Removal of refractory organosulfur compounds via oxidation with hydrogen peroxide on amorphous Ti/SiO2 catalysts

Efficient removal of benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (DMDBT) has been successfully achieved via oxidation with hydrogen peroxide in liquid phase using an amorphous silica-loaded titanium oxide catalyst. Both BT and DBT are easily oxidized to the corresponding sulfones, however in the case of DMDBT the steric hindrance of the alkyl groups makes the approach of the S-atom to the catalyst active centre (an isolated Ti(IV) species) difficult and therefore its reactivity is inhibited. The concentration of the organosulfur compound, the H2O2 concentration and the nature of the solvent play a key role in the rate of S-removal.Peer reviewe

Complete chemical hydrolysis of cellulose into fermentable sugars via ionic liquids and antisolvent pretreatments

This work describes a relatively simple methodology for efficiently deconstructing cellulose into monomeric glucose, which is more easily transformed into a variety of platform molecules for the production of chemicals and fuels. The approach undertaken here first involves the dissolution of cellulose in an ionic liquid (IL), followed by a second reconstruction step aided by an antisolvent. The regenerated cellulose exhibited strong structural and morphological changes, as revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. These changes dramatically affect the hydrolytic reactivity of the cellulose with dilute mineral acids. As a consequence, the glucose yield obtained from the deconstructed-reconstructed cellulose was substantially higher than that achieved via hydrolysis of the starting cellulose. Factors that affect the hydrolysis reaction include the type of cellulose substrate, the type of IL used in the pretreatment and the type of acid used in the hydrolysis step. The best results were obtained by treating the cellulose with IL and using phosphotungstic acid (0.067 mol/L) as a catalyst at 413 K. Under these conditions, the conversion of cellulose was almost complete (> 99 %), with a glucose yield of 87 % after only 5 h of reaction.Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) S2009/ENE-1743CSIC (Spain) 201180E038Peer reviewe

Oxidative processes of desulfurization of liquid

Environmental concerns have introduced a need to remove sulfur-containing compounds from light oil. As oxidative desulfurization is conducted under very mild reaction conditions, much attention has recently been devoted to this process. In this contribution, the developments in selective removal of organosulfur compounds present in liquid fuels via oxidative desulfurization, including both chemical oxidation and biodesulfurization, are reviewed. At the end of each section, a brief account of the research directions needed in this field is also included.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (España) proyecto ENE2007-07345-C03-01/ALTPeer reviewe

El “Tentamen medicum de morbo miliari infantum, muguet, millet, blanchet, gallico idiomate appellate" (1786), de Francisco Sanponts

A medical text on aphtae, writed in 1786 and printed in 1788, is analized. Its author was the catalan physician Francisco Sanponts y Roca (1756-1821). This work was awarded with the first prize by the Société Royal de Médecine from Paris, in a competition to study and solve the problem of the wide diffusion of Aphtae (Muguet) among the orphanages' children. This was the first description of this disease in Spain. The author was influenced by the antisystematic mentality and by the anatomoclinical empiricism; he widely refers to Van Swieten and Nils Rosen, besides other 65 authors. Through his references he proved that he was well informed about the European medicine and pediatrics, although he was not apparently acquainted with the work of Underwood, the first known description of this disease, that was published two years earlier.Se analiza un texto de 1786 impreso en 1788, cuyo autor es el médico catalán Francisco Sanponts y Roca (1756-1821), que mereció el primer premio de la Real Sociedad de Medicina de París en un certamen convocado para estudiar y solucionar el problema planteado por la amplia difusión del Muguet entre los niños acogidos en hospicios. Se trata de la primera descripción de la enfermedad hecha en España y el autor, influido por la mentalidad antisistemática y el empirismo anatomoclínico, cita de forma amplia a Van Swieten y a Nils Rosen, entre 67 autores, con lo que demuestra estar al corriente de la medicina y la pediatría europeas, aunque aparentemente desconoce el trabajo de Underwood, publicado dos años antes de la elaboración del suyo, que representa la primera descripción conocida de esta enfermedad

Digital Rock Physics in Cuttings Using High-Resolution Thin Section Scan Images

Digital rock physics (DRP) has undergone significant advancements in the use of various imaging techniques to acquire three-dimensional volumes and images of rock samples for the computation of petrophysical properties. This study focuses on developing a DRP workflow using high-resolution thin section scans for computing porosity and permeability in cuttings samples. The workflow was tested on quarry sandstone plug samples and artificially generated pseudo-cuttings before applying it to real cuttings from oil and gas wells. The results show that the porosity and permeability values obtained through the DRP workflow are statistically equivalent to those obtained through conventional routine core analysis (RCAL). The workflow was also able to handle the presence of various lithologies in real cuttings samples. The study demonstrates the feasibility of obtaining porosity and permeability values in cutting samples using the DRP approach, offering a fast and cost-effective methodology that provides additional data and allows linking petrophysical properties to image data from the cuttings

Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Biomass by Selective Precipitation from Ionic Liquid Dissolution

We propose the treatment of barley straw with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [EMIMAcO] ionic liquids (ILs) and subsequent precipitation with antisolvent mixtures, thus allowing the separation of the sugar-rich fractions (cellulose and hemicellulose) from the lignin fraction. For this purpose, different concentration ranges of acetone:water antisolvent mixtures were studied. In all cases, a high recovery percentage and a high and effective separation of fractions was achieved for 1:1 acetone:water. The fractionated lignocellulosic compounds were studied by using infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance characterization techniques. This method allows the possibility of reusing IL, confirming the versatility of the established method. The fraction rich in cellulose and hemicellulose was subjected to acid hydrolysis (0.2 mol/L H2SO4) for 5 h at 140 °C, obtaining a yield of total reducing sugars of approximately 80%, much higher than those obtained in non-pretreated samples.This research was funded by Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) and ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), grant numbers S2013/MAE-2882 (RESTOENE-2-CM), S2018/EMT-4344 (BIOTRES-CM) and CSIC (201880E029). M.L.-S. acknowledges the support of the European Social Fund and Community of Madrid for her contracPeer reviewe

Refuerzo del proceso enseñanza/aprendizaje por la investigación aplicada al sector productivo

Proyecto de innovación educativa que promueve la motivación del alumno por el acercamiento de desarrollos informáticos industriales al aula a través de proyectos de investigación en el sector empresarial. Promueve el uso de nuevas metodologías presenciales, que fomentan el emprendimiento

Characterization of the human ridged and non-ridged skin: a comprehensive histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis

The structure of the human skin is directly dependent on its location and the mechanical forces to which it is subjected. In the present work, we have performed a comprehensive analysis of the human ridged and non-ridged skin to identify the differences and similarities between both skin types. For this purpose, human skin samples were obtained from dorsal hand skin (DHS), palmar hand skin (PHS), dorsal foot skin (DFS) and plantar foot skin (PFS) from the same cadaveric donors. Histological, histochemical and semiquantitative and quantitative immunohistochemical analyses were carried out to evaluate the epidermis, dermis and basement membrane. Results show that the epithelial layer of ridged skin had larger cell number and size than non-ridged skin for most strata. Melanocytes and Langerhans cells were more abundant in non-ridged skin, whereas Merkel cells were preferentially found in ridged skin. The expression pattern of CK5/6 was slightly differed between non-ridged and ridged skin. Involucrin expression was slightly more intense in non-ridged skin than in ridged skin. Collagen was more abundant in foot skin dermis than in hand skin, and in ridged skin as compared to non-ridged skin. Elastic fibers were more abundant in DHS. Biglycan was more abundant in foot skin than in hand skin. No differences were found for blood and lymphatic vessels. The basement membrane laminin was preferentially found in foot skin. These results revealed important differences at the epithelial, dermal and basement membrane levels that could contribute to a better knowledge of the human skin histology.This work was partially supported by Award no. AC17/00013 (NanoGSkin) by ISCIII thorough AES 2017 and within the EuroNanoMed framework

Mejora de la calidad docente por la investigación en el sector industrial

Motivación del alumno mediante nuevas metodologías presenciales derivadas de la investigación aplicada y orientadas hacia el emprendimiento en el sector industrial. Las metodologías encaminadas a dar solución en los desarrollos de investigación se utilizan como ejemplos significativos en las materias que forman parte del proyecto

A systematic review of the effectiveness and roles of advanced practice nursing in older people

Objectives: To identify, assess and summarize available scientific evidence about the effect of interventions deployed by advanced practice nurses when providing care to older people in different care settings, and to describe the roles and components of the interventions developed by these professionals. Background: In older people, evidence of advanced practice roles remains dispersed along different contexts, approaches and settings; there is little synthesis of evidence, and it is not easy to visualize the different practice models, their components, and their impact. Design: Systematic review. Data sources: Sixteen electronic databases were consulted (1990–2014). The research also included screening of original studies in reviews and reports from Centers of Health Services Research and Health Technology Agencies. Review methods: Studies were assessed by two reviewers with the Cochrane risk of bias tool. They were classified depending on the type of follow-up (long and short-term care) and the scope of the service (advanced practice nurses interventions focused on multimorbid patients, or focused on a specific disease). Results: Fifteen studies were included. In long-term settings, integrative, multi-component and continuous advanced practice nursing care, reduced readmissions, and increased patients’ and caregivers’ satisfaction. Advanced practice nurses were integrated within multidisciplinary teams and the main interventions deployed were patient education, multidimensional assessments and coordination of multiple providers. Conclusion: Positive results have been found in older people in long-term care settings, although it is difficult to discern the specific effect attributable to them because they are inserted in multidisciplinary teams. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the two modalities detected and to compare internationally the interventions developed by advanced practice nurses