Hollow-Fiber-Based LPME as a Reliable Sampling Method for Gas-Chromatographic Determination of Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Valproic Acid in Rat Plasma

A sensitive and simple method based on two-phase liquid-phase microextraction in porous hollow fiber followed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection was developed for quantification and pharmacokinetic study of valproic acid (VPA, an antiepileptic drug) in rat plasma after oral administration of pure sodium valproate (25 mg kg⁻¹). Some parameters such as type of organic solvent, pH of sample solution, stirring speed, salt addition, extraction time, and volume of sample that affected extraction efficiency of VPA were optimized. Under optimized microextraction conditions, VPA was extracted with 10 μL 1-octanol from 0.5 mL rat plasma previously diluted with 4.5 mL acidified and salinated water (pH 2) using 1-octanoic acid as internal standard. The limit of detection was 17 ng mL⁻¹ with linear response over the concentration range of 50–10,000 ng mL⁻¹ with correlation coefficient higher than 0.998. The developed method was successfully applied to determination of pharmacokinetic parameters such as t _max (peak time in concentration–time profile), C _max (peak concentration in concentration–time profile), t _1/2 (elimination half-life), AUC_0–t (area under the curve for concentration versus time), clearance, and apparent distribution volume in rats following oral administration of VPA.

     

Influence of Cyclic Stretch on Mechanical Properties of Endothelial Cells

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of cyclic stretch on the mechanical properties of Endothelial cells (ECs). Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells were cultured and exposed to uniaxial cyclic stretch with two amplitude (10 % and 20 %) and different time duration (2, 4, 6 and 8 h). Micropipette aspiration technique coupled with the generalized Maxwell model was used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the ECs. Effects of cyclic stretch on the cell cytoskeleton were analyzed by actin filament staining. Results confirmed viscoelastic behavior of ECs in the micropipette aspiration experiment. The present results confirmed that increased stretch amplitude and duration led to lower deformation and further stiffening of ECs. Actin fibers were shown to align and bundle in response to the cyclic stretch. The results were compared statistically among test and control groups and it was concluded that cyclic loading causes significant alteration in mechanical properties of ECs due to remodeling of cell cytoskeleton.     

Optimal parking of idle elevators under myopic and state-dependent policies

In this paper we discuss the problem of optimally parking single and multiple idle elevators under light-traffic conditions. The problem is analyzed from the point of view of the elevator owner whose objective is to minimize the expected total cost of parking and dispatching the elevator (which includes the cost incurred for waiting passengers). We first consider the case of a single elevator and analyze a (commonly used but suboptimal) state-independent myopic policy that always positions the idle elevator at the same floor. Building on the results obtained for the myopic policy, we then show that the optimal non-myopic (state-dependent) policy calls for dispatching the idle elevator to the state-dependent median of a weight distribution. Next, we consider the more difficult case of two elevators and develop an expression for the expected dispatching distance function. We show that the objective function for the myopic policy is non-convex. The non-myopic policy is found to be dependent on the state of the two idle elevators. We compute the optimal state-dependent policy for two elevators using the results developed for the myopic policy. Next, we examine the case of multiple elevators and provide a general recursive formula to find the expected dispatching distance functions. Finally, we generalize the previous models by incorporating a fixed cost for parking the idle elevators that results in a two-sided optimal policy with different regions. Every policy that we introduce and analyze is illustrated by an example. The paper concludes with a short summary and suggestions for future research.     

Study of Kryptofix5 Complexation with La<Superscript>3+</Superscript> Cation in Several Individual and Binary Nonaqueous Solvents Using Conductometric Method

Complexatio of the La³⁺ cation with 1,13-bis(8-quinolyl)-1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxatridecane(Kryptofix5) was studied in pure solvents acetonitrile (AN), methanol (MeOH), nitrobenzene (NB), tetrahydrofuran (THF), methyl acetate (MeOAC) and in various binary solvent mixtures of AN–MeOH, AN–NB, AN–THF, and AN–MeOAC systems at different temperatures using the conductometric method. The stoichiometry of the complex was found to be 1 : 1 (ML). In all cases, the variation of the log kf with composition of the solvent was non-linear. This behavior is probably due to a change in the structure of these binary mixed solvents as the composition of the medium is varied. The stability order of the complex in pure nonaqueous solvents at 25°C increases in the order: AN > THF > MeOAC > MeOH > NB. The values of thermodynamic data (ΔH _c °,ΔS _c °) formation of (Kryptofix5.La)³⁺ complex are definitely solvent dependent.     

Electrochemical behavior of polypyrrole-coated AZ31 alloy modified by fluoride anions

The electrochemical polymerization of polypyrrole (Ppy) films on AZ31Mg alloys was carried out using cyclic voltammetery in 0.5 M sodium salicylate solution containing 0.25 M pyrrole and different concentration of sodium fluoride (NaF). Corrosion performance of the Ppy film was assessed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization tests in 3.5 % NaCl solution. It was observed that Ppy coatings doped in the presence of 100 ppm NaF provide the best corrosion protection for magnesium and the corrosion potential shifted about 290 mV toward nobler potentials and decrease the corrosion current density about one order of magnitude. The surface analysis of the coatings showed that the addition of F^? dopant anions led to an improvement in the smoothness, thickness, and adhesion quality of the synthesized Ppy coating on the Mg surface. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies of the fluoride-doped Ppy films revealed that the synthesized coating has a closely packed globular structure which was composed of nanoparticles of Ppy.     

An Inexpensive,Rapid and Sensitive Spectrophotometric Method for Determination of Trimipramine in Tablets

In this study trimipramine is determined on the basis of its reaction with concentrated nitric acid. Trimipramine reacts with nitric acid at room temperature to give a blue color, which rapidly converted to yellow color having maximum absorbance at 390 nm. This reaction is relatively selective with 1 mg/L as visual limit of quantitation and provides a basis for a new sensitive spectrophotometric method. The color is stable for at least 24 h and the linear dynamic range of the method is 4–80 mg/L. The repeatability of method is good and relative standard deviation is about 2% for six repeated experiments carried out on the solution having a concentration of 40 mg/L trimipramine. This method is used for quantitative assessment of the target analyte in pharmaceutical preparations. Interferences studies showed that most of the studied compounds have no interferential effect on the presented method.     

Adsorption and thermodynamic characteristics of Hg(II)-SCN complex onto polyurethane foam

The sorption of Hg(II) in the presence of sodium thiocyanate solution onto polyurethane (PUR) foam, an excellent sorbent, has been investigated in detail. Maximum sorption of Hg(II) is achieved from 0.1 M hydrochloric acid solution containing 7.5x10(-2) M sodium thiocyanate in 5 min. The sorption data followed both Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms. The Freundlich constants 1/n and sorption capacity, C(m), are evaluated to be 0.44+/-0.02 and (3.86+/-0.89)x10(-3) mol g(-1). The saturation capacity and adsorption constant derived from Langmuir isotherm are (6.88+/-0.28)x10(-5) mol g(-1) and (5.6+/-0.37)x10(4) dm(3) mol(-1) respectively. The mean free energy (E) of Hg(II)-SCN sorption onto PUR foam computed from D-R isotherm is 12.4+/-0.3 kJ mol(-1) indicating ion-exchange type mechanism of chemisorption. The variation of sorption with temperature yields thermodynamic parameters of DeltaH=-30.7+/-1.2 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS=-70.1+/-4.1 J mol(-1) K(-1) and DeltaG=-9.86+/-0.77 kJ mol(-1) at 298 K. The negative value of enthalpy and free energy reflects the exothermic and spontaneous nature of sorption. On the basis of the sorption data, sorption mechanism has been proposed.     

Solvent extraction of thorium from nitric acid solutions using di-N-butyl sulfoxide (DBSO) in xylene

The extraction of thorium(IV) from nitric acid solutions by di-n-butyl sulfoxide (DBSO) in xylene has been investigated as a function of acid, extractant and the metal concentration. The effect of contact time and diverse ions on the extraction has been examined. Phosphate, fluoride, oxalate and perchlorate reduce the extraction to some extent. The extraction of other metal ions, especially impurities associated with thorium in ores, has been measured under optimised conditions selected for thorium extraction. Na(I), K(I), Ca(II), Sr(II), Mn(II), Fe(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Pb(II), Al(III), Ti(IV) and Hf(IV) are not extracted. Among the stripping solutions employed for back-extraction, deionized water is found to be the best and more than 99% thorium can be back-extracted in three stages. The extracted species is supposed to be Th(NO₃)₄·2DBSO. The extraction is found to be almost independent of the thorium concentration in the range between 4.3·10^–4–4.3·10^–2M and inversely dependent upon the temperature. The values of thermodynamic functions H, G and S for extraction equilibrium have been evaluated to be –19.6±2.9 kJ·mole^–1, –18.1±2.0 kJ·mole^–1 and –5.0±2.9 J·mole^–1·K^–1, respectively.