Pharmacokinetics of phenprobamate after oral administration to healthy subjects

Phenprobamate (CAS 673-31-4) is a centrally acting skeletal-muscle relaxant agent. There are only two studies in the literature about the pharmacokinetics of phenoprobamate in man. The inconsistency between the results of these studies can be attributed partly to the different analytical methodologies used. A sensitive, specific and reproducible HPLC-assay, which may increase the reliability of the pharmacokinetic studies of phenprobamate in plasma, has been developed recently. The objective of this investigation was to assess the single-dose kinetics of phenprobamate in human and to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of clinical and regulatory concern. The plasma pharmacokinetics of phenprobamate have been investigated following single oral administration at a dose of 800 mg in eleven healthy volunteers.     

Influence of doctor blade gap on the properties of tape cast NiO/YSZ anode supports for solid oxide fuel cells

In this study, various tape cast NiO/YSZ anode support layers with similar geometric properties are fabricated by varying the doctor blade from 100?µm to 200?µm with an increment of 25?µm. The mechanical properties of the anode support layers are investigated by three point bending tests of 30 samples for each doctor blade gap. The reliability curves of the flexural strength data are also obtained via two-parameter Weibull distribution method. The effects of the doctor blade gap on the microstructure and the electrochemical performance of the anode support layers are determined via SEM investigations and single cell performance-impedance tests, respectively. The apparent porosities of the samples are also measured by Archimedes’ principle. The results indicate that the doctor blade gap or the resultant tape thickness influences the microstructure of tape cast NiO/YSZ anode supports significantly, yielding different mechanical and electrochemical characteristics. At a reliability level of 70%, the highest flexural strength of 110.20?MPa is obtained from the anode support layer with a doctor blade gap of 175?µm and the 16?cm² active area cell with this anode support layer also exhibits the highest peak performance of 0.483?W/cm² at an operating temperature of 800?°C. Thus, a doctor blade gap of 175?µm is found to have such a microstructure that provides not only better mechanical strength but also higher electrochemical performance.     

Study on the behavior of the trace metal and macro minerals in Mytilus galloprovincialis as a bioindicator species: the case of Marmara Sea, Turkey

Sea food is a major source of animal protein. Marine foods are very rich sources of mineral components. The total content of minerals in the raw flesh of marine fish and invertebrates is in the range of 0.6–1.5% wet weight. The contents of Na, K, Ca, Mg and P are up to 1 mg/100 g, whereas those of Fe, Zn, I are less than 1 mg/100 g. Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were investigated for macro and trace element composition throughout the year. Ranges of moisture, ash, protein and fat contents were 79.76–87.46 g/100 g, 1.06–2.06 g/100 g, 7.28–12.65 g/100 g and 0.33–3.49 g/100 g, respectively. While the highest protein and fat values were found in the summer (July–August), the highest moisture and ash contents were found in the winter (December–January). The contents of highest Na, K, Ca were found in the summer. Cadmium, lead and copper were found to be below the legislative limits throughout year. High levels of mercury were found in January and October. It should be discussed whether mussel may provide an alternative source of mineral for healthy nutrition.     

Comparison of the mechanical and biological properties of self-adhering materials

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to compare the Vickers hardness numbers (VHNs), roughness numbers (RNs) and biological compatibility of glass carbomer (Glass Fill), resin-modified glass ionomer (Fuji II LC) and self-adhering flowable composite (Vertise Flow) materials. Materials and methods: Disc-shaped specimens of test materials (n = 15/group) were prepared, and VHNs and RNs were determined after 24 h. A direct contact test was used for cytotoxicity evaluation. Cell viability was measured for 24 h post-exposition with a photometric test (MTT assay; n = 16). Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance with a post hoc Tukey’s test, the Kruskal–Wallis test and the Mann–Whitney U-test (p < 0.05). Results: Fuji II LC had the highest VHN. The VHN of Fuji II LC differed significantly from those of the other materials (p < 0.05). The RNs of Fuji II and Glass Fill were higher than that of Vertise Flow (p < 0.05). The self-adhering materials were not significantly cytotoxic compared with the control group (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The materials tested in this study showed a similar lack of cytotoxicity. The VHN of Fuji II LC was the highest, and the RN of Vertise Flow was the lowest.     

The Effect of Sintering Temperature in Bi1.7Pb0.2Sb0.1Sr2Ca2Cu3O y Superconductors

In this study, the effects of sintering temperature on the Bi-2223 phase formation and the influence of minor phases on the intergranular properties of Sb substituted Bi-2223 samples were investigated. The samples were prepared by solid-state reaction method with different sintering temperatures ranging from 800 to 855 °C. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and density measurements. We observed the optimal temperature of the Sb + Pb substituted Bi-2223 system as 845 °C.     

Nucleotide degradation products of gamma‐irradiated sea bream (Sparus aurata) stored in ice

Nucleotide degradation products of irradiated sea bream stored up to 19 days in ice were investigated. Irradiation had significant effect on the nucleotide concentrations in sea bream muscle (P < 0.05). The results showed that the highest value of inosine monophosphate (IMP) was observed in irradiated sea bream at 5 kGy, followed by at 2.5 kGy. Initial inosine (INO) concentration in irradiated sea bream at 5 kGy was 4.26 μmoles g^?1, which reached maximum value of 8.83 μmoles g^?1 when fish completely spoiled (19 days). When the fish reached the limit of acceptability, the mean values of K, Ki, H and G were 86.8%, 90.3%, 59.8% and 213.9% for unirradiated sea bream, 85.2%, 87.8%, 56.8% and 197.8% for irradiated sea bream at 2.5 kGy and 88.4%, 90.9%, 57.8%, 211.5% for irradiated sea bream at 5 kGy, respectively. The results of this study indicated that nucleotide degradation was more rapid in unirradiated sea bream than those irradiated. K, Ki, H and G value in irradiated fish can be used as a freshness index because there is a good linear relationship between values and storage time of fish.     

Determination of the energy savings and the optimum insulation thickness in the four different insulated exterior walls

The optimum insulation thickness of the external wall for four cities from four climate zones of Turkey, energy savings over a lifetime of 10 years and payback periods are calculated for the five different energy types and four different insulation materials applied externally on walls. Extruded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, nil siding and rock wool as wall insulation material are selected. In this study, the net energy cost savings are calculated using the P₁–P₂ method. The results show that energy cost savings vary between 4.2 $/m² and 9.5 $/m² depending on the city and insulation materials. The highest payback period value with 2.25 years in Mersin found by using natural gas as an energy source for heating, while the lowest value is reached by using LPG as an energy source in Bitlis.     

Rectal hemorrhage as a first sign of renal cell adenocarcinoma

We present a 3-year-old patient with stenotic kinking of the left internal carotid artery (ICA) who developed an ischaemic infarction of the left brain hemisphere followed by severe neurological sequelae after a prolonged generalized seizure. At time of the seizure the boy was in biological remission of a nephrotic syndrome and received prednisolone and cyclosporin A (CsA) treatment. The haemodynamic consequences of inborn kinking of the ICA is discussed controversely in the literature. The presented case shows that stenotic kinking of the ICA may significantly impair the blood flow towards the homolateral hemisphere and therefore may result in an ischaemic infarction. The influence of CsA on seizure activity is discussed. CONCLUSION: This case provides clinical and radiological evidence supporting an association between stenotic kinking of the carotid artery and homolateral hemispheric brain infarction.