Novel automated assay for the quality control of mexiletine hydrochloride formulations using sequential injection and on-line dilution.

The first automated method for the determination of mexiletine hydrochloride - an antiarrhythmic agent - is reported. The method is based on the reaction of the analyte with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) in the presence of sulfite in basic medium using a sequential injection (SI) manifold. The reaction product was monitored spectrofluorimetrically (lambda(ex)=350 nm/lambda(em)=446 nm).

Baseline Sensitivity of Botrytis cinerea to Pyraclostrobin and Boscalid and Control of Anilinopyrimidine- and Benzimidazole-Resistant Strains by These Fungicides.

Fifty-five isolates of Botrytis cinerea collected from vegetable crops were used to determine the pathogen's baseline sensitivity to two new fungicides: boscalid, which inhibits the enzyme succinate dehydrogenase in the electron transport chain, and pyraclostrobin, which blocks electron transport between cytochrome b and cytochrome c. Measurement of sensitivity to boscalid was based on both inhibition of mycelial growth and spore germination, while measurement of sensitivity to pyraclostrobin was based only on inhibition of spore germination. For both fungicides, the sensitivity distribution was a unimodal curve, with a mean EC value (effective concentration that reduces mycelial growth or spore germination by 50%) of 0.

Expression of an HCV core antigen coding gene in tobacco (N. tabacum L.).

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major agent causing chronic liver disease. The core gene is the most conserved sequence in the HCV genome and proved immunoreactive when expressed in bacteria and antigenic in humans. In order to test the ability of plants to express the core gene for the production of core antigen, transgenic tobacco plants carrying the core gene were generated.

Determination of bisphosphonate active pharmaceutical ingredients in pharmaceuticals and biological material: a review of analytical methods.

Bisphosphonates is a class of chemical compounds finding extensive medical applications against bone disorders including osteoporosis, Pagets' disease, etc. Non-N-containing members include etidronate, clodronate and tiludronate, while N-containing bisphosphonates include active pharmaceutical compounds such as pamidronate, neridronate, olpadronate, alendronate, ibandronate, risedronate and zoledronate. The present study covers 20 years of analytical research on this group of compounds, focusing on bioanalytical and pharmaceutical QC applications.

Shear bond strength of a light-cured veneering composite to fiber-reinforced composite substrates.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the shear bond strength of a veneering composite to 2 differently treated fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) substrates and to a base metal alloy.

Materials And Methods: A veneering composite (SR Adoro) was bonded to the following substrates: (1) a nickel-chromium base metal alloy (control, group A), (2) an FRC substructure (Vectris) with a flat surface (group B), and (3) an FRC substructure (Vectris) with retentive rods 0.5 x 0.

Interposition arthroplasty of the first metatarsophalangeal joint with a fascia lata allograft.

A new technique for interposition arthroplasty of the first metatarsoplalangeal joint is described. It involves minimal resection of the base of the proximal phalanx and the use of a fascia lata allograft. The method is simple, safe, and easily reproducible.

Primary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the lumbar spine.

Background Context: Primary epitheliod hemangioendotheliomas of the lumbar spine are extremely rare tumors with an unpredictable clinical course.

Purpose: To present a case of primary lumbar epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and its treatment protocol.

Study Design/setting: A tertiary Spinal Unit.

Quantitative nondestructive methods for the determination of ticlopidine in tablets using reflectance near-infrared and Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy.

Two different nondestructive spectroscopy methods based on near-infrared (NIR) and Fourier transform (FT) Raman spectroscopy were developed for the determination of ticlopidine-hydrochloride (TCL) in pharmaceutical formulations and the results were compared to those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). An NIR assay was performed by reflectance over the 850-1700 nm region using a partial least squares (PLS) prediction model, while the absolute FT-Raman intensity of TCL's most intense vibration was used for constructing the calibration curve. For both methodologies the spectra were obtained from the as-received film-coated tablets of TCL.

Snapping knee syndrome in an athlete caused by the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons. A case report.

We report a case of symptomatic subluxation of the semitendinosus and gracilis over the posteromedial corner of the tibia manifesting with snapping. This is the first such case recorded in non-Asian population and in a high-demand athlete. Snapping was reproduced on active extension of the knee and at initiation of flexion and could be readily palpated over the posteromedial aspect of the tibia.

The effect of different corrective feedback methods on the outcome and self confidence of young athletes.

This experiment investigated the effects of three corrective feedback methods, using different combinations of correction, or error cues and positive feedback for learning two badminton skills with different difficulty (forehand clear - low difficulty, backhand clear - high difficulty). Outcome and self-confidence scores were used as dependent variables. The 48 participants were randomly assigned into four groups.

[Renal failure: Biological and Psychosocial consequences].

One of the most challenging patient groups that the psychiatrist of consultation-liaison psychiatry is called to work with, are the patients with Renal Failure, since this disease is related to complicated and multidimensional physical and psychosocial problems. In this review, a holistic approach is attempted, considering the biological, psychological and psychosocial factors related to the disease and to specific therapeutical programs as well. The interaction of these factors and their impact not only on the course of the disease, but also on the quality of life are discussed.

Carotid artery disease in octogenarians: endarterectomy or stenting?

Aim: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the gold standard for the treatment of carotid stenosis, but carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) has emerged as a potential less invasive therapeutic alternative to patients who would otherwise be considered as high risk for open surgery. The aim of this review was to pool the most current studies of the growing body of literature in which outcomes of CEA or CAS are compared in octogenarians and non-octogenarians to determine the current safety and efficacy of these therapeutic procedures, due to a lack of randomized controlled trials.

Methods: An electronic search of Medline, PubMed and Cochrane databases was supplemented by a review of bibliographies of relevant articles, as well as manual searches of relevant journals.

Unexpected dose to the daughter of a patient treated with iodine-131 for hyperthyroidism.

Patients treated with radioiodine for thyrotoxicosis and hyperthyroidism are a source of radiation exposure and represent a potential radiation hazard for the people in their environment. Doses to the relatives can be estimated from dose rates of the patient or measured with a proper dosimeter. Sensitive thermoluminescent dosimeters have been used to measure the doses absorbed by the family members of patients treated with iodine-131 ((131)I) for thyrotoxicosis.

Heterocyclic aryl(phenyl)acetic Acid and aryl acetohydroxamic acids as antiinflammatory -antioxidant agents and inhibitors of lipoxygenase and serine proteases.

Taking into account that compounds bearing a thiazolyl, pyridyl and indolyl, moieties possess a wide spectrum of biological activities which is related to their capacity to transfer electrons and to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), we synthesized some new heterocyclic aryl acetic acids and the corresponding acetohydroxamic acids and we explored their ability to inhibit soybean lipoxygenase, to present antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities as well as to present serine proteases inhibition. The compounds were found to strongly inhibit lipid peroxidation and to decrease in vivo the carrageenin induced rat paw edema (28-56%). Compound 1i possesses the highest decrease 56%, in vivo.

Concomitant cholecystectomy and open heart surgery.

Purpose: Cholelithiasis may be present concomitantly with cardiac disease. We performed a retrospective study to verify the safety and efficacy of synchronous cholecystectomy and open heart surgery.

Methods: Between 1999 and 2004, we performed synchronous cholecystectomy and open heart surgery in nine patients (group A) and open heart surgery alone in 1248 patients (group B).

PCB levels and accumulation patterns in waterbird eggs and in their prey at Lake Kerkini, a north-eastern Mediterranean wetland of international importance.

Seven "target" PCB levels were determined and compared in waterbird eggs, in their prey, and in water at Lake Kerkini, northern Greece, to investigate PCB bioaccumulation patterns and to define the best bioindicator of target PCBs for this area. PCBs were analysed from eggs of Phalacrocorax carbo, Podiceps cristatus, Ardea cinerea, Egretta garzetta, and Nycticorax nycticorax and from prey types Alburnus alburnus, Rutilus rutilus, Lepomis gibbosus. Carassius auratus, and Rana sp.

Laparoscopic placement of ventriculoperitoneal shunts: an innovative simplification of the existing techniques.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS) remains one of the alternative choices for the surgical treatment of hydrocephalus. During the last two decades laparoscopy has been utilized to facilitate the placement of the abdominal portion of the shunt. We describe a minimally invasive laparoscopic technique, which facilitates the rapid, safe and direct placement of the peritoneal component of the VPS.

Soft-tissue myoepithelioma of the hypothenar region: a case report.

Myoepithelial tumors only recently have been recognized as occurring primarily in soft tissue, and only a few cases have been described in the literature. The occurrence of these tumors in the hand is even more limited. In this article, we review the clinical, radiologic, and histologic features of a benign myoepithelioma of the hypothenar region of the left hand.

Resistance of Botrytis cinerea Isolates from Vegetable Crops to Anilinopyrimidine, Phenylpyrrole, Hydroxyanilide, Benzimidazole, and Dicarboximide Fungicides.

During February 2005, 55 single-spore isolates of Botrytis cinerea were collected at the end of the season from vegetable crops grown in 18 greenhouses on the island of Crete, Greece. They were tested for sensitivity to the anilinopyrimidine fungicides pyrimethanil and cyprodinil, the hydroxyanilide fungicide fenhexamid, the phenylpyrrole fungicide fludioxonil, the dicarboximide fungicide iprodione, and the benzimidazole fungicide carbendazim. Results of the study showed the existence of benzimidazole- and dicarboximide-resistant strains at frequencies of 61.

Effects of the novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compound [N-(2-thiolethyl)-2- {2- [N'- (2,6- dichlorophenyl) amino] phenyl}acetamide on cytokines and apoptosis in ischaemic rat brain.

Ischaemia-reperfusion injury is associated with an inflammatory response as well as apoptosis in the affected area. Inflammatory responses are characterized, among others, by an increased production of several cytokines, while caspases are implicated in the control of apoptosis. The aim of the present work was to determine changes in the levels of inflammatory and apoptotic indices in the rat brain after cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion and to evaluate the effect of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compound N-(2-thiolethyl)-2-{2-[N'-[2,6-dichlorophenyl)aminolphenyl} acetamide on these indices.

The effects of a twenty-four-week aquatic training program on muscular strength performance in healthy elderly women.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of a 24-week aquatic training (AT) program, which included both aerobic and resistance components, on muscle strength (isometric and dynamic), flexibility, and functional mobility in healthy women over 60 years of age. Twenty-two subjects were assigned randomly to either an AT (n = 12) or a control (C, n = 10) group. Volunteers participated in a supervised shallow-water exercise program for 60 minutes a day, 3 days a week; the exercise program consisted of a 10-minute warm-up and stretching, 25 minutes of endurance-type exercise (dancing) at 80% of heart rate (HR)(max), 20 minutes of upper- and lower-body resistance exercises with specialized water-resistance equipment, and a 5-minute cool down.

Lipoxygenase inhibitors: a comparative QSAR study review and evaluation of new QSARs.

This paper contains a quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) study for lipoxygenase (LO) inhibitors. It reveals that in almost all cases, the clog P parameter plays an important part in the QSARs (linear or bilinear model). In some cases the steric factors such as the overall molar refractivity (CMR) or the substituents molar refractivity (MR) (linear or parabola) are important.

Design and study of some novel ibuprofen derivatives with potential nootropic and neuroprotective properties.

Six novel ibuprofen derivatives and related structures, incorporating a proline moiety and designed for neurodegenerative disorders, are studied. They possess anti-inflammatory properties and three of them inhibited lipoxygenase. One compound was found to inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 production in spleenocytes from arthritic rats.

Renal cancer in a patient with Crohn's disease and secondary amyloidosis.

Herein we report the case of a patient suffering from renal amyloidosis secondary to Crohn's disease (CD) who presented with anuria and anasarca 8 years after commencement of colchicine treatment. End-stage renal disease was confirmed. Renal imaging prior to hemodialysis showed tumor of the left kidney.