Numerical simulation of thin layer coffee drying by control volumes

The thin layer drying model proposed by Sokhansanj and Bruce (1987) was implemented to model the drying process of parchment coffee beans. A computational model based on a control volume approach was developed to simulate the drying process of parchment coffee. A one dimensional transient analysis was implemented in the radial direction applied to a spherical coffee bean of equivalent radius. The results found that, even though the numerical value for the mass transfer coefficient is a small number (about of 10⁷ m/sec), moisture content predictions were sensitive to this value. The predicted drying curve compared favorably with published results

Analysis of the Relationship between Lifestyle and Coffee Consumption Habits, from the Myth Approach, in the Municipalities of Orizaba, Tehuipango, and Zongolica Veracruz.

Coffee consumption habits have evolved along with society for more than 300 years around the world. Social changes imply different lifestyles in each culture. Lifestyles influence the myths used by people in their consumption decisions. The objective of this research is to determine the relationship between lifestyle and coffee consumption habits, from the perspective of myth, in the inhabitants of the Mexican municipalities of Orizaba, Tehuipango, and Zongolica. A survey was conducted with a sample of inhabitants of the three municipalities studied. The statistical analyzes applied were the central limit theorem, Pearson, and Chi-square. The results show that the variables Consumption habits-Lifestyle-Myth, are highly dependent on the level of perception of people. It is concluded that the coffee myth corresponds to the "family union" in the study municipalities. This myth is not characterized in the evolutionary stages contemplated in the "waves of coffee"

Isolation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and evaluation of their osteogenic potential

Las células madre mesenquimatosas de médula ósea humana (abreviadas hBMSCs) constituyen una fuente de células auto-renovables con alto potencial de diferenciación, comúnmente aisladas a partir de los aspirados medulares en huesos largos. Su diferenciación hacia el linaje osteogénico, por ejemplo, ha sido ampliamente utilizada para la evaluación biológica de biomateriales o matrices con aplicaciones en la ingeniería de tejidos óseos. El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en aislar hBMSCs a partir de la cabeza femoral de pacientes sometidos a artroplastia total de cadera, así como evaluar su potencial osteogénico. Brevemente, se extrajo el hueso esponjoso y se disgregó mecánicamente; las células desprendidas se cultivaron y las células no adherentes se eliminaron luego de 4 días. El potencial osteogénico se evaluó en la quinta generación de cultivo, mediante ensayos de diferenciación a 14 y 20 días donde se compararon cultivos con y sin suplementos osteogénicos. La evaluación se realizó mediante tinción con Alizarina Roja y la cuantificación de los niveles de expresión génica de los marcadores osteogénicos colágeno tipo I, osteonectinca y sialoprotiena ósea mediante RT-PCR en tiempo real. Las hBMSCs obtenidas presentaron un fenotipo no-diferenciado estable, así como la capacidad de mineralizar la matriz extracelular y expresar un fenotipo similar al osteoblasto durante la inducción osteogénica. Los tres marcadores evaluados se sobre-expresaron en los cultivos en condiciones osteogénicas, y se encontró que cambios hasta de 2X en sus niveles de expresión son relevantes para el desarrollo del proceso de diferenciación. El modelo de hBMSCS presentado podría ser utilizado para la evaluación in vitro de la osteoinductividad de diferentes biomateriales, moléculas bioactivas o matrices para ingeniería de tejidos.Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) comprise a cell population capable of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation commonly isolated from bone marrow aspirates of large bones. Their osteogenic potential has been extensively exploited for the biological evaluation of scaffolds or biomaterials with applications in bone tissue engineering. This work aimed to isolate hBMSCs from femoral heads of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and to evaluate their osteogenic potential. Briefly, the trabecular bone was extracted and mechanically disaggregated; the released cells were cultured and non-adherent cells were removed after 4 days. The osteogenic potential was evaluated at the fifth passage after 14 and 20 days of induction, comparing cultures with and without osteogenic supplements, via Alizarin red staining and the quantification of the gene expression levels of the osteogenic markers collagen type I, osteonectin and bone sialoprotein through real-time RT-PCR. The obtained hBMSCs presented a stable undifferentiated phenotype after prolonged cell culture, matrix mineralization capabilities and expression of osteoblast phenotype upon osteogenic induction. The three markers were up-regulated in cultures under osteogenic conditions and 2 fold differences in their expression levels were found to be significant for the onset of the differentiation process. The obtained hBMSCs may have applications on the in vitro evaluation of the osteoinductivity of different biomaterials, bioactive molecules or tissue engineering scaffolds

Apoptosis, cambio estructural y generación reactiva de especies reactivas de oxígeno en neutrófilos humanos expuestos a olanzapine, una droga antipsicótica atípica

Los efectos de olanzapine (olz) sobre la viabilidad y el funcionamiento de células humanas polimorfonucleares (pmn, por sus siglas en inglés) claramente son opuestos a los señalados para la clozapine (clz). En efecto, después de 4-24 h de tratamiento con 20-50 μM olz, se observó una inhibición significativa del estallido respiratorio en pmn activados con zimosan o con forbol acetato miristato, mientras que la inhibición provocada por el formil-metionil-leucil-fenilalanina fue sólo inhibida a 50 μM de olz. En las mismas condiciones, la apoptosis espontánea se aceleró con 20-50 μM olz, mientras que la adición exógena de H2O2 dio lugar a la apoptosis de pmn en dosis dependiente inhibida por olz en el rango entero de concentraciones. Sin embargo, cuando se generó H2O2 intracelular por tratamiento con pma, la apoptosis inducida se disminuyó solamente con 2 μM olz. Las exploraciones de los espectros de absorbancia revelaron que olz puede reaccionar con cantidades equimolares de H2O2 o de HOCL. Estos resultados sugieren que olz inhibe ambos tipos de apoptosis de pmn (la inducida por especies reactivas oxigenadas y por estallido respiratorio debido a atrapadores extracelulares de estas especies reactivas oxigenadas)

Epidemiología y características del ictus isquémico en el adulto joven en Aragón

Introducción Alrededor de 15 millones de personas sufren un ictus cada año, de los que un 10-15% ocurre en menores de 50 años (ictus en el adulto joven). La prevalencia de los distintos factores de riesgo vascular y las estrategias sanitarias para el manejo del ictus varían a nivel mundial, siendo interesante conocer la epidemiología y las características específicas de cada región. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la prevalencia de los diferentes factores de riesgo vascular, la etiología y las características de los ictus isquémicos en el adulto joven en la comunidad autónoma de Aragón. Métodos Estudio multicéntrico, de corte transversal, realizado por los Servicios de Neurología de todos los hospitales del Servicio Aragonés de Salud (SALUD). Se identificó a todos los pacientes entre 18 y 50 años que ingresaron en cualquiera de estos hospitales con el diagnóstico de ictus isquémico o AIT entre enero del 2005 y diciembre del 2015. Se recogieron variables demográficas, factores de riesgo vascular y tipo de ictus isquémico entre otras. Resultados En el periodo de estudio, 786 pacientes entre 18 y 50 años ingresaron con el diagnóstico de ictus isquémico o AIT en algún hospital del SALUD, con una tasa anual promedio de 12, 3 por 100.000 habitantes. La mediana de su edad fue de 45 años (RIQ: 40-48 años). El factor de riesgo vascular más prevalente fue el tabaquismo, 404 (51, 4%). La mayoría fue de causa indeterminada (36, 2%), seguida por «otras causas» (26, 5%). La mediana de puntuación en la escala NIHSS fue de 3, 5 (RIQ: 2, 07, 0). En total, 211 (26, 8%) de los ingresos fueron por AIT. De los pacientes que ingresaron con el diagnóstico de ictus isquémico, 59 (10, 3%) se fibrinolizaron. Conclusiones El ictus isquémico en el adulto joven no es infrecuente en Aragón y en un importante número de casos es de etiología indeterminada, por lo que es necesario implementar medidas que nos permitan mejorar su estudio, disminuir su incidencia y prevenir su recurrencia. Introduction: Stroke affects around 15 million people per year, with 10%-15% occurring in individuals under 50 years old (stroke in young adults). The prevalence of different vascular risk factors and healthcare strategies for stroke management vary worldwide, making the epidemiology and specific characteristics of stroke in each region an important area of research. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of different vascular risk factors and the aetiology and characteristics of ischaemic stroke in young adults in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. Methods: A cross-sectional, multi-centre study was conducted by the neurology departments of all hospitals in the Aragonese Health Service. We identified all patients aged between 18 and 50 years who were admitted to any of these hospitals with a diagnosis of ischaemic stroke or TIA between January 2005 and December 2015. Data were collected on demographic variables, vascular risk factors, and type of stroke, among other variables. Results: During the study period, 786 patients between 18 and 50 years old were admitted with a diagnosis of ischaemic stroke or TIA to any hospital of Aragon, at a mean annual rate of 12.3 per 100 000 population. The median age was 45 years (IQR: 40-48 years). The most prevalent vascular risk factor was tobacco use, in 404 patients (51.4%). The majority of strokes were of undetermined cause (36.2%), followed by other causes (26.5%). The median NIHSS score was 3.5 (IQR: 2.0-7.0). In total, 211 patients (26.8%) presented TIA. Fifty-nine per cent of the patients admitted with a diagnosis of ischaemic stroke (10.3%) were treated with fibrinolysis. Conclusions: Ischaemic stroke in young adults is not uncommon in Aragon, and is of undetermined aetiology in a considerable number of cases; it is therefore necessary to implement measures to improve study of the condition, to reduce its incidence, and to prevent its recurrence

Retrieval of optical and microphysical properties of transported Saharan dust over Athens and Granada based on multi-wavelength Raman lidar measurements: Study of the mixing processes

In this paper we extract the aerosol microphysical properties for a collection of mineral dust cases measured by multi-wavelength depolarization Raman lidar systems located at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA, Athens, Greece) and the Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research (IISTA-CEAMA, Granada, Spain). The lidar-based retrievals were carried out with the Spheroidal Inversion eXperiments software tool (SphInX) developed at the University of Potsdam (Germany). The software uses regularized inversion of a two-dimensional enhancement of the Mie model based on the spheroid-particle approximation with the aspect ratio determining the particle shape. The selection of the cases was based on the transport time from the source regions to the measuring sites. The aerosol optical depth as measured by AERONET ranged from 0.27 to 0.54 (at 500 nm) depending on the intensity of each event. Our analysis showed the hourly mean particle linear depolarization ratio and particle lidar ratio values at 532 nm ranging from 11 to 34% and from 42 to 79 sr respectively, depending on the mixing status, the corresponding air mass pathways and their transport time. Cases with shorter transport time showed good agreement in terms of the optical and SphInX-retrieved microphysical properties between Athens and Granada providing a complex refractive index value equal to 1.4 + 0.004i. On the other hand, the results for cases with higher transport time deviated from the aforementioned ones as well as from each other, providing, in particular, an imaginary part of the refractive index ranging from 0.002 to 0.005. Reconstructions of two-dimensional shape-size distributions for each selected layer showed that the dominant effective particle shape was prolate with diverse spherical contributions. The retrieved volume concentrations reflect overall the intensity of the episodes.Spanish Ministry of Sciences, Innovation and Universities through project CGL2016-81092,Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports through grant FPU14/0368

Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors from 1980 to 2010: a comparative risk assessment

Background High blood pressure, blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and BMI are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and some of these factors also increase the risk of chronic kidney disease and diabetes. We estimated mortality from cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes that was attributable to these four cardiometabolic risk factors for all countries and regions from 1980 to 2010. Methods We used data for exposure to risk factors by country, age group, and sex from pooled analyses of populationbased health surveys. We obtained relative risks for the eff ects of risk factors on cause-specifi c mortality from metaanalyses of large prospective studies. We calculated the population attributable fractions for- each risk factor alone, and for the combination of all risk factors, accounting for multicausality and for mediation of the eff ects of BMI by the other three risks. We calculated attributable deaths by multiplying the cause-specifi c population attributable fractions by the number of disease-specifi c deaths. We obtained cause-specifi c mortality from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study. We propagated the uncertainties of all the inputs to the fi nal estimates. Findings In 2010, high blood pressure was the leading risk factor for deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes in every region, causing more than 40% of worldwide deaths from these diseases; high BMI and glucose were each responsible for about 15% of deaths, and high cholesterol for more than 10%. After accounting for multicausality, 63% (10\ub78 million deaths, 95% CI 10\ub71\u201311\ub75) of deaths from these diseases in 2010 were attributable to the combined eff ect of these four metabolic risk factors, compared with 67% (7\ub71 million deaths, 6\ub76\u20137\ub76) in 1980. The mortality burden of high BMI and glucose nearly doubled from 1980 to 2010. At the country level, age-standardised death rates from these diseases attributable to the combined eff ects of these four risk factors surpassed 925 deaths per 100 000 for men in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, but were less than 130 deaths per 100 000 for women and less than 200 for men in some high-income countries including Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, and Spain. Interpretation The salient features of the cardiometabolic disease and risk factor epidemic at the beginning of the 21st century are high blood pressure and an increasing eff ect of obesity and diabetes. The mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors has shifted from high-income to low-income and middle-income countries. Lowering cardiometabolic risks through dietary, behavioural, and pharmacological interventions should be a part of the globalresponse to non-communicable diseases