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Simin Liu,1,2 Xiu Zhou,1,2 Huiying Jie,1,2 Zetong Zheng,1,2 Bing Cai,1,2 Qingyun Mai,1– 3 Canquan Zhou1– 3 1Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Canquan Zhou, Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 1 Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China, Fax +86 87330736, Email zhoucanquan@mail.sysu.edu.cnPurpose: To determine the impact of polycystic ovary syndrome on in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer outcomes while analyzing the influencing factors.Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study comprised 4839 patients who underwent their first cycle of IVF/ICSI treatment from January 2016 to December 2021. Cumulative pregnancy rates, cumulative live birth rates, and late miscarriage rates compared between the PCOS group and control group. Subgroup analysis and binary regression were used to analyze the influence of BMI on clinical outcomes among individuals diagnosed with PCOS.Results: Non-obese PCOS patients exhibited higher cumulative pregnancy rates, cumulative live birth rates, and late miscarriage rates compared to the control group with the normal BMI population (84.7% vs71.2%, P < 0.001; 74.1% vs 61.6%, P < 0.001; 4.1% vs 2.0%, P = 0.002), but there was no significant difference in early miscarriage rates between the two groups.Conclusion: Non-obese PCOS patients demonstrated a notably higher cumulative live birth rate but also a higher risk of late miscarriage compared to non-PCOS females with a normal BMI.Keywords: body mass index, cumulative live birth rate, in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sp

Gamma-delta (γδ) T cells are unconventional T cells that help control cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in adults. γδ T cells develop early in gestation, and a fetal public γδ T cell receptor (TCR) clonotype is detected in congenital CMV infections. However, age-dependent γδ T cell responses to primary CMV infection are not well-understood. Flow cytometry and TCR sequencing was used to comprehensively characterize γδ T cell responses to CMV infection in a cohort of 32 infants followed prospectively from birth. Peripheral blood γδ T cell frequencies increased during infancy, and were higher among CMV-infected infants relative to uninfected. Clustering analyses revealed associations between CMV infection and activation marker expression on adaptive-like Vδ1 and Vδ3, but not innate-like Vγ9Vδ2 γδ T cell subsets. Frequencies of NKG2C+CD57+ γδ T cells were temporally associated with the quantity of CMV shed in saliva by infants with primary infection. The public γδ TCR clonotype was only detected in CMV-infected infants <120 days old and at lower frequencies than previously described in fetal infections. Our findings support the notion that CMV infection drives age-dependent expansions of specific γδ T cell populations, and provide insight for novel strategies to prevent CMV transmission and disease., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Vaccination to prevent infectious disease is one of the most successful public health interventions ever developed. And yet, variability in individual vaccine effectiveness suggests that a better mechanistic understanding of vaccine-induced immune responses could improve vaccine design and efficacy. We have previously shown that protective antibody levels could be elicited in a subset of recipients with only a single dose of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine and that a wide range of antibody levels were elicited after three doses. The immune mechanisms responsible for this vaccine response variability is unclear. Using single cell RNA sequencing of sorted innate immune cell subsets, we identified two distinct myeloid dendritic cell subsets (NDRG1-expressing mDC2 and CDKN1C-expressing mDC4), the ratio of which at baseline (pre-vaccination) correlated with the immune response to a single dose of HBV vaccine. Our results suggest that the participants in our vaccine study were in one of two different dendritic cell dispositional states at baseline - an NDRG2-mDC2 state in which the vaccine elicited an antibody response after a single immunization or a CDKN1C-mDC4 state in which the vaccine required two or three doses for induction of antibody responses. To explore this correlation further, genes expressed in these mDC subsets were used for feature selection prior to the construction of predictive models using supervised canonical correlation machine learning. The resulting models showed an improved correlation with serum antibody titers in response to full vaccination. Taken together, these results suggest that the propensity of circulating dendritic cells toward either activation or suppression, their "dispositional endotype" at pre-vaccination baseline, could dictate response to vaccination.

Background:There are inconsistent data on the risk factors forClostridium difficileinfection (CDI) in the literature. Aims:To use twoC. difficileinfection (CDI) case-control study groups to compare risk factors in hospitalized patients with diarrhea across different countries. Methods:A multi-center group of CDI cases/controls were identified by standardized testing from seven countries from the prior EUropean, multi-center, prospective bi-annual point prevalence study ofCLostridium difficileInfection in hospitalized patients with Diarrhea (EUCLID). A second group of CDI cases/controls was identified from a single center in Germany [parallel study site (PSS)]. Data were extracted from the medical notes to assess CDI risk factors. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify and compare risk factors between the two groups. Results:There were 253 and 158 cases and 921 and 584 controls in the PSS and EUCLID groups, respectively. Significant variables from univariate analyses in both groups were age >= 65, number of antibiotics (OR 1.2 for each additional antibiotic) and prior hospital admission (allp< 0.001). Congestive heart failure, diabetes, admission from assisted living or Emergency Department, proton pump inhibitors, and chronic renal disease were significant in PSS (allp< 0.05) but not EUCLID. Dementia and admitted with other bacterial diseases were significant in EUCLID (p< 0.05) but not PSS. Following multivariate analyses, age >= 65, number of antibiotics and prior hospital admission were consistently identified as CDI risk factors in each individual group and combined datasets. Conclusion:Our results show that the same CDI risk factors were identified across datasets. These were age >= 65 years, antibiotic use and prior hospital admission. Importantly, the odds of developing CDI increases with each extra antibiotic prescribed.

Background:There are inconsistent data on the risk factors forClostridium difficileinfection (CDI) in the literature. Aims:To use twoC. difficileinfection (CDI) case-control study groups to compare risk factors in hospitalized patients with diarrhea across different countries. Methods:A multi-center group of CDI cases/controls were identified by standardized testing from seven countries from the prior EUropean, multi-center, prospective bi-annual point prevalence study ofCLostridium difficileInfection in hospitalized patients with Diarrhea (EUCLID). A second group of CDI cases/controls was identified from a single center in Germany [parallel study site (PSS)]. Data were extracted from the medical notes to assess CDI risk factors. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify and compare risk factors between the two groups. Results:There were 253 and 158 cases and 921 and 584 controls in the PSS and EUCLID groups, respectively. Significant variables from univariate analyses in both groups were age >= 65, number of antibiotics (OR 1.2 for each additional antibiotic) and prior hospital admission (allp< 0.001). Congestive heart failure, diabetes, admission from assisted living or Emergency Department, proton pump inhibitors, and chronic renal disease were significant in PSS (allp< 0.05) but not EUCLID. Dementia and admitted with other bacterial diseases were significant in EUCLID (p< 0.05) but not PSS. Following multivariate analyses, age >= 65, number of antibiotics and prior hospital admission were consistently identified as CDI risk factors in each individual group and combined datasets. Conclusion:Our results show that the same CDI risk factors were identified across datasets. These were age >= 65 years, antibiotic use and prior hospital admission. Importantly, the odds of developing CDI increases with each extra antibiotic prescribed.

In both high-and low-income countries, HIV-negative children born to HIV-positive mothers (HIVexposed, uninfected [HEU]) are more susceptible to severe infection than HIV-unexposed, uninfected (HUU) children, with altered innate immunity hypothesized to be a cause. Both the gut microbiome and systemic innate immunity differ across biogeographically distinct settings, and the two are known to influence each other. And although the gut microbiome is influenced by HIV infection and may contribute to altered immunity, the biogeography of immune-microbiome correlations among HEU children have not been investigated. To address this, we compared the innate response and the stool microbiome of 2-y-old HEU and HUU children from Belgium, Canada, and South Africa to test the hypothesis that region-specific immune alterations directly correlate to differences in their stool microbiomes.We did not detect a universal immune or microbiome signature underlying differences between HEU versus HUU that was applicable to all children. But as hypothesized, population-specific differences in stool microbiomes were readily detected and included reduced abundances of short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria in Canadian HEU children. Furthermore, we did not identify innate immune-microbiome associations that distinguished HEU from HUU children in any population. These findings suggest that maternal HIV infection is independently associated with differences in both innate immunity and the stool microbiome in a biogeographical population-specific way., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

To reduce the effort required to penetrate the skin and optimize drug release profiles, bioceramic microneedle arrays with higher-aspect-ratio needles and a flexible and self-swelling substrate have been developed. Swelling of the substrate can assist in separating it from the needles and leave them in the skin as a drug depot. The preparation procedures for this bioceramic microneedle are described in the paper. Clonidine hydrochloride, the model drug, was released in a controlled manner by the microneedle device in vitro. Results showed that the microneedle array with a flexible and self-swelling substrate released the drug content faster than the array with a rigid substrate. Disintegration of the needle material and diffusion of the drug molecules are believed as the main control mechanisms of the drug release from these microneedle arrays. Ex vivo skin penetration showed that they can effectively penetrate the stratum corneum without an extra device. This work represents a progression in the improvement of bioceramic microneedles for transdermal drug delivery.

This thesis aimed to investigate and document the potential of applying ceramics in two specific drug delivery applications: tamper-resistant opioid formulations and transdermal enhancement protrusions. Geopolymers were developed into the matrix for a tamper-resistant formulation, aiming to protect drug substances from non-medical abuse. The synthesis conditions and excipients composition of the geopolymer-based formulation were modified in this work to facilitate a stable and extended drug delivery. Results showed that 37ºC 100% humidity for 48 hours were applicable conditions to obtain geopolymer with suitable mechanical strength and porosity. Moreover, it was found that the integration of poly(methyl acrylate) into the geopolymer-based formulation could reduce the drug release at low pH and, meanwhile, maintain the mechanical strength. Therefore, the geopolymer-based drug formulations concluded from these studies were applied in oral and transdermal delivery systems. Evidence of the tamper-resistance of geopolymer-based oral and transdermal formulations was documented and compared to the corresponding commercial opioid formulations. The results provided experimental support for the positive effects of geopolymers as drug carriers for the tamper-resistance of oral and transdermal delivery systems. Self-setting bioceramics, calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate were fabricated into transdermal enhancement protrusions in this work for the first time. Results showed that, under mild conditions, both bioceramics could form pyramid-shaped needles in the micron size. The drug release from these needles could be controlled by the bulk surface area, porosity and degradation of the bioceramics. An in vitro insertion test showed that the bioceramic microneedles had enough mechanical strength to insert into skin. Further optimization on the geometry of needles and the substrate material was also performed. The higher aspect-ratio needles with a flexible and self-swellable su

This thesis aimed to investigate and document the potential of applying ceramics in two specific drug delivery applications: tamper-resistant opioid formulations and transdermal enhancement protrusions. Geopolymers were developed into the matrix for a tamper-resistant formulation, aiming to protect drug substances from non-medical abuse. The synthesis conditions and excipients composition of the geopolymer-based formulation were modified in this work to facilitate a stable and extended drug delivery. Results showed that 37ºC 100% humidity for 48 hours were applicable conditions to obtain geopolymer with suitable mechanical strength and porosity. Moreover, it was found that the integration of poly(methyl acrylate) into the geopolymer-based formulation could reduce the drug release at low pH and, meanwhile, maintain the mechanical strength. Therefore, the geopolymer-based drug formulations concluded from these studies were applied in oral and transdermal delivery systems. Evidence of the tamper-resistance of geopolymer-based oral and transdermal formulations was documented and compared to the corresponding commercial opioid formulations. The results provided experimental support for the positive effects of geopolymers as drug carriers for the tamper-resistance of oral and transdermal delivery systems. Self-setting bioceramics, calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate were fabricated into transdermal enhancement protrusions in this work for the first time. Results showed that, under mild conditions, both bioceramics could form pyramid-shaped needles in the micron size. The drug release from these needles could be controlled by the bulk surface area, porosity and degradation of the bioceramics. An in vitro insertion test showed that the bioceramic microneedles had enough mechanical strength to insert into skin. Further optimization on the geometry of needles and the substrate material was also performed. The higher aspect-ratio needles with a flexible and self-swellable su

This thesis aimed to investigate and document the potential of applying ceramics in two specific drug delivery applications: tamper-resistant opioid formulations and transdermal enhancement protrusions. Geopolymers were developed into the matrix for a tamper-resistant formulation, aiming to protect drug substances from non-medical abuse. The synthesis conditions and excipients composition of the geopolymer-based formulation were modified in this work to facilitate a stable and extended drug delivery. Results showed that 37ºC 100% humidity for 48 hours were applicable conditions to obtain geopolymer with suitable mechanical strength and porosity. Moreover, it was found that the integration of poly(methyl acrylate) into the geopolymer-based formulation could reduce the drug release at low pH and, meanwhile, maintain the mechanical strength. Therefore, the geopolymer-based drug formulations concluded from these studies were applied in oral and transdermal delivery systems. Evidence of the tamper-resistance of geopolymer-based oral and transdermal formulations was documented and compared to the corresponding commercial opioid formulations. The results provided experimental support for the positive effects of geopolymers as drug carriers for the tamper-resistance of oral and transdermal delivery systems. Self-setting bioceramics, calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate were fabricated into transdermal enhancement protrusions in this work for the first time. Results showed that, under mild conditions, both bioceramics could form pyramid-shaped needles in the micron size. The drug release from these needles could be controlled by the bulk surface area, porosity and degradation of the bioceramics. An in vitro insertion test showed that the bioceramic microneedles had enough mechanical strength to insert into skin. Further optimization on the geometry of needles and the substrate material was also performed. The higher aspect-ratio needles with a flexible and self-swellable su

This thesis aimed to investigate and document the potential of applying ceramics in two specific drug delivery applications: tamper-resistant opioid formulations and transdermal enhancement protrusions. Geopolymers were developed into the matrix for a tamper-resistant formulation, aiming to protect drug substances from non-medical abuse. The synthesis conditions and excipients composition of the geopolymer-based formulation were modified in this work to facilitate a stable and extended drug delivery. Results showed that 37ºC 100% humidity for 48 hours were applicable conditions to obtain geopolymer with suitable mechanical strength and porosity. Moreover, it was found that the integration of poly(methyl acrylate) into the geopolymer-based formulation could reduce the drug release at low pH and, meanwhile, maintain the mechanical strength. Therefore, the geopolymer-based drug formulations concluded from these studies were applied in oral and transdermal delivery systems. Evidence of the tamper-resistance of geopolymer-based oral and transdermal formulations was documented and compared to the corresponding commercial opioid formulations. The results provided experimental support for the positive effects of geopolymers as drug carriers for the tamper-resistance of oral and transdermal delivery systems. Self-setting bioceramics, calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate were fabricated into transdermal enhancement protrusions in this work for the first time. Results showed that, under mild conditions, both bioceramics could form pyramid-shaped needles in the micron size. The drug release from these needles could be controlled by the bulk surface area, porosity and degradation of the bioceramics. An in vitro insertion test showed that the bioceramic microneedles had enough mechanical strength to insert into skin. Further optimization on the geometry of needles and the substrate material was also performed. The higher aspect-ratio needles with a flexible and self-swellable su

This thesis aimed to investigate and document the potential of applying ceramics in two specific drug delivery applications: tamper-resistant opioid formulations and transdermal enhancement protrusions. Geopolymers were developed into the matrix for a tamper-resistant formulation, aiming to protect drug substances from non-medical abuse. The synthesis conditions and excipients composition of the geopolymer-based formulation were modified in this work to facilitate a stable and extended drug delivery. Results showed that 37ºC 100% humidity for 48 hours were applicable conditions to obtain geopolymer with suitable mechanical strength and porosity. Moreover, it was found that the integration of poly(methyl acrylate) into the geopolymer-based formulation could reduce the drug release at low pH and, meanwhile, maintain the mechanical strength. Therefore, the geopolymer-based drug formulations concluded from these studies were applied in oral and transdermal delivery systems. Evidence of the tamper-resistance of geopolymer-based oral and transdermal formulations was documented and compared to the corresponding commercial opioid formulations. The results provided experimental support for the positive effects of geopolymers as drug carriers for the tamper-resistance of oral and transdermal delivery systems. Self-setting bioceramics, calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate were fabricated into transdermal enhancement protrusions in this work for the first time. Results showed that, under mild conditions, both bioceramics could form pyramid-shaped needles in the micron size. The drug release from these needles could be controlled by the bulk surface area, porosity and degradation of the bioceramics. An in vitro insertion test showed that the bioceramic microneedles had enough mechanical strength to insert into skin. Further optimization on the geometry of needles and the substrate material was also performed. The higher aspect-ratio needles with a flexible and self-swellable su

Microneedle (MN) technology offers both an efficient and a minimally invasive transdermal drug delivery strategy. The current MNs, made of silicon and metal, have poor biocompatibility and low drug loading, while the polymer MNs have some constraints related to mechanical strength and storage conditions. In this study, self-setting bioceramics were explored as substitutes for the current MN materials for the first time. Self-setting bioceramic microneedles were fabricated using a master mold by a procedure under mild conditions, which could minimize the drug degradation during fabrication and also facilitates a higher drug loading capability than the other current ceramic microneedles. The drug release and mechanical strength were correlated with the microstructure and porosity of the needles. As observed by SEM and microCT, the ceramic paste could fully fill the geometry of the mould and was cured into an array of micro-sized needles. The drug release study showed that the release rate from this type of MN array could be controlled by the bulk surface area, porosity and resorption rate of the ceramic needles. Applying the MNs to porcine skin indicated that the needles were able to pierce the stratum corneum of the skin. We successfully prepared the bioceramic needles that have high mechanical strength and are resorbable, which can promote safe, efficient and successful transdermal drug delivery.

Tamper-resistance is an important property of controlled-release formulations of opioid drugs. Tamper-resistant formulations aim to increase the degree of effort required to override the controlled release of the drug molecules from extended-release formulations for the purpose of non-medical use. In this study, the resistance of a geopolymer-based formulation to tampering was evaluated by comparing it with a commercial controlled-release tablet using several methods commonly used by drug abusers. Because of its high compressive strength and resistance to heat, much more effort and time was required to extract the drug from the geopolymer-based formulation. Moreover, in the drug-release test, the geopolymer-based formulation maintained its controlled-release characteristics after milling, while the drug was released immediately from the milled commercial tablets, potentially resulting in dose dumping. Although the tampering methods used in this study does not cover all methods that abuser could access, the results obtained by the described methods showed that the geopolymer matrix increased the degree of effort required to override the controlled release of the drug, suggesting that the formulation has improved resistance to some common drug-abuse tampering methods. The geopolymer matrix has the potential to make the opioid product less accessible and attractive to non-medical users.

Opioid therapy for chronic pain generally use controlled release formulations to deliver analgesic drugs around-the-clock. Controlled release dosage forms can enlarge the therapeutic effect by controlling the rate and site of release. However, with high drug content, opioid formulations are easily targeted for non-medical use. With the increasing concern of opioid abuse, tamper-resistance becomes an important attribute for opioid controlled-release dosage forms. Geopolymers have been studied as drug carrier for opioids to improve the tamper-resistance but there are still some issues, such as curing condition and fast drug release in acid, have not been studied in detail yet. This thesis focuses on the optimization and evaluation of the geopolymer-based formulation on its controlled-release and tamper-resistance properties with the aim of achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes and reducing abuse potential. In this work, we showed some further improvement and evaluations on geopolymer-based drug formulations. The mechanical strength and porosity of geopolymers could be influenced by the curing conditions: high humidity for at least 48 hours could improve its mechanical strength, but elevated temperature only accelerated the geopolymerization but promoted water evaporation, leading to shrinkage and crack formation. Incorporating pH-sensitive organic polymers could improve the acid resistance of geopolymer formulation and thus reduce the risk of dose dumping. Comparing to a commercial opioid tablet, the geopolymer matrix have higher mechanical strength and could offer better resistance against physical manipulation and extraction under heating. The results provided solid experimental support on the potential for geopolymer as matrix for oral opioid delivery systems.

Innate immunity instructs adaptive immunity, and suppression of innate immunity is associated with an increased risk for infection. We showed previously that whole-blood cellular components from a cohort of South African children secreted significantly lower levels of most cytokines following stimulation of pattern recognition receptors compared with whole blood from cohorts of Ecuadorian, Belgian, or Canadian children. To begin dissecting the responsible molecular mechanisms, we set out to identify the relevant cellular source of these differences. Across the four cohorts represented in our study, we identified significant variation in the cellular composition of whole blood; however, a significant reduction in the intracellular cytokine production on the single-cell level was only detected in South African children's monocytes, conventional dendritic cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. We also uncovered a marked reduction in polyfunctionality for each of these cellular compartments in South African children compared with children from the other continents. Together, our data identify differences in cell composition, as well as profoundly lower functional responses of innate cells, in our cohort of South African children. A possible link between altered innate immunity and increased risk for infection or lower response to vaccines in South African infants needs to be explored., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Innate immunity instructs adaptive immunity, and suppression of innate immunity is associated with an increased risk for infection. We showed previously that whole-blood cellular components from a cohort of South African children secreted significantly lower levels of most cytokines following stimulation of pattern recognition receptors compared with whole blood from cohorts of Ecuadorian, Belgian, or Canadian children. To begin dissecting the responsible molecular mechanisms, we set out to identify the relevant cellular source of these differences. Across the four cohorts represented in our study, we identified significant variation in the cellular composition of whole blood; however, a significant reduction in the intracellular cytokine production on the single-cell level was only detected in South African children's monocytes, conventional dendritic cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. We also uncovered a marked reduction in polyfunctionality for each of these cellular compartments in South African children compared with children from the other continents. Together, our data identify differences in cell composition, as well as profoundly lower functional responses of innate cells, in our cohort of South African children. A possible link between altered innate immunity and increased risk for infection or lower response to vaccines in South African infants needs to be explored., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Opioid therapy for chronic pain generally use controlled release formulations to deliver analgesic drugs around-the-clock. Controlled release dosage forms can enlarge the therapeutic effect by controlling the rate and site of release. However, with high drug content, opioid formulations are easily targeted for non-medical use. With the increasing concern of opioid abuse, tamper-resistance becomes an important attribute for opioid controlled-release dosage forms. Geopolymers have been studied as drug carrier for opioids to improve the tamper-resistance but there are still some issues, such as curing condition and fast drug release in acid, have not been studied in detail yet. This thesis focuses on the optimization and evaluation of the geopolymer-based formulation on its controlled-release and tamper-resistance properties with the aim of achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes and reducing abuse potential. In this work, we showed some further improvement and evaluations on geopolymer-based drug formulations. The mechanical strength and porosity of geopolymers could be influenced by the curing conditions: high humidity for at least 48 hours could improve its mechanical strength, but elevated temperature only accelerated the geopolymerization but promoted water evaporation, leading to shrinkage and crack formation. Incorporating pH-sensitive organic polymers could improve the acid resistance of geopolymer formulation and thus reduce the risk of dose dumping. Comparing to a commercial opioid tablet, the geopolymer matrix have higher mechanical strength and could offer better resistance against physical manipulation and extraction under heating. The results provided solid experimental support on the potential for geopolymer as matrix for oral opioid delivery systems.

Geopolymers have been suggested to use as construction, waste treatment and fire proof materials and even drug delivery material due to its excellent mechanical strength, chemical stability and flame resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of temperature, time and humidity during curing on mechanical strength and porosity of geopolymers. The geopolymer precursor paste was obtained by mixing metakaolin, waterglass and de-ionized water. The paste was molded into cylindrical rubber moulds (6 12 mm) and cured under different conditions: i.e. temperatures (ambient temperature, 37°C and 90°C), humidity and time (24, 48 and 96 hours). The compressive strength was determined using a universal testing machine. Helium pycnometer was used to measure the porosity. Via x-ray diffraction the phase composition of the cured samples was determined. Elongated curing slightly decreased the total porosity of the tested geopolymers. Higher curing temperature increased the compressive strength after 24 hour but did not affect strength for longer curing times. In general, the samples cured in moisture had higher mechanical strength than those cured in air. But low compression strength of samples cured under high temperature and long time showed that some water content in geopolymer was essential to retaining its microstructure.

Geopolymers have been suggested to be used as construction, waste treatment and even drug delivery material due to its excellent mechanical strength, acid resistance and biocompatibility. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of temperature, time and humidity during curing on mechanical strength and porosity of geopolymers. The geopolymer was synthesized by mixing metakaolin, waterglass and de-ionized water until a homogenous paste was obtained. The following molar oxide ratio was used: Al2O3/SiO2=0.353, Na2O/SiO2=0.202, H2O/SiO2=2.977. The paste was molded into cylindrical rubber moulds (6 12 mm) and cured under different temperatures (ambient temperature, 37°C and 90°C), humidity and time (24, 48 and 96 hours). The compressive strength was determined using a universal testing machine. Helium pycnometer was used to measure the porosity. Via x-ray diffraction the phase composition of the cured samples was determined. Higher curing temperature increased the compressive strength after 24 hour but did not affect the strength for longer curing times. In general, the samples cured in moisture had higher mechanical strength than those cured in air. More metakaolin remained in samples cured under high temperature, while for samples cured under low temperature for longer time showed a higher conversion to geopolymer. Curing time did not show much influence on the total porosity.

Geopolymers have been suggested to be used as construction, waste treatment and even drug delivery material due to its excellent mechanical strength, acid resistance and biocompatibility. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of temperature, time and humidity during curing on mechanical strength and porosity of geopolymers. The geopolymer was synthesized by mixing metakaolin, waterglass and de-ionized water until a homogenous paste was obtained. The following molar oxide ratio was used: Al2O3/SiO2=0.353, Na2O/SiO2=0.202, H2O/SiO2=2.977. The paste was molded into cylindrical rubber moulds (6 12 mm) and cured under different temperatures (ambient temperature, 37°C and 90°C), humidity and time (24, 48 and 96 hours). The compressive strength was determined using a universal testing machine. Helium pycnometer was used to measure the porosity. Via x-ray diffraction the phase composition of the cured samples was determined. Higher curing temperature increased the compressive strength after 24 hour but did not affect the strength for longer curing times. In general, the samples cured in moisture had higher mechanical strength than those cured in air. More metakaolin remained in samples cured under high temperature, while for samples cured under low temperature for longer time showed a higher conversion to geopolymer. Curing time did not show much influence on the total porosity.

Geopolymers have been suggested to be used as construction, waste treatment and even drug delivery material due to its excellent mechanical strength, acid resistance and biocompatibility. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of temperature, time and humidity during curing on mechanical strength and porosity of geopolymers. The geopolymer was synthesized by mixing metakaolin, waterglass and de-ionized water until a homogenous paste was obtained. The following molar oxide ratio was used: Al2O3/SiO2=0.353, Na2O/SiO2=0.202, H2O/SiO2=2.977. The paste was molded into cylindrical rubber moulds (6 12 mm) and cured under different temperatures (ambient temperature, 37°C and 90°C), humidity and time (24, 48 and 96 hours). The compressive strength was determined using a universal testing machine. Helium pycnometer was used to measure the porosity. Via x-ray diffraction the phase composition of the cured samples was determined. Higher curing temperature increased the compressive strength after 24 hour but did not affect the strength for longer curing times. In general, the samples cured in moisture had higher mechanical strength than those cured in air. More metakaolin remained in samples cured under high temperature, while for samples cured under low temperature for longer time showed a higher conversion to geopolymer. Curing time did not show much influence on the total porosity.

Geopolymers have been suggested to be used as construction, waste treatment and even drug delivery material due to its excellent mechanical strength, acid resistance and biocompatibility. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of temperature, time and humidity during curing on mechanical strength and porosity of geopolymers. The geopolymer was synthesized by mixing metakaolin, waterglass and de-ionized water until a homogenous paste was obtained. The following molar oxide ratio was used: Al2O3/SiO2=0.353, Na2O/SiO2=0.202, H2O/SiO2=2.977. The paste was molded into cylindrical rubber moulds (6 12 mm) and cured under different temperatures (ambient temperature, 37°C and 90°C), humidity and time (24, 48 and 96 hours). The compressive strength was determined using a universal testing machine. Helium pycnometer was used to measure the porosity. Via x-ray diffraction the phase composition of the cured samples was determined. Higher curing temperature increased the compressive strength after 24 hour but did not affect the strength for longer curing times. In general, the samples cured in moisture had higher mechanical strength than those cured in air. More metakaolin remained in samples cured under high temperature, while for samples cured under low temperature for longer time showed a higher conversion to geopolymer. Curing time did not show much influence on the total porosity.

Geopolymers have been suggested to be used as construction, waste treatment and even drug delivery material due to its excellent mechanical strength, acid resistance and biocompatibility. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of temperature, time and humidity during curing on mechanical strength and porosity of geopolymers. The geopolymer was synthesized by mixing metakaolin, waterglass and de-ionized water until a homogenous paste was obtained. The following molar oxide ratio was used: Al2O3/SiO2=0.353, Na2O/SiO2=0.202, H2O/SiO2=2.977. The paste was molded into cylindrical rubber moulds (6 12 mm) and cured under different temperatures (ambient temperature, 37°C and 90°C), humidity and time (24, 48 and 96 hours). The compressive strength was determined using a universal testing machine. Helium pycnometer was used to measure the porosity. Via x-ray diffraction the phase composition of the cured samples was determined. Higher curing temperature increased the compressive strength after 24 hour but did not affect the strength for longer curing times. In general, the samples cured in moisture had higher mechanical strength than those cured in air. More metakaolin remained in samples cured under high temperature, while for samples cured under low temperature for longer time showed a higher conversion to geopolymer. Curing time did not show much influence on the total porosity.

In vitro drug release tests are a widely used tool to measure the variance between transdermal product performances and required by many authorities. However, the result cannot provide a good estimation of the in vivo drug release. In the present work, a new method for measuring drug release from patches has been explored and compared with the conventional USP apparatus 2 and 5 methods. Durogesic patches, here used as a model patch, were placed on synthetic skin simulator and three moisture levels (29, 57, 198 μL cm−2) were evaluated. The synthetic skin simulators were collected after 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 24 hours and extracted with pH 1.0 hydrochloric acid solution. The drug concentrations in the extractions were measured by isocratic reverse phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The results showed that, with the increasing moisture level on the synthetic skin simulator, the drug release rate increased. In comparison with the conventional USP method, the drug release results performed by the new method were in more correlation to the release rate claimed in the product label. This new method could help to differentiate the drug release rates among assorted formulations of transdermal drug delivery systems in the early stage of development.

In vitro drug release tests are a widely used tool to measure the variance between transdermal product performances and required by many authorities. However, the result cannot provide a good estimation of the in vivo drug release. In the present work, a new method for measuring drug release from patches has been explored and compared with the conventional USP apparatus 2 and 5 methods. Durogesic patches, here used as a model patch, were placed on synthetic skin simulator and three moisture levels (29, 57, 198 μL cm−2) were evaluated. The synthetic skin simulators were collected after 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 24 hours and extracted with pH 1.0 hydrochloric acid solution. The drug concentrations in the extractions were measured by isocratic reverse phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The results showed that, with the increasing moisture level on the synthetic skin simulator, the drug release rate increased. In comparison with the conventional USP method, the drug release results performed by the new method were in more correlation to the release rate claimed in the product label. This new method could help to differentiate the drug release rates among assorted formulations of transdermal drug delivery systems in the early stage of development.

In vitro drug release tests are a widely used tool to measure the variance between transdermal product performances and required by many authorities. However, the result cannot provide a good estimation of the in vivo drug release. In the present work, a new method for measuring drug release from patches has been explored and compared with the conventional USP apparatus 2 and 5 methods. Durogesic patches, here used as a model patch, were placed on synthetic skin simulator and three moisture levels (29, 57, 198 μL cm−2) were evaluated. The synthetic skin simulators were collected after 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 24 hours and extracted with pH 1.0 hydrochloric acid solution. The drug concentrations in the extractions were measured by isocratic reverse phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The results showed that, with the increasing moisture level on the synthetic skin simulator, the drug release rate increased. In comparison with the conventional USP method, the drug release results performed by the new method were in more correlation to the release rate claimed in the product label. This new method could help to differentiate the drug release rates among assorted formulations of transdermal drug delivery systems in the early stage of development.

Two-stage predictor substitution (2SPS) and the two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) are two approaches to instrumental variable (IV) analysis. While 2SPS and 2SRI with linear models are well-studied methods of causal inference, the properties of 2SPS and 2SRI for logistic binary outcomes have not been thoroughly studied. We study the bias and variance properties of 2SPS and 2SRI for a logistic outcome model so that we can apply these IV approaches to the causal inference of binary outcomes. We also propose and implement an extension of generalized structure mean model originally developed for a randomized trial. We first present closed form expressions of asymptotic bias for the causal odds ratio from both 2SPS and 2SRI approaches. Our closed form bias results show that the 2SPS logistic regression generates asymptotically biased estimates of this causal odds ratio when there is no unmeasured confounding and that this bias increases with increasing unmeasured confounding. The 2SRI logistic regression is asymptotically unbiased when there is no unmeasured confounding, but when there is unmeasured confounding, there is bias and it increases with increasing unmeasured confounding. In the second part, we propose the sandwich variance estimator of logistic regression of both 2SPS and 2SRI approaches and the variance estimator is adjusted for the fact that the estimates from the first stage regression is included as covariates in the second stage regression. The simulation results show that the adjusted estimates are consistent with the observed variance while the naive estimates without the adjustments are biased. This study also shows that the 2SRI method has a larger variance than the 2SPS method. Lastly, we compare the 2SPS and 2SRI logistic regression with the generalized structure mean model (GSMM). Our simulation results show that the GSMM is an unbiased estimator of complier-average causal effect (CACE) and has the least variance among the three approaches. We app