Compatibility and stability studies involving polymers used in fused deposition modeling 3D printing of medicines

One of the challenges in developing three-dimensional printed medicines is related to their stability due to the manufacturing conditions involving high temperatures.This work proposed a new protocol for preformulation studies simulating thermal processing and aging of the printed medicines,tested regarding their morphology and thermal,crystallographic,and spectroscopic profiles.Generally,despite the strong drug-polymer interactions observed,the chemical stability of the model drugs was preserved under such conditions.In fact,in the metoprolol and Soluplus®composition,the drug's solubilization in the polymer produced a delay in the drug decomposition,suggesting a protective effect of the matrix.Paracetamol and polyvinyl alcohol mixture,in turn,showed unmistakable signs of thermal instability and chemical decomposition,in addition to physical changes.In the presented context,establishing protocols that simulate processing and storage conditions may be decisive for obtaining stable pharmaceutical dosage forms using three-dimensional printing technology.

Are models of volumetric production at the diametric distribution and total stand level mutually compatible?

The objective of this work was to compare estimates generated by a diametric distribution model and a total stand model against the pre-cut inventory.The model efficiency was also evaluated.Data were evaluated from 30 permanent sample plots in a Eucalyptus urophylla stand,comprising 24 sample plots used for model fitting,and six sample plots for validation.The volume of wood per hectare was estimated for different productive units(sites),using 7 years as the reference age.The model adjustment quality was verified by adjustment and precision statistics:the correlation between observed and predicted variables,root mean square error percentage,graphical analysis of residual distribution,and a frequency histogram for classes of relative errors and validation.Although the two-parameter Weibull probability density function adhered to the data for tree evolution in diameter classes for the reference age(7 years)in the different productivity classes,it generated imprecise estimates of the number of individuals.Consequently,it produced inaccurate volumetric production estimates.The total stand model provided reliable projections of production volumes in different productivity classes for both adjustment types,showing compatibility with the pre-cut inventory according to a Tukey test.In summary,the total stand model generated estimates that were compatible with the pre-cut inventory while the diametric distribution model did not.

Gender Differences in Comorbidities and Sleep Patterns of Obese Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the comorbidities and sleep patterns most commonly associated with each gender in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of obese individuals with OSA.?The polysomnographies were carried out in a sleep laboratory environment, using a 15-channel polysomnography setup. Airflow was measured using a nasal pressure cannula/thermistor combination. A standard handbook was used for interpretation of PSG findings. Results: A total of 284 subjects were included in the study, (147 females). The mean age, body mass index and neck circumference were similar between females and males (p?= 0.9579,?p??p?< 0.0001, respectively). On polysomnography, females exhibited longer latency to REM sleep (146.50 ± 85.93 vs. 122.3 ± 68.28,?p?= 0.0210) and a higher percentage of?delta sleep (10.09 ± 7.48 vs. 7.55 ± 6.57,?p?= 0.0037);males had more frequent microarousals (38.37?± 27.44 vs. 28.07 ± 21.23,?p?= 0.0017) and a higher AHI score (30.56 ± 27.52 vs. 17.31 ± 21.23,?p?< 0.0001). The comorbidities most commonly associated with female gender were diabetes (29% vs. 9.49%,?p?= 0.0132), hypothyroidism (20% vs. 2.19%,?p?< 0.0001), and depression (81.63% vs. 51.22%,?p?< 0.0001). Male gender was associated with myocardial infarction (6.57% vs. 1.38%,?p?= 0.0245) and alcohol intake (33.88% vs. 11.34%,?p?< 0.0001). Obese males with OSA have a larger?neck circumference and higher AHI and arousal indices than females. Conclusions: There are genderdifferences both in the sleep patterns and in the comorbidities of patients with OSA. Men had a larger neck circumference, higher apnea and sleep fragmentation scores, were more likely to consume alcohol, and were more likely to have a history of myocardial infarction than women.

Differential Diagnosis and Association of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Systemic Erythematous Lupus: A Brief Review

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and lupus erythematosus are multisystem diseases that can affect several organs and systems at different stages of disease evolution. Both diseases share common clinical manifestations, which may lead to diagnostic difficulties, especially at the onset of the disease. Another additional challenge is when there is an association of the two pathologies. The objective of this brief review is to describe the clinical manifestations of the diseases and to make considerations regarding the moment of onset of symptoms. Knowledge of these common manifestations and their peculiarities may alert clinicians to possible diagnoses and avoid errors in the evaluation and conduction of these patients.

Is ＂Happy Worker＂ More Productive

The hypothesis ＂happy productive worker＂ states that happy employees, whose needs are satisfied in their workplace, have greater performance than unhappy employees. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine empirically the effects that job satisfaction and well-being at work generate on the individual job performance, investigating the moderating role that the components of the organizational structure play in this relationship. To achieve the main objective, some secondary objectives were proposed： （1） test the predictive effect of well-being, satisfaction, personal, and professional variables on individual performance; and （2） test the moderating effect of the components of the organizational structure in the relationship among well-being, satisfaction, and individual job performance. This research originates of a consolidated statement for the business society, but very few empirical studies. This way, the hypothesis consisted in the components of the organizational structure will positively enhance the relationship among well-being at work, job satisfaction, and individual job performance. The final sample consisted of 134 participants, of a clinical laboratory and of federal court of justice. For the development of the questionnaire, four instruments were used; one for each construct. The proposal has four relationship variables and the statistical procedure used to test this hypothesis was multiple linear regressions. Considering the hypothetical theoretical model presented, personal and professional variables are predictors of job performance; thus, these variables were also included as independent variables. The results of the regression model showed that the variables ＂age＂, ＂well-being at work＂, ＂job satisfaction＂, and ＂components of organizational structure＂ are responsible for explaining 64% of the variance of the variable criteria and individual job performance The moderating role of the variable ＂components of organizational structure＂ was also observed, because its inclusion increased the explained variance of the dependent variable. After all the discussions developed, the two main contributions appear： （1） the predictive effect of well-being at work in relation to performance and （2） identifying the moderating effect of the components of the organizational structure.

Gravitational and Quantum Effects in Neuron Function

The relation between microtubules architecture in the cytoskeletal structure inside the dendrites and soma and the emergence of neuron function and firing action potential crosses the tiny line between physics and biology. As decoherence is a fundamental mechanism in some biological process such as photosynthesis and others examples, the gravitational quantum approach may contribute to elucidate if neuron function really emerges from quantum coherence in neuronal microtubules. The Einstein equation correlates the stress-energy tensor Tμv to a specific divergence-free combination Ricci tensor Rμv and the metric. In the semiclassical formulation, we have Gμv = Rμv -1/2gμvR=8πG/C^4〈ψ｜μvψ〉 which describes the quantum field in curved space-time geometry. But for a more precise equation in relation to the stress-energy tensor, we know that in a non-zero temperature, the wave-function is not enough to describe the physical reality. A more precise equation demands a formulation in the density-matrix form but for now there is no Diosi-Penrose model with density-matrix formulation. Such a density-matrix description can be viewed as a probability mixture of different wave-functions. Using some algebra and rules related to the mathematical manipulation of the density-matrix applied to operators, such the stress energy tensor, we found the von Neumann-Einstein equation for the general relativity equation in the density matrix operator form, Gμv = 8πG/C^4Tr[pTμv]. Thus density-matrix operator--instead of just a wave function of pure states--applied to the stress-energy tensor gives the curvature of space time, given by Einstein tensor, Gμv. The quantum fluctuation in the gravitational space-time field might feed back to decohere the quantum density-matrix. As long as decoherence can be viewed as the loss of information from a system to the environment, the density-matrix p is also related to that process and considering the measurement problem, density-matrix /garter is a more complete description of the possible outcome of the measurement. It is possible that some characteristics of the special microtubulin-associated proteins （MAP） that capes the dendritic-somatic microtubulins which could induces longer-lived nuclear spin states prevented from de-polymerization and suitable for long term information encode and memory. Understand the mechanism by which the hyper-phosphorylation in type tau-MAP displacements from microtubulins results in neurofibrillary tangles and cognitive dysfunctions in Alzheimer＇s disease.

Neuropsychological and Physical Trajectories in Neurotypical and High-cognitive Performing Older Adults

The maintenance of high cognitive performance in old age has increasingly become a public health interest due to associations between cognition,well-being,longevity,and autonomy.The objective of the research is to investigate cognitive,physical,and psychological trajectories of neurotypical older adults(NOAs)and high performing older adults(HPOAs).An exploratory study to investigate 21 NOAs and six HPOAs(mean age 71,SD=±3.59),followed up for one year.The older adults were submitted to physical fitness,quality of life,anxiety,depression,RAVLT,ACE-R,and Stroop tests,being assessed at three moments:baseline,six months after the cognitive(MEMO)or stimulation(Stimullus)interventions,and six months after the multimodal interventions,which could be physical or psychopedagogical interventions(health education lectures).Nonparametric statistical tests(Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon)were performed with p≤0.05.The results demonstrated that the cognitive measures were good predictors of cognitive performance and we observed positive correlations between cognitive and mood measures.The older adults with high performance had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms.There were gains in global cognitive performance,mood,and in physical fitness variables associated with multimodal interventions,evident in the neurotypical group.

The influence of porosity on tablet subdivision

A tablet microstructure,especially the porosity,is a crucial parameter that influences the mechanical properties.Herein,tablet subdivisions were studied as a functi on of tablet porosity.The tablets were manufactured in the presenee of different diluents,namely microcrystalline cellulose,LudipressR,or lactose monohydrate.Furthermore,the add让ion of Camphor was investigated,which was thereafter sublimated with a view of obtaining tablets having varying degrees of porosity.Microstructural assays were corre lated to the subdivision performs nee.The increase in porosity reduced the hardness and increased the tablet friability,adversely impacting the subdivision.For all the excipients,an increase in relative porosity>90%represented the threshold level from which an inadequate subdivision occurred.The in crease in tablet porosity led to a reduction in mechanical resista nee,which,combined with a heterogeneous and disc on tinuous distribution of pores within the matrix,resulted in poor subdivision results.Con trolling tablet porosity is an important consideration when designing tablets having a subdivision purpose.