Phenols are plant metabolites characterised by several interesting bioactive properties such as antioxidant and bactericidal activities. In this study the application of a phenols concentrate (PC) from olive vegetation water to two different fresh products – gilt-head seabream (Sparus aurata) and chicken breast – was described. Products were treated in a bath of PC (22 g/L; chicken breast) or sprayed with two different solutions (L1:0.75 and L2:1.5 mg/mL; seabream) and then stored under refrigeration conditions. The shelf life was monitored through microbiological analyses – quality index method for seabream and a specific sensory index for raw breast. The secondary products of lipid-peroxidation of the chicken breast were determined using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) test on cooked samples. Multivariate statistical techniques were adopted to investigate the impact of phenols and microbiological data were fitted by DMfit software. In seabream, the levels of PC did not highlight any significant difference on microbiological and sensory features. DMfit models suggested an effect only on H₂S producing bacteria with an increased lag phase compared to the control samples (C: 87 h vs L2: 136 h). The results on chicken breast showed that the PC bath clearly modified the growth of Pseudomonas and Enterobacteriaceae. The phenol dipping was effective in limiting lipid-peroxidation (TBARs) after cooking. Treated samples disclosed an increase of shelf life of 2 days. These could be considered as preliminary findings suggesting the use of this concentrate as preservative in some fresh products.

The goals of ensuring energy, water, food, and climate security can often conflict. Microalgae (algae) are being pursued as a feedstock for both food and fuels—primarily due to algae's high areal yield and ability to grow on non-arable land, thus avoiding common bioenergy-food tradeoffs. However, algal cultivation requires significant energy inputs that may limit potential emission reductions. We examine the tradeoffs associated with producing fuel and food from algae at the energy–food–water–climate nexus. We use the GCAM integrated assessment model to demonstrate that algal food production can promote reductions in land-use change emissions through the offset of conventional agriculture. However, fuel production, either via co-production of algal food and fuel or complete biomass conversion to fuel, is necessary to ensure long-term emission reductions, due to the high energy costs of cultivation. Cultivation of salt–water algae for food products may lead to substantial freshwater savings; but, nutrients for algae cultivation will need to be sourced from waste streams to ensure sustainability. By reducing the land demand of food production, while simultaneously enhancing food and energy security, algae can further enable the development of terrestrial bioenergy technologies including those utilizing carbon capture and storage. Our results demonstrate that large-scale algae research and commercialization efforts should focus on developing both food and energy products to achieve environmental goals.

We analyse the threats of global environmental change, as they relate to food security. First, we review three discourses: (i) 'sustainable intensification', or the increase of food supplies without compromising food producing inputs, such as soils and water; (ii) the 'nexus' that seeks to understand links across food, energy, environment and water systems; and (iii) 'resilience thinking' that focuses on how to ensure the critical capacities of food, energy and water systems are maintained in the presence of uncertainties and threats. Second, we build on these discourses to present the causal, risks and options assessment for decision-making process to improve decision-making in the presence of risks. The process provides a structured, but flexible, approach that moves from problem diagnosis to better risk-based decision-making and outcomes by responding to causal risks within and across food, energy, environment and water systems. (Résumé d'auteur)

Esta investigación se llevo a cabo en la Urbanización General Escalón, calle antigua el Carmen San Salvador, donde se evaluaron cinco fuentes alimenticias en la reproducción de caracoles de agua dulce Pomacea flagellata. La investigación se desarrolló de Junio del 2015 a Enero del 2016. Los caracoles en estudio se alimentaron con sus respectivas fuentes alimenticias a razón de 5 gramos semanales por caracol, se cambio el agua cada siete días (18 litros por tratamientos). Los caracoles se seleccionaron por peso y sexo obteniendo 125 caracoles hembras con un peso entre 4.1g y 9.2g; y 25 caracoles machos con un peso de 5.1g a 9.2g. Se sexaron cinco hembras y un macho por repetición por tratamiento obteniendo un total de 150 caracoles. Se aplicó el diseño de bloques al azar con cinco tratamientos los cuales fueron T1=hoja de ojushte, T2=hoja de chipilín, T3=cáscara de banano, T4=concentrado para tilapia y T5= Ninfa acuática, con cinco repeticiones para cara tratamiento. Las variables en estudio fueron: Peso de los caracoles, postura de masa de huevos, inicio de eclosión, porcentaje de eclosión y sobrevivencia de los caracoles a los 35 días de nacidos. En la comparación de costos por tratamientos, se incluyeron los costos de adquisición de materiales, mano de obra y fuente de trabajo demandada por un día hombre. Los tratamientos produjeron iguales efectos sobre las variables de postura de masa de huevos y sobrevivencia. Se obtuvieron un total de nueve posturas alcanzando las ootecas un volumen máximo de 22.27cm³ en la hoja de ojushte y un mínimo de 7.98cm³ con la cáscara de banano, El menor tiempo de eclosión fue a los 28.5 días con el tratamiento de cascara de banano, el mejor porcentaje de eclosión y sobrevivencia se obtuvo con el tratamiento a base de hoja de ojushte con un 89% de eclosión y sobrevivencia. Todos los tratamientos en estudio no presentaron diferencia significativa y obtuvieron almenos una postura durante el experimento. El tratamiento a base de hoja de ojushte presentó el mayor número de postura y sobrevivencia de caracoles nacidos. Los menores costos de producción en la reproducción de caracoles Pomacea flagellata los obtuvieron la hoja de ojushte y ninfa acuática. Palabras clave: Caracol, Pomacea flagellata, reproducción, sobrevivencia de caracoles.

Esta investigación se llevo a cabo en la Urbanización General Escalón, calle antigua el Carmen San Salvador, donde se evaluaron cinco fuentes alimenticias en la reproducción de caracoles de agua dulce Pomacea flagellata. La investigación se desarrolló de Junio del 2015 a Enero del 2016. Los caracoles en estudio se alimentaron con sus respectivas fuentes alimenticias a razón de 5 gramos semanales por caracol, se cambio el agua cada siete días (18 litros por tratamientos). Los caracoles se seleccionaron por peso y sexo obteniendo 125 caracoles hembras con un peso entre 4.1g y 9.2g; y 25 caracoles machos con un peso de 5.1g a 9.2g. Se sexaron cinco hembras y un macho por repetición por tratamiento obteniendo un total de 150 caracoles. Se aplicó el diseño de bloques al azar con cinco tratamientos los cuales fueron T1=hoja de ojushte, T2=hoja de chipilín, T3=cáscara de banano, T4=concentrado para tilapia y T5= Ninfa acuática, con cinco repeticiones para cara tratamiento. Las variables en estudio fueron: Peso de los caracoles, postura de masa de huevos, inicio de eclosión, porcentaje de eclosión y sobrevivencia de los caracoles a los 35 días de nacidos. En la comparación de costos por tratamientos, se incluyeron los costos de adquisición de materiales, mano de obra y fuente de trabajo demandada por un día hombre. Los tratamientos produjeron iguales efectos sobre las variables de postura de masa de huevos y sobrevivencia. Se obtuvieron un total de nueve posturas alcanzando las ootecas un volumen máximo de 22.27cm³ en la hoja de ojushte y un mínimo de 7.98cm³ con la cáscara de banano, El menor tiempo de eclosión fue a los 28.5 días con el tratamiento de cascara de banano, el mejor porcentaje de eclosión y sobrevivencia se obtuvo con el tratamiento a base de hoja de ojushte con un 89% de eclosión y sobrevivencia. Todos los tratamientos en estudio no presentaron diferencia significativa y obtuvieron almenos una postura durante el experimento. El tratamiento a base de hoja de ojushte presentó el mayor número de postura y sobrevivencia de caracoles nacidos. Los menores costos de producción en la reproducción de caracoles Pomacea flagellata los obtuvieron la hoja de ojushte y ninfa acuática. Palabras clave: Caracol, Pomacea flagellata, reproducción, sobrevivencia de caracoles.

Two web-based dietary assessment tools have been developed for use in large-scale studies: the Riksmaten method (4-d food record) and MiniMeal-Q (food-frequency method). The aim of the present study was to examine the ability of these methods to capture energy intake against objectively measured total energy expenditure (TEE) with the doubly labelled water technique (TEEDLW), and to compare reported energy and macronutrient intake. This study was conducted within the pilot study of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS), which included 1111 randomly selected men and women aged 50–64 years from the Gothenburg general population. Of these, 200 were enrolled in the SCAPIS diet substudy. TEEDLW was measured in a subsample (n 40). Compared with TEEDLW, both methods underestimated energy intake: −2·5 (sd 2·9) MJ with the Riksmaten method; −2·3 (sd 3·6) MJ with MiniMeal-Q. Mean reporting accuracy was 80 and 82 %, respectively. The correlation between reported energy intake and TEEDLW was r 0·4 for the Riksmaten method (P < 0·05) and r 0·28 (non-significant) for MiniMeal-Q. Women reported similar average intake of energy and macronutrients in both methods whereas men reported higher intakes with the Riksmaten method. Energy-adjusted correlations ranged from 0·14 (polyunsaturated fat) to 0·77 (alcohol). Bland–Altman plots showed acceptable agreement for energy and energy-adjusted protein and carbohydrate intake, whereas the agreement for fat intake was poorer. According to energy intake data, both methods displayed similar precision on energy intake reporting. However, MiniMeal-Q was less successful in ranking individuals than the Riksmaten method. The development of methods to achieve limited under-reporting is a major challenge for future research.

Two web-based dietary assessment tools have been developed for use in large-scale studies: the Riksmaten method (4-d food record) and MiniMeal-Q (food-frequency method). The aim of the present study was to examine the ability of these methods to capture energy intake against objectively measured total energy expenditure (TEE) with the doubly labelled water technique (TEEDLW), and to compare reported energy and macronutrient intake. This study was conducted within the pilot study of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS), which included 1111 randomly selected men and women aged 50–64 years from the Gothenburg general population. Of these, 200 were enrolled in the SCAPIS diet substudy. TEEDLW was measured in a subsample (n 40). Compared with TEEDLW, both methods underestimated energy intake: −2·5 (sd  2·9) MJ with the Riksmaten method; −2·3 (sd 3·6) MJ with MiniMeal-Q. Mean reporting accuracy was 80 and 82 %, respectively. The correlation between reported energy intake and TEEDLW was r 0·4 for the Riksmaten method (P < 0·05) and r 0·28 (non-significant) for MiniMeal-Q. Women reported similar average intake of energy and macronutrients in both methods whereas men reported higher intakes with the Riksmaten method. Energy-adjusted correlations ranged from 0·14 (polyunsaturated fat) to 0·77 (alcohol). Bland–Altman plots showed acceptable agreement for energy and energy-adjusted protein and carbohydrate intake, whereas the agreement for fat intake was poorer. According to energy intake data, both methods displayed similar precision on energy intake reporting. However, MiniMeal-Q was less successful in ranking individuals than the Riksmaten method. The development of methods to achieve limited under-reporting is a major challenge for future research.

The nexus represents a multi-dimensional means of scientific enquiry which seeks to describe the complex and non-linear interactions between water, energy, food, with the climate, and further understand wider implications for society. These resources are fundamental for human life but are negatively affected by shocks such as climate change and characterize some of the main challenges for global sustainable development. Given the multidimensional and complex nature of the nexus, a transdisciplinary approach to knowledge development through co-production is needed to timely and effectively inform the decision making processes to build societal resilience to these shocks going beyond the sectorality of current research practice. The paper presents findings from five themed workshops (shocks and hazards, infrastructure, local economy, governance and governments, finance and insurance) with 80 stakeholders from academia, government and industry in the UK to explore the impact of climate and weather shocks across the energy-food-water nexus and barriers to related responses. The research identified key stakeholders’ concerns, opportunities and barriers to better inform decision making centred on four themes: communication and collaboration, decision making processes, social and cultural dimensions, and the nature of responses to nexus shocks. We discuss implications of these barriers and how addressing these can better facilitate constructive dialogue and more efficient decision-making in response to nexus shocks.

Trabajo presentado en la Final EURO-AGRIWAT Conference (Water Footprint of agricultural products: progress, challenges and solutions), celebrado en Wageningen del 7 al 9 de marzo de 2016. | Crops consume large amounts of water as determ ined largely by the en vironments in which they are grown. The introduction of the water footprint concept should have conveyed this reality to the general public; nevertheless, urba nites are often surprised by the magnitude of crop consumptive use, as exemplified by the barrage of media articles criticizing the excessive consumption of almonds in the rece nt California drought. Pressures from other sectors of society and water scarcity due to periodic droughts will force farmers to optimize the use of water in crop production. All optimization approaches must be based on knowledge on the yield response to water and, in turn, on the physiological and agro nomic factors determining such response. The ultimate goal is to be able to accurately assess the economic returns of using different amounts of irrigation water and to evaluate th e risks/rewards of seekin g/acquiring additional supplies in the event of a drought. The presentation will review the state of the art in predicting crop yield response to water using empirical and mechanistic approaches, and will analyze the role of key physiological and agronomic processes in improving the efficiency of water use in crop prod uction in the future. | No