Efecto de arcilla Montmorillonita K10 como refuerzo mecánico en almidón termoplástico de yuca

A wide range of plastic products of petrochemical origin are in the market due to their good mechanical properties and low cost, however, it is of public knowledge the high negative impact that these materials are causing in the environment that end up affecting biological life in every aspect.  Thus, the search for new alternatives to replace these plastics has become of interest for both the industrial sector and scientists, so in the present work the researchers explored the initiative of obtaining biopolymer nanocomposites in the form of thin film from thermoplastic cassava starch and Montmorillonite K10 type clays, the latter being used as mechanical reinforcement of the final product. The main objective of the research was to evaluate the effect of clay insertion in the biopolymeric matrix on the mechanical properties of the thermoplastic films. The preparation of the samples was carried out by the starch gelatinization process, where the baseline formulation (BPG), also known as thermoplastic matrix, was made of glycerin (plasticizer) 30% by weight. This matrix was subsequently reinforced with three different percentages of montmorillonite K10 clay (MMT): 3%, 5% and 10%, called BPGK-3%, BPGK-5% and BPGK-10%, respectively.  Mechanical properties were measured and all thermoplastic films were observed by optical microscopy. The formulation with the best mechanical properties was BPGK-5% with maximum stress, elongation at break and Young's modulus values of: 1.9 Mpa, 34% and 15.3 Mpa, respectively, as a consequence of the distribution of the clay particles in the thermoplastic matrix.En el presente trabajo se obtuvieron películas termoplásticas de almidón yuca por medio del proceso de gelatinización del almidón. La formulación base (BPG), es decir la matriz se realizó con 30% en peso de glicerina, la cual posteriormente fue reforzada con tres porcentajes de arcilla Montmorillonia K10 diferentes (MMT): 3%, 5% y 10%, denominadas BPGK-3%, BPGK-5% y BPGK-10%, respectivamente.  Se midieron las propiedades mecánicas y se visualizó por microscopia óptica todas las películas de las cuatros formulaciones, en donde la formulación que obtuvo las mejores propiedades mecánicas fue la formulación  BPGK-5%, debido a la distribución de las partículas de la arcilla en la matriz termoplástica

Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment : Environmental implications of technological upgrades

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MAcord transformatiu CRUE-CSICA paradigm shift is needed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to progress from traditional pollutant removal to resource recovery. However, whether this transformation produces overall environmental benefits will depend on the efficient and sustainable use of resources by emerging technologies. Given that many of these technologies are still being tested at the pilot scale, there is a lack of environmental assessments quantifying their impacts and benefits. In particular, an integrated approach to energy and nutrient recovery can elucidate the potential configurations for WWTPs. In this study, we conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) of emergent wastewater treatment technologies aimed at increasing resource circularity in WWTPs. We focus on increasing energy self-sufficiency through biogas upgrades and a more radical circular approach aimed at nutrient recovery. Based on a case-study WWTP, we compare its current configuration with (1) implementing autotrophic nitrogen removal in the mainstream and deriving most of the organic matter for biogas production, which increases the quality and quantity of biogas available for energy production; (2) implementing struvite recovery through enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) as a radical approach to phosphorus management, offering an alternative to mineral fertilizer; and (3) a combination of both approaches. The results show that incremental changes in biogas production are insufficient for compensating for the environmental investment in infrastructure, although autotrophic nitrogen removal is beneficial for increasing the quality of the effluent. Combined phosphorus and energy recovery reduce the environmental impacts from the avoided use of fertilizers and phosphorus and the nitrogen release into water bodies. An integrated approach to resource management in WWTPs is thus desirable and creates new opportunities toward the implementation of circular strategies with low environmental impact in cities

Planta de producció d'acetaldehid

L'objectiu d'aquest projecte és el disseny d'una planta de producció d'acetaldehid a partir de l'oxidació d'etilè. Es presenta doncs, un estudi de la viabilitat de la construcció i operació de la planta complint en tot moment amb la normativa i legislació vigent

VEGF Gene Expression in Adult Human Thymus Fat: A Correlative Study with Hypoxic Induced Factor and Cyclooxigenase-2

UNLABELLED:It is well known that the adult human thymus degenerates into fat tissue; however, it has never been considered as a potential source of angiogenic factors. Recently, we have described that this fat (TAT) produces angiogenic factors and induces human endothelial cell proliferation and migration, indicating its potential angiogenic properties. DESIGN:Adult thymus fat and subcutaneous adipose tissue specimens were obtained from 28 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, making this tissue readily available as a prime source of adipose tissue. We focused our investigation on determining VEGF gene expression and characterizing the different genes, mediators of inflammation and adipogenesis, and which are known to play a relevant role in angiogenesis regulation. RESULTS:We found that VEGF-A was the isoform most expressed in TAT. This expression was accompanied by an upregulation of HIF-1alpha, COX-2 and HO-1 proteins, and by increased HIF-1 DNA binding activity, compared to SAT. Furthermore, we observed that TAT contains a high percentage of mature adipocytes, 0.25% of macrophage cells, 15% of endothelial cells and a very low percentage of thymocyte cells, suggesting the cellular variability of TAT, which could explain the differences in gene expression observed in TAT. Subsequently, we showed that the expression of genes known as adipogenic mediators, including PPARgamma1/gamma2, FABP-4 and adiponectin was similar in both TAT and SAT. Moreover the expression of these latter genes presented a significantly positive correlation with VEGF, suggesting the potential association between VEGF and the generation of adipose tissue in adult thymus. CONCLUSION:Here we suggest that this fat has a potential angiogenic function related to ongoing adipogenesis, which substitutes immune functions within the adult thymus. The expression of VEGF seems to be associated with COX-2, HO-1 and adipogenesis related genes, suggesting the importance that this new fat has acquired in research in relation to adipogenesis and angiogenesis

The AIMe registry for artificial intelligence in biomedical research

peer reviewe

Data Communication Magazine

Los multiplexores son herramientas importantes en la comunicación de datos, debido a que se permiten en envío de diferentes señales a través de un solo medio. En la actualidad, son aplicados en diversas áreas entres las que se encuentran seguridad, redes telefónicas, redes internas, entre otras.Desarrollo e implementación de un multiplexor y demultiplexor por división de timepo para la transmisión de señales digitales, triangualres y análogas. -- Proyecto de simulación de la trasformada de fourier discreta es sus aplicaciones físicas (transmisión de datos). -- Medición de pérdida de potencia. -- Opnet: modelado de infiniband(iba). -- Construcción de un escenario para la transmisión de datos mediante el uso de telefonía ip. -- Simulación de algoritmos de programación. -- Conmutación de paquetes. -- Simulación de computacional. -- Descripción de procedimientos para el muestreo y reconstrucción de señales. -- Planeación, diseño y desarrollo de un software didáctico. -- Descripción de los principales puertos usados en la comunicación de datos. -- Esquemas de codificación.Multiplexers are important tools in data communication because they allow different signals to be sent through a single medium. Currently, they are applied in various areas, including security, telephone networks, internal networks, among others

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Search for stop and higgsino production using diphoton Higgs boson decays

Results are presented of a search for a "natural" supersymmetry scenario with gauge mediated symmetry breaking. It is assumed that only the supersymmetric partners of the top-quark (stop) and the Higgs boson (higgsino) are accessible. Events are examined in which there are two photons forming a Higgs boson candidate, and at least two b-quark jets. In 19.7 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, recorded in the CMS experiment, no evidence of a signal is found and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are set, excluding the stop mass below 360 to 410 GeV, depending on the higgsino mass