Targeted multimodal liposomes for nano-delivery and imaging: an avenger for drug resistance and cancer.

Understanding the cellular target structure and thereby proposing the best delivery system to achieve sustained release of drugs has always been a significant area of focus in biomedical research for translational benefits. Specific targeting of the receptors expressed on the target cell represents an effective strategy for increasing the pharmacological efficacy of the administered drug. Liposomes offer enhanced conveyance as a potential carrier of biomacromolecules such as anti-cancer proteins, drugs and siRNA for targeting tumour cell death. Commonly used liposomal constructs for various therapies are Doxil, Myocet, DepoCyt and Abraxanes. However, recent strategy of using multifunctional liposomes for the sustained release of drugs with increased plasma residence time and monoclonal antibody-based targeting of tumours coupled with imaging modalities have attracted enormous scientific attention. The ability of liposomes coated with specific ligands such as Apo-E derived RGD R9 and Tat peptide, to reverse the conceptualisation of drug resistance and cross the blood brain barrier, provides promising future for their use as an efficient drug delivery system. By outlining the recent advancements and innovations in the established concept of liposomal drug delivery, this review will focus on the multifunctional liposomes as an emerging novel lipid based drug delivery system.

Effectiveness of an electronic inpatient medication record in reducing medication errors in Singapore

This study examined the effectiveness of an inpatient electronic medication record system in reducing medication errors in Singaporean hospitals. This pre- and post-intervention study involving a control group was undertaken in two Singaporean acute care hospitals. In one hospital the inpatient electronic medication record system was implemented while in another hospital the paper-based medication record system was used. The mean incidence difference in medication errors of 0.06 between pre-intervention (0.72 per 1000 patient days) and post-intervention (0.78 per 1000 patient days) for the two hospitals was not statistically significant (95%, CI: [0.26, 0.20]). The mean incidence differences in medication errors relating to prescription, dispensing, and administration were also not statistically different. Common system failures involved a lack of medication knowledge by health professionals and a lack of a systematic approach in identifying correct dosages. There was no difference in the incidence of medication errors following the introduction of the electronic medication record system. More work is needed on how this system can reduce medication error rates and improve medication safety. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Automated detection of depression from brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) scans

 Automated sMRI-based depression detection system is developed whose components include acquisition and preprocessing, feature extraction, feature selection, and classification. The core focus of the research is on the establishment of a new feature selection algorithm that quantifies the most relevant brain volumetric feature for depression detection at an individual level.

Enabling cloud computing in emergency management systems

Emergencies, including both natural and man - made disasters, increasingly pose an immediate threat to life, health, property, and environment. For example, Hurricane Katrina, the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic tropical cyclone of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, led to at least 1,883 people's death and an estimated loss of - 108 billion property. To reduce the damage by emergencies, a wide range of cutting-edge technologies on medicine and information are used in all phases of emergency management. This article proposes a cloud-based emergency management system for environmental and structural monitoring that utilizes the powerful computing and storage capability of datacenters to analyze the mass data collected by the wireless intelligent sensor network deployed in civil environment. The system also benefits from smartphone and social network platform to setup the spatial and population models, which enables faster evacuation and better resource allocation.

Synchrotron powder diffraction study of cements pastes

 Knowledge of the degree of hydration of cement pastes is critical for determining properties such as the durability of concrete. As part of an integrated study on the prediction of chloride ingress in reinforced concrete, synchrotron Xray powder diffraction was used to estimate the degree of hydration of cement pastes. While for the past 20 years the composition of Portland cement has been determined by Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction, nevertheless there are a number of factors, including the amorphous content of the cement and relative proportion of mineral polymorphs present in the initial clinker, whose impact on the analysis are still not completely understood. Analysis of the resulting diffraction patterns indicated enhanced identification of polymorphs of alite, belite, ferrite and aluminate, which are present in the initial unhydrated cement and clinker, as well as improved quantification of hydrated crystalline phases such as calcium hydroxide and ettringite, which are key phases determining the speed of the chemical reactions in cement. In this paper we describe the experience that we have gained in the determination of the degree of hydration of cement pastes. We detail the standards and precautions that we took to characterize production cements and their hydration products.