A new procedure of determination of alcohol sulfates and alcohol ethoxysulfates in agricultural soils.

The number of analytical methodologies that focus in the determination of alcohol sulfates (AS) and alcohol ethoxysulfates (AES) in terrestrial environment is very limited. In the present work, a new methodology to improve the extraction and determination of AS and AES in agricultural soil samples has been developed. Prior to instrumental analysis, an extraction procedure using pressurized liquid extraction with methanol (PLE) was carried out in order to obtain the highest recoveries and improve sensitivity. The most influential variables affecting the PLE procedure were optimized. Then, the separation and quantification of analytes were performed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.03 to 0.08µgg(-1) for AS homologues and in the case of AES ethoxymers from 0.03 to 0.09µgg(-1) for AES-C12Ex and from 0.03 to 0.08µgg(-1) for AES-C14Ex. Matrix-matched calibration was used. Trueness was evaluated by using a spike recovery assay with spiked blank samples, and the recoveries ranged from 98.3% to 101.0% for AS and from 99.9% to 100.1% for AES. The method was satisfactorily applied in a field study designed to evaluate the environmental behavior of these compounds in agricultural soil.

Evaluation of the presence of major anionic surfactants in marine sediments.

The contamination of aquatic environments has become the focus of increasing regulation and public concern due to their potential and unknown negative effects on the ecosystems. The present work develops a monitoring and statistical study, based on the analysis of variance test (ANOVA) and the multivariable analysis, both for insoluble soap and LAS in order to compare the behavior of different anionic surfactants in this environmental compartment. First, a novel and successfully validated methodology to analyze insoluble soap in these samples is developed. The matrix effect and the comparison of different extraction techniques were also performed. The optimized analytical methodologies were applied to 48 representative samples collected from the Almeria Coast (Spain) and then a statistical analysis to correlate anionic surfactant concentration and several variables associated with marine sediment samples was also developed. The results obtained showed relevant conclusions related to the environmental behavior of anionic surfactants in marine sediments.

Niveles de proteína tau y Beta-amiloide en la demencia con cuerpos de Lewy en comparación con la enfermedad de Alzheimer / Tau protein and Beta-amyloid levels in dementia with Lewy bodies compared to Alzheimer's disease

En el líquido cefalorraquídeo (LCR) de pacientes con enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) se observa elevación de los niveles de proteína tau y disminución de los niveles de Beta-amiloide. El objetivo de este estudio ha sido determinar si en la demencia con cuerpos de Lewy probable, definida con criterios clínicos de consenso (DCL), se encuentra un perfil diferente que pueda contribuir al diagnóstico diferencial de ambas entidades. Métodos: Se han analizado los niveles de proteína tau y Beta-amiloide en el LCR de 28 pacientes con probable EA (según criterios NINCDSADRA), 13 pacientes con probable DCL (según criterios del Consenso) y controles (n = 40 para tau; n = 11 para Beta-amiloide), estudiados en la consulta de demencias de los servicios de Neurología del Hospital Severo Ochoa y de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz. La cuantificación se ha realizado utilizando kits comerciales de ELISA (Innogenetics, Bélgica).Resultados: Niveles de proteína tau: los casos con EA mostraron unos niveles significativamente más elevados (524 ñ 425 pg/ml, media ñ SD) que los casos con DCL (255 ñ 299 pg/ml) y que los controles (213 ñ 263 pg/ml) (p < 0,001). No hubo diferencias significativas entre los niveles del grupo DCL respecto a los controles. El punto de corte más eficiente (250 pg/ml) proporcionaban sensibilidad del 75 por ciento para el diagnóstico de EA con una especificidad del 75 por ciento (respecto a controles) o del 77 por ciento (respecto a DCL).Niveles de proteín Beta-amiloide: se observó una tendencia de los casos con EA (344 ñ 310 pg/ml) y de los casos con DCL (325 ñ 242 pg/ml) a tener unos niveles de Beta-amiloide más bajos que los controles (525 ñ 337 pg/ml), pero las diferencias no alcanzaron significación estadística (p = 0,07). La combinación de los valores tau/Beta-amiloide proporcionó el valor más eficaz para distinguir entre EA y controles (punto de corte = 0,5, sensibilidad 82,5 por ciento, especificidad 75 por ciento) pero fue menos eficaz que el valor de tau aislado para distinguir entre EA y DCL. Conclusiones: La proteína tau en el LCR es un marcador biológico cuya cuantificación puede contribuir a la distinción clínica entre EA y DCL. Los niveles de proteína Beta-amiloide son similares en casos con EA y DCL, con una tendencia a ser más bajos que en los controles (AU)

[Primary focal dystonia: descriptive study of 205 patients]. / Distonías focales primarias: estudio descriptivo de 205 pacientes.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical and epidemiologic aspects of different types of focal dystonia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 205 patients with primary focal dystonia were studied retrospectively and the following variables were analyzed: gender, age of onset, age at examination, evolution time, history of trauma, association with other movement disorders, fluctuations of dystonic symptoms as well as a family history of dystonia, Parkinson's disease, tremor, and lefthandedness or stuttering. We compared these variables among the different clinical categories of focal dystonia. RESULTS: Those patients with cranial and laryngeal dystonia were significantly older at the onset of symptoms compared with patients with writer's cramp. Males were more prevalent than females in all categories of focal dystonia except for cranial dystonia. Prior history of trauma and association with tremor were more frequent in patients with cervical dystonia than in those with others dystonic categories. Most patients with cranial, cervical and laryngeal dystonia had fluctuations in the intensity of dystonic symptoms, unlike the patients with writer's cramp. CONCLUSIONS: There is a caudo-cranial gradient in age of onset and the age of onset increases as the cranial presentation becomes greater. Females are more prevalent in cranial dystonia and there is a preponderance of males in the dystonias with a lower location. The dystonias with cranial distribution frequently present fluctuations of symptoms during the day. Association with other movement disorders, such as tremor, and prior history of trauma, is common in patients with cervical dystonia.

Distonías focales primarias:estudio descriptivo de 205 pacientes / Primary focal dystonia: descriptive study of 205 patients

Objetivos: Describir de las características clinicoepidemiológicas de los diferentes tipos de distonía focal. Pacientes y métodos: Se estudiaron retrospectivamente 205 pacientes con distonía focal primaria. Las variables analizadas fueron las siguientes: sexo, edad, edad de inicio, tiempo de evolución, antecedentes de traumatismo, asociación de la distonía a otros trastornos del movimiento, fluctuaciones de la clínica distónica, y antecedentes familiares de distonía, enfermedad de Parkinson, temblor, zurdera y tartamudez. Comparamos estas variables entre las diferentes categorías clínicas de distonía focal. Resultados: Encontramos diferencias significativas en la edad de inicio, que fue mayor para las distonías craneal y laríngea en comparación con la distonía del escribiente, que fue la de inicio más temprano. En todas prevaleció el género masculino a excepción de la distonía craneal, más frecuente en mujeres. Los antecedentes de traumatismo y la asociación a temblor fueron más frecuentes en el grupo de pacientes con distonía cervical que en el resto de categorías distónicas. La mayoría de pacientes con distonía craneal, cervical o laríngea presentaban fluctuaciones en la intensidad de la clínica distónica, a diferencia de aquellos con distonía del escribiente. Conclusiones: Existe un gradiente caudocraneal en la edad de inicio, cuanto más rostral es la localización, mayor es la edad de aparición y viceversa. En nuestra serie, hay mayor prevalencia de mujeres en la distonía craneal y de varones en la caudal. Son comunes las fluctuaciones circadianas, especialmente en las distonías de localización rostral. La asociación con otras discinesias, como temblor, y la presencia de un traumatismo previo son frecuentes en aquellos con distonía cervical. (AU)

[Spinocerebellar ataxia type 8: the case of a Spanish family]. / Ataxia espinocerebelosa tipo 8: presentación de una familia española.

INTRODUCTION: Dominant autosomic ataxias include a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the abnormal expansion of triplets. CASE REPORT: Male aged 33, with expansion of the SCA 8 gene (100 repetitions), who presented a clinical picture compatible with a pancerebellar syndrome. The patient had been diagnosed 11 years earlier as suffering from previously of histiocytosis X. A clinico genetic study was conducted on the patient and several members of his family (parents and two sisters). Both sisters and the father were found to be carriers of the expansion (110 and 150 repetitions, respectively), and are currently asymptomatic. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: There is no relation between the number of repetitions and the age of onset of the disease. The normal interval in our population oscillates between 16 37 repetitions, and the pathological interval has not been well determined. There may be a relation between the SCA 8 form and histiocytosis X.

Ataxia espinocerebelosa tipo 8: presentación de una familia española / Spinocerebellar ataxia type 8: the case of a spanish family

Introducción. Las ataxias autosómicas dominantes son un grupo de enfermedades neurodegenerativas causadas por la expansión anormal de tripletes. Caso clínico. Varón de 33 años, con expansión en el gen SCA8 (100 repeticiones), que presentó un cuadro clínico compatible con un síndrome pancerebeloso. El paciente se había diagnosticado 11 años antes de histiocitosis X. Se ha realizado un estudio clinicogenético del paciente y varios miembros de la familia (padres y dos hermanas); han resultando portadores de la expansión las dos hermanas y el padre del probando (110 y 150 repeticiones, respectivamente), y se encuentran asintomáticos. Resultados y discusión. No existe relación entre el número de repeticiones y la edad de aparición de la enfermedad. El intervalo normal en nuestra población oscila entre 16-37 repeticiones, y el intervalo patológico no se ha determinado bien. Es posible que exista una relación entre la forma SCA8 y la histiocitosis X (AU)

[Speed of ocular saccades in Huntington disease. Prospective study]. / Velocidad de las sacadas oculares en la enfermedad de Huntington. Estudio prospectivo.

BACKGROUND: Oculomotor abnormalities, especially slow saccades, have long been recognized in Huntington's disease (HD). OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: To study prospectively horizontal saccade velocity by videonystagmography in 21 patients with genetically confirmed HD. The study included a baseline analysis and a second evaluation after 18.8 +/- 7.1 months. We included a control group of 15 subjects. RESULTS: HD group exhibited decreased saccade velocity when compared with that from a control group (for predictive and unpredictive target). HD patients showed decreased saccade velocity with the passage of time (for predictive target, p < 0.01). Finally we found statistical significant correlation between saccade velocity and triplet length. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of saccade velocity might be an objective method to study the natural evolution of HD, and thus evaluate the effectiveness of future therapies.

Velocidad de las sacadas oculares en la enfermedad de huntington. Estudio prospectivo / Speed of ocular saccades in Huntington's disease. Prospective study

FUNDAMENTO: Las perturbaciones oculomotoras son muy frecuentes en la enfermedad de Huntington (EH). Probablemente la caída de la velocidad sacádica es el hallazgo más característico desde el punto de vista neuroftalmológico. OBJETIVOS Y MÉTODOS: Estudiar prospectivamente la velocidad de las sacadas horizontales mediante videonistagmografía en 21 pacientes con EH confirmada genéticamente. Se realizó el mismo protocolo en la primera evaluación (tiempo 0) y en la de seguimiento (18,8 ñ 7,1 meses después). Se incluyó un grupo control de 15 individuos sin enfermedad neurológica. RESULTADOS: Los pacientes con EH presentaron una velocidad horizontal sacádica inferior a los controles, tanto para estímulo predecible como no predecible. Además, en el seguimiento manifestaron un deterioro significativo de la velocidad sacádica horizontal (p < 0,01; para estímulo predecible).Asimismo hubo correlación significativa entre la expansión de tripletes y la velocidad sacádica. CONCLUSIÓN: El estudio de la velocidad sacádica podría servir como método objetivo de seguimiento de la EH, especialmente en relación con el empleo de futuras terapias neuroprotectoras (AU)

Co-occurrence of non-toxic (cyanopeptolin) and toxic (microcystin) peptides in a bloom of Microcystis sp. from a Chilean lake.

A cyanobacterial bloom occurring in 1998 in lake Tres Pascualas (Concepción/Chile) was found to be dominated by Microcystis sp. The bloom contained both non-toxic (cyanopeptolin-type) and hepatotoxic (microcystin-type) peptides. Cyanopeptolin structure of the non-toxic peptides (called cyanopeptolin VW-1 and VW-2, respectively) was revealed by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) of whole cells, showing dominant molecular ions at m/z = 975 and m/z 995, respectively. On post source decay (PSD), both cyanopeptolins showed fragments deriving from Ahp-Phe-MTyr (3-amino-6-hydroxy-2-piperidone), the characteristic partial structure of cyanopeptolins. The amounts of each of the two cyanopeptolins could only roughly be estimated to be >0.1% of bloom material dry weight. In addition the blooms contained microcystins (20 microg/g bloom dry weight as determined by RP-HPLC, 13 microg/g according to ELISA determination). MALDI-TOF-MS revealed several structural variants of microcystin: MCYST-RR (microcystin with Arg and Arg, indicated by m/z 1,038 and confirmed by PSD revealing a m/z = 135 fragment deriving from the Adda side chain, MCYST-FR (microcystin with Phe and Arg, indicated by m/z = 1,015). The presence of [Asp(3)]-MCYST-LR (microcystin with Leu and Arg, Asp non-methylated, indicated by m/z 981), and [Asp(3)]-MCYST-YR (microcystin with Tyr and Arg, Asp non-methylated, indicated by m/z 1,031) were likely. The relative amounts of the peptides varied between February, April, and May. Whole cell extracts from the bloom material revealed specific enzyme inhibitory activities. The serin-proteases trypsin, plasmin, elastase were inhibited, assumable due to the cyanopeptolins found. Elastase and the cysteine-protease papain were not inhibited, inhibitions of protein kinase and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were low. Strong inhibition was observed with protein-phosphatase-1, likely due to the microcystins present in the samples.

Microcystin in cyanobacterial blooms in a Chilean lake.

Cyanobacterial blooms dominated by Microcystis sp. occurred in lake Rocuant ("marisma", near Concepción/Chile) in February 1995 and 1996. In the bloom samples collected in both years the hepatotoxin microcystin was detected by RP-HPLC in both samples and in the sample of 1995 also by a toxicity assay using primary rat hepatocytes. In the bloom of 1995, the microcystin content of the dry bloom biomass was determined to be 130 micrograms/g on the basis of the RP-HPLC peak area and 800 micrograms/g on the basis of the rat hepatotoxicity assay, respectively. In the bloom of 1996, RP-HPLC analysis revealed a microcystin content of 8.13 micrograms/g bloom material dry weight. In this year no hepatotoxicity was measured using a concentration range up to 0.8 mg (d. w.) of bloom material per ml in the rat hepatotoxicity assay. This is the first report on the detection of microcystins in Chilean water bodies.