Trends In Quality Research Articles

Analysis the characterization of climate change and its impacts on smallholder farmers in Eastern Ethiopia

The impact of climate change on agriculture and food production is manifested through alterations in agro-ecological factors. The region of sub-Saharan Africa is particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change and variability, given its reliance on rainfall-dependent agriculture and inadequate adaptive capabilities. The objective of this study was to analysis of the characterization of climate change and its impacts on smallholder farmers in eastern Ethiopia. Historical daily rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature in 1991–2021 years of 12 weather station were collected from National Meteorological Institute of Ethiopia and NASA/POWER. Data quality control, trend test and outlier detection test were used. Climate characterization (onset, cessation, LGS and Dry/wet spell length) and precipitation concentration index were examined. The earliest, and latest start of rainy season in Kombolcha and Haramaya were 81DOY (March 21) and 225DOY (August 13) within mean 130DOY and 125DOY, respectively. In study area the minimum and maximum length of growing period of was recorded in Chinakesen and Haramaya by the values of 32DOY and 253DOY (Days of the year) respectively. In this arid and semi-arid areas, growing period was recorded under the short season crop maturity while long cropping season maturity does no satisfy crop water requirement due to moisture stress. The coefficient of variation of length of growing season from Mieso and Chinakesen were 36.2% and 47.9% which implies that the areas were highly vulnerable to climate extreme events of drought. Length of growing season (LGS) of Gemechis district was decreasing by a factor −2.533 shows highly significant at alpha value of 0.05 confidence level. Dry spell length probability occurrence of 5 days during the main cropping rainy season is significantly very high. The 30 years of data record suggests that a 29–48% precipitation concentration index of kiremt (JJAS) and belg (FMAM) seasonal rainfall which are demonstrating irregular precipitation. kiremt (JJAS) rainfall trend tests of Babile, Kurfa chale and Mieso districts were increasing by a factor of 2.016, 2.043 and 2.117, respectively and statistically significant at 95% confidence level, in the time period of 1991–2021 years. If furtherstudy will be examined climate extreme indices and adaptation strategies designed to simulate the impacts and variability of climate change in the study area.

Comment on: Two decades of surgical randomized controlled trials: worldwide trends in volume and methodological quality.

Comment on: Two decades of surgical randomized controlled trials: worldwide trends in volume and methodological quality.

The contribution of wildfire to PM2.5 trends in the USA.

Steady improvements in ambient air quality in the USA over the past several decades, in part a result of public policy1,2, have led to public health benefits1-4. However, recent trends in ambientconcentrations ofparticulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), a pollutant regulated under the Clean Air Act1, have stagnated or begun to reverse throughout much of the USA5. Here we use a combination of ground- and satellite-based air pollution data from 2000 to 2022 to quantify the contribution of wildfire smoke to these PM2.5 trends. We find that since at least 2016, wildfire smoke has influenced trends in average annual PM2.5 concentrations in nearly three-quarters of states in the contiguous USA, eroding about 25% of previous multi-decadal progress in reducing PM2.5 concentrations on average in those states, equivalent to 4 years of air quality progress, and more than 50% in many western states. Smoke influence on trends in the number of days with extreme PM2.5 concentrations is detectable by 2011, but the influence can be detected primarily in western and mid-western states. Wildfire-driven increases in ambient PM2.5 concentrations are unregulated under current air pollution law6 and, in the absence of further interventions, we show that the contributionof wildfire to regional and national air quality trends is likely to grow as the climate continues to warm.

Quantitative Analysis of the Driving Factors of Water Quality Variations in the Minjiang River in Southwestern China

The Minjiang River is an important first-level tributary of the Yangtze River. Understanding the driving factors of water quality variations in the Minjiang River is crucial for future policy planning of watershed ecology protection of the Yangtze River. The water quality of the Minjiang River is impacted by both meteorological factors and anthropogenic factors. By using wavelet analysis, machine learning, and Shapley analysis approaches, the impacts of meteorological factors and anthropogenic factors on the permanganate index (CODMn) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentrations at the outlet of the Minjiang River Basin were quantified. The observed CODMn and NH3-N concentration data in the Minjiang River from 2016 to 2020 were decomposed into long-term trend signals and periodic signals. The long-term trends in water qualities showed that anthropogenic factors were the major driving factors, accounting for 98.38% of the impact on CODMn concentrations and 98.18% of the impact on NH3-N concentrations. The periodic fluctuations in water qualities in the Minjiang River Basin were mainly controlled by meteorological factors, with an impact of 68.89% on CODMn concentrations and 63.94% on NH3-N concentrations. Compared to anthropogenic factors, meteorological factors have a greater impact on water quality in the Minjiang River Basin during both the high-temperature and rainy seasons from July to September and during the winter from December to February. The separate quantification of impacts of driving factors on the varying water quality signals contributed to the originality in this work, providing more intuitive insights for the assessment of the influences of policies and the climate change on the water quality.

Soil Quality Evaluation of Typical Vegetation and Their Response to Precipitation in Loess Hilly and Gully Areas

The selection of suitable tree species and the reasonable allocation of planting areas are important measures for improving soil quality. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of typical vegetation type soil quality differences and their dominant factors in loess hilly–gully areas after returning farmland to the forest (grassland). The soil quality status and dominant factors of arbors, shrubs and grasslands in the study area were comprehensively analyzed using the soil quality index (SQI) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed the following: (1) In the study area, the shrub forest had a high capacity for air permeability, water retention and nitrogen fixation. (2) The soil quality of the three vegetation types improved with increasing precipitation, and the soil quality indicator of shrubs was the highest, indicating a better soil quality improvement. However, the soil quality of the arbors and grasslands showed a greater percentage increase. In the precipitation range of 400–410 mm, the soil quality of shrub forests was significantly higher than that of arbors and grasslands. (3) Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that precipitation, vegetation and soil factors are closely related to soil quality. Further analysis showed that soil bulk density, porosity, capillary water-holding capacity, soil organic carbon and total phosphorus were the dominant factors affecting the soil quality in the study area. The purpose of this study was to evaluate quantitatively the soil quality after different vegetation types under different precipitation gradients, to clarify the variation trend of soil quality at different vegetation types with different precipitation gradients and to provide a scientific basis and data support for the quantitative evaluation of vegetation restoration and selection of tree species and vegetation configuration within different precipitation gradients in loess hilly and gully regions in the future.

Temporal Trends of Semen Quality and Fertility Rates Over the Course of a Decade: Data From King County, Washington

There has been a widely reported decline in both semen quality and fertility rate, however to date these studies have not looked at a decline of both in the same time period within the same geographical area. The objective of this study was to determine if there existed a temporal trend in both semen parameters and fertility rates for the same geographic area (King County, WA) over time. Semen parameters from sperm donors at Seattle sperm bank were obtained from 2008 to 2021. Sperm donations occurred in King County, WA. Donors were from within 50 miles of the donation site. Fertility rates were calculated for King County, WA using census data from SEER to find number of women aged 15-49 and the number of births were found using CDC Wonder data from 2006-2017. There were a total of 76,622 sperm donor semen analyses from King County, WA included in our study from 2008-2021. The fertility rate for King County, WA was calculated from 2006-2017. From 2008-2021, there was a statistically significant decline in semen quality over time for both sperm count (p<0.01), total motile sperm count (p<0.01), sperm concentration (p<.01), and progressive motility (p<.01). Additionally, from 2006-2017 there was a statistically significant decline in fertility rate (p<0.01). We report a statistically significant decline in sperm parameters among donors and a corresponding decline in fertility rates from the same geographic area that warrants further investigation given the serious societal and economic impacts a shrinking population presents. While certainly not the sole contributing factor, declining sperm parameters likely need to be accounted for when accounting for declining fertility rates.

Assessment of landcover impacts on the groundwater quality using hydrogeochemical and geospatial techniques.

Groundwater quality is influenced by urbanization and land use land cover (LULC) changes. This study investigated their impact on groundwater quality in Quetta City, Pakistan, from 2015 to 2021. About 58 groundwater samples from monitoring wells were analyzed using hydrogeochemical and statistical methods. The water quality index (WQI), Wilcox, USSL, and various agricultural indices were employed to assess water quality trends. LULC analysis and NDVI using Sentinel-2 imagery revealed increased urban and agricultural areas and decreased barren land. Rapid urbanization was evident, with the buildup class expanding by 7.50% during this period. NDVI findings emphasized monitoring vegetation health and water quality for environmental assessments. The groundwater in Quetta was primarily classified as Cl-Ca·Mg, Cl-Ca, and Cl-Na according to the Piper diagram, with water-rock interactions and rock weathering evident. Most groundwater samples were suitable for irrigation according to the Wilcox and USSL diagrams. The WQI demonstrated overall safety for human consumption, but declining WQI values in northern parts due to urbanization are concerning. The results also revealed a moderate positive relationship between landcover classes and WQI values. It can be concluded that urbanization and excessive use of pesticides contributed to declining agricultural land quality. The spatial overlay of agricultural indices with landcover class suggested that barren land was most suitable, followed by build-up and agriculture were suitable for drinking and agriculture purposes. Moreover, agricultural indices moderately declined due to excessive fertilizers and pesticides in the agriculture landcover class. Thus, effective water resource management is crucial to address challenges. This comprehensive study serves as a baseline for future research and recommends larger-scale studies to implement efficient management strategies, urbanization planning, and safe irrigation and drinking water practices to prevent groundwater pollution.

Evaluation of Spatiotemporal Patterns and Water Quality Conditions Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis in the Yangtze River, China

As a crucial surface water resource, the Yangtze River has raised concerns about its water quality due to its importance in economic and social development, environmental conservation, and agricultural development. The principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and the water quality index (WQI) were utilized to assess the overall condition and detect spatiotemporal patterns and the key parameters of water quality in the Yangtze River. All usage data were determined monthly from samples taken in 2021 at the 33 Yangtze River water quality monitoring stations. The results demonstrated that 85% of the monitoring stations in the whole Yangtze River were maintained at a “good” condition, with average WQI values ranging from 71.16 to 81.25. The water quality was slightly poorer in the summer, with 56.6% of monitoring stations being in “medium” condition. Spatially, there was a downward trend in the water quality from upstream to downstream. Two significant principal component scores (PCs) were produced as a result of PCA and HCA, explaining 60.3% of the total variance in the upstream, 67.4% in the transition zone, and 50.4% in the downstream, respectively. In addition, the middle–upper reaches of water quality were found to correlated with CODMn, whereas the water quality in the downstream were mainly influenced by TUR, TP, T, and DO. The results primarily motivated our understanding of the Yangtze River’s water quality status and suggested the main targets for water quality improvement in different monitoring areas.

Collapse of scallop Nodipecten nodosus production in the tropical Southeast Brazil as a possible consequence of global warming and water pollution

Mollusc rearing is a relevant global socioeconomic activity. However, this activity has faced severe problems in the last years in southeast Brazil. The mariculture scallop production dropped from 51,2 tons in 2016 to 10,2 tons in 2022 in the Baia da Ilha Grande (BIG; Rio de Janeiro). However, the possible causes of this collapse are unknown. This study aimed to analyze decadal trends of water quality in Nodipecten nodosus spat and adult production in BIG. We also performed physical-chemical and biological water quality analyses of three scallop farms and two nearby locations at BIG in 2022 to evaluate possible environmental stressors and risks. Scallop spat production dropped drastically in the last five years (2018–2022: mean ± stdev: 0.47 ± 0.45 million). Spat production was higher in colder waters and during peaks of Chlorophyll a in the last 13 years. Reduction of Chlorophyll a coincided with decreasing spat production in the last five years. Warmer periods (>27 °C) of the year may hamper scallop development. Counts of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Vibrios) and Escherichia coli were significantly higher in warmer periods which may further reduce scallop productivity. Shotgun metagenomics of seawater samples from the five studied corroborated these culture-based counts. Vibrios and fecal indicator bacteria metagenomic sequences were abundant across the entire study area throughout 2022. The results of this study suggest the collapse of scallop mariculture is the result of a synergistic negative effect of global warming and poor seawater quality.

Evaluation of Koga irrigation water in Mecha district, Amhara Region, as an example of irrigation water quality in Northwestern Ethiopia

Irrigation water quality impacts plant growth, crop production, and public health. Thus, understanding the trends in irrigation water quality is important to manage public health, and optimize crop production. The Koga region in Ethiopia is a developing area where crops are an important food source for a growing population, and irrigation is critical to supply additional food crops and secure food insecurity issues. This study measures physiochemical and biological parameters to assess the suitability of Koga irrigation water for crops intended for human consumption. In March 2022, irrigation water samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical and biological qualities. Kelley’s ratio, magnesium danger, and sodium absorption ratio were calculated from the data obtained. Results showed that the turbidity (174.33–259.00 NTU), total suspended solids (80.33–175.00 mg/L), total alkalinity (143.33–195.33 mg/L), total hardness (150.67–224.6 mg/L), SO42−(43.96–73.00 mg/L), PO43−(56.27–87.43 mg/L), and BOD5 (63.23–95.40 mg/L) levels surpassed the recommended limit of FAO(35 NTU,50 mg/L,100 mg/L,100–150 mg/L,20 mg/L,3 mg/L and 30 mg/L, respectively). BOD5 levels of the tested water samples exceeded the permissible limit set by the EU (10 mg/L). The coliform and fecal coliform levels in all sampled waters were higher than the zero/100 mL limits of the EU and WHO set for irrigation water. The studied water samples were found to be unsuitable for the cultivation of crops and vegetables since TA, PO4−3, and NO3− levels exceeded the tolerance limit of the crops and vegetables cultivated in the site, while the coliform and BOD5 levels surpassed their tolerable limits. Consequently, it is not recommended to eat crops and vegetables without first properly preparing them. The results showed improper ratio of Mg2+:Ca2+ and Na+:Ca+2, and a magnesium hazard was foreseen. This study showed that the turbidity, total suspended solids, total alkalinity, total hardness, SO42−, PO43−, BOD5, and the coliform levels of the studied irrigation water samples of the Koga irrigation project were not found within the safe limits of FAO, WHO, EU, and irrigation water quality limits of different nations, even though additional samples evaluating seasonal fluctuations are needed to fully assess the water quality.

Investigating spatial and temporal trend of groundwater quality in relation to water balance in 2007–2017: a case study of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province, Iran

The extensive exploitation of water resources in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province has led to a destructive impact on the water balance and quality of the region. In order to evaluate water quality of the study area, water quality parameters from 132 wells were analyzed to prepare spatial distribution maps of the IRWQI index. To analyze spatial and temporal rainfall anomalies, the SPI index was spatially interpolated using the ordinary Kriging method. Principal component analysis was used to investigate the relationship between water quality parameters. The suitability of data for PCA was evaluated by the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin and Bartlett tests. Additionally, water balance components of the study area, including surface runoff and ground water, were simulated using the WetSpass-M model. According to the results of the IRWQI index, 54 wells, mostly located in built-up and agricultural lands, had poor quality․ Investigation of the average groundwater quality during the years 2007 to 2017 shows that the trend of groundwater quality decreased. Comparison of drought and water quality maps showed similar patterns so that in areas with extreme drought, water quality was bad. The highest and lowest recorded concentrations for nitrates were related to built-up and rangeland lands with concentrations of 35 and 21 mg/l, respectively. Comparison among land use classes showed that in the rangelands, groundwater quality was better and nitrate level was lower compared to agricultural and built-up areas. Overall, the results of this study show that water quality can be affected by land use types and water balance components.

Trends in larval densities, spawning timing, and site quality of capelin (Mallotus villosus) across bays and habitats in Newfoundland, Canada

Abstract Capelin is a short-lived forage fish species that underwent a population collapse in 1991 on the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelf, Canada (Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Divisions 2J3KL) and has not recovered. The collapsed stock is characterized by delayed spawning timing and low recruitment. As year-class strength is set early in life, long-term larval monitoring at an intertidal spawning site in Trinity Bay (TB) is used as a proxy for stock-wide recruitment. Capelin spawn at both intertidal and subtidal habitats; however, there is minimal larval information from bays with a high incidence of subtidal spawning. We aimed to (i) compare inter-annual trends in temperatures, timing of spawning, and annual larval densities between two northeastern bays [TB and Notre Dame Bay (NDB)] and (ii) compare habitat quality metrics and larval densities between subtidal and intertidal sites in NDB. The date of first spawning in TB and NDB was positively correlated, suggesting that years with delayed spawning are experienced shelf-wide. While larval density was lower in NDB compared to TB, inter-annual trends were similar. In NDB, larval densities at both intertidal and subtidal spawning habitats were similar within a year, but temperatures and the proportion of dead eggs were lower at subtidal sites. These habitat quality metrics, however, were not related to annual larval density. These findings improve our knowledge on sources of capelin productivity, including the potential importance of subtidal spawning to recruitment dynamics.

Evaluation of Ecological Quality Status and Changing Trend in Arid Land Based on the Remote Sensing Ecological Index: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China

Ecosystems in arid areas are under pressure from human activities and the natural environment. Long-term monitoring and evaluation of arid ecosystems are essential for achieving the goal of sustainable development. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) is a typical arid region located in Northwest China with a relatively sensitive ecosystem. Under the support of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform’s massive data collection, the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) from 2000 to 2020, both in summer and spring, is established, and the variation trend of the ecological quality in Xinjiang is evaluated by coefficient of variation (CV), Sen’s slope analysis, Mann–Kendall trend test (M–K test) and Hurst index. In addition, a partial correlation analysis is processed between RSEI and selected climatic factors, including precipitation and temperature, to find out the mode of correlation between ecological quality and the natural climate. In the last two decades the following has become apparent: (1) The RSEI values of Xinjiang have been relatively low and unstable both in summer and spring, with a trend toward increasing; (2) The distribution characteristics of RSEI levels both in summer and spring have been similar; low levels were concentrated in the desert and wilderness, while high levels were concentrated around the oasis; (3) The ecological quality in Xinjiang has been relatively stable, with a trend of sustained increase both in summer and spring. There was also a small area of sustained decrease around the Junggar Basin and Turpan Basin in summer and a small area of significant decrease in the center of the Taklamakan Desert in spring; (4) In summer, the precipitation has obviously positively correlated in the Southwest. The temperature has obviously positively correlated in the northwestern part; in spring, the precipitation has obviously positively correlated in the Western part; the temperature has obviously positively correlated in the oasis around the Yili River Basin and Tarim Basin.

Spatiotemporal evolution and multi-scenario prediction of habitat quality in the Yellow River Basin

IntroductionThe Yellow River Basin (YRB) is not only a vital area for maintaining ecological security but also a key area for China’s economic and social development. Understanding its land-use change trends and habitat quality change patterns is essential for regional ecological conservation and effective resource allocation.MethodsThis study used the patch-generating land-use simulation (PLUS) and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) models to analyze and predict the spatial and temporal trends of habitat quality in the YRB from 2000 to 2030 under natural development (ND) and ecological conservation and high-quality development (ECD) scenarios. The PLUS model was used to predict land-use change in 2030 under different scenarios, after which the InVEST model was used to obtain the habitat quality distribution characteristics from the 2000–2030 period.Results(1) The mean values of habitat quality in the YRB in 2000, 2010, and 2020 were 0.6849, 0.6992, and 0.7001, respectively. The mean habitat quality values were moderately high. Spatial distribution characteristics were high in the west and low in the east and along the water. In 2030, habitat quality (0.6993) started to decline under ND, whereas under ECD, there was an indication of substantial improvement in habitat quality (0.7186). (2) The mean habitat degradation values in 2000, 2010, and 2020 were 0.0223, 0.0219, and 0.0231, respectively. The level of habitat degradation showed a decreasing trend, followed by an increasing trend with a stable spatial distribution pattern. The mean level of habitat degradation in 2030 (0.0241) continued to increase under ND, while a substantial decrease in the level of habitat degradation occurred under ECD (0.0214), suggesting that the level of habitat degradation could be effectively contained under the ECD scenario. (3) During the study period, the conversion of building land—both negative and positive—had the most pronounced impact on habitat quality per unit area. Further, the conversion of grassland was shown to be a key land transformation that may either lead to the deterioration or improvement of the ecological environment. The results provide scientifific theoretical support and a decision basis for ecological conservation and the high-quality development of the YRB.

Spatiotemporal variations and trends of air quality in major cities in Guizhou

Tracking the evolution of air pollutants has a critical impact on our ability to further improve air quality, which have been extensively studied in the North China Plain (NCP), the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) regions, but remain poorly characterized in Guizhou located in the east of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Here, we analyzed spatiotemporal variations and trends of six criteria air pollutants, i.e., inhalable particles (PM10), fine particle (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3), from 2016 to 2020 in the focus major cities in Guizhou, taking advantage of the extensive network data available since 2016. The annual mean concentrations of the six criteria air pollutants were substantially lower than China’s national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS-II), confirmed a significant improvement of air quality in Guizhou. The annual mean concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, SO2, CO and NO2 all decreased year by year during 2016–2020 in the focus major cities, and the highest decrease occurred in fall or winter. By contrast, O3 increased with a rate ranged from 0.85 μg·m−3 yr−1 (95% CI: 0∼1.78) to 3.71 μg·m−3 yr−1 (95% CI: 2.54∼5.13), and the highest increase occurred in spring or summer, revealing a strong impetus for reducing O3 pollution. Correlations among the six criteria air pollutants unveiled that the correlation coefficients between PM2.5 and NO2 were higher than those of between PM2.5 and SO2 in most focus major cities, mirroring a priority to control NOx to further reduce PM2.5 pollution in Guizhou. The focus of curbing O3 pollution in Guizhou should be redesigned to mitigate multiple precursors from multiple sectors, and efficient control strategies to mitigate warm seasons O3 pollution should also be implemented in cold seasons. Our results will benefit for our knowledge about current air pollution situation and police makers for future air pollution control in Guizhou.

Environmental regulations in the United States lead to improvements in untreated stormwater quality over four decades.

Identifying sources of pollutants in watersheds is critical to accurately predicting stormwater quality. Many existing software used to model stormwater quality rely on decades-old data sets which may not represent current runoff quality in the United States. Because of environmental regulations promulgated at the federal level over previous decades, there is a need to understand long-term trends (and potential shifts) in runoff quality to better parameterize models. Pollutant event mean concentrations (EMCs) from the National Stormwater Quality Database (NSQD) were combined with those from recent sources to understand if untreated stormwater quality has changed over the past 40 years. A significant decreasing monotonic trend (i.e., continually decreasing in a nonuniform fashion) was observed for total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total copper (Cu), total lead (Pb), and total zinc (Zn) in the resultant database, suggesting that runoff quality has become less polluted with time. Median EMCs decreased from 99.2 to 42mg/L, 0.34 to 0.26mg/L, 1.27 to 1.03mg/L, 40 to 6.8µg/L, 110 to 3.7µg/L, and 375 to 53.3µg/L for TSS, TP, TN, Cu, Pb, and Zn, respectively, from the 1980s to the 2010s. These significant reductions often aligned temporally with advancements in clean manufacturing, amendments of the Clean Air Act, and other source control efforts which impact pollutant bioavailability and atmospheric deposition. Results suggest environmental regulations not specifically targeting stormwater management have had a positive impact on stormwater quality and that temporal fluctuations should be considered in modeling.

Profiling ultra-processed foods in Thailand: sales trend, consumer expenditure and nutritional quality

BackgroundUltra-processed foods (UPF) are associated with adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to analyse the national trends in retail sales, consumer expenditure and nutritional quality of UPFs in Thailand.MethodsThe study used data from the Euromonitor Passport database for analysis of retail sales and consumer expenditure, and from the Mintel Global New Products Database for nutritional analysis using the WHO Southeast Asian Region nutrient profile model.ResultsThe study found the highest per capita sales volume and value of UPFs in 2021 were sauces, dressings & condiments (8.4 kg/capita) and carbonated soft drinks (27.1 L/capita), respectively. However, functional & flavoured water, ready-made meals and baked goods had the highest observed (2012–2021) and expected (2021–2026) sales growth. Supermarkets were responsible for most of the UPF sales since 2012, but convenience stores had larger growth in retail values. Growth in consumer expenditure per capita on UPFs from 2012 to 2020, ranged between 12.7% and 34%, and till 2026 is forecast to grow between 26% and 30%. More than half of UPFs exceeded at least one nutrient cutoff, 59.3% for total fats, 24.8% for saturated fats, 68.2% for total sugars and 94.3% for sodium.ConclusionsThe findings suggest a need for regulatory and non-regulatory measures such as UPF taxation and marketing restrictions, and market incentives for producing non-UPFs. A system for regularly monitoring and evaluating healthiness (both nutritional and processing aspects) of food products, especially UPFs, is required.

Implementing a campus VoIP intercom VLAN: A technology review, system requirements and architecture

Voice over the internet can be used with existing Local Area Network infrastructure within an organisation such as DIT to cut down the communication costs within the campus premises. This paper presents how can VoIP intercom be set and the requirements of the system. Voice is very important method of communication and hence is important to make it cheap and easily available. In this work, a VLAN was created in the DIT LAN then an appliance IP-PBX was installed, the phones were connected to a nearest by backbone switch. With gateway of the phones being the IP-PBX and VLAN tagging of the respective connected switch ports, the phones were able to connect to the PBX. The analysis of the system during busy hour shows that the system reliable and suitable to be used if the concurrent calls do not exceed the maximum capacity of the PBX. It is on this basis that this paper tends to critically review this new technology VoIP, x-raying the different types. It further more discusses in detail the VoIP system, VoIP protocols, and a comparison of different VoIP protocols. The compression algorithm used to save network bandwidth in VoIP, advantages of VoIP and problems associated with VoIP implementation were also critically examined. It equally discussed the trend in VoIP security and Quality of Service challenges. It concludes by reiterating the need for a cheap, reliable and affordable means of communication that would not only maximize cost but keep abreast with the global technological change.

Analysis of the Trend and Determinants of Governance Quality in Tanzania from 1990-2021

The present study aimed to examine the factors that influenced governance quality in Tanzania and analyze their potential implications for policy formulation and socio-economic development. This study employed a time series approach to investigate the associations between multiple variables, such as gross fixed capital formation, foreign direct investment, trade openness, GDP per capita growth, and agricultural exports, and governance outcomes. The results indicated that GDP per capita and trade openness positively influenced governance quality, while gross fixed capital formation had a negative influence due to its concentration in traditional sectors, which limited new advancements that could enhance governance quality. This study offered significant insights for policymakers and stakeholders in Tanzania. It recommended the implementation of comprehensive strategies that facilitated the improvement of trade openness and diversity of capital accumulation towards higher productive sectors to promote economic development and efficient governance practices. Through the improvement of governance quality, Tanzania had the potential to promote sustainable development, enhance the delivery of services, and augment the overall well-being of its populace.

Protecting traditional cultural food practices: Trends in diet quality and intake of ultra-processed foods by Indigenous status and race/ethnicity among a nationally representative sample of adults in Canada

BackgroundThe traditional cultural food practices of Indigenous people and adults from racial/ethnic minority groups may be eroded in the current food system where nutrient-poor and ultra-processed foods (UPF) are the most affordable and normative options, and where experiences of racism may promote unhealthy dietary patterns. We quantified absolute and relative gaps in diet quality and UPF intake of a nationally representative sample of adults in Canada by Indigenous status and race/ethnicity, and trends between 2004 and 2015. MethodsAdults (≥18 years) in the Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition self-reported Indigenous status and race/ethnicity and completed a 24-h dietary recall in 2004 (n = 20,880) or 2015 (n = 13,970) to calculate Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) scores from 0 to 100 and proportion of energy from UPF. Absolute and relative dietary gaps were quantified for Indigenous people and six racial/ethnic minority groups relative to White adults and trends between 2004 and 2015. ResultsAdults from all six racial/ethnic minority groups had higher mean HEI-2015 scores (58.7–61.9) than White (56.3) and Indigenous adults (51.9), and lower mean UPF intake (31.0%–41.0%) than White (45.9%) and Indigenous adults (51.9%) in 2015. As a result, absolute gaps in diet quality were positive and gaps in UPF intake were negative among racial/ethnic minority groups—indicating more favourable intakes—while the reverse was found among Indigenous adults. Relative dietary gaps were small. Absolute and relative dietary gaps remained largely stable. ConclusionsAdults from six racial/ethnic minority groups had higher diet quality and lower UPF intake, whereas Indigenous adults had poorer diet quality and higher UPF intake compared to White adults between 2004 and 2015. Absolute and relative dietary gaps remained largely stable. Findings suggest racial/ethnic minority groups may have retained some healthful aspects of their traditional cultural food practices while highlighting persistent dietary inequities that affect Canada's Indigenous people.