Search Results (48)

Systematic assessment of heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils is critical for addressing ecological and public health risks in industrial-intensive cities like Lanzhou, with direct implications for achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 (Zero Hunger), 15 (Life on Land), and 3 (Good Health). The present study evaluates farmland soils around six industrial sectors: waste disposal (WDZ), pharmaceutical manufacturing (PMZ), chemical manufacturing (CMZ), petrochemical industry (PIZ), metal smelting (MSZ), mining (MZ) and one sewage-irrigated zone (SIZ) using geo-accumulation index, Nemerow composite pollution index, potential ecological risk index, and health risk models. The following are the major findings: (1) SIZ and PMZ emerged as primary contamination clusters, with Hg (I_geo = 1.89) and Cd (I_geo = 0.61) showing marked accumulation. Chronic wastewater irrigation caused severe Hg contamination (0.97 mg·kg⁻¹) in SIZ, where 100% of the samples reached strong polluted levels according to the Nemerow composite pollution index; (2) Hg and Cd dominated the ecological risks, with 41.32% of the samples exhibiting critical Hg risks (100% in PMZ and SIZ) and 32.63% showing strong Cd risks; and (3) oral ingestion constituted the dominant exposure pathway. Children faced carcinogenic risks (CR = 1.33 × 10⁻⁴) exceeding safety thresholds, while adult risks remained acceptable. Notably, high Hg and Cd levels did not translate to proportionally higher health risks due to differential toxicological parameters. The study recommends prioritizing Hg and Cd control in PMZ and SIZ, with targeted exposure prevention measures for children. Full article

Meat secondary streams command low value along the meat value chain, with a significant portion of these exiting the food value chain and contributing to global food loss and waste. Valorizing these substantial secondary streams through the efficient extraction of high-biological-value proteins could translate into significant social, economic, and environmental benefits. Protein extraction from meat secondary streams offers a promising approach to enhance their nutritional and commercial value while supporting global food security initiatives. This approach could also help to distant these by-products from their original source, making them more appealing to consumers. The current review evaluates the protein content and valorization potential of meat secondary streams from various animal sources. It further provides a critical assessment of both traditional and emerging protein extraction techniques, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and applications. Existing knowledge gaps are also identified to guide future research. This review aligns the role of protein recovery technologies with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal target 12.3, which seeks to halve global food waste by 2030. Full article

Marine-derived nutrients and bioactive compounds may offer a myriad of biological benefits, such as anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, and technological potential, enhancing food quality as additives. Their role in the sustainable development of food technology is fundamental, especially in advancing the knowledge of functional foods and related technologies. Algae are considered one of the major sources of marine-derived ingredients and the subject of several recent studies. Despite their potential, the translation of marine ingredients’ potential into a marine-based competitiveness of the food industry faces hurdles in the extraction process and operational systems scale-up that the industry needs to tackle. The complexity of marine matrices with diverse compounds and solubilities adds complexity to extraction processes and may lead to low yields or bioactivity loss. Contaminants, like heavy metals and pesticide residues in marine organisms, require rigorous purification processes for product safety. The use of biorefinery systems in marine-based ingredients’ production, particularly cascade processes, offers zero-waste solutions, contributing to the blue economy and aligning with UN sustainability goals. Sustainability assessment tools are critical for evaluating marine-based food production’s environmental, social, and economic impacts. A continued exploration and collaboration are essential for the future, fostering innovation and sustainability to create a resilient, equitable, and eco-friendly food system. Full article

The valorisation of food by-products is an important step towards sustainability in food production. Tomatoes constitute one of the most processed crops in the world (160 million tonnes of tomatoes are processed every year), of which 4% is waste. This translates to 6.4 million tonnes of tomato skins and seeds. Currently, this waste is composted or is used in the production of low-value animal feed; higher value can be achieved if this waste stream is re-appropriated for more advanced purposes. Plant cuticle is a membrane structure found on leaves and fruit, including tomatoes, and is mainly composed of cutin. The main function of plant cuticle is to limit water loss from the internal tissue of the plant. Cutin, which can be recovered from the tomato skins by pH shift extraction, has hydrophobic (water repellent) properties and is therefore an ideal raw material for the development of a novel water-resistant coating. In this study, biomass-based bioplastics were developed. Unfortunately, although these bioplastics have good mechanical properties, their hydrophilic nature results in poor water barrier properties. To mitigate this, a very effective water-resistant coating was formulated using the cutin extracted from tomato peels. The water vapour permeability rates of the bioplastics improved by 74% and the percentage swelling of the bioplastic improved by 84% when treated with the cutin coating. With physicochemical properties that can compete with petroleum-based plastics, these bioplastics have the potential to address the growing market demand for sustainable alternatives for food packaging. Using ingredients generated from by-products of the food processing industries (circular economy), the development of these bioplastics also addresses the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12, Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). Full article

The regional level plays a relevant role in spatial governance and planning in Europe, as it constitutes the most suitable scale to both program European Union funding and territorialize international development strategies. In this light, regional spatial planning instruments play a crucial role in translating general objectives and recommendations (e.g., those included in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) in place-based implementation practices. This contribution reflects upon the implementation of a methodology aimed at engaging a multidisciplinary team of students in the revision of the Piedmont regional territorial plan (PTR), developed in close cooperation with the regional public administration. This problem-based learning activity supported the integration of supranational strategic objectives and funding streams with the regional territorial development priorities. In so doing, it represents a possible way to practice multilevel governance in concrete terms, employing the PTR as a meaningful catalyst. Full article

In this paper, we discuss a collaborative research project called Lacunae: Embodying the Untranslatable. The issue of untranslatability has been a much-discussed topic in translation studies, with recent debate linking it to performability. Although untranslatability has received some attention lately, the debate has been largely theoretical, confined to a textual conception of translation. In the study discussed in this article, we explored an applied approach to (un)translatability, working with/through the body in space, positing the body as the vehicle for deciphering the untranslatable. We draw on an embodied way of knowing as a phenomenological framework to construct knowledge as lived experience. The study aimed to investigate the lexical, intercultural, and aesthetic potential of performing untranslatability by exploring a series of untranslatable words through research-based theatre. The data generation process involved a retreat where nine researchers/artists/practitioners addressed the research question through practices like process drama, Butoh, physical theatre, improvisation, and visual arts on mixed media. In this paper, first, we introduce the theoretical framework and context of the study. Next, we illustrate the methodology, data analysis, and findings, with reference to one untranslatable word from the Chinese language, yuánfèn 缘分, loosely translated as ‘serendipity in relationships and life events’. We contemplate the practice in this workshop through a philosophical, pedagogical, and research-based lens. Finally, we contemplate future iterations of this project, reflecting on how performing yuánfèn could inform theatre-based research on migration and identity in education. Full article

Over the past four decades, people around the globe have experienced unprecedented escalations in the frequency, intensity, magnitude, and location of anomalous hydrometeorological (hydromet) hazards attributed in large measure to the direct and indirect effects of global climate-change-related variability and extremes. The WMO, impelled by an unabated warming of the global climate system and its related extremely anomalous hydromet impacts, chose in March 2022 “Early Warning, Early Action” (EWEA) as the theme for its World Meteorology Day. The theme was praised in a press release by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called for the development of a new EWEA initiative to ensure that “every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within five years”. By mid-2022, several meetings and workshops had already been held by the WMO to forge the new initiative on its road to the UN Climate Conference of Parties (COP27) in November in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. COP27 provided a suitably prominent venue for launching the new USD 3.1 billion, 5-year EWEA initiative; there, Secretary-General Guterres formally tasked the WMO, in partnership with the UNDRR, to lead it. But COP27 proved to be interesting as well as illuminating in other, less publicized ways having to do with EWEA. There, what had been the working title of the new initiative was officially changed to EW4A, “Early Warning for All”. Despite the seemingly perfunctory nature of this change, the reality is that it will almost certainly have outsized impacts on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and constraints (SWOC) met specifically in planning and implementing the new initiative’s “early action” strategies and tactics. It is particularly important to bear in mind that, as things now stand, various unanticipated challenges having to do with the lack of organizational experience and capacity with regard to “early action” are likely to arise with the WMO-led implementation of the new initiative. Considering the new EW4A acronym as if it was a commercial brand can, like this, be instructive in thinking about how the seemingly perfunctory name change—from EWEA to EW4A—will impact the initiative’s implementation of “early action”. Doing so can be instructive because, just as the logos of companies like Apple, Nike, or Starbucks eventually became the face of their respective products, so too have branded acronyms like NASA, IOC, WHO, and INTERPOL become the face of their governmental institutions’ or global initiatives’ respective commissions and commitments. It follows then that if “consumer” interest is to be taken seriously and is (hopefully) long-lasting, then the branding of a new product or initiative must be undertaken with great consideration before a final identifier—be it a logo, a catchphrase, or an acronym—is selected. The question in the case of the new WMO-led initiative, then, is the following: Was this issue seriously taken into consideration before EWEA was so abruptly replaced by EW4A at COP27 in Egypt in November 2022? This pointed question is especially meant to highlight how the continued use of the original EWEA acronym by way of developing regional EWEA centers under the “Early Warning for All” umbrella has the possibility of turning regional potential energy into kinetic energy which will be essential if the theoretical gains of future “early warning” (EW) forecasting science are to be effectively translated into “early action” (EA) strategies and tactics that actually, finally, protect people and property across the entirety of the earth from the impending severe impacts of our changing climate future. Thus does this paper raise valid concerns about the balance between support and funding for EW and EA. Full article

Epigenetic modifications, such as changes in DNA methylation, have been linked to several diseases in recent years. The purpose of our study was to search for biomarkers that (using non-invasive techniques) could assist the clinician in the prognosis of infant/adolescent psychopathology. We previously showed that changes in methylation of the 5’-UTR in the DAT1/SLC6A3 gene can be used as a biomarker for the prognosis of initial severe ADHD: treatment-resistant severe ADHD children were characterized by methylated CpG 1 in particular, while methylated CpGs 2 and 6 were then found in children who improved after the therapy. Further, we confirmed these outcomes and provided the hypothesis that symptomatology might be influenced by the children’s genotype and family environment. In particular, levels of CpG 3 methylation in the heterozygous ADHD children were associated with high paternal own risk or stress. Eventually, we found that the same biomarkers are more broadly useful in the field of internalizing or externalizing symptoms (when a certain vulnerability is already present in the child). In particular, it was seen how inheriting specific 9-repeat or 10-repeat VNTR alleles from the mother or from the father could modify the pattern of methylation at the 5′-UTR of the DAT1 gene. A specific pattern of methylations (with CpG 2 following either CpGs 1 + 3 or CpG 6 at the DAT1 5′-UTR) has been associated, therefore, with the likelihood of an internalizing or externalizing developmental trajectory entailing ADHD-like psycho-pathological characteristics. Since each individual responds differently to a specific treatment, we suggest that these methylation patterns may be used as biomarkers to monitor the outcome and/or predict the success of a given therapy (personalized medicine). Full article

The CSN1S2 gene encodes αs2-casein, the third most abundant protein in camel milk. Despite its importance in foals, human nutrition, and dairy processing, the CSN1S2 gene in camels has received little attention. This study presents the first complete characterization of the CSN1S2 gene sequence in Old-World camels (Camelus bactrianus and Camelus dromedarius). Additionally, the gene promoter, consisting of 752 bp upstream of exon 1, was analyzed. The entire gene comprises 17 exons, ranging in length from 24 bp (exons 4, 8, 11, and 13) to 280 bp (exon 17). Interesting was the identification of the exon 12 in both species. The promoter analysis revealed 24 putative binding sites in the Bactrian camel and 22 in dromedary camel. Most of these sites were typical elements associated with milk protein, such as C/EBP-α, C/EBP-β, Oct-1, and AP1. The SNP discovery showed relatively high genetic diversity compared to other camel casein genes (CSN1S1, CSN2, and CSN3), with a total of 34 polymorphic sites across the two species. Particularly noteworthy is the transition g.311G>A in the CSN1S2 promoter, creating a new putative consensus binding site for a C/EBP-β in the Bactrian camel. At the exon level, two novel variants were found. One was detected in exon 6 of the Bactrian camel (g.3639C>G), resulting in an amino acid replacement, p.36Ile>Met. The second variant was found in noncoding exon 17 of dromedary CSN1S2 (g.1511G>T). Although this mutation occurs in the 3′-UnTranslated Region, it represents the first example of exonic polymorphism in the CSN1S2 for this species. This SNP also affects the binding sites of different microRNAs, including the seed sequence of the miRNA 4662a-3p, highlighting its role as a regulatory factor for CSN1S2 gene. A PCR-RFLP was set up for genotyping a dromedary Tunisian population (n = 157), and the minor allele frequency was found to be 0.27 for the G allele, indicating a potential yield improvement margin. The interspersed elements (INEs) analysis revealed 10 INEs covering 7.34% and 8.14% of the CSN1S2 sequence in the Bactrian and dromedary camels, respectively. Furthermore, six elements (A, B, F, H, I, and L) are shared among cattle and camels and are partially found in other ruminants, suggesting a common ancestral origin of these retrotransposons. Conversely, elements C, D, E, and G are specific to camels. Full article

Drought poses a significant constraint on rice production, and, in this study, we have discovered a novel drought-sensitive mutant, designated as dsm3, arising from the progenies of indica rice variety Zhonghui8015 treated with ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS). Under drought stress conditions, dsm3 exhibited characteristic withered leaf tips, accompanied by increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H₂O₂, a reduced net photosynthetic rate (Pn), and decreased activity of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Genetic analysis revealed that the withered leaf tip phenotype was governed by a single recessive gene, designated as Osdsm3. To begin with, Osdsm3 was initially mapped to the short arm of chromosome 1 through a cross involving dsm3 and 02428. Subsequently, utilizing a population of 2591 F₂ individuals, we narrowed down the location of Osdsm3 to a 78 Kb interval, encompassing 13 open reading frames (ORFs). Sequencing analysis unveiled a mutation (1275G → A) in the exon of the candidate gene (LOC_Os01g10680), leading to premature translation termination. Moreover, a quantitative RT-PCR assay demonstrated a high expression of OsDSM3 in the panicle and sheath, with a significant upregulation of drought-stress-related genes under drought conditions. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that Osdsm3 shares evolutionary homology with UNE1, an intracellular transport protein found in Arabidopsis thaliana. Subcellular studies further confirmed that OsDSM3 resides in the cytoplasm. In conclusion, the forthcoming cloning of Osdsm3 holds promise for delving deeper into the molecular mechanisms governing rice drought resistance. Full article

This paper focuses on the issue of multilingualism in contemporary literary texts, which contain examples of code-switching or words and expressions in different languages, which contribute to placing emphasis on the foreignness and strangeness of the characters or narrators of the stories. This study stems from the edition of a compilation of short narrative and dramatic texts translated into Spanish by authors who build up stories from a position of in-betweenness, rejection, or displacement. In this context, the presence of different languages contributes to revealing the multilingual and multicultural reality that provides the background for the different stories. They are all concerned about manifesting their vital experiences of (un)belonging to a certain labelled culture or identifiable group, often from a diasporic point of view. Some real examples of translation processes will be provided to show the strategies employed to preserve an effect of strangeness on readers, to reveal feelings of (un)belonging, to manifest a variety of identities, or to make explicit culturally marked terms. Translation is then approached from the perspectives of cosmopolitism, diversity, and postcolonial studies, which rely on multilingualism as a signal of a diversified and multicultural identity. Full article

Violence reduction is a United Nations (UN) sustainable development goal (SDG) and is key to both public health and criminology. The collaboration between these fields has the potential to create and improve prevention strategies but has been hampered by the usage of different definitions and measurements. This paper explores the definitions and measurements of violence by the World Health Organization, UN, and Council of Europe to arrive at a harmonized framework aligned with the SDGs. Violence and abuse are defined by these organizations as intentional actions that (are likely to) lead to harm, irrespective of physicality or legality. When recording violence and abuse, health- and justice-based administrative systems use different codes which cannot directly be translated without resorting to broad overarching categories. Additionally, the identification of the number of victims, perpetrators, and events is challenging in these systems due to repeat victimization/offending, multiple victims/perpetrators, and multiple engagements with services associated with a single event. Furthermore, additional information on the victims (e.g., ethnicity) and events needs to be registered to evaluate progress toward the SDGs. We propose a framework to record violence that includes individual and event identifiers, forms of violence and abuse (including physical, sexual, and psychological), harm, and individual and event characteristics. Full article

This article addresses how to tackle one of the most demanding tasks in manufacturing and industrial maintenance sectors: using robots with a novel and robust solution to detect the fastener and its rotation in (un)screwing tasks over parallel surfaces with respect to the tool. To this end, the vision system is based on an industrial camera with a dynamic exposure time, a tunable liquid crystal lens (TLCL), and active near-infrared reflectance (NIR) illumination. Its camera parameters, combined with a fixed value of working distance (WD) and variable or constant field of view (FOV), make it possible to work with a variety of fastener sizes under several lighting conditions. This development also uses a collaborative robot with an embedded force sensor to verify the success of the fastener localization in a real test. Robust algorithms based on segmentation neural networks (SNN) and vision were developed to find the center and rotation of the hexagon fastener in a flawless condition and worn, scratched, and rusty conditions. SNNs were tested using a graphics processing unit (GPU), central processing unit (CPU), and edge devices, such as Jetson Javier Nx (JJNX), Intel Neural Compute Stick 2 (INCS2), and M.2 Accelerator with Dual Edge TPU (DETPU), with optimization parameters, such as the unsigned integer (UINT) and float (FP), to understand their performance. A virtual program logic controller (PLC) was mounted on a personal computer (PC) as the main control to process the images and save the data. Moreover, a mathematical analysis based on the international standard organization (ISO) and patents of the manual socket wrench was performed to determine the maximum error allowed. In addition, the work was substantiated using exhaustive evaluation tests, validating the tolerance errors, robotic forces for successfully completed tasks, and algorithms implemented. As a result of this work, the translation tolerances increase with higher sizes of fasteners from 0.75 for M6 to 2.50 for M24; however, the rotation decreases with the size from 5.5° for M6 to 3.5° for M24. The proposed methodology is a robust solution to tackle outliers contours and fake vertices produced by distorted masks present in non-constant illumination; it can reach an average accuracy to detect the vertices of 99.86% and the center of 100%, also, the time consumed by the SNN and the proposed algorithms is 73.91 ms on an Intel Core I9 CPU. This work is an interesting contribution to industrial robotics and improves current applications. Full article

The modified phenanthridine PJ34 blocks the post-translational modifications of specific proteins highly expressed in human malignant cells. This exclusively arrests mitosis in human malignant cells by inserting flaws in their mitotic spindle structure. Cancer cells were efficiently eradicated by Mitotic Catastrophe cell death, while similarly treated healthy proliferating cells were spared and continued to proliferate as untreated cells. This cytotoxic effect was examined in a variety of human epithelial cancer cells in tissue culture and in xenografts. Three affected proteins were identified out of all tested proteins implicated in mitosis in epithelial malignant cells compared to healthy epithelial cells. Two kinesins, KifC1/HSET and Kif18A, as well as NuMA were identified. The identified kinesins are already examined for their potential implication in cancer therapy. Blocking the post-translational modifications of NuMA by PJ34 exclusively prevented the protein binding capacity of NuMA in cancer cells. This prevented its clustering in the spindle poles, which stabilizes the spindles and enables alignment of chromosomes in spindle mid-zone. Un-aligned chromosomes and dispersed NuMA and centrosomes were detected in distorted spindles of human cancer cells treated with PJ34. Mitosis was arrested in the anaphase and this lead to cell death via cytochrome-c leakage from the mitochondria membrane. Thus, the cytotoxic activity of PJ34 unveiled a new mechanism causing self-eradication of human cancer cells during mitosis, including cancer cells that are not responsive to current therapies and regardless of specific mutations. The more rapidly cells proliferate, the more rapidly they are eradicated. Full article

Despite long histories of traditional food security, Indigenous peoples globally are disproportionately exposed to food insecurity. Addressing this imbalance must be a partnership led by Indigenous peoples in accordance with the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We report the co-design process and resulting design of a food security research project in remote Australia and examine how the co-design process considered Indigenous peoples’ ways of knowing, being, and doing using the CREATE Tool. Informed by the Research for Impact Tool, together Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation staff, Indigenous and non-Indigenous public health researchers designed the project from 2018–2019, over a series of workshops and through the establishment of research advisory groups. The resulting Remote Food Security Project includes two phases. Phase 1 determines the impact of a healthy food price discount strategy on the diet quality of women and children, and the experience of food (in)security in remote communities in Australia. In Phase 2, community members propose solutions to improve food security and develop a translation plan. Examination with the CREATE Tool showed that employing a co-design process guided by a best practice tool has resulted in a research design that responds to calls for food security in remote Indigenous communities in Australia. The design takes a strengths-based approach consistent with a human rights, social justice, and broader empowerment agenda. Trial registration: The trial included in Phase 1 of this project has been registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12621000640808. Full article