The unique combination of physical and optical properties of silica (core)/gold (shell) nanoparticles (gold nanoshells) makes them especially suitable for biomedicine. Gold Nanoshells have been used from high-resolution in vivo imaging to in vivo photothermal tumor treatment. Furthermore, the reduced size and large scattering cross section of Gold Nanoshells in the second biological window (1000-1700 nm) make them also especially adequate for molecular optical coherence tomography (OCT). In this work, we demonstrate how, after adequate functionalization, gold nanoshells in combination with clinical OCT systems are capable of imaging damage in the myocardium after an infarct. Since both inflammation and apoptosis are two of the main mechanisms underlying myocardial damage after ischemia, such damage imaging is achieved by endowing Gold Nanoshells with selective affinity for the inflammatory marker Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and the apoptotic marker phosphatidylserine (PS). The results here presented constitute a first step towards a fast, safe, and accurate diagnosis of damaged tissue within infarcted hearts at the molecular level by means of the highly sensitive OCT interferometric technique.
Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the leading cause of death worldwide, are sensitive to temperature. In light of the reported climate change trends, it is important to understand the burden of CVDs attributable to temperature, both hot and cold. The association between CVDs and temperature is region-specific, with relatively few studies focusing on low-and middle-income countries. This study investigates this association in Puducherry, a district in southern India lying on the Bay of Bengal, for the first time. Methods Using in-hospital CVD mortality data and climate data from the Indian Meteorological Department, we analyzed the association between apparent temperature (Tapp) and in-hospital CVD mortalities in Puducherry between 2011 and 2020. We used a case-crossover model with a binomial likelihood distribution combined with a distributed lag non-linear model to capture the delayed and non-linear trends over a 21-day lag period to identify the optimal temperature range for Puducherry. The results are expressed as the fraction of CVD mortalities attributable to heat and cold, defined relative to the optimal temperature. We also performed stratified analyses to explore the associations between Tapp and age-and-sex, grouped and considered together, and different types of CVDs. Sensitivity analyses were performed, including using a quasi-Poisson time-series approach. Results We found that the optimal temperature range for Puducherry is between 30°C and 36°C with respect to CVDs. Both cold and hot non-optimal Tapp were associated with an increased risk of overall in-hospital CVD mortalities, resulting in a U-shaped association curve. Cumulatively, up to 17% of the CVD deaths could be attributable to non-optimal temperatures, with a slightly higher burden attributable to heat (9.1%) than cold (8.3%). We also found that males were more vulnerable to colder temperature; females above 60 years were more vulnerable to heat while females below 60 years were affected by both heat and cold. Mortality with cerebrovascular accidents was associated more with heat compared to cold, while ischemic heart diseases did not seem to be affected by temperature. Conclusion Both heat and cold contribute to the burden of CVDs attributable to non-optimal temperatures in the tropical Puducherry. Our study also identified the age-and-sex and CVD type differences in temperature attributable CVD mortalities. Further studies from India could identify regional associations, inform our understanding of the health implications of climate change in India and enhance the development of regional and contextual climate-health action-plans.
BackgroundCardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the leading cause of death worldwide, are sensitive to temperature. In light of the reported climate change trends, it is important to understand the burden of CVDs attributable to temperature, both hot and cold. The association between CVDs and temperature is region-specific, with relatively few studies focusing on low-and middle-income countries. This study investigates this association in Puducherry, a coastal district in the Eastern part India for the first time.Methods We analyzed the association between apparent temperature (Tapp) and in-hospital CVD mortalities in Puducherry between 2010 and 2020 using a distributed lag non-linear model to capture the delayed and non-linear trends over a 21-day lag period and identify the optimal temperature range for Puducherry. The results are expressed as the fraction of CVD mortalities attributable to heat and cold, defined as temperatures above or below the optimal temperature. We also performed stratified analyses to explore the associations between Tapp and age-and-sex combined and different types of CVDs.Results We found that the optimal temperature range for Puducherry is between 33⁰C and 35⁰C with respect to CVDs. Both cold and hot non-optimal Tapp were associated with an increased risk of overall in-hospital CVD mortalities, resulting in a U-shaped association curve. Cumulatively, up to 20% of the CVD deaths could be attributable to non-optimal temperatures, with a slightly higher burden attributable to cold (11.2%) than heat (9.1%). We also found that males above 60 years of age were more vulnerable to colder temperature; females above 60 years were more vulnerable to heat while females below 60 years were affected by both heat and cold. Mortality with cerebrovascular accidents was associated more with heat compared to cold, while ischemic heart diseases did not seem to be affected by temperature.Conclusion Both heat and cold contribute to the burden of CVDs attributable to non-optimal temperatures in the tropical Puducherry. Our study also identified the age-and-sex and CVD type differences in temperature attributable CVD mortalities. Further studies from India could identify regional associations, inform our understanding of the health implications of climate change in India and enhance the development of regional and contextual climate-health action-plans.
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