Alternative Eco-Friendly Methods in the Control of Post-Harvest Decay of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits

The effectiveness on several fruits by the application of alternative methods against fungi is summarized in the present chapter. Several investigations have reported the efficacy of these technologies for controlling fungal infections. Currently, high post-harvest loses have been reported due to several factors such as inefficient management, lack of training for farmers, and problems with appropriate conditions for storage of fruits and vegetables. Even now, in many countries, post-harvest disease control is led by the application of chemical fungicides. However, in this time, awareness about fungi resistance, environmental, and health issues has led to the research of eco-friendly and effective alternatives for disease management. The pathogen establishment on fruits can be affected by the application of GRAS compounds like chitosan, essential oils, salts, among others; besides, their efficacy can be enhanced by their combination with other technologies like ultrasound. Thus, the applications of these alternatives are suitable approaches for post-harvest management of fruits

Aguas del Iténez o Guaporé

Bolivia y Brasil comparten una de las cuencas más atractivas y preservadas de la te-giuri amazônica: la cuenca del rio llénez o Guaporé, que escurre tanto sobre el lecho rocoso del Escudo Precámbrico Brasilefto como sobre las Hanuras del Beni. Estas influencias hacen que la cuenca del iténez tenga una elevada heterogeneidad de habitats, una fauna acuálica peculiar y un alto valor de conservation. Este patrimo­nio binacional posée un potencial importante para la conservación de la diversidad regional y cl dcsar rollo sostcniblc participativo de las comunidades locales. El libro contiene un resumen del conotimìento de la cuenca y sus recursos, generado en los últimos 10 anos por un equipo de investigadores bolivianos, brasilefios y de otras nacionalidades. Se presenta una descripeión del medio fisico, así como resultados relevantes sobre la biodiversidad acuática, con énfasis en algas, peces, reptiles y mamíferos. El aporte más notable del libro, adernas de la descripeión ecológica del ecosistema, son las lecciones aprendidas que surgieron de experiências locales sobre la élaboration participativa de herramientas para la gestion de los recursos hidrobiológicos.A Bolívia e o Brasil compartilham uma das bacias hidrográficas mais atrativas e preservadas da região amazônica: a bacia do Rio Iténez ou Guaporé. A combinação das influências do escudo pré-cambriano brasileiro e da planícies do Beni é uma das razões pela qual existem na região elevada heterogeneidade de habitats, fauna aquática peculiar e alto grau valor dc conservação. Eslc patrimônio binacional possui potencial significativo para a conservação da diversidade regional e desenvolvimento sustentável participativo das comunidades locais. O livro contém um resumo do conhecimento da bacia e seus recursos, gerado nos últimos dez anos por uma equipe de pesquisadores bolivianos, brasileiros e de outras nacionalidades. Apresentamos uma descrição do meio físico, bem como resultados relevantes da biodiversidade aquática, com ênfase em algas, peixes, répteis e mamíferos. A contribuição mais notável do livro, além da descrição ecológica do ecossistema, é a descrição das lições aprendidas que surgiram a partir de experiências locais sobre elaboração participativa de ferramentas para a gestão dos recursos aquáticos presentes nesta bacia

Caribbean-Wide, Long-Term Study of Seagrass Beds Reveals Local Variations, Shifts in Community Structure and Occasional Collapse

The CARICOMP monitoring network gathered standardized data from 52 seagrass sampling stations at 22 sites (mostly Thalassia testudinum-dominated beds in reef systems) across the Wider Caribbean twice a year over the period 1993 to 2007 (and in some cases up to 2012). Wide variations in community total biomass (285 to >2000 g dry m−2) and annual foliar productivity of the dominant seagrass T. testudinum (2000 g dry m−2) were found among sites. Solar-cycle related intra-annual variations in T. testudinum leaf productivity were detected at latitudes > 16°N. Hurricanes had little to no long-term effects on these well-developed seagrass communities, except for 1 station, where the vegetation was lost by burial below ∼1 m sand. At two sites (5 stations), the seagrass beds collapsed due to excessive grazing by turtles or sea-urchins (the latter in combination with human impact and storms). The low-cost methods of this regional-scale monitoring program were sufficient to detect long-term shifts in the communities, and fifteen (43%) out of 35 long-term monitoring stations (at 17 sites) showed trends in seagrass communities consistent with expected changes under environmental deterioration.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

DataSheet_1_Spatio-temporal patterns in coral reef composition and function across an altered environmental gradient: A 15-year study in the Caribbean.csv

Coral species, which function to build the framework structure of reef ecosystems, vary across sheltered to exposed environmental gradients. For centuries, conditions in sheltered environments that impact lagoonal reefs have been altered by local anthropogenic disturbances, while conditions in exposed environments that impact forereefs have largely buffered the effects of local anthropogenic disturbances. Yet, bleaching events induced by global anthropogenic disturbances challenge how we predict changes in reef composition and function across environmental gradients. Here, we quantify spatio-temporal variation in the composition and function of 11 coral reefs across sheltered to exposed environmental conditions over 15 years and 3 bleaching events in Bocas del Toro, Panama. We find that the composition and function of lagoonal reefs and forereefs were distinct and shaped by an environmental gradient altered by anthropogenic disturbance. Lagoonal reefs lacked major reef-building species and experienced greater losses in coral species and diversity over time. Although only lagoonal reefs changed in coral species composition, both lagoonal reefs and forereefs became functionally similar over time. Our findings indicate that lagoonal reefs may be less resilient to global environmental change than forereefs due to long-term effects of local anthropogenic disturbances. Additionally, increasing global anthropogenic disturbances might lead to the homogenization of reef function, as reefs adapt to novel environmental conditions.</p

DataSheet_2_Spatio-temporal patterns in coral reef composition and function across an altered environmental gradient: A 15-year study in the Caribbean.docx

Coral species, which function to build the framework structure of reef ecosystems, vary across sheltered to exposed environmental gradients. For centuries, conditions in sheltered environments that impact lagoonal reefs have been altered by local anthropogenic disturbances, while conditions in exposed environments that impact forereefs have largely buffered the effects of local anthropogenic disturbances. Yet, bleaching events induced by global anthropogenic disturbances challenge how we predict changes in reef composition and function across environmental gradients. Here, we quantify spatio-temporal variation in the composition and function of 11 coral reefs across sheltered to exposed environmental conditions over 15 years and 3 bleaching events in Bocas del Toro, Panama. We find that the composition and function of lagoonal reefs and forereefs were distinct and shaped by an environmental gradient altered by anthropogenic disturbance. Lagoonal reefs lacked major reef-building species and experienced greater losses in coral species and diversity over time. Although only lagoonal reefs changed in coral species composition, both lagoonal reefs and forereefs became functionally similar over time. Our findings indicate that lagoonal reefs may be less resilient to global environmental change than forereefs due to long-term effects of local anthropogenic disturbances. Additionally, increasing global anthropogenic disturbances might lead to the homogenization of reef function, as reefs adapt to novel environmental conditions.</p

Discerning the Metal Doping Effect on Surface Redox and Acidic Properties in a MoVTeNbOx for Propa(e)ne Oxidation

[Image: see text] Adding a small quantity of K or Bi to a MoVTeNbO(x) via impregnation with inorganic solutions modifies its surface acid and redox properties and its catalytic performance in propa(e)ne partial oxidation to acrylic acid (AA) without detriment to its pristine crystalline structure. Bi-doping encourages propane oxydehydrogenation to propene, thus enlarging the net production rate of AA up to 35% more. The easier propane activation/higher AA production over the Bi-doped catalyst is ascribed to its higher content of surface V leading to a larger amount of total V(5+) species, the isolation site effect of NbO(x) species on V, and its higher Lewis acidity. K-doping does not affect propane oxydehydrogenation to propene but mainly acts over propene once formed, also increasing AA to a similar extent as Bi-doping. Although K-doping lowers propene conversion, it is converted more selectively to acrylic acid owing to its reduced Brønsted acidity and the presence of more Mo(6+) species, thereby favoring propene transformation via the π-allylic species route producing acrylic acid over that forming acetic acid and CO(x) via acetone oxidation and that yielding directly CO(x)

Deviations from general mean leaf productivity (ΔP) of <i>Thalassia testudinum</i> per station during High growth season (May-September at site 1 and 2, March –August at all other sites) and Low growth season (October-April at sites 1 and 2, September-February at all other sites).

<p>See <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0090600#pone.0090600.s006" target="_blank">Table S4</a> for significance differences of ΔP. Only stations with at least 10 sampling events were included. Numbers above the X-axis indicate site number, and the minor ticks indicate the different sampling stations at those sites.</p

Total (above- and below-ground) biomass of the principal components of the community per sampling station grouped per site.

<p>Other grass: species of seagrass other than <i>Thalassia testudinum</i>, mostly <i>Syringodium filiforme</i>. Somatic (decalcified) above-ground weight of the calcareous algae is considered. The boxes and bars represent inter-annual variation, and stations with only one sampling event are excluded. The digits above the bars in the bottom graph indicate N (the number of sampling years). M median of fleshy algae at site 5-station 13. See legend of <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0090600#pone-0090600-g002" target="_blank">Fig. 2</a> for further explanation.</p