The importance of improving industrial transformation processes for more efficient ones is part of the current challenges. Specifically, the development of more efficient processes in the production of biofuels, where the reaction and separation processes can be intensified, is of great interest to reduce the energy consumption associated with the process. In the case of Biodiesel, the process is defined by a chemical reaction and by the components associated to the process, where the thermochemical study seeks to develop calculations for the subsequent understanding of the reaction and purification process. Thus, the analysis of the mixture of the components using the process simulator Aspen Plus V9^® unravels the thermochemical study. The UNIFAC-DMD thermodynamic method was used to estimate the binary equilibrium parameters of the reagents using the simulator. The analyzed aspects present the behavior of the components in different temperature conditions, the azeotropic behavior and the determined thermochemical conditions.

Introduction: The selection of genotypes with determinate growth habit in tomato should contemplate adequate selection criteria to increase the efficiency of the breeding program. Objective: The objective of this work was to estimate selection criteria for “chonto” type tomato lines with determined growth habit. Materials and methods: This work was carried out at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Palmira Campus), in 2016, with seven lines with determinate growth habit and a control with indeterminate growth. Heritability in a broad sense (h² g), coefficient of environmental variation, coefficient of genetic variation, selection efficiency and genetic gain were determined in parameters of morphological, phonological, fruit quality, fruit shape and production, using the RELM/BLUP procedure of the SELEGEN software. Results: There were three ranges of h² g, the first with values of h² g greater than 0.76, the second between 0.53 and 0.38, and the third with a value less than 0.38. The highest values of h² g were for final plant height with 0.92, plant height at harvest with 0.88, yield per plant with 0.83, days to flowering with 0.83, number of fruits per plant with 0.82, and days to harvest with 0.82. For genetic gain it was found that the control had the highest values for final plant height, plant height at harvest, internode length, days to harvest, harvest duration, soluble solids content, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight and yield per plant; however, in some parameters such as height and phenology for selection by determined growth habit, the lowest values were better. Conclusion: There was evidence of genetic parameters that could be considered as selection criteria for “chonto” type tomato lines with determinate growth habit.

Seawater desalination has been studied with interest due to the scarcity of fresh water for human consumption. Solar distillation is an old method; the productivity, energy consumption of the process and the cost of the desalinated water thus obtained depend on the efficiency achieved in each of the stages of these systems. The limited capacity to absorb solar radiation and transform it into useful heat for evaporation, interaction with the surrounding medium, and heat losses restrict the overall efficiency of the thermal process and productivity. Since the energy comes from solar radiation, the maximum productivity of this process will be constrained by the magnitude of the total solar radiation available in an area of the planet due to its geographic location, time of year and local climatic conditions. The processes of this energy will be thermodynamically limited by the heat transfer coefficients achieved in the equipment, the maximum value that the evaporation heat can reach, as long as the losses to the environment by convection and radiation are minimal. Comparative analyses of several proposed models, reported data of distillers, reported data of solar radiation that reach average values of up to 7.2–7.4 kwh/m² in some regions of the planet are presented and estimates are made for productivity of these equipments that they reach between 6.7 and 6.9 kg/m² day with a theoretical maximum efficiency of about 0.16 of the total solar radiation.

To investigate the possible role of arbuscular mycrrhizal fungi (AMF) in alleviating the negative effects of salinity on Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.), the regenerated plantlets in tissue culture was transferred to pots in greenhouse and inoculated with Glomus intraradices. Salinity caused a significant decrease in chlorophyll content, photosynthesis efficiency and enhanced the electrolyte leakage. The use of AMF in salt –affected plants resulted in improved all above mentioned characteristics. Hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents increased in salt stressed plants while a reduction was observed due to AMF inoculation. CAT activity showed a significant increase up to 2 g/l and then followed by decline at 5 g/l NaCl in both AMF and non-AMF treated stevia, however, AMF inoculated plants maintained lower CAT activity at all salinity levels (2 and 5 g/l). Enhanced POX activities in salt- treated stevia plants were decreased by inoculation of plants with AMF. The addition of NaCl to stevia plants also resulted in an enhanced activity of SOD whilst, AMF plants maintained higher SOD activity at all salinity levels than those of non-AMF inoculated plants. AMF inoculation was capable of alleviating the damage caused by salinity on stevia plants by reducing oxidative stress and improving photosynthesis efficiency.