Stability indicating liquid chromatographic method for determination of lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in fixed dose combination formulations

This study describes the development and validation of a stability indicating high performance liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and their degradants. The method uses a Reprosil®-pur basic C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) maintained at 30°C, methanol and a mixture of buffers (2.3 g/L ammonium dihydrogen phosphate and 1.32 g/L of diammonium hydrogen phosphate, pH 3.9) for gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and UV detection at 270 nm. Good separation of lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and their potential impurities was achieved. The stability indicating ability of the developed method was validated by subjecting both active ingredients to hydrolytic and oxidative stress conditions and separating the degradation products from their respective intact drugs. The calibration curve was linear over the 80-120 μg/mL concentration range for both active ingredients with r2> 0.99. A recovery rate of 99.8 % for lamivudine and 99.3 % for tenofovir disoproxil fumarate confirmed the accuracy of the method for the simultaneous determination of both drugs in the fixed-dose combination.Keywords: Stability indicating liquid chromatography, lamivudine, tenofovir, validatio

Service users’ first accounts of experiencing endings from a psychological service or therapy: a systematic review and meta-ethnographic synthesis

Purpose: To review and synthesis the qualitative literature on service users’ experiences of endings from a psychological service or therapy. Methods: A systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature was conducted. Studies were identified using specific inclusion criteria and included in the synthesis. A modified CASP tool was used to critically appraise the quality of the papers. A meta-ethnographic approach was used to synthesize the findings from the included studies. Results: Twelve papers were identified which met the inclusion criteria. The interpretation of findings suggested three key themes: anticipation of ending, service user control and sense of responsibility. Studies were geographically spread and of high quality. Conclusions: The review highlights the importance of service users’ perspectives in understanding the experiences of endings. The findings complement existing literature and provide new interpretations. Considerations for practice in the UK were limited however the review does provide directions for future research

Estimation of the iron bioavailability in green vegetables using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model

It is estimated that over 30% of the global population is anaemic, half of which is due to iron deficiency. The bioavailability of iron from vegetables is low and variable, and influenced by food composition and matrix. We have therefore determined the relative bioavailability of iron in five types of green vegetable, spinach, broccoli, savoy cabbage, curly kale and green pepper, by measuring the ferritin response in a simulated digestion/Caco-2 cell model. Savoy cabbage gave the highest ferritin response and analysis of the digest showed that the iron was present in low molecular weight fractions which contained glucose, fructose, organic acids and amino acids. The addition of fructose 1,6-biphosphate to the Caco-2 cells increased iron uptake 2-fold. These results demonstrate that cabbage was the best source of bioavailable iron out of the vegetables studied and suggest that the formation of complexes with fructose derivatives contribute to increase the iron bioavailability

Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND)—Iron Review

This is the fifth in the series of reviews developed as part of the Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND) program. The BOND Iron Expert Panel (I-EP) reviewed the extant knowledge regarding iron biology, public health implications, and the relative usefulness of currently available biomarkers of iron status from deficiency to overload. Approaches to assessing intake, including bioavailability, are also covered. The report also covers technical and laboratory considerations for the use of available biomarkers of iron status, and concludes with a description of research priorities along with a brief discussion of new biomarkers with potential for use across the spectrum of activities related to the study of iron in human health. The I-EP concluded that current iron biomarkers are reliable for accurately assessing many aspects of iron nutrition. However, a clear distinction is made between the relative strengths of biomarkers to assess hematological consequences of iron deficiency versus other putative functional outcomes, particularly the relationship between maternal and fetal iron status during pregnancy, birth outcomes, and infant cognitive, motor and emotional development. The I-EP also highlighted the importance of considering the confounding effects of inflammation and infection on the interpretation of iron biomarker results, as well as the impact of life stage. Finally, alternative approaches to the evaluation of the risk for nutritional iron overload at the population level are presented, because the currently designated upper limits for the biomarker generally employed (serum ferritin) may not differentiate between true iron overload and the effects of subclinical inflammation

Gliding across the liminal space between counsellor and counselling researcher: Using collective biography practices in the teaching of counselling research methodologies

Aims: Drawing on their engagement in a specific collective biography research project, the co-authors aim to demonstrate how the weaving together of creative story-telling and the theory underlining collective biography practices resulted in an understanding of rhizomatic research methodologies from within the process. This paper aims to demonstrate one way in which research methodologies training can become more firmly embedded within counsellor training courses. Method: A collective of counselling students and a session tutor colleague used collective biography practices to research their memories of traversing the liminal space between ‘counsellor’ and ‘counselling researcher’. Alongside the resulting collective stories, a collaborative review of the research process examined our chosen ways of working within the project. Outcomes: Engaging in collective biography practices resulted in an experiential shift from ‘learning to do counselling research’ to ‘becoming counselling researchers’. Weaving together research processes and researcher reflexivity generated personal and professional learning. Ways in which these research methodologies complement core components of counselling training, within and beyond the teaching of research, were identified. Conclusions: Collective biography practices offer a way of introducing non-arboreal creative research methodologies into counsellor training. Careful consideration of potential challenges surrounding the introduction of these practices is required

Ferrous ammonium phosphate (FeNH4PO4) as a new food fortificant: Iron bioavailability compared to ferrous sulfate and ferric pyrophosphate from an instant milk drink

10.1007/s00394-012-0445-yEuropean Journal of Nutrition5241361-1368EJNU