Latent-to-sensible heat conversion kinetics during nanoparticle coalescence.

Coagulational growth in an aerosol is a multistep process; first particles collide, and then they coalesce with one another. Coalescence kinetics have been investigated in numerous prior studies, largely through atomistic simulations of nanoclusters (102-104 atoms). However, with a few exceptions, they have either assumed the process is completely isothermal or is a constant energy process. During coalescence, there is the formation of new bonds, decreasing potential energy, and correspondingly increasing internal kinetic (thermal) energy. Internal kinetic energy evolution is dependent not only on coalescence kinetics but also on heat transfer to the surrounding gas. Here, we develop and test a model of internal kinetic energy evolution in collisionally formed nanoclusters in the presence of a background gas. We find that internal kinetic energy dynamics hinge upon a power law relationship describing latent-to-sensible heat release as well as a modified thermal accommodation coefficient. The model is tested against atomistic models of 1.5-3.0 nm embedded-atom gold nanocluster sintering in argon and helium environments. The model results are in excellent agreement with the simulation results for all tested conditions. Results show that nanocluster effective temperatures can increase by hundreds of Kelvin due to coalescence, but that the rise and re-equilibration of the internal kinetic energy is strongly dependent on the background gas environment. Interestingly, internal kinetic energy change kinetics are also found to be distinct from surface area change kinetics, suggesting that modeling coalescence heat release solely due to surface area change is inaccurate.

Inhaled fosamprenavir for laryngopharyngeal reflux: Toxicology and fluid dynamics modeling.

Objectives: Approximately 25% of Americans suffer from laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), a disease for which no effective medical therapy exists. Pepsin is a predominant source of damage during LPR and a key therapeutic target. Fosamprenavir (FOS) inhibits pepsin and prevents damage in an LPR mouse model. Inhaled FOS protects at a lower dose than oral; however, the safety of inhaled FOS is unknown and there are no inhalers for laryngopharyngeal delivery. A pre-Good Lab Practice (GLP) study of inhaled FOS was performed to assess safety and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling used to predict the optimal particle size for a laryngopharyngeal dry powder inhaler (DPI). Methods: Aerosolized FOS, amprenavir (APR), or air (control) were provided 5 days/week for 4 weeks (n = 6) in an LPR mouse model. Organs (nasal cavity, larynx, esophagus, trachea, lung, liver, heart, and kidney) were assessed by a pathologist and bronchoalveolar lavage cytokines and plasma cardiotoxicity markers were assessed by Luminex assay. CFD simulations were conducted in a model of a healthy 49-year-old female. Results: No significant increase was observed in histologic lesions, cytokines, or cardiotoxicity markers in FOS or APR groups relative to the control. CFD predicted that laryngopharyngeal deposition was maximized with aerodynamic diameters of 8.1-11.5 µm for inhalation rates of 30-60 L/min. Conclusions: A 4-week pre-GLP study supports the safety of inhaled FOS. A formal GLP assessment is underway to support a phase I clinical trial of an FOS DPI for LPR. Level of Evidence: NA.