1,720,984 research outputs found
Development of microparticles for oral administration of the non-conventional radical scavenger IAC and testing in an inflammatory rat model.
No full textDevelopment of microparticles for oral administration of the non-conventional radical scavenger
IAC and testing in an inflammatory rat model
1)Cirillo S.. 2)Paolini M.. 3)Vivarelli F.. 4)Passerini N.. 5)Albertini B.. 6)Di sabatino M. 7)Corace G.. 8)Luppi B..
9)Canistro D..
University of Bologna
The bis (1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl)-decandioate (IAC) is an innovative nonconventional
radical scavenger used with success in several disease models, such as inflammation,
neurological disorders, hepatitis and diabetes. To date, the main limit for the drug use is
represented by the intraperitoneal (i.p.) route of administration used in the pharmacological
treatments. In order to develop a delivery system that allowed both oral administration and the
therapeutic efficacy, Solid Lipid Microparticles (SLMs) containing a theoretical 18% w/w of IAC
have been produced. Recently, three formulations (A, B, C) have been tested at different dosages
in an inflammation and pain rat model. Inflammatory model was induced by the use of an
intraplantar injection of 100ml/paw of Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). Administered per os at
different dosages, IAC B (60% stearic acid-20% Compritol® HD5 ATO) was the most efficient
formulation in reducing oedema and alleviating pain, compared to the gold standard Paracetamol.
Since the anti-diabetic effects of the i.p. formulation of IAC was already demonstrated in vivo, we
are now investigating the therapeutic efficacy of the selected (B) oral IAC formulation (SLMs) in
streptozotocin-nicotinamide diabetic mice
Effect of thermal exposure on the residual hardness and tensile properties of the EN AW-2618A piston alloy
No full textThe present study was focused on the effect of temperature exposure on the hardness and
tensile properties of the EN AW-2618A T6 alloy, used for forged pistons. The peak aging
parameters were firstly obtained by solution, water quenching and aging the alloy in the
range 25-220 °C. The thermal stability of the T6 heat-treated alloy was studied in the
temperature range 200-300 °C for times up to a week, thus obtaining the corresponding
hardness-time-temperature curves. Tensile tests and microstructural characterization were
carried out on specimens subjected to different thermal exposure and therefore characterized
by different residual hardness. Proof and ultimate tensile strength decreased with decreasing
the residual hardness of the alloy, while elongation to failure and strain hardening exponent
increased. Empirical equations able to modelling the tensile behaviour of the alloy, based on
its residual hardness, were defined. Microstructural and fractographic analyses on the thermal
exposed alloy evidenced coarsening of strengthening phases, mainly at the grain boundaries,
with presence of precipitate free zones and large incoherent precipitates
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Comparison of spray congealing and melt emulsification methods for the incorporation of the water-soluble salbutamol sulphate in lipid microparticles
No full textCONTEXT:
Salbutamol sulphate is widely used as bronchodilator for the treatment of asthma. Its use is limited by the relatively short duration of action and hence sustained delivery of salbutamol sulphate offers potential benefits to patients.
OBJECTIVE:
This study explores the preparation of lipid microparticles (LMs) as biocompatible carrier for the prolonged release of salbutamol sulphate.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The LMs were produced using different lipidic materials and surfactants, by classical melt emulsification-based methods (oil-in-water and water-in-oil-in-water emulsions) and the spray congealing technique.
RESULTS:
For the LMs obtained by melt emulsification a lack of release modulation was observed. On the other hand, the sustained release of salbutamol sulphate was achieved with glyceryl behenate microparticles prepared by spray congealing. These LMs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and differential scanning calorimetry. The drug loading was 4.72% (w/w). The particle size distribution measured by laser diffraction and electrical zone sensing was represented by a volume median diameter (Dv(50)) of 51.7-71.4 μm. Increasing the atomization air pressure from 4 to 8 bar produced a decrease of the Dv(50) to 12.7-17.5 μm.
CONCLUSIONS:
Incorporation of the hydrophilic salbutamol sulphate into LMs with sustained release characteristics was achieved by spray congealing
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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