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Nanotechnology (NT) is the branch of fundamental and engineering sciences which leads to the development of wide range of nanomaterials (NMs) through atomistic, physical, and chemical processes. Controlling the size and morphology of the engineered nanomaterial plays an important role in the enhancement of physical, chemical, and biological properties of the bulk materials. Today the nanomaterials have pervaded every sphere of human activity as it possesses great physicochemical properties and hence it can be synthesized, modified, functionalized, and created in various formats for novel and useful applications in diverse ranges. This chapter emphasizes the basics of nanoscience, reviews the various engineered nanomaterials, and discusses the nanofabrication and surface functionalization process, that is, gas-phase, liquid-phase, and solid-phase fabrication techniques.

Candidate gene and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 15 independent genomic regions associated with bladder cancer risk. In search for additional susceptibility variants, we followed up on four promising single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that had not achieved genome-wide significance in 6911 cases and 11 814 controls (rs6104690, rs4510656, rs5003154 and rs4907479, P < 1x 10(-6)), using additional data from existing GWAS datasets and targeted genotyping for studies that did not have GWAS data. In a combined analysis, which included data on up to 15 058 cases and 286 270 controls, two SNPs achieved genome-wide statistical significance: rs6104690 in a gene desert at 20p12.2 (P = 2.19 x 10(-11)) and rs4907479 within the MCF2L gene at 13q34 (P = 3.3 x 10(-10)). Imputation and fine-mapping analyses were performed in these two regions for a subset of 5551 bladder cancer cases and 10 242 controls. Analyses at the 13q34 region suggest a single signal marked by rs4907479. In contrast, we detected two signals in the 20p12.2 region-the first signal is marked by rs6104690, and the second signal is marked by two moderately correlated SNPs (r(2) = 0.53), rs6108803 and the previously reported rs62185668. The second 20p12.2 signal is more strongly associated with the risk of muscle-invasive (T2-T4 stage) compared with non-muscle-invasive (Ta, T1 stage) bladder cancer (case-case P

We report a 46-year-old Greek female with thalassemia intermedia, who presented to our hospital with end stage renal disease of unknown etiology and tophaceous gout. In addition, skeletal manifestations characteristic of thalassemia were noted with massive extramedullary hematopoiesis presenting as posterior mediastinal masses. We report the first case in English literature of crystal proven gout in thalassemia intermedia and provide a review of the literature that indicates the relative rarity of gout in this clinical setting, despite evidence of urate overproduction in one report. The long survival and renal insufficiency may have contributed to our patients' tophaceous gout.