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This paper adds to previous conceptualisations of lifestyle entrepreneurship in tourism by framing the identity construction of such enterprises in terms of their ethical commitment to global issues, social and economic inequalities, and radical criticism of neoliberal capitalism. The study addresses a gap in the tourism studies literature which usually conceptualises entrepreneurs as either commercially oriented or lifestyle oriented. Such dichotomies do not easily accommodate entrepreneurs who are driven by a set of values associated with 'doing good'. A linguistic narrative analysis – combined with features of structural narrative analysis – is used to reveal three prominent entrepreneurial identities among a group of values-based Italian entrepreneurs: the intellectual and educational, the professional and entrepreneurial, and the empathic 'free speech'. These entrepreneurial identities challenge several assumptions about entrepreneurship in small non-commercially oriented tourism firms, thereby revealing some key theoretical and practical insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalonia, an Autonomous Community in northeastern Spain, is promoting composting as the best process for treatment of organic fraction of MSW. It is indicated that an increase in the number of composting plants has resulted in an increase in the selective collection of OFMSW.

We advocate the adoption of more expansive and creative methodological approaches the study of tourism. More specifically, we argue that by examining how individuals narrate their experiences and social practices, researchers can gain an insight into the meanings actors attach to their actions. Considered from this perspective, narratives become performative; they prompt actors to take actions that (they feel) actualise the story they are seeking to tell. To illustrate its value, we use linguistic narrative analysis to explore how the owner-managers of small values-based tourism firms narrate the operation of their business. A dataset of first person accounts made of both narratives in storified form featuring a chronological order with beginning, middle, and end, and narratives without a storified form largely recounting opinions, feelings, and points of view, are interpreted to offer new perspectives on the behaviours of small firms in tourism. We argue that narrative approaches should complement methods used routinely by tourism scholars to examine this constituency of actors (and others). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to identify, and critically understand, the key opportunities for and barriers against tour operators and their ground handlers sourcing and selling more sustainable tourism products. The study is framed in the literature of organisational culture and buyer–seller collaborations both downstream (sustainable supply chain management) and upstream (business-to-business marketing). Semi-structured interviews help to identify the tour operators' barriers, opportunities and key decision-making criteria. The findings suggest that a supportive organisational culture is a prerequisite to success for companies that wish to scale up the volume of sustainable products they source and sell. Sustainability only sells when it contributes to an organisation's ability to meet its requirement of quality of service, especially in relation to suitability of the products to its target markets and reinforcing professional and trustworthy relationships. For services that are keenly priced, and/or that have tight health and safety regulations, buyers and sellers often lack the motivation to consider sustainability requirements unless they are clearly valued and marketed. Business-to-business marketing requires suppliers to understand the relative importance of sustainability to each of their buyers and, in response, to develop appropriate arguments to explain the importance of sustainability within their buyers' organisational needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid core–shell Au/CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed in UiO-66 shaped into microspherical beads are created using the spray-drying continuous-flow method. The combined catalytic properties of nanocrystalline CeO2 and Au in a single particle and the support and protective function of porous UiO-66 beads make the resulting composites show good performances as catalysts for CO oxidation (T50 = 72 °C; T100 = 100 °C) and recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we made a numerical revision of the eight phytosociological alliances belonging to the classes Caricetea curvulae Br.-Bl. 1948, Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii Ohba 1974, and Festuco-Seslerietea Barbéro & Bonin 1969. This analysis was designed to reveal the significant alliances corresponding to alpine and subalpine grasslands, review the associated syntaxonomical hierarchy, and establish the diagnostic floras of these alliances. The study area comprised the subalpine and alpine vegetation belts of the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains (northern Spain and southern France). We used 2259 floristic relevés, downloaded from the “Sistema de Información de la Vegetación Ibérica y Macaronésica” database, for statistical treatment. First, we classified the dataset, using the K-means clustering technique, so as to reveal a syntaxonomical structure. Second, we calculated the fidelity index Ochiai in all classification partitions. Finally, we compared the obtained lists with community descriptions from four bibliographical references. As a result, we could provide a diagnostic flora for every alliance. Therefore, we reconstructed seven of the eight alliances described. The numerical and bibliographical lists of characteristic species were similar for most syntaxa. Moreover, we proposed some new diagnostic species. Some alliances were considered more statistically robust than others. Finally, syntaxonomical repercussions have been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is an increasing demand for groundwater vulnerability maps which illustrate the exposure of aquifers against pollution. These maps show areas of greatest potential for groundwater contamination on the basis of local subsurface conditions. Parameters affecting vulnerability are mainly permeability and thickness of each protective layer. For unconsolidated sediments, the permeability is strongly related to the clay content, which can be deduced from indirect resistivity methods, like electrical-imaging. Such geophysical methods can be of great help in groundwater vulnerability studies because they disturb neither the structure nor the dynamics of the soil. Sensibility analysis was performed of the electrical resistivity tomography method for accurately mapping soil media. Managers and public administrators may effectively use this method for assessing the potential risk of groundwater contamination. In the studied zone, electrical resistivity exhibits a wide range of variability that can be easily correlated to soil parameters, such as clay content and hydraulic conductivity. A numerical index of protection has been assessed from the geophysical information derived from 2D electrical resistivity tomography. This work represents a preliminary approach on the natural vulnerability evaluation of shallow aquifers at the Empordà basin (NE Spain) that is highly affected by diffuse pollution by nitrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the results obtained in the treatment of industrial pulp mill wastewater (black liquor) with the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor immobilised in nylon and polyurethane foam cubes. Reductions in colour (36%), aromatic compounds (54%) and toxicity (3.15 times reduction of the initial value) were obtained when the fungus was immobilised in nylon and good toxicity reduction (5.7-fold reduction of the initial value) when polyurethane foam was used. These results were compared with those obtained with Trametes versicolor in the form of pellets for colour and aromatic compounds (84.8% and 70.2% respectively). Correlations among different parameters have been studied. Relationships between colour and changes in the molecular weight distribution profiles, as well as a correlation between laccase production and toxicity reduction have been found. For laccase production vs. toxicity reduction a different behaviour has been observed depending on the bioreactor configuration (fixed-bed reactor with immobilised Trametes versicolor or fluidised bed reactor with pellets of Trametes versicolor). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Odours (OU E ) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) emission during biological process used to treat MSW were studied under standardized conditions in order to detect potential risk for workers and population. Results obtained indicated that odours and VOCs emitted depend on the biological stability of waste measured by the dynamic respiration index (DRI) and a very good correlation were found between these parameters (OU E vs. DRI, r =0.96, p <0.001, n =6; VOC vs. DRI, r =0.97, p <0.001, n =6). GC–MS study of the VOCs indicated the presence of a group of molecules that were degraded during the process. On the other hand, a second group of molecules, i.e. aromatic and halogenated compounds, and furan persisted in the waste sample, although molecule concentrations were always lower than Threshold Limit Value–Time Weighted Average (TLV–TWA). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To explore a sustainable sophorolipid production, several hydrolysates from agricultural byproducts, such as wheat feed, rapeseed meal, coconut waste and palm waste were used as nitrogen sources. The four hydrolysates overperformed the controls after 168 h of fermentation using Starmerella bombicola ATCC 22214. Wheat feed and coconut waste hydrolysates were the most promising feedstocks presenting a linear relationship between yeast growth and diacetylated lactonic C18:1 production at total nitrogen concentrations below 1.5 g/L (R 2  = 0.90 and 0.83, respectively). At 0.31 g/L total nitrogen, wheat feed hydrolysate achieved the highest production, yielding 72.20 ± 1.53 g/L of sophorolipid crude extract and 60.05 ± 0.56 g/L of diacetylated lactonic C18:1 at shake flask scale with productivities of 0.43 and 0.36 g/L/h, respectively. Results were confirmed in a 2-L bioreactor increasing 15 % diacetylated lactonic C18:1 production. Moreover, wheat feed hydrolysate supplemented only with a hydrophobic carbon source was able to produce mainly diacetylated lactonic C18:1 congener (88.5 % wt.), suggesting that the composition of the hydrolysate significantly influences the congeners profile. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into agricultural byproduct hydrolysates as potential nitrogen feedstocks for sophorolipid production and their further application on industrial biotechnology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Anaerobic treatment of industrial wastewater using upflow anaerobic reactors is an extended trend due to its high efficiency and biogas production potential, but its implementation in some sectors is limited due to the complexity and toxicity of the wastewaters. In this study, a two-stage expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors system has been investigated at both bench and pilot scale for the treatment of complex and toxic real wastewater from a petrochemical industry. The effect of different operational parameters including organic loading rate (OLR), hydraulic retention time (HRT) and influent characteristics over COD removal and biogas production and composition have been studied. Additionally, biomass specific methanogenic activity (SMA) and wastewater toxicity have been evaluated after long-term operation. Optimum total HRT of 24 h has been determined resulting in total COD and SO 4 2- removal of 56.30 ± 5.25% and 31.68 ± 14.71%, respectively, at pilot scale, and average biogas production of 93.47 ± 34.92 NL/day with 67.01 ± 10.23 %CH 4 content and 5210.11 ± 6802.27 ppmv of H 2 S. SMA and toxicity tests have confirmed inhibitory and toxic effects of wastewater over anaerobic biomass with average maximum inhibition of 65.34% in the unacclimated anaerobic inoculum while chronic toxicity produced a decrease of an order of magnitude in SMA after 600 days of operation. This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying an anaerobic treatment to this wastewater using EGSB reactors between a 0.97-1.74 gCOD/L/day OLR range. Nonetheless, periodic reinoculation would be necessary for long-term operation due to chronic toxicity of the wastewater exerted on the anaerobic biomass. PRACTITIONER POINTS: A two-stage EGSB reactors system has been operated at bench and pilot scale to treat complex and toxic petrochemical wastewater. Optimal total HRT of 24 h resulted in average COD removal ranging from 40% to 60%. SMA and toxicity tests have been performed to study long-term acclimation, detecting an activity depletion of an order of magnitude., (© 2024 The Author(s). Water Environment Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Water Environment Federation.)

The use of alternative feedstocks such as industrial or food waste is being explored for the sustainable production of sophorolipids (SLs). Microbial biosurfactants are mainly produced via submerged fermentation (SmF); however, solid-state fermentation (SSF) seems to be a promising alternative for using solid waste or byproducts that could not be exploited by SmF. Applying the advantages that SSF offers and with the aim of revalorizing industrial organic waste, the impact of carbon and nitrogen sources on the relationship between yeast growth and SL production was analyzed. The laboratory-scale system used winterization oil cake as the solid waste for a hydrophobic carbon source. Pure hydrophilic carbon (glucose) and nitrogen (urea) sources were used in a Box-Behnken statistical design of experiments at different ratios by applying the response surface methodology. Optimal conditions to maximize the production and productivity of diacetylated lactonic C18:1 were a glucose:nitrogen ratio of 181.7:1.43 (w w -1 based on the initial dry matter) at a fermentation time of 100 h, reaching 0.54 total gram of diacetylated lactonic C18:1 with a yield of 0.047 g per gram of initial dry mass. Moreover, time course fermentation under optimized conditions increased the SL crude extract and diacetylated lactonic C8:1 production by 22% and 30%, respectively, when compared to reference conditions. After optimization, industrial wastes were used to substitute pure substrates. Different industrial sludges, OFMSW hydrolysate, and sweet candy industry wastewater provided nitrogen, hydrophilic carbon, and micronutrients, respectively, allowing their use as alternative feedstocks. Sweet candy industry wastewater and cosmetic sludge are potential hydrophilic carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, for sophorolipid production, achieving yields of approximately 70% when compared to the control group., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Eras-Muñoz, Gea and Font.)

Methane and carbon dioxide are the main contributors to global warming, with the methane effect being 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Although the sources of methane are diverse, it is a very volatile and explosive gas. One way to store the energy content of methane is through its conversion to methanol. Methanol is a liquid under ambient conditions, easy to transport, and, apart from its use as an energy source, it is a chemical platform that can serve as a starting material for the production of various higher-value products. Accordingly, the transformation of methane to methanol has been extensively studied in the literature, using traditional catalysts as different types of zeolites. However, in the last few years, a new generation of catalysts has emerged to carry out this transformation with higher conversion and selectivity, and more importantly, under mild temperature and pressure conditions. These new catalysts typically involve the use of a highly porous supporting material such as zeolite, or more recently, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and graphene, and metallic nanoparticles or a combination of different types of nanoparticles that are the core of the catalytic process. In this review, recent advances in the porous supports for nanoparticles used for methane oxidation to methanol under mild conditions are discussed.

Although the use of green waste as a substrate in different types of microbial bioprocessing has a major impact on improving green waste valorization, very little information has been provided on this issue. The purpose of this paper is to study the feasibility of using green waste to produce a biostimulant (Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)) and biopesticide (conidial spore) through solid-state fermentation. Trichoderma harzianum was selected as the inoculum of the process and the green waste was a mixture of grass clippings and pruning waste. An experiment was designed to study the effect of tryptophan concentration, proportion of grass and pruning waste, and substrate moisture on IAA and spore production. The results show that washing and using phosphate buffer has a beneficial effect on green waste quality in terms of bioproduction. The maximum IAA and spore productions reported in the current study were 101.46 µg g -1 dry matter and 3.03 × 10 9 spore g -1 dry matter, respectively. According to the results, IAA production increases with a higher amount of tryptophan and grass. However, the number of spores increased with lower amounts of tryptophan and grass. The model suggested the following optimized parameters for the production of spores and IAA: tryptophan 0.45 %, grass 61 %, and moisture 74 %. The effect of fermentation time was also studied, and the results show that the maximum IAA and spore production was obtained on days 3 and 7, respectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The effect of magnetite nanoparticles and nanocomposites (magnetite nanoparticles impregnated into graphene oxide) supplement on the recovery of overloaded laboratory batch anaerobic reactors was assessed using two types of starting inoculum: anaerobic granular sludge (GS) and flocculent sludge (FS). Both nanomaterials recovered methane production at a dose of 0.27 g/L within 40 days in GS. Four doses of magnetite nanoparticles from 0.075 to 1 g/L recovered the process in FS systems between 30 and 50 days relaying on the dose. The presence of nanomaterials helped to reverse the effect of volatile fatty acids inhibition and enabled microbial communities to recover but also favoured the development of certain microorganisms over others. In GS reactors, the methanogenic population changed from being mostly acetoclastic (Methanothrix soehngenii) to being dominated by hydrogenotrophic species (Methanobacterium beijingense). Nanomaterial amendment may serve as a preventative measure or provide an effective remedial solution for system recovery following overloading., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) has the potential to degrade a diversity of chlorinated compounds, and it is widely used for remediation of contaminated groundwaters. However, some frequently detected contaminants such as dichloromethane (DCM) and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) have shown nearly no reactivity with nZVI. Here, we tested the feasibility of combining anaerobic dechlorinating bacteria, Dehalobacterium and Dehalogenimonas, and nZVI as a treatment train to detoxify chlorinated methanes (i.e., chloroform-CF- and DCM), and 1,2-DCA. First, we showed that CF (500 μM) was fully degraded by 1 g/L nZVI to DCM as a major by-product, which was susceptible to fermentation by Dehalobacterium to innocuous products. Our results indicate that soluble compounds released by nZVI might cause an inhibitory impact on Dehalobacterium activity, avoiding DCM depletion. The DCM dechlorination activity was recovered when transferred to a fresh medium without nZVI. The increase in H 2 production and pH was discarded as potential inhibitors. Similarly, a Dehalogenimonas-containing culture was unable to dichloroeliminate 1,2-DCA when exposed to 1 g/L nZVI, but dechlorinating activity was also recovered when transferred to nZVI-free media. The recovery of the dechlorinating activity of Dehalobacterium and Dehalogenimonas suggests that combination of nZVI and bioremediation techniques can be feasible under field conditions where dilution processes can alleviate the impact of the potential inhibitory soluble compounds., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aim: Species' ecological traits influence their spatial genetic patterns. Bedrock preference strongly shapes the phylogeography of alpine plants, but its interactions with other ecological traits have rarely been disentangled. Here, we explore whether dispersal ability and degree of habitat specialization account for divergent postglacial expansion patterns of high-elevation plants in spite of similar bedrock preference., Location: The Pyrenees, southwestern Europe., Taxon: Cirsium glabrum (Asteraceae), Salix pyrenaica (Salicaceae) and Silene borderei (Caryophyllaceae)., Methods: Phylogenetic, genetic structure and demographic modelling analyses based on restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) data from a range-wide populational sampling were conducted. Occurrence data and environmental variables were used to construct species distribution models, which were projected under current and Last Glacial Maximum conditions, and were combined with RADseq data to reconstruct the postglacial history of the study species. The degree of habitat specialization of each species was estimated based on the plant communities within which they occur, and their climatic niche breadth., Results: Salix pyrenaica , which occupies a broad range of habitats, shows a high level of range filling, a blurred genetic structure and an admixture cline between the two main genetic groups, congruent with rapid postglacial expansion. The microsite specialists C. glabrum and S. borderei exhibit a strong genetic structure and low levels of range filling, indicative of slow postglacial expansion. The good disperser C. glabrum shows higher levels of admixture between genetic groups and weaker population differentiation than the poor disperser S. borderei ., Main Conclusions: Factors other than bedrock preference have a strong impact on the postglacial range dynamics of high-elevation species. Habitat specialization plays an important role, allowing species occupying a broad range of habitats to more rapidly expand their ranges after environmental change. The effect of dispersal ability is lower than expected for the study species., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Biogeography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This paper explores global differences in travel risk perception based on i) attitudes towards travel abroad, and ii) the time required to plan travel. Baseline data from 2019 is compared with data from 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A methodology based on Big Data is developed through the Skyscanner metasearch engine, working with 20,756 million flight searches and 1979 million flight picks worldwide. We conduct an exploratory analysis by region, followed by a cluster analysis of 45 countries. We argue that the findings respond to uncertainty avoidance, with clear differences between Europe, America and Asia-Pacific. This knowledge has marketing implications for tourist destinations in terms of what marketing messages to convey and the best time to introduce marketing campaigns for each country or group of countries, so that the opportunity for reactivation of tourism is maximised., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Microbial biosurfactants are low-molecular-weight surface-active compounds of high industrial interest owing to their chemical properties and stability under several environmental conditions. The chemistry of a biosurfactant and its production cost are defined by the selection of the producer microorganism, type of substrate, and purification strategy. Recently, biosurfactants have been applied to solve or contribute to solving some environmental problems, with this being their main field of application. The most referenced studies are based on the bioremediation of contaminated soils with recalcitrant pollutants, such as hydrocarbons or heavy metals. In the case of heavy metals, biosurfactants function as chelating agents owing to their binding capacity. However, the mechanism by which biosurfactants typically act in an environmental field is focused on their ability to reduce the surface tension, thus facilitating the emulsification and solubilization of certain pollutants ( in-situ biostimulation and/or bioaugmentation). Moreover, despite the low toxicity of biosurfactants, they can also act as biocidal agents at certain doses, mainly at higher concentrations than their critical micellar concentration. More recently, biosurfactant production using alternative substrates, such as several types of organic waste and solid-state fermentation, has increased its applicability and research interest in a circular economy context. In this review, the most recent research publications on the use of biosurfactants in environmental applications as an alternative to conventional chemical surfactants are summarized and analyzed. Novel strategies using biosurfactants as agricultural and biocidal agents are also presented in this paper.

Non-compliance with social distancing (SD) measures clearly has negative effects on both public health and post-pandemic economic recovery. However, little is as yet known about people's views on and factors influencing their behavioral intentions toward SD measures. This study draws on moral disengagement theory and the norm-activation model to investigate mechanisms that promote or hinder compliance with SD measures. A longitudinal research approach was adopted to compare changes in the main factors over three periods of the COVID-19 pandemic in England (UK). The results reveal significant differences between the three periods regarding intentions to comply with SD measures, altruistic value, moral obligation and moral disengagement, with no significant change in ascription of responsibility. Residents showed the strongest intentions to comply with SD measures during the first national lockdown, with the highest moral obligation and lowest moral disengagement levels, compared with the lowest intention to comply during the first re-opening period. Altruistic value is important in promoting moral obligation and compliance with SD measures, whereas the predictive powers of ascription of responsibility and moral disengagement were weaker than expected. These findings offer guidance to policymakers and researchers in developing more effective policies and public communication strategies. The results suggest that communication is key to normalizing SD compliance, which can be achieved most effectively by fostering residents' altruistic value and moral considerations. Particular attention must be paid to re-opening periods between lockdowns, with clear messages to remind residents of prosocial aspects of SD compliance and public health. In addition to appropriate communication and education, technologies such as apps, QR codes and contactless shopping settings may also be used to facilitate compliance with SD measures., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We study how risk conditions derived from the COVID-19 pandemic may impact on both the desire to travel and intention to visit of tourists and, therefore, on different stages of the destination choice process. We analyse 5134 million flight searches and 379 million flight picks during 2020 for the 17 largest European tourism source markets. An unweighted index number is employed to measure the average variation for searches and picks, for the year 2020, in relation to the reference base period (year 2019). This is done for air travel in general and to Spain specifically. The study then proceeds to conduct an analysis of 17 international travel destinations that are in the evoked sets of the two largest outbound markets in Europe (Germany and UK). We also identify which markets are most favourable to Spain. The research design can inform cost-efficient marketing decisions in a situation of high uncertainty., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Objectives: In addition to personal and health related factors, healthcare workers have an increased risk due to their work. We assessed the association of the score of the Occupational Vulnerability Index with the risk of suffering a severe COVID-19 and sequelae., Methods: Retrospective observational study carried out in healthcare workers. Among 119 employees infected, the COVID-19 Occupational Vulnerability Index (composed of 29 items regarding personal health, working conditions, and ability to comply with preventive measures) was calculated and correlated with COVID-19 severity/sequelae., Results: Workers with higher scores (six to seven points) had a significantly increased risk of developing severe disease (OR = 9.73; 95% CI, 1.53 to 35.56) and clinical sequelae (OR = 5.22; 95% CI, 1.80 to 15.16) than those with lower scores (0 to 3)., Conclusion: The "COVID-19 Occupational Vulnerability Index" may predict the risk of severe COVID-19 disease and clinical sequelae among healthcare workers., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: S.N.K. has received COVID-19-related consulting fees from Open Health. All other authors declare no competing interests. None of the authors received funding toward the present study., (Copyright © 2021 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

The effects of adding zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) on the physicochemical, biological and biochemical responses of a semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge have been assessed. Two sets of consecutive experiments of 103 and 116 days, respectively, were carried out in triplicate. nZVI were magnetically retained in the reactors, and the effect of punctual doses (from 0.27 to 4.33 g L -1 ) over time was studied. Among the different parameters monitored, only methane content in the biogas was significantly higher when nZVI was added. However, this effect was progressively lost after the addition, and in 5-7 days, the methane content returned to initial values. The increase in the oxidation state of nanoparticles seems to be related to the loss of effect over time. Higher dose (4.33 g L -1 ) sustained positive effects for a longer time along with higher methane content, but this fact seems to be related to microbiome acclimation. Changes in microbial community structure could also play a role in the mechanisms involved in methane enhancement. In this sense, the microbial consortium analysis reported a shift in the balance among acetogenic eubacterial communities, and a marked increase in the relative abundance of members assigned to Methanothrix genus, recognized as acetoclastic species showing high affinity for acetate, which explain the rise in methane content in the biogas. This research demonstrates that biogas methane enrichment in semicontinuous anaerobic digesters can be achieved by using nZVI nanoparticles, thus increasing energy production or reducing costs of a later biogas upgrading process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

2-phenylethanol (2-PE) is a value-added compound widely used in industry due to its rose-like odor and antibacterial properties that can be bioproduced using wastes as raw materials. This study presents the valorization of nine agro-industrial wastes as potential substrates for 2-PE production using an isolated 2-PE producer Pichia kudriavzevii, and the solid-state fermentation (SSF) technology as an alternative approach. The assessed substrates comprised wastes of varied traits such that each of them provided different characteristics to the fermentation. Thus, by using a principal component analysis (PCA), it was possible to identify the most significant characteristics associated with the substrates affecting the 2-PE production. Results show that L-phenylalanine biotransformation was more efficient than de novo synthesis for producing 2-PE. Besides, from the evaluated set, the maximum 2-PE production was achieved with red apple pomace, reaching 1.7 and 25.2 mg 2PE per gram of used waste through de novo and L-phenylalanine biotransformation, respectively. In that scenario, volumetric productivity and precursor yield were 39.6 mg 2PE L -1 h -1 and 0.69 g 2PE per gram of L-phenylalanine added , respectively. From the PCA, it was identified that the reducing sugars content of the substrate, the air-filled porosity of the bed and the L-phenylalanine availability were the most critical parameters (associated with the substrates) influencing the microbial activity and 2-PE production. These results suggest that the desirable traits a solid media needs for promoting 2-PE production via SSF could be reached by using a combination of wastes in a synergistic approach., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Authors declared that there are no conflicts of interest to this work, including no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Colonoscopy attendance is a key quality parameter in colorectal cancer population screening programmes. Within these programmes, educative interventions with bidirectional contact carried out by trained personnel have been proved to be an important tool for colonoscopy attendance improvement, and because of its huge clinical and economic impact, they have been widely implemented. However, outside of this population programmes, educative measures to improve colonoscopy attendance have been poorly studied and no navigation interventions are usually performed., Aim: To investigate the clinical and economic impacts of an educational telephone intervention on colonoscopy attendance outside colorectal cancer screening programmes., Methods: This randomized controlled trial included consecutive patients referred to colonoscopy from primary care centres from November 2017 to May 2018. The intervention group (IG) received a telephone intervention, while the control group (CG) did not. Patients assigned to the IG received an educational telephone call 7 d before the colonoscopy appointment. The intervention was carried out by two nurses with deep endoscopic knowledge who were previously trained for a telephone educational intervention for colonoscopy. The impact on patient compliance with preparedness protocols related to bowel cleansing, anti-thrombotic management, and sedation scheduling was also evaluated. A second call was conducted to assess patient satisfaction. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were performed., Results: A total of 738 and 746 patients were finally included in the IG and CG respectively. Six hundred thirteen (83%) patients were contacted in the IG. The non-attendance rate was lower in the IG, both in the ITT analysis (IG 8.4% vs CG 14.3%, P < 0.001) and in the PP analysis (4.4% vs 14.3%, P < 0.001). In a multivariable analysis, belonging to the control group increased the risk of non-attendance in both, the ITT analysis (OR 1.81, 95%CI: 1.27 to 2.58, P = 0.001) and the PP analysis (OR 3.56, 95%CI: 2.25 to 5.64, P < 0.001). There was also a significant difference in compliance with preparedness protocols [bowel cleansing: IG 61.7% vs CG 52.6% ( P = 0.001), antithrombotic management: IG 92.5% vs CG 62.8% ( P = 0.001), and sedation scheduling: IG 78.8% vs CG 0% ( P ≤ 0.001)]. We observed a net benefit of €55600/year after the intervention. The information given before the procedure was rated as excellent by 26% (CG) and 51% (IG) of patients, P ≤ 0.001., Conclusion: Educational telephone nurse intervention improves attendance, protocol compliance and patient satisfaction in the non-screening colonoscopy setting and has a large economic impact, which supports its imple-mentation and maintenance over time., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: There are no conflicts of interest for any of the authors., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Plants depend fundamentally on establishment from seed. However, protocols in trait-based ecology currently estimate seed size but not seed number. This can be rectified. For annuals, seed number should simply be a positive function of vegetative biomass and a negative function of seed size., Methods: Using published values of comparative seed number as the 'gold standard' and a large functional database, comparative seed yield and number per plant and per m2 were predicted by multiple regression. Subsequently, ecological variation in each was explored for English and Spanish habitats, newly calculated C-S-R strategies and changed abundance in the British flora., Key Results: As predicted, comparative seed mass yield per plant was consistently a positive function of plant size and competitive ability, and largely independent of seed size. Regressions estimating comparative seed number included, additionally, seed size as a negative function. Relationships differed numerically between regions, habitats and C-S-R strategies. Moreover, some species differed in life history over their geographical range. Comparative seed yield per m2 was positively correlated with FAO crop yield, and increasing British annuals produced numerous seeds. Nevertheless, predicted values must be viewed as comparative rather than absolute: they varied according to the 'gold standard' predictor used. Moreover, regressions estimating comparative seed yield per m2 achieved low precision., Conclusions: For the first time, estimates of comparative seed yield and number for >800 annuals and their predictor equations have been produced and the ecological importance of these regenerative traits has been illustrated. 'Regenerative trait-based ecology' remains in its infancy, with work needed on determinate vs. indeterminate flowering ('bet-hedging'), C-S-R methodologies, phylogeny, comparative seed yield per m2 and changing life history. Nevertheless, this has been a positive start and readers are invited to use estimates for >800 annuals, in the Supplementary data, to help advance 'regenerative trait-based ecology' to the next level., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

A novel approach for harvesting Scenedesmus sp. microalgae from real wastewater by using adsorbents of magnetite-based nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs) was tested in this study for the first time for this microalgae. Using these NPs, the harvesting efficiency was even higher than 95%. The optimal conditions (0.14 gNPs/L, a short magnetic separation time of only 8 min and 27 min of contact time) were found using the response surface methodology. The best fitting of the adsorption equilibrium results was achieved by the Langmuir isotherm model, and the maximum adsorption capacity for Scenedesmus sp. reached 3.49 g dry cell weight (DCW)/g Fe 3 O 4 NPs. Zeta potential measurements and the Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm model analysis pointed out that the main adsorption mechanism between Scenedesmus sp. cells and Fe 3 O 4 NPs was electrostatic interaction. Finally, Fe 3 O 4 NPs were six times successfully reused by combining an alkaline treatment with an ultrasonication process, which implies microalgae lysis. The results herein obtained highlight the potential for magnetic separation of microalgae from wastewater, which is capable of reaching a high harvesting efficiency in a very short time., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)