Anaerobic digestion and co-digestion of slaughterhouse wastes

The use of renewable energy is becoming increasingly necessary in order to address the global warming problem and, as a consequence, has become an high priority for many countries. Biomass is a clean and renewable energy source with growing potential to replace conventional fossil fuels. Among biomass, residual and waste ones represent a great resource for energy generation since they permit both to eliminate a possible waste and to produce energy. In the present work, the case of slaughterhouse wastes (SHWs) has been investigated. Anaerobic digestion is nowadays considered as one of the most important and sustainable conversion technology exploiting organic matter and biodegradable wastes. Biogas results from this bio-chemical process and mainly consists of methane and carbon dioxide, leading to produce thermal energy and/or electricity. In this paper, the European Regulations on animal by-products (ABPs) are described, and some previous study on anaerobic digestion and co-digestion of ABPs - more precisely SHWs - are considered and compared in order to fix a starting point for future tests on their co-digestion in a micro-scale pilot digester. This is to define optimal feed ratio values which ensure an increasing content of methane in the outgoing biogas

A comparison of melatonin and α-lipoic acid in the induction of antioxidant defences in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells.

Aging is characterized by a progressive deterioration in physiological functions and metabolic processes. The loss of cells during aging in vital tissues and organs is related to several factors including oxidative stress and inflammation. Skeletal muscle degeneration is common in elderly people; in fact, this tissue is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress since it requires large amounts of oxygen, and thus, oxidative damage is abundant and accumulates with increasing age. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a highly efficient scavenger of reactive oxygen species and it also exhibits beneficial anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects. This study investigated the susceptibility of rat L6 skeletal muscle cells to an induced oxidative stress following their exposure to hydrogen peroxide (50 μM) and evaluating the potential protective effects of pre-treatment with melatonin (10 nM) compared to the known beneficial effect of alpha-lipoic acid (300 μM). Hydrogen peroxide-induced obvious oxidative stress; it increased the expression of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and in turn promoted nuclear factor kappa-B and overrode the endogenous defence mechanisms. Conversely, pre-treatment of the hydrogen peroxide-exposed cells to melatonin or alpha-lipoic acid increased endogenous antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase-2 and heme oxygenase-1; moreover, they ameliorated significantly oxidative stress damage and partially reduced alterations in the muscle cells, which are typical of aging. In conclusion, melatonin was equally effective as alpha-lipoic acid; it exhibited marked antioxidant and anti-aging effects at the level of skeletal muscle in vitro even when it was given in a much lower dose than alpha-lipoic acid

Chemical elements in Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes - The reference mushrooms as instruments for investigating bioindication and biodiversity

Fungi in the wild are among the principal agents in biogeochemical cycles; those cycles of matter and energy that enable ecosystems to work. By investigating the biodiversity of Italian fungal species and concentration levels of chemical elements in them, it may be possible to use these fungi as biological indicators for the quality of forest, woodland and semi-natural environments. The database of this EUR Report record the dry-material concentrations of 35 chemical elements, including heavy metals, in over 9,000 samples of higher mushrooms (Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes). These samples represent approximately 200 genera and a thousand species. As the database has attained statistical stability it has been possible to define the concept of a “reference mushroom”. The use of a “reference mushroom” may benefit – perhaps only as a methodological approach – various fields of mycological and environmental research; from biodiversity and bioindication, through taxonomy right up to health and sanitation issues. The sheer volume of the collected data may prove to be useful as a comparison for data collected in the future; such results would also allow a better and more exhaustive interpretation of the effects of environmental protection laws that have been in place over the years to reduce or remedy current climate change phenomena and the environmental damage caused by human activity. Studies pertaining to the frequency of occurrence and the ecology of the various fungal species found on Italian soil have tended to link the reference habitats used to European classification guidelines (Natura 2000, CORINE Land Cover, CORINE Biotopes and EUNIS). Thereby the foundations have been laid for the use of mushrooms as biological indicators for the measurement of soil and ecosystem quality.JRC.DDG.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

Epithelial expression of vanilloid and cannabinoid receptors: a potential role in burning mouth syndrome pathogenesis

Burning mouth syndrome is an intraoral burning sensation in which the oral mucosa has a normal appearance and no medical or dental causes can be found. It remains an unknown disease for which long-term treatment is still lacking. The aim of this study is to assess in epithelial human tongue the expression of three receptors involved in pain transmission, such as a transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor type 1 (TRPV1) which mediates the sensation produced by chilli peppers, cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2), which are pathway-related to TRPV1. Epithelial cells express TRPV1, CB1 and CB2 receptors suggesting a role for these cells in sensory transduction. The study was performed on 8 healthy and 9 BMS patients. All patients underwent a 3-mm punch biopsy at the anterolateral aspect of the tongue close to the tip. Specimens were included in paraffin and serially cut to obtain 6um thick sections. The sections were processed for TRPV1, CB1 and CB2 immunohistochemistry. The analysis showed an altered expression of the studied receptors. In particular we observed an increase of TRPV1, a decrease of CB1 and an increase of CB2 expression in epithelial cells of the tongue with a change in morphological localization. So, these receptors seem to be correlated with BMS. These data could be useful for future characterization of BMS markers and specific therapies

Expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in blood vessels and silicic acid consumption

NO produces by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) represents one of the most representative vasoactive molecules able to regulate vascular tone; it is released by endothelial cells and it diffuses to adjacent vascular smooth muscle cells causing vasorelaxation. In addition, endothelium-derived NO is know to be involved in multiple ways to prevent the progression of age-related vascular diseases. Senescent endothelial cells are characterized by a decreased production of endothelium-derived NO due to a decrease of eNOS activity that could be attributable to a reduction in eNOS protein expression as well as in eNOS phosphorylation (Matsushita et al., 2001). Previous studies showed that silicon, mainly as silicic acid, plays an important role as protective factor against the development of age-related vascular diseases, maintaining integrity, stability and elastic properties of arterial walls (Schwarz et al., 1977). So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the expression of eNOS and silicic acid consumption in a mouse model of early physiological aging. We evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively by immunohistochemical method, the expression of eNOS in the vessel wall of aorta and renal vessels in relation with the administration of silicic acid in drinking water. The results showed that loss of eNOS expression was prevented by regular consumption of silicic acid rich water, supporting the potential protective role of silicon against age related-vascular disorders

Radiocaesium in Tricholoma spp. from the Northern Hemisphere in 1971–2016

A considerable amount of data has been published on the accumulation of radiocaesium ( 134Cs and particularly, 137Cs) in wild fungi since the first anthropogenically influenced releases into the environment due to nuclear weapon testing, usage and subsequently from major accidents at nuclear power plants in Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011). Wild fungi are particularly susceptible to accumulation of radiocaesium and contamination persists for decades after pollution events. Macromycetes (fruiting bodies, popularly called mushrooms) of the edible fungal species are an important part of the human and forest animal food-webs in many global locations. This review discusses published occurrences of 134Cs and 137Cs in twenty four species of Tricholoma mushrooms sourced from the Northern Hemisphere over the last five decades, but also includes some recent data from Italy and Poland. Tricholoma are an ectomycorrhizal species and the interval for contamination to permeate to lower soils layers which host their mycelial networks, results in a delayed manifestation of radioactivity. Available data from Poland, over similar periods, may suggest species selective differences in accumulation, with some fruiting bodies, e.g. T. portentosum, showing lower activity levels relative to others, e.g. T. equestre. Species like T. album, T. sulphurescens and T. terreum also show higher accumulation of radiocaesium, but reported observations are few. The uneven spatial distribution of the data combined with a limited number of observations make it difficult to decipher any temporal contamination patterns from the observations in Polish regions. When data from other European sites is included, a similar variability of 137Cs activity is apparent but the more recent Ukrainian data appears to show relatively lower activities. 40K activity in mushrooms which is associated with essential potassium, remains relatively constant. Further monitoring of 137Cs activity in wild mushrooms would help to consolidate these observations

Atlas rotation and mandibular deviation by Cone Beam CT

Cervical vertebrae and mandible are functionally related and some evidences suggest a strong correlation between their relative position and orientation (Huggare et al., 1996; Nisayif et al., 2005). In this study TC Dental Scan with cone beam technology was used to study the relationship between atlas and mandibular rotation in 205 patients. Using a digitalized images analyser, we calculated the axial rotation of atlas and mandible, measuring the angle with respect to the frontal plane. We found that 80.98% of patients presented the axial rotation of the mandible in the same direction of atlas rotation compared with 19.02% of patients that presented opposite directions. Among the consistent group, 71.08% of patients had a left rotation compared with 28.92% that had a right rotation. Moreover, considering the absolute values of the rotation, we observed that the atlas had a more marked rotation with respect to the mandible and that the values of left rotations were higher with respect to the value recorded for right rotations both for the mandible and atlas measurements. This study represents a starting point to better characterize the relationship between atlas and mandible; further studies are necessary to better understand the importance of this data from a functional and clinical point of view

One-carbon pathway metabolites are altered in the plasma of subjects with Down syndrome: Relation to chromosomal dosage

Introduction: Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal disorder and it is caused by trisomy of chromosome 21 (Hsa21). Subjects with DS show a large heterogeneity of phenotypes and the most constant clinical features present are typical facies and intellectual disability (ID). Several studies demonstrated that trisomy 21 causes an alteration in the metabolic profile, involving among all the one-carbon cycle. Methods: We performed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to identify the concentration of 5 different intermediates of the one-carbon cycle in plasma samples obtained from a total of 164 subjects with DS compared to 54 euploid subjects. We investigated: tetrahydrofolate (THF; DS n = 108, control n = 41), 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methyl-THF; DS n = 140, control n = 34), 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (5-formyl-THF; DS n = 80, control n = 21), S-adenosyl-homocysteine (SAH; DS n = 94, control n = 20) and S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM; DS n = 24, control n = 15). Results: Results highlight specific alterations of THF with a median concentration ratio DS/control of 2:3, a decrease of a necessary molecule perfectly consistent with a chromosomal dosage effect. Moreover, SAM and SAH show a ratio DS/control of 1.82:1 and 3.6:1, respectively. Discussion: The relevance of these results for the biology of intelligence and its impairment in trisomy 21 is discussed, leading to the final proposal of 5-methyl-THF as the best candidate for a clinical trial aimed at restoring the dysregulation of one-carbon cycle in trisomy 21, possibly improving cognitive skills of subjects with DS

Combined presence of ophthalmic artery origin from anterior cerebral artery and meningolacrimal artery

In this study we describe a case of an ophthalmic artery (OphA) originating from the pre-communicating segment of the anterior cerebral artery (A1), associated with the presence of a meningolacrimal artery (MLA). The OphA has an anomalous origin in 1-3% of cases and rarely arises from A1, however, the combination of these anatomical variations is unique. Anomalous origins of the OphA are also correlated with a higher incidence of ICA aneurysm (1). Macroscopic and endonasal endoscopic dissections of a cadaver head, which formerly underwent a cone-beam CT scan, were performed. Bilateral samples of the ICA walls were collected and processed for standard hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence analysis. The MLA was found on the right side by CT scan and its entrance in the superior orbital fissure was confirmed during head dissection. Hence, performing the endoscopic approach on the same side, the anomalous OphA, originating from the inferior surface of A1 segment and entering the optic canal above the optic nerve, was discovered. This arterial pattern could be explained by the embryological development of the orbital vascular system and it is referred to persistent ventral OphA (2). The histomorphological examination of ICA walls showed a significantly decreased thickness of the tunica media and adventitia on the right side compared to the left one. In addition, fluores- cence microscopy showed that type I and type III collagen were significantly lower in the tunicae media and adventitia of the right side. Since aneurysms of the ICA are related with a low content of collagen in the arterial wall, our results are consistent with current literature