Optimisation of Bioethanol Production in a Potato Processing Industry

Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to commercial restrictions.Nowadays, there is a requirement for industries to eliminate carbon from their energy mix and substitute it with greener options. This calls for investment in efforts to facilitate the scaling up of technical advancements. Because of the huge amount of waste, a life cycle strategy has been used by industries, especially the food industry, to lessen the environmental impact of their products. One of the sectors that burdens the environment with a significant amount of waste is the potato processing industrial sector. The current study focuses on the valorisation of all the potato processing waste streams (potato peels, potato tubers and slices, starch and low-quality chips) towards bioethanol production at a pilot level. After their physico-chemical characterisations, several experimental trials were performed in order to determine the optimum pretreatment and hydrolysis conditions for each waste stream. Acid hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis and hydrothermal pretreatment were examined when no pretreatment resulted in low ethanol yields (below 60%). The optimum results that were obtained were applied in a pilot plant of 200L to examine the upscaling factor. It was verified that upscaling by 1000 times generates comparable and, in some cases, greater results. From the integration of the results and the mass balances of a typical potato processing company, a full-scale implementation plan was also set up, where it was calculated that around 2 m3 bioethanol per week could be produced.This research was funded by the EU LIFE project “CIRCforBIO” (LIFE Ref. No: LIFE18 CCM/GR/001180)

Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in a patient with Crohn's disease and aberrant MTHFR and GPIIIa gene variants

Large spectrums of ophthalmic manifestations from the anterior to the posterior segment have been so far reported in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is caused by acute ischemic infarction of the optic nerve head and is distinguished in two different types, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuroparhy (NAION) which is the most frequent type and arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuroparhy may result in severe visual field loss. We present the case of a 69 year-old man with known history of Crohn's disease that was referred to the Department of Ophthalmology after noticing sudden blurred vision of his left eye. Ophthalmologic examination revealed a corrected visual acuity of 8/10 OS and 10/10 OD. Pupil examination showed a relative afferent pupillary defect of the left pupil and fluoroangiography revealed hyperfluorescence of the left optic disc, indicating edema and NAION attack on his left eye. Genetic analysis showed that the patient was homozygous for MTHFR C677T genetic polymorphism and A1/A2 heterozygous for GPIIIa polymorphism.J Crohns Coliti

Quantifying growth mechanics of living, growing plant cells in situ using microrobotics

Plant cell growth is a fundamental process during plant development and the developmental biology society has studied cell growth from various aspects using physiological, biochemical, genetic, mathematical and modelling approaches. Recent advances in the field of biology demonstrate a need for investigation and quantification of the mechanics of growth at individual cellular levels. Here, we describe a microrobotic system capable of performing automated mechanical characterisation of living plant cells in situ as these cells proliferate and grow. The microrobotic measurement system employs a single-axis capacitive MEMS microforce sensor, a multi-axis positioning system with position feedback, a high-resolution optical microscope and a custom-user interface for the guiding of the automated measurement process. The system has been applied to measure mechanical properties of Lilium pollen tubes approximately 20--m wide. The measurements were performed in growth medium, and the observed growth rate of the pollen tubes is about 20--m per minute. For the mechanical characterisation of pollen tubes, nano-Newton level loads and nanometric indentations are applied. The force-deformation data obtained show a difference in stiffness from the tip to the apex demonstrating that the developed measurement system is a promising tool for better understanding the mechanics of plant cell growth

Pulsatile tinnitus: A review of the literature and an unusual case of iatrogenic pneumocephalus causing pulsatile tinnitus

Background: Pulsatile tinnitus is frequently attributed to identifiable and treatable causes, in contrast to the more common subjective non-pulsatile tinnitus. It usually originates from vascular structures as a result of either increased blood flow or lumen stenosis; atherosclerotic carotid or subclavian artery disease; arterial, venous, or arteriovenous malformations, fistulas, or dissection; and paragangliomas. Other causes have also been reported, with often unclear pathophysiology. Objective: The aim of this paper is to present a case of pulsatile tinnitus secondary to iatrogenic pneumocephalus and to review the literature on pulsatile tinnitus. Subject: A 48-year-old white woman had a roaring, very disturbing, pulsatile tinnitus after the removal of a cerebellar lobe meningioma. When the patient experienced the symptom of tinnitus, a pulsatile movement of the tympanic membrane could be clearly seen, and this was synchronous with the patient's heartbeat. Computed tomography revealed an epidural pneumocephalus in the left posterior fossa communicating freely with the air cell system of the left mastoid cavity without any sign of residual tumor. A simple mastoidectomy was performed. The whole air cell system was removed and the mastoid cavity was filled with abdominal fat. After the operation, the pulsatile tinnitus ceased completely and the pneumocephalus disappeared gradually. The patient is free of symptoms 11 months after surgery. Conclusion: Otologists, neurosurgeons, and skull base surgeons should be aware of this surgical complication and be careful to identify any accidental opening to the air cell system of the temporal bone and meticulously close it when it happens. The review of the literature leads to the conclusion that pulsatile tinnitus should be thoroughly investigated, as it may be related to diseases that may have serious complications. © 2005, Otology & Neurotology, Inc

Inner ear dysfunction in myotonic dystrophy type 1

Objectives: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is associated with various oculomotor, vestibular, and auditory abnormalities. However, auditory system investigation has been mainly performed with the subjective method of pure-tone audiometry. In this study, a detailed vestibular and audiological evaluation was undertaken, including the objective and more sensitive method of transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs). Materials and methods: Twenty-four patients with genetically diagnosed myotonic dystrophy type 1 and 21 controls were studied. Audiological and vestibular investigations included pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), TEOAEs, and electronystagmography. Results: Hearing impairment was evident in 15 (62.5%) patients and in nine of them (37.5%) ABR abnormalities were found. However, subclinical cochlear damage was found in all patients, as evidenced by absent emissions or lower otoacoustic emission amplitude. Vestibular hypesthesia was found in nine patients (37.5%), accompanied by spontaneous nystagmus in four of them (15.6%). Conclusions: Auditory and vestibular abnormalities are quite common in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1. However, it appears that subclinical cochlear damage is an ubiquitous finding of the disease. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S