Improving the molecular diagnosis of Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia abortus infection with a species-specific duplex real-time PCR.

Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia abortus are closely related intracellular bacteria exhibiting different tissue tropism that may cause severe but distinct infection in humans. C. psittaci causes psittacosis, a respiratory zoonotic infection transmitted by birds. C. abortus is an abortigenic agent in small ruminants, which can also colonize the human placenta and lead to foetal death and miscarriage. Infections caused by C. psittaci and C. abortus are underestimated mainly due to diagnosis difficulties resulting from their strict intracellular growth. We developed a duplex real-time PCR to detect and distinguish these two bacteria in clinical samples. The first PCR (PCR1) targeted a sequence of the 16S-23S rRNA operon allowing the detection of both C. psittaci and C. abortus. The second PCR (PCR2) targeted the coding DNA sequence CPSIT_0607 unique to C. psittaci. The two PCRs showed 100 % detection for ≥ 10 DNA copies per reaction (1000 copies ml- 1). Using a set of 120 samples, including bacterial reference strains, clinical specimens and infected cell culture material, we monitored 100 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity for the detection of C. psittaci and C. abortus for PCR1. When PCR1 was positive, PCR2 could discriminate C. psittaci from C. abortus with a positive predictive value of 100 % and a negative predictive value of 88 %. In conclusion, this new duplex PCR represents a low-cost and time-saving method with high-throughput potential, expected to improve the routine diagnosis of psittacosis and pregnancy complication in large-scale screening programs and also during outbreaks.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the vagina: an overview for radiologists with emphasis on clinical decision making

AbstractMagnetic resonance imaging is a method with high contrast resolution widely used in the assessment of pelvic gynecological diseases. However, the potential of such method to diagnose vaginal lesions is still underestimated, probably due to the scarce literature approaching the theme, the poor familiarity of radiologists with vaginal diseases, some of them relatively rare, and to the many peculiarities involved in the assessment of the vagina. Thus, the authors illustrate the role of magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of vaginal diseases and the main relevant findings to be considered in the clinical decision making process.

Eliminating Software Failures - A Literature Survey

Software faults are expensive and cause serious damage, particularly if discovered late or not at all. Some software faults tend to be hidden. One goal of the thesis is to figure out the status quo in the field of software fault elimination since there are no recent surveys of the whole area. Basis for a structural framework is proposed for this unstructured field, paying attention to compatibility and how to find studies. Bug elimination means are surveyed, including bug knowhow, defect prevention and prediction, analysis, testing, and fault tolerance. The most common research issues for each area are identified and discussed, along with issues that do not get enough attention. Recommendations are presented for software developers, researchers, and teachers. Only the main lines of research are figured out. The main emphasis is on technical aspects. The survey was done by performing searches in IEEE, ACM, Elsevier, and Inspect databases. In addition, a systematic search was done for a few well-known related journals from recent time intervals. Some other journals, some conference proceedings and a few books, reports, and Internet articles have been investigated, too. The following problems were found and solutions for them discussed. Quality assurance is testing only is a common misunderstanding, and many checks are done and some methods applied only in the late testing phase. Many types of static review are almost forgotten even though they reveal faults that are hard to be detected by other means. Other forgotten areas are knowledge of bugs, knowing continuously repeated bugs, and lightweight means to increase reliability. Compatibility between studies is not always good, which also makes documents harder to understand. Some means, methods, and problems are considered method- or domain-specific when they are not. The field lacks cross-field research.

Determination of etoricoxib in human plasma using automated on-line solid-phase extraction coupled with LC-APCI/MS/MS

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (LC-APCI/MS/MS) was validated for the determination of etoricoxib in human plasma using antipyrin as internal standard, followed by on-line solid-phase extraction. The method was performed on a Luna C18 column and the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile:water (95:5, v/v)/ammonium acetate (pH 4.0; 10 mM), run at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. The method was linear in the range of 1-5000 ng/mL (r²>0.99). The lower limit of quantitation was 1 ng/mL. The recoveries were within 93.72-96.18%. Moreover, method validation demonstrated acceptable results for the precision, accuracy and stability studies.

Estudo comparativo de métodos de preparo de amostras de tinta para a determinação de metais e metalóides por técnicas de espectrometria atômica

This work deals with paint decomposition methods for major, minor and trace elements determination. Three methods were investigated: (1) decomposition in closed quartz vessel and heating in microwave oven; (2) decomposition in open vessel using HNO3 and ashing, following the ASTM D 3335-85a method; and (3) decomposition in open vessel using HNO3 + HF and ashing. Paints of different types and colours were analyzed, in which several elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). It was observed that method (1) is appropriate for trace, minor and major elements determination, while method (3) is appropriate for Ti.

Development and validation of a LC-method for the determination of phenols in a pharmaceutical formulation containing extracts from Stryphnodendron adstringens

A sensitive RP-HPLC method with UV detection successfully measured phenol(s) in an ointment containing 3% Stryphnodendron adstringens extract. Chromatography used acetonitrile (0.05% trifluoroacetic acid):water (0.05% trifluoroacetic acid) (v/v), flow rate 0.8 mL min-1. Quantitation was accomplished by the external-standard method. Linearity for 2.00 to 16.00 μg mL-1 (gallic acid) and 1.14 to 18.24 μg mL-1 (gallocatechin) was established. Intra- and inter-day precision levels were under 5%. LOD and LOQ were 0.231 and 0.770 μg mL-1 (gallic acid) and 0.151 and 0.504 μg mL-1 (gallocatechin), respectively. Determination of phenols was unaffected by product excipients.

Avaliação do perfil de dissolução de medicamentos utilizando-se espectroscopia eletrônica multivariada

In this work the evaluation of the dissolution profile of captopril-hydrochlorothiazide and zidovudine-lamivudine associations were carried out by multivariate spectroscopic method. The models were developed by partial least square regression from 20 synthetic mixtures using mean-centered spectral data. The external validation was accomplished with 5 synthetic mixtures shown mean prevision error of about 1%. Good agreement was observed in the analyses of commercial drugs (content uniformity and dissolution profile), considering the results obtained by the standard chromatographic method, with prevision error lower than 10%.

Studies on the development of spectrophotometric method for the determination of haloperidol in pharmaceutical preparations

A spectrophotometric method based on the formation of ion-pair complex between haloperidol and eriochrome black T (EBT) at pH 1.85 has been described. The formed complex was extracted quantitatively into chloroform and measured at 510 nm. Infra red (IR) studies were performed to confirm the formation of ion-pair complex. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration range of 2.0-9.0 µg mL-1 with molar absorptivity of 2.67 × 10(4) L mol-1 cm-1. The detection limit was found to be 0.18 µg mL-1. Statistical comparison of the results of the proposed method with those of the reference method shows excellent agreement and indicates no significant difference in accuracy and precision.

Kloorifenoleja sisältävien jätevesien AOP-käsittely

Kirjallisuustyössä tutkittiin tehostetun hapetuksen menetelmiä (engl. Advanced Oxidation Processes, AOPs) kloorifenolien käsittelyssä. Tutkittava aine valittiin US EPA:n (United States Environmental Protection Agency) ympäristölle haitallisten aineiden listalta. Työssä tutkitut AOP-menetelmät olivat otsonointi kasvatetussa pH:ssa, O3/H2O2-prosessi, fotolyyttinen otsonointi (O3/UV), H2O2/UV-prosessi ja Fenton-prosessi (H2O2+Fe2+). AOP-käsittelyssä OH-radikaalien oletetaan pääosin aiheuttavan epäpuhtauksien hapettumisen. Kirjallisuustyössä tutkittiin OH-radikaaleihin vaikuttavien parametrien, kuten pH:n, lämpötilan sekä hapettimien ja hapetettavan aineen konsentraatioiden vaikutusta kloorifenolien hapetusprosessissa. Työn tarkoituksena oli selvittää tehokkain AOP-käsittely kloorifenoleja sisältävien jätevesien käsittelylle. AOP-käsittelyjen tehokkuutta verrattiin hajoamisnopeusvakioiden, puoliintumisaikojen sekä hapettimen kemikaalikulutuksen ja kustannuksen perusteella. Fenton-prosessin ja otsonoinnin pH:ssa 9 todettiin olevan tehokkaimpia menetelmiä kloorifenolien hapetuksessa. Fenton-prosessin hapetusnopeus oli tehokkaampaa 4-CP:n ja 2,4-DCP:n hapetuksessa, kun taas otsonointi pH:ssa 9 hapetti nopeammin 2,3,4,6-TeCP:n ja 2,4,6-TCP:n. Kustannustehokkuuden perusteella Fenton-prosessi oli otsonointia tehokkaampi. Parhaan menetelmän valinta kloorifenoleiden poistamiseksi oli vaikeaa, sillä useissa tutkimuksissa oli tutkittu vain yhtä menetelmää. Lisäksi eri tutkimuksissa käytetyt prosessiolosuhteet olivat erilaiset, joka hankaloitti tutkimusten vertailua. Lopullinen AOP-menetelmän valinta tulisikin suorittaa vasta laboratoriotutkimusten jälkeen.

Algorithm to determine the intersection curves between bezier surfaces by the solution of multivariable polynomial system and the differential marching method

The determination of the intersection curve between Bézier Surfaces may be seen as the composition of two separated problems: determining initial points and tracing the intersection curve from these points. The Bézier Surface is represented by a parametric function (polynomial with two variables) that maps a point in the tridimensional space from the bidimensional parametric space. In this article, it is proposed an algorithm to determine the initial points of the intersection curve of Bézier Surfaces, based on the solution of polynomial systems with the Projected Polyhedral Method, followed by a method for tracing the intersection curves (Marching Method with differential equations). In order to allow the use of the Projected Polyhedral Method, the equations of the system must be represented in terms of the Bernstein basis, and towards this goal it is proposed a robust and reliable algorithm to exactly transform a multivariable polynomial in terms of power basis to a polynomial written in terms of Bernstein basis .

Combination of pulsed corona discharge with TiO2 photocatalysis: verification of hypothesis

The oxidation potential of pulsed corona discharge concerning aqueous impurities is limited in respect to certain refractory compounds. This may be enhanced in combination of the discharge with catalysis/photocatalysis as developed in homogeneous gas-phase reactions. The objective of the work consists of testing the hypothesis of oxidation potential enhancement in combination of the discharge with TiO2 photocatalysis applied to aqueous solutions of refractory oxalate. Meglumine acridone acetate was included for meeting the practical needs. The experimental research was undertaken into oxidation of aqueous solutions under conditions of various target pollutant concentrations, pH and the pulse repetition rate with plain electrodes and the electrodes with TiO2 attached to their surface. The results showed no positive influence of the photocatalyst, the pollutants were oxidized with the rate identical within the accuracy of measurements. The possible explanation for the observed inefficiency may include low UV irradiance, screening effect of water and generally low oxidation rate in photocatalytic reactions. Further studies might include combination of electric discharge with ozone decomposition/radical formation catalysts.

Comparison of conventional Papanicolaou cytology samples with liquid-based cervical cytology samples from women in Pernambuco, Brazil

In the present study, we compared the performance of a ThinPrep cytological method with the conventional Papanicolaou test for diagnosis of cytopathological changes, with regard to unsatisfactory results achieved at the Central Public Health Laboratory of the State of Pernambuco. A population-based, cross-sectional study was performed with women aged 18 to 65 years, who spontaneously sought gynecological services in Public Health Units in the State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil, between April and November 2011. All patients in the study were given a standardized questionnaire on sociodemographics, sexual characteristics, reproductive practices, and habits. A total of 525 patients were assessed by the two methods (11.05% were under the age of 25 years, 30.86% were single, 4.4% had had more than 5 sexual partners, 44% were not using contraception, 38.85% were users of alcohol, 24.38% were smokers, 3.24% had consumed drugs previously, 42.01% had gynecological complaints, and 12.19% had an early history of sexually transmitted diseases). The two methods showed poor correlation (k=0.19; 95%CI=0.11–0.26; P<0.001). The ThinPrep method reduced the rate of unsatisfactory results from 4.38% to 1.71% (χ2=5.28; P=0.02), and the number of cytopathological changes diagnosed increased from 2.47% to 3.04%. This study confirmed that adopting the ThinPrep method for diagnosis of cervical cytological samples was an improvement over the conventional method. Furthermore, this method may reduce possible losses from cytological resampling and reduce obstacles to patient follow-up, improving the quality of the public health system in the State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil.

Capillary electrophoresis: Applicability and method validation for biorefinery analytics

Wood-based bioprocesses present one of the fields of interest with the most potential in the circular economy. Expanding the use of wood raw material in sustainable industrial processes is acknowledged on both a global and a regional scale. This thesis concerns the application of a capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method with the aim of monitoring wood-based bioprocesses. The range of detectable carbohydrate compounds is expanded to furfural and polydatin in aquatic matrices. The experimental portion has been conducted on a laboratory scale with samples imitating process samples. This thesis presents a novel strategy for the uncertainty evaluation via in-house validation. The focus of the work is on the uncertainty factors of the CZE method. The CZE equipment is sensitive to ambient conditions. Therefore, a proper validation is essential for robust application. This thesis introduces a tool for process monitoring of modern bioprocesses. As a result, it is concluded that the applied CZE method provides additional results to the analysed samples and that the profiling approach is suitable for detecting changes in process samples. The CZE method shows significant potential in process monitoring because of the capability of simultaneously detecting carbohydrate-related compound clusters. The clusters can be used as summary terms, indicating process variation and drift.

Blue and Uv-Emitting Upconversion Nanoparticles: Synthesis and (Bio) Analytical Applications.

Rare-earth based upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) have attracted much attention due to their unique luminescent properties. The ability to convert multiple photons of lower energy to ones with higher energy through an upconversion (UC) process offers a wide range of applications for UCNPs. The emission intensities and wavelengths of UCNPs are important performance characteristics, which determine the appropriate applications. However, insufficient intensities still limit the use of UCNPs; especially the efficient emission of blue and ultraviolet (UV) light via upconversion remains challenging, as these events require three or more near-infrared (NIR) photons. The aim of the study was to enhance the blue and UV upconversion emission intensities of Tm3+ doped NaYF4 nanoparticles and to demonstrate their utility in in vitro diagnostics. As the distance between the sensitizer and the activator significantly affect the energy transfer efficiency, different strategies were explored to change the local symmetry around the doped lanthanides. One important strategy is the intentional co-doping of active (participate in energy transfer) or passive (do not participate in energy transfer) impurities into the host matrix. The roles of doped passive impurities (K+ and Sc3+) in enhancing the blue and UV upconversions, as well as in influencing the intense UV upconversion emission through excess sensitization (active impurity) were studied. Additionally, the effects of both active and passive impurity doping on the morphological and optical performance of UCNPs were investigated. The applicability of UV emitting UCNPs as an internal light source for glucose sensing in a dry chemistry test strip was demonstrated. The measurements were in agreement with the traditional method based on reflectance measurements using an external UV light source. The use of UCNPs in the glucose test strip offers an alternative detection method with advantages such as control signals for minimizing errors and high penetration of the NIR excitation through the blood sample, which gives more freedom for designing the optical setup. In bioimaging, the excitation of the UCNPs in the transparent IR region of the tissue permits measurements, which are free of background fluorescence and have a high signal-to-background ratio. In addition, the narrow emission bandwidth of the UCNPs enables multiplexed detections. An array-in-well immunoassay was developed using two different UC emission colours. The differentiation between different viral infections and the classification of antibody responses were achieved based on both the position and colour of the signal. The study demonstrates the potential of spectral and spatial multiplexing in the imaging based array-in-well assays.

Sport Commitment in Wheelchair Basketball: An Interpretive Look into the Lives of Individuals with Physical Disabilities

It is estimated that over 4.4 million people are living in Canada with a reported disability. Due to a number of risk factors associated with potential health concerns and sedentary lifestyles, it is important for people with physical disabilities to lead an active lifestyle. Recreation and leisure pursuits are a great outlet for this to take place. However, in order to gain the long terms benefits of these pursuits one must be committed to an activity. With the use of a collaborative interview method, with the Sport Commitment Model serving as the guiding framework, this study sought to find the underlying factors for continued participation for people with physical disabilities in wheelchair basketball. Through utilizing an interpretive approach it was found that enjoyment, social support, perceived ability and to some extent involvement opportunities, were the main contributors to overall commitment. Criticisms and suggestions for future research are also provided.