DERIVATIVES OF THE RATIO SPECTRA FOR DETERMINATION OF ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID, ACETAMINOPHEN, AND CAFFEINE IN FIXED-DOSE COMBINATION FORMULATIONS: APPLICATION TO DISSOLUTION STUDIES

Objective: To develop a ratio-derivative spectrophotometric method for the simultaneous quantification of acetilsalycilic acid (ASA), acetaminophen (ACE), and caffeine (CAF) in fixed-dose combination formulations. The proposed method was applied to the reference drug product Excedrin® in dissolution studies. Methods: The method is based on the use of the first-and second-derivatives of the ratio spectra and measurements at zero-crossing wavelengths. The dissolution profiles of ASA, ACE, and CAF were obtained following pharmacopeial conditions, USP Apparatus 2 at 100 rpm and 900 ml of water. Dissolution samples were treated with the proposed UV-derivative method and the results were compared with those obtained with a validated HPLC procedure. The dissolution efficiency was used to compare dissolution profiles (HPLC vs. UV-derivative method). Results: The method was linear in the range of 5-25 µg/ml of ASA, 2.5-20 µg/ml of ACE, and 1-8 µg/ml of CAF (R2>0.999, *P<0.05). The precision and accuracy of synthetic mixtures were within acceptable criteria (2.11-3.43% and 96.78-104.15%, respectively). Nitrocellulose filters were the best option to filter samples and stability of all drugs was adequate when standard solutions were stored at 4 °C during 24 h. No significant differences were found between dissolution profiles (*P>0.05). Conclusion: The proposed UV-derivative method allows the simultaneous determination of ASA, ACE, and CAF in commercial formulations. The method is simple, accurate, and precise and can be used in dissolution studies. Spectrophotometric methods are of low cost and harmless to the environment and, therefore, a better alternative than chromatographic methods

Mejora de la competencia matemática en e. Primaria y secundaria obligatoria.

Esta actuación para la mejora de la competencia matemática en la educación obligatoria se basa en la aplicación sistemática de un programa para trabajar el cálculo mental oral y escrito, la conceptualización y la resolución de problemas, en los niveles de primaria y secundaria obligatoria. Partiendo del análisis de resultados en la zona, y fijados los objetivos a conseguir, se describen las fases de la intervención, desde su planteamiento hasta el tercer curso de aplicación, con alumnado de 3º y 4ª de primaria y de 1º y 2º de ESO, en la zona de actuación del equipo de inspección de la zona 1, coincidente con el ámbito del centro del profesorado de baza, (granada 4)

Differential effect of obesity on bone mineral density in White, Hispanic and African American women: a cross sectional study

Osteoporosis is a major public health problem with low bone mass affecting nearly half the women aged 50 years or older. Evidence from various studies has shown that higher body mass index (BMI) is a protective factor for bone mineral density (BMD). Most of the evidence, however, is from studies with Caucasian women and it is unclear to what extent ethnicity plays a role in modifying the effect of BMI on BMD. A cross sectional study was performed in which records of postmenopausal women who presented for screening for osteoporosis at 2 urban medical centres were reviewed. Using logistic regression, we examined the interaction of race and BMI after adjusting for age, family history of osteoporosis, maternal fracture, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle on BMD. Low BMD was defined as T-score at the lumbar spine < -1. Among 3,206 patients identified, the mean age of the study population was 58.3 ± 0.24 (Years ± SEM) and the BMI was 30.6 kg/m(2). 2,417 (75.4%) were African Americans (AA), 441(13.6%) were Whites and 348 (10.9%) were Hispanics. The AA women had lower odds of having low BMD compared to Whites [Odds ratio (OR) = 0.079 (0.03–0.24) (95% CI), p < 0.01]. The odds ratio of low BMD was not statistically significant between White and Hispanic women. We examined the interaction between race and BMD. For White women; as the BMI increases by unity, the odds of low BMD decreases [OR = 0.9 (0.87–0.94), p < 0.01; for every unit increase in BMI]. AA women had slightly but significantly higher odds of low BMD compared to Whites [OR 1.015 (1.007–1.14), p <0.01 for every unit increase in BMI]. This effect was not observed when Hispanic women were compared to Whites. There is thus a race-dependent effect of BMI on BMD. With each unit increase in BMI, BMD increases for White women, while a slight but significant decrease in BMD occurs in African American women

Lesion Index Titration Using Contact-Force Technology Enables Safe and Effective Radiofrequency Lesion Creation at the Root of the Aorta and Pulmonary Artery

BACKGROUND: Ablation of some myocardial substrates requires catheter-based radiofrequency delivery at the root of a great artery. We studied the safety and efficacy parameters associated with catheter-based radiofrequency delivery at the root of the aorta and pulmonary artery. METHODS: Thirty-six pigs underwent in-vivo catheter-based ablation under continuous contact-force and lesion index (power, contact-force, and time) monitoring during 60-s radiofrequency delivery with an open-irrigated tip catheter. Twenty-eight animals were allocated to groups receiving 40 W (n=9), 50 W (n=10), or 60 W (n=9) radiofrequency energy, and acute (n=22) and chronic (n=6) arterial wall damage was quantified by multiphoton microscopy in ex vivo samples. Adjacent myocardial lesions were quantified in parallel samples. The remaining 8 pigs were used to validate safety and efficacy parameters. RESULTS: Acute collagen and elastin alterations were significantly associated with radiofrequency power, although chronic assessment revealed vascular wall recovery in lesions without steam pop. The main parameters associated with steam pops were median peak temperature >42°C and impedance falls >23 ohms. Unlike other parameters, lesion index values of 9.1 units (interquartile range, 8.7-9.8) were associated with the presence of adjacent myocardial lesions in both univariate ( P=0.03) and multivariate analyses ( P=0.049; odds ratio, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.02-3.98). In the validation group, lesion index values using 40 W over a range of contact-forces correlated with the size of radiofrequency lesions (R2=0.57; P=0.03), with no angiographic or histopathologic signs of coronary artery damage. CONCLUSIONS: Lesion index values obtained during 40 W radiofrequency applications reliably monitor safe and effective lesion creation at the root of the great arteries.This study was supported by the Fundación Interhospitalaria para la Investigación Cardiovascular (FIC) and the Heart Rhythm Section of the Spanish Society of Cardiology. The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) is supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Pro CNIC Foundation. The CNIC is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015- 0505). This study was supported by grants from Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (CB16/11/00458) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (SAF2016-80324-R).S

Three-dimensional cardiac fibre disorganization as a novel parameter for ventricular arrhythmia stratification after myocardial infarction

Aims: Myocardial infarction (MI) alters cardiac fibre organization with unknown consequences on ventricular arrhythmia. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of three-dimensional (3D) cardiac fibres and scar reconstructions to identify the main parameters associated with ventricular arrhythmia inducibility and ventricular tachycardia (VT) features after MI. Methods and results: Twelve pigs with established MI and three controls underwent invasive electrophysiological characterization of ventricular arrhythmia inducibility and VT features. Animal-specific 3D scar and myocardial fibre distribution were obtained from ex vivo high-resolution contrast-enhanced T1 mapping and DTI sequences. Diffusion tensor imaging-derived parameters significantly different between healthy and scarring myocardium, scar volumes, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were included for arrhythmia risk stratification and correlation analyses with VT features. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was the only inducible arrhythmia in 4 out of 12 infarcted pigs and all controls. Ventricular tachycardia was also inducible in the remaining eight pigs during programmed ventricular stimulation. A DTI-based 3D fibre disorganization index (FDI) showed higher disorganization within dense scar regions of VF-only inducible pigs compared with VT inducible animals (FDI: 0.36; 0.36-0.37 vs. 0.32; 0.26-0.33, respectively, P = 0.0485). Ventricular fibrillation induction required lower programmed stimulation aggressiveness in VF-only inducible pigs than VT inducible and control animals. Neither LVEF nor scar volumes differentiated between VF and VT inducible animals. Re-entrant VT circuits were localized within areas of highly disorganized fibres. Moreover, the FDI within heterogeneous scar regions was associated with the median VT cycle length per animal (R2 = 0.5320). Conclusion: The amount of scar-related cardiac fibre disorganization in DTI sequences is a promising approach for ventricular arrhythmia stratification after MI.The CNIC (Madrid, Spain) is supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Pro CNIC Foundation. The CNIC and the BSC (Barcelona, Spain) are Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505 and SEV-2011-0067, respectively). This study was supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (RD12/0042/0036, CB16/11/00458), Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (SAF2016-80324-R, PI16/02110, and DTS17/00136), and by the European Commission [ERA-CVD Joint Call (JTC2016/APCIN-ISCIII-2016), grant#AC16/00021]. The study was also partially supported by the Fundacion Interhospitalaria para la Investigacion Cardiovascular (FIC, Madrid, Spain), the Spanish Society of Cardiology (Dr. Pedro Zarco award) and the Heart Rhythm section of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (DFR). J.J. is supported by R01 Grant HL122352 from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, USA National Institutes of Health. J.A.S. is funded by the CompBioMed project, H2020-EU.1.4.1.3 European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, grant#675451. D.G.L. has received financial support through the 'la Caixa' Fellowship Grant for Doctoral Studies, 'la Caixa' Banking Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.S

TDAH y el solapamiento con las dificultades de aprendizaje en escritura

p.. 37-55En este estudio, hemos conjugado desde el punto de vista empírico, dos aspectos que pueden tener una relación teórica consistente, DA en escritura y TDAH. Hemos realizado una revisión de estudios empíricos de los últimos años sobre el TDAH y las Dificultades de Aprendizaje DA en escritura, para ver el estado de la cuestión y enfocar directamente los objetivos de los futuros estudios en este campo. Hemos atendido al diseño, para diferenciar diferentes tipos de estudios que abarcaran de forma general el TDAH en relación a la escritura y de forma específica en relación a sus DA. Como conclusiones principales, se confirma más específicamente la falta de estudios empíricos que relacionen escritura y TDAH. Y para ser más precisos, Escasean aquellos que relacionen los aspectos de composición escrita y sus procesos con el TDAH, ya que los estudios que existen se preocupan del tema de forma superficial, y en general, en los aspectos mecánicos, pero no en los sustantivos. Se discuten los resultados obtenidos, indicando las conclusiones y perspectivas futurasS

An Exploratory Analysis of Related Macroeconomic Indicators as Determinants to Economic Growth

The relative movement of certain individual economic indicators to the movement of per capita income is a well-researched field. In addition to that space, this study aimed at regressing economic development in terms of per capita incomes to selected miscellaneous indicators. This by itself may not be a new approach to understanding the interrelationships that exist between other relevant economic parameters, but localized and exploratory research in this regard does prove to have some key insights regarding the interactions of economic indicators in the Philippines. Using the Classical Linear Regression Model (CLRM), The results show that increases in Net Domestic Credit, Foreign Direct Investment, and Ratio of Female to Male Labor Participation Rate increased per capita income significantly, while increases in Real Interest Rate and Carbon Dioxide Emissions decreased per capita income significantly. This meant that increasing credit and investment and incorporating more women into the labor force is a significant impetus for growth and development, while environmental degradation and the high cost of borrowing harms it

Función y utilidad de los cuestionarios en el diagnóstico del Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad

p. 21El TDAH es un trastorno del desarrollo complejo y difícil de diagnosticar, que se agrava aún más cuando tenemos en cuenta sus problemas solapados y comórbidos. Problemas que, la investigación internacional está demostrando sobradamente. Se ha descrito el 80% de solapamiento con 2, 3 o más trastornos del desarrollo, u otros como las dificultades de aprendizaje DAS