21 research outputs found
Experiències docents a la Viquipèdia
Presentació per a la Jornada "Recursos educatius en obert: comparteix per educar: Jornada sobre iniciatives docents en el marc de la viquipèdia", que va tenir lloc el 5 de març de 2020. Es tracta d'un acte organitzat conjuntament pel Servei de Biblioteques UAB i Amical Viquimèdia en el marc de l'Open Education Week. L'Open Education Week és una iniciativa d'abast global que pretén conscienciar sobre els avantatges d'implementar els recursos i les pràctiques educatives en obert. Els Open Education Resources es fonamenten en el reconeixement de l'autoria i el domini públic, o una llicència oberta que permeti l'accés, ús, adaptació i la redistribució sense cap cost i sense restriccions ni limitacions
Impact of biostimulation and bioaugmentation as bioremediation systems on diesel contaminated soils
This paper analyzes and compares the effects of bioremediation on total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation using composting techniques as well as biostimulation and bioaugmentation approaches. Compost and sludge were added as organic amendments with the dual purpose of providing both nutrients and microorganisms to the contaminated soil. In addition, the effect of inoculation with white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor was assessed. Two different types of soils were considered: a poor soil with low organic matter content and an enriched organic soil. The use of compost and sludge for soil bioremediation through composting techniques was effective for TPH removal. The amount of organic matter present in the soil played an important role in TPH removal due to the adsorption phenomenon of the pollutants in the organic fraction of the solid material. When the contaminated soil was rich in organic matter, the use of sludge provided better results than compost (22% of degradation occurred in the first 15 days for sludge compared to 5% for compost). However, no differences between compost and sludge were observed in poor soil. Inoculation with the ligninolytic fungus T. versicolor enhanced the TPH removal process, thus increasing the degradation rate and reducing the process time. However, periodical reinoculation was required
Increased Presentation of Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Changes in Age and Month of Type 1 Diabetes at Onset during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain
COVID-19; Aparició de la diabetis; Diabetis tipus 1COVID-19; Aparición de diabetes; Diabetes tipo 1COVID-19; Diabetes onset; Type 1diabetesObjective: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on the presenting characteristics (age at diagnosis, severity, monthly distribution) of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes in Spanish children. Research Design and Methods: An ambispective observational multicenter study was conducted in nine Spanish tertiary-level hospitals between January 2015 and March 2021. Inclusion criteria: new cases of type 1 diabetes in children (0–14 years) recording age, sex, date of diagnosis, presence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset, and severity of DKA. Data were compared before and during the pandemic. Results: We registered 1444 new cases of type 1 diabetes in children: 1085 in the pre-pandemic period (2015–2019) and 359 during the pandemic (2020–March 2021). There was a significant increase in the group aged ≤4 years in the pandemic period (chi-squared = 10.986, df 2, p = 0.0041). In 2020–2021, cases of DKA increased significantly by 12% (95% CI: 7.2–20.4%), with a higher percentage of moderate and severe DKA, although this increase was not significant. In 2020, there was a sharp decrease in the number of cases in March, with a progressive increase from May through November, higher than in the same months of the period 2015–2019, highlighting the increase in the number of cases in June, September, and November. The first three months of 2021 showed a different trend to that observed both in the years 2015–2019 and in 2020, with a marked increase in the number of cases. Conclusions: A change in monthly distribution was described, with an increase in DKA at onset of type 1 diabetes. No differences were found in severity, although there were differences in the age distribution, with an increase in the number of cases in children under 4 years of age
Impact of biostimulation and bioaugmentation as bioremediation systems on diesel contaminated soils
This paper analyzes and compares the effects of bioremediation on total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation using composting techniques as well as biostimulation and bioaugmentation approaches. Compost and sludge were added as organic amendments with the dual purpose of providing both nutrients and microorganisms to the contaminated soil. In addition, the effect of inoculation with white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor was assessed. Two different types of soils were considered: a poor soil with low organic matter content and an enriched organic soil. The use of compost and sludge for soil bioremediation through composting techniques was effective for TPH removal. The amount of organic matter present in the soil played an important role in TPH removal due to the adsorption phenomenon of the pollutants in the organic fraction of the solid material. When the contaminated soil was rich in organic matter, the use of sludge provided better results than compost (22% of degradation occurred in the first 15 days for sludge compared to 5% for compost). However, no differences between compost and sludge were observed in poor soil. Inoculation with the ligninolytic fungus T. versicolor enhanced the TPH removal process, thus increasing the degradation rate and reducing the process time. However, periodical reinoculation was required
Composting of residuals produced in the Catalan wine industry
The wine industry in Catalonia (Spain) plays an important role in the economy of the region. In this framework, Miguel Torres S.A. is a well known company specializing in production of high-quality wines and brandy, which possesses its own vineyard. Two of the main solid wastes produced in this kind of industry are: stalk (waste from grape harvesting which is only produced during September and October) and wine sludge from the biological wastewater treatment plant which is steadily generated. A composting process was proposed to treat these two organic wastes for recycling its organic matter content to the vineyard crops. Experiments at laboratory-scale in static composting systems did not show positive results for different stalk:sludge mixtures due to the high moisture content of both wastes. Field composting experiments with windrow methods showed that the thermophilic range of composting could be achieved for a 2:1 stalk:sludge volumetric ratio resulting in a complete sanitation of the material with thermophilic temperature of over 55°C for 28 days. The stability and maturity of the final compost were very high (Dewar self-heating test maturity grade V and static respirometric index 0.10 mg O₂·g Total Organic Matter⁻¹·h−⁻¹). Due to its seasonal production, stalk storage was necessary. A study of the changes of stalk properties during one year is also presented. Bulk density and water holding capacity decreased with storage time while FAS (Free Air Space) and porosity increased. No remarkable changes in organic matter content were observed. Cocomposting of stalk and wine sludge generated in the wine industry is presented as a sustainable waste management strategy, which produces a sanitized fertilizer suitable for application in the vineyard, closing the organic matter cycle
Production of sophorolipids from winterization oil cake by solid-state fermentation : optimization, monitoring and effect of mixing
Sophorolipids (SLs) are a group of extracellular biosurfactants produced by the yeast Starmerella bombicola. The present study explored the use of winterization oil cake (WOC), a residual oil cake that comes from the oil refining industry, as a substrate for the production of SLs by solid-state fermentation (SSF). Sugar beet molasses (MOL) was used as a co-substrate and S. bombicola ATCC 22214 as the inoculum. Fermentation was performed on the 100-g scale and was optimized in terms of the ratio of substrates and the aeration rate using response surface methodology. The optimized SSF process (1:4 MOL:WOC mass ratio and 0.30 L kg⁻¹ min⁻¹ aeration rate), carried out under static conditions, was monitored for 10 days with a maximum SL yield of 0.179 g per g DM (dry matter). The effect of intermittent mixing on the process was also investigated. Mixing caused a 31% increase in SL production, with a total yield of 0.235 g per g DM. The Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR) and the Cumulative Oxygen Consumption (COC) were used to monitor the biological activity of the fermentation processes. There were significant correlations between the SL yield and the oxygen and fats consumed. The SLs were characterized by FTIR and ¹H NMR analysis
VOC emissions from the composting of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste using standard and advanced aeration strategies
Background: the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) during the composting process is mainly responsible for the odors generated in these types of waste treatment plants. In this work, VOC emissions from the source-separated organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) composting process have been investigated in 50 L pilot reactors operating under different aeration control strategies during the active decomposition stage. - Results: the VOC emissions from traditional aeration control options such as oxygen feedback control or cyclic on-off aeration have been compared with VOC emissions under an oxygen uptake rate (OUR) control strategy. Total VOC emission (mg C m⁻³) and VOC composition (%) have been determined during the first active decomposition stage of composting. Study of VOC composition indicated a high presence of terpenes. Carcinogenic compounds, such as furans, have occasionally been found at very low concentration. Results indicate some differences in VOC composition according to the aeration strategy used. - Conclusions: the evolution of total VOC emissions was relatively similar, being high in the first days of the process. However, the results obtained show some differences in VOC composition depending on the aeration strategy used. The OUR controller provided a more steady emissions profile, which will help the performance of further gas treatment operations, specially biological systems
Production and characterization of sophorolipids from stearic acid by solid-state fermentation, a cleaner alternative to chemical surfactants
In this manuscript, we approach the production of biosurfactants as a cleaner alternative to the chemically-produced surfactants currently used in a wide range of industries. Sophorolipids are microbially produced biosurfactants of the glycolipid type that have entered the market in select applications such as detergent or cosmetic formulation ingredients. This study focuses on sophorolipid production by the yeast Starmerella bombicola from stearic acid (C18:0), a low-cost carbon source that is difficult to work with in submerged fermentation since it remains a solid due to its high melting temperature. Consequently, optimizations of solid-state fermentation inoculated with Starmerella bombicola were studied for conversions of stearic acid and molasses to sophorolipids. Polyurethane foam functioned as the inert support. The effect of polyurethane foam density and water holding capacity was assessed and the process was optimized in terms of substrate and inoculum ratio. The best conditions were: foam with a density of 32 kg m−3 at 75% water holding capacity, 1.17:1 molasses/stearic acid (w/w) and 5% (v/w) inoculum, to obtain a yield of 0.211 g sophorolipids per g of substrates. Mass spectrometry revealed that the sophorolipids produced herein had high concentrations of diacetylated acidic and lactonic C18:0 forms. The results of interfacial properties studies revealed that C18:0 sophorolipids had promising surface tension lowering capacity and emulsification behavior. This study describes a new strategy to produce biosurfactants using low environmental impact technologies as an alternative to traditional ways to produce chemical detergents