Abstract
Small-scale aquaculture systems can contribute significantly to food and nutritional security, poverty alleviation, and rural development, especially in developing countries. However, the ...intensification of aquaculture systems often has negative environmental outcomes. The adoption of diversification practices (e.g. polyculture, pond-dike cropping (PDC)) and better management practices (BMPs) has been identified as a possible approach to intensify sustainably small-scale aquaculture production. This study assesses the sustainability outcomes of the adoption of diversification practices and BMPs in small-scale production models. We focus on Myanmar, a developing country characterized by a rapidly expanding small-scale aquaculture sector. We analyze 624 household surveys with small-scale aquaculture producers in central and northern Myanmar. We estimate the effects of diversification practices and BMPs on different sustainability outcomes, namely economic outcomes (i.e. aquaculture yield and benefit-cost ratio), environmental outcomes (i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency), and food security outcomes (i.e. fish self-consumption and household dietary diversity) through linear mixed-effects models. Our results reveal that diversified production models (whether integrating or not integrating BMPs) could have significant positive effects on economic and food security outcomes, as well as phosphorus use efficiency, compared to ‘unimproved monoculture’. However, such production models do not seem to have any major effect on nitrogen use efficiency. The adoption of BMPs on diversified production models seems to have little (if any) added effect on any of the studied sustainability outcomes, which suggests the need to improve existing BMPs or even develop new BMPs fit for Myanmar’s context. These findings have implications about the possible contribution of diversification practices and BMPs for enabling sustainable intensification in small-scale aquaculture settings in Myanmar, and other rural developing contexts.
Highlights • STZ-icv induced dysfunction in CA1-mPFC plasticity and recognition memory. • Nicotine was effective to prevent prefrontal LTP and memory deficits induced by STZ-icv. • Modulation of ...nicotinic receptor might be an alternative approach for AD treatment.
Abstract
Proton-therapy exploits the advantageous depth-dose profile of protons to induce the highest damage to tumoral cells in the last millimetres of their range in sharp Bragg Peak. To cover the ...whole tumoral volume, beams of different energies are combined to create the Spread Out Bragg Peak (SOBP). In passive modulated beams, the energy spread is created with modulators in which the highest energy beam is degraded through different thicknesses of calibrated plastic materials. The highest energy is chosen depending on the deepest point that needs to be treated. This study aims to investigate differences in the radiation quality in the distal edge of SOBP beams with different initial energy and modulation techniques based on microdosimetric measurements with mini Tissue-Equivalent Proportional Counters. The beams investigated are the 62 MeV proton SOBP of the clinical facility of CATANA and the 148 MeV proton SOBP of the research beam line of the proton-therapy centre of Trento.
The Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) method for the production of Radioactive Ion Beams (RIB) is attracting significant interest in the worldwide nuclear physics community. Within this context the ...SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) RIB facility is now under construction at INFN LNL (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro). This technique is established as one of the main techniques for high intensity and high quality beams production. The SPES facility will produce n-rich isotopes by means of a 40 MeV proton beam, emitted by a cyclotron, impinging on a uranium carbide multi-foil fission target. The aim of this work is to describe the most important results obtained by the study of the on-line behavior of the SPES production target assembly. This target system will produce RIBs at a rate of about 1013 fissions per second, it will be able to dissipate a total power of up to 10 kW, and it is planned to work continuously for 2 week-runs of irradiation. ISOL beams of 24 different elements will be produced, therefore a target and ion source development is ongoing to ensure a great variety of produced isotopes and to improve the beam intensity and purity.
Abstract
The LNL accelerator complex is equipped with two stable ion beams injectors, employing respectively negative and positive ion sources. In particular, a sputtering-type negative ion source ...and an Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) are installed on high voltage platforms, to provide the optimum injection energy in the downstream accelerators. Recently, the two injectors have been object of upgrades and developments, in order to improve the overall safety and reliability of the two systems, as well as the beams available for the users. This contribution describes the work related to the above-mentioned activities, the technical choices employed and the latest results on ion beams production.
This study explores the sustainability impacts of adopting an ecosystem approach in underutilized homestead ponds (ecoponds) operated by women in Bangladesh. Households with ecoponds have ...significantly higher fish productivity, fish diversity, and income generation potential compared to households with similar underutilized ponds. Furthermore, certain dimensions of women’s empowerment are improved at the individual and household level (e.g., control of income and productive assets), without, however, addressing wider structural inequalities. Food security impacts are rather inconclusive, as despite the higher consumption of more diverse fish species among ecopond households, there is no significant effect on overall dietary diversity.
Abstract
The ADIGE (Acceleratore Di Ioni a Grande carica Esotici) injector consists of an electrostatic 1+ beam line, equipped with ion sources able to produce a wide variety of beams, coupled to a ...magnetic beam line, where charge multiplication is accomplished by implementing an Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) based charge breeder. The injector is totally integrated in the SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) beam line, to allow the post-acceleration of radioactive ions and is now in an advanced phase of installation. The electrostatic 1+beam line has been put into operation and is now producing beams from alkali metals. This contribution concerns the first results of the beam commissioning of this part of the injector, with the description of the initial debug phase and the solutions adopted to ensure a reliable and continuous operation. Preliminary results of the 1+ beam line characterization will be shown, with a comparison between simulated and measured emittances.
Worldwide efforts to tackle the nature of exotic nuclei comprise the construction of new-generation Radioactive Ion Beam facilities. The Italian community is deeply involved in the process and the ...construction of SPES at Legnaro National Laboratories (INFN) is progressing. This contribution describes the layout of SPES in all its flavours, from Nuclear Physics to Applications in Nuclear Medicine and Neutron Physics. In particular, the status of the SPES-β ISOL facility, together with some of the relevant physics cases and the associated equipment are described.
Radiopharmaceuticals represent a fundamental tool for nuclear medicine procedures, both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The present work aims to explore the Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) ...technique for the production of carrier-free radionuclides for nuclear medicine at SPES, a nuclear physics facility under construction at INFN-LNL. Stable ion beams of strontium, yttrium and iodine were produced using the SPES test bench (Front-End) to simulate the production of 89Sr, 90Y, 125I and 131I and collected with good efficiency on suitable targets.
•The use of ISOL method for radionuclides production is proposed.•ISOL method allows to produce carrier-free radionuclides for nuclear medicine.•Tests with stable ion beams were produced as a proof of concept.•Sodium Chloride is suitable as material for targets for Sr and Y beams.•Activated Carbon can be compacted with PVA to have a solid target for I2 beams.
Egypt faces multiple interlinked challenges such as unemployment, poverty and gender inequality that pose tremendous barriers in the current efforts to achieve sustainable development. Aquaculture is ...a primary sector of the economy that has high potential to not only for provide nutritious food, but also to contribute to the national economy. The aquaculture value chain provides substantial employment generation opportunities, including for females and the youth. This paper assesses employment generation along the different stages of the aquaculture value chain in the main governorates that are responsible for about 80% of the Egyptian aquaculture production. In particular it analyses data from surveys in hatcheries (N=40), feed mills (N=14), fish farms (N=234), and fish trading and retailing (N=182) as a proxy of employment generation patterns for the entire sector. We estimated that aquaculture generates 19.56 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs per 100t of produced fish along the entire value chain. However most of these jobs are generated for males over 30 years of age, with few jobs for females or younger people. Most jobs for female are currently generated at the retailing stage. Boosting employment generation across the entire value chain, especially for females and the youth, can contribute to the attainment of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG 8 and SDG 5.
•We assess employment generation across the aquaculture value chain in Egypt.•19.56 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs are generated across the value chain per 100 tons fish produced.•Lower job generation for females and the youth (<30 years old)•Substantial employment generation for females is observed only in retailing stage.•Aquaculture can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8 and 5.
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