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The Breadfruit Institute, a program at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaiʻi, is dedicated to conserving, studying, and utilizing breadfruit for food and reforestation purposes. Breadfruit is a versatile fruit that grows on a long-lived tree and provides energy, protein, and essential nutrients. The institute has been working to reintroduce breadfruit through research, propagation, and education, and has distributed over 10,000 trees throughout Hawaii since 2007. Their goal is to promote local food production, improve nutrition, and reduce reliance on imported food. The article also discusses the concept of regenerative agriculture and the challenges faced by breadfruit, such as saltwater intrusion and climate change. Dr. Diane Ragone, the director of the Breadfruit Institute, shares her research and efforts to document and preserve breadfruit varieties. [Extracted from the article]

In recent years, recognition has grown of the significant role that food systems play in driving climate change, constituting about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, while also playing a key role in sequestering carbon and adapting to climate changes. The COP28 climate conference signaled a pivotal shift, spotlighting food and agriculture in discourse. However, despite pledges and declarations, concrete plans and targets to address emissions from food chains remain elusive. Urgent action is imperative to transform food systems and avert surpassing critical warming thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines why urban studies should be interested in the emergence of controlled environment agriculture. Over the last decade, there has been significant commercial and urban policy interest in controlled environment agriculture systems for producing food in enclosed environments. Furthermore, there has been a significant expansion in research publications on urban controlled environment agriculture, stressing the novel character of these systems and the complex relationships with the conventional concerns of urban agriculture. The paper subjects these claims to critical scrutiny and then reconceptualises urban controlled environment agriculture as an emergent urban infrastructure of artificial, highly productive microclimates and ecosystems for non-human life designed to increase the productive use of 'surplus or under-utilised' urban spaces. We argue that controlled environment agriculture tries to secure food production through three spatial–temporal fixes: (1) the enclosure move – holding food closer by substituting the increasingly hostile outdoors for the controlled indoors in order to optimise yield, quality, efficiency and the 'cleanness' of the food; (2) the urban move – holding food closer to the city by substituting rural agricultural space for urban space to shorten supply chains and thereby help secure food production and improve its green credentials; and (3) combining 1 and 2, the urban interiorisation move – holding food yet closer still by moving food production into city buildings and intricate infrastructural systems, increasing control by securing total environments. In these ways, the paper shows how urban controlled environment agriculture selectively extends existing logics of urban and rural agriculture and identifies the future research challenges for urban studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify common themes of the meaning of food among people who identify with a specific religious tradition, particularly focusing on potential applications for nutrition education and professional practice at multiple levels of the Social-Ecological Model. Virtual and in-person focus groups were used to collect qualitative data. A midsized city in eastern Washington State. Nine focus groups (n = 35), each representing a distinct religious congregation. Meaning of food in the context of religion. Qualitative, reflexive thematic analysis using web-based software to organize data. Four key themes were identified that applied to both of the overarching focus group topic areas (general and religious): (1) food fosters connection, (2) food influences health, (3) relationships with food are complicated, and (4) food choices reflect values. Subthemes were specific to topic areas. In religious contexts, the meaning of food was more likely understood at a community level in addition to individual and relational levels of the Social-Ecological Model. Acknowledgment and consideration of the religious identities of patients and clients may provide greater opportunities for community connection, which may have potential implications for community-level nutrition interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Le fonctionnement des établissements pour personnes âgées ou handicapées concernant l'alimentation nutrition est mal connu. Il existe en région Nouvelle-Aquitaine un centre de ressources en nutrition (Cerenut) chargé d'aider les établissements sur ces thématiques. L'étude visait à connaître les principales actions alimentation nutrition pratiquées dans les établissements médicosociaux et de santé de Nouvelle-Aquitaine, leur perception de l'intérêt des divers services proposés par Cerenut et les niveaux d'utilisation de ces services. Un questionnaire sécurisé était adressé par voie électronique à 2625 établissements. Les données déclaratives étaient recueillies en automatique durant une période d'un mois. Le nombre d'établissements répondants était de 172 (6,6 % des établissements contactés). L'utilisation des compléments nutritionnels oraux, la pesée au moins une fois/mois et la présence d'une commission de menus étaient les actions les plus souvent déclarées. L'alimentation nutrition était une préoccupation importante pour le budget des établissements. L'évaluation nutritionnelle des résidents à l'entrée, l'utilisation de temps diététique, la pratique de la nutrition entérale étaient peu fréquentes. Les établissements pour personnes handicapées étaient les plus mal lotis. Les services de Cerenut touchant à la formation des équipes étaient jugés les plus intéressants et les plus utilisés. Plusieurs actions alimentation nutrition fondamentales n'étaient pas réalisées dans les établissements enquêtés, de nature à gêner l'évaluation nutritionnelle des résidents, leur prise en charge et la valorisation de leurs séjours. Cerenut propose des formations et peut fournir aux structures des aides adaptées dans de nombreux cas. The functioning of establishments for elderly or disabled people regarding food and nutrition is poorly understood. In the French Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, there is a Nutrition Resource Center (Cerenut) responsible for helping establishments on these issues. The study aimed to find out the main food and nutrition actions practiced in medico-social and health establishments in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, their perception of the interest of the various services offered by Cerenut and the levels of use of these services. A secure questionnaire was sent electronically to 2625 establishments. Declarative data was collected automatically over a period of one month. The number of responding establishments was 172 (6.6% of establishments contacted). The use of oral nutritional supplements, weighing at least once a month and the presence of a menu committee were the most frequent actions. Nutritional issues were an important concern for establishment budgets. The nutritional assessment of residents upon entry and the use of dietary time remained infrequent, as did the practice of enteral nutrition. Establishments for people with disabilities were the worst off. Cerenut's services relating to team training were considered the most interesting and the most used. Several fundamental food and nutrition actions were not carried out in the establishments surveyed, likely to hamper the nutritional assessment of residents, their care and the enhancement of their stays. Cerenut offers training and can provide structures with appropriate assistance in many cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the type and timing of ultra‐processed foods (UPF) consumption and its association with dietary intake (DI) and physical activity (PA) in women with obesity living in poverty. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was employed. Obesity was defined by at least two criteria (body mass index, waist circumference or % fat mass). Poverty was defined as the three lowest classes of the Brazilian Economic Classification Criterion. PA was measured with triaxial accelerometers and DI was assessed with three 24‐h dietary recalls. Foods were categorised according to the NOVA classification, with UPF classified into five subgroups, as well as the timing of consumption into six meals. Results: In total, 56 adult women were included. Overall energy intake was 1653.21 (503.22) kcal/day. UPF intake was 21.62% (11.94%) kcal/day, being higher at breakfast (4.91% kcal/day), afternoon snack (5.39% kcal/day) and dinner (5.01% kcal/day). Only UPF subgroup 4 (sandwich biscuits, sweets, or treats) showed a positive association with energy intake (β = 54.40 [27.6, 81.10] kcal/day) and a negative association with protein intake (β = −0.31% [−0.48%, −0.14%] kcal/day). UPF consumption in morning (β = −0.41% [−0.79%, −0.02%] kcal/day) and afternoon (β = −0.18% [−0.33%, −0.04%] kcal/day) snacks was associated with lower protein intake. Furthermore, lunchtime UPF consumption was positively associated with walking time (β = 0.16% [0.02%; 0.30%]) and steps/hour (β = 8.72 [1.50; 15.94] steps/h). Conclusions: Women with obesity living in poverty consume more UPF during breakfast, afternoon snack and dinner. Physical activity is positively associated with UPF consumption at lunch. UPF, such as sandwich biscuits, sweets or treats, contribute to increasing energy intake and reducing protein intake. Key points: The distribution of ultra‐processed foods (UPF) consumption throughout the day was evaluated.UPF were more consumed during main meals compared to snacks.Only sandwich biscuits, sweets and treats were associated with increased energy intake and reduced protein intake.Physical activity measured by triaxial accelerometers was associated with UPF consumption at lunch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodwork is a political matter, and baking is no exception. Many messages are associated with the symbolic significance of baking, such as idealised notions of white, middle-class domesticity, femininity and visibility. The rise in home-baking during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a surge in social media content, which conveys much about the different meanings ascribed to baking. Relatedly, scholarship on 'COVID-19 foodwork, race, gender, class and food justice' highlights that intersecting oppressions are implicated in such matters. Drawing on different lines of research that specify and address structural power relations (e.g. gendered whiteness), I analyse the aesthetics and accompanying attitudes conveyed via Instagram posts about #pandemicbaking and #quarantinebaking. In doing so, I draw and build on critical studies of whiteness and digital food media, and connections between consumerism and COVID-19. This work considers what such online content suggests about the relationship between a 'feminised, white, aestheticised ethos' and digital discourse and depictions regarding food, family, domesticity, work and rest. Consequently, this research ponders over whether the labour and framing involved in documenting #pandemicbaking and #quarantinebaking on Instagram reflects a neoliberal form of entrepreneurial 'freelance feminism', which is animated by the tension between the 'frequently polarized figures of "the feminist" and "the housewife"'. I examine the significance of three key themes related to #pandemicbaking and #quarantinebaking: (1) Gendered domestic labour and digital depictions and discourses of motherhood; (2) productivity, pausing and so-called 'soulfulness'; and (3) domestic minimalism and aesthetics of whiteness. In turn, this article critically reflects on the relationship between mediated constructions of gendered whiteness and baking, while echoing calls for more research that explicitly addresses dynamics between digital whiteness, class, aesthetics, gendered racial capitalism, foodwork, feminism and online content creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Herein, an ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector (UHPLC‐DAD) based quantification method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 21 bioactive phenolic compounds present abundantly in food products. The developed method was validated in terms of parameters such as linearity, detection and quantification limits, intra‐day and inter‐day precision and recovery showing ideal results. Further, the developed method was applied for the quantitative analysis of phenolics in commercially procured dietary samples such as spices, green tea, black tea and dark chocolate. The major phenolics quantified in dry weight of different samples were epigallocatechin gallate (425.5 mg/10 g), epicatechin gallate (111.9 mg/10 g) in green tea; gallocatechin (286.8 mg/10 g) in dark chocolate; and naringin (93.9 mg/10 g) in star anise etc. Overall, the UHPLC‐DAD‐based method was found to be reliable, simple and specific for the estimation of phenolics in different targeted food samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endogenous opioid neuropeptide Beta-endorphin is produced in the pituitary gland and stored in vesicles, it is an analgesic and relieves pain. The natural compound morphine is widely used as a painkiller and is much more potent than any other first-line and second-line pain management however it is only used in emergencies because it results in addiction, thus sometimes results in drug tolerance. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle and healthy practices like exercises, laughter, and meditation can elevate beta-endorphin release and help in pain management, improving mental and heart health. Natural compounds like curcumin, capsaicin can boost beta-endorphin synthesis in peripheral sites and overcome stress and improve mental health. This paper reflects on the role of exercise in pain management and how regular laughter can enlighten the mood and help the individual overcome depression, anxiety, and stress. This paper also reflects light on the natural substances that can boost beta-endorphin in the body as well as the compounds that prevent the beta-endorphin release, how body fluids can be used to detect the presence of beta-endorphin level, and methods to detect it. The available standard laboratory methods are not very specific for beta-endorphin. The future approach of biosensors for beta-endorphin can improve the sensitivity and selectivity for beta-endorphin. • Role of physical activities in boosting Beta-endorphin. • Natural compounds that can boost Beta-endorphin. • Relation between exercise, laughter with heart health. • Standard laboratory techniques for beta-endorphin detection. • Future advancement for beta-endorphin detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benchtop NMR provides improved accessibility in terms of cost, space, and technical expertise. In turn, this encourages new users into the field of NMR spectroscopy. Unfortunately, many interesting samples in education and research, from beer to whole blood, contain significant amounts of water that require suppression in 1H NMR in order to recover sample information. However, due to the significant reduction in chemical shift dispersion in benchtop NMR systems, the sample signals are much closer to the water resonance compared to those in a corresponding high‐field NMR spectrum. Therefore, simply translating solvent suppression experiments intended for high‐field NMR instruments to benchtop NMR systems without careful consideration can be problematic. In this study, the effectiveness of several popular water suppression schemes was evaluated for benchtop NMR applications. Emphasis is placed on pulse sequences with no, or few, adjustable parameters making them easy to implement. These fall into two main categories: (1) those based on Pre‐SAT including Pre‐SAT, PURGE, NOESY‐PR, and g‐NOESY‐PR and (2) those based on binomial inversion including JRS and W5‐WATERGATE. Among these schemes, solvent suppression sequences based on Pre‐SAT offer a general approach for easy solvent suppression for samples with higher analyte concentrations (sucrose standard and Redbull™). However, for human urine, binomial‐like sequences were required. In summary, it is demonstrated that highly efficient water suppression approaches can be implemented on benchtop NMR systems in a simple manner, despite the limited spectral dispersion, further illustrating the potential for widespread implementation of these approaches in education and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining a healthy body weight requires balancing energy intake and expenditure. While previous research investigated energy input or food decisions, little is known about energy output or leisure activity decisions. By combining experimental decision-making paradigms and computational approaches, we investigated the psychological mechanisms of self-controlled food and leisure activity decisions through the effects of reward-oriented and health-oriented preferences as well as body weight status, stress, and coping. Based on individual's responses, the self-controlled food and leisure activity choices were indexed as the proportions of "no" unhealthy but tasty (or enjoyable) (inhibitory self-control against short-term pleasure) and "yes" healthy but not tasty (or not enjoyable) responses (initiatory self-control for long-term health benefits). The successful self-control decisions for food and leisure activity were positively correlated with each other, r = 22, p <.01. In beta regression analyses, the successful self-controlled food decisions decreased as the taste-oriented process increased, β = − 0.50, z = -2.99, p <.005, and increased as the health-oriented process increased, β = 1.57, z = 4.68, p <.001. Similarly, the successful self-controlled leisure activity decisions decreased as the enjoyment-oriented process increased, β = − 0.79, z = -5.31, p <.001, and increased as the health-oriented process increased, β = 0.66, z = 2.19, p <.05. The effects of the other factors were not significant. Overall, our findings demonstrated the mutual interrelationship between food and leisure activity decision-making and suggest that encouraging health-oriented processes may benefit both energy input and expenditure domains and improve self-controlled choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the social processes of solidarities under pressure and their articulation with food in migratory contexts, in both urban and rural settings around Bordeaux (Gironde, South-West France). It is based on the actual experiences of vulnerable individuals in migration situations (the Outsiders) and “the Established” (cf. Elias and Scotson), who engage in various actions for, and sometimes with, the former. Our methodology included observing participants in several dwelling places and food-aid initiatives, as well as conversations with adults, unaccompanied minors, and families. Adopting an “embedded” anthropology approach (Dubey; Lewis and Russell), we followed long-term residents and new arrivals in their interactions. We conducted a multi-level analysis of the different approaches and positions adopted by the protagonists providing and receiving assistance, sometimes both at once, exerting their agency in order to create spaces of freedom within structural constraints, thus expressing their participation in society. One of the aims was to contribute to a situational anthropology approach that ultimately challenged the position of foreigners in our societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central to food culture are food practices that encompass any activity in which food is involved. Furthermore, food culture studies analyse the many meanings generated by these practices. This article explores food culture in precolonial Taiwan. It charts the meanings generated by the food practices of the Siraya, a Formosan ethnic group who lived in southwest Taiwan and had intensive contact with Dutch East India Company colonisers and an array of Chinese in the seventeenth century. The article analyses the rich variety of edible animals, plants, and fish, and drinks available in Taiwan before focusing on Siraya food practices and the meanings generated by these practices. These include the use of food for sacrifice, funeral rites, gifting, and exchange. The article also examines taboos around food and their social function. Furthermore, it compares Siraya food culture with that of other Formosan groups and pre-Columbian America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed Methods Results Conclusions So What? Nostalgia—the bittersweet reliving of the past—has been linked to social connection and psychological wellbeing. Although food consumption is often an intrinsically social experience, relatively little research has examined how individuals experience and understand how food consumption relates to feelings of nostalgia, food and mood.In the current study, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight Australians from varying cultural backgrounds to explore their experiences with nostalgia, food and mood.Reflexive thematic analysis identified three key themes from the data: (i) The bittersweet experiences of food‐evoked nostalgia—individuals' descriptions of food‐evoked nostalgia and how it impacted their mood both positively and negatively (ii) social connection and identity continuity—participants' description of food‐evoked nostalgia and how this provides an opportunity for social connection and identity continuity throughout life, which positively influences mood, and (iii) the role and relationship of food‐evoked nostalgia and mood—individual descriptions of the important role that nostalgic food plays in their life, in addition to their relationship with food, and how this impacts mood.Understanding the positive component of nostalgic foods allowed individuals to bolster positive mood states with food‐evoked nostalgia, increasing their quality of life.Understanding the link between food‐evoked nostalgia and mood has significant implications, suggesting that negative mood states altered by nostalgic foods may result in positive mood states. Appropriate use of food‐evoked nostalgia may increase the quality of life for individuals experiencing low mood states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the major short-chain fatty acids produced via microbial fermentation, butyrate serves as not only a preferred energy substrate but also an important signaling molecule. Butyrate concentrations in circulation, tissues, and gut luminal contents have important pathophysiological implications. The genetic capacity of butyrate biosynthesis by the gut microbiota is frequently compromised during aging and various disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic disorders and colorectal cancer. Substantial efforts have been made to identify potent butyrogenic substrates and butyrate-hyperproducing bacteria to compensate for butyrate deficiency. Interindividual butyrogenic responses exist, which are more strongly predicted by heterogeneity in the gut microbiota composition than by ingested prebiotic substrates. In this review, we catalog major food types rich in butyrogenic substrates. We also discuss the potential of butyrogenic foods with proven properties for promoting gut health and disease management using findings from clinical trials. Potential limitations and constraints in the current research are highlighted. We advocate a precise nutrition approach in designing future clinical trials by prescreening individuals for key gut microbial signatures when recruiting study volunteers. The information provided in this review will be conducive to the development of microbiota engineering approaches for enhancing the sustained production of butyrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children today have limited food origin awareness. The further we move away from food production practices, the less exposure children have to them, and the more food vulnerable we become. This is especially true for children growing up in urban areas where there is limited space for food gardens. Schools have developed targeted pedagogical approaches to raise food origin awareness, and this paper examines one such attempt in Cairns, Australia. We compare how students aged 5-6 responded to an activity where they drew their immediate response to the word ‘food'. Comparisons were then made between those learning under explicit instruction and those using a more experiential, place-based pedagogical approach. The findings suggest students in the experiential class who regularly use the garden as a learning space drew significantly higher levels of fresh, place-appropriate fruits and vegetables (U = 61.5, P = 0.002). We discuss the ramifications of exposure to a globalised food system and how experiences at school can nurture children's understanding of food. We interpret the outcomes of the different pedagogical approaches and unravel the importance of ‘place' in a child's food experience. The evidence presented suggests that children’s food knowledge could improve if food education is bolstered with experiential and place-responsive pedagogies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives / purpose: After school programs represents a setting for promoting healthy dietary habits. The aim of this study was to evaluate how effective the after school program staff perceived nutrition training aiming to improve quality of food purchased and meal practices. We further aimed to assess the changes in purchase of primarily fish and fish products, whole grains and fruit and vegetables, by collecting receipts from food purchase before and after the intervention. Results: This is a mixed methods study. Group interviews with after school staff were carried out and the data was analyzed deductively according to the RE-AIM framework. Receipts from food purchase were collected. Findings from the qualitative interviews indicated that the intervention had been a positive experience for the staff and suggested a new way of working with promoting healthy foods in after school program units. Although there were some challenges reported, the staff made necessary adjustments to make the changes possible to sustain over time. Findings from the receipts support the changes reported by the staff. These showed increased purchase of vegetables, fish, and whole grain in all four after school program units. After school programs in similar settings may expand on these findings to improve the students' dietary habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6) is currently considered as a predominant pathogen of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), and is occasionally linked to myocardial injury. We first established a mouse model of CVA6-induced myocardial injury. Next, we analyzed the immune cell phenotypes CVA6-infected mice hearts by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and found that CVA6 led to massive neutrophils infiltration, suggesting their potential link with the occurrence of myocardial injury. We further used either αGr-1 or αLy6G antibody to deplete neutrophils, and found that neutrophil-depleted animals showed decreased cardiac enzymes, lower degree of pathology in hearts, and reduced inflammatory cytokine production compared to isotype controls. Finally, we confirmed the involvement of neutrophils in myocardial injury of clinical patients with severe HFMD. Our study suggests that excessive neutrophils contribute to myocardial injury caused by CVA6 infection, which provides new insights into myocardial injury during the development of HFMD severity and the outcome of immune cell-mediated therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speciation analysis plays a key role in understanding the biological activity and toxicity of an element. So far, classical speciation analysis focused only on the dissolved fraction of an elemental species, whereas nanoparticle forms of analytes are being widely found in consumer and industrial products. A significant contributor to human exposure to nanoparticles is through food into which nanoparticles can be incorporated from endogenous sources or they may be formed naturally in the living organisms. Nanoparticles often undergo changes in the food matrices and upon consumption, in the gastrointestinal tract, which present a significant challenge to their characterisation. Therefore, a combination of both classical and nanoparticle speciation analytical techniques is needed for the characterisation of both dissolved and particulate forms of the chemical species. This article presents and discusses the current trends in analysis of nanoparticle behaviour in the gastrointestinal tract and formation and characterisation of biogenic nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sirtuins have an important role in the regulation of metabolic and biological processess. Thus, we hypothesized that foods that could activate sirtuins, known as "sirtfood", may improve health status. So, this study was aimed at investigating the association between the amount of sirtfood intake and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Methods: In this cohort study, 2918 adults who had no history of MACE at the start of the study (2006–2008) participated and were followed up on until 2018. The amount of sirtfoods intake (servings per week) was computed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Each patient's medical records were evaluated to detect MACE. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to assess the association between the amount of sirtfood intake and the risk of MACE. Results: The median duration of the study was 10.6 years. The hazard ratio (HR) for the risk of MACE was 0.70 for the second (95% CI: 0.50, 0.98) and 0.60 (95% CI: 0.42, 0.86) for the third tertile of sirtfoods intake compared with the first tertile. This association was nonlinear, and sirtfoods consumption of more than five servings per week did not result in a lower risk of MACE. In addition, there was a significant interaction between age (P-interaction < 0.001) and sirtfoods intake in relation to MACE occurrence. When assessing sirtfood components, compared with the lowest intake, the highest amount of soy (HR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.99) and parsley (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.83) intake was related to a lower risk of MACE. Conclusion: Our results indicated an inverse association between a higher amount of sirtfood intake and a lower risk of MACE incidents. This association was nonlinear, and having more than five servings of sirtfood per week did not reduce the risk of MACE any further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing food prices have implications for basic subsistence, have a strong price visibility and symbolic value, and are characterized by high volatility and inelasticity of demand. Research thus assumes that food price is an important trigger for unrest. Yet, whether food is an especially potent driver for people's willingness to engage in collective action, or whether it concerns grievances about general inflation, is unknown. Does food have a greater effect on the willingness to participate in unrest? The paper investigates the relative importance of food in mobilization potential by using unique data from a survey experiment in Johannesburg, South Africa. The experiment collects information on how price increases in food, fuel, and electricity affects respondents' willingness to engage in unrest. The results show a higher willingness to engage in collective action when presented with increasing living expenses, regardless of whether it is food, fuel or electricity, compared to stable prices. We also consider the level of risk exposure to price hikes, and find that those who report going hungry in the last year have a higher willingness to engage in unrest than those who do not. Thus, food access influences the willingness to partake in unrest during price hikes, also for commodities seemingly unrelated to food. This suggests that for those who are most affected by a price hike it is less important what type of commodity it is. The question is whether it introduces further strain on an already hard-stretched budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food‐derived extracellular vesicles (FDEVs) such as those found in mammalian milk and plants are of great interest for both their health benefits and ability to act as biological nanocarriers. While the extracellular vesicle (EV) field is expanding rapidly to perform characterisation studies on FDEVs from plants, yeasts and bacteria, species‐specific differences in EV uptake and function in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract are poorly understood. Moreover, the effects of food processing on the EV surfaceome and intraluminal content also raises questions surrounding biological viability once consumed. Here, I present a case for increasing community‐wide focus on understanding the cellular uptake of FDEVs from different animal, plant, yeast, and bacterial species and how this may impact their function in the human, which will have implications for human health and therapeutic strategies alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Nearly a quarter of active duty service members identified as food insecure in a 2022 Department of Defense report. Food insecurity impacts military readiness, retention, and recruitment. The Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federal food supplementation program that can mitigate food insecurity for service members with children less than 5 years of age. To date, there is a lack of standardized screening for WIC eligibility or enrollment for service members and their families. This project sought to evaluate WIC awareness and enrollment as well as the prevalence of food insecurity at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Materials and Methods A 26-question survey was developed to assess WIC awareness, source of WIC information, food insecurity, and nutritional insecurity. Our team developed and utilized a novel WIC screening algorithm to rapidly screen families for WIC eligibility. These tools were administered to families presenting for care at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center pediatrics and obstetric outpatient clinics during the month of July 2022. This study was approved by the institutional review board at Walter Reed. Results A total of 108 (25%) of the 432 surveyed participants were eligible for WIC, with odds of WIC eligibility increasing for lower-ranking and younger service members. Of the 432 participants, 354 (81.9%) were aware of WIC. Enlisted service members were more likely than officers to know about WIC (P  = 0.03), and of the 354 participants aware of WIC, a higher proportion of enlisted rank respondents learned about WIC from a military source (P  = 0.01). Among the 108 participants eligible for WIC, only 38 (35.2%) reported being enrolled in WIC. Among WIC-eligible respondents who knew about WIC, being enrolled in the WIC program was not associated with rank, branch of service, sponsor gender, or sponsor age. Conclusions Despite proven efficacy, WIC remains an underutilized resource for eligible military families. Our results show that a standardized screening approach at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center increased identification of WIC-eligible active duty service members by 180%, with approximately $150,000 a year in increased food supplementation benefits. Military healthcare and readiness leaders should embrace efforts to increase knowledge of, referral to, and enrollment in WIC to increase family health, well-being, and military family readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EOE) is a known cause of food bolus obstruction (FBO) with rising incidence and prevalence. Aims: To assess the rates of EOE in adult cases presenting with an FBO via prospective biopsy collection during index endoscopy. Methods: Oesophageal FBO cases requiring gastroscopy between February 2014 and January 2021 at a single institution with a unified policy to perform biopsies on FBO cases were analysed using medical records, endoscopy and histology. Statistical analysis was undertaken to compare those with and without EOE as their final diagnosis, including the timing of oesophageal biopsy and the season that cases presented. Results: One hundred ninety FBO presentations were analysed, 15 patients presented twice and one patient presented four times within the 7‐year study period. Men represented 72% of cases. A total of 78% of cases had biopsies collected at an index or scheduled follow‐up endoscopy. EOE was the cause of the FBO in 28% (53/190) of presentations. FBO secondary to EOE was more likely to occur in the spring and summer months (Australian September to March), with 39% (19 of 49) of cases presenting in spring attributable to EOE. Conclusion: EOE affects a significant proportion of patients presenting with FBO (28%); a high biopsy rate of 78% in FBO cases provides an opportunity for prompt diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study is to investigate the effects of steam pressure cooking on sensitivity for the ω-3 fatty acids of fish. Five different cooking processes were applied including grilling (Gg), baking (Bg), steaming (Sg), steam pressure (Spg), and super heated steam group (Shsg). The application of steam pressure cooking was made at 120°C and steam pressure (1.5 atm) depending on different cooking time (10, 15, 20, and 25 min). The Sp cooking conditions are similar the domestic steam cooking conditions. In this regard, Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA), PUFAω-3, PUFAω-6, and Unsaturated Fatty Acid (UFA) were determined. The results showed that PUFAω-3 and PUFAω-6 were more stable during the Spg than Gg, Bg, and Sg cooking. Accordingly, it is expected that, in terms of PUFAω-3 and PUFAω-6, the most stable group was steam pressure cooking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed significant variation in the scale and form of decommodification across the capitalist world economy. To explore these uneven decommodification geographies this article develops a new conceptual framework that combines a critical Polanyian reading of decommodification with Latin American insights into centre-periphery structures and relations. The decommodification of land and labour in Britain (centre) and Ecuador (periphery) are then analysed from this conceptual perspective. The comparative analysis reveals significant variation in the scale and form of decommodification between the two countries during the pandemic. However, some important similarities are also observed, especially in relation to the (de) commodification of land. Here, the article draws on the corporate food regime literature to better understand similarities and differences between Britain and Ecuador. By revealing the uneven and shifting terrain of decommodification, this article makes a novel contribution to wider debates about the capitalist conjuncture and the intensifying crises of neoliberal capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Pakistan, type 2 diabetes is widespread, and although dietary recommendations from healthcare professionals are critical to its treatment, cultural norms can have a great influence on the dietary habits of people living with diabetes (PLwD). Understanding the social aspects of the lives of PLwD is crucial when examining the effectiveness of nutritional recommendations and adjustments. This study investigated (1) how PLwD and their family members adjust their nutrition to the recommendations of healthcare professionals to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and (2) what do PLwD and their family members perceive as enablers and barriers to the necessary nutritional adjustments for managing T2DM. Prime consideration was given to experiences of living in Pakistan as the cultural context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 PLwD and 17 family members; the data were analysed thematically. Three themes emerged: (i) 'Influence of family system, gender, and age on meals prepared at home': family hierarchy and opinions based on gender and age can enable or hinder nutritional adjustment in meals prepared at home; (ii) 'Temptations of "unhealthy" foods, festivals, cultural interactions, and social etiquette': family/social interactions at home, gatherings, or festivities can affect PLwD's ability to resist temptations to eat foods prohibited by healthcare professionals; and (iii) 'Folk knowledge, folk remedy, and the balance between culture and Western medicine': PLwD and their family members in Pakistan hold strong beliefs concerning foods' medicinal properties. Power dynamics within families need to be considered when making nutritional recommendations. Medical guidelines should acknowledge personal agency and cultural beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay plays out a few ethics reasons we have to reconsider what’s really being marketed to us in some free offers that distract us from questions of ethical, cultural, and clinical importance, for example. Possible points of focus for bioethics as a field are related to antimicrobial resistance and stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroecological and artisanal produce markets have multiplied as part of a broader process that promotes food citizenship oriented towards justice and sustainability. However, this phenomenon is immersed in the complexity of food systems and entails great heterogeneity. This article analyzes the relationship between these types of initiatives and the gentrification processes in some of the areas where they are established. The topic is approached from ethnographic material collected in the framework of a research project on agroecological production initiatives and artisanal transformation in Mexico City and on the citizens’ collectives that facilitate the commercialization of this production. The findings show that in certain areas of the city these markets shape a broader set of “alternative” food supply networks linked to gentrification processes and the findings identify some of the factors that affect the reproduction of social inequalities within the framework of these initiatives. At the same time, the study underscores the agency of the actors involved and documents their abilities to use these spaces through the growing demand for fresh, healthy, and locally-sourced food to advance their own ends in areas subject to gentrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impact of the gastronomic boom on gentrification processes in Lima, Peru, during the last two decades. It is an ethnographic study conducted in 2012, 2014, and 2016 in the Santa Cruz housing development, which used to be a working-class neighborhood located in the Miraflores district. The central focus is the analysis of the personal narratives of change and belonging of residents, workers, and visitors, supported by photographic practice. In particular, it is based on the experience of Carlos, a young actor who after living several years in London returns to Peru to start a business and, taking advantage of competitive prices in Santa Cruz, opens a gourmet bakery in the neighborhood. Using the notion of “cosmopolitan imagination,” we show the different ways in which Carlos recontextualizes his experience in London in the specificity of La Mar, negotiating the limits, meanings and values of the places, people, and cultural practices that arise from inhabiting this space of change. Ultimately, Carlos’s bakery becomes a meeting point for linking or negotiating different strategies and experiences of belonging to the area, materializing power dynamics that emerge inside and outside the business, thus shaping the commodification of Santa Cruz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriocins are highly diverse, abundant, and heterogeneous antimicrobial peptides that are ribosomally synthesized by bacteria and archaea. Since their discovery about a century ago, there has been a growing interest in bacteriocin research and applications. This is mainly due to their high antimicrobial properties, narrow or broad spectrum of activity, specificity, low cytotoxicity, and stability. Though initially used to improve food quality and safety, bacteriocins are now globally exploited for innovative applications in human, animal, and food systems as sustainable alternatives to antibiotics. Bacteriocins have the potential to beneficially modulate microbiota, providing viable microbiome-based solutions for the treatment, management, and non-invasive bio-diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The use of bacteriocins holds great promise in the modulation of food microbiomes, antimicrobial food packaging, bio-sanitizers and antibiofilm, pre/post-harvest biocontrol, functional food, growth promotion, and sustainable aquaculture. This can undoubtedly improve food security, safety, and quality globally. This review highlights the current trends in bacteriocin research, especially the increasing research outputs and funding, which we believe may proportionate the soaring global interest in bacteriocins. The use of cutting-edge technologies, such as bioengineering, can further enhance the exploitation of bacteriocins for innovative applications in human, animal, and food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Germination of Bacillus cereus spores followed by growth and replication of the vegetative cells in food can result in food poisoning and therefore significant economic and health impacts. This study explores a novel approach to detect and differentiate spores and germinated B. cereus cells using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in combination with machine learning using three different germination triggers. HSI could successfully differentiate between dormant spores, germinated cells and structural controls (non‐spores). The spectral data in the visible‐near‐infrared range are sensitive to unique structural and chemical characteristics specific to spores, setting them apart from their vegetative counterparts and non‐biological controls. This non‐destructive and robust approach shows significant potential for detection and assessment of the physiological state (dormant or germinated). Therefore, HSI is a potential method for the detection of germination in B. cereus spores and merits further research and validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The quality (i.e. the degree of excellence and acceptance to the consumer) evaluation and safety of fruit and other agricultural products is by far the main challenging task in the food industries. Hence, the development of efficient non‐invasive, real‐time and rapid‐quality assessment tools and techniques is the need of the hour. This review paper aims to provide the basic or fundamental knowledge regarding the principle, potential and application of near‐infrared imaging‐based computer vision systems. Non‐invasive technologies, based on optical properties, are the most applicable and important for real‐time quality assessment. Absorption, reflection and scattering before the transmission of incident light are phenomenon properties of biological materials. The principle and application of NIR imaging (i.e. medical imaging) in agriculture for quality detection were studied from various published research papers. Thus, collected pieces of information are summarised, concluded and discussed in a unique way in this report. The NIR spectrum of electromagnetic waves has some basic benefits of light penetration into the upper layer and makes visualisation of the targeted area of objects. Several studies have proved that the non‐destructive system based on visible and non‐visible imaging in combination has a significant role in quality defect detection in fruits. In NIR imaging, the artefacts caused by light illumination can be reduced and it will help in the visualisation of biological tissues and hidden defects just below the peel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this narrative study was to explore experiences and assigned meanings in stories about self-directed weight loss (WL) maintenance after severe obesity (SO). In-depth interviews were conducted with eight women and two men, aged 27 to 59 years, who had carried out self-directed WL from SO for 5 years or more. fear of weight-regain, and food and emotion. We performed a case-based narrative analysis of especially rich interviews that illustrate these. Results pointed to persistently cultivating new competencies, establishing new eating habits, re-establishing old physical-training habits, and forming new relational bonds. Participants reinvented themselves and their lives. However, the stories are not all about transformation, but also about new and old health problems. The study directs attention to 'different obesities', not only to initial weight from which WL takes place, but also linked to the experiential horizons that the persons embody from childhood on. Furthermore, there was no way back in the present stories, always haunted in the wake of the lost weight. A double burden imposed on the person with obesity related to meta-stories in society deepens the understanding of this imperative: being vulnerable health-wise and exposed to stigmatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to explore how the concepts of food and kinship function within the book of Ruth. First, we want to argue that the book of Ruth tells the story of how a רג is incorporated into the society, family, and nation of Israel via the legislations outlined in Deuteronomy. Second, in order to accomplish such an endeavour, food is used not only as a means to welcome Ruth into the society, but it is also used symbolically as a promise for what is come. Third, despite her status as a lowly רג, Ruth challenges what it means to be an Israelite. Finally, her actions show that even a Moabitess can have an impact on the story of Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study evaluates the nutritional quality and level of processing of food and beverage products advertised on television channels most watched by children, in Italy. Data were collected over 20 non-consecutive days from the five top channels in Italy. A total of 209 food items were analysed using the Nutri-Score and the NOVA classification. Additionally, compliance with nutritional criteria established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the EU-PLEDGE was assessed. Results indicate a high proportion of energy-dense and low nutritional quality foods, with 68% falling into less favourable Nutri-Score categories (C, D, and E), and 61% classified as ultra-processed by NOVA classification. When applying WHO and PLEDGE criteria, 71% and 56% of products, respectively, did not meet nutritional standards. This study underscores the low prevalence of nutritionally adequate products in food advertisements targeting children on Italian television, despite differences found based on methodological variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-phase microextraction and comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography represent two milestone innovations that occurred in the field of separation science in the 1990s. They have a common root in their introduction and have found a perfect coupling in their evolution and applications. This review will focus on food analysis, where the paradigm has changed significantly over time, moving from a targeted analysis, focusing on a limited number of analytes at the time, to a more holistic approach for assessing quality in a larger sense. Indeed, not only some major markers or contaminants are considered, but a large variety of compounds and their possible interaction, giving rise to the field of foodomics. In order to obtain such detailed information and to answer more sophisticated questions related to food quality and authenticity, the use of SPME-GC × GC–MS has become essential for the comprehensive analysis of volatile and semi-volatile analytes. This article provides a critical review of the various applications of SPME-GC × GC in food analysis, emphasizing the crucial role this coupling plays in this field. Additionally, this review dwells on the importance of appropriate data treatment to fully harness the results obtained to draw accurate and meaningful conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunset yellow, a synthetic colorant and used to improve the texture and the appearance of food samples, can adversely affect humans. The development of a sensitive method to analyse food products for the accurate determination of sunset yellow is of importance for the level of risk to human health and thus food safety. The present study aimed to prepare a voltammetric method for the precise detection of sunset yellow content in a commonly consumed powdered beverage and pharmaceutical products. For this purpose, a sensitive method utilizing a voltammetric platform was constructed by modifying a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) measurements indicated that the proposed voltammetric platform (GCE/MWCNTs/AZO) possessed high electro‐active surface area and lower value of charge transfer resistance (Rct) and therefore, could serve as a promising sensing material. The GCE/MWCNTs/AZO system improved voltammetric behaviour of sunset yellow at an accumulation time of 210 s and indicated good electrocatalytic activity due to high synergistic effect between MWCNTs and AZO nanoparticles. This method of analysis exhibited a dynamic working range from 4.0×10−9 to 7.5×10−6 M with a limit of detection (LOD) of 9.5×10−10 M for sunset yellow. The GCE/MWCNTs/AZO system was successfully utilized for the electroanalysis of beverages and pharmaceuticals for detection of sunset yellow. Voltammetric measurements indicate that the GCE/MWCNTs/AZO system enables good accuracy and high precision for the determination of sunset yellow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractGraphene, renowned for its exceptional physicochemical attributes, has emerged as a favored substrate for integrating a wide array of inorganic and organic materials in scientific endeavors and innovations. Electrochemical graphene-based nanocomposite sensors have been developed by incorporating diverse nanoparticles into graphene, effectively immobilized onto electrodes through various techniques. These graphene-based nanocomposite sensors have effectively detected and quantified various electroactive species in samples. This review delves into using graphene nanocomposites to fabricate electrochemical sensors, leveraging the exceptional electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties inherent to graphene derivatives. These nanocomposites showcase electrocatalytic activity, substantial surface area, superior electrical conductivity, adsorption capabilities, and notable porosity, which are highly advantageous for sensing applications. A myriad of characterization techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET surface area analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), have proven effective in exploring the properties of graphene nanocomposites and validating the adjustable formation of these nanomaterials with graphene. The applicability of these sensors across various matrices, encompassing environmental, food, and biological domains, has been evaluated through electrochemical measurements, such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). This review provides a comprehensive overview of synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and sensor applications pertinent to graphene-based nanocomposites. Furthermore, it deliberates on the challenges and future prospects within this burgeoning field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High consumption of red and processed meat contributes to both health and environmental harms. Warning labels and taxes for red meat reduce selection of red meat overall, but little is known about how these potential policies affect purchases of subcategories of red meat (e.g., processed versus unprocessed) or of non-red-meat foods (e.g., cheese, pulses) relevant to health and environmental outcomes. This study examined consumer responses to warning labels and taxes for red meat in a randomized controlled trial. Methods: In October 2021, we recruited 3,518 US adults to complete a shopping task in a naturalistic online grocery store. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four arms: control (no warning labels or tax), warning labels only (health and environmental warning labels appeared next to products containing red meat), tax only (prices of products containing red meat were increased 30%) or combined warning labels + tax. Participants selected items to hypothetically purchase, which we categorized into food groups based on the presence of animal- and plant-source ingredients (e.g., beef, eggs, pulses), meat processing level (e.g., processed pork versus unprocessed pork), and meat species (e.g., beef versus pork). We assessed the effects of the warning labels and tax on selections from each food group. Results: Compared to control, all three interventions led participants to select fewer items with processed meat (driven by reductions in processed pork) and (for the tax and warning labels + tax interventions only) fewer items with unprocessed meat (driven by reductions in unprocessed beef). All three interventions also led participants to select more items containing cheese, while only the combined warning labels + tax intervention led participants to select more items containing processed poultry. Except for an increase in selection of pulses in the tax arm, the interventions did not affect selections of fish or seafood (processed or unprocessed), eggs, or plant-based items (pulses, nuts & seeds, tofu, meat mimics, grains & potatoes, vegetables). Conclusions: Policies to reduce red meat consumption are also likely to affect consumption of other types of foods that are relevant to both health and environmental outcomes. Trial registration: NCT04716010 on www.clinicaltrials.gov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how small‐scale farmers' shared moral understandings of land shape both land sales and land rental markets, in the context of the commoditization of agriculture in Nicaragua. The results here presented are based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in a subsistence farming community in the highlands of Nicaragua. This research shows that even in relatively commoditized market economies, shared yet contested ideas around the ethics of a community moral economy stall and constrain the local marketization of land. Social relationships, ideas of a sacred origin of land, and expectations about the duties of landholders toward their community peers undermine the capitalist dynamics of supply and demand. This ethical challenge to capitalist market expansion into land markets enables the survival of small‐scale subsistence farming. These findings are important, as they show how land markets are shaped by differing perspectives on historical dynamics of land tenure, class differentiation, and the everyday moral economies in which competing ideas of obligation, solidarity, and fair prices are articulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deaf patients have poorer health indicators than the general population and encounter numerous obstacles in terms of quality of information, particularly regarding diet. The objective of this study aims to describe the implementation of educational workshops led by a multidisciplinary team trained in sign language. The first part describes eating habits with the implementation of these workshops and the limits. The second part aims to understand the environment of the Deafs and shows the educational interest of the workshops by introducing the notions of community health and health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers are confronted with conflicting information regarding the safety of specific foods. For example, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an annual consumer guide in which they rank the pesticide contamination of 46 popular fruits and vegetables, which includes designating the 12 with the greatest pesticide contamination as the "Dirty Dozen," to help consumers reduce exposures to toxic pesticides. However, consumer guides like EWG's only incorporate some hazard assessment principles and do not reflect a dietary risk assessment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to apply risk assessment techniques to EWG's Dirty Dozen list using a uniform screening-level approach to estimate pesticide exposures for U.S. consumers and to characterize the associated chronic human health risks. The most commonly detected pesticide and its representative residue concentrations were identified for each produce type on the 2022 Dirty Dozen list using the USDA Pesticide Data Program database. Estimates of mean dietary consumption in the U.S. were used to calculate dietary exposure to each pesticide-produce combination for adults and children. Pesticide-specific U.S. EPA dietary health-based guidance values (HBGVs) were then used as benchmarks to evaluate the chronic human health risk of consuming each produce type. Overall, the estimated daily exposure for each pesticide-produce combination was below the corresponding HBGV for all exposure scenarios. The current analysis demonstrates that excessive produce-specific pesticide exposure is unexpected as the amount of produce that would need to be consumed on a chronic basis, even among children, far exceeds typical dietary intake. Future research is necessary to assess acute dietary exposure scenarios and to consider cumulative risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to carry out a survey of food plants and carry out their respective characterization in the quilombola community of Jacarequara, municipality of Santa Luzia do Pará, State of Pará, Brazil. Priority was given to a qualitative-quantitative methodological approach, using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, guided tours and a free list to compose the botanical inventory. The data obtained were tabulated and systematized, in addition to calculating the frequency of citation of the species and the Cognitive Salience Index (ISC, by their acronyms in Portuguese) of the food plants inventoried. A total of 140 food ethnospecies were catalogued, with Euphorbiaceae (27), Arecaceae (12), Musaceae (10) and Rutaceae (9) standing out. Among the food plants with the highest ISC, were açaí (Euterpe oleracea), banana (Musa paradisiaca), mandioca (Manihot esculenta), coconut (Cocos nucifera), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), acerola (Malpighia glabra), bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) and orange (Citrus sinensis). From the analysis of the data obtained by this study, it was observed the great importance of food plants and this is because they compose not only their food base, but also be present in income generation and represent the local food culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented manuscript deals with the issues of genesis and evolution of soil structure and crop plants in the Lower Amu Darya Region. The pertinent investigation also elaborates on wild plant characteristics in the desert zone and details of cultivated plants grown in the Lower Amu Darya region. The paper also discusses soil-forming processes and the structure of soils, which is the external appearance involved in specific changes from the vertical direction of its layers. Horizons always differ in color, structure, composition, and other morphological features. The article also describes the mechanical composition of the soils of these regions, including the formation of plants grown on highly saline soils, the morphology and characteristics of these plants, and the effective use of arable land to ensure food security in the country. Likewise, the most urgent problems today are increasing soil productivity and its protection and raising economic efficiency to obtain high-quality and ecologically clean products from every agricultural crop. The soils distributed in the lower Amudarya regions, including Karakalpakstan and Khorezm regions, are more or less saline. For the soils' future effective use, salt-resistant and phytomeliorative crops, especially alfalfa, white corn, beets, melons, watermelons, and pumpkins, and oil crops, such as sesame, will give a high and highquality harvest. As a result of the sand and dust-salty mixture rising from the dry bottom of the Aral Sea under the influence of the wind in the spring months, crops are drying up. Therefore, to prevent this, it is most practical and scientifically imperative to carry out phytomeliorative work in these areas to establish saxovull farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to develop an understanding of food and meals as a family practice of migrant families living in structural homelessness. It is based on a study in which 15 children (aged 9–16) photographed events in their everyday lives and spoke about them. In addition, the children's parents (17 mothers and fathers) were interviewed. This article reveals that meals have different meanings for these families: as a structure in the everyday life, as a form of caring for the family, and as a social occasion in which the family's culture becomes expressed through traditional foods and dishes. Meals also become a means of maintaining a sense of normality in a difficult life situation. They function as a unifying family practice and a bearer of emotions as they communicate a sense of security, tradition, and identity. The photographs allowed meal practices to be displayed and acknowledged in relation to their surroundings. Despite difficult living conditions and restricted economic circumstances, the photographs indicate that the children are given well-balanced meals. The families try to make the best of the opportunities available to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the interconnections and interrelations between food, waste, people and state during a series of survival crises in the famines of 1921–3, 1932–3 and 1946–7 in Soviet Ukraine. Owing to grain and food requisitions, the collectivization of agriculture and rationing, as part of the state's growing control over the flow of economic resources from the 1920s to the 1940s, discarded food acquired particular importance for people's survival during these times of extremes. Focusing on both individual and institutional levels of waste production and regulation, this study explores the role of food waste in the survival practices of the starving and traces the development of their individual resourcefulness and interconnectedness with wider social and natural environments. The article explores different types of food waste, including husks, leftover food, carrion and spoiled and rotten food and the spaces of its collection. By 'following' the traces of waste in urban and rural landscapes, including, among others, dumpsters, slaughterhouses, cattle cemeteries and railway stations, the article brings into focus the critical changes in human–food, human–waste and human–nature relationships in times of extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic worms of the genus Schistosoma. In Brazil, there are reports of infection by the Schistosoma mansoni species, which has the Biomphalaria glabrata snail as one of its intermediate hosts. The present work aimed to test the effects of different Abelmoschus esculentus seed extracts and fractions on adults and embryos of B. glabrata and S. mansoni cercariae. A total of four crude extracts and thirteen fractions with different organic solvents were used for the bioassays. The extracts were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Molluscicidal activity was assessed in 24-well plates, after which the LC50 and LC90 were calculated. Assays with B. glabrata embryos and S. mansoni cercariae were also performed. These findings indicate the presence of flavanoids in the hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol crude extracts. For the molluscicidal activity assays, eight fractions had an LC90 value less than that recommended by the WHO. The methanol fraction of the dichloromethane extract (FrMeOH EDM) had the most promising results, with an LC90 of 37.15 mg/L and 100% mortality in embryos of B. glabrata and cercariae. FrMeOH, EDM, and other fractions are possible candidates for new drugs for the combat of schistosomiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to identify how dietitians and other healthcare providers work to build trust in food systems in the course of providing dietary education. Methods: Qualitative semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 15 purposefully sampled dietitians (n = 5), general practitioners (n = 5), and complementary and alternative medicine practitioners (n = 5) within metropolitan South Australia. Interview data were then interpreted using an inductive thematic analysis approach, involving the construction of themes representing trust‐enhancing roles around which beliefs about professional roles, the 'patient', and food and health were clustered. Results: Healthcare providers communicate beliefs regarding (dis)trust in food systems through: (i) responding to patient queries and concerns following a food incident or scare; (ii) helping patients to identify (un)trustworthy elements of food supply systems; and (iii) encouraging consumption of locally produced and minimally processed food. Importantly, the expression of these roles differed according to participant beliefs about food and health (medico‐scientific versus alternative medicine) and their adoption of professional projects that sought to promote medico‐scientific ways of thinking about health and diet or manage the failures of Western medicine. Conclusion: The development and consolidation of trust‐enhancing roles amongst healthcare providers likely requires disciplinary reflection on professional values and the processes by which practitioners apply these values to understanding food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]