Rocuronium, like other steroidal nondepolarizing muscle relaxants, may in part be eliminated by the liver. To determine the influence of liver disease on its neuromuscular blocking effect, we studied the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of rocuronium in patients with cirrhosis. Eighteen patients undergoing elective surgery, 10 with cirrhosis and 8 with normal liver function, were studied. Anesthesia was induced with intravenous thiopental 5-7 mg.kg-1 and maintained with 60% nitrous oxide in oxygen and repeated doses of fentanyl 2 micrograms.kg-1. The force of thumb adduction in response to supramaximal ulnar nerve stimulation was monitored and recorded. An intravenous bolus of rocuronium 0.6 mg.kg-1 was administered and venous blood sampled at frequent intervals for 6 h. Plasma concentrations of rocuronium was measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Data were fitted to both a pharmacokinetic and a pharmacodynamic model by using a two-compartment open model and an effect compartment model. Data were analyzed by least-squares regression. The onset of neuromuscular blockade was longer (P < 0.01) in patients with cirrhosis (158 +/- 56 s) than in normal patients (108 +/- 33 s). Recovery of the thumb twitch to 75 and 90% of its control value was 77 +/- 25 and 88 +/- 29 min in cirrhotic patients versus 57 +/- 11 and 64 +/- 13 min, respectively, in normal patients (P < 0.05). The central volume of distribution of rocuronium was 104 +/- 21 in cirrhotic patients and 78 +/- 24 ml.kg-1 in normal patients (P < 0.05). No significant difference in elimination kinetics was observed between the two groups. The elimination half-life was 87.5 +/- 17.5 min in normal patients and 96.0 +/- 36.8 min in cirrhotic patients (difference not significant). This increased onset time was linearly correlated to the increased central volume of distribution of rocuronium in cirrhosis. Rocuronium onset time is longer in cirrhotic patients than in those with normal liver function; this can be explained by an increase in the volume in which rocuronium initially distributes. Although elimination kinetics are unchanged in patients with cirrhosis, rocuronium recovery time is prolonged in cirrhotic patients.

The present study carried out to clarify the impact of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and Cd) pollution of Rosetta Branch on the antioxidant defence system activities and lipid peroxidation indicator MDA levels in O. niloticus tissues (liver and white muscles) collected from three stations from Rosetta Branch of River Nile in summer2014 and winter 2015. Rosetta Branch of River Nile exposed to high input of agricultural drainage water, sewage and industrial waste water which influence the living organisms especially fish. In the present study results revealed that the concentration of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and Cd) in water and fish samples increased in station II and III, especially in winter. In muscles of O. niloticus, the accumulation patterns of heavy metals were in the following order: Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu and Cd. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) in winter was higher than summer. Antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx, GST and GR) activities and the indicator of lipid peroxidation MDA levels showed a significant increase in liver and white muscles of O. niloticus, in stations II and III, especially in winter. Moreover, the antioxidant enzymes activities and MDA levels were higher in liver than white muscles.

Modification of the wax crystal habit practical interest during transportation processing of lube oil at low temperature. Various pour point depressant (PPD) additives can facilitate this modification by different mechanisms. Comb shaped polymer additives are known to depress the pour point of lube oil by providing different nucleation sites for the precipitation of wax. This paper describes performance based design, synthesis, characterization and evaluation of comb shaped polymeric additives. Alkyl itaconates were prepared by the esterification of itaconic acid with different saturated alcohols C16/C18/NAFOL 20+A (Cav=20)/NAFOL 1822 B (Cav=22). The four synthesized monomers were characterized and copolymerized with styrene in different molar ratios. All the products were characterized by infra-red (FTIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy and Gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Rheological properties of lube oil (with and without additives) were studied by Brookfield viscometer. In this study the additives based on itaconic acid were evaluated as good PPD and rheology modifiers

The main objective of this study was to allocate and evaluate the most optimum condition to prepare the chitosan and chitosan nanoparticles that will, subsequently, give the best physicochemical characterization regarding the nanoparticles' size and surface morphology. Chitosan from the exoskeleton wastes of Procambarus clarkii with degree of deacetylation 87% was extracted. Viscometry indicated that the obtained chitosan had a low molecular weight that can be useful in many applications. Chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by using different concentrations of chitosan and the polyanion sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). For the determination of the optimum condition for the prepared chitosan nanoparticles, three different ratios of chitosan to the polyanion TPP were used, 1:1, 3:1, and 1:3. A novel nanoparticle system composed of low molecular weight chitosan was successfully prepared by the ionotropic gelation technique under an aqueous-based condition. The physicochemical characteristics of chitosan and chitosan nanoparticles were elucidated by Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and zeta potential. The best physicochemical characteristics were obtained by adding chitosan to TPP in a ratio of 1:1. The small particle size and narrow range distribution of the obtained chitosan nanoparticles may increase their chance for easy and efficient manipulation for several applications in various fields. In addition, the obtained positively charged chitosan nanoparticles can be used for the delivery of negatively charged compounds.