Efficiency and Stiffness of the Single Lap Bolt Joints in Glass Epoxy Composites

The present work deals with the investigations on the joint efficiency and the joint stiffness of the single lap bolt joint made of two dimensional woven glass fibre reinforced composite materials. The effect of joint geometry, bolt pretension and washer has been determined on the bolt joint performance. To estimate the effect of geometric parameters; the edge-to-hole diameter (e/d) and width-to-hole diameter (w/d) ratios are varied from 3 to 4 and 3 to 5, respectively. To study the worst loading conditions; the bolt pre-tension is set to zero, whereas 5 Nm torque is applied to investigate the joint in fully clamped conditions. Two different sizes of washer i.e., the outer diameter of 12 mm and 16 mm have been studied to estimate the effect of the washer on failure load, joint stiffness, and joint efficiency. Progressive damage analysis has been performed on the single lap bolt joint. Characteristic curve method along with Tsai-Wu failure criteria has been used for the prediction of the failure loads and failure modes. The joint stiffness and the failure load of the joint are increased with the increase of w/d ratios. However, the joint efficiency was negatively influenced by w/d ratio

DEVELOPMENT OF NANOCRYSTAL FORMULATION WITH IMPROVED DISSOLUTION

With the advancement in modern pharmaceutical technologies, Nanotechnology is the one of the most establish technology which is used to improve the therapeutic index and to overcome the formulation challenges of poorly water-soluble compounds. Nanocrystals, in nano range, is the interesting approach for poorly soluble drugs. Due to the small size, increased surface area enhanced the dissolution rate and solubility of drug. In this paper, current technologies and methods in nanocrystal preparation, stabilization, pharmaceutical applications and limitations of nanocrystal are reviewed. Keywords: Nanocrystal, limitations, stabilization, preparation, application

ASPECTS RELATED TO THE SOLID LIPID NANOPARTICLES DELIVERY THROUGH THE TOPICAL ROUTE

The Solid lipid nanoparticles are the submicrons sized particles which have particle size in the range of 100-1000 nm which can be suitable for skin drug delivery. The Particle size is the major factor influenced at the time of drug delivery, other factor is the physiological acceptable and biodegradable property of the solid lipid nanoparticles. The epidermis i.e. stratum corneum is the rate-limiting factor which requires the appropriate carriers either lipophilic or small particle sized carriers to enhance the penetration. The aspects related while administrating the solid lipid nanoparticles through the skin are the occlusive factor, film formation property of Solid lipid nanoparticles etc. as mechanism. Small particles can make close contact to the Stratum corneum surface i.e. superficial junctions of the corneocytes clusters and furrows between corneocyte islands may favor accumulation for many hours allowing to the sustained release. Solid lipid nanoparticles and Nanostructured lipid carriers should attach as they are for longer and remain at the application site because of a pronounced adhesive effect. However, it is necessary that the adhesiveness is directly proportional to the decrease in the particle size. Water evaporation results in a transition of the lipid matrix to a more highly ordered structure leading to drug expulsion. Improved hydration at least temporarily opens the compact structure of the horny layer, and the permeability of the barrier increases.KEYWORDS: Solid lipid nanoparticles, Skin, Mechanism of drug penetration through nanocarrier

INNOVATIVE GROWTH IN DEVELOPING NEW METHODS FOR FORMULATING SOLID LIPID NANOPARTICLES AND MICROPARTICLES

The solid lipid nanopaticles are the colloidal drug delivery system which is spherical in shape and present in 10-1000nm particle sized range. The surfactant is used to stabilize the solid lipid nanoparticles to avoid aggregation. The Co-surfactant was used in addition to increase the micelles concentration. The optimization of surfactant concentration was used to stabilize the nanoparticles and microparticles formed and to decrease the particle size by decrease the aggregation. The manufacturing methods of the SLN are of four types, the high pressure homogenization which is further divides into two types hot homogenization method and cold homogenization method, Solvent-Diffusion evaporation method, ultrasonication method, and membrane contactor method. The non-uniform particles sizes were obtained from high pressure and ultra-sonication methods but the solvent-Diffusion Evaporation method and membrane contactor methods give uniform sized particles. But disadvantages of the later methods are the toxicity of organic solvent if not evaporates completely from the SLNs and the high cost of membrane contactor instrument is there in the formulation of SLNs. While the ultra-turrax and high pressure homogenization methods are the safest methods to use as compared to Solvent-Diffusion Evaporation method. The unpublished results have indicated that the drug release from the HPH and ultra-sonication gave highest drug release as compared to marketed conventional gel and formulation obtained by Solvent-Diffusion Evaporation method. Keywords: SLN, high pressure homogenization method, Solvent-Diffusion Evaporation method, ultrasonication method, Membrane contactor metho

PARTICLE SIZE REDUCTION OF ACECLOFENAC BY USING SURFACTANTS AND MICRONIZATION FOR NANOCARRIER ENTRAPMENT

The Aceclofenac (2-[(2, 6- dichlorophenyl) amine] phenylacetoxyacetic acid) is a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory category of drug, which is water insoluble drug of BCS class-II which has low solubility and high permeability phenomenon. The particle size reduction technique is used to solubilize the aceclofenac. The particle size of aceclofenac in bulk form is 140-200 microns. In this experiment, The 35 microns particle size was reduced in powder form from 140-200 microns by using Air jet mill and 17.08 microns size was reduced by using dynomill and 33.62 microns particle size was reduced by using Tween 80 as surfactant as considered as lowest particle size. The Labrasol and Na. CMC were also used in this experiment. The equipments used to reduce particle size of aceclofenac are ultra-Turrax (Ultra-sonication), Air jet mill and Dynomill. These all instruments used to reduce the particle size of aceclofenac are safe and not any chemical compound was added in any of the method described above. This study was used to see the uniform nature of the nano- and micro-particles entrapping the aceclofenac drug obtained by High shear homogenization, high pressure homogenization, Solvent-Diffusion evaporation and membrane contactor methods. If the particle size of aceclofenac cannot be reduced less than 14 microns then at the time of Permeation studies the same particle size will enter in Stratum corneum of Skin and entrapped in the carrier matrix. And formation of microns sized particles will obtained while preparing Solid lipid nanoparticles. Keywords: Solubilization, Particle size reduction, Air jet mill, high shear homogenizer, particle size analyzer, Dynomil

Integrating health care in Australia : a qualitative evaluation

With aging populations, a growing prevalence of chronic illnesses, higher expectations for quality care and rising costs within limited health budgets, integration of healthcare is seen as a solution to these challenges. Integrated healthcare aims to overcome barriers between primary and secondary care and other disconnected patient services to improve access, continuity and quality of care. Many people in Australia are admitted to hospital for chronic illnesses that could be prevented or managed in the community. Western Sydney has high rates of diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases and the NSW State Ministry of Health has implemented key strategies through the Western Sydney Integrated Care Program (WSICP) to enhance primary care and the outcomes and experiences of patients with these illnesses. We aimed to investigate the WSICP’s effectiveness through a qualitative evaluation focused on the 10 WSICP strategies. The combined WSICP strategies improved patient and carer experience of healthcare and capacity of GPs to provide care in the community. Information sharing required longer-term investment and support, though benefits were evident by the end of our research

Microbial life in a Proterozoic ocean analogue (Meromictic Lake Cadagno)

Meromictic Lake Cadagno contains a persistent microbial bloom and resembles the conditions of the Proterozoic Ocean because of oxic-anoxic transition along with sulphide-rich water. Lake Cadagno is permanently stratified into mixolimnion (oxic), chemocline (oxic-anoxic), and monimolimnion (anoxic). The microbial community of Lake Cadagno has been extensively studied for at least 25 years; contrastingly, a collective picture of nutrient biogeochemical cycling modulation by microbial eukaryotes, bacteria, and viruses was still missing. The work extends the understanding of the Lake Cadagno microbial loop and provides the first insights into the genomics of microbial eukaryotes and viruses from this ancient ocean model. This thesis presents a novel genome of a photosynthetic microbial eukaryote (referred to as Chlorella cadagnis) from the chemocline of Lake Cadagno, and their genomic machinery shows protein-coding genes involved in carbon, sulphur, and nitrogen metabolism. These findings reveal how microbial eukaryotes might thrive in a harsh (low light, O2) chemocline environment. Furthermore, the work also presents that phycocyanin and phycobilins signals used for the detection of cyanobacteria in Lake Cadagno likely originated from chloroplasts of microbial eukaryotes like Cryptomonas. This thesis also presents the first report on the viral ecology of Lake Cadagno and potentially reveals how viruses might modulate oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis in the chemocline of the ancient oceans

Bacterial, Phytoplankton, and Viral Distributions and Their Biogeochemical Contexts in Meromictic Lake Cadagno Offer Insights into the Proterozoic Ocean Microbial Loop

International audienceLake Cadagno, a permanently stratified high-alpine lake with a persistent microbial bloom in its chemocline, has long been considered a model for the low-oxygen, high-sulfide Proterozoic ocean. Although the lake has been studied for over 25 years, the absence of concerted study of the bacteria, phytoplankton, and viruses, together with primary and secondary production, has hindered a comprehensive understanding of its microbial food web. Here, the identities, abundances, and productivity of microbes were evaluated in the context of Lake Cadagno biogeochemistry. Photosynthetic pigments together with 16S rRNA gene phylogenies suggest the prominence of eukaryotic phytoplankton chloroplasts, primarily chlorophytes. Chloroplasts closely related to those of high-alpine-adapted Ankyra judayi persisted with oxygen in the mixolimnion, where photosynthetic efficiency was high, while chloroplasts of Closteriopsis-related chlorophytes peaked in the chemocline and monimolimnion. The anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacterium Chromatium dominated the chemocline along with Lentimicrobium, a genus of known fermenters. Secondary production peaked in the chemocline, which suggested that anoxygenic primary producers depended on heterotrophic nutrient remineralization. The virus-to-microbe ratio peaked with phytoplankton abundances in the mixolimnion and were at a minimum where Chromatium abundance was highest, trends that suggest that viruses may play a role in the modulation of primary production. Through the combined analysis of bacterial, eukaryotic, viral, and biogeochemical spatial dynamics, we provide a comprehensive synthesis of the Lake Cadagno microbial loop. This study offers a new ecological perspective on how biological and geochemical connections may have occurred in the chemocline of the Proterozoic ocean, where eukaryotic microbial life is thought to have evolved. IMPORTANCE As a window into the past, this study offers insights into the potential role that microbial guilds may have played in the production and recycling of organic matter in ancient Proterozoic ocean chemoclines. The new observations described here suggest that chloroplasts of eukaryotic algae were persistent in the low-oxygen upper chemocline along with the purple and green sulfur bacteria known to dominate the lower half of the chemocline. This study provides the first insights into Lake Cadagno's viral ecology. High viral abundances suggested that viruses may be essential components of the chemocline, where their activity may result in the release and recycling of organi