Resumen Introducción: Los instrumentos de tamizaje de artritis psoriásica son una herramienta útil en la consulta dermatológica, para optimizar la remisión al reumatólogo. La herramienta Toronto Psoriatic Arthritis Screening Questionnaire (ToPAS) ha sido desarrollada y validada en Canadá. Objetivos: Traducir y aplicar algunas pruebas de validación de la escala ToPAS para ser utilizada en la consulta dermatológica en Colombia. Métodos: Estudio de traducción y validación de escalas. Resultados: Se llevó a cabo la traducción y validación del ToPAS con una metodología estandarizada, obteniendo un documento en español con el cual se realizó una prueba piloto del documento final en 20 pacientes con diagnóstico de psoriasis y artritis psoriásica, con el fin de evaluar los ítems en cuanto a aspectos como comprensión, ambigüedad y tiempo de respuesta. Posteriormente, el instrumento se aplicó a 108 pacientes, 65 (60,2%) eran hombres, 36 (33,3%) tenían diagnóstico de artritis psoriásica y 72 (66,6%) solo psoriasis. Se consideró como punto de corte un puntaje > 8 puntos, encontrando una sensibilidad del 75% y una especificidad del 92%, valor predictivo positivo del 82% y valor predictivo negativo del 88%. Para evaluar la confiabilidad test-retest se seleccionaron los últimos 25 participantes, calculándose el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson para evaluar la correlación entre la primera y la segunda aplicación del ToPAS; el valor de p fue de 0,94, valor que representa un alto nivel de correlación entre la primera y la segunda aplicación. Conclusiones: Se realizó la traducción, validación y evaluación de características operativas de la encuesta ToPAS para detección de artritis psoriásica, constituyéndose en una herramienta práctica para uso en la consulta dermatológica.

Abstract Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis screening tools are useful for the rheumatologist in optimising referrals to the dermatology clinic. The Toronto Psoriatic Arthritis Screening Questionnaire (ToPAS) is a tool that has been developed and validated in Canada. Objectives: To translate, and perform some validation tests on TOPAS for use in dermatology clinics in Colombia. Methods: Translation and validation of scales. Results: ToPAS was translated using standardised methodology. A pilot test was conducted on 20 patients diagnosed with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis using the final version of the document translated into Spanish, in order to evaluate items of aspects such as understanding, ambiguity, and response time. The tool was then used on 108 patients, including 65 (60.2%) males, with 36 (33.3%) cases with a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis, and 72 (64.7%) with psoriasis only. Using a cut-off score > 8 points, it showed a sensitivity of 75% and specificity 92%, positive predictive value 82% and negative predictive value of 88%. To assess the reliability test re-test, 25 participants were selected and Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the correlation between the first and second application of ToPAS, which gave a value of P = .94, which represents a high level of correlation between the first and second application. Conclusions: A translation, validation and evaluation of operational characteristics of the ToPAS questionnaire was conducted, being a practical tool for use in the dermatology clinic.

The syntheses of six prenylated acetophenone and benzaldehyde derivatives and their anti-phytopathogenic and antioxidant activities are reported. These compounds were obtained by electrophilic aromatic substitution (S E Ar) of the corresponding arenes and 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol using ZnCl2 as a Lewis acid catalyst in ethyl acetate. Reasonable to good yields were obtained based on unrecovered aromatic starting material (45-73%). All the synthesized compounds were evaluated against phytopathogenic gram-negative bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Pseudomonas syringae and Erwinia carotovora and plant fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea, Phytophthora cinnamomi and Gibberella fujikuroi. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity assay and expressed as half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values in μΜ concentrations. The antioxidant activity went from 27.20 μΜ to >100 μΜ. Compound 11 showed statistically significant inhibition of the growth of Botrytis cinerea, and compounds 13 and 15 showed statistically significant inhibition of the growth of Phytophthora cinnamomi, with respect to negative control fungal growth. All six compounds showed bacteriostatic effects against gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria with IC50 values between 250 and <3.9 μΜ.

Abstract: In this study were produced the 140MXC-530AS and 560AS 140MXC-coatings, whose characteristics correspond to nanostructured materials (140MXC) and conventional materials such as carbon steel (530AS) and stainless steel (560AS). This coatings were applied on a substrate of AISI-SAE 4340, through the technique of electric wire arc spraying, considering the deposition parameters such as current (I), voltage (V), primary air pressure (AP) and secondary pressure air (AS) using a fractional-factorial design L9(34-2) of Taguchi. The characterization of the mixtures were performed by the techniques of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), conventional optical microscopy (COM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and microhardness. These results was analyzed in terms of the thickness, microhardness, and particle size of semi-molten coating obtained roughness.

Resumen: En este estudio se produjeron los recubrimientos 140MXC-530AS y 140MXC560AS, cuyas características corresponden a materiales nanoestructurados (140MXC) y materiales convencionales como aceros al carbono (530AS) e inoxidables (560AS), aplicados sobre un sustrato AISI-SAE 4340, por medio de la técnica de aspersión térmica por arco eléctrico, teniendo en cuenta los parámetros de depósito tales como corriente (I), voltaje (V), presión de aire primaria (AP) y presión de aire secundaria (AS), empleando un diseño Taguchi fraccional-factorial L9(34-2). La caracterización de los depósitos se realizó mediante las técnicas de fluorescencia de Rayos X (XRF), microscopia óptica convencional (COM), microscopia electrónica de barrido (SEM), microscopía de fuerza atómica (AFM) y microdureza. Los resultados de esta caracterización se analizaron en función del espesor, microdureza, tamaño de partículas semifundidas y rugosidad del recubrimiento obtenido.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the main severe potential drug-drug interactions in older adults with dementia and to examine the factors associated with these interactions. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study. The enrolled patients were selected from six geriatrics clinics of tertiary care hospitals across Mexico City. The patients had received a clinical diagnosis of dementia based on the current standards and were further divided into the following two groups: those with severe drug-drug interactions (contraindicated/severe) (n=64) and those with non-severe drug-drug interactions (moderate/minor/absent) (n=117). Additional socio-demographic, clinical and caregiver data were included. Potential drug-drug interactions were identified using Micromedex Drug Reax 2.0® database. RESULTS: A total of 181 patients were enrolled, including 57 men (31.5%) and 124 women (68.5%) with a mean age of 80.11±8.28 years. One hundred and seven (59.1%) patients in our population had potential drug-drug interactions, of which 64 (59.81%) were severe/contraindicated. The main severe potential drug-drug interactions were caused by the combinations citalopram/anti-platelet (11.6%), clopidogrel/omeprazole (6.1%), and clopidogrel/aspirin (5.5%). Depression, the use of a higher number of medications, dementia severity and caregiver burden were the most significant factors associated with severe potential drug-drug interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Older people with dementia experience many severe potential drug-drug interactions. Anti-depressants, antiplatelets, anti-psychotics and omeprazole were the drugs most commonly involved in these interactions. Despite their frequent use, anti-dementia drugs were not involved in severe potential drug-drug interactions. The number and type of medications taken, dementia severity and depression in patients in addition to caregiver burden should be considered to avoid possible drug interactions in this population.

O cloridrato de metformina é um agente antidiabético que melhora a tolerância à glicose em pacientes com diabetes tipo 2 e reduz os níveis plasmáticos basais de glicose. Neste estudo, um projeto experimental do tipo "centróide simplex" com 69 tomadas foi usado para selecionar a melhor combinação de alguns polímeros hidrofílicos que gerou um perfil de liberação da metformina.HCl de 24 horas. O modelo Korsmeyer-Peppas foi usado para modelar os perfis de dissolução, uma vez que apresentou os melhores ajustes aos dados experimentais. Além disso, um modelo cúbico previu a melhor formulação de metformina.HCl sendo aquela contendo polivinilpirrolidona, etilcelulose, hidroxipropilmetil celulose, carragena, alginato de sódio e goma arábica nos níveis 6.26, 68.7, 6.26, 6.26, 6.26 e 6.26 %, respectivamente. As corridas de validação confirmaram a precisão do modelo cúbico com os seis componentes para prever o melhor conjunto de componentes que originou uma libertação do tipo "uma vez ao dia" em conformidade com as especificações da USP, a partir de comprimidos matriciais.

Metformin hydrochloride is an antidiabetic agent which improves glucose tolerance in patients with type 2 diabetes and reduces basal plasma levels of glucose. In this study, a simplex centroid experimental design with 69 runs was used to select the best combination of some hydrophilic polymers that rendered a 24 h in-vitro release profile of metformin.HCl. The Korsmeyer-Peppas model was used to model the dissolution profiles since it presented the best fit to the experimental data. Further, a cubic model predicted the best formulation of metformin.HCl containing polyvinyl pyrrolidone, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, carrageenan, sodium alginate, and gum arabic at 6.26, 68.7, 6.26, 6.26, 6.26 and 6.26 % levels, respectively. The validation runs confirmed the accuracy of the cubic model with six components for predicting the best set of components which rendered a once-a-day modified release hydrophilic matrix tablet in compliance with the USP specifications.