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The spontaneous emulsification method was used to produce nanoemulsions loaded with grumixama leaves extracts (GLE) to protect and improve its functionality as a natural additive in food. Nanoemulsions were characterized for physicochemical stability, morphology, thermal analyses, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activity. The formulations showed encapsulation efficiency (EE%) >89%, sizes between 182 and 290 nm, low polydispersity, and zeta potential near -30 mV. The formulations were kinetically stable since these parameters remained constant for up to 180 days at 4°C. The nanoemulsion with 125 mg GLE exhibited better droplet structure, which favored greater phenolic compounds protection and thermal resistance. The antioxidant capacity of all formulations remained stable over 30 days. The nanoemulsions acted as a bactericidal agent (MBC/MIC ratio ≤ 4) against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Listeria monocytogenes strains. However, GLE-loaded nanoemulsions offer a sustainable and functional alternative for use as a natural additive to meet trends such as a clean label. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monoglycerides (MGs) such as glycerol monolaurate (GML) and glycerol monostearate (GMS) have been used as excipients in oral formulations because of their emulsifying effect as well as their ability to inhibit the precipitation and intestinal efflux of drugs. Excipient-drug compatibility studies, however, have been underexplored. In this study, benznidazole (BNZ) was selected as a drug model due to the difficulty in improving its solubility and because of the potential impact on public health (it is the only drug currently used to treat Chagas disease). The effect of different processing conditions (maceration, ball milling, and melting) on the physical-chemistry properties of BNZ/MGs mixtures was investigated to guide the rational development of new solid formulations. GML was more effective in improving the solubility of BNZ, which could be due to its more malleable structure, less hydrophobic nature, and greater interaction with BNZ. The formation of hydrogen bonds between the imidazole group of BNZ and the polar region of GML was confirmed by spectroscopy analyses (IR, 1H NMR). The higher the monoglyceride content in the mixture, the higher the BNZ solubility. Regardless of the method of processing the mixture, the drug was found to be crystalline. Polarized light microscopy analysis showed the presence of spherulites. Overall, these findings suggest that preparation methods of BNZ:MGs formulations that involve thermal or/and mechanical treatment have a low impact on the solid properties of the material, and this allows for the production of formulations with reproducible performance. [Display omitted] • Monoglycerides represent an alternative for improving lipophilic drug solubility. • The imidazole group of BNZ and the polar region of MG interact via a hydrogen bond. • Melting, maceration, and ball milling did not affect the crystallinity of BNZ after being mixed with monoglycerides. • No improvement in the powder characteristics was found by using high-energy methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants reduce risk of extinction due to unpredictable rainfall by soil seed banks, dispersal or large seeds. However, seed size also increases independently in dry habitats, and since seed size is in a trade-off with seed number, size of seed banks is expected to increase in moister habitats. Therefore, we wanted to test if seed abundance in soil increases in wet habitats, if seed size increases in dry habitats, and if spread of seeds along the gradient is higher for plants of intermediate habitats in local moisture gradients. We studied 15 temporary pools in three biogeographically separated wetlands in Southern France. For each pool we studied five different moisture levels, totalling 75 local plant communities. We quantified soil seed bank by the seedling emergence method, seed size and an index of spatial spread of seeds in the soil for every species. We also quantified water levels for each plot. We found increasing abundance of seeds in the soil with increasing water levels but lower seed size and higher spread at intermediate water levels. When we controlled for niche position, we found no trade-off between seed size, spread and abundance in the soil seed bank. Type and importance of risk reduction strategies thus appeared to be strongly driven by the plant species’ moisture niche and the spatial arrangement of water levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef cattle production in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, faces serious challenges due to low profitability and competition for alternative land uses. Despite this, many farmers have not yet adopted economic management practices as a support tool to enhance the competitiveness of their farms, due to differences related to lifestyle, values, customs, traditions and personal goals. We interviewed 73 farmers in order to understand the factors affecting the adoption of such practices. A probit model was estimated to identify farmers' characteristics, access to information, and production and economic characteristics that affect the adoption of economic management practices. Farmers with large landholdings and diversified production are less likely to adopt such practices. On the other hand, a number of factors, such as Internet access, participation in farmer associations, receiving technical assistance, number of cows bred annually, weaning rate greater than 70%, and utilization of the birth to slaughter system, positively affect the probability of adoption. Considering that few workshops and training programs on farm management are offered to farmers, the information presented in this study might be useful to motivate the development of extension programs, which take into account farmers' characteristics and, thus, achieve better results in terms of dissemination of economic management techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The structure of livestock production is subject to driving forces that alter veterinary and economic risks of contagious livestock diseases. Insight into changes in this structure is thus important for veterinary contingency planning. The objective of this paper was to explore changes in future production structure features within the cross-border region of the Netherlands (NL), North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) and Lower Saxony (LS) projected towards 2020 using the Policy Delphi method. Additionally, the findings of this study were elaborated in terms of possible implications for contagious livestock disease introduction, spread and control. Experts expected a sharp reduction in the number of farms, a sharp increase in farm size and regional concentration of livestock production, especially in NL. Increases in cross-border trade were expected, particularly in the pig sector, resulting in intensified mutual cross-border production dependency in most sectors. The cross-border region of NL-NRW-LS becomes, therefore, increasingly a single epidemiological area in which disease introduction is a shared veterinary and, consequently, economic risk. This situation results in increased need for collaboration among NL-NRW-LS to improve the joint prevention and control of contagious livestock diseases. It is concluded that veterinary policy makers should proactively anticipate these future changes in the production structure of livestock. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pork is one of the sources of food-borne salmonellosis in humans. In this paper, the cost-effectiveness of different control scenarios against Salmonella in the stages finishing, transport, lairage and slaughtering is explored. A stochastic simulation model was used for the epidemiological analysis and a deterministic model for the economic evaluation. Results showed that the cost-effectiveness of interventions in the finishing and slaughtering stages is the highest with respect to the reduction of the prevalence of contaminated carcasses. However, the cost-effectiveness is reduced in case not all farms or firms within a stage intervene to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents information on a study which evaluated technical and policy options that will facilitate the adoption and use of energy efficient and less polluting cooking stoves and practices in Mexico. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study; Conclusions.

The primary objectives of this study were to analyze economic feasibility of incorporating black soldier fly products in broiler feed and to compare the viability of alive (alive grown larvae (AGL)) or processed (defatted larvae meal (DLM) and insect oil) insect inclusion into the two Dutch broiler welfare systems: conventional and better life one star (BLS). An existing simulation model for insect production was adapted to build an economic model for the insect-fed broiler breast meat supply chain. Amounts, full costs, and breakeven prices of different production setups were compared and the impacts of specific input parameters were tested by sensitivity and breakeven analyses. Results indicated a hypothetical demand of 2.15 million tons wet matter of raw substrate to meet the total Dutch breast meat production (BLS broilers and 10% AGL inclusion). In case of 10% processed insect inclusion, the conventional broiler breast meat price increased from 3,947 to 6,069 €/t (53.7%) and the BLS breast meat price from 6,493 to 9,662 €/t (48.8%). Alive insect inclusion resulted in a smaller cost increase (42.2%) by skipping the costly processing step. To become price competitive, DLM or AGL must cost 618 or 801 €/ton dry matter (tDM), respectively, requiring a raw substrate mix price of −109 €/tDM. High input amounts and costs currently hinder the widespread adoption of insect products in Dutch mass poultry feed. However, in the long run, using negative value substrates or targeting niche markets for broiler welfare with low AGL inclusion levels could become viable business models. Research is needed on the impact of negative value substrates on insect production performance and contamination risks. Furthermore, the impact of varying AGL composition requires special attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil quality is an important determinant of the productivity, environmental quality and resilience of agricultural ecosystems. In addition to the farmer, there are other actors who may have different interests in soil quality, hampering the implementation of sustainable soil management. To date, these actors have received surprisingly little attention. This study presents an inventory of actors involved in sustainable soil management, including farmers, but also value chain participants (e.g. input suppliers and processors), environmentally engaged actors and policy makers. We applied Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to elicit actors' priorities for soil sustainability criteria. AHP is a method of multi-criteria analysis that uses pairwise comparisons to assess the relative importance of criteria. Additionally, we differentiated actors based on their involvement and perceived ability to influence decision-making. Based on the results of a survey, actors were placed in a power-interest grid. In this grid, the self-perceived power and interest of actors was differentiated from their power and interest as perceived by other actors. The main findings were that a complex and heterogenous network of actors exists around the farmer. Within this network, farmers and related value chain participants showed a priority for economic soil sustainability criteria. Environmentally engaged actors were confirmed to have a clear priority for environmental criteria. The power-interest grids underscored the prime role of farmers and the relatively high power of value chain participants. The self-assessment of power-interest compared to assessment by others revealed noticeable differences, especially for NGOs and environmentally engaged actors. This study provides an overview of which actors to involve in decision-making on sustainable soil management, which is illustrated for the EU mission "Soil Health and Food". [Display omitted] • We made an inventory of 30 actors in sustainable soil management in the Netherlands. • Farmers show priority for economic criteria of sustainable soil management. • Value chain actors have high power and interest in sustainable soil management. • Power-interest self-assessment of actors compared to assessment by other actors. • We provide insights for quantitative research and policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive broiler production systems are criticized by EU citizens because of their negative impact on animal welfare, the environment and human health. To inform the development of sustainable broiler production systems, this paper provides insight in the synergies and trade-offs between different external factors originating from broiler production systems by developing a new analysis approach. The approach was applied to the Dutch conventional, New Dutch Retail Standard and Extensive Indoor+ systems. The latter two systems have more stringent standards on animal welfare relative to the conventional system. Four external factors were considered, i.e. animal welfare (indicated by Welfare Quality Index score), ammonia emission (kg NH 3 /animal place/year), particulate matter emission (g PM 10 /animal place/year) and antibiotic use (defined daily doses animal). Results show that the shift from a fast-growing breed towards a slower-growing breed caused synergy by improving animal welfare and lowering antibiotic use. Furthermore, the reduction in protein content of the feed, and possibly the reduction in stocking density, caused synergy by enhancing animal welfare and lowering ammonia emission. System changes that stimulated activity, such as the reduction in stocking density, enhanced animal welfare but caused a trade-off with particulate matter emission. Although the New Dutch Retail Standard and Extensive Indoor+ system were characterized by a higher ammonia and particulate matter emission per animal place per year relative to the conventional system, experts estimated that these emissions were partially (New Dutch Retail Standard) or fully (Extensive Indoor+) offset at farm level via a lower stocking density. Overall, we conclude that future development of broiler production systems can exploit the synergy between animal welfare, antibiotic use, and ammonia emission and minimize the trade-off between animal welfare and particulate matter emission. The insights obtained from this paper can support the development of sustainable broiler production systems that minimize external factors originating from these systems. Unlabelled Image • Broiler production systems are criticized because of their negative impact on animal welfare and the environment. • Synergies and trade-offs between external factors originating from Dutch broiler production systems were analyzed. • Synergies were found between animal welfare and antibiotic use, trade-offs between animal welfare and PM 10 emission. • We conclude that future broiler production systems can exploit synergistic effects and minimize the trade-offs. • Insights can support the development of sustainable broiler production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to explore the relation between both farm performance and antimicrobial use (AMU) of broiler farms. Farm performance was expressed as technical efficiency, obtained by using a bootstrap data envelopment analysis. AMU was expressed as treatment incidence. Cluster analysis is used to obtain groups of farms with similar characteristics regarding technical farm performance and AMU. Results indicate that the farms within the different clusters combine different technical farm performance and different levels of AMU. Between the clusters, significant differences were found in technical farm performance, AMU, the resource intensity of the number of animals at set-up, the number of antimicrobial treatments, the number of antimicrobial treatments related to either gut health or combined problems, and the number of antimicrobial treatments with either yellow or orange active substances. Farmers who combine high levels of AMU with high technical farm performance are likely to overestimate the real economic value of AMU. Proper coordination between the farmer and the veterinarian can be crucial in that case for reducing AMU. Farms with low performance are likely to have poor farm conditions. Improving those farm conditions can help reducing the need for AMU on this kind of farms. The farm-specific conditions have to be considered in future policies aimed at reducing AMU in livestock production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat for both human and animal health. One of the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance is inappropriate antimicrobial use in livestock production. The aim of this study was to examine the technical and economic impact of tailor-made interventions, aimed at reducing antimicrobial use in broiler production. Historical (i.e. before intervention) and observational (i.e. after intervention) data were collected at 20 broiler farms. Results indicate that average daily gain and mortality generally increased after intervention, whereas feed conversion and antimicrobial use decreased. Economic performance after interventions was generally higher than before the interventions. Sensitivity analyses on price changes confirm the robustness of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate performance and durability of a fluorine-free poly(phenylene-sulfone) membrane for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Sulfonated poly(phenylene-sulfone) (EW 220 g·eq−1; sPPS-220) has been prepared and processed by acid/base blending with 25 wt% poly(benzimidazole) (sPPS-220/PBI-O). A blend membrane with a nominal EW 463 g·eq−1(ion exchange capacity of 2.16 meq·g−1) has been fabricated by solution co-casting on a commercial production line. Blend component fractions are chosen to meet Nafion 211's specific conductivity and obtain mechanical robustness. Blend membrane has significantly lower gas permeability than Nafion under both dry (RH = 30%) and wet (RH = 95%) conditions, significantly higher storage modulus and no softening at high temperature. Like pure-sPPS, blend membrane is hydrolytically stable up to T = 180 °C in water. Single-cell H 2 /air fuel cell tests demonstrate higher open-circuit voltage and similar performance under load conditions compared to Nafion. Still, high mass transport polarization is likely due to water condensation at the cathode side. This increases membrane swelling and thus electroosmotic water drag reducing hydration at the anode side and leading to flooding of the cathode. Under accelerated stress conditions at low relative humidity, sPPS-220/PBI-O is more durable than Nafion. Possible explanations are i) lower gas crossover reduced radical formation rate and ii) high intrinsic stability of sPPS. • Preparation of sulfonated poly(phenylene sulfone) blend membrane. • Blend membranes were tested for PEM fuel cell applications. • Similar fuel cell performances were achieved with blend membrane and Nafion 211. • Blend membrane demonstrates a lower gas crossover compared to Nafion 211. • Blend membrane shows higher durability than Nafion 211 under OCV holding at 30% RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the endangered flora of the Mediterranean basin, Teucrium pseudochamaepitys , endemic Lamiaceae , is threatened by human activities. The threats are even more important that its distribution in Mediterranean France is very limited. This study was based on the comparison of nine sites urbanized or impacted by other human activities. Particularly, the associated plant community, the density and reproductive parameters of the study species, and pollinator activities were compared to asset the effect of urbanization and land use changes on the local population persistence. Interestingly, in urban sites, the result shows more ruderal species and a higher density of T. pseudochamaepitys due to clonal growth. Surprisingly, reproductive success is low in each site despite an effective insect pollination. However, diversity of pollinators is lower in urban sites. Effects are thus contrasted considering urbanization and land use changes. Changes in land uses lead to closing landscape which threaten short term persistence of populations due to competition while the loss of pollinator diversity may impact urban populations over the long term only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a stochastic bioeconomic simulation model to simulate the business and finan-cial risk of different broiler production systems over a 5-yr period. Simulation analysis was conducted using the @Risk add-in in MS Excel. To compare the impact of different production systems on economic feasibil-ity, 2 cases were considered. The first case focused on the economic feasibility of a completely new system, whereas the second examined economic feasibilities when a farm switches from a conventional to an ani-mal welfare-improving production system. A sensitiv-ity analysis was conducted to assess the key drivers of economic feasibility and to reveal systematic differences across production systems. The study shows that eco-nomic feasibility of systems with improved animal wel-fare predominantly depends on the price that farmers receive. Moreover, the study demonstrates the impor-tance of the level and variation of the price premium for improved welfare, particularly in the first 5 yr after conversion. The economic feasibility of the production system increases with the level of welfare improvements for a sufficiently high price level for broiler meat and low volatility in producer prices. If this is not the case, however, risk attitudes of farmers become important as well as the use of potential risk management instru-ments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]