Currently, a majority of oilseeds plants are converted into byproducts and waste materials during processing. Press cakes are rich in valuable biopolymers, such as proteins and polysaccharides (fiber, lignans, etc.). In this study flaxseed oil cake extract (FOCE) was used to stabilize flaxseed oil-in-water emulsions. The effect of FOCE with various flaxseed oil concentrations (10-50% v/v) on several physicochemical properties of emulsions, such as stability, rheology, color and particle size was investigated. The rheological parameters suggested that all samples were non-Newtonian fluids, whereas particle size measurements and calculation SPAN index provided information about the broadness of emulsions particle size distribution. FOCE was able to efficiently stabilize oil/water interfaces with a high oil content. Results obtained for FOCE were compared with effects for synthetic emulsifier (Tween 80) and separated FOCE compounds (flaxseed gum and flaxseed protein). BMS-265246 inhibitor FOCE emulsifying activity is a result of different water-holding and oil-binding capacities of flaxseed gum and protein. This result is an intriguing conclusion regarding the necessity for using pure emulsifiers, showing the possibility of using a bio-based extract containing biopolymers, which is part of the principles of circular economy and the idea of zero-waste. The results give the opportunity to use FOCE as an ingredient in efficient flaxseed oil emulsions stabilizer for food applications.Propolis has various pharmacological properties of clinical interest, and is also considered a functional food. In particular, hydroalcoholic extracts of red propolis (HERP), together with its isoflavonoid formononetin, have recognized antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, with known added value against dyslipidemia. In this study, we report the gastroprotective effects of HERP (50-500 mg/kg, p.o.) and formononetin (10 mg/kg, p.o.) in ethanol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced models of rat ulcer. The volume, pH, and total acidity were the evaluated gastric secretion parameters using the pylorus ligature model, together with the assessment of gastric mucus contents. The anti-Helicobacter pylori activities of HERP were evaluated using the agar-well diffusion method. In our experiments, HERP (250 and 500 mg/kg) and formononetin (10 mg/kg) reduced (p less then 0.001) total lesion areas in the ethanol-induced rat ulcer model, and reduced (p less then 0.05) ulcer indices in the indomethacin-induced rat ulcer model. Administration of HERP and formononetin to pylorus ligature models significantly decreased (p less then 0.01) gastric secretion volumes and increased (p less then 0.05) mucus production. We have also shown the antioxidant and anti-Helicobacter pylori activities of HERP. The obtained results indicate that HERP and formononetin are gastroprotective in acute ulcer models, suggesting a prominent role of formononetin in the effects of HERP.Methods for autonomous navigation systems using sonars in air traditionally use the time-of-flight technique for obstacle detection and environment mapping. However, this technique suffers from constructive and destructive interference of ultrasonic reflections from multiple obstacles in the environment, requiring several acquisitions for proper mapping. This paper presents a novel approach for obstacle detection and localisation using inverse problems and compressed sensing concepts. Experiments were conducted with multiple obstacles present in a controlled environment using a hardware platform with four transducers, which was specially designed for sending, receiving and acquiring raw ultrasonic signals. A comparison between the performance of compressed sensing using Orthogonal Matching Pursuit and two traditional image reconstruction methods was conducted. The reconstructed 2D images representing the cross-section of the sensed environment were quantitatively assessed, showing promising results for robotic mapping tasks using compressed sensing.Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most aggressive tumor malignancy worldwide, mainly due to uncontrolled metastasis. Among the numerous molecules deregulated in PDAC, different members of the Akt pathways are of great importance because they are involved in tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. We have recently demonstrated that Vav1, ectopically expressed in solid tumors, is capable of down-modulating expression and/or activation of specific Akt isoforms in breast cancer cells. By using pancreatic cell lines expressing different basal levels of Vav1, we demonstrated here that Vav1 down-regulates the expression of Akt2, known to correlate with tumor metastases and resistance to therapy. In particular, while the silencing of Vav1 is sufficient to induce Akt2, its up-modulation reduces Akt2 levels only when Vav1 accumulates inside the nucleus of PDAC cells. Moreover, in PDAC tissues, we revealed that high nuclear levels of Vav1 correlate with low Akt2 expression. Although we cannot demonstrate the mechanisms involved, our results provide new insights into the role of Vav1 in PDAC and, as targeting specific members of the Akt family is a promising therapeutic chance in solid tumors, they suggest that Vav1, by down-modulating Akt2, has potential as a molecular target in PDAC.Systemic rheumatic diseases are a heterogeneous group of autoimmune disorders that affect the connective tissue, characterized by the involvement of multiple organs, leading to disability, organ failure and premature mortality. Despite the advances in recent years, the therapeutic options for these diseases are still limited and some patients do not respond to the current treatments. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a cytokine essential in the defense against extracellular bacteria and fungi. Disruption of IL-17 homeostasis has been associated with the development and progression of rheumatic diseases, and the approval of different biological therapies targeting IL-17 for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has highlighted the key role of this cytokine. IL-17 has been also implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic rheumatic diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this review is to summarize and discuss the most recent findings about the pathogenic role of IL-17 in systemic rheumatic and its potential use as a therapeutic option.