Hydrophilic and hydrophobic cyclodextrins in a new sustained release oral formulation of nicardipine: in vitro evaluation and bioavailability studies in rabbits.

The feasibility of using complexes with cyclodextrins (CDs) in nicardipine (NC) controlled delivery has been examined, with a view to extending the pharmaceutical applications spectrum of these carriers. For a fast release fraction, a hydrophilic beta-cyclodextrin derivative (hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin) was employed to form a water-soluble complex. For the sustained-releasing portion, triacetyl-beta-cyclodextrin (TAbetaCD) was used to provide complexes with appropriate hydrophobicity.

Population pharmacokinetics of digoxin in pediatric patients.

Digoxin pharmacokinetics were studied in a pediatric population with an age range of 6 days to 1 year using the population pharmacokinetic approach. Digoxin data were analyzed by mixed-effects modeling according to a one-compartment steady-state pharmacokinetic model using NONMEM software. The final model selected for the population prediction of digoxin clearance in pediatric patients was as follows: [equation: see text] Individual empirical Bayesian estimates were generated on the basis of the population estimates and were used to correlate the optimum dose of digoxin and patient age according to the following equation: [equation: see text] This equation and its derived nomogram may be used for the initial dosing of digoxin in children aged between 0 and 1 year.

Brazilian dental students' knowledge and attitudes towards HIV infection.

The purpose of this study was to investigate a group of Brazilian dental students' knowledge about HIV infection, the infection control measures utilized by the dental students, and students' attitudes towards treating HIV/AIDS patients. The study population consisted of 250 dental students from Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil, who were treating patients in clinics of the university and extra-mural rotations at the time of the study. The survey instrument was a self-administered questionnaire which consisted of 32 pre-coded questions and two open-ended questions.

Linear regression for calibration lines revisited: weighting schemes for bioanalytical methods.

When the assumption of homoscedasticity is not met for analytical data, a simple and effective way to counteract the greater influence of the greater concentrations on the fitted regression line is to use weighted least squares linear regression (WLSLR). The purpose of the present paper is to stress the relevance of weighting schemes for linear regression analysis and to show how this approach can be useful in the bioanalytical field. The steps to be taken in the study of the linear calibration approach are described.

Redescription of the male of Lutzomyia lutziana (Costa Lima) and description of the female (Diptera: Psychodidae).

During the course of taxonomic studies of New World phlebotomine sand flies, it was discovered that the female specimen considered to be the female of Lutzomyia lutziana does not belong to this species. A new description of the female of L. lutziana is presented, based on specimens captured in Lassance, State of Minas Gerais, the type locality of the species.

Phlebotomine sand flies in the State of Piauí, Brazil (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae).

In 1997, 1998 and 1999 we performed several captures in the State of Piauí, in the counties of Barro Duro, Campo Maior, Castelo, Floriano, Picos, São Raimundo Nonato and Teresina. We used CDC light traps inside houses, in a primary forest and in one cave. Seventeen species were collected being Lutzomyia longipalpis, Lutzomyia samueli, Lutzomyia whitmani and Lutzomyia lenti the most captured species.

[Technical aspects of intracranial pressure monitoring by subarachnoid method in severe head injury].

Two hundred and six patients with severe head injury (Glasgow Coma Scale of 8 points or less after nonsurgical resuscitation on admission), managed at Intensive Care Unit-Hospital das Clínicas - Universidade Estadual de Campinas were prospectively analysed. All patients were assessed by CT scan and 72 required neurosurgical intervention. All patients were continuously monitored to evaluate intracranial pressure (ICP) levels by a subarachnoid device (11 with subarachnoid metallic bolts and 195 with subarachnoid polyvinyl catheters).

[Phlebotomine sand flies in the State of Tocantins, Brazil (Diptera: Psychodidae)].

Between 1997-1998, the authors carried out sporadic collection of sand flies in the municipalities of Paraíso de Tocantins, Monte do Carmo, Porto Nacional and Monte Santo all in the Tocantins State of northern Brazil. Human bait was used in Monte Santo and a battery operated light trap in other municipalities. The ecotypes chosen for the traps were in the peridomiciles, inside the houses, in the forest and the orchard.

Multiple organ failure in septic patients.

Multiple organ failure (MOF) is the main cause of death in ICUs, especially affecting septic patients. It is strongly related to number of systems with failure, type of system involved, risk factors such as age, previous chronic diseases, delayed or inadequate resuscitation, persistent infection, immune suppression, and others. The prognoses is worse for patients rather than in elective or emergency surgical patients.

Lamotrigine analysis in blood and brain by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay was developed and validated to determine plasma and brain lamotrigine concentrations allowing pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic studies of this new antiepileptic drug in patients and laboratory animals. Lamotrigine and its internal standard were extracted, under alkaline conditions, from plasma and brain homogenate, into ethyl acetate; brain proteins were previously precipitated with trichloroacetic acid. The method was linear between 0.

Population kinetics of tobramycin in neonates.

The population kinetics of tobramycin were studied in 140 neonates (100/40 patients for the index/validation groups, respectively) of 30 to 42 weeks' gestational age and 0.8 to 4.25 kg current body weight in their first 2 weeks of life, undergoing routine therapeutic drug monitoring of their tobramycin serum levels.

[Cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte: clinical, laboratorial, therapeutic and prognosis features (1989-1995)].

This study investigated clinical, laboratorial, therapeutic and prognostic aspects of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Belo Horizonte in 358 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and 25 with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL). Compared to CL patients, the MCL patients reported longer duration of disease and higher frequency of other diseases, suggesting that debilitation caused by leishmaniasis or other conditions might contribute to activation and/or mucous dissemination of the parasite. The sensitivity of skin test, indirect immunofluorescence reactions and direct detection of parasites was 78.

A new sand fly, Lutzomyia campograndensis sp. n. (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) from the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

During studies of the phlebotomine sand fly fauna of Campo Grande, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, a new species was captured with CDC light trap and is described here. The new species resembles Lutzomyia lutziana (Costa Lima) and is named Lutzomyia campograndensis sp. n.

Therapeutic monitoring of warfarin: the appropriate response marker.

Warfarin is a 4-hydroxycoumarin anticoagulant drug used for the prevention and management of thromboembolic and vascular diseases. It acts through the inhibition of the vitamin K-dependent transcarboxylation reactions that convert precursors of clotting factors into their active form. Appropriate use of warfarin requires patient monitoring and dosage adjustments, to ensure its safety and efficacy.

[First record of finding Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) in the urban area of Brazil].

This is a report of the first finding of visceral leishmaniasis' vector Lutzomyia longipalpis in the urban area of Campo Grande, State of Mato Grosso do Sul. The importance of this finding regarding the transmission of the disease in this area is discussed.

A 3D generalization of user-steered live-wire segmentation.

We have been developing user-steered image segmentation methods for situations which require considerable human assistance in object definition. In the past, we have presented two paradigms, referred to as live-wire and live-lane, for segmenting 2D/3D/4D object boundaries in a slice-by-slice fashion, and demonstrated that live-wire and live-lane are more repeatable, with a statistical significance level of P < 0.03, and are 1.

Lutzomyia naftalekatzi, a new species of phlebotomine sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Zona da Mata region, Pernambuco, Brazil.

Lutzomyia naftalekatzi, a new phlebotomine sand fly belonging to the L. aragaoi species group, is described from specimens collected in Zona da Mata region of Pernambuco, Brazil.

The kinetic profile of gentamicin in premature neonates.

The kinetic profile of gentamicin in premature infants has been studied to enable the development of optimized dosage schedules for neonatal intensive-care units and to stress the relationship between the pharmacokinetic parameters and several demographic, developmental and clinical factors which might be associated with changes in gentamicin disposition. Sixty-eight newborn patients of 24- to 34-weeks gestational age and 600-3,100 g current weight in their first week of life, undergoing routine therapeutic drug monitoring of their gentamicin serum levels, were included in this retrospective analysis. Gentamicin pharmacokinetic parameters were determined through non-linear regression by using a single-compartment open model.

[Cerebral hemometabolism: variability in the acute phase of traumatic coma].

Objective: to evaluate the interrelationships between cerebral and systemic hemometabolic alterations in patients with severe traumatic brain injury managed according to a standardized therapeutic protocol.

Design: prospective, interventional study in patients with traumatic coma.

Setting: a general Intensive Care Unit in a teaching hospital.

Theophylline pharmacokinetics with concomitant steroid and gold therapy.

Background: Theophylline has been used for several decades in the treatment of asthma. In recent years, however, with the appreciation of the importance of inflammation in the pathogenesis of asthma, new therapeutic approaches have arisen, including beta2-agonists, steroid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as gold salts.

Objective: In the present work we studied the kinetic behaviour of theophylline administered concomitantly with methylprednisolone (steroid compound) and auranofin (oral gold) in six adult female patients.

[Sand flies in Timóteo, Minas Gerais, Brazil].

Sporadic cases of tegumentary leishmaniasis have occurred in Timóteo, Minas Gerais State, basically among the rural population. In order to study the region's sand fly population, New Jersey light traps were set in seven different neighborhoods. Specimens were gathered from June through October 1994, December 1994, and January through March 1995, with a total of 3,240 hours per trap.

An ultra-fast user-steered image segmentation paradigm: live wire on the fly.

We have been developing general user steered image segmentation strategies for routine use in applications involving a large number of data sets. In the past, we have presented three segmentation paradigms: live wire, live lane, and a three-dimensional (3-D) extension of the live-wire method. In this paper, we introduce an ultra-fast live-wire method, referred to as live wire on the fly, for further reducing user's time compared to the basic live-wire method.

Notes on phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: psychodidae) from Amapá State, North Brazil.

Eighteen species of sand fly were collected from Amapá Sate, Brazil, with Centers for Disease Control light traps during May 1998. Five species (Lutzomyia aragaoi, L. inpai, L.