Square-wave adsorptive-stripping voltammetric detection in the quality control of fluoxetine

Electroanalytical methods based on square-wave adsorptive-stripping voltammetry (SWAdSV) and flow-injection analysis with square-wave adsorptive-stripping voltammetric detection (FIA-SWAdSV) were developed for the determination of fluoxetine (FXT). The methods were based on the reduction of FXT at a mercury drop electrode at -1.2 V versus Ag/AgCl, in a phosphate buffer of pH 12.0, and on the possibility of accumulating the compound at the electrode surface. The SWAdSV method was successfully applied in the quantification of FXT in pharmaceutical products, human serum samples, and in drug dissolution studies. Because the presence of dissolved oxygen did not interfere significantly with the analysis, it was possible to quantify FXT in several pharmaceutical products using FIA-SWAdSV. This method enables analysis of up to 120 samples per hour at reduced costs.

Análisis político del Programa de Control del dengue en Morelos, México

OBJETIVO: Analizar medidas municipales implementadas para el control de la epidemia del dengue, sobretodo las de coordinación sectorial, gobernanza y participación de grupos sociales. MÉTODOS: Estudio de observación, realizado en Morelos, México, 2007. Los datos colectados en entrevistas y observaciones directas fueron sometidos a análisis de contenido y mapeo político. El software Policy Marker fue utilizado para evaluar los pesos atribuidos a los datos de desempeño (e.g. criterios alto, medio y bajo) y el papel de actores (acciones realizadas sean ellas de vigilancia, control o administrativas). Se realizó análisis estratégico de las oportunidades y desafíos en el cumplimiento de las políticas públicas y control del dengue. RESULTADOS: Las bases jurídicas indican que la respuesta a la epidemia es una tarea multisectorial. Sin embargo, la respuesta está centrada en actividades de los servicios de la salud, que están forzados a dar mayor apoyo financiero y derivar los recursos humanos necesarios, en contraste con la contribución de otros sectores (e.g. agua y saneamiento básico), que desconocen sus responsabilidades. El sector de la salud presenta alto nivel de factibilidad para la vinculación intra?institucional, en términos de optimización de recursos y cumplimiento de objetivos, particularmente entre autoridades de salud en los niveles estatal, jurisdiccional, municipal y local. CONCLUSIONES: El abordaje multidisciplinario y el fortalecimiento de las responsabilidades políticas permitirán la respuesta eficaz ante la epidemia del dengue, sustentada en la coordinación sectorial e involucramiento activo de la población afectada.

Celiac disease diagnosis and gluten-free food analytical control

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy, characterized by an inappropriate T-cell-mediated immune response to the ingestion of certain dietary cereal proteins in genetically susceptible individuals. This disorder presents environmental, genetic, and immunological components. CD presents a prevalence of up to 1% in populations of European ancestry, yet a high percentage of cases remain underdiagnosed. The diagnosis and treatment should be made early since untreated disease causes growth retardation and atypical symptoms, like infertility or neurological disorders. The diagnostic criteria for CD, which requires endoscopy with small bowel biopsy, have been changing over the last few decades, especially due to the advent of serological tests with higher sensitivity and specificity. The use of serological markers can be very useful to rule out clinical suspicious cases and also to help monitor the patients, after adherence to a gluten-free diet. Since the current treatment consists of a life-long glutenfree diet, which leads to significant clinical and histological improvement, the standardization of an assay to assess in an unequivocal way gluten in gluten-free foodstuff is of major importance.

Control and comparison of the antioxidant capacity of beers

The purpose of the present work is to determine the antioxidant capacity (AC) of 27 commercial beers. The AC indicates the degree of protection of a certain organism against oxidative damage provoked by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Assays were carried out by the following methods: (i) total radical trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP); (ii) trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC); (iii) trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (DPPH); (iv) ferric-ion reducing antioxidant parameter (FRAP); (v) cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC); (vi) oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Ascorbic acid (AA), gallic acid (GA) and trolox (TR) were used as standards. All beers showed antioxidant power, but a wide range of ACs was observed. The effect of several factors upon these differences was studied. Statistical differences were found between ACs of beers of different colours. ORAC method provided always higher experimental ACs, of significant statistical differences to other assays.

Electrochemical methods in pesticides control

The state of the art of voltammetric and amperometric methods used in the study and determination of pesticides in crops, food, phytopharmaceutical products, and environmental samples is reviewed. The main structural groups of pesticides, i.e., triazines, organophosphates, organochlorides, nitrocompounds, carbamates, thiocarbamates, sulfonylureas, and bipyridinium compounds are considered with some degradation products. The advantages, drawbacks, and trends in the development of voltammetric and amperometric methods for study and determination of pesticides in these samples are discussed.

Influence of wearing an unstable shoe construction on compensatory control of posture

This study investigated the influence of wearing unstable shoe construction (WUS) on compensatory postural adjustments (CPA) associated with external perturbations. Thirty-two subjects stood on a force platform resisting an anterior-posterior horizontal force applied to a pelvic belt via a cable, which was suddenly released. They stood under two conditions: barefoot and WUS. The electromyographic (EMG) activity of gastrocnemius medialis, tibialis anterior, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, rectus abdominis, and erector spinae muscles and the center of pressure (CoP) displacement were acquired to study CPA. The EMG signal was used to assess individual muscle activity and latency, antagonist co-activation and reciprocal activation at joint and muscle group levels. Compared to barefoot, WUS led to: (1) increased gastrocnemius medialis activity, (2) increased total agonist activity, (3) decreased antagonist co-activation at the ankle joint and muscle group levels, (4) increased reciprocal activation at the ankle joint and muscle group levels, and (5) decrease in all muscle latencies. No differences were observed in CoP displacement between conditions. These findings demonstrate that WUS led to a reorganization of the postural control system associated to improved performance of some components of postural control responses.

Influence of long-term wearing of unstable shoes on compensatory control of posture: An electromyography-based analysis

Purpose: This study investigated the influence of long-term wearing of unstable shoes (WUS) on compensatory postural adjustments (CPA) to an external perturbation. Methods: Participants were divided into two groups: one wore unstable shoes while the other wore conventional shoes for 8 weeks. The ground reaction force signal was used to calculate the anterior– posterior (AP) displacement of the centre of pressure (CoP) and the electromyographic signal of gastrocnemius medialis (GM), tibialis anterior (TA), rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles was used to assess individual muscle activity, antagonist co-activation and reciprocal activation at the joint (TA/GM and RF/(BF + GM) pairs) and muscle group levels (ventral (TA + RF)/dorsal (GM + BF) pair) within time intervals typical for CPA. The electromyographic signal was also used to assess muscle latency. The variables described were evaluated before and after the 8-week period while wearing the unstable shoes and barefoot. Results: Long-term WUS led to: an increase of BF activity in both conditions (barefoot and wearing the unstable shoes); a decrease of GM activity; an increase of antagonist co-activation and a decrease of reciprocal activation level at the TA/GM and ventral/dorsal pairs in the unstable shoe condition. Additionally, WUS led to a decrease in CoP displacement. However, no differences were observed in muscle onset and offset. Conclusion: Results suggest that the prolonged use of unstable shoes leads to increased ankle and muscle groups’ antagonist co-activation levels and higher performance by the postural control system.

Pulmonary tuberculosis in Continental Portugal 2000-2010: temporal trends clustering as a tool for control evaluation

Clustering analysis is a useful tool to detect and monitor disease patterns and, consequently, to contribute for an effective population disease management. Portugal has the highest incidence of tuberculosis in the European Union (in 2012, 21.6 cases per 100.000 inhabitants), although it has been decreasing consistently. Two critical PTB (Pulmonary Tuberculosis) areas, metropolitan Oporto and metropolitan Lisbon regions, were previously identified through spatial and space-time clustering for PTB incidence rate and risk factors. Identifying clusters of temporal trends can further elucidate policy makers about municipalities showing a faster or a slower TB control improvement.

Fractional model for malaria transmission under control strategies

We study a fractional model for malaria transmission under control strategies.Weconsider the integer order model proposed by Chiyaka et al. (2008) in [15] and modify it to become a fractional order model. We study numerically the model for variation of the values of the fractional derivative and of the parameter that models personal protection, b. From observation of the figures we conclude that as b is increased from 0 to 1 there is a corresponding decrease in the number of infectious humans and infectious mosquitoes, for all values of α. This means that this result is invariant for variation of fractional derivative, in the values tested. These results are in agreement with those obtained in Chiyaka et al.(2008) [15] for α = 1.0 and suggest that our fractional model is epidemiologically wellposed.

Statistical analysis of quality control measurements in IMRT for head and neck and prostate cancer

Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) is a technique introduced to shape more precisely the dose distributions to the tumour, providing a higher dose escalation in the volume to irradiate and simultaneously decreasing the dose in the organs at risk which consequently reduces the treatment toxicity. This technique is widely used in prostate and head and neck (H&N) tumours. Given the complexity and the use of high doses in this technique it’s necessary to ensure as a safe and secure administration of the treatment, through the use of quality control programmes for IMRT. The purpose of this study was to evaluate statistically the quality control measurements that are made for the IMRT plans in prostate and H&N patients, before the beginning of the treatment, analysing their variations, the percentage of rejected and repeated measurements, the average, standard deviations and the proportion relations.

Distributed active traction control system applied to the RoboCup middle size league

This work addresses the problem of traction control in mobile wheeled robots in the particular case of the RoboCup Middle Size League (MSL). The slip control problem is formulated using simple friction models for ISePorto Team robots with a differential wheel configuration. Traction was also characterized experimentally in the MSL scenario for relevant game events. This work proposes a hierarchical traction control architecture which relies in local slip detection and control at each wheel, with relevant information being relayed to a higher level responsible for global robot motion control. A dedicated one axis control embedded hardware subsystem allowing complex local control, high frequency current sensing and odometric information procession was developed. This local axis control board is integrated in a distributed system using CAN bus communications. The slipping observer was implemented in the axis control hardware nodes integrated in the ISePorto robots and was used to control and detect loss of for traction. %and to detect the ball in the kicking device. An external vision system was used to perform a qualitative analysis of the slip detection and observer performance results are presented.

Networked embedded systems for active flow control in aircraft

Aerodynamic drag is known to be one of the factors contributing more to increased aircraft fuel consumption. The primary source of skin friction drag during flight is the boundary layer separation. This is the layer of air moving smoothly in the immediate vicinity of the aircraft. In this paper we discuss a cyber-physical system approach able of performing an efficient suppression of the turbulent flow by using a dense sensing deployment to detect the low pressure region and a similarly dense deployment of actuators to manage the turbulent flow. With this concept, only the actuators in the vicinity of a separation layer are activated, minimizing power consumption and also the induced drag.

A Perturbation and Observation Routine Used To Control A Power Converter

This paper presents a programable perturbation and observation control implementation for a wind generation system and its power electronic converter. The objective of the method in this particular application is to adjust the power delivered to charge a battery to its maximum and allowable value, function of the real values of several parameters and their continuous variation, the most important the wind velocity and the turbine efficiency. Also, to improve the power throughput and to use the turbine and generator marginal zones of operation, an unusual power converter is used, allowing a wide range for the input voltage values. The implemented control is continuously measuring the actual power and looks for a new and powerful operation point. © 2014 IEEE.

Using a prioritized medium access control protocol for incrementally obtaining an interpolation of sensor readings

This paper addresses sensor network applications which need to obtain an accurate image of physical phenomena and do so with a high sampling rate in both time and space. We present a fast and scalable approach for obtaining an approximate representation of all sensor readings at high sampling rate for quickly reacting to critical events in a physical environment. This approach is an improvement on previous work in that after the new approach has undergone a startup phase then the new approach can use a very small sampling period.

Control of a power supply with cycling current using different controllers

Fast Field Cycling (FFC) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometers require controlled current sources in order to get accurate flux density with respect to its magnet. The main elements of the proposed solution are a power semiconductor, a DC voltage source and the magnet. The power semiconductor is commanded in order to get a linear control of the flux density. To implement the flux density control, a Hall Effect sensor is used. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior of the current source is analyzed and compared when using a PI controller and a PD2I controller.