Search

Cultural heritage (CH) is heavily threatened by air pollution, especially by airborne particulate matter (PM), that acts on the surfaces of fine arts, causing artistic loss. Therefore, the monitoring of air quality assumes a central role for the preventive conservation of CH.In this study, magnetic and chemical biomonitoring of PM was applied at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a contemporary and modern art museum in Venice, Italy. It is located in an aquatic context, where the PM sources are considerably different, with respect to the usual vehicular-dominated urban emissions.Lichen biomonitoring is a well-established technique for the assessment of air quality, especially where PM collecting devices cannot be operated for aesthetic and practical reasons.Samples of the lichen species Evernia prunastri were collected from a pristine area and exposed for three months (November 2022–February 2023) at increasing distances from the Grand Canal, planning an outdoor vs. indoor sampling design, for outlining the diffusion of airborne PM inside the museum.In combination with lichen exposure, the leaves of Pittosporum tobira hedges were sampled for determining their efficiency as bioaccumulators.The magnetic properties of lichens showed a moderate bioaccumulation of magnetite-like particles outdoors. Conversely, the magnetic properties of the indoor samples were like those of the unexposed ones, indicating a negligible accumulation of metallic particles indoors. Pittosporum tobira leaves mostly showed diamagnetic properties, resulting an ineffective species for preventing conservation purposes. Chemical analysis did not show any significant difference between unexposed, indoor and outdoor samples. A directional gradient of bioaccumulation was not evident, thus implying that the sources of metallic PM are distant or diffused, with respect to the site.The joint use of magnetic and chemical analyses was useful for evaluating the negligible impact of airborne particulate pollution arising from the Grand Canal towards the Halls of the Collection.

The forthcoming implementation of national policies towards hydrogen blending into the natural gas grid will affect the technical and economic parameters that must be taken into account in the design of building heating systems. This study evaluates the implications of using hydrogen-enriched natural gas (H2NG) blends in condensing boilers and Gas Adsorption Heat Pumps (GAHPs) in a residential building in Rome, Italy. The analysis considers several parameters, including non-renewable primary energy consumption, CO2 emissions, Levelized Cost of Heat (LCOH), and Carbon Abatement Cost (CAC). The results show that a 30% hydrogen blend achieves a primary energy consumption reduction of 12.05% and 11.19% in boilers and GAHPs, respectively. The presence of hydrogen in the mixture exerts a more pronounced influence on the reduction in fossil primary energy and CO2 emissions in condensing boilers, as it enhances combustion efficiency. The GAHP system turns out to be more cost-effective due to its higher efficiency. At current hydrogen costs, the LCOH of both technologies increases as the volume fraction of hydrogen increases. The forthcoming cost reduction in hydrogen will reduce the LCOH and the decarbonization cost for both technologies. At low hydrogen prices, the CAC for boilers is lower than for GAHPs; therefore, replacing boilers with other gas technologies rather than electric heat pumps increases the risk of creating stranded assets. In conclusion, blending hydrogen into the gas grid can be a useful policy to reduce emissions from the overall natural gas consumption during the process of end-use electrification, while stimulating the development of a hydrogen economy.

Abstract The coronavirus disease (COVID‐19), during its course, may involve several organs, including the skin with a petechial skin rash, urticaria and erythematous rash, or varicella‐like eruption, representing an additional effect of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection, as commonly observed in other viral diseases. Considering that symptomatic patients with COVID‐19 generally undergo multidrug treatments, the occurrence of a possible adverse drug reaction presenting with cutaneous manifestations should be contemplated. Pleomorphic skin eruptions occurred in a 59‐year‐old Caucasian woman, affected by a stable form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and symptomatic SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, treated with a combination of hydroxychloroquine sulfate, darunavir, ritonavir, sarilumb, omeprazole, ceftriaxone, high‐flow oxygen therapy devices, filgrastim (Zarzio®) as a single injection, and enoxaparin. The patient stopped all treatment but oxygen and enoxaparin were continued and the patient received a high‐dose Desametasone with complete remission of dermatological impairment in 10 days. It is very important to differentially diagnose COVID‐19 disease‐related cutaneous manifestations, where is justified to continue the multidrug antiviral treatment, from those caused by an adverse drug reaction, where it would be necessary to identify the possible culprit drug and to start appropriate antiallergic treatment.

Non-invasive optical spectroscopical analyses were conducted on the three main walls of Alexander and Roxane’s Wedding Room in Villa Farnesina, Rome. The north and the east walls were frescoed by Sodoma in 1519. The decoration of the third wall was subsequent and neither the author nor the period is known. The north and east walls underwent various restorations, some even very invasive. For these reasons, the supposed remaining original parts of the two walls by Sodoma were studied and compared with the third one, aiming to obtain more information about its author and epoch. The results show the use of the same pigments for the three walls. In particular, the same yellow pigments including lead antimonate, the use of enamel blue with Bi impurities whose use is time-limited, and the use of a certain kind of purple hematite. The commonality in the pictorial technique also emerged, especially in the yellow parts, painted in the same way on each wall. This information, and documentary sources, reinforce the hypothesis that the third wall was decorated shortly after the death of Agostino Chigi by someone who was well-acquainted with the materials and techniques used by Sodoma for the other two walls.

Multirotor drones are becoming increasingly popular in a number of application fields, with a unique appeal to the scientific community and the general public. Applications include security, monitoring and surveillance, environmental mapping, and emergency scenario management: in all these areas, two of the main issues to address are the availability of appropriate software architectures to coordinate teams of drones and solutions to cope with the short-term battery life. This article proposes the novel concepts of Social Drone Sharing (SDS) and Social Charging Station (SCS), which provide the basis to address these problems. Specifically, the article focuses on teams of drones in pre- and post-event monitoring and assessment. Using multirotor drones in these situations can be difficult due to the limited flight autonomy when multiple targets need to be inspected. The idea behind the SDS concept is that citizens can volunteer to recharge a drone or replace its batteries if it lands on their property. The computation of paths to inspect multiple targets will then take into account the availability of SCSs to find solutions compatible with the required inspection and flight times. The main contribution of this article is the development of a cloud-based software architecture for SDS mission management, which includes a multi-drone path-optimization algorithm taking the SDS and SCS concepts into account. Experiments in simulation and a lab environment are discussed, paving the path to a larger trial in a real scenario.

Abstract Background This article describes the design of an intervention study that focuses on whether and to what degree culturally competent social robots can improve health and well-being related outcomes among older adults residing long-term care homes. The trial forms the final stage of the international, multidisciplinary CARESSES project aimed at designing, developing and evaluating culturally competent robots that can assist older people according to the culture of the individual they are supporting. The importance of cultural competence has been demonstrated in previous nursing literature to be key towards improving health outcomes among patients. Method This study employed a mixed-method, single-blind, parallel-group controlled before-and-after experimental trial design that took place in England and Japan. It aimed to recruit 45 residents of long-term care homes aged ≥65 years, possess sufficient cognitive and physical health and who self-identify with the English, Indian or Japanese culture (n = 15 each). Participants were allocated to either the experimental group, control group 1 or control group 2 (all n = 15). Those allocated to the experimental group or control group 1 received a Pepper robot programmed with the CARESSES culturally competent artificial intelligence (experimental group) or a limited version of this software (control group 1) for 18 h across 2 weeks. Participants in control group 2 did not receive a robot and continued to receive care as usual. Participants could also nominate their informal carer(s) to participate. Quantitative data collection occurred at baseline, after 1 week of use, and after 2 weeks of use with the latter time-point also including qualitative semi-structured interviews that explored their experience and perceptions further. Quantitative outcomes of interest included perceptions of robotic cultural competence, health-related quality of life, loneliness, user satisfaction, attitudes towards robots and caregiver burden. Discussion This trial adds to the current preliminary and limited pool of evidence regarding the benefits of socially assistive robots for older adults which to date indicates considerable potential for improving outcomes. It is the first to assess whether and to what extent cultural competence carries importance in generating improvements to well-being. Trial registration Name of the registry: ClinicalTrials.gov Trial registration number: NCT03756194 . Date of registration: 28 November 2018. URL of trial registry record.

Abstract Maya blue is a hybrid pigment where an organic component, indigo, is incorporated in a porous clay. Despite its widespread use in the Mesoamerican artistic production and numerous studies devoted to understand the type of interactions between indigo and the host framework, its technology has not been completely unravelled yet. In this study portable non-invasive UV–vis reflection spectroscopy is proposed as a robust method for in situ investigation of Maya blue pigments. Laboratory mock-ups of powder Maya blue have been prepared employing different synthesis procedures (varying the nature of: clays, indigo–clay ratios, heating temperatures and time). The goodness of the prepared Maya blue samples—namely the occurrence of indigo–clay interactions—have been probed by micro-Raman spectroscopy and related UV–vis spectral markers have been identified. DFT calculations as well have been performed to deeply explain UV–vis profiles. The set of spectral markers have been finally exploited to interpret spectra recorded on Mesoamerican pictorial codices, through a multi-technique approach based on exploring the UV–Vis properties of the blue paint supported by the FT-IR vibrational study of the inorganic clays. The characterization of blue colours on pre-Hispanic and colonial Mesoamerican codices contribute to a better understanding of the compositional variability of these painting materials and to point out the existence of different technological traditions of colour preparation in ancient Mesoamerica.

A multidisciplinary approach is often the only way to assess the state of the cultural heritage, thus involving different specialist expertise and techniques. The paper shows the paired use of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and geophysical monitoring (GM) to detect past effects and analyse the actual vibration levels induced by traffic on cultural heritage. The case study is the Villa Farnesina, one of the most important Renaissance buildings commissioned by the banker Agostino Chigi. The Villa contains frescoes attributed to Raphael and other famous 16th century artists, and it is located a few meters from the Lungotevere, which is one of the busiest roads in the historic centre of Rome. Testimonies report the damages caused by the construction of the embankment of the Tiber River, as well as by the traffic in the second half of the 20th century, so much so as to require requalification of the road artery. The TLS survey allows for detecting cracks and deteriorations of the frescoes, although these were subjected to restoration activities over the time, whereas the (GM) allows analysing actual vibrations induced by traffic at the different floors and outside the Villa. Although the measured vibration limits, as velocity peaks in defined frequency ranges, are below the thresholds established by international codes, the importance of the wall paintings and their already-shown susceptibility to damage suggest keeping the building under constant monitoring.

Because photovoltaic (PV) plants require periodic maintenance, using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for inspections can help reduce costs. Usually, the thermal and visual inspection of PV installations works as follows. A UAV equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver is assigned a flight zone, which the UAV will cover back and forth to collect images to be subsequently composed in an orthomosaic. When doing this, the UAV typically flies at a height above the ground that is appropriate to ensure that images overlap even in the presence of GPS positioning errors. However, this approach has two limitations. First, it requires covering the whole flight zone, including “empty” areas between PV module rows. Second, flying high above the ground limits the resolution of the images to be subsequently inspected. The article proposes a novel approach using an autonomous UAV with an RGB and a thermal camera for PV module tracking through segmentation and visual servoing, which does not require a GPS except for measuring the “small” relative displacement between a PV module row and the next one. With this solution, the UAV moves along PV module rows at a lower height than usual and inspects them back and forth in a boustrophedon way by ignoring “empty” areas with no PV modules. Experimental tests performed in simulation and at an actual PV plant are reported, showing a tracking error lower than 0.2 m in most situations when moving at 1.2 m/s.

Abstract Physical activity has been demonstrated to be effective in the prevention and treatment of different chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes (T2D). In particular, several studies highlighted how the beneficial effects of physical activity may be related to the stability of the DNA molecule, such as longer telomeric ends. Here we analyze the effect of exercise training on telomere length, spontaneous and H2O2-induced DNA damage, as well as the apoptosis level in leukocytes from untrained or trained T2D patients vs. age-matched control subjects (CS) (57–66 years). Moreover, expression analysis of selected genes belonging to DNA repair systems, cell cycle control, antioxidant and defence systems was performed. Subjects that participated in a regular exercise program showed a longer telomere sequence than untrained counterparts. Moreover, ex vivo treatment of leukocytes with H2O2 highlighted that: (1) oxidative DNA damage induced similar telomere attrition in all groups; (2) in T2D subjects, physical activity seemed to prevent a significant increase of genomic oxidative DNA damage induced by chronic exposure to pro-oxidant stimulus, and (3) decreased the sensitivity of leukocytes to apoptosis. Finally, the gene expression analysis in T2D subjects suggested an adaptive response to prolonged exercise training that improved the response of specific genes.

Statement of Problem: Fully stabilized monolithic zirconia (FSZ) has been developed as an alternative to zirconia veneered with porcelain. However, how sintering conditions might affect its microstructure and optical and mechanical properties is unclear., Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine the effect of different sintering temperatures on the microstructure and optical and mechanical properties of FSZ., Material and Methods: Bar-shaped FSZ specimens were prepared and divided into 2 groups (n=15) according to final sintering temperatures (1450 °C and 1600 °C). The average reflectance, opacity, translucency parameter, and sum of light absorption-scattering values were obtained by using a spectrophotometer, and ΔE 00 was calculated. The 3-point bend test was performed in a universal testing machine. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was conducted for microstructure analysis. Crystalline phase quantification was obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Data were analyzed by using D'Agostino-Pearson and Student t tests (α=.05)., Results: A significant difference was detected in the reflectance and sum of light absorption-scattering values between the 2 groups. The translucency parameter, opacity, and flexural strength showed no statistical differences. ΔE 00 was 0.98. XRD indicated cubic (47.41% for 1450 °C; 46.04% for 1600 °C) and tetragonal content (52.59% for 1450 °C; 53.96% for 1600 °C). No monoclinic content was found. SEM images showed more definite grain boundaries in the 1600-°C group. Mean grain size was 0.49 μm for the 1450-°C group and 1.99 μm for the 1600-°C group., Conclusions: Higher sintering temperatures increased the grain size but did not change the crystal phase concentration. A significant difference was found in the reflectance and sum of light absorption-scattering, but no differences were found among the translucency parameter, opacity, or flexural strength., (Copyright © 2019 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rifaximin, an oral antimicrobial drug, is marketed as 200-mg tablets. The daily dose ranges from 600 mg (1 tablet 3 times a day) to 800 mg (2 tablets twice a day). It is used for a wide range of ages, from adults to children, since it is indicated for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy, travelers' diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, Clostridium difficile, ulcerative colitis, and acute diarrhea. The success of pharmacotherapy will depend on correct fulfillment of drug administration; however, it becomes difficult when the tablets are large and the doses are frequent. Rifaximin belongs to class IV according to the Biopharmaceutic Classification System (BCS), meaning that it is both poorly soluble and poorly permeable. Thus, in this study, solubility of rifaximin was improved by its complexation to β-cyclodextrin by (i) phase solubility diagram, (ii) malaxation, and (iii) decreasing particle size by wet milling. Improved solubility provides lower doses and facilitates compliance with pharmacotherapy. The products formed were analyzed by spectrophotometry in the infrared region (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Also, their solubility and microbiological activity were determined. The products obtained in all techniques were more soluble than the free drug; they presented higher thermal stability and antimicrobial potency was approximately 100% with all the formulations. It is important to highlight that the treatment failure not only affects the quality of life of the patients, but also contributes significantly to the economic burden of the health system. Therefore, these findings are extremely interesting, both from a technological and financial point of view.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of hydrothermal aging (H), mechanical cycling (M), and the combination of hydrothermal plus mechanical cycling (H+M) on biaxial flexural strength (BFS) and microstructure of two monolithic zirconias, indicated for anterior (AMZ) or posterior restorations (PMZ) and a conventional zirconia (IZr)., Methods: Disc specimens of each material (n=12) were submitted to: i) H (8h in autoclave at 134°C); ii) M (10 6 cycles, at 40% of BFS); and iii) H+M. BFS was measured (ISO-6872) and Weibull modulus (m) and the characteristic strength (σ 0 ) were calculated. crystalline phase composition analyzed by XRD, and grain size measured by MEV analysis., Results: XRD analysis showed AMZ was not susceptible to monoclinic transformation in any treatment. Conventional zirconia (IZr) and PMZ had monoclinic transformation only after H and H+M. BFS of AMZ was lower than PMZ and IZr. Cubic phase was found in all conditions for AMZ and IZr, while it was identified in PMZ only after H and H+M. BFS of AMZ was affected by M and H+M. For IZr and PMZ the unique difference detected in BFS was in the comparison of H to M. H treatment induced lower Weibull modulus, but characteristic strength was compatible with the BFS results. AMZ grain size (μm 2 ) was 8.6 times larger than PMZ grains, and 13.6 times larger than IZr grains., Conclusions: AMZ showed the largest mean grain size, had the lowest BFS values, and was affected when mechanical cycling was involved. Monoclinic transformation was not found in any treatment for AMZ, but was found in IZr and PMZ when hydrothermal aging was used alone or when combined with mechanical cycling. PMZ showed similar behavior to the IZr. H induced to higher fracture probability., Clinical Significance: Translucent monolithic dental zirconia available on the market may behave differently under simulated oral aging. The relationship between composition and microstructure determines their properties presumably, and clinical performance., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study evaluated microstructural and crystallographic phase changes after grinding (G) and regeneration firing/anneling (R) of Y-TZP ceramics. Thirty five bars (Lava TM and Ice Zirkon) were divided: Y-TZP pre-sintered, control (C), regeneration firing (R), dry grinding (DG), dry grinding+regeneration firing (DGR), wet grinding (WG) and wet grinding+regeneration firing (WGR). Grinding was conducted using a diamond bur and annealing at 1,000°C. The microstructure was analyzed by SEM and the crystalline phases by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD showed that pre-sintered specimens contained tetragonal and monoclinic phases, while groups C and R showed tetragonal, cubic and monoclinic phases. After grinding, the cubic phase was eliminated in all groups. Annealing (DGR and WGR) resulted in only tetragonal phase. SEM showed semi-circular cracks after grinding and homogenization of particles after annealing. After grinding, surfaces show tetragonal and monoclinic phases and R can be assumed to be necessary prior to porcelain layering when grinding is performed.

Statement of Problem: The changes that occur after brushing yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) are unknown. These changes may favor the retention of microorganisms and chemisorption of water, impairing its longevity., Objective: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of a whitening dentifrice on Y-TZP surfaces after simulating 10 years of brushing., Material and Methods: Seventy-two bar-shaped specimens (20×4×1.2 mm) were divided into 4 groups: storage in distilled water (SW, control), brushing with distilled water (BW), brushing with dentifrice (BD), and brushing with whitening dentifrice (BWD). Brushing was conducted using a linear brushing machine (878400 cycles, 0.98 N, soft toothbrush). The mean roughness (Ra) was analyzed with a profilometer and the superficial topography with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at baseline and after treatment. Crystalline phases were characterized using x-ray diffraction. Baseline and posttreatment Ra were analyzed using the 1-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD multiple comparison test; the paired t test was used for intragroup comparison (all α=.05)., Results: The Ra (μm) means (before/after treatment) were SW 0.28/0.28; BW 0.32/0.31; BD 0.28/0.36; BWD 0.30/0.20. No statistically significant difference was found for Ra at baseline (P=.108) than for posttreatment results (P<.001); the BD group had higher Ra values when compared with baseline (P=.019); the BWD group had the lowest values (P<.001). The BD surfaces showed pronounced scratches and detachment of the surface, while BWD showed smoother surfaces; similar crystallographic results among groups were observed., Conclusions: Brushing Y-TZP with conventional dentifrice increased roughness, while brushing with whitening dentifrice reduced roughness. Neither dentifrice changed the crystallographic phases after brushing., (Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Statement of Problem: Most ceramic abutments are fabricated from yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP). However, Y-TZP undergoes hydrothermal degradation, a process that is not well understood., Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the effects of artificial aging conditions on the fracture load, phase stability, and surface microstructure of a Y-TZP abutment., Material and Methods: Thirty-two prefabricated Y-TZP abutments were screwed and tightened down to external hexagon implants and divided into 4 groups (n = 8): C, control; MC, mechanical cycling (1×10(6) cycles; 10 Hz); AUT, autoclaving (134°C; 5 hours; 0.2 MPa); and TC, thermal cycling (10(4) cycles; 5°/55°C). A single-load-to-fracture test was performed at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min to assess the assembly's resistance to fracture (ISO Norm 14801). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was applied to observe and quantify the tetragonal-monoclinic (t-m) phase transformation. Representative abutments were examined with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to observe the surface characteristics of the abutments. Load-to-fracture test results (N) were compared by ANOVA and Tukey test (α=.05)., Results: XRD measurements revealed the monoclinic phase in some abutments after each aging condition. All the aging conditions reduced the fracture load significantly (P<.001). Mechanical cycling reduced the fracture load more than autoclaving (P=.034). No differences were found in the process of surface degradation among the groups; however, the SEM detected grinding-induced surface flaws and microcracks., Conclusions: The resistance to fracture and the phase stability of Y-TZP implant abutments were susceptible to hydrothermal and mechanical conditions. The surface microstructure of Y-TZP abutments did not change after aging conditions., (Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rifaximin is a gut-selective oral antimicrobial that has no systemic adverse effects compared with placebo. It is used for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy, traveler's diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, Clostridium difficile infection, ulcerative colitis, and acute diarrhea. The crystalline form present in rifaximin, α, has minimal systemic absorption compared to the amorphous form. The objective of this study was to obtain polymorphic forms of rifaximin using recrystallization processes. The forms were characterized and studied by thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and solubility testing. Six polymorphic forms of rifaximin, designated I-VI, were obtained by the crystallization process by evaporation of the solvent. Some polymorphic forms obtained in this work may not have the same excellent tolerability as the reference medicine; therefore, studies such as these are extremely important and point to the need for greater requirements by the regulatory agencies overseeing polymorph analysis of the raw materials used in the manufacture of medicines marketed globally. These analyses are not required in the majority of official compendia. Partnerships among industries, research centers, and universities would be a viable way to consolidate research in this area and contribute to improving the quality of solid drugs.

Finasteride (FNT) is a drug that inhibits human enzyme type II 5α-reductase that metabolizes testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. There are two enantiotropic polymorphs with known crystal structure: designated as forms I and II. Identification and control of these polymorphic forms in mixtures can be performed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) data and Rietveld method (RM). As experimental conditions may limit the detection of minority phases in mixtures, it is interesting to show what are these limits for some usual and one high-resolution equipment. So, in this work, we discuss the parameters to find the limit of the detection in binary mixtures of forms I and II of FNT according to each experimental condition. The samples analyzed were binary mixtures prepared with anhydrous polymorphs of the drug FNT. These samples were measured in four diffractometers with different experimental condition. These equipments represent the main resolutions generally used for drug analysis by XRPD. For the development of this work, a batch of form I was obtained pure, and another batch with forms I and II was used to obtain pure form II by heat treatment. Depending on the experimental condition, the polymorphs could be detected in a proportion as low as 0.5 wt%. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 103:3567-3575, 2014., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.)

The present work shows that the heated carbamazepine (CBZ) powder form III can be described as purely triclinic form I or a mixture of triclinic form I and monoclinic form III, depending on the resolution of the X-ray diffraction equipment used. Visual identification of the minor phase is possible when high-resolution synchrotron light is used. Quantitative phase analyses of CBZ forms I and III, after thermal treatment, were performed by using both synchrotron and conventional copper rotating anode X-ray powder diffraction data and the Rietveld method. Also, the Rietveld method could be adequately applied to determine the phase percentage in the heated material, even when usual resolution data are acquired., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association)

The crystal structure determination of mebendazole form A, an anthelmintic drug, was performed for the first time by applying the DASH software program to synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and supported by a satisfying Rietveld fit. This polymorph of mebendazole crystallizes in a triclinic (P1) space group, with unit-cell parameters a = 5.5044(2) A, b = 11.2872(2) A, c = 12.5276(5) A, alpha = 66.694(2) degrees, beta = 82.959(2) degrees, gamma = 78.443(2) degrees, V = 699.52(5) A(3), Z = 2, M = 295.293 g mol(-1), rho(calc) = 1.4021 g cm(-3), and rho(meas) = 1.3935(66) g cm(-3), which were obtained by means of the unit-cell formula weight and a picnometric measurement, respectively. The goodness-of-fit and R-factors were, respectively: chi(2) = 1.746, R(F)(2) = 1.69%, R(wp) = 5.72%, and R(p) = 4.37%. A weak nonclassical hydrogen bond involving the atoms N(3)-H(23)...O(11) may be responsible for the greater stability of the polymorphic form A of mebendazole due to the strongest electronegativity of nitrogen., (2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association)