Topical Liposomal local Anesthetics: Design, Optimization and Evaluation of Formulations

To improve the rate of penetration into the skin, and to develop an effective topical anesthetic product, selected local anesthetic agents, benzocaine, lidocaine, dibucaine, etidocaine and tetracaine were encapsulated into liposomes using the solvent evaporation method. After the pilot experiments, tetracaine was selected for further development. Encapsulation efficiency was determined by centrifugation of liposomes and spectrophotometric analysis of liposome pellets and supernatants. Physical stability and organoleptic properties of the various liposomal tetracaine formulas were monitored visually and by microscopy for 1 year. Tetracaine was found to be suitable for the development of a liposomal drug delivery system with high encapsulation efficiency (60-90%) and physical stability. The results showed that encapsulation efficiency of tetracaine into liposomes can be increased by increasing drug concentration and pH, and including negatively charged stearic acid or unsaturated lipids in the formula. Stability of tetracaine increased with higher encapsulation efficiency, however the shelf life of the product was still short (2 months). In-process and finished product quality control parameters are suggested to facilitate the topical liposomal product development in general.     

The activities of uroporphyrinogen synthetase and cosynthetase in congenital erythropoietic porphyria (CEP)

Normal or increased amounts of series III porphyrins with greater amounts of series I were observed on incubation of PBG in hemolysates of congenital erythropoietic porphyria vs. normal erythrocytes, human or bovine. Correlation with reticulocyte percentage was poor, in the aggregate a general trend toward increased values of both isomers I and III was noted with increasing reticulocytes. When the percent of type III was low the net amount was increased as compared with normal. Hemolysates of non-porphyric, reticulocyte-rich red cells (hemolytic or posthemorrhagic anemia) formed only minute amounts of type I porphyrin but at the same time no more, or even less type III than the porphyric hemolysates, although representing red cells of greater reticulocyte content. No evidence of deficient heme synthesis was observed in porphyric hemolysates incubayed with [14C]-porphobilinogen or 59Fe. Other studies of porphyric hemolysates incubated with and without added mouse spleen synthetase failed to reveal evidence of an absolute UPG-III cosynthetase (Co-S) deficiency. The large increases of type I porphyrin with normal or increased formation of type III, both in the disease and in the hemolysates, are believed due to a primary increase of ALA-S or UPG-S activity rather than a decrease of Co-S. Possible mutations which might be responsible for this increase are considered.     

Aromas potentiality of tuna cooking juice concentrated by nanofiltration

Tuna cooking juices contain high organic load preventing the rejection in the environment without treatment. But the effluents present an interesting fishy odour and it is worth recovering aroma compounds. In this work, two industrial tuna cooking juices were concentrated by nanofiltration. Nanofiltration performance was discussed in terms of permeation fluxes, organic matter retention and impact on the aromatic properties of juices.NF sharply decreases the global intensity of juices and modifies their aromatic equilibrium. However, the main characteristics and the marine nature of juices were kept. A pre-treatment by microfiltration (MF) induces a marked increase in permeation fluxes during NF concentration while it slightly affects the aromatic properties of juice.     

Influence of Hydroxyl Group on IR Transparency of Tellurite-Based Glasses

A study of the glass properties with two opposite levels of hydroxyl content is presented for two different tellurite glass families with molar composition 70TeO₂-10Bi₂O₃-20ZnO and 80TeO₂-20Nb₂O₅. We show that melting tellurite-based glasses in a dried-oxidant atmosphere (relative humidity <1%) reduces drastically the OH impurities. The effect of reducing the OH content on the glass properties such as characteristic temperatures, crystallization stability (ΔT), density, and microhardness is investigated.     

Bulk titanium nitride material obtained from SHS starting powder: Densification, mechanical characterization and tribological approach

Powders used for this study were synthesized by the self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) process. This method allows producing titanium nitride powders in an economic and easy way. Densification of these original powders is carried out by the hot pressing process. Sintering is achieved, under a 50 MPa pressure, at different temperatures (1400 °C, 1600 °C and 1800 °C). At 1600 °C properties are optimised and bulk specimen density is superior to 98%. In addition, microhardness reaches the average value of 1790 ± 225 H_V and Young modulus measured is 430 ± 10 GPa. A tribological characterization is then carried out with an adapted four balls machine tribometer. Titanium nitride tribological behavior is compared with the one of other hard materials such as 100C6 steel, titanium carbide and two cemented carbides of different compositions. Parameters such as toughness, hardness and wear volume are correlated in order to understand wear mechanisms origins.     

Error performances of multi shift-register convolutional self-doubly-orthogonal codes

A class of orthogonal convolutional codes using a multi shift-register encoder and featuring self-doubly-orthogonal properties is analyzed under iterative decoding. The lower bounds of error performances of these codes can be approached within typically three to five iterations at moderate signal-to-noise ratios using either iterative threshold (TH) decoding or belief propagation (BP) decoding. Compared with iterative BP decoding, it is shown that iterative threshold decoding for these codes yields a much lower complexity at the same decoding latency.     

Plantar fasciitis: sonographic evaluation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the sonographic findings of plantar fasciitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Both feet of 15 patients who had a clinical diagnosis of plantar fasciitis were evaluated with ultrasound (US) by using a 7.0-MHz linear-array transducer. Heel pain was unilateral in 11 patients and bilateral in four. Sagittal sonograms were obtained, and the thickness of the plantar fascia was measured at its proximal end near its insertion into the calcaneus. Other observations included hypoechoic fascia, fiber rupture, perifascial fluid collections, and calcifications. Both feet of 15 healthy volunteers were also evaluated as a control group. RESULTS: Plantar fascia thickness was significantly increased in the heels in patients with plantar fasciitis (3.2-6.8 mm; mean, 5.2 mm +/- 1.13) compared with their asymptomatic heels (2.0-4.0 mm; mean, 2.9 mm +/- 0.70) (P < .0001) and compared with the heels of the patients in the control group (1.6-3.8 mm; mean, 2.6 mm +/- 0.48) (P < .0001). The proximal plantar fascia of 16 (84%) symptomatic heels were diffusely hypoechoic compared with none of the patients' asymptomatic heels and only one heel of a patient in the volunteer group. No fascia rupture, perifascial fluid collection, or calcifications were identified. CONCLUSION: Increased thickness of the fascia and hypoechoic fascia are sonographic findings of plantar fasciitis. US may be a valuable noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis.     

Correlation between thermal fatigue and thermomechanical properties during the oxidation of multilayered TiSiN nanocomposite coatings synthesized by a hybrid physical/chemical vapour deposition process

TiSiN and TiSiAlN coatings were deposited on M2 steel by a hybrid physical/chemical vapour deposition process. SiH₄ was used as precursor for Si, while metals were brought by arc evaporation. This hybrid process allowed us to control the silicon enrichment along the coating thickness. Both films were synthesized applying a serrated silane partial pressure during deposition, leading to a multilayered structure with a 700 nm period. X-ray diffraction analyses showed only TiN peaks, whose width revealed a mean grain size below 10 nm. The multilayer structure and the nanometric size of the grains in layers containing a high Si content were observed by cross-section microscopy in transmission mode. Mechanical properties were improved compared to both TiN and SiN_x references, in relation to the nanocomposite microstructure of layers enriched in silicon. The oxidation behaviour was assessed by thermogravimetric analyses. The oxidation resistance was studied in isothermal, dynamic as well as cycling (10-cycle runs 25-800-25 °C) conditions. The multilayered nanocomposite TiSiN film exhibited a high durability in terms of mechanical and oxidation behaviours. Thermal cycling experiments revealed its high resistance which seems to result from a synergy between the shield effect of the SiN_x network — that would limit the oxidation process — and the intrinsic “deformability” of TiN layers — that would withstand the volume modifications of the substrate due to temperature variations. A further addition of aluminium, without significantly affecting the mechanical properties, contributes to the improvement of the oxidation resistance thanks to the formation of the expected outer refractory alumina layer.     

Role of the anterior cingulate cortex in the control over behavior by Pavlovian conditioned stimuli in rats.

To investigate the contribution of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to stimulus-reward learning, rats with lesions of peri- and postgenual ACC were tested on a variety of Pavlovian conditioning tasks. Lesioned rats learned to approach a food alcove during a stimulus predicting food, and responded normally for conditioned reinforcement. They also exhibited normal conditioned freezing and Pavlovian-instrumental transfer, yet were impaired at autoshaping. To resolve this apparent discrepancy, a further task was developed in which approach to the food alcove was under the control of 2 stimuli, only 1 of which was followed by reward. Lesioned rats were impaired, approaching during both stimuli. It is suggested that the ACC is not critical for stimulus-reward learning per se, but is required to discriminate multiple stimuli on the basis of their association with reward. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)