A Tale of Two Dams: The Impact of Reservoir Management on Rural Depopulation in Central Spain

In rural areas, depopulation is mainly due to a lack of economic and employment opportunities. In this context, the reservoirs already built can be a source of socioeconomic development based on tourism and outdoor leisure activities. The condition for this development to materialize is that reservoir management considers these activities. In Central Spain, a process of rural depopulation has been generated in the municipalities around the reservoirs at the Upper Tagus River, as water management allows water transfers from the Tagus to the Segura River without taking into account regulations that prioritize and protect donor basin users. Through the comparison of reservoir water management and demographic data of two rural areas close to the reservoirs, this article reveals the direct relationship between reservoir management that enables recreational uses with its consequent socioeconomic development and the maintenance of the population in the territory. Consequently, reservoir water management based on the socioeconomic development of reservoir banks is necessary and a priority over transfers to another basin.

     

Methodology to Optimize Rainwater Tank-sizing and Cluster Configuration for a Group of Buildings

Water Resources Management - The behavior of a rainwater harvesting system depends on some variables that cannot be controlled, such as rainfall, building roof size and water consumption. The...     

Enrichment of marsh soils with heavy metals by effect of anthropic pollution

The impact of waste disposal on marsh soils was assessed in topsoil samples collected at eight randomly selected points in the salt marsh in Ramallosa (Pontevedra, Spain) at 4-month intervals for 2 years. Polluted soil samples were characterized in physico-chemical terms and their heavy metal contents determined by comparison with control, unpolluted samples. The results revealed a marked effect of waste discharges on the soils in the area, which have low contents in heavy metals under normal environmental conditions. In fact, the studied soils were found to contain substantial amounts of total and DTPA-extractable Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. Based on the relationship of the redox potential with the DTPA-extractable Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn contents of the soils, strongly reductive conditions raised the total contents in these elements by effect of their remaining in the soils as precipitated sulphides. Such contents, however, decreased as oxidative conditions gradually prevailed. The contents in DTPA-extractable metals increased with increasing Eh through the release of the metals in ionic form to the soil solution under oxidative conditions. The contents in heavy metals concentrating in the polluted soils were several times higher than those in the control soils (viz. 2 vs. 6 for Cd, 4 vs. 6 for Cu, 4 vs. 20 for Pb, and 2 vs. 15 for Zn, all in mg kg⁻¹). This can be expected to influence the amounts of available heavy metals present in the soils, and hence the environmental quality of the area, in the near future. Based on its geoaccumulation index (Class ≥3 for Cd and Cu, and 1–4 for Pb and Zn), the Ramallosa marsh is highly polluted with Cd and moderately to highly polluted with Cu, Pb and Zn. The enrichment factors obtained confirm that the salt marsh is highly polluted (especially with Cd) as the primary result of anthropic activity.     

Physico-chemical characterisation of a non-conventional food protein source from earthworms and sensory impact in arepas

This study aimed to characterise a non-conventional protein source: a powder made from earthworms, and to evaluate its potential use as human food. The way it was prepared led to low solubility and wide particle size distribution. Sensory analysis was used to assess the acceptability and the organoleptic properties of maize-based pan-cakes fortified with this novel protein powder. Satisfying products were obtained with a substitution level of 5.5% (w/w) earthworm powder in pan-cakes. GC-MS allowed the identification of more than seventy volatile compounds that may be responsible for the off-odour of the powder. The most abundant chemical groups found in the volatile fraction were ketones with undecan-2-one, alcohols with pentan-1-ol, and aldehydes with hexanal. Partial delipidation was tested as a way to improve the organoleptic quality of the powder. It clearly led to less intensely coloured samples but delipidation must be optimised to have an impact on odour.     

Application of vacuum and exogenous ethylene on Ataulfo mango ripening

The limited industrial processing and export to European countries of fresh Mexican ‘Ataulfo’ mangoes is attributed in part to the lack of homogeneous ripening among fruit from the same lot. A viable technology to alleviate the situation is the application of exogenous ethylene. In this work, vacuum (34 kPa) was applied for 20 min to ‘Ataulfo’ mangoes that were later exposed to exogenous ethylene (500, 1000 and 1500 μL L⁻¹) for 30 min and ripening was monitored. Application of vacuum did not produce apparent visual damage to the fruit; when 1500 μL L⁻¹ ethylene were applied for 30 min after the vacuum, induced production of internal ethylene with a concomitant increase in respiration rate. Firmness and acidity loss proceeded faster after the fruits were exposed to vacuum and 1500 μL L⁻¹ ethylene; similarly, total soluble solids increased and pulp and peel color development was 100% in the whole lot. An overall reduction of three days from the normal ripening time was observed attributed to the treatments. It is proposed that short exposures to vacuum and ethylene could improve the uniformity in mango ripening.     

A New Age for Quercus spp. Fruits: Review on Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition and Related Biological Activities of Acorns

The current global food system must adapt to the expected growth of world population (about 9 billion individuals by 2050). This adaptation will probably include an increased consumption of edible wild foods, due to their richness in micronutrients and bioactive compounds, besides providing a cost‐effective and sustainable way of improving caloric food security. A striking example of such natural matrices is the Quercus genus, which has the additional advantage of being widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In a traditional sense, Quercus fruits (acorns) were mainly used in animal feeding, despite their potentially important role on the rural economy. But this preconception is changing. In fact, their nutritional value, high contents in phytochemical compounds, biological activity (such as antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and cardioprotective properties) and use in the treatment of specific diseases (such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, or Alzheimer's disease) have raised the interest in integrating acorns into the human diet. Accordingly, this comprehensive overview was designed to provide an evidence‐based review of the literature, with the objective to achieve useful conclusions regarding the nutritional properties, methodologies of extraction, identification, and characterization of a wide variety of bioactive compounds and scientifically validated bioactivities in Quercus species worldwide. The industrial by‐products from acorn oil extraction or flour production are also included. Data regarding the analytical techniques, individual compounds, and their bioactivities, are organized in tables. The reported data are discussed and directions for further investigations are suggested, highlighting the use of acorns in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications.     

Antioxidant activity of grapefruit seed extract on vegetable oils

The antioxidant activities of a grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) which contains tocopherols, citric acid and ascorbic acid, were investigated in vegetable oils. Different amounts of GFSE in powder were dissolved in a mixture of soybean oil–sunflower oil. The oxidation was carried out in an AOM equipment at temperatures of 98·7°C, 75°C and 66·5°C. The results indicated prooxidant effects of GFSE at 97·8°C and 75°C possibly due to a blockade effect of a hydroxyl compound by tocopherol. The inhibitor reaction orders at these temperatures were 0·902 and 0·465, respectively, while at 66·5°C the oxidation rate was inverse to GFSE concentration with reaction order of −0·420. These results seem to indicate different reaction mechanisms depending on temperature conditions. The blockade effects were explained on the basis of a proposed complex between tocopherol and citric acid molecules. © 1998 SCI.     

Multi-Residue Determination of Pesticides in Açai Tropical Fruit (Euterpe oleracea) by Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion Combined with Liquid Chromatography

An extraction method based on matrix solid phase dispersion was developed to determine bromuconazole, fenbuconazole, parathion-methyl, kresoxim-methyl, and teflubenzuron in açai using liquid chromatography with ultraviolet diode array detector. The best results were obtained using 1.0 g of açai, 3.0 g of neutral alumina as the dispersant sorbent, and cyclohexane/ethyl acetate (1:1, v/v, 20 mL) as an eluting solvent. The method was validated using açai samples fortified with pesticides at three concentration levels (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg kg^?1). Average recoveries (seven replicates) ranged from 66 to 119 %, with relative standard deviations between 1.4 and 20 %. The detection and quantification limits for açai ranged from 0.02 to 0.05 mg kg^?1 and from 0.05 to 0.1 mg kg^?1, respectively.     

Long‐chain fatty acid supplemented infant formula does not influence calcium and magnesium bioavailability in weanling rats

The influence of infant formula supplementation with long‐chain‐polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) on calcium and magnesium bioavailability was assessed in rats. Two test diets containing a plain, unsupplemented (PF) or supplemented (SF) infant formula as the fat source and a control diet (C) were administered to weaning rats and food intake and body weight gain were monitored for 28 days. In order to assess calcium and magnesium bioavailability, during the last week faeces and urine were collected and apparent absorption and retention were calculated. Food intake and body weight showed no significant differences between PF and SF but were lower in both groups compared with C. Calcium and magnesium intake did not differ between PF and SF, although both parameters were lower compared with C. Calcium absorption efficiency in PF and SF was significantly higher than in C. However, both groups showed higher urinary calcium excretion and thus no differences were observed in calcium retention. Magnesium absorption efficiency was also significantly higher in PF and SF compared with C, but magnesium absorption was significantly lower in SF compared with PF and C. Nevertheless, urinary magnesium excretion and magnesium retention were similar in the three groups. The consumption of a diet containing an infant formula supplemented with LCPUFA compared with the plain formula does not affect calcium and magnesium bioavailability in rats. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Combined Effects of Electron-Beam Irradiation and Storage Time on the Chemical and Antioxidant Parameters of Wild Macrolepiota procera Dried Samples

Mushrooms are very perishable foods due to their high susceptibility to moisture loss, changes in color and texture, or microbiological spoilage. Drying is considered as the most appropriate method to prevent these alterations, but it has some limitations, such as shrinkage, enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning reactions, and oxidation of lipids and vitamins. According to previous studies, irradiation might effectively attenuate the undesirable changes caused by drying process, ensuring also higher shelf-life of mushrooms and their decontamination. Electron-beam irradiation presents some technological advantages, since it allows higher dose rates and the possibility to be used in most foods/or thin products in a short period. Herein, the combined effects of electron-beam irradiation (0, 0.5, 1 and 6 kGy) and storage time (0, 6 and 12 months) were evaluated by measuring changes in nutritional parameters, namely, free sugars, tocopherols, fatty acids and antioxidant activity. As indicated by linear discriminant analysis, storage time had a higher effect on all the evaluated parameters, except fatty acids, which suffer significant changes with both factors. Overall, the obtained results indicate that electron-beam irradiation might be considered as a suitable technique, allowing long-lasting conservation periods while reducing changes induced by drying treatment.