Reactors for Catalytic Methanation in the Conversion of Biomass to Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG)

Production of Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) from biomass is an important step to decouple the use of bioenergy from the biomass production with respect to both time and place. While anaerobic digestion of wet biomass is a state-of-the art process, wood gasification to producer gas followed by gas cleaning and methanation has only just entered the demonstration scale. Power-to-Gas applications using biogas from biomass fermentation or producer gas from wood gasification as carbon oxide source are under development. Due to the importance of the (catalytic) methanation step in the production of SNG from dry biomass or within Power-to-Gas applications, the specific challenges of this step and the developed reactor types are discussed in this review

GRAND MAL SEIZURE AFTER EXTRADURAL MORPHINE ANALGESIA

SUMMARY Following an elective Caesarean section under extradural anaesthesia, a 30-yr-old known epileptic woman (gravida 4, para 3) developed a tonic-clonic seizure, 6 h after the administration of morphine 3 mg into the extradural space. Possible aetiological factors are discusse

Severe transient neonatal lactic acidosis during prophylactic zidovudine treatment

Zidovudine (ZDV) treatment during pregnancy, delivery and the postnatal period is effective in reducing the maternal-infant transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus. Reported adverse effects in the neonate during this long-term treatment are bone marrow suppression and elevation in aspartate aminotransferase activity. We report a case of severe ZDV-associated lactic acidosis in a neonate, which resolved rapidly following discontinuation of ZDV. The mechanisms leading to this side effect are poorly understoo

Hospitalisations pour effet indésirable médicamenteux: recensement prospectif dans un Service d'urgences médicales.

[Table des matières] I. Mise en perspective et méthodologie. II. Données démographiques : intoxications volontaires: descriptif succinct. III. Effets indésirables, descriptifs. 1. Médicaments. 2. Effets indésirables. 3. Imputabilité. 4. Gravité. 5. Evitabilité. 6. Responsabilité de l'évitabilité. 7. Destination des patients à la sortie de l'hôpital. 8. Caractéristiques des patients. 9. Durée de séjour et coûts. 10. Durée d'hospitalisation. 11. Jours d'hospitalisation imputables et évitables. 12. Coût des hospitalisations. IV. Associations. 1. Effets indésirables et médicaments incriminés. 2. Nombre de médicaments consommés. 3. Profil clinique des patients. V. Validation

Biogas composition from agricultural sources and organic fraction of municipal solid waste

s paper presents an overview of biogas compositions originating from agriculture and the organicfraction of municipal solid waste. An intensive data compilation was performed from literature, plantdata from an EU project (Waste2Watts) and from sampling campaigns at 5 different anaerobic digestersin Switzerland. Besides reporting the major components of biogas i.e. methane and carbon dioxide, theconcentration of minor components such as nitrogen and oxygen, as well as trace amounts of sulfurcompounds (H2S, mercaptans, sulfides, etc.), silicon compounds (siloxanes, silanes), ammonia, haloge-nated compounds, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are reported. These trace compoundscan present a significant challenge to the energetic use of biogas, specifically in the use of novel, high-efficient processes such as high temperature fuel cells or catalytic fuel upgrading units. H2S and othersulfur compounds are the major concern, as they are abundantly found in agriculture biogas; unlikesilicon compounds, which are generally exist in low or undetectable levels

Model-based meta-analysis of salbutamol pharmacokinetics and practical implications for doping control.

Salbutamol was included in the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2004. Although systemic intake is banned, inhalation for asthma is permitted but with dosage restrictions. The WADA established a urinary concentration threshold to distinguish accordingly prohibited systemic self-administration from therapeutic prescription by inhalation. This study aimed at evaluating the ability of the WADA threshold to differentiate salbutamol therapeutic use from violation of antidoping rules. Concentration-time profile of salbutamol in plasma and its excretion in urine was characterized through a model-based meta-analysis of individual and aggregate data collected after administration of a large range of doses following different modes of administration and under a variety of conditions. The developed model adequately fitted salbutamol plasma and urine concentration-time profiles of the 13 selected studies. Model-based simulations confirmed that a wide range of salbutamol urine concentrations might be measured after drug intake. Although violation of the WADA Code can be strongly suspected in individuals showing very high salbutamol urine concentrations, uncertainty remains for values close to the WADA threshold as they can be compatible with both permitted therapeutic use and violation. Although not entirely discriminant, the current WADA rule is globally supported by our appraisal. It could be further improved by a slight and reasonable adjustment of inhaled daily dosages allowed for therapeutic use. Our model might help antidoping experts in the evaluation of suspected doping cases through confronting the athlete's urine measurements with their allegations about salbutamol treatment

Population pharmacokinetics of fluconazole given for secondary prevention of oropharyngeal candidiasis in HIV-positive patients

Abstract.: Objectives: To determine fluconazole population pharmacokinetics and explore the relationships between fluconazole average concentration and treatment effectiveness or microbiological resistance induction during a study aimed at evaluating the efficacy, tolerability and resistance induction after secondary prevention with fluconazole (150mg weekly) versus placebo in human immunodeficiency virus-positive (HIV+) patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis. Methods: Population pharmacokinetic parameters of fluconazole determined from 458 serum drug concentration measurements obtained over 37months in 132 HIV+ patients not receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy. Mean estimates and variabilities were generated using non-linear regression analysis. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to explore the relationships between the estimated average concentration of fluconazole and candidiasis relapse or fungal resistance towards fluconazole. Results: Fluconazole kinetics were best described by a one-compartment model with first-order oral absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. The pharmacokinetics were influenced only by body weight. No effect was observed for gender, age, height or lymphocyte CD4 counts. The mean apparent population clearance was 0.79l/h, the volume of distribution 57l and the absorption constant (ka) 0.93h-1. Inter-occasion variability in clearance (45%) was large relative to inter-subject variability (21%). Taking into account the average fluconazole concentration or the time above the minimal inhibitory concentrations did not clinically improve the prediction of the occurrence of oropharyngeal relapse or microbiological resistance. Conclusion: The relationship between fluconazole concentrations and preventive effectiveness was poor. Together with the rather large inter-occasion variability in fluconazole clearance, this suggests no role of therapeutic drug monitoring in optimising fluconazole treatment for secondary preventio

Biases affecting injected doses of an experimental drug during clinical trials.

During clinical trials, researchers rarely question nominal doses specified on labels of investigational products, overlooking the potential for inaccuracies that may result when calculating pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters. This study evaluated the disparity between nominal doses and the doses actually administered in two Phase I trials of a biosimilar drug. In Trial A, 12 healthy volunteers received various doses of an interferon β-1a biosimilar via either subcutaneous or intravenous injection, prepared by partially emptying 0.53 ml syringes supplied by the manufacturer. In Trial B, 12 volunteers received three different formulations of the drug via intravenous injection (biosimilar with and without albumin and a comparator), followed by multiple subcutaneous injections. In both trials, the dose administered was calculated as D = C × V - losses, where C is the drug concentration assessed using ELISA, V is the volume administered calculated using syringe weighing and losses are deduced from in-vitro experiments. Interferon binding to added albumin and infusion lines was evaluated using a (125)I-interferon tracer with gel-filtration chromatography. In Trial A, measured concentrations were close to the nominal strength indicated by the manufacturer (median bias: -6 %), whereas in Trial B they differed significantly for all three formulations (median biases: +67 %, +73 % and +31 % for the biosimilar with albumin, the biosimilar without albumin and the comparator, respectively). In Trial A, the doses actually administered showed large variability and biases, especially at the lowest doses. Indeed, actually injected volumes differed by as much as 74 % from theoretical volumes - a phenomenon mainly attributed to unnoticed fluid re-aspiration through the syringe needle. This was corrected in Trial B. Interferon was not significantly adsorbed on the infusion lines used for intravenous administration. Its binding to albumin was slow, reaching 50 % after a 16 h incubation. These examples illustrate the importance of assessing the actual doses administered in clinical trials, to ensure accuracy in the determination of clearance, distribution volume, bioavailability and dose-response relationships. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02515695 (Trial A) and NCT02517788 (Trial B). Registered on 24 July and 5 August 2015, respectively

Molecular and clinical determinants of drug-induced long QT syndrome: an iatrogenic channelopathy.

More than 70 drugs present on the Swiss market can cause drug-induced long QT syndrome (LQTS), which is associated with torsades de pointes (TdP) arrhythmias, potentially leading to sudden cardiac death. Basic and clinical investigations performed during the last decade have helped a better understanding of the mechanisms and risk factors of this serious public health problem. In their vast majority, QT interval prolonging drugs block the human ERG (hERG) channel involved in the repolarisation phase of the cardiac action potential, and thus lengthen the QT interval. Beside the well-known QT interval prolonging action of class IA, IC and III anti-arrhythmic drugs, many antibiotics, neurotropic, antifungal, and antimalarial drugs are also able to cause drug-induced LQTS. Reviewing the literature indicates that the risk of QT interval prolongation and TdP is increased in females, in patients with organic heart diseases and hypokalaemia. Furthermore in a few cases, genetic factors have also been reported. However thus far, no genetic test is available to detect at-risk patients, and in consequence, drug prescribers are still relying only on the clinical history and findings to perform an evaluation of the risk. Treatment of drug-induced LQTS and TdP includes identifying and withdrawing the culprit drug(s), infusing magnesium and, in resistant cases acceleration of the heart rate. In this review article we provide a list of QT interval prolonging drugs adapted to the pharmaceuticals found on the Swiss market that can be used as a check-list for drug prescribers and at-risk patients