In Vitro Tests of FDM 3D-Printed Diclofenac Sodium-Containing Implants

One of the most promising emerging innovations in personalized medication is based on 3D printing technology. For use as authorized medications, 3D-printed products require different in vitro tests, including dissolution and biocompatibility investigations. Our objective was to manufacture implantable drug delivery systems using fused deposition modeling, and in vitro tests were performed for the assessment of these products. Polylactic acid, antibacterial polylactic acid, polyethylene terephthalate glycol, and poly(methyl methacrylate) filaments were selected, and samples with 16, 19, or 22 mm diameters and 0%, 5%, 10%, or 15% infill percentages were produced. The dissolution test was performed by a USP dissolution apparatus 1. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide dye (MTT)-based prolonged cytotoxicity test was performed on Caco-2 cells to certify the cytocompatibility properties. The implantable drug delivery systems were characterized by thermogravimetric and heatflow assay, contact angle measurement, scanning electron microscopy, microcomputed tomography, and Raman spectroscopy. Based on our results, it can be stated that the samples are considered nontoxic. The dissolution profiles are influenced by the material properties of the polymers, the diameter, and the infill percentage. Our results confirm the potential of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing for the manufacturing of different implantable drug delivery systems in personalized medicine and may be applied during surgical interventions.     

Accelerating Biphasic Biocatalysis through New Process Windows

Process intensification through continuous flow reactions has increased the production rates of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Catalytic reactions are accelerated through an unconventional and unprecedented use of a high‐performance liquid/liquid counter current chromatography system. Product generation is significantly faster than in traditional batch reactors or in segmented flow systems, which is exemplified through stereoselective phase‐transfer catalyzed reactions. This methodology also enables the intensification of biocatalysis as demonstrated in high yield esterifications and in the sesquiterpene cyclase‐catalyzed synthesis of sesquiterpenes from farnesyl diphosphate as high‐value natural products with applications in medicine, agriculture and the fragrance industry. Product release in sesquiterpene synthases is rate limiting due to the hydrophobic nature of sesquiterpenes, but a biphasic system exposed to centrifugal forces allows for highly efficient reactions.     

Temperature dependence of DC electrical conductivity of kaolin

The samples from kaolin Sedlec were investigated by the help of DTA, TG, and temperature dependences of DC conductivity using Pt wire electrodes and linear heating up to 1,050 °C. After drying, the samples contained ~1.5 mass% of the physically bound water. DTA and TG reflected generally known facts about a release of the physically bound water, dehydroxylation, and metakaolinite → Si–Al spinel transformation. The results of electrical measurements showed the electric current passed over the maximum at 60 °C. The self-ionization of water results in the process H₂O → H⁺ + OH^? in the water layers on the crystal surfaces; consequently, OH^? and H⁺ are the main charge carriers in the low-temperature region. The water molecules simultaneously evaporate from the sample which decreases the number of the charge carriers. When the physically bound water evaporates, the current is carried mostly by K⁺ and Na⁺ ions. During dehydroxylation, the hydroxyls OH^? split into H⁺ and O^2?. The ions H⁺ jump to the neighboring OH^? groups creating the water molecules. The ions O^2?remain bounded to the newly created metakaolinite lattice. Therefore, mobile protons contribute to the electric current. At the same time, this contribution gradually decreases because of the escape of H₂O from the sample. The sharp current peak and DTA peak at 970 °C imply relatively fast metakaolinite → Si–Al spinel transformation. This DC current peak results from the shift of Al³⁺ and O^2? ions into new positions.     

Detection of the 35S promoter in transgenic maize via various isothermal amplification techniques: a practical approach

In 2003 the European Commission introduced a 0.9 % threshold for food and feed products containing genetically modified organism (GMO)-derived components. For commodities containing GMO contents higher than this threshold, labelling is mandatory. To provide a DNA-based rapid and simple detection method suitable for high-throughput screening of GMOs, several isothermal amplification approaches for the 35S promoter were tested: strand displacement amplification, nicking-enzyme amplification reaction, rolling circle amplification, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and helicase-dependent amplification (HDA). The assays developed were tested for specificity in order to distinguish between samples containing genetically modified (GM) maize and non-GM maize. For those assays capable of this discrimination, tests were performed to determine the lower limit of detection. A false-negative rate was determined to rule out whether GMO-positive samples were incorrectly classified as GMO-negative. A robustness test was performed to show reliable detection independent from the instrument used for amplification. The analysis of three GM maize lines showed that only LAMP and HDA were able to differentiate between the GMOs MON810, NK603, and Bt11 and non-GM maize. Furthermore, with the HDA assay it was possible to realize a detection limit as low as 0.5 %. A false-negative rate of only 5 % for 1 % GM maize for all three maize lines shows that HDA has the potential to be used as an alternative strategy for the detection of transgenic maize. All results obtained with the LAMP and HDA assays were compared with the results obtained with a previously reported real-time PCR assay for the 35S promoter in transgenic maize. This study presents two new screening assays for detection of the 35S promoter in transgenic maize by applying the isothermal amplification approaches HDA and LAMP.     

Zur elektrolytischen Abscheidung von Legierungen und deren metallographische Untersuchung

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Stability conditions for systems of linear nonautonomous delay differential equations

Systems of linear nonautonomous delay differential equations are considered which are of the form y′_i(t) = ∑_{k = 1}ⁿ ∝₀^T b_ik(t, s) y_k(t − s) dη_ik(s) − c_i(t) y_i(t), where I = 1,…, n. Sufficient conditions are derived for both the asymptotic stability and the instability of the zero solution. The main result is found by a monotone technique using elementary methods only. Moreover, additional criteria are obtained by using the method of Lyapunov functionals.     

A Novel Rearrangement Product of Podophyllotoxone – Ester Derivatives and in vitro cytotoxicity studies

A new rearrangement product of podophyllotoxone was obtained by reaction with strong bases. In vitro cytotoxities of this substance and some derivatives were determined using L-1210 and KB cell lines.     

Die industrielle Verwertung von Kautschukmilch (Latex) in der Patentliteratur

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Über die photochemische Umwandlung deso-Nitrobenzaldehyds II

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