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El derecho a una educación de calidad (CPEUM:3; PNUD,2020:4), obliga a Instituciones de Educación Superior (IES), a formar estudiantes científicamente. Formar en ciencias a un estudiante de Derecho es formar Juristas o profesionales capaces de operar sobre las Normas jurídicas para que en su confección y vigencia lleguen a generar justicia y equidad evitando impunidades y tantos objetivos ulteriores que impactan a la vez al resto de los Derechos humanos.Diferenciar definitoriamente los conceptos de “Jurista” y el de “Abogado litigante” parece sencillo, pero requiere de analizar la factibilidad metodológica de una práctica formativa extraordinaria que permita a estudiantes aspirar a ser amorosos amantes de la Norma Jurídica (como objeto de estudio del Derecho), y no solo “usuarios” a conveniencia de la misma. En un contexto de pandemia, mediante clases virtuales vía TEAMS, se opera este paquete didáctico innovador que ha generado hallazgos que podrían permitir la réplica de este ejercicio en otra institución de enseñanza del Derecho interesada.

Abstract Background Effective non-pharmacological cognitive interventions to prevent Alzheimer's dementia or slow its progression are an urgent international priority. The aim of this review was to evaluate cognitive training trials in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and evaluate the efficacy of training in memory strategies or cognitive exercises to determine if cognitive training could benefit individuals at risk of developing dementia. Methods A systematic review of eligible trials was undertaken, followed by effect size analysis. Cognitive training was differentiated from other cognitive interventions not meeting generally accepted definitions, and included both cognitive exercises and memory strategies. Results Ten studies enrolling a total of 305 subjects met criteria for cognitive training in MCI. Only five of the studies were randomized controlled trials. Meta-analysis was not considered appropriate due to the heterogeneity of interventions. Moderate effects on memory outcomes were identified in seven trials. Cognitive exercises (relative effect sizes ranged from .10 to 1.21) may lead to greater benefits than memory strategies (.88 to -1.18) on memory. Conclusions Previous conclusions of a lack of efficacy for cognitive training in MCI may have been influenced by not clearly defining the intervention. Our systematic review found that cognitive exercises can produce moderate-to-large beneficial effects on memory-related outcomes. However, the number of high quality RCTs remains low, and so further trials must be a priority. Several suggestions for the better design of cognitive training trials are provided.

Abstract Background The extent to which mental and physical exercise may slow cognitive decline in adults with early signs of cognitive impairment is unknown. This article provides the rationale and methodology of the first trial to investigate the isolated and combined effects of cognitive training (CT) and progressive resistance training (PRT) on general cognitive function and functional independence in older adults with early cognitive impairment: Study of Mental and Regular Training (SMART). Our secondary aim is to quantify the differential adaptations to these interventions in terms of brain morphology and function, cardiovascular and metabolic function, exercise capacity, psychological state and body composition, to identify the potential mechanisms of benefit and broader health status effects. Methods SMART is a double-blind randomized, double sham-controlled trial. One hundred and thirty-two community-dwelling volunteers will be recruited. Primary inclusion criteria are: at risk for cognitive decline as defined by neuropsychology assessment, low physical activity levels, stable disease, and age over 55 years. The two active interventions are computerized CT and whole body, high intensity PRT. The two sham interventions are educational videos and seated calisthenics. Participants are randomized into 1 of 4 supervised training groups (2 d/wk × 6 mo) in a fully factorial design. Primary outcomes measured at baseline, 6, and 18 months are the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog), neuropsychological test scores, and Bayer Informant Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (B-IADLs). Secondary outcomes are psychological well-being, quality of life, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal function, body composition, insulin resistance, systemic inflammation and anabolic/neurotrophic hormones, and brain morphology and function via Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Spectroscopy (fMRS). Discussion SMART will provide a novel evaluation of the immediate and long term benefits of CT, PRT, and combined CT and PRT on global cognitive function and brain morphology, as well as potential underlying mechanisms of adaptation in older adults at risk of further cognitive decline. Trial Registration Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ANZCTRN12608000489392

The shift to a genotype-first approach in genetic diagnostics has revolutionized our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders, expanding both their molecular and phenotypic spectra. Kleefstra syndrome (KLEFS1) is caused by EHMT1 haploinsufficiency and exhibits broad clinical manifestations. EHMT1 encodes euchromatic histone methyltransferase-1-a pivotal component of the epigenetic machinery. We have recruited 209 individuals with a rare EHMT1 variant and performed comprehensive molecular in silico and in vitro testing alongside DNA methylation (DNAm) signature analysis for the identified variants. We (re)classified the variants as likely pathogenic/pathogenic (molecularly confirming Kleefstra syndrome) in 191 individuals. We provide an updated and broader clinical and molecular spectrum of Kleefstra syndrome, including individuals with normal intelligence and familial occurrence. Analysis of the EHMT1 variants reveals a broad range of molecular effects and their associated phenotypes, including distinct genotype-phenotype associations. Notably, we showed that disruption of the "reader" function of the ankyrin repeat domain by a protein altering variant (PAV) results in a KLEFS1-specific DNAm signature and milder phenotype, while disruption of only "writer" methyltransferase activity of the SET domain does not result in KLEFS1 DNAm signature or typical KLEFS1 phenotype. Similarly, N-terminal truncating variants result in a mild phenotype without the DNAm signature. We demonstrate how comprehensive variant analysis can provide insights into pathogenesis of the disorder and DNAm signature. In summary, this study presents a comprehensive overview of KLEFS1 and EHMT1, revealing its broader spectrum and deepening our understanding of its molecular mechanisms, thereby informing accurate variant interpretation, counseling, and clinical management., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests A.M.M. is an employee of GeneDx, LLC. B.S. is a shareholder in EpiSign Inc., a biotechnology company involved in commercialization of EpiSign technology., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Human Genetics. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and recently diagnosed lung cancer in the outpatient oncology clinic and to describe the clinical profile, management and outcomes of this population., Methods: Among 6984 patients visited at the outpatient oncology clinics attending lung cancer patients in five university hospitals from 2017 to 2019, all consecutive subjects with recently diagnosed (<1 year) disease and AF were retrospectively selected and events in follow up were registered., Results: A total of 269 patients (3.9 % of all attended, 71 ± 8 years, 91 % male) were included. Charlson, CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED indexes were 6.7 ± 2.9, 2.9 ± 1.5 y 2.5 ± 1.2, respectively. Tumour stage was I, II, III and IV in 11 %, 11 %, 33 % and 45 % of them, respectively. Anticoagulants were prescribed to 226 patients (84 %): direct anticoagulants (n = 99;44 %), low molecular weight heparins (n = 69;30 %) and vitamin K antagonists (n = 58;26 %). After 46 months of maximum follow-up, 186 patients died (69 %). Cumulative incidences of events at 3 years were 3.3 ± 1.3 % for stroke/systemic embolism (n = 7); 8.9 ± 2.2 % for thrombotic events (n = 18); 9.9 ± 2.6 % for major bleeding (n = 16), and 15.9 ± 3,0 % for cardiovascular events (n = 33). In patients with early stages of cancer (I-II), 2-year mortality was significantly higher in those with cardiovascular events or major bleeding (85 % vs 25 %, p = 0.01)., Conclusion: Nearly 4 % or all outpatients in the oncology clinic attending lung cancer present recently diagnosed disease and AF. Major bleeding and cardiovascular event rates are high in this population, with an impact on mortality in early stages of cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Prolyl endopeptidase-like ( PREPL ) deficiency (MIM#616224) is a rare congenital disorder characterised by neonatal hypotonia and feeding difficulties, growth hormone (GH) deficiency and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. This syndrome is an autosomal recessive disease resulting from mutations in the PREPL gene (MIM#609557). Herein we report a 7-year-old female patient with biallelic mutations in PREPL (c.1528C>T in one allele and whole gene deletion in the other) with early growth impairment in infancy. GH deficiency was confirmed at 20 months of life. Recombinant GH treatment was introduced with a good response. Her clinical features were similar to those of previously reported cases. The description of new patients with PREPL deficiency syndrome is essential to better delineate the phenotypic and genotypic spectrum of the disease., (©Copyright 2023 by Turkish Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes | The Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology published by Galenos Publishing House.)

Wine samples collected during the winemaking process have been analyzed employing a previously optimized UHPLC-FD method, determining their biogenic amines and amino acids profile. The results obtained have been submitted to a statistical analysis from which it was extracted that the most influential analyte was tyrosine. Thanks to its fluorescence, a method for its determination by excitation-emission matrices has been proposed. The accuracy of the method has been checked by means of Elliptical Joint Confidence Region test. The winemaking process has been monitored with this method, obtaining a faster and cheaper way to follow the process., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Second-order based calibration methods have been widely investigated capitalizing on the inherent benefits of the data structure and the decomposition models, demonstrating that second-order advantage is a property that conspires to a high likelihood success in the resolution of systems of varying complexity. This work aims to demonstrate the applicability of a combined chemometric strategy to solve non-linear multivariate calibration systems in the presence of non-multilinear multi-way data. The determination of histamine by differential pulse voltammetry at different pH is presented as case study. The experimental system has the outstanding difficulty arisen from the large displacement along the potential axis by the pH, which was successfully overcome by implementation of the presented combined strategy. For data modeling, MCR-ALS, U-PLS/RBL and U-PCA/RBL-RBF were used. MCR-ALS allowed unraveling the non-linear behavior between the signal and the concentration, and extracting the underlying profiles of the constituent. Quantitative analysis was performed through the three models, and a comparative evaluation of the predictive performance was done. The best results were achieved with U-PCA/RBL-RBF (mean recovery = 101%) whereas, MCR-ALS yield the lowest mean recovery for all samples (70%)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The combined determination of biogenic amines and amino acids is a challenge for food scientists. In this research, a new methodology for the automatic on-line precolumn derivatization and determination of 8 biogenic amines and 9 precursor amino acids by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography with fluorescent detection has been developed. The method derivatized the analytes with o-phthaldialdehyde and achieved the separation of the 17 derivatives in less than 15 min, obtaining good quality parameters (limits of detection varied between 7.00 and 210 μg L -1 , and RSD intraday ranged between 1.5 and 6.0%). The optimization of the derivatization procedure has been carried out employing an experimental design and the Surface Response Methodology. The method has been validated and applied to wine and beer, obtaining good recuperation percentages (72.3-138.4%). Also, samples collected during the fermentation of a craft beer, as well as a bottled sample of the same batch, have been analyzed, to monitor the changes in the profile of biogenic amines and amino acids., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Carbonyl compounds, like glyoxal, methylglyoxal, diacetyl or pentane-2,3-dione, among others, have been widely studied. Besides its endogenous origin, they are originated from foodstuffs and are related to sensorial characteristics in products such as wine and beer. Generally, for their determination, the analytes must be derivatised to adapt them for the detection system and this step takes long time. The main aim of this research was to develop a simultaneous derivatization and extraction method which takes place in only few minutes. 3,4-diaminopyridine, as derivatizing reagent, generate a fluorescent product. This reaction is selective for glyoxal. For this new dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) procedure combined with chromatographic determination of glyoxal, various parameters affecting the extraction were optimized and finally, a mixture of butan-1-ol as dispersant solvent and dichloromethane as extractant solvent were selected. Its chromatographic peak appears at 2.6min. Four Spanish wines and five Spanish beers have been analysed and the results showed that the levels of glyoxal are comprised between 2.8-9.5mgL -1 . The proposed DLLME method drastically reduces the reaction time from 2 or 3-20min improving the methods found in the literature. The glyoxal concentration found in the wines and beers analysed do not suppose any health risk., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The determination and quantification of α-dicarbonyl compounds, glyoxal and methylglyoxal, in "Ribera del Guadiana" monovarietal wines (Extremadura, Spain) without sample clean-up has been carried out by HPLC with spectrofluorimetric detection (307/371 nm). For this purpose, a derivatization step with the new reagent 3,4-diaminopyridine at pH 2 during 120 min at 90 °C has been included. Afterwards, the sample could be injected in the chromatographic system with no clean-up, during a total run time of 4 min. Several monovarietal wines (white, rosé and red) have been analyzed and the levels of these compounds for white wines were between 0.4-1.0 mg L(-1) glyoxal and 0.8-1.3 mg L(-1) methylglyoxal; and between 0.8-3.0 mg L(-1) and 0.5-1.8 mg L(-1) of glyoxal and methylglyoxal respectively, in red wines., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Capillary electrophoresis was used for the rapid determination of three chemotherapeutic drugs employed to treat colorectal cancer: irinotecan, tegafur, and leucovorin, and their main metabolites (7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin and 5-fluorouracil), in human urine samples. A phosphate buffer (pH 11.34; 20 mM) was selected as the background electrolyte. A hydrodynamic injection (9 s, 30 mbar) was applied and the separation was carried out using a separation temperature and voltage of 25°C and 25 kV, respectively. A capillary with two detection windows for serial online UV and fluorescence detection was satisfactorily employed. A solid-supported liquid-liquid extraction procedure was optimized for the clean-up of the urine samples and the extraction of the analytes. Matrix effects were assessed and signal suppression was observed for three of the analytes, thus, matrix-matched calibration was used for compensating residual matrix effects on these analytes. The proposed method allows the separation and quantification of the chemotherapeutics in less than 6 min. Detection limits range between 0.01 and 0.30 mg/L. The method was satisfactorily applied to the determination of the target compounds in human urine samples, with recoveries of 92.4-107.7%., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The determination of phenolic compounds in virgin olive oil using a new reversed phase dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (RP-DLLME) procedure coupled with rapid resolution liquid chromatography-diode array and mass spectrometry detection (RRLC-DAD-MS) have been performed. A rapid resolution Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 column (4.6 mm × 50 mm, 1.8 μm particle size) has been employed and eighteen phenolic compounds belonging to different families have been identified and quantified spending a total time of 26 and 13 min with UV-visible and MS detection, respectively. Response surface methodology has been applied by means of a central composite design for the optimization of the variables affecting the extraction procedure searching for the best recovery. The validation of the methods was performed through the establishment of the external standard calibration curves and the analytical figures of merit. Limits of detection ranging from 10 to 400 ng mL(-1) and 1 to 200 ng mL(-1) were achieved using UV-visible and MS detection, respectively. The extraction of phenolic compounds from virgin olive oil was performed in a simple and rapid way by RP-DLLME with ethanol:water 60:40 (v/v) as extracting solvent and 1,4-dioxane as disperser solvent. The quantification of the phenolic compounds in virgin olive oils from different olive varieties was carried out by means of the standard addition method and, finally the procedure for the sample treatment was validated using the well established solid phase extraction procedure with Diol cartridges., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents the development of a non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis method coupled to UV detection combined with multivariate curve resolution-alternating least-squares (MCR-ALS) to carry out the resolution and quantitation of a mixture of six phenolic acids in virgin olive oil samples. p-Coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic, vanillic and 4-hydroxyphenilacetic acids have been the analytes under study. All of them present different absorption spectra and overlapped time profiles with the olive oil matrix interferences and between them. The modeling strategy involves the building of a single MCR-ALS model composed of matrices augmented in the temporal mode, namely spectra remain invariant while time profiles may change from sample to sample. So MCR-ALS was used to cope with the coeluting interferences, on accounting the second order advantage inherent to this algorithm which, in addition, is able to handle data sets deviating from trilinearity, like the data herein analyzed. The method was firstly applied to resolve standard mixtures of the analytes randomly prepared in 1-propanol and, secondly, in real virgin olive oil samples, getting recovery values near to 100% in all cases. The importance and novelty of this methodology relies on the combination of non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis second-order data and MCR-ALS algorithm which allows performing the resolution of these compounds simplifying the previous sample pretreatment stages., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents the results of the study on the extraction, identification and quantification of a group of important phenolic compounds in virgin olive oil (VOO) samples, obtained from olives of various varieties, by liquid chromatography coupled to UV-vis and fluorescence detection. Sixteen phenolic compounds belonging to different families have been identified and quantified spending a total time of 25 min. The linearity was examined by establishing the external standard calibration curves. Four order linear ranges and limits of detection ranging from 0.02 to 0.6 μg mL(-1) and 0.006 to 0.3 μg mL(-1) were achieved using UV-vis and fluorescence detection, respectively. Regarding the real samples, for the determination of the phenolic compounds in higher concentrations (hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol) a simple liquid-liquid extraction with ethanol was used to make the sample compatible with the mobile phase. Recovery values close to 100% were obtained. However, a previous solid phase extraction with Diol cartridges was necessary to concentrate and separate the minor phenolic compounds of the main interferences. The parameters affecting this step were carefully optimized and, after that, recoveries near 80-100% were obtained for the rest of the studied phenolic compounds. Also, the limits of detection were improved 15 times. Finally, the standard addition method was carried out for each of the analytes and no matrix effect was found, so the quantification of the 16 phenolic compounds from different monovarietal VOO was carried out by using the corresponding external standard calibration plot., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The relevance of the development of microchip electrophoresis applications in the field of food analysis is considered in this work. A novel method to determine important phenolic compounds in extra virgin olive oil samples using a miniaturized chemical analysis system is presented in this paper. Three interesting phenolic compounds in olive oil and fruit (tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein glucoside) were studied by end-channel amperometric detection using a 100 μm gold wire as working electrode in glass microchip electrophoresis. The electrochemical behavior of these compounds was studied and the medium to carry out their detection was selected (0.1 M aqueous sulfuric acid). The best conditions for the separation were achieved in sodium tetraborate (10% methanol, pH 9.50) with different concentrations for the sample and the running buffer in order to allow the sample stacking phenomenon. The injection was carried out using 600 V for 3 s and the separation voltage was set at 1000 V. The quality of the method was evaluated through its analytical figures of merit and by its performance on real extra virgin olive oil samples. Determination of these compounds was carried out using the standard addition calibration method with good recoveries.

Response surface methodology has been applied to the optimization of a simple and rapid non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis method for the separation and determination of several phenolic compounds belonging to the different families present in olive oil. A Box-Behnken design was employed and a total of 27 experiments were performed using olive oil samples spiked with the phenols and injected directly in the capillary after dilution 1:1 with 1-propanol. Finally, the background electrolyte (BGE) was constituted of 25 mM boric acid and 18 mM KOH in a mixture of 74:26 (v/v) 1-propanol/methanol. The hydrophobicity of the BGE allows its miscibility with the olive oil and, as a consequence, the possibility of characterizing and determining these kinds of compounds in this sample without any pretreatment. A hydrodynamic injection (6 s, -30 mbar) was applied and the separation was carried out using 35 °C and +20 kV of separation temperature and voltage, respectively. A capillary with two detection windows for serial online UV and fluorescence detection was satisfactorily employed. The validation of the method was carried out by setting the calibration curves, and the figures of merit were finally obtained. A lineal relationship between the corrected peak area and concentration and limits of detection in the order of micrograms per milliliter were found.

A method for the determination of several tricyclic antidepressants (imipramine, desipramine, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, clomipramine, norclomipramine, doxepine and nordoxepine) in breast milk has been developed. This assay consists of a common extraction process in an organic phase, which is evaporated until dried and finally reconstituted in the appropriate buffer for injection in a capillary electrophoresis system. The capillary electrophoresis method used is an "acetonitrile stacking" method previously reported for determining these drugs in serum samples. The method developed was applied to the analysis of these compounds in human breast milk at different concentration levels (50, 100 and 200 ppb of the TCAs hydrochlorides). An interference study of some ansiolitic drugs such as lorazepam and alprazolam was made.

In the present work we report a non-aqueous electrophoresis method (NACE) for the separation and determination of eight tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in human serum. Separation is carried out in 1 M acetic acid, 50 mM ammonium acetate and 10 mM SDS in ACN. Standards and samples were prepared in 0.8 M acetic acid in ACN and introduced by electrokinetic injection. The interactions between TCAs and acetate ions were studied and deduced from comparison of both the actual experimental and theoretical mobility. The establishment of calibration curves in the presence or absence of serum matrix, between 20 and 200 ng/mL, together with the determination of most important analytical parameters and a study of robustness were performed. Validation of the CE method was carried out with serum samples spiked with the analytes. The NACE determination method offers better resolution and higher sensitivity than the determination of TCAs in aqueous media.

Optimization and validation of a method for the determination of inorganic anions, such as chloride, nitrate, sulphate, fluoride and phosphate, in atmospheric particulate matter is described. Ultrasonic extraction followed by CE, using CTAB as EOF modifier, has been established for this separation using chromate as visualization reagent for the indirect UV/vis detection. Optimization of the experimental chemical conditions (pH, surfactant concentration, chromate concentration and acetonitrile concentration) and instrumental parameters (temperature, applied voltage and injection time) is described. Linear calibrations plots are obtained for the five ions, with detection limits in the high ng/mL range. A standard reference material, SRM 1648 Urban Particulate Matter, has been used to validate the proposed method. Satisfactory reproducibility and acceptable agreement to the matter atmospheric samples has been found (recoveries ranging from 86 to 96%). Application to real particulate matter atmospheric samples, collected on high volume samplers from the air quality surveillance network of Extremadura, southwest Spain, is shown.

A robustness study for a sensitive-stacking capillary electrophoresis method based on "acetonitrile-stacking" was carried out. Ten variables (pH, acetonitrile and triethanolamine in the buffer, injection time, injection pressure, acetonitrile and NaCl in the sample, capillary and tray temperature and separation voltage), whose levels were varied by 10% around the nominal level, were examined by a Plackett-Burman design (two-level design). The effects on corrected peak area and resolution (responses) were calculated and interpreted using three statistical approaches: dummy variables, distribution effects (Dong's algorithm) and calibration curve. Dong's method was found to be the most suitable to evaluate the robustness, since it considers qualitative (resolution) and quantitative (corrected peak area) responses and does not need a minimum number of dummy variables in the experimental design. From these studies, we can deduce that the first four variables were significant at 10% around the nominal level, and therefore a new design was made with those four variables at 5% nominal level. Then, only two variables proved to be significant for the resolution between some peaks, so the system suitability test limits were defined for these resolutions.

The work presented here explores the possibilities of the electrokinetic injection (EK) to achieve sensitive methods for the determination of tricyclic antidepressants in biological samples (serum). The addition of ACN to the sample, with high content in salts, causes stacking at the tip of the capillary, in a similar way as for hydrodynamic injection. An experimental design with the response surface methodology has been used to find the optimum composition of the matrix of the sample (sodium chloride and ACN percentages) and the conditions for the EK (water-plug length, time, and voltage of injection) in few experiments. The composition of the separation buffer was the same as utilized in a previous paper. The use of a bubble capillary to reach lower detection limits implies a loss of the resolution and requires a new optimization. Finally, a comparison between electrokinetic and hydrodynamic injections is made.

The hydrolysis of the pesticide quinalphos in basic medium was kinetically followed and the measurement of the reaction rates allowed us to develop two kinetic-fluorimetric methods. In one of them the mixing of the reagents was directly performed in the measurement cell and, in the another one, the stopped-flow mixing technique was used. The reaction was completed in 100 s after the reactants were mixed and it allowed the simple application of the proposed methods to routine analyses of the pesticide. The sensitivity of the methods was very high, being the detection limits 50 and 140 ng mL(-1) for the manual procedure and the stopped-flow mixing technique, respectively. Both methods were compared using regression with uncertainties in both axes. The effect of the presence of several pesticides in the determination was tested. A solid-phase extraction process was also developed for the application of the methods to diverse waters samples. The proposed kinetic-fluorimetric methods were applied to the determination of quinalphos in drinking water, well water and river water, with very satisfactory results.

Stacking methods are very important in overcoming the poor detection limits in capillary electrophoresis (CE). In this paper, the separation and determination of several tricyclic antidepressants by a stacking method is described. The inclusion of acetonitrile (ACN) in the sample causes stacking (transient pseudoisotachophoresis) especially in presence of sodium chloride. An experimental design (central composite design) together with the response surface methodology has been used to find the optimum composition of the separation buffer and the optimal stacking conditions in few experiments. The response functions used are the product of the total resolution by the number of peaks, for the optimization of the separation buffer, and the product of the total resolution by the mean of the peak heights, for the optimization of the stacking conditions. About 28% of the capillary volume is loaded with sample. The calibration curves are linear over the working range (50-300 ng/mL). With a bubble capillary, the limits of detection (LODs) are in the order of 5 ng/mL. For the analysis of serum samples, enrichment with sodium chloride and the protein precipitation with ACN are enough to avoid interferences and to get stacking. Recoveries between 91.6 and 104% and RSD between 0.6 and 12% are obtained in the analysis of samples of lyophilized human serum and non-lyophilized human serum, spiked with the drugs.

A semiautomatic extraction-fluorimetric method for the determination of tricyclic antidepressant drugs (TCAs) based in the formation of ion pairs with 9,10-dimethoxyanthracene-2-sulphonate (DMAS) has been developed. The aqueous solutions of the TCAs (imipramine, desipramine, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, clomipramine or doxepine) are injected into a carrier composed by DMAS in an acid medium and the ion pair formed is extracted into dichloromethane where the fluorescence is measured. An experimental design (Central Composite Design) together with the Response Surface Methodology has been used to find the optimal instrumental FIA and chemical variables. We have considered as the response function the product of the peak height by the sampling frequency. The calibration curves were linear over the working range (0.25-3.00mgL(-1)). The limits of detection were lower than 0.30mgL(-1). The method has been satisfactorily applied to the determination of imipramine, amitriptyline, clomipramine and doxepin in pharmaceutical preparations.

A method for the determination of isoniazid (ISO), pyrazinamide (PYR) and rifampicin (RIF) in pharmaceutical products, by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) with ultraviolet detection is described. The influence of pH, concentration of surfactants, buffer and organic solvents, over the separation were studied as experimental variables. The optimal separation was carried out at 30 degrees C and 20 kV, using a 40 mM borate buffer and 100 mM sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) adjusted to pH 8.5. Under these conditions, the analysis is accomplished in about 8 min. The method was applied to the determination of these compounds in different pharmaceuticals with good results when compared with a reference liquid chromatographic (LC) method.

The simultaneous determination of the antitubercular drugs rifampicin, pyrazinamide, isoniazid and the acetylisoniazid metabolite has been accomplished by LC, using a C-18 analytical column. The assayed drugs are usually administered together in the treatment of tuberculosis. Creatinine was also included in the chromatographic determination, in order to establish the curve of excretion of the drugs in urine. The chromatographic method uses a gradient flow in three steps, in conjunction with a programmed diode array photometric detection. In a 0.02 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate pH 7.0 buffer, a 5% (v/v) content of methanol for 1 min, a 8% (v/v) content of methanol for 3.4 min, and a 75% (v/v) content of methanol for 4 min were used. At 4.5 min, the wavelength value of detection was changed from 254 to 475 nm. Creatinine, acetylisoniazid, isoniazid and pyrazinamide were eluted in the first 4.5 min and rifampicin before 8 min. The method has been satisfactorily applied to the determination of the drugs in urine samples and in pharmaceuticals. The proposed LC method is simple, and a short time, less than 8 min is necessary for compounds elution.

Mixtures of amoxycillin and clavulanic acid were determined by using kinetic data in combination with partial least-squares multivariate calibration. The reaction of oxidation of these compounds with cerium(IV) in sulfuric acid medium has been monitored fluorimetrically. To follow the kinetics of the reaction, the stopped-flow mixing technique was used. Partial least-squares calibration of the kinetic data allowed the resolution of the analytes investigated in the concentration ranges between 0 and 4 mugml(-1). The method was applied satisfactorily to several pharmaceutical formulations, including Clavucid, Augmentine, Pangamox, Eupeclanic and Clamoxyl. The results obtained were validated by using an HPLC method. The percentages of recovery range from 91 to 105% for amoxycillin and from 78 to 117% for clavulanic acid, respectively.

A HPLC method with coulometric detection has been established to carry out the separation of the three nitrofuran derivatives, nitrofurantoin, furazolidone and furaltadone. A Nova-Pak C18 column (150 x 3.9 mm) and a Coulochem II detector from ESA have been used. After obtaining the hydrodynamic curves of the three compounds in the porous graphite electrode a potential of -600 mV was selected as the working potential. The influence of other variables such as mobile phase composition and flow-rate were studied. The mobile phase considered as an optimum was acetonitrile-0.1 M aqueous solution of sodium perchlorate (28:72), with 0.5% glacial acetic acid. The oxygen of the mobile phase was removed with a vacuum system on-line and a nitrogen stream was used to remove the oxygen of the samples. The calibration graphs and the detection limits were established. The method proposed was used, with good results, for the determination of the three compounds in milk.

A selective and sensitive method is described for the determination of trace amounts of molybdenum, based on its reaction with thiocyanate and its extraction (into toluene) as an ion-association complex formed with adogen (methyltrioctylammonium chloride). The molar absorptivity is 2.13 x 10(4) l.mole(-1).cm(-1) at lambda(max) 467 nm. The method has been applied to molybdenum determination in steels.

In isolated cat heart papillary muscle electrically driven at the basic rate of 30 per min the effect of change in temperature (37 degrees C vs. 30 degrees C) and caffeine upon post-extrasystolic potentiation (PEP) phenomenon was studied. At 30 degrees C the basic tension developed by the regular contraction increased an average of (s +/- sm) 23 +/- 5.2% as compared to 37 degrees C. Furthermore at 30 degrees C, the curve relating the magnitude of PEP to the interval (msec) between regular and premature stimulus was significantly shifted upwards and to the right as compared to the curve obtained at 37 degrees C. The time persistence effect of PEP or at 30 degrees C. In fact, up to 5 min the corrected curve relating percentage increase of the first potentiated contraction with predetermined intervening rest period (pause) was significantly shifted upwards at the lower temperature. Caffeine (2.7 and 5.4 mM/l at 37 degrees C) produced a significant increase (s +/- sm) + 51.5 +/- 6.8% of the basic tension developed by the regular contractions as compared to the control period in the same muscles. However, caffeine decreased significantly both the relative magnitude (%) and the time persistence (corrected values) of PEP appearing on the first contraction after a predetermined interveinin pause. In control experiments in the same muscles caffeine decreased the tension developed by the first contraction following any equivalent pause during rhythmic stimulation. This relative decrease in tension of the first contraction reached a greater significance as the pause was lengthened to the limits of the rested state contraction (5 min). The results are discussed regarding the excitation-contraction coupling and calcium inactivation as the main mechanisms for positive inotropic effect during PEP. The effect of lowering the temperature could be related to the lengthening of the active state, slowing of Ca++ inactivation mechanism and/or greater stiffness of the serial elastic element. The effect of caffeine is probably related to an increase of the intracellular Ca displacement to the contractile site.