Radiationless mechanism of UV deactivation by cuticle phenolics in plants

[EN] Hydroxycinnamic acids present in plant cuticles, the interphase and the main protective barrier between the plant and the environment, exhibit singular photochemical properties that could allow them to act as a UV shield. Here, we employ transient absorption spectroscopy on isolated cuticles and leaf epidermises to study in situ the photodynamics of these molecules in the excited state. Based on quantum chemical calculations on p-coumaric acid, the main phenolic acid present in the cuticle, we propose a model in which cuticle phenolics display a photoprotective mechanism based in an ultrafast and non-radiative excited state deactivation combined with fluorescence emission. As such, the cuticle can be regarded as the first and foremost protective barrier against UV radiation. This photostable and photodynamic mechanism seems to be universal in land plants giving a special role and function to the presence of different aromatic domains in plant cuticles and epidermises.This work has been supported by grants RTI2018-094277-B/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, PID2020-119636GB-I00 and RED2018-102331-T from Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and SBPLY/17/180501/000189 from UCLM Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM-FEDER). Computational resources, technical and human support provided by IZO-SGI, SGIker (UPV/EHU, MICINN, GV/EJ, ERDF and ESF) and DIPC (Donostia International Physics Centre) are gratefully acknowledged. Ana González Moreno is the recipient of a Formación Personal Universitario fellowship FPU17/01771. The authors thank Dr. Jessica Román, Dr. José Luis Zafra and Dr. Cristina Capel for their technical work and Dr. Victoria Gómez, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, for the NMR assignments

Optimising an outdoor membrane photobioreactor for tertiary sewage treatment

The operation of an outdoor membrane photobioreactor plant which treated the effluent of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor was optimised. Biomass retention times of 4.5, 6, and 9 days were tested. At a biomass retention time of 4.5 days, maximum nitrogen recovery rate:light irradiance ratios, photosynthetic efficiencies and carbon biofixations of 51.7 ± 14.3 mg N·mol−1, 4.4 ± 1.6% and 0.50 ± 0.05 kg CO2·m3influent, respectively, were attained. Minimum membrane fouling rates were achieved when operating at the shortest biomass retention time because of the lower solid concentration and the negligible amount of cyanobacteria and protozoa. Hydraulic retention times of 3.5, 2, and 1.5 days were tested at the optimum biomass retention times of 4.5 days under non-nutrient limited conditions, showing no significant differences in the nutrient recovery rates, photosynthetic efficiencies and membrane fouling rates. However, nitrogen recovery rate:light irradiance ratios and photosynthetic efficiency significantly decreased when hydraulic retention time was further shortened to 1 day, probably due to a rise in the substrate turbidity which reduced the light availability in the culture. Optimal carbon biofixations and theoretical energy recoveries from the biomass were obtained at hydraulic retention time of 3.5 days, which accounted for 0.55 ± 0.05 kg CO2·m−3influent and 0.443 ± 0.103 kWh·m−3influent, respectively

OBTENCIÓN DE IMÁGENES GEORRÁDAR 3D EN EL YACIMIENTO ARQUEOLÓGICO DE LA MOTILLA DEL AZUER (DAIMIEL, CIUDAD REAL)

In the last decades systematic excavations and Heritage valorization programs has been developed in the Motilla del Azuer Bronze Age archaeological site by University of Granada Department of Prehistory and Archaeology. Two geophysical research activities have been the most recent made, in 2009, in order to prioritize the areas where the future excavations campaigns could take place. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in 3D mode has been used. The site shows a conical mound shape and has important layers of collapse. Both factors (slope and collpse) produce blurry images GPR which don’t make easy any archaeological interpretation. In this paper strategies to get radar images as good as possible are discussed, such as topographic correction of data, design of warped surfaces and three-dimensional image in order to discard the levels of collapse.El yacimiento de la Edad del Bronce de la Motilla del Azuer viene siendo objeto de excavaciones arqueológicas sistemáticas y de intervenciones para su puesta en valor por el Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad de Granada durante las últimas décadas. Con el objeto de priorizar los sectores de excavación en futuras campañas se han realizado dos intervenciones geofísicas, la más reciente en el año 2009, usando el método de rádar de penetración terrestre (georrádar) en su modalidad 3D. El yacimiento que por sus estructuras arquitectónicas de piedra y depósitos presenta forma de montículo cónico, posee potentes capas de derrumbe. Ambos factores (relieve y derrumbe) producen imágenes georrádar poco nítidas, dificultando la interpretación arqueológica. En el presente estudio se describen las estrategias seguidas para obtener imágenes rádar lo más nítidas posibles; como son la corrección topográfica de los datos, y la creación de superficies alabeadas e imágenes tridimensionales descartando los niveles de derrumbe

3D ground penetrating radar images obtained in “Motilla del Azuer” archaeological site (Daimiel, Ciudad Real)

El yacimiento de la Edad del Bronce de la Motilla del Azuer viene siendo objeto de excavaciones arqueológicas sistemáticas y de intervenciones para su puesta en valor por el Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad de Granada durante las últimas décadas. Con el objeto de priorizar los sectores de excavación en futuras campañas se han realizado dos intervenciones geofísicas, la más reciente en el año 2009, usando el método de rádar de penetración terrestre (georrádar) en su modalidad 3D. El yacimiento que por sus estructuras arquitectónicas de piedra y depósitos presenta forma de montículo cónico, posee potentes capas de derrumbe. Ambos factores (relieve y derrumbe) producen imágenes georrádar poco nítidas, dificultando la interpretación arqueológica. En el presente estudio se describen las estrategias seguidas para obtener imágenes rádar lo más nítidas posibles; como son la corrección topográfica de los datos, y la creación de superficies alabeadas e imágenes tridimensionales descartando los niveles de derrumbe.In the last decades systematic excavations and Heritage valorization programs has been developed in the Motilla del Azuer Bronze Age archaeological site by University of Granada Department of Prehistory and Archaeology. Two geophysical research activities have been the most recent made, in 2009, in order to prioritize the areas where the future excavations campaigns could take place. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in 3D mode has been used. The site shows a conical mound shape and has important layers of collapse. Both factors (slope and collpse) produce blurry images GPR which don’t make easy any archaeological interpretation. In this paper strategies to get radar images as good as possible are discussed, such as topographic correction of data, design of warped surfaces and three-dimensional image in order to discard the levels of collapse.Proyecto de Investigación (HUM2006-11296) Función de los espacios y control de los recursos subsistenciales en la Motilla del Azuer. Un modelo para el estudio del asentamiento humano en La Mancha durante La Edad del Bronce

Lipid Transfer Protein Sensitization: Risk of Anaphylaxis and Molecular Sensitization Profile in Pru p 3-Sensitized Patients

Background: Component-resolved diagnosis reveals the IgE response to many inhaled, food, and other allergens, improving the understanding and diagnosis of allergic diseases. Objective: The aims of the study are to study the recognition of different lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) and other allergen families in a large group of people sensitized to Pru p 3 and to analyze the relationship between the clinical entities and the allergens. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a large cohort of patients with positive skin tests to peach fruit and Pru p 3 specific IgE antibodies. Respiratory and food allergy symptoms were collected, and we performed prick tests with pollen, plant food, and other allergens plus the ImmunoCAP ISAC assay. Results: Our sample consisted of 421 people with a mean age of 33.25 years (range 16–68); 54.6% were women. Clinical entities included anaphylaxis (37.1%), urticaria (67.9%), and oral allergy syndrome (59.1%). Rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis, and/or asthma were diagnosed in 71.8% of the participants. The most pronounced correlation existed between sensitization to Pru p 3 and to Jug r 3, Pla a 3, Ara h 9, and Cor a 8. We found a higher incidence of anaphylaxis in people with 5 or more recognized LTPs. No association was observed between inhaled and food allergies. Conclusion: Most Pru p 3-sensitized participants were sensitized to additional allergens from the same family and, to a lesser extent, to other allergens, mainly in the profilin and PR-10 protein families. Anaphylaxis occurred in more than a third of the cases evaluated, and almost three-quarters of them had respiratory symptoms. Respiratory and food allergies involving LTPs do not seem to be associated

Improving membrane photobioreactor performance by reducing light path: operating conditions and key performance indicators

Microalgae cultivation has been receiving increasing interest in wastewater remediation due to their ability to assimilate nutrients present in wastewater streams. In this respect, cultivating microalgae in membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) allows decoupling the solid retention time (SRT) from the hydraulic retention time (HRT), which enables to increase the nutrient load to the photobioreactors (PBRs) while avoiding the wash out of the microalgae biomass. The reduction of the PBR light path from 25 to 10 cm increased the nitrogen and phosphorus recovery rates, microalgae biomass productivity and photosynthetic efficiency by 150, 103, 194 and 67%, respectively. The areal biomass productivity (aBP) also increased when the light path was reduced, reflecting the better use of light in the 10-cm MPBR plant. The capital and operating operational expenditures (CAPEX and OPEX) of the 10-cm MPBR plant were also reduced by 27 and 49%, respectively. Discharge limits were met when the 10-cm MPBR plant was operated at SRTs of 3-4.5 d and HRTs of 1.25-1.5 d. At these SRT/HRT ranges, the process could be operated without a high fouling propensity with gross permeate flux (J20) of 15 LMH and specific gas demand (SGDp) between 16 and 20 Nm3air·m−3permeate, which highlights the potential of membrane filtration in MPBRs. When the continuous operation of the MPBR plant was evaluated, an optical density of 680 nm (OD680) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) were found to be good indicators of microalgae cell and algal organic matter (AOM) concentrations, while dissolved oxygen appeared to be directly related to MPBR performance. Nitrite and nitrate (NOx) concentration and the soluble chemical oxygen demand:volatile suspended solids ratio (sCOD:VSS) were used as indicators of nitrifying bacteria activity and the stress on the culture, respectively. These parameters were inversely related to nitrogen recovery rates and biomass productivity and could thus help to prevent possible culture deterioration

Synthesis, Fungitoxic Activity against Botrytis cinerea and Phytotoxicity of Alkoxyclovanols and Alkoxyisocaryolanols

Clovane and isocaryolane derivatives have been proven to show several levels of activity against the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Both classes of sesquiterpenes are reminiscent of biosynthetic intermediates of botrydial, a virulence factor of B. cinerea. Further development of both classes of antifungal agent requires exploration of the structure-activity relationships for the antifungal effects on B. cinerea and phytotoxic effects on a model crop. In this paper, we report on the preparation of a series of alkoxy-clovane and -isocaryolane derivatives, some of them described here for the first time (2b, 2d, 2f-2h, and 4c-4e); the evaluation of their antifungal properties against B. cinerea, and their phytotoxic activites on the germination of seeds and the growth of radicles and shoots of Lactuca sativa (lettuce). Both classes of compound show a correlation of antifungal activity with the nature of side chains, with the best activity against B. cinerea for 2d, 2h, 4c and 4d. In general terms, while 2-alkoxyclovan-9-ols (2a-2e) exert a general phytotoxic effect, this is not the case for 2-arylalkoxyclovan-9-ols (2f-2i) and 8-alkoxyisocaryolan-9-ols (4a-4d), where stimulating effects would make them suitable candidates for application to plants.This research was supported by a grant from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades (RTI2018-097356-B-C21, MCIU/AEI/FEDER, EU). A.d.A.P.B., G.G.d.S. and J.A.T. thank Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de nivel superior (CAPES, Brazil) for research fellowships (CAPES-DGU 197/09)

Egg Production in Poultry Farming Is Improved by Probiotic Bacteria

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most serious threats for human health in the near future. Livestock has played an important role in the appearance of antibioticresistant bacteria, intestinal dysbiosis in farming animals, or the spread of AMR among pathogenic bacteria of human concern. The development of alternatives like probiotics is focused on maintaining or improving production levels while diminishing these negative effects of antibiotics. To this end, we supplied the potential probiotic Enterococcus faecalis UGRA10 in the diet of laying hens at a final concentration of 108 Colony Forming Units per gram (CFU/g) of fodder. Its effects have been analyzed by: (i) investigating the response of the ileum and caecum microbiome; and (ii) analyzing the outcome on eggs production. During the second half of the experimental period (40 to 76 days), hens fed E. faecalis UGRA10 maintained egg production, while control animals dropped egg production. Supplementation diet with E. faecalis UGRA10 significantly increased ileum and caecum bacterial diversity (higher bacterial operational taxonomic unit richness and Faith’s diversity index) of laying hens, with animals fed the same diet showing a higher similarity in microbial composition. These results point out to the beneficial effects of E. faecalis UGRA10 in egg production. Future experiments are necessary to unveil the underlying mechanisms that mediate the positive response of animals to this treatment.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo (Junta de Andalucía), the University of Granada- CEI BioTic (Project No. P-BS-37), and the INTERCONECTA program (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness). JP-S was funded by Junta de Andalucia (Proyectos de Excelencia 2011- RNM-8147)

Late presentation for HIV remains a major health issue in Spain: Results from a multicenter cohort study, 2004-2018.

With the purpose of reducing the well-known negative impact of late presentation (LP) on people living with HIV (PLWH), guidelines on early HIV diagnosis were published in 2014 in Spain, but since then no data on LP prevalence have been published. To estimate prevalence and risk factors of LP and to evaluate their impact on the development of clinical outcomes in the Cohort of the Spanish HIV/AIDS Research Network (CoRIS) during 2004-2018. CoRIS is an open prospective multicenter cohort of PLWH, adults, naive to ART at entry. LP was defined as HIV diagnosis with CD4 count ≤350 cells/μL or an AIDS defining event (ADE). Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate both prevalence ratios (PR) for the association of potential risk factors with LP and Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for its impact on the development of the composite endpoint (first ADE, first serious non-AIDS event [SNAE] or overall mortality). 14,876 individuals were included. Overall, LP prevalence in 2004-2018 was 44.6%. Risk factors for LP included older age, having been infected through injection drug use or heterosexual intercourse, low educational level and originating from non-European countries. LP was associated with an increased risk of the composite endpoint (IRR: 1.34; 95%CI 1.20, 1.50), ADE (1.39; 1.18, 1.64), SNAE (1.22; 1.01, 1.47) and mortality (1.71; 1.41, 2.08). LP remains a health problem in Spain, mainly among certain populations, and is associated with greater morbidity and mortality. Public policies should be implemented to expand screening and early diagnosis of HIV infection, for a focus on those at greatest risk of LP.RR received funds from Gilead for this work.The funders had no role in study design,data collection and analysis, decision to publish,or preparation of the manuscript.S

Study protocol of a randomised clinical trial testing whether metacognitive training can improve insight and clinical outcomes in schizophrenia

Background: Although insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) has been associated with positive outcomes, the effect size of previous treatments on insight has been relatively small to date. The metacognitive basis of insight suggests that metacognitive training (MCT) may improve insight and clinical outcomes in SSD, although this remains to be established. Methods: This single-center, assessor-blind, parallel-group, randomised clinical trial (RCT) aims to investigate the efficacy of MCT for improving insight (primary outcome), including clinical and cognitive insight, which will be measured by the Schedule for Assessment of Insight (Expanded version) (SAI-E) and the Beck Cognitive Scale (BCIS), respectively, in (at least) n = 126 outpatients with SSD at three points in time: i) at baseline (T0); ii) after treatment (T1) and iii) at 1-year follow-up (T2). SSD patients receiving MCT and controls attending a non-intervention support group will be compared on insight level changes and several clinical and cognitive secondary outcomes at T1 and T2, whilst adjusting for baseline data. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) will be piloted to assess functioning in a subsample of participants. Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first RCT testing the effect of group MCT on multiple insight dimensions (as primary outcome) in a sample of unselected patients with SSD, including several secondary outcomes of clinical relevance, namely symptom severity, functioning, which will also be evaluated with EMA, hospitalizations and suicidal behaviour.This study was supported by the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and European Union via the Intertalentum Project Grant-Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (GA 713366) to JDLM who is the Princiapl Investigator. This grant therefore funds both JDLM’s salary and the consumable expenses related to the study. JDLM, VGRR, ASEM, MLBE, LMI, LML, SSA, AAR and EBG’s salaries come from the Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, where this study is currently being carried out, which therefore provides the necessary institutional/departmental support for its development. Additional departmental support concerning the use of Ecological Momentary Assessment (see Methods section, page 11 -last paragraph- and page 12 –first paragraph-, for details) is provided by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Madrid, Spain) (ISCIII PI16/01852) and the Madrid Regional Government (Madrid, Spain) (B2017/BMD-3740 AGES-CM 2CM; Y2018/TCS-4705 PRACTICO-CM). ASD acknowledges funding supports from University College London, which covers his salar