Technical and economic feasibility of gradual concentric chambers reactor for sewage treatment in developing countries

A major challenge in developing countries concerning domestic wastewaters is to decrease their treatment costs. In the present study, a new cost-effective reactor called gradual concentric chambers (GCC) was designed and evaluated at lab-scale. The effluent quality of the GCC reactor was compared with that of an upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor. Both reactors showed organic matter removal efficiencies of 90%; however, the elimination of nitrogen was higher in the GCC reactor. The amount of biogas recovered in the GCC and the UASB systems was 50% and 75% of the theoretical amount expected, respectively, and both reactors showed a slightly higher methane production when the feed was supplemented with an additive based on vitamins and minerals. Overall, the economical analysis, the simplicity of design and the performance results revealed that the GCC technology can be of particular interest for sewage treatment in developing countries

Retablo mayor de la iglesia de Santa Ana: análisis químico y biológico

(Sevilla) es que nos permite abordíu" un conjunto de técnicas y maiena es muy diversos como son los empleados en el mismo: pintura sobre ta a, escu tura po licromada, altonelieve y arquitectura del retablo. En el presente trabajo se analizaron los materiales constitutivos de las dife rentes partes del retablo: se estudiaron las maderas de las distintas estructuras del retablo asi como las técnicas y materiales pictóricos empleados en las diferentes obras de arte del mismo. También se llevo a cabo el estudio de las causas de biodelerioro que afecta al retablo así como la identificación e os agentes res ponsables

La colección de referencia a la Biblioteca de Catalunya

L'aparició de les noves tecnologies ha fet replantejar la política de formació de la col·lecció de referència a les biblioteques. Els nous suports electrònics i Internet han fet davallar l'adquisició d'obres en paper i l'espai necessari per a acollir-les. Des dels seus inicis, la Biblioteca de Catalunya es preocupa pel que Rubió anomena la biblioteca de mà. Els criteris de selecció són rigorosos i científics, i representen una democratització del que ha d'estar a l'abast del públic. Durant el franquisme, les obres de referència creixen considerablement. Com que és un referent per al món universitari, incorpora col·leccions úniques a Catalunya. Amb la Llei de biblioteques i la definició com a biblioteca nacional es fa una remodelació de la secció i s'estableixen uns criteris per a la tria de la col·lecció. Tot això coincideix amb el sorgiment de les noves tecnologies i amb un canvi notable de públics i dels seus interessos. L'article fa una anàlisi històrica del que ha estat, a la Biblioteca de Catalunya, la biblioteca de mà fins als nostres dies i reflexiona sobre el que ha de constituir la nova col·lecció de referència (física i virtual), alhora que intenta establir criteris científics per a la seva selecció.The introduction of technology has led to a reassessment of policies for collection development of reference works in libraries. The new electronic media and internet have led to a reduction of paper-based works being acquired, as well as of space needed to housing them. From its beginnings, the Library of Catalonia (BC) has been concerned with what Rubio called the «Library in hand». Selection criteria are rigorous and strictly applied, and have had a democratizing effect regarding what should be available to the public. During the Franco regime, reference works grew considerably. Being a reference for the university world, collections were introduced that were unique in Catalonia. With the Law of libraries and the BC defined as the national library, the reference section was remodeled and criteria were established for selecting new works. This coincided with the introduction of new technologies and with notable changes of both the public served and the interests of its members. An historical analysis is presented of what had gone on before in the BC –the library in hand– up through the present time, and the authors reflect on what should constitute the new reference collection (both physical and virtual), while at the same time attempting to establish scientific criteria for the selection process.La aparición de las tecnologías ha hecho replantear la política de formación de la colección de referencia en las bibliotecas. Los nuevos soportes electrónicos e Internet han hecho disminuir la adquisición de obras en papel y el espacio necesario para acogerlas. Desde sus inicios, la Biblioteca de Catalunya se preocupa por lo que Rubió denomina la biblioteca de mano. Los criterios de selección son rigurosos y científicos, y representan una democratización de lo que ha de estar al alcance del público. Durante el franquismo, las obras de referencia crecen considerablemente. Al ser un referente para el mundo universitario, incorpora colecciones únicas a Cataluña. Con la Llei de biblioteques y su definición como biblioteca nacional se remodela la sección y se establecen unos criterios para la selección de la colección. Todo esto coincide con la aparición de nuevas tecnologías y con un cambio notable del público y de sus intereses. Se hace un análisis histórico de lo que ha sido, en la Biblioteca de Catalunya, la biblioteca de mano hasta nuestros días, y reflexiona sobre lo que ha de constituir la nueva colección de referencia (física y virtual), a la vez que intenta establecer criterios científicos para su selección

RNA microarray analysis in prenatal mouse cochlea reveals novel IGF-I target genes: implication of MEF2 and FOXM1 transcription factors

Background: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) provides pivotal cell survival and differentiation signals during inner ear development throughout evolution. Homozygous mutations of human IGF1 cause syndromic sensorineural deafness, decreased intrauterine and postnatal growth rates, and mental retardation. In the mouse, deficits in IGF-I result in profound hearing loss associated with reduced survival, differentiation and maturation of auditory neurons. Nevertheless, little is known about the molecular basis of IGF-I activity in hearing and deafness. Methodology/Principal Findings: A combination of quantitative RT-PCR, subcellular fractionation and Western blotting, along with in situ hybridization studies show IGF-I and its high affinity receptor to be strongly expressed in the embryonic and postnatal mouse cochlea. The expression of both proteins decreases after birth and in the cochlea of E18.5 embryonic Igf1(-/-) null mice, the balance of the main IGF related signalling pathways is altered, with lower activation of Akt and ERK1/2 and stronger activation of p38 kinase. By comparing the Igf1(-/-) and Igf1(+/+) transcriptomes in E18.5 mouse cochleae using RNA microchips and validating their results, we demonstrate the up-regulation of the FoxM1 transcription factor and the misexpression of the neural progenitor transcription factors Six6 and Mash1 associated with the loss of IGF-I. Parallel, in silico promoter analysis of the genes modulated in conjunction with the loss of IGF-I revealed the possible involvement of MEF2 in cochlear development. E18.5 Igf1(+/+) mouse auditory ganglion neurons showed intense MEF2A and MEF2D nuclear staining and MEF2A was also evident in the organ of Corti. At P15, MEF2A and MEF2D expression were shown in neurons and sensory cells. In the absence of IGF-I, nuclear levels of MEF2 were diminished, indicating less transcriptional MEF2 activity. By contrast, there was an increase in the nuclear accumulation of FoxM1 and a corresponding decrease in the nuclear cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1). Conclusions/Significance: We have defined the spatiotemporal expression of elements involved in IGF signalling during inner ear development and reveal novel regulatory mechanisms that are modulated by IGF-I in promoting sensory cell and neural survival and differentiation. These data will help us to understand the molecular bases of human sensorineural deafness associated to deficits in IGF-I

Las competencias en educación sexual en el currículo de la educación secundaria obligatoria española

El presente trabajo trata de responder a la pregunta de hasta qué punto el currículo de la Educación Secundaria Obligatoria española desarrolla o permite el desarrollo de competencias en Educación Sexual. Para ello se han definido las competencias en este ámbito, los problemas ante los que se debe trabajar la adquisición de dichas competencias y se ha diseñado un instrumento de análisis curricular, que se ha aplicado al currículo prescriptivo del Ministerio de Educación y al propuesto en la Comunidad Valenciana. Se ha buscado el consenso de expertos/as a través del método Delphi y se presentan algunos de los resultados obtenidos

Role of H4K16 acetylation in 53BP1 recruitment to double-strand break sites in in vitro aged cells

Increased frequency of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) with aging suggests an age-associated decline in DSB repair efficiency, which is also influenced by the epigenetic landscape. H4 acetylation at lysine 16 (H4K16Ac) has been related to DSB repair since deacetylation of this mark is required for efficient 53BP1 recruitment to DSBs. Although age-associated changes in H4K16Ac levels have been studied, their contribution to age-related DSB accumulation remains unknown. In vitro aged Human Dermal Fibroblasts (HDFs) display lower levels of H4K16A that correlate with reduced recruitment of 53BP1 to basal DSBs. Following DNA damage induction, early passage (EP) cells suffered from a transient H4K16 deacetylation that allowed proper 53BP1 recruitment to DSBs. In contrast, to reach this specific and optimum level, aged cells responded by increasing their overall lower H4K16Ac levels. Induced hyperacetylation of late passage (LP) cells using trichostatin A increased H4K16Ac levels but did not ameliorate 53BP1 recruitment. Instead, deacetylation induced by MOF silencing reduced H4K16Ac levels and compromised 53BP1 recruitment in both EP and LP cells. Age-associated decrease of H4K16Ac levels contributes to the repair defect displayed by in vitro aged cells. H4K16Ac responds to DNA damage in order to reach a specific, optimum level that allows proper 53BP1 recruitment. This response may be compromised with age, as LP cells depart from lower H4K16Ac levels. Variations in H4K16Ac following the activation of the DNA damage response and aging point at this histone mark as a key mediator between DNA repair and age-associated chromatin alterations

The communication process in oncology: Reporting an experience

Informar a una persona de que tiene cáncer supone un shock para esa persona y para su familia. La enfermedad implica cambios físicos, psíquicos y sociales a los que tienen que aprender a enfrentarse tanto el propio afectado como su entorno más próximo. Conocer que se padece un cáncer aún se asocia inmediatamente con dolor y muerte y esto provoca que el enfermo tenga que enfrentarse a una situación dramática y angustiosa. Para que el afrontamiento de la enfermedad sea lo menos costoso física y emocionalmente para el paciente es necesario que se le atienda desde una perspectiva integral y holista en la que juega un papel destacado en primer lugar, la información que se le aporta sobre el diagnóstico y las posibilidades de tratamiento y, en segundo lugar, el proceso de comunicación que se inicia cuando al paciente ya se le ha comunicado el diagnóstico y que se prolonga hasta que se produce la remisión/curación de la enfermedad o el paciente fallece. En este artículo recogemos nuestra experiencia sobre la información y comunicación con pacientes oncológicos en tratamiento de quimioterapia. Es imprescindible trabajar ambos aspectos desde la individualidad de cada caso y para ello proponemos nuestras conclusiones sobre los aspectos básicos en los que es necesario centrarse para conseguir que el enfermo reciba una información adecuada a su caso particularTelling someone that he/she suffers cancer is a deep shock for the individual and its family as well. The disease involves physical, psychological and social changes that both the patient and his/her social environment have to learn to cope with. Cancer is still readily associated with pain and death, so patients have to face a dramatic and distressing situation. For achieving an emotionally and physically smooth treatment of cancer it is necessary to develop a comprehensive and holistic approach split into three stages. First, information provided about diagnosis and care possibilities. Secondly, the communication process along the treatment period, which may be rather long. Third, and particularly prominent, the communication process during the last stage of the disease, whether it disappears or leads to death. This paper presents our experience on the overall information and communication process with cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy treatment. It is essential to deal with information and communication on a personalized basis for each individual, so our conclusions are focused on the basic topics which have to be addressed for each patient to receive the information the most suitable for his/her particular case

Identification of reference genes for RT-qPCR data normalisation in aging studies

Aging is associated with changes in gene expression levels that affect cellular functions and predispose to age-related diseases. The use of candidate genes whose expression remains stable during aging is required to correctly address the age-associated variations in expression levels. Reverse transcription quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has become a powerful approach for sensitive gene expression analysis. Reliable RT-qPCR assays rely on the normalisation of the results to stable reference genes. Taken these data together, here we evaluated the expression stability of eight frequently used reference genes in three aging models: oncogene-induced senescence (015), in vitro and in vivo aging. Using NormFinder and geNorm algorithms, we identified that the most stable reference gene pairs were PUM1 and TBP in 015, GUSB and PUM1 for in vitro aging and GUSB and OAZ1 for in vivo aging. To validate these candidates, we used them to normalise the expression data of CDKN1A, APOD and TFRC genes, whose expression is known to be affected during 015, in vitro and in vivo aging. This study demonstrates that accurate normalisation of RT-qPCR data is crucial in aging research and provides a specific subset of stable reference genes for future aging studies

English Is It! (ELT Training Series). Vol. 15

The Research group From English Acquisition to English Learning and Teaching is registered at the Institute of Professional Development Teaching (IDP-ICE), at the University of Barcelona. The group, founded and led by Lourdes Montoro (September 2013 - June 2021), has involved 28 teachers and professionals. 7 of them have been members of the group, and, together with 21 guest authors, have presented their work in the publication which she also created, and coordinated to fulfill the objectives of the pedagogical project which she had devised: English Is It! (ELT Training Series (Vols. 1-15)