Editorial

Editoria

Phosphogypsum amendments and irrigation with acidulated water affect tomato nutrition in reclaimed marsh soils from SW Spain

Phosphogypsum (PG) is a by-product of the P fertilizer industry usually valorised as amendment for acidic and sodic soils. This work was aimed to study the effects of PG on nutrient uptake by industrial tomato plants in an originally sodic soil. A completely randomized experiment was performed involving two factors: (i) acidification with nitric acid (mimics cleaning techniques in drip irrigation), and (ii) PG rate (equivalents to 0, 20, 60, and 200 Mg ha–1). The highest PG rate resulted in an increased dry matter yield, which can be ascribed at least in part to an increased water use efficiency. PG decreased K, Mg and P concentrations in shoots, and P and Cu concentrations in fruits. At the highest rate, PG increased B concentration in shoots and total B content in the aerial parts of plants when acid was applied. The highest PG rate also increased Ca concentration in fruits, which can be considered positive in view of reducing the incidence of blossom end rot. The total content of Ni and Mo in aerial parts increased with PG, probably related to a decreased adsorption of these nutrients in soils. Acid application increased the concentration of all micronutrients in shoots and the concentration of Fe, Cu and B in fruits. In conclusion, PG promoted positive effects on B, Ni, Mo, and Ca nutrition, and some negative nutritional effects through antagonisms or affecting nutrient cycling in the soils, which however did not result in decreasing yields, even at a large dose which mimics the cumulative application during 20-30 years. Acid treatments resulted in improved micronutrient nutrition of tomato plant

Effectiveness of mixtures of vivianite and organic materials in preventing iron chlorosis in strawberry

Application of Fe salts with different organic matter sources has been demonstrated to be effective in preventing Fe deficiency chlorosis. The main objective of this work was to study the effectiveness of different Fe sources based on mixtures of humic substances or compost with vivianite in preventing this nutritional disorder in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv Camarosa). To this end, a randomised block experiment involving four replications (3 plants per replication) and one factor (Fe source) was performed in a greenhouse using a calcareous growing medium. Iron sources studied were: (i) control without Fe, (ii) control with an effective Fe source in calcareous media (EDDHA-Fe, 0.1 g kg–1), (iii) vivianite (1 g kg–1 medium, which is the recommended rate), (iv) vivianite (1 g kg–1) + humic substances (HS 0.06 g kg–1), (v) vivianite (0.5 g kg–1) + HS (0.06 g kg–1) and (vi) a mixture of composted cork residue and vivianite at a 6:1 mass ratio (CORVIV) applied at a dose of 6 g kg–1 medium. All Fe sources were effective in increasing SPAD readings when compared with control without Fe. Treatments based on vivianite provided non-significantly different SPAD readings from that obtained with EDDHA-Fe. However, only CORVIV showed non-significantly different dry matter (DM) production, leaf area index, and total Fe content in the aerial part than EDDHA-Fe. Humic substances and vivianite at 1 g kg–1 increased DM yield in plants when compared with vivianite without HS, results with this last treatment being similar to those obtained with vivianite at 0.5 g kg–1 with HS. It can be concluded that studied sources of organic matter increased the efficiency of vivianite in preventing Fe chlorosis in strawberry, especially vivianite enriched cork compost which was as effective as EDDHA-Fe

Transfer of Cd, Pb, Ra and U from Phosphogypsum Amended Soils to Tomato Plants

About 170 million tons of phosphogypsum (PG) are annually generated worldwide as a by-product of phosphoric acid factories. Agricultural uses of PG could become the main sink for this waste, which usually contains significant radionuclide (from the 238U-series) and toxic metals concentrations. To study PG effects on pollutant uptake by crops, a completely randomised greenhouse experiment was carried out growing Lycopersicum esculentum Mill L. on a reclaimed marsh soil amended with three PG rates (treatments), corresponding to zero (control without PG application), one, three and ten times the typical PG rates used in SW Spain (20 Mg ha−1). The concentrations of Cd, Pb, U (by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy) and 226Ra and 210Po (by γ-spectrometry and α-counting, respectively) were determined in soil, vegetal tissue and draining water. Cadmium concentrations in fruit increased with PG rates, reaching 44 ± 7 μg kg−1 formula weight with ten PG rates (being 50 μg kg−1 the maximum allowed concentration by EC 1881/2006 regulation). Cd transfer factors in non-edible parts were as high as 4.8 ± 0.5 (dry weight (d.w.)), two orders of magnitude higher than values found for lead, lead, uranium and radium concentrations in fruit remained below the corresponding detection limits—0.5 and 0.25 mg kg−1 and 0.6 mBq kg−1, respectively (in a d.w. basis). 238U (up to 7 μg kg−1 d.w.) and 210Po (up to 0.74 Bq kg−1 d.w.) could be measured in some fruit samples by α-spectrometry. Overall, the concentrations of these metals and radionuclides in the draining water accounted for less than 1% of the amount applied with PGJunta de Andalucía IFAPA-C03

Decellularized ECM-Derived Hydrogels: Modification and Properties

Extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels are water-swollen fibrillary three-dimensional (3D) networks where collagen type I is the major component. The hierarchical network formed by the polymerization of tropocollagen molecules with enhanced properties is an attractive template for generating biomaterials. The mammalian tissue source from which collagen is extracted and its consequent modification are variables that impact the physicochemical and biological properties of the collagen network. This chapter has the purpose to provide a review of the research of different strategies to modify and characterize the properties of decellularized ECM-derived hydrogels in the context of safe biomaterials with immunomodulatory properties

La globesidad: un análisis espacio-temporal, 1980-2015

Durante las últimas décadas, la creciente obesidad se ha asociado a los cambios económicos, políticos y sociales, algunos de ellos derivados de la globalización. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar su comportamiento en el espacio y el tiempo. Las variables clave son la obesidad y el índice de globalización KOF a nivel país durante el periodo 1980-2015. La estrategia empírica es detectar la presencia de dependencia espacial y, con modelos espaciales, estimar la relación obesidad-globalización. Los resultados muestran un vínculo positivo entre ambas variables, mientras la globalización social explica en mayor medida el fenómeno de la obesidad

Endogenous topoisomerase II-mediated DNA breaks drive thymic cancer predisposition linked to ATM deficiency

The ATM kinase is a master regulator of the DNA damage response to double-strand breaks (DSBs) and a well-established tumour suppressor whose loss is the cause of the neurodegenerative and cancer-prone syndrome Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T). A-T patients and Atm−/− mouse models are particularly predisposed to develop lymphoid cancers derived from deficient repair of RAG-induced DSBs during V(D)J recombination. Here, we unexpectedly find that specifically disturbing the repair of DSBs produced by DNA topoisomerase II (TOP2) by genetically removing the highly specialised repair enzyme TDP2 increases the incidence of thymic tumours in Atm−/− mice. Furthermore, we find that TOP2 strongly colocalizes with RAG, both genome-wide and at V(D)J recombination sites, resulting in an increased endogenous chromosomal fragility of these regions. Thus, our findings demonstrate a strong causal relationship between endogenous TOP2-induced DSBs and cancer development, confirming these lesions as major drivers of ATM-deficient lymphoid malignancies, and potentially other conditions and cancer types.Junta de Andalucía SAF2010-21017, SAF2013-47343-P, SAF2014-55532-R, SAF2017-89619-R, CVI-7948European Research Council ERC-CoG-2014-64735

Post-Synthetic Surface Modification of Metal–Organic Frameworks and Their Potential Applications

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous hybrid materials with countless potential applications. Most of these rely on their porous structure, tunable composition, and the possibility of incorporating and expanding their functions. Although functionalization of the inner surface of MOF crystals has received considerable attention in recent years, methods to functionalize selectively the outer crystal surface of MOFs are developed to a lesser extent, despite their importance. This article summarizes different types of post-synthetic modifications and possible applications of modified materials such as: catalysis, adsorption, drug delivery, mixed matrix membranes, and stabilization of porous liquids.The authors acknowledge financial support by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2020-116998RB-I00), Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional (PRX21/00407), Conselleria de Innovacion, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital (CIPROM/2021/022), and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). This study forms part of the Advanced Materials programme and was supported by MCIN with funding from European Union NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17.I1) and by Generalitat Valenciana

ARTROPOFAUNA DE UNA CUEVA DE CALOR DE UNA RESERVA ECOLÓGICA DE VILLA CLARA, CUBA

Se determinó la artropofauna cavernícola en una cueva de calor de la Reserva Ecológica «Mogotes de Jumagua», en el Municipio Sagua la Grande, provincia Villa Clara, Cuba. La artropofauna fue colectada o utilizando los métodos convencionales. La temperatura máxima del aire fue de 33,6 C y la humedad relativa del aire fue del 90%, lo que ubica a esta cueva dentro de la categoría de “cueva de calor”. Se ofrecen apuntes sobre la presencia de 11 especies de artropotroglofauna: Periplaneta americana (Linné, 1758) (Blattodea: Blattidae); (2) Byrsotria fumigata (Guérin-Méneville, 1857) (Blattodea: Blaberidae); (3) Carcinophora americana (Beauvois, 1817) (Dermaptera: Anisolabididae); (4) Pyrophorus noctilucus (Linné, 1758) (Coleoptera: Elateridae; (5) Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae); (6) Antricola sp. (Acarina: Argasidae); (7) Loxosceles cubana (Gertsch, 1958) (Araneae: Sicariidae); (8) Diguetia sp. (Araneae: Diguetidae); (9) Theridion rufipes (Lucas, 1846) (Araneae: Theridiidae); (10) Paraphrynus viridiceps (Pocock, 1893) (Amblypygi: Phrynidae); y, (11) Sphendononema guildingii (Newport, 1844) (Scutigeromorpha: Pselliodidae). En base al sistema de Schiner-Racovitza, seis especies de artropofauna fueron catalogadas como troglófilas (54,54%), tres troglobias (27,27%) y dos trogloxenas (18,19%)