An increasing number of therapists worldwide offer their clients sandplay therapy and/or advanced vocal psy- chotherapy. This presentation examines the unique characteristics that define these therapies, discusses the evidence base supporting the efficacy of each of these modalities, and identifies gaps in the existing published literature. One of the distinguishing features of these therapies is the triangular constellation relationship. In sandplay therapy, the client interacts not only with the therapist, but also with the sand. Analogously, the client engagedin advanced vocail psychotherapy interacts with both the therapist and the musical instrument, usually the piano, that is being used. Although the evidence base for these approaches is growing, they raise unique ethical issues because of the relatively limited breadth of the associated research, which has to date relied primarily on qualitative research methods and a case study approach. These issues include the evaluation of risk vis-a-vis the use of the modality with specific clients in view of the limited evidence base, the provision ofintermittent or compressed therapy and, in the context of sandplay therapy, ownership of the sandplay scenes.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a promising avenue for sustainable energy production by harnessing the metabolic activity of microorganisms. In this study, a novel design of MFC—a Microfluidic Benthic Micro- bial Fuel Cell (MBMFC)—was developed, fabricated, and tested to evaluate its electrical energy generation. The design focused on balancing microfluidic architecture and wiring procedures with microbial community dynamics to maximize power output and allow for upscaling and thus practical implementation. The testing phase involved experimentation to evaluate the performance of the MBMFC. Microbial feedstock was varied toassess its impact on power generation. The designed MBMFC represents a promising advancement in the field of bioenergy generation. By integrating innovative design principles with advanced fabrication techniques, this study demonstrates a systematic approach to optimizing MFC performance for sustainable and clean energyproduction.

Emulgels with tuned technological properties have the potential to replace saturated fats in foods. Hydrogels (Hy) were obtained with a ternary system of proteins (2% pea or soy isolate), guar (0.5%) and xanthan gums (0.5%) and were subjected to thermal treatment (70 C/20 min. or 85 C/15 min, or not) prior structure forma- tion. FTIR spectra of hydrogels and the turbidity test (red spectrophotometrically at 600 nm) were conducted to study protein-polysaccharides interactions. Amplitude sweep (0.01-100%) and flow behavior tests (0.1-100 s-1) were conducted to observe the resulting structures. Emulgels were formed by emulsionation of the Hy with 40% or 60% sunflower oil. The centrifugal stability and texture (TPA test) of the emulgels was assesed to evaluate their suitability as fat replacing systems in biscuit formulation. The textural, color and stability attri- butes of the reformulated biscuits were compared with those of a biscuit with margarine. Increased hardness and fracturability were determined for emulgel based biscuits and oil loss occured. The color parameters were statistically similar to those of the reference. Sensory acceptance revealed high scores for tase and smell. However, the correlation betwen thermal treatments and suitability of the resulting structures as fat replacersin foods should be further studied.

Ιn all living organisms, antioxidant defenses are largely orchestrated by the thioredoxin (Trx) and glutaredoxin(Grx) systems. The Trx system of Escherichia coli (E. coli) is comprised of Trx1 and Trx2, both reduced by thi-oredoxin reductase (TrxR). The Grx system consists of four Grxs (Grx1, Grx2, Grx3, and Grx4) all reduced by glu- tathione (GSH) except for Grx4, which is reduced by TrxR. Under normal conditions, the GSH reductase of theGrx system keeps GSH at its reduced state, while NADPH+ provides the electrons for all reductions in both theTrx and Grx systems. The role of the E. coli Trx system is widely known, while the established functions of the Grx system are mainly reflected in the ability of Grx1 to reduce ribonucleotide reductase Ia (RRIa). E. coli Grx3, (encoded by grxC) may also reduce RRIa in vitro but with slow kinetics. The molecule may account up to 0.4 % of total soluble protein and has been the subject of extensive structural studies. Its biological function however remains unknown. Herein, affinity chromatography with monothiol Grx3 was used to detect the interactions ofGrx3 with other proteins. Different types of interactions were identified (covalent, weak and strong non-cova- lent) that suggested novel functions for Grx3. In silico approaches were employed and gave a score 45 % for the selected interactions examined. Total protein extracts from the null mutant for grxC and the wild-type strain were also compared. The overall findings suggest that Grx3 is involved in various metabolic processes, protein synthesis, and stress responses expanding the recognized functions of Grx3 beyond the reduction of RRIa. This research was funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) under the “2nd Call for H.F.R.I. Research Projects to Support Faculty Members & Researchers” (Project Number: 3352, «Glutrxomics»).