Doctor of Pharmacy

dissertationCritically ill neonates in newborn intensive care units require frequent monitoring of bodily functions. This monitoring includes sampling of blood for laboratory analysis. Blood samples are commonly obtained through and umbilical artery catheter. However, if an umbilical artery catheter is not in place, blood samples are frequently obtained by heel stick due to difficulties inherent in venous sampling in this age group. These difficultiesinclude the inability to find a suitable site for venipuncture, the fragility of the veins at this age, and the trauma associated with repeated sampling. Sirinavin, et al recommended that the method of heel stick sampling be used for the assay of antibiotics, such as gentamicin and kanamycin, when the only access is the same line through which the drug has been administered. This recommendation is based on the finding that obtaining blood specimens for antibiotic assay through the same intravenous line used for antibiotic administration may result in falsely elevated drug concentrations due to drug adhesion to the plastic tubing, or incomplete flushing of the line after drug administration. The object of this study was to determine the relation between gentamicin serum concentrations determined from arterial and heel stick capillary blood with and without manipulation of the foot

An optical and infrared study of blazars

This thesis presents a study of some of the optical and infrared properties of blazars. A review of previous observations of blazars is given. The evidence for bulk relativistic flows in quasars and blazars is also discussed. The observational study has two parts. First a series of infrared and optical polarization measurements of blazars are presented. Second a study of the duster environments of blazars is reported.The study of the duster environments of blazars was formulated as a test of a unified scheme. Deep CCD observations were obtained for a sample of blazars and quasars with extended radio structure. The unified scheme predicts that these are distinguished only by their relative orientation. The strength of the cluster environment was parameterised by he amplitude of the quasar -galaxy spatial correlation function B₉q. The evaluation of this quantity is subject to large systematic errors as a result of the uncertainty in the galaxy luminosity function. Previously published data had to be re- evaluated so as to be comparable with the data presented here. No evidence was found for a difference in the environments of blazars relative to those of extended quasars. A previously reported correlation between B₉q and redshift was confirmed, but cannot be distinguished from an apparent relationship due to a correlation between B₉q and radio power since radio power is known to be correlated with redshift

Space Station Furnace Facility Management Information System (SSFF-MIS) Development

Thios report summarizes the chronology, results, and lessons learned from the development of the SSFF-MIS. This system has been nearly two years in development and has yielded some valuable insights into specialized MIS development. Attachment A contains additions, corrections, and deletions by the COTR