Opinion and Sentiment Analysis of Palliative Care in the Era of COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of palliative care has become more evident than ever. The current study quantitatively investigated the perceptions of palliative care emerging from the pandemic experience by analyzing a total of 26,494 English Tweets collected between 1 January 2020 and 1 January 2022. Such an investigation was considered invaluable in the era of more people sharing and seeking healthcare information on social media, as well as the emerging roles of palliative care. Using a web scraping method, we reviewed 6000 randomly selected Tweets and identified four themes in the extracted Tweets: (1) Negative Impact of the Pandemic on Palliative Care; (2) Positive Impact of the Pandemic on Palliative Care; (3) Recognized Benefits of Palliative Care; (4) Myth of Palliative Care. Although a large volume of Tweets focused on the negative impact of COVID-19 on palliative care as expected, we found almost the same volume of Tweets that were focused on the positive impact of COVID-19 on palliative care. We also found a smaller volume of Tweets associated with myths about palliative care. Using these manually classified Tweets, we trained machine learning (ML) algorithms to automatically classify the remaining tweets. The automatic classification of Tweets was found to be effective in classifying the negative impact of the COVID-19.

Characterisation of pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability in a first-in-human study for AZD8154, a novel inhaled selective PI3Kγδ dual inhibitor targeting airway inflammatory disease.

AIMS: This 3-part, randomised, phase 1 first-in-human study (NCT03436316) investigated the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics (PK) of AZD8154, a dual phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) γδ inhibitor developed as a novel inhaled anti-inflammatory treatment for respiratory disease. METHODS: Healthy men, and women of nonchildbearing potential, were enrolled to receive single and multiple ascending inhaled doses of AZD8154 in parts 1 and 3 of the study, respectively, while part 2 characterised the systemic PK after a single intravenous (IV) dose. In part 1, participants received 0.1-7.7 mg AZD8154 in 6 cohorts. In part 2, participants were given 0.15 mg AZD8154 as an IV infusion. In part 3, AZD8154 was given in 3 cohorts of 0.6, 1.8 and 3.1 mg, with a single dose on Day 1 followed by repeated once-daily doses on Days 4-12. RESULTS: In total, 78 volunteers were randomised. All single inhaled, single IV and multiple inhaled doses were shown to be well tolerated without any safety concerns. A population PK model, using nonlinear mixed-effect modelling, was developed to describe the PK of AZD8154. The terminal mean half-life of AZD8154 was 18.0-32.0 hours. The geometric mean of the absolute pulmonary bioavailability of AZD8154 via the inhaled route was 94.1%. CONCLUSION: AZD8154 demonstrated an acceptable safety profile, with no reports of serious adverse events and no clinically significant drug-associated safety concerns reported in healthy volunteers. AZD8154 demonstrated prolonged lung retention and a half-life supporting once-daily dosing.

Functionalized graphene oxide tablets for sample preparation of drugs in biological fluids: Extraction of ritonavir, a HIV protease inhibitor, from human saliva and plasma using LC-MS/MS.

In this work, graphene oxide-based tablets (GO-Tabs) were prepared by applying a thin layer of functionalized GO on a polyethylene substrate. The GO was functionalized with amine groups (-NH2 ) by poly(ethylene glycol)bis(3-aminopropyl) terminated (GO-NH2 -PEG-NH2 ). The functionalized GO-Tabs were used for the extraction of ritonavir (RTV) in human saliva samples. RTV in plasma and saliva samples was analyzed using LC-MS/MS. Gradient LC system with MS/MS in the positive-ion mode [electrospray ionization (ESI+)] was used. The transitions m/z 721 → 269.0 and m/z 614 → 421 were used for RTV and the internal standard indinavir, respectively. This study determined the human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor RTV in human saliva samples using functionalized GO-Tab and LC-MS/MS, and the method was validated. The standard calibration curve for plasma and saliva samples was constructed from 5.0 to 2000 nmol L-1 . The limit of detection was 0.1 nmol L-1 , and the limit of quantification was 5.0 nmol L-1 in both plasma and saliva matrices. The intra- and inter-assay precision values were found to be between 1.5 and 5.8%, and the accuracy values ranged from 88.0 to 108% utilizing saliva and plasma samples. The extraction recovery was more than 80%, and the presented functionalized GO-Tabs could be reused for more than 10 extractions without deterioration in recovery.

Deep eutectic solvent based ultrasound assisted emulsification microextraction for preconcentration and voltammetric determination of aflatoxin B1 in cereal samples.

A new and simple deep eutectic solvent based ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction (DES-UAEME) procedure has been developed for preconcentration and voltammetric determination of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in cereal products. The method is based on the acetonitrile-based extraction of AFB1 from homogenized cereal samples followed by a DES-UAEME procedure for subsequent differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) determination in a microcell. A DES composed of choline chloride and urea (ChCl-Ur) was used as the extraction solvent and electrolyte for DPV detection. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of AFB1 were evaluated and optimized. Under optimum conditions the calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.2-80.0 µg L-1 (R2 = 0.9966) and the limit of detection (3Sb) was estimated to be 0.05 µg L-1. The intra-day and inter-day precision (RSD%) for determination of 5.0 µg L-1 AFB1 were 3.4% and 3.9%, respectively. The proposed method was also successfully applied for preconcentration and determination of AFB1 in different cereal samples and good relative recoveries were obtained over a range of 94 to 104%.

A Phase 2a, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Randomized Trial of Inhaled TLR9 Agonist AZD1419 in Asthma.

Rationale: To examine the potential of TLR9 (Toll-like receptor 9) activation to modulate the type 2 immune response in asthma.Objectives: To evaluate efficacy and safety of AZD1419, an inhaled TLR9 agonist, in a phase 2a, randomized, double-blind trial.Methods: Adult patients with asthma with a history of elevated eosinophils (>250 cells/µl) were randomized 1:1 to receive 13 once-weekly doses of inhaled AZD1419 (1, 4, or 8 mg; n = 40) or placebo (n = 41). Inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting ß2-agonist were tapered down and then discontinued. The last four doses of AZD1419 were given without maintenance medication, followed by a 40-week observation period. Primary endpoint was time to loss of asthma control (LOC).Measurements and Main Results: AZD1419 induced a T-helper cell type 1-type IFN response with a sustained reduction in markers of type 2 inflammation. However, there were no statistically significant differences between AZD1419 and placebo for time to LOC, proportion of patients with LOC, changes in Asthma Control Questionnaire-five-item version, exacerbations, reliever use, FEV1, peak expiratory flow, or fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). LOC was predicted by an early rise in FeNO in 63% of patients. Despite withdrawal of maintenance treatment, 24 patients completed the study without LOC; AZD1419 n = 11, placebo n = 13. Adverse events were balanced across groups, with no deaths or serious adverse events judged as causally related to AZD1419.Conclusions: AZD1419 was safe and well tolerated but did not lead to improved asthma control, despite reducing markers of type 2 inflammation. Results suggest that a novel accelerated step-down approach based on FeNO is possible for patients with well-controlled asthma.

Effects of a selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator (AZD9567) versus prednisolone in healthy volunteers: two phase 1, single-blind, randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids are highly effective and widely used anti-inflammatory drugs, but their use is limited by serious side-effects, including glucocorticoid-induced hyperglycaemia and diabetes. AZD9567 is a non-steroidal, selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator that aims to reduce side-effects. We aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of AZD9567 in healthy volunteers. METHODS: Two phase 1 clinical studies were done. First, a randomised, placebo-controlled, single-blind, single-ascending dose study was done in healthy men who received single oral doses of AZD9567 2 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg, 100 mg, 125 mg, or 155 mg, or prednisolone 60 mg (n=8 per dose group, randomly assigned [6:2] to receive active drug or placebo). Second, a randomised, active-controlled, single-blind, multiple-ascending dose study was done, in which men and women received oral AZD9567 or prednisolone once daily for 5 days. One cohort of volunteers with prediabetes received AZD9567 10 mg (n=7) or prednisolone 20 mg (n=2). All other cohorts comprised healthy volunteers, receiving AZD9567 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg, or 125 mg (n=7 per dose group), or prednisolone 5 mg (n=13), 20 mg (n=16), or 40 mg (n=13). Participants and study centre staff were masked to treatment assignment for each cohort, although data were unmasked for safety review between cohorts. The primary outcome of the single-ascending dose study was the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of single ascending doses of AZD9567; for the multiple-ascending dose study it was the safety and tolerability of AZD9567 following multiple ascending doses. As a secondary outcome, effects on glycaemic control were ascertained with oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) done at baseline and on day 1 of the single-ascending dose study, and at baseline and on day 4 of the multiple-ascending dose study. These trials are registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02512575 and NCT02760316. FINDINGS: In the single-ascending dose study, between Nov 18, 2015, and Sept 26, 2016, 72 healthy white men were enrolled, and all completed the study. In the multiple-ascending dose study, between May 2, 2016, and Sept 13, 2017, 77 predominantly white male volunteers (including nine individuals with prediabetes and eight women) were enrolled and 75 completed the study. All doses of AZD9567 and prednisolone were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events or events suggesting adrenal insufficiency. In the single-ascending dose study, nine adverse events of mild intensity were reported (five with AZD9567 and four with placebo); no adverse event was reported by more than one person. In the multiple-ascending dose study, 44 adverse events of mild or moderate intensity were reported (18 with AZD9567 and 26 with prednisolone). The most common were headache and micturition. Apparent clearance, volume of distribution, and half-life of AZD9567 were consistent across doses and for single versus repeated dosing. In the multiple-ascending dose study, OGTTs showed no significant difference with AZD9567 doses up to 80 mg compared with prednisolone 5 mg in glucose area under the curve from 0 h to 4 h post-OGTT (AUC0-4h) from baseline to day 4; the increase in glucose AUC0-4h from baseline to day 4 was significantly lower with all AZD9567 doses versus prednisolone 20 mg (AZD9567 20 mg p<0·0001, 40 mg p=0·0001, 80 mg p=0·0001, and 125 mg p=0·0237). INTERPRETATION: AZD9567 appears to be safe and well tolerated in healthy, predominantly white male volunteers and shows promising initial evidence for improved post-prandial glucose control. Studies of longer duration, with a greater proportion of women and other ethnic groups, and in patients requiring anti-inflammatory treatment are needed to characterise the clinical efficacy and safety profile of AZD9567. FUNDING: AstraZeneca.

Vortex-assisted natural deep eutectic solvent microextraction using response surface methodology optimization for determination of orthophosphate in water samples by molybdenum blue method.

A new, rapid, and efficient microextraction technique named vortex-assisted natural deep eutectic solvent microextraction has been developed for the preconcentration and determination of orthophosphate in real water samples. The method is based on the formation of the phosphomolybdenium blue complex followed by proposed microextraction procedure and subsequent spectrophotometric determination in a microcell. Screening study for the optimal composition of natural deep eutectic solvent was initially performed with different solvents, including choline chloride as hydrogen bond acceptor and different hydrogen bond donors. A ternary mixture of glucose-choline chloride-water was used as the most efficient extraction solvent. Response surface methodology based on the central composite design was used to optimize experimental parameters. Under optimal conditions, the calibration graph for orthophosphate determination was linear over the range of 2.0-80.0 µg/L (correlation coefficient of 0.9971) with a detection limit of 0.2 µg/L. The repeatability, reproducibility, and relative error values of the method were below 7%, indicating acceptable precision and accuracy. This approach, using natural deep eutectic solvent as an eco-friendly solvent with high solubilization power and vortex mixing as an alternative energy source, represents a promising choice for a green separation and preconcentration methodology for determination of orthophosphate in real water samples.

Graphene Oxide Tablets for Sample Preparation of Drugs in Biological Fluids: Determination of Omeprazole in Human Saliva for Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

In this study, a novel sort of sample preparation sorbent was developed, by preparing thin layer graphene oxide tablets (GO-Tabs) utilizing a mixture of graphene oxide and polyethylene glycol on a polyethylene substrate. The GO-Tabs were used for extraction and concentration of omeprazole (OME) in human saliva samples. The determination of OME was carried out using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC⁻MS/MS) under gradient LC conditions and in the positive ion mode (ESI+) with mass transitions of m/z 346.3→198.0 for OME and m/z 369.98→252.0 for the internal standard. Standard calibration for the saliva samples was in the range of 2.0⁻2000 nmol L-1. Limits of detection and quantification were 0.05 and 2.0 nmol L-1, respectively. Method validation showed good method accuracy and precision; the inter-day precision values ranged from 5.7 to 8.3 (%RSD), and the accuracy of determinations varied from -11.8% to 13.3% (% deviation from nominal values). The extraction recovery was 60%, and GO-Tabs could be re-used for more than ten extractions without deterioration in recovery. In this study, the determination of OME in real human saliva samples using GO-Tab extraction was validated.

Synthesis of chitosan based magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers for selective separation and spectrophotometric determination of histamine in tuna fish.

A novel chitosan molecularly imprinted polymers (CHI/MIPs) coated on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for selective solid phase extraction (SPE) of histamine (His) was synthesized by cross-linking of CHI with (3-Glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) in the presence of His as the template molecule, and GPTMS/MNPS. Synthesized sorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR and via adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms. The application of this sorbent was investigated in preconcentration and spectrophotometric determination of His by charge transfer complexation. The method is based on the adsorption of His on CHI/MMIPs and subsequent reaction of desorbed His with 2,3-Dichloro 5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) reagent for final spectrophotometric detection. The experimental parameters affecting separation efficiency and spectrophotometric determination were optimized. Under optimum conditions and at an analytical wavelength of 468nm, the calibration plot is linear in the 5.0-160.0ngmL-1 concentration range, and the limit of detection (estimated at S/N=3) is 1.5ngmL-1. The intra-day and inter-day precisions are in the range from 2.9 to 4.1%. The method was successfully applied for determination of His in spiked tuna fish samples where it gave recoveries ranging from 94.3 to 107.0%.

Novel carboxymethyl cellulose-polyvinyl alcohol blend films stabilized by Pickering emulsion incorporation method.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of increasing the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of biodegradable active films stabilized via Pickering emulsions. The blend films were prepared from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), emulsified with oleic acid (OL) and incorporated with rosemary essential oil (REO). Formation of Pickering emulsion was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy, mean droplet size and emulsion stability. Morphological, optical, physical, mechanical, thermal, antifungal and antioxidant properties of the films incorporated with different concentrations of REO (0.5, 1.5 and 3%) were determined. The results showed an increase in UV absorbance and elongation at break but, a decrease in tensile strength and thermal stability of the films. Interestingly, films containing REO exhibited considerable antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In vitro microbial tests exhibited 100% fungal inhibition against Penicillium digitatum in the films containing 3% REO. In addition, no fungal growth were observed after 60days of storage at 25°C in bread slices were stored with active films incorporated with 3% REO, could attributed to the slow and regular release of REO caused by Pickering emulsions. The results of this study suggest that Pickering emulsion is a very promising method, which significantly affects antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the films.

Preparation and characterization of active emulsified films based on chitosan-carboxymethyl cellulose containing zinc oxide nano particles.

Active nanocomposites based on carboxymethyl cellulose-chitosan-oleic acid (CMC-CH-OL) incorporated with different concentrations (0.5-2wt.%) of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were produced by casting method. The effects of ZnO NPs on the morphological, mechanical, thermal, physical and antifungal properties of the films were studied. New interaction between ZnO NPs and polymer matrix were confirmed by Fourier Transform infrared. After addition of ZnO NPs, tensile strength, lightness (L*) and thermal stability decreased however, elongation at break, contact angle, a* (greenness) and b* (yellowness) of the nanocomposite films increased in comparison to the films without nano-filler. UV transmittance at 280nm decreased from 17.3% to 0.2, 0.1 and 0.1 for the nanocomposite films containing 0.5, 1 and 2wt.% ZnO NPs, respectively, suggesting higher UV blocking properties. Disc diffusion test showed considerable antifungal properties of the active nanocomposite films against Aspergillus niger, especially in CMC-CH-OL-ZnO 2wt.% by more than 40% fungal growth inhibition.

Liquid-phase microextraction of organophosphorus pesticides using supramolecular solvent as a carrier for ferrofluid.

A liquid-phase microextraction based on application of supramolecular solvent as a carrier for ferrofluid has been developed for the extraction and determination of three organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs). The ferrofluid was produced from combination of oleic acid coated magnetic particles and supramolecular solvent as the extractant solvent. Ferrofluid can be attracted by a magnet, and no centrifugation step was needed for phase separation. A response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) was used for efficient optimization of the main variables in the extraction procedure. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the calibration curves found to be linear in the range of 0.5-400µgL(-1) with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9967 to 0.9984. The intra-day and inter-day precision (RSD %) for 100 and 200µgL(-1) of each pesticides were in the range of 2.0-5.3% and 2.6-5.7%, respectively. The limit of detection (S/N=3), ranged from 0.1 to 0.35µgL(-1). The proposed method was successfully applied to the extraction and determination of organophosphorus pesticide residues in water and fruit juice samples.

Application of magnetic solid phase extraction for separation and determination of aflatoxins B 1 and B2 in cereal products by high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection.

A simple and sensitive method based on the magnetic solid phase extraction with modified magnetic nanoparticles followed by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection has been developed for extraction and determination of aflatoxins B1 (AFB1) and B2 (AFB2) in cereal products. Magnetic nanoparticle coated with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-1-propanthiol (TMSPT) and modified with 2-amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (AMT) was used as an antibody-free adsorbent. Under the optimal conditions, the calibration curves for AFB1 and AFB2 were linear in the ranges of 0.2-15 µg L(-1) and 0.04-3 µg L(-1), respectively. Detection limit was 0.041 µg L(-1) for AFB1 and 0.013 µg L(-1) for AFB2. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of AFB1 and AFB2 in spiked corn and rice samples with an average recovery of 93.5%. The results demonstrated that the developed method is simple, rapid, inexpensive, accurate and remarkably free from interference effects.

Enhanced spectrofluorimetric determination of aflatoxin M1 in liquid milk after magnetic solid phase extraction.

A simple and sensitive method using magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) followed by spectrofluorimetric detection has been developed for separation and determination of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in liquid milk. The method is based on the extraction of AFM1 on the modified magnetic nanoparticles (MMNPs) and subsequent derivatization of extracted AFM1 to AFM1 hemi-acetal derivative (AFM2a) by reaction with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) for spectrofluorimetric detection. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coated by 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-1-propantiol (TMSPT) and modified with 2-amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (AMT) were used as adsorbent in MSPE procedure. Influential parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions the calibration curve for AFM1 determination showed good linearity in the range 0.030-10.0 µg L(-1) (R(2) = 0.9991). The repeatability and reproducibility (RSD%) for 0.050 µg L(-1) of AFM1 were 4.5% and 5.3%, respectively and limit of detection limit (S/N = 3) was estimated to be 0.010 µg L(-1). The developed method was successfully applied for extraction of AFM1 from spiked liquid milk and natural contaminated liquid milk. The good spiked recoveries ranging from 91.6% to 96.1% were obtained. The results demonstrated that the developed method is simple, inexpensive, accurate and remarkably free from interference effects.

Burden of illness, quality of life, and healthcare utilization among patients with herpes zoster in South Korea: a prospective clinical-epidemiological study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the herpes zoster (HZ) disease burden, including the severity and duration of HZ-associated pain, its impact on quality of life (QoL), and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) in a South Korean clinical setting. METHODS: Patients aged ≥50 years were followed prospectively for ≤6 months. Based on the duration of their episode at enrollment, cases were classified as incident (<7 days) or prevalent (≥7 days). HZ pain and discomfort were measured with the HZ Severity of Illness (HZ-SOI) severity-by-duration composite score. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one patients (69.5% prevalent cases) were enrolled. Prodrome pain was experienced by 68.2% of patients, of whom 95.1% experienced moderate-to-severe pain; post-herpetic neuralgia was experienced by 38.4%. Prevalent disease, higher acute pain, and older age were significant predictors of greater HZ-SOI, while use of antivirals was associated with decreased HZ-SOI. HZ-associated pain was associated with reduced QoL and affected all daily living activities (particularly mood, life enjoyment, general activities, and sleep), resulting in significant HCRU, including primary care doctor, specialist, or physiotherapist consultations, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits. CONCLUSION: Severe morbidity, impaired QoL, and significant HCRU are associated with HZ in South Korea, especially in older patients, supporting the need for early intervention and preventive strategies to reduce the HZ-associated disease burden.

Imatinib therapy in chronic myelogenous leukemia and thyroid function tests.

INTRODUCTION: Imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor which resulted in much improvement in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), may adversely affect thyroid gland function. To date, assessment of thyroid function during imatinib therapy has limited to retrospective studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of imatinib on thyroid function in a prospective manner. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 16 newly diagnosed adult subjects with positive Philadelphia chromosome in chronic phase of CML without any other apparent underlying diseases were enrolled. Free T3, Free T4, TSH, Anti TPO and Anti thyroglobulin antibodies were measured before and after 4 and 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Of the 16 patients, 9 were male (57.1%) and 7(42.9%) were female with a mean age of 29±5 years. There were statistically significant changes within reference ranges in serum concentrations of TSH (P=0.753 and 0.002), Free T3 (P=0.012 and 0.007) and Anti Thyroglobulin (P=0.221 and 0.041) 1 month before and 3 months after imatinib initiation, respectively. At the same time, there were no significant changes in serum Free T4 (P=0.196 and 0.650) and Anti TPO (P=0.807 and 0.600) concentrations. CONCLUSION: This study showed some significant changes on thyroid function tests during imatinib therapy. However, all of them were within the normal range without any clinical abnormalities in the course of treatment. We recommend other studies with larger sample size and longer duration of follow-up.

Effect of a phytogenic feed additive on performance, ovarian morphology, serum lipid parameters and egg sensory quality in laying hen.

This present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of 4, 8 and 12 g kg(-1) phytogenic feed additives mixture on performance, egg quality, ovary parameters, serum biochemical parameters and yolk trimethylamine level in laying hens. The results of experiment have shown that egg weight was increased by supplementation of 12 g kg(-1) feed additive whereas egg production, feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not significantly affected. There were no significant differences in egg quality parameters by supplementation of phytogenic feed additive, whereas yolk trimethylamine level was decreased as the feed additive level increased. The sensory evaluation parameters did not differ significantly. No significant differences were found in serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels between the treatments but low- and high-density lipoprotein were significantly increased. Number of small follicles and ovary weight were significantly increased by supplementation of 12 g kg(-1) feed additive. Overall, dietary supplementation of polyherbal additive increased egg weigh, improved ovary characteristics and declined yolk trimethylamine level.

Molecularly imprinted polymer in microextraction by packed sorbent for the simultaneous determination of local anesthetics: lidocaine, ropivacaine, mepivacaine and bupivacaine in plasma and urine samples.

This study presents the use of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as packing material for microextraction by packed syringe (MEPS) to achieve higher extraction selectivity. Pentycaine was used as template for MIP. Development and validation of the determination of lidocaine, ropivacaine, mepivacaine and bupivacaine in human plasma and urine samples utilizing MIP-MEPS and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were carried out. The MEPS MIP-cartridge could be used for 100 extractions before it was discarded. The extraction recovery ranged from 60 to 80%. The correlation coefficients values were >0.999 for all assays using lidocaine, ropivacaine, mepivacaine and bupivacaine in the calibration range 5-2000 nmol/L. The accuracy of the studied compounds, given as a percentage variation from the nominal concentration values, ranged from -4.9 to 8.4% using plasma and urine samples. The between-batch precision, given as the relative standard deviation, at three different concentrations (quality control samples) was ranged from -4.7 to 14.0% and from 1.8 to 12.7% in plasma and urine, respectively. The lower limit of quantification and limit of detection of the studied substances were 5.0 and 1.0 nm, respectively.

Development of ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction for determination of thiocynate ion in human urine and saliva samples.

Ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction (USAE-ME) procedure coupled with UV-vis spectrophotometric measurement has been developed for determination of thiocyanate ion (SCN(-)) in water and biological fluids samples. The method is based on protonation of SCN(-) ions in acidic medium and extraction of thiocyanic acid into fine droplets of chloroform as an extraction solvent contains rhodamine B (RhB). The RhB was protonated in presence of thiocynanic acid to form highly colored ion-pair complex of [thiocynate][RhBH(+)] in chloroform, which used for subsequent spectrophotometric determination of SCN(-) ions. Experimental parameters for both spectrophotometric reaction and USAE-ME procedure have been optimized. Under optimized conditions the calibration curve for SCN(-) showed good linearity in the range of 38.0-870.0ngmL(-1) (R(2)=0.9967). The limit of detection (S/N=3) and preconcentration factor were 5.0ngmL(-1) and 40, respectively. Relative standard deviation for determination of 200ngmL(-1) of SCN(-) was 2.8% (n=5). The proposed method has been successfully applied for determination of SCN(-) ion in tap water, mineral bottled water and human saliva and urine samples with an average recovery of 99.2%.

Ultrasound-assisted cloud point extraction for speciation and indirect spectrophotometric determination of chromium(III) and (VI) in water samples.

Ultrasound-assisted cloud point extraction (UACPE) procedure was developed for speciation and indirect spectrophotometric determination of chromium(III) and (VI) in environmental water samples. The method is based on the reduction of Cr(VI) by iodide in acidic media and subsequently formation of I(3)(-) anion. The I(3)(-) formed can further react with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and induce its clouding due to formation of an ion-association complex. The formed complex was separated from solution and dissolved in ethanol for spectrophotometric measurement. Cerium(IV) ammonium sulphate was chosen as an oxidizing reagent for pre-oxidation step of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) species before the addition of iodide to the system, up to chromium in trivalent can be determined by the procedure. Experimental parameters for both spectrophotometric reaction and extraction procedure have been optimized. Under optimized conditions Cr(VI) can be determined in the range 20-400 ng mL(-1) (R(2)=0.999). Detection limit, preconcentration factor and relative standard deviation were 12 ng mL(-1), 20.0 and 2.2% (n=5), respectively with 10 mL sample volumes. The proposed method has been successfully applied for determination of chromium(V) in spiked water, synthetic seawater and electroplating wastewater samples with average recoveries of 100.1, 99.4 and 99.1%, respectively.