Improvement of the dissolution rate of nitrendipine using a new pulse combustion drying method

Solid dispersions (SDs) of nitrendipine (NTD), a poorly water-soluble drug, were prepared with the Hypulcon pulse combustion dryer system, and the physicochemical properties of particles were investigated and compared with those of particles prepared with a spray dryer. The SD particles prepared with Hypulcon using Aerosil and Tween 80 as carriers showed improved properties over those prepared with a conventional spray dryer, such as smaller particle size, tighter particle size distribution, and no agglomeration. Powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry evaluation showed that the drug in the NTD-Aerosil SD prepared with 5% (v/v) Tween 80 solution was dispersed in an amorphous state. Fourier transformation IR spectroscopy indicated the presence of hydrogen bonds between NTD and Aerosil. Aerosil had greater ability to improve the dissolution of NTD than Sylysia and other polymers. The highest drug supersaturation concentration was maintained continuously during the dissolution test of the NTD-Aerosil SD prepared with 5% (v/v) Tween 80 solution using Hypulcon. The good hydrophilicity and dispersibility of Aerosil, solubilization of Tween 80, and actions of shock waves and ultrasonic waves might account for the amorphization of NTD and improved dissolution rate of SDs. Pulse combustion drying with low drying costs and high thermal efficiency is a promising method for the preparation of SD particles with improved properties without using organic solvent.     

Preparation of solid dispersion for ethenzamide-carbopol and theophylline-carbopol systems using a twin screw extruder

In the present study, we prepared solid dispersions of water-insoluble and soluble drugs (ethenzamide (ETZ) and theophylline (THEO)) by the twin screw extruder method, which made it possible to control both kneading and heating at the same time under the fusion point of each drug, using three types of the controlled-release high-molecular-weight substance Carbopol (CAR) as the carrier. The solid dispersions obtained were evaluated and compared with those prepared by the organic solvent method. These products showed significantly increased solubility of ETZ, but the solubility of THEO was reduced indicating that CAR slows the release of THEO. It is important not only to simply knead under high pressure but to select the optimal operation temperature to bring these drugs into a semi-fusion state. Solid dispersions obtained by this method showed X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) patterns similar to those obtained by the organic solvent method indicating that the former can be used as a simple and effective method for preparation of solid dispersions.     

Stereocontrolled total synthesis of (±)-3β-hydroxy-9β-pimara-7,15-diene, a putative biosynthetic intermediate of momilactones

The total synthesis of (±)-3β-hydroxy-9β-pimara-7,15-diene (1), a putative biosynthetic intermediate of the momilactones, was accomplished stereoselectively. Our methodology for the synthesis of 1 featured the stereoselective construction of the C-13 quaternary carbon center via the aldol-Tishchenko reaction. 3β-Hydroxy-9β-pimara-7,15-diene (1) was identified by full-scan GC-MS analysis as an endogenous compound in elicited rice cells.     

Remarkable Stabilization of the α‐Helix Structure by an Intramolecular Host‐Guest Bridge in a Cyclodextrin‐Peptide Hybrid

A cyclodextrin‐peptide hybrid (CD‐peptide) bearing three units of γ‐cyclodextrin, cholic acid, and a dansyl fluorophore in the side chain has been prepared. In this novel CD‐peptide, the cholic acid unit acts as an internal guest and forms an intramolecular inclusion complex with γ‐cyclodextrin in the CD‐peptide. This intramolecular complex works as a host‐guest bridge in the CD‐peptide and remarkably stabilizes the α‐helix structure of the CD‐peptide.     

The three neutrino scenario

I have discussed in my talk several remaining issues in the standard three-flavor mixing scheme of neutrinos, in particular, the sign of Δm²₁₃ and the leptonic CP violating phase. In this report I focus on two topics: (1) supernova method for determining the former sign, and (2) illuminating how one can detect the signatures for both of them in long-baseline ( 10 km) neutrino oscillation experiments. I do this by formulating perturbative frameworks appropriate for the two typical options of such experiments, the high energy and the low energy options with beam energies of 10 GeV and 100 MeV, respectively.     

Guest‐responsive excimer emission in an α‐helix peptide bearing γ‐cyclodextrin and two naphthalene units

An α‐helix peptide (17 amino acids) bearing γ‐cyclodextrin (γ‐CD) and two naphthyl units (γ‐N₂17) was designed and prepared as a new type of chemosensor. The α‐helix peptide with γ‐CD sandwiched between two naphthyl moieties exhibits excimer emission by inserting the two naphthalene moieties into the γ‐CD cavity from the opposite sides in the side chain of the peptide. The two reference peptides, which have one naphthalene moiety and one γ‐CD unit, exhibit only monomer fluorescence and have larger binding constants for the examined guests than γ‐N₂17.     

Fabrication of DNA nanowires by orthogonal self-assembly and DNA intercalation on a Au patterned Si/SiO2 surface

A novel Ru complex bearing both an acridine group and anchoring phosphonate groups was immobilized on a surface in order to capture double-stranded DNAs (dsDNAs) from solution. At low surface coverage, the atomic force microscopy (AFM) image revealed the "molecular dot" morphology with the height of the Ru complex ( approximately 2.5 nm) on a mica surface, indicating that four phosphonate anchor groups keep the Ru complex in an upright orientation on the surface. Using a dynamic molecular combing method, the DNA capture efficiency of the Ru complex on a mica surface was examined in terms of the effects of the number of molecular dots and surface hydrophobicity. The immobilized surface could capture DNAs; however, the optimal number of molecular dots on the surface as well as the optimal pull-up speed exist to obtain the extended dsDNAs on the surface. Applying this optimal condition to a Au-patterned Si/SiO 2 (Au/SiO 2) surface, the Au electrode was selectively covered with the Ru complex by orthogonal self-assembly of 4-mercaptbutylphosphonic acid (MBPA), followed by the formation of a Zr (4+)-phosphonate layer and the Ru complex. At the same time, the remaining SiO 2 surface was covered with octylphosphonic acid (OPA) by self-assembly. The selective immobilization of the Ru complex only on the Au electrode was identified by time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) imaging on the chemically modified Au/SiO 2 surface. The construction of DNA nanowires on the Au/SiO 2 patterned surface was accomplished by the molecular combing method of the selective immobilized Ru complex on Au electrodes. These interconnected nanowires between Au electrodes were used as a scaffold for the modification of Pd nanoparticles on the DNA. Furthermore, Cu metallization was achieved by electroless plating of Cu metal on a priming of Pd nanoparticles on the Pd-covered DNA nanowires. The resulting Cu nanowires showed a metallic behavior with relatively high resistance.     

Measurement of atomic capture probabilities of negative pions in metal hydrides

Atomic capture probabilities of negative pions in some metal hydrides were measured. The capture by a hydrogen atom was detected by means of a pair of the annihilation rays of ⁰ which had been produced by the charge-exchange reaction of ^– with the capturing hydrogen nucleus (proton). This method ensures a high sensitivity and reliability of the measurements. The probabilities obtained were in agreement with previous measurements except for palladium hydride, which showed a much smaller probability than that given in the literature. The atomic capture of ^– is well described in the framework of the large mesic molecular model, in which the proportionality constant reflects the chemical states of the capturing atoms and also the neighboring ones.     

Possible interpretations of IceCube high-energy neutrino events

Journal of High Energy Physics - In this note we will present a closed expression for the space-time effective action for all bosonic fields (massless and massive) obtained from the...     

Alkyl chain conformation and the electronic structure of octyl heavy chalcogenolate monolayers adsorbed on Au(111)

Adsorption states of dioctyl dichalcogenides (dioctyl disulfide, dioctyl diselenide, and dioctyl ditelluride) arranged on Au(111) have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared-visible sum-frequency generation (SFG), and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). XPS measurements suggest that dioctyl dichalcogenides dissociatively adsorbed on Au(111) surfaces to form the corresponding monolayers having chalcogen-gold covalent bonds. The elemental compositions of octanechalcogenolates on Au(111) indicate that the saturation coverages of the octyl heavy chalcogenolate (OcSe, OcTe) monolayers are lower than that of the octanethiolate (OcS) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The SFG observations of the CH(2) vibrational bands for the heavy chalcogenolate monolayers strongly suggest that a discernible amount of gauche conformation exists in the monolayers, while OcS SAMs adopt highly ordered all-trans conformation. The intensity ratio of the symmetric and asymmetric CH(3) stretching vibration modes measured by SFG shows that the average tilt angle of the methyl group of the OcSe monolayers is greater than that of the OcS SAMs. The larger tilt angle of the methyl group and the existence of a discernible amount of gauche conformation in the OcSe monolayers are due to the lower surface coverage of the OcSe monolayers compared with the OcS SAMs. The smaller polarization dependence in the angle-resolved UPS (ARUPS) spectra of the OcSe monolayers than that of the OcS SAMs is caused by the more disordered structures of the alkyl chain in the former. XPS, SFG, and ARUPS measurements indicate a similar tendency for the OcTe monolayers. The density of states (DOS) observed by UPS at around 1.3 eV for OcS adsorbed on Au(111) is considered to be the antibonding state of the Au-sulfur bond. Similar DOS is also observed by UPS at around 1.0 eV for the OcSe monolayers and at approximately 1.6 eV for the OcTe monolayers on Au(111).