Enhancement of metabolite production in high-altitude microalgal strains by optimized C/N/P ratio

This study evaluated the role of C/N/P in the increase in the synthesis of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids in two high-mountain strains of algae (Chlorella sp. UFPS019 and Desmodesmus sp. UFPS021). Three carbon sources (sodium acetate, sodium carbonate, and sodium bicarbonate), and the sources of nitrogen (NaNO3) and phosphate (KH2PO4 and K2HPO4) were analyzed using a surface response (3 factors, 2 levels). In Chlorella sp. UFPS019, the optimal conditions to enhance the synthesis of carbohydrates were high sodium carbonate content (3.53 g/L), high KH2PO4 and K2HPO4 content (0.06 and 0.14 g/L, respectively), and medium-high NaNO3 (0.1875 g/L). In the case of lipids, a high concentration of sodium acetate (1.19 g/L) coupled with high KH2PO4 and K2HPO4 content (0.056 and 0.131 g/L, respectively) and a low concentration of NaNO3 (0.075 g/L) drastically induced the synthesis of lipids. In the case of Desmodesmus sp. UFPS021, the protein content was increased using high sodium acetate (2 g/L), high KH2PO4 and K2HPO4 content (0.056 and 0.131 g/L, respectively), and high NaNO3 concentration (0.25 g/L). These results demonstrate that the correct adjustment of the C/N/P ratio can enhance the capacity of high-mountain strains of algae to produce high concentrations of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids

Burden of Respiratory Failure in Pediatric Patients: Analysis of a Prospective Multicenter Cohort in Bogotá, Colombia

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The approach to the burden of disease is a demographic, economic, and a health problem, which requires the design and application of specific measures of cost of the disease, such as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), to establish better public health policies in the pediatric population. The aim of this study is to approach the burden of disease in children with acute respiratory failure (ARF) through the calculation of DALYs. METHODS: This study was conducted in the framework of a prospective, multicenter cohort in Bogotá, Colombia. Inclusion criteria were all pediatric patients admitted to the emergency department, hospitalization, and intensive care unit with respiratory distress; eligible patients were all those who developed ARF between April 2020 and December 2021. They were followed-up during hospitalization, at 30 and 60 days after admission. The Infant/Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire and KIDSCREEN quality of life scales were applied for follow-up according to the age group. The results were used to calculate DALYs. RESULTS: Six hundred and eighty-five eligible patients, 296 (43.08%) developed ARF, of these 22 (6.08%) patients died (mortality rate = 7.43%). The total DALYs was 277.164 years. For younger than 9 years, the DALYs were 302.64 years, while for older than 10 years were 40.49 years. CONCLUSION: ARF is one of the main causes of preventable mortality in pediatrics, its progression to respiratory failure is a highly prevalent condition in pediatric age, a condition that has a great impact on mortality, morbidity, and disability in our patients

Observation of confined current ribbon in JET plasmas

we report the identification of a localised current structure inside the JET plasma. It is a field aligned closed helical ribbon, carrying current in the same direction as the background current profile (co-current), rotating toroidally with the ion velocity (co-rotating). It appears to be located at a flat spot in the plasma pressure profile, at the top of the pedestal. The structure appears spontaneously in low density, high rotation plasmas, and can last up to 1.4 s, a time comparable to a local resistive time. It considerably delays the appearance of the first ELM.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

A simulation analysis of a microalgal-production plant for the transformation of inland-fisheries wastewater in sustainable feed

The present research evaluates the simulation of a system for transforming inland-fisheries wastewater into sustainable fish feed using Designer® software. The data required were obtained from the experimental cultivation of Chlorella sp. in wastewater supplemented with N and P. According to the results, it is possible to produce up to 11,875 kg/year (31.3 kg/d) with a production cost of up to 18 (USD/kg) for dry biomass and 0.19 (USD/bottle) for concentrated biomass. Similarly, it was possible to establish the kinetics of growth of substrate-dependent biomass with a maximum production of 1.25 g/L after 15 days and 98% removal of available N coupled with 20% of P. It is essential to note the final production efficiency may vary depending on uncontrollable variables such as climate and quality of wastewater, among others

The effect of LEDs on biomass and phycobiliproteins production in thermotolerant oscillatoria sp

Featured Application: The selection of LEDs wavelength, intensity, and light: Dark cycle positively enhances the biomass production and phycocyanin synthesis in Oscillatoria sp. This study evaluates the role of different LED lights (white, blue/red), intensity (µmol m−2 s−1), and photoperiod in the production of biomass and phycocyanin-C, allophycocyanin and phycoerythrin (C-PC, APC, and PE respectively) from a novel thermotolerant strain of Oscillatoria sp. Results show that a mixture of white with blue/red LEDs can effectively double the biomass concentration up to 1.3 g/L, while the concentration of the selected phycobiliproteins increased proportionally to biomass. Results also indicate that high light intensities (>120 µmol m−2 s−1) can diminish the final concentration of C-PC, APC, and PE, significantly reducing the overall biomass produced. Finally, the photoperiod analysis showed that longer light exposure times (18:6 h) improved both biomass and phycobiliproteins concentration. These results demonstrate that the application of LEDs to produce a novel strain of Oscillatoria sp can double the biomass concentration, and the photoperiod regulation can eventually enhance the final concentration of specific phycobiliproteins such as APC and PE

Ionized gas kinematics of galaxies in the CALIFA survey I: Velocity fields, kinematic parameters of the dominant component, and presence of kinematically distinct gaseous systems

This work provides an overall characterization of the kinematic behavior of the ionized gas of the galaxies included in the Calar Alto Legacy Integral field Area (CALIFA), offering kinematic clues to potential users of this survey for including kinematical criteria for specific studies. From the first 200 galaxies observed by CALIFA, we present the 2D kinematic view of the 177 galaxies satisfying a gas detection threshold. After removing the stellar contribution, we used the cross-correlation technique to obtain the radial velocity of the dominant gaseous component. The main kinematic parameters were directly derived from the radial velocities with no assumptions on the internal motions. Evidence of the presence of several gaseous components with different kinematics were detected by using [OIII] profiles. Most objects in the sample show regular velocity fields, although the ionized-gas kinematics are rarely consistent with simple coplanar circular motions. 35% of the objects present evidence of a displacement between the photometric and kinematic centers larger than the original spaxel radii. Only 17% of the objects in the sample exhibit kinematic lopsidedness when comparing receding and approaching sides of the velocity fields, but most of them are interacting galaxies exhibiting nuclear activity. Early-type galaxies in the sample present clear photometric-kinematic misaligments. There is evidence of asymmetries in the emission line profiles suggesting the presence of kinematically distinct gaseous components at different distances from the nucleus. This work constitutes the first determination of the ionized gas kinematics of the galaxies observed in the CALIFA survey. The derived velocity fields, the reported kinematic peculiarities and the identification of the presence of several gaseous components might be used as additional criteria for selecting galaxies for specific studies.Comment: 38 pages, 16 figures, 4 tables. Paper accepted for publication in A&

Use of High-Flow Cannula in Pediatric Patients With Respiratory Failure: A Prospective Cohort Study in Three High-Altitude Hospitals

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a common cause of morbimortality, and a frequent reason for admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). It requires a high-flow oxygen device as treatment. Our aim is to determine the frequency and main indications for the use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), and the prevalence of HFNC failure and its main causes, in three hospitals. METHODS: It is a multicenter prospective cohort study, developed in three hospitals in Bogota. Eligible patients were children older than 1 month and younger than 18 years who presented ARF and required management with an HFNC. The study was carried out between April 2020 and December 2021. The follow-up was carried out at 1, 6, and 48 h after starting the management. RESULTS: Of 685 patients included in the study, 296 developed ARF. The prevalence of patients with ARF who required management with HFNC was 48%. The frequency of the pathologies that cause the ARF was: Bronchiolitis was the most frequent pathology (34.5%), followed by asthmatic crisis (15.5%) and pneumonia (12.7%). The average time of use of HFNC was 81.6 h. Regarding treatment failure with HFNC, 15 patients presented torpid evolution and required invasive mechanical ventilation, with a prevalence of therapeutic failure of the HFNC of 10.6%. CONCLUSION: The use of HFNC is more frequent in patients with bronchiolitis, in children under 2 years of age and in males, which is in line with what has been reported in the literature. In addition, the failure rate of HFNC is low (10.6%), and it may be useful in other pathologies besides bronchiolitis, such as asthma, pneumonia, among others. It opens the possibility to continue evaluating the role of HFNC in pediatric pathology in new studies