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A proposal for opportunities of citric acid production in Cuba, using sources of sugar substrates such as refined sugar, molasses and whey, by submerged fermentation with Aspergillus niger, where a technology is established from the selected substrate which is provided and the microorganism used. This is a demanding process in terms of investment costs and operation where the best combinations of productivity and cost are achieved with molasses followed by refined sugar and whey. For the selected substrate, the mass and energy balance in each of the steps in the process of obtaining citric acid for different productive capacities of citric acid was made and the minimum economic size of 2.5 t / day was determined. A production capacity of 8 t / day of granulated acid (2 640 t / a), with estimated total investment of $ 9,068,713, NPV = $ 1,401,561, IRR = 27% and DPP = 3 years was selected. The project is resistant to the rising price of raw materials and the cost of electricity and is favored when the process is integrated into a sugar mill cogeneration, while it is sensitive to a reduction in the selling price of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SCA-2 Ataxia constitutes a health problem for the province of Holguín and potentially for all Cuba. 757 persons in Cuba suffer this disease and almost 8000 descendents are at risk. The present work investigated serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) levels in 25 patients with SCA-2 Ataxia (14 men and 11 women) and in 30 neurologically normal persons (14 men and 16 women), employing atomic absorption techniques. A significant decrease of serum Zn concentration and CSF Cu, Fe and Zn levels were detected in patients with respect to controls. These results indicate an impairment of homeostasis for these important microelements in type SCA-2 Ataxia. These evidences support the application of new strategies for treating this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]