Modelling pellet size and shape evolution during the breakage stage in spheronisation

In the breakage stage of extrusion-spheronisation, initially cylindrical extrudates undergo simultaneous breakage and rounding on a rotating friction plate. This sets the starting conditions (number of pellets, size and shape distributions) for the subsequent, lengthy, rounding stage. The simultaneous evolution of pellet size and shape during the initial stages of spheronisation has not been considered in depth. Wang et al. (2021) AIChEJ, 67(6), e17247 investigated the breakage of 2 mm diameter microcrystalline cellulose/water extrudates and modelled the evolution of length using a 1-D population balance model. Here the data (over 17,000 images) were reanalysed and classified by both length and shape (8 shape classes). Their model was extended to 2-D (tracking size and shape), and the data fitted by a combination of optimization approaches. The effect of pellet length on the likelihood of breakage over rounding, and the influence of plate rotation speed and initial number of extrudates, is reported

Who still dies young in a rich city? Revisiting the case of Oxford

There are substantial inequalities in mortality and life expectancy in England, strongly linked to levels of deprivation. Mortality rates among those who are homeless are particularly high. Using the city of Oxford (UK) as a case study, we investigate ward-level premature standardised mortality ratios for several three-year and five-year periods between 2002 and 2016, and explore the extent to which the mortality of people who become homeless contributed to any rise or fall in geographical inequalities during this period. Age–sex standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for people aged under 65 years old, with and without deaths among the homeless population, were calculated using Office for National Statistics Death Registration data for England and Wales 2002−2016. Individuals who were homeless or vulnerably housed were identified using records supplied by a local Oxford homeless charity. We found that in an increasingly wealthy, and healthy, city there were persistent ward-level inequalities in mortality, which the city-wide decrease in premature mortality over the period masked. Premature deaths among homeless people in Oxford became an increasingly important contributor to the overall geographical inequalities in health in this city. In the ward with the highest SMR, deaths among the homeless population accounted for 73% of all premature deaths of residents over the whole period; in 2014–2016 this proportion rose to 88%. Homelessness among men (the vast majority of the known homeless population) in this gentrifying English city rose to become the key explanation of geographical mortality patterns in deaths before age 65 across the entire city, particularly after 2011. Oxford reflects a broader pattern now found in many places across England of increasing homeless deaths, widening geographical inequalities in life expectancy, and sharp increases in all-age SMRs. The answer to the question, “Who dies young in a rich, and in fact an even richer, place?” is – increasingly – the homeless

Minimising treatment-associated risks in systemic cancer therapy

Aim of the review To review the consequences of drug-related problems (DRP) in systemic cancer therapy and identify specific contributions of the pharmacist to minimise treatment-associated risks. Method Searches in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were conducted. Bibliographies of retrieved articles were examined for additional references. Only papers in English between 1980 and 2007 were included. Results In systemic cancer therapy there is an enormous potential for DRP due to the high toxicity and the complexity of most therapeutic regimens. The most frequently reported DRP can be classified into adverse effects, drug–drug interactions, medication errors, and non-adherence. Pharmacists have enhanced efforts to assure quality and safety in systemic cancer therapy together with other health care providers. In consequence, oncology pharmacy has evolved as a novel specialist discipline. The endeavour to merge and co-ordinate individual activities and services of the pharmacist has led to pharmaceutical care concepts which aim at offering novel solutions to the various DRP. Conclusion Pharmaceutical care for cancer patients should be developed within research projects and integrated into disease management programs in order to ensure broad implementation

Living Bacterial Sacrificial Porogens to Engineer Decellularized Porous Scaffolds

Decellularization and cellularization of organs have emerged as disruptive methods in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Porous hydrogel scaffolds have widespread applications in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and drug discovery as viable tissue mimics. However, the existing hydrogel fabrication techniques suffer from limited control over pore interconnectivity, density and size, which leads to inefficient nutrient and oxygen transport to cells embedded in the scaffolds. Here, we demonstrated an innovative approach to develop a new platform for tissue engineered constructs using live bacteria as sacrificial porogens. E.coli were patterned and cultured in an interconnected three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel network. The growing bacteria created interconnected micropores and microchannels. Then, the scafold was decellularized, and bacteria were eliminated from the scaffold through lysing and washing steps. This 3D porous network method combined with bioprinting has the potential to be broadly applicable and compatible with tissue specific applications allowing seeding of stem cells and other cell types

Optimisation and scale-up of a highly-loaded 5-ASA multi-particulate dosage form using a factorial approach

Pellets with high loading of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA, mesalamine) are desired to reduce the number of tablets required to deliver the daily dosing regimen. Recently, we reported an extrusion-spheronisation route for the development of a 90 wt% 5-ASA/microcrystalline cellulose formulation based on milled 5-ASA which gave good yields of pellets at the lab scale. In the present work, such formulation was optimised further by preliminary studies using a lab-scale ram extruder, and then scaled up to the pilot plant scale on a Nica screen extruder using a mixed fractional factorial approach. The final formulation featured 95 wt% 5-ASA and 5 wt% Avicel RC591 (all dry basis) and yielded spherical pellets suitable for use as the drug core of a multi-particulate DDS