Occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in honey samples from different geographic regions

Trabajo presentado a la XV Reunión científica de la Sociedad Española de Cromatografía y Técnicas Afines - SECyTA 2015. Castellón de la Plana, 27-30 de octubre de 2015.Honey is a natural product produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar or secretions of plants, and has been consumed by many people around the world as a natural food, in medical therapies, and as food supplements [1]. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of toxic and persistent organic pollutants that are present in food an environmental samples at different concentrations levels. For the general population, dietary intake is the main route of PCB exposure, contributing with more than 90% to daily exposure [2]. Some PCB congeners are toxic to humans, and the European Commission has recently established maximum permissible levels of dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) in foods [3]. Twenty PCB congeners (# 28, 52, 77, 81, 101, 105, 114, 118, 123, 126, 138, 153, 156, 157, 167, 169, 170, 180, 189, and 194), including non-ortho, mono-ortho, and the most abundant PCBs were determined in 35 commercially available honeys collected between 2010 and 2012 in Brazil (n=16), Spain (n=10), Portugal (n=4), Slovenia (n=4), and Morocco (n=3). The analytical procedure followed was previously validated by the working group and briefly consists on liquid-liquid extraction followed by a clean-up step carried out using a multilayer column filled with neutral, acid, and basic modified silica. The final instrumental determination was carried out by GC-QqQ(MS/MS), using the isotope dilution technique as quantification method [4]. The results reveal the presence of low amounts of all PCB congeners (between <LOD to 878 pg/g fresh weight, f.w.) in all samples analyzed. The highest total PCB concentrations were found in Brazilian honeys (median of 1423, range of 513-3267 pg/g f.w.), followed by Portuguese (median of 1214, range of 1073-2210 pg/g f.w.), Spanish (median of 1200, range of 458-2439 pg/g f.w.), Moroccan (median of 1022, range of 955-1496 pg/g f.w.), and Slovenian (median of 558, range of 505-626 pg/g f.w.) honey samples. The WHO-TEQ concentrations are far below the maximum permissible levels for low-fatty foods in the UE legislation [3]. The principal component analysis (PCA) shows differences and similarities between PCB honey profiles from the five countries and those with Aroclors 1242, 1248, 1254, and 1260. [1] Blasco et al., J. Chromatogr. A 1049 (2011) 155-160. [2] S.M. Hays, L.L. Aylward, Regul. Toxicol. Pharm. 37 (2003) 202-217. [3] Comission Regulation (EU) No 1067/2013, OJL 289, 31.10.2013. p 56-57. [4] A. Garcia-Bermejo et al., Anal. Chim. Acta (in press) Acknowledgments: Financial support was obtained from the Spanish MINECO (project AGL2012-37201), CM (Spain) and European funding from FEDER programme (project S2013/ABI-3028, AVANSECAL).Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadComunidad de MadridEuropean CommissionPeer reviewe

A Review of ENSO Influence on the North Atlantic. A Non-Stationary Signal

ReviewThe atmospheric seasonal cycle of the North Atlantic region is dominated by meridional movements of the circulation systems: from the tropics, where the West African Monsoon and extreme tropical weather events take place, to the extratropics, where the circulation is dominated by seasonal changes in the jetstream and extratropical cyclones. Climate variability over the North Atlantic is controlled by various mechanisms. Atmospheric internal variability plays a crucial role in the mid-latitudes. However, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is still the main source of predictability in this region situated far away from the Pacific. Although the ENSO influence over tropical and extra-tropical areas is related to different physical mechanisms, in both regions this teleconnection seems to be non-stationary in time and modulated by multidecadal changes of the mean flow. Nowadays, long observational records (greater than 100 years) and modeling projects (e.g., CMIP) permit detecting non-stationarities in the influence of ENSO over the Atlantic basin, and further analyzing its potential mechanisms. The present article reviews the ENSO influence over the Atlantic region, paying special attention to the stability of this teleconnection over time and the possible modulators. Evidence is given that the ENSO–Atlantic teleconnection is weak over the North Atlantic. In this regard, the multidecadal ocean variability seems to modulate the presence of teleconnections, which can lead to important impacts of ENSO and to open windows of opportunity for seasonal predictability.We thank the Climatic Research Unit (CRU), the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), the Met Office Hadley Centre and the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) for the Land Precipitation, reanalysis, SST and HURDAT2 datasets, respectively. Belen Rodríguez-Fonseca, Roberto Suárez-Moreno, Jorge López-Parages, Iñigo Gómara, Elsa Mohino, Teresa Losada and Antonio Castaño-Tierno are supported by the research projects PREFACE (EUFP7/2007-2013 Grant Agreement 603521) and MULCLIVAR (CGL2012-38923-C02-01-Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness). Blanca Ayarzagüena is supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (grant number NE/M006123/1). Julián Villamayor is granted through a scholarship from the MICINN—Spanish government (BES-2013-063821

Direct identification of clinical pathogens from liquid culture media by MALDI-TOF MS analysis

Objectives: We propose using MALDI-TOF MS as a tool for identifying microorganisms directly from liquid cultures after enrichment of the clinical sample in the media, to obtain a rapid microbiological diagnosis and an adequate administration of the antibiotic therapy in a clinical setting. Methods: To evaluate this approach, a series of quality control isolates were grown in thioglycollate (TG) broth and brain heart infusion (BHI) broth and extracted under four different protocols before finally being identified by MALDI-TOF MS. After establishing the best extraction protocol, we validated the method in a total of 300 liquid cultures (150 in TG broth and 150 in BHI broth) of different types of clinical samples obtained from two tertiary Spanish hospitals. Results: The initial evaluation showed that the extraction protocol including a 5 minute sonication step yielded 100% valid identifications, with an average score value of 2.305. In the clinical validation of the procedure, 98% of the microorganisms identified from the TG broth were correctly identified relative to 97% of those identified from the BHI broth. In 24% of the samples analysed, growth by direct sowing was only successful in the liquid medium, and no growth was observed in the direct solid agar cultures. Conclusions: Use of MALDI-TOF MS plus the sonication-based extraction method enabled direct and accurate identification of microorganisms in liquid culture media in 15 minutes, in contrast to the 24 hours of subculture required for conventional identification, allowing the administration of a targeted antimicrobial therapy

Scripte calicetis: Un nuevo grafito sobre terra sigillata hispánica procedente de un torcularium del ager del municipium Cascantum (Cascante, Navarra)

El presente trabajo da a conocer un singular grafito latino sobre cuenco de terra sigillata hispánica descubierto en las campañas de excavación de un torcularium de la pars fructuaria de una villa del territorio rural del municipium Cascantum (Cascante, Navarra), la villa de Piecordero I. Para una mejor datación del documento epigráfico, probablemente de mediados del siglo II d. C., y una mejor delimitación de la cronología del centro productivo se presentan algunos materiales representativos recuperados junto a aquél.The following paper presents a very singular graffito on a red slip ware bowl discovered in the archaeological excavations of a torcularium at the pars fructuaria of a villa in the rural area of the municipium Cascantum (Cascante, Navarra), the so-called villa of Piecordero I. For a better dating of the epigraphic document –probably of the second half of the IInd century AD– and for getting a better systematization of the chronology of occupation of that new productive centre some new materials attested in the excavation are also considered

In Vitro Neutralisation of Rotavirus Infection by Two Broadly Specific Recombinant Monovalent Llama-Derived Antibody Fragments

Rotavirus is the main cause of viral gastroenteritis in young children. Therefore, the development of inexpensive antiviral products for the prevention and/or treatment of rotavirus disease remains a priority. Previously we have shown that a recombinant monovalent antibody fragment (referred to as Anti-Rotavirus Proteins or ARP1) derived from a heavy chain antibody of a llama immunised with rotavirus was able to neutralise rotavirus infection in a mouse model system. In the present work we investigated the specificity and neutralising activity of two llama antibody fragments, ARP1 and ARP3, against 13 cell culture adapted rotavirus strains of diverse genotypes. In addition, immunocapture electron microscopy (IEM) was performed to determine binding of ARP1 to clinical isolates and cell culture adapted strains. ARP1 and ARP3 were able to neutralise a broad variety of rotavirus serotypes/genotypes in vitro, and in addition, IEM showed specific binding to a variety of cell adapted strains as well as strains from clinical specimens. These results indicated that these molecules could potentially be used as immunoprophylactic and/or immunotherapeutic products for the prevention and/or treatment of infection of a broad range of clinically relevant rotavirus strains

Food Safety

24 Páginas.-- 2 FigurasEmerging and re-emerging food safety risks are driven by climate change and other factors like globalization, water scarcity, population aging, and migration, among others. These factors affect the persistence and occurrence of conventional and emerging primary risks. Successful initiatives to manage emerging risks need to identify, evaluate, and prioritize potential risks as well as to respond with sustainable strategies able to reduce the threatsPeer reviewe

Programa de Atención al Ictus en Aragón (PAIA). Estrategia del cambio y resultados en el periodo 2009-2014

Introducción En 2008, Aragón tenía tasas de morbimortalidad y discapacidad por ictus superiores a las del conjunto de España. Se estableció la necesidad de desarrollar un Programa de Atención al Ictus (PAIA). Material y métodos Damos a conocer la dinámica de planificación, implantación, evaluación y mejora que se ha desarrollado entre los años 2009-2014 y sus resultados a 5 años. Resultados Se ha mejorado en la estructura, en los procesos y en los resultados, con mejoría en los indicadores clave de la asistencia (audit 2008-2010-2012) y otros: tasa ictus 2013: 2, 07 (2008: 2, 36); 78% ictus atendidos en áreas/unidades en 2014 (30%, 2008); tasa fibrinólisis 8, 3% en 2014 (4, 4%, 2010); fibrinólisis hospitales secundarios (30% total); fibrinólisis con teleictus 9%; descenso de la mortalidad por ictus, 38%; años de vida prematura perdidos 67, 7 (2013)/144 (2008); capacitación de enfermería, desarrollo de la neurosonología, trabajo en red, con protocolos y buenas prácticas compartidos entre sectores sanitarios, etc. Conclusiones La gestión por procesos y equipos multidisciplinares desplegados en una distribución territorial integral, con protocolos y referencias establecidas y una dinámica de evaluación y mejora continua, ha demostrado ser una herramienta potente para garantizar la calidad y la equidad. El PAIA, por su dinámica de mejora sostenida y la implicación de los clínicos, es un buen ejemplo de gestión clínica y trabajo en red. Introduction: In 2008, stroke mortality, morbidity, and disability rates in Aragon were higher than the average in Spain. These data underscored the need to develop a stroke care programme (PAIA). Material and methods: We present the dynamics of planning, implementation, evaluation, and improvement developed between 2009 and 2014 as well as the results of the PAIA after that 5-year period. Results: Structure, processes, and outcomes have improved with reference to the key indicators of healthcare (audit: 2008, 2010, 2012) among others: stroke rate in 2013 was 2.07 (2.36 in 2008); 78% of strokes were managed in stroke units in 2014 (30% in 2008); rate of fibrinolysis was 8.3% in 2014 (4.4% in 2010); fibrinolysis was administered in secondary hospitals (30% of the total); fibrinolysis was administered by Telestroke in 9%; stroke mortality decreased (38%); 67.7 years of potential life lost (YPLL) in 2013 (144 in 2008); nurse training; development of neurosonology; networking; sharing protocols and best practices between health sectors, etc. Conclusions: Integrated process management and multidisciplinary teams distributed and deployed over an entire territory with established protocols, references, evaluations, and continuous development, have been proven powerful tools to ensure both quality and equality. The PAIA is a good example of clinical governance and networking due to its dynamic and sustained improvement and cooperation between clinicians

Rotavirus A genotype G1P[8]: a novel method to distinguish wild-type strains from the Rotarix® vaccine strain

Rotaviruses are important enteric pathogens for humans and animals. Group A rotaviruses (RV-A) are the most common agents of severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children and vaccination is the most effective method to reduce RV-A-associated diseases. G1P[8], the most prevalent RV-A genotype worldwide, is included in the RV-A vaccine Rotarix®. The discrimination between wild-type G1P[8] and vaccine G1P[8] strains is an important topic in the study of RV-A epidemiology to manage outbreaks and to define control measures for vaccinated children. In this study, we developed a novel method to segregate the wild-type and vaccine strains using restriction endonucleases. The dsRNA from the Rotarix® vaccine was sequenced and the NSP3 gene was selected as the target gene. The vaccine strain has a restriction pattern that is different than that of wild-type RV-A G1P[8] isolates after digestion with the restriction endonuclease BspHI. This pattern could be used as a marker for the differentiation of wild-type G1P[8] strains from the vaccine strain