Design and Development of Reconstitutable Sustained Release Suspension of Linezolid by Spray Drying Technique

The purpose of this research work was to design and evaluation of a stable reconstitutable Sustained release suspension for pediatric and geriatric patients using spray drying techniques. Linezolid is the drug of choice in treatment of infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria. The microcapsules were prepared by spray drying method. Drug loaded microcapsule were prepared using Eudragit RS and RL100 and ethyl cellulose in three different polymer ratio. The influence of the drug to polymer ratio and feed flow rate was studied on the properties of microcapsule using a 32factorial design. The drug to polymer ratio (X1) and feed flow rate (X2) were selected as independent variable and percentage yield, particle size, encapsulation efficiency, Q6, Q8, t90% were selected as dependent variables. Regression analysis and ANOVA were performed for dependent variables. Dissolution data were fitted to various kinetic models on drug release of microcapsule. The prepared SR suspensions were evaluated for flow properties, determination of rheological and sedimentation behavior. From the factorial batches, optimize batch of microcapsules were used for preparation of reconstitutable SR suspension using various suitable suspending agents. Accelerator stability study of reconstitutable SR suspension was performed as per ICH guideline

Performance analysis of cow dung as an eco-friendly binder and additive material for sustainable moulding and casting

Abstract: In the present work, an attempt is made to partially replace the high cost silica sand with sustainable eco-friendly material, namely cow-dung. Practical utility of cow dung as a binding and additive material in foundries has been tested in the present work. Taguchi method is used to plan and conduct nine experiments with three replicates each. Pareto analysis of variance study is done to understand the practical significance of moulding sand variables namely percent of cow dung, percent of clay, percent of water, and degree of ramming on sand mould properties. The conflicting multiple objective functions (maximize: mould hardness, and minimize: collapsibility and gas evolution) are optimized by utilizing data envelopment analysis ranking (DEAR) method. The optimal parameter levels i.e. 6% of clay, 4% of water, 5% of cow-dung and 4 numbers of ramming strokes are obtained by applying hybrid Taguchi- DEAR method. These parameters yielded the best moulding properties i.e. mould hardness 55, gas evolution 5.9 ml/gm , and collapsibility 470 g/cm2. Thereafter, Lovejoy coupling made of aluminium is cast in the sand mould prepared with cow-dung and without cow-dung. The sand mould is prepared with the optimum set of parameters and the casting produced in the mould has been tested for its quality characteristics. The mechanical properties, surface finish, and microstructure of the casting made in sand mould with cow-dung are found to be better than that obtained with sand mould without cow-dung. The present research work is found to be more useful in foundries for sustainable production of good quality casting

Elucidating the long-range charge carrier mobility in metal halide perovskite thin films

Many optoelectronic properties have been reported for lead halide perovskite polycrystalline films. However, ambiguities in the evaluation of these properties remain, especially for long-range lateral charge transport, where ionic conduction can complicate interpretation of data. Here we demonstrate a new technique to measure the long-range charge carrier mobility in such materials. We combine quasi-steady-state photo-conductivity measurements (electrical probe) with photo-induced transmission and reflection measurements (optical probe) to simultaneously evaluate the conductivity and charge carrier density. With this knowledge we determine the lateral mobility to be ~ 2 cm2/Vs for CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) polycrystalline perovskite films prepared from the acetonitrile/methylamine solvent system. Furthermore, we present significant differences in long-range charge carrier mobilities, from 2.2 to 0.2 cm2/Vs, between films of contemporary perovskite compositions prepared via different fabrication processes, including solution and vapour phase deposition techniques. Arguably, our work provides the first accurate evaluation of the long-range lateral charge carrier mobility in lead halide perovskite films, with charge carrier density in the range typically achieved under photovoltaic operation

Baseline features of the VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction) trial

Aim Describe the distinguishing features of heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in the VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction) trial. Methods and results Key background characteristics were evaluated in 5050 patients randomized in VICTORIA and categorized into three cohorts reflecting their index worsening HF event. Differences within the VICTORIA population were assessed and compared with PARADIGM-HF (Prospective comparison of ARNI with ACEI to Determine Impact on Global Mortality and Morbidity in Heart Failure) and COMMANDER HF (A Study to Assess the Effectiveness and Safety of Rivaroxaban in Reducing the Risk of Death, Myocardial Infarction, or Stroke in Participants with Heart Failure and Coronary Artery Disease Following an Episode of Decompensated Heart Failure). VICTORIA patients had increased risk of mortality and rehospitalization: New York Heart Association class (40% class III), atrial fibrillation (45%), diabetes (47%), hypertension (79%) and mean estimated glomerular filtration rate of 61.5 mL/min/1.73m2. Baseline standard of HF care was very good: 60% received triple therapy. Their N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide was 3377 pg/mL [interquartile range (IQR) 1992-6380]. Natriuretic peptides were 30% higher level in the 67% patients with HF hospitalization Conclusions VICTORIA comprises a broadly generalizable high-risk population of three unique clinical strata of worsening chronic HFrEF despite very good HF therapy. VICTORIA will establish the role of vericiguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, in HFrEF

Some Bianchi Type III String Cosmological Models with Bulk Viscosity

We investigate the integrability of cosmic strings in Bianchi III space-time in presence of a bulk viscous fluid by applying a new technique. The behaviour of the model is reduced to the solution of a single second order nonlinear differential equation. We show that this equation admits an infinite family of solutions. Some physical consequences from these results are also discussed.Comment: 12 pages, no figure. To appear in Int. J. Theor. Phy

Synthesis, docking study and biological evaluation of novel N-(1,3-benzothiazole-2-yl)-2-(pyridine-3-ylformohydrazido) acetamide derivatives

1721-1737A series of N-(1,3-benzothiazole-2-yl)-2(pyridine-3-ylformohydrazido acetamide derivatives have been synthesized by facile and efficient conventional method. The structures of the compounds have been elucidated with the aid of elemental analysis, IR, ESI-MS, and 1H and 13C NMR spectral data. Molecular docking revealed that synthesized derivatives and target proteins are actively involved in the binding pattern and had a significant correlation with biological activity. Molecular dynamics studies have also been performed and ADME parameters for the synthesized compounds determined. Biological evaluation of all synthesized compounds have been carried out in vitro for their antibacterial, antituberculosis and antifungal efficacy against various bacterial and fungal strains and H37Rv. The different studies indicate that newly synthesized compounds possess moderate to good biological activities

N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Clinical Outcomes

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment effect of vericiguat in relation to N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels at randomization. BACKGROUND Vericiguat compared with placebo reduced the primary outcome of cardiovascular death (CVD) or heart failure hospitalization (HFH) in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in the VICTORIA (A Study of Vericiguat in Participants With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction) trial. Because an interaction existed between treatment and the primary outcome according to pre-specified quartiles of NT-proBNP at randomization, we examined this further. METHODS This study evaluated the NT-proBNP relationship with the primary outcome in 4,805 of 5,050 patients as a risk-adjusted, tog-transformed continuous variable. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are presented. RESULTS Median NT-proBNP was 2,816 pg/ml (25th to 75th percentile: 1,556 to 5,314 pg/ml). The study treatment effect varied across the spectrum of NT-proBNP at randomization (with log(2) transformation, p for interaction = 0.002). A significant association between treatment effects existed in patients with levels 8,000 pg/ml (n = 672), the HR was 1.16 (95% CI: 0.94 to 1.41) for the primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS A reduction in the primary composite endpoint and its CVD and HFH components was observed in patients on vericiguat compared with subjects on placebo with NT-proBNP levels up to 8,000 pg/ml. This provided new insight into the benefit observed in high-risk patients with worsening HFrEF. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation

Vericiguat in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction:insights from the VICTORIA trial

Aims We evaluated the relation between baseline and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) and outcomes, and assessed whether vericiguat modified the likelihood of new-onset AF in patients with worsening heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction in VICTORIA. Methods and results Of 5050 patients randomized, 5010 with recorded AF status at baseline were analysed. Patients were classified into three groups: no known AF (n = 2661, 53%), history of AF alone (n = 992, 20%), and AF on randomization electrocardiogram (n = 1357, 27%). Compared with those with no AF, those with history of AF alone had a higher risk of cardiovascular death [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.47] without excess myocardial infarction or stroke; neither type of AF was associated with a higher risk of the primary composite outcome (time to cardiovascular death or first HF hospitalization), HF hospitalizations, or all cause-death. The beneficial effect of vericiguat on the primary composite outcome and its components was evident irrespective of AF status at baseline. Over a median follow-up of 10.8 months, new-onset AF occurred in 6.1% of those with no AF and 18.3% with history of AF alone (P < 0.0001). These events were not influenced by vericiguat treatment (adjusted HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.75-1.16; P = 0.51), but were associated with an increase in the hazard of both primary and secondary outcomes. Conclusions Atrial fibrillation was present in nearly half of this high-risk population with worsening HF. A history of AF alone at baseline portends an increased risk of cardiovascular death. Neither type of AF affected the beneficial effect of vericiguat. Development of AF post-randomization was associated with an increase in both cardiovascular death and HF hospitalization which was not influenced by vericiguat

Development and implementation of worksite health and wellness programs: a focus on non-communicable disease

The development and implementation of worksite health and wellness programs (WHWPs) in the United States (US) hold promise as a means to improve population health and reverse current trends in non-communicable disease incidence and prevalence. However, WHWPs face organizational, economic, systematic, legal, and logistical challenges which have combined to impact program availability and expansion. Even so, there is a burgeoning body of evidence indicating WHWPs can significantly improve the health profile of participating employees in a cost effective manner. This foundation of scientific knowledge justifies further research inquiry to elucidate optimal WHWP models. It is clear that the development, implementation and operation of WHWPs require a strong commitment from organizational leadership, a pervasive culture of health and availability of necessary resources and infrastructure. Since organizations vary significantly, there is a need to have flexibility in creating a customized, effective health and wellness program. Furthermore, several key legal issues must be addressed to facilitate employer and employee needs and responsibilities; the US Affordable Care Act will play a major role moving forward. The purposes of this review are to: 1) examine currently available health and wellness program models and considerations for the future; 2) highlight key legal issues associated with WHWP development and implementation; and 3) identify challenges and solutions for the development and implementation of as well as adherence to WHWPs