High-Throughput Microarray Approaches for Predicting the Stability of Drug-Polymer Solid Dispersions.

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) offer a well-recognized strategy to improve the effective solubility and, hence, bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. In this study, we developed an extensive library of a significant number of solid dispersion formulations using a library of chemically diverse drugs combined with a water-soluble polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone vinyl acetate, PVPVA) at different loadings. These formulations were printed as microarrays of solid dispersion formulations, utilizing minimal material amounts (nanograms).

Controlled release of MT-1207 using a novel gastroretentive bilayer system comprised of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers.

In the present study, novel gastroretentive bilayer tablets were developed that are promising for the once-a-day oral delivery of the drug candidate MT-1207. The gastroretentive layer consisted of a combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers, namely polyethylene oxide and Kollidon SR. A factorial experiment was conducted, and the results revealed a non-effervescent gastroretentive layer that, unlike most gastroretentive layers reported in the literature, was easy to prepare, and provided immediate tablet buoyancy (mean floating lag time of 1.

Parallel Kalman filter group integrated particle filter method for the train nonlinear operational status high-precision estimation under non-Gaussian environment.

For the problem of multi-mode state estimation in actual train operation, this paper proposes a nonlinear non-gaussian high-precision parallel Kalman filter group (NN-HEKFG) integrated Particle Filter. A multi-model Gaussian decomposition of the probability density function for state equations and measurement equations is performed, and each local state model is represented by a multi-dimensional high-order polynomial to establish the expanded dimensional state model. Then, by updating the mean and variance of the local state expanded dimensional model and in turn solving the particle filtering posterior probability density distribution function, the global estimation results are obtained.

Molecular phylogenetics reveals the evolutionary history of marine fishes (Actinopterygii) endemic to the subtropical islands of the Southwest Pacific.

Remote oceanic islands of the Pacific host elevated levels of actinopterygian (ray-finned fishes) endemism. Characterizing the evolutionary histories of these endemics has provided insight into the generation and maintenance of marine biodiversity in many regions. The subtropical islands of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Rangitāhua (Kermadec) in the Southwest Pacific are yet to be comprehensively studied.

Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles with a Cohesion Enhancer for Robust Flexible Electrodes.

The development of conductive inks is required to enable additive manufacturing of electronic components and devices. A gold nanoparticle (AuNP) ink is of particular interest due to its high electrical conductivity, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. However, a printed AuNP film suffers from thermally induced microcracks and pores that lead to the poor integrity of a printed electronic component and electrical failure under external mechanical deformation, hence limiting its application for flexible electronics.

Customisable Tablet Printing: The Development of Multimaterial Hot Melt Inkjet 3D Printing to Produce Complex and Personalised Dosage Forms.

One of the most striking characteristics of 3D printing is its capability to produce multi-material objects with complex geometry. In pharmaceutics this translates to the possibility of dosage forms with multi-drug loading, tailored dosing and release. We have developed a novel dual material hot-melt inkjet 3D printing system which allows for precisely controlled multi-material solvent free inkjet printing.

Gastroretentive Technologies in Tandem with Controlled-Release Strategies: A Potent Answer to Oral Drug Bioavailability and Patient Compliance Implications.

There have been many efforts to improve oral drug bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance. A variety of controlled-release oral delivery systems have been developed to meet these needs. Gastroretentive drug delivery technologies have the potential to achieve retention of the dosage form in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) that can be sufficient to ensure complete solubilisation of the drugs in the stomach fluids, followed by subsequent absorption in the stomach or proximal small intestine.

High functional diversity in deep-sea fish communities and increasing intraspecific trait variation with increasing latitude.

Variation in both inter- and intraspecific traits affects community dynamics, yet we know little regarding the relative importance of external environmental filters versus internal biotic interactions that shape the functional space of communities along broad-scale environmental gradients, such as latitude, elevation, or depth. We examined changes in several key aspects of functional alpha diversity for marine fishes along depth and latitude gradients by quantifying intra- and interspecific richness, dispersion, and regularity in functional trait space. We derived eight functional traits related to food acquisition and locomotion and calculated seven complementary indices of functional diversity for 144 species of marine ray-finned fishes along large-scale depth (50-1200 m) and latitudinal gradients (29°-51° S) in New Zealand waters.

Exploiting Generative Design for 3D Printing of Bacterial Biofilm Resistant Composite Devices.

As the understanding of disease grows, so does the opportunity for personalization of therapies targeted to the needs of the individual. To bring about a step change in the personalization of medical devices it is shown that multi-material inkjet-based 3D printing can meet this demand by combining functional materials, voxelated manufacturing, and algorithmic design. In this paper composite structures designed with both controlled deformation and reduced biofilm formation are manufactured using two formulations that are deposited selectively and separately.

3D printed polymeric drug-eluting implants.

An extrusion-based 3D printer has been used for the manufacturing of sustained drug release poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) implants. Such implants can address issues of reduced patient compliance due to the necessary frequent administration of conventional drug delivery systems, such as tablets, capsules and solutions. The selected model drug for this study was lidocaine.

Development and optimisation of simulated salivary fluid for biorelevant oral cavity dissolution.

Drug release within the oral cavity can be of paramount importance for formulations that are designed for specific purposes such as taste-masking, faster onset of therapeutic action, localization of treatment or avoidance of first-pass metabolism. Preclinical methods for assessment of dissolution in the oral cavity are necessary for design and development of these formulation but currently there is no consensus on what variables should be defined to achieve biorelevance in these tests. In this study, biorelevant simulated salivary fluids (SSFs) that can be uniformly applied for oral cavity dissolution testing were developed.

and evaluation of a sustained-release once-a-day formulation of the novel antihypertensive drug MT-1207.

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic cardiovascular disorders. Sustained-release formulations are developed to maintain drug therapeutic levels throughout the treatment of hypertension, to promote patient compliance and improve patient outcomes. We have developed and tested in trials a once-a-day tablet formulation for the novel antihypertensive drug MT-1207.

Estimating Residual Life Distributions of Complex Operational Systems Using a Remaining Maintenance Free Operating Period (RMFOP)-Based Methodology.

Recent developments in the area of condition monitoring research have been targeted towards predicting machinery health condition for the purpose of preventative maintenance. Typically, published research uses data collected from rotating components (bearings, cutting tools, etc.) working in an idealized lab environment as the case study for prognosis algorithm validations.

Plectranthias cruentus, a new species of anthiadine perchlet (Teleostei: Serranidae) from the Lord Howe Rise, Tasman Sea.

Plectranthias cruentus new species is described from the holotype and two paratypes collected off Ball's Pyramid and a paratype from Lord Howe Island. It resembles P. pelicieri Randall Shimizu 1994 in live coloration and most morphological details, including absence of predorsal scales anterior to the supratemporal commissure, but differs in having the fifth or sixth (versus third) dorsal-fin spine longest, at least some pectoral-fin rays branched (versus all unbranched), and inconspicuous (versus distinct) serrations on the interopercle.

Development of an In Vitro System to Study the Interactions of Aerosolized Drugs with Pulmonary Mucus.

Mucus is the first biological component inhaled drugs encounter on their journey towards their pharmacological target in the upper airways. Yet, how mucus may influence drug disposition and efficacy in the lungs has been essentially overlooked. In this study, a simple in vitro system was developed to investigate the factors promoting drug interactions with airway mucus in physiologically relevant conditions.

Is rat a good model for assessment of particulate-based taste-masked formulations?

Recently there has been an increased interest to develop specialised dosage forms that are better suited to specific patient populations, such as paediatrics and geriatrics. In these patient populations the acceptability of the oral dosage form can be paramount to the products success. However, many Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) are known to cause an aversive taste response.

Cetuximab-conjugated chitosan-pectinate (modified) composite nanoparticles for targeting colon cancer.

In the present study, we successfully developed a cetuximab-conjugated modified citrus pectin-chitosan nanoparticles for targeted delivery of curcumin (Cet-MCPCNPs) for the treatment of colorectal cancer. In vitro analyses revealed that nanoparticles were spherical with size of 249.33 ± 5.

Changes in key traits versus depth and latitude suggest energy-efficient locomotion, opportunistic feeding and light lead to adaptive morphologies of marine fishes.

Understanding patterns and processes governing biodiversity along broad-scale environmental gradients, such as depth or latitude, requires an assessment of not just taxonomic richness, but also morphological and functional traits of organisms. Studies of traits can help to identify major selective forces acting on morphology. Currently, little is known regarding patterns of variation in the traits of fishes at broad spatial scales.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of an orally administered mucoadhesive chitosan-coated amphotericin B-Loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) in rats.

Oral delivery of amphotericin B (AmpB) is desirable because it provides a more patient-friendly mode of administration compared to the current delivery approach akin with the marketed AmpB formulations. The goal of the study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of orally administered chitosan-coated AmpB-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (ChiAmpB NLC) administered to Sprague Dawley rats at a dose of 15 mg/kg. Orally administered ChiAmpB NLC resulted in a two-fold increase in the area under the curve (AUC) compared to the uncoated AmpB NLC and marketed Amphotret.

Nanofibrous Scaffolds Support a 3D Permeability Model of the Human Intestinal Epithelium.

Advances in drug research not only depend on high throughput screening to evaluate large numbers of lead compounds but also on the development of models which can simulate human tissues in terms of drug permeability and functions. Potential failures, such as poor permeability or interaction with efflux drug transporters, can be identified in epithelial Caco-2 monolayer models and can impact a drug candidate's progression onto the next stages of the drug development process. Whilst monolayer models demonstrate reasonably good prediction of permeability for some compounds, more developed tools are needed to assess new entities that enable closer correlation.

Water-based 3D inkjet printing of an oral pharmaceutical dosage form.

Inkjet printing is a form of additive manufacturing where liquid droplets are selectively deposited onto a substrate followed by solidification. The process provides significant potential advantages for producing solid oral dosage forms or tablets, including a reduction in the number of manufacturing steps as well as the ability to tailor a unique dosage regime to an individual patient. This study utilises solvent inkjet printing to print tablets through the use of a Fujifilm Dimatix printer.