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Human body is continuously in a never-ending chess game against pathogens. When the immune system, our natural defense tool, is weakened, these organisms are able to escape, collapsing the body contingency plan, which results in a pathological state. To overcome this checkmate status, emerging nanomedicines have been successfully employed as one of the best booming tactic for the immune response, manipulating the body defense tools for a specific recognition/elimination of pathological cells via active ingredient delivery. However, the vast majority of these drug delivery systems (DDS) has been often considered exclusively as passive vehicles. Among them, nanoscaled metal-organic frameworks (nanoMOFs) have attracted a great attention due to their versatility, allowing to carry and deliver exceptional drug payloads and to modulate their biological bypass. Nonetheless, their intrinsic immunogenicity character has been never addressed. Considering the immense possibilities that nanoMOFs offer as treatment platform, our purpose is unveiling the MOF immunological fingerprint, including an in-deep evaluation of the cellular oxidation balance, the inflammation & recruitment of immune cells and the precise Th1/Th2 cytokine profile triggered. This performance will make more feasible the design of customized immune-active MOF nanoplatforms according to targeted diseases, becoming the next ace up of the immune system sleeve.

The NEXT collaboration: et al., The Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC (NEXT) searches for the neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay of 136Xe using high-pressure xenon gas TPCs with electroluminescent amplification. A scaled-up version of this technology with about 1 tonne of enriched xenon could reach in less than 5 years of operation a sensitivity to the half-life of 0νββ decay better than 1027 years, improving the current limits by at least one order of magnitude. This prediction is based on a well-understood background model dominated by radiogenic sources. The detector concept presented here represents a first step on a compelling path towards sensitivity to the parameter space defined by the inverted ordering of neutrino masses, and beyond., The NEXT Collaboration acknowledges support from the following agencies and institutions: the European Research Council (ERC) under the Advanced Grant 339787-NEXT; the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (2014–2020) under the Grant Agreements No. 674896, 690575 and 740055; the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades of Spain under grants FIS2014-53371-C04, RTI2018-095979, the Severo Ochoa Program grants SEV-2014-0398 and CEX2018-000867-S, and the María de Maeztu Program MDM2016-0692; the Generalitat Valenciana of Spain under grants PROMETEO/2016/120 and SEJI/2017/011; the Portuguese FCT under project PTDC/FIS-NUC/2525/2014 and under projects UID/FIS/04559/2020 to fund the activities of LIBPhys-UC; the Pazy Foundation (Israel) under grants 877040 and 877041; the US Department of Energy under contracts number DE-AC02-06CH11357 (Argonne National Laboratory), DE-AC02-07CH11359 (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), DE-FG02-13ER42020 (Texas A&M) and DE-SC0019223 / DE-SC0019054 (University of Texas at Arlington); and the University of Texas at Arlington. DGD acknowledges support from the Ramón y Cajal program (Spain) under contract number RYC-2015-18820. JM-A acknowledges support from Fundación Bancaria la Caixa (ID 100010434), grant code LCF/BQ/PI19/11690012, and from the Plan GenT program of the Generalitat Valenciana, grant code CIDEGENT/2019/049.

In some countries, garden trimmings are not considered part of urban solid wastes. Lignocellulosic substances contribute to heterogeneity, complicating the analysis of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and, subsequently, for methane production. Some of the substances contained in OFMSW are readily biodegradable, and others are not. This work analyses OFMSW from Mexico City and the methane production from its separate components. From OFMSW, nine fractions were visually identified and separated. Including bromatological and fibre analysis, the characterisation of OFMSW and its components was made to determine how the different substances influence methane production. Together, branches, dry leaves, fresh garden trimmings, unsorted wastes (mainly garden trimmings), kitchen paper, and waste vegetables represent 56 % of OFMSW in weight. Fruit waste and unsorted organics contribute to 60 % of the total methane production. Except for branches and dry leaves, methane production increases inversely with the content of lignocellulosic compounds. Animal waste, having the highest concentrations of proteins and lipids and the lowest in lignocellulosic substances, is characterised by the highest level of methane production. Fibre-rich fractions in OFMSW contributed with little or no methane production. Higher concentrations of lignocellulosic substances in the fractions resulted in lower methane production rates.

Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) is usually stored under variable humidity conditions and long periods before processing them in anaerobic digestion plants. Lately, the fermented OFMSW is mixed with recirculated digestate from the same biogas plants, which is used as methanogenic inoculum. Although both the moisture content during the storage of OFMSW and the inoculum concentration in the feed mixture to the anaerobic reactors are determining factors for the process, to our knowledge, no studies have been done about the combined effect of these operational parameters on methane production. Therefore, this study focused on determining how humidity conditions during OFMSW storage and the substrate to inoculum ratio (S/I) in the methanisation stage can be adjusted to improve methane production. OFMSW was stored at 35°C and 10, 20, and 28%TS for 15 days. In the second stage, methanisation of previously fermented OFMSW was allowed at different S/I ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5. Ethanol and acetic acid accounted for 90% of all products of fermentation. The lowest solids concentration reached the highest fermentation degree. Compared to fresh OFMSW (without storing), methane from fermented OFMSW increased 32% and, the times to reach the maximum methane production decreased between 11 and 40%. For fermented OFMSW, S/I ratio of 1.0 is the best condition to produce methane. ANOVA shows that, independently of solid concentration during storage, the S/I ratio is the main parameter improving methane production and reducing reaction times.

A transcendental entire function is called criniferous if every point in its escaping set can eventually be connected to infinity by a curve of escaping points. Many transcendental entire functions with bounded singular set have this property, and this class has recently attracted much attention in complex dynamics. In the presence of escaping critical values, these curves break or split at (preimages of) critical points. In this paper, we develop combinatorial tools that allow us to provide a complete description of the escaping set of any criniferous function without asymptotic values on its Julia set. In particular, our description precisely reflects the splitting phenomenon. This combinatorial structure provides the foundation for further study of this class of functions. For example, we use these results in [arXiv:1905.03778] to give the first full description of the topological dynamics of a class of transcendental entire maps with unbounded postsingular set., Comment: 28 pages, 3 figures. Refined results of those in sections 2,3 and 4 of the second version of arXiv:1905.03778

Diversity of the different types of chilies in Mexico has been scarcely studied, and a large variety have been found to be, such as Manzano chili. Root rot caused by oomycete Phytophthora capsici is a severe disease that affects Manzano chili production in Mexico, detracted from its production and quality. The use of biological control agents such as Trichodermanative’s species, represents an efficient alternative to reduce losses and control the disease. For this reason, the objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the antagonistic effect in vitro and in vivo of four native strains of Trichoderma spp., on Phytophthora capsici in seedlings of Manzano chili from Puebla-Mexico was evaluated. Dual culture technique was used to determine the percentage of inhibition of radial growth (PICR) of the PC-A strain of P. capsici. Analysis of the percentage of germination was also carried out, as well as the incidence of root rot at 20 days after inoculation with the pathogen (dai) in the nursery. T. harzianum strain presented the highest PICR (42.86%) of antagonistic level in vitro and class I in the Bell scale, in addition, it obtained 88% germination in the nursery and 10% mortality at 20 dai, higher than the other native strains of Trichoderma. The bio-controlling effect of strains of Trichoderma spp., offers an effective alternative for root necrosis caused by P. capsici in the cultivation of Manzano chili in Puebla-Mexico.

Cosmic History has witnessed the lives and deaths of multiple generations of massive stars, all of them invigorating their host galaxies with ionizing photons, kinetic energy, fresh material and stellar-mass black holes. Ubiquitous engines as they are, Astrophysics needs a good understanding of their formation, evolution, properties and yields throughout the history of the Universe, and with decreasing metal content mimicking the environment at the earliest epochs. Ultimately, a physical model that could be extrapolated to zero metallicity would enable tackling long-standing questions such as "What did the First, very massive stars of the Universe look like?" or "What was their role in the re-ionization of the Universe?". Yet, most our knowledge of metal-poor massive stars is drawn from one single point in metallicity. Massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC, $\sim 1/5 Z_{\odot}$) currently serve as templates for low-metallicity objects in the early Universe, even though significant differences with respect to massive stars with poorer metal content have been reported. This White Paper summarizes the current knowledge on extremely (sub-SMC) metal poor massive stars, highlighting the most outstanding open questions and the need to supersede the SMC as standard. A new paradigm can be built from nearby extremely metal-poor galaxies that make a new metallicity ladder, but massive stars in these galaxies are out of reach to current observational facilities. Such task would require an L-size mission, consisting of a 10m-class space telescope operating in the optical and the ultraviolet ranges. Alternatively, we propose that ESA unites efforts with NASA to make the LUVOIR mission concept a reality, thus continuing the successful partnership that made Hubble Space Telescope one of the greatest observatories of all time., Comment: A white paper submitted for the Voyage 2050 long-term plan in the ESA Science Programme. 21 pages, 1 table, 6 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1903.05235

Linnean shortfalls, or the discrepancy between formally described species and the number of existing species, imply noteworthy biodiversity conservation constraints. The case of Argentinian reptiles is unique in this context. The genus Liolaemus represents ~60% of the Argentine reptile fauna and has a current species description rate of 3.25 spp./year, leading to a significant increase in the number of known species. Filling Linnean shortfalls within this genus has revealed an extraordinary recent evolutionary radiation that strongly modifies the spatial accumulation patterns of richness and endemism, mainly in the Patagonian steppe and Monte ecoregions of Argentina. Thus, while 40 years ago none of the studied species was considered endemic at the ecoregional level, today the genus represents an essential element to define the southernmost terrestrial ecoregions of the world. Furthermore, the remarkable decrease in the average extent of occurrence (EOO) of Liolaemus species implies an increased extinction risk in light of threats caused by humans. Based on the thresholds for the IUCN Red List B1 criteria, and 11 well-studied clades of Liolaemus, we show that, while in 1980 87% of the described species would not qualify as threatened based on EOO, today 80% of the species have an EOO smaller than 20 000 km2. Therefore, they may qualify as threatened based on the B1 EOO thresholds, which demonstrates the importance of the recent increase of knowledge regarding the taxonomy, systematics and genetics of the group.

Phytoremediation techniques have been proposed as ecological methods to clean up contaminated sites. This study is aimed to evaluate the effect of the Streptomyces sp. Waksman & Henrici and Zea mays L. plant system on the dissipation of Cr(VI) and/or lindane from a co-contaminated soil, being 2 mg kg−1 of lindane and 150 mg kg−1 of chromium used. Lindane dissipation was improved in the presence of plant-microorganism association; however, Cr(VI) removal was higher when plants or the microorganism were separately. In co-contaminated systems, chromium content in plant tissues was lower than metal content in plants grown only with Cr(VI), suggesting that lindane could interfere with metal accumulation in the plant. The high malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration detected in non-inoculated plants grown with chromium could be consequence of high metal concentration in plant tissues. Interestingly, plants inoculated with Streptomyces sp. Z38 growing with Cr(VI) showed decrease in MDA concentration, indicating that the bacterium could activate defense mechanisms in the plant. Also, inoculated plants showed the highest value of superoxide dismutase activity. Lettuce plants used as bioindicators grew better in biologically treated soils compared with lettuce grown on non-treated soil. The results presented in this work provide the basis that will allow the optimization of future trials on a larger scale.

El objetivo en este estudio fue determinar la estructura y composición florística de un bosque ribereño en el distrito de Yarinacocha, Ucayali, Perú, para ello, se utilizó la base gráfica de la zona, ubicado en el caserío 7 de junio, seguidamente, fue georreferenciado las cinco parcelas para ser censadas, en cada parcela fue registrado los datos: nombre común, fue medido el DAP (m), y altura total de todos los árboles en pie (m). Con los datos se analizaron la composición florística, estructura del bosque y los índices de importancia ecológica por especie y familias. Las especies en estudio forman parte de 12 familias, 19 géneros y 266 individuos, destacando las familias Euphorbiaceae y Fabaceae como dominantes. La especie Laetia americana L, fue la más abundante e importante desde el punto de vista ecológico, debido a la provisión de alimento para la fauna del bosque ribereño, así mismo, los índices de Shannon-Wiener mostraron alto grado de diversidad florística (H’ = 2.599) en el bosque ribereño del distrito de Yarinacocha.

This article describes the development and evaluation of a novel piped-water treatment system, which combines centralized and point-of-use components. Such system is able to provide potable tap wat...

The silage of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is a common practice in biogas plants. During silage, fermentation processes take place, affecting the later methanisation stage. There are no studies about how OFMSW silage affects methane production. This work aimed to determine the effects of silage (anaerobic acid fermentation) at different solids concentrations and temperatures on methane production. OFMSW was ensiled at 20, 35, and 55 °C with total solids (TS) concentrations of 10, 20, and 28% for 15 days. The ensiled OFMSW was then tested for methane production at the substrate to inoculum ratios (S/I) of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5. Independently of the temperature, the production of the metabolites during silage increases with decreasing solids concentration. The highest production was of lactic acid, ethanol, and acetic acid, representing together 95% of the total. Methane production from ensiled OFMSW at 10% solids concentration shows, under every tested condition, better methane production than from fresh OFMSW. Ensiled OFMSW produces more methane than fresh OFMSW, and methane production was highest at 35 °C. HIGHLIGHTS Ensiling OFMSW allows a better methane recovery than fresh OFMSW.; Temperature and substrate-adapted inocula are essential for methanisation.; Lower solids concentration allows higher acidification rates.; Lactic acid and ethanol are the main products from OFMSW fermentation.; Methanisation under mesophilic conditions is better from ensiled than from fresh OFMSW.

This work focuses on the effect of dissolved substances on the photocatalytic degradation of four herbicides, metribuzin and terbuthylazine (triazine) and chlorotoluron and isoproturon (phenylurea) in three different water matrix (deionized, mineral and leaching water). To study the effect of heterogeneous photocatalysis on their degradation, TiO2 and ZnO were used as photocatalysts in tandem with an oxidant (Na2S2O8). Results show that the addition of both semiconductor materials significantly enhances degradation of the herbicides although in different proportions. Similar effectivity of both photocatalyst, assessed as a function of the mean half-lives calculated, was observed (85 and 87 min for TiO2 and Zn, respectively), while the mean half-life in the photolytic experiment was markedly higher (265 min). The degradation rate was in the order: metribuzin > chlorotoluron ≈ isoproturon > terbuthylazine. A faster degradation was observed in all cases in deionized water as compared to mineral and leaching water indicating that the presence of dissolved salts and organic matter considerably slows down the effectiveness of the treatment. Although after 180 min of treatment, total mineralization was not achieved in mineral and leaching water, this technology considerably reduces the pollutant load in complex water matrices. Therefore, solar heterogeneous photocatalytic processes, especially those involving ZnO and TiO2 as photocatalysts, offers a valuable tool for surface and groundwater remediation, especially in those areas receiving a large number of hours of sunshine per year.

The purpose of this study was to study the spatial and temporal variation of BTEX in the ambient air of Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, to assess the inhalation health risk to the local population from exposure to these compounds. BTEX were monitored using passive samplers during two sampling seasons (rainy 2019 and cold dry 2020), and samples were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. BTEX ratios and meteorological analysis suggested that the concentrations were mainly influenced by vehicular and local sources located to the SE of the study area. The sum of average concentrations of BTEX in rainy and cold dry seasons were of 3.52 ± 0.36 µg m−3 and 4.11 ± 0.38 µg m−3, respectively. Mean concentrations were of 0.74, 1.59, 0.48, and 0.69 µg m−3, for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and p-xylene, respectively. The highest levels of BTEX were found in sites with an urban land-use type of medium-intensity industrial zones with high population density. The lower BTEX concentrations found during the rainy season were probably due to higher solar radiation and temperatures that favored their photochemical degradation. Bi-variate and multivariate analysis showed that the BTEX species were strongly correlated with each other and with temperature and solar radiation, indicating that they originated from common sources. Benzene and toluene correlated strongly with CO and SO2, indicating that they could originate from vehicular exhaust emissions and high-sulfur fuel combustion sources. The health risk assessment showed that the Leon city adult population is at possible risk of developing cancer in their lifetime due to exposure to the measured benzene levels, but indicated no risk of contracting respiratory and cardiovascular diseases due to inhalation of BTEX. The results suggest the need for BTEX emissions reduction policies in the study area, as well as the establishment of a Mexican standard that regulates the maximum permissible limit of these pollutants in ambient air in order to protect the health of the population.

Although several genes homologous to those involved in the modulation of reproductive development in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana have been identified in the Vitis vinifera genome, the regulatory network associated with pollen development, pollen tube elongation, and fecundation in grapevine is largely unknown. In Arabidopsis, receptor kinases play essential roles in pollen tube growth and guidance, leading to proper fertilization and fruit initiation. Comparing the transcriptomic profiles of flowers and early developing berries, two grapevine genes encoding proteins with structural domains corresponding to non-RD receptor kinases were identified. The first of them, VviFTK (Vitis vinifera Flower and Tendril Kinase), is transcribed in flowers at pre-anthesis and in tendrils and shares high sequence homology with At3g03770 gene from Arabidopsis which encodes a putative phloem-specific receptor kinase of unknown function. The second gene, VviFSK (Vitis vinifera Flower and Seed Kinase), is mainly expressed in flowers at anthesis stage and in immature seeds and codes for a protein with high similarity to ScORK17, a receptor kinase involved in the ovule and seed development regulation in Solanum chacoense. VviFSK shows different expression patterns in two cultivars with opposite tendency to parthenocarpic fruit development (PFD) and its transcription is induced in response to exogenously added sucrose. In concordance with the expression mode of VviFSK, the in silico analysis of its promoter region indicates the presence of cis regulatory sequences recognized by floral homeotic transcription factors as well as elements associated with seed-specific expression and sugar induction of gene transcription. These results suggest that VviFSK protein plays a role in the seed development process in grapevine.

Many authors have studied the dynamics of hyperbolic transcendental entire functions; these are those for which the postsingular set is a compact subset of the Fatou set. Equivalenty, they are characterized as being expanding. Mihaljevi\'c-Brandt studied a more general class of maps for which finitely many of their postsingular points can be in their Julia set, and showed that these maps are also expanding with respect to a certain orbifold metric. In this paper we generalise these ideas further, and consider a class of maps for which the postsingular set is not even bounded. We are able to prove that these maps are also expanding with respect to a suitable orbifold metric, and use this expansion to draw conclusions on the topology and dynamics of the maps. In particular, we generalize existing results for hyperbolic functions, giving criteria for the boundedness of Fatou components and local connectivity of Julia sets. As part of this study, we develop some novel results on hyperbolic orbifold metrics. These are of independent interest, and may have future applications in holomorphic dynamics., Comment: V3: Author accepted manuscript. To appear in Ergod. Theory Dyn. Syst

Agriculture intensification threatens farmland bird populations because, among other reasons, it reduces the availability of food resources required to rear their offspring. In our study, we sampled and analyzed total arthropod abundance, biomass and richness, and orthopteran and coleopteran abundance and biomass in different agricultural habitats (alfalfa fields, stubble fields, grazed fields, and field margins) across 4 study localities with different levels of agriculture abandonment–intensification, comparing between areas used and not used by one of the most threatened farmland birds in Europe, the little bustard (Tetrax tetrax), during the chick-rearing season. Field margins were the taxonomically richest habitat, while alfalfa fields presented significantly higher total arthropod abundance and biomass than other habitats. All arthropod variables were the highest in the localities with clear conservation-focused agrarian management, and the lowest in the most intensive one. Areas used by little bustards had higher orthopteran and coleopteran abundance and biomass than nonused areas, except for coleopteran biomass in grazed fields. These results highlight the relevance of these arthropods for the species, the importance of dry alfalfa fields as food reservoirs in this critical time of year, the food scarcity in sites where agrarian management disregards farmland bird conservation, and the role of stubbles as providers of food resources during the chick-rearing season in areas used by the species. The adequate management of alfalfa fields and stubbles to provide those key resources seems crucial to improve little bustard breeding success., We thank the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) and Fundación Patrimonio Natural (FPN) de Castilla y León in the persons of Cédric Ferlat (IFHC), David Cubero (Dirección General de Medio Natural, Junta de CyL), and Francisco Jiménez (FPN) for their financial, administrative, and logistic support. This paper also contributes to project S2018/EMT-4338 REMEDINAL TE-CM from Comunidad de Madrid. We are also thankful to the officers responsible for the Reserve of Villafáfila, Mariano Rodíguez y Jesús Palacios. Little bustard spring survey data were kindly provided by SEO-BirdLife.

The metal sulfide precipitation process is a widely studied technology used to recover metals or remove pollutants from different aqueous sources. However, the conventional clarification stage used to separate the generated precipitates cannot effectively remove them from recovered solutions. Taking this into account, the current study focuses on developing a new separation method applied in metal sulfide precipitates, based on a membrane filtration process. Different operating conditions and metal concentration in the feed solution were evaluated for the separation of copper sulfide precipitates formed from synthetic cyanide solutions in ceramic microfiltration membranes. Results showed attractive values of flux and copper recovery. Flux results ranged between 0.9 L/m2s and 1.2 L/m2s for copper concentrations above 500 mg/L, and copper recoveries resulted closer to 100% at the determined optimal operating conditions (4.5 pH, 120% NaHS stoichiometric dosage, and 2 bar feed pressure). These flux values decreased up to one order of magnitude for diluted copper concentrations, due to a change of aggregation capacity of precipitates. This study has demonstrated that the membrane filtration process can be a suitable alternative for the conventional gravitational clarification, promoting better performance results in terms of equipment capacity, metal recovery, and process safety.

We report a systematic study about the thickness and microstructure influence on the mechanical properties of nanocrystalline Cu thin films grown by DC sputtering. Mechanical properties were determined by using atomic force microscopy-assisted nanoindentation. Results showed a clear decrease of the elastic modulus and indentation hardness as the film thickness and grain size increase. Annealing time as well as the temperature seem to affect the mechanical behavior of the films by inducing microstructural changes, producing comparable changes to those produced by size effects (film thickness). Results suggest that both effects are important to explain the mechanical behavior of polycrystalline thin films. This work helps understanding what physical mechanisms play a fundamental role on the mechanical behavior of thin films.

The NIST tandem mass spectral library (2020 version) includes over 800 aromatic sulfonamides. In negative mode, upon collisional activation most benzenesulfonamides lose a neutral SO2 molecule leading to an anilide anion (C6H5NH-, m/z 92). However, for deprotonated N-benzoyl aromatic sulfonamides, the phenoxide ion (C6H5O-, m/z 93.0343) is the principal product ion. A variety of N-acylbenzenesulfonamide derivatives were also found to overwhelmingly produce the phenoxide ion as the most intense product ion. A mechanism is proposed in which, at low energy, a carbonyl oxygen atom (C═O) is transferred to a benzene ring, known as a Smiles-type rearrangement (the amide oxygen atom attacks the arylsulfonyl group at the ipso position), in parallel and determining the reaction at high energy a nitrogen-oxygen rearrangement mechanism leads to the formation of the phenoxide ion. Tandem mass spectra of deprotonated N-benzoyl-18O-benzenesulfonamide and N-thiobenzoyl-p-toluenesulfonamide confirmed the rearrangement since base peaks at m/z 95.0384 and 123.0270 which correspond to an 18O phenoxide ion ([C6H518O]-) and a 4-methylbenzenethiolate anion ([CH3C6H4S]-) were observed, respectively. The parallel mechanism is supported by the strong correlation between the observed product ion intensities and the corresponding activation energies obtained by Density Functional Theory calculations. This is an example of a relatively simple ion with a complex path to fragmentation, being a cautionary tale for indiscriminate use of in silico spectra in place of actual measurement.

Methane production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) can be achieved under different operational conditions, but authors cannot conclude which conditions yield the best methane production. This research deals with how different organic loading rates (OLR) at different temperatures affect methane production during the anaerobic digestion of OFMSW. For 48 days, anaerobic granular sludge was adapted to OFMSW at 35 °C, and then, for another 85 days, using a semicontinuous digester, the mixture was further acclimated using OFMSW as substrate. This digestate was then used to inoculate three digesters at 55, 35, and 55 °C. The digesters were fed with OFMSW under different OLR. The digester at 55 °C reached stable methane production after 90 days at a low OLR. At 35 °C, methane production decreased with increasing OLR. At 20 °C, with increasing OLR, methane production declined as VFA concentration increased. The digester operating at 35 °C reached stable operation faster than the other two under the higher OLR. Slowly increasing the OLR allowed the adequate adaptation of the microorganisms to the substrate and temperature.

The known diversity of the genus Liolaemus continues to increase, principally due to its great degree of endemism, the increasing number of researchers working on it, and advances in the taxonomic ...

El patrón de flujo en toberas supersónicas lo definen los perfiles aerodinámicos de la geometría de las paredes internas, entre otros parámetros, donde la garganta es una sección crítica. En el presente trabajo, el objetivo es analizar el comportamiento del flujo en la sección recta de la garganta de una tobera cónica experimental de un motor de cohete sonda de combustible sólido. El flujo sobreexpandido se simuló con el código ANSYS-Fluent en un dominio computacional 2D, empleando el modelo RANS y el modelo de turbulencia de Menter, y la ecuación de Sutherland para la viscosidad en función de la temperatura. Se llevaron a cabo cinco casos de estudio para la longitud de garganta en el rango de 1-10 mm. Se obtuvo fluctuaciones de número de Mach, presión y temperatura, ondas de choque oblicuas en la sección de la garganta para la longitud de 10 mm; para longitudes menores disminuyó la intensidad de la magnitud del choque. Se concluye que para la longitud de garganta de 1 mm el flujo es transónico sin la presencia de choques oblicuos. En la sección divergente, las ondas de choque varían en su intensidad y cambian de posición.

[EN] Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely used state-of-the-art computer vision tools that are becoming increasingly popular in high-energy physics. In this paper, we attempt to understand the potential of CNNs for event classification in the NEXT experiment, which will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in Xe-136. To do so, we demonstrate the usage of CNNs for the identification of electron-positron pair production events, which exhibit a topology similar to that of a neutrinoless double-beta decay event. These events were produced in the NEXT-White high-pressure xenon TPC using 2.6 MeV gamma rays from a Th-228 calibration source. We train a network on Monte Carlo-simulated events and show that, by applying on-the-fly data augmentation, the network can be made robust against differences between simulation and data. The use of CNNs offers significant improvement in signal efficiency and background rejection when compared to previous non-CNN-based analyses, This study used computing resources from Artemisa, co-funded by the European Union through the 2014-2020 FEDER Operative Programme of the Comunitat Valenciana, project DIFEDER/2018/048. This research used resources of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility supported under Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. The NEXT collaboration acknowledges support from the following agencies and institutions: Xunta de Galicia (Centro singularde investigacion de Galicia accreditation 2019-2022), by European Union ERDF, and by the "Maria de Maeztu" Units of Excellence program MDM-2016-0692 and the Spanish Research State Agency"; the European Research Council (ERC) under the Advanced Grant 339787-NEXT; the European Union's Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) under the Grant Agreements No. 674896, 690575 and 740055; the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades of Spain under grants FIS2014-53371-C04, RTI2018-095979, the Severo Ochoa Program grants SEV-20140398 and CEX2018-000867-S; the GVA of Spain under grants PROMETEO/2016/120 and SEJI/2017/011; the Portuguese FCT under project PTDC/FIS-NUC/2525/2014 and under projects UID/FIS/04559/2020 to fund the activities of LIBPhys-UC; the U.S. Department of Energy under contracts number DE-AC02-07CH11359 (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), DE-FG02-13ER42020 (Texas A&M) and DE-SC0019223/DE SC0019054 (University of Texas at Arlington); and the University of Texas at Arlington. DGD acknowledges Ramon y Cajal program (Spain) under contract number RYC-2015 18820. JMA acknowledges support from Fundacion Bancaria "la Caixa" (ID 100010434), grant code LCF/BQ/PI19/11690012. We also warmly acknowledge the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) and the Dark Side collaboration for their help with TPB coating of various parts of the NEXT-White TPC. Finally, we are grateful to the Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc for hosting and supporting the NEXT experiment.

We report on computational studies of the potential of three borane Lewis acids (LAs) (B(C6F5)3 (BCF), BF3, and BBr3) to form stable adducts and/or to generate positive polarons with three different semiconducting π-conjugated polymers (PFPT, PCPDTPT and PCPDTBT). Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations based on range-separated hybrid (RSH) functionals provide insight into changes in the electronic structure and optical properties upon adduct formation between LAs and the two polymers containing pyridine moieties, PFPT and PCPDTPT, unravelling the complex interplay between partial hybridization, charge transfer and changes in the polymer backbone conformation. We then assess the potential of BCF to induce p-doping in PCPDTBT, which does not contain pyridine groups, by computing the energetics of various reaction mechanisms proposed in the literature. We find that reaction of BCF(OH2) to form protonated PCPDTBT and [BCF(OH)]−, followed by electron transfer from a pristine to a protonated PCPDTBT chain is highly endergonic, and thus unlikely at low doping concentration. The theoretical and experimental data can, however, be reconciled if one considers the formation of [BCF(OH)BCF]− or [BCF(OH)(OH2)BCF]− counterions rather than [BCF(OH)]− and invokes subsequent reactions resulting in the elimination of H2., Here we report on DFT calculations investigating the mechanistic aspects in doping organic semiconductors by the use of Lewis acids. Our results highlight the role played by the formation of diboron-containing bridged anions in the doping mechanism.

Producción Científica, The most frequent renewal of barrels of different origins and species is a current trend, but this demand does not match the current availability of wood. An alternative could be the use of Quercus humboldtii wood. However, there is little information about its composition. Because of this, the aim was to study low‐molecular‐weight phenols (LMWP), ellagitannins and volatile compounds in untoasted and toasted Q. humboldtii oak, and compare these with the species traditionally used in cooperage: Q. petraea (French and Romanian) and Q. alba (American). The LMWPs in Q. humboldtii were comparable to those in Q. petraea and Q. alba. Ellagitannin composition in Q. humboldtii was similar to that in Q. alba. The toasting process improved volatile composition, mainly in Q. humboldtii, presenting the highest concentration of several volatile compounds. The results indicate that Q. humboldtii could be considered suitable for aging wine, although it is necessary to continue the study of this wood species to confirm its potential use in oenology., 2019-09-09, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Project AGL2014- 54602P), Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación - Ref. VA028U16), Fondecyt de Iniciación. Grant Number: 11150462, IBERPHENOL. Grant Number: POCTEP ‐ Programa Operativo Cooperación Transfron

In order to understand photosynthetic responses of pomegranate plants (Punica granatum L.) to salinity, an experiment was conducted with three varieties, 'Mollar de Elche', 'Valenciana', and 'Wonderful', irrigated with seven salt concentrations (0, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140 mM NaCl). At the end of the experiment, parameters of gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, water relations, and sugar and chloride concentrations were measured in leaves. As the concentration of NaCl increased, the concentration of Cl- in leaves was elevated, and the CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, variable fluorescence/maximum fluorescence ratio, PSII quantum yield, and total soluble sugars decreased. In 'Valenciana', the decrease of the net assimilation of CO2 could occur due to the closure of stomata, while in 'Mollar' and 'Wonderful', this was due to damage caused by Cl- toxicity. The study of carbohydrates also suggests a different behavior of carbon metabolism in the three varieties.

This study explores the possibility of using mycorrhization as a novel technique for diminishing the negative effects of boron (B) in the nutrient solution on seedlings of Carrizo citrange rootstock plants. For this, an experiment was planned for studying the physiological (gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters), morphological (vegetative growth parameters), nutritional (organic solutes, carbohydrates) and oxidative stress responses of seedlings that were either mycorrhized (+AM, Rhizophagus irregularis; previously known as Glomus intraradices) or not mycorrhized (-AM), and irrigated with water containing different concentrations of B (0.5, 5 and 10 mg L−1). It was observed that an excess of B in the nutrient solution decreased the vegetative growth in both +AM and -AM plants, but this decrease was greater in -AM plants. Mycorrhized plants (+AM) under high B concentration accumulated less B in the leaves, and had a smaller reduction of net assimilation rate of CO2 and lower MDA concentration than non-mycorrhized plants. Thus, it can be concluded that mycorrhization increased the tolerance to high boron concentration in the irrigation water of citrange Carrizo seedlings by reducing both the B concentration in the plant tissue and the B toxicity in the physiological processes. The study of organic solutes and carbohydrates also pointed to a different response model between +AM and -AM plants that could be related to the different tolerance observed between these plants.

Rootstocks are a vital element of commercial citrus production. A varied level of salinity tolerance has been described for citrus rootstock cultivars, however, the effects of the rootstock can be scion-dependent. Our objective was to determine if rootstock selection has an influence on the salt-tolerance of 2-year-old Kinnow mandarin plants grafted onto two salt-sensitive (Carrizo citrange and Sanchton citrumello) and two salt-tolerant (Rangpur lime and Rubidoux) rootstock cultivars. Kinnow mandarin scion was grafted on these four rootstocks and irrigated with water containing 0, 30, 60, 90, or 120 mM NaCl. At the end of the experiment (90 days of salinization) growth, leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, leaf and root Cl and Na concentrations, and parameters related to the antioxidant system were measured. Under salinity stress, plants grafted on salt-tolerant rootstocks had less reduction in plant biomass, total chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and internal CO2 concentration as compared to the plants grafted on salt-sensitive rootstocks. Similarly, plants with salt-tolerant rootstocks had lower reactive oxygen species, suggesting enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, and glutathione reductase), and higher accumulation of osmolytes (proline and glycinebetaine). In addition, for plants with salt-tolerant rootstocks the levels of Na and Cl were higher in roots while lower in leaves; the opposite was the case for plants grafted on salt-sensitive rootstocks. Therefore, the selection of the rootstock can enhance the salt-tolerance potential by enhancing antioxidant activities, increasing concentrations of osmoprotectants, and limiting leaf levels of Na and Cl. Kinnow mandarin plants grafted on Rangpur lime or Rubidoux showed more salt tolerance than those on Carrizo citrange or Sanchton citrumello.

In the present work, the coordinates L*, a* and b* from the CIELAB color space, as well as the chlorophyll, total carotenoids and the content of the carotenoids Lutein and β-cryptoxanthin were measured in the skin of fruits from the Fino 49 lemon during its development, with the aim of understanding the relationship that exists between the color changes of the fruit’s skin (color coordinates) and the pigment content. Also, the understanding of the relative importance of the contents of lutein and β-cryptoxanthin with respect to the total content of carotenoids was sought. The period of study lasted three years; from September 2015 to January 2016, from September 2016 to January 2017, and from September 2017 to January 2018, the periods that comprised the color changes of the lemon fruit until its harvest. The fruits were measured every two weeks in the experimental plot of the IMIDA (Murcian Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Development) located at La Alberca (Murcia, Spain) and in the experimental orchards from the CEBAS-CSIC, located in Santomera (Murcia). During the experiment, the color and chlorophyll, Lutein and β-cryptoxanthin concentrations were measured. The results showed that there was a good correlation between the color coordinates and the pigments responsible for the lemon’s skin color: all the color pigments were correlated with the a*, b* color coordinates and the Hue angle index. Throughout the fruit’s maturation, a degradation of the chlorophylls was observed, as well as an increase of β-cryptoxanthin, which is responsible for the green and yellow color of the fruits, respectively. Lutein, which was found in high concentrations, decreased with time, but did not contribute to the fruit’s color.

Prey detection and selection by birds can be influenced by prey coloration. Whereas certain colours can indicate to predators the unpalatability of prey (i.e. aposematism), other colours can render prey cryptic against the background. However, there are discrepancies in the response of birds to prey coloration reported in different studies. Such discrepancies can be the result of geographical or temporal (e.g. seasonal) differences between studies if birds in different regions respond differently to coloration or if responses vary seasonally due to changes in bird composition. Experimental studies aiming to understand bird responses to prey colour should consider the effect of geographical variation while accounting for seasonal as well as interannual variability. We investigated the effects of colour on attack rates by exposing plasticine caterpillars of different colours to bird communities in 13 Mediterranean forests in central Spain for a period from 17 weeks to 7 months. Overall, yellow and green dummy caterpillars suffered the lowest attack rates. We also observed a bimodal pattern of bird attack rates through time, with highest predation occurring in late winter and summer (June to September). Low attack rates on yellow dummies are probably a consequence of aposematism, while low attack rates on green dummies probably resulted from crypsis. Rapid decreases in attack rates over time are probably a result of avoidance learning, whereas the increase in attacks in summer could be explained by the increase in fledglings and migrant birds.

In this study, the photocatalytic degradation of four fungicides, myclobutanil, penconazole and difenoconazole (triazole compounds) and boscalid (carboxamide), has been examined in different aqueous matrices (tap water, irrigation water and two WWPT effluents). Experiments were conducted at laboratory scale with different reagents—zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), sodium persulphate (Na2S2O8) and the combined systems ZnO/Na2S2O8 and TiO2/Na2S2O8—in water exposed to UV-LED irradiation. Previously, the effect of catalyst and oxidant loading on the disappearance kinetics of the different fungicides was assessed to know maximum degradation efficiency. The influence of water matrices and pesticide loading in removal effectiveness has been evaluated. It was observed a greater efficiency in processes conducted using the tandems ZnO/Na2S2O8 and TiO2/Na2S2O8 in irrigation and tap waters. Results showed that UV-LED are a suitable alternative for tackling the removal of organic pollutants in water.

Alonso Cano is considered one of the most original and brilliant artists from the Spanish Golden Age (known in Spanish as Siglo de Oro), a period of flourishing in arts and literature. He was also ...

The coast of Malaga constitutes a key territory for documenting the end of Palaeolithic times in the westernmost corner of the European continent. We present an overview of the economic, cultural and symbolic models documented in settlements from this region. Along with it, some of the main questions that will help to frame the research in this area are set out. Lastly, the use of the coastal fringe is discussed from the standpoint of mobility and economic strategies from southern Iberia, taking into account the hinterland and Guadalquivir basin territories.

One of the consequences of phytosanitary treatments applied to crops is the generation of a great volume of agro-wastewater having pesticide residues. These pollutants can be considered a serious threat to the environment and human health due to their capacity to affect distant areas remaining for a long time after their application. We have assessed the degradation of five pesticides in agro-waste water produced in two farms by the cleaning pesticide containers and phytosanitary treatment equipment used in the farms. For this purpose, a pilot facility was installed in both farms and advanced oxidation treatments were conducted using natural sunlight by means of Na2S2O8 and heterogeneous photocatalysis (TiO2/Na2S2O8). The remaining percentages obtained at the end of the experiments ranged from 5 to 90.1% for chlorantraniliprole, 5 to 82.3% for difenoconazole, 0.02 to 19.1% for metalaxyl, 1.4 to 74.4% for myclobutanil, and 0.3 to 61% for triadimenol. We observed a correlation between the higher remaining percentages and the total initial concentration of pollutant because of other commercial formulations applied in the farms. The results showed that this equipment could be used to eliminate or reduce the presence of pesticide residues in agro-waste water using an innovative facility installed in the farms and a renewable and economical source of energy (sunlight).

Nanotechnology’s rapid development of nanostructured materials with disruptive material properties has inspired research for their use as electrocatalysts to potentially substitute enzymes. Herein, a novel electrocatalytic nanomaterial was constructed by growing gold nanograss (AuNG) on 2D nanoassemblies of gold nanocubes (AuNC). The resulting structure (NG@NC) was used for the detection of H2O2 via its electrochemical reduction. The NG@NC electrode displayed a large active surface area, resulting in improved electron transfer efficiency. On the nanoscale, AuNG maintained its structure, providing high stability and reproducibility of the sensing platform. Our nanostructured electrode showed excellent catalytic activity towards H2O2 at an applied potential of −0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl. This facilitated H2O2 detection with excellent selectivity in an environment like human urine, and a linear response from 50 µM to 30 mM, with a sensitivity of 100.66 ± 4.0 μA mM−1 cm−2. The NG@NC-based sensor hence shows great potential in nonenzymatic electrochemical sensing.

Enzymes are the most efficient and specific catalysts to date. Although they have been thoroughly studied for years, building a true enzyme mimic remains a challenging and necessary task. Here, we show how a three-dimensional geometry analysis of the key catalytic residues in natural hydrolases has been exploited to design and synthesize small-molecule artificial enzymes which mimic the active centers of chymotrypsin and N-terminal hydrolases. The optimized prototype catalyzes the methanolysis of the acyl enzyme mimic with a half-life of only 3.7 min at 20 °C, and it is also able to perform the transesterification of vinyl acetate at room temperature. DFT studies and X-ray diffraction analysis of the catalyst bound to a transition state analogue proves the similarity with the geometry of natural hydrolases.

The dynamic adaptability of tetragonal prismatic nanocapsule 18+ in the selective separation of fullerenes and endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) remains unexplored. Therefore, the essential molecular details of the fullerene recognition and binding process into the coordination capsule and the origins of fullerene selectivity remain elusive. In this work, the key steps of fullerene recognition and binding processes have been deciphered by designing a protocol which combines 1H-1H exchange spectroscopy (2D-EXSY) NMR experiments, long time-scale Molecular Dynamics (MD) and accelerated Molecular Dynamics (aMD) simulations, which are combined to completely reconstruct the spontaneous binding and unbinding pathways from nanosecond to second time-range. On one hand, binding (k'on) and unbinding (koff) rate constants were extracted from 1H-1H exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) NMR experiments for both C60 and C70. On the other hand, MD and aMD allowed monitoring the molecular basis of the encapsulation and guest competition processes at a very early stage under nonequilibrium conditions. The receptor capsule displays dynamical adaptability features similar to those observed in the process of biomolecular recognition in proteins. In addition, the encapsulation of bis-aza[60]fullerene (C59N)2 within a supramolecular coordination capsule has been studied for the first time, showcasing the pros and cons of the dumbbell-shaped guest in the dynamics of the encapsulation process and in the stability of the final bound adduct. The powerful combination of NMR, MD, and aMD methodologies allows to obtain a precise picture of the subtle events directing the encapsulation and is thus a predictive tool for understanding host-guest encapsulation and interactions in numerous supramolecular systems.

In October 1966, an intense precipitation event (190 mm in 24 h) broke an old tailings retaining structure in the “El Segundo” mining district in the western sector of Spain’s Sierra de Gador, generating a contaminated flood. The Pb-F rich mixture flowed for more than 12 km through the dry riverbeds, damaging infrastructures and crops. In March, 2010, over 40 years later, 41 samples were collected from boreholes and springs, along with eight sediment samples from near the tailings pond and along the dry riverbeds. The fluoride levels in the area’s groundwater were close to 1 ppm, surpassing the area’s normal geogenic levels, and in some cases exceeding the WHO maximum recommended value for drinking water, despite the time that has elapsed since the event. Less mobile elements, such as Pb and Zn, also had higher concentrations in the area affected by the sludge contamination, but did not significantly exceed the background geogenic values.

We present the results of a four-month, spectroscopic campaign of the Wolf-Rayet dust-making binary, WR137. We detect only small-amplitude, random variability in the CIII5696 emission line and its integrated quantities (radial velocity, equivalent width, skewness, kurtosis) that can be explained by stochastic clumps in the wind of the WC star. We find no evidence of large-scale, periodic variations often associated with Corotating Interaction Regions that could have explained the observed intrinsic continuum polarization of this star. Our moderately high-resolution and high signal-to-noise average Keck spectrum shows narrow double-peak emission profiles in the Halpha, Hbeta, Hgamma, HeII6678 and HeII5876 lines. These peaks have a stable blue-to-red intensity ratio with a mean of 0.997 and a root-mean-square of 0.004, commensurate with the noise level; no variability is found during the entire observing period. We suggest that these profiles arise in a decretion disk around the O9 companion, which is thus an O9e star. The characteristics of the profiles are compatible with those of other Be/Oe stars. The presence of this disk can explain the constant component of the continuum polarization of this system, for which the angle is perpendicular to the plane of the orbit, implying that the rotation axis of the O9e star is aligned with that of the orbit. It remains to be explained why the disk is so stable within the strong ultraviolet radiation field of the O star. We present a binary evolutionary scenario that is compatible with the current stellar and system parameters., 12 pages, 5 Figures

Los sistemas de arroz convencionales consumen grandes cantidades de agroquímicos y dan como resultado la contaminación de los agroecosistemas. Por lo tanto, deben desarrollarse sistemas de producción de arroz con ahorro de agroquímicos y alta eficiencia de uso de recursos. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el efecto agroproductivo de ocho variedades de arroz de ciclo medio en el aumento de la productividad del cultivo bajo condiciones de manejo agroecológico. La siembra de las variedades se realizó de forma manual, directa a voleo. Fueron evaluados los siguientes indicadores morfoproductivos, número de tallos fértiles por plantas, longitud de las plantas (cm), número de panículas por planta, número de granos por panículas, longitud de la panícula (cm), masa de 1000 semillas (g) y el rendimiento (t ha-1). Los resultados indicaron que las variedades de arroz IA-31 y ILP-5 presentaron el mejor desempeño agronómico y productivo. La agrupación de los cultivares mostró patrones de asociaciones entre los caracteres morfológicos y los cultivares. El estudio actual indicó que los rasgos fenológicos y productivos fueron útiles para la evaluación preliminar de las variedades y pueden usarse como un enfoque de amplio espectro para comparar la diversidad genética de los cultivares de arroz bajo condiciones agroecológicas.

The operating conditions of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production processes are among the factors that most influence yields. In this study, we evaluated PHB production synthesized by Bacillus megaterium LVN01. Batch and fed-batch cultures were used to produce PHB from residual glycerol. For this, dry cell weight (DCW) and PHB productivity were analyzed at a preliminary stage by central composite design using batch systems under different temperature, C/N ratio, and fermentation time conditions. The maximum PHB productivity occurred at 30.8 °C, 44.9 mol mol-1, and 39.9 h. The same conditions were tested for studies in fed-batch culture. Fed-batch experiments were comparable to each other, where the DCW was around 1.9 g L-1, with PHB productivities of 29.5 mg L-1 h-1 and 35.6 mg L-1 h-1 for bioreactors of 5 L and 14 L, respectively. The PHB was characterized by NMR, FTIR, DSC, TGA, and DTG analyses. Resumen Las condiciones de operación de los procesos de polihidroxibutirato (PHB) se encuentran entre los factores que más influyen en los rendimientos. En este estudio se evaluó la producción de PHB sintetizado por Bacillus megaterium LVN01. Se implementaron cultivos en lotes y lotes alimentados para producir PHB, a partir de glicerol residual. Para esto, en una etapa preliminar, se analizó el peso de las células secas (PSC) y la productividad de PHB mediante un diseño central compuesto, utilizando sistemas de lotes bajo diferentes condiciones de temperatura, relación molar C/N y tiempo de incubación. La productividad máxima de PHB ocurrió a 30.8°C, 44.9 mol mol-1 y 39.9 h. Las mismas condiciones se utilizaron para estudios en cultivos por lotes alimentados. Los experimentos en modo lote alimentado fueron comparables entre sí, donde el PSC osciló alrededor de 1.9 g L-1, con productividades de PHB de 29.5 mg L-1 h-1 y 35.6 mg L-1 h-1 para biorreactores de 5 L y 14 L, respectivamente. El PHB se caracterizó mediante análisis de RMN, FTIR, DSC, TGA y DTG.

This research was to assess the effect of exogenous organic matter (composted sheep manure, CSM) on the sorption, disappearance and leaching of four pesticides (boscalid, flonicamide, myclobutanil ...

Lipoic acid (LA) and its reduced form (dihydrolipoic acid, DHLA) have unique antioxidant properties among such molecules. Moreover, after a process termed lipoylation, LA is an essential prosthetic group covalently-attached to several key multi-subunit enzymatic complexes involved in primary metabolism, including E2 subunits of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). The metabolic pathway of lipoylation has been extensively studied in Escherichia coli and Arabidopsis thaliana in which protein modification occurs via two routes: de novo synthesis and salvage. Common to both pathways, lipoyl synthase (LIP1 in plants, LipA in bacteria, EC 2.8.1.8) inserts sulphur atoms into the molecule in a final, activating step. However, despite the detection of LA and DHLA in other plant species, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), no plant LIP1s have been characterised to date from species other than Arabidopsis. In this work, we present the identification and characterisation of two LIPs from tomato, SlLIP1 and SlLIP1p. Consistent with in silico data, both are widely-expressed, particularly in reproductive organs. In line with bioinformatic predictions, we determine that yellow fluorescent protein tagged versions of SlLIP1 and SlLIP1p are mitochondrially- and plastidially-localised, respectively. Both possess the molecular hallmarks and domains of well-characterised bacterial LipAs. When heterologously-expressed in an E. coli lipA mutant, both are capable of complementing specific growth phenotypes and increasing lipoylation levels of E2 subunits of PDH in vivo, demonstrating that they do indeed function as lipoyl synthases.

Groundwater is a source for drinking water in many countries, and its use is seriously threatened by the leaching of agrochemicals through the soil. With this aim, the oxidation of triclopyr and fluroxypyr in water was investigated at lab-scale using heterogeneous photocatalysis and photo-assisted ozonation combined with hydrogen peroxide H2O2 (peroxone process). For both herbicides, the order of effectiveness of the photo-assisted treatments in pure water were as follows: O3/H2O2>ZnO/Na2S2O8>TiO2/Na2S2O8. Comparing the three types of water, the rate constants through peroxone/UV process were in the order: Pure > Drinking > Leaching water, according to the complexity of the matrix. After two hours of treatment, fluroxypyr was completely removed from pure water, while 90 % and 55 % of its initial mass were removed from drinking and leaching water, respectively. On the other hand, the degradation of triclopyr was significantly slower. In this case, after two hours of illumination the complete degradation was not reached in any case. Owing to the generation of hydroxyl radicals (HO ) the water treatment with O3/H2O2/UV can be considered as an eco-friendly technology, although the substances present in the matrix, mainly in leaching water, can scavenge HO decreasing the photooxidation rate of both herbicides.

Current spread of a pandemic by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a worldwide milestone. It has led to quarantine as a healthcare measure in the territories most affected. However, people with more negative emotional styles may run a higher risk of contagion by the disease, as both their physical and mental health are affected. The objective of this study was to identify in a systematic review, psychological factors associated with health during quarantine. For this purpose, a search was made of scientific articles in databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO and CINAHL, where 62 documents were found, of which, after applying inclusion criteria, seven studies remained for their review. The results showed, first, that people in quarantine because of a pandemic had higher stress, anxiety, depression and distress. Second, that a positive emotional style was related to less risk of contagion of diseases. These results have implications for the practice, and especially for healthcare professionals who are indispensable in coping with disease in a pandemic. It would therefore be necessary to protect their health so that they, in turn, can offer quality care to patients in crises and emergencies.

Through the preparation and characterization of five new derivatives, the regioselective mono and di, homo and hetero, halogenation of the benzothioxanthene (BTXI) core is demonstrated herein. All structurally solved by X-ray crystallography, these complementary functionalized building blocks open doors to the design of new symmetrical and asymmetrical π-conjugated systems based on this promising but still under-explored rylene.

Doll and robot are effective and beneficial non-pharmacological therapies applied in different clinical settings. Doll therapy (DT), principally based in Bowlby's attachment theory, uses an empathy or lifelike baby doll to conduct caring behaviors of it. Robot therapies (RT) use care robots with a friendly attitude and appearance that create emotions and movements that lead to different verbal, motor and emotional reactions. Both DT and RT are person-centred therapies that aim to improve wellbeing of people that suffer from different neurological, psychological and mental health disorders, such as Alzheimer's Disease, autism spectrum disorder, stress or depression, by providing a realistic experience. In this paper, the characteristics of both therapies, their benefits and the possibilities of innovation in the therapeutic field are presented.

The effect of vermicompost added to a loam soil on the leaching behaviour of two herbicides (triclopyr and fluroxypyr) was examined. Mobility of the herbicides was assessed using disturbed soil columns under laboratory conditions. In both cases, the addition of vermicompost significantly increased the sorption of the compounds. For both, DT50 values were slightly higher in the amended soil, due to the increased adsorption. Rate constants (k) calculated according to pseudo-first order model were significantly lower in the case of triclopyr (very persistent), which led to a much lower degradation rate compared to fluroxypyr (persistent) in both unamended and amended soils. Values calculated for the experimental leaching index (ELI) in unamended and amended soils showed medium and high leachability for fluroxypyr (0.31 and 0.29) and triclopyr (0.72 and 0.70), respectively. Other index-based screening models (GUS, RLPI, LIX) also catalogue both herbicides as potential leachers. Results confirm that triclopyr and fluroxypyr may contaminate groundwater resources.

The synthesis, characterization and catalytic evaluation of a series of NHC-Ni(II) complexes 1-Ni (-Me), 2-Ni (-nBu) and 3-Ni (-Bn) bearing a phthalimide fragment and a cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ligand is reported. The complexes were evaluated in C S couplings of iodobenzene and a range of thiols. The reactions were carried out using a catalyst loading of 5 mol % in DMF during 0.5–19 h. Being complex 2-Ni the one exhibiting the best activity for these transformations yielding up to 96% of products in 0.5 h.