Is Manila Clam Farming Environmentally Sustainable? A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Approach Applied to an Italian <i>Ruditapes philippinarum</i> Hatchery

Italy supplies approximately 96% of EU-farmed Manila clams. Following a reduction in wild seed availability, farmers started to depend on hatchery-produced seed, mainly imported from other countries. Indeed, only one hatchery is currently operating in Italy. This study quantifies the environmental impacts of seed production in this Italian hatchery facility to inform future planning for improving the sustainability of the supply chain. The environmental performance of the Manila clam hatchery was evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. A cradle-to-gate analysis was performed, covering the following production phases: (1) microalgae production, (2) broodstock maintenance and conditioning, and (3) larval rearing until marketable size. The functional unit adopted was 1 kg of live clam seed. The main driver of the environmental impacts was electricity consumption, contributing over 80% for all impact categories. Other inputs showed minor contributions to different impact categories, including liquid oxygen, water pumps, and high-density polyethylene. This study highlights that the environmental burden associated with seed production could be reduced by switching to alternative technologies to meet energy needs, such as investments in photovoltaic and wind energy production systems

Is Manila Clam Farming Environmentally Sustainable? A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Approach Applied to an Italian Ruditapes philippinarum Hatchery

Italy supplies approximately 96% of EU-farmed Manila clams. Following a reduction in wild seed availability, farmers started to depend on hatchery-produced seed, mainly imported from other countries. Indeed, only one hatchery is currently operating in Italy. This study quantifies the environmental impacts of seed production in this Italian hatchery facility to inform future planning for improving the sustainability of the supply chain. The environmental performance of the Manila clam hatchery was evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. A cradle-to-gate analysis was performed, covering the following production phases: (1) microalgae production, (2) broodstock maintenance and conditioning, and (3) larval rearing until marketable size. The functional unit adopted was 1 kg of live clam seed. The main driver of the environmental impacts was electricity consumption, contributing over 80% for all impact categories. Other inputs showed minor contributions to different impact categories, including liquid oxygen, water pumps, and high-density polyethylene. This study highlights that the environmental burden associated with seed production could be reduced by switching to alternative technologies to meet energy needs, such as investments in photovoltaic and wind energy production systems

Is there a benefit by the sequence anastrozole-formestane for postmenopausal metastatic breast cancer women?

To explore the different sequence interactions between reversible non-steroidal (anastrozole, ANZ and letrozole, LTZ) and non-reversible steroidal aromatase inhibitors (formestane, FOR and exemestane, EXE), we evaluated the clinical benefit (CB) in postmenopausal breast cancer patients, who had previously received anastrozole and subsequently formestane. In 19 out of 21 patients (90.5%), a clinical benefit response was achieved by anastrozole, with a median duration of 12 months. Out of the 21 women progressing on anastrozole, 12 achieved stable disease (SD)>/=6 months by formestane only. The overall clinical benefit was 66.5%. The median duration of clinical benefit was 11 months with a time to progression of 6.5 months. The median duration of clinical benefit in our series is similar to that reported in two phase II trials with the sequence aminogluthetimide-->formestane and aminogluthetimide-->exemestane as third-line hormonal therapy, suggesting a non-cross-resistance between the two classes of inhibitors