FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF MICROEMULSION GEL FOR TRANSDERMAL DELIVERY OF TRAMADOL

Objective: The present work was carried out to design microemulsion gel system for transdermal delivery of the drug to minimize the side effects and to reduce the frequency of administration and for prolonging the duration of action. Methods: Tramadol, an opioid analgesic drug, was mixed with various selected polymers such as sodium alginate (SA), acacia, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and Eudragit in geometric mixing ratios. The drug, polymer, and other excipients were mixed thoroughly by trituration method and different formulations (F1-F8) were prepared the same quantity of all the ingredients excepting the polymers. Results: The different formulations prepared, studied, and showed that the formulation using SA as polymeric carrier had a better effect on the evaluated parameters. The drug-SA formulation exhibited better drug-polymer compatibility, optimal viscosity (2750 cps), zeta potential (−26.1 Mv), and particle size distribution (262.8 d.nm) values. The in vitro release studies also indicated that the drug-SA formulation was of desirable release pattern, thus indicating that SA to be a better choice in formulating a transdermal delivery gel system. Conclusion: Evaluated microemulsion gel formulation F2 of tramadol with polymeric carriers SA was much stable than other carriers used. Thus, it could be concluded that the gel formulation with SA can be taken as an ideal formulation

A Research on the Influence of Media Advertisements in the Purchasing Decisions of Generation Y in Penang Malaysia

The purpose of this research is to study the influence of Media Advertisements on the purchasing decisions of Generation Y customers in Penang, Malaysia. The priority of this study is to support the marketers to more effectively reach Generation Y customers as in this privatisation and globalisation era, it is challenge for every marketer to address the influence of media advertisements on the buying behaviour of the generation. The study investigated the relationship between dependent variabl

BRCA mutation: A review of breast cancer

In the present study, we focus on the causes of a major cancer type contributing to the major deaths due to cancer across the world. Breast cancer which accounts for more than approximately 29 to 34% affected to women posing a major cause of death due to cancer. In-situ carcinomas might arise in either ductal or lobular epithelium, but remain confined there, with no invasion of the underlying basement membrane that would constitute extension beyond epithelial boundaries. Approximately 29 to 34% of women with invasive breast cancer will die of their disease. This syndrome presents as skin changes resembling skin condition like redness, discoloration, or mild flaking of the nipple skin. As Paget's disease of the breast advances, symptoms may include skin tingling, itching, increased sensitivity, burning and pain. There may also be discharge from the nipple. Approximately half of women diagnosed with Paget's disease of the breast even have a lump within the breast. Keywords: Breast cancer, BRCA mutation, BRCA1, BRCA2

BRCA Mutation: A Review of Breast Cancer

In the present study, we focus on the causes of a major cancer type contributing to the major deaths due to cancer across the world. Breast cancer which accounts for more than approximately 29 to 34% affected to women posing a major cause of death due to cancer. In-situ carcinomas might arise in either ductal or lobular epithelium, but remain confined there, with no invasion of the underlying basement membrane that would constitute extension beyond epithelial boundaries. Approximately 29 to 34% of women with invasive breast cancer will die of their disease. This syndrome presents as skin changes resembling skin condition like redness, discoloration, or mild flaking of the nipple skin. As Paget's disease of the breast advances, symptoms may include skin tingling, itching, increased sensitivity, burning and pain. There may also be discharge from the nipple. Approximately half of women diagnosed with Paget's disease of the breast even have a lump within the breast. Keywords: Breast cancer, BRCA mutation, BRCA1, BRCA2

Characterization of Neuronal Tau Protein as a Target of Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase

Tau neuronal protein has a central role in neurodegeneration and is implicated in Alzheimer disease development. Abnormal phosphorylation of Tau impairs its interaction with other proteins and is associated with its dysregulation in pathological conditions. Molecular mechanisms leading to hyperphosphorylation of Tau in pathological conditions are unknown. Here, we characterize phosphorylation of Tau by extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK2), a mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) that responds to extracellular signals. Analysis of in vitro phosphorylated Tau by activated recombinant ERK2 with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) reveals phosphorylation of 15 Ser/Thr sites. In vitro phosphorylation of Tau using rat brain extract and subsequent NMR analysis identifies the same sites. Phosphorylation with rat brain extract is known to transform Tau into an Alzheimer disease-like state. Our results indicate that phosphorylation of Tau by ERK2 alone is sufficient to produce the same characteristics. We further investigate the mechanism of ERK2 phosphorylation of Tau. Kinases are known to recognize their protein substrates not only by their specificity for a targeted Ser or Thr phosphorylation site but also by binding to linear-peptide motifs called docking sites. We identify two main ERK2 docking sites in Tau sequence using NMR. Our results suggest that ERK2 dysregulation in Alzheimer disease could lead to abnormal phosphorylation of Tau resulting in the pathology of the disease.This work was supported by TGE RMN THC (FR-3050, France) and FRABio (Lille University, CNRS, FR 3688) and also by a grant from the LabEx (Laboratory of Excellence), DISTALZ (Development of Innovative Strategies for a Transdisciplinary approach to Alzheimer's disease), and in part by the French government funding agency Agence Nationale de la Recherche TAF. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant R01 GM081578 (to S. P. and J. G.). The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Combination Therapy Using Chimeric Monoclonal Antibodies Protects Mice from Lethal H5N1 Infection and Prevents Formation of Escape Mutants

10.1371/journal.pone.0005672PLoS ONE4

The Macronuclear Genome of \u3cem\u3eStentor coeruleus\u3c/em\u3e Reveals Tiny Introns in a Giant Cell

The giant, single-celled organism Stentor coeruleus has a long history as a model system for studying pattern formation and regeneration in single cells. Stentor [1, 2] is a heterotrichous ciliate distantly related to familiar ciliate models, such as Tetrahymena or Paramecium. The primary distinguishing feature of Stentor is its incredible size: a single cell is 1 mm long. Early developmental biologists, including T.H. Morgan [3], were attracted to the system because of its regenerative abilities—if large portions of a cell are surgically removed, the remnant reorganizes into a normal-looking but smaller cell with correct proportionality [2, 3]. These biologists were also drawn to Stentor because it exhibits a rich repertoire of behaviors, including light avoidance, mechanosensitive contraction, food selection, and even the ability to habituate to touch, a simple form of learning usually seen in higher organisms [4]. While early microsurgical approaches demonstrated a startling array of regenerative and morphogenetic processes in this single-celled organism, Stentor was never developed as a molecular model system. We report the sequencing of the Stentor coeruleus macronuclear genome and reveal key features of the genome. First, we find that Stentor uses the standard genetic code, suggesting that ciliate-specific genetic codes arose after Stentor branched from other ciliates. We also discover that ploidy correlates with Stentor’s cell size. Finally, in the Stentor genome, we discover the smallest spliceosomal introns reported for any species. The sequenced genome opens the door to molecular analysis of single-cell regeneration in Stentor