Understanding the thermodynamic micro-environment inside a pan coater using a data logging device

Objective: The objective of the current study was to establish the use of PyroButton data-logging device to monitor and quantify the thermodynamic environment (temperature and humidity) of a pan coating process.

Material and methods: PyroButtons were placed (fixed) at various locations in a pan coater, including exhaust plenum, spray-gun bar, baffles and were also allowed to freely move with the tablet-bed. A full factorial design of experiments (DOE) study on three process parameters, exhaust temperature, pan speed and spray rate was conducted on a 24 inch pan coater, using a coating system and a core tablet combination expected to have a narrow process operating space.

Results: It was shown that the PyroButtons can provide a detailed and useful signature of the coating process. PyroButton data showed that the tablet-bed temperature was always lower than exhaust temperature and that the difference was a function of the operating conditions such as spray rate. Similarly, the tablet-bed humidity was found to always be higher than exhaust humidity. Some of the DOE batches showed coating defects (logo-bridging). It was shown that the relative humidity (RH), as measured by the freely-moving PyroButtons in the tablet-bed, correlated well with the logo-bridging events. A critical RH value (30%) was established, above which logo-bridging was observed for the selected formulation.

Conclusions: This study showed that PyroButtons can provide very meaningful micro-environmental data that can be correlated to coating defects, and can aid in establishing a process design space for a given coating and tablet formulation.     

Outbreak of viral hepatitis B in a rural community in India linked to inadequately sterilized needles and syringes

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Four hundred and eighty-four patients with inflammatory bowel disease underwent clinical examination, ultrasonography, and biochemical liver function tests, to estimate the prevalence of hepatobiliary alterations. The patient group included patients without a history of liver disease. Controls were recruited from patients with functional symptoms. RESULTS: More patients with ulcerative colitis than controls had liver steatosis and increased alkaline phosphatase levels. Factors increasing the probability of liver damage were long-standing disease, the presence of moderate/severe disease activity, and treatment with steroids and mesalazine. A significant association was found between biliary disease and long-standing colitis and also therapy with steroids and mesalazine. Alkaline phosphatase and aminotransferase levels were significantly higher in Crohn's disease patients than in controls. Hepatic and biliary damage was found more commonly in the 1st year after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The monitoring of hepatobiliary function is suggested for patients with inflammatory bowel disease, even in the absence of symptoms and history.     

Dielectric property of lead phthalocyanine

Dielectric constant and dissipation factor of lead phthalocyanine have been experimentally studied here as functions of frequency and temperature. Dielectric constant increases by one order of magnitude with temperature showing pyroelectric behaviour. It is explained that molecular distortion leads to increased dielectric constant.     

Biogenic gold nanoparticles as fotillas to fire berberine hydrochloride using folic acid as molecular road map

Use of biologically modified gold nanoparticles (GNPs) as molecular vehicle to ferry potential anti-cancer drug berberine hydrochloride (BHC) using folic acid (FA) as targeting molecule is reported in this work. A tropical fruit peel, Trapa bispinosa is used to fabricate highly monodispersed GNPs, passivated with essential functional groups which were used as linkers to attach FA and BHC via amide linkage. Flocculation Parameter (FP) of biologically synthesized GNPs was calculated under different salt concentrations which were found to be very ideal under a physiological condition. Various statistical models were used to find drug release profile out of which Higuchi was found to be the most ideal. GNP–FA–BHC complexes were found to be active against folic acid expressing HeLa cells.     

Investigation of dual ion beam sputtered transparent conductive Ga-doped ZnO films

Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) transparent conducting films were deposited on sapphire (0001) substrates using dual ion beam sputtering deposition system. The impact of growth temperature on the structural, morphological, elemental, optical, and electrical properties was thoroughly investigated and reported. X-ray diffraction measurements explicitly confirmed that all GZO films had (002) preferred crystal orientation. The film deposited at 400 °C exhibited the narrowest full-width at half-maximum value of 0.24° for (002) crystalline plane and the lowest room temperature electrical resistivity of 4.11 × 10^?3 Ω cm. The Raman spectra demonstrated the vibrational modes at 576 and 650–670 cm^?1, associated with native oxygen vacancies and elemental Ga doping in ZnO lattice, respectively. All doped films showed an overall transmittance of above 95 % in the visible spectra. A correlation between structural, optical, elemental, and electrical properties with GZO growth temperature was established.     

Development of immunoliposome-based assay for the detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella</Emphasis> Typhimurium

This study was aimed to produce a polyclonal antibody against Salmonella Typhimurium and to develop a liposome-based immunoassay to validate its detection. Formalin-killed cells of S. Typhimurium were subcutaneously injected as an antigen into rabbit to produce antibody. The optimum production of rabbit anti-Salmonella immunoglobulin G (anti-Salmonella IgG) antibody was reached to the highest level on 8 week. Purification of rabbit anti-Salmonella IgG from immunized rabbit sera was accomplished using caprylic acid and ammonium sulfate precipitation method. The purified anti-Salmonella IgG was used to conjugate with liposome to prepare anti-Salmonella IgG-tagged liposome (immunoliposome). Finally, an improved immunoassay method was developed using the immunoliposome for the detection of S. Typhimurium. As a result, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis produced two bands around 25 and 51 kDa, corresponding to a light and a heavy chain, respectively. The immunoliposome was successfully developed for the detection of S. Typhimurium in a 96-well microtiter plate, using purified anti-Salmonella IgG antibody. The improved technique was able to detect 10³ cells/mL of Salmonellas. In the future, even better detection may be achieved by using this immunoliposome with some modifications or other detection methods.     

In sight, in mind: retailer compliance with legislation on limiting retail tobacco displays

We investigated retailer compliance with point-of-sale display legislation, using a New Zealand region as a case study. An observational survey was conducted of nonspecialist tobacco retailers in the lower North Island of New Zealand during 2006. Compliance was assessed in relation to store type (dairies, convenience stores, supermarkets, and service stations) and by characteristics of the population of the census area unit in which the store was situated. These characteristics include the level of socioeconomic deprivation and proportions of Maori (indigenous New Zealanders), Pacific Islanders, and children aged less than 19 years. Out of the 288 stores surveyed, 185 (64%) had at least one breach of the point-of-sale regulations. The most common breaches were a failure to display a "Smoking Kills" sign, visibility of tobacco from outside the premises, and displaying tobacco less than 1 m from children's products. Compliance was significantly worse in dairies (small local general stores) and convenience stores. Stores situated in areas in the top quartile for the proportion of children were much more likely to have high levels of noncompliance (> or =3 breaches) and to display tobacco products close to children's products. This study is one of very few to systematically investigate retailer compliance with point-of-sale display regulations for tobacco products. The results suggest that the implementation of legislation to partly limit retail displays of tobacco products can be difficult. A ban on retail displays of tobacco products is likely to be a more effective and enforceable policy.     

Surface Modifications for Improved Delivery and Function of Therapeutic Bacteria

Live therapeutic bacteria (LTBs) hold promise to treat microbiome‐related diseases. However, few approaches to improve the colonization of LTBs in the gastrointestinal tract exist, despite colonization being a prerequisite for efficacy of many LTBs. Here, a modular platform to rapidly modify the surface of LTBs to enable receptor‐specific interactions with target surfaces is reported. Inspired by bacterial adhesins that facilitate colonization, synthetic adhesins (SAs) are developed for LTBs in the form of antibodies conjugated to their surface. The SA platform is nontoxic, does not alter LTB growth kinetics, and can be used with any antibody or bacterial strain combination. By improving adhesion, SA‐modified bacteria demonstrate enhanced in vitro pathogen exclusion from cell monolayers. In vivo kinetics of SA‐modified LTBs is tracked in the feces and intestines of treated mice, demonstrating that SA‐modified bacteria alter short‐term intestinal transit and improve LTB colonization and pharmacokinetics. This platform enables rapid formation of an intestinal niche, leading to an increased maximum concentration and a 20% improvement in total LTB exposure. This work is the first application of traditional pharmacokinetic analysis to design and evaluate LTB drug delivery systems and provides a platform toward controlling adhesion, colonization, and efficacy of LTBs.