Possible obstacles and pitfalls during biopharmaceutical processing of high concentration liquid formulations (HCLF)

There is an evolving need of high concentration liquid formulations in the field of biologicals over the last years. An increase in protein concentration allows administering the desired therapeutic dose preferably within a single injection due to a considerably reduced drug product volume. Thus, the usage of high concentrated liquid formulations is associated with a higher degree of freedom with regard to e.g. primary packaging material such as syringes, small volume applicators as well as route of administration. Both are leading to a higher patient convenience, ideally to self-administration and thus hospital or medical personnel independency. However, a higher protein concentration can result in increasing viscosities, which entails challenges regarding administration to the patient or biopharmaceutical processing steps (e.g. purification, fill and finish). In literature, key interactions of high concentration liquid formulations are described, which are of importance for the purification (e.g. Donnan effect for diafiltration) or the fill and finish step (e.g. differences in densities). This oral presentation will give an overview of obstacles and pitfalls within certain biopharmaceutical processing steps of HCLFs as well as approaches to tackle them

Hiding in plain sight: an evolutionary approach to the South American Zika outbreak and its future consequences

Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) pose a world-wide health and socio-economic threat. Accelerating climate change and globalization are exposing unforeseen ways that pathogens cope with their surroundings. The 2015 Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak was an example of expansion into previously inaccessible fitness spaces, causing a sudden epidemic. Recent studies indicating the subsequent decrease in symptomatic cases means the virus is in remission, currently poses little threat, and therefore can be ignored. We present an evolutionary scenario derived from the Stockholm Paradigm, of oscillating phases of expansion and isolation, accompanied by changes in transmission, persistence, virulence, and pathology. Chief among these is the likelihood that asymptomatic strains are constantly transmitted sexually. This suggests that the currently quiescent virus retains capacities to reemerge abruptly and spread rapidly in an arena of changing opportunity

Language Teachers and Technology : Beliefs, Attitudes, and Knowledge

This study explores language teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes toward technology integration. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, language teachers were compelled to adopt various technologies for remote teaching. Our findings reveal a strong belief among teachers in the importance of technology skills for effective classroom implementation. While positive attitudes toward technology adoption were prevalent, opinions varied on its impact on teaching abilities. Teachers recognized the benefits of technology for communication and creating instructional materials. Yet, views on student engagement with technology were diverse. The findings emphasized the influence of teacher background and attitude in shaping their utilization of technology, with implications for teacher professional development and the integration of technology into educational practices.journal articl

Analytic modelling of a planar Goubau line with circular conductor.

Planar Goubau lines show promise as high frequency, low-loss waveguides on a substrate. However, to date only numerical simulations and experimental measurements have been performed. This paper analytically investigates the surface wave mode propagating along a planar Goubau line consisting of a perfectly conducting circular wire on top of a dielectric substrate of finite thickness but infinite width. An approximate equation for the propagation constant is derived and solved through numerical integration. The dependence of the propagation constant on various system parameters is calculated and the results agree well with full numerical simulations. In addition, the spatial distribution of the longitudinal electric field is reported and excellent agreement with a numerical simulation and previous studies is found. Moreover, validation against experimental phase velocity measurements is also reported. Finally, insights gained from the model are considered for a Goubau line with a rectangular conductor. The analytic model reveals that the propagating mode of a planar Goubau line is hybrid in contrast to the transverse magnetic mode of a classic Goubau line