African catfish Clarias gariepinus farming practices in North and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal, India

Clarias gariepinus is widely cultured due to its tolerance to environmental extremes, high production and good feed conversion rate. This communication describes the farming practices of C. gariepinus in North and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal. Clarias gariepinus is cultured in ponds of 0.1–0.75 ha, where fingerlings were stocked at a density of 860–1150 cubic.m–1. The current practices of seed transportation were stressful to fish as the majority of the farmers noticed 5–10% mortalities, despite the use of antibiotics. Acclimatization of seeds was practiced by the majority of farmers before stocking. Different feeds including slaughter-house wastes and dead poultry were supplied. Multiple stocking and harvesting were a common practice. Major problems identified were insufficient feed, disease, transport, poor seed quality and lack of financial support. The survival percentage was poor, as 88% of the farmers recorded <40–50% survival at harvest. Dropsy was the most common disease and had a significant impact on economy. Antibiotics or other aquadrugs were frequently used for treatment, although the success varied. In general, the C. gariepinus farming has helped to recycle the wastes generated in and around metropolitan Kolkata and adjacent municipalities into wealth, but it suffers from management issues and economic losses

Aquatic food systems and antimicrobial use in Bangladesh: A One Health perspective

This scoping review is one of the deliverables of the antimicrobial resistance work package of the CGIAR Initiative on One Health. It reviews past literature and projects on antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in the aquatic food systems of Bangladesh from a One Health perspective. The purpose of this review is to gain a better understanding of the challenges of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in the prevailing aquatic food production systems in Bangladesh using a One Health approach. The review also sheds light on past and ongoing initiatives led by government agencies, non-governmental organizations and collaborative research partners to reduce the burden of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture in Bangladesh

La legalizzazione della cannabis: analisi dell'impatto sulla finanza pubblica

La legalizzazione della Cannabis è un tema da sempre molto divisivo: secondo i sostenitori potrebbe essere la soluzione a numerosi problemi (sovraffollamento carcerario, lotta alla criminalità organizzata, aumento di gettito fiscale e riduzione della spesa pubblica), mentre secondo i detrattori ne causerebbe di nuovi (aumento vertiginoso dei consumi e aumento della spesa pubblica in Sanità). Pertanto, l'intento di questa tesi è valutare nella maniera più oggettiva possibile la questione, analizzando le conseguenze che questo tipo di policy potrebbe avere nel contesto italiano, facendo particolare attenzione alle ricadute sui conti pubblici. Al fine di delineare un quadro quanto più preciso possibile, è stato analizzato il modo in cui altri Paesi nel Mondo (Uruguay, Canada, Washington, California) hanno regolato il settore della Cannabis, per comprendere quali criticità hanno affrontato, in che modo le hanno risolte e quali risultati hanno ottenuto, soprattutto a livello fiscale. Per quanto riguarda il caso italiano, l'analisi si è concentrata sulla proposta di legge C.3235 del 2015, recante "disposizioni in materia di legalizzazione della coltivazione, della lavorazione e della vendita della cannabis e dei suoi derivati", per comprendere, nel caso in cui fosse stata approvata, che risultati avrebbe conseguito. Infine, nelle conclusioni si confrontano i costi e i benefici forniti da un contesto repressivo, rispetto a quelli forniti da un contesto regolato, per dimostrare concretamente quale strada conviene perseguire.The legalization of cannabis has always been a very polarizing issue: according to its supporters, it could be the solution to many problems (prison overcrowding, the war against organized crime, increased tax revenues, and the reduction of public spending), while according to its critics it would just cause new ones (a dramatic increase in drugs consumption and a rose of public health spending). Therefore, this thesis aims to evaluate this issue as objectively as possible, analyzing the consequences that this type of policy might have in the Italian context, with special attention to the effects on public accounts. In order to provide the most accurate picture possible, it has been analyzed the way in which other world countries (Uruguay, Canada, Washington, California) have regulated the cannabis sector, to understand which critical issues they have faced, how they have dealt with them and what results they have obtained, especially on the fiscal front. As for the Italian case, the analysis focused on the proposed law C.3235 of 2015, bearing "provisions on the legalization of the cultivation, processing, and sale of cannabis and its derivatives", to understand, in case it would be approved, what result it would achieve. Finally, the conclusions compare the costs and benefits provided by a repressive context to those provided by a regulated one, to concretely demonstrate which path is worth to be pursued

Desarrollo de metodologías analíticas para la determinación de fármacos y sustancias de abuso en muestras acuosas

En esta Tesis se han desarrollado diferentes metodologías para la determinación de fármacos, drogas de abuso y algunos de sus principales metabolitos humanos en muestras acuosas. El trabajo se ha centrado principalmente en el análisis de aguas residuales (tanto tratadas como sin tratar) y en la aguas que reciben su descarga, si bien uno de los métodos desarrollados también ha sido validado en orina. La presencia de este tipo de compuestos, algunos todavía farmacológicamente activos, en las aguas residuales es consecuencia principalmente de la excreción humana tras su consumo y además, debido a su eliminación incompleta en las plantas de tratamiento de agua residual, pudiendo llegar al medio natural y causando modificaciones en el ecosistema, inclusive cuando se encuentran en concentraciones muy bajas. Por un lado, para la determinación de dos familias de drogas de abuso, como son los cannabinoides y los estimulantes de tipo anfetamínico (ATS), se empleó la microextracción en fase sólida (SPME). Debido a la naturaleza polar de estos compuestos, fue necesario llevar a cabo una reacción de derivatización, on fiber o in situ (dependiendo de los analitos), previa a su determinación mediante cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (GC-MS). Por otro lado, en el caso de los ansiolíticos e hipnótico-sedantes pertenecientes a la familia de las benzodiacepinas, zolpidem y metilfenidato se desarrolló en primer lugar un método de extracción en fase sólida (SPE) como técnica de referencia y en segundo lugar se estudió la extracción utilizando polímeros de bajo coste. En ambos casos, la determinación se realizó mediante cromatografía líquida acoplada a espectrometría de masas en tándem (LC-MS/MS). Finalmente, para la determinación de fármacos antiinflamatorios no esteroideos (NSAIDs) se empleó una novedosa técnica que recibe el nombre de fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE). Al igual que en el caso de las drogas de abuso, los NSAIDs han sido determinados mediante GCMS. Se ha logrado obtener metodologías sencillas, con una elevada sensibilidad y robustez y que se presentan como una clara alternativa a las publicadas previamente. Además, se ha confirmado la presencia de estos analitos en las aguas residuales y superficiales, algunos detectados por primera vez en la región de estudio

African catfish Clarias gariepinus farming practices in North and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal, India

Clarias gariepinus is widely cultured due to its tolerance to environmental extremes, high production and good feed conversion rate. This communication describes the farming practices of C. gariepinus in North and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal. Clarias gariepinus is cultured in ponds of 0.1–0.75 ha, where fingerlings were stocked at a density of 860–1150 cubic.m–1. The current practices of seed transportation were stressful to fish as the majority of the farmers noticed 5–10% mortalities, despite the use of antibiotics. Acclimatization of seeds was practiced by the majority of farmers before stocking. Different feeds including slaughter-house wastes and dead poultry were supplied. Multiple stocking and harvesting were a common practice. Major problems identified were insufficient feed, disease, transport, poor seed quality and lack of financial support. The survival percentage was poor, as 88% of the farmers recorded <40–50% survival at harvest. Dropsy was the most common disease and had a significant impact on economy. Antibiotics or other aquadrugs were frequently used for treatment, although the success varied. In general, the C. gariepinus farming has helped to recycle the wastes generated in and around metropolitan Kolkata and adjacent municipalities into wealth, but it suffers from management issues and economic losses