966 research outputs found
Proposed Methodology to Evaluate CO2 Capture Using Construction and DemolitionWaste
Since the Industrial Revolution, levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have been constantly
growing, producing an increase in the average global temperature. One of the options for Carbon
Capture and Storage is mineral carbonation. The results of this process of fixing are the safest in
the long term, but the main obstacle for mineral carbonation is the ability to do it economically in
terms of both money and energy cost. The present study outlines a methodological sequence to
evaluate the possibility for the carbonation of ceramic construction waste (brick, concrete, tiles) under
surface conditions for a short period of time. The proposed methodology includes a pre-selection of
samples using the characterization of chemical and mineralogical conditions and in situ carbonation.
The second part of the methodology is the carbonation tests in samples selected at 10 and 1 bar
of pressure. The relative humidity during the reaction was 20 wt %, and the reaction time ranged
from 24 h to 30 days. To show the e ectiveness of the proposed methodology, Ca-rich bricks were
used, which are rich in silicates of calcium or magnesium. The results of this study showed that
calcite formation is associated with the partial destruction of Ca silicates, and that carbonation was
proportional to reaction time. The calculated capture e ciency was proportional to the reaction time,
whereas carbonation did not seem to significantly depend on particle size in the studied conditions.
The studies obtained at a low pressure for the total sample were very similar to those obtained for
finer fractions at 10 bars. Presented results highlight the utility of the proposed methodology
Potential control of forest diseases by solutions of chitosan oligomers, propolis and nanosilver
ProducciĂłn CientĂficaThere is a growing necessity to replace chemical agents with ecofriendly materials, arising from the impact on the environment and/or human health, which calls for the design of new broad-spectrum fungicides. In this work, chitosan oligomers (COs), propolis (Ps) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) mixtures in solution were assessed to control the growth of different phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes in vitro. Binary solutions of COs-Ps and COs-AgNPs evinced the highest antifungal effect against Fusarium circinatum and Diplodia pinea fungi, respectively, with a ca. 80% reduction in their mycelial growth. The COs solution by itself also proved to be greatly effective against Gremmeniella abietina, Cryphonectria parasitica and Heterobasidion annosum fungi, causing a reduction of 78%, 86% and 93% in their growth rate, respectively. Likewise, COs also attained a 100% growth inhibition on the oomycete Phytophthora cambivora. On the other hand, Ps inhibited totally the growth of Phytophthora Ăalni and Phytophthora plurivora. The application of AgNPs reduced the mycelial growth of F. circinatum and D. pinea. However, the AgNPs in some binary and ternary mixtures had a counter-productive effect on the anti-fungal/oomycete activity. In spite of the fact that the anti-fungal/oomycete activity of the different treatments showed a dependence on the particular type of microorganism, these solutions based on natural compounds can be deemed as a promising tool for control of tree diseases.European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Action FP1406 PINESTRENGTH)Ministerio de EconomĂa, Industria y Competitividad - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (project AGL2015-69370-R
Biorefineries: Achievements and challenges for a bio-based economy
Funding
This work was supported by a project (FQM-176) financed
by the Junta de AndalucĂa. FM-M, acknowledges the support
from the Global Challenges Research Fund from Swansea
University, and from the Royal Society of Chemistry
Enablement Grant (E21-7051491439).Climate change, socioeconomical pressures, and new policy and legislation are
driving a decarbonization process across industries, with a critical shift from a
fossil-based economy toward a biomass-based one. This new paradigm implies
not only a gradual phasing out of fossil fuels as a source of energy but also a
move away from crude oil as a source of platform chemicals, polymers, drugs,
solvents and many other critical materials, and consumer goods that are
ubiquitous in our everyday life. If we are to achieve the United Nationsâ
Sustainable Development Goals, crude oil must be substituted by renewable
sources, and in this evolution, biorefineries arise as the critical alternative to
traditional refineries for producing fuels, chemical building blocks, and materials
out of non-edible biomass and biomass waste. State-of-the-art biorefineries
already produce cost-competitive chemicals and materials, but other products
remain challenging from the economic point of view, or their scaled-up
production processes are still not sufficiently developed. In particular, ligninâs
depolymerization is a required milestone for the success of integrated
biorefineries, and better catalysts and processes must be improved to
prepare bio-based aromatic simple molecules. This review summarizes
current challenges in biorefinery systems, while it suggests possible
directions and goals for sustainable development in the years to come.Project (FQM-176) financed by the Junta de AndalucĂaGlobal Challenges Research Fund from Swansea UniversityRoyal Society of Chemistry Enablement Grant (E21-7051491439
Potential control of forest diseases by solutions of chitosan oligomers, propolis and nanosilver
There is a growing necessity to replace chemical agents with ecofriendly materials, arising from the impact on the environment and/or human health, which calls for the design of new broad-spectrum fungicides. In this work, chitosan oligomers (COs), propolis (Ps) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) mixtures in solution were assessed to control the growth of different phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes in vitro. Binary solutions of COs-Ps and COs-AgNPs evinced the highest antifungal effect against Fusarium circinatum and Diplodia pinea fungi, respectively, with a ca. 80% reduction in their mycelial growth. The COs solution by itself also proved to be greatly effective against Gremmeniella abietina, Cryphonectria parasitica and Heterobasidion annosum fungi, causing a reduction of 78%, 86% and 93% in their growth rate, respectively. Likewise, COs also attained a 100% growth inhibition on the oomycete Phytophthora cambivora. On the other hand, Ps inhibited totally the growth of Phytophthora Ăalni and Phytophthora plurivora. The application of AgNPs reduced the mycelial growth of F. circinatum and D. pinea. However, the AgNPs in some binary and ternary mixtures had a counter-productive effect on the anti-fungal/oomycete activity. In spite of the fact that the anti-fungal/oomycete activity of the different treatments showed a dependence on the particular type of microorganism, these solutions based on natural compounds can be deemed as a promising tool for control of tree diseases
Environmental change rate and dispersion pattern modulate the dynamics of evolutionary rescue of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa
The rate of biodiversity loss is so high that some scientists affirm that we are being witnesses of the sixth mass extinction. In this situation, it is necessary to ask the following question: can the organisms be able to resist the environmental changes that are taking place? Recent studies have shown the possibility of a population recovering from a stress situation through evolutionary rescue (ER) events. These events depend on the size of the population, its previous history and the rate of the environmental change. The aim of this work is to add more knowledge about the ER dynamics creating stress situations with selective agents (sulphur and salinity) and using the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa as a model organism. The experiments are based on exposing populations to severe stress and analyze the effect of previous dispersal events and deterioration rates on the
occurrence of ER events among populations. The model consists in three different rates of environmental change (constant, slow and fast; under salinity stress we only used the first two treatments) and three dispersal models (isolated, local or global). In total, 324 and 720 populations were exposed to stressful conditions caused by sulphur and salinity, respectively. The results showed that the dispersal modes and the environmental deterioration rates modulated the occurrence of ER events. It has been observed that dispersal favours ER events for both selective agents. Regarding the rate of environmental change, we observed an increase of ER events under constant changes in the populations exposed to sulphur stress. However, ER events were higher when there was previous deterioration (i.e., slow environmental change rate) under saline stress. As a conclusion, ER events in M. aeruginosa depend on selective agent, being the probability higher for salinity than for sulphur. Thus, it could be hypothesized that general conclusions in ER studies must take into account the selective agent.This work has been financially supported by the projects CGL2014- 53682-P (Ministerio de EconomĂa y Competitividad) and CGL2017-87314-P (Ministerio de EconomĂa, Industria y Competitividad), and the Universidad de MĂĄlaga, Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech
Susceptibility of Several Northeastern Conifers to Fusarium circinatum and Strategies for Biocontrol
ProducciĂłn CientĂficaFusarium circinatum, the causal of pine pitch canker disease (PPC), is now considered among
the most important pathogens of Pinaceae in the world. Although in Europe PPC is only established
in the Iberian Peninsula, the potential endangered areas cover over 10 million hectares under the
current host distribution and climatic conditions. It is therefore a priority to test the susceptibility of
those species and their provenances, within Central and Northern Europe and find biological control
agents (BCAs) against the disease. In this study, the susceptibility of Pinus sylvestris, P. mugo and
Picea abies Romanian provenances to F. circinatum was tested using three inoculum doses. In parallel,
the potential use of Trichoderma atroviride and Trichoderma viride as BCAs against F. circinatum was also
tested. This study has demonstrated, for the first time, the susceptibility of P. mugo to F. circinatum.
Likewise, the susceptibility of P. abies was also confirmed. The fact that the Romanian provenance of
P. sylvestris has not been susceptible to F. circinatum suggests genetic resistance as a potential tool to
manage the disease. This, together with the apparent effectiveness of Trichoderma species as BCAs,
seems to indicate that an integrated management of the disease might be feasible.European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Action FP1406 PINESTRENGTH)Ministerio de EconomĂa, Industria y Competitividad (projects AGL2012-39912 / AGL2015-69370-R)Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (grant SFRH/BPD/122928/2016
Effect of mycoviruses on growth, spore germination and pathogenicity of the fungus Fusarium circinatum
ProducciĂłn CientĂficaAim of the study: To assess the impact on two mycoviruses recently described in F. circinatum mitovirus 1, and 2-2 (FcMV1 and FcMV2-2) on i) mycelial growth, ii) spore germination and iii) relative necrosis.
Material and methods: Fourteen monosporic strains of F. circinatum (one of each pair infected with mycoviruses and the other without them) of the pathogen with and without viruses were selected for the assay. The statistical analysis, were a linear mixed model of analysis of variance considering one between-subjects factor (isolate) and one within-subjects factor with four levels (1=without viruses, 2=only virus FcMV1, 3=only virus FcMV2-2 and 4=both viruses).
Main results: Colony growth rates of F. circinatum isolates were significantly reduced in presence of mycoviruses (p=0.002). The spore germination was also reduced in the F. circinatum isolates containing mycovirus as compared to mycovirus-free isolates (p<0.001). No significant differences in lesion lengths caused by F. circinatum were found in relation to the presence/absence of mycovirus (p<0.61).
Research highlights: Reduction of the percentage of spore germination in the isolates of F. circinatum with mycovirus infections, as compared to free isolates, provides indications of reduction of metabolic activity and plant physiology are discussed. The lack of significant differences found in the length of the lesions caused by F. circinatum with respect to the presence/absence of mycovirus, indicates that further studies with a larger number of variables are required.Ministerio de EconomĂa, Industria y Competitividad (projects AGL2012-39912 and AGL2015- 69370-R)European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Action FP1406 PINESTRENGTH)Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (grant SFRH/BPD/122928/2016
Sequential effects of spent coffee grounds on soil physical properties
Spent coffee grounds are a bio-residue
studied as soil organic amendment and
it has been proven that it has short-term
effects on soil physical properties.
However, its sequential effects on the cultivation of clayey soils are little studied.
Therefore, an in vitro experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of increasing
doses (1%, 2%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5% and 15%) of spent coffee grounds on
the physical properties of a clayey soil in the Spanish Mediterranean area which
is rich in smectites. The addition of spent coffee grounds increased water retention
at â33 and â1500 kPa proportionally to the added amounts, but the increase
in the wilting point was much larger than the field water capacity, decreasing
the plant available water content. A non-linear
influence on the aggregate size
is demonstrated. It increased total porosity and consequently reduced soil bulk
density. This fact was reflected in the stereomicroscopy images where an increase
in the pores analysed with image analysis was observed. Furthermore, SEM images
corroborate that spent coffee grounds act intensely in the short-term
due to
the interaction between their particles and those of clay. The 5% dose acted as a
threshold dose from which the greatest effects on soil physical properties occur.
In general, the use of SCG as an organic amendment is a good sustainable solution
because it supposes a reuse of this bio-residue
(15 million tons per year), an
increase in soil organic carbon (SCG contains â 50% carbon) and an improvement
of the soil physical and chemical properties.Andalusian Ministry of Economic Transformation, Knowledge Industry and Universitie
Provenance of quartz grains from soils over Quaternary terraces along the Guadalquivir River, Spain
This work was supported by a grant from the Ministerio de EconomĂa, Industria y Competitividad de España (âMediterranean Soil Typologies versus Quartz. At the frontier of pedogenic knowledgeâ; Ref. CGL2016-80308-P). Alberto Molinero-GarcĂa acknowledges the PhD funding (BES-2017-080078) provided by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and FSE âEl FSE invierte en tu futuroâ. This work is part of the Doctoral Dissertation of Alberto Molinero-GarcĂa. We thank Dr. Mathieu Duval and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive criticism of the script and their valuable suggestions. We also acknowledge Tanya Shew for English proofreading. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUA.The characterisation of quartz grainsâ chemical and mineralogical properties in sediments and sedimentary rocks is widely used in provenance studies. This paper analyses quartz grains from the coarse sand fraction in soils in Quaternary fluvial terraces (Guadalquivir River, southern Spain). The tentative soil ages are 0.3 ka (Haplic Fluvisol), 7 ka (Haplic Calcisol), 70 ka (Cutanic Luvisol), 300 ka (Lixic Calcisol) and 600 ka (Cutanic Luvisol). The quartz grains analyses shed light on the sedimentological history of these terraces. Scanning electron microscope cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL) characteristics, micro inclusion inventory established by Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and trace element contents determined with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of quartz grains permitted distinguishing six types of grains in the soils studied: metamorphic quartz (type 1), undeformed granitic quartz (type 2), strongly altered granitic quartz (type 3), recrystallised (deformed) granitic quartz (type 4), sandstone-derived quartz (type 5) and hydrothermal quartz grains (type 6). Metamorphic quartz grains (type 1) come from the Sierra Morena (Iberian Massif) and Sierra Nevada (Internal Betic Zone). Granitic quartz grains (types 2 to 4) come from Los Pedroches batholith and its associated plutons (Santa Elena and Linares). The sandstone-derived quartz type 5 comes from the numerous sandstone outcrops scattered in the central catchment area of the Guadalquivir River. Finally, hydrothermal quartz grains (type 6) originate from hydrothermal veins associated with subvolcanic rocks of the Los Pedroches batholith. Variations were noted in the proportions of quartz types in soils of different ages, attributed to spatial and temporal changes in the catchment area. The most remarkable change occurred between 500 and 240 ka ago when the catchment area extended into Sierra NevadĂĄs metamorphic rocks, well reflected in type 1 content (lower in P2, P4, P5 and PM) and their characteristics (quartz with less healed fractures, less Al content, bigger mica microinclusions, smaller Al/Ti ratio) in the post-500â240 ka soils. Our study shows that the combined study of SEM-CL characteristics, micro inclusions (SEM-EDX), and trace element contents (LA-ICP-MS) of quartz grains is an efficient approach for characterising the provenance of quartz grains in the sand fraction of soils.CBUAMCINMediterranean Soil Typologies versus Quartz
BES-2017-080078Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of ManchesterUniversidad de GranadaMinisterio de EconomĂa, Industria y Competitividad, Gobierno de EspañaAgencia Estatal de InvestigaciĂł
Effect of mycoviruses on the virulence of Fusarium circinatum and laccase activity
ProducciĂłn CientĂficaLaccase enzymes (benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.10.3.2) play a major role in the degradation of phenolic compounds such as lignin. They are common in fungi and have been suggested to participate in host colonization by pathogenic fungi. Putative mycoviruses have recently been isolated from the causal agent of pine pitch canker disease, Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg & O'Donell. In this study, the effects of single and double mycoviral infections on laccase activity, growth rate and pathogenicity were investigated in fourteen F. circinatum strains. Extracellular laccase activity was analyzed by the Bavendamm test, image processing and a spectrophotometric method. Mycelial growth, in vivo pathogenicity and seedling survival probability were also determined in Monterrey pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) seedlings. The findings showed that (i) mycelial growth of isolates from the same fungal population was homogeneous, (ii) the presence of mycovirus appears to increase the virulence of fungal isolates, (iii) co-infection (with two mycoviruses) caused cryptic effects in fungal isolates, and (iv) laccases embody a possible auxiliary tool in fungal infection. The prospects for biocontrol, the adaptive role of F. circinatum mycoviruses and the importance of laccase enzymes in host colonization are discussed.Ministerio de EconomĂa, Industria y Competitividad (Project AGL2012-39912
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