Mitigation of phytotoxic effect of compost by application of optimized aqueous extraction protocols

The abuse of chemical fertilizers in recent decades has led the promotion of less harmful alternatives, such as compost or aqueous extracts obtained from it. Therefore, it is essential to develop liquid biofertilizers, which in addition of being stable and useful for fertigation and foliar application in intensive agriculture had a remarkable phytostimulant extracts. For this purpose, a collection of aqueous extracts was obtained by applying four different Compost Extraction Protocols (CEP1, CEP2, CEP3, CEP4) in terms of incubation time, temperature and agitation of compost samples from agri-food waste, olive mill waste, sewage sludge and vegetable waste. Subsequently, a physicochemical characterization of the obtained set was performed in which pH, electrical conductivity and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) were measured. In addition, a biological characterization was also carried out by calculating the Germination Index (GI) and determining the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5). Furthermore, functional diversity was studied using the Biolog EcoPlates technique. The results obtained confirmed the great heterogeneity of the selected raw materials. However, it was observed that the less aggressive treatments in terms of temperature and incubation time, such as CEP1 (48 h, room temperature (RT)) or CEP4 (14 days, RT), provided aqueous compost extracts with better phytostimulant characteristics than the starting composts. It was even possible to find a compost extraction protocol that maximize the beneficial effects of compost. This was the case of CEP1, which improved the GI and reduced the phytotoxicity in most of the raw materials analyzed. Therefore, the use of this type of liquid organic amendment could mitigate the phytotoxic effect of several composts being a good alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers

Hubble expansion and structure formation in the "running FLRW model" of the cosmic evolution

A new class of FLRW cosmological models with time-evolving fundamental parameters should emerge naturally from a description of the expansion of the universe based on the first principles of quantum field theory and string theory. Within this general paradigm, one expects that both the gravitational Newton's coupling, G, and the cosmological term, Lambda, should not be strictly constant but appear rather as smooth functions of the Hubble rate. This scenario ("running FLRW model") predicts, in a natural way, the existence of dynamical dark energy without invoking the participation of extraneous scalar fields. In this paper, we perform a detailed study of these models in the light of the latest cosmological data, which serves to illustrate the phenomenological viability of the new dark energy paradigm as a serious alternative to the traditional scalar field approaches. By performing a joint likelihood analysis of the recent SNIa data, the CMB shift parameter, and the BAOs traced by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we put tight constraints on the main cosmological parameters. Furthermore, we derive the theoretically predicted dark-matter halo mass function and the corresponding redshift distribution of cluster-size halos for the "running" models studied. Despite the fact that these models closely reproduce the standard LCDM Hubble expansion, their normalization of the perturbation's power-spectrum varies, imposing, in many cases, a significantly different cluster-size halo redshift distribution. This fact indicates that it should be relatively easy to distinguish between the "running" models and the LCDM cosmology using realistic future X-ray and Sunyaev-Zeldovich cluster surveys.Comment: Version published in JCAP 08 (2011) 007: 1+41 pages, 6 Figures, 1 Table. Typos corrected. Extended discussion on the computation of the linearly extrapolated density threshold above which structures collapse in time-varying vacuum models. One appendix, a few references and one figure adde

Probing the structure of the lensed quasar SDSSJ1004+4112 through microlensing analysis of spectroscopic data

Aims. We aim to reveal the sizes of the continuum and broad emission line (BEL) emitting regions in the gravitationally lensed quasar SDSS J1004+4112 by analyzing the unique signatures of microlensing in this system. Through a comprehensive analysis of 20 spectroscopic observations acquired between 2003 and 2018, we studied the striking deformations of various BEL profiles and determined the sizes of their respective emitting regions. Methods. Our approach involves a detailed analysis of the magnitude di erences in the BEL wings and their adjacent continua, and the implementation of a statistical model to quantify the distribution and impact of microlensing magnifications. To ensure a reliable baseline for no microlensing, we used the emission line cores as a reference. We then applied a Bayesian estimate to derive the size lower limits of the Lyα, Si IV, CIV, C III], and MgII emitting regions, as well as the sizes of the underlying continuum-emitting sources. Results. We analyzed the outstanding microlensing-induced distortions in the line profiles of various BELs in the quasar image A, characterized by a prominent magnification of the blue part and a strong demagnification of the red part. From the statistics of microlensing magnifications and using Bayesian methods, we estimate the lower limit to the overall size of the regions emitting the BELs to be a few light-days across, which is significantly smaller than in typically lensed quasars. The asymmetric deformations in the BELs indicate that the broad-line region is generally not spherically symmetric, and is likely confined to a plane and following the motions of the accretion disk. Additionally, the inferred continuum-emitting region sizes are larger than predictions based on standard thin-disk theory by a factor of ~3:6 on average. The size-wavelength relation is consistent with that of a geometrically thin and optically thick accretion disk.Grants PID2020-118687GB-C31, PID2020-118687GB-C32, and PID2020-118687GB-C33, financed by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación through MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033Generalitat Valenciana with the project of excellence Prometeo/2020/085Projects FQM-108, P20_00334, and A-FQM-510-UGR20/FEDER, financed by Junta de AndalucíaThe DFG grant HA3555-14/1 to University of Haifa and Tel Aviv UniversityThe Israeli Science Foundation grant no. 2398/1

A high-fat high-sucrose diet affects the long-term metabolic fate of grape proanthocyanidins in rats

[Purpose]: Polyphenol metabolites are key mediators of the biological activities of polyphenols. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of a high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet on the metabolism of proanthocyanidins from grape seed extract (GSE). [Methods]: Adult female Wistar–Kyoto rats were fed a standard (STD) or HFHS diet supplemented or not with GSE for 16 weeks. PA metabolites were determined by targeted HPLC–MS/MS analysis. [Results]: A lower concentration of total microbial-derived PA metabolites was present in urine and the aqueous fraction of faeces in the HFHS + GSE group than in the STD + GSE group. In contrast, a tendency towards the formation of conjugated (epi)catechin metabolites in the HFHS + GSE group was observed. [Conclusions]: These results show that a HFHS diet significantly modifies PA metabolism, probably via: (1) a shift in microbial communities not counteracted by the polyphenols themselves; and (2) an up-regulation of hepatic enzymes.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grants: AGL2009-12374-C03-01, -02 and -03; and AGL2013-49079-C2-1, 2 and -R, and through a doctoral fellowship to L.M.). The Panamanian Government (SENACYT/IFARHU) awarded a graduate fellowship to E.M.-T. The ISCIII is acknowledged for a “Sara Borrell” postdoctoral contract to J.P.-J. (CD09/00068).Peer Reviewe

Protective effect of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: Eicosapentaenoic acid/Docosahexaenoic acid 1:1 ratio on cardiovascular disease risk markers in rats

Abstract Background High consumption of fish carries a lower risk of cardiovascular disease as a consequence of dietary omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA; especially EPA and DHA) content. A controversy exists about the component/s responsible of these beneficial effects and, in consequence, which is the best proportion between both fatty acids. We sought to determine, in healthy Wistar rats, the proportions of EPA and DHA that would induce beneficial effects on biomarkers of oxidative stress, and cardiovascular disease risk. Methods Female Wistar rats were fed for 13 weeks with 5 different dietary supplements of oils; 3 derived from fish (EPA/DHA ratios of 1:1, 2:1, 1:2) plus soybean and linseed as controls. The activities of major antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPX, and GR) were determined in erythrocytes and liver, and the ORAC test was used to determine the antioxidant capacity in plasma. Also measured were: C reactive protein (CRP), endothelial dysfunction (sVCAM and sICAM), prothrombotic activity (PAI-1), lipid profile (triglycerides, cholesterol, HDLc, LDLc, Apo-A1, and Apo-B100), glycated haemoglobin and lipid peroxidation (LDL-ox and MDA values). Results After three months of nutritional intervention, we observed statistically significant differences in the ApoB100/ApoA1 ratio, glycated haemoglobin, VCAM-1, SOD and GPx in erythrocytes, ORAC values and LDL-ox. Supplementation with fish oil derived omega-3 PUFA increased VCAM-1, LDL-ox and plasma antioxidant capacity (ORAC). Conversely, the ApoB100/ApoA1 ratio and percentage glycated haemoglobin decreased. Conclusions Our results showed that a diet of a 1:1 ratio of EPA/DHA improved many of the oxidative stress parameters (SOD and GPx in erythrocytes), plasma antioxidant capacity (ORAC) and cardiovascular risk factors (glycated haemoglobin) relative to the other diets.This investigation was supported, in part, by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grants AGL2009-12374-C03-01, -02 and -03).Peer Reviewe

Somatometría craneofacial en pacientes adultos con enfermedad de Wilson

Al diagnosticar, estudiar y tratar de forma cotidiana, los pacientes con enfermedad de Wilson notamos que presentaban rasgos en la morfología craneofacial diferentes a los de la población atendida, sin este padecimiento. Para verificar esta hipótesis se estudiaron 31 pacientes masculinos adultos, europoides, con el padecimiento. Se les midió el largo de la cabeza, anchura cefálica, altura auricular del cráneo, anchura frontal mínima, altura morfológica de la cara, anchura de la cara, altura de la nariz, anchura de la nariz, altura de la oreja, anchura de la oreja, anchura mandibular y circunferencia cefálica. Se calcularon los índices cefálico horizontal, facial morfológico, yugo mandibular, nasal y auricular. Todas las mediciones fueron realizadas por el Profesor Manuel Rivero de la Calle. Se observaron diferencias significativas (p < 0,05) con respecto a la población general en el largo de la cabeza, altura morfológica de la cara, anchura de la nariz y oreja, circunferencia cefálica horizontal así como en los índices facial morfológico y auricular. Todo hace pensar que los pacientes con enfermedad de Wilson, debido a su componente genético, tienen características diferentes de la población general

Glutathione overproduction mediates lymphoma initiating cells survival and has a sex-dependent effect on lymphomagenesis

Abstract Lymphoid tumor patients often exhibit resistance to standard therapies or experience relapse post-remission. Relapse is driven by Tumor Initiating Cells (TICs), a subset of tumor cells capable of regrowing the tumor and highly resistant to therapy. Growing cells in 3D gels is a method to discern tumorigenic cells because it strongly correlates with tumorigenicity. The finding that TICs, rather than differentiated tumor cells, grow in 3D gels offers a unique opportunity to unveil TIC-specific signaling pathways and therapeutic targets common to various cancer types. Here, we show that culturing lymphoid cells in 3D gels triggers reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, leading to non-tumor lymphoid cell death while enabling the survival and proliferation of a subset of lymphoma/leukemia cells, TICs or TIC-like cells. Treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine inhibits this lethality and promotes the growth of primary non-tumor lymphoid cells in 3D gels. A subset of lymphoma cells, characterized by an increased abundance of the antioxidant glutathione, escape ROS-induced lethality, a response not seen in non-tumor cells. Reducing glutathione production in lymphoma cells, either through pharmacological inhibition of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), the enzyme catalyzing the rate-limiting step in glutathione biosynthesis, or via knockdown of GCLC, the GCL catalytic subunit, sharply decreased cell growth in 3D gels and xenografts. Tumor cells from B-cell lymphoma/leukemia patients and λ-MYC mice, a B-cell lymphoma mouse model, overproduce glutathione. Importantly, pharmacological GCL inhibition hindered lymphoma growth in female λ-MYC mice, suggesting that this treatment holds promise as a therapeutic strategy for female lymphoma/leukemia patients

Gluathione is critical for the growth of lymphoma-initiating cells and lymphomagenesis in vivo

Trabajo presentado en el 2nd Annual Congress of Conexión Cancer, celebrado en Benidorm (España) del 23 al 25 de enero de 2023.Many patients with lymphoid tumors do not respond to existing therapies or relapse quickly after initial remission. A minor fraction of tumor cells, the tumor-initiating cells (TICs), has self-renewal capacity, is particularly resistant to cancer therapies, and likely accounts for tumor relapse. Targeting critical pathways that are specific to TIC function may therefore improve cancer treatment. As TICs are the only tumor cells able to grow in soft gels, we are investigating the mechanisms underlying the growth in soft gels. The balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants levels regulates numerous cellular processes, including cell signaling, proliferation and death. Here we show that culture of lymphoid cells in soft-agar hydrogels induces ROS production and kills all non-tumor lymphoid cells but allows the survival and proliferation of a minor fraction of lymphoma cells. Treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine inhibits lethality and even enables the growth of primary non-tumor lymphoid cells in soft-agar. A fraction of lymphoma cells overcomes ROS-induced lethality by increasing the production of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH), whereas non-tumor cells fail to induce this response. Pharmacological inhibition of GCL, the limiting enzyme in GSH biosynthesis, or knockdown of GCLC, the GCL catalytic subunit, dropped GSH production in lymphoma cells, sharply decreased their viability and proliferation in softagar, and inhibited their growth in immunodeficient mice. B-cells from ¿MYC mice, a mouse model of B-cell lymphoma, show increased ROS and GSH levels relative to Bcells from control mice. Importantly, pharmacological GCL inhibition impaired lymphoma growth in female ¿MYC mice, increasing their tumor-free survival. We also found higher ROS and GSH levels in tumor B-cells from B-cell lymphoma and leukemia patients than in non-tumor T-cells from the same subject or in B-cells from healthy donors, strongly suggesting that GCL inhibition could be of interest for therapeutic intervention in these patients