Application of Biochar for the Restoration of Metal(loid)s Contaminated Soils

Funding: The work has been supported by funds from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness through the Project “CTM2017-86504-R”, and by Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universitiesam trought Research Project “RTI2018-094327-B-I00”.Biochar has recently aroused great interest for the restoration of contaminated soils since it improves soil properties and induces the immobilization of pollutants. This study evaluates the use of biochar from plant pruning, applied as an amendment, for immobilizing metal(loid)s in a highly contaminated soil as well as for reducing the phytotoxicity of these pollutants by promoting natural revegetation. For this purpose, a bioassay with Trifolium pratense L. was used to test the effectiveness of the soil amendment in greenhouse conditions. Three treatments were carried out including soil contaminated with metal(loid)s (RA), and this soil was amended with biochar at different dosage: 4% (RA4B) and 8% (RA8B). A non-contaminated soil (NC) from a nearby area not affected by contamination was used as a control. The results show that biochar increased soil pH by several units depending on the dose used, 8% being the most effective one. Biochar treatments also reduced soluble and bioavailable forms of Zn and Cu. Likewise, phytotoxicity was significantly reduced, promoting seed germination and biomass with plant growth values similar to the non-polluted soil. In light of the results obtained, the evaluation of the bioremediation potential of biochar under field conditions can be considered.Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universitiesam trought Research Project RTI2018-094327-B-I00Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Gobierno de España CTM2017-86504-

Application of biochar for the restoration of metal(loid)s contaminated soils

Biochar has recently aroused great interest for the restoration of contaminated soils since it improves soil properties and induces the immobilization of pollutants. This study evaluates the use of biochar from plant pruning, applied as an amendment, for immobilizing metal(loid)s in a highly contaminated soil as well as for reducing the phytotoxicity of these pollutants by promoting natural revegetation. For this purpose, a bioassay with Trifolium pratense L. was used to test the effectiveness of the soil amendment in greenhouse conditions. Three treatments were carried out including soil contaminated with metal(loid)s (RA), and this soil was amended with biochar at different dosage: 4% (RA4B) and 8% (RA8B). A non-contaminated soil (NC) from a nearby area not affected by contamination was used as a control. The results show that biochar increased soil pH by several units depending on the dose used, 8% being the most effective one. Biochar treatments also reduced soluble and bioavailable forms of Zn and Cu. Likewise, phytotoxicity was significantly reduced, promoting seed germination and biomass with plant growth values similar to the nonpolluted soil. In light of the results obtained, the evaluation of the bioremediation potential of biochar under field conditions can be considere

Assessment of different spent mushroom substrates to bioremediate soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons

Bioremediation techniques are being developed as substitutes for physical–chemical methodologies that are expensive and not sustainable. For example, using the agricultural waste spent mushroom substrate (SMS) which contains valuable microbiota for soil bioremediation. In this work, SMSs of four cultivated fungal species, Pleurotus eryngii, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Agaricus bisporus were evaluated for the bioremediation of soils contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs). The bioremediation test was carried out by mixing the four different SMSs with the TPH-contaminated soil in comparison with an unamended soil control to assess its natural attenuation. To determine the most efficient bioremediation strategy, hydrolase, dehydrogenase, and ligninolytic activities, ergosterol content, and percentage of TPHs degradation (total and by chains) were determined at the end of the assay at 40 days. The application of SMS significantly improved the degradation of TPHs with respect to the control. The most effective spent mushroom substrate to degrade TPHs was A. bisporus, followed by L. edodes and P. ostreatus. Similar results were obtained for the removal of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. The results showed the effectiveness of SMS to remove aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons from C10 to C35. This work demonstrates an alternative to valorizing an abundant agricultural waste as SMS to bioremediate contaminated soil

Design of a hydroponic test to evaluate the biostimulant potential of new organic and organomineral products

Currently, the use of biostimulants is increasing due to the need for greater productivity in agriculture. The European Union presented a new fertilizer regulation, UE 2019/1009, appearing for the first time the concept of biostimulants. Its main objective is to improve the efficiency of plants in the absorption and assimilation of nutrients or their tolerance to biotic or abiotic stresses, regardless of the nutrient content of the product. The objective of this work consisted in the development of a methodology to test in a short-term experiment the efficiency of commercial products as potential biostimulants in a crop of Capsicum annuum L. in strictly hydroponic conditions. Plants were irrigated with the respective product at the recommended dose in water, without the addition of other nutritional sources for 15 days. At the end of the test, the weights of the root and aerial part, the humidity, the chlorophyll indexes, and nutritional leaf content, as well as the volume and morphology of the roots and plants were obtained to evaluate the biostimulant effects on the plant growth and development. The water consumption was also evaluated to analyze whether any of the products generates greater water savings. The study concluded that the nutritive solutions with biostimulants produced a greater increase in the weight of the plant and a lower percentage of leaf moisture, as well as higher values of leaf chlorophyll. On the other hand, it was humic, fulvic, and algae biostimulants that presented the best values in terms of water savings. The methodology developed could be set to test in the short term the biostimulant potential of new productsThis research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sector

Las tutorías académicas en carreras de ingeniería: una visión actual

In the subjects of engineering degrees, with abundant technical content, academic tutoring is an important tool for the teaching/learning process that is often considered underutilized. The aim of this paper is to analyze the different factors that influence the use of tutoring. To do this, a questionnaire was applied to a sample of students from technical careers at the University of Burgos. It provided information on the profile of students, the frequency and number of subjects where they went for tutoring, factors influencing tutoring relative to the subjects, the teacher or other causes, and it also contained an attitude scale towards tutoring.The study shows that attendance to tutoring sessions is strongly influenced by the student workload, by the difficulty of each subject, by the frequency of evaluation proofs, and by personal and teaching competencies of the teacher. It also shows that students are secure with tutoring, but unmotivated and uninterested. The youngest students present insecurity when attending tutoring, which they overcome by being accompanied. Meanwhile, the lack of motivation or lack of interest is general and it is the pragmatism of approving their studies which guides the actions of the students. To improve this, it is proposed to enhance specific social skills within the teaching staff or the development of monitoring/evaluation activities that promote student engagement in their academic evolution and in their professional future.En las asignaturas de carreras de ingeniería, en las que abundan los contenidos técnicos, las tutorías académicas suponen una importante herramienta de enseñanza/aprendizaje a menudo infrautilizada. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar los diferentes factores que influyen en el aprovechamiento de las tutorías. Para ello se aplicó un cuestionario sobre una muestra de estudiantes de distintas titulaciones técnicas de la Universidad de Burgos. En él se recogía información sobre el perfil del alumnado, la frecuencia y número de asignaturas a las que habían acudido a tutorías, factores que influyen en ésta relativos a las asignaturas, al docente o a otras causas, y contenía, asimismo, una escala de actitudes hacia las tutorías. El estudio muestra que la asistencia a tutorías se ve fuertemente influenciada por la carga de trabajo del estudiante, por la dificultad del contenido de cada asignatura, por la abundancia de pruebas de evaluación y por las capacidades docentes y personales del profesorado. Muestra asimismo un alumnado seguro pero desmotivado/desinteresado: es el alumnado más joven el que presenta inseguridad a la hora de acudir a tutorías, la cual vencen acudiendo en grupo; mientras que la desmotivación o falta de interés es general, y es el pragmatismo de aprobar sus estudios el que guía las acciones de los estudiantes. Como acciones de mejora se propone la potenciación de habilidades sociales específicas en el profesorado, así como el desarrollo de actividades de seguimiento/evaluación que fomenten el compromiso de los estudiantes con su devenir académico y su futuro profesional

Escala de actitudes de los estudiantes universitarios hacia las tutorías académicas

En el marco del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior el tradicional concepto de tutoría ha de evolucionar para convertirse en un instrumento más completo de orientación y personalización del aprendizaje. Son varias las facetas que ha de abarcar la tutoría, las cuales pueden agruparse en tres:académica o de apoyo a los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje del alumno, curricular o de orientación a la hora de elegir su itinerario académico y profesional, y personal o de asesoría respecto a su desarrollo integral. Así, en las universidades se están implantando programas de tutoría personal o de tutoríaentre iguales que complementan a las tutorías académicas. Estas últimas, desarrolladas por los profesores de las distintas asignaturas, han de sufrir una revalorización como un factor de calidad dentro de este modelo de docencia centrada en el estudiante. Para lograr este progreso es preciso un cambio nosolo metodológico, sino también actitudinal por parte de profesores y alumnos. El propósito del presente trabajo es elaborar una escala de actitudes de los estudiantes hacia las tutorías académicas que permita desarrollar futuras investigaciones y acciones encaminadas a conocer, monitorizar o mejorar la función tutorial. El estudio se ha ceñido a estudiantes de carreras de ingeniería y como resultado se ha obtenido una escala de 16 ítems. Distintas pruebas y medidas han puesto de manifiesto su consistencia interna y fiabilidad. Tras un análisis factorial con rotación de factores se han identificado tres dimensiones: aspectos de seguridad/confianza, de motivación/interés personal y de utilidad para la asignatura. El paralelismo entre estas dimensiones con las facetas tutoriales que la perspectiva de enseñanza-aprendizaje centrada en el estudiante requiere confirma la necesidad de implantación de este nuevo modelo de tutoría

Enhancement of methane production from livestock manure with pre-treatments based in fungi of genus Pleurotus

Livestock manure, traditionally used just as fertilizer, can be energetically valued to produce biogas as an attractive alternative, since nowadays, energy production and its cost stands for a pressing problem around the world. Nevertheless, the presence of lignin in manure hinders the production of methane. This could be improved by pre-treating the manure with ligninolytic fungi, able to break lignin and therefore facilitate the hydrolysis step for the hydrolytic bacteria, yielding higher volumes of biomethane. Three strategies of incubation with living fungi of genus Pleurotus were evaluated to enhance methane production from livestock manure mixed with bedding material: short term (two weeks 2L container) and long term (two months 400 L container) and 24 h (2 L container) with a crude water extraction of Pleurotus extracellular enzymes. The positive effect of the fungal treatment was observed in the three strategies obtaining an increase in methane production with respect to the control manure of 7% at short term, 111% at long term and 173% (crude enzymatic extract). Consequently, the strategy of using crude enzyme extracts from Pleurotus to improve hydrolysis step as pre-treatment of manure should be considered as a novel, easy, cheap and promising tool to optimize methane productionThis research was funded by a contract with the company Kepler Ingeniería y Ecogestión SL managed by Foundation from University Autónoma of Madrid (FUAM) and with reference 01091

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140364

The fate of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in amended soils remains unclear, moreover in basic soils. This work aimed to assess the adsorption, leaching, and biodegradation of sulfamethoxazole in unamended and biochar from holm oak pruning (BC)- and green compost from urban pruning (CG)-amended basic soil. Adsorption properties of the organic amendments and soil were determined by adsorption isotherms of sulfamethoxazole. The leachability of this antibiotic from unamended (Soil) and BC- (Soil + BC) and GC- (Soil + GC) amended soil was determined by leaching columns using water as solvent up to 250 mL. Finally, Soil, Soil + BC, and Soil + GC were spiked with sulfamethoxazole and incubated for 42 days. The degradation rate and microbial activity were periodically monitored. Adsorption isotherms showed poor adsorption of sulfamethoxazole in unamended basic soil. BC and CG showed good adsorption capacity. Soil + BC and Soil + GC increased the sulfamethoxazole adsorption capacity of the soil. The low sulfamethoxazole adsorption of Soil produced quick and intense sulfamethoxazole leaching. Soil + BC reduced the sulfamethoxazole leaching, unlike to Soil + GC which enhanced it concerning Soil. The pH of adsorption isotherms and leachates indicate that the anion of sulfamethoxazole was the major specie in unamended and amended soil. CG enhanced the microbial activity of the soil and promoted the degradability of sulfamethoxazole. In contrast, the high adsorption and low biostimulation effect of BC in soil reduced the degradation of sulfamethoxazole. The half-life of sulfamethoxazole was 2.6, 6.9, and 11.9 days for Soil + GC, Soil, and Soil + BC, respectively. This work shows the benefits and risks of two organic amendments, BC and GC, for the environmental fate of sulfamethoxazole. The different nature of the organic carbon of the amendments was responsible for the different effects on the soilPDC 2021-120744-I0

Brain Structural Correlates of Reward Sensitivity and Impulsivity in Adolescents with Normal and Excess Weight

Introduction: Neuroscience evidence suggests that adolescent obesity is linked to brain dysfunctions associated with enhanced reward and somatosensory processing and reduced impulse control during food processing. Comparatively less is known about the role of more stable brain structural measures and their link to personality traits and neuropsychological factors on the presentation of adolescent obesity. Here we aimed to investigate regional brain anatomy in adolescents with excess weight vs. lean controls. We also aimed to contrast the associations between brain structure and personality and cognitive measures in both groups. Methods: Fifty-two adolescents (16 with normal weight and 36 with excess weight) were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging and completed the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), the UPPS-P scale, and the Stroop task. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to assess possible between-group differences in regional gray matter (GM) and to measure the putative differences in the way reward and punishment sensitivity, impulsivity and inhibitory control relate to regional GM volumes, which were analyzed using both region of interest (ROI) and whole brain analyses. The ROIs included areas involved in reward/somatosensory processing (striatum, somatosensory cortices) and motivation/impulse control (hippocampus, prefrontal cortex). Results: Excess weight adolescents showed increased GM volume in the right hippocampus. Voxel-wise volumes of the second somatosensory cortex (SII) were correlated with reward sensitivity and positive urgency in lean controls, but this association was missed in excess weight adolescents. Moreover, Stroop performance correlated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volumes in controls but not in excess weight adolescents. Conclusion: Adolescents with excess weight have structural abnormalities in brain regions associated with somatosensory processing and motivation

Conocimiento y aplicación de la política de seguridad del paciente por el personal de enfermería, para la prevención y reporte del evento adverso en un hospital de segundo nivel en Cundinamarca

Objective To determine the effect of an educational intervention on the knowledge and application of the patient safety policy by the nursing staff, for the prevention and reporting of medical errors in a second level Hospital in Cundinamarca. Methodology Quantitative, quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest single group design. 40 participants within the nursing staff of the different services of the Hospital; this research considered the ethical considerations for health research. A pretest and posttest were elaborated based on the statistical report of the most frequent Medical Errors (ME) and the educational intervention, and a paired U Mann-Whitney test was applied.     Results With this study it can be affirmed that the existence of ME’s at the assistance level is caused by unsafe actions in care, executed by health professionals in the midst of the high workload. With the pairing of the pre- and post-test, no significant differences were obtained, but it can be inferred that the implementation of educational strategies is an important support in the performance of the different procedures for the prevention of ME. Conclusion It is affirmed that nursing care has implicit in their work, the prevention of medical errors, these must be articulated in turn with the availability of institutional resources (human, infrastructure, and materials, among others) that strengthen the patient safety policy, reduce the risk of incidents, and promote quality care and safe care.Objetivo Determinar el efecto de una intervención educativa sobre el conocimiento y la aplicación de la política de seguridad del paciente por el personal de enfermería, para la prevención y reporte del evento adverso en un Hospital de segundo nivel en Cundinamarca. Metodología Estudio cuantitativo, cuasi experimental con diseño pretest – postest de grupo único. 40 participantes dentro del personal de Enfermería de los diferentes servicios del Hospital; esta investigación tuvo en cuenta las consideraciones éticas para la Investigación en salud. Se elaboró un pre y pos-test a partir del reporte estadístico de eventos adversos de mayor frecuencia y la intervención educativa, con ello se aplicó una prueba U de Mann-Whitney apareada. Resultados Con este estudio se puede afirmar que la existencia de EA a nivel asistencial es causada por las acciones inseguras en la atención, ejecutadas por los profesionales de salud en medio del cumplimiento de la alta carga laboral. Con el apareamiento del pre y pos-test no se obtuvieron diferencias significativas, pero se infiere que la implementación de estrategias educativas son un importante soporte en la realización de los diferentes procedimientos para la prevención del evento adverso. Conclusión Se afirma que el cuidado de enfermería lleva implícito en su quehacer, la prevención de los eventos adversos, estos deben articularse a su vez con una disponibilidad de recursos Institucionales (humanos, de infraestructura y materiales, entre otros) que fortalezcan la política de seguridad del paciente, disminuyan el riesgo de incidentes y promuevan un cuidado de calidad y una atención segura