Novel strategy for encapsulation and targeted delivery of poorly water-soluble active substances

Carriers for targeted delivery and controlled release of poorly water-soluble active substances (PWSAS) are facing three challenges: (a) the encapsulation issues, (b) limitations of PWSAS water solubility, and (c) burst drug release which can be pharmacologically dangerous and economically inefficient. The present study brings a novel strategy for encapsulation and controlled release of PWSAS—caffeine in concentrations which are higher than its maximal water solubility without the possibility of burst effect. The modification of hydrophilic carrier based on poly(methacylic acid) was done using casein and liposomes. To further increase the maximal caffeine loading inside the carrier nicotinamide was used. The release study of the encapsulated PWSAS was elaborated with respect to morphology of the carriers and interactions that could be established between its structural components. The carriers swelling and the release of caffeine and nicotinamide were also investigated depending on caffeine concentration, the presence of different liposomal formulations and the volume ratio of liposomal formulation, in three media with different pH simulating the path of the carrier through the human gastrointestinal tract. The synthesized carriers are promising candidates for encapsulation of PWSAS in concentrations which are higher than its maximal water solubility and for the targeted delivery of those dosages.     

Distribution of scientific productivity: Ambiguities in the assignment of author rank

Methodological implications of four accounting procedures applied in multiple authorship treatment relating to author productivity distribution were investigated. The emphasis was given to the individual author rank and inequality pattern of data. It was found that similar pattern of inequality holds in three of the four analysed cases, in spite of the fact that significant changes were observed on the individual level. By introducing the concept of dual approach a plausible interpretation of that phenomenon was obtained.Dedicated to the memory of Michael J. Moravcsik     

Impacts of green roofs and rain water use on the water balance and groundwater levels in urban areas

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Impacts of green roofs and rain water use on the water balance and groundwater levels in urban areas

     

Dual approach to multiple authorship in the study of collaboration/scientific output relationship

This paper presents an empirical study of the relations between scientific output and collaboration performed on two scales: (1) an individual scale, for members of a study model, and (2) a group scale, for three samples varying in the level of productivity. The rank approach was applied in the preparation of the study model resulting in the selection of a set of the most prolific authors. In the course of that process, multiple authorship problem was solved by a dual approach, consisting of normal count and modified straight count procedures. As shown by the analysis of collaborative patterns, either on individual or on group scales, scientific output is highly dependent on the frequency of collaboration among the same authors. Expressed as the collaboration measure, it might serve as an indicator in comparative analyses of scientific productivity in a given field of science.     

设计企业项目管理信息系统的实现

结合国家“十五”重点科技攻关计划“城市规划、建设、管理与服务数字化工程”项目,天津水泥工业设计研究院承担了其中的“勘察设计企业信息化应用软件示范应用”专题,并获批立项,签署了专题任务书。两年来,院项目实施小组和软件公司进行了长期、紧密的合作,遵照标准化、系统化和集成化的原则,共同搭建了“工程协同设计管理平台”。在软件功能上,实现了设计企业管理信息系统的主要功能;在软件技术上,采用了目前最流行的软件技术,结合现代项目管理方法,为设计企业提供了组态灵活,方便实用,具有良好扩展性及开放性的软件产品。目前,该系统已经在部分工程项目上全面运行,取得了预期的效果。     

A fuzzy constraint-based approach to data reconciliation in material flow analysis

Data reconciliation consists in modifying noisy or unreliable data in order to make them consistent with a mathematical model (herein a material flow network). The conventional approach relies on least-squares minimization. Here, we use a fuzzy set-based approach, replacing Gaussian likelihood functions by fuzzy intervals, and a leximin criterion. We show that the setting of fuzzy sets provides a generalized approach to the choice of estimated values, that is more flexible and less dependent on oftentimes debatable probabilistic justifications. It potentially encompasses interval-based formulations and the least squares method, by choosing appropriate membership functions and aggregation operations. This paper also lays bare the fact that data reconciliation under the fuzzy set approach is viewed as an information fusion problem, as opposed to the statistical tradition which solves an estimation problem.     

304 Stainless steel oxidation in sulfate and sulfate+ bicarbonate solutions

The electrochemical characterization of 304 stainless steel in 0.1–0.5m Na2SO4 and Na2SO4 + NaHCO3 aqueous solutions at pH8 was done in combination with SEM surface analysis. Passivation of the surface film without any pitting events is observed for the current–potential and current–time experiments, and no anodic current spikes, which are associated with depassivation events, are distinguishable above the background current level. However, SEM pictures of an electrode surface polarized at potentials above 0.4V show microscopic pit nucleation. Even when the metal may be regarded as passive from a current–time or current–potential characteristics, passivity is not stable and localized film breakdown can still occur. The events are ascribed to pit nucleation at the active inclusion sites. The pits do not grow even into the metastable state but die through repassivation by metal salt precipitation immediately after birth. The effect is ascribed to the solubility of metal salts with the electrolyte produced by dissolution in the nucleation sites. The results show that pit nucleation and pit growth are two distinct processes. The importance of solution composition and the protective effect of bicarbonate ions is also discussed.     

FMM能效分析及其ASIC可行性评估

对快速多极方法(FMM)进行研究,分析其关键计算任务,并在CPU与DSP上进行验证,得出FMM在不同平台上性能和功耗的量化分析结果,给出基于FMM的多核DSP可重构ASIC结构模型。以可重构硬件FPGA为例,对该模型进行预测,结果证明其在涉及大规模浮点计算时具有一定的能效优势。     

电磁离合器性能微机测试系统

本文首先介绍用于电磁离合器性能试验的分布式微机测试系统的构成及其本性能，给出性能试验装置及下位机硬件，然后重点分析了电磁离合器起动法动力矩试验与结合功测量的软件实现，最后指出了在研究过程中解决的几个重要技术。     

Production of stable amorphous form by means of spray drying

Spray drying is a very useful method for manufacturing of amorphous solid materials. This is mainly due to the possibility of fast solvent evaporation that leads to a rapid transformation of solution to a solid state. Besides evaporation kinetics, there are various process parameters that influence physical and chemical characteristics of such obtained material. The possibility of obtaining a stable amorphous structure of the active pharmaceutical ingredient in a spray dryer was examined. A solution of the hydrochloride crystalline structure of the active pharmaceutical ingredient in a mixture of water and acetonitrile was dried at different temperatures and flowrates of nitrogen used for atomization, as well as the flowrates of the solution. The influence of the process conditions on the properties of the product was analyzed. The final dried products were characterized and identified with a variety of analytical and physical methods. The results showed that a stable amorphous structure of the high purity active pharmaceutical ingredient is obtained, and that the optimal conditions of the process are defined. The amorphous structure is stable at temperatures below 200°C when it is transformed into a new crystal structure. Conditions of high relative air humidity lead to partial transformation.