Biomass Identification from Proximate Analysis: Characterization of Residual Vegetable Materials in Andean Areas

[EN] This work was aimed at the characterization of residual generated biomass from pruned tree species present in the Andean areas of Ecuador as a source of energy, both in plantations and in urban areas, as a response to the change in the energy matrix proposed by the Ecuadorian government. From the proximate analysis (volatiles, ashes, and fixed carbon content), elemental analysis (C, H, N, S, O, and Cl), structural analysis (cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose content), and higher heating value, the studied species were pine (Pinus radiata), cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), poplar (Populus sp.), arupo (Chionanthus pubescens), alder (Alnus Acuminata), caper spurge (Euphorbia laurifolia), and lime (Sambucus nigra L.) trees. We evaluated the influence of the presence of leaves in the biomass. From this characterization, we developed a method based on obtaining the main components for the identification of the biomass's species. If the origin of the biomass was unknown, this method enabled us to identify the species, with all its characteristics. If the origin of the biomass was unknown, this innovative method enabled the identification of the species from the lignocellulosic biomass, with all of its characteristics. Finally, we developed regression models that relate the higher heating value to the elemental, proximate, and structural composition.This work was carried out within the framework of the work "Analysis of the implementation of biomass exploitation chains in rural communities in the province of Bolívar (Ecuador)" of the ADSIEO-COOPERATION program of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). The Ecuadorian Energy Exploitation Research Network of Biomass (ECUMASA) and the IBEROMASA Network of the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED) participated in this program.Velázquez Martí, B.; Gaibor-Chavez, J.; Franco-Rodríguez, JE.; López- Cortés, I. (2023). Biomass Identification from Proximate Analysis: Characterization of Residual Vegetable Materials in Andean Areas. Agronomy. 13(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy1309234713

Application of Biogas from Quinoa, Wheat, and Andean Guinea Pig Residuals as Biofuels for Gas Turbines

[EN] This article shows the effect that biogases obtained from crop residuals from the Andean region have on the performance of a whole medium-sized electrical-generating gas turbine. This technology could be used to supply electricity in energy-depressed areas where biogas is the only accessible resource. The gas turbine worked with higher efficiencies when the obtained biogases were used compared to natural gas. The biofuel that presented the highest efficiencies was the one obtained from wheat residuals alone. Despite this fact, this biofuel would be the most prone to create aerodynamic problems in the stages of the gas turbine. In this work, it was found that the addition of guinea pig manure to different crop residuals created biofuels less prone to create aerodynamic problems in the compression and expansion stages. In particular, the studied biofuel that had the most similar aerodynamic behavior to the design natural gas case was the one obtained from guinea pig manure and quinoa residuals. On the other hand, this biogas presented the lowest efficiencies of the studied biofuels. Despite this fact, this biofuel showed higher efficiencies than the natural gas case. In the gas turbine combustion chamber, all the studied biofuels operated at lower temperatures than the ones with natural gas, even in the high-power range. This would be an important feature for the running of the combustion chamber and the high-pressure turbine superalloys.This work was carried out within the framework of the project Analysis of the implementation of biomass exploitation chains in rural communities in the province of Bolívar (Ecuador) of the ADSIEO-COOPERATION program of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). The Ecuadorian Energy Exploitation Research Network of Biomass (ECUMASA) and the IBEROMASA Network of the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED) participated in this program.González Álvarez, JF.; Velázquez Martí, B.; Gaibor-Chávez, J.; Franco-Rodríguez, JE.; Rico, C. (2023). Application of Biogas from Quinoa, Wheat, and Andean Guinea Pig Residuals as Biofuels for Gas Turbines. Applied Sciences. 13(13). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/app13137802131

Quantification Model of Residual Biomass in Citrus Uprooting

[EN] In this paper, the aerial biomass of citrus plantations in Spain was evaluated using destructive methods. Before cutting down the trees, their geometric variables were measured: trunk diameter at 10 cm from the ground (D-t), trunk perimeter at 10 cm from the ground (P-m), mean crown diameter (D-c), canopy height (H-c), and maximum crown height (H-max). After geometric characterization of the tree, it was felled. This was performed with a chainsaw about 10 cm above the ground. After cutting down, trees with and without leaves were weighed, and biomass variables such as moisture, calorific value, elemental composition, and proximate analysis were measured. The predictive models obtained showed an r(2) of 0.78. According to our analysis, in plantations in Spain, where the average plantation pattern is 4 x 4 m, the amount of carbon stored in a plot is 15 t of C per hectare. If leaves and wood are counted, the energy density in citrus plots can be estimated at 900 MJ/tree. However, if only wood is included in the calculation, the accumulated energy per tree is 750.3 MJ/tree, which represents 5.6 x 10(5) MJ/ha.This work was funded by Gerneralitat Valenciana (Spain) through a research project (AICO/2020/246). The authors wish to thank the support ofGerneralitat Valenciana (Spain) for research project (AICO/2020/246), and he IBEROMASA Network (Re 719RT0586) of the IberoAmerican Program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED) where this project has been carried out.López- Cortés, I.; Velázquez Martí, B.; Estornell Cremades, J.; Franco Rodríguez, JE.; Marti-Gavila, J.; Salazar Hernández, DM. (2022). Quantification Model of Residual Biomass in Citrus Uprooting. Agronomy. 12(7):1-10. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy1207164811012

Higher COVID-19 pneumonia risk associated with anti-IFN-α than with anti-IFN-ω auto-Abs in children

We found that 19 (10.4%) of 183 unvaccinated children hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia had autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs (IFN-alpha 2 in 10 patients: IFN-alpha 2 only in three, IFN-alpha 2 plus IFN-omega in five, and IFN-alpha 2, IFN-omega plus IFN-beta in two; IFN-omega only in nine patients). Seven children (3.8%) had Abs neutralizing at least 10 ng/ml of one IFN, whereas the other 12 (6.6%) had Abs neutralizing only 100 pg/ml. The auto-Abs neutralized both unglycosylated and glycosylated IFNs. We also detected auto-Abs neutralizing 100 pg/ml IFN-alpha 2 in 4 of 2,267 uninfected children (0.2%) and auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-omega in 45 children (2%). The odds ratios (ORs) for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia were, therefore, higher for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-alpha 2 only (OR [95% CI] = 67.6 [5.7-9,196.6]) than for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-. only (OR [95% CI] = 2.6 [1.2-5.3]). ORs were also higher for auto-Abs neutralizing high concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 12.9 [4.6-35.9]) than for those neutralizing low concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 5.5 [3.1-9.6]) of IFN-omega and/or IFN-alpha 2

Vaccine breakthrough hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs

Life-threatening `breakthrough' cases of critical COVID-19 are attributed to poor or waning antibody response to the SARS- CoV-2 vaccine in individuals already at risk. Pre-existing autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs underlie at least 15% of critical COVID-19 pneumonia cases in unvaccinated individuals; however, their contribution to hypoxemic breakthrough cases in vaccinated people remains unknown. Here, we studied a cohort of 48 individuals ( age 20-86 years) who received 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine and developed a breakthrough infection with hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia 2 weeks to 4 months later. Antibody levels to the vaccine, neutralization of the virus, and auto- Abs to type I IFNs were measured in the plasma. Forty-two individuals had no known deficiency of B cell immunity and a normal antibody response to the vaccine. Among them, ten (24%) had auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs (aged 43-86 years). Eight of these ten patients had auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-a2 and IFN-., while two neutralized IFN-omega only. No patient neutralized IFN-ss. Seven neutralized 10 ng/mL of type I IFNs, and three 100 pg/mL only. Seven patients neutralized SARS-CoV-2 D614G and the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) efficiently, while one patient neutralized Delta slightly less efficiently. Two of the three patients neutralizing only 100 pg/mL of type I IFNs neutralized both D61G and Delta less efficiently. Despite two mRNA vaccine inoculations and the presence of circulating antibodies capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs may underlie a significant proportion of hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia cases, highlighting the importance of this particularly vulnerable population

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

Multiancestry analysis of the HLA locus in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases uncovers a shared adaptive immune response mediated by HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes

Across multiancestry groups, we analyzed Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) associations in over 176,000 individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) versus controls. We demonstrate that the two diseases share the same protective association at the HLA locus. HLA-specific fine-mapping showed that hierarchical protective effects of HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes best accounted for the association, strongest with HLA-DRB1*04:04 and HLA-DRB1*04:07, and intermediary with HLA-DRB1*04:01 and HLA-DRB1*04:03. The same signal was associated with decreased neurofibrillary tangles in postmortem brains and was associated with reduced tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid and to a lower extent with increased Aβ42. Protective HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes strongly bound the aggregation-prone tau PHF6 sequence, however only when acetylated at a lysine (K311), a common posttranslational modification central to tau aggregation. An HLA-DRB1*04-mediated adaptive immune response decreases PD and AD risks, potentially by acting against tau, offering the possibility of therapeutic avenues

Formación del profesorado universitario hacia el año 2020: modelos educativos de vanguardia para la docencia agropecuaria de alta competencia en el Ecuador

This article theoretical reflection, has been designed as part of the doctoral research called Training needs of competent teachers in agricultural courses at the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador, with projection to 2020, which integrates the Ph. D. program in Education at the University of Almeria, Spain. It becomes a means of expression of the research team regarding models of university education that are used in America and Europe, and that somehow serve as background for forwarding an educational proposal in the host institution in Ecuador. The main educational models that interact in the international arena in view of their structure general and specific skills that involves an attempt to prove similarity, matching, approval among international trends are reviewed. It is a document which evaluates the skills required to meet the professional training of university excellence in the contemporary world.Este artículo de reflexión teórica, ha sido diseñado en el marco de la investigación doctoral Necesidades de formación de un profesorado competente en las Carreras Agropecuarias de la Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador, con proyección al horizonte 2020, que se integra en el Programa de Doctorado en Educación de la Universidad de Almería, España. Se constituye en un medio de expresión del equipo investigador con relación a los modelos de formación universitaria que se manejan en América y Europa, y que sirven de antecedentes para el redireccionamiento de una propuesta educativa en la institución de acogida en el Ecuador. Se revisaron los principales modelos educativos que interactúan en el ámbito internacional en atención a su estructura por competencias generales y específicas que implica una tentativa para poder acreditar similitud, equiparación, homologación entre las tendencias internacionales. Es un documento que permite valorar las competencias requeridas para atender la formación de profesionales universitarios de excelencia en el mundo contemporáneo

Estrategias de Internacionalización de la Carrera de Ingeniería Agropecuaria de la Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil para articularse a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible

Quality university education requires that the teaching or learning pedagogical processes be adapted to the needs of the contemporary world. University internationalization becomes a priority in the models of universities in developed countries, in which it is becoming a requirement even for a degree so that the student lives with other educational realities in different scenarios and in contexts other than their formative cloister of origin . The experiences that the Agricultural Engineering Career of the Faculty of Technical Education for Development of the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil, allowed to elaborate a timeline that outlined the system of strategies, experiential experiences and achievements in internationalization of its members academics at various levels with the University of Almeria, Spain between 2005 and 2019. Among the objectives set out were the comparative, competitive and differentiating aspects with which the agricultural curriculum counts as an educational offer at a higher level; With this, it was possible to establish a strategic map that consolidated its value network with direct and indirect actors, sectors and beneficiaries in the social fabric, which permanently feed the quality of university education. The findings made it possible to design the Internationalization of Career project with a view to the 2020-2021 period in accordance with the SDG sustainabledevelopment goals.La formación universitaria de calidad, requiere que los procesos pedagógicos docentes o de aprendizaje se adecuen a las necesidades del mundo contemporáneo. La internacionalización universitaria se vuelve una prioridad en los modelos de las universidades de países desarrollados, en los que se está volviendo un requisito incluso de titulación para que el estudiante conviva con otras realidades educativas en escenarios diversos y en contextos distintos a su claustro formativo de origen. Las experienciasque reseña la Carrera de Ingeniería Agropecuaria de la Facultad de Educación Técnica para el Desarrollo de la Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, permitieron elaborar una línea de tiempo que reseñó el sistema de estrategias, vivencias experienciales y logros alcanzados en internacionalización de sus miembros académicos en varios estamentos con la Universidad de Almería, España entre los años 2005 a 2019. Entre los objetivos planteados se pudo identificar los aspectos comparativos, competitivos y diferenciadores con el que el currículo agropecuario cuenta como oferta educativa a nivel superior; con ello, se logró establecer un mapa estratégico que consolidó su red de valor con actores, sectores y beneficiarios directos e indirectos en el tejido social, los que retroalimentan de forma permanente la calidad de la formación universitaria. Lo encontrado permitió diseñar el proyecto de Internacionalización de la Carrera con miras al período 2020-2021 en concordancia con los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible OD