeutic capability of ultrasound contrast agents to beyond the vascular space. Our laboratories have developed phase-change nanoparticles (PCNs) from the highly volatile PFCs decafluorobutane (DFB, bp =-2 °C) and octafluoropropane (OFP, bp =-37 °C ) for acoustic droplet vaporization. Studies with commonly used clinical ultrasound scanners have demonstrated the ability to vaporize PCN emulsions with frequencies and mechanical indices that may significantly decrease tissue bioeffects.

Ratio images and ultraviolet C excitation in autofluorescence imaging of neoplasms of the human colon.

The accepted screening technique for colon cancer is white light endoscopy. While most abnormal growths (lesions) are detected by this method, a significant number are missed during colonoscopy, potentially resulting in advanced disease. Missed lesions are often flat and inconspicuous in color.

Deficient expression of DNA repair enzymes in early progression to sporadic colon cancer.

Background: Cancers often arise within an area of cells (e.g. an epithelial patch) that is predisposed to the development of cancer, i.

Tryptophan autofluorescence imaging of neoplasms of the human colon.

Detection of flat neoplasia is a major challenge in colorectal cancer screening, as missed lesions can lead to the development of an unexpected 'incident' cancer prior to the subsequent endoscopy. The use of a tryptophan-related autofluorescence has been reported to be increased in murine intestinal dysplasia. The emission spectra of cells isolated from human adenocarcinoma and normal mucosa of the colon were studied and showed markedly greater emission intensity from cancerous cells compared to cells obtained from the surrounding normal mucosa.

Queue position in the endoscopic schedule impacts effectiveness of colonoscopy.

Objectives: Endoscopist fatigue potentially impacts colonoscopy. Fatigue is difficult to quantitate, but polyp detection rates between non-fatigued and fatigued time periods could represent a surrogate marker. We assessed whether timing variables impacted polyp detection rates at a busy tertiary care endoscopy suite.

Cancer and age related colonic crypt deficiencies in cytochrome c oxidase I.

Aim: To investigate whether deficiency of expression of cytochrome c oxidase I (CcOI) in colonic crypts is associated with colon cancer.

Methods: The pattern and level of expression of CcOI in non-neoplastic colonic crypts, and in dysplastic tissues, was assessed using standard immunohistochemical methods. Biopsies were obtained from individuals undergoing colonoscopies for screening purposes or for a medically indicated reason.

Deficient Pms2, ERCC1, Ku86, CcOI in field defects during progression to colon cancer.

In carcinogenesis, the "field defect" is recognized clinically because of the high propensity of survivors of certain cancers to develop other malignancies of the same tissue type, often in a nearby location. Such field defects have been indicated in colon cancer. The molecular abnormalities that are responsible for a field defect in the colon should be detectable at high frequency in the histologically normal tissue surrounding a colonic adenocarcinoma or surrounding an adenoma with advanced neoplasia (well on the way to a colon cancer), but at low frequency in the colonic mucosa from patients without colonic neoplasia.

Stenting for malignant colonic obstruction: a comparison of efficacy and complications in colonic versus extracolonic malignancy.

Background: Self-expandable metal stent placement for palliation of malignant colonic obstruction for colorectal cancer (CRC) is safe and efficacious. In contrast, outcomes of stent placement for extracolonic malignancy (ECM) are unclear.

Objective: To compare the success and complication rates of colorectal stenting in patients with CRC versus those with ECM.

Impact of obesity on bowel preparation for colonoscopy.

Background & Aims: An inadequately cleansed colon can lead to missed lesions, repeat procedures, increased cost, and complications from colonoscopy. Because obesity, with its known link to colorectal neoplasia, might be associated with inadequate bowel cleansing, we investigated the impact of increased body mass index (BMI) on quality of bowel preparation at colonoscopy.

Methods: All colonoscopy procedures performed at a tertiary referral center during a 4-month period were evaluated.

Detection of murine intestinal adenomas using targeted molecular autofluorescence.

There is a significant need for noninvasive methods of evaluating dysplastic and neoplastic lesions in the luminal gastrointestinal tract. We have optimized an approach based on autofluorescence to study dysplastic adenomatous polyps in Apc(min/+) mice. We made recordings from both normal intestinal mucosa and from polyps using a xenon lamp-based fiberoptic device.