Effects of surgery on the pharmacokinetic parameters of drugs

As with other forms of stress, surgery is a time of fluctuating haemodynamics, physiological shifts, intense metabolic changes, and protein catabolism and anabolism. At times, these changes can occur within hours. There is a reasonable body of literature concerning the adverse effects of surgery on gastric emptying, but not on the effects of surgery on the distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs. Gastric emptying is diminished or absent following major procedures, which prevent the delivery of orally administered drugs to their major site of absorption, the small bowel. Changes in the paracellular absorption of drugs may occur postoperatively, although transcellular absorption appears to be unimpaired. Distribution is affected by changes in blood volume, alterations in circulation, increases in the extracellular fluid and changes in the circulating plasma protein levels, such as albumin and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein. Little is known about alterations in drug metabolism following surgery. However, it has been shown that systemic hypoxia alters the function of some of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system and increased levels of cytokines have an effect on the metabolism of at least 1 drug. In addition, the renal elimination of drugs is affected in patients postoperatively, although the effects of biliary clearance in this period are difficult to determine. Despite the lack of research into pharmacokinetics during the postoperative period, and given the immense and often sudden changes observed in patients post-surgery, it is reasonable to recommend vigilance with respect to drug therapy during this period.     

A survey of research in deliberative real-time artificial intelligence

This paper surveys recent research in deliberative real-time artificial intelligence (AI). Major areas of study have beenanytime algorithms, approximate processing, and large system architectures. We describe several systems in each of these areas, focusing both on progress within the field, and the costs, benefits and interactions among different problem and algorithm complexity limitations used in the surveyed work.     

Comparison of hydrogeologic parameters evaluated by deep well testing programs to assess nuclear waste repository feasibility

Hydrogeologic parameters evaluated for rocks investigated in deep well testing projects for nuclear waste repository feasibility are transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity and storativity. Such studies have been carried out in rock formations of different geologic types, origins and ages for nuclear waste management agencies in North America and Europe. From transient pressure testing, an assessment of static pressure in selected fracture zones was measured from which a profile with depth was developed using modelling techniques. As well, temperatures of formation fluids and hence thermal gradients have also been provided. Hydrogeologic parameters are commonly used in risk analysis for repositories with respect to the possible escape of contaminants and worst case scenarios. The parameters are related to the rate of possible radionuclide migration into the biosphere. The techniques of the investigation and analysis methods of this work have been fully described in the literature. This paper is the first to date, however, to compare results from testing in differen geologic environments. High transmissivity zones have been observed in the upper few hundred metres of granite formations. Below that depth, the rock is more competent and discrete zones of higher permeability occur less frequently. Our studies show, however, that in these rocks, zones of high hydraulic conductivity do not always correspond to zones of high fracture frequency. Most formation pressure profiles have a vertical gradient of about 10 kPa/m. In discrete zones, deviations from this trend can occur due to vertical inhomogeneity in the rock. Thermal gradients vary considerably from one investigation site to another. For example, in the Canadian Shield, gradients are of the order of 1.0 degree C per 100 m, whereas in similar rock types in Europe, the gradient is up to 4.0 degrees C per 100 m.     

DDT absorption and chylomicron transport in rat

Male rats were fed 100 nM dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-¹⁴C in oil by gastric tube. Recovery of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-¹⁴C in thoracic duct lymph was 60% in 12 hr. Lymph dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-¹⁴C (97%) occurred in lipoproteins of d<1.006, designated chylomicrons. Mechanical separation of chylomicron triglyceride core (labeled with triglyceride-³H) from chylomicron membrane (labeled with phospholipid-³²P) showed that 97% dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-¹⁴C was present in triglyceride core. To investigate possible association of plasma clearance of the two core lipids, rats were pulse injected with chylomicrons, doubly labeled with triglyceride-³H and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-¹⁴C. The decay of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-¹⁴C in sequential serum samples was rapid (T^1/2=2 min) and was independent of triglyceride-³H decay. In tissues removed 14 min after injection of chylomicrons, 30% administered dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-¹⁴C was found in liver but only 1% in adipose tissue. In hepatectomized (eviscerated) rats, the decay of serum dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-¹⁴C (T^1/2=10 min) was also independent of and more rapid than triglyceride-³H decay. With sucrose density gradients, it was shown that chylomicron dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-¹⁴C transferred to higher density serum proteins in vitro and in vivo and to bovine albumin in vitro. Thus, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane was transported from intestine largely in the triglyderide phase of chylomicrons; disappearance of chylomicron-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane from the systemic circulation was rapid and partly independent of the presence of the liver and of triglyceride hydrolysis; some dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane was transported from serum chylomicrons to albumin or other plasma proteins before tissue uptake.     

Effect of catalyst on regioselectivity and vinyl/H exchange on silicon in the hydrosilylation of vinyl-siloxanes by T8 hydrogen silsesquioxane

We have recently reported the synthesis of octopus molecules of defined shape and size with molecular weights well into the thousands. These octopus molecules were made by placing eight pendant groups symmetrically about a central silsesquioxane core via the H₂PtCl₆ catalyzed hydrosilylation of 1-alkenes as well as vinyl- and allyl-siloxanes by T₈ hydrogen silsesquioxane, (HSiO₃₂)₈. The chemistry of addition was studied and it was found that while the addition of the 1-alkenes to T₈ was regioprecise with only -addition being observed, both - and -addition occurred with vinyl-siloxane. In addition, H-vinyl exchange on silicon was observed to occur with addition of vinyl-siloxane to T₈. In the current studies, the effect of the hydrosilylation catalyst. homogeneous and heterogeneous, on the regioselectivity of addition and on the extent of exchange on silicon was evaluated. It was found that the heterogeneous catalysts Pt–C, sulfided Pt–C, and Rh–C required higher temperature and longer times to get complete reaction than the homogeneous catalysts. H₂PtCl₆ and the tetramethyldivinyldisiloxane complex of Pt. Pd supported catalysts were not effective catalysts for this hydrosilylation. The extent of exchange on silicon and the degree of the second mode of addition occurring were higher with the heterogenous catalysts and may be a result of the higher reaction temperatures.     

Carbonization and liquid-crystal (mesophase) development. 12. Mechanisms of the co-carbonization of coals with organic additives

In industrial situations, coals interact with solvents or additives to produce liquid fuels, solvent-refined coal, coal extract and metallurgical coke. In these processes there occurs a wide variation in effects or modifications of the coal by these additives. This paper describes the modifications which can occur, using a wide range of rank of coal, when these coals interact and are co-carbonized with a wide range of additives of different chemical properties. The optical texture of the resultant cokes is given special attention. The objective of the paper is to summarize the current state of knowledge of the mechanisms of these interactions. Possible mechanisms of interactions are summarized, kinetic and chemical structural aspects of reactions are outlined, the importance is mentioned of the formation of liquid phases enabling anisotropic optical textures in modified cokes to be created, and the industrial relevance of its possible development is discussed.     

Carbonization and liquid-crystal (mesophase) development. 8. The co-carbonization of coals with acenaphthylene and decacyclene

Several coals of different rank have been carbonized singly and also co-carbonized with acenaphthylene and decacyclene. The resultant cokes were mounted in resin and polished surfaces were examined for optical texture using a polarized-light optical microscope fitted with a half-wave retarder plate. The optical texture can be assessed qualitatively (visually) or quantitatively by a point-counting technique in terms of size and shape of constituent isochromatic anisotropic units. Some cokes from coals were Isotropic. Acenaphthylene was only able to exert a smaller influence than decacyclene on the optical texture of the resultant cokes from co-carbonizations. Decacyclene was able to modify the optical texture for both the low-rank non-fusible and the caking coals. The effects of changing the proportions of coal to additive were examined. Results are interpreted in terms of ‘depolymerization’ of the coal by the action of the additive (as solvent) and also by the action of the additive in modifying the processes of formation of semi-coke via nematic liquid crystals.     

Spinning of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers from a melt pool without a spinneret

Monofilament fibers were spun continuously from the free surface of a pool of molten poly(ethylene terephthalate) without the aid of a spinneret. For take-up velocities in the range of 12 to 400 ft/min, the denier of the filaments produced was an inverse power function of take-up velocity, and the birefringence was an inverse power function of the filament diameter. Production rate and product uniformity were strongly dependent on take-up velocity and surface temperature of the melt pool.     

Analysis of wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns of aligned glassy polymers with particular references to polystyrene

Improvement of WAXD patterns from aligned glassy polymers by a numerical desmearing technique is reported. This gives a fibre type diffraction pattern that can be more easily interpreted than radial or cylindrical distribution functions. Application to atactic and quenched isotactic polystyrene shows that the molecular conformations that are found are in agreement with those deduced from i.r. and n.m.r. spectroscopy. For isotactic polystyrene there is significant agreement between the fibre pattern of the aligned glassy polymer and that of the drawn crystalline polymer.     

Impact of transient chemistry on the corrosion potential of a steam turbine disc steel

The adoption of two-shifting in coal-fired power generation (switching from on-load to off-load conditions on a daily basis and off-load for the weekend) results in regular cycling of the solution chemistry of the condensed steam on the turbine discs. A first stage investigation has been made of the effect of such chemistry cycling on the corrosion potential of the disc steel. The corrosion potential is typically about +0.05 V (SCE) in off-load chemistry (aerated pure water) and below −0.6 V (SCE) in on-load chemistry (deaerated solution containing chloride or chloride and sulphate anions). The critical observation was the sluggish response of the corrosion potential upon restoration of deaerated on-load conditions with the implication of a likely increase in pit and stress corrosion crack development.