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Abstract: The concentrations of 24 parental and methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels in common limpet (Patella vulgata) were measured in 15 coastal localities of the southern Bay of Biscay and 2 sites per locality for 2 years (spring and autumn of 2004 and 2005, respectively). Although the average concentrations shown a wide variability among the sites and the season, several sites showed a remarkable high concentration (PAHtot>900ngg−1 d.w.) or medium (300–800ngg−1 d.w) levels, but in most of the cases the initial high concentrations decreased sharply from one campaign to the following. Moreover, based on ratios of individual isomers concentration, petrogenic and pyrolitic sources were distinguished suggesting more than one source. Finally, based on the results of this work and comparing with previously reported data, it can concluded that limpets can be used as sentinel organisms in coastal environmental monitoring, even when oil spills are involved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The seasonal and spatial variability of trace metal concentrations of oyster tissues ( Crassostea sps.) was studied. The samples were collected between 2002 and 2004 along the Urdaibai estuary (Murueta, Kanala and Arteaga). The seasonal influence on some metal concentrations (higher values in spring–summer season than in autumn–winter season) is more pronounced than the local site-specific influence. Furthermore, within each location a significant time-specific dependence on the trace metal concentration variations can be detected. Substantially higher concentrations of Zn (445.5–2,403.3 mg kg−1) and Mn (29.4–169.6 mg kg−1) were recorded in oysters inhabiting estuarine locations, possibly indicating a markedly higher natural bioavailability at these locations. Principal component analysis demonstrated that oysters could be separated depending on the inhabiting areas: Sn for Murueta, essential metals for Kanala, and Co and Cd for Arteaga sampling points, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along 10 campaigns, from June 2002 to September 2004, the concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in sediments and oysters (Crassostrea sp.) taken from four sites in the Unesco protected natural reserve of Urdaibai (Basque Country, Bay of Biscay). Total PAH concentration ranged from 0.7 to 140μgkg−1 (dw) in the case of sediments, and from 300 to 1400μgkg−1 (dw) in the case of oysters. During this study, the coast of the Bay of Biscay was severely affected by the Prestige oil spill (November 2002). Presumably, as a consequence of this accident, both spatial and temporal variations of the PAHs, as well as the sources of the PAHs were affected by the oil spill, and this effect was observed in the total concentrations and, especially, in several diagnostic ratios and in multivariate data analysis. Finally, both BAF (bioaccumulation factor) and BSAF (biota-sediment accumulation factor) parameters were calculated to conclude that particulate matter seems to be the most favourable uptake pathway of PAHs in oysters from this estuary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia are rare neurodegenerative syndromes. We aimed to determine the prevalence of these disorders in Spain in 2019., Patients and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, multicentre, retrospective, descriptive study of patients with ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia in Spain between March 2018 and December 2019., Results: We gathered data from a total of 1933 patients from 11 autonomous communities, provided by 47 neurologists or geneticists. Mean (SD) age in our sample was 53.64 (20.51) years; 938 patients were men (48.5%) and 995 were women (51.5%). The genetic defect was unidentified in 920 patients (47.6%). A total of 1371 patients (70.9%) had ataxia and 562 (29.1%) had hereditary spastic paraplegia. Prevalence rates for ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia were estimated at 5.48 and 2.24 cases per 100 000 population, respectively. The most frequent type of dominant ataxia in our sample was SCA3, and the most frequent recessive ataxia was Friedreich ataxia. The most frequent type of dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia in our sample was SPG4, and the most frequent recessive type was SPG7., Conclusions: In our sample, the estimated prevalence of ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia was 7.73 cases per 100 000 population. This rate is similar to those reported for other countries. Genetic diagnosis was not available in 47.6% of cases. Despite these limitations, our study provides useful data for estimating the necessary healthcare resources for these patients, raising awareness of these diseases, determining the most frequent causal mutations for local screening programmes, and promoting the development of clinical trials., (Copyright © 2021 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide since December 2019. Neurologic symptoms have been reported as part of the clinical spectrum of the disease. We aimed to determine whether neurologic manifestations are common in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and to describe their main characteristics., Methods: We systematically reviewed all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted to the hospital in a Spanish population during March 2020. Demographic characteristics, systemic and neurologic clinical manifestations, and complementary tests were analyzed., Results: Of 841 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (mean age 66.4 years, 56.2% men), 57.4% developed some form of neurologic symptom. Nonspecific symptoms such as myalgias (17.2%), headache (14.1%), and dizziness (6.1%) were present mostly in the early stages of infection. Anosmia (4.9%) and dysgeusia (6.2%) tended to occur early (60% as the first clinical manifestation) and were more frequent in less severe cases. Disorders of consciousness occurred commonly (19.6%), mostly in older patients and in severe and advanced COVID-19 stages. Myopathy (3.1%), dysautonomia (2.5%), cerebrovascular diseases (1.7%), seizures (0.7%), movement disorders (0.7%), encephalitis (n = 1), Guillain-Barré syndrome (n = 1), and optic neuritis (n = 1) were also reported, but less frequent. Neurologic complications were the main cause of death in 4.1% of all deceased study participants., Conclusions: Neurologic manifestations are common in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. In our series, more than half of patients presented some form of neurologic symptom. Clinicians need to maintain close neurologic surveillance for prompt recognition of these complications. The mechanisms and consequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 neurologic involvement require further studies., (© 2020 American Academy of Neurology.)

From February 2004 to April 2006, the concentrations of more than 10 metals in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were measured in 10 stations from Galicia to the Basque Country in 8 different times of sampling. The mean highest concentrations are found for Zn [226.8 microg/g, dry weight (d.w.)] followed by Mn, As, Cu, and Co (between 10 and 25 microg/g d.w.). Lower mean concentrations are found for Se, Cr, Pb, V, and Ni (between 2 and 8 microg/g d.w.) and the lowest are for Cd, Sn, Hg, and Sb (between 0.05 and 1 microg/g d.w.). Among the statistical treatments used, the factor analysis showed a clustering of the mussels according to the geographical location. In addition, the temporal trend of the metal concentrations was studied by means of the Mann-Kendall test. In this sense, some stations showed a decreasing trend in the accumulation of the metallic content. However, there were some local pollution events that could be explained as a consequence of anthropogenic activities. Finally, the effects of the oil spill from the Prestige are discussed based on the experimental Ni/V ratio values obtained from this work and those of the original oil.

The feasibility of different clean-up procedures was studied for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biota samples such as oysters, mussels and fish liver. In this sense, once the samples were extracted--essentially with acetone and in a microwave system--and before they could be analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), three different approaches were studied for the clean-up step: solid phase extraction (SPE), microwave-assisted saponification (MAS) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The main aim of this work was to maximise the recoveries of PAHs and to minimise the presence of interfering compounds in the last extract. In the case of SPE, Florisil cartridges of 1, 2 and 5 g, and silica cartridges of 5 g were studied. In that case, and with oysters and mussels, microwave-assisted extraction and 5 g Florisil cartridges provided good results. In addition, the concentrations obtained for Standard Reference Material (SRM) NIST 2977 (mussel tissue) were in good agreement with the certified values. In the case of microwave-assisted saponification, the extracts were not as clean as those obtained with 5 g Florisil and this fact lead to overestimate the concentration of the heaviest PAHs. Finally, the cleanest extracts were obtained by GPC. The method was successfully applied to mussels, oysters and hake liver, and the results obtained for NIST 2977 (mussel tissue) were within the confidence interval of the certified reference material for most of the certified analytes.

A new method was developed for the simultaneous extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalate esters (PEs), nonylphenols (NPs) and nonylphenol mono- and diethoxylates (NP1EOs and NP2EOs, respectively) in sediment samples by means of a closed microwave system. The extractions were carried out at 21 psi and 80% of microwave power and 15 ml of acetone were used as the common extraction solvent. The filtered extract was further fractionated in two groups using Florisil cartridges: PAHs and PCBs were eluted with n-hexane:toluene (4:1) and the PEs, NPs and ethoxylates were eluted with ethyl acetate. All the compounds were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In case of PAHs and PCBs, the developed method was validated by comparison of the results obtained for the certified reference material NIST 1944 with the certified values. In the absence of a reference material for phthalate esters and nonylphenols, one sediment sample was extracted twice under the optimal conditions in order to check than an exhaustive extraction of the analytes occurred. This method is currently used in the study of the distribution of those organic contaminants in the estuaries of the Bay of Biscay (Spain).

Objective: The aim of this study was to know the incidence of serious bacterial infections (SBI) in children without sepsis or intracranial infection in which spinal puncture (LP) was performed in an Emergency Department., Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of all 471 previously healthy children between 1 month and 14 years of age in which a lumbar puncture was performed between July 1995 and March 1997 in the Emergency Department of our hospital was performed., Results: Two hundred and three children (43%) had sepsis, meningitis or encephalitis (aseptic meningitis 149, 31.6%; sepsis-bacterial meningitis 26, 5.5%; nonspecific meningitis 26, 5.5%; encephalitis 2, 0.4%) and 14 (5.2%) had pneumonia. Of the other 254 children, 36 (14.1%) had a SBI: 19 urinary tract infections (E. coli), 11 bacteremia (Streptococcus pneumoniae 8, Salmonella enteritidis 1, Proteus mirabilis 1, E. coli 1, the latter two also having a positive urine culture) and 6 bacterial gastroenteritis (salmonella 5, Campylobacter jejuni 1). The incidence of SBI was significantly higher in the group of children younger than 5 years old (32/175, 18.2%) than in the older group (4/79, 5.0%, p = 0.009). Two patients died (one with pneumococcal meningitis and one with meningococcal sepsis)., Conclusions: Children with fever and a normal result in the LP must be carefully examined and, especially in younger patients, urine, blood and stool (if stool abnormalities) cultures should be collected. These children must be closely observed in the hospital or at home and must be re-evaluated by their pediatrician in the following 24 hours.