Current concentrations of Zn, Cu, and As in piggery wastewater compromise nutrient removals in microalgae–bacteria photobioreactors due to altered microbial communities

Producción CientíficaSimple Summary: Photobioreactor systems based on consortia of microalgae and bacteria are a promising, efficient and sustainable alternative for treatment of wastewaters with high nitrogen content, such as piggery wastewater. In these biological systems, microorganisms play a key role in wastewater treatment by degradation of organic matter and accumulation of nutrients into the generated biomass. However, these wastewaters often contain high concentrations of zinc, copper and arsenic, which can severely affect the activity and growth of microorganisms, and so, the wastewater treatment performance. This article studies the effect of high concentrations of zinc, copper and arsenic on microbial communities, specifically microalgae and bacteria, in photobioreactors treating piggery wastewater, with the aim of elucidating their impact on wastewater treatment performance. For this purpose, the growth of microalgae and the composition and structure of bacterial communities exposed to these pollutants were studied. The performance of the reactors was also evaluated by determining the removal of nutrients, zinc, copper and arsenic. The results showed that high concentrations of zinc, copper and arsenic in piggery wastewater significantly affect the microbiome of the reactors without recovery after exposure to these contaminants, resulting in poorer performance of the reactors and compromising the environmental and health impact of treated effluents.The treatment of pig manure is a major environmental issue, and photobioreactors containing consortia of microalgae and bacteria have proven to be a promising and sustainable treatment alternative. This work studies the effect of Cu, Zn and As, three toxic elements frequently present in piggery wastewater, on the performance and microbiome of photobioreactors. After dopage with Zn (100 mg/L), Cu (100 mg/L), and As (500 µg/L), the high biomass uptake of Zn (69–81%) and Cu (81–83%) decreased the carbon removal in the photobioreactors, inhibited the growth of Chlorella sp., and affected heterotrophic bacterial populations. The biomass As uptake result was low (19%) and actually promoted microalgae growth. The presence of Cu and As decreased nitrogen removal, reducing the abundance of denitrifying bacterial populations. The results showed that metal(loid)s significantly affected 24 bacterial genera and that they did not recover after exposure. Therefore, this study makes an important contribution on the impact of the presence of metal(loid)s in piggery wastewater that compromises the overall performance of PBRs, and so, the environmental and health impact of treated effluentsMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades - (projects PID2020-113544RB-I00 y PDC2021-121861-C22)Junta de Castilla y León, Unión Europea y Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) - (project CLU2017-09

Current Concentrations of Zn, Cu, and As in Piggery Wastewater Compromise Nutrient Removals in Microalgae–Bacteria Photobioreactors Due to Altered Microbial Communities

This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Microalgae Biotechnology[EN] The treatment of pig manure is a major environmental issue, and photobioreactors contain- ing consortia of microalgae and bacteria have proven to be a promising and sustainable treatment alternative. This work studies the effect of Cu, Zn and As, three toxic elements frequently present in piggery wastewater, on the performance and microbiome of photobioreactors. After dopage with Zn (100 mg/L), Cu (100 mg/L), and As (500 μg/L), the high biomass uptake of Zn (69–81%) and Cu (81–83%) decreased the carbon removal in the photobioreactors, inhibited the growth of Chlorella sp., and affected heterotrophic bacterial populations. The biomass As uptake result was low (19%) and actually promoted microalgae growth. The presence of Cu and As decreased nitrogen removal, reducing the abundance of denitrifying bacterial populations. The results showed that metal(loid)s significantly affected 24 bacterial genera and that they did not recover after exposure. Therefore, this study makes an important contribution on the impact of the presence of metal(loid)s in piggery wastewater that compromises the overall performance of PBRs, and so, the environmental and health impact of treated effluentsSIThis work was supported by the “Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades” of Spain (PID2020-113544RB-I00 y PDC2021-121861-C22). The authors also thank the regional government of Castilla y León (UIC 338, CLU 2017-09) and the EU-FEDER (CLU 2017-09) for the financial support of this work

Digitalización económica y posibilidades regulatorias. Fenómeno FinTech

La tecnología ha inundado los distintos sectores económicos. Las consecuencias del fenómeno disruptivo al que asistimos han obligado a reguladores y supervisores a replantear el ejercicio de sus funciones y adaptarse al nuevo contexto digital. Se procederá al análisis de la figura de las FinTech, término con el que se denominan las entidades que desarrollan actividades financieras con base en el empleo de tecnologías digitales para contribuir a la eficiencia en la prestación de servicios financieros. Es nuestra pretensión llevar a cabo una revisión crítica de los aspectos jurídicos y el ámbito de actuación de estos nuevos operadores, planteando si es necesario regular el fenómeno, con qué finalidad debería hacerse y que entidades serían competentes para ello. Por ser enriquecedor en un trabajo de las características del presente se añadirán notas de Derecho Comparado. Al final del estudio se realizarán aportaciones que esperamos puedan ser de utilidad a los operadores del tráfico

Proteomic approach to improve the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions

Comunicaciones a congreso

TDR-LAB 2.0: Improved TDR software for soil water content and electrical conductivity measurements

Trabajo presentado en las XI Jornadas de Investigación en la Zona No Saturada del Suelo celebradas en Lugo del 6 al 8 de noviembre de 2013.[ES]: La técnica de Reflectometría de Dominio Temporal (TDR) permite estimar la humedad (θ) y la conductividad eléctrica aparente del suelo (σa). Esta comunicación presenta una nueva versión del programa TDR-Lab para la medida de θ y σa. El TDR-Lab 2.0 es compatible con tres ecómetros TDR diferentes y puede conectarse a multiplexores SDMX50 (Campbell Sci). Puede estimar θ y σa por métodos gráficos y numéricos y incluye nuevas aplicaciones para la medida de niveles de agua, potencial mátrico o conductividad eléctrica de la solución del suelo. Está disponible en una versión ligera que trabaja con ficheros XML y una versión completa que centraliza los datos en una base SQL. Una robusta interface de importación-exportación de datos permite comunicar ambas versiones.[EN]: Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is a widely used technique that allows real time estimation of soil volumetric water content (θ), and bulk electrical conductivity (σa). This work presents an enhanced release of TDR-Lab, software which controls instrumentation for measurements of θ and σa. TDR-Lab 2.0 supports three different TDR equipments and can be connected to a multiplexing system (SDMX50, Campbell Sci). Graphical or numerical methods can be used for the estimation of θ and σa. Additional features to carry out water-surface-level measurements such as matric potential and soil solution electrical conductivity are also available. A little and a full release, for field and laboratory applications have been developed. The light version works with XML-files instead of the SQL database engine of the extended TDRLab. A robust import/export graphical user interface facilitates transferring projects between the centralized SQL database and XML files.This research was supported by the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia of Spain (grant AGL2010-22050-C03-02) and DGA- Obra social La Caixa (Grants: 2012/ GA LC 074).Peer reviewe

Lobophorin K, a new natural product with cytotoxic activity produced by Streptomyces sp. M-207 associated with the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa

The present article describes the isolation of a new natural product of the lobophorin family, designated as lobophorin K (1), from cultures of the marine actinobacteria Streptomyces sp. M-207, previously isolated from the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa collected at 1800 m depth during an expedition to the submarine Avilés Canyon. Its structure was determined using a combination of spectroscopic techniques, mainly ESI-TOF MS and 1D and 2D NMR. This new natural product displayed cytotoxic activity against two human tumor cell lines, such as pancreatic carcinoma (MiaPaca-2) and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7). Lobophorin K also displayed moderate and selective antibiotic activity against pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus

Dioxin receptor adjusts liver regeneration after acute toxic injury and protects against liver carcinogenesis

El receptor de hidrocarburos arilo (AhR) desempeña funciones en la proliferación celular, la diferenciación y la homeostasis de los órganos, incluido el hígado. El agotamiento de AhR induce indiferenciación y pluripotencia en células normales y transformadas. Aquí, los ratones AhR-nulos (AhR - / -) se usaron para explorar si AhR controla la regeneración hepática y la carcinogénesis al restringir la expansión de células similares a tallos y la expresión de genes de pluripotencia. El daño hepático a corto plazo de CCl4 fue más temprano y se reparó de manera más eficiente en los ratones AhR - / - que en los ratones AhR + / +. Las células CK14 + y TBX3 + y las células OCT4 + y NANOG + que expresan pluripotencia se expandieron antes en AhR - / - que en los hígados regeneradores AhR + / +. Las células de la población del lado del tallo (SP) aisladas de los hígados AhR - / - tuvieron una señalización aumentada de β-catenina (β-Cat) con sobreexpresión de Axin2, Dkk1 y Cyclin D1. Curiosamente, β-Cat, Axin2 y Dkk1 también aumentaron durante la regeneración, pero más notablemente en los hígados AhR-nulos. La carcinogénesis hepática inducida por dietilnitrosamina (DEN) produjo carcinomas grandes en todos los ratones AhR - / - pero en su mayoría adenomas premalignos en menos de la mitad de los ratones AhR + / +. El tejido tumoral AhR-nulo, pero no su parénquima no tumoral circundante, tenía sobreexpresión de β-Cat y Axin2 nuclear. Sin embargo, OCT4 y NANOG se expresaron de manera similar en las lesiones AhR + / + y AhR - / -. Sugerimos que la AhR puede servir para ajustar la reparación del hígado y para bloquear la tumorigénesis mediante la modulación de células similares al tallo y la señalización de β-Cat.The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) has roles in cell proliferation, differentiation and organ homeostasis, including the liver. AhR depletion induces undifferentiation and pluripotency in normal and transformed cells. Here, AhR-null mice (AhR−/−) were used to explore whether AhR controls liver regeneration and carcinogenesis by restricting the expansion of stem-like cells and the expression of pluripotency genes. Short-term CCl4 liver damage was earlier and more efficiently repaired in AhR−/− than in AhR+/+ mice. Stem-like CK14 + and TBX3 + and pluripotency-expressing OCT4 + and NANOG + cells expanded sooner in AhR−/− than in AhR+/+ regenerating livers. Stem-like side population cells (SP) isolated from AhR−/− livers had increased β-catenin (β-Cat) signaling with overexpression of Axin2, Dkk1 and Cyclin D1. Interestingly, β-Cat, Axin2 and Dkk1 also increased during regeneration but more notably in AhR-null livers. Liver carcinogenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) produced large carcinomas in all AhR−/− mice but mostly premalignant adenomas in less than half of AhR+/+ mice. AhR-null tumoral tissue, but not their surrounding non-tumoral parenchyma, had nuclear β-Cat and Axin2 overexpression. OCT4 and NANOG were nevertheless similarly expressed in AhR+/+ and AhR−/− lesions. We suggest that AhR may serve to adjust liver repair and to block tumorigenesis by modulating stem-like cells and β-Cat signaling.• Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Proyecto SAF2014-51813-R (I+D+i), para Pedro María Fernández Salguero • Junta de Extremadura. Proyecto Ayudas GR15008 e IB16210, para Pedro María Fernández Salguero • Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Cáncer (RTICC), Instituto Carlos III, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España (RD12 / 0036/0032), para Pedro María Fernández Salguero • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Ayuda para Nuria Moreno Marín • Junta de Extremadura. Ayuda para Antonio Morales Hernández • Junta de Extremadura. Ayuda para Eva María Barrasa Ardila • Junta de Extremadura. Ayuda para Beroé Paniagua Quiñones • Todos las ayudas españolas son copatrocinadas por el Programa FEDER, de la Unión EuropeapeerReviewe

Recensiones [Revista de Historia Económica Año X Invierno 1992 n. 1 pp. 147-189]

Editada en la Universidad Carlos IIICarlos Llorca Baus. La Compañía Trasatlántica en las Campañas de Ultramar. (Por Eugenio Torres Villanueva).-- Stephan Haggard. Pathways from the Periphery. The Politics of Growth in the Newly Industrializing Countries. (Por Pablo Bustelo).-- Joám Carmona Badía. El atraso industrial de Galicia. Auge y liquidación de las manufacturas textiles (1750-1900). (Por Concepción de Castro).-- Francisco Comín Comín. Hacienda y Economía en la España Contemporánea (1800-1936). (Por Juan Hernández Andreu).-- Anthony de Jasay. Social Contract, Free Ride. (Por Carlos Rodríguez Braun.).-- José Luis Cardoso. O pensamiento económico em Portugal nos fináis do século XVIII, 1780-1808. (Por Luis Perdices Blas).-- Gottfried Plumpe. Die I. G. Farbenindustrie AG. Wirtschaft, Technik und Politik, 1904-1945. (Por Nuria Puig).-- Alfonso Sánchez Hormigo. Valentín Andrés Álvarez (Un economista del 27). (Por Juan Velarde Fuertes).-- Alfred W. Crosby. Imperialismo ecológico. La expansión biológica de Europa, 900-1900. (Por José Domingo Sánchez Martínez).-- Julián Casanova. La historia social y los historiadores. (Por Eloy Fernández Clemente).-- Manuel Lucena Salmoral. Características del comercio exterior de la provincia de Caracas durante el sexenio revolucionario (1807-1812). (Por Emiliano Gil Blanco.).-- Michael Kitson y Solomos Solomou. Protectionism and Economic Revival: the British Interwar Economy. (Por Concha Betrán Pérez)Publicad

Agreement and differential use of laboratory methods for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in experimentally infected animals

Rodents are widely used for the development of COVID-19-like animal models, the virological outcome being determined through several laboratory methods reported in the literature. Our objective was to assess the agreement between methods performed on different sample types from 342 rodents experimentally infected with SARS-CoV-2 (289 golden Syrian hamsters and 53 K18-hACE2 mice). Our results showed moderate agreement between methods detecting active viral replication, and that increasing viral loads determined by either RT-qPCR or infectious viral titration corresponded to increasing immunohistochemical scores. The percentage of agreement between methods decreased over experimental time points, and we observed poor agreement between RT-qPCR results and viral titration from oropharyngeal swabs. In conclusion, RT-qPCR and viral titration on tissue homogenates are the most reliable techniques to determine the presence and replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the early and peak phases of infection, and immunohistochemistry is valuable to evaluate viral distribution patterns in the infected tissues.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Susceptibility of Domestic Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) to Experimental Infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.351/Beta Variant

A wide range of animal species are susceptible to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Natural and/or experimental infections have been reported in pet, zoo, farmed and wild animals. Interestingly, some SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as B.1.1.7/Alpha, B.1.351/Beta, and B.1.1.529/Omicron, were demonstrated to infect some animal species not susceptible to classical viral variants. The present study aimed to elucidate if goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) are susceptible to the B.1.351/Beta variant. First, an in silico approach was used to predict the affinity between the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351/Beta variant and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 from goats. Moreover, we performed an experimental inoculation with this variant in domestic goat and showed evidence of infection. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in nasal swabs and tissues by RT-qPCR and/or immunohistochemistry, and seroneutralisation was confirmed via ELISA and live virus neutralisation assays. However, the viral amount and tissue distribution suggest a low susceptibility of goats to the B.1.351/Beta variant. Therefore, although monitoring livestock is advisable, it is unlikely that goats play a role as SARS-CoV-2 reservoir species, and they are not useful surrogates to study SARS-CoV-2 infection in farmed animals.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio