Analysis of six fungicides and one acaricide in still and fortified wines using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A multiresidue gas chromatographic method for the determination of six fungicides (captan, chlorthalonil, folpet, iprodione, procymidone and vinclozolin) and one acaricide (dicofol) in still and fortified wines was developed. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was chosen for the extraction of the compounds from the studied matrices and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) detection was used. The extraction consists in a solvent free and automated procedure and the detection is highly sensitive and selective. Good linearity was obtained with correlation coefficients of regression (R2) > 0.99 for all the compounds. Satisfactory results of repeatability and intermediate precision were obtained for most of the analytes (RSD < 20%). Recoveries from spiked wine ranged from 80.1% to 112.0%. Limits of quantification (LOQs) were considerably below the proposedmaximumresidue limits (MRLs) for these compounds in grapes and below the suggested limits for wine (MRLs/10), with the exception of captan

Synergistic Activity of Cymbopogon citratus and Mentha piperita Essential Oils against the Pinewood Nematode

The pinewood nematode (PWN) Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is a major threat to pine forests. Research on sustainable pest management strategies is now a priority. Essential oils (EOs) are biodegradable, complex mixtures of volatiles that can show low toxicity to mammals and powerful nematicidal activities depending on their chemical composition. In the present work, the EOs of four plants were screened against the PWN, solely and in combination to identify possible synergistic interactions. The combination of Cymbopogon citratus and Mentha piperita EOs (1:1) resulted in higher activities than those of each tested solely, suggesting the occurrence of synergistic interactions between the compounds of these EOs. Research on the combination of synergistic EOs may lead to the development of plant based biopesticides with optimized activities against the PWN

Measuring the Progress and Success of Regional Health Policies: PRARI Toolkit of Indicators for the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)

PRARI is a social development research project that looks at world-regional social governance, politics, and policy. PRARI brings together an international team of researchers studying the scope for enhancing the effectiveness of the contributions of Southern regional organisations to poverty reduction. It receives funding from the ESRC

El Monitoreo de Políticas en Salud en UNASUR

El monitoreo de políticas en salud a favor de poblaciones vulnerables a nivel regional resulta fundamental, tanto para los países como para los organismos regionales, ya que permite identificar brechas en los lineamientos políticos, en el abordaje, o en flujo de información o en los mecanismos de implementación de políticas de salud a nivel local. Para hacer frente a la pobreza y a los problemas de salud, y para fortalecer los lazos entre organismos regionales y los países miembros, es imprescindible crear un mecanismo que facilite la rendición de cuentas ante compromisos asumidos y el intercambio de información para el monitoreo y la evaluación de actividades. Desde su creación, UNASUR por medio del Consejo de Salud Suramericano (CSS) ha invertido capital político y humano en salud. El Plan Quinquenal 2010-2015 del CSS, aún con un número importante de acciones pendientes, ha sido manifestación de ese compromiso, al igual que aquellas nuevas acciones que progresivamente el CSS comenzó a desarrollar y que complementan la labor del Consejo, como por ejemplo el ejercicio de la diplomacia de la salud global. Las directrices de estos nuevos lineamientos continúan siendo guiadas por aquellos valores y principios originales incluidos en el Plan Quinquenal. El proyecto de “Reducción de la pobreza e integración regional” (RePIR) propone generar un sistema de monitoreo basado en indicadores necesarios que capturen los avances del CSS. El sistema de monitoreo apoyará la relación entre los países y UNASUR, así como la posición de este organismo a nivel global. Para ello, el proyecto RePIR busca apoyar la construcción de este sistema de monitoreo en colaboración con actores claves en la región. El foco será la acción del CSS en áreas claves de políticas como la atención primaria en salud, políticas de medicamentos, sistemas de vigilancia. Los procesos globales tales como los objetivos de desarrollo sostenibles (ODS) también deberán ser considerados. Para que este sistema de monitoreo basado en indicadores sea efectivo y tenga impacto, se requiere de la “apropiación regional” y la participación activa de expertos regionales y nacionales a lo largo del proceso de desarrollo de indicadores, implementación y evaluación. En este sentido el apoyo institucional de UNASUR y sus países miembros es fundamental para que el sistema de monitoreo funcione a cabalidad, puesto que son los principales beneficiarios de este proceso

Monitoring Pro-Poor Health-Policy Success in UNASUR

Monitoring pro-poor health policies at the regional level is essential for both countries and the regional bodies themselves, by identifying the issues related to the policy guidelines, the approach to health or information flows, as well as understanding implementation mechanisms of health policies at the local level. In order to address poverty and health problems, and strengthen ties between regional organizations and member countries, it is essential to generate mechanisms to track accountability to commitments and exchange of information to support the monitoring and evaluation of activities. Since its creation, UNASUR through the South American Health Council (CSS) has invested political and human resources in the area of health. The Five Year Plan 2010-2015 of the CSS, despite a number of pending activities, is the demonstration of this commitment. Added to this are the new activities the CSS gradually developed, which complement the work of the Council, such as their incursions in global health diplomacy. However, policy directions are still guided by the original values and principles included in the 2010-2015 health work plan. The “Poverty Reduction and Regional Integration” (PRARI) project presents an opportunity to generate a monitoring system that is based on existing needs in the region and supports the link between the countries and UNASUR, as well as UNASUR’s position at the global level. The aim of the PRARI project is to support the development of a monitoring system in collaboration with key stakeholders in the region. The focus will be the actions of the CSS in key policy areas such as primary health care, pharmaceutical policies and surveillance systems. Global processes such as those pertaining to the incoming sustainable development goals (SDGs) wil also be considered. In order for this indicator-based monitoring system to be effective and have an impact, it requires ‘regional ownership’ and the active participation of regional and national experts throughout the process of indicator development, implementation and evaluation. Furthermore, institutional support from UNASUR and its Member States, the main beneficiaries of this process, is critical for the monitoring system to be fully operational