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We fabricated ferromagnetic nano-crystalline thin films of Co, Fe, Co–Fe and Co-rich and Fe-rich, Co–MT and Fe–MT (MT = transition metal), constituted by nano-sheets with a controlled slant. Visualization of these nano-sheets by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) showed typically tilt angles ≈56° with respect to the substrate plane, and nano-sheets ≈3.0–4.0 nm thick, ≈30–100 nm wide, and ≈200–300 nm long, with an inter-sheet distance of ≈0.9–1.2 nm, depending on their constitutive elements. Induced by this nano-morphology, these films exhibited large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the plane, the easy direction of magnetization being parallel to the longitudinal direction of the nano-sheets. In the as-grown films, typical values of the anisotropy field were between Hk ≈ 48 and 110 kA/m depending on composition. The changes in the nano-morphology caused by thermal treatments, and hence in the anisotropic properties, were also visualized by HRTEM, including chemical analysis at the nano-scale. Some films retained their nano-sheet morphology and increased their anisotropies by up to three times after being heated to at least 500 °C: for example, the thermal treatments produced crystallization processes and the growth of CoV and CoFe magnetic phases, maintaining the nano-sheet morphology. In contrast, other annealed films, Co, Fe, CoZn, CoCu… lost their nano-sheet morphology and hence their anisotropies. This work opens a path of study for these new magnetically anisotropic materials, particularly with respect to the nano-morphological and structural changes related to the increase in magnetic anisotropy.

Dataset that includes the geometric characteristics (7) and the emissivity curve (110 points between 0-25um) of four vertically embedded alumnium fibers in CSH substrate.

Lack of alternatives to reduce the use of and risk by agrochemicals makes necessary to search for environmentally friendly and health-safe options to increase crop production. The use of beneficial microorganisms in agriculture offers a sustainable alternative to the use of chemicals. However, only a few microbe-based commercial products are available on the market due to limitations associated with the microbial growth in artificial media, survival, and performance in different environmental conditions. Use of microbial cell-free broth cultures (known as cell-free filtrates: CFFs) from plant pathogens offers several advantages over, and reduces the limitations of, traditional microbe-based products. A large diversity of secondary metabolites and bioactive molecules are secreted by plant pathogens and such metabolites represent a large reservoir of compounds with potential for use in crop growth and crop protection. The objective of this review is to provide an updated compilation and discussion of the published literature on CFFs from phytopathogenic microorganisms. Different growth conditions of microorganisms and ways of applying their CFFs in the studies are shown, since the accumulation of bioactive compounds in CFFs depends on factors such as the composition of the culture medium or the culture temperature. Mechanisms and molecules related to CFFs bioactivity are discussed, evidencing the complexity of the filtrate-plant interaction network. This review underlines the potential of CFFs as an alternative source to plant health in the sustainable crop production system of the future, and it opens the door for their application in other unexplored fields.

La necesidad de almacenar energía para poder gestionar las energías renovables y así conseguir una neutralidad climática, ha aumentado el interés en el almacenamiento de energía en forma de calor. El uso de resistencias eléctricas para realizar el calentamiento de un fluido gaseoso y almacenarlo está muy extendido. Con el fin de mejorar este proceso de carga, se plantea el uso de la tecnología termoeléctrica. En concreto, se han desarrollado dos tipos de bombas de calor termoeléctricas multietapa, basadas en diferentes intercambiadores de calor (IC) intermedios entre etapas: por conducción (ICC) o por cambio de fase (ICCF). Se demuestra que el ICCF desarrollado alcanza una resistencia térmica un 50 % menor que el ICC, siendo 0,07 K/W. Se ha estudiado experimentalmente la influencia de estos IC intermedios en un sistema de bombas de calor termoeléctrica de dos etapas, donde se ha visto que utilizar el ICCF mejora un 20 % su funcionamiento.

Las plantas son metaorganismos que regulan su desarrollo y metabolismo en respuesta a diferentes estímulos externos. Conviven con microorganismos emisores de compuestos que difunden a través del suelo tales como azúcares, proteínas, exopolisacáridos, sideróforos, ácidos grasos, ácidos orgánicos, aminoácidos y hormonas que modifican la fotosíntesis, el metabolismo y el crecimiento de las plantas (Philippot et al., 2013; De-la-Peña and Loyola-Vargas, 2014; Backer et al., 2018). Los microorganismos beneficiosos también emiten compuestos volátiles (VCs) que fomentan el crecimiento, la captación de nutrientes y la fotosíntesis, modulan la arquitectura de la raíz, activan la respuesta de defensa de la planta e incrementan su resistencia al estrés salino y la sequía (Ryu et al., 2003; Zhang et al., 2008; Splivallo et al., 2009; Zhang et al., 2009; Gutiérrez-Luna et al., 2010; Kanchiswamy et al., 2015; Park et al., 2015; Ledger et al., 2016). Estudios llevados a cabo por el grupo de investigación en el que he realizado mi tesis doctoral demostraron que las bacterias y los hongos fitopatógenos también emiten VCs con propiedades bioestimulantes (Sánchez-López et al., 2016b). Cambios en el crecimiento, la fotosíntesis, el desarrollo y el metabolismo de la planta inducidos por VCs microbianos están asociados a grandes variaciones en el transcriptoma, el proteoma y el redox-proteoma de la planta (Sánchez- López et al., 2016b; Ameztoy et al., 2019, 2021). Tales variaciones sugieren que la respuesta de la planta a los VCs microbianos está regulada tanto a nivel transcripcional como no-transcripcional. Con el fin de profundizar en los mecanismos que median la relación entre la planta y los microorganismos, en este trabajo investigué el papel que juega el transportador de hexosas fosfato plastidial (GPT2) inducible por VCs en la respuesta de la planta modelo de laboratorio Arabidopsis thaliana a VCs emitidos por el hongo fitopatógeno Altenaria alternata. Además, investigué el papel, Estudios comparativos de los proteomas de plantas pgi1-2 y pgi1-2gpt2-1 mostraron que GPT2 regula la expresión de proteínas relacionadas con la fotosíntesis. Es más, los estudios de expresión mostraron que GPT2 se expresa en haces vasculares y está sujeto a complejos mecanismos de regulación. Globalmente, los resultados presentados en este capítulo indican que en condiciones en las cuales la actividad de PGI está reducida, la respuesta de la planta a VCs microbianos conlleva una regulación de la expresión de proteínas relacionadas con la fotosíntesis a través de mecanismos en los que GPT2 juega un papel importante en la provisión de sustrato necesario para la producción de citoquininas en haces vasculares. Trabajos llevados a cabo en el grupo de investigación en el que he realizado este mi tesis mostraron que la exposición a VCs microbianos conlleva cambios globales en el redox-proteoma de las plantas (Ameztoy et al., 2019). Tales cambios incluían la reducción de residuos de cisteína altamente conservados a lo largo de la evolución de enzimas del ciclo de Calvin-Benson. En el capítulo 2 presento los resultados de mi investigación sobre el papel que juega el residuo de cisteína 95 de la cFBP1 en su actividad, en la fotosíntesis y en la respuesta de las plantas a VCs microbianos. Para realizar esta investigación, comparé las propiedades electroforéticas y cinéticas de cFBP1 WT y una forma mutada en la que el residuo de cisteína 95 fue sustituido por un residuo de serina (C95S). Además, comparé la fotosíntesis y el crecimiento de plantas de Arabidopsis cfbp1 carentes de cFBP1 endógena que expresan ectópicamente formas WT o C95S de cFBP1. Los resultados mostraron que el residuo de cisteína 95 juega un papel importante en la actividad de cFBP1 y en la fotosíntesis, pero no en el crecimiento de Arabidopsis.

Heat exchangers are essential to optimize the efficiency of Thermoelectric Generators (TEGs), and heat pipes without fans have proven to be an advantageous design as it maintains the characteristic robustness of thermoelectricity, low maintenance and lack of moving parts. However, the efficiency of these heat exchangers decreases under natural convection conditions, reducing their heat transfer capacity and thus thermoelectric power production. This work reports on a novel heat exchanger that combines for the first time, phase change and radiative cooling in a thermoelectric generator to improve its efficiency and increase the production of electrical energy, specially under natural convection. For this, two thermoelectric generators with heat-pipes on their cold sides have been tested: one with the radiative coating and the other without it. Their thermal resistances have been determined and the electric power output was compared under different working conditions, namely, natural convection and forced convection indoors and outdoors. The experimental tests show a clear reduction of the heat exchanger thermal resistance thanks to the radiative coating and consequently, an increase of electric production 8.3 % with outdoor wind velocities of 1 m/s, and up to 54.8 % under free convection conditions. The application of the radiative surface treatment is shown to result in a more stable electrical energy production, suppressing the drastic decrease in the generated electric power that occurs in thermoelectric generators when they work under free convection.

Renewed interest in CO2 methanation is due to its role within the framework of the Power-to-Methane processes. While the use of nickel-based catalysts for CO2 methanation is well stablished, the support is being subjected to thorough research due to its complex effects. The objective of this work was the study of the influence of the support with a series of catalysts supported on alumina, ceria, ceria–zirconia, and titania. Catalysts’ performance has been kinetically and spectroscopically evaluated over a wide range of temperatures (150–500 °C). The main results have shown remarkable differences among the catalysts as concerns Ni dispersion, metallic precursor reducibility, basic properties, and catalytic activity. Operando infrared spectroscopy measurements have evidenced the presence of almost the same type of adsorbed species during the course of the reaction, but with different relative intensities. The results indicate that using as support of Ni a reducible metal oxide that is capable of developing the basicity associated with medium-strength basic sites and a suitable balance between metallic sites and centers linked to the support leads to high CO2 methanation activity. In addition, the results obtained by operando FTIR spectroscopy suggest that CO2 methanation follows the formate pathway over the catalysts under consideration.

The plantation of tree islets within deforested areas (applied nucleation) has been proposed as a restoration strategy able to catalyze tree colonization in the matrix with reasonable costs and labor compared to traditional restoration methods such as extensive plantations. However, recent work has questioned its effectiveness in comparison to natural forest regeneration, and observational studies have eventually reported a limited expansion of tree islets after years of planting. To infer the processes affecting the effectiveness of applied nucleation, we used a stochastic model able to predict avian movement and fruit consumption, tree seed dispersal and seedling establishment in a fragmented temperate forest landscape of northern Spain. First, we simulated scenarios of natural regeneration and compared them to applied nucleation in terms of tree colonization in the remaining deforested matrix. Subsequently, in applied nucleation scenarios we assessed the effects of islet size and matrix area recovered on tree recruitment into the matrix. Also, we evaluated if such effects were mediated by the scale of movement of frugivores. Our results showed that applied nucleation triggers matrix colonization by trees at higher rates than natural regeneration because it avoids frugivore entrapment within forest edges. Also, that large tree islets can hamper matrix colonization despite being visited more frequently. If large tree islets offer abundant resources, animals do not need to leave their boundaries, concentrating seed deposition within islets. As expected, such effects depended on the scale of movement of frugivores. Our work highlights that in nucleated landscapes, islets harboring fruit-producing trees should attract animal dispersers, and also foster animal inter-islet movement. Both conditions should be met to ensure seed deposition and seedling establishment in the deforested matrix, promoting forest recovery independent of islet expansion through vegetative growt

The use of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as templates or precursors in the manufacture of heterogeneous catalysts is highly attractive due to the transfer of MOFs’ inherent porosity and homogeneous metallic distribution to the derived structure. Herein, we report on the preparation of MOF-derived Ru@ZrO2 catalysts by controlled thermal treatment of zirconium-based MOF UiO-66 with ruthenium moieties. Ru3+ (3 or 10 mol%) precursor was added to UiO-66 synthesis and, subsequently, the as-synthesized hybrid structure was calcined in flowing air at different temperatures (400–600 °C) to obtain ZrO2-derived oxides doped with highly dispersed Ru metallic clusters. The materials were tested for the catalytic photo-thermal conversion of CO2 to CH4. Methanation experiments were conducted in a continuous flow (feed flow rate of 5 sccm and 1:4 CO2 to H2 molar ratio) reactor at temperatures from 80 to 300 °C. Ru0.10@ZrO2 catalyst calcined at 600 °C was able to hydrogenate CO2 to CH4 with production rates up to 65 mmolCH4·gcat.–1·h–1, CH4 yield of 80% and nearly 100% selectivity at 300 °C. The effect of the illumination was investigated with this catalyst using a high-power visible LED. A CO2 conversion enhancement from 18% to 38% was measured when 24 sun of visible LED radiation was applied, mainly due to the increase in the temperature as a result of the efficient absorption of the radiation received. MOF-derived Ru@ZrO2 catalysts have resulted to be noticeably active materials for the photo-thermal hydrogenation of CO2 for the purpose of the production of carbon-neutral methane. A remarkable effect of the ZrO2 crystalline phase on the CH4 selectivity has been found, with monoclinic zirconia being much more selective to CH4 than its cubic allotrope.

[Background] Colon cancer (CC) is a heterogeneous disease that is categorized into four Consensus Molecular Subtypes (CMS) according to gene expression. Patients with loco-regional CC (stages II/III) lack prognostic factors, making it essential to analyze new molecular markers that can delineate more aggressive tumors. Aberrant methylation of genes that are essential in crucial mechanisms such as epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to tumor progression in CC. We evaluate the presence of hyper- and hypomethylation in subrogate IHC markers used for CMS classification (CDX2, FRMD6, HTR2B, ZEB1) of 144 stage II/III patients and CC cell lines by pyrosequencing. ZEB1 expression was also studied in control and shRNA-silenced CC cell lines and in paired normal tissue/tumors by quantitative PCR. The pattern of ZEB1 staining was also analyzed in methylated/unmethylated tumors by immunohistochemistry., [Results] We describe for the first time the hypermethylation of ZEB1 gene and the hypomethylation of the FRMD6 gene in 32.6% and 50.9% of tumors, respectively. Additionally, we confirm the ZEB1 re-expression by epigenetic drugs in methylated cell lines. ZEB1 hypermethylation was more frequent in CMS1 patients and, more importantly, was a good prognostic factor related to disease-free survival (p = 0.015) and overall survival (p = 0.006) in our patient series, independently of other significant clinical parameters such as patient age, stage, lymph node involvement, and blood vessel and perineural invasion., [Conclusions] Aberrant methylation is present in the subrogate genes used for CMS classification. Our results are the first evidence that ZEB1 is hypermethylated in CC and that this alteration is an independent factor of good prognosis.

Heterogeneous bi-magnetic nanostructured systems have had a sustained interest during the last decades owing to their unique magnetic properties and the wide range of derived potential applications. However, elucidating the details of their magnetic properties can be rather complex. Here, a comprehensive study of Fe3 O4 /Mn3 O4 core/shell nanoparticles using polarized neutron powder diffraction, which allows disentangling the magnetic contributions of each of the components, is presented. The results show that while at low fields the Fe3 O4 and Mn3 O4 magnetic moments averaged over the unit cell are antiferromagnetically coupled, at high fields, they orient parallel to each other. This magnetic reorientation of the Mn3 O4 shell moments is associated with a gradual evolution with the applied field of the local magnetic susceptibility from anisotropic to isotropic. Additionally, the magnetic coherence length of the Fe3 O4 cores shows some unusual field dependence due to the competition between the antiferromagnetic interface interaction and the Zeeman energies. The results demonstrate the great potential of the quantitative analysis of polarized neutron powder diffraction for the study of complex multiphase magnetic materials.

El uso del CO2 como refrigerante presenta grandes beneficios que no han pasado desapercibidos por los investigadores. El CO2 es una sustancia pura, abundante, no es tóxico ni inflamable y demás tiene un PCA prácticamente nulo. Sin embargo, en aquellos países en donde la temperatura ambiente es elevada, los ciclos de compresión de vapor que emplean CO2 trabajan en régimen transcrítico perjudicando gravemente su operación. Por ello, en este trabajo se presenta un modelo computacional capaz de simular el comportamiento de un subenfriador termoeléctrico colocado a la salida del gas-cooler de un ciclo de compresión de vapor que emplea CO2 como fluido refrigerante. Esta herramienta computacional presenta un error máximo del ± 7 % obtenido mediante la experimentación de un prototipo de ciclo de compresión de vapor que incuye subenfriamiento termoeléctrico. Esta herramienta computacional es empleada para determinar el número óptimo de módulos termoeléctricos, así como el efecto de los intercambiadores de calor sobre el COP del sistema.

[EN] In this work, we demonstrate that the reduction of the local internal stress by a low-temperature solvent-mediated thermal treatment is an effective post-treatment tool for magnetic hardening of chemically synthesized nanoparticles. As a case study, we used nonstoichiometric cobalt ferrite particles of an average size of 32(8) nm synthesized by thermal decomposition, which were further subjected to solvent-mediated annealing at variable temperatures between 150 and 320 °C in an inert atmosphere. The postsynthesis treatment produces a 50% increase of the coercive field, without affecting neither the remanence ratio nor the spontaneous magnetization. As a consequence, the energy product and the magnetic energy storage capability, key features for applications as permanent magnets and magnetic hyperthermia, can be increased by ca. 70%. A deep structural, morphological, chemical, and magnetic characterization reveals that the mechanism governing the coercive field improvement is the reduction of the concomitant internal stresses induced by the low-temperature annealing postsynthesis treatment. Furthermore, we show that the medium where the mild annealing process occurs is essential to control the final properties of the nanoparticles because the classical annealing procedure (T > 350 °C) performed on a dried powder does not allow the release of the lattice stress, leading to the reduction of the initial coercive field. The strategy here proposed, therefore, constitutes a method to improve the magnetic properties of nanoparticles, which can be particularly appealing for those materials, as is the case of cobalt ferrite, currently investigated as building blocks for the development of rare-earth free permanent magnets.

Dense systems of magnetic nanoparticles may exhibit dipolar collective behavior. However, two fundamental questions remain unsolved: i) whether the transition temperature may be affected by the particle anisotropy or it is essentially determined by the intensity of the interparticle dipolar interactions, and ii) what is the minimum ratio of dipole–dipole interaction (Edd) to nanoparticle anisotropy (KefV, anisotropy⋅volume) energies necessary to crossover from individual to collective behavior. A series of particle assemblies with similarly intense dipolar interactions but widely varying anisotropy is studied. The Kef is tuned through different degrees of cobalt-doping in maghemite nanoparticles, resulting in a variation of nearly an order of magnitude. All the bare particle compacts display collective behavior, except the one made with the highest anisotropy particles, which presents “marginal” features. Thus, a threshold of KefV/Edd ≈ 130 to suppress collective behavior is derived, in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations. This translates into a crossover value of ≈1.7 for the easily accessible parameter TMAX(interacting)/TMAX(non-interacting) (ratio of the peak temperatures of the zero-field-cooled magnetization curves of interacting and dilute particle systems), which is successfully tested against the literature to predict the individual-like/collective behavior of any given interacting particle assembly comprising relatively uniform particles.

Animal brucellosis is characterized by abortion and bacterial shedding in livestock. Brucella isolation is the only denite conrmation of infections. For this, the use of adequate selective culture media able to inhibit the growth of overcoming contaminants is an essential tool. Currently, simultaneous culture in Farrell’s (FM) and CITA (CM) media is the recommended method. However, attenuated mutants susceptible to polymyxins can be inhibited in these media, providing misled safety results in the natural host.

The use of biomass for the production of energy and higher added value products is a topic of increasing interest in line with growing environmental concerns and circular economy. Mesoporous material Sn-In-MCM-41 was synthesized for the first time and used as a catalyst for the transformation of sugars to methyl lactate (ML). This catalyst was characterized in depth by various techniques and compared with Sn-MCM-41 and In-MCM-41 catalysts. In the new Sn-In-MCM-41 material, both metals, homogeneously distributed throughout the mesoporous structure of MCM-41, actuate in a cooperative way in the different steps of the reaction mechanism. As a result, yields to ML of 69.4 and 73.9% in the transformation of glucose and sucrose were respectively reached. In the case of glucose, the ML yield 1.5 and 2.6 times higher than those of Sn-MCM-41 and In-MCM-41 catalysts, respectively. The Sn-In-MCM-41 catalyst was reused in the transformation of glucose up to four cycles without significant loss of catalytic activity. Finally, life cycle assessment comparison between chemical and biochemical routes to produce ML allowed us to conclude that the use of Sn-In-MCM-41 reduces the environmental impacts compared to Sn-MCM-41. Nevertheless, to make the chemical route comparable to the biochemical one, improvements in the catalyst and ML synthesis have to be achieved.

The ornithine–urea cycle (urea cycle) makes a significant contribution to the metabolic responses of lower photosynthetic eukaryotes to episodes of high nitrogen availability. In this study, we compared the role of the plant urea cycle and its relationships to polyamine metabolism in ammonium-fed and nitrate-fed Medicago truncatula plants. High ammonium resulted in the accumulation of ammonium and pathway intermediates, particularly glutamine, arginine, ornithine, and putrescine. Arginine decarboxylase activity was decreased in roots, suggesting that the ornithine decarboxylase-dependent production of putrescine was important in situations of ammonium stress. The activity of copper amine oxidase, which releases ammonium from putrescine, was significantly decreased in both shoots and roots. In addition, physiological concentrations of ammonium inhibited copper amine oxidase activity in in vitro assays, supporting the conclusion that high ammonium accumulation favors putrescine synthesis. Moreover, early supplementation of plants with putrescine avoided ammonium toxicity. The levels of transcripts encoding urea-cycle-related proteins were increased and transcripts involved in polyamine catabolism were decreased under high ammonium concentrations. We conclude that the urea cycle and associated polyamine metabolism function as important protective mechanisms limiting ammonium toxicity in M. truncatula. These findings demonstrate the relevance of the urea cycle to polyamine metabolism in higher plants.

In this study, oriented nano-sheets generated during the growth of cobalt-rich Co–V and Co–Zn thin films induced a large anisotropy in the magnetic and transport properties. The regular nano-sheets were tilted 52–54 deg. with respect to the substrate plane, ≈ 3.0–4.0 nm thick, ≈ 30–100 nm wide, and ≈ 200–300 nm long, with an inter-sheet distance of ≈ 0.9–1.2 nm. In spite of the different microstructures of the two kinds of samples where the Co–V films were amorphous, whereas the Co–Zn films showed a growth of Zn nanocrystals, the oblique nano-sheet morphology conferred noticeable shape anisotropy to both specimens. This anisotropy resulted in an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. The changes in the nano-morphology caused by thermal treatments, and hence in their anisotropic properties, were studied. While the Co–V samples retained or increased their magnetic and transport anisotropies, this anisotropic behavior vanished for the annealed Co–Zn films. High resolution transmission electron microscopy, HRTEM, including chemical analysis at the nano-scale, and the dependence of the anisotropic resistance on temperature allowed to establish the nature and the activation energy spectra of the atomic relaxation processes during heating. These processes displayed a single peak at 1.63 eV for the Co–V and two peaks at 1.67 and 2.0 eV for the Co–Zn. These spectra and their singularities were associated to the changes induced in the nano-morphology of the films by thermal treatments. The Co–V films retained their nano-sheet morphology almost up to 500 ºC; the Co–Zn films lost their nano-sheets at 290 ºC. The thermal stability exhibited by the Co–V films makes them useful for applications in ultra high frequency, optical, magnetostrictive and magneto-electric devices.

Biofilm engineering has emerged as a controllable way to fabricate living structures with programmable functionalities. The amyloidogenic proteins comprising the biofilms can be engineered to create self-assembling extracellular functionalized surfaces. In this regard, facultative amyloids, which play a dual role in biofilm formation by acting as adhesins in their native conformation and as matrix scaffolds when they polymerize into amyloid-like fibrillar structures, are interesting candidates. Here, we report the use of the facultative amyloid-like Bap protein of Staphylococcus aureus as a tool to decorate the extracellular biofilm matrix or the bacterial cell surface with a battery of functional domains or proteins. We demonstrate that the localization of the functional tags can be change by simply modulating the pH of the medium. Using Bap features, we build a tool for trapping and covalent immobilizing molecules at bacterial cell surface or at the biofilm matrix based on the SpyTag/SpyCatcher system. Finally, we show that the cell wall of several Gram-positive bacteria could be functionalized through the external addition of the recombinant engineered Bap-amyloid domain. Overall, this work shows a simple and modulable system for biofilm functionalization based on the facultative protein Bap.

Heatwave (HW) combined with water stress (WS) are critical environmental factors negatively affecting crop development. This study aimed to quantify the individual and combined effects of HW and WS during early reproductive stages on leaf and nodule functioning and their relation with final soybean seed yield (SY). For this purpose, during flowering (R2) and pod formation (R4) soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) plants were exposed to different temperature (ambient[25ºC] versus HW[40ºC]) and water availability (full capacity versus WS[20% field capacity]). HW, WS and their combined impact on yield depended on the phenological stage at which stress was applied being more affected at R4. For gas exchange, WS severely impaired photosynthetic machinery, especially when combined with HS. Impaired photoassimilate supply at flowering caused flower abortion and a significant reduction in final SY due to interacting stresses and WS. On the other hand, at pod formation (R4), decreased leaf performance caused additive effect on SY by decreasing pod setting and seed size with combined stresses. At the nodule level, WS (alone or in combination with HW) caused nodule impairment, which was reflected by lower leaf N. Such response was linked with a poor malate supply to bacteroids and feed-back inhibition caused by nitrogenous compounds accumulation. In summary, our study noted that soybean sensitivity to interacting heat and water stresses was highly conditioned by the phenological stage at which it occurs with, R4 stage being the critical moment. To our knowledge this is the first soybean work integrating combined stresses at early reproductive stages.

[EN] Viticulture is facing emerging challenges not only because of the effect of climate change on yield and composition of grapes, but also of a social demand for environmental-friendly agricultural management. Adaptation to these challenges is essential to guarantee the sustainability of viticulture. The aim of this review is to present adaptation possibilities from the soil-hidden, and often disregarded, part of the grapevine, the roots. The complexity of soil-root interactions makes necessary a comprehensive approach taking into account physiology, pathology and genetics, in order to outline strategies to improve viticulture adaptation to current and future threats. Rootstocks are the link between soil and scion in grafted crops, and they have played an essential role in viticulture since the introduction of phylloxera into Europe at the end of the 19th century. This review outlines current and future challenges that are threatening the sustainability of the wine sector and the relevant role that rootstocks can play to face these threats. We describe how rootstocks along with soil management can be exploited as an essential tool to deal with the effects of climate change and of emerging soil-borne pests and pathogens. Moreover, we discuss the possibilities and limitations of diverse genetic strategies for rootstock breeding.

Aluminum (Al)-based salts are widely used adjuvants in ruminants and other species to strengthen the immune response elicited against vaccine antigen(s). However, they can lead to the formation of long-lasting granulomas composed of abundant activated macrophages. Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) are widely distributed macrophage-tropic retroviruses that cause persistent infections in sheep and goats. Infected monocytes/macrophages and dendritic cells establish an inflammatory microenvironment that eventually leads to clinical manifestations. The aim of this work was to study the effect of Al-induced granulomas in the replication and pathogenesis of SRLV. Eleven adult, naturally SRLV-infected sheep showing clinical arthritis were distributed in vaccine (n = 6), adjuvant-only (n = 3), and control (n = 2) groups and inoculated with commercial Al-based vaccines, Al hydroxide adjuvant alone, or phosphate-buffered saline, respectively. In vitro studies demonstrated viral replication in Al-induced granulomas in 5 out of 10 sheep. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) evinced granular, intracytoplasmic SRLV presence in macrophages within granulomas. Viral sequences obtained from granulomas, blood monocytes, and other tissues were highly similar in most animals, suggesting virus circulation among body compartments. However, notable differences between isolated strains in granulomas and other tissues in specific animals were also noted. Interestingly, the B2 subtype was the most commonly found SRLV genotype, reaching a wider body distribution than previously described. Recombination events between genotypes B2 and A3 along the gag region were identified in two sheep. Our results indicate that Al-hydroxide-derived granulomas may represent an ideal compartment for SRLV replication, perhaps altering natural SRLV infection by providing a new, suitable target tissue. IMPORTANCE Granulomas are inflammation-derived structures elicited by foreign bodies or certain infections. Aluminum adjuva

Soybean (Glycine max L.) future response to elevated [CO] has been shown to differ when inoculated with B. japonicum strains isolated at ambient or elevated [CO]. Plants, inoculated with three Bradyrhizobium strains isolated at different [CO], were grown in chambers at current and elevated [CO] (400 vs. 700 ppm). Together with nodule and leaf metabolomic profile, characterization of nodule N-fixation and exchange between organs were tested through N-labeling analysis. Soybeans inoculated with SFJ14-36 strain (isolated at elevated [CO]) showed a strong metabolic imbalance, at nodule and leaf levels when grown at ambient [CO], probably due to an insufficient supply of N by nodules, as shown by N-labeling. In nodules, due to shortage of photoassimilate, C may be diverted to aspartic acid instead of malate in order to improve the efficiency of the C source sustaining N-fixation. In leaves, photorespiration and respiration were boosted at ambient [CO] in plants inoculated with this strain. Additionally, free phytol, antioxidants, and fatty acid content could be indicate induced senescence due to oxidative stress and lack of nitrogen. Therefore, plants inoculated with Bradyrhizobium strain isolated at elevated [CO] may have lost their capacity to form effective symbiosis at ambient [CO] and that was translated at whole plant level through metabolic impairment.

[ES] Las leguminosas son la segunda familia, tras los cereales, en importancia agrícola, cubriendo el 14% de la superficie cultivada. En el contexto actual y en un futuro cercano, la producción de leguminosas se ve amenazada por diversos estreses abióticos asociados con el cambio climático. Estos se espera que aumenten en número y severidad durante las próximas décadas. Debido al importante desafío para la seguridad alimentaria, es clave comprender cómo se pueden mejorar los futuros cultivos de leguminosas para resistir condiciones ambientales adversas. El objetivo general de esta tesis es obtener más conocimientos sobre los mecanismos implicados en la respuesta de las leguminosas a las condiciones ambientales ([CO2], sequía y temperatura) mediante la integración de medidas de biomasa, procesos fisiológicos y bioquímicos y niveles de metabolitos y otros compuestos., [EN] The leguminosae are second to cereal crops in agricultural importance based on area and total production, covering 14% of the cultivated land. Within the current and near future context, legume production is threatened by various abiotic stresses associated with climate change, which are expected to increase in number and severity during the following decades. Due to the important challenge to food security, it is important to understand how future legume crops can be bred to withstand adverse environmental conditions. The overall aim of this thesis is to gain further insights on the mechanisms involved in legume response to environmental conditions ([CO2], drought and temperature) through the integrated investigation of biomass, physiological and biochemical processes and the levels of metabolites and other compounds of the plants.