Search results for "supply"
showing 10 items of 1190 documents
Monitoring Coastal Lagoon Water Quality Through Remote Sensing: The Mar Menor as a Case Study
2019
The Mar Menor is a hypersaline coastal lagoon located in the southeast of Spain. This fragile ecosystem is suffering several human pressures, such as nutrient and sediment inputs from agriculture and other activities and decreases in salinity. Therefore, the development of an operational system to monitor its evolution is crucial to know the cause-effect relationships and preserve the natural system. The evolution and variability of the turbidity and chlorophyll-a levels in the Mar Menor water body were studied here through the joint use of remote sensing techniques and in situ data. The research was undertaken using Operational Land Imager (OLI) images on Landsat 8 and two SPOT images, bec…
Coffee biowaste valorization within circular economy: an evaluation method of spent coffee grounds potentials for mortar production
2021
Abstract Purpose Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are biowastes extensively generated within the coffee supply chain. Nowadays, their disposal represents an increasing environmental concern due to its toxicity and organic nature. With the estimated increase of coffee production and consumption in the upcoming years, there is an imperative need to find a proper reverse option, along with a novel industrial application, which allows for the valorization of this coffee by-product within a circular economy perspective. This study aims at investigating a potential reuse of spent coffee grounds to produce novel construction materials to be used for sustainable buildings. Methods After having illustrate…
Multiresistant waterborne pathogens isolated from water reservoirs and cooling systems
2008
Aims: To determine the incidence of multiple antibiotic-resistant strains of the emergent human pathogens Legionella pneumophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and mesophilic Aeromonas species among those isolated from water reservoirs and industrial cooling systems. Methods and Results: Water from four natural water reservoirs and four industrial cooling towers was sampled for 1 year period. The total heterotrophs, mesophilic Aeromonas, Pseudomonas spp. and Legionella spp. counts were performed as recommended by standard procedures, and the sensitivity of the isolates to 27 antibiotics was tested. A total of 117 Aeromonas, 60 P. aeruginosa and 15 L. pneumophila strains were isolated and identif…
The Association between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Gut Microbiota Composition in Premenopausal Women
2017
Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and gut microbiota composition in premenopausal women. The participants consisted of 71 premenopausal Finnish women (aged 19–49 years). Gut microbiota were analyzed using flow cytometry, 16S rRNA gene hybridization and DNA-staining. Maximum oxygen uptake (VO₂ₘₐₓ) was assessed by respiratory gas analyzer and body composition by Bioimpdance. We found that participants with low VO₂ₘₐₓ had lower Bacteroides, but higher Eubacterium rectale-Clostridium coccoides than the high VO₂ₘₐₓ group (p < 0.05 for all). VO₂ₘₐₓ was inversely associated with EreC (r = −0.309, p = 0.01) but not with other bact…
Melatonin Levels in Children with Obesity Are Associated with Metabolic Risk and Inflammatory Parameters
2021
Melatonin, the hormone of circadian rhythm regulation, is involved in the modulation of mitochondrial activity through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Alteration of circadian rhythms such as sleep is related to obesity and metabolic pathogenesis in adulthood, but studies during childhood are scarce. The present study investigated the association of melatonin with metabolic and inflammatory markers in children with (n = 113) and without obesity (n = 117). Melatonin was measured in saliva four and two hours before bedtime, and after one hour of sleep. Cardiometabolic factors, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, immune markers (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, plasminogen…
Exocrine Pancreatic Function in Girls with Anorexia Nervosa
2021
Objectives: To assess pancreatic exocrine function in patients with anorexia nervosa using a breath test with 13C-labeled mixed triglycerides (MTG-BT) and to determine the relationship between the test results and selected biochemical and hormonal parameters. Material and methods: Anthropometric measurements, biochemical and hormonal parameters (serum leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sLR), acylated and desacylated ghrelin, free leptin index (FLI)), and MTG-BT were performed in a group of 31 girls with the restrictive type of AN, as well as 38 healthy girls (C). Results: The average cumulative dose of 13C-triglycerides recovered with exhaled air (%CD) was similar in both study groups, while …
Life Cycle Assessment of organic apple supply chain in the North of Italy.
2015
The goal of the study is the assessment of the energy and environmental impacts of 1 ton of organic apples cultivated in the North of Italy, by applying the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The authors examined the supply chain of apples, by including the supply of raw materials and energy sources, and the farming step. In addition, an assessment of apple distribution to the final users was made. The results show that a relevant share of the total impacts is caused by the transport to the final users, assuming that the product is distributed on local, national and international markets. A detailed analysis of the farming step shows that a significant share in the overall energy and enviro…
Environmental assessment of a waste-to-energy practice: The pyrolysis of agro-industrial biomass residues
2021
Abstract The bio-wastes pyrolysis is a waste to energy strategy that converts bio-wastes into valuable products (bio-char, bio-oil) with wide use in the agri-food sector. However, limited efforts are paid to the investigation of its environmental sustainability: in this context, the study contributes the need towards the assessment of a wide range of environmental impacts for the pyrolysis process of different types of bio-wastes under different operating conditions. The study estimates the potential environmental impacts related to bio-char production from the pyrolysis of several different agro-industrial residues and different temperatures and identifies the process “hot spots”. The anal…
Study of Potential Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Red Wine Extract and Resveratrol through a Modulation of Interleukin-1-Beta in Macrophages
2018
Inflammation has been described as an initiator event of major diseases with significant impacts in terms of public health including in cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, eye diseases, age-related diseases, and the occurrence of cancers. A preventive action to reduce the key processes leading to inflammation could be an advantageous approach to reducing these associated pathologies. Many studies have reported the value of polyphenols such as resveratrol in counteracting pro-inflammatory cytokines. We have previously shown the potential of red wine extract (RWE) and the value of its qualitative and quantitative polyphenolic composition to prevent the carcinogenesis process. In thi…
Biopolymer coating of soybean lecithin liposomes via layer-by-layer self-assembly as novel delivery system for ellagic acid
2010
Abstract The formulation of a novel delivery system for ellagic acid formulated via layer-by-layer (L-b-L) electrostatic deposition of biopolymers onto soybean lecithin liposomes was achieved. Optimization of parameters affecting the formulation of biopolymer-coated liposomes was carried out by monitoring changes on its size, surface charge and morphology. Ellagic acid was loaded into the liposome core and loading properties were analyzed. Release profiles for ellagic acid from optimized biopolymer-coated liposomes were evaluated as a function of time, temperature and pH of the media. The L-b-L electrostatic deposition of biopolymers succeeded in building nanosized, spherical and stable lip…