Improving Latin American soil information database for digital soil mapping enhances its usability and scalability

Spatial soil databases can help model complex phenomena in which soils are decisive, for example, evaluating agricultural potential or estimating carbon storage capacity. The Soil Information System for Latin America and the Caribbean, SISLAC, is a regional initiative promoted by the FAO's South American Soil Partnership to contribute to the sustainable management of soil. SISLAC includes data coming from 49,084 soil profiles distributed unevenly across the continent, making it the region's largest soil database. However, some problems hinder its usages, such as the quality of the data and its high dimensionality. The objective of this research is twofold. First, to evaluate the quality of SISLAC and its data values and generate a new, improved version that meets the minimum quality requirements to be used by different interests or practical applications. Second, to demonstrate the potential of improved soil profile databases to generate more accurate information on soil properties, by conducting a case study to estimate the spatial variability of the percentage of soil organic carbon using 192 profiles in a 1473 km2 region located in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The findings show that 15 percent of the existing soil profiles had an inaccurate description of the diagnostic horizons. Further correction of an 4.5 additional percent of existing inconsistencies improved overall data quality. The improved database consists of 41,691 profiles and is available for public use at ttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6540710 (Díaz-Guadarrama, S. & Guevara, M., 2022). The updated profiles were segmented using algorithms for quantitative pedology to estimate the spatial variability. We generated segments one centimeter thick along with each soil profile data, then the values of these segments were adjusted using a spline-type function to enhance vertical continuity and reliability. Vertical variability was estimated up to 150 cm in-depth, while ordinary kriging predicts horizontal variability at three depth intervals, 0 to 5, 5 to 15, and 15 to 30 cm, at 250 m-spatial resolution, following the standards of the GlobalSoilMap project. Finally, the leave-one-out cross validation provides information for evaluating the kriging model performance, obtaining values for the RMSE index between 1.77% and 1.79% and the R2 index greater than 0.5. The results show the usability of SISLAC database to generate spatial information on soil properties and suggest further efforts to collect a more significant amount of data to guide sustainable soil management.Fil: Diaz Guadamarra, Sergio. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Agronomía; ColombiaFil: Lizarazo, Iván. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Agronomía; ColombiaFil: Guevara, Mario. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Campus Juriquilla. Centro de Geociencias; MéxicoFil: Guevara, Mario. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.Campus Juriquilla. Centro de Geociencias; México. United States Department of Agriculture. Soil Salinity National Laboratory, Estados UnidosFil: Angelini, Marcos Esteban. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Suelos; Argentina. Wageningen University. Soil Geography and Landscape Group; Países Bajos. International Soil Reference and Information Centre. World Soil Information; Países BajosFil: Araujo Carrillo, Gustavo A. Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria AGROSAVIA; ColombiaFil: Argeñal, Jainer. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras. Facultad de Ciencias; Honduras.Fil: Armas, Daphne. Universidad de Almería. Departamento de Agronomía, Edif. CITEIIB, España.Fil: Balsa, Rafael A. Ministerio de Desarrollo Agrario y Riego. Dirección General de Asuntos Ambientales Agrarios, Perú.Fil: Bolivar, Adriana. Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi. Subdirección Agrología; ColombiaFil: Bustamante, Nelson. Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero; Chile.Fil: Dart, Ricardo O. Embrapa Solos; BrasilFil: Dell Acqua, Martín. Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca. Dirección General de Recursos Naturales; UruguayFil: Lencina, Arnulfo. Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ParaguayFil: Figueredo, Hernán. Sociedad Boliviana de la Ciencia del Suelo; Bolivia.Fil: Fontes, Fernando. Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca. Dirección General de Recursos Naturales; UruguayFil: Gutierrez Diaz, Joan S. Aarhus University. Faculty of Science and Technology,.Department of Agroecology; DinamarcaFil: Jiménez, Wilmer. Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería; Ecuador.Fil: Rodriguez, Dario Martin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Suelos; ArgentinaFil: Schulz, Guillermo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Suelos; ArgentinaFil: Tenti Vuegen, Leonardo Mauricio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Suelos; Argentin

Water in the terrestrial planet-forming zone of the PDS 70 disk

Terrestrial and sub-Neptune planets are expected to form in the inner ($<10~$AU) regions of protoplanetary disks. Water plays a key role in their formation, although it is yet unclear whether water molecules are formed in-situ or transported from the outer disk. So far Spitzer Space Telescope observations have only provided water luminosity upper limits for dust-depleted inner disks, similar to PDS 70, the first system with direct confirmation of protoplanet presence. Here we report JWST observations of PDS 70, a benchmark target to search for water in a disk hosting a large ($\sim54~$AU) planet-carved gap separating an inner and outer disk. Our findings show water in the inner disk of PDS 70. This implies that potential terrestrial planets forming therein have access to a water reservoir. The column densities of water vapour suggest in-situ formation via a reaction sequence involving O, H$_2$, and/or OH, and survival through water self-shielding. This is also supported by the presence of CO$_2$ emission, another molecule sensitive to UV photodissociation. Dust shielding, and replenishment of both gas and small dust from the outer disk, may also play a role in sustaining the water reservoir. Our observations also reveal a strong variability of the mid-infrared spectral energy distribution, pointing to a change of inner disk geometry.Comment: To appear in Nature on 24 July 2023. 21 pages, 10 figures; includes extended data. Part of the JWST MINDS Guaranteed Time Observations program's science enabling products. Spectra downloadable on Zenodo at https://zenodo.org/record/799102

Efficacy and safety of preoperative preparation with Lugol''s iodine solution in euthyroid patients with Graves’ disease (LIGRADIS Trial): Study protocol for a multicenter randomized trial

Background: Currently, both the American Thyroid Association and the European Thyroid Association recommend preoperative preparation with Lugol''s Solution (LS) for patients undergoing thyroidectomy for Graves’ Disease (GD), but their recommendations are based on low-quality evidence. The LIGRADIS trial aims to provide evidence either to support or refute the systematic use of LS in euthyroid patients undergoing thyroidectomy for GD. Methods: A multicenter randomized controlled trial will be performed. Patients =18 years of age, diagnosed with GD, treated with antithyroid drugs, euthyroid and proposed for total thyroidectomy will be eligible for inclusion. Exclusion criteria will be prior thyroid or parathyroid surgery, hyperparathyroidism that requires associated parathyroidectomy, thyroid cancer that requires adding a lymph node dissection, iodine allergy, consumption of lithium or amiodarone, medically unfit patients (ASA-IV), breastfeeding women, preoperative vocal cord palsy and planned endoscopic, video-assisted or remote access surgery. Between January 2020 and January 2022, 270 patients will be randomized for either receiving or not preoperative preparation with LS. Researchers will be blinded to treatment assignment. The primary outcome will be the rate of postoperative complications: hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, hematoma, surgical site infection or death. Secondary outcomes will be intraoperative events (Thyroidectomy Difficulty Scale score, blood loss, recurrent laryngeal nerve neuromonitoring signal loss), operative time, postoperative length of stay, hospital readmissions, permanent complications and adverse events associated to LS. Conclusions: There is no conclusive evidence supporting the benefits of preoperative treatment with LS in this setting. This trial aims to provide new insights into future Clinical Practice Guidelines recommendations. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03980132. © 202

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset

Uso de PRP en involución de osteofitos de columna lumbar en canino. A propósito de caso clínico

Se presenta el caso clínico, de un canino raza French Poodle, macho, de 7 años de edad, con historia de accidente vehicular por atropellamiento desde hace 2 meses, presenta paresia en los miembros posteriores y lordosis lumbar; se le realiza estudio radiológico donde se aprecia discoespondiloartrosis deformante que condujo a la disminución del espacio somático en T11-T12, T12-T13, L1-L2 y L2-L3 con la presencia de osteofitos (puentes óseos) en dichos espacios. Se procedió a la aplicación de plasma rico en plaquetas autólogo, vía paravertebral, con intervalos cada 15 días, durante 8 aplicaciones. Concluida la terapia y 6 meses después de la primera infiltración, se pudo observar por medio de nuevas radiografías la involución de los osteofitos causados por la espondilosis, así como la regeneración y aumento de los espacios intervertebrales; todos estos resultados a su vez se vieron reflejados en el mejoramiento del movimiento físico del perro y mejoría en su calidad de vida