STUDIES IN OXCARBAZEPINE MICROSPHERES EMPLOYING PLACKETT AND BURMAN DESIGN

Objective: The present work was aimed to screen material and processing parameters affecting encapsulation efficiency and drug release from microspheres. Methods: Oxcarbazepine loaded microspheres were prepared employing multiple emulsion solvent evaporation technique. Ratio of chitosan to ethyl cellulose, ratio of drug to polymer, stirring speed, ratio of dichloromethane to methanol, amount of Span 80 and the volume of aqueous phase were selected as independent variables in the Plackett and Burman design. The microspheres were characterized for percentage yield, percentage encapsulation efficiency, particle size distribution and in vitro drug release. Results: The critical material and processing parameters affecting encapsulation efficiency were chitosan to ethyl cellulose ratio, volume of water, stirring speed and drug to polymer ratio. Initial burst release was affected by volume of water, temperature, dichloromethane to methanol ratio, amount of Span 80 and drug to polymer ratio. FTIR study showed compatibility of the drug with excipients. Conclusion: The outcome of the study shall be used to calculate risk priority number (RPN) and for devising suitable control strategies for the critical factors at industry

Comparative study of modified open technique and closed technique for primary trocar insertion in laparoscopic surgery

Background: The objective of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of modified open technique and closed technique for gaining entry [primary trocar insertion] and establishing pneumoperitoneum in laparoscopic surgery.   Methods: The present study was prospective, observational and longitudinal.  Protocol of the procedure was formed along with Performa, Patient Information Sheet and Informed Consent Form. The present study was carried out in surgery department of C.U Shah medical college, Surendranagar, Gujarat state. The study was carried out from 1st October 2012 till 31st May 2014. A total of two hundred patients undergoing emergency and elective laparoscopic surgery were included in our study.  Case records of  patients was recorded in the Performa containing demographic details, size and site of trocar insertion, technique of trocar insertion, intraoperative, early postoperative and late post operative complications were noted.Results: Total of 200 cases was included in our study. The age of patients ranges from 10-70 years. Out of 200 cases 90% were females suffering from different ailments and 105 were males in group A while in Group b 80% were females and 20%were males.  In terms of on table complications; gastrointestinal injury is more in close method of trocar insertion.Conclusions: We would advocate the modified open technique of trocar insertion as a technique of choice in primary trocar insertion as it is more efficacious and counts more on patient safety as compared to the close technique.

Parents’ Attitude toward Inclusion of their Children with Autism in Mainstream Classrooms

Despite the growth of inclusive education programs adopted by many schools across India, children with special needs rarely find themselves included in them. Autism being a pervasive disorder, it becomes hard for autistic children to communicate and express themselves in a socially appropriate manner. Hence, the objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of parents about inclusion of children with autism in mainstream classrooms. A sample of 20 parents whose children were already enrolled in a mainstream school was selected from a school in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Participants were assessed on Parent’s Attitudes to Inclusion (PATI, 1998). The result of the study showed the attitude of parents towards the quality of educational services in mainstream education is negative; whereas, when it comes to child acceptance and treatment in mainstream education the parents have a positive attitude. It was also found that parents of children with autism have a neutral attitude towards the mutual benefits of inclusive education. The findings also revealed that regardless of their positive outlook, parents had certain conjectures about such inclusivity. These pertained primarily to childcare responsibilities, children’s transition tasks and teachers’ challenges of managing everything effectively while teaching both students with and without diagnosis of autism in the same classroom. This study can be used by special educators, school authorities and teachers teaching in an inclusive classroom to better understand the concerns of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ADS)

Kvalitativna i kvantitativna analiza polimorfa klopidogrel bisulfata

This study deals with characterization and quantification of form I and form II of clopidogrel bisulphate (CLP), a selective and irreversible inhibitor of ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Thermal (DSC, TGA, HSM), crystallographic (XRD) and spectroscopic (FTIR) methods were used for characterization. After characterization of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), these techniques were further used for identification of the polymorphic form present in three marketed formulations (tablets). FTIR method was successfully developed and validated for the quantification of form I in polymorph mixtures.U radu je opisana karakterizacija i kvantifikacija forme I i forme II klopidogrel bisulfata (CLP), selektivnog i ireverzibilnog inhibitora ADP-inducirane agregacije krvnih pločica. Za karakterizaciju su upotrebljene termičke (DSC, TGA, HSM), kristalografske (XRD) i spektroskopske (FTIR) metode. Nakon karakterizacije aktivne supstancije te metode su dalje upotrebljene za identifikaciju polimorfnih formi u ljekovitim oblicima (tri vrste registriranih tableta). Razvijena je i validirana FTIR metoda za određivanje forme I u smjesi polimorfa

Beyond patents: Scientific knowledge, and access to vaccine

Knowledge is a public good. Patents provide property rights in knowledge, which gives the patentee the right to exclude others from utilising the knowledge for the life of the patent. Patents in the field of pharmaceuticals are controversial because of the importance of the knowledge which they exclude others from using. Patents have come under significant criticism for this very reason – with some going as far as to claim that patent protection on pharmaceutical products as the cause of developing states having poor or limited access to life-saving pharmaceutical products. Most of the academic literature regarding access to medicines goes this same way. This paper challenges this viewpoint, and considers the barriers to generic access to medicines beyond patents. This paper looks beyond intellectual property rights to determine what other mechanisms exist that allow innovative vaccine manufacturers to control access to knowledge regarding their products which can act as a barrier to the utilisation of knowledge in the pharmaceutical industry, in a similar manner to intellectual property rights. This paper takes a case study approach considering non-patent-related barriers to access to medicines, focusing on pandemic influenza vaccines and the role of proprietary, non-patented knowledge. This paper concludes that manufacturers have an exclusive monopoly, not because of their intellectual property rights, but because the knowledge required to make the drug is not accessible to generic manufacturers, and highlights why this is the case. This paper argues that it is not the patent protection which is the barrier to introducing generic pandemic influenza vaccines, but rather it is the inaccessibility of knowledge which is not in the public domain, or the inability of manufacturers in developing states to utilise this knowledge, which is the true barrier in this field

Dissolution enhancement of albendazole through nanocrystal formulation

Albendazole, a BCS class II drug, has poor dissolution characteristic. In order to enhance dissolution nanocrystals were prepared by antisolvent precipitation process using PVP K-30(0.05%,0.1%,0.2%,0.4%) as stabilizer. The process was optimized in terms of concentration of stabilizer(PVP K 30) in order to enhance dissolution and obtain stable particles with a small mean particle size. Nanocrystals were characterized with respect to particle size, in vitro dissolution and X-ray diffraction pattern. Decrease in particle size of nanocrystals was observed with increase in concentration of stabilizer. Dissolution of nanocrystals also improved with increase in concentration of PVP K-30. Crystalline state evaluation before and following particle size reduction was conducted through XRD to denote any possible transformation to an amorphous state during process

Not Available

Not AvailableThe field experiment were conducted during kharif season of 1988 and 1989 to find out the possibility benefits of foilar application of nitrogen and phosphorus in groundnut in comparison with their soil application. It was observed that foilar application of N and P fertilizer showed higher efficiency and produced more pod per unit of nutrient applied than their soil application . Among the different modes of application , applying 50% of these fertilizer doses as basal followed by two foiler spray of 1% equeous suspension of these fertilizer gave the yield at par with that obtained by soil application of full dose of these fertilizer. this was also found to be economical as the rate of fertilizer was lesser than soil application alone. On an average the soil application of 20 Kg N ha-1 as urea , 40 Kg P2 O5 ha-1 as SSP (Single super phosphate ) and 20 Kg N+ 40 Kg P2 O5 ha-1 produced 13.1 to 21.8 , 9. 0 to 16.5 and 20 .0 to 28.6% more than control, respectively . However , the application of 50% amount of these fertilizers in soil as basal followed by two foilar sprays of 1% aqueous suspension of these fertilizer at 30 and 70 days after sowing ( DAS ) showed 13.5 to 23.5 , 9.0 to 18.4 and 20.5 to 30.1% more pod yield over control , respectively.Not Availabl