Volume Of Diluent Research Articles

Assessment of the knowledge and usage of oral pediatric antibiotics and antimalarials in Ho municipality

Oral pediatric antibiotics and antimalarials are usually formulated as powders that must be correctly reconstituted and administered for effective therapy. We conducted this study, first of its kind in Ghana, to assess the knowledge and practices of caregivers/parents regarding reconstitution, storage, and administration of these products at Ho Teaching Hospital. Participants (N = 78) completed a semi-structured questionnaire, after which their reconstitution and dose measurement skills were evaluated by having them mix provided powders with water and measure 5 mL of the resulting mixture. Most participants knew of antibiotics (78.2 %) and antimalarials (59.0 %); however, 25.6 % of them never read reconstitution directions, and among those who read, only 55.2 % understand them. Additionally, majority seek advice on unclear directions from nurses (52.6 %), use overdiluted medications (70.5 %), shake reconstituted drugs before use (89.7 %), and read storage instructions (61.5 %). Reconstitution challenges listed by participants included uneven mixing, adding the required volume of diluent to reach a level mark, and powder clumping. Sachet (51.3 %), bottled (30.8 %), and tap (7.7 %) water were the main diluents indicated. Dosing times were incorrectly estimated by some respondents (21.8 %). Measuring cup (75.6 %) and medicine cabinet (55.1 %) were the most common dosing device and storage place for the medicines, respectively. Most respondents fully dispersed the given powder in water (97.4 %) and accurately measured 5 mL of their mixtures (82.0 %). Our findings indicate good caregiver knowledge of oral pediatric antimalarials and antibiotics. Educational background significantly influenced reconstitution skills and the reading and understanding of reconstitution and storage instructions, highlighting the need to use pharmacist-led teach-back methods during dispensing to ensure proper information uptake. Manufacturers must also use excipients with good reconstitution properties in such products and indicate instructions in caregiver-friendly language.

Impact of a Pharmacist-Driven Medication Diluent Volume Optimization Protocol on Fluid Balance and Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients.

Background: Volume overload (VO) is common in the intensive care unit (ICU) and associated with negative outcomes. Approaches have been investigated to curtail VO; however, none specifically focused on medication diluent volume optimization. Objective: Investigate the impact of a pharmacist-driven medication diluent volume optimization protocol on fluid balance in critically ill patients. Methods: A prospective, pilot study was conducted in a medical ICU during October 2021 to December 2021 (pre) and February 2022 to April 2022 (post). A pharmacist-driven medication diluent volume optimization protocol focusing on vasopressor and antimicrobial diluent volumes was implemented. Demographics and clinical data were collected during ICU admission up to 7 days. The primary outcome was net fluid balance on day 3. Secondary outcomes were medication volumes administered, net fluid balance, ICU length of stay, and mortality. Results: Supply chain shortages caused the study to stop at the end of February 2022. Overall, 152 patients were included (123 pre group, 29 post group). The most common admission diagnosis was acute respiratory failure (35%). Vasopressors and antimicrobials were utilized in 47% and 66% of patients, respectively. Net fluid balance on day 3 was greater but not significant in the post group (227.1 mL [-1840.3 to 3483.7] vs 2012.3 mL [-2686.0 to 4846.0]; P = .584). Antimicrobial diluent volumes were significantly less in the post group. No differences were seen in other secondary outcomes. Protocol group assignment was not associated with net fluid balance on day 3. Conclusion: Despite decreasing antimicrobial volume contributions, optimizing diluent volumes alone did not significantly impact overall volume status. Future studies should focus on comprehensive approaches to medication diluent optimization and fluid stewardship.

Multiple approaches to reduce reconstitution time of lyophilized drug products with high protein concentration.

Lyophilized drug products with high protein concentration often perform long reconstitution time, which is inconvenient for clinical use. The objective of this work is to achieve short reconstitution time with multiple and combined strategies. Here, we describe the following approaches that lead to reduction of reconstitution time, including adding annealing step, decreasing headspace pressure, decreasing protein concentration with reducing diluent volume, increasing high surface-area-to-height ratio of the cakes, increasing frequency of swirling and diluent temperature. Among these strategies, reducing diluent volume to achieve high protein concentration and reducing headspace pressure show markedly reduction of reconstitution time. Moreover, we propose combined strategies to mitigate the reconstitution time, at the same time, to achieve same target dose in clinics. Therefore, this paper provides insights on the application of multiple strategies to accelerate the reconstitution of lyophilized drug products with high concentration, and facilitates their widespread clinical application.

N2 and Ar dilution on the premixed biogas jet flame under external acoustic enforcement

In this study, combustion instabilities and flue gas emission changes under different dilutions of N2 (nitrogen) and Ar (argon) of a promising biogas mixture (70% CH4 - 30% CO2) in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions were investigated. In the experiments, additions were made from 0% to 50% at intervals of 10% for both gases. In order to detect the instability of the flame, external acoustic enforcements at different frequencies was applied through the speakers placed in the combustion chamber arms. The dynamic pressure fluctuation values were recorded. The results showed that low dilution ratios were effective in reducing flame instability for both inert gases. However, as the dilution ratio increased, the fuel/air mixture became leaner and blowoff occurred. In the case of comparing two different gases, it has been observed that the effect of argon gas on reducing dynamic pressure fluctuation is higher. Burner outlet temperature and brightness values of the flame decreased in both Ar and N2 dilution. CO and NOx emissions increased with increasing diluent volume for all dilution conditions. When the emissions of the two diluent gases are compared, the CO emission, which was 3134 ppm in the undiluted condition, increased up to 4949 ppm in 50% Ar dilution, while it increased to 4521 ppm in 50% N2 dilution.

Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent-based vortex assisted liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of famciclovir in water samples coupled with high performance liquid chromatography

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), as a new generation of green solvents, have the advantages of simple preparation procedure, low toxicity, non-volatility and good extraction performance in replacing traditional volatile organic solvents. In this work, a series of hydrophobic DESs were prepared and used as extraction solvent for the vortex-assisted liquid–liquid micro-extraction and determination of famciclovir in environmental water samples coupled with high performance liquid chromatography. The key factors affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated by using single-factor test and response surface methodology. The optimized conditions were as follows: the DES type (thymol: ethyl aniline formate, molar ratio 3:1), DES dosage 50 mg, extraction time 1.5 min, solution pH 6.0, diluent volume 100 µL. Under the optimal conditions, calibration curve of the proposed method was in the range of 0.7–2000 μg/L with correlation coefficient (r2) higher than 0.9997. The limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) and the limit of quantitation (LOQ, S/N = 10) were 0.2 and 0.7 μg/L, and the intra-day and inter-day precision were less than 2.3 % and 1.6 %, respectively. Finally, this method was successfully used for the determination of trace famciclovir in environmental water samples with recoveries in the range of 86 %-118 %.

Optimized Moderator Design and Analysis of a Pin-Type Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Reactor Based on Reactor Monte Carlo Code

Abstract This study analyzed an yttrium hydride (YH2) moderated supercritical carbon dioxide cooled reactor loaded with pin-type, beryllium oxide diluted oxide fuel elements to reduce the critical enrichment. The impact of the YH2 on the coolant void reactivity was studied along with a moderator zoning scheme to flatten the radial power distribution. The YH2 was added as hexagonal moderating rods at the center of the fuel assemblies. The core was modeled using the continuous-energy Reactor Monte Carlo code (RMC) with the on-the-fly cross sections treatment. The results showed that the YH2 moderator increased the thermal fission and reduced the critical enrichment of the core with the same diluent volume fraction by more than 30%. The YH2 moderator significantly softened the neutron energy spectrum and reduced the neutron leakage upon core voiding, resulting in both a weaker positive spectral reactivity feedback and a weaker negative leakage reactivity feedback during core depressurization. For an UO2-loaded core, the YH2 gave a lower negative coolant void reactivity, while for a mixed oxide fuel (MOX)-loaded core with diluent volume fractions smaller than 35%, the spectral feedback was more important and the YH2 strongly reduced the positive coolant void reactivity to less than $1. Arranging the YH2 in the peripheral assemblies reduced the radial power peaking factor to 1.319. The study shows that the YH2 moderator can reduce the critical enrichment, make the core less sensitive to voiding, and can flatten the radial power distribution of a single-enrichment core through moderator zoning.

A New Validated Method for Simultaneous Determination of Aerodynamic Particle Size Distribution of Drug Particles of Mometasone Furoate and Formoterol Fumarate Dihydrate in 200 mcg/5 mcg Inhalation Aerosol

Simultaneous determination of aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) of drug particles of mometasone furoate and formoterol fumarate dihydrate – 200 mcg/5 mcg inhalation aerosol (MDI) has been developed and reported in this work. The method was developed in consistent with USP <601> inhalation and nasal drug products e.g. aerosols, sprays and powders. The next generation impactor (NGI) was used and operated at 30 ± 5% L/min. The proposed method was demonstrated for sensitivity, minimum number of actuations, diluent volume optimization, mass balance and precision. The proposed method was found to be robust, accurate, linear and precise.

American frogbit response to herbicides

Limnobium spongia (frogbit) is a free-floating aquatic plant that can produce extensive floating mats causing negative ecological, social, and economic impacts that can harm aquatic fauna (i.e., dissolved oxygen depletion) and restrict human uses of water. Literature describing effective control measures for frogbit is minimal. Efficacy of high and low doses of seven foliar-applied herbicides (2,4-D, florpyraux-ifen-benzyl, flumioxazin, glyphosate, imazamox, imazapyr, and triclopyr) were evaluated in a mesocosm setting in the summers of 2018, 2020, and 2021. Both emergent and submersed frogbit biomass were reduced at least 99% by imazamox (0.56 and 1.11 kg ai ha􀀁1) and imazapyr (0.42 and 0.84 kg ae ha􀀁1) 8 wk after treatment (WAT) compared with nontreated reference plants. Triclopyr (6.71 kg ae ha􀀁1) reduced frogbit biomass 92% and flumioxazin (0.42 kg ai ha􀀁1) reduced biomass 87 to 93% compared with reference plants. 2,4-D (2.12 and 4.24 kg ae ha􀀁1), glyphosate (2.83 and 5.67 kg ai ha􀀁1), triclopyr (3.36 kg ae ha􀀁1), florpyrauxifen-benzyl (0.02 and 0.05 kg ai ha􀀁1), and flumioxazin (0.21 kg ai ha􀀁1) did not reduce frogbit biomass 8 WAT compared with reference plants. Future research should consider the efficacy of different herbicide combinations to control frogbit, as well as the role of diluent volume per unit area, especially with imazamox and imazapyr. Field studies also will be useful in determining whether the results observed in this study will translate to management of frogbit in natural settings.

Selection of Temperature regimes for conditioning and flotation of diamond-bearing kimberlite with compound collectors

The condition for stable fixation of a collector on the surface of diamonds and their flotation is the use of collectors of the optimal fractional composition and the choice of the optimum temperature regime of the process. To determine the parameters of the diamond flotation regime, the regularities of the phase transitions of asphaltene-tar fractions at increasing temperature and diluting F-5 with technical diesel fraction were established. It was demonstrated that increasing the collector temperature leads to the transfer of asphaltenetar fractions to a dissolved and finely dispersed state. To an even greater extent, dissolving asphaltene-tar fractions is facilitated by the addition of medium- and low-molecular weight fractions of oil, for instance, a technical diesel fraction.It was revealed that the KM-10, KM-14, and KM-18 reagents, being compounds of F-5 fuel oil with technical diesel fraction (10–18 % DF), were characterized by optimal viscosity and ability to displace aqueous phase from a diamond surface, thus ensuring stable hydrophobization and high floatability of diamonds. The optimal temperature regime has been selected, which involved maintaining the temperature at the stage of conditioning with the collector at +30–40 °С, at which the maximum selective fixation of compound collectors on the diamond surface, characterized by the value of the limiting wetting angle, was achieved. The flotation tests have confirmed that the best results are achieved at a temperature of +30–40 °С at the conditioning stage and +14–24 °С at the flotation stage. At +24 °С, the best results were obtained for the relatively less diluted KM-10 and KM-14 fuel oils obtained by diluting F-5 fuel oil with a technical diesel fraction at the diluent volume fractions of 10 and 14 %. The diamond recovery achieved in the flotation tests was 3.8–4.5 % higher than when using the traditional collector, F-5 fuel oil. At +14 °С, the highly diluted fuel oil, KM-18 with a volume fraction of 18 % of the technical diesel fraction, demonstrated better collecting abilities.The optimal compositions of the collector and the regimes of feed preparation and flotation were tested at a foam separation unit. The tests showed that it is possible to increase diamond recovery into concentrate by 2.3–4.5 %. The recommendations are provided on the use of thermal conditioning in the foam separation cycle and maintaining the conditioning medium temperature at +30–40 °С and the foam separation temperature at +14–24 °С.

In-situ formation of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent for the enrichment and quantitative determination of triclosan in personal care products and environmental water samples

Green techniques for sample pretreatment and quantitative analysis are important for environmental concerns. In this work, a new liquid–liquid microextraction strategy is developed by in-situ formation of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) where a contaminant (such as triclosan) serves as a hydrogen bond acceptor and a hydrophobic compound (such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol) acts as a hydrogen bond donor. This strategy, along with high performance liquid chromatography, is used to establish the method for enrichment and quantitative determination of trace triclosan from real samples. For this purpose, the factors affecting the extraction and determination were investigated by using single-factor test. The result showed that the optimal extraction condition was, extraction temperature 45 °C, the amount of extractant 150 mg, the pH of solution 5.9, the volume of diluent (methanol) 100 µL, the concentration of salt (NaCl), 1.00 mol/L. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range of the proposed method was 1.7–1000 µg/L with the linear correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9991. The detection limit and quantitation limit were 0.5 and 1.7 µg/L, respectively. Finally, this method was used to determinate triclosan content in the leach solution of personal care products and environmental water samples, including facial cleanser, soap, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, tap water, surface water, rainwater, lake water, and wastewater of sewage treatment plant. The extraction recovery of triclosan was between 76 %−115 %, and the relative standard deviation was less than 7.36 %. These results indicate that the proposed method was effective and practical for the enrichment and quantitative determination of trace triclosan in personal care products and environmental water samples.

Evaluation of Pharmacist and Nurses Practices of IV Admixture Preparation Outside Pharmacy in Saudi Arabia

Published on:June 2022 Journal of Young Pharmacists, 2022; 14(2):244-248 Original Article | doi:10.5530/jyp.2022.14.46 Authors: Nuzhat Banu, Naher Mohammed Aldubaisi, Batool Mohammed Al Dubaisi, Mohammad Daud Ali,* Ayaz Ahmad, Yousif A M HassanDepartment of Pharmacy, Mohammad Al-Mana College for Medical Sciences, As Safa, Dammam, SAUDI ARABIA. Abstract: Background: Compounding and dispensing sterile preparation is a major part of pharmacy practice and the responsibility of pharmacists. The intravenous admixtures are sterile products prepared by mixing a medication or a combination of medications with a different intravenous solution. Errors during IV preparations have been reported to ISMP national medication error reporting program and are regularly discussed. Methods: An online survey-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among Pharmacists and nurses working in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was distributed among pharmacists and nurses compounding IV admixtures in the hospitals. Results: Out of 206, 115 (55.8%) respondents reported preparing IV admixtures outside pharmacy out of which 79 (68.7%) prepared it daily. Maximum were IV infusions. 63 (54.8%) of them prepared more than one IV admixture at one time. Although there were a high number 93 (80.8%) of people who said that they were provided with the established guidelines for preparing IV admixtures outside pharmacy however there is enough number 16 (13.9%) who said that they were not aware of them. Antibiotics 93 (80.8%) were frequently prepared in the form of IV admixtures. 22(19.1%) respondents reported experiencing errors during preparing IV admixtures. Use of wrong dose, concentration, diluent, diluent volume 12 (54.54%) was the most frequent error reported. Rushing during an emergency was the main challenge 56 (48.7%) faced. Conclusion: Although great emphasis is made to prepare the most IV preparations inside the pharmacy still there are situations where many IV medications had to be prepared outside the pharmacy. Intravenous infusions, antibiotics were the most commonly prepared IV admixtures. The most common error reported was in preparing the dose which could be due to the rushing during emergencies. Our study suggests that proper IV admixture training during the course study and on job must be made mandatory and wherever possible ready to use IV injections must be used.Key words: IV Admixture, Outside Pharmacy, Pharmacist, Nurses, Saudi Arabia.

The effect of cationic surfactants on bitumen's viscosity and asphaltene nanostructure under thermal partial upgrading

AbstractBitumen extracted from oil sands is a highly viscous fluid; thus, its transportation via pipelines in its original form resembles a major challenge. Partial upgrading is a recently proposed approach that aims to reduce bitumen's viscosity to meet the pipeline specifications. To optimize the process and make it more cost‐effective, a novel approach is proposed and researched in this study. Ionic surfactants were for the first time employed to promote thermal cracking reactions and dispersion of asphaltenes in bitumen at elevated upgrading temperatures. Three surfactants representing the cationic, nonionic, and anionic charges were studied at the thermal upgrading conditions (360–400◦C) at their optimal addition ratios to mimic the bitumen partial upgrading conditions. The results demonstrated that the cationic surfactant (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, DTAB) surpassed the other two surfactants and that with the addition of only 0.25 wt% of it, it can effectively reduce the viscosity of bitumen by up to 60% more than the upgraded bitumen with no additives under the same upgrading temperature. The Saturates, Aromatics, Resins, and Asphaltene analysis revealed that the contents of saturates and aromatics within the upgraded bitumen were also enhanced when DTAB was added. Moreover, the detailed asphaltene nanostructural analysis using X‐ray diffraction, high‐resolution transmission electron microscope, and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the addition of the cationic surfactant (DTAB) resulted in an increased asphaltene nanostructural disorder, smaller polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons size, and increased fringe curvature, as compared with the upgraded bitumen's asphaltene with no surfactants. Hence, the results have suggested that DTAB, a cheap and readily available ionic surfactant, can serve as a potential upgrading additive for designing partial upgrading procedures to produce upgraded bitumen with much less viscosity at lower upgrading temperatures. This upgrading technique will result in an upgraded bitumen that requires significantly reduced volumes of diluent for transportation.

Off-label drug use in an adult intensive care unit of a Brazilian hospital

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and describe the factors associated with off-label drug use in an adult intensive care unit (ICU) of a Brazilian hospital. An analytical, cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted in the adult ICU population from March 2018 to May 2018. Off-label use of medication was classified by indication, dosage, route of administration, type and volume of diluent, and duration of administration. Most patients were female (57.89%), non-elderly (56.14%), and had a mean age of 54.44 ± 17.15 years. The prevalence of off-label drug use was 70.31%, but was not associated with the clinical severity of the patients. A statistically significant association was observed between label use of drugs and prescribing potentially inappropriate medicines (PIM). The most common reasons for off-label drug use were therapeutic indication (19.58%) and volume of diluent (23.30%). Drug administration by enteral tubes accounted for the largest number of off-label uses due to route of administration (90.85%). There was a higher prevalence of off-label use of systemic antimicrobials (14.44%) and norepinephrine (9.28%). Our study provided a broad characterization of off-label drug use in an adult ICU and showed why it is important for health professionals to evaluate the specific risks and benefits of this practice.

Dynamic Triaxial Test and Microscopic Study of Solidified Muddy Soil With Different Mixing Ratios and Curing Ages

Aiming to explore the optimal mixture ratio and curing age of solidified muddy soil under dynamic load, the paper intends to investigate whether the solidified muddy soil can be used as filling of high-speed railway subgrade. Based on the dynamic triaxial test, the investigation measured the dynamic strain and dynamic elastic modulus of solidified muddy soil under different mix ratios and curing ages, and also observed the microscopic morphology of solidified muddy soil samples by using scanning electron microscope. The results show that the addition of cement and curing agent significantly increases the dynamic strength and elastic modulus of muddy soil, which effectively improve the dynamic characteristics of muddy soil. The curing effect of the curing agent is more obvious with the increase of the dosage of cement and curing agent under different mix ratio. The content of curing agent plays a leading role in the hydration reaction between cement, curing agent and soil particles. Additionally, in case of the same test conditions, when the ratio of cement mass to dry silt mass is 1:20, the ratio of diluent volume to dry silt mass is 1:20, with 28 days of curing age, its curing effect will reach the best.

Physical compatibility of alprostadil with selected drugs commonly used in the neonatal intensive care units.

This study aimed to determine the physical compatibility of alprostadil with 17 continuous infusion drugs commonly administered in neonatal intensive care units. Test samples were prepared in a laminar airflow hood. Alprostadil 20 mcg/ml was mixed with each drug in a 1:1 ratio, in two orders of mixing. Physical stability of the admixtures was assessed by visual examination and by measuring turbidity. Visual examination was conducted by two observers by two methods: visual examination against a black and white background under normal fluorescent light and using a high-intensity monodirectional light. pH was measured as chemical stability predictor. Evaluations were performed immediately and 4 h after mixing. An additional visual control was performed at 24 h. Visual examination was positive or doubtful for the four drug combinations not considered compatible. Turbidity values were under 0.5 NTU throughout the study in all samples. No modifications of one pH unit or more was detected in any drug pair over time.Conclusion: Alprostadil was considered physical compatible with 13 drugs (adrenalin, amiodarone, calcium gluconate, dobutamine, dopamine, fentanyl, flecainide, furosemide, heparin, ketamine, midazolam, milrinone and morphine). Incompatibility could not be ruled out for 3 drugs (cisatracurium, dexmedetomidine and noradrenalin), and insulin was considered incompatible with alprostadil. What is Known: • Y-site administration is common in neonatal intensive care units, and volume of diluents and rate of infusions in newborns were lower than in adults which might result in high concentrations and prolonged contact time at Y-site administration. • Available data about compatibility of alprostadil with other drugs was scarce. What is New: • Alprostadil was compatible with 13 drugs commonly used in neonatal intensive care units. • Insulin was considered incompatible with alprostadil, and incompatibility cannot be ruled out for cisatracurium, dexmedetomidine and noradrenalin with alprostadil.

Effect of Addition of Different Egg Yolks in Basic Tris-Soya Diluent on Quality, Membrane Integrity of Senduro Goat Sperm, and Free Radicals during Storage at Temperature of 4-5° C

Semen diluents need macromolecules to protect sperm from the impact of temperature during storage and the presence of free radicals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of adding yolk from different types of eggs to the quality and integrity of the sperm membrane. Fresh semen was diluted with basic tris-soya diluent wich was added with different types of chicken egg yolk, such as local chicken eggs and leghorn chicken eggs. As a control group, fresh semen was diluted with basic tris-soya diluent without the addition of egg yolk. The addition of egg yolk was 20% of the diluent volume. Quality observations include motility and viability of sperm. Sperm motility was observed using a microscope with 200 X magnification. The sperm viability was observed using the eosin and negrosin staining method, then it observed under a microscope with 200 X magnification. The integrity of sperm membrane was observed using the HOST method, and then observed under a microscope with 200 X magnification. Free radicals then observed with MDA test. The results showed that the motility, viability and membrane integrity of sperm only lasted until the 12 hour of storage, with the greatest motility, viability and membrane integrity obtained in diluents with the addition of leghorn chicken egg yolk. The smallest MDA test was 2.72, which obtained from diluents with the addition of leghorn chicken egg yolk. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded that the leghorn chicken egg yolk has the best ability to maintain the quality of Senduro Goat sperm during 4-5°C storage temperature.

Botulinum toxin injection, dilution confusion: The impact of toxin diffusion on clinical practice.

Botulinum toxins (BoNT) are a standard of care for spasticity management of children with a variety of neuromuscular (NM) conditions. BoNT relaxes skeletal muscles by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine from the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). As part of their training physiatrist become proficient in the targeted injections of BoNT into affected skeletal musculature. While the pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of BoNT are well characterized, there is limited literature on the clinical impact that varying the volume of diluent that a toxin is reconstituted within. In theory, injection of a larger volume of dilute BoNT would allow for a larger spread affect reaching more distant NMJs; the reverse is also be true. Dilution volume of BoNT injections in children produces some unique situations due to their low weight, smaller muscle bulk, an increased relative risk of spread to surrounding structures, and novel differences in concentration of NMJ in immature muscle. Some of these factors may act as guiding principles that providers can use when adjusting from their standard BoNT dilutional practices. Although, there are recommended dosing strategies available each child's spasticity pattern represents a unique situation and providers must be allowed flexibility to think creatively about dilution strategies for BoNT injections.

Heavy crude oil viscosity reduction by dilution with hydrocarbons obtained via pyrolysis of polypropylene and polystyrene

Liquid hydrocarbons obtained from the pyrolysis of polypropylene and polystyrene were used as diluents to reduce the viscosity of a Mexican heavy crude oil of 10.6°API. Blends of oil and diluents were formulated with fractions of 5, 10 and 15 vol% of diluent. Viscosity results were plotted as a function of temperature and diluent volume fractions. The degree of viscosity reduction at room temperature was of 96 – 97% using 15 vol% of the proposed materials. Results show that viscosities lower than 400 cP, the classical maximum for pipeline transportation, are achieved at relatively low temperatures (45 – 65 °C).

Effects of Diluent Volume and Administration Time on the Incidence of Anaphylaxis Following Docetaxel Therapy in Breast Cancer.

Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, are common side effects associated with docetaxel treatment in breast cancer patients. However, preventive measures have not yet been established. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the risk factors for developing anaphylaxis in 182 female breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel. We found that 6.6% of all patients (n = 12) experienced anaphylaxis. Multivariate analyses indicated that concentration of docetaxel higher than 0.275 mg/m2/mL, docetaxel dose rate higher than 1.15 mg/m2/min, and white blood cell count less than 4290 cells/mL are risk factors for developing docetaxel-related anaphylaxis. In particular, concentrations of docetaxel or doses per administration time were associated with a high odds ratio (11.88 or 11.60) for docetaxel-related anaphylaxis. Moreover, patients receiving doses in 250 mL volume experienced anaphylaxis more frequently than those receiving doses in 500 mL (7.0 vs. 0.9%, p = 0.0236). Additionally, patients receiving treatments over 60 min tended to experience anaphylaxis more frequently than those who were treated over 90 min (6.7 vs. 1.1%, p = 0.0637). The present results indicate that high docetaxel concentrations, high dose rates, and low white blood cell counts are risk factors for developing docetaxel-related anaphylaxis, and administering docetaxel diluted in 500 mL over 90 min may limit docetaxel-induced hypersensitivity reactions.

Increasing Diluent Volume Decreases Bendamustine-Induced Venous Irritation without Reducing the Therapeutic Efficacy.

The intravenous injection of bendamustine often induces venous irritation, which reduces patients' QOL. We previously reported that the dilution of the final volume of bendamustine from 250 to 500 mL significantly decreased the incidence of venous irritation. However, the influence of this change on the therapeutic efficacy of bendamustine remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety profiles of bendamustine at different dilutions of the final volume, comparing with the correspondences of previous studies. Thirty-four patients, who received a total of 161 courses of bendamustine and rituximab chemotherapy, were included in this study. The overall response rate of this regimen was 94.1% in this study, which was comparable to that reported in the BRB study (94.2%, a phase II study of bendamustine plus rituximab therapy in Japanese patients). Additionally, the median progression-free survival was not inferior to that reported in the BRB study. Bendamustine-induced venous irritation was observed in 17.6% of the patients during the first treatment cycle administered at a final volume of 500 mL, and was found to be lower than that observed in the control, where bendamustine was administered at a final volume of 250 mL (85.7%). These results suggest that diluting bendamustine to 500 mL, but not to 250 mL, reduces the incidence of venous irritation without a negative impact on its therapeutic efficacy; thus, this simple strategy may be beneficial to ensure efficacy and safety in patients receiving regimens including bendamustine.