The authors wish to make a correction concerning ROC curve presented in Fig. 2 of a recent publication in Clinical & Experimental Allergy [1]. The amendment does not in any way alter the conclusions of the original report. The findings of ROC curve were presented in this attached figure, where the sensitivity and specificity is 73% and 94%, respectively.

Several species ofthe genus Nectandra (Lauraceae) are widely distributed in the west-central regions of Brazil. In our research program on bioactive compounds from plants, we found that the ethanolic extract of the fruits of N. gardneri Meissn. showed noteworthy lethality to brine shrimp larvae, whereas the ethanolic extract of leaves was found to be inactive. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the first extract led to the isolation of the lactone isolancifolide (1) as the bioactive compound. Fraxidin (2), fraxidin 8-O-/3-n-glucopyranoside (3), scopoletin (4) and triglycerides with a high level of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids were also obtained, but shown to be inactive. The ubiquitous flavonoids quercetin (5), quercitrin (6) and kaempferol 3-O-a-r-rhamnopyranoside (7) were isolated from the ethanolic extract of leaves. R=H R = -D-GIcFruits and leaves of N.gardrzeri were collected in Campo Grande, MS, Brazil, in September 1997 (voucher specimen number 00172 deposited at the liniversidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul Herbarium). Fruits (270 g) were percolated with EtOH. The bioactive EtOH extract was subsequently partitioned between EtOH-H20 (9: 1) and hexane, EtOH-H20 (3:2) and CHCI3 and EtOH-H20 (3:2) and AcOEt, the activity residing in the hexane (3.Og) and CHCI3 (4.9g) solubles (BST LC50 10.1 and 9.6 pg/mI, respectively). The hexane and CHCI3 soluble fractions were then investigated through a series of bioassay guided column chromatography separations over silica gel and Sephadex LH-20, followed by preparative TLC on silica gel, which led to the isolation of the bioactive compound I (15 mg): BST LC50 1.3pg/ml; [a]0: -54.6° (c 0.26, CHCI3) [lit.-59.0° (c 0.50, CUd3) (1)]. The dUCt3 phase also yielded the coumarins 2 (14 mg), 3 (10 mg) and 4 (5mg).

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A new automated SPE-LC-ESI-MS/MS method was developed and validated to quantify venlafaxine in human plasma using fluoxetine as an internal standard. The analytes were automatically extracted from plasma by C18 SPE cartridges, separated on a C8 RP column and analyzed by MS in the multiple reaction-monitoring (MRM) mode. The method has a chromatographic run time of 4.0 min and a linear calibration curve over the range of 0.25-200 ng/mL (r >0.997). The between-run precisions, based on the percent RSD for replicate quality controls (0.75; 80, and 200 ng/mL), were < 8.5% for all concentrations. The between-run accuracies, based on the percent relative error, were < 4.0%. This method was successfully employed in a bioequivalence study of two venlafaxine capsule formulations (test formulation from Eurofarma (Brazil) and Efexor XR, reference formulation, from Wyeth-Whitehall, Brazil) in 48 healthy volunteers of both sexes who received a single 150 mg dose of each formulation. More than 3000 samples were analyzed eliminating the analyst's exposure to hazardous organic solvents normally employed in off-line liquid-liquid extractions. The 90% confidence interval (CI) of the individual ratio geometric mean for Test/Reference was 91.6-103.4% for AUC(0-48 h) and 102.2-112.6% for C(max). Since both 90% CI for AUC(0-48 h) and C(max) were included in the 80-125% interval proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), the test formulation was considered bioequivalent to Efexor XR according to both the rate and extent of absorption.

Moxifloxacin + dexamethasone demonstrated a higher concen-tration in the AH than the moxifloxacin alone. Gatifloxacin + steroids demonstrated less penetration into the anterior chamber than gatifloxacin alone. Moxifloxacin was superior to gatifloxacin considering the MIC for enterococci, S. pneumoniae, and fluoroquinolone-resistant S. aureus.

Aqueous humor moxifloxacin concentrations were higher when topically administrated in combination with dexamethasone compared to the moxifloxacin alone. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Nevertheless, the MICs of the most common pathogens associated with endophthalmitis were exceeded in both study groups.