Circular economy in the brewing chain

The main aim of this review was to check for the applicability of the concept of circular economy to brewing chain. By analyzing the beer brewing process, it was possible to identify the main brewery wastes formed and packaging materials used as well as their range of composition and yields. In order to reduce the contribution of packaging material to the carbon footprint of beer, it would be necessary to replace one-way containers used nowadays with lighter, reusable, or recycled ones. Even if the contribution of beer consumption phase was taken into account, there was no definitive solution about the less environmentally impacting beer packaging format. The direct management of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging for liquid foodstuffs could make available 100% recycled PET flakes to be reconverted into food-grade bottles with minimum downcycling to other non-food usage. The countless potential uses of brewery wastes in nutritional and biotechnological fields were tested in laboratory by disregarding any cost–benefit or market analysis. This was mainly because the estimated market price of dried brewer’s spent grain (BSG) resulted to be about 450% higher than that of conventional lignocellulose residues. All the alternative uses hailed in the literature appeared to be more useful for publishing articles than for defining any economically feasible reusing procedure for all brewery wastes. Owing to their high moisture content, such wastes are so perishable as to prevent their safe usage in the human food chain. Currently, their use as-is in animal feeding is the disposal method not only economically feasible but also able to reduce the greenhouse gas load of beer packed in glass bottles (GB) by about one-third of that associated with packaging materials. Not by chance, it is practiced by most industrial and craft breweries.

O06 PATIENT-REPORTED KNOWLEDGE OF HERNIA SURGERY: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF FIRST TIME REFERRED PATIENTS TO AN ABDOMINAL WALL UNIT FOR HERNIA REPAIR

Aim The objective of this study was to gather information on patient-reported knowledge (PRK) in the field of hernia surgery. Material and Methods A prospective quantitative study was designed to explore different aspects of PRK and opinions regarding hernia surgery. Patients referred for the first time to a surgical service with a presumed diagnosis of hernia and eventual hernia repair were eligible, and those who gave consent completed a simple self-assessment questionnaire before the clinical visit. Results The study population included 449 patients (72.8% men, mean age 61.5). Twenty (4.5%) patients did not have hernia on physical examination. The patient’s perceived health status was “neither bad nor good” or “good” in 56.6% of cases. Also, more patients considered that hernia repair would be an easy procedure (35.1%) rather than a difficult one (9.8%). Although patients were referred by their family physicians, 32 (7.1%) answered negatively to the question of coming to the visit to assess the presence of a hernia. The most important reason of the medical visit was to receive medical advice (77.7%), to be operated on as soon as possible (40.1%) or to be included in the surgical waiting list (35.9%). Also, 46.1% of the patients considered that they should undergo a hernia repair and 56.8% that surgery will be a definitive solution. Conclusions PRK of patients referred for the first time to an abdominal wall surgery unit with a presumed diagnosis of hernia was quite limited and there is still a long way towards improving knowledge of hernia surgery.

A prelude to wearable technology for the measurement and restoration of core body temperature and heart rate in athletes suffering from hypothermia

An individual who is in good physical health tends to exhibit an internal core temperature of 37°C and a heart rate of 60–100 beats per minute. Increase in the temperature of the surrounding environment can serve as the basis for the onset of the condition of Hypothermia. Hypothermia acts as one of the most significant barriers being faced by winter athletes and starts initially with an increase in the heart and breathing rate. However, if the condition persists it can lead to reduction in the heart and breathing rate and ultimately results in cardiac failure. Although, jackets are commercially available, they tend to operate manually and furthermore, do not serve the primary purpose of counteracting the condition of hypothermia, particularly experienced by athletes taking part in winter sports. The objective of this study is to design a heating jacket that enables effective counteraction of the condition of Hypothermia. It enables precise measurement of the of core body temperature with the aid of a pyroelectric sensor. Along with this, a pulse rate sensor for detecting the accurate heart rate has been incorporated on the index finger. Five heating pads would get activated to attain optimal temperature, in case the core body temperature of <37°C is detected. If the condition of hypothermia advances to the moderate stage, two additional heating pads will get activated and provide extra warmth to attain normal heart rate along with core body temperature. Overall, this wearable technology serves as a definitive solution to counteract the condition of hypothermia only when the internal parameters exhibit that you actually have it. The results of the study exhibited that this prototype can be utilized for detecting and treating the condition of Hypothermia.

Surgical Solution for Total Carpectomy due to Destructive Wrist Pan-Osteomyelitis Using a Free Femoral Condyle Osteocutaneous Flap for Wrist Arthrodesis

Osteomyelitis of the hand is rare, even more so in the carpal bones. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher infection rate overall, and up to a 14-fold increase in the incidence of septic arthritis of the hand. The destruction of immunologic barriers, such as cartilage and joint capsules, as well as the use of immunosuppressive medications will have an impact on the higher incidence of articular infections and osteomyelitis in these patients. Infection in these cases is often overlooked because of the similarity of presentation to an acute event of RA. When osteomyelitis is present, rapid and aggressive treatment should be given. Surgical debridement, lavage, and excision of necrotic bone is the best choice, followed by cemented antibiotic impregnated spacer to resolve the acute scenario. Vascularized bone grafts (VBG) can then be used for a definitive solution, as these have great biologic properties that increase the possibility of a good outcome. We hereby present a report of a wrist arthrodesis, using a free medial femoral condyle VBG for the treatment of destructive osteomyelitis of the carpal bones in a female patient with RA.

Collectivization and National Question in Soviet Udmurtia

The subject of this article is the collectivization of agriculture in Soviet Udmurtia at the turn of the 1930s. Situated in the Urals, Udmurtia was an autonomous region, largely agricultural, and with a developing industrial center, Izhevsk, as capital. The titular nationality of the region, the Udmurts, represented slightly more than 50% of the total inhabitants, while the rest was made up by Russians and other national minorities. Udmurts were mostly peasants and concentrated in the countryside, whereas city-dwellers and factory workers were mostly Russians. Due to these and other circumstances, collectivization in Udmurtia was carried out in a very specific way. The campaign began here in 1928, one year before than in the rest of the Union, and had possibly the highest pace in the country, with 76% of collectivized farms by 1933. The years 1928–1931 were the highest point of the campaign, when the most opposition and the most violence took place. The local Party Committee put before itself the special task to carry out a revolutionary collectivization campaign in the Udmurt countryside, which should have been a definitive solution to its “national” backwardness and to all its problems, from illiteracy to trachoma, from syphilis to the strip system (that is, each family worked on small “strips” of land far from each other). The Party Committee failed to exert much support from the peasant Udmurt masses, which stayed at best inert to collectivization propaganda, or opposed it openly. However, the back of the Udmurt peasantry was finally broken, and Udmurtia was totally collectivized by the end of the 1930s.

Ovarian Decellularized Bioscaffolds Provide an Optimal Microenvironment for Cell Growth and Differentiation In Vitro

Ovarian failure is the most common cause of infertility. Although numerous strategies have been proposed, a definitive solution for recovering ovarian functions and restoring fertility is currently unavailable. One innovative alternative may be represented by the development of an “artificial ovary” that could be transplanted in patients for re-establishing reproductive activities. Here, we describe a novel approach for successful repopulation of decellularized ovarian bioscaffolds in vitro. Porcine whole ovaries were subjected to a decellularization protocol that removed the cell compartment, while maintaining the macrostructure and microstructure of the original tissue. The obtained bioscaffolds were then repopulated with porcine ovarian cells or with epigenetically erased porcine and human dermal fibroblasts. The results obtained demonstrated that the decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM)-based scaffold may constitute a suitable niche for ex vivo culture of ovarian cells. Furthermore, it was able to properly drive epigenetically erased cell differentiation, fate, and viability. Overall, the method described represents a powerful tool for the in vitro creation of a bioengineered ovary that may constitute a promising solution for hormone and fertility restoration. In addition, it allows for the creation of a suitable 3D platform with useful applications both in toxicological and transplantation studies.

Attitudes of Different Age Groups Toward People With Intellectual Disability During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly risky for people with disabilities and severe medical conditions, not only because the virus may be a direct threat to their physical health but also because of social exclusion and negating their needs and rights.Objective: This study aimed to assess the attitudes of people from different age groups towards people with intellectual disability (ID).Methods: The study included 223 people (19–85 years old) and was conducted in May 2020–January 2021. Data was collected using the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Towards Persons With Disabilities and a self-designed Questionnaire regarding the attitudes towards people with ID during the pandemic. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 24 (ANOVA).Results: The results of the study showed that the general attitudes were only slightly supportive and differed among people of different age groups: the youngest and the oldest generation expressed the most positive attitudes while the adults (35–60 y.o.) expressed the most negative ones.Conclusions: As the pandemic is spreading rapidly with no definitive solution, awareness to create more positive attitudes towards people with ID and recognizing their needs is essential.

Current Overview on Clinical Management of Chronic Constipation

Constipation is one of the major gastrointestinal disorders diagnosed in clinical practice in Western countries. Almost 20% of population suffer from this disorder, which means constipation is a substantial utilization of healthcare. Pathophysiology of constipation is complex and multifactorial, where aspects like disturbance in colonic transit, genetic predisposition, lifestyle habits, psychological distress, and many others need to be taken into consideration. Diagnosis of constipation is troublesome and requires thorough accurate examination. A nonpharmacological approach, education of the patient about the importance of lifestyle changes like diet and sport activity state, are the first line of therapy. In case of ineffective treatment, pharmacological treatments such as laxatives, secretagogues, serotonergic agonists, and many other medications should be induced. If pharmacologic treatment fails, the definitive solution for constipation might be surgical approach. Commonness of this disorder, costs of medical care and decrease in quality life cause constipation is a serious issue for many specialists. The aim of this review is to present current knowledge of chronic constipation and management of this disorder.