Studying the behavior of diuron in soil-water system. Use of cyclodextrins for soil remediation

Con el objetivo de estudiar el comportamiento del herbicida Diurón en el sistema suelo-agua, se realizaron ensayos de adsorción- desorción y de lixiviación en columnas de suelos. Para la adsorción del herbicida diurón en los suelos con propiedades físico-químicas diferentes, las variables significativas fueron la materia orgánica (MO), óxidos amorfos totales y la fracción arcilla. La desorción de los suelos presentó histéresis en todos los casos, aunque una histéresis positiva cuando se extrajo con Ca (NO3)2 y una histéresis negativa cuando se utilizó ciclodextrina (HPBCD). El porcentaje de diurón eluido en las columnas de suelos seleccionados alcanzó casi el 83,1% en un suelo arenoso con contenido en MO <1%, por el contrario, en el suelo con mayor contenido en MO, la cantidad eluida del herbicida fue sólo del 6,65%.In order to study the behavior of the herbicide Diuron in the soil-water system, adsorption- desorption tests and leaching in soil columns were performed. For the adsorption of diuron in soils with different physicochemical properties, significant variables were the organic matter (OM), total amorphous oxides and clay fraction. Soil desorption hysteresis was observed in all cases a positive hysteresis when extracted with Ca(NO3)2 and a negative hysteresis when cyclodextrin (HPBCD) was used. The percentage of diuron eluted from sore columns reached almost 83.1% in a sandy soil with OM <1%; on the contrary, in a soil with higher OM content, the amount of the herbicide eluted was 6.65%

Changes in salivary analytes in cows due to the in vitro presence of feed

The effect in a sialochemistry profile of the presence of usually available feed in dairy cows was evaluated by an in vitro experiment. For this purpose, a pooled clean saliva from five healthy dairy cows was incubated five times with a standard feed based on a total mixed ration (F), wheat hay (H), and grass (G). The salivary panel was integrated by biomarkers of stress (cortisol -sCor-, salivary alpha-amylase -sAA-, butyrylcholinesterase -BChE-, total esterase -TEA-, and lipase -Lip-), immunity (adenosine deaminase -ADA-), oxidative status (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity -TEAC-, the ferric reducing ability of saliva -FRAS-, the cupric reducing antioxidant capacity -CUPRAC-, uric acid, and advanced oxidation protein products -AOPP-), and enzymes, proteins, and minerals of general metabolism and markers of liver, muscle, and renal damage (aspartate aminotransferase -AST-, alanine aminotransferase -ALP-, γ-glutamyl transferase -gGT-, lactate dehydrogenase -LDH-, creatine kinase -CK-, creatinine, urea, triglycerides, glucose, lactate, total protein, phosphorus, and total calcium). Most of the evaluated analytes showed a coefficient of variations (CV) higher than 15% and/or significant changes compared with the clean saliva when feed was present. Some analytes, such as the oxidative status biomarkers (CV > 80%), AST (CV > 60%), or glucose (CV > 100%), showed significant changes with all the feed types tested. Others showed significant differences only with certain types of feed, such as LDH with F (CV > 60%) or triglycerides with F (CV > 100%) and H (CV > 95%). However, sCor or gGT remained unchanged (CV 0.05) in all the treatments. The presence of feed can produce changes in most of the analytes measured in cows' saliva, being of high importance to consider this factor when saliva is used as a sample to avoid errors in the interpretation of the results. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-022-03371-9

Library of high and mid-resolution spectra in the CaII H & K, Hα, Hβ, NaI D_1, D_2, and HeI D3 line regions of F, G, K and M field stars

In this work we present spectroscopic observations centered in the spectral lines most widely used as optical indicators of chromospheric activity (Hα, Hβ, CaII H & K, and HeI D_3) in a sample of F, G, K and M chromospherically inactive stars. The spectra have been obtained with the aim of providing a library of high and mid-resolution spectra to be used in the application of the spectral subtraction technique to obtain the active-chromosphere contribution to these lines in chromospherically active single and binary stars. This library can also be used for spectral classification purposes. A digital version with all the spectra is available via ftp and the World Wide Web (WWW) in both ASCII and FITS formats

Improved meteorology and surface fluxes in mesoscale modelling using adjusted initial vertical soil moisture profiles

The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) is being used for different and diverse purposes, ranging from atmospheric and dispersion of pollutants forecasting to agricultural meteorology and ecological modelling as well as for hydrological purposes, among others. The current paper presents a comprehensive assessment of the RAMS forecasts, comparing the results not only with observed standard surface meteorological variables, measured at FLUXNET stations and other portable and permanent weather stations located over the region of study, but also with non-standard observed variables, such as the surface energy fluxes, with the aim of evaluating the surface energy budget and its relation with a proper representation of standard observations and key physical processes for a wide range of applications. In this regard, RAMS is assessed against in-situ surface observations during a selected period within July 2011 over Eastern Spain. In addition, the simulation results are also compared with different surface remote sensing data derived from the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) (MSG-SEVIRI) as well as the uncoupled Land Surface Models (LSM) Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). Both datasets complement the available in-situ observations and are used in the current study as the reference or ground truth when no observations are available on a selected location. Several sensitivity tests have been performed involving the initial soil moisture content, by adjusting this parameter in the vertical soil profile ranging from the most superficial soil layers to those located deeper underground. A refined adjustment of this parameter in the initialization of the model has shown to better represent the observed surface energy fluxes. The results obtained also show an improvement in the model forecasts found in previous studies in relation to standard observations, such as the air temperature and the moisture fields. Therefore, the application of a drier or wetter soil in distinct soil layers within the whole vertical soil profile has been found to be crucial in order to produce a better agreement between the simulation and the observations, thus reiterating the determining role of the initial soil moisture field in mesoscale modelling, but in this case considering the variation of this parameter vertically

Understanding the influence of filler type and asphalt binder content on the moisture and fatigue resistance of asphalt mortars

An adequate moisture resistance is a key element to guarantee the durability of asphalt materials. This paper identifies the influence of filler typology and bitumen content on the mechanical response of asphalt mortars before and after water action. Two fillers were evaluated: Portland cement and Calcium carbonate, along with different contents of a penetration bitumen (B35/50). Stiffness, ductility, and fatigue were evaluated through a new protocol for asphalt mortar samples using a 3-point-bending test on DMA (Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer). The use of Portland cement presents higher stiffness, lower ductility, and improved fatigue and water resistance compared to Calcium carbonate. It is also possible to optimize bitumen content based on fatigue results. Content beyond the optimal reduce variations after water action but compromise fatigue resistance. Lower content leads to a poorer performance in both terms. This methodology enables asphalt mortar characterisation as a tool to optimise the design of asphalt materials.La influencia del tipo de polvo mineral y contenido de ligante bituminoso en la resistencia a la humedad y fatiga de morteros bituminosos. La resistencia al agua es clave para garantizar la durabilidad de los materiales asfálticos. Este estudio identifica la influencia del polvo mineral y contenido de betún en la respuesta mecánica de morteros bituminosos antes y después de la humedad. Se evaluaron dos tipos de filler: cemento Portland y carbonato cálcico (filler calizo), junto con distintos contenidos de betún (B35/50). Rigidez, ductilidad y fatiga fueron evaluados mediante un nuevo ensayo de fatiga a tres puntos para morteros empleando DMA (Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer). El cemento presenta más rigidez, menos ductilidad y mayor resistencia al agua y fatiga que el filler calizo. Los resultados de fatiga permiten además optimizar el contenido de betún. Contenidos por encima del óptimo reducen variaciones tras la humedad pero comprometen la resistencia a fatiga. Contenidos menores conllevan un peor comportamiento en ambos términos. Esta metodología permite usar la caracterización de morteros bituminosos para optimizar el diseño de materiales asfálticos

Effect of Yb concentration on the resistivity and lifetime of CdTe:Ge:Yb codoped crystals

The resistivity and electron lifetime of CdTe:Ge:Yb crystals are reported, demonstrating that the effect of Yb concentration is crucial for accurate electrical compensation. It is also demonstrated that the codoping of CdTe with Ge as deep donor and with Yb as rare-earth element could be a promising way to obtain semiinsulating CdTe crystals with good transport properties. High resistivity 5 10 9 cm and lifetime 9 s were obtained, thus confirming the beneficial effect of rare-earth dopingThis work has been partly supported by the projects CAM SENSORCDT S-0505/MAT/0209, CAM FOTOFLEX S-0505/ENE-123, and EU FP6 PHOLOGIC 017158. E.S. also acknowledges the Spanish MEC for the fellowship FPU 2003-1388.Peer reviewe

Involvement of the Transcriptional Coactivator ThMBF1 in the Biocontrol Activity of Trichoderma harzianum

[EN] Trichoderma harzianum is a filamentous fungus well adapted to different ecological niches. Owing to its ability to antagonize a wide range of plant pathogens, it is used as a biological control agent in agriculture. Selected strains of T. harzianum are also able to increase the tolerance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, little is known about the regulatory elements of the T. harzianum transcriptional machinery and their role in the biocontrol by this species. We had previously reported the involvement of the transcription factor THCTF1 in the T. harzianum production of the secondary metabolite 6-pentyl-pyrone, an important volatile compound related to interspecies cross-talk. Here, we performed a subtractive hybridization to explore the genes regulated by THCTF1, allowing us to identify a multiprotein bridging factor 1 (mbf1) homolog. The gene from T. harzianum T34 was isolated and characterized, and the generated Thmbf1 overexpressing transformants were used to investigate the role of this gene in the biocontrol abilities of the fungus against two plant pathogens. The transformants showed a reduced antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici race 2 (FO) and Botrytis cinerea (BC) in confrontation assays on discontinuous medium, indicating that the Thmbf1 gene could affect T. harzianum production of volatile organic compounds (VOC) with antifungal activity. Moreover, cellophane and dialysis membrane assays indicated that Thmbf1 overexpression affected the production of low molecular weight secreted compounds with antifungal activity against FO. Intriguingly, no correlation in the expression profiles, either in rich or minimal medium, was observed between Thmbf1 and the master regulator gene cross-pathway control (cpc1). Greenhouse assays allowed us to evaluate the biocontrol potential of T. harzianum strains against BC and FO on susceptible tomato plants. The wild type strain T34 significantly reduced the necrotic leaf lesions caused by BC while plants treated with the Thmbf1-overexpressing transformants exhibited an increased susceptibility to this pathogen. The percentages of Fusarium wilt disease incidence and values of aboveground dry weight showed that T34 did not have biocontrol activity against FO, at least in the 'Moneymaker' tomato variety, and that Thmbf1 overexpression increased the incidence of this disease. Our results show that the Thmbf1 overexpression in T34 negatively affects its biocontrol mechanismsSIThis research project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project no. AGL2015-70671-C2) and the Junta de Castilla y León (Project no. SA009U16

Key plant species and detritivores drive diversity effects on instream leaf litter decomposition more than functional diversity: A microcosm study

Anthropogenic impacts on freshwater ecosystems cause critical losses of biodiversity that can in turn impair key processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. Forest streams are mainly subsidized by terrestrial organic detritus, so their functioning and conservation status can be altered by changes in forest biodiversity and composition, particularly if these changes involve the replacement of functional groups or the loss of key species. We examined this issue using a microcosm experiment where we manipulated plant functional diversity (FD) (monocultures and low-FD and high-FD mixtures, resulting from different combinations of deciduous and evergreen Quercus species) and the presence of a key species (Alnus glutinosa), all in presence and absence of detritivores, and assessed effects on litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and fungal and detritivore biomass. We found (i) positive diversity effects on detritivore-mediated decomposition, litter nutrient losses and detritivore biomass exclusively when A. glutinosa was present; and (ii) negative effects on the same processes when microbially mediated and on fungal biomass. Most positive trends could be explained by the higher litter palatability and litter trait variability obtained with the inclusion of alder leaves in the mixture. Our results support the hypothesis of a consistent slowing down of the decomposition process as a result of plant biodiversity loss, and hence effects on stream ecosystem functioning, especially when a key (N-fixing) species is lost; and underscore the importance of detritivores as drivers of plant diversity effects in the studied ecosystem processes.This study was funded by the 2014–2020 FEDER Operative Program Andalusia (RIOVEGEST project, Ref. FEDER-UAL18 -RNM -B006 – B, to J.J.C). Additional support was provided by the Spanish Ministry for Science, Innovation and Universities and FEDER (BioLoss project, Ref. RTI2018-095023- B-I00, to L.B.). Rubio-Ríos was supported by an FPU grant of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (reference FPU16/03734)

Molecular gas and star formation toward the IR dust bubble S 24 and its environs

Aims. We present a multiwavelength analysis of the infrared dust bubble S 24 and the extended IR sources G341.220-0.213 and G341.217-0.237 located in its environs. We aim to investigate the characteristics of the molecular gas and the interstellar dust linked to them and analyze the evolutionary state of the young stellar objects identified there and the relation of the bubble to S 24 and the IR sources. Methods. Using the APEX telescope, we mapped the molecular emission in the CO(2-1), 13CO(2-1), C18O(2-1), and 13CO(3-2) lines in a region of about 5′ × 5′ in size around the bubble. The cold dust distribution was analyzed using submillimeter continuum images from ATLASGAL and Herschel. Complementary IR and radio data at different wavelengths were used to complete the study of the interstellar medium in the region. Results. The molecular gas distribution shows that gas linked to the S 24 bubble and to G341.220-0.213 and G341.217-0.237 has velocities of between -48.0 km s-1 and -40.0 km s-1, compatible with the kinematical distance of 3.7 kpc that is generally adopted for the region. The gas distribution reveals a shell-like molecular structure of ∼0.8 pc in radius bordering the S 24 bubble. A cold dust counterpart of the shell is detected in the LABOCA and Herschel-SPIRE images. The weak extended emission at 24 μm from warm dust and radio continuum emission projected inside the bubble indicates exciting sources and that the bubble is a compact Hii region. Part of the molecular gas bordering the S 24 Hii region coincides with the extended infrared dust cloud SDC341.194-0.221. A molecular and cold dust clump is present at the interface between the S 24 Hii region and G341.217-0.237, shaping the eastern border of the IR bubble. The arc-like molecular structure encircling the northern and eastern sections of the IR source G341.220-0.213 indicates that the source is interacting with the molecular gas. The analysis of the available IR point source catalogs reveals some young stellar object candidates linked to the IR-extended sources, thus confirming their nature as active star-forming regions. Gas and dust masses were estimated for the different features. The total gas mass in the region and the H2 ambient density amount to 10 300 M⊙ and 5900 cm-3, indicating that G341.220-0.213, G341.217-0.237, and the S 24 Hii region are evolving in a high-densit © ESO, 2015.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica