Åbo Akademi: Open Journal Systems
Not a member yet
892 research outputs found
Sort by
Interaction and compatibility studies of efavirenz with pharmaceutical excipients
Get PDFAlthough excipients have traditionally been thought of as being inert, experience has showed interaction between them and the drugs; therefore, is very useful the knowledge about potential physical and chemical interactions. The compatibility of efavirenz with the excipients: sodium lauryl sulfate, spray dried lactose, hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose and croscarmellose sodium were studied. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy (RS) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used as screening techniques. DSC curves of binary mixtures were quite different than efavirenz raw material, suggesting strong interaction and/ or even chemical reactions between efavirenz and excipients with temperature increasing. However, FT-IR, XRPD and RS showed that no interaction and/ or even chemical reaction between efavirenz and excipients occurred at room temperature. Efavirenz is one non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), used in the High Activity Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection (HIV-1). This Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) has more than one crystalline form, which may have implications for its behavior during production and also for its in vivo performance. XRPD, DSC, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Intrinsic Dissolution Rate (IDR) were used in the solid-state characterization of efavirenz and was determined that the raw material used corresponds with Form I and maintains its crystal structure during the study. IDR indicated that bioavailability problems may arise because of drug-dependent dissolution
Evaluation of new aroma substances for feline minitablet formulation
No full textDespite the global interest in companion animal pharmaceuticals, feline peroral medication still lacks tailor-made, palatable and voluntarily accepted pharmaceuticals with suitable size and attractive taste. As a consequence, treating cats with canine and even human pharmaceuticals has weakened patient compliance and treatment commitment, and has even left many pet cats untreated. In future, the companion animal pharmaceutical business will therefore particularly concentrate on cats and the rapid and economic development of palatable feline medication. Following this goal, the overall aim of this study was to facilitate voluntary drug administration to felines. Specifically we aimed to develop sophisticated and tailor-made feline pharmaceuticals, with the focus on flavours in minitablets. Since excipients should be easily obtained and suitable for formulation, we conducted rapid preformulation compatibility and stability screening tests of synthetic flavours with commonly used tableting excipients. On the basis of the feline carnivorous diet, L-methionine, L-leucine, L-proline and thiamine hydrochloride were presented as new aroma substances for the improvement of feline medication palatability. These flavours and a model substance for a bitter taste, denatonium benzoate, were systematically evaluated for their physicochemical properties, stability and physical compatibility. This was done with substances alone and in binary combinations of flavours and excipients. Stability and compatibility were examined employing DSC and XRPD. The results showed that L-proline and denatonium benzoate anhydrate were hygroscopic. Thiamine hydrochloride was incompatible with talc and sodium stearyl fumarate. The known incompatibility between the amines contained in aromas, and α-lactose monohydrate was used in assessing method sensitivity. Overall, the study provided new information on the compatibility of novel aromas with the tableting excipients. The study also demonstrated the applicability of XRPD and DSC in the rapid evaluation of instability and incompatibility
Stabilizers used in nanocrystal based drug delivery systems
Get PDFNanocrystals have emerged as a viable tool to enhance oral bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs. They also enable parenteral administration of these drugs as nanosuspensions. The high surface free energy due to the large surface area to volume ratio of nanocrystals, makes them prone to aggregation, that can lead to physical instability and loss of solubility/dissolution advantage. Stabilizers are incorporated into nanocrystalline formulations to prevent aggregation and these include excipients such as polymers and surfactants. They achieve stabilization by electrostatic repulsion and/or steric hindrance. This article focuses on phenomenon of aggregation in nanocrystal based formulations, stabilizers for inhibition of aggregation, classification of stabilizers, properties of stabilizers and the mechanisms involved in stabilization. A compilation of stabilizers, drugs stabilized, formulation types and techniques used for generation of nanocrystals have been presented. Current challenges and future trends in the field of stabilizers have also been highlighted
Remaking the City: Archaeological Projects of Political Import in Jerusalem's Old City and in the Village of Silwan
No full textSince the mid-90s, archaeology has been a powerful tool for changing landscape and narrative in the Old City of Jerusalem and the village of Silwan – the "Historic Basin of Jerusalem". As archaeological excavations relate directly to the appropriation of land and the interpretation of the past, they are intimately tied to the Israeli-Palestinian political conflict in Jerusalem.Archaeological excavations are tied to the political conflict in Jerusalem from two distinct aspects: one is the appropriation of land to be excavated, which can be interpreted as a means of control over a certain place or area. The second is the focus on the past, which can be seen as an instrument for appropriating the past to one particular group and its narrative.Located at the northern entrance to the Palestinian village of Silwan and just a few dozen meters from the Old City Walls and the Noble Sanctuary/Temple Mount, the Givati Parking Lot archaeological site is the future location of a tourist center known as the "Kedem Center”. The complex is expected to be joined with the "City of David" archaeological park and the Western Wall plaza via existing underground spaces and tunnels that will be dug out between them. If the current plans are carried out, the building will have a significant impact on the landscape between the Old City and Silwan, and on the way in which this area is perceived.In the area of the Old City and the village of Silwan are a number of ancient underground complexes that have been studied during the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. In recent years, new excavations have exposed these complexes and opened them for the public. The underground trails allow visitors to avoid the need to confront the present (mainly Palestinian Muslim) reality of Jerusalem. Instead, they create a visiting experience in a parallel, imagined, Jerusalem: the city of the Kingdom of Judah and the Second Temple period. In the Israeli narrative these are the most meaningful periods for the formation of Israeli identity and the connection of the Jewish people to the land.
Textualising an Oral Epic – Mission Completed
No full textIn this article the author briefly examines three cases that represent Lauri Honko’s views on the textualisation of oral epics. Furthermore, these examples offer an insight into the concept of the paradigm, which was a key concept for Lauri Honko in the field of folkloristics and in the study of religion. The three case studies are as follows:1. A literary folk epic based on an oral tradition: the ‘singing scribe’ Elias Lönnrot, who compiled a number of versions of his Kalevala on the basis of Kalevala-metric folk poems.2. An epic based on multimedia documentation/ fieldwork: the Siri Epic, sung by Gopala Naika. He was an erudite singer, who used to perform the epic on ritual occasions or in the work-song context.3. An epic based on an archived oral tradition: the long epic of the Setu female singer Anne Vabarna, who produced a twin epic with the encouragement of the collector Armas Otto Väisänen, who dreamt about writing down such an epic.These three examples all belong to the ‘second life’ category of folklore in the sense that all of them have been produced outside the ‘system of communication’ which maintains an item of folklore in its original setting
Pentecostalism in Finland: the precarious beginning
No full textThe article presents the arrival of the Pentecostal movement into Finland. It is argued that a totally incorrect picture of the early years of Pentecostalism in Finland is conveyed if it is limited to the activities which took place in Helsinki in 1911–12 and the movement that emerged from there, as previous research has done. Without the earlier revival in Ostrobothnia and other activities in various parts of the country, the Pentecostal movement would not have been as successful as it was at the beginning of the 1910s. Barratt’s visit to Ostrobothnia meant that new life was breathed into the dormant spiritual movement. In other places, the Pentecostal revival could connect to other kinds of preparatory activities. This is one of the factors explaining why Barratt achieved such a great success and Pentecostalism was received so positively in the early 1910s
Black Soldier – Patron Saint: St Maurice and the Livonian Merchants
Get PDFThis article discusses the cult and visual representation of St Maurice in late medieval Livonia (i.e. present day Estonia and Latvia), set in the broader context of the Baltic Sea region. The main, but not the only, promoters of his cult were the confraternities of the Black Heads – associations of journeyman merchants, existing in the three largest Livonian Hanse towns from the early fifteenth century onwards. The aim of the article is to offer explanations about why these associations chose warrior saints as their identity markers and why St Maurice figured so prominently among them