Ciprofloxacin-imprinted polymeric receptors as ionophores for potentiometric transduction

A 3D-mirror synthetic receptor for ciprofloxacin host–guest interactions and potentiometric transduction is presented. The host cavity was shaped on a polymeric surface assembled with methacrylic acid or 2-vinyl pyridine monomers by radical polymerization. Molecularly imprinted particles were dispersed in 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether and entrapped in a poly(vinyl chloride) matrix. The sensors exhibited a near-Nernstian response in steady state evaluations. Slopes and detection limits ranged from 26.8 to 50.0mVdecade−1 and 1.0×10−5 to 2.7×10−5 mol L−1, respectively. Good selectivity was observed for trimethoprim, enrofloxacin, tetracycline, cysteine, galactose, hydroxylamine, creatinine, ammonium chloride, sucrose, glucose, sulphamerazine and sulfadiazine. The sensors were successfully applied to the determination of ciprofloxacin concentrations in fish and in pharmaceuticals. The method presented offered the advantages of simplicity, accuracy, applicability to colored and turbid samples and automation feasibility, as well as confirming the use of molecularly imprinted polymers as ionophores for organic ion recognition in potentiometric transduction.

An uncertainty and sensitivity analysis applied to the prioritisation of pharmaceuticals as surface water contaminants from wastewater treatment plant direct emissions

In this study, the concentration probability distributions of 82 pharmaceutical compounds detected in the effluents of 179 European wastewater treatment plants were computed and inserted into a multimedia fate model. The comparative ecotoxicological impact of the direct emission of these compounds from wastewater treatment plants on freshwater ecosystems, based on a potentially affected fraction (PAF) of species approach, was assessed to rank compounds based on priority. As many pharmaceuticals are acids or bases, the multimedia fate model accounts for regressions to estimate pH-dependent fate parameters. An uncertainty analysis was performed by means of Monte Carlo analysis, which included the uncertainty of fate and ecotoxicity model input variables, as well as the spatial variability of landscape characteristics on the European continental scale. Several pharmaceutical compounds were identified as being of greatest concern, including 7 analgesics/anti-inflammatories, 3 β-blockers, 3 psychiatric drugs, and 1 each of 6 other therapeutic classes. The fate and impact modelling relied extensively on estimated data, given that most of these compounds have little or no experimental fate or ecotoxicity data available, as well as a limited reported occurrence in effluents. The contribution of estimated model input variables to the variance of freshwater ecotoxicity impact, as well as the lack of experimental abiotic degradation data for most compounds, helped in establishing priorities for further testing. Generally, the effluent concentration and the ecotoxicity effect factor were the model input variables with the most significant effect on the uncertainty of output results.

Ciprofloxacin-imprinted polymeric receptors as ionophores for potentiometric transduction

A 3D-mirror synthetic receptor for ciprofloxacin host–guest interactions and potentiometric transduction is presented. The host cavity was shaped on a polymeric surface assembled with methacrylic acid or 2-vinyl pyridine monomers by radical polymerization. Molecularly imprinted particles were dispersed in 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether and entrapped in a poly(vinyl chloride) matrix. The sensors exhibited a near-Nernstian response in steady state evaluations. Slopes and detection limits ranged from 26.8 to 50.0 mV decade−1 and 1.0 × 10−5 to 2.7 × 10−5 mol L−1, respectively. Good selectivity was observed for trimethoprim, enrofloxacin, tetracycline, cysteine, galactose, hydroxylamine, creatinine, ammonium chloride, sucrose, glucose, sulphamerazine and sulfadiazine. The sensors were successfully applied to the determination of ciprofloxacin concentrations in fish and in pharmaceuticals. The method presented offered the advantages of simplicity, accuracy, applicability to colored and turbid samples and automation feasibility, as well as confirming the use of molecularly imprinted polymers as ionophores for organic ion recognition in potentiometric transduction.

Programa de atividade física com recurso a exergaming no duplo diagnóstico

Introdução: Duplo diagnóstico é a designação utilizada para descrever o diagnóstico de perturbação pela utilização de substâncias simultaneamente com critérios de doença mental severa (Leposavié et al., 2015; Lorenzo et al., 2014; Padwa et al., 2013). O duplo diagnóstico é a causa de uma diversidade de disfunções entre elas o comprometimento do desempenho motor. Objetivos: O objetivo principal é determinar a eficácia da aplicação de um programa de intervenção de exergaming com atividade física com recurso à Nintendo Wii na promoção do desempenho motor de indivíduos com duplo diagnóstico de perturbação pela utilização de substâncias e doença mental severa em tratamento numa comunidade terapêutica. Pretende-se ainda verificar os efeitos da aplicação deste programa em variáveis antropomórficas, psicocopatológicas e neuropsicológicas. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo ensaio clínico randomizado com avaliação antes e após do desempenho motor, avaliação antropomórfica, psicopatológica e neuropsicológica. A amostra é constituída por 14 indivíduos com duplo diagnostico (n=14) recrutados de uma comunidade terapêutica, alocados num grupo experimental (n=7) sujeitos a um programa com exergaming com atividade física e num grupo controlo (n=7) com intervenção com videojogos sem atividade física durante 21 sessões de aproximadamente 45 minutos cada. Resultados: O grupo experimental apresentou melhores resultados que o grupo controlo na avaliação do desempenho motor verificando-se diferenças estatisticamente significativas (p=0,028 e p=0,030) no equilíbrio, através do teste Flamingo e Balance Board respetivamente e no limiar da significância (p=0,082) na força muscular dos membros superiores através do uso da dinamometria. Conclusão: A intervenção com Nintendo Wii com recurso a exergaming com atividade física parece ser uma ferramenta eficaz para a melhoria do equilíbrio, em indivíduos com duplo diagnóstico de perturbação pela utilização de substâncias e doença mental severa, em tratamento numa comunidade terapêutica e próximo do significativo no que se refere a força dos membros superiores. Relativamente a outros parâmetros do funcionamento motor, são necessários outros estudos.