Cambios temporales en el origen de la materia orgánica en las marismas del Río Miño (NW Península Ibérica) mediante marcadores lipídicos. Temporal changes in the organic matter sources in the Minho River tidal marshes (NW Iberian Península): A lipid biomarker approach.

[EN]: The lipid biomarker distribution in a sediment core fromMinho river tidal-marshes (NW Iberian Peninsula) was studiedusing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in order to evaluate changes in the sources and distribution of organic matter (OM) in the estuary during the last centuries. The distribution of terrestrial and phytoplankton biomarker inventory reflected an heterogeneous mixture of OM from marine and terrestrial sources. Lignin derived phenols, triterpenoids and long chain n-alkanes with an odd number of carbons are indicators of soil-and vascular plant-derived continental OM, being more abundant on the topmost sections of the core. In addition, a conspicuous contribution from plankton-derived OM (e.g. short chain fatty acids and alcohols, phytosterols) is observed in the deepest sections of the core. However, in general the lipid biomarker assemblage found indicate the existence of a complex input of organic matter (OM) to this estuarine area, from both river run-off and marine depositions. Temporal variations observed could also be attributed to terrigenous contributions after flooding events from Miño river, although a differential degradation of individual biomarkers should not be neglected when interpreting biomarker assemblages in this geodynamically active environment. [ES]: Con el objetivo de evaluar las variaciones en las fuentes y distribución de la matería orgânica (MO) durante los últimos siglos, se estudia la distribución de biomarcadores lipídicos en una secuencia sedimentaria de las marismas del río Miño (NW Península Ibérica) mediante Cromatografía de Gases¿Espectrometria de Masas (CG/MS) . La distribución de biomarcadores terrestres y marinos muestra una mezcla heterogénea de MO con diferente orígen. Los fenoles derivados de la lignina, triterpenoides y n-alcanos de cadena larga con número impar de carbonos proceden de plantas superiores, indicadores de MO de origen continental , se encuentran com mayor abundancia en las secciones superiores del sondeo. Los lípidos derivados del plancton marino (ej., acidos grasos y alcoholes de cadena corta, fitosteroles) se encontraron con mayor abundancia relativa en las secciones mas profundas del sondeo. Sin embargo, la distribución global de los biomarcadores lipídicos estudiados muestra la complejidad de las fuentes de MO en este estuario, y que incluye las descargas del río y deposiciones de sedimentos marinos. Algunas variaciones observadas pueden deberse a contribuciones de MO terrígena debidas a descargas elevadas procedentes del río Miño. No obstante, a la hora de interpretar los cámbios observados en la distribución de determinados biomarcadores en este ambiente geodinámicamente activo, se debe tener en cuenta la posible ocurrencia de fenómenos de degradación preferencial o selectiva en el sedimento.Peer Reviewe

Determination of refractory organic matter in marine sediments by chemical oxidation, analytical pyrolysis and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Seeking to quantify the amount of refractory organic matter (ROM), which includes black carbon-like material (BC), in marine sediments, we have applied a two-step procedure that consists of a chemical oxidation with sodium chlorite of the demineralized sediments followed by integration of the aromatic C region in the remaining residues by solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The efficacy for lignin removal was tested by analytical pyrolysis in the presence of tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH). Riverine, estuarine and offshore marine sediment samples were collected from the southwest Atlantic coast of Spain, a site of geological and environmental interest. Measured contents of BC-like material ranged between 3.0 and 45.7% of the total organic carbon. Greater relative BC contents were found in riverine sediments close to urban areas, which show an elevated input of anthropogenic organic material. The contents of BC-like material in offshore marine sediments (5.5–6.1%) were similar to those previously reported for these kinds of samples. However, NMR and pyrolysis-GC/MS of the isolated ROM reveals that abundant refractory aliphatic organic material remains in most of the marine samples after chlorite oxidation. We suggest that this pool of aliphatic carbon may play an important role as a stable carbon pool within the global C cycle.The Spanish Ministry of Education provided financial support for this research (fellowship BES-2003-1900 and project CGL2006-12730-C03-C01).9 páginas, 3 figuras, 6 tablas, 38 referencias.-- [email protected] reviewe

Factors involved in soil organic matter stabilization in Peruvian Amazonian soils (Ucayali region) and the molecular composition of extractable lipids

Poster E1012b presentado en el 27th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry September 13–18, 2015, Prague, Czech RepublicAmazonian ecosystems are considered important sinks for atmospheric CO2 on Earth. It is therefore desirable to preserve their biodiversity and productivity. In this communication an assessment of the influence of different agro-forestry practices on soil C storage in representative ecosystems from the Peruvian Ucayali region is approached by analyzing the soil lipid fraction. In fact, this organic matter fraction is an important source of analytical surrogates of soil C stabilization and accumulation processes (Naafs at al., 2004; Poulenard et al., 2004; Rumpel et al., 2004). Top (0–20 cm) and subsoil (20–40 cm) samples were taken from the Amazonian Ucayali region (Pucallpa, Perú), ranging from recent alluvial soils in muddy zones of riverside areas (wetlands referred to as ‘mud’, ‘beach’ and low ‘restinga’ soils) to more developed soils located in medium and higher riverine terraces, as well as in hills. The lipid fraction was Soxhlet extracted with a mixture of ichloromethane:methanol (2:1 by vol.), saponified and divided into neutral and acid subfractions. The acid fractions were then sequentially methylated and silylated prior to the chromatographic analysis (González-Vila et al., 2003). Neutral and acid sub-fractions were separated and the major compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using an HP G1800A GCD System (electron impact detector at 70 eV) equipped with a DB-5 fused silica capillary column (30 m × 0.32 mm i.d., film thickness 0.25 µm) and using He as carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.5 mL min-1. The chromatographic oven temperature was programmed to increase from 40 to 100 ºC at 30 ºC min-1 and then to 300 ºC at 6 ºC min -1. The values of soil organic matter and lipids ranged from 25.8 to 5.8 g kg-1, and from 5.2 to 0.2 g kg-1, respectively. This variability as well as the differences in lipid molecular composition could suggest differences in the soils’ use and management practices (Van Bergen et al.,1996). The main families of signature lipids detected in the soil extracts were n-alkanes, linear isoprenoids, cyclic alkanes, n-fatty acids, branched fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, hydroxyacids, n-alcohols, ketones, polycyclic hydrocarbons and sterols. Very significant differences in qualitative and quantitative lipid composition were found in terms of soil depth. This effect was more pronounced in the soils from the riverine high terraces devoted to agro-forestry practices (Figs. 1 and 2). In addition, lipidic compounds of high molecular weight (i.e., di- and triterpenes) were detected as regular components of the free lipid fractions from the different ecosystems (wetlands, terraces and hills) reflecting specific vegetation and soil-use influences. Xenobiotic compounds (naphthenic acids) detected within the unresolved chromatographic ‘hump’ (highly unresolved mixture of cyclic or branched hydrocarbons) were also observed, indicating anthropogenic contamination by mineral oils. Likewise, dialkyl phthalates (Phth) from plasticizers were also detected.Projects CGL2012-38655-C04-01 and CGL2008-04296 and fellowship BES-2013-062573 given to N.T.J.M by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Dr. J.M.R. is the recipient of a fellowship from the JAE-Doc subprogram financed by the CSIC and the European Social Fund.Peer Reviewe

Fire mediated geochemical alterations in Andosol’s SOM under Canarian Pine (Pinus canariensis) forest

4 páginas, 1 figura, 2 tablas, 26 referencias.-- FUEGORED 2010.-- Jornadas Internacionales celebradas del 6-10 de octubre 2010, en Santiago de Compostela, España.Peer reviewe

Methodology for the Surveillance the Voltage Supply in Public Buildings Using the ITIC Curve and Python Programming

This paper proposes an easy-to-implement method for detecting and assessing two of the most frequent PQ (Power Quality) problems: voltage sags and swells. These can affect sensitive equipment such as computers, programmable logic controllers, contactors, etc. Therefore, it is of great interest to implement it in any laboratory, not only for protection reasons but also as a safeguard for claims against the supply company. Thanks to the actual context, in which it is possible to manage big volumes of data, connect multiple devices with IoT (Internet of Things), etc., it is feasible and of great interest to monitor the voltage at specific points of the network. This makes it possible to detect voltage sags and swells and diagnose which points are more prone to this type of problems. For the detection of sags and swells, a program written in Python is in charge of crawling all the files in the database and target those RMS values that fall outside the established limits. Compared to LabVIEW, which might have been the most logical alternative, being the acquisition hardware from the same company (National Instruments), Python has a higher computational performance and is also free of charge, unlike LabVIEW. Thanks to the libraries available in Python, it allows a hardware control close to what is possible using LabVIEW. Implemented in MATLAB, the ITIC (Information Technology Industry Council) power acceptability curve reflects the impact of these power quality disturbances in electrical power systems. The results showed that the combined action of Python and MATLAB performed well on a conventional desktop computer.10 página

Identificación inicial de genes en Babesia bigemina mediante análisis de Etiquetas de Secuencia Expresadas en el estadio intraeritrocítico del parásito

In this study, Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) were obtained and analyzed from 2208 randomly selected clones containing plasmids with cDNA inserts derived from a Babesia bigemina library. The obtained sequences were extracted and subject to Blast homology search in the Genbank databases. Sequence homology analysis resulted in the identification of 470 clones (grouped in 267 distinct clusters) which contained EST with no significant sequence identity with Babesia sp genes or other Apicomplexan parasites. Presumably, these EST would correspond either to new, unreported B. bigemina transcribed genes present in the erythrocyte stages of the parasite, or to non-translated sequences of the putative genes. 21 clones were identified which contained EST corresponding to 6 genes coding for B. bigemina antigens already reported in the literature; 1285 clones (grouped in 159 clusters of distinct sequences) had significant sequence identity with genes coding for hypothetical proteins previously identified in the Babesia bovis genome. Moreover, 32 clones had EST corresponding to 16 different Theileria sp. genes; 51 clones (26 distinct sequences) showed EST with sequence similarity to genes of Plasmodium sp., 25 EST had low identity with 13 different Toxoplasma gondii genes; and 4 clones with EST for 4 different Cryptosporidium sp genes. The results obtained, in addition to EST analysis of a larger number of B. bigemina cDNA clones, will allow the characterization and, eventually, the manipulation of gene coding regions, essential for the establishment of improved control strategies for cattle babesiosis caused by B. bigemina.En este estudio se realizó el análisis de Etiquetas de Secuencias Expresadas (EST) obtenidas a partir de 2208 clonas de Escherichia coli, con plásmidos recombinantes conteniendo insertos de cDNA de Babesia bigemina. Las secuencias se analizaron mediante búsqueda de homología en las bases de datos de genes. El análisis de homología en secuencia permitió identificar 470 clonas (agrupadas en 267 clusters) conteniendo EST con similitud de secuencia estadísticamente no significativa con algún gen de Babesia spp o de otro organismo Apicomplexa, sugiriendo la presencia de genes nuevos de B. bigemina; Se identificaron 21 clonas con EST correspondientes a 6 secuencias de genes previamente reportados para B. bigemina; además de 1285 clonas (conformando 159 clusters de genes distintos) de identidad significativa con proteínas hipotéticas o correspondientes a genes ya reportados en el genoma secuenciado de Babesia bovis; 32 clonas con EST homólogas a 16 genes distintos de Theileria spp; 51 clonas (26 genes distintos) con similitud en secuencia a genes de Plasmodium spp; 25 clonas con EST de moderada similitud con 13 genes distintos genes de Toxoplasma gondii; y 4 clonas con EST de mayor identidad con 4 genes diferentes de Cryptosporidium spp. Los resultados obtenidos permiten elaborar una base de datos sobre EST del estadio intraeritrocítico de Babesia bigemina, información básica esencial para la caracterización molecular del parásito, que permite llevar a cabo la identificación y regulación de nuevas regiones génicas codificadoras y, eventualmente el establecimiento de nuevas estrategias de control de la babesiosis bovina causada por B. bigemina

Current Status and Future Trends of Power Quality Analysis

In this article, a systematic literature review of 153 articles on power quality analysis in PV systems published in the last 20 years is presented. This provides readers with an overview on PQ trends in several fields related to instrumental techniques that are being used in the smart grid to visualize the quality of the energy, establishing a solid literature base from which to start future research. A preliminary appreciation allows us to intuit that higher-order statistics are not implemented in measurement equipment and that traditional instrumentation is still used for the performance of measurement campaigns, not yielding the expected results since the information processed does not come from an electrical network from 20 years ago. Instead, current networks contain numerous coupled load effects; thus, new disturbances are not simple; they are usually complex events, the sum of several types of disturbances. Likewise, depending on the type of installation, the objective of the PQ analysis changes, either by detecting certain events or simply focusing on seeing the state of the network

Statistical Dataset and Data Acquisition System for Monitoring the Voltage and Frequency of the Electrical Network in an Environment Based on Python and Grafana

This article presents a unique dataset, from a public building, of voltage data, acquired using a hybrid measurement solution that combines Python (TM) for acquisition and Grafana (TM) for results representation. This study aims to benefit communities, by demonstrating how to achieve more efficient energy management. The study outlines how to obtain a more realistic vision of the quality of the supply, that is oriented to the monitoring of the state of the network; this should allow for better understanding, which should in turn enable the optimization of the operation and maintenance of power systems. Our work focused on frequency and higher order statistical estimators which, combined with exploratory data analysis techniques, improved the characterization of the shape of the stress signal. These techniques and data, together with the acquisition and monitoring system, present a unique combination of low-cost measurement solutions, which have the underlying benefit of contributing to industrial benchmarking. Our study proposes an effective and versatile system, which can do acquisition, statistical analysis, database management and results representation in less than a second. The system offers a wide variety of graphs to present the results of the analysis, so that the user can observe them and identify, with relative ease, any anomalies in the supply which could damage the sensitive equipment of the correspondent installation. It is a system, therefore, that not only provides information about the power quality, but also significantly contributes to the safety and maintenance of the installation. This system can be practically realized, subject to the availability of internet access

Organic matter sources for tidal marsh sediment over the past two millennia in the Minho River estuary (NW Iberian Peninsula)

Environmental changes during the last 2 millennia in the Minho River tidal marsh (NW Portugal-Spain border) were reconstructed. Changes in the sources of organic matter (OM) delivered to the marsh were evaluated from elemental, isotopic and molecular composition using a 1 m sediment core. Carbon isotopic composition (delta13C) and organic carbon to total nitrogen ratio (Corg/N) provided valuable information concerning the origin of the OM. These parameters indicated a major input from land plants, reaching a maximum at 1100–1200 and 1750–1850 AD. These periods match with major flood events in the NW of the Iberian Peninsula, as reported by several authors. A significant reduction in the terrestrial signature occurred at 6–4 cm (ca. 1960–1985 AD), which is contemporaneous with the construction of several major dams on the Minho River. The distribution of selected lipid biomarkers, including n-alkanes, n-fatty acids and n-alkan-2-ones and specific parameters derived from the molecular distributions, were useful for refining bulk geochemical results. Long chain n- alkanes with an odd number of carbons are indicators of soil-and vascular plant derived terrestrial OM and were dominant throughout the core. In addition, a greater contribution of plankton-derived lipids was observed in the sections corresponding to ca. 1960–1985 AD (6–4 cm) and ca. 100–200 AD (96–94 cm). Although different degradation rates for individual compounds might have partly affected biomarker assemblages, the variations could be attributed to a sharp decrease in the freshwater contribution to the Minho River Estuary (dam construction) and a possible marine highstand, respectively. In addition, several parameters suggested changes in land use (including deforestation and farming) and probably the effects of mining exploitation during the Roman occupation of the area.We acknowledge the funding by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) of Portugal for J.M. M’s PhD. Grant (SFRH/BD/45528/2008) and for the WestLog Project (PTDC/CTE-GIX/105370/2008). E.L. was awarded a Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award. This is a contribution to the IGCP Project 588 and to the Geo-Q Research Unit (Aranzadi).Peer reviewe

A proof-of-concept clinical trial using mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of corneal epithelial stem cell deficiency

Producción CientíficaOcular stem cell transplantation derived from either autologous or allogeneic donor corneoscleral junction is a functional cell therapy to manage extensive and/or severe limbal stem cell deficiencies that lead to corneal epithelial failure. Mesenchymal stem cells have been properly tested in animal models of this ophthalmic pathology, but never in human eyes despite their potential advantages. We conducted a 6- to 12-month proof-of-concept, randomized, and double-masked pilot trial to test whether allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (MSCT], n = 17) was as safe and as equally efficient as allogeneic cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation (CLET), (n = 11) to improve corneal epithelial damage due to limbal stem cell deficiency. Primary endpoints demanded combination of symptoms, signs, and the objective improvement of the epithelial phenotype in central cornea by in vivo confocal microscopy. This proof-of-concept trial showed that MSCT was as safe and efficacious as CLET. Global success at 6–12 months was 72.7%–77.8% for CLET cases and 76.5%–85.7% for MSCT cases (not significant differences). Central corneal epithelial phenotype improved in 71.4% and 66.7% of MSCT and CLET cases, respectively at 12 months (P = 1.000). There were no adverse events related to cell products. This trial suggests first evidence that MSCT facilitated improvement of a diseased corneal epithelium due to lack of its stem cells as efficiently as CLET. Consequently, not only CLET but also MSCT deserves more preclinical investigational resources before the favorable results of this proof-of-concept trial could be transformed into the larger numbers of the multicenter trials that would provide stronger evidence. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01562002.)Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social (project SAS/2481/2009)Centro en Red de Medicina Regenerativa y Terapia Celular de Castilla y León (grant SAN 1178/200)Red de Terapia Celular TerCel (project RD12/0019/0036