STABILITY STUDIES ON FLUCLOXACILLIN SODIUM IN CAPSULE DOSAGE FORMS

Objective: Flucloxacillin is easily broken down by moisture and this raises stability concerns of the drug in a country where humidity is very high.Stability studies on flucloxacillin sodium in capsule formulations were done with three pharmaceutical excipients. The studies sought to determine the best of three excipients for the formulation of flucloxacillin that gives the best stability in an environment of high humidity. The study also sought to establish if the amount of excipient influences the stability of flucloxacillin in the formulation.Methods: Fixed amounts of flucloxacillin sodium were mixed with varying amounts of dried starch, undried starch and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (sodium cmc) in Petri dishes. The mixtures were exposed to humidity in a room for 12 w and iodimetry was used to monitor the amounts of flucloxacillin sodium in the mixtures for 12 w.Results: It was noticed after 12 w that, the mixtures with the dried starch experienced the least breakdown or gave the most stable products, followed by those with the undried starch while those with sodium cmc experienced the most breakdown. Also, the higher the amounts of excipients used, the more stable the drug.Conclusion: Dried starch should be preferred and in higher amounts in formulating capsule dosage forms of flucloxacillin sodium.Keywords: Stability studies, Flucloxacillin sodium, Sodium carboxymethylcellulose, Dried starch, Undried starch, Iodimetr

Resident Valuation of Kentucky\u27s Extension Fine Arts Program

Since 2005, the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service has supported agents and programming exclusively dedicated to the development and promotion of the fine arts. This article presents an estimation of the perceived value of the Kentucky Extension Fine Arts (EFA) Program by county residents. While controlling for several factors, we find that residents were more likely to support a tax increase to enhance their county\u27s EFA Program if residents were aware that their county employed an EFA agent and/or participated in EFA programming. We hope this finding encourages other state Extension programs to consider EFA programs

Examining the structure of the fashion industry in Ghana in ensuring the successful adoption of sustainable approach

The structure of the fashion industry in various geographical regions, along with its production history and practices, plays a pivotal role in shaping the adoption and implementation of sustainable strategies. This study examines the fashion industry’s structure in Ghana as a fundamental step in considering the adoption and implementation of sustainable strategies. To facilitate the selection of respondents for this preliminary study, we employed a Google survey, utilizing a snowball technique to identify participations in the two major cities in Ghana. The survey specifically targeted fashion producers operating within the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with retail outlets. Collected data from Google Forms were collated with Microsoft Excel and subsequently analyzed. The findings unveiled that young businesses often operate as sole proprietorship, with their founders serving as lead designers, primarily selling directly to end users. While previous studies have documented similar findings, this study connects these observations to the adoption of sustainable strategies in businesses where where owners, who also serve as creative heads, make significant decisions that can influence the practice of sustainable strategies. Furthermore, the study highlights that sustainability and sustainable practices are relatively new to SMEs in Ghana. It recommends further research to gauge the awareness and willingness to adopt circular strategies, given the industry towards industrialization

Maximizing the Sustainability of Cement Utilization in Building Projects through the Use of Greener Materials

Greener technologies and sustainable developments are currently among the main tools used by many industries in shaping the world for a better future. The construction industry that is known to have numerous negative impact on sustainability is now wide awake on sustainable measures which can aid in reducing its negative impact. In this work, green cement was produced from pyroprocessed clay (PC) at 800°C and mixed together with Portland cement. This paper presents both laboratory tests and some field applications of green cement application. Laboratory tests performed included setting times, compressive strength, and shrinkage. Field applications of the green cement are shown. Results from the work showed that well-proportioned greener cement gained strengths between 11% and 30% more than Portland cement at standard curing period of 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. However, in real statistical terms, there was no difference between Portland cement and green cement strength performance. Shrinkage from both total and autogenous tests also showed insignificant differences between the two cements. The study recommends the use of green cements with pozzolanic origin than only Portland cement as a way to maximize sustainability in building projects

Identifying Biomass-Based Value Webs for Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systems Modeling Approach

Food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is dependent on complex networks of interconnected actors and the flows of resources (biomass, capital) and information among them. However, the degree to which actors and value chains of different crops are in fact interconnected and their current systemic influence on food security are unclear. Therefore, the concept of “value webs” to better capture the complexity within the networks emerges. Biomass-based value webs of selected crops in Ghana, Nigeria, and Ethiopia are modeled using the systems analysis software iMODELER and by eliciting factors as well as their interconnections through participatory stakeholder workshops. Furthermore, a generic model was created compiling the country models to identify overarching system dynamics with supporting and hindering factors impacting food security in SSA. Findings from the country models show highly complex value webs, suggesting that the predominant value chain approach may oversimplify actual structures and resource flows in real life settings. However, few interconnections within the value webs link the actors and flows of different crops, contradicting predictions emerging from other research. Results from the generic model allow for a critical reflection on the relation between value web dynamics and food security policy in SSA. Current national and regional policy trends targeting market integration, mechanization, and reduction of post-harvest losses are supported by model results