Dynamics of Clomazone Formulations Combined with Sulfentrazone in Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) Straw

Herbicide formulations can alter the herbicide performance, affecting the application safety and weed control efficiency. Thus, the objective of this work was to compare the dynamics of clomazone herbicide applied single and combined with sulfentrazone on sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) straw. Laminated polypropylene containers filled with sugarcane straw (10 t ha−1) were subjected to two clomazone formulations (microencapsulated and conventional formulations; 1200 g ha−1) applied single or combined with sulfentrazone (600 g ha−1) with four replications, and the experiment was duplicated. The application was performed indoors with an automated sprayer. After application, accumulated rainfall depths (0, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 mm) on the treated containers were simulated soon after the herbicide applications, and the percolated waters were subsequently collected for herbicide quantification by chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The microencapsulated formulation of clomazone applied single or combined with sulfentrazone enabled the recovery of higher quantity of clomazone (>80%), with the advantage that a large percentage remained encapsulated (>70%), thus decreasing losses and increasing the product efficiency. The 30 mm simulated rainfall efficiently carried the clomazone herbicide when its microencapsulated formulation was applied, whereas its conventional formulation required higher rainfall depths (60 mm). Sulfentrazone was easily carried through the sugarcane straw by the rainfall depths when it was combined with clomazone, regardless of the clomazone formulation. The clomazone formulation affect the percolation dynamics of this herbicide through the sugarcane straw.

A Time-Symmetric Formulation of Quantum Entanglement

I numerically simulate and compare the entanglement of two quanta using the conventional formulation of quantum mechanics and a time-symmetric formulation that has no collapse postulate. The experimental predictions of the two formulations are identical, but the entanglement predictions are significantly different. The time-symmetric formulation reveals an experimentally testable discrepancy in the original quantum analysis of the Hanbury Brown–Twiss experiment, suggests solutions to some parts of the nonlocality and measurement problems, fixes known time asymmetries in the conventional formulation, and answers Bell’s question “How do you convert an ’and’ into an ’or’?”

Development of imidacloprid and indoxacarb formulations to nanoformulations and their efficacy against Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd)

Background The conventional pesticide formulations have many side effects on environmental. These effects were due to the huge quantity of pesticides used. Using of nanopesticide formulations can be reduced the quantity of pesticides used and subsequently decreased the cost of pest control and environment contamination. Results Indoxacarb and imidacloprid nanoparticles were developed. The size of nanoparticles ranged between 200 and 400 nm. The obtained results showed that the percentage of mortalities in second instar larvae of Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis were 95 and 75% in indoxacarb and imidacloprid nanoparticles, respectively. On the other hand, these percentages were 76.7 and 91.7%, respectively, with conventional formulations. In spite of one fifth of pesticide concentrations were used in nanoformulations, the LC50, s in nanoformulations were 2.9 and 15.9 ppm for indoxacarb and imidacloprid, respectively, compared to 34.3 and 66.5 in conventional formulation. The loading capacity in both indoxacarb nanoparticle and imidacloprid nanoparticle were 60.7 and 52.0%, respectively. Conclusion These results found that indoxacarb and imidacloprid nanoparticles were 12 and 4 times, respectively, more effective than indoxacarb and imidacloprid conventional formulations against the second instar larvae of S. littoralis. These results also showed that indoxacarb and imidacloprid nanoparticles can be used as effective formulations against the cotton leafworm larvae instead of the conventional formulation to reduce the environment contamination, control cost and pest population.

Causal Intuition and Delayed-Choice Experiments

The conventional explanation of delayed-choice experiments seems to violate our causal intuition. This apparent violation is caused by a misinterpretation of the conventional formulation of quantum mechanics. I reanalyze these experiments using advanced and time-symmetric formulations of quantum mechanics. All three formulations give the same experimental predictions, but the advanced and time-symmetric formulations violate our causal intuition that effects only happen after causes. I explore reasons why our causal intuition may be wrong at the quantum level. I also suggest how conventional causation might be recovered in the classical limit, and speculate on cosmological boundary conditions.

Feminist matters, critique and the future of the political

Over the last decades, many scholars, feminist and others, have argued that critique must be reframed in different and more ‘productive’ ways because its ‘conventional’ formulation and practice have outlived its usefulness as a conceptual tool. Instead, they have called for affirmation or affirmative critique and a more generative mode of critical engagement in the search for new imaginaries, transformative potentialities and other futures. New feminist materialist thought’s emergence is, we argue, symptomatic of this contemporary intellectual landscape that claims to move beyond critique. While sympathetic with the desire to rethink a form of critique that speaks to the (urgent) politics of the present and the remaking of political imaginaries, we argue that the theoretical gesture to move beyond critique may offer a potentially troubling remapping organised around certain kinds of repression (of the undetermined and ambivalent work of critique) and amnesia (of feminist genealogies and over different feminist projects’ conceptualisation of matter) that yield a politics without politics.

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF MICROSPONGE GEL FOR TOPICAL DELIVERY OF ANTIFUNGAL DRUG

Objective: The purpose of present study aims to design novel drug delivery system containing oxiconazole nitrate microsponges and to prepare microsponge gel. Oxiconazole nitrate is an antifungal drug used in the treatment of fungal infection having a poor aqueous solubility, side effects and adverse reactions. The microsponge delivery system is unique technology for controlled release of active agents. Methods: The microsponges were prepared by quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method by using polymer eudragit S-100 and eudragit L-100. All the formulated microsponges were subjected for various evaluation parameters such as production yield, encapsulation efficiency, particle size analysis and in vitro drug release study. The optimised microsponge formulation F3 and F9 were further formulated as gel formulation for topical delivery. Prepared gel was evaluated for physical parameters like pH, spreadability, viscosity, drug content and in vitro diffusion study and compared with the marketed formulation.Results: The Fourier transform infrared radiation measurement (FTIR) and Differential scanning colorimetry (DSC) of drug and excipient confirm compatibility. Results revealed that quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method is a suitable technique for the preparation of microsponges as most of the formulations were discrete and spherical in shape with a good production yield of 61.44% to 80.45% and The highest drug release for F3 and F9 formulation was found to be 87.77 % and 83.24 % respectively for the 8 h. The microsponge gel formulation MGI (F3) showed the controlled release of oxiconazole nitrate for 12 h. The drug release data of optimised batch MGI (F3) were fitted into different kinetic models and showed that the drug release from gel formulation follows zero order release.Conclusion: As compared to conventional formulation, the prepared microsponge gel are expected to remain on the skin for a longer time, gradually releasing their contents over the time. Hence, oxiconazole nitrate microsponges and microsponge gel prepared in this study are promising as being more useful than conventional formulation therapy.

Bioavailability of Lumefantrine Is Significantly Enhanced with a Novel Formulation Approach, an Outcome from a Randomized, Open-Label Pharmacokinetic Study in Healthy Volunteers

ABSTRACT The artemether-lumefantrine combination requires food intake for the optimal absorption of lumefantrine. In an attempt to enhance the bioavailability of lumefantrine, new solid dispersion formulations (SDF) were developed, and the pharmacokinetics of two SDF variants were assessed in a randomized, open-label, sequential two-part study in healthy volunteers. In part 1, the relative bioavailability of the two SDF variants was compared with that of the conventional formulation after administration of a single dose of 480 mg under fasted conditions in three parallel cohorts. In part 2, the pharmacokinetics of lumefantrine from both SDF variants were evaluated after a single dose of 480 mg under fed conditions and a single dose of 960 mg under fasted conditions. The bioavailability of lumefantrine from SDF variant 1 and variant 2 increased up to ∼48-fold and ∼24-fold, respectively, relative to that of the conventional formulation. Both variants demonstrated a positive food effect and a less than proportional increase in exposure between the 480-mg and 960-mg doses. Most adverse events (AEs) were mild to moderate in severity and not suspected to be related to the study drug. All five drug-related AEs occurred in subjects taking SDF variant 2. No clinically significant treatment-emergent changes in vital signs, electrocardiograms, or laboratory blood assessments were noted. The solid dispersion formulation enhances the lumefantrine bioavailability to a significant extent, and SDF variant 1 is superior to SDF variant 2.