Design concepts for the Cherenkov Telescope Array CTA: an advanced facility for ground-based high-energy gamma-ray astronomy

Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has had a major breakthrough with the impressive results obtained using systems of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has a huge potential in astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology. CTA is an international initiative to build the next generation instrument, with a factor of 5-10 improvement in sensitivity in the 100 GeV-10 TeV range and the extension to energies well below 100 GeV and above 100 TeV. CTA will consist of two arrays (one in the north, one in the south) for full sky coverage and will be operated as open observatory. The design of CTA is based on currently available technology. This document reports on the status and presents the major design concepts of CTA

Oral administration of cannabis and Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) preparations: A systematic review

Background and objective: Changes in cannabis legalization regimes in several countries have influenced the diversification of cannabis use. There is an ever-increasing number of cannabis forms available, which are gaining popularity for both recreational and therapeutic use. From a therapeutic perspective, oral cannabis containing Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) is a promising route of administration but there is still little information about its pharmacokinetics (PK) effects in humans. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide a general overview of the available PK data on cannabis and THC after oral administration. Methods: A search of the published literature was conducted using the PubMed database to collect available articles describing the PK data of THC after oral administration in humans. Results: The literature search yielded 363 results, 26 of which met our inclusion criteria. The PK of oral THC has been studied using capsules (including oil content), tablets, baked goods (brownies and cookies), and oil and tea (decoctions). Capsules and tablets, which mainly correspond to pharmaceutical forms, were found to be the oral formulations most commonly studied. Overall, the results reflect the high variability in the THC absorption of oral formulations, with delayed peak plasma concentrations compared to other routes of administration. Conclusions: Oral THC has a highly variable PK profile that differs between formulations, with seemingly higher variability in baked goods and oil forms. Overall, there is limited information available in this field. Therefore, further investigations are required to unravel the unpredictability of oral THC administration to increase the effectiveness and safety of oral formulations in medicinal use

UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of cannabidiol metabolites in serum and urine samples. Application to an individual treated with medical cannabis

No analytical assay is currently available for the simultaneous determination of CBD major metabolites in serum or urine samples of individuals treated with medical cannabis or CBD-based pharmaceuticals. We developed and validated a method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) for quantifying cannabidiol (CBD) and its metabolites, cannabidiol-7-oic acid (7-COOH-CBD), 7- hydroxycannabidiol (7-OH-CBD), 6-alpha-hydroxycannabidiol (6-α–OH–CBD) and 6-beta-hydroxycannabidiol (6-β–OH–CBD) in serum and urine samples of an individual treated with medical cannabis. The ionization was performed by electrospray in negative mode to reach the sensitivity required to detect trace amounts, with limits of quantification ranging from 0.05 to 0.1 ng/mL. The method is accurate (average inter/intra-day error, <15%), precise (inter/intra-day imprecision, <15%) and fast (8 min run time) and it is an essential tool to investigate CBD pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in individuals treated with medical cannabis or with CBD-based medical preparations