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A 4-year-old, neutered male Golden Retriever was presented with a 1-week history of weight loss, polyuria, and polydipsia. The diagnostic workup showed an increased ionized calcium concentration, mild increase in serum creatinine and urea concentration, and severe hyperlipasemia. A complete abdominal ultrasound revealed multiple hepatic nodules. A cytological diagnosis of malignant epithelial neoplasia, highly suggestive of bile duct adenocarcinoma was made. In order to confirm the presumptive diagnosis of hypercalcemia of malignancy due to the presence of a hepatic neoplasia, serum parathormone-related peptide concentration was measured, and the result revealed an increased concentration. The dog was hospitalized and received supportive treatments consisting of intravenous furosemide and fluid therapy. After ruling out lymphoma and hypoadrenocorticism, oral prednisone was initiated and ionized calcium concentration decreased gradually down to normal concentration after 7 days of hospitalization. Chemotherapy with intravenous epirubicin was initiated based on the cytological diagnosis. One month after diagnosis and due to the worsening of its clinical condition, the dog was humanely euthanized. Postmortem examination confirmed a cholangiocellular carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of malignant hypercalcemia associated with cholangiocellular carcinoma in a dog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of starting protein composition, and the origin and time of harvesting on the in vitro tyrosinase, dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) IV and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and antioxidant activity of Palmaria palmata protein hydrolysates were investigated. Electrophoretic profiles showed significant differences in aqueous protein extracts obtained from the red macroalga Palmaria palmata harvested at different times of the year. No significant difference was observed in aqueous protein profiles extracted from wild and aquacultured samples of Palmaria palmata. Protein extracts from Palmaria palmata samples harvested from wild plants in April, July and October, and samples cultivated on longlines and harvested in April were hydrolysed with Alcalase 2.4L and Corolase PP. The hydrolysates, when tested at 10mg/ml, were shown to inhibit tyrosinase by 37-56%. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values of the hydrolysates ranged from 323-494 and 8.9-19.9μmol trolox equivalents per gram, respectively. The Palmaria palmata hydrolysates inhibited DPP-IV (IC50: 1.60-4.24mg/mL) and ACE (IC50: 0.14-0.35mg/mL) activities. The starting protein composition had a significant effect on the tyrosinase inhibitory activity, while protein composition and hydrolytic enzyme preparation had a significant effect on DPP-IV inhibitory and antioxidant activities. In general, the origin of the samples, wild or cultivated, had no effect on the in vitro biological activity of the protein hydrolysates. The results show that Palmaria palmata hydrolysates may have potential applications as health enhancing ingredients and as food preservatives due to their antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Today, green roofs are a building system which provides interesting benefits over traditional roof solutions. The most important advantages are the reduction of surface runoff in cities, improvement of the urban climate, biodiversity support, improvement of the durability of roofing materials, and, especially, energy savings. This paper has the aim of studying the performance of green roofs as a passive system for energy savings, within a wider objective of seeking constructive solutions suitable for sustainable and environmentally friendly architecture. This idea is tested at an experimental installation available at the University of Lleida, with several cubicles testing the energy performance of different construction solutions. This work raises the possibility of using recycled rubber from tires as a drainage layer in green roofs, substituting the porous stone materials currently used (such as expanded clay, expanded shale, pumice, and natural puzolana). This solution would reduce the consumption of these natural materials, which also require large amounts of energy in its transformation process to obtain their properties. Moreover it would provide a solution to the problem of waste rubber from the tires, known as rubber crumbs. Since the purpose of the drainage layer is the optimum balance between air and water in the green roof system, first the ability for draining of recycled rubber granules was studied and was compared with the offered by stone materials. The new solution using rubber crumbs is also studied to test if it would keep the same insulating properties that the green roof with stone materials presented in previous studies. Early results show that this extensive green roof system can be a good passive energy savings tool in Continental Mediterranean climate in summer, and that rubber crumbs can be an interesting substitute for stone materials used as drainage layer in this type of green roofs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Blue mussel ( Mytilus edulis L.) farming constitutes the largest volume of the shellfish sector in Ireland. Recently, interest in mussel dietary supplements and functional foods has increased significantly. To identify the optimal harvesting time and location in Ireland, blue mussels were investigated for their biochemical composition over a period of one year. The study included samples from aquaculture facilities, wild grown mussels and waste material. Each sample was analysed at four time points to determine the total content of (i) glycogen, (ii) lipids, (iii) proteins, (iv) inorganic substances, and (v) energy. Moreover, fatty acid profiles were investigated by GC-FID revealing high contents of PUFAs and a high ω-3/ω-6 ratio. Compared to less pronounced geographical variations, distinct seasonal trends could be observed for all samples. The content of the investigated metabolite classes, inorganic substances, and energy was at a maximum level in spring or late summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Extracts of brown seaweeds inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity. [•] Antidiabetic properties associated with phenolic content and antioxidant activity. [•] Extract concentrations used did not induce cytotoxic effects in Caco-2 cell model. [•] Potential use of seaweed extracts as functional food ingredients for diabetic care. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a classification of green vertical systems for buildings. The aim of this classification is to facilitate the identification and differentiation between systems. This classification is also essential to compare future research results relating to their operation. In addition, the mechanisms by which green facades can be used as passive energy savings systems are reviewed: shadow produced by the vegetation, insulation provided by vegetation and substrate, evaporative cooling by evapotranspiration, and the barrier effect to the wind. Finally, the paper describes the first results about the behaviour of a double-skin green facade or green curtain in Dry Mediterranean Continental conditions. It is verified that a microclimate between the wall of the building and the green curtain is created, and it is characterized by slightly lower temperatures and higher relative humidity. This means that the green screen acts as a wind barrier and confirms the evapotranspiration effect of the plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An efficient, food-friendly process for the enrichment of macroalgal phlorotannins from solid–liquid extracts (SLE) of three brown macroalgae, namely Fucus spiralis Linnaeus, Pelvetia canaliculata (Linnaeus) Decaisne & Thuret and Ascophyllum nodosum (Linnaeus) Le Jolis, has been demonstrated. The initial utilisation of molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) dialysis generated fractions of low molecular weight (LMW) (<3.5kDa) and of high molecular weight (HMW) (3.5–100kDa and >100kDa) from cold water, hot water and aqueous ethanolic SLE extracts. An enhancement of the total phenolic content (TPC), radical scavenging abilities (RSA) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in the HMW fractions of 3.5–100kDa and/or >100kDa from the cold water and aqueous ethanolic extracts was observed. The initial weak TPC, RSA and FRAP observed in the LMW fractions relative to the HMW fractions were substantially enhanced following a reverse-phase flash chromatography fractionation method. Quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-Tof-MS) suggests that phlorotannins of varying degrees of phloroglucinol polymerisation are present in LMW fractions of the three brown macroalgal species. The development of a food-friendly process for the extraction and enrichment of phlorotannins from Irish macroalgae is vital to facilitate the use of this valuable resource in future developments of macroalgal-based functional foods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]