Abstract: This study investigates the combustion characteristics of blends of bituminous coal (BC) with two by products of the coffee industry, spent coffee ground (SCG) and coffee husk (CH), at 10, 30, and 50 wt% using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). For comparison purposes, blends of BC and wood pellets (WP) at the same mass ratios were also investigated. The thermal behavior and fuel interactions in the blends during combustion were characterized by the ignition index (Di), combustion index (S), and potential synergistic effects. The interactions between the materials in the blends led to an enhancement of up to 93.5% and 128.5% in Di, and 175.2% and 96.35% in S of the bituminous coal when blended at 50 wt% with SCG and CH, respectively. Furthermore, clear synergistic effects were observed with the combustion of BC-SCG blends, whereas the combustion of BC-CH blends did not show any appreciable synergistic effects.

Abstract: The aim of this research was to investigate the combustion behaviour of coal and biomass blends using a pilot-scale bubbling fluidised bed reactor. The blends were prepared with a traditionally used biomass fuel (i.e. wood) and selected rich in alkali-metals biomass fuels (i.e. wheat straw and spent coffee grounds (SCG)) to investigate the potential of SCG as a fuel and the effect of ilmenite on agglomeration tendency when used as an additive and alternative bed material. To elucidate the interaction between the fuels in the blends and the effect of ash composition, thermogravimetric and ash fusibility studies were performed looking at both the parent fuels and blends. Initially, thermogravimetric studies focused on understanding the thermal decomposition of coal blended with by-products (spent coffee ground (SCG), and coffee husk (CH)) of coffee crop. Blends with wood were included for comparison purpose. The blends were prepared by blending coal with biomass at 10, 30 and 50 wt%. The experiments were performed under inert and oxidising conditions to elucidate the thermal behaviour and fuel interactions. The results showed that the inclusion of either spent coffee grounds or coffee husk in coal combustion can enhance the combustion performance. Indeed, the blends with spent coffee grounds were found to be more reactive than those with coffee husk and with similar characteristics to the blends with wood. It was attributed to the existence of synergistic effects. These results offer compelling evidence of the potential of by-products from the coffee crop, especially spent coffee grounds for energetic applications. The study of ash fusibility characteristics investigated the ash fusibility temperatures under oxidising conditions of coal ash blended with ash from spent coffee grounds. Blends with wheat straw ash were included for comparison purpose. Particular attention was paid to the blending ratio effect on ash fusibility temperatures. The results showed that SCG is an interesting fuel in co-processing due to the low ash content and high ash fusibility temperatures when blended with coal. The high ash fusibility temperatures of the blends were attributed to the high content of CaO, MgO, and P2O5 in SCG with negligible content of SiO2 and Cl, complementing the high content of Al2O3 and Fe2O3 in coal. Evidence from this study suggests that the high ash fusion temperatures in the blends of coal with spent coffee grounds can reduce the common operational issues related to biomass ash such as agglomeration. This can also provide confidence for large scale thermochemical conversion systems fuelled by such kind of coal and biomass blends to be able to maintain long-term stable operation. The final part of this research focused on co-combustion experiments in a pilot-scale BFB aiming to investigate the potential of SCG as a fuel, and ilmenite as an additive and alternative bed material. For comparison purpose blends of coal with wheat straw and wood pellets were also combusted in the same BFB reactor under similar combustion conditions. Similarly, kaolin and bauxite, and silica sand were compared to ilmenite when used as an additive and alternative bed material, respectively. The inclusion of biomass in coal combustion showed marked differences in the temperature profiles, gas emissions, and combustion performance. The results showed that coal and SCG blends can be combusted for energy applications with improved combustion efficiency compared to wheat straw and wood commercial pellets. Nevertheless, high N content in SCG represents a challenge in terms of NOx emissions that should be addressed.

Abstract: The hydrogen isotope composition of leaf wax biomarkers (?2Hwax) is a valuable tool for reconstructing continental paleohydrology, since it serves as a proxy for the hydrogen isotope composition of precipitation (?2Hpre). To yield robust palaeohydrological reconstructions using ?2Hwax in marine archives, it is necessary to examine the impacts of regional climate on ?2Hwax and assess the similarity between marine sedimentary ?2Hwax and the source of continental ?2Hwax. Here, we examined an aridity gradient from hyperarid to humid along the Chilean coast. We sampled sediments at the outlets of rivers draining into the Pacific as well as soils within catchments and marine surface sediments adjacent to the outlets of the studied rivers and analyzed the relationship between climatic variables and ?2Hwax values. We found that apparent fractionation between leaf waxes and source water is relatively constant in humid and semiarid regions (average: ?121 ‰). However, it becomes less negative in hyperarid regions (average: ?86 ‰) as a result of evapotranspirative processes affecting soil and leaf water 2H enrichment. We also observed that along strong aridity gradients, the 2H enrichment of ?2Hwax follows a non-linear relationship with water content and water flux variables, driven by strong soil evaporation and plant transpiration. Furthermore, our results indicate that ?2Hwax values in marine surface sediments largely reflect ?2Hwax values from the continent, confirming the robustness of marine ?2Hwax records for paleohydrological reconstructions along the Chilean margin. These findings also highlight the importance of considering the effects of hyperaridity in the interpretation of ?2Hwax values and pave the way for more quantitative paleohydrological reconstructions using ?2Hwax.

Background: Data are rare about the incidence of severe Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) and its association with mortality. We sought to: (1) estimate the probability of developing severe FALD in patients who undergo the Fontan procedure (Fontan patients), compared with severe liver complications in patients with a ventricular septal defect; (2) assess the severe FALD-mortality association; and (3) identify risk factors for developing severe FALD. Methods and Results: Using the Quebec Congenital Heart Disease database, a total of 512 Fontan patients and 10232 patients with a ventricular septal defect were identified. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated significantly higher cumulative risk of severe FALD in Fontan patients (11.95% and 52.24% at 10 and 35years, respectively), than the risk of severe liver complica- tions in patients with a ventricular septal defect (0.50% and 2.75%, respectively). At 5years, the cumulative risk of death was 12.60% in patients with severe FALD versus 3.70% in Fontan patients without FALD (log-rank P=0.0171). Cox proportional hazard models identified significant associations between the development of severe FALD and congestive heart failure and supraventricular tachycardia, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 2.36 (95% CI, 1.38–4.02) and 2.45 (95% CI, 1.37–4.39), respectively. More recent Fontan completion was related to reduced risks of severe FALD, with an HR of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.93–0.97) for each more recent year. Conclusions: This large-scale population-based study documents that severe FALD in Fontan patients was associated with a >3-fold increase in mortality. The risk of FALD is time-dependent and can reach >50% by 35years after the Fontan operation. Conditions promoting poor Fontan hemodynamics were associated with severe FALD development.

Revealing the Mechanistic Details for the Selective Deoxygenation of Carboxylic Acids over Dynamic MoO3 Catalysts Abstract: The selective activation of renewable carboxylic acids could enable the formation of a variety of highly valuable renewable products, including surfactants, valuable dienes, and renewable hydrogen carriers. A kinetic study is performed to enhance understanding of the selective deoxygenation of carboxylic acid on promoted MoO3 at mild temperatures. Although several studies indicate that deoxygenation of oxygenated biomass-derived compounds on MoO3 occurs via a reverse Mars–van Krevelen mechanism, this study suggests that the deoxygenation of pentanoic acid (PA) on an oxygen vacancy can also be explained by a Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism. A detailed analysis of the experimental data indicates that the incorporation of Pt on MoO3 shifts the reaction order with respect to hydrogen from 1 to 0.5 at a low partial pressure of PA. We reveal that the rate-determining step (RDS) shifts upon the incorporation of Pt from H2 dissociation to H addition to adsorbed acid molecules. We further illustrate how the RDS can shift as a function of PA coverage. The inhibition effect of PA and its possible causes are discussed for both MoO3 and 0.05 wt % Pt/MoO3 catalysts. Here, we decouple promoter effects from the creation of highly active sites located at the Pt/MoO3 interface. The nature of the active site involved upon Pt incorporation is also studied by separating Pt from MoO3 at a controlled distance using carbon nanotubes as hydrogen bridges, confirming that the kinetically relevant role of Pt is to serve as a promoter of the MoO3. Resumen: La activación selectiva de ácidos carboxílicos renovables podría permitir la formación de una variedad de productos renovables altamente valiosos, incluyendo tensioactivos, dienos valiosos y portadores de hidrógeno renovable. Se lleva a cabo un estudio cinético para mejorar la comprensión de la desoxigenación selectiva de ácido carboxílico sobre MoO3 promovido a temperaturas moderadas. Aunque varios estudios indican que la desoxigenación de compuestos derivados de biomasa oxigenada sobre MoO3 ocurre a través de un mecanismo Mars-van Krevelen inverso, este estudio sugiere que la desoxigenación del ácido pentanoico (PA) en una vacante de oxígeno también puede explicarse mediante un mecanismo de Langmuir-Hinshelwood. Un análisis detallado de los datos experimentales indica que la incorporación de Pt en MoO3 cambia el orden de reacción con respecto al hidrógeno de 1 a 0.5 a baja presión parcial de PA. Revelamos que el paso determinante de la velocidad (PDV) cambia con la incorporación de Pt desde la disociación de H2 hasta la adición de H a las moléculas de ácido adsorbidas. Ilustramos además cómo el PDV puede cambiar en función de la cobertura de PA. Se discute el efecto de inhibición de PA y sus posibles causas tanto para MoO3 como para los catalizadores 0.05% en peso de Pt/MoO3. Aquí, se desvinculan los efectos del promotor de la creación de sitios altamente activos ubicados en la interfaz Pt/MoO3. También se estudia la naturaleza del sitio activo involucrado en la incorporación de Pt al separar Pt de MoO3 a una distancia controlada usando nanotubos de carbono como puentes de hidrógeno, confirmando que el papel cinéticamente relevante de Pt es servir como promotor del MoO3.

Abstract: This paper aims to estimate the prevalence of client-perpetrated violence against female sex workers (FSWs) in Bogotá and to understand what structural and environmental factors are associated with such victimization. The project used secondary data from interviews with 2,684 FSWs. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to test for associations with client-perpetrated physical and sexual violence. Findings reveal that factors such as experiencing police harassment and social stigma were positively associated with client-perpetrated violence. Situational factors such as providing services in motels, hotels, on the street, and in cars were also associated with increased odds of becoming a victim of both types of violence. Resumen: Este artículo busca estimar la prevalencia de la violencia perpetrada por clientes contra trabajadoras sexuales en Bogotá y entender cuáles son los factores estructurales y ambientales asociados con esta victimización. El proyecto utiliza datos secundarios de entrevistas con 2.684 mujeres que realizan actividades sexuales pagas. Modelos de regresión logística multivariable fueron utilizados para probar asociaciones con violencia sexual y física perpetrada por clientes. Los resultados revelan que factores como haber reportado acoso policial y sentirse estigmatizadas por su comunidad tuvieron una asociación positiva con la victimización. Factores situacionales como prestar servicios en moteles, hoteles, en la calle y en carros también fueron asociados con un incremento en la probabilidad de ser víctima de ambos tipos de violencia.

Abstract: Pharmaceutical Compounds (PCs), are synthetic substances intensively consumed by humans and continuously released into the urban wastewater. Often, the removal of PCs from wastewater is found to be insufficient, or even absent if population is not connected to the sewage system and wastewater is directly emitted into the environment. In the last decades, the PCs have aroused special attention because they have been found in surface water at concentrations that can cause negative effects on the aquatic biota and environment. Studies employing PCs monitoring and modelling techniques on surface waters have been mainly conducted in developed countries, while studies in developing countries are still scarce. Attempting to fill this gap, this work focused specifically in Colombia, where the occurrence of PCs has not been thoroughly studied and monitoring plans are barely done due to high costs. This work employed the Exposure to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (ePiE), a spatially distributed model only implemented and used in Europe, to predict concentrations of PCs in rivers and lakes by considering their consumption, fate and transport. So, it aimed to create a new ePiE model network taking as a case of study the prediction of Naproxen and Paracetamol in the Upper Catchment of the Cauca River, Colombia, an area with a different socio-economic and climatic conditions with respect to the European continent. The methodological approach included: a) data collection on PCs’ consumption, physicochemical properties and removal in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs); b) consolidation of geodata of the study area such as hydrology, hydrography, urban agglomeration and WWTPs location; c) model building by using the open-source software environment R; d) analysis of the model sensitivity to input parameters; e) model validation. The results showed that all concentration predictions deviate within a range of only one order of magnitude from measurements which is a remarkable result when dealing with such high uncertainties. In terms of magnitude prediction, for the worst-case scenario, Naproxen and Paracetamol were found to exceed the environmental standards thresholds in 9% and 1% of the model river network nodes respectively. Overall, this research aimed to assess the applicability of the ePiE model in estimating the presence of PCs in a subregion of Colombia, demonstrating that it is feasible to expand ePiE to other areas and giving insights about the spatial distribution of pharmaceuticals substances so hotspots can be identified and several scenarios can be built in future works.

Abstract: Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is considered better than conventional gravity settling (CGS) for the treatment of algal-laden waters, and ballasted sedimentation (BS), a high-rate separation process, is now often used instead of CGS. Our initial literature search did not identify DAF-BS comparisons for the removal of algae and cyanobacteria from algal laden waters. The objective of this benchscale study was to compare DAF with BS and CGS for the treatment of water from a eutrophic waterway (Bay of Quinte, ON). The study was performed mid-summer when there was substantial algal growth. The optimized BS jar tests had 3% lower average turbidity removal than the DAF jar tests, however BS required 33% more coagulant, as well as 0.25 mg/L anionic polymer and microsand additions. The removal of cyanobacteria and algae (quantified using chlorophyll-a and c-phycocyanin concentrations) by DAF and BS were very similar, and they were superior to that achieved by CGS. The DOC removals and the disinfection by-products formation potential (DBPFP) of DAF and BS treated water were also similar. Based on the chlorophyll-a and c-phycocyanin removals, both BS and DAF performed better than CGS and can be considered suitable for the treatment of algal/cyanobacteria laden waters.

Returning to the original vocation of the philosophical task and to that defined by the phenomenology of Husserl, we propose to renew the approach towards the experience of falsehood starting from the Greco-Roman to restore a structure to thought and life based on the consideration of a series of «spiritual exercises» and Husserlian phenomenology to go « back to the 'things themselves». This philosophical-phenomenological project seeks to make us understand that in the face of falsehood, a rigorous thought, devoid of prejudices, can be envisaged by suggesting a tension towards a style of «philosophical life», which is consistent with our relationship to others and in our way of life, that is, from an ethical-phenomenological tension capable of placing the body as a psychoanalytic object par excellence according to Sartre’s assertion. Resumen: Retomando la idea de Husserl de ver la filosofía como una vocación de ver las cosas como ""ellas mismas son"", el trabajo de tesis se propone replantear el concepto de ""mentira"" y brindar un acercamiento filosófico a la experiencia de la mentira a partir de la época grecorromana y hasta nuestra época para ofrecer una estructura novedosa al planteamiento del tema y a la vivencia de la mentira basada en la consideración de la puesta en práctica de una serie de « ejercicios espirituales» y de fenomenología husserliana para volver « a las ""cosas mismas"", ofreciendo una alternativa de pensamiento dirigida hacia un estilo de «vida filosófica», que sea coherente con nuestra relación con los demás y con nuestro modo de vida, es decir, desde una tensión ético-fenomenológica capaz de situar al cuerpo como objeto psicoanalítico por excelencia según la afirmación de Sartre.

Abstract: In this research I study, through the scope of Haesbaert’s (2011) des-re-territorialization theory, the reincorporation of former guerrilla FARC members in the Nasa indigenous territory of Caldono. My main objective is to analyze the FARC’s reterritorialization strategy in the Nasa indigenous territory. To this end, I first seek to understand the economic, political and cultural aspects of the territoriality processes of three main actors present in the Territorial Space for Capacitation and Reincorporation (ETCR) and its surroundings: the Nasa indigenous people, the former FARC fighters, and the Colombian State. From the standpoint of an intercultural perspective, I analyze the different present and past exchanges, dialogues, and encounters between these actors to determine if exists a superposition of territorialities and if so, where the possible points of encounter and dis-encounter between take place. Thence, my research seeks to determine the elements that make Caldono a successful case and a point of reference for other processes of reterritorialization in the country. Through multiple research methods, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, surveys, and social cartography, this research finds that there is great continuity in the encounters between indigenous and FARC territorialities in the everyday spaces and also in those associated with the processes of the indigenous authorities. However, the research unveils also some dis-encounters, namely around the territorial strategy of the cooperative Coomeep, presented as a supra-organism that seeks to participate in the territory’s public and private life. The dis-encounters have to do with two main points: i) economically, with the hyperintensive and monoculture nature of the productive projects proposed by the FARC; and ii) politically, with the fact that during the municipal elections of 2018 the FARC party did not maintain its alliance with the MAIS party. The research reveals that the disencounters between the State and the other two actors’ territorialities find roots in the State’s conception of territorial security and control, which are based on the militarization of the territory and on the historical debt the State has with the indigenous reserves of recognizing them legally as territorial entities. In conclusion, the thesis points out that despite the inconsistencies between the different constructions of territoriality, the territorial institutionalism of Caldono’s indigenous authorities and the attitudes and practices of the former FARC members have allowed for the establishment of a peace infrastructure under which the three actors considered, each one with heterogeneous interests, can come together and reach consensus to build new spaces that lead to territorial harmony and peace. Resumen: En esta investigación estudio la reincorporación de los excombatientes de las FARC-EP en el territorio indígena Nasa de Caldono a la luz de la teoría de la des-re-territorialización propuesta por Haesbaert (2011). Mi objetivo principal es analizar la estrategia de reterritorialización en territorio indígena propuesta por los excombatientes de las FARC-EP. Para esto, busco comprender primero la territorialidad en términos económicos, políticos y culturales de tres de los principales actores presentes en las inmediaciones y dentro del Espacio Territorial de Capacitación y Reincorporación (ETCR): el pueblo indígena Nasa, los excombatientes de las FARC-EP y el Estado colombiano. Luego, partiendo de una perspectiva intercultural, analizo los diferentes intercambios, diálogos y encuentros que se dan y se han dado entre estos tres actores para determinar si existe una superposición de territorialidades y percibir dónde están los posibles puntos de encuentro y desencuentro entre estas. Con esto, mi investigación busca determinar cuáles pueden ser los elementos que hacen de Caldono un caso exitoso y un punto de referencia para otros procesos de reterritorialización en el país. Por medio de varias herramientas de investigación como la observación participante, entrevistas semi-estructuradas, encuestas y cartografía social, esta investigación encuentra que hay una gran fluidez en los encuentros entre territorialidades indígenas y farianas en los espacios cotidianos y aquellos asociados a los procesos de las autoridades indígenas, pero que existen desencuentros alrededor de la estrategia territorial de la cooperativa Coomeep, esta última presentada como un supraorganismo que busca participar en la vida privada y pública del territorio. En el dominio productivo, los desencuentros tienen que ver sobre todo con la naturaleza hiperintensiva y de monocultivo de los proyectos productivos propuestos por las FARC y, en el dominio político, con el hecho de que, durante las elecciones municipales de 2018, el partido FARC no mantuvo su alianza con el partido del MAIS de presentar un candidato en conjunto. Los desencuentros con el Estado tienen que ver con su concepción de seguridad y control territorial basada en la militarización del territorio y con la deuda histórica en relación al reconocimiento legal de los resguardos indígenas como entidades territoriales. En conclusión, este trabajo resalta que, a pesar de estos desencuentros, la institucionalidad territorial de las autoridades indígenas de Caldono y las prácticas y actitudes de los exguerrilleros de las FARC-EP han permitido que se establezca una infraestructura para la paz bajo la cual los diferentes actores considerados, cada uno con intereses heterogéneos, se pueden encontrar y llegar a consensos para construir espacios nuevos que lleven a una verdadera convivencia y paz territorial.