Long-Term Study of Container Closure Integrity of Rubber-Glass Vial Systems by Multiple Methods.

A one-year study to establish the container closure integrity (CCI) performance landscape of systems comprising rubber stoppers and glass vials was performed. Focus was on addressing the issues of CCI performance versus: (a) time, (b) compression levels and residual seal force (RSF) values, and (c) potential variation in results based upon the deterministic measurement method (tracer gas and frequency modulated spectroscopy). To reduce sample size to a manageable number, the study was based upon a design of experiments that considered a range of: (a) stopper formulations, sizes, and configurations; (b) vial sizes, types, and suppliers; and (c) compression levels. All systems showed good performance; there was no decrease in CCI with time, highlighting the general robustness of rubber-glass vial systems. Lower compression/RSF values tended to give slightly lower performance and wider scatter in data and thus should not be recommended for commercial applications. A small amount of oxygen exchange through the stoppers was observed for all systems-to be expected because rubber is known to be gas permeable. Consistent with models, RSF values decreased initially and then remained constant. Results are consistent with the literature.

How to Qualify Container Closure Systems for Intended Use, Part 1.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates outsourcing facilities with the same stringency they apply towards drug manufacturers. This means that outsourcing facilities, who must navigate the changing regulatory landscape to achieve and maintain 503B status, need to focus on qualifying container closure systems for their intended use. Container closure systems must be fit-for-purpose (i.e., suitable for in-use conditions relative to drug product stability over intended shelf-life and storage conditions). This article, the first of a two-part series, addresses the critical aspect of how to qualify systems for intended use regarding container closure integrity. The second part will address component selection.

Effect of technique on outcomes following bioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation: analysis from the ABSORB trials

BACKGROUND: Procedural technique may affect clinical outcomes after bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation. Prior studies suggesting such a relationship have not adjusted for baseline patient and lesion characteristics that may have influenced operator choice of technique and outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine whether target lesion failure (TLF) (cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization) and scaffold thrombosis (ScT) rates within 3 years of BVS implantation are affected by operator technique (vessel size selection and pre- and post-dilation parameters). METHODS: TLF and ScT rates were determined in 2,973 patients with 3,149 BVS-treated coronary artery lesions from 5 prospective studies (ABSORB II, ABSORB China, ABSORB Japan, ABSORB III, and ABSORB Extend). Outcomes through 3 years (and between 0 to 1 and 1 to 3 years) were assessed according to pre-specified definitions of optimal technique (pre-dilation, vessel sizing, and post-dilation). Multivariable analysis was used to adjust for differences in up to 18 patient and lesion characteristics...

Adaptation in the vertebral column: a comparative study of patterns of metameric variation in seven species of small mammals.

The pattern of variation of certain vertebral measurements along the vertebral column is known to differ in man and mouse. This paper investigates changes in this pattern in 7 species of small mammals and attempts to correlate them with locomotor adaptations and limb dimensions.

Shape differences in the cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae in rats (Rattus norvegicus) and bats (Pteropus poiocephalus): can we see shape patterns derived from position in column and species membership?

The shapes of cervical (C1-C7) and upper thoracic (T1, T2) vertebrae from the rat and the grey-headed flying fox have been analysed by Fourier analysis to investigate the types of variation present and to try to isolate bones according to position along the vertebral column and species. It was found that the T2 vertebrae of the rat are very different from all others in the study, that C2 and C6 vertebrae are very similar and that the remaining vertebrae split according to species.

The inheritance of vertebral shape in the mouse. I. A study using Fourier analysis to examine patterns of inheritance in the morphology of cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae.

The shapes of cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae from large samples of 2 inbred strains of mice and their F1 offspring were examined using Fourier analysis to investigate in detail the distributions and magnitudes of differences in vertebral shape between different strains of mice, the relationships between parents and offspring and any differences in the inheritance of vertebral shape between successive vertebral levels. Consistent with the findings of an earlier study there was evidence for considerable differences between vertebral levels in the degree to which offspring resemble one or other parent. The results demonstrate that the inheritance of vertebral morphology conforms to a model in which F1s between inbred strains form a triangular relationship with their parents. Furthermore, this relationship varies between vertebral levels. The significance of these findings is considered in relation to the understanding of the mechanisms of character inheritance and evolution and some new directions for research into vertebral column morphogenesis are proposed.

The effects of disorders of cartilage formation and bone resorption on bone shape: a study with chondrodystrophic and osteopetrotic mouse mutants.

The shapes of scapulae and basi-occipital bones from three genetically distinct achondroplastic mutants and one osteopetrotic mutant in the mouse (achondroplasia, brachymorphic, stumpy and grey lethal), and appropriate controls, have been compared using Fourier analysis and multivariate statistical techniques. Normal littermates were generally similar in shape, but mutants were significantly different from these controls and from each other. The pattern of morphological differences between the mutants and between the mutants and normal controls is examined. These differences are discussed in relation to the different effects of the four genes on bone morphogenesis, and the significance of these findings in relation to the contributions of cartilage formation and bone resorption to skeletal morphogenesis is considered.

The effect of diet on bone shape in the mouse.

The effects of four deficient diets (oats, barley, wheat, buckwheat) on the shape of first and second cervical vertebrae and scapulae in C57BL mice have been measured using Fourier analysis. Bone shape was found to be robust, and only minimally affected by dietary change. The significance of this lack of change is discussed in the light of changes induced by diet in non-metrical variants in the skeleton. The study further emphasises the dangers of using certain non-metrical characters in taxonomic studies and indicates that the shapes of mouse bones are affected to a lesser degree by dietary influences than are the incidences of certain non-metrical character states.