Human Activity Classification Using Multilayer Perceptron.

The number of smart homes is rapidly increasing. Smart homes typically feature functions such as voice-activated functions, automation, monitoring, and tracking events. Besides comfort and convenience, the integration of smart home functionality with data processing methods can provide valuable information about the well-being of the smart home residence.

Surface Characteristics of One-Sided Charred Beech Wood.

The aim of this paper was to analyze selected properties of beech wood ( L.) treated by one-sided surface charring. Specimens were one-side charred with a hot plate using several time-temperature combinations (from 200 to 400 °C).

Regulation of veterinary point-of-care testing in the European Union, the United States of America and Japan.

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is used to detect diseases and other conditions or to monitor therapeutic procedures. In veterinary medicine, POCT not only helps during the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases but it also has a direct impact on human health by safeguarding food supplies and preventing zoonoses. Despite its importance, the regulation of the quality, safety and effectiveness of POCT products is rarely discussed.

A New Era in Pathology Consultation: The MyPathologist Electronic Consultation Tool.

Pathologists and laboratory scientists provide valuable guidance on laboratory utilization, test ordering, interpretation, and quality control provided that clinical staff can easily access the laboratory team. To encourage consultation between clinicians with laboratory scientists and pathologists, we developed an easily accessible electronic tool termed "MyPathologist," placed on the homepage of our electronic health record system. Over its 2-year pilot, utilization of this consultation tool climbed as we continued to publicize it and incorporated education into housestaff onboarding and electronic health record training.

Optimization of Dissolution Compartments in a Biorelevant Dissolution Apparatus Golem v2, Supported by Multivariate Analysis.

Biorelevant dissolution instruments represent an important tool for pharmaceutical research and development. These instruments are designed to simulate the dissolution of drug formulations in conditions most closely mimicking the gastrointestinal tract. In this work, we focused on the optimization of dissolution compartments/vessels for an updated version of the biorelevant dissolution apparatus-Golem v2.

ROLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN PREVENTING THE COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES ENTRY INTO THE WORLD MARKETS.

30 years have passed since Conference of Experts on the Rational Use of Drugs was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 25 to 29 November 1985, where the problem of counterfeit medicines was mentioned as the international for the first time. The problem of counterfeit medicines is not only a major threat to public health and national and private economy, but also it is of great interest for key decision-making actors at the international level. The authors analyzed what has been done since that time by international organizations.

Dissolution and disintegration kinetics of high-active pharmaceutical granules produced at laboratory and manufacturing scale.

The effect of process scale-up from 4 to 400-L high-shear granulator on the release kinetics of the active ingredient from pharmaceutical granules has been investigated. The dissolution and disintegration rates of the granules were measured simultaneously by the combination of UV/vis spectroscopy and static light scattering. The granule batches were found to consist of sub-populations with qualitatively different dissolution behavior: "weaker" granules that disintegrated during dissolution, and "stronger" granules that retained their size and from which the active ingredient was gradually leached.

Development of In Vitro-In Vivo Correlation/Relationship Modeling Approaches for Immediate Release Formulations Using Compartmental Dynamic Dissolution Data from "Golem": A Novel Apparatus.

Different batches of atorvastatin, represented by two immediate release formulation designs, were studied using a novel dynamic dissolution apparatus, simulating stomach and small intestine. A universal dissolution method was employed which simulated the physiology of human gastrointestinal tract, including the precise chyme transit behavior and biorelevant conditions. The multicompartmental dissolution data allowed direct observation and qualitative discrimination of the differences resulting from highly pH dependent dissolution behavior of the tested batches.

Seasonal vitamin D changes and the impact on health risk assessment.

Objective: To investigate seasonal variation of vitamin D levels in 148,821 serum samples during a 2year time period in a northern-latitude city in the United States.

Methods: Total vitamin D assay testing by chemiluminescence was performed on the DiaSorin Liaison. Vitamin D results were extracted from the laboratory information system without patient identification during 2011 and 2012 and separated by season and vitamin D results: less than 10ng/mL (deficient), 10-20.

In vitro permeation of micronized and nanonized alaptide from semisolid formulations.

This study is focused on in vitro permeation of the original Czech compound, a skin/mucosa tissue regeneration promoter, known under the international nonproprietary name "alaptide," in micronized and nanonized forms. Alaptide showed a great potential for local applications for treatment and/or regeneration of the injured skin. The above mentioned technological modifications influence the permeation of alaptide through artificial or biological membranes, such as PAMPA or skin.

Advances in dissolution instrumentation and their practical applications.

The rising demands on discriminatory and prediction abilities of dissolution methods and the increasing complexity of new drug products are the main driving forces of the progress in this field. The research moves forward as imperfections and shortcomings of classical methods are being described, and where the capabilities of the contemporary methods are insufficient, new methods are being developed. The review discusses these advances with respect to the issues that currently draw the most attention, i.

New polyfluorothiopropanoyloxy derivatives of 5β-cholan-24-oic acid designed as drug absorption modifiers.

A series of final six propanoyloxy derivatives of 5β-cholan-24-oic acid (tridecafluoroctylsulfanyl- and tridecafluoroctylsulfinylethoxycarbonylpropanoyloxy derivatives) as potential drug absorption promoters (skin penetration enhancers, intestinal absorption promoters) was generated by multistep synthesis. Structure confirmation of all generated compounds was accomplished by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, IR and MS spectroscopy methods. All the prepared compounds were analyzed using RP-TLC, and their lipophilicity (RM) was determined.

Designing a dynamic dissolution method: a review of instrumental options and corresponding physiology of stomach and small intestine.

Development of new pharmaceutical compounds and dosage forms often requires in vitro dissolution testing with the closest similarity to the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. To create such conditions, one needs a suitable dissolution apparatus and the appropriate data on the human GI physiology. This review discusses technological approaches applicable in biorelevant dissolutions as well as the physiology of stomach and small intestine in both fasted and fed state, that is, volumes of contents, transit times for water/food and various solid oral dosage forms, pH, osmolality, surface tension, buffer capacity, and concentrations of bile salts, phospholipids, enzymes, and Ca(2+) ions.

Remotely controlled diffusion from magnetic liposome microgels.

The reversible, temperature-dependent change in the permeability of a phospholipid bilayer has been used for controlling the diffusion rate of encapsulated molecular payload from liposomes. Liposomes were preloaded with a fluorescent dye and immobilized in calcium alginate hydrogel microparticles that also contained iron oxide nanoparticles. The composite microparticles were produced by a drop-on-demand inkjet method.

New propanoyloxy derivatives of 5β-cholan-24-oic acid as drug absorption modifiers.

A series of final twelve propanoyloxy derivatives of 5β-cholan-24-oic acid (O-propanoyl derivatives of cholic acid) as potential drug absorption modifiers (skin penetration enhancers, intestinal absorption promoters) was generated by multistep synthesis. Structure confirmation of all generated compounds was accomplished by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and MS spectroscopy methods. All the prepared compounds were analyzed using RP-TLC, and their lipophilicity (RM) was determined.

Encapsulation stability and temperature-dependent release kinetics from hydrogel-immobilised liposomes.

Composite microparticles consisting of a calcium alginate gel matrix with embedded liposomes made from cholesterol:DPPC (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine) mixtures were considered. Factors affecting the encapsulation stability of liposomes during the gel formation by ionic cross-linking--namely temperature and the cholesterol:DPPC ratio--were systematically investigated. The liposomes were found to be tolerant to Ca(2+) ions during cross-linking of the gel and stable in the hydrogel matrix for extended periods of time when cholesterol was present in the phospholipid bilayer and temperature was kept sufficiently below the phase transition.

Preparation of candesartan and atorvastatin nanoparticles by solvent evaporation.

The solubility, absorption and distribution of a drug are involved in the basic aspects of oral bioavailability Solubility is an essential characteristic and influences the efficiency of the drug. Over the last ten years, the number of poorly soluble drugs has steadily increased. One of the progressive ways for increasing oral bioavaibility is the technique of nanoparticle preparation, which allows many drugs to thus reach the intended site of action.

Primary investigation of the preparation of nanoparticles by precipitation.

The absorption, distribution, biotransformation and excretion of a drug involve its transport across cell membranes. This process is essential and influenced by the characteristics of the drug, especially its molecular size and shape, solubility at the site of its absorption, relative lipid solubility, etc. One of the progressive ways for increasing bioavaibility is a nanoparticle preparation technique.

Investigation of new acyloxy derivatives of cholic acid and their esters as drug absorption modifiers.

Skin penetration enhancers are used in the formulation of transdermal delivery systems for drugs that are otherwise not sufficiently skin-permeable. Intestinal absorption promoters/enhancers are used as excipients in oral formulations of poorly oral-bioavailable drugs. Series of fourteen acyloxy derivatives of 5β-cholic acid as potential drug absorption modifiers was generated by multistep synthesis.

Crystallization products of risedronate with carbohydrates and their substituted derivatives.

The gastrointestinal absorption of bisphosphonates is in general only about 1%. To address this problem mixtures of risedronate monosodium salt with twelve varied sugar alcohols, furanoses, pyranoses and eight gluco-, manno- and galactopyranoside derivatives as counterions were designed in an effort to prepare co-crystals/new entities with improved intestinal absorption. Crystalline forms were generated by means of kinetically and/or thermodynamically controlled crystallization processes.

Preparation and properties of new co-crystals of ibandronate with gluco- or galactopyranoside derivatives.

Mixtures of ibandronate monosodium salt with eleven gluco- and/or galacto-pyranoside derivatives as counterions were designed to prepare co-crystals with improved intestinal absorption. In general, gastrointestinal absorption of bisphosphonates after oral administration is approximately 1%. Co-crystals were generated by means of thermodynamically and/or kinetically controlled crystallization processes.

Synthesis, antimycobacterial, antifungal and photosynthesis-inhibiting activity of chlorinated N-phenylpyrazine-2-carboxamides.

A series of sixteen pyrazinamide analogues with the -CONH- linker connecting the pyrazine and benzene rings was synthesized by the condensation of chlorides of substituted pyrazinecarboxylic acids with ring-substituted (chlorine) anilines. The prepared compounds were characterized and evaluated for their antimycobacterial and antifungal activity, and for their ability to inhibit photosynthetic electron transport (PET). 6-Chloro-N-(4-chlorophenyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide manifested the highest activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv (65% inhibition at 6.

Product of alaptide synthesis: determination of the absolute configuration.

Alaptide is the active substance of the veterinary dermatological ointment ALAPTID and a potential drug in human medicine. Electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy (ECD), transparent spectral region optical rotation (OR), and ab initio calculations were employed to determine the absolute configuration of alaptide. No X-ray structural data determining the absolute configuration were available.

Pseudorenal insufficiency with isopropyl alcohol ingestion.

Isopropyl ingestion is usually a benign occurrence with little metabolic or renal abnormalities. We describe a case of a false elevation of serum creatinine due to laboratory interference in the setting of a toxic alcohol exposure that could have led to a misdiagnosis of ethylene glycol intoxication and a different treatment plan. Clinicians should be aware of this laboratory anomaly when treating suspected toxic alcohol ingestions.