Search

This article explores how ecodesign can help enhance environmental assessment methods (EAMs) employed by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Current EAMs primarily offer resource management evaluations or sustainability rankings but lack holistic and actionable solutions for institutional improvements. The proposed method integrates ecodesign tools, such as Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), environmental benchmarking, and parametric design tools, with existing EAM frameworks. This synergy allows HEIs to quantitatively assess their environmental and social impacts while identifying targeted strategies for improvement. By embedding ecodesign into institutional practices the approach provides a structured pathway to align HEIs with global sustainability goals, fostering innovation and continuous improvement. The paper emphasizes a multi-tool integration strategy, offering a cohesive solution to advance sustainability comprehensively within HEIs. more...

Edible films and coatings offer great potential to support sustainable food production by lowering packaging waste, extending product shelf life, and actively preserving food quality. Using edible coatings containing plant extracts with antioxidant and antibacterial characteristics could help to enhance the quality and shelf life of fish products. In this study, the combination effect of chitosan with beetroot, curcumin, and garlic extracts on biogenic amines (BAs) reduction, biochemical quality [pH, thiobarbituric acid index (TBA), trimethylamine (TMA), and total volatile base (TVB)], shelf life and sensory characteristics of tuna filets was investigated over 14 days of refrigerated storage compared to control (uncoated) samples. The results showed that the coated samples experienced a lower increase in BAs levels than the control samples. Among the treated samples, chitosan incorporated with curcumin (CH-C) showed the highest reduction in BAs formation (1.45 – 19.33, 0.81 – 4.45, and 1.04 – 8.14 mg/kg), followed by chitosan with garlic (CH-G) (1.54 – 21.74, 0.83 – 5.77, and 1.08 – 8.84 mg/kg), chitosan with beetroot extract (CH-B) (1.56 – 31.70, 0.84 – 6.79, and 1.07 – 10.82 mg/kg), and chitosan without extract addition (CH) (1.62 – 33.83, 0.71 – 7.82 and 1.12 – 12.66 mg/kg) compared to control samples (1.62 – 59.45, 0.80 – 11.96, and 1.14 – 20.34 mg/kg) for histamine, cadaverine, and putrescine, respectively. In addition, the rate of increase in pH, TBA, TMA, and TVB of all coated treatments was lower than in the control samples. Sensory evaluation results revealed that chitosan-treated samples incorporated with beetroot, garlic, and curcumin extracts showed good quality and acceptability characteristics. Overall, chitosan edible coatings incorporated with beetroot, garlic, and curcumin extracts reduced the formation of biogenic amine, delayed biochemical deterioration, and extended the shelf life of tuna filets. Among the treated samples, CH-C demonstrated a remarkable superiority in all the studied parameters. Therefore, this study provides a promising strategy for the incorporation of active compounds in edible coatings to improve the quality and safety of foods during storage. more...

The Geographical Information Systems technology is used in many fields where the spatial information is very important and relevant, that means in all fields that use a system for saving, analyzing and representing the data which are processed. The aim of this paper is using modern technology for monitoring the environment. Geographical Information System together with remote sensing have a very important role in decision process regarding the environment. Integration of remote sensing images in a Geographical Information System which enables complex spatial analysis is a useful and modern solution for environmental management and decision-making process. Satellite images contain various information that can support environmental monitoring, images that can be analyzed and interpreted in various ways by using the Geographical Information System tools. more...

This study investigated the phytochemical characteristics, antibacterial activity, and synergistic potential of essential oils derived from Romanian lavender. Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed that linalool is the main compound in all lavender essential oils, with concentrations ranging from 29.410% to 35.769%. Linalyl acetate was found in similar concentrations to linalool. Other significant compounds included 1,8-cineole (8.50%), lavandulyl acetate (5.38%), trans-β-ocimene (6.90%), and camphor (7.7%). A 1,1-Diphenyl-2-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test was used to assess antioxidant capacity, with substantial free-radical-scavenging activity shown in the IC50 values determined. The antibacterial efficacy of the oils was higher against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria, with variations in minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), the extent of inhibition, and evolution patterns. The study also explored the oils’ ability to enhance the efficacy of ampicillin, revealing synergistic interactions expressed as fractional inhibitory concentration indices. In silico protein–ligand docking studies used twenty-one compounds identified by GC-MS with bacterial protein targets, showing notable binding interactions with SasG (−6.3 kcal/mol to −4.6 kcal/mol) and KAS III (−6.2 kcal/mol to −4.9 kcal/mol). Overall, the results indicate that Romanian lavender essential oils possess potent antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and their synergistic interaction with ampicillin has potential for enhancing antibiotic therapies. more...

The digitalization of the agricultural industry is manifested through the active use of innovative technologies in all its areas. Agribusiness owners have to constantly improve their security to meet new challenges. In this context, the existing cyber risks of the agrarian industry were assessed and their classification by possible consequences, such as data theft or alteration, cyber terrorism, cyber warfare, software hacking or modification, the blocking of markets and transactions on them, was proposed. Cyber insurance is an effective tool for minimizing the likelihood of cyber incidents and for comprehensive post-incident support, with the involvement of cybersecurity specialists. An algorithm for cooperation between an agricultural company and an insurance company when concluding a cyber risk insurance contract is proposed, which takes into account the needs and wishes of insurers at each stage of the interaction. To assess the need to use cyber insurance in agriculture 4.0, a methodology has been developed to evaluate the regional characteristics of cybersecurity and the digitalization of agribusiness. The results of the study show a heterogeneous need for this tool in different regions of the world. more...

The increasing utilization of nanoparticles (NPs) in agricultural practices has led to a surge in demand for nano-based products. Herein, we investigate the dose-dependent impacts of nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2)/nickel (Ni) NPs, synthesized using Asparagus racemosus Linn. leaf extract, on the seed germination and growth of Vigna radiata (Linn.) Wilczek. In all seed samples, 100% germination was observed in Treatment 1 (2.74 mg mL−1) and Treatment 2 (5.48 mg mL−1) of Ni/Ni(OH)2 NPs. However, in Treatment 3 (8.22 mg mL−1) and Treatment 4 (10.96 mg mL−1), the germination percentage was lower, reaching 80%. Further, Treatment 5 (13.70 mg mL−1) of Ni/Ni(OH)2 NPs showed a reduced germination rate of 60%, indicating a prolonged germination process at higher concentrations. Remarkably, the length of seedlings showed a significant increase in all experimental treatments compared to the control group, which received 5 mL of distilled water. Among the investigated parameters, Treatment 2 demonstrated the most promising outcomes, exhibiting the highest chlorophyll stability index (23.73%) and membrane stability index (67.89%) values, as well as the lowest root ion leakage (24.75%). These findings indicate that Ni/Ni(OH)2 has the capacity to enhance seed germination and foster seedling growth. more...

The current study aimed to investigate the presence of Salmonella spp. prevalence in buffalo meat in Egypt, along with studying the antimicrobial susceptibility of the recovered isolates. Salmonella spp. was detected in 25% of tested buffalo meat. A total of 53 (100%) isolates were genetically verified by PCR as Salmonella, based on the detection of the invA gene. The stn and hilA genes were detected in 71.7% (38/53), and 83.0% (44/53) of the recovered isolates, respectively. Salmonella Enteritidis (11/53; 20.7%) was the most commonly isolated serovar, followed by S. Typhimurium (9/53; 17%), S. Montevideo (6/53; 11.3%), meanwhile, S. Chester, S. Derby, S. Papuana, and S. Saintpaul were the least commonly identified serovars (a single strain for each; 1.9%). Among the 16 antimicrobials tested, amikacin, imipenem, gentamicin, cefotaxime, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, and enrofloxacin were the most effective drugs, with bacterial susceptibility percentages of 98.1%, 94.3%, 92.5%, 86.8%, 83.0%, 73.6%, and 69.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, the least effective ones were erythromycin, streptomycin, clindamycin, cefepime, and nalidixic acid, with bacterial resistance percentages of 100%, 98.1%, 88.7%, 77.4%, and 66%, respectively. Interestingly, the high contamination level of Egyptian buffalo meat with multidrug-resistant Salmonella (79.2%; 42/53) can constitute a problem for public health. Therefore, programs to control Salmonella contamination are needed in Egypt. more...

(1) Background: Hibernation in pens covered with LFC was associated with high mortality of C. aspersum snails in Romanian snail farms. This three-year study aimed to develop a simple, but effective system for protecting breeders in colder climates. (2) Methods: The first phase investigated the (pre)hibernal burrowing behavior and the overwintering habitat choice. Protective structures based on straw, LFC, and/or HDPE were tested at pilot level (no snails). The most suitable system was applied under farm conditions. (3) Results: Wood and ridge-tile micro shelters were significantly preferred to corrugated iron micro shelters. Burrowing specimens acted as shallow-burrowers, and this behaviorwas significantly more common for looser soils. All pilot systems displayed significantly higher thermal protection efficiency compared to the sole use of LFC. The balance between straw moistening and thermal protection favored using structure soil/LFC/straw/10-cm air cushion/HDPE. Its use yielded significantly higher survival compared to the sole use of LFC. Most hibernating snails clustered together in large groups, attached on the lower surface of micro shelters. Predator occurrence appeared to marginally affect overwintering survival. (4) Conclusions: The “sandwich” system could be an effective solution for overwintering mature C. aspersum snails in colder climates. more...

Heavy metal contamination threatens the aquatic environment and human health. Different physical and chemical procedures have been adopted in many regions; however, their adoption is usually limited since they take longer time, are more expensive, and are ineffective in polluted areas with high heavy metal contents. Thus, biological remediation is considered a suitable applicable method for treating contaminates due to its aquatic-friendly features. Bacteria possess an active metabolism that enables them to thrive and develop in highly contaminated water bodies with arsenic (As). They achieve this by utilizing their genetic structure to selectively target As and deactivate its toxic influences. Therefore, this review extensively inspects the bacterial reactions and interactions with As. In addition, this literature demonstrated the potential of certain genetically engineered bacterial strains to upregulate the expression and activity of specific genes associated with As detoxification. The As resistant mechanisms in bacteria exhibit significant variation depending on the genetics and type of the bacterium, which is strongly affected by the physical water criteria of their surrounding aquatic environment. Moreover, this literature has attempted to establish scientific connections between existing knowledge and suggested sustainable methods for removing As from aquatic bodies by utilizing genetically engineered bacterial strains. We shall outline the primary techniques employed by bacteria to bioremediate As from aquatic environments. Additionally, we will define the primary obstacles that face the wide application of genetically modified bacterial strains for As bioremediation in open water bodies. This review can serve as a target for future studies aiming to implement real-time bioremediation techniques. In addition, potential synergies between the bioremediation technology and other techniques are suggested, which can be employed for As bioremediation. more...

Climate change exerts a substantial influence on global livelihood security. This research aims to elucidate the risk faced by agroforestry managers of urban and rural areas. Adhering to the IPCC risk framework, we structured the experimental design and adopted an indicator-based methodology to delineate the risk dimensions. Altogether, 105 households from 7 villages in Aizawl district, Mizoram, India, were considered for the study. For indicator identification, we conducted a comprehensive literature review and subsequently employed principal component analysis to select relevant indicators. Finally, risk was determined using the index value of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Additionally, we also developed a regression model and integrated it into ArcGIS to generate a spatial risk map. Out of 69 indicators identified, 52 were selected for final assessment after PCA analysis. Our findings underscore the higher susceptibility of urban agroforestry managers to climate change which was in agreement to our hypothesis that the risk index of agroforestry households increases with altitude while it decreases with the distance from Aizawl headquarter. Furthermore, we observed that households residing at higher altitudes exhibit greater vulnerability. Key determinants contributing to elevated risk in the region encompass land ownership constraints, diminished yields, traditional farming practices with no institutional help, and a dearth of available labour resources. The study advocates the implementation of climate smart agroforestry practices integrated with agricultural credit schemes and an educational policy designed to enrol dropout youths. more...

This paper aims to present the advantages of using the terrestrial laser scanning technology (TLS) as a method of creating a 3D database and 3D documentation. This state-of-the-art technology is an innovation that has the advantage of acquiring a large amount of data in a short time. This technology together with UAV equipment has the advantage of obtaining a digital terrain model. The creation of 3D patrimony models, archaeological objects and sites in their current state requires specialized equipment, knowledge, and have a powerful methodology capable of digitally capturing and shaping geometric details and fine layout of these sites. Digital recording, documentation and preservation are required because our patrimony (natural, cultural or mixed) suffers from various anthropogenic and/or natural actions (natural disasters, climate change and forgetfulness of human neglect). more...

Global warming is an unanimously accepted phenomenon by the international scientific community, being already highlighted by the analysis of observational data over long periods of time, with an increase in temperature of over 1 °C. Climate change in Romania is part of the global context, taking into account the regional conditions, with an increasing trend of arid summer. While the link between high temperatures, climate change and rainfall has been modeled in detail, the situation is not the same for plant water accessibility. The period of time between 1898 and the present, corresponding to the annual records of precipitation and evapotranspiration, overlapped with important political and administrative changes in the studied area, and with extensive hydro-amelioration works. The aim of the paper is to statistically follow the evolution over time of precipitation, namely of evapotranspiration measured in Western Romania, which would allow the expression of conclusions regarding the improvement directions of the water regime. In order to follow the evolution in time of these data, the interval of 1898–2019 was divided into three periods: 1898–1950, 1951–1989 and 1990–2019, respectively. The increase in temperature, especially during the vegetation period and the large number of years in which evapotranspiration quantitatively exceeds the precipitation, indicating the need for effective measures to regulate the water balance. more...