Freeze-drying of ampicillin solid lipid nanoparticles using mannitol as cryoprotectant

Nanoparticulas lipídicas sólidas (NLSs) são sistemas coloidais de liberação interessantes, uma vez que reúnem todas as vantagens de nanopartículas lipídicas e poliméricas. A liofilização é um processo amplamente utilizado para melhorar a estabilidade das NLSs e os crioprotetores têm sido usados para diminuir a agregação destas durante esse processo. Neste estudo, a ampicilina foi escolhida para ser encapsulada em um carreador de colesterol de escala nanométrica. Para manter a estabilidade das NLSs, a liofilização foi realizada utilizando-se manitol. O tamanho de partícula, o perfil de liberação do fármaco e os efeitos antibacterianos foram estudados após a liofilização em comparação com a NLSs primária. De acordo com os resultados, as preparações que contêm 5% de manitol mostraram o menor aumento do tamanho de partícula. Os resultados de tamanhos médio foram de 150 e 187 nm antes e depois da liofilização, respectivamente. O perfil de liberação prolongada, bem como o efeito antimicrobiano da ampicilina NLSs não foram alterados após a liofilização. A análise por DSC evidenciou provável interação entre a ampicilina e o colesterol.Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are interesting colloidal drug-delivery systems, since they have all the advantages of the lipid and polymeric nanoparticles. Freeze-drying is a widely used process for improving the stability of SLNs. Cryoprotectants have been used to decrease SLN aggregations during freeze-drying. In this study Ampicillin was chosen to be loaded in a cholesterol carrier with nano size range. To support the stability of SLNs, freeze-drying was done using mannitol. Particle size, drug release profile and antibacterial effects were studied after freeze-drying in comparison with primary SLNs. Preparations with 5% mannitol showed the least particle size enlargement. The average particle size was 150 and 187 nm before and after freeze-drying, respectively. Freeze-drying did not affect the release profile of drug loaded nanopartilces. Also our study showed that lyophilization did not change the antimicrobial effect of ampicillin SLNs. DSC analysis showed probability of chemical interaction between ampicillin and cholesterol

Evaluation of the effects of Matricaria chamomilla aroma on intensity of the labor pain in primparous women in Emdadi Hospital of Abhar in 2013

Labor pain relief is one of the challenges in health care systems in the most countries and is the main goal in midwifery cares. Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the chamomile breath on this pain intensity in the first stage of labor on prim parous women in Abhar Emdadi hospital in 2013. Methods and Results: This study was a randomized clinical trial carried out on 130 eligible prim parous women (65 in intervention and 65 in control group) at Emdadi Hospital of Abhar. The pain severity was measured at the moment of enrolling in the study. In the aroma therapy group gauze was soaked in 2 drops of Matrica camomilla water and in the control group gauze were soaked in 2 drops of distilled water and attached to the woman collars. The intervention was repeated every half an hour. Pain severity was measured in first and after intervention in 3-4, 5-7, and 8-10 centimeter dilatations. The samples were followed up until delivery. The materials used in this study were the demographic and obstetrics questionnaire, observation and exam checklist and the numeral scale of pain measurement. Independent T-test, the Mann-Whitney and Chi-squared test was implemented to analyze the data using SPSS v22 while the significance level was (0.05). The two groups were homogenized regarding age, profession, education, wanted pregnancy and number and severity of uterus contraction. The bishop score was calculated as well. Before intervention, the mean pain severity score after the intervention in intervention group in 3-4 cm (5.75±1.99), 5-7cm (7±1.52) and 8-10cm (7.01±1.22) decreased significantly compared with control group in dilatation 3-4 cm (8.93±1.96), 5-7 cm (9.41±0.63) and 8-10 cm (9.8±0.40) (p<0.005). Conclusions: The findings of the study revealed that aromatherapy of M. chamomilla water alleviates the labor pain. Therefore this method is recommended due to reducing the labor pain

A Double Blind Clinical Trial on the Efficacy of Honey Drop in Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis

Purpose. This trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical honey eye drops in patients with diagnosed VKC. Methods. This clinical trial was conducted on 60 patients with diagnosed VKC. The patients were selected and randomly allocated between two groups of 30. Patients in two groups received honey eye drop (60% in artificial tear) or placebo, other than cromolyn and fluorometholone 1% eye drops, to be used topically in each eye, four times per day. The patients were examined with slit lamp and torch at baseline and the follow-up visits on the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months of the study for redness, limbal papillae, and intraocular pressure. Results. Out of 60 patients who completed the study, 19 patients (31.7%) were female. There was significant increase in eye pressure and reduction in redness as well as limbal papillae, following the consumption of the honey drop in honey group compared to placebo control group (P < 0.05). At the end of trial, one patient in honey group and 7 ones in placebo group had limbal papillae (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Topical honey eye drops, when used along with Cromolyn and Fluorometholone eye drops, might be beneficial for the treatment of VKC

Setting Time and Surface Microhardness of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate and 1% and 5% Fluoride-Doped Mineral Trioxide Aggregate Mixed with Water and Gel-like Polymer

Introduction: Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is extensively used in endodontics. However, it has limitations such as long setting time, low compressive strength and poor handling properties. Our study aimed to compare the setting time and surface microhardness of MTA and fluoride-doped MTA (FMTA) using gel-like polymer (GLP) or distilled water (DW) as liquid. Methods and Materials: An MTA-like cement was prepared by mixing Portland cement, bismuth oxide and gypsum (75%, 20% and 5%, respectively). FMTA (1% and 5%) was made by substituting 1% and 5% of MTA powder with fluoride. GLP, composed of methyl cellulose (MC) and propylene glycol (PG), was used as the hydrating liquid and compared with distilled water. Six experimental groups (n=10) were examined for each test. The samples were subjected to Vickers surface microhardness test after 4 and 28 days. Setting time was measured using ANSI/ADA standards. Data was analyzed using two-way and repeated measured ANOVA and the Tukey HSD tests. Results: The MTA-like cement hydrated with GLP showed a significantly reduced setting time (P&lt;0.05); 1% FMTA, mixed with GLP, had the shortest initial and final setting times. The microhardness values of all samples increased at different rates during 28 days (P&lt;0.00001). The microhardness significantly decreased by addition of fluoride to MTA (P&lt;0.001). Conclusions: The results of the present in vitro study suggested that using GLP as the hydrating liquid enhances the setting time with no adverse effect on the surface microhardness. However, adding fluoride can negatively affect the microhardness of MTA. Keywords: Fluoride-oped Mineral Trioxide Aggregate; Microhardness; Mineral Trioxide Aggregate; Setting Tim

The tourısm demand of Turkey: a panel gravıty model

Turizm sektörünün Türkiye gibi gelişmekte olan ülkelerde büyüme, istihdam ve döviz kazancı kaynağı olma potansiyeli dolayısıyla etkin ve rekabetçi olmasının önemi giderek artmaktadır. Bu bağlamda ekonomi içerisinde sektörün aldığı pay ve ülkenin potansiyeli nispetinde turizm sektörünün geliştirilmesi ve istikrarının sağlanması gerekmektedir. Bu çalışma turizm sektöründe talebi etkileyen faktörleri belirlemeyi amaçlamakta ve elde edilen bulgulara göre turizm sektöründe performansın geliştirilmesini sağlayacak politika önerilerinde bulunmaktadır. 2008Ç1-2018Ç3 dönemi verileri kullanılarak 69 ülkeden Türkiye'ye gelen yabancı ziyaretçi sayısı ile kaynak ve hedef ülke (Türkiye) GSYİH düzeyi, TÜFE düzeyi, kaynak ve hedef ülke arası uzaklık, döviz kuru ve bir önceki döneme ait turist sayısı arasındaki ilişkinin yönü ve şiddeti panel çekim modeli ile analiz edilmiştir. TÜFE ve ülkeler arası uzaklık Türkiye'ye yönelik turizm akımlarını olumsuz etkilemekteyken, Türkiye'nin ve kaynak ülkenin GSYİH düzeyi, döviz kuru ve bir önceki dönem ziyaretçi sayısı turizm akımlarını olumlu etkilemektedir. Turizm talebi üzerinde en belirgin etkiye sahip değişkenler TÜFE ve hedef ülkenin GSYİH düzeyi olarak tespit edilmiştir.Due to its contributions to economic growth, employment, foreign exchange gains, etc., especially in developing countries like Turkey., the importance of being effective and competitive for tourism sector is continuously increasing. At this context, taking its relative share and potential into consideration, this sector needs to be developed and stabilized. This paper aims to determine the factors affecting the demand in the tourism sector and proposes policies that will improve the performance in the tourism sector according to the findings. The relation between origin and destination countries' GDP and CPI, the distance between origin and destination countries, exchange rate and the number of foreign visitors coming to Turkey from the 69 countries analyzed by panel gravity model. According to empirical findings, tourism flow toward Turkey is adversly affected by CPI and the distance between the countries, while it is positively related with the GDP level of Turkey and the origin country, exchange rate, and one period lagged number of visitors

Avrupa Birliği İçinde Türk Dini Hayatının Geleceği "Ümitler ve Korkular"

tedir. Bu bağlamda Avrupa Birliği’ne girme sürecinin başlangıcını, Batılılaşmakla ve Avrupalılaşmakla aşağı yukarı aynı anlamlara gelen, içinde bulunduğumuz du- rumdan kurtulup, gelişme, kalkınma, ilerleme, muasır milletler ve medeniyetler düzeyine ulaşma gayretlerimizin resmen başladığı 1839’daki Tanzimat’ın ilanına ve hatta daha da öncelere kadar götürmenin mümkün olduğunu ifade etmektedir. Batılıaşma çabası, geri kalmışlığın ve ortaya çıkan sorunların çözümü için “ileri”yi ve “ilerleme”yi temsil eden Batı’ya -Avrupa’ya- benzeyiş veya uyum eksikliği olarak değerlendirilmiş ve Batı, bu anlamda kurtuluş reçetesi olarak sunulmuştur. Yaza

Enhancement of electrochemical activity of Raney-type NiZn coatings by modifying with PtRu binary deposits: Application for alkaline water electrolysis

This study presents electrochemical preparation and characterization of PtRu-modified Cu/Ni/NiZn electrodes (Cu/Ni/NiZn-PtRu) as cathode materials for alkaline water electrolysis. The electrodes were characterized using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Their electrochemical activities as cathode materials for alkaline water electrolysis were evaluated with the help of current potential curves. The results showed that the PtRu-modified layers have porous structures with relatively low Pt and Ru chemical compositions. The modification of the alkaline leached Cu/Ni/NiZn surface by Pt and/or Ru enhances the electrochemical activity of the electrode. Their catalytic activity depends on the molar ratios of Pt and Ru; the PtRu binary deposit with the percentage weight ratio of approximately 56:44 exhibits the highest hydrogen evolution activity among the studied electrodes. The enhanced hydrogen evolution activity of the PtRu-modified electrodes was related to the porous surface and/or a possible synergistic effect between the metals. Copyright (c) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Comprehensive study of moving load identification on bridge structures using the explicit form of Newmark-B method : numerical and experimental studies

Bridge infrastructures are continuously subject to degradation due to aging and excess loading, placing users at risk. It has now become a major concern worldwide, where the majority of bridge infrastructures are approaching their design life. This compels the engineering community to develop robust methods for continuous monitoring of bridge infrastructures including the loads passing over them. Here, a moving load identification method based on the explicit form of Newmark- β method and Generalized Tikhonov Regularization is proposed. Most of the existing studies are based on the state space method, suffering from the errors of a large discretization and a low sampling frequency. The accuracy of the proposed method is investigated numerically and experimentally. The numerical study includes a single simply supported bridge and a three-span continuous bridge, and the experimental study includes a single-span simply supported bridge installed by sensors. The effects of factors such as the number of sensors, sensor locations, road roughness, measurement noise, sampling frequency and vehicle speed are investigated. Results indicate that the method is not sensitive to sensor placement and sampling frequencies. Furthermore, it is able to identify moving loads without disruptions when passing through supports of a continuous bridge, where most the existing methods fail