Using dried orange pulp in the diet of dairy goats: effects on milk yield and composition and blood parameters of dams and growth performance and carcass quality of kids

Although dried orange pulp (DOP) may conveniently replace cereals in ruminant diets, few studies have considered similar diet substitution for goats. We hypothesised that DOP could replace cereal-based concentrate in goat diets without detrimental effects on growth performance and carcass quality of suckling kids and milk performance and blood biochemical parameters of dams in early lactation. We also hypothesised that DOP substitution may increase the levels of antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds and vitamin E, in milk and improve its total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Therefore, 44 primiparous Payoya dairy goats were allocated to three experimental groups, each fed a different diet: control (CD, n = 14) based on a commercial concentrate with alfalfa hay as forage; and DOP40 (n = 16) in which 40% and DOP80 (n = 14) in which 80% of the cereal in the concentrate were replaced by DOP. The experiment lasted from the final month of pregnancy to 55 days postpartum. The DOP diets did not affect suckling kids’ carcass quality, but at 28 days, led to improvement in live weight (LW) and average daily gain (ADG) from birth, although no differences were found between DOP40 and DOP80 (for CD, DOP40 and DOP80, LW at 28 days was 8.00, 8.58 and 8.34 kg and ADG was 184, 199 and 195 g/day, respectively). Diet had no significant effect on milk yield (average daily milk yield and total yield at 55 days were 1.66 l/day and 90.6 l, respectively) and commercial and fatty acid composition. Nevertheless, α-tocopherol, total phenolic compound (TPC) and TAC concentration in milk increased with substitution of cereals by DOP (for CD, DOP40 and DOP80, concentration of α-tocopherol was 21.7, 32.8 and 42.3 μg/100 g, TPCs was 63.5, 84.1 and 102 mg gallic acid equivalents/l, and TAC was 6.63, 11.1 and 12.8 μmol Trolox equivalents/ml, respectively). Every plasma biochemistry parameter considered was within reference values for healthy goats; therefore, no pathological effect was detected for these variables due to dietary treatment. However, DOP diets caused a reduction in plasmatic creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase, implying reduced oxidative damage to muscles. In conclusion, DOP may be an interesting alternative to cereals in early lactation goat diets for increasing farmers’ income and the healthy antioxidant capacity of milk

Influence of synthetic method on the properties of La0.5Ba0.5FeO3 SOFC cathode

Power Point presentado en The Energy and Materials Research Conference - EMR2015 celebrado en Madrid (España) entre el 25-27 de febrero de 2015Perovskite type (ABO3) oxides have been widely studied as SOFC cathode materials at high temperatures. Given that several of the challenges hindering SOFC technology are consequence of the high operation temperature (about 1000ºC) [1,2], an important goal is to reduce it to 600-800ºC. To minimize this effect new perovskite-type mixed ionic-electronic conducting oxides have been widely studied as promising IT-SOFC cathodes. Among them, iron perovskites (LSF) seem to be good candidates mainly for their appropriate thermal expansion match with YSZ electrolytes and their good catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction [3,4]. The properties of these compounds and thus their cell performance depends on several factors: the right choice of A and B elements, the amount of doping cations (A1-xAx) and some structural parameters such as the tolerance factor [5], the average size of the A-site cations () and the A cation size disorder (σ2(rA)). Studies on the influence of the hole-doping (x) in the A-site of LSF perovskites have shown good cathode performances in compounds with intermediate doping levels [6]. The change of and σ2(rA) indicate that better performances are observed for highest and lowest σ2(rA) [7]. External parameters, such as the synthetic method, are also important factors that influence the final properties [8]. In this sense it has been observed that porosity, grain size and morphology of the compounds strongly depend on the sample preparation techniques. In this research, a La0.5Ba0.5FeO3 perovskite has been synthesized by two different methods (ceramic and glycine-nitrate routes) in order to study the synthetic method influence on the properties of this compound as IT-SOFC cathode material. This composition has been chosen due to its intermediate hole doping level (0.5) and high average size of the A-site cations ( = 1.48 Å, when rA are standard 12-coordinate ionic radii), these parameters, according with previous studies should show interesting properties for its use as SOFC cathode. It has been observed that the two La0.5Ba0.5FeO3 compounds show different room temperature crystal structure depending on the synthesis route. The sample obtained by the ceramic method has higher oxygen vacancy content, but in the other hand the SEM micrographs show that glycine-nitrate process leads to a compound with porous structure and particles with nanometric grain sizes. At 700 or 800ºC the electrical conductivity of both samples is similar but the sample obtained by glycine-nitrate route shows better electrochemical performance. The ceramic sample has lower adherence than the glycine counterpart and this derivates in higher values of polarization resistance. It is believed that this is a consequence of the heterogenous morphology of this sample. Therefore, it seems that the glycine-nitrate synthetic method is a more appropriate technique for preparing perovskite cathodes

Integrating an epidemic spread model with remote sensing for Xylella fastidiosa detection

Trabajo presentado en la 3rd European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa (Building knowledge, protecting plant health), celebrada online el 29 y 30 de abril de 2021.Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) causes plant diseases that lead to massive economic losses in agricultural crops, making it one of the pathogens of greatest concern to agriculture nowadays. Detecting Xf at early stages of infection is crucial to prevent and manage outbreaks of this vector-borne bacterium. Recent remote sensing (RS) studies at different scales have shown that Xf-infected olive trees have distinct spectral features in the visible and infrared regions (VNIR). However, RS-based forecasting of Xf outbreaks requires tools that account for their spatiotemporal dynamics. Here, we show how coupling a spatial Xf-spread model with the probability of Xf-infection predicted by an RS-driven modeling algorithm based on a Support Vector Machine (RS-SVM) helps detecting the spatial Xf distribution in a landscape. To optimize such model, we investigated which RS plant traits (i.e., pigments, structural or leaf protein content) derived from high-resolution hyperspectral imagery and biophysical modelling are most responsive to Xf infection and damage. For that, we combined a field campaign in almond orchards in Alicante province (Spain) affected by Xf (n=1,426 trees), with an airborne campaign over the same area to acquire high-resolution thermal and hyperspectral images in the visible-near-infrared (400-850 nm) and short-wave infrared regions (SWIR, 950-1700 nm). We found that coupling the epidemic spread model and the RS-based model increased accuracy by around 5% (OA = 80%, kappa = 0.48 and AUC = 0.81); compared to the best performing RS-SVM model (OA = 75%; kappa = 0.50) that included as predictors leaf protein content, nitrogen indices (NIs), fluorescence and a thermal indicator, alongside pigments and structural parameters. The parameters with the greatest explanatory power of the RS model were leaf protein content together with NI (28%), followed by chlorophyll (22%), structural parameters (LAI and LIDFa), and chlorophyll indicators of photosynthetic efficiency. In the subset of almond trees where the presence of Xf was tested by qPCR (n=318 tress), the combined RS-spread model yielded the best performance (OA of 71% and kappa = 0.33). Conversely, the best-performing RS-SVM model and visual inspections produced OA and kappa values of 65% and 0.31, respectively. This study shows for the first time the potential of combining spatial epidemiological models and remote sensing to monitor Xf-disease distribution in almond trees

Detection of Xylella fastidiosa in almond orchards by synergic use of an epidemic spread model and remotely sensed plant traits

The early detection of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) infections is critical to the management of this dangerous plan pathogen across the world. Recent studies with remote sensing (RS) sensors at different scales have shown that Xf-infected olive trees have distinct spectral features in the visible and infrared regions (VNIR). However, further work is needed to integrate remote sensing in the management of plant disease epidemics. Here, we research how the spectral changes picked up by different sets of RS plant traits (i.e., pigments, structural or leaf protein content), can help capture the spatial dynamics of Xf spread. We coupled a spatial spread model with the probability of Xf-infection predicted by a RS-driven support vector machine (RS-SVM) model. Furthermore, we analyzed which RS plant traits contribute most to the output of the prediction models. For that, in almond orchards affected by Xf (n = 1426 trees), we conducted a field campaign simultaneously with an airborne campaign to collect high-resolution thermal images and hyperspectral images in the visible-near-infrared (VNIR, 400–850 nm) and short-wave infrared regions (SWIR, 950–1700 nm). The best performing RS-SVM model (OA = 75%; kappa = 0.50) included as predictors leaf protein content, nitrogen indices (NIs), fluorescence and a thermal indicator (Tc), alongside pigments and structural parameters. Leaf protein content together with NIs contributed 28% to the explanatory power of the model, followed by chlorophyll (22%), structural parameters (LAI and LIDFa), and chlorophyll indicators of photosynthetic efficiency. Coupling the RS model with an epidemic spread model increased the accuracy (OA = 80%; kappa = 0.48). In the almond trees where the presence of Xf was assayed by qPCR (n = 318 trees), the combined RS-spread model yielded an OA of 71% and kappa = 0.33, which is higher than the RS-only model and visual inspections (both OA = 64–65% and kappa = 0.26–31). Our work demonstrates how combining spatial epidemiological models and remote sensing can lead to highly accurate predictions of plant disease spatial distribution.Data collection was partially supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program through grant agreements POnTE (635646) and XF-ACTORS (727987). R. Calderón was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship from the Alfonso Martin Escudero Foundation (Spain)

Tissue Compatibility of SN-38-Loaded Anticancer Nanofiber Matrices

Delivery of chemotherapy in the surgical bed has shown preclinical activity to control cancer progression upon subtotal resection of pediatric solid tumors, but whether this new treatment is safe for tumor‐adjacent healthy tissues remains unknown. Here, Wistar rats are used to study the anatomic and functional impact of electrospun nanofiber matrices eluting SN‐38 a potent chemotherapeutic agent on several body sites where pediatric tumors such as neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma arise. Blank and SN‐38‐loaded matrices embracing the femoral neurovascular bundle or in direct contact with abdominal viscera (liver, kidney, urinary bladder, intestine, and uterus) are placed. Foreign body tissue reaction to the implants is observed though no histologic damage in any tissue/organ. Skin healing is normal. Tissue reaction is similar for SN‐38‐loaded and blank matrices, with the exception of the hepatic capsule that is thicker for the former although within the limits consistent with mild foreign body reaction. Tissue and organ function is completely conserved after local treatments, as assessed by the rotarod test (forelimb function), hematologic tests (liver and renal function), and control of clinical signs. Overall, these findings support the clinical translation of SN‐38‐loaded nanofiber matrices to improve local control strategies of surgically resected tumors

Divergent abiotic spectral pathways unravel pathogen stress signals across species

Plant pathogens pose increasing threats to global food security, causing yield losses that exceed 30% in food-deficit regions. Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) represents the major transboundary plant pest and one of the world’s most damaging pathogens in terms of socioeconomic impact. Spectral screening methods are critical to detect non-visual symptoms of early infection and prevent spread. However, the subtle pathogen-induced physiological alterations that are spectrally detectable are entangled with the dynamics of abiotic stresses. Here, using airborne spectroscopy and thermal scanning of areas covering more than one million trees of different species, infections and water stress levels, we reveal the existence of divergent pathogen- and host-specific spectral pathways that can disentangle biotic-induced symptoms. We demonstrate that uncoupling this biotic–abiotic spectral dynamics diminishes the uncertainty in the Xf detection to below 6% across different hosts. Assessing these deviating pathways against another harmful vascular pathogen that produces analogous symptoms, Verticillium dahliae, the divergent routes remained pathogen- and host-specific, revealing detection accuracies exceeding 92% across pathosystems. These urgently needed hyperspectral methods advance early detection of devastating pathogens to reduce the billions in crop losses worldwide.The study was partially funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme through grant agreements POnTE (635646) and XF-ACTORS (727987), as well as by projects AGL2009-13105 from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, P08-AGR-03528 from the Regional Government of Andalusia and the European Social Fund, project E-RTA2017-00004-02 from ‘Programa Estatal de I + D + I Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad’ of Spain and FEDER, Intramural Project 201840E111 from CSIC, and Project ITS2017-095 Consejeria de Medio Ambiente, Agricultura y Pesca de las Islas Baleares, Spain. The views expressed are purely those of the writers and may not in any circumstance be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission

Tissue compatibility of SN-38-loaded anticancer nanofiber matrices

Delivery of chemotherapy in the surgical bed has shown preclinical activity to control cancer progression upon subtotal resection of pediatric solid tumors, but whether this new treatment is safe for tumor-adjacent healthy tissues remains unknown. Here, Wistar rats are used to study the anatomic and functional impact of electrospun nano¿ber matrices eluting SN-38—a potent chemotherapeutic agent—on several body sites where pediatric tumors such as neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma arise. Blank and SN-38-loaded matrices embracing the femoral neurovascular bundle or in direct contact with abdominal viscera (liver, kidney, urinary bladder, intestine, and uterus) are placed. Foreign body tissue reaction to the implants is observed though no histologic damage in any tissue/organ. Skin healing is normal. Tissue reaction is similar for SN-38-loaded and blank matrices, with the exception of the hepatic capsule that is thicker for the former although within the limits consistent with mild foreign body reaction. Tissue and organ function is completely conserved after local treatments, as assessed by the rotarod test (forelimb function), hematologic tests (liver and renal function), and control of clinical signs. Overall, these ¿ndings support the clinical translation of SN-38-loaded nano¿ber matrices to improve local control strategies of surgically resected tumorsPostprint (author's final draft

Progress and achievements on the early detection of Xylella fastidiosa infection and symptom development with hyperspectral and thermal remote sensing imagery

Trabajo presentado en la 3rd European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa (Building knowledge, protecting plant health), celebrada online el 29 y 30 de abril de 2021.Remote sensing efforts made as part of European initiatives via POnTE, XF-ACTORS and the JRC, as well as through regional programs, have focused, among others, on the development of algorithms for the early detection of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf)-induced symptoms. Airborne campaigns carried out between 2016 and 2019 collected high-resolution hyperspectral and thermal images from infected areas in the Apulia region (Italy), in the province of Alicante and on the island of Mallorca (Spain). The remote sensing imagery collections were performed alongside field surveys and laboratory analyses to assess the presence of Xf, and the severity and incidence of disease in olive and almond trees. Radiative transfer models and machine learning algorithms were used to quantify spectral plant traits for each individual infected tree, assessing their importance as pre visual indicators of Xf-induced stress. These studies conducted across species have demonstrated that specific spectral plant traits successfully revealed Xf induced symptoms at early stages, i.e., before visual symptoms appear. The results show that spectral plant traits contribute differently to symptom detection across host species (olive vs. almond), and that abiotic-induced stress affects the performance of the algorithms used for detecting infected trees. Together, the different European initiatives studying the use of remote sensing to support the monitoring of landscapes for Xylella fastidiosa detection lead us to conclude that the early detection of Xf-induced symptoms is feasible when high-resolution hyperspectral imagery and physically-based plant trait retrievals are used, obtaining accuracies exceeding 92% (kappa>0.8). These results are essential to enable the implementation of effective control and management of plant diseases using airborne- droneand satellite-based remote sensing technologies. Moreover, these large-scale hyperspectral and thermal imaging methods greatly contribute to the future operational monitoring of infected areas at large scales, well beyond what is possible from field surveys and laboratory analyses alone

Preclinical Efficacy of Endoglin-Targeting Antibody–Drug Conjugates for the Treatment of Ewing Sarcoma

[EN] Endoglin (ENG; CD105) is a coreceptor of the TGFb family that is highly expressed in proliferating endothelial cells. Often coopted by cancer cells, ENG can lead to neo-angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry in aggressive malignancies. It exists both as a transmembrane cell surface protein, where it primarily interacts with TGFb, and as a soluble matricellular protein (sENG) when cleaved by matrix metal-loproteinase 14 (MMP14). High ENG expression has been associated with poor prognosis in Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer that primarily occurs in adolescents and young adults. However, the therapeutic value of ENG targeting has not been fully explored in this disease. Experimental Design: We characterized the expression pattern of transmembrane ENG, sENG, and MMP14 in preclinical and clinical samples. Subsequently, the antineoplastic potential of two novel ENG-targeting monoclonal antibody–drug conjugates (ADC), OMTX503 and OMTX703, which differed only by their drug payload (nigrin-b A chain and cytolysin, respectively), was assessed in cell lines and preclinical animal models of Ewing sarcoma. Results: Both ADCs suppressed cell proliferation in proportion to the endogenous levels of ENG observed in vitro. Moreover, the ADCs significantly delayed tumor growth in Ewing sarcoma cell line–derived xenografts and patient-derived xenografts in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions: Taken together, these studies demonstrate potent preclinical activity of first-in-class anti-ENG ADCs as a nascent strategy to eradicate Ewing sarcoma