In the coffee industry, several by-products are generated during the production and consumption of coffee and represent an important waste from an environmental viewpoint. For improving the knowledge about this issue, a laboratory vermicomposting study of coffee silverskin (CS) and spent coffee grounds (SCG) spiked with mature horse manure (HM) in different proportions and using earthworm Eisenia andrei was carried out. The 60-day study focused on biological parameters such as total biomass gain, growth rate, cocoon production, and mortality. This study also investigated whether the vermicompost obtained could be useful and lacked toxicity through a seed germination test using hybrid wheat seeds. Results showed a disparity depending on the type of residue and the mixture used. Best options were those treatments with a medium–low amount of residue; 25% for SCG and 25% or 50% for CS. In addition, lack of toxicity was confirmed in all treatments. In conclusion, it is possible to carry out a vermicomposting of SCG and CS with some specific features.

This article analyzes the adoption of project management practices in development cooperation NGOs and their influence on project performance. This paper illustrates the impact in the implementation of methodologies, techniques and tools on outcomes, measured by success criteria of several projects recently implemented. Information from the project managers of the organizations was collected, and complemented by a literature review. We analyzed the correlation among the variables that determine the adoption of a project, and the criteria that determine its success. The positive effect of project management adoption in the performance of cooperation projects is demonstrated, in spite of the low use of methodologies, techniques and tools within the sector. The article shows the importance of project management in cooperation and aid projects, with the purpose of increasing researchers' awareness about the field as applicable knowledge and about the benefits of its use in the sector. The paper shows that project management can improve project efficiency and accountability in other sectors.

The combination of safety belts and rollover protective structures (ROPSs) is key in improving the safety of agricultural tractors in the event of rollover. However, we also have the opportunity to enhance the security provided by each ROPS; one such example is the combination of this safety device with adequate mechanical energy absorbers (MEAs). Inexpensive disc-shaped MEAs can be included in the anchoring points of a ROPS onto the chassis of a tractor. Three configurations of ROPS combined with MEAs were tested during the application of loads that simulated the effects of side rollover in the vehicle. The tested configurations included a blank MEA as a reference case alongside a single MEA and a stack assembly containing both elements. The results of the tests show that both the deformation of the ROPS itself and the strain energy are larger in the case of blank MEAs; thus, there is also a risk that the clearance zone will be infringed upon and that the protective structure will collapse. We can conclude that the implementation of an appropriate MEA in ROPS reduces the deformation of the ROPS itself and its strain energy in cases of vehicle rollover; hence, the safety provided by such protection systems may be improved at a low cost.