Anaerobic digestion (AD) of lignocellulosic wastes (LW) has garnered substantial interest because of its notable energy and nutrient recovery, along with its potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the LW is resistant to degradation, and its hydrolysis typically requires harsh conditions, hence the need for a pretreatment. Conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the pretreatment of LW is an effective way to assess the environmental impacts associated with various pretreatment methods. This work evaluates and compares three scenarios for handling lignified tomato green waste (TGW), generated in the Greater of Agadir in Morocco, in terms of their environmental impacts and energy demand, using the LCA approach, performed with OpenLCA software. To achieve this aim, the impact of these scenarios on 11 indicators is studied. The analyzed management options include a base case scenario S0 where TGW undergoes a direct anaerobic digestion (AD), organosolv pretreatment of TGW followed by AD of the free-lignin fraction (S1), and choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) delignification followed by AD of the free-lignin fraction (S2). The data used for the analysis comes from the Tamelast landfill, laboratory tests, literature, CML-IA baseline and Monte Carlo simulation calculations. The results obtained showed that the introduction of pretreatments in S1 and S2 mitigates significantly the environmental impact in different categories compared to S0. Scenario S2, with its enhanced recovery processes, shows the highest positive environmental contributions, despite its reliance on additional external electricity. S1 and S0 both respect energy circularity. Through this study, it has been demonstrated that chemical pretreatment of LW is energy, water and solvent-intensive and requires a large investment. It opens up perspectives for further works on pretreatment using natural DES technology, its development and its applications in the delignification of ligneous biomass on an industrial scale.

Ambient operation and large-scale demonstration have limited the implementation and evaluation of anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for low-strength wastewater treatment. Here, we studied these issues at an AnMBR demo plant that treats domestic wastewater and food waste together at ambient temperatures (7-28 °C). At varied hydraulic retention times (HRTs, 8-42 h), the AnMBR achieved a COD removal efficiency and biogas production of 80.4% ± 3.9% and 66.5 ± 9.4 NL/m3-Influent, respectively. Moreover, a stable high membrane flux of 14.4 L/m2/h was reached. The electric energy consumption for the AnMBR operation was 0.269-0.433 kW·h/m3, and 49.4%-91.3% could be compensated by the electric energy produced from methane production. At an HRT of 10 h, the AnMBR system demonstrated an impressively low net electric energy consumption of merely 0.05 kW·h/m3, resulting in a net greenhouse gas emission of 0.015 CO2-eq/m3, cutting 85% compared to the conventional activated sludge process. Achievements in this study provide key parameters for the ambient operation of AnMBR and demonstrate that AnMBR is an energy-saving and low-carbon solution for low-strength wastewater treatment.

BACKGROUND: While intermittent fasting leads to weight loss and improved glucose metabolism, food insecurity, the insufficient access to food for a healthy life, is associated with obesity and adverse cardiometabolic health, especially in women. We aimed to characterize the effects of intermittently restricted feeding on energy balance and glucose tolerance in female mice.
METHODS: Female C57BL/6J mice were fed a high fat, high sucrose diet and intermittently food restricted to 60% of control littermates\' ad libitum intake, starting at weaning and until week 19. Restricted mice were subsequently allowed ad libitum access to the same diet. Body composition and energy balance were measured at weeks 18.5, 19, 30, 40. At week 42, mice underwent intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and plasma appetitive hormones measurements after nutrient gavage.
RESULTS: During the food restriction phase, Restricted mice accrued lower weight and fat mass than controls despite periodic ad libitum food access. Reintroduction of continuous ad libitum food caused increased food intake during the light phase and increased body mass in Restricted mice. Minor differences in body composition-adjusted energy expenditure between groups were observed at week 40. At week 42, glucose tolerance was impaired in Restricted mice compared to controls, and trends toward lower levels of postprandial anorexigenic hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 and pancreatic polypeptide were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that repeated intermittent food restriction leads to changes in eating behavior that predispose to glucose intolerance when food is freely available. Future studies are needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms underlying these changes.

Sewage sludge derived fertilizer is a promising solution for phosphorus (P) recovery from biowaste, however, the inherent iron content in the sludge ash (SSA) impedes the P availability of the fused calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer (FCMP). To achieve the goal of iron removal during the process, carbothermal reduction was adopted for the first time and the performance of carbon addition was systematically evaluated. Results showed that carbon addition at 4.50 % significantly increased the P availability from 9.50 % to 11.00 % and decreased the required amounts of calcium/magnesium. Moreover, ferrophosphate with 20.20 % P can be produced and the melting point of the system can be reduced by manipulating carbon addition. Finally, a process design was provided for the co-production of FCMP and ferrophosphate. This study highlights the addition of carbon to facilitate iron removal in SSA for the production of FCMP with enhanced bioavailability at a reduced energy consumption scenario.

The metabolic changes that occur during the early post-partum period in dairy cows can indeed lead to an imbalance in energy utilization, resulting in the production of excessive ketone bodies. This can have detrimental effects on the cow\'s health and milk production, leading to economic losses for dairy producers. The release of non-esterified fatty acids into the blood due to increased lipolysis is a key factor in the development of ketosis. Abdominal adiposity is a key factor on these outcomes in modern dairy cows. The redirection of energy and glucose towards lactose synthesis and milk yield leaves a deficit of gluconeogenic precursors, leading to the conversion of acetyl-CoA into ketone bodies instead of entering the Krebs cycle. These ketone bodies, including acetone, acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate, accumulate in the blood and can be detected in various bodily fluids, such as urine, blood and milk, allowing for diagnostic testing. Prevention is indeed crucial in managing ketosis in dairy cattle. Supplementation of propylene glycol in the diet or the use of monensin, either in the diet or in the form of a slow-release bolus, can help prevent the occurrence of ketosis. However, avoiding high body condition (subcutaneous fat) and excessive abdominal adiposity during the dry period and parturition plus an adequate cow comfort are fundamental tasks to avoid ketosis and related disorders. These interventions aim to provide additional energy sources or enhance the cow\'s ability to utilize energy efficiently, thus reducing the reliance on excessive lipolysis and ketone body production.

BACKGROUND: Energy requirement assessment is a cornerstone for nutrition practice. The extent to which total energy expenditure (TEE; indicator of energy requirements) has been measured in adults with chronic diseases has not been explored.
OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to: 1) Characterize evidence on TEE among individuals with chronic diseases, and 2) Describe TEE across chronic diseases and compared to controls without a chronic disease.
METHODS: A literature search using terms related to doubly labeled water and TEE was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Embase. Eligible articles included those that measured TEE using doubly labeled water in adults with a major chronic disease. Methodological quality was determined using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria Checklist. Sample size-weighted TEE was calculated in each chronic disease subgroup.
RESULTS: Fifty studies were included, of which 15 had a control group. Median sample size was 20 participants, and approximately half of studies were published over 10 years ago. Thirty-five (70%) studies reported resting energy expenditure, and about half (k=26) reported physical activity level. Methodological quality was \'neutral\' (k=25) or \'positive\' (k=23) for most studies. TEE among individual studies ranged from 934 to 3274 kcal/day. Mean weighted TEE was lowest among gastrointestinal (1786 kcal/day) and neurological (2104 kcal/day) subgroups and highest among cancer (2903 kcal/day), endocrine (2661 kcal/day), and autoimmune (2625 kcal/day) subgroups. Excluding one article in cancer survivors resulted in a low TEE in the cancer subgroup (2112 kcal/day). Most studies with a control group reported no differences in TEE between controls and patients; however, only one study was powered for between-group comparisons.
CONCLUSIONS: Energy requirements vary across chronic diseases, although there is insufficient evidence to suggest that TEE is different than controls. Further research is needed to inform energy requirement recommendations that consider chronic disease.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced in the rumen are key factors affecting dairy cows\' energy balance (EB). This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the effects of SCFAs production on EB in dairy cows. Primiparous dairy cows were divided into high non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA; group H) and low NEFA (group L) groups based on their blood NEFA levels at week 3 postpartum, which served as an indicator of EB. The amounts of SCFAs produced in the rumen, including acetate, propionate, and butyrate (SCFAsP), were calculated using the predicted rumen volume. Because there were no differences between the groups in SCFAsP/dry matter intake, whereas 4% fat-corrected milk (FCM)/SCFAsP was significantly higher in group H, it was suggested that more body fat was mobilized for milk production in group H. However, group L, which showed better EB, had propionate dominant and lower FCM/SCFAsP and milk energy/SCFAs energy at 3 and 7 weeks postpartum, indicating that group L had a better energy supply for milk production. These results suggest that SCFAsP produced by rumen fermentation and the composition of SCFAs in the rumen affect milk production and EB.

In parallel to the legalization of cannabis for both medicinal and recreational purposes, cannabinoid use has steadily increased over the last decade in the United States. Cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol and anandamide, bind to the central cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor to impact several physiological processes relevant for body weight regulation, including appetite and energy expenditure. The hypothalamus integrates peripheral signals related to energy balance, houses several nuclei that orchestrate eating, and expresses the CB1 receptor. Herein we review literature to date concerning cannabinergic action in the hypothalamus with a specific focus on eating behaviors. We highlight hypothalamic areas wherein researchers have focused their attention, including the lateral, arcuate, paraventricular, and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei, and interactions with the hormone leptin. This review serves as a comprehensive analysis of what is known about cannabinoid signaling in the hypothalamus, highlights gaps in the literature, and suggests future directions.

UNASSIGNED: In an era of precision and stratified medicine, homogeneity in population-based cohorts, stringent causative entry, and pattern analysis of datasets are key elements to investigate medical treatments. Adhering to these principles, we collected in vivo and in vitro data pointing to an insulin-sensitizing/insulin-mimetic effect of myo-inositol (MYO) relevant to cell regeneration in dentistry and oral surgery. Confirmation of this possibility was obtained by in silico analysis of the relation between in vivo and in vitro results (the so-called bed-to-benchside reverse translational approach).
UNASSIGNED: Fourteen subjects over the 266 screened were young adult, normal weight, euglycemic, sedentary males having normal appetite, free diet, with a regular three-times-a-day eating schedule, standard dental hygiene, and negligible malocclusion/enamel defects. Occlusal caries were detected by fluorescence videoscanning, whereas body composition and energy balance were estimated with plicometry, predictive equations, and handgrip. Statistically significant correlations (Pearson r coefficient) were found between the number of occlusal caries and anthropometric indexes predicting insulin resistance (IR) in relation to the abdominal/visceral fat mass, fat-free mass, muscular strength, and energy expenditure adjusted to the fat and muscle stores. This indicated a role for IR in affecting dentin reparative processes. Consistently, in vitro administration of MYO to HUVEC and Swiss NIH3T3 cells in concentrations corresponding to those administered in vivo to reduce IR resulted in statistically significant cell replication (ANOVA/Turkey tests), suggesting that MYO has the potential to counteract inhibitory effects of IR on dental vascular and stromal cells turnover. Finally, in in silico experiments, quantitative evaluation (WOE and information value) of a bioinformatic Clinical Outcome Pathway confirmed that in vitro trophic effects of MYO could be transferred in vivo with high predictability, providing robust credence of its efficacy for oral health.
UNASSIGNED: Our reverse bed-to-benchside data indicate that MYO might antagonize the detrimental effects of IR on tooth decay. This provides feasibility for clinical studies on MYO as a regenerative factor in dentistry and oral surgery, including dysmetabolic/aging conditions, bone reconstruction in oral destructive/necrotic disorders, dental implants, and for empowering the efficacy of a number of tissue engineering methodologies in dentistry and oral surgery.

Perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized extracellular matrix structures that envelop neurons, have recently been recognized as key players in the regulation of metabolism. This review explores the growing body of knowledge concerning PNNs and their role in metabolic control, drawing insights from recent research and relevant studies. The pivotal role of PNNs in the context of energy balance and whole-body blood glucose is examined. The review also highlights novel findings, including the effects of astroglia, microglia, sex and gonadal hormones, nutritional regulation, circadian rhythms and age on PNNs dynamics. These findings illuminate the complex and multifaceted role of PNNs in metabolic health.