Differentiation of Colonies Using Volatile Organic Compound Profiles of Hornets and Nests.

(Lepeletier, 1836) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is a eusocial insect that lives in colonies of hundreds to thousands of individuals, which are divided into castes according to their task: queens, workers, and males. The proper functioning of the colony requires communication between the individuals that make up the colony. Chemical signals (pheromones) are the most common means of communication used by these insects to alarm and differentiate between individuals belonging or not to the colony.

Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Capacity of Grape Seed and Grape Skin Phenolic Compounds After Simulated In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion.

Grapes present recognized beneficial effects on human health due to their polyphenolic composition. The grape overproduction together with the wine sales down and the world socioeconomic situation makes the wine grape valorization a promising strategy to give an added-value to this natural product. The objective of the present work was to study the influence of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on antioxidant capacity and polyphenolic profile of skin and seed extracts of different grape varieties (Tempranillo, Graciano, Maturana tinta and Hondarrabi zuri).

Behaviour of (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) under Controlled Environmental Conditions.

From its introduction in Europe, has become an invasive species, since it is a predator of native fruits and insects, most of the latter being honeybees. Despite the knowledge on the life cycle of this hornet, Asian hornet behaviour is not well understood, since in vivo studies on this species are quite difficult to perform. In this work, an observational study of the behaviour of this invasive species in captivity has been carried out.

Exploring the Decomposition Products of 1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene and Perfluoro-(3-methylbutan-2-one) Gas Mixtures in Medium-Voltage Electrical Switchgear as Alternatives to SF6.

In this work, binary and ternary gas mixtures of 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, HFO-1234ze(E), and perfluoro-(3-methylbutan-2-one), CFC()CF(CF), with CO and synthetic air, are presented as alternatives to SF6 in medium-voltage electrical equipment. They were used in four medium-voltage switchgear cubicles replacing SF6 gas, and after a period of time, under permanent 30 kV AC voltage, gas mixture samples were extracted and analyzed on the same day using a validated methodology based on gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) and thermal conductivity (TCD). CF (tetrafluoromethane), CF (hexafluoroethane), CF (hexafluoropropylene), CHF7 (1,1,1,2,2,3,3-heptafluoropropane), CHF (difluoromethane), and the cis and trans-CHF (1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene) have been identified as decomposition products in these gas mixtures.

Optimization and Validation of HS-GC/MS Method for the Controlled Release Study of Microencapsulated Specific Bioattractants for Target-Plaguicide Production.

Insect plagues are a problem often hard to solve due to the harmful effects caused by the pesticides used to combat them. Consequently, the pesticide market is increasingly trying to develop new technologies to prevent the unwanted effects that common plague treatments usually bring with them. In this work, four specific bioattractants of , extracted from fungi (β-ocimene, phenol, p-cresol, and indole) were microencapsulated with β-cyclodextrin in order to produce an economically and environmentally sustainable bait containing biocides in the near future.

Grape polyphenols supplementation for exercise-induced oxidative stress.

Exercise induces free radicals' overproduction and therefore, an enhancement of oxidative stress, defined as an imbalance between the production of reactive species and the intrinsic antioxidant defense. Redox activity of reactive species plays an important and a positive role on exercise adaptation, but these species at very high concentrations have detrimental effects. As a result, the use of antioxidant supplements for reducing oxidative stress can be an effective health strategy to maintain an optimal antioxidant status.

Analysis of the Heterogeneous Distribution of Amiloride and Propranolol in Dried Blood Spot by UHPLC-FLD and MALDI-IMS.

Dried blood spot (DBS) has lately experienced an increase in its use in bioanalysis due to its several advantages compared with traditional blood sampling methods. Nevertheless, the use of DBS with quantitative purposes is hindered by the heterogeneous distribution of some compounds in the supporting matrix and the dependence of the response on different factors, such as the hematocrit, blood volume, and sampling position. In this study the effect of those factors in the analytical response was investigated by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence detection, using amiloride and propranolol as model compounds.

Formulation of Carbopol/Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)s Mucoadhesive Tablets for Buccal Delivery of Hydrocortisone.

Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) has become an excellent alternative to the use of poly(ethylene glycol) in pharmaceutical formulations due to its valuable physicochemical and biological properties. This work presents a formulation of poorly-water soluble drug, hydrocortisone, using interpolymer complexes and physical blends of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)s and two Carbopols (Carbopol 974 and Carbopol 971) for oromucosal administration. The swelling, hydrocortisone release and mucoadhesive properties of a series of tablet formulations obtained by combination of different Carbopols with poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)s of different molecular weights have been evaluated in vitro.

Metabolomic analysis for the study of maturation in pediatrics: Effect of confounding factors in a pilot study.

A pilot study for the investigation of the maturation grade of children has been carried out using plasma samples already analyzed in a previous pharmacokinetic study. By using a meticulous data treatment, possible confounding factors that may hinder the obtained results were identified. By doing so, it was possible to obtain enough evidence to support the feasibility of performing a larger study eluding some unwanted variability and minimizing not only the number of subjects involved but also the time and money spent on the study.

Evaluation of human plasma sample preparation protocols for untargeted metabolic profiles analyzed by UHPLC-ESI-TOF-MS.

Eight human plasma preparation protocols were evaluated for their suitability for metabolomic studies by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry: organic solvent protein precipitation (PPT) with either methanol or acetonitrile in 2:1 and 3:1 (v/v) ratios with plasma; solid-phase extraction (SPE) using C18 or HybridSPE cartridges; and a combination of PPT and SPE C18 cartridges and microextraction by packed sorbent. A study design in which the order of injection of the samples was not randomized is presented. The analyses were conducted in a BEH C18 column (1.

Development of an LC-MS/MS method for the quantitation of 55 compounds prescribed in combined cardiovascular therapy.

This paper reports an LC-MS/MS method with positive electrospray ionization for the screening of commonly prescribed cardiovascular drugs in human plasma, including compounds with antihypertensive (57), antidiabetic (12), hypolipemiant (5), anticoagulant (2) and platelet anti-aggregation (2) effects. Sample treatment consisted of a simple protein precipitation with MeOH/0.1 M ZnSO₄ (4:1, v/v) solution after the addition of internal standard, followed by evaporation and reconstitution.

LC-MS/MS method for the determination of several drugs used in combined cardiovascular therapy in human plasma.

A simple, fast and validated method is reported for the simultaneous analysis, in human plasma, of several drugs usually combined in cardiovascular therapy (atenolol, bisoprolol, hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, salicylic acid, enalapril and its active metabolite enalaprilat, valsartan and fluvastatin) using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI), working in multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM). Separation of analytes and internal standard (pravastatin) was performed on a Luna C18(2) (150mm×4.6mm, 3μm) column using a gradient elution mode with a run time of 15min.

Validation of a fast liquid chromatography-UV method for the analysis of drugs used in combined cardiovascular therapy in human plasma.

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was investigated as a faster alternative to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the simultaneous analysis of drugs usually prescribed in cardiovascular therapy. Upon a previously developed and validated solid phase extraction (SPE)-HPLC-photodiode array (PDA)-fluorescence (FLR) method, separation of chlorthalidone (CLTD; diuretic), valsartan and its metabolite (VAL and VAL-M1 respectively; angiotensin II receptor antagonist drugs) and fluvastatin (FLUV; statin) was performed in human plasma using an RP C18 column (50mmx2.1mm, 1.

Optimization and validation of a SPE-HPLC-PDA-fluorescence method for the simultaneous determination of drugs used in combined cardiovascular therapy in human plasma.

This paper reports the chemometrical optimization and the validation of a quantitative high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-fluorescence (HPLC-PDA-Fluo) method for the simultaneous analysis, in human plasma, of drugs usually combined in cardiovascular therapy. Separation of chlorthalidone (CLTD), valsartan (VAL), valsartan-M1 (VAL-M1), fluvastatin (FLUV) and the internal standard (IS) candesartan cilexetil was performed on a dC18 Atlantis column (100 mm x 3.9 mm, 3 microm) using a gradient with a run time of 15 min.

Separation and quantitation of several angiotensin II receptor antagonist drugs in human urine by a SPE-HPLC-DAD method.

In this work, an SPE-HPLC method coupled to photodiode array detection was validated in human urine matrix, in order to monitor four antihypertensive angiotensin II receptor antagonist drugs in patients under cardiovascular treatment. For that purpose, experimental design was used. Quantitation was accomplished by the internal standard method.

Validated quantitation of angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARA-II) in human plasma by liquid-chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using minimum sample clean-up and investigation of ion suppression.

For the quantitation of angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARA-II) in human plasma, a method using liquid-chromatography (LC)-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has been developed with respect to simple sample clean-up and investigation of ion suppression effects. For sample preparation, protein precipitation using zinc sulphate and methanol showed advantages in speed, recovery, and reproducibility over solid-phase extraction. A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (Sciex API 365) with turbo ionspray source was used for detection of compounds with multireaction monitoring (MRM) of two transitions per compound.

Biovalidation of an SPE-HPLC-UV-fluorescence method for the determination of valsartan and its metabolite valeryl-4-hydroxy-valsartan in human plasma.

A simple and fast method for the simultaneous determination of the antihypertensive drug Valsartan and its metabolite in human plasma has been validated. The proposed method deals with SPE, followed by an HPLC separation coupled with fluorimetric and photometric detection. The optimization of the SPE-HPLC method was achieved by an experimental design.

[Occupational exposure to airborne fungi and bacteria in a household recycled container sorting plant ].

Several studies have showed an association between the work in waste treatment plants and occupational health problems such as irritation of skin, eyes and mucous membranes, pulmonary diseases, gastrointestinal problems and symptoms of organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS). These symptoms have been related to bioaerosol exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the occupational exposure to biological agents in a plant sorting source-separated packages (plastics materials, ferric and non-ferric metals) household waste.

Hydrolysis and transesterification reactions of candesartan cilexetil observed during the solid phase extraction procedure.

Candesartan cilexetil is an angiotensin receptor antagonist widely used in the treatment of high blood pressure. This prodrug is metabolised into candesartan, which blocks the receptors AT1 for angiotensin II decreasing the blood pressure levels. During the development of a solid phase extraction procedure for the chromatographic determination of eight antihypertensive compounds, lack of linearity and reproducibility was observed only for candesartan cilexetil.

Optimization via experimental design of an SPE-HPLC-UV-fluorescence method for the determination of valsartan and its metabolite in human plasma samples.

A chemometric approach was applied for the optimization of the extraction and separation of the antihypertensive drug valsartan and its metabolite valeryl-4-hydroxy-valsartan from human plasma samples. Due to the high number of experimental and response variables to be studied, fractional factorial design (FFD) and central composite design (CCD) were used to optimize the HPLC-UV-fluorescence method. First, the significant variables were chosen with the help of FFD; then, a CCD was run to obtain the optimal values for the significant variables.

Multivariate optimisation of a cyclodextrin-assisted-capillary zone electrophoretic method for the separation of torasemide and its metabolites.

In this work, a rapid cyclodextrin-assisted capillary electrophoretic method is developed for the separation of the diuretic torasemide and three of its metabolites. Both fractional factorial and central composite designs were employed to optimise the separation method. The factors studied were pH, concentration of methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, concentration of the background electrolyte and percentage of acetonitrile as organic modifier.

Determination of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor quinapril and its metabolite quinaprilat in pharmaceuticals and urine by capillary zone electrophoresis and solid-phase extraction.

Quinapril is an antihypertensive drug commonly used in the treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure. In this work, a capillary zone electrophoresis system is optimized for the analysis of quinapril and its active metabolite quinaprilat in urine, as well as for the determination of the drug and its combination with hydrochlorothiazide in pharmaceuticals. The separation takes place in a fused-silica capillary.