Drug Samples Research Articles

Real-World Performance Benchmarks in the Reading Ability of Prescription Drug Labels by Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Background: Despite known recommendations regarding standards for print size and the intuitive importance of vision in reading prescription labels, the predictive nature of vision and prescription label readability remains largely undefined. Furthermore, while the importance of vision is recognized, various demographic factors associated with the ability to read prescription labels have not been fully elucidated. Objective: Describe relationships between visual acuity, point size, and readability of prescription labels and provide insight into demographic factors associated with prescription label readability. Methods: Cross-sectional examination of prescription label readability by older, community-dwelling adults. Subjects were evaluated as to demographics, visual acuity, and ability to read test instruments consisting of unaltered prescription label features of five medications dispensed by community pharmacies and two drug samples. Descriptive statistics in conjunction with a logit predictive model were employed for data analysis. Results: Instructions for medication use were most recognizable, identified and correctly read by 95.60% of the study cohort while directions for the use of drug samples were lowest (34.91%). Among prescription label features, auxiliary labels consistently demonstrated poor readability. Level of visual acuity was statistically related to the ability to read prescription labels while identifying prescription label components increased proportionally with point size. Race, gender, and history of a recent eye examination were statistically significant predictors of prescription label reading ability. Visual acuity alone was found to explain approximately 26% of the variablity in ability to read Rx labels. Conclusion: Visual acuity is predictive of the ability to access Rx label information and should be considered a modifiable variable for improving prescription label reading ability amenable by appropriate eye care and spectacle correction.

Interlaboratory validation and one-year retrospective review of hemp and marijuana decision-point assays

After the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) that defined hemp as Cannabis sativa L. if it contained ≤0.3 % Δ9-THC on a dry weight basis, forensic laboratories were faced with the challenge of distinguishing marijuana from hemp in seized drug samples. This study reports the results of an interlaboratory validation of a previously developed qualitative decision-point assay for the differentiation of illegal marijuana from legal hemp, utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with a 1 % Δ9-THC threshold. The method was validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, carryover, precision, accuracy, extract stability, dilution integrity, and measurement uncertainty. Other elements such as decarboxylation rate and potential for CBD interference were also evaluated. Specificity and positive predictive value were both 100 % using known cannabis reference materials. A total of 8 false negative results were observed among the 280 analyses, resulting in an overall assay sensitivity of 94 % and a negative predictive value of 95 %. The small number of false negative results near the 1 % threshold were attributed to decarboxylation inefficiency in some laboratories. While qualitative in nature, the measurement uncertainty of the assay at the 0.3 % Δ9-THC cutoff (legal threshold) using a 95.45 % confidence interval (k = 2) ranged from 12.2 % to 21.8 % among laboratories (equivalent to 0.3 % ± 0.04 % to 0.07 % Δ9-THC by weight). A one-year retrospective study across three agencies and fifteen laboratories was undertaken. Among the three agencies participating in the original study, 93–96 % of all suspected cannabis seizures yielded results above the administrative threshold of 1 % Δ9-THC (n = 3,288). The interlaboratory method development highlighted differences in performance between sites, ultimately improving the overall robustness of the method. Observations highlight the need for site-specific validation and vigilance. While multi-agency collaborations and interlaboratory validations are valuable, they do not replace the necessity for full, independent, and rigorous validation.

Broad evidence of xylazine in the UK illicit drug market beyond heroin supplies: Triangulating from toxicology, drug-testing and law enforcement.

Xylazine is a non-opioid sedative which has spread rapidly throughout the US illicit drug supply. This study aimed to describe the spread of xylazine throughout the UK illicit drug supply. Xylazine detections in human biological samples were collated from toxicology laboratories operating in the United Kingdom with the date, location, case type, xylazine concentration and co-detected drugs (with quantifications where performed) detailed, where permitted, by the corresponding coroner. Drug-testing cases positive for xylazine were collated from the Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances (WEDINOS) drug-testing postal service with the date, location, purchase intent and co-detected drugs detailed. Drug seizures made by UK law enforcement were communicated by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities with the date and location detailed. By the end of August 2023, xylazine was detected in 35 cases from throughout toxicology, drug-testing and drug seizure sources covering England, Scotland and Wales. There were no cases reported from Northern Ireland. Xylazine was detected in biological samples from 16 people. In most cases where full toxicology results were provided, xylazine was detected with heroin and/or a strong opioid (n = nine of 11), but this polydrug use pattern was not evident in all cases (n = two of 11), suggesting a wider circulation of xylazine in the UK illicit drug market beyond heroin supplies. Evidence from WEDINOS supports this claim, as all 14 drug samples (100%) submitted from across the UK contained xylazine; however, in none of these cases was heroin the purchase intent but rather counterfeit prescription medication tablets (n = 11 of 14), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vapes (n = two of 14) or white powder (n = one of 14). Additional evidence for the spread of illicit xylazine comes from five drug seizures made by law enforcement. Xylazine has penetrated the UK illicit drug market and is not limited to heroin supplies.

Natural flavonols as probes for direct determination of borax: From conventional fluorescence analysis to paper-based smartphone sensing

Borax is strictly regulated in the food processing and pharmaceutical industry due to its physiological toxicity, and the development of a direct analytical method is essential for effectively monitoring the borax abuse. In this work, the fluorescence properties of flavonoids, including flavones, isoflavones and flavonols, were systematically investigated from aqueous to borax solutions, and it was found that the weak intrinsic fluorescence of flavonols could be pervasively sensitized by borax. A natural flavonol, morin, was subsequently chosen as a representative probe to develop a turn-on fluorescence sensing method for borax analysis, which achieved a linear response spanning four orders of magnitude with a detection limit of 1.07 μM (0.22 μg mL−1 in terms of Na2B4O7 content). Furthermore, a smartphone-assisted paper-based test device was designed and constructed by 3D printing technology. Using morin-impregnated test strips as the carrier, the borax could be visually detected by the RGB signals of the captured images, with a detection limit of 0.13 mM (27.05 μg mL−1 for Na2B4O7). Combining ion exchange treatment for food samples and sodium periodate oxidation for drug samples, the developed methods were successfully applied for the direct analysis of borax in various products with the recoveries of 86.9–106.3% for traditional fluorescence analysis and 82.7–108.8% for smartphone-assisted fluorescence sensing. The fluorescence property of the morin-borax system was studied using time-dependent density functional theory, and the sensing mechanism was discussed in conjunction with experimental research.

K1K2NN: A novel multi-label classification approach based on neighbors for predicting COVID-19 drug side effects

COVID-19, a novel ailment, has received comparatively fewer drugs for its treatment. Side Effects (SE) of a COVID-19 drug could cause long-term health issues. Hence, SE prediction is essential in COVID-19 drug development. Efficient models are also needed to predict COVID-19 drug SE since most existing research has proposed many classifiers to predict SE for diseases other than COVID-19. This work proposes a novel classifier based on neighbors named K1 K2 Nearest Neighbors (K1K2NN) to predict the SE of the COVID-19 drug from 17 molecules' descriptors and the chemical 1D structure of the drugs. The model is implemented based on the proposition that chemically similar drugs may be assigned similar drug SE, and co-occurring SE may be assigned to chemically similar drugs. The K1K2NN model chooses the first K1 neighbors to the test drug sample by calculating its similarity with the train drug samples. It then assigns the test sample with the SE label having the majority count on the SE labels of these K1 neighbor drugs obtained through a voting mechanism. The model then calculates the SE-SE similarity using the Jaccard similarity measure from the SE co-occurrence values. Finally, the model chooses the most similar K2 SE neighbors for those SE determined by the K1 neighbor drugs and assigns these SE to that test drug sample. The proposed K1K2NN model has showcased promising performance with the highest accuracy of 97.53% on chemical 1D drug structure and outperforms the state-of-the-art multi-label classifiers. In addition, we demonstrate the successful application of the proposed model on gene expression signature datasets, which aided in evaluating its performance and confirming its accuracy and robustness.

An LC-MS/MS method for the determination of W18 in urine samples

IntroductionSynthetic drugs pose one of the most significant drug problems worldwide. In this category, W18 emerges as a potent drug of abuse chemically related to fentanyl. W18 has an analgesic potency 10,000 times greater than morphine. Recent in-vitro studies reported no activity of W18 towards opioid receptors. However, its presence in seized drug samples indicates its use as a precursor in fentanyl synthesis. This emphasizes the need to develop methods for its detection in developing countries dealing with emerging new drugs.ObjectivesTo develop an analytical method for the determination of W18 in urine samples.MethodsStandards with W18 concentrations ranging from 5-500 ng/ml were prepared in negative urine along with deuterated internal standard. The samples were diluted with methanol, centrifuged and the supernatant was subjected to Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) with time of flight (QTOF) analysis. For chromatographic separation, a C18 column with 50 degrees oven temperature was used. The mobile phase consists of formic acid, water, and acetonitrile. The TOF MS was operated in positive ion mode and multiple reaction monitoring was used for quantification.ResultsThe retention time of W18 was obtained at 9.57 minutes. The parent ion with molecular weight 422.1 along with precursor ions Q1-273, Q2-111.0, Q3-150.0 g/mol were measured. The area of the standards ranges from 1 to 9.0 log 5 with R square of 0.99. The limit of detection (LOD) and quantitation were 5 and 20 ng/ml respectively. The recovery of W18 was estimated to be 96% from the from spiked urine standards.ConclusionsThe developed method is able to detect W18 presence in urine samples. This method has the potential to be used in clinical and research studies.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Efficient luteolin detection sensor achieved by CdS-MoS2 heterostructures

Luteolin a widely occurring flavonoid compound in its natural state within numerous plant species, has attracted extensive attention for its diverse pharmacological activities in recent years. In this study, we present a novel sensor designed to detect luteolin by employing a bimetallic composite material, denoted as CdS-MoS2. By leveraging the distinct structural advantages inherent in the CdS-MoS2 composite, reinforced through the synergistic interplay of their constituent components, the electrodes fabricated with CdS-MoS2 exhibit a significant surface area and favorable electrical conductivity. Consequently, these electrodes demonstrate good electrocatalytic oxidation performance and exceptional sensing capabilities specifically tailored to luteolin. With its advantageous properties, the electrode generated from CdS-MoS2 can detect luteolin within a linear range spanning from 0.0001 µM to 2.28 µM and 2.28 µM to 27.49 µM and show low detection limit of 0.018 nM. Furthermore, it showcases reasonably good resistance to external disturbances and cyclic stability. The application of the CdS-MoS2 composite material in the detection of luteolin within authentic drug samples yields satisfactory outcomes. Also, it can trace luteolin in Duyiwei soft capsules with good recovery rates ranging from 99.30 % to 101.17 %. This underscores the potential of the CdS-MoS2 composite as a promising candidate for practical and reliable luteolin detection.

Adulterants present in the San Diego county fentanyl supply: a laboratory analysis of seized law enforcement samples

BackgroundThe opioid overdose crisis is one of the worst public health crises ever to face the US and emerging evidence suggests its effects are compounded by the presence of drug adulterants. Here we report our efforts to characterize the adulterants present within the local fentanyl supply of San Diego County, obtained from undifferentiated drug samples seized by local law enforcement over the calendar year 2021.MethodsThirty-two participating local law enforcement agencies across San Diego submitted 4838 unknown individual illicit drug samples (total of 312 kg) to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Regional Crime Laboratory for identification.ResultsQualitative analysis of these samples via FTIR and GC-MS identified methamphetamine (38.7%), fentanyl (20.8%), diacetylmorphine (heroin) (10.2%), codeine (5.8%) and alprazolam (4.3%) as the most common illicit substances and the presence of 52 unique adulterants. The most common adulterants included 4-methylaminoantipyrine (4-MAAP) (10.9%), mannitol (9%), acetaminophen (8.5%), methamphetamine (4.2%), diacetylmorphine (heroin) (3.6%), tramadol (1.9%), and xylazine (1.7%). Several additional pharmacologically active adulterants and contaminants of interest were also identified.ConclusionThis analysis is vital for public health use and harm reduction efforts at the level of the individual consumer. Continued direct surveillance of the drug supply is necessary for the detection of potentially harmful adulterants that may pose serious threats to the public.

Colorimetric detection of Pd2+ and Ni2+ ions using a probe having benzo[d]imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole and pyrene rings: Application in detection of Pd2+ ion in anti-hypertensive drugs

Pd-complexes are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry to synthesize APIs and drug molecules. It is imperative to detect even trace amounts of Pd impurities in them. A probe (E/Z)-N'-(pyren-1-ylmethylene)benzo[d]imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole-2-carbohydrazide (LH) having benzo[d]imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole and pyrene rings has been synthesized. LH was found to exhibit a change from colourless to yellowish green in presence of Pd2+ and Ni2+ ions. This colorimetric “turn on” response has also been observed with Pd2+ ions in the presence of “sartan” drugs, namely telmisartan, valsartan, irbesartan, olmesartan medoxomil and losartan potassium. The limit of detection ranged from 46.1 to 93.9 nM (4.9 to 6.0 ppb) for PdCl2 and 10.6 to 19.6 nM (1.1 to 2.1 ppb) for Pd(PPh3)2Cl2 and these are lower than the limit suggested by the EMA. The LOD values of Ni2+ ion was 9.301 nM which is also lower than the WHO guideline value. This probe showed a remarkable ability to recover Pd2+ ions from the spiked solution of drug samples. The probe formed stable 1:1 complexes with both the metal ions with binding constant values 3.72 × 103 L mol−1 (for Pd2+) and 8.26 × 104 L mol−1 (for Ni2+). Binding constant values of Pd-L complex increased in the presence of drug molecules, thereby indicating the absence of interference. The pH tolerance of the probe was found to be in the range of 3–11 (for Ni2+) and 2–11 (for Pd2+). DFT/TDDFT studies performed on LH, [Pd(L)(CH3CN)Cl] and [Ni(LH)(H2O)(CH3CN)Cl2] in CPCM continuum solvation model in CH3CN, showed good correlation between calculated UV–Vis and experimental spectra.

Chemometric Determination of Parkinson's Drugs Containing Multiple Active Substances

In this work, the active ingredients of Entacapone, Levodopa and Carbidopa in drug samples used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease were quantitatively determined by Ultraviolet Visible (UV-VIS) Spectroscopy and chemometrics. Firstly, the spectra of each drug active ingredient were taken individually and then synthetic mixtures identical to the drug sample were analyzed. In our method, validation parameters were calculated for each method. Percent (%) recoveries were found on average for both the synthetic mixture and the commercial sample. The recoveries were quantitative for each method. The accuracy of the methods was tested by applying ANOVA test to the results obtained from the PLS and PCR calibration methods. The developed methods are reproducible, sensitive, and accurate, and can be recommended for the analysis of drug samples containing Entacapone, Levodopa, and Carbidopa

A STUDY OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION IN PUNARNAVA MANDURA

Introduction: Herbal medicines are being used extensively in many countries to treat many diseases, as seen in the COVID-19 pandemic, so the global market for herbal medicines has grown suddenly. In India, under the Ayurveda system of medicine, apart from plants, animal and mineral products have also been used as medicine since long ago. Both herbal and animal products contain primarily organic components; therefore, like food in-gredients (biological ingredients), herbal medicine and animal products are at risk of microbial growth and con-tamination. Punarnava Mandura is a popular Ayurvedic medicine described in various classical and authoritative texts of Ayurveda. It is a perfect example of a medicine made from substances derived from plants, minerals, and animals. It contains Mandura Bhasma as a mineral component apart from other herbal ingredients, while cow urine (Gomutra) is of animal origin. It is widely used in infectious and non-infectious fever, cold, indigestion, and other diseases of the Gastrointestinal tract. Microbial contamination of medicines is defined as the unintend-ed habitation of pathogenic microbes that cause their degradation. In pharmaceutics, various factors may be a source of microbes, including the ingredients of drugs, manpower, machines, and the environment of the phar-macy. Microbial contamination is a pertinent issue and essential in quality control steps in pharmaceutical man-ufacturing and food processing. Microbial contamination of medicines and food products may also affect human health. Objective: The primary aim and purpose of the present study was to determine the microbial contamina-tion of an Ayurvedic Herbo-mineral drug sample of Punarnava Mandura. Material and methods: The drug sam-ple (Self-made) was made in the institute pharmacy. Another drug sample (market sample) of Punarnava Man-dura of a pharmacy was also kept as a control to compare the results. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of microbial loads in Punarnava Mandura was assessed. The following strains of microbes: E. Coli, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Fungus, and Total viable aerobic bacterial count were evaluated. Results: Both the samples of Punarnava Mandura have shown an insignificant load of selected microbes.

High-sensitivity drug biosensor based on taper and offset techniques for coreless optical fiber deposited with titanium dioxide nanoparticles

This paper designed and implemented a fiber optic biosensor to detect and measure the refractive index (RI) of different drug samples based on the offset and taper technique and enhance the sensitivity by nanoparticle material coating. This sensor was designed using a coreless fiber (CF), this optical fiber was tapered with different waist diameters, and the optimal waist diameter of 83.06 µm was achieved 291 nm/ refractive index unit (RIU), and the sensor was coated with different concentration of TiO2/PVA the optimal concentration 0.02% wt has a thickness 2.6 µm of TiO2/PVA nanoparticles and it was tested with different drug samples solution with refractive indices ranging from 1 to 1.393 and the highest sensitivity was achieved 361.11 nm/RIU. It was found that the taper and TiO2/PVA nanoparticles improved the sensitivity. This sensor can detect various refractive indices of chemicals and biochemical liquids. Advantages of the proposed sensor include high sensitivity, adaptability, enabling faster real-time measurements, ease of manufacturing and operation, compact size, lightweight design, and low cost.

Pharmaco-technological research and stability of the drug for the treat-ment and prevention of vitamin and trace element deficiency in animals

The article presents the research results on the Development of manufacturing technology and the study of the stability of a solution for oral use based on carnitine hydrochloride, vitamins – E, B12, choline chloride, selenium, and zinc. “Devivit Carnitine” oral is used for the prevention of diseases of liver and muscle tissue metabolism in farm animals and poultry, nephrosis, myocarditis, prevention of stress (heat, transport, sound, food, post-vaccination, etc.), and prevention of vitamin and hypovitaminosis. When developing the drug technology, experimentally obtained pharmaco-technological properties of active substances and excipients were taken into account. The technological process of preparing an oral solution consists of four technological stages: preparation of canisters for filling, preparation of the solution, filling containers with medicine and packaging. The stability and shelf life of “Devivit Carnitine” (solution for oral use) in plastic canisters were determined. It was established that the drug sample in plastic canisters was stable, according to all quality control methods indicators, during the entire period of the study. The shelf life of the medicinal product with carnitine hydrochloride, vitamins E and B12, choline chloride, selenium, and zinc is 12 months. In the future, a study of preclinical data is planned to verify whether the drug does not reveal a particular hazard for animals based on conventional studies of safety pharmacology, repeated dose toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and developmental toxicity.

How accurate are drug cryptomarket listings by content, weight, purity and repeat purchase?

PurposeDrug cryptomarkets increase information available to market actors, which should reduce information asymmetry and increase market efficiency. This study aims to determine whether cryptomarket listings accurately represent the advertised substance, weight or number and purity, and whether there are differences in products purchased from the same listing multiple times.Design/methodology/approachLaw enforcement drug purchases – predominantly cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and heroin – from Australian cryptomarket vendors (n = 38 in 2016/2017) were chemically analysed and matched with cryptomarket listings (n = 23). Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted.FindingsAlmost all samples contained the advertised substance. In most of these cases, drugs were either supplied as-advertised-weight or number, or overweight or number. All listings that quantified purity overestimated the actual purity. There was no consistent relationship between advertised purity terms and actual purity. Across the six listings purchased from multiple times, repeat purchases from the same listing varied in purity, sometimes drastically, with wide variation detected on listings purchased from only one month apart.Research limitations/implicationsIn this data set, cryptomarket listings were mostly accurate, but the system was far from perfect, with purity overestimated. A newer, larger, globally representative sample should be obtained to test the applicability of these findings to currently operating cryptomarkets.Originality/valueThis paper reports on the largest data set of forensic analysis of drug samples obtained from cryptomarkets, where data about advertised drug strength/dose were obtained.

Ion pair induced supramolecular assembly for development of novel pyridine 2, 6 diamide spacer acyl hydrazone-based derivatives for selective sensing of ZnCl2 and AlCl3

The work reports the development of a novel pyridine 2, 6 diamide spacer acyl hydrazone-based dual sensor H2L via two intermediates 1 and 2. The sensor as well as intermediates have been spectroscopically characterized. The structure of intermediate 1 is validated by its single crystal data analysis. As H2L bears both amide and acyl hydrazone moiety which have selective detection ability of anion and cation respectively, after rigorous characterization, the sensors are exposed to check their dual binding behavior. The results of several spectroscopic studies disclose the fact that H2L can optically and fluorometrically detect Al (III) and Zn (II) among several competitive cations and Cl− among competitive anions in semi-aqueous and aqueous medium respectively. Interestingly in a 9:1 DMSO-water medium, the probe can act as an ion pair sensor and in this medium, the probe can simultaneously detect Zn (II)/Cl- and Al (III)/Cl- forming H2L-ZnCl2, H2L-AlCl3 adduct. The 1:1 probe-analyte ion-pair binding is confirmed by NMR and mass spectral study. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) study optimizes the structures of the probe-analyte complexes. Impressively the probe has the potential to detect and quantify the Al (III) from market-available drug samples.

Beyond a spec: assessing heterogeneity in the unregulated opioid supply

BackgroundDrug checking services aim to provide compositional information for the illicit drug supply and are being employed in public health responses to extreme rates of overdose associated with fentanyl within street opioids. The technologies used within these services range from basic qualitative tests, such as immunoassay test strips, to comprehensive quantitative analyses, such as mass spectrometry. In general, there is concern that heterogeneity of a drug mixture adds significant uncertainty when using drug checking results based on a small subsamples. The presence of hot spots of active drug components in this context is often termed the ‘chocolate chip cookie effect’. Establishing the limitations of the service are essential for interpretation of the results.MethodsThis study assesses the consequence of drug heterogeneity and sampling of consumer level opioid purchased in Victoria, British Columbia (n=21\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$n=21$$\\end{document}, 50–100 mg each) on quantitative fentanyl results determined from testing with paper spray mass spectrometry.Results:Using descriptive statistics, such as relative standard deviation and interquartile range, the results demonstrate varied distributions of fentanyl concentrations within a single drug batch. However, the presence of hot spots, defined as outliers, were relatively rare.ConclusionsThis study found that the variability in fentanyl concentration from drug heterogeneity and sampling is greater than that attributed to the analytical technique. On a practical level, this provides data to help guide communication of limitations of drug checking services, supporting the aim of trust and transparency between services and people who use drugs. However, if drug checking services continue to be restricted from fully engaging with the reality of manufacturing, buying, selling, mixing and dosing practices, the accuracy, usefulness, and impact will always be limited.

Ionizable copolymer functionalized magnetic nanocomposite as an adsorbent for boosting the extraction selectivity of aristolochic acids.

Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) has drawn increasing public attention. Organic anion transporters (OATs) are considered to be responsible for mediating nephrotoxicity of aristolochic acids (AAs), as AAs are typical OAT1 substrates that exhibit anionic properties and contain one hydrophobic domain. Inspired by the OAT1 three-dimensional structure or substrate/protein interactions involved in transport, we designed a magnetic polymeric hybrid, mimicking the effect of basic and aromatic residues of OAT1, for efficient enriching aristolochic acid I (AA I) and aristolochic acid II (AA II) in Traditional Chinese patent medicines (TCPM). N, N-dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide (DMAPAm) was used as a cationic monomer and copolymerized with divinylbenzene (DVB) onto the surface of monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles (denoted as MNs@SiO2T-DvbDam). The magnetic polymer hybrid demonstrated high selectivity and capacity for AAs, which was mainly attributed to (1) electrostatic interactions from the cationic or basic moiety of DMAPAm and (2) the hydrophobic and π-π stacking interactions from the aromatic ring of DVB. Additionally, the surface of the hybrid exhibited amphiphilic property according to the ionization of DMAPAm, thus improving the compatibility of the adsorbent with the aqueous sample matrix. This strategy was proven to be robust in the analysis of real drug samples, which was characterized by a good linearity, high recovery and satisfactory reusability. This work confirmed that the proposed tool could be a promising candidate for enhancing the extraction selectivity of AAs in Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM).

Reusable graphite-based electrochemical sensors for L-dopa and dopamine detection.

Afully reusable electrochemical device is proposed for the first timemade from laser cutting and a homemade conductive ink composed of carbon and nail polish. As a sensor substrate, we applied polymethyl methacrylate, which allows the surface to be renewed by simply removing and reapplying a new layer of ink. In addition to the ease of renewing the sensor's conductive surface, the design of the device has allowed for the integration of different forms of analysis. The determination of L-Dopa was performed using DPV, which presented a linear response range between 5.0 and 1000.0μmol L-1, and a LOD of 0.11μmol L-1. For dopamine, a flow injection analysis system was employed, and using the amperometric technique measurements were performed with a linear ranging from 2.0 to 100.0μmol L-1anda LOD of 0.26μmol L-1. To demonstrate its applicability, the device was used in the quantification of analytes in pharmaceutical drug and synthetic urine samples.

Preventing Overdoses Involving Stimulants: The POINTS Study Protocol.

In recent years, overdoses involving illicit cocaine, methamphetamine, and other stimulants have increased in the U.S. The unintentional consumption of stimulants containing illicit fentanyl is a major risk factor for overdoses, particularly in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Understanding the drug use patterns and strategies used by people who use stimulants (PWUS) to prevent overdose is necessary to identify risk and protective factors for stimulant-involved overdoses. Mixed-methods research with people who distribute drugs (PWDD) can also provide critical information into the mechanisms through which fentanyl may enter the stimulant supply, and the testing of drug samples can further triangulate PWUS and PWDD perspectives regarding the potency and adulteration of the drug supply. These epidemiological methods can inform collaborative intervention development efforts with community leaders to identify feasible, acceptable, and scalable strategies to prevent fatal and non-fatal overdoses in high-risk communities. Our overall objective is to reduce stimulant and opioid-involved overdoses in regions disproportionately affected by the overdose epidemic. To meet this long-term objective, we employ a multi-pronged approach to identify risk and protective factors for unintentional stimulant and opioid-involved overdoses among PWUS, and use these findings to develop a package of locally tailored intervention strategies that can be swiftly implemented to prevent overdoses. Specifically, this study aims to [1] Carry out mixed-methods research with incarcerated and non-incarcerated people who use or distribute illicit stimulants to identify risk and protective factors for stimulant and opioid-involved overdoses; [2] Conduct drug checking to examine the presence and relative quantity of fentanyl and other adulterants in the stimulant supply; and [3] Convene a series of working groups with community stakeholders involved in primary and secondary overdose prevention in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to contextualize our mixed-methods findings and identify multilevel intervention strategies to prevent stimulant-involved overdoses. Completion of this study will yield a rich understanding of the social epidemiology of stimulant and opioid-involved overdoses in addition to community-derived intervention strategies that can be readily implemented and scaled to prevent such overdoses in two states disproportionately impacted by the opioid and overdose crises: Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Analysis of Ciprofloxacin‐Loaded Nanoparticles (Titania, Silica, and P(MAA‐EGDMA)) for Controlled Drug Release and Improved Antibacterial Effectiveness

AbstractIn this study, spherical silica, titania and poly(methacrylic acid‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (P(MAA‐EGDMA)) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and UV spectroscopy methods. Ciprofloxacin (CIP) was selected as the drug sample for this study. The loading of CIP onto NPs was accomplished through different methods based on the type of NP used. Although P(MAA‐EGDMA) has higher CIP loading capacity compared to silica and titania nanocarriers, it was observed that the total release amount was less than titania NPs and a littele bit more than silica NPs. The CIP content of NPs was found to be approximately 7 % for both titania and silica, whereas it was observed to be 40 % for P(MAA‐EGDMA). P(MAA‐EGDMA)@CIP released 60ng of CIP over 18 hours, while silica@CIP released 38 ng over the same period. Titania@CIP released 600 ng within 6 hours, showing a tenfold increase compared to the other systems. Interestingly, silica@CIP did not start releasing CIP within 1.5 hours, whereas P(MAA‐EGDMA)@CIP released up to 50 % within the same timeframe. The antibacterial activities of all CIP‐delivery systems were thoroughly examined and compared against a range of bacteria including P. aeruginosa, E. coli, S. typhimurium, K. pneumonia, S. epidermidis, S. aureus, B. subtilis, B. cereus, and E. Faecalis. Combining titania with CIP resulted in a decrease in antibacterial effect in most bacteria, except for E. coli and S. Typhimurium, where it notably increased to 10 μg/mL. However, the combination showed effectiveness against other bacteria, albeit with a significant reduction compared to individual substance use. These results highlight titania‘s potential as an antibacterial agent against P. aeruginosa, with a lower MIC value compared to CIP.