Small-scale anaerobic digestion : case studies in Western Europe

This brochure is intended to meet farmers’ demand for more information concerning the current market situation of the small-scale anaerobic digestion technology. The authors aim to quickly guide those who are interested in the technology so that they can adopt a targeted approach in their search for information. This brochure elaborates on how the implementation of small-scale anaerobic digestion can take place at the company level, based on five practical examples. A broad market study in a second part of this brochure shows that there are already many European providers that focus on small-scale digestion. Some are still in a pilot phase, while others have already realized full-scale operational installations

Applicability of smart tools in vegetable disease diagnostics

Various diseases and pests cause serious damage to vegetable crops during the growing season and after harvesting. Growers attempt to minimize losses by protecting their crops, starting with seed and seedling treatments and followed by monitoring their stands. In many cases, synthetic pesticide treatments are applied. Integrated pest management is currently being employed to minimize the impact of pesticides upon human health and the environment. Over the last few years, “smart” approaches have been developed and adopted in practice to predict, detect, and quantify phytopathogen occurrence and contamination. Our review assesses the currently available ready-to-use tools and methodologies that operate via visual estimation, the detection of proteins and DNA/RNA sequences, and the utilization of brand-new innovative approaches, highlighting the availability of solutions that can be used by growers during the process of diagnosing pathogens

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab

The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension