Overcoming Poor Solubility of Dimenhydrinate: Development, Optimization and Evaluation of Fast Dissolving Oral Film

Purpose: To develop fast dissolving oral film to address vomiting and nausea in pediatric population. Methods: Oral films of Dimenhydrinate were prepared by solvent casting method by using hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose E5 (HPMC E5), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) and croscarmellose sodium. Solubility of dimenhydrinate was enhanced by ethanol as a co-solvent. To make dimenhydrinate palatable sodium saccharin and peppermint oil were used. All films were evaluated for mechanical parameters, surface pH, morphology, disintegration time and percent dissolution. Results: Films were smooth, acceptable and white in colour. For optimized batch, drug content (99.106%), disintegration time (25 sec), dissolution (99.10% in 210 sec), surface pH (6.81) were acceptable. Conclusion: Optimized batch, due to its potential to deliver through fast dissolving film, can be developed for clinical use

Online Databases Backbone for Teaching and Research: Case Study of Rajarambapu Institute of Technology, affiliated to Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra (India)

The library facilities and services have changed during the pandemic from both the librarians’ and library users’ points of view. Research and academic communication disseminated via emerging online databases and resulted in creating awareness and utilization of electronic resources remotely. The present study investigates the availability, awareness, and use of online databases subscribed from direct publishers and also accessed from Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India, under the INFEED project by Rajarambapu Institute of Technology (RIT) staff members and students during the lockdown period. A mixed research approach (i.e. quantitative and qualitative) has been applied by using an online questionnaire as a data collection tool. Total 128 filled questionnaires were received with an 85.3 percent response rate, and it is found to be valid for analysis. More than 90 percent of the respondents were aware of the Online Databases. Science Direct is a highly used database by 50 percent of the users, majority i. e. 75 percent of the respondents use E-books as a source of information from an online database. The study also found some problems faced by the respondents, such as network problems, technical problems, lack of guidance, etc. Finally, the study made it very clear that most of the users are satisfied with the Online Databases provided by the institutional library

Multi-Stimuli Responsive Donor–Acceptor Tetraphenylethylene Substituted Benzothiadiazoles

In order to understand how the donor (D)/acceptor (A) substituents and their substitution pattern affect the solution and solid-state optical properties, a series of symmetrical and unsymmetrical TPE substituted BTDs <b>3</b>–<b>8</b> were designed and synthesized by the Suzuki and Stille coupling reactions. Their solvatochromic, aggregation induced emission (AIE), mechanochromic, and vapochromic properties were studied and compared. The single-crystal X-ray structures of BTDs <b>5</b> and <b>6</b> are reported. The BTDs <b>3</b>–<b>8</b> are highly fluorescent with the tunable emissions. The solvent dependent emission was observed in BTDs <b>3</b>–<b>8</b> and their Lippert–Mataga plots show a linear correlation of the Stokes shift with solvent polarity. The emission study in different tetrahydrofuran (THF):water percentages show enhanced emission in aggregates. The BTDs exhibit a reversible multi-stimuli response toward mechanical force, solvent, and heat. The detailed study using single-crystal X-ray, photophysical properties, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and theoretical calculation reveals that the planarization induced enhancement in conjugation and conversion of crystalline to amorphous state are responsible for mechanochromism and vapochromism. Our work has elucidated that this general approach can be utilized to develop a promising class of multi-stimuli responsive materials