In vitro dissolution methods for hydrophilic and hydrophobic porous silicon microparticles

Porous silicon (PSi) is an innovative inorganic material that has been recently developed for various drug delivery systems. For example, hydrophilic and hydrophobic PSi microparticles have been utilized to improve the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs and to sustain peptide delivery. Previously, the well-plate method has been demonstrated to be a suitable in vitro dissolution method for hydrophilic PSi particles but it was not applicable to poorly wetting hydrophobic thermally hydrocarbonized PSi (THCPSi) particles. In this work, three different in vitro dissolution techniques, namely centrifuge, USP Apparatus 1 (basket) and well-plate methods were compared by using hydrophilic thermally carbonized PSi (TCPSi) microparticles loaded with poorly soluble ibuprofen or freely soluble antipyrine. All the methods showed a fast and complete or nearly complete release of both model compounds from the TCPSi microparticles indicating that all methods described in vitro dissolution equally. Based on these results, the centrifuge method was chosen to study the release of a peptide (ghrelin antagonist) from the THCPSi microparticles since it requires small sample amounts and achieves good particle suspendability. Sustained peptide release from the THCPSi microparticles was observed, which is in agreement with an earlier in vivo study. In conclusion, the centrifuge method was demonstrated to be a suitable tool for the evaluation of drug release from hydrophobic THCPSi particles, and the sustained peptide release from THCPSi microparticles was detected

Life satisfaction and morbidity among postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between morbidity and global life satisfaction in postmenopausal women taking into account type and number of diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 11,084 women (age range 57-66 years) from a population-based cohort of Finnish women (OSTPRE Study) responded to a postal enquiry in 1999. Life satisfaction was measured with a 4-item scale. Self-reported diseases diagnosed by a physician and categorized according to ICD-10 main classes were used as a measure of morbidity. Enquiry data on health and lifestyle were used as covariates in the multivariate logistic models. RESULTS: Morbidity was strongly associated with life dissatisfaction. Every additional disease increased the risk of life dissatisfaction by 21.1% (p < .001). The risk of dissatisfaction was strongest among women with mental disorders (OR = 5.26; 95%CI 3.84-7.20) and neurological disorders (OR = 3.62; 95%CI 2.60-5.02) compared to the healthy (each p < .001). Smoking, physical inactivity and marital status were also associated with life dissatisfaction (each p < .001) but their introduction to the multivariate model did not attenuate the pattern of associations. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity and life dissatisfaction have a disease-specific and dose-dependent relationship. Even if women with mental and neurological disorders have the highest risk for life dissatisfaction, monitoring life satisfaction among aging women regardless of disorders should be undertaken in order to intervene the joint adverse effects of poor health and poor well-being

Psychiatric disorders, psychotropic medication use and falls among women: an observational study

BACKGROUND: Psychotropic agents known to cause sedation are associated with an increased risk of falls, but the role of psychiatric illness as an independent risk factor for falls is not clear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between psychiatric disorders, psychotropic medication use and falls risk. METHODS: This study examined data collected from 1062 women aged 20-93 yr (median 50 yr) participating in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study, a large, ongoing, population-based study. Depressive and anxiety disorders for the preceding 12-month period were ascertained by clinical interview. Current medication use and falls history were self-reported. Participants were classified as fallers if they had fallen to the ground at least twice during the same 12-month period. Anthropometry, demographic, medical and lifestyle factors were determined. Logistic regression was used to test the associations, after adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Fifty-six women (5.3%) were classified as fallers. Those meeting criteria for depression within the past 12 months had a 2.4-fold increased odds of falling (unadjusted OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.5). Adjustment for age and mobility strengthened the relationship (adjusted OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.4-5.2) between depression and falling, with results remaining unchanged following further adjustment for psychotropic medication use (adjusted OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-5.6). In contrast, past (prior to 12-month) depression were not associated with falls. No association was observed between anxiety and falls risk. Falling was associated with psychotropic medication use (unadjusted OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.5-5.2), as well as antidepressant (unadjusted OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.8) and benzodiazepine use (unadjusted OR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.6-7.3); associations remained unchanged following adjustment for potential confounders. CONCLUSION: The likelihood of falls was increased among those with depression within the past 12 months, independent of psychotropic medication use and other recognised confounders, suggesting an independent effect of depression on falls risk. Psychotropic drug use was also confirmed as an independent risk factor for falls, but anxiety disorders were not. Further research into the underlying mechanisms is warranted

Teachers' conceptions on environment and GMO in twelve europen countries

We analyze the conceptions of 4248 teachers on Environment and GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms), in 12 European countries: Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania. Most of the differences between teachers' conceptions are observed inside each country. Some of them (related to preservation or utilization of Environment) significantly differentiate the 12 countries. Biology teachers have more knowledge on GMO and more opinions pro- GMO than their colleagues. Female teachers are significantly more anti-GMO than their male colleagues. More a teacher studied at University, more he or she thinks that the resources of our planet are limited.CIEC – Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho (FCT R&D unit 317), Portuga

Diversity of teachers’ conceptions related to environment and human rights. A survey in 24 countries

The environmental, social and economical dimensions of ESD include human rights as equality of all the human beings independently to their gender, ethnic group, religion or sexual orientation. To analyse teachers’ conceptions on environment and on human rights, and to identify eventual links between them and with controlled parameters, a large survey has been done in 24 countries (8 749 teachers). The data are submitted to multivariate analyses. In the less developed countries, the teachers’ conceptions are more anthropocentric, less awareness of the problem of the limit of resources in our planet, and less reticent to use GMO (genetically modified organisms). These teachers are more believing in God, more practicing religion, more for “a strong central power”, “against the separation between science and religion”. The priority of ESD in these countries is poverty and development, while it is to avoid wasting and excessive consumption in the most developed countries. The teachers with the most anthropocentric conceptions more agree with these propositions: “It is for biological reasons that women more often than men take care of housekeeping” and “Ethnic groups are genetically different and that is why some are superior to others”, and more disagree with: “Homosexual couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples”. These points illustrate that some socio-cultural traditions can differ from values of ESD (the universal human rights).CIEC – FCT Research Unit 317

Remuneration and recidivism: The long-term impact of unemployment compensation on ex-offenders

The relationship between unemployment and crime is the subject of research and debate. We present evidence that suggests that recidivism among ex-offenders can be reduced by providing unemployment compensation available immediately after their release from prison. A California program made such benefits—transitional aid—available during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Using a 5-year follow-up and a failure-time model, we show how recidivism among an eligible group was consistently lower over those 5 years than for an ineligible group.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45112/1/10940_2005_Article_BF01065198.pd

Vegan diets : practical advice for athletes and exercisers.

With the growth of social media as a platform to share information, veganism is becoming more visible, and could be becoming more accepted in sports and in the health and fitness industry. However, to date, there appears to be a lack of literature that discusses how to manage vegan diets for athletic purposes. This article attempted to review literature in order to provide recommendations for how to construct a vegan diet for athletes and exercisers. While little data could be found in the sports nutrition literature specifically, it was revealed elsewhere that veganism creates challenges that need to be accounted for when designing a nutritious diet. This included the sufficiency of energy and protein; the adequacy of vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, iodine and vitamin D; and the lack of the long-chain n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in most plant-based sources. However, via the strategic management of food and appropriate supplementation, it is the contention of this article that a nutritive vegan diet can be designed to achieve the dietary needs of most athletes satisfactorily. Further, it was suggested here that creatine and β-alanine supplementation might be of particular use to vegan athletes, owing to vegetarian diets promoting lower muscle creatine and lower muscle carnosine levels in consumers. Empirical research is needed to examine the effects of vegan diets in athletic populations however, especially if this movement grows in popularity, to ensure that the health and performance of athletic vegans is optimised in accordance with developments in sports nutrition knowledge

CAR-associated vesicular transport of an adenovirus in motor neuron axons.

Axonal transport is responsible for the movement of signals and cargo between nerve termini and cell bodies. Pathogens also exploit this pathway to enter and exit the central nervous system. In this study, we characterised the binding, endocytosis and axonal transport of an adenovirus (CAV-2) that preferentially infects neurons. Using biochemical, cell biology, genetic, ultrastructural and live-cell imaging approaches, we show that interaction with the neuronal membrane correlates with coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) surface expression, followed by endocytosis involving clathrin. In axons, long-range CAV-2 motility was bidirectional with a bias for retrograde transport in nonacidic Rab7-positive organelles. Unexpectedly, we found that CAR was associated with CAV-2 vesicles that also transported cargo as functionally distinct as tetanus toxin, neurotrophins, and their receptors. These results suggest that a single axonal transport carrier is capable of transporting functionally distinct cargoes that target different membrane compartments in the soma. We propose that CAV-2 transport is dictated by an innate trafficking of CAR, suggesting an unsuspected function for this adhesion protein during neuronal homeostasis