Development and investigation of implantable tablets for wound healing modulation after trabeculectomy

Modulation of wound healing is required to inhibit scar formation after trabeculectomy. Mitomycin C and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are the anti-proliferative drugs currently used in the clinic. Their effectiveness is limited due to their toxicity and suboptimal local tissue pharmacokinetics caused by rapid clearance within the subconjunctival space. Therefore, prolonged release of anti-scarring agents is needed. Ilomastat is a matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor that has been shown to moderate favorably the wound healing response after surgery. However, due to rapid local tissue clearance, several injections are necessary in a clinically relevant animal model. The thesis describes the development and investigation of implantable ocular tablets for wound healing modulation after trabeculectomy. A tablet would be placed in the subconjunctival space called a bleb, which is caused by the outflow through the fistula made during surgery. While the bleb volume varies, the tablet is thought to dissolve in non-sink conditions. Tablet dissolution was evaluated in vitro using a flow chamber that mimics the liquid outflow conditions of the bleb. The in vitro release studies suggest that tablet dissolution would act to prolong drug release in comparison with injections. Tablet dissolution in the subconjunctival space is affected by many factors including the physical/chemical properties of the drug and tablet, temperature, the volume and flow rate of the dissolution media, and the surface area of the tablet. The efficacy of an excipient-free ilomastat tablet was evaluated using a clinically validated rabbit model. The tablet dissolution was examined using molecular dynamics simulations to consider the molecular interactions of ilomastat and 5-FU undergoing dissolution in non-sink conditions. A mathematical model was also developed to describe the dissolution of excipient-free tablets in the non-sink conditions with 94% confidence. In conclusion, we have established methods to investigate and simulate dissolution of excipientless tablets in non-sink conditions within the subconjunctival space

The Friedmann equation in modified entropy-area relation from entropy force

According to the formal holographic principle, a modification to the assumption of holographic principle in Verlinder's investigation of entropy force is obtained. A more precise relation between entropy and area in the holographic system is proposed. With the entropy corrections to the area-relation, we derivate Newton's laws and Einstein equation with a static spherically symmetric holographic screen. Furthermore we derived the correction terms to the modified Friedmann equation of the FRW universe starting from the holographic principle and the Debye model.Comment: Mod. Phys. Lett. A26, 489-500 (2011

Quark deconfinement phase transition for improved quark mass density-dependent model

By using the finite temperature quantum field theory, we calculate the finite temperature effective potential and extend the improved quark mass density-dependent model to finite temperature. It is shown that this model can not only describe the saturation properties of nuclear matter, but also explain the quark deconfinement phase transition successfully. The critical temperature is given and the effect of $\omega$- meson is addressed.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure

An analysis of the X-ray emission from the supernova remnant 3C397

The ASCA SIS and the ROSAT PSPC spectral data of the SNR 3C397 are analysed with a two-component non-equilibrium ionization model. Besides, the ASCA SIS0 and SIS1 spectra are also fitted simultaneously in an equilibrium case. The resulting values of the hydrogen column density yield a distance of \sim8\kpc to 3C397. It is found that the hard X-ray emission, containing S and Fe K$\alpha$ lines, arises primarily from the hot component, while most of the soft emission, composed mainly of Mg, Si, Fe L lines, and continuum, is produced by the cool component. The emission measures suggest that the remnant evolves in a cloudy medium and imply that the supernova progenitor might not be a massive early-type star. The cool component is approaching ionization equilibrium. The ages estimated from the ionization parameters and dynamics are all much greater than the previous determination. We restore the X-ray maps using the ASCA SIS data and compare them with the ROSAT HRI and the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) 20 cm maps. The morphology with two bright concentrations suggests a bipolar remnant encountering a denser medium in the west.Comment: 20 pages, aasms4.sty, 3 figures To appear in ApJ (1999

Exraction and separation of CERIUM(IV)/FLUORINE in fluoride-bearing cerium sulfate solution with fluoride coordination agent

In this paper the extraction and separation of cerium/fluorine in fluoride-bearing cerium sulfate solution with fluoride coordination agent has been studied. The UV-vis spectra suggest that Zr6+ and Al3+ can scrub the F- from [CeF2] 2+ complex. The separation and conductivity studies show that aluminum salt is the most suitable fluoride coordination agent, and an ion-exchange reaction is involved between Ce4+/ [CeF2] 2+ and hydrogen ion

Exraction and separation of CERIUM(IV)/FLUORINE in fluoride-bearing cerium sulfate solution with fluoride coordination agent

In this paper the extraction and separation of cerium/fluorine in fluoride-bearing cerium sulfate solution with fluoride coordination agent has been studied. The UV-vis spectra suggest that Zr6+ and Al3+ can scrub the F- from [CeF2] 2+ complex. The separation and conductivity studies show that aluminum salt is the most suitable fluoride coordination agent, and an ion-exchange reaction is involved between Ce4+/ [CeF2] 2+ and hydrogen ion

Removal of fluoride from fluoride-bering cerium sulfate solution by hydrous zirconium oxide

In this paper the removal of fluoride from fluoride-bearing cerium sulfate solution by amorphous hydrous zirconium oxide was studied. The FTIR, SEM, EDS and UV-vis spectra show that fluoride is successfully adsorbed on hydrous zirconium oxide, and cerium exists as Ce4+ in solution. The study indicates that it is feasible to separate fluorine and cerium from fluorine-bearing rare earth sulfate solution using hydrous zirconium oxide, and eliminate the influence of fluoride on the extraction separation of rare earths

Testing the viability of the interacting holographic dark energy model by using combined observational constraints

Using the data coming from the new 182 Gold type Ia supernova samples, the shift parameter of the Cosmic Microwave Background given by the three-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe observations, and the baryon acoustic oscillation measurement from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, $H(z)$ and lookback time measurements, we have performed a statistical joint analysis of the interacting holographic dark energy model. Consistent parameter estimations show us that the interacting holographic dark energy model is a viable candidate to explain the observed acceleration of our universe.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in JCA