Plant-based school meals as levers of sustainable food transitions: A narrative review and conceptual framework

Current food systems face immediate and complex challenges in feeding a growing global population. It is necessary to mitigate the environmental impact of food systems while ensuring food security across the globe. Drawing on the example of recent multi-sectoral approaches which focus on the interconnections between public health and the environment, this work offers a narrative review and broader conceptual framework advancing two propositions. The first is that school meals systems have the potential to help enable sustainable food transitions. The second is that favoring well-planned plant-based meals in schools may strengthen this potential. The review and resulting framework highlight the relevance of seeking transdisciplinary dialogue and considering diverse sectors of society, such as public health, the environment, social protection, economic development, and community welfare. We review possible health benefits as well as possible economic and environmental outcomes, especially if school meals are sourced mainly from local communities and eco-friendly agricultural practices. Cross-sectoral implications related to social protection and community welfare are also identified and discussed, as well as potential pathways for materializing sustainable food transitions in schools.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Dittrichia viscosa subsp viscosa on Helicobacter pylori

Dittrichia viscosa subsp. viscosa (Compositae) is found on edges, wood clearings and in waste places of the Iberian Peninsula. Aerial parts of D. viscosa were collected at flowering phase in September-October 2001 around Lisbon, Portugal and the essential oils isolated by hydro-distillation for 4 h using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The oils were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Preliminary examination of the essential oils allowed the identification of 32 components. Only four components reached percentages over 5%: fokienol (11.8%), T-muurorol (7.9%), (E)-nerolidol (5.5%) and delta-cadinene (5.0%). The essential oils were tested against Helicobacterpylori and Listeria monocytogenes. Essential oils did not have antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes. The essential oil at 0.88 to 22.22 mu g.ml(-1) did not inhibit the growth of H. pylori, affected the growth slightly at 44.40 mu g.ml(-1), and completely inhibited the growth at 88.80 to 133.20 mu g.ml(-1) Results show that use of D. viscosa essential oil in the treatment of gastric disorders caused by H. pylori can be effective

Antioxidant activity of thymbra capitata essential oil in meat-treated oil

Several synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), have been used to preserve meat. Nevertheless they are considered toxic and to have carcinogenic effects. Natural products, such as those present in essential oils, have been the target of studies as alternative antioxidants, showing promising results. In addition, these natural compounds have the advantage of having consumer's acceptance. Thymbra capitata is a perennial, herbaceous shrub commonly used as a spicy herb. The essential oils isolated from this plant showed antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The main goal of the present work was to evaluate the capacity of T. capitata oil to prevent lipid oxidation in bovine meat. Different concentrations of essential oil (0, 50, 75 and 100 mg/5 g of meat) were used in two types of bovine meat samples purchased in the local market. The protein content of both types of meat samples was 21%, and lipid content ranged from 9% to 15%. After covering with the oil, the two types of meat samples were stored at -17 degrees C, for one month. After 1 day, 15 days and 30 days, meat samples were taken and cooked at 85 degrees C for 90 min. The samples were then submitted to the TBARS modified method, for antioxidant activity evaluation. The essential oil was able to prevent meat oxidation even after one month of storage and showed a dose-dependent activity

The general purpose analog computer and computable analysis are two equivalent paradigms of analog computation

In this paper we revisit one of the rst models of analog computation, Shannon's General Purpose Analog Computer (GPAC). The GPAC has often been argued to be weaker than computable analysis. As main contribution, we show that if we change the notion of GPACcomputability in a natural way, we compute exactly all real computable functions (in the sense of computable analysis). Moreover, since GPACs are equivalent to systems of polynomial di erential equations then we show that all real computable functions can be de ned by such models

Partial safety factors for prestressed concrete girders 2 strengthened with CFRP laminates

This paper provides a framework for the calibration of partial safety factors in prestressed concrete (PC) girders strengthened in flexure with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. A hybrid approach was proposed to take advantage of comprehensive nonlinear numerical models in reliability analysis using a first-order reliability method (FORM) in conjunction with the response surface method (RSM). The PC girders selected for analyses were taken from real structures designed and built in the 1980s based on old standards that now require strengthening and upgrade due to partial corrosion of the prestressing strands. Using the proposed approach, a sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the most relevant variables and assess the area of CFRP laminates needed to restore capacity up to new design standards. A partial safety factor was proposed for strengthening PC girders using CFRP laminates. Sensitivity analysis showed that traffic loads and model uncertainties are the most important variables for calibration. (C) 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT)Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [SFRH/BD/76345/2011]Australian Research CouncilAustralian Research Council [DE150101703, LP140100591]FCT, within Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE) [UID/ECI/04029/2013]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Do different casein concentrations increase the adverse effect of rutin on the biology of Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)?

The flavonoid rutin is recognized as playing an important role in the protection of plants against lepidopterans. Bioassays with this compound are generally carried out using artificial diets. Proteins of high energy value, such as casein, are important ingredients of insect artificial diets as a source of essential amino acids. However, such proteins can generally increase the allelochemical activity. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of rutin on larvae of the velvetbean caterpillar Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner by incorporating this allelochemical into diets with different concentrations of casein. Three casein concentrations (0, 7 g, or 14 g) combined with none, 0.65%, or 1.30% of rutin were added to the rearing diet and offered to the larvae from hatching to pupation. Rutin negatively affected larval development, the amount of food consumed, and pupal weight of A. gemmatalis. These negative effects were clearly seen in insects fed on diets with 7 g of casein to which any concentration of rutin was added. The effects of rutin when added to the diets without casein were stronger than in diets containing a suitable amount of casein (14 g). The greater negative effects of rutin in diets containing suboptimal concentrations of casein indicate that casein can increase the effects of rutin only when the diets are nutritionally unsuitable for insect development

Variability of olive oil cultivar on stability during storage

The fatty acid composition and stability of three Portuguese monovarietal olive oils, Cobrancosa, Macanilha and Verdeal, was studied, maintaining the olive oils at 60 degrees C for 75 and 102 days, respectively. Oleic acid was the main fatty acid (64-69%) in three olive oils cultivars, followed by palmitic acid (15-18%). The highest percentages of palmitic acid were observed in Macanilha olive oil (17-18%). Linolenic acid content was 3%, on average. Storing the oils at 60 degrees C over 75 days did not affect the levels of fatty acids. Cobrancosa and Macanilha olive oils were more resistant to hydroperoxide formation than Verdeal olive oil, whereas this oil and that of Macanilha were more resistant to the degradation of those peroxides. Cobrancosa olive oil possessed higher levels of phenols and higher ability for scavenging free radicals than the remaining oils. a-Tocopherol content was higher in Cobrancosa and Macanilha oils than in Verdeal, but a similar high degradation of this vitamin was observed in all oils, disappearing after 5 to 8 days of storage at 60 degrees C

Epistemological Character of Sustainability

Epistemology has as its function, among others, to define what provides conditions for examining relations between facts and theories. The question is what does conceptual aspect contribute to awareness and improvement to the relation of capital, labor, and society? Apply the Theory U as argumentation in this relation. The general and main objective of this experiment is to deal with the epistemological aspect of sustainability against the capital, labor, and society based on the Theory U; the specific objectives are collecting the sustainability theoretical-conceptual character to explain its epistemological core (1); identify the relation of capital, labor, and society (2); and identify the conceptual innovation required from the contextualized indoctrinated constitution. Apply the Content Analysis Method and procedures such as cleavage, categorization, and criticism. As result, the conceptual aspect contributes to awareness and improvement of the relation of capital, labor, and society considering the discourses treated; in fragile environments in the western Amazon, there is a latent concern related to solid waste, deserving a conceptual highlight in which the origin of sustainability becomes the emergency; the mechanisms created by capital with domination over human labor, make the worker passive in the society marked by capitalist hegemony; lead structural changes is an epistemological question witch happen pragmatically, increasing the fragile aspect of perception and awareness resulting in innovations to sustained development, motivating learning where leaders promote changes in complex systems. This article interests researchers and others people involved in theoretical issues to delineate researches in the axis of applied social sciences