Afrika'da 2030 yılına kadar Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Hedefleri (SDG) arasında yer alan SDG 2: Sıfır Açlık hedefine yaklaşmak için, tarımsal uygulamalar ve su mevcudiyeti gibi çeşitli faktörlerle ilgili olarak gıda güvencesi sorunlarının yeniden gözden geçirilmesi gerekmektedir. Teff ürünü Etiyopya’da önemli bir yere sahiptir, ancak yağışa dayalı yetiştiricilik uygulamaları nedeniyle verim düşüktür. Su ayak izi (WF) kavramı, ürünlerin yağışa bağımlılığı hakkında yararlı bir bakış açısı sağlayarak sulama ihtiyacını ortaya koyar. Bu nedenle, teff üretiminin WF analizi, çiftçilerin verimi artırmasına ve su verimliliğini korumasına yardımcı olabilir. Bu çalışmada, Etiyopya'daki teff üretiminin yeşil ve mavi su ayak izleri, CROPWAT 8.0 ve CLIMWAT 2.0 modelleri kullanılarak 2019/2020 sezonu için tahmin edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, yeşil su ayak izi (WFgreen)'nin Tigray bölgesinde 1170 m3 ton-1, SNNPR bölgesinde ise 1481 m3 ton-1 değeriyle baskın olduğunu göstermektedir. Öte yandan, mavi su ayak izi (WFblue), Amhara'da 264 m3 ton-1 ile Tigray'da 1022 m3 ton-1 arasında önemli ölçüde değişmektedir. Bu sonuç, bitki su ihtiyacının etkili yağıştan çok daha yüksek olması nedeniyle sulama ihtiyacını göstermektedir. Teff'in ekonomik su verimliliği, mısır gibi diğer ürünlerden daha yüksek olarak 0,68 USD m-3 olarak bulunmuştur. İklim değişikliğinin ve kuraklığın potansiyel etkisi göz önüne alındığında, bu çalışma teff üretimine su tahsisini artırmayı ve ulusal düzeyde uygun sulama uygulamalarının gerçekleştirilmesini önermektedir. Su ayak izi analizini nehir havzası düzeyindeki su tahsis planlarına entegre etmek, sürdürülebilir su kaynakları yönetimi ve gıda güvencesi için faydalı olacaktır. | Achieving Sustainable Development goal (SDG)2; Zero Hunger by 2030 in Africa requires reconsidering the challenges of food security in relation to several factors including agricultural practices and water availability. Teff crop plays a significant role in Ethiopia but the yield is low due to rain-fed production practices. The water footprint (WF) concept provides a useful perspective on the dependency of crops on precipitation, revealing the need for irrigation. So, WF analysis of teff production can help farmers to increase the yield and maintain water efficiency. In this study, the green and blue water footprints of teff production in Ethiopia were estimated for 2019/2020 season using the CROPWAT 8.0 and CLIMWAT 2.0 models. The results show that WFgreen is dominant with a value of 1170 m3 ton-1 in Tigray region to 1481 m3 ton-1 in SNNPR region. On the other hand, the WFblue varied significantly from 264 m3 ton-1 in Amhara to 1022 m3 ton-1 in Tigray, respectively, indicating the need for irrigation since water requirement is much higher than the effective precipitation. The economic water productivity of teff was found to be 0.68 USD m-3, which is higher than other crops such as maize. Given the potential impact of climate change and droughts, this study suggests increasing water allocation to teff production and implementing appropriate irrigation practices at a national level. Integrating water footprint analysis into river basin-level water allocation plans would be beneficial for sustainable water resource management and food security.

<i>Giardia duodenalis</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. are important zoonotic protozoan pathogens that infect the gastro-intestinal tract of numerous vertebrates, including humans, and both parasites are responsible for water- or food-borne outbreaks of disease worldwide. Although, globally, both parasites are highly prevalent, particularly in developing countries, epidemiological data from Romania are scarce, and genotyping has rarely been performed. The aims of the present study were to investigate the occurrence and genetic diversity of <i>G. duodenalis</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in patients hospitalized in Northwestern Romania in relation to clinical and paraclinical presentation and to identify the relative frequency of non-specific symptoms and potential risk factors. Between June 2022 and January 2024, 426 fecal samples were screened for gastro-intestinal parasites by rapid tests and microscopical examination, further confirmed by PCR and sequencing. <i>Giardia duodenalis</i> was detected and characterized in 12 samples (2.82%), while <i>Cryptosporidium parvum</i> was confirmed in four samples (0.94%). A majority of positive patients were symptomatic and reported nausea and vomiting with a significantly higher frequency compared to negative ones. This study provides new insights into the epidemiological status and clinical implications of gastro-intestinal parasite species and genospecies in Romania that are necessary for an in-depth understanding of the potential zoonotic transmission and improvement of patient care.

[ESl presente Trabajo fin de grado consta de los documentos necesarios para la gestión, dirección y ejecución de los trabajos necesarios para la construcción de un sistema de bombeo alimentada por una instalación fotovoltaica en una escuela en Guatemala, con el fin de suministrar de agua a una escuela y para su uso en regadío, y alimentar de suministro eléctrico todos los servicios necesarios para el funcionamiento de todos los aparatos y circuitos de la escuela. Se realizarán los cálculos y descripción pertinentes para el diseño de todos los elementos que integran dicha obra, así como la representación Gráfica de los mismos. Se indicará las condiciones que debe cumplir así como su valoración económica.

Sea lettuce (Ulva) species have been identified as a future protein source, and post-harvest techniques, including the sustainable integration of liquid food side streams, have been developed to further increase their protein content and commercial market value. This study explores the post-harvest treatment of commercially produced seaweed biomass from large-scale, sea-based cultivations of U. fenestrata with residual water streams emerging from industrial storage of herring – so called herring production tub water (TUB). Growth rates of U. fenestrata were significantly higher in TUB treated seaweeds compared to controls. Further, the crude protein content was 71.26 % higher when cultivated in TUB, compared to controls, reaching a crude protein content of 37.37 ± 1.83 % dry weight. Notably, there were no limiting amino acids, nor fish-related allergenic activity in the seaweed biomass. Our study demonstrates a new nutrient loop turning food waste into protein-rich biomass by applying sustainable seaweed cultivation.

The excessive presence of Cu2+ could be harmful to human health. Therefore, a ratiometric fluorescence sensor based on multicolor fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) was developed for Cu2+ detection. The blue and yellow carbon dots (B-CDs/Y-CDs) were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method. After adding Cu2+, it is captured by the amino groups of B-CDs to form complexes, resulting in a strong fluorescence quenching via photoinduced electron transfer (PET). Meanwhile, the amino groups from Y-CDs also binds with Cu2+ that inhibit the internal PET thus enhancing the fluorescence of Y-CDs. The sensor has the merits in rapid, visual, and selective with a low limit of detection (LOD) at 2.29 nM. Furthermore, an intelligent device composed of portable optical detector and smartphone is constructed, which realizes the visual point-of-care testing (POCT) of Cu2+ with a LOD of 7.51 nM. The strategy provides an accessible approach for monitoring heavy metal pollution and food safety.

Se discuten las especiales relaciones existentes entre regadío, gastronomía local y valores ambientales en el caso concreto del Campo de Elche, uno de los ámbitos europeos de mayor riqueza ecológica de Europa, así como la manera en que los avances tecnológicos en la configuración histórica del sistema ilicitano de regadío han ampliado los recursos culinarios y la biodiversidad de la zona. Se intenta mostrar así que la interrelación entre cultura gastronómica, regadío y riqueza ambiental ha mostrado tradicionalmente un notable dinamismo, resultado de la capacidad de iniciativa socioeconómica local, que lleva el sistema más allá de los puros condicionantes geográficos. Al mismo tiempo, se discute el potencial de los aspectos gastronómicos, condicionados por el regadío y sus transformaciones históricas, en la sostenibilidad del sistema frente a los nuevos escenarios socioeconómicos. Se toma como ejemplo paradigmático el del melón de Carrizales de Elche en cuanto elemento simbólico en la estrategia de promover la sostenibilidad de este espacio de alto valor ecológico y socio-cultural.

In recent years, researchers have turned their attention to the co-cultivation of microalgae and plants as a means to enhance the growth of hydroponically cultivated plants while concurrently producing microalgal biomass. However, the techniques used require precise calibration based on plant growth responses and their interactions with the environment and cultivation conditions. This study initially focused on examining the impact of hydroponic nutrient concentrations on the growth of the microalga <i>Chlorella</i> sp. AARL G049. The findings revealed that hydroponic nutrient solutions with electrical conductivities (EC) of 450 µS/cm and 900 µS/cm elicited a positive response in microalgae growth, resulting in high-quality biomass characterized by an elevated lipid content and favorable properties for renewable biodiesel. The biomass also exhibited high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), indicating excellent nutritional indices. The microalgae culture and microalgae-free culture, along with inoculation-free lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i> L. var. <i>longifolia</i>) and lettuce that was inoculated with plant growth actinobacteria, specifically the actinomycete <i>Streptomyces thermocarboxydus</i> S3, were subsequently integrated into a hydroponic deep-water culture system. The results indicated that several growth parameters of lettuce cultivated in treatments incorporating microalgae experienced a reduction of approximately 50% compared to treatments without microalgae, and lowering EC levels in the nutrient solution from 900 µS/cm to 450 µS/cm resulted in a similar approximately 50% reduction in lettuce growth. Nevertheless, the adverse impacts of microalgae and nutrient stress were alleviated through the inoculation with actinomycetes. Even though the co-cultivation system leads to reduced lettuce growth, the system enables the production of high-value microalgal biomass with exceptional biodiesel fuel properties, including superior oxidative stability (>13 h), a commendable cetane number (>62), and a high heating value (>40 MJ/kg). This biomass, with its potential as a renewable biodiesel feedstock, has the capacity to augment the overall profitability of the process. Hence, the co-cultivation of microalgae and actinomycete-inoculated lettuce appears to be a viable approach not only for hydroponic lettuce cultivation but also for the generation of microalgal biomass with potential applications in renewable energy.

BackgroundDespite the availability of various dietary assessment tools, there is a need for a tool aligned with the needs of lifestyle medicine (LM) physicians. Such a tool would be brief, aimed at use in a clinical setting, and focused on a “food as medicine” approach consistent with recommendations for a diet based predominately on whole plant foods. The objective of this study is to describe the development and initial pilot testing of a brief, dietary screener to assess the proportion of whole, unrefined plant foods and water relative to total food and beverage intake.MethodsA multidisciplinary study team led the screener development, providing input on the design and food/beverage items included, and existing published dietary assessment tools were reviewed for relevance. Feedback was solicited from LM practitioners in the form of a cross-sectional survey that captured information on medical practice, barriers, and needs in assessing patients’ diets, in addition to an opportunity to complete the screener and provide feedback on its utility. The study team assessed feedback and revised the screener accordingly, which included seeking and incorporating feedback on additional food items to be included from subject matter experts in specific cultural and ethnic groups in the United States. The final screener was submitted for professional design, and scoring was developed.ResultsOf 539 total participants, the majority reported assessing diet either informally (62%) or formally (26%) during patient encounters, and 73% reported discussing diet with all or most of their patients. Participants also reported facing barriers (80%) to assessing diet. Eighty-eight percent believed the screener was quick enough to use in a clinical setting, and 68% reported they would use it.ConclusionThe ACLM Diet Screener was developed through iterative review and pilot testing. The screener is a brief, 27-item diet assessment tool that can be successfully used in clinical settings to track patient dietary intakes, guide clinical conversations, and support nutrition prescriptions. Pilot testing of the screener found strong alignment with clinician needs for assessing a patient’s intake of whole plant food and water relative to the overall diet. Future research will involve pilot testing the screener in clinical interventions and conducting a validation study to establish construct validity.

Projeto de Cooperação Técnica entre o MDS e o IICA para dar suporte à implementação qualificada das ações do governo brasileiro voltadas para a produção e a distribuição de alimentos, bem como para o acesso à água, destinadas às populações rurais e urbanas em situação de pobreza e extrema pobreza. O projeto será executado por meio da realização de estudos técnicos e do desenvolvimento de métodos e ferramentas operacionais capazes de intensificar os resultados que amenizem ou revertam a vulnerabilidade social das famílias expostas a essas condições.