Simultaneous Determination of Cyclosporine A, Tacrolimus, Sirolimus, and Everolimus in Whole-Blood Samples by LC-MS/MS

Objectives. Cyclosporine A (CyA), tacrolimus (TRL), sirolimus (SIR), and everolimus (RAD) are immunosuppressive drugs frequently used in organ transplantation. Our aim was to confirm a robust sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for determination of CyA, TRL, SIR, and RAD in whole-blood samples. Materials and Methods. We used an integrated online solid-phase extraction-LC-MS/MS system and atmospheric pressure ionization tandem mass spectrometry (API-MS/MS) in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) detection mode. CyA, TRL, SIR, and RAD were simultaneously analyzed in whole blood treated with precipitation reagent taken from transplant patients. Results. System performance parameters were suitable for using this method as a high-throughput technique in clinical practice. The high concentration of one analyte in the sample did not affect the concentration of other analytes. Total analytical time was 2.5 min, and retention times of all analytes were shorter than 2 minutes. Conclusion. This LC-MS/MS method can be preferable for therapeutic drug monitoring of these immunosuppressive drugs (CyA, TRL, SRL, and RAD) in whole blood. Sample preparation was too short and simple in this method, and it permits robust, rapid, sensitive, selective, and simultaneous determination of these drugs

Optimum community energy storage system for demand load shifting

Community energy storage (CES) is becoming an attractive technological option to facilitate the use of distributed renewable energy generation, manage demand loads and decarbonise the residential sector. There is strong interest in understanding the techno-economic benefits of using CES systems, which energy storage technology is more suitable and the optimum CES size. In this study, the performance including equivalent full cycles and round trip efficiency of lead-acid (PbA) and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries performing demand load shifting are quantified as a function of the size of the community using simulation-based optimisation. Two different retail tariffs are compared: a time-of-use tariff (Economy 7) and a real-time-pricing tariff including four periods based on the electricity prices on the wholesale market. Additionally, the economic benefits are quantified when projected to two different years: 2020 and a hypothetical zero carbon year. The findings indicate that the optimum PbA capacity was approximately twice the optimum Li-ion capacity in the case of the real-time-pricing tariff and around 1.6 times for Economy 7 for any community size except a single home. The levelised cost followed a negative logarithmic trend while the internal rate of return followed a positive logarithmic trend as a function of the size of the community. PbA technology reduced the levelised cost down to 0.14 £/kW h when projected to the year 2020 for the retail tariff Economy 7. CES systems were sized according to the demand load and this approximated the performance of PbA and Li-ion batteries, the capital cost per unit energy storage (kW h) of the latter assumed to be the double

Coastal Sea Level Monitoring in the Mediterranean and Black Seas

Spanning over a century, a traditional way to monitor sea level variability by tide gauges is – in combination with modern observational techniques like satellite altimetry – an inevitable ingredient in sea level studies over the climate scales and in coastal seas. The development of the instrumentation, remote data acquisition, processing and archiving in last decades allowed for extending the applications towards a variety of users and coastal hazard managers. The Mediterranean and Black50 seas are an example for such a transition – while having a long tradition for sea level observations with several records spanning over a century, the number of modern tide gauge stations are growing rapidly, with data available both in real-time and as a research product at different time resolutions. As no comprehensive survey of the tide gauge networks has been carried out recently in these basins, the aim of this paper is to map the existing coastal sea level monitoring infrastructures and the respective data availability. The survey encompasses description of major monitoring networks in the Mediterranean and Black55 seas and their characteristics, including the type of sea level sensors, measuring resolutions, data availability and existence of ancillary measurements, altogether collecting information about 236 presently operational tide gauge stations. The availability of the Mediterranean and Black seas sea level data in the global and European sea level repositories has been also screened and classified following their sampling interval and level of quality-check, pointing to the necessity of harmonization of the data available with different metadata and series at different repositories. Finally, an assessment of the networks’ capabilities60 for their usage in different sea level applications has been done, with recommendations that might mitigate the bottlenecks and assure further development of the networks in a coordinated way, being that more necessary in the era of the human-induced climate changes and the sea level ris

MATLAB code for estimating magnetic basement depth using prisms

There is a need, within both geophysical exploration and deep geophysical research, to estimate magnetic basement depth. Forward and inverse modeling studies to map the basement depth are commonly used within petroleum geophysics. To obtain the basement topography, modeling studies are made of the 2D profile data or 3D map data

The antibacterial effect of mesenchymal stem cells on graft infections: An experimental study

WOS: 000450917400008PubMed: 32082799Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate the antibacterial effects of mesenchymal stem cells, compared to tigecycline, on graft infection related with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in a rat model. Methods: A total of 42 male adult Wistar rats (age >6 months; weight 300 to 350 g) were divided into six groups including seven rats in each. Group 0 did not undergo any procedure; Group 1 was infected, but untreated; Group 2 was infected and treated with tigecycline without graft placement; Group 3 was infected and received mesenchymal stem cells without graft placement; Group 4 was infected and treated with tigecycline after graft placement; Group 5 was infected and treated with mesenchymal stem cells after graft placement. The pockets created were either left empty or implanted with Dacron grafts. Treatment was commenced at 48 h. Specimens were collected on Day 13. Perigraft tissues were evaluated histopathologically and bacterial colony numbers were counted. Results: No bacterial colonization was observed in Group 0, whereas there was a significant colonization in Group 1. Complete eradication was achieved in Group 2 and Group 3 (graft-free groups), and near-complete eradication was achieved in Group 4 and Group 5 (graft-implanted groups). The histopathological findings significantly differed between Group 1-Group 2 and between Group 1-Group 3 (graft-free groups). The histopathological findings were similar between Group 2-Group 3 and between Group 4-Group 5. Conclusion: Our study results suggest that mesenchymal stem cells may be a novel, contemporary alternative to antibiotherapy and may decrease the bio-burden of Staphylococcus at the infected graft areas, and mesenchymal stem cell treatment may be as effective as tigecycline

BURDEN OF CARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN RELATIVES OF OPIOID DEPENDENT MALE SUBJECTS

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life (QoL) and family burden in relatives of patients with heroin dependence with that of healthy controls. Subjects and methods: A total of 50 heroin dependent patients and 50 of their relatives and 50 healthy subjects and 50 of their relatives were included in the study. The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID-I) was used to determine the heroin dependence and other Axis I psychiatric disorders. Family burden and QoL levels in the relatives were assessed with the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) protocol and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. Results: There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between the groups. When compared with healthy controls, family members of heroin dependence patients had significantly higher ZBI scores and significantly lower all subscale scores of the WHOQOL-BREF. ZBI score was positively correlated with duration of the illness. All WHOQOL-BREF subscale scores were negatively correlated with duration of the illness. Conclusions: The study suggests that heroin dependence not only affects the lives of patients but also the lives of their family members. Heroin dependence leads to high burden on the family and also impairs the QoL of relatives

Factors affecting the occurrence and degree of luminal protrusion of carotid plaques after angioplasty stenting An ex-vivo clinical study

WOS: 000326873200008PubMed ID: 23396463Objectives: To investigate possible protrusions through stent cells, and the factors affecting protrusions after carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS). Methods: This ex-vivo clinical study was performed between July 2010 and August 2011 at the Department of Radiology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. After approval by the Institutional Board, 15 successive carotid plaques, which were obtained intact after endarterectomies were included in the study. Plaques were placed into vascular grafts. Stent implantations and balloon angioplasties were performed. Afterwards, models were scanned with multislice CT and inner surfaces of stents were observed via fiberoptic endoscope. Protrusion measurement was carried out on endoscopic images according to a scale assuming the width of stent cell as one unit in the same level of each plaque protrusion. Results: Symptomatic plaques were lighter, less calcified. Plaque weights were inversely correlated to protrusion numbers and diameters of the narrowest segments of stents. Although they did not reach to statistically significant level, plaques having high protrusion numbers were more symptomatic and less calcified. Conclusion: Plaque protrusions into the lumen were apparent in our ex-vivo CAS model. The main factor increasing protrusions appeared to relate to the presence of symptoms before endarterectomy

Electromyography-Guided Botulinum Toxin Injection Into the Cricothyroid Muscles in Bilateral Vocal Fold Abductor Paralysis

WOS: 000402589900012PubMed ID: 27416735Objectives. Bilateral vocal fold abductor paralysis (BVFAP) both deteriorates quality of life and may cause life-threatening respiratory problems. The aim of this study was to reduce respiratory symptoms in BVFAP patients using cricothyroid (CT) botulinum toxin (BTX) injection. Methods. Before and 2 weeks and 4 months after bilateral BTX injection into the CT muscles under electromyography; alterations in respiratory, acoustic, aerodynamic and quality of life parameters were evaluated in BVFAP patients with respiratory distress. For the respiratory evaluation modified Borg scale and spirometry, for the voice and aerodynamic evaluations Voice Handicap Index-30 (VHI-30), GRBAS, acoustic analysis (sound pressure level, FO, jitter%, shimmer%, noise-to-haononic ratio) and maximum phonation time and for the quality of life assessment Short Form-36 (SF-36) form were used. Results. All patients were female with a mean age of 47 +/- 8.1 years. There was a mean time of 11.8 +/- 5.5 (minimum 2, maximum 23) months between BVFAP development and BTX injection. In all cases, other than one case with unknown aetiology, the cause of vocal fold paralysis was prior thyroid surgery. In total 18.6 +/- 3.1 units of BTX were applied to the CTs. In the preinjection period, and the 2nd week and 4th month after injection, the Borg dyspnea scale was 7.3/5.3/5.0, FIV1 (forced inspiratory volume in one second) was 1.7/1.7/1.8 L, peak expiratory flow (PEF) was 1.4/1.7/2.1 L/sec, maximum phonation time was 7.0/6.4/6.2 seconds and VHI-30 was 63.2/52.2/61.7 respectively. There was no significant alteration in acoustic analysis parameters. Many of the patients reported transient dysphagia within the first week. There were insignificant increases in SF-36 sub-scale values. Conclusion. After BTX injection, improvements in the mean Borg score, PEF and FIV1 values and SF-36 sub-scale scores showed the restricted success of this approach. This modality may be kept in mind as a transient treatment option for patients refused persistent tracheotomy or ablative airway surgeries