ABSTRACT
Tremendous efforts have been devoted to the enhancement of drug solubility using nanotechnologies, but few of them are capable to produce drug particles with sizes less than a few nanometers. This challenge has been addressed here by using biocompatible versatile -cyclodextrin (-CD) metal-organic framework (CD-MOF) large molecular cages in which azilsartan (AZL) was successfully confined producing clusters in the nanometer range. This strategy allowed to improve the bioavailability of AZL in Sprague-Dawley rats by 9.7-fold after loading into CD-MOF. The apparent solubility of AZL/CD-MOF was enhanced by 340-fold when compared to the pure drug. Based on molecular modeling, a dual molecular mechanism of nanoclusterization and complexation of AZL inside the CD-MOF cages was proposed, which was confirmed by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and synchrotron radiation-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (SR-FTIR) techniques. In a typical cage-like unit of CD-MOF, three molecules of AZL were included by the -CD pairs, whilst other three AZL molecules formed a nanocluster inside the 1.7 nm sized cavity surrounded by six -CDs. This research demonstrates a dual molecular mechanism of complexation and nanoclusterization in CD-MOF leading to significant improvement in the bioavailability of insoluble drugs.
ABSTRACT
In the current study, we aim to investigate whether post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with structural alterations in specific subfields of hippocampus comparing with trauma-exposed control (TC) in a relatively large sample. We included 67 PTSD patients who were diagnosed under Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Edition) (DSM-Ⅳ) criteria and 78 age- and sex-matched non-PTSD adult survivors who experienced similar stressors. High resolution T1 weighted images were obtained via a GE 3.0 T scanner. The structural data was automatically segmented using FreeSurfer software, and volume of whole hippocampus and subfield including CA1, CA2-3, CA4-DG, fimbria, presubiculum, subiculum and fissure were extracted. Volume differences between the two groups were statistically compared with age, years of education, duration from the events and intracranial volume (ICV) as covariates. Hemisphere, sex and diagnosis were entered as fixed factors. Relationship between morphometric measurements with Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) score and illness duration were performed using Pearson's correlation with SPSS. Comparing to TC, PTSD patients showed no statistically significant alteration in volumes of the whole hippocampus and all the subfields ( > 0.05). In male patients, there were significant correlations between CAPS score and volume of right CA2-3 ( = 0.197, = 0.034), right subiculum ( = 0.245, = 0.016), and duration statistically correlated with right fissure ( = 0.247, = 0.016). In female patients, CAPS scores significant correlated with volume of left presubiculum ( = 0.095, = 0.042), left subiculum ( = 0.090, = 0.048), and left CA4-DG ( = 0.099, = 0.037). The main findings of the current study suggest that stress event causes non-selective damage to hippocampus in both PTSD patients and TC, and gender-specific lateralization may underlie PTSD pathology.
ABSTRACT
Objective To learn the recent development and regional distribution of clinics in China.Methods Based on statistics and a nationwide survey of clinics in the country,a simple linear regression was made to find factors determining clinics regional distribution.Results Clinics in China were found to have grown sizably from 134 000 in 2008 to 155 000 in 2014;medical technology workers to 2.31 per clinic in 2014;and the total revenue of these clinics accounted for only 0.724% of all medical institutions,while there are more clinics in the east than the west regions in China.Conclusions The role of clinics in attracting high quality medical resources to primary care should be further enhanced for development of the hierarchical medical system in China.
ABSTRACT
Objective Through the network informatization management, postoperative pain assessment, nursing records, process the results into the network electronic medical records, more standardized postoperative pain management, improve the effectiveness of postoperative analgesia. Methods A total of 3 680 patients after the operation from November to December in 2015 were selected and divided into control group and observation group according to the operation time. In November for the traditional postoperative pain management in control group (1 850 cases), in December as observation group (1 830 cases), with Hospital Information System and Anesthesia Information System, all of the records in the postoperative pain management content network electronic information management, according to the degree of pain and analgesia method to select a different form, data sharing, wrong alarm to remind, handle in time. To establish a network of WeChat public platform to perform health education and information communication. The analgesia effect and patient′s satisfaction were compared between two groups. Results The incidence of incomplete pain was 12.5%(231/1 850) in control group and 4.2%(77/1 830) in observation group, and there was significant difference between two groups(c2= 82.22, P<0.01). The satisfaction score was (5.9 ± 3.7) points in observation group and (4.4 ± 2.6) points in control group, and there was significant difference between two groups(t = 2.10, P<0.05). Conclusions Postoperative pain management network informatization can effectively improve the effect of postoperative analgesia, improve work efficiency.