Preparation and Characterisation of Niosomal Emulsions as Novel Drug Delivery Vehicle Derived from Natural Seaweeds

Biomedical field uses polysaccharides for the last one half of the century due to its remarkable applications. Nature is an abundant source for natural polysaccharides made its use widely in this field. In this present chapter study, the potential of alginate-κ-carrageenan and alginate-gelatin hydrogel beads for encapsulating curcumin was investigated. The evaluation of different combination of combinations of alginate/κ-carrageenan and alginate/gelatin hydrogel beads were developed and drug release properties were compared using curcumin as a model drug. Alginate/κ-carrageenan hydrogel beads with 50:50 weight ratio exhibited higher swelling and better drug release percentage than compared to other beads. Antibacterial activity of curcumin released from hydrogel beads against B. cereus was established by disc assay. This nanosized vehicles with increases the efficacy and to control the delivery of biologically active substances at their specific site is as important as the drug activity itself

An extended Kalman filter based control system for maximizing the biomass production in E.coli K1 cultivations

[no abstract

Torsade de Pointes due to Methadone Use in a Patient with HIV and Hepatitis C Coinfection

We present a case of Torsade de Pointes secondary to multiple factors including patient susceptibility and iatrogenic influences. Contributing causes are presented, and the approach to treatment is discussed

Experimental study of the influence of glass cover cooling using evaporative cooling process on the thermal performance of single basin solar still

Acute shortage of drinking water has been on the rise owing to increasing population as well as shortage of drinkable water. Generation of potable water using passive solar stills is among the simplest and easier devices which make use of solar heat energy. However, the output of solar still is generally low owing to greater heat loss and needs improvement. In this paper, an experimental analysis is carried out to determine the performance of passive solar still with glass cover cooling using cold water generated using passive evaporative cooling process. The cold water required for cooling the glass cover is obtained using evaporative cooling process in the water tank which is wound with wet cotton cloth wick. The cold water thus obtained is sprayed onto the top surface of glass cover. The experiment is carried out in the outdoor conditions of Dubai from 10:00h to 14:00h and the temperature recordings of basin plate, glass cover, basin water, ambient air and cooling water are noted for every 30 minutes. The results reveal that the average increase in condensation heat transfer coefficient is found to be about 20.8% higher in the presence of glass cover cooling and the distillate output is found to increase by about 3.32 times. The average still efficiency is found to be relatively higher in the presence of cooling which is about 7.3% higher in the presence of cooling. The cold water temperature generated through evaporative cooling process is about 20.4% lower as compared to ambient temperature. Thus, the cooling of glass cover using cold water obtained through evaporative cooling process is found to be effective in enhancing the thermal performance of single basin solar still system

Traveler Phase 1A Joint Review

The briefing contains the preliminary findings and suggestions for improvement of methods used in development and evaluation of a multi monitor runtime assurance architecture for autonomous flight vehicles. Initial system design, implementation, verification, and flight testing has been conducted. As of yet detailed data review is incomplete, and flight testing has been limited to initial monitor force fights. Detailed monitor flight evaluations have yet to be performed

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Ultrasound-Assisted Liquid-liquid Extraction in Microchannels

In the last decade ultrasound has been gaining popularity as an active method of improving mixing in micro structured devices. In most cases this is achieved by making use of an ultrasonic bath. But this method is accompanied by different disadvantages such as dissipation of power in the liquid medium, inhomogeneous ultrasonic field, non-reproducibility and dependence of the performance on the dimensions and type of the ultrasonic bath used. This research aims at an effective integration of ultrasound with microreactors, under conditions of reproducibility, good control of the ultrasound parameters and visibility of the process during the entire operation to better study the influence of ultrasound on two phase flow. The integration will be approached systematically examining the effects the various design parameters (material of construction, tubing diameter, mode of operation) have on the process. The process of interest to us is liquid-liquid extraction, as it a common unit operation in most chemical industries and also sonication of immiscible liquid-liquid systems may provide improved mass transfer effects as a result of emulsification. The effect of various operational parameters (frequency, power intensity, and temperature) and fluids properties (vapour pressure, viscosity, surface tension) on chemical reactions in immiscible liquid/liquid systems will be studied. This research also aims at studying the mechanism of emulsification by sonication of the two phase flow in microreactors.status: publishe

A report on anthelmintic activity of <i>Cassia tora</i> leaves

Methanolic extract and its ethyl acetate fraction of Cassia tora L. leaves were evaluated for anthelmintic property using the Indian adult earthworm (Pheretima posthuma) as a model. Among the earthworms the ethyl acetate fraction was potent. The results were compared with a standard drug, albendazole. The phytochemical analysis of both extracts showed the presence of phenolics like flavonoids and tannins as well as anthraquinones, which may be the active principle. The present study confirms the ethno-medicinal report of the plant as an anthelmintic drug