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Background: Food plays a dual role in promoting human health and environmental sustainability. Yet, current food systems jeopardize both. Food waste poses a major global challenge due to its significant economic, social, and environmental impacts. Healthcare facilities generate the largest amounts of food waste compared to other forms of catering provision. Food waste correlates with environmental unsustainability and diminished patient satisfaction, compounding the prevalent challenge of hospital malnutrition and contributing to suboptimal patient outcomes. Materials and methods: In a three-year interventional study (2020-2022) at a psychiatric tertiary care center, we assessed and mitigated food waste using evidence-based measures. We conducted systematic food wastage audits over three years (2020-2022) in May and June, each lasting four weeks. Costs were analyzed comprehensively, covering food, staff, infrastructure, and disposal. Environmental impact was assessed using Umweltbelastungspunkte (UBP) and CO2e/kg emissions, alongside water usage (H2O - l/kg). Results: Economic losses due to food wastage were substantial, primarily from untouched plates and partially consumed dinners, prompting meal planning adjustments. Despite a >3% increase in meals served, both food waste mass and costs decreased by nearly 6%. Environmental impact indicators showed a reduction >20%. Vegetables, salad, and fruits constituted a significant portion of waste. Overproduction minimally contributed to waste, validating portion control efficacy. Conclusion: Our study highlights significant economic and environmental losses due to hospital food waste, emphasizing the importance of resource efficiency. The strategies outlined offer promising avenues for enhanced efficiency. The decrease in food waste observed over the three-year period underscores the potential for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engineered artificial mineral (EnAM) lithium aluminate (LiAlO2) is a promising candidate for the recycling of lithium from slags, which can originate from the reprocessing of batteries, for example. Derivatives of the natural product Punicine (1-(2′,5′-dihydroxyphenyl)-pyridinium) from Punica granatum have been proven to be effective switchable collectors for the flotation of this mineral as they react to light. In the present study, three Punicines were added to a planetary ball mill before grinding LiAlO2 to particle sizes suitable for flotation. We investigated the influence of Punicine and two derivatives with C10 and C17 side chains on the grinding results at different grinding times and conditions as well as on the yields in flotations. SEM images of the particles, IR and ICP–OES measurements provided insights into the Punicine–particle interactions. They showed that Punicines not only prevent the formation of hydrophilic and thus undesirable lithium aluminate hydroxide hydrate (LiAl2(OH)7 ▪ x H2O) surfaces in this process, as is unavoidable in aqueous flotation without this pretreatment, they also prevent the undesired release of lithium cations into the aqueous phase. Due to considerable hydrophobization of the particle surface of LiAlO2, nearly quantitative recovery rates of this engineered artificial mineral are achieved using the process described here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Materials Imaging and Dynamics (MID) instrument at the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser Facility (EuXFEL) is equipped with a multipurpose diagnostic end-station (DES) at the end of the instrument. The imager unit in DES is a key tool for aligning the beam to a standard trajectory and for adjusting optical elements such as focusing lenses or the split-and-delay line. Furthermore, the DES features a bent-diamond-crystal spectrometer to disperse the spectrum of the direct beam to a line detector. This enables pulse-resolved characterization of the EuXFEL spectrum to provide X-ray energy calibration, and the spectrometer is particularly useful in commissioning special modes of the accelerator. Together with diamond-based intensity monitors, the imager and spectrometer form the DES unit which also contains a heavy-duty beamstop at the end of the MID instrument. Here, we describe the setup in detail and provide exemplary beam diagnostic results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]