Food Expenditure Research Articles

Effect of the initial pH of the culture medium on the nutrient consumption pattern of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb12 and the improvement of acid resistance by purine and pyrimidine compounds.

During fermentation, the accumulation of acidic products can induce media acidification, which restrains the growth of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb12 (Bb12). This study investigated the nutrient consumption patterns of Bb12 under acid stress and effects of specific nutrients on the acid resistance of Bb12. Bb12 was cultured in chemically defined medium (CDM) at different initial pH values. Nutrient consumption patterns were analyzed in CDM at pH 5.3, 5.7, and 6.7. The patterns varied with pH: Asp+Asn had the highest consumption rate at pH 5.3 and 5.7, while Ala was predominant at pH 6.7. Regardless of the pH levels (5.3, 5.7, or 6.7), ascorbic acid, adenine, and Fe2+ were vitamins, nucleobases, and metal ions with the highest consumption rates, respectively. Nutrients whose consumption rates exceeded 50% were added individually in CDM at pH 5.3, 5.7, and 6.7. It was demonstrated that only some of them could promote the growth of Bb12. Mixed nutrients that could promote the growth of Bb12 were added to three different CDM. In CDM at pH 5.3, 5.7, and 6.7, it was found that the viable cell count of Bb12 was the highest after adding mixed nutrients, which were 8.87, 9.02, and 9.10 log CFU ml-1, respectively. The findings suggest that the initial pH of the culture medium affects the nutrient consumption patterns of Bb12. Specific nutrients can enhance the growth of Bb12 under acidic conditions and increase its acid resistance.

The Relationship between Consumption Behavior, Income, Food Expenditure and Household Food Security in Caringin District, Bogor Regency

Hunger is a condition of food insecurity. One of the efforts that can be made to reduce the incidence of food insecurity is to maintain food security, especially in households. This is an analytic observational study with a cross-sectional design with a random sample of 60 households in Caringin district, Bogor regency. Assessment of household food availability was based on a food availability questionnaire consisting of several types of food groups. Income and expenditure were measured by assessing household income. The condition of household food diversity was measured using the HDDS questionnaire. The chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between consumption behavior, income, household expenditure, and household food security. There was a relationship between income (p=0.00) and expenditure (p=0.00) with household food security, while consumption behavior is not (p=0.14). It is concluded that there was a relationship between income and expenditure on food security, but behavior did not show an insignificant relationship. There needs to be an in-depth analysis to find other factors influencing food security apart from the variables examined in this study.

Universal health coverage in the context of population ageing: catastrophic health expenditure and unmet need for healthcare

BackgroundUniversal health coverage means that all people can access essential health services without incurring financial hardship. Even in countries with good service coverage and financial protection, the progress towards universal health coverage may decelerate or be limited with respect to the growing older population. This study investigates the incidence/prevalence, determinants, and consequences of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and unmet need for healthcare and assesses the potential heterogeneity between younger (≤ 64 years) and older people (65 years≤).MethodsUtilising an annual nationally representative survey of Japanese aged 20 years and over, we estimated the incidence of CHE and unmet need for healthcare using disaggregated estimates by household members’ age (i.e. ≤64 years vs. 65 years≤) between 2004 and 2020. Using a fixed-effects model, we assessed the determinants of CHE and unmet need along with the consequences of CHE. We also assessed the heterogeneity by age.ResultsHouseholds with older members were more likely to have their healthcare needs met but experienced CHE more so than households without older members. The financial consequences of CHE were heterogeneous by age, suggesting that households with older members responded to CHE by reducing food and social expenditures more so than households without older members reducing expenditure on education. Households without older members experienced an income decline in the year following the occurrence of CHE, while this was not found among households with older members. A U-shaped relationship was observed between age and the probability of experiencing unmet healthcare need.ConclusionsHouseholds with older members are more likely to experience CHE with different financial consequences compared to those with younger members. Unmet need for healthcare is more common among younger and older members than among their middle-aged counterparts. Different types and levels of health and financial support need to be incorporated into national health systems and social protection policies to meet the unique needs of individuals and households.

Metode Geographically Weighted Panel Regression (GWPR) Untuk Menganalisis Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Kemiskinan Di Provinsi Sumatera Utara

This study aims to analyze the factors of population density, life expectancy, years of schooling, open unemployment rate, per capita monthly food expenditure, population with health complaints, economic growth, human development index, households with access to proper drinking water and households with access to proper sanitation on the percentage of poverty in North Sumatra province. This research is based on secondary data available at the North Sumatra Central Bureau of Statistics in 2017-2021. The factor analysis used in this study is Geographically Weighted Panel Regression (GWPR) which is a combination of the Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) method with the panel data regression method. The results of the research analysis show that simultaneously the factors of population density, life expectancy, open unemployment rate, monthly per capita food expenditure, population with health complaints, households with access to proper drinking water have no significant effect. If tested simultaneously, only the factor of households having access to proper sanitation has a significant effect on the percentage of poverty. However, partially, these factors have a significant effect on the percentage of poverty.

The effects of social pensions on nutrition-related health outcomes of the poor: Quasi-experimental evidence from Peru.

This paper exploits the discontinuity around a welfare index of eligibility to assess the impact of Peru's social pension program Pension 65 on nutrition-related health outcomes among elderly poor individuals. Overall, we find evidence of how a relatively inexpensive program can produce improvements in anemia and nutrition-related mortality risk markers. The effects appear to be driven by plausible underlying mechanisms, including via improved nutritional quality as well as greater food expenditures and healthcare utilization. These positive effects are only modestly countered by tentative signs of an increased obesity risk among women in the short term (<2years), but not beyond this term. As the program evolves further, policymakers need to confront the challenge of continuing to ensure the health benefits in terms of reducing nutritional deficits while avoiding potential undesirable side effects in terms of over-nutrition in Peru. The findings may serve to highlight the wider benefits of similar pension policies for the poor also in other middle income countries, well beyond the immediate economic welfare effects that the policies have primarily been designed for.

Improving the Key Enzyme Activity, Conversion Intensity, and Nitrogen Supply Capacity of Soil through Optimization of Long-Term Oilseed Flax Rotation Planting Patterns in Dry Areas of the Loess Plateau of China

Various crop rotation patterns can result in differences in nutrient consumption and the accumulation of toxic substances in the soil, indirectly impacting the soil environment and its nutrient supply capacity. Implementing optimized crop planting practices is beneficial for maintaining the favorable physical and chemical properties of farmland soil in the arid area of northwestern China. This study aimed to establish a crop rotation pattern to improve key enzyme activities and soil nitrogen conversion efficiency, as well as understand the underlying mechanism for enhancing nitrogen supply capacity. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of four flax planting patterns, which included 13 crop rotation patterns with different crop frequencies: 100% Flax (Cont F), 50% Flax (I) (WFPF, FPFW, PFWF, FWFP), 50% Flax (II) (FWPF, WPFF, PFFW, FFWP), 25% Flax (WPWF, PWFW, WFWP, FWPW), on the key enzyme activities and the rate of soil nitrogen conversion, as well as the nitrogen supply capacity. Here, F, P, and W represent oilseed flax, potato, and wheat, respectively. The results indicated that the wheat stubble significantly increased the intensity of soil ammonification and denitrification before planting. Additionally, the activity levels of soil nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase under wheat stubble were significantly increased by 66.67% to 104.55%, while soil urease activity significantly decreased by 27.27–133.33% under wheat stubble compared to other stubbles. After harvest, the activities of soil nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase under the wheat stubble decreased significantly, and the intensity of soil ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification reduced significantly by 7.83–27.72%. The WFWP and FWFP treatments led to a significant increase in soil nitrogen fixation intensity under various crop rotations after harvest and significantly increased the levels of inorganic nitrogen in the soil before the planting of the next crop. This study suggests that the long-term rotation planting patterns WFWP and FWFP can significantly enhance the key enzyme activities of soil nitrogen conversion and significantly improve soil nitrogen conversion before crop sowing. This may increase the rate of soil nitrogen transfer and raise the available nitrogen content of the soil. These findings are crucial for reducing soil nitrogen loss and improving soil nitrogen nutrient supply capacity in dry areas of the Loess Plateau of China.

Effect of Feeding Duration with Different Levels of Culled E. Cottonii on Consumption, Nutrient Digestibility, Growth and Body Composition of Early Weaned Balinese Calves

The study aimed to evaluate the duration of complete feed containing culled red seaweed (E. cottonii) with different levels on nutrient utilisation, growth and body composition of early weaned Bali cattle calves. A total of 24 Bali cattle calves (initial BW ± 30-40 kg; 2-3 months old) were used in this study. Bali cattle calves were randomly grouped by initial body weight and placed in 4 different treatments following a group randomised design pattern. The 4 treatments were: CT0 = complete feed containing no cull ECOT; CT5 = complete feed containing 5% cull ECOT; CT10 = complete feed containing 10% cull ECOT and CT15 = complete feed containing 15% cull ECOT. The data obtained were analysed by analysis of variance followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test using SPSS 24 software. Feeding ECOT culls with different lengths of time and levels had a significant effect (P&lt;0.05) on increasing consumption and nutrient digestibility of early weaned Balinese calves, but there was no interaction effect (P&gt;0.05) between the length of time and level of ECOT culled on body weight gain and linear body size of early weaned Balinese calves. The same was true for body composition (meat and fat). The treatment also significantly (P&lt;0.05) influenced the increase in bone weight in cattle treated with 5% cull ECOT and 10% cull ECOT. It was concluded that the use of culled ECOT up to 15% in complete feed could not increase the consumption and digestibility of nutrients but the duration of feeding affected the dry matter consumption and bone development of early weaned Bali cattle calves.

Armed conflicts and household food insecurity: Effects and mechanisms

AbstractDespite extensive studies on the effects of armed conflict on household dietary diversity, food security, and nutritional outcomes, the underlying pathways remain underexplored. A better understanding of these mechanisms could unpack the subsequent effects of conflict‐induced food insecurity and oft‐reported nutritional shortcoming, as well as identify which policy interventions hold promise. We study the effects of terrorist violence in Burkina Faso on household dietary diversity, as proxied by food consumption scores (FCS), and investigate the underlying mechanisms. For this purpose, we combine nationally representative 5‐years panel data on households with spatial conflict data. We find negative and significant effects of conflict intensity on household food consumption scores. The decline in household FCS is a result of significant decreased dietary diversity in both food production and purchases. Although households in rural areas partially offset these reductions by food assistance, those reliant solely on farming as livelihoods remain the most affected. Further investigations show evidence that per‐capita farm income and food expenditure are pathways linking the intensity of armed conflict to reduced FCS in food purchases, whereas reduced dietary diversity in food production results from decline in crop production. Additional specification tests support our main findings, offering insights that can help policymakers faced with similar scaled‐armed conflicts. For instance, conflict‐sensitive interventions aimed at supporting crop production and farm income for affected households could effectively improve their dietary diversity and overall food security in a post‐conflict environment.

The (dynamic) effect of retirement on food purchases

We investigate the potential dynamics in the effect of retirement, on food-at-home purchases and dietary quality in Denmark. We combine Home-scan data with nutritional information and administrative data on retirement, income and health status. The panel contains 497 retiring and 1,471 control households. We estimate the effect of retirement up to 10 years after the date of retirement by using Fixed Effects with health and wealth proxies, as well as Fixed Effects IV with the ages eligible for retirement as instruments to control for the potential endogeneity of retirement. Based on the Fixed effects results we find that overall dietary quality increase slightly at retirement, but find only minor and mostly insignificant changes in the individual components of the diet. The effects are found to be of the same magnitude, but insignificant in the FE-IV estimation. Hence, there seem to be a small increase in dietary health upon retirement in Denmark. The results for food expenditure and energy consumption are ambiguous. Based on the FE with proxy variables we find indications of long-run adjustments in food expenditures, while energy consumption is immediately affected by retirement, but has no further adjustment. Both effects are insignificant in the FE-IV estimation. The very small changes observed, suggest that dietary behaviour might be governed by habitual behaviour and might also be due to the high income replacement rate at retirement in Denmark.

Detection and prediction of rice plant diseases using convolutional neural network (CNN) method

Rice is a basic staple food in many Asian countries and is generally irreplaceable. Rice accounts for almost half of Asia food expenditure. Rice is too a crop that is prone to plant disease. It can appear and cause a decline in the quality of rice. However, constant monitoring of the rice fields can prevent the infection of the disease. Therefore, detection and prediction of rice plant diseases is one of the topics that will be discussed in this research. The purpose of this research is to help farmers to quickly pinpoint the disease of rice plants and take care of it properly. The methods used in this paper is researching and redesigning the previous attempt to hopefully make it better and more accurate. We will be using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models VGG16 as our algorithm. The results are that our proposed method has more accuracy than previous research using a similar dataset. The novelty of this paper is the increased accuracy of rice plant disease detection.

Optimizing collective behavior of communicating active particles with machine learning

Bacteria and other self-propelling microorganisms produce and respond to signaling molecules to communicate with each other (quorum sensing) and to direct their collective behavior. Here, we explore agents (active particles) which communicate with each other to coordinate their collective dynamics for maximizing nutrient consumption. Using reinforcement learning and neural networks, we identify three different strategies: a ‘clustering strategy’, where the agents accumulate in regions of high nutrient concentration; a ‘spreading strategy’, where particles stay away from each other to avoid competing for sparse resources; and an ‘adaptive strategy’, where the agents adaptively decide to either follow or stay away from others. Our work exemplifies the idea that machine learning can be used to determine parameters that are evolutionarily optimized in biological systems but often occur as unknown parameters in mathematical models describing their dynamics.

Corn yield in the application of doses and forms of nitrogen fertilizers in the Shaulder irrigation massif of Turkestan region

Nowadays, to obtain high and stable yields of agricultural crops, in addition to the creation and introduction of new high-yielding varieties, the use of various plant protection products, growth stimulants and biopreparations, the effective use of mineral fertilizers is a necessary agricultural technique. The purpose of this work was to study the influence of various doses and forms of nitrogen fertilizers on the dynamics of the accumulation of raw mass of corn plants, crop structure, yield, as well as the removal and normative consumption of nutrients on different salinization backgrounds in the Shaulder irrigation massif of Turkestan region. The obtained results showed that the best indicators were established in a slightly saline background than in an average saline one. On average, on a slightly saline background, the yield of corn grain, depending on the forms of nitrogen fertilizers at a dose of 80 kg / ha, varied in the range of 13.2-14.9 t/ha. At the same time, the yield gain from the use of various forms of fertilizers at the same doses of nitrogen amounted to 21.6-37.4 %. Against a medium-saline background, the option with the use of ammonium nitrate (variant 5) with an addition of 47.7 % nitrogen fertilizer to the phosphorus-potassium background. Regression models were obtained that accurately reflect the dependences of the grain yield and the elements of the corn crop structure on the total effect of nitrogen fertilizer (x1) and the degree of soil salinity (x2): Y = 18.429 + 0.2656x10.5 - 37.0995x2 with a high coefficient of determination - R2 = 0.954. On a slightly saline background, nitrogen removal by the corn grain harvest with the corresponding amount of by-products according to the experimental options varied from 282.9 kg/ha in the P80K80 option, to 370.1 kg/ha in the P80K80 + N120 option (ammonium sulfate), phosphorus – from 121.4 kg/ha in the P80K80 + N80 option (urea) to 160.7 kg/ha in the P80K80 + N80 option (ammonium nitrate), potassium – from 325.2 kg/ha in the P80K80 + N80 option (urea) to 413.7 kg/ha in the P80K80 + N80 option (ammonium sulfate). On a medium-saline background, nitrogen removal was in the range of 175.3–223.8 kg/ha, phosphorus - 67.4-89.6 kg/ha, potassium – 178.5-217.3 kg/ha. The utilization rate of nitrogen from fertilizers varied significantly depending on the doses and forms of nitrogen fertilizers and the degree of soil salinity.

Sustainable dietary patterns and all-cause mortality among US adults.

Sustainable dietary patterns that incorporate multiple dimensions may have benefits for both human health and the environment. We examined the association between sustainable dietary patterns assessed by using the Sustainable Diet Index-US (SDI-US) and mortality in US adults. This study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-18 (N = 22 414 aged ≥20 years). The SDI-US (range: 4-20) was composed of four sub-indices representing nutritional, environmental, economic and sociocultural dimensions, and was computed using 24-h dietary recalls, food expenditures and food preparation habits. A higher score indicates a more sustainable dietary pattern. All-cause mortality from baseline until 31 December 2019 was obtained through linkage to the National Death Index. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs were estimated using Cox proportional-hazards models, adjusting for covariates. During 150 386 person-years of follow-up, 2100 total deaths occurred and the median SDI-US was 9.8 in Quintile 1 (Q1) and 16.3 in Quintile 5 (Q5). In a multivariable-adjusted model, the highest SDI-US quintile was associated with a 36% reduction in mortality risk (Q5 vs Q1, HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.49-0.84, P = 0.002) compared with the lowest quintile. When stratified by age (P interaction = 0.002), an inverse association between SDI-US and mortality was observed in younger adults (<65 years, HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.25-0.68, P = 0.001) but not in older adults (≥65 years, HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.71-1.16, P = 0.15). A higher SDI-US score was associated with lower mortality risk among US adults, particularly in younger adults.

Unravelling the Proportion of Food Expenditure and Energy Consumption on Food Security: Evidence from Smallholders’ Clove Farmers in Indonesia

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the proportion of food consumption expenditure to clove farmer household expenditures, as well as the energy and protein consumption and food security conditions of clove farmer households in Indonesia. Theoretical Framework: Hunger eradication and food security remain critical development challenges, particularly in developing nations such as Indonesia. Poorer households spend a large proportion of their income on basic needs, including food. However, as their income increases, they divert more of their income towards buying higher quality goods and services, thereby reducing the proportion that goes into food. Method: This research was conducted on 30 clove farming communities using a purposive sampling technique. In in-depth interviews, all informants responded to the researcher's questions using precise, in-depth, and easy-to-understand phrases. Data analysis was carried out by reducing data, presenting data and drawing conclusions and verification. Result and Conclusion: The results showed that the average proportion of non-food expenditure to total household expenditure of clove farmers in the study locations was 54.45%, while the proportion of food consumption expenditure to total expenditure was 45.55%. This suggests that non-food consumption spending accounts for a significant portion of farmer household expenditure. Meanwhile, the average energy and protein consumption of rice farming households was 1995.81 kcal/person/day and 88.65 grams/person/day, respectively. Implication Of Research: These findings imply that clove farmers have a sufficient amount of energy and protein. It may be stated that clove farmers in the research area have very excellent food security, with no food insecure households.

Unhealthy food consumption and its determinants among children aged 6 to 23 months in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis of the demographic and health survey

BackgroundUnhealthy food consumption that begins early in life is associated with a higher risk of nutrient inadequacy and related chronic diseases later in life. Healthy eating and consumption of important nutrients help to maintain a healthy body weight and reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions. Research from sub-Saharan Africa regarding consumption of unhealthy foods remains limited, with no studies quantifying the pooled prevalence among young children. Therefore, this study is intended to assess the pooled prevalence and determinants of unhealthy food consumption among children aged 6 to 23 months.MethodsData from the most recent demographic and health surveys of five countries in sub-Saharan Africa conducted between 2015 and 2022 were used. A total weighted sample of 16,226 children aged 6 to 23 months was included in the study. Data extracted from DHS data sets were cleaned, recorded, and analyzed using STATA/SE version 14.0 statistical software. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the dependent variable. Intra-class correlation coefficient, likelihood ratio test, median odds ratio, and deviance (-2LLR) values were used for model comparison and fitness. Finally, variables with a p-value < 0.05 and an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval were declared statistically significant.ResultsThe pooled prevalence of unhealthy food consumption among children aged 6 to 23 months was 13.41% (95% CI: 12.89-13.94%). Higher consumption of unhealthy foods was reported among mothers with low education [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.30, 0.46)], unmarried women [AOR = 1.19; 95% CI (1.05, 1.34)], who had no media exposure [AOR = 0.64; 95% CI (0.56, 0.72)], delivered at home [AOR = 0.74; 95% CI (0.62, 0.87)], who hadn’t had a PNC checkup [AOR = 0.66; 95% CI (0.60, 0.73)], wealthier households [AOR = 1.20; 95% CI (1.05, 1.37)], older children (aged ≥ 9 months) [AOR = 3.88; 95% CI (3.25, 4.63)], and low community level media exposure [AOR = 1.18; 95% CI (1.04, 1.34)].ConclusionNearly one out of seven children aged 6 to 23 months consumed unhealthy foods. Maternal educational level, marital status of the mother, exposure to media, wealth index, place of delivery, PNC checkup, and the current age of the child were factors significantly associated with unhealthy food consumption. Therefore, improving women’s education, disseminating nutrition-related information through the media, providing more attention to poor and unmarried women, and strengthening health facility delivery and postnatal care services are recommended.

Healthy foods, healthy sales? Cross-category effects of a loyalty program promoting sales of fruit and vegetables

Globally, consumption of Fruit and Vegetables (F&V) remains below nutritional guidelines. With retailers accounting for a large portion of F&V sales, marketing can be key to increase F&V consumption at household level. However, a key challenge is the design of strategies that benefit retailers, e.g., improving loyalty, whilst promoting societal goals. This study evaluates a points-plus-cash loyalty program where participants received points by purchasing selected F&V, redeemable against a reward (plush toys in the shape of F&V). We estimate the impact of the program by comparing expenditures in several categories before, during, and after the promotional period, across two different years, and comparing consumers who redeemed a reward and those who did not. We use loyalty card data from a Croatian retailer, containing food expenditure in five categories for 268,359 consumers, over 27 weeks for 2 years. We find that the loyalty program increased F&V expenditures at the focal retailer during the promotional period. However, the increase was only for reward-redeemers, for whom the program increased expenditures in F&V as well as in other food categories. This effect persisted – at a declining rate – after the program stopped. Exposure only had a limited effect during the campaign, leading to a reduction in expenditure after the promotional period. Results indicate that a loyalty program promoting sales of F&V can create win-win benefits to both society and the retailer: it increases expenditures on healthy foods (F&V), while improving overall loyalty (i.e., expenditures) to the retailer amongst motivated consumers.

Foods and nutrients consumption and the risk of gallstone disease: A nested case-control study in Rosario, Argentina

The etiology of Gallstone Disease (GD) is multivariate and it involves genetics and environmental factors. Nutritional exposure is considered the main environmental influence that contributes to gallstone formation. The aim of this study was to assess the association between diet and GD. A nested case-control study based on a previous representative screening of asymptomatic subjects living in Rosario, Argentina, was carried out. Participants underwent a personal interview. Food and nutrient intake were estimated by applying a food-frequency questionnaire, a food photography atlas, and software for food composition. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals, adjusted by potential confounders. A total of 120 patients, 51 cases and 69 controls, were studied. Statistically significant differences in average daily energy intake were found between cases and controls (p = 0.002). Total fats, chicken with skin, sausages, and cold cuts intakes were higher in the cases group. However, the control group was characterized by a statistically significant higher consumption of vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, chicken without skin, and skimmed dairy products. Multiple logistic regression showed that GD risk diminished with red and yellow vegetables (OR = 0.037; p = 0,0004) and nuts consumption (OR = 0.201; p = 0.019). Instead, GD risk increases with total fats (OR = 7.959; ρ = 0.0205), fatty cattle meat (OR = 18.163; p = 0.0063), and chicken with skin consumption (OR: 10.595; p = 0.0050). Phosphorus consumption decreases GD risk (OR = 0.055; p = 0.0035). A number of meals also acted as a protective factor. Also, caloric intake was a risk factor. Each 100 kilocalories daily consumed; the risk increases by 12%.

1‐MCP combined with laser microporous film packaging maintains the quality and prolongs the storage period of Xiahei grapes

SummaryThe effects of a 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) treatment combined with laser microporous film (LMF) packaging on the quality of postharvest Xiahei grapes during storage at 4 ± 1 °C were investigated. Compared with the control group, the 1‐MCP + LMF treatment significantly decreased the weight loss and respiration rate of the grapes (P &lt; 0.05). Additionally, the combination of 1‐MCP and LMF maintained relatively high titratable acid, ascorbic acid, and total soluble phenol contents, as well as low levels of soluble solids. The combined application of 1‐MCP and LMF also reduced the accumulation of superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdehyde. Except in a few samples, the superoxide dismutase, ascorbic peroxidase, and catalase activities were higher under 1‐MCP + LMF treatment. Conversely, lipoxygenase, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and cellulase activities were lower than in the control. The results suggested that the combined application of 1‐MCP and LMF significantly mitigated water evaporation, retarded nutrient consumption, induced catabolism, and minimised oxidative damage of grapes during storage. These changes prolonged the shelf life of Xiahei grapes to 60 days at 4 ± 1 °C.

SDG 2 – ending hunger: the effect of Nigeria’s land titling on production output and food security of farming households

Achieving zero hunger is intricately linked to sustainable agricultural production and the workings of a farming system. With land being the most important resource in smallholder agriculture in developing countries; including Nigeria; the effect of legal land ownership is a sine qua non for the process of achieving zero hunger in Nigeria. This study examined Nigeria’s attempt at making agricultural land both accessible and utilizable for smallholders in Nigeria through the Presidential Technical Steering Committee on Land Reforms in 2009. The aim was to explore the extent to which land ownership had become legalized; so that it had positive investment incentives for smallholder farmers to improve their investment portfolio on their holdings. A secondary dataset of 4,032 respondents obtained from the Living Standard Survey Integrated Survey on Agriculture (LSMS/ISA) of the 2018/2019 season, was used for the study. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and a 2-stage least square model. The apriori being that legal land ownership provided a perception of security that would enhance farm-level investment; which would therefore increase production output and hence food security. The findings revealed that although land titling was low (~12%) within the agricultural system; its return on production output was highly significant (5.3; p &amp;lt; 0.05). The possession of land title would also increase per capita food consumption expenditure (0.35; p &amp;lt; 0.05) among the farming households. On average, households with access to land titles had a significantly higher (at p &amp;lt; 0.01) food expenditure (N9, 868.00) than those without land titles (N6171.72). Other farm-level investment variables such as credit use, and mechanization through tractor use were significant in improving food security amidst the security presented by possession of land title. Thus, expediting the implementation and coverage of formal land registration and titling may be a first step to contributing meaningfully to the food security drive of the SDGs in Nigeria.

Association between household income levels and nutritional intake of allergic children under 6 years of age in Korea: 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and application of machine learning.

This study investigated the prevalence of allergic diseases in Korean children aged 6 and below, focusing on the interplay between nutritional status, household income levels, and allergic disease occurrence. This study used data from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide comprehensive survey, and included a representative sample of 30,382 children under the age of 6 to investigate in detail the relationship between allergic diseases, nutritional intake, and socioeconomic factors. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with allergic diseases, including gender, BMI, eating habits, dietary supplement intake, and nutrient consumption. To predict childhood asthma, 14 machine learning models were compared using the 'pycaret' package in Python. We discerned that 24.7% were diagnosed with allergic conditions like atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis. Notably, household income exhibited a significant influence, with the lowest income quartile exhibiting higher prevalence rates of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and multiple allergic diseases. In contrast, the highest income quartile displayed lower rates of allergic rhinitis. Children diagnosed with allergic diseases demonstrated compromised intake of essential nutrients such as energy, dietary fiber, vitamin B1, sodium, potassium, and iron. Particularly noteworthy were the deficits in dietary fiber, vitamin A, niacin, and potassium intake among children aged 3-5 with allergies. Logistic regression analysis further elucidated that within low-income families, female children with higher BMIs, frequent dining out, dietary supplement usage, and altered consumption of vitamin B1 and iron faced an elevated risk of allergic disease diagnosis. Additionally, machine learning analysis pinpointed influential predictors for childhood asthma, encompassing BMI, household income, subjective health perception, height, and dietary habits. Our findings underscore the pronounced impact of income levels on the intricate nexus between allergic diseases and nutritional status. Furthermore, our machine learning insights illuminate the multifaceted determinants of childhood asthma, where physiological traits, socioeconomic circumstances, environmental factors, and dietary choices intertwine to shape disease prevalence. This study emphasizes the urgency of tailored nutritional interventions, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, while also underscoring the necessity for comprehensive longitudinal investigations to unravel the intricate relationship between allergic diseases, nutritional factors, and socioeconomic strata.