Woody and agricultural biomass diversity in torrefaction: A complete study in solid conversion and volatiles formation on TGA-GCMS

Nowadays, there is an increasing awareness on the importance of biomass waste as a renewable source of energy, materials and chemicals. In this context, the European project MOBILE FLIP aims at developing and demonstrating mobile conversion processes suitable with various underexploited agro- and forest based biomass resources in order to produce energy carriers, materials and chemicals. One of these processes is torrefaction, which consists in a mild thermal treatment, occurring typically between 200 and 300°C during a few tens of minutes in a default-oxygen atmosphere. Please click on the file below for full content of the abstract

Drug properties and host factors contribute to biochemical presentation of drug-induced liver injury: a prediction model from a machine learning approach

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) presentation varies biochemically and histologically. Certain drugs present quite consistent injury patterns, i.e., DILI signatures. In contrast, others are manifested as broader types of liver injury. The variety of DILI presentations by a single drug suggests that both drugs and host factors may contribute to the phenotype. However, factors determining the DILI types have not been yet elucidated. Identifying such factors may help to accurately predict the injury types based on drugs and host information and assist the clinical diagnosis of DILI. Using prospective DILI registry datasets, we sought to explore and validate the associations of biochemical injury types at the time of DILI recognition with comprehensive information on drug properties and host factors. Random forest models identified a set of drug properties and host factors that differentiate hepatocellular from cholestatic damage with reasonable accuracy (69-84%). A simplified logistic regression model developed for practical use, consisting of patient’s age, drug’s lipoaffinity, and hybridization ratio, achieved a fair prediction (68%-74%), but suggested potential clinical usability, computing the likelihood of liver injury type based on two properties of drugs taken by a patient and patient’s age. In summary, considering both drug and host factors in evaluating DILI risk and phenotypes open an avenue for future DILI research and aid in the refinement of causality assessment.The present study has been supported by grants of Instituto de Salud Carlos III cofounded by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional – FEDER (contract numbers: PI 18/01804; PT20/00127) and Agencia Española del Medicamento. Plataforma ISCiii de Investigación Clínica and CIBERehd are funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III. IAA holds a Sara Borrell research contract from the National Health System, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CD20/00083)

Assessing the impact of woody and agricultural biomass variability on its behaviour in torrefaction through Principal Component Analysis

The influence of biomass macromolecular composition on its behaviour in torrefaction was statistically assessed through Principal Component Analysis (PCA), both in terms of solid conversion kinetics and volatile species released, in function of the operating conditions. The experimental data obtained in the torrefaction of 14 woody and agricultural biomass samples at lab-scale was analysed. Main biomass macromolecular composition on cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin was shown to acceptably represent biomass diversity, which can be complemented by the extractives and ash content. Similitudes were found in deciduous and coniferous wood families, respectively, while agricultural and herbaceous crops were shown as more heterogeneous, both in terms of characterization and behaviour in torrefaction. Cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin content strongly influenced solid and volatile species yields in torrefaction, while biomass family exhibited a lower impact. Ash content in potassium, phosphorous and silicon did not show any influence on the extent of solid degradation through torrefaction. A lower variability was found in solid degradation profiles from woods, while agricultural crop behaviour was more heterogeneous. Different volatile species were released from biomass samples from the same family. Furthermore, different production profiles were found for volatile species chemically close, except for deciduous wood. These results indicate that, when modelling biomass torrefaction, solid mass loss can be represented by an exemplar of deciduous and coniferous wood, while several species would be required for the agricultural family. The variability of the volatile species release would require the consideration of several volatile species and several biomass samples per famil

APLICACIÓN DE UN MODELO TEÓRICO DE ENFERMERÍA EN LA INTERVENCIÓN DE LAS MUJERES VÍCTIMAS DE VIOLENCIA DOMÉSTICA

The aim of this article is to contribute to the discipline of nursing, proposing a theoretical model of nursing that supports the intervention with women, victims of domestic violence. The Model of Dorothy Johnson's Behavioral System was selected due to practical advantages, relation to the subject matter and domestic violence reality. The model was analyzed briefly and an application was carried out in the subsystems proposed by Johnson and the alteration in women and family that experience this problem. Finally, some elements were added to the original model of Johnson in order to exemplify clearer the nursing intervention.El objetivo del artículo es contribuir a la disciplina de enfermería, proponiendo un modelo teórico de enfermería que sustente la intervención en mujeres víctimas de violencia doméstica. Se seleccionó el Modelo del Sistema Conductual de Dorothy Johnson por sus ventajas prácticas, relación con la temática y la realidad de la violencia doméstica. Se analiza brevemente el modelo y se realiza una aplicación en los subsistemas propuestos por Johnson y su alteración en la mujer y familia que vive esta problemática. Finalmente, se agregan algunos elementos al modelo original de Johnson para graficar más claramente la intervención de enfermería

LA VISITA DOMICILIARIA COMO UNA HERRAMIENTA PARA LA DETECCIÓN DE LA VIOLENCIA HACIA EL ADULTO MAYOR

The violence towards the elderly is a problem that requires the sensitivity from the health team to be noticed. A fundamental tool for the detection of this phenomenon within the primary health care, are house calls, because they allow a comprehensive evaluation of de user, his/her family and/or carers, taking into consideration the physical, social, financial and psychological aspects, that may influence his/her health and become risk factors for the violence to take place. This evaluation makes possible to survey the phenomenon and carry out the necessary interventions with a bioethical perspective to allow putting into practice every one of its principles as in psychological violence and in sexual, physical and financial violence. An effective survey provides the possibility to improve the quality of life of the elderly under our assistance.La Violencia contra el Adulto Mayor, es un problema que requiere de sensibilización por parte del equipo de salud para ser visualizado. Una herramienta fundamental para la detección de este fenómeno dentro de la Atención Primaria en Salud es la Visita Domiciliaria, ya que permite una valoración integral del usuario, su familia y/o cuidadores, tomando en cuenta aspectos físicos, sociales, económicos y psicológicos, que puedan influir en su salud y ser factores de riesgo para que ocurra violencia. Esta valoración entrega la posibilidad de pesquisar el fenómeno y realizar las intervenciones necesarias con una perspectiva bioética, que permita poner en práctica cada uno de sus principios tanto en la violencia psicológica, sexual, física, como económica. Una pesquisa efectiva entrega, la posibilidad de mejorar la calidad de vida de los Adultos Mayores bajo nuestra atención

A new species of cosmocercoides (Nematoda; cosmocercidae) and other helminths in leptodactylus latrans (anura; leptodactylidae) from Argentina

Cosmocercoides latrans n. sp. (Cosmocercidae) from the small intestine of Leptodactylus latrans (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from Northeastern Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina is described. The new species can be distinguished from their congeners by a combination of the characters, among which stands out the number of rosette papillae, the lack of gubernaculum and the presence of lateral alae in both sexes. There are over 20 species in the genus Cosmocercoides, and Cosmocercoides latrans n. sp. represents the third species from the Neotropical realm and the second for Argentina. Additionally, seven previously known taxa are reported; Pseudoacanthocephalus cf. lutzi, Catadiscus uruguayensis, Rauschiella palmipedis, Aplectana hylambatis, Cosmocerca parva, Schrankiana sp. and Rhabdias elegans; providing literature records and information on distribution and host-parasite relationships.Fil: Draghi, Regina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología Invertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Drago, Fabiana Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología Invertebrados; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Lunaschi, Lía Inés. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología Invertebrados; Argentin

A century of limnological evolution and interactive threats in the Panama Canal: Long-term assessments from a shallow basin

Large tropical river dam projects are expected to accelerate over the forthcoming decades to satisfy growing demand for energy, irrigation and flood control. When tropical rivers are dammed the immediate impacts are relatively well studied, but the long-term (decades-centuries) consequences of impoundment remain poorly known. We combined historical records of water quality, river flow and climate with a multi-proxy (macrofossils, diatoms, biomarkers and trace elements) palaeoecological approach to reconstruct the limnological evolution of a shallow basin in Gatun Lake (Panama Canal, Panama) and assess the effects of multiple linked factors (river damming, forest flooding, deforestation, invasive species, pollution and hydro-climate) on the study area. Results show that a century after dam construction, species invasion, deforestation and salt intrusions have forced a gradual change in the study basin from a swamp-type environment towards a more saline lake-governed system of benthic–littoral production likely associated with the expansion of macrophyte stands. Hydrology still remains the most important long-term (decades) structural factor stimulating salinity intrusions, primary productivity, deposition of minerals, and reduction of water transparency during wet periods. During dry periods, physical-chemical conditions are in turn linked to clear water and aerobic conditions while nutrients shift to available forms for the aquatic biota in the detrital-rich reductive sediments. Our study suggests that to preserve the natural riverine system functioning of this area of the Panama Canal, management activities must address long-term ecosystem structural drivers such as river flow, runoff patterns and physical-chemical conditions

Scaling of the coercivity with the geometrical parameters in epitaxial Fe antidot arrays

We studied a series of square lattice antidot arrays, with diameter and lattice parameter from hundreds of nanometers to some microns, fabricated using two lithography techniques in epitaxial Fe(001) films. The coercivity increase of each array with respect to its base film can be scaled to a simple geometric parameter, irrespective of the lithography technique employed. Magnetic transmission x-ray microscopy studies, in arrays fabricated on polycrystalline Fe films deposited on silicon nitride membranes, evidenced the propagation of reversed domains from the edges of the arrays, in agreement with the coercivity analysis of the epitaxial arrays and with micromagnetic models