Recovery and reuse of ionic liquid cholinium glycinate in the treatment of brewery spent grain

Recently, the ability of the biocompatible ionic liquid cholinium glycinate (N1112OHGly) for waste vegetable delignification like brewery spent grain (BSG) has been proved. However, the technical viability should march hand in hand with economic competitiveness. Therefore, the first step must address the reuse of the ionic liquid to mitigate the high cost associated with the synthesis of this kind of neoteric solvents. Different antisolvent-based strategies have been considered, in the present research work, to produce a delignified carbohydrate rich material (CRM) and reuse the ionic liquid. It was checked that the addition of a mixture of water: acetone (1:1 v/v) was able to efficiently precipitate carbohydrates with high levels of delignification, while about 97% of the ionic liquid is recovered at a purity near 72%. The use of this strategy allowed reusing N1112OHGly for 5 cycles and FTIR and XRD spectroscopy, scan electron microscopy (SEM) and, quantitative acid hydrolysis evidenced the suitability of the proposed process for the competitive sequential BSG delignification. Liquid chromatography sheds light on the recovery percentages and purity of the ionic liquid after each use.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481A-2017/320Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431B 2018/5

The formation of Doctors in Sciences, a necessity for the university and the society of Pinar del Río

La formación de Doctores en Ciencias, una necesidad para la universidad y la sociedad pinareñaThe formation of Doctors in Sciences, a necessity for the university and the society of Pinar del Rí

Enzymatic hydrolysis of brewer’s spent grain to obtain fermentable sugars

Lignocellulosic biomass is a feedstock with the potential to be converted into value-added bioproducts. The use of enzymatic hydrolysis allows the cleavage of lignocellulose into their monomeric units, but there are some drawbacks that make its use in industrial biocatalysis unfeasible. In the present study, we describe the hydrolysis of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) with an enzymatic cocktail produced by Aspergillus niger CECT 2700 and its comparison with commercial enzymes. In addition, it was determined whether pretreating the BSG (non-pressurized alkaline hydrolysis or treatment with cholinium glycinate ionic liquid) is necessary. Results show that both pretreatments enhanced xylose release (10.55±0.07g/L and 8.14±0.13g/L respectively), meanwhile the hydrolysis of raw BSG with the enzymatic cocktail produced solutions containing high levels of glucose (18.45±1.66g/L) and xylose (6.38±0.26g/L).Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. CTQ2015-71436-C2-1-

Estructura y variabilidad genética del bisonte americano (Bison bison) en México

Controlling for genetic variables to managing conservation populations. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic markers were used to analyze genetic structure and variability in an American bison population in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. A total of 174 individuals were sampled and analysis done of 42,366 SNP distributed in 29 chromosomes. Estimates were done of expected (He) and observed (Ho) heterozygosity, polymorphic information content (PIC), the fixation index (FST), the Shannon index (SI), linkage disequilibrium (LD), kinship relationships (Rij; %), and effective population size (Ne). A genetic structure analysis was run to infer how many lines or genomes (k) define the studied population. A panel with 2,135 polymorphic SNPs was identified and selected, with an average of 74 SNP per chromosome. In the exclusion process, 84.5 % were monomorphic, 8.5 % had a usable percentage less than 90 %, 6.3 % had a minor allele frequency less than 0.01 and 0.70 % exhibited Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium (P<0.05). Estimated values were 0.30 for the SI, 0.187 for Ho, 0.182 for He, -0.029 for the FST, and 0.152 for PIC. Of the 15,051 Rij estimates generated, the average value was 7.6 %, and 45.1 % were equal to zero. The Ne was 12.5, indicating a possible increase of 4 % in consanguinity per generation. Three genetic lines were identified (proportions = 0.730, 0.157 and 0.113), and, given the study population’s origin, are probably associated with natural selection or genetic drift. Genetic variability, as well as Rij levels, must be considered in conservation schemes.Los objetivos fueron analizar la estructura y variabilidad genética del bisonte americano con marcadores genéticos de tipo SNP. Se muestrearon 174 bisontes y se analizaron 42,366 SNP distribuidos en los 29 cromosomas. Se estimó la heterocigosis esperada (He) y observada (Ho), contenido de información polimórfica (CIP), índice de fijación (FIS), índice de Shannon (IS), desequilibrio de ligamiento y relación de parentesco (Rij; %), así como el tamaño efectivo de población (Ne). Se realizó un análisis de estructura genética para inferir cuántas líneas o genomas (k) definen la población. Se identificó y seleccionó un panel con 2,135 SNP polimórficos, con un promedio de 74 SNP por cromosoma. En el proceso de exclusión,  84.5 % fueron monomórficos,  8.5 % con porcentaje de usables menor a 90 %, 6.3 % con frecuencia del alelo menor inferior a 0.01 y 0.70 % por desequilibrio Hardy-Weinberg (P<0.05). Las estimaciones de IS, Ho, He, FIS y CIP fueron de 0.30, 0.187, 0.182, -0.029 y 0.152, respectivamente. Se generaron 15,051 estimaciones de Rij, el valor promedio de éstas fue 7.6 %, y el 45.1 % de ellas fue igual a cero. El Ne fue de 12.5, señalando un posible incremento de consanguinidad por generación de 4 %. Se identificaron tres líneas genéticas, con proporciones de 0.730, 0.157 y 0.113; dado el origen de la población, se asocian a selección natural o deriva genética. La variabilidad genética, así como los niveles de la Rij, se deben de considerar en esquemas de conservación

Caracterización clínico epidemiológica del cáncer laríngeo en la provincia de Pinar del Río

Introduction: Laryngeal cancer has a considerably high frequency, the affection of the main organ of phonation entails important psychological and socioeconomic repercussions, since the ability to communicate is affected.Objective: To clinically and epidemiologically characterize larynx cancer in the province of Pinar del Río.Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out on patients with a diagnosis of laryngeal cancer seen in the outpatient clinic of Otorhinolaryngology in the province of Pinar del Río, in the period between 2018-2020, we worked with the entire universe, descriptive statistics were used. Results: the most affected sex was male (65 %), the age group with the highest incidence of this disease was 70-79 (31,7 %), the main risk factor presented by these patients was smoking (90 %), the predominant symptoms were dysphonia (50 %), dyspnea (26 %) and dysphagia (24 %), according to the anatomical location the cancer of the glottic region (60 %) had a higher incidence in stage I (51,6 %).Conclusions: Laryngeal cancer constitutes a current health problem for the world, the earlier the diagnosis is made, the more chances of survival for patients.Introducción: el cáncer de laringe tiene una frecuencia considerablemente alta, la afección del principal órgano de la fonación conlleva importantes repercusiones psicológicas y socioeconómicas, pues se afecta la capacidad de comunicación.Objetivo: caracterizar clínica y epidemiológicamente el cáncer de laringe en la provincia de Pinar del Río.Métodos: se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo de corte transversal a los pacientes con diagnóstico de cáncer laríngeo atendidos en consulta externa de Otorrinolaringología en la provincia de Pinar del Río, en el período comprendido entre el 2018-2020, se trabajó con todo el universo, se utilizó la estadística descriptiva.  Resultados: el sexo más afectado fue el masculino (65 %), el grupo etario donde mayor incidencia tuvo esta enfermedad fue el de 70-79 (31,7 %), el principal factor de riesgo que presentaron estos pacientes fue el hábito de fumar (90 %), los síntomas que predominaron fueron la disfonía (50 %), la disnea (26 %) y la disfagia (24 %), según la localización anatómica el cáncer de la región glótica (60 %) tuvo mayor incidencia en un estadío I (51,6 %).Conclusiones: el cáncer de laringe constituye un problema de salud actual para el mundo, mientras más temprano se haga el diagnóstico, más posibilidades de sobrevida tienen los pacientes

Biorefinery of brewery spent grain to obtain bioproducts with high value-added in the market

The brewery industry is under economic and environmental pressure to minimize residual management costs, particularly brewery spent grain (BSG), which accounts for 80–85% (w/w) of the total by-products generated. BSG is a lignocellulosic material primarily composed of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. Developing a biorefinery model for conversion of BSG into value-added products is a plausible idea. Previous work optimized the pretreatment of BSG with the ionic liquid [N1112OH][Gly] and further release of fermentable sugar-containing solutions by enzymatic hydrolysis, using an enzymatic cocktail obtained by solid-state fermentation of BSG with Aspergillus brasiliensis CECT 2700 and Trichoderma reesei CECT 2414. The current work ends the biorefinery process, studying the fermentation of these culture media with two LAB strains, Lactobacillus pentosus CECT 4023 and Lactobacillus plantarum CECT 221, from which the production of organic acids, bacteriocins, and microbial biosurfactants (mBS) was obtained. In addition to the bacteriocin activity observed, a mass balance of the whole biorefinery process quantified the production of 106.4 g lactic acid and 6.76 g mBS with L. plantarum and 116.1 g lactic acid and 4.65 g mBS with L. pentosus from 1 kg of dry BSG. Thus, BSG shows a great potential for waste valorization, playing a major role in the implementation of biomass biorefineries in circular bioeconomy.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2020–115879RB-I00São Paulo Research Foundation | Ref. 2018/25511–1São Paulo Research Foundation | Ref. 2023/09256–0Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Brasil) | Ref. 408783/2021–4Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Brasil) | Ref. 312923/2020–1Xunta de Galicia | Ref. GPC-ED431B 2021/23Universidade de Vigo/CISU

Diversidad genética en burros criollos de México

The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of the Mexican criollo donkey with SNP-type genetic markers. Sixteen individuals (eight males and eight females) were randomly sampled and genotyped using the GGP Equine 70K chip (71 947 loci). Within chromosome the polymorphic SNPs were identified, determining the expected (He) and observed (Ho) heterozygosity, polymorphic information content (PIC), the fixation index (FIS) and the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HW). Linkage disequilibrium was assessed based on the correlation (r2) between frequencies across loci. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and a cluster study were performed to infer the number of clusters (k). It was found that 3579 loci (4.9%) presented genetic variability, but 24.9% presented HW disequilibrium (p&lt;0.05). Across chromosomes, the number of polymorphic loci ranged from 50 to 269 with a mean of 115. The (within chromosome) means for PIC and FIS ranged from 0.222 to 0.267 and -0.392 to -0.208, respectively. In all chromosomes Ho was superior to He. For r2, the mean values within chromosome were greater than 0.10; the optimal k corresponded to 2. In the AMOVA, the genetic variability within individuals explained 67%. The SNPs identified as polymorphic make up a first panel of genetic markers for the Mexican creole burro, and the estimated genetic variability can be used in development and conservation schemes.El estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la diversidad genética del burro criollo mexicano con marcadores genéticos de tipo SNP. Se muestreó aleatoriamente a 16 individuos (ocho machos y ocho hembras) y el genotipado se hizo con el chip GGP Equine 70K (71 947 loci). Dentro de cromosoma se identificaron los SNP polimórficos, determinándose la heterocigosis esperada (He) y observada (Ho), contenido de información polimórfica (CIP), el índice de fijación (FIS) y el equilibrio (HW) Hardy-Weinberg. El desequilibrio de ligamiento se evaluó con base en la correlación (r2) entre frecuencias a través de locus. Se realizó un análisis de varianza molecular (AMOVA) y un estudio de agrupamiento para inferir el número de cluster (k). Se encontró que 3579 loci (4.9%) presentaron variabilidad genética, pero el 24.9% presentó desequilibrio HW (p&lt;0.05). A través de cromosomas, el número de loci polimórficos osciló de 50 a 269 con un promedio de 115. Los promedios (dentro de cromosoma) para PIC y FIS fluctuaron de 0.222 a 0.267 y de -0.392 a -0.208, respectivamente. En todos los cromosomas Ho fue superior a He. Para r2, los valores promedio dentro de cromosoma fueron superior a 0.10; el k óptimo correspondió a 2. En el AMOVA, la variabilidad genética dentro de individuos explicó el 67%. Los SNP identificados como polimórficos, conforman un primer panel de marcadores genéticos para el burro criollo mexicano, y la variabilidad genética estimada puede ser utilizada en esquemas de desarrollo y conservación

Radiotherapy plus nimotuzumab or placebo in the treatment of high grade glioma patients: results from a randomized, double blind trial

Background The prognosis of patients bearing high grade glioma remains dismal. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is well validated as a primary contributor of glioma initiation and progression. Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that recognizes the EGFR extracellular domain and reaches Central Nervous System tumors, in nonclinical and clinical setting. While it has similar activity when compared to other anti-EGFR antibodies, it does not induce skin toxicity or hypomagnesemia. Methods A randomized, double blind, multicentric clinical trial was conducted in high grade glioma patients (41 anaplastic astrocytoma and 29 glioblastoma multiforme) that received radiotherapy plus nimotuzumab or placebo. Treatment and placebo groups were well-balanced for the most important prognostic variables. Patients received 6 weekly doses of 200 mg nimotuzumab or placebo together with irradiation as induction therapy. Maintenance treatment was given for 1 year with subsequent doses administered every 3 weeks. The objectives of this study were to assess the comparative overall survival, progression free survival, response rate, immunogenicity and safety. Results The median cumulative dose was 3200 mg of nimotuzumab given over a median number of 16 doses. The combination of nimotuzumab and RT was well-tolerated. The most prevalent related adverse reactions included nausea, fever, tremors, anorexia and hepatic test alteration. No anti-idiotypic response was detected, confirming the antibody low immunogenicity. The mean and median survival time for subjects treated with nimotuzumab was 31.06 and 17.76 vs. 21.07 and 12.63 months for the control group. Conclusions In this randomized trial, nimotuzumab showed an excellent safety profile and significant survival benefit in combination with irradiation.The study was sponsored by the Center of Molecular Immunology, Havana, Cuba and The Cuban Ministry of Health

Radiotherapy plus nimotuzumab or placebo in the treatment of high grade glioma patients: results from a randomized, double blind trial

Background The prognosis of patients bearing high grade glioma remains dismal. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is well validated as a primary contributor of glioma initiation and progression. Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that recognizes the EGFR extracellular domain and reaches Central Nervous System tumors, in nonclinical and clinical setting. While it has similar activity when compared to other anti-EGFR antibodies, it does not induce skin toxicity or hypomagnesemia. Methods A randomized, double blind, multicentric clinical trial was conducted in high grade glioma patients (41 anaplastic astrocytoma and 29 glioblastoma multiforme) that received radiotherapy plus nimotuzumab or placebo. Treatment and placebo groups were well-balanced for the most important prognostic variables. Patients received 6 weekly doses of 200 mg nimotuzumab or placebo together with irradiation as induction therapy. Maintenance treatment was given for 1 year with subsequent doses administered every 3 weeks. The objectives of this study were to assess the comparative overall survival, progression free survival, response rate, immunogenicity and safety. Results The median cumulative dose was 3200 mg of nimotuzumab given over a median number of 16 doses. The combination of nimotuzumab and RT was well-tolerated. The most prevalent related adverse reactions included nausea, fever, tremors, anorexia and hepatic test alteration. No anti-idiotypic response was detected, confirming the antibody low immunogenicity. The mean and median survival time for subjects treated with nimotuzumab was 31.06 and 17.76 vs. 21.07 and 12.63 months for the control group. Conclusions In this randomized trial, nimotuzumab showed an excellent safety profile and significant survival benefit in combination with irradiation.The study was sponsored by the Center of Molecular Immunology, Havana, Cuba and The Cuban Ministry of Health

The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems

We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves (GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given to AM CVn-stars -- compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.Comment: 105 pages, 18 figure