Is use of nifurtimox for the treatment of Chagas disease compatible with breast feeding? A population pharmacokinetics analysis.

Introduction Women with Chagas disease receiving treatment with nifurtimox are discouraged from breast feeding. Many patients who would receive treatment with nifurtimox live in extreme poverty, have limited access to resources such as clean water and baby formula and may not have safe alternatives to breast milk. Aim We aimed to estimate, using limited available pharmacokinetics data, potential infant exposure to nifurtimox through breast milk. Methods Original nifurtimox plasma concentrations were obtained from published studies. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using non-linear mixed-effect modelling with NONMEM V.VI. A total of 1000 nifurtimox plasma-concentration profiles were simulated and used to calculate the amount of drug that an infant would be exposed to, if breast fed 150 ml/kg/day. Results Breast milk concentrations on the basis of peak plasma levels (1361 ng/ml) and milk-plasma ratio were estimated. We calculated infant nifurtimox exposure of a breastfed infant of a mother treated with this drug to be below 10% of the maternal weight-adjusted dose, even if milk-plasma ratio were overestimated. Simulation led to similar estimates. Discussion Risk for significant infant exposure to nifurtimox through breast milk seems small and below the level of exposure of infants with Chagas disease receiving nifurtimox treatment. This potential degree of exposure may not justify discontinuation of breast feeding.

Feeding of nauplii, copepodites and adults of Calanipeda aquaedulcis (Calanoida) in Mediterranean salt marshes

Feeding of the different developmental stages of Calanipeda aquaedulcis on natural particles (bacterio-, phyto- and microzooplankton) was measured in a Mediterranean salt marsh (Empordà wetlands, NE Iberian Peninsula). Bottle incubations were performed in the field both in autumn and spring. The results showed differences in the diet of the different developmental stages due to both prey type and size. In general, the size of the ingested prey increased with increasing size of the C. aquaedulcis stage. While C. aquaedulcis adults had high ingestion rates and selection coefficients for large prey (micro- and nanoplankton), nauplii preferentially consumed smaller prey items (picoplankton). Copepodites showed the widest prey size range, including pico-, nano- and microplankton. Nevertheless, the lower size limit for particle capture was similar for all stages, i.e. between 1.7 and 2.1 μm. Omnivory was observed in all stages of C. aquaedulcis. Heterotrophic prey (picoplankton, dinoflagellates and ciliates) were the most ingested items. The ability to partition the available food among the different developmental stages could represent an advantage in times of ood scarcity because it may reduce intraspecific competition. This may explain how C. aquaedulcis is able to predominate in the zooplankton community for several weeks during spring and summer ven in situations of low food availability

Feeding and arrestment responses of Diabrotica speciosa to cucurbitacin-content formulations

The objective of this work was to evaluate arrestant and stimulant feeding effects on Diabrotica speciosa (Ger.), using cucurbitacin-content starch-based formulations prepared with varying starch sources, and adding potassium lignate. In a glass slide assay, the wash off resistance of formulations was compared. Potassium lignate did not improve wash off resistance. Lagenaria vulgaris L. powder, in which cucurbitacin B concentration was determined as 0.28%, was added to the most adhesive formulation. The resultant material was used in a two-choice assay in which leaves of common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., treated with concentrations of 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% were offered to insects together with untreated control leaves. Greater number of insects and leaves consumed were found on leaves treated with cucurbitacin-content formulation (2.5%, 5% - greatest response -, 10% and 15% concentrations) than on untreated control leaves. The concentration, in which responses were higher, was sprayed in a bean field at 1,000, 1,900 and 3,000 g ha-1. Greater number of beetles was found in plots treated with the highest dosage, 3 and 6 days after spraying. Ten days after spraying, no significant differences were found among dosages, probably due to washoff of the bait.

Les Imitacions de vaixella fina importada a la Hispania Citerior (segles I aC-I dC)

Aquesta obra és fruit de la taula rodona «Imitatio Vasaria. Les imitacions de vaixella fina a la Hispània Citerior en època tardorepublicana i altimperial: producció i comercialització», que va reunir durant tres dies representants de tretze grups de recerca per reflexionar sobre les imitacions de les ceràmiques fines d’importació d’època romana tardorepublicana i altimperial. Com a resultat d’aquestes xerrades es van redactar 14 articles que presenten els estats de la qüestió que cada grup de recerca va portar a terme en el seu àmbit geogràfic i en els jaciments on van desenvolupar el seu treball de camp: diverses zones de la Hispània Citerior des de les universitats de Girona, Barcelona, Autònoma de Barcelona, València, Alacant i Valladolid, així com des dels Museus d’Arqueologia de Catalunya-Empúries, Mataró i Badalona, i de l’ICAC. Dos articles del llibre, però, se centren en un altre punt de la Mediterrània occidental, el Llenguadoc, aportat per un grup del Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).

1.° Autolyci liber de sphaera quae movetur, cum interpretatione et commentario Francisci Maurolyci. — 2.° Theodosii de habitationibus, de noctibus ac diebus libri duo, cum ejusdem Maurolyci interpretatione et notis. — 3.° Autolyci de vario ortu et occasu siderum non errantium libri duo : interprete Francisco Maurolyco.

Colbertinus

1.° Instrumenti cujusdam astronomici descriptio, compositio et usus : accedunt figurae. — 2.° Anonymi arithmetica de rerum ac numerorum proportionibus. — 3.° Messahallach tractatus de compositione et usu astrolabii. — 4.° Canones super tabulas Alphonsinas : authore Joanne de Saxonia. — 5.° Tabulae astronomicae Alphonsi, Regis Castellae. — 6.° Canones Joannis de Ligneriis, aliàs, de Lineriis. — 7.° Tractatus de eclipsibus Solis.

Colbertinus

La Necròpolis protohistòrica de Milmanda (Vimbodí, Conca de Barberà, Tarragona) : un exemple del món funerari català durant el trànsit entre els segles VII i VI aC

La necròpolis protohistòrica de Milmanda (Vimbodí, Conca de Barberà, Tarragonès). Un exemple del món funerari català durant el trànsit entre els segles VII i VI aC és una monografia que documenta els materials que es van trobar en aquest jaciment i els posa en el context del món funerari del període ibèric antic a Catalunya.

Image Analysis of PCC and AC Pavements Using SEM Images, HR-346, 1994

The major objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of image analysis for characterizing air voids in Portland cement Concrete (PCC), voids and constituents of Asphalt Concrete (AC) and aggregate gradation in AC. Images for analysis were obtained from a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Sample preparation techniques are presented that enhance signal differences so that backscattered electron (BSE) imaging, which is sensitive to atomic number changes, can be effectively employed. Work with PCC and AC pavement core samples has shown that the low vacuum scanning electron microscope (LVSEM) is better suited towards rapid analyses. The conventional high vacuum SEM can also be used for AC and PCC analyses but some distortion within the sample matrix will occur. Images with improved resolution can be obtained from scanning electron microscope (SEM) backscatter electron (BSE) micrographs. In a BSE image, voids filled with barium sulfate/resin yield excellent contrast in both PCC and AC. There is a good correlation between percent of air by image analysis and linear traverse.

Aproximació a la metrologia ibèrica (segles V-II aC)

En aquest treball presentem l’estat de la recerca de la metrologia ibèrica aplicada a l’arquitectura. S’analitza un conjunt ample d’assentaments, amb una cronologia que abasta des de l’ibèric ple fins a la romanització, i un àmbit geogràfic que comprèn tot el nord-est de la península Ibèrica. L’anàlisi metrològica de l’urbanisme i els sistemes defensius ibèrics ens han permès identificar dos possibles sistemes de mesures propis de les comunitats ibèriques. La definició de les proporcions geomètriques emprades a les construccions, així com les propostes de restitució d’aquestes, ens permet identificar una repetició de mòduls que mostren el probable ús d’eines de mesura. Conjuntament, hem comprovat que tant l’aplicació d’unitats constructives mediterrànies com dels principals sistemes de proporcions indiquen que el món ibèric català es troba immers dintre dels principals corrents característics de la koiné mediterrània entre els segles V i II aC

El poblament rural del Camp de Tarragona en època tardo-republicana (segles II-I aC)

This project consists of a study of the settlement of population during the Late Republican period in the Camp de Tarragona, an extensive agricultural plain in the shape of a crescent moon opening out towards the sea which constitutes the area of land in closest proximity to the capital, Tarraco. It does not therefore include the entirety of the ager Tarraconensis, which covered a considerably larger area. After reviewing the preceding Iberian presence in the area, the study focuses on the archaeological evidence corroborating the settlement of population referred to above and its evolution during the course of the two centuries prior to the rule of Augustus. Attention is also given to certain speciic themes, such as the centuriation of certain sectors, the presence of military checkpoints, the production of ceramics during the Republican period (at Fontscaldes and Valls) and the appearance of the irst Roman villas (El Moro and El Mas d’en Gras).

Asphalt Cement Containing AC-13, HR-522, Final Report, 1988

Stopping and turning maneuvers on high traffic volume asphalt cement concrete surfaced roads and streets often cause distortion of the pavement. Distortion may show up as excessive rutting in the wheel path, shoving of the pavement and/or rippling of the surface. Often times repeated corrective work such as cold milling or heater planing is required in these areas to maintain the pavement surface in a reasonable condition. In recent years polymer additives have been developed for asphalt cement concrete paving mixes that show promise in improving the inplace stability of the pavements. AC-13 (Styrelf 13) available from Bitucote Products Company, St. Louis, Missouri is an asphalt cement that has been modified by an additive to exhibit characteristics of very high stability in asphalt mixes.