13 research outputs found
Mitigation of phytotoxic effect of compost by application of optimized aqueous extraction protocols
The abuse of chemical fertilizers in recent decades has led the promotion of less harmful alternatives, such as compost
or aqueous extracts obtained from it. Therefore, it is essential to develop liquid biofertilizers, which in addition of
being stable and useful for fertigation and foliar application in intensive agriculture had a remarkable phytostimulant
extracts. For this purpose, a collection of aqueous extracts was obtained by applying four different Compost Extraction
Protocols (CEP1, CEP2, CEP3, CEP4) in terms of incubation time, temperature and agitation of compost samples from
agri-food waste, olive mill waste, sewage sludge and vegetable waste. Subsequently, a physicochemical characterization
of the obtained set was performed in which pH, electrical conductivity and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) were measured.
In addition, a biological characterization was also carried out by calculating the Germination Index (GI) and
determining the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5). Furthermore, functional diversity was studied using the Biolog
EcoPlates technique. The results obtained confirmed the great heterogeneity of the selected raw materials. However,
it was observed that the less aggressive treatments in terms of temperature and incubation time, such as CEP1 (48 h,
room temperature (RT)) or CEP4 (14 days, RT), provided aqueous compost extracts with better phytostimulant characteristics
than the starting composts. It was even possible to find a compost extraction protocol that maximize the beneficial
effects of compost. This was the case of CEP1, which improved the GI and reduced the phytotoxicity in most of
the raw materials analyzed. Therefore, the use of this type of liquid organic amendment could mitigate the phytotoxic
effect of several composts being a good alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers
Phylogenomics and the rise of the angiosperms
Angiosperms are the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and human livelihoods1,2. A robust understanding of angiosperm evolution is required to explain their rise to ecological dominance. So far, the angiosperm tree of life has been determined primarily by means of analyses of the plastid genome3,4. Many studies have drawn on this foundational work, such as classification and first insights into angiosperm diversification since their Mesozoic origins5,6,7. However, the limited and biased sampling of both taxa and genomes undermines confidence in the tree and its implications. Here, we build the tree of life for almost 8,000 (about 60%) angiosperm genera using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes8. This 15-fold increase in genus-level sampling relative to comparable nuclear studies9 provides a critical test of earlier results and brings notable change to key groups, especially in rosids, while substantiating many previously predicted relationships. Scaling this tree to time using 200 fossils, we discovered that early angiosperm evolution was characterized by high gene tree conflict and explosive diversification, giving rise to more than 80% of extant angiosperm orders. Steady diversification ensued through the remaining Mesozoic Era until rates resurged in the Cenozoic Era, concurrent with decreasing global temperatures and tightly linked with gene tree conflict. Taken together, our extensive sampling combined with advanced phylogenomic methods shows the deep history and full complexity in the evolution of a megadiverse clade
Seed biopriming with cyanobacterial extracts as an eco- friendly strategy to control damping off caused by Pythium ultimum in seedbeds
This work highlights the ability of various cyanobacterial
extracts from Anabaena spp., Tolypothrix spp., Nostoc or
Trichormus, among others genera, to control the incidence of
damping-off caused by Pythium ultimum in cucumber seedlings.
Protocols applied aimed at the preliminary characterization of the
cyanobacterial collection were very useful for predicting their
phytotoxic, phytostimulating and biopesticidal capacity. First, the
phytostimulatory or phytotoxic potential of a collection of 31
sonicated cyanobacterial extracts was analyzed by calculating
the germination index in watercress seeds and the increase or
loss of seedling weight. Likewise, the collection was
characterized according to its ability to inhibit the growth of P.
ultimum by dual culture bioassays and detached-leaf test.
Finally, after selecting the most effective extracts, a preventive
damping-off bioassay was performed based on cucumber seed
biopriming. The strain SAB-M465 showed to be the most efficient
strain against the in vitro growth of P. ultimum, while SAB-B912
was more discreet in this regard, but proved to be the most
effective as a germination stimulator. Seed biopriming strategy
with sonicated extracts of cyanobacteria revealed a remarkable
promoter effect in the early stages of plant development,
although only SAB-M465 was positioned as an effective control
agent against damping-off caused by P. ultimum in cucumber
seedbeds
Networking for advanced molecular diagnosis in acute myeloid leukemia patients is possible: the PETHEMA NGS-AML project
Next-Generation Sequencing has recently been introduced to efficiently and simultaneously detect genetic variations in acute myeloid leukemia. However, its implementation in the clinical routine raises new challenges focused on the diversity of assays and variant reporting criteria. To overcome this challenge, the PETHEMA group established a nationwide network of reference laboratories aimed to deliver molecular results in the clinics. We report the technical cross-validation results for next-generation sequencing panel genes during the standardization process and the clinical validation in 823 samples of 751 patients with newly diagnosed or refractory/relapse acute myeloid leukemia. Two cross-validation rounds were performed in seven nationwide reference laboratories in order to reach a consensus regarding quality metrics criteria and variant reporting. In the pre-standardization cross-validation round, an overall concordance of 60.98% was obtained with a great variability in selected genes and conditions across laboratories. After consensus of relevant genes and optimization of quality parameters the overall concordance rose to 85.57% in the second cross-validation round. We show that a diagnostic network with harmonized next-generation sequencing analysis and reporting in seven experienced laboratories is feasible in the context of a scientific group
Networking for advanced molecular diagnosis in acute myeloid leukemia patients is possible: the PETHEMA NGS-AML project
Next-Generation Sequencing has recently been introduced to efficiently and simultaneously detect genetic variations in acute myeloid leukemia. However, its implementation in the clinical routine raises new challenges focused on the diversity of assays and variant reporting criteria. To overcome this challenge, the PETHEMA group established a nationwide network of reference laboratories aimed to deliver molecular results in the clinics. We report the technical cross-validation results for next-generation sequencing panel genes during the standardization process and the clinical validation in 823 samples of 751 patients with newly diagnosed or refractory/relapse acute myeloid leukemia. Two cross-validation rounds were performed in seven nationwide reference laboratories in order to reach a consensus regarding quality metrics criteria and variant reporting. In the pre-standardization cross-validation round, an overall concordance of 60.98% was obtained with a great variability in selected genes and conditions across laboratories. After consensus of relevant genes and optimization of quality parameters the overall concordance rose to 85.57% in the second cross-validation round. We show that a diagnostic network with harmonized next-generation sequencing analysis and reporting in seven experienced laboratories is feasible in the context of a scientific group
Immunocompromised patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome : Secondary analysis of the LUNG SAFE database
The aim of this study was to describe data on epidemiology, ventilatory management, and outcome of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in immunocompromised patients. Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis on the cohort of immunocompromised patients enrolled in the Large Observational Study to Understand the Global Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Failure (LUNG SAFE) study. The LUNG SAFE study was an international, prospective study including hypoxemic patients in 459 ICUs from 50 countries across 5 continents. Results: Of 2813 patients with ARDS, 584 (20.8%) were immunocompromised, 38.9% of whom had an unspecified cause. Pneumonia, nonpulmonary sepsis, and noncardiogenic shock were their most common risk factors for ARDS. Hospital mortality was higher in immunocompromised than in immunocompetent patients (52.4% vs 36.2%; p < 0.0001), despite similar severity of ARDS. Decisions regarding limiting life-sustaining measures were significantly more frequent in immunocompromised patients (27.1% vs 18.6%; p < 0.0001). Use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) as first-line treatment was higher in immunocompromised patients (20.9% vs 15.9%; p = 0.0048), and immunodeficiency remained independently associated with the use of NIV after adjustment for confounders. Forty-eight percent of the patients treated with NIV were intubated, and their mortality was not different from that of the patients invasively ventilated ab initio. Conclusions: Immunosuppression is frequent in patients with ARDS, and infections are the main risk factors for ARDS in these immunocompromised patients. Their management differs from that of immunocompetent patients, particularly the greater use of NIV as first-line ventilation strategy. Compared with immunocompetent subjects, they have higher mortality regardless of ARDS severity as well as a higher frequency of limitation of life-sustaining measures. Nonetheless, nearly half of these patients survive to hospital discharge. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02010073. Registered on 12 December 2013
Phylogenomics and the rise of the angiosperms
Angiosperms are the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and human livelihoods1,2. A robust understanding of angiosperm evolution is required to explain their rise to ecological dominance. So far, the angiosperm tree of life has been determined primarily by means of analyses of the plastid genome3,4. Many studies have drawn on this foundational work, such as classification and first insights into angiosperm diversification since their Mesozoic origins5,6,7. However, the limited and biased sampling of both taxa and genomes undermines confidence in the tree and its implications. Here, we build the tree of life for almost 8,000 (about 60%) angiosperm genera using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes8. This 15-fold increase in genus-level sampling relative to comparable nuclear studies9 provides a critical test of earlier results and brings notable change to key groups, especially in rosids, while substantiating many previously predicted relationships. Scaling this tree to time using 200 fossils, we discovered that early angiosperm evolution was characterized by high gene tree conflict and explosive diversification, giving rise to more than 80% of extant angiosperm orders. Steady diversification ensued through the remaining Mesozoic Era until rates resurged in the Cenozoic Era, concurrent with decreasing global temperatures and tightly linked with gene tree conflict. Taken together, our extensive sampling combined with advanced phylogenomic methods shows the deep history and full complexity in the evolution of a megadiverse clade