Oral medication delivery in impaired swallowing: Thickening liquid medications for safe swallowing alters dissolution characteristics

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is available in a wide range of oral formulations designed to meet the needs of the population across the age-spectrum, but for people with impaired swallowing, i.e. dysphagia, both solid and liquid medications can be difficult to swallow without modification. The effect of a commercial polysaccharide thickener, designed to be added to fluids to promote safe swallowing by dysphagic patients, on rheology and acetaminophen dissolution was tested using crushed immediate-release tablets in water, effervescent tablets in water, elixir and suspension. The inclusion of the thickener, comprised of xanthan gum and maltodextrin, had a considerable impact on dissolution; acetaminophen release from modified medications reached 12-50% in 30 minutes, which did not reflect the pharmacopeia specification for immediate release preparations. Flow curves reflect the high zero-shear viscosity and the apparent yield stress of the thickened products. The weak gel nature, in combination with high G’ values compared to G” (viscoelasticity) and high apparent yield stress, impact drug release. The restriction on drug release from these formulations is not influenced by the theoretical state of the drug (dissolved or dispersed), and the approach typically used in clinical practice (mixing crushed tablets into pre-prepared thickened fluid) cannot be improved by altering the order of incorporation or mixing method.

Re-examination of one-point methods of liquid limit determination

This Paper deals with the analysis of liquid limit of soils, an inferential parameter of universal acceptance. It has been undertaken primarily to re-examine one-point methods of determination of liquid limit water contents. It has been shown by basic characteristics of soils and associated physico-chemical factors that critical shear strengths at liquid limit water contents arise out of force field equilibrium and are independent of soil type. This leads to the formation of a scientific base for liquid limit determination by one-point methods, which hitherto was formulated purely on statistical analysis of data. Available methods (Norman, 1959; Karlsson, 1961; Clayton & Jukes, 1978) of one-point liquid limit determination have been critically re-examined. A simple one-point cone penetrometer method of computing liquid limit has been suggested and compared with other methods. Experimental data of Sherwood & Ryley (1970) have been employed for comparison of different cone penetration methods. Results indicate that, apart from mere statistical considerations, one-point methods have a strong scientific base on the uniqueness of modified flow line irrespective of soil type. Normalized flow line is obtained by normalization of water contents by liquid limit values thereby nullifying the effects of surface areas and associated physico-chemical factors that are otherwise reflected in different responses at macrolevel.Cet article traite de l'analyse de la limite de liquidité des sols, paramètre déductif universellement accepté. Cette analyse a été entreprise en premier lieu pour ré-examiner les méthodes à un point destinées à la détermination de la teneur en eau à la limite de liquidité. Il a été démontré par les caractéristiques fondamentales de sols et par des facteurs physico-chimiques associés que les résistances critiques à la rupture au cisaillement pour des teneurs en eau à la limite de liquidité résultent de l'équilibre des champs de forces et sont indépendantes du type de sol concerné. On peut donc constituer une base scientifique pour la détermination de la limite de liquidité par des méthodes à un point lesquelles, jusqu'alors, n'avaient été formulées que sur la base d'une analyse statistique des données. Les méthodes dont on dispose (Norman, 1959; Karlsson, 1961; Clayton & Jukes, 1978) pour la détermination de la limite de liquidité à un point font l'objet d'un ré-examen critique. Une simple méthode d'analyse à un point à l'aide d'un pénétromètre à cône pour le calcul de la limite de liquidité a été suggérée et comparée à d'autres méthodes. Les données expérimentales de Sherwood & Ryley (1970) ont été utilisées en vue de comparer différentes méthodes de pénétration par cône. En plus de considérations d'ordre purement statistque, les résultats montrent que les méthodes de détermination à un point constituent une base scientifique solide en raison du caractère unique de la ligne de courant modifiée, quel que soit le type de sol La ligne de courant normalisée est obtenue par la normalisation de la teneur en eau en faisant appel à des valeurs de limite de liquidité pour, de cette manière, annuler les effets des surfaces et des facteurs physico-chimiques associés qui sans cela se manifesteraient dans les différentes réponses au niveau macro.

Metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors with bismuth oxide as insulator

Metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors using aluminum Bi2O3 and silicon have been studied for varactor applications. Reactively sputtered Bi2O3 films which under suitable proportions of oxygen and argon and had high resistivity suitable for device applications showed a dielectric constant of 25. Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics.

Pressure and alloying effects on the metal to insulator transition in NiS2-xSex studied by infrared spectroscopy

The metal to insulator transition in the charge-transfer NiS2-xSex compound has been investigated through infrared reflectivity. Measurements performed by applying pressure to pure NiS2 (lattice contraction) and by Se alloying (lattice expansion) reveal that in both cases an anomalous metallic state is obtained. We find that optical results are not compatible with the linear Se-alloying vs pressure-scaling relation previously established through transport, thus pointing out the substantially different microscopic origin of the two transitions.

Hydration numbers of some metal acetates, monochloroacetates and trichloroacetates in solution from ultrasonic velocity and conpressibility measurements

Ultrasonic velocities in aqueous solutions of some metal acetates, monochloroacelates and trichloroacetates, and the respective acids have been measured at 1 MHz frequency using the pulse technique. The ultrsonic velocity, adiabatic compressibility and apperent molal compressibility were measured as a function of concentration. The apparent molal compressibility values at infinite dilution were calculated and used to determine the hydration numbers.

Rare earth transition metal sulfides, LnMS3

Ternary rare earth transition metal sulfides LnMS3 with Ln = La, Nd, and Gd, and M = V and Cr; as well as Ln = La and M = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni have been prepared and characterized. The vanadium and chromium sulfides crystallize in a monoclinic layer structure isotypic with LaCrS3, while the other LnMS3 sulfides crystallize in a hexagonal structure. Chemical shifts of the metal K-absorption edge and XPS binding energies of core levels indicate that the transition metal is trivalent in the V and Cr sulfides, while it is divalent in the Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni sulfides. Electrical and magnetic properties of the sulfides are discussed in terms of their structures and the electronic configurations of the transition metal ions.

Intrinsic kinetics of trickle bed reactors

Abstract is not available.

Thermal analysis of hydrazinium metal sulphates and their hydrazinates

Thermal analysis of hydrazinium metal sulphates, (N2H5)2 M(SO4)-I, and their hydrazinates, (N2H5)2−M(SO4)23N2H4−II, whereM=Fe, Co and Ni have been investigated using thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis. Type II compounds on heating decompose through an intermediate I and metal suphlate to the respective metal oxides.

Metallo crown porphyrins as ionophores-metal dependent uncoupling of mitochondrial energy potential

Porphyrins appended with crown ether moieties function as efficient uncouplesrs of oxidative phorphorylation in rat liver mitochondria. Permeation of these highly organized porphyrins decrease the respiratory coefficient index (RCI) values. Lowering of the RCI values parallels the number of K+ chelating crown ether groups attached to the porphyrins. The inhibitory effect upon the oxidative phorphorylation reaction depends on the nature of divalent metal ions, VO, Co, Cu and Zn in the porphyrin cavity and related to their relative tendency to complex intracellular K+ ions.

Metal complexes of thiophene 2-thiocarboxamide. Proton and 13C NMR, IR and electronic spectral studies

The complexes of thiophene 2-thiocarboxamide (TTCA) with some metal chlorides and bromides [M = Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Hg(II) and Cu(I)] are described. Elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibilities and conductance studies, electronic, IR, proton and 13C magnetic resonance spectra are reported. The results suggest exclusive coordination of TTCA through the thiocarbonyl sulfur. The influence of the thiophene ring on the donor properties of the thioamide are discussed.

Appearance of "Fragile" Fermi Liquids in Finite-Width Mott Insulators Sandwiched between Metallic Leads

Using inhomogeneous dynamical mean-field theory, we show that the normal-metal proximity effect could force any finite number of Mott-insulating "barrier" planes sandwiched between semi-infinite metallic leads to become "fragile" Fermi liquids. They are fully Fermi-liquid-like at T=0, leading to a restoration of lattice periodicity at zero frequency, with a well-defined Fermi surface, and perfect (ballistic) conductivity. However, the Fermi-liquid character can rapidly disappear at finite omega, V, T, disorder, or magnetism, all of which restore the expected quantum tunneling regime, leading to fascinating possibilities for nonlinear response in devices.

Line tension of a two dimensional gas-liquid interface

In two dimensional (2D) gas-liquid systems, the reported simulation values of line tension are known to disagree with the existing theoretical estimates. We find that while the simulation erred in truncating the range of the interaction potential, and as a result grossly underestimated the actual value, the earlier theoretical calculation was also limited by several approximations. When both the simulation and the theory are improved, we find that the estimate of line tension is in better agreement with each other. The small value of surface tension suggests increased influence of noncircular clusters in 2D gas-liquid nucleation, as indeed observed in a recent simulation.

Synthesis of Azo Coupled Crown Ethers Containing Transition Metal and other Chromophoric Environments and Their Ion Complexation Properties

The crown ethers, 2,3-benzo-1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxa-cyclopentadeca-2-ene and 2,3, ll,12-dibenzo-l,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxscyclooctadeca-2,11-diene are incorporated into H,N'-ethylenebis(acetylacetoneimino) nickel(II) and copper(II), phenol, and β-naphthol by diazo coupling reactions. The selective nature of the coupling reaction has-been demonstrated by the isolation of both asymmetric mono- and symmetric bis(glyoxalarylcrownhydrazoneimino) metal(II) complexes. An interesting binuclear complex containing two intramolecularly rearranged (glyoxal-hydrazonearylimino) metal(II) groups joined by 18-crown-6 result8 when bis(arenediazonium)-18-crown-6 is coupled with the metal(I1) Schiff bases. The substituted ethers form cationic salts with NaClO4, KCNS, NH4CNS, 14g(CNS)2 and Ca(CNS)2. All the synthesised ethers exhibit ion selectivity sequence as K+ > Na+ and Ca2+ > Mg2+.

A Convenient Route for the Synthesis of Complex Metal Oxides Employing Solid-Solution Precursors

Synthesis of complex metal oxides by the thermal decomposition of solid-solution precursors (formed by isomorphous compounds of component metals) has been investigated since the method enables mixing of cations on an atomic scale and drastically reduces diffusion distances to a few angstroms. Several interesting oxides such as Ca2Fe03,5C, aCoz04,C a2C0205a, nd Ca,FeCo05 have been prepared by this technique starting from carbonate solid solutions of the type Ca,-,Fe,C03, Cal-,Co,C03, and Ca,-,,M,M'yC03 (M, M' = Mn, Fe, Co). The method has been extended to oxalate solid-solution precursors, and the possibility of making use of other kinds of precursor solid solutions is indicated.

Thermal reactivity of metal oxalate hydrazinates

Metal oxalate hydrazinates MC2O4·2 N2H4 where M=Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd have been prepared and characterised by chemical analysis and infrared spectra. Thermal reactivity and decomposition of these oxalato complexes have been studied using thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis. Hydrazinates of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu oxalates exhibit autocatalytic decomposition behaviour whereas the others do not. This phenomenon can be attributed to the presence of a bridged hydrazine as well as the thermal stability of the anhydrous metal oxalates.