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Iatrogenic injury of the ureters is a feared complication of abdominal surgery. Zwitterionic near-infrared fluorophores are molecules with geometrically-balanced, electrically-neutral surface charge, which leads to renal-exclusive clearance and ultralow non-specific background binding. Such molecules could solve the ureter mapping problem by providing real-time anatomic and functional imaging, even through intact peritoneum. Here we present the first-in-human experience of this chemical class, as well as the efficacy study in patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominopelvic surgery. The zwitterionic near-infrared fluorophore ZW800-1 is safe, has pharmacokinetic properties consistent with an ideal blood pool agent, and rapid elimination into urine after a single low-dose intravenous injection. Visualization of structure and function of the ureters starts within minutes after ZW800-1 injection and lasts several hours. Zwitterionic near-infrared fluorophores add value during laparoscopic abdominopelvic surgeries and could potentially decrease iatrogenic urethral injury. Moreover, ZW800-1 is engineered for one-step covalent conjugatability, creating possibilities for developing novel targeted ligands. Iatrogenic injury of the ureters is a feared complication of laparoscopic abdominal surgery. Here the authors present the NIR fluorophore ZW800-1 as an intraoperative imaging agent for ureter mapping, showing its safety, pharmacokinetic properties, and efficacy in healthy volunteers and patients undergoing abdominopelvic surgery.

\"The Nile Basin contains a record of human activities spanning the last million years. However, the interactions between prehistoric humans and environmental changes in this area are complex and often poorly understood. This comprehensive book explains in clear, non-technical terms how prehistoric environments can be reconstructed, with examples drawn from every part of the Nile Basin. Adopting a source-to-sink approach, the book integrates events in the Nile headwaters with the record from marine sediment cores in the Nile Delta and offshore. It provides a detailed record of past environmental changes throughout the Nile Basin and concludes with a review of the causes and consequences of plant and animal domestication in this region and of the various prehistoric migrations out of Africa into Eurasia and beyond. A comprehensive overview, this book is ideal for researchers in geomorphology, climatology and archaeology.\"--back cover

During the later part of the last century there was rapid development of the study and understanding of the changing environments of the last 2 million years. This came to provide a firm background for today’s knowledge of the significance and importance of climatic change. Interdisciplinary research has been a prominent, if not essential, contributor to the successes achieved. In illustration of this connection, this volume describes here such developments in the University of Cambridge. In 1948 the University established a Subdepartment of Quaternary Research, with teaching and research activities covering geological, biological and archaeological topics. An interdisciplinary approach was an essential ingredient, and the research covered both terrestrial and marine spheres. The book traces the history of Quaternary research in Britain and Ireland, particularly the continental influences which stimulated research and indeed led to the establishment of the Subdepartment.The early years of the Subdepartment were an exceptionally exciting time for Quaternary researchers. This period saw the development of radiocarbon dating and of marine geochemical studies, together with the improvement of interpretation of palaeobotanical data, and the consequent incorporation of a vast accession of new information relating to these subjects. Stratigraphy, the binding topic of Quaternary research, became much better understood: first, in the terrestrial sphere with the formulation of divisions of the Quaternary based on accepted geological principles and providing a measure of the passage of time to students of the several disciplines involved, including landscape history, ecosystem history and archaeology, and secondly in the marine sphere a formulation of units defined by isotope studies.The organisation of the Subdepartment and the problems of developing interdisciplinary science are considered. An important aspect is the variety of staff and students involved in interdisciplinary research and teaching. In order to give a complete an account as possible of the activities of the Subdepartment, a listing of staff and students and their interests is compiled, which I think is necessary to give a rounded view of the Subdepartment as a whole.Research topics and their development are considered one-by-one, and the numbers of publications in each sphere are summarised over the life of the Subdepartment, giving a clear view of how research developed over the period of 45 years. These activities were brought to an end in 1994, with the dissolution of the Subdepartment, which is described, together with a discussion of achievements and the voicing of some reflections.In a final part, I take a wider view of the history of Quaternary research, with aspects of geology and biology considered, together with notes on the Quaternary community, research support and journals.

Polymeric materials containing quaternary ammonium and/or phosphonium salts have been extensively studied and applied to a variety of antimicrobial-relevant areas. With various architectures, polymeric quaternary ammonium/phosphonium salts were prepared using different approaches, exhibiting different antimicrobial activities and potential applications. This review focuses on the state of the art of antimicrobial polymers with quaternary ammonium/phosphonium salts. In particular, it discusses the structure and synthesis method, mechanisms of antimicrobial action, and the comparison of antimicrobial performance between these two kinds of polymers.

Hydrogels, possessing high biocompatibility and adaptability to biological tissue, show great usability in medical applications. In this research, a series of novel cross-linked chitosan quaternary ammonium salt loading with gentamicin sulfate (CTMCSG) hydrogel films with different cross-linking degrees were successfully obtained by the reaction of chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (TMCS) and epichlorohydrin. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize the chemical structure and surface morphology of CTMCSG hydrogel films. The physicochemical property, gentamicin sulphate release behavior, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial activity of the CTMCSG against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were determined. Experimental results demonstrated that CTMCSG hydrogel films exhibited good water stability, thermal stability, drug release capacity, as well as antibacterial property. The inhibition zone of CTMCSG hydrogel films against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus could be up to about 30 mm. Specifically, the increases in maximum decomposition temperature, mechanical property, water content, swelling degree, and a reduction in water vapor permeability of the hydrogel films were observed as the amount of the cross-linking agent increased. The results indicated that the CTMCSG-4 hydrogel film with an interesting physicochemical property, admirable antibacterial activity, and slight cytotoxicity showed the potential value as excellent antibacterial wound dressing.