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Thin films of transition metal oxides and oxynitrides have proven highly effective in protecting stainless steels against corrosion in both chemically aggressive environments and biological fluids. In the present work, cerium zirconium oxynitride thin films were deposited to enhance the corrosion resistance of surgical-grade stainless steel to be used in osteosynthesis processes. Two techniques were employed: co-sputtering and radiofrequency (RF) sputtering, and the morphology and corrosion efficiency of the coatings deposited by each technique were evaluated. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and field emission transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the morphological and chemical structure, respectively. Additionally, the corrosion resistance of the oxynitride-coated surgical grade stainless steel system (ZrCeOxNy-AISI 316L) was assessed using Hank’s solution as the corrosive electrolyte, to determine its resistance to corrosion in biological media. The results show that ZrCeOxNy coatings increase the corrosion resistance of surgical grade stainless steel by two orders of magnitude and that the Ce(III)/Ce(IV) equilibrium decreases the corrosion rate, thereby increasing the durability of the steel in a biological environment. The results show that Ce coatings increase the corrosion resistance of surgical grade stainless steel by two orders of magnitude and that the Ce(III)/Ce(IV) equilibrium decreases the corrosion rate, thereby increasing the durability of the steel in a biological environment.

Background Engineered stone silicosis is an emerging disease in many countries worldwide produced by the inhalation of respirable dust of engineered stone. This silicosis has a high incidence among young workers, with a short latency period and greater aggressiveness than silicosis caused by natural materials. Although the silica content is very high and this is the key factor, it has been postulated that other constituents in engineered stones can influence the aggressiveness of the disease. Different samples of engineered stone countertops (fabricated by workers during the years prior to their diagnoses), as well as seven lung samples from exposed patients, were analyzed by multiple techniques. Results The different countertops were composed of SiO2 in percentages between 87.9 and 99.6%, with variable relationships of quartz and cristobalite depending on the sample. The most abundant metals were Al, Na, Fe, Ca and Ti. The most frequent volatile organic compounds were styrene, toluene and m-xylene, and among the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenanthrene and naphthalene were detected in all samples. Patients were all males, between 26 and 46 years-old (average age: 36) at the moment of the diagnosis. They were exposed to the engineered stone an average time of 14 years. At diagnosis, only one patient had progressive massive fibrosis. After a follow-up period of 8 +/- 3 years, four patients presented progressive massive fibrosis. Samples obtained from lung biopsies most frequently showed well or ill-defined nodules, composed of histiocytic cells and fibroblasts without central hyalinization. All tissue samples showed high proportion of Si and Al at the center of the nodules, becoming sparser at the periphery. Al to Si content ratios turned out to be higher than 1 in two of the studied cases. Correlation between Si and Al was very high (r = 0.93). Conclusion Some of the volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals detected in the studied countertop samples have been described as causative of lung inflammation and respiratory disease. Among inorganic constituents, aluminum has been a relevant component within the silicotic nodule, reaching atomic concentrations even higher than silicon in some cases. Such concentrations, both for silicon and aluminum showed a decreasing tendency from the center of the nodule towards its frontier.

The venom duct transcriptomes and proteomes of the cryptic cone snail species Virroconus ebraeus and Virroconus judaeus were obtained and compared. The most abundant and shared conotoxin precursor superfamilies in both species were M, O1, and O2. Additionally, three new putative conotoxin precursor superfamilies (Virro01-03) with cysteine pattern types VI/VII and XVI were identified. The most expressed conotoxin precursor superfamilies were SF-mi2 and M in V. ebraeus, and Cerm03 and M in V. judaeus. Up to 16 conotoxin precursor superfamilies and hormones were differentially expressed between both species, and clustered into two distinct sets, which could represent adaptations of each species to different diets. Finally, we predicted, with machine learning algorithms, the 3D structure model of selected venom proteins including the differentially expressed Cerm03 and SF-mi2, an insulin type 3, a Gastridium geographus GVIA-like conotoxin, and an ortholog to the Pionoconus magus omega-conotoxin MVIIA (Ziconotide).

The transcriptomes of the venom glands of two individuals of the magician’s cone, Pionoconus magus, from Okinawa (Japan) were sequenced, assembled, and annotated. In addition, RNA-seq raw reads available at the SRA database from one additional specimen of P. magus from the Philippines were also assembled and annotated. The total numbers of identified conotoxin precursors and hormones per specimen were 118, 112, and 93. The three individuals shared only five identical sequences whereas the two specimens from Okinawa had 30 sequences in common. The total number of distinct conotoxin precursors and hormones for P. magus was 275, and were assigned to 53 conotoxin precursor and hormone superfamilies, two of which were new based on their divergent signal region. The superfamilies that had the highest number of precursors were M (42), O1 (34), T (27), A (18), O2 (17), and F (13), accounting for 55% of the total diversity. The D superfamily, previously thought to be exclusive of vermivorous cones was found in P. magus and contained a highly divergent mature region. Similarly, the A superfamily alpha 4/3 was found in P. magus despite the fact that it was previously postulated to be almost exclusive of the genus Rhombiconus. Di erential expression analyses of P. magus compared to Chelyconus ermineus, the only fish-hunting cone from the Atlantic Ocean revealed that M and A2 superfamilies appeare

The rapid advancement of technology necessitates the continual development of versatile materials that can adapt to new electronic devices. Rare earth elements, which are scarce in nature, possess the set of properties required for use as semiconductors. Consequently, this research aims to achieve similar properties using materials that are abundant in nature and have a low commercial cost. To this end, nickel and copper were utilized to synthesize thin films of nickel–copper binary oxynitride via reactive RF sputtering. The influence of nitrogen flow on the structure, morphology, chemical composition, and optical properties of the films was investigated using various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as transmittance and adsorbance measurements.

Cone snails are a large group of marine gastropods that produce a complex mixture of toxic compounds to hunt prey and defend against predators. The majority of the venom comprises small toxic peptides named conotoxins, which target membrane receptors. In contrast, a smaller part of the venom contains larger proteins and conoproteins, which are thought to be involved in conotoxin maturation and the envenomation process, respectively. Interestingly, many species of cone snails contain conoporins, which are similar to actinoporins—pore-forming toxins found in sea anemones. These actinoporin- like proteins (ALPs) have recently been detected in many molluscan species, and only a few have been experimentally characterized. Due to being highly expressed in the venom gland of many cone snail species, conoporins are thought to play an important part in the envenomation process. Despite this, the exact function of conoporins is currently unknown. We propose several hypotheses aiming to elucidate their biological role.

Coastal areas are characterized by high energetic conditions associated to the wave transformation process and by numerous underwater cultural heritage (UCH) sites whose preservation is crucial given their cultural and economic value. UCH management requires a decision support system to prioritize UCH interventions and actions for long-term preservation. This paper presents a novel UCH risk assessment methodology to quantitatively assess the impact of wave-induced hazards on UCH in coastal environments at a local level and the screening of UCH sites at risk. The UCH risk is calculated as a function of vulnerability (depending on archaeological materials, slope, and seabed type), hazard (decontextualization, scouring, and erosive wear), and exposure computed for the UCH sites registered in an archaeological database. The procedure was validated at two shipwreck sites, Bucentaure and Fougueux, in the Bay of Cadiz. An agreement between the risk index value and the in situ measurements of the rates of scouring and corrosion (used as a proxy of erosive wear) was observed. The methodology was tested in the Bay of Cadiz using an archaeological database containing 56 UCH sites. It allowed identifying the UCH sites at high risk: six are at risk of decontextualization, four are in peril of scouring erosion, and two are at risk of erosive wear. Two UCH sites at high risk of at least two hazards were also identified. This UCH risk assessment methodology is a stepping stone towards a decision support system that will give priority to research, prospection, management, and protection measures in the UCH sites analyzed to ensure their preservation in a context of climate change in the era of a sustainable blue economy.

Agave saponins are a valuable resource for the prospective development of new forms of agrochemicals. The extraction method was optimized and applied to 17 Agave species. Thirteen saponin fractions (SFs) were assayed on wheat etiolated coleoptiles, and analysed using UPLC-QTOFMSE, NMR spectroscopy and the HMBC method for aglycone identification (HMAI). Six SFs were assayed on standard target species (STS) and weeds. The new extraction method reduces costs to obtain SFs with the same activity. The tested SFs assayed on etiolated wheat coleoptiles that belong to the subgenus Agave were among those with the highest activity levels. The combination of HMAI together with UPLC-MS allowed the identification of 20 aglycones in the SFs, and no isolation or hydrolysis of the saponins was required. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that for the active SFs the structural key would be the length of their sugar chain. The presence of a carbonyl group at C-12 implied an enhancement in phytotoxic activity. Six SFs were assayed on seeds, and no activity on Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) was observed; however, good activity profiles were obtained on weed E. crus-galli (IC50 < 80 ppm), better than the commercial herbicide Logran®. These findings represent a possible lead for the development of natural herbicides through the use of saponins of subgenus Agave species.

This research was developed with the support of the Society for Archaeological Sciences, through the SAS ECR Research Support Award (2021), granted to Nicolás C. Ciarlo. His studies at the University of Cadiz were also supported by the National Scientifc and Technical Research Council (CONICET), through the Support Program for International Research Stays. The equipment and funding to conduct the characterisation of samples were provided by Manuel Bethencourt, chair of the Laboratory of Studies and Conservation of Culture Heritage (LEC-PH) at the University of Cadiz, through a grant from the Spanish State Research Agency, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (State Plan I+D+i 2017–2020, EQC2018-004947-P).

Plates joining is one of the first stage at large vessels manufacturing line, process conditioning the whole shipbuilding production. Laser Arc Hybrid Welding (LAHW) process is nowadays providing promising results for large thickness naval steel, being primarily used for welding plates with thicknesses between 6 to 15 mm, reaching up to 51 mm. In addition to this high penetration ability, LAHW allows increasing the production rates. Therefore, this technology is proposed as an alternative to conventional welding processes in shipbuilding, as it integrates the advantages of laser and arc welding, providing high process stability, high welding speed and penetration, narrow weld beads with a low heat input and good metallurgical properties. The present review reports the most representative investigation regarding the use of this technology to join large thickness flat panels of naval steel. It includes a summary of the most influential process variables, equipment characteristics, material properties, naval regulations, as well as microstructural characterisation and mechanical properties of joints. This review is thought to help readers from different backgrounds, covering from non-expert on welding or on naval sector, to industrial LAHW applicators and researchers. The industrial need of performing one single pass procedure to assure high quality welds of high thickness is suggested as one of the key aspects for future investigations.