An integrated targeted and untargeted approach for the analysis of ergot alkaloids in cereals using UHPLC - hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography hybrid quadrupole time of flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) method is described for the simultaneous quantitative determination of common ergot alkaloids and the screening, detection and identification of unexpected (less studied or novel) members of this class of toxic fungal secondary metabolites. The employed analytical strategy involves an untargeted data acquisition (consisting of full scan TOF MS survey and information dependent acquisition MS/MS scans) and the processing of data using both targeted and untargeted approaches. Method performance characteristics for the quantitative analysis of 6 common ergot alkaloids i.e. ergometrine, ergosine, ergotamine, ergocornine, ergocristine, ergokryptine and their corresponding epimers in rye were comparable to those previously reported for triple-quadrupole (QqQ) MS/MS. The method limits of quantification (LOQ) were in the range from 3 to 19 mu g/kg, and good linearity was observed for the different ergot alkaloids in the range from LOQ to 1000 mu g/kg. Furthermore, the method demonstrated good precision (relative standard deviations at 50 mu g/kg not higher than 14.6 and 16.2% for the intra-day and inter-day precision, respectively), and the trueness values at different concentration levels were all between 89 and 115%. The method was applied for the analysis of a set of 17 rye samples and demonstrated the presence of these ergot alkaloids in the range from <LOQ to 2,811 mu g/kg. Further mining of the same data based on a 'non-targeted peak finding' algorithm and the use of full MS and MS/MS accurate mass data allowed the detection and identification of 19 ergot alkaloids that are commonly not included in most analytical methods using QqQ instruments. Some of these alkaloids are reported for the first time in naturally contaminated samples

Estudio sobre la adaptación apical de conos maestros de gutapercha en conductos radiculares instrumentados con limas Lightspeed

El objetivo de este trabajo fue establecer la coincidencia entre el calibre del cono maestro apical y la lima maestra apical, así como medir cualitativamente la adaptación de diferentes marcas de conos de gutapercha en el tercio apical de conductos radiculares instrumentados con limas Lightspeed. Se instrumentaron 100 conductos de molares naturales extraídos con el sistema Lightspeed. Las muestras se distribuyeron aleatoriamente en cinco grupos. Cada grupo fue obturado mediante condensación lateral, empleando gutapercha de diferentes marcas (Maillefer, Roeko, Kerr, Zipperer y P.D.). Las raíces se seccionaron a 1,5 mm del ápice, siendo observadas mediante estereomicroscopio. Se observó una coincidencia del 70% entre los conos Roeko y la lima maestra apical, siendo significativamente más alta (p = 0,0061) que los resultados de los grupos Kerr, Zipperer, P.D. y Maillefer, en los que la coincidencia fue del 55%, 45%, 40% y 35% de las muestras, respectivamente. Se apreció buena adaptación en el 70-80% de los conductos obturados con Kerr, Zipperer, Maillefer y Roeko, y el 50% con P.D

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Estudio sobre la adaptación apical de conos maestros de gutapercha en conductos radiculares instrumentados con limas Lightspeed

El objetivo de este trabajo fue establecer la coincidencia entre el calibre del cono maestro apical y la lima maestra apical, así como medir cualitativamente la adaptación de diferentes marcas de conos de gutapercha en el tercio apical de conductos radiculares instrumentados con limas Lightspeed. Se instrumentaron 100 conductos de molares naturales extraídos con el sistema Lightspeed. Las muestras se distribuyeron aleatoriamente en cinco grupos. Cada grupo fue obturado mediante condensación lateral, empleando gutapercha de diferentes marcas (Maillefer, Roeko, Kerr, Zipperer y P.D.). Las raíces se seccionaron a 1,5 mm del ápice, siendo observadas mediante estereomicroscopio. Se observó una coincidencia del 70% entre los conos Roeko y la lima maestra apical, siendo significativamente más alta (p = 0,0061) que los resultados de los grupos Kerr, Zipperer, P.D. y Maillefer, en los que la coincidencia fue del 55%, 45%, 40% y 35% de las muestras, respectivamente. Se apreció buena adaptación en el 70-80% de los conductos obturados con Kerr, Zipperer, Maillefer y Roeko, y el 50% con P.D