Biomedical subjects

G McKay

Publications and source records attributed to G McKay.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Intraparticle diffusion processes during acid dye adsorption onto chitosan.

The adsorption of five acid dyes onto chitosan was studied. The equilibrium capacities based on the Langmuir analysis were 1.54, 2.66, 1.11, 1.25 and 1.03 mmol/g chitosan for Orange 10 (AO10), Acid Orange 12 (AO12), Acid Red 18 (AR18), Acid Red 73 (AR73) and Acid Green 25 (AG25) respectively. The batch adsorption rate for the five systems based on an intraparticle diffusion rate parameter derived from the plots of dye adsorbed versus the square root of time indicated that the adsorption mechanism was predominantly intraparticle diffusion but there was also a dependence on pore size as the dye diffuses through macropore, mesopore and micropore respectively.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2006

Sorption of lead from aqueous solution by chemically modified carbon adsorbents.

An indigenously prepared, steam activated and chemically modified carbon from husk and pods of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera), an agricultural waste, was comparatively examined as an adsorbent for the removal of lead from aqueous solutions. Studies were conducted as a function of contact time, initial metal concentration, dose of adsorbent, agitation speed, particle size and pH. Maximum uptake capacities were found to be, 98.89, 96.58, 91.8, 88.63, 79.43% for cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), phosphoric, sulfuric, hydrochloric acid treated and untreated carbon adsorbents, respectively. Bangham, pseudo-first- and second-order, intra-particle diffusion equations were implemented to express the sorption mechanism by utilized adsorbents. Adsorption rate of lead ions was found to be considerably faster for chemically modified adsorbents than unmodified. The results of adsorption were fitted to both the Langmuir and Freundlich models. Satisfactory agreement between the metal uptake capacities by the adsorbents at different time intervals was expressed by the correlation coefficient (R(2)). The Langmuir model represented the sorption process better than the Freundlich one, with R(2) values ranging from 0.994 to 0.998.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2006

Roles of the textural and surface chemical properties of activated carbon in the adsorption of acid blue dye.

This study has demonstrated the use of empirical modeling in resolving the effects of individual carbon properties on acid blue dye adsorption. Acid blue dye adsorption tests were conducted on activated carbons prepared from bagasse by physical (CO2) and chemical (ZnCl2, MgCl2 and CaCl2) techniques. Empirical models based on the carbon textural (surface area and pore size) properties and the surface chemistry inferred from heteroatom (C,H, N, and S) concentration and carbon surface pH were used to resolve the effects of individual carbon properties on acid blue dye adsorption. This form of analysis was conducted to optimize carbon preparation properties, forming the foundation for tailor-making adsorbents from bagasse suitable for acid dye adsorption. A series of statistical analyses (partial F-tests to establish the parameter significance) measured variants including the mean square error, r2 and adjusted r2, normality, and randomness of residuals, and formed the basis for testing the adequacy of these models. The empirical models suggest that a combination of suitable pore structure and distinct basic surface chemistry generated by sulfur- and nitrogen-based groups, which were also elucidated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, is necessary to promote acid dye adsorption.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Theoretical model of the transition between C1 and C2 chevron structures in smectic liquid crystals.

We present a study of the effect of weak anchoring on the transition between C1 and C2 chevron structures in smectic-C liquid crystals. The coexistence of C1 and C2 chevron structures within a single cell causes zigzag defects to occur and may affect the optical characteristics of the cell. By standard Euler-Lagrange minimisation of the total energy of the system, we obtain analytical expressions for the equilibrium director cone angle in the two chevron states. These in turn allow us to compare the total energies of the states and determine the globally stable chevron profile. We show that analytical predictions for the critical transition temperature, which depends on anchoring strength and pretilt angle, are in good agreement with those obtained numerically.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Effect of bone char application on Pb bioavailability in a Pb-contaminated soil.

The effects of bone char (BC) application on the bioavailability of Pb in a polluted soil from Hunan Province, China were examined. The Pb-contaminated soil was treated with two types of bone char, one from the UK and the other from China. The bioavailability of Pb was determined in terms of the uptake by Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.), sequential extraction and X-ray diffraction analysis. The results indicate that the Pb concentrations in both shoots and roots decreased with increasing quantities of added bone char, and the application of BC from the UK at the rate of 1.6% (w:w) had the largest effect. Lead Pb concentrations in the shoots and roots decreased by 56.0% and 75.9%, respectively, whereas the application of BC from Zhejiang Province, China at the rate of 1.6% (w:w) reduced Pb concentrations in the shoots and roots to 2.04 mgkg(-1) and 8.42 mgkg(-1), respectively, only 45.8% and 30.2% compared to the control treatment. Sequential extraction results indicate that the addition of bone char, as a metal-immobilizing agent, substantially transforms soil Pb from non-residual fractions to the residual fraction. The transformation was further confirmed using X-ray diffraction studies.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2005

Exposure measures applied to the bioequivalence of two sustained release formulations of bupropion.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of the exposure measures C(max) (peak exposure), AUC(E) (early exposure) and AUC (total exposure) on the bioequivalence of two sustained release formulations of bupropion (i) in the fasted state and (ii), after a high fat meal. The ratio C(max)/AUC (sensitive to rate of absorption) was also evaluated. METHODS: A two-formulation, two-sequence, four-period replicate design study was performed in 29 healthy men and women after an overnight fast. Similarly, a two-period study was performed in 20 healthy men and women after ingestion of a high fat breakfast. Plasma concentrations of bupropion were measured by HPLC/MS/MS and the data were analyzed (SAS PROC MIXED) by the Schuirmann-Sattersthwaite procedure (four-period study) and by the two one-sided test procedure (SAS PROC GLM) (two-period study). Standard bioequivalence limits of 80 - 125% were applied to all measures including AUC(E) and C(max)/AUC. RESULTS: In the fasting study, the mean plasma concentration vs. time curves from (including over the first 24 hours) following the two administrations of each formulation were similar although there was a significant difference in median t(max) between formulations. This may have contributed to a low estimate of geometric mean ratio (GMR) for AUC(E) (69%) which was judged to have failed bioequivalence. There was also rather low GMRs for Cmax (88%) and C(max)/AUC (89%) but these measure passed because the within-subject variabilities (WSV) were relatively low (19.6% and 11.2%, respectively). Total exposure (AUC(last)) met standard bioequivalence limits of 80 - 125% easily. The raw data from the two-period fed also showed differences in the shapes of the plasma concentration vs. time curves around C(max) although there was no difference in median t(max). The WSV at median t(max) was high (34%) as was the GMR (117%) for AUCE which failed, as did C(max) (GMR 112%). The WSV was very high at early time points before settling into a "plateau" at about 11%. DISCUSSION: There was no "spike" in the plasma concentration vs. time profiles up to median t(max) or beyond and therefore there was no evidence of dose dumping of the test formulation in either fasted or fed states. No bioequivalence limits have been set for AUC(E) but the application of standard BE limits of 80 to 125% meant that the fed study was clearly underpowered given the high WSV at early time points. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed on the interesting concept of early exposure. The WSV is often high at median t(max) which means that standard bioequivalence limits of 80 - 125% may be inappropriate. Despite the lack of dose dumping, application of AUC(E) to the fasting study, would have resulted in failure to declare bioequivalence since the GMR for this measure was only 69.5%. Application of a 90% confidence interval to AUC(E) to the fed study would have required powering to cope with the fact that this measure was highly variable.

Area Under Curve↗

PubMed2004

Adsorption isotherm models for basic dye adsorption by peat in single and binary component systems.

Colored effluents from textile industries are a problem in many rivers and waterways. Prediction of dye adsorption capacities is important in design considerations. The sorption of three basic dyes, namely Basic blue 3, Basic yellow 21, and Basic red 22, onto peat is reported. Equilibrium sorption isotherms have been measured for the three single-component systems. Equilibrium was achieved after 21 days. The experimental isotherm data were analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson, Tempkin, and Toth isotherm equations. A detailed error analysis has been undertaken to investigate the effect of using different error criteria for the determination of the single-component isotherm parameters and hence obtain the best isotherm and isotherm parameters which describe the adsorption process. The linear transform model provided the highest R(2) regression coefficient with the Redlich-Peterson model. The Redlich-Peterson model also yielded the best fit to experimental data for all three dyes using the nonlinear error functions. An extended Langmuir model has been used to predict the isotherm data for the binary systems using the single component data. The correlation between theoretical and experimental data had only limited success due to competitive and interactive effects between the dyes and the dye-surface interactions.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Preparation of activated carbon using low temperature carbonisation and physical activation of high ash raw bagasse for acid dye adsorption.

Activated carbons were prepared from bagasse through a low temperature (160 degrees C) chemical carbonisation treatment and gasification with carbon dioxide at 900 degrees C. The merit of low temperature chemical carbonisation in preparing chars for activation was assessed by comparing the physical and chemical properties of activated carbons developed by this technique to conventional methods involving the use of thermal and vacuum pyrolysis of bagasse. In addition, the adsorption properties (acid blue dye) of these bagasse activated carbons were also compared with a commercial activated carbon. The results suggest that despite the high ash content of the precursor, high surface areas (614-1433 m2 g(-1)) and microporous (median pore size from 0.45 to 1.2 nm) activated carbons can be generated through chemical carbonisation and gasification. The micropore area of the activated carbon developed from chars prepared by the low temperature chemical carbonisation provides favourable adsorption sites to acid blue dye (391 mg g(-1) of carbon). The alkalinity of the carbon surface and total surface area were shown to have complementary effects in promoting the adsorption of acid blue dye. Adsorption of the anionic coloured component of the acid dye was shown to be promoted in carbon exhibiting alkaline or positively charged surfaces. This study demonstrates that activated carbons with high acid dye adsorption capacities can be prepared from high ash bagasse based on low temperature chemical carbonisation and gasification.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2003

Equilibrium studies for the sorption of lead from effluents using chitosan.

The sorption of lead ions from aqueous solution onto chitosan has been studied. Equilibrium studies have been carried out to determine the capacity of chitosan for lead ions. The effects of solution pH and chitosan particle size on the sorption capacity have been studied.The experimental data were analyzed using three equilibrium isotherm correlations, namely, Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson equations. The linear correlation coefficients were determined for each isotherm and the Freundlich provided the best fit. In addition, error functions have been used to determine the alternative single component equilibrium isotherm parameters by non-linear regression due to the inherent bias in using the correlation coefficient from the linearization. This technique enables the "best fit" isotherm parameters to be used in the equilibrium equations for the sorption of lead ions on chitosan within the limits and assumptions of the various error analysis methods.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2002

Equilibrium studies of the sorption of Cu(II) ions onto chitosan.

Chitosan is a polymer that can be obtained from the shells of seafood such as prawns, crabs, and lobsters. Chitosan has free amino groups, which can attract metal ions, and has been used as an adsorbent for the removal of metal ions from effluents. In this research, the sorption of copper ions from solution onto chitosan at two pHs has been investigated. DSC, TGA, surface area, SEM, and NMR studies have been used to report the pure physical states of chitosan and the chitosan-copper complex. The experimental isotherm data were analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich-Peterson equations. Correlation coefficients were determined for each isotherm analysis. Error functions have been used to determine the alternative single component parameters by nonlinear regression due to the inherent bias in using the correlation coefficient resulting from linearization. The error function method provided the best parameters for the isotherm equations in this system and is demonstrated for error comparison purposes.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

PubMed2002

Absolute bioavailability and stereoselective pharmacokinetics of doxepin.

1. Commercial doxepin contains geometric isomers in the proportions Z:E = 15:85. Z-doxepin and its metabolite Z-N-desmethyldoxepin are both active antidepressants, whereas the corresponding E-isomers are less active therapeutically. 2. The present pharmacokinetic study was a balanced, randomized, two-treatment, two-period, two-sequence crossover design in which 12 healthy male volunteers were given single doses of commercial doxepin intravenously and orally on two occasions separated by a washout period. 3. A two-compartment model with no lag time and first-order elimination fitted the plasma concentration-time curves after intravenous dosing. Pharmacokinetic parameters estimated from the model were comparable with those estimated by non-compartmental methods. 4. All pharmacokinetic parameters displayed a wide between-subject variability. Both isomers of doxepin showed large volumes of distribution and relatively short half-lives in plasma, suggestive of extensive distribution and/or tissue binding. The mean fraction absorbed after oral administration was 0.29 for each isomer. Renal clearances of each isomer were very low after either oral or intravenous dosing, although all four analytes were quantifiable in the urine for prolonged periods. 5. After oral dosing, plasma concentrations of the doxepin isomers remained roughly in the ratio Z:E = 15:85, whereas those of N-desmethyldoxepin were closer to 1:1 in all but two outliers, who had high levels E-N-desmethyldoxepin.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2001

Determination of solid-phase loading for the removal of metal ion from effluents using fixed-bed adsorbers.

The sorption of cadmium and copper ions from aqueous solutions onto bone char using fixed-bed adsorbers has been studied. A film-pore diffusion model has been utilized to predict theoretical breakthrough curves, which are compared with experimental breakthrough curves by means of error analysis. The key parameters for correlating the theoretical model are the external film mass-transfer coefficient (kf), the effective diffusion coefficient (Deff), and the solid-phase loading (q). The kf is determined from fixed-bed empirical correlations, and Deff is determined by a best-fit optimization routine. The q value has traditionally been determined using the equilibrium isotherm, which is applicable when the column adsorbent reaches equilibrium, or using the breakthrough curve mass balance when the column does not reach equilibrium. The breakthrough curve mass balance method needs experimental curves for each system and is not a practical solution for general design models. This paper presents two novel predictive equations for q in terms of process variables. The accuracy of the equations is sufficient for application in design models for nonequilibrium and equilibrium systems.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2001

Combined diffusion model for the sorption of cadmium, copper, and zinc ions onto bone char.

The ability of bone char to remove three single-component metals (namely, cadmium, copper and zinc) from aqueous solutions has been studied. Equilibrium isotherms have been measured and analyzed using a Langmuir isotherm model. A series of batch contact time experiments were performed to study the effect of sorbent mass and initial metal ion concentration for the three systems. A new film-pore diffusion model has been applied to the batch contact time results, and good correlation is obtained between theoretical predictions and experimental data. A further extension to the new model was made to include a surface diffusion term. The agreement between theoretical results and experimental data improved as the sum of the squares of the errors (SSE) improved by around 20% for cadmium and zinc but by 50% for copper. Therefore, the sorptions of cadmium and zinc ions onto bone char are primarily film-pore diffusion controlled, but for the copper system film-pore-surface diffusion must be considered.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2001

Film-pore diffusion modeling for the sorption of metal ions from aqueous effluents onto peat.

The sorption of three metal ions, namely, copper, nickel and lead onto sphagnum peat moss has been studied using an agitated batch sorber system. The equilibrium isotherms were determined and kinetic runs were performed over a range of concentrations for each metal ion. A film-pore diffusion mass transfer model has been developed based on a single effective diffusion coefficient for each system. Error analysis of the experimental and theoretical data indicated relatively large errors at low initial metal ion concentrations. Therefore the model was modified to introduce a surface coverage concentration dependent effective diffusivity to account for a contribution from surface diffusion.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2001

Film-pore diffusion model for the fixed-bed sorption of copper and cadmium ions onto bone char.

The sorption of copper and cadmium ions onto bone char in single component systems has been studied using fixed-bed column adsorbers. The effects of solution flowrate, initial metal ion concentration and bone char particle size have been studied. A film-pore diffusion model has been developed to predict the fixed-bed breakthrough curves for the two metal ions. A sensitivity analysis has been carried out to investigate the influence of the external mass transfer coefficient (film resistance), the effective diffusion coefficient (pore diffusion) and the solid phase loading capacity. It is found that under the experimental conditions employed in the study, film diffusional resistance was low and the Biot numbers were relatively high. Furthermore, a constant effective pore diffusivity was not sufficient to correlate the breakthrough curves accurately and a variable dependent effective diffusivity was required; suggesting a possible contribution from surface diffusion. Since the metal ion-bone char systems take a long time to reach equilibrium, the solid phase loading capacity, as predicted by the "best-fit" equilibrium isotherm, was not suitable for use in the diffusional mass transport model and the mass balance solid phase loading was utilised instead.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2001

Effects of food on the pharmacokinetics of methylphenidate.

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that the pharmacokinetics of d-methylphenidate (d-MPH) would be altered by food ingested before administration of an immediate release formulation (dl-MPH- IR) but not when food is ingested before a slow release formulation (dl-MPH-SR). METHODS: A randomized, four-phase, open label, crossover design was conducted in 24 healthy men who each received, on separate occasions, dl-MPH-IR and dl-MPH-SR taken after an overnight fast and 15 min after a standardized breakfast (20% protein, 21% fat, 59% carbohydrate). Plasma MPH levels were monitored by a validated, stereoselective. GLC-ECD method. RESULTS: For plasma d-MPH, there were significant differences (ANOVA) between dl-MPH-IR and dl-MPH-SR in tmax, Cmax (peak exposure), and Cmax/AUC (sensitive to rate of absorption). Dl-MPH-SR on average delayed tmax from 2.3 to 3.7 h and lowered Cmax 34%. There was no significant difference between the formulations in AUC (extent of absorption). For dl-MPH-IR, food significantly increased Cmax (23%) and AUC (15%) and for dl-MPH-SR the corresponding increases were Cmax (17%) and AUC (14%). After dl-MPH-IR, food delayed average tmax from 2.0 to 2.5 but had no effect on tmax after dl-MPH-SR. There was no effect of food on Cmax/AUC (rate of absorption). CONCLUSIONS: Food caused a significant increase in extent of absorption but had no effect on rate of absorption of d-MPH after either dl-MPHIR or dl-MPH-SR.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Insulin stimulation of hepatic triacylglycerol secretion and the etiology of insulin resistance.

The recent observations that insulin can either stimulate or inhibit triacylglycerol secretion by the liver, depending on prior metabolic (possibly insulinemic) state, have rationalized the many apparently contradictory observations, obtained over the past three decades, on the effects of the hormone on this aspect of hepatic metabolism. Extrapolation to the situation in vivo suggests that frequent stimulation of insulin secretion may result in a chronic stimulation of VLDL secretion, and increased delivery of acyl moieties to muscle, where they induce insulin resistance if provided in excess of the oxidative needs (mostly due to exercise) of the tissue. High fructose/sucrose diets, which also stimulate hepatic VLDL secretion, will have the same effect, especially if consumed frequently during the diurnal cycle. Due to the quantitative importance of muscle as a site for insulin-sensitive glucose metabolism, these effects may initiate the metabolic vicious cycle that results in the development of the metabolic syndrome, well in advance of overt obesity or the diagnosis of type-2 diabetes.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Quaternary ammonium-linked glucuronidation of 1-substituted imidazoles: studies of human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases involved and substrate specificities.

A series of eight 1-substituted imidazoles was investigated as model substrates for glucuronidation at an aromatic tertiary amine of polyaza heterocyclic ring systems. The human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) involved and substrate specificities were investigated. Nine expressed enzymes (UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A4, UGT1A6, UGT1A7, UGT1A9, UGT1A10, UGT2B7, and UGT2B15) were examined, but only UGT1A4 catalyzed the formation of a quaternary ammonium-linked glucuronide metabolite for six of the substrates. UGT1A3 also catalyzed the glucuronidation of the previously investigated 1-phenylimidazole but none of the newly investigated compounds. No glucuronidation was observed with 1-(4-nitrophenyl)imidazole, the compound with the 4-phenyl substituent with the largest electron withdrawing effect. The incubation conditions for the determination of the kinetic constants for UGT1A4 catalysis of six substrates were optimized and included incubation at pH 7.4 with alamethicin at 10 microg/mg of protein. Latency disrupting agents, including alamethicin and sonication, enhanced glucuronidation 1.25-fold at most. There were 17.5- and 2.2-fold variations in the apparent K(m) (range, 0.18-3.15 mM) and V(max) values (range, 0.16-0.35 nmol/min/mg of protein). Linear correlation analyses between UGT1A4 kinetics and substrate physicochemical parameters showed significant correlation between V(max) and both the partition coefficient (log P, n-octanol/water) and pK(a) and between K(m) and pK(a), thereby indicating that the lipophilicity and the ease of availability of the tertiary amine lone pair of electrons of the substrate are important with respect to enzyme catalysis.

Catalysis↗