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Cultivation techniques of yam influence the amount of primary and secondary metabolites
No full textIntroduction
Agriculture is an indispensable practice with a long history that dates back millennia. The cultivation of Chinese yam ( Dioscorea polystachya Turczaninow) is of social importance but not yet optimized; the process is currently complex and labor-intensive. Notwithstanding, the plant is regarded as a promising supplementation for ensuring food security, even in the face of climate change. This is due to its nutritional value and its diverse contribution to the cultivation of food crops.
Method
The EKO-YAM project, presented in this work, is thus concerned with the implementation and evaluation of four different cultivation methods with regard to the content of primary and secondary compounds, as well as economic factors.
Results
This study shows insights into the scientific monitoring of growing and the impact of different cultivation techniques on starch and secondary metabolites.
Discussion
The superordinate goal was the improvement of the growing of Dioscorea polystachya in terms of diet, metabolites, costs, and sustainability
Microplastics from biodegradable mulching films affect soil physicochemical properties and earthworm reproduction, but not microarthropod communities
No full textAgricultural mulching films represent a major source of microplastics (MPs; defined as particles 1 μm-5 mm in size) in soils. With a projected exponential increase of the global use of agricultural mulching films, concentrations of MPs in soil are bound to increase. Short-term single species toxicity tests using mulching film-based MPs showed effects on soil invertebrates at high concentrations, up to 5 % (w/w dry soil), as well as on soil physicochemical properties. This study aimed to provide insight into the long-term effects of mulching film-based MPs by simulating an agricultural growing season in a highly controlled mesocosm system called CLIMECS. Eight replicate constructed cores of Lufa 2.2 soil spiked with 0 % (control), 0.025 %, 0.05 %, 0.2 % or 0.8 % starch-polybutadiene adipate terephthalate MPs received a constant springtail community (Heteromurus nitidus, Protaphorura fimata and Sinella curviseta), two species of earthworm (Aporrectodea caliginosa and Lumbricus rubellus), cress (Lepidium sativum) as vegetation cover, and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) as a crop. After 13 weeks incubation, soil pH and smaller soil aggregate fractions were significantly decreased already at the lowest exposure concentration of 0.025 % MPs compared to the control (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). Springtail community composition did not show differences between treatments. Earthworm survival was not affected by the MPs, but total earthworm reproduction was lower at 0.2 % and 0.8 % MPs compared to the 0.05 % treatment. This study showed that MPs derived from biodegradable mulching film plastics may affect soil physicochemical properties and earthworm reproduction at environmentally relevant concentrations
Comparison of a Single-Shot Antibiotic Protocol Compared to a Conventional 5-Day Antibiotic Protocol in Equine Diagnostic Laparotomy Regarding Pre- and Postoperative Colonization with Multi-Drug-Resistant Indicator Pathogens
No full textObjective: The emergence and spread of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria pose a growing threat in veterinary medicine, particularly in equine hospitals. This study investigated the colonization and infection dynamics of horses undergoing emergency laparotomy with two distinct antibiotic protocols (single-shot versus 5-day protocol) during hospitalization. Methods: Nasal swabs and fecal samples were collected from 67 horses undergoing emergency laparotomy at clinic admission as well as on postoperative days 3 and 10. These were screened for multi-drug-resistant indicator pathogens. As multi-drug-resistant indicator pathogens, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E), and bacteria belonging to the Acinetobacter baumannii complex were defined. Results: Preoperatively, 6.2% of horses tested positive for MRSA and 13% for ESBL-E. An increase in colonization was observed on day 3 postoperatively, with 62.1% of nasal swabs and 86.4% of fecal samples testing positive for MDR organisms. On day 10, 53.4% of nasal swabs and 62.5% of fecal samples tested positive for indicator pathogens. Surgical site infection developed in five horses, two of which tested positive for MRSA in both nasal and wound samples during hospitalization, supporting the potential role of nasal carriage as a source of infection. Furthermore, all horses tested positive for ESBL-E during at least one time-point during hospitalization, and Enterobacterales (MDR in two surgical site infections (SSI)) were involved in all surgical site infections. No significant differences were observed between the two antibiotic treatment groups regarding colonization rates with indicator pathogens during hospitalization. However, the results indicate that hospitalization itself contributes to increased colonization with resistant bacteria. A clear limitation of the study is the restricted number of sampled horses and the lack of environmental contamination data. Non-sampled hospitalized horses with and without antibiotic treatment may have acted as reservoirs for MDR bacteria. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the need for routine environmental monitoring and strict adherence to hygiene protocols in equine clinics to reduce the risk of nosocomial transmission. Ongoing surveillance and infection control strategies are essential to mitigate the spread of MDR pathogens in veterinary settings
Residence time distribution in flow reactors for solid phase synthesis
No full textFlow reactors for Solid phase synthesis (SPS) have gained attention, as they appear to be more efficient than the widely used stirred tanks. In either Packed Bed (PBR) or Loose Bed Reactors (LBR) configurations, the theoretical description of such platforms is limited. This study evaluates the Residence Time Distribution (RTD) for small scales (60–400 mg) of Merrifield resin (100–200 mesh) as a solid support with dichloromethane (DCM) and dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvents. For a 6.6 mm diameter column (3.0 mL total volume), we propose the tanks-in-series (TIS) model and a convolution methodology to consider the effect of inlet and outlet plungers. We assess the impacts of compaction (ΔP from 1 to 12 bar) through a Variable Bed Flow Reactor (VBFR). Our results indicate that for a PBR, increased solid support compaction broadens the RTD, indicating a higher degree of back mixing. The Kozeny-Carman equation describes the pressure increase through a packed bed in relation to the reduction in void fraction. For the LBR configuration, channeling is observed at low flow rates (DMF below 1 mL/min), and the use of a static mixer improves flow distribution. For both configurations, we present a descriptive model and a parametric analysis of the system, which is valuable for defining operational conditions
Employee Voice and Corporate Governance: Power and Engagement for the Environment
No full textThe authors investigate the role of employee voice in corporate governance for corporate environmental impact. This issue is important given the potentially serious employment implications for corporations seeking to transition to lower carbon economic activity and the urgency of moving toward a carbon neutral economy. Using secondary and interview data from Germany, the authors use Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to demonstrate that strong employee voice in corporate governance is a key factor in reducing the environmental impact of corporations. The authors also illustrate distinct strategies by which labor representatives at the company level enact institutionally granted power resources for environmental issues. This work contributes to academic debates on labor and the natural environment literature. In particular, it highlights that, alongside unions, labor representatives at the company level constitute an important source of employee voice for environmental transformation
From ingredients to integration: Exploring the processing technologies and ingredients for pea and wheat-based meat alternatives and their social implications
No full textPlant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) are one of the solutions proposed for diversifying protein production and changing consumption patterns. This study presents the first step towards creating an innovation radar for PBMA. Following an innovation radar method, the study reviews the extant literature on PBMA production, focusing on studies on pea and wheat proteins, to identify technologies and ingredients used in key stages of the PBMA value chain, namely in crop development, pre-treatment, protein extraction and fractionation, functionalization, product formulation, texturization, and final product modification. The social implications of the technologies and ingredients, especially potential impacts on inclusion in consumption and production are proposed, alongside environmental, economic and legal aspects. The study finds alternative production technologies/ingredient options at each stage of the value chain. Their implications for sensory characteristics of PBMA products and consequent consumer acceptance are widely considered in the literature, indicating a strong focus on imitation of meat products. The implications for production costs and health are also debated, and concerns about nutritional aspects are raised in the literature. The normative aspects of the technological and ingredient choices as well as implications for affordability, availability or accessibility of PBMA products are rarely discussed. The study makes a first step towards developing an innovation radar for PBMA and concludes with the reflection on the usefulness of the radar method
Participation Disenchants: How Online Political Participation Decreases Online Political Efficacy in China
No full textExisting literature largely agrees that authoritarian regimes establish channels for political participation to gather valuable information on citizens' anti-regime sentiments and policy preferences and to supervise lower-level bureaucrats and firms. However, we lack knowledge of how citizens—key actors behind this informational function—actually experience these channels. I investigate citizens' experiences in the context of online political participation in China, drawing on survey data and online fieldwork. I find evidence suggesting that initial online political participation significantly decreases feelings of online political efficacy through a “disenchantment” process in which participating citizens gather sobering first-hand experience and subsequently lower their assessment of the regime's responsiveness. On this basis, I develop a theory of an “information-propaganda trade-off” that authoritarian regimes face: to obtain more information, authoritarian regimes can encourage more citizens to participate. Once citizens participate, however, they grow disillusioned, and the regime's propaganda becomes less convincing
Microplastic and drought influence the positive effect of plant diversity on plant biomass production
No full text1. Global change and the loss of plant diversity threaten terrestrial ecosystem functionality. Microplastic pollution is considered a novel environmental stressor potentially affecting plant biomass production. However, it is poorly understood whether and how microplastic interacts with other global change factors, such as drought, to affect plant communities and the relationship between plant diversity and biomass production.
2. To unravel the above question and any underlying mechanisms, we conducted a glasshouse experiment. We assembled plant communities along a gradient of plant diversity and then subjected them to four microplastic and drought scenarios in grassland microcosms.
3. Our results showed that the positive effect of plant diversity on biomass production strongly depended on drought, whereas no significant interaction was found with microplastic, either alone or when combined with drought. Nevertheless, microplastic tended to decrease the positive diversity–biomass relationship by suppressing the shoot biomass of grasses and legumes, thereby reducing the positive selection effect. By contrast, drought significantly weakened this positive relationship by strongly reducing the shoot biomass of legumes, thereby inducing a negative complementarity effect and ultimately a negative net diversity effect. Both microplastic and drought decreased community biomass across all plant diversity levels, but microplastic could alleviate the negative effect of drought on community biomass by enhancing the shoot biomass of legumes.
4. Synthesis. Our findings reveal that microplastic and drought influence the positive effects of plant diversity on plant biomass production. Moreover, our study suggests that the mechanisms by which plant diversity affects productivity are differently sensitive to microplastic and drought. We highlight the importance of legumes in protecting and maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functions in the face of microplastic pollution and drought risks