Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Polyurethane Drug Delivery Systems

Selective delivery of drugs to localized regions of tissue within the body is a complex problem, representing one path through which the efficacy of many pharmaceutical compounds can be enhanced. Many pharmaceutical compounds show excellent activity in vitro, but their uses are severely limited in vivo. Unstable active conformations, limited membrane diffusion, rapid metabolism and/or clearance, decreased solubility, and dose-limiting systemic toxicity are just a few areas in which potential problems exist, halting drug development. Compounds exist possessing ideal pharmacologic activity for treating specific disease states, but they are simply unable to be delivered in adequate quantities or in the proper active conformation to the target site in the body. The following dissertation details the synthesis, characterization, and performance of a series of polyurethane drug delivery systems based on amino acids and the simple carbohydrates. The materials were synthesized from lysine diisocyanate (LDI) and glycerol with the aid of various tertiary amine and organometallic urethane catalysts. Candidate drugs were incorporated into the materials by way of labile urethane and urea linkages; subsequent drug release relied on the passive hydrolysis of the tethering bonds. Drug release from the materials correlated to material morphology, urethane catalyst, and chemical functionality of the incorporated drug. A single-phase polyurethane material was designed, synthesized, and shown capable of simultaneously releasing multiple pharmacologic agents at different rates. Finally, naturally occurring ionic ligands were incorporated into the LDI-glycerol polyurethanes to alter their swelling characteristics and release kinetics. This endeavor has resulted in the formulation of a series of polyurethane materials, capable of long-term controlled release of pharmacologic agents within the body. The structure-function relationships elucidated provide key design criteria, which can ultimately be used to develop such advanced degradable polyurethane materials

Nonequilibrium Energy Transduction in Stochastic Strongly Coupled Rotary Motors

Living systems at the molecular scale are composed of many constituents with strong and heterogeneous interactions, operating far from equilibrium, and subject to strong fluctuations. These conditions pose significant challenges to efficient, precise, and rapid free energy transduction, yet nature has evolved numerous molecular machines that do just this. Using a simple model of the ingenious rotary machine FoF1-ATP synthase, we investigate the interplay between nonequilibrium driving forces, thermal fluctuations, and interactions between strongly coupled subsystems. This model reveals design principles for effective free energy transduction. Most notably, while tight coupling is intuitively appealing, we find that output power is maximized at intermediate-strength coupling, which permits lubrication by stochastic fluctuations with only minimal slippage.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures. J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 202

Return to driving after traumatic brain injury : a British perspective

Primary Objective: to identify current legal situation, and professional practice in assisting persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to return to safe driving after injury. Methods and Procedures A brief review of relevant literature, a description of the current statutory and quasi-statutory authorities regulating return to driving after TBI in the UK, and a description of the nature and resolution of clinical and practical dilemmas facing professionals helping return to safe driving after TBI. Each of the 15 UK mobility centres was contacted and literature requested; in addition a representative of each centre responded to a structured telephone survey. Main Outcome and Results: The current situation in Great Britain is described, with a brief analysis of the strengths and weaknesses both of the current statutory situation, and also the practical situation (driving centres), with suggestions for improvements in practice. Conclusion Although brain injury may cause serious limitations in driving ability, previous drivers are not routinely assessed or advised regarding return to driving after TBI

Absence of dissipation in trajectory ensembles biased by currents

We consider biased ensembles of trajectories associated with large deviations of currents in equilibrium systems. The biased ensembles are characterised by non-zero currents and lack the time-reversal symmetry of the equilibrium state. In cases where the equilibrium system has an inversion symmetry which is broken by the bias, we show that the biased ensembles retain a generalised time-reversal symmetry, involving a spatial transformation that inverts the current. This means that these ensembles lack dissipation. Hence, they differ significantly from non-equilibrium steady states where currents are induced by external forces. One consequence of this result is that maximum entropy assumptions (MaxEnt/MaxCal), widely used for modelling thermal systems away from equilibrium, have quite unexpected implications, including apparent superfluid behaviour in a classical model of shear flow