Development and characterization of mucoadhesive nanosuspension of ciprofloxacin

Mucoadhesive nanosuspension of ciprofloxacin was designed in order to improve the solubility, bioavailability and efficacy for the treatment of typhoid fever. The identity and purity of drug was established. The compatibility of drug with various excipients was ascertained by FTIR techniques, which indicated no interaction between the drug and excipients. Four different formulations were prepared by optimizing various parameters using different polymers like soya lecithin, pluronic F68, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyvinylpyrrolidone K30. Particle size and polydispersity index were determined by photon correlation spectroscopy. Average particle size of different formulations was found to be between 503-1844 nm. The zeta potential of all formulations was found to be around +/- 20 My indicating satisfactory physical stability. Scanning electron microscopy showed that process parameters affect the crystal morphology. The promising formulations prepared from combination of soya lecithin and pluronic F68 and those based on soya lecithin alone were subjected to dissolution profile studies. The later formulation exhibited fast dissolution rate as compared to the former. Thus nanosus-pension based on soya lecithin was incorporated into hydrogels prepared using different grades of carbopol 934 and 971 as mucoadhesive polymers. After 10 h, mucoadhesive nanosuspensions showed 45-56% release. The developed mucoadhesive nanosuspensions exhibited satisfactory physical stability. The studies indicated potential of these formulations as novel gastroretentive systems.     

Feeding low iron diets affects fluid preference in growing rats

The effect of dietary iron (ferrous sulfate) concentration on the intake of solutions of sodium saccharin, hydrochloric acid, quinine sulfate, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride was studied. Male Charles River CD weanling rats were divided into four groups and fed semi-synthetic iron-free diets supplemented with either 0, 10, 20 or 40 ppm ferrous sulfate. Using a 48 hour, two-bottle preference test, the rats fed the diet with 0 ppm (added) iron showed significantly higher preferences for sodium chloride and potassium chloride solutions compared with the other three groups. Total fluid intake also increased in rats given the unsupplemented diet. Water intake was not increased in this 0 ppm group when sodium was offered. Blood hemoglobin and hematocrit, serum iron and body weight were lowest in the group with 0 ppm added iron, yet neither adrenal weights nor serum zinc was affected by the dietary iron levels.     

Obesity and osteoarthritis in knee,hip and/or hand: An epidemiological study in the general population with 10 years follow-up

Background  

Obesity is one of the most important risk factors for osteoarthritis (OA) in knee(s). However, the relationship between obesity and OA in hand(s) and hip(s) remains controversial and needs further investigation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of obesity on incident osteoarthritis (OA) in hip, knee, and hand in a general population followed in 10 years.     

C-reactive protein predicts death in patients with previous premature myocardial infarction--a 10 year follow-up study

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). We measured CRP in a cohort of 247 patients (193 males and 54 females) who had had their first myocardial infarction (MI) at age ≤55 (males) or ≤60 (females). The cut-off values of the 25th, 50th and 75th centiles of CRP were 1.20, 2.37 and 4.20 mg/l. After 10 years, a total of 44 patients (17.8%) had died, 36 (81.8%) of cardiac causes. Unadjusted and adjusted (i.e. for age, ejection fraction (EF), serum total cholesterol (TC), fibrinogen, smoking and hypertension) relative risks (RRs) for total and cardiac mortality were generated. CRP was a strong predictor of death of all causes due to its strength as predictor of cardiac death. The RR of cardiac death was doubled with increasing CRP quartiles, and patients in the top quartile had six times as high risk of cardiac death as patients in the lowest quartile. The RRs were moderately attenuated after adjustment, but still significant. We conclude that CRP is a strong predictor of mortality in patients with premature MI. Thus, inflammation appears to be a critical prognostic factor in patients with previous premature MI.     

Dietary evaluation of patients with smell and/or taste disorders

The impact of smell and taste disorders on dietary habits and nutritional status has received limited research attention. This paper reports findings obtained from questionnaires and diet records completed by 40 healthy subjects and 118 patients with chemosensory dysfunction. Chemosensory disorders were frequently associated with decreases in food acceptability. Although dietary responses to these dysfunctions varied greatly, patients with distorted or phantom smell and/or taste sensations tended to report weight loss whereas those with simple sensory loss were more likely to report weight gain. Indices derived from diet records did not indicate that either group of patients was at substantial nutritional risk, but food frequency responses and estimates of body mass index were consistent with patient reports of changes in dietary patterns and weight. In addition, marked weight change and aberrant dietary practices were noted in individual patients. Thus, there were indications that chemosensory dysfunction may be associated with nutritionally important dietary alterations.     

Assessment of the potency of tuberculin in humans and guinea-pigs

The biological effects of tuberculin in an organism infected with tubercle bacilli are due to an unknown number of different substances, which are present in varying concentrations in different tuberculin preparations. Consequently, the response to tuberculin tests with various products is likely to vary with the biological material, the test technique, the tuberculin dose, etc., and potency estimates of tuberculin products will depend to a considerable extent on how the assessment is made. The present paper describes an experiment in which this dependence was demonstrated in the case of two purified protein derivative tuberculin preparations (RT 23 and PPD-Weybridge). The potency ratio of these products was found to vary widely according to whether it was determined in humans by the Pirquet test or in guinea-pigs by the Mantoux test, and the authors therefore conclude that tuberculin products must be assessed under the conditions in which they will subsequently be used.     

The Nurse-Client Alliance Model

topic . A nursing model for psychiatric nursing.
source . Author's clinical work, review of literature.
goal . To describe this model and its use with psychiatric clients.
conclusion . This model complements the biomedical model by helping clients gain insight and access to their subjective experience.     

Variability and molecular typing of the woody-tree infecting prunus necrotic ringspot ilarvirus

Summary.  The 3′-part of the movement protein gene, the intergenic region and the complete coat protein gene of sixteen isolates of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) from five different host species from the Czech Republic were sequenced in order to search for the bases of extensive variability of viroses caused by this pathogen. According to phylogenetic analyses all the 46 isolates sequenced to date split into three main groups, which correlated to a certain extend with their geographic origin. Modelled serological properties showed that all the new isolates belong to one serotype. Received September 9, 1999/Accepted November 15, 1999