Analyzing materials in the microscopes: From the Sorby thin sections up to the nondestructive large chambers

Proceedings of The Fifth Saudi International Meeting on Frontiers of Physics (SIMFP2016)One hundred and sixty five years ago, Henry Clifton Sorby developed a revolutionary technique to prepare thin and polished sections of rocks and minerals to be observed by transmission and reflectance in the optical polarized light microscopes. Nowadays, Sorby¿s methods are still employed for near all inorganic materials with scarce modifications. The optical microscopy subject is essential for rocks analysis; it is an irreplaceable technique for specific complex samples, such as twinned-exsolved feldspars and it must be preserved in the geosciences curriculum. However, for many valuable and common specimens we observe a strong growing of non-destructive techniques coupled to the large chambers of modern microscopes including new chemical, molecular, luminescent, metrical, imaging and structural probes. Suitable explanations for the thin sections decreasing in research laboratories could be: (i) the undesirable cutting of the specimen; (ii) the contamination of surfaces by abrasives and glues; (iii) the etching with dangerous acids; (iv) the slow and painful works of cutting, grinding and polishing specimens; (v) the necessary protection of valuable specimens, (vi) the need for immediate analytical results.Peer Reviewe

Descripción y cuantificación de las intervenciones farmacoterapéuticas al ingreso de los pacientes en un centro sociosanitario

Introducción: La atención sociosanitaria es una evaluación multidimensional e interdisciplinar para mejorar la calidad de vida del paciente institucionalizado. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir y cuantificar las intervenciones realizadas por un farmacéutico al ingreso de pacientes en un centro sociosanitario (CSS).  Método: Estudio unicéntrico y prospectivo de 20 meses de duración realizado en un CSS de 251 camas. Se incluyeron 3 modalidades de atención sociosanitaria (ancianos pernocta, centro terapéutico-ocupacional pernocta y gravemente afectados). Los datos se obtuvieron de la historia clínica electrónica y se registraron variables relacionadas con el paciente (fecha nacimiento, sexo, insuficiencia renal, índice de Charlson, registro de alergias) y con el tratamiento (número de fármacos prescritos al ingreso en el CSS e interacciones, número de fármacos monitorizables farmacocinéticamente, recomendaciones de farmacovigilancia y seguridad, problemas relacionados con los medicamentos (PRM) detectados y las adaptaciones a guía farmacoterapéutica). Para el análisis estadístico, se utilizó el programa SPSS.  Resultados: Se incluyeron 172 ingresos, con una edad media de 78,4 años (DS: 17,7 años) y el 65,1% fueron mujeres. La media de fármacos prescritos por paciente fue de 9,5 (DS: 4,4). En el 51,7% de los pacientes se detectó al menos un PRM, con una media de 3,2 PRM/paciente. En el 64,5% de los ingresos se realizaron adaptaciones a la guía farmacoterapéutica, con una media de 1,3 adaptaciones/paciente.  Conclusiones: El farmacéutico realiza numerosas intervenciones en un CSS, como las adaptaciones a guía y la detección de PRM, resaltando la importancia de su presencia y su conciliación entre niveles asistenciales

Descripción y cuantificación de las intervenciones farmacoterapéuticas al ingreso de los pacientes en un centro sociosanitario

Introducción: La atención sociosanitaria es una evaluación multidimensional e interdisciplinar para mejorar la calidad de vida del paciente institucionalizado. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir y cuantificar las intervenciones realizadas por un farmacéutico al ingreso de pacientes en un centro sociosanitario (CSS).  Método: Estudio unicéntrico y prospectivo de 20 meses de duración realizado en un CSS de 251 camas. Se incluyeron 3 modalidades de atención sociosanitaria (ancianos pernocta, centro terapéutico-ocupacional pernocta y gravemente afectados). Los datos se obtuvieron de la historia clínica electrónica y se registraron variables relacionadas con el paciente (fecha nacimiento, sexo, insuficiencia renal, índice de Charlson, registro de alergias) y con el tratamiento (número de fármacos prescritos al ingreso en el CSS e interacciones, número de fármacos monitorizables farmacocinéticamente, recomendaciones de farmacovigilancia y seguridad, problemas relacionados con los medicamentos (PRM) detectados y las adaptaciones a guía farmacoterapéutica). Para el análisis estadístico, se utilizó el programa SPSS.  Resultados: Se incluyeron 172 ingresos, con una edad media de 78,4 años (DS: 17,7 años) y el 65,1% fueron mujeres. La media de fármacos prescritos por paciente fue de 9,5 (DS: 4,4). En el 51,7% de los pacientes se detectó al menos un PRM, con una media de 3,2 PRM/paciente. En el 64,5% de los ingresos se realizaron adaptaciones a la guía farmacoterapéutica, con una media de 1,3 adaptaciones/paciente.  Conclusiones: El farmacéutico realiza numerosas intervenciones en un CSS, como las adaptaciones a guía y la detección de PRM, resaltando la importancia de su presencia y su conciliación entre niveles asistenciales

Effect of Type of Biomass used in the Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Microalgae on the Bio Crude Yields and Quality

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is an energy-efficient technology that converts biomass with high moisture content, such as lignocellulosic material and aquatic biomass, into bio-oil which can be used as a precursor in the production of renewable biofuels. The current state of technology is mostly at a laboratory scale with relatively low Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). Most HTL research takes place in batch reaction systems, but there is growing interest in scaling up the technology through the use of continuous units. The process is influenced by several factors and operational parameters, which affect the performance of the process in terms of production and bio-oil quality. HTL is highly dependent on the type of biomass used. The main advantages in relation to other thermochemical processes is the possibility of using wet biomass, avoiding the high cost of the drying process. In this work several types of biomasses were studied, different types of micro algae (i. e. Spirulina, Chlorella Vulgaris, algae grown in industrial effluents), and grass. Growing microalgae has a significant cost in the production process of liquid biofuels. So, it was also tested algae cultivated in industrial effluents which has advantages from an economic and environmental point of view. Also, the grass wastes, have high moisture content and so its adequate to be process in HTL. In all the tests, four different products were obtained: gases, aqueous and organic (biocrude) products and solids. All these fractions were characterized to suggest their most favourable application. The gases were mainly composed of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide and Hydrocarbons until C4. Bio oil composition was the parameter most affected by biomass type. So, when microalgae were used, it was observed higher content of nitrogenous compounds, like pyrroles, indoles, pyrazines and other nitrogen-containing compounds, probably formed from the protein fraction of the algae. In all the bio-oils it was also detected the presence of oxygenated compounds, such as ketones, esters, phenols, fatty acids, alcohols, that maybe were produced from the lipids and carbohydrates. Hydrocarbons, including alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and aromatics compounds were also present. The composition of the biomass used has a higher effect on the bio-oil composition, so it is important an extensive characterization of the feedstock in order to select the best raw material to be used in HTL process depending on the intended application. This paper analyses the effect of biomass composition in the HTL to assess its viability to be used to produce biofuels or valuable chemicals

BELÉM, BELÉM, BELÉM, SERÁ QUE TÁ TUDO BEM?

A experiência etnofotográfica apresentada nesse material foi inspirada no primeiro verso do refrão da música do cantor paraense Mahrco Monteiro, intitulada Belém, Belém. A cidade de Belém, no estado do Pará, foi fundada em 12 de janeiro de 1616, por Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco, tinha o nome de “Feliz Luzitânia”, posteriormente mudado para Santa Maria de Belém do Grão Pará, ou simplesmente Belém do Pará (IBGE, 2021). Belém, também conhecida como cidade das mangueiras, foi a primeira capital da Região Norte e, dentre seus inúmeros encantos, estão a beleza cênica das paisagens amazônicas, as comidas típicas que são patrimônio gastronômico, frutas nativas, sorvetes de sabores incomparáveis, praias de rios, regiões insulares, religiosidade única e povo hospitaleiro..

The [1,2]-thio-Wittig rearrangement: evidence for a radical mechanism and its suppression

The lithium enolate formed from methyl S-trityl mercaptoacetate can be C-alkylated in high yield at or below -40 degrees C, but at higher temperatures the [1,2]-thio-Wittig rearrangement of the enolate is the predominant process; ESR evidence indicates that this rearrangement occurs by a radical mechanism

Molecular Insights of Cholestasis in MDR2 Knockout Murine Liver Organoids

MDR3 (multidrug resistance 3) deficiency in humans (MDR2 in mice) causes progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 3 (PFIC3). PFIC3 is a lethal disease characterized by an early onset of intrahepatic cholestasis progressing to liver cirrhosis, a preneoplastic condition, putting individuals at risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatocyte-like organoids from MDR2-deficient mice (MDR2KO) were used in this work to study the molecular alterations caused by the deficiency of this transporter. Proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry allowed characterization of 279 proteins that were differentially expressed in MDR2KO compared with wild-type organoids. Functional enrichment analysis indicated alterations in three main cellular functions: (1) interaction with the extracellular matrix, (2) remodeling intermediary metabolism, and (3) cell proliferation and differentiation. The affected cellular processes were validated by orthogonal molecular biology techniques. Our results point to molecular mechanisms associated with PFIC3 that may drive the progression to liver cirrhosis and HCC and suggest proteins and cellular processes that could be targeted for the development of early detection strategies for these severe liver diseases.Peer reviewe