Addressing Food Loss and Waste : A Global Problem with Local Solutions

The report focuses on the role that food loss and waste (FLW) could play in reducing the environmental footprint of food systems while attempting to meet the caloric and nutrient needs of a population expected to increase by 3 billion people in the next 30 years. The performance of the global food system over the last century has been extraordinary. From a global population of 1.6 billion people in 1900 to nearly 8 billion in 2020, the agri-food sector has risen to the challenge of providing global caloric sufficiency, mainly by increasing yields of a few principal staple crops. However, this path is no longer sustainable

Exploring the relationship between experiential avoidance, coping functions and the recency and frequency of self-harm

This study investigated the relationship between experiential avoidance, coping and the recency and frequency of self-harm, in a community sample (N = 1332, aged 16–69 years). Participants completed online, self-report measures assessing self-harm, momentary affect, experiential avoidance and coping in response to a recent stressor. Participants who had self-harmed reported significantly higher levels of experiential avoidance and avoidance coping, as well as lower levels of approach, reappraisal and emotional regulation coping, than those with no self-harm history. Moreover, more recent self-harm was associated with lower endorsement of approach, reappraisal and emotion regulation coping, and also higher levels of both avoidance coping and experiential avoidance. Higher experiential avoidance and avoidance coping also predicted increased lifetime frequency of self-harm. Conversely, increased approach and reappraisal coping were associated with a decreased likelihood of high frequency self-harm. Although some of the effects were small, particularly in relation to lifetime frequency of self-harm, overall our results suggest that experiential avoidance tendency may be an important psychological factor underpinning self-harm, regardless of suicidal intent (e.g. including mixed intent, suicidal intent, ambivalence), which is not accounted for in existing models of self-harm

Suicidality among adolescents engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and firesetting: The role of psychosocial characteristics and reasons for living

Background: Co-occurrence of problem behaviors, particularly across internalizing and externalizing spectra, increases the risk of suicidality (i.e., suicidal ideation and attempt) among youth. Methods: We examined differences in psychosocial risk factors across levels of suicidality in a sample of 77 school-based adolescents engaging in both nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and repeated firesetting. Participants completed questionnaires assessing engagement in problem behaviors, mental health difficulties, negative life events, poor coping, impulsivity, and suicidality. Results: Adolescents endorsing suicidal ideation reported greater psychological distress, physical and sexual abuse, and less problem solving/goal pursuit than those with no history of suicidality; adolescents who had attempted suicide reported more severe NSSI, higher rates of victimization and exposure to suicide, relative to those with suicidal ideation but no history of attempt. Additional analyses suggested the importance of coping beliefs in protecting against suicidality. Conclusions: Clinical implications and suggestions for future research relating to suicide prevention are discussed

Monitoring of microbial hydrocarbon remediation in the soil

Bioremediation of hydrocarbon pollutants is advantageous owing to the cost-effectiveness of the technology and the ubiquity of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms in the soil. Soil microbial diversity is affected by hydrocarbon perturbation, thus selective enrichment of hydrocarbon utilizers occurs. Hydrocarbons interact with the soil matrix and soil microorganisms determining the fate of the contaminants relative to their chemical nature and microbial degradative capabilities, respectively. Provided the polluted soil has requisite values for environmental factors that influence microbial activities and there are no inhibitors of microbial metabolism, there is a good chance that there will be a viable and active population of hydrocarbon-utilizing microorganisms in the soil. Microbial methods for monitoring bioremediation of hydrocarbons include chemical, biochemical and microbiological molecular indices that measure rates of microbial activities to show that in the end the target goal of pollutant reduction to a safe and permissible level has been achieved. Enumeration and characterization of hydrocarbon degraders, use of micro titer plate-based most probable number technique, community level physiological profiling, phospholipid fatty acid analysis, 16S rRNA- and other nucleic acid-based molecular fingerprinting techniques, metagenomics, microarray analysis, respirometry and gas chromatography are some of the methods employed in bio-monitoring of hydrocarbon remediation as presented in this review

Formation of carboxylic acids during aerobic biodegradation of crude oil and evidence of microbial oxidation of hopanes

During the biodegradation of crude oil in the laboratory, significant amounts of carboxylic acids were produced. Medium molecular weight (C10–C20) carboxylic acids were rapidly produced, which coincided with the removal of the n-alkanes but these acids were then also rapidly biodegraded. After extensive biodegradation of the hydrocarbons there was an increase in the concentration of higher (>C20) molecular weight branched and cyclic carboxylic acids which appeared as an unresolved complex mixture (UCM) in the gas chromatograms of these acid fractions. These latter acids appeared recalcitrant to further biodegradation during the experiment. The presence of hopanoic acids with the 17α(H),21β(H) configuration in the most degraded laboratory samples, indicated that biodegradation of hopane hydrocarbons had also taken place, with side chain oxidation

Assessing the oil degradation potential of endogenous micro‐organisms in tropical marine wetlands

As part of a larger study on the bioremediation of oil spills in tropical mangrove habitats, we conducted a series of flask experiments to test for the presence of hydrocarbon degrading microdashorganisms in representative wetland habitats. Also tested was the biodegradation of selected oils (Gippsland Crude, Arabian Light Crude and Bunker C), that are transported along the Australian coast. We also tested for potential inhibition of biodegradation by natural organics in the mangrove pore waters and evaluated the ability of an oxygen release compound (ORC) to stimulate biodegradative processes. Evaporation was a significant factor in removing the light alkane and aromatic hydrocarbons from air and nitrogen sparged flasks. Evaporation removed sim27% of the Gippsland, sim37%of the Arabian, and sim10% of the Bunker oils. Oxygen was necessary to support biodegradation as expected. The microdashorganisms were capable of biodegrading the nondashvolatile saturate fraction of each oil. Degradation removed another 14 of the Gippsland, 30 of the Arabian, and 22 of the Bunker C oils. Normalisation of the individual aromatic hydrocarbon classes to internal triterpane biomarkers indicated some degradation of aromatics in the Arabian Light and Bunker C oils. Although alkane degradation rates were comparable in the three oils, the Gippsland oil had a higher wax content and after 14 days incubation, still contained as much as 25 of the alkanes present in the original oil. Thus, degradation of its aromatic fraction may have been delayed. Based on these results we estimate that Arabian Light Crude oil would have a shorter residence time than the other oils in mangrove sediment. It has a higher content of light hydrocarbons, which are readily removed by both physical and microbial processes. The Bunker C would be expected to have the longest residence time in mangrove sediment, because it contains a larger percentage of higher molecular weight, unresolved components. Comparison of the efficiency of inoculates from three tropical intertidal habitats (Avicennia and Rhizophora mangroves, plus salt marsh sediments) indicated the presence of hydrocarbon degrading microdashorganisms in all three habitats. There was no known history of oil contamination in the soil source area. There was no inhibition of degradation due to addition of mangrove pore waters. The ORC did not facilitate degradation in closed laboratory experiments. These results were used to formulate a bioremediation strategy to treat oiled sediments in mangrove forests in Queensland Australia, which was based on forced aeration and nutrient addition. Evaporation was a significant factor in removing the light alkane and aromatic hydrocarbons from air and nitrogen sparged flasks. Evaporation removed sim27% of the Gippsland, sim37% of the Arabian, and sim10% of the Bunker oils. Oxygen was necessary to support biodegradation as expected. The micro-organisms were capable of biodegrading the non-volatile saturate fraction of each oil. Degradation removed another 14% of the Gippsland, 30% of the Arabian, and 22% of the Bunker C oils. Normalisation of the individual aromatic hydrocarbon classes to internal triterpane biomarkers indicated some degradation of aromatics in the Arabian Light and Bunker C oils. Although alkane degradation rates were comparable in the three oils, the Gippsland oil had a higher wax content and after 14 days incubation, still contained as much as 25% of the alkanes present in the original oil. Thus, degradation of its aromatic fraction may have been delayed. Based on these results we estimate that Arabian Light Crude oil would have a shorter residence time than the other oils in mangrove sediment. It has a higher content of light hydrocarbons, which are readily removed by both physical and microbial processes. The Bunker C would be expected to have the longest residence time in mangrove sediment, because it contains a larger percentage of higher molecular weight, unresolved components. Comparison of the efficiency of inoculates from three tropical intertidal habitats (Avicennia and Rhizophora mangroves, plus salt marsh sediments) indicated the presence of hydrocarbon degrading micro-organisms in all three habitats. There was no known history of oil contamination in the soil source area. There was no inhibition of degradation due to addition of mangrove pore waters. The ORC did not facilitate degradation in closed laboratory experiments. These results were used to formulate a bioremediation strategy to treat oiled sediments in mangrove forests in Queensland Australia, which was based on forced aeration and nutrient addition