Manufacturing Drug Loaded Chitosan Microspheres by Spray Drying: Development, Characterization, and Potential Use in Dentistry

The aim of this work was to determine specifications for spray-drying manufacturing of sustained-release drug-loaded microparticles with potential application in dentistry. Chitosan was used as the microencapsulation polymer and ketoprofen as the model drug. A 1:1 chitosan/ketoprofen suspension was spray-dried under different operating conditions. The size distribution, morphology, total drug load, and release profile of the powders were characterized. In vitro release studies were performed with the powder samples entrapped in cellulose dialysis tubes. The microparticles produced had a narrow size distribution (mean diameter ranging from 2.11 to 3.27 µm), good sphericity, and a smooth surface. In vitro release studies showed a linear drug dissolution behavior.     

Associations between driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,speeding and seatbelt use among fatally injured car drivers in Norway

Since 2005, all fatal road traffic crashes in Norway have been analyzed in-depth by multidisciplinary investigation teams organized by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). During the period 2005–2010, 608 drivers of cars or vans were killed in road traffic crashes. Blood samples were collected from 372 (61%) of the drivers and analyzed for alcohol and a large number of psychoactive drugs at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH). After coupling the analytical results with the NPRA crash database, 369 drivers with a fatal outcome were identified and included. Alcohol or drug concentrations in blood above the legal limits were found in 39.8% of the drivers who were investigated for alcohol or drug impairment; 33.9% had blood alcohol concentrations above 0.5 g/L or concentrations of drugs above the equivalent Norwegian legal impairment limits or concentrations of amphetamines above 200 μg/L. Among drivers with a fatal outcome who had been impaired by alcohol or drugs, 64.6% were unbelted and 71.7% were speeding when the crash occurred; whereas 24.2% and 33.2% of the sober drivers were unbelted or speeding, respectively. Statistically significant associations were found between impairment by alcohol or amphetamines and driving unbelted or speeding. Excessive speeding is one of the main reasons for road traffic crashes and together with being unbelted the main reasons for a fatal outcome. This behavior might in many cases be due to increased risk-taking or negligence of safety measures as a result of alcohol or drug use.     

Manufacturing Drug Loaded Chitosan Microspheres by Spray Drying: Development,Characterization, and Potential Use in Dentistry

The aim of this work was to determine specifications for spray-drying manufacturing of sustained-release drug-loaded microparticles with potential application in dentistry. Chitosan was used as the microencapsulation polymer and ketoprofen as the model drug. A 1:1 chitosan/ketoprofen suspension was spray-dried under different operating conditions. The size distribution, morphology, total drug load, and release profile of the powders were characterized. In vitro release studies were performed with the powder samples entrapped in cellulose dialysis tubes. The microparticles produced had a narrow size distribution (mean diameter ranging from 2.11 to 3.27 µm), good sphericity, and a smooth surface. In vitro release studies showed a linear drug dissolution behavior.     

红光联合护理干预及药物治疗糖尿病合并带状疱疹神经痛的疗效观察

目的:探讨红光照射联合护理干预及药物治疗糖尿病合并带状疱疹神经痛的疗效。方法:选取此类患者56例,随机分为观察组和对照组,各28例。对照组用更昔洛韦加泼尼松、甲钴胺片、维生素B1片进行治疗,观察组在对照组治疗的基础上加用红光照射,两组护理干预方法保持一致,2周后评价疗效。结果:对照组治愈率为32.1%,总愈显率为60.7%,观察组上述数据分别为64.3%、89.3%,观察组疗效显著优于对照组。结论:红光照射联合护理干预及药物治疗糖尿病合并带状疱疹神经痛疗效显著,值得临床推广。     

Alcohol, psychoactive drugs and fatal road traffic accidents in Norway: a case-control study

A case–control study was conducted on 204 drivers fatally injured in road traffic accidents in south-eastern Norway during the period 2003–2008. Cases from single vehicle accidents (N = 68) were assessed separately. As controls, 10 540 drivers selected in a roadside survey in the same geographical area during 2005–2006 were used. Blood samples were collected from the cases and oral fluid (saliva) samples from the controls. Samples were analysed for alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, opioid analgesics, hypnotics, sedatives and a muscle relaxant; altogether 22 psychoactive substances. Equivalent cutoff concentrations for blood and oral fluid were used. The risk for fatal injury in a road traffic accident was estimated using logistic regression adjusting for gender, age, season of the year, and time of the week. The odds for involvement in fatal road traffic accidents for different substances or combination of substances were in increasing order: single drug < multiple drugs < alcohol only < alcohol + drugs. For single substance use: medicinal drug or THC < amphetamine/methamphetamine < alcohol. For most substances, higher ORs were found when studying drivers involved in single vehicle accidents than for those involved in multiple vehicle accidents, but confidence intervals were wider.     

Crash characteristics and injuries of victims impaired by alcohol versus illicit drugs

Alcohol has long been associated with injury, but the relationship between other drugs and injury is less clear. Blood samples from 894 patients presenting to two Emergency Departments for treatment of motor vehicle injury sustained in passenger cars, station wagons, vans and pickup trucks, were tested for alcohol and other drugs. Results were related to demographic characteristics, including prior history of alcohol and drug use; crash characteristics; and injury characteristics. Alcohol was associated with more severe crashes, but other drugs, in the absence of alcohol, were not. The crashes involving drugs but no alcohol were very similar to those involving neither alcohol nor drugs.     

Modeling drug detection and diagnosis with the 'drug evaluation and classification program'

In this study, we propose formal models and algorithms to detect drug impairment and identify the impairing drug type, on the basis of data obtained by a Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) investigation. The DEC program relies on measurements of vital signs and observable signs and symptoms. A formal model, based on data collected by police officers trained to detect and identify drug impairments, yielded sensitivity levels greater than 60% and specificity levels greater than 90% for impairments caused by cannabis, alprazolam, and amphetamine. For codeine, with a specificity of nearly 90% the sensitivity was only 20%. Using logistic regression, the formal model was much more accurate than the trained officers in identifying impairments from cannabis, alprazolam, and amphetamine. Both the formal model and the officers were quite poor in identifying codeine impairment. In conclusion, the joint application of the DECP procedures with the formal model is useful for drug detection and identification.     

Drug identification performance on the basis of observable signs and symptoms

A double blind study was performed to evaluate the ability of trained police officers to detect drug impairments and to identify the type of drug responsible for the impairment, on the basis of observed symptoms and psychophysical measurements of performance alone. The officers were not allowed to interview the subjects, and their conclusions were based solely on observable signs and symptoms on systematically measured vital signs, and on standardized sobriety tests of motor coordination. Results showed that with this partial information, the officers are able to detect drug impairment at better-than-chance levels with a sensitivity (correct detection of impairments) of 72%, but with a specificity of 43% (false alarm rate of 57%). Furthermore, the association between drug ingestion and identification of the specific impairing drug category was not very high, with sensitivities ranging from a low of 10% for amphetamine to a high of 49% for cannabis. Based on both sensitivity and specificity, drug identification was best for alprazolam impairment, noticeably poorer for cannabis and codeine impairment, and no better than chance for amphetamine impairment. Performance could have been improved if the officers were to list the two most probable impairing drugs (rather than limit their decision to only one), and if they were more consistent in their interpretation of observable signs and symptoms.     

加强兽药使用环节监管保障动物源性食品安全

目的 减少兽药残留,保障动物源性食品安全.方法 分析目前我国兽药使用环节监管存在的问题.结果 针对法律法规标准体系不完善、执法监管力度小、技术监管滞后、从业人员素质低和法律意识淡薄等问题提出相应的解决方案和措施.结论 和其他畜牧业发达国家相比,我国目前兽药使用环节监管仍存在一定不足,需进一步加强.     

中国保健食品动植物原料用量分析

目的考察我国保健食品动植物原料的用量特点、安全性及与药典用量的关系,为技术审评提供数据支持,为保健食品的健康发展提供参考。方法分析2003-2005年SFDA注册保健食品中常用动植物原料的用量情况,并与药典治疗用量进行比较,分析常用动植物用量区间范围分布。结果保健食品动植物原料用量总体偏低,常用原料每日用量远低于药典用量,并多集中于(0～3]和(3～6]两个区间范围,与药典用量符合率多低于5%。其中药食两用物品和可用于保健食品物品原料用量的中位数分别集中于药典用量下限的20%和30%。结论急需加强动植物原料量效关系研究及安全性研究,尤其是有潜在安全问题动植物原料的研究与管理,及时制订/修订相关技术审评规定和动植物原料名单。