Multi-component quantitation of loratadine, pseudoephedrine and paracetamol in plasma and pharmaceutical formulations with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry utilizing a monolithic column

The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid, simple and sensitive quantitation method for pseudoephedrine (PSE), paracetamol (PAR) and loratadine (LOR) in plasma and pharmaceuticals using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with a monolithic column. Separation was achieved using a gradient composition of methanol-0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min-1. Mass spectral transitions were recorded in SRM mode. System validation was evaluated for precision, specificity and linearity. Limit of detection for pseudoephedrine, paracetamol, and loratadine were determined to be 3.14, 1.86 and 1.44 ng mL-1, respectively, allowing easy determination in plasma with % recovery of 93.12 to 101.56%.

Control of Asian soybean rust with mancozeb, a multi-site fungicide

An experiment conducted in the field the action of mancozeb, a fungicide of multi-site action was tested, to control soybean rust caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi. Its performance was compared to that of the mixture cyproconazole (DMI) + azoxystrobin (QoI). The soybean cultivar NA 7337 RR was used with a population of 400,000 plants/ha cultivated in 20m2 plots. Treatments consisted of mancozeb levels (1.5 and 2.0 kg/ha) applied four, six and eight times. The DMI + QoI mixture was applied three times at 0.3 L/ha + Nimbus. Rust severity was assessed six times in the plots and data were integrated as the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). The plots were harvested and grain yield was expressed as kg/ha. Data on AUDPC and yield were subjected to analysis of variance and means compared according to Turkey's test (p = 0.005). Treatments with mancozeb were superior to DMI + QoI mixture both for rust control and grain yield. Four applications of 2.0 k/ha mancozeb were more efficient than three applications of the mixture used as standard. Mancozeb has the potential to be added to fungicide mixtures in the establishment of soybean rust anti-resistance strategy.

GANANCIA GENÉTICA ESPERADA EN MELINA ( Gmelina arborea Roxb.) EN CÓRDOBA (COLOMBIA)1

RESUMEN El Departamento de Córdoba (Colombia) planea plantar 200000 ha para el 2025 yGmelina arborea es una de las opciones dada su alta producción de biomasa en turnos cortos. El objetivo del estudio fue estimar el potencial de mejoramiento genético basado en la selección fenotípica de árboles plus en Córdoba y Magdalena. La selección se basó en la evaluación y comparación de cada árbol candidato con sus cuatro mejores vecinos en un radio de 20m, con base en su DAP, altura comercial, volumen comercial y, calidad del fuste basada en la calificación de sus primeras cuatro trozas de 2,5 m de largo. Los árboles plus se clasificaron como A cuando superaron tanto en volumen como en calidad a todos sus vecinos y, como B cuando solamente superaron en volumen o en calidad a sus vecinos. La ganancia genética se estimó para cada caracter mediante el producto de su diferencial de selección por un valor de heredabilidad esperable para G. arborea según literatura, tanto si se clonan (H2), como si se toma su semilla para plantar (h2). Se construyó un índice de selección que integró el volumen (60%) con la calidad (40%). De 57 árboles seleccionados, 35 fueron clasificados como plus A, que si se clonaran se estima se obtendrían ganancias genéticas de 5, 15, 36 y 34%, para el diámetro, altura comercial, volumen comercial y calidad del fuste, respectivamente. Los resultados sugieren un progreso genético importante con G. arborea en Córdoba, Colombia. Es necesario ampliar la base genética y comprobar estas estimaciones mediante ensayos genéticos.

The materno-fetal interface in llama (Lama guanicoe glama)

Samples from 9 llamas (28 through 36 weeks of gestation) were collected and fixed in 4% buffered paraformaldehyde (light microscopy) and in 2.5% buffered glutaraldehyde (transmission and scanning electron microscopy). The material was processed in paraplast and slides (5mm) were stained with HE, PAS, Masson-Trichrome, acid phosphatase and Perl's. The uteroferrin was immunolocalized. The results show that llama placenta is chorioallantoic, diffuse, folded and epitheliochorial, and the fetus is covered with an epidermal membrane. The trophoblast cells have variable morphology: cubic, rounded and triangular cells, with cytoplasm containing PAS-positive granules. Binucleated cells with large cytoplasm and rounded nuclei, as well as giant trophoblastic cells with multiple nuclei were also observed. Numerous blood vessels were observed beneath the cells of the uterine epithelium and around the chorionic subdivided branches. Glandular activity was shown by PAS, Perl's, and acid phosphatase positive reactions in the cytoplasm and glandular lumen, and by immunolocalization of the uteroferrin in the glandular epithelium. The uterine glands open in spaces formed by the areoles, which are filled by PAS-positive material. The llama fetus was covered by the epidermal membrane, composed of stratified epithelium, with up to seven layers of mono-, bi- or trinucleated cells. The high level of maternal and fetal vascularization surfaces indicates an intense exchange of substances across both surfaces. The metabolic activity shown in the uterine glands suggests an adaptation of the gestation to the high altitudes of the natural habitat of this species.

Outbreak of infectious laryngotracheitis in large multi-age egg layer chicken flocks in Minas Gerais, Brazil

A recent (November 2010) outbreak of infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) in a multi-age laying hen facility in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, is described. Previous ILT outbreak in laying hens was only notified in São Paulo state, Brazil, in 2002. In the outbreak described here, the affected population was approximately eight million hens, with flock sizes ranging from 100,000 to 2,900,000 chickens. The average mortality ranged from 1 to 6%, and morbidity was around 90% (most of the twenty seven farms of the area were positive for ILT virus). Three multi-age laying farms from one company were selected for this report. Clinical signs included prostration, dyspnea, conjunctivitis, occasional swelling of the paranasal sinuses and bloody mucous nasal discharge. Severely affected chickens presented with dyspnea, gasping and became cyanotic before death. At necropsy, these chickens had fibrinous exudate blocking the larynx and the lumen of cranial part of the trachea. In addition, conjunctivitis with intense hyperemia, edema and sinuses with caseous exudate were present. On histopathology, there were marked necrosis and desquamation of respiratory ephitelium and conjunctiva with numerous syncytial cells formation and fibrinous exudate. Moderate to marked non suppurative (especially lymphocytes and plasma cells) infiltration in the lamina propria also was observed. Sixteen out of 20 examined chickens, eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed in the syncytial cells. The DNA extracted from larynx and trachea produced positive PCR results for ILT virus (ILTV) DNA using formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples. Amplicons from a small region of ICP4 gene were submitted to sequencing and showed 100% identity with ILTV EU104910.1 (USA strain), 99% with ILTV JN596963.1 (Australian strain) and 91% with ILTV JN580316.1 (Gallid herpesvirus 1 CEO vaccine strain) and JN580315.1 (Gallid herpesvirus 1 TCO vaccine strain).

Fluid dynamic modelling and simulation of circulating fluidized bed reactors: importance of the interface turbulence transfer

The main objective of this work is to analyze the importance of the gas-solid interface transfer of the kinetic energy of the turbulent motion on the accuracy of prediction of the fluid dynamic of Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) reactors. CFB reactors are used in a variety of industrial applications related to combustion, incineration and catalytic cracking. In this work a two-dimensional fluid dynamic model for gas-particle flow has been used to compute the porosity, the pressure, and the velocity fields of both phases in 2-D axisymmetrical cylindrical co-ordinates. The fluid dynamic model is based on the two fluid model approach in which both phases are considered to be continuous and fully interpenetrating. CFB processes are essentially turbulent. The model of effective stress on each phase is that of a Newtonian fluid, where the effective gas viscosity was calculated from the standard k-epsilon turbulence model and the transport coefficients of the particulate phase were calculated from the kinetic theory of granular flow (KTGF). This work shows that the turbulence transfer between the phases is very important for a better representation of the fluid dynamics of CFB reactors, especially for systems with internal recirculation and high gradients of particle concentration. Two systems with different characteristics were analyzed. The results were compared with experimental data available in the literature. The results were obtained by using a computer code developed by the authors. The finite volume method with collocated grid, the hybrid interpolation scheme, the false time step strategy and SIMPLEC (Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure Linked Equations - Consistent) algorithm were used to obtain the numerical solution.

Non-Linear Unsteady Aerodynamic Response Approximation Using Multi-Layer Functionals

Non-linear functional representation of the aerodynamic response provides a convenient mathematical model for motion-induced unsteady transonic aerodynamic loads response, that accounts for both complex non-linearities and time-history effects. A recent development, based on functional approximation theory, has established a novel functional form; namely, the multi-layer functional. For a large class of non-linear dynamic systems, such multi-layer functional representations can be realised via finite impulse response (FIR) neural networks. Identification of an appropriate FIR neural network model is facilitated by means of a supervised training process in which a limited sample of system input-output data sets is presented to the temporal neural network. The present work describes a procedure for the systematic identification of parameterised neural network models of motion-induced unsteady transonic aerodynamic loads response. The training process is based on a conventional genetic algorithm to optimise the network architecture, combined with a simplified random search algorithm to update weight and bias values. Application of the scheme to representative transonic aerodynamic loads response data for a bidimensional airfoil executing finite-amplitude motion in transonic flow is used to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. The approach is shown to furnish a satisfactory generalisation property to different motion histories over a range of Mach numbers in the transonic regime.

Immune strategies using single-component LipL32 and multi-component recombinant LipL32-41-OmpL1 vaccines against leptospira

Genes encoding lipoproteins LipL32, LipL41 and the outer-membrane protein OmpL1 of leptospira were recombined and cloned into a pVAX1 plasmid. BALB/c mice were immunized with LipL32 and recombined LipL32-41-OmpL1 using DNA-DNA, DNA-protein and protein-protein strategies, respectively. Prime immunization was on day 1, boost immunizations were on day 11 and day 21. Sera were collected from each mouse on day 35 for antibody, cytokine detection and microscopic agglutination test while spleen cells were collected for splenocyte proliferation assay. All experimental groups (N = 10 mice per group) showed statistically significant increases in antigen-specific antibodies, in cytokines IL-4 and IL-10, as well as in the microscopic agglutination test and splenocyte proliferation compared with the pVAX1 control group. The groups receiving the recombined LipL32-41-OmpL1 vaccine induced anti-LipL41 and anti-OmpL1 antibodies and yielded better splenocyte proliferation values than the groups receiving LipL32. DNA prime and protein boost immune strategies stimulated more antibodies than a DNA-DNA immune strategy and yielded greater cytokine and splenocyte proliferation than a protein-protein immune strategy. It is clear from these results that recombination of protective antigen genes lipL32, lipL41, and ompL1 and a DNA-protein immune strategy resulted in better immune responses against leptospira than single-component, LipL32, or single DNA or protein immunization.