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Open Science for beginners
No full textThis course is an initiative of Scientific
Documentation and Research Data
Management, aimed both at early-career
researchers and researchers without prior
experience or with only basic knowledge of
Open Science.
The goal of the course is to provide a
comprehensive introduction to the
fundamental principles of Open Science,
offering a solid foundation that will allow for
deeper exploration of this field through
further training.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Enhancing lupin protein isolation: Modulation of extraction parameters to maximize protein and phytochemical recovery, and phytase treatment for improved functionality
No full textThe growing demand for plant-based proteins has positioned lupin (Lupinus spp.) as a promising alternative to soy. However, bioactive phytochemicals in lupin seeds —although offering valorisation potential— pose challenges due to their antinutritional effects and impact on protein functionality. This study investigated how ethanol concentration (EtOH), solvent-to-solute ratio (SSR), and fast heat treatment (HT) using a microwave oven influence the mass yield and composition of lupin protein isolate (LPI), as well as the recovery of phytochemicals in the extraction solvent (ES), using response surface methodology (RSM). Analysis of variance revealed that EtOH and SSR were the most significant factors. The maximum LPI yield was obtained at 11 % EtOH and a 23:1 SSR. Increasing EtOH up to 23 % increased protein content but caused a linear decrease in phytic acid and total phenolic content (TPC) and a linear increase in saponins in LPI, with opposite trends observed in the ES. Increasing SSR reduced LPI protein and phytochemical contents, except for phytic acid, which increased. Conversely, alkaloids, saponins and TPC generally increased with higher SSR in the ES. The addition of phytase during extraction significantly reduced phytic acid levels, improved LPI solubility, and the stability of its emulsifying and foaming properties. However, phytase treatment slightly reduced protein yield and LPI protein content, with changes being statistically significant but of limited practical relevance. These findings demonstrate the importance of tailoring extraction strategies to balance protein yield, content, and phytochemical management, enabling the production of LPI ingredients while facilitating the valorisation of phytochemical-rich side streams.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Prolificidad y problemas reproductivos en granjas porcinas españolas
No full textinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Vineyard Design, Vine Age, and Floor Management Practices Affect Sentinel-2 NDVI Time Series Analysis of California Vineyards
No full textBackground and goals Monitoring vineyards with remote sensing tools is challenging due to the site specificity and difficulty of accurately scaling the technology across large regions. To overcome these challenges, this study aimed to understand how a time series of remote sensing vegetation indices is influenced by vineyard design, vine age, and vineyard floor management practices.
Methods and key findings We examined Sentinel-2 time series data over a 5-yr period from over 1000 vineyard blocks covering more than 10,000 ha across California. Our analysis revealed a strong annual effect and a significant impact of vine trellis-training systems. Vine age was particularly relevant for blocks younger than 3 yr and older than 25 yr, while factors such as variety and row distance (ranging from ~2 to 4 m) were less significant. We also found that remote sensing vegetation indices calculated from the top of the canopy were less relevant for vines grown on the vertical shoot-positioned trellis compared to vines grown on other trellis systems.
Conclusions and significance These findings help define key vineyard characteristics that influence the normalized difference vegetation index and potentially other commonly used vegetation indices. They provide new insights into the factors that must be considered when using remote sensing data across heterogeneous sets of vineyard blocks, as well as the characteristic seasonal pattern for each factor. This work paves the way for large-scale vineyard monitoring using satellite-based vegetation indices.The authors thank GALLO vineyard managers for providing vineyard characteristic data, and GALLO research assistants and interns for collecting or validating data from hundreds of vineyard blocks across California. This work would not have been possible without their contribution. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from severe COVID-19 individuals or S2 immunizations do not worsen disease in hamsters
No full textSevere COVID-19 associates with humoral immune response dysregulation. While antibodies confer
protection against SARS-CoV-2, evidence also support their putative contribution to disease severity.
Our study demonstrates that higher levels of S2-IgG, and S2-, RBD-, and Nucleocapsid-IgA
differentiate severe and non-severe cases. However, no major antibody functional differences are
found between both COVID-19 manifestations. Enhanced Fc-dependent functions in severe cases are
primarily driven by increased antibody titers. No differences in antibody avidity are found between
severe and non-severe cases, but a gradation in binding strength across specificities suggests that
early anti-RBD, -S2, and -Nucleocapsid antibodies may originate from different pathways. In golden
Syrian hamsters, S2 immunization or transfer of RBD-depleted antibodies isolated from severe and
non-severe cases promote a faster clinical recovery after SARS-CoV-2 challenge, despite a transient
initial weight loss. These findings indicate that antibodies are not major determinants of COVID-19
severity and suggest additional factors influencing disease outcomes.The authors would like to thank all the patients who participated in this study, the scientific and technical services at IrsiCaixa, and the people who are supporting our research through the MaratoTV3 (618/C/2021), CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya, Direcció General de Recerca i Innovació en Salut (SLD0015 and SLD0016), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, CIBERINFEC, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Unión Europea—NextGenerationEU, and the following crowdfunding projects: “YomeCorono”, BonPreu/Esclat, and Correos. In addition, this research was supported partially by the AGAUR (Generalitat de Catalunya), 2021 SGR 00452 (GRC. GRUP DE RECERCA BÀSICA I CLINICA A LES MALALTIES INFECCIOSES. CAN and EP were supported by Generalitat de Catalunya and Fons Social Europeu (2020 FI_B_0742) and National Agency for Research and Development of Chile (ANID: 72180406), respectively. NPL was funded by Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellowship (FJC2021-047205-I). MM was granted with RYC2020-028934-I/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 from Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and State Research Agency and the European Social Fund “investing in your future”. Drawing in Figs. 5 and 7 were created with BioRender.com.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Diets for Dual Cardiovascular and Planetary Health: A Scoping Review
No full textPurpose of Review
Most observational studies quantify the relationship between diet, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and environmental impacts independently, resulting in a fragmented understanding of sustainable diets. This review summarizes findings from observational studies assessing eating patterns and their simultaneous associations with environmental and CVD outcomes.
Recent Findings
Plant-based diets, primarily those low in red meat, added sugars, and sodium, are associated with lower CVD risks. Environmental studies suggest that whole-food diets low in animal proteins typically have a lesser impact on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) and land use than diets high in animal proteins; however, they may increase water use.
Summary
Predominantly plant-based diets were consistently associated with lower cardiovascular risk and reduced environmental impacts, though trade-offs were observed between healthiness and environmental sustainability, as well as across different environmental indicators. Further research is needed to determine how dietary patterns, cardiovascular health, and environmental outcomes align.UF acknowledges support from the grant CEX2023-0001290-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA Program, AGAUR (Generalitat de Catalunya) to the Consolidated Research Group “Sustainability in Biosystems” (no. ref. 2021 SGR 01568), Daniel y Nina Carasso Foundation, through the Daniel Carasso postdoctoral fellowship, and the Ramon y Cajal grant (RYC 2023) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.
Open access funding provided by SCELC, Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium. No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
MicroVi: A Cost-Effective Microscopy Solution for Yeast Cell Detection and Count in Wine Value Chain
Get PDFIn recent years, the wine industry has been researching how to improve wine
quality along the production value chain. In this scenario, we present here a new tool,
MicroVi, a cost-effective chip-sized microscopy solution to detect and count yeast cells in
wine samples. We demonstrate that this novel microscopy setup is able to measure the
same type of samples as an optical microscopy system, but with smaller size equipment and
with automated cell count configuration. The technology relies on the top of state-of-the-art
computer vision pipelines to post-process the images and count the cells. A typical pipeline
consists of normalization, feature extraction (i.e., SIFT), image composition (to increase
both resolution and scanning area), holographic reconstruction and particle count (i.e.,
Hough transform). MicroVi achieved a 2.19 µm resolution by properly resolving the G7.6
features from the USAF Resolving Power Test Target 1951. Additionally, we aimed for a
successful calibration of cell counts for Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We compared our direct
results with our current optical setup, achieving a linear calibration for measurements
ranging from 0.5 to 50 million cells per milliliter. Furthermore, other yeast cells were
qualitatively resolved with our MicroVi microscope, such as, Brettanomyces bruxellensis, or
bacteria, like, Lactobacillus plantarum, thus confirming the system’s reliability for consistent
microbial assessment.This work received funding from FEADER and Departament d’Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural (DACC) of the Generalitat de Catalunya with grant 56 30123 2021 2A from the budget AG06D/482000100/5741/0000. This work also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 737089 and grants PID2019-105714RB-I00 and PID2022-136833OB-C21 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Regional Development Fund.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Nutrient addition hinders microarthropod-driven leaf litter decomposition in Patagonian woodlands
No full textAims
Global change threatens ecosystem functions, including those driven by soil fauna. In temperate forests, soil nutrients, litter quality, and microarthropods are essential players during litter decomposition. However, the impact of nutrient enrichment on the functional role of soil fauna remains poorly understood.
Methods
We used a full factorial experiment to test the effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) addition on litter decomposition through changes in soil conditions and litter quality. We incubated senesced leaves from fertilized and unfertilized control plots in litter bags with two different mesh sizes that included (2 mm) or excluded (45 µm) microarthropods. We assessed the interactive effects of nutrient addition and litter quality on microarthropod-driven decomposition using linear mixed-effects models.
Results
Nutrient addition was a stronger predictor than litter quality for organic matter remaining in litter bags over time. While N addition strongly influenced litter quality, it did not affect microarthropod activity in decomposition. P addition suppressed decomposition when microarthropods were present but enhanced it when microarthropods were absent. K strongly influenced litter quality and regulated the effects of phosphorus on decomposition.
Conclusions
Microarthropods may promote decomposition under conditions of limited nutrient availability in both litter and soil, potentially enhancing microbial activity. The responses of fungi and microbes to nutrient enrichment may explain the relatively modest effect of microarthropods on decomposition. Our study shows that nutrient enrichment in temperate forests may limit microarthropod participation in decomposition by possibly altering microsite conditions or affecting the availability of alternative food resources, thereby influencing carbon fluxes.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Effects of different vaccination regimes on the immunodiagnosis of tuberculosis in goats and evaluation of defined antigens
Get PDFTuberculosis (TB) in goats is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium
tuberculosis complex (MTBC) organisms that pose a great health and economic
challenge for the caprine industry in some European and developing countries.
It is also a zoonotic disease posing a risk for public health. The control programs
of the disease are based on a test-and-slaughter strategy, and vaccination is
not feasible with available vaccines due to its interferences with the current TB
immunodiagnosis. There is still a need for the development of an effective TB
vaccine and, concurrently, diagnostic methods that allow differentiation between
infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA approach). In this study, we investigated
the interferences caused by the tuberculin (PPD)-based TB diagnostic tests in
goats immunized by different mucosal and parenteral vaccination strategies: three
single-dose strategies based on intranasal administration of BCG and two heatinactivated M. bovis (HIMB) vaccines, and two prime-boost strategies based on
parenteral BCG or HIMB priming and intranasal HIMB boosting. In addition, the
defined antigens ESAT-6, CPF10, and EspC were evaluated as alternative diagnostic
reagents to PPDs. At week 14 after prime vaccination of the animals, skin tests,
IFN-γ release assay, and antibody detection assays were performed. The two
prime-boosted and the single-dose intranasal BCG groups displayed greater cellmediated immune responses to PPDs than the two single-dose intranasal HIMB
vaccines. However, the use of reagents based on the defined antigens eliminated
or reduced the vaccine-induced diagnostic interferences in all groups. Based on
these results, the use of defined antigens in the current immunodiagnostic tests
appears to be suitable in a future goat TB vaccination scenario.The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The study was funded by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ref. PID2022-142939OR-C22) and the European Commission (INNOTUB II – EFA115/01, Interreg POCTEFA 2021–2027 program, co-funded by the ERDF). IRTA is supported by Centres de Recerca de Catalunya (CERCA) Program/Generalitat de Catalunya (www.cerca.cat).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
