Regular and long-term monitoring of coastal areas is a prerequisite to avoiding or mitigating the impacts of climate and human-driven hazards. In Africa, where populations and infrastructures are particularly exposed to risk, there is an urgent need to establish coastal monitoring, as observations are generally scarce. Measurement campaigns and very high-resolution satellite imagery are costly, while freely available satellite observations have temporal and spatial resolutions that are not suited to capture the event scale. To address the gap, a network of low-cost, multi-variable, shore-based video camera systems has been installed along the African coasts. Here, we present this network and its principle of sharing data, methods, and results obtained, building toward the implementation of a common integrated coastal management policy between countries. Further, we list new contributions to the understanding of still poorly documented African beaches' evolution, waves, and sea level impacts. This network is a solid platform for the development of inter-disciplinary observations for resources and ecology (such as fisheries, and sargassum landing), erosion and flooding, early warning systems during extreme events, and science-based coastal infrastructure management for sustainable future coasts.

Limited information indicates that maternal omeprazole doses of 20 mg daily produce low levels in milk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between polymorphisms in CYP2C19 and the single-dose pharmacokinetics (PKs) of omeprazole in healthy Chinese volunteers. A 20 mg single dose of omeprazole (Losec) enteric-coated capsules or tablets was orally administered to 656 healthy subjects from eight subcenters. The polymorphic alleles of CYP2C19*2, *3, and *17 were determined by Sanger sequencing and Agena mass array. Plasma concentrations of omeprazole were determined by high-performance liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. PK parameters of area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC)0-t , AUC from zero to infinity (AUC0-∞), maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), and terminal half-life (t1/2) were significantly influenced by CYP2C19 phenotype (all p < 0.001) and diplotype (all p < 0.001), and the same results were obtained in the subgroup analysis of the effects of diet and dosage form. The polymorphisms of CYP2C19*2(rs4244285; all PK parameters p < 0.001) and *3(rs4986893; pCmax = 0.020, and the p values of other PK parameters were less than 0.001) were significantly associated with the PKs of omeprazole. For CYP2C19*17 (rs12248560), only t1/2 showed a significant correlation (p = 0.032), whereas other PK parameters did not. The present study demonstrated that the Pks of omeprazole is greatly influenced by CYP2C19.

In New Zealand, there are no liquid formulations of omeprazole commercially available, therefore suspensions must be extemporaneously compounded from solid dosage forms for patients with swallowing difficulties. The funding for solid dosage forms of omeprazole changes frequently, often every one to two years, without consideration of the impact this may have when extemporaneously compounded liquid dosage forms are required. This study examined suspensions compounded from various solid dosage forms of omeprazole with the purpose of identifying suitable quality formulations and evaluating their chemical and physical stability. Six different solid dosage forms of omeprazole that are available in New Zealand, including capsules, tablets, and powder, were used to prepare 2-mg/mL suspensions in 8.4% w/v sodium bicarbonate solution. The suspensions were then assessed visually for quality and by quantifying sedimentation rate over 120 minutes. Two products, stored in amber bottles at either 4°C or 25°C, demonstrated acceptable quality over a 30-day period whilst monitoring physical and chemical stability on day 0, 7, 14, 20, and 30. Four of the formulated suspensions were deemed to be of poor quality due to either a lack of uniformity or rapid sedimentation, attributes that could lead to inaccurate dosing. Acceptable quality suspensions were prepared from Losec and Dr. Reddy's brands of omeprazole 20-mg capsules. For both brands, a change in color was observed after 20 days and 7 days when stored at 4°C and 25°C, respectively. Chemical stability was determined using a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method, with >90% of the active remaining for 30 days when kept at 4°C, and 20 days when stored at 25°C. Not all brands are suitable for extemporaneously compounding omeprazole suspensions. Losec and Dr. Reddy's brands of capsules were suitable to prepare quality omeprazole suspensions. Omeprazole suspensions compounded from these products are stable for 20 days if stored at 4°C and protected from light.

CDFR0209, a combination of an immediate-release formulation of omeprazole 40 mg and sodium bicarbonate 1100 mg, has been developed to treat acid-related disorders. We compared the acid inhibitory effects of CDFR0209 and delayed-release omeprazole (omeprazole-DR, Losec 40 mg) after repeated dosing in Helicobacter pylori-negative healthy adult male subjects. In this 2-period crossover study, 30 subjects were randomized to CDFR0209 or omeprazole-DR daily for 7 days. An ambulatory continuous 24-hour intragastric pH recording was performed at baseline and on days 1 and 7 of each administration period. Integrated gastric acidity was calculated from time-weighted average hydrogen ion concentrations at each hour of the 24-hour record. An analysis of variance model was used to test the pharmacodynamic equivalence of CDFR0209 and omeprazole-DR, using the natural logarithmic transformation of the percent decrease from baseline in integrated gastric acidity for the 24-hour interval after the seventh dose of each omeprazole formulation. The geometric least-squares mean ratios (CDFR0209/omeprazole-DR) of the percent decrease from baseline in integrated gastric acidity was 0.98 (90%CI, 0.93-1.07). Both CDFR0209 and omeprazole-DR are equally effective in decreasing integrated gastric acidity at steady state.

Interviewed by Ellen Clarke (Commissioning Editor, Future Science Group). Richard Goodfellow is Joint-CEO of Scancell Holdings plc, a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange. He has over 25 years international experience in the pharmaceutical industry, in Big Pharma and with Biotech companies. During his time at Astra, he oversaw the launch of Losec and other key products internationally. Thereafter, he held the post of Director of Licensing and New Business Development at Scotia Pharmaceuticals, where he was involved with the company's flotation on the London Stock Exchange and successfully negotiated numerous deals. Goodfellow is also a founder of Paradigm Therapeutics, a Cambridge-based functional genomics company and is a former Director of Enact Pharma plc.

Omeprazole is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Omeprazole is marketed by AstraZeneca under a number of names, most notably Prilosec and Losec, as well as being available from a number of generic manufacturers. Omeprazole is available in both tablet and capsule form, with varying strengths of each. The need for other administration options for those patients who cannot take tablets or capsules has led compounding pharmacies to seek other alternatives. One possible alternative is the use of a suspending agent to create an oral solution or suspension. In the past, this has been accomplished using a sodium bicarbonate solution as the vehicle. However, sodium bicarbonate/omeprazole combination imparts a bitter and unpleasant taste. SyrSpend SF Alka (reconstituted) is a vehicle for making a suspension which has a pleasant taste, thus increasing palpability and compliance. The objective of this study was to determine the stability of omeprazole in SyrSpend SF Alka (for reconstitution). The studied sample was compounded into a 2-mg/mL suspension and stored in a low-actinic plastic prescription bottle at temperatures between 2 degrees C and 8 degrees C. Six samples were assayed at each time point out to 92 days by a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method. The method was validated for its specificity through forced degradation studies. The shelf life of this product is at least 92 days, based on data collected when refrigerated and protected from light.

We utilized an in vitro adult mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) nerve-attached preparation to characterize the responses of muscle spindle afferents to ramp-and-hold stretch and sinusoidal vibratory stimuli. Responses were measured at both room (24°C) and muscle body temperature (34°C). Muscle spindle afferent static firing frequencies increased linearly in response to increasing stretch lengths to accurately encode the magnitude of muscle stretch (tested at 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% of resting length [Lo]). Peak firing frequency increased with ramp speeds (20% Lo/sec, 40% Lo/sec, and 60% Lo/sec). As a population, muscle spindle afferents could entrain 1:1 to sinusoidal vibrations throughout the frequency (10-100 Hz) and amplitude ranges tested (5-100 µm). Most units preferentially entrained to vibration frequencies close to their baseline steady-state firing frequencies. Cooling the muscle to 24°C decreased baseline firing frequency and units correspondingly entrained to slower frequency vibrations. The ramp component of stretch generated dynamic firing responses. These responses and related measures of dynamic sensitivity were not able to categorize units as primary (group Ia) or secondary (group II) even when tested with more extreme length changes (10% Lo). We conclude that the population of spindle afferents combines to encode stretch in a smoothly graded manner over the physiological range of lengths and speeds tested. Overall, spindle afferent response properties were comparable to those seen in other species, supporting subsequent use of the mouse genetic model system for studies on spindle function and dysfunction in an isolated muscle-nerve preparation.