Bioflocs technology : an integrated system for the removal of nutrients and simultaneous production of feed in aquaculture

Future development of intensive aquaculture must deal with its impacts on the environment in the form of water pollution and the use of fish oil and fish meal. The bioflocs technology simultaneously addresses both problems co-occurring with the further expansion of the industry. While maintaining good water quality within the aquaculture systems it produces additional feed for the cultured animals. In contrast to conventional water quality control techniques, the bioflocs technology offers a sustainable, economical and easy-to-implement alternative. Chapter 1 gives an overview of the literature concerning nitrogen removal techniques in aquaculture and bioflocs technology. In Chapter 2, the impact of the carbon source on the performance of biofloc reactors was studied. The carbon source influenced the capacity of the technique to control the water quality in the biofloc reactors and the nutritional properties of the flocs. The carbon source also affected the eukaryotic and prokaryotic community composition of the bioflocs, which offers great possibilities for fine-tuning of the technique, more specifically concerning water quality control, feed production and/or costs. This prime importance of the choice of carbon source was confirmed in two further studies (Chapter 3 and Chapter 4) in which bioflocs grown on different substrates were fed to giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) postlarvae and white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), respectively. In both studies, glycerol-grown bioflocs showed better results than glucose-grown bioflocs. The potential significance of these results calls for further studies on the use of bioflocs as a feed in aquaculture, both in freshwater and saline systems. Parameters to consider in the future are accessibility, palatability or attractiveness of the bioflocs towards the animals, amino acid composition, essential fatty acids content and cost of the used carbon source as well as the overall cost of the technology (especially compared to conventional biofilter systems and feeding costs). In addition to the environmental, economical and sustainable considerations addressed above, a more specific problem was studied in Chapter 5, where aquaculture animals are exposed to lower temperatures during winter, possibly leading to mass mortality in industrial ponds. Covering the ponds with either plastic sheets or glass allowed solar heating of the culture water (thereby reducing the temperature decrease) and permitted to minimize water exchange. The application of bioflocs technology resulted in maintenance of good water quality, concomitantly providing additional feed to the animals, tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus x Oreochromis aureus) without compromising survival, growth and condition factor of the cultured species. At this moment, the aquaculture industry is most importantly faced with mass mortalities due to infectious diseases. To conclude this work, a potential extra added value feature of the bioflocs technology was studied in Chapter 6. In this study, bioflocs were found to be able to protect brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) larvae from pathogenic Vibrio harveyi. These results indicate that in addition to water quality control and extra in situ feed production, the technique also has potential to protect the cultured animals from infections with pathogenic bacteria, which are responsible for major economic losses in aquaculture. To conclude, the last chapter (Chapter 7) provides a brief discussion of the performed studies. Directions for future in depth studies are raised based on the studies performed in this work that might contribute to further sustainable development of aquaculture

Customer experience in a Hungarian fine dining restaurant: a marketing perspektive

Este relatório descreve o papel e as respetivas tarefas que um gerente de experiências realizou num restaurante de fine-dining na Hungria. No início, o relatório visou a literatura existente sobre a experiência do cliente e a literatura sobre a gestão de pistas ou clues management. Verificou-se que a economia das experiências de Pine e Gilmore (1998) conduziram a uma transformação da indústria e da academia, visto que o foco deixou de ser a transação de produtos e serviços para passar a ser o consumo das experiências. A revisão da literatura permitiu também verificar que as experiências devem ser geridas dado a sua complexidade e subjetividade. Constatou-se também que as experiências gastronómicas na restauração devem proporcionar aos clientes uma experiência memorável, e que o gerenciamento de pistas é uma opção viável para gerenciar a experiência do cliente neste setor. O estágio decorreu de Junho a Novembro, no grupo Zsidai, que é grupo proprietário do Pierrot's Restaurant, sobre a supervisão de dois gerentes do Restaurante Pierrot’s. Durante o estágio foi verificada a importância do uso do gerenciamento de pistas, ou seja, pistas funcionais, humanísticas e mecânicas. Estes atributos da experiência de fine-dining podem ser vistos como pistas de experiência. A perspectiva Clue Management significa que os clientes captam pistas que podem ser distinguidas em termos de pistas funcionais, mecânicas e humanas. As pistas funcionais criam uma perceção racional respondendo à pergunta o quê, enquanto as pistas mecânicas e humanistas causam mais impacto na emoção do que na razão. Como os restaurantes de fine-dining representam um segmento de mercado de nicho, pelo que é importante que os gestores identifiquem os pontos fortes e fracos dos serviços e da experiência oferecida. Neste sentido, os gerentes devem identificar os principais atributos da experiência que podem influenciar a satisfação e as memorias dos clientes, tais como a qualidade dos alimentos, o tipo de alimentos, a qualidade de serviço, a atmosfera do local, o preço, a inovação nos menus e serviço, a distintividade da oferta, o engagement , a co-criação e ainda a autenticidade. No decurso do estágio foram realizadas várias tarefas: Gerenciamento e controlo dos custos de alimentação, análise SWOT, pesquisa sobre grau de satisfação dos funcionários, avaliação da popularidade dos menus, e ainda Revenue Management. A elaboração de uma análise SWOT com a ajuda do gerente geral e de outros membros da equipa permitiu também posteriormente há necessidade de realizaram-se reuniões de brainstorming, para se identificarem os pontos fracos, fortes, oportunidades e ameaças. Esta experiência foi bastante gratificante, visto que permitiu também aprender como as fraquezas e ameaças poderiam ser transformadas em pontos fortes e oportunidades. No mesmo contexto, o mundo de hoje requer que os gerentes de experiências consigam e saibam gerenciar as avaliações on-line do restaurante. A gestão dos comentários do Tripadvisor, Google e Michelin foram deste modo tarefas fundamentais. Os comentários positivos e negativos mostraram ter impacto no valor da marca e no desempenho financeiro do restaurante. Assim, responder aos clientes para manter uma boa conexão com o cliente ou contestar qualquer comentário injusto é crucial. O estágio também permitiu aprender a utilizar o Open Table Revenue Management Software, software que auxiliou a controlar o lead time da reserva; a origem das reservas; o tamanho de grupos de clientes e o tempo médio gasto pelos clientes no restaurante. As tarefas do estágio descritas e a análise crítica realizada mostram que o estágio permitiu que aprendesse sobre as tarefas que um gerente experiencial precisa realizar para proporcionar uma ótima experiência gastronómica aos clientes. Para estar envolvido em serviços de alta qualidade e fazer parte de uma equipa, a orientação do gerente geral é crucial. A aprendizagem na resolução de conflitos foi fulcral assim como o trabalho em equipa, mesmo em situações de tensão. Trabalhar num restaurante é lidar com pessoas. Isso inclui não apenas o gerenciamento dos convidados e a sensibilidade para sentir o que o convidado exige (por exemplo, conversar com eles ou deixá-los disfrutar da refeição), mas também ser um membro integral da equipa. Trabalhar na equipa da Pierrot’s, permitiu a criar amizades e conhecer outras realidades e personalidades. A equipa participou ativamente, apoiando e auxiliando as atividades desenvolvidas durante o estágio com vista a um melhor desempenho diário, e permitiu tornar a gestão da experiência no restaurante mais rica, para os consumidores e staff. Por exemplo, o questionário à satisfação dos funcionários ajudou os gerentes do restaurante a reconhecer que existiam lacunas que precisam de ser preenchidas para manter a equipa motivada. Outro exemplo, foi o trabalho em equipa que foi feito para a análise SWOT. Toda a equipa veio mais cedo para trabalhar, apenas para ajudar a identificar lacunas e oportunidades para a primeira análise SWOT a ser feita no restaurante. O sentimento de pertença a uma equipa que o foi experienciado desde o primeiro momento do estágio, foi também ele sentido pelos clientes, os quais muitas vezes comentaram que o ambiente no restaurante era muito positivo entre os colegas. Em conclusão, o papel de um gerente de experiências ou gerente experiencial num restaurante de requinte ou de fine-dining é crucial, visto que esta função envolve os vários departamentos do restaurante e, essencialmente garante que os clientes tenham uma experiência única, distinta e memorável. Além disso, o relatório demonstrou a importância da formação académica, uma vez que diferentes disciplinas relacionadas com a gestão, marketing e o turismo foram essenciais para entender, apreender e executar as múltiplas tarefas que um gerente de experiências tem ao seu cargo para realizar durante o dia. Por fim, o estágio proporcionou uma oportunidade de crescimento profissional, académico e pessoal, sem negligenciar a importância da experiência dos clientes.This report describes the role and tasks of an experience manager in a Hungarian fine-dining restaurant. In the beginning the report revised the existing literature on customer experience and clues management literature. It was found that fine dining experiences at restaurants should provide customers a memorable experience, and that clues management is a viable option to manage customer experience within this sector. The internship took place from June to November, at the Zsidai Group, group that owns the restaurant Pierrot ’s Restaurant. During the internship the importance of the using the clues management, namely funcional, humanic and mechanical was experienced. During the internship, with the supervision of the Pierrot ’s Restaurant General Managers, several tasks were performed throughout the internship: Food cost management, SWOT analysis, employee satisfaction survey, popularity menu assessment and profitability monitoring and control. The internship also permitted to learn and use the Open Table Revenue Management Software, which allowed to control the reservation lead time; the origin of the reservations; the parties size, and the average time spent by customers at the restaurant. In conclusion, the role of an experience manager at a fine dining restaurant is crucial, involving several departments of the restaurant and more importantly assuring customers have a unique, distinctive and memorable experience. Furthermore, the report showed the importance of having an academic background, since different theoretical disciplines related to management, marketing and tourism were essential to understand, learn and perform the multiple tasks an experience manager has to undertake during the day. Lastly, the internship provided an opportunity to grow professionally, academically and personally without neglecting how important it is to focus on the customers’ experience

Biofloc technology application in aquaculture to support sustainable development goals

Biofloc technology (BFT) application offers benefits in improving aquaculture production that could contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals. This technology could result in higher productivity with less impact to the environment. Furthermore, biofloc systems may be developed and performed in integration with other food production, thus promoting productive integrated systems, aiming at producing more food and feed from the same area of land with fewer input. The biofloc technology is still in its infant stage. A lot more research is needed to optimise the system (in relation to operational parameters) e.g. in relation to nutrient recycling, MAMP production, immunological effects. In addition research findings will need to be communicated to farmers as the implementation of biofloc technology will require upgrading their skills

From Imperialism to the "golden Age" to the Great Lockdown: The Politics of Global Health Governance

This article reviews the state of the literature on the politics of global health governance and associated political dynamics of actors involved in this issue space. We identify seven eras in the field, beginning with the period of empire and colonialism and ending with the COVID-19 outbreak. The field of global health has long had a focus on infectious disease, often rooted within a state-centered approach to transnational global health problems with recurrent debates about whether and how restrictions on trade and travel should be imposed in the wake of disease outbreaks. This statist focus is in tension with more cosmopolitan visions of global health, which require broader health system strengthening. In the mid-2000s, a golden age emerged with the influx of new financing and political attention to addressing HIV/AIDS and malaria, as well as reducing the risk posed by infectious disease outbreaks to economies of the Global North. Despite increased awareness of noncommunicable diseases and the importance of health systems, events of recent years (including but not limited to the COVID-19 outbreak) reinforced the centrality of states to global health efforts and the primacy of infectious diseases

Making the Deep Sea Atlantic Red Crab Fishery a sustainable and profitable industry for Virginia

The primary purpose of this fishery resource grant project was to develop the on-shore live holding system for deep sea Atlantic Red Crab caught in off-shore Virginia waters. A live holding system makes crabs continuously available so that both export and domestic markets can develop

Primary Nutritional Content of Bio-Flocs Cultured with Different Organic Carbon Sources and Salinity

Application of bio-flocs technology (BFT) in aquaculture offers a solution to avoid environmental impact of high nutrient discharges and to reduce the use of artificial feed. In BFT, excess of nutrients in aquaculture systems are converted into microbial biomass, which can be consumed by the cultured animals as a food source. In this experiment, upconcentrated pond water obtained from the drum filter of a freshwater tilapia farm was used for bio-flocs reactors. Two carbon sources, sugar and glycerol, were used as the first variable, and two different levels of salinity, 0 and 30 ppt, were used as the second variable. Bio-flocs with glycerol as a carbon source had higher total n-6 PUFAs (19.1 + 2.1 and 22.3 + 8.6 mg/g DW at 0 and 30 ppt, respectively) than that of glucose (4.0 + 0.1 and 12.6 + 2.5 mg/g DW at 0 and 30 ppt). However, there was no effect of carbon source or salinity on crude protein, lipid, and total n-3 PUFAs contents of the bio-flocs

Volvelles, Domes and Wristbands : Embedding Digital Fabrication Within a Visitor's Trajectory of Engagement

We present the findings of an empirical design study exploring how situating digital fabrication within a souvenir-making activity can enrich an audience's encounter with cultural events and engage visitors in discussion and reflection upon their experiences. During an incremental accumulative design process, in collaboration with an arts organisation, we developed a series of fabrication activities that offered visitors the opportunity to create their own personalised souvenirs based on their experience of a cultural event. By analyzing visitors' trajectories of engagement with the event we explore three key findings: activity embedded digital fabrication engages new audiences, encourages conversation and reflection, and presents organisations with new and more playful ways to gain insights into audience experiences

Influence of filter medium type, temperature and ammonia production on nitrifying trickling filters performance

[EN] This work focuses on the achieving of optimal design and modelling of nitrifying trickling filters for closed circuit aquaculture turbot (Psetta maxima) farms. Several process parameters influential in nitrifying filtration were established on experimental biofilters and their efficiency was tested, based on the removal of nitrogen contained in total ammonia nitrogen (N-TAN) in a fixed time (24 h). Those process parameters were filter media types (Type A Biofill®, BactoBalls® and MECHpro® rings), temperatures (24.3 °C, 19.0 °C, 15.3 °C) and production of TAN (1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 g per day) while other process parameters values remained constant. TAN production was simulated with the addition of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) in the recirculation system. Constant measuring of the total ammonia nitrogen concentration in the biofilter effluent was required to perform a model of N-TAN fluctuation based on a specific feeding regime and to ascertain performance differences between biofilters. At the end of the experiment, notable differences were observed in the ammonia removal rates depending on different process parameters. The BactoBalls® filter medium led to the highest mean N-TAN removal rates (0.24 g N-TAN removed m−2 day−1). The N-TAN removal rate generally increased with higher temperatures, the trials with the highest mean temperature (24.3 °C) led to the highest mean N-TAN removal rate (0.26 g N-TAN removed m−2 day−1). Similarly, the N-TAN removal rate increased with high TAN production. The trials in which production was 4.5 g per day showed the highest N-TAN mean removal rate (0.27 g N-TAN removed m−2 day−1).This research work is included in the national project "Design of a recirculating aquaculture system for aquaculture plants (2011-2014)" financed by Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain.Godoy-Olmos, S.; Martínez-Llorens, S.; Tomas-Vidal, A.; Jover Cerda, M. (2016). Influence of filter medium type, temperature and ammonia production on nitrifying trickling filters performance. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 4(1):328-340. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2015.11.023S3283404