271 research outputs found
The Use of Minipigs for Testing the Local Intranasal Toxicity of Fentanyl
The local intranasal toxicity of a nasal formulation of the opioid analgesic fentanyl was investigated in this study. Minipigs were used as the experimental model. Fentanyl was administered using the formulation and the device intended for human use. Doses of 400 μg fentanyl were administered 5 times daily to the minipigs for 4 weeks. In addition, the spreading pattern of the formulation in the minipig nasal cavity was investigated by applying a formulation containing methylene blue at necropsy. Results: The methylene blue spread to the middle parts of the endoturbinates. The No-Observed-Adverse- Effect-Level (NOAEL) of intranasally administered fentanyl in minipigs was documented to be above 5 x 400 μg/day. After necropsy, no relevant treatment related macroscopic or microscopic findings were observed, but minimal focal deciliation/degradation of the respiratory epithelium was seen in one animal. In conclusion, intranasal administration of 400 μg fentanyl 5 times daily for a period of 4 weeks did not cause any treatment related changes in the nasal cavity of the minipig.
Transition to adult care in Finnish adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Objective The symptoms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and the necessity for continuous treatment may persist in adulthood. Therefore, patients with JIA need to be appropriately transferred to adult care. We aimed to analyse the timing of the patients' transition to adult care, and patients' self-management skills with the process and the quality of the transition. Method This study included 161 Finnish participants of the population-based Nordic JIA cohort who attended a 17 year follow-up appointment. Special attention was paid to the three groups: those referred by the paediatric rheumatology outpatient clinic to primary healthcare (PHC), those who were directly transferred to adult rheumatology care, and those who were later referred. Results A total of 136 patients (84%) were eligible to participate in the study, and 40% of them were directly transferred to an adult rheumatology clinic. Of the patients, 72% eventually ended up being referred to an adult rheumatology outpatient clinic. However, 16% of the patients in the PHC group had active disease during the study appointment and were referred to adult services after the study visit. Conclusion This study reveals the need to improve the transition process from paediatric care to adult care and to find the variables that can indicate the need for immediate transition. Although challenging, it is important to avoid treatment delay in adult patients with JIA who may have active disease but who do not have appropriate access to an adult rheumatological outpatient clinic.Peer reviewe
A retrospective observational study to determine baseline characteristics and early prescribing patterns for patients receiving Alirocumab in UK clinical practice
Background Alirocumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and has been previously shown, in the phase III ODYSSEY clinical trial program, to provide significant lowering of lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and reduction in risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. However, real-world evidence to date is limited. Objective The primary objective was to describe baseline characteristics, clinical history, and prior lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) use of patients initiated on alirocumab in UK clinical practice following publication of health technology appraisal (HTA) body recommendations. Secondary objectives included description of alirocumab use and lipid parameter outcomes over a 4-month follow-up period.
Methods In this retrospective, single-arm, observational, multicenter study, data were collected for 150 patients initiated on alirocumab.
Results Mean (standard deviation; SD) age of patients was 61.4 (10.5) years and baseline median (interquartile range; IQR) LDL-C level was 4.8 (4.2–5.8) mmol/l. Alirocumab use occurred predominantly in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) (n = 100/150, 66%) and those with statin intolerance (n = 123/150, 82%). Most patients started on alirocumab 75 mg (n = 108/150 [72%]) and 35 (23.3%) were up-titrated to 150 mg. Clinically significant reductions in atherogenic lipid parameters were observed with alirocumab, including LDL-C (median [IQR] change from baseline, − 53.6% [− 62.9 to − 34.9], P < 0.001). Conclusion This study highlights the unmet need for additional LLT in patients with uncontrolled hyperlipidemia and demonstrates the clinical utility of alirocumab in early real-world practice, where dosing flexibility is an important attribute of this therapeutic option
High field level crossing studies on spin dimers in the low dimensional quantum spin system NaT(CO)(HO) with T=Ni,Co,Fe,Mn
In this paper we demonstrate the application of high magnetic fields to study
the magnetic properties of low dimensional spin systems. We present a case
study on the series of 2-leg spin-ladder compounds
NaT(CO)(HO) with T = Ni, Co, Fe and Mn. In all
compounds the transition metal is in the high spin configuation. The
localized spin varies from S=1 to 3/2, 2 and 5/2 within this series. The
magnetic properties were examined experimentally by magnetic susceptibility,
pulsed high field magnetization and specific heat measurements. The data are
analysed using a spin hamiltonian description. Although the transition metal
ions form structurally a 2-leg ladder, an isolated dimer model consistently
describes the observations very well. This behaviour can be understood in terms
of the different coordination and superexchange angles of the oxalate ligands
along the rungs and legs of the 2-leg spin ladder. All compounds exhibit
magnetic field driven ground state changes which at very low temperatures lead
to a multistep behaviour in the magnetization curves. In the Co and Fe
compounds a strong axial anisotropy induced by the orbital magnetism leads to a
nearly degenerate ground state and a strongly reduced critical field. We find a
monotonous decrease of the intradimer magnetic exchange if the spin quantum
number is increased
BN domains included into carbon nanotubes: role of interface
We present a density functional theory study on the shape and arrangement of
small BN domains embedded into single-walled carbon nanotubes. We show a strong
tendency for the BN hexagons formation at the simultaneous inclusion of B and N
atoms within the walls of carbon nanotubes. The work emphasizes the importance
of a correct description of the BN-C frontier. We suggest that BN-C interface
will be formed preferentially with the participation of N-C bonds. Thus, we
propose a new way of stabilizing the small BN inclusions through the formation
of nitrogen terminated borders. The comparison between the obtained results and
the available experimental data on formation of BN plackets within the single
walled carbon nanotubes is presented. The mirror situation of inclusion of
carbon plackets within single walled BN nanotubes is considered within the
proposed formalism. Finally, we show that the inclusion of small BN plackets
inside the CNTs strongly affects the electronic character of the initial
systems, opening a band gap. The nitrogen excess in the BN plackets introduces
donor states in the band gap and it might thus result in a promising way for
n-doping single walled carbon nanotubes
Atomic Configuration of Nitrogen Doped Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Having access to the chemical environment at the atomic level of a dopant in
a nanostructure is crucial for the understanding of its properties. We have
performed atomically-resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy to detect
individual nitrogen dopants in single-walled carbon nanotubes and compared with
first principles calculations. We demonstrate that nitrogen doping occurs as
single atoms in different bonding configurations: graphitic-like and
pyrrolic-like substitutional nitrogen neighbouring local lattice distortion
such as Stone-Thrower-Wales defects. The stability under the electron beam of
these nanotubes has been studied in two extreme cases of nitrogen incorporation
content and configuration. These findings provide key information for the
applications of these nanostructures.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figure
Nitrogen doping of metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes: n-type conduction and dipole scattering
The charge transport properties of individual, metallic nitrogen doped,
single-walled carbon nanotubes are investigated. It is demonstrated that n-type
conduction can be achieved by nitrogen doping. Evidence was obtained by
appealing to electric-field effect measurements at ambient condition. The
observed temperature dependencies of the zero-bias conductance indicate a
disordered electron system with electric-dipole scattering, caused mainly by
the pyridine-type nitrogen atoms in the honeycomb lattice. These results
illustrate the possibility of creating all-metallic molecular devices, in which
the charge carrier type can be controlled.Comment: 16 page
Lattice dynamical study of optical modes in Tl2Mn2O7 and In2Mn2O7 pyrochlores
The Raman, IR and force field have been investigated for A2Mn2O7 (A= Tl, In)
by means of a short-range force constant model which includes four stretching
and four bending force constants. Unusual spectral and force field changes are
observed and analyzed. The stretching force constant Mn-O and A-O, are found to
be relatively higher than those of other pyrochlore oxides of the A2Mn2O7
family, while the remaining force constant values are significantly smaller,
especially for Tl2Mn2O7. This trend may be due to strong hybridization of the
Tl (6s) orbital with O (2p) and Mn (3d). The assignment of all the modes has
been proposed and potential energy distribution is also reported. The evaluated
frequencies are close to the available observed infrared and Raman frequencies,
giving further support to the present assignments.Comment: To be published in PRB, 17 page
The effect of compressive strain on the Raman modes of the dry and hydrated BaCe0.8Y0.2O3 proton conductor
The BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-{\delta} proton conductor under hydration and under
compressive strain has been analyzed with high pressure Raman spectroscopy and
high pressure x-ray diffraction. The pressure dependent variation of the Ag and
B2g bending modes from the O-Ce-O unit is suppressed when the proton conductor
is hydrated, affecting directly the proton transfer by locally changing the
electron density of the oxygen ions. Compressive strain causes a hardening of
the Ce-O stretching bond. The activation barrier for proton conductivity is
raised, in line with recent findings using high pressure and high temperature
impedance spectroscopy. The increasing Raman frequency of the B1g and B3g modes
thus implies that the phonons become hardened and increase the vibration energy
in the a-c crystal plane upon compressive strain, whereas phonons are relaxed
in the b-axis, and thus reveal softening of the Ag and B2g modes. Lattice
toughening in the a-c crystal plane raises therefore a higher activation
barrier for proton transfer and thus anisotropic conductivity. The experimental
findings of the interaction of protons with the ceramic host lattice under
external strain may provide a general guideline for yet to develop epitaxial
strained proton conducting thin film systems with high proton mobility and low
activation energy
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