Valorisation of Seafood Side-Streams through the Design of New Holistic Value Chains:WaSeaBi Project

Growing demand in the fisheries sector has resulted in a high generation of side-streams that are mainly treated as waste despite their potential value in terms of protein, fatty acids, and minerals. The WaSeaBi project, funded by the EU under the Horizon 2020 BBI JU initiative, seeks to address this problem by promoting the sustainable and economically viable utilisation of these side-streams, thus contributing to improved food security and environmental conservation. The project focuses on the development of innovative technologies and methodologies for the efficient valorisation of seafood side-streams into marketable products such as protein-based food ingredients, bioactive peptides, and mineral supplements. The WaSeaBi project started with a comprehensive analysis to identify the bottlenecks hindering the efficient utilisation of side-streams. To this end, a comprehensive study of the European seafood industry was conducted to understand the existing challenges. The main obstacles identified were technological deficiencies, lack of space and personnel, and a limited market for the resulting products. Several laboratory-scale technologies, such as pH-shift, enzymatic hydrolysis, membrane concentration, and flocculation with centrifugation, were explored in order to extract valuable components from the side-streams. Subsequently, these technologies were scaled-up and tested on a pilot scale. For example, membrane concentration technology facilitated the recovery of valuable molecules from mussel cooking side-streams while reducing environmental impact. Flocculation helped recover proteins and phosphates from process waters, crucial for reducing the organic load of effluents. In addition, decision-making tools were developed to help select and build the most appropriate valorisation strategies, taking into account technical, legal, economic, and environmental aspects. Environmental sustainability was assessed through life cycle assessment, which highlighted the factors that contribute most to the environmental impact of each technology. The results revealed that reducing chemical consumption and improving energy efficiency are key to optimising the environmental performance of the valorisation technologies. The WaSeaBi project outlines a promising path towards sustainable and economically beneficial utilisation of seafood side-streams. By employing innovative technologies, the project not only contributes to reducing waste and environmental impact, but also facilitates the transformation of low-value side-streams into high-value products. In addition, it provides a structured framework to help industry stakeholders make informed decisions on the valorisation of secondary streams. This initiative marks a substantial step towards a more sustainable and economically viable fisheries and aquaculture industry, setting a precedent for future projects aimed at overcoming technological and infrastructural barriers to the valorisation of seafood side-streams.</p

Valorisation of seafood side-streams through the design of new holistic value chains : WaSeaBi project

Growing demand in the fisheries sector has resulted in a high generation of side-streams that are mainly treated as waste despite their potential value in terms of protein, fatty acids, and minerals. The WaSeaBi project, funded by the EU under the Horizon 2020 BBI JU initiative, seeks to address this problem by promoting the sustainable and economically viable utilisation of these side-streams, thus contributing to improved food security and environmental conservation. The project focuses on the development of innovative technologies and methodologies for the efficient valorisation of seafood side-streams into marketable products such as protein-based food ingredients, bioactive peptides, and mineral supplements. The WaSeaBi project started with a comprehensive analysis to identify the bottlenecks hindering the efficient utilisation of side-streams. To this end, a comprehensive study of the European seafood industry was conducted to understand the existing challenges. The main obstacles identified were technological deficiencies, lack of space and personnel, and a limited market for the resulting products. Several laboratory-scale technologies, such as pH-shift, enzymatic hydrolysis, membrane concentration, and flocculation with centrifugation, were explored in order to extract valuable components from the side-streams. Subsequently, these technologies were scaled-up and tested on a pilot scale. For example, membrane concentration technology facilitated the recovery of valuable molecules from mussel cooking side-streams while reducing environmental impact. Flocculation helped recover proteins and phosphates from process waters, crucial for reducing the organic load of effluents. In addition, decision-making tools were developed to help select and build the most appropriate valorisation strategies, taking into account technical, legal, economic, and environmental aspects. Environmental sustainability was assessed through life cycle assessment, which highlighted the factors that contribute most to the environmental impact of each technology. The results revealed that reducing chemical consumption and improving energy efficiency are key to optimising the environmental performance of the valorisation technologies. The WaSeaBi project outlines a promising path towards sustainable and economically beneficial utilisation of seafood side-streams. By employing innovative technologies, the project not only contributes to reducing waste and environmental impact, but also facilitates the transformation of low-value side-streams into high-value products. In addition, it provides a structured framework to help industry stakeholders make informed decisions on the valorisation of secondary streams. This initiative marks a substantial step towards a more sustainable and economically viable fisheries and aquaculture industry, setting a precedent for future projects aimed at overcoming technological and infrastructural barriers to the valorisation of seafood side-streams

Viral etiological causes of febrile seizures for respiratory pathogens (EFES Study)

Background: Febrile seizure is the most common childhood neurological disorder, is an important health problem with potential short- and long-term complications, also leading to economic burden and increased parental anxiety about fevers and seizures occurring in their children. There are no routine recommendation to detect etiological causes of FS for neurological perspective, further knowledge about the etiological causes of FS in children will support preventive measures and follow-up strategies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the percentage of respiratory viruses in children with FS. Methods: This prospective multicenter study, entitled "Viral etiological causes of febrile seizures for respiratory pathogens (EFES Study)" examined representative populations in eight different cities in Turkey between March 1, 2016 and April 1, 2017. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from all children at presentation. A respiratory multiplex array was performed to detect for influenza A and B; respiratory syncytial virus A and B; human parainfluenza virus 1-2-3 and 4; human coronavirus 229E and OC43; human rhinovirus; human enterovirus; human adenovirus; human bocavirus; human metapneumovirus. Results: During the study period, at least one virus was detected in 82.7% (144/174) of children with FS. The most frequently detected virus was adenovirus, followed by influenza A and influenza B. Detection of more than one virus was present in 58.3% of the children with FS, and the most common co-existence was the presence of adenovirus and influenza B. In children younger than 12 months, Coronavirus OC43 was the most common, while influenza A was most frequently observed in children older than 48 months (p ). Human bocavirus was common in children who experienced complex FS, while respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A was more common in children who experienced simple FS. Influenza B virus was the most common virus identified in children who were experiencing their first incidence of FS (p ). Conclusions: This study indicates that respiratory viruses are important in the etiology of FS in children. The results show that antibiotics must be prescribed carefully in children with FS since the majority of cases are related to viral causes. Widespread use of the existing quadrivalent influenza vaccine might be useful for the prevention of FS related to the flu. Further vaccine candidates for potential respiratory pathogens, including RSV, might be helpful for the prevention of FS

Evaluation of the physical and emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with fibromyalgia and chronic low back pain: A multicenter cross-sectional controlled study

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the physical and emotional effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients. Patients and methods: The cross-sectional controlled study was performed with 1,360 participants (332 males, 1,028 females; mean age: 42.3±12.5 years; range, 18 to 65 years) between September 2020 and February 2021. The participants were evaluated in three groups: the FMS group (n=465), the CLBP group (n=455), and the healthy control group (n=440). Physical activity, pain levels, and general health status before and during the pandemic were evaluated in all participants. Stress levels were analyzed with the perceived stress scale (PSS) in all groups, and disease activity was analyzed with the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) in patients with FMS. Results: Patients with FMS had worsened general health status and pain levels during the pandemic compared to the other groups (p< 0.01). The FMS group showed significantly higher PSS scores than those in other groups (p< 01). There was a weak-positive correlation between FIQ and PSS parameters in patients with FMS (p< 0.05, r=0.385). Conclusion: The general health status, pain, and stress levels of the patients with FMS and CLBP tended to worsen during the pandemic. This high-stress level appeared to affect disease activity in patients with FMS

Prevalence of cervical cytological abnormalities in Turkey

Objective: To evaluate retrospectively the prevalence of cervical cytological abnormalities in patient records obtained from healthcare centers in Turkey. Method: Demographic characteristics and data on cervical cytological abnormalities were evaluated from patients who underwent flap tests in healthcare centers in 2007. Results: Data were collected from 33 healthcare centers totaling 140 334 patients. Overall, the prevalence of cervical cytological abnormalities was 1.8%; the prevalence of ASCUS, ASC-H, LSIL, HSIL, and AGC was 1.07%, 0.07%, 0.3%, 0.17%, and 0.08%, respectively. The prevalence of preinvasive cervical neoplasia was 1.7% and the prevalence of cytologically diagnosed invasive neoplasia was 0.06%. Conclusion: The abnormal cervical cytological prevalence rate in Turkey is lower than in Europe and North America. This might be due to sociocultural differences, lack of population-based screening programs, or a lower HPV prevalence rate in Turkey. (C) 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved