Biofuels from algae: technology options, energy balance and GHG emissions: Insights from a literature review

During the last decade(s), algal biomass received increasing interest as a potential source of advanced biofuels production resulting in a considerable attention from research, industry and policy makers. In fact, algae are expected to offer several advantages compared to land-based biomass crops, including: better photosynthetic efficiency; higher oil yield; growth on non-fertile land; tolerance to a variety of water sources (i.e. fresh, brackish, saline) and CO2 re-using potential. The algal growth can be also integrated in wastewater (WW) treatment systems to combine the nutrient streams removal with biofuels production. In addition, a wide range of marketable co-products can be extracted from algae (e.g. chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nutritionals) along with the production of biofuels, under a biorefinery system. Considering the potential benefits, several European-funded pilot projects, under science-business partnerships, have been dedicated to the development of algae technologies in the biofuels and bioenergy sectors. Despite the extensive research and investments in the last decade(s), no large-scale, commercial algae-to-biofuels facilities were implemented yet. In fact, in the current algae cultivation sites, the produced biomass is currently exploited for production of food and feed, combined with the extraction of high added-value products, such as proteins, nutritional supplements and chemicals. We report on the current-status of technology options for the potential exploitation of algae (of both macro- and microalgae species) in the biofuels and bioenergy sectors. We presents a comprehensive review of recent advances on promising algal biofuel production pathways, in terms of technological development, opportunities and limitations to their overall effectiveness. Furthermore, we analyse the main features, assumptions, modelling approaches and results of the algal biofuel pathways considered in the LCA literature. We highlight and interpret the energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions balances resulting from examined LCA studies, in view of the key parameters mainly affecting the results. A comparison of the performance associated to the proposed algal biofuels pathways with that found for conventional fossil derived fuels is also reported.JRC.F.8-Sustainable Transpor

The double face of Morgana in tumorigenesis

Morgana is a chaperone protein able to bind to ROCK I and II and to inhibit their kinase activity. Rho kinases are multifunctional proteins involved in different cellular processes, including cytoskeleton organization, centrosome duplication, cell survival and proliferation. In human cancer samples Morgana appears to be either downregulated or overexpressed, and experimental evidence indicate that Morgana behaves both as an oncosuppressor and as a proto-oncogene. Our most recent findings demonstrated that if on the one hand low Morgana expression levels, by inducing ROCK II hyperactivation, cause centrosome overduplication and genomic instability, on the other hand, Morgana overexpression induces tumor cell survival and chemoresistance through the ROCK I-PTEN-AKT axis. Therefore, Morgana belongs to a new class of proteins, displaying both oncogenic and oncosuppressor features, depending on the specific cellular context

Targeting few to help hundreds: JAK, MAPK and ROCK pathways as druggable targets in atypical chronic myeloid leukemia

Abstract Atypical Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (aCML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by neutrophilic leukocytosis and dysgranulopoiesis. From a genetic point of view, aCML shows a heterogeneous mutational landscape with mutations affecting signal transduction proteins but also broad genetic modifiers and chromatin remodelers, making difficult to understand the molecular mechanisms causing the onset of the disease. The JAK-STAT, MAPK and ROCK pathways are known to be responsible for myeloproliferation in physiological conditions and to be aberrantly activated in myeloproliferative diseases. Furthermore, experimental evidences suggest the efficacy of inhibitors targeting these pathways in repressing myeloproliferation, opening the way to deep clinical investigations. However, the activation status of these pathways is rarely analyzed when genetic mutations do not occur in a component of the signaling cascade. Given that mutations in functionally unrelated genes give rise to the same pathology, it is tempting to speculate that alteration in the few signaling pathways mentioned above might be a common feature of pathological myeloproliferation. If so, targeted therapy would be an option to be considered for aCML patients

Osservazioni istochimiche e immunoistochimiche sull'ipofisi anteriore di un cane affetto da malattia di Cushing

Gli adenomi del lobo anteriore dell'ipofisi sono neoplasie benigne piuttosto frequenti. Essi mostrano aspetto circoscritto e accrescimento non invasivo nei confronti dei tessuti circostanti. Il tumore a cellule secernenti ACTH, che colpisce le cellule cromofobe della pars anteriore dell'ipofisi, è uno di questi e viene associato alla sindrome di Cushing, causando evidente ipercortisolemia per stimolazione della corteccia surrenale. Un cane meticcio, femmina, di 7 anni, in terapia per sospetta Sindrome di Cushing e pervenuto a morte, è stato sottoposto ad accurato esame necroscopico, durante il quale si procedeva tra l'altro a prelevare ghiandole surrenali, polmone, fegato, cute, muscoli e intera ghiandola pituitaria. Su detti organi veniva eseguito l'esame istopatologico per la ricerca delle lesioni tipiche determinate dalla sindrome. Sulla ghiandola pituitaria, aumentata notevolmente di volume, venivano eseguite indagini istopatologiche specifiche, mediante colorazione OFG, per differenziare gli istotipi costituenti la pars anteriore. Tale colorazione ha consentito di riscontrare e identificare tra le cellule pituitarie gli elementi acidofili, basofili e cromofobi; queste ultime cellule, aumentate di numero, erano d'aspetto omogeneo e formavano un nucleo compatto e con scarso stroma al centro della ghiandola. La caratterizzazione cromatica e la differenziazione dai restanti istotipi ha reso possibile identificare la neoplasia come adenoma ipofisario di tipo "diffuso", caratterizzato per l'appunto da cellule disposte a strati, con scarso stroma e debole vascolarizzazione. Per verificare l'ormonoattività  delle cellule neoplastiche si è proceduto all'esame immunoistochimico per la ricerca dell'ACTH. Il risultato di tale indagine ha dato esito positivo, confermando l'intensa attività secernente delle cellule oggetto di studio

Barium titanate nanoparticles and hypergravity stimulation improve differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts.

BACKGROUND: Enhancement of the osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is highly desirable in the field of bone regeneration. This paper proposes a new approach for the improvement of osteogenesis combining hypergravity with osteoinductive nanoparticles (NPs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we aimed to investigate the combined effects of hypergravity and barium titanate NPs (BTNPs) on the osteogenic differentiation of rat MSCs, and the hypergravity effects on NP internalization. To obtain the hypergravity condition, we used a large-diameter centrifuge in the presence of a BTNP-doped culture medium. We analyzed cell morphology and NP internalization with immunofluorescent staining and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, respectively. Moreover, cell differentiation was evaluated both at the gene level with quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and at the protein level with Western blotting. RESULTS: Following a 20 g treatment, we found alterations in cytoskeleton conformation, cellular shape and morphology, as well as a significant increment of expression of osteoblastic markers both at the gene and protein levels, jointly pointing to a substantial increment of NP uptake. Taken together, our findings suggest a synergistic effect of hypergravity and BTNPs in the enhancement of the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. CONCLUSION: The obtained results could become useful in the design of new approaches in bone-tissue engineering, as well as for in vitro drug-delivery strategies where an increment of nanocarrier internalization could result in a higher drug uptake by cell and/or tissue constructs

Histopathological, histochemical and immunoistochemical study on a rare case of granulocytic sarcoma in a dog

Granulocytic sarcoma is a malignant extramedullary solid tumor, composed of granulocytic precursor cells at various levels of differentiation. Three differentiation levels are considered: blastic, immature, and differentiated, and cases with unusual morphology. Nowadays the aid of more and more highly developed techniques allows to differentiate the various histotypes. We report a case of a 5 year-old female Schnautzer dog, died after a serious dyspnoea. During the autopsy the veterinary found several neoplasias in the lungs. It has been found a very large white-greyish mediastinal neoplasia, stuck at the trachea and several more in the parenchyma. Several samples were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin and exposed to histochemistry staining (H.E., Giemsa), cytochemistry (Naphthol-AS-D-Chloroacetate), and immunohistochemistry (anti-CD3, -CD79a, -CD45, -MPO, -CD45Ro, -CD34, -CD20, -CD68, -CD15, -CD30, -CD117, -CD235a, -Factor VIII, -elastase and anti-Pan-cytocheratine). Neoplasia, poorly circumscribed, was composed by a large number of neutrophil granulocytes with different degrees of differentiation, including elements of myeloid lineage. Cells were positive to MPO and focal to Naphtol-As-D-Chloroacetate and were negative to all the others antisera, allowing us to exclude lymphomas, small cells carcinomas, and tumors of monocytic and erythroid origin. By these characteristics we could diagnose a rare case of neutrophilic granulocytic sarcoma, of immature type progressing to mature form