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In this paper we present measurements performed with a Micromegas X-ray detector setup. The detector is a prototype in the context of the BabyIAXO helioscope, which is under construction to search for an emission of the hypothetical axion particle from the Sun. An important component of such a helioscope is a low background X-ray detector with a high efficiency in the 1–10 keV energy range. The goal of the measurement was to study techniques for background discrimination. In addition to common techniques we used a multi-layer veto system designed to tag cosmic-ray induced neutron background. Over an effective time of 52 days, a background level of 8.6 × 10−7 counts keV−1 cm−2 s−1 was reached in a laboratory at above ground level. This is the lowest background level achieved at surface level. In this paper we present the experimental setup, show simulations of the neutron-induced background, and demonstrate the process to identify background signals in the data. Finally, prospects to reach lower background levels down to 10–7 counts keV−1 cm−2 s−1 are discussed.

Abstract This article describes BabyIAXO, an intermediate experimental stage of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO), proposed to be sited at DESY. IAXO is a large-scale axion helioscope that will look for axions and axion-like particles (ALPs), produced in the Sun, with unprecedented sensitivity. BabyIAXO is conceived to test all IAXO subsystems (magnet, optics and detectors) at a relevant scale for the final system and thus serve as prototype for IAXO, but at the same time as a fully-fledged helioscope with relevant physics reach itself, and with potential for discovery. The BabyIAXO magnet will feature two 10 m long, 70 cm diameter bores, and will host two detection lines (optics and detector) of dimensions similar to the final ones foreseen for IAXO. BabyIAXO will detect or reject solar axions or ALPs with axion-photon couplings down to g aγ ∼ 1.5 × 10 −11 GeV −1, and masses up to m a ∼ 0.25 eV. BabyIAXO will offer additional opportunities for axion research in view of IAXO, like the development of precision x-ray detectors to identify particular spectral features in the solar axion spectrum, and the implementation of radiofrequency-cavity-based axion dark matter setups.

Introduction: Identifying effective drugs for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is urgently needed. An efficient approach is to evaluate whether existing approved drugs have anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects. The antiviral properties of lithium salts have been studied for many years. Their anti-inflammatory and immune-potentiating effects result from the inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3. Aims: To obtain pre-clinical evidence on the safety and therapeutic effects of lithium salts in the treatment of COVID-19. Results: Six different concentrations of lithium, ranging 2–12 mmol/L, were evaluated. Lithium inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV-2 virus in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 4 mmol/L. Lithium-treated wells showed a significantly higher percentage of monolayer conservation than viral control, particularly at concentrations higher than 6 mmol/L, verified through microscopic observation, the neutral red assay, and the determination of N protein in the supernatants of treated wells. Hamsters treated with lithium showed less intense disease with fewer signs. No lithium-related mortality or overt signs of toxicity were observed during the experiment. A trend of decreasing viral load in nasopharyngeal swabs and lungs was observed in treated hamsters compared to controls. Conclusions: These results provide pre-clinical evidence of the antiviral and immunotherapeutic effects of lithium against SARS-CoV-2, which supports an advance to clinical trials on COVID-19′s patients.

The ratio of CO2 efflux to O2 influx (ARQ, apparent respiratory quotient) in tree stems is expected to be 1.0 for carbohydrates, the main substrate supporting stem respiration. In previous studies of stem fluxes, ARQ values below 1.0 were observed and hypothesized to indicate retention of respired carbon within the stem. Here, we demonstrate that stem ARQ < 1.0 values are common across 85 tropical, temperate, and Mediterranean forest trees from nine different species. Mean ARQ values per species per site ranged from 0.39 to 0.78, with an overall mean of 0.59. Assuming that O2 uptake provides a measure of in situ stem respiration (due to the low solubility of O2), the overall mean indicates that on average 41 % of CO2 respired in stems is not emitted from the local stem surface. The instantaneous ARQ did not vary with sap flow. ARQ values of incubated stem cores were similar to those measured in stem chambers on intact trees. We therefore conclude that dissolution of CO2 in the xylem sap and transport away from the site of respiration cannot explain the low ARQ values. We suggest refixation of respired CO2 in biosynthesis reactions as possible mechanism for low ARQ values.

Resumen El objetivo del presente trabajo es comparar el comportamiento de los elementos estructurales sometidos a flexión o compresión después de haber sido reparados, mediante la sustitución del hormigón deteriorado por mortero de cemento Portland o mortero modificado con polímeros. En primer lugar, las probetas cúbicas se fabricaron con diferentes proporciones de reparación de mortero de cemento para ensayar a compresión, con los materiales colocados tanto en serie como en paralelo. Del análisis de resultados, se puede concluir que los sistemas mixtos - mortero de hormigón modificado con polímeros sometido a compresión pueden soportar cargas mayores que la reparación del mortero de cemento Portland, aunque en ningún caso pueden restaurar la capacidad de carga del hormigón. En los elementos sometidos a flexión, las vigas reparadas pueden alcanzar la resistencia inicial a la fractura de las vigas y soportar cargas aún mayores. Por lo tanto, la reparación de estructuras de cemento deterioradas con morteros de reparación es una buena alternativa, especialmente en elementos estructurales sometidos a flexión, y se realizan con morteros de cemento Portland. En las estructuras sometidas a compresión, es mejor utilizar morteros de reparación modificados con polímeros que aumentan la ductilidad cuando el mortero de reparación se ubica en serie con respecto a la carga. Abstract The aim of the present work is to compare the behavior of structural elements subjected to bending or compression after having been repaired, by substituting the deteriorated concrete by Portland cement mortar or mortar modified with polymers. Firstly, cubic specimens were manufactured with different repair concrete-mortar proportions to be tested to compression, with the materials placed both in series and in parallel. From the results analysis, it can be concluded that mixed systems - polymer-modified concrete mortar subjected to compression can withstand greater loads than the repair Portland cement mortar, although they are in no case able to restore the load capacity of concrete. In elements subjected to bending, the repaired beams are able to achieve the initial fracture strength of the beams, and support even higher loads. Therefore, repairing deteriorated concrete structures using repair mortars is a good alternative, especially in structural elements subjected to bending, and performed using Portland cement mortars. In structures subject to compression, it is better to use repair mortars modified with polymers which increase the ductility when the repair mortar is located in series regarding the load

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue evaluar la influencia del hidrolizado de proteínas (HP) como suplemento nutricional en el comportamiento bioproductivo en gallinas White Leghorn. Se utilizaron gallinas de reproductores ligeros con 39 semanas de edad, durante seis semanas. Se realizó un diseño completamente aleatorizado con dos tratamientos de 320 gallinas cada uno (tres réplicas de 40 gallinas). El T1, recibió diariamente 2 mL de HP por ave y al T2, no se le ofertó el producto. Se controlaron las variables bioproductivas (producción total de huevos, porcentaje de postura, consumo total de pienso, conversión, viabilidad y la mortalidad por causas), los indicadores de la incubación (huevos a planta, los porcentajes de incubación, incubabilidad y pollitos de primera) y los de calidad (consumo de pienso por pollito de primera y pollitos de primera por gallina). Se observaron diferencias significativas en el porcentaje de postura y significativa para la conversión masal y en los huevos a planta, porcentaje de incubación y porcentaje de incubabilidad y con mejor comportamiento en los indicadores de calidad en las gallinas que recibieron HP. Se concluye que el empleo de HP mejora el porcentaje de postura y la conversión masal y los indicadores relativos a la incubación, porcentaje de huevos aptos a planta, porcentaje de incubación y de incubabilidad de gallinas de la línea ligera, adicionalmente, su uso reduce aproximadamente en 100 gramos el consumo de pienso necesario para obtener un pollito de primera.

La altillanura colombiana es una microrregión que tipifica un tipo de producción bovina extensiva que requiere el uso de gramíneas adaptadas que respondan a la fertilización nitrogenada para mejorar el rendimiento y la calidad nutricional de las praderas, a fin de intensificar los sistemas de producción ganaderos. El estudio se desarrolló en la sede Taluma de Corpoica , ubicada a 04°34 ́25” Oeste y 71°20 ́10’’ Norte en el municipio de Puerto López (Meta, Colombia), en condiciones de clima y suelo representativos de la altillanura colombiana. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar el comportamiento agronómico y nutricional de los genotipos de Brachiaria brizantha CIAT 16315, 16467, 26990, 26124, 6387 y el control Mulato II manejados con fertilización nitrogenada sola y asociada con la leguminosa Kudzú ( Pueraria phaseoloides ). Se utilizó un diseño de bloques completos al azar con arreglo en franjas divididas, en donde la parcela co - rrespondió a la gramínea forrajera y la franja al nivel de fertilización nitrogenada (N46, N92 y P. phaseoloides + N46). Los genotipos fueron evaluados durante 90 días, tanto en época seca, como lluviosa. Las accesiones con mayor producción de biomasa ( p < 0,001) fueron B. brizantha CIAT 16315 (2.040 kgMS.ha -1 ), B. brizantha CIAT 16467 (1.864 kg MS.ha -1 ) y B. brizantha CIAT 6387 (2.033 kgMS.ha -1 ). El tratamiento de la gramínea + N92 (kgN.ha -1 ) presentó valores significativamente ( p < 0,001) superiores de PC (9,55%) y degradabilidad del forraje (65,7%), y los menores contenidos de ma - teria seca (37,05%), FDN (61,97%) y FDA (30,55%) en relación con las gramíneas fertilizadas con 46 kgN.ha -1 y las gramíneas asociadas con Kudzú y fertilizadas con 46 kgN.ha -1 . Por mayor contenido de PC ( p < 0,001), se destacaron los materiales B. bri - zantha CIAT 16315 (8,34%) y CIAT 26124 (8,06%) que no presentaron diferencias significativas con el pasto Mulato II (8,18%). Los resultados demostraron la importancia de la fertilización nitrogenada para mejorar la producción y calidad nutricional de las praderas de B. brizantha.

Drastic changes have been caused by human influence in natural landscapes, which may exert an intensive effect on species loss. However, species loss from human pressure is not random but depends on a series of environmentally associated factors. Linking species traits to environmental attributes may allow us to detect the ecological impacts of habitat so that meaningful habitat degradation gradients can be identified. The relationships between environmental factors and species traits provide the basis for identifying those biological traits that make species more sensitive to disturbance. These relationships are also helpful to detect the geographic distribution of latent risk to reveal areas where biodiversity is threatened. Here, we identify a “Human Impact Gradient for Biodiversity (HIGB)” based on a three-table ordination method (RLQ analysis) and fourth-corner analysis to identify key species traits that are associated with environmental gradient. Species distribution and environmental geographic data were gathered nationwide to analyze 68 localities, which represent 27% of Mexico’s surface, including 211 species of mammals. Nine environmental variables (including biophysical, geophysical and land-use impacts) were analyzed by using the Geographic Information System. Three types of species’ traits were evaluated: locomotion, trophic habit and body size. We identified a human impact gradient, which was mainly determined by the percentage of the area that was covered by seedlings, the plant richness, the understory coverage percentage and the human settlement index. The most important species traits that are associated with non-human-impacted sites were carnivores, frugivores–herbivores and a body size that was greater than 17.8 kg; 25 species were selected by the decision criteria framework for species that were sensitive to degradation based on ecological function information. Conversely, granivores, fossorial and semifossorial traits were associated with highly impacted sites. The environmental attributes were mapped to highlight the spatial patterns of human risk for species. Finally, we highlighted the need to apply science-based monitoring to future research based on the decision criteria framework for selecting species that are sensitive to degradation.

Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: Valorar la memoria episódica, adaptándola a la definición del concepto, haciéndola asequible a las familias, y aplicándola con una alta sensibilidad y especificidad, es el concepto del test episódico y el test episódico del cuidador. Métodos y resultados: Se aplicó un test formado por 10 preguntas relacionadas con hechos episódicos a 332 sujetos, de los cuales 65 tenían enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA), 115 deterioro cognitivo leve amnésico (DCLa) y 152 no mostraron alteración cognitiva, según la escala de deterioro global (GDS) de Reisberg. Se calculó la sensibilidad y especificidad del test episódico para detectar EA frente a DCLa y normalidad. El área bajo la curva ROC para el diagnóstico de DCLa fue de 0,94 y el mejor punto de corte fue 20, valor con el que se obtuvo una sensibilidad del 89% y una especificidad del 82%. Con respecto al diagnóstico de EA, el área bajo la curva ROC fue de 0,99 y el mejor punto de corte fue 17, con el que se obtuvo una sensibilidad del 98% y una especificidad del 91%. Un estudio posterior con similar metodología demostró resultados similares cuando el test era pasado directamente por el cuidador. Conclusiones: El test episódico y el test episódico del cuidador son herramientas útiles como test breves de cribado para la captación de enfermos con EA en estadios iniciales, adecuadas para la utilización en atención primaria y en él domicilio, al poder ser pasado directamente por el cuidador. Las limitaciones del test vienen dadas por la necesidad de un cuidador fiable y por la medición exclusiva de la memoria episódica. Abstract: Introduction and objectives: The purpose of the episodic memory test and the caregiver's episodic memory test is to evaluate episodic memory according to its definition in a way that is feasible for families and achieves high degrees of sensitivity and specificity. Methods and results: We administered a test consisting of 10 questions about episodic events to 332 subjects, of whom 65 had Alzheimer's disease (AD), 115 had amnestic MCI (aMCI) and 152 showed no cognitive impairment according to Reisberg's global deterioration scale (GDS). We calculated the test's sensitivity and specificity to distinguish AD from episodic aMCI and from normal ageing. The area under the ROC curve for the diagnosis of aMCI was 0.94 and the best cut-off value was 20; for that value, sensitivity was 89% and specificity was 82%. For a diagnosis of AD, the area under the ROC curve was 0.99 and the best cut-off point was 17, with a sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 91%. A subsequent study using similar methodology yielded similar results when the test was administered directly by the caregiver. Conclusions: The episodic memory test and the caregiver's episodic memory test are useful as brief screening tools for identifying patients with early-stage AD. It is suitable for use by primary care medical staff and in the home, since it can be administered by a caregiver. The test's limitations are that it must be administered by a reliable caregiver and the fact that it measures episodic memory only. Palabras clave: Cuidador, Deterioro cognitivo leve amnésico, Enfermedad de Alzheimer, Envejecimiento normal, Memoria episódica, Test episódico del cuidador, Keywords: Caregiver, Amnestic mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, Normal ageing, Episodic memory, Caregiver's episodic memory test

Introduction and objectives: The purpose of the episodic memory test and the caregiver's episodic memory test is to evaluate episodic memory according to its definition in a way that is feasible for families and achieves high degrees of sensitivity and specificity. Methods and results: We administered a test consisting of 10 questions about episodic events to 332 subjects, of whom 65 had Alzheimer's disease (AD), 115 had amnestic MCI (aMCI) and 152 showed no cognitive impairment according to Reisberg's global deterioration scale (GDS). We calculated the test's sensitivity and specificity to distinguish AD from episodic aMCI and from normal ageing. The area under the ROC curve for the diagnosis of aMCI was 0.94 and the best cut-off value was 20; for that value, sensitivity was 89% and specificity was 82%. For a diagnosis of AD, the area under the ROC curve was 0.99 and the best cut-off point was 17, with a sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 91%. A subsequent study using similar methodology yielded similar results when the test was administered directly by the caregiver. Conclusions: The episodic memory test and the caregiver's episodic memory test are useful as brief screening tools for identifying patients with early-stage AD. It is suitable for use by primary care medical staff and in the home, since it can be administered by a caregiver. The test's limitations are that it must be administered by a reliable caregiver and the fact that it measures episodic memory only. Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: Valorar la memoria episódica, adaptándola a la definición del concepto, haciéndola asequible a las familias, y aplicándola con una alta sensibilidad y especificidad, es el concepto del test episódico y el test episódico del cuidador. Métodos y resultados: Se aplicó un test formado por 10 preguntas relacionadas con hechos episódicos a 332 sujetos, de los cuales 65 tenían enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA), 115 deterioro cognitivo leve amnésico (DCLa) y 152 no mostraron alteración cognitiva, según la escala de deterioro global (GDS) de Reisberg. Se calculó la sensibilidad y especificidad del test episódico para detectar EA frente a DCLa y normalidad. El área bajo la curva ROC para el diagnóstico de DCLa fue de 0,94 y el mejor punto de corte fue 20, valour con el que se obtuvo una sensibilidad del 89% y una especificidad del 82%. Con respecto al diagnóstico de EA, el área bajo la curva ROC fue de 0,99 y el mejor punto de corte fue 17, con el que se obtuvo una sensibilidad del 98% y una especificidad del 91%. Un estudio posterior con similar metodología demostró resultados similares cuando el test era pasado directamente por el cuidador. Conclusiones: El test episódico y el test episódico del cuidador son herramientas útiles como test breves de cribado para la captación de enfermos con EA en estadios iniciales, adecuadas para la utilización en atención primaria y en él domicilio, al poder ser pasado directamente por el cuidador. Las limitaciones del test vienen dadas por la necesidad de un cuidador fiable y por la medición exclusiva de la memoria episódica. Keywords: Caregiver, Amnestic mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, Normal ageing, Episodic memory, Caregiver's episodic memory test, Palabras clave: Cuidador, Deterioro cognitivo leve amnésico, Enfermedad de Alzheimer, Envejecimiento normal, Memoria episódica, Test episódico del cuidador

Knowledge of all the mechanisms and processes involved in soil CO2 emissions is essential to close the global carbon cycle. Apart from molecular diffusion, the main physical component of such CO2 exchange is soil ventilation. Advective CO2 transport, through soil or snow, has been correlated with the wind speed, friction velocity or pressure (p). Here we examine variations in subterranean CO2 molar fractions (χc) over two years within a vertical profile (1.5 m) in a semiarid ecosystem, as influenced by short-timescale p changes. Analyses to determine the factors involved in the variations in subterranean χc were differentiated between the growing period and the dry period. In both periods it was found that variations in deep χc (0.5–1.5 m) were due predominantly to static p variations and not to wind or biological influences. Within a few hours, the deep χc can vary by fourfold, showing a pattern with two cycles per day, due to p oscillations caused by atmospheric tides. By contrast, shallow χc (0.15 m) generally has one cycle per day as influenced by biological factors like soil water content and temperature in both periods, while the wind was an important factor in shallow χc variations only during the dry period. Evidence of emissions was registered in the atmospheric boundary layer by eddy covariance during synoptic pressure changes when subterranean CO2 was released; days with rising barometric pressure – when air accumulated belowground, including soil-respired CO2 – showed greater ecosystem uptake than days with falling pressure. Future assessments of the net ecosystem carbon balance should not rely exclusively on Fick's law to calculate soil CO2 effluxes from profile data.

Adjuvants have been considered for a long time to be an accessory and empirical component of vaccine formulations. However, accumulating evidence of their crucial role in initiating and directing the immune response has increased our awareness of the importance of adjuvant research in the past decade. Nevertheless, the importance of adjuvants still is not fully realized by many researchers working in the vaccine field, who are involved mostly in the search for better target antigens. The choice of a proper adjuvant can be determinant for obtaining the best results for a given vaccine candidate, but it is restricted due to intellectual property and know-how issues. Consequently, in most cases the selected adjuvant continues to be the aluminum salt, which has a record of safety, but predominantly constitutes a delivery system (DS). Ideally, new strategies should combine immune potentiators (IP) and DS by mixing both compounds or by obtaining structures that contain both IP and DS. In addition, the term immune polarizer has been introduced as an essential concept in the vaccine design strategies. Here, we review the theme, with emphasis on the discussion of the few licensed new adjuvants, the need for safe mucosal adjuvants and the adjuvant/immunopotentiating activity of conjugation. A summary of toxicology and regulatory issues will also be discussed, and the Finlay Adjuvant Platform is briefly summarized.

The European Space Agency (ESA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI) is part of the European contribution to the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) program. Fire disturbance is one of the Essential Climate Variables (ECV) included in the ESA CCI program. It focus on mapping burned area (BA) using European sensors (ATSR, VEGETATION and MERIS data), and in comparing the performance of the results with other existing datasets. The project aims at developing and validating algorithms to produce consistent, stable, error-characterized global BA information. The project includes as well developing algorithms to generate georeferenced and calibrated reflectances of (A)ATSR, VEGETATION and MERIS data, identifying potential sources of confusion with burned areas (clouds, smoke, cloud shadows, water, snow, topographic shadows). The final product will be a merging of BA information derived from three different sensors . The outputs will be adapted to the needs of the atmospheric and vegetation modelling communities.

Con el objetivo de mejorar las estrategias de uso del agua de riego para el cultivo de banano (Musa aaa cv. Gran Enano) en la localidad de El Colomo, Colima, México, se realizó tanto la caracterización in situ de los suelos como la identificación de los mismos, así como la estimación de la influencia de los factores climáticos y del suelo en los requerimientos hídricos de este cultivo; ello, mediante la utilización del programa de cómputo CropWat (versión 2002). Los resultados mostraron que los suelos presentan, en general, condiciones favorables para el cultivo de banano, sin embargo, es necesario considerar la variabilidad de las características físicas y químicas en la estimación de los requerimientos hídricos. Asimismo, se sugiere obtener de manera periódica y continua la información detallada de clima para generar estrategias de riego que fortalezcan la producción sostenible de banano en esta región.

El melón Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) es una hortaliza muy importante; sin embargo, aún no se cuenta con una guía para el manejo de la fertilización nitrogenada y la humedad del suelo que permita mantener un estado nutrimental adecuado y se refleje en el rendimiento y calidad de la fruta. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de cuatro dosis de fertilización nitrogenada y tres niveles de humedad del suelo sobre la concentración foliar de ocho nutrimentos y su relación con el rendimiento y calidad del fruto. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron un efecto no significativo (p=0.05) de los tratamientos en la concentración foliar de los nutrimentos estudiados. Con relación a la concentración recomendada en trabajos anteriores para cada nutrimento, se observó que las concentraciones de N, P, K y Cu, se ubicaron en el nivel de suficiencia; Mg, Mn y Fe, en los niveles de alto a excesivo; y Ca, en el nivel de deficiencia. La concentración de K correlacionó positivamente con el rendimiento de fruta de alta calidad. Estos resultados permiten concluir que la concentración foliar de los nutrimentos no es un indicador útil para estimar el rendimiento y la calidad de fruta, pero sí lo es para aplicar un manejo de la nutrición y la humedad del suelo.

Se evaluaron 16 portainjertos para naranjo Valencia (Citrus sinensis L.) en suelos Calcisol vértico y pétrico de textura migajón arcilloso y migajón arenosos, respectivamente. El objetivo fue comparar el potencial de sitio y los portainjertos en el crecimiento y rendimiento de naranja a 10 años de plantada. Los tratamientos (portainjertos) incluyeron limones, citranges, mandarinos, lima ácida y trifoliados; como testigo, se utilizó Naranjo agrio (Citrus aurantium L.). En los suelos utili-zados, resultaron sobresalientes, con respecto a naranjo agrio: Volkameriana (Citrus volkameriana, Pasq.), Carrizo (Poncirus trifoliata [L.] Raf. x Citrus sinensis L.), Macrofila (Citrus macrophylla Wester), Amblicarpa (Citrus amblycarpa Ochse ) y Sunki x Trifoliado (Sunki x Poncirus trifoliata). La altura, el diámetro de tronco y de copa, así como el volumen de copa fue 14%, 17%, 3% y 18.7% mayor en el suelo Calcisol vértico que en el Calcisol pétrico. El rendimiento en 2001 y el acumulado (de 5 años) fue 35% y 23% superior, respectivamente, en el suelo de textura migajón arcilloso que en el suelo de textura migajón arenoso.

En este trabajo se estudió la permeación del hidrógeno proveniente de una cepa pura de bacterias sulfato reductoras-BSR (Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ssp. desulfuricans), utilizando para ello el tipo de celda de permeación de hidrógeno y una lámina de paladio (Pd). Esto se hizo con la finalidad de evaluar la despolarización catódica como mecanismo de acción de las BSR en la corrosión inducida microbiológicamente. Los ensayos de permeación se realizaron sin y con polarización catódica, utilizando un medio de cultivo estéril desaireado e inoculado con 10 % de BSR a una concentración de 108 cel/ml. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron crecimiento en 109-1010 cel/ml a las 18 h tanto en los ensayos sin polarización como en aquellos con polarización, lo cual refleja que la BSR se desarrolla independientemente de una superficie polarizada como fuente de H0, generando H2S como producto final de la respiración anaeróbica. También, se determinó que sin polarización catódica no existen las condiciones para que el H+, generado por la disociación del H2S, se reduzca y permee. Mientras que, aplicando polarización catódica, se observó un aumento en la corriente de permeación, lo cual estuvo asociado a la fase de máxima actividad enzimática de la bacteria.

En la operación del decapado de los aceros inoxidables se producen anualmente en Europa unos 300.000 m3/año de efluentes de baños agotados. El tratamiento normal de estos efluentes mediante neutralización y depósito de los lodos generados presenta graves inconvenientes que requieren ser subsanados, para lo cual se ha comenzado a desarrollar un nuevo proceso denominado proceso PIBARE, que presenta una gran potencialidad comercial basado en el análisis técnico-económico preliminar para una planta de 10.000 m3/año, donde se obtiene un "pay back period" de unos dos años, con otras ventajas medioambientales, ya que se reciclarían los ácidos libres y complejos y se recuperarían los metales como subproductos comerciales o aleaciones reciclables. Se presenta una visión general del proyecto PIBARE y los resultados obtenidos en la etapa de laboratorio que se desarrolla actualmente.

We report the case of two-year-old girl with hypovolemic shock caused by bleeding from an abdominal cystic lymphangioma. The whole blood was contained within a large omental bag that could be completely removed. There were no associated anomalies. The child progressed satisfactorily.

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Propagation of bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) through biotechnological techniques has generated a great demand for biofactories. However, it is necessary to optimize the production process to make it more efficient. This work was carried out to determine the effect of the way of cutting and dividing shoots on the in vitro multiplication of three cultivars of bananas and plantains (‘Grande naine’, ‘FHIA 18’ and ‘FHIA 21’). Side shoots (1.0 cm height and 0.5 cm diameter of pseudostem) were used as plant material. Two subcultures on medium containing MS salts, 4.0 gl-1 agar, 0.65 mgl-1 IAA, 30 gl- 1 sucrose, and 4.0, 4.0, 3.0 mgl-1 6-BAP for the cultivars ‘Grande naine’, ‘FHIA-18’ and ‘FHIA-21’, were carried out respectively. Seven forms of cutting and dividing shoots were evaluated. A significant increase in the number of shoots per explant, in all cultivars tested, was reached when a longitudinal section of micro-corm up to the apical dome and without dividing pseudostem was practiced. Additionally, plants required to be transferred to the rooting phase in liquid culture media were obtained by this procedure. Key words: apical dome, ‘FHIA-18’, ‘FHIA-21’, ‘Grande naine’, micro-corm, pseudostem

The recent interest in the surveillance of public, military, and commercial scenarios is increasing the need to develop and deploy intelligent and/or automated distributed visual surveillance systems. Many applications based on distributed resources use the so-called software agent technology. In this paper, a multi-agent framework is applied to coordinate videocamera-based surveillance. The ability to coordinate agents improves the global image and task distribution efficiency. In our proposal, a software agent is embedded in each camera and controls the capture parameters. Then coordination is based on the exchange of high-level messages among agents. Agents use an internal symbolic model to interpret the current situation from the messages from all other agents to improve global coordination.

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Recombinant protein (RP) production from Escherichia coli has been extensively studied to find strategies for increasing product yields. The thermoinducible expression system is commonly employed at the industrial level to produce various RPs, which avoids the addition of chemical inducers, thus minimizing contamination risks. Multiple aspects of the molecular origin and biotechnological uses of its regulatory elements (pL/pR promoters and cI857 thermolabile repressor) derived from bacteriophage λ provide knowledge to improve the bioprocesses using this system. Here, we discuss the main aspects of the potential use of the λ pL/pR -cI857 thermoinducible system for RP production in E. coli , focusing on the approaches of investigations that have contributed to the advancement of this expression system. Metabolic and physiological changes that occur in the host cells caused by heat stress and RP overproduction are also described. Therefore, the current scenario and the future applications of systems that use heat to induce RP production are discussed to understand the relationship between the activation of the bacterial heat shock response, RP accumulation and its possible aggregation to form inclusion bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ginecología y Obstetricia de México is the property of Federacion Mexicana de Ginecologia y Obstetricia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ginecología y Obstetricia de México is the property of Federacion Mexicana de Ginecologia y Obstetricia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The input of liquid water to terrestrial ecosystems is composed of rain and non-rainfall water (NRW). The latter comprises dew, fog, and the adsorption of atmospheric vapor on soil particle surfaces. Although NRW inputs can be relevant to support ecosystem functioning in seasonally dry ecosystems, they are understudied, being relatively small, and therefore hard to measure. In this study, we apply a partitioning routine focusing on NRW inputs over 1 year of data from large, high-precision weighing lysimeters at a semi-arid Mediterranean site. NRW inputs occur for at least 3 h on 297 d (81 % of the year), with a mean diel duration of 6 h. They reflect a pronounced seasonality as modulated by environmental conditions (i.e., temperature and net radiation). During the wet season, both dew and fog dominate NRW, while during the dry season it is mostly the soil adsorption of atmospheric water vapor. Although NRW contributes only 7.4 % to the annual water input, NRW is the only water input to the ecosystem during 15 weeks, mainly in the dry season. Benefitting from the comprehensive set of measurements at our experimental site, we show that our findings are in line with (i) independent measurements and (ii) independent model simulations forced with (near-) surface energy and moisture measurements. Furthermore, we discuss the simultaneous occurrence of soil vapor adsorption and negative eddy-covariance-derived latent heat fluxes. This study shows that NRW inputs can be reliably detected through high-resolution weighing lysimeters and a few additional measurements. Their main occurrence during nighttime underlines the necessity to consider ecosystem water fluxes at a high temporal resolution and with 24 h coverage.

This paper considers the problem of an urban wastewater treatment plant which has no land available for expansion but whose capacity needs to be increased from its current 52,000 m³/d. To increase capacity, adaptation to the purification process was proposed of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system with ultrafiltration (UF) membranes submerged in the biological reactor. The experimental study gave biomass concentrations of between 15,000 and 20,000 mg/L. Mass load was chosen as operating and control parameter of the MBR system, which ranged between 0.02 and 0.16 (kg BOD5/d/kg of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids) with an optimum value between 0.12 and 0.13. This study shows that MBR systems are able to process wastewaters at biomass concentration levels as claimed by the manufacturer, operating in conditions similar to those of prolonged-aeration-type activated sludge systems, with a high quality water product. The feasibility is shown of doubling plant capacity with the MBR system as it is possible to work with biomass concentrations between 5,000 and 6,000 mg/L compared with the 2,500-3,000 mg/L of the biological reactor without the proposed MBR system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It remains unknown whether human papillomaviruses ( HPVs) in semen affect sperm DNA integrity. We investigated whether the presence of these viruses in semen was associated with an elevated sperm DNA fragmentation index. Semen samples of 22 normozoospermic patients undergoing infertility treatment, nine fertile donors and seven fertile men with a risk of HPV infection (genital warts or condylomas) were included in the study. The samples were examined by an INNO-Li PA test PCR-based reverse hybridisation array that identifies 28 types of HPVs as simple or multiple infections. Sperm DNA integrity was determined by sperm chromatin dispersion assay ( SCD). Our preliminary findings demonstrate an increase in HPV infection in infertile men with respect to fertile men. However, the sperm DNA fragmentation index was not increased in semen containing these viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant transpiration links physiological responses of vegetation to water supply and demand with hydrological, energy, and carbon budgets at the land–atmosphere interface. However, despite being the main land evaporative flux at the global scale, transpiration and its response to environmental drivers are currently not well constrained by observations. Here we introduce the first global compilation of whole-plant transpiration data from sap flow measurements (SAPFLUXNET, https://sapfluxnet.creaf.cat/, last access: 8 June 2021). We harmonized and quality-controlled individual datasets supplied by contributors worldwide in a semi-automatic data workflow implemented in the R programming language. Datasets include sub-daily time series of sap flow and hydrometeorological drivers for one or more growing seasons, as well as metadata on the stand characteristics, plant attributes, and technical details of the measurements. SAPFLUXNET contains 202 globally distributed datasets with sap flow time series for 2714 plants, mostly trees, of 174 species. SAPFLUXNET has a broad bioclimatic coverage, with woodland/shrubland and temperate forest biomes especially well represented (80 % of the datasets). The measurements cover a wide variety of stand structural characteristics and plant sizes. The datasets encompass the period between 1995 and 2018, with 50 % of the datasets being at least 3 years long. Accompanying radiation and vapour pressure deficit data are available for most of the datasets, while on-site soil water content is available for 56 % of the datasets. Many datasets contain data for species that make up 90 % or more of the total stand basal area, allowing the estimation of stand transpiration in diverse ecological settings. SAPFLUXNET adds to existing plant trait datasets, ecosystem flux networks, and remote sensing products to help increase our understanding of plant water use, plant responses to drought, and ecohydrological processes. SAPFLUXNET version 0.1.5 is freely available from the Zenodo repository (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3971689; Poyatos et al., 2020a). The “sapfluxnetr” R package – designed to access, visualize, and process SAPFLUXNET data – is available from CRAN.