A rule based expert system to advise on air-filtering plants for indoor spaces in UAE

The purpose of this study was the development of an expert system that is able to recommend types of plants for the removal of toxic substances in a given artificial ecosystem. The domain was restricted to office environments within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A literature review revealed a significant gap in research related to systems that help select plants based on a given environment. This eventually led to the creation of the Plant Recommender Expert System (PRES). PRES utilizes a set of inputs (for example expected humidity, average temperature, light quality, etc.). The system will then recommend the type(s) of plants that should be purchased to suit the given environment conditions. Horticultural experts usually give recommendations for these types of problem domains but such an expert may not always be available, and so the concept here is to encode the expertise knowledge in an intelligent system to ensure uninterrupted availability of the expert knowledge. The system was evaluated using several case studies with known outcomes. The PRES suggested plants for environments that were described via a set of inputs in these trials. The initial phase, being a prototype of PRES was created with the aim of helping non-expert users leverage the natural air-detoxification properties of plants. While in its current configuration the system is not capable of learning, it can at a later stage be integrated with other AI methods such as the use of decision trees to create further rules or data driven approaches such as the use of Neural Networks for the classification of plants relevant to a given domain. However, the latter approach will first necessitate the creation of a relevant data set

Fabrication and Evaluation of Floating Mucoadhesive Tablets of Cefpodoxime Proxetil Using Factorial Design

The present research work aims to fabricate and optimize gastroretentive floating mucoadhesive tablets of Cefpodoxime Proxetil, so as to remain in the gastric region for appropriate hours and hence significantly prolong the gastric residence time of drugs which improve bioavailability. Floating-Mucoadhesive tablets of Cefpodoxime Proxetil were prepared by direct compression method using various polymers such as HPMC K 200 M, Carbopol 940P. Sodium Bicarbonate & Citric acid was incorporated as a gas-generating agents and HPMC K 200 M, Carbopol 940 P was incorporated as Mucoadhesive agent. Optimization study was carried out by using 32 factorial design. The concentration of polymers was considered as independent variables whereas Floating lag time,Swelling Index, Mucoadhesive Strength, of the tablets were utilized as dependent variables. The floating- Mucoadhesive tablets were evaluated for weight variation, hardness, thickness, friability, drug content, in-vitro buoyancy study, and in-vitro and ex-vivo Mucoadhesive studies, swelling index and in-vitro dissolution studies. The study reveals the significant effect of the amount of polymers on Floating lag time, Swelling Index, Mucoadhesive Strength of the tablets. FTIR, DSC study indicates no drug-excipients interaction in the prepared formulations. The prepared tablets exhibited satisfactory physico-chemical characteristics. All prepared batches shown good in-vitro buoyancy studies and Mucoadhesion studies. The In-vitro dissolution profiles of optimized floating- Mucoadhesive formulation of Cefpodoxime Proxetil were found to sustained the drug release up to 12 hrs and release can be extended for longer period over 12 hrs by increasing the concentration of polymers. The best result from optimized batches is of AT5 which gives floating lag time 21±2, Mucoadhesive strength 16.60 gm & drug release 98.65% in 12 hrs. Floating- Mucoadhesive tablet were prepared and could be a promising approach to deliver  Cefpodoxime Proxetil with improved gastric residence time which improve bioavailability &  effective in the management of the bacterial infection. Keywords: Cefpodoxime Proxetil, , HPMC K200M, Carbopol 940P,Floating-Mucoadhesive, factorial desig

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF MUCOADHESIVE BUCCAL PATCHES OF PIROXICAM

The main objective of present investigation to formulate and evaluate mucoadhesive buccal patches of Piroxicam, using solvent casting method. HPMC K100 M were used as a mucocoadhesive polymer and PEG 400 used as a plasticizer as well as penetration enhancers. The formulated patches of piroxicam were evaluated for their appearance, weight variation, thickness, folding endurance, surface pH, swelling index, drug content, % elongation, mucoadhesive strength, in vitro drug release, kinetic release study and stability study. Among all formulated batches (S1-S8) of buccl patches batch S6 showing maximum drug release after 8 hours 94.77 % and mucoadhesive strength 10.21±0.35g). The stability study optimized batch S6 doesn’t show any changes with respect to previous evaluation carried out before stability study. It may concluded the mucoadhesive buccal patches of Piroxicam were successfully prepared using HPMC K100 M by solvent casting method, evaluated & it is better alternative to conventional drug delivery for the management of pain and arthititis

Covariant quantization of infinite spin particle models, and higher order gauge theories

Further properties of a recently proposed higher order infinite spin particle model are derived. Infinitely many classically equivalent but different Hamiltonian formulations are shown to exist. This leads to a condition of uniqueness in the quantization process. A consistent covariant quantization is shown to exist. Also a recently proposed supersymmetric version for half-odd integer spins is quantized. A general algorithm to derive gauge invariances of higher order Lagrangians is given and applied to the infinite spin particle model, and to a new higher order model for a spinning particle which is proposed here, as well as to a previously given higher order rigid particle model. The latter two models are also covariantly quantized.Comment: 38 pages, Late

FORMULATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MUCOADHESIVE MICROSPHERES OF GLICLAZIDE HYDROCHLORIDE

This article illustrates the Formulation and Characterization of Mucoadhesive microspheres of Gliclazide Hydrochloride.The mucoadhesive microspheres were prepared by the Emulsion Solvent Evaporation method by using Eudragit L 100 and Ethyl Cellulose 22 CPS polymers & PEG 4000 added as a pore forming agent . Formulated microspheres were evaluated for various parameters. The characteristics like shape and structure of prepared microspheres were determined by Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy respectively. The prepared microspheres exhibited prolonged drug release (12 hrs) the mean particle size increased as the concentration of Eudragit L 100 increased. Decrease in size of microspheres leads to decrease in mucoadhesion time, % drug loading and faster the drug release. The optimized formulation shows following cumulative release after 12 hrs i.e. 96.40%. The microspheres exhibited 80% mucoadhesion and showed good drug entrapment efficiency i.e. 80.13±0.91% as well as drug loading efficiency is 26.70±0.75%.  It can be concluded that the present mucoadhesive microspheres can be an ideal system to deliver the Gliclazide Hydrochloride in the sustained release manner for management of Type II Diabetes Mellitus. Keywords: Mucoadhesive, Gliclazide Hydrochloride, Microspheres, Eudragit L 100, drug entrapment efficiency.Â

Overview on virosomes as a novel carrier for drug delivery

As from the last eras number of the revolution in the drug delivery technologies have been seen to attain the targeted drug delivery or site specific action of the drug. The prospects of the drug delivery by using biomimetic nanoparticles such as virosomes is an motivating research & development field as showing targeted action by fusion with the targeted action by fusion through target cell. It can be engaged as vehicle & vaccines furthermore victory of virosomal drug delivery depends on the method used to make the encapsulated bioactive materials, characterization & formulation of finished products. They are reconstituted viral envelopes that can be conveyance of different macromolecules as these are biocompatible, biodegradable, nonautoimmunogenic. Virosomes denotes such a unique system for presentation of antigen to immune system. Peptides, nucliecacid & medications such as antitoxins, anticancer agents &steroids can be encapsulated. This review focus on various aspects of Virosomes, such as Structure of Virosomes Component, Advantages, disadvantages, Method of preparation, Characterization, recent Patents and applications of Virosomes etc. Key words: Neurodegenerative, Nonimmunogenic, Endolysosomal, Cryoprotectants, Applications

Applicability and reproducibility of acute myeloid leukaemia stem cell assessment in a multi-centre setting

Leukaemic stem cells (LSC) have been experimentally defined as the leukaemia-propagating population and are thought to be the cellular reservoir of relapse in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Therefore, LSC measurements are warranted to facilitate accurate risk stratification. Previously, we published the composition of a one-tube flow cytometric assay, characterised by the presence of 13 important membrane markers for LSC detection

Evidence of Final-State Suppression of High-p_T Hadrons in Au + Au Collisions Using d + Au Measurements at RHIC

Transverse momentum spectra of charged hadrons with ${p_{T} <}$ 6 GeV/c have been measured near mid-rapidity (0.2 $< \eta <$ 1.4) by the PHOBOS experiment at RHIC in Au + Au and d + Au collisions at ${\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}} = \rm {200 GeV}}$. The spectra for different collision centralities are compared to ${p + \bar{p}}$ collisions at the same energy. The resulting nuclear modification factor for central Au + Au collisions shows evidence of strong suppression of charged hadrons in the high-$p_{T}$ region (${>2}$ GeV/c). In contrast, the d + Au nuclear modification factor exhibits no suppression of the high-$p_{T}$ yields. These measurements suggest a large energy loss of the high-$p_{T}$ particles in the highly interacting medium created in the central Au + Au collisions. The lack of suppression in d + Au collisions suggests that it is unlikely that initial state effects can explain the suppression in the central Au + Au collisions.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, International Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics EPS (July 17th-23rd 2003) in Aachen, German

Synthesis of macromolecular systems via lipase catalyzed biocatalytic reactions: applications and future perspectives

Enzymes, being remarkable catalysts, are capable of accepting a wide range of complex molecules as substrates and catalyze a variety of reactions with a high degree of chemo-, stereo- and regioselectivity in most of the reactions. Biocatalysis can be used in both simple and complex chemical transformations without the need for tedious protection and deprotection chemistry that is very common in traditional organic synthesis. This current review highlights the applicability of one class of biocatalysts viz. ‘‘lipases’’ in synthetic transformations, the resolution of pharmaceutically important small molecules including polyphenols, amides, nucleosides and their precursors, the development of macromolecular systems (and their applications as drug/gene carriers), flame retardants, polymeric antioxidants and nanocrystalline solar cells, etc

Identified particles in Au+Au collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 200 GeV

The yields of identified particles have been measured at RHIC for Au+Au collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 200 GeV using the PHOBOS spectrometer. The ratios of antiparticle to particle yields near mid-rapidity are presented. The first measurements of the invariant yields of charged pions, kaons and protons at very low transverse momenta are also shown.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Contribution to Quark Matter 2002, Nantes, France, July 200