374472 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploring the Absorption Dynamics of Benzophenone-3 and Octocrylene in Polyethylene and Polypropylene in Pure and Sea Water
No full textSIMANFOR cloud Decision Support System: Structure, content, and applications
No full text11 Pág.Technological progress in the last decades has driven great advances in many fields of knowledge. A wide range of tools and services are now available and constantly evolving to handle vast amounts of available data as well as the increased complexity of real-world case studies and analytical alternatives. Most sectors have embraced new methodologies to provide solutions to their problems, and the forestry sector is no exception. Important steps have been taken to update the forestry sector and introduce new large-scale experimental designs, digital tools and more extensive forestry databases. However, assimilation of this progress by forest managers remains largely pending. The more specialized technical knowledge and computing skills required to use this new generation of tools constitutes a known barrier to uptake. In this work, we present the SIMANFOR cloud-based Decision Support System service for simulating forest management alternatives. Its evolution, internal structure and potential applications are described. A case study was developed to demonstrate simulator performance under diverse management scenarios and highlight the benefits of this tool for forest managers. SIMANFOR cloud services are free and can be accessed at www.simanfor.es.Funds were received from the European Union, the Junta de Castilla y León Education Council (ORDEN EDU/842/2022), and the University of Valladolid through “MOVILIDAD DE ESTUDIANTES DE DOCTORADO UVa 2023′'. This study is also funded by the Junta de Castilla y León through the projects “CLU-2019-01 and CL-EI-2021-05 – iuFOR Institute Unit of Excellence” of the University of Valladolid, with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF “Europe drives our growth”), projects “2017-EU-IA-0140 - Cross-Forest", “TED2021-130667B-I00 – Forestry Linked Open Data and applications”, the IMFLEX Grant PID2021-126275OB-C22 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”.Peer reviewe
Fermented pomegranate juice enriched with pomegranate seed oil ameliorates metabolic disorders associated with a high-fat diet in C57BL/6 mice
No full textThis study investigated the health-functional properties of a lactic fermented pomegranate juice (FPJ) enriched with pomegranate seed oil (FPJO) by using the fruit-origin strain Lactiplantibacillus paraplantarum CRL 2051 (FPJO-CRL2051). For this aim, the in vitro human antiplatelet aggregation effect and antioxidant activities were determined in the fermented juices while in vivo studies using high-fat-diet (HFD) C57BL/6 mice fed with a high-fat diet or pomegranate fermented juices for 8 weeks were performed. A high anti-platelet aggregation activity for FPJO-CRL2051 was determined. The formulated juice was administered to C57BL/6 HFD mice over 8 weeks, which showed a significant decrease in triglycerides, LDL-C, and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels. The FPJO-CRL2051 administration was effective in ameliorating liver damage caused by HFD, reducing fat accumulation and oxidative biomarkers, and improving the liver fatty acid profile by incorporation of conjugated fatty acids. This study shows the significance of lactic fermentation in developing novel fermented plant-based beverages with enhanced functional activities with a circular economy approach for the prevention of metabolic disorders.This research was supported by grants from the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT, PICT 2019-1697 and PICT 2019-0037) from Argentina, and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC, i-COOP-2021-COOPB20618) from Spain.Peer reviewe
Pressurized liquid extraction of oak leaf polyphenols: Solvent selection via Hansen parameters, antioxidant evaluation and monoamine-oxidase-a inhibition analysis
No full textThis study focuses on the extraction of bioactive compounds from Quercus sideroxyla Bonpl., leaves which have been shown to possess health benefits. The extraction process was done using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), which is efficient and preserves heat-sensitive compounds. Key factors in the process included the choice of solvents, pressure, temperature, and extraction duration. The Hansen solubility parameters analysis aided in selecting effective solvents, such as ethanol and benzyl alcohol. The extracts were found to contain phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and polyphenols with antioxidant properties. The UPLC-PDA-ESI-QqQ was employed for the precise identification and quantification of these compounds, demonstrating superior extraction of quinic acid and gallic acid at elevated temperatures. Notably, the extracts obtained through PLE exhibited significant inhibitory activity of the MAO-A enzyme, linked to neuronal and cognitive health, suggesting potential benefits in these areas.The author would like to acknowledge the scholarship from CONAHCYT and the TecNM grant (20177.24-P) for their support.Peer reviewe
Increase of histone acetylation by suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid enhances microspore reprogramming and expression of somatic embryogenesis transcription factors in Brassica napus
No full textIn vivo, microspores in the anthers follow the gametophytic development pathway, culminating in the formation of pollen grains. Conversely, in vitro, under stress treatments, microspores can be reprogrammed into totipotent cells, initiating an embryogenic pathway that produces haploid and double-haploid embryos, which are important biotechnological tools in plant breeding. There is growing evidence that epigenetic reprogramming occurs during microspore embryogenesis through DNA methylation, but less is known about the role of histone modifications. This study investigates the dynamics of histone acetylation during the two microspore developmental pathways, microspore embryogenesis and pollen development, in Brassica napus. We analyzed histone H3 and H4 acetylation levels, histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity and expression of HAC5 acetyltransferase using immunofluorescence, enzymatic activity assays, ELISA-like tests, and qPCR. Results showed a decrease in global histone acetylation levels during pollen maturation, correlated with reduced HAT activity and downregulation of the BnHAC5-like gene. In contrast, stress-induced microspore reprogramming led to increased histone acetylation levels, enhanced HAT activity, and upregulation of BnHAC5-like. Treatment with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor widely used in animal research but barely applied to plants, enhanced microspore embryogenesis initiation and proembryo formation, while increased histone acetylation levels. SAHA-treated proembryos showed higher expression than control of key embryogenesis transcription factors BnFUS3, BnAGL15, and BnLEC2, suggesting that histone hyperacetylation facilitates transcriptional activation of essential genes for somatic embryogenesis initiation. These findings provided new insights into the epigenetic regulation of this process and revealed new opportunities with histone epigenetic regulator inhibitors, to improve microspore embryogenesis induction for crop improvement.Supported by Projects PID2020–113018RB-I00 and PID2023–146824OB-I00 (funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033), TED2021-129633B-I00 and CPP2021–008750 (funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and NextGenerationEU/ PRTR).Peer reviewe
Colloidal Ag2SbBiSe4 nanocrystals as n‑type thermoelectric materials
Get PDFMaterials with low intrinsic thermal conductivity are essential for the development of high-performance thermoelectric devices. At the same time, the solution processing of these materials may enable the cost-effective production of the devices. Herein, we detail a high-yield and scalable colloidal synthesis route to produce Ag2SbBiSe4 nanocrystals (NCs) using amine-thiol-Se chemistry. The quaternary chalcogenide material is consolidated by a rapid hot-press maintaining the cubic crystalline structure. Transport measurements confirm that n-type Ag2SbBiSe4 exhibits an inherently ultralow lattice thermal conductivity of ca. 0.34 W m−1K−1 at 760 K. Moreover, a modulation doping strategy based on the blending of semiconductor Ag2SbBiSe4 and metallic Sn NCs is demonstrated to control the charge carrier concentration in the final composite material. The introduction of Sn nanodomains additionally blocks phonon propagation thus contributing to reducing the thermal conductivity of the final material. Ultimately, a peak thermoelectric figure of merit value of 0.64 at 760 K is achieved for n-type Ag2SbBiSe4-Sn nanocomposites that also demonstrate a notable Vickers hardness of 185 HV.B.F.N. thanks the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for the scholarship support and acknowledges funding from the FWF “Lise Meitner Fellowship” grant agreement M 2889-N. J. Y. thanks the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for the scholarship support. We acknowledge funding from Generalitat de Catalunya 2021SGR00457 and 2021SGR01581. This study is part of the Advanced Materials programme and was supported by MCIN with funding from European Union NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17.I1) and by Generalitat de Catalunya. ICN2 is supported by the Severo Ochoa program from Spanish MCIN/AEI (Grant No.: CEX2021-001214-S) and is funded by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. ICN2 is founding member of e-DREAM. [108]. The authors acknowledge the use of instrumentation as well as the technical advice provided by the Joint Electron Microscopy Center at ALBA (JEMCA). ICN2 acknowledges funding from Grant IU16-014206 (METCAM-FIB) funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the support of the Ministry of Research and Universities, Generalitat de Catalunya. Part of the present work has been performed in the framework of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Materials Science PhD program.With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2021-001214-S).Peer reviewe
Past, present and future of small-pelagic fisheries in the north-western Mediterranean Sea through fishers’ perceptions
No full text12 pages, 4 figures, 6 tables, supplementary material https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106490.-- Data availability: Data will be made available on request.Fisheries have transformed significantly in recent decades, and further changes are anticipated to address pressing environmental and social challenges. In this context, there is an urgent need to implement science-based public policies that incorporate local knowledge. It is necessary to better assess fishers’ perceptions, including both historical (e.g., perceived changes of abundance of species) and future (e.g., views on potential future changes) perspectives. In this paper, we focus on a case study of small-pelagic fisheries in the Spanish northwestern Mediterranean Sea, using semi-structured interviews, graphical analysis, and a Q-methodology. Based in the information obtained from all the active purse seiners vessels in Castelló de la Plana, the most important Spanish Mediterranean small pelagic purse seine harbour, we show how these methodologies are useful for gathering fisher’s knowledge regarding historical biomass trends for small pelagic and accompanying species over the last six decades, contributing valuable information on periods where no scientific assessments were available. When looking towards the future, Q-methodology reveals three fisher discourses regarding how to ensure the future sustainability of fisheries: (i) "We don’t need more subsidies we need more fish," (ii) "We need more public support for fishing," and (iii) "The future of the fishery it’s not in our hands". These three perspectives highlight internal disagreements about what should be the priorities for implementing public policies. However, results also show consensus that the implementation of adaptive management measures can be of common interest, and that bottom trawling activities should avoid juveniles and spawning ground of small pelagic fishVS is supported by a “Ramón y Cajal” research fellowships (RYC2021-033065-I) granted by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The authors acknowledge partial funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 grant agreement No 101059877 (GES4SEAS). This work acknowledges institutional support of the “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S) to the Institute of Marine Science (ICMCSIC)Peer reviewe
Recurrent marine heatwaves compromise the reproduction success and long-term viability of shallow populations of the Mediterranean gorgonian Eunicella singularis
No full text12 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106822.-- Data availability: Data will be made available on requestMediterranean gorgonians are being threatened by the impact of recurrent extreme climatic events, such as marine heatwaves (MHWs). The white gorgonian Eunicella singularis was suggested to be the most resistant gorgonian species in the NW Mediterranean, mainly due to the presence of symbiotic algae. However, a substantial shift in the conservation condition of the species has been observed in the recent years. The aim of this study is to evaluate the lethal and sublethal effects of recent MHWs on the populations of E. singularis. Our results show that recurrent MHWs have impacted both the demography and reproduction of the species between 2002 and 2020, driving mortalities up to 36%, an increase in the percentages of non-reproducing adult colonies (11–58%), and a significant decrease in the recruitment rates. Although E. singularis is a highly dynamic species in comparison with other temperate gorgonians, the present study suggests that the persistence of this species may be severely compromised under recurrent MHWs, at least at shallowest depthsThis research has been partially supported by the HEATMED project (RTI2018-095346-BI00) funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, the CORFUN project (TED2021-131622B-I00) funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR, and the UndResCoral project (PID2022-137539OB-C21) funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER, UE. JS was supported by an FI Joan Oró 2023 grant (2023 FI-1 00260) from the Ministry of Research and Universities of the "Generalitat de Catalunya" and a PREDOC-UB 2022 grant from the University of Barcelona. CL gratefully acknowledges the financial support by ICREA under the ICREA Academia Program. JG acknowledges the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence grant (CEX2019-000928-S) funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. The authors are part of the Marine Conservation Research Group – MedRecover (2021 SGR01073) from the Generalitat de Catalunya. And AG, NV and FC are part of the COST ACTION Marine Animal Forests of the World (MAF-WORLD, CA20102) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology)Peer reviewe
Twenty years of AFORO: New developments and connections enhancing otolith research
No full text15 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables.-- Data availability: Data will be made available on requestSince 2003, with the aim of addressing different issues related to otoliths and the advancement of technologies, AFORO acronym of Anàlisi de FORmes d’Otòlits (otolith shape analysis), a computational environment with a set of tools including a website for this purpose, has gradually expanded its functionality. This implies different ways to measure otoliths in order to obtain different types of information of the same individual. The 2D otoliths shape description using different methods permits the comparison between classical methods and the Wavelet transform, used in the automatic classification system of AFORO. The 3D otoliths description in a few images opens the possibility of classifications using volumetric information, which they have performed well. The data of relationships between otolith and fish length in AFORO is used in predator-prey studies. Our website offers the possibility to display otolith georeferencing information interactively. Furthermore, the automatic classification system has been improved by incorporating geographic filters based on georeferenced data. The diverse information that AFORO offers on the otoliths opens the possibility to approach new studies or to improve the existing ones, combining this information or applying the most appropriate one to the specific problem. Classification cases with Wavelets that have been improved by introducing geographical area information will be presented. In addition, Deep Learning algorithms will be introduced by performing classifications with a small subset of otoliths of species which contain a sufficient number of specimens (>8)JV was supported by the ‘Grants for the Viera y Clavijo training program for researchers’ of the Government of the Canary Islands (VIERA Y CLAVIJO-2022-CIENCIAS-1) and by the Portuguese national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P. (FCT) in the framework of MARE grant number UIDB/04292/2020 and Associate Laboratory ARNET grant number LA/P/0069/2020, the National Data Collection Framework, and the University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria (ULPGC). This work acknowledges the accreditation of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ (CEX2019–000928-S)Peer reviewe
Oceanic evasion fuels Arctic summertime rebound of atmospheric mercury and drives transport to Arctic terrestrial ecosystems
Get PDF14 páginas.- 7 figuras.- 89 referenciasMercury (Hg) contamination poses a persistent threat to the remote Arctic ecosystem, yet the mechanisms driving the pronounced summer rebound of atmospheric gaseous elemental Hg (Hg0) and its subsequent fate remain unclear due to limitations in large-scale seasonal studies. Here, we use an integrated atmosphere–land–sea-ice–ocean model to simulate Hg cycling in the Arctic comprehensively. Our results indicate that oceanic evasion is the dominant source (~80%) of the summer Hg0 rebound, particularly driven by seawater Hg0 release facilitated by seasonal ice melt (~42%), with further contributions from anthropogenic deposition and terrestrial re-emissions. Enhanced Hg0 dry deposition across the Arctic coastal regions, especially in the Arctic tundra, during the summer rebound highlights the potential transport of Hg from the pristine Arctic Ocean to Arctic terrestrial ecosystems. Arctic warming, with a transition from multi-year to first-year ice and tundra greening, is expected to amplify oceanic Hg evasion and intensify Hg0 uptake by the Arctic tundra due to increased vegetation growth, underlining the urgent need for continued research to evaluate Hg mitigation strategies effectively in the context of a changing Arctic.This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) (grant no. 42177349) (S.H.), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities – Cemac “GeoX” Interdisciplinary Program (0207-14380209) (Z.S.), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (0207–14380188, 0207–14380168) (Z.S.), the Collaborative Innovation Center of Climate Change, Jiangsu Province (S.H.), the NNSFC (grant no. 42430410) (Z.X.), the NNSFC (grant no. 42306248) (F.Y.), the Canada Research Chairs Program (F.W.), and a Ramón y Cajal grant (RYC2022-035226-I) (G.Z.).Peer reviewe