Development and characterization of thermosensitive pluronic-based metronidazolein situgelling formulations for vaginal applicationThe purpose of this study was to develop pluronic-basedin situgelling formulations of metronidazole (MTZ) for treatment of bacterial vaginosis, aimed at prolonging the residence time, controlling drug release, enhancing efficacy, decreasing recurrence, and increasing patient compliance. Thein situgel formulations were prepared using different concentrations of pluronic F-127 (PF-127) alone and in combination with pluronic F-68 (PF-68). The prepared formulations were evaluated for their gelation temperature (Tgel),in vitrodrug release, rheological properties, mucoadhesion properties and tolerability by vaginal mucosa in tissue levels. TheTgeldecreased with increasing PF-127 concentration. TheTgelwas modulated by addition of PF-68 to be within the acceptable range of 25-37 °C. With increasing pluronic concentration, thein vitrodrug release decreased, viscosity and mucoadhesive force increased. Histopathological examination of rabbit vaginas from the control and treated groups revealed normal histology of the vagina and cervix. Based on thein vitroevaluation of prepared formulations, thein situgelling liquid formulated with PF-127/PF-68 (20/10 %,m/m) was selected for further clinical evaluation.

Terpenes are the major components of the essential oils present in various Cannabis sativa L. varieties. These compounds are responsible for the distinctive aromas and flavors. Besides the quantification of the cannabinoids, determination of the terpenes in C. sativa strains could be of importance for the plant selection process. At the University of Mississippi, a GC-MS method has been developed and validated for the quantification of terpenes in cannabis plant material, viz., α-pinene, β-pinene, β-myrcene, limonene, terpinolene, linalool, α-terpineol, β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, and caryophyllene oxide. The method was optimized and fully validated according to AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) guidelines against reference standards of selected terpenes. Samples were prepared by extraction of the plant material with ethyl acetate containing n-tridecane solution (100 µg/mL) as the internal standard. The concentration-response relationship for all analyzed terpenes using the developed method was linear with r2 values > 0.99. The average recoveries for all terpenes in spiked indoor cultivated samples were between 95.0 – 105.7%, with the exception of terpinolene (67 – 70%). The measured repeatability and intermediate precisions (% relative standard deviation) in all varieties ranged from 0.32 to 8.47%. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation for all targeted terpenes were determined to be 0.25 and 0.75 µg/mL, respectively. The proposed method is highly selective, reliable, and accurate and has been applied to the simultaneous determination of these major terpenes in the C. sativa biomass produced by our facility at the University of Mississippi as well as in confiscated marijuana samples.

Abstract:Recently, significant development has occurred in the field of microgrid and renewable energy systems (RESs). Integrating microgrids and renewable energy sources facilitates a sustainable energy future. This paper proposes a control algorithm and an optimal energy management system (EMS) for a grid-connected microgrid to minimize its operating cost. The microgrid includes photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), and energy storage systems (ESS). The interior search algorithm (ISA) optimization technique determines the optimal hour-by-hour scheduling for the microgrid system, while it meets the required load demand based on 24-h ahead forecast data. The control system consists of three stages: EMS, supervisory control and local control. EMS is responsible for providing the control system with the optimum day-ahead scheduling power flow between the microgrid (MG) sources, batteries, loads and the main grid based on an economic analysis. The supervisory control stage is responsible for compensating the mismatch between the scheduled power and the real microgrid power. In addition, this paper presents the local control design to regulate the local power, current and DC voltage of the microgrid. For verification, the proposed model was applied on a real case study in Oshawa (Ontario, Canada) with various load conditions.

Cannabis ( L.) is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the family Cannabaceae. -Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the two major phytocannabinoids accounting for over 40% of the cannabis plant extracts, depending on the variety. At the University of Mississippi, different strains of with different concentration ratios of CBD and Δ-THC, have been tissue cultured via micropropagation and cultivated. A GC-FID method has been developed and validated for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of acid and neutral cannabinoids in extracts. The method involves trimethyl silyl derivatization of the extracts. These cannabinoids include tetrahydrocannabivarian, CBD, cannabichromene,-Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol, Δ-THC, cannabigerol, cannabinol, cannabidiolic acid, cannabigerolic acid, and Δ-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid-A. The concentration-response relationship of the method indicated a linear relationship between the concentration and peak area ratio with R > 0.999 for all 10 cannabinoids. The precision and accuracy of the method were found to be ≤ 15% and ± 5%, respectively. The limit of detection range was 0.11 - 0.19 µg/mL, and the limit of quantitation was 0.34 - 0.56 µg/mL for all 10 cannabinoids. The developed method is simple, sensitive, reproducible, and suitable for the detection and quantitation of acidic and neutral cannabinoids in different extracts of cannabis varieties. The method was applied to the analysis of these cannabinoids in different parts of the micropropagated cannabis plants (buds, leaves, roots, and stems).

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Rifaximin may be useful as a primary prevention of HRS.