Elimination of trace organics in an MBR/RO system for water reuse

An intensive programme for detection of trace organics was performed in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant in Almuñécar (south of Spain) over 1 year. The compounds investigated included 15 pharmaceutically active compounds, 12 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and eight other compounds (nonylphenols, linear alkylbenzene sulphonates and phthalates). The MBR operated with two lines in parallel using a hollow fibre and a flat sheet membrane respectively. Additionally, a reverse osmosis (RO) plant treated the MBR permeate over 1 month and the elimination of trace organics by the MBR/ RO system was assessed. The elimination efficiency of trace organics by the MBR was similar to that found in a conventional activated sludge plant treating the same influent. The concentration of trace organics was reduced after the MBR to a great extent and no significant differences were found between the two lines operating in parallel. The elimination efficiency increased up to 80–100% after passing the RO system. The results indicated that the MBR effluent reached the standard required by the Spanish Royal Decree for Water Reuse and can therefore be reused for multiple purposes, but advanced treatment like RO is necessary when the highest effluent quality is required

The mode of grass supply to dairy cows impacts on fatty acid and antioxidant profile of milk

The optimization of milk production includes a rational use of forages, respect for the environment and offers the best quality to consumers. Milk production based on grass and forages produceshealthier milk and it is widely spread throughout the Atlantic arc to maximize milk yield per hectare. However, the mode of offeringthe grass can have a major influence on milk composition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of grass supply mode (grazing, zero-grazing or ensiling) on dairy cows'performance, with particular reference to fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants concentration. A three by three Latin square experiment was performed with 18 dairy cows. Experimental treatments consisted of exclusive feeding with grass silageand zero-grazing, both offered ad libitum indoors, or grazing for 24 h. The results showed that grazing cows had a higher dry matter intake and greater milk yield than cows feeding on grass silage and zero-grazing, as well as higher concentrations of protein, lactose, nonfat-solidsand urea in milk than housed cows. Milk fatfrom grazing cows had a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids than from cows feeding on grass silage and zero-grazing, with significant differences in the proportion of vaccenic and rumenic acids. The 18:1 trans-11to 18:1 trans-10 ratio is proposed as biomarker to identify the milk produced from the management system of grazing cattle. Milk from grazing cows had a greater proportion of lutein than cows eating grass silage, with the zero-grazing system having intermediate values. In conclusion, the mode of grass supply affectsfatty acid and antioxidant profiles of milk.Work financed by National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA, Spain) through project RTA2014-00086-C02, by the Principality of Asturias through PCTI IDI2018-000237 (GRUPIN NySA) and co-financed with European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). S. De La Torre-Santos is recipient of a SENACYT-IFARHU, Panama, doctoral fellowship

Clinical relevance of monitoring serum levels of adalimumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in daily practice

[Objectives]: We aimed to assess the usefulness of measuring serum levels of adalimumab (ADL) and anti-ADL antibodies in 57 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with ADL for at least 3 months in daily practice. [Methods]: All patients received concomitant disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). Receiver-operator characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to obtain the cut-off value of ADL for low disease activity (DAS28-ESR ≤3.2). [Results]: Anti-ADL antibodies were detected in 4 (7%) patients with a mean (SD) DAS28 score of 4.6 (0.9). Patients with positive anti-ADL antibodies had significantly lower levels of ADL and higher DAS28 scores than those with negative antibodies. Patients with DAS28 ≤3.2 as compared with patients with DAS28 >3.2 showed significantly better SDAI score, higher serum concentrations of ADL and none of them showed anti-ADL antibodies. The cut-off of serum level of ADL for DAS28 11.3 mg/L. Patients in the medium group were closed to clinical remission (median DAS28 2.7) and patients in the high group were on clinical remission (DAS28 2.1). [Conclusion]: Serum levels of ADL should be maintained >4.3 mg/L. In patients with ADL levels >11.3 mg/L, a decrease of the dose of ADL or an increase in the interval between doses may be planned. The presence of anti-ADL antibodies was associated with a loss of clinical efficacy of ADL.Peer Reviewe

The influence of topography on vertical velocity of air in relation to severe storms near the Southern Andes Mountains

On the basis of 180 storms which took place between 2004 and 2011 over the province of Mendoza (Argentina) near to the Andes Range at southern mid-latitudes, we consider those registered in the northern and central crop areas (oases). The regions affected by these storms are currently protected by an operational hail mitigation project. Differences with previously reported storms detected in the southern oasis are highlighted. Mendoza is a semiarid region situated roughly between 32S and 37S at the east of the highest Andes top. It forms a natural laboratory where different sources of gravity waves, mainly mountain waves, occur. In this work, we analyze the effects of flow over topography generating mountain waves and favoring deep convection. The joint occurrence of storms with hail production and mountain waves is determined from mesoscale numerical simulations, radar and radiosounding data. In particular, two case studies that properly represent diverse structures observed in the region are considered in detail. A continuous wavelet transform is applied to each variable and profile to detect the main oscillation modes present. Simulated temperature profiles are validated and compared with radiosounding data. Each first radar echo, time and location are determined. The necessary energy to lift a parcel to its level of free convection is tested from the Convective Available Potential Energy and Convection Inhibition. This last parameter is compared against the mountain waves' vertical kinetic energy. The time evolution and vertical structure of vertical velocity and equivalent potential temperature suggest in both cases that the detected mountain wave amplitudes are able to provide the necessary energy to lift the air parcel and trigger convection. A simple conceptual scheme linking the dynamical factors taking place before and during storm development is proposed.Fil: de la Torre, Alejandro. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pessano, H.. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Regional San Rafael; ArgentinaFil: Hierro, Rodrigo Federico. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Santos, J. R.. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Llamedo Soria, Pablo Martin. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alexander, Pedro Manfredo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Física; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico del dolor lumbar con instrumentación diapasón

Se presenta un estudio sobre 23 pacientes con patología lumbosacra tratados quirúrgicamente mediante artrodesis e instrumentación vertebral transpedicular tipo diapasón. El promedio de seguimiento ha sido de 25 meses (18-38). El dolor lumbar estaba relacionado en 10 casos con estenosis de canal, en 6 con espondilolistesis y en 7 con hernia discal y artrosis secundaria. Todos fueron instrumentados por vía posterior mediante fijación transpedicular y artrodesados posterolateralmente con injerto autólogo. Se consiguió una artrodesis sólida en un 96%. No se han presentado complicaciones preoperatorias. Ocho pacientes presentaron complicaciones en el postoperatorio inmediato. Observamos un desplazamiento de barra y un desanclaje del tornillo fuera del pedículo. Siguiendo los criterios de valoración de Henderson se ha conseguido un 96% de excelentes y buenos resultados.A series of 23 patient with lumbosacral pathology, surgically treated by posterior arthrodesis and vertebral diapason transpedicular fixation was retrospectively review. The average follow-up period was 25 months (18-38). The diagnosis was spinal stenosis in 10 cases, spondylolisthesis in 6, and disc herniation with secondary osteoartrhitis in 7 cases. Apart from transpedicular fixation all cases underwent posterolateral fusion with autogenous bone graft. A solid arthrodesis was achieved in a 96% of patients. There were no per-operative complication. Eight cases showed complications in the immediate postoperative period. We observed displacement of a bar and detachement of a screw out off the pedicle. According to Henderson's assessment criteria we obtained 96% of excellent and good results

Defeasible Logic: Agency, Intention and Obligation

We propose a computationally oriented non-monotonic multi-modal logic arising from the combination of agency, intention and obligation. We argue about the defeasible nature of these notions and then we show how to represent and reason with them in the setting of defeasible logic

Identificación de biomarcadores específicos para autentificar el origen y el sistema de alimentación del vacuno lechero.

En la actualidad, una búsqueda constante por la optimización y sostenibilidad de los sistemas de producción lecheros pone de manifiesto el incremento en la demanda por parte de los consumidores de la distinción de las características nutricionales relacionadas con la calidad de la leche y los productos lácteos, aunado a un uso racional de los recursos, a una diminución en el impacto al medio ambiente y a una producción respetuosa con el bienestar animal. Los sistemas de alimentación basados en pastos y forrajes posibilitan alcanzar dichas propiedades y son un mecanismo clave para mejorar la rentabilidad de las ganaderías, ya que son económicamente competitivos y permiten alterar el perfil nutritivo de la leche y los productos lácteos. Ahora bien, es preciso establecer mecanismos de certificación de los productos que permitan relacionarlos con su sistema de producción.En el presente trabajo se llevaron a cabo dos experimentos, desarrollados en la Unidad de Leche del Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA) de Asturias, con el objetivo principal de identificar biomarcadores específicos para autentificar el origen y el sistema de alimentación del vacuno lechero a partir de la leche.El primero de los experimentos, con el objetivo de examinar el efecto del método de suministro del forraje: pastoreo, corte y acarreo o ensilado, sobre el rendimiento de la leche y los perfiles de ácidos grasos, antioxidantes y la expresión de microARN de la leche, con el fin de ser utilizados como biomarcadores del sistema de alimentación, se realizó con un ensayo in vivo del 26 de abril al 26 de junio de 2017, siguiendo un diseño cross-over con 18 vacas Holstein en lactación distribuidas en tres grupos sobre los que se estudiaron tres tratamientos: 1) estabulación permanente y ensilado de hierba ad libitum, 2) estabulación permanente y aporte de hierba ad libitum en corte y acarreo, y 3) pastoreo permanente. Durante el ensayo se tomaron muestras de los alimentos ofertados, para determinar su valor nutritivo, y de la leche producida, para análisis de composición química, perfil de ácidos grasos, antioxidantes y expresión de microARN. Se observó que las vacas en pastoreo tuvieron más ingesta de materia seca que las vacas en estabulación con corte y acarreo o ensilado de hierba ad libitum (18,1 vs. 14,1 y 15,2 kg/día respectivamente, p El segundo experimento tenía como objetivo evaluar la influencia en la dieta, con y sin pastoreo, de leguminosas con creciente implantación en la cornisa cantábrica sobre la producción y composición de la leche, especialmente en el perfil de ácidos grasos, antioxidantes y expresión de microARN. Este ensayo se llevó a cabo del 6 de marzo al 7 de mayo de 2018, siguiendo, de igual manera que en el anterior, un diseño cross-over con 18 vacas en producción distribuidas en seis grupos sobre los cuales se estudiaron seis tratamientos: 1) estabulación permanente y ración completa mezclada de raigrás italiano, ad libitum 2) estabulación permanente y ración completa mezclada de habas forrajeras, ad libitum 3) estabulación permanente y ración completa mezclada de guisantes forrajeros, ad libitum 4) pastoreo continuo y oferta de dos horas tras cada ordeño de ración completa mezclada de raigrás italiano 5) pastoreo continuo y oferta de dos horas tras cada ordeño de ración completa mezclada de habas forrajeras y 6) pastoreo continuo y oferta de dos horas tras cada ordeño de ración completa mezclada de guisantes forrajeros. Durante el ensayo se tomaron muestras de los alimentos ofertados, para determinar su valor nutritivo, y de la leche producida, para análisis de composición química, perfil de ácidos grasos, antioxidantes y expresión de microARN, de modo similar al ensayo realizado en el 2017. En los resultados obtenidos de la materia grasa de las muestras de los diferentes tratamientos se observaron fuertes cambios relacionados con el consumo de diferentes tipos de ensilado en la dieta y al manejo con y sin pastoreo. Cuando se sustituye el ensilado de raigrás italiano por ensilado de leguminosas, la grasa de la leche tiene una mayor proporción de ácidos grasos insaturados, especialmente con la inclusión de ensilado de haba en la ración. La práctica del pastoreo en la alimentación de las vacas influye directamente en la composición de la leche, mejorando su calidad al disminuir la proporción de ácidos grasos saturados e incrementar el contenido en insaturados, monoinsaturados, poliinsaturados y ácido linoleico conjugado, proporcionando de esta manera un perfil de ácidos grasos más saludable. En el contenido de antioxidantes liposolubles en la leche de acuerdo con la presencia o no de pastoreo, no se observaron diferencias significativas en la vitamina A, sin embargo, se observaron diferencias muy marcadas en la vitamina E, las xantofilas y β-Carotenos. A nivel de dieta, la leche de las vacas estabuladas tuvo más proporción de γ-tocoferol, contrariamente, a la leche de vacas con pastoreo que mostró diferencias significativas en cuanto a luteína y β-criptoxantina, con lo que podemos establecer que la presencia del pastoreo en la alimentación de las vacas influye directamente en el aumento de la proporción de los antioxidantes. En la capacidad para diferenciar la influencia de la inclusión en la dieta, con o sin pastoreo, de diferentes tipos de ensilados (raigrás, haba forrajera y guisantes) de los microARN de la fracción grasa y de las células de la leche no se observó ningún efecto de diferenciación significativo de la dieta en ninguno de los microARN estudiados en la fracción de la grasa, sin embargo, en presencia o no de pastoreo, el bta-mir451 es capaz de diferenciar entre tratamientos en estabulación o pastoreo. De igual manera, diferencias significativas se observaron entre dietas y en las vacas en pastoreo, con una mayor proporción del bta-mir451 en los tratamientos con pastoreo y diferencias significativas del bta-mir103 y bta-mir155 al comparar la leche de las vacas en pastoreo con la leche de las vacas en estabulación (p Mediante el presente trabajo, se ha demostrado que la modificación de la composición de la leche está asociada al sistema de alimentación y que el uso de leguminosas como el haba forrajera y los guisantes son alternativas viables al raigrás italiano, que resultan más sostenibles para el medio ambiente al reducir el uso de insumos, por su capacidad fijadora de nitrógeno, y como fuente proteica para la alimentación del ganado, al mismo tiempo que son capaces de modificar el perfil de ácidos grasos y antioxidantes liposolubles de la leche, haciendo de ésta un producto más saludable para los consumidores. A su vez, la presencia de la práctica de pastoreo en la alimentación influye directamente en la composición de la leche, mejorando su perfil de ácidos grasos y antioxidantes y aumentando la expresión del bta-mir451.<br /

Biodegradation of bioplastics under aerobic and anaerobic aqueous conditions: Kinetics, carbon fate and particle size effect

Producción CientíficaThe biodegradation of PHB, PHBV, PBS, PBAT, PCL, PLA, and a PLA-PCL blend was systematically compared under aerobic and anaerobic aqueous conditions assessing biodegradation kinetics, extent, carbon fate and particle size influence (in the range of 100–1000 µm). Under standard test conditions, PHB and PBHV were biodegraded anaerobically (83.9±1.3% and 81.2±1.7%, respectively) in 77 days or aerobically (83.0±1.6% and 87.4±7.5%) in 117 days, while PCL was only biodegraded (77.6±2.4%) aerobically in 177 days. Apparent biomass growth accounted for up to 30.5% of the total initial carbon depending on the bioplastic and environment. Maximum aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation rates were improved up to 331 and 405%, respectively, at the lowest particle size tested (100–250 µm). This study highlights the usefulness of a more detailed analysis of biodegradation kinetics and carbon fate to improve both the development and testing of biodegradable materials/products in the context of a circular bioeconomy.Junta de Castilla y León - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (projects CLU 2017-09 and UIC 315

Sex differences in treatment strategy for coronary artery aneurysms: Insights from the international Coronary Artery Aneurysm Registry

INTRODUCTION: Sex disparities exist in coronary artery disease (CAD) in terms of risk profile, clinical management and outcome. It is unclear if differences are also present in coronary aneurysms, a rare variant of CAD. METHODS: Patients were selected from the international Coronary Artery Aneurysm Registry (CAAR; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02563626), and differences between groups were analysed according to sex. The CAAR database is a prospective multicentre registry of 1565 patients with coronary aneurysms (336 females). Kaplan-Meier method was used for event-free survival analysis for death, major adverse cardiac events (MACE: composite endpoint of death, heart failure and acute coronary syndrome) and bleeding. RESULTS: Female patients were older, were more often hypertensive and less frequently smoker. They were treated conservatively more often compared to male patients and received significantly less frequently aspirin (92% vs 88%, p = 0.002) or dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) (67% vs 58%, p = 0.001) at discharge. Median DAPT duration was also shorter (3 vs 9 months, p = 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no sex differences in death, MACE or bleeding during a median follow-up duration of 37 months, although male patients did experience acute coronary syndrome (ACS) more often during follow-up (15% vs 10%, p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: These CAAR findings showed a comparable high-risk cardiovascular risk profile for both sexes. Female patients were treated conservatively more often and received DAPT less often at discharge, with a shorter DAPT duration. ACS was more prevalent among male patients; however, overall clinical outcome was not different between male and female patients during follow-up