Potential novel drug carriers for inner ear treatment: hyperbranched polylysine and lipid nanocapsules

AIM: Treatment of sensorineural hearing loss could be advanced using novel drug carriers such as hyperbranched polylysine (HBPL) or lipid nanocapsules (LNCs). This study examined HBPL and LNCs for their cellular uptake and possible toxicity in vitro and in vivo as the first step in developing novel nanosized multifunctional carriers. METHOD: Having incubated HBPL and LNCs with fibroblasts, nanoparticle uptake and cell viability were determined by confocal laser scanning microscopy, fluorescence measurements and neutral red staining. In vivo, electrophysiology, confocal laser scanning microscopy and cytocochleograms were performed for nanoparticle detection and also toxicity studies after intracochlear application. RESULTS: Both nanoparticles were detectable in the fibroblasts\u27 cytoplasm without causing cytotoxic effects. After in vivo application they were visualized in cochlear cells, which did not lead to a change in hearing threshold or loss of hair cells. Biocompatibility and traceability were demonstrated for HBPL and LNCs. Thus, they comply with the basic requirements for drug carriers for potential application in the inner ear

Principles of condom provision programs in prisons from the standpoint of European prison health experts: a qualitative study

Background Condom provision is one of the most effective harm reduction interventions to control sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis in prisons. Yet, very few countries around the world provide prisoners with condoms. The present study aimed to elucidate principles of effective prison-based condom programs from the perspective of European public health and prison health experts. Methods As a part of the “Joint Action on HIV and Co-infection Prevention and Harm Reduction (HA-REACT)” twenty-one experts from the field of prison health from eight European countries were invited to discuss the principles of condom provision programs in prisons within two focus groups. The audio records were transcribed verbatim, coded, categorized, and analyzed using thematic analysis method. Results Six components emerged from the analysis as essential for successful condom programs in prisons: (1) highlighting the necessity of condom provision in prisons, (2) engagement of internal and external beneficiaries in all stages of designing and implementing the program, (3) conducting a pilot phase, (4) condom program in a comprehensive package of harm reduction interventions, (5) vending machine as the best method of condom distribution in prisons and (6) assuring the sustainability and quality of the intervention. Conclusion Results of the present study can help prison health policy makers to design and conduct acceptable, accessible and high-quality prison-based condom provision programs, and consequently to mitigate the burden of STIs in prisons. Having access to high-quality healthcare services including condom provision programs is not only the right of prisoners to health, but also is a move towards achieving the sustainable development goal 3 of “leaving no one behind.”Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL

Evaluation of phosphorus in thermally converted sewage sludge: P pools and availability to wheat

Aims: Dried sewage sludge (SS) and the by-products of four SS thermal conversion processes (pyrolysis, incineration and two types of gasification) were investigated for phosphorus (P) availability. Methods: A sequential extraction was used to determine the distribution of P among different P pools. After mixing materials with soil, availability of the P was determined with soil P extractions and in a growth experiment with wheat. Results: Thermally converted SS contained a greater proportion of P within recalcitrant pools than dried SS. Despite having very different P pool distributions, the incinerated and dried SS provided similar amounts of P to plants. Plant P supply from dried and incinerated SS was lower than the comparable soluble P treatment (50 mg P kg⁻¹), but higher than a soluble treatment at a lower rate (20 mg P kg⁻¹). Plant P uptake in gasified and pyrolysed treatments was only marginally greater than uptake in a control (no P) treatment. Plant P uptake correlated most closely with diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) P analysis of soil-material mixes. Phosphorus availability in the dried and incinerated SS treatments increased over time. Conclusions: We propose that the dried and incinerated SS have potential as slow release P fertilisers in low pH soils.Jessica E. Mackay, Timothy R. Cavagnaro, Iver Jakobsen, Lynne M. Macdonald, Mette Grønlund, Tobias P. Thomsen, Dorette S. Müller-Stöve

Drugs in prisons: exploring use, control, treatment and policy

Drugs are an increasingly salient concern in many prisons around the world. Specific prison drug policies are made, drugs are illegally used and legally prescribed, drug use and drug sale is sanctioned, drug profits are generated, and drug use is an important public health and treatment priority in most prisons. A growing number of prisoners are using drugs and a large proportion of people who use drugs have been in prison. As a consequence of such developments, everyday life in many prisons is dictated by drug-related issues. The purpose of this Special Issue is to critically examine and advance research relating to the growth in use, control and treatment of drugs within the prison environ- ment as well as research on relevant governmental policies and practices. The articles highlight a diverse range of issues including the dynamic nature of the drugs problem in prison in relation to the substances being used, how they are administered, the meanings and motives associated with drug use and dealing and the way in which the drug market operates, but also the ways in which supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction responses have developed within different prison settings. The papers draw on a range of different quantitative and qualitative research designs and methodologies, highlighting the voices of the prisoners themselves as well as the practitioners and policy- makers who are tasked with dealing with the problem of drugs in prisons