DrugWatch information sheet: Fentanyls.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic and short-acting painkiller that is 50-100 times more potent than morphine, meaning that 1/10th of a gram of fentanyl is equivalent to between 5-10g of morphine. It was first synthesized by Dr. Paul Janssen in December 1960 and has become one of the world’s most important and frequently used opioid analgesics, used also as a pre-medication for general anaesthetic, partly because of its rapid action and multiple routes of administration

On Venture Capital Fund Returns: The Impact of Sector and Geographic Diversification

Using rich United States venture capital (VC) investment allocations and returns data from PitchBook, we study the effects of US VC sector and geographic portfolio company investment diversifications on funds’ returns during 1999-2013 and through four public equity markets and two economic cycles. We find evidence of increasing diversification trends for VC investments over time. This study also reveals that VC funds’ returns are positively related with sector and geographic diversifications. We find that investment diversification produces enhanced returns especially during economic and public market booms and diversifications reduce or insignificantly affect funds’ returns during bust

The Dairy Industry: Process, Monitoring, Standards, and Quality

Sampling and analysis occur along the milk processing train: from collection at farm level, to intake at the diary plant, the processing steps, and the end products. Milk has a short shelf life; however, products such as milk powders have allowed a global industry to be developed. Quality control tests are vital to support activities for hygiene and food standards to meet regulatory and customer demands. Multiples of chemical and microbiological contamination tests are undertaken. Hazard analysis testing strategies are necessary, but some tests may be redundant; it is therefore vital to identify product optimization quality control strategies. The time taken to undergo testing and turnaround time are rarely measured. The dairy industry is a traditional industry with a low margin commodity. Industry 4.0 vision for dairy manufacturing is to introduce the aspects of operational excellence and implementation of information and communications technologies. The dairy industries’ reply to Industry 4.0 is represented predominantly by proactive maintenance and optimization of production and logistical chains, such as robotic milking machines and processing and packaging line automation reinforced by sensors for rapid chemical and microbial analysis with improved and real-time data management. This chapter reviews the processing trains with suggestions for improved optimization

The genomic landscape of balanced cytogenetic abnormalities associated with human congenital anomalies

Despite the clinical significance of balanced chromosomal abnormalities (BCAs), their characterization has largely been restricted to cytogenetic resolution. We explored the landscape of BCAs at nucleotide resolution in 273 subjects with a spectrum of congenital anomalies. Whole-genome sequencing revised 93% of karyotypes and demonstrated complexity that was cryptic to karyotyping in 21% of BCAs, highlighting the limitations of conventional cytogenetic approaches. At least 33.9% of BCAs resulted in gene disruption that likely contributed to the developmental phenotype, 5.2% were associated with pathogenic genomic imbalances, and 7.3% disrupted topologically associated domains (TADs) encompassing known syndromic loci. Remarkably, BCA breakpoints in eight subjects altered a single TAD encompassing MEF2C, a known driver of 5q14.3 microdeletion syndrome, resulting in decreased MEF2C expression. We propose that sequence-level resolution dramatically improves prediction of clinical outcomes for balanced rearrangements and provides insight into new pathogenic mechanisms, such as altered regulation due to changes in chromosome topology

DrugWatch information sheet: Tramadol.

Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic structurally related to codeine. It has multiple actions: after entering the body it breaks down (metabolises) mainly into O-desmethyltramadol which acts on opioid receptors and also affects levels of serotonin and noradrenaline. It is approximately as potent as codeine and used to treat both acute and chronic pain

DrugWatch Information sheet: GBL.

GBL (gamma-butyrolactone) is a ‘pro-drug’ of GHB, which means that it converts to GHB within the body. GBL occurs naturally in certain food products, is found in small quantities in the human body and is available commercially as an industrial solvent and as an ingredient in cleaners, paint removers and engine degreasers 1 . GHB is a drug which is available as sodium oxybate (or under the brand name Xyrem) as a treatment for narcolepsy in adult patients 3 and has been used therapeutically in the treatment of alcohol and opiate dependency1,2. GHB was developed in the early 60s as a human anaesthetic 2a, but was discontinued due to unwanted side effects. It was used as a sleep aid and body building supplement in the 80s and later as a recreational psychoactive 2b. GHB and GBL are sometimes referred to as G, Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid X, Juice or Geebs