Rapid Prediction of Nutrient Concentration in Citrus Leaves Using Vis-NIR Spectroscopy

[EN] The nutritional diagnosis of crops is carried out through costly foliar ionomic analysis in laboratories. However, spectroscopy is a sensing technique that could replace these destructive analyses for monitoring nutritional status. This work aimed to develop a calibration model to predict the foliar concentrations of macro and micronutrients in citrus plantations based on rapid non-destructive spectral measurements. To this end, 592 'Clementina de Nules' citrus leaves were collected during several months of growth. In these foliar samples, the spectral absorbance (430-1040 nm) was measured using a portable spectrometer, and the foliar ionomics was determined by emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for macro and micronutrients, and the Kjeldahl method to quantify N. Models based on partial least squares regression (PLS-R) were calibrated to predict the content of macro and micronutrients in the leaves. The determination coefficients obtained in the model test were between 0.31 and 0.69, the highest values being found for P, K, and B (0.60, 0.63, and 0.69, respectively). Furthermore, the important P, K, and B wavelengths were evaluated using the weighted regression coefficients (BW) obtained from the PLS-R model. The results showed that the selected wavelengths were all in the visible region (430-750 nm) related to foliage pigments. The results indicate that this technique is promising for rapid and non-destructive foliar macro and micronutrient prediction.This work is co-financed by the PNDR and GVA-IVIA (projects 52203, 52204 and by the EU through the ERDF of GVA 2021-2027). Maylin Acosta thanks IFARHU-SENACYT for the Professional Excellence Scholarships, contract No. 270-2021-020. Sandra Munera thanks the Juan de la Cierva-Formación contract (FJC2021-047786-I) co-funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.Acosta, M.; Quiñones, A.; Munera, S.; De Paz, JM.; Blasco, J. (2023). Rapid Prediction of Nutrient Concentration in Citrus Leaves Using Vis-NIR Spectroscopy. Sensors. 23(14):1-11. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23146530111231

Análisis de eficiencia de la industria oleícola desde un enfoque multioutput con distancias econométricas

Este trabajo estudia el nivel de eficiencia técnica de la industria oleícola andaluza, utilizando la metodología de las funciones distancia e incorporando además del output de volumen de producción, más clásico, otros más novedosos, como son el nivel de calidad de la producción y la incorporación de prácticas respetuosas con el entorno en esta industria. Partiendo de una muestra de 88 industrias almazaras de Andalucía se elaboran sendos índices para estos outputs, de forma tal que la calidad se cuantifica mediante la construcción de un agregado que recoge aspectos relacionados con la separación de la aceituna, los puntos críticos y la trazabilidad. El respeto ambiental se evalúa a través de otro índice que incorpora los impactos producidos en el suelo, aguas, y aire, así como ruidos, molestias vecinales, etc. La ponderación de los diferentes aspectos en los índices se llevan a cabo aplicando un método Delphi a un panel de expertos del sector. La estimación de la eficiencia de la industria se realiza aplicando la metodología de funciones distancia, considerando como outputs la producción de aceite y los índices de calidad y respeto medioambiental. Los inputs incluidos en el análisis son el trabajo y el capital, tanto fijo como circulante. Se realiza la estimación de diferentes especificaciones funcionales mediante máxima verosimilitud con tres distintas orientaciones: distancia de outputs, distancia de inputs y distancia hiperbólica permitiendo esta última la orientación tanto a outputs como a inputs simultáneamente. Finalmente se realiza un análisis de factores de eficiencia mediante la estimación de una regresión tobit.   ABSTRACT   This paper studies the level of technical efficiency in the olive oil production sector, applying econometric distance functions from a multioutput perspective. It not only regards the olive oil production but also takes into account the quality and environmental impact of the production process. These two latest outputs have been represented by mean of two corresponding indices. All the study has been performed on the basis of information on a 88 olive oil industries sample. Quality index collects different aspects in relation with olive oil proportion on the total production, critical points and traceability and the environmental index includes bad impacts on soil, water, and air, also considering noise and neighborhood disturbances. Three data sources have been used: a comprehensive survey of a sample of olive oil producers, their financial reports and the opinion of a group of experts in olive oil production techniques interviewed by means of the Delphi technique. The inputs are labor, capital and cash flow. Different econometric frontier model specifications have been estimated by maximum likelihood method considering tree orientations: outputs, inputs, and simultaneously both, the later having been carried out by mean of a hyperbolic distance consideration. A tobit model has been also applied in order to detect possible influences of some firm’s characteristics in the efficiency level

Caracterización hidrogeoquímica de efluentes de escombreras en el grupo minero la Zarza-Perruna

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Recycled cellulose from Tetra Pak packaging as reinforcement of polyester based composites

Addressing the environmental problems caused by waste generated by Tetra Pak packaging, in this work, polyester based composites with 80% of polyester resin and 20% of silica sand were elaborated; where the silica sand was partially replaced by recycled cellulose from waste Tetra Pak containers at concentrations of 1, 2, 4 and 6% by weight. Both recycled cellulose and composite specimens were subjected to ionizing radiation process by using gamma rays. The results show improvements on the mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strength as well as modulus of elasticity) of the composites when they are irradiated at 100 and 200 kGy. Such improvements can be related with the structural modifications caused by gamma irradiation on the cellulose fibers, including changes in the morphology and the crystallinity; which were analyzed through to SEM, IR and XRD techniques

Inflammatory potential of diet and bone mineral density in a senior Mediterranean population : a cross-sectional analysis of PREDIMED-Plus study

Inflammation could play a key role in tissue damage and bone metabolism. The modified dietary inflammatory score (M-DIS) is a validated tool to estimate the inflammatory potential of the diet. In the present study, we evaluate the associations between the M-DIS and bone mineral density (BMD) in a senior Mediterranean population with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome. Baseline cross-sectional association between the M-DIS and bone mineral density was assessed in 1134 participants of the multicenter PREDIMED-Plus trial (aged 55-75 with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome). BMD was measured using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry scans and participants answered a food frequency questionnaire to determine the M-DIS. BMD was categorized as low BMD when T score was equal or lower than -1 and normal BMD in another case. Associations between BMD and M-DIS were evaluated by using linear and logistic regressions adjusted by other co-variates. Participants in the top tertile of the M-DIS had a lower BMD at total femur [β (95% CI) − 0.02 (− 0.04, − 0.01)], trochanter areas [β (95% CI) − 0.03 (− 0.05, − 0.01)] and lumbar spine area [β (95% CI) − 0.03 (− 0.07, 0.01)] (but in the last case, measures were less precise and hence not statistically significant) compared to those in the lower M-DIS tertile. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the odds of the total femur and femoral trochanter osteopenia/osteoporosis were higher in participants in the top tertile compared to those in the lowest tertile of M-DIS [OR (95% CI) 1.71 (1.12, 2.64), P for trend 0.015; 2.02 (1.29, 3.21), P for trend 0.002, respectively]. A high pro-inflammatory diet, measured by the M-DIS, is associated with lower BMD in a senior Mediterranean population with metabolic syndrome. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00394-021-02751-5

Mating strategy is determinant of adenovirus prevalence in European bats

Adenoviruses are double-strained DNA viruses found in a great number of vertebrates, including humans. In order to understand their transmission dynamics, it is crucial, even from a human health perspective, to investigate how host traits influence their prevalence. Bats are important reservoirs for adenoviruses, and here we use the results of recent screenings in Western Europe to evaluate the association between characteristic traits of bat species and their probability of hosting adenoviruses, taking into account their phylogenetic relationships. Across species, we found an important phylogenetic component in the presence of adenoviruses and mating strategy as the most determinant factor conditioning the prevalence of adenoviruses across bat species. Contrary to other more stable mating strategies (e.g. harems), swarming could hinder transmission of adenoviruses since this strategy implies that contacts between individuals are too short. Alternatively, bat species with more promiscuous behavior may develop a stronger immune system. Outstandingly high prevalence of adenoviruses was reported for the Iberian species Pipistrellus pygmaeus, P. kuhlii and Nyctalus lasiopterus and we found that in the latter, males were more likely to be infected by adenoviruses than females, due to the immunosuppressing consequence of testosterone during the mating season. As a general trend across species, we found that the number of adenoviruses positive individuals was different across localities and that the difference in prevalence between populations was correlated with their geographic distances for two of the three studied bat species (P. pygmaeus and P.kuhlii). These results increase our knowledge about the transmission mechanisms of adenoviruses.This work received support from: grant number: SAF2006-12784-C02/01-02 to JE, JJ, IC; URLs to sponsors’ websites: http://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.7eeac5cd345b4f34f09dfd1001432ea0/?vgnextoid=beebec05f2a7d210VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD; grant numbers: SAF2009-09172 to JE, JJ; URLs to sponsors’ websites: http://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.7eeac5cd345b4f34f09dfd1001432ea0/?vgnextoid=fe5aec1eb658c310VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD; grant numbers: SAF2013-47194-P to JE, JJ, GP, OP; URLs to sponsors’ websites: http://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.7eeac5cd345b4f34f09dfd1001432ea0/?vgnextoid=0b7f11a1c35d0610VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD; grant numbers: SAF2017-89355-P to JE, JJ, GP, OP, JB; URLs to sponsors’ websites: http://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.7eeac5cd345b4f34f09dfd1001432ea0/?vgnextoid=abf192b9036c2210VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD; grant numbers: PI15CIII/00028 to IC, MMIC; URLs to sponsors’ websites: http://www.ciencia.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.S

Inflammatory and Repair Serum Biomarker Pattern. Association to Clinical Outcomes in COPD

Background: The relationship between serum biomarkers and clinical expressions of COPD is limited. We planned to further describe this association using markers of inflammation and injury and repair. Methods: We studied lung function, comorbidities, exercise tolerance, BODE index, and quality of life in 253 COPD patients and recorded mortality over three years. Serum levels of Interleukins 6,8 and16, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α) [inflammatory panel], vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) [injury and repair panel] and pulmonary and activation-regulated chemokine (PARC/CCL-18) and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1/CCL2) [chemoattractant panel] were measured. We related the pattern of the biomarker levels to minimal clinically important differences (MCID) using a novel visualization method [ObServed Clinical Association Results (OSCAR) plot]. Results: Levels of the inflammatory markers IL-6, TNF α were higher and those of injury and repair lower (p < 0.01) with more advanced disease (GOLD 1 vs. 4). Using the OSCAR plot, we found that patients in the highest quartile of inflammatory and lowest quartile of injury and repair biomarkers level were more clinically compromised and had higher mortality (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In COPD, serum biomarkers of inflammation and repair are distinctly associated with important clinical parameters and survival

Identifying SARS-CoV-2 'memory' NK cells from COVID-19 convalescent donors for adoptive cell therapy

COVID-19 disease is the manifestation of syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which is causing a worldwide pandemic. This disease can lead to multiple and different symptoms, being lymphopenia associated with severity one of the most persistent. Natural killer cells (NK cells) are part of the innate immune system, being fighting against virus-infected cells one of their key roles. In this study, we determined the phenotype of NK cells after COVID-19 and the main characteristic of SARS-CoV-2-specific-like NK population in the blood of convalescent donors. CD57+ NKG2C+ phenotype in SARS-CoV-2 convalescent donors indicates the presence of 'memory'/activated NK cells as it has been shown for cytomegalovirus infections. Although the existence of this population is donor dependent, its expression may be crucial for the specific response against SARS-CoV-2, so that, it gives us a tool for selecting the best donors to produce off-the-shelf living drug for cell therapy to treat COVID-19 patients under the RELEASE clinical trial (NCT04578210)

Adaptación de las asignaturas básicas de primer curso de la ETSI Navales de la UPM: Primeras experiencias

En el marco de la reforma de las titulaciones con motivo de la puesta en marcha del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior, un grupo de profesores hemos decidido coordinar todas las asignaturas básicas de primer curso y una asignatura de segundo curso en la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Navales de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid con el fin de dar una visión mas homogénea y compacta al alumno de lo que debe ser la formación básica del ingeniero. Para llevar a cabo dicho fin, la Universidad nos ha concedido un Proyecto de Innovación Educativa en la convocatoria 2008 para poder alcanzar una serie de objetivos en el curso 2008-2009, como son la coordinación de todas las asignaturas básicas de primer curso, la aplicación de nuevas metodologías en la práctica educativa, y una mejor adaptación de los alumnos de nuevo ingreso

Adaptación de las asignaturas básicas de primer curso de la ETSI Navales de la UPM: Actividades 2008-2009

En el marco de la reforma de las titulaciones con motivo del Espacio Europeo de Educación un grupo de profesores hemos coordinado, durante el curso 2008-2009, todas las asignaturas básicas de primer curso y una más de segundo curso en la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Navales. Las actividades realizadas son: a) Coordinación de todas las asignaturas básicas de primer curso, con reuniones periódicas de coordinación horizontal y el establecimiento de una página web de moodle para profesores como espacio para el trabajo cooperativo. Particularmente importante es el establecimiento de un calendario conjunto de pruebas de evaluación continua. b) Redacción de guías de aprendizaje, con un formato común para todas las asignaturas, incluyendo los objetivos formativos, los contenidos, las actividades formativas, los enlaces y la bibliografía. c) Establecimiento de una plataforma de teleeducación común para todas las asignaturas, uno de los objetivos fundamentales del proyecto, ya que coexistían dos plataformas distintas. Igualmente importante ha sido reforzar los contenidos y las actividades que se podían realizar en la plataforma. d) Seguimiento del tiempo dedicado por los alumnos, hemos ido siguiendo el tiempo dedicado por los alumnos a las distintas asignaturas, para detectar si el tiempo que se dedica está en los márgenes establecidos en los créditos ECTS. Igualmente, hemos hecho dos encuestas a la mitad de cada semestre, para recoger las opiniones de los alumnos sobre las asignaturas y sobre los aspectos relevantes del proyecto. e) Organización de actividades de nivelación, para los alumnos de nuevo ingreso, con la organización de cursos cero y la participación y coordinación en la Plataforma de Punto de inicio de la UPM. f) Organización de actividades formativas, para poder llevar a cabo estas tareas, hemos organizado, en colaboración con el Centro y el Gabinete de Tele-Educación (GATE) actividades formativas relacionadas con la plataforma moodle, métodos de evaluación y de formación en competencias.En la presentación haremos una descripción de las actividades realizadas, así como una primera evaluación de las mismas. Por último, describiremos las tareas a desarrollar en los próximos cursos