Aporte de la biorremediación para solucionar problemas de contaminación y su relación con el desarrollo sostenible

Introduction: Bioremediation is an alternative to traditional physico-chemical techniques for the remediation of compounds that pollute the environment. Objective: To review the application of bioremediation and its contribution to the fulfillment of one of the objectives of sustainable development. Materials and methods: A descriptive study was made by means of documentary review about the possibilities and limitations of biotechnology in the treatment of problems of contamination. Results: Among the main technologies that have been registered since the decade of 1970, bioremediation has proven to be profitable and efficient in the removal of certain pollutants. Conclusions: Despite the benefits of bioremediation technologies, there are some difficulties in the application due to the restrictions imposed by the substrate and environmental variability, the limited potential of biodegradation and the viability of microorganisms of natural origin, among others

Bordetella parapertussis Circumvents Neutrophil Extracellular Bactericidal Mechanisms

B. parapertussis is a whooping cough etiological agent with the ability to evade the immune response induced by pertussis vaccines. We previously demonstrated that in the absence of opsonic antibodies B. parapertussis hampers phagocytosis by neutrophils and macrophages and, when phagocytosed, blocks intracellular killing by interfering with phagolysosomal fusion. But neutrophils can kill and/or immobilize extracellular bacteria through nonphagocytic mechanisms such as degranulation and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In this study we demonstrated that B. parapertussis also has the ability to circumvent these two neutrophil extracellular bactericidal activities. The lack of neutrophil degranulation was found dependent on the O antigen that targets the bacteria to cell lipid rafts, eventually avoiding the fusion of nascent phagosomes with specific and azurophilic granules. IgG opsonization overcame this inhibition of neutrophil degranulation. We further observed that B. parapertussis did not induce NETs release in resting neutrophils and inhibited NETs formation in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulation by a mechanism dependent on adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA)-mediated inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Thus, B. parapertussis modulates neutrophil bactericidal activity through two different mechanisms, one related to the lack of proper NETs-inducer stimuli and the other one related to an active inhibitory mechanism. Together with previous results these data suggest that B. parapertussis has the ability to subvert the main neutrophil bactericidal functions, inhibiting efficient clearance in non-immune hosts.Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones IndustrialesInstituto de Biotecnologia y Biologia Molecula

Bordetella parapertussis Circumvents Neutrophil Extracellular Bactericidal Mechanisms

B. parapertussis is a whooping cough etiological agent with the ability to evade the immune response induced by pertussis vaccines. We previously demonstrated that in the absence of opsonic antibodies B. parapertussis hampers phagocytosis by neutrophils and macrophages and, when phagocytosed, blocks intracellular killing by interfering with phagolysosomal fusion. But neutrophils can kill and/or immobilize extracellular bacteria through nonphagocytic mechanisms such as degranulation and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In this study we demonstrated that B. parapertussis also has the ability to circumvent these two neutrophil extracellular bactericidal activities. The lack of neutrophil degranulation was found dependent on the O antigen that targets the bacteria to cell lipid rafts, eventually avoiding the fusion of nascent phagosomes with specific and azurophilic granules. IgG opsonization overcame this inhibition of neutrophil degranulation. We further observed that B. parapertussis did not induce NETs release in resting neutrophils and inhibited NETs formation in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulation by a mechanism dependent on adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA)-mediated inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Thus, B. parapertussis modulates neutrophil bactericidal activity through two different mechanisms, one related to the lack of proper NETs-inducer stimuli and the other one related to an active inhibitory mechanism. Together with previous results these data suggest that B. parapertussis has the ability to subvert the main neutrophil bactericidal functions, inhibiting efficient clearance in non-immune hosts.Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones IndustrialesInstituto de Biotecnologia y Biologia Molecula

UAV human teleoperation using event-based and frame-based cameras

Teleoperation is a crucial aspect for human-robot interaction with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) applications. Fast perception processing is required to ensure robustness, precision, and safety. Event cameras are neuromorphic sensors that provide low latency response, high dynamic range and low power consumption. Although classical image-based methods have been extensively used for human-robot interaction tasks, responsiveness is limited by their processing rates. This paper presents a human-robot teleoperation scheme for UAVs that exploits the advantages of both traditional and event cameras. The proposed scheme was tested in teleoperation missions where the pose of a multirotor robot is controlled in real time using human gestures detected from events.European Union (UE). H2020 2019-87147Consejo Europeo de Investigación 78824

Design of a biofertilizer based on okara fermentated with Bacillus licheniformis

Bacillus licheniformis is a Gram-positive, soil bacterium used in the biotechnology industry to manufacture industrial enzymes including several proteases, amylase, lipases, chitinases, etc. These enzymes have a wide range of application in food and detergent industry. However, this organism may have other applications in the environmental field, thus marketed biological products for agriculture with biofertilizer capacity have been formulated based on Bacillus licheniformis and/or isolated extracellular enzymes that contribute to nutrient cycling in nature, which is responsible for the biofertilizer function. The objective of this work is to obtain a new product based on Bacillus licheniformis and hydrolytic enzymes with environmental applications. In order to obtain this product we have chosen an organic byproduct of low economic value, the okara obtained in large scale in the production of soy milk as fermentation source. The okara has also a great potential as a fertilizer because it has high concentrations of organic nitrogen and phosphorus, but has a problem because it is poorly bioavailable because it is insoluble and proteins and carbohydrates are high molecular weight. Briefly, the optimal fermentation conditions (pH, temperature, substrate concentration) has been determined, which has led to obtain a new product with agronomic/environmental applications, with three important features: 1. Total solubility, biopolymers have been hydrolysed (peptides, glucose, fatty acid) 2. High production of hydrolytic enzymes (protease, amylase and lipase) 3. High bacterial concentration (Bacillus licheniformis) Chemical and microbiological characterization of this new product has been made, and its biofertilization activity has been tested

Análisis de viabilidad financiera empresa Distribuidora XYZ

Trabajo de InvestigaciónComo parte del objeto de este trabajo de investigación se recopiló la suficiente información sobre estudios de casos de viabilidad y diagnóstico financiero empresarial relacionados con el sector de autopartes y mantenimiento de vehículos. Se realizaron una serie de análisis y proyecciones financieras que nos ayudaron a establecer la viabilidad financiera de la empresa Distribuidora XYZ, la cual se constituyó hace ya dos años y cuenta con dos sucursales en la ciudad de BogotáIntroducción 1. Resumen 2. Marco teórico 3. Objetivos 4. Diseño metodológico 5. Cronograma de actividades 6. Resultados de la investigación 7. Conclusiones Bibliografía AnexosEspecializaciónEspecialista en Análisis y Administración Financier

A Comparison between Frame-based and Event-based Cameras for Flapping-Wing Robot Perception

Perception systems for ornithopters face severe challenges. The harsh vibrations and abrupt movements caused during flapping are prone to produce motion blur and strong lighting condition changes. Their strict restrictions in weight, size, and energy consumption also limit the type and number of sensors to mount onboard. Lightweight traditional cameras have become a standard off-the-shelf solution in many flapping-wing designs. However, bioinspired event cameras are a promising solution for ornithopter perception due to their microsecond temporal resolution, high dynamic range, and low power consumption. This paper presents an experimental comparison between frame-based and an event-based camera. Both technologies are analyzed considering the particular flapping-wing robot specifications and also experimentally analyzing the performance of well-known vision algorithms with data recorded onboard a flapping-wing robot. Our results suggest event cameras as the most suitable sensors for ornithopters. Nevertheless, they also evidence the open challenges for event-based vision on board flapping-wing robots

Superhydrophobic supported Ag-NPs@ZnO-nanorods with photoactivity in the visible range

In this article we present a new type of 1D nanostructures consisting of supported hollow ZnO nanorods (NRs) decorated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs). The 3D reconstruction by high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) electron tomography reveals that the Ag NPs are distributed along the hollow interior of the ZnO NRs. Supported and vertically aligned Ag-NPs@ZnO-NRs grow at low temperature (135 °C) by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition on heterostructured substrates fabricated by sputtered deposition of silver on flat surfaces of Si wafers, quartz slides or ITO. The growth mechanisms of these structures and their wetting behavior before and after visible light irradiation are critically discussed. The as prepared surfaces are superhydrophobic with water contact angles higher than 150°. These surfaces turn into superhydrophilic with water contact angles lower than 10° after prolonged irradiation under both visible and UV light. The evolution rate of the wetting angle and its dependence on the light characteristics are related to the nanostructure and the presence of silver embedded within the ZnO NRs. ÂEuropean Union NMP3-CT-2006- 032583Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación MAT2010-21228, MAT2010-18447, CSD2008-00023Junta de Andalucía P09-TEP-5283, CTS-518

Iberian pig efficiency peeling acorns

A functional character of Iberian pigs is their efficiency peeling acorns. This is analized with Iberian pigs on a sample of 40 evergreen oaks. The result is showed as percentage of pulp DM refuse and pulp weigh refuse (18.94±1.19% versus 0.53±0.04 g) with a high variation likely influenced by morphology and weight differences between acorns.Una de las características funcionales del cerdo Ibérico es su eficiencia al pelar las bellotas. Ésta se analiza a partir de cerdos Ibéricos y sobre muestras de 40 encinas. El resultado obtenido, porcentaje de desperdicio de MS de pulpa y peso de la MS de pulpa desperdiciada por bellota (18,94±1,19% versus 0,53±0,04 g) presenta una alta variación previsiblemente influenciada por las diferencias de la morfología y peso de las bellotas

Water-Repellent Fluoropolymer-Based Coatings

We would like to thank to the company TECNIMACOR S.L. (Córdoba, Spain) for the preparation of the coatings studied in this work.Fluoropolymer-based coatings are widely used for release applications. However, these hydrophobic surfaces do not reveal a significantly low adhesion. Water repellency incorporated to fluoropolymer coatings might enhance their release performance. In this work, we focused on the surface texturing of a well-known polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based coating. We explored as texturing routes: sanding, sandblasting and laser ablation. We examined the surface roughness with white light confocal microscopy and the surface morphology with environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Water-repellent fluoropolymer coatings were reproduced in all cases, although with different degree, parametrized with bounces of water drops (4–5 μL). Laser ablation enabled the lowest adhesion of coatings with 24 ± 2 bounces. This result and the current development of laser patterning for industry assure the incipient use of laser ablation for release coatings.The research was funded by the projects MAT2014-60615-R and MAT2017-82182-R, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO-FEDER)