Search Results (4,079)

This study aimed to identify and analyse the main difficulties faced by family farmers in producing and supplying vegetables through short food supply chains. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven family farmers in a large city in southern Brazil. We sought to include at least one farmer supplying each of the main identified outlets: schools, restaurants, supermarkets, street markets, and consumer groups. Contacts were obtained through rural producer organisations. Data were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Three groups of difficulties emerged: (i) production—including seasonality, pest, and disease management, climate-related losses, and limited technical support; (ii) sales—such as price competition, logistical challenges, and inconsistent demand; and (iii) consumption—particularly low consumer habits regarding vegetable purchase and preparation, and preference for non-seasonal products. The study concludes that the main challenges to strengthening short food supply chains are the limited engagement of young people in farming, lack of specialised technical assistance, climate-related risks, bureaucratic barriers, and the high costs of organic certification. Farmers also reported logistic difficulties and constraints in supplying restaurants due to demand for a narrow range of products disregarding seasonality. At the consumer level, habits shaped by conventional food systems emerged as obstacles. Strategies such as alternative markets, farmer organisations, supportive public policies, and initiatives to promote cooking skills and consumer awareness are key to enhancing resilience and expanding the supply of healthy foods. Full article

Smart cities and urban planning have succeeded in gathering the attention of researchers worldwide, especially in the last decade, as a result of a series of technological, social and economic developments that have shaped the need for evolution from the traditional way in which the cities were viewed. Technology has been incorporated in many sectors associated with smart cities, such as communications, transportation, energy, and water, resulting in increasing people’s quality of life and satisfying the needs of a society in continuous change. Furthermore, with the rise in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the applications of big data analytics in the context of smart cities and urban planning have diversified, covering a wide range of applications starting with traffic management, environmental monitoring, public safety, and adjusting power distribution based on consumption patterns. In this context, the present paper brings to the fore the papers written in the 2015–2024 period and indexed in Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science Core Collection and analyzes them from a bibliometric point of view. As a result, an annual growth rate of 10.72% has been observed, showing an increased interest from the scientific community in this area. Through the use of specific bibliometric analyses, key themes, trends, prominent authors and institutions, preferred journals, and collaboration networks among authors, data are extracted and discussed in depth. Thematic maps and topic discovery through Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and doubled by a BERTopic analysis, n-gram analysis, factorial analysis, and a review of the most cited papers complete the picture on the research carried on in the last decade in this area. The importance of big data analytics in the area of urban planning and smart cities is underlined, resulting in an increase in their ability to enhance urban living by providing personalized and efficient solutions to everyday life situations. Full article

Salmonella poses a severe global threat to food safety and public health, necessitating rapid, sensitive, and reliable detection methods. Conventional techniques often suffer from complexity, time consumption, cost, or limited sensitivity. To address this, we developed a novel enzyme-free fluorescence detection platform, termed the MTAI-CHA system, integrating magnetic nanoparticle-based triangle multivalent aptamer-initiators (MTAI) with catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) signal amplification. The triangular DNA nanostructure contained significantly enhanced binding affinity of multivalent aptamers, increasing the sensitivity compared to monovalent aptamers. The optimized MTAI-CHA system demonstrated exceptional performance: a low detection limit of 10 CFU/mL and excellent specificity against non-target pathogens. This sensitive, specific, and robust strategy, leveraging multivalent aptamer recognition and enzyme-free signal amplification, holds significant potential for rapid pathogen screening in food safety, clinical diagnostics, and environmental monitoring, with adaptability to other targets via aptamer substitution. Full article

Background/Objectives: Chronic ulcers represent a major public health concern, being associated with substantial morbidity, impaired quality of life, and significant costs to healthcare systems. Against the backdrop of an aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic comorbid conditions, this study aimed to profile hospitalized patients with chronic ulcers in Romania and to examine their differential patterns of healthcare resource utilization. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the national administrative hospitalization database between 2017 and 2022, including adult patients with at least two admissions coded with a primary diagnosis of chronic ulcer. Sociodemographic, clinical, and healthcare utilization indicators were extracted, standardized, and analyzed using the K-means clustering algorithm to derive utilization-based phenotypes. Results: Two distinct patient clusters were identified: the first comprised predominantly elderly patients with multiple comorbidities, prolonged hospitalizations, and frequent readmissions, representing a high-burden profile; the second included relatively younger patients with fewer comorbidities, shorter hospital stays, and lower readmission rates, reflecting a more stable clinical profile. The high-burden cluster accounted for a disproportionate share of inpatient resource consumption, underscoring its impact on the healthcare system. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of early identification of potential high-burden patients, enabling the implementation of personalized care strategies and more efficient allocation of hospital resources, with the potential to improve health outcomes and support healthcare system sustainability. Full article

Hand hygiene (HH) is universally recognized as a pillar of infection prevention and control (IPC), both in hospitals and long-term care facilities such as nursing homes (NHs). An annual national survey based on the voluntary notification of purchased alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs) has been set up in France since 2019 to appraise the compliance to HH in NHs. The results pertaining to the Hauts-de-France (HdF) region were analyzed over the 2018–2023 period. The impact of factors such as the year, structure status, availability of an infection control link (ICL) nurse and/or an IPC team as well as constant participation in the survey was evaluated. A clear rise in the consumption of ABHRs was witnessed in 2020 followed by a progressive return to the 2018 baseline by 2023 for most NHs. This decrease was significantly less marked in NHs constantly participating in the survey. The ABHR indicator’s annual values were significantly higher in public NHs than in associative ones and in NHs with available ICL nurses/IPC teams. Finally, even though less than 50% of regional NHs reached the target of four daily ABHR uses per resident, they more frequently met it than French ones as a whole. This result underscores the need for ceaselessly reiterating the importance of HH and for pursuing training efforts in NHs with the help of ICL nurses and IPC teams. Full article

Karen Tei Yamashita’s Tropic of Orange (1997) and Paul Beatty’s The White Boy Shuffle (1996) evoke the act of listening to music as a way to dismantle stereotypical representations of urban resistance and to paint a diverse picture of how communities throughout Los Angeles were impacted by unrest in 1992. From Yamashita’s Buzzworm, a character always tuned into the radio, to Beatty’s Nicholas Scoby, the protagonist’s best friend who is on a mission to listen to every jazz song ever made, these writers render secondary characters who are most concerned with the consumption of music and the act of listening as a form of culture sharing. In fact, these characters utilize portable devices, particularly the Walkman, to bring personal music and media consumption into public spaces. In this paper, I argue that characters like Buzzworm and Scoby facilitate the creation of specific sonic textures that allow authors to break down artificial barriers of racial representation in the aftermath of urban unrest. These writers highlight the act of listening in order to limn the cross-cultural impact that the 1992 unrest had throughout the Southern California region. Full article

In modern power systems, FACTS tools are essential for addressing voltage variation along with fault ride-through (FRT) challenges within the electrical power systems, particularly for wind generation integration. Several prominent publications emphasize that the squirrel cage induction generator (SCIG) currently comprises about 15% of operational wind turbines. This research proposes the use of FACTS devices to boost voltage stability and FRT capability. The implementation of these devices leads to improved efficiency in the electrical power system. This study considers many events, including an ideal wind profile, turbulent wind profile, symmetrical faults, and unsymmetrical faults, to support the proposed selection. Furthermore, the proposed approach is evaluated by comparison between a fixed capacitor, static synchronous compensator (STATCOM), and Static VAR Compensator (SVC) to guarantee the achievement of voltage stability, reactive power consumption, and FRT capacity under various wind speed profiles and fault conditions. An overall evaluation is conducted to compare them in all examined circumstances and to highlight their advantages and effects. The simulation findings demonstrate the efficacy and primacy of FACTS in enhancing the functioning of an integrated wind system, which is built upon a grid-connected SCIG, as well as enhancing the power system performance. The MATLAB/Simulink toolbox is used to design the models of SCIG, SVC, and STATCOM. Full article

Combining public transportation (PT) with Bike-Sharing Systems (BSSs) offers a pathway toward the sustainable development of urban mobility. These systems can reduce fuel consumption, air pollution, and street congestion, especially during peak hours. Moreover, PT and BSS are frequently used by individuals without access to private vehicles, including low-income groups and students. Whereas increasing PT network infrastructure is constrained by issues such as high capital costs and limited street space (which inhibits mass transit options like BRT or trams), BSS can be used as an adaptable and affordable solution to fill these gaps. In particular, BSS can facilitate the “first-mile–last-mile” legs of PT journeys. However, many transit agencies still rely on traditional joint service planning and overlook BSS as a critical mode in integrated travel chains. This paper proposes that PT and BSS be considered as a unified network and introduces a framework to assess whether access to this integrated system is equitably distributed across urban areas. The framework estimates demand for travel using public mobility options and supply at the level of Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs), treating PT and BSS as complementary modes. Spatial accessibility analysis is employed to examine connectivity using factors that affect access to both PT and BSS. The proposed approach is tested by taking Tehran as the focus of the case analysis. The results identify the most accessible areas and highlight those that require improved PT-BSS integration. These findings provide policy-relevant suggestions to promote equity and efficiency in urban transport planning. The outcomes reveal that central TAZs in Tehran receive the highest level of PT-BSS integration, while the western and southern TAZs are in urgent need of adjustment to ensure better distribution of integrated public transportation and bike-sharing services. Full article

The transportation sector is witnessing a paradigm shift toward more sustainable and efficient propulsion systems, with a particular focus on public transportation vehicles such as buses. In this context, hybrid powertrains combining internal combustion engines with electric propulsion systems have emerged as prominent contenders due to their ability to offer significant fuel savings and CO₂ emission reductions compared to conventional diesel powertrains. In this study, the simulation of a complete hybrid bus vehicle is carried out to evaluate the impact of two different hybrid powertrain architectures compared to the diesel reference one. The selected vehicle is a 12 m city bus that performs typical urban driving routes represented by real measured driving cycles. First, the vehicle model was developed using a state-of-the-art diesel powertrain (internal combustion engine) and validated against literature data. This model facilitates a comprehensive evaluation of system efficiency, fuel consumption, and CO₂ emissions while incorporating the effects of driving cycle variability. Subsequently, two different hybrid configurations (parallel P1 and series) are implemented in the model and compared to predict the relative energy consumption and environmental impact, highlighting advantages and challenges. Full article

Background/Objectives: Poor dietary habits remain a significant public health concern, highlighting the need to promote healthy and sustainable eating patterns, especially in childhood and adolescence. This study assessed the eating habits of primary school children in the Tagus Lezíria region, focusing on adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD), recognized for its health and environmental benefits. Methods: The KIDMED index (Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents) was applied to 435 children, the vast majority (97.7%) aged 6–10 years. Results: The data showed that 64.6% of participants exhibited high adherence to the MD, 32.0% medium, and 3.5% low adherence. Despite these encouraging levels, several gaps were identified: 80% of the children did not meet the recommendation for regular nut consumption (≥2–3 times/week), 44% consumed legumes less than once a week, and 43% failed to eat vegetables more than once a day. Regarding demographic factors, no significant differences were observed in overall adherence categories; however, differences emerged in specific eating behaviours. For example, girls consumed more vegetables and cereals than boys, and children in rural areas consumed less dairy than those living in urban settings. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the importance of reinforcing targeted school-based educational interventions to promote healthier dietary behaviours, particularly increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish, pulses, and nuts. Strengthening children’s adherence to the MD from an early age may contribute to improving their health and fostering sustainable eating practices. Full article

Early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is emerging as a significant global health concern, particularly among individuals under the age of 50. This alarming trend has coincided with an increase in the consumption of processed foods that often rely heavily on synthetic preservatives. At the same time, these additives play a critical role in ensuring food safety and shelf life. Growing evidence suggests that they may contribute to adverse gut health outcomes, which is a known risk factor in colorectal cancer development. At the same time, synthetic preservatives serve essential roles such as preventing microbial spoilage, maintaining color, and prolonging shelf life. Natural preservatives, on the other hand, not only provide antimicrobial protection but also exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These contrasting functions form the basis of current discussions on their safety and health implications. Despite their widespread use, the long-term health implications of synthetic preservatives remain inadequately understood. This review synthesizes recent clinical, epidemiological, mechanistic, and toxicological data to examine the potential link between synthetic food preservatives and EOCRC. Particular focus is placed on compounds that have been associated with DNA damage, gut microbiota disruption, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation, which are the mechanisms that collectively increase cancer risk. In contrast, natural preservatives derived from plants and microbes are gaining attention for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and possible anti-inflammatory effects. While these alternatives show promise, scientific validation and regulatory approval remain limited. This review highlights the urgent need for more rigorous, long-term human studies and advocates for enhanced regulatory oversight. It advocates for a multidisciplinary approach to developing safer preservation strategies and highlights the importance of public education in making informed dietary choices. Natural preservatives, though still under investigation, may offer a safer path forward in mitigating EOCRC risk and shaping future food and health policies. Full article

This article analyses the role of the Spanish university system in promoting fair Trade (FT) and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on the Universities for Fair Trade (UxFT) programme. A mixed methodology combining qualitative and quantitative approaches was used to review and analyse the websites of 90 Spanish universities (both public and private) to assess their commitment to FT and the SDGs. This was based on four variables: (1) reference to the SDGs; (2) a structured programme to promote the SDGs; (3) specific actions to promote or raise awareness of the SDGs; and (4) working on FT. The results show that, while most universities include the SDGs in their institutional strategies, only some have structured programmes. Regarding FT, several universities carry out activities linked to this movement, with some actively participating in the UxFT. Public universities demonstrate greater commitment. The SDGs that are most frequently addressed are 12 (Responsible consumption and production), 4 (Quality education) and 13 (Climate action), highlighting the close relationship between FT and sustainability. The study reveals a gap between discursive commitments to sustainability and the actual implementation of FT practices, suggesting that the integration of FT is not automatic even when SDG strategies are present. This has important implications: promoting FT within universities requires not only structured SDG strategies, but also explicit institutional policies, dedicated resources, and greater awareness of FT transformative potential. The findings underscore the need for stronger institutional commitment to move beyond isolated actions and toward a university model grounded in social justice and sustainability. Integrating the UxFT programme more broadly could help foster critical thinking, participatory governance, and more coherent practices aligned with the 2030 Agenda. Full article

This paper explores the feasibility and implications of developing a privacy-preserving, data-driven cloud service for predicting the energy consumption of industrial robots. Using machine learning, we evaluated three neural network architectures—dense, LSTM, and convolutional–LSTM hybrids—to model energy usage based on robot trajectory data. Our results show that models incorporating manually engineered features (angles, velocities, and accelerations) significantly improve prediction accuracy. To ensure secure collaboration in industrial environments where data confidentiality is critical, we integrate privacy-preserving machine learning (ppML) techniques based on secure multi-party computation (SMPC). This allows energy inference to be performed without exposing proprietary model weights or confidential input trajectories. We analyze the performance impact of SMPC on different network types and evaluate two optimization strategies, using public model weights through permutation and evaluating activation functions in plaintext, to reduce inference overhead. The results highlight that network architecture plays a larger role in encrypted inference efficiency than feature dimensionality, with dense networks being the most SMPC-efficient. In addition to model development, we identify and discuss specific stages in the MLOps workflow—particularly model serving and monitoring—that require adaptation to support ppML. These insights are useful for integrating ppML into modern machine learning pipelines. Full article

Western Pará, northern Brazil, is a significant region for mineral exploration, leading to the deposition of potentially toxic elements in soils and water basins. This study evaluated concentrations of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) in cattle muscle tissue from three municipalities: Oriximiná, Itaituba, and Monte Alegre. Metal concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The estimated daily intake (EDI) of toxic metals via beef consumption (71 g/person/day) was below oral reference doses values (RfDo). Target hazard quotient (THQ) and total THQ (TTHQ) values for all metals were below 1, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic health risk. Monte Alegre exhibited the highest THQ for As and Pb, Oriximiná for Cd, and Itaituba for Hg. Although the overall assessment suggests low risk, elevated Hg concentrations were detected in 10% of the samples, with at least one animal from each municipality exceeding the European Union maximum residue limit (0.01 mg/kg). These findings indicate localized contamination and potential mercury bioaccumulation. Given the rising anthropogenic activities (such as mining and deforestation), continued monitoring of heavy metal levels in animal tissues is recommended to ensure long-term food safety and public health. Full article

This paper examines the evolving role of social economy organisations (SEOs) in advancing sustainability and contributing to the green transition. While traditionally focused on social inclusion and local development, SEOs are increasingly integrating environmental objectives into their operations, particularly through circular economy (CE) practices, decarbonisation strategies, and short food supply chains (SFSCs). Based on qualitative research and the analysis of 16 good practices from five European countries, the study demonstrates how SEOs create blended social and environmental value by combining economic, social, and ecological goals. The findings show that SEOs foster environmental sustainability by reducing resource consumption and carbon emissions, creating green jobs, strengthening local cooperation, and raising environmental awareness within communities. Importantly, SEOs emerge not only as service providers but also as innovators and agents of change in local ecosystems. The paper concludes with policy recommendations to enhance the role of SEOs in the green transition and identifies directions for future research, particularly regarding the measurement of their long-term environmental impact and the conditions enabling effective collaboration with public and private sector actors. Full article