MRI predicts intracranial hemorrhage in patients who receive long-term oral anticoagulation.

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients with cardioembolic ischemic stroke who are treated with oral anticoagulants (OAs) can be predicted by evaluating surrogate markers of hemorrhagic-prone cerebral angiopathies using a baseline MRI.

Methods: Patients were participants in a multicenter and prospective observational study. They were older than 64 years, had a recent cardioembolic ischemic stroke, and were new users of OAs.

Chemometric approach for discriminating tobacco trademarks by near infrared spectroscopy.

Cigarettes are consumer products with a broad market-driven orientation. In order to satisfy the different needs of smokers, cigarette trademarks with different aroma, taste and appearance are available on the market. In this study near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics was applied in order to distinguish cigarette trademarks by analysing the tobacco.

Pyrocarbon arthroplasty in acute unreconstructable radial head fractures: mid-term to long term results.

Background: The aim of this study is to describe the mid-term radiological findings appearing in patients with a pyrocarbon radial head prosthesis, and to correlate them to patient symptoms.

Materials And Methods: We review 18 patients who underwent radial head implantation of the MoPyC prosthesis between 2004 and 2015, due to unreconstructible radial head fractures. The clinical outcomes were assessed with Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS).

Spectroscopy applied to feed additives of the European Union Reference Laboratory: a valuable tool for traceability.

Feed additives need to be authorised to be placed on the market according to Regulation (EU) No. 1831/2003. Next to laying down the procedural requirements, the regulation creates the European Union Reference Laboratory for Feed Additives (EURL-FA) and requires that applicants send samples to the EURL-FA.

Optimisation of asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation for the characterisation of nanoparticles in coated polydisperse TiO with applications in food and feed.

Titanium dioxide (TiO) has various applications in consumer products and is also used as an additive in food and feeding stuffs. For the characterisation of this product, including the determination of nanoparticles, there is a strong need for the availability of corresponding methods of analysis. This paper presents an optimisation process for the characterisation of polydisperse-coated TiO nanoparticles.

Differentiation of coccidiostats-containing feed additives by mid and near infrared microscopy.

Coccidiostats belong to the group of feed additives authorised within the European Union exclusively for specific preparations. These preparations not only contain one or more coccidiostats as active substance(s) but also various ingredients such as the carrier, which are included in the European legislation authorising the product. In order to allow the full traceability of the use of feed additives and to check for compliance with legal provisions, there is a strong need for analytical methods that enable the rapid characterisation of these products.

Origin authentication of distillers' dried grains and solubles (DDGS)--application and comparison of different analytical strategies.

In the context of products from certain regions or countries being banned because of an identified or non-identified hazard, proof of geographical origin is essential with regard to feed and food safety issues. Usually, the product labeling of an affected feed lot shows origin, and the paper documentation shows traceability. Incorrect product labeling is common in embargo situations, however, and alternative analytical strategies for controlling feed authenticity are therefore needed.

Validation of a near infrared microscopy method for the detection of animal products in feedingstuffs: results of a collaborative study.

The performance characteristics of a near infrared microscopy (NIRM) method, when applied to the detection of animal products in feedingstuffs, were determined via a collaborative study. The method delivers qualitative results in terms of the presence or absence of animal particles in feed and differentiates animal from vegetable feed ingredients on the basis of the evaluation of near infrared spectra obtained from individual particles present in the sample. The specificity ranged from 86% to 100%.

Novel approach for the simultaneous detection of DNA from different fish species based on a nuclear target: quantification potential.

The development of DNA-based methods for the identification and quantification of fish in food and feed samples is frequently focused on a specific fish species and/or on the detection of mitochondrial DNA of fish origin. However, a quantitative method for the most common fish species used by the food and feed industry is needed for official control purposes, and such a method should rely on the use of a single-copy nuclear DNA target owing to its more stable copy number in different tissues. In this article, we report on the development of a real-time PCR method based on the use of a nuclear gene as a target for the simultaneous detection of fish DNA from different species and on the evaluation of its quantification potential.

Transdermal delivery of alprazolam from a monolithic patch: formulation based on in vitro characterization.

Alprazolam, a benzodiazepine widely used for the treatment of psychiatric disorders, has been aimed to be formulated in a transdermal delivery system (TDS) prototype. A series of TDS prototypes dosed in all cases at 0.35 mg·cm(-2) of alprazolam were prepared as a monolithic drug in adhesive matrix using acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA) of acrylate vinyl acetate (Duro-tack(®)).

Key parameters for the development of a NIR microscopic method for the quantification of processed by-products of animal origin in compound feedingstuffs.

The aim of this work is to show new advances in the analytical methods developed in the frame of the ban of processed animal by-products in compound feed that is currently applied within the European Union. With this aim, studies to develop a quantitative near infrared microscopy (NIRM) approach have been undertaken in order to fulfil future requirements of European legislation like the introduction of tolerance levels that would require for official control purposes the availability of specific quantitative methods. The capabilities of the NIRM method have been improved; no sample preparation is required and the acquisition parameters are optimised.

Validation of an analytical method for the determination of glyceroltriheptanoate (GTH) in processed animal by-products: results of a collaborative study.

The performance characteristics of a method for the determination of the marker substance glycerol triheptanoate (GTH) in processed animal by-products (ABPs) based on gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) were determined via a collaborative study. Within the European Union, GTH needs to be added to the portion of processed ABPs that must not enter the feed and food chain (Categories 1 and 2) at a minimum concentration of 250 mg kg(-1) related to the fat fraction of the test samples analysed. The test materials included in the validation study consisted of three meat and bone meal (MBM) and three fat samples that contained GTH at different concentrations ranging from 61 to 455 mg kg(-1).

Use of glyceroltriheptanoate as marker for processed animal by-products: development and validation of an analytical method.

A recently published European Regulation requires that the artificial marker, glycerol triheptanoate (GTH), be added to processed animal by-product (ABPs) prohibited from entering the food chain. The objective of this new requirement is to allow full traceability and ensure that these materials are disposed of in a proper way. Here, we report the development and single-laboratory validation of an analytical method for the determination of GTH in meat and bone meal plus animal fat.

Novel approach for interlaboratory transfer of real-time PCR methods: detecting bovine meat and bone meal in feed.

The availability of robust methods for the species-specific detection of meat and bone meal (MBM) in compound feedingstuffs is an important prerequisite to enforce current and upcoming European legislation on the use of processed animal proteins in animal nutrition. Among possible methods, those based on DNA turned out to be a reliable tool for this aim, since DNA is a quite thermostable molecule able to resist severe heat treatments applied in the manufacturing of animal meals. The application of such methods by control laboratories implies that the method has been validated including an assessment of its robustness.

Transferability study of a near-infrared microscopic method for the detection of banned meat and bone meal in feedingstuffs.

Near-infrared microscopy (NIRM) has been proved to be a powerful tool for the detection of banned meat and bone meal (MBM) in feed. The identification of MBM traces and its ability to differentiate animal from vegetable feed ingredients is based on the evaluation of near-infrared spectra obtained from individual particles present in the sample. This evaluation is supported by appropriate decision rules for the absorbances at specific wavelengths.

Detection of ruminant meat and bone meals in animal feed by real-time polymerase chain reaction: result of an interlaboratory study.

The commercialization of animal feeds infected by prions proved to be the main cause of transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Therefore, feed bans were enforced, initially for ruminant feeds, and later for all feeds for farmed animals. The development and validation of analytical methods for the species-specific detection of animal proteins in animal feed has been indicated in the TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies) Roadmap (European Commission.

Determination of processed animal proteins in feed: The performance characteristics of classical microscopy and immunoassay methods.

Species-specific detection and detection of groups of species such as ruminants is required according to European legislation dealing with the safe use of animal by-products in animal nutrition. Various methods are applied to the analysis of feed samples for the presence of banned processed animal proteins (PAPs) including meat and bone meal (MBM). Classical microscopy as described in the Commission Directive EC/2003/126 is the only official method to detect the presence of constituents of animal origin in feed, nevertheless some deviating protocols allowed under the old Directive (EC/88/1988) claim to gain comparable results.

Estimation of transdermal permeation parameters in non-stationary diffusion experiments. Application to pre-treatment studies with terpenes.

Purpose: To estimate the applicability of transdermal drug permeation parameters in a finite-dose model for skin pre-treated with terpenes and to evaluate the enhancing effect of some terpene formulations on alprazolam permeation.

Methods: In vitro enhancement of alprazolam human skin permeation was investigated using a pretreatment with different terpene solutions. Vertical diffusion, Franz-type cells were used.