EFFECTS OF THE INCREASE IN SUBSTRATE LOAD AND HYDROLYSIS TIME IN THE SACCHARIFICATION OF SUGARCANE BAGASSE AND ETHANOL PRODUCTION

In this study, the enzymatic saccharification of alkaline pretreated sugarcane bagasse (PSB) and the production of second generation bioethanol were investigated under different conditions. The effects of percentage of dry substrate (3 and 10% w/v) and time of hydrolysis (24 and 72 h) were evaluated in order to obtain maximum contents of total reducing sugar (TRS), glucose and xylose. The monosaccharide concentrations were quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and TRS by the 3.5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method. The saccharification of PSB with the Cellic Ctec3, promoted an efficient release of sugars. Among the four evaluated conditions, the hydrolysis HD (10% PSB and 72h) was selected as the most efficient with the highest concentrations of released sugars: TRS (73.96 g/L), glucose (31.78 g/L) and xylose (10.85 g/L). The alcoholic fermentation of hydrolysate HD with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced the maximum concentration of 16.15 g/L of ethanol, with a volumetric productivity (QP) of 0.69 g/Lh and yield of ethanol as a function of the substrate (YP/S) of 0.48 gethanol/gsugar. S. cerevisiae was capable of fermenting 99.96% of glucose from hydrolysate HD. These results suggest that the increase of the substrate load and time in the enzymatic hydrolysis can be favourable alternatives to improve the sugar yields in hydrolysates and, consequently, the bioethanol production

Yeast biodiversity in vineyard environments is increased by human intervention

One hundred and five grape samples were collected during two consecutive years from 33 locations on seven oceanic islands of the Azores Archipelago. Grape samples were obtained from vineyards that were either abandoned or under regular cultivation involving common viticultural interventions, to evaluate the impact of regular human intervention on grape yeast biota diversity in vineyards. A total of 3150 yeast isolates were obtained and 23 yeast species were identified. The predominant species were Hanseniaspora uvarum, Pichia terricola, Starmerella bacillaris and Issatchenkia hanoiensis. The species Barnettozyma californica, Candida azymoides and Pichia cecembensis were reported in grapes or wine-associated environments for the first time. A higher biodiversity was found in active vineyards where regular human intervention takes place (Shannon index: 1.89 and 1.53 in the first and second years, respectively) when compared to the abandoned ones (Shannon index: 0.76 and 0.31). This finding goes against the assumptions that human intervention can destroy biodiversity and lead to homogeneity in the environment. Biodiversity indices were considerably lower in the year with the heaviest rainfall. This study is the first to report on the grape yeast communities from several abandoned vineyards that have undergone no human intervention.Joao Drumonde Neves is the recipient of a fellowship of the Azorean Government (M321/006/F/2008) and PROEMPREGO. This work was supported by the strategic programme UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569) funded by national funds through the FCT I.P. and by the ERDF through the COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI), and by national funds through FCT by the projects FCOMP-01-0124-008775, PTDC/AGR-ALI/103392/2008 and PTDC/AGR-ALI/121062/2010.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Association between Grape Yeast Communities and the Vineyard Ecosystems

The grape yeast biota from several wine-producing areas, with distinct soil types and grapevine training systems, was assessed on five islands of Azores Archipelago, and differences in yeast communities composition associated with the geographic origin of the grapes were explored. Fifty-seven grape samples belonging to the Vitis vinifera grapevine cultivars Verdelho dos Acores (Verdelho), Arinto da Terceira (Arinto) and Terrantez do Pico (Terrantez) were collected in two consecutive years and 40 spontaneous fermentations were achieved. A total of 1710 yeast isolates were obtained from freshly crushed grapes and 1200 from final stage of fermentations. Twenty-eight species were identified, Hanseniaspura uvarum, Pichia terricola and Metschnikowia pulcherrima being the three most representative species isolated. Candida carpophila was encountered for the first time as an inhabitant of grape or wine-associated environments. In both sampling years, a higher proportion of H. uvarum in fresh grapes from Verdelho cultivar was observed, in comparison with Arinto cultivar. Qualitatively significant differences were found among yeast communities from several locations on five islands of the Archipelago, particularly in locations with distinctive agro-ecological compositions. Our results are in agreement with the statement that grape-associated microbial biogeography is non-randomly associated with interactions of climate, soil, cultivar, and vine training systems in vineyard ecosystems. Our observations strongly support a possible linkage between grape yeast and wine typicality, reinforcing the statement that different viti-cultural terroirs harbor distinctive yeast biota, in particular in vineyards with very distinctive environmental conditions.Joao Drumonde Neves is the recipient of a fellowship of the Azorean Government (M321/006/F/2008) and PROEMPREGO. This work was supported by the strategic programme UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569) funded by national funds through the FCT I.P. and by the ERDF through the COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI), and by national funds through FCT by the projects FCOMP-01-0124-008775, PTDC/AGR-ALI/103392/2008 and PTDC/AGR-ALI/121062/2010.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Adhesion Failures Determine the Pattern of Choroidal Neovascularization in the Eye: A Computer Simulation Study

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) of the macular area of the retina is the major cause of severe vision loss in adults. In CNV, after choriocapillaries initially penetrate Bruch's membrane (BrM), invading vessels may regress or expand (CNV initiation). Next, during Early and Late CNV, the expanding vasculature usually spreads in one of three distinct patterns: in a layer between BrM and the retinal pigment epithelium (sub-RPE or Type 1 CNV), in a layer between the RPE and the photoreceptors (sub-retinal or Type 2 CNV) or in both loci simultaneously (combined pattern or Type 3 CNV). While most studies hypothesize that CNV primarily results from growth-factor effects or holes in BrM, our three-dimensional simulations of multi-cell model of the normal and pathological maculae recapitulate the three growth patterns, under the hypothesis that CNV results from combinations of impairment of: 1) RPE-RPE epithelial junctional adhesion, 2) Adhesion of the RPE basement membrane complex to BrM (RPE-BrM adhesion), and 3) Adhesion of the RPE to the photoreceptor outer segments (RPE-POS adhesion). Our key findings are that when an endothelial tip cell penetrates BrM: 1) RPE with normal epithelial junctions, basal attachment to BrM and apical attachment to POS resists CNV. 2) Small holes in BrM do not, by themselves, initiate CNV. 3) RPE with normal epithelial junctions and normal apical RPE-POS adhesion, but weak adhesion to BrM (e.g. due to lipid accumulation in BrM) results in Early sub-RPE CNV. 4) Normal adhesion of RBaM to BrM, but reduced apical RPE-POS or epithelial RPE-RPE adhesion (e.g. due to inflammation) results in Early sub-retinal CNV. 5) Simultaneous reduction in RPE-RPE epithelial binding and RPE-BrM adhesion results in either sub-RPE or sub-retinal CNV which often progresses to combined pattern CNV. These findings suggest that defects in adhesion dominate CNV initiation and progression

Osservazioni sull'architettura domestica lungo il corso del Medio Eufrate nell'età del Bronzo tardo: il caso di Tell Fray.

analisi dell'architettura privata nell'area del Mediuo Eufrate (Siria

Scavi a Tell Tuqan (Siria).

La prof. F. Baffi ha diretto la campagna di scavo coordinando i lavori che si sono svolti in sei distinti cantieri, tre sull'acropoli e tre nella città bassa, e che hanno ampliato le conoscenze sulla storia dell'antico centro. I risultati prodotti hanno riguardato tutte le fasi di vita dell'antico insediamento. Ai lavori hanno partecipato studenti dell'Università del Salento e dottorandi di Archeologia Orientale italiani e siriani che hanno collaborato alla diverse fasi lavorative

New discoveries at Tell Tuqan (Syria)

New data of the results of the 2006-2007 excavations campaign of Salento University expedition in the area of Lake Maath basin. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Il culto praticato a Ebla paleosiriana

La parola del passato. Macchiaroli Editore. Napol

Scavi e ricerche a Tell Tuqan

Il progetto ha come obiettivo la messa in luce della fasi di vita all'interno dell'antico centro che sorgeva in prossimità del bacino lacustre del Maath: una step trench aperta nel punto più alto dell'acropoli sta rivelando la consistenza del sistema difensivo dal Bronzo Medio all'età tardo Romana-Bizantina, mentre cantieri di scavo aperti nella città alta ed in quella bassa riportano alla luce le fasi di vita dal III al I millennio a.C., come documentano i materiali connessi alle diverse aree