Kelp mariculture in Spain, a promising source for biofuel (ethanol) production and other valuable products

Bioethanol is the most widely used biofuel for transportation. Kelps (i.e. large brown algae) contain 50–60% carbohydrates of the dry weight, which represent a potential sugar source for microbial conversion into bioethanol. Scientific and technological advances on ethanol production from kelps have been extensively developed over the years, more particularly with regard to the hydrolysis and fermentation of complex carbohydrate such as alginate. Currently, kelp biomass has been proved as a suitable feedstock for bioethanol production and it has begun to go into industrial application. In addition, these macroalgae are already intended for direct human consumption and used as raw material for the alginate industry, animal feed and fertilizers. All these uses and applications are expected to be integrated into kelp biorefineries and supplied by marine farming. Besides its economic value, kelp mariculture would provide significant environmental benefits such as carbon and nitrogen sequestration, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and nutrient loads from the fish farming in coastal waters. Consequently, in the Spanish Atlantic coast, kelp mariculture may be in the near future an alternative, renewable, sustainable and environmentally friendly source for bioethanol production and many other valuable products. Herein, we describe the current progress in kelp mariculture at the commercial scale based on experiences in the Atlantic coasts of Spain. The up-to-date progress in converting kelp biomass into bioethanol is also reviewed. Finally, we provide a description of the process where kelp production (mariculture), its processing and uses (biorefinery) are merged

Explotación de las macroalgas marinas: Galicia como caso de estudio hacia una gestión sostenible de los recursos

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RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia. Trayectoria 2013-2014

INFORME 2013-2014 DE LA RIED. REVISTA IBEROAMERICANA DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCI

Cultivo de macroalgas mariñas: fonte sostible de biomasa para bio-refinerías?

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El potencial de la maricultura de laminarias como fuente para la obtención de biocombustibles y otros bioproductos en la costa atlántica de España

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Defective chaperone-mediated autophagy is a hallmark of joint disease in patients with knee osteoarthritis

[Abstract] Objective: Defects in autophagy contribute to joint aging and Osteoarthritis (OA). Identifying specific autophagy types could be useful for developing novel treatments for OA. Design: An autophagy-related gene array was performed in blood from non-OA and knee OA subjects from the Prospective Cohort of A Coruña (PROCOAC). The differential expression of candidate genes was confirmed in blood and knee cartilage and a regression analysis was performed adjusting for age and BMI. HSP90A, a chaperone mediated autophagy (CMA) marker was validated in human knee joint tissues, as well as, in mice with aging-related and surgically-induced OA. The consequences of HSP90AA1 deficiency were evaluated on OA pathogenesis. Finally, the contribution of CMA to homeostasis was studied by assessing the capacity to restore proteostasis upon ATG5-mediated macroautophagy deficiency and genetic HSP90AA1 overexpression. Results: 16 autophagy-related genes were significantly down-regulated in blood from knee OA subjects. Validation studies showed that HSP90AA1 was down-regulated in blood and human OA cartilage and correlated with risk incidence of OA. Moreover, HSP90A was reduced in human OA joints tissues and with aging and OA in mice. HSP90AA1 knockdown was linked to defective macroautophagy, inflammation, oxidative stress, senescence and apoptosis. However, macroautophagy deficiency increased CMA, highlighting the CMA-macroautophagy crosstalk. Remarkably, CMA activation was sufficient to protect chondrocytes from damage. Conclusions: We show that HSP90A is a key chaperone for chondrocyte homeostasis, while defective CMA contributes to joint damage. We propose that CMA deficiency is a relevant disease mechanism and could represent a therapeutic target for OA.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI17/02059Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI20/0064

Increased synovial immunohistochemistry reactivity of TGF-β1 in erosive peripheral psoriatic arthritis

[Abstract] Background: Immune and non-immune cells contribute to the pathology of chronic arthritis, and they can contribute to tissue remodeling and repair as well as disease pathogenesis. The present research aimed to analyze inflammation and bone destruction/regeneration biomarkers in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: Samples were obtained from the inflamed knee of patients with knee arthritis who had been referred for undergoing arthroscopies. The synovial membrane was processed for pathological description, IHC analysis, and quantification of mRNA expression ratio by qRT-PCR. Serum levels of TGF-β1, IL-23, IL-6, IL-17 A, IL-22, Dkk1, Sclerostin, BMP2, BMP4, Wnt1, and Wnt5a were measured by ELISA. All these data were analyzed and compared with the demographic, clinical, blood tests, and radiological characteristics of the patients. Results: The synovial membrane samples were obtained from 42 patients for IHC, extraction, and purification of RNA for synovial mRNA expression analysis, and serum for measuring protein levels from 38 patients. IHC reactivity for TGF-β1 in the synovial tissue was higher in patients with psoriatic arthritis (p 0.036) and was positively correlated with IL-17 A (r = 0.389, p = 0.012), and Dkk1 (r = 0.388, p = 0.012). Gene expression of the IL-17 A was higher in PsA patients (p = 0.018) and was positively correlated with Dkk1 (r = 0.424, p = 0.022) and negatively correlated with BMP2 (r = -0.396, p = 0.033) and BMP4 (r = -0.472, p = 0.010). It was observed that IHC reactivity for TGF-β1 was higher in patients with erosive PsA (p = 0.024). Conclusions: The IHC reactivity of TGF-β1 in synovial tissue was higher in patients with erosive psoriatic arthritis, and TGF-β1 was in relation to higher levels of gene expression of IL-17 A and Dkk1.info:eu-repo/grabntAgreement/MICINN/Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Técnica de Excelencia/ES/PI11%2F00390/Análisis de biomarcadores sinoviales, implicados en la inflamación y destrucción ósea articular en la artritis psoriásic

Creación de bancos de germoplasma o “semillas” con algas laminarias para su conservación, restauración ecológica y/o cultivo comercial

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Moderate-High Disease Activity in Patients with Recent-Onset Psoriatic Arthritis-Multivariable Prediction Model Based on Machine Learning

The aim was to identify patient- and disease-related characteristics predicting moderate-to-high disease activity in recent-onset psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We performed a multicenter observational prospective study (2-year follow-up, regular annual visits) in patients aged ≥18 years who fulfilled the CASPAR criteria and had less than 2 years since the onset of symptoms. The moderate-to-high activity of PsA was defined as DAPSA > 14. We trained a logistic regression model and random forest-type and XGBoost machine learning algorithms to analyze the association between the outcome measure and the variables selected in the bivariate analysis. The sample comprised 158 patients. At the first follow-up visit, 20.8% of the patients who attended the clinic had a moderate-to-severe disease. This percentage rose to 21.2% on the second visit. The variables predicting moderate-high activity were the PsAID score, tender joint count, level of physical activity, and sex. The mean values of the measures of validity of the machine learning algorithms were all high, especially sensitivity (98%; 95% CI: 86.89-100.00). PsAID was the most important variable in the prediction algorithms, reinforcing the convenience of its inclusion in daily clinical practice. Strategies that focus on the needs of women with PsA should be considered