Optimization of Sotalol Floating and Bioadhesive Extended Release Tablet Formulations

A novel extended release sotalol HC1 tablet formulation which possesses a unique combination of floatation and bioadhesion for prolonged residence in the stomach has been developed. Tablets were produced by direct compression. A two-factor factorial, central, composite Box-Wilson experimental design was employed to develop and optimize the tablet formulation containing 240 mg sotalol HC1. The ratio of two major bioadhesive agents, sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) to hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), and the ratio of two direct compressible diluents, ethylcellulose (EC) to crosspovidone, were used as formulation variables (independent variables) for optimizing tablets response parameters, such as dissolution bioadhesive capability, tablet density and required compression force for producing 6 Kg hardness tablets. The data were also analyzed by means of quadratic response surface model. Response surfaces were generated as a function of formulation variables. An optimum direct compression, bioadhesive and floating tablet formulation of sotalol HCl was achieved by considering the dissolution characteristic as primary objective and using required compression force, bioadhesive capability as constraints within the experimental region. The surface model was validated for accurate prediction of response characteristics.     

Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of NiZn Ferrite Powders-CTBN Modified Epoxy Resin Coatings

In this study, the effects of carboxyl terminated butadiene-acrylonitrile liquid rubber (CTBN) addition on the mechanical and dielectric properties of NiZn ferrite powders-CTBN modified epoxy resin coatings were investigated. It was observed that the occurrence of the small, dispersed spherical CTBN domains in the epoxy resin resulted from the phase separation between epoxy and CTBN could enhance the toughness and dielectric constant at low frequency due to the increase in the phase boundary between ferrite powders and epoxy resin for the samples modified with proper CTBN. The addition of ferrite powders can effectively improve the thermal stability of epoxy resin.     

Preparation and Properties of α-Cellulose Short Fiber-Reinforced Poly(lactic Acid) Composites

The objective of this study is to fabricate the PLA/α-cellulose composites and to investigate the effect of α-cellulose short fibers on the toughness improvement of PLA. To homogeneously disperse the polar α-cellulose in the non-polar PLA matrix, the as-received α-cellulose was subjected to surface modification using stearic acid to impart the hydrophobic characteristics to the short fibers. The α-cellulose fibers dispersed more homogeneously in PLA through this modification, and consequently, the fiber pull-out and longer micro-crack length could improve the toughness and damping property of the resulting PLA composites. The inclusion of α-cellulose short fibers considerably decreased the spherulite dimension of the PLA/α-cellulose composites to accommodate larger deformation through grain boundary sliding. The PLA/α-cellulose composite improved its toughness by three times that of the neat PLA with low α-cellulose content (～4 wt.%), and maintained its transparency.     

Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Promotes Bladder Regeneration and Improves Overactive Bladder Induced by Ovarian Hormone Deficiency from Rat Animal Model to Human Clinical Trial

Postmenopausal women with ovary hormone deficiency (OHD) are subject to overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. The present study attempted to elucidate whether low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (LiESWT) alters bladder angiogenesis, decreases inflammatory response, and ameliorates bladder hyperactivity to influence bladder function in OHD-induced OAB in human clinical trial and rat model. The ovariectomized (OVX) for 12 months Sprague–Dawley rat model mimicking the physiological condition of menopause was utilized to induce OAB and assess the potential therapeutic mechanism of LiESWT (0.12 mJ/mm², 300 pulses, and 3 pulses/second). The randomized, single-blinded clinical trial was enrolled 58 participants to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of LiESWT (0.25 mJ/mm², 3000 pulses, 3 pulses/second) on postmenopausal women with OAB. The results revealed that 8 weeks’ LiESWT inhibited interstitial fibrosis, promoted cell proliferation, enhanced angiogenesis protein expression, and elevated the protein phosphorylation of ErK1/2, P38, and Akt, leading to decreased urinary frequency, nocturia, urgency, urgency incontinence, and post-voided residual urine volume, but increased voided urine volume and the maximal flow rate of postmenopausal participants. In conclusion, LiESWT attenuated inflammatory responses, increased angiogenesis, and promoted proliferation and differentiation, thereby improved OAB symptoms, thereafter promoting social activity and the quality of life of postmenopausal participants.     

Optimal information-dispersal for fault-tolerant communication over a burst-error channel

The (m,n) wireless information dispersal scheme (WIDS) is useful for fault-tolerant parallel wireless communications, where it can be used to tolerate up to n-m path (sub-channel) failures. This paper constructs a performance model of (m,n) WIDS used in wireless communications, and proposes an algorithm to find the optimal set of (m,n) with the highest reliability. This algorithm reduces the complexity of finding the candidate set of (m,n) from O(N/sup 2/) to O(N);N is the maximum number of available sub-channels.     

Systematic Study of the Growth of Aligned Arrays of α‐Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 Nanowires by a Vapor–Solid Process

Growth of aligned and uniform α‐Fe₂O₃ nanowire (NW) arrays has been achieved by a vapor–solid process. The experimental conditions, such as type of substrate, local growth and geometrical environment, gas‐flow rate, and growth temperature, under which the high density α‐Fe₂O₃ NW arrays can be grown by a vapor–solid route via the tip‐growth mechanism have been systematically investigated. The density of the α‐Fe₂O₃ NWs can be enhanced by increasing the concentration of Ni atoms inside the alloy substrate. The synthesized temperature can be as low as 400 °C. Fe₃O₄ NWs can be produced by converting α‐Fe₂O₃ NWs in a reducing atmosphere at 450 °C. The transformation of phase and structure have been observed by in situ transmission electron microscopy. The magnetic and field‐emission properties of the NWs indicate their potential applications in nanodevices.     

Asymmetric Dual-Passband Coplanar Waveguide Filters Using Periodic Composite Right/Left-Handed and Quarter-Wavelength Stubs

A novel dual-passband coplanar waveguide (CPW) filter periodically loaded with the composite right/left-handed (CRLH) short-circuited stubs and the quarter-wavelength open-circuited stubs in asymmetric configuration is presented. The unit-cell equivalent circuit of the periodic structure in conjunction with Floquet's theorem is employed to find the propagation characteristics of passband and stopband regions. Unlike the conventional quarter-wavelength transmission-line inverter suitable only for a narrow frequency range, the dual-band inverter is adopted in the dual-passband filter to achieve a better frequency response within two operating bands. The performance of the 2.4/5.8-GHz third-order CRLH CPW dual-passband filter with 52% and 23% bandwidths is measured and validated by full-wave simulation. Two arbitrary passband regions are presented and the stopband within the passbands can be controlled by varying the length of open-circuited stub, supporting the flexibility and compactness of the proposed dual-passband filter     

Direct observation of field emission in a single TaSi2 nanowire

The electric potential change in a single TaSi2 nanowire during field emission was visualized by means of electron holography. During the field emission, the interference fringes of the electron hologram were blurred locally between the TaSi2 nanowire and anode. This phenomenon was interpreted as being due to a change in the electric potential of approximately 1 V in the TaSi2 nanowire after each ballistic emission. The experiments on the single TaSi2 nanowire field emission behavior provide the useful information for understanding the field emission in the nano-field-emitting device.     

Toward the Development of Printable Nanowire Electronics and Sensors

In recent years, there has been tremendous progress in the research and development of printable electronics on mechanically flexible substrates based on inorganic active components, which provide high performances and stable device operations at low cost. In this regard, various approaches have been developed for the direct transfer or printing of micro‐ and nanoscale, inorganic semiconductors on substrates. In this review article, we focus on the recent advancements in the large‐scale integration of single crystalline, inorganic‐nanowire (NW) arrays for electronic and sensor applications, specifically involving the contact printing of NWs at defined locations. We discuss the advantages, limitations, and the state‐of‐the‐art of this technology, and present an integration platform for future printable, heterogeneous‐sensor circuitry based on NW parallel arrays.