Search Results (645)

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder that affects reproductive health, metabolic function, and long-term cardiovascular health in women of reproductive age. The syndrome is characterized by hyperandrogenism, chronic anovulation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and ovarian microenvironment remodeling. While current treatments focus on symptom relief through hormone regulation, insulin sensitizers, or ovulation induction, there is a need to target the underlying molecular and cellular processes that drive disease progression and infertility. Breakthroughs in reproductive and metabolic medicine have led to the development of next-generation therapeutics for PCOS that aim to restore ovarian function at the molecular level. Nanoparticle- and nanofiber-based drug delivery systems offer targeted delivery to the ovaries, improved bioavailability, and controlled release of insulin sensitizers, antioxidants, and anti-androgens. Metabolic reprogramming strategies that target insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and autophagy have emerged as potential disease-modifying interventions. In addition, AI-enabled precision medicine approaches are reshaping PCOS management through phenotype-based classification, predictive modeling, and personalized fertility optimization. In this review, we highlight recent advancements in understanding the molecular pathophysiology of PCOS and introduce novel therapeutics that harness intelligent drug delivery, ovarian microenvironment restoration, and AI-based interventions. We discuss the potential of these innovative strategies to update PCOS management options for long-term ovarian restoration and fertility. Full article

Integrated waste management through vermicomposting combined with biochar amendments represents an innovative approach for sustainable resource recovery. This study evaluated the effects of sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB) at 0%, 5%, and 10% application rates on Eisenia fetida performance and vermicompost quality during preincubation-vermicomposting of sewage sludge and press-mud mixtures. The 10% SBB treatment significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced earthworm biomass (72.3% increase) and cocoon production (24.8 ± 1.8 per earthworm vs. 12.3 ± 1.2 in control). Lignocellulosic degradation improved substantially, achieving 22.6%, 10.7%, and 38.8% degradation for cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, respectively. Macronutrient concentrations increased significantly: TN by 38.4%, TP by 15%, and TK by 21.4% compared to initial mixtures. Moreover, total heavy metal concentrations decreased significantly during vermicomposting, with reductions of 8.1–8.7% for Pb, 5.3–7.6% for Cd, and 3.0–4.8% for Cr, with reduced bioavailability factors indicating enhanced metal stabilization. The final vermicompost exhibited optimal maturity indices, including a C:N ratio of 15.4 ± 0.2 and improved electrical conductivity. Results demonstrate that 10% sugarcane bagasse biochar amendment facilitates efficient concurrent management of sewage sludge and sugarcane industrial wastes while producing high-quality organic fertilizer with enhanced nutrient content, reduced heavy metal bioavailability, and accelerated stabilization for sustainable agricultural/horticultural applications. Full article

Accurate crop yield prediction is fundamental to sustainable agricultural management, enabling optimized resource allocation and informed decision-making. However, a critical gap exists in current prediction models: existing approaches overlook the temporal alignment between meteorological conditions and production management phases—defined as the intervals between consecutive agronomic operations (e.g., sowing, fertilization, thinning). This oversight results in suboptimal predictive performance, as conventional whole-season weather aggregation fails to capture phase-sensitive crop–weather interactions. While machine learning (e.g., XGBoost) and deep learning approaches (e.g., CNN, LSTM) have been applied to yield prediction, these models typically treat weather variables as temporally homogeneous inputs, inadequately modeling the correlation between historical yields and phase-specific meteorological patterns. To address this gap, this study proposes CNN-LSTM-AM, an innovative hybrid deep learning model that integrates convolutional neural networks (CNNs), long short-term memory (LSTM), and attention mechanisms (AMs), utilizing weather data explicitly aligned with production management phases as input. The CNN component extracts cross-phase weather patterns, the LSTM captures sequential dependencies across growth stages, and the attention mechanism dynamically weights phase importance based on meteorological conditions. The proposed model is validated using a real-world case study of Bok choy production from an agricultural cooperative in Yunlin County, Taiwan, encompassing 1714 production cycles over eight years (2011–2019). Experimental results demonstrate that CNN-LSTM-AM achieves an RMSE of 1448.24 kg/ha, MAPE of 3.60%, and R² of 0.98, outperforming five baseline models—CNN (RMSE = 2919.18), LSTM (RMSE = 2529.74), CNN-LSTM (RMSE = 1516.44), LSTM-AM (RMSE = 2284.64), and XGBoost (RMSE = 3452.47)—representing a notable reduction in prediction error (58% lower RMSE) compared to XGBoost. Furthermore, prediction accuracy improves progressively as harvest time approaches, and phase-specific weather encoding enhances accuracy by 16.5% compared to whole-season averaging. These findings underscore the critical importance of integrating agronomic domain knowledge into data-driven prediction frameworks. Full article

Animal by-products (ABPs), comprising both edible and inedible components, offer significant nutritional, economic, and environmental value. However, their utilization differs markedly across global jurisdictions due to cultural preferences, regulatory frameworks, and technological capacities, which collectively shape consumption patterns and determine integration into food systems or diversion to industrial applications. While consumer reliance on offal remains high in the Global South, driven by tradition, affordability, and nutritional needs, its acceptance in the Global North is markedly lower, often limited by cultural aversion and perceived risks. Drawing from published evidence and primary survey data, this review examines regional consumption trends, industrial utilization pathways, and emerging valorization opportunities for ABPs. Globally, industrial use of ABPs is increasingly shifting toward advanced bioprocessing, integration within circular bioeconomy models, and high-value applications in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and bio-industrial sectors. An online cross-sectional survey (n = 358) conducted across Africa, North America, Europe, and Asia revealed strong regional disparities in offal consumption, with higher acceptance in parts of Africa and Asia and more selective use in Europe and North America. Respondents also indicated clear support for non-food valorization pathways, particularly animal feed, fertilizer, and energy production, alongside pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. These findings align with the literature, where industrial valorization pathways such as collagen and gelatin extraction, rendering, and bioenergy production dominate. This review synthesized the jurisdictional disparities in consumption, regulation, technological capability, and industrial applications while highlighting emerging technological opportunities for high-value valorization. Recommendations emphasize consumer education, regulatory refinement, technological innovation, and sustainable practices to enhance the economic and environmental benefits of ABP utilization within a circular bioeconomy framework. Full article

This research evaluated the efficacy of using two types of biochar (non-modified and acidified) from date palm residues (fronds, leaves, pits) as soil amendments for enhancing soil fertility and maize growth. These biochars were produced through slow pyrolysis under oxygen-limited conditions at 500 °C. Our innovative approach was to minimize gas emissions by converting smoke into liquid fertilizer (LS), which was expected to improve seed germination and early plant growth stages. To assess this aim, a completely randomized experiment was conducted under lab conditions, in which 10 maize seeds were placed on double filter papers in Petri dishes and then exposed to seven concentrations of LS (0.0, 0.01, 0.10, 1.0, 10 and 100%, using distilled water for dilution v/v). The LS contains nutrients and bioactive compounds that may enhance seed germination and early plant growth at low concentrations, whereas higher concentrations may cause phytotoxic effects. Results showed that liquefied smoke at 0.1% increased the absolute percentage of maize germination from 75% (control) to 100% and achieved the highest root length of 9.80 cm. Acidified biochars at 5% reduced soil pH from 8.87 to 8.12 and enhanced potassium availability to 87.93 mg kg⁻¹. Conversely, the non-modified biochars contributed to further increases in soil organic matter (up to 1.02%), nitrogen, and phosphorus. In addition, the application of acidified leaf biochar (5%) enhanced maize shoot growth by 133%, chlorophyll content by 39%, and potassium uptake by 110%. This research establishes a scalable approach for converting agricultural waste into climate-resilient resources, effectively addressing soil degradation in arid environments, boosting crop resilience, and furthering the objectives of a circular bioeconomy. Full article

Two-line hybrid rice breeding relies on photoperiod-/thermosensitive genic male sterile (P/TGMS) lines with reliable fertility transition across different environments. The fertility of japonica P/TGMS lines is intricately regulated by photoperiod and temperature, making it more challenging to breed japonica sterile lines with stable sterility than indica sterile lines. This complexity is one of the primary reasons the breeding and promotion of two-line japonica hybrid rice has lagged behind that of indica hybrid rice. Here, we report on Yun1032S, a novel japonica P/TGMS line bred in the low-latitude plateau. It was bred by crossing Peiai 64S, the famous P/TGMS line with the largest application area in China, with Yungengyou 1, a plateau japonica variety noted for its excellent cold tolerance and disease resistance. Yun1032S exhibited stable sterility and female-parent traits favorable for two-line seed production. The elite combination YLY7706 (Yunliangyou7706), derived from a cross between Yun1032S and Yungenghui7501, showed a stable and competitive yield and strong disease resistance in the 2022–2023 Yunnan provincial regional trials. To analyze the genetic basis of phenotypes, we performed whole-genome resequencing and functional loci analysis of the parents and found that they carry a great number of superior alleles, which account for their yield and disease-resistant performance. To assess the breeding value of Yun1032S, we analyzed heterosis of a new batch of combinations derived from Yun1032S and identified a new combination, Jian3, with greater yield potential than YLY7706. These findings not only enhance the breeding of japonica P/TGMS lines but also provide direction for future pairing of two-line hybrid combination breeding. The study presents innovative concepts that further integrate genomics with traditional breeding techniques. Ultimately, Yun1032S marks a significant milestone in japonica P/TGMS line breeding technology, opening new avenues for the development of the two-line system. Full article

This study analyzes the application of the agile SCRUM methodology in the Peruvian cocoa production chain, aiming to improve organizational efficiency, bean quality, and environmental sustainability. Four experimental SPRINTS were implemented in a cocoa plantation located in San Martín, Peru, addressing practices such as the use of bio-organic fertilizers, monitoring of the fermentation process, and cadmium reduction in cocoa beans. The results showed significant physiological improvements: treatment R3 increased plant height by +10.5 cm (p < 0.005), and stem diameter reached a mean value of 11.36 mm in treated living plants compared to 6.46 mm in the untreated control group. The fermentation process remained under statistical control, with an overall mean temperature of 34.57 °C and no deviations beyond the established control limits (UCL: 50.71 °C, LCL: 18.43 °C). Regarding cadmium reduction, treatment T6 (MycoUp 3 kg/ha + MBB 2 kg/ha) reduced cadmium concentration to 0.039 mg/kg, below the maximum limit established by the European Union (0.05 mg/kg), in contrast to the control group, which reached 0.134 mg/kg. The implementation of SCRUM facilitated iterative planning, clear role allocation, and data-driven decision-making, demonstrating its adaptability to the agribusiness sector. This research proposes a replicable model that integrates technological innovation, agroecology, and collaborative management to address the structural and commercial challenges of Peruvian cocoa production. Full article

Nanotechnology, based on nanoparticles, has become an emerging interdisciplinary tool in reproductive biotechnology, offering innovative opportunities to improve fertilization efficiency and reproductive performance in farm animals. The purpose of this review is to provide an updated synthesis of current research on nanoparticle-based approaches that enhance in vitro fertilization outcomes and other assisted reproductive technologies. The focus is on the biological mechanisms, potential benefits, and limitations of nanoparticle use in animal reproduction. Nanoparticles—including gold, silver, zinc oxide, selenium, and magnetic iron oxide—exhibit distinctive physicochemical properties that enable targeted interactions with gametes and reproductive cells. When used in semen extenders or culture media, nanoparticles improve sperm motility, acrosome and membrane integrity, and reduce oxidative stress and apoptosis. These effects contribute to enhanced fertilization rates and higher embryo developmental competence. In addition, nanoparticles can function as carriers for hormones, antioxidants, and growth factors, stabilizing reagents essential for oocyte maturation, sperm capacitation, and early embryo culture. The review also discusses nanopurification (selectively isolating and removing particles) and nanosorting (separating or organizing nanoscale objects) techniques that allow for non-invasive selection of viable gametes, and fluorescence- and magnet-assisted sorting systems that increase precision in sperm sexing. The mechanical aspects of nanoparticle–cell interactions are analyzed, emphasizing the influence of particle size, dose, and surface modification on both biological efficacy and cytotoxicity. Safety, toxicological concerns, and regulatory frameworks—including International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and European Commission recommendations—are critically reviewed to highlight the need for harmonized biocompatibility criteria. Although nanoparticle use in animal reproduction remains largely experimental, accumulated evidence demonstrates its potential to improve reproductive efficiency and reduce economic losses. Integrating nanoparticle-based systems with existing reproduction platforms may represent a transformative step toward sustainable and precision-driven livestock breeding. Full article

Insect farming for several purposes, which inscribes itself into circular economy, could become an alternative to traditional agriculture in Europe. Insects are a more sustainable and circular alternative source of protein and fat in food and feeds. The aim of this study is to identify legal barriers to the rearing of insects and marketing of insect-based products. The study focuses on the identification of such barriers to insect rearing and to the production of fertilizers from insect frass. The dogmatic legal method, as well as SWOT and PESTEL analyses, are employed in this research. The two latter methods are used to gain insight into the views held by the industry’s stakeholders. Subsequently, issues within the research field, such as the rearing of insects, their welfare, and the requirements imposed on the feeding of farmed insects, are discussed. Finally, solutions to the identified problems are suggested. The most important strengths of insect farming are its innovative edge and the creation of new products at the EU level. Weaknesses include technological and organizational challenges. Stakeholders attribute high importance to external circumstances, especially economic and social ones. As concluded from this study, the current laws are not optimal for insect farming; however, despite this situation, some changes to the law could facilitate the acquisition of feed for insects or the marketing of some insect-based products. The proposed legal changes aim at lifting the identified barriers to insect farming while still meeting safety requirements and supporting circular economy principles. Full article

Agricultural soil fertility is a key determinant of crop productivity and long-term sustainability. However, intensive farming practices often require repeated passes of heavy machinery, which can lead to soil compaction. This study examines the interplay between tractor traffic, tire inflation pressure, and their effects on soil physical properties and fertility indicators. Tire pressure management emerges as a crucial mitigation strategy: high inflation pressures concentrate the load and exacerbate subsoil compaction, whereas reduced pressures (within safe limits) enlarge the tire–soil contact area, distributing the vehicle’s weight more evenly. This in turn improves traction, lowers ground pressure, and reduces energy losses. As a result, both the depth and severity of soil compaction are reduced. Further advances may be achieved through innovative tires manufactured with eco-sustainable materials and tread patterns specifically designed to enhance traction and minimize slippage-related energy loss. In this context, CREA conducted comparative field tests on two tractor tire models from the same manufacturer: a conventional design and an evolved version featuring an innovative tread and larger footprint. The trials assessed the impact of each tire on soil compaction, traction performance, and energy efficiency. Tests were performed on a silty-clay agricultural soil naturally settled for a year, using a dynamometric vehicle to apply different controlled traction force levels, combined with two inflation pressure settings. To highlight performance differences between the two models, the tractor was rear-ballasted, and the study focused on the rear axle, which carried most of the traction stress. Results indicated that, under the specific test conditions, at high inflation pressure both tires performed similarly (with the innovative model slightly reducing fuel use and the conventional yielding marginally higher maximum tractive force), whereas at low pressure the innovative tire clearly outperformed the traditional model in traction efficiency and caused less soil compaction. The extent of the benefits associated with using the innovative tire model across various soil conditions, moisture levels, and in the absence of rear ballasting will be evaluated in further tests based on traction force control using the proposed testing system. Full article

Granitic soils in the Highlands support the cultivation of Arabica coffee in northern Thailand; however, their geochemical and radiological properties are inadequately defined. This study examined major oxides, trace elements, natural radionuclides, and extractable phosphorus in granitic-derived coffee soils from the Agricultural Innovation Research, Integration, Demonstration, and Training Center (AIRID) in Chiang Mai. Twenty soil samples were obtained from 10 locations at two depth intervals (0–30 cm and 30–60 cm). Major and trace elements were analyzed via X-ray fluorescence (XRF), natural radionuclides were analyzed through high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometry, and extractable phosphorus was determined using the Bray II method. The soils demonstrate remarkably high ⁴⁰K activity concentrations (1.2–1.9 kBq kg⁻¹) and increased K₂O contents (4.9–7.8 wt%), about three to five times more than worldwide soil averages according to Reimann & de Caritat, indicating enrichment from potassium-rich granitic rocks. Major oxide compositions suggest extensive tropical weathering, characterized by elevated SiO₂ (>60 wt%) and Al₂O₃ (>14 wt%), alongside significant depletion of CaO and MgO (<1 wt%). In topsoil, Bray II–extractable phosphorus constitutes 10–25% of total phosphorus and has a robust positive connection with P₂O₅ (R² = 0.95, p < 0.001), signifying surface accumulation and restricted vertical mobility. Multivariate analysis indicates lithogenic grouping of trace elements with negligible vertical redistribution. These findings establish a geochemical and radiological baseline for highland coffee soils in northern Thailand, with implications for soil fertility assessment, soil–plant transfer research, and evaluations of natural radioactive exposure related to coffee production. Full article

Globally, diverse agricultural production strategies have been implemented to address the impacts of climate change, with sustainable farming models emerging as key approaches, particularly in regions affected by environmental degradation. Latin America is especially vulnerable due to its strong dependence on agriculture, pressure on natural resources, and persistent socioeconomic inequalities in rural areas. This study presents a review of sustainable agricultural practices, with particular attention to evidence from Latin America on sustainable agricultural practices as effective strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation, natural resource conservation, and food security enhancement. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the bioeconomy and the integration of traditional knowledge with modern agricultural management, highlighting their combined contribution to agroecosystem resilience. The review critically examines how sustainable agricultural practices influence soil health, agroecosystem resilience, and the long-term sustainability of agricultural production within a circular economy framework. The findings indicate that practices such as no-till farming, crop rotation, organic fertilization, and integrated soil management significantly improve soil structure, nutrient retention, organic matter content, and soil biodiversity. These practices also reduce soil degradation, enhance resource-use efficiency, and promote carbon sequestration, thereby contributing directly to climate change mitigation. Overall, the results underscore the importance of holistic approaches that integrate traditional practices with technological innovations and highlight the need for further applied research across diverse environmental and socioeconomic contexts, particularly to address adoption barriers among smallholder farmers and to optimize sustainable agricultural strategies at local and regional scales. Full article

Continuing advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly in reproductive-aged patients, has led to numerous national medical organizations, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), and the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), recommending prompt discussion of the potential gonadotoxic effects of chemotherapy and referral to a fertility specialist for counseling regarding possible fertility preservation. Despite overall increased utilization of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in the United States (US), racial and ethnic disparities persist on a multisystem level, ranging from decreased access and utilization of ART to inconsistent and delayed counseling to worse outcomes. While innovations in ART and cancer treatment continue to evolve in parallel, the beneficial impacts have been disparate and more limited in minority populations. This review specifically highlights racial and ethnic disparities in fertility preservation for women with cancer in the United States, highlights the underdeveloped state of this literature, and identifies possible pathways for improvement using the Disparities in Assisted Reproductive Technology (DART) hypothesis as a template. We address three main bottlenecks resulting in delay from time of cancer diagnosis to utilization of fertility preservation services. Full article

In arid northwest China, water scarcity is the primary constraint on agricultural sustainability. Accurate prediction of soil moisture under vegetation is essential for optimizing water use and enabling precision irrigation. Furthermore, water and nitrogen management are often studied in isolation, and their spatiotemporal synergy in regulating soil moisture remains unclear, which hinders the development of optimized coupled strategies. To address this, this study integrated UAV hyperspectral (450–950 nm), multispectral remote sensing, and ground sensor networks to systematically conduct field experiments covering three irrigation levels: full irrigation (W1) at 100% of maintaining soil moisture content; mild deficit irrigation (W2), with soil moisture content set at three-quarters of W1; and severe deficit irrigation (W3), with soil moisture content set at half of W1 and three nitrogen application rates (N1: 350, N2: 250, and N3: 150 kg/ha) in a field experiment. Through sensitive band extraction and spectral index optimization, triple-band indices (RES: Reflectance Extraction Index, MSR: Moisture Sensitive Ratio Index, two novel triple-band spectral indices developed based on Kubelka–Munk and Hapke models) were innovatively developed to enhance signals and suppress noise. Random Forest algorithms were employed to construct soil moisture inversion models for different soil layers. Rigorous comparative analysis comprehensively evaluated performance differences between hyperspectral and multispectral technologies in the indirect retrieval of soil moisture based on crop physiological response and detecting soil moisture at varying depths (10–100 cm). The results indicate that the 450–760 nm visible band represents the optimal spectral region for soil moisture detection. The two indices (MSR and RES) constructed within this range demonstrated prediction correlations 18–32% higher than traditional indices. Hyperspectral technology exhibited comprehensive advantages, particularly in monitoring deep soil layers (>80 cm) (R² = 0.49 vs. 0.18 for multispectral). The spatiotemporal dynamics of soil moisture are primarily governed by irrigation intensity, while nitrogen fertilizers indirectly influence water redistribution through physiological processes such as root architecture regulation, rather than directly altering soil water-holding capacity. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a UAV-based hyperspectral system for precision soil moisture monitoring in vegetated farmland, and it provides a critical scientific basis for optimizing water–nitrogen management and enhancing water use efficiency in arid agriculture. Full article

Assessing human embryo quality is a critical step in in vitro fertilization (IVF), yet traditional manual grading remains subjective and physically limited by the shallow depth-of-field in conventional microscopy. This study develops a novel “soft optical sensor” architecture that transforms standard optical microscopy into an automated, high-precision instrument for embryo quality assessment. The proposed system integrates two key computational innovations: (1) a multi-focal image fusion module that reconstructs lost morphological details from Z-stack focal planes, effectively creating a 3D-aware representation from 2D inputs; and (2) a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework coupled with a Swin Transformer to provide both high-accuracy classification and explainable clinical rationales. Validated on a large-scale clinical dataset of 102,308 images (prior to augmentation), the system achieves a diagnostic accuracy of 94.11%. This performance surpasses standard single-plane analysis methods by 9.43%, demonstrating the critical importance of fusing multi-focal data. Furthermore, the RAG module successfully grounds model predictions in standard ESHRE consensus guidelines, generating natural language explanations. The results demonstrate that this soft sensor approach significantly reduces inter-observer variability and offers a robust tool for standardized morphological assessment, though prospective validation against live birth outcomes remains essential for clinical adoption. Full article