Identification of Opportunities for Applying the Circular Economy to Intensive Agriculture in Almería (South-East Spain)

The use of intensive high-yield agricultural systems has proved to be a feasible alternative to traditional systems as they able to meet the objective of guaranteeing long-term sustainability in the supply of food. In order to implement these systems, it is necessary to replace the traditional model of “extract-use-consume-dispose” with a model based on the principles of the Circular Economy (CE), optimizing the use of resources and minimizing the generation of waste. Almería has become a paradigm of this type of high-yield agricultural system, with the largest concentration of greenhouses in the world. This study analyses the opportunities that the CE can offer the intensive agriculture sector in Almería in order to obtain long-term sustainability. The results show a wide variety of alternatives, both on an agricultural exploitation level and in the case of the product packaging and wholesale centers. The priority areas of action are waste management, the prevention of product waste and the improvement in the efficiency of the use of water and energy. The principal limitations for adopting circular practices are the large investment required, the limited transfer of knowledge between the different users and the lack of sufficient support from the government and the sector

Barriers and Facilitators for Adopting Sustainable Soil Management Practices in Mediterranean Olive Groves

Soil is a fundamental resource, subject to severe and quick degradation processes because of the pressure of human activities, particularly in many regions of the Mediterranean where agriculture is an important economic activity. It has been proven that the use of sustainable soil management practices can potentially give rise to the creation of a carbon sink, an increase of soil organic matter content, the maintenance of crop productivity and a reduction in erosion. Despite the existence of scientific evidence about the benefits generated by the use of sustainable practices on soil, many farmers are reluctant to adopt them. The objective of this study is to identify and give a hierarchical structure to the factors that condition the adoption of sustainable practices in the management of agricultural soil. The case of olive tree cultivation in Southeast Spain has been studied, using a participatory qualitative methodology. The results show a series of seven principal barriers (information, costs, risk aversion, characteristics of the farm and sustainable practices, macro factors, and cultural barriers) and five facilitators (technology, farmer training, awareness, incentives, and social pressure) for the adoption of the proposed sustainable agricultural practices. The principal political and legislative actions proposed to increase the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices include: administrative control, fostering environmental awareness, technical knowledge, and on-farm demonstrations; and, on the economic and financial level, incorporation of both general incentives and subsidizing specific costs. This study contributes to the development and discussion of intervention proposals that are designed to stimulate the implementation of sustainable practices in agricultural soil management

Predictores del uso de la estrategia invasiva precoz en mujeres con síndrome coronario agudo sin elevación de ST

Objetivo: Identificar los determinantes asociados a la estrategia invasiva precoz (EIP) en mujeres con síndrome coronario agudo sin elevación de ST (SCASEST). Diseño: Estudio de cohortes retrospectivo. Análisis crudo y ajustado de la realización de EIP mediante regresión logística no condicional. Ámbito: Unidades coronarias participantes en 2010-2011 en el registro ARIAM-SEMICYUC. Pacientes: Cuatrocientas cuarenta mujeres con SCASEST. Se excluyeron 16 por datos insuficientes y 58 con coronariografía electiva (> 72 h). Variables analizadas: Demográficas, factores de riesgo coronario, medicación previa, comorbilidad. Características clínicas, analíticas, hemodinámicas y electrocardiográficas del episodio. Resultados: Las mujeres tratadas conservadoramente presentaban mayor edad, mayor prevalencia de anticoagulación oral, diabetes, lesiones coronarias previas e insuficiencia cardiaca (p 80 años y el aumento de la frecuencia cardiaca son factores independientes asociados al tratamiento conservador.To identify determinants associated to an early invasive strategy in women with acute coronary syndromes without ST elevation (NSTE-ACS).Design: A retrospective cohort study was made. Crude and adjusted analysis of the performance of the early invasive strategy using logistic regression.Setting: Coronary Units enrolled in 2010 - 2011 in the ARIAM-SEMICYUC registry.Patients: A total of 440 women with NSTE-ACS were studied. Sixteen patients were excluded due to insufficient data, together with 58 patients subjected to elective coronary angiography (> 72 h).Variables analyzed: Demographic parameters, coronary risk factors, previous medication, comorbidity. Clinical, laboratory, hemodynamic and electrocardiographic data of the episode. Results: Women treated conservatively were of older age, had oral anticoagulation, diabetes, previous coronary lesions, and heart failure (p 80 years (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.82, p=0.009), known coronary lesions (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.26-0.84, p=0.011), and heart rate (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99, p=0.003) were independently associated to conservative treatment. Smoking (OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.20 to 5.19, p=0.013) and high-risk electrocardiogram (OR 2.96, 95% CI 1.72 to 4.97, p 80 years and increased heart rate were independent factors associated to conservative treatment

EPIdemiology of Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) : Study protocol for a multicentre, observational trial

More than 300 million surgical procedures are performed each year. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after major surgery and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term outcomes. However, there is a large variation in the incidence of reported AKI rates. The establishment of an accurate epidemiology of surgery-associated AKI is important for healthcare policy, quality initiatives, clinical trials, as well as for improving guidelines. The objective of the Epidemiology of Surgery-associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) trial is to prospectively evaluate the epidemiology of AKI after major surgery using the latest Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus definition of AKI. EPIS-AKI is an international prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study including 10 000 patients undergoing major surgery who are subsequently admitted to the ICU or a similar high dependency unit. The primary endpoint is the incidence of AKI within 72 hours after surgery according to the KDIGO criteria. Secondary endpoints include use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality during ICU and hospital stay, length of ICU and hospital stay and major adverse kidney events (combined endpoint consisting of persistent renal dysfunction, RRT and mortality) at day 90. Further, we will evaluate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors affecting the incidence of postoperative AKI. In an add-on analysis, we will assess urinary biomarkers for early detection of AKI. EPIS-AKI has been approved by the leading Ethics Committee of the Medical Council North Rhine-Westphalia, of the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster and the corresponding Ethics Committee at each participating site. Results will be disseminated widely and published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and used to design further AKI-related trials. Trial registration number NCT04165369

Model-Based Design of Experiments for the identification of microalgae growth models with limiting nutrients

Nutrients play a major role in several microalgal industrial processes and their efficient exploitation has an impact on environmental sustainability. The Droop model is suitable for the description of nutrients effect on microalgal growth but presents challenges in parameter identification for the high experimental effort required. In this work, a Model-Based Design of Experiments (MBDoE) was employed to plan information-rich experiments for precise parameter estimation. An initial dynamic sensitivity analysis showed that parameters of the Droop model can be practically identified with measurements of biomass and nitrogen content of the medium only. Finally, MBDoE was employed to plan in silico experiments, proving that two optimal experiments are sufficient to achieve accurate parameters estimation

Droop model identification via model-based design of experiments to describe microalgae nitrogen uptake in continuous photobioreactors

The comprehension of nutrients uptake and exploitation dynamics is a key aspect to increase the efficiency and the environmental sustainability of microalgal production at industrial scale. The Droop model is suitable for the description of the effect of nutrients on microalgal growth, but presents challenges in parameter identification due to the high correlation between parameters and the significant experimental effort required. Model-based design of experiments is employed to plan information-rich experiments for precise parameters estimation, based on dynamic variations of dilution rate and nitrogen concentration in a continuous photobioreactor growing microalga Tetradesmus obliquus. It is shown that only two optimal experiments of 8 days each are sufficient to attain a statistically satisfactory estimation of all model parameters, thus minimising time and resources. Validation experiments show that the model can capture nitrogen uptake dynamics effectively, and demonstrate that the design of optimal dynamic experiments allows calibrating the Droop model rapidly, making it a valuable tool for the study of nutrients dynamics in continuous microalgal cultivation systems

The economic valuation of ecosystem services: bibliometric analysis

Research background: The services provided by ecosystems are the main support for human populations and for the development of any type of activity. Today, the provision of these services is under threat. The economic valuation of ecosystem services is vital to design appropriate policies, define strategies and manage ecosystems. Purpose of the article: The objective of this study is to analyse the evolution of research on the economic valuation of ecosystem services over the last two decades. More specifically, it aims firstly to identify the main agents driving research and, secondly, it seeks to synthesize in a single document the relevant information on the main economic valuation methods, relating them to the categories of services, ecosystems and regions where they have been employed. Methods: A quantitative review was first carried out through a bibliometric analysis to identify the main drivers of this line of research and its development trends. Secondly, a qualitative review was conducted through a systematic review focusing on the most commonly used valuation techniques in relation to the characteristics of the service, the geographical scope and the ecosystem analysed. Findings & value added: The main novelty of this work, compared to previous literature, is that the relationship between the study area, the type of ecosystem, the category of service and the economic valuation methodology are analysed for the first time. The results highlight the need to continue expanding knowledge in relation to the temporal and spatial scale in the economic value of ecosystem services, the subjective nature of the estimates and the heterogeneity between the different social sectors with respect to the benefit obtained

Farmers’ profiles and attitudes towards the implementation of rainwater harvesting systems in intensive agriculture

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are presented as a feasible alternative to increase water resources for agricultural use. However, the installation of these systems in farmers’ holdings is very limited. It is necessary to know the opinions and attitudes of farmers towards these systems to develop specific measures that respond to their needs. This study analyses the case of intensive agriculture in southeastern Spain. The objective is to understand the attitudes of farmers in relation to the installation of RWH systems. A profile of farmers regarding RWH usage was developed through cluster analysis techniques. The results show that the detected farmer groups have different preferences and attitudes regarding RWH and the incentives that could be implemented to encourage its use. The most important obstacles to implementing RWH are not only economic but also technical and agronomic. Additionally, the degree of environmental awareness a farmer has plays a key role in their decision to install RWH systems. Recommendations based on the findings of this study are provided for policy-makers. The results of this research may be useful for those regions that are considering RWH, especially in areas where water availability is a limiting factor for agricultural development or compromises its sustainability