Doutoramento em Engenharia Alimentar. Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Agronomia | The main objective of this study was, to evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of water and RTE foods sold on the streets of Maputo. For this, 83 RTE street food samples from 83 different vendors and 116 water samples from different sources were analyzed. Selected bacterial isolates were molecularly identified and characterized. High levels of unsatisfactory samples were found in both hot (76.7%) and cold (75%) foods. Based on staphylococcal counts, approximately 25% of the food samples were unsatisfactory/potentially hazardous. A high level of fecal contamination was detected in all types of water samples. In Escherichia coli isolates from food and water, the highest percentages of resistance were for the ß-lactams imipenem (35.5 and 39.3%, respectively) and ampicillin (39.3 and 46.4%, respectively). Multidrug resistance was observed in 31.3% of the isolates, being higher in water isolates (45.5%) than food isolates (19.2%). ESBL was the most frequent (57.7%) antibiotic resistance gene among those encoding β-lactamases, while tetA was the most frequent (50%) among non-β-lactamase genes. Furthermore, 73% of the multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates also had virulence genes. The most frequent virulence gene was sec (30.3%) followed by the hlb (24.2%) and sak and sed genes (12.5% each). Regarding the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in Staphylococcus, blaZ (penicillin resistance) was the most frequent (74.2%) followed by mecA (methicillin resistance) and vancA (vancomycin resistance) genes (43.9% and 42.4%, respectively. Staphylococcus isolates had a high ability to form biofilms on different materials and these biofilms were resistant to high concentrations of methicillin (32 g/ml). The results reported here show that water and food sold on the streets of Maputo, Mozambique, pose a potential risk to public health. | O principal objectivo deste estudo foi avaliar a qualidade microbiológica e a segurança da água e dos alimentos RTE vendidos nas ruas de Maputo. Para isso, foram analisadas 83 amostras de comida de rua RTE de 83 vendedores diferentes e 116 amostras de água de diferentes origens. Os isolados bacterianos selecionados foram identificados e caracterizados molecularmente. Foram encontrados elevados níveis de amostras insatisfatórias, tanto em alimentos quentes (76,7%) quanto em alimentos frios (75%). Com base na contagem de estafilococos, aproximadamente 25% das amostras de alimentos eram insatisfatórias/potencialmente perigosas. Foi encontrado um elevado nível de contaminação fecal em todos os tipos de amostras de água. Nos isolados de Escherichia coli provenientes de alimentos e água, as maiores percentagens de resistência foram para os ß-lactâmicos imipenem (35,5 e 39,3%, respectivamente) e ampicilina (39,3 e 46,4%, respectivamente). A multirresistência foi observada em 31,3% dos isolados, sendo maior nos isolados de água (45,5%) do que nos isolados de alimentos (19,2%). ESBL foi o gene para β-lactamases mais frequente (57,7%), enquanto tetA foi o mais frequente (50%) entre genes não β-lactamases. Além disso, 73% dos isolados de E. coli multirresistentes também tinham genes de virulência. O gene de virulência mais frequente foi sec (30,3%), seguido pelos genes hlb (24,2%) e sak e sed (12,5% cada). Em Staphylococcus, blaZ (resistência à penicilina) foi o gene mais frequente (74,2%), seguido pelos genes mecA e vancA (43,9% e 42,4%, respectivamente). Staphylococcus mostrou capacidade de formar biofilmes em diferentes materiais e esses biofilmes eram resistentes a elevadas concentrações de meticilina (32 g/ml). Os resultados aqui relatados mostram que a água e os alimentos vendidos nas ruas de Maputo, Moçambique, representam um risco potencial para a saúde pública. | N/A

In Mozambique, about 500,000 cases of diarrhoea were caused by foodborne pathogens in 2018. A review of the epidemiology of diarrhoea in children under five showed a high disease burden. This study aimed to identify Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) and Salmonella spp. contamination of food and water in urban and rural areas of Maputo consumed by children under five with diarrhoea. One hundred and eighty-six children with diarrhoea were selected from Primeiro de Maio and Marracuene Health Care Centres from the Kamaxakeni and Marracuene districts, respectively. Food (n = 167) and water (n = 100) samples were collected in children&rsquo:s households for diarrhoeagenic bacterial identification. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect data about demographics and foods consumed a week before the children&rsquo:s diarrhoea episodes. The prevalence of both DEC and Salmonella spp. was 9.8% in food and 5.4% in water samples. DEC was most prevalent in cereals (urban = 2.8%: rural = 2.4%) and water samples (urban = 1.4%: rural = 3.3%). Salmonella spp. was mainly detected in cereals (urban = 0.7%: rural = 0.8%). Diarrhoeagenic pathogens were associated with the type of food frequently consumed by children under five years with diarrhoea (infant formula, fruit puree, ready-to-eat meals, and bottled water), while the association with demographics was absent. We found that the infant foods consumed by children with diarrhoea are associated with DEC and Salmonella spp., and the prevalence of these contaminants is higher in the rural (8.9%) than in the urban area (6.3%), showing the need for caregiver education on food handling practices.

Territorial spatial planning involves fixability and flexibility in different driving factors related to control and development orientation, and they play an important role in regional sustainable development, especially in developing countries such as China. With rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, China has been impacted by conflicts between development and protection in territorial space. To integrate the contradictions among different territorial spatial planning measures, planners and scholars have started to focus on studies regarding fixability–flexibility relationships and integration. However, the relationship between and integration of fixability and flexibility in territorial spatial planning have yet to be clearly summarised. This paper explores an innovative research direction for the fixability–flexibility relations in territorial spatial planning from a new perspective, the Food–Energy–Water Nexus, which is a dynamic and comprehensive framework for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) studies. This paper covers the existing research on fixability and flexibility in territorial spatial planning. Moreover, after summarising the conflicts of fixability and flexibility, the dialectical relationship between and the integration of fixability and flexibility are researched.

Doutoramento em Engenharia Alimentar. Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Agronomia | The main objective of this study was, to evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of water and RTE foods sold on the streets of Maputo. For this, 83 RTE street food samples from 83 different vendors and 116 water samples from different sources were analyzed. Selected bacterial isolates were molecularly identified and characterized. High levels of unsatisfactory samples were found in both hot (76.7%) and cold (75%) foods. Based on staphylococcal counts, approximately 25% of the food samples were unsatisfactory/potentially hazardous. A high level of fecal contamination was detected in all types of water samples. In Escherichia coli isolates from food and water, the highest percentages of resistance were for the ß-lactams imipenem (35.5 and 39.3%, respectively) and ampicillin (39.3 and 46.4%, respectively). Multidrug resistance was observed in 31.3% of the isolates, being higher in water isolates (45.5%) than food isolates (19.2%). ESBL was the most frequent (57.7%) antibiotic resistance gene among those encoding β-lactamases, while tetA was the most frequent (50%) among non-β-lactamase genes. Furthermore, 73% of the multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates also had virulence genes. The most frequent virulence gene was sec (30.3%) followed by the hlb (24.2%) and sak and sed genes (12.5% each). Regarding the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in Staphylococcus, blaZ (penicillin resistance) was the most frequent (74.2%) followed by mecA (methicillin resistance) and vancA (vancomycin resistance) genes (43.9% and 42.4%, respectively. Staphylococcus isolates had a high ability to form biofilms on different materials and these biofilms were resistant to high concentrations of methicillin (32 g/ml). The results reported here show that water and food sold on the streets of Maputo, Mozambique, pose a potential risk to public health. | O principal objectivo deste estudo foi avaliar a qualidade microbiológica e a segurança da água e dos alimentos RTE vendidos nas ruas de Maputo. Para isso, foram analisadas 83 amostras de comida de rua RTE de 83 vendedores diferentes e 116 amostras de água de diferentes origens. Os isolados bacterianos selecionados foram identificados e caracterizados molecularmente. Foram encontrados elevados níveis de amostras insatisfatórias, tanto em alimentos quentes (76,7%) quanto em alimentos frios (75%). Com base na contagem de estafilococos, aproximadamente 25% das amostras de alimentos eram insatisfatórias/potencialmente perigosas. Foi encontrado um elevado nível de contaminação fecal em todos os tipos de amostras de água. Nos isolados de Escherichia coli provenientes de alimentos e água, as maiores percentagens de resistência foram para os ß-lactâmicos imipenem (35,5 e 39,3%, respectivamente) e ampicilina (39,3 e 46,4%, respectivamente). A multirresistência foi observada em 31,3% dos isolados, sendo maior nos isolados de água (45,5%) do que nos isolados de alimentos (19,2%). ESBL foi o gene para β-lactamases mais frequente (57,7%), enquanto tetA foi o mais frequente (50%) entre genes não β-lactamases. Além disso, 73% dos isolados de E. coli multirresistentes também tinham genes de virulência. O gene de virulência mais frequente foi sec (30,3%), seguido pelos genes hlb (24,2%) e sak e sed (12,5% cada). Em Staphylococcus, blaZ (resistência à penicilina) foi o gene mais frequente (74,2%), seguido pelos genes mecA e vancA (43,9% e 42,4%, respectivamente). Staphylococcus mostrou capacidade de formar biofilmes em diferentes materiais e esses biofilmes eram resistentes a elevadas concentrações de meticilina (32 g/ml). Os resultados aqui relatados mostram que a água e os alimentos vendidos nas ruas de Maputo, Moçambique, representam um risco potencial para a saúde pública. | N/A

Tradicionalmente ha existido, y en cierta medida sigue existiendo, cierto recelo sobre el uso del agua en agricultura. En los países húmedos es difícil entender que en otras zonas del mundo se pueda utilizar agua rodada o de pozos para el riego de los cultivos, e incluso una importante mayoría de la población de los países secos no entiende porqué la agricultura debe movilizar volúmenes tan importantes de agua. Se estima que en los países donde se riegan los cultivos, la agricultura utiliza un 70% del agua destinada a usos consuntivos (ciudades, agricultura, industria, ...). La razón de este importante uso está principalmente en que el agua es el elemento imprescindible para la producción de alimentos, de tal forma que podemos afirmar rotundamente que sin agua no hay alimentos y que la capacidad de producir alimentos depende directamente del volumen de agua del que disponen las plantas. El uso del agua en la agricultura no es un capricho de los agricultores sino una necesidad imperativa para que la sociedad pueda disponer de alimentos. Los agricultores "no son tan malos", hacen uso de un recurso imprescindible para producir esos alimentos y asegurar su subsistencia. El cambio climático, el aumento de la población mundial y las inestabilidades internacionales presionan el sistema productor de alimentos, lo que implica que hay que ser mucho más eficiente en el uso de estos recursos y de forma muy especial en el caso del agua: hay que producir más alimentos con menos agua. Un reto ineludible que recae sobre el sector agro, y que nos interpela a todos a hacer un uso muy eficiente del recurso agua. Agricultores, técnicos, administración deben adaptarse a esta realidad, pero, también, y de forma muy especial la sociedad, no se trata tan solo de que os agricultores puedan seguir produciendo alimentos, se trata de que haya suficientes alimentos para abastecer la demanda de la población mundial. | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Esta actividad está soportada por el proyecto Red AgriFoodTe financiada por el Gobierno de Aragón, a través del fondo de inversiones de Teruel (año 2022), con participación del Gobierno de España (Ministerio de Política Territorial).

In the context of growing concerns over food security and climate change, research on sustainable agricultural development increasingly emphasizes the interconnections within agricultural systems. This study developed a regionally integrated optimization and prediction agricultural model to systematically analyze the impacts of climate change on agricultural systems and their feedback mechanisms from a water-energy-food-carbon (WEFC) nexus perspective. Applied to the Pearl River Basin, the model evaluates future trends in grain yield, water use, energy consumption, and carbon emissions under various climate scenarios throughout this century. The results indicate that rising temperatures significantly reduce crop yields, particularly in the western basin, increasing the environmental footprint per unit of grain produced. However, the CO2 fertilization effect substantially offsets these negative impacts. Under the SSP585 scenario, CO2 concentrations rising from 599.77 ppm to 1135.21 ppm by the century&rsquo:s end led to a shift in crop yield trends from negative (Z = &minus:7.03) to positive (Z = 11.01). This also reduces water, energy, and carbon footprints by 12.82%, 10.62%, and 10.59%, respectively. These findings highlight the critical importance of adaptive management strategies, including precision irrigation, optimized fertilizer use, and climate-resilient practices, to ensure sustainable agricultural production. Despite these insights, the model has limitations. Future research should incorporate uncertainty analysis, diverse adaptation pathways, and advanced technologies such as machine learning and remote sensing to improve predictive accuracy and applicability. This study offers valuable guidance for mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change on the WEFC nexus, supporting sustainable agricultural practices and science-based policy development.