UV-A activation of peroxymonosulfate for the removal of micropollutants from secondary treated wastewater

The occurrence of micropollutants (MPs) in the aquatic environment poses a threat to the environment and to the human health. The application of sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) to eliminate these contaminants has attracted attention in recent years. In this work, the simultaneous degradation of 20 multi-class MPs (classified into 5 main categories, namely antibiotics, beta-blockers, other pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and herbicides) was evaluated for the first time in secondary treated wastewater, by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) with UV-A radiation, without any pH adjustment or iron addition. The optimal PMS concentration to remove the spiked target MPs (100 mu g L-1) from wastewater was 0.1 mM, leading to an average degradation of 80% after 60 min, with most of the elimination occurring during the first 5 min. Synergies between radiation and the oxidant were demonstrated and quantified, with an average extent of synergy of 69.1%. The optimized treatment was then tested using non-spiked wastewater, in which 12 out of the 20 target contaminants were detected. Among these, 7 were degraded at some extent, varying from 10.7% (acetamiprid) to 94.4% (ofloxacin), the lower removals being attributed to the quite inferior ratio of MPs to natural organic matter. Phytotoxicity tests carried out with the wastewater before and after photo-activated PMS oxidation revealed a decrease in the toxicity and that the plants were able to grow in the presence of the treated water. Therefore, despite the low degradation rates obtained for some MPs, the treatment effectively reduces the toxicity of the matrix, making the water safer for reuse

Life-history traits of the giant squid Architeuthis dux revealed from stable isotope signatures recorded in beaks

Peer reviewedPreprin

A deformed QRPA formalism for single and two-neutrino double beta decay

We use a deformed QRPA formalism to describe simultaneously the energy distributions of the single beta Gamow-Teller strength and the two-neutrino double beta decay matrix elements. Calculations are performed in a series of double beta decay partners with A = 48, 76, 82, 96, 100, 116, 128, 130, 136 and 150, using deformed Woods-Saxon potentials and deformed Skyrme Hartree-Fock mean fields. The formalism includes a quasiparticle deformed basis and residual spin-isospin forces in the particle-hole and particle-particle channels. We discuss the sensitivity of the parent and daughter Gamow-Teller strength distributions in single beta decay, as well as the sensitivity of the double beta decay matrix elements to the deformed mean field and to the residual interactions. Nuclear deformation is found to be a mechanism of suppression of the two-neutrino double beta decay. The double beta decay matrix elements are found to have maximum values for about equal deformations of parent and daughter nuclei. They decrease rapidly when differences in deformations increase. We remark the importance of a proper simultaneous description of both double beta decay and single Gamow-Teller strength distributions. Finally, we conclude that for further progress in the field it would be useful to improve and complete the experimental information on the studied Gamow-Teller strengths and nuclear deformations.Comment: 33 pages, 19 figures. To be published in Phys. Rev.

Genetic and serologic surveillance of rotavirus with P[8] and P[4] genotypes in feces from children in the city of Chihuahua, northern Mexico

Rotavirus vaccine was developed using the most prominent G and P genotypes circulating in children population. Therefore, severe gastroenteritis has been reduced around the world. This study investigated the G and P rotavirus genotypes circulating in children from two hospitals in the city of Chihuahua, Mexico. Additionally, polyclonal antibodies against Rotavirus Wa strain were used to determine their homotypic and heterotypic reactivity to both P[8] and P[4] genotypes. G1, G2, and G3 VP7 genotypes and P[8] and P[4] VP4 genotypes were detected in common and uncommon combinations as well as mixed infectious. The predominant combination was G1P[8]. Phylogenetic analysis of VP4 gene revealed the presence of P[8]-1 and P[8]-3 lineages of P[8] genotype and P[4]-5 lineage of P[4] genotype. All but five G1P[8] rotavirus were detected by polyclonal anti-Rotavirus Wa strain. Mutation analysis revealed differences in three of the four neutralizing epitopes previously reported to VP8* subunit of VP4 protein. Results of this study offer insights over genetic variants of field rotavirus that could be detected in a homotypic and heterotypic way by antibodies elicited to rotavirus with P[8] genotype. [Int Microbiol 2016; 19(1):27-32]Keywords: rotavirus · viral genotypes · lineages of virus · epitopes · Chihuahua, Mexico      &nbsp

Exploring the natural history of intrinsic capacity impairments: longitudinal patterns in the 10/66 study

Backgroundintrinsic capacity (IC) is a construct encompassing people’s physical and mental abilities. There is an implicit link amongst IC domains: cognition, locomotion, nutrition, sensory and psychological. However, little is known about the integration of the domains.Objectivesto investigate patterns in the presentation and evolution of IC domain impairments in low-and-middle-income countries and if such patterns were associated with adverse outcomes.Methodssecondary analyses of the first two waves of the 10/66 study (population-based surveys conducted in eight urban and four rural catchment areas in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico and China). We applied latent transition analysis on IC to find latent statuses (latent clusters) of IC domain impairments. We evaluated the longitudinal association of the latent statuses with the risk of frailty, disability and mortality, and tested concurrent and predictive validity.Resultsamongst 14,923 participants included, the four latent statuses were: high IC (43%), low deterioration with impaired locomotion (17%), high deterioration without cognitive impairment (22%), and high deterioration with cognitive impairment (18%). A total of 61% of the participants worsened over time, 35% were stable, and 3% improved to a healthier status.Participants with deteriorated IC had a significantly higher risk of frailty, disability and dementia than people with high IC. There was strong concurrent and predictive validity. (Mortality Hazard Ratio = 4.60, 95%CI 4.16; 5.09; Harrel’s C = 0.73 (95%CI 0.72;0.74)).Conclusionshalf of the study population had high IC at baseline, and most participants followed a worsening trend. Four qualitatively different IC statuses or statuses were characterised by low and high levels of deterioration associated with their risk of disability and frailty. Locomotion and cognition impairments showed other trends than psychological and nutrition domains across the latent statuses

Patrones de distribución de los caprélidos intermareales y de aguas someras asociados a macroalgas de la Península Ibérica

This study investigated the patterns of caprellids associated with macroalgae from the intertidal and shallow waters (0-5 m) of the Iberian Peninsula. Nineteen stations and 250 samples of algae demonstrated the presence of 46 algal species (22 intertidal and 24 subtidal). Eleven caprellid species dwelled in th ese macroalgae with Caprella penantis and C. acanthifera being the most abundant species. Caprella acanthifera , Phtisica marina and Pseudoprotella phasma inhabited the whole Peninsula; C. danilevskii , C. equilibra , C. fretensis and C. penantis showed Atlantic distribution, whereas C. grandimana , C. hirsuta , C. liparotensis and Deutella schieckei inhabited only Mediterranean sites and the Strait of Gibraltar. Caprellid species demonstrated low substrate specificity and associated themselves with many species of algae. Subtidal subtrates contained higher numbers of caprellid species than intertidal substrates. The highest number of caprellid species occurred on the algae Stypocaulon scoparium , Cystoseira spp., Corallina elongata , Jania rubens , Codium vermilara , Cladostephus spongiosus and Asparagopsis armata . Caprellid abundances were very high, both in the intertidal and shallow subtidal zones, reaching 12200 ind/ 1000 ml alga. In fact, caprellids are one of the dominant groups of associated fauna in the intertidal in comparison with other taxa. In spite of the high densities, caprellid diversity (in terms of number of species) in the intertidal and very shallow bottoms of the Iberian Peninsula is very low (11 species) in comparison with total caprellid diversity including deeper areas >5 m (ca. 40 species). Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that temperature and conductivity are the environmental variables that explain a clear Atlantic-Mediterranean gradient for caprellid distribution.Se estudió el patrón de caprélidos asociados a macroalgas del intermareal y aguas someras (0-5 m) de la Península Ibérica. Un total de 19 estaciones y 250 muestras de algas reflejaron la presencia de 46 especies de algas (22 intermareales y 24 submareales). Once especies de caprélidos se asociaron a estas macroalgas, siendo Caprella penantis y C. acanthifera las más abundantes. Caprella acanthifera , Phtisica marina y Pseudoprotella phasma se distribuyeron por toda la Península; C. danilevskii , C. equilibra , C. fretensis y C. penantis mostraron distribución Atlántica, mientras que C. grandimana , C. hirsuta , C. liparotensis y Deutella schieckei se encontraron sólo en el Mediterráneo y el Estrecho de Gibraltar. Los caprélidos mostraron baja especificidad por el sustrato y se asociaron a distintas especies de algas. Los sustratos submareales albergaron mayor número de especies que los intermareales. Las mayores diversidades de especies se encontraron en las algas Stypocaulon scoparium , Cystoseira spp., Corallina elongata , Jania rubens , Codium vermilara , Cladostephus spongiosus y Asparagosis armata . Las abundancias registradas fueron muy altas, tanto en el intermareal como el submareal, alcanzando los 12200 ind/1000 ml de alga. De hecho, los caprélidos constituyen uno de los grupos dominantes de fauna asociada en el intermareal en comparación con otros taxa. A pesar de las altas densidades, la diversidad de los caprélidos (en términos de número de especies) en el intermareal y submareal somero de la Península Ibérica es bajo (11 espe- cies) si se compara con la diversidad total de caprélidos incluyendo aguas más profundas > 5 m (ca. 40 especies). El Análisis Canónico de Correspondencias mostró que la temperatura y la conductividad son las variables ambientales que mejor explican el claro gradiente Atlántico-Mediterráneo de distribución de caprélidos

Evidencias mineralógicas y geoquímicas de mezcla incompleta de magmas en la Sierra de las Cruces, Cinturón Volcánico Mexicano

Pliocene – Pleistocene lava flows, mainly of dacitic composition, are exposed in the Sierra de las Cruces (SC) volcanic range within the Mexican Volcanic Belt (MVB). SC volcanic rocks are porphyritic, generally containing an assemblage of plagioclase + amphibole + orthopyroxene ± clinopyroxene ± quartz ± Fe-Ti oxides. Most of them exhibit diverse mineralogical and geochemical features that attest a magma mixing and mingling processes with concomitant fractional crystallization in which a small volume of hot andesite magma injects into dacitic magma. Both rock types are probably derived from partial melting of continental crust at different levels. The evidences of magma mixing and mingling include: (a) normal and sieved plagioclases in the same sample, rounded and embayed crystals, and armoured rims over the dissolved crystal surfaces; (b) subrounded, vesicular magmatic enclaves, ranging from a few millimeters to ~20 centimeters in size, with plagioclase + orthopyroxene + amphibole + quartz ± olivine ± Fe-Ti-oxides assemblage; (c) mineral chemistry evidence such as crystals with reaction rims or heterogeneous plagioclase compositions (inverse and oscillatory zoning or normally and inversely zoned crystals) in the same sample; and (d) elemental geochemical variations and trace-element ratio more akin to magma mixing and to some extent diffusion process. These andesitic enclaves could be considered as portions of the intermediate magma that did not mix completely (mingling) with the felsic host lavas, confirming the major role of magma mixing and mingling processes in the overall evolution of the MVBEn la Sierra de las Cruces (SC), Cinturón Volcánico Mexicano (CVM), se encuentran expuestos flujos de lava, principalmente de composición dacítica, del Plioceno-Pleistoceno. Las rocas volcánicas de la SC son de textura porfirítica, conteniendo plagioclasa + anfibol + ortopiroxeno ± clinopiroxeno ± cuarzo ± óxidos de Fe-Ti. La mayor parte de ellas exhiben diversas características que indican un proceso de mezcla incompleta de magmas, con una cristalización fraccionada concomitante, en la que un pequeño volumen de un magma andesítico caliente es inyectado a un magma dacítico. Es probable que ambos tipos de roca se hayan generado por fusión parcial a diferentes niveles de la corteza continental. Las evidencias de la mezcla incompleta de magmas incluyen: (a) plagioclasas con texturas normal y anubarrada en la misma muestra, cristales redondeados y corroídos, y bordes de reacción en superficies de cristal disueltas; (b) enclaves magmáticos subredondeados y vesiculares, que ocurren en dimensiones de un pocos milímetros a ~20 centímetros de diámetro, con plagioclasa + ortopiroxeno + anfíbol + cuarzo ± olivino ± óxidos de Fe-Ti; (c) química de minerales, que incluye cristales con bordes de reacción o plagioclasas de composición heterogénea (zonación inversa y oscilatoria o cristales con zonación normal e inversa) en la misma muestra; y (d) variaciones geoquímicas de elementos y relaciones de elementos traza explicables por una mezcla de magmas y por un proceso de difusión. Los enclaves andesíticos podrían considerarse como porciones de magma intermedio que no se mezcló con los líquidos dacíticos receptores, lo que confirma la importancia de los procesos de mezcla incompleta de magmas en la evolución magmática del CV

Residuos de la industria de refinación de aceite de soya como fuente potencial de sustancias bioactivas

El aprovechamiento de residuos industriales es una demanda prioritaria a nivel nacional e internacional, por cuestiones de sustentabilidad, ya que la enorme producción de los mismos es una consecuencia natural de la actividad humana. Puntualmente, de la etapa de desodorización en el proceso de refinación de aceite de semillas oleaginosas se obtiene un subproducto denominado genéricamente ácidos grasos destilados (AGD´s), el cual, es objeto de estudio de esta revisión. Varios autores reportan que dicho subproducto resulta ser rico en fitoesteroles, tocoferoles y escualeno, que son sustancias bioactivas ya que producen efectos hipocolesterolémicos, antioxidantes y emolientes entre otros; por lo tanto, se les considera útiles en la prevención de enfermedades cardiovasculares y degenerativa