Nitrogen removal from landfill leachate using a sequential biological passive system

The efficiency of an anaerobic-aerobic biofilm passive system for nitrogen conversion was investigated. Leachate from real landfill is characterized by high ammonia content. Several techniques have been tested for ammonia nitrogen removal including air stripping, which imply high cost operation. In this work, an innovative design which combines a Bio- Reactive Permeable Barrier (BioBarrier) and multilayer Bio-trickling Reactor (BtR) was evaluated for nitrogen removal. The results show an excellent performance of BtR system, in which concentration of NO3 raise from 100±10 mg/L NO3 to near 1000±100 mg/L NO3. Almost 95% NH4 removal was observed, demonstrating efficiency of this device. However, N dynamics in BRPB had no important changes, probably due to low biofilm content of the package material. The BtR system was designed to promote O2 transference from the atmosphere without external energy input. Results confirm feasibility of nitrification process within tower. From the experimental data it can be concluded that BtR system is an efficient and economical system for ammonia removal, making it an innovative and potential system for small communities

Biodegradation pathway prediction of pops (persistent organic pollutants) and biobarrier treatment

In this paper, the biodegradation pathway of Dieldrin is simulated using an expert system. This insecticide is included in the Stockholm Convention, signed and ratified by Colombian government in 2008, and it is considered one of the most harmful human-made compounds. For this model contaminant a complete metabolic biodegradation sequence was built and a simulation-based strategy was formulated for its biodegradation in a practical case. According to the simulated metabolic pathway, a sequential aerobic-anaerobic-aerobic reactor would be the best choice to achieve complete biodegradation. Using these results, the authors propose an innovative system for the biological treatment of POPs; this system was called Bio-Reactive Permeable Barrier (BioBarrier). In this work a description of the main and fundamentals aspects of BioBarrier system is also included, showing a new and potential possibility for the bio-treatment of hazardous pollutants

Síntesis de derivados pirrólicos a través de una cicloadición 1,3-dipolar

Una nueva serie de compuestos pirrólicos fue obtenida a través de una cicloadición 1,3-dipolar entre cetonas a,b-insaturadas y el auxiliar sintético tosilmetilisocianuro, (TOSMIC). Los materiales de partida se prepararon mediante condensación aldólica a partir de los aldehídos y cetonas respectivos. La elucidación estructural de los precursores y moléculas objetivo se realizó con ayuda de técnicas espectroscópicas convencionales como resonancia magnética nuclear (1H- y 13C-RMN) y espectroscopia de infrarrojo (IR)

Metabolic simulation of biodegradation of dielectrics oils using expert systems

La rápida industrialización y la acelerada producción de nuevos compuestos sintéticos han llevado a los gobiernos y entidades de control a regular de forma estricta los vertimientos de efluentes industriales. Sin embargo, con decenas de nuevos compuestos generados cada año, es imposible establecer protocolos de tratabilidad y estimar su impacto directo en los ecosistemas antes de su producción en industria. El uso de sistemas de predicción de rutas metabólicas permite estimar de forma preliminar las posibles transformaciones que un compuesto complejo puede sufrir como resultado de su interacción con ecosistemas, dando un indicio de la facilidad del tratamiento biológico y su riesgo para a salud del medio ambiente. En este trabajo se presenta la simulación de la biodegradación de tres compuestos de referencia presentes en tierra Fuller contaminada con aceites dieléctricos, con el ánimo de estimar su biodegradabilidad y la posible generación de intermediarios tóxicos. Para cada compuesto se identificaron sus principales transformaciones, así como las enzimas involucradas y los posibles microorganismos que propician estas transformaciones. Se comprobó que los contaminantes pueden ser biodegradados completamente y que no se generan intermediarios tóxicos de importancia, con lo cual se confirma la factibilidad del tratamiento biológico para aceites dieléctricos./ Abstract: Rapid industrialization and accelerated production of new synthetic compounds led Governments and entities control to strictly regulate dumping of industrial effluents. However, with dozens of new compounds generated each year, is impossible to establish protocols for industry and estimate its direct impact on ecosystems before its production in industry. Prediction of metabolic systems allow preliminary estimate the possible transformations that a complex compound may suffer as a result of their interaction with ecosystems, giving an indication of the biological treatment facility and your risk for the health of the environment. This work presents the biodegradation of three reference compounds in Fuller land contaminated with Dielectric, oils with the aim of estimating their biodegradability and possible toxic intermediates generation simulation. Its major transformations, as well as enzymes involved and possible microorganisms that promote these transformations were identified for each compound. It was found that contaminants can be biodegraded completely and that are not generatedm toxic intermediates of importance, which confirms the feasibility of the biological treatment for dielectric oils

Determinants of hospitalization in patients diagnosed with bronchiolitis in Barranquilla, Colombia

Objetivo Describir la frecuencia de los factores de riesgo que inciden en la hospitalización de pacientes con diagnóstico de bronquiolitis atendidos en una empresa social del estado (ESE) ubicada en la ciudad de Barranquilla, Colombia. Materiales y Métodos Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal retrospectivo. La fuente de información fueron las historias clínicas de ingresos al servicio de urgencias de los niños que fueron valorados por el servicio de pediatría entre los años 2016 y 2018. En total se evaluaron 865 historias, de las cuales se descartaron 103 por no cumplir con los criterios de inclusión descritos para el estudio. Resultados Los factores de riesgo modificables fueron los que más se presentaron en el grupo estudiado. El que pudo tener mayor importancia fue la aparición de la enfermedad. La lactancia materna exclusiva inadecuada fue de gran relevancia para la aparición, así como la gravedad de la enfermedad. Discusión Las enfermedades crónicas no modificables tienen relevancia por su relación con la aparición y la gravedad de enfermedades como la bronquiolitis. Factores variables como el bajo peso al nacer, la prematurez y la enfermedad cardiaca fueron considerados como los de mayor valor e importancia frente a la enfermedad en la población estudiada. Conclusiones La mayoría de los factores de riesgo que inciden en los pacientes se podrían evitar o aminorar con educación y con estrategias de mejora en la comunidad.Objective To describe the frequency of risk factors that have an impact on hospitalization of patients diagnosed with bronchiolitis and served in a state hospital located in Barranquilla, Colombia. Materials and Methods A retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study was performed. The source of information was the medical records of children who were admitted to emergency service and valued by the pediatrics service between 2016 and 2018. 865 medical records were studied. 103 of them were discarded, because they did not meet the inclusion criteria described by the study. Results The modifiable risk factors were the ones that presented the most in the group studied. The onset of the disease could be the most important. Inadequate exclusive breastfeeding was of great importance for the onset, as well as the severity of the disease. Discussion Chronic non-modifiable diseases are relevant because of their relationship to the onset and severity of diseases such as bronchiolitis. Low birth weight, prematurity, and heart disease have the highest valuation and were considered the most important factors in relation to the disease in the studied population. Conclusions Most risk factors presented by patients could be avoided or reduced with education and strategies of improvement to the community, being able to decrease the appearance of the disease

Effect of cerium dioxide, titanium dioxide, silver, and gold nanoparticles on the activity of microbial communities intended in wastewater treatment

Financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino (Project Exp. 007/RN08/03.1).Growth in production and use of nanoparticles (NPs) will result increased concentrations of these in industrial and urban wastewaters and, consequently, in wastewater-treatment facilities. The effect of this increase on the performance of the wastewater-treatment process has not been studied systematically and including all the microbial communities involved in wastewater treatment. The present work investigates, by using respiration tests and biogas-production analysis, the inhibitory effect of four different commonly used metal oxide (CeO₂ and TiO₂) and zero-valent metal (Ag and Au) nanoparticles on the activity of the most important microbial communities present in a modern wastewater-treatment plant. Specifically, the actions of ordinary heterotrophic organisms, ammonia oxidizing bacteria, and thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic bacteria were tested in the presence and absence of the nanoparticles. In general, CeO₂ nanoparticles caused the greatest inhibition in biogas production (nearly 100%) and a strong inhibitory action of other biomasses; Ag nanoparticles caused an intermediate inhibition in biogas production (within 33-50%) and a slight inhibition in the action of other biomasses, and Au and TiO₂ nanoparticles caused only slight or no inhibition for all tested biomasses

Measurement of CP violation parameters and polarisation fractions in B0s→J/ψK∗0 decays

The first measurement of CP asymmetries in the decay B0s→J/ψK∗(892)0 and an updated measurement of its branching fraction and polarisation fractions are presented. The results are obtained using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions recorded with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Together with constraints from B 0 → J/ψ ρ 0, the results are used to constrain additional contributions due to penguin diagrams in the CP -violating phase ϕ s , measured through B 0s decays to charmonium.S

Measurements of long-range near-side angular correlations in √sNN=5TeV proton-lead collisions in the forward region

Two-particle angular correlations are studied in proton-lead collisions at a nucleon–nucleon centre-of-mass energy of √sNN=5TeV, collected with the LHCb detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on data recorded in two beam configurations, in which either the direction of the proton or that of the lead ion is analysed. The correlations are measured in the laboratory system as a function of relative pseudorapidity, η, and relative azimuthal angle, φ, for events in different classes of event activity and for different bins of particle transverse momentum. In high-activity events a long-range correlation on the near side, φ≈0, is observed in the pseudorapidity range 2.0 <η<4.9. This measurement of long-range correlations on the near side in proton-lead collisions extends previous observations into the forward region up to η=4.9. The correlation increases with growing event activity and is found to be more pronounced in the direction of the lead beam. However, the correlation in the direction of the lead and proton beams are found to be compatible when comparing events with similar absolute activity in the direction analysed.S

Measurement of forward J/ψ production cross-sections in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV

The production of J/ψ mesons in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=13 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector. Cross-section measurements are performed as a function of the transverse momentum p T and the rapidity y of the J/ψ meson in the region p T < 14 GeV/c and 2.0 < y < 4.5, for both prompt J/ψ mesons and J/ψ mesons from b-hadron decays. The production cross-sections integrated over the kinematic coverage are 15.30 ± 0.03 ± 0.86 μb for prompt J/ψ and 2.34 ± 0.01 ± 0.13 μb for J/ψ from b-hadron decays, assuming zero polarization of the J/ψ meson. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The cross-section reported for J/ψ mesons from b-hadron decays is used to extrapolate to a total bb cross-section. The ratios of the cross-sections with respect to √s=8 TeV are also determinedS