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Background: Food insecurity is an important aspect of human suffering during wartime. Besides its ferocity, the Gaza conflict of 2023–2024 has been marked by severe food and medication shortages that exacerbated the human toll and worsened the suffering of the population. Methods: A cross-sectional, mixed methods study that in April 2024 collected quantitative and qualitative data to assess food insecurity and malnutrition among residents of the Northern part of the Gaza Strip during the first seven months of the war. Quantitative data assessed weight loss among participants as a marker of starvation. Qualitative interviews evaluated food availability, food variability, and changing eating habits. Demographics were represented as counts and percentages. Weight was reported as mean ± SD. The Spearman Correlation Coefficient evaluated potential correlations of weight loss with sex, place of residence, and age. Statistical significance was set at a p-value less than 0.05. Results: 497 participants were recruited, including 330 males (66.4%) and 167 females (33.6%). The age range was (13–83 years). The mean baseline weight was 84.94 kg ± 20.06, with a weight range (35–180 kg). In April 2024, the mean weight had dropped to 66.22 kg ± 14.34, representing an average decline of 18.72 kg (new weight range 28–142 kg). Age was associated with a weak positive correlation with weight loss (r =.204, p =.000). Qualitative interviews with 95 breadwinners or homemakers revealed a high prevalence of hunger and severe shortages in food quantity, quality, and variability. Physical and financial barriers significantly impacted food sourcing. Also, due to food shortages, most participants reported high consumption of edible wild plants and unconventional types of flour such as corn flour or grounded animal feed. Conclusions: The study demonstrated high levels of weight loss and marked food insecurity in the Northern Gaza Strip during the conflict. The quantitative and qualitative food shortages outlined in this study present a risk for a host of potentially serious and irreversible future complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined stresses of fasting and hypoxia are common events during the life history of freshwater fish species. Hypoxia tolerance is vital for survival in aquatic environments, which requires organisms to down-regulate their maintenance energetic expenditure while simultaneously preserving physiological features such as oxygen supply capacity under conditions of food deprivation. Generally, infrequent-feeding species who commonly experience food shortages might evolve more adaptive strategies to cope with food deprivation than frequent-feeding species. Thus, the present study aimed to test whether the response of hypoxia tolerance in fish to short-term fasting (2 weeks) varied with different foraging modes. Fasting resulted in similar decreases in maintenance energetic expenditure and similar decreases in Pcrit and Ploe between fishes with different foraging modes, whereas it resulted in decreased oxygen supply capacity only in frequent-feeding fishes. Furthermore, independent of foraging mode, fasting decreased Pcrit and Ploe in all Cypriniformes and Siluriformes species but not in Perciformes species. The mechanism for decreased Pcrit and Ploe in Cypriniformes and Siluriformes species is at least partially due to the downregulated metabolic demand and/or the maintenance of a high oxygen supply capacity while fasting. The present study found that the effect of fasting on hypoxia tolerance depends upon phylogeny in freshwater fish species. The information acquired in the present study is highly valuable in aquaculture industries and can be used for species conservation in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic left millions to suffer its impact in the forms of unemployment, displacement, acute food shortage, and more. It kept migrants and urban poor to remain more vulnerable to food. This study examined the impact of coronavirus on the food security of the urban poor through the lens of Aahar Yojana, one of the government-led subsidised meal programs in Odisha, India. It combined the interview data obtained from the Aahar centres with structured observations and evaluated interlinked elements of the institutional services and pandemic: Hunger satisfaction level, Food hygiene, Sanitation, Quality, and Quantity. Results emphasised integrating such initiatives with robust governmental interventions to shift focus from cash transfers and subsidies. The originality of this paper is that it revealed that the scope of formerly established meal programs could mitigate food insecurity as reflected from the practical benefits during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing urbanization seen during the medieval period (7th to 16th centuries) is associated with adverse living conditions that may have negatively impacted childhood growth via the influence of infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies due to increasing population density and periodic food shortages. This study aims to compare the growth of non‐adults (less than 12 years of age) from urban, proto‐urban, and rural environments from medieval England to determine whether settlement type influenced child health, and by proxy overall population health, during this period. Tibial and femoral maximum diaphyseal lengths and dental age of non‐adults (0–12 years) from urban St. Gregory's Priory (n = 60), urban York Barbican (n = 16), proto‐urban Black Gate (n = 38), and rural Raunds (n = 30) were examined using z‐scores. The results reveal that non‐adults < 2 years from St. Gregory's Priory had the lowest growth values followed by Raunds, Black Gate, and York Barbican with the highest growth values. Further, non‐adults 2–12 years from York Barbican had the lowest growth values followed by Raunds, Black Gate, and St. Gregory's Priory with the higher growth values. The femoral and tibial diaphyseal growth values are explored within the context of breastfeeding and weaning practices, stability of economies, and environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the role of humanitarian diplomacy during the Tigray humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, a humanitarian disaster marked by severe shortages in food, healthcare, and essential services that deeply affect civilians. A qualitative approach using both primary and secondary data grounds the study by exploring key actors in humanitarian diplomacy, their successes, and barriers to aid delivery. Humanitarian actors, such as UN agencies, international NGOs, donor countries, the EU, the US, and the African Union, have engaged with the Ethiopian government, the TPLF, and the Tigray Transitional Government to alleviate the crisis. Notable achievements in humanitarian diplomacy include negotiations, information gathering, communication, civilian needs assessment, resource mobilization, advocacy for international law, and distressed civilians. Humanitarian diplomacy has facilitated international aid operations, saving lives during critical periods, despite practical difficulties. Diplomatic efforts have faced significant interruptions due to access restrictions imposed by the Ethiopian government, security threats from ongoing fighting leading to attacks on aid convoys and casualties among aid workers, and bureaucratic obstacles imposed by the Ethiopian government. This study highlights the necessity for effective humanitarian diplomacy in accounting for complex political landscapes in conflict-affected regions, developing flexible strategies that enhance access to aid, and improving humanitarian interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm households, especially in developing countries, are among the most vulnerable to food insecurity and poverty. A farming system approach is largely recognized to play an important role in supporting strategies to improve food security and alleviate poverty among farm households. This paper aims at exploring the drivers of food insecurity among farm households in developing countries, using a farming system approach. It also aims to explore farm households' perceptions regarding the causes of food shortages and the adopted coping strategies, and how these vary across farming systems. This analysis was based on data extracted from an agricultural census, which were analyzed through scatter plots and plot means with 95% confidence intervals. The results indicate that the factors analyzed (level of specialization, market integration, use of yield-raising and labor-saving inputs, farm size, population density, and rainfall) are important drivers explaining food insecurity among farm households, highlighting important differences across farming systems. The analysis also showed that farm households' perceptions regarding the causes of food shortages are related with the abovementioned drivers of food insecurity. Our findings suggest that less specialized farming systems with better access to markets, using yield-raising and/or labor-saving inputs, are more likely to be food secure. The farming system approach proved to be a useful approach to explore food insecurity drivers and coping strategies as well as to support policymaking. Moreover, the use of an agricultural census data provides an easily attainable tool to access and analyze farm-level data for policy analysis and to explore and understand a range of issues affecting farm households in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1970s, Marxist feminists have extensively discussed social reproduction to argue that women's unwaged domestic labour is a form of exploitation deriving from capitalism. This article focuses on the socialist socio-historical context to explore the social reproduction performed by lower working-class women in Shanghai during the COVID-19 outbreaks. To probe the pandemic interruptions to social reproduction, a COVID-19 Diary-Writing Workshop was conducted in 2020 to collect diaries written by destitute and disadvantaged women (pinkun funü) living in the Workers' New Villages. By delving into the women's affective lives, the article shows that women not only contributed to community through their volunteerism in social reproductive labour but also sacrificed for their families in a time of crisis. Moreover, women endured mental stress as the main performers of social reproductive work, and communal services provided by neighbourhood committees helped relieve the stress of household chores and resolved tensions related to food shortage. Our findings confirm scholars' longstanding argument that communal support policies can alleviate the gendered exploitative nature of social reproductive labour, and shed light on the roles of the remaining structures of socialist communal organization and infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) are a very diverse group whose species vary greatly in morphology and behaviour, particularly in diel activity. The type genus Cerambyx includes two large oak‐ling sympatric species (Cerambyx cerdo and Cerambyx welensii) that exhibit a crepuscular/nocturnal (dim‐light) lifestyle, but their actual diel activity remains largely unclear.We used phototraps in the wild to assess if diel activity depended on either species, sex or annual meteorology. Phototraps were highly effective, and the imaged activities were representative of beetles' life, including interactions with some vertebrate species.Both longhorns exhibited roughly similar crepuscular/nocturnal behaviour, with daytime activity being usually residual or erratic. Diel activity increased sharply just before dusk, peaked between dusk and early dark night (23:00–2:00 h), and then dropped progressively until disappearing at dawn. Diel activity was sexually dimorphic in C. welensii, as in some years females tended to be active earlier than males.Distinctly, in 2022, the warmest and driest year recorded in the study area, diel activity curves were flatter and wider, with C. cerdo activity increasing in the late afternoon (19:00–21:30 h) and C. welensii in the second half of the night (3:00–6:00 h). Furthermore, both species boosted daytime activity (diurnality) by more than three times, and diurnality also increased over the season that year.We finally hypothesise that, under the current climate change scenario, extreme droughts impact diel activity in these species, particularly boosting diurnality, in an attempt to locate water/food sources to counteract body dehydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In our world, nearly nine million people die every year from hunger, losing one person to hunger every few seconds. Ethiopia is among the leading countries in the total number of people facing hunger. Several actions have been taken to achieve food security globally and at the household level. However, the problem of food insecurity is still high in many parts of the world. Why are we failing to achieve food security? And where should we start? This study aims to answer these main questions. Design/methodology/approach: Relevant quantitative and qualitative data were duly used to describe food insecurity and associated climate factors globally and nationally. For this, PRISMA review methodology was used to help the systematic review. More than 90 relevant empirical and theoretical literature in the field were reviewed in an integrated way with practical evidence from Ethiopia. Governmental technical reports, NGOs reviews and other relevant empirical data referring to Ethiopia are thematically analyzed. Findings: The subjectivity, dynamism and complexity of the concept of food security are found to be some of the issues challenging the practice of achieving food security. The unresolved issues in the combination and interaction of the four pillars of food security (food availability, access to food, food utilization and stability) are affecting its measurement. In this study, it is emphasized that food insecurity in rural and urban areas should be treated differently, as food insecurity in rural areas is directly related to food production which depends on rainfall patterns. In rural Ethiopia, rainfall variability was among the main causes of food insecurity. More importantly, it is indicated that rainfall variability does not affect all pillars of food security equally; its effect is more pronounced on food availability and stability aspects. Deconstructing the concept of food security to make it more pragmatic, and understanding the factors behind the rainfall variability should be the starting tasks in achieving food security. Further, even though food aid is preferred to react to transitory food insecurity, focusing on long-lasting preventive measures that address the root causes of the recurring food insecurity in rural areas of Ethiopia would be an effective way of addressing the problem. Practical implications: Policy makers and other governmental and humanitarian agencies working on food security can make an evidence-based decision, shape policies and programs if they have clear information about the features of food insecurity, the nature of rainfall variability and critiques of the reacting mechanisms to food insecurity. Shortages of food in some place and food price crises in the other places have been both referring to food insecurity. This makes the understanding of food security situations more difficult to explain and communicate. Originality/value: This study primarily clarifies the conceptual complexity surrounding food security as it currently exists. Further, it provides a comprehensive and quantitative description of the state of global to national food security, along with the associated variability of rainfall patterns that are related to it. It also provides a brief overview of the intervention mechanisms for addressing food security, with a specific focus on Ethiopia. This study has set a clear demarcation to assess food security in rural and urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in the availability of prey may explain the low numbers of southern resident killer whales and the increase in northern resident killer whales in British Columbia and Washington State. However, in-situ data on the availability of their preferred prey (Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the core feeding areas used by these two populations of fish-eating killer whales have been lacking to test this hypothesis. We used multi-frequency echosounders (38, 70, 120, and 200 kHz) to estimate densities of adult Chinook (age-4+, > 81 cm) within 16 hot-spot feeding areas used by resident killer whales during summer 2020 in the Salish Sea and North Island Waters. We found Chinook were generally concentrated within 50 m from the bottom in the deep waters, and tended to be absent near the surface in the shallow waters (< 50 m). In general, the densities of Chinook we encountered were highest as the fish entered the Salish Sea (from Swiftsure Bank in the south) and Johnstone Strait (from Queen Charlotte Strait to the north)—and declined as fish migrated eastward along the shoreline of Vancouver Island. Median densities of Chinook for all sampled areas combined were 0.4 ind.·1000 m−2 in northern resident foraging areas, and 0.9 ind.·1000 m−2 in southern resident killer whale areas (p < 0.05, Mann–Whitney U test). Thus, Chinook salmon were twice as prevalent within the hot-spot feeding areas of southern versus northern resident killer whales. This implies that southern resident killer whales have greater access to Chinook salmon compared to northern residents during summer—and that any food shortage southern residents may be encountering is occurring at other times of year, or elsewhere in their range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae and seaweed have been consumed as food for several decades to combat starvation and food shortages worldwide. The most famous edible microalgae species are Nostoc, Spirulina, and Aphanizomenon, in addition to seaweeds, which are used in traditional medicine and food, such as Nori, which is one of the most popular foods containing Pyropia alga as a major ingredient. Recently, many applications use algae-derived polysaccharides such as agar, alginate, carrageenan, cellulose, fucoidan, mannan, laminarin, ulvan, and xylan as gelling agents in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics industries. Moreover, pigments (carotenoids particularly astaxanthins, chlorophylls, and phycobilins), minerals, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, peptides, proteins, polyphenols, and diterpenes compounds are accumulated under specific cultivation and stress conditions in the algal cells to be harvested and their biomass used as a feedstock for the relevant industries and applications. No less critical is the use of algae in bioremediation, thus contributing significantly to environmental sustainability. This review will explore and discuss the various applications of microalgae and seaweeds, emphasising their role in bioremediation, recent products with algal added-value compounds that are now on the market, and novel under-developing applications such as bioplastics and nanoparticle production. Nonetheless, special attention is also drawn towards the limitations of these applications and the technologies applied, and how they may be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has led to severe destruction of the health system and eventually its collapse. Moreover, multiple attacks on health workers were reported which led to obstacles in service delivery. The conflict has led to further humanitarian crises including shortage of food, water sanitation, and hygiene, and outbreaks of infectious diseases. About 2 million of Gaza's population are internally displaced with the majority in Rafah. Rafah's population has increased by 500% in less than four months. This has led to acute food severity in Gaza for the whole of the population. Moreover, the cut of UNRWA aid is expected to further expand the humanitarian crisis as over 2 million of the population depends on the aid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between March 28 and June 1, 2022, Shanghai imposed lockdowns under the zero-COVID policy, which caused Shanghai residents to lack access to adequate food. The present study examined the relationship between temporary food insecurity, social capital, and mental health during the lockdowns. We conducted a quota sampling survey in April 2022, in which data of 1,064 respondents, aged 18–79 years, were used to estimate a mediated moderation model. The results show that temporary food insecurity predicted poor self-rated health and high depression levels. Both offline and online social capital positively related to self-rated health but negatively related to depression. When faced with severe food insecurity, people with high offline social capital maintained better self-rated health, whereas those with high online social capital were not immune to depression. The mediation effects of participation in voluntary activities on the relationship between social capital and mental health were not confirmed. Temporary food insecurity during the lockdowns resulted in detrimental outcomes to Shanghai residents’ health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documents how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the livelihoods of women with disabilities in three low-income urban areas of Zimbabwe's Harare Metropolitan Province. A mixed-method approach was used to gather data through structured interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with 104 women with disabilities and service providers working with women with disabilities in Caledonia, Hatcliffe, and Epworth. The study utilises the sustainable livelihood approach to analyse the dynamics ensuing during the pandemic and how they impinged on women with disabilities' livelihoods. Findings reveal that the pandemic, particularly the lockdowns, greatly and negatively impacted the livelihoods of women with disabilities, who mainly depend on the informal sector through vending, begging, and handouts. The study recommends the provision of targeted sustainable social safety nets for women with disabilities in times of shocks and stresses such as pandemics to cushion them from the devastating effects brought about by such eventualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive studies have been conducted on the link between armed conflict and agricultural production. However, the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. A better understanding of these mechanisms could unpack the subsequent effects of conflict‐induced food and welfare shortages, as well as identify promising policy interventions. We study the effects of terrorist violence on household agricultural production in Burkina Faso and explore the underlying mechanisms. To achieve this, we combine nationally representative five‐year panel data on plots and households with spatial conflict data. Our analysis reveals negative and significant effects of terrorist violence on agricultural productivity and total output. Despite reducing cereal crop output, increased intensity of terrorist violence is significantly associated with higher production of cash crops, which require fewer inputs in Burkina Faso. Further investigations uncover that the decline in household agricultural productivity results from a significant decrease in the number of farming plots, land size, and short‐term production investments, including chemical fertilisers and pesticides. These findings remain robust across various alternative empirical specifications and measures of violence, offering insights that can help policymakers faced with similarly scaled armed conflict. For instance, ensuring a secure environment and providing reliable access to essential production inputs, such as chemical fertilisers and pesticides, can help support conflict‐affected household agricultural production during and after the violence periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delineates a distinctly post-1960s expression of hunger and desire for food in Cuban and Egyptian cultural production. Hunger has always been present in aesthetic renditions of everyday life in both locales. Following the early-1960s socialist expansion of the role of the state, a new expression of hunger for animal protein emerged that relied on vegetarian tropes and parodied official discourse. Expressions of this "new hunger" captured the contradictory state of being conditioned, through state food programs, to see the consumption of animal products as the epitome of a healthy diet that endows one with the status of being "developed" and "modern" while simultaneously not being afforded satisfactory access to those food items due to conditions beyond one's individual control. In such contexts, the average citizen is primarily vegetarian and not by choice, while those with access to power live the promised dream of carnivorous plenty. This article analyzes several political speeches, cartoons, jokes, and songs to map the rhetorical and aesthetic characteristics of such satiric expressions and demonstrate how they were informed by the growing gap between early revolutionary official promises of food for all and actual food shortages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sakura shrimp Lucensosergia lucens are pelagic shrimp that reside in the North Pacific Ocean. In Japan, commercial fishing activities aimed at this shrimp species only occurs in Suruga Bay in Shizuoka prefecture, but there has been a dramatic decrease in the magnitude of the harvest in recent years. Because sakura shrimp reside in the deep sea, their food habits and feeding behaviors are not well understood. The objective of this study was to establish a method for efficiently raising sakura shrimp larvae to juvenile shrimp. When a newly hatched larva was cultured individually, it developed to the post-larval stage when fed a sufficient amount. However, when ten individuals were cultured together, the survival rate sharply declined after 10 days owing to the cannibalism by elaphocaris III-stage larvae. This cannibalism was not due to the shortage of food because the cannibalism rate significantly dropped when larvae density was decreased to less than 1 individual/mL. The longest lifespan of a larva was 97 days, which is the longest recorded time for a sakura shrimp larval culture. Our results suggested that sakura shrimp larvae can develop to the post-larval stage in a laboratory-scale culture if the expression of cannibalism is inhibited by decreasing the larva density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chondrichthyans form an important part of marine food webs as top predators and mesopredators. However, little is known about chondrichthyans in Namibian waters and the roles they play in ecosystem function. During efforts to disentangle Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus from fishing gear or plastic debris, 11 incidents of seals impaled by the dorsal spines of St Josephs Callorhinchus capensis (order Chimaeriformes) were recorded. These observations overlapped with mass die-offs of the seals owing to food shortages, as indicated by large numbers of emaciated seals and widespread miscarriages of seal foetuses. This suggests that the St Joseph is not a desirable prey species for Cape fur seals, though this chimaera may provide a source of food, especially when preferred prey species are unavailable. This is the first published record of Cape fur seals feeding on chondrichthyans in Namibian waters. Documenting these types of food-web linkages between pinnipeds and chondrichthyans will allow for a better understanding of how impacts on their populations may more broadly affect Namibia's marine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How people speak of hunger extends beyond statements about food adequacy; people's remarks may reflect experiences of poverty and feelings of vulnerability, and may be used to request help. In this article, we build on the idea of idioms of distress to conceptualize hunger talk as expressing more than an empty belly. We draw on ethnographic data gathered in two settings in South Africa: one a peri-urban area under traditional jurisdiction in the Eastern Cape Province; the other an inner-city suburb of the largest city, Johannesburg, in Gauteng. Hunger-related idioms of distress help illustrate the complex interplay of social, economic, and cultural factors, and allow people to speak of various affective and material aspects of their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate-derived amino acids (POP-AAs) comprise native intermediates in cellular metabolism, within which the phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate (POP) node is the switch point among the major metabolic pathways existing in most living organisms. POP-AAs have widespread applications in the nutrition, food, and pharmaceutical industries. These amino acids have been predominantly produced in Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum through microbial fermentation. With the rapid increase in market requirements, along with the global food shortage situation, the industrial production capacity of these two bacteria has encountered two bottlenecks: low product conversion efficiency and high cost of raw materials. Aiming to push forward the update and upgrade of engineered strains with higher yield and productivity, this paper presents a comprehensive summarization of the fundamental strategy of metabolic engineering techniques around phosphoenol pyruvate–oxaloacetate–pyruvate node for POP-AA production, including L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, L-valine, L-lysine, L-threonine, and L-isoleucine. Novel heterologous routes and regulation methods regarding the carbon flux redistribution in the POP node and the formation of amino acids should be taken into consideration to improve POP-AA production to approach maximum theoretical values. Furthermore, an outlook for future strategies of low-cost feedstock and energy utilization for developing amino acid overproducers is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diurnal flight activity in otherwise strictly nocturnal bats has typically been linked to random disturbance from day roosts, an urgent need to balance food shortage caused by adverse weather during nighttime, or the absence of diurnal predators. However, migration may be another reason why bats fly during daylight, at least in some areas. Using community-science data collection, we obtained more than 500 records of over 15,000 bats displaying diurnal flight activity, suggesting that it is relatively common in Central Europe. The vast majority of sightings were of common noctules (Nyctalus noctula), with most records concentrated in spring and autumn. The seasonal dynamics of diurnal flights exactly coincided with migratory periods, and directional movements in autumn—when diurnal activity was most frequent and included highest numbers of observed bats—suggest that the behavior may ultimately be linked to migration ecology. The highest frequency of diurnal flights in autumn coincided with highest body mass in the studied territory, thereby refuting the hypothesis of early roost emergence due to poor body condition or decreased predation risk related to increased maneuverability. A shift from strictly nocturnal to partly diurnal activity may balance increased energetic demands imposed by migration, which is temporally synchronized with periods of cold nights when prey density is limited. Common noctule diurnal activity during the migratory period may be beneficial as they can acquire energy by foraging on daily abundant prey while saving nighttime for long endurance flights—alternatively, they may forage on the way to their migratory destination, thereby saving time. Predation risk from diurnal predators may be significantly decreased by choosing high flight altitudes, as observed particularly during autumn. We suggest that observations on the geographic distribution of diurnally flying noctules may help identify migration corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The report addresses the main Palestinian events during the period from March 1 to April 30, 2024, with a focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict. It mentions the Nablus Flour Mill Massacre, which resulted in the death of 112 Palestinians, as well as international reactions, such as Colombia's suspension of arms purchases from Israel. The report also discusses human rights violations, including Israeli assaults on civilians in Gaza, and calls for an international investigation to hold those responsible accountable. Additionally, the report highlights the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where the population is suffering from severe shortages of food and water. [Extracted from the article]

Careful and focused decision-making in the food sector reduces the challenges threatening food systems' stability. Besides, it can optimally control any changes that result in food shortages. The present study aimed to identify identifiable factors' effects on food insecurity using a dynamic system with an emphasis on consumption behaviors. A dynamic model was developed to understand the long-term interaction between individual characteristics, average cost, average income, and hygiene status, and a dynamic model was then validated and operationalized among 1,000 Alborz Province's households randomly using a questionnaire. The base scenario for predicting food insecurity changes revealed that food insecurity had increased over ten years, resulting in changes in social and economic status and vulnerability of urban society. Four additional scenarios indicated that the average cost and income could directly affect the food insecurity status in Iran by indirectly influencing policies to increase food security, health, and hygiene. Individual characteristics and food security also influence food insecurity and reinforce the relationship between these variables. The study revealed that dynamic systems modeling could be a valuable tool for assessing food insecurity policies and their factors in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the Akashi Strait, about half of the catch of the sand lance in Harima-Nada and Osaka Bay is caught in winter to early spring. The annual catch has continued to decrease after the 1990s, and it is suggested that the decline in catch was caused by copepod shortage as food. In the present study, frequent samplings of copepods were conducted from December to early April around the Akashi Strait for three years to evaluate copepod abundance and biomass. Around the Akashi Strait, the dominant species by abundance were Paracalanus spp., Oithona spp. and Microsetella norvegica, but by biomass, the most dominant was Calanus sinicus. Cluster analysis showed that copepod adult communities, based on biomass, were classified into five groups, and the representative species were Oithona similis, Subeucalanus crassus, M. norvegica, Euchaeta plana and C. sinicus, respectively. Especially from February to early April, most of the copepod communities were classified into cluster group 5, characterized by a high biomass of C. sinicus. This period coincides with the active feeding on copepods by sand lance. These results suggest that C. sinicus is the most important prey item for sand lance around the Akashi Strait. In addition, the temporal recruitment of pelagic species such as S. crassus and E. plana contributed to an increase in copepod biomass. There is concern that environmental shifts will lead to declines in C. sinicus, resulting in a decline in the total copepod biomass in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-Health is an umbrella term that integrates the health of the environment, humans and non-human animals. This approach is applied here to elucidate the impact of non-native invasive species on aquaculture and food security. Despite inherent biases against these species, a better understanding of their characteristics allows for the identification of those of greatest concern, minimizing the risk of food shortages and infectious diseases. This review summarises the positive and negative impacts of non-native species, delineating the specific areas they may impact. Additionally, this review gives an insight to the expertise and stakeholders that would need to be included if a "One-Health" approach were to be implemented by policymakers to better control non-native species. Detailed examples illustrate the consequences of non-native species on trophic dynamics, ecosystem health, water chemistry, and human health, emphasizing the importance of managing them within a multidimensional framework. The "One-Health" approach is explained, and suggestions are made on how certain non-native species could be used to contribute to food security in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, recommendations are made to promote a more inclusive management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moecnh) is a versatile crop that is widely grown in western Ethiopia, despite that it is less researched. This study, therefore, investigates the traditional knowledge, nutritional, and morphological characteristics of two commonly grown okra varieties (Kenketse and Sharma) in west Ethiopia. A semi‐structured questionnaire, checklist, and observations were used to collect primary data from households, key informants, and farms. In addition, proximate composition parameters like moisture content, total ash, crude fat, crude protein, crude fiber, utilizable carbohydrates, and gross energy fruits were measured through laboratory analysis. Fruit morphological traits, including fruit dimensions such as length and width, were determined using a digital Vernier caliper. For data analysis, SPSS software was used. The results revealed that the entire plant is used for both food and ethnomedicinal purposes. Curing ailments such as stomach pain, constipation, wound/cut, heart discomfort, back pain, malaria, diarrhea, and amoebae were among the medical benefits of okra. The proximate composition (%) on a dry matter basis of okra fruits differed significantly (p <.05) by cultivar type and drying method. Moisture (3.69%–5.24%), total ash (6.60%–8.01%), crude fat (4.87%–8.58%), crude protein (4.06%–5.23%), crude fiber (12.85%–15.26%), utilizable carbohydrate (56.42%–67.63%), and gross energy contents (326–341 kcal) were the ranges of the various proximate and energy levels. Morphological characteristics of fruit and leaf length, width, and length‐to‐width ratio varied with cultivar type, where Sharma had more than double the length of Kenketse (70.1 vs. 187.1 mm). Despite being an undervalued native vegetable crop in Ethiopia, the study's findings show that okra is a multipurpose vegetable for promoting human health and ensuring food and nutritional security. Therefore, stepping up its production, marketing, and consumption could help alleviate the food shortage and improve human nutrition and health in the study areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined how data mining may analyse food security data and anticipate community activity constraints. Studies have shown that IRCA measures interrupt agricultural operations, diminish crop yields, risk food shortages, raise food costs, increase food poverty, and deplete nutrients. Data mining can handle huge, complicated information, find hidden patterns and relationships, and anticipate food security outcomes. These enable evidence-based decision-making and proactive actions. However, challenges related to data quality, biases, and reliance on historical data must be addressed. Future directions include integrating real-time data sources, such as satellite imagery and social media data, to capture timely information. Additionally, advanced analytics techniques like deep learning and natural language processing can be utilized to analyze unstructured data. Overcoming challenges related to data integration, privacy concerns, interpretability, and transparency will enhance the effectiveness of data mining. In summary, this analysis highlighted the significance of data mining in analyzing food security and predicting the impact of IRCA measures. By leveraging data mining's strengths and addressing its limitations, valuable insights can inform decision-making and promote resilient food systems. Advancements in real-time data integration and advanced analytics techniques hold promise for further enhancing the effectiveness of data mining in addressing food security challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐2019) pandemic and other factors have significantly increased the number of people suffering from food shortages worldwide in 2020. As many as 720–811 million people, which is nearly 10% of the global population, are facing hunger. Thus, the need for substances that fulfil human nutritional requirements is growing to address this issue. Arthrospira platensis (A. platensis), commonly or commercially called spirulina, is an ideal product that contains various functional ingredients. Given them, various health benefits of A. platensis are proven gradually, including anti‐oxidant, immune regulation, anti‐inflammation, hypoglycaemia, anti‐bacterial and anti‐radiation properties. In recent years, functional ingredients of A. platensis are showing the potential to be functional foods. This paper gives an overview on the functional ingredients and the resulting health benefits of A. platensis summarises the research progress of A. platensis as functional foods in recent years and looks forward to its application development prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botanical pandemics cause enormous economic damage and food shortages around the globe. However, since botanical pandemics are here to stay in the short-medium term, domesticated field owners can strategically seed their fields to optimize each session's economic profit. In this work, we propose a novel epidemiological-economic mathematical model that describes the economic profit from a field of plants during a botanical pandemic. We describe the epidemiological dynamics using a spatiotemporal extended susceptible-infected-recovered epidemiological model with a non-linear output economic model. We provide an algorithm to obtain an optimal grid-formed seeding strategy to maximize economic profit, given field and pathogen properties. We show that the recovery and basic infection rates have a similar economic influence. Unintuitively, we show that a larger farm does not promise higher economic profit. Our results demonstrate a significant benefit of using the proposed seeding strategy and shed more light on the dynamics of the botanical pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of wild edible plants (WEPs) is a traditional practice in many rural areas of Sudan and elsewhere in the world. We investigated the traditional uses of WEPs in six villages in Babanosa and Lagawa districts of West Kordofan State, Sudan using guided field walks, direct observations, semi-structured questionnaires and group discussions to collect data on names, characteristics, and uses of WEPs from 150 respondents. We quantified the relative importance of WEPs through use value (UV), fidelity level (FL), and direct matrix ranking (DMR). We recorded a total of 22 WEPs belonging to 21 genera and 15 families. Fabaceae was the dominant family with four genera (19%) and four species (18%), and 11 families contributed one species each. Life forms consisted of shrubs (45.45%), trees (40.9%), herbs (9.09%), and grasses (4.54%). 77% of WEPs exhibited edible fruits that are generally consumed without processing. We recorded the three highest FLs and UVs for Adansonia digitata (94% and 0.87), Balanites aegyptiaca (92.6% and 0.80), and Ziziphus spina-christi (94% and 0.73). Boscia senegalensis was the only species that was consumed as an emergency food to mitigate food shortage. DMR prioritized the medicinal use-category over the other use categories, including food which came in third place. We conclude that domestication of WEPs could secure health, nutrition, and livelihoods for the local population as well as contribute to ecosystem conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primates can respond to food availability shortages by increasing the energy they invest in searching for alternative food resources or by conserving energy by altering their diet while reducing movement. To gain information on the ecological flexibility of Beni titi monkeys (Plecturocebus modestus), we assessed seasonal variation in the behavior and ranging and feeding patterns of two focal groups across a year. We recorded group behaviors using instantaneous group scan sampling and used all occurrence sampling to collect ranging and feeding data (1,178 observation hours in the dry season, and 1,202 in the wet season). We collected data on food availability via monthly phenology monitoring. We found that during the fruit-scarce dry season, these frugivorous primates significantly reduced their monthly investment in moving and increased their consumption of flowers. They also showed some decrease in fruit consumption, home ranges and daily path length. Our observations of a diet shift to a high intake of alternative foods and reduction of time spent on moving suggest that the P. modestus groups that we studied used an energy-area minimizing strategy when fruits were less available. While we found that P. modestus could find food in the naturally fragmented forests, high levels of ongoing anthropogenic forest fragmentation may lead to reductions in important food resources, threatening the survival of these Endangered primates. This study shows the ecological flexibility of primates and provides important information to be incorporated in the design of specific effective conservation actions for this threatened an endemic species, as well as highlights the importance of mitigating the current threats to these forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, striking a delicate balance between sustaining economic activity and safeguarding public health has become a crucial concern. The border closures for COVID-19 prevention have further intensified concerns for North Korea, which conducts over 90% of its trade with China and Russia, countries sharing its borders. Methods: This study aims to scrutinize North Korea's response to these competing imperatives by examining the impact of border closures on the country's trade dynamics with China and Russia. This study employed the difference-in-difference (DID) method to analyze transformations in North Korea's economic activity before and after the border closures, utilizing trade data and nighttime satellite imagery captured in 2019 and 2020. Results: The results reveal that North Korea actively reoriented its trade priorities towards Russia and accorded precedence to its epidemic prevention system over its economy during the pandemic. A noticeable increase in imports of food and pharmaceuticals was observed, indicating a significant rise in the inflow of these essential commodities. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea placed significant policy emphasis on preserving public health. However, due to economic hardships and food shortages, if the pandemic persists in the long term, it indicates the possibility of partial or complete lifting of border closures to mitigate these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: An individual's ability to obtain enough nutritious and healthy food to sustain a healthy lifestyle is a crucial indicator of food security. This study estimated food insecurity's prevalence and levels among parents/guardians of secondary school students in Basrah and describe its consequences. Materials and Methods: The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) was implemented through a questionnaire survey to evaluate food insecurity. The relationship between financial factors, attitudes, and psychological impacts regarding food accessibility and affordability was studied in detail. The eight food insecurity questions' responses were measured using the Rasch model approach. Results: Two hundred and fifty-two parents/guardians took part in the survey. The prevalence of food insecurity was estimated as 24% (with a 95% confidence interval of 18.9%-29.8%). Around 50% of the parents/guardians stated that their typical income is middle-income. 28% of respondents reported having sufficient food but not their preferred choices, while 35% paired food shortage with financial instability, 32% could not afford nutritionally balanced meals, and 21% of the parents admitted to cut or skipped their meals to other family members. 21% of parents/guardians were affected by inadequate food supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. The level of food insecurity included that 50% of the respondents exhibited mild food insecurity, 19.4% had moderate food insecurity, and 4.3% were classified as having severe food insecurity. According to the Rasch analysis of the FIES data, the likelihood of experiencing severe food insecurity is linked to consuming unhealthy food, having food run out, and eating unbalanced meals. Conclusion: The study found that financial constraints, food safety concerns, and limited access to nutritious food explain the widespread food insecurity reported. Significant efforts are required to alleviate chronic food shortages in Basrah, including job creation, strengthening agricultural production, and implementing safety-net policies for affected families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the future of Christians in the Holy Land after five months of war. In Gaza, Christians represent a small minority of about 1,000 faithful in a population of 2.3 million. They have sought refuge in the Holy Family parish, which has provided them with food, water, and medical attention. In the West Bank, the closure of borders prevents them from accessing their jobs in Jerusalem, and tourism has come to a halt. Emigration puts the survival of Christians in the region at risk, as many no longer see a future there. The situation in Gaza is desperate, with shortages of food, fuel, and medical care. The reconstruction after the war is estimated to last until 2093. Christians residing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are facing a desperate situation due to the war in Gaza and the escalating tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. The region is experiencing a widespread economic crisis, with a record unemployment rate of 72%. The lack of pilgrims has left the local economy in ruins, affecting sectors such as religious tourism and the sale of souvenirs. Christians in the Holy Land are struggling for their survival and are calling for international solidarity to preserve the sacred sites. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has announced a second emergency aid package for Christians affected by the war in Gaza, which includes medicine, food vouchers, and support for education and housing. ACN will also support training programs for young Christians, providing them with new skills and employment opportunities. [Extracted from the article]

Ensuring food security and increasing crop production in the face of climate change and environmental obstacles pose a pressing concern for smallholder farmers in the southern highlands of Tanzania. Through a combined approach of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods-which includes key informant interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and household surveys—this paper examines the methods employed by smallholder farmers to bolster resilience and reduce vulnerability to environmental shifts. The results suggest that climate change exerts effects on both the village farming system and households by the following percentages of impact: food shortages (38.7% village/farming system, 29.0% household); infestation of uncommon pests (30.6% village/farming system, 27.4% household); diminishing rainfall/drought (22.6% village/farming system, 17.7% household); and crop failure (24.2% village/farming system, 29.0% household). The household farming methods practised by farmers encompass a range of strategies that include: agroforestry (37.1% adoption rate), which promotes the interspersing of trees with crops to enhance biodiversity and provide ecosystem services; and zero/minimum tillage (9.7%) practices, which reduce soil erosion and improve soil health. The challenges smallholder farmers face in adapting to climate change include the lack of appropriate tools, unfamiliarity with techniques, and inadequate support: all of which exacerbate the uncertainty surrounding the future of farmers and agriculture. By building adaptive capacity and promoting climate-smart agricultural practices, the region can improve food security, reduce vulnerability, and enhance the livelihoods of farming communities. Sustained efforts should prioritize smallholder farmers’ active participation and empowerment in climate change adaptation initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article makes visible the productive-reproductive work of an organized group of women coffee growers in Chiapas with the theory of constructivist ecofeminism through a plate of good food that comes from three productive systems: orchard, cornfield, and coffee plantation in the context of pandemic by the COVID-19 virus, food shortages and the impact on the environment and health by processed foods. The research is qualitative and involves semi-structured interviews and participatory workshops using feminist ethnography. The consumption of local food contributed to strengthening the immune system of the families and therefore the community health, as they were unharmed by the virus, the women were in charge of the care of life in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food shortages due to population growth and climate change are expected to occur in the near future as a problem that urgently requires solutions. Conventional breeding techniques, notably crossbreeding and mutation breeding, are known for being inefficient and time-consuming in obtaining seeds and seedlings with desired traits. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel methods for efficient plant breeding. Breeding by genome editing is receiving substantial attention because it can efficiently modify the target gene to obtain desired traits compared with conventional methods. Among the programmable sequence-specific nucleases that have been developed for genome editing, CRISPR-Cas12a and CRISPR-MAD7 nucleases are becoming more broadly adopted for the application of genome editing in grains, vegetables and fruits. Additionally, ST8, an improved variant of MAD7, has been developed to enhance genome editing efficiency and has potential for application to breeding of crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cowpea is the main food leguminous plant grown in Niger. It is mainly cultivated for its protein-rich haulms and seeds and for its ability to improve soil fertility through its symbiosis with atmospheric nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The present study evaluated genetic variability among six cowpea varieties for yield, yield related and phenology traits in the Zinder region. The experiment was conducted at the experimental area of André Salifou University in Zinder. An experimental device composed of three completely random blocks was used. The six varieties (four local and two improved) of cowpea were evaluated based on 24 quantitative agronomic and morphological characters according to IBPGR descriptors. The comparison of the means and the PCA revealed significant differences between the varieties in almost all the traits tested, with substantial phenotypic variations. IT98 was the most productive variety, with an average yield of 385.50 kg/ha. It also recorded the earliest flowering (38.41 days after sowing) and maturity (55 days after sowing) dates. BlAr gave the highest 100-Seed weight with an average value of 29.21g. CDSb and BTAr were the tallest plants at 40.44 and 40.26 cm respectively. The completed PCA indicates that the first two axes expressed 78,7% of the total variability whereby PC1 and PC2 highly contributed to the total variation at 54.76% and 23.94, respectively. Thus, IT98 may be a good candidate to be considered in Niger struggle to fight food shortage and face nutrition challenges, especially for the Zinder region due to abiotic constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does a warming world, where extremely hot summers are becoming more common, mean that cold summers will never again occur? It is crucial to know whether extremely cold summers are still possible, as such knowledge will significantly impact decisions regarding the further adaptation of crops to cold summers. Japan, which has suffered from many extremely cold summers, has managed past agricultural disruptions with emergency rice imports. In this paper, we show that a climate regime shift associated with the positive phase shift of the summer Arctic Oscillation occurred in 2010 in northeast Eurasia, making the occurrence of extremely cold summers highly unlikely as long as this new regime persists. In fact, Japan has not experienced a cold summer since 2010, while extremely hot summers have been frequent. Since 2010, a double-jet structure with subtropical and polar jets has strengthened, and the polar jet has meandered farther north of Japan, resulting in an upper-tropospheric anticyclone. This anticyclone, which extends downward and tilts southward, reaches southern Japan and prevents cold advection of oceanic air over the cold Oyashio. The Okhotsk high, known as the leading cause of cold summers, has occurred frequently in recent years; however, cold summers have not occurred due to the tilting anticyclone. The recent warming of the Oyashio weakens cold advection. The Pacific–Japan pattern, known as a remote tropical influence, has been weakened. A better understanding of the regime shift will help us understand the tilting anticyclone and the associated extreme summers in northeast Eurasia. Significance Statement: Extremely cold summers are among the most destructive natural disasters, both socioeconomically and agriculturally. Historically, food shortages due to cold summers have triggered wars. This paper proposes that a hemispheric-scale climate regime shift occurred in or around 2010. This regime shift has included warmings in the North Pacific and East Eurasian land surface temperatures. The regime shift is accompanied by the positive shift of the Arctic Oscillation (AO), a jet meander, and an upper-tropospheric anticyclone, making eastern Eurasia extremely hot. Our results imply that extremely cold summers are unlikely to occur in eastern Eurasia so long as this regime persists. Moving forward, it is important that the link between this regime shift and global warming be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores poverty dimensions and negative experiences of households living in secondary cities of Kenya with the aim of understanding the determinants of the willingness to pay to access water services. Our findings suggest that negative experiences of households related to poor access to water, like water crises, water borne diseases, and daily time to fetch water, seem to play an important role. Conversely, poverty dimensions are not necessarily influential. More specifically, while daily income of the household is an important factor, other variables, namely, education, food shortages, and access to information do not have significant effects. Our evidence suggests that to raise the awareness of this public good's value, local governments should focus on improving citizens' information especially in poor areas, as well as the ability to pay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong military traditions of Worcester may mean the city's engagement in two world wars is often thought about in terms of the soldiers or even the ammunition produced at Blackpole Munitions Works. The ways in which both wars impacted the more mundane lives of the majority of women who were housewives have received less attention. As housewives, daughters, sisters or domestic servants, women undertook the lion's share of the domestic and emotional labours needed to maintain homes, communities and neighbourhoods. This was played out at a local level, shaped by the geographical, economic and cultural specificity of not only regions but towns and cities. There were as many different home fronts as there were battle fronts; thus, Worcester residents experienced the privations and problems of twentieth-century large-scale international warfare, through their local home front. This contextualized case study of Worcester explores the financial challenges housewives faced, their problems with food provisioning and the care of evacuees to argue that both wars entered the home in a multitude of ways. It provides evidence of how, the boundary between public and private spheres was blurred, as in wartime the state interfered in the domestic life to an unprecedented degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological, social, and scientific advances are transforming the nature of everything we eat. This Article.focuses on the most pressing topic within this changing landscape: the consumption of meat. The Article first elucidates that animal meat consumption is (1) environmentally costly, (2) unhealthy, (3) cruel to animals, and (4) may result in long-term food shortages. It then argues that plant-based meat alternalives have the rare potential to address all of these challenges. Despite their exceptional potential, the legal literature on the newest generation Of plantbased meat alternatives is sparse. Responding to this gap, this Article provides a holistic and contemporan law and policy approach to these novel versions of non-animal meals. Integrating insights and lessons from various legal.fields and non-legal domains, it examines key issues thal policymakers should consider when crafting the legal framework that will govern tomorrow's meals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers are beginning to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on island populations, but little is known about the experiences of the residents of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard in the Northeast region of the United States. In this study, islanders (N=41) provide insight into how spending time in nature influenced their well-being, especially their mental well-being, during this unprecedented time. For the majority of participants, the influence of nature on their well-being increased during the pandemic. Additionally, participants shared benefits of island living such as isolation from the mainland, as well as challenges such as food and supply shortages. Results from this study indicate that further research is needed around the importance of nature on well-being, especially mental health, for island residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on two stories related to the assistance of saints during wars. The first story is about Saint Nicholas, who helped Japanese soldiers during the Russo-Japanese War, responding to their calls in critical moments. The second story discusses Saint John Maximovitch, who faced a food shortage at an orphanage in Shanghai, yet continued to bring in new children despite the difficulties, until an unexpected donation came from a grain company. Both stories reflect a deep faith in the assistance of saints during challenging times. [Extracted from the article]

Mammalian hibernation is a survival strategy characterized by metabolic suppression and drastically lowering body temperature (Tb), used during harsh seasons with food shortages and cold. The Syrian hamster commences hibernation in response to a short photoperiod and cold but spontaneously concludes hibernation after several months without environmental cues. Little is known about the changes in diel rhythms during hibernation. Using long-term and high-resolution Tb data, we analysed the diel Tb rhythm time-course changes in Syrian hamsters raised under summer-like conditions (long photoperiod (LP) and warm; LP-warm) and transferred to winter-like conditions (short photoperiod (SP) and cold; SP-cold). The diel Tb rhythm was undetectable during the hibernation period (HIBP), reappearing after the HIBP. The phase of this returning rhythm reverted to the LP entrainment phase characteristics despite the ambient SP and then re-entrained to the ambient SP as if the hamsters were transferred from the LP-warm to SP-cold conditions. The diel Tb rhythm reverted from the SP- to LP-type in a hibernation-dependent manner. Under constant dark and cold conditions, the circadian Tb rhythm recovered without photic stimuli following the HIBP. These findings suggest that hibernation involves a program that anticipates the ambient photoperiod when animals emerge from hibernation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The hepatopancreas of crustaceans serves as a significant organ for both the synthesis and secretion of digestive enzymes, as well as energy storage. In the event of food shortage, the hepatopancreas can provide energy for survival. To investigate the potential regulatory mechanisms of the hepatopancreas in response to starvation in Eriocheir Sinensis, transcriptome analysis, histological study and qRT-PCR were performed. Results: The results showed that starvation caused a decrease in the hepatopancreas index of E. sinensis, which had certain effects on the tissue structure, metabolism and angiogenesis in the hepatopancreas. In addition, WGCNA and linear regression analysis showed that the genes significantly related to the hepatopancreas index were mainly enriched in the angiogenesis pathway, in which AKT signaling played an important role. Starvation may inhibit AKT signaling pathway by reducing the expression of TGFBI, HSP27, HHEX, and EsPVF1, thereby hindering angiogenesis, promoting apoptosis, and leading to hepatopancreas atrophy. Conclusion: These results indicate that AKT plays an important role in the angiogenesis pathway and apoptosis of the starvation induced hepatopancreas index reduction, which is beneficial to further understand the effect of starvation stress on hepatopancreas of Chinese mitten crab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock farming is an activity of greater importance from an economic, social, cultural and environmental point of view, it contributes to the gross domestic product and generates employment. Production is affected in the dry season due to food shortages. For this reason, at the Portoviejo Experimental Station of the National Agricultural Research Institute, corn genotypes are evaluated for the production and conservation processes of forage in the form of silage. The test was installed at the Porvenir of Toachi facility, canton Santo Domingo, province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. A divided plot design was used, with a 3x4 factorial arrangement, each treatment consisted of six ten-meter-long beds. The information was tabulated in the R program under the analysis of variance with separation of means for the multiple test of DGC probability at 5%. The hybrid INIAP 554 at a density of 125,000 plants per hectare obtained the best yield of green forage (29,028.59 kgha-1) and the highest average dry matter (30.5%) of the silage, the hybrid INIAP 551 at a density of 125,000 plants per hectare presented the lowest lodging values (3%). There were no significant differences for germination percentage, days to male flowering, plant height and fermentative characteristics of the silage. It is concluded that the hybrid INIAP 554 at a density of 125,000 plants per hectare, produces a greater amount of green forage, under the climatic conditions of Porvenir of Toachi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aestivation is considered to be one of the "purest" hypometabolic states in nature, as it involves aerobic dormancy that can be induced and sustained without complex factors. Animals that undergo aestivation to protect themselves from environmental stressors such as high temperatures, droughts, and food shortages. However, this shift in body metabolism presents new challenges for survival, including oxidative stress upon awakening from aestivation, accumulation of toxic metabolites, changes in energy sources, adjustments to immune status, muscle atrophy due to prolonged immobility, and degeneration of internal organs due to prolonged food deprivation. In this review, we summarize the physiological and metabolic strategies, key regulatory factors, and networks utilized by aestivating animals to address the aforementioned components of aestivation. Furthermore, we present a comprehensive overview of the advancements made in aestivation research across major species, including amphibians, fish, reptiles, annelids, mollusks, and echinoderms, categorized according to their respective evolutionary positions. This approach offers a distinct perspective for comparative analysis, facilitating an understanding of the shared traits and unique features of aestivation across different groups of organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low phosphorus (P) soils in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a major constraint for rice production. This study employed two methods, calcination and partial acidulation, to determine low-grade phosphate of rocks and evaluate the fertilization effects of calcinated and partially acidulated phosphate rocks (CPR and PAPR, respectively). A field experiment was conducted involving four farmers' fields with different ground-water levels (GWLs) during 2019 and 2020 in the Centre West region of Burkina Faso. CPR, PAPR, and single superphosphate (SSP) were applied at the rates of 0, 7.6, 15.3, and 30.5 kg P ha−1, with the SSP mainly consisting of the water-soluble P fraction (WP), PAPR of the WP, the alkaline ammonium citrate-soluble P fraction (SP), CPR of the SP, and a 2% citric acid-soluble P fraction. The average grain yield (mean ± standard deviation Mg ha–1) in P application at 0, 7.6, 15.3, and 30.5 kg P ha−1 was 1.64 ± 0.59, 2.87 ± 0.94, 3.33 ± 1.06, and 3.95 ± 1.18, respectively, which confirms the significant increase expected by P fertilization. On the contrary, significant positive relationships between GWL and grain yield were found in CPR and PAPR treatments at a low P application rate, but not in SSP treatments. These results suggest a positive effect of slow-release P in fields with high GWL. Therefore, GWL should be considered when selecting P fertilizer types to maximize the fertilization effect. Both CPR and PAPR can replace conventional high-cost P fertilizer. These findings contribute significantly to the efficient use of local P resources and addressing food shortages in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]