Fruit Wine Obtained from Melon by-Products: Physico-Chemical and Sensory Analysis, and Characterization of Key Aromas by GC-MS

About 20% of fresh fruits and vegetables are rejected for not meeting the superficial aesthetic standards (color, shape, and size). Part of the food production is not used in the human food chain. The transformation of these fresh products into novel re-valuable ones is a challenge for a sustainable food industry. This research studies an alcoholic fermentation fruit-based wine from two melon (Cucumis melo L.) cultivars: Jimbee® (smooth and yellow skin with orange flesh) and Okashi® (netted yellow-orange skin with pale green flesh). The melon juice (must) was fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and enriched in sucrose and organic acids to achieve alcoholic fermentation, acidity, and flavors, obtaining a fruity-flavored and dry melon-based wine with 10° alcoholic grade, in both melon cultivars. The volatile compounds were measured by GC-MS and the odor activity value (OAV) was calculated. The Jimbee and Okashi melon wines increased their aromatic profile due to an increment in medium-chain fatty acid ethyl esters such as ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate (OAV > 1), which contributed to the fruity aroma. Other volatile compounds such as ethyl 9-decenoate and phenethyl acetate (OAV > 1) appeared in the Okashi wine, which brought a floral aroma. For sensory evaluation (40–100), the Jimbee cultivar, with its orange flesh, scored 68.2 and the Okashi cultivar, with pale green flesh, scored 82.8, which was the preferred melon-based wine. This is an example of a circular economy model to produce a fruit-based wine with commercial potential and satisfactory sensory evaluation.This research was funded by RTI2018-099139-B-C21 project from Ministry of Science and Innovation (Spain)—National Research Agency (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”, of the European Union and by 21645/PDC/21 project from “Fundación Séneca” of Murcia Region (Spain). José Angel Salas-Millán acknowledges financial support for “Industrial PhD” grant (DIN2019-010837) from the Ministry of Science and Innovation and JimboFresh International Company. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interest or personal relationship that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper

Integration of steam gasification and catalytic reforming of lignocellulosic biomass as a strategy to improve syngas quality and pollutants removal

Residual biomass gasification is a promising route for the production of H2-rich syngas. However, the simultaneous formation of pollutants such as light hydrocarbons (HCs), benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTEX), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) during gasification must be controlled. As a result, this study evaluated the effect of temperature and catalytic reforming over a Rh-Pt/CeO2-SiO2 catalyst during steam gasification of sugarcane residual biomass on syngas composition and pollutant removal. The above was carried out in a horizontal moving reactor, an Amberlite XAD-2 polyaromatic resin was used to collect the contaminants and characterization of the catalyst was performed. In this study, a concentration of up to 37 mol% of H2, a yield of 23.1 g H2 kg−1biomass, and a H2/CO ratio ≥2 were achieved when gasification and reforming were integrated. In addition, the catalyst characterization showed that Rh-Pt/CeO2-SiO2 was not susceptible to sintering and favored the formation of hydroxyl groups that promoted CO oxidation, thereby increasing the H2/CO ratio, as confirmed by in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). At 800 °C, where a high H2 yield was obtained, 209 g Nm−3 of light HCs and BTEX, 10.9 g Nm−3 of PAHs, and 32.5 ng WHO-TEQ Nm−3 of PCDD/Fs were formed after gasification. Interestingly, after catalytic reforming, 62% of light HCs and BTEX, 60% of PAHs, and 94% of PCDD/Fs were removed, leading to cleaner syngas with properties that allow it to be used in a wide range of energy applications.The authors are grateful to Universidad de La Sabana (Project code ING-203-2018), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (State Investigation Agency, project code PID2019-108632RB-I00), and The International Relations Department of the University of Alicante (program named “University Development Cooperation 2019”) for their financial support toward this work. The GC-MS/QQQ used in the analysis was supported by Project IDIFEDER/2018/004 by the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain)

Beneficial effects of manually assisted chiropractic adjusting instrument in a rabbit model of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by injury of all joint tissues. Our previous study showed that in experimental osteoporosis, chiropractic manipulation (CM) exerts protective effects on bone. We here assessed whether CM might ameliorate OA by improving subchondral bone sclerosis, cartilage integrity and synovitis. Male New-Zealand rabbits underwent knee surgery to induce OA by anterior cruciate ligament injury. CM was performed using the chiropractic instrument ActivatorV 3 times/week for 8 weeks as follows: force 2 setting was applied to the tibial tubercle of the rabbit right hind limb (TM-OA), whereas the corresponding left hind limb received a false manipulation (FM-OA) consisting of ActivatorV firing in the air and slightly touching the tibial tubercle. After sacrifice, subchondral bone integrity was assessed in the tibiae by microCT and histology. Cartilage damage and synovitis were estimated by Mankin's and Krenn's scores, respectively, and histological techniques. Bone mineral density and content in both cortical and trabecular compartments of subchondral bone decreased in OA rabbits compared to controls, but partially reversed in the TM-OA group. Trabecular bone parameters in the latter group also showed a significant improvement compared to FM-OA group. Moreover RANKL, OPG, ALP and TRAP protein expression in subchondral bone significantly decreased in TM-OA rabbits with respect to FM-OA group. CM was associated with lower Mankin's and Krenn's scores and macrophage infiltrate together with a decreased protein expression of pro-inflammatory, fibrotic and angiogenic factors, in TM-OA rabbits with respect to FM-OA. Our results suggest that CM may mitigate OA progression by improving subchondral bone as well as cartilage and synovial membrane status.AODM was supported by grants from the Spanish Chiropractic Association (AEQ). AM was supported by grants from Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and Carlos III Institute of Health (CP15/00053 and PI16/00991). We thank Dr. Carlos Guillén-Viejo (School of Pharmacy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid) for his help in advising in molecular biology methods. The authors are also grateful to Mark S. Davis for his assistance with editing and proofreading the article.S

Urinary TNF-α as a potential biomarker for chronic primary low back pain

IntroductionOver two thirds of individuals with low back pain (LBP) may experience recurrent or persistent symptoms in the long term. Yet, current data do not allow to predict who will develop chronic low back pain and who will recover from an acute episode. Elevated serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) have been associated with poor recovery and persistent pain following an acute episode of LBP. Inflammatory cytokines may also mediate mechanisms involved in nociplastic pain, and thus, have significant implications in chronic primary low back pain (CPLBP).MethodsThis study aimed to investigate the potential of urinary TNF-α levels for predicting outcomes and characterizing clinical features of CPLBP patients. Twenty-four patients with CPLBP and 24 sex- and age-matched asymptomatic controls were recruited. Urinary TNF-α concentrations were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks, during which CPLBP patients underwent spinal manipulative therapy (SMT).ResultsConcentrations of TNF-α were found to be elevated in baseline urine samples of CPLBP patients compared to asymptomatic controls. Moreover, these values differed among patients depending on their pain trajectory. Patients with persistent pain showed higher levels of TNF-α, when compared to those with episodic CPLBP. Furthermore, baseline TNF-α concentrations and their changes after 4 weeks predicted alterations in pain intensity and disability following SMT in patients with CPLBP.DiscussionThese findings warrant further research on the potential use of urinary TNF-α concentrations as a prognostic biomarker for CPLBP

STATegra: Multi-Omics Data Integration - A Conceptual Scheme With a Bioinformatics Pipeline

Technologies for profiling samples using different omics platforms have been at the forefront since the human genome project. Large-scale multi-omics data hold the promise of deciphering different regulatory layers. Yet, while there is a myriad of bioinformatics tools, each multi-omics analysis appears to start from scratch with an arbitrary decision over which tools to use and how to combine them. Therefore, it is an unmet need to conceptualize how to integrate such data and implement and validate pipelines in different cases. We have designed a conceptual framework (STATegra), aiming it to be as generic as possible for multi-omics analysis, combining available multi-omic anlaysis tools (machine learning component analysis, non-parametric data combination, and a multi-omics exploratory analysis) in a step-wise manner. While in several studies, we have previously combined those integrative tools, here, we provide a systematic description of the STATegra framework and its validation using two The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) case studies. For both, the Glioblastoma and the Skin Cutaneous Melanoma (SKCM) cases, we demonstrate an enhanced capacity of the framework (and beyond the individual tools) to identify features and pathways compared to single-omics analysis. Such an integrative multi-omics analysis framework for identifying features and components facilitates the discovery of new biology. Finally, we provide several options for applying the STATegra framework when parametric assumptions are fulfilled and for the case when not all the samples are profiled for all omics. The STATegra framework is built using several tools, which are being integrated step-by-step as OpenSource in the STATegRa Bioconductor packag

Anti-IL-6 Receptor Tocilizumab in Refractory Graves? Orbitopathy: National Multicenter Observational Study of 48 Patients

Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) is the most common extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves’ disease (GD). Our aim was to assess the e cacy and safety of Tocilizumab (TCZ) in GO refractory to conventional therapy. This was an open-label multicenter study of glucocorticoid-resistant GO treated with TCZ. The main outcomes were the best-corrected visual acuity (BVCA), Clinical Activity Score (CAS) and intraocular pressure (IOP). These outcome variables were assessed at baseline, 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th month after TCZ therapy onset. The severity of GO was assessed according to the European Group on Graves’ Orbitopathy (EUGOGO). We studied 48 (38 women and 10 men) patients (95 eyes); mean age standard deviation 51 11.8 years. Before TCZ and besides oral glucocorticoids, they had received IV methylprednisolone (n = 43), or selenium (n = 11). GO disease was moderate (n =29) or severe (n = 19) and dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) (n = 7). TCZ was used in monotherapy (n = 45) or combined (n = 3) at a dose of 8 mg/kg IV every four weeks (n = 43) or 162 mg/s.c. every week (n = 5). TCZ yielded a significant improvement in all of the main outcomes at the 1st month that was maintained at one year. Comparing the baseline with data at 1 year all of the variables improved; BCVA (0.78 0.25 vs. 0.9 0.16; p = 0.0001), CAS (4.64 1.5 vs. 1.05 1.27; p = 0.0001) and intraocular pressure (IOP) (19.05 4.1 vs. 16.73 3.4 mmHg; p = 0.007). After a mean follow-up of 16.1 2.1 months, low disease activity (CAS 3), was achieved in 88 eyes (92.6%) and TCZ was withdrawn in 29 cases due to low disease activity (n = 25) or ine cacy (n = 4). No serious adverse events were observed. In conclusion, TCZ is a useful and safe therapeutic option in refractory GO treatment.This work was also partially supported by RETICS Programs, RD08/0075 (RIER) and RD12/0009/0013 from “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” (ISCIII) (Spain)

Long-term follow-up of certolizumab pegol in uveitis due to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases : multicentre study of 80 patients

Objectives To evaluate effectiveness and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) in uveitis due to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID). Methods Multicentre study of CZP-treated patients with IMID uveitis refractory to conventional immunosuppressant. Effectiveness was assessed through the following ocular parameters: best-corrected visual acuity, anterior chamber cells, vitritis, macular thickness and retinal vasculitis. These variables were compared between the baseline, and first week, first, third, sixth months, first and second year. Results We studied 80 (33 men/47 women) patients (111 affected eyes) with a mean age of 41.6±11.7 years. The IMID included were: spondyloarthritis (n=43), Behçet's disease (n=10), psoriatic arthritis (n=8), Crohn's disease (n=4), sarcoidosis (n=2), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (n=1), reactive arthritis (n=1), rheumatoid arthritis (n=1), relapsing polychondritis (n=1), Conclusions CZP seems to be effective and safe in uveitis related to different IMID, even in patients refractory to previous biological drugs

Assessment of advanced oxidation techniques and adsorption to remove caffeine from aqueous solution

Las aguas residuales industriales y urbanas contienen una serie de contaminantes peligrosos para el medio natural. Estas corrientes residuales han de gestionarse de la manera adecuada para evitar la transferencia de los contaminantes al ecosistema lo que obliga a la sociedad a buscar los tratamientos adecuados que consigan la eliminación de los contaminantes presentes aportados por las diferentes actividades humanas. La cafeína se considera una sustancia trazador de la contaminación doméstica dado el elevado consumo de la misma. Al objeto de estudiar la eliminación de esta sustancia en efluentes acuosos se propone el empleo de dos técnicas alternativas: la oxidación con peróxido de hidrógeno y radiación ultravioleta y la adsorción con biomasas lignocelulósicas Los objetivos más específicos de este Trabajo de Fin de Grado son los que se presentan a continuación: - Aplicar y combinar diferentes técnicas de oxidación avanzada con peróxido de hidrógeno, cloro y radiación UV para la eliminación de cafeína en disolución. - Evaluar el proceso de adsorción con biomasa lignocelulósica de bajo coste para la eliminación de cafeína en disolución. - Selección del tratamiento óptimo para la eliminación de cafeína en disolución. .Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería IndustrialUniversidad Politécnica de Cartagen

Novedades en la enfermedad ósea de Paget

La enfermedad ósea de Paget, es considerada la segunda enfermedad más frecuente que afecta al metabolismo óseo, y se caracteriza por ser un trastorno crónico y focal del remodelado óseo con una resorción incrementada, que conlleva a un tejido óseo de estructura anárquica y propiedades mecánicas alteradas con una resistencia disminuida siendo más susceptible a deformidades y fracturas. Su etiología es desconocida, aunque la hipótesis más aceptada es la participación de factores ambientales en pacientes genéticamente predispuestos. La mayoría de los pacientes se muestran asintomáticos en el momento del diagnóstico, siendo la afectación poliostótica la forma predominante. Las manifestaciones clínicas principales son el dolor y la deformidad ósea. Suele diagnosticarse en pacientes adultos mayores de 55 años y es rara por debajo de los 40. La relación hombre-mujer es cercana a la unidad, con un ligero predominio de los varones. El diagnóstico es casual en el 75% de los casos, se realizará en base a la sospecha clínica, a la elevación de los marcadores de remodelado óseo, fundamentalmente la fosfatasa alcalina ósea o bien por la presencia de cambios radiológicos característicos de esta enfermedad. La gammagrafía ósea con Tecnecio99 nos aportará información funcional y un mapa topográfico de la enfermedad. Sólo se recurrirá a otras técnicas de imagen en aquellos casos que planteen dudas diagnósticas. Los fármacos antirresortivos son la base terapéutica de esta entidad, su objetivo es disminuir el elevado recambio óseo, así como limitar la progresión y las complicaciones, además de controlar las manifestaciones clínicas. A lo largo de esta revisión se abordarán de manera actualizada la epidemiología, etiopatogenia, las manifestaciones clínicas características, métodos diagnósticos así como las novedades en el paradigma terapéutico