DEVELOPMENT OFRIZATRIPTAN BENZOATE MICROSPHERES FOR NOSE TO BRAIN TARGETING

Objective: Oral administration of rizatriptan benzoate shows poor bioavailability due to first pass metabolism, which can be avoided by nasal administration of drugs. Additionally, the nasal administration provides faster onset of action, which is desired to get relief from the intense pain of a migraine. The present research work was emphasised on design, development and evaluation of mucoadhesive microspheres for nasal delivery of rizatriptan benzoate through a systematic approach. Methods: The microspheres of rizatriptan benzoate were prepared by the w/o/w double emulsion solvent diffusion method using the non-aqueous medium. Critical formulation and process parameters were identified through preliminary trial batches and 2[4-1] fractional factorial design was employed using polymer concentration (X1:2-5%), drug to polymer ratio (X2:1:2-1:6), amount of liquid paraffin (X3:100-200 ml) and the amount of magnesium stearate (X4:100-150 mg) as independent variables. Results: Design batches were evaluated for percent yield (50-78%), percent entrapment efficiency (62-85%), drug loading (7.5-30%), % mucoadhesion (47-75%) and drug release at 6 h (44-78%). Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) study showed that microspheres were of 50 µm in size and spherical in shape with a smooth surface. The optimised batch (D10) showed 85% entrapment efficiency and 66.6% drug release within 6 h. The developed microspheres could be used to deliver rizatriptan benzoate through nasal administration for treatment of a migraine. Conclusion: The developed microspheres can be considered as a promising system for nasal delivery system of rizatriptan benzoat

Direct Maxillary Sinus Lift for Single Tooth Implant: A Clinical Study

Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate clinically and radiographically the long-term success of one-stage direct (lateral) sinus lift procedure using alloplastic bone graft material and bio-absorbable membrane in conjunction with two stage implant placement in atrophic partially edentulous posterior maxilla. Materials and methods: One stage direct maxillary sinus lift in conjunction with two stage implant placement was carried out in 10 patients at 11 sites. All the patients were partially edentulous with posterior maxillary alveolar ridge height of > 5 mm and were in the age group of 20 to 50 years. Bioactive glass putty, bio-absorbable collagen membrane and 3.75 × 11.5 mm implants were used. Patients were evaluated clinically and radio-graphically for 18 months after placement of implants at intervals of 6 months to assess increase in residual ridge height, peri-implant condition (marginal bone loss, plaque and gingival index) and implant stability. Results: Maxillary first molar was the most common site (72.72%) for sinus lift and implant placement. Caries was the most common cause (90.90%) for loss of tooth. Increase in residual ridge height ranged from (71.43-133.33%) as measured by Denta-Scan. Implant survival rate was 100%. Marginal bone loss ranged from (0.6-1.2 mm). Implant stability was measured by periotest (–2 to –6). Only one patient had perforation of sinus membrane, but it was sealed satisfactorily by bio-absorable membrane. Conclusion: One stage lateral sinus lift procedure with alloplastic bone graft material in combination with 2 stage implant placement has a predictable outcome in patients with severe resorption of posterior maxilla

Radiation Dose Reduction in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Utilizing a Novel Protocol

ObjectivesThis study reports the results a novel radiation reduction protocol (RRP) system for coronary angiography and interventional procedures and the determinants of radiation dose.BackgroundThe cardiac catheterization laboratory is an important source of radiation and should be kept in good working order with dose-reduction and monitoring capabilities.MethodsAll diagnostic coronary angiograms and percutaneous coronary interventions from a single catheterization laboratory were analyzed 2 months before and after RRP implementation. The primary outcome was the relative dose reduction at the interventional reference point. Separate analyses were done for conventional 15 frames/s (FPS) and at reduced 7.5 FPS post-RRP groups.ResultsA total of 605 patients underwent coronary angiography (309 before RRP and 296 after RRP), with 129 (42%) and 122 (41%) undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions before and after RRP, respectively. With RRP, a 48% dose reduction (1.07 ± 0.05 Gy vs. 0.56 ± 0.03 Gy, p < 0.0001) was obtained, 35% with 15 FPS RRP (0.70 ± 0.05 Gy, p < 0.0001) and 62% with 7.5 FPS RRP (0.41 ± 0.03 Gy, p < 0.001). Similar dose reductions for diagnostic angiograms and percutaneous coronary interventions were noted. There was no change in the number of stents placed or vessels intervened on. Increased dose was associated with male sex, radial approach, increasing body mass index, cine runs, and frame rates. Using a multivariable model, a 48% relative risk with RRP (p < 0.001), 44% with 15 FPS RRP and 68% with 7.5 FPS RRP was obtained.ConclusionsWe demonstrate a highly significant 48.5% adjusted radiation dose reduction using a novel algorithm, which needs strong consideration among interventional cardiology practice

Production of He-4 and (4) in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S=2.76 TeV at the LHC

Results on the production of He-4 and (4) nuclei in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S = 2.76 TeV in the rapidity range vertical bar y vertical bar <1, using the ALICE detector, are presented in this paper. The rapidity densities corresponding to 0-10% central events are found to be dN/dy4(He) = (0.8 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.3 (syst)) x 10(-6) and dN/dy4 = (1.1 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.2 (syst)) x 10(-6), respectively. This is in agreement with the statistical thermal model expectation assuming the same chemical freeze-out temperature (T-chem = 156 MeV) as for light hadrons. The measured ratio of (4)/He-4 is 1.4 +/- 0.8 (stat) +/- 0.5 (syst). (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

PANC Study (Pancreatitis: A National Cohort Study): national cohort study examining the first 30 days from presentation of acute pancreatitis in the UK

Abstract Background Acute pancreatitis is a common, yet complex, emergency surgical presentation. Multiple guidelines exist and management can vary significantly. The aim of this first UK, multicentre, prospective cohort study was to assess the variation in management of acute pancreatitis to guide resource planning and optimize treatment. Methods All patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years presenting with acute pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria, from March to April 2021 were eligible for inclusion and followed up for 30 days. Anonymized data were uploaded to a secure electronic database in line with local governance approvals. Results A total of 113 hospitals contributed data on 2580 patients, with an equal sex distribution and a mean age of 57 years. The aetiology was gallstones in 50.6 per cent, with idiopathic the next most common (22.4 per cent). In addition to the 7.6 per cent with a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, 20.1 per cent of patients had a previous episode of acute pancreatitis. One in 20 patients were classed as having severe pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria. The overall mortality rate was 2.3 per cent at 30 days, but rose to one in three in the severe group. Predictors of death included male sex, increased age, and frailty; previous acute pancreatitis and gallstones as aetiologies were protective. Smoking status and body mass index did not affect death. Conclusion Most patients presenting with acute pancreatitis have a mild, self-limiting disease. Rates of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis are high. Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis are common, but are likely to have reduced risk of death on subsequent admissions. </jats:sec

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Cluster Validation of WHAN Galaxy Classification Using a Novel Approach To External Cluster Validation

The classification of galaxies is traditionally carried out using human-eye analysis of morphology or through information provided by a large survey of galaxies. Clustering methods can reduce the effort of manual classification by automating this process. Out of all the different properties available for galaxy classification, classification based on emission-line spectra is among the easiest to carry out. Once we have clustering output, it is important to evaluate it. Cluster validation involves computing statistics over the clustering structure to derive an estimate of how good the clustering is. When performed using only clustered data points, cluster validation is said to be internal. When an independent external classification scheme is compared to the clustering result, it is called external cluster validation. The disadvantage with using traditional cluster validation metrics is the lack of a probabilistic model. Traditional cluster validation metrics output the average of the similarities obtained between clusters and classes. The novelty exhibited by the individual clusters with classes can be lost when an average is taken over all the similarity values. Our method for external cluster validation computes the separation between individual clusters and its estimated external class by projection of individual clusters and classes onto a dimension which preserves the discriminatory information in the original feature space. Our method uses a probabilistic approach to calculate the cluster separation. This method provides a better understanding of how individual clusters are similar or dissimilar to their external classification. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Dataset (SDSS) was used to evaluate our algorithm. The external classification scheme used is the WHAN classification system. We can derive clusters similar to at least one of the external classes. The similarity between clusters and two external classes of galaxies can be explained by domain knowledge, which are classes which can have overlapping properties. The structure derived by the clustering algorithm is supported by the numerical experiments.Computer Science, Department o

X-ray, SEM, far IR characterization and bulk magnetic properties of Zn²⁺ substituted copper ferrite synthesized by co- precipitation technique

207-214The alternating current (ac) low field susceptibility vs temperature and magnetization measurements are reported for the spinel solid solution series ZnxCu1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8) synthesized by a wet-chemical method before and after high temperature annealing. The low values of lattice constant, magneton number and Neel temperature for wet-samples (W) as compared to annealed wet (A W) <span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:hiddenhorzocr;color:black;mso-ansi-language:="" en-in;mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-IN">samples are explained on the basis of fine particle nature of wet samples. The high temperature annealing changes the wet-prepared ferrites into ordered magnetic structure of ceramic ferrites. The Neel temperature calculated theoretically are in good agreement to those deduced experimentally. Scanning electron micrographs are used to see the grain growth and homogeneity of the samples while infra red spectra are used to determine water and sulphate content and to confirm ordered spinel ferrite structure.</span

Safety and Efficacy of Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsies under Ultrasound and Stereotactic Guidance

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) under ultrasound and stereotactic guidance