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Liposome-based complex injectables: a note on scale-up processes
No full textLiposome-based complex injectables epitomize a rapidly expanding area in pharmaceutical research and development as they can enhance drug solubility, drug delivery and targeted efficacy, predominantly in oncology, infectious diseases, and vaccines. However, the transformation from laboratory-scale production to bulk manufacturing presents significant challenges due to the intricate attributes of liposomal formulation. This chapter presents a comprehensive analysis of the essential considerations in scaling up liposome-based injectables. The focus is on ensuring consistent product quality, effectiveness, and safety throughout every stage of the process. The impact of the critical components and characteristics of liposomes mainly their size, lamellarity, and surface charge, on the design and optimization of large-scale production processes have been discussed thoroughly. A plethora of production methods, like thin-film hydration, microfluidics, and extrusion, and all other complexities of scaling up these techniques require critical scrutiny for successful production at commercial scale. A deep understanding of upholding critical quality attributes of liposomes like particle uniformity, encapsulation efficiency, and sterility during large-scale manufacturing, as well as the role of advanced characterization techniques in ensuring quality control has been delibrated. Furthermore, the regulatory contemplations for scaling up liposome-based products, including the need for robust process validation and compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMPs), are addressed. This chapter concludes by delving into the future prospects in liposomal drug delivery, accentuating the advancements in manufacturing and automation that could facilitate the scale-up process. Moreover, it provides valuable perspectives on upcoming technologies that could streamline and improve large-scale production
Bullshit in boots: language, power, and conceptual ambiguity in football
No full textLanguage plays a critical yet underexamined role in talent identification and talent development systems in football. While advances in sport science have improved measurement and monitoring practices, the conceptual language that underpins key developmental decisions has remained vague, inconsistently applied, and largely untheorized. Terms such as talent, elite, character, and training load are routinely deployed with authority across scouting, coaching, and organisational contexts, yet often lack shared definitions, empirical grounding, or transparent criteria. This conceptual ambiguity is not trivial; it shapes access to opportunity, legitimises identification and (de)selection decisions, and structures developmental pathways in ways that may reproduce bias and exclusion.
Drawing on Harry G Frankfurt’s philosophical thesis of Bullshit as communication indifferent to truth but orientated toward impression management, this short communication advances the argument that football environments may operate as bullshit ecologies. In such contexts, ambiguous yet authoritative-sounding terminology is structurally incentivised, serving rhetorical, political, and symbolic functions rather than conveying epistemic clarity. Through illustrative examples drawn from football discourse, the paper demonstrates how key terms function as technologies of power that shape belief, status, and opportunity.
Rather than offering definitive definitions, this conceptual paper proposes a shift toward accountable subjectivity through three practical recommendations: the development of shared, football-specific terminology framework; the embedding of conceptual literacy within football education programmes; and the organisational auditing of language practices. Semantic clarity is not an academic luxury but a structural and ethical necessity for more transparent, equitable, and evidence-informed football identification, development, and performance systems
Trace students, the emergence of a new type of online learner: A concept analysis
No full textObjectives
The purpose of this review was to clarify the concept of trace students, undertaking a concept analysis to define this emerging group of online students.
Design
A concept analysis was conducted using Walker and Avant’s framework to enable concept clarification.
Data Sources
Database searches were undertaken: CINAHL Ultimate, PsycINFO, ERIC, MEDLINE and EBSCOhost. Inclusion criteria limited results to peer reviewed papers written in English with full text availability from 2015.
Review Methods
A concept analysis was used to define and identify key characteristics of trace students, a subgroup of learners emerging within the online distance learning student body.
Results
The defining attributes of trace students included lone study, no tutor or peer interaction and successful completion of course assessments. A high level of self-efficacy and motivation is assumed.
Conclusions
This concept analysis provides a definition of trace students within the postgraduate online learning community. This definition informs development of inclusive online learning environments encouraging curriculum developers to expand the academic landscape to include those with a preference for solitary learning
A Comparison Of Cardiovascular Benefits Of Dapagliflozin And Empagliflozin In Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review And Meta-analysis
No full textBackground
Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin, two widely used sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, are integral in managing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and have shown potential benefits in improving various clinical outcomes. This meta-analysis compares the efficacy and safety of Dapagliflozin versus Empagliflozin in T2DM patients by assessing key cardiovascular outcomes.
Methods
A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases up to March 2025. Observational studies comparing Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin in patients with T2DM were included. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each outcome, and significance was considered when the p-value was less than 0.05. Random-effects models was used when I² exceeded 50%, indicating substantial heterogeneity, while fixed-effect model was applied when heterogeneity was low (I² ≤ 50%).
Results
A total of 8 studies were included in this meta-analysis, with a combined patient population of 428,940 individuals, 164,224 treated with Dapagliflozin and 264,716 treated with Empagliflozin. The analysis revealed no significant difference in all-cause mortality between Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin (OR 1.10, CI 0.84-1.45, p=0.49). Regarding heart failure outcomes, Empagliflozin demonstrated a slight advantage over Dapagliflozin, although this difference did not reach statistical significance (OR 1.10, CI 0.91-1.33, p=0.33). Both drugs showed comparable effects in reducing cardiovascular mortality, with no significant differences observed (OR 0.89, CI 0.64-1.24, p=0.49). The comparison for ischemic stroke also revealed no significant difference between the two treatments (OR 1.12, CI 0.96-1.30, p=0.15). Furthermore, both Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin had similar impacts on Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (OR 1.11, CI 0.94-1.32, p=0.22) and myocardial infarction rates (OR 0.99, CI 0.82-1.20, p=0.95). Regarding hospitalization for heart failure, Dapagliflozin showed a trend towards lower rates, as compared to Empagliflozin (OR 0.91, CI 0.84-0.99, p=0.02).
Conclusion
Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin showed similar efficacy in managing Type 2 Diabetes outcomes, with no significant differences in mortality, cardiovascular events, or stroke. Dapagliflozin was associated with lower hospitalization rates for heart failure. Further studies are needed to evaluate long-term effects and individual patient responses
Linking Grain Size and Geospatial Indices: Sediment Transport Dynamics in the Ganga River at Varanasi, India
No full textSediment transport in alluvial channels is strongly controlled by the grain-size distribution of bed and suspended materials. This, in turn, influences river morphology by modifying the cross-sectional area and course of the channel. Statistical parameters such as mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis provide quantitative indicators of the energy conditions that control sediment transport and deposition. This study examines the depositional characteristics of sediments in the Ganga River in Varanasi City, India, employing a novel combination of Linear Discriminant Function (LDF) and Sediment Transport Index (STI). The LDF results reveal distinct depositional environments: Y1 and Y2 values indicate deposition in a low-energy fluvial environment similar to beaches, Y3 values suggest shallow marine settings, and Y4 values point to mixed deltaic and turbid current depositional environments. Additionally, CM diagrams show rolling and suspension as the dominant sediment transport mechanisms. Shear stress analysis combined with STI highlights significant depositional features, with minimal erosion observed throughout the study area. The study provides an operational framework for mapping erosion-deposition patterns on alluvial point bars that is transferable to other sand-bed rivers worldwide where detailed hydraulic data are limited but detailed grain-size and DEM information are available
Post-COVID Syndrome in Patients With Comorbid Hypertension or Diabetes: A Narrative Review of Long-Term Outcomes
No full textPost-COVID syndrome (PCS), or long COVID, refers to a cluster of enduring symptoms that extend beyond the acute phase of the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. Acute infection predominantly impacts the respiratory tract, but there is growing evidence for the multisystem involvement, such as cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological, to be responsible for the prolonged presentation in PCS. Underlying cardiometabolic vulnerability may contribute to a high degree of susceptibility in patients with comorbidities like hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM). This narrative review summarizes current literature regarding PCS in patients with HTN and/or DM, focusing on proposed pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and reported long-term outcomes. In these populations, PCS has been linked across studies to processes including endothelial dysfunction, chronic low-grade inflammation, autonomic imbalance, and potential dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Persistent cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive symptoms are reported, but the magnitude and patterns of risk vary across studies, while comparative findings across HTN and DM remain heterogeneous. Symptoms reported frequently include fatigue, cognitive impairment (“brain fog”), and psychological distress, supporting the multisystem complexity of PCS. Although, previous work has indicated that cardiometabolic comorbidities could interact and moderate PCS severity and persistence, there is an important shortfall of both causality and prognosis, as well as the management of PCS. Longitudinal studies are needed for future research regarding risk stratification, disease course, and targeted interventions in individuals with PCS with comorbid high blood pressure and diabetes
Goal trade-offs in air traffic control
No full textManaging competing goals is a pervasive aspect of Air Traffic Controllers’ work. This activity is often viewed in the context of trade-offs (e.g. between safety and efficiency goals). Studying goal trade-offs has significantly shaped our understanding of safety in Air Traffic Control (ATC) and other complex systems. However, most contemporary accounts generally fail to provide a clear definition of the nature of goal trade-offs and the mechanism by which they operate. This paper: (1) categorises goal trade-offs into three forms: sacrificial, prioritised, and balanced; and (2) examines potential mechanisms of goal trade-off. We conclude that the traditional utility theory approach is unlikely to work in complex, real-world domains such as air traffic control. Instead, it seems that goals are treated as constraints and that conflicts are resolved through plan selection using constraint satisfaction and constructed choice. This theory aligns well with accounts of naturalistic decision-making that emphasise the significance of intuitive decision processes. By clearly defining and integrating this mechanism into ATC decision-making models, we can avoid the common mischaracterisation of goal conflict resolution in complex, dynamic environments as a rational, utility-maximising choice or trade-off
Efficacy and acceptability of bowel preparation strategies for inflammatory bowel disease colonoscopy: Systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBackground: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently undergo colonoscopy, each requiring bowel preparation. ESGE 2019 guidelines recommended high or low volume polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based bowel prep for IBD patients; however other non-PEG-based preparations (sulphate and picosulphate-based) have now been studied in IBD. Methods: We searched CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, Embase, MEDLINE, and WHO ICTPR for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) up to December 2024. Primary outcome was bowel prep success; secondary outcomes included tolerability, acceptability, caecal intubation rates (CIR) and safety. Pooled estimates used risk ratio (RR) and GRADE to assess evidence certainty. Results: Ten RCTs (1479 IBD patients) were included. There was no difference in prep success (RR 0.98, 95%CI 0.88-1.09; I2=33%, 2 RCTs; moderate certainty evidence) between 2L vs. 4L PEG, but higher acceptability for 2L (RR 0.69, 95%CI 0.59-0.80; I2=18%,2 RCTs; high certainty evidence). Low-volume non-PEG vs. PEG, are probably similar for prep success (RR 0.96,95%CI:0.90-1.01; I2=6%,3 RCTs; moderate certainty evidence). The evidence on tolerability and acceptability was very uncertain. Sub-group analysis revealed comparable effectiveness of picosulphate-based (RR 0.89, 95%CI 0.78-1.01; I2=0%,1 RCT) and sulphate-based preps (RR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.91-1.05; I2=28%, 2 RCTs) compared to low-volume PEG. Safety data were inconsistently reported. Conclusion: High-certainty evidence supports low-volume PEG as comparably successful to high-volume PEG, with higher acceptability. Moderate-certainty evidence indicates similar success between non-PEG and PEG-based preps. Both low-volume PEG and non-PEG-based preps are supported for use in IBD, broadening options beyond current ESGE guidelines
The Impact of Corporate Responsiveness to Global Anti‐Corruption Initiatives on Enhancing Corporate Emissions Performance: The Moderating Role of CSR Sustainability Committee. Evidence From G20 Firms
No full textCorruption remains a major obstacle to effective corporate governance and sustainable environmental performance, undermining global efforts to achieve climate objectives. While prior research has examined governance, CSR, and environmental practices separately, few studies integrate global anti‐corruption initiatives with firm‐level environmental outcomes, particularly in G20 economies. This study investigates the influence of global anti‐corruption frameworks such as the Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) on corporate emission performance and examines whether Corporate Social Responsibility Sustainability Committees (CSRSC) moderate this relationship. Using 117,305 firm‐year observations from G20 countries between 2005 and 2022, we apply Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Fixed Effects, and Random Effects estimations, with robustness checks, to assess the relationships. Our findings show that adherence to the GRI Standards and the implementation of anti‐bribery and corruption policies (PBC) significantly enhance emission performance, while the OECD Guidelines, Bribery and Fraud Controls (BCC), and the UNGC exert comparatively weaker effects. CSRSCs strengthen the positive association between anti‐corruption initiatives and emission performance, highlighting their role as an amplifying governance mechanism. The findings remain consistent across multiple specifications. This study advances the CSR and corporate sustainability literature by linking ethical governance to environmental outcomes and provides actionable insights for policymakers and corporate leaders seeking to align anti‐corruption compliance with climate action and sustainable development goals
Phenomenological Approach To Spastic Movement Disorders
No full textIntroduction: Hyperkinetic movement disorders are characterized by their intricate and overlapping movement patterns (Figure 1), posing significant challenges in their classification and treatment. Their complexity is further heightened by evolving definitions and the involvement of multiple medical specialties. The inconsistency in definitions and descriptors complicates both research and clinical communication. Our aim is to provide an overview of current terms and definitions related to spastic movement disorders and other hyperkinetic movement disorders associated with central nervous system lesions. We propose a unified terminology and classification system for spastic movement disorders to improve communication among healthcare professionals.
Methods: We review the definitions of spasticity, dystonia, tremor, chorea, hemiballismus, athetosis, dys-synergia and myoclonus, emphasizing the overlaps and challenges in distinguishing these disorders. Various hyperkinetic movement disorders are similarly defined by their clinical features and etiologies, often showing significant overlap with spasticity.
Results: The proposed classification system for spasticity integrates elements from the Movement Disorder Society's (MDS) classification of dystonia and tremor, focusing on clinical features and etiology (Tables 1 and 2). This approach aims to establish a common language for describing phenotypes observed in clinical practice (Figure 2), facilitating better communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals.
Conclusion: By adopting a phenomenological approach, we highlight the importance of consistent descriptors and propose a systematic method to classify movement disorders, particularly spasticity. We aim to encourage the use of unified terminology in clinical practice and research, ultimately improving patient care and advancing the field of spastic movement disorders