Oblikovanje i vrednovanje plutajućih uljnih mikrozrnaca loratadina s produljenim zadržavanjem u želucu

Gastro retentive controlled release system of loratadine was formulated to increase the residence time in stomach and to modulate the release behaviour of the drug. Oil entrapped floating microbeads prepared by emulsion gelation method were optimized by 23 factorial design and a polymer ratio of 2.5:1.5 (pectin: sodium alginate) by mass, 15% (m/v) of oil (mineral oil or castor oil) and 0.45 mol L-1 calcium chloride solution were selected as the optimized processing conditions for the desired buoyancy and physical stability. In vitro drug release in fed state conditions demonstrated sustained release of loratadine for 8 h that best fitted the Peppas model with n < 0.45. The ethylcellulose coating on microbeads optimized by 22 factorial design resulted in controlled release formulation of loratadine that provided zero-order release for 8 h.U radu je opisana priprava plutajućih mikrozrnaca za kontrolirano oslobađanje loratadina metodom želiranja emulzije. Mikrozrnca sadrže ulja, a njihovo zadržavanje u želucu je produljeno. Priprava mikrozrnaca je optimirana 23 faktorijalnim dizajnom. Pripravci optimalne sposobnosti plutanja i stabilnosti dobiveni su uz omjer masa pektina i natrijevog alginata 2,5:1,5, udio mineralnog ulja ili ulja kastora 15% (m/v) i koncentraciju kalcijevog klorida 0,45 mol L1. Iz tih se mikrozrnaca loratadin oslobađa in vitro tijekom 8 h, a oslobađanje slijedi Peppasov model ako je n < 0,45. Mikrozrnca presvučena etilcelulozom optimirana 22 faktorijalnim dizajnom slijede kinetiku nultog reda tijekom 8 h

Gluteales Kompartmentsyndrom nach Liegetrauma bei Opiatabusus

Es wird von einem 42-jährigen Patienten berichtet, der sich bei einem opiatinduzierten Liegetrauma ein gluteales Kompartmentsyndrom mit Affektion des N. ischiadicus und nachfolgender Rhabdomyolyse zugezogen hat. Im Gegensatz zum Kompartmentsyndrom des Unterarms oder des Unterschenkels stellt dieses eine Rarität dar. Nach notfallmäßiger Kompartmentspaltung und Anlage eines Vakuumsystems zum vorübergehenden Wundverschluss konnte mittels forcierter Diurese eine Hämofiltration bei akutem Nierenversagen vermieden werden. Die Sensomotorik der unteren Extremität besserte sich bereits nach der initialen Versorgung; nach einer Woche konnte der sekundäre Wundverschluss durchgeführt werden, elf Tage nach Aufnahme konnte der Patient mit intakter Sensomotorik und normwertigen Retentionsparametern entlassen werden

Corporate Social Responsibility and Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs): Management Perceptions from IFIs in Bahrain

Islamic finance is gaining greater attention in the finance industry, and this paper analyses how Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) are responding to the welfare needs of society. Using interview data with managers and content analysis of the disclosures, this study attempts to understand management perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in IFIs. A thorough understanding of CSR by managers, as evident in the interviews, has not been translated fully into practice. The partial use of IFIs’ potential role in social welfare would add further challenges in the era of financialisation

Čvrsta disperzija meloksikama: faktorijalno dizajnirani dozirani pripravak za gerijatrijsku populaciju

The objective of the present work was to improve the dissolution properties of the poorly water-soluble drug meloxicam by preparing solid dispersions with hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), mannitol and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 and to develop a dosage form for geriatric population. Differential scanning calorimetry, X–ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the solid-state physical structure of the prepared solid dispersions. Higher in vitro dissolution of solid dispersions was recorded compared to their corresponding physical mixtures and the pure drug. PEG 4000 in 1:9 drug to carrier ratio exhibited the highest drug release (100.2%), followed by mannitol (98.2%) and HEC (89.5%) in the same ratio. Meloxicam-PEG 4000 solid dispersion was formulated into suspension and optimization was carried out by 23 factorial design. Formulations containing higher levels of methyl cellulose and higher levels of either sodium citrate or Tween 80 exhibited the highest drug release.Cilj rada bio je poboljšati topljivost meloksikama u vodi pripravom čvrstih disperzija s hidroksietilcelulozom (HEC), manitolom i polietilen glikolom 4000 (PEG 4000) te razviti dozirani pripravaka za gerijatrijsku populaciju. Za ispitivanje fizičke strukture pripravljenih čvrstih disperzija korištene su diferencijalna pretražna kalorimetrija, difraktometrija rentgentskim zrakama, FTIR i pretražna elektronska mikroskopija. Čvrste disperzije su u in vitro uvjetima pokazale bolju topljivost u odnosu na fizičku smjesu i čistu ljekovitu tvar. Najbolje oslobađanje lijeka (100,2%). postignuto je iz disperzija s PEG 4000 (omjer ljekovite tvari i nosača 1:9). Slijede manitol (98,2%) i HEC (89,5%) (isti omjer meloksikama i polimera). Čvrsta disperzija meloksikama s PEG 4000 prevedena je u suspenziju te optimirana 23 faktorijalnim dizajnom. Najbolje oslobađanje ljekovite tvari postignuto je iz pripravaka koji sadrže veći udio etilceluloze i natrijevog citrata, odnosno Tween 80

Acoustic methods improve the detection of the endangered African manatee

The African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) is an elusive, data-deficient, and endangered species which inhabits marine and freshwater systems throughout Western and Central Africa. A major challenge in understanding the species ecology and distribution is the difficulty in detecting it using traditional visual surveys. The recent invasion of Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) at the most important site for the species in Cameroon further limits their detectability and may restrict their movements and habitat use. To investigate methods’ effectiveness in detecting African manatees, we conducted monthly vessel surveys from which visual point scans, 360° sonar scans, and passive acoustic monitoring were conducted simultaneously at ten locations and over 12 months in Lake Ossa, Cameroon. Manatee detection frequency was calculated for each method and the influence of some environmental conditions on the methods’ effectiveness and manatee detection likelihood was assessed by fitting a binary logistic regression to our data. Detection frequencies were significantly different between methods (p &lt; 0.01) with passive acoustics being the most successful (24.17%; n = 120), followed by the 360° sonar scan (11.67%; n = 120), and the visual point scan (3.33%; n = 120). The likelihood of detecting manatees in Lake Ossa was significantly influenced by water depth (p = 0.02) and transparency (p &lt; 0.01). It was more likely to detect manatees in shallower water depths and higher water transparency. Passive acoustic detections were more effective in uninvaded areas of the Lake. We recommend using passive acoustics to enhance African manatee detections in future surveys

Fitting the HIV Epidemic in Zambia: A Two-Sex Micro-Simulation Model

BACKGROUND: In describing and understanding how the HIV epidemic spreads in African countries, previous studies have not taken into account the detailed periods at risk. This study is based on a micro-simulation model (individual-based) of the spread of the HIV epidemic in the population of Zambia, where women tend to marry early and where divorces are not frequent. The main target of the model was to fit the HIV seroprevalence profiles by age and sex observed at the Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2001. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A two-sex micro-simulation model of HIV transmission was developed. Particular attention was paid to precise age-specific estimates of exposure to risk through the modelling of the formation and dissolution of relationships: marriage (stable union), casual partnership, and commercial sex. HIV transmission was exclusively heterosexual for adults or vertical (mother-to-child) for children. Three stages of HIV infection were taken into account. All parameters were derived from empirical population-based data. Results show that basic parameters could not explain the dynamics of the HIV epidemic in Zambia. In order to fit the age and sex patterns, several assumptions were made: differential susceptibility of young women to HIV infection, differential susceptibility or larger number of encounters for male clients of commercial sex workers, and higher transmission rate. The model allowed to quantify the role of each type of relationship in HIV transmission, the proportion of infections occurring at each stage of disease progression, and the net reproduction rate of the epidemic (R(0) = 1.95). CONCLUSIONS: The simulation model reproduced the dynamics of the HIV epidemic in Zambia, and fitted the age and sex pattern of HIV seroprevalence in 2001. The same model could be used to measure the effect of changing behaviour in the future

Role of Sox-9, ER81 and VE-Cadherin in Retinoic Acid-Mediated Trans-Differentiation of Breast Cancer Cells

Many aspects of development, tumor growth and metastasis depend upon the provision of an adequate vasculature. This can be a result of regulated angiogenesis, recruitment of circulating endothelial progenitors and/or vascular trans-differentiation. The present study demonstrates that treatment of SKBR-3 breast cancer cells with retinoic acid (RA), an important regulator of embryogenesis, cancer and other diseases, stimulates the formation of networks in Matrigel. RA-treatment of SKBR-3 cells co-cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells resulted in the formation of mixed structures. RA induces expression of many endothelial genes including vascular endothelial (VE) cadherin. VE-cadherin was also induced by RA in a number of other breast cancer cells. We show that RA-induced VE-cadherin is responsible for the RA-induced morphological changes. RA rapidly induced the expression of Sox-9 and ER81, which in turn form a complex on the VE-cadherin promoter and are required to mediate the transcriptional regulation of VE-cadherin by RA. These data indicate that RA may promote the expression of endothelial genes resulting in endothelial-like differentiation, or provide a mechanism whereby circulating endothelial progenitor cells could be incorporated into a growing organ or tumor

Anti-bacterial activity of inorganic nanomaterials and their antimicrobial peptide conjugates against resistant and non-resistant pathogens

This review details the antimicrobial applications of inorganic nanomaterials of mostly metallic form, and the augmentation of activity by surface conjugation of peptide ligands. The review is subdivided into three main sections, of which the first describes the antimicrobial activity of inorganic nanomaterials against gram-positive, gram-negative and multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. The second section highlights the range of antimicrobial peptides and the drug resistance strategies employed by bacterial species to counter lethality. The final part discusses the role of antimicrobial peptide-decorated inorganic nanomaterials in the fight against bacterial strains that show resistance. General strategies for the preparation of antimicrobial peptides and their conjugation to nanomaterials are discussed, emphasizing the use of elemental and metallic oxide nanomaterials. Importantly, the permeation of antimicrobial peptides through the bacterial membrane is shown to aid the delivery of nanomaterials into bacterial cells. By judicious use of targeting ligands, the nanomaterial becomes able to differentiate between bacterial and mammalian cells and, thus, reduce side effects. Moreover, peptide conjugation to the surface of a nanomaterial will alter surface chemistry in ways that lead to reduction in toxicity and improvements in biocompatibility

Qur’anic Ethics for Environmental Responsibility: Implications for Business Practice

Despite the growing interest in examining the role of religious beliefs as a guide towards environmental conscious actions, there is still a lack of research informed by an analysis of divine messages. This deficiency includes the extent to which ethics for environmental responsibility are promoted within textual divine messages; types of environmental themes promoted within the text of divine messages; and implications of such religious environmental ethics for business practice. The present study attempts to fill this gap by conducting a thorough content analysis of environmental themes within the divine message of Muslims (the Qur’an) focusing on their related ethical aspects and business implications. The analysis has revealed 675 verses in 84 chapters throughout all 30 parts of the Qur’an, with environmental content relating to the core components of the natural world, i.e. human beings, water, air, land, plants, animals, and other natural resources. This environmental content and its related ethics are grounded on the belief that humans are vicegerents of God on the earth and their behaviours and actions are motivated by earthly and heavenly rewards. Implications of these findings for different sectors/businesses are also highlighted