Development and testing of a fully gravitational submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment

A gravity-operated submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) was set up in order to test its principle of operation as an alternative to conventional pumped permeation of the membrane. This operating mode allowed the membrane flux rate to be measured accurately whilst maintaining a constant transmembrane pressure (TMP), and allowed small transient variations in flux rate to be observed. The reactor was operated at 36 0C for a period of 115 days using a nutrient-balanced synthetic substrate with a high suspended solids concentration. Membrane cleaning was in-situ by a gas scouring system using recirculation of headspace biogas. With an initial TMP of 7.0 kPa the membrane flux slowly decreased due to membrane fouling and had not reached a constant value by day 71. The results indicated that the system was still acclimatising up to 50 days after start-up; but from that point onwards performance parameters became much more stable. A constant flux of 2.2 L m-2 hour-1 was achieved over the last 45 days after the TMP was reduced to 2.3 kPa. The stable flux was maintained over this period and the loading raised to 1g COD L-1 d-1 by increasing the influent strength. Under these conditions the average COD removal efficiency was 96% and the specific methane potential (SMP) was 0.31 L CH4 g-1 COD removed

Vínculos fraternos y sociales de artesanos indígenas beneficiarios de un programa público en la Sierra de Zongolica, Veracruz

Poverty alleviation is one of the most important challenges in Mexico addressed mostly from the economic point of view and frequently leaving aside the perspective of social capital, which gives great importance to the deficiencies of socioemotional goods of social groups affected by poverty. The objective of this study was to understand the social capital of the groups of indigenous artisans who are beneficiaries of the Program for Indigenous Production and Productivity of the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, and how fraternal and social ties have influenced the improvement of production and the wellbeing of indigenous families. A survey was applied to 54 beneficiaries devoted to the elaboration of wool, clay and wood handcrafts in five municipalities with high and very high marginalization in the Sierra de Zongolica, state of Veracruz. The results show that there is great trust from members of the groups towards the leader and between one another. This study proposes a composed index of fraternal ties, among which some stood out such as sharing economic benefits, increase in productivity, trust in the group, and sharing of knowledge.La reducción de la pobreza es uno de los retos más importantes de países como México que ha sido abordada desde el punto de vista principalmente económico, frecuentemente dejando de lado la perspectiva del capital social, que le da importancia primordial a las deficiencias de bienes socioemocionales de los grupos sociales afectados por la pobreza. El objetivo del presente estudio fue conocer el capital social de los grupos de artesanos indígenas beneficiarios del Programa para la Producción y Productividad Indígena de la Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas y cómo han influido los vínculos fraternos y sociales en el mejoramiento de la producción y del bienestar de las familias indígenas. Se aplicó una encuesta a una muestra de 54 beneficiarios dedicados a la elaboración de artesanías de lana, barro y madera en cinco municipios de alta y muy alta marginación de la Sierra de Zongolica, estado de Veracruz. Los resultados muestran existe una gran confianza de los miembros de los grupos hacia el líder y entre ellos. Este estudio realizó análisis de ranking o scoring de vínculos fraternos entre los cuales sobresalieron compartir beneficios económicos, aumento en la productividad, confianza en el grupo y compartir los conocimientos

Using UAV Photogrammetry and Automated Sensors to Assess Aquifer Recharge from a Coastal Wetland

Novel data-acquisition technologies have revolutionized the study of natural systems, allowing the massive collection of information in situ and remotely. Merging these technologies improves the understanding of complex hydrological interactions, such as those of wetland–aquifer systems, and facilitates their conservation and management. This paper presents the combination of UAV technology with water level dataloggers for the study of a coastal temporary wetland linked to an underlying sandy aquifer and influenced by the tidal regime. Wetland morphology was defined using UAV imagery and SfM algorithms during the dry period. The DTM (6.9 cm resolution) was used to generate a flood model, which was subsequently validated with an orthophoto from a wet period. This information was combined with water stage records at 10-min intervals from a network of dataloggers to infer the water balance of the wetland and the transfers to the aquifer. Inflows into the pond were around 6200 m3 (40% direct precipitation over the pond, 60% surface runoff). Outputs equalled the inputs (41% direct evaporation from water surface, 59% transfers into the aquifer). The proposed methodology has demonstrated its suitability to unravel complex wetland–aquifer interactions and to provide reliable estimations of the elements of the water balance21 página

Insulin regulates neurovascular coupling through astrocytes

Mice with insulin receptor (IR)-deficient astrocytes (GFAP-IR knockout [KO] mice) show blunted responses to insulin and reduced brain glucose uptake, whereas IRdeficient astrocytes show disturbed mitochondrial responses to glucose. While exploring the functional impact of disturbed mitochondrial function in astrocytes, we observed that GFAP-IR KO mice show uncoupling of brain blood flow with glucose uptake. Since IR-deficient astrocytes show higher levels of reactive oxidant species (ROS), this leads to stimulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1¿ and, consequently, of the vascular endothelial growth factor angiogenic pathway. Indeed, GFAP-IR KO mice show disturbed brain vascularity and blood flow that is normalized by treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC ameliorated high ROS levels, normalized angiogenic signaling and mitochondrial function in IR-deficient astrocytes, and normalized neurovascular coupling in GFAP-IR KO mice. Our results indicate that by modulating glucose uptake and angiogenesis, insulin receptors in astrocytes participate in neurovascular coupling.We are thankful to M.Garcia and R. Cañadas for technical support. This work was funded by Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED) (Instituto de Salud CarlosIII, Spain) to I.T.A., A.G., and T.I.; an Inter-CIBER project (PIE14/00061) to I.T.A.that forms part of the projects PID2019-104376RB-I00 (I.T.A.) and RTI2018-094887-B-I00 (M.N.) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033; a grant from Junta de Andalucia Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento (P18-RT-2233 to A.G.) cofinanced by Programa Operativo FEDER 2014–2020; a grant from Instituto de Salud Carlos III Spain (cofinanced by FEDER funds from the European Union; PI21/00915 to A.G.); Grant PID2020-115218RB-I00 to T.I. funded by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación/Agencia Española de Investigación (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033); and a grant from Comunidad de Madrid through the European Social Fund (ESF)–financed programme Neurometabolismo-Comunidad de Madrid (NEUROMETAB-CM) (B2017/BMD-3700 to I.T.A.and T.I.). M.N. was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ramón y Cajal RYC-2016-20414). J.P.-U. was contracted by CIBERNED

Investigaciones Teológicas-Eclesiales I

La labor del teólogo, como investigador, es la de aportar a la comprensión de situaciones que presentan confusión. La Teología, en diálogo constante con las demás ciencias humanas, puede brindar luces en momentos de ofuscación y desesperanza. Reflexiones teológicas-eclesiales / hace aportes en temas como la Familia; la Excomunión; el Amor y la Sabiduría; el Matrimonio; la Palabra de Dios; la Mujer; el Mundo Laical; la Fe y la Política; y, la Constitución Lumen Gentium. Sus autores, desde el abordaje académico y científico, presentan un texto de fácil comprensión para lectores con una educación mínimamente formal en torno a estudios de historia y religión. A la vez, ofrece horizontes de profundización a los investigadores del fenómeno histórico y cultural de la religión, dando continuidad a la serie de publicaciones sobre Investigaciones teológicas eclesiales

A First Search for coincident Gravitational Waves and High Energy Neutrinos using LIGO, Virgo and ANTARES data from 2007

We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy, particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of merger and core-collapse events.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, science summary page at http://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-S5LV_ANTARES/index.php. Public access area to figures, tables at https://dcc.ligo.org/cgi-bin/DocDB/ShowDocument?docid=p120000

Protection of Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica) against Bluetongue Virus Serotypes 1 and 8 in a Subclinical Experimental Infection

Many wild ruminants such as Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) are susceptible to Bluetongue virus (BTV) infection, which causes disease mainly in domestic sheep and cattle. Outbreaks involving either BTV serotypes 1 (BTV-1) and 8 (BTV-8) are currently challenging Europe. Inclusion of wildlife vaccination among BTV control measures should be considered in certain species. In the present study, four out of fifteen seronegative Spanish ibexes were immunized with a single dose of inactivated vaccine against BTV-1, four against BTV-8 and seven ibexes were non vaccinated controls. Seven ibexes (four vaccinated and three controls) were inoculated with each BTV serotype. Antibody and IFN-gamma responses were evaluated until 28 days after inoculation (dpi). The vaccinated ibexes showed significant (P<0.05) neutralizing antibody levels after vaccination compared to non vaccinated ibexes. The non vaccinated ibexes remained seronegative until challenge and showed neutralizing antibodies from 7 dpi. BTV RNA was detected in the blood of non vaccinated ibexes from 2 to the end of the study (28 dpi) and in target tissue samples obtained at necropsy (8 and 28 dpi). BTV-1 was successfully isolated on cell culture from blood and target tissues of non vaccinated ibexes. Clinical signs were unapparent and no gross lesions were found at necropsy. Our results show for the first time that Spanish ibex is susceptible and asymptomatic to BTV infection and also that a single dose of vaccine prevents viraemia against BTV-1 and BTV-8 replication

Transformar para educar 5: ambientes de aprendizaje naturalmente críticos

Este quinto libro de la colección "Transformar para Educar''.-producto de las investigaciones de aula adelantadas por docentes de la Universidad del Norte, con el apoyo del Centro para la Excelencia Docente (CEDU), en el marco del programa Transformación de curso-, busca difundir innovaciones en la práctica pedagógica, con el fin de mejorar las experiencias educativas de los estudiantes con base en la implementación de ambientes de aprendizaje naturalmente críticos. Son críticos porque los estudiantes razonan con sus propios argumentos y naturales porque se da de manera espontánea. Contiene nueve capítulos que recopilan las experiencias realizadas por los docentes del área de introducción a la Ingeniería. Confiamos en que los hallazgos que aquí se presentan sean de interés para los lectores y puedan ser compartidos de manera amplia entre distintos públicos

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements