Preparation and evaluation of mebeverine hydrochloride as mucoadhesive buccal tablet for local anesthesia

Purpose: To formulate and evaluate an antispasmodic drug, mebeverine hydrochloride (Mbv-HCl), as a local anesthetic mucoadhesive buccal tablet.Methods: Mbv-HCl loaded tablets were formulated, using a direct compression technique, with varying polymer concentrations including carbopol 934P alone, carbopol 934P/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) mixture, or carbopol 934P/chitosan mixture. The tablets were evaluated for physicochemical characteristics, in-vitro drug release, bioadhesive strength, swelling, ex-vivo residence time, ex-vivo permeation, drug permeation through the buccal membrane of sheep, and stability.Results: The results indicate that formulation F4, which contains HPMC/carbopol 934P (3:1), showed the best in-vitro drug release profile. The release kinetics for all the formulations fitted well with Hixson- Crowell kinetic model. Bioadhesive strength, surface pH, and swelling index of F4 were 41.52, 6.36, and 231.2 %, respectively. Maximum residence time ex-vivo was exhibited by formulation F4, showing a maximum residence time of about 330 min with 80 % of Mbv-HCl permeated in 6 h ex-vivo. F4 was stable after storage for 60 days at 25 oC/60 % RH and 40 oC/75 % RH, with non-significant change (p < 0.05) in drug content, bioadhesive strength and in vitro release.Conclusion: The optimized mucoadhesive buccal formulation is promising for delivery of Mbv-HCl, and displays high bioadhesion and adequate permeability through sheep buccal membrane to achieve a local anesthetic action.Keywords: Mebeverine hydrochloride, Buccal, Mucoadhesive tablet, Swelling index, Bioadhesive strength, Local anestheti

A Systematic Review Investigating the Presence of Inflammatory Synovitis in Hip and Knee Joint Replacement Surgery.

Synovial tissue can display an inflammatory response in the presence of OA. There is increasing interest to better understand the role of inflammation in OA, particularly with regard to those who require joint replacement. A systematic review of inflammatory synovitis in OA of literature databases was undertaken from their inception until October 14, 2014. Independent critical appraisal of each study was undertaken using the CASP appraisal tool. From a total of sixty-six identified citations, twenty-three studies were deemed eligible for review. The studies presented moderate to strong methodological quality. Strong correlation was identified between histological and imaging synovitis severity. Correlation was weaker between clinical symptoms and imaging and/or histological synovitis severity. There was little consensus, with regard to expressed cytokines and chemokines at the different stages of OA disease progression. Few studies investigated the influence of inflammatory synovitis on the outcome of major joint replacement. Research into inflammatory synovitis in OA is an emerging field. Longitudinal studies applying proven imaging modalities, histological analysis, and longer follow-up are required in order to further define our understanding of the role of synovitis in the pathogenesis of OA and its effects on outcomes following major joint replacement

Evaluation of Static Horizontal Louvers on Annual Daylighting Performance in Classrooms

Daylighting has a great impact on students’ health, learning performance, and productivity. The goal of this paper is to enhance daylighting performance by examining year-round daylighting performance of Southern facades in the case of one central window in a classroom located in Cairo, Egypt by using static external horizontal shading devices during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters The scope of the study is to evaluate and assess the effect of the window-to-wall ratio (WWR) in addition to the louvers’ configurations of depth and count parameters of the classroom on annual daylighting performance metrics for classrooms’ southern facades by using Rhinoceros, Grasshopper interface and Honeybee Plus plugin which uses the Radiance engine for annual daylighting Simulations. Annual Sunlight Exposure, Spatial Daylight Autonomy and upper and lower limits of useful daylight illuminance are incorporated for an efficient annual daylighting performance. Based on geographical location and sun altitude angles that is gathered from ladybug tools, three alternative configurations of fixed horizontal louvers were investigated to evaluate the difference between them. Results show a low difference with the proposed louver configurations cases and a high reduction in annual sunlight exposure by 78% which complies with LEED v4 and IES-LM-83-12 criteria

The effect of chitosan nanosilver dressing versus mesenchymal stem cells on wound healing

Background: Wounds constitute a major worldwide public health problem. Infection is the most common complication of wounds. Surgical wound infection is still a major post-operative problem. New modalities for treating wound infections such as nanotechnology and stem cell therapy have been tried. The available studies investigated the effect of either mesenchymal stem cells or Chitosan nanosilver on wound-healing but they didn’t compare their effects. Also, they used biochemical, vascular or immunological studies but not histological ones.Aim: to compare the effect of chitosan nanosilver dressing with the intradermal injection of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) on wound healing.Methods: 40 adult female albino rats were equally randomized into 4 groups: group I served as control, in group II, surgical wound was induced. In group III chitosan nanosilver dressing was used after wound induction and group IV received intradermal injection of 1x 106mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow after wound induction. All animals were scarified after seven days by decapitation. Prepared sections were subjected to histological (Haematoxylin and Eosin stain, Masson's trichrome stain, periodic acid-Schiff reaction, immunohistochemical stain for proliferating cell nuclear antigen - PCNA and immunoflourescent techniques for labeling mesenchymal stem cells).Results: Wound group showed complete shedding of epidermis, decreased mean optical density of collagen fibers, negative PAS reaction and negative PCNA immunostainning. Chitosan nanosilver dressing group showed significant increase in the mean epidermal thickness, collagen optical density, and the positive PCNA immunoreactivity compared to the mesenchymal stem cells group.Conclusion: Both chitosan nanosilver dressing and mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) promoted wound healing, but the non-invasive chitosan nanosilver dressing had better and faster wound healing effect.Keywords: Wound healing, Nanosilver, Wound infection, immunofluorescence, mesenchymal stem cell

Improving the delivered power quality from WECS to the grid based on PMSG control model

Renewable energy has become one of the most energy resources nowadays, especially, wind energy. It is important to implement more analysis and develop new control algorithms due to the rapid changes in the wind generators size and the power electronics development in wind energy applications. This paper proposes a grid-connected wind energy conversion system (WECS) control scheme using permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). The model works to improve the delivered power quality and maximize its value. The system contained one controller on the grid side converter (GSC) and two simulation packages used to simulate this model, which were PSIM software package for simulating power circuit and power electronics converters, and MATLAB software package for simulating the controller on Simulink. It employed a meta-heuristic technique to fulfil this target effectively. Mine-blast algorithm (MBA) and harmony search optimization technique (HSO) were applied to the proposed method to get the best controller coefficient to ensure maximum power to the grid and minimize the overshoot and the steady state error for the different control signals. The comparison between the results of the MBA and the HSO showed that the MBA gave better results with the proposed system

Cuckoo search algorithm based for tunning both PI and FOPID controllers for the DFIG-Wind energy conversion system

Wind Energy has received great attention in this century. It influences the new power systems, adding new challenges to the power system expansion problem. Nowadays, double feed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbines are used majorly in wind farms, due to their advantages over other types. Therefore, the analysis of the system using this type has become very important. In this paper, a wind turbine modelling was introduced with suggested controllers, in order to enhance the system response, with respect to both pitch control and maximum output power. Cuckoo search algorithm (CSA), a meta-heuristic optimization technique, was implemented to determine the gains of a proportional-integral (PI) controller and fractional order proportional-integral-derivative (FOPID) controller to optimize the system, which considered three control loops: pitch, rotor-side converter, and grid-side converter control loop. Simulation results were determined using MATLAB/Simulink. The comparative analysis of the results showed that the PI Controller gave the simplest and the best response in case of the pitch and rotor-side control loops while the FOPID was the best when applied to the grid-side control loop. Based on the results and discussion, a suggestion of using a compination of each controller was introduced

Effect of Foundation Deformations on the Damage of a Masonry Villa (Case History)

Cracks in the masonry walls of a one storey villa due to foundation deformations are investigated in this paper. In spite of the fact that the soil formation in the site was found to be almost uniform, hogging deformation profile took place in the strip foundation due to unequal loading. Analysis of the walls together with their supporting soil, as one integrated system, showed that very small foundation deformation can produce tensile stresses in the wall higher than its tensile strength. Repair of the cracks was proposed and carried out successfully

Histological study on the effect of transplanted human umbilical cord blood CD34+ stem cells on albino rats subjected to myocardial infarction

Background: Heart failure is a significant burden to health care systems in the world. One of its major causes is myocardial infarction (MI). Recent developments in stem cells may offer ways to manage heart failure by replacing damaged cardiac muscle with healthy tissue. This study aimed at examining the regenerative effect of intravenously transplanted human umbilical cord blood CD34+ stem cell in a rat model of acute MI. Methods: Forty adult female rats were equally randomized into 5 groups. Groups I and II received saline alone or saline followed by isolation buffer respectively to serve as control groups. The other 3 groups were subjected to induction of acute MI using subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline hydrochloride. In groups III and IV, animals were sacrificed after one week and four weeks respectively. One week after induction of MI, animals in group V received intravenous injection of 4 x 106 CD34+ stem cells separated from the human umbilical cord blood of male fetuses, and were sacrificed after 3 weeks from cell injection. At the end of the experiment, heart tissue was processed for both light and electron microscopic histological studies, and for PCR analysis of the male-specific SRY gene. Results: Light microscopic results of group III revealed increased diameter and necrosis of cardiomyocytes, decreased cross-striations, vascular congestion and mononuclear cellular infiltration. Group IV revealed multiple extensive fibrotic areas. Group V revealed smaller fibrotic areas compared to Group IV. Ultrastructural results confirmed findings of the light microscope. PCR analysis revealed that 63% of heart samples were positive for the presence of SRY gene. Conclusion: CD34+ stem cells can transdifferentiate into cardiomyocyte and regenerate the injured heart subjected to MI.Keywords: HUCB, CD34+ stem cells, myocardial infarction, transdifferentiatio

Efficacy of Probiotic in Improving Welfare and Mitigating Overcrowding Stress in Broilers

This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of probiotic in improving welfare of broilers reared under low stocking density (LSD) and mitigating high stocking density (HSD) stress. A total number of 240 chicks were sub divided into four groups with three replicates for each. Two groups were reared under LSD (10 bird/m2).; 48 chicks (16 bird/ replicate) for each and another 2 groups were reared under HSD (15 bird/m2); 72 chicks (24 bird/ replicate). At each density, one group was supplemented with Protexin® and the other was not supplemented. Blood corticosterone (CS) level was measured and behavior of broilers was recorded weekly. At the end of the growing cycle, behavioral welfare fear response test (time of first attempt to stand, number of attempts to stand and tonic immobility duration) was performed and brain monoamines (serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) concentrations were measured. As a result, HSD stress increased the time birds spent to perform the first attempt to stand and prolonged TI duration. However, Protexin® supplementation only reduced the time of first attempt to stand at higher density without alteration of the number of attempts required to induce TI. No significant improvement in fear response in LSD birds supplied with Protexin®. Furthermore, HSD stress decreased feeding, drinking and walking duration. However, Protexin® supplementation improved feeding, drinking and walking behaviors at LSD and did not improve behaviors of birds at HSD. Moreover, HSD increased CS levels at the 4th, 5th and 6th week of the growing cycle. However, Protexin® supplementation had a decreasing effect on CS levels in the birds reared at HD at the last two weeks of the growing cycle. In addition, brain serotonin concentration was increased in birds reared at HD without Protexin® supplementation and showed no alteration in that supplemented with the probiotic at LSD and HSD. Data suggests that, Protexin® supplementation may be beneficial in improving welfare (behavior al indicator) of broilers reared at LSD and alleviate some effects of HSD stress on birds