Sustainable and Health-Protecting Food Ingredients from Bioprocessed Food by-Products and Wastes

Dietary inadequacy and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (N-NCDs) represent two main issues for the whole society, urgently requesting solutions from researchers, policy-makers, and other stakeholders involved in the health and food system. Food by-products and wastes (FBPW) represent a global problem of increasing severity, widely recognized as an important unsustainability hotspot, with high socio-economic and environmental costs. Yet, recycling and up-cycling of FBPW to produce functional foods could represent a solution to dietary inadequacy and risk of N-NCDs onset. Bioprocessing of FBPW with selected microorganisms appears to be a relatively cheap strategy to yield molecules (or rather molecules mixtures) that may be used to fortify/enrich food, as well as to formulate dietary supplements. This review, conjugating human health and sustainability in relation to food, describes the state-of-the-art of the use of yeasts, molds, and lactic acid bacteria for producing value-added compounds from FBPW. Challenges related to FBPW bioprocessing prior to their use in food regard will be also discussed: (i) loss of product functionality upon scale-up of recovery process; (ii) finding logistic solutions to the intrinsic perishability of the majority of FBPW; (iii) inserting up-cycling of FBPW in an appropriate legislative framework; (iv) increasing consumer acceptability of food and dietary supplements derived from FBPWThis research was funded by the project SYSTEMIC “an integrated approach to the challenge of sustainable food systems: adaptive and mitigatory strategies to address climate change and malnutrition”, Knowledge hub on Nutrition and Food Security, that has received funding from national research funding parties in Belgium (FWO), France (INRA), Germany (BLE), Italy (MIPAAF), Latvia (IZM), Norway (RCN), Portugal (FCT), and Spain (AEI) in a joint action of JPI HDHL, JPI-OCEANS and FACCE-JPI launched in 2019 under the ERA-NET ERAHDHL (n° 696295). Francisca Rodrigues (CEECIND/01886/2020) is thankful for her contract financed by FCT/MCTES—CEEC Individual 2020 Program Contractinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of 1,2,3-Triazole-Based Sphingosine Kinase Inhibitors and Their Evaluation as Antiproliferative Agents

Two series of N-(aryl)-1-(hydroxyalkyl)pyrrolidine-2-carboxamides (2a-2g and 3a-3g) and 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles (5a-5h and 8a-8h) were synthesized. All the compounds, containing a lipophilic tail and a polar headgroup, were evaluated as sphingosine kinase (SphK) inhibitors by assessing their ability to interfere with the acetylcholine (Ach) induced relaxation of aortic rings pre-contracted with phenylephrine. Moreover, their antiproliferative activity was tested on several cell lines expressing both SphK1 and SphK2. Compounds 5h and 8f, identified as the most efficient antiproliferative agents, showed a different selectivity profile, with 8f being selective for SphK1

Quality control of B-lines analysis in stress Echo 2020

Background The effectiveness trial “Stress echo (SE) 2020” evaluates novel applications of SE in and beyond coronary artery disease. The core protocol also includes 4-site simplified scan of B-lines by lung ultrasound, useful to assess pulmonary congestion. Purpose To provide web-based upstream quality control and harmonization of B-lines reading criteria. Methods 60 readers (all previously accredited for regional wall motion, 53 B-lines naive) from 52 centers of 16 countries of SE 2020 network read a set of 20 lung ultrasound video-clips selected by the Pisa lab serving as reference standard, after taking an obligatory web-based learning 2-h module ( http://se2020.altervista.org ). Each test clip was scored for B-lines from 0 (black lung, A-lines, no B-lines) to 10 (white lung, coalescing B-lines). The diagnostic gold standard was the concordant assessment of two experienced readers of the Pisa lab. The answer of the reader was considered correct if concordant with reference standard reading ±1 (for instance, reference standard reading of 5 B-lines; correct answer 4, 5, or 6). The a priori determined pass threshold was 18/20 (≥ 90%) with R value (intra-class correlation coefficient) between reference standard and recruiting center) > 0.90. Inter-observer agreement was assessed with intra-class correlation coefficient statistics. Results All 60 readers were successfully accredited: 26 (43%) on first, 24 (40%) on second, and 10 (17%) on third attempt. The average diagnostic accuracy of the 60 accredited readers was 95%, with R value of 0.95 compared to reference standard reading. The 53 B-lines naive scored similarly to the 7 B-lines expert on first attempt (90 versus 95%, p = NS). Compared to the step-1 of quality control for regional wall motion abnormalities, the mean reading time per attempt was shorter (17 ± 3 vs 29 ± 12 min, p < .01), the first attempt success rate was higher (43 vs 28%, p < 0.01), and the drop-out of readers smaller (0 vs 28%, p < .01). Conclusions Web-based learning is highly effective for teaching and harmonizing B-lines reading. Echocardiographers without previous experience with B-lines learn quickly.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Geomatics and archaeometric investigations for the sustainable reuse of ruins. The Santa Chiara convent ruin in Cagliari (Sardinia)

The ruined convent of Santa Chiara, a nodal urban space connecting three historic quarters of Cagliari, has had a key role in the urban life of the city since medieval age. After the suppression of the mendicant orders in 1864 and the violent bombings during the World War II, this monument become a neglected and ruined shell of masonry with no roofs and floors, losing its central role. Several interventions for its conversion as temporal local market and the following restoration and integration works have contributed to stratify these structures nowadays not accessible but valuable benchmarks for reconstructing the history and evolution of the fabric, still unclear. Starting from the archival and bibliographic investigations, then a geomatics and archaeometric investigations of the fabric have allowed to understand and study the building’s forms, geometries, materials, developments, and chronologies. They have also permitted to recognise characteristic features or anomalies, structural morphology, and other structural issues, significant for the definition of sustainable project of reuse

Conservation and valorization of historical building: the case-study of Stampace quarter in Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy)

The research focuses on the building heritage of one of the four historic quarters in Cagliari, known as Stampace. It is characterised by the original medieval urban pattern composed of narrow buildings, historically used as houses or stores. All the buildings are built with local stone, mainly limestone known as Pietra Cantone followed by Pietra Forte, and very few granite and volcanic stones. A vast knowledge of the true present state of a historic settlement is the only way to improve the quality of restoration, i.e. to define the necessary procedures for its protection, conservation, enhancement and management, as well as for its coherent development and its harmonious adaptation to contemporary life. This knowledge is not easy to achieve and must include a careful analysis of the state of conservation, often affected by recent inadequate transformations or simply lack of maintenance. Thus, a lot of effort has gone into analysing, understanding and representing every aspect of about 250 units, also creating specific and technical data-sheets on different topics. As a consequence, the high quality of the knowledge acquired has implied the necessity to store, manage and relate a large quantity of information, all included in a specific database easy to update. This complex computerised database gathers and provides mixed data concerning historic, architectural, structural and building material information. It also describes the state of conservation, the effects and causes of deterioration, any preservation law that might apply to the items as well as planned restoration works, maintenance programs and sustainable uses. A GIS (Geographic Information System) was generated from the first database. All information is now georeferenced in the new technological system that represents an extraordinary and effective tool for the management and planning of architectural and urban restorations in the old city centre. Considering the complexity and the number of topics involved in the analysis, research has been carried out by specialists in many different disciplines (restoration, geomatic survey, materials diagnostics) in an effective multidisciplinary cooperation

High-Value Compounds in Fruit, Vegetable and Cereal Byproducts: An Overview of Potential Sustainable Reuse and Exploitation

Food waste (FW) represents a global and ever-growing issue that is attracting more attention due to its environmental, ethical, social and economic implications. Although a valuable quantity of bioactive components is still present in the residuals, nowadays most FW is destined for animal feeding, landfill disposal, composting and incineration. Aiming to valorize and recycle food byproducts, the development of novel and sustainable strategies to reduce the annual food loss appears an urgent need. In particular, plant byproducts are a plentiful source of high-value compounds that may be exploited as natural antioxidants, preservatives and supplements in the food industry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. In this review, a comprehensive overview of the main bioactive compounds in fruit, vegetable and cereal byproducts is provided. Additionally, the natural and suitable application of tailored enzymatic treatments and fermentation to recover high-value compounds from plant byproducts is discussed. Based on these promising strategies, a future expansion of green biotechnologies to revalorize the high quantity of byproducts is highly encouraging to reduce the food waste/losses and promote benefits on human health

The management of the restoration site. Diagnostic techniques, problems and perspectives

In the restoration site the uncontrolled evolution of the design phase linked to unexpected and unpredictable causes is now experienced with resignation. These changes open unexpected scenarios that must be supported through a solid and integrated knowledge system capable of providing new readings and new interpretations of the work. This is essential to promptly reformulate an action plan able to bring the project to its original goal or to reach a new one. The restoration site is the occasion for quite complex analysis and studies, especially in the case of historic buildings that are affected by constant and substantial changes over the centuries. From the beginning the restoration work has to face: unexpected and unpredictable situations, which are the result of the progress of the work itself, the correct and detailed definition of the solutions to be implemented and the urgency of finding funds for the work. It is therefore necessary to proceed, on the one hand, to the continuous updating of knowledge, with specific insights, and on the other to the identification of shared solutions. These must take into account both the conservation and protection issues and the more practical and functional aspects, in order to support operational decision-making for the resolution of crucial nodes of the intervention. The risk, however, is the fragmentation of the intervention and the drift of the original plans. In defining the design choices, the chronological study of the structures, carried out using stratigraphic methods and enriched by the detailed analysis of the materials and construction techniques, and the highly accurate 3D relief are essential support tools. Furthermore, a HBIM approach, supported by 3D surveying performed using a Terrestrial Laser Scanner, can be strategic in a conservation and restoration project in which multiple specialized skills are called to integrate and coordinate themselves in order to achieve a common goal in terms of quality, costs and time. Starting from these premises, a first experimentation focused on the implementation of the HBIM approach for the management of the historical architectural heritage of Sardinia was carried out. For a selected case study, an information model was developed as the combination of virtual digital components, that faithfully represent the real objects of the building. Within the digital “twin” of the building all data and information acquired in the different phases of the study have been structured. The information model obtained allows an efficient management of the transformation/conservation intervention, guaranteeing an effective archiving of the documentation of the initial state of the building, the studies conducted, the results obtained and, finally, the achieved results. This experimentation is a first step towards the evolution of restoration processes in terms of effective coordination between restoration experts, geomatics, materials and diagnostics, construction techniques, as well as building processes. This coordination is essential and advantageous as it guarantees a significant reduction in working time compared to higher quality. This process does not end with the realization phase, but the model created, strongly dynamic, continues to be used and integrated for the rational management of the building and for the planning of its maintenance

Geographical Origin Discrimination of Monofloral Honeys by Direct Analysis in Real Time Ionization-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (DART-HRMS)

An untargeted method using direct analysis in real time and high resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) combined to multivariate statistical analysis was developed for the discrimination of two monofloral (chestnut and acacia) honeys for their geographical origins&mdash;i.e., Italy and Portugal for chestnut honey and Italy and China for acacia honey. Principal Component Analysis, used as an unsupervised approach, showed samples of clusterization for chestnut honey samples, while overlapping regions were observed for acacia honeys. Three supervised statistical approaches, such as Principal Components&mdash;Linear Discriminant Analysis, Partial Least Squares&mdash;Discriminant Analysis and k-nearest neighbors, were tested on the dataset gathered and relevant performances were compared. All tested statistical approaches provided comparable prediction abilities in cross-validation and external validation with mean values falling between 89.2&ndash;98.4% for chestnut and between 85.8&ndash;95.0% for acacia honey. The results obtained herein indicate the feasibility of the DART-HRMS approach in combination with chemometrics for the rapid authentication of honey&rsquo;s geographical origin