Low Platinum-Content Electrocatalysts for Highly Sensitive Detection of Endogenously Released HO.

The commercial viability of electrochemical sensors requires high catalytic efficiency electrode materials. A sluggish reaction of the sensor's primary target species will require a high overpotential and, consequently, an excessive load of catalyst material to be used. Therefore, it is essential to understand nanocatalysts' fundamental structures and typical catalytic properties to choose the most efficient material according to the biosensor target species.

Biomolecules and Electrochemical Tools in Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance: A Systematic Review.

Over recent three decades, the electrochemical techniques have become widely used in biological identification and detection, because it presents optimum features for efficient and sensitive molecular detection of organic compounds, being able to trace quantities with a minimum of reagents and sample manipulation. Given these special features, electrochemical techniques are regularly exploited in disease diagnosis and monitoring. Specifically, amperometric electrochemical analysis has proven to be quite suitable for the detection of physiological biomarkers in monitoring health conditions, as well as toward the control of reactive oxygen species released in the course of oxidative burst during inflammatory events.

Assessment of the Potential Skin Application of Benth.

Benth. has widespread ethnobotanical use in African folk medicine for its medicinal properties in skin conditions. In this study, two different basic formulations containing extracts were prepared, one in an organic solvent and the other using water.

Pulmonary Administration: Strengthening the Value of Therapeutic Proximity.

In recent years inhaled systems have shown momentum as patient-personalized therapies emerge. A significant improvement in terms of therapeutic efficacy and/or reduction adverse systemic effects is anticipated from their use owing these systems regional accumulation. Nevertheless, whatever safety and efficacy evidence required for inhaled formulations regulatory approval, it still poses an additional hurdle to gaining market access.

Key pharmacovigilance stakeholders' experiences of direct patient reporting of adverse drug reactions and their prospects of future development in the European Union.

Objectives: In the European Union (EU), legislation allows patients to directly report adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to competent authorities. Five years after its implementation, patient reporting is not equal in all countries. This study aimed to explore key stakeholders' perceptions of patient reporting in four EU countries.

Exploring sociodemographic and economic factors that promote adverse drug reactions reporting by patients.

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are recognized as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and an important cost factor to health systems. Patient reporting of ADRs has emerged as an important topic in recent years but reporting rates are still low in many countries.

Objective: To explore different countries' sociodemographic and economic features as explanatory factors for population ADRs reporting, including the propensity of patients' reporting to pharmacovigilance authorities.

Effect of polymers in moisture sorption and physical stability of polymorphic olanzapine.

The study aims to elucidate the transformations of anhydrous olanzapine Form I (OLZ FI) into the hydrate forms, when stored at a high relative humidity or suspended in an aqueous media, in the presence of polymers. OLZ FI and physical mixtures (3:1 and 1:1, as powders or compacts) of olanzapine with polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K25) and hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC-LF) were stored (75%RH/25°C, 75%RH/40°C and 93%RH/25°C) for 28days. OLZ FI and the physical mixtures were also suspended in water under stirring (200rpm/60min).

The value of patient reporting to the pharmacovigilance system: a systematic review.

Aims: Current trends in pharmacovigilance systems are veering towards patient involvement in spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The aim of the current systematic review was to identify what is known and what remains unknown with respect to patient reporting to pharmacovigilance systems.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Journals@Ovid and the Cochrane Library.

Role of moisture on the physical stability of polymorphic olanzapine.

The focus of this study was the understanding of the hydrate transformations of anhydrous olanzapine Forms I and II (the most common polymorphs) upon exposure to different moisture conditions (11, 53, 75, 93% RH) and direct contact with water (e.g. aqueous slurry) and the impact of hydration on the aqueous dissolution rates of the polymorphs.

Solid state formulations composed by amphiphilic polymers for delivery of proteins: characterization and stability.

Nanocomposite powders composed by polymeric micelles as vehicles for delivery proteins were developed in this work, using insulin as model protein. Results showed that size and polydispersity of micelles were dependent on the amphiphilic polymer used, being all lower than 300 nm, while all the formulations displayed spherical shape and surface charge close to neutrality. Percentages of association efficiency and loading capacity up to 94.

Language does not come "in boxes": Assessing discrepancies between adverse drug reactions spontaneous reporting and MedDRA® codes in European Portuguese.

Background: The description of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by health care professionals (HCPs) can be highly variable. This variation can affect the coding of a reaction with the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA(®)), the gold standard for pharmacovigilance database entries. Ultimately, the strength of a safety signal can be compromised.