Abstract
Objective: While propranolol pharmacokinetics has been extensively studied in adults, this study reports the first evaluation of propranolol pharmacokinetics in term and preterm neonates.
...Methods: Propranolol concentrations were measured in four term and 32 preterm newborns treated with oral propranolol at the dose of 0.5 or 0.25 mg/kg every 6 h by serial dried blood spots.
Results: The levels of propranolol, although with high inter-individual variability, were proportional with the administered dose. Pharmacokinetic parameters evaluated at the steady state in newborns treated with 0.5 mg/kg/6 h showed values of maximal (71.7 ± 29.8 ng/mL), minimal (42.2 ± 20.8 ng/mL) and average concentration (60.8 ± 25.0 ng/mL), time of maximal concentration (2.6 ± 0.9 h) and area under the time-concentration curve (364.7 ± 150.2 ng/mL/h) similar to those observed in adults. In both dosing groups, elimination half-life was significantly longer (14.9 ± 4.3 and 15.9 ± 6.1 h), and apparent total body clearance (27.2 ± 13.9 and 31.3 ± 13.3 mL/kg/min) lower than those reported in adults, suggesting a slower metabolism in newborns. No differences were observed between newborns with different gestational age or different sex.
Conclusions: Neonates treated with propranolol-exhibited drug concentrations proportional with the dose, with significant long half-life.
Three different projection system are used to prepare NiCrAlY bond coats over metallic substrates: atmospheric plasma spray (APS), high velocity oxyfuel (HVOF) and high frequency pulse detonation ...(HFPD). These coatings were tested in hot corrosion experiments with sprayed Na
2SO
4 at 1000 °C for 20 and 100 h experiments in air. Coatings surface composition after thermal treatment was characterised by XRD and SEM. Cross section of coatings were analysed by SEM-EDX. A relationship between microstructural characteristics of initial coatings and final performance in hot corrosion was found in terms of porosity percentage: plasma sprayed coatings present higher percentage of porosity compared to HVOF and HFPD projection systems for the same composition and Al is heavily consumed in interparticle oxidation. This Al depletion in turn involves intrinsic chemical failure and surface layer is comprised by a porous spinel of mixed oxides. On the other hand, high energy projection systems produce dense coatings allowing the Al migration to external alumina layer, particularly in the case of HVOF coating.
A
bstract
We derive constraints on the parameters
M
12
, Γ
12
and Φ
12
that describe
D
meson mixing using all available data, allowing for CP violation. We also provide posterior distributions and ...predictions for observable parameters appearing in
D
physics.
Adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats decreases body weight and muscle mass. Melanocyte stimulating hormone administration to arthritic rats decreases inflammation and skeletal muscle wasting. In this ...study, we investigate whether activation of melanocortin-4 receptor by RO27-3225 administration is able to prevent the effect of arthritis on the expression of muscle-specific E3 ubiquitin ligases and MyoD in two different muscles, gastrocnemius (a mainly fast type muscle) and soleus (slow type). Arthritis was induced in male Wistar rats by intradermal injection of Freund's adjuvant. Control and arthritic rats were injected with RO27-3225 (180 μg/kg i.p. twice a day) or saline, for 8 days. Body weight change, food intake and arthritis index were assessed daily. After sacrifice, serum insulin-like growth factor -1 (IGF-1) and corticosterone, as well as nuclear factor-κB(p65), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), atrogene and MyoD in gastrocnemius and soleus were analysed. Administration of RO27-3225 to arthritic rats decreased arthritis scores, hind paw volume as well as nuclear factor-κB(p65) phosphorylation in gastrocnemius and soleus. However, RO27-3225 was not able to modify the effects of arthritis on serum IGF-1 and corticosterone. RO27-3225 ameliorates arthritis-induced decrease in food intake, body weight gain, epidydimal white adipose tissue and soleus weight, but not in gastrocnemius weight. Arthritis increased COX-2, atrogin-1 and MuRF1 expression in gastrocnemius and soleus, whereas RO27-3225 prevented this increase in soleus but not in gastrocnemius. Arthritis also increased MyoD expression in gastrocnemius and soleus (P < 0.01). RO27-3225 decreased MyoD expression in gastrocnemius but not in soleus of arthritic rats. In control rats RO27-3225 did not modify MyoD expression in gastrocnemius or soleus. In conclusion, our data suggest that in arthritic rats, RO27-3225 treatment decreases inflammation and muscle atrophy, preventing atrogene upregulation in slow type muscle but not in gastrocnemius. The lack of effect in the gastrocnemius can be related to the inability of RO27-3225 to prevent arthritis-induced corticosterone upregulation as well as IGF-1 downregulation.
We investigated the chromosome number and morphology of five Centaurea species belonging to five different Centaurea sections. All material analyzed was diploid with chromosome number 2n = 18 or ...2n = 20. Chromosome number 2n = 18 was found for two populations (specimen a and specimen b) of Centaurea cassia Boiss., a rare species from Sect. Jacea (Mill.) DC., and two populations (specimen a and specimen b) of C. ptosimopappa Hayeka, a local endemic belonging to Sect. Ptosimopappus O. Hoffm. A chromosome number of 2n = 20, however, was observed for the other three Centaurea species: C. arifolia Boiss., a local endemic from Sect. Cynaroides Boiss. ex Walp., C. antochia Boiss. var. antochia, an endemic variety belonging to Sect. Acrocentron (Cass.) DC., and C. hyalolepis Boiss. from Sect. Calcitrapa DC. The chromosome number for the latter species represents the first record for Hatay province. Differences in chromosome size and karyotype are described.
This work focuses on the evaluation of acoustical quality in high-school classrooms through in-field measurements and self- reports. Two school buildings that differ in location and typology, were ...considered. In-field measurements included sound insulation, room acoustics and intelligibility indices in unoccupied and simulated occupied conditions. Teacher's vocal load was monitored over several working days through the Voice Care device and was related to the correspondent background noise and room acoustics. Teachers subjective perception investigated noise disturbance, vocal effort and status after each monitoring. The receiver operating curve was implemented to assess agreement between in-field measurements and self-reports for teachers. The association between objective parameters was assessed with linear regression analysis.
Quorum sensing (QS) is a widespread mechanism utilized by both Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria for communication and regulation of specific virulence traits and phenotypes due to population density. ...Plants are known to produce a number of compounds that can inhibit this communication and most of them have been discovered through well-known Chromobacterium violaceum biomonitor strains assays. In this study, we have analyzed 36 extracts, from 26 Turkish plant species, for their effects on bacterial growth and inhibition or induction of QS in the said biomonitoring assay. Four of the crude plant extracts from Tanacetum balsamita L. subsp. balsamitoides (Compositaceae), Epilobium angustifolium L. (Onograceae), Quercus frainetto Ten. (Fagaceae) and Quercus robur L. (Fagaceae) showed QS inhibitory activity and significantly reduced violacein production in C. violaceum. Particularly, ethyl acetate soluble compounds extracted from leaves of Quercus spp. were efficient in QS inhibition without any apparent increase in bacterial growth. On the other hand, extracts from Mentha longifolia subsp. longifolia and Hypericum orientale showed enhanced violacein production, thus increasing QS-dependent behaviour. Our results clearly demonstrate the QS-inhibitory effects of Q. frainetto Ten., E. angustifolium and T. balsamita L. extracts, while two other species showed QS-inducing effects, for the first time.
The incidence of V
2O
5 corrosion on yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings has been studied as a function of application methods and powder initial granulometry. Commercial ...fused-and-crushed 8 wt.% yttria-stabilized zirconia was sprayed by Atmospheric Plasma Spraying (APS) and High Frequency Pulse Detonation. Hollow Spherical Powder (HOSP™) with the same composition was sprayed by APS. The coatings where covered with V
2O
5 powder and treated at 1000 °C for different times. The extent of corrosion was followed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Raman micro-spectrometry. A relationship between coating porosity and corrosion resistance is explored: the HOSP coating presented deeper penetration of corrosion than the other coatings. The authors present the extended capabilities of Raman semi-quantitative phase analysis to describe the depth and density of yttria leaching by vanadia leading to YSZ destabilization.
A long sequence of earthquakes, six with magnitudes between 5 and 6, struck Central Italy starting on September 26, 1997, causing severe damages and loss of human lives. The seismogenic structure ...consists of a NW‐SE elongated fault zone extending for about 40 km. The focal mechanisms of the largest shocks reveal normal faulting with NE‐SW extension perpendicular to the trend of the Apennines, consistently with the Quaternary tectonic setting of the internal sector of the belt and with previous earthquakes in adjacent regions. Preliminary data on the main shocks and aftershocks show that extension in this region of the Apennines is accomplished by normal faults dipping at low angle (∼40°) to the southwest, and confined in the upper ∼8 km of the crust. These normal faults might have reactivated thrust planes of the Pliocene compressional tectonics. The aftershock distribution and the damage patterns also suggest that the three main shocks ruptured distinct 5 to 15 km‐long fault segments, adjacent and slightly offset from one another.
Differences in the environmental stability of Bi-2212 textured materials before and after annealing have been evaluated using digital speckle photography. This technique is able to provide ...information about the 2D evolution of the degradation processes by means of correlation coefficient reductions. The results indicate a faster degradation for as-grown samples. DSP detects this difference in very short times and allows determining the evolution of the process at any instant. The optical results were confirmed by analysing the differences in the samples microstructure and phase compositions by SEM-EDX, XRD and DRIFT techniques. All these techniques show that, in this material, environmental degradation process is associated with the chemical decomposition of the (Sr,Ca)CuO
2 phase.
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