| 34451. |
- Ferretti, Gabriele, et al.
(författare)
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Philosophy of plant cognition : interdisciplinary perspectives
- 2024
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Bok (refereegranskat)abstract
- This volume features new research about the philosophy of plant intelligence and plant cognition, one of the most intriguing and complex current debates at the intersection of biology, cognitive science and philosophy. The debate about plant cognition is marked by deep disagreements. Some theorists are confident that the empirical evidence supports the ascription of cognitive capacities to plants. Others hold that such claims are overblown, and defend more traditional, non-cognitive accounts of plant behavior. Still others seek to formulate intermediate positions. This volume brings together leading researchers from across this theoretical spectrum to tackle the foundational questions that are at issue in the debate about plant cognition. The contributions focus on the philosophical questions raised by recent discoveries and controversies in the empirical sciences, such as: Can plants be said to have genuine cognitive abilities? Can they be characterized as representing or perceiving their environment, as pursuing goals, or even as having some form of conscious experience? Which data could provide evidence for such characterizations? And what are possible implications of these issues for general questions about the nature of cognition, representation, perception, and consciousness? Philosophy of Plant Cognition will be of interest to scholars and students working in philosophy of mind, philosophy of biology, cognitive science, and plant biology.
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| 34452. |
- Ferro, Enrico G., et al.
(författare)
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Echocardiographic and Electrocardiographic Abnormalities Among Elderly Adults With Cardiovascular Disease in Rural South Africa
- 2021
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Ingår i: Circulation. Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. - : NLM (Medline). - 1941-7713 .- 1941-7705. ; 14:11, s. 1175-1186
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing an epidemiological transition fueled by the interaction between infectious and cardiovascular diseases. Our cross-sectional study aimed to characterize the spectrum of abnormalities suggesting end-organ damage on ECG and transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE) among older adults with cardiovascular diseases in rural South Africa.METHODS: The prevalence of ECG and TTE abnormalities was estimated; χ2 analyses and multivariable logistic regressions were performed to test their association with sex, hypertension, and other selected comorbidities.RESULTS: Overall, 729 ECGs and 155 TTEs were completed, with 74 participants completing both. ECG evaluation showed high rates of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH, 36.5%) and T wave abnormalities (13.6%). TTE evaluation showed high rates of concentric LVH (31.6%), with moderate-severe (56.8%) diastolic dysfunction. Participants with hypertension showed more cardiac remodeling on ECG by LVH (45.4% versus 22.1%, P<0.01), and TTE by concentric LVH (42.5% versus 8.2%, P<0.01) and increased left ventricular mass (58.5% versus 20.4%, P<0.0001). In multivariable logistic regression, systolic blood pressure remained significantly associated with LVH on ECG (adjusted odds ratio, 1.03 per mm Hg [95% CI, 1.03-1.04], P<0.0001) and increased left ventricular mass on TTE (adjusted odds ratio, 1.04 per mm Hg [95% CI, 1.01-1.06], P=0.001). Male participants (n=326, 40.2%) were more likely than females (n=484, 59.8%) to show ECG abnormalities like LVH (45% versus 30.8%, P<0.01), whereas females were more likely to show TTE abnormalities like concentric LVH (40.8% versus 13.5%, P<0.01) and increased left ventricular mass (58.4% versus 23.1%, P<0.0001). Similar results were confirmed in multivariable models.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that cardiovascular diseases are widespread in rural South Africa, with a larger burden of hypertensive heart disease than previously appreciated, and define the severity of end-organ damage that is already underway. Local health systems must adapt to face the growing burden of hypertension, as suboptimal rates of hypertension diagnosis and treatment may dramatically increase the heart failure burden.
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| 34453. |
- Ferro, Lorenza, 1989-, et al.
(författare)
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Elucidating the symbiotic interactions between a locally isolated microalga Chlorella vulgaris and its co-occurring bacterium Rhizobium sp. in synthetic municipal wastewater
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Phycology. - : Springer. - 0921-8971 .- 1573-5176. ; 31:4, s. 2299-2310
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Co-cultivation of microalgae and bacteria during municipal wastewater treatment can boost carbon and nutrient recovery as a result of their synergistic interactions. The symbiotic relationships between the locally isolated microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the bacterium Rhizobium sp., co-isolated from municipal wastewater, were investigated batchwise under photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophic conditions in a synthetic municipal wastewater medium. During photoautotrophic growth in BG11 medium, photosynthetic algal oxygenation and organic carbon production supported bacterial activity but no significant beneficial effects on microalgal growth were observed. In synthetic wastewater, a twofold higher biomass concentration was achieved in the axenic algal culture compared with the co-culture under heterotrophic conditions, suggesting a competition for nutrients. A comparable carbon removal was observed in all cultures (83–79% TOC), but a faster nitrogen consumption (59% TN) and complete phosphate assimilation (100% TP) was only achieved in the co-culture. A positive synergistic relationship was found under mixotrophic conditions, clearly supported by an in situ O2/CO2 exchange between the microorganisms. This mutualism led to a threefold higher biomass production with a 13-fold higher fatty acid content compared with the axenic algal culture, as well as a superior wastewater treatment performance (+ 58% TOC, + 41% TN and + 44% TP). The co-cultivation of C. vulgaris and Rhizobium is therefore suggested as a potential microbial consortium for a cost-efficient biomass generation during municipal wastewater reclamation, especially under mixotrophic conditions.
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| 34454. |
- Ferro, Lorenza, 1989-, et al.
(författare)
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Growth performance and nutrient removal of a Chlorella vulgaris-Rhizobium sp. co-culture during mixotrophic feed-batch cultivation in synthetic wastewater
- 2019
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Ingår i: Algal Research. - : Elsevier. - 2211-9264. ; 44
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The subarctic green algal strain Chlorella vulgaris 13-1, newly isolated from Northern Sweden, and its co-occurring bacterium Rhizobium sp. were tested for their ability to produce valuable biomass and remove nutrients from synthetic wastewater during mixotrophic feed-batch cultivation at multiple hydraulic retention times (HRTs = 7, 5 and 3 days). The algal-bacterial co-culture showed better performance compared to the corresponding axenic cultures (HRT = 7 days), with a biomass concentration of 0.63 +/- 0.03 g/L and removal rates of 49.5 +/- 6.1% TOC, 55.7 +/- 8.04% TN and 95.6 +/- 3.6% TP at steady-state. Culture stability and a high nutrient removal capacity were recorded in the algal-bacterial co-culture even at HRTs of 5 and 3 days. Interestingly, reducing the HRT from 7 to 5 days resulted in a higher lipid content of the biomass, further reduction of the HRT to 3 days enhanced both daily biomass productivity (1.03 g/L/day) and nutrient assimilation. Mixotrophic co-cultivation of C. vulgaris-Rhizobium sp. can successfully be applied for wastewater reclamation in continuous mode at HRT of 3-7 days, and thus is suitable for both summer and winter conditions in Nordic countries.
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| 34455. |
- Ferro, Lorenza, et al.
(författare)
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Microbial population dynamics in a microalgae-based municipal wastewater treatment photobioreactor located in Northern Sweden
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A pilot-scale high-rate algal pond (HRAP) located in Northern Sweden was inoculated with the collection strain S. dimorphus UTEX 417 in spring and operated until autumn. The microbial diversity of eukaryotic and prokaryotic communities and their seasonal dynamics over time were revealed by high-throughput metabarcoding of 18S and 16S rRNA genes and correlated with various environmental factors. S. dimorphus was initially stable in the culture, but other microalgae appeared later and co-dominate the system as a consequence of predation by zooplankton. Desmodesmus, Pseudocharaciopsis, Chlorella, Characium and Oocystis were the main competing algal species. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were the most abundant bacterial phyla in the HRAP. The bacterial and zooplanktonic communities changed with seasonal variation, correlation not only with changes in light and temperature, but also with abiotic factors (pH and nutrients) were observed.
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| 34456. |
- Ferro, Lorenza, 1989-, et al.
(författare)
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Statistical Methods for Rapid Quantification of Proteins, Lipids, and Carbohydrates in Nordic Microalgal Species Using ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy
- 2019
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Ingår i: Molecules. - : MDPI. - 1431-5157 .- 1420-3049. ; 24:18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is a simple, cheap, and fast method to collect chemical compositional information from microalgae. However, (semi)quantitative evaluation of the collected data can be daunting. In this work, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy was used to monitor changes of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content in seven green microalgae grown under nitrogen starvation. Three statistical methods-univariate linear regression analysis (ULRA), orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS), and multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS)-were compared in their ability to model and predict the concentration of these compounds in the biomass. OPLS was found superior, since it i) included all three compounds simultaneously; ii) explained variations in the data very well; iii) had excellent prediction accuracy for proteins and lipids, and acceptable for carbohydrates; and iv) was able to discriminate samples based on cultivation stage and type of storage compounds accumulated in the cells. ULRA models worked well for the determination of proteins and lipids, but carbohydrates could only be estimated if already determined protein contents were used for scaling. Results obtained by MCR-ALS were similar to ULRA, however, this method is considerably easier to perform and interpret than the more abstract statistical/chemometric methods. FTIR-spectroscopy-based models allow high-throughput, cost-effective, and rapid estimation of biomass composition of green microalgae.
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| 34457. |
- Ferro, Lorenza, 1989-
(författare)
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Wastewater treatment and biomass generation by Nordic microalgae : growth in subarctic climate and microbial interactions
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Nordic native microalgal strains were isolated, genetically classified and tested for their ability to grow in municipal wastewater. Eight of the isolated strains could efficiently remove nitrogen and phosphate in less than two weeks. Two of these strains, Coelastrella sp. and Chlorella vulgaris, were found to have high biomass concentration and total lipid content; also two Desmodesmus sp. strains showed desirable traits for biofuel-feedstock, due to their fast growth rates and high oil content.The adaptation to subarctic climate was comparatively evaluated in three Nordic strains (C. vulgaris, Scenedesmus sp. and Desmodesmus sp.) and a collection strain (S. obliquus). Their growth performance, biomass composition and nutrients removal was investigated at standard (25°C) or low temperature (5°C), under continuous light at short photoperiod (3 h light, 25°C) or moderate winter conditions (6 h light, 15°C). Only the Nordic strains could grow and produce biomass at low temperature, and efficiently removed nitrogen and phosphate during both cold- and dark-stress. Phenotypic plasticity was observed in Scenedesmus and Desmodesmus under different growth conditions, adaptation to low temperature increased their carbohydrate content. Short photoperiod strongly reduced growth rates, biomass and storage compounds in all strains and induced flocculation in C. vulgaris, which, however, performed best under moderate winter conditions.The symbiotic relationships between the Nordic microalga C. vulgaris and the naturally co-occurring bacterium Rhizobium sp. were investigated batchwise under photoautotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic conditions, comparing the co-culture to the axenic cultures. The photoautotrophic algal growth in BG11 medium mainly supported Rhizobium activity in the co-culture, with no significant effects on C. vulgaris. In synthetic wastewater, a synergistic interaction only occurred under mixotrophic conditions, supported by CO2/O2 exchange and a lower pH in the culture, resulting in higher biomass and fatty acids content and more efficient wastewater treatment in the co-culture. Under heterotrophic conditions, the lower biomass production in the co-culture suggested a competition for nutrients, although nutrients removal remained efficient.A pilot-scale high rate algal pond (HRAP) located in Northern Sweden was inoculated with the collection strain Scenedesmus dimorphus UTEX 417 and operated from spring to autumn. Using metabarcoding of 18S and 16S rRNA genes, the microbial diversity of eukaryotic and prokaryotic communities was revealed. S. dimorphus was initially stable in the culture, but other microalgal species later colonized the system, mainly due to parasitic infections and predation by zooplankton in summer. The main competitor algal species were Desmodesmus, Pseudocharaciopsis, Chlorella, Characium and Oocystis. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were the most abundant bacterial phyla in the HRAP. The structure of the microbial communities followed a seasonal variation and partially correlated to environmental factors such as light, temperature and nutrients concentrations.Overall, these results contribute with new knowledge on the establishment and optimization of microalgal-based wastewater treatment systems coupled with biomass generation in Nordic areas. The use of native microalgal species is proposed as a potential strategy to overcome the limitations posed to algal cultivation in subarctic regions.
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| 34458. |
- Ferro-Vázquez, C., et al.
(författare)
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Comparing podzolization under different bioclimatic conditions
- 2020
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Ingår i: Geoderma. - : Elsevier. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 377
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Silicate weathering and within soil redistribution of released metals are a near universal process believed to drive the formation of Podzols in various bioclimatic zones, ranging from tropical forest to Arctic environments. Yet the importance of climate and the fractionation of Al, Fe and Si in Podzols remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of climate-related variability in the podzolization mechanisms by conducing high-resolution chemical probing of seven soils in different bioclimatic zones and under different hydrological regimes: one well drained and one seasonally hydromorphic from the boreal zone (Sweden), two well-drained Podzols from a mild and humid area (NW Spain) and three, two poorly drained and one well drained soils, from the tropics (Brazil). The analytical strategy included seven selective dissolution techniques, in order to understand the distribution of Fe, Al and Si in organic (high, medium and low stability metal-OM complexes) and inorganic secondary compounds (short-range order and crystalline forms) in relation to their bioclimatic setting. Results indicate that the translocation of metals is coupled to the soil organic matter (SOM) mobilization in all three bioclimatic zones. The accumulation of metals and organic matter in the spodic horizons, in contrast, is contingent upon temperature, as well as on the local hydrological conditions and pH. Multivariate statistics allowed to identify the effect of climate, of soil hydrological conditions and of parent material in the soil vertical development. The high vertical resolution sampling and the extended fractionation employed were key for detecting the differences in Al, Fe and SOM dynamics in the studied soils, and revealed that different podzolization mechanisms are active in each bioclimatic zone.
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| 34459. |
- Ferro-Vazquez, C., et al.
(författare)
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Metal and organic matter immobilization in temperate podzols : a high resolution study
- 2014
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Ingår i: Geoderma. - : Elsevier. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 217, s. 225-234
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aluminium and Fe fractions were obtained in samples from two temperate podzols by selective extraction with NaOH (Al-n, Fe-n), Na-dithionite-citrate (Al-d, Fe-d), acid NH4-oxalate (Al-o, Fe-o) and Na-pyrophosphate (Al-p, Fe-p) following the traditional fractionation procedures, and also by the use of the chlorides of K (Al-K), La (Al-La) and Cu (Al-cu) as non-buffered extractants for Al. Carbon content was also determined in the Na-pyrophosphate extract (C-p). Soil sampling was done at high-resolution to allow a more detailed characterization of the vertical processes than the traditional sampling by whole soil horizons. Results showed that Al-p and Fe-p make a large proportion of the Alo and Fe-o meaning that organoaluminic complexes dominated in the "active" metal pool instead of inorganic compounds. The degree of metal saturation of soil organic matter (estimated by the (Al-p Fe-p)/C-p molar ratios) increases with depth, especially in the uppermost samples of spodic horizons (Bhs1) where it increases up to 0.1. Aluminium dominates in the adsorption positions of the organic matter in the spodic horizon (Fe-p/Al-p ratios <0.5), except in the Bhs1 horizon (ratios > 1), indicating that the immobilization of Fe containing complexes occurs 10-15 cm above that of Al The highly stable Al-OM complexes accounted on average for 60% of the organoaluminic associations (>70% in the Bhs horizons). The moderately stable complexes predominate in A horizons (57-77% in ACB1 and 37-48% in ACB2) and the largest proportions of low stability complexes were found in the uppermost samples of the spodic horizons (Bhs1) of both soils (9-21%), together with the highest Fep contents and a decrease in pH values. From a stepwise multiple regression model it is suggested that pH is the main variable accounting for the stability of Al-OM compounds together with C and organically bound Fe contents. It is suggested that the illuviation of unsaturated organic acids lower the pH in upper spodic horizons, leading to the complexation of metals from formerly precipitated organometallic complexes and/or leading to their redissolution, enabling their migration to deeper soil layers. Iron complexes would be less soluble at soil pH, resulting in a differentiation of an upper Fe-rich Bhs1 horizon and a lower Bhs2 Al-rich horizon. The depth variation in C accumulation was found to be related to the proportion of highly stable Al-OM fraction.
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| 34460. |
- Ferro-Vázquez, Cruz, et al.
(författare)
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Tracing Pb Pollution Penetration in Temperate Podzols
- 2017
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Ingår i: Land Degradation and Development. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1085-3278 .- 1099-145X. ; 28:8, s. 2432-2445
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We combine high-resolution soil sampling with lead (Pb) analyses (concentrations and stable isotopes) in two temperate podzols, together with previous data obtained with selective Al and Fe dissolution techniques. We aim to assess how atmospheric Pb is incorporated into the soils during pedogenesis. Partial least squares modelling for Pb concentrations shows that the podzolization process has the largest effect on Pb concentration (803% of the variance). The proportion of inorganic secondary compounds, the input of fresh organic matter from the soil surface and the relative abundance of Fe versus Al are responsible for a small part of the Pb concentration variance. Lead isotopic composition (Pb-206/Pb-207 ratios) depends on soil organic matter content either fresh/poorly humified (573% of the variance) or humified (247% of the variance). The Pb linked to inorganic compounds and the overall podzolization process play a minor role in isotopic signature (53 and 37% of the variance respectively). Soil pH appears to be the controlling variable of the different transport and retention mechanisms. The relatively low isotopic ratios observed in spodic horizons result from geogenic Pb released through the preferential dissolution of the isotopically distinct most weatherable minerals of the parent material in the eluvial horizons, which undergoes downward mobilization. An accurate knowledge of soil reactive components and formation mechanisms is essential to a correct diagnose of the scope of Pb pollution and a more effective design of remediation strategies.
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