A symbolic Neanderthal accumulation of large herbivore crania.

This work examines the possible behaviour of Neanderthal groups at the Cueva Des-Cubierta (central Spain) via the analysis of the latter's archaeological assemblage. Alongside evidence of Mousterian lithic industry, Level 3 of the cave infill was found to contain an assemblage of mammalian bone remains dominated by the crania of large ungulates, some associated with small hearths. The scarcity of post-cranial elements, teeth, mandibles and maxillae, along with evidence of anthropogenic modification of the crania (cut and percussion marks), indicates that the carcasses of the corresponding animals were initially processed outside the cave, and the crania were later brought inside. A second round of processing then took place, possibly related to the removal of the brain. The continued presence of crania throughout Level 3 indicates that this behaviour was recurrent during this level's formation. This behaviour seems to have no subsistence-related purpose but to be more symbolic in its intent.

Propiedades de la leche en la inducción del sueño / Properties of milk in sleep induction

La inducción del sueño y su calidad son temas de preocupación creciente porque su deterioro afecta a un número elevado de personas y suponeun riesgo en su bienestar y calidad de vida y en la salud a largo plazo. Hay diversos factores implicados en el problema, pero la nutrición es unode ellos y, en concreto, el consumo de leche se ha relacionado frecuentemente con los hábitos de sueño, a veces como factor promotor y otrascomo inhibidor. Profundizar en el tema es el objeto de la presente revisión.El triptófano, al llegar al cerebro, es la base para la síntesis de serotonina y melatonina, que mejoran la inducción y la calidad del sueño. Pero hayuna competencia entre el triptófano y otros aminoácidos neutros de cadena larga (ANCL) (valina, leucina, isoleucina, tirosina y fenilalanina) paracruzar la barrera hematoencefálica y llegar al cerebro. En este sentido, las proteínas de la leche, con elevado contenido en triptófano y la relaciónmás elevada entre triptófano y ANCL, son muy útiles en la promoción del sueño. Por otra parte, la leche también aporta diversos micronutrientesque ayudan en la transformación del triptófano en serotonina y melatonina, así como componentes antioxidantes, antiinflamatorios y péptidosbioactivos, y estudios recientes indican que modula favorablemente la composición de la microbiota intestinal.Los estudios realizados ponen de relieve que aumentar el consumo de leche, hasta el aporte aconsejado y dentro de una alimentación correcta,favorece el conseguir y mantener un sueño de calidad. (AU)

Sleep induction and its quality are issues of growing concern because its deterioration affects a large number of people and poses a risk to theirwell-being and quality of life and long-term health. There are several factors involved in the problem, but nutrition is one of them and in particularmilk consumption has often been linked to sleep habits, sometimes as a promoter and sometimes as an inhibitor. The purpose of this review isto examine the matter further.On reaching the brain, tryptophan is the basis for the synthesis of serotonin and melatonin, which improve the induction and quality of sleep. Butthere is competition between tryptophan and other long-chain neutral amino acids (LNAA) (valine, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine and phenylalanine)to cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain. In this sense, milk proteins with a high tryptophan content and the highest ratio betweentryptophan and LNAA are very useful in promoting sleep.Moreover, milk also provides various micronutrients that help in the transformation of tryptophan into serotonin and melatonin, as well as antioxidantcomponents, anti-inflammatory and bioactive peptides, and recent studies indicate that it favorably modulates the composition of the intestinalmicrobiota. Studies show that increasing milk consumption, up to the recommended intake and within a correct diet, favors the achievementand maintenance of quality sleep. (AU)

New Method for Simultaneous Determination of Microcystins and Cylindrospermopsin in Vegetable Matrices by SPE-UPLC-MS/MS.

Cyanotoxins are a large group of noxious metabolites with different chemical structure and mechanisms of action, with a worldwide distribution, producing effects in animals, humans, and crop plants. When cyanotoxin-contaminated waters are used for the irrigation of edible vegetables, humans can be in contact with these toxins through the food chain. In this work, a method for the simultaneous detection of Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), Microcystin-RR (MC-RR), Microcystin-YR (MC-YR), and Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) in lettuce has been optimized and validated, using a dual solid phase extraction (SPE) system for toxin extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) for analysis. Results showed linear ranges (5⁻50 ng g-1 f.w.), low values for limit of detection (LOD) (0.06⁻0.42 ng g-1 f.w.), and limit of quantification (LOQ) (0.16⁻0.91 ng g-1 f.w.), acceptable recoveries (41⁻93%), and %RSDIP values for the four toxins. The method proved to be robust for the three variables tested. Finally, it was successfully applied to detect these cyanotoxins in edible vegetables exposed to cyanobacterial extracts under laboratory conditions, and it could be useful for monitoring these toxins in edible vegetables for better exposure estimation in terms of risk assessment.

ß-Carotene Concentration and Its Association with Inflammatory Biomarkers in Spanish Schoolchildren.

AIM: To examine the correlation between inflammatory biomarkers and plasma ß-carotene levels in children. METHODS: A total of 564 Spanish schoolchildren aged 9-12 were observed and studied. Plasma ß-carotene levels were assessed by HPLC. A ß-carotene level <4.83 µg/dL (0.09 µmol/L) was considered deficient. Plasma tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by immunoenzyme assays. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was tested by immunonephelometry. RESULTS: Subjects who were ß-carotene-deficient (23.1% of the studied children) had higher IL-6 levels than subjects with normal ß-carotene concentrations. The log-IL-6 and log-hs-CRP concentrations, but not the log-TNF-α level, were strongly and inversely related to the plasma log-ß-carotene level (taking into account log-age, energy intake, log-triglycerides, gender, log-body mass index, log-ß-carotene intake, energy from lipids and cholesterol as covariables). When the 3 inflammatory biomarkers were introduced into the regression model along with the corresponding covariables, only the log-IL-6 level was related to the plasma log-ß-carotene level (ß = -0.505 ± 0.078; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory status, in particular IL-6 levels, appears to be negatively associated with plasma ß-carotene levels in schoolchildren.

Effects of depuration on histopathological changes in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after exposure to cylindrospermopsin.

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a highly water-soluble cytotoxin produced by several species of freshwater cyanobacteria and it is considered the second most studied cyanotoxin worldwide. CYN acts as a potent protein and glutathione synthesis inhibitor, as well as inducing genotoxicity, oxidative stress and histopathological alterations. Studies concerning the depuration of cyanobacterial toxins in aquatic organisms, especially in fish, are of great interest for fish economy and public health, but are scarce in the case of CYN. This is the first study reporting the ability of depuration (3 - 7 days) in reversing or ameliorating the histopathological lesions induced in liver, kidney, heart, intestines, and gills of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) due to exposure by immersion to repeated doses of a CYN-containing culture of A. ovalisporum for 14 days. The main histopathological changes induced by CYN were glucogenic degeneration and loss of the normal hepatic cord-structure (liver), hyperemia, dilated Bowman's capsule and cellular tumefaction (kidney), myofibrolysis, hemorrhages and edema (heart), necrosis and partial loss of microvilli (gastrointestinal tract), and hyperemia and inflammatory cells infiltrates (gills). After 3 days of depuration, gills were totally recovered, while the liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract required 7 days, and longer depuration periods may be needed for a full recovery of the heart. In addition, the morphometric study indicated that depuration managed to reverse the affectation in the hepatocytes nuclear diameters and cross sections of the proximal and distal convoluted tubules induced in CYN-exposed fish. In general, these results validate depuration as an effective practice for detoxification of fish contaminated with CYN. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1318-1332, 2017.

Dietary l-carnitine prevents histopathological changes in tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) exposed to cylindrospermopsin.

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cytotoxin highly water-soluble, which is easily taken up by several aquatic organisms. CYN acts as a potent protein and glutathione synthesis inhibitor, as well as inducing genotoxicity, oxidative stress, and histopathological alterations. This is the first study reporting the protective effect of a l-carnitine (LC) pretreatment (400 or 880 mg LC/kg bw fish/day, for 21 days) on the histopathological alterations induced by pure CYN or Aphanizomenon ovalisporum lyophilized cells (400 µg CYN/kg bw fish) in liver, kidney, heart, intestines, and gills of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) acutely exposed to the toxin by oral route. The main histopathological changes induced by CYN were disorganized parenchyma with presence of glycogen and lipids in the cytoplasm (liver), glomerulonephritis, glomerular atrophy, and dilatation of Bowman's capsule (kidney), myofibrolysis, loss of myofibrils, with edema and hemorrhage (heart), intestinal villi with necrotic enterocytes and partial loss of microvilli (gastrointestinal tract), and hyperemia and hemorrhage (gills). LC pretreatment was able to totally prevent those CYN-induced alterations from 400 mg LC/kg bw fish/day in almost all organs, except in the heart, where 880 mg LC/kg bw fish/day were needed. In addition, the morphometric study indicated that LC managed to recover totally the affectation in the cross sections of the proximal and distal convoluted tubules in CYN-exposed fish. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 241-254, 2017.

Vitamin E pretreatment prevents histopathological effects in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) acutely exposed to cylindrospermopsin.

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cyanotoxin frequently involved in blooms with a predominantly extracellular availability, which makes it easily taken up by a variety of aquatic organisms. CYN is a potent protein and glutathione synthesis inhibitor, and also induces genotoxicity, oxidative stress and several histopathological lesions. The present study investigates the protective role of a vitamin E pretreatment (700 mg vit E/kg fish bw/day, for 7 days) on the histopathological alterations induced in different organs of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) acutely exposed to a single oral dose of 400 µg pure CYN/kg bw fish. The major histological changes observed were degenerative glucogenic process and loss of the hepatic structure in the liver, glomerulopathy and tubular tumefaction in the kidney, myofibrolysis and edema in the heart, catarrhal enteritis and necrosis in the gastrointestinal tract, hyperemic processes in the gill lamellae, and high basophilia, degeneration and tumefaction of granular neurons in the brain. Vitamin E pretreatment was effective in preventing or ameliorating the abovementioned alterations induced by CYN. In addition, a morphometric study indicated that the average nuclear diameter of hepatocytes, and cross-sections of proximal and distal convoluted tubules, together with the cardiac fiber and capillaries diameters represent a useful tool to evaluate the damage induced by CYN. This is the first study reporting vitamin E prevention of histopathological damage in tissues (liver, kidney, heart, gastrointestinal tract, gills and brain) of fish intoxicated with CYN. Therefore, vitamin E can be considered a useful chemoprotectant in the treatment of histopathological changes induced in CYN-intoxicated fish. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1469-1485, 2016.

Beneficial effects of vitamin E supplementation against the oxidative stress on Cylindrospermopsin-exposed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is known to produce changes in some oxidative stress biomarkers in fish acutely and subchronically exposed to the toxin. The present study investigated the effects of vitamin E supplementation against the oxidative stress induced by pure CYN in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Fish were pretreated with 700 mg vitamin E/kg fish body weight (bw)/day for 7 days by oral route, and on day seven, they received a single oral dose of 400 µg pure CYN/kg fish bw, and were killed after 24 h. The biomarkers evaluated included lipid peroxidation (LPO), protein and DNA oxidation, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and γ-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) activities, and ratio of reduced glutathione-oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG). This is the first study showing that vitamin E supplementation is effective at reducing the toxicity induced by CYN, recovering the biomarkers assayed to basal levels. Therefore, vitamin E can be considered a useful chemoprotectant that reduces hepatic and renal oxidative stress and can be used in the prophylaxis and treatment of CYN-related intoxication in fish.

[Calcium and health]. / El calcio y la salud.

An adequate intake of calcium is only not limited to avoid the risk of osteoporosis and its benefits in longterm bone health, but also it has been linked to protection against various major diseases, such as hypertension, cancer, kidney stones, insulin resistance, diabetes... and several investigations suggest its importance in preventing and controlling obesity. Studies conducted in Spanish representative samples show that a high percentage of adults and children (> 75%) don't achieve the recommended intake of calcium. Moreover, are growing trends among the population suggesting that calcium intake and dairy consumption (main food source of the mineral) are high, and even excessive, in many individuals. This misconception results in that the calcium intake is increasingly far from the recommended one. The maximum tolerable intake of the mineral is fixed at 2.500 mg/day, but this intake is unusual, and it's more disturbing and frequent, to find intakes below the recommended calcium intakes (1.000 and 1.200 mg/day in adults, men and women, respectively). Data from different studies highlight the risk of an inadequate calcium intake and the damages that may affect the health in a long term. It is not about transmitting indiscriminate guidelines in order to increase the intake of calcium / dairy, but the recommended intakes must be met to achieve both the nutritional and health benefits. Also activities for demystification of misconceptions are need, increasingly frequent, that may impair health population.

Un aporte adecuado de calcio no se limita a evitar el riesgo de padecer osteoporosis y lograr beneficios en la salud ósea, sino que ha sido relacionado con una protección frente a diversas enfermedades de alta prevalencia, como la hipertensión, cáncer, cálculos renales, síndrome de resistencia a la insulina, diabetes... y diversas investigaciones señalan su importancia en la prevención y control de la obesidad. Los estudios realizados en muestras representativas de la población española indican que los aportes recomendados del mineral no se alcanzan en un elevado porcentaje de adultos y niños (>75%). Por otra parte, existen corrientes de impacto creciente entre la población, que inducen a pensar que la ingesta de calcio y de lácteos (principal fuente alimentaria del mineral) es alta, e incluso excesiva, en muchos individuos. Esta creencia errónea lleva a alejar paulatinamente, y de manera cada vez más acusada, el aporte de calcio del aconsejado. La ingesta máxima tolerable del mineral se ha establecido en 2.500 mg/día, pero este aporte es poco habitual, siendo más preocupante y frecuente el encontrar ingestas de calcio inferiores a las recomendadas (1.000 y 1.200 mg/ día, para adultos varones y mujeres, respectivamente). Los resultados de las investigaciones realizadas ponen de relieve la existencia de situaciones de riesgo de aporte insuficiente, y los perjuicios asociados, que a largo plazo, pueden afectar a la salud de diversos colectivos. No se trata de transmitir pautas indiscriminadas encaminadas a aumentar la ingesta de calcio/lácteos, pero es necesario alcanzar las ingestas recomendadas para lograr un beneficio nutricional y sanitario, y es necesario actividades de desmitificación de errores, cada vez más frecuentes, que pueden perjudicar la salud de la población.

Cylindrospermopsin induces neurotoxicity in tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to Aphanizomenon ovalisporum.

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cytotoxic cyanotoxin produced by several species of freshwater cyanobacteria, such as Aphanizomenon ovalisporum. CYN is a tricyclic alkaloid known for its ability to inhibit both protein and glutathione synthesis, and the alteration of different oxidative stress biomarkers in mammals and vertebrates. Although the liver and kidney appear to be the main CYN targets for this toxin, it also affects other organs. In fish, there is no evidence about the neurotoxicity of CYN yet. In the present study, we aimed to study the potential neurotoxicity of CYN, based on the measure of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and histopathological studies in brain of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) subchronically exposed to repeated concentrations of 10µg CYN/L by immersion in an A.ovalisporum culture for 14 days. The results showed significant inhibition of AChE activity and increases in LPO levels, as well as relevant histopathological alterations in the brain of fish (O. niloticus) subchronically exposed to the toxin. Moreover, we also investigated the potential recovery of these parameters by subjecting the fish to two depuration periods (3 and 7 days) in clean uncontaminated water, showing a recovery of the biochemical parameters since 3 days of depuration, and being necessary 7 days to recover the histopathological changes. In order to support these results, CYN was detected and quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in brain of all the exposed fish and the effects of the depuration periods were also observed. Based on these results, it was demonstrated for the first time the neurotoxicity of CYN and its presence in brain of tilapia fish subchronically exposed to CYN.

El calcio y la salud / Calcium and health

Un aporte adecuado de calcio no se limita a evitar el riesgo de padecer osteoporosis y lograr beneficios en la salud ósea, sino que ha sido relacionado con una protección frente a diversas enfermedades de alta prevalencia, como la hipertensión, cáncer, cálculos renales, síndrome de resistencia a la insulina, diabetes... y diversas investigaciones señalan su importancia en la prevención y control de la obesidad. Los estudios realizados en muestras representativas de la población española indican que los aportes recomendados del mineral no se alcanzan en un elevado porcentaje de adultos y niños (>75%). Por otra parte, existen corrientes de impacto creciente entre la población, que inducen a pensar que la ingesta de calcio y de lácteos (principal fuente alimentaria del mineral) es alta, e incluso excesiva, en muchos individuos. Esta creencia errónea lleva a alejar paulatinamente, y de manera cada vez más acusada, el aporte de calcio del aconsejado. La ingesta máxima tolerable del mineral se ha establecido en 2.500 mg/día, pero este aporte es poco habitual, siendo más preocupante y frecuente el encontrar ingestas de calcio inferiores a las recomendadas (1.000 y 1.200 mg/ día, para adultos varones y mujeres, respectivamente). Los resultados de las investigaciones realizadas ponen de relieve la existencia de situaciones de riesgo de aporte insuficiente, y los perjuicios asociados, que a largo plazo, pueden afectar a la salud de diversos colectivos. No se trata de transmitir pautas indiscriminadas encaminadas a aumentar la ingesta de calcio/lácteos, pero es necesario alcanzar las ingestas recomendadas para lograr un beneficio nutricional y sanitario, y es necesario actividades de desmitificación de errores, cada vez más frecuentes, que pueden perjudicar la salud de la población (AU)

An adequate intake of calcium is only not limited to avoid the risk of osteoporosis and its benefits in longterm bone health, but also it has been linked to protection against various major diseases, such as hypertension, cancer, kidney stones, insulin resistance, diabetes... and several investigations suggest its importance in preventing and controlling obesity. Studies conducted in Spanish representative samples show that a high percentage of adults and children (> 75%) don’t achieve the recommended intake of calcium. Moreover, are growing trends among the population suggesting that calcium intake and dairy consumption (main food source of the mineral) are high, and even excessive, in many individuals. This misconception results in that the calcium intake is increasingly far from the recommended one. The maximum tolerable intake of the mineral is fixed at 2.500 mg/day, but this intake is unusual, and it’s more disturbing and frequent, to find intakes below the recommended calcium intakes (1.000 and 1.200 mg/day in adults, men and women, respectively). Data from different studies highlight the risk of an inadequate calcium intake and the damages that may affect the health in a long term. It is not about transmitting indiscriminate guidelines in order to increase the intake of calcium / dairy, but the recommended intakes must be met to achieve both the nutritional and health benefits. Also activities for demystification of misconceptions are need, increasingly frequent, that may impair health population (AU)

CYN determination in tissues from freshwater fish by LC-MS/MS: validation and application in tissues from subchronically exposed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are occurring in eutrophic freshwater lakes and reservoirs throughout the world and, because of the production of toxins such as cylindrospermopsin (CYN), they can present a public safety hazard through contamination of seafood and fish for human consumption. Therefore it is important to develop methods to determine CYN at trace levels in those organisms. A new method for unconjugated CYN determination in tissues (liver and muscle) of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is herein described and discussed; it is based on solvent extraction and purification with C18 and graphitized carbon cartridges, and quantification by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The method was optimized and suitably validated, with a linear range from 0.125-12.5 µg CYN/g dry weight (dw) in the case of the liver, and 0.02-1 µg CYN/g dw for the muscle. Limits of detection and quantitation were 0.07 and 0.12 µg/g dw for the liver, and 0.002 and 0.007 µg/g dw for the muscle, respectively. Mean recoveries ranged 80-110% in liver, and 94-104% in muscle, and intermediate precision values from 6 to 11%. The method is robust against the three factors considered for purification (batch of the graphitized carbon cartridges, time for the sample to pass through the cartridge, and final dissolving water volume). Furthermore, it has been successfully applied to the extraction and quantification of CYN in tissue samples from tilapia subchronically exposed to CYN in the laboratory. This represents a sensitive, reproducible, accurate, and robust method for extraction and determination of unconjugated CYN in tissues of fish exposed to the toxin. This procedure can be used for confirmatory routine monitoring of CYN in fish samples in environmental studies.

New luminescence ages for the Galería Complex archaeological site: resolving chronological uncertainties on the acheulean record of the Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain.

The archaeological karstic infill site of Galería Complex, located within the Atapuerca system (Spain), has produced a large faunal and archaeological record (Homo sp. aff. heidelbergensis fossils and Mode II lithic artefacts) belonging to the Middle Pleistocene. Extended-range luminescence dating techniques, namely post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIR-IR) dating of K-feldspars and thermally transferred optically stimulated luminescence (TT-OSL) dating of individual quartz grains, were applied to fossil-bearing sediments at Galería. The luminescence dating results are in good agreement with published chronologies derived using alternative radiometric dating methods (i.e., ESR and U-series dating of bracketing speleothems and combined ESR/U-series dating of herbivore teeth), as well as biochronology and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions inferred from proxy records (e.g., pollen data). For the majority of samples dated, however, the new luminescence ages are significantly (∼50%) younger than previously published polymineral thermoluminescence (TL) chronologies, suggesting that the latter may have overestimated the true burial age of the Galería deposits. The luminescence ages obtained indicate that the top of the basal sterile sands (GIb) at Galería have an age of up to ∼370 thousand years (ka), while the lowermost sub-unit containing Mode II Acheulean lithics (base of unit GIIa) was deposited during MIS 9 (mean age = 313±14 ka; n = 4). The overlying units GIIb-GIV, which contain the richest archaeopalaeontological remains, were deposited during late MIS 8 or early MIS 7 (∼240 ka). Galería Complex may be correlative with other Middle Pleistocene sites from Atapuerca, such as Gran Dolina level TD10 and unit TE19 from Sima del Elefante, but the lowermost archaeological horizons are ∼100 ka younger than the hominin-bearing clay breccias at the Sima de los Huesos site. Our results suggest that both pIR-IR and single-grain TT-OSL dating are suitable for resolving Middle Pleistocene chronologies for the Sierra de Atapuerca karstic infill sequences.

Adecuación de la ingesta de calcio en una muestra representativa de la población española de 7 a 16 años / Adequacy of the intake of calcium in a representative sample of Spanish population aged 7-16 years. Evolution of the calcium contribution and of the food sources which are produced with the age

Fundamentos: El consumo de lácteos debería aumentar al pasar de la infancia a la adolescencia de 2-3 raciones/día a 3-4, para ayudar a alcanzar la ingesta recomendada de calcio y otros nutrientes. Algunos estudios señalan que este incremento no se produce, pero otros indican que la ingesta de calcio y lácteos es muy satisfactoria e incluso excesiva. Por ello, el objetivo del estudio es analizar la ingesta y fuentes de calcio en escolares de 7 a 16 años. Métodos: Se estudió una muestra representativa de la población española de 7 a 16 años (n=1976), seleccionada en diez provincias: Burgos, Cáceres, Córdoba, Guadalajara, Lugo, Madrid, Salamanca, Tarragona, Valencia y Vizcaya. El estudio dietético se realizó por registro del consumo de alimentos durante 3 días. Los parámetros antropométricos estudiados fueron el peso y la talla, lo que permitió calcular el índice de masa corporal (IMC). Resultados: La ingesta de calcio (880.8±482.6 mg/día) fue inferior a la recomendada (IR) en un 83% de los estudiados (menor del 67% de IR en 43.1%). La principal fuente de calcio fueron los lácteos (63.1%) seguidos de cereales (7.7%), varios (7.5%), verduras (3.8%) y frutas (3.6%). El cumplir con las ingestas recomendadas para el calcio se facilita cuando se toman las raciones de lácteos aconsejadas en función de la edad (OR=7.639 (5.824-10.019; p<0.001)), cuando la edad es menor (OR=1.287 (1.219-1.358; p<0.001)) y el sexo femenino (OR=1.324 (1.01-1.735; p<0.001)). Además, al aumentar la cobertura de las IR para el calcio se encuentra (p<0.05) una disminución del IMC (r=-0.054, p<0.05) y menor padecimiento de sobrepeso y obesidad (r=-0.055, p<0.05). Conclusiones: La ingesta de calcio es inferior a la recomendada en un elevado porcentaje de los estudiados. Teniendo en cuenta que en la dieta media de niños y adolescentes españoles el aporte de calcio proviene mayoritariamente de los lácteos, aumentar el consumo de este grupo de alimentos resulta deseable, especialmente en el 71.4% de los niños que no toman la cantidad mínima aconsejada para su edad. Los varones, niños de mayor edad y con sobrepeso / obesidad merecen atención especial (AU)

Background: Dairy consumption should increase when passing from childhood to adolescence from 2-3 to 3-4 servings/day, to meet the recommended intake of calcium and other nutrients. Some studies indicate that this increase does not occur, but others indicate that intake of calcium and dairy products are very satisfactory and even excessive. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to analyze the intake and sources of calcium in schoolchildren aged 7-16 years. Methods: A representative sample of the Spanish population aged 7-16 years (n = 1976) selected from ten provinces (Burgos, Cáceres, Córdoba, Guadalajara, Lugo, Madrid, Salamanca, Tarragona, Valencia and Vizcaya) was studied. Dietary data were obtained by using a 3-day food record. The body weight and height were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Results: Calcium intake (880.8±482.6 mg/day) was lower than recommended intake (RI) in 83% of study participants (less than 67% of RI in 43.1%). The main sources of calcium were dairy products (63.1%), followed by cereals (7.7%), other foods (7.5%), vegetables (3.8%) and fruits (3.6%). Compliance with the RI for calcium is facilitated by the consumption of daily servings of dairy products which are recommended according to age (OR = 7,639 (5,824 - 10,019, P <0.001)), when age is lower (OR = 1,287 (1,219-1358, P <0.001)) and female gender (OR = 1,324 (1.01-1.735, P <0.001)). In addition, when the compliance of the RI for calcium increased, it observes a decrease in BMI (r=-0.054, p<0.05) and a lower proportion of participants with overweight and obesity (r=-0.055, p<0.05). Conclusions: Calcium intake is lower than the recommended intake in a high percentage of the studied participants. Having into account that in the average diet of Spanish children and adolescents, the contribution of calcium comes mainly from dairy products, an increase in the consumption of this food group would be desirable, especially in 71.4% of children who do not take the minimum amount recommended for their age. Males, older children and overweight/obesity merit special attention (AU)

Development and optimization of a method for the determination of Cylindrospermopsin from strains of Aphanizomenon cultures: intra-laboratory assessment of its accuracy by using validation standards.

The occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic environments is increasing in many regions of the world due to progressive eutrophication of water bodies. Because of the production of toxins such as Cylindrospermopsin (CYN), contamination of water with cyanobacteria is a serious health problem around the world. Therefore it is necessary to develop and validate analytical methods that allow us to quantify CYN in real samples in order to alert the public of this toxin. In this work, an analytical method has been developed an optimized for the determination of CYN from Aphanizomenon ovalisporum cultures. The analytical procedure is based on solvent extraction followed by a purification step with graphitized cartridges and CYN quantification by LC-MS/MS. The extraction and purification steps were optimized using a two-level full factorial design with replications. A suitable and practical procedure for assessing the trueness and precision of the proposed method has been applied by using validation standards. The method has been suitably validated: the regression equation was calculated from standards prepared in extracts from lyophilized M. aeruginosa PCC7820 (r(2)≥0.9999) and the linear range covered is from 5 to 500 µg CYN/L, equivalent to 0.18-18.00 µg CYN/g dry weight lyophilized cells. Limits of detection and quantification were 0.04 and 0.15 µg CYN/g, respectively, the recovery range (%) oscillated between 83 and 94% and intermediate precision (RSD %) values from 5.6 to 11.0%. Moreover, the present method showed to be robust for the three factors considered: the batch of the graphitized carbon cartridges, the flow rate of the sample through the cartridge, and the final re-dissolved water volume after SPE treatment, which permits its validation. The validated method has been applied to different lyophilized cultures of A. ovalisporum (LEGE X-001) to evaluate CYN content. This procedure can be used for determining CYN in lyophilized natural blooms samples in environmental studies.