In order to maintain stable blood pressure and heart rate during surgery, anesthesiologists need to administer the appropriate amount of fluid with appropriate fluid type to the patient, then quantifying how fluid is distributed and eliminated from the body is useful for establishing a fluid administration strategy. In this study we characterized the volume kinetics of Ringer's lactate solution in patients undergoing open gastrectomy. When propofol and remifentanil reached a pseudosteady state at the target concentration and blood pressure was stabilized following surgical stimulation, enrolled patients were administered 1000 mL of Ringer's lactate solution for 20 min, followed by continuous infusion at a rate of 6 mL/kg/h until the time of the last blood collection for volume kinetic analysis. Arterial blood samples were collected to measure the hemoglobin concentration at different time points. The change in hemoglobin-derived plasma dilution induced by the administration of Ringer's lactate solution was evaluated by nonlinear mixed effects modeling. Three hundred and twenty-three plasma dilution data points from 27 patients were used to determine the pharmacokinetic characteristics of Ringer's lactate solution. A two-volume model best described the pharmacokinetics of Ringer's lactate solution. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and body weight (WT) were significant covariates for the elimination clearance (k r ) and central volume of distribution at baseline (V c0 ), respectively. The parameter estimates were as follows: k r (mL/min) = 124 + (MAP/70) 14.2 , V c0 (mL) = 0.95 + 3440 × (WT/63), V t0 (mL) = 2730, and k t (mL/min) = 181. A higher MAP was associated with a greater elimination clearance and, consequently, less water accumulation in the interstitium. As body weight increases, volume expansion in the blood vessels increases.

The oral disintegrating film (ODF) has advantages over suspension and tablet. These include convenience of administration, patient compliance, and accurate dosing. We evaluated the bioequivalence between the ODF and the meloxicam suspension by using a crossover design with a 3‐week washout period. Six healthy male beagle dogs were randomized to receive both formulations of meloxicam, 2 mg. Plasma meloxicam concentrations were measured at the same times. From the start until maximum concentration, the initial absorption of the ODF meloxicam formulation was more rapid (2.08 ± 1.56 hr) as compared to the suspension (3.33 ± 1.03 hr). Mean elimination half‐lives were 28.77 ± 4.01 and 32.85 ± 9.79 hr for the ODF and the suspension, respectively. Bioequivalence of the ODF was confirmed, based on the relative ratios of geometric mean concentrations (and 90% confidence intervals within the range of 80%–125%) for a maximum concentration of 101.05% (88.59–115.25), for the area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) to the last sampling time of 96.07% (87.06–115.25), and for AUC to infinity of 92.65% (86.76–98.94). The meloxicam ODF may be used as an alternative to suspension formulations in the treatment of inflammatory joint diseases and painful musculoskeletal disorders.

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The transition into posthuman era has called for the departure from humanist and representationalist approaches to qualitative research that provide specific tools to explore educational phenomena. Actor-Network Theory (ANT) has recently been gaining attention as an alternative approach to qualitative research that focuses on various socio-material phenomena emerging as effects of more-than-human entanglements. This article aims to clarify the theoretical and practical meanings of analyzing educational phenomena through ANT as one of posthumanist approaches to qualitative research methodology, and to examine the key issues of utilizing it. This article names ANT-ish approaches to analyzing (educational) heterogeneous phenomena as ‘assembling’ and discusses the ‘post-critical’ aspects and the major methodological characteristics of such approaches. Next, it examines the following issues involved in the process of ‘becoming a (educational) qualitative researcher’ utilizing ANT; researchers’ positionality, ways of data analysis and writing, and validity of ANT-based qualitative research. Finally, the directions are suggested for developing ANT-based qualitative research methodologies (working in practice) to delve into the complexities, dynamics, and ambivalences of certain educational phenomena.