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Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) is one of the industrial separation processes for biogas upgrading to produce biomethane. Biogas generated from biological feedstocks can have strong variations in composition and flow rate. To tackle these variations while maximizing the performance of a PSA process, an advanced control strategy should be developed. In order to develop an advanced control system that maximizes performance of the biogas upgrading PSA under the presence of severe feed disturbances, a perturbation analysis has been performed. Zeolite 13X was used as selective adsorbent for CH4–CO2 separation and binary breakthrough curves, and single-column PSA experiments were performed. Step-function perturbations of 5% in inlet flow rate and CO2 composition were introduced in the PSA. The PSA experiments have demonstrated that a change in flow rate or in CO2 composition leads to a variation less than 2% in the temperature at the top of the column. The gas composition, at the column outlet, in the adsorptio...

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo describir, analizar e interpretar el reflejo del proceso de inversión en infraestructuras realizada por una de las principales Compañías ferroviarias españolas pioneras en el sector, a través del estudio del modelo contable desarrollado en la primera etapa de establecimiento y expansión del negocio. En concreto, la compañía ferroviaria analizada es el ferrocarril Madrid-Zaragoza-Alicante (MZA) durante el período 1856-1874.

Os profissionais a trabalhar em equipas de Saúde Ocupacional, mesmo que não diretamente ligados ao setor da Marcenaria/ Carpintaria, podem receber trabalhadores com esses antecedentes laborais, pelo que poderão sentir necessidade de aprofundar um pouco os seus conhecimentos na área. Os marceneiros e carpinteiros estão expostos a inúmeros riscos/ fatores de risco. Contudo, apesar da gravidade de alguns destes, a generalidade dos trabalhadores desconhece ou banaliza o impacto que poderá existir na sua saúde e segurança. Para além disso, a generalidade da bibliografia consultada aborda riscos específicos e parcelares, não sendo fácil encontrar uma perspetiva global, a nível de Saúde Ocupacional. Pretende-se com esta revisão bibliográfica resumir o que de mais recente e pertinente se publicou sobre o tema.

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Introduction Professionals working in occupational health teams, even if not directly connected to the Bakery sector can receive workers with these employment history. The Bakery industry professionals are exposed to various risks / risk factors, some of which are poorly understood; in addition, most of the literature addresses specific partial risk, it is not easy to find a global perspective, in the context of Occupational Health. Methodology Question protocol: What are the main risk factors and risks for the Bakery industry professionals, as well as associated professionals diseases and recommended protective measures? A survey was carried out in December 2015, in the databases “CINALH plus with full text, Medline with full text, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Nursing and Allied Health Collection: comprehensive, MedicLatina and Academic Search Complete. “ Content The main risks/ risk factors associated with the Bakery sector relate to the handling of loads, forced/ maintained postures and associated lesions; biological agents and allergens; chronobiological disruption; inadequate luminance; thermal discomfort (due to high temperatures and temperature differences); noise, vibrations and possible injuries associated with used machines. Conclusions The majority of workers in this professional sector is not aware of the importance or intensity of some risks, so they sometimes belittles that some collective or individual protection measures are not necessary. The main occupational diseases in this industry mentioned in the bibliography are asthma, hearing loss and possibly some musculoskeletal injuries. The main collective and individual protection measures outlined for this sector were not mentioned explicitly in any of the studies reviewed. Not only the data presented in this review resumes what the latest was published on occupational health in this sector (in Portuguese and using articles that addressed sketchy aspects and written in other languages), in order to provide easy access to this information from the professionals that begin in this sector; but also realized that the situation in Portugal is not sufficiently depicted, so it would be relevant motivate occupational health professionals working in the field (or that will work) to investigate relevant aspects of the issue, disseminating the findings obtained through the publication of articles.

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The aim of this work was to investigate the relationship between different lipids parameters with presence and severity of coronary obstruction angiographically evaluated. 897 patients (629 men and 268 women) underwent an angiography and blood extraction to determine concentrations of lipid markers: total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDLc), triglycerides, LDL cholesterol (LDLc), apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), apolipoprotein B100 (apoB), non-HDL cholesterol and total cholesterol/HDLc, apoB100/apoA1 and LDLc/HDLc ratios. Multivariate analysis revealed that low HDLc levels were independently associated with the presence of coronary obstruction (OR: 0.982, 95% CI 0.969–0.996). In relation to severity of coronary stenosis, only apoA1 levels (OR: 0.990, 95% CI 0.980–1.000) and apoB/apoA1 ratio (OR: 3.243, 95% CI 1.095–9.608) were independent predictors. Our study demonstrated that HDLc was the only lipid parameter negatively and significantly associated with the presence of coronary obstruction, whereas apoA1 levels and apoB/apoA1 ratio were independent predictors of stenosis severity.

Five-year survival rates for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are 30% and the mortality rate is 50%. Immunohistochemistry panels are used to evaluate proliferation, vascularization, apoptosis, HPV infection, and keratin expression, which are important markers of malignant progression. Keratins are a family of intermediate filaments predominantly expressed in epithelial cells and have an essential role in mechanical support and cytoskeleton formation, which is essential for the structural integrity and stability of the cell. In this study, we analyzed the expressions of keratins 17 and 19 (K17 and K19) by immunohistochemistry in tumoral and non-tumoral tissues from patients with OSCC. The results show that expression of these keratins is higher in tumor tissues compared to non-tumor tissues. Positive K17 expression correlates with lymph node metastasis and multivariate analysis confirmed this relationship, revealing a 6-fold increase in lymph node metastasis when K17 is expressed. We observed a correlation between K17 expression with disease-free survival and disease-specific death in patients who received surgery and radiotherapy. Multivariate analysis revealed that low expression of K17 was an independent marker for early disease relapse and disease-specific death in patients treated with surgery and radiotherapy, with an approximately 4-fold increased risk when compared to high K17 expression. Our results suggest a potential role for K17 and K19 expression profiles as tumor prognostic markers in OSCC patients.

Resumen Introduccion Los estudios realizados hasta la fecha, sobre los mecanismos de accion de los compuestos fenolicos, indican que sus efectos podrian deberse no solo a la eliminacion de radicales libres, sino que modularian los procesos de senalizacion celular o actuarian por si mismos como moleculas senal. Metodos Se administraron 2 desayunos basados en aceite de oliva, uno de ellos con alto contenido en compuestos fenolicos (398 ppm) y el otro con bajo contenido (70 ppm), a 20 pacientes con sindrome metabolico, en un diseno aleatorio y cruzado. Se analizo la expresion genica postprandial en celulas mononucleares de sangre periferica, mediante microarrays. Resultados Hemos observado que el desayuno que incluyo un aceite rico en compuestos fenolicos reprimio la expresion de 18 genes relacionados directamente con procesos de senalizacion, entre ellos 12 factores de transcripcion implicados en proliferacion y crecimiento celular. Conclusiones Nuestros resultados sugieren que el consumo de un desayuno con aceite de oliva virgen, rico en compuestos fenolicos, reduce los procesos de proliferacion celular en celulas mononucleares, lo que podria ser un mecanismo de proteccion del desarrollo de arteriosclerosis.

This work shows a new column arrangement to improve the utilization of the adsorbent in multi-column Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) processes. This cycle was specifically designed to increase the unit productivity for gas separations using adsorbents with slow diffusion kinetics where mass transfer zone (MTZ) inside the column is important. In this column arrangement, when the heavy (most adsorbed) gas breaks through one column, the exit of this column is connected to a second column (trim bed) where more heavy gas can be adsorbed. In this way, also more heavy gas will be adsorbed in the first (lead) column. The increase of process performance is directly related to the length of the MTZ: the larger the MTZ, the better will perform using the lead-trim beds concept. The cycle performance was tested for biogas upgrading to obtain high purity bio-methane (purity >98%) that can be used as renewable fuel. Two different adsorbents were employed in the process simulations: zeolites 13X (fast diffusion) and carbon molecular sieve (slow diffusion). Furthermore, the possibility of using less power in the purge step was considered. Using this process, it was possible to obtain unit productivity of 5.5 mol CH 4 per hour per kilogram of adsorbent.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) is a powerful antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress. We explored whether the quality of dietary fat alters postprandial oxidative DNA damage and whether supplementation with CoQ improves antioxidant capacity by modifying the activation/stabilization of p53 in elderly subjects. In this crossover study, 20 subjects were randomly assigned to receive three isocaloric diets during 4 weeks each: (1) Mediterranean diet (Med diet), (2) Mediterranean diet supplemented with CoQ (Med+CoQ diet), and (3) saturated fatty acid-rich diet (SFA diet). Levels of mRNAs were determined for p53, p21, p53R2, and mdm2. Protein levels of p53, phosphorylated p53 (Ser20), and monoubiquitinated p53 were also measured, both in cytoplasm and nucleus. The extent of DNA damage was measured as plasma 8-OHdG. SFA diet displayed higher postprandial 8-OHdG concentrations, p53 mRNA and monoubiquitinated p53, and lower postprandial Mdm2 mRNA levels compared with Med and Med+CoQ diets (p

The upgrading of biogas by pressure swing adsorption (PSA) was studied. Simulations of a process for binary separation of CH4−CO2 using zeolite 13X as selective adsorbent were carried out at 323 K. The results obtained with a two-column PSA process using a six-step cycle (pressurization, feed, depressurization, blowdown, purge, and pressure equalization) were compared with initial estimates by simulating the behavior of only one column. The recycle of highly contaminated streams was quantitatively evaluated in this paper. When recycled streams have purity lower than 99%, there is a significant decrease in the overall purity of biomethane. According to the simulations performed for a stream of biogas of 500 N m3/day, it is possible to obtain biomethane with a purity higher than 99% with a recovery of 85% and a power consumption of 0.12 kW/mol of produced methane.

Resumen Objetivo Este trabajo se diseno para estudiar el riesgo cardiovascular en un colectivo de mujeres adolescentes debido a la necesidad de actuar sobre perfiles de riesgo a edades tempranas. Metodos Se han estudiado 135 alumnas de la Escuela Universitaria de Enfermeria de la Universidad del Pais Vasco (18,51 ± 1,12 anos). A cada una de ellas se les realizo una encuesta que incluyo datos de filiacion, antecedentes familiares y personales de enfermedad cardiovascular, y habitos de vida. Se determino el peso, la talla y el perimetro abdominal. Asi mismo, se analizaron los niveles de: colesterol total, trigliceridos, cHDL, cLDL, apolipoproteina A1 y apolipoproteina B100. Resultados En cuanto a los antecedentes familiares, el 43,7% los presento de enfermedad cardiovascular, el 33,3% de diabetes, el 29,6% de dislipemia y el 25,2% de hipertension. El 3% presento antecedentes personales. La prevalencia de tabaquismo fue del 21,5%, el 88,1% afirmo practicar habitualmente ejercicio fisico, el 86,7% consumia alcohol en fin de semana. En cuanto al perfil lipidico, el 90,2% presento valores optimos de colesterol total, toda la muestra presento niveles de cHDL >40 mg/dl, y el 45,7%, >60 mg/dl, el 2,6% cLDL >160 mg/dl, el 2,2% trigliceridos >150 mg/dl. La prevalencia de apolipoproteina A1 120 mg/dl, del 1,08%. El 14,1% presentaba sobrepeso y el 1,5%, obesidad. El 5,9% mostro valores de perimetro abdominal ≥88 cm. Conclusiones La poblacion estudiada ha presentado porcentajes bajos de factores de riesgo cardiovascular, exceptuando el consumo de alcohol, por lo que se debe seguir insistiendo en la reduccion de riesgos y promocion de una vida saludable.

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 gene (MECP2). Several neural systems are affected in Rett, resulting in an autonomic dysfunction, a movement disorder with characteristic loss of locomotor abilities and profound cognitive impairments. A deregulation of monoamines has been detected in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of both Rett patients and a Rett syndrome murine model, the Mecp2 knock-out mouse. Our goal was to characterize the onset and progression of motor dysfunction in Mecp2(tm1.1Bird) knock-out mice and the possible neurochemical alterations in different brain regions potentially playing a role in Rett-like pathophysiology, at two different time-points, at weaning (3 weeks old) and in young adults when overt symptoms are observed (8 weeks old). Our results revealed significant age- and region-dependent impairments in these modulatory neurotransmitter systems that correspond well with the motor phenotype observed in these mice. At 3 weeks of age, male Mecp2 knock-out mice exhibited ataxia and delayed motor initiation. At this stage, noradrenergic and serotonergic transmission was mainly altered in the prefrontal and motor cortices, whereas during disease progression the neurochemical changes were also observed in hippocampus and cerebellum. Our data suggest that the deregulation of norepinephrine and serotonin systems in brain regions that participate in motor control are involved in the pathophysiology of Rett syndrome motor phenotypes. Moreover, we highlight the contribution of cortical regions along with the brainstem to be in the origin of the pathology and the role of hippocampus and cerebellum in the progression of the disease rather than in its establishment., Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) with the PhD fellowship SFRH/BD/9111/2002 and the postdoc fellowship SFRH/BPD/28555/2006. Anabela Silva-Fernandes and Andreia Teixeira-Castro are supported by FCT with the PhD fellowships SFRH/BD/27258/2006 and SFRH/BD/15910/2005. Research in Rett syndrome is supported by FSE/FEDER and FCT, grant POCTI 41416/2001

Coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) is found in blood and in all organs. CoQ(10) deficiencies are due to autosomal recessive mutations, ageing-related oxidative stress and carcinogenesis processes, and also statin treatment. Many neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, cancer and muscular and cardiovascular diseases have been associated with low CoQ(10) levels, as well as different ataxias and encephalomyopathies.We review the efficacy of a variety of commercial formulations which have been developed to solubilise CoQ(10) and promote its better absorption in vivo, and its use in the therapy of pathologies associated with low CoQ(10) levels, with emphasis in the results of the clinical trials. Also, we review the use of its analogues idebenone and MitoQ.This review covers the most relevant aspects related with the therapeutic use of CoQ(10), including existing formulations and their effects on its bioavailability.CoQ(10) does not cause serious adverse effects in humans and new formulations have been developed that increase CoQ(10) absorption. Oral CoQ(10) is a viable antioxidant strategy in many diseases, providing a significant to mild symptomatic benefit. Idebenone and MitoQ are promising substitutive CoQ(10)-related drugs which are well tolerated and safe.

As part of a search for environmentally friendly metal chelating ligands, the stability constants of N, N′-ethylenedi-L-cysteine (EC) complexes with Ca(II), Cu(II), Mg(II) and Mn(II) were determined by potentiometry with a glass electrode in aqueous solutions containing 0.1 mol⋅L−1 KCl at 25 °C. Final models are proposed. For the Ca(II)–EC system, the overall stability constants are log 10 β CaHL=14.53±0.03, log 10 β CaL=4.79±0.01 and log 10 β CaL2=8.38±0.04. For the M(II)–EC systems, where M=Cu(II) or Mg(II), the overall stability constants are log10 β CuHL=31.19±0.02 and log 10 β CuL=27.02±0.06 for Cu(II), and are log 10 β MgHL=14.84±0.02 and log 10 β MgL=6.164±0.008 for Mg(II). For the Mn(II)–EC system, the overall stability constant is log 10 β MnL=10.12±0.01. Metal–chelate speciations simulations showed that EC is an efficient chelating agent for Cd(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) for pH≥7.

To determine whether carbonation affects aroma release from liquid systems, carbonated and non-carbonated flavoured model systems were prepared and volatile release was determined under static (equilibrium) and dynamic conditions. A model flavour system was added as a single compound or as a mixture of the six aroma compounds used in this study. Volatile release under dynamic conditions involved using a home-made device simulating an artificial throat, coupled to a proton transfer mass spectrometer (PTR–MS). The results showed that carbonation increased the release of most of the aroma compounds in both static and in dynamic testing conditions. The extent of this effect depended, however, on the physicochemical characteristics of the aroma compounds (the most volatile and most hydrophobic compounds were affected more). Release was also increased if the aroma compounds were added as a mixture rather than as individual compounds. CO2 appears to be a key factor responsible for the enhanced release of flavourings from carbonated liquid systems. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Resumen Introduccion El objetivo de nuestro estudio ha sido determinar las posibles diferencias entre varones y mujeres de una serie de factores de riesgo asociados a la enfermedad coronaria. Pacientes y metodos Se estudio a 502 pacientes (251 mujeres y 251 varones) consecutivos, a los cuales se realizo una coronariografia para determinar la presencia o ausencia de enfermedad coronaria, y una extraccion sanguinea para determinar las concentraciones de colesterol total, colesterol unido a lipoproteinas de alta densidad (cHDL), trigliceridos, colesterol unido a lipoproteinas de baja densidad (cLDL), apolipoproteina A1 y apolipoproteina B100. Se cumplimento un cuadernillo con antecedentes personales, datos sobre peso y talla, habito tabaquico y presencia de dislipemia, hipertension arterial y diabetes mellitus. Resultados Las mujeres con enfermedad coronaria (59,6%) presentaron concentraciones mas altas, y estadisticamente significativas, de trigliceridos y mas bajas de cHDL y apolipoproteina A1. Asimismo, la presencia de hipertension arterial, diabetes mellitus y dislipemia estuvo claramente asociada con la enfermedad. En los varones con enfermedad coronaria (80,9%), la dislipemia y la diabetes mellitus presentaron una asociacion significativa, mientras que el colesterol total, el cLDL y la apolipoproteina B presentaron valores inferiores y estadisticamente significativos, posiblemente debido al tratamiento con hipolipemiantes en un porcentaje alto. En el analisis multivariante, la hipertension arterial (odds ratio [OR] = 2,411; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%, 1,284-4,524), la dislipemia (OR = 2,433; IC del 95%, 1,360-4,352) y los valores de cHDL (OR = 0,971; IC del 95%, 0,951-0,992) se asociaron de forma independiente con la enfermedad coronaria en las mujeres, mientras que en los varones lo fueron la dislipemia (OR = 3,453; IC del 95%, 1,545-7,718) y el colesterol (OR = 0,987; IC del 95%, 0,975-0,998). Conclusiones Los resultados de nuestro estudio presentan la hipertension arterial y los valores bajos de cHDL como factores de riesgo asociados a la enfermedad coronaria diferenciadores entre varones y mujeres.

Resumen Fundamento y objetivo Analizar la relacion entre las concentraciones de marcadores lipidicos, hemostasicos e inflamatorios con la presencia y la gravedad de la enfermedad coronaria valorada angiograficamente. Pacientes y metodo Se han estudiado 897 pacientes (629 varones y 268 mujeres) ingresados por presentar un episodio coronario agudo o por descartar enfermedad coronaria. Se les realizo una coronariografia segun la tecnica de Seldinger y una extraccion sanguinea para determinar las concentraciones de marcadores lipidicos (colesterol total, cHDL [cholesterol high-density lipoproteins ‘colesterol ligado a lipoproteinas de alta densidad’ ], trigliceridos, colesterol ligado a lipoproteinas de baja densidad, apolipoproteina [apo] A- I , apo B100, lipoproteina [a] [Lpa]), hemostasicos (fibrinogeno, dimero-D, factor tisular, inhibidor de la via del factor tisular) e inflamatorios (proteina C reactiva [PCR] y recuento leucocitico). Resultados Un total de 659 pacientes presentaron enfermedad obstructiva coronaria y 238 se consideraron controles. Los pacientes con obstruccion coronaria presentaron valores mas elevados de Lp(a), dimero-D, PCR y leucocitos, e inferiores de cHDL y apo A- I . En el analisis multivariante, el sexo (odds ratio [OR] de 2,692; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%: 1,822 a 3,979), la dislipidemia (OR de 2,241; IC del 95%: 1,559 a 3,221), la hipertension arterial (OR de 1,623; IC del 95%: 1,116 a 2,359), la diabetes (OR de 1,608; IC del 95%: 1,054 a 2,451), los leucocitos (OR de 1,181; IC del 95%: 1,082 a 1,288), la Lp(a) (OR de 1,205; IC del 95%: 1,079 a 1,346), el dimero-D (OR de 1,468; IC del 95%: 1,152 a 1,871) y la apo A- I (OR de 0,992; IC del 95%: 0,985 a 0,999) resultaron factores de riesgo independientes de la obstruccion coronaria. Al distribuir la muestra en 3 grupos atendiendo a la gravedad de la obstruccion, solamente la Lp(a) y el dimero-D aumentaron significativamente a medida que aumentaba la gravedad, mientras que la apo A- I y el cHDL disminuyeron. Conclusion La Lp(a), el dimero-D y la apo A- I se relacionan de forma significativa tanto con la presencia de la obstruccion coronaria como con su gravedad.

In this work we explored the role of the 3'UTR of the MECP2 gene in patients with clinical diagnosis of RTT and mental retardation; focusing on regions of the 3'UTR with almost 100% conservation at the nucleotide level among mouse and human. By mutation scanning (DOVAM-S technique) the MECP2 3'UTR of a total of 66 affected females were studied. Five 3'UTR variants in the MECP2 were found (c.1461+9G>A, c.1461+98insA, c.2595G>A, c.9961C>G and c.9964delC) in our group of patients. None of the variants found is located in putative protein-binding sites nor predicted to have a pathogenic role. Our data suggest that mutations in this region do not account for a large proportion of the RTT cases without a genetic explanation., Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) with the PhD fel- lowship SFRH/BD/9111/2002. Research in Rett syn- drome is supported by FSE/FEDER and FCT, grant POCTI 41416/2001

9 páginas, 4 figuras, 1 tabla., Dietary coenzyme Q10 prolongs life span of rats fed on a PUFAn-6-enriched diet. Our aim was to analyze changes in the levels of plasma proteins of rats fed on a PUFAn-6 plus coenzyme Q10-based diet. This approach could give novel insights into the mechanisms of life span extension by dietary coenzyme Q10 in the rat. Serum albumin, which decreases with aging in the rat, was significantly increased by coenzyme Q10 supplementation both at 6 and 24 months. After depletion of the most abundant proteins by affinity chromatography, levels of less abundant plasma proteins were also studied by using 2D-electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF mass fingerprinting analysis. Our results have shown that lifelong dietary supplementation with coenzyme Q10 induced significant decreases of plasma hemopexin, apolipoprotein H and inter-α-inhibitor H4P heavy chain (at both 6 and 24 months), preprohaptoglobin, fibrinogen γ-chain precursor, and fetuin-like protein (at 6 months), and α-1-antitrypsin precursor and type II peroxiredoxin (at 24 months). On the other hand, coenzyme Q10 supplementation resulted in significant increases of serine protease inhibitor 3, vitamin D-binding protein (at 6 months), and Apo A–I (at 24 months). Our results support a beneficial role of dietary coenzyme Q10 decreasing oxidative stress and cardiovascular risk, and modulating inflammation during aging., Supported by Grant No. BFU2005–00137/BMC (Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia), and CVI-276 (Junta de Andalucía). M.S. and C.G.-D. were supported by CVI-276.