Use of olive pomace treated by ultrasounds as substrate for cellulases and xylanases production

The reutilization of biological wastes is of great interest since, due to legislation and environmental reasons. Moreover, the use of these wastes considerably reduces the production costs. Olive oil production is the most common food processing activities in the countries of southern Europe. Environmental pollution posed by olive mill wastes (OMW) is a growing problem especially in the Mediterranean region. Research into finding new uses for wastes from olive oil will allow obtaining not only economic benefits, but also to the environment in areas where industries are located. The two-phase system is a recent process that allows the production of olive oil with economic and environmental benefits and produces a semi-solid waste, termed two-phase olive mill waste or olive pomace. Generally, the residual oil from this waste is recovered and the solid is dried to use in combustion processes. In this work, we searched other alternatives as its use as solid substrate in solid-state fermentation for cellulase and xylanase production To improve the production of enzymes, the treatment of olive pomace by ultrasounds was evaluated. In a previously work, it was optimized the sonication time and liquid solid ratio. After treatment, solid fraction was separated from the liquid fraction and used as solid substrate in SSF by Aspergillus niger. The xylanase production was improved by treatment, however the cellulase production decreased. In the present study, it was evaluated the use of liquid fraction from ultrasounds treatment to adjust the moisture of solid fraction. In this way, all fractions from ultrasounds treatment were used. The addition of liquid fraction to solid pretreated showed a positive effect in xylanase and cellulase production by SSF. This liquid is rich in free sugars that can induce the enzymes production. This study clearly improved the production of cellulases and xylanases under SSF of olive pomace. The xylanase production was increased from 28 (initial SSF) to 100 U/ g and the cellulase production 38 U/g (initial SSF) to 46 U/g. This friendly environment treatment was a suitable process to enhance the valorisation of olive mill wastes by improving the enzyme production

Labs-on-the-web: a multidisciplinary project to evaluate the pedagogic effectiveness of on-line-labs

On-line labs provide 24x7 access to real or virtual workbenches, enabling the students to complete, rehearse or repeat practical assignments outside the physical space of the campus labs. Many on-line experiments in science and engineering courses have been described in the literature, but there is still room for further work and innovation, both in technical and pedagogical areas. The latter are particularly important and have largely been left aside, since the vast majority of research projects in this area were set up by technical institutions. This paper describes the work and results of the Labs-on-the-web project, a cooperative research effort set up the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto, under the framework and support of the POCI 2010 programme

Coincidence or correlation?

Rationale:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a familial syndrome that results from the disruption of a tumor suppressor protein called MENIN. Its management is challenging, as MEN1 affects different endocrine tissues and predisposes to both benign and malignant tumors. MENIN-deficient cells have recently been recognized to play a role in triggering autoimmunity. Herein, we present a case of MEN1 with multiple endocrine and autoimmune disorders.Patient concerns:A 50 years old female with a 25 years history of complicated nephrolithiasis presented with primary hyperparathyroidism.Diagnoses:Over several decades, she was diagnosed with recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, multinodular goiter, pernicious anemia, metastatic gastric type 1 neuroendocrine tumor, macroprolactinemia, gonadotropin deficiency, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the thyroid gland, positive anti-calcium sensor receptor antibodies, and BRCA 1/2-negative invasive breast cancer. The autoimmune regulator gene was sequenced, but no pathogenic variants were found. Next-generation sequencing revealed both a pathogenic MEN1 mutation and a benign CDC73 gene variant. Familial genetic screening revealed a large kindred with multiple carriers of one or both genetic variants (MEN1 = 19; CDC73 = 7).Interventions:The patient underwent surgical excision of three parathyroid glands, total thyroidectomy and breast tumorectomy plus tamoxifen, and monthly injections of octreotide. The patient and family members with the MEN1 mutation are under a life-long surveillance program for MEN1 prototypic tumors.Outcomes:The patient was stable and alive during a 24-years follow-up period.Lessons:With the present case, the authors highlight a new interplay between MENIN and the immune system, which may have implications for future targeted life-long surveillance and treatment of MEN1 patients.publishersversionpublishe

Improving resource efficiency and minimize environmental footprint: a case study preliminary results

Panasqueira Mine (Portugal) has been mainly exploited for wolframite, cassiterite and chalcopyrite (W, Sn, Cu). Through the detailed and careful characterization of tailings with different mineralogy, new invaluable insights into the weathering characteristics of many different minerals will be received, making possible proper risk assessments, and predict which type of tailings might pose severe future environmental risk namely to the Zêzere river. The Zêzere River is an important river and is under the Cabeço do Pião tailings influence. The knowledge and methods acquired will lead to a conceptual model working as guidance to a more sustainable mining in the hereafter.This work of the project Remine was funded with public national funds from FCT under the programme for International Cooperation ERA-NET, supported by ERA-MIN (2011-2015) funded under the EU 7th Framework Programme FP7-NMP having also for partners the Technical University of Luleå (Sweden) and the National Institute for Metals and Radioactive Resources (INCDMRR), Romania.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Improvement of fatigue in generalised myasthenia gravis with zilucoplan

Background: Fatigue is a debilitating symptom of myasthenia gravis (MG). The impact of fatigue on MG can be assessed by Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) Short Form Fatigue scale. Transformation of raw Neuro-QoL fatigue scores to T-scores is a known approach for facilitating clinical interpretation of clinically meaningful and fatigue severity thresholds. Methods: In the Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled RAISE study (NCT04115293), adults with acetylcholine receptor autoantibody-positive generalised MG (MG Foundation of America Disease Class II–IV) were randomised 1:1 to daily subcutaneous zilucoplan 0.3 mg/kg or placebo for 12 weeks. Patients completing RAISE could opt to receive zilucoplan 0.3 mg/kg in an ongoing, open-label extension study, RAISE-XT (NCT04225871). In this post-hoc analysis, we evaluated the long-term effect of zilucoplan on fatigue in RAISE patients who entered RAISE-XT. We report change in Neuro-QoL Short Form Fatigue T-scores and fatigue severity levels from RAISE baseline to Week 60. Results: Mean Neuro-QoL Short Form Fatigue T-scores improved from baseline to Week 12 in the zilucoplan group (n = 86) with a clinically meaningful difference versus placebo (n = 88; least squares mean difference: − 3.61 (nominal p-value = 0.0060]), and these improvements continued further to Week 60. At Week 12, more patients on zilucoplan (n = 34, 47.2%) experienced improvements in ≥ 1 fatigue severity level from baseline versus placebo (n = 23, 28.4%; p = 0.017). At Week 60, most (n = 55, 65.5%) patients had mild fatigue or none. Conclusion: Treatment with zilucoplan demonstrated statistical and clinically meaningful improvements in fatigue scores and severity versus placebo during RAISE, which were sustained to Week 60 in RAISE-XT

Immune or genetic-mediated disruption of CASPR2 causes pain hypersensitivity due to enhanced primary afferent excitability

Human autoantibodies to contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2) are often associated with neuropathic pain, and CASPR2 mutations have been linked to autism spectrum disorders, in which sensory dysfunction is increasingly recognized. Human CASPR2 autoantibodies, when injected into mice, were peripherally restricted and resulted in mechanical pain-related hypersensitivity in the absence of neural injury. We therefore investigated the mechanism by which CASPR2 modulates nociceptive function. Mice lacking CASPR2 (Cntnap2 ) demonstrated enhanced pain-related hypersensitivity to noxious mechanical stimuli, heat, and algogens. Both primary afferent excitability and subsequent nociceptive transmission within the dorsal horn were increased in Cntnap2 mice. Either immune or genetic-mediated ablation of CASPR2 enhanced the excitability of DRG neurons in a cell-autonomous fashion through regulation of Kv1 channel expression at the soma membrane. This is the first example of passive transfer of an autoimmune peripheral neuropathic pain disorder and demonstrates that CASPR2 has a key role in regulating cell-intrinsic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron excitability

The BALA project: A pioneering monitoring of Azorean forest invertebrates over two decades (1999–2022)

Globally, there is a concerning decline in many insect populations, and this trend likely extends to all arthropods, potentially impacting unique island biota. Native non-endemic and endemic species on islands are under threat due to habitat destruction, with the introduction of exotic, and potentially invasive, species, further contributing to this decline. While long-term studies of plants and vertebrate fauna are available, long-term arthropod datasets are limited, hindering comparisons with better-studied taxa. The Biodiversity of Arthropods of the Laurisilva of the Azores (BALA) project has allowed gathering comprehensive data since 1997 in the Azorean Islands (Portugal), using standardised sampling methods across islands. The dataset includes arthropod counts from epigean (pitfall traps) and canopy-dwelling (beating samples) communities, enriched with species information, biogeographic origins, and IUCN categories. Metadata associated with the sample protocol and events, like sample identifier, archive number, sampled tree species, and trap type are also recorded. The database is available in multiple formats, including Darwin Core, which facilitates the ecological analysis of pressing environmental concerns, such as arthropod population declines and biological invasions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio