Spray drying of an oil-in-water emulsion containing vitamin D3: a synergy between formulation and process conditions to obtain microparticles.

Spray drying is a practical solution to convert oil-in-water emulsion into solid microparticles. In this work, a formulation study was conducted to identify the best composition of vitamin D3-loaded oil-in-water emulsion to process via a lab-scale spray dryer. The emulsion was composed of vitamin D3 oily solution (7 % w/w) and maltodextrin (21 % w/w), arabic gum (9 % w/w) and pea protein hydrolysate (1 % w/w) aqueous solution and was characterized by optimal stability (> 24 h).

Quality of life, alcohol detoxification and relapse: is quality of life a predictor of relapse or only a secondary outcome measure?

Purpose: To estimate variations in Overall Quality Of Life (OQOL) within 12 months following alcohol detoxification and to evaluate the predictive value of OQOL for relapse and alcohol use severity.

Methods: Alcohol use disorders and four OQOL domains (physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment) were assessed in 199 patients entering in-patient alcohol detoxification. Follow-up assessments were performed at 6 and 12 months after discharge.

Personality disorders among patients accessing alcohol detoxification treatment: prevalence and gender differences.

Background: Alcohol abuse and dependence are frequently associated with psychiatric disorders and personality disorders (PDs) with differences among gender. However, only few studies investigated gender differences in PDs among alcoholics. The aim of this study was to investigate PDs in a sample of patients accessing inpatient alcohol detoxification treatment and to describe gender differences in prevalence and comorbidity of PDs.