Direct Powder Extrusion 3D Printing of Praziquantel to Overcome Neglected Disease Formulation Challenges in Paediatric Populations.

For the last 40 years, praziquantel has been the standard treatment for schistosomiasis, a neglected parasitic disease affecting more than 250 million people worldwide. However, there is no suitable paediatric formulation on the market, leading to off-label use and the splitting of commercial tablets for adults. In this study, we use a recently available technology, direct powder extrusion (DPE) three-dimensional printing (3DP), to prepare paediatric Printlets™ (3D printed tablets) of amorphous solid dispersions of praziquantel with Kollidon VA 64 and surfactants (Span™ 20 or Kolliphor SLS).

Characterization of surface properties of chitosan/bentonite composites beads by inverse gas chromatography.

Chitosan/bentonite (CSBt) composites beads were prepared by dropwise of a solution containing chitosan and bentonite to an alkaline NaOH solution. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller BET analysis have been used to provide new insights on the composition and morphology of CSBt composites beads surface. In this study, inverse gas chromatography (IGC) was implemented to characterize physico-chemical properties of CSBt composites surface.

Foaming of PLA Composites by Supercritical Fluid-Assisted Processes: A Review.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a well-known and commercially available biopolymer that can be produced from different sources. Its different characteristics generated a great deal of interest in various industrial fields. Besides, its use as a polymer matrix for foam production has increased in recent years.

Crystallization of α-glycine by anti-solvent assisted by ultrasound.

Crystallization of α-glycine by addition of an anti-solvent (ethanol) assisted by ultrasound is studied. The experiments of crystallization are conducted at 303.15 K in a solution of 150 ml with continuous agitation by a magnetic rod.

Compressive deformation and failure of trabecular structures in a turtle shell.

Turtle shells comprising of cortical and trabecular bones exhibit intriguing mechanical properties. In this work, compression tests were performed using specimens made from the carapace of Kinixys erosa turtle. A combination of imaging techniques and mechanical testing were employed to examine the responses of hierarchical microstructures of turtle shell under compression.

Determination of drug-polymer solubility from supersaturated spray-dried amorphous solid dispersions: A case study with Efavirenz and Soluplus®.

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) are found to be a well-established strategy for overcoming limited aqueous solubility and poor oral bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). One of the main parameters affecting ASDs physical stability is the API solubility in the carrier, because this value determines the maximal API load without a risk of phase separation and recrystallization. Phase-diagrams can be experimentally obtained by following the recrystallization of the API from a supersaturated homogeneous API-polymer solid solution, commonly produced by processes as solvent casting or comilling, which are very time-consuming (hours).

How to avoid evaporation during rheological measurements of dewatered pasty sludge at high temperature.

Controlling the residence time in paddle dryers and the drying efficiency imply the knowledge of rheological behaviour of highly concentrated and pasty sludge and its temperature dependency. However, because of perturbing effects such as evaporation, measurements are not fully representative of intrinsic sludge properties. Classical techniques usually considered in the literature for evaporation control are not efficient at high temperatures.

Axial acoustic field along a solid-liquid fluidized bed under power ultrasound.

This work investigates the ultrasound propagation within a liquid-solid fluidized bed. The acoustic mapping of the reactor is achieved by means of a hydrophone. A spectral analysis is carried out on the measured signals to quantify the cavitation activity.

Ultrasound assisted crystallization of a new cardioactive prototype using ionic liquid as solvent.

This work deals with the antisolvent crystallization of LASSBio-294 (3,4-methylenedioxybenzoyl-2-thienylhydrazon) assisted by ultrasound. An ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methyl phosphonate [emim][CHO(H)PO] was used as solvent and water as antisolvent. The influence of the following parameters on crystals properties (size distribution, morphology, residual solvent and in vitro dissolution) were studied with two mixing mode (quick and dropwise) of solution with antisolvent.

Addressing nonlinearities in Monte Carlo.

Monte Carlo is famous for accepting model extensions and model refinements up to infinite dimension. However, this powerful incremental design is based on a premise which has severely limited its application so far: a state-variable can only be recursively defined as a function of underlying state-variables if this function is linear. Here we show that this premise can be alleviated by projecting nonlinearities onto a polynomial basis and increasing the configuration space dimension.

Environmental performance evolution of municipal solid waste management by life cycle assessment in Hangzhou, China.

There is a significant increase in the volume of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) that is being generated across the world. Faced with this challenge and the associated environmental issues, MSW management (MSWM) in Hangzhou, China has made various positive changes in order to adapt. During the last 10 years, MSW source-separated collection was launched, which was accompanied by estimations of a new waste-to-energy (incineration) plant and food waste separate treatment methods.

A comparison of alum sludge with peat for aqueous glyphosate removal for maximizing their value for practical use.

This study compares and contrasts the glyphosate removal efficiency of alum sludge (waterworks residue) and Irish peat in aqueous solution. Organic phosphonate of glyphosate aqueous solution was removed in pot tests separately filled with peat and alum sludge, while effluent samples were taken from each pot to analyse the concentration of phosphorus (P) and COD (chemical oxygen demand); physical and chemical analysis for both media before and after use was carried out subsequently. The results show that the P removal capacity of alum sludge was significant (>99%), while the removal capacity of peat was considerably less than 10% after 10 weeks.

Improved drug loading via spray drying of a chalcone implant for local treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Current chemotherapy of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), even the mildest forms, encompasses multiple and painful injections with toxic drugs that cause systemic adverse effects. Recently, we showed the promising use of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles loaded with an antileishmanial nitrosylated chalcone (CH8) for effective, safe, local, and single-dose treatment of CL. Here, we proposed to optimize the delivery system by increasing the CH8 loading in PLGA-microparticles using spray drying instead of emulsification-solvent evaporation.

Life cycle assessment of pyrolysis, gasification and incineration waste-to-energy technologies: Theoretical analysis and case study of commercial plants.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) pyrolysis and gasification are in development, stimulated by a more sustainable waste-to-energy (WtE) option. Since comprehensive comparisons of the existing WtE technologies are fairly rare, this study aims to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) using two sets of data: theoretical analysis, and case studies of large-scale commercial plants. Seven systems involving thermal conversion (pyrolysis, gasification, incineration) and energy utilization (steam cycle, gas turbine/combined cycle, internal combustion engine) are modeled.

Experimental rheological procedure adapted to pasty dewatered sludge up to 45 % dry matter.

Wastewater sludge are characterized by complex rheological properties, strongly dependent on solids concentration and temperature. These properties are required for process hydrodynamic modelling but their correct measurement is often challenging at high solids concentrations. This is especially true to model the hydrodynamic of dewatered sludge during drying process where solids content (TS) increases with residence time.

Depot Subcutaneous Injection with Chalcone CH8-Loaded Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) Microspheres as a Single-Dose Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Conventional chemotherapy of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is based on multiple parenteral or intralesional injections with systemically toxic drugs. Aiming at a single-dose localized therapy, biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles loaded with 7.8% of an antileishmanial nitrochalcone named CH8 (CH8/PLGA) were constructed to promote sustained subcutaneous release.

Mechanochemical Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Isoniazid Derivatives with Potent Antitubercular Activity.

A series of isoniazid derivatives bearing a phenolic or heteroaromatic coupled frame were obtained by mechanochemical means. Their pH stability and their structural (conformer/isomer) analysis were checked. The activity of prepared derivatives against cell growth was evaluated.

Energy and exergy optimization of food waste pretreatment and incineration.

With the aim of upgrading current food waste (FW) management strategy, a novel FW hydrothermal pretreatment and air-drying incineration system is proposed and optimized from an energy and exergy perspective. Parameters considered include the extracted steam quality, the final moisture content of dehydrated FW, and the reactor thermal efficiency. Results show that optimal working condition can be obtained when the temperature and pressure of extracted steam are 159 °C and 0.

Synthesis and characterization of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-based spray-dried microparticles exhibiting temperature and pH-sensitive properties for controlled release of ketoprofen.

Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) and poly(N-vinylcaprolactam-co-acrylic acid) (poly(NVCL-co-AA)) were synthesized by solution-free radical polymerization and displayed thermo-responsive behavior, with lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) of 35 °C and 39 °C, respectively. The incorporation of AA unities made the poly(NVCL-co-AA) sensitive to both pH and temperature. They were exploited in this work in preparing microparticles loaded with ketoprofen via spray-drying to modulate the drug release rate by changing pH or temperature.

A uniaxial cyclic compression method for characterizing the rheological and textural behaviors of mechanically dewatered sewage sludge.

The mechanically dewatered sewage sludge with total solid content around 20% on a weight basis is very similar to yield stress fluid, its complex transition between solid and fluid states is not perfectly reversible and especially challenging in terms of pumping, land spreading and drying. To characterize the rheological and textural properties of highly concentrated sludge, a specific methodology based on uniaxial single and cyclic compression tests is developed. Three types of sludge samples (fresh original, fresh premixed and aged original ones) are extruded into cylinders and pressed between two parallel plates using a material testing machine.

Computational intelligence models to predict porosity of tablets using minimum features.

The effects of different formulations and manufacturing process conditions on the physical properties of a solid dosage form are of importance to the pharmaceutical industry. It is vital to have in-depth understanding of the material properties and governing parameters of its processes in response to different formulations. Understanding the mentioned aspects will allow tighter control of the process, leading to implementation of quality-by-design (QbD) practices.

Hydroxyapatite-based sorbents: elaboration, characterization and application for the removal of catechol from the aqueous phase.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is highly considered as good sorbent for the removal of metals from the aqueous phase. However, soluble metals co-exist with organic pollutants in wastewaters. But little work has been devoted to investigate the reactivity of HAP for the removal of organic compounds.

Perturbation of a radially oscillating single-bubble by a micron-sized object.

A single bubble oscillating in a levitation cell is acoustically monitored by a piezo-ceramics microphone glued on the cell external wall. The correlation of the filtered signal recorded over distant cycles on one hand, and its harmonic content on the other hand, are shown to carry rich information on the bubble stability and existence. For example, the harmonic content of the signal is shown to increase drastically once air is fully dissociated in the bubble, and the resulting pure argon bubble enters into the upper branch of the sonoluminescence regime.