Suchergebnisse

Telemedicine allows for the effective delivery of health care to patients at a distance through the application of information technology to the field of medicine. This is optimal during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce interpersonal contact to mitigate contagion. Among the possible Telemedicine applications, there is Telesurgery, which involves more and more surgical specialties thanks to the numerous benefits in quality and cost containment. In the growing field of Telesurgery, its technical and legal implications must be considered. In this study, a traditional review of the scientific literature was carried out to identify the most relevant issues of interest in Telesurgery. The problematic legal aspects identified are mainly related to the difference in legislation between different geographical areas, which is critical in the case of malpractice. In addition, there is the possibility of a malicious hacker attack on the transmitted data stream either to steal sensitive data or to harm the patient. Finally, there are inherent difficulties with the technology used, such as latency issues in data transmission. All these critical issues are currently not adequately addressed by current legislation. Therefore, one can only hope for a legislative action to allow Telesurgery to be used safely.

Since the first outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2) in China in December 2019, the infection has rapidly spread all over the world. This new virus has caused many cases of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a potentially fatal respiratory syndrome (1). Due to its global diffusion, the World Health Organization rapidly issued an international warning and declared a worldwide pandemic in March 2020. Currently, most countries are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks with new infections and fatalities every day and all over the world (2). Due to the mode of transmission of the virus via droplets or direct contact, governments were compelled to adopt restrictive strategies to contain the pandemic and preserve the public health (2, 3). These interventions include limited international mobility, temporary closure of non-essential businesses and more stringent measures like social distancing or complete isolation for prolonged periods. Therefore, this unprecedented crisis has seriously impacted the global economy and people's daily life. The market of addictive substances has been impacted from the production to the distribution, modifying consumption patterns. An increased consumption of cannabis products and benzodiazepines was reported due to the general feeling of stress caused by the pandemic and associated restrictions, while a decrease in the demand of stimulants was observed due to the inaccessibility of usual recreational settings (4). Moreover, drug misuse may have shifted toward alternative substances and home-made New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) (5–7), which consist of molecules, like pharmaceutical drug analogs, research chemicals and prescription drugs eliciting the psychoactive effects of common illicit addictive drugs or prescription pharmaceuticals (8, 9). The current situation is complex due to the heterogeneity of policies applied in diverse countries and the drugs involved. In this concern, the drug market is constantly monitored by international agencies, such as the United Nation Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol, which collaborate to form a crucial network to prevent the emergence of new dangerous trends. In this article, the authors critically discuss the most recent data on the impact of COVID-19 on the illicit trafficking of substances and the possible developments of NPS trends in the near future. The authors also draw the attention on the essential role of international networking against drug misuse, especially in times of global crisis.

PURPOSE: Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl-substances (PFASs) are synthetic compounds that raised concern due to their potential adverse effects on human health. Long-chain PFAS were banned by government rules in many states, and thus, new emerging PFAS were recently introduced as substitutes. Among these, Perfluoro{acetic acid, 2-[(5-methoxy-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)oxy]}, ammonium salt (C6O4) was recently introduced to produce a range of food contact articles and literature data about this compound are scanty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of exposure to C6O4, compared with PFOA and PFOS on thyroid cells. METHODS: FRTL5 rat-thyroid cell lines and normal human thyroid cells (NHT) were incubated with increasing concentrations of C6O4 for 24, 48, 72, and 144 h to assess cell viability by WST-1. Cell viability was confirmed by AnnexinV/PI staining. Long-chain PFAS (PFOA and PFOS) were used at same concentrations as positive controls. The proliferation of cells exposed to C6O4, PFOA, and PFOS was measured by staining with crystal violet and evaluation of optical density after incubation with SDS. Changes in ROS production by FRTL5 and NHT after exposure to C6O4 at short (10, 20, and 30 min) and long-time points (24 h) were evaluated by cytofluorimetry. RESULTS: C6O4 exposure did not modify FRTL5 and NHT cell viability at any concentration and/or time points with no induction of necrosis/apoptosis. At difference, PFOS exposure reduced cell viability of FRTL5 while and NHT, while PFOA only in FRTL5. FRTL5 and NHT cell proliferation was reduced by incubation with by PFOA and PFOS, but not with C6O4. ROS production by NHT and FRTL5 cells was not modified after C6O4 exposure, at any time/concentration tested. CONCLUSIONS: The present in vitro study constitutes the first evaluation of the potential adverse effects of the new emerging PFAS C6O4 in cultured rat and human thyroid cells, suggesting its safety for thyroid cells in vitro.

At the end of 2019, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction was monitoring around 790 new psychoactive substances, more than twice the total number of controlled substances under the United Nations Conventions. These substances, which are not subject to international drug controls, include a wide range of molecules, including the assortment of drugs such as synthetic cannabinoids, stimulants, opiates, and benzodiazepines. Most of them are sold as "legal" substitutes for illicit drugs, while others are intended for small groups willing to experiment with them in order to know their possible new effects. At the national level, various measures have been taken to control new substances and many European countries have responded with specific legislation in favor of consumer safety and by extending or adapting existing drug laws to incorporate the new psychoactive substances. Moreover, since 1997, an early warning system has been created in Europe for identifying and responding quickly to the risks of new psychoactive substances. In order to establish a quicker and more effective system to address the criminal activities associated with new dangerous psychoactive substances, the European legal framework has considerably changed over the years.