It has been suggested that some E6 human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 variants could be involved in viral persistence and progression of HPV infection. A novel one-step allelic discrimination real-time PCR was evaluated for E6-350G variant detection in 102 endocervical HPV 16 positive samples. This assay was also used to assess the distribution of this variant in Spanish women with cervical cancer related to HPV 16. The detection limit for the allelic discrimination assay was 50 copies per reaction, even where the E6-350G variant represents only 20% of the variants in the sample. Complete concordance was observed between DNA sequencing and the novel AD RT-PCR assay. Fourteen E6-350T reference strains and 18 E6-350G variants were detected out of 32 endocervical samples from women with cervical cancer. The average age of women who were infected by the E6-350G HPV 16 variant was 10 years lower in these samples than in women who were infected by the reference strain. This novel allelic discrimination assay is a fast, sensitive and specific method for detection of the E6-350G HPV 16 variant.

A haemophilia-specific health-related quality-of-life questionnaire (named 'Hemofilia-QoL') was developed to assess quality-of-life in adults with haemophilia, and was psychometrically tested. Seventy-three interviews with haemophilia patients and health care professionals were used to generate the items included in the questionnaire, and expert ratings on the items formulated were used to screen them for potential omission. This was followed by psychometric testing in a sample of 35 patients. Preliminary psychometric testing of the revised questionnaire version, which contains 10 domains (physical health, physical role, joint damage, pain, treatment satisfaction, emotional role, mental health, social support), showed acceptable reliability (alpha = 0.94 for the Hemofilia-QoL total score) and validity, and this will be examined in a subsequent study with a larger patient sample.

In haemophilia patients, orthoses are used for the prevention and management of bleeds and their effects on the musculoskeletal system. The characteristics of these devices vary according to the joint to which they are applied, although two basic types are distinguished: static and functional. The upper limbs make up a functional unit that is adapted to prehension, or the action of grasping or seizing objects. The most affected joints of this unit in haemophilia are the elbow and shoulder, which require immobilization, followed by stabilization and protection and in the case of disability, assistance in the performance of function. The lower limbs, on the other hand, are adapted to the action of ambulation. The knee, ankle and hip joints frequently sustain damage in haemophilia, and in the acute phase they should be immobilized and the patient discouraged from walking. Once bleeding has ceased, and motion and muscle balance improved, a gradual return to normal activity may commence. The principle aim of orthotics in these cases is to immobilize and unburden the affected body segment, and to provide stability and assistance for ambulation. Shoe insoles cushion and modify stance, and therefore may help prevent lesions. Crutches and walking frames are used for restoring normal gait. Orthotic devices improve the quality of life of haemophilia patients with musculoskeletal lesions and are useful for preventing lesions resulting from strenuous activities, whether performed in the course of daily living or in the pursuit of games and sports.

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was adapted to the simultaneous determination of a mixture of three imidazolic antifungal drugs. Separation was achieved by using a fused-silica capillary column with an acetic acid–Tris buffer at pH 5.18 and UV detection at 196 nm. Several electrophoretic parameters were investigated: pH and buffer concentration, applied voltage, temperature and injection conditions. The optimized CZE method was applied to the individual determination of ketoconazole, clotrimazole and econazole in pharmaceutical forms, after a previous single extraction step in methanol, with recoveries of 98.00, 99.96 and 99.58% respectively. The antifungal drugs can be determined at a concentration level lower than 1.0·10−7 M.

A sensitive method was developed to determine Prazosin using a nafion modified carbon paste electrode (NMCPE). Prazosin was accumulated at a potential of 750 mV in Britton-Robinson buffer (pH 6.0) and then a negative sweep was made obtaining a cathodic peak close to 0 V. Cyclic voltammetric studies indicated that the process was quasi-reversible, and fundamentally controlled by adsorption. To obtain a good sensitivity, the instrumental and accumulation variables were studied using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Adsorptive voltammetric peak currents showed a linear response for Prazosin concentrations in the range between 4.0 x 10(-11) and 4.0 x 10(-8) M with two different slopes, and a detection limit (LOD) of 3.1 x 10(-11)M was obtained. The variation coefficient (CV) for a 8.0 x 10(-10) M solution (n = 10) was 4.08%. A spectrophotometric study of Prazosin was also carried out and two absorption bands were obtained at 246 and 329 nm (pH 1.8). The band at 329 nm was pH-dependent and its height and position changed with the pH values, so this allowed the pK'a determination (7.14 +/- 0.20) using different methods. The detection limit reached by means of UV-spectrophotometry was 0.9 x 10(-7) M, and the variation coefficient for 1.5 x 10(-5) M Prazosin solutions was 1.14% (n = 10). Although the sensitivity of the UV-spectrophotometric method was lower than that obtained using adsorptive stripping-differential pulse voltammetry (AdS-DPV), it could be applied to the determination of Prazosin in Minipres tablets. The voltammetric method was used for the determination of the drug in human urine samples at trace levels with good recoveries.

The aim of this work was to study the thermal transitions of several manganese oxides (MnO, MnOOH, Mn2O3, Mn3O4 and MnO2) under reducing conditions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyse the transitions of some oxides into others. A comparison of the behavior of the synthetic samples with that of a natural manganese dioxide demonstrated that DSC is a quick tool for the distinction of natural manganese dioxide from synthetic γ-MnO2 from other manganese oxides.

A simple chromatographic method, proposed by Aceves et al. (1988), for the determination of aliphatic hydrocarbons and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was used. The results from a study of the presence and temporal variability of the aliphatic hydrocarbons and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sewage sludge are shown in this work. The sewage sludges originated from the Arazuri waste water treatment plant site in Pamplona (Spain). The organic pollutants have been extracted from the sewage sludge by a Soxhlet apparatus. Aliphatic hydrocarbons and PAHs are separated from the rest of the pollutants on a chromatographic column. Flame ionization (FID) and mass spectroscopy (MS) detectors have been used. The results showed that aliphatic hydrocarbons concentration varied between 230 and 1420 mg kg(-1) dry matter (DM). The PAHs appeared in smaller quantitie of between 128 and 482 mg kg(-1) (DM). The factor analysis of the results allowed us to verify the different origin of the aliphatic hydrocarbons and the PAHs. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The results from a study of the presence and temporal variability of linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sewage sludge are presented in this work. The sewage sludges, with anaerobic treatment, were originated in the Arazuri (Pamplona, Spain) wastewater primary treatment plant, which receives urban and industrial wastewaters. The organic pollutants extracted from the sewage sludge by a Soxhlet apparatus. Then, PCBs and LABs were separated from the rest of the pollutants on a chromatographic column. Some different detectors were flame ionization (FID), electron capture (ECD) and mass spectroscopy (MS). The results showed that LABs concentration varied between 1.4 and 73.0 mg kg−1 dry matter (d.m.). PCBs appear in smaller quantity, between 0.050 and 0.929 mg kg−1 (d.m.). The factor analysis of the results allowed verification of the different origin of PCBs and LABs.

Terbinafine is adsorbed on a hanging mercury drop electrode at pH 6.0 and gives a single wave at −1.47 vs.AgAgCl reference electrode, due to olefinic double bond reduction. The electrochemical process is irreversible and fundamentally controlled by adsorption. A systematic study of the several instrumental and accumulation variables affecting the adsorptive stripping (AdS) response was carried out using square wave voltammetry (SWV, Osteryoung's method) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) as redissolution techniques. The limits of detection were 1.7 × 10−10 mol l−1 (AdS-SWV) and 6.3 × 10−7 mol l−1 (AdS-DPV). The coefficients of variation were 2.71% (AdS-SWV) and 2.63% (AdS-DPV) at 4 × 10−8 mol l−1 (n = 10). For the determination of terbinafine in formulations and spiked human urine samples, a method based on a preseparation step at a solid phase C-18 cartridge and on the AdS-SWV procedure is proposed.

Several voltammetric techniques were used to explore the reductive behaviour of the antihypertensive agent doxazosin on a bare carbon paste (CPE) and a Tenax-modified carbon paste electrode (TMCPE). The results indicate that the process is irreversible and fundamentally controlled by adsorption, which allows doxazosin to be accumulated at the electrode surface. The cathodic adsorptive stripping (AdS) response was evaluated with respect to pH, accumulation variables and instrumental parameters, using differential-pulse (DPV) and square-wave voltammetry (SWV) as redissolution techniques. In both cases, a voltammetric peak close to 0 V in Britton-Robinson buffer (pH 6.6) was obtained after a preconcentration step at 0.55 V for 3 min (2000 rpm) and a subsequent cathodic scan. When the TMCPE was used, the limits of detection were 4.35 x 10(-11) and 5.18 x 10(-11) M for AdS-DPV and AdS-SWV, respectively. The deposition time (3 min) was improved relative to that obtained by means of CPE (6 min). Under the optimum operational conditions, the doxazosin reduction peak showed a linear response in the range from 6 x 10(-11) to 1 x 10(-9) M by using AdS-DPV, with an RSD of 3.39% for 3 x 10(-8) M doxazosin solution (n = 10). A method was developed for the determination of doxazosin in human urine and formulations.

Thermal decomposition of various synthetic manganese oxides (MnO, Mn3O4, Mn2O3, MnOOH) and a natural manganese dioxide (MnO2) from Gabon was studied with the help of termogravimetry in inert, oxidizing and reducing atmospheres. The compounds were characterized by XRD and electrochemical activity was tested by cyclic voltammetry using a carbon paste electrode. The natural manganese dioxide showed the best oxidizing and reducing capacity, confirmed by the lower temperatures of the transitions, the extent of the reactions and electrochemical performance in cyclic voltammograms.