The application of portable, easy‐to‐use and highly sensitive lab‐on‐a‐chip biosensing devices for real‐time diagnosis could offer significant advantages over current analytical methods. Integrated ...optics‐based biosensors have become the most suitable technology for lab‐on‐chip integration due to their ability for miniaturization, their extreme sensitivity, robustness, reliability, and their potential for multiplexing and mass production at low cost. This review provides an extended overview of the state‐of‐the‐art in integrated photonic biosensors technology including interferometers, grating couplers, microring resonators, photonic crystals and other novel nanophotonic transducers. Particular emphasis has been placed on describing their real biosensing applications and wherever possible a comparison of the sensing performances between each type of device is included. The way towards achieving operative lab‐on‐a‐chip platform incorporating the photonic biosensors is also reviewed. Concluding remarks regarding the future prospects and potential impact of this technology are also provided.
The application of portable, easy‐to‐use and highly sensitive lab‐on‐a‐chip biosensing devices for real‐time diagnosis could offer significant advantages over current analytical methods. Integrated optics‐based biosensors have become the most suitable technology for lab‐on‐chip integration due to their excellent properties. This review provides an extended overview of the state‐of‐the‐art in integrated photonic biosensors technology including interferometers, grating couplers, microring resonators, photonic crystals and other novel nanophotonic transducers.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Design of an optimal surface biofunctionalization still remains an important challenge for the application of biosensors in clinical practice and therapeutic follow-up. Optical biosensors offer ...real-time monitoring and highly sensitive label-free analysis, along with great potential to be transferred to portable devices. When applied in direct immunoassays, their analytical features depend strongly on the antibody immobilization strategy. A strategy for correct immobilization of antibodies based on the use of ProLinker™ has been evaluated and optimized in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, stability and reproducibility. Special effort has been focused on avoiding antibody manipulation, preventing nonspecific adsorption and obtaining a robust biosurface with regeneration capabilities. ProLinker™-based approach has demonstrated to fulfill those crucial requirements and, in combination with PEG-derivative compounds, has shown encouraging results for direct detection in biological fluids, such as pure urine or diluted serum. Furthermore, we have implemented the ProLinker™ strategy to a novel nanoplasmonic-based biosensor resulting in promising advantages for its application in clinical and biomedical diagnosis.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Summary
Root hairs (RH) are excellent model systems for studying cell size and polarity since they elongate several hundred‐fold their original size. Their tip growth is determined both by intrinsic ...and environmental signals. Although nutrient availability and temperature are key factors for a sustained plant growth, the molecular mechanisms underlying their sensing and downstream signaling pathways remain unclear.
We use genetics to address the roles of the cell surface receptor kinase FERONIA (FER) and the nutrient sensing TOR Complex 1 (TORC) in RH growth.
We identified that low temperature (10°C) triggers a strong RH elongation response in Arabidopsis thaliana involving FER and TORC. We found that FER is required to perceive limited nutrient availability caused by low temperature. FERONIA interacts with and activates TORC‐downstream components to trigger RH growth. In addition, the small GTPase Rho of plants 2 (ROP2) is also involved in this RH growth response linking FER and TOR. We also found that limited nitrogen nutrient availability can mimic the RH growth response at 10°C in a NRT1.1‐dependent manner.
These results uncover a molecular mechanism by which a central hub composed by FER‐ROP2‐TORC is involved in the control of RH elongation under low temperature and nitrogen deficiency.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Taking into account that certain soil components could retain sulfonamides, in this work 50 crop soils (as porous materials) were studied as regards their adsorption/desorption characteristics for ...two sulfonamide antibiotics, specifically sulfamethazine (SMT) and sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), using batch-type experiments. Both adsorption and desorption curves fitted well to the Linear and Freundlich equations. Adsorption parameters showed low values for both antibiotics, indicating that a high mobility can be expected for these compounds in soils. In addition, adsorption parameters were lower for SMT than for SCP, due to their different degree of hydrophobicity. Soil organic carbon (OC) content was the soil characteristic showing the highest influence on adsorption and desorption processes for both sulfonamides. In fact, those soils having the highest OC content were the ones presenting the highest adsorption and the lowest desorption results. As next step, multiple linear regression analyses were carried out, which were used to develop robust model functions to predict the values of adsorption and desorption parameters for SCP and SMT. Input variables used to feed models were easily determinable soil characteristics, such as OC, cation exchange capacity, and pH. These models could facilitate a rapid and low-cost screening to find vulnerable soils, which will be those with the lowest values for the adsorption parameters. Having that information derived from simulations, an appropriate management could be programmed for most vulnerable soils, to minimize the entry of pollutants in different environmental compartments and, finally, into the food chain, thus reducing risks and impacts on human and environmental health.
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•Very low values were obtained for the adsorption constants of two sulfonamides.•Hydrophobic partition was revealed as a main mechanism governing their adsorption.•Organic carbon was the soil characteristic having a greater influence in the process.•Positive hysteresis was observed, while desorption was correlated with adsorption.•Robust models allowed estimation of adsorption and desorption parameters.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The worldwide known and employed spice of Asian origin, turmeric, receives significant attention due to its numerous purported medicinal properties. Herein, we report an optimized synthesis of ...curcumin and symmetric curcuminoids of aromatic (bisdemethoxycurcumin) and heterocyclic type, with yields going from good to excellent using the cyclic difluoro-boronate derivative of acetylacetone prepared by reaction of 2,4-pentanedione with boron trifluoride in THF (ca. 95%). The subsequent cleavage of the BF
group is of significant importance for achieving a high overall yield in this two-step procedure. Such cleavage occurs by treatment with hydrated alumina (Al
O
) or silica (SiO
) oxides, thus allowing the target heptanoids obtained in high yields as an amorphous powder to be filtered off directly from the reaction media. Furthermore, crystallization instead of chromatographic procedures provides a straightforward purification step. The ease and efficiency with which the present methodology can be applied to synthesizing the title compounds earns the terms "click" and "unclick" applied to describe particularly straightforward, efficient reactions. Furthermore, the methodology offers a simple, versatile, fast, and economical synthetic alternative for the obtention of curcumin (85% yield), bis-demethoxycurcumin (78% yield), and the symmetrical heterocyclic curcuminoids (80-92% yield), in pure form and excellent yields.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
In this work batch-type experiments were used to study the adsorption of the antibiotics doxycycline (DC), enrofloxacin (ENR), and sulfamethoxypyridazine (SMP) in cultivation soils, before and after ...the removal of soil organic matter. Organic matter removal by calcination resulted not only in C and N removal, but also in increased soil pH, exchangeable basic cations and surface area values. The results indicate a very different behavior depending on the type of antibiotic, showing the adsorption sequence DC > ENR > SMP. Specifically, DC adsorption was very high in untreated soil samples (with organic matter), and was still high (although decreased) after the removal of soil organic matter. Furthermore, the adsorption behavior of DC was clearly dependent on the pH of the medium. Regarding ENR, it also showed high adsorption, although to a lesser extent than DC. However, when soil organic matter was removed, ENR adsorption significantly decreased in all soil samples. As regards SMP, it was adsorbed to a much lesser extent, and the removal of soil organic matter caused an additional drastic decrease in adsorption, reaching negligible values in some samples. Desorption followed the reverse sequence of adsorption, specifically in the order DC < ENR < SMP. In the case of DC, desorption was negligible, both in samples with and without organic matter, while for ENR and SMP, desorption clearly increased for soil samples where organic matter was removed. These results may be of relevance as regards environmental quality and public health, especially to facilitate a correct use of soils and organic amendments in areas that receive the application of substances containing the investigated antibiotics.
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•Adsorption of three antibiotics in soils following the sequence DC > ENR > SMP.•DC adsorption was very high in raw soil and after the removal of soil organic matter.•ENR also showed high adsorption, although to a lesser extent than DC.•SMP was adsorbed to a much lesser extent, with drastic decrease after removing SOM.•Desorption followed the reverse sequence of adsorption, being negligible for DC.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We study the adsorption and desorption of chromium on two soils (a forest soil and a vineyard soil), both individually or after being combined with ground mussel shell, and on various materials ...(mussel shell, pyritic material from a dump site, and slate processing fines). The adsorption capacity depends mainly on the initial Cr concentration, on the pH, and on the abundance of noncrystalline Fe. The highest adsorption percentage (94 %) corresponds to the pyritic material, which also shows very low desorption rates (1.4 %), has the lowest pH, and has the highest concentration of noncrystalline Fe. The adsorption isotherms in most cases fit the Freundlich and Lineal models, rather than the Langmuir model, with no easily predictable maximum for chromium adsorption.
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CEKLJ, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The effect of tetracycline toxicity on the growth of soil bacterial communities was assessed using 22 agricultural soils with different pH values (between 4.1 and 7.4) and organic carbon ...concentrations (1.1–10.9%). Samples from all these soil types were spiked with different concentrations of tetracycline, and bacterial community growth was estimated after 1, 8, and 42 days of incubation, by using the 3H leucine incorporation method. Although tetracycline toxicity persisted in the soil during the incubation period, its magnitude gradually decreased with time. Moreover, tetracycline toxicity largely depends on soil characteristics, decreasing as a function of increasing organic matter, clay content, and effective exchangeable cation capacity (eCEC), and decreasing soil pH values. Further, an equation that allows the prediction of the direct effect of tetracycline on the growth of soil bacterial community was developed considering easily determinable parameters as the input; this equation will help achieve quick assessment of potentially hazardous situations.
•Tetracycline (TC) toxicity on soil bacterial communities was assessed in 22 soils.•TC toxicity in the soil was quite persistent and highly dependent of soil characteristics.•TC toxicity decreased when organic matter, clay or exchangeable cation capacity increased.•TC toxicity decreased when soil pH values decreased.•TC toxicity can be predicted using general soil characteristics.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract Population expansion is a global issue, especially for food production. Meanwhile, global climate change is damaging our soils, making it difficult for crops to thrive and lowering both ...production and quality. Poor nutrition and salinity stress affect plant growth and development. Although the impact of individual plant stresses has been studied for decades, the real stress scenario is more complex due to the exposure to multiple stresses at the same time. Here we investigate using existing evidence and a meta-analysis approach to determine molecular linkages between 2 contemporaneous abiotic stimuli, phosphate (Pi) deficiency and salinity, on a single plant cell model, the root hairs (RHs), which is the first plant cell exposed to them. Understanding how these 2 stresses work molecularly in RHs may help us build super-adaptable crops and sustainable agriculture in the face of global climate change.
•Phosphorus removal from water by mussel shell was assessed in batch and column tests.•The percentage of P removed increased with initial P concentration in the solution.•Calcined mussel shell ...presented a higher retention capacity than non-calcined shell.•Direct adsorption and precipitation as calcium phosphate contribute to P removal.
Mussel shell is a carbonate-rich by-product that could be recycled in wastewater treatment. In this work, phosphorus removal from aqueous solutions was obtained in a series of batch and column experiments in the laboratory, using a calcined and a finely-ground (non-calcined) mussel shell. Phosphorus removal followed a Freundlich model at high contact times (72h) and a Langmuir model at lower time (24h). Phosphorus removal capacity increased with contact time and with P concentration in the solution, while desorption of the retained P was very low (<4%). Calcined mussel shell presented a higher retention capacity than the fine shell, which can be attributed to differences in mineralogy and composition. The process of P removal from aqueous solution showed features that are typical of chemical reactions rather than denoting adsorption; concretely, the percentage of P removed increased with initial P concentration in the solution, thus pointing at a relevant role of precipitation in P removal. The results corresponding to the fractionation of the P retained in the mussel shell after the experiments showed that both mechanisms, adsorption and precipitation, contributed to P removal.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
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