Alginate/hydrophobic HPMC (60L) particulate systems: new matrix for controlled release of diclofenac potassium

This work is focused on the development of a new particulate drug delivery system using sodium alginate (SA) and modified hydrophobic hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC, 60L grade) containing diclofenac as a model drug molecule for intestinal drug prolonged release. Diclofenac loaded HPMC-SA beads have been developed by ion exchange methods and were characterized by encapsulation efficiency, drug release profile, swelling and matrix erosion rate. Matrix swelling of calcium alginate beads induced by phosphate buffer ends up in erosion and destruction. However, for HPMC-SA beads do not lead to complete erosion, which may be the main cause of diclofenac retention within the matrix. The release of diclofenac potassium is negligible at acidic pH, while is complete in 5-6 h when pH is raised up to 7.4. The alginate/HPMC ratio controls the release rate of the drug. The drug release is decreased as the polymer concentration is increased from 2.5 to 3.5 %. Release kinetic study was done to understand the correlation between the formulations. The results show that drug release is diffusion controlled and it is Anomalous type which means combined process of both swelling and erosion of polymer.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Probing thermal flux in twinned Ge nanowires through Raman spectroscopy

We report a noninvasive optical technique based on micro-Raman spectroscopy to study the temperature-dependent phonon behavior of normal (nondefective) and twinned germanium nanowires (Ge-NWs). We studied thermophysical properties of Ge-NWs from Raman spectra, measured by varying excitation laser power at ambient condition. We derived the laser-induced temperature rise during Raman measurements by analyzing the Raman peak position for both the NWs, and for a comparative study we performed the same for bulk Ge. The frequency of the Ge–Ge phonon mode softens for all the samples with the increase in temperature, and the first-order temperature coefficient (χT) for defected NWs is found to be higher than normal NWs and bulk. We demonstrated that apart from the size, the lamellar twinning and polytype phase drastically affect the heat transport properties of NWs

High-mass dimuon resonances in Pb-Pb collisions at 5.5 TeV in CMS

The measurement of the charmonium ($J/\psi$, $\psi'$) and bottomonium ($\Upsilon$, $\Upsilon'$, ${\Upsilon''}$) resonances and $Z^0$ boson in nucleus-nucleus collisions provides crucial information on high density QCD matter. The observation of anomalous suppression of $J/\psi$ at the CERN-SPS and RHIC is well established but the clarification of some important questions requires equivalent studies of the $\Upsilon$ family, only possible at LHC energies. The $Z^0$ boson will be produced for the first time in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC and, since its dominant production channel is through $q{\bar q}$ fusion, it is an excellent probe of the nuclear modification of quark distribution functions. This paper reports the capabilities of the CMS detector to study quarkonium and $Z^0$ production in Pb-Pb collisions at 5.5 TeV, through the dimuon decay channel.Comment: 4 pages 3 figure

Human Papillomavirus Infections in Pregnant Women and Its Impact on Pregnancy Outcomes: Possible Mechanism of Self-Clearance

Young women are at the maximum risk of Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection which are asymptomatic in a majority of cases and spontaneously get cleared. Women in the age between 20 and 35 years are more active sexually and especially in the developing nations, this age group forms a major cohort among the population of pregnant women. The changed hormonal milieu and immune response during pregnancy might favor presence or persistence of HPV infection, while at the same time natural clearance also takes place during pregnancy with an unknown mechanism. Various HPVs have been reported to be associated with preterm rupture of membranes (PROM), fetal growth restriction (FGR), preeclampsia, placental abnormalities and preterm delivery in several populations. The risk factors involved in the intrauterine environment affects fetal development and thus increase the development risk of specific diseases in adult life as per the hypothesis of the fetal origins of adult disease (FOAD). The structural and molecular changes in the feto-maternal interface support and protect the semiallogeneic fetus from immune-mediated or inflammatory injury. On the other hand, the trophoblast cells of placenta facilitate the replication of HPV and the affliction of placenta and the vaginal infection can directly be associated with pregnancy outcomes. So, to optimize better child health care and reproductive outcomes, HPV screening might help during pregnancy. It is therefore important to understand how the HPV is affecting the early pregnancy and immune cells within the feto-maternal interface are educated for self-clearance to fulfill their biological functions or prevalence to affect the pregnancy outcomes and how the persistence of HR-HPV infection overtime increases the development of cervical cancer risk

Diameter controlled germanium nanowires with lamellar twinning and polytypes

One-dimensional nanostructures with controllable morphologies and defects are appealing for use in nanowire devices. This paper details the influence of colloidal magnetite iron oxide nanoparticle seeds to regulate the radial dimension and twin boundary formation in Ge nanowires grown through a liquid-injection chemical vapor deposition process. Control over the mean nanowire diameter, even in the sub-10 nm regime, was achieved due to the minimal expansion and aggregation of iron oxide nanoparticles during the growth process. The uncommon occurrence of heterogeneously distributed multiple layer {111} twins, directed perpendicular to the nanowire growth axis, were also observed in 〈111〉-directed Ge nanowires, especially those synthesized from patterned hemispherical Fe3O4 nanodot catalysts. Consecutive twin planes along 〈111〉-oriented nanowires resulted in a local phase transformation from 3C diamond cubic to hexagonal 4H allotrope. Localized polytypic crystal phase heretostructures were formed along 〈111〉-oriented Ge nanowire using magnetite nanodot catalysts

Alginate/hydrophobic HPMC (60L) particulate systems: new matrix for controlled release of diclofenac potassium

This work is focused on the development of a new particulate drug delivery system using sodium alginate (SA) and modified hydrophobic hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC, 60L grade) containing diclofenac as a model drug molecule for intestinal drug prolonged release. Diclofenac loaded HPMC-SA beads have been developed by ion exchange methods and were characterized by encapsulation efficiency, drug release profile, swelling and matrix erosion rate. Matrix swelling of calcium alginate beads induced by phosphate buffer ends up in erosion and destruction. However, for HPMC-SA beads do not lead to complete erosion, which may be the main cause of diclofenac retention within the matrix. The release of diclofenac potassium is negligible at acidic pH, while is complete in 5-6 h when pH is raised up to 7.4. The alginate/HPMC ratio controls the release rate of the drug. The drug release is decreased as the polymer concentration is increased from 2.5 to 3.5 %. Release kinetic study was done to understand the correlation between the formulations. The results show that drug release is diffusion controlled and it is Anomalous type which means combined process of both swelling and erosion of polymer.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Dark sectors 2016 Workshop: community report

This report, based on the Dark Sectors workshop at SLAC in April 2016, summarizes the scientific importance of searches for dark sector dark matter and forces at masses beneath the weak-scale, the status of this broad international field, the important milestones motivating future exploration, and promising experimental opportunities to reach these milestones over the next 5-10 years

Yeast Based Small Molecule Screen for Inhibitors of SARS-CoV

Severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV) emerged in 2002, resulting in roughly 8000 cases worldwide and 10% mortality. The animal reservoirs for SARS-CoV precursors still exist and the likelihood of future outbreaks in the human population is high. The SARS-CoV papain-like protease (PLP) is an attractive target for pharmaceutical development because it is essential for virus replication and is conserved among human coronaviruses. A yeast-based assay was established for PLP activity that relies on the ability of PLP to induce a pronounced slow-growth phenotype when expressed in S. cerevisiae. Induction of the slow-growth phenotype was shown to take place over a 60-hour time course, providing the basis for conducting a screen for small molecules that restore growth by inhibiting the function of PLP. Five chemical suppressors of the slow-growth phenotype were identified from the 2000 member NIH Diversity Set library. One of these, NSC158362, potently inhibited SARS-CoV replication in cell culture without toxic effects on cells, and it specifically inhibited SARS-CoV replication but not influenza virus replication. The effect of NSC158362 on PLP protease, deubiquitinase and anti-interferon activities was investigated but the compound did not alter these activities. Another suppressor, NSC158011, demonstrated the ability to inhibit PLP protease activity in a cell-based assay. The identification of these inhibitors demonstrated a strong functional connection between the PLP-based yeast assay, the inhibitory compounds, and SARS-CoV biology. Furthermore the data with NSC158362 suggest a novel mechanism for inhibition of SARS-CoV replication that may involve an unknown activity of PLP, or alternatively a direct effect on a cellular target that modifies or bypasses PLP function in yeast and mammalian cells

US Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter 2017: Community Report

This white paper summarizes the workshop "U.S. Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter" held at University of Maryland on March 23-25, 2017.Comment: 102 pages + reference