Cold-water corals (CWCs) are key ecosystem engineers in deep-sea habitats, yet their distribution in the Gulf of Naples remains poorly known. Here, we applied a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model with high-resolution environmental predictors to investigate the fine-scale suitability of scleractinian CWCs within the Gulf of Naples and adjacent areas. Presence records were derived from Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) video analyses, while predictors included bottom current velocity from a Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) simulation and geomorphological variables from multibeam bathymetry (bathymetric position index, slope, roughness, aspect, and backscatter). The model predicted ∼0.43km2 of suitable habitat (suitability index >0.6) corresponding to 0.09% of the entire study area, mainly along canyon walls and elevated seabed features of the Dohrn Canyon. Additional suitable areas were identified in the deeper canyon sectors and south of Ischia Island. Current velocity at the bottom influenced the most our model, with high suitability values obtained from 0.10 to 0.18m/s, suggesting these as favorable conditions for sediment removal and food supply. The variable response curves documented that Bathymetric position index and roughness contributed to the model, with preferences for elevated seabed features and heterogeneous seafloor topography. These findings highlight the role of bottom current velocity and topographic complexity in shaping CWCs habitats in the study region and reveal unexplored areas with high potential for coral occurrence. Model outputs provide a scientific basis for Natura 2000 site designation and support conservation and restoration strategies for vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems in the area.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) were defined to improve the quality of life of the global population particularly regarding social and economic aspects, with a major focus on environmental sustainability. The incorporation of digital technologies into the agri-food sector has become a key enabler in increasing the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of food production and processing systems. Digital technologies and innovations including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, in-ground and remote sensors, connectivity, and internet of things (IoT) have been recognized as also being critical for the successful implementation of the UN SDGs. In particular, the utilization of sensing technologies (e.g., in-ground and remote sensors) has been shown to be of great importance to achieve these goals. The use of vibrational spectroscopy and data analytics have shown potential to contribute with the development and implementation of UN SDGs. An overview of the contribution of sensing technologies based on the utilization of vibrational spectroscopy (e.g., near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging) and data analytics to achieve the UN SDGs is provided. Advantages and limitations of these techniques are also discussed. The incorporation of technology will provide tools that can be used to monitor and predict the safety and quality of foods. Furthermore, digital technologies are enabling the development of novel decision-management systems along the food supply and value chain. Ultimately, the goal will be to assure the consumers the use of these technologies plays a key role in the applicability of the UN SDG. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Microbial-mycotoxin interactions in food: A review of ecotoxicological implications and omics approaches for understanding detoxification mechanisms.

Broiler production is a major contributor to global food supply and economic growth, yet housing systems vary significantly in their ability to support welfare, productivity, and sustainability. This review compares conventional, enriched, free-range, and organic housing systems, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and welfare implications. Conventional indoor systems, while efficient, are often linked to welfare problems such as lameness, contact dermatitis, heat stress, and restricted behaviour due to high stocking densities and limited stimulation. Enriched systems, which incorporate perches, platforms, barriers, and manipulable materials, can promote natural behaviours, activity, and leg health, though their impact depends on enrichment design and bird genotype. Free-range and organic systems offer outdoor access and support natural foraging and exploration, but introduce challenges related to weather, predation, parasites, and inconsistent litter quality. Welfare outcomes across systems are strongly influenced by ventilation, lighting, stocking density, enrichment strategies, and breed selection, with slower-growing genotypes showing better suitability for enriched and outdoor environments. Overall, no single housing system provides optimal outcomes across welfare, productivity, and sustainability. Progress in broiler production will require integrated approaches that balance welfare with environmental and economic considerations, supported by continued innovation in housing design and management.

Voluntary commitment of citizens is an indispensable, supporting pillar of critical infrastructures (CRITIS), such as disaster management, rescue services, healthcare and social services or food supply. However, the long-term sustainability of the voluntary sector, is massively endangered due to the profound changes in demographics, social structures and volunteer motives driven by the individualization and pluralization of society. This paper addresses these pressing challenges by proposing a digital platform designed for goal-driven and competence-based networking and bundling of volunteer engagement across non-profit organizations (NPOs). This platform is intended to be a first step towards synergistically aligning the partly collaborative goals and competencies of volunteers with activity requirements essential for strengthening CRITIS.

Is There a Future for the Porcine In-Vivo Model in Surgical Training? Proof of Concept for a Low-Cost, 3R-Compliant Ex-Vivo Perfused Visceral Monobloc Porcine Model.

This article examines the memorial activities of veterans of the Great Patriotic War who participated in the transport of goods to besieged Leningrad via Lake Ladoga (the “Road of Life”) and their contribution to the formation of memories about the city’s food supply during the critical period of 1941–1943. The article draws upon previously unpublished documents from federal, regional, and departmental archives, as well as collections of veterans’ memoirs published in the 1960s and 1970s. The text highlights the main stages in the development of the “Road of Life” veterans’ movement and focuses on the phenomenon of memorial conflict between representatives of the ice military motor roads and the Red Banner Ladoga Military Flotilla. Shortly after the United Council of Veterans was established in 1965, its members initiated a debate regarding the accurate interpretation of the history of the Ladoga communication line during the Siege of Leningrad. Motorists insisted that they had played a decisive role in saving the people of Leningrad from starvation, and that the term “Road of Life” referred only to transport via the ice road. The sailors, on the other hand, believed that every branch of the armed forces had made its own contribution to the “Road of Life”, and therefore the term should refer not only to the activities of motorists, but also to those of sailors, rivermen, railway workers, anti-aircraft gunners, doctors, and others. To resolve the conflict, both sides appealed to the Leningrad Regional Committee and the City Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Consequently, party officials expressed support for the position of the Ladoga Flotilla representatives and implemented changes to the remembrance policy. Thus, representatives of the veteran community successfully defended their right to remembrance and achieved a presence in the official cultural field. The well-established traditions of recounting the story of food supplies to besieged Leningrad were solidified through the efforts of various associations of participants in transport operations on Lake Ladoga.

ABSTRACT Co-occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs) and Ochratoxin A (OTA) in staple foods in Morocco was investigated, and the associated dietary exposure was assessed. A total of 135 samples of biscuits, chips, rice, black olives, and maize were collected from various markets and analysed using immunoaffinity column clean-up followed by HPLC-FLD. AFs and OTA were detected in 8.2% of the samples, maize being the most contaminated. AFB1 in 1 rice sample reached 8.5 µg/kg, exceeding the national limit and the OTA level in 1 maize sample was 24 µg/kg, above the regulatory limit of Morocco. Exposure assessment estimated daily intakes of 1.55 and 0.039 ng/kg bw/day for OTA from maize and olives, respectively. Mycotoxin levels above regulatory limits in staple foods indicate a public health risk and underscore the need for strict monitoring and control in the Moroccan food supply chain.

Guest editorial: Alternative proteins: balancing sustainability, innovation and acceptance in the food supply chain

Ecotourism in protected areas creates a conservation paradox: tourism revenue funds protection, yet tourism infrastructure simultaneously degrades the wildlife it protects. We examined this paradox in white-faced capuchins (Cebus imitator) in Tortuguero National Park, comparing behaviour across a high-tourism accommodation site (2152 monthly guests) and a strictly regulated terrestrial trail. Using focal animal and sweep sampling methods, we recorded 477 behavioural units across 261 min, analysing locomotion, feeding, and agonistic behaviours through generalized linear models. Primates in accommodation areas exhibited significantly reduced high substrate use (p = 0.005), showed a trend toward increased anthropogenic food reliance (p = 0.070), and higher—but not statistically significant—rates of agonistic behaviours (p > 0.05). The negative correlation between natural foraging and active food supply (r = −0.31) is consistent with anthropogenic provisioning that may alter primate ecological functions. These findings demonstrate that effective conservation in tourism contexts requires integrated management addressing three interconnected challenges: (1) habituation to human presence, (2) food provisioning with cascading consequences, and (3) ecosystem-level degradation through altered primate functions. We recommend evidence-based interventions including secured waste management, enforcement of wildlife feeding prohibitions, and environmental education programs with community participation. Ecotourism sustainability requires managing human–wildlife interactions and integrating local stakeholder perspectives to preserve animal welfare and ecosystem functions essential for conservation.

Boron compounds, classified as prohibited food additives due to their high toxicity, persist in pesticides and fertilisers, industrial processes, food supply chains, and consumer goods, perpetuating multisource exposure risks. Chronic ingestion may induce fatal hepatorenal injury; however, mechanistic insights and epidemiological surveillance remain critically lacking amidst sector-wide regulatory gaps. This study employed integrated cellular and organismal models to elucidate the relationship between boron-induced hepatotoxicity and ferroptosis. We demonstrate that dietary boron accumulation in chicken livers is associated with histopathological damage, mitochondrial cristae dissolution and atrophy (a hallmark of ferroptosis), and elevated serum biomarkers AST and ALT. Boron exacerbates oxidative damage in hepatocytes by elevating malondialdehyde (MDA) production while modulating the Nrf2/ARE antioxidant signaling pathway-specifically downregulating key genes (Nrf2, HO-1, GCLM, CAT). Concurrently, it inhibits critical antioxidant enzymes (SOD, T-AOC), thereby depleting cellular antioxidant defenses. Crucially, boron disrupts iron homeostasis and induces ferroptosis by dysregulating the SLC7A11-GPX4 pathway: upregulating pro-ferroptotic genes (ACSL4, TF, TFR) and downregulating cytoprotective genes (SLC7A11, GPX4, FTH1). Co-treatment with the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) attenuated boron-induced oxidative damage, whereas the ferroptosis inducer Erastin potentiated toxicity. Collectively, we pioneer the dual-pathogenic mechanism of boron hepatotoxicity-oxidative stress and ferroptotic cell death-establishing the SLC7A11/GPX4 axis as a novel therapeutic target against boron toxicity.

The power of recall: Physiological and epigenetic memory networks in plants.

Mycotoxin contamination of grains during storage and transportation represents a significant threat to global food security. Conventional detection methods exhibit limitations in terms of real-time monitoring. This study presents a compact smart gas sensing system for mycotoxins, facilitating non-destructive testing of corn infected with fungi by analyzing the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted during fungal growth. It also facilitates the precise quantitative detection of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Additionally, a dual-branch convolutional neural network (DB-CNN) model has been developed to conduct an in-depth analysis of the temporal and spatial characteristics of VOCs signals. The system achieves 100% accuracy in identifying grains (corn, peanuts, wheat, and rice) infected with Fusarium graminearum and Aspergillus flavus by extracting the characteristic fingerprint spectra of fungal VOCs. In the quantitative analysis, the DB-CNN exhibits good performance (RMSE = 1.0292 μg/kg, R2 = 0.9994). In addition, the designed detection system supports wireless transmission and can be connected to a smartphone for data transfer, thereby facilitating data storage and remote monitoring. The entire detection process is completed within 4 min. This study provides an innovative technical foundation for dynamic real-time monitoring of fungal contamination in the food supply chain, contributing to early warning systems and quality control measures.

The government's scientific disclosure of food safety inspection information can guide consumers toward rational substitution choices, thereby improving food safety while transforming individual decision-making into collective action, thereby achieving social co-governance. This process activates the "voting with their feet" market mechanism, which exerts pressure on supply chain enterprises to improve quality control. However, the current mismatch between disclosed information and consumer demand significantly weakens this effect. Drawing on evolutionary game theory, this study constructs an evolutionary game model involving producers, sellers, and consumers to explore how information alignment shapes stakeholder behavior. The findings indicate that improving information alignment effectively nudges consumers toward informed substitution choices, reinforcing the market-driven pressure on supply chain enterprises to strengthen quality control; reducing quality control costs is a more effective short-term incentive for sellers than increasing market returns; and when information alignment is low, prioritizing inspections of sellers more efficiently enhances co-governance performance, whereas under high alignment, stronger regulation of producers becomes more effective. Aligning the content, channels, and presentation of government-disclosed inspection information with consumer needs is critical to empowering effective social co-governance. These findings provide theoretical foundations and policy insights to optimize information disclosure strategies and regulatory resource allocation.

The process of ensuring the safety of the food supply is dynamic. Both the possibility of contamination and the effectiveness of safety precautions are impacted by changes in the kinds of food consumed, the geographical origins of food products, and the methods by which these foods are processed. For instance, compared to earlier generations, consumers’ general understanding of safe food preparation and handling techniques has decreased due to a higher reliance on prepackaged convenience foods. Nowadays, consumers depend increasingly on other people to make sure the food they eat is safe. Growing consumption of minimally processed foods and growing imports of fresh products from other nations have resulted from changes in consumer tastes and food processing technologies. This review aims to critically synthesize existing knowledge on microbial risks in food, focusing on their sources, mechanisms of contamination, risk evaluation methodologies, and implementation of food safety measures. Major foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Norovirus, are discussed alongside factors influencing their survival and transmission. Today Clostridium botulinum, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. remain among the major foodborne pathogens, but during the last two decades food-borne diseases such as shigellosis, listeriosis, campylobacteriosis, and diseases caused by pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli have become increasingly salient. These new concerns necessitate continued investment in research and technology development to improve the safety of the food supply. The review highlights current approaches to microbiological risk assessment, regulatory frameworks, and control strategies, while also addressing emerging challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, biofilms, and ready-to-eat foods. By integrating risk evaluation with practical implementation strategies, this review provides valuable insights for researchers, regulators, and food industry stakeholders seeking to strengthen food safety systems and reduce the burden of foodborne diseases.

A considerable proportion of perishable goods, including fruits and vegetables, deteriorate prior to reaching customers. Inadequate refrigeration infrastructure, particularly in developing nations with arid climates and markets distant from agricultural sources, accounts for most of these losses. A food cold chain has three primary phases: pre-cooling, cold storage, and refrigerated transportation. All phases of the cold chain rely fundamentally on refrigeration to preserve perishable products at designated temperatures, relative humidity, and CO2 concentrations, thus prolonging their shelf life. Solar-driven or aided refrigeration systems use solar energy to power cooling systems and preserve the food in the cold chain. These systems are especially beneficial in off-grid or developing areas for preserving perishable goods such as fruits, vegetables, and other food items, mitigating postharvest losses that can exceed 30–50% in areas with inconsistent energy supplies. Despite progress in efficiency and scalability, numerous research gaps remain across technological, economic, social, policy, and regional dimensions, including technical aspects, optimization, and integration. There is a need to enhance energy-efficient designs, particularly by managing solar intermittency to address non-uniform cooling, which leads to inconsistent ripening and spoilage, and by integrating sustainable refrigerants to mitigate environmental impact. Further development is necessary for micro-scale, transportable, or decentralized systems designed for small farms, while economic and financing obstacles include high upfront costs and limited financial accessibility. Substantial deficiencies exist in creating affordable models and funding channels for small-scale agriculturalists. Addressing these deficiencies could expedite adoption, thereby reducing global food loss and waste (accounting for 8–10% of GHG emissions) while improving food security. Future research must emphasize multidisciplinary methodologies that amalgamate engineering, economics, and social sciences to provide comprehensive solutions.

As an important food crop in China, hybrid rice is of significant importance for national food security and supply. Cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) rice is a key component of hybrid rice technology, while plant endophytes, especially seed endophytes, play a crucial role in promoting plant growth and reproduction. Therefore, understanding the diversity and community structure of seed endophytes in CMS rice is essential for hybrid rice technology. However, relevant research in this area remains scarce. This study systematically analyzed the diversity and community structure characteristics of seed endophytic bacteria in 14 Yunnan CMS rice varieties (totaling 42 samples) based on Illumina NovaSeq 6000 high-throughput sequencing technology, aiming to elucidate the core microbial community structure and diversity. A total of 503 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified. At the phylum level, the dominant microbial groups in all samples were Proteobacteria (relative abundance 91.53-99.95%). At the genus level, the core microbial community consisted of Pantoea (64.29-93.11%), Xanthomonas (1.08-16.97%), and Kosakonia (0.46-12.66%). Both α- and β-diversity analyses revealed no significant inter-line differentiation, indicating a highly stable and conserved endophytic bacterial community across the Yunnan CMS rice germplasm. This study provides the first comprehensive characterization of the seed-associated core microbiome of Yunnan CMS rice lines.

ABSTRACT Effective crop yield forecasting is vital for securing food supplies, maximizing resource efficiency, improving climate resilience, encouraging economic development, preventing losses, optimizing the supply chain and reducing risk in the agricultural sectors. This paper proposed an innovative predictive model in agriculture for crop yield prediction. Initially, the input data is preprocessed through improved normalization techniques to improve the stability of the data. The data consists of Crop, Crop-Year Season, Production, annual rainfall, fertilizers, and pesticides. The relevant features, namely, entropy-based features, Information gain, statistical features and Raw data from the preprocessed data, are extracted to enhance the prediction accuracy of the proposed model. Finally, a hybrid model, Improved LinkNet with Recurrent Neural Networks (IL-RNN), is proposed, which combines an improved LinkNet and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) model for the prediction process. In the Improved LinkNet model, an improved activation function is introduced to improve the overall performance and increase the convergence speed. Then, the prediction output from both models is fused through improved score-level fusion techniques for better-predicting results. Moreover, experimental investigation shows that the effectiveness of the proposed model is more accurate as compared to traditional prediction models with respect to various error metrics. Experimental results demonstrate that the Improved Link Net Recurrent Neural Network (IL-RNN) achieves a Median Absolute Error (MedAE) as low as 0.121 and a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 0.121 at 90% training data, outperforming other existing methods.

Abstract Increasing water scarcity intensifies conflicts between socio‐economic development and ecological integrity, underscoring the need for integrated socio‐ecological approaches. However, current assessments often lack frameworks that quantitatively capture the dynamic interactions among ecosystem structure, function, and human activity. In this study, we developed a factor–structure–ecosystem network assessment framework grounded in a socio‐ecological perspective to analyze the dynamic relationships between ecosystem services and human activities in the Hetao region from 2000 to 2020. Key ecosystem services—including water retention, habitat quality (HQ), carbon sequestration, and food supply—were quantified through spatial pattern analysis and linked to land use and cropping structure changes. Results revealed a decoupling trend in the socio‐ecological network, with network density declining from 22 to 15 (−31.8%) and connectivity from 31 to 14 (−54.8%), indicating weakened linkages. Declining social factors, such as population, reduced demand and led to surpluses in carbon sequestration and food supply, with a consistent upward trend in food surplus. Although habitat degradation was relatively moderate, a 32% decline was still observed by 2020. These findings suggest that despite improved supply capacities, intensified human activities—particularly changes in land use and cropping structure—are reshaping ecosystem service patterns and exerting increasing ecological pressure. Strengthening research on human–ecological interaction mechanisms is essential for promoting balanced socio‐economic and ecological development. This study provides a new analytical perspective and decision‐making reference for sustainable watershed management by integrating ecosystem services, human dynamics, and ecological processes into a unified network framework.

Climate change is triggering a systemic crisis in global agriculture by simultaneously eroding its fundamental pillars: the area of cultivable land, the yield per unit of land, and the stability of annual production. This "triple threat" manifests through the progressive loss of productive croplands, significant declines in crop yields, and increasingly volatile food supplies under climate change. Consequently, the combined risks to food security are far more severe than assessments focusing solely on declining average yields suggest. Although autonomous adaptation can moderate these impacts, substantial residual damages persist. Securing future food supplies therefore demands an integrated policy strategy that concurrently safeguards cropland, boosts climate-resilient productivity, and manages systemic volatility through targeted interventions by governments, the private sector, and international bodies.