New exploitation strategies of the by-products deriving from the hazelnut supply chain

Hazelnut processing industry generates significant waste streams, in particular cuticles and shells. Extractives are the main components of the cuticle fraction (~36 wt%), mainly including polyphenols and fatty acids, which can be advantageously used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. Focusing on the shell fraction, this represents ~50 % of the total nut weight (about 273 thousand metric tons, based on the 2021-2022 worldwide data on hazelnut production). Differently from cuticles, shells are rich in recalcitrant lignin (~38 wt%), in addition to cellulose and hemicellulose (each component accounting for ~23 wt%). Up to now, this waste, which is preponderantly produced in Italy and Turkey, is mostly underutilized, being limitedly used as a boiler fuel for domestic heating and for landscaping. On the other hand, these both fractions of hazelnut shells can be successfully valorized and, in this perspective, we have proposed a new cascade approach, converting its cellulosic fraction into levulinic acid (∼9-12 wt%), and recovering an abundant carbonaceous hydrochar as the final waste (∼45 wt%), mainly composed of aromatic and furanic units. In this work, the exploitation of this waste biomass-derived hydrochar for environmental applications has been investigated, after its pyrolysis and chemical activation treatments (H3PO4, ZnCl2, KOH, NaOH). The synthesized new active carbons (ACs) have been properly characterized and used as adsorbents for CO2 and methylene blue removal. This proposed integrated approach makes possible to fully exploit the hazelnut shell feedstock, smartly closing the biorefinery cycle of the hazelnut wastes, in a sustainable and circular perspective

Progetto ARGA (Allergopatie Respiratorie: studio di monitoraggio delle linee guida GINA e ARIA): studio osservazionale tra i Medici di Medicina Generale del territorio nazionale.

non presenteBackground: le linee guida (LG) internazionali GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) ed ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) per la gestione dell\u27asma e RA non sono sufficientemente applicate nella pratica clinica. Obiettivi: valutare il grado di applicabilit? delle LG ed il loro impatto sulla qualit? della vita del paziente in Medicina Generale. Metodi: studio osservazionale prospettico; 168 Medici di Medicina Generale (MMG) (71 del gruppo A (+ corso sulle LG) e 97 del gruppo B (- corso)) sono stati selezionati per arruolare i pazienti con diagnosi di asma/RA. Sia il MMG sia il paziente hanno compilato il questionario sulle Allergopatie Respiratorie e la scheda per la rilevazione delle Reazioni Avverse da Farmaci. Il follow-up verr? eseguito dopo 12 mesi

Drivers of extinction risk in African mammals: the interplay of distribution state, human pressure, conservation response and species biology

Although conservation intervention has reversed the decline of some species, our success is outweighed by a much larger number of species moving towards extinction. Extinction risk modelling can identify correlates of risk and species not yet recognized to be threatened. Here, we use machine learning models to identify correlates of extinction risk in African terrestrial mammals using a set of variables belonging to four classes: species distribution state, human pressures, conservation response and species biology. We derived information on distribution state and human pressure from satellite- borne imagery. Variables in all four classes were identified as important predictors of extinction risk, and interactions were observed among variables in different classes (e.g. level of protection, human threats, species distribution ranges). Species biology had a key role in mediating the effect of external variables. The model was 90% accurate in classifying extinction risk status of species, but in a few cases the observed and modelled extinction risk mismatched. Species in this condition might suffer from an incorrect classification of extinction risk (hence require reassessment). An increased availability of satellite imagery combined with improved resolution and classification accuracy of the resulting maps will play a progressively greater role in conservation monitoring.JRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen

Thermal analysis of the antineutrino 144Ce source calorimeter for the SOX experiment

The technical note describes the calorimeter which will be used to measure the activity of the antineutrino 144Ce source of the SOX experiment at the Gran Sasso Laboratories. The principle of the calorimeter is based on the measurement of both mass flow and temperature increase of the water circulating in the heat exchanger surrounding the source. The calorimeter is vacuum insulated in order to minimize the heat losses. The preliminary design and thermal Finite Element Analysis (FEA) are reported in the note

Porphyrins Through the Looking Glass: Spectroscopic and Mechanistic Insights in Supramolecular Chirogenesis of New Self-Assembled Porphyrin Derivatives

The solvent driven aggregation of porphyrin derivatives, covalently linked to a L- or D-prolinate enantiomer, results in the stereospecific formation of species featuring remarkable supramolecular chirality, as a consequence of reading and amplification of the stereochemical information stored in the proline-appended group. Spectroscopic, kinetic, and topographic SEM studies gave important information on the aggregation processes, and on the structures of the final chiral architectures. The results obtained may be the seeds for the construction of stereoselective sensors aiming at the detection, for example, of novel emergent pollutants from agrochemical, food, and pharmaceutical industry

The activation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptros (PPARs) as the regulator of lipid metabolism in the placenta of patients with diabetes

Dadas las alteraciones metabólicas inducidas por la diabetes materna y la capacidad de los receptores nucleares PPAR de regular el metabolismo lipídico, se propuso como objetivo evaluar los niveles de lípidos y PPAR en la placenta de pacientes sanas y con diabetes tipo 2, y determinar si la activación de los PPAR regula los niveles y peroxidación lipídica en dichos tejidos. Metodología: las placentas se obtuvieron luego del alumbramiento, se determinaron los niveles de lípidos mediante cromatografía, los niveles de PPAR mediante Western blot y la peroxidación lipídica mediante la cuantificación de TBARS. Resultados: se evidenciaron mayores niveles de lípidos y menores niveles de PPAR_ y PPARaen placenta de pacientes diabéticas en relación con el control (P<0,05). Los agonistas de PPAR_ redujeron la masa lipídica en la placenta de pacientes sanas y diabéticas, mientras que la activación de PPARb la redujo sólo en la placenta de pacientes sanas. Al activar PPARaaumenta la masa lipídica y la expresión de la enzima de síntesis de ácidos grasos FASN (P<0,05). La peroxidación lipídica, incrementada en placenta de pacientes diabéticas (P<0,001), se reguló negativamente al activar los tres isotipos de los PPAR (P<0,05). Conclusión: se identificaron en este estudio noveles funciones de los PPAR en la placenta humana, relevantes en la regulación del metabolismo lipídico y la lipoperoxidación. La diabetes tipo 2 induce a nivel placentario alteraciones en los niveles y función de los PPAR vinculadas a las importantes anomalías en el metabolismo lipídico y un estado prooxidante inducidas por esta patología.Due to the metabolic alterations induced by maternal diabetes and the capacity of nuclear receptors PPARs to regulate lipid metabolism the aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of lipids and PPARs in the placenta from healthy and type 2 diabetic patients and to determine whether PPARs activation regulate lipid concentrations and peroxidation in these tissues. Methods: Placentas were obtained after delivery, lipid levels were determined by chromatography, concentrations of PPARs isotypes were evaluated by Western blot and the lipid peroxidation determined by TBARS quantification. Results: There are higher levels of lipids and lower concentrations of PPAR_ and PPARa in the placenta from diabetic patients when compared to controls (P<0.05). PPAR_ agonists decreased the lipid mass in the placenta from healthy and diabetic patients, while PPARb activation decreased the lipid mass only in the placenta from healthy patients. When PPARa was activated, the lipid mass and the expression of the fatty acid synthase enzyme (FASN) were increased. Lipid peroxidation, increased in the placenta from diabetic patients (P<0.001), was negatively regulated when the three PPARs were activated (P<0.05). Conclusion: We identified in this work novel PPAR functions in the human placenta as relevant regulators of lipid metabolism and peroxidation. Type 2 diabetes induced in the placenta alterations in PPARs expression and function, related to the important anomalies in lipid metabolism and the pro-oxidative state induced by this pathology.Fil: Capobianco, Evangelina Lorena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Nora Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Fornes, Daiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Higa, Romina Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Kurtz, Melisa Lidia Amelia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Di Marco, Ingrid. Hospital Materno-Infantil Ramón Sardá; ArgentinaFil: Basualdo, María Natalia. Hospital Materno-Infantil Ramón Sardá; ArgentinaFil: Faingold, Cristina. Hospital César Milstein; ArgentinaFil: Jawerbaum, Alicia Sandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; Argentin

Recomendaciones para gestantes con diabetes pregestacional

Este articulo detalla las recomendaciones para gestantes con diabetes pregestacional. Las mismas se redactaron a partir de las conclusiones del Consenso reunido por convocatoria del Comité de Diabetes y Embarazo de la Sociedad Argentina de Diabetes en Octubre de 2009.Fil: Faingold, María Cristina. Unidad Asistencial Doctor César Milstein; ArgentinaFil: Lamelas, C..Fil: Gheggi, María Soledad.Fil: Lapertosa, Silvia.Fil: Di Marco, Ingrid.Fil: Basualdo, María Natalia.Fil: Rovira, Marta Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Jawerbaum, Alicia Sandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Glatstein, Liliana.Fil: Salzberg, Susana.Fil: López, C..Fil: Rodríguez, María Elena

Phthalate esters (PAEs) concentration pattern reflects dietary habitats (δ13C) in blood of Mediterranean loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta)

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are classified as endocrine disruptors, but it remains unclear if they can enter the marine food-web and result in severe health effects for organisms. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) can be chronically exposed to PAEs by ingesting plastic debris, but no information is available about PAEs levels in blood, and how these concentrations are related to diet during different life stages. This paper investigated, for the first time, six PAEs in blood of 18 wild-caught Mediterranean loggerhead turtles throughout solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-ion trap/mass spectrometry. Stable isotope analyses of carbon and nitrogen were also performed to assess the resource use pattern of loggerhead turtles. DEHP (12-63 ng mL(-1)) and DBP (6-57 ng mL(-1)) were the most frequently represented PAEs, followed by DiBP, DMP, DEP and DOP. The total PAEs concentration was highest in three turtles (124-260 ng mL(-1)) whereas three other turtles had concentrations below the detection limit. PAEs were clustered in three groups according to concentration in all samples: DEHP in the first group, DBP, DEP, and DiBP in the second group, and DOP and DMP in the third group. The total phthalates concentration did not differ between large-sized (96.3 +/- 86.0 ng mL(-1)) and small-sized (67.1 +/- 34.2 ng mL(-1)) turtles (p &lt; 0.001). However, DMP and DEP were found only in large-sized turtles and DiBP and DBP had higher concentrations in large-sized turtles. On the other hand, DEHP and DOP were found in both small- and large-sized turtles with similar concentrations, i.e. ~ 21.0/32.0 ng mL(-1) and ~ 7(.1)/9.9 ng mL(-1), respectively. Winsored robust models indicated that delta C-13 is a good predictor for DBP and DiBP concentrations (significant Akaike Information criterion weight, AIC(wt)). Our results indicate that blood is a good matrix to evaluate acute exposure to PAEs in marine turtles. Moreover, this approach is here suggested as a useful tool to explain the internal dose of PAEs in term of dietary habits (delta C-13), suggesting that all marine species at high trophic levels may be particularly exposed to PAEs, despite their different dietary habitats and levels of exposure

Adrenocortical Carcinoma and CT Assessment of Therapy Response: The Value of Combining Multiple Criteria

We evaluated tumor response at Computed Tomography (CT) according to three radiologic criteria: RECIST 1.1, CHOI and tumor volume in 34 patients with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) submitted to standard chemotherapy. These three criteria agreed in defining partial response, stable or progressive disease in 24 patients (70.5%). Partial response (PR) was observed in 29.4%, 29.4% and 41.2% of patients according to RECIST 1.1, CHOI and tumor volume, respectively. It was associated with a favorable prognosis, regardless of the criterion adopted. The concordance of all the 3 criteria in defining the disease response identified 8 patients (23.5%) which displayed a very good prognosis: median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) 14.9 and 37.7 months, respectively. Seven patients (20.6%) with PR assessed by one or two criteria, however, still had a better prognosis than non-responding patients, both in terms of PFS: median 12.3 versus 9.9 months and OS: 21 versus 12.2, respectively. In conclusions, the CT assessment of disease response of ACC patients to chemotherapy with 3 different criteria is feasible and allows the identification of a patient subset with a more favorable outcome. PR with at least one criterion can be useful to early identify patients that deserve continuing the therapy

Investigation into the Use of Encorafenib to Develop Potential PROTACs Directed against BRAFV600E Protein

BRAF is a serine/threonine kinase frequently mutated in human cancers. BRAF(V600E) mutated protein is targeted through the use of kinase inhibitors which are approved for the treatment of melanoma; however, their long-term efficacy is hampered by resistance mechanisms. The PROTAC-induced degradation of BRAF(V600E) has been proposed as an alternative strategy to avoid the onset of resistance. In this study, we designed a series of compounds where the BRAF kinase inhibitor encorafenib was conjugated to pomalidomide through different linkers. The synthesized compounds maintained their ability to inhibit the kinase activity of mutated BRAF with IC(50) values in the 40–88 nM range. Selected compounds inhibited BRAF(V600E) signaling and cellular proliferation of A375 and Colo205 tumor cell lines. Compounds 10 and 11, the most active of the series, were not able to induce degradation of mutated BRAF. Docking and molecular dynamic studies, conducted in comparison with the efficient BRAF degrader P5B, suggest that a different orientation of the linker bearing the pomalidomide substructure, together with a decreased mobility of the solvent-exposed part of the conjugates, could explain this behavior