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Food production faces important challenges such as water scarcity and the overall need of novel sustainable strategies. This study assesses the effect of the biostimulant produced through solid-state fermentation (SSF) of green waste (wood chips and grass residues) inoculated with Trichoderma harzianum with and without l-tryptophan as a precursor for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, a well-known plant hormone. The fermented solid demonstrated significant positive effects on the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under different irrigation conditions. Substantial enhancements were observed in growth parameters such as fresh weight, plant height, leaf area and leaf quantity, along with chemical parameters including total phenol content, chlorophylls, carotenoids, and antioxidant activity (DPPH). The results also showed a positive impact on the nutritional quality of lettuce, particularly under normal irrigation conditions. In conclusion, this study highlights the biostimulant potential to improve the yield and nutritional quality of lettuce crops by reusing plant residues. Additionally, it poses the relevance of applying circular economy principles in sustainable agriculture and organic waste management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Antoni Sanchez reports financial support was provided by Spain Ministry of Science and Innovation. Roberto Carlos Solano-Porras reports financial support was provided by PRONABEC-Perú. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Cannabis use disorder affects up to 42% of individuals with schizophrenia, correlating with earlier onset, increased positive symptoms, and more frequent hospitalizations. This study employed an untargeted lipidomics approach to identify biomarkers in plasma samples from subjects with schizophrenia, cannabis use disorder, or both (dual diagnosis), aiming to elucidate the metabolic underpinnings of cannabis abuse and schizophrenia development. The use of liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry enabled the annotation of 119 metabolites, with the highest identification confidence level achieved for 16 compounds. Notably, a marked reduction in acylcarnitines, including octanoylcarnitine and decanoylcarnitine, was observed across all patient groups compared to controls. In cannabis use disorder patients, N-acyl amino acids (NAAAs), particularly N-palmitoyl threonine and N-palmitoyl serine, showed a strong downregulation, a pattern also seen in schizophrenia and dual diagnosis patients. Conversely, elevated levels of 7-dehydrodesmosterol were detected in schizophrenia and dual diagnosis patients relative to controls. These findings suggest a potential link between metabolic disruptions and the pathophysiology of both disorders. The untargeted lipidomics approach offers a powerful tool to identify novel biomarkers, enhancing our understanding of the biological relationship between cannabis abuse and schizophrenia, and paving the way for future therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic pathways in these conditions., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Surfactin is a natural surfactant almost exclusively produced by Bacillus species with excellent physical-chemical, and biological properties. Among innovative applications, surfactin has been recently used as an ingredient in formulations. The antibacterial and anti-acne activities, as well as the anti-wrinkle, moisturizing, and cleansing features, are some of the reasons this lipopeptide is used in cosmetics. Considering the importance of biosurfactants in the world economy and sustainability, their potential properties for cosmetic and dermatological products, and the importance of patents for technological advancement in a circular bioeconomy system, the present study aims to review all patents involving surfactin as an ingredient in cosmetic formulas. This review was conducted through Espacenet, wherein patents containing the terms "cosmetic" and "surfactin" in their titles, abstracts, or claims were examined. Those patents that detailed a specific surfactin dosage within their formulations were selected for analysis. All patents, irrespective of their publication date, from October 1989 to December 2022, were considered. Additionally, a comprehensive search was performed in the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, spanning from their inception until the year 2023. This complementary search aimed to enrich the understanding derived from patents, with a specific emphasis on surfactin, encompassing its associated advantages, efficacy, mechanisms of action on the skin, as well as aspects related to sustainability and its merits in cosmetic formulations. From the 105 patents analysed, 75% belong to Japan (54), China (14), and Korea (9). Most of them were submitted by Asian companies such as Showa Denko (15), Kaneka (11) and Kao Corporation (5). The formulations described are mainly emulsions, skincare, cleansing, and haircare, and the surfactin dose does not exceed 5%. Surfactin appears in different types of formulas worldwide and has a high tendency to be used. Surfactin and other biosurfactants are a promising alternative to chemical ingredients in cosmetic formulations, guaranteeing skin health benefits and minimizing the impact on the environment., (© 2024 The Authors. International Journal of Cosmetic Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Cosmetic Scientists and Societe Francaise de Cosmetologie.)

We present a unique clinical case of venous congestive encephalopathy in the context of a cerebral arteriovenous fistula with clinical worsening secondary to valvular overdrainage. ICP monitoring, the different pressure settings of the programable CSF shunt and the detailed clinical description that is carried out offer us enough data to understand that this case provides important pathophysiological knowledge to a little-known disease., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Composting has demonstrated to be an effective and sustainable technology to valorise organic waste in the framework of circular economy, especially for biowaste. Composting can be performed in various technological options, from full-scale plants to community or even individual composters. However, there is scarce scientific information about the potential impact of community composting referred to gaseous emissions. This work examines the emissions of methane and nitrous oxide as main GHG, ammonia, VOC and odours from different active community composting sites placed in Spain, treating kitchen, leftovers and household biowaste. Expectedly, the gaseous emissions have an evident relation with the composting progress, represented mainly by its decrease as temperature or biological activity decreases. GHG and odour emission rates ranged from 5.3 to 815.2 mg CO 2eq d -1 kg -1 VS and from 69.8 to 1088.5 ou d -1 kg -1 VS, respectively, generally being lower than those find in open-air full-scale composting. VOC characterization from the community composting gaseous emissions showed a higher VOC families' distribution in the emissions from initial composting phases, even though terpenes such as limonene, α-pinene and β-pinene were the most abundant VOC along the composting process occurring in the different sites studied. The results presented in this study can be the basis to evaluate systematically and scientifically the numerous current projects for a worldwide community composting implementation in decentralised biowaste management schemes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To evaluate the compassionate use of plitidepsin as an antiviral treatment in hospitalized immunocompromised adult patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19., Design: Retrospective observational study of data -collected from January 01, 2021 to April 30, 2022- from 35 immunocompromised adult patients with COVID-19 non-eligible for other available antiviral treatments. Main outcome measures were time to respiratory recovery (SpFi ≥ 315); COVID-19-related 30-day-cumulative mortality after first plitidepsin infusion; and time to undetectable levels of viral RNA., Results: Thirty-three patients receiving a full course of plitidepsin (2.5 mg [n = 29] or 1.5 mg [n = 4]) were included. Most (69.7%) had a malignant hematologic disease and 27.3% had solid tumors. A total of 111 infusions were administered with lack of relevant safety events. Median time from plitidepsin initiation to SpFi ≥315 was 8 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 7-19). Median time to first negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 (cycle threshold >36) was 17 days (95% CI 13-25). Mortality rate was 16.3% (95% CI 3-37.3)., Conclusion: These data support plitidepsin as a well-tolerated treatment that might have potential clinical and antiviral efficacy in COVID-19 immunocompromised patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest JMJ holds stocks of Pangaea Oncology, has a non-remunerated role in the Scientific Advisory Board, and holds stocks of Promontory Therapeutics; and is a full-time employee and share-holder of PharmaMar, SA (Madrid, Spain), and a co-inventor of two patents for plitidepsin (WO99-42125). JAL is a full-time employee and share-holder of PharmaMar, SA (Madrid, Spain), and a co-inventor of a patent for plitidepsin (WO2008135793A1). XELE is a full-time employee of Pharma Mar, SA (Madrid, Spain). RL is a full-time employee and share-holder of PharmaMar, SA (Madrid, Spain). PGV received speaker fees from FLS Science, PharmaMar SA (Madrid, Spain) and GlaxoSmithKline (Spain); consulting fees from Angelini Pharma and PharmaMar SA; served as an advisory board member for Berlin Cures GmbH and Pharma Mar SA; and meeting grants from GlaxoSmithKline and PharmaMar SA. DCR received speaking fees from GlaxoSmithKline and Gilead Sciences. JAG received meeting grant from PharmaMar SA. PVF received speaking fee from GlaxoSmithKline (Spain) and served as an advisory board member for PharmaMar SA. MGC received meeting grant from Biomerieux. VPF received speaking fees from Janssen, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Roche and also consultant fee from Italfarmaco SA CF (Heorfy Consulting) has received fees from Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud Madrid as a payment for statistical analysis. All remaining authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This work presents the scale-up of the conidia production of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana using two different wastes, coupled with concentration and virulence tests of the produced conidia against the pest Tenebrio molitor. Beauveria bassiana CECT 20374 was used in solid state fermentation (SSF) operating under batch strategy. Two substrates with different biodegradability (rice husk and beer draff) were tested, successfully scaling from 1.5 L to 22 L bioreactors. Higher conidia production was reached using beer draff as substrate (2.5 × 10 9 and 6.0 × 10 8 conidia g -1 dry matter in 1.5 and 22 L reactors respectively) highlighting air free porosity relevance as scale-up parameter. Concentration and dose-response tests against larvae and adult Tenebrio molitor were performed to compare strain CECT 20374 with control strain KVL 13-39 (a B. bassiana strain previously tested against T. molitor). Virulence effect of the 22 L fermentation product of strain CECT using rice husk or beer draff was tested against T. molitor adult stage. However, quality loses between conidia produced in agar plates and fermented products were observed (from 75 to 80% mortality in plates to 40% in rice husk and 50-60% in beer draff fermented products respectively). The differences between plate and fermented samples also indicated fermentation process, extraction and conservation steps as possible causes for quality losses, highlighting the need to optimize them to maximize virulence maintenance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The study of psychiatric and neurological diseases requires the substrate in which the disorders occur, that is, the nervous tissue. Currently, several types of human bio-specimens are being used for research, including postmortem brains, cerebrospinal fluid, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, and induced neuronal (iN) cells. However, these samples are far from providing a useful predictive, diagnostic, or prognostic biomarker. The olfactory epithelium is a region close to the brain that has received increased interest as a research tool for the study of brain mechanisms in complex neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases. The olfactory sensory neurons are replaced by neurogenesis throughout adult life from stem cells on the basement membrane. These stem cells are multipotent and can be propagated in neurospheres, proliferated in vitro and differentiated into multiple cell types including neurons and glia. For all these reasons, olfactory epithelium provides a unique resource for investigating neuronal molecular markers of neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases. Here, we describe the isolation and culture of human differentiated neurons and glial cells from olfactory epithelium of living subjects by an easy and non-invasive exfoliation method that may serve as a useful tool for the research in brain diseases., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Although the use of green waste as a substrate in different types of microbial bioprocessing has a major impact on improving green waste valorization, very little information has been provided on this issue. The purpose of this paper is to study the feasibility of using green waste to produce a biostimulant (Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)) and biopesticide (conidial spore) through solid-state fermentation. Trichoderma harzianum was selected as the inoculum of the process and the green waste was a mixture of grass clippings and pruning waste. An experiment was designed to study the effect of tryptophan concentration, proportion of grass and pruning waste, and substrate moisture on IAA and spore production. The results show that washing and using phosphate buffer has a beneficial effect on green waste quality in terms of bioproduction. The maximum IAA and spore productions reported in the current study were 101.46 µg g -1 dry matter and 3.03 × 10 9 spore g -1 dry matter, respectively. According to the results, IAA production increases with a higher amount of tryptophan and grass. However, the number of spores increased with lower amounts of tryptophan and grass. The model suggested the following optimized parameters for the production of spores and IAA: tryptophan 0.45 %, grass 61 %, and moisture 74 %. The effect of fermentation time was also studied, and the results show that the maximum IAA and spore production was obtained on days 3 and 7, respectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The effect of magnetite nanoparticles and nanocomposites (magnetite nanoparticles impregnated into graphene oxide) supplement on the recovery of overloaded laboratory batch anaerobic reactors was assessed using two types of starting inoculum: anaerobic granular sludge (GS) and flocculent sludge (FS). Both nanomaterials recovered methane production at a dose of 0.27 g/L within 40 days in GS. Four doses of magnetite nanoparticles from 0.075 to 1 g/L recovered the process in FS systems between 30 and 50 days relaying on the dose. The presence of nanomaterials helped to reverse the effect of volatile fatty acids inhibition and enabled microbial communities to recover but also favoured the development of certain microorganisms over others. In GS reactors, the methanogenic population changed from being mostly acetoclastic (Methanothrix soehngenii) to being dominated by hydrogenotrophic species (Methanobacterium beijingense). Nanomaterial amendment may serve as a preventative measure or provide an effective remedial solution for system recovery following overloading., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Cannabis use disorder is frequent in schizophrenia patients, and it is associated with an earlier age of onset and poor schizophrenia prognosis. Serotonin 2A receptors (5-HT2AR) have been involved in psychosis and, like Akt kinase, are known to be modulated by THC. Likewise, endocannabinoid system dysregulation has been suggested in schizophrenia. The presence of these molecules in blood makes them interesting targets, as they can be evaluated in patients by a minimally invasive technique. The aim of the present study was to evaluate 5-HT2AR protein expression and the Akt functional status in platelet homogenates of subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia, cannabis use disorder, or both conditions, compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects. Additionally, endocannabinoids and pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were also measured in the plasma of these subjects. Results showed that both platelet 5-HT2AR and the active phospho (Ser473)Akt protein expression were significantly increased in schizophrenia subjects, whereas patients with a dual diagnosis of schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder did not show significant changes. Similarly, plasma concentrations of anandamide and other lipid mediators such as PEA and DEA, as well as the pro-inflammatory IL-6, were significantly increased in schizophrenia, but not in dual subjects. Results demonstrate that schizophrenia subjects show different circulating markers pattern depending on the associated diagnosis of cannabis use disorder, supporting the hypothesis that there could be different underlying mechanisms that may explain clinical differences among these groups. Moreover, they provide the first preliminary evidence of peripherally measurable molecules of interest for bigger prospective studies in these subpopulations., (© 2022 The Authors. Addiction Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.)

The natural environment has always been a source of inspiration for the research community. Nature has evolved over thousands of years to create the most complex living systems, with the ability to leverage inner and outside energetic interactions in the most efficient way. This work presents a flow battery profoundly inspired by nature, which mimics the fluid transport in plants to generate electric power. The battery was ecodesigned to meet a life cycle for precision agriculture (PA) applications; from raw material selection to disposability considerations, the battery is conceived to minimize its environmental impact while meeting PA power requirements. The paper-based fluidic system relies on evaporation as the main pumping force to pull the reactants through a pair of porous carbon electrodes where the electrochemical reaction takes place. This naturally occurring transpiration effect enables to significantly expand the operational lifespan of the battery, overcoming the time-limitation of current capillary-based power sources. Most relevant parameters affecting the battery performance, such as evaporation flow and redox species degradation, are thoroughly studied to carry out device optimization. Flow rates and power outputs comparable to those of capillary-based power sources are achieved. The prototype practicality has been demonstrated by powering a wireless plant-caring device. Standardized biodegradability and phytotoxicity assessments show that the battery is harmless to the environment at the end of its operational lifetime. Placing sustainability as the main driver leads to the generation of a disruptive battery concept that aims to address societal needs within the planetary environmental boundaries., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

As a waste valorisation option, agro-industrial residues (rice husk, apple pomace, whisky draff, soy fiber, rice fiber, wheat straw, beer draff, orange peel and potato peel) were tested as feasible substrates for fungal conidia production. Solid-state fermentation tests were conducted at laboratory scale (100 g) with Beauveria bassiana or Trichoderma harzianum which conidia are reported to have biopesticide properties. Conidia concentrations with all substrates were at least two orders of magnitude above inoculum except for both fibers, thus demonstrating the possibilities of the proposed waste recovery option. Highest productions were at least 1 × 10 9 conidia g -1 dry matter for Beauveria bassiana using rice husk or potato peel and higher than 5 × 10 9 conidia g -1 dry matter for Trichoderma harzianum using beer draff, potato peel or orange pomace. Principal component analysis has been used to understand which parameters affect the most fungal conidia production for an easier evaluation of other similar wastes, being air-filled porosity and initial pH for Beauveria bassiana and cumulative oxygen consumption, initial moisture and total sugar content for Trichoderma harzianum., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The effects of adding zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) on the physicochemical, biological and biochemical responses of a semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge have been assessed. Two sets of consecutive experiments of 103 and 116 days, respectively, were carried out in triplicate. nZVI were magnetically retained in the reactors, and the effect of punctual doses (from 0.27 to 4.33 g L -1 ) over time was studied. Among the different parameters monitored, only methane content in the biogas was significantly higher when nZVI was added. However, this effect was progressively lost after the addition, and in 5-7 days, the methane content returned to initial values. The increase in the oxidation state of nanoparticles seems to be related to the loss of effect over time. Higher dose (4.33 g L -1 ) sustained positive effects for a longer time along with higher methane content, but this fact seems to be related to microbiome acclimation. Changes in microbial community structure could also play a role in the mechanisms involved in methane enhancement. In this sense, the microbial consortium analysis reported a shift in the balance among acetogenic eubacterial communities, and a marked increase in the relative abundance of members assigned to Methanothrix genus, recognized as acetoclastic species showing high affinity for acetate, which explain the rise in methane content in the biogas. This research demonstrates that biogas methane enrichment in semicontinuous anaerobic digesters can be achieved by using nZVI nanoparticles, thus increasing energy production or reducing costs of a later biogas upgrading process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

2-phenylethanol (2-PE) is a value-added compound widely used in industry due to its rose-like odor and antibacterial properties that can be bioproduced using wastes as raw materials. This study presents the valorization of nine agro-industrial wastes as potential substrates for 2-PE production using an isolated 2-PE producer Pichia kudriavzevii, and the solid-state fermentation (SSF) technology as an alternative approach. The assessed substrates comprised wastes of varied traits such that each of them provided different characteristics to the fermentation. Thus, by using a principal component analysis (PCA), it was possible to identify the most significant characteristics associated with the substrates affecting the 2-PE production. Results show that L-phenylalanine biotransformation was more efficient than de novo synthesis for producing 2-PE. Besides, from the evaluated set, the maximum 2-PE production was achieved with red apple pomace, reaching 1.7 and 25.2 mg 2PE per gram of used waste through de novo and L-phenylalanine biotransformation, respectively. In that scenario, volumetric productivity and precursor yield were 39.6 mg 2PE L -1 h -1 and 0.69 g 2PE per gram of L-phenylalanine added , respectively. From the PCA, it was identified that the reducing sugars content of the substrate, the air-filled porosity of the bed and the L-phenylalanine availability were the most critical parameters (associated with the substrates) influencing the microbial activity and 2-PE production. These results suggest that the desirable traits a solid media needs for promoting 2-PE production via SSF could be reached by using a combination of wastes in a synergistic approach., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Authors declared that there are no conflicts of interest to this work, including no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak challenges the Spanish health system since March 2020. Some available therapies (antimalarials, antivirals, biological agents) were grounded on clinical case observations or basic science data. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics and impact of different therapies on clinical outcomes in a cohort of severe COVID-19 patients., Methods: In this retrospective, single-center, observational study, we collected sequential data on adult patients admitted to Hospital Universitario Quironsalud Madrid. Eligible patients should have a microbiological (positive test on RT-PCR assay from a nasal swab) or an epidemiological diagnosis of severe COVID-19. Demographic, baseline comorbidities, laboratory data, clinical outcomes, and treatments were compared between survivors and non-survivors. We carried out univariate and multivariate logistic regression models to assess potential risk factors for in-hospital mortality., Findings: From March 10th to April 15th, 2020, 607 patients were included. Median age was 69 years [interquartile range, {IQR} 22; 65% male). The most common comorbidities were hypertension (276 [46·94%]), diabetes (95 [16·16%]), chronic cardiac (133 [22·62%]) and respiratory (114 [19·39%]) diseases. 141 patients (23·2%) died. In the multivariate model the risk of death increased with older age (odds ratio, for every year of age, 1·15, [95% CI 1·11 - 1·2]), tocilizumab therapy (2·4, [1·13 - 5·11]), C-reactive protein at admission (1·07, per 10 mg/L, [1·04 - 1·10]), d-dimer > 2·5 μg/mL (1·99, [1·03 - 3·86]), diabetes mellitus (2·61, [1·19 - 5·73]), and the PaO 2 /FiO 2 at admission (0·99, per every 1 mmHg, [0·98 - 0·99]). Among the prescribed therapies (tocilizumab, glucocorticoids, lopinavir/ritonavir, hydroxychloroquine, cyclosporine), only cyclosporine was associated with a significant decrease in mortality (0·24, [0·12 - 0·46]; p <0·001)., Interpretation: In a real-clinical setting, inhibition of the calcineurin inflammatory pathway, NF-κΒ, could reduce the hyperinflammatory phase in COVID-19. Our findings might entail relevant implications for the therapy of this disease and could boost the design of new clinical trials among subjects affected by severe COVID-19., Funding: Hospital Universitario Quironsalud Madrid. Own fundings for COVID-19 research., Competing Interests: Dr. Correyero Plaza reports grants from Procare, Pfizer, Novartis, Lilly, Abbvie, Roche and personal fees from Onclinical during the conduct of the study; grants from Procare, Abbvie, Roche and personal fees from Onclinical outside the submitted work. The rest of the authors declares no competing interest for the current work., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Home and community composting are considered potential tools for the self-management of organic waste. The production of added value products from biowaste is an encouraging step further to valorise this waste stream. To increase the profits of homemade compost, this paper presents a strategy to produce enriched home compost with biopesticide properties through a simple and low-cost process. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) was inoculated in a home composter bin through a solid inoculum previously prepared using the same waste as substrate. The process was monitored and compared with a home composting control process without inoculation. Final composts were analysed and compared in terms of physicochemical and microbiological properties, respiration and germination indices, indicating the suitability of both to be used as organic amendments. Also, a standardized toxicity test proved that Bt-enriched compost can be safely applied to the soil. Microbiological analysis revealed highly diverse communities in both cases, with limited differences at phylum taxonomic level, but dissimilar relative abundances of species within phylum. Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were dominant, with the presence of species able to transform organic matter from vegetal origin, but not usually related to compost. Bt-cristal toxin was clearly present in Bt-enriched compost, indicating the coexistence of Bt with the different microbial populations till the end of the composting process. Although Bt has been widely investigated due to its biopesticide properties, the incorporation of this microorganism to home composting level has not been previously reported., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Solid-state fermentation using rice husk as substrate with either Beauveria bassiana or Trichoderma harzianum was conducted on batch reactors at laboratory scale to establish optimal conditions for spore production. Time course tests were performed to determine maximum spore production time, which was 7.7 days for Beauveria bassiana and 5.7 days for Trichoderma harzianum. The effect of moisture, inoculum concentration, airflow rate, temperature and C/N ratio on spore production was evaluated by two Box-Behnken experimental designs. Final spore concentrations ranged from 2.0 × 10 8 to 2.0 × 10 9  spores g -1 dry matter. Main factors influencing spore production were moisture (optimum values of 55-60% for Trichoderma harzianum and 65-70 for Beauveria bassiana) and temperature (25 °C). The effect of mixing enhanced Trichoderma harzianum spore production while influencing negatively in the case of Beauveria bassiana. Robustness of the process has been demonstrated through statistical analysis using box-plots., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study describes the use of alternative operational strategies in the solid-state fermentation of the agro-industrial leftover sugar cane bagasse (SCB) supplemented with l-phenylalanine, for bioproducing natural 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) and 2-phenethyl acetate (2-PEA) using K. marxianus. Here, fed-batch and sequential-batch have been assessed at two scales (1.6 and 22 L) as tools to increase the production, as well as to enhance the sustainability of this residue-based process. While in the reference batch strategy a maximum of 17 mg of 2-PE+2-PEA per gram of added SCB was reached at both scales, the implementation of fed-batch mode induced a production increase of 11.6% and 12.5%, respectively. Also, the production was increased by 16.9% and 2.4% as compared to the batch when a sequential-batch mode was used. Furthermore, the use of these strategies was accompanied by lower consumption of key resources like the inoculum, air, and time, promoting savings between 22% and 76% at both scales.

2-Phenylethanol (2-PE) and 2-phenethyl acetate (2-PEA) are valuable generally recognized as safe flavoring agents widely used in industry. Perfumes, pharmaceuticals, polishes, and personal care products, are some of the final products using these compounds as additives due to their rose-like odor. Also, 2-PE is used in disinfectants, pest control, and cleaning products due to its biocide capability. Although most of these additives production are derived from chemical synthesis, the current trend of consumers to prefer natural products has contributed to the development of biotechnological approaches as an alternative way to obtain natural 2-PE and 2-PEA. The most efficient route to bioproduce these compounds is through the bioconversion of L-phenylalanine via the Ehrlich pathway, and most of the advances have been focused on the development of this process. This review compiles the most recent developments in the biotechnological production of 2-PE and 2-PEA, indicating the most studied strains producing 2-PE and 2-PEA, the current advances in the in situ product recovery in liquid systems, an overview of the strain developments, and the progress in the use of residue-based systems. Future research should address the need for more sustainable and economic systems such as those using wastes as raw materials, as well as the scale-up of the proposed technologies.

Bioproduction of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) products starting with low-cost raw materials has become significant in the biorefinery concept. Thus, the solid-state fermentation (SSF) of agro-industrial residues using GRAS strains appears as alternative to obtain aroma compounds. Here, the SSF of the mixture sugarcane bagasse/sugar beet molasses was used for producing a mixture of value-added fruit-like compounds. The study aimed to enhance the production and ester selectivity evaluating three operational strategies at three scales (0.5, 4.5 and 22 L) using non-sterilized residues. While the average total volatile production was 120 mg Vol per gram of dry substrate (g -1 ITS ), fed-batch operation promoted the highest increases in the ester content up to 57 mg Est  g -1 ITS , an 88 and 59% more than in the static-batch and intermittent mixing modes respectively. Alternative operational strategies have compensated the scale-up adverse effects in the bioproduction, moving towards a sustainable large-scale application in a circular economy scheme., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

2-Phenylethanol (2-PE) and 2-phenethyl acetate (2-PEA) are important aroma compounds widely used in food and cosmetic industries due to their rose-like odor. Nowadays, due to the growing demand for natural products, the development of bioprocesses for obtaining value-added compounds has become of great significance. 2-PE and 2-PEA can be produced through the biotransformation of L-phenylalanine using the generally recognized as safe strain Kluyveromyces marxianus. L-phenylalanine bioconversion systems have been typically focused on submerged fermentation processes (SmF), but there is no information about other alternative productive approaches. Here, the solid-state fermentation (SSF) of sugarcane bagasse supplemented with L-phenylalanine was investigated as a sustainable alternative for producing 2-PE and 2-PEA in a residue-based system using Kluyveromyces marxianus as inoculum. An initial screening of the operational variables indicated that air supply, temperature, and initial moisture content significantly affect the product yield. Besides, it was found that the feeding strategy also affects the production and the efficiency of the process. While a basic batch system produced 16 mg products per gram of residue (dry basis), by using split feeding strategies (fed-batch) of only sugarcane bagasse, a maximum of 18.4 mg Products  g -1 residue were achieved. Increase in product yield was also accompanied by an increase in the consumption efficiency of nutrients and precursor. The suggested system results as effective as other more complex SmF systems to obtain 2-PE and 2-PEA, showing the feasibility of SSF as an alternative for producing these compounds through the valorization of an agro-industrial residue.

This review analyses the main challenges of the process of food waste composting and examines the crucial aspects related to the quality of the produced compost. Although recent advances have been made in crucial aspects of the process, such composting microbiology, improvements are needed in process monitoring. Therefore, specific problems related to food waste composting, such as the presence of impurities, are thoroughly analysed in this study. In addition, environmental impacts related to food waste composting, such as emissions of greenhouse gases and odours, are discussed. Finally, the use of food waste compost in soil bioremediation is discussed in detail., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel process has been developed for the selective removal of protein from pot ale with recovered protein holding potential as a value-added by-product for the whisky industry. The purpose of this work was to assess the effect of deproteination on pot ale physicochemical characterisation and anaerobic digestion (AD) treatment. Pot ales were taken from five malt whisky distilleries and tested untreated, after centrifugation/filtration and after deproteination at laboratory or pilot scale. At laboratory scale, the deproteination process removed around 20% of total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD) from untreated pot ale and at least 30% dissolved copper from centrifuged pot ale. Biochemical methane potential of untreated, filtered and deproteinated pot ale obtained at pilot scale has been determined using two types of inocula from different source. Average methane yield values of 554±67, 586±24 and 501±23 Nl CH 4 kg -1 VS were obtained for untreated, filtered and deproteinated pot ale respectively. A significant difference in methane yield was only observed for untreated pot ale using the two types of inocula. Specifically, when using a non-adapted inoculum untreated pot ale biogas yield was significant lower suggesting inhibition of the AD process. As no significant differences were found for treated pot ale (filtered and deproteinated) with the two inocula it suggests, deproteination may have a positive effect on AD start-up. The results present a clear case for continuation of this work and evaluating the effect on continuous AD., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the framework of a circular economy, organic solid wastes are considered to be resources useful for obtaining value-added products. Among other potential uses, biodegradable wastes from agricultural, industrial, and domestic sources are being studied to obtain biopesticides through solid-state fermentation (SSF), mainly at the laboratory scale. The suitability of biowaste (source-selected organic fraction of municipal solid waste) for use as a substrate for Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) growth under non-sterile conditions in a 10 L SSF reactor was determined in this study. An operational strategy for setting up a semi-continuous process yielding a stabilised organic compost-like material enriched with Bt suitable for use as a soil amendment was developed. Concentrations of 1.7·10 7 -2.2·10 7 and 1.3·10 7 -2.1·10 7  CFU g -1 DM for Bt viable cells and spores, respectively, were obtained in the final material. As the results confirmed, Bt-enriched compost-like material with potential biopesticide properties can be produced from non-sterile biowaste., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Both raw and composted poultry manure is applied as soil amendment. The aims of this study were: (1) to develop phytotoxicity indexes for organic wastes and composts, and (2) to assess the correlation among phytotoxicity indexes, ecotoxicological endpoints and stability and physicochemical parameters during passive composting of poultry manure. Six 2-m(3) composting piles were constructed and four parameter groups (physicochemical and microbiological parameters, ecotoxicological endpoints, and biological activity) were determined at four sampling times during 92days. Extracts were used to carry out acute toxicity tests on Daphnia magna, Lactuca sativa and Raphanus sativus. Composting decreased average toxicity 22.8% for the 3 species and D. magna was the most sensitive species. The static respiration index decreased from 1.12 to 0.46mgO2gOMh(-1) whilst organic matter reduced by 64.1% at the end of the process. Escherichia coli colonies remained higher than values recommended by international guidelines. The D. magna immobilization test allowed the assessment of possible leachate or run-off toxicity. The new phytotoxicity indexes (RGIC0.8 and GIC80%), proposed in this study, as well as salinity, proved to be good maturity indicators. Hence, these phytotoxicity indexes could be implemented in monitoring strategies as useful ecotoxicological tools. Multivariate analyses demonstrated positive correlations between ecotoxicological endpoints (low toxicity) and biological activity (stability). These two parameter groups were associated at the final sampling time and showed negative correlations with several physicochemical parameters (organic and inorganic contents). The final poultry manure compost was rendered stable, but immature and, thus, unsuitable for soil amending., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is a growing generation of biodegradable wastes from different human activities from industrial to agricultural including home and recreational activities. On the other hand, agricultural and horticultural activities require significant amounts of organic amendments and pesticides. In this framework, the present study evaluates the viability of soy fiber residue valorization as organic soil amendment with biopesticide properties through aerobic solid-state fermentation (SSF) in the presence of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The experiments were performed first under sterile and non-sterile conditions at lab scale using 115 g of sample and controlled temperature (30 °C). Bt growth was successful in sterile conditions, obtaining 6.2 × 10(11) CFU g(-1) DM and 8.6 × 10(10) spores g(-1) DM after 6 days. Bt survived on solid culture under non-sterile conditions (3.8 × 10(9) CFU g(-1) DM and 1.3 × 10(8) spores g(-1) DM). Further, the valorization process was scaled-up to 10 L reactors (2300 g) under non-sterile conditions obtaining a final stabilized material with viable Bt cells and spores (9.5 × 10(7) CFU g(-1) DM and 1.1 × 10(8) spores g(-1) DM in average) after 9 days of SSF. These results confirm the possibility of managing biodegradable wastes by their transformation to a waste derived soil amendment with enhanced biopesticide effect, in comparison to traditional compost using a valuable and low-cost technique (SSF)., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hair wastes from the tannery industry were assessed for its suitability as substrates for protease production by solid-state fermentation (SSF) using a pilot-batch mode operation and anaerobically digested sludge as co-substrate. Maximum protease activity (52,230±1601 U g(-1) DM) was observed at the 14th day of SSF. Single step purification resulted in 2 fold purification with 74% of recovery by ultrafiltration with 10 kDa cut-off. The recovered enzyme was stable at a temperature of 30°C and pH 11; optimal conditions that were determined by a central composite full factorial experimental design. The enzyme activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, which indicates that it belongs to serine protease group. The remaining solid material after protease extraction could be easily stabilized to obtain a final good quality compost-like material as the final dynamic respiration index was lower than 1 g O2 kg(-1) OM h(-1). The lyophilized recovered enzymes were a good alternative in the process of cowhides dehairing with respect to the current chemical treatment, avoiding the production of solid wastes and highly polluted wastewaters. In conclusion, the entire process can be considered a low-cost sustainable technology for the dehairing process, closing the organic matter cycle in the form of value added product and a compost-like material from a waste., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different air flowrates and different aeration modes on the respiration activity of three organic substrates of different stability degree: (i) a constant flowrate and (ii) a continuously adjusted air flowrate that optimized the oxygen uptake rate (OUR). Above 20L air kg(-1)DMh(-1), at the constant flow regime, the resulting dynamic respiration index at 24h (DRI24) and the cumulative respiration at four days (AT4) were statistically similar. At the OUR based aeration regime, the DRI24 and AT4 were statistically similar at all initial flowrates tested. Above a minimum threshold, cumulative air flow of around 3000Lairkg(-1) DM during a 5day period, the respiration activity was similar, particularly for the two less active substrates. This study highlights the importance of selecting the aeration to obtain reliable measures of biological activity and stability in organic wastes., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Stability and maturity are important criteria to guarantee the quality of a compost that is applied to agriculture or used as amendment in degraded soils. Although different techniques exist to evaluate stability and maturity, the application of laboratory tests in municipalities in developing countries can be limited due to cost and application complexities. In the composting facilities of such places, some classical low cost on-site tests to monitor the composting process are usually implemented; however, such tests do not necessarily clearly identify conditions of stability and maturity. In this article, we have applied and compared results of stability and maturity tests that can be easily employed on site (i.e. temperature, pH, moisture, electrical conductivity [EC], odor and color), and of tests that require more complex laboratory techniques (volatile solids, C/N ratio, self-heating, respirometric index, germination index [GI]). The evaluation of the above was performed in the field scale using 2 piles of biowaste applied compost. The monitoring period was from day 70 to day 190 of the process. Results showed that the low-cost tests traditionally employed to monitor the composting process on-site, such as temperature, color and moisture, do not provide consistent determinations with the more complex laboratory tests used to assess stability (e.g. respiration index, self-heating, volatile solids). In the case of maturity tests (GI, pH, EC), both the on-site tests (pH, EC) and the laboratory test (GI) provided consistent results. Although, stability was indicated for most of the samples, the maturity tests indicated that products were consistently immature. Thus, a stable product is not necessarily mature. Conclusively, the decision on the quality of the compost in the installations located in developing countries requires the simultaneous use of a combination of tests that are performed both in the laboratory and on-site., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper sets out to analyse whether the complexity and the type of benefits and values pursued in the consumer choice process for a novel food product (couscous) varies with the consumer's ethnic origin (Spanish and Arab). A qualitative study was used to explore these issues in an application of the "means-end chain" theory. The hierarchical value maps obtained point to the presence of an important emotional dimension in the consumption of the selected product, particularly Arab consumers, suggesting that greater familiarity with the product results in a more complex choice process. Some cross-cultural variation can also be observed. Arab consumers attach more importance to issues such as the geographic origin of the product, cultural identification, and fulfilment of family duty. Spanish couscous consumers, meanwhile, claim that it is a way to follow the latest trends, and be more cosmopolitan and more successful within their environment., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

One of the principal opportunity areas in the development of the microalgal biodiesel industry is the energy recovery from the solid microalgal biomass residues to optimise the fuel production. This work reports the cumulative methane yields reached from the anaerobic digestion of the solid microalgal biomass residues using different types of inocula, reporting also the improvement of biogas production using the co-digestion of microalgal biomass with glycerol. Results demonstrate that the solid microalgal biomass residues showed better biogas production using a mesophilic inoculum, reaching almost two-fold higher methane production than under thermophilic conditions. Furthermore, the solid microalgal biomass residues methane production rate showed an increase from 173.78 ± 9.57 to 438.46 ± 40.50 mL of methane per gram of volatile solids, when the co-digestion with glycerol was performed. These results are crucial to improve the energy balance of the biodiesel production from Tetraselmis suecica, as well as proposing an alternative way to treat the wastes derived from the microalgae biodiesel production., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

The emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC), CH4, N2O and NH3 during the solid state fermentation process of some selected wastes to obtain different enzymes have been determined at pilot scale. Orange peel+compost (OP), hair wastes+raw sludge (HW) and winterization residue+raw sludge (WR) have been processed in duplicate in 50 L reactors to provide emission factors and to identify the different VOC families present in exhaust gaseous emissions. Ammonia emission from HW fermentation (3.2±0.5 kg Mg(-1) dry matter) and VOC emission during OP processes (18±6 kg Mg(-1) dry matter) should be considered in an industrial application of these processes. Terpenes have been the most emitted VOC family during all the processes although the emission of sulphide molecules during HW SSF is notable. The most emitted compound was dimethyl disulfide in HW and WR processes, and limonene in the SSF of OP., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel concept of dosing iron ions using Fe3O4 engineered nanoparticles is used to improve biogas production in anaerobic digestion processes. Since small nanoparticles are unstable, they can be designed to provide ions in a controlled manner, and the highest ever reported improvement of biogas production is obtained. The nanoparticles evolution during operation is followed by an array of spectroscopic techniques., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Stability is one of the most important properties of compost obtained from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes. This property is essential for the application of compost to land to avoid further field degradation and emissions of odors, among others. In this study, a massive characterization of compost samples from both home producers and industrial facilities is presented. Results are analyzed in terms of chemical and respiration characterizations, the latter representing the stability of the compost. Results are also analyzed in terms of statistical validation. The main conclusion from this work is that home composting, when properly conducted, can achieve excellent levels of stability, whereas industrial compost produced in the studied facilities can also present a high stability, although an important dispersion is found in these composts. The study also highlights the importance of respiration techniques to have a reliable characterization of compost quality, while the chemical characterization does not provide enough information to have a complete picture of a compost sample., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper relates the concept of moral obligation and the components of the Theory of Planned Behavior to determine their influence on the willingness to pay of visitors for park conservation. The sample consists of 190 visitors to an urban Spanish park. The mean willingness to pay estimated was 12.67€ per year. The results also indicated that moral norm was the major factor in predicting behavioral intention, followed by attitudes. The new relations established between the components of the Theory of Planned Behavior show that social norms significantly determine the attitudes, moral norms and perceived behavioral control of individuals. The proportion of explained variance shows that the inclusion of moral norms improves the explanatory power of the original model of the Theory of Planned Behavior (32-40%). Community-based social marketing and local campaigns are the main strategies that should be followed by land managers with the objective of promoting responsible, pro-environmental attitudes as well as a greater willingness to pay for this type of goods., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aims to determine what the initial disposition of physicians towards the use of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) based on Computerised Clinical Guidelines and Protocols (CCGP) is; and whether their prolonged utilisation has a positive effect on their intention to adopt them in the future. For a period of 3 months, 8 volunteer paediatricians monitored each up to 10 asthmatic patients using two CCGPs deployed in the-GuidesMed CDSS. A Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire was supplied to them before and after using the system. Results from both questionnaires are analysed searching for significant improvements in opinion between them. An additional survey was performed to analyse the usability of the system. It was found that initial disposition of physicians towards e-GuidesMed is good. Improvement between the pre and post iterations of the TAM questionnaire has been found to be statistically significant. Nonetheless, slightly lower values in the Compatibility and Habit variables show that participants perceive possible difficulties to integrate e-GuidesMed into their daily routine. The variable Facilitators shows the highest correlation with the Intention to Use. Usability of the system has also been rated very high and, in this regard, no fundamental flaw has been detected. Initial views towards e-GuidesMed are positive, and become reinforced after continued utilisation of the system. In order to achieve an effective implementation, it becomes essential to facilitate conditions to integrate the system into the physician's daily routine.

In this study a combined anaerobic/aerobic full-scale treatment plant designed for the treatment of the source-separated organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) was monitored over a period of one year. During this period, full information was collected about the waste input material, the biogas production, the main rejects and the compost characteristics. The plant includes mechanical pre-treatment, dry thermophilic anaerobic digestion, tunnel composting system and a curing phase to produce compost. To perform the monitoring of the entire plant and the individual steps, traditional chemical methods were used but they present important limitations in determining the critical points and the efficiency of the stabilization of the organic matter. Respiration indices (dynamic and cumulative) allowed for the quantitative calculation of the efficiency of each treatment unit. The mass balance was calculated and expressed in terms of Mgy(-1) of wet (total) matter, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Results show that during the pre-treatment step about 32% of the initial wet matter is rejected without any treatment. This also reduces the biodegradability of the organic matter that continues to the treatment process. About 50% of the initial nitrogen and 86.4% of the initial phosphorus are found in the final compost. The final compost also achieves a high level of stabilization with a dynamic respiration index of 0.3±0.1g O(2) per kg of total solids per hour, which implies a reduction of 93% from that of the raw OFMSW, without considering the losses of biodegradable organic matter in the refuse (32% of the total input). The anaerobic digestion process is the main contributor to this stabilization., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To assess the effect of freezing on the indigenous biological activity of an organic waste, five types of organic wastes (raw sludge [RS], municipal solid waste [MSW], partially processed municipal solid waste [MSWpp], digested sludge [DS] and composted organic fraction of municipal solid waste [OFMSWc]) were frozen and stored during different times to identify if the interruption of the native biological activity was recovered. Respiration indices (DRI(24h) and AT(4)) were used to determine the biological activity expressed as oxygen consumption. ANOVA analysis was used to compare the results. Respiration indices of RS, DS, MSWpp and OFMSWc were not affected by freezing storage during 1 year. Contrarily, respiration indices of MSW samples were statistically different after 52 and 20 weeks of freezing storage (DRI(24h) and AT(4), respectively). Regarding the lag phase and the time to reach maximum respiration activity, frozen samples induced a significant change in the organic samples analyzed except for OFMSWc., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lipases were produced by a microbial consortium derived from a mixture of wastewater sludges in a medium containing solid industrial wastes rich in fats, under thermophilic conditions (temperature higher than 45°C for 20 days) in 4.5-L reactors. The lipases were extracted from the solid medium using 100mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 and a cationic surfactant agent (cetyltrimethylammonium chloride). Different doses of surfactant and buffer were tested according to a full factorial experimental design. The extracted lipases were most active at 61-65°C and at pH 7.7-9. For the solid samples, the lipolytic activity reached up to 120,000 UA/g of dry matter. These values are considerably higher than those previously reported in literature for solid-state fermentation and highlight the possibility to work with the solid wastes as effective biocatalysts., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A full-scale composting plant treating in two parallel lines sewage sludge and the source-selected organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW or biowaste) has been completely monitored. Chemical routine analysis proved not to be suitable for an adequate plant monitoring in terms of stabilization and characterization of the process and final compost properties. However, the dynamic respiration index demonstrated to be the most feasible tool to determine the progression of the degradation and stabilization of organic matter for both sewage sludge and OFMSW lines. Both lines exhibited an important degree of stabilization of organic matter using rapid and cumulative respiration indices. Pyrolysis-GC/MS was applied to the most important inputs, outputs, and intermediate points of the plant. It proved to be a powerful tool for the qualitative characterization of molecular composition of organic matter present in solid samples. A full characterization of the samples considered is also presented., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The viability of mixtures from manure and agricultural wastes as composting sources were systematically studied using a physicochemical and biological characterization. The combination of different parameters such as C:N ratio, free air space (FAS) and moisture content can help in the formulation of the mixtures. Nevertheless, the composting process may be challenging, particularly at industrial scales. The results of this study suggest that if the respirometric potential is known, it is possible to predict the behaviour of a full scale composting process. Respiration indices can be used as a tool for determining the suitability of composting as applied to manure and complementary wastes. Accordingly, manure and agricultural wastes with a high potential for composting and some proposed mixtures have been characterized in terms of respiration activity. Specifically, the potential of samples to be composted has been determined by means of the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) and the dynamic respirometric index (DRI). During this study, four of these mixtures were composted at full scale in a system consisting of a confined pile with forced aeration. The biological activity was monitored by means of the oxygen uptake rate inside the material (OURinsitu). This new parameter represents the real activity of the process. The comparison between the potential respirometric activities at laboratory scale with the in situ respirometric activity observed at full scale may be a useful tool in the design and optimization of composting systems for manure and other organic agricultural wastes., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)