A minireview on multiparameter-activated nanodevices for cancer imaging and therapy.

Tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive nanodevices are essential tools for cancer imaging and therapy. Exploiting the advantages of molecular engineering, nanodevices are emerging for biomedical applications. In order to reach targeted cancer areas, activated nanodevices first respond to the TME and then serve as an actuator for sensing, imaging and therapy. Most nanodevices depend on a single parameter as an input for their downstream activation, potentially leading to inaccurate diagnostic results and poor therapeutic outcomes. However, in the TME, some biomarkers are cross-linked, and such correlated biomarkers are potentially useful for cancer imaging and theranostic applications. Based on this phenomenon, researchers have developed approaches for the construction of multiparameter-activated nanodevices (MANs) to improve accuracy. This minireview summarizes the recent advances in the development of MANs for cancer imaging including fluorescence imaging, photoacoustic (PA) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) imaging, as well as cancer therapy including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, photoinduced therapy and immunotherapy. We highlight different approaches for improving the specificity and precision of cancer imaging and therapy. In the future, MANs will show promise for clinical work in multimodal diagnosis and therapeutics.

Perceptions of weight loss experience between African-Americans and Caucasians: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a growing epidemic in the USA, which leads to comorbidities associated with diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, cancer, gallbladder disease, and dyslipidemia. The purpose of this study is to identify perceptions of weight loss experience between African-American (AA) and Caucasian patients undergoing bariatric surgery. METHODS: A convenience sample of 31 patients participated in this study from May to June 2013. The sample size consisted of 16 AA and 15 Caucasians from two fully accredited and licensed bariatric clinics in metropolitan Detroit. RESULTS: The sample (N = 31) consists of eligible AA and Caucasian presurgical bariatric patients on their first preoperative appointment. Snacking and sexual satisfaction showed a significant difference (p < 0.05), lower amongst Caucasians than amongst the AA. The results revealed that salary within the AA population was significantly lower than that of the Caucasians, especially in the $26.000 to $36,000 category as well as in the over $40,000 category. CONCLUSIONS: The discrepancy widened as the variables of snacks, sexual satisfaction, and salary revealed a significant difference for Caucasians than AA. It is prudent that health-care providers become part of the obesity management solution by examining these variables when planning weight loss interventions.