Search Results (127)

Gobi solar greenhouses (GSGs) enhance energy, food, and financial security in Gobi Desert regions through passive solar utilization. Thermal mass walls are critical for plant thermal comfort in GSGs but can lead to resource waste if poorly designed. This study pioneers the integration of payback period constrains into thermal mass wall optimization, establishing a new performance–cost trade-off approach for GSG wall design, balancing thermal performance and economic feasibility. We quantified energy-conserving benefits against wall-construction costs to derive the optimal inner-layer thicknesses under <25% GSG lifespan payback criteria. Three GSG thermal mass walls in China’s Hexi Corridor were optimized. For the concrete-layered, stone-layered, and pebble-soil walls, the optimum inner-layer thicknesses were 0.47, 0.65, and 1.24 m, respectively, with extra costs of 620.75, 767.60, and 194.56 RMB yuan; annual energy-conserving benefits of 82.77, 102.35, and 51.88 RMB yuan·yr⁻¹; and payback periods of 7.5, 7.5, and 3.75 years. A dynamic thermal load analysis confirmed that GSGs with optimized walls required no heating during a sunny winter solstice night. Cooling loads of 33.15–35.27 kW further indicated the potential to maintain thermal comfort under colder weather conditions. This approach improves plant thermal comfort cost-effectively, advancing sustainable Gobi agriculture. Full article

Background/Objectives: Consuming comfort food is a common experience in daily life, but the underlying motives for engaging in comfort eating remain unclear. This study examined people’s expectations regarding their comfort food and investigated whether these expectations are associated with their frequency of comfort eating. As an exploratory aim, we also examined whether there are gender differences in preference for different categories of comfort food (i.e., sweet or savory) and the frequency of engaging in comfort eating. Methods: Through an online survey, participants (n = 214) reported their primary comfort food, the frequency of comfort eating in the short term (i.e., the past two weeks), and the general trend over the long term. They also rated statements related to their primary comfort food based on five expectation subscales (i.e., Manage Negative Affect; Pleasurable and Rewarding; Enhances Cognitive Competence; Alleviates Boredom; Positive Feelings). Results: Although Pleasurable and Rewarding and Positive Feelings received the strongest level of endorsement, their associations with the frequency-related variables were weak in both correlational and regression analyses. In contrast, Manage Negative Affect, Alleviates Boredom, and Enhances Cognitive Competence were positively associated with all frequency-related variables, with Alleviates Boredom showing the most consistent pattern. There were no significant gender differences in preferences for sweet or savory comfort food, and no significant gender differences in the frequency of eating comfort food. Conclusions: These findings suggest people believe they can gain a range of expected benefits from consuming comfort foods and perceive themselves as consuming comfort food primarily for rewarding themselves or gaining positive feelings. However, it is the expectations of managing negative affect, alleviating boredom, and enhancing cognitive competence that motivate them to engage in comfort eating. Full article

The odour quality of atmospheric air plays an important role in the comfort of life and human health. Odours can originate from various sources, including municipal facilities, the agricultural and food sectors or industrial plants. A holistic approach to reducing the formation and emission of odorous substances should therefore include the development of odour-neutral process solutions, deodorisation techniques and analytics to measure and monitoring such pollutants in the atmosphere. The implementation of appropriate measures in these three areas can enable the effective management and control of odour emissions. The aim of the work is to carry out a comparative analysis of current methods for measuring the content of odorous substances in the air and for monitoring this type of pollutant. The characterisation of existing solutions carried out became the basis for determining the strengths and weaknesses of the applied protocols and indicating the directions for their further development and improvement. Full article

In 2020, the European Union endorsed its “Farm-to-Fork” strategy, emphasizing the need for transparency in the food production chain and communication of the sustainability level and nutritional value of food products to the consumer through labeling. For animal-based products, this also includes information about the husbandry systems under which the animals are raised. At the same time, people are becoming increasingly concerned both as citizens and as consumers about animal welfare issues in production species, as animal welfare is considered an integral part of sustainability and food security. This has led to the development of various enhanced animal welfare labeling schemes, initiated by public or private entities, or even as a partnership of both. Specifically for cattle, sheep, and goats, various standards have been developed and implemented in Europe, all establishing higher welfare standards compared to conventional farming, and in some cases exceeding the minimum requirements for organic farming as set by Regulation (EU) 2018/848. Most of these standards, especially those developed by NGOs advocating for animal welfare or through public initiative, were developed for semi-intensive to extensive systems. They primarily incorporate animal-based measures, including positive welfare indicators, offering a holistic approach to animal welfare evaluation. Although there is significant heterogeneity in European animal welfare standards, nearly all of them promote access to pasture, comfort, environmental enrichment, and, in some cases, even mother–young bonding. Full article

The dynamic process of eating—including chewing, biting, swallowing, food items, eating time and rate, mass, environment, and other metrics—may characterize behavioral aspects of eating. This article presents a systematic review of the use of sensor technology to measure and monitor eating behavior. The PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed to review the full texts of 161 scientific manuscripts. The contributions of this review article are twofold: (i) A taxonomy of sensors for quantifying various aspects of eating behavior is established, classifying the types of sensors used (such as acoustic, motion, strain, distance, physiological, cameras, and others). (ii) The accuracy of measurement devices and methods is assessed. The review highlights the advantages and limitations of methods that measure and monitor different eating metrics using a combination of sensor modalities and machine learning algorithms. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of testing these methods outside of restricted laboratory conditions, and it highlights the necessity of further research to develop privacy-preserving approaches, such as filtering out non-food-related sounds or images, to ensure user confidentiality and comfort. The review concludes with a discussion of challenges and future trends in the use of sensors for monitoring eating behavior. Full article

Women exhibit unique vulnerabilities in health, especially regarding mental health and neurodegenerative diseases. Biological, hormonal, and metabolic differences contribute to sex-specific risks that remain underrepresented in clinical studies. Diseases such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are more prevalent in women and may be influenced by hormonal transitions, particularly during menopause. Chronic low-grade inflammation is emerging as a shared mechanism underlying both conditions, and this inflammatory state can be worsened by dietary habits. During menopause, mood and sleep disturbances can influence dietary behavior, leading to enhanced snacking and consumption of high-glycemic and comfort foods. Such foods, low in nutritional value, promote weight gain and elevated inflammatory markers. Their consumption combined (or not) with a preexisting Western diet pattern—already linked to inflammation—could reinforce systemic inflammation involving the gut–brain axis. Moreover, the symptoms “per se” could act on inflammation as well. Peripheral inflammation may cross the blood–brain barrier, sustaining mood disorders and promoting neurodegenerative changes. Finally, MDD and AD are both associated with conditions such as obesity and diabetes, which occur more frequently in women. The review highlights how menopause-related changes in mood, sleep, and diet may heighten susceptibility to mental and neurodegenerative diseases. Full article

Introduction: WELLfed is a community-based adult education programme focused on improving food literacy, with a stated aim to “nourish communities through food and connections”, in a low-income community in Aotearoa New Zealand. Adult learners are taught food preparation and cooking skills in weekly interactive sessions. Here, we describe two pilot phases of a three-phase evaluation. Methods: Our overall aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of the WELLfed programme. Phase 1, in keeping with the co-design approach of WELLfed, co-designed outcome measures through five focus groups (n = 20) involving a wide range of stakeholders. Phase 2 developed and refined a survey based on these co-designed measures. The survey was administered to WELLfed learners at baseline (n = 15) and again towards the end of their programme (follow-up n = 12). Wilcoxon rank sum tests of significance were performed, restricted to participants with both baseline and follow-up data. Results: Five domains of importance identified in Phase 1 were as follows: (i) engagement support, (ii) food knowledge and skills, (iii) personal development, (iv) relationship transformation, and (v) community flourishing. Phase 2 findings include increased comfort level at engagement (p = 0.063). Food knowledge and preparation skills improved on a range of factors. All metrics of self-confidence and self-efficacy increased, with the greatest change being the ability to find support in times of crisis. Self-reported excellent or very good health increased (p = 0.050). Fewer people reported food running out due to a lack of money (p = 0.016) or eating less because of a lack of money (p = 0.008). Conclusions: The pilot study shows the effectiveness of the WELLfed programme for improving food knowledge and skills, reducing food insecurity, and improving health outcomes. Further research with a larger sample size is required to confirm these pilot results. Full article

As urbanization accelerates, the urban heat island effect and residents’ mental health issues are becoming increasingly severe. This study aims to explore the impact of the Urban Food Forest Program on urban environmental comfort, the mitigation of the heat island effect, and the mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents. The research methods include on-site field measurements and questionnaire surveys, which were used to analyze the environmental comfort of green spaces in urban heat island hotspots and assess participants’ mental health. The results indicate that the Urban Food Forest Program significantly reduced the surrounding environmental temperature, particularly in soil areas, with an average cooling effect of 2.4 °C. Regarding the mitigation of the heat island effect, the program effectively lowered the intensity of the heat island effect in surrounding areas, reducing it by 15%. Green spaces showed a notable positive impact on improving the urban microclimate, especially in alleviating the heat island effect. The mental health survey results revealed that male participants had significantly higher mental health scores than female participants (p = 0.017). Middle-aged and elderly individuals who participated in activities more than five times per week exhibited significantly better mental health, with their scores being 17% higher than those of the low-frequency participants. However, this study has several limitations. The relatively small sample size and limited observation period may affect the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the study focused on a specific urban area, which may not fully represent the broader urban context. Future research should aim to expand the sample size, extend the observation period, and explore the impact of the Urban Food Forest Program in different urban settings to verify the findings’ robustness and applicability. Based on these findings, future efforts should focus on expanding green coverage, enhancing humidity regulation, and encouraging greater social and outdoor participation among middle-aged and elderly populations. Specifically, increasing activity frequency and promoting social interactions can further improve urban environmental quality and residents’ well-being. Full article

Background: Patient-centered communication is a critical process in high-quality healthcare that emphasizes the reciprocal sharing of information between providers and patients to ensure care aligns with the patient’s needs, preferences, and personal values. A significant challenge arises from the healthcare provider’s time constraints during clinical encounters and the lack of adequate training on how to adopt a patient-centered communication style that addresses patient concerns, making it difficult to foster an environment conducive to shared decision making. These issues are further exacerbated by cultural and language barriers, along with low levels of health literacy and social determinants of health (SDoHs), which complicate efforts to deliver patient-centered care. Objective: This study examined quality criteria for patient–provider communication (PPC) and their associations with sociodemographic characteristics and SDoHs on housing, transportation, and food insecurity. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS-6) national dataset. Associations between PPC and sociodemographic variables were tested using the chi-squared test. Binary logistic regression was carried out to examine the association between three PPC criteria and each of the sociodemographic characteristics and patient comfort in disclosing information on SDoHs. Results: Bivariate analyses showed statistically significant associations for age, occupation status, marital status, Hispanic origin, and race across all three PPC criteria. Significant associations were reported for education and income for the two criteria related to being given the chance to ask questions and being involved in healthcare decisions. Finally, significant associations were reported for all PPC criteria and patient comfort levels in discussing SDoHs. Conclusions: Findings from this paper provide insight for enhancing the quality of PCC in underserved populations, particularly when it comes to informing the design of evidence-based cervical cancer screening interventions which are culturally centered around the patients’ needs and that integrate PPC as a foundational component. Full article

Genetically modified (GM) foods have existed for decades, and governments internationally have legislated packaging disclosure statement language that typically incorporates the words genetic, modified, and organism. In 2018, the United States implemented the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) and introduced the term Bioengineered (BE) into GM disclosure language to help clarify consumer uncertainty regarding GM foods. Since then, the US consumer attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of genetically modified foods remain negative, reflecting a contaminated interaction. Current mandated disclosure labels, utilizing engineering and science-based signifiers, are associated with this negative interaction. This research assesses whether food disclosure labels based on the signifier Design, unassociated with current contaminations, can positively impact the consumer perception of GM foods compared to the negatively contaminated science and engineering signifiers currently used. Two online studies of 1931 participants analyzed GM/BE food disclosure labels comparing four existing and six newly created engineering and science-based signifiers against four new design-based signifiers across fifteen attributes, including Price, Purchase Likelihood, Environmental Impact, Fair Trade, Safety, Nutrition, Healthfulness, Quality, Eating Experience, Comforting, Inviting, Frightening, Understandable, Ethical, and Sustainable. Across both studies, design-related labels consistently outperformed traditional engineering/science-based terms in fostering positive perceptions. However, even the best-performing labels did not fully overcome the entrenched skepticism associated with GM foods, underscoring the need for complementary strategies beyond linguistic changes. Full article

Food from home can increase feelings of belonging and act as a source of comfort for people who move to another country and their children. Nevertheless, people who move elsewhere often start taking over dietary elements of the host culture, a dynamic process referred to as food acculturation. This paper argues that this process is not only related to identity negotiations and emotional connections, but that food choices are also shaped by everyday practical realities. Using a social practice theory-inspired approach, focusing on the elements of material, competence, and meaning, this study investigates the food provisioning practices of eighteen people with a migration background through semi-structured interviews. The study’s findings show that procuring typical ingredients from one’s home country is relatively easy in the study area of Almere, the Netherlands. Cooking skills, however, are more difficult to maintain and transfer to the next generation. Finally, the meaning of eating foods from home lies in connecting these foods to celebrations and get-togethers. In regular day-to-day meals, respondents often opt for more convenient dishes, either from their root cuisine or from Dutch or other food cultures. The paper concludes that respondents’ eating patterns balance cultural traditions with practical constraints of modern life, as people navigate their food routines while making practical choices that align with their daily routines and social environments. Municipalities, social services, and community initiatives could direct more attention to celebrating the culinary heritage that connects people from diverse migration backgrounds by organizing exchanges and get-togethers and fostering culturally appropriate food environments. Full article

The purpose of this study is to identify airline asymmetric attributes that affect customer satisfaction based on the three-factor theory and to build an Asymmetric Impact-Sentiment Analysis (AISA) for resource allocation prioritization. We identified food and beverage service as a basic factor; inflight service as a one-dimensional factor; and seat comfort, ground service, and airline seat class as attractive factors. AISA analysis results showed that food and beverage services should be prevented from falling into customer dissatisfaction through Urgent Action (cell II), and in-flight services should be improved continuously to increase satisfaction (cell IV). Low-priority improvement is required for seat comfort, which is an attractive factor (cell VI), and strong maintenance is required for ground service and airline seat class as strength factors (cell V). The first contribution, the asymmetric relationship between customer opinions for service attributes and satisfaction, was verified. Second, this paper extended the IPA to the text mining-based asymmetric AISA. Full article

Background: Malnutrition is a significant concern for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, as treatment often impairs mastication, causes dysphagia, and alters taste and smell, leading to reduced food intake and a diminished quality of life. Thus, this study aims to compare nutritional intake in HNC survivors using maxillofacial prostheses (MFPs) to healthy reference values and identify the factors influencing their dietary intake. Methods: The study included 56 patients treated for HNC undergoing rehabilitation with comfortable definitive dentures for over a month at the Maxillofacial Prosthetics Clinic of Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital. Data were gathered on the demographics, clinical characteristics, malnutrition risk using a malnutrition universal screening tool, dietary intake consistency via a functional oral intake scale, swallowing difficulties with eating assessment tool-10, and nutrient intake through a Brief-type Self-administered Dietary History Questionnaire. Patients’ nutrient intakes were compared to the reference values from the BDHQ ad hoc computer algorithm based on the 2015 National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan. Factors such as maximum mouth opening and the number of functional teeth were also assessed together with the aforementioned factors. Results: There were significant differences between the patient values and reference values, with lower intakes of total dietary fiber, carbohydrates, and β-carotene, while higher intakes of calcium, fats, and certain vitamins were noted in the patients. Food intake consistency, swallowing difficulties, and mouth opening significantly influenced green vegetable intake, whereas sex and the number of functional teeth impacted cereal intake. Conclusions: The HNC survivors were rehabilitated with MFP; however, their nutritional intake differed from that of healthy subjects. The significance of swallowing rehabilitation, appropriate food preparation, exercises to enhance mouth opening, and the preservation of functional teeth has been emphasized as critical factors influencing diet in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors. Additionally, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to nutritional care for these individuals is underscored. Full article

The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO; it is also the world’s most evidence-based eating pattern for promoting health and longevity. This study aims to investigate consumer segmentation based on consumption patterns and identify barriers to adherence to MedDiet. Data were collected in 2020 by telephonic survey based on PREDIMED, using a quota sampling technique by socio-demographic variables, such as gender, age, and regional representation of the Portuguese population. The final sample was composed of a total of 1000 respondents. The main results show that regardless of the awareness of the MedDiet (62%), Portugal witnessed a loss of the traditional MedDiet, with the exception of the stand-out statistic that 95% of respondents still use of olive oil as the main culinary fat. Five segments were identified: (1) MedDiet lifestyle followers (11%), (2) olive oil lovers (20%), (3) low-sugar diet foods seekers (11%), (4) healthy and balanced diet seekers (28%), and (5) low-fat diet foods seekers (30%). The main barriers to adhering to the MedDiet include lack of knowledge about the MedDiet, education level, financial comfort, and specific food preference, which by segment are: (1) being passionate about soda drinks, (2) an excess of sweets, (3) low level of pasta consumption, and a (5) lack of fruit, vegetables, and legumes. Segment (4) holds a leading position in MedDiet adherence. The main obstacle to consuming fish is its high price, taste, and challenges in cooking it. When it comes to bread and oleaginous nuts, the belief that these foods are “fattening” reduces consumption. Results help to tailor education strategy and increase adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle. Full article

Background: Age-related changes can lead to dietary insufficiency in older adults. The inclusion of high-quality, nutrient-dense foods such as ruminant milks can significantly improve health outcomes. However, many older adults worldwide do not meet daily milk intake recommendations because of digestive discomfort and health concerns. Ovine and caprine milks are increasingly popular for their perceived digestive and nutritional benefits. While preclinical studies suggest differences in milk digestion, human studies investigating acute postprandial responses remain inconclusive, and the impacts of sustained milk consumption remain uncertain. Objectives: Hence, we present a randomized controlled trial investigating how the sustained consumption of bovine, caprine, or ovine milk influences digestion, nutrition, and metabolism in older women. Methods: A total of 165 healthy older women were randomized to receive bovine, caprine, or ovine milk, or no milk, twice daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcome is the impact of milk consumption on digestive comfort assessed via the Gastrointestinal Syndrome Rating Scale (GSRS). Secondary outcomes include changes in nutrient intake, plasma amino acid and lipid appearance, bowel habits, the gut microbiota, cardiometabolic health, physical function, physical activity, sleep, mood, sensory perception, and emotional response. Conclusions: The findings could inform dietary recommendations for older women and facilitate the development of targeted functional food products. Full article