Biopolymers from Waste Biomass — Extraction, Modification and Ulterior Uses

The residues coming from woodlands and agricultural exploitation constitute the most abundant biomass available on earth. Its importance as a source of renewable energy has grown in addition to the environmental impact. Biomass waste is a lignocellulosic feedstock which contains three main biopolymers: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. It could be utilized for the production of a number of value-added products due to their chemical composition, but it is necessary to efficiently recover the valuable biopolymer as intact as possible by different processing techniques.For different applications, the principal objective of pre-treatment is to keep the cellulose intact, meanwhile hemicellulose and lignin are removed. The yields of the fractions depend on the pre-treatment method, which is the most expensive step in biomass conversion. Traditionally, cellulose is obtained by kraft, sulphite and soda treatments. These methods are non-environmentally friendly and generate huge quantities of toxic wastes. Recently developed models considering the environmental laws encourage the sustainable processing of biomass into value-added products. The use of ionic liquids as new solvents for biomass waste and organosolv processes is reviewed, which are used to obtain cellulose. One of the possible applications of cellulose is membrane synthesis, which has been reported for other biomass materials, such as sugarcane bagasse, mango seed and newspaper. In this chapter, some green pre-treatment methods, different sustainable routes for cellulose modification and some of the results obtained on membrane development based on waste biomass are discussed

La imagen y la narrativa como herramientas para el abordaje psicosocial en escenarios de violencia. Departamentos de Huila, Córdoba, Caquetá y Tolima

Por décadas, la historia de Colombia se ha visto influenciada por hechos violentos que dejan tras su paso un sinnúmero de víctimas a raíz del desplazamiento forzado, asesinato de familiares, parientes o conocidos cercanos. Hechos que reflejan el sufrimiento de una población que reclama a gritos el sece dichos flagelos. En aras de poder brindar una atención psicosocial a esta población y evitar con ello la revictimización, el presente trabajo reúne dos relatos que dan cuenta de las experiencias vividas en diferentes contextos del territorio nacional tal es la cuestión “Camilo” oriundo de ciudad de Barranquilla y el “Peñas Coloradas”, pueblo de colonos fundado en “Caquetá”. Partiendo de las vivencias relatadas, se brindan herramientas que permitan el empleo de “La imagen y la narrativa como herramientas para el abordaje psicosocial en escenarios de violencia” pudiendo contrastar dichas experiencias de forma transversal desde sus lugares de origen tales como los departamentos de Córdoba, Tolima, Caquetá y Huila. Para que finalmente en concordancia con la guía de actividades del presente diplomado, se pueda “evaluar eventos psicosociales traumáticos desde el enfoque narrativo y el análisis del relato para proponer recursos de afrontamiento psicosocial al sufrimiento por violencia”. Como consecuencia del abordaje de los diferentes casos narrados y de las situaciones problémicas encontradas en cada uno de los territorios de origen se presentan una serie de propuestas como alternativa a la atención integral de esta población víctima del conflicto armado.For decades, the history of Colombia has been influenced by violent acts that leave in their wake countless victims as a result of forced displacement, murder of family members, relatives or close acquaintances. Facts that reflect the suffering of a population that cries out for the end of these scourges. For the sake of being able to provide psychosocial care to this population and thus avoid revictimization, this paper brings together two stories that account for the experiences lived in different contexts of the national territory, such as the case of Camilo, a native of the city of Barranquilla and the case of “Peñas Coloradas”, a town of settlers founded in Caquetá. From the reported experiences, tools are provided that allow the use of "The image and the narrative as tools for the psychosocial approach in scenarios of violence" being able to contrast these experiences transversally from their places of origin such as the departments of Huila, Cordoba, Caqueta and Tolima. So that finally, in accordance with the activity guide of this diploma course, it is possible to "evaluate traumatic psychosocial events from the narrative approach and the analysis of the story to propose resources for psychosocial coping with suffering from violence." As a consequence of the approach of the different narrated cases and of the problematic situations found in each of the territories of origin, a series of proposals are presented as an alternative to the integral attention of this population victim of the armed conflict. Key word: Psychosocial Coping, Image, Narrative, Strategies

Circular thin position for knots in the 3-sphere

A regular circle-valued Morse function on the knot complement C(K) = S^3\K is a function f from C(K) to S^1 which separates critical points and which behaves nicely in a neighborhood of the knot. Such a function induces a handle decomposition on the knot exterior E(K) = S^3\N (K), with the property that every regular level surface contains a Seifert surface for the knot. We rearrange the handles in such a way that the regular surfaces are as simple as possible. To make this precise the concept of circular width for E(K) is introduced. When E(K) is endowed with a handle decomposition which realizes the circular width we will say that the knot K is in circular thin position. We use this to show that many knots have more than one non-isotopic incompressible Seifert surface. We also analyze the behavior of the circular width under some knot operations

Brownian Optogenetic-Noise-Photostimulation on the Brain Amplifies Somatosensory-Evoked Field Potentials

Stochastic resonance (SR) is an inherent and counter-intuitive mechanism of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) facilitation in biological systems associated with the application of an intermediate level of noise. As a first step to investigate in detail this phenomenon in the somatosensory system, here we examined whether the direct application of noisy light on pyramidal neurons from the mouse-barrel cortex expressing a light-gated channel channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) can produce facilitation in somatosensory evoked field potentials. Using anesthetized Thy1-ChR2-YFP transgenic mice, and a new neural technology, that we called Brownian optogenetic-noise-photostimulation (BONP), we provide evidence for how BONP directly applied on the barrel cortex modulates the SNR in the amplitude of whisker-evoked field potentials (whisker-EFP). In all transgenic mice, we found that the SNR in the amplitude of whisker-EFP (at 30% of the maximal whisker-EFP) exhibited an inverted U-like shape as a function of the BONP level. As a control, we also applied the same experimental paradigm, but in wild-type mice, as expected, we did not find any facilitation effects. Our results show that the application of an intermediate intensity of BONP on the barrel cortex of ChR2 transgenic mice amplifies the SNR of somatosensory whisker-EFPs. This result may be relevant to explain the improvements found in sensory detection in humans produced by the application of transcranial-random-noise-stimulation (tRNS) on the scalp

Serotonin concentration, synthesis, cell origin, and targets in the rat caput epididymis during sexual maturation and variations associated with adult mating status: Morphological and biochemical studies

The caput epididymis of some mammals contains large quantities of serotonin whose origin, targets, and physiological variations have been poorly studied. We combined morphological and biochemical techniques to begin approaching these aspects of serotonin in the rat caput epididymis. Serotonin immunostaining was detected in mast, epithelial, and neuroendocrine cells. Epithelial cells displayed immunoreactivity to 5HT(1A), 5HT(2A), and 5HT(3) serotonin receptors. Endothelial and mast cells labeled positive for 5HT(1B) serotonin receptors and spermatozoa displayed 5HT2A and 5HT3 serotonin receptor immunoreactivity. Epithelial, endothelial, and mast cells stained positive for serotonin transporters. Only epithelial cells showed tryptophan hydroxylase immunoreactivity; this enzyme catalyzes the limiting step in the serotonin synthetic pathway. in addition, Western blot analyses of caput homogenates documented the presence of 2 protein bands (approximate to 51 kd and 48 kd) that were immunoreactive for tryptophan hydroxylase. Chromatographic analyses documented the presence of tryptophan hydroxylase in the caput, and showed that both its activity and serotonin availability increased with sexual maturation and decreased following p-chlorophenylalanine treatment, an inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase activity. Interestingly, serotonin concentration and tryptophan hydroxylase activity tended to be higher in breeding males than in those with no mating experience. We think that these results support the existence of a local serotoninergic system in the rat caput epididymis that might regulate some aspects of male reproductive function.Natl Autonomous Univ Mexico, Biomed Res Inst, Dept Cell Biol & Physiol, Mexico City 04510, DF, MexicoUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Pharmacol, Sect Expt Endocrinol, São Paulo, BrazilNatl Autonomous Univ Mexico, Fac Sci, Dept Reprod Biol, Mexico City 04510, DF, MexicoXXI Century Natl Med Ctr, Unit Med Invest Neurol Dis, Mexico City, DF, MexicoUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Pharmacol, Sect Expt Endocrinol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Hepatitis C virus infection and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Mexican patients.

to measure the frequency of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with confirmed HCV infection. we studied 125 adults reactive to anti-HCV antibodies (62.4 % women, mean age 46.8 years) who received confirmatory RT-PCR testing for viremia (63.2 % HCV-RNA-positive). twenty-two patients had T2DM (17.6 %, 95 % confidence interval: 11.8-25.3 %; mean National prevalence: 14.4 %), more frequent among patients with detectable viremia than in negative cases (23.3 % vs. 9.6 %, respectively; p = 0.04), and among those with advanced liver disease, than in compensated patients (28.9 % vs. 11.3 %, respectively; p = 0.01). Fourteen (17.7 %) patients received interferon-based treatment and 6 (42.8 %) had sustained virology response. None of the 6 responders had T2DM, but 2 of the 8 (25 %) non-responders had diabetes. T2DM patients were older than those without diabetes (57.7 vs. 44.5 years, p < 0.001), and after multivariate analysis, only age was significantly associated with diagnosis of T2DM. T2DM was highly prevalent among patients with chronic HCV infection. Age was the most important determining factor

Hepatitis C virus infection and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Mexican patients.

to measure the frequency of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with confirmed HCV infection. we studied 125 adults reactive to anti-HCV antibodies (62.4 % women, mean age 46.8 years) who received confirmatory RT-PCR testing for viremia (63.2 % HCV-RNA-positive). twenty-two patients had T2DM (17.6 %, 95 % confidence interval: 11.8-25.3 %; mean National prevalence: 14.4 %), more frequent among patients with detectable viremia than in negative cases (23.3 % vs. 9.6 %, respectively; p = 0.04), and among those with advanced liver disease, than in compensated patients (28.9 % vs. 11.3 %, respectively; p = 0.01). Fourteen (17.7 %) patients received interferon-based treatment and 6 (42.8 %) had sustained virology response. None of the 6 responders had T2DM, but 2 of the 8 (25 %) non-responders had diabetes. T2DM patients were older than those without diabetes (57.7 vs. 44.5 years, p < 0.001), and after multivariate analysis, only age was significantly associated with diagnosis of T2DM. T2DM was highly prevalent among patients with chronic HCV infection. Age was the most important determining factor

Association of GIST and somatostatinoma in a patient with type-1 neurofibromatosis: Is there a common pathway?

[No abstract available

Cytomegalovirus infection in patients who required colectomy for toxic megacolon or severe steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis

[No abstract available