Vegetative Groups Research Articles

The infiltration variability under oil palm plantation related to moss and understory vegetation covers in terrestrial and riparian sites in Jambi, Indonesia

Abstract The capacity and contribution of each understory vegetation group to infiltrate transmitted precipitation and moisten the soil are to be revealed. Recently, common findings on infiltration rate under oil palm are well reported, however, it does not include the role of each vegetation group to support water availability to the oil palm plantation. The specific objective of this study is to identify the role of each understory vegetation group consisting of moss and weeds on cumulative infiltration rate and infiltration capacity in the terrestrial area and riparian zone of oil palm plantations consisting of smallholder and corporate farmers in dry and rainy seasons. The total covering rate of both vegetation types amounted to 61.7%. In the active path of terrestrial area weed growth dominated the surface cover of oil palm plantations in both seasons, where the cover of weeds reached 67.8% and moss covers at the level of averagely 11.3%. The total covering rate by the vegetation was 79.1%, and 20.9% of the surface area was without any vegetative protection. In the riparian area, there was no evidence of the difference of infiltration rate measured in Ks both in the circle area and active path area, which reached very low at the value of 1.74-4.02 cm h−1 in the dry season and 3.29-3.88 cm h−1 in the rainy season. However, in the terrestrial area at the active path area, the Ks value reached an average of 12.13 cm h−1 in the dry season and 5.86 cm h−1 in the rainy season. The Ks-value in the oil palm circle in the terrestrial area showed no difference value, which was a very low category value ranging from 3.37-3.80 cm h−1. The cumulative value of infiltrated water during the first four hours in the riparian zone in the active path ranged from 10.35 to 18.52 cm. This value is lower than cumulative infiltrated water in the terrestrial area, ranging from 25.83-110.55 cm in the first 4 hours of infiltration time.

Investigation of pesticide residues based on integrated multi-strategy: Occurrence, fate and dietary risk assessment

To gain a comprehensive overview of the risk of pesticide intake exposure posed by vegetables from farms, a joint multi-strategy of pesticide monitoring was conducted on vegetable and edible mushroom samples from planting bases. The strategy integrated traditional methods and non-targeted screening by proposing modified rapid standard pre-treatment methods combined with GC, HPLC-MS and HPLC-HRMS for screening and quantification of known pesticides and unknowns. The results showed that 40 pesticides were detected at different levels in 308 samples by targeted monitoring and 27 pesticides were confirmed by non-targeted screening, of which 8 samples were detected at levels exceeding the defined maximum residue limits. The risk of acute and chronic dietary exposure for the detected pesticides in eleven groups of vegetables was acceptable. Comparative analysis of targeted and multi-strategies revealed that farm-based cultivation can improve the quality and safety of non-certified products, and pesticides with low ADIs confirmed via the multi-joint risk monitoring strategy will significantly increase the risk of cumulative chronic dietary exposure. These results will help to improve the quality and safety of agricultural products at the source and the monitoring and management of pesticides in planting bases.

Effect of different diet composition on the fat profile of two different black soldier fly larvae populations

Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens; BSFL) can transform organic wastes into nutritional biomass useful in animal feeding. The aim of this work was to study the effect of five diets (meat, fruit, vegetable substrates, a mix of them and control) on the profile of fatty acids (FAs) and sterols of BSFL. For a more exhaustive characterization of the nutritional properties, the profile of esterified FAs in the sn-2 position of the triglycerides, the most absorbed lipid component during animal digestion was evaluated. The dietary effect was estimated on two different Hermetia illucens populations (Greek − UTH and Italian − UNIPI). The diet affected all the lipid fractions examined. Regardless of diet, the fat was characterized mainly of lauric acid and other saturated FAs, which were found to be synthesized by the larvae, as it was not present in any of the five substrates. In general, UTH larvae contained a higher level of lipids (7.38 vs 2.48 g/100 g of larvae; P < 0.001) and saturated FAs (49.71 vs 36.10 g/100 g of Total Lipids; P < 0.001) and a lower percentage of monounsaturated FAs (14.74 vs 26.70 g/100 g of Total Lipids), C18:3n-3 (0.67 vs 1.13 g/100 g of Total Lipids; P < 0.001), and C18:2c9t11 (2.02 vs 2.80 g/100 g of Total Lipids; P < 0.001). Irrespective of the populations, BSFL reared on control and fruit substrates showed higher level of lipids (8.06 and 5.61 g/100 g of larvae, respectively), and saturated FA (38.99 and 71.19 g/100 g of Total Lipids, respectively), while the presence of meat increased the level of C20:4n-6, C20:5n-3 and C22:5n-3 (0.70, 0.13 and 0.45 g/100 g of Total Lipids, respectively). The results confirmed that BSFL accumulate phytosterols in their lipid fraction. The sterol profile was strongly influenced by the substrate on which the larvae were reared, with higher levels of cholesterol in the larvae of the meat group (38.55 mg/100 g of Total Lipids) and of stigmasterol and campesterol (9.04 and 15.23 mg/100 g of Total Lipids, respectively) in those of the vegetable group. The sterol content between the two populations was significantly different, with a higher percentage in UTH larvae (113.28 vs 34.03 mg/100 g of Total Lipids; P < 0.001). Finally, BSFLs showed a high plasticity of the lipid profile depending on both the substrate and the metabolism linked to the different populations. This variability allows the nutritional characteristics of the BSFL to be shaped by modifying the substrate, to adapt it to the technological and feeding needs to which the larvae are destined.

Dietary lipid sources affect growth performance, lipid deposition, antioxidant capacity and inflammatory response of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

The present study explored the effects of different lipid sources on growth performance, lipid deposition, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory response and disease resistance of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Four isonitrogenous (crude protein 50.46 %) and isolipidic (crude lipid 11.12 %) diets were formulated to contain 7 % of different oil sources including fish oil (FO) (control), soybean oil (SO), linseed oil (LO) and coconut oil (CO). Largemouth bass with initial body weight of 36.0 ± 0.2 g were randomly distributed into 12 tanks, with 30 fish per tank and 3 tanks per treatment. The fish were fed with the experiment diets twice daily for 8 weeks. The results indicated that the weight gain of largemouth bass fed the FO diet was significantly higher than that of fish fed the LO and CO diets. The liver crude lipid content in FO group was significantly higher than other groups, while the highest liver triglyceride content was showed in SO group and the lowest was detected in LO group. At transcriptional level, expression of lipogenesis related genes (pparγ, srebp1, fas, acc, dgat1 and dgat2) in the SO and CO group were significantly higher than the FO group. However, the expression of lipolysis and fatty acids oxidation related genes (pparα, cpt1, and aco) in vegetable oils groups were significantly higher than the FO group. As to the antioxidant capacity, vegetable oils significantly reduced the malondialdehyde content of largemouth bass. Total antioxidant capacity in the SO and LO groups were significantly increased compared with the FO group. Catalase in the LO group was significantly increased compared with the FO group. Furthermore, the ER stress related genes, such as grp78, atf6α, atf6β, chop and xbp1 were significantly enhanced in the vegetable oil groups compared with the FO group. The activity of serum lysozyme in vegetable oil groups were significantly higher than in FO group. Additionally, the relative expression of non-specific immune related genes, including tlr2, mapk11, mapk13, mapk14, rela, tgf-β1, tnfα, 5lox, il-1β and il10, were all significantly increased in SO and CO groups compared to the other groups. In conclusion, based on the indexes including growth performance, lipid deposition, antioxidant capacity and inflammatory response, SO and LO could be alternative oil sources for largemouth bass.

Variation in the timing and duration of autumn leaf phenology among temperate deciduous trees, native shrubs and non-native shrubs.

The timing and duration of autumn leaf phenology marks important transitions in temperate deciduous forests, such as, start of senescence, declining productivity and changing nutrient cycling. Phenological research on temperate deciduous forests typically focuses on upper canopy trees, overlooking the contribution of other plant functional groups like shrubs. Yet shrubs tend to remain green longer than trees, while non-native shrubs, in particular, tend to exhibit an extended growing season that confers a competitive advantage over native shrubs. We monitored leaf senescence and leaf fall (2017-2020) of trees and shrubs (native and non-native) in an urban woodland fragment in Wisconsin, USA. Our findings revealed that, the start of leaf senescence did not differ significantly between vegetation groups, but leaf fall started (DOY 273) two weeks later in shrubs. Non-native shrubs exhibited a considerably delayed start (DOY 262) and end of leaf senescence (DOY 300), with leaf-fall ending (DOY 315) nearly four weeks later than native shrubs and trees. Overall, the duration of the autumn phenological season was longer for non-native shrubs than either native shrubs or trees. Comparison of the timing of spring phenophases with the start and end of leaf senescence revealed that when spring phenology in trees starts later in the season senescence also starts later and ends earlier. The opposite pattern was observed in native shrubs. In conclusion, understanding the contributions of plant functional groups to overall forest phenology requires future investigation to ensure accurate predictions of future ecosystem productivity and help address discrepancies with remote sensing phenometrics.

Ethnoecological Study of Local Community Food in Supporting the Development of Culinary Ecotourism in the Sekotong Region, West Lombok

Combining the concept of ecotourism with culinary delights based on local food resources in coastal communities in West Lombok district is one form of appropriate development strategy that will make the West Lombok district region have its own development characteristics leading to sustainable tourism and tourism support which will become the concept of future tourism development. This research examines in more depth the ethnoecological aspects of coastal communities, especially regarding local food. Through this research, data will be obtained regarding the diversity of local food types in coastal communities, mapping community wisdom in processing and utilizing local food. Local community interactions and perceptions of local food diversity. The type of research used is descriptive exploratory with research techniques in the form of exploration. The sampling techniques used in the research were purpose sampling and snowball sampling. Research data collection uses several techniques, including random observation to obtain qualitative and quantitative data on local food typical of the island of Lombok, which uses an open questionnaire targeting local communities according to predetermined criteria. The research results show that coastal communities have more food resources originating from marine resources, both fish and non-fish, these food resources are still protected because most people still harvest the results using simple equipment. There are around 11 types of processed food as a family practice. Tuna fish has the highest ICS (Index of Cultural Significance) value while mackerel fish has the highest variety of uses. Shrimp is the fish group that has the highest ICS value, while cassava leaves have the highest ICS value for the vegetable group. The local wisdom of the community which originates from their ancestors in order to protect their environmental resources is still maintained today.

Importance of Certain Varieties of Cucurbits in Enhancing Health: A Review.

The Cucurbitaceae family is an extensive group of fruits and vegetables that exhibit common characteristics; for example, they are farmed on a global scale and exhibit a wide range of applications, including fresh consumption and use in various food and beverage products. As is frequent, many species or genera share a common name, and this can lead to some confusion when looking for information about a specific variety. In this review, we describe the findings about the biological activity, like antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties, of two genera of this family, Cucumis and Momordica, which have been characterized and evaluated in several research studies and regarding which information is readily accessible. Those activities rely on the various physicochemical qualities and nutritional content of each variety, including factors like β-carotene and polyphenols, among others. The goal of this review is to provide a rapid search for each activity examined in the literature, enabling future research on their potential uses in functional foods and nutraceutical supplements.

Porovnání růstu douglasky tisolisté a smrku ztepilého podle dat lesních hospodářských plánů a osnov

Forest management documents related to the whole Czech Republic contain detailed information about the state of forest stands and tree species. A subset of the data was prepared for stands of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii; 46,929 records) and Norway spruce (Picea abies; 37,761 records from stands where Douglas-fir was also present). Growth models for both species were constructed in the form of simplified Korf ’s function. The data set was divided into subsets according to forest vegetation (altitudinal) zones (FAZ) and groups of edaphic categories. On acidic habitats, both tree species reached maximum growth rate in the 5th FAZ. However, on habitats affected by water this occurred in the 4th FAZ. In the model example at the age of 140 years, Douglas-fir shows an average of 4% higher stand volumes in comparison to Norway spruce, while the felling volume as part of thinning, or left in the stand to decay, is about 32% higher in Douglas-fir.

Assessment of Food Waste in Public Preschool and Primary Schools at the Municipality of Faro

INTRODUCTION: Food waste has become a political priority in recent years, due to its impact on the economy, environment, and population's nutritional and health status. In the school setting, the assessment of food waste is essential since it can reflect children's inadequate food consumption, compromising their nutritional intake and healthy development. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess and evaluate the food waste, in the form of leftovers and plate waste, produced in the meals served at lunchtime during three non-consecutive days in five preschool and primary school canteens located in the Municipality of Faro. METHODOLOGY: The food produced and wasted were separated and weighed by aggregated components. The sample was obtained by a non-probabilistic and convenience selection. Schools were stratified into urban or rural based on geographical location. Food waste was classified according to the result of the leftovers index and plate waste index, using the categorisations of Vaz (2006) and Aragão (2005), respectively. RESULTS: The total food waste average percentage found was 40.2% ± 7.3% and the mean of leftovers and plate waste percentages exceeded the acceptable limits (15.2% ± 7.3%, and 25.0% ± 5.7%, respectively). Among the food components, vegetables were the most wasted in both areas (71.2% ± 31.6%, urban; 98.7% ± 13.7%, rural). Comparing the results according to schools’ location, it was found that the consumption of vegetables was significantly lower in rural area schools when compared to the consumption of vegetables in urban area schools (1.3% ± 5.6% and 28.7% ± 31.2%, respectively; p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: The need to implement corrective measures aimed at reducing food waste is urgent, through the training of canteen workers, menu improvement and promoting children’s food consumption, especially concerning the vegetable food group.

A Review on Effect of Bio-fertilizers and Chemical Fertilizers on Growth, Yield and Quality of Dioecious Cucurbits

No vegetable group in India is as diverse as the cucurbits. They are adapted to diverse soil and climate condition and contribute significantly to total vegetable production. Dioecious cucurbits cultivation merge with trellising, staking, mulching, application of biofertilizers and growth regulators hold immense potential and promise for future vegetable production and market in our country. Biofertilizer can be defined as a substance which contains living organisms which, when applied to seed, plant surface, or soil, colonize the rhizosphere or interior of the plant, and promote growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary nutrients to the host plant. Biofertilizers are an chief component of integrated nutrient management system for sustainable agriculture and along with chemical fertilizers. Studies suggest that cultivation of dioecious cucurbits along with chemical and organic fertilizers gives immense result on account of yield and productivity. Our country possesses a rich diversity like spine gourd, ivy gourd, bitter gourd, sweet gourd, pointed gourd and has ideal climate and soil to cultivate these cucurbits. Mostly these miner cucurbits are largely grown or wild gathered and sold in the market by small and marginal farmers. Hence promotion of these cucurbits holds key to ensuring livelihood security and income generation for to the tribal’s, marginal and small farmers in remote rural regions. Dioecious cucurbits mainly possess different important chemical compounds which can be used in nutraceuticals industries. These cucurbits has the potential to act as a source of income generation for rural farmers as they have immense market potential. These cucurbits need strong research support for better production and utilization.

Salt and heavy metal stress responses and metal uptake potentials of some leafy vegetables

AbstractAbiotic stress conditions caused by increasing anthropogenic activities over the years necessitate using marginal waters in agricultural irrigation and pose a risk to public health by causing salt stress and heavy metal pollution in the soil. The study exposed rocket (Eruca sativa L.), cress (Lepidium sativum L.), and parsley (Petroselinum crispum Mill.) plants to heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd, and Cr at rates of 300, 140, 75, 300, 3, and 100 mg kg−1, respectively) and salt stress (3, 6, and 9 dS m−1). Both stress conditions affected plant growth negatively. Biomass losses reaching 88% occurred in the rocket, which was determined to be more sensitive to salt stress than heavy metal stress. In parsley, on the other hand, it was determined that the above‐ground organs were more affected by salt stress, but the negative effect of heavy metal stress on the roots was higher than salt stress. In cress, the cultivars produced different responses to stress factors. The Zeybek cultivar was more affected by salt stress, and Bahargülü was more affected by heavy metal stress. In general, an increase in macro‐ and micronutrients was found under stress conditions. In addition, it was determined that the plants were hyper‐accumulative in terms of lead absorption and were sorted as cress &gt; parsley &gt; rocket in terms of metal uptake. According to these findings, these plants should be grown taking into account the lead values in the soil, and consumers should be aware that they are a group of vegetables that accumulate lead.

Ecological and floristic features of modern plant groupings on the territory of the Kipchak archaeological complex

The article presents the results of the study of the peculiarities of the existing vegetation cover on the territory of the Kipchak archaeological complex (Republic of Bashkortostan). The data of ecological and botanical description are presented, which contribute to the interpretation of the natural state of vegetation groupings on the territory where archaeological surveys are conducted. The investigated burial ground and settlement are part of the objects of the Kipchak archaeological complex and are located near the village of Kipchakovo. The article includes a list of vascular plants that were discovered and described in this area during the survey in 2022, indicating their relevance to the trial areas of the Kipchak archaeological complex. According to the survey data the most widespread species of vascular plants were identified, they include: Vicia tenuifolia Roth, Fragaria vesca L., Trifolium alpestre L., Galium verum L., Achillea millefolium L., Achillea millefolium L., Dactylis glomerata L., mountain clover Trifolium montanum L., Trifolium medium L., Galium boreale L., Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski. To date, the study area is assessed as slightly disturbed.

Depresi pada Tokoh Kiriyama Rei dalam Anime Sangatsu no Raion

This research focuses on the depression of the character Kiriyama Rei in the anime Sangatsu no Raion. The purpose of the research is to analyze the symptoms, causal factors, and impact of depression on Kiriyama Rei. The theories used are literary psychology theory by Wellek and Warren and cognitive theory of depression by Beck and Alford. Informal and descriptive methods are used as research methods. The method of data collection is the method of observe and note taking. In the data analysis stage, the descriptive analysis method is applied and in the data analysis presentation stage, the informal method is applied. Based on the results of the analysis, the symptoms of depression experienced by Kiriyama Rei are affective group in the form of emotions of sadness, motivational group in the form of desire to escape and loss of motivation, negative group in the form of negative view of self, negative interpretation of experience, and critical view of the future, and physical and vegetative group in the form of sleep disorders. The causative factors of Kiriyama Rei depression are specific stres and non-specific stres. The effects of Kiriyama Rei depression are negative view of self, negative view of life experience, and negative view of the future. Kiriyama Rei was declared a depressed patient because she experienced more than five symptoms of depression in a few weeks

Effect of vegetable consumption on risk of gastric cancer: a systematic review and multi-level meta-analysis of prospective studies.

Vegetables are known to be beneficial to human health, but the association between vegetable consumption and gastric cancer remains uncertain. To synthesise knowledge about the relationship between vegetable group consumption and gastric cancer risk, update present meta-analyses and estimate associations between vegetable consumption and gastric cancer risk based solely on prospective studies, we perform a PRISMA-compliant three-level meta-analysis. Systematic search identified thirteen prospective studies with fifty-two effect sizes that met all inclusion criteria and no exclusion criteria for our meta-analysis. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) showed a positive association between high vegetable consumption and low gastric cancer risk (pooled RR 0·93, 95% confidence interval 0·90-0·97, P = 0·06). In moderator analyses for indicators of gender, region and quantity of vegetable intake, there was no significant difference between subgroups. However, the effect became significant in populations with lower than the minimum risk exposure level (TMREL) of vegetable consumption (P < 0·05). Higher vegetable intake is associated with a decreased risk of gastric cancer. This effect may be limited to specific populations, such as ones with lower vegetable consumption. Evidence from our study has important public health implications for dietary recommendations.

Black soldier fly life history traits can be influenced by isonutrient-waste-based diets

To maximise the black soldier fly (BSF) bioconversion capacity, a waste that is not suitable for use as it is, can have a positive effect if combined with others in a formulation. In this perspective, a total of 3600 of 6-day-old larvae were inoculated on 6 iso-proteic, iso-lipidic and iso-energetic diets (named from D1 to D6; 100 larvae/replicate; 6 replicates/treatment) formulated with 21 by-products. To evaluate growth performance, 30 larvae per replicate were randomly sampled every 4 days until the 40% reached the prepupae phase, in which survival rate (SR), larva-prepupae time duration and bioconversion indexes were calculated. When a pupa was identified, it was moved in the emergence box (23 pupae/treatment) to evaluate the adult parameters: pupa-fly duration time, fly live weight, weight reduction, fly lifespan, puparium weight and emergence rate (ER). Considering SR (>92%) and ER (>94.6%), all diets were suitable for the BSF breeding. The D1 and D5 (composed by brewers spent grain, vegetable and fruit waste) groups overall performed the best larvae growth and development time, while D2 (composed by glaze waste and buffalo milk whey) displayed the worst (p < 0.05). The D5 maintained good weight in prepupae, pupae and adult stages and also D2 reached the same outcome. The bioconversion indexes followed the trend of the larvae performance. In conclusion, the results herein obtained allowed to discriminate the protein, fat and energy variables on the BSF life history traits and observe other factors of influence, such as the ash content, which will need to be evaluated with future research.

Characterizing spring phenology in a temperate deciduous urban woodland fragment: trees and shrubs.

Phenological research in temperate-deciduous forests typically focuses on upper canopy trees, due to their overwhelming influence on ecosystem productivity and function. However, considering that shrubs leaf out earlier and remain green longer than trees, they play a pivotal role in ecosystem productivity, particularly at growing season extremes. Furthermore, an extended growing season of non-native shrubs provides a competitive advantage over natives. Here, we report spring phenology, budburst, leaf-out, and full-leaf unfolded (2017-2021) of a range of co-occurring species of tree (ash, American basswood, red oak, white oak, and boxelder) and shrub (native species: chokecherry, pagoda dogwood, nannyberry, American wild currant and Eastern wahoo, and non-native species: buckthorn, honeysuckle, European privet, and European highbush cranberry) in an urban woodland fragment in Wisconsin, USA, to determine how phenology differed between plant groups. Our findings show that all three spring phenophases of shrubs were 3weeks earlier (p < 0.05) than trees. However, differences between shrubs groups were only significant for the later phenophase; full-leaf unfolded, which was 6days earlier (p < 0.05) for native shrubs. The duration of the spring phenological season was 2weeks longer (p < 0.05) for shrubs than trees. These preliminary findings demonstrate that native shrubs, at this site, start full-leaf development earlier than non-native species suggesting that species composition must be considered when generalizing whether phenologies differ between vegetation groups. A longer time series would be necessary to determine future implications on ecosystem phenology and productivity and how this might impact forests in the future, in terms of species composition, carbon sequestration, and overall ecosystem dynamics.

Assessment of the Performance of Drip-Irrigated Green Pepper (Capsicum annum L.) under Poly-House and Open-Field Conditions

Sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is one of an important group of vegetables grown extensively, widely cultivated and used as foods in almost every country of the world. It is a high productivity crop, it has high remunerative and nutritive values. Sweet pepper consumption in Nigeria is growing recently because of increasing demand by rural and urban consumers as a result of rapid population growth and water scarcity calls for an alternative means of production system for sustenance of the human race. The experiment was carried out during the dry seasons of 2020.2021 and 2021/2022 at the Teaching and Research Field of Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. The beds were prepared, nursery was raised, drip irrigation system was installed and fumigation was carried out before transplanting. The experimental design was a randomized complete block (RCBD) with nine replications in each environment. The same design was applied to both poly-house and open-field conditions. The factors are environment (poly-house and open-field) and irrigation intervals of 5, 6 and 7 days (I5, I6 and I7). Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance and Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) was used for multiple comparison. Drip irrigation was applied to all plots at different irrigation intervals. Number of leaves (NL), plant height (PH), stem girth (SG) and weight of fresh fruit (WFF) were recorded. The respective results of performance of green pepper at different irrigation treatments under poly-house and open-field in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 growing seasons were: NL-I5: 180, I6: 185, I7: 171 and I5: 120, I6: 139, I7: 122 in 2020/2021 growing season while I5: 157, I6: 173, I7: 160 and I5: 108.3, I6: 118.3, I7: 118 during 2021/2022 growing season. PH-I5: 128.7, I6: 139.3, I7: 125.3 and I5: 108.3, I6: 118.3, I7: 104.7 cm in 2020/2021 growing season while I5: 117.7, I6: 129.7, I7: 120 and I5: 102, I6: 115, I7: 99.3 cm during 2021/2022 growing season. SG-I5: 30, I6: 29.7, I7: 29.6 and I5: 25.1, I6: 26, I7: 25 mm in 2020/2021 growing season while I5: 20.3, I6: 23.3, I7: 21.3 and I5: 18.5, I6: 20, I7: 17.9 mm during 2021/2022 growing season. WFF-I5: 20.3, I6: 29.2, I7: 19.8 and I5: 13.3.1, I6: 21, I7: 14.2 kg/m2 in 2020/2021 growing season while I5: 14.6, I6: 23.5, I7: 14.7 and I5: 9.5, I6: 17.8, I7: 8.8 kg/m2 during 2021/2022 growing season. The controlled conditions provided by the poly-house resulted in best overall performance compared to the open field environment. It is recommended that the assessment of long-term sustainability and economic viability of poly-house cultivation for green pepper production be conducted.

Impact of memory bias in the dietary estimation of older adults measured through a food frequency questionnaire and weighed food records: A cross-sectional study in older adults and primary caregivers.

Introduction: changes in cognitive performance and memory of older adults (OA) can interfere in their reporting their diet. Objective: to evaluate the impact of memory bias in dietary estimation between OA and their primary caregivers (PC) through the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Mexican OA and weighed food records (WFR). Methods: the present analysis uses the estimated dietary information based on the response provided by 51 older adults (OA) and their primary caregivers (PC) from the validation study of the FFQ for Mexicans OA was conducted during lockdowns for COVID-19. The personnel who applied FFQ and WFR were trained with standardized instruments and procedures. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the intake per day of the foods and food groups, the Spearman correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the grams of intake per day of the food groups, and kappa coefficient was used to compare the level of food items and food groups between OA and PC. Results: in 11 of 14 food groups, no significant differences were observed between the amounts of intake reported by OA and PC. In the groups of dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, moderate agreement was observed (κ = 0.63 to 0.79), and in the rest of the groups was strong to perfect (κ ≥ 0.80). Correlation of the amount of intake between OA and PC was high in all food groups (r ≥ 0.87). Conclusion: the high correlation and high agreement between the amounts and frequencies of the food groups consumed as reported by the older adults and primary caregivers indicate that the information from both respondents is reliable.

The Effects of Blanket Bog Erosion on Aquatic Macrophytes in an Irish Soft Water Lake

abstract: The Irish Roundstone bog area is characterised by its many oligotrophic soft water lakes surrounded by blanket bogs. These lakes are mainly dominated by isoetid vegetation, adapted to limited nutrient and carbon availability. Peat erosion from surrounding bogs may lead to organic matter accumulation in these lakes, which could increase nutrient availability and pose a threat to isoetid vegetation. Here, we determined whether three distinct vegetation groups (dominated by Lobelia dortmanna, Eriocaulon aquaticum or Juncus bulbosus ) in the Irish soft water lake Kankoge differed in sediment and (pore)water chemistry. Elemental composition of in-lake accumulated organic matter was compared with organic matter from blanket bogs to link peat erosion to differences in vegetation. Our results show that parts of the lake with accumulated organic matter had higher inorganic carbon and ammonium concentrations in the sediment pore water. These sites were mainly dominated by J. bulbosu s, amounting to plant biomass more than 20 times higher than sites with no or low organic matter accumulation and isoetid dominated vegetation. Eriocaulon aquaticum was present at all sites, even those with high sediment organic matter. By comparing elemental composition of sediment organic matter to the surrounding blanket bog, we show that in-lake organic matter accumulation likely resulted from peat erosion.

Dietary Pattern and Its Impact on Nutritional Status of Adolescent Girls among Chepang Community in Raksirang Rural-Municipality of Makawanpur District

Background: Adolescence is a period of transition between childhood and adulthood. An adolescent is defined as individuals in the 10-19year age group. The health and nutritional status of adolescent girls affects their health and their survival in future. Adolescents, particularly girls, are increasingly conscious of their body which leads to low intake of food rich with nutrients. Teenage girls may excessively restrict their energy intake, out of a desire to be thin, which has a serious threat on their nutritional status.Methods: Descriptive cross sectional study design was applied in ward number 5 of Raksirangrural municipality of Makawanpur district usingsemi-structured questionnaire and all adolescent girls (127) of aged 10-19 years were involved as the respondents of the study. The study duration was 7th June to 25th December 2017. The data was entered and analyzed with the help of software SPSS version 16.0. Results: The prevalence of underweight was found to be 27.6%. Study shows the participants consume protective fruits and vegetables group and other fruits and vegetables group in less quantity as comparison to other food groups. Though most of the participants were literate, knowledge on nutrition about 8% had adequate knowledge and 91% had poor knowledge.Conclusions: Nutritional status of adolescent girls of Raksirangrural municipality is found to be poor. The research recommends improving nutritional status and feeding habits especially intake of wheat, meat and yellow fruits focusing on adolescent girls.