Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Common Aviation Textiles
Modern transportation systems are subject to unintentional contamination from infected passengers, as well as deliberate contamination from criminals and political adversaries. Hydrogen peroxide has been used for years as a disinfectant in the medical community and is under consideration in the dilute vapor form as a decontaminant/disinfectant/sterilant for transportation vehicles like aircraft, buses, subway trains, ambulances, etc. Although the biological efficacy of STERIS Corporation’s Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP® a registered trademark of the STERIS Corporation, Mentor, OH) technology has been demonstrated elsewhere, the compatibility of the process with typical aircraft materials has not been rigorously established. The present report documents a materials compatibility evaluation involving the effects of hydrogen peroxide exposure on the mechanical properties and flammability of the following commercial-grade textile materials: wool, nylon, polyester, Nomex®, and leather.
Tensile Strength of Nylon Netting Subjected to Various Concentrations of Disinfecting Chemicals
This paper presents a study of traditional netting materials subjected to disinfecting chemicals during fish farming and treatment of net cages. A series of tests were performed in order to study the effect of various concentrations of disinfecting chemicals on the tensile strength of Raschel knitted Nylon netting materials. Simulated spill of diluted hydrogen peroxide (HP) to the jump fence during de-lousing did not affect the strength of the applied new and used knotless nylon netting samples. Hydrogen peroxide reacted with biofouling forming gas bubbles, but this did not result in reduced netting strength. The performed tests did not indicate any effect on netting strength from a simulated single, traditional bath disinfection as performed at service stations applying the disinfectant Aqua Des (AD) containing peracetic acid (PAA). However, increasing the AD concentration from 1 to 10% resulted in a strength reduction of 3–6%. Simulated spill of concentrated AD on the jump fence of a net with copper coating residuals resulted in a severe reduction in strength of 45%. This strength loss was probably a consequence of chemical reaction between copper and Aqua Des, and uncoated netting did not experience any loss in strength subjected to the same chemical exposure. These findings from application of AD should also apply to other PAA disinfection chemicals with trade names as, for example, Perfectoxid and Addi Aqua.
Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism of 14C-Brivaracetam, a Novel SV2A Ligand, in Healthy Subjects
This study was designed to investigate the human absorption, disposition, and mass balance of 14C-brivaracetam, a novel high affinity SV2A ligand with potent anticonvulsant activity. Six healthy male subjects received a single p.o. dose of 14C-brivaracetam (150 mg, 82 μCi, or 3.03 MBq). Serial blood and complete urine and feces were collected until 144 h postdose. Expired air samples were obtained until 24 h. Brivaracetam was rapidly absorbed, with Cmax of 4 μg/ml occurring within 1.5 h of dosing. Unchanged brivaracetam amounted to 90% of the total plasma radioactivity, suggesting a modest first-pass effect. Plasma protein binding of radioactivity was low (17.5%). Urinary excretion exceeded 90% after 2 days, and the final mass balance reached 96.8% of the radioactivity in urine and 0.7% in feces. Only 8.6% of the radioactive dose was recovered in urine as unchanged brivaracetam, the remainder being identified as non–cytochrome P450 (P450)- and P450-dependent biotransformation products resulting from hydrolysis of the amide moiety (M9, 34.2%), hydroxylation of the n-propyl side chain (M1b, 15.9%), and a combination of these two pathways leading to the hydroxy acid (M4b, 15.2%). Minor amounts of taurine and glucuronic acid conjugates and other oxidized derivatives were also identified. Brivaracetam is completely absorbed, is weakly bound to plasma proteins, extensively biotransformed through several metabolic pathways, and eliminated renally.