Official Standards Research Articles

Aloe Vera as a Printed Coating to Mitigate the Wear of Textiles

Aloe vera is well known for its biological properties as a bioflavonoid anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent. It has been used frequently in the food sector as a food coating due to its hygroscopic properties and as an ingredient in the lucrative cosmetic industry. Studies have also included aloe vera as an eco-friendly green solution based on these properties. The current research focuses on the use of aloe vera gel in printing pastes as an alternative sustainable solution to synthetic thickeners, evaluating its wet performance and ease of fabric stitching, and has been inspired by studies that similarly used this substance and measured its effect on the fabric’s coefficient of friction and antimicrobial action. In the current study, printing pastes with natural colourants, such as saffron, curcumin, and annatto, and aloe vera gel thickener derived from natural leaves from Crete increased the fabric’s mechanical resistance to abrasion compared to the untreated pastes. The measured performance did not differ substantially from prints with traditional synthetic pastes, hence tolerating the substitution with the non-contaminant variant. The enhanced resistance to abrasion and wear extends the fabric’s serviceable life and resulting garments, decreasing the need for high industry processing volumes and, as a result, reducing pollution. The resistance to wear was evaluated using the dominant method in textile testing of the Martindale apparatus, which measured the cycles to failure, weight loss, and general appearance deterioration using the official photographic standards.

Making Decisions When Cataloging Bound-with Books

Frequently, bound-with books are the subject of catalog clean-up projects, often discovered years after first being added to a collection as a monograph. Alternately, bound-with books may have a structure that works within one library system, but become a persistent thorn in the side when migrating to a new system that models them differently. This only compounds the existing descriptive challenges of cataloging them, and can become a paralyzing state of affairs for catalogers. Decision-making guidance is needed because these resources are highly inconsistent in their composition and official cataloging standards for bound-with books have varied widely over the lifetime of the MARC format. This paper provides a general description of bound-with books, their importance as library resources, and outlines guidance for cataloging decisions.

Rethinking Regulation beyond the Normative Threshold: Mechanisms of Control and Access to the Central Market of Kinshasa

The article explores regulation practices governing access to the central market of Kinshasa. It argues that, contrary to conventional ideas, urban trading places do not escape state regulation, nor are they outside the realm of legitimacy. These places and the economic activities that take place in them are highly regulated. Yet, their regulations do not always conform to official standards. The dominant binary divide of formal/informal obscures different processes and scales of effective regulation. Hence, to better understand how these places and activities are regulated, it is necessary to go beyond the binary divide. Drawing on practical norms’ literature, the article shows the multiplicity of overlapping norms, their corresponding logics, and how different actors navigate regulation. Regulations can have diverse effects on people. Some deviations from official laws have reassuring effects, leading to forms of organisation that serve traders’ needs or provide them with space for resistance against exclusion. However, certain other deviations serve to extract more resources from vendors and can lead to the (re)production of social inequalities.

An automatic workflow for the quantitative evaluation of bit wear based on computer vision

As global oil exploration ventures into deeper and more complex territories, drilling bit wear and damage have emerged as significant constraints on drilling efficiency and safety. Despite the publication of official bit wear evaluation standards by the International Association of Drill Contractors (IADC), the current lack of quantitative and scientific evaluation techniques means that bit wear assessments rely heavily on engineers' experience. Consequently, forming a standardized database of drilling bit information to underpin the mechanisms of bit wear and facilitate optimal design remains challenging. Therefore, an efficient and quantitative evaluation of bit wear is crucial for optimizing bit performance and improving penetration efficiency.This paper introduces an automatic standard workflow for the quantitative evaluation of bit wear and the design of a comprehensive bit information database. Initially, a method for acquiring images of worn bits at the drilling site was developed. Subsequently, the wear classification and grading models based on computer vision were established to determine bit status. The wear classification model focuses on the positioning and classification of bit cutters, while the wear grading model quantifies the extent of bit wear. After that, the automatic evaluation method of the bit wear is realized. Additionally, bit wear evaluation software was designed, integrating all necessary functions to assess bit wear in accordance with IADC standards. Finally, a drilling bit database was created by integrating bit wear data, logging data, mud-logging data, and basic drilling bit data.This workflow represents a novel approach to collecting and analyzing drilling bit information at drilling sites. It holds potential to facilitate the creation of a large-scale information database for the entire lifecycle of drilling bits, marking the inception of intelligent analysis, design, and manufacture of drilling bits, thereby enhancing performance in challenging drilling conditions.

Prenatal Vitamin D Deficiency and Maternal and Fetal Health Outcomes.

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a significant health issue that could have serious implications for the well-being of women and their offspring. Prenatal vitamins are widely used, but deficiency still occurs frequently in the preconception period, during pregnancy, and in breastfed infants. We analyzed the association between prenatal VDD and maternal and fetal health outcomes by reviewing studies conducted in Europe. The literature was searched for articles published in the last 10 years focusing on preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, low birth weight, asthma, and autism spectrum disorder. We identified a total of 43 review articles, 31 original articles, and two guidelines. During pregnancy, VDD is associated with a higher likelihood of developing gestational diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia. It may also lead to an increase in the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, as well as asthma, and autism spectrum disorder in the offspring. While the official guidelines for vitamin D dosage differ in various countries, health authorities usually recommend a total daily supplement intake of 400-2,000 IU. In conclusion, this review emphasizes the importance of establishing guidelines for vitamin D supplementation as well as the requirement of official standards for the consumption of vitamin D in the prenatal period. Future research should concentrate on developing more unified approaches to vitamin D assessment and establishing preventative measures that can be incorporated into prenatal care programs.

Selective editing for asymmetry analysis in intra-EU trade Micro-Data Exchange (MDE)

Since January 2022, the Regulation on European Business Statistics (EU 2019/2152) requires EU Member States to compulsorily share microdata on intra-EU exports. Establishing intra-EU export Micro-Data Exchange (MDE) provides National Statistical Institutes with a new data source to compile intra-EU import statistics. The availability of MDE tackles two key challenges: diminishing the overall response burden on data providers and meeting user expectations regarding the quality of the produced statistics. However, transitioning to a data production system based on MDE data requires the assessment of the coherence and comparability between MDE and National import data. To identify asymmetries between the two data sources, Istat developed an innovative application designed to foster cooperation among Member States. The tool was developed using the Shiny package in R. The implemented solution allows users to perform exploratory analysis, systematic error detection, and selective editing. The most relevant asymmetries are identified through relative contribution and the asymmetry suspicion indices assessed by user-defined thresholds. Sharing the open tool within the European Statistical System enhances interoperability, promotes method harmonization, and encourages the adoption of official statistical standards.

Incremental implementation concept for healthy eating habits in German school with kiosk

PurposeSchool kiosk offerings play a crucial role in the dietary behavior of students. The importance of healthy meals in schools is emphasized again and again, but there is a lack of practical implementation and literature data on kiosk offers and acceptance. This study aimed to analyze the reasons and improve the situation.Design/methodology/approachIndividual nutrition knowledge and behavior as well as purchasing behavior at a typical kiosk scenario at schools were collected. Based on the outcome, a concept for improving the school kiosk offerings according to the quality standard of the German Nutrition Society was developed. Many obstacles and challenges had to be overcome in the transition to healthier offerings and their implementation. In the course of these changes, the creation of a new feel-good cafeteria lounge was deemed necessary and finally realized.FindingsA large percentage of the school kiosk offerings did not meet the desires of the school community. Opportunities to improve the school kiosk service were identified. The skillful planning of structural changes towards healthy food offers and warm meals on two weekdays made it possible to implement the official nutrition standards for healthier meals at school kiosks, despite long-term challenges for food providers.Originality/valueAfter a critical analysis of the reasons for the lack of politically desired standards for healthier meals at school kiosks, a new implementation culture is presented and was successfully applied to overcome barriers and challenges through an incremental-dynamic concept strategy with iterative cooperation between the actors of food service providers, school administration, school management, teachers and students.

Procedure for rapid determination of bile-tolerant gram-negative bacteria in drugs

The European Pharmacopoeia is a single reference study for the quality control of drugs. The official standards published within it provide a legal and scientific basis for quality control in the processes of drugs development, production and marketing. However, the long experience and the multitude of studies have demonstrated that medicinal forms represent unstable dispersed systems and can undergo various manifest or non-manifest changes, leading to drug incompatibilities. Along with the physico-chemical transformations, microbiological transformations can occur with the contamination of the final product with pathogenic, conditionally pathogenic or even saprophytic germs, especially medicines that do not undergo final sterilization or are not aseptically prepared. Microbial contamination of the drug can be an indicator of the production conditions; it can cause the instability of the product through the microbial decomposition of auxiliary substances, the alteration or definitive cancellation of the therapeutic effect of the active substances, the appearance of metabolites with toxic properties, especially those fractions of endotoxins on the wall cell of gram-negative bacteria with the development of allergenic, pyrogenic substances and the induction of the danger of local orgeneral infections. An important role is attributed to the group of bile-tolerant gram-negative bacteria as representatives of microorganisms that are inadmissible in one g/ml for the absence test and for the quantitative test <10 NCP/g/ml (probable number of bacteria), inadmissible in non-sterile medicinal products, herbal medicinal products for oral use and extracts used in their preparation. Due to the diversity of medicinal forms in terms of content, method of application, and therapeutic action, these preparations fulfil the indispensable conditions for the growth of microorganisms, therefore a primary concern is to avoid microbial contamination from the technological phase to the administration phase in order to prevent complications associated with bacterial infections. The given study reveals the testing of the procedure for the rapid determination of inadmissible microorganisms in non-sterile medicinal products and herbal drugs for oral use and the extracts used in their preparation, especially microorganisms of the group Enterobacteriaceae spp.

Environmental Justice in the Context of Access to Urban Green Spaces for Refugee Children

Accessible and high-quality urban green space (UGS) can provide significant benefits to refugee children for their development, health, and well-being. However, few studies have examined the actual accessibility of UGS from refugee children’s perspectives (i.e., with restricted walking radius, particular vulnerability towards barriers such as traffic infrastructures and disconnected road forms) and related them with other environmental or social burdens under the context of environmental justice. It is necessary to explore related evidence and investigate the underlying causes since refugee facilities are primarily located in areas with restricted social and environmental resources strongly related to attributes of environmental justice. This paper investigated (1) availability, accessibility, and attractiveness of UGS in 30 refugee accommodation locations in Berlin using GIS and Space Syntax, (2) environmental burdens using the Berlin Atlas of Environmental Justice, and (3) neighbourhood characteristics. Findings indicate that 63% of refugee accommodations have availability of green space that is above average official standards, but from refugee children’s perspectives, 60% of the locations have limited access to UGS, lower attractive green spaces, and most locations face multi-environmental burdens. Currently, little guidance focuses on ensuring equal access to and the usability of UGS for specific socioeconomic and demographic groups, such as refugee children. Therefore, this paper has contributed empirical materials to begin such research and develop inclusive decision-making strategies in environmental and health policy to ensure the provision and high quality of UGS for refugee children who need it.

Cryptocurrency; the new unleashed financial instrument, should it be regulated

The decentralized anonymous cryptocurrency is a new kind of technology that can be used for many purposes such as transferring money and investing. However, they do not have a legal entity that is in charge monitoring its uses. Its extraordinary rise raises critical questions such as, should we regulate it or ban it? Since its purposes have been converted from an anonymous payment system to a tool that is used in illegal actions and undermining financial standards. This paper seeks CC regulation options. Plus, it attempts to lay out the various risks they pose and benefits they bring with the technology they use (blockchain). The objective is to investigate which approach will be more reasonable for the country’s conditions. The regulators will try to convince CC service providers to obey rules and operate under official standards, while banners restrict the new instrument’s integration with the financial system. The study relied on the descriptive approach to achieve its objectives. The recent literature and publications of the most important related bodies around the world were reviewed. Findings reveal that it is too early for CCs to be considered legal tender. Moreover, both approaches could be adopted according to the country’s conditions. Plus, alternatives may have their say. Some suggestions are made for local agencies and investors.

Experimental Behavior of Solar Still Using Mixed Oxides Mn-Fe/Silicone Resin Composite as Selective Solar Absorber

In this research, the optical properties of a black pigment of mixed Mn-Fe oxides synthesized by the precipitation method dispersed in silicone resin at different concentrations for use as a solar absorber in a two-slope passive solar still were evaluated. The transmittance of different thicknesses of float glass with 0.1% Fe2O3 was also studied for use as a condenser in the construction of the solar still. Regarding the pigments, the absorbance and spectral emittance were evaluated, the floated. With the above information, both the absorbent surface and the condensers were optimized to propose the best design of the solar still. The novel hybrid material used as a selective coating in the still, which corresponds to 2.3% Mn-Fe mixed oxides, exhibited a high solar absorbance of 91.82% and a relatively low infrared thermal emission of less than 57.22%, as well as good stability to the corrosive and hot environment of the solar still, in addition to great durability over time and in real operating conditions. The float glass with the highest transmittance corresponds to a thickness of 3 mm and an average transmittance of 82.57%. The built prototype was characterized by obtaining the temperature profiles of the absorber and condensers, thermal efficiency, production and water quality. The prototype has a thermal efficiency of 29.6%, requiring only energy from the sun for its operation. The water produced by this device becomes an option for human use and consumption in accordance with current official standards, allowing supply in communities that do not have access to drinking water but have access to seawater or waters with high hardness.

Korean perspective for integrated deterministic-probabilistic safety assessment and its synergetic strategy with conventional methods

The PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) is presented as a method of comprehensively evaluating the types of accidents that can occur at nuclear power plants. One of the key components to obtain technical success was the introduction of event tree analysis, and its strength and weakness has been reviewed and enhanced with the term, for instance, Integrated Deterministic-Probabilistic Safety Assessment (IDPSA) since 1980s. However, the technical and policy maturity of IDPSA appears to have room for improvement: the terminologies need to be arranged internationally, and there are no official standards or guidelines for the method itself. Due to a misperception of IDPSA, there are even concerns that appropriate contribution in risk assessment cannot be made. For this reason, surveys and focus group interviews, sharing development experiences, and the direction of regulation and R&D on IDPSA were conducted targeting PSA experts in Korea. In order to support such process, authors have structured an overview of the development history and technical features of IDPSA. Finally, we will explore the ways to achieve synergy between the deterministic safety analysis and PSA, which may the origin of motivation how to deal with dynamic variability more properly such that an undue risk can be minimized.

The Effect of Technological Progress on Yarder Productivity: An Example from the Bulgarian Mountains

In recent years, a significant import of modern tower yarders has been registered in Bulgaria, where official productivity standards are routinely used for operational planning and control. Given the higher potential of the newer yarder models, the Bulgarian forestry sector has started a review of the older productivity standards dating back to the 1970s. This new endeavor has offered an ideal opportunity for gauging the effect of technological progress in yarder technology. Therefore, the authors have used the very first results achieved during the development of the new standards for conducting a preliminary quantitative comparison between older and newer yarder types. Modern yarders (e.g., Konrad Mounty 4000) are much faster than the older ones (e.g., Koller K300), and their time consumption per cubic meter is half as large, especially on longer distances. At short distances, however, their performance evens out. Regardless of the distance, the installation time of the Konrad Mounty 4000 is twice as short. As they are largely automated, the new machines can be manned by smaller crews (e.g., two workers instead of three) and are easier and safer to operate. Finally, the new machines are equipped with built-in loaders and processors, which allows them to integrate delimbing, crosscutting and stacking within the same work cycle. With older models, a separate team must be deployed for those tasks.

Experimental Behavior of Solar Still Using Mixed Oxides Mn-Fe/Silicona Resin Composite as Selective Solar Absorber

The optical properties of a black pigment of mixed Mn-Fe oxides synthesized by the precipitation method, dispersed in silicone resin in different concentrations as well as different thicknesses of float glass with 0.1% of Fe2O3 for use in the construction of a two-slope passive solar still. Regarding the pigments, the spectral absorbance and emittance were evaluated, the x-ray diffraction patterns were obtained to know their crystalline structure and their morphology was studied through surface profilometry, in addition the spectral transmittance for the different samples of float glass was evaluated. With the previous information, both the absorbing surface and the condensers were optimized to propose the best design of the solar still. The hybrid material used as a selective coating in the still, which corresponds to 2.3% Mn-Fe mixed oxides, exhibited a high solar absorbance of 91.82% and a relatively low infrared thermal emission, less than 57.22%, as well as good stability to the corrosive and hot environment of the solar still, in addition to great durability over time, real operating conditions. The float glass with the highest transmittance corresponds to a thickness of 3 mm and an average transmittance of 82.57%. The built prototype was characterized by obtaining the temperature profiles of the absorber, water column and condensers, thermal efficiency, production and water quality. The prototype has a thermal efficiency of 27%, requiring only energy from the sun for its operation and the product water is distilled water, free of salts, of great potential value for human use and consumption in accordance with current official standards.

Impact of carbon disclosure on debt financing costs

Creditors, such as banks, often use disclosed environmental information to assess a company’s environmental risk and ensure the safety of debt funds. Consequently, carbon disclosures have become an important consideration for creditors when making investments. This study explores the relationship between carbon disclosure and debt financing costs using data on listed companies from 2008 to 2019. The results show that carbon disclosure can reduce the debt financing costs of enterprises, and that this influence is more significant for private companies than for state-owned enterprises. Instrumental variables and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) were used to evaluate the robustness of negative relationships. Furthermore, carbon disclosure has a more significant impact on debt costs with less environmental supervision pressure, weak residents’ environmental awareness, and weak product market competition. These findings provide guidance for companies’ carbon information disclosure and support the establishment of official carbon disclosure standards.

EFFICIENCY OF AN UPFLOW ANAEROBIC FILTER FOR POULTRY EFFLUENT TREATMENT

Poultry slaughterhouses discharge large quantities of effluents that can be treated biologically. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of an upflow anaerobic filter (UAF) with effluents from a poultry slaughterhouse, using volcanic stone (tezontle) as a support medium. Effluent characterization was carried out in accordance with Mexican official standards and standard methods. The support medium was inoculated with activated sludge from an urban wastewater treatment plant. The filter was operated in continuous flow with applied volumetric loads (AVL) of 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 kg COD m-3 d-1 and hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 5.8, 3.8, 2.9, 2.3, and 1.9 days. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed, and significant differences were determined for each AVL using the Krustall-Wallis method. The results obtained in the gradually applied AVL were 26.1, 53.2, 40.1, 17, and 49.7 % COD removal. However, in the AVL of 2 and 2.5 kg COD m-3 d-1, there was a decrease in the removal, which is attributed to the destabilization of the system due to the increase in loads. The maximum methane production was 125 mL at an AVL of 3 kg COD m-3 d-1, with a methane yield (YCH4) of 0.082 LCH4 g-1 COD-1rem. With no increase in methane production at each AVL, the theoretical yield of 0.328 LCH4 g-1 COD-1rem. was not met. The upflow anaerobic filter demonstrated its efficiency with a poultry effluent, with maximum COD removal greater than 50 %; however, more acclimatization time is required for the formation of biofilm in the support medium, a pretreatment that removes the high organic load and allows for gradual biogas production.

Heterogeneity study on mechanisms influencing carbon emission intensity at the county level in the Yangtze River Delta urban Agglomeration: A perspective on main functional areas

Identifying the regional heterogeneity characterizing the mechanisms influencing carbon emissions is crucial to the scientific formulation of emission reduction targets and strategies. The studies that have been conducted have limitations in terms of regional classification criteria and study scales, and their findings are limited to reflect the actual situation. In this study, the perspective of main functional area is chosen as the entry point to carry out regional classification. First, the 305 county-level administrative districts in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA) are categorized into four different types of main functional areas according to official standards. Then, the differences in carbon emission intensity (CEI) within and outside each main functional area are analyzed. The STIRPAT model (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology) is used to analyze the differences in the impact mechanisms of various carbon emission influencing factors in the four main functional areas. The results show that there are significant differences in the CEI of different main functional areas, indicating the feasibility and necessity of studying carbon emission from the perspective of main functional area. The key development area (KDA) and optimized development area (ODA) dominate the evolution of regional CEI, especially KDA should be the core area for carbon reduction. There are significant differences in the mechanisms influencing CEI in different main functional areas, especially in terms of population density, industrial structure and government intervention. Our study provides a scientific basis for the subregional regulation of carbon emissions from the perspective of main functional area.

OCCURRENCE OF DIETHYL PHTHALATE (DEP) IN FOOD USING DIFFERENT PACKAGING: DETECTION AND TRACEABILITY

The objective of this work was the detection and traceability of the occurrence of diethyl phthalate (DEP) migrating from flexible packaging to food. Brazil is one of the largest producers of flexible plastics widely used in food. The evaluation of migrations of contaminants for food, mainly fatty foods, elucidates the possible transmission of diseases through the daily consumption of migrant contaminants from packaging. Throughout an accurate and highly specific methodology, with no use of simulants or organic solvents during sample preparation, the proposal of this study obtained a direct DEP ranking through migration traceability via headspace: HS-GC-MS. Of the 9 samples of flexible packaging and packaged foods analyzed, DEP was identified in 100%, thus confirming its occurrence in foods. Despite the storage conditions: temperature, shelf life, fat content of the products and the manufacturer’s assessment of use. It is urgent to review official standards to promote intense restrictions on the occurrence of DEP in food and encourage the benefits of reflecting daily consumption habits.

Recycled waste groundnut oil: A potential feedstock for green energy/biodiesel synthesis

This work focuses on the recycling of waste groundnut oil as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production using activated coconut husk as a regenerating agent. The coconut husk was functionalized using organic acid. The properties of the functionalized coconut husk were investigated via instrumental analysis. Non-parametric modeling involving 2-degree isotherm models were used. The regeneration/recycling of the waste oil were done in batch mode examining key factors of temperature, time, concentration and dosage. Biodiesel was synthesized from recycled waste groundnut oil using transesterification reaction. The properties of biodiesel were examined using ASTM and AOAC official standards. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface analysis revealed the surface area of the adsorbent as 371.88 m2/g and a porosity distribution of 0.567 η on the surface at a pH of 6.1. Batch mode analysis revealed that 97.5% of impurities was removed from waste groundnut oil under one batch process at 80 °C after 4 h with 6 g of the activated coconut husk. Langmuir isotherm model provided the best fit to the experimental data with adsorption capacity of 33.5 mg/g at R2 of 0.996. Adsorption of waste groundnut oil impurities onto activated coconut husk was endothermic, as evidenced by the calculated ΔH of +2.7914 kJ/mol. A high cetane number of 48.4 obtained after transesterification is an indication of the good ignition quality of the obtained recycled waste groundnut oil methyl ester. Kinematic viscosity and acid value were revealed to be 4.65 mm2 S−1 and 0.31 mg KOH/g, while the calorific value stood at 38,053 kJ/kg. GC-MS analysis revealed a complex mixture of fatty acid methyl esters dominated by unsaturated fatty acids (58.78%). Recycling of waste cooking oil in this work using activated coconut husk demonstrated good quality as a regenerating agent. The properties of biodiesel obtained showed that it has all the good qualities comparable to other existing biodiesel based on the ASTM and AOAC official standards. More work on the recycling of other waste cooking oils for green energy synthesis to protect our environment from pollution emanating from the use of conventional petro-diesel and promote energy transition is highly recommended.

Assessment of the pharmaceutical quality of various brands of omeprazole capsules

Introduction: Omeprazole is a first-line therapy drug for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease. The availability of numerous generic brands in the market raises doubts about their quality. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the pharmaceutical quality of various brands of omeprazole capsules marketed in three states of southern Nigeria. Methods: Organoleptic and physicochemical properties of ten (10) generic brands of omeprazole capsules were assessed according to official and unofficial standards. Quality assurance tests such as weight uniformity, disintegration time and drug content assay were carried out. The dissolution test was done in a double dissolution medium consisting of 0.1 N HCl for 1.0 h and phosphate buffer pH 6.8 for 2.0 h. Results: Capsules tested were suitably packaged with shells containing evenly coloured white pellets. All capsules were slightly soluble in water, sparingly soluble in ethanol and readily dissolved in alkaline medium. The 10 brands tested met the British Pharmacopeia (BP) specification for weight uniformity. All capsules had drug content within 90 - 110% and an average disintegration time of less than 15 min. All brands retained the drug in acid medium for 1 hour but released more than 75% within 40 min in phosphate buffer pH 6.8. Conclusion: Brands of omeprazole capsules passed Pharmacopeia tests, exhibited similar in vitro drug release profiles and may therefore be used interchangeably for the treatment of peptic ulcer. The study also showed that almost all brands of omeprazole capsules available in Nigeria are imported, hence the need arises for regular post-clinical analysis of imported drugs. Keywords: Omeprazole, generic brands, quality, analysis