Comparison of Mechanical Agitation and Calcium Shock Methods for Preparation of a Membrane Fraction Enriched in Olfactory Cilia

This study evaluated the anti-ascites effect of total diterpenoids extracted from Euphorbiae ebracteolatae Radix (TDEE) on malignant ascitic mice and elucidated its underlying mechanism. TDEE was extracted by dichloromethane and subjected to column chromatography. The purity of six diterpenoids isolated from TDEE was determined to be 77.18% by HPLC. TDEE (3 and 0.6 g raw herbs/kg, p.o.) reduced ascites and increased urine output. Meanwhile, analysis of tumor cell viability, cycle and apoptosis indicated that TDEE had no antitumor activity. In addition, the expression levels of aquaporins (AQPs) and the membrane translocation levels of protein kinase C (PKC) α and PKCβ in kidney and cells were measured. TDEE reduced the levels of AQP1–4, and inhibited PKCβ expression in membrane fraction. Four main diterpenoids, except compound 2, reduced AQP1 level in human kidney-2 cells. Compounds 4 and 5 inhibited AQP2–4 expression in murine inner medullary collecting duct cells. The diterpenoid-induced inhibition of AQP1–4 expression was blocked by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA; agonist of PKC). The diterpenoids from TDEE are the main anti-ascites components. The anti-ascites effect of diterpenoids may be associated with alterations in AQPs in the kidneys to promote diuresis. The inhibition of AQP1–4 expression by TDEE is related to the inhibition of PKCβ activation.

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Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of CuWO4 Doped TiO2 Photocatalyst Towards Carbamazepine Removal under UV Irradiation

Separations ◽

10.3390/separations8030025 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 25

Author(s):

Chukwuka Bethel Anucha ◽

Ilknur Altin ◽

Emin Bacaksız ◽

Tayfur Kucukomeroglu ◽

Masho Hilawie Belay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Photocatalytic Activity ◽

Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽

Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Pure Tio2 ◽

Component Part ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Mechanical Agitation ◽

X Ray

Abatement of contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) in water sources has been widely studied employing TiO2 based heterogeneous photocatalysis. However, low quantum energy yield among other limitations of titania has led to its modification with other semiconductor materials for improved photocatalytic activity. In this work, a 0.05 wt.% CuWO4 over TiO2 was prepared as a powder composite. Each component part synthesized via the sol-gel method for TiO2, and CuWO4 by co-precipitation assisted hydrothermal method from precursor salts, underwent gentle mechanical agitation. Homogenization of the nanopowder precursors was performed by zirconia ball milling for 2 h. The final material was obtained after annealing at 500 °C for 3.5 h. Structural and morphological characterization of the synthesized material has been achieved employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) N2 adsorption–desorption analysis, Scanning electron microscopy-coupled Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) for optical characterization. The 0.05 wt.% CuWO4-TiO2 catalyst was investigated for its photocatalytic activity over carbamazepine (CBZ), achieving a degradation of almost 100% after 2 h irradiation. A comparison with pure TiO2 prepared under those same conditions was made. The effect of pH, chemical scavengers, H2O2 as well as contaminant ion effects (anions, cations), and humic acid (HA) was investigated, and their related influences on the photocatalyst efficiency towards CBZ degradation highlighted accordingly.

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Thermal Energy Storage Performance of Tetrabutylammonium Acrylate Hydrate as Phase Change Materials

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11114848 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 4848

Author(s):

Hitoshi Kiyokawa ◽

Hiroki Tokutomi ◽

Shinichi Ishida ◽

Hiroaki Nishi ◽

Ryo Ohmura

Keyword(s):

Energy Storage ◽

Heat Exchanger ◽

Thermal Energy ◽

Thermal Energy Storage ◽

Phase Change Materials ◽

Heat Storage ◽

Solid Phase ◽

Agitation Rate ◽

Mechanical Agitation ◽

External Forces

Kinetic characteristics of thermal energy storage (TES) using tetrabutylammonium acrylate (TBAAc) hydrate were experimentally evaluated for practical use as PCMs. Mechanical agitation or ultrasonic vibration was added to detach the hydrate adhesion on the heat exchanger, which could be a thermal resistance. The effect of the external forces also was evaluated by changing their rotation rate and frequency. When the agitation rate was 600 rpm, the system achieved TES density of 140 MJ/m3 in 2.9 hours. This value is comparable to the ideal performance of ice TES when its solid phase fraction is 45%. UA/V (U: thermal transfer coefficient, A: surface area of the heat exchange coil, V: volume of the TES medium) is known as an index of the ease of heat transfer in a heat exchanger. UA/V obtained in this study was comparable to that of other common heat exchangers, which means the equivalent performance would be available by setting the similar UA/V. In this study, we succeeded in obtaining practical data for heat storage by TBAAc hydrate. The data obtained in this study will be a great help for the practical application of hydrate heat storage in the future.

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Development and Bio-Predictive Evaluation of Biopharmaceutical Properties of Sustained-Release Tablets with a Novel GPR40 Agonist for a First-in-Human Clinical Trial

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics13060804 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 804

Author(s):

Ewelina Juszczyk ◽

Kamil Kisło ◽

Paweł Żero ◽

Ewa Tratkiewicz ◽

Maciej Wieczorek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Sustained Release ◽

Development Strategy ◽

Matrix Tablets ◽

Matrix Tablet ◽

Mechanical Agitation ◽

Development Cycle ◽

Dissolution Tests ◽

Sustained Release Tablets ◽

Biopharmaceutical Properties

Sustained-release (SR) formulations may appear advantageous in first-in-human (FIH) study of innovative medicines. The newly developed SR matrix tablets require prolonged maintenance of API concentration in plasma and should be reliably assessed for the risk of uncontrolled release of the drug. In the present study, we describe the development of a robust SR matrix tablet with a novel G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) agonist for first-in-human studies and introduce a general workflow for the successful development of SR formulations for innovative APIs. The hydrophilic matrix tablets containing the labeled API dose of 5, 30, or 120 mg were evaluated with several methods: standard USP II dissolution, bio-predictive dissolution tests, and the texture and matrix formation analysis. The standard dissolution tests allowed preselection of the prototypes with the targeted dissolution rate, while the subsequent studies in physiologically relevant conditions revealed unwanted and potentially harmful effects, such as dose dumping under an increased mechanical agitation. The developed formulations were exceptionally robust toward the mechanical and physicochemical conditions of the bio-predictive tests and assured a comparable drug delivery rate regardless of the prandial state and dose labeled. In conclusion, the introduced development strategy, when implemented into the development cycle of SR formulations with innovative APIs, may allow not only to reduce the risk of formulation-related failure of phase I clinical trial but also effectively and timely provide safe and reliable medicines for patients in the trial and their further therapy.

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Numerical Analysis on Performance of the Middle-Pressure Jet Grouting Method for Ground Improvement

Geosciences ◽

10.3390/geosciences11080313 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 313

Author(s):

Shinya Inazumi ◽

Sudip Shakya ◽

Takahiro Komaki ◽

Yasuharu Nakanishi

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Comparative Analysis ◽

Ground Improvement ◽

Cement Slurry ◽

Mechanical Agitation ◽

High Quality ◽

Jet Grouting ◽

Computer Aided ◽

Improvement Method ◽

Cae System

This study focused on the middle-pressure jet grouting method, which has a complicated development mechanism for the columnar soil-improved body, with the aim of establishing a computer-aided engineering (CAE) system that can simulate the performance on a computer. Furthermore, in order to confirm the effect of middle-pressure jet grouting with mechanical agitation and mixing, a comparative analysis was performed with different jet pressures, the development situation was visualized, and the performance of this method was evaluated. The results of MPS-CAE as one of the CAE systems showed that the cement slurry jet ratio in the planned improvement range, including the periphery of the mixing blade, by the middle-pressure jet grouting together with the mechanical agitation and mixing was increased and a high quality columnar soil-improved body was obtained. It is expected that the introduction of CAE will contribute to the visualization of the ground, and that CAE will be an effective tool for the visual management of construction for ground improvement and the maintenance of improved grounds during the life cycle of the ground-improvement method.

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