Fermentable sugars recovery from lignocellulosic waste-newspaper by catalytic hydrolysis.

The urgent need for alternative renewable energies to supplement petroleum-based fuels and the reduction of landfill sites for disposal of solid wastes makes it increasingly attractive to produce inexpensive biofuels from the organic fraction of the municipal solid waste. Therefore, municipal waste in the form of newspaper was investigated as a potential feedstock for fermentable sugars production. Hydrolysis of newspaper by dilute phosphoric acid was carried out in autoclave Parr reactor, where reactor temperature and acid concentration were examined. Xylose concentration reached a maximum value of 14 g/100 g dry mass corresponding to a yield of 94% at the best identified conditions of 2.5 wt% H3PO4, 135 degrees C, 120 min reaction time, and at 2.5 wt% H3PO4, 150 degrees C, and 60 min reaction time. For glucose, an average yield of 26% was obtained at 2.5 wt% H3PO4, 200 degrees C, and 30 min. Furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) formation was clearly affected by reaction temperature, where the higher the temperature the higher the formation rate. The maximum furfural formed was an average of 3 g/100 g dry mass, corresponding to a yield of 28%. The kinetic study of the acid hydrolysis was also carried out using the Saeman and the two-fraction models. It was found for both models that the kinetic constants (K) depend on the acid concentration and temperature. The degradation of HMF to levulinic acid is faster than the degradation of furfural to formic acid. Also, the degradation rate is higher than the formation rate for both inhibitors when degradation is observed.

Paradoxical facilitation of exocytosis by inhibition of L-type calcium channels of bovine chromaffin cells.

Ca(2+) entry through the L-subtype (α(1D), Ca(v)1,3) of voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) seems to selectively regulate the endocytotic response after the application of a single depolarizing pulse to voltage-clamped bovine chromaffin cells. Here we have found that L channel blockade with nifedipine transformed the exocytotic responses elicited by a double-pulse protocol, from depression to facilitation. This apparent paradoxical effect was mimicked by pharmacological interventions that directly block endocytosis namely, dynasore, calmidazolium, GTP-γS and GDP-ßS. This reinforces our view that Ca(2+) entry through PQ channels (α(1A); Ca(v)2.1) regulates fast exocytosis while Ca(2+) entry through L channels preferentially controls rapid endocytosis.

Private speech in simultaneous and early Spanish/English bilinguals.

This study analyzed private speech in a group of sixty Spanish-English bilinguals. A Private Speech Questionnaire including questions about seven different conditions, that is, spiritual thinking (e.g., praying, meditating), dreaming, thinking, problem-solving, recalling past events, recalling information, and dealing with stress, was designed. Furthermore, the sample was divided into two subgroups: born in the United States (simultaneous bilinguals) and born outside the United States but arriving to the country before the age of 10 (early successive bilinguals). In both groups and for all the seven conditions, English was more frequently used in private speech, and English was also the dominant language in our participants. Early bilinguals, however, more frequently used Spanish in different private speech situations. These findings suggest that the linguistic environment during early life has a significant impact on the language selected in different internal language situations, but the dominant language is more frequently used in private speech conditions.

Premature Coronary Artery Disease and ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in a 24-Year-Old Man With Perinatally Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Case Report.

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Although evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) is available, myocardial infarction has not been described in this population. We report a case of myocardial infarction in a patient with PHIV with a brief literature review.

Characteristics of U.S. Adults with Usual Daily Folic Acid Intake above the Tolerable Upper Intake Level: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003-2010.

The Food and Drug Administration mandated that by 1998, all enriched cereal grain products (ECGP) be fortified with folic acid in order to prevent the occurrence of neural tube defects. The Institute of Medicine established the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for folic acid (1000 µg/day for adults) in 1998. We characterized U.S. adults with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL. Using NHANES 2003-2010 data, we estimated the percentage of 18,321 non-pregnant adults with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL, and among them, we calculated the weighted percentage by sex, age, race/ethnicity, sources of folic acid intake, supplement use and median usual daily folic acid intakes. Overall, 2.7% (standard error 0.6%) of participants had usual daily intake exceeding the UL for folic acid; 62.2% were women; 86.3% were non-Hispanic whites; and 98.5% took supplements containing folic acid. When stratified by sex and age groups among those with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL, 20.8% were women aged 19-39 years. Those with usual daily intake exceeding the folic acid UL were more likely to be female, non-Hispanic white, supplement users or to have at least one chronic medical condition compared to those not exceeding the folic acid UL. Among those with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL who also took supplements, 86.6% took on average >400 µg of folic acid/day from supplements. Everyone with usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL consumed folic acid from multiple sources. No one in our study population had usual daily folic acid intake exceeding the UL through consumption of mandatorily-fortified enriched cereal grain products alone. Voluntary consumption of supplements containing folic acid is the main factor associated with usual daily intake exceeding the folic acid UL.

Regulation by L-type calcium channels of endocytosis: an overview.

The exocytotic neurotransmitter release process is tightly coupled to the membrane retrieval (endocytosis) process since both are calcium-dependent processes. For instance, at the adrenal chromaffin cells, catecholamine release is regulated by Ca(2+) entry through L, N and PQ subtypes of voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCC). The contribution of a given VDCC subtype to exocytosis may differ according to the animal species studied, with L channels contributing only about 20 % to the total Ca(2+) entry in bovine chromaffin cells. However, data from electrophysiological experiments with membrane capacitance measurements and fluorescence imaging with FM dyes indicate that Ca(2+) entry through the L-type channels seems to selectively regulate the endocytotic response after the application of a single depolarizing pulse to voltage-clamped bovine chromaffin cells. How do L-type channels control endocytosis remains to be fully clarified. By using specific antibodies against VDCC subtypes and endocytic proteins (i.e. dynamin and clathrin), it has been demonstrated that VDCC subtypes do not co-localise with these proteins. On the other hand, electrophysiological data suggest that the particular mode of sustained Ca(2+) entry through slow-inactivating L-type channels could be responsible for the activation of the endocytotic machinery. Here, we present an overview of the current understanding of the contribution of L-type channels during endocytosis.

Batch and continuous biogas production from grass silage liquor.

Herein batch and continuous mesophilic anaerobic digestion of grass silage liquor was studied. The continuous process was carried out in Armfield digesters with an OLR ranging from 0.851 to 1.77 kg COD m(-3) day(-1). The effect of recirculation of effluent from the digester was investigated using different OLRs of grass silage liquor feed. These results showed that as the OLR increased, the methane yield decreased for the reactor with no recycle and increased for the reactor with recycle. However, the COD removal for both digesters was nearly the same at the same OLR. Overall these studies show that grass silage liquor can produce a high quality methane steam between 70% and 80% and achieve methane yields of 0.385 m3 kg(-1) COD.

Dilute phosphoric acid-catalysed hydrolysis of municipal bio-waste wood shavings using autoclave parr reactor system.

The visibility of using municipal bio-waste, wood shavings, as a potential feedstock for ethanol production was investigated. Dilute acid hydrolysis of wood shavings with H3PO4 was undertaken in autoclave parr reactor. A combined severity factor (CSF) was used to integrate the effects of hydrolysis times, temperature and acid concentration into a single variable. Xylose concentration reached a maximum value of 17 g/100 g dry mass corresponding to a yield of 100% at the best identified conditions of 2.5 wt.% H3PO4, 175 °C and 10 min reaction time corresponding to a CSF of 1.9. However, for glucose, an average yield of 30% was obtained at 5 wt.% H3PO4, 200 °C and 10 min. Xylose production increased with increasing temperature and acid concentration, but its transformation to the degradation product furfural was also catalysed by those factors. The maximum furfural formed was 3 g/100 g dry mass, corresponding to the 24% yield.

El caso de infecciosas. Histoplasmosis osea / The case of infectious diseases. Histoplasmosis bone

Se presenta el caso de un paciente de 11 años de edad con una lesión lítica en la tibia izquierda, diagnosticada como linfoma de células B y tratado con quimioterapia durante nueve meses, al final de los cuales se observó la presencia de nuevas lesiones líricas en el miembro inferior derecho y la persistencia de las lesiones tibiales izquierdas. La biopsia de estas lesiones reportó estructuras compatibles con H. capsulatum. El paciente fue tratado con itraconazol por 12 meses, terapia que controló adecuadamente el proceso micótico.

This is a case ofa 11 years old boy with a lytic lesion on his left tibia, diagnosed as a B Cell Lymphoma and treated with chemotherapy during nine months, atter which new lytic lesions where noticed on his right inferior limb as well as the persistence of the left tibial lesions. The biopsy yielded structures compatible with H. capsulatum. The patient was treated with ltraconazol during 12 months; the mycotic process was appropriately treated with this therapy.