Study of high pressure steaming on lipid recovery from microalgae

Sustainable and clean fuels are in demand due to the perceived negative effects on health and environment with current use of fossil fuels. Lipids from microalgae offer a potential approach to obtain sustainable biofuels. In this study a two step process was adopted: investigation of culture conditions to find optimal points for lipid productivity and cellulose content, followed by an investigation of microalgae disruption for lipid recovery. In the first phase of the research the effect of culture conditions on Chlorella vulgaris biomass concentration and the ratio of lipid productivity/cellulose content were studied. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize the culture conditions. The response model for biomass concentration led to a predicted maximum of 1.12 g dw L-1 when carbon dioxide and sodium nitrate concentrations were 2.33% vv-1 and 5.77 mM, respectively. For lipid productivity/cellulose content ratio the maximum predicted value was 0.46 (mg lipid L-1d-1)(mg cellulose mg biomass-1)-1 when carbon dioxide concentration was 4.02% vv-1 and sodium nitrate concentration was 3.21 mM. Also a common optimum point for both models was also found. For the second phase of the study, the optimized Chlorella vulgaris microalgae obtained in the first phase was subjected to high pressure steaming as a hydrothermal treatment for recovery of bio-crude, and analysis by empirical modeling allowed finding operating points in terms of target temperature and microalgae concentration for high bio-crude and glucose yields. Within the range covered by these experiments the best conditions for high bio-crude yield were temperatures higher than 174˚C and low biomass concentrations (\u3c5 g/L). For high glucose yield there were two suitable operating ranges, either low temperatures (\u3c105˚C) and low biomass concentrations (\u3c4 g/L); or low temperatures (\u3c105˚C) and high biomass concentrations (\u3c110 g/L). To finalize this study, microalgae with different lipid and cellulose content was used to calculate the bio-crude recovery efficiency applying high pressure steaming. This thermal treatment allowed extracting 97.94±8.26% of the total lipids. The biomass with the highest cellulose content was later subjected to high pressure steaming as a pre-treatment for glucose production via enzymatic hydrolysis, and the glucose yield for this process was 0.28 g.gbiomass-1

Business of fashion sustainability index : an analysis on willingness to pay, perceived quality and purchase intention

Textile, clothing, and fashion (TCF) industry is one of the most polluting and resourceconsuming industries in the world, second only to the oil industry. In response to social and environmental issues in the fashion industry and pressure from various stakeholders, companies are addressing sustainability issues more than ever. The launch of the Business of Fashion Sustainability Index, which provides information about companies' performance on sustainability goals, is an effort to raise consumer awareness of the practises behind the products they buy. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how the BoF Sustainability Index influences consumer purchasing decisions for fashion items. More specifically, an experimental procedure was used to test the effects of BoF Sustainability Index information (high, low, and no information) on fashion product consumption, namely willingness to pay, perceived quality, and intention to purchase footwear. In addition, the effects of demographic variables such as gender, generation, and nationality were also considered. According to the results, the sustainability index influences consumers' willingness to pay, perceived quality, and purchase intention. In general, attitudes toward SI were very positively received by respondents and considered beneficial. The socio-demographic variables used in this experiment were key to understanding the effects of the manipulated variables on the dependent variables.A indústria têxtil, de vestuário e moda (TCF) é uma das indústrias mais poluentes e consumidoras de recursos do mundo, só depois da indústria do petróleo. Em resposta às questões sociais e ambientais da indústria da moda e à pressão de várias partes interessadas, as empresas estão abordando questões de sustentabilidade mais do que nunca. O lançamento do Índice de Sustentabilidade (Business of Fashion Sustainability Index), que fornece informações sobre o desempenho das empresas em relação às metas de sustentabilidade, é um esforço para conscientizar os consumidores sobre as práticas por trás dos produtos que compram. O objetivo deste estudo é obter uma melhor compreensão de como o Índice de Sustentabilidade BoF influencia as decisões de compra dos consumidores de itens de moda. Mais especificamente, um procedimento experimental foi usado para testar os efeitos das informações do BoF Sustainability Index (alto, baixo e nenhuma informação) sobre o consumo de produtos de moda, ou seja, disposição a pagar, qualidade percebida e intenção de compra de calçados. Além disso, também foram considerados os efeitos de variáveis demográficas como gênero, geração e nacionalidade. De acordo com os resultados, o índice de sustentabilidade influencia a disposição a pagar dos consumidores, a qualidade percebida e a intenção de compra. Em geral, as atitudes em relação à o Índice de Sustentabilidade foram recebidas de forma muito positiva pelos entrevistados e consideradas benéficas. As variáveis sociodemográficas utilizadas neste experimento foram fundamentais para entender os efeitos das variáveis manipuladas sobre as variáveis dependentes

The relative contribution of the p53 tumour suppressor gene and the human papilloma virus to cancer of the cervix in Black women.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Abstract available in PDF

The Student's First Clinical Experience: Anxiety and Phantasies Present in the Work with the Client and in the Supervision

In this paper we present facts and reflections based on the experience of over ten years in the supervision of the first psychological assessment performed by undergraduate students. Through clinical illustrations we state that the student's anxiety and phantasies - regarding both the work with the client and the supervision - play an important role in the clinical learning in a psychoanalytical approach

English Is It! (ELT Training Series). Vol. 10

Grup de treball ICE-UB:From English Acquisition to English Learning and Teachin

Growing conditions affect the phytochemical composition of edible wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides)

[EN] Wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides) is a wild vegetable with the potential to become a crop of high antioxidant quality. The main bioactive compounds include ascorbic acid (AA), sinigrin, and a high content of total phenolic compounds (TP). It also accumulates nitrates. Since these compounds are affected by environmental conditions, adequate crop management may enhance its quality. Eleven accessions of wall rocket were evaluated under field and greenhouse conditions during two cycles (winter and spring) and compared to Eruca sativa and Diplotaxis tenuifolia crops. The three species did not differ greatly. As an exception, sinigrin was only identified in wall rocket. For the within-species analysis, the results revealed a high effect of the growing system, but this was low among accessions. The highest contents of AA and TP were obtained under field conditions. In addition, the levels of nitrates were lower in this system. A negative correlation between nitrates and antioxidants was determined. As a counterpart, cultivation in the field¿winter environment significantly decreased the percentage of humidity (87%). These results are of relevance for the adaptation of wall rocket to different growing conditions and suggest that the field system enhances its quality. The low genotypic differences suggest that intra-species selections in breeding programs may consider other aspects with greater variation.C.G. is grateful to the Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte of Spain (MECD) for the financial support by means of a predoctoral FPU grant (FPU14-06798). The authors also thank Ms. E. Moreno and Ms. M.D. Lerma for their help in the field tasks.Guijarro-Real, C.; Adalid-Martinez, AM.; Aguirre, K.; Prohens Tomás, J.; Rodríguez Burruezo, A.; Fita, A. (2019). Growing conditions affect the phytochemical composition of edible wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides). Agronomy. 9(12):1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9120858S114912Scientific Concepts of Functional Foods in Europe Consensus Document. (1999). British Journal of Nutrition, 81(4), S1-S27. doi:10.1017/s0007114599000471Pinela, J., Carvalho, A. M., & Ferreira, I. C. F. R. (2017). Wild edible plants: Nutritional and toxicological characteristics, retrieval strategies and importance for today’s society. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 110, 165-188. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2017.10.020Ceccanti, C., Landi, M., Benvenuti, S., Pardossi, A., & Guidi, L. (2018). Mediterranean Wild Edible Plants: Weeds or «New Functional Crops»? Molecules, 23(9), 2299. doi:10.3390/molecules23092299Guarrera, P. M., & Savo, V. (2013). Perceived health properties of wild and cultivated food plants in local and popular traditions of Italy: A review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 146(3), 659-680. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.01.036Serrasolses, G., Calvet-Mir, L., Carrió, E., D’Ambrosio, U., Garnatje, T., Parada, M., … Reyes-García, V. (2016). A Matter of Taste: Local Explanations for the Consumption of Wild Food Plants in the Catalan Pyrenees and the Balearic Islands1. Economic Botany, 70(2), 176-189. doi:10.1007/s12231-016-9343-1Guarrera, P. M., & Savo, V. (2016). Wild food plants used in traditional vegetable mixtures in Italy. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 185, 202-234. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2016.02.050Licata, M., Tuttolomondo, T., Leto, C., Virga, G., Bonsangue, G., Cammalleri, I., … La Bella, S. (2016). A survey of wild plant species for food use in Sicily (Italy) – results of a 3-year study in four Regional Parks. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 12(1). doi:10.1186/s13002-015-0074-7Spadafora, N. D., Amaro, A. L., Pereira, M. J., Müller, C. T., Pintado, M., & Rogers, H. J. (2016). Multi-trait analysis of post-harvest storage in rocket salad (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) links sensorial, volatile and nutritional data. Food Chemistry, 211, 114-123. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.04.107Adikwu, E., & Deo, O. (2013). Hepatoprotective Effect of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid). Pharmacology & Pharmacy, 04(01), 84-92. doi:10.4236/pp.2013.41012Molecular Basis of Nutrition and Aging. (2016). doi:10.1016/c2014-0-00388-7Procházková, D., Boušová, I., & Wilhelmová, N. (2011). Antioxidant and prooxidant properties of flavonoids. Fitoterapia, 82(4), 513-523. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2011.01.018Panche, A. N., Diwan, A. D., & Chandra, S. R. (2016). Flavonoids: an overview. Journal of Nutritional Science, 5. doi:10.1017/jns.2016.41Mandl, J., Szarka, A., & Bánhegyi, G. (2009). Vitamin C: update on physiology and pharmacology. British Journal of Pharmacology, 157(7), 1097-1110. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00282.xGols, R., van Dam, N. M., Reichelt, M., Gershenzon, J., Raaijmakers, C. E., Bullock, J. M., & Harvey, J. A. (2018). Seasonal and herbivore-induced dynamics of foliar glucosinolates in wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea). Chemoecology, 28(3), 77-89. doi:10.1007/s00049-018-0258-4Bell, L., Oruna-Concha, M. J., & Wagstaff, C. (2015). Identification and quantification of glucosinolate and flavonol compounds in rocket salad (Eruca sativa, Eruca vesicaria and Diplotaxis tenuifolia) by LC–MS: Highlighting the potential for improving nutritional value of rocket crops. Food Chemistry, 172, 852-861. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.09.116Dinkova-Kostova, A. T., & Kostov, R. V. (2012). Glucosinolates and isothiocyanates in health and disease. Trends in Molecular Medicine, 18(6), 337-347. doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2012.04.003Santamaria, P. (2005). Nitrate in vegetables: toxicity, content, intake and EC regulation. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 86(1), 10-17. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2351Schiattone, M. I., Viggiani, R., Di Venere, D., Sergio, L., Cantore, V., Todorovic, M., … Candido, V. (2018). Impact of irrigation regime and nitrogen rate on yield, quality and water use efficiency of wild rocket under greenhouse conditions. Scientia Horticulturae, 229, 182-192. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2017.10.036Habermeyer, M., Roth, A., Guth, S., Diel, P., Engel, K.-H., Epe, B., … Eisenbrand, G. (2014). Nitrate and nitrite in the diet: How to assess their benefit and risk for human health. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 59(1), 106-128. doi:10.1002/mnfr.201400286Di Gioia, F., Avato, P., Serio, F., & Argentieri, M. P. (2018). Glucosinolate profile of Eruca sativa, Diplotaxis tenuifolia and Diplotaxis erucoides grown in soil and soilless systems. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 69, 197-204. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2018.01.022Durazzo, A., Azzini, E., Lazzè, M., Raguzzini, A., Pizzala, R., & Maiani, G. (2013). Italian Wild Rocket [Diplotaxis Tenuifolia (L.) DC.]: Influence of Agricultural Practices on Antioxidant Molecules and on Cytotoxicity and Antiproliferative Effects. Agriculture, 3(2), 285-298. doi:10.3390/agriculture3020285Cavaiuolo, M., & Ferrante, A. (2014). Nitrates and Glucosinolates as Strong Determinants of the Nutritional Quality in Rocket Leafy Salads. Nutrients, 6(4), 1519-1538. doi:10.3390/nu6041519Oh, M.-M., Carey, E. E., & Rajashekar, C. B. (2009). Environmental stresses induce health-promoting phytochemicals in lettuce. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 47(7), 578-583. doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2009.02.008Björkman, M., Klingen, I., Birch, A. N. E., Bones, A. M., Bruce, T. J. A., Johansen, T. J., … Stewart, D. (2011). Phytochemicals of Brassicaceae in plant protection and human health – Influences of climate, environment and agronomic practice. Phytochemistry, 72(7), 538-556. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2011.01.014Sogbohossou, E. O. D., Achigan-Dako, E. G., Maundu, P., Solberg, S., Deguenon, E. M. S., Mumm, R. H., … Schranz, M. E. (2018). A roadmap for breeding orphan leafy vegetable species: a case study of Gynandropsis gynandra (Cleomaceae). Horticulture Research, 5(1). doi:10.1038/s41438-017-0001-2Guijarro-Real, C., Prohens, J., Rodríguez-Burruezo, A., & Fita, A. (2019). Potential of wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides) as a new crop: Influence of the growing conditions on the visual quality of the final product. Scientia Horticulturae, 258, 108778. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2019.108778Guijarro-Real, C., Adalid-Martínez, A. M., Gregori-Montaner, A., Prohens, J., Rodríguez-Burruezo, A., & Fita, A. (2020). Factors affecting germination of Diplotaxis erucoides and their effect on selected quality properties of the germinated products. Scientia Horticulturae, 261, 109013. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2019.109013Cano, A., & Bermejo, A. (2011). Influence of rootstock and cultivar on bioactive compounds in citrus peels. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 91(9), 1702-1711. doi:10.1002/jsfa.4375Grosser, K., & van Dam, N. M. (2017). A Straightforward Method for Glucosinolate Extraction and Analysis with High-pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Journal of Visualized Experiments, (121). doi:10.3791/55425Pasini, F., Verardo, V., Cerretani, L., Caboni, M. F., & D’Antuono, L. F. (2011). Rocket salad (Diplotaxis and Eruca spp.) sensory analysis and relation with glucosinolate and phenolic content. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 91(15), 2858-2864. doi:10.1002/jsfa.4535Electron correlations in narrow energy bands. (1963). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 276(1365), 238-257. doi:10.1098/rspa.1963.0204Guijarro-Real, C., Prohens, J., Rodriguez-Burruezo, A., Adalid-Martínez, A. M., López-Gresa, M. P., & Fita, A. (2019). Wild edible fool’s watercress, a potential crop with high nutraceutical properties. PeerJ, 7, e6296. doi:10.7717/peerj.6296Egea-Gilabert, C., Ruiz-Hernández, M. V., Parra, M. Á., & Fernández, J. A. (2014). Characterization of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) accessions: Suitability as ready-to-eat product. Scientia Horticulturae, 172, 73-81. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2014.03.051Egea-Gilabert, C., Fernández, J. A., Migliaro, D., Martínez-Sánchez, J. J., & Vicente, M. J. (2009). Genetic variability in wild vs. cultivated Eruca vesicaria populations as assessed by morphological, agronomical and molecular analyses. Scientia Horticulturae, 121(3), 260-266. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2009.02.020Figàs, M. R., Prohens, J., Raigón, M. D., Pereira-Dias, L., Casanova, C., García-Martínez, M. D., … Soler, S. (2018). Insights Into the Adaptation to Greenhouse Cultivation of the Traditional Mediterranean Long Shelf-Life Tomato Carrying the alc Mutation: A Multi-Trait Comparison of Landraces, Selections, and Hybrids in Open Field and Greenhouse. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9. doi:10.3389/fpls.2018.01774Bell, L., & Wagstaff, C. (2017). Enhancement Of Glucosinolate and Isothiocyanate Profiles in Brassicaceae Crops: Addressing Challenges in Breeding for Cultivation, Storage, and Consumer-Related Traits. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 65(43), 9379-9403. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03628Colonna, E., Rouphael, Y., Barbieri, G., & De Pascale, S. (2016). Nutritional quality of ten leafy vegetables harvested at two light intensities. Food Chemistry, 199, 702-710. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.12.068Weightman, R. M., Huckle, A. J., Roques, S. E., Ginsburg, D., & Dyer, C. J. (2012). Factors influencing tissue nitrate concentration in field-grown wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) in southern England. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 29(9), 1425-1435. doi:10.1080/19440049.2012.696215GUIJARRO-REAL, C., RODRÍGUEZ-BURRUEZO, A., PROHENS, J., ADALID-MARTÍNEZ, A. M., & FITA, A. (2017). Influence of the Growing Conditions in the Content of Vitamin C in Diplotaxis erucoides. Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. Horticulture, 74(2), 144. doi:10.15835/buasvmcn-hort:0011D’Antuono, L. F., Elementi, S., & Neri, R. (2008). Glucosinolates in Diplotaxis and Eruca leaves: Diversity, taxonomic relations and applied aspects. Phytochemistry, 69(1), 187-199. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2007.06.019Bennett, R. N., Rosa, E. A. S., Mellon, F. A., & Kroon, P. A. (2006). Ontogenic Profiling of Glucosinolates, Flavonoids, and Other Secondary Metabolites inEruca sativa(Salad Rocket),Diplotaxis erucoides(Wall Rocket),Diplotaxis tenuifolia(Wild Rocket), andBunias orientalis(Turkish Rocket). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(11), 4005-4015. doi:10.1021/jf052756tSans, F. X., & Masalles, R. M. (1994). Life-history variation in the annual arable weed Diplotaxis erucoides (Cruciferae). Canadian Journal of Botany, 72(1), 10-19. doi:10.1139/b94-003Bonasia, A., Lazzizera, C., Elia, A., & Conversa, G. (2017). Nutritional, Biophysical and Physiological Characteristics of Wild Rocket Genotypes As Affected by Soilless Cultivation System, Salinity Level of Nutrient Solution and Growing Period. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8. doi:10.3389/fpls.2017.00300Fita, A., Rodríguez-Burruezo, A., Boscaiu, M., Prohens, J., & Vicente, O. (2015). Breeding and Domesticating Crops Adapted to Drought and Salinity: A New Paradigm for Increasing Food Production. Frontiers in Plant Science, 6. doi:10.3389/fpls.2015.00978Kissen, R., Eberl, F., Winge, P., Uleberg, E., Martinussen, I., & Bones, A. M. (2016). Effect of growth temperature on glucosinolate profiles in Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Phytochemistry, 130, 106-118. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2016.06.003Steindal, A. L. H., Rødven, R., Hansen, E., & Mølmann, J. (2015). Effects of photoperiod, growth temperature and cold acclimatisation on glucosinolates, sugars and fatty acids in kale. Food Chemistry, 174, 44-51. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.10.129Salvatore, S., Pellegrini, N., Brenna, O. V., Del Rio, D., Frasca, G., Brighenti, F., & Tumino, R. (2005). Antioxidant Characterization of Some Sicilian Edible Wild Greens. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53(24), 9465-9471. doi:10.1021/jf051806rBianco, V. V., Santamaria, P., & Elia, A. (1998). NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND NITRATE CONTENT IN EDIBLE WILD SPECIES USED IN SOUTHERN ITALY. Acta Horticulturae, (467), 71-90. doi:10.17660/actahortic.1998.467.7Disciglio, G., Tarantino, A., Frabboni, L., Gagliardi, A., Giuliani, M. M., Tarantino, E., & Gatta, G. (2017). Qualitative characterization of cultivated and wild edible plants: mineral elements, phenols content and antioxidant capacity. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 11. doi:10.4081/ija.2017.1036Orsini, F., Maggio, A., Rouphael, Y., & De Pascale, S. (2016). «Physiological quality» of organically grown vegetables. Scientia Horticulturae, 208, 131-139. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2016.01.033Król, A., Amarowicz, R., & Weidner, S. (2015). The effects of cold stress on the phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) leaves. Journal of Plant Physiology, 189, 97-104. doi:10.1016/j.jplph.2015.10.002Cardenas-Navarro, R., Adamowicz, S., & Robin, P. (1999). Nitrate accumulation in plants: a role for water. Journal of Experimental Botany, 50(334), 613-624. doi:10.1093/jxb/50.334.61

Flow of wet natural pozzolana

We present experimental results on the flow and stability conditions for natural pozzolana, a natural volcanic sand widely used in concrete production. We measured different angles involved in equilibrium conditions for sand piles and relate them to the flux parameters necessary to produce a silo evacuation. We vary some of the geometrical parameters in the silo to inspect the different flux responses of the system. Results are showed as a function of humidity present in the system. In this way, we related critical angles with flux conditions through a silo under different geometric setups and different humidity degrees, thus setting up a basic phase diagram for flux.Fil: Medici, Maria Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Departamento de Minería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Benegas, Oscar Armando. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Departamento de Minería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Aguirre, Fernando. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Departamento de Minería; ArgentinaFil: Baudino, Mario. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Departamento de Minería; ArgentinaFil: Uñac, Rodolfo Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Física Aplicada "Dr. Jorge Andrés Zgrablich". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Física Aplicada "Dr. Jorge Andrés Zgrablich"; ArgentinaFil: Vidales, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Física Aplicada "Dr. Jorge Andrés Zgrablich". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Física Aplicada "Dr. Jorge Andrés Zgrablich"; ArgentinaFil: Ippolito, Irene Paula. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Física. Grupo de Medios Porosos; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica; Chil

Granular components of cement: Influence of mixture composition

Raw granular materials used in cement manufacturing are limestone grains displaying a broad size distribution, ranging from microns to a couple of inches. They are stored as pyramidal heaps and, although empirical homogenization techniques are used with good results, there are important factors like segregation and grinding conditions that produce mixtures with different poorly controlled size. For this reason, the stability of the heaps strongly depends on these factors and it is important to study the influence of the respective amounts of particles of different sizes on the properties of the mixture. In this work, we report experiments analyzing the relationship between the characteristic angles of equilibrium of the heaps and the geometry, size and chemical composition of the grains. We also look for correlations between the values of the characteristic angles and the relative amounts of grains of different sizes that make up the materials. We demonstrate that the chemical composition is correlated with the geometry of the grains and that their aspect ratio does not influence the critical angles. We also show that the critical angles mostly depend on the relative amount of fine grains in the granular mixture and on the dispersion of the sizes. The results obtained allow one to draw conclusions that may be relevant to the treatment and storage of raw materials in the cement industry.Fil: Vidales, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Física Aplicada "Dr. Jorge Andrés Zgrablich". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Física Aplicada "Dr. Jorge Andrés Zgrablich"; ArgentinaFil: Ippolito, Irene Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Física. Grupo de Medios Porosos; ArgentinaFil: Benegas, Oscar Armando. Universidad Nacional de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Aguirre, F.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Nocera, O. C.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Baudino, M. R.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis; Argentin

USO DE ÁRVORES E ARBUSTOS EM CIDADES BRASILEIRAS

O objetivo deste trabalho é demonstrar através de imagens e discussões que a substituição generalizada de árvores de médio e grande porte por arbustos nas cidades brasileiras, fenômeno a cada dia mais observado, é uma medida que deveria ser repensada pelo gestor público e cidadãos devido à conseqüente redução da qualidade de vida e dos benefícios financeiros antes propiciados pela cobertura arbórea com árvores de médio e grande porte. As imagens utilizadas coletadas nas cidades de Piracicaba/SP, Campinas/SP e Maringá/PR, permitem uma avaliação das vantagens e das conseqüências que o uso racional da arborização proporciona, além de comparar as condições de locais mais e menos arborizados

Topoisomerase II inhibitors induce DNA damage-dependent interferon responses circumventing Ebola virus immune evasion

Ebola virus (EBOV) protein VP35 inhibits production of interferon alpha/beta (IFN) by blocking RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathways, thereby promoting virus replication and pathogenesis. A high-throughput screening assay, developed to identify compounds that either inhibit or bypass VP35 IFN-antagonist function, identified five DNA intercalators as reproducible hits from a library of bioactive compounds. Four, including doxorubicin and daunorubicin, are anthracycline antibiotics that inhibit topoisomerase II and are used clinically as chemotherapeutic drugs. These compounds were demonstrated to induce IFN responses in an ATM kinase-dependent manner and to also trigger the DNA-sensing cGAS-STING pathway of IFN induction. These compounds also suppress EBOV replication in vitro and induce IFN in the presence of IFN-antagonist proteins from multiple negative-sense RNA viruses. These findings provide new insights into signaling pathways activated by important chemotherapy drugs and identify a novel therapeutic approach for IFN induction that may be exploited to inhibit RNA virus replication