The influence of the preparation methods on the inclusion of model drugs in a β-cyclodextrin cavity

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2009 Feb;71(2):377-386. Epub 2008 Oct 17.The work aims to prove the complexation of two model drugs (ibuprofen, IB and indomethacin, IN) by bcyclodextrin (bCD), and the effect of water in such a process, and makes a comparison of their complexation yields. Two methods were considered: kneading of a binary mixture of the drug, bCD, and inclusion of either IB or IN in aqueous solutions of bCD. In the latter method water was removed by air stream, spray-drying and freeze-drying. To prove the formation of complexes in final products, optical microscopy, UV spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, DSC, X-ray and NMR were considered. Each powder was added to an acidic solution (pH = 2) to quantify the concentration of the drug inside bCD cavity. Other media (pH = 5 and 7) were used to prove the existence of drug not complexed in each powder, as the drugs solubility increases with the pH. It was observed that complexation occurred in all powders, and that the fraction of drug inside the bCD did not depend neither on the method of complexation nor on the processes of drying considered

Release profile of ibuprofen in β-cyclodextrin complexes from two different solid dosage forms

The objective of this work was to develop solid dosage forms using powders containing inclusion complexes (ibuprofen with β-cyclodextrin) which were used to produce tablets (direct compression without additional excipients) and pellets (extrusion/spheronization) from wet mass containing 40% (w/w) of microcrystalline cellulose. The pellets also demonstrated that during preparation of the wet mass, the inclusion process occurred in a same yield that when pre-complexation was used. The particles characteristics were evaluated after being obtained through different complexation methods. The results showed that the tensile strength and profile dissolution were as expected for both dosage forms. Tablets containing inclusion complexes showed higher solubility when compared with a reference formulation and with two commercial formulations. The ibuprofen released from the two pellets formulations didn’t show relevant differences between them. The drug released was analyzed considering different dissolution parameters. The advantages of these new methodologies can be summarized as: (a) tablets were produced at a lower cost for the total process; and (b) in the pellet´s preparation there was no need of the previous complexation method resulting in a decrease in time and energy required

Genomic signatures of host-associated divergence and adaptation in a coral-eating snail, Coralliophila violacea (Kiener, 1836).

The fluid nature of the ocean, combined with planktonic dispersal of marine larvae, lowers physical barriers to gene flow. However, divergence can still occur despite gene flow if strong selection acts on populations occupying different ecological niches. Here, we examined the population genomics of an ectoparasitic snail, Coralliophila violacea (Kiener 1836), that specializes on Porites corals in the Indo-Pacific. Previous genetic analyses revealed two sympatric lineages associated with different coral hosts. In this study, we examined the mechanisms promoting and maintaining the snails' adaptation to their coral hosts. Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from type II restriction site-associated DNA (2b-RAD) sequencing revealed two differentiated clusters of C. violacea that were largely concordant with coral host, consistent with previous genetic results. However, the presence of some admixed genotypes indicates gene flow from one lineage to the other. Combined, these results suggest that differentiation between host-associated lineages of C. violacea is occurring in the face of ongoing gene flow, requiring strong selection. Indeed, 2.7% of all SNP loci were outlier loci (73/2,718), indicative of divergence with gene flow, driven by adaptation of each C. violacea lineage to their specific coral hosts

The Bulgarian Economic Thought since 1989: A Personal View

The objectives of this paper could be brought to three. First, a methodological one, to explain how economic knowledge disseminates and what its channels are, as well as the basic transmission mechanisms of economic theory in Bulgaria after the disintegration of the socialist bloc. Second, a purely informational objective, to present the major topics and issues studied over the period 1989-2009, and, of course, the economists working on them. And a third and parallel task to interpret theoretically the development of the Bulgarian economic thought during that period, its character and specificities.economic thought, economic knowledge, post-communist economy, Bulgaria

“Italian Economists of the 20th Century”, edited by Ferdinando Meacci, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 1998

This book contains twelve essays on some important Italian economists whose works were mostly published in the 20th century. The essays are written mostlty by non-Italian authors and deal with Vilfredo Pareto (by A. Kirman), Maffeo Pantaleoni (Peter Groenewegen), Enrico Barone (P. C. Dooley), Antonio De Viti de Marco (O. Kayaalp), Marco Fanno (R. Arena), Costantino Bresciani-Turroni (H. D. Kurz), Luigi Einaudi (F. Meacci), Piero Sraffa (B. Schefold), Franco Modigliani (C. Dangel), Paolo Sylos Labini (J. Halevi), Pierangelo Garegnani (G. Mongiovi), and L. Luigi Pasinetti (J. R. Teixeira). A short introduction by Ferdinando Meacci opens the volume and advances a suggestive hypothesis for a comprehensive interpretation of the evolution of Italian economic thought during the last century. This introduction is an attempt to treat the thoughts of the twelve economists as a sample from which to infer a brief outline of Italian economics in the 20th century and of its links with economics in general. This outline is sketched in two glimpses. One looks at the economists one after the other according to the period in which they lived (and is accordingly called ‘vertical’). The other looks at them one next to the other according to the methods they have in common (and is accordingly called ‘horizontal’).Italian economists, history of economics, vertical and horizontal

Capitalism and Keynes: From the Treatise on Probability to The General Theory

Of the main controversies in 20th century political economy, none were more heated than the debate over Marxism and, relatedly, the debate over capitalism. John Maynard Keynes was a major figure in both controversies. In this paper I will first touch on Keynes’s contribution to the debate with Marxism. I will then go on to take up the criticism of capitalism with which he is lastingly associated. Both these strains in Keynes’s thinking lead us ineluctably (to use a favorite word of his) to his work of great genius, his theory of economic activity. The latter topic will give me a chance to propose a non-monetary model of employment that, contrary to my previous non-monetary models, preserves the main driver in Keynes’s theory and, at the same time, avoids any presuppositions, plausible or implausible, about “money-wage behavior.

La tradizione europea del pensiero economico

Spalletti \ue8 segretario organizzativo, membro del collegio dei docenti del dottorato e co-curatore della cotutela del titolo di dottorato con l'Universit\ue0 Sorbona di Parigi. Lo scopo \ue8 formare studiosi con una preparazione adeguata alla complessit\ue0 che la ricerca nella Storia del pensiero economico ha raggiunto negli ultimi anni, conformemente anche con le nuove funzioni che la disciplina ha assunto nella formazione di economisti e scienziati sociali. La Storia del pensiero economico svolge infatti il ruolo di riflessione critica sui fondamenti della teoria economica; di riconoscimento dell\u2019influenza esercitata dall'evoluzione delle altre scienze; di approfondimento della teoria che nasce dall\u2019inquadramento del contesto culturale e storico che l\u2019ha determinata. In altre parole, la Storia del pensiero contribuisce a mantenere viva la tradizione europea di considerare la scienza economica come una scienza sociale. Tuttavia i corsi di laurea attuali non sono in grado di fornire un\u2019adeguata preparazione alla ricerca \u2013 ed eventualmente all\u2019insegnamento universitario \u2013 in questo settore. La materia richiede sia la conoscenza della teoria economica contemporanea (non fornita dai corsi di laurea propriamente umanistici) sia un\u2019adeguata preparazione alla ricerca storica (non fornita dai corsi di laurea in economia). Studi recenti hanno messo in evidenza i limiti di un approccio alla Storia del Pensiero economico confinato alla tradizione nazionale (considerata come un\u2019esperienza isolata poich\ue9 sovente gli Italiani studiano gli economisti italiani, i Tedeschi studiano gli economisti tedeschi etc.) ovvero alla tradizione anglosassone dominante. Ci\uf2 ha fatto passare in secondo piano interessanti correnti di pensiero che hanno avuto meno fortuna, o che sono legate a realt\ue0 nazionali diverse. La diffusione delle idee economiche tra i Paesi europei e la ricostruzione delle reti internazionali di collaborazione e di influenze costituiscono i campi di ricerca pi\uf9 innovativi e interessanti e sono ancora quasi interamente da esplorare. In particolare i rapporti tra Germania, Francia, Spagna e Italia sono tutti da ricostruire. Occorre, dunque, essere pronti ad accogliere le indicazioni provenienti dalla Comunit\ue0 scientifica internazionale, che gi\ue0 da tempo ha cominciato a interrogarsi sui meccanismi di trasferimento delle idee economiche attraverso i confini nazionali. Proprio l'istituzione scientifica pi\uf9 autorevole in materia, la Societ\ue0 Europea per la Storia del pensiero economico (ESHET), ha organizzato nel 1999 il convegno: "National Traditions in Economic Thought and the Diffusion of Ideas". Si tratta di filoni di ricerca che richiedono una complessa preparazione (disciplinare e linguistica) per essere adeguatamente affrontati. Non esistono dottorati in Europa che abbiano queste caratteristiche di apertura internazionale e di interdisciplinarit\ue0 tra economia e storia. In Italia i giovani studiosi/e che nutrono interesse in questo campo vi accedono generalmente tramite dottorati in economia e sono costretti ad acquisire faticosamente e isolatamente la strumentazione necessaria e a dedicare tempo e risorse ad approfondire conoscenze che non sono funzionali ai loro interessi di ricerca. Inoltre l\u2019alta specializzazione di questo dottorato, che ha quasi come solo sbocco professionale la ricerca, rende efficiente la scelta di concentrare gli sforzi tra diversi Paesi in un unico corso di studio a valenza internazionale

Interactions of hadrons in the CALICE silicon tungsten electromagnetic calorimeter

The CALICE collaboration develops prototypes for highly granular calorimeters for detectors at a future linear electron positron collider. The highly granular electromagnetic calorimeter prototype was tested in particle beams. We present the study of the interactions of hadrons in this prototype.Comment: References updated for v