Two stage process of microalgae cultivation for starch and carotenoid production

Biotechnological processes based on microalgae cultivation are promising for several industrial applications. Microalgae are photoautotrophic microorganisms and can thus grow by using renewable and inexpensive resources as sunlight, inorganic salts, water and CO2. They can store high amounts of neutral lipids (bioil), carbohydrates (mainly starch), carotenoids (such as lutein, astaxanthin, beta-carotene), proteins and other molecules. Productions of lipids and carbohydrates have recently received an increasing interest for biofuel production, while proteins, carotenoids and other minor products are usable as feed additives and nutraceutical compounds. Biofuel production from microalgae is not yet economically sustainable, while there are different industrial plants in the world for the production of high values chemicals as carotenoids. Starch production from microalgae has been investigated mainly for the production of biofuels (e.g. bioethanol) by successive fermentation. However, purified starch can be used for other aims such as the production of bioplastics. Superior plants as corn, potato and wheat are currently used for this purpose. However, there are different environmental and economic issues related to the use of fertile lands and edible plants for these kinds of productions. Microalgae can solve these social and ethical issues because they can grow on nonfertile lands and also reach starch productivity per hectare higher than plants. In this work, the production of starch and carotenoids from Scenedesmus sp. microalgal strain is reported. A two-stage process has been developed in order to reduce operative and investment costs. In the first stage, microalgae are cultivated in photoautotrophic conditions and then, when biomass concentration rises and light becomes a limiting factor for growth, microalgae are transferred to a heterotrophic reactor. In this reactor, microalgae are cultivated by using wastewaters as source of nutrients (mainly organic carbon). Microalgae use organic carbon to synthesize starch and simultaneously reduce the content of pollutants in the wastewater (codepuration). Biomass separated by the culture medium is treated for the extraction of lipids containing different antioxidant carotenoids (such as astaxanthin and lutein) and starch granules as raw material for biopolymers

A 10-year follow-up of yearly indoor radon measurements in homes, review of other studies and implications on lung cancer risk estimates

Uncertainty on long-term average radon concentration has a large impact on lung cancer risk assessment in epidemiological studies. The uncertainty can be estimated by year-to-year radon concentration variability, however few data are available. In Italy a study has been planned and conducted to evaluate year-to-year radon variability over several years in normally inhabited dwellings, mainly located in Rome. This is the longest study of this kind in Europe; repeat radon measurements are carried out for 10 years using LR-115 radon detectors in the same home in consecutive years. The study includes 84 dwellings with long-term average radon concentration ranging from 28 to 636 Bq/m3. The result shows that year-to-year variability of repeated measurements made in the same home in different years is low, with an overall coefficient of variation of 17%. This is smaller than most of those observed in studies from other European countries and USA, ranging from 15% to 62%. Influencing factors that may explain the differences between this study and other studies have been discussed. Due to the low yearly variability estimated in the present 10-year study, a negligible impact on lung cancer risk estimate for the Italian epidemiologica

Mass transport and physical properties of polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate/CO2solutions

Polyurethane foams are typically obtained by reacting a polyisocyanate with a polyol and the foamed structure derives from a blowing reaction concurrent to the polymerization reaction. The blowing stage makes use of chemical and physical blowing agents, among which ozone-depleting or flammable gases are being substituted with eco-friendly and safe ones, such as CO2. To allow a more educated use of CO2 as a physical blowing agent in polyurethane foams, we herein investigate the CO2 sorption in polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI), by using a fully experimental, coupled gravimetry-Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis. Solubility, mutual diffusivity, specific volume and interfacial tension of PMDI/CO2 solutions in contact with CO2 have been measured at 35 deg C and at CO2 pressures up to 6500 kPa. Effects of CO2 on PMDI were also evaluated by using Gel Permeation Chromatography and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy

Exploiting olive mill wastewater via thermal conversion of the organic matter into gaseous biofuel. A case study

Olive oil is one excellence of the Italian food industry: around 300 kt yr−1 are produced, creating roughly the same amount of olive mill wastewater (OMW) to be disposed of. The present work describes a process to exploit OMW by converting its organic compounds to valuable gaseous biofuel. A sample OMW was characterized (COD, TOC, solids, and polyphenols) and submitted to membrane filtration tests to concentrate the organic compounds. Based on the results of the ex-periments, a treatment process was outlined: the retentate streams from microfiltration and ul-trafiltration steps were fed to a cracking and a steam reforming reactor, respectively; the obtained syngas streams were then mixed and sent to a methanation reactor. The process was simulated with Aspen Plus (AspenTech©) software, assessing operating conditions and streams compositions: the final biofuel is around 81 mol.% methane, 4 mol.% hydrogen, and 11 mol.% carbon dioxide. The permeate stream cannot be directly disposed of, but both its amount and its polluting charge are greatly reduced. The heat needed by the process, mainly due to the endothermic reactions, can be obtained by burning an amount of olive pomaces, roughly corresponding to one-third of the amount left by olive treatments giving rise to the processed OMW feed

A short summary of past and recent activities on protection from radon exposure carried out by the Italian National Institute of Health

The Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità ‒ ISS) has a long experience of activities concerning protection from radon exposure (measuring techniques, surveys in dwellings and other environments, public information, training courses, epidemiological studies and risk evaluation, etc.) with the first activities dating back to the eighties. On the basis of this expertise, the ISS has also contributed to radon policies and regulations, in particular to the development of the first Italian National Radon Action Plan (INRAP) in 2002 and its coordination in the following years, as well as to international regulations and recommendations. Many activities have been carried out with significant collaborations not only with Italian agencies and institutes, but also with some other countries as well as with international organizations (e.g. WHO). In this paper, a short summary of the past activities carried out by the ISS on several radon issues is presented. Moreover, some of the recent and current activities and projects are shortly described, taking into account the requirements of the Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, including design of radon surveys, quality of both active and passive measurements, evaluation of actual public exposure, and cost-effectiveness evaluations

Tyrosol May Prevent Obesity by Inhibiting Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes

Tyrosol (TR), a major polyphenol found in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), exerts several antioxidant effects. However, only scarce evidences are present regarding its activity on adipocytes and obesity. This study evaluated the role of TR in adipogenesis. Murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were incubated with TR (300 and 500 μM), and TR administration inhibited adipogenesis by downregulation of several adipogenic factors (leptin and aP2) and transcription factors (C/EBPα, PPARγ, SREBP1c, and Glut4) and by modulation of the histone deacetylase sirtuin 1. After complete differentiation, adipocytes treated with 300 and 500 μM TR showed a reduction of 20% and 30% in lipid droplets, respectively. Intracellular triglycerides were significantly reduced after TR treatment (p<0.05). Mature adipocytes treated with TR at 300 and 500 μM showed a marked decrease in the inflammatory state and oxidative stress as shown by the modulation of specific biomarkers (TNF, IL6, ROS, and SOD2). TR treatment also acted on the early stage of differentiation by reducing cell proliferation (~40%) and inducing cell cycle arrest during Mitotic Expansion Clonal (first 48 h of differentiation), as shown by the increase in both S1 phase and p21 protein expression. We also showed that TR induced lipolysis by activating the AMPK-ATGL-HSL pathway. In conclusion, we provided evidence that TR reduces 3T3-L1 differentiation through downregulation of adipogenic proteins, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Moreover, TR may trigger adipose tissue browning throughout the induction of the AMPK-ATGL-UCP1 pathway and, subsequently, may have promise as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment and prevention of obesity

Timing of Symptoms of Early-Onset Sepsis after Intrapartum Antibiotic Prophylaxis: Can It Inform the Neonatal Management?

The effectiveness of “inadequate” intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP administered E. coli culture-confirmed EOS cases. IAP was defined “active” when the pathogen yielded in cultures was susceptible. We identified 263 EOS cases (GBS = 191; E. coli = 72). Among GBS EOS, 25% had received IAP (always active when beta-lactams were administered). Most IAP-exposed neonates with GBS were symptomatic at birth (67%) or remained asymptomatic (25%), regardless of IAP duration. Among E. coli EOS, 60% were IAP-exposed. However, IAP was active in only 8% of cases, and these newborns remained asymptomatic or presented with symptoms prior to 6 h of life. In contrast, most newborns exposed to an “inactive” IAP (52%) developed symptoms from 1 to >48 h of life. The key element to define IAP “adequate” seems the pathogen’s antimicrobial susceptibility rather than its duration. Newborns exposed to an active antimicrobial (as frequently occurs with GBS infections), who remain asymptomatic in the first 6 h of life, are likely uninfected. Because E. coli isolates are often unsusceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics, IAP-exposed neonates frequently develop symptoms of EOS after birth, up to 48 h of life and beyond