Daily Diet Research Articles

Low Energy Intake Leads to Body Composition and Performance Decrements in a Highly-Trained, Female Athlete: The WANDER (Woman’s Activity and Nutrition during an Extensive Hiking Route) Case Study

Thru-hiking requires high energy intake to support performance and reduce injury risks. Currently, there is limited information on the dietary demands, the practical considerations for optimal nutrient intake, and the negative consequences associated with reduced caloric intakes during a thru-hike, particularly in women. Objective This case study’s purpose was to quantify energy intake vs energy expenditure during a thru-hiker’s trek and assess its relationship to performance and health. Methods A highly trained, female thru-hiker (Age (yrs): 62, Ht (cm): 157, Wt (kg): 53.5, BMI (kg/m2): 21.7, %BF: 26.0) embarked on a 4-month journey through the Pacific Crest Trail, USA. The athlete’s body composition and 3-day diet record were assessed before (PRE) and after the hike (POST). During the hike, she tracked her diet and performance daily and completed a wellness survey each time she reached a town-check point. Data were analyzed for descriptive (weekly averages, means ± SD) and frequency statistics. Results She spent 10 wk (∼70 days) on the trail and hiked 1,506.35 km (26.1 ± 3.2 km/day) with an estimated energy expenditure of ∼2334 ± 351 kcal/day. During the hike, she under consumed calories (1285.3 ± 103 kcal) and dietary carbohydrate (169.5 ± 19.5g), fat (49.7 ± 5.8g), protein (41.9 ± 4.8g; 0.8 g/kg), fiber (11.8 ± 2.1g) and sodium (1642.4 ± 298.6 mg) when compared to ultra-endurance nutrition recommendations. She was unable to complete the trail due to fatigue and anthropometric changes. By POST, she had decreased total mass (PRE: 53.5 kg vs POST: 48.4 kg), BMI (PRE 21.6 vs POST: 19.5), fat-free mass (PRE: 39.6 vs POST: 38.8), and body fat (PRE: 26% vs POST: 19.6%) when compared to PRE. Conclusion Trail-related challenges combined with high energy expenditures led to low nutrient intake which contributed to trail-ending injuries and performance decrements. Research aimed at addressing the barriers associated with thru-hike fueling is needed to identify nutritional opportunities to support hikers’ performance and reduce injury risks.

Protective effect of bamboo root dietary Fibre on hyperlipidaemia mice induced by high-fat diet

ABSTRACT Bamboo root as by-product of bamboo shoot processing is rich in dietary fibre. The protective effects of bamboo root dietary fibre (BRDF) with different intake dose on the hyperlipidaemia mice were investigated. The mice weight in the high dose (HD) group was 31.18 g, lower than that of high fat diet (HFD) group (33.71 g, p < .05), after consuming BRDF. The contents of TC, TG and LDL-C in HD group mice were significantly reduced (p < .05). The mice liver index significantly decreased in the BRDF group compared to the HFD group. TC and TG contents in the liver of HD mice were 0.85 mmol·g−1 and 0.83 mmol·g−1, respectively, significantly lower than 2.25 mmol·g−1 and 1.46 mmol·g−1 in the normal control group (p < .05). H&E staining showed a reduction in inflammatory infiltration. These results suggested that BRDF in the daily diet could reduce blood lipids in vivo and prevent hyperlipidaemia.

Effects of Dietary Components on Mast Cells: Possible Use as Nutraceuticals for Allergies?

Allergic diseases affect an estimated 30 percent of the world's population. Mast cells (MC) are the key effector cells of allergic reactions by releasing pro-inflammatory mediators such as histamine, lipid mediators, and cytokines/chemokines. Components of the daily diet, including certain fatty acids, amino acids, and vitamins, as well as secondary plant components, may have effects on MC and thus may be of interest as nutraceuticals for the prevention and treatment of allergies. This review summarizes the anti-inflammatory effects of dietary components on MC, including the signaling pathways involved, in in vitro and in vivo models. Butyrate, calcitriol, kaempferol, quercetin, luteolin, resveratrol, curcumin, and cinnamon extract were the most effective in suppressing the release of preformed and de novo synthesized mediators from MC or in animal models. In randomized controlled trials (RCT), vitamin D, quercetin, O-methylated epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), resveratrol, curcumin, and cinnamon extract improved symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR) and reduced the number of inflammatory cells in patients. However, strategies to overcome the poor bioavailability of these nutrients are an important part of current research.

Impact of Demonstration of Nutrition Garden for Year-round Nutrition Security in Farm Families of Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Malnutrition is a nationwide issue that is quickly getting worse. Malnutrition hinders social and mental development in addition to slowing down a child's growth and development and also pregnant, lactating women, adolescent girls. It also increases the likelihood and length of illness.Long-term consequences of under nutrition include cognitive and development deficiencies as well as lowered infection resistance.With the purpose of evaluating the nutritional security of farm households, the current study seeks to comprehend the value of nutrition gardens. The current study was carried out in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, consecutively for two years.From the recipients of the KVK front line demonstration programme on nutrition security, 90 respondents (50 with nutrition gardens and 50 without) were chosen at random.The 200 m2 area wasfound appropriate for the medium family group of five members. Among the vegetables cultivated in nutria garden, highest benefit was obtained from the cultivation of okra (1: 2.38) followed by spinach (1: 1.48). There was increase of 90g of consumption of vegetables after nutri garden. After nutri garden the normal weight percentage of individuals was 51.1% and underweight individuals were 35.5%.The nutritional garden encouraged families to include freshly picked vegetables in their daily diets, which helped to improve their families' nutritional condition.

Edible Insects: A New Sustainable Nutritional Resource Worth Promoting.

Edible insects are a highly nutritious source of protein and are enjoyed by people all over the world. Insects contain various other nutrients and beneficial compounds, such as lipids, vitamins and minerals, chitin, phenolic compounds, and antimicrobial peptides, which contribute to good health. The practice of insect farming is far more resource-efficient compared to traditional agriculture and animal husbandry, requiring less land, energy, and water, and resulting in a significantly lower carbon footprint. In fact, insects are 12 to 25 times more efficient than animals in converting low-protein feed into protein. When it comes to protein production per unit area, insect farming only requires about one-eighth of the land needed for beef production. Moreover, insect farming generates minimal waste, as insects can consume food and biomass that would otherwise go to waste, contributing to a circular economy that promotes resource recycling and reuse. Insects can be fed with agricultural waste, such as unused plant stems and food scraps. Additionally, the excrement produced by insects can be used as fertilizer for crops, completing the circular chain. Despite the undeniable sustainability and nutritional benefits of consuming insects, widespread acceptance of incorporating insects into our daily diets still has a long way to go. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the nutritional value of edible insects, the development of farming and processing technologies, and the problems faced in the marketing of edible insect products and insect foods to improve the reference for how people choose edible insects.

A community focused approach toward making healthy and affordable daily diet recommendations.

Maintaining an affordable and nutritious diet can be challenging, especially for those living under the conditions of poverty. To fulfill a healthy diet, consumers must make difficult decisions within a complicated food landscape. Decisions must factor information on health and budget constraints, the food supply and pricing options at local grocery stores, and nutrition and portion guidelines provided by government services. Information to support food choice decisions is often inconsistent and challenging to find, making it difficult for consumers to make informed, optimal decisions. This is especially true for low-income and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households which have additional time and cost constraints that impact their food purchases and ultimately leave them more susceptible to malnutrition and obesity. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how the integration of data from local grocery stores and federal government databases can be used to assist specific communities in meeting their unique health and budget challenges. We discuss many of the challenges of integrating multiple data sources, such as inconsistent data availability and misleading nutrition labels. We conduct a case study using linear programming to identify a healthy meal plan that stays within a limited SNAP budget and also adheres to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Finally, we explore the main drivers of cost of local food products with emphasis on the nutrients determined by the USDA as areas of focus: added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Our case study results suggest that such an optimization model can be used to facilitate food purchasing decisions within a given community. By focusing on the community level, our results will inform future work navigating the complex networks of food information to build global recommendation systems.

325 Understanding Variation in Residual Feed Intake of Brahman Steers Fed Two Different Diets

Abstract Improving feed efficiency in cattle is a long-standing aim of the beef industry. However, discrepancies in the ranking of bulls based on the diets used and calculation methods employed for defining feed efficiency have been observed. Hence, the objective of this research was to assess the extent to which different factors influence feed efficiency in Brahman steers. Individual DMI and ADG were measured, and residual feed intake (RFI) calculated using linear regression of DMI on ADG and midtest metabolic body weight. Eight-nine steers were initially fed a low-protein diet (LP, 8.8% CP) for 70 days, followed by a high-protein (HP, 13.5% CP) diet for another 70 days. The genetic variation among steers and the proportion of Bos indicus genes were determined using the GGP Indicus 50K assay (Neogen Corporation, Ipswich, Australia). Rumen bacteriome variation was determined with 16S rRNA gene sequencing of rumen fluid collected before and after feeding. Daily diet refusals were visually scored for the proportion of pellets versus hay and expressed as a diet selection index (1 to 3). Organic matter digestibility (OMD) was determined using total feces collection in metabolism crates. Plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) was measured in blood samples collected at four time points. The diet-animal fractionation of nitrogen isotopes (Δ15Ntail hair) was quantified in tail hair using isotope-ratio mass spectroscopy to indicate differences in nitrogen metabolism. Finally, carcass characteristics were determined at slaughter. Including carcass fat depth improved (P = 0.01) DMI prediction (R2 increased from 78.4 to 80.4%) in the LP diet but had a smaller effect (P = 0.39) in the HP diet (R2 increased from 75.0 to 75.2%). In the LP diet, the variation in carcass fat-correct RFI (RFIc) could be explained by DMI (14.5% of the variation), rumen bacteriome (5.89%), diet selection index (3.08%), PUN (1.88%), genetic distance (0.76%) and OMD (0.50%), accounting for a total of 26.6% of the RFIc variation. In the HP diet, the regression model explained 35.3% of the RFIc variation, with DMI explaining 25.9%, diet selection index 7.19%, rumen bacteriome 1.02%, genetic distance 0.73% and Δ15Ntail hair 0.50%. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of measuring diet selection to accurately determine RFI in cattle. The results also suggest that variations in the rumen bacteriome and nitrogen metabolism parameters play a role in individual variations of feed efficiency. However, most of the variation in feed efficiency remained unexplained.

Study of the influence of vitamins on the fermentation process in the production of yogurt

The development of the technology of vitaminized dairy products remains a relevant topic for research, because dairy products are included in the daily diet of both children and adults, so the use of such products can reduce the number of cases of hypovitaminosis, both seasonal and general. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of introduced ready-made vitaminized complexes on the fermentation process of milk mixtures during the production of yogurt. The article presents the results of studies conducted to determine the effect of vitamins A, D, E, C on the fermentation process of milk mixtures during the production of yogurt, which were added to the milk mixture in order to increase the biological value of the finished product. Fermentation is an important stage in the production of yogurt. To study the influence of added preparations of vitamins A, D, E, C on the fermentation process during the production of yogurt, 2 samples were chosen: “control” – a milk mixture for yogurt pasteurized at 90...92 °C without aging with the addition 5 % sugar. The “experimental” sample is a milk mixture for yogurt with the addition of 5 % sugar, pasteurized at 90...92 °C without aging, with the addition of vitamin preparations. Fermentation processes are influenced by the composition and dose of primary inoculation of sourdough cultures, physicochemical parameters of raw milk, additives included in the normalized mixture, as well as technological process parameters. Vitamins added to the milk mixture during the production of yogurt can affect the fermentation process of the milk mixture and the quality indicators of the finished product during storage. Thus, the task arose to investigate the effect of added preparations of vitamins A, D, E, C on the fermentation process, and to substantiate the fermentation regimes for the production of vitaminized yogurt. As a result of the conducted research, it was determined that vitamin preparations added to the milk mixture before heat treatment did not significantly affect the intensity of acid formation and gel formation. There is also no influence on the development of lactic acid microorganisms that were part of the sourdough, which is confirmed by the results of microbiological studies of the finished product. So, the fermentation parameters of milk mixtures for the production of fortified yogurt are as follows: temperature – (40 ± 2) °C, duration of fermentation – 5.5...6 hours. It has been established that the introduction of a vitaminized complex (A, D, E, C) into the yogurt recipe does not require significant changes in the technological process and equipment line. The content of viable lactic acid bacteria in the developed product is 4.0 ± 0.5 107 CFU/g, and there are no Coliforms, which meets regulatory requirements.

Characteristics of dietary intakes including NOVA foods among pre-adolescents living in urban Kuala Lumpur – Findings from the PREBONE-Kids study

Introduction: Evidence showed considerable variability of health risk factors within different socioeconomic groups. This study aimed to characterise dietary intakes by total household income among a sample of Malaysian pre-adolescents in urban Kuala Lumpur. Methods: Baseline data of 243 healthy, pre-adolescent children between 9 and 11 years old including socio-demographic background (gender, ethnicity, and total household monthly income), anthropometry (body weight and height), and 7-day diet histories were collected. Secondary analysis was performed on dietary intakes to quantify food groups based on the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines and NOVA classification systems besides nutrients. Differences and associations between total monthly household income categories with anthropometry and dietary intakes were tested using independent t-test/Mann-Whitney U (depending on normality) and chi-square tests, respectively. Results: Most children in this study population had dietary intakes below the recommended serving sizes for five food groups, except meat/poultry (195.2±107.2%) and fish (110.1±106.3%) and consumed about 32% of energy from ultra-processed foods (NOVA food group 4). While there was no difference in dietary intake between the bottom 40% with the middle 40% and high 20% household income groups, the percentage of energy contributed by NOVA food group 4 (processed fats/oils, condiments, and sauces) was higher in the bottom 40% households (p=0.024). Conclusion: Most pre-adolescent children in this study, regardless of household income, did not meet dietary recommendations and ate diets comprised of less nutritious foods. Comprehensive approaches that aim to improve dietary patterns and reduce the risk of diet-related chronic diseases are warranted.

The Interactions of Soy Protein and Wheat Gluten for the Development of Meat-like Fibrous Structure.

Consumers who are environmentally and health conscious are increasingly looking for plant-based alternatives to replace animal-based products in their daily diets. Among these alternatives, there is a growing demand for meat analogues that closely resemble the taste and texture of meat. As a result, significant efforts have been dedicated to developing meat analogues with a desirable meat-like structure. Currently, soy protein and wheat gluten are the main ingredients used for producing these meat analogues due to their availability and unique functionalities. This study observed that high moisture extrusion at moisture levels of 50-80% has become a common approach for creating fibrous structures, with soy protein and wheat gluten being considered incompatible proteins. After the structuring process, they form two-phase filled gels, with wheat gluten acting as the continuous phase and soy protein serving as a filler material. Moreover, the formation of soy protein and wheat gluten networks relies on a combination of covalent and non-covalent interaction bonds, including hydrogen bonds that stabilize the protein networks, hydrophobic interactions governing protein chain associations during thermo-mechanical processes, and disulfide bonds that potentially contribute to fibrous structure formation. This review provides case studies and examples that demonstrate how specific processing conditions can improve the overall structure, aiming to serve as a valuable reference for further research and the advancement of fibrous structures.

Role of Sports Based on Big Data Analysis in Promoting the Physique and Health of Children and Adolescents

ABSTRACT Healthy body is the foundation of young people's growth. With the popularization and globalization of the Internet, multimedia technology is rapidly changing the impact of traditional media on the growth of young people. The current health situation of young people is not optimistic. The decline in physical fitness, obesity and psychological dysplasia of adolescents have aroused the concern of all sectors of society. In recent years, the emergence and dissemination of big data (BD) has brought a new dimension to the value of data applications. The combination of BD and youth health services provides young people with good health opportunities. Through the recording, analysis and release of adolescent physical health data, the system has established an extensive knowledge database on adolescent physical and mental health, thus improving the physical health of adolescents. This paper summarized and combed the overview and application of BD, and analyzed and discussed the reasons for the continuous decline of young people's physique. Through the analysis of the application of BD in the promotion of young people's physical health, this paper proposed more achievable improvement strategies and plans, and then summarizes and discusses the experiment. According to the survey and experiment, the random simulation algorithm was introduced into daily exercise, diet and life preference. The new system and health improvement strategy designed for teenagers’ physical health using BD could help students improve their physical health by 55%.

International programs to provide school-age children with nutrition

A short scientific report is devoted to the global experience of organizing meals for schoolchild­ren. The main priorities in the formation of rations and the form of organization of supply have been determined. Children's nutrition is the most important component of the formation of a child's health, it contributes to the preservation of health, resistance to physical factors of the environment, high physical and mental capacity. Before the COVID-19 crisis, at least one in every two primary school students received daily school meals in 161 countries (equivalent to 388 million children). For millions of vulnerable children in poor countries around the world, free school meals are a vital component of their daily diet. A balanced school meal program is the key to optimizing the nutrition of the entire population of the country. School feeding programs play an important political role and are increasingly implemented by governments as a priority in national development strategies. Over the past decade, low-income countries have significantly increased their financial and policy efforts for school feeding, resulting in an increase in the number of school children receiving school meals. While school feeding programs in high- and middle-income countries are largely financed through domestic resources such as taxes and other sources, programs in low-income countries rely heavily on international donor support. According to the leading domestic hygienists, despite the ongoing conflict, one of the important priorities of our country is the continuation of the reform of school nutrition in order to bring it into line with international quality standards. Adhering to the basic principles of a complete and rational diet, you can achieve success even in conditions of limited resources. Keywords: hygiene of children and adolescents, children's health, world experience in the organization of schoolchildren's meals, preventive medicine.

Influence of Morphological and Biochemical Parameters for Infection of Mungbean Yellow Mosaic Virus and Bemisia tabaci in Mungbean and Urdbean

Background: Mungbean and Urdbean are the important pulses in India which are regarded as prospective protein source for human daily diet and rich source of protein and carbohydrate. Mungbean Yellow Mosaic Virus is one of the destructive diseases to pulses and transmitted by whitefly. Among the pulses, mungbean and urdbean are severely affected by MYMV in India. Present investigation was aimed to determine the congenial and mitigating factors of mungbean and urdbean crops with reference to infection of MYMV and its vector. Methods: The morphological and biochemical analysis was carried out by factorial RCBD consisting of two factors viz., factor 1: Crops (V) (Mung bean and Urd bean) and factor 2: observation at 15 days interval up to 90 DAS (S) for recording different morphological and biochemical parameters. Result: Morphological parameters of urdbean are able to mitigate the vector incidence and indirectly reduced the MYMV infection in urdbean than mungbean. Further, the biochemical parameters levels were more in urdbean than mungbean and their levels increased with the increased MYMV incidence. Hence, it is concluded that the morphological characters are found responsible for vector infestation where as biochemical levels are important for the infection of MYMV in both the crops.

Segmentasi Wilayah Indonesia Yang Berpotensi Budidaya Cabai Dengan Hierarki Clustering

Chili is one of the most widely consumed and highly price-volatile horticultural vegetables in Indonesia. In terms of consumption, it is a staple ingredient in the daily diet of most Indonesians. When chili prices surge, it not only affects the purchasing power of the population but also disrupts economic stability. Daily chili price data from the Department of Trade for the period of January 2010 to December 2015 demonstrates significant price fluctuations, primarily influenced by seasonal variations driven by weather conditions. Policy recommendations include promoting off-season chili cultivation, regulating production, and fostering farmer-industry partnerships. In pursuit of these objectives, mapping chili production regions in Indonesia using big data and data mining techniques, particularly hierarchical clustering, emerges as a valuable approach. This methodology allows the creation of models identifying optimal areas for chili cultivation, taking into account soil conditions conducive to optimal growth.The hierarchical clustering process employs average linkage and cosine distance to group regions based on climatic and environmental characteristics. The analysis reveals that Cluster C4, encompassing various provinces across Indonesia, exhibits the most favorable conditions for chili cultivation. This conclusion offers valuable guidance to farmers and researchers in determining the optimal locations for chili cultivation. Furthermore, the approach holds potential for application to other agricultural commodities, contributing to increased domestic production and price stability in the market.

Hygienic Analysis Of Morbidity Indicators Of Patients: On The Example Of The Endocrine System

In this article, the quantitative and qualitative indicators of the hygienic analysis of protein, fat, oil, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals in the daily diet of patients with endocrine system diseases in the Bukhara region of our country, the role of protein, fat, oil, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals in the diet and its importance in disease prevention is assessed and practical recommendations are given to prevent unhealthy nutrition and hypodynamia during the development of the disease.

Classification of Peruvian Flours via NIR Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometrics

Nowadays, nutritional foods have a great impact on healthy diets. In particular, maca, oatmeal, broad bean, soybean, and algarrobo are widely used in different ways in the daily diets of many people due to their nutritional components. However, many of these foods share certain physical similarities with others of lower quality, making it difficult to identify them with certainty. Few studies have been conducted to find any differences using practical techniques with minimal preparation and in short durations. In this work, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) were used to classify and distinguish samples based on their chemical properties. The spectral data were pretreated to further highlight the differences among the samples determined via PCA. The results indicate that the raw spectral data of all the samples had similar patterns, and their respective PCA analysis results could not be used to differentiate them. However, pretreated data differentiated the foods in separate clusters according to score plots. The main difference was a C-O band that corresponded to a vibration mode at 4644 cm−1 associated with protein content. PCA combined with spectral analysis can be used to differentiate and classify foods using small samples through the chemical properties on their surfaces. This study contributes new knowledge toward the more precise identification of foods, even if they are combined.

Target genes utilized for drought tolerance enhancement in maize

Among the most widely grown cereal crops is maize, which is a staple food for millions of people worldwide. It is primarily used for human consumption in various forms, animal feed, and industrial applications. In many countries like Mexico, Africa, and South America, it is the main source of calories in their daily diet, making it crucial for food security. Many nations worldwide are more at risk of drought as global warming continues to accelerate. One of the major hurdles to food production in the twenty-first century and a serious threat to our present and future food security is a water crisis. Crop failure due to water scarcity can put millions of lives at risk. Along with traditional breeding, transgenic approaches are an essential tool in modern plant breeding. They allow the introduction of beneficial genes from other organisms or within the same organism to improve plant characteristics. This review focuses on specific genes that are stably expressed and tested for drought tolerance in maize. Several genes have been identified as potential targets for improving drought tolerance in maize. Although mechanisms of target genes overlap to some extent, we attempted to divide the selected research articles according to the mechanism of the targeted gene into categories and reviewed them.

Effect of Different Concentrations of Nano-Fungicides on Mycelial Radial Growth of Phytophthora infestans

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) popularly known as the “King of Vegetables” is a starchy, tuberous crop, that belongs to the family Solanaceae. Potatoes play an important role in the daily human diet because they are a copious source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and micronutrient. The potato is a basically temperate crop, but it grows under a wide range of climatic conditions. Potato crop is generally affected by different types of biotic and abiotic diseases. Among all diseases, Late blight of potato, caused by the Phytophthora infestans (Mont) de Barry is one of the most devastating diseases of potato worldwide. In India, the losses caused by the disease are 10-20% in Uttar Pradesh, 10-15% in West Bengal and Punjab, 10-15% in Karnataka and Uttrakhand also have been reported during 2013-14. The management of the disease can be done through cultural, mechanical, use of the resistant variety, biological and chemical, etc. The efficacy of current strategies for the management of disease is limited. Considering the destructive nature of pathogen and lack of efficient control measures, the development of alternative or complementary approaches for the management of this disease is highly desirable. However reported use of the same chemicals may raise resistant strain among the pathogens. Therefore, the use of Nano-fungicidal control of spot blotch disease cannot be overstated. However, the disease can be managed with various nanofungicides under in vitro conditions assessed for their efficacy against the disease. The effect of four nanofungicides i.e., Agritec nanofungicide, Silver nanofungicide, Selenium nanofungicide and Nickel nanofungicide against P. infestance was evaluated at different concentrations (50, 75 and 100 ppm) by poison food technique. The in vitro experiment revealed a noticeable reduction in the radial mycelial growth of P. infestance as the concentration of nanofungicides increased. Specifically, at 7 days after inoculation (DAI), the following nanofungicides at a concentration of 100 ppm exhibited the highest levels of mycelial growth inhibition when compared to the control: Silver nanofungicide (72.45%), Agritec nanofungicide (70.21%), Selenium nanofungicide (68.77%), and Nickel nanofungicide (64.65%).

Binocular field configuration in owls: the role of foraging ecology.

The binocular field of vision differs widely in birds depending on ecological traits such as foraging. Owls (Strigiformes) have been considered to have a unique binocular field, but whether it is related to foraging has remained unknown. While taking into account allometry and phylogeny, we hypothesized that both daily activity cycle and diet determine the size and shape of the binocular field in owls. Here, we compared the binocular field configuration of 23 species of owls. While we found no effect of allometry and phylogeny, ecological traits strongly influence the binocular field shape and size. Binocular field shape of owls significantly differed from that of diurnal raptors. Among owls, binocular field shape was relatively conserved, but binocular field size differed among species depending on ecological traits, with larger binocular fields in species living in dense habitat and foraging on invertebrates. Our results suggest that (i) binocular field shape is associated with the time of foraging in the daily cycle (owls versus diurnal raptors) and (ii) that binocular field size differs between closely related owl species even though the general shape is conserved, possibly because the field of view is partially restricted by feathers, in a trade-off with auditory localization.

A human health risk assessment of rare earth elements through daily diet consumption from Bayan Obo Mining Area, China

Rare earth elements (REEs) have been broad application in a range of industries, including the electronics industry, advanced materials, and medicine. However, health risks associated with REEs received increasing attention. 31 residents (16 males and 15 females) from Bayan Obo mining in Inner Mongolia, China, were enrolled in this study. In total, 677 food samples, the major human exposure matrices (drinking water and duplicate diets), and bio-samples (urine and blood) of 31 participants were obtained. The concentrations of REEs were measured to characterize their external and internal exposures, and the potential health risk of exposure to REE through the ingestion route was analyzed. The results revealed that the detection rate in blood samples (100%) is higher than in urine (32.86%), and only a few REEs were detected in water samples (8.06%), the urine concentrations were considerably lower than in blood. Exposure to REEs through drinking water was considered negligible compared to food intake. Lanthanum and cerium were the most concentrated REEs in food samples. Health risks were calculated based on a dose-response model, the total hazard quotients (THQ) values for all food groups were within normal levels, and the Monte Carlo simulation results show that the 5th, the 50th, and the 95th percentile values of HI were found as 1.45 × 10−2, 3.52 × 10−2, and 9.13 × 10−2, respectively, neither exceeds the threshold, indicating low health risks associated with food intake exposure for this area. The sensitivity results suggest that underweight people are at higher risk, cerium, lanthanum, and yttrium concentrations, and food intake contributes more to health risks. The use of probability distribution methods can improve the accuracy of the results. The cumulative health risk through food intake is negligible, and further attention should be paid to the health risk induced by other routes of exposure to REEs by the local residents.