Assessment of the marine microalga Chrysochromulina rotalis as bioactive feedstock cultured in an easy-to-deploy light-emitting-diode-based tubular photobioreactor.

Marine microalgae have potential to be low-cost raw materials. This depends on the exploitation of different biomass fractions for high-value products, including unique compounds. Chrysochromulina rotalis, an under-explored haptophyte with promising properties, was the focus of this study. For the first time, C. rotalis was successfully cultivated in an 80 L tubular photobioreactor, illuminated by an easy-to-use light-emitting-diode-based system. C. rotalis grew without certain trace elements and showed adaptability to different phosphorus sources, allowing a significant reduction in the N:P ratio without compromising biomass yield and productivity. The design features of the photobioreactor provided a protective environment that ensured consistent biomass production from this shear-sensitive microalgae. Carotenoid analysis showed fucoxanthin and its derivatives as major components, with essential fatty acids making up a significant proportion of the total. The study emphasizes the tubular photobioreactor's role in sustainable biomass production for biorefineries, with C. rotalis as a valuable bioactive feedstock.

A step forward in sustainable pesticide production from Amphidinium carterae biomass via photobioreactor cultivation with urea as a nitrogen source.

This study addresses the problem of replacing nitrate and ammonium with urea as a greener nitrogen source in the mass cultivation of the microalga Amphidinium carterae for the development of amphidinol-based phytosanitary products. To solve this problem, a nuclear magnetic resonance assisted investigation evaluated the effect of nitrogen sources on growth and metabolic profiles in photobioreactors. Urea-fed cultures exhibited growth kinetics comparable to nitrate-fed cultures (µmax = 0.30 day-1, Pbmax = 43 mgL-1day-1). Urea-fed cultures had protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents of 39.5%, 14.5%, and 42.4%, respectively, while nitrate-fed cultures had 27.9 %, 17.5% and 48.1%, respectively. Metabolomics revealed nitrogen source-dependent metabotypes and a correlation between amphidinols and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The amphidinol-to-nitrogen yield coefficient in urea-fed cultures (135 mg/g) was approximately 2.5 times higher than in nitrate-fed cultures. The potent antiphytopathogenic activity exhibited by extracts from urea-fed cultures underscores the potential of urea as a sustainable nitrogen source in microalgae-based biorefineries.

Pathological Presence of Free Air in the Thorax: Pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum as a Complication of COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: The abnormal presence of free air in the thorax, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum are complications for critically ill patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The development of these events may lead to a poor prognosis and make the management of this category of patients more difficult. STUDY DESIGN: We performed an observational retrospective study, including patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and pneumonia who were hospitalized, to analyze the cases that developed pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum as a complication. RESULTS: A total of 28 cases (1.51%) from 1844 patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia developed pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum during hospitalization. Of them, 21 (75%) needed intensive care unit admission and ventilation, and 10 (35.71) were cured. CONCLUSION: The male gender is more probable to be involved in the development of pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. The incidence of these events is low, and conservative treatment could provide a better outcome.

Life-cycle assessment of a microalgae-based fungicide under a biorefinery approach.

The aim of this work was to perform a life-cycle analysis of the production process of a fungicide based on amphidinols. Two scenarios were evaluated: (1) biorefinery process -biofungicide, fatty acids and carotenoids were considered as co-products-, and (2) biofungicide as only product. Inventory data were taken and scaled-up from previous work on pilot-scale reactors, as well as lab-scale downstream equipment. A yearly production of 22,000 L of fungicide, was selected as the production objective. Despite, photosynthetic biomass is a sink of anthropogenic CO2, harvesting and downstream processing have large carbon footprints that exceed the biomass fixed carbon. Producing the biofungicide resulted in 34.61 and 271.33 ton of CO2e (15 years) for the Scenarios 1 and 2, respectively. Different commercial agricultural fungicides were compared with the microalgal fungicide. A lower impact of the microalgal product for most of the indicators, including carbon footprint, was shown.

Alternatives to classic solvents for the isolation of bioactive compounds from Chrysochromulina rotalis.

This paper demonstrates a sequential partitioning method for isolating bioactive compounds from Chrysochromulina rotalis using a polarity gradient, replacing classic and hazardous solvents with greener alternatives. Seventeen solvents were evaluated based on their Hansen solubility parameters and for having a similar polarity to the solvents they would replace, four of which were selected as substitutes in the classic fractionation process. Considering the fatty acid and carotenoid recovery yields obtained for each of the solvents, it has been proposed to replace hexane (HEX), toluene (TOL), dichloromethane (DCM) and n-butanol (BUT) with cyclohexane, chlorobenzene, isobutyl acetate and isoamyl alcohol, respectively. In addition, cytotoxic activity was observed when the TOL and DCM solvent extracts were tested against tumour cell lines, demonstrating the antiproliferative potential of compounds containing, for example, fucoxanthin, fatty acids, peptides, isoflavonoids or terpenes, among others.

Complications During Hospitalization in Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia in a Romanian Pulmonary Center.

Introduction The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Facing a new and unknown virus, the entire medical community made considerable efforts to find a specific treatment, develop guidelines, and even create a vaccine. Besides all the measures taken, a wide range of complications associated with the disease increased the mortality and morbidity rates, adding more difficulty to the management of the patients. Study design We performed a retrospective study, including the patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia who were admitted to our hospital between March 2020 and August 2021. We analyzed complications that developed during the hospitalization, such as respiratory failure or acute injury to other organs (the heart, pancreas, kidneys, and liver), and whether they were treatment- and hospitalization-related. Results One thousand eight hundred and forty-four cases were evaluated, and we analyzed the complications that developed during the hospitalization. Out of this, 1392 (75.48%) cases developed at least one complication during hospitalization, most frequently respiratory failure (71.14%), hyperglycemia (43.54%), renal injury (42.67%), or cardiovascular events (7.10%). Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients with pneumonia can cause injuries to any organ, making the management of those patients even more difficult.

Treatment of secondary urban wastewater with a low ammonium-tolerant marine microalga using zeolite-based adsorption.

The low tolerance of marine microalgae to ammonium and hyposalinity limits their use in urban wastewater (UWW) treatments. In this study, using the marine microalga Amphidinium carterae, it is demonstrated for the first time that this obstacle can be overcome by introducing a zeolite-based adsorption step to obtain a tolerable UWW stream. The maximum ammonium adsorption capacities measured in the natural zeolite used are among the highest reported. The microalga grows satisfactorily in mixtures of zeolite-treated UWW and seawater at a wide range of proportions, both with and without adjusting the salinity, as long as the ammonium concentration is below the threshold tolerated by the microalgae (6.3 mg L-1). A proof of concept performed in 10-L bubble column photobioreactors with different culture strategies, including medium recycling, showed an enhanced biomass yield relative to a control with no UWW. No noticeable effect was observed on the production of specialty metabolites.

PARTIAL ADRENALECTOMY - HOW FAR CAN WE GO?

Organ preservation and functional resections are the mainstays of most surgical sub-specialties at the present time. This is even more evident in endocrine surgery, where the product of secretion of these petit organs is of paramount importance. Partial adrenalectomy and cortical sparing techniques have evolved to actually compete with total adrenalectomy, the historical gold standard treatment. Much refined imaging techniques can readily identify smaller adrenal lesions that can be addressed surgically or percutaneously given the indication. The trend towards partial adrenalectomy is straightforward in bilateral disease where steroid replacement can be avoided while for unilateral disease, normal hormonal levels can be obtained. The reviewed publications offer deep insight into the advancement of partial or cortical sparing adrenal procedures from pioneering work to large cohort studies.

HIDRADENITIS SUPPURATIVA IN POSTMENOPAUSE.

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, debilitating disease with a profound impact on the quality of life of patients. OBJECTIVES: To describe a rare case of HS with postmenopausal onset, to review the literature data regarding late onset HS and to discuss the current knowledge on the role of endocrine abnormalities in the development of HS. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 68-year-old patient in whom HS occurred 10 years after menopause. She was referred to our clinic for the presence of an open fistula on the left groin, fibrotic scars and visible alteration of the vulvar anatomy due to numerous surgical interventions. The patient shared features of the metabolic syndrome (obesity, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, aortic atherosclerosis), but showed no signs of virilism and no hormonal abnormality. HS was controlled using antiseptics, topical retinoids and antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: This case is of particular interest given the late onset of HS, long time after menopause. The development of HS requires a complex interaction between genetic predisposing factors, endocrine dysregulation, metabolic alterations, bacterial overgrowth and an aberrant inflammatory response. Evidence points to an important role of sex-hormones in the emergence and progression of the disease, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. A better understanding of HS pathogenesis is needed to elucidate the precise way in which endocrine factors influence the disease onset and course. This would guide the way to novel therapies and a better control of this challenging disease.

An integrated approach for the efficient separation of specialty compounds from biomass of the marine microalgae Amphidinium carterae.

An amphidinol-prioritized fractioning approach was for the first time developed to isolate multiple specialty metabolites such as amphidinols, carotenoids and fatty acids using the biomass of the marine microalgae Amphidinium carterae. The biomass was produced in a raceway photobioreactor and the exhausted culture media were reused, thus fulfilling sustainability criteria employing a circular economy concept. The integrated bioactive compounds-targeted approach presented here consisted of four steps with which recovery percentages of carotenoids, fatty acids and amphidinols of 97%, 82% and 99 %, respectively, were achieved. The proposed process was proved to be a better extraction system for this microalga than another based on a sequential gradient partition with water and four water-immiscible organic solvents (hexane, carbon tetrachloride, dichloromethane and n-butanol). The proposed process could be scaled-up as a commercial solid-phase extraction technology well-established for industrial bioprocesses.

CFD-based prediction of initial microalgal adhesion to solid surfaces using force balances.

Adhesion of microalgal cells to photobioreactor walls reduces productivity resulting in significant economic losses. The physico-chemical surface properties and the fluid dynamics present in the photobioreactor during cultivation are relevant. However, to date, no multiphysical model has been able to predict biofouling formation in these systems. In this work, to model the microalgal adhesion, a Computational Fluid Dynamic simulation was performed using a Eulerian-Lagrangian particle-tracking model. The adhesion criterion was based on the balance of forces and moments included in the XDLVO model. A cell suspension of the marine microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana was fed into a commercial flow cell composed of poly-methyl-methacrylate coupons for validation. Overall, the simulated adhesion criterion qualitatively predicted the initial distribution of adhered cells on the coupons. In conclusion, the combined Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Phase Model (CFD-DPM) approach can be used to overcome the challenge of predicting microalgal cell adhesion in photobioreactors.

Monochelic Versus Telechelic Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) as a Matrix for Photoluminescent Nanocomposites with Quantum Dots.

Nanocomposites based on CdSe or CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) of different molecular weights and functionality were synthesized by ligand exchange of oleic acid with RAFT-based PMMA. The successful ligand exchange was confirmed by dynamic light scattering in combination with the approach "macromolecules-ghosts" and transmission electron microscopy. Comparative study of mono- and telechelics of PMMA revealed the similarities and differences in their behavior in formation of complexes with QDs and the optical properties of the corresponding nanocomposites. Telechelics exhibited higher efficiency in the complex formation and seemed to be promising candidates for the construction of devices based on QDs and polymer matrix for optical applications.

Long-term biofouling formation mediated by extracellular proteins in Nannochloropsis gaditana microalga cultures at different medium N/P ratios.

Biofouling represents an important limitation in photobioreactor cultures. The biofouling propensity of different materials (polystyrene, borosilicate glass, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified) and coatings (two spray-applied and nanoparticle-based superhydrophobic coatings and a hydrogel-based fouling release coating) was evaluated by means of a short-term protein test, using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein, and by the long-term culture of the marine microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana under practical conditions. The results from both methods were similar, confirming that the BSA test predicts microalgal biofouling on surfaces exposed to microalgae cultures whose cells secrete macromolecules, such as proteins, with a high capacity for forming a conditioning film before cell adhesion. The hydrogel-based coating showed significantly reduced BSA and N. gaditana adhesion, whereas the other surfaces failed to control biofouling. Microalgal biofouling was associated with an increased concentration of sticky extracellular proteins at low N/P ratios (below 15).

Retrograde signaling by a mtDNA-encoded non-coding RNA preserves mitochondrial bioenergetics.

Alveolar epithelial type II (AETII) cells are important for lung epithelium maintenance and function. We demonstrate that AETII cells from mouse lungs exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) increase the levels of the mitochondria-encoded non-coding RNA, mito-RNA-805, generated by the control region of the mitochondrial genome. The protective effects of mito-ncR-805 are associated with positive regulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism, and respiration. Levels of mito-ncR-805 do not relate to steady-state transcription or replication of the mitochondrial genome. Instead, CS-exposure causes the redistribution of mito-ncR-805 from mitochondria to the nucleus, which correlated with the increased expression of nuclear-encoded genes involved in mitochondrial function. These studies reveal an unrecognized mitochondria stress associated retrograde signaling, and put forward the idea that mito-ncRNA-805 represents a subtype of small non coding RNAs that are regulated in a tissue- or cell-type specific manner to protect cells under physiological stress.

Photopatterning of Azobenzene-Containing Liquid Crystalline Triblock Copolymers: Light-Induced Anisotropy and Photostabilization.

Photochromic liquid crystalline block copolymers (PLCBCs) are currently playing a significant role as light-responsive materials because of their light controllable features over multiple length scales. Herein, a study of the photoinduced optical anisotropy derived by the combination of orientation phenomena at molecular and supramolecular levels in a novel kind of side-chain PLCBCs with mesogenic phenyl benzoate groups and pyridine units that is hydrogen bonded with azobenzene-containing phenol is reported. Based on the polymeric architectures and composition, the supramolecular configuration self-organizes in different microphases that affect the material response to the external stimuli. Simple, 1D, polarization holograms are recorded to evaluate the photoinduced birefringence. The first step, light patterning, involves the orientation of the azobenzene units and precedes a thermal treatment that amplifies the induced anisotropy through the cooperative orientation of the mesogenic units. By selective extraction, the azobenzene units can be removed, making the material transparent to the visible light. Excellent photostability of the material birefringence is obtained, whose final value is strongly affected by the block copolymer's architecture. The versatility in the molecular design, the fine control of the photoinduced features by external parameters, and, finally, the possibility to achieve photostability make these materials of great potential for developing optical and photonic devices.

Improved extraction of bioactive compounds from biomass of the marine dinoflagellate microalga Amphidinium carterae.

The extraction of three families of compounds (carotenoids, fatty acids and amphidinols) from the biomass of two strains of Amphidinium carterae (ACRN03 and Dn241EHU) was improved by tuning cell disruption and solvent extraction operations. The extraction of carotenoids was evaluated using alkaline saponification (0%-60% KOH d.w.) at different temperatures (25-80 °C). High levels of carotenoids were obtained at 60 °C using freeze-dried biomass, not subjected to cell disruption methods. The ACRN03 strain required 20% KOH whereas the Dn241EHU strain did not require saponification since carotenoid degradation was observed. The extraction efficiencies were determined with a wide range of pure solvents and mixtures thereof. Two empirical non-linear equations were used to correlate extraction percentages for each family of compounds with the Hildebrand solubility parameter (δT) and the polarity index of the solvents (PI). Thresholds of δT and PI of around 20 MPa1/2 and 6, respectively, were determined for the extraction of amphidinols, consistent with antiproliferative activity measurements.

A Close Encounter - Left Pneumonia and Pancreatic Tail Fistula after Laparoscopic Left Adrenalectomy.

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is currently considered the gold standard for adrenal tumors up to 6 cm, and although with far less morbidity than the open alternative, when it comes to its complications we should not look away. The case concerns a 51-year old obese male that underwent left laparoscopic adrenalectomy for incidentaloma and developed pancreatic tail fistula. Without an evident pancreatic lesion during surgery and an uneventful early postoperative course the patient was discharged only to return 4 days later with respiratory symptoms and mild abdominal discomfort in the left upper quadrant. The CT scan diagnosed a left subphrenic fluid collection and left basal pneumonia, thus the patient underwent laparoscopic reintervention for drainage of the pancreatic fluid collection and received conventional antibiotherapy for pneumonia. The patient was discharged in good condition with the drainage tube in situ. The drainage tube was extracted 14 days later.

Predictors of outcome of noninvasive ventilation in severe COPD exacerbation.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) reduces the rate of endotracheal intubation (ETI) and overall mortality in severe acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) with acute respiratory failure and is increasingly applied in respiratory intermediate care units. However, inadequate patient selection and incorrect management of NIV increase mortality. We aimed to identify factors that predict the outcome of NIV in AECOPD. Also, we looked for factors that influence ventilator settings and duration. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was undertaken in a respiratory intermediate care unit in an academic medical center between 2016 and 2017. Age, BMI, lung function, arterial pH and pCO2 at admission (t0), at 1-2 h (t1) and 4-6 h (t2) after admission, creatinine clearance, echocardiographic data (that defined left heart dysfunction), mean inspiratory pressure during the first 72 h (mIPAP-72 h) and hours of NIV during the first 72 h (dNIV-72 h) were recorded. Main outcome was NIV failure (i.e., ETI or in-hospital death). Secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), duration of NIV (days), mIPAP-72 h, and dNIV-72 h. RESULTS: We included 89 patients (45 male, mean age 67.6 years) with AECOPD that required NIV. NIV failure was 12.4%, and in-hospital mortality was 11.2%. NIV failure was correlated with days of NIV, LOS, in-hospital mortality (p < 0.01), and kidney dysfunction (p < 0.05). In-hospital mortality was strongly associated with days of NIV (OR 1.27, 95%CI: 1.07-1.5, p < 0.01) and with FEV1 (p < 0.05). All other investigated parameters (including left heart dysfunction, dNIV-72 h, mIPAP-72 h, pH, etc.) did not influence NIV failure or mortality. dNIV-72 h and days of NIV were independent predictors of LOS (p < 0.01). Regarding the secondary outcomes, left heart dysfunction and pH at 1-2 h independently predicted NIV duration (dNIV-72 h, p < 0.01), while BMI and baseline pCO2 predicted NIV settings (mIPAP-72 h, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In-hospital mortality and NIV failure were not influenced by BMI, left heart dysfunction, age, nor by arterial blood gas values in the first 6 h of NIV. Patients with severe acidosis and left heart dysfunction required prolonged use of NIV. BMI and pCO2 levels influence the NIV settings in AECOPD regardless of lung function.

TOTAL THYROIDECTOMY FOR MALIGNANCY - IS CENTRAL NECK DISSECTION A RISK FACTOR FOR RECURRENT NERVE INJURY AND POSTOPERATIVE HYPOCALCEMIA? A TERTIARY CENTER EXPERIENCE IN ROMANIA.

INTRODUCTION: Surgery for thyroid cancer carries a higher risk of morbidity given the region's complicated anatomy, the setting of malignancy and extent of the surgery. AIM: To investigate the rate of complications related to the recurrent nerve and parathyroid glands lesions in patients with thyroid carcinoma that undergo thyroid surgery and lymph node dissection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data of 71 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and 19 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection with various associated neck dissection techniques were investigated using appropriate statistical tests. RESULTS: As expected, the rate of recurrent nerve injury observed in the neck dissection group was higher than in the total thyroidectomy group (15.7% vs. 2.8%, p=0.05). As for postoperative hypocalcemia, the rate observed in the neck dissection group, both for postoperative day 1 (p<0.0001) and day 30 (p=0.0003) was higher than in the total thyroidectomy group (68.4% vs. 19.7% postoperative day 1, 31.5% vs. 4.2% postoperative day 30). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of morbidity concerning the recurrent nerve injury and postoperative hypoparathyroidism increases with the extent of surgery. Extensive surgery may achieve proper oncologic outcomes but increases the risk of postoperative morbidity and decreases quality of life. In deciding for extensive surgery, both patient and medical team need to understand these risks.

Assessment of multi-step processes for an integral use of the biomass of the marine microalga Amphidinium carterae.

Sustainable dinoflagellate microalgae-based bioprocess designed to produce secondary metabolites (SMs) with interesting bioactivities are attracting increasing attention. However, dinoflagellates also produce other valuable bioproducts (e.g polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, etc.) that could be recovered and should therefore be taken into account in the bioprocess. In this study, biomass of the marine dinoflagellate microalga Amphidinium carterae was used to assess and optimise three different methods in order to obtain three families of high-value biochemical compounds present in the biomass. The existing processes encompassed a multi-step extraction process for carotenoids, fatty acids and APDs individually and are optimized for the integral valorization of raw A. carterae biomass, with SMs being the primary target compounds. Total process recovery yields were 97% for carotenoids, 80% for total fatty acids and 100% for an extract rich in APDs (not purified).