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15 Pág, The plantation of exotic species has been a common practice in (semi-) arid areas worldwide aiming to restore highly degraded habitats. The effects of these plantations on plant cover or soil erosion have been widely studied, while little attention has been paid to the consequences on soil quality and belowground biological communities. This study evaluates the long-term (>60 years) effects of the exotic species Acacia cyclops and Pinus halepensis revegetation on soil properties, including microbiome, in an arid island. Soils under exotic plantation were compared to both degraded soils with a very low cover of native species and soils with well-preserved native plant communities. Seven scenarios were selected in a small area (~25 ha) with similar soil type but differing in the plant cover. Topsoils (0-15 cm) were analyzed for physical, chemical and biochemical properties, and amplicon sequencing of bacterial and fungal communities. Microbial diversity was similar among soils with exotic plants and native vegetation (Shannon's index = 5.26 and 5.34, respectively), while the most eroded soils exhibited significantly lower diversity levels (Shannon's index = 4.72). Bacterial and fungal communities' composition in degraded soils greatly differed from those in vegetated soils (Canberra index = 0.85 and 0.92, respectively) likely due to high soil sodicity, fine textures and compaction. Microbial communities' composition also differed in soils covered with exotic and native species, to a greater extent for fungi than for bacteria (Canberra index = 0.94 and 0.89, respectively), due to higher levels of nutrients, microbial biomass and activity in soils with native species. Results suggest that reforestation succeeded in avoiding further soil degradation but still leading to relevant changes in soil microbial community that may have negative effects on ecosystem stability. Information gained in this research could be useful for environmental agencies and decision makers about the controversial replacement of exotic plants in insular territories., This study has been financed by the Regional Ministry of Ecological Transition, the Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning of the Canary Islands Government within the framework of the FEDER Operational Program (2014–2020). The authors would like to thank Sofía Rodríguez Núñez and Carlos Samarín Bello, technicians from the environmental area of the Canary Islands government for their invaluable support throughout this research.We are also grateful to María del Mar Albarrán for her expert guidance and assistance with the analysis of soil biochemical parameters.

Telescopes are now able to resolve dust polarization across circumstellar disks at multiple wavelengths, allowing the study of the polarization spectrum. Most disks show clear evidence of dust scattering through their unidirectional polarization pattern typically at the shorter wavelength of $\sim 870 \mu$m. However, certain disks show an elliptical pattern at $\sim 3$mm, which is likely due to aligned grains. With HL Tau, its polarization pattern at $\sim 1.3$mm shows a transition between the two patterns making it the first example to reveal such transition. We use the T-matrix method to model elongated dust grains and properly treat scattering of aligned non-spherical grains with a plane-parallel slab model. We demonstrate that a change in optical depth can naturally explain the polarization transition of HL Tau. At low optical depths, the thermal polarization dominates, while at high optical depths, dichroic extinction effectively takes out the thermal polarization and scattering polarization dominates. Motivated by results from the plane-parallel slab, we develop a simple technique to disentangle thermal polarization of the aligned grains $T_{0}$ and polarization due to scattering $S$ using the azimuthal variation of the polarization fraction. We find that, with increasing wavelength, the fractional polarization spectrum of the scattering component $S$ decreases, while the thermal component $T_{0}$ increases, which is expected since the optical depth decreases. We find several other sources similar to HL Tau that can be explained by azimuthally aligned scattering prolate grains when including optical depth effects. In addition, we explore how spirally aligned grains with scattering can appear in polarization images., Comment: 27 pages, 21 figures, accepted by MNRAS

We explore superconductivity in strongly interacting electrons on a decorated honeycomb lattice (DHL). An easy-plane ferromagnetic interaction arises from spin-orbit coupling in the Mott insulating phase, which favors a triplet resonance valence bond spin liquid state. Hole doping leads to partial occupation of a flat band and to triplet superconductivity. The order parameter is highly sensitive to the doping level and the interaction parameters, with $p+ip$, $f$ and $p+f$ superconductivity found, as the flat band leads to instabilities in multiple channels. Typically, first order transitions separate different superconducting phases, but a second order transition separates two time reversal symmetry breaking $p+ip$ phases with different Chern numbers ($\nu=0$ and 1). The Majorana edge modes in the topological ($\nu=1$) superconductor are almost localized due to the strong electronic correlations in a system with a flat band at the Fermi level. This suggests that these modes could be useful for topological quantum computing. The `hybrid' $p+f$ state does not require two phase transitions as temperature is lowered. This is because the symmetry of the model is lowered in the $p$-wave phase, allowing arbitrary admixtures of $f$-wave basis functions as overtones. We show that the multiple sites per unit cell of the DHL, and hence multiple bands near the Fermi energy, lead to very different nodal structures in real and reciprocal space. We emphasize that this should be a generic feature of multi-site/multi-band superconductors., Comment: 18 pages, 16 figures

The Mediterranean basin is drastically affected by intense and frequent droughts, which jeopardize the diversity and survival of its forest, for example

The size of dust grains, a, is key to the physical and chemical processes in circumstellar discs, but observational constraints of grain size remain challenging. (Sub)millimetre continuum observations often show a per cent-level polarization parallel to the disc minor axis, which is generally attributed to scattering by ∼100μm -sized spherical grains (with a size parameter x ≡ 2π a/λ < 1, where λ is the wavelength). Larger spherical grains (with x greater than unity) would produce opposite polarization direction. However, the inferred size is in tension with the opacity index β that points to larger mm/cm-sized grains. We investigate the scattering-produced polarization by large irregular grains with a range of x greater than unity with optical properties obtained from laboratory experiments. Using the radiation transfer code, RADMC-3D, we find that large irregular grains still produce polarization parallel to the disc minor axis. If the original forsterite refractive index in the optical is adopted, then all samples can produce the typically observed level of polarization. Accounting for the more commonly adopted refractive index using the DSHARP dust model, only grains with x of several (corresponding to ∼mm-sized grains) can reach the same polarization level. Our results suggest that grains in discs can have sizes in the millimetre regime, which may alleviate the tension between the grain sizes inferred from scattering and other means. Additionally, if large irregular grains are not settled to the mid-plane, their strong forward scattering can produce asymmetries between the near and far side of an inclined disc, which can be used to infer their presence. © 2023 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society., YDL acknowledges support from the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, NASA 80NSSC18K1095, and also support from the ALMA Student Observing Support (SOS). ZYL is supported in part by NASA 80NSSC20K0533 and National Science Foundation (NSF) AST-1910106. LWL acknowledges support from NSF AST-1910364. Research by OM is supported by grant PID2021-123370OB-I00 funded MCIN/AEI/FEDER, UE., With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2021-001131-S).

The connection between olive genetic responses to environmental and agro-climatic conditions and the composition, structure and functioning of host-associated, belowground microbiota has never been studied under the holobiont conceptual framework. Two groups of cultivars growing under the same environmental, pedological and agronomic conditions, and showing highest (AH) and lowest (AL) Actinophytocola relative abundances, were earlier identified. We aimed now to: i) compare the root transcriptome profiles of these two groups harboring significantly different relative abundances in the above-mentioned bacterial genus; ii) examine their rhizosphere and root-endosphere microbiota co-occurrence networks; and iii) connect the root host transcriptome pattern to the composition of the root microbial communities by correlation and co-occurrence network analyses. Significant differences in olive gene expression were found between the two groups. Co-occurrence networks of the root endosphere microbiota were clearly different as well. Pearson's correlation analysis enabled a first portray of the interaction occurring between the root host transcriptome and the endophytic community. To further identify keystone operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and genes, subsequent co-occurrence network analysis showed significant interactions between 32 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 19 OTUs. Overall, negative correlation was detected between all upregulated genes in the AH group and all OTUs except of Actinophytocola. While two groups of olive cultivars grown under the same conditions showed significantly different microbial profiles, the most remarkable finding was to unveil a strong correlation between these profiles and the differential gene expression pattern of each group. In conclusion, this study shows a holistic view of the plant-microbiome communication., Supported by grants AGL2016-75729-C2-1-R and AGL2016-75729-C2-2-R from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad/Agencia Estatal de Investigación, and grant PID2019-106283RB-I00 from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación/Agencia Estatal de Investigación, all of them cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). These funding sources had no involvement in this work preparation.

Technique is one of the aspects that has the most relevant influence on tennis player performance. Searching for more efficient and effective technique, by means of the application of biomechanical laws, is a constant among coaches and researchers. This article deals with a very concrete subject in tennis technique: the position of the head during the impact phase of tennis strokes. Biomechanical aspects of the strokes will also be considered, as well as other relevant aspects such as fixing the gaze during the stroke and the stretching-shortening cycle.

The nature and origin of the molecular gas component located in the circumstellar vicinity of $\eta$ Carinae are still far from being completely understood. Here, we present Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) CO(3$-$2) observations with a high angular resolution ($\sim$0.15$''$), and a great sensitivity that are employed to reveal the origin of this component in $\eta$ Carinae. These observations reveal much higher velocity ($-$300 to $+$270 km s$^{-1}$) blue and redshifted molecular thermal emission than previously reported, which we associate with the lobes of the Homunculus Nebula, and that delineates very well the innermost contours of the red- and blue-shifted lobes likely due by limb brightening. The inner contour of the redshifted emission was proposed to be a {\it disrupted torus}, but here we revealed that it is at least part of the molecular emission originated from the lobes and/or the expanding equatorial skirt. On the other hand, closer to systemic velocities ($\pm$100 km s$^{-1}$), the CO molecular gas traces an inner butterfly-shaped structure that is also revealed at NIR and MIR wavelengths as the region in which the shielded dust resides. The location and kinematics of the molecular component indicate that this material has formed after the different eruptions of $\eta$ Carinae., Comment: Accepted to Astrophysical Journal. 3D animation -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MRWaTkij-Lf_uzTfamJfHeGvgzjDe6Oq/view?usp=sharing

16 Pág., Increasing temperatures along with severe droughts are factors that may jeopardize the survival of the forests in the Mediterranean basin. In this region, Pinus pinaster is a common conifer species, that has been used as a model species in evolutionary studies due to its adaptive response to changing environments. Although its drought tolerance mechanisms are already known, knowledge about the dynamics of its root microbiota is still scarce. We aimed to decipher the structural (bacterial abundance), compositional, functional and associative changes of the P. pinaster rhizosphere bacterial communities in spring and summer, at DNA and RNA level (environmental DNA, live and dead cells, and those synthesizing proteins). A fundamental aspect of root microbiome-based approaches is to guarantee the correct origin of the samples. Thus, we assessed the genotype of host needles and roots from which rhizosphere samples were obtained. For more than 50% of the selected trees, genotype discrepancies were found and in three cases the plant species could not be determined. Rhizosphere bacterial communities were homogeneous with respect to diversity and structural levels regardless of the host genotype in both seasons. Nonetheless, significant changes were seen in the taxonomic profiles depending on the season. Seasonal changes were also evident in the bacterial co-occurrence patterns, both in DNA and RNA libraries. While spring communities switched to more complex networks, summer populations resulted in more compartmentalized networks, suggesting that these communities were facing a disturbance. These results may mirror the future status of bacterial communities in a context of climate change. A keystone hub was ascribed to the genus Phenylobacterium in the functional network calculated for summer. Overall, it is important to validate the origin and identity of plant samples in any plant-microbiota study so that more reliable ecological analyses are performed., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness [AGL2015-66048-C2-1-R; RTI2018-098015-B-I00], and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation project SUMHAL [LIFEWATCH-2019-09-CSIC-13, POPE 2014-2020], both co-financed by the (ERDF)European Regional Development Fund

The impact of the versatile biocontrol and plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria

El cáncer de vagina tiene una baja incidencia en la población femenina. Una mujer de 77 años acudió al hospital con antecedentes de sangrado vaginal posmenopáusico y diagnóstico inicial de cáncer de cérvix. Se le realizó biopsia vaginal por lesión ulcerada exofítica de 3 x 2 cm en el tercio superior de la pared vaginal posterior, cuyo resultado patológico fue cáncer escamoso pobremente diferenciado de la vagina. La patología de la pieza operatoria mostró carcinoma de células escamosas, infiltrante, no queratinizante, medianamente diferenciado de vagina. Presentamos el caso, en el que pudo haber confusión en el diagnóstico y/o manejo por la similitud de la sintomatología con el cáncer de cuello uterino, debido a la localización anatómica y la proximidad de ambos tejidos.

We present 0.9 mm continuum and CO (3-2) line emission observations retrieved from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) archive toward the high-mass star formation region IRAS 16076-5134. We identify fourteen dense cores with masses between 0.3 to 22 M$_{\odot}$. We find an ensemble of filament-like CO (3-2) ejections from -62 to +83 km s$^{-1}$ that appear to arise radially from a common central position, close to the dense core MM8. The ensemble of filaments, has a quasi-isotropic distribution in the plane of the sky. The radial velocity of several filaments follow a linear velocity gradient, incresing from a common origin. Considering the whole ensemble of filaments, we estimate its total mass to be 138 and 216 M$_{\odot}$ from its CO emission, for 70 K and 140 K respectively. Also, assuming a constant velocity expansion of the filaments (of 83 km s$^{-1}$) we estimate the dynamical age of the outflowing material (3500 years), its momentum (~10$^{4}$ M$_{\odot}$ km s$^{-1}$) and its kinetic energy (~10$^{48-49}$ erg). The morphology and kinematics presented by the filaments suggest the presence of a dispersal outflow with explosive characteristics in IRAS 16076-5134. In addition, we make a raw estimate of the lower limit of the frequency rate of the explosive dispersal outflows in the Galaxy (one every 110 years) considering constant star formation rate and efficiency with respect to the galactocentric radius of the Galaxy. This may imply a comparable rate of dispersal outflows and supernovae (approximately one every 50 years), which may be important for the energy budget of the Interstellar Medium and the link between dispersal outflows and high-mass star formation., 13 pages, 8 figures. ApJ accepted

A full understanding of high-mass star formation requires the study of one of the most elusive components of the energy balance in the interstellar medium: magnetic fields. We report Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.2 mm, high-resolution (700 au) dust polarization and molecular line observations of the rotating hot molecular core embedded in the high-mass star-forming region IRAS 18089-1732. The dust continuum emission and magnetic field morphology present spiral-like features resembling a whirlpool. The velocity field traced by the H13CO+ (J = 3-2) transition line reveals a complex structure with spiral filaments that are likely infalling and rotating, dragging the field with them. We have modeled the magnetic field and find that the best model corresponds to a weakly magnetized core with a mass-to-magnetic-flux ratio (λ) of 8.38. The modeled magnetic field is dominated by a poloidal component, but with an important contribution from the toroidal component that has a magnitude of 30% of the poloidal component. Using the Davis-Chandrasekhar-Fermi method, we estimate a magnetic field strength of 3.5 mG. At the spatial scales accessible to ALMA, an analysis of the energy balance of the system indicates that gravity overwhelms turbulence, rotation, and the magnetic field. We show that high-mass star formation can occur in weakly magnetized environments, with gravity taking the dominant role., P.S. and B.W. were partially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI number 18H01259) of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). J.M.G. is supported by the Spanish grant AYA2017-84390-C2-R (AEI/FEDER, UE). C.L.H.H. acknowledges the support of the NAOJ Fellowship and JSPS KAKENHI grants 18K13586 and 20K14527. J.M.J.'s research was conducted in part at the SOFIA Science Center, which is operated by the Universities Space Research Association under contract NNA17BF53C with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. K.T. was supported by JSPS KAKENHI grant No. 20H05645. Data analysis was in part carried out on the Multi-wavelength Data Analysis System operated by the Astronomy Data Center (ADC), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. This paper makes use of the following ALMA data: ADS/JAO.ALMA#2017.1.00101.S. ALMA is a partnership of ESO (representing its member states), NSF (USA) and NINS (Japan), together with NRC (Canada), MOST and ASIAA (Taiwan), and KASI (Republic of Korea), in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. The Joint ALMA Observatory is operated by ESO, AUI/NRAO and NAOJ.

RNA-based high-throughput sequencing is a valuable tool in the discernment of the implication of metabolically active bacteria during composting. In this study, “alperujo” composting was used as microbial model for the elucidation of structure-function relationships with physicochemical transformation of the organic matter. DNA and RNA, subsequently retrotranscribed into cDNA, were isolated at the mesophilic, thermophilic and maturation phases. 16S rRNA gene was amplified by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Illumina MiSeq platform to assess bacterial abundance and diversity, respectively. The results showed that the abundance of active bacteria assessed by qPCR was maximum at thermophilic phase, which confirm it as the most active stage of the process. Concerning diversity, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were the main phyla presented in composts. Concomitantly, three different behaviours were observed for bacterial dynamics: some genera decreased during the whole process meanwhile others proliferated only at thermophilic or maturation phase. Statistical correlation between physicochemical transformations of the organic matter and bacterial diversity revealed bacterial specialisation. This result indicated that specific groups of bacteria were only involved in the organic matter degradation during bio-oxidative phase or humification at maturation. Metabolic functions predictions confirmed that active bacteria were mainly involved in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles transformations, and pathogen reduction., This work was supported by the ERDF-co-financed projects from Junta de Andalucía (Spain) [P12-AGR-1968], Spanish MINECO [AGL2015-64582-CO3-02, AGL2017-84745-R] and MINECO-CSIC RECUPERA 2020 [20134R070]. G. Tortosa thanks the farmer J. González Almendros for his financial and technical assistance during AL composting. Support by Basque Country Government [IT-583 932-16] and the Spanish Red Sirena [AGL2015-68881-REDT] are also acknowledged. E. Aranda thanks MINECO-ERDF for supporting her Ramón y Cajal project [RYC-2013-12481] and [CTM2017-84332-R].

This study aimed to disentangle the structure, composition, and co-occurrence relation-ships of the banana (cv. Dwarf Cavendish) root endophytome comparing two phenological plant stages: mother plants and suckers. Moreover, a collection of culturable root endophytes (>1000) was also generated from Canary Islands. In vitro antagonism assays against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) races STR4 and TR4 enabled the identification and characterization of potential biocontrol agents (BCA). Eventually, three of them were selected and evaluated against Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB) together with the well-known BCA Pseudomonas simiae PICF7 under controlled conditions. Culturable and non-culturable (high-throughput sequencing) approaches provided concordant information and showed low microbial diversity within the banana root en-dosphere. Pseudomonas appeared as the dominant genus and seemed to play an important role in the banana root endophytic microbiome according to co-occurrence networks. Fungal communities were dominated by the genera Ophioceras, Cyphellophora, Plecosphaerella, and Fusarium. Overall, significant differences were found between mother plants and suckers, suggesting that the phe-nological stage determines the recruitment and organization of the endophytic microbiome. While selected native banana endophytes showed clear antagonism against Foc strains, their biocontrol performance against FWB did not improve the outcome observed for a non-indigenous reference BCA (strain PICF7)., This study was supported by Project ‘MUSA’ (Microbial Uptakes for Sustainable management of major bananA pests and diseases), funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (Grant Agreement Identifier: 727624).

While magnetic fields likely play an important role in driving the evolution of protoplanetary disks through angular momentum transport, observational evidence of magnetic fields has only been found in a small number of disks. Although dust continuum linear polarization has been detected in an increasing number of disks, its pattern is more consistent with that from dust scattering than from magnetically aligned grains in the vast majority of cases. Continuum linear polarization from dust grains aligned to a magnetic field can reveal information about the magnetic field's direction, but not its strength. On the other hand, observations of circular polarization in molecular lines produced by Zeeman splitting offer a direct measure of the line-of-sight magnetic field strength in disks. We present upper limits on the net toroidal and vertical magnetic field strengths in the protoplanetary disk AS 209 derived from Zeeman splitting observations of the CN 2-1 line. The 3$\sigma$ upper limit on the net line-of-sight magnetic field strength in AS 209 is 5.0 mG on the redshifted side of the disk and 4.2 mG on the blueshifted side of the disk. Given the disk's inclination angle, we set a 3$\sigma$ upper limit on the net toroidal magnetic field strength of 8.7 and 7.3 mG for the red and blue sides of the disk, respectively, and 6.2 and 5.2 mG on the net vertical magnetic field on the red and blue sides of the disk. If magnetic disk winds are a significant mechanism of angular momentum transport in the disk, magnetic fields of a strength close to the upper limits would be sufficient to drive accretion at the rate previously inferred for regions near the protostar., Comment: June 22, 2021: Corrected disk size scale bar in Figures 1, 2 and 5. Corrected percent polarization scale bar label in Figure 5

Tennis is an opposition sport in which we hit the ball with the racket whilst in movement, attempting to place it as far away from our opponent as possible but within the court. It is also a high-speed interception sport, and the speed increases with the level of the players. This article presents different specific on-court exercises to help players to improve their capacity to adapt to changing tennis dynamics.

We study electron correlation driven superconductivity on a decorated honeycomb lattice (DHL), which has a low-energy flat band. On doping, we find singlet superconductivity with extended-s, extended-d and f-wave symmetry mediated by magnetic exchange. f-wave singlet pairing is enabled by the lattice decoration. The critical temperature is predicted to be significantly higher than on similar lattices lacking flat bands. We discuss how high-temperature superconductivity could be realized in the DHL materials such as Rb3TT. 2 H2O and Mo3S7(dmit)3., 4 pages, 4 figures + Supplemental material

Here we analyze the microbial community of healthy and diseased tomato plants to evaluate its impact on plant health. The organisms found in all samples mainly belonged to 4 phyla: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The Proteobacteria were the highest relative abundant within the endophytic communities of different plant organs of diseased tomato. Among endophytic bacteria of tomato, only a few taxa could be cultured. Here we showed that only a few taxa of bacteria inhabiting tomato plants could be cultured and that all plant organs have a highly diverse endophytic bacterial, whose activity might affect plant growth and development as well as health. The roots seem to be an important barrier for microbes and leaves appear to be the organs with the higher diversity which is incidentally related to plant health. Fruits also contain a complex bacterial community that appeared to be unaffected by foliar diseases such as gray leaf spot at least under the conditions studied., Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Centro de Investigaciones en Fitopatología

We study the interplay between spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and Coulomb repulsion in a Hubbard model on a decorated honeycomb lattice which leads to a plethora of phases. While a quantum spin hall insulator is stable at weak Coulomb repulsion and moderate SOC, a semimetallic phase emerges at large SOC in a broad range of Coulomb repulsion. This semimetallic phase has topological properties not observed in conventional metals such as a finite, non-quantized spin Hall conductivity. At large Coulomb repulsion and negligible spin-orbit coupling, electronic correlations stabilize a resonance valence bond (RVB) spin liquid state in contrast to the classical antiferromagnetic state predicted by mean-field theory. Under sufficiently strong SOC, such RVB state is transformed into a magnetic insulator consisting on S~3/2 localized moments on a honeycomb lattice with antiferromagnetic order and topological features., 13 pages, 10 figures

Background: Due to their widespread use in industrial applications in recent decades, Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals (HMs) are the most common soil contaminants worldwide, posing a risk for both ecosystems and human health.Results: a poplar-assisted bioremediation strategy has been applied for more than four years to a historically contaminated area (PCBs and HMs) in Southern Italy using the Monviso poplar clone. This clone was effective in promoting a decrease in all contaminants and an increase in soil quality in terms of organic carbon and microbial abundance. Moreover, a significant shift in the structure and functioning of the belowground microbial community was also observed when analysing both DNA and cDNA sequencing. In fact, an increase in bacterial genera belonging to Proteobacteria and able to degrade PCBs and resist HMs was observed. Moreover, the functional profiling of the microbial community predicted by PICRUSt2 made it possible to identify several genes associated with PCB transformation (e.g. bphAa, bphAb, bphB, bphC), response to HM oxidative stress (e.g. catalase, superoxide reductase, peroxidase) and HM uptake and expulsion (e.g. ABC transporters).Conclusions: This work demonstrated the effectiveness of the poplar clone used in stimulating the natural belowground microbial community to remove contaminants (phyto-assisted bioremediation) and improve the overall soil quality. It is a practical example of a nature based solution involving synergic interactions between plants and the belowground microbial community.

Annular structures (rings and gaps) in disks around pre-main-sequence stars have been detected in abundance towards class II protostellar objects that are approximately 1,000,000 years old

The objective of this study was to determine whether native and invasive plants harbor different bacterial communities in their rhizospheres and whether there are bacterial indicator species associated with the invasive rhizosphere. Additionally, physico-chemical, biochemical, and biological properties have been determined in the native and invasive rhizospheres in order to ascertain the relationships between these soil properties and the rhizosphere bacterial communities. We carried out a study in five independent locations under Mediterranean semiarid conditions, where the native Hyparrhenia hirta is being displaced by Pennisetum setaceum. Partial 16S rRNA genes of the rhizosphere bacterial communities were amplified and 454-pyrosequenced. Principal coordinate analysis revealed differences in the composition and structure of the rhizosphere bacterial communities between native and invasive plants, the values of the richness index being higher in the invasive microbial community. Rhizosphere microbial community structure was also influenced by invaded location. The indicator species analysis showed a higher number of indicators for the invasive community at all the taxonomic levels studied, the genus Ohtaekwangia being the most abundant indicator. As shown by canonical correspondence analysis, the protease and dehydrogenase activities and soil respiration were related to the rhizosphere bacterial community of invasive plant. However, only protease activity was significantly affected by the plant type, being higher in the invasive plant rhizosphere. Our results show that P. setaceum invasion has produced an intense interaction with the soil bacterial community, shifting its structure, composition, and protease activity related to N cycling, which may be altering the function of the invaded ecosystem., R.C.G. acknowledges a predoctoral fellowship (“Ayudas para contratos predoctorales para la formación de doctores 2013”) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. This research was supported by the Spanish Plan Nacional-FEDER Project CGL-2015-64168-R.

We report here the complete genome sequence of the salt-tolerant Sinorhizobium meliloti strain AK21, isolated from nodules of Medicago sativa L. subsp. ambigua inhabiting the northern Aral Sea Region. This genome (7.36 Mb) consists of a chromosome and four accessory plasmids, two of which are the symbiotic megaplasmids pSymA and pSymB., Strain SmeAK21 was provided by Marina Roumiantseva and Boris Simarov to the partners of the International Cooperation-Cooperation with the Countries of Central Europe and with the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (INCO-COPERNICUS) program (grant ICA2-CT-2001-10001), and it is available at the All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM; strain collection number RCAM05222). This work was funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)-cofinanced grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (grant CSD2009-00006 to N.T. and grants AGL2009-07925 and BFU2017-82645-P to J.I.J.-Z.).

It is well-known that different plant species, and even plant varieties, promote different assemblages of the microbial communities associated with them. Here, we investigate how microbial communities (bacteria and fungi) undergo changes within the influence of woody plants (two olive cultivars, one tolerant and another susceptible to the soilborne fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, plus wild Holm oak) grown in the same soil but with different management (agricultural versus native). By the use of metabarcoding sequencing we determined that the native Holm oak trees rhizosphere bacterial communities were different from its bulk soil, with differences in some genera like Gp4, Gp6 and Solirubrobacter. Moreover, the agricultural management used in the olive orchard led to belowground microbiota differences with respect to the natural conditions both in bulk soils and rhizospheres. Indeed, Gemmatimonas and Fusarium were more abundant in olive orchard soils. However, agricultural management removed the differences in the microbial communities between the two olive cultivars, and these differences were minor respect to the olive bulk soil. According to our results, and at least under the agronomical conditions here examined, the composition and structure of the rhizospheric microbial communities do not seem to play a major role in olive tolerance to V. dahliae., This research was funded by grants AGL2016-75729-C2-1-R from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad and PID2019-106283RB-I00 from Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación/Agencia Estatal de Investigación, and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The extent to which the increasingly frequent episodes of drought-induced tree decline and mortality could alter key soil biogeochemical cycles is unclear. Understanding this connection between tree decline and mortality and soils is important because forested ecosystems serve as important long-term sinks for carbon (C) and essential nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus). In order to fill in this knowledge gap, we conducted a study on 13 sites distributed across the Spanish Iberian Peninsula where the dominant tree species was the Mediterranean evergreen Holm oak (Quercus ilex L. subsp. ballota [Desf.] Samp), a species that has shown important drought-induced crown defoliation and mortality rates in recent decades. Our study covered different climatic, soil, land-use type (forests, dehesas, and open woodlands), and crown defoliation (healthy, affected, and dead Holm oaks) gradients that characterize this species distribution within the Spanish Iberian Peninsula. Specifically, the soil C and nutrient content (nitrogen, N; phosphorus, P; magnesium, Mg), several functional parameters (heterotrophic respiration (R); N mineralization (i.e., N ammonification, R; and N nitrification, R)), and relative abundances of key microbial soil functional groups (nitrifiers and ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM)) were studied. Our results showed that aside from the potential effects associated with the climatic gradient, Holm oak decline and mortality resulted in soil stoichiometric imbalances triggered by net losses of essential oligonutrients (e.g., Mg) and the accumulation of very mobile forms of nitrogen (NO - N) and available phosphorus (Av P). Changes in the abundance of key microbial soil functional groups (nitrifiers and ECM) co-occurred with observed nitrate and available P accumulation. Therefore, we conclude that the potential vulnerability of soil C and nutrient stocks to ongoing changes in climate may strongly depend on tree vulnerability to climate change, its effect on soil-plant relationships, and how this may impact the ecology and functioning of key soil functional groups and key metabolic pathways., This research was supported by the VERONICA (CGL2013-42271-P) and IBERYCA (CGL2017-84723-P) projects, both funded by the Spanish Government. D. García-Angulo was financed through a FPI fellowship (BES-2014-067971) from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and O. Flores through a FPU fellowship (FPU14/05408) from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. This research was also supported by the Basque Government through the BERC 2018–2021 program, and by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the BC3 María de Maeztu excellence accreditation (MDM-2017-0714). This work was also financed by the NATIvE (PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2016-0583) project through UEFISCDI (Romanian Ministry of Education and Research).