Validation of chemotherapy drug vapor containment of an air cleaning closed-system drug transfer device

Purpose The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of ChemfortTM, an air filtration closed-system drug transfer device to prevent release of chemotherapy drug vapors and aerosols under extreme conditions. The air cleaning system is based on the adsorption of drug vapors by an activated carbon filter in the Vial Adaptor before the air is released out of the drug vial. The functionality of the carbon filter was also tested at the end of device’s shelf life, and after a contact period with drug vapors for 7 days. Cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil were the chemotherapy drugs tested. Methods The Vial Adaptor was attached to a drug vial and both were placed in a glass vessel. A needle was punctured through the vessel stopper and the Vial Adaptor septum to allow nitrogen gas to flow into the vial and to exit the vial via the air filter into the glass vessel which was connected to a cold trap. Potential contaminated surfaces in the trap system were wiped or rinsed to collect the escaped drug. Samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results Cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil were detected on most surfaces inside the trap system for all Vial Adaptors without an activated carbon filter. Contamination did not differ between the Vial Adaptors with and without membrane filter indicating no effect of the membrane filter. The results show no release of either drug for the Vial Adaptors with an activated carbon filter even after 3 years of simulated aging and 7 days of exposure to drug vapors. Conclusions Validation of air cleaning CSTDs is important to secure vapor and aerosol containment of chemotherapy and other hazardous drugs. The presented test method has proven to be appropriate for the validation of ChemfortTM Vial Adaptors. No release of cyclophosphamide and 5- fluorouracil was found even for Vial Adaptors after 3 years of simulated aging and 7 days of exposure to drug vapors.

Die nächsten drei Sueben! Ein kaiserzeitliches „Fürstengrab“ mit römischem Import und weitere Grabfunde von Kariv-I in der Westukraine

The next three Suebi! A Roman Period „princely grave“ with Roman import and other grave finds from Kariv-I in the western Ukraine In spring 2017, the Historical-Regional Museum in Vinniki was informed about the discovery of several metal objects discovered by detectorists in the vicinity of the village Kariv, obl. Ľviv, Fpl. I, in western Ukraine. An immediately scheduled excavation should deliver information about the character and state of preserving of the site. It took place in summer 2017 under the direction of Jaroslav Oniščuk (Ivan Franko University Ľviv). At the very beginning of these investigations, two extremely interesting graves (1 and 2) were discovered, dating back to the late second century AD. Grave 1 contained fragments of a Roman amphora dating from the second third of the 1st century BC to the middle of the 2nd century AD, a terra sigillata vessel with applied decoration, a severely disintegrated horse skull and bridle of the Vimose type, five iron arrowheads, ritually bent iron scissors, a fragmentary shield shackle, two molten and broken bronze spurs and belt fittings. Given his inventory grave 2 can be named “princely grave“. As a urn was used a bronze cauldron with three busts of Germanic men with the so-called Suebian knot, to which there are known only two parallels next to a loose find of a single bust. As a second metal vessel, the grave contained a bronze bucket, furthermore two glass goblets with oval cut facets, two glass bowls, and a fifth glass vessel so badly decomposed that it could not be retrieved. Also email-decorated drinking horn components made of copper alloy have to be mentioned. They and the finds of Roman provenance from grave 2 can be called spectacular. They indicate an outstanding position of the owner in his environment and also on a supraregional scale. The graves can be dated to the time of the Marcomannic Wars or shortly thereafter and are certainly related to these events in a causal connection. Zusammenfassung: Vinniki über den Fund von mehreren Metallgegenständen informiert, die von Sondengängern im Gebiet des Dorfes Kariv, obl. Ľviv, Fpl. I, in der Westukraine entdeckt wurden. Eine unverzüglich anberaumte Verifizierungsgrabung sollte Aufschluss über den Charakter und Erhaltungszustand des Platzes geben. Sie fand im Sommer 2017 unter der Leitung von Jaroslav Oniščuk (Ivan Franko-Universität Ľviv) statt. Sofort bei Beginn dieser Untersuchungen wurden zwei äußerst bemerkenswerte Grablegen (Grab 1 und Grab 2) des späten zweiten Jahrhunderts n.Chr. freigelegt. Grab 1 barg Fragmente einer römischen Amphore die in die Zeit vom zweiten Drittel des 1. Jh. bis in die Mitte des 2. Jh. datiert, eines Terra Sigillata-Gefäßes mit applizierter Verzierung, einen stark zersetzten Pferdeschädel samt Zaumzeug vom Typ Vimose, fünf eiserne Pfeilspitzen, eine rituell verbogene Eisenschere, eine fragmentarische Schildfessel, das Fragment eines Schildbuckels, zwei angeschmolzene und zerbrochene Bügelsporen aus Bronze sowie Gürtelbeschläge. Grab 2 verdient aufgrund seines Inventars die forschungsgeschichtlich fest etablierte Bezeichnung „Fürstengrab“. Als Urne diente ein Bronzekessel mit drei Attaschen in Form von Germanen mit Suebenknoten, zu dem es neben einer einzelnen Attasche bislang nur zwei Parallelen gibt. Als zweites Metallgefäß barg das Grab einen Eimer mit Frauenkopfattaschen, ferner zwei Glasbecher mit Ovalschlifffacetten, zwei ineinandergestellte Glasschalen sowie ein fünftes Glasgefäß, das so stark zersetzt war, dass es nicht geborgen werden konnte. Als weitere Beigaben sind vor allem emailverzierte Trinkhornbestandteile aus Kupferlegierung zu nennen. Diese und die Funde römischer Provenienz aus Grab 2 sind spektakulär zu nennen; sie zeigen eine herausragende Position des einstigen Besitzers in seinem Umfeld und auch im überregionalen Maßstab an. Die Gräber können in die Zeit während der Markomannenkriege oder kurz danach datiert werden und stehen mit diesen Ereignissen sicher in einem ursächlichen Zusammenhang.

D-Egg: A next-generation optical module for IceCube

The Dual optical sensors in an Ellipsoid Glass for Gen2 (DEgg) is one of the optical modules being developed for the IceCube-upgrade and the IceCube-Gen2 projects. The D-Egg has two 8-inch high-quantum-efficiency PMTs facing downwards and upwards, which are coupled to a highly ultraviolet-transparent glass vessel to detect Cherenkov photons in nearly all directions. In this paper, expected performances of the D-Egg are discussed.

A 12th century set of marvered purple glass vessels from Branicevo (Serbia)

During the 2011 archaeological excavations at the Mali Grad site in Branicevo, a set of at least 16 vessels made of translucent dark-purple glass and decorated with marvered opaque white trails was discovered. This unique glass assemblage, consisting of at least eight bowls, three bottles, two cylindrical flasks and three further vessels which can be possibly attributed to flasks, was found in the most significant archaeological context in the urban centre of Branicevo, in the layer above the floor in House No 4. According to other archaeological finds from the same context, coins in particular, the glass vessel set is dated to the 12th century. Importantly, the finds from Branicevo are so far the earliest securely-dated vessels of this type in the territory of the Byzantine Empire, post-dating the reestablishment of its control over the Balkan Peninsula in the 11th century.