Percutaneous absorption of ketoprofen. I. In vitro release and percutaneous absorption of ketoprofen from different ointment bases

Drug-related renal damage is manifold in its origin, clinical picture and prognosis. The disorder can manifest itself as a purely functional phenomenon with tubular elimination of amino acids, enzymes, protein, glucose and electrolytes, or it is due to reversible hemodynamic changes; on the other hand, it may be accompanied by cell necrosis and inflammation. Hemodynamic, toxic, immunologic, or mechanically obstructive mechanisms or a combination of these play a pathogenetic role. It is important to know the renal parameters before and monitor them during treatment with nephrotoxic drugs; to avoid concomitant administration of two or more nephrotoxic drugs; and to make the diagnosis as well as terminate exposure rapidly.     

A method to measure the solubility of drugs in ointment bases

The solubility of a drug in an ointment base is an important factor determining the efficacy of the formulation. However, it is difficult to measure the solubility of drugs in ointment bases. Thus, a rapid and simple method to determine the solubility of drugs in ointment bases was investigated. Using oxybenzone as a model drug, the bleeding liquid which leaked out from various ointments was collected, and the drug concentration in the bleeding liquid was measured. The drug concentrations in the bleeding liquid collected from soluble type ointments in which the drug is dissolved in bases were in accord with that in the ointments. On the other hand, the drug concentrations in the bleeding liquid collected from crystal dispersion type ointments in which drug crystal are dispersed in bases were the same in spite of the variance in total drug concentrations in the ointments. It was confirmed by microscopic examination that crystals do not flow out into bleeding liquid in the crystal dispersion type ointment. It was also confirmed that the solubility of the drug obtained in the present study was in a solubility range consistent with microscopic examination. Furthermore, an increase in the drug solubility was detected by this method when the drug solubility in the base was raised by adding a detergent into the base. And the results from this method were in accord with the results from microscopic examination. These results suggest that the drug concentration in bleeding liquid represents the solubility of the drug in an ointment.     

Antiradical activity and membranotropic action of cardio- and vasotropic compounds of varying chemical nature]

Antiradical activity and ability to interaction with phosphatidylcholine bilayer of the physiological active compounds (PhAC), concerning the classes of phenylalkilamines (dobutamine, verapamil), dihydro pyridines (BAY-K-4688, nifedipine), analogues of crown ether (carbicyle, diol) was studied. By means of the method of microcalorimetry and spectrophotometry it was shown the complexing ability PhAC with the phospholipid bilayer of the model membrane. It was stated the simbasity in the changes of the thermal effect of the compounds with the negative inotropic activity during its reaction with phosphatidylcholine bilayer and antiradical activity. That show on the presence of antiradical component in the mechanism that compounds' action.     

Effect of temperature on bleeding and drug release from a liquid droplet dispersion ointment

A liquid droplet dispersion ointment, LDDS, a formulation containing a drug solution as droplets in an oily vehicle, is excellent for percutaneous drug absorption. Bleeding of LDDS and in vitro drug release from LDDS were found to be enhanced by temperature increase. The influence of temperature on the physical properties of LDDS was studied using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The liquid component content, possibly a hydrocarbon in the vehicle, increased with temperature; this may have been due to melting of the vehicle. In this liquid component, the drug concentration measured by HPLC increased with temperature. This change in the drug concentration may cause an increase in drug release, leading to the conclusion that, compared with conventional ointments, temperature has much greater effect on drug release from LDDS.     

A stability study of the aggression conflict scale.

A report of a stability study of an aggression conflict scale reported earlier, (see Mueller and Grater, 39:4). In the present study, college undergraduate female Ss (N = 207) completed the same form of the semantic differential reported in the earlier study on 2 occasions 33 days apart. Factor scores were developed for Ss from their responses to the relevant concepts and scales by weighting Ss' responses by the normative means, standard deviations, and factor-loading weights from the original study. Factor scores from the 1st testing were correlated with those from the 2nd testing and a stability coefficient in the form of a standard error of measurement was derived for the active-potent and evaluation factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A theoretical study oh the effect of "bound" water on the proton chemical shifts of the nucleic acid bases

Computations are performed on the proton chemical shifts due to hydrogen bonding between the purine and pyrimidine bases of the nucleic acids and water molecules of their first hydration shell. The water molecules should produce measurable shifts essentially for protons of the bases located close to the site of interaction. For the imino protons of the bases G-N1H and U-N3H participating in hydrogen bonding, the calculated delta delta is larger for the interaction of a base with a complementary base than for its interaction with water. Base pairing will thus produce a downfield shift in water but the measured delta delta due to pairing in this solvent will be smaller than in an inert solvent. Also, the chemical shift difference between G-N1H and U-N3H in water will be larger if the molecules are engaged in pairs than if they are not.     

Genetic and environmental bases of childhood antisocial behavior: A multi-informant twin study.

Genetic and environmental influences on childhood antisocial and aggressive behavior (ASB) during childhood were examined in 9- to 10-year-old twins, using a multi-informant approach. The sample (605 families of twins or triplets) was socioeconomically and ethnically diverse, representative of the culturally diverse urban population in Southern California. Measures of ASB included symptom counts for conduct disorder, ratings of aggression, delinquency, and psychopathic traits obtained through child self-reports, teacher, and caregiver ratings. Multivariate analysis revealed a common ASB factor across informants that was strongly heritable (heritability was .96), highlighting the importance of a broad, general measure obtained from multiple sources as a plausible construct for future investigations of specific genetic mechanisms in ASB. The best fitting multivariate model required informant-specific genetic, environmental, and rater effects for variation in observed ASB measures. The results suggest that parents, children, and teachers have only a partly "shared view" and that the additional factors that influence the "rater-specific" view of the child's antisocial behavior vary for different informants. This is the first study to demonstrate strong heritable effects on ASB in ethnically and economically diverse samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empirical study on the healing nature of mandalas.

Mandalas were first used in therapy by Carl Jung, who found that the act of drawing mandalas had a calming effect on patients while at the same time facilitating psychic integration. There is a scarcity of controlled empirical studies of the healing impact of mandalas on mental health. Based on the efficacy of James Pennebaker's written disclosure paradigm in promoting mental well-being (Pennebaker, 1997a, 1997b), the purpose of our study was to examine the benefits for those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of processing traumatic events through the creation of mandalas. Benefits to participants were measured in terms of changes in the variables of PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, anxiety, spiritual meaning, and the frequency of physical symptoms and illness. Relative to those in the control condition, individuals assigned to the experimental mandala-creation group reported greater decreases in symptoms of trauma at the 1-month follow up. There were no other statistically significant outcome differences. Alternative modes of processing traumatic events (e.g., visually symbolically) may serve individuals who are either reluctant or unable to write about their experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Complex nature of the sense of fairness: Internal standards and social comparison as bases for reward evaluations.

Hypothesized that internal standards (whether based on an established sense of "own equity" or experimentally induced), as well as social comparison, can influence pay evaluations. In Study 1, 58 undergraduates completed 4 tasks for pay. Payment was the same (low, medium, or high) for the 1st 3 tasks; for the 4th, Ss received the same or more or less money. Both induced and established internal standards were found to affect Ss' perceptions of the fairness of their own pay. In Study 2, 115 Ss were seated in pairs during their task so that they could observe how much the other S was paid. Both an established internal standard and social comparison affected Ss' fairness judgments. Results also indicate that absolute amount of pay had a greater impact on evaluations of satisfaction than on fairness judgments. Results are discussed in terms of the complex bases of reward evaluation. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Percutaneous absorption of ibuprofen from different formulations. Comparative study with gel, hydrophilic ointment and emulsion cream

In a three-way cross-over study on 6 healthy adult volunteers, the percutaneous absorption of ibuprofen (CAS 15687-27-1) was studied with 3 topical formulations containing 5% w/w ibuprofen in a gel (Iprogel) or in a hydrophilic ointment or in an emulsion cream. By analysis of the plasma drug concentrations appearing after topical application, the relative drug bioavailability was calculated in terms of Cmax (maximum blood concentration of the drug), AUC (area under the curve of drug plasma concentrations at various time points) and Tmax (the time required for appearance of maximum drug concentration in the blood). The gel formulation showed the highest drug concentration in blood, reached in the shortest period, whereas that from the hydrophilic ointment showed the lowest drug concentration, reached at the slowest rate. The absorption from the reference product containing the drug as an o/w emulsion cream was less than with the gel formulation but higher than that found with the hydrophilic ointment.     

Learning the value of money from stochastically varying prices.

In 3 experiments, the authors investigated learning of the value of money from product prices in an unfamiliar currency when the prices are proportional to quantity. In support of the second stage of a hypothesized 2-stage process of learning, Experiment 1, in which 32 undergraduates participated, shows that response times for inferences of quantity are longer when participants are presented with quantity-price pairs than when they are presented with price-quantity pairs. Experiments 2 and 3, in which 54 and 34 undergraduates participated, respectively, show that (a) stochastic price variation causes systematic errors in the learning of unit prices from quantity-price pairs as a result of judgmental regression effects and (b) in support of the 2-stage learning hypothesis, inferences of quantity are the inverse of the learned unit prices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The nature of the association between diet and serum lipids in the community: A twin study.

Diet is commonly thought to be an environmental influence on serum lipid concentrations. This study evaluated whether total caloric and fat intake predict total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglyceride (TRIG) concentrations for environmental, as compared with genetic, reasons among 137 monozygotic and 67 dizygotic young adult twins. When genetic influences were controlled by correlating differences between monozygotic co-twins, a significant association remained between diet and TC, LDL, and HDL, suggesting that these dietary and serum lipid measures correlate for environmental reasons. Twin structural equation modeling confirmed these results. Overall, these results provide additional support for the hypothesis that diet is an environmental influence on TC, LDL, and HDL. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A 20-year stability analysis of the study of values for intellectually gifted individuals from adolescence to adulthood.

A sample of 203 intellectually gifted adolescents (top 1%) were administered the Allport-Vernon-Lindzey (1970) Study of Values (SOV) at age 13; 20 years later, they were administered the SOV again. In this study, researchers evaluated the intra- and interindividual temporal stability of the 6 SOV themes, namely, Theoretical (T), Economic (E), Political (P), Aesthetic (A), Social (S), and Religious (R). Over the 20-year test-retest interval, the SOV's mean and median interindividual correlations for the 6 themes were .37 and .34, respectively. Correspondingly, the mean and median of all 203 intraindividual correlations were .30 and .39. Configural analyses of the most dominant theme at age 13 revealed that this theme was significantly more likely than chance to be dominant or adjacent to the dominant theme at age 33. Adjacency was ascertained through a number of empirically based auxiliary analyses of the SOV, revealing 2 robust gender-differentiating clusters: T-E-P for males and A-S-R for females. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive and affective aspects of multiple chemical sensitivities: A case study.

Describes the case of a 29-yr-old male who presented with headaches, fatigue, impotence, attention and short-term memory problems, and depression following exposure to a coolant at work. Symptoms persisted after his transfer to another department. A medical evaluation revealed no organic basis for his continuing symptoms. Neuropsychological testing showed no evidence of an underlying neurological disorder but did reveal significant signs of depression and personality disturbance. The case is discussed in the context of a newly recognized clinical entity termed "multiple chemical sensitivities." The value of extensive neuropsychological assessment and a thorough medical evaluation in the diagnosis and management of this disorder is emphasized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)