19 research outputs found
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Encapsulation of water insoluble drugs in mesoporous silica nanoparticles using supercritical carbon dioxide
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles MCM – 41 were synthesized with two dimensional hexagonal p6mm symmetry, high specific surface area(~ 980m2/g) narrow pore size and an average particle size of 186 nm. The produced nanoparticles were used to encapsulate carbamazepine through a supercritical carbon dioxide process combined with various organic solvents. Supercritical processing was found to provide increased drug encapsulation. The loaded MCM - 41 nanoparticles were analyzed using X–ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to investigate the crystalline state of the encapsulated carbamazepine and it was found to be dependent on the nature of the organic solvent. Carbamazepine showed increased dissolution rates under sink conditions. Viability studies of Caco – 2 cells demonstrated negligible cytotoxicity for the MCM–41 nanoparticles
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Understanding our value: assessing the nature of the impact of library services
This paper reports an approach to assessing the nature of the impact and benefit of library services, based on the concepts introduced in Urquhart's Value Project for healthcare information services. Two studies are described and compared. A project in the City of London public library service examined the benefits obtained from specific information requests. A project in several public library services in South West England examined the value obtained from the borrowing and reading of books, linking this with categories of learning objectives. These studies showed the promise, and also the difficulties, of adapting existing impact frameworks to understand the nature of the impact and value of library services
Comparison of pain, cortisol levels, and psychological distress in women undergoing surgical termination of pregnancy under local anaesthesia versus intravenous sedation
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The weight of evidence suggests that women who freely choose to terminate a pregnancy are unlikely to experience significant mental health risks, however some studies have documented psychological distress in the form of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in the aftermath of termination. Choice of anaesthetic has been suggested as a determinant of outcome. This study compared the effects of local anaesthesia and intravenous sedation, administered for elective surgical termination, on outcomes of pain, cortisol, and psychological distress.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>155 women were recruited from a private abortion clinic and state hospital (mean age: 25.4 ± 6.1 years) and assessed on various symptom domains, using both clinician-administered interviews and self-report measures just prior to termination, immediately post-procedure, and at 1 month and 3 months post-procedure. Morning salivary cortisol assays were collected prior to anaesthesia and termination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The group who received local anaesthetic demonstrated higher baseline cortisol levels (mean = 4.7 vs 0.2), more dissociative symptoms immediately post-termination (mean = 14.7 vs 7.3), and higher levels of pain before (mean = 4.9 vs 3.0) and during the procedure (mean = 8.0 vs 4.4). However, in the longer-term (1 and 3 months), there were no significant differences in pain, psychological outcomes (PTSD, depression, self-esteem, state anxiety), or disability between the groups. More than 65% of the variance in PTSD symptoms at 3 months could be explained by baseline PTSD symptom severity and disability, and post-termination dissociative symptoms. Of interest was the finding that pre-procedural cortisol levels were positively correlated with PTSD symptoms at both 1 and 3 months.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>High rates of PTSD characterise women who have undergone surgical abortions (almost one fifth of the sample meet criteria for PTSD), with women who receive local anaesthetic experiencing more severe acute reactions. The choice of anesthetic, however, does not appear to impact on longer-term psychiatric outcomes or functional status.</p
Hematological indicators of liver damage during the subclinical phase of fasciolosis in steers from Northeastern Argentina
Vibrational Structure and Organization of Various Self-Assembled Alkanethiol Monolayers: a HREELS Study
High-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) was used to investigate the molecular
structure of self-assembled monolayers formed by adsorption of n-alkanethiols, R,ö-alkanedithiols, and
R-cycloalkyl-ö-alkanethiols on different gold substrates. The HREELS data are reported as a contribution
to a general effort to assess the potential of electron spectroscopies in the elucidation of structural
characteristics of organic surfaces. Typical fingerprints of the thiol molecules, characteristic of their primary
and secondary structure (connectivity, conformation, and order), have been found in their HREELS
vibrational spectra. We have shown that when the layers are disordered, the spectra are dominated by
impact-excited modes, hampering the identification of the compounds. These data have evidenced many
defects in the organization of the monolayers on evaporated gold substrates. The coherent domains sizes
formed by the molecules in the films have been estimated from the angular distribution of the elastic peak
as a function of the nature of the alkanethiol chain and of the immersion time in thiol solution