Characterisation and Prediction of Phase Separation in Hot-Melt Extruded Solid Dispersions: A Thermal, Microscopic and NMR Relaxometry Study

PURPOSE: To develop novel analytical approaches for identifying both miscibility and phase separation in hot-melt extruded formulations. METHODS: Felodipine-Eudragit E PO solid dispersions were prepared using hot-melt extrusion. The fresh and aged formulations were characterised using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, heat capacity (C(p)) measurements using modulated temperature DSC and nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry. RESULTS: The solubility of the drug in polymer was predicted as being < or =10% w/w using a novel model proposed in this study. Freshly prepared HME formulations were found to show no evidence for phase separation despite drug loadings greatly in excess of this figure. Conventional DSC showed limitations in directly detecting phase separation. However, a novel use of C(p) measurements indicated that extensive phase separation into crystalline domains was present in all aged samples, a conclusion supported by SEM studies. The NMR relaxometry study confirmed the existence of phase separation in all aged formulations and also allowed the estimation of separated domains sizes in different formulations. CONCLUSIONS: This study has presented a series of novel approaches for the identification, quantification and prediction of phase separation in HME formulations. Supersaturation of drug in the polymer caused the phase separation of the aged felodipine-Eudragit E PO formulations

Teaching Criminal Justice Online: Current Status and Important Considerations

The most significant change to impact the pedagogy of criminal justice students in recent years has been the development of online classes. Online coursework is now a commonly accepted method of accessing criminal justice students and the sustained growth in online classes is expected to continue in the future. However, there is currently a lack of research that focuses on online classes in criminal justice. In response, we present and assess the modest literature regarding criminal justice online classes and highlight important themes. This leads into a presentation of important considerations along the following pedagogical continuum: Planning the online course (i.e. asynchronous timing, technological developments), implementing the online course (i.e. maintaining an online presence, managing student interactions and expectations), and identifying effective means to measure learning outcomes (i.e. measuring success, quality matters). Policy implications for online coursework that are likely to impact future criminal justice educational practices are then discussed

Financial condition of enterprise activities: an exploration of seaports

The purpose of this research is to examine fiscal health of a specific local enterprise operation: seaports. Seaports provide unique local services while spending and borrowing billions of dollars. Decision makers should be aware of the fiscal health of these enterprises in part to assess the potential risks to the fiscal health of the government at large or public authority. Using eight stock and flow fiscal indicators appropriate for enterprise activities, this research examines eight seaports to compare fiscal health by geographic location and governing structure as well as the connection between long-term and short-term fiscal measures. Descriptive measures suggest that western and public authority ports exhibit better fiscal health than southern and departmental ports with some evidence showing a modest link between long-term and short-term fiscal health