Evaluation of polycaprolactone matrices for the intravaginal delivery of metronidazole in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis

Microporous, poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) matrices loaded with the antibacterial, metronidazole were produced by rapidly cooling suspensions of drug powder in PCL solutions in acetone. Drug incorporation in the matrices increased from 2.0% to 10.6% w/w on raising the drug loading of the PCL solution from 5% to 20% w/w measured with respect to the PCL content. Drug loading efficiencies of 40-53% were obtained. Rapid 'burst release' of 35-55% of the metronidazole content was recorded over 24 h when matrices were immersed in simulated vaginal fluid (SVF), due to the presence of large amounts of drug on matrix surface as revealed by Raman microscopy. Gradual release of around 80% of the drug content occurred over the following 12 days. Metronidazole released from PCL matrices in SVF retained antimicrobial activity against Gardnerella vaginalis in vitro at levels up to 97% compared to the free drug. Basic modelling predicted that the concentrations of metronidazole released into vaginal fluid in vivo from a PCL matrix in the form of an intravaginal ring would exceed the minimum inhibitory concentration of metronidazole against G. vaginalis. These findings recommend further investigation of PCL matrices as intravaginal devices for controlled delivery of metronidazole in the treatment and prevention of bacterial vaginosis

Evaluation of polycaprolactone matrices for sustained intravaginal delivery of a natural macromolecular microbicide, lactoferrin

Polycaprolactone (PCL) matrices incorporating lactoferrin as a natural macromolecular microbicide, were prepared by rapidly cooling a suspension of lactoferrin particulates in PCL solution to induce crystallisation and hardening of the polymer. Thermal analysis revealed a 7% decrease in crystallinity of the PCL phase for 10% lactoferrin-loaded matrices compared with lactoferrin-free matrices and a 41% decrease in hardness of lactoferrin -loaded matrices, indicating a major influence of lactoferrin through inhibition of PCL crystal nucleation and growth. Exposure of the matrices to simulated vaginal fluid (SVF) at 37 °C resulted in rapid release of 13–14% of the lactoferrin content on day 1 and sustained delivery of the glycoprotein with high efficiency (90–95% of the content) over 14 days. SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed molecular weight preservation of the lactoferrin released from PCL matrices into SVF, indicating that it was not degraded during formulation and release. These findings recommend further investigations of PCL matrices as vaginal delivery systems for controlled release of macromolecular microbicides in the treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted infections

Dip Coated ZnO Films for Transparent Window Applications

ZnO is widely used as a functional material because it has a wide and direct band gap, large excitons binding energy, and excellent chemical and thermal stability. ZnO is a semiconductor material which is widely used as transparent electrodes in solar cells, chemical and gas sensors and light emitting diodes, due to its unique electrical and optical properties. Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on glass substrate by dip coating technique. The effects of sol aging time on the deposition of ZnO films were studied by using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and optical transmission techniques. Thin films of ZnO were prepared on glass substrate and annealed at 300 C, 350 C and 400 C. The increase in sol aging time resulted in a gradual improvement in crystallinity. Effect of sol aging on optical transparency is quite obvious through increased transmission with prolonged sol aging time. Interestingly, 72-168 h sol aging time was found to be optimal to achieve smooth surface morphology, good crystallinity and high optical transmittance which were attributed to an ideal stability of solution. The UV-Vis transmittance spectrum of synthesized sample suggests the optical band gap value of 3.2 eV. Dip coating technique create ZnO films with potential for application as transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices such as solar cell

Biostimulant Properties of Marine Bioactive Extracts in Plants: Incrimination toward Sustainable Crop Production in Rice

Enhancing productivity through integrated and comprehensive nutrient management is pertinent to sustainable intensification of agricultural ecosystems. The utilization of marine bioactive stimulants has been gaining momentum and impetus in crop agricultural farming system due to their phytoelicitor activity. Liquids biostimulants derived from seaweed evoke defense responses in plants that contribute to resistance to abiotic stresses and challenges like high temperature, salinity, moisture stress, and cold. Seaweed extracts are immensely organic and suitable for growing crops that are both organic and environmentally friendly. Seaweeds provide an abundant source of natural growth substances that can be employed to enhance plant growth. Seaweeds are one of the most significant marine resources of the world, and derived compounds have been extensively used as amendments in crop production systems due to the presence of macronutrients such as Ca, K, and P and micronutrients like Fe, Cu, Zn, B, Mn, Co, and Mo, presence of several plant growth stimulating compounds including cytokinin, auxins, gibberellins, and betaines which are essential for plant growth and development. The purpose of the current chapter is to explore the functional and growth characteristics induced by seaweed extracts in addition to their modes and mechanisms of action in rice crops, which are responsible for elicitor and phytostimulatory activities and boost in grain production and nutrient usage efficiency

Report of the Topical Group on Top quark physics and heavy flavor production for Snowmass 2021

This report summarizes the work of the Energy Frontier Topical Group on EW Physics: Heavy flavor and top quark physics (EF03) of the 2021 Community Summer Study (Snowmass). It aims to highlight the physics potential of top-quark studies and heavy-flavor production processes (bottom and charm) at the HL-LHC and possible future hadron and lepton colliders and running scenarios

May Measurement Month 2018: a pragmatic global screening campaign to raise awareness of blood pressure by the International Society of Hypertension

Aims Raised blood pressure (BP) is the biggest contributor to mortality and disease burden worldwide and fewer than half of those with hypertension are aware of it. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global campaign set up in 2017, to raise awareness of high BP and as a pragmatic solution to a lack of formal screening worldwide. The 2018 campaign was expanded, aiming to include more participants and countries. Methods and results Eighty-nine countries participated in MMM 2018. Volunteers (≥18 years) were recruited through opportunistic sampling at a variety of screening sites. Each participant had three BP measurements and completed a questionnaire on demographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg, or taking antihypertensive medication. In total, 74.9% of screenees provided three BP readings. Multiple imputation using chained equations was used to impute missing readings. 1 504 963 individuals (mean age 45.3 years; 52.4% female) were screened. After multiple imputation, 502 079 (33.4%) individuals had hypertension, of whom 59.5% were aware of their diagnosis and 55.3% were taking antihypertensive medication. Of those on medication, 60.0% were controlled and of all hypertensives, 33.2% were controlled. We detected 224 285 individuals with untreated hypertension and 111 214 individuals with inadequately treated (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg) hypertension. Conclusion May Measurement Month expanded significantly compared with 2017, including more participants in more countries. The campaign identified over 335 000 adults with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. In the absence of systematic screening programmes, MMM was effective at raising awareness at least among these individuals at risk

Influence of Thermal Treatments, Extraction Methods, and Storage Conditions on Lycopene Content of Foods

Lycopene is one of the main carotenoids in our daily diet. Fruit variety, environmental conditions, and maturity stage are the factors affecting the content of lycopene. Various processing techniques and extraction methods may also affect the level of lycopene in different food products, consequently changing the biological role of lycopene. The biological role of lycopene is to defend the tissues of tomatoes (conjugate bonds) and attract predators (red colour). Moreover, storage conditions also impact the lycopene content of fruits, vegetables, and their products. Efficient and novel technological interventions are required for stabilizing lycopene content during postharvest procedures, such as refrigeration, heating, extraction, and transportation. Therefore, the study of different crucial factors concerning the change in lycopene content is required. The present review explores the lycopene content of different food commodities and the effect of postharvest operations and processing techniques on lycopene content. It also highlights the storage impact on the concentration of lycopene which may be useful for future studies

Late-onset neonatal sepsis: Overview of risk factors and bacterial etiology in a tertiary care hospital in North India

Background: Septicemia in neonates is one of the leading causes of mortality. The increasing number of multidrug-resistant pathogens is a serious concern. With this background, this study was done to evaluate the risk factors of late-onset sepsis (LOS) (community- and hospital-acquired infections) in newborns and to determine the antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates in these infections. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Sarojini Naidu Medical College, Agra, on newborns admitted between August 2015 and January 2016. Newborns with the final diagnosis of sepsis obtained from the case records during the study period were included in the study. Those newborns with positive blood culture results were included in the study. Clinical details and antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates were also obtained from the records. Results: Sixty-eight newborns with LOS (38 community- and 30 hospital-acquired infections) were included in the study. Staphylococcus and Klebsiella were the most common bacteriological isolates for both community- and hospital-acquired infection cases in 36%, 26% and 26%, 33.3%, respectively. Home delivery (52.6%) and faulty breastfeeding were (57.8%) seen in significantly larger numbers in community-acquired infections (P = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively) whereas invasive procedures such as intubation were seen in 40% of nosocomial infections as compared to only 5.2% of community-acquired infections. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern in both the infections was similar. Staphylococcus aureus was susceptible to vancomycin in 100% cases while high resistance was seen for ampicillin in both the groups. Similarly, gentamicin was found to be resistant in both the groups for Klebsiella while imipenem was susceptible in 100% cases. Conclusion: Both community- and hospital-acquired infections had similar isolates and antibiotic susceptibility pattern; however, the risk factors associated with both the infections differed