The in vitro activities of ferrochloroquine, chloroquine, quinine, mefloquine, halofantrine, amodiaquine, primaquine, atovaquone and artesunate were evaluated against Plasmodium falciparum isolates ...from children with uncomplicated malaria from Libreville (Gabon), using an isotopic, micro, drug susceptibility test. The IC50 values for ferrochloroquine were in the range 0.43–30.9 nM and the geometric mean IC50 for the 103 isolates was 10.8 nM (95% CI 8.6–13.5 nM), while the geometric means for chloroquine, quinine, mefloquine, amodiaquine and primaquine were 370 nM, 341 nM, 8.3 nM, 18.1 nM and 7.6 μM, respectively. Ferrochloroquine was active against P. falciparum isolates, 95% of which showed in vitro resistance to chloroquine. Weak positive significant correlations were observed between the responses to ferrochloroquine and that to chloroquine, amodiaquine and quinine, but too low to suggest cross-resistance. There was no significant correlation between the response to ferrochloroquine and those to mefloquine, halofantrine, primaquine, atovaquone or artesunate. Ferrochloroquine may be an important alternative drug for the treatment of chloroquine-resistant malaria.
Objectives:To examine the influence of different playing surfaces on in-shoe loading patterns during tennis-specific movements.Methods:Ten experienced male players performed two types of ...tennis-specific displacements (serve and volley (SV) and baseline play (BA)) on two different playing surfaces; eg, clay vs Greenset. Maximum and mean force and pressure, contact time, contact area and relative load were recorded by an insole with 99 sensors (X-Pedar system) divided into 9 areas.Results:Regarding the whole foot, mean (SD) force (SV: 615 (91) vs 724 (151) N; −12.4%, p<0.05 and BA: 614 (73) vs 717 (133) N; −11.6%, p<0.05) was lower on clay than on Greenset, whereas contact time was longer (SV: 299 (113) vs 270 (148) ms; +16.5%, NS and BA: 354 (72) vs 272 (60) ms; +30.3%, p<0.001). Greenset induced higher loading in the hallux (SV: +15.3%, p<0.05 and BA: +11.4%, not significant) and lesser toes areas (SV: +12.6%, p<0.05 and BA: +18.0%, p<0.01). In contrast, the relative load on the medial (SV: +27.4%, p<0.05 and BA: +16.1%, p = 0.06) and lateral midfoot (SV: +23.3%, p<0.05 and BA: +28.3%, p<0.01) was higher on clay.Conclusions:This study demonstrates that playing surface affects plantar loading in tennis: Greenset induced higher loading in the hallux (SV: +15.3%, p<0.05 and BA: +11.4%, NS) and lesser toes areas (SV: +12.6%, p<0.05 and BA: +18.0%, p<0.01) but lower relative load on the medial (SV: −27.4%, p<0.05 and BA: −16.1%, p = 0.06) and lateral midfoot (SV: −23.3%, p<0.05 and BA: −28.3%, p<0.01) than clay.
Abstract The time course of alteration in neuromuscular function of the knee extensor muscles was characterized during a prolonged intermittent exercise. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and ...surface EMG activity of both vastii were measured during brief interruptions before ( T0 ), during (30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min: T30 , T60 , T90 , T120 , T150 , T180 ) and 30 min after ( T+30 ) a 3 h tennis match in 12 trained players. M-wave and twitch contractile properties were analyzed following single stimuli. Short tetani at 20 Hz and 80 Hz were also applied to six subjects at T0 and T180 . Significant reductions in MVC ( P < 0.05; −9%) and electromyographic activity normalized to the M wave for both vastii ( P < 0.01) occurred with fatigue at T180 . No significant changes in M-wave duration and amplitude nor in twitch contractile properties were observed. The ratio between the torques evoked by 20 Hz and 80 Hz stimulation declined significantly ( P < 0.001; −12%) after exercise. Central activation failure and alterations in excitation–contraction coupling are probable mechanisms contributing to the moderate impairment of the neuromuscular function during prolonged tennis playing.
This study aimed to characterise both the
kinetics within constant heavy-intensity swimming exercise, and to assess the relationships between
kinetics and other parameters of aerobic fitness, in ...well-trained swimmers. On separate days, 21 male swimmers completed: (1) an incremental swimming test to determine their maximal oxygen uptake
, first ventilatory threshold (VT), and the velocity associated with
and (2) two square-wave transitions from rest to heavy-intensity exercise, to determine their
kinetics. All the tests involved breath-by-breath analysis of freestyle swimming using a swimming snorkel.
kinetics was modelled with two exponential functions. The mean values for the incremental test were 56.0 ± 6.0 ml min
−1
kg
−1
, 1.45 ± 0.08 m s
−1
; and 42.1 ± 5.7 ml min
−1
kg
−1
for
,
and VT, respectively. For the square-wave transition, the time constant of the primary phase (τ
p
) averaged 17.3 ± 5.4 s and the relevant slow component (
A
′
sc
) averaged 4.8 ± 2.9 ml min
−1
kg
−1
representing 8.9% of the end-exercise
(%
A
′
sc
). τ
p
was correlated with
(
r
= −0.55,
P
= 0.01), but not with either
(
r
= 0.05, ns) or VT (
r
= 0.14, ns). The %
A
′
sc
did not correlate with either
(
r
= −0.14, ns) or
(
r
= 0.06, ns), but was inversely related with VT (
r
= −0.61,
P
< 0.01). This study was the first to describe the
kinetics in heavy-intensity swimming using specific swimming exercise and appropriate methods. As has been demonstrated in cycling, faster
kinetics allow higher aerobic power outputs to be attained. The slow component seems to be reduced in swimmers with higher ventilatory thresholds.
The aim of this study was to test the use of IP-10 detection in dried plasma from contact studies individuals (contacts of smear positive patients), by comparing it with IP-10 and IFN-γ detection in ...direct plasma, to establish IP-10 detection in DPS as a useful assay for LTBI diagnosis. Whole blood samples were collected from 80 subjects: 12 with active tuberculosis (TB), and 68 from contact studies. The amount of IFN-γ produced by sensitized T cells was determined in direct plasma by QuantiFERON Gold In-Tube test. IP-10 levels were determined in direct and dried plasma by an in-house ELISA. For dried plasma IP-10 determination, two 25 µl plasma drops were dried in Whatman903 filter paper and sent by mail to the laboratory. Regarding TB patients, 100.0%, 91.7% and 75.0% were positive for IFN-γ detection and IP-10 detection in direct and dried plasma, respectively. In contacts, 69.1%, 60.3% and 48.5% had positive results after IFN-γ and IP-10 in direct and dried plasma, respectively. The agreement among in vitro tests was substantial and IP-10 levels in direct and dried plasma were strongly correlated (r = 0.897). In conclusion, IP-10 detection in dried plasma is a simple and safe method that would help improve LTBI management.
In this paper, safety considerations related to the operation of proton-exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysers (hydrogen production capacity up to 1Nm3/h and operating pressure up to 130bars) ...are presented. These results were obtained in the course of the GenHyPEM project, a research program on high-pressure PEM water electrolysis supported by the European Commission. Experiments were made using a high-pressure electrolysis stack designed for operation in the 0–130bars pressure range at temperatures up to 90°C. Besides hazards related to the pressure itself, hydrogen concentration in the oxygen gas production and vice-versa (resulting from membrane crossover permeation effects) have been identified as the most significant risks. Results show that the oxygen concentration in hydrogen at 130bars can be as high as 2.66vol%. This is a value still outside the flammability limit for hydrogen–oxygen mixtures (3.9–95.8vol%), but safety measures are required to prevent explosion hazards. A simple model based on the diffusion of dissolved gases is proposed to account for gas cross-permeation effects. To reduce contamination levels, different solutions are proposed. First, thicker membranes can be used. Second, modified or composite membranes with lower gas permeabilities can be used. Third, as reported earlier, external catalytic gas recombiners can be used to promote H2/O2 recombination and reduce contamination levels in the gas production. Finally, other considerations related to cell and stack design are also discussed to further reduce operation risks.
Abstract Compounding continues to play a key role in the treatment of skin conditions, despite the abundance of products made by the pharmaceutical industry. Right from the earliest days of ...dermatology, compounding proved very useful in the treatment of diseases for which no specific drugs were available. However, as new products came onto the market, this usefulness was called into question, and doubts over safety, stability, and effectiveness were raised. Today, compounding is regaining the place it once held in routine dermatological practice. We review the advantages and disadvantages of compounding, the most common indications, current legislation in our setting, and the latest developments in active ingredients and vehicles.
Resumen A pesar de la gran cantidad de productos disponibles producidos por la industria farmacéutica, hoy en día la formulación magistral sigue teniendo un papel muy importante en el tratamiento de ...las afecciones dermatológicas. Desde los inicios de la Dermatología se ha usado, siendo muy útil en el tratamiento de enfermedades para las que no se disponía de preparados farmacéuticos específicos; sin embargo, a medida que fueron apareciendo nuevos productos comercializados se puso en duda la utilidad de la formulación, cuestionando su seguridad, estabilidad y efectividad. Esto contrasta con la tendencia actual de recuperar la formulación, haciendo que vuelva a ocupar su lugar en la práctica dermatológica habitual. En el presente artículo revisamos las patologías en las que se usa con más frecuencia la formulación, sus utilidades e inconvenientes, la legislación actual al respecto en nuestro ámbito, aportando las últimas novedades descritas en cuanto a vehículos y principios activos disponibles.
Objectives: The effects of living and training have not been compared at different altitudes in well trained subjects. Methods: Nine international swimmers lived and trained for 13 days similarly at ...1200 m (T1200) and 1850 m (T1850). The two altitude training periods were separated by six weeks of sea level training. Before and after each training trip, subjects performed, at an altitude of 1200 m, an incremental exercise test to exhaustion of 5 × 200 m swims and a maximal test over 2000 m. Results: There was no difference in V˙o2max after each training trip: the before values were 58.5 (5.6) and 60.4 (6.7) ml/kg/min and the after values were 56.2 (5.2) and 57.1 (4.7) ml/kg/min for T1200 and T1850 respectively. The 2000 m performance had improved during T1200 (1476 (34) to 1448 (45) seconds) but not during T1850 (1458 (35) v 1450 (33) seconds). Mean cell volume increased during T1850 (86.6 (2.8) to 88.7 (2.9) µm3) but did not change during T1200 (85.6 (2.9) v 85.7 (2.9) µm3). The proportion of reticulocytes decreased during T1200 (15.2 (3.8)% to 10.3 (3.4)%) and increased during T1850 (9.3 (1.6)% to 11.9 (3.5)%). Conclusions: The short term effects of 13 days of training at 1200 m on swimming performance appear to be greater than the same type of training for the same length of time at 1850 m. As mean cell volume and proportion of reticulocytes only increased during training at 1850 m, the benefits of training at this altitude may be delayed and appear later on.
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