Additive manufacturing in pharmaceutical formulation - Development of biodegradable printed dosage forms for oral drug delivery

The main focus of pharmaceutical research and development in recent decades has gradually shifted from synthesis of new drug molecules towards personalized (precision) medicine, where the drug dosage and release rate are tailored in order to fit the needs of each specific patient. Together with new discoveries in diagnostics and pharmacogenomics, this has led to increased need for novel formulation methods, which would enable to dynamically adjust the characteristics of each produced dosage form (such as tablet, pill, capsule, etc.). Amongst the most promising techniques is 3D printing of tablets or films, a subject of a rising number of published articles, especially after the FDA approval of the first printed tablet, Spritam. The Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technique is most frequently cited, since it’s commercially available and offers the possibility to produce biodegradable dosage forms with defined drug contents and complex inner structures (affecting the drug’s release rate), potentially also containing multiple drugs with varying release profiles Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

TO TESTING OF STEEL FIBRE REINFORCED CONCRETE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE

Addition of steel fibres improves properties of concrete. The lack of information considering tensile and post cracking behaviour of SFRC at elevated temperatures is an obstacle on the wide use of this composite material. This work presents an experimental study of steel fibre reinforced concrete subjected to high temperature. Compressive strength, split tensile strength and ultimate bending strength were evaluated. The specimens were heated by ceramic heaters and then repacked for testing

EXPERIMENTAL METHOD ON INVESTIGATION OF FIBRE REINFORCED CONCRETE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES

Generally speaking, adding a certain amount of steel fibres to a concrete mixture improves its mechanical properties. Currently, a lack of information considering tensile and post cracking behaviour of FRC at elevated temperatures is an issue to be faced. An experimental study of steel fibre reinforced concrete, also containing polymer fibres (FRC), subjected to high temperature is presented herein. Compressive strength, split tensile strength and ultimate bending strength were evaluated. Specimens were heated by the use of ceramic heaters and repacked for testing consequently. A finite-element based model was developed to predict the temperature distribution inside a specimen during both the heating and the cooling process

To shear failure of steel and fibre-reinforced concrete circular hollow section composite column at elevated temperature

[EN] This study predicts the shear strength of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) members at elevated temperature using numerical modelling. The authors derived the stress-strain relation in the pure shear mode at ambient temperature based on a damage model calibrated at ambient and elevated temperatures. The model was validated on the special experimental arrangement for the pure shear mode of the SFRC in torsion. These results enables to determine the stress-strain diagram at elevated temperature. The shear strength of SFRC is compared with the compressive and tensile strength and used to observe reasons for experimentally observed failure model. The work is a part of comprehensive project focused on development of design models for the steel and SFRC composite columns with circular hollow section (CHS) at elevated temperature. Research includes two levels accuracy/complexity, allowing simplified or advanced approach to design following the coming changes in European standard for composite member design in fire, EN1994-1-2:2021. Experimental studies of the project include mechanical material tests of heated fibre-concrete samples in tension and compression, thermal uniform and non-uniform tests of insulated fragments of CHS and tests of full scale SFRC CHS columns in steady-state and transient-state regimes. Developing advanced FEM simulation of global mechanical behaviour of SFRC CHS columns is a multi-levelled composite mechanical and thermo-model and provide numerous numerical experiments. Together with steel material model in fire, validated FEM model of mechanical behaviour of fibre-reinforce concrete at elevated temperature is performed. Validated simplified and advanced thermal model of SFRC in CHS at elevated temperature gives temperature fields and moisture distribution inside section which depends on direction, heat flux, sizes and gives possibility to model different fire cases of full-scale columns in bending, shear, and buckling at elevated temperature. Proposed analytical and simplified FEM mechanical model of column is taking into account degradation of mechanical properties, analytical models of transfer of heat inside the column section and provides simple solutions for designers.This publication was supported by grant of Grant Agency Czech Republic, No. 15-19073S, Models of steel and fibre concrete composite columns exposed to fire.Arha, T.; Křístek, V.; Tretyakov, A.; Blesak, L.; Tkalenko, I.; Wald, F.; Stefan, R.... (2018). To shear failure of steel and fibre-reinforced concrete circular hollow section composite column at elevated temperature. En Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Advances in Steel-Concrete Composite Structures. ASCCS 2018. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 863-869. https://doi.org/10.4995/ASCCS2018.2018.7201OCS86386

To Testing of SFRC at Elevated Temperature

Addition of steel fibres improves properties of concrete. The lack of information considering tensile and post cracking behaviour of SFRC at elevated temperatures is an obstacle on the wide use of this composite material. This work presents an experimental study of steel fibre reinforced concrete subjected to high temperature. Compressive strength, split tensile strength and ultimate bending strength were evaluated. The specimens were heated by ceramic heaters and then repacked for testing

Increasing Arsenic Concentrations in Runoff from 12 Small Forested Catchments (Czech Republic, Central Europe): Patterns and Controls

The 40-year period of heavy industrialization in Central Europe (1950-1990) was accompanied by massive burning of arsenic-rich lignite in power plants. Absence of effective dust removal devices in power plants led to substantial accumulation of arsenic in ecosystems, mainly in forest soils. There are fears that retreating acidification in spruce die-back affected areas of southeastern Germany, northern Czech Republic and southern Poland (the Black Triangle) may lead to arsenic mobilization into drinking water, caused by competitive ligand exchange. We present monthly arsenic concentrations in surface runoff from 12 headwater catchments in the Czech Republic for a period of 13 years (1996-2008). The area covering 75,000 km2 was characterized by a north-south gradient of decreasing pollution. Acidification has been retreating since the late 1980s. Between 1996 and 2003, maximum arsenic concentrations in stream water did not change, and were < 1 ppm in the rural south and < 2 ppm in the industrial north of the country. During the subsequent two years, 2004-2005, maximum arsenic concentrations in runoff increased in 11 of the 12 catchments, reaching 60% of the drinking water limit (10 ppm). Starting in 2006, another major change occurred. Maximum arsenic concentrations returned to lower values at most sites. We discuss three possible causes of the recent arsenic concentration maximum in streams. We rule out retreating acidification and a pulse of high industrial emission rates as possible controls. The pH of stream water has not changed since 1996, and is still too low (<6.5) at most sites for an As¿OH- ligand exchange to become significant. Elevated arsenic concentrations in runoff in 2004-2005 may reflect climate change through changing hydrological conditions at some, but not all, sites. A wet year 2002 was followed by a dry year 2003 just before the high-arsenic period in runoff at 6 sites.JRC.E.5-Nuclear chemistr