Traditional and industrial oven-dry processing of olive fruits: influence on textural properties, cell wall polysaccharide composition, and enzymatic activity

The preparation of table olives according to the Italian traditional “Ferrandina” method (Fer) includes an initial blanching step of black Cassanese olives, followed by salting and oven-drying. Its industrial implementation, also called the “Sybaris” method (Syb), replaces the blanching procedure by cutting the olives followed by immersion in water. The measurement of tensile properties showed that the Fer processing increased the weakness, softness, and deformability of the skin and the flesh of olive fruits, while the flesh of the Syb fruits became stronger and stiffer. These differences are probably correlated to the degradation and/or reorganisation of cell wall polysaccharides in the fruits. The degradation of pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides in the Fer olives was inferred by their increased solubility in aqueous solutions. Contrarily, retention of pectic polysaccharides was observed in Syb olives. As no correlation was found between cell wall degrading enzymatic activities and cell wall polysaccharides extractability, it is probable that these modifications were driven by heat

Recommendations for Green and Healthy Sustainable Transport - "Building Forward Better"

The pan-European region has been at the forefront in the development of sustainable mobility solutions focusing on health, environment and prosperity. The Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP) brings the countries of the region together, unites three core sectors of the economy – transport, health and environment – and provides countries with the opportunity to share best practice and develop new policies. It therefore provides a platform for accelerating transformation in the transport sector and making this transformation irreversible. The recommendations, developed by a task force under THE PEP, will allow member States to lock in sustainable transport solutions for the future, given the changes to the sector brought on by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. At the meeting of the Bureau of the Steering Committee of THE PEP in April 2020, member States discussed the COVID-19 situation, its impact on transport, environment and health in their countries and the need to take action. Participants agreed to establish a THE PEP Task Force on “The Development of Green and Healthy Sustainable Transport Recommendations” to facilitate the transition to a new normal with sustainable and healthy transport solutions at the heart of decision-making and “building forward better”. The objective of the Task Force was to make a synthesis of the “main lessons” learned from the COVID-19 crisis and to propose a set of recommendations in order to support countries in making the transition to green and healthy sustainable transport:1 a transition in line with the goals of THE PEP,2 the Vienna Declaration of the Fifth High-Level Meeting of the Ministers of Transport, Health and Environment, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement,3 to name the key processes and instruments. The Task Force was composed of over 50 experts from national ministries, international organizations, city authorities, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia and industry. The Task Force was chaired by the Chair of THE PEP Steering Committee, Mr. Robert Thaler (Austria).The first draft of the recommendations was discussed at the meeting of the Steering Committee of THE PEP in November 2020 and, following further consultations, was finalized in January 2021.4 The recommendations identified in chapter III below were then included in the Vienna Declaration to be signed at the Fifth High-level Meeting on Transport, Health and Environment in May 2021

Delayed colorectal cancer care during covid-19 pandemic (decor-19). Global perspective from an international survey

Background The widespread nature of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been unprecedented. We sought to analyze its global impact with a survey on colorectal cancer (CRC) care during the pandemic. Methods The impact of COVID-19 on preoperative assessment, elective surgery, and postoperative management of CRC patients was explored by a 35-item survey, which was distributed worldwide to members of surgical societies with an interest in CRC care. Respondents were divided into two comparator groups: 1) ‘delay’ group: CRC care affected by the pandemic; 2) ‘no delay’ group: unaltered CRC practice. Results A total of 1,051 respondents from 84 countries completed the survey. No substantial differences in demographics were found between the ‘delay’ (745, 70.9%) and ‘no delay’ (306, 29.1%) groups. Suspension of multidisciplinary team meetings, staff members quarantined or relocated to COVID-19 units, units fully dedicated to COVID-19 care, personal protective equipment not readily available were factors significantly associated to delays in endoscopy, radiology, surgery, histopathology and prolonged chemoradiation therapy-to-surgery intervals. In the ‘delay’ group, 48.9% of respondents reported a change in the initial surgical plan and 26.3% reported a shift from elective to urgent operations. Recovery of CRC care was associated with the status of the outbreak. Practicing in COVID-free units, no change in operative slots and staff members not relocated to COVID-19 units were statistically associated with unaltered CRC care in the ‘no delay’ group, while the geographical distribution was not. Conclusions Global changes in diagnostic and therapeutic CRC practices were evident. Changes were associated with differences in health-care delivery systems, hospital’s preparedness, resources availability, and local COVID-19 prevalence rather than geographical factors. Strategic planning is required to optimize CRC care