Investigation of the stability of tablets prepared from sucrose and citric acid anhydride utilizing response surface methodology

Inversion of sucrose is a stability problem particularly of candies with acidic taste that contain sucrose and small amounts of organic acids such as citric acid, since the free d-fructose produced by hydrolysis is hygroscopic. The following possibilities were investigated for preventing the hydrolysis of sucrose in tablets containing sucrose and citric acid: Adding various amounts of tri-sodium citrate to the formulation to neutralize the citric acid, (Hot) melt coating of citric acid and tri-sodium citrate with a vegetable fat at different coating ratios, variation of the ratio of coated citric acid and tri-sodium citrate in formulations, and compressing the formulations with different compression forces. After tablet processing and storage of tablets, the concentration of d-fructose was determined on the basis of enzymatic reactions. A response surface central composite design was used. The above-mentioned variations were chosen as independent variables and the amount of d-fructose was chosen as response variable. The lowest rates of inversion could be achieved by increasing the content of tri-sodium citrate and the ratio of coating material and decreasing the ratio of coated citric acid and tri-sodium citrate in the tablet formulations. The compression force had no significant effect on the inversion of sucrose.     

SAP NetWeaver: Slicing the fridge

Zusammenfassung Das Schlagwort NetWeaver ist seit einiger Zeit in unserer Branche en vogue. Wie so oft, ist es nicht leicht, Marketingaspekte vom informatischen Wesensgehalt zu unterscheiden. Dieser Beitrag m?chte hier helfen.     

The computer — a new tool for visual art

The article points out some new possibilities for using computers as an instrument for visual art, especially stressing the mathematical method of picture synthesis. It is illustrated with results of recent computer art by Herbert W. Franke and Horst Helbig.     

Evaluation of the accuracy of real-time ultrasonic measurements of backfat and loin muscle area in swine using multiple statistical analysis procedures

Real-time ultrasonic measurements of 10th-rib backfat (BF10) and loin muscle area (LMA) were made by a single technician at four mean BW (67.4, 80.3, 93.4, and 104.9 kg) on live hogs to assess the accuracy of predicting carcass measurements before and at slaughter weight. Records were evaluated on 655 purebred barrows and 472 purebred gilts in two tests. Residual correlations-accounting for test, sex, and breed effects, among and between scans and carcass measurements--were moderate to high for BF10 (r=.69 to .82) and LMA (r=.57 to .68), with the largest correlations at 104.9 kg of live weight. Ultrasonic BF10 and LMA were within +/-4 mm and +/-6.45 cm2, respectively, of the corresponding carcass measurement 75.9 and 89.8% of the time. Sex differences for LMA bias were significant (P < .001); ultrasonic LMA was overestimated in barrows by .75 cm2 and underestimated in gilts by .91 cm2. Breed differences were significant (P < .001) for BF10 and LMA bias. Standard errors of prediction (SEP) for BF10 and LMA across the two tests were 3.46 mm and 4.04 cm2, respectively. The SEP for BF10 were 3.60 mm for barrows and 3.19 mm for gilts. The SEP for LMA were 3.77 cm2 for barrows and 4.22 cm2 for gilts. The SEP for BF10 within breeds ranged from 3.25 to 3.72 mm, and for LMA, ranged from 2.98 cm2 to 4.90 cm2. Ultrasound measurements overestimated the carcass measurement by .57 mm for carcasses measuring < 24.1 mm and underestimated by 2.81 mm carcasses with BF10 > 30.3 mm. Ultrasonic LMA overestimated the carcass by 2.35 cm2 in carcasses measuring < 32.5 cm2 and underestimated by 2.29 cm2 in carcasses measuring greater than 37.9 cm2. Results indicate that the magnitude of the carcass measurement affects bias and accuracy of prediction for real-time ultrasonic measurements of BF10 and LMA. The SEP statistic is more consistent in evaluating accuracy of ultrasonic measurement than bias, absolute deviations, and percentage of absolute deviation.     

The CADE-14 ATP System Competition

This paper documents the design, competing systems, results, and conclusions of the CADE-14 ATP System Competition (CASC-14).     

Geographic distribution and clinical description of leishmaniasis cases in Peru

Asymmetric acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is anchored to the basal lamina (BL) of cholinergic synapses via its collagenic tail, yet the complement of matrix receptors involved in its attachment remains unknown. The development of a novel overlay technique has allowed us to identify two Torpedo BL components that bind asymmetric AChE: a polypeptide of approximately 140 kDa and a doublet of 195-215 kDa. These were found to stain metachromatically with Coomassie blue R-250, were solubilized by acetic acid, and were sensitive to collagenase treatment. Upon sequence analysis, the 140 kDa polypeptide yielded a characteristic collagenous motif. Another AChE-binding BL constituent, identified by overlay, corresponded to a heparan sulfate proteoglycan. Lastly, we established that this proteoglycan, but not the collagenous proteins, interacted with at least one heparin binding domain of the collagenic tail of AChE. Our results indicate that at least two BL receptors are likely to exist for asymmetric AChE in Torpedo electric organ.     

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of sibrafiban (Ro 48-3657), an orally active IIb/IIIa antagonist, administered alone or in combination with heparin, aspirin, and recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator in beagles

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of prophylactic medical intervention in reducing the incidence of cystoid macular edema (CME) and the effectiveness of medical treatment for chronic CME after cataract surgery. DESIGN: The study design was a systematic review and meta-analysis of published reports of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen RCTs involving 2898 eyes examining the effectiveness of medical prophylaxis of CME and 4 RCTs involving 187 eyes testing the effectiveness of medical treatment of chronic CME were used in the study. INTERVENTIONS: Medical prophylaxis of treatment (cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors or corticosteroids) versus control (placebo or active treatment) was performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of angiographically diagnosed CME, incidence of clinically significant CME, and vision were measured. RESULTS: Thirty-six articles reported testing a prophylactic medical intervention for CME after cataract surgery. The incidence of CME varied extensively across studies and was related to the study design used. Summary odds ratios (OR) indicated that prophylactic intervention was effective in reducing the incidence of both angiographic CME (OR = 0.36; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.28-0.45) and clinically relevant CME (OR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.33-0.73). There also was a statistically significant positive effect on improving vision (OR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.14-3.41). A combination of the results of the four RCTs testing medical therapy for chronic CME indicated a treatment benefit in terms of improving final visual acuity by two or more Snellen lines (OR = 2.67; 95% CI = 1.35-5.30). Assessment of the quality of the 20 RCTs included in the meta-analyses indicated problems in the design, execution, and reporting of a number of trials. CONCLUSION: A combination of the results from RCTs indicates that medical prophylaxis for aphakic and pseudophakic CME and medical treatment for chronic CME are beneficial. Because most of the RCTs performed to date have problems related to quality, a well-designed RCT is needed to confirm this result, using clinical CME and vision as outcomes.