Search

This study examined using peanut shells, rice husks, and cocoa husks as soil conditioners to boost yields in Allium cepa var. Alvara onions. Three types of biochar and four application rates (1%, 1.5%, 3%, and 5%) were compared to a control with no biochar. The biochars had different nutrient makeups, with cocoa husk biochar (CHB) containing the most essential elements. While overall plant growth (height, leaves, and roots) was not significantly affected (p > 0.05) by any biochar type compared to the control, some plant parts responded differently. CHB (5%) and peanut husk biochar (PHB) (1%) yielded the tallest onion plants (71 and 65 cm), while 1% rice and cocoa biochar resulted in the shortest (below 42 cm). PHB (3% and 5%) produced the longest roots (9 cm), while 1.5% rice husk biochar (RHB) had the shortest. Biochar application had no significant effect on leaf count. However, specific application rates of RHB and PHB increased the harvest index (HI), indicating more efficient yield allocation. HI values > 0.85 were obtained with specific biochar rates (e.g., 1.0–1.5% PHB, 1.5–5% RHB, or 5.0% CHB).

Abstract Background The use of remote consultation modalities has exponentially grown in the past few years, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a huge body of the literature has described the use of phone (tele) and video consultations, very few of the studies correspond to randomized controlled trials, and none of them has assessed the safety of these consultation modalities as the primary objective. The primary objective of this trial was to assess the safety of remote consultations (both video and teleconsultation) in the follow-up of patients in the hospital setting. Methods Multicenter, randomized controlled trial being conducted in four centers of an administrative healthcare area in Catalonia (North-East Spain). Participants will be screened from all individuals, irrespective of age and sex, who require follow-up in outpatient consultations of any of the departments involved in the study. Eligibility criteria have been established based on the local guidelines for screening patients for remote consultation. Participants will be randomly allocated into one of the two study arms: conventional face-to-face consultation (control) and remote consultation, either teleconsultation or video consultation (intervention). Routine follow-up visits will be scheduled at a frequency determined by the physician based on the diagnostic and therapy of the baseline disease (the one triggering enrollment). The primary outcome will be the number of adverse reactions and complications related to the baseline disease. Secondary outcomes will include non-scheduled visits and hospitalizations, as well as usability features of remote consultations. All data will either be recorded in an electronic clinical report form or retrieved from local electronic health records. Based on the complications and adverse reaction rates reported in the literature, we established a target sample size of 1068 participants per arm. Recruitment started in May 2022 and is expected to end in May 2024. Discussion The scarcity of precedents on the assessment of remote consultation modalities using randomized controlled designs challenges making design decisions, including recruitment, selection criteria, and outcome definition, which are discussed in the manuscript. Trial registration NCT05094180. The items of the WHO checklist for trial registration are available in Additional file 1. Registered on 24 November 2021.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis and can be a problem in areas where meat products are sold at unregulated storage temperatures. In this work, the prevalence of L. monocytogenes was determined in the five most widely traded meat products in the province of Quevedo (Ecuador): bacon, “chorizo paisa”, grilled hamburger meat, mortadella, and salami. A total of 1000 samples of these products were analyzed in two seasons of the year (dry season/rainy season). All L. monocytogenes isolates were confirmed by PCR with primers designed for the iap gene. Furthermore, the positive samples were quantified for L. monocytogenes. Of the 1000 meat products analyzed, 163 were positive for L. monocytogenes (16.3%). The prevalence of L. monocytogenes in the two seasons in different meat products was as follows: 22.5% in mortadella, 19% in hamburger meat, 15% in bacon, 14.5% in chorizo paisa and 10.5% in salami. In addition, the concentration of L. monocytogenes in most of the positive samples was in the range of 4–6 log CFU/g or even higher. The results show the need for improvements in the hygienic measures and meat storage temperatures in Quevedo (Ecuador) to avoid risks of foodborne listeriosis.

El objetivo del trabajo se enfatizó en estudiar los caracteres estomáticos, clorofila y relación filogenética en 17 cultivares de Musa spp. (AAB; ABB; AAA; AA), del Banco de germoplasma de la Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo. Los experimentos se ejecutaron en el Laboratorio de Microbiología y Biología Molecular. Se empleó dos métodos de evaluaciones morfométricos y fisiológicos de hoja: a) De tejido foliar de 25 cm2 se evaluó la densidad estomática abaxial y adaxial en (e/mm2) y b) De discos foliares de 1,3 cm2 se determinó el contenido de clorofila Total. En caracterización molecular por RAPD se emplearon cinco oligonucleótidos. Se determinaron diferencias estadísticas significativas (p ≤ 0,05) para las variables, con resultados de mayor densidad estomática abaxial en Barraganete de 233 e/mm2 y su relación directamente proporcional entre densidad estomática y longitud, donde a mayor densidad menor su longitud. El contenido de clorofila de 4,61 mg/g en Guineo de seda. El árbol filogenético generó dos grandes Grupos a su accesión genómica. El Sub-grupo A reunió a nueve accesiones al genoma (AAB), Sub-grupo B con cinco accesiones de (AAA), destacando el Sub-grupo C al contener al cultivar Orito del genotipo (AA) y Sub-grupo D con las accesiones (AAB y ABB).

La Constitución de la República del Ecuador, en su Art. 25 dispone que las personas tienen derecho a gozar de los beneficios aplicaciones del progreso científico; asimismo, en su Art. 350 señala: “Art. 350.- El sistema de educa- ción superior tiene como finalidad la formación académica y profesional con visión científica y humanista; la investigación científica y tecnológica; la innovación, promoción, desarrollo y difusión de los saberes y las culturas; la construcción de soluciones para los problemas del país, en relación con los objetivos del régimen de desarrollo”.

Biochar's impact on plant growth is complex, varying with type and application rate. This study explored how four biochars (rice husk, cocoa shell, peanut shell, carob) affect rice (Oryza sativa L) at five rates (0-5%). Biochar significantly enhanced rice growth, but the optimal type and rate varied. Total dry mass increased by an average of 20% in biochar-treated groups compared to controls, with rice husk and cocoa shell biochar at 5% application rate achieving the highest yields. The effects on plant components differed. While leaf mass fraction responded favorably to all biochar types, stem and root mass fractions remained largely unchanged. Additionally, root strength, as measured by root dry matter content, increased with all biochars, particularly rice husk biochar which boosted it by 8%. All biochar types also enhanced leaf mass per area, a key indicator of photosynthetic efficiency. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring biochar application strategies to specific crops and soil conditions. Optimizing biochar application based on its influence on root strength, leaf mass allocation, and growth across different crop species and soil conditions can unlock its full potential for sustainable development.