Selecció de soca de cianobacteris per a la obtenció de bioestimulants a escala pilot

One of the sectors most vulnerable to climate change is agriculture, since its effects have a direct and negative impact on crops. At the same time, the problem is aggravated by the growing world population. In order to promote efficient and sustainable agricultural practices, a transition must be made towards the use of biostimulants, as opposed to phytosanitary products and chemical fertilizers, such a way to preserve and reestablish the balance in the environment. The biostimulant effects of cyanobacteria have recently been discovered. However, their production has a high cost and in order to reduce them, low-cost resources are exploited, such as the use of wastewater to grow cyanobacteria, thus promoting a circular economy. The objective of this study is to select the most favorable strain of cyanobacteria for the production of biostimulants at pilot scale. For this purpose, the adaptability of Synechococcus sp., Synechocystis sp, and Phormidium sp. strains to wastewater is evaluated, focusing on their growth and nutrient removal capacity. The project integrates 5 experiments carried out in 2.5 L photobioreactors (FBR) and fed with the secondary effluent of a laboratory-scale activated sludge treatment plant. The parameters that have been experimented are the mode of operation of the FBR, passing through batch and semi-continuous, the hydraulic retention time of 6 to 8 days, as well as the nutrient supply in the medium. The results obtained show evidence of the ability of cyanobacterial strains to live in wastewater. The high productivity and nutrient removal rate of Synechocystis sp. compared to Phormidium sp. is noteworthy. Likewise, Synechocystis sp. is less susceptible to biological contamination than Phormidium sp., a fact that highlights its suitability for use on a pilot scale. This project is a firm commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), taking biostimulants to another dimension as a challenge to be met for agricultural sustainability, thus responding to SDGs 6, 11, 13, 14 and 15.Uno de los sectores más vulnerables al cambio climático es el de la agricultura, ya que sus efectos repercuten directa y negativamente sobre los cultivos. Concatenadamente la problemática se agrava debido al abastecimiento de una población mundial en continuo crecimiento. Con el fin de fomentar prácticas agrícolas eficientes y sostenibles se debe hacer la transición hacía el uso de bioestimulantes, frente productos fitosanitarios y fertilizantes químicos, para así poder preservar y reestablecer el equilibrio en el medio. Recientemente se ha descubierto los efectos bioestimulantes que tienen las cianobacterias. No obstante, su producción tiene un elevado coste y con la finalidad de reducirlos, se explotan recursos de bajo coste, como es el uso de aguas residuales para crecer las cianobacterias, fomentando así una economía circular. El objetivo del presente estudio persigue seleccionar la cepa de cianobacterias más favorable para la producción de bioestimulantes a escala piloto. Para eso, se avalúa la capacidad de adaptación de las cepas de Synechococcus sp, Synechocystis sp, i Phormidium sp. a las aguas residuales, focalizándose en su crecimiento y capacidad de eliminación de nutrientes. El proyecto integra 5 experimentos que se desarrollan en fotobiorreactores (FBR) de 2,5 L y se alimentan con el efluente secundario de una planta depuradora de lodos activados a escala laboratorio. Los parámetros que se han experimentado son el modo de operación de los FBR, pasando por batch y semi-contínuo, el tiempo de retención hidráulica de 6 a 8 días, así como el aporte de nutrientes en el medio. Los resultados obtenidos muestran evidencias sobre la capacidad de las cepas de cianobacterias para vivir en aguas residuales. Cabe destacar la alta tasa de productividad y eliminación de nutrientes de Synechocystis sp. frente el Phormidium sp.. Así mismo, Synechocystis sp. resulta ser menos susceptible a contaminaciones biológicas respecto al Phormidium sp., hecho que remarca su idoneidad para el uso a escala piloto. Este proyecto es un compromiso firme en relación a los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible (ODS), trasladando a otra dimensión los bioestimulantes como reto a alcanzar para la sostenibilidad agrícola, así pues, responde a los ODS 6, 11, 13, 14 y 15.Un dels sectors més vulnerables al canvi climàtic és el de l’agricultura, ja que els seus efectes repercuteixen directa i negativament sobre els cultius. Concatenadament la problemàtica s’agreuja degut a l’abastiment d’una població mundial en continuo creixement. Per tal de fomentar pràctiques agrícoles eficients i sostenibles cal fer la transició cap a l’ús de bioestimulants, enfront de productes fitosanitaris i fertilitzants químics, per així poder preservar i restablir l’equilibri en el medi. Recentment s’ha descobert els efectes bioestimulants que tenen els cianobacteris. No obstant, la seva producció té uns elevats costos i amb la finalitat de reduir-los, s’exploren recursos de baix cost, com és l’ús d’aigües residuals, tot fomentant una economia circular. L’objectiu del present projecte persegueix seleccionar la soca de cianobacteris més òptima per a la producció de bioestimulants a escala pilot. Per això, s’ha avaluat la capacitat d’adaptació de les soques de Synechococcus sp, Synechocystis sp, i Phormidium sp. a les aigües residuals, focalitzant-se en el seu creixement i la capacitat de remoció de nutrients. El projecte consta de 5 experiments que es desenvolupen en fotobiorreactors (FBR) de 2,5 L i s’alimenten a partir de l’efluent secundari d’una planta depuradora de fangs activats a escala laboratori. Els paràmetres que s’han variat són el mode d’operació dels FBR, passant per batch i semi-continu, el Temps de Retenció Hidràulic (TRH) de 6 a 8 dies, així com també, l’optimització de la producció aportant nutrients al medi. Els resultats obtinguts evidencien la capacitat de les soques de cianobacteris per viure en aigües residuals. Cal destacar l’alta taxa de productivitat i de remoció de nutrients del Synechocystis sp, envers el Phormidium sp.. Tanmateix, Synechocystis sp. resulta ser menys susceptible a contaminacions biològiques enfront el Phormidium sp., fet que remarca la seva idoneïtat per emprar-la a escala pilot. Aquest treball esdevé un compromís en ferm envers els objectius de desenvolupament sostenible (ODS), traslladant a una altre dimensió els bioestimulants com a repte assolir per a la sostenibilitat agrícola, així doncs, respon als ODS 6, 11, 13, 14 i 15.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::6 - Aigua Neta i SanejamentObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenible

Enhancing sustainability through microalgae cultivation in urban wastewater for biostimulant production and nutrient recovery

Microalgae can produce biostimulants in form of phytohormones, which are compounds that, even if applied in low concentrations, can have stimulant effects on plants growth and can enhance their quality and their resistance to stress. Considering that microalgal biomass can grow recovering nutrients from wastewater, this circular approach allows to use residues for the production of high added value compounds (such as phytohormones) at low cost. The interest on biostimulants production from microalgae have recently raised. Scientists are focused on the direct application of these cellular extracts on plants, while the number of studies on the identification of bioactive molecules, such as phytohormones, is very scarce. Two cyanobacteria strains (Synechocystis sp. (SY) and Phormidium sp. (PH)) and a chlorophyte (Scenedesmus sp. (SC)) were cultured in laboratory-scale PBRs with a working volume of 2.5 L in secondary urban wastewater varying N:P ratio in the cultures to obtain the highest productivity. The variation of N:P ratio affects microalgae growth, and SY and PH presented higher productivities (73 and 48 mg L-1 d, respectively) under higher N:P ratio (> 22:1). Microalgal biomass was freeze-dried and phytohormones content was measured with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The three microalgae showed similar phytohormones profiles, being the auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) the most abundant (72 ng g-1DW in SY). Proteins were major macronutrient for all strains, reaching 48 %DW in PH culture. To optimize the biostimulants production, a balance between the production of such compounds, biomass productivity and nutrients removal should be taken into consideration. In this sense, SC was the most promising strain, showing the highest N and P removal rates (73 % and 59 %, respectively) while producing phytohormones.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CYRCLE-PID2020-113866RA-I00). E. Uggetti would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Economy for her research grant (RYC2018-025514-I). A. Álvarez-González kindly acknowledge the Departament de Recerca i Universitats de la Generalitat de Catalunya for her PhD scholarship (FI AGAUR 2022FI_B 00488).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Novel genes and sex differences in COVID-19 severity

[EN] Here, we describe the results of a genome-wide study conducted in 11 939 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive cases with an extensive clinical information that were recruited from 34 hospitals across Spain (SCOURGE consortium). In sex-disaggregated genome-wide association studies for COVID-19 hospitalization, genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10−8) was crossed for variants in 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci only among males (P = 1.3 × 10−22 and P = 8.1 × 10−12, respectively), and for variants in 9q21.32 near TLE1 only among females (P = 4.4 × 10−8). In a second phase, results were combined with an independent Spanish cohort (1598 COVID-19 cases and 1068 population controls), revealing in the overall analysis two novel risk loci in 9p13.3 and 19q13.12, with fine-mapping prioritized variants functionally associated with AQP3 (P = 2.7 × 10−8) and ARHGAP33 (P = 1.3 × 10−8), respectively. The meta-analysis of both phases with four European studies stratified by sex from the Host Genetics Initiative (HGI) confirmed the association of the 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci predominantly in males and replicated a recently reported variant in 11p13 (ELF5, P = 4.1 × 10−8). Six of the COVID-19 HGI discovered loci were replicated and an HGI-based genetic risk score predicted the severity strata in SCOURGE. We also found more SNP-heritability and larger heritability differences by age (<60 or ≥60 years) among males than among females. Parallel genome-wide screening of inbreeding depression in SCOURGE also showed an effect of homozygosity in COVID-19 hospitalization and severity and this effect was stronger among older males. In summary, new candidate genes for COVID-19 severity and evidence supporting genetic disparities among sexes are provided.S

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Les mobilités monastiques en Orient et en Occident de l’Antiquité tardive au Moyen Âge (IVe-XVe siècle)

Le présent volume propose d’étudier un trait paradoxal de la vie monastique, celui de la mobilité des moines pourtant astreints par diverses règles et contraintes, depuis les origines, à la clôture et à la stabilitas loci. Durant un long Moyen Âge, allant du IVe au XVe siècle, les mouvements de circulation, d’échanges et d’influences monastiques forment en effet une réalité bien concrète, qui répond à des besoins essentiels de la vie des moines, économiques, administratifs, intellectuels ou religieux. Le phénomène étant pluriel, il convenait ici de le contextualiser et de l’historiciser, pour mieux saisir, dans chaque cas examiné, la tension pouvant naître de la notion même de voyage pour celui qui, par sa vocation, renonce a priori à tout dépaysement hors celui que lui offre son cloître. L’examen de différentes circulations pose alors en creux la question de la mobilité – condamnée, tolérée ou encouragée – comme facteur non pas secondaire mais essentiel dans la définition et la construction du fait monastique en Orient comme en Occident. Ce volume contient 23 contributions présentées lors de deux rencontres scientifiques tenues à l’École française de Rome en 2014 et à l’Université de Vienne en 2016, dans le cadre d’un programme intitulé Les moines autour de la Méditerranée. Contacts, échanges, influences entre Orient et Occident, de l’Antiquité tardive au Moyen Âge (IVe-XVe siècle)

Programa experimental de recitació i cant en cursa (EFDI21 145)

Treball acadèmic per a l'assignatura: Educació Física i la seva didàctica I. Curs: 2014-15.Resultats de la recerca sobre activitats associades a la cursa econòmica per al desenvolupament de la resistència aeròbica a les edats escolars

Programa experimental de recitació i cant en cursa (EFDI21 145)

Treball acadèmic per a l'assignatura: Educació Física i la seva didàctica I. Curs: 2014-15.Resultats de la recerca sobre activitats associades a la cursa econòmica per al desenvolupament de la resistència aeròbica a les edats escolars

Novel genes and sex differences in COVID-19 severity.

Here we describe the results of a genome-wide study conducted in 11 939 COVID-19 positive cases with an extensive clinical information that were recruited from 34 hospitals across Spain (SCOURGE consortium). In sex-disaggregated genome-wide association studies for COVID-19 hospitalization, genome-wide significance (p < 5x10-8) was crossed for variants in 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci only among males (p = 1.3x10-22 and p = 8.1x10-12, respectively), and for variants in 9q21.32 near TLE1 only among females (p = 4.4x10-8). In a second phase, results were combined with an independent Spanish cohort (1598 COVID-19 cases and 1068 population controls), revealing in the overall analysis two novel risk loci in 9p13.3 and 19q13.12, with fine-mapping prioritized variants functionally associated with AQP3 (p = 2.7x10-8) and ARHGAP33 (p = 1.3x10-8), respectively. The meta-analysis of both phases with four European studies stratified by sex from the Host Genetics Initiative confirmed the association of the 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci predominantly in males and replicated a recently reported variant in 11p13 (ELF5, p = 4.1x10-8). Six of the COVID-19 HGI discovered loci were replicated and an HGI-based genetic risk score predicted the severity strata in SCOURGE. We also found more SNP-heritability and larger heritability differences by age (<60 or ≥ 60 years) among males than among females. Parallel genome-wide screening of inbreeding depression in SCOURGE also showed an effect of homozygosity in COVID-19 hospitalization and severity and this effect was stronger among older males. In summary, new candidate genes for COVID-19 severity and evidence supporting genetic disparities among sexes are provided

Development of a prediction model for postoperative pneumonia A multicentre prospective observational study

BACKGROUND Postoperative pneumonia is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and costs. Prediction models of pneumonia that are currently available are based on retrospectively collected data and administrative coding systems. OBJECTIVE To identify independent variables associated with the occurrence of postoperative pneumonia. DESIGN A prospective observational study of a multicentre cohort (Prospective Evaluation of a RIsk Score for postoperative pulmonary COmPlications in Europe database). SETTING Sixty-three hospitals in Europe. PATIENTS Patients undergoing surgery under general and/or regional anaesthesia during a 7-day recruitment period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The primary outcome was postoperative pneumonia. Definition: the need for treatment with antibiotics for a respiratory infection and at least one of the following criteria: new or changed sputum; new or changed lung opacities on a clinically indicated chest radiograph; temperature more than 38.3 degrees C; leucocyte count more than 12 000 mu l(-1). RESULTS Postoperative pneumonia occurred in 120 out of 5094 patients (2.4%). Eighty-two of the 120 (68.3%) patients with pneumonia required ICU admission, compared with 399 of the 4974 (8.0%) without pneumonia (P < 0.001). We identified five variables independently associated with postoperative pneumonia: functional status [odds ratio (OR) 2.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.58 to 3.12], pre-operative SpO(2) values while breathing room air (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.84), intra-operative colloid administration (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.94 to 3.99), intra-operative blood transfusion (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.41 to 4.71) and surgical site (open upper abdominal surgery OR 3.98, 95% CI 2.19 to 7.59). The model had good discrimination (c-statistic 0.89) and calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow P = 0.572). CONCLUSION We identified five variables independently associated with postoperative pneumonia. The model performed well and after external validation may be used for risk stratification and management of patients at risk of postoperative pneumonia