Efecto de diferentes tratamientos químicos en las características sorbentes de residuos derivados de la industria olivarera

En este trabajo se han caracterizado, mediante técnicas potenciométricas y análisis de IR, tres residuos de la industria olivarera (hueso de aceituna, alpeorujo y ramón del olivo) para su aplicación como biosorbentes de metales pesados antes y después de ser sometidos a diversos tratamientos químicos. Las titulaciones potenciométricas y los espectros de IR han mostrado que, tanto para el hueso de aceituna como para el ramón, el tratamiento con NaOH aumenta considerablemente la concentración de grupos activos y esto se ha manifestado en un aumento de la capacidad de bioadsorción de plomo. Así, en el caso del hueso y para una concentración inicial de Pb(II) de 80 mg/L, la capacidad de bioadsorción ha pasado de 3,54 mg/g para el hueso sin tratar a 7,32 mg/g para el hueso tratado. Para el alpeorujo, aunque la concentración de grupos activos es mayor en el sólido sin tratar o tratado con hexano, la capacidad de bioadsorciones mayor para el alpeorujo tratado con NaOH.En general, el tratamiento con HCl y con agua destilada ha eliminado los componentes solubles de los residuos, por lo que la concentración total de grupos activos es menor, siendo esta disminución muy notable en el alpeorujo y el ramón

Cinética de la biosorción de Cr(VI) con hueso de aceituna

En este trabajo se ha estudiado la cinética de biosorción de cromo(VI) usando hueso de aceituna como sólido sorbente.Los resultados muestran que el Cr(VI) es en parte retirado por el hueso y en parte reducido a Cr(III) y que, a partir de un tiempo de contacto próximo a 300 minutos, el porcentaje retirado de Cr(VI) y Cr total se mantiene constante, lo que indica que no se produce ninguno de los dos procesos. Así mismo, la capacidad de eliminación de Cr (VI) que tiene el hueso de aceituna disminuye con el aumento del pH, siendo este descenso mucho más acusado a pH>2. Para el Cr total los valores de la capacidad de eliminación resultan inferiores a los obtenidos para Cr(VI), lo que pone de manifiesto el efecto dela reducción de Cr(VI) a Cr(III). Los resultados experimentalesse han ajustado a los modelos de pseudo-primer orden, pseudo-segundo orden, Elovich y difusión intraparticular, siendo el modelo de pseudo-segundo orden el que mejor reproduce la cinética del proceso en todas las condiciones experimentales utilizadas. Finalmente, el efecto de la temperatura en la cinética del proceso muestra que, para Cr(VI), la capacidad de biosorción y la constante cinética aumentan cuando la  temperatura se eleva de 25 a 60 ºC, permaneciendo ambos parámetros prácticamente constantes cuando la temperaturaaumenta hasta 80 ºC

Alumnos de nuevo ingreso en ingeniería: un análisis de competencias matemáticas básicas

En este trabajo se realiza un estudio estadístico descriptivo de los resultados que el alumnado en el grado de ingeniería informática de la Universidad Pablo de Olavide obtuvieron al resolver las cuestiones que les fueron planteadas en un aprueba inicial, al comienzo del curso académico, donde se planteaban cuestiones para obtener información sobre el nivel de competencias matemáticas básicas a nivel de secundaria que tales alumnos tenían. Además, a mediados del curso, al comienzo del segundo cuatrimestre se realizó una nueva prueba de control para ver la evolución del alumnado en cuestión después de haber cursado un semestre de álgebra o cálculo

Analizando competencias matemáticas en alumnos de nuevo ingreso en ingeniería

Este trabajo un estudio estadístico descriptivo de los resultados obtenidos por el alumnado en Ingeniería Informática de la Universidad Pablo de Olavide al resolver las cuestiones planteadas en una prueba inicial de nivel sobre competencias matemáticas básicas a nivel de Secundaria. A mediados del curso se realizó una nueva prueba de control para ver la evolución de los alumnos después de haber cursado un semestre de Álgebra o Cálculo

Un paseo por la historia de la Teoría de Juegos

Mostramos la evolución histórica de la Teoría de Juegos desde los primeros atisbos en el s. XVIII hasta su formulación formal y estudio en profundidad en relación a cuestiones de índole económico, político y social. Nos centraremos tanto en los inicios como en el punto álgido de esta teoría: la década de 1950. Para mostrar la relevancia alcanzada por esta rama del conocimiento, indicamos algunos hitos posteriores al período temporal aquí tratado, como son su importancia durante la Guerra Fría o la concesión de cuatro Premios Nobel de Economía por avances en este campo.We show the historical evolution of Game Theory, from the eighteenth century with its first traces; and we have looked over the time line until reaching the mathematical formulation of games and the in-depth study of Game Theory, in relation with economical, political or social issues. We have focused on the origin of Game Theory and the climax where regular research starts in the 1950s. To show its importance, we have commented some milestones following the period considered here, e.g., its relevance during the Cold War or the four Nobel Prizes in Economic Sciences for advances in this discipline

¿Cómo explicar matemáticas sin hacer uso de las matemáticas en el contexto de las aulas de mayores? [How to explain mathematical contents to senior people but not using maths?]

La práctica totalidad de las universidades españolas han desarrollado planes de estudios no reglados dirigidos a personas que han superado los 55 años y que bien no pudieron acceder a estudios universitarios bien quieren volver a reengancharse a la vida universitaria. En general, los contenidos a tratar en estas aulas deben estar relacionados con el conocimiento generado y trabajado en el ámbito universitario, pero utilizando un lenguaje y aproximación que evite tecnicismos y academicismos. Esto conlleva un cambio de enfoque a la hora de enseñar matemáticas a este colectivo de estudiantes. En el presente trabajo presentamos algunas de las experiencias que hemos realizado bajo este paradigma, indicando algunas de las problemáticas a las que nos hemos enfrentado para elaborar las sesiones y materiales de trabajo. [Almost all the Spanish universities have implemented non-regulated study programs for senior people (i.e. 55-year or older people). The goal of these programs is to allow these people to get the opportunity of access to university studies for those that couldn’t study in the university or those that want to return again to the university life. In general, contents to be considered for this teaching should be related to the knowledge that university produces, but using a language and approach avoiding technicality and academicism. This leads to change the way to explain and approach mathematics when preparing lectures for this student collective. In this paper, we present some experiences that were performed under this teaching paradigm when explaining mathematics to senior people, commenting some of the difficulties to be faced during the preparation of the lectures and materials.

The lack of the TetR-like repressor gene BCG_2177c (Rv2160A) may help mycobacteria overcome intracellular redox stress and survive longer inside macrophages when surrounded by a lipid environment

Mycobacteria, like other microorganisms, survive under different environmental variations by expressing an efficient adaptive response, oriented by regulatory elements, such as transcriptional repressors of the TetR family. These repressors in mycobacteria also appear to be related to cholesterol metabolism. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of a fatty acid (oleic–palmitic–stearic)/cholesterol mixture on some phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of a tetR-mutant strain (BCG_2177c mutated gene) of M. bovis BCG, a homologous of Rv2160A of M. tuberculosis. In order to accomplish this, we have analyzed the global gene expression of this strain by RNA-seq and evaluated its neutral-lipid storage capacity and potential to infect macrophages. We have also determined the macrophage response by measuring some pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine expressions. In comparison with wild-type microorganisms, we showed that the mutation in the BCG_2177c gene did not affect the growth of M. bovis BCG in the presence of lipids but it probably modified the structure/composition of its cell envelope. Compared to with dextrose, an overexpression of the transcriptome of the wild-type and mutant strains was observed when these mycobacteria were cultured in lipids, mainly at the exponential phase. Twelve putative intracellular redox balance maintenance genes and four others coding for putative transcriptional factors (including WhiB6 and three TetR-like) were the main elements repeatedly overexpressed when cultured in the presence of lipids. These genes belonged to the central part of what we called the “genetic lipid signature” for M. bovis BCG. We have also found that all these mycobacteria genotypic changes affected the outcome of BCG-infected macrophages, being the mutant strain most adapted to persist longer inside the host. This high persistence result was also confirmed when mutant-infected macrophages showed overexpression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-ß versus pro-inflammatory cytokines. In summary, the lack of this TetR-like repressor expression, within a lipid environment, may help mycobacteria overcome intracellular redox stress and survive longer inside their host

The interplay between ionized gas and massive stars in the HII galaxy IIZw70: integral field spectroscopy with PMAS

We performed an integral field spectroscopic study for the HII galaxy IIZw70 in order to investigate the interplay between its ionized interstellar medium (ISM) and the massive star formation (SF). Observations were taken in the optical spectral range (3700-6800 A) with the Potsdam Multi-Aperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS) attached to the 3.5 m telescope at CAHA. We created and analysed maps of spatially distributed emission-lines, continuum emission and properties of the ionized ISM (e.g. physical-chemical conditions, dust extinction, kinematics). We investigated the relation of these properties to the spatial distribution and evolutionary stage of the massive stars. For the first time we have detected the presence of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in this galaxy. The peak of the ionized gas emission coincides with the location of the WR bump. The region of the galaxy with lower dust extinction corresponds to the region that shows the lowest values of velocity dispersion and radial velocity. The overall picture suggests that the ISM of this region is being disrupted via photoionization and stellar winds, leading to a spatial decoupling between gas+stars and dust clouds. The bulk of dust appears to be located at the boundaries of the region occupied by the probable ionizing cluster. We also found that this region is associated to the nebular emission in HeII4686 and to the intensity maximum of most emission lines. This indicates that the hard ionizing radiation responsible for the HeII4686 nebular emission can be related to the youngest stars. Within $\sim$ 0.4 x 0.3 kpc^2 in the central burst, we derived O/H using direct determinations of Te[OIII]. We found abundances in the range 12+log(O/H)=7.65-8.05, yielding an error-weighted mean of 12+log(O/H)=7.86 $\pm$0.05.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, minor changes adde

Integral field spectroscopy of selected areas of the Bright Bar and Orion-S cloud in the Orion Nebula

We present integral field spectroscopy of two selected zones in the Orion Nebula obtained with the Potsdam Multi-Aperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS), covering the optical spectral range from 3500 to 7200 A and with a spatial resolution of 1". The observed zones are located on the prominent Bright Bar and on the brightest area at the northeast of the Orion South cloud, both containing remarkable ionization fronts. We obtain maps of emission line fluxes and ratios, electron density and temperatures, and chemical abundances. We study the ionization structure and morphology of both fields, which ionization fronts show different inclination angles with respect to the plane of the sky. We find that the maps of electron density, O+/H+ and O/H ratios show a rather similar structure. We interpret this as produced by the strong dependence on density of the [OII] lines used to derive the O+ abundance, and that our nominal values of electron density-derived from the [SII] line ratio-may be slightly higher than the appropriate value for the O+ zone. We measure the faint recombination lines of OII in the field at the northeast of the Orion South cloud allowing us to explore the so-called abundance discrepancy problem. We find a rather constant abundance discrepancy across the field and a mean value similar to that determined in other areas of the Orion Nebula, indicating that the particular physical conditions of this ionization front do not contribute to this discrepancy.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

A study of the interplay between ionized gas and star clusters in the central region of NGC 5253 with 2D spectroscopy

ABRIDGED: A detailed 2D study of the central region of NGC5253 has been performed to characterize the stellar and ionized gas structure as well as the extinction distribution, physical properties and kinematics of the ionized gas in the central ~210pc x 130pc. We utilized optical integral field spectroscopy (IFS) data obtained with FLAMES. A detailed extinction map for the ionized gas in NGC5253 shows that the largest extinction is associated with the prominent Giant HII region. There is an offset of ~0.5" between the peak of the optical continuum and the extinction peak in agreement with findings in the infrared. We found that stars suffer less extinction than gas by a factor of 0.33. The [SII]l6717/[SII]l6731 map shows an electron density (N_e) gradient declining from the peak of emission in Ha (790cm^-3) outwards, while the argon line ratio traces areas with $N_e~4200 - 6200cm^(-3). The area polluted with extra nitrogen, as deduced from the excess [NII]/Ha, extends up to distances of 3.3" (~60pc) from the maximum pollution, which is offset by ~1.5" from the peak of continuum emission. Wolf-Rayet features are distributed in an irregular pattern over a larger area (~100pc x 100pc) and associated with young stellar clusters. We measured He^+ abundances over most of the field of view and values of He^++/H^+<~0.0005 in localized areas which do not coincide, in general, with the areas presenting W-R emission or extra nitrogen. The line profiles are complex. Up to three emission components were needed to reproduce them. One of them, associated with the giant HII region, presents supersonic widths and [NII] and [SII] emission lines shifted up to 40km/s with respect to Ha. Similarly, one of the narrow components presents offsets in the [NII] line of <~20km/s. This is the first time that maps with such velocity offsets for a starburst galaxy have been presented.Comment: accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 21 pages, 22 figure