One-step enzymatic production of fatty acid ethyl ester from high-acidity waste feedstocks in solvent-free media.

This work aims to demonstrate the enzymatic production of fatty acid ethyl ester biodiesel from highly acidic feedstock in a single-step reaction, without co-solvents and avoiding the inhibition of the enzyme by ethanol and glycerol. Additionally, an empirical equation is proposed to predict the kinetics of the production reaction as a function of the used feedstock and catalyst concentration. Biodiesel production from highly acidic feedstock perform via simultaneous esterification of free fatty acids and transesterification of triacylglycerols. Enzymatic catalysis is one of the most promising alternative technologies for the biodiesel production. Increasing of the enzymatic bioactivity is crucial for the success of such process in industrial scale. Currently, stepwise addition of the alcohol or the use of co-solvents have been proposed to avoid enzyme inhibition, such strategies add downstream processes to the production. These results can be applied to the development economical-viable enzymatic production of biodiesel in industrial scale.

Prevalance of anemia and its association with cardio-renal syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is common in cardio-renal syndrome and may contribute to increase mortality. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of anemia and its relationship with cardio-renal syndrome, and to evaluate the risk factors for death. METHODS: Retrospective study with all patients admitted with congestive heart failure (CHF). The parameters as age, gender, hemoglobin (Hb), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, ejection fraction (EF%), hospital stay, hypertension, diabetes, smoking and CHF etiology were analyzed. Anemia was defined as Hb<12 g/dL, systolic dysfunction EF<55% and renal failure was stratified according to K-DOQI classification. Statistical analysis was done by the programs EpiInfo and SPSS for windows. RESULTS: A total of 174 patients were studied. The average age was 63+/-16 years, 65.5% were males, and 18 of them (11%) were non-survivors. Anemia was observed in 45% of patients, and 82% presented some degree of renal failure. The majority of patients (87%) were classified as NYHA functional class III or IV. The average ejection fraction was 43.9+/-16.6%, and there was no difference between survivors and non-survivors (p>0.05). Mortality was not significantly higher among patients with anemia (12.4%) when comparing to those without anemia (8.3%, p=0.31). There was a progressive decrease in the level of hemoglobin as renal function decreased (p<0.05). Increased serum creatinine was a significant risk factor for death (OR=1.59, 95% CI=1.074-2.363, p=0.021), and increased EF% was a protection factor against development of death (OR=0.904, 95% CI=0.845-0.973, p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of anemia is high among patients with cardio-renal syndrome but was not associated with increased mortality. Increased serum creatinine and low EF% were variables associated with death.