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The gypsum mineral is the most common sulfated ore existing in nature – its chemical formula is CaSO4.2H2O – which has been formed by the evaporation of ocean water during million years. In Cuba there are three gypsum mineral deposits where gypsum beta hemihydrates are mainly produced. Itis used in construction works and modeling and in cement production. This paper aims at doing a chemical and physical characterization of gypsum mineral existing in the mines located in the region Canasi in Matanzas province with the view to assessing its use for obtaining gypsum alpha hemihydrates for special uses, which are deficit products imported at high cost in the country. For this characterization to be carried out at laboratory and industrial scale, the research field was divided into several areas for assessing individual purities –enabling to mix one another in a way that meet the required quality of the product in a determined temperature range. The mine has a great potential for obtaining special gypsum that meet all international quality standards which would allow the country to substitute imports and to fully meet national requirements by building a valuable export. The research proved the gypsum from this mine to be especially fast by nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since distant times gypsum has coexisted alongside with the humanity and it is one of the oldest building materials. It is also used in decoration works, medicine and light industry. The quality of gypsum products manufactured with high technology in other countries makes of gypsum a valuable material due to its cost-effective production. Although Cuba has this prized resource, there are not short-term investment plans in sight, thus there are not real perspectives for its exploitation. In this paper, the current national status of gypsum production is analyzed and the potentialities and development of the material are assessed. The implementation of cutting-edge technologies would definitely help achieve high-quality productions so as to build a worldwide competitive gypsum industry. It has been proven that gypsum mineral extracted from Matanzas mines can be used to manufacture all gypsum types: construction, modeling and special gypsums. Thus, special gypsum import could be replaced by a national raw material and the growing needs of the potential tourist industry would be met. This product is in demand in health care system as dental and orthopedic plaster and in agriculture as soil neutralizing fertilizer. The country would have an opportunity for competition in the international market where special gypsum is in high demand. Such productions would have great impact in the domestic economy by contributing to obtain new export rubles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the main results obtained from the wastewater behavior analysis in the National Center for Scientific Research Company. For this, the information of the analytical results issued by the accredited Laboratory "Group of Management of Technical Scientific Services-DECA" (according to the NC-ISO/IEC 17025:2017), was collected and analyzed, referring to the characterization of wastewater that are generated in the center, considering a period of 15 years of sustained work. The investigation considered two stages, an initial one in stable conditions of the activities of the institution and a second one, in which new discharges generated from the diversification of the productive processes and their impact on the environment are introduced. In addition, it took into account the legal framework protected by current Cuban regulations on wastewater discharges. The study allowed characterizing the liquid waste, not only from the physical-chemical point of view, but also from its biodegradability, the organic load disposed to the sewage system and its contribution to the community treatment system. In this way, the baseline is identified and established from which the behavior evaluation of discharges originating from the incorporation of new lines of production or services will be maintained, due to the reorganization of the enterprise towards sustainable marketing, with the control of compliance with environmental regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crude oil is a highly complex natural mixture consisting predominantly of hydrocarbons [alkanes (paraffins), alkenes (olefins), and aromatic compounds] and other elements such as sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen. In Cuba, work is being done on the exploitation of new oilfields deposits in the Northern Cuban Oil Belt. The goal of this paper is to characterize the crude oils from the point of Reservoir Geochemistry, using the high-resolution gas chromatography technique and the study of the physicochemical properties, in samples from six oil wells from the western sector of the Varadero oilfield. The fingerprints of the crude oil were obtained, the star diagrams were constructed to establish the possibilities of communication between the wells, from the ratios between compounds. The main results obtained show the existence of better communication between wells VW1003 and VW1007 with a difference of 1.91%, with the rest of the wells studied behaving differently. In addition, the physicochemical properties of the oils were studied, the results of which show that they are extra-heavy oils, with high content of sulfur and asphaltenes and. These properties show the similarity in their commercial quality with the crude oil discovered in the other blocks of the Varadero field, characterized by heavy, extra-heavy, highly sulfurous crude oils, belonging to Family I of Cuban crude oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victor von Richter (1841-1891) was one of the important chemists of the second half of the 19th century. The purpose of this paper is to familiarize readers with the important events in the life of Richter and his writing activities, in particular with his chemistry textbooks for higher education, well-known in different countries. In addition, his research activities is briefly described, and especially the chemical reactions named after him. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Johan Gadolin (1760-1852), considered the father of Finnish chemistry, was one of the leading chemists of the second half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. His life and scientific achievements were described in the literature published between the 19th and 21st centuries. The purpose of this paper is to familiarize readers with the important events in the life of Gadolin and his research activities, in particular some of his research results, as well as his selected publications. In addition, the names of authors of biographical notes or biographies about Gadolin, published in 1839-2017 are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the protection circuit designed as a technological improvement in OZONEY SL, Ozone Generator Equipment designed by engineers at National Center for Scientific Research. This ozone generator is utilized on treatment of water from 450l/h. Ambient air is used to produce ozone gas by means of high voltage. The new design was necessary because of the difficulties produced by absence of water supply for treatment. Some failures affect the equipment if it does not have water to treat. In this case some equipment installed in different organizations has been damaged, because the equipment has been designed to work automatically according to the consumption. To solve this problem a new block of Control and Protection was incorporated to protect the equipment. This paper describes the new control and protection circuit, the block diagrams and how to connect to the original equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction steel of oil facilities manifests different affectations for corrosion phenomenon. One of the main causes constitutes for corrosion is the presence of the accompanying water of the petroleum. The one mentioned corrosive medium it is conductive of the electric current and for their varied composition: carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and chlorides in dissolution, they generate inside corrosion. As a result of this process, they corrosion products are formed such as: iron sulphide (II) and iron carbonate (II) in dependence of the operation conditions: temperature, the corrosive agent's concentration and pressure. In the present paper the fundamental objective was to establish at laboratory scale the chemical and morphology composition of the corrosion products that are formed during the construction pipelines steel corrosion, in a saline polluted medium with carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide to 70°C, according at operation conditions. The spectroscopy dispersive of rays X energy technique allowed the obtaining the elementary composition of the chemical compounds and bay rays X diffraction were detected iron oxihydroxides: lepidocrocite (- FeOOH) and goethite (- FeOOH) . The Scanning Electron Microscopy identified different morphologies: lengthened cubes, splinter, floral structure, muddy or cracked sedimentary and sandy, those that are composed mainly by iron and oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper were implemented microanalysis methodologies by histochemical analysis, and infrared spectroscopy to determine the nature of the binder in paintings and Gas Chromatography (GC) coupled to Mass Spectrometry (MS) for identification of protein binders of common use in tempera technique with the aim of having these methods as part of the identification of artistic materials in Cuban cultural heritage carried out by Archaeometry Laboratory of Havana city's Historian Cabinet. The methodologies implemented were evaluated using model samples of traditional painting techniques with variable protein binder: yolk, egg white, casein, nut oil and animal glue; ageing for 5 years. The models samples were correctly identified. It was determined the interference of pigments with the presence of nitrogen by histochemical analysis with Amido Black dye. IR spectroscopy technique allowed to differentiate between oily and mixed (oil plus protein) techniques and tempera with yolk. Oily technique was identified in wall paintings of the New San Francisco church (xix century) and the Obrapía House (xvii century) and the technique of tempera with animal glue in the polychrome of the xviii century which represents St. John the Evangelist belonging to the San Juan de Letrán church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detectabuse™ extraction columns have been developed for the quantitative extraction of several families of drugs from biological fluids and due to their versatility and robustness they are, at present time, widely used in solid phase extraction procedures (SPE). One of their advantages is the ability to extract, in an efficient way, a wide range of compounds of the most common drugs of abuse, drugs of therapeutic activity and steroids excreted in free and conjugated form in urine. Detectabuse columns are used in doping for sample preparation in the analysis of anabolic steroids and other compounds excreted in urine and have, as main objective, to remove the inorganic salts excreted in the urine and to regulate the efficiency of the enzymatic hydrolysis process. This paper shows the results of the regeneration of these columns for their later use in screening procedures. The study was carried out with the following compounds: methenolone, methenolone metabolite, boldenone, boldenone metabolite, bolasterone metabolite, fluoxymesterone, drostanolone metabolite, mesterolone metabolite, methandienone metabolite1, danazol metabolite, 3′-hydroxystanozolol, 19-norandrosterone, methyltestosterone metabolite2, epimethendiol, clenbuterol, salbutamol, ethamivan, tetrahidrocannabinol carboxilic acid (thc metabolite), morphine, triamterene, testosterone, epitestosterone, androsterone, etiocholanolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, 16,16,17 -d3 testosterone and 17α-methyltestosterone. Intermediate blanks were included to discard the possibility of cross contamination of some substance from a sample to another. The absolute abundances obtained after a second and third uses of the columns were compared with those obtained with it first use starting with new columns, standard deviation and the variation coefficient were determined for each compound. A F-test for variances analysis and a Student's t-test for analysis of means were carried out. This paper shows that Detectabuse extraction columns can be reused twice with a previous rinse for screening proposes without affecting the quality of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bibliometric study on the scientific production of the Revista CENIC Ciencias Químicas during the period 1996-2005 was made. This serial publication is an official journal of the National Center for Scientific Research (NCSR), and its objective is the diffusion of outstanding and new results developed inside and outside the country in the branch of Chemical Sciences, mainly contributions on Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Physics, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry. The annual behaviour of the papers published in the journal is shown, as well as their typology. The predominance of original scientific papers can be observed. The authors with five or more papers during the studied period are presented, as well as the institutions and branches with a higher presence in the scientific production of the journal. The behaviour of the most productive branches from the NCSR, specifically the Chemical one, the Ozone Research Center, and the Center of Natural Products, is compared with the corresponding ones of important national institutions as the Faculty of Chemistry, the Institute of Materials and Reagents and the Center of Biomaterials, all belonging to the University of Havana, and the Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, the Institute of Food Industry Research, and the Higher Polytechnic Institute "José Antonio Echeverría". The transparency in the publishing policy for the selection of papers was evidenced. The necessity to revise the journal diffusion, promotion, distribution and visibility policies, in order to achieve the indicators of international presence and collaboration, was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the numerous assays carried out under natural conditions have demonstrated that the corrosion velocities in certain atmospheres show magnitudes having appreciable differences in some places with regard to other, what justifies the interest to know the environmental variables that influence decisively in the atmospheric corrosion and originate a great dispersion of the results. For the evaluation and justification of the corrosive aggressiveness of some stations of natural assays, climatological characterization through environmental data has been used. For that reasons the exposition and analysis of some results of natural and accelerated corrosion assays, is the central objective of this paper, with the intention of explaining the higher corrosive aggressiveness of the natural corrosion assays station of Cojímar, placed in Havana City. Environmental data, corresponding of three different stations of natural assays in different countries, including Cojímar station in Cuba, are showed. For two of the stations, the influence of atmospheric pollutants is used in the definition of their corrosive aggressiveness degree. Some results, which were obtained before, consisting of the comparative study of the behaviour of certain metallic coating systems, usually used for the protection of steel in front of atmospheric corrosion in natural and accelerated assays, have been explained in this paper. All such studies have facilitated the comparative analysis of the influence of the environmental characteristics in the corrosive aggressiveness of the station of Cojímar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unsaturated fatty acids (FA) are degraded generating a high number of compounds, hence the study of this phenomenon resulting from high complexity. From the Cuban royal palm fruits, a lipid extract mainly compound by a mixture of free FA between 8 and 18 carbon atoms, with possible applications as nutraceutic and/or medicine is obtained. In this mixture, the presence of unsaturated FA like oleic and linoleic, could provoke autoxidation processes that affect their efficacy and safety. Taking to account that autoxidation products from R. regia lipid extract are unknown until now, in this paper its degradation products formed by oxidation, photolysis and thermolysis were determined. The organoleptic characteristics, peroxide (PV) and tiobarbituric acid values (TBAV), and contents of conjugated dienes (CD) and FA contents were determined in samples of the extract subjected to oxidation (hydrogen peroxide), photolysis (UV light) and thermolysis (80 °C and 185 °C), and their results were compared with those of a sample without degradation. It was determined that the oxidation was the one that caused the biggest degradation in the unsaturated FA, as well as the biggest PV, while the thermolysis went the one that bore to bigger contents of TBAV and CD. The above-mentioned evidences that the imposed stress conditions achieved the degradation of the extract, in a similar way that its happens in the vegetable oils with low contents of polyunsaturated FA, achieving preliminarily determine, so the main groups of compounds generated from the forced degradation of Roystonea regia lipid extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's competitive world, organizations are called to work effectively to find quick and efficient solutions. Integrated Management Systems (IMS), are pillars to support the urgent need to improve the competitiveness of enterprises and their demonstrated ability, through certification and / or accreditation to provide effective solutions to the most pressing problems of society. While there is profuse literature that studies the subject of integration; practical applications for environmental research are scarce. This paper presents a model of IMS, based on the NC standards ISO / IEC 17025: 2006 and NC-ISO 9001: 2008 for a research división on environmental sciences in biocubafarma. The GIS model designed ensures compliance with the specific requirements of these standards; and compliance with the NC PAS 99: 2008. The unified management of the documentation contributed to significantly reduce the overall size of the IMS. The proposed methodology ensures throughout the implementation stages of the Deming cycle, a requirement necessary to meet the improvement process. This model was the main basis for the preparation of the IMS Manual of Environmental Sciences Division at CNIC. It is flexible, meets the common requirements which bring together all management systems and can be used as a model for integrating management systems in the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries of Latin American countries, and it is accessible for adaptation to change, regarding new approaches to what will be the ISO 9001: 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation and management of knowledge is central to the development of new technologies and products especially those related to emerging technologies. The success of the R + D + i in the specific case of nanotechnology will be closely linked to the integration of knowledge generated in the different stages during the life cycle of the R + D + i. This paper aims to analyze influence of knowledge generated from the information contained in patent documents in an R & D related to carbon nanoonions. To achieve the objective the Methodology for the Generation and Knowledge Management (MGGC) it was used as a source of information and are mainly used the information contained in patent documents, which was processed for later viewing and analysis. The results obtained show the positive impact of the socialization of knowledge generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patent information is an indispensable source of scientific and technical information technological development. This information must be analyzed, filtered, summarized and grouped so that it can be useful in the pharmaceutical field. Colloidal systems (mesophases), are one of the most important for the development of nanotechnology, new formulations and treatments as well as to achieve increased bioavailability and stability of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutritional supplements topics including because its particle size is characterized by physicochemical properties of classical physics and quantum physics. This paper aims to set priorities for the development of colloidal systems for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other industries, from the trend in this area identified from patentability studies of microemulsions. The main variables used in this study are the number of patents filed and granted, principal inventors and applicants or holders and key applications. Patentscope® data base was used. The correlation of variables was performed using a random sample of the total population of evaluated applications between the findings patents was determined that there is an upward trend in the number of requested and granted microemulsions related patents in the selected period. The study allowed the management of a strategy of technological development in the pharmaceutical field microemulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the global scenario today, innovation is crucial for the competitiveness of organizations. Thus, also the health establishments should be aware of advances in new technologies for the treatment of diseases. However, widespread climate of scant budget for the financing to health, coupled with the increase of medical-scientific research explosion, reveal the complexity in identifying and adopting effective strategies in managing innovation. The use of patent databases as a source of technology information is based on the assumption that the increased interest in new technologies is reflected in the increase in patent applications. The above information is of great value to generate knowledge that affects the achievement of positive results in the implementation of R & D, since it provides legal, commercial and technical information, not usually found in other documentary source. The paper analyses the advantages of the described patent information to obtain drugs for cancer patients at affordable costs, whose active ingredients are in public domain. It is based on a study of a real case of application by the Saint John's Hospital, in Porto, Portugal. The purpose of this technological surveillance is to stimulate creativity, leading to the development of new products and processes as well as improving rates of innovation in health institutions with cost efficiency. Examples of the use and application of this information resource are presented, and the advantages thus obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The actual development of electronics and computers has allowed developing methods for measuring corrosion in real time and at very short periods. The generation of new knowledge has allowed using physicochemical methods to determine corrosion very fast and store the data obtained. The information contained in patent documents claiming these new advanced technologies is of great value to generate knowledge that respond to the problems and needs of the R + D + i related to the continuous measurement of corrosion in transport vehicles and other instruments and equipment. Distance monitoring is important in these cases where the vehicle is moving. It is very important for operation and maintenance and for the evaluation of the protective products against corrosion. The aim of this paper is to generate new knowledge from the application of the methodology Generation and Knowledge Management (MGGC), from which the search strategy that inventions claiming keywords recovered was determined: corrosion sensor and monitoring, patent databases freely available on internet. The results obtained from the processing of the information contained in these patent documents identified the strategic objectives of an R + D + i related corrosion monitoring by sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The validation of manufacturing process is one of the principal requirements for the quality assurance, in biopharmaceutical industry. In this paper are shown the evaluation of the components production for diagnostic system that are produced in DAVIH Laboratories. The critical processes: the sterilization, lyophilization, preparation of liquid components and the tightness of the components packing were validated in four protocols using specific simulation methodologies for each one. The simulation proceedings revealed the main vulnerabilities in each operation. The sterilization and lyophilization were valid operations but the preparation of liquid components and the tightness of polylaminate component were critical operations. These results represent the first documental validation evidences in this type of product in DAVIH Laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a very important the classification of the Cubans petroleum, and stiller, the determination of its destination, to make more efficient its use. The objetive of this paper is to carry out a procedure to get a classification of the Cuban petroleum. For this it was analyzed the nature of the national data of the raw ones and their attributes, which consisted initially of 30 attributes with 54 samples of petroleum and it was determined to process them as attributes divided by intervals. The recognition patterns tools were applied to classify the Cuban petroleum in five established groups: Slight, Medium, Semi-heavy, Heavy and Extra-heavy. The most representative attributes were selected starting from the Informative Weight. Five cases were recognized that were in contradiction with their defined locations initially in the Learning Matrix, these eliminations were justified. The strict similarity was used as proximity measure among the cases. The magnitude of the Learning Matrix was of 22 attributes and 49 cases. Finally, an automatic program was designed for the classification of the raw ones and 98.0% of effectiveness was obtained in the classification of the Control Matrix of 49 samples of Cuban petroleum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the case study of a building of four levels affected by corrosion of the steel reinforcement concrete beams in the third and fourth levels. Due to modernizations in the architecture of its façade, consequently was formed a micro-environment inside the building at the above mentioned levels. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of micro-environment on the corrosion of steel bars, through comparative tests between the four levels of the building. The tests performed were based on destructive and non-destructive techniques executed on the secondary beams that support the ceilings of the lowers and uppers levels of the building. The study took into account the relation of equilibrium between the ambient relative humidity and the water absorption capacity of the secondary beams of concrete tested. Results were expressed as the relative humidity profiles, and the values obtained indicated a trend towards increased water content within the structural elements studied. Supported in trials of electrical resistance was possible to know the state of corrosion of steel reinforcement, and to demonstrate the effect of micro-environment on the durability of reinforced concrete building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracer technology plays an important role in industry development and has been widely used to optimize process, solve problems and improve product quality. In the last years Cuban scientifics have studied the 99mTcO4 -, eluted from 99Mo/99mTc generator, extraction with the mixture 30 % tributylphosphate -16 % trioctilamine in cyclohexane, in order to get an organic radiotracer. In this paper, the influence on 99mTcO4 - extraction of stirring speed, contact time and NaCl concentration were studied. The extractant's role was also studied and, the tracer´s homogeneity in diesel, special gasoline and Venezuelan oils was evaluated to normal pressure and temperature. The obtained outcomes showed that the NaCl concentration only influences on the extraction process when it is less than 0.17 %. Furthermore, the employed mixture´s synergism was noticed and, could be conclude that, the obtained tracer is a physical radiotracer for the used industrial supports to 95 % trustworthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, clean technologies have been developed for high efficiency extracting of isolation of biologically active compounds from natural sources, without the loss of biological activity, with good yield and high purity. Ultrasound-assisted extraction has low instrumental requirements and their implementation is very appropriate where the stability of the active component to be removed is affected by the high temperatures of conventional processes. In this paper it is evaluated the state of the art of ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from various natural sources, its mechanism, the parameters governing its use and research perspectives in this field. Ultrasonic cavitation phenomenon promotes cell wall rupture, reduction of particle size and tissue permeability, which facilitates the diffusion of the solvent into the inert part of the plant material and increasing the mass transferred through membranes. This mechanism explains the high efficiency of ultrasound-assisted extraction as it allows to reduce the time, temperature and amounts of solvent extraction process with high yields and high purity of the extracted product. Currently there is a great demand for the use of ultrasound to industrial and current research lead to the development of larger scale reactors and the theoretical modeling of the parameters that determine efficient extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lasiodiplodia theobromae is a fungus, which has been reported by some authors as a high yieldproducer of the phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA). An indigenous strain of this fungus has been used for producing a fermentation broth with a high JA concentration by the Cuban Research Institute for Sugar Cane Derivatives (ICIDCA), registered as BIOJAS®. The broth has been applied to some agricultural crops and demonstrated its economic feasibility as plant growth regulator and biological control of various phytopathogenic microorganisms and pests. Both fermentation broth and biomass from this fungus contain some other metabolites having bioactive properties, for instance, fatty acids. This paper shows the composition and quantification of fatty acids in the biomass using Gas Chromatography (GC) and the identification of substances profile in fermentation broth by Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The most fatty acids in the biomass are palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids, being oleic acid the major component. On the other hand, 2,32 % of fatty acid esters; 2,47 % of alkenes; 14,40 % of alcohols; 30,15 % of aldehydes and 21,73 % of paraffins were detected in the composition of fermentation broth. chemical composition of aerial parts of Portulaca oleracea L. growing in Cuba, informing the FAs content of its lipid extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mineral gypsum has been used since antiquity. From ancient times. gypsum has coexisted with mankind, being one of the oldest building materials. Main uses of this material include construction, decoration, medicine and light industry. The quality of gypsum products, manufactured in other countries with modern technology has made gypsum to acquire a great value of use, due to its economic production. This paper reviews the current status of gypsum production in Cuba. The potential of production and development prospects and drawing comparisons in relation to global production are also analyzed. Forms of exploitation of gypsum mines, production methods and manufacturing technology products must be modernized for reaching a competitive gypsum industry in Cuba. This approach will provide quality products for a potential Cuban tourist industry as well as other necessary productions for health system such as dental and orthopedic plaster casts. A concurrence to the international market where gypsum and byproducts are greatly requested must be possible thus having a valuable impact on Cuban economy for contributing to new export items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the release mechanism of sodium diclofenac encapsulated in enteric copolymer base cellulose, synthesized in ICIDCA´s lab by etherification with carboxylic and benzylic groups was studied. Microparticles, obtained by spray drying method, were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and it was found that it presents a singular morphology. Micrographs were taken after the drug release in phosphate buffer at pH 6.8 during 5 h showing the appearance of cracks. The release profiles and correlation coefficients applied for studied models showed that the drug is released by swelling of the matrix and the kinetics mechanisms such as order zero, Higuchi and Peppas aren´t applicable at this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforced concrete structures deterioration in coastal cities caused by the atmospheric corrosion phenomenon of reinforced steel is a social problem for science and technology, which is currently very difficult to solve worldwide. Some researchers have proposed the need to carry on studies and research as less expensive than combating the phenomenon on site, just to prevent it. This paper intends to demonstrate the economic feasibility of preventing the phenomenon of atmospheric corrosion of steel-imbibed reinforced concrete by comparing costs from this study to those of repaired concrete structures in Havana and other coastal areas of the country having a high constructive potential. The results demonstrated that quantification of direct losses, caused by deterioration of reinforced concrete structures is possible and prevention of the phenomenon was much less expensive than combating it in eight structures, intensively damaged. It was also demonstrated that extension in time of expensive repair works represents a considerable increase in saving and reduction in costs of repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil reservoirs in the Northern Heavy Oil Province of Cuba are characterized by the presence of unstable clay formations when they come in contact with water based drilling fluids. Such a phenomenon leads to undesirable events that hinder the advance of the drilling process. The clay mineral hydration constitutes the main cause which determines the increase of its original volume and its dispersion in the drilling fluid. The selection of a fluid which minimize such conditions represent a challenge for science and technology. This paper shows the results achieved in studies performed in order to select a suitable fluid formulation, using sodium silicate as an additive. Other conventional additives and formulations were tested with montmorillonitic clay samples and other clays characteristic of Vega Alta geological formation that constitutes the reservoirs seal of the northern gas - oil province of Cuba. The results obtained from swelling and dispersion test, rheological analysis and fluid composition allowed the selection of a suitable fluid formulation for a successful well drilling in a located in an area with unstable clay formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jet fuels are assessed by rigorous quality standards in order to guarantee the optimum performance of aircrafts. The process includes the checking of three main areas: raw material, refining process and final products. The present paper shows the feasibility of using the results achieved in physicalchemical trials, together with chemometric pattern recognition techniques, for quality control in the refining process of jet fuels. A set of 70 samples of JET A-1, collected in a period of 2 years, was used to calculate the model of principal component analysis (PCA). The calculation of PCA model was based on three principal components that described 73 % of data variance. It allowed differentiating two classes of Jet A-1 fuel along the first principal component. The variables with the highest modeling power were: distillation temperatures (final boiling point, temperatures at 50 and 90 % of recovery), density, kinematic viscosity and naphthalene hydrocarbons. A training set of 30 samples was used to calculate the SIMCA classification model. Besides, an independent validation set of 30 samples was used to evaluate their performance, five of them coming from another refinery. The comparative study carried out through a validation with external samples proved that the SIMCA model had an adequate sensitivity and selectivity: it didn't show false negatives and it was unable to classify the turbo fuel samples alien to the modeled system. The achieved results demonstrated that the PCA and SIMCA models are valuable tools that allow the fast obtaining of useful information for quality control in the refining process of jet fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates mass, heat and electricity transport mechanisms, generated by hydraulic, chemical, thermal and electric potentials and related to interaction of clay minerals, which are found during the drilling process of the oil well, as walls the applied fluid thereof. Such phenomenon leads, several times, to instability of the oil well walls resulting in adverse events that remarkably hinders, the drilling progress. The of the complexity interaction is attributed to the diversity of involved factors, such as hydration of clay, variety of clay minerals with different physical properties as well as the mechanisms related to each other. It has been claimed as the most outstanding properties the: viscosity and ionic concentration, whose control allows minimizing the interaction effect between the drilling fluid and clays. It is remarked that the use of additives, which allow mechanical blockade of clays and fluids with densities values, just close to the geological formation pressure, constitutes favorable factors to minimize adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen is a significant indicator in environmental studies, due to its importance in treatment processes, quality control of waters and control of wastewater discharge to the environment. The Kjeldahl method is the most widely used for determining total nitrogen. There are different nitrogen species in wastewater: organic and ammonia nitrogen, nitrites, nitrates, among others. The National Standard of Wastewater Discharge (NC: #2012) mandates the determination of total nitrogen (Ntotal) by the Kjeldahl method. Selective electrodes (SE) have allowed the determination of ammonia nitrogen (Namm) with limits of quantification (LOQ) below the Kjeldahl method. This paper, evaluates the problems of determination of Ntotal and Namm in wastewater, taking into account the maximal permissible averages limits (MPAL) of the NC 27:2012 and the LOQ of the analytical methods studied.For the experiments, reference materials and swine wastewater were used. Under laboratory conditions, the LOQ of Kjeldahl nitrogen was higher (10 mg/L) the one established in the standard method (5 mg/L), which matches with the MPAL for the Cuban standard of discharge. Therefore, the laboratory has had to implement multiple standard additions, just to achieve reliable results at concentrations below its LOQ. Furthermore, it was proven that Kjeldahl and SE methods showed no significant differences in determining Namm, for concentrations at or above 10 mg/L, but for those one below the lab LOQ in the Kjeldahl method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational methods for virtual screening of large databases are taken into account in the use of models of biological structure-activity relationship (QSAR), which makes an interesting alternative for high-through put screening (SAR) as an important tool for drug discovery. In previous builds first QSAR model for prediction of new anabolic-androgenic a loose collection of molecules whose biological activity was previously evaluated in vivo. In this model it was used quantum molecular descriptors and chemical-physical, coupled with chemometric techniques that help explain how the steric, electronic and hydrophobic characteristics influence in the biological response of these compounds. In this paper it was use the model equation above and perform a virtual screening applied to anabolic- androgenic steroids synthesized and evaluated by the authors before, where it is shown that the model developed can be applied in the identification of new lead compounds with best anabolic activity. Because these results are designing an appropriate sequence for synthetic 17α-methyl steroids, which yielded five new compounds with potential anabolic activity, correctly characterized by 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and there is no cure for this disease. It is known that it is triggered by the apparition of the senile plaques produced for the agglomeration of β-amyloid peptides. AD´s reliable diagnosis is done post-mortem. Recently, non-invasive methods are evaluated for in vivo diagnosis of this disease by means of imaging techniques PET (Positron Emission Tomography), SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). In the case of the SPECT technique, new organic compounds labeled with radionuclides 123I, 125I, and 99 mTc have been described. Epidemiological studies have revealed that the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs decreases the relative risk of AD. In the last years, the search of compounds with similar structures it has increased in order to be used as labels or drugs. The objective of this paper was to synthesize new naphthalene derivatives, for its further use as quelating agents of 99 mTc, for the detection of β-amyloid plaque in the AD. Thus, spacer arms with different lengths were introduced at β-position (or 1-) of naphthalene molecule through various different reactions. The compounds were structurally characterized by IR, 1H-NMR and 13C- NMR spectroscopies and mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric corrosion is the most frequent cause in the deterioration of metallic materials. One way to minimize this problem is to obtain or use materials capable of resisting corrosion, like galvanized steel. The durability of the protection of this material depends on the zinc coating quality and thickness, climatic conditions of the site and the presence in the atmosphere of aggressive pollutants. The aim of this paper is to know the influence of the tropical island climate of Cuba in the galvanized steel corrosion process, depending on the distance to the sea. We selected three test sites: CNIC, Cojímar and Güira de Melena. In each one were placed atmospheric pollutant sensors, galvanized steel probes and temperature and humidity electronic sensors. The deposition rate of chloride ions, sulphur compounds was determined, as such the corrosion rate and time of wetness. The results showed that the galvanized steel studied not resist corrosion aggressivity of the Cuba tropical island. The main factor that more could influence in the galvanized steel corrosion was the exposure time to the aggressive environment, the atmosphere. The deposition rate of sulphurs compounds to urban atmospheres and in the case of coastal the deposition rate of chloride ions could directly influence the galvanized steel corrosion together with the exposure time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the current reality of environmental management it is necessary to establish the social, economic and ecological frame, in the design, construction and conservation of rural roads. Socially, the no existence and poor condition of roads, causes that the inhabitants of rural areas made antitechnic practices of road construction without taking into account the loss or damage caused to nature. Economically, the lack of rural roads in Ecuador causes that rural populations have to migrate to the cities, and social impacts are caused (unemployment, poverty, etc.), which also form part of environmental impacts in our environment. The subject of this paper is to make a general assessment of environmental management in road construction projects taking place in rural roads in Ecuador, as part of the process of change and development of the country, as well as the implementation of rules and regulations for the environmental management within the process of achieving sustainable development of the sector and country, detecting the absence of prevention plans, both in construction and conservation, that roads can not be used during some months of years, causing losses to the population of the areas that are isolated, rural people feel abandoned and no incentives to stay in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The herbicide Paraquat is widely used in agriculture. Due to its potential for groundwater contamination, clean processes to ensure effective treatment to reduce pollution levels in the environment are needed. This paper addresses the degradation of Paraquat by ozonation. The mass transfer of ozone from the gas to the liquid phase was studied. The concentration of Paraquat in aqueous solution was determined by the absorption spectrophotometer method. Ozone was produced from commercial oxygen (99%) by a generator based on the corona effect. Paraquat was degraded via direct ozonation. The influence of the concentration of dissolved ozone, pH, volumetric flowrate of oxygen and stirring rotational speed on process efficiency was determined. The system produced 16.2 mg of ozone per hour. The ozone mass transfer coefficient was evaluated. The dissolved ozone concentration varied with the ozonation time according to an exponential function. The best process efficiency was obtained with pH 3.7, stirring speed of 100 rpm and oxygen flow rate of 9 L/h. It was verified that the gas flow is the most important factor affecting the efficiency of mass transfer during the experiment, the lower the flowrate the higher the concentration of ozone in the liquid phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes a reference about the importance of the public transportation systems development in Mexico City through a perspective of service quality and its relation with the sustainable development, related to the environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone efficiency in the water treatment systems is widely published in national and international papers. The criteria design of the treatment plants have changed over the years with increasing knowledge about the mechanism through which ozone reacts with chemical and microbiological pollutants. It recognizes the existence of a relationship between morphological and physiological characteristics of microorganisms and their resistance to ozone. However, there are few studies reported about the mechanisms by which ozone inactivates microorganisms in aqueous media. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ozone on cytoplasmic membrane and enzymes related to oxidative balance on two microorganisms: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Salmonella enterica var. Thyphimurium ATCC 12 048. From a kinetic study was determined, the variation of the efflux of potassium, changes in SH groups and the action exerted by ozone on the enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase. The results showed an involvement of SH groups present, mainly, in protein and the potassium efflux outside microbial cells, demonstrating that these compound are among the first targets of ozone on microorganisms. An increased activity of the catalase enzyme and a decreased activity of superoxide dismutase enzyme were observed. The decrease in the relationship between these two enzymes suggests that the antioxidant systems of microorganisms are not able to counteract the damage caused by ozone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the results for the evaluation of the pozzolanic reactivity of the calcination products of a Cuban low grade kaolinitic clay and their potential use as a partial substitute for OPC are presented. The clayey fraction of the rock, after being separated by sedimentation, it's calcinated at temperatures of 600, 800 and 925 °C and its calcinations products characterized by XRD, XRF, TGA, PSD and BET to determine their potential use as pozzolanic materials. The pozzolanic reactivity in systems with 30% of OPC replacement is evaluated at curing temperatures of 20 and 30 C by determination of Ca(OH)2 consumption in pastes (TGA) and by compression strength test in mortars at 30 C. Filler effect of the calcinated is determined by Image Analysis. The main clayey phases identified are Kaolinite (~40%), Montmorillonite and Illite. The clayey fractions calcinated to temperatures of 600 and 800 °C shown good pozzolanic reactivity, both in pastes and in mortars while clayey fractions calcinated to 925 °C shown low pozzolanic activity, mainly because of its low specific surface and crystalline phases content. Mortars with clayey fraction calcinated at 800 °C show, from 7 days on, values for compression strength tests similar or superior to the control series. In general calcination products of low grade kaolinitic clays showed good behaviour in blended systems for 30% of OPC replacement, acting both as a filler that enhance OPC hydration and as a pozzolanic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present the existing environmental pollution also affect health, has also affected the surface degradation of the materials used in buildings. The old stone-built structures were locked in some urban areas with minimal or almost no industrial development. Today these buildings are located in highly urbanized and industrialized areas and the stone material, with which they were erected, is affected by chemical pollutants emitted by industries and the heavy road traffic. The Basilica Minor San Francisco de Asis and Convent seventeenth century and is located in Old Havana. This monument is located in urban-industrial-marine area and on the surface of the stone used in its construction, evidenced the formation of crusts and patinas as a result of pollution. Materials and Methods: In this paper we show the values of NO2 and sulphates monitored inside the building using passive sensors. On the other hand, was implemented and evaluated by Karsten Pipe, visual and microscopic observation an organic-based repellent to protect the stone surface. Results and Conclusions: The capacity of the products to decrease water access inside the stone was confirmed. Gypsum is the majority of the crust contaminant present in the stone surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The biomimetic method has found wide acceptance in the application of calcium phosphate coatings on bioactive materials due to its flexibility, technological simplicity, possibility of obtaining coatings with chemical composition and phases similar to the mineral part of bone and because do not require special facilities and high temperatures for its implementation. In this work we realized a comparison between the coatings obtained employing solution with Mg2+ ions and without this element. Materials and Methods: Sixteen plates of commercially pure titanium (15 mm x 5 mm x 2 mm) were successively polished with 120, 220, 400 and 600 grit silicon carbide emery paper, then they were subjected to different chemical and thermochemical treatments. Following activation, the samples were immersed in a solution with high content of calcium and phosphate ions with additions of Mg2+ at 37 °C for 24 h. The coatings were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. Results and discussion: Apatitic deposits were obtained in crystalline form and particles with nano and submicrometric size. Besides, the coatings exhibit areas with high nanoporosity and plates oriented perpendicular to the treated surfaces and areas with high density and particles oriented parallel to the substrate surface. Conclusions: The developed variant allows to obtain apatitic coatings on the four conditions researched with similar characteristics. The addition of Mg2+ did not affects the morphology and porosity of the layer obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years, special attention has been paid to the pharmacological effects of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA). Beeswax is considered safe for human consumption and constitutes an attractive source of VLCFA. Because of that; the aim of this paper was to obtain a VLCFA mixture from such crude wax. To do that, the wax was initially submitted to saponification; after that, Soxhlet extraction and successive purifications with organic solvents were carried out. The obtained mixture was characterized by its organoleptic and physical properties, as well as by the spectroscopic data (IR and GC-MS). The process yielded 5.9 % with good reproducibility (CV = 3.4 %), and the obtained substance was a white crystalline powder with a melting point ranging from 74 to 77 °C. It was composed, in around 90 %, of nine VLCFA in defined proportions: C16:0 (0.4 %), C22:0 (1.1 %), C24:0 (32.7 %), C26:0 (13.1 %), C28:0 (13.2 %), C30:0 (10.7 %), C32:0 (8.3 %), C34:0 (8.2 %), C36:0 (1.4 %), where C24:0 is the major component. Other compounds, detected in low concentrations, were VLCFA with odd carbon atoms (C25:0, C27:0, C29:0, C31:0) and unsaturated (C32:1, C34:1, C36:1), paraffins (C27, C29, C31), alcohols (C24-C34), (ω-1 hydroxy acids (C22:0, C24:0, C26:0) and α-(ω-1) diols (C26-C30). The reproducibility and yielding of the obtaining process, as well as the purity and quantity reached of this VLCFA mixture; allow its future possible pharmacological evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cephalosporins are the most commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases because of their broad actibacterial spectrum, good pharmacokinetics properties and relatively low toxicity. The search of new cephalosporins effective against bacterial pathogens is a current research. In the present paper, the synthetic methods based on of acylation of amino function at C-7β position and the procedures to introduce different substituents at C-3 position of cefalosporanic core are reviewed. In addition, a survey of the protective groups most often used to temporarily block the molecule reactive centers during the cephalosporin synthesis is made. In the other hand, it is summarized the molecular modeling studies made in order to know the electronic properties and structural chemical characteristics of cephalosporins, as well as the molecular mechanisms that support its mode of action. As a conclusion it is possible to assert that there is a wide array of procedures to make structural changes at C-3 and C-7β positions of the cefalosporanic core, including the methods required for the protection of functional groups during cephalosporin synthesis. In relation with the molecular modeling, there are a lot of publications where the molecular mechanics methods and quantum chemistry have played a key role in determining the structural requirements that influence the antibacterial activity and pharmacokinetics of these compounds. However, there are few structure-activity relationship studies, especially those focused on guiding the chemical-synthetic efforts directed towards the search for new active structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harmonic alternating current technique has not been used in corrosion studies in the reinforcing steel or other metallic material against an aggressive environment in Cuba. The main objective of this paper was to demonstrate that the alternating current harmonic technique can be used in the study and comparison of the reinforcement steel corrosion. A comparison between the corrosion potential obtained with this technique and steady corrosion potential, as well as between the corrosion rate obtained electrochemically and the direct measurement from the weight loss in the reinforcement steel in six probes of reinforcing concrete, was carried out. These probes of three different water/cement ratios were subjected to weather conditions and full immersion. Both conditions enabled the direct influence of chloride ions during three years of exposure. The results showed that the alternating current harmonic technique can be used in the study and comparison of reinforcing steel corrosion under chloride ion influence. The corrosion rate values obtained allowed demonstrating according to comparative statistical analysis that the factors that more could influence in the corrosion of reinforcing steel are the aggressive environment and its interaction with the water/cement ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel materials have been intensively studied via computational methods in the last twenty years. The molecular dynamics technique (a determinist method) and the Monte Carlo technique (a stochastic method), have been two very important tools to achieve several physical-chemistry processes on microporous materials with nanometric dimensions. The molecular dynamics has made possible to investigate adsorption and diffusion of molecular species inside the porous and, the determination of diffusivities and characteristic diffusion's regimes. On the other hand, the Monte Carlo methods have been made possible the estimation of these properties through ramdom sampling and selection. Overall, the application of both methods leads to the calculation of different physical-chemistry parameters (e.g. the adsorption energy, diffusion coefficients and permeabilties) and, via the molecular dynamics method, to obtain evidences about the unit cell symmetry. In this paper, it is presented a state of the art about the mentioned methods. The authors have stressed on the physical and computational basis of these methods and the applications of them in the determination of the structural properties of materials, particularly, in microporous materials of zeolite type. Finally, we present a review of the simulation's results obtained in this field by the authors. These results show the potentiality of the computational methods to understand physical chemical processes in microporous materials [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently introduction of the least squares support vector machines method for regression purposes in the field of Chemometrics has provided several advantages to linear and nonlinear multivariate calibration methods. The objective of the paper was to propose the use of the least squares support vector machine as an alternative multivariate calibration method for the prediction of the percentage of crystallinity of fluidized catalytic cracking catalysts, by means of Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy. A linear kernel was used in the calculations of the regression model. The optimization of its gamma parameter was carried out using the leave-one-out cross-validation procedure. The root mean square error of prediction was used to measure the performance of the model. The accuracy of the results obtained with the application of the method is in accordance with the uncertainty of the X-ray powder diffraction reference method. To compare the generalization capability of the developed method, a comparison study was carried out, taking into account the results achieved with the new model and those reached through the application of linear calibration methods. The developed method can be easily implemented in refinery laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation of azeotropic mixtures is a task usually encountered in the fine chemicals industry. Solvent extraction is an attractive option when distillation is not an efficient alternative. In this paper are decribed basic studies for the separation of the azeotropic mixture acetone-n hexane by using a combined process. First, separation of acetone from the binary original mixture is performed by solvent extraction considering a counter-cross flow configuration. Then, the recovery of acetone and the solvent from the extracted phase is carried our by batch distillation. First, we deal with the choice of an adequate extractor solvent taking into account several criteria such as selectivity, capability and recoverability. Then, we validate the feasibility of the flowsheet via simulation by using the commercial softwares Super-Prog and ProSim Batch. Finally, the operating conditions obtained by simulation were corroborated in an experimental bench installation and an adequate agreement was obtained between calculated and experimental values. The experimental results show that the 87. 9 % of n-hexane was recovered in the raffinate phase of the solvent extraction process. On the other hand, acetone was obtained as a distillate with a molar purity of 99. 5 % and the ethylenglicol was recovered with the same value of purity. Ethylenglicol can be reused in the next batch process and only 0. 35 % of ethylenglicol has to be added as a fresh solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In microbiology, microorganisms markers have been found to be useful in the quality control of different products such as water and food, in which the presence of coliforms, especially E. coli has been identified. Several methods for detection and quantification of enterobacteria have been developed by using chromogenic substrates. Among them, indole derivatives such as 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (Xgal), have come out. This indole derivative is widely employed as a constituent of microbiological diagnostic media because in the presence of coliforms (b-galactosidase producers), it forms a blue-indigo color. In this paper, the development and the validation, of an HPLC method for the quality control of Xgal in the presence of its intermediates obtained in each step of the synthesis is reported. These compounds were separated by using a RP-18 column and gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of triethylammonium phosphate solution at pH 3(A) and acetonitrile (B). The detection and quantitation limits of the method was between 0.2 - 0.5 % and 1.0 - 2.0 % respectively, which is acceptable if we consider that Xgal is not used as a drug. The proposed method is simple, selective, linear, precise and accurate and it can be used for the quality control of each of the intermediates and the final product, 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric corrosion is the most frequent cause in the deterioration of metallic materials. One way to minimize this problem is to obtain or use materials capable of resisting corrosion, like galvanized steel. The durability of the protection of this material depends on the zinc coating quality and thickness, climatic conditions of the site and the presence in the atmosphere of aggressive pollutants. The aim of this paper is to know the influence of the tropical island climate of Cuba in the galvanized steel corrosion process, depending on the distance to the sea. We selected three test sites: CNIC, Cojímar and Güira de Melena. In each one were placed atmospheric pollutant sensors, galvanized steel probes and temperature and humidity electronic sensors. The deposition rate of chloride ions, sulphur compounds was determined, as such the corrosion rate and time of wetness. The results showed that the galvanized steel studied not resist corrosion aggressivity of the Cuba tropical island. The main factor that more could influence in the galvanized steel corrosion was the exposure time to the aggressive environment, the atmosphere. The deposition rate of sulphurs compounds to urban atmospheres and in the case of coastal the deposition rate of chloride ions could directly influence the galvanized steel corrosion together with the exposure time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the current reality of environmental management it is necessary to establish the social, economic and ecological frame, in the design, construction and conservation of rural roads. Socially, the no existence and poor condition of roads, causes that the inhabitants of rural areas made antitechnic practices of road construction without taking into account the loss or damage caused to nature. Economically, the lack of rural roads in Ecuador causes that rural populations have to migrate to the cities, and social impacts are caused (unemployment, poverty, etc.), which also form part of environmental impacts in our environment. The subject of this paper is to make a general assessment of environmental management in road construction projects taking place in rural roads in Ecuador, as part of the process of change and development of the country, as well as the implementation of rules and regulations for the environmental management within the process of achieving sustainable development of the sector and country, detecting the absence of prevention plans, both in construction and conservation, that roads can not be used during some months of years, causing losses to the population of the areas that are isolated, rural people feel abandoned and no incentives to stay in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]