Role of community pharmacies in relation to HIV prevention and drug misuse: findings from the 1995 national survey in England and Wales.

OBJECTIVES--To establish activity levels of community (high street) pharmacies in the provision of HIV prevention services to drug misusers and to compare these findings with the levels identified in 1988. DESIGN--Self completion questionnaire (four mailings) to a random 1 in 4 sample of all community pharmacies, stratified by family health services authority. SETTING--England and Wales. SUBJECTS--Data provided by pharmacist in charge of the dispensary, on service provision at the pharmacy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Quantitative reports of current activity levels for (a) dispensing of controlled drugs to drug misusers, (b) sale of needles and syringes, (c) needle and syringe exchange. RESULTS--74.8% response rate (1984/2654). In 1995, 50.1% (992/1980) of pharmacies were dispensing controlled drugs (mostly methadone), compared with 23.0% (562/2457) in 1988; 34.5% (677/1962) of pharmacies were selling injecting equipment, compared with 28.0% (676/2434) in 1988; 18.9% (366/1937) were providing a needle exchange service, compared with 3.0% (65/2415) in 1988. CONCLUSION--Activity levels increased substantially across all three service areas. Increased activity included greater individual activity as well as higher proportions of pharmacies participating. The network of community pharmacies represents an underused point of contact for this Health of the Nation target population.     

Seasonal Population Fluctuation of Xiphinema americanum and X. rivesi in New York and Pennsylvania Orchards

The population fluctuation and composition of Xiphinema americanum (sensu stricto) and X. rivesi were studied in a New York apple orchard (only X. americanum present), a Pennsylvania apple orchard (both X. americanum and X. rivesi present), and a Pennsylvania peach orchard (X. americanum, X. rivesi, and X. californicum present). Few clear trends in population fluctuation or composition were observed. The adult female was the predominant stage in most sample periods, and the reproductive period was limited to late spring and early summer. Only a few of the females at any sample period were gravid. All stages were present throughout the year, and all stages overwintered. Eggs in soil were not monitored. In the Pennsylvania apple orchard, X. americanum and X. rivesi were easily separated by morphological characteristics; however, the two species did not display differences in population structure or composition. The predominance of adults, the relatively low reproductive rates, and the association of these species with stable habitats suggest that the life strategies of X. americanum and X. rivesi are K-selected as opposed to r-selected.     

Adsorption of ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride modified oxalate decarboxylase on calcium oxalate

We used ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dianhydride (EDTAD) to modify oxalate decarboxylase (OXDC) to improve its adsorption on calcium oxalate stones. The modified sites were identified by Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and the adsorption mechanism of the EDTAD-modified OXDC on calcium oxalate (CaOx) was investigated. We investigated adsorption time, initial enzyme concentration, temperature and solution pH on the adsorption process. Data were analyzed using kinetics, thermodynamics and isotherm adsorption models. UPLC-MS showed that EDTAD was attached to OXDC covalently and suggested that the chemical modification occurred at both the free amino of the side chain and the α-NH₂ of the peptide. The adsorption capacity of the EDTAD-OXDC on calcium oxalate was 53.37% greater than that of OXDC at the initial enzyme concentration of 5 mg/ml, pH = 7.0, at 37° C. The modified enzyme (EDTAD-OXDC) demonstrated improved oxalate degradation activity at pH 4.5?6.0. Kinetic data fitting analysis suggested a pseudo second order kinetic model. Estimates of the thermodynamic parameters including ΔG⁰, ΔH⁰ and ΔS⁰ of the adsorption process showed it to be feasible, spontaneous and endothermic. Isotherm data fitting analysis indicated that the adsorption process is reduced to monolayer adsorption at a low enzyme concentration and to multilayer adsorption at a high enzyme concentration. It may be possible to apply OXDC to degradation of calcium oxalate stones.