Nitrogen use efficiency and residual effect of fertilizers withnitrification inhibitors

Blending fertilizers with nitrification inhibitors (NI) is a technology to reduce nitrogen (N) losses. The application of NI could increase the soil N supply capacity over time and contribute to an enhancement of N-fertilizer recovery in some cropping systems. During two seasons, a field experiment with maize (Zea mays L.) was fertilized with ammonium sulfate nitrate (ASN) and DMPP (3,4 dimethylpyrazole phosphate) blended ASN (ENTEC) at two levels (130 and 170 kg N ha-1) under Mediterranean conditions. A control treatment with no added N fertilizer was also included. Maize yield, grain quality, nutritional state and fertilizer use efficiency were evaluated. Due to the observation of a soil residual effect, a non-fertilized sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) was planted in the same plots to study the cumulative effect during a third experimental season. Laboratory determinations were performed in order to elucidate the possible sources of residual N. The second year, DMPP application allowed a 23% reduction of the fertilizer rate without decreasing crop yield or grain quality. In addition, the non-fertilized sunflower planted after the maize scavenge more N in treatments previously treated with ENTEC than with traditional fertilizers, increasing N use efficiency in the cropping systems. After DMPP application, N was conserved in non-ready soil available forms during at least one year and subsequently released to meet the sunflower crop demand. The potential N mineralization obtained from aerobic incubation under controlled conditions of soil samples collected before sunflower sowing was higher for ENTEC than ASN or control treatments. A higher δ15N in the soil indicated larger non-exchangeable NH4+ fixation in soils from the plots treated with ENTEC or ASN-170 than from the ASN-130 or the control. These results open the opportunity to increase N efficiency by designing crop rotations able to profit from the effect of NI on the soil residual N

Proyecto de Autoconsumo en dos centros de educación públicos de Valladolid

El presente proyecto pretende la evaluación e instalación de un sistema de aprovechamiento de Energía Solar Fotovoltaica para autoconsumo de energía de las instalaciones que se han analizado, tratándose de un sistema energético no contaminante, inagotable y rentable en su explotaciónDepartamento de Ingeniería EléctricaIngeniero Técnico Industrial, Especialidad en Electricida

A Simple, Reliable, and Inexpensive Solution for Contact Color Measurement in Small Plant Samples

Correct color measurement by contact-type color measuring devices requires that the sample surface fully covers the head of the device, so their use on small samples remains a challenge. Here, we propose to use cardboard adaptors on the two aperture masks (3 and 8 mm diameter measuring area) of a broadly used portable spectrophotometer. Adaptors in black and white to reduce the measuring area by 50% and 70% were applied in this study. Representatives of the family Campanulaceae have been used to test the methodology, given the occurrence of small leaves. Our results show that, following colorimetric criteria, the only setting providing indistinguishable colors according to the perception of the human eye is the use of a 50%-reducing adaptor on the 3-mm aperture. In addition, statistical analysis suggests the use of the white adaptor. Our contribution offers a sound measurement technique to gather ecological information from the color of leaves, petals, and other small samplesPatricia Sanmartín and Miguel Serrano thank the financial support of Xunta de Galicia grants ED431C 2018/32 and ED431B 2018/36. Elsa Fuentes acknowledges receipt of the PhD Fellowship-Contract MICINN-FPI (BES-2017-079927)S

Quantitative characterization of five cover crop species

The introduction of cover crops in the intercrop period may provide a broad range of ecosystem services derived from the multiple functions they can perform, such as erosion control, recycling of nutrients or forage source. However, the achievement of these services in a particular agrosystem is not always required at the same time or to the same degree. Thus, species selection and definition of targeted objectives is critical when growing cover crops. The goal of the current work was to describe the traits that determine the suitability of five species (barley, rye, triticale, mustard and vetch) for cover cropping. A field trial was established during two seasons (October to April) in Madrid (central Spain). Ground cover and biomass were monitored at regular intervals during each growing season. A Gompertz model characterized ground cover until the decay observed after frosts, while biomass was fitted to Gompertz, logistic and linear-exponential equations. At the end of the experiment, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and fibre (neutral detergent, acid and lignin) contents, and the N fixed by the legume were determined. The grasses reached the highest ground cover (83–99%) and biomass (1226–1928 g/m2) at the end of the experiment. With the highest C:N ratio (27–39) and dietary fibre (527–600 mg/g) and the lowest residue quality (~680 mg/g), grasses were suitable for erosion control, catch crop and fodder. The vetch presented the lowest N uptake (2·4 and 0·7 g N/m2) due to N fixation (9·8 and 1·6 g N/m2) and low biomass accumulation. The mustard presented high N uptake in the warm year and could act as a catch crop, but low fodder capability in both years. The thermal time before reaching 30% ground cover was a good indicator of early coverage species. Variable quantification allowed finding variability among the species and provided information for further decisions involving cover crop selection and management

The far-infrared-radio correlation in galaxies

The tightness and universality of the far-infrared (FIR) to radio continuum (RC) correlation is still not completely understood. This correlation is followed by all star-forming galaxies not dominated by an Active Galactic Nucleus, both globally as well as locally within the disks. There is a general consensus that star formation (SF) is the ultimate driver of the relation, in the sense that the bulk of dust emission in the FIR is powered by young stars ending their lives as supernovae which are the main sites of Cosmic Ray (CR) acceleration. Although this simplistic view is correct, it neglects many of the additional parameters that affect the correlation. Thus, a detailed understanding is still missing which is crucial in order to correctly use the RC emission as a tracer of recent SF with the important advantage not to be affected by extinction. Furthermore, a detailed understanding of the correlation will lead to a deeper understanding of dust heating, the interstellar medium (ISM) and propagation of CRs. The capabilities of the SKA are needed to make progress in our understanding of the correlation. In particular, they will allow us to (i) extend the study of the correlation to low-luminosity dwarf galaxies which are expected not to follow the correlation so well, (ii) extend the correlation to high-z objects and test whether the correlation is still fulfilled, and (iii) study the properties of CR propagation in galactic halos via changes in the spectral index in order to be able to compare the relative relevance of propagation, escape and energy losses.UL acknowledges support by the research projects AYA2011-24728 from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación and the Junta de Andalucía (Spain) grants FQM108. MAPT and AA acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) through grant AYA2012-38491-C02-02. AAH acknowledges support from the Spanish Plan Nacional de Astronomia y Astrofisica under grant AYA2012-31447, and LC from grant LC from grant AYA2012-32295.Peer Reviewe

Star-formation histories of local luminous infrared galaxies

We present the analysis of the integrated spectral energy distribution (SED) from the ultraviolet (UV) to the far-infrared and H$\alpha$ of a sample of 29 local systems and individual galaxies with infrared (IR) luminosities between 10^11 Lsun and 10^11.8 Lsun. We have combined new narrow-band H$\alpha$+[NII] and broad-band g, r optical imaging taken with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), with archival GALEX, 2MASS, Spitzer, and Herschel data. The SEDs (photometry and integrated H$\alpha$ flux) have been fitted with a modified version of the MAGPHYS code using stellar population synthesis models for the UV-near-IR range and thermal emission models for the IR emission taking into account the energy balance between the absorbed and re-emitted radiation. From the SED fits we derive the star-formation histories (SFH) of these galaxies. For nearly half of them the star-formation rate appears to be approximately constant during the last few Gyrs. In the other half, the current star-formation rate seems to be enhanced by a factor of 3-20 with respect to that occured ~1 Gyr ago. Objects with constant SFH tend to be more massive than starbursts and they are compatible with the expected properties of a main-sequence (M-S) galaxy. Likewise, the derived SFHs show that all our objects were M-S galaxies ~1 Gyr ago with stellar masses between 10^10.1 and 10^11.5 Msun. We also derived from our fits the average extinction (A_v=0.6-3 mag) and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) luminosity to L(IR) ratio (0.03-0.16). We combined the A_v with the total IR and H$\alpha$ luminosities into a diagram which can be used to identify objects with rapidly changing (increasing or decreasing) SFR during the last 100 Myr.Comment: 16 pages + online material, accepted for publication in A&

Synthesis of paramagnetic tetranuclear rhodium and iridium complexes with the 2,6-pyridinedithiolate ligand. Redox-induced degradation to diamagnetic triiridium compounds

The tetranuclear complexes [M4(μ-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] [PyS2 = 2,6-pyridinedithiolate; M = Rh, diolefin = cod (1,5-cyclooctadiene) (1), tfbb (tetrafluorobenzo[5,6]bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5,7-triene) (2); M = Ir, diolefin = cod (3), tfbb (4)] exhibit two one-electron oxidations at a platinum disk electrode in dichloromethane at potentials accessible by chemical reagents. The rhodium tetranuclear complexes were selectively oxidized to the monocationic complexes [Rh4(μ-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] + (1+, 2+) by mild one-electron oxidants such as [Cp2Fe]+ or [N(C6H4Br-4)3]+ and isolated as the PF6 -, BF4 -, and ClO4 - salts. Silver salts behave as noninnocent one-electron oxidants for the reactions with the rhodium complexes 1 and 2 since they give sparingly soluble coordination polymers. The complex [Ir4(μ-PyS2)2(cod)4] + (3+) was obtained as the tetrafluoroborate salt by reaction of 3 with 1 molar equiv of AgBF4, but the related complex 4+ could not be isolated from the chemical oxidation of [Ir4(μ-PyS2)2(tfbb)4] (4) with AgBF4. Oxidation of 3 and 4 with 2 molar equiv of common silver salts resulted in the fragmentation of the complexes to give the diamagnetic triiridium cations [Ir3(μ-PyS2)2(diolefin)3] +. The molecular structure of [Ir3(μ-PyS2)2(cod)3]BF 4, determined by X-ray diffraction methods, showed the three metal atoms within an angular arrangement. Both 2,6-pyridinedithiolate tridentate ligands bridge two metal-metal bonded d7 centers in pseudo octahedral environments and one d8 square-planar iridium center. An interpretation of the EPR spectra of the 63-electron mixed-valence paramagnetic tetranuclear complexes suggests that the unpaired electron is delocalized over two of the metal atoms in the complexes 1+-3+.The generous financial support from Dirección General de Enseñanza Superior e Investigación (DGES) (Projects PB98-641 and PB94-1186), and a fellowship (M. A. Casado) are gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

The Ubiquitin Proteasome System in Neuromuscular Disorders: Moving Beyond Movement

Neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) affect 1 in 3000 people worldwide. There are more than 150 different types of NMDs, where the common feature is the loss of muscle strength. These disorders are classified according to their neuroanatomical location, as motor neuron diseases, peripheral nerve diseases, neuromuscular junction diseases, and muscle diseases. Over the years, numerous studies have pointed to protein homeostasis as a crucial factor in the development of these fatal diseases. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a fundamental role in maintaining protein homeostasis, being involved in protein degradation, among other cellular functions. Through a cascade of enzymatic reactions, proteins are ubiquitinated, tagged, and translocated to the proteasome to be degraded. Within the ubiquitin system, we can find three main groups of enzymes: E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzymes), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes), and E3 (ubiquitin-protein ligases). Only the ubiquitinated proteins with specific chain linkages (such as K48) will be degraded by the UPS. In this review, we describe the relevance of this system in NMDs, summarizing the UPS proteins that have been involved in pathological conditions and neuromuscular disorders, such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), or Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), among others. A better knowledge of the processes involved in the maintenance of proteostasis may pave the way for future progress in neuromuscular disorder studies and treatments.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad RTI2018-098645-B-10

Nearby normal and luminous infrared galaxies with the SKA

The SKA will routinely provide µJy sensitivity and sub-arcsecond angular resolutions at radio wavelengths. Planned SKA surveys will image vast numbers of nearby galaxies, which are expected to provide a cornerstone in our understanding of star-formation and accretion activity in the local Universe. Here, we outline some of the key continuum and molecular line studies of local galaxies, where the SKA will have a significant scientific impact and where the Spanish astrophysical community is particularly active.MAPT, AA, and RHI acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) through grant AYA2012-38491-C02-02. S.G.B. acknowledges support from the Spanish MINECO through grants AYA2010-15169, AYA2012-32295, and program CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010, under grant Molecular Astrophysics: The Herschel and ALMA EraASTROMOL (ref CSD2009-00038). S.G.B also acknowledges support from the Junta de Andalucia through TIC-114 and the Excellence Project P08-TIC-03531. A.A.H. and LC acknowledge support from the Spanish MINECO through grants AYA-2012-31447 and AYA-2012-32295. JHK acknowledges financial support to the DAGAL network from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Unions Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013/ under REA grant agreement number PITNGA-2011-289313, and from the Spanish MINECO under grant number AYA2013-41243-P.Peer Reviewe

Study protocol for an observational cohort evaluating incidence and clinical relevance of perioperative elevation of high-sensitivity troponin I and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in patients undergoing lung resection

Perioperative; Lung resectionPerioperatorio; Resección pulmonarPerioperatori; Resecció pulmonarIntroduction Myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery has been defined as myocardial injury due to ischaemia, with or without additional symptoms or ECG changes occurring during or within 30 days after non-cardiac surgery and mainly diagnosed based on elevated postoperative cardiac troponin (cTn) values. In patients undergoing thoracic surgery for lung resection, only postoperative cTn elevations are seemingly not enough as an independent predictor of cardiovascular complications. After lung resection, troponin elevations may be regulated by mechanisms other than myocardial ischaemia. The combination of perioperative natriuretic peptide measurement together with high-sensitivity cTns may help to identify changes in ventricular function during thoracic surgery. Integrating both cardiac biomarkers may improve the predictive value for cardiovascular complications after lung resection. We designed our cohort study to evaluate perioperative elevation of both high-sensitivity troponin I (hs-TnI) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients undergoing lung resection and to establish a risk score for major cardiovascular postoperative complications. Methods and analysis We will conduct a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study, including 345 patients undergoing elective thoracic surgery for lung resection. Cardiac biomarkers such as hs-TnI and NT-proBNP will be measured preoperatively and at postoperatively on days 1 and 2. We will calculate a risk score for major cardiovascular postoperative complications based on both biomarkers’ perioperative changes. All patients will be followed up for 30 days after surgery. Ethics and dissemination All participating centres were approved by the Ethics Research Committee. Written informed consent is required for all patients before inclusion. Results will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national or international conference meetings.This work was supported by a research grant number: ‘PI20/00154’ from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund ‘Una manera de hacer Europa’)