Effect of moisture content on engineering properties of sorghum grains

Moisture constitutes one of the most influential factors in the conservation of sorghum grains during storage due to their relationship with the biological factors that cause postharvest damage, affecting the nutritional and economic values. For this reason it is important to evaluate the effect of moisture content on the physical characteristics of the grain in order to establish the design and operation conditions of the post-harvest processes. Accordingly, the aim of this work is to analyze the dependence on moisture content of physical properties of technological interest for the post-harvest grain sorghum stages.Experimental results show that the moisture significantly affects the properties width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, bulk density, thousand seed weight, porosity, angle of repose and friction coefficient both on plywood surface as metal.Increased moisture content in the range of 0.13 to 0.29 dec. db results in increased for width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, thousand seed weight, porosity, angle of repose and friction coefficient. For the other side, the same increase in moisture content leads a decrease in the bulk density of the grains with correlation coefficients in all cases higher than 0.99

Effects of Smoking on Oxidative Stress and Vascular Function

Tobacco smoking is the single most preventable risk factor related to the development of cardiovascular disease. It was demonstrated that tobacco smoke contains a thousand compounds potentially harmful to human health. As tobacco use declined over time, electronic cigarettes were introduced as an alternative. E-cigarettes are a modern and technological surrogate of traditional cigarettes and use heat to convert a nicotine solution or a flavored nicotine-free solution into vapor. Even though all the ingredients contained in the liquid of E-cigarettes are approved as food additives, the harmlessness of these electronic devices is still not fully proven in humans. The general mechanisms by which smoking results in cardiovascular events include the development of atherosclerotic changes with a hypercoagulable state and an increased risk of thrombosis. Endothelial dysfunction has been recognized as a hallmark of preclinical systemic atherosclerosis and as a useful marker to stratify the risk of cardiovascular disease. Based on these considerations, in this chapter, we (1) discussed the role of endothelial dysfunction and its contributing factors, such as oxidative stress and inflammation, in the development of cardiovascular diseases and (2) reported the studies which investigated the effect of tobacco and electronic smoking on the biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation

Recovering the institutional memory. Some perspectives on the recent history of the Ravignani Institute

El objetivo central del presente dossier, reside en reflejar una parte significativa de la actividad académica producida en el Instituto de Historia Argentina y Americana “Dr. Emilio Ravignani” durante la dirección de Ricardo Caillet Bois (1956-1973 y 1976-1977). La historia de la historiografía argentina abordó con distintos énfasis, problemáticas diversas centradas en variadas perspectivas analíticas, sin embargo existe un virtual vacío historiográfico sobre el desempeño del Instituto y sus derivas a partir de mediados del siglo XX. Tal vacancia contrasta con la centralidad institucional e historiográfica que la institución revistió. Consecuentemente aspiramos a contribuir a la recuperación de la memoria institucional mediante la reconstrucción de su estructura y funcionamiento, el conocimiento de los miembros que lo componían y las actividades desarrolladas, así como referir a los vínculos trazados con otras instituciones, fundamentalmente: la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) y la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (FFyL), vínculos enmarcados en precisas coyunturas históricas.The main objective of this dossier is to reflect a significant part of the academic activity produced at the Institute of Argentine and American History "Dr. Emilio Ravignani "during the direction of Ricardo Caillet Bois (1956-1973 and 1976-1977). The history of Argentine historiography approached with different emphases, diverse problems centered on varied analytical perspectives, however there is a virtual historiographical vacuum on the performance of the Institute and its drifts from the middle of the 20th century. This vacancy contrasts with the institutional and historiographic centrality that the institution had. Consequently, we aspire to contribute to the recovery of institutional memory through the reconstruction of its structure and functioning, the knowledge of its members and the activities developed, as well as refer to the links established with other institutions, basically: the University of Buenos Aires Aires (UBA) and the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Aires (FFyL), links framed in precise historical conjunctures.Dossier: Recuperando la memoria institucional. Algunas perspectivas sobre la historia reciente del Instituto RavignaniFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación (FAHCE

Recovering the institutional memory. Some perspectives on the recent history of the Ravignani Institute

El objetivo central del presente dossier, reside en reflejar una parte significativa de la actividad académica producida en el Instituto de Historia Argentina y Americana “Dr. Emilio Ravignani” durante la dirección de Ricardo Caillet Bois (1956-1973 y 1976-1977). La historia de la historiografía argentina abordó con distintos énfasis, problemáticas diversas centradas en variadas perspectivas analíticas, sin embargo existe un virtual vacío historiográfico sobre el desempeño del Instituto y sus derivas a partir de mediados del siglo XX. Tal vacancia contrasta con la centralidad institucional e historiográfica que la institución revistió. Consecuentemente aspiramos a contribuir a la recuperación de la memoria institucional mediante la reconstrucción de su estructura y funcionamiento, el conocimiento de los miembros que lo componían y las actividades desarrolladas, así como referir a los vínculos trazados con otras instituciones, fundamentalmente: la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) y la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (FFyL), vínculos enmarcados en precisas coyunturas históricas.The main objective of this dossier is to reflect a significant part of the academic activity produced at the Institute of Argentine and American History "Dr. Emilio Ravignani "during the direction of Ricardo Caillet Bois (1956-1973 and 1976-1977). The history of Argentine historiography approached with different emphases, diverse problems centered on varied analytical perspectives, however there is a virtual historiographical vacuum on the performance of the Institute and its drifts from the middle of the 20th century. This vacancy contrasts with the institutional and historiographic centrality that the institution had. Consequently, we aspire to contribute to the recovery of institutional memory through the reconstruction of its structure and functioning, the knowledge of its members and the activities developed, as well as refer to the links established with other institutions, basically: the University of Buenos Aires Aires (UBA) and the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Aires (FFyL), links framed in precise historical conjunctures.Dossier: Recuperando la memoria institucional. Algunas perspectivas sobre la historia reciente del Instituto RavignaniFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación (FAHCE

Una conmemoración de la declaración de la independencia argentina: el Congreso Americano de Ciencias Sociales (1916)

El estudio del Bicentenario de la Declaración de la Independencia Argentina autoriza  diversas perspectivas analíticas; particularmente las conmemoraciones permiten analizar las dinámicas sociales que se producen en su presente debido a su carácter esencialmente plural. Esa circunstancia lleva a la necesidad de identificar el  conjunto de mediaciones a través de las cuales un colectivo social traza  aquel vínculo con su pasado. En ese sentido, los historiadores  funcionaron y funcionan no sólo como mediadores  sino como generadores de imaginarios sociales con sus correlativas derivas socio político culturales. En función de estas premisas, proponemos analizar una de las expresiones de la conmemoración del Centenario de la Declaración de la Independencia Argentina; en el marco de las celebraciones por tal evento, tenía lugar en la ciudad de San Miguel de Tucumán, la reunión del Congreso Americano de Ciencias Sociales. Su estudio nos permitirá atender a un triple objetivo: estudiar ese evento intrínsecamente y percibir el estado de la disciplina histórica, así como analizarlo como una de las manifestaciones del fenómeno conmemorativo

Recovering the institutional memory. Some perspectives on the recent history of the Ravignani Institute

El objetivo central del presente dossier, reside en reflejar una parte significativa de la actividad académica producida en el Instituto de Historia Argentina y Americana “Dr. Emilio Ravignani” durante la dirección de Ricardo Caillet Bois (1956-1973 y 1976-1977). La historia de la historiografía argentina abordó con distintos énfasis, problemáticas diversas centradas en variadas perspectivas analíticas, sin embargo existe un virtual vacío historiográfico sobre el desempeño del Instituto y sus derivas a partir de mediados del siglo XX. Tal vacancia contrasta con la centralidad institucional e historiográfica que la institución revistió. Consecuentemente aspiramos a contribuir a la recuperación de la memoria institucional mediante la reconstrucción de su estructura y funcionamiento, el conocimiento de los miembros que lo componían y las actividades desarrolladas, así como referir a los vínculos trazados con otras instituciones, fundamentalmente: la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) y la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (FFyL), vínculos enmarcados en precisas coyunturas históricas.The main objective of this dossier is to reflect a significant part of the academic activity produced at the Institute of Argentine and American History "Dr. Emilio Ravignani "during the direction of Ricardo Caillet Bois (1956-1973 and 1976-1977). The history of Argentine historiography approached with different emphases, diverse problems centered on varied analytical perspectives, however there is a virtual historiographical vacuum on the performance of the Institute and its drifts from the middle of the 20th century. This vacancy contrasts with the institutional and historiographic centrality that the institution had. Consequently, we aspire to contribute to the recovery of institutional memory through the reconstruction of its structure and functioning, the knowledge of its members and the activities developed, as well as refer to the links established with other institutions, basically: the University of Buenos Aires Aires (UBA) and the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Aires (FFyL), links framed in precise historical conjunctures.Dossier: Recuperando la memoria institucional. Algunas perspectivas sobre la historia reciente del Instituto RavignaniFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación (FAHCE

Pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery mimicking a solid lesion

A 64-year-old man presented to the hospital because of hematemesis; on admission, he had weakness and pale skin, tachycardia and hypotension. Laboratory tests revealed severe anemia (hemoglobin 7.8 g/dL); liver, renal and pancreatic function tests were normal. An upper digestive endoscopy revealed a gastric ulcer of the cardia, treated with metallic clips and adrenalin injection. The patient was treated with fluids and was transfused with three units of red blood cells. In the previous two months, due to the presence of bloating and diarrhea, associated with abdominal distension, a colon-computed tomography (CT) revealed a large retroperitoneal hypodense mass, 53x37 mm in size, without contrast enhancement localized between the body and the tail of the pancreas and the stomach, near the splenic artery and without signs of infiltration. To better define the mass, endoscopic ultrasound and biopsy were performed; however histopathology of multiple biopsies was not diagnostic, because of the presence of necrotic tissue and inflammatory cells. Since hematemesis recurred, the patient underwent a second upper digestive endoscopic examination, but no source of bleeding was found. Then a new contrast enhanced CT was performed that showed a size reduction of the mass, the presence of blood in the stomach and a small pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery. Because of these findings an angiograpghic study was carried out; angiography confirmed a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm that was successfully embolized with metal microcoils

Technical-Economic Study of the Esterification Process of Used Vegetable Oils (UVOs) using Heat Exchange Networks (HENs)

The objective in this study was to conduct a technical-economic study of theesterification process of used vegetable oils (UVOs) for the production of biodiesel from the pointof view of energy savings achieved by implementing heat exchange networks (HENs). Usedvegetable oils (UVOs) can be employed as an input in the production of biodiesel by catalytictransesterification. But, previously it is necessary to reduce its level of free fat acids (FFA) by theacid-catalyzed esterification process in order to prevent undesirable saponification reaction. Tocarrying out an optimal design of the technology required in the process, simulation tools have animportant role for process engineering and optimization of resources. Computer programs such asAspen Plus and Aspen Energy Analyzer provide an environment to perform process modelingand network design optimal heat exchange. In this paper, from the Aspen Plus simulation of theprocess of catalytic esterification in acid medium of UVOs, the technical-economic evaluationprocess was conducted with and without network of heat exchange in order to analyze the differentinvestment options. The comparison of the two projects (with and without the implementation ofHENs) was performed by determining the net present value (NPV). On the scale set for the project,the total cost of the equipment of heat exchange for the esterification process designed with HENswas US$ 4,782.50 higher than the corresponding to the process without HENs application.However, it should be noted that the cost of services decreased by 30% annually, and on the otherhand, comparing the process, it was observed that the NPV of the HENs process was 29.5% higher,which leads to the conclusion that the project which includes heat exchange networks is technicallyand economically feasible.Fil: Laborde, María Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería Olavarría. Grupo Tecnologías de Semillas; ArgentinaFil: Serna Gonzalez, Medardo. Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo; MéxicoFil: Pagano, Ana Maria. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería Olavarría. Grupo Tecnologías de Semillas; ArgentinaFil: Gely, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería Olavarría. Grupo Tecnologías de Semillas; Argentin

Regulation of per and cry Genes Reveals a Central Role for the D-Box Enhancer in Light-Dependent Gene Expression

Light serves as a key environmental signal for synchronizing the circadian clock with the day night cycle. The zebrafish represents an attractive model for exploring how light influences the vertebrate clock mechanism. Direct illumination of most fish tissues and cell lines induces expression of a broad range of genes including DNA repair, stress response and key clock genes. We have previously identified D- and E-box elements within the promoter of the zebrafish per2 gene that together direct light-induced gene expression. However, is the combined regulation by E- and D-boxes a general feature for all light-induced gene expression? We have tackled this question by examining the regulation of additional light-inducible genes. Our results demonstrate that with the exception of per2, all other genes tested are not induced by light upon blocking of de novo protein synthesis. We reveal that a single D-box serves as the principal light responsive element within the cry1a promoter. Furthermore, upon inhibition of protein synthesis D-box mediated gene expression is abolished while the E-box confers light driven activation as observed in the per2 gene. Given the existence of different photoreceptors in fish cells, our results implicate the D-box enhancer as a general convergence point for light driven signaling

Evolution shapes the responsiveness of the D-box enhancer element to light and reactive oxygen species in vertebrates

The circadian clock is a highly conserved cell-autonomous mechanism that directs daily rhythms in most aspects of biology. Daily entrainment by environmental signals, notably light, is essential for its function. However, our understanding of the mechanisms and the evolution of photic entrainment remains incomplete. Fish represent attractive models for exploring how light regulates the circadian clock due to the direct light sensitivity of their peripheral clocks. Central to this property is the light induced expression of clock genes that is mediated by D-box enhancer elements. Here, using zebrafish cells, we reveal that the light responsive D-box enhancer serves as a nuclear target for reactive oxygen species (ROS). We demonstrate that exposure to short wavelengths of visible light triggers increases in ROS levels via NADPH oxidase activity. Elevated ROS activates the JNK and p38 MAP kinases and in turn, induces clock gene expression via the D-box. In blind cavefish and mammals, where peripheral clocks are no longer entrained by direct illumination, ROS levels are still increased upon light exposure. However, in these species ROS no longer induces D-box driven clock gene transcription. Thus, during evolution, alterations in ROS-responsive signal transduction pathways underlie fundamental changes in peripheral clock photoentrainment.Universidad de Ferrara | Ref. FAR2014–201