Obtención de lípidos bioactivos de Pleuroncodes monodon utilizando solventes orgánicos y CO2 supercrítico

A huge volume of Engraulis ringens (Peruvian anchoveta) is caught together with the species Pleuroncodes monodon (munida), whose potential bioactive lipids are not commercially exploited. In the present study, lipid with carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) and essential fatty acids (EPA+DHA) were obtained from munida lipids extracted with hexane:isopropyl alcohol (He-I), acetone (Ac), ethanol (Et) and supercritical CO2 + ethanol (SC-CO2-Et). The functional quality of the fatty acids was determined by atherogenicity index (AI), thrombogenicity index (TI) and the hypocholesterolemia:hypercholesterolemia (H:H) ratio. The highest astaxanthin (ASTX) contents (4238.65 and 4086.71 µg/g lipid) corresponded to extractions using Ac and SC-CO2-Et. EPA+DHA ranged from 31.15 to 31.85% and the functional quality ranges were between 0.56-0.61 (AI), 0.19-0.21 (TI) and 1.73-1.81 (H:H). Consequently, SC-CO2-Et extraction would be advisable because of its low environmental impact. The IA and IT quality indexes suggest that the consumption of munida lipids would be healthy, although the H:H ratio shows the opposite.RESUMEN Las enormes capturas de Engraulis ringens (anchoveta Peruana) son acompañadas por la especie Pleuroncodes monodon (munida) cuyo potencial en lípidos bioactivos no es aprovechado comercialmente. En el presente estudio se obtuvo lípidos con pigmentos carotenoides (astaxantina) y ácidos grasos esenciales (EPA+DHA) a partir de lípidos de munida extraídos con hexano:alcohol isopropílico (He-I), acetona (Ac), etanol (Et) y CO2 supercrítico + etanol (SC-CO2-Et). La calidad funcional de los ácidos grasos fue evaluada mediante índices de aterogenicidad (AI), trombogenicidad (TI) y la relación hipocolesterolemia:hipercolesterolémica (H:H). Los mayores contenidos de astaxantina (ASTX) (4238.65 y 4086.71 µg/g de lípido) fueron obtenidos utilizando Ac y SC-CO2-Et. En todas las muestras EPA+DHA osciló entre 31.15 y 31.85% y los rangos de índices de calidad funcional fueron: 0.56-0.61 (AI), 0.19-0.21 (TI) y 1.73-1.81 (H:H). Se concluye que la extracción SC-CO2-Et sería recomendable por su bajo impacto al medio ambiente. Los índices de calidad AI y TI sugieren que el consumo de lípido de munida podría ser saludable, aunque la relación H:H muestra lo contrario

Multi-experiment assessment of soil nitrous oxide emissions in sugarcane

Soil nitrous oxide (N 2O) fluxes comprise a significant part of the greenhouse gas emissions of agricultural products but are spatially and tempo-rally variable, due to complex interactions between climate, soil and management variables. This study aimed to identify the main factors that affect N2Oemissions under sugarcane, using a multi-site data-base from field experiments. Greenhouse gas fluxes, soil, climate, and management data were obtained from 13 field trials spanning the 2011–2017 period. We conducted exploratory, descriptive and inferential data analyses in experiments with varying fertiliser and stillage (vinasse) type and rate, and crop residue rates. The most relevant period of high N2O fluxes was the first 46 days after fertiliser application. The results indicate a strong positive correlation of cumulative N2O with nitrogen (N) fertiliser rate, soil fungi community (18S rRNA gene), soil ammonium(NH 4+ ) and nitrate (NO3−); and a moderate negative correlation with amoA genes of ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and soil organic matter content. The regression analysis revealed that easily routinely measured climate and management-related variables explained over 50% of the variation in cumulativeN2O emissions, and that additional soil chemical and physical parameters improved the regression fit within R2 = 0.65. Cross-wavelet analysis indicated significant correlations of N2O fluxes with rainfall and air temperature up to 64 days, associated with temporal lags of 2 to 4 days in some experiments, and presenting a good environmental control over fluxes in general. The nitrogen fertiliser mean emission factors ranged from 0.03 to 1.17% of N applied, with urea and ammonium nitrate plus vinasse producing high emissions, while ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate without vinasse, calcium nitrate, and mitigation alternatives (nitrification inhibitors and timing of vinasse application) producing low N2O-EFs. Measurements from multiple sites spanning several crop-ping seasons were useful for exploring the influence of environmental and management-related variables on soil N 2O emissions in sugarcane production, providing support for global warming mitigation strategies, nitrogen management policies, and increased agricultural input efficiency

Press hardening of alternative materials: conventional high- strength steels

he increase in strength of new high strength steels(HHS) and advanced high strength steels (AHHS) has led toforming issues, such as high springback, low formability, increase of forming forces and tool wear. These problems increase thecosts of manufacturing and maintainingstamping tools in the automotive industry. The aim of this research was to analyse the advantages of applyingthe press-hardening process toconventional HSS and AHSS steel to increase their formability and therefore reduce thenumber of forming steps and productioncosts. With this aimin mind, the press-hardening process was used to manufacturean industrialcomponent using four different automotive steelgrades: dual phase (DP),complex phase (CP), transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) and martensitic (MS) grade.Springback measurements werecarried out, together with ananalysis of the obtained final mechanical properties and microstructures. The results showed that the formability of all thematerials increased. The mechanical properties of theCP800and TRIP700 materials were maintained or even improved, whereas those of the MS1200 and HCT980Xmaterials were significantly reduced. Weconclude thatpress hardening is a suitable manufacturing processforCP800 and TRIP700components

Towards improving early diagnosis of congenital Chagas disease in an endemic setting.

: Congenital Trypanosoma cruzi transmission is now estimated to account for 22% of new infections, representing a significant public health problem across Latin America and internationally. Treatment during infancy is highly efficacious and well tolerated, but current assays for early detection fail to detect &gt;50% of infected neonates and 9 month follow-up is low. : Women presenting for delivery in two urban hospitals in Santa Cruz department, Bolivia were screened by rapid test. Specimens from infants of infected women were tested by microscopy (micromethod), quantitative PCR (qPCR) and IgM trypomastigote excreted-secreted antigen (TESA)-blots at birth and 1 month, and by IgG serology at 6 and 9 months. : Among 487 infants of 476 seropositive women, congenital T. cruzi infection was detected in 38 infants of 35 mothers (7.8%). In cord blood, qPCR, TESA-blot and micromethod sensitivities/specificities were 68.6%/99.1%, 58.3%/99.1% and 16.7%/100%, respectively. When birth and 1 month results were combined, cumulative sensitivities reached 84.2%, 73.7% and 34.2%, respectively. Low birth weight and/or respiratory distress were reported in 11 (29%) infected infants. Infants with clinical signs had higher parasite loads and were significantly more likely to be detected by micromethod. : The proportion of T. cruzi infected infants with clinical signs has fallen from the 1990s, but symptomatic congenital Chagas disease still represents a significant, albeit increasingly challenging to detect, public health problem. Molecular methods could facilitate earlier diagnosis and circumvent loss to follow-up but remain logistically and economically prohibitive for routine screening in resource-limited settings.<br/

Spatial and cell type transcriptional landscape of human cerebellar development

The human neonatal cerebellum is one-fourth of its adult size yet contains the blueprint required to integrate environmental cues with developing motor, cognitive and emotional skills into adulthood. Although mature cerebellar neuroanatomy is well studied, understanding of its developmental origins is limited. In this study, we systematically mapped the molecular, cellular and spatial composition of human fetal cerebellum by combining laser capture microscopy and SPLiT-seq single-nucleus transcriptomics. We profiled functionally distinct regions and gene expression dynamics within cell types and across development. The resulting cell atlas demonstrates that the molecular organization of the cerebellar anlage recapitulates cytoarchitecturally distinct regions and developmentally transient cell types that are distinct from the mouse cerebellum. By mapping genes dominant for pediatric and adult neurological disorders onto our dataset, we identify relevant cell types underlying disease mechanisms. These data provide a resource for probing the cellular basis of human cerebellar development and disease

Mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions in grazing systems through nitrifcation inhibitors: a meta‑analysis

Grasslands are the largest contributor of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in the agriculture sector due to livestock excreta and nitrogen fertilizers applied to the soil. Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) added to N input have reduced N2O emissions, but can show a range of efficiencies depending on climate, soil, and management conditions. A meta-analysis study was conducted to investigate the factors that influence the efficiency of NIs added to fertilizer and excreta in reducing N2O emissions, focused on grazing systems. Data from peer-reviewed studies comprising 2164 N2O emission factors (EFs) of N inputs with and without NIs addition were compared. The N2O EFs varied according to N source (0.0001–8.25%). Overall, NIs reduced the N2O EF from N addition by 56.6% (51.1–61.5%), with no difference between NI types (Dicyandiamide—DCD; 3,4-Dimethylpyrazole phosphate—DMPP; and Nitrapyrin) or N source (urine, dung, slurry, and fertilizer). The NIs were more efficient in situations of high N2O emissions compared with low; the reduction was 66.0% when EF>1.5% of N applied compared with 51.9% when EF≤0.5%. DCD was more efficient when applied at rates>10 kg ha−1. NIs were less efficient in urine with lower N content (≤7 g kg−1). NI efficiency was negatively correlated with soil bulk density, and positively correlated with soil moisture and temperature. Better understanding and management of NIs can optimize N2O mitigation in grazing systems, e.g., by mapping N2O risk and applying NI at variable rate, contributing to improved livestock sustainabilit

Importance of including soil moisture in drought monitoring over the Brazilian semiarid region: An evaluation using the JULES model, in situ observations, and remote sensing

Soil moisture information is essential to monitoring of the intensity of droughts, the start of the rainy season, planting dates and early warnings of yield losses. We assess spatial and temporal trends of drought over the Brazilian semiarid region by combining soil moisture observations from 360 stations, root zone soil moisture from a leading land surface model, and a vegetation health index from remote sensing. The soil moisture dataset was obtained from the network of stations maintained by the National Center of Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters (Cemaden), in Brazil. Soil water content at 10 to 35 cm depth, for the period 1979–2018, was obtained from running the JULES land surface model (the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator). The modelled soil moisture was correlated with measurements in the common period of 2015–2018, resulting in an average correlation coefficient of 0.48 across the domain. The standardized soil moisture anomaly (SMA) was calculated for the long-term modelled soil moisture and revealed strong negative values during well-known drought periods in the region, especially during El-Niño years. The performance of SMA in identifying droughts during the first 2 months of the raining and cropping season was similar to the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), commonly used for drought assessment: 12–14 events were identified by both indices. Finally, the temporal relationship between both SMA and SPI with the Vegetation Health Index (VHI) was assessed using the cross-wavelet transform. The results indicated lagged correlations of 1 to 1.5 months in the annual scale, suggesting that negative trends in SMA and SPI can be an early warning to yield losses during the growing season. Public policies on drought assessment should consider the combination of multiple drought indices, including soil moisture anomaly

Genome sequencing highlights the dynamic early history of dogs

To identify genetic changes underlying dog domestication and reconstruct their early evolutionary history, we generated high-quality genome sequences from three gray wolves, one from each of the three putative centers of dog domestication, two basal dog lineages (Basenji and Dingo) and a golden jackal as an outgroup. Analysis of these sequences supports a demographic model in which dogs and wolves diverged through a dynamic process involving population bottlenecks in both lineages and post-divergence gene flow. In dogs, the domestication bottleneck involved at least a 16-fold reduction in population size, a much more severe bottleneck than estimated previously. A sharp bottleneck in wolves occurred soon after their divergence from dogs, implying that the pool of diversity from which dogs arose was substantially larger than represented by modern wolf populations. We narrow the plausible range for the date of initial dog domestication to an interval spanning 11-16 thousand years ago, predating the rise of agriculture. In light of this finding, we expand upon previous work regarding the increase in copy number of the amylase gene (AMY2B) in dogs, which is believed to have aided digestion of starch in agricultural refuse. We find standing variation for amylase copy number variation in wolves and little or no copy number increase in the Dingo and Husky lineages. In conjunction with the estimated timing of dog origins, these results provide additional support to archaeological finds, suggesting the earliest dogs arose alongside hunter-gathers rather than agriculturists. Regarding the geographic origin of dogs, we find that, surprisingly, none of the extant wolf lineages from putative domestication centers is more closely related to dogs, and, instead, the sampled wolves form a sister monophyletic clade. This result, in combination with dog-wolf admixture during the process of domestication, suggests that a re-evaluation of past hypotheses regarding dog origins is necessary