Search Results (37)

Background/Objectives: Modern families face challenges in maintaining healthy and sustainable diets due to time constraints and busy lifestyles. The Mediterranean diet (MD), known for its benefits to both personal health and environmental sustainability, is often difficult to apply consistently within households. This paper presents and validates the SWITCHtoHEALTHY AI-based Family Nutrition Recommendation System, designed to generate meal plans aligned with MD guidelines. Methods: Two complementary recommendation engines were developed: the AI-based Family Nutritional Recommender, which creates personalized meal plans for adults that include shared family meals, and the Child Nutritional Recommender, which generates meal plans for children that could also incorporate school menus or proposals from the school cafeteria. Both systems rely on an expert-validated dataset of Mediterranean foods and are designed to comply with the expert-validated nutritional rules based on MD principals and national dietary guidelines. Results: The recommendation systems were validated using data from a real-world family intervention, achieving 90% accuracy in generating meal plans for all family members, while meeting the expert validated dietary rules for both adults and children. Moreover, AI-based Family Nutritional Recommender exceeds 90% accuracy in estimating calorie and nutrient content for adults. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the preliminary potential of AI-based recommendation systems to facilitate healthier and more sustainable dietary habits within modern households by generating personalized, nutritionally balanced family meal plans consistent with MD principles. Full article

Bangladesh has significantly reduced child undernutrition, yet micronutrient deficiencies and diet-related non-communicable diseases remain pressing challenges. While the afordability of healthy diets is recognized as a key determinant of nutrition outcomes, limited attention has been paid to the uncertainties that affect diet costs and access over time. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the major drivers of uncertainty in the cost of healthy diets in Bangladesh and their implications for nutrition policy. This study emloyed foresight tools to explore future uncertainties affecting the cost and accessibility of healthy diets in Bangladesh. Key drivers of change, such as climate variability, market dynamics, income inequality, and dietary behavior, were identified through a structured expert workshop. Two critical uncertainties were selected using the 2 × 2 scenario planning method: food price volatility and changing dietary patterns. These formed the basis for four plausible future scenarios, each illustrating different trajectories for nutrition and food system outcomes. This foresight approach supports proactive, multisectoral policymaking by highlighting potential risks and opportunities for ensuring affordable, nutritious diets in a changing context. The resulting scenarios underscore the need for integrated, multisectoral strategies to build resilient food systems, improve the affordability of nutrient-rich foods, and promote dietary behavior change. Full article

The growing interest in the commercial exploitation of the bioactive components of Dictyota species, including Dictyota kunthii due to its antifungal activity and use in the development of innovative bioproducts, depends on the availability of biomass. In this context, the cultivation of this species emerges as a promising alternative. This study examined thallus fragmentation and ligulae development as methods to produce D. kunthii. Accordingly, thalli were divided into apical, middle, and basal sections to generate the respective tissue fragments, which were cultured under controlled conditions. On the other hand, ligulae development was studied under different conditions of photon flux density (10, 35 and 65 µmol m⁻²s⁻¹); temperature (10, 17 °C); photoperiod (8:16, 12:12, 16:08 h [Light:Dark]), and seawater enrichment:Basfoliar^®, Compo Expert, Krefeld, Germany and von Stosch solutions. The results show that fragmented thalli were non-viable, exhibiting neither wound healing nor regeneration at the cut sites. Furthermore, no buds or new branches were formed. In contrast, ligulae developed under all tested conditions, with nutrients, light, temperature, and photon flux enhancing apical cell formation and branching. We conclude that ligulae can effectively be used as propagules to cultivate fast-growing, branched D. kunthii plantlets. Accordingly, we recommend using a suspended culture system at 17 °C with a 12:12 (Light:Dark) photoperiod and 65 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ light intensity, as well as adding nutrients (Basfoliar^® at 0.1 mL L⁻¹). Under these conditions, growth rates equal to or exceeding 10% d⁻¹ can be achieved, supporting the feasibility of scaling up to larger volumes for biomass production. Full article

Food insecurity, financial loss, and a decline in agricultural output are among the significant challenges to the global food chain caused by extreme climatic events, high variability and change, rapid urbanization, and land degradation. Therefore, it is essential to explore alternative, sustainable agricultural practices to meet the growing population’s food needs. Sustainable agriculture is foundational to farm management, rural development, and water conservation. This includes sustainable practices such as crop rotation, intercropping, and planting crops with varying rooting depths to maximize soil moisture absorption, as well as mulching to improve nutrient recycling and enhance productivity in smallholder cropping systems. The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices has become a priority for smallholder farmers, policymakers, extension agents, and agricultural experts to improve agricultural productivity, contribute to food security, and generate income. However, adoption rates have been slow, especially in Southern Africa, due to a lack of access to technology, financial constraints, limited information, and limited knowledge. This review was conducted using a comprehensive literature search on the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by legume smallholders, examining various factors that contribute to the failure of legume smallholder farmers to adopt new agricultural practices. The timeframe of the reviewed literature was from 2010 to 2024. The results showed that smallholder farmers face numerous challenges, including limited access to technology, inadequate knowledge, and insufficient financial resources. Research conducted by the Water Research Commission (WRC) indicates that commercial farmers have access to technology, and this group of farmers possesses more substantial financial resources compared to smallholder farmers. In the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. It is essential to strengthen the linkage between researchers, agricultural extension, and legume smallholder farmers to promote sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs). Smallholder farmers must be informed about such interventions and sustainable agricultural practices to improve rural livelihoods and enhance resilience, adaptation, and responsiveness. Full article

Policymakers face the challenge of increasing food and energy production while reducing nutrient pollution. Coastal hypoxic zones, often caused by human activity, are a key indicator of sustainability. The purpose of this study is to develop a novel framework that can be used by policymakers to assess strategies to reduce or eliminate hypoxic zones in coastal waters. The developed framework includes socioecological conditions by integrating the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework and multiple thinking approaches (nexus, systems, and goal-oriented) with sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their targets, the food–energy–water (FEW) nexus, agricultural conservation practices (ACPs), and the collective knowledge from the published literature and experts, all applied to hypoxia in oceans. Four categories of ACPs with potential positive effects on hypoxia were identified: conservation cropping systems, conservation drainage systems, riparian buffer systems, and wetland systems. The Gulf of Mexico, a large hypoxic zone, served as a case study. The methods from the development of this framework may be tailored to some 500 global coastal hypoxic zones, covering 245,000 km² of oceans. Full article

The 4th International Electronic Conference on Nutrients—Plant-Based Nutrition Focusing on Innovation, Health, and Sustainable Food Systems (IECN 2024) took place online from 16 to 18 October 2024, which aimed to serve as a multidisciplinary platform for the exploration of innovative research and advancements in nutrient science with a focus on innovations for health and sustainability. Over 150 scholars and experts attended this virtual online conference. Five keynote speakers and seven invited speakers shared their knowledge and discoveries. The conference received 220 abstracts submissions, of which 147 were accepted. This conference report is an abstract collection from six different sessions of IECN 2024. Full article

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ammonia (NH₃) volatilization by improving fertilization methods to increase crop yield is beneficial for the green and sustainable development of agriculture. This study evaluated the effects of farmer practice fertilization (FP), nutrient expert optimized fertilization (NE—optimized fertilizer usage and time), the application of stable compound fertilizer (SF), and the application of controlled-release coated urea (CRU) on greenhouse gases, NH₃ volatilization, and corn yield through field experiments set up in the corn planting area in western Liaoning Province. The results showed that compared with FP treatment, NE could significantly reduce NH₃ volatilization by 28% and increase N₂O release by 41%. Compared with FP treatment, SF could significantly reduce NH₃ volatilization by 48.54%, N₂O release by 38.54%, CO₂ release by 13.96%, global warming potential (GWP) by 16.60%, and greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI) by 27.23%, and could significantly increase corn yield by 15.86%. Compared with FP treatment, CRU could significantly reduce NH₃ volatilization by 63.46%, CO₂ release by 11.98%, GWP by 10.73%, and GHGI by 13.77%, while increasing N₂O release by 6.71%. Overall, NE, SF, and CRU treatments all showed better effects than FP treatment in increasing corn yield or reducing NH₃ volatilization and GHG emissions. Among them, SF treatment demonstrated superior performance over NE and CRU treatments in terms of NH₃ volatilization, corn yield, and GHGI. Therefore, the application of stable compound fertilizer is the optimal choice for corn planting in western Liaoning, with broad application prospects. Full article

Potato production faces increasingly severe agronomic problems, including intensive production and pedoclimatic changes. Increasing pest/disease incidence is contributing to inadequate application of pesticides and external fertilizers. This study aims to identify critical agri-environmental challenges currently faced by potato growers in Europe, assessing the needs and priorities of end-users to determine the feasibility of integrating more sustainable farming practices into potato cultivation. Additionally, we identified sustainable strategies to reduce reliance on external inputs. A total of 203 potato stakeholders from six European pedoclimatic areas completed a survey in 2020 to identify agronomic and environmental problems, priorities for action, and best-suited sustainable farming practices. Statistical and multicriteria decision analysis was then performed. Subsequently, focus group meetings with stakeholders were organized to present and discuss results and validate and complement them. Stakeholders perceived that more sustainable potato production involved reducing tillage intensity, using organic nutrient sources, increasing soil organic matter and, especially, diversifying crop rotations. Barriers to adopting new sustainable practices included farmers’ lack of knowledge regarding novel farming practices and the need for expert technical advice. Some practices are complex, but also economic impediments. Therefore, thorough research, clear demonstrations, and tailored advice are crucial to farmers to lead agriculture toward profitable, sustainable systems. Full article

The form and distribution of organic carbon in soil affect its stability and storage, and nitrogen (N) fertilization can affect the transformation and accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas how the N fertilizer rate affects SOC storage by regulating its fractions in a potato continuous cropping system is unknown. A 6-year field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different N fertilizer rates (NE (Nutrient Expert) –N, NE–1/2N, NE, and NE+1/2N) on the changes in SOC and its fractions in a potato continuous cropping system in North China. Soil NO₃⁻-N gradually increased with increasing N fertilizer rates, whereas the N fertilizer rate had less effect on NH₄⁺-N. Compared with the NE−N treatment, the increasing N fertilization increased the SOC and its components, whereas these C fractions did not continue to increase or began to decrease after N fertilization exceeded the rate applied in the NE treatment. While the increase in mineral-associated organic C (MAOC; 16.1–17.2% and 26.1–52.7% in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively) was greater than that of particulate organic C (POC; 3.7–7.4% and 11.5–16.4% in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively), the increase in bacterial necromass C (BNC; 9.2–21.8% and 28.9–40.4% in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively) was greater than that of fungal necromass C (FNC; 6.2–10.1% and 7.1–24.9% in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively). Furthermore, the increase in FNC was greater than that of BNC in the 20–40 cm layer of the same treatment. SOC was significantly and positively correlated with MAOC and FNC, and the correlation between SOC and both MNC and FNC was more significant in the 20–40 cm layer than in the 0–20 cm layer. Overall, in the potato continuous cropping system in North China, N fertilization improved SOC storage by increasing MNC to form MAOC, and optimizing N fertilization based on the NE system could better balance the increase and mineralization loss of SOC to achieve high SOC sequestration. Full article

This study aimed to improve the control system of the biological stage of wastewater treatment using the quality control information system to support the concept of environmental efficiency management. In this case, the object of the study was the treatment facilities of Sumy city (Ukraine). For automatic control of wastewater quality, pH, oxidation reduction potential (ORP), electrical conductivity, and temperature indicators were taken, as well as hydrobiological analysis of activated sludge and mathematical modelling. The pH of wastewater at the input system has systematically unacceptable values (above 8.5 were recorded). Unacceptable concentrations of sulphur-containing toxicants arrive at the entrance of treatment facilities (0.22–1.3 mg/L). The response of activated sludge biocenosis to increasing concentrations of hydrogen sulphide in wastewater was analysed. Furthermore, a mathematical model of monoculture population growth, with two factors that affect population growth (nutrient concentration and monoculture production concentration), was implemented for the initial assessment of possible negative effects on wastewater treatment. The differential equation of the population dynamics of the i-th species of microorganisms in activated sludge was described. The applied system of automated monitoring of wastewater parameters with expert assessment of activated sludge and a unified mathematical model of approaches allows for a complex system of decision-making support to be realised. However, this requires the construction of mathematical models that would take into account the cause–effect relations that operate under conditions of incomplete technological information and the potential presence of emergencies due to natural disasters and military activities. Full article

Children with food allergies are at higher risk for severe anaphylactic reactions and for key nutrient deficiency. In order to address these concerns, enable early detection, and improve the monitoring of children with food allergies, an innovative IT platform will be developed by IT experts (IN2 Ltd. Zagreb, Croatia, part of Constellation Software Inc. (Toronto, ON, Canada)) and Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia (SCH) for the effective implementation of personalized balanced nutrition in preschool institutions in Croatia. Additionally, the data obtained through this research, including epidemiological data on allergic diseases, clinical data (diagnostic allergy tests and others), anthropometry, and physical activity status, will be used to create a national Allergy registry. Other than being a tool for personalized and balanced nutrition for children, especially those with special dietary requirements (including food allergy and intolerance), the IT platform developed in this study will enable the continuous monitoring of these children as a part of their clinical management plan and earlier detection of food allergies, intolerance, and other conditions, even outside of the healthcare system. This research also aims at optimizing current and developing novel personalized therapeutic regimes, detecting novel early biomarkers in children with food allergies and intolerances, and involving all key stakeholders (caregivers, preschool institutions, etc.) in the shared-care approach in the management of food allergies in children. Full article

Conventional tillage practices coupled with irrational use of fertilizer in the rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) often leads to poor productivity, low nutrient use efficiency, and cause environmental pollution. Conservation tillage with surface residue retention in combination with intelligent nutrient management might improve productivity and use efficiency of water as well as nutrients in zero-till direct-seeded rice (ZTDSR). Keeping this in mind, during the kharif season of 2018 and 2019, a trial was carried out at the ICAR-IARI in New Delhi to investigate the varying nutrient management approaches following a precise manner in DSR. The treatments consisted of soil-test-based NPK (STB-NPK) and Nutrient Expert^® (+LCC_N) based NPK (NE-NPK) applications, Fertilizer applied at the recommended dose (RDF) [120-60-40 kg/ha NPK], the state recommended NPK (110-50-40 kg/ha) and omission plot technique of NPK [i.e., STB (N₀PK, NP₀K & NPK₀); SR (N₀PK, NP₀K & NPK₀) and NE-(N₀PK, NP₀K & NPK₀)]. The results indicated that STB NPK application led to a 12% higher grain yield over RDF. However, NE-NPK resulted in a 7% and 35% increase in N (AEN) agronomic efficiency and P (AEP) over the STB-NPK application respectively. In contrast, AE_k was 24% higher in STB-NPK over NE-NPK treatment. The comparison of two years’ results that the first year performed better than the succeeding year in these respect (productivity and AE) except in the case of AE_k. The N₂O emission in NE-NPK treatment was also significantly reduced (49%) over the control (no N). STB-NPK treatment also improved profitability by 22% over RDF. Precision nutrient management (PNM) increased the crop yield, income, and use efficiency of nutrients and water and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of DSR in Southeast Asia. Full article

Most people are now aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including the importance of consuming vegetables. As a result, the demand for vegetables has increased, and so their production needs to be increased. Currently, most plantations use soil as a growing medium, which is time-consuming and requires a significant amount of space. To modernize cultivation, hydroponic techniques should be adopted. However, implementing hydroponics can be challenging as it requires precise pH and nutrient adjustments. The previous research has proposed the hydroponic pH and nutrient control using the Sugeno fuzzy method. However, in Sugeno fuzzy method, there is no systematic procedure in designing the fuzzy controller, thus, the design relies on hydroponic expert knowledge. To address this issue, a smart hydroponic system was developed using the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) method, which allows for automatic adjustments based on the collected dataset and remote control through internet of things (IoT) technology. This study showed that the system could accurately adjust pH and nutrient levels, allowing plants to grow better. Furthermore, the fuzzy controller created using ANFIS is 67% more accurate than creating the fuzzy controller using the Sugeno fuzzy method. Finally, the web application dashboard of the proposed system is also presented in this paper. Full article

Parasitic diseases are an important worldwide problem threatening human health and affect millions of people. Acute diarrhea, intestinal bleeding, malabsorption of nutrients and nutritional deficiency are some of the issues related to intestinal parasitic infections. Parasites are experts in subvert the host immune system through different kinds of mechanisms. There are evidences that extracellular vesicles (EVs) have an important role in dissemination of the disease and in modulating the host immune system. Released by almost all types of cells, these nanovesicles are a natural secretory product containing multiple components of interest. The EVs are classified as apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, exosomes, ectosomes, and microparticles, according to their physical characteristics, biochemical composition and cell of origin. Interestingly, EVs play an important role in intercellular communication between parasites as well as with the host cells. Concerning Giardia lamblia, it is known that this parasite release EVs during it life cycle that modulate the parasite growth and adherence as well the immune system of the host. Here we review the recently updates on protozoa EVs, with particular emphasis on the role of EVs released by the flagellate protozoa G. lamblia in cellular communication and its potential for future applications as vaccine, therapeutic agent, drug delivery system and as diagnostic or prognostic biomarker. Full article

Intensive tillage coupled with imbalanced nutrient management in maize–wheat systems in low-carbon calcareous soils often results in poor productivity vis-à-vis degradation in soil health. Conservation tillage viz. permanent bed planting (PB) and zero tillage (ZT)/direct seeding with residue retention coupled with precision nutrient management might improve soil properties and yield of crops. Concerning this, a long-term experiment was conducted from 2014–2015 to 2020–2021 with a maize–wheat cropping system at TCA, Dholi farm of RPCAU, Pusa. Treatments consisted of three main plots of different tillage practices, viz. PB, ZT, and conventional tillage (CT) and three sub-plots of nutrient management options, viz. farmers’ fertilization practice (FFP), site-specific nutrient management with Nutrient Expert^® (NE) software, and GreenSeeker (GS) based nitrogen-management. From this study, it was observed that both the PB and ZT resulted in about 31–33% and 43–45% improvement in SOC and water-soluble aggregates (WSA), respectively, comparing them under CT. These two conservation tillage practices also improved the other soil bio-chemical properties. Better soil properties under PB and ZT helped in the improvement of system yield by about 13–18% comparing yield under CT. Moreover, both these tillage practices showed an additional net return of USD 330–USD 400 over CT. PB was found a bit better over ZT concerning soil properties, yield, and economics. Comparing nutrient management options, precision nutrition using NE and GS showed significant improvement in the soil bio-chemical parameters, yield, and economics of the cropping system over FFP. SSNM using NE showed slightly better results than GS. Thus, from this long-term study, it can be concluded that the permanent bed system with residue retention and precision nutrition using Nutrient Expert^® software are the best options concerning tillage and nutrient management, respectively, for improvement of the soil properties of problematic calcareous soils, thereby, enhancing the yield and economics of the maize–wheat cropping system. Full article