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The current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an immense and unforeseen increase in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers worldwide. Amongst other products, respirator masks are crucial to protect the users against transmission of the virus. Decontamination and reuse of the existing stock could be a solution to the shortage of new respirators. Based upon existing studies, it was found that (I) a solid quality control method is essential to test product reuse, (II) in-depth evaluation of the different parts of the filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) should be considered, and (III) communication of the reuse cycle is essential to take track of the amount of reuse, as this is limited to ensure quality. The goal of this paper is two-fold. First, we identify the impact of decontamination on the different parts of the FFRs and how the quality control should be performed. Two different types of FFRs are analysed within this paper, resulting in the recommendation of combining quantitative respirator mask fit testing with a thorough sensory evaluation of decontaminated FFRs to qualify them for reuse. Secondly, the possibilities of communication of this reuse to the eventual user are mapped through in-depth reasoning.

The economies of small tropical islands often benefit from large-scale tourism, attracted by the guarantee of beach facilities, sun and warmth, landscape beauty, and cultural and underwater life. While these are highly valued assets, it is unclear how local communities benefit from tourism, or how they perceive their natural environment, which has been the basis for their rich cultural history. Against this background, the main aim of this article is to investigate inhabitants’ perceptions about locals’ inclusiveness in tourism and recreation on a small island called Bonaire. A total of 400 households were interviewed during the period November 2021–February 2022. Inclusiveness in tourism and the welfare it brings are judged as low, based on the findings in this study. With a share of around 40% of the population of Dutch Caribbean islanders living in poverty, the challenge of inequality is urgent. While environmental degradation contributes to inequality, inequality can also contribute to environmental degradation. To reduce inequalities, while ensuring life below water and life on land, the handling of poverty is one of the most critical bottlenecks in this society.

Recently, the phenotype of increased ethanol intake in mice lacking 5-HT(1B) receptors could not be replicated. We assessed ethanol consumption in male wildtype and 5-HT(1B) receptor knockout mice derived from the original population. Intake of water and ethanol (0%, 3%, 6%, 10% and 20% v/v) from two pipettes was determined daily for 40 days. Ethanol intake (g/kg body weight) did not differ between genotypes, while body weights (20-25%) and water intake (50%) were elevated in 5-HT(1B) receptor knockout mice. Hence, the initial finding of elevated ethanol intake in 5-HT(1B) receptor knockout mice may have been due to phenotypic differences in fluid intake.

This paper seeks to understand how pro-environmental food practices among women and men in the EU can be supported by considering the interlinkages between gender equality and environmental sustainability. A special aspect is that the role of gender equality is interpreted in terms of Schwartz's theory on national cultural values, which relates gender equality to cultures that emphasize intellectual autonomy and egalitarianism. The paper investigated how pro-environmental food practices (including meat reduction) among women and men correlated with their countries' national income level and its level of gender equality. It was a multilevel analysis of survey data from 27 countries (Eurobarometer 95.1, Spring 2021). Considering that studies about gender equality and the environment often find problematically high correlations between gender equality and national income, this study focused on political gender equality (i.e. women's representation in parliament), which had desirable characteristics. National income and political gender equality had complementary impacts on the adoption of pro-environmental food practices (including meat reduction). Men reported more target practices when living in richer countries; the same applied even more strongly to women when living in richer and more politically gender-balanced countries. It was concluded that women may have developed more autonomy by, inter alia, adopting pro-environmental food practices. At the level of individual behavior, this illustrates "mutually reinforcing dynamics" in the pursuit of gender equality and environmental sustainability goals.

Climate unpredictability and weather extremes are being projected as capable of presenting additional challenges for farmers currently engaged in the low-technology based food production systems in sub-Saharan countries like Nigeria. This study assessed rice farming households’ vulnerability to climate change in Kwara State, Nigeria. Primary data, collected from 150 respondents using simple random sampling procedure were analysed employing descriptive statistic was use to describe the coping strategies adopted and Human Development Index (HDI) was created to assess vulnerability of rice farmers to climate change. Statistical analyses indicated a vulnerability assessment index of 0.3001, pointing to a fact that the zone is prone to the adverse effects of climatic variability. For this reason, the study empirically underscores the need for farmers to adopt and adapt the planting of drought tolerant and/or early maturing varieties of rice. Importantly, the capacities of the local communities needs to be strengthened vis-à-vis the relationship between climate change and crop production. Capacity building at the farm level is crucial for improving crop, soil and water management, enhancing the demand for and use of better and more efficient production inputs. Tied to farm-level capacity building is the need to refocus public agricultural-based institutions towards exposing the rice farmers to effective mitigation strategies in the wake of climate change, provision of agricultural inputs, expansion of irrigation, efficient and effective extension service delivery, market development and other forms of necessary support.

Triplaris gardneriana Wedd. is a tree used in folk medicine to treat venereal diseases and inflammation as well as a source of biological compounds with antioxidant capacity. In order to assess the safety of these bioactive compounds, the present study aimed to determine the toxicity of an ethanolic extract of T. gardneriana, (EETg). Toxicological tests included hemolytic activity, toxicity toward the brine shrimp Artemia, cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells (MCF7) and acute oral toxicity in rodents. In addition, toxicogenomics techniques were used to determine genome expression in MCF7 cells exposed to EETg. The results showed that the extract exhibits approximately 60% of hemolytic activity at the highest tested concentration (64 µg/ml) and toxicity against nauplii of Artemia sp. (LC50 of 67.85 µg/ml). Further, EETg appears to be cytotoxic to MCF7 (cell viability reduced to 40% at 250 µg/ml after 24 hr). Genomic data demonstrated differential expression of 14 genes. Data analysis indicated possible altered pathways (e.g., xenobiotic metabolism), possible adverse health risks (e.g., hepatotoxicity), and drugs with similar gene expression profile (e.g., antimicrobials). The investigation provides important information on potentially adverse aspects of EETg, which need to be considered prior to the therapeutic utilization of this plant.Abbreviations: EETg: ethanolic extract of T. gardneriana seeds; MCF7: michigan cancer foundation-7 which refers to a human breast cell line (adenocarcinoma); NGS: next-generation sequencing; edgeR: empirical analysis of digital gene expression data in R; Consensus: consensus path database; FDR: false discovery rate; NCBI: national center for biotechnology information; KEGG: kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes; Ingenuity: ingenuity pathway analysis software; CMAP: connectivity map; OECD: organization for economic co-operation and development; HL-60: human promyelocytic leukemia cells; PC3: prostate cancer cells.

With high global demand, economically valuable mineral resources in remote often forested areas, such as the Congo Basin, are more likely to become developed. New infrastructure corridors, associated with mineral exploitation and related hydropower needs, facilitate access to previously inaccessible tropical forest areas and accelerate development and forest clearing in developing regions. Deforestation and degradation of tropical forests contribute an estimated 14 to 21 percent of global emissions (ISU, 2015). Mitigation of impacts on forests and reduction of related emissions is the main aim of policies on Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation and improving carbon stocks (REDD +). Even though most mineral rich countries that are presently developing their REDD+ strategies have identified the extractive sector as a driver of deforestation, it is often not considered in related policies and actions. This paper explores options for extractives industries to contribute to REDD+ objectives, using insights gained from developing REDD+ Standards for extractives in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As mining is more prevalent in forest areas than oil and gas extraction, this paper focuses mainly on mining with the understanding that the underlying principles apply to the entire on-shore extractives industries. The objective of the paper is to provide insights into existing options for involving the mining sector in achieving REDD+ objectives, by mitigating emissions related to deforestation and forest degradation and promoting development for populations in forest-rich developing countries. It details the case of developing REDD+ Standards for the extractive sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (World Bank, 2016) and how, and under what conditions, these Standards benefit stakeholders. The study was guided by the following questions: 1. What options exist for oil, gas and mineral development projects to achieve REDD+ objectives? 2. Why were REDD+ Standards for extractive industries proposed in DRC and how were these developed? 3. How can the REDD+ Standards for extractive industries benefit different stakeholders and what are the conditions for implementation and positive outcomes?