Energy requirements in top-level DanceSport athletes

Dancesport is a sport of recent history: recognition by the IOC as Olimpic discipline came in 1997. Scientific literature on this new sport is almost nonexistent. The purpose of this study is for define the energy expenditure and the intensity of the two main dancesport disciplines (latinamerican and standard dances) in top-level athletes and verify characteristics and differences of these two dance genres. Twenty dancers, 10 male and 10 female (10 couples,), aged between 19 and 31 years, have been enrolled in this study. 5 couples were latin-american dancers while 5 couples standard dancers. Athletes were asked to wear a metabolic holter (Sensewear Armband)for 25 hours and to perform a training session and a simulated competition to record BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), DEE (Daily Energy Expenditure), TEE (Training Energy Expenditure), MET (Metabolic Equivalent) and PAL (Physical Activity Level). Statistical analysis reveals no differences between the two dance disciplines, our results suggest that dancesport is a moderate/heavy activity that requires a strong energy expenditure. Athletes involved in continuous training programs show a vigorous Physical Activity Level

Bioactivity of Olive Oil Phenols in Neuroprotection

Neurological disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are associated with high morbidity and mortality, and few or no effective options are available for their treatment. These disorders share common pathological characteristics like the induction of oxidative stress, abnormal protein aggregation, perturbed Ca(2+) homeostasis, excitotoxicity, inflammation and apoptosis. A large body of evidence supports the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet in preventing neurodegeneration. As the Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high consumption of extra-virgin olive oil it has been hypothesized that olive oil, and in particular its phenols, could be responsible for the beneficial effect of the Mediterranean diet. This review provides an updated vision of the beneficial properties of olive oil and olive oil phenols in preventing/counteracting both acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases

A decision support system for scheduling a vaccination campaign during a pandemic emergency: The COVID-19 case

This paper considers the organization and scheduling of a vaccination campaign during a pandemic emergency. We describe the decision process and introduce an optimization model, which showed a powerful multi -scenario tool for scheduling a campaign in detail within a dynamic and uncertain context. The solution of the model gave the decision maker the possibility to test different settings and have a configurable solution within few seconds, compared with the man-days of effort that would have required a manual schedule. Analysis of a real case study on COVID-19 vaccination campaign in northern Italy showed that the use of such optimized solution allowed to cover the target population within a much shorter time interval, compared to a manual approach

Process optimization of osmotic membrane distillation for the extraction of valuable resources from water streams

The rising demand for sustainable wastewater management and high-value resource recovery is pressing industries involved in, e.g., textiles, metals, and food production, to adopt energy-efficient and flexible liquid separation methods. The current techniques often fall short in achieving zero liquid discharge and enhancing socio-economic growth sustainably. Osmotic membrane distillation (OMD) has emerged as a low-temperature separation process designed to concentrate valuable elements and substances in dilute feed streams. The efficacy of OMD hinges on the solvent’s migration from the feed to the draw stream through a hydrophobic membrane, driven by the vapor pressure difference induced by both temperature and concentration gradients. However, the intricate interplay of heat and mass processes steering this mechanism is not yet fully comprehended or accurately modeled. In this research, we conducted a combined theoretical and experimental study to explore the capabilities and thermodynamic limitations of OMD. Under diverse operating conditions, the experimental campaign aimed to corroborate our theoretical assertions. We derived a novel equation to govern water flux based on foundational principles and introduced a streamlined version for more straightforward application. Our findings spotlight complex transport-limiting and self-adjusting mechanisms linked with temperature and concentration polarization phenomena. Compared with traditional methods like membrane distillation and osmotic dilution, which are driven by solely temperature or concentration gradients, OMD may provide improved and flexible performance in target applications. For instance, we show that OMD—if properly optimized—can achieve water vapor fluxes 50% higher than osmotic dilution. Notably, OMD operation at reduced feed temperatures can lead to energy savings ranging between 5 and 95%, owing to the use of highly concentrated draw solutions. This study underscores the potential of OMD in real-world applications, such as concentrating lithium in wastewater streams. By enhancing our fundamental understanding of OMD’s potential and constraints, we aim to broaden its adoption as a pivotal liquid separation tool, with focus on sustainable resource recovery

Dewatering of Scenedesmus Obliquus Cultivation Substrate with Microfiltration: Potential and Challenges for Water Reuse and Effective Harvesting

In the microalgae harvesting process, which includes a step for dewatering the algal suspension, directly reusing extracted water in situ would decrease the freshwater footprint of cultivation systems. Among various algae harvesting techniques, membrane-based filtration has shown numerous advantages. This study evaluated the reuse of permeate streams derived from Scenedesmus obliquus (S. obliquus) biomass filtration under bench-scale and pilot-scale conditions. In particular, this study identified a series of challenges and mechanisms that influence the water reuse potential and the robustness of the membrane harvesting system. In a preliminary phase of this investigation, the health status of the initial biomass was found to have important implications for the harvesting performance and quality of the permeate stream to be reused; healthy biomass ensured better dewatering performance (i.e., higher water fluxes) and higher quality of the permeate water streams. A series of bench-scale filtration experiments with different combinations of cross-flow velocity and pressure values were performed to identify the operative conditions that would maximize water productivity. The selected conditions, 2.4 m s 1 and 1.4 bar (1 bar = 105 Pa), respectively, were then applied to drive pilot-scale microfiltration tests to reuse the collected permeate as a new cultivation medium for S. obliquus growth in a pilot-scale photobioreactor. The investigation revealed key differences between the behavior of the membrane systems at the two scales (bench and pilot). It indicated the potential for beneficial reuse of the permeate stream as the pilot-scale experiments ensured high harvesting performance and growth rates of biomass in permeate water that were highly similar to those recorded in the ideal cultivation medium. Finally, different nutrient reintegration protocols were investigated, revealing that both macro- and micro-nutrient levels are critical for the success of the reuse approach

Review Article Polyphenols in Exercise Performance and Prevention of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Although moderate physical exercise is considered an essential component of a healthy lifestyle that leads the organism to adapt itself to different stresses, exercise, especially when exhaustive, is also known to induce oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle damage. Many efforts have been carried out to identify dietary strategies or micronutrients able to prevent or at least attenuate the exercise-induced muscle damage and stress. Unfortunately most studies have failed to show protection, and at the present time data supporting the protective effect of micronutrients, as antioxidant vitamins, are weak and trivial. This review focuses on those polyphenols, present in the plant kingdom, that have been recently suggested to exert some positive effects on exercise-induced muscle damage and oxidative stress. In the last decade flavonoids as quercetin, catechins, and other polyphenols as resveratrol have caught the scientists attention. However, at the present time drawing a clear and definitive conclusion seems to be untimely

Polyphenols in Exercise Performance and Prevention of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Although moderate physical exercise is considered an essential component of a healthy lifestyle that leads the organism to adapt itself to different stresses, exercise, especially when exhaustive, is also known to induce oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle damage. Many efforts have been carried out to identify dietary strategies or micronutrients able to prevent or at least attenuate the exercise-induced muscle damage and stress. Unfortunately most studies have failed to show protection, and at the present time data supporting the protective effect of micronutrients, as antioxidant vitamins, are weak and trivial. This review focuses on those polyphenols, present in the plant kingdom, that have been recently suggested to exert some positive effects on exercise-induced muscle damage and oxidative stress. In the last decade flavonoids as quercetin, catechins, and other polyphenols as resveratrol have caught the scientists attention. However, at the present time drawing a clear and definitive conclusion seems to be untimely

Microalgae biomass concentration and reuse of water as new cultivation medium using ceramic membrane filtration

The aim of this study is to advance means for microalgae dewatering with the simultaneous reuse of water as new cultivation medium, specifically through ceramic membrane filtration. Three algae, namely, Spirulina platensis, Scenedesmus obliquus, and Chlorella sorokiniana were tested by filtering suspensions with four ceramic membranes having nominal pore sizes of 0.8 μm, 0.14 μm, 300 kDa, 15 kDa. The observed flux values and organic matter removal rates were related to the membrane pore size and cake layer properties, with some differences in productivity between algae types, likely due to cell size and shape. Interestingly, similar near steady-state fluxes (70-120 L m-2h-1) were measured using membranes with nominal pore size above 15 kDa, suggesting the dominance of cake layer filtration independently of the initial flux. Virtually complete algae cells rejections and high nutrient passage (>75%) were observed in all combinations. When the permeate streams were used as media for new growth cycles of the various algae, no or little growth was observed with Spirulina p., while Chlorella s. (permeate from 300 kDa membrane) and especially Scenedesmus o. (permeate from 0.14 μm membrane) showed the fastest growth rates, almost comparable to those observed with ideal fresh media

Concentration of phycocyanin and coffee extracts in aqueous solutions with osmotically-assisted membrane distillation

Osmotic membrane distillation (OMD) is a dewatering process that exploits combined temperature and osmotic pressure gradients to drive water vapor fluxes under mild operation conditions. In this study, the feasibility of OMD is evaluated for the concentration of phycocyanin and coffee extract solutions, with the goal to safeguard the quality of the extracts. Different feed solution temperatures were studied, namely, 35 °C, 45 °C, 55 °C, while keeping a concentration of 4 M CaCl2 in the extraction solution. The target concentration factor was set to 4, equivalent to a water recovery rate of 75 %. The results suggest that a temperature equal to or below 45 °C should be chosen for the concentration of phycocyanin to prevent degradation and to minimize fouling, while higher temperatures may be used for the recovery of the coffee extract. The combined gradients provided water fluxes around or above 4 L m−2h−1 with both extracts under relatively mild conditions, even at high concentration factors. Qualitative membrane fouling inspection was corroborated by estimating the fraction of productivity lost due to fouling, which was larger for higher feed temperatures and for the phycocyanin extracts, and had values between roughly 20 and 70 %. Results also suggest that the quality of the extracts was maintained, based on the measured purity and content of the target compounds in the concentrated solutions. Specifically, no trace of extraneous compounds was found, and no salt passage was observed from the extraction solution to the feed solution, suggesting that OMD has the potential to concentrate sensitive components

Systematic exploration of direct solar absorption potential to enhance direct contact membrane distillation

Increasing concerns about global freshwater scarcity and the growing demand for renewable energy are stimulating the exploration of innovative technological solutions for sustainable water management. Thanks to an experimentally validated model, here we systematically assess the effectiveness of distributed solar heat in enhancing the productivity of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) for seawater desalination. The proposed study investigates the impact of various configurations and operating parameters, analyzing more than 1000 cases, focusing on optimizing heat and mass transfer, hence water flux, in counter-current and co-current channel designs. Our findings indicate that integrating solar heat can significantly improve DCMD performance, with productivity enhancements potentially exceeding 200%, especially at low cross-flow rates, by alleviating temperature polarization and enhancing vapor flux. The detailed analysis further reveals that the counter-current configuration consistently outperforms the co-current design under optimal conditions, achieving higher water fluxes and reduced polarization effects. Moreover, sensitivity studies underscore that fine-tuning channel dimensions and flow parameters is critical for maximizing energy efficiency and ensuring robust desalination performance. The results highlight the potential of solar-powered MD systems to provide sustainable and cost-effective freshwater solutions, particularly for off-grid and remote areas. By optimizing solar heat utilization and MD configurations, this study advances both theoretical understanding and practical applications in water desalination, promoting energy efficiency, operational cost reduction, and environmental sustainability