{"title":"Development of a Bioreactor-Based Model for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) Biodegradation by Aspergillus brasiliensis","authors":"Daniela Garcia Moreno, Diana Milena Morales Fonseca, Gloria Astrid Nausa Galeano","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc292.doab","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc292.doab","url":null,"abstract":"Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a widely used polymer due to its chemical resistance, high flexibility, and mechanical properties. However, its low degradation rate, coupled with its low lifespan and widespread accumulation, poses significant environmental and public health concerns. This study presents a biodegradation model for LDPE using a suspension bioreactor, which could serve as a biological treatment alternative before polymer disposal. In our model, an initial culture of Aspergillus brasiliensis metabolized the carbon within the polymer structure and used it as an energy source, leading to LPDE biodegradation and mineralization. The procedure took place in a laboratory-scale bioreactor prototype under aerobic conditions and submerged liquid fermentation. After one month of culture, a biodegradation percentage of 1:890:56 % was reached. The treated materials were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). We found evidence of biodegradation, colonization of the material, and biofilm formation. This research provides preliminary data on the biodegradation of LDPE under submerged liquid fermentation, marking an initial phase in the development of a prototype for polymer biodegradation.","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":"25 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141801972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
José Leonardo Cano Botero, Yeferson Ospina Balvuena, Jorge Gutierrez, María del Pilar Sepulveda Nieto, Eunice Ríos Vásquez
{"title":"Optimization of a novel Renealmia ligulata (Zingiberaceae) essential oil extraction method through microwave-assisted hydrodistillation","authors":"José Leonardo Cano Botero, Yeferson Ospina Balvuena, Jorge Gutierrez, María del Pilar Sepulveda Nieto, Eunice Ríos Vásquez","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc292.ooan","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc292.ooan","url":null,"abstract":"Renealmia is a tropical plant genus within the Zingiberaceae family. In tropical South America, Renealmia plants are known for their therapeutic uses against bone and muscle pain, colds, and to counteract snake bite symptoms. Despite the biomedical importance of Renealmia metabolites, the components of their essential oils (EO) have been scarcely studied, and a cause thereof is the lack of local efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly EO extraction methods. This work addressed the optimization of an EO extraction method from the aerial parts and rhizomes of Renealmia ligulata plants based on microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) with an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) pretreatment. Three MAHD extraction variables (radiation power, radiation exposure length, and solvent volume) were studied on their own and in combination using a response surface analysis to determine the value combinations leading to optimal EO yields. The results showed that the best average extraction duration time was 42.5 min, combined with a radiation power of 765 W and a solvent volume 225.9 mL for 30 g of aerial part plant material or 799 W and 145 mL of solvent for 20 g of plant rhizomes. A GC-MS analysis of the obtained R. ligulata EOs revealed that their main component was epi-Eudesmol (28% in plant aerial parts and 13% in rhizomes), which is a molecule of interest considering its reported neuro-protective properties. ","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":"13 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141118599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Avoidance Spectrum of Alexandroff Spaces","authors":"Luis F. Mejías, J. E. Vielma","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc292.taso","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc292.taso","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper we prove that every T0 Alexandroff topological space (X, τ ) is homeomorphic to the avoidance of a subspace of (Spec(Λ), τZ), where Spec(Λ) denotes the prime spectrum of a semi-ring Λ induced by τ and τZ is the Zariski topology. We also prove that (Spec(Λ), τZ) is an Alexandroff space if and only if Λ satisfies the Gilmer property.","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":"50 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141013857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study of a lytic bacteriophage as a tool for the control of Salmonella Gallinarum in layer poultry","authors":"Xoana P Ortiz, M. Gismondi, Hebe Barrios","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc291.soal","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc291.soal","url":null,"abstract":"One of the leading diseases affecting laying poultry in Argentina is fowl typhoid, caused by the pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum (S. Gallinarum). Although this disease was eradicated from industrial hatcheries in several developed countries, it is still present in commercial farms in Latin America, causing substantial economic losses due to high mortality rates, limited production of quality eggs, high veterinary costs, and the need to renovate infected facilities. To develop a new S. Gallinarum biocontrol method, in the present study, we characterized a bacteriophage in terms of host specificity, growth kinetics, and stability under different environmental conditions. The phage could infect an ample range of bacterial hosts and had no lytic activity against the vaccine strain 9R. Moreover, the phage was stable at pH 3, chloroform presence did not significantly reduce its titer, and its activity wasnot affected by antibiotics or various chemical agents often used in aviculture. Application of a phage suspension on S. Gallinarum-contaminated surfaces resulted in a significant reduction of bacterial load (p < 0.05). These results show that lytic bacteriophages such as the one studied here are innovative alternatives with potential applications to control S. Gallinarum in laying poultry farms.","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":"8 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140697753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fabián Andrés Garzón Posse, Angie Kathleen Pinilla Peña, Cesar Augusto Rivas Velásquez, María Camila Murillo Virgüez, Jorge Alberto Gutiérrez Méndez
{"title":"Genetic Editing with CRISPR Cas9: recent Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications","authors":"Fabián Andrés Garzón Posse, Angie Kathleen Pinilla Peña, Cesar Augusto Rivas Velásquez, María Camila Murillo Virgüez, Jorge Alberto Gutiérrez Méndez","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc291.gewc","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc291.gewc","url":null,"abstract":"The use of a novel and powerful technology that allows for the precise editing of the genetic material of various organisms is becoming widespread. This technology derives from bacterial and archaeal defense machinery and is called CRISPR Cas9. Unlike other gene editing tools that exclusively rely on proteins, CRISPR Cas9 utilizes interactions between the target DNA and an RNA sequence that guides the Cas9 enzyme to alter the structure of a target gene. Various genome locations can be edited thanks to the ease of programming different guide RNA sequences, facilitating its use and implementation. Furthermore, the non-active version of the Cas9 protein, guided by its corresponding RNA, can be utilized for visualization processes of genetic material or, more recently, for the regulation of the transcription process. Considering the recent advances and possibilities in biomedical and biotechnological research, we must understand that the exploration of this technology is just beginning, and its eventual applications will influence the world around us on multiple levels. In this review, we describe the biological foundations of the functioning of the Cas9 nuclease, together with selected applications of its use in editing and regulating specific sections of the genetic material of various organisms. We also discuss some bioethical issues surrounding this subject.","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":"85 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140275024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study of NiO/Al2O3 and NiO/Zn-Al2O3 catalysts for water gas shift reaction","authors":"Edgardo Meza-Fuentes, Johana Ines Rodriguez Ruiz, Edinson Castellar Arroyo, Maria Rangel, Eduardo Espinosa Fuentes","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc283.sona","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc283.sona","url":null,"abstract":"Nickel-based catalysts are of great importance for the generation of hydrogen from natural gas. Within this process, the conditions in which commercial NiO/Al2O3 is converted to Ni0/Al2O3 catalyst should be further investigated. A widely used technique to identify Ni2+ reduction conditions and the different compounds or types of particles in which this element is present is temperature-programmed reduction. In this work, the type of nickel oxide particles occurring on Al2O3 and ZnO-Al2O3-based supports were studied by different techniques, such as energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, FTIR, the BET method, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR). All materials were evaluated in the water gas shift reaction (WGS), and the influence of their characteristics on the catalytic activity was assessed. Solids were prepared at different temperatures and Ni/Zn molar ratios. The results showed the presence of NiO in all materials, as well as the presence of ZnO, NiAl2O4, and ZnAl2O4 in materials prepared at higher temperatures. In all the materials calcined at the lowest temperature, the formation of NiO particles that fail to interact with the supports was prioritized. As the calcination temperature increased, NiO aggregates were formed, which, to a greater degree, interacted with the supports, whereby nickel aluminate was detected in all materials prepared at 750 °C. Zinc increased the selectivity but decreased specific surface area and activity through the WGS reaction. The solid labeled AZ15-500 showed higher activity and selectivity, reaching values of 100% for the water gas shift reaction.","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":"11 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138977070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christian A. Becerra-Rivas, Paola A. Cuervo-Prado, Fabián Orozco‐López
{"title":"A Comparative Study of Microwave-Assisted and Conventional Heating Approaches for the Multicomponent Synthesis of 4,6-Diarylpyrimidines","authors":"Christian A. Becerra-Rivas, Paola A. Cuervo-Prado, Fabián Orozco‐López","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc283.acso","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc283.acso","url":null,"abstract":"A series of 2-amino-4,6-diarylpyrimidines were synthesized using a Biginelli-type three-component strategy optimized in conventional-heated reflux, in contrast to a non-conventional approach using a mono-mode microwave reactor. Conventional heating protocols involved organic solvents and general base catalysis, whereas a microwave-assisted method followed experimental protocols framed within the principles of green chemistry by using CaCl2 as a catalyst in solvent-free conditions. This study revealed that although conventional heating led to the main product in higher yields at longer reaction times, the microwave strategy suceeded in substantially shorter reaction times, with yields ranging from acceptable to good and efficiencies comparable to conventional heating methodology.","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":"224 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139252669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Partial sequence analysis and relative expression of the HSP70 gene of Vasconcellea pubescens","authors":"Fabio Idrovo, Tiffany Cevallos-Vilatuña","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc283.psaa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc283.psaa","url":null,"abstract":"Environmental factors affect nearly all land areas on the planet. Global warming is one of the most destructive of these factors because it has adverse effects on crop production systems. Plants are sessile organisms that have evolved complex mechanisms to cope with stress factors. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are one of those mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed a partial gene sequence that encodes for HSP70 protein in Vasconcellea pubescens. We also measured the relative expression of the gene in plantlets of Vasconcellea pubescens and performed biochemical assays under heat stress. The plantlets were exposed to three temperatures 25° C (control), 45 °C and 55 °C (stress temperatures) for 4 hours. The bioinformatic analysis led to the first description of a partial sequence of the HSP70 gene and its evolutionary history in V. pubescens. We found significant differences for relative expression of theHSP70 gene, percentage of electrolyte leakage, and proline content between plants subjected to heat stress and those in the control group. Our results showed that V. pubescens displays thermotolerance even under extreme temperatures. V. pubescens is a poorly studied species that may contain genes of biotechnological interest (such as HSP70) that could be used for plant genetic modification.","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":"130 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135535999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Caio Cezar Dias Corrêa, L. Gil-Azevedo, Amanda Cruz Mendes
{"title":"Rediscovery of Forcipomyia (Trichohelea) opilionivora (Lane, 1947) (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in Brazil after 75 years","authors":"Caio Cezar Dias Corrêa, L. Gil-Azevedo, Amanda Cruz Mendes","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc282.roft","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc282.roft","url":null,"abstract":"The species Forcipomyia (Trichohelea) opilionivora (Lane, 1947) (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) was rediscovered in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 75 years after its original description. This study aimed to investigate the ectoparasitic relationship between F. (T.) opilionivora and its host and document its occurrence, which was recorded serendipitously during the collection of Opiliones (harvestmen) specimens in Parque Nacional do Itatiaia in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After the collection, both specimens were subjected to photographic documentation and preserved for further examination. This study presents the first photographic record of the ectoparasitic relationship between F. (T.) opilionivora and a harvestman, shedding light on a poorly studied interaction. The host specimen was identified as a female of Holcobunus nigripalpis Roewer, 1910 (Opiliones, Sclerosomatidae), a gagrelline commonlyfound in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Previous records of ectoparasitism between Ceratopogonidae and harvestmen were limited to the family level (Sclerosomatidae species, specifically Gagrellinae or Leiobuninae). However, no specific host species had been identified until now. The rediscovery of F. (T.) opilionivora, along with the identification of its host, addresses a significant gap in our knowledge regarding the biology and distribution of this species and provides valuable insights into the intricate relationships between biting midges and arachnids. This study emphasizes the need for further investigations into the biology of these ectoparasitic species and underscores the importance of documenting and studying lesser-known interactions within ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45209552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vitória Da Silva Ferreira Roque, Ivyn Karla Lima-de-Sousa, Tainá Maria Miranda Souza, Ana Júlia Brown Bezerra Nabuco, Tayanna Rodrigues da Costa, Ronaldo Figueiró
{"title":"Black fly species and their association with Brazilian biomes","authors":"Vitória Da Silva Ferreira Roque, Ivyn Karla Lima-de-Sousa, Tainá Maria Miranda Souza, Ana Júlia Brown Bezerra Nabuco, Tayanna Rodrigues da Costa, Ronaldo Figueiró","doi":"10.11144/javeriana.sc282.bfsa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc282.bfsa","url":null,"abstract":"The family Simuliidae occurs widely around the globe, except in the Antarctic region, deserts, and islands that lack water streams. Because fresh stream water environments are breeding grounds for their immature forms. This study sought to relate and compare Brazilian biomes based on their simuliid faunas. After gathering information on the distribution patterns of Simuliid species included in the most recent global taxonomic review, a table on their presence in the Brazilian territory was prepared, indicating the regions in which the different species were present in each biome. Subsequently, correspondence and cluster analyses were performed to determine the biomes with which the species were most associated and the similarities of the simuliid faunas among those biomes, respectively. The correspondence analysis showed that most species were predominantly associated with three biomes: The Amazon, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest, while the cluster analysis showed that the simuliid faunas of the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest are similar and that when taken together, these two biomes are similar to the Amazon biome.","PeriodicalId":39200,"journal":{"name":"Universitas Scientiarum","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43911078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}