Search Results (171)

With the rapid growth of the medicinal cannabis sector, there is a growing concern regarding its environmental impact and sustainability. In recent years, life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on medicinal cannabis cultivation and processing have been conducted since 2021. However, there is a lack of comprehensive LCA studies that include all stages of medicinal cannabis cultivation and processing. In this systematic review, various LCA studies conducted from 2021 to 2025 using the ISO 14040/44 methodology are reviewed and discussed in terms of their goal and scope, life cycle inventory (LCI), life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), and result interpretation. Various environmental impact indicators are considered in this review, such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy demand, water usage, eutrophication, acidification, and resource depletion. All of these impact indicators point to a significant environmental impact of indoor cultivation in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, which vary from 2.3 × 10³ to 5.2 × 10³ kg CO₂ eq kg⁻¹ of dried cannabis product. Nevertheless, it is important to note that this is significantly influenced by regional electricity sources. Low-carbon-based electricity sources, especially hydro-based sources, can reduce emissions to a significant level. Cultivation outdoors presents significantly lower emissions of (60–110 kg CO₂ eq kg⁻¹), but fertilizers and substrates used in cultivation contribute significantly to emissions. Also, outdoor plants use 22.7 L plant⁻¹ d⁻¹ water at peak growth, while indoor plants use 9–11 L plant⁻¹ d⁻¹ water. Improvements in the life cycle of cannabis cultivation can be achieved through renewable energy use, water and fertilizers, substrate use and reuse, and inventories for post-harvesting activities like drying and extraction. Botanical parameters including genotype, planting density, and harvesting frequency are identified as significant but under-characterized determinants of LCA outcomes. Ethical and legal barriers are shown to be structural drivers of the LCA data gap. A SWOT analysis contextualizes the opportunities and constraints of the sector. Future research should focus on cradle-to-grave LCA and incorporate socio-economic factors for sustainability in the medicinal cannabis sector. Full article

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large class of thousands of synthetic organofluorine chemical compounds used for many industrial applications. Humans are exposed to PFASs mainly through diet and contaminated drinking water. Studies show that PFASs induce several adverse effects on humans. A great number of human biomonitoring studies have been widely conducted with the aim of estimating exposure to PFASs. The matrices mainly investigated are blood, serum and breast milk. However, in many cases, the need for non-invasive sampling methods with a minimal impact on donors has become paramount to comply with modern ethical standards and regulations. For this reason, we developed a streamlined and efficient method for the analysis of eight perfluorocarboxylic and perfluorosulfonic acids (PFHpA; PFHxS; PFOA; PFHpS; PFNA; PFOS; PFDA; and PFUdA) in human urine samples by UPLC chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Chromatographic and MS parameters were optimized; the method was validated for: repeatability (<20%), within-lab reproducibility (<20%), trueness (within the set 20% variation limit of agreement between the mean of the data set and the true value), efficiency (51–97%), linearity (R² > 0.99), limits of detection (0.0003 ng/mL), and limits of quantification (0.001 ng/mL). To our knowledge, this is the first published method in Italy for the detection of PFASs in human urine. Full article

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan transmitted via environmentally resistant oocysts present in food and water, as well as through the consumption of meat containing infective bradyzoites. This study evaluated the inactivation of T. gondii oocysts and bradyzoites (ME-49 strain) by Pulsed Electric Field technology (PEF). Treatment efficacy was determined by mouse bioassay combining brain qPCR and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA), with complementary qPCR in Hs27 cells. The infectious dose (ID₅₀) of T. gondii was estimated at 34.6 oocysts. PEF-treated oocysts (15 kV/cm; 50 kJ/kg; 225 µs) showed a significant reduction in infectivity compared with untreated controls; accordingly, the dose required to establish infection increased to 85.3 oocysts after PEF treatment. Brain qPCR and IFA were highly correlated, whereas heart tissue was less sensitive. Bradyzoites recovered from PEF-treated meat (3.3 kV/cm; 27 kJ/kg; 1600 µs) showed a 50% infectivity reduction compared with untreated samples. In vitro assays confirmed an in vivo reduction in infectivity, indicating that cell cultures can serve as an ethical and efficient tool for preliminary viability assessment. This is the first evidence of T. gondii inactivation by PEF, highlighting its potential as a non-thermal strategy. Further studies are needed to optimize treatment parameters. Full article

Global demand for sustainable protein has intensified amid environmental, public health, and ethical concerns surrounding conventional animal agriculture. Edible mushrooms have emerged as promising next-generation protein sources, delivering 19–35% protein (dry weight) with complete essential amino acid profiles and digestibility rates of 60–80%. Beyond protein, mushrooms provide bioactive compounds, including β-glucans, ergothioneine, phenolic acids, and vitamin D₂, supporting immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory functions. Enzymatically derived bioactive peptides further demonstrate antihypertensive and antimicrobial activity. This review systematically examines mushroom protein properties, processing technologies, and product performance across three application categories: meat analogs, functional snacks, and beverages. Advanced processing technologies including high-moisture extrusion, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and microencapsulation have improved bioactive preservation and digestibility. From an environmental perspective, mushroom cultivation requires 85–90% less water and land than animal agriculture, with 80% fewer greenhouse gas emissions. However, critical gaps remain: extraction efficiency varies 3-fold across studies, only 15–23% of commercial products are supported by clinical trials, and techno-economic analyses are largely absent. Standardized processing protocols, large-scale clinical validation, and harmonized quality standards are essential to establish mushrooms as viable, commercially scalable protein alternatives. Full article

To assess food safety conditions among family farmers supplying the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) in the Federal District, Brazil. This exploratory mixed-methods study was subdivided into two main phases: (i) samples of fruits, vegetables, water, soil, and farmers’ feces were analyzed microbiologically and/or parasitologically across nine properties; (ii) sociodemographic and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) questionnaires were administered, followed by semi-structured interviews to evaluate their perceptions of food safety. Participants were males (100%), of mixed race (88.9%), aged 41–50 years (44.4%), with secondary education (33.3%), and an income between USD 1000 and USD 2000 (33.3%). Samples from food (n = 162), water (n = 18), soil (n = 90), and feces (n = 6) were analyzed. All fruit and vegetable samples, and 83.3% of water samples exceeded acceptable limits for at least one of the microorganisms analyzed. 86.7% of the soil samples showed high levels of contamination. Parasitic contamination was detected in 50.6% of the fruit and vegetable samples, in 63.3% of the soil samples, and in none of the water samples. Most farms used deep or artesian wells (77.7%) and non-connected septic pits (77.7%). Organic fertilization predominated (88.8%), with chemical fertilizers occasionally used (11.2%). Farmers demonstrated strong environmental awareness but limited technical knowledge of food safety. Results indicate persistent vulnerability despite ethical and ecological commitment. Continuous training and stronger public policies are essential to enhance GAP adherence, ensure food microbiological safety, and sustain PNAE objectives. Full article

This review examines the current state of development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for monitoring nutrition and physical activity in individuals with obesity, with a focus on the physiological complexity of energy balance and the role of chrono-nutrition. Energy intake and expenditure are dynamically coupled and circadian-regulated: meal timing and movement patterns influence insulin sensitivity, thermogenesis, and Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis within the same day. Traditional monitoring methods suffer from recall bias and low granularity, while isolated sensors operate in data silos, limiting accuracy. Effective solutions require multimodal, continuous, and temporally aligned data streams. Current AI models exhibit critical limitations in obesity-specific contexts: inaccurate gait and energy expenditure estimates due to biomechanical differences, dietary models underestimating glycemic variability, poor performance on mixed dishes, sauces, and culturally diverse foods, and a lack of validation against gold standards such as doubly labelled water (DLW) and weighed food records. This review proposes a paradigm shift toward obesity-specific AI design, including enriched datasets and multimodal integration. Physical activity monitoring faces similar challenges: systematic measurement bias in wearables, sensor placement issues, and algorithms trained on normal-weight cohorts. In the GLP-1/GIP era, if transparency, ethical safeguards, and equitable access are ensured, AI will act as a catalyst for personalized care, remote monitoring, trial optimization, and next-generation drug discovery. In conclusion, the integration of AI with rigorous validation procedures and inclusive sampling strategies is essential to achieve reliable, fair, and clinically relevant monitoring approaches for obesity management. Full article

Amid a deepening global socio-ecological crisis, Indigenous eco-spiritual practices are gaining renewed relevance for environmental governance. This article examines the water-caring practices of the Papallaqta, an Indigenous community in the Colombian Macizo—one of South America’s most vital hydrological systems. Drawing on relational methodologies, as well as extensive fieldwork conducted between 2024 and 2025, the study shows how Papallaqta spiritual relationships with water constitute a sophisticated form of governance grounded in reciprocity, reverence, and more-than-human relationality. The article situates these practices within global debates on environmental governance, where recent COP16 (Cali) and COP30 (Belém) summits have revealed the limits of technocratic, market-driven approaches to biodiversity loss, energy transition, and climate justice. Against these constraints, Papallaqta eco-spiritual governance offers an alternative paradigm based on spiritual animacy, legal cosmologies, and embodied ecological stewardship. Empirically, the article documents four interrelated dimensions of Papallaqta water-care: offerings to the water, ecological stewardship, territorial governance, and memory and cultural revitalization. Conceptually, it proposes eco-spiritual governance as an analytic for understanding how spiritual world-making informs environmental ethics, justice, and peacebuilding. The study concludes that Papallaqta practices illuminate viable pathways toward relational and regenerative environmental governance urgently needed in the current planetary crisis. Full article

The forestry extractivist model has systematically transgressed and violated Mapuche territories, thereby generating tensions, crises, and socioenvironmental injustices. The following objectives were proposed: (a) Unveil the implications of forestry extractivism on bodies of water in rural Mapuche territories. (b) Investigate Mapuche knowledge, sociocultural activities, and their relationship with preservation and sustainability of water in Mapuche and non-Mapuche territories. A qualitative methodology was employed, framed within constructivist grounded theory. To collect the information, in-depth interviews and participant observation were used. The study subjects corresponded to 51 kimeltuchefes (People with knowledge, experience and ancestral wisdom). Regarding objective (a), the findings reveal that pine and eucalyptus forestry extractivism has considerably deteriorated natural (sacred) spaces and the soil. Along with this, it has caused water scarcity, which in turn has reduced medicinal plant and food production and, in general, has deteriorated the ixofil mogen (a concept similar to biodiversity). It was concluded that the forestry extractivist model threatens the existence of all forms of life that cohabit in nature (material and immaterial); it deteriorates Mapuche culture; likewise, it poses a considerable risk to the health and survival of the Mapuche population. Regarding objective (b), the findings reveal that the knowledge of az mapu, ngülam, pepilkantün, rakizuam, llellipun and kümelkawün, and the sociocultural activities, trawün and kelluwün, constitute essential contributions for the preservation and sustainability of water. These forms of knowledge and activities are founded on ethical and moral principles that underlie the normative, legal, social, and educational frameworks of the Mapuche people. It was concluded that sociocultural knowledge and activities are essential for conserving and ensuring water in a sustainable, equitable, and efficient manner for both the Mapuche and non-Mapuche populations and for all life; likewise, they safeguard and promote Mapuche culture. Indeed, these forms of knowledge and sociocultural activities must be incorporated into environmental public policies. Full article

Aquaculture has become the fastest-growing food production sector worldwide, recently surpassing wild-capture fisheries in total output. This rapid expansion underscores the need to ensure sustainability through robust animal welfare standards. Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) are increasingly adopted due to their advantages in biosecurity, water efficiency, and production control. However, these systems often expose fish to highly artificial and environmentally impoverished conditions, which may negatively affect their welfare. This article examines fish welfare in RAS through the lens of environmental enrichment (EE), arguing that its implementation is essential to address behavioral, cognitive, and physiological needs. By integrating EE into RAS design and management, it is possible to move beyond traditional homeostatic welfare models focused solely on stress reduction toward an allostatic framework that emphasizes adaptability, agency, and positive experiences. Such an approach supports the concept of providing farmed fish with a “life worth living.” The paper highlights the ethical and practical implications of enrichment strategies and emphasizes their potential role in promoting sustainable and welfare-oriented aquaculture practices. Full article

Engineering education is increasingly expected to prepare graduates capable of addressing sustainability challenges, public safety concerns, and ethical responsibilities. However, in many civil and environmental engineering curricula, sustainability and ethics are still treated as supplementary topics rather than being systematically embedded in core technical courses. This study reports a sustainability-oriented curriculum reform implemented in a Building Water Supply and Drainage Engineering course, integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) principles into CDIO-aligned project-based learning activities. A single-group pre–post quasi-experimental design was adopted with 100 undergraduate students. Quantitative data were collected using a competency-based questionnaire, and paired-sample t-tests, effect sizes, and 95% confidence intervals were applied to examine changes in students’ self-reported competencies. Qualitative data were obtained from reflective learning reports and analyzed through thematic analysis. The results indicate statistically significant improvements in sustainability awareness, ethical and professional responsibility, human-centered design, and systems thinking, with large effect sizes. These findings provide context-specific descriptive evidence supporting the feasibility of embedding sustainability and ethical responsibility within discipline-specific technical engineering courses. Nevertheless, the absence of a control group and the reliance on self-reported measures limit causal interpretation. Future research is recommended to adopt comparative or longitudinal designs and incorporate more objective performance-based assessments. Full article

Cultivated meat emerges as a promising alternative to conventional meat, the production of which causes significant environmental pressure, including greenhouse gas emissions, water demand, and pasture expansion, alongside ethical concerns related to animal slaughter. Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) often highlight reductions in these impacts for cultivated meat, but they typically adopt a technocentric perspective, omitting flows of renewable natural resources and human labor. In this context, emergy (with an “m”) environmental accounting offers a valuable methodological complement to LCA, incorporating biophysical and systemic perspectives for a more holistic analysis. The objective of this study is to apply emergy accounting to a cultivated meat production system. The results indicate that cultivated meat exhibits a Unit Emergy Value (UEV) of 0.43 × 10¹³ sej/kg-meat, which is up to 13 times lower than that of conventional meat, thereby indicating a higher emergy efficiency. However, it still depends heavily on economic resources (71.1% of the total emergy). As a result, it presents low emergy yield (EYR of 1.41), high environmental load (ELR of 6.97), low renewability (12.5%), and an emergy sustainability index (ESI) of 0.20 (ESI < 1 denotes unsustainability), thus indicating that the system is unsustainable at its current technological stage. Compared to conventional livestock systems, particularly extensive systems with greater integration of natural resources, cultivated meat presents one of the poorest emergy performances due to its highly artificial energy and material basis, which is dependent on non-renewable resource inputs. These findings contrast with the optimistic conclusions from LCA studies, emphasizing the inferiority of cultivated meat in emergy terms and the need for complementary approaches to generate broader diagnostics. The analysis also identifies optimization opportunities, such as resource input substitution and the integration of renewables, aiming for greater sustainability in protein production. Full article

Against the dual backdrop of the rural revitalization strategy and the pursuit of high-quality, balanced urban–rural education, optimizing rural campus spaces has emerged as an important lever for addressing educational resource disparities and improving pedagogical quality. However, conventional evaluation of campus space optimization faces two systemic dilemmas. First, top-down decision-making often neglects the authentic needs of diverse stakeholders and place-based knowledge, resulting in spatial interventions that lose regional distinctiveness. Second, routine public participation is constrained by geographical barriers, time costs, and sample-size limitations, which can amplify professional cognitive bias and impede comprehensive feedback formation. The compounded effect of these challenges contributes to a disconnect between spatial optimization outcomes and perceived needs, thereby constraining the distinctive development of rural educational spaces. To address these constraints, this study proposes a novel method that integrates regional spatial feature recognition with digital media-based public perception assessment. At the data collection and ethical governance level, the study strictly adheres to platform compliance and academic ethics. A total of 12,800 preliminary comments were scraped from major social media platforms (e.g., Douyin, Dianping, and Xiaohongshu) and processed through a three-stage screening workflow—keyword screening–rule-based filtering–manual verification—to yield 8616 valid records covering diverse public groups across China. All user-identifying information was fully anonymized to ensure lawful use and privacy protection. At the analytical modeling level, we develop a Transformer-based deep learning system that leverages multi-head attention mechanisms to capture implicit spatial-sentiment features and metaphorical expressions embedded in review texts. Evaluation on an independent test set indicates a classification accuracy of 89.2%, aligning with balanced and stable scoring performance. Robustness is further strengthened by introducing an equal-weight alternative strategy and conducting stability checks to indicate the consistency of model outputs across weighting assumptions. At the scenario interpretation level, we combine grounded-theory coding with semantic network analysis to establish a three-tier spatial analysis framework—macro (landscape pattern/hydro-topological patterns), meso (architectural interface), and micro (teaching scenes/pedagogical scenarios)—and incorporate an interpretive stakeholder typology (tourists, residents, parents, and professional groups) to systematically identify and quantify key features shaping public spatial perception. Findings show that, at the macro level, naturally integrated scenarios—such as “campus–farmland integration” and “mountain–water embeddedness”—exhibit high affective association, aligning with the “mountain-water-field-village” spatial sequence logic and suggesting broad public endorsement of ecological campus concepts, whereas vernacular settlement-pattern scenarios receive relatively low attention due to cognitive discontinuities. At the meso level, innovative corridor strategies (e.g., framed vistas and expanded corridor spaces) strengthen the building–nature interaction and suggest latent value in stimulating exploratory spatial experience. At the micro level, place-based practice-oriented teaching scenes (e.g., intangible cultural heritage handcraft and creative workshops) achieve higher scores, aligning with the compatibility of vernacular education’s “differential esthetics,” while urban convergence-oriented interdisciplinary curriculum scenes suggest an interpretive gap relative to public expectations. These results indicate an embedded relationship between public perception and regional spatial features, which is further shaped by a multi-actor governance process—characterized by “Government + Influencers + Field Study”—that mediates how rural educational spaces are produced, communicated, and interpreted in digital environments. The study’s innovative value lies in integrating sociological theories (e.g., embeddedness) with deep learning techniques to fill the regional and multi-actor perspective gap in rural campus POE and to promote a methodological shift from “experience-based induction” toward a “data-theory” dual-drive model. The findings provide inferential evidence for rural campus renewal and optimization; the methodological pipeline is transferable to small-scale rural primary schools with media exposure and salient regional ecological characteristics, and it offers a new pathway for incorporating digital media-driven public perception feedback into planning and design practice. The research methodology of this study consists of four sequential stages, which are implemented in a systematic and progressive manner: First, data collection was conducted: Python and the Octopus Collector were used to crawl online comment data related to Fuwen Township Central Primary School, strictly complying with the user agreements of the Douyin, Dianping, and Xiaohongshu platforms. Second, semantic preprocessing was performed: The evaluation content was segmented to generate word frequency statistics and semantic networks; qualitative analysis was conducted using Origin software, and quantitative translation was realized via Sankey diagrams. Third, spatial scene coding was carried out: Combined with a spatial characteristic identification system, a macro–meso–micro three-tier classification system for spatial scene characteristics was constructed to encode and quantitatively express the textual content. Finally, sentiment quantification and correlation analysis was implemented: A deep learning model based on the Transformer framework was employed to perform sentiment quantification scoring for each comment; Sankey diagrams were used to quantitatively correlate spatial scenes with sentiment tendencies, thereby exploring the public’s perceptual associations with the architectural spatial environment of rural campuses. Full article

Integrative Ethical Water Governance (IEWG) offers a structured pathway to enhance the resilience and sustainability of food systems under intensifying water scarcity, climate change, and rising demand. This article develops and applies a scoring-based comparative framework to evaluate how four governance contexts—Türkiye’s Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), China’s Yangtze River Basin management, India’s watershed development programs, and California’s groundwater sustainability initiatives—perform across dual IEWG dimensions: ethical principles (rights-based approaches, justice, intergenerational equity, ecological integrity) and governance frameworks (stakeholder participation, environmental focus, equity approach, institutional integration, economic mechanisms). The analysis assigns explicit scores to each dimension, revealing distinct patterns of ethical integration, strengths and gaps in governance design, and context-specific trade-offs between agricultural production and ecosystem protection. Results show that higher aggregate IEWG scores are associated with more robust participatory structures, clearer allocation of responsibilities across scales, and better alignment of economic instruments with stewardship objectives. The study’s scoring-based comparative method provides a transparent, replicable tool for diagnosing governance performance and identifying priority areas for institutional innovation, offering a novel evaluative lens for future research and policy on ethical water–food governance. Full article

The growing need for ecologically sound and ethical protein sources has contributed to the development of meat analogs (MAs) and restructured meat products (RMPs). Next generation MA and RMP production requires sustainable structuring techniques to imitate the physical, chemical, and sensory characteristics of conventional meat. Innovative gelling techniques are essential for attaining optimal texture, chewiness, and structural firmness in MAs and RMPs. Food gels can modulate water and fat retention, as well as the physical and mechanical characteristics of MA and RMP. Different gelling systems such as hydrogels, emulsion gels, oleogels, and hybrid gels contribute to texture formation, water and fat retention, juiciness, and structural integrity, which are essential for mimicking conventional meat. The role of gels as key structuring elements is integrated with advanced processing technologies such as high-moisture extrusion and 3D printing. This review discusses how protein, polysaccharide, lipid, and hybrid gelling techniques facilitate the development of MAs and RMPs with enhanced texture, sensory quality, nutritional value, and sustainability. Advanced structuring techniques, such as high-moisture extrusion, shear cell processing, and 3D printing, are explained regarding their integration of tailored gels (hydrogels, emulsion gels, oleogels, and hybrid gels) to fabricate imitated meat structures. Moreover, this article investigates the sensory and nutritional ramifications of various gelling techniques, spanning their role in juiciness and flavor composition. This review emphasizes significant research deficiencies and suggests more extensive future studies to facilitate the further development of economically viable and sustainable MAs and RMPs. Full article

This study explores water as memory and as method in African thought. It shows how rivers, rain, and oceans act not only as sources of life but also as teachers who carry a story, restore balance, and reveal moral truth. Drawing from Yoruba, Akan, Igbo, southern African, Kenyan and Afro-Atlantic traditions, this paper presents water as archive and as oracle, holding the past while speaking to the present. This article develops the idea of hydro epistemology, understood here as a way of knowing through flow, renewal, and relationship. In this framework, knowledge is created through ritual engagement with water, transmitted through oral memory and ecological observation, tested against environmental response and revised when conditions change. Water is treated as a witness, mediator and guide, rather than a passive resource. By setting these traditions alongside global discussions on water governance, nature-based ecological care and decolonial environmental ethics, this paper argues that African water imagination offers more than symbolism. It proposes a practical philosophy in which caring for water and caring for life are the same act. To listen to water is to remember, to restore and to recover a way of living that renews both people and land. Full article