A farm-scale pilot plant for biohydrogen and biomethane production by two-stage fermentation

Hydrogen is considered one of the possible main energy carriers for the future, thanks to its unique environmental properties. Indeed, its energy content (120 MJ/kg) can be exploited virtually without emitting any exhaust in the atmosphere except for water. Renewable production of hydrogen can be obtained through common biological processes on which relies anaerobic digestion, a well-established technology in use at farm-scale for treating different biomass and residues. Despite two-stage hydrogen and methane producing fermentation is a simple variant of the traditional anaerobic digestion, it is a relatively new approach mainly studied at laboratory scale. It is based on biomass fermentation in two separate, seuqential stages, each maintaining conditions optimized to promote specific bacterial consortia: in the first acidophilic reactorhydrogen is produced production, while volatile fatty acids-rich effluent is sent to the second reactor where traditional methane rich biogas production is accomplished. A two-stage pilot-scale plant was designed, manufactured and installed at the experimental farm of the University of Milano and operated using a biomass mixture of livestock effluents mixed with sugar/starch-rich residues (rotten fruits and potatoes and expired fruit juices), afeedstock mixture based on waste biomasses directly available in the rural area where plant is installed. The hydrogenic and the methanogenic reactors, both CSTR type, had a total volume of 0.7m3 and 3.8 m3 respectively, and were operated in thermophilic conditions (55 2 °C) without any external pH control, and were fully automated. After a brief description of the requirements of the system, this contribution gives a detailed description of its components and of engineering solutions to the problems encountered during the plant realization and start-up. The paper also discusses the results obtained in a first experimental run which lead to production in the range of previous laboratory results, with a typical hydrogen and methane specific productivity of 2.2 and 0.5 Nm3/m3reactor per day, in the first and second stage of the plant respectively. At our best knowledge, this plant is one of the very first prototypes producing biohydrogen at farm scale, and it represents a distributed, small scale demonstration to obtain hydrogen from renewable waste-sources

Studio di fattibilit\ue0 di un sistema ottico portatile semplificato per la valutazione del grado di maturaione di mirtilli

Le fasi di maturazione dei mirtilli fino alla raccolta vengono oggi seguite senza l\u2019aiuto di strumenti in grado di fornire dati oggettivi e anche il momento della raccolta viene deciso solamente sulla base dell\u2019analisi visiva dei frutti e dell\u2019esperienza del produttore. I produttori potrebbero quindi essere supportati nelle loro decisioni da strumenti semplici e portatili, utilizzabili direttamente in campo per la valutazione del grado di maturazione dei frutti. Pertanto \ue8 stata studiata la possibilit\ue0 di realizzare uno strumento ottico portatile ed economico, basato su tecnologia a LED e sulla misura e l\u2019elaborazione del valore di riflettanza diffusa in corrispondenza di un numero limitato di lunghezze d\u2019onda opportunamente selezionate. La selezione delle lunghezze d\u2019onda pi\uf9 significative per l\u2019individuazione dei frutti a maturazione commerciale adatti alla raccolta, \ue8 stata effettuata partendo da spettri Vis/NIR raccolti nell\u2019intervallo 445-970 nm di campioni della variet\ue0 Brigitta. Le bacche raccolte sono state suddivise in quattro classi di maturazione in funzione del colore. Gli spettri acquisiti sono stati sottoposti a un\u2019Analisi delle Componenti Principali (PCA, The Unscrambler\uae 9.6) che ha permesso di evidenziare in particolare due bande (attorno a 650 nm e a 740 nm) in corrispondenza delle quali risultano massimizzate le differenze tra gli spettri dei campioni completamente maturi e quelli delle altre classi. I valori di riflettanza registrati a queste lunghezze d\u2019onda sono stati utilizzati per creare dei rapporti normalizzati rispetto alla lunghezza d\u2019onda di 850 nm e sulla base di tali rapporti \ue8 stato elaborato un algoritmo semplificato per la classificazione dei frutti. La classificazione dei campioni in base all\u2019indice di maturazione elaborato ha mostrato un\u2019elevata capacit\ue0 di discriminare i frutti completamente maturi da quelli parzialmente o non maturi (93% di campioni correttamente classificati). I risultati di questo studio indicano pertanto la fattibilit\ue0 di uno strumento semplificato ed economico, basato sull\u2019impiego di sole tre lunghezze d\u2019onda, capace di valutare rapidamente e in condizioni di campo il grado di maturazione dei mirtilli

Feasibility of a simplified handheld optical system for blue-berries ripeness field evalutation

During last years, small fruits farming and marketing have increased widely in Italy in response to consumer\u2019s interest in bioactive and health protecting compounds fruits rich. At present, the ripening stage and harvest time is normally estimated by a visual analysis based on grower\u2019s experience. Farm growers could be supported in their decisions by simple and portable devices, used to directly assess the berries ripeness in the field and accordingly to plan the best harvest time. The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of a simplified handheld and inexpensive optical device, based on measurements and processing of diffuse reflectance at a few wavelengths appropriately selected. This study is focused on selecting the most significant wavelengths able to identify in the field the blueberries ready to be harvested. To this aim Vis/NIR spectra in the range 445-970 nm were acquired for Vaccinium corymbosum (\u2018Brigitta\u2019 cultivar) during two different growing seasons (2005 and 2006), harvested in Valtellina area (Lombardy, Italy). Spectra measurements were taken in the field on individual berries along their equator region. Fruits samplings were performed weekly, and picked fruits were divided in four ripeness classes according to external colour. The PCA of 634 fruits spectra highlighted two principal spectral bands (around 680 nm and 740 nm) in which differences among fully (class IV) and not completely ripe (classes IIII)samples spectra are maximized. Reflectance values at these wavelengths were used to obtain spectral ratios normalised to 850 nm reflectance. Based on these relations, a simple fruits classification algorithm was proposed. Berries ripeness grading based on the proposed index showed a high ability in discriminating fully ripe fruits from partially ripe fruits and unripe fruits. More then the 93% of samples were correctly classified in validation phase. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of a simplified and low-cost handheld device, based on the use of only three wavelengths, able to quickly estimate blueberry ripeness in the field, with special reference to the last and most sensitive stages of ripening process

Hemodynamic and antifibrotic effects of a selective liver nitric oxide donor V-PYRRO/NO in bile duct ligated rats.

AIM: To assess whether a liver specific nitric oxide (NO) donor (V-PYRRO/NO) would prevent the development of portal hypertension and liver fibrosis in rats with bile duct ligation (BDL). METHODS: Treatment (placebo or V-PYRRO/NO 0.53 micromol/kg per hour) was administered i.v. to rats 2 d before BDL (D-2) and maintained until the day of hemodynamic measurement (D26). Intra-hepatic NO level was estimated by measuring liver cGMP level. Effects of V-PYRRO/NO on liver fibrosis and lipid peroxidation were also assessed. RESULTS: Compared to placebo treatment, V-PYRRO/NO improved splanchnic hemodynamics in BDL rats: portal pressure was significantly reduced by 27% (P<0.0001) and collateral circulation development was almost completely blocked (splenorenal shunt blood flow by 74%, P=0.007). Moreover, V-PYRRO/NO significantly prevented liver fibrosis development in BDL rats (by 30% in hepatic hydroxyproline content and 31% in the area of fibrosis, P<0.0001 respectively), this effect being probably due to a decrease in lipid peroxidation by 44% in the hepatic malondialdehyde level (P=0.007). Interestingly, we observed a significant and expected increase in liver cGMP, without any systemic hemodynamic effects (mean arterial pressure, vascular systemic resistance and cardiac output) in both sham-operated and BDL rats treated with V-PYRRO/NO. This result is in accordance with studies on V-PYRRO/NO metabolism showing a specific release of NO in the liver. CONCLUSION: Continuous administrations of V-PYRRO/NO in BDL rats improved liver fibrosis and splanchnic hemodynamics without any noxious systemic hemo-dynamic effects

Radiological treatment of HCC: Interventional radiology at the heart of management

Interventional radiology is involved practically at each stage in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, as recommended in the EASL-EORTC guidelines. It is even becoming more important as technological advances progress and as its long-term efficacy is assessed. Used curatively, thermoablation can obtain five-year survival rates of 40 to 70%, with a survival rate of 30% at 10years. As there are many tools available in order to be used, it requires a thorough pre-treatment assessment and discussion in a multidisciplinary team meeting. Regular patient reassessment is needed in order to be able to adjust treatment because of the complementarity of the treatments available and the course of the disease

Posidonia oceanica restoration, a relevant strategy after boat anchoring degradation?

Trabajo presentado al 7th Mediterranean Symposium on Marine Vegetation, celebrado en Génova (Italia), los días 19 y 20 de septiembre de 2022.The anchoring of large pleasure boats constitutes one of the main threats in shallow marine habitats and particularly for seagrass beds. In the Mediterranean, this activity has seen constant development during the last decades, causing major physical disturbances in Posidonia oceanica meadows and associated ecosystem services, notably in terms of climate change mitigation (i.e. carbon fixation and sequestration capacities). In this context, the aims of the present study are to estimate the impact of these anchoring activities on P. oceanica meadows in a particularly highlyfrequented area (Sant’Amanza gulf, SE Corsica Island) and to set up a strategy to restore this major carbon sink. Since the last decade, time-series of marine habitat maps revealed an important regression of P. oceanica meadows, with a loss of 72.9 ha, corresponding to 11% of the meadow surface and 9% decline in the total carbon fixation and sequestration performed each year. Moreover, in the most impacted part of the bay (Balistra bay), a loss of 16.6 ha (28%) has been recorded between 2011 and 2022. Following recent enforcement of anchoring regulation, prohibiting the anchoring of large units (greater than 24 m), and the lockdown linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, anchorages in the seagrass reduced by 92%, between 2018 and 2022. Natural recovery was observed at the edge of the meadow (plagiotropic rhizomes) but this growth is slow and the areas to recover are large. As a result, a transplant experiment, from cuttings harvested from the adjacent meadows, was initiated in the spring 2021. Four restoration techniques are being tested in the some pilot sites and the development of these transplants will be monitored and compared to the natural recovery.This research has been co-financed by INTERREG program (GIREPAM), Collectivity of Corsica Corse (PADDUC-CHANGE), SETEC Foundation, Environment Office of Corsica and the French Office of Biodiversity (RenforC program)

FibroMeters: a family of blood tests for liver fibrosis with high diagnostic performance and applicability in clinical practice

International audienc

Concurrent structural and biophysical traits link with immunoglobulin light chains amyloid propensity

Light chain amyloidosis (AL), the most common systemic amyloidosis, is caused by the overproduction and the aggregation of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains (LC) in target organs. Due to genetic rearrangement and somatic hypermutation, virtually, each AL patient presents a different amyloidogenic LC. Because of such complexity, the fine molecular determinants of LC aggregation propensity and proteotoxicity are, to date, unclear; significantly, their decoding requires investigating large sets of cases. Aiming to achieve generalizable observations, we systematically characterised a pool of thirteen sequence-diverse full length LCs. Eight amyloidogenic LCs were selected as responsible for severe cardiac symptoms in patients; five non-amyloidogenic LCs were isolated from patients affected by multiple myeloma. Our comprehensive approach (consisting of spectroscopic techniques, limited proteolysis, and X-ray crystallography) shows that low fold stability and high protein dynamics correlate with amyloidogenic LCs, while hydrophobicity, structural rearrangements and nature of the LC dimeric association interface (as observed in seven crystal structures here presented) do not appear to play a significant role in defining amyloid propensity. Based on the structural and biophysical data, our results highlight shared properties driving LC amyloid propensity, and these data will be instrumental for the design of synthetic inhibitors of LC aggregation