Background:Poor nutritional status is closely related to the development of sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia.Limited articles have evaluated the impact of undernutrition at different stages of life on the developmen...Background:Poor nutritional status is closely related to the development of sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia.Limited articles have evaluated the impact of undernutrition at different stages of life on the development of sarcopenia or possible sarcopenia in old age.The 1959–1962 Chinese famine provided the possibility for large-scale population studies on the effects of long-term undernutrition or inad-equate intake on various health problems.In this study,we aimed to investigate the effects of long-term reduction of food intake(expo-sure to the 1959–1962 Chinese famine)in early life on the development of sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia in later life.Methods:We used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey(CHARLS)2015 and obtained information on whether participants had experienced famine from the 2014 Life Course Survey of Chinese Residents.After data integration and cleaning,we divided the included participants into five age-exposure cohorts based on birthdate,including cohorts exposed to famine during preschool,midchildhood,young teenage years,teenage years,and adulthood to analyze the long-term effects of exposure to famine on the development of sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia.Results:Exposure to moderate or severe famine did not significantly increase the risk of possible sarcopenia(P>0.05).In a further stratified analysis,moderate famine exposure in adulthood significantly increased the risk of possible sarcopenia(1.475 times;95%CI:1.104–1.969,P=0.009).However,there was no significant association between famine exposure and possible sarcopenia in the preschool,midchildhood,young teenage,or teenage exposure cohorts(P>0.05).Conclusions:Exposure to famine in preadulthood did not increase the risk of possible sarcopenia in older adults.However,the risk of possible sarcopenia in later life was increased about 50%among participants who were exposed to moderate famine in adulthood.展开更多
Much remains unknown about compositional variations in soluble microbial products(SMP)with the shift of the substrate condition from a feast to a famine phase in biological treatment systems.This study demonstrated th...Much remains unknown about compositional variations in soluble microbial products(SMP)with the shift of the substrate condition from a feast to a famine phase in biological treatment systems.This study demonstrated that the formation of SMP could be suppressed by up to 75%during the famine phase with the addition of essential nutrients.In contrast,presence of electron acceptor did not play any significant role during the stress condition,showing the similar amounts of SMP(r=0.98,p<0.05)formation between the bioreactors supplied with air and N2.The SMP formed in the famine phase was more biorefractory in the famine versus the feast phase with a linear correlation shown between the production and their aromatic structures in the composition(R^2>0.95).The fluorescence excitation-emission matrix coupled with parallel factor analysis(EEM-PARAFAC)revealed the presence of four different fluorescent components,including two protein-like(C1 and C4),fulvic-like(C2),and humic-like(C3)components,in the SMP and bEPS formed at different conditions.Both C1 and C4 showed increasing trends(R^2>0.95)with the length of starvation in the bioreactors without essential nutrients.Nutrient availability was found to be a key factor to quench the production of large-sized biopolymers.This study provides a wealth of information on operation conditions of activated sludge treatment systems to minimize large sized SMP molecules(particularly proteins),which typically exert many environmental concerns to effluent organic matter quality.展开更多
Prior to commercialization of wild foods,their nutritional,ethnobotanical,anthropological and toxic details require to be investigated.Plants from the family of Amaranthaceae are used by indigenous communities as a so...Prior to commercialization of wild foods,their nutritional,ethnobotanical,anthropological and toxic details require to be investigated.Plants from the family of Amaranthaceae are used by indigenous communities as a source of nutrition in different plants of the world.This study focused on investigating the nutritional and biological activity,safety and potential of a tissue culture system of three plants from展开更多
Background： The role of wild foods in combating problems of food shortage is paramount. However, existin, approaches to combat food insecurity shock have generally focused on reducing vulnerability via increasing pro...Background： The role of wild foods in combating problems of food shortage is paramount. However, existin, approaches to combat food insecurity shock have generally focused on reducing vulnerability via increasing productivity of domesticated foods. In contrast, approaches that enhance resilience mainly through wild fooc sources have been less focused. This study examined the contribution of wild foods to household resilience to food insecurity in the green famine belt of Ethiopia. Methods： A cross-sectional survey of 220 households was conducted using a structured questionnaire, key informant interviews, and semi-participant observations. Factor analysis was run using SPSS to analyze data. Correlation analysis was used to examine the direction and strength of association between wild foods and the income and food access （IFA）, a latent proxy indicator of resilience. Cross-tabulation was also run to determine the proportion of households in each ethno〈ulture group under each resilience category. Results： The mean amount of wild foods obtained by households was 156.61 kg per household per annum. This was about 5 % and 9 % of, gross and, net food available from all sources respectively. Wild foods contributed well to household resilience as the factor loading （Factor2 = 0.467） was large enough and were significantly correlated with IFA （r-- 0.174）. Wild vegetables were the most collected and consumed type of wild foods constituting 52.4 % of total amount of wild foods. The total amount of wild foods was smaller than that of domesticated sources of food. The majority of households （38.6 %） reported ＂reduced source of wild foods＂ as a reason for this. Smaller proportion of the indigenous （11.2 %） than the non-indigenous （34.1%） ethno-culture group reported one or more reasons for their lower level of dependence on wild foods. Conclusion： From the study we concluded that wild foods had important contribution to households＇ resilience to food shortages and are likely to continue to contribute in the future, this being more to indigenous than non-indigenous ethno-culture group. Therefore, a resilience building policy that incorporates wild foods should be adopted, and research that aims at exploring their current status and future prospect are urgently required.展开更多
Traumatic spinal cord injury（SCI）often leaves patients with devastating neurological deficits.The traumatic event–or primary injury–can be due to mechanisms such as compression,distraction,shear,laceration or（rar...Traumatic spinal cord injury（SCI）often leaves patients with devastating neurological deficits.The traumatic event–or primary injury–can be due to mechanisms such as compression,distraction,shear,laceration or（rarely）even transection.Thereafter SCI patients are vulnerable to progressive,delayed damage as a result of secondary insults and secondary injury.Secondary insults such as hypoxia and hypotension occur at the level of the organism from a myriad of causes.展开更多
The standard view among philosophers is that an arguer’s hypocrisy(understood as failure to practice what one preaches)has no bearing on either the merits of his or her argument or the acceptability of the argument’...The standard view among philosophers is that an arguer’s hypocrisy(understood as failure to practice what one preaches)has no bearing on either the merits of his or her argument or the acceptability of the argument’s conclusion.I challenge this view.Using the case of Peter Singer,who has famously argued for a moral obligation to relieve famine,but who does not,by his own admission,live in accordance with the standard he espouses,I explain why(and how)an arguer’s hypocrisy matters.If I am correct,then the standard view of the relation between arguer and argument must be revised.展开更多
Malnutrition in early life increases the risk of osteoporosis,but the association of early-life undernutrition combined with adulthood obesity patterns with low-energy fracture remains unknown.This study included 5323...Malnutrition in early life increases the risk of osteoporosis,but the association of early-life undernutrition combined with adulthood obesity patterns with low-energy fracture remains unknown.This study included 5323 community-dwelling subjects aged⩾40 years from China.Early-life famine exposure was identified based on the participants’birth dates.General obesity was assessed using the body mass index(BMI),and abdominal obesity was evaluated with the waist-to-hip ratio(WHR).Low-energy fracture was defined as fracture occurring after the age of⩾40 typically caused by falls from standing height or lower.Compared to the nonexposed group,the group with fetal,childhood,and adolescence famine exposure was associated with an increased risk of fracture in women with odds ratios(ORs)and 95%confidence intervals(CIs)of 3.55(1.57–8.05),3.90(1.57–9.71),and 3.53(1.05–11.88),respectively,but not in men.Significant interactions were observed between fetal famine exposure and general obesity with fracture among women(P for interaction=0.0008).Furthermore,compared with the groups with normal BMI and WHR,the group of women who underwent fetal famine exposure and had both general and abdominal obesity had the highest risk of fracture(OR,95%CI:3.32,1.17–9.40).These results indicate that early-life famine exposure interacts with adulthood general obesity and significantly increases the risk of low-energy fracture later in life in women.展开更多
Clarifying the mechanisms through which coal mining affects groundwater storage(GWS)variations is crucial for water resource conservation and sustainable development.The Ordos Mining Region in China,a key energy base ...Clarifying the mechanisms through which coal mining affects groundwater storage(GWS)variations is crucial for water resource conservation and sustainable development.The Ordos Mining Region in China,a key energy base in China with significant strategic importance,has undergone intensive coal mining activities that have substantially disrupted regional groundwater circulation.This study integrated data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Satellite(GRACE)and Famine Early Warning Systems Network(FEWS NET)Land Data Assimilation System(FLDAS)models,combined with weighted downscaling methodology and water balance principles,to reconstruct high-resolution(0.01°)terrestrial water storage(TWS)and GWS changes in the Ordos Mining Region,China from April 2002 to December 2021.The accuracy of GWS variations were validated through pumping test measurements.Subsequently,Geodetector analysis was implemented to quantify the contributions of natural and anthropogenic factors to groundwater storage dynamics.Key findings include:1)TWS in the study area showed a fluctuating but overall decreasing trend,with a total reduction of 8901.11 mm during study period.The most significant annual decrease occurred in 2021,reaching 1696.77 mm.2)GWS exhibited an accelerated decline,with an average annual change rate of 44.35 mm/yr,totaling a decrease of 887.05 mm.The lowest annual groundwater storage level was recorded in 2020,reaching 185.69 mm.3)Precipitation(PRE)contributed the most to GWS variation(q=0.52),followed by coal mining water consumption(MWS)(q=0.41).The interaction between PRE and MWS exhibited a nonlinear enhancement effect on GWS changes(0.54).The synergistic effect of natural hydrological factors has a great influence on the change of GWS,but coal mining water consumption will continue to reduce GWS.These findings provide critical references for the management and regulation of groundwater resource in mining regions.展开更多
Because of the complexity of social responses to climate change,as well as limitations of proxy data concerning interactions between climate change and human responses,the social impacts of past climate change and ass...Because of the complexity of social responses to climate change,as well as limitations of proxy data concerning interactions between climate change and human responses,the social impacts of past climate change and associated response mechanisms,thus,require further investigation.To shed light on the transmission of climate change impacts within historical Chinese society,we selected 30-year resolution sequences of temperature anomalies in eastern China and 10-year resolution sequences of grain harvest grades,famine indices,and frequencies of peasant uprisings in China over the past 2000 years.Using a food security perspective,we analyzed the impacts of temperature changes historically transmitted through Chinese production,population,and social subsystems,and differences in transmission characteristics between cold and warm units.Our results were as follows.(1)From 210 BC to 1910 AD,temperature changes in China were significantly positively correlated with grain harvest grades(correlation coefficient,0.338),and significantly negatively correlated with famine indices,and frequencies of peasant uprisings(correlation coefficients,-0.301 and-0.277,respectively).The correlation coefficients between famine indices and grain harvest grades or frequencies of peasant uprisings were very low.(2)There was a higher proportion of bumper or normal harvests(86.5%of the total decades),more moderate and mild famines(76%),and a lower proportion of peasant uprisings(33.3%)in the 30-year warm units.Conversely,there was a higher proportion of poor or normal harvests(70.7%),a greater proportion of moderate and severe famines(77.6%),and more peasant uprisings(51.7%)in the 30-year cold units.(3)Of the 23 main transmission pathways extending from temperature change to the social subsystem,13 occurred in cold units,of which 7 had an endpoint of peasant uprisings,and 10 occurred in warm units of which 3 had an endpoint of peasant uprisings.The main transmission pathways that were more likely to be associated with the impacts of temperature change were:Cold→poor harvests→severe famines→more uprisings;cold→poor harvests→moderate famines→more uprisings;warm→bumper harvests→mild famines→no uprisings;warm→bumper harvests→moderate harvests→no uprisings;warm→normal harvests→mild famines→no uprisings;and warm→normal harvests→moderate famines→no uprisings.(4)The transmission of the impacts of temperature change was a complex process.Within this process,famine was most prone to being modulated by human society.In the transmission pathways from the production to the social subsystem,there was a stepwise decrease in the occurrence rate of decades that were probably affected by climate change.In all cold units,10.4%of decades ending in more uprisings were most likely to be associated with the impacts of temperature change.In all warm units,47.9%of decades ending in no uprisings were most likely to be associated with the impacts of temperature change.This research can contribute a better understanding on the past interaction mechanisms and processes within the human-climate-ecosystem complex,as well as a better response to the impacts of the ongoing climate change.展开更多
Crisis highlights deep-seated food security problems on the African continent Worsening famine in the Horn of Africa, which threatens the lives of millions in countries including Ethiopia, Djibouti,Kenya and Somalia,
In October,84-year-old Yuan Longping received a group of experts in his rice field.With his thin build,plain blue-striped shirt,wrinkled face darkened by sun,and his Hunan dialect,Yuan could easily be mistaken for an ...In October,84-year-old Yuan Longping received a group of experts in his rice field.With his thin build,plain blue-striped shirt,wrinkled face darkened by sun,and his Hunan dialect,Yuan could easily be mistaken for an ordinary rice farmer.He is,in fact,one of China’s most accomplished scientists.A road,a high-tech development zone,a college,a publicly-traded展开更多
Two acetate-fed sequencing batch reactors （SBR） were operated under an aerobic dynamic feeding （ADF） model （SBR#2） and with anaerobic phase before aerobic phase （SBR#1） to select mixed cultures with a high pol...Two acetate-fed sequencing batch reactors （SBR） were operated under an aerobic dynamic feeding （ADF） model （SBR#2） and with anaerobic phase before aerobic phase （SBR#1） to select mixed cultures with a high polyhydroxyalkanoates （PHA） storage response. Although kinetic selection based on storage response should bring about a predominance of floc-formers, a bulking sludge with storage response comparable to well-settled sludge was steadily established. An anaerobic phase was introduced before the aerobic phase in the ADF model to improve the sludge settleability （SBR #1）, however, due to the consequent increased feast/famine ratio, the performance of SBR #1, in terms of both the maximum PHB （polyhydroxybutyrate） cell content and APHB, was lower than that of SBR #2. SBR #2 gradually reached a steady state while SBR #1 failed suddenly after 50 days of operation. The maximum specific substrate uptake rate and storage rate for the selected bulking sludge were 0.4 Cmol Ae/（Cmol X.hr） and 0.18 Cmol Ac/（Cmol PHB.hr）, respectively, resulting a yield of 0.45 Cmol PHB/（Cmol Ae） in SBR #2 in the culture enrichment phase. A maximum PHB content of 53% of total suspended solids and PHB storage rate of 1.36 Cmol Ac/（Cmol PHB.hr） was achieved at 10.2 hr in batch accumulation tests under nitrogen starvation. The results indicated that it was feasible to utilize filamentous bacteria to accumulate PHA with a rate comparable to well-settled sludge, Furthermore, the lower dissolved oxygen demand of filamentous bacteria would save energy required for aeration in the culture enrichment stage.展开更多
We recorded gregarious flowering of three bamboo species viz. Bambusa arundinacea, Bambusa tulda and Melocanna baccifera during rainy season from early March to late May, 2008 at lowland forest of Bajali area of Indo-...We recorded gregarious flowering of three bamboo species viz. Bambusa arundinacea, Bambusa tulda and Melocanna baccifera during rainy season from early March to late May, 2008 at lowland forest of Bajali area of Indo-Burma hotspot region. A regular method of field sampling of various forest types was used to map the bamboo species in Assam, India. Moreover, people＇s perception on bamboo blooming was investigated at 17 sample plots covering 258 respondents inhabiting at the site at an average of 15 in each plots. A floral clump （inflorescence） emerged and developed into a giant panicle comprising of numerous florets. Two types of seeds viz. bacea and caryopsis were recorded in different species. Viviparous germination was noticed in few bacca seeds produced by M. baccifera and this has unusual occurrence in bamboo. Seed viability test shows that 75% caryopsis seeds were viable; these seeds had the potential of germination and can be used for mass regen- eration. Most local respondents believe that bamboo flowering can result in population explosion of rodent, therefore, they think bamboo flower- ing is positively correlated with famine. This traditional belief results in massive destruction of bamboo clumps, which significantly impacts on rural economy.展开更多
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia(SCZ)is a complex disease which can be affected by both genetic and environmental factors.Prenatal famine exposure may cause changes in DNA methylation levels of genes.Meanwhile,maternal nutrit...BACKGROUND Schizophrenia(SCZ)is a complex disease which can be affected by both genetic and environmental factors.Prenatal famine exposure may cause changes in DNA methylation levels of genes.Meanwhile,maternal nutrition during pregnancy is a pivotal environmental factor in the development of SCZ.DNA methylation may be an intermediate factor mediating exposure to famine during pregnancy and SCZ,and DNA methylation quantitative trait loci might serve as a promising tool for linking SCZ and prenatal famine.AIM To analyze the association between prenatal famine exposure and SCZ risk in Northeast Han Chinese through analysis of DNA methylation related loci.METHODS A total of 954 Han Chinese from Northeast China were recruited,including 443 patients with SCZ and 511 healthy controls.The participants were further divided into famine(born in 1960-1962)and non-famine(born in 1963-1965)groups to investigate the effect of prenatal famine exposure.Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)selected according to the relevant literature were genotyped,namely,rs11917047 in PTPRG,rs2239681 in IGF2,rs3842756 in INSIGF,and rs61955196 in ABCB9.DNA were extracted from peripheral blood samples,and the genotypes of these SNP loci were detected using the improved Multiple Ligase Detection Reaction multiple SNP typing technique.The associations of the DNA methylation related SNPs with SCZ risk and prenatal famine,and their interactions were analyzed using logistic regression analysis and generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction(GMDR)software.RESULTS Based on the sequencing data,genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the four selected SNPs were determined.All genotype frequencies of the four SNPs in the healthy control group were tested for deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium(P>0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that rs61955196 was significantly associated with SCZ risk in the log-additive model[odds ratio(OR):1.22;95%confidence interval(CI):1.01-1.48;P=0.040].We also found that the rs61955196 allele was related with an enhanced risk of SCZ(G>C,OR:1.22;95%CI:1.01-1.47;P=0.042).However,no associations were observed between rs11917047,rs2239681,or rs3842756 and SCZ risk.Under the optimal genetic model,no significant association of famine with the four SNPs was seen.Though the gene–gene interactions between rs2239681 and rs61955196 were found in GMDR analysis,none of the gene-gene interactions and gene-famine interactions were associated with the risk of SCZ.CONCLUSION Our study suggested that rs61955196 in ABCB9 is associated with SCZ susceptibility in Northeast Han Chinese,providing insight into genetic effects on SCZ.展开更多
This report describes in vitro micropropagation of Boscia senegalensis,so-called famine foods,that helped the people in Darfur and Kordofan,Sudan survive during the 1984-1985 famine.Four types of explants prepared fro...This report describes in vitro micropropagation of Boscia senegalensis,so-called famine foods,that helped the people in Darfur and Kordofan,Sudan survive during the 1984-1985 famine.Four types of explants prepared from green mature zygotic embryos were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium augmented with 1-5 mg/L 6-benzyladenine (BA).The highest number of shoots per explant (14.3±0.9) was achieved on MS medium supplemented with 3 mg/L BA,while the highest shoot length [(3.5±0.4) cm] was obtained with 1 mg/L BA.The shoot cluster,when subcultured to its same medium,significantly increased the rate of shoot multiplication by the end of the third subculture.The maximum mean number of shoots per explant (86.5±3.6) was produced after three multiplication cycles on 3 mg/L BA-supplemented medium.In vitro induced shoots were excised and rooted on half strength MS medium fortified with 0.25 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) to obtain complete plantlets.B.senegalensis-regenerated plantlets obtained in vitro for the first time,were hardened and 95% survived under greenhouse conditions.展开更多
In 2007-2008, the world experienced over 1 billion people going hungry. This complex food security and public health crisis have many levels, actors and stakeholders. There lacks equity in access food markets, unbalan...In 2007-2008, the world experienced over 1 billion people going hungry. This complex food security and public health crisis have many levels, actors and stakeholders. There lacks equity in access food markets, unbalanced consumption of nutrients and poor state institutions that, all negatively impact food security. Global financial products and regimes can greatly influence food prices, and if not properly regulated, this can lead to whole market manipulation and starvation. This paper discusses the basics of food security in a public health framework and describes the legal and financial mechanisms that lead to food insecurity.展开更多
The commercial stone industry inÄlvdalen,northwest of Stockholm,started in the second half of the 18th century as a social need.The region had been plagued by severe famine and there was an urgent need for additi...The commercial stone industry inÄlvdalen,northwest of Stockholm,started in the second half of the 18th century as a social need.The region had been plagued by severe famine and there was an urgent need for additional wealth-generating industry.At that time it was already known that the porphyry in the area was similar to the“porfido rosso antico”from Egypt which had played an important role in the Roman culture.Many ups and downs followed.During one period in the 19th century,the Swedish Royal family owned the industry.At the same time,several“porphyry”objects were presented to different courts around Europe(e.g.a 4 metre tall vase to the Russian czar,although of a more granitic variety).Otherwise most products have been smaller objects like urns,vases,candelabras,etc.The very hard Stone(with variable red or black colours)can be highly polished.展开更多
文摘Background:Poor nutritional status is closely related to the development of sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia.Limited articles have evaluated the impact of undernutrition at different stages of life on the development of sarcopenia or possible sarcopenia in old age.The 1959–1962 Chinese famine provided the possibility for large-scale population studies on the effects of long-term undernutrition or inad-equate intake on various health problems.In this study,we aimed to investigate the effects of long-term reduction of food intake(expo-sure to the 1959–1962 Chinese famine)in early life on the development of sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia in later life.Methods:We used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey(CHARLS)2015 and obtained information on whether participants had experienced famine from the 2014 Life Course Survey of Chinese Residents.After data integration and cleaning,we divided the included participants into five age-exposure cohorts based on birthdate,including cohorts exposed to famine during preschool,midchildhood,young teenage years,teenage years,and adulthood to analyze the long-term effects of exposure to famine on the development of sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia.Results:Exposure to moderate or severe famine did not significantly increase the risk of possible sarcopenia(P>0.05).In a further stratified analysis,moderate famine exposure in adulthood significantly increased the risk of possible sarcopenia(1.475 times;95%CI:1.104–1.969,P=0.009).However,there was no significant association between famine exposure and possible sarcopenia in the preschool,midchildhood,young teenage,or teenage exposure cohorts(P>0.05).Conclusions:Exposure to famine in preadulthood did not increase the risk of possible sarcopenia in older adults.However,the risk of possible sarcopenia in later life was increased about 50%among participants who were exposed to moderate famine in adulthood.
基金supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (Ministry of Science and ICT) (No. 2017R1A4A1015393)
文摘Much remains unknown about compositional variations in soluble microbial products(SMP)with the shift of the substrate condition from a feast to a famine phase in biological treatment systems.This study demonstrated that the formation of SMP could be suppressed by up to 75%during the famine phase with the addition of essential nutrients.In contrast,presence of electron acceptor did not play any significant role during the stress condition,showing the similar amounts of SMP(r=0.98,p<0.05)formation between the bioreactors supplied with air and N2.The SMP formed in the famine phase was more biorefractory in the famine versus the feast phase with a linear correlation shown between the production and their aromatic structures in the composition(R^2>0.95).The fluorescence excitation-emission matrix coupled with parallel factor analysis(EEM-PARAFAC)revealed the presence of four different fluorescent components,including two protein-like(C1 and C4),fulvic-like(C2),and humic-like(C3)components,in the SMP and bEPS formed at different conditions.Both C1 and C4 showed increasing trends(R^2>0.95)with the length of starvation in the bioreactors without essential nutrients.Nutrient availability was found to be a key factor to quench the production of large-sized biopolymers.This study provides a wealth of information on operation conditions of activated sludge treatment systems to minimize large sized SMP molecules(particularly proteins),which typically exert many environmental concerns to effluent organic matter quality.
文摘Prior to commercialization of wild foods,their nutritional,ethnobotanical,anthropological and toxic details require to be investigated.Plants from the family of Amaranthaceae are used by indigenous communities as a source of nutrition in different plants of the world.This study focused on investigating the nutritional and biological activity,safety and potential of a tissue culture system of three plants from
文摘Background： The role of wild foods in combating problems of food shortage is paramount. However, existin, approaches to combat food insecurity shock have generally focused on reducing vulnerability via increasing productivity of domesticated foods. In contrast, approaches that enhance resilience mainly through wild fooc sources have been less focused. This study examined the contribution of wild foods to household resilience to food insecurity in the green famine belt of Ethiopia. Methods： A cross-sectional survey of 220 households was conducted using a structured questionnaire, key informant interviews, and semi-participant observations. Factor analysis was run using SPSS to analyze data. Correlation analysis was used to examine the direction and strength of association between wild foods and the income and food access （IFA）, a latent proxy indicator of resilience. Cross-tabulation was also run to determine the proportion of households in each ethno〈ulture group under each resilience category. Results： The mean amount of wild foods obtained by households was 156.61 kg per household per annum. This was about 5 % and 9 % of, gross and, net food available from all sources respectively. Wild foods contributed well to household resilience as the factor loading （Factor2 = 0.467） was large enough and were significantly correlated with IFA （r-- 0.174）. Wild vegetables were the most collected and consumed type of wild foods constituting 52.4 % of total amount of wild foods. The total amount of wild foods was smaller than that of domesticated sources of food. The majority of households （38.6 %） reported ＂reduced source of wild foods＂ as a reason for this. Smaller proportion of the indigenous （11.2 %） than the non-indigenous （34.1%） ethno-culture group reported one or more reasons for their lower level of dependence on wild foods. Conclusion： From the study we concluded that wild foods had important contribution to households＇ resilience to food shortages and are likely to continue to contribute in the future, this being more to indigenous than non-indigenous ethno-culture group. Therefore, a resilience building policy that incorporates wild foods should be adopted, and research that aims at exploring their current status and future prospect are urgently required.
文摘Traumatic spinal cord injury（SCI）often leaves patients with devastating neurological deficits.The traumatic event–or primary injury–can be due to mechanisms such as compression,distraction,shear,laceration or（rarely）even transection.Thereafter SCI patients are vulnerable to progressive,delayed damage as a result of secondary insults and secondary injury.Secondary insults such as hypoxia and hypotension occur at the level of the organism from a myriad of causes.
文摘The standard view among philosophers is that an arguer’s hypocrisy(understood as failure to practice what one preaches)has no bearing on either the merits of his or her argument or the acceptability of the argument’s conclusion.I challenge this view.Using the case of Peter Singer,who has famously argued for a moral obligation to relieve famine,but who does not,by his own admission,live in accordance with the standard he espouses,I explain why(and how)an arguer’s hypocrisy matters.If I am correct,then the standard view of the relation between arguer and argument must be revised.
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(No.2022YFC2505202)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.81970691 and 82170819)+4 种基金Shanghai Outstanding Academic Leaders Plan(No.20XD1422800)Shanghai Medical and Health Development Foundation(No.DMRFP_I_01)Clinical Research Plan of SHDC(No.SHDC2020CR3064B)Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai(No.20Y11905100)Key Medical Subject of Jiading District,Shanghai(No.2020-jdyxzdzk-01).
文摘Malnutrition in early life increases the risk of osteoporosis,but the association of early-life undernutrition combined with adulthood obesity patterns with low-energy fracture remains unknown.This study included 5323 community-dwelling subjects aged⩾40 years from China.Early-life famine exposure was identified based on the participants’birth dates.General obesity was assessed using the body mass index(BMI),and abdominal obesity was evaluated with the waist-to-hip ratio(WHR).Low-energy fracture was defined as fracture occurring after the age of⩾40 typically caused by falls from standing height or lower.Compared to the nonexposed group,the group with fetal,childhood,and adolescence famine exposure was associated with an increased risk of fracture in women with odds ratios(ORs)and 95%confidence intervals(CIs)of 3.55(1.57–8.05),3.90(1.57–9.71),and 3.53(1.05–11.88),respectively,but not in men.Significant interactions were observed between fetal famine exposure and general obesity with fracture among women(P for interaction=0.0008).Furthermore,compared with the groups with normal BMI and WHR,the group of women who underwent fetal famine exposure and had both general and abdominal obesity had the highest risk of fracture(OR,95%CI:3.32,1.17–9.40).These results indicate that early-life famine exposure interacts with adulthood general obesity and significantly increases the risk of low-energy fracture later in life in women.
基金Under the National Key R&D Program Key Project(No.2021YFC3201201)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52360032)+2 种基金Basic Scientific Research Business Fee Project of Colleges And Universities Directly Under the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(No.JBYYWF2022001)Development Plan of Innovation Team of Colleges And Universities in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(No.NMGIRT2313)the Innovation Team of‘Grassland Talents’。
文摘Clarifying the mechanisms through which coal mining affects groundwater storage(GWS)variations is crucial for water resource conservation and sustainable development.The Ordos Mining Region in China,a key energy base in China with significant strategic importance,has undergone intensive coal mining activities that have substantially disrupted regional groundwater circulation.This study integrated data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Satellite(GRACE)and Famine Early Warning Systems Network(FEWS NET)Land Data Assimilation System(FLDAS)models,combined with weighted downscaling methodology and water balance principles,to reconstruct high-resolution(0.01°)terrestrial water storage(TWS)and GWS changes in the Ordos Mining Region,China from April 2002 to December 2021.The accuracy of GWS variations were validated through pumping test measurements.Subsequently,Geodetector analysis was implemented to quantify the contributions of natural and anthropogenic factors to groundwater storage dynamics.Key findings include:1)TWS in the study area showed a fluctuating but overall decreasing trend,with a total reduction of 8901.11 mm during study period.The most significant annual decrease occurred in 2021,reaching 1696.77 mm.2)GWS exhibited an accelerated decline,with an average annual change rate of 44.35 mm/yr,totaling a decrease of 887.05 mm.The lowest annual groundwater storage level was recorded in 2020,reaching 185.69 mm.3)Precipitation(PRE)contributed the most to GWS variation(q=0.52),followed by coal mining water consumption(MWS)(q=0.41).The interaction between PRE and MWS exhibited a nonlinear enhancement effect on GWS changes(0.54).The synergistic effect of natural hydrological factors has a great influence on the change of GWS,but coal mining water consumption will continue to reduce GWS.These findings provide critical references for the management and regulation of groundwater resource in mining regions.
基金supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (Grant No. 2010CB950103)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41371201)the Strategic Project of Science and Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA05080102)
文摘Because of the complexity of social responses to climate change,as well as limitations of proxy data concerning interactions between climate change and human responses,the social impacts of past climate change and associated response mechanisms,thus,require further investigation.To shed light on the transmission of climate change impacts within historical Chinese society,we selected 30-year resolution sequences of temperature anomalies in eastern China and 10-year resolution sequences of grain harvest grades,famine indices,and frequencies of peasant uprisings in China over the past 2000 years.Using a food security perspective,we analyzed the impacts of temperature changes historically transmitted through Chinese production,population,and social subsystems,and differences in transmission characteristics between cold and warm units.Our results were as follows.(1)From 210 BC to 1910 AD,temperature changes in China were significantly positively correlated with grain harvest grades(correlation coefficient,0.338),and significantly negatively correlated with famine indices,and frequencies of peasant uprisings(correlation coefficients,-0.301 and-0.277,respectively).The correlation coefficients between famine indices and grain harvest grades or frequencies of peasant uprisings were very low.(2)There was a higher proportion of bumper or normal harvests(86.5%of the total decades),more moderate and mild famines(76%),and a lower proportion of peasant uprisings(33.3%)in the 30-year warm units.Conversely,there was a higher proportion of poor or normal harvests(70.7%),a greater proportion of moderate and severe famines(77.6%),and more peasant uprisings(51.7%)in the 30-year cold units.(3)Of the 23 main transmission pathways extending from temperature change to the social subsystem,13 occurred in cold units,of which 7 had an endpoint of peasant uprisings,and 10 occurred in warm units of which 3 had an endpoint of peasant uprisings.The main transmission pathways that were more likely to be associated with the impacts of temperature change were:Cold→poor harvests→severe famines→more uprisings;cold→poor harvests→moderate famines→more uprisings;warm→bumper harvests→mild famines→no uprisings;warm→bumper harvests→moderate harvests→no uprisings;warm→normal harvests→mild famines→no uprisings;and warm→normal harvests→moderate famines→no uprisings.(4)The transmission of the impacts of temperature change was a complex process.Within this process,famine was most prone to being modulated by human society.In the transmission pathways from the production to the social subsystem,there was a stepwise decrease in the occurrence rate of decades that were probably affected by climate change.In all cold units,10.4%of decades ending in more uprisings were most likely to be associated with the impacts of temperature change.In all warm units,47.9%of decades ending in no uprisings were most likely to be associated with the impacts of temperature change.This research can contribute a better understanding on the past interaction mechanisms and processes within the human-climate-ecosystem complex,as well as a better response to the impacts of the ongoing climate change.
文摘Crisis highlights deep-seated food security problems on the African continent Worsening famine in the Horn of Africa, which threatens the lives of millions in countries including Ethiopia, Djibouti,Kenya and Somalia,
文摘In October,84-year-old Yuan Longping received a group of experts in his rice field.With his thin build,plain blue-striped shirt,wrinkled face darkened by sun,and his Hunan dialect,Yuan could easily be mistaken for an ordinary rice farmer.He is,in fact,one of China’s most accomplished scientists.A road,a high-tech development zone,a college,a publicly-traded
基金support of the National Special S&T Project on the Treatment and Control of Water Pollution of China (No. 2008ZX07313-003)the Science Foundation of Harbin (No. 2007RFLXS013)+1 种基金the State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment at Harbin Institute of Technology (No. 2010DX02)the National Innovation Team supported by the National Science Foundation of China (No. 50821002)
文摘Two acetate-fed sequencing batch reactors （SBR） were operated under an aerobic dynamic feeding （ADF） model （SBR#2） and with anaerobic phase before aerobic phase （SBR#1） to select mixed cultures with a high polyhydroxyalkanoates （PHA） storage response. Although kinetic selection based on storage response should bring about a predominance of floc-formers, a bulking sludge with storage response comparable to well-settled sludge was steadily established. An anaerobic phase was introduced before the aerobic phase in the ADF model to improve the sludge settleability （SBR #1）, however, due to the consequent increased feast/famine ratio, the performance of SBR #1, in terms of both the maximum PHB （polyhydroxybutyrate） cell content and APHB, was lower than that of SBR #2. SBR #2 gradually reached a steady state while SBR #1 failed suddenly after 50 days of operation. The maximum specific substrate uptake rate and storage rate for the selected bulking sludge were 0.4 Cmol Ae/（Cmol X.hr） and 0.18 Cmol Ac/（Cmol PHB.hr）, respectively, resulting a yield of 0.45 Cmol PHB/（Cmol Ae） in SBR #2 in the culture enrichment phase. A maximum PHB content of 53% of total suspended solids and PHB storage rate of 1.36 Cmol Ac/（Cmol PHB.hr） was achieved at 10.2 hr in batch accumulation tests under nitrogen starvation. The results indicated that it was feasible to utilize filamentous bacteria to accumulate PHA with a rate comparable to well-settled sludge, Furthermore, the lower dissolved oxygen demand of filamentous bacteria would save energy required for aeration in the culture enrichment stage.
文摘We recorded gregarious flowering of three bamboo species viz. Bambusa arundinacea, Bambusa tulda and Melocanna baccifera during rainy season from early March to late May, 2008 at lowland forest of Bajali area of Indo-Burma hotspot region. A regular method of field sampling of various forest types was used to map the bamboo species in Assam, India. Moreover, people＇s perception on bamboo blooming was investigated at 17 sample plots covering 258 respondents inhabiting at the site at an average of 15 in each plots. A floral clump （inflorescence） emerged and developed into a giant panicle comprising of numerous florets. Two types of seeds viz. bacea and caryopsis were recorded in different species. Viviparous germination was noticed in few bacca seeds produced by M. baccifera and this has unusual occurrence in bamboo. Seed viability test shows that 75% caryopsis seeds were viable; these seeds had the potential of germination and can be used for mass regen- eration. Most local respondents believe that bamboo flowering can result in population explosion of rodent, therefore, they think bamboo flower- ing is positively correlated with famine. This traditional belief results in massive destruction of bamboo clumps, which significantly impacts on rural economy.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81673253Jilin Provincial Ministry of Education S&T Project,No.JJKH20190091KJ。
文摘BACKGROUND Schizophrenia(SCZ)is a complex disease which can be affected by both genetic and environmental factors.Prenatal famine exposure may cause changes in DNA methylation levels of genes.Meanwhile,maternal nutrition during pregnancy is a pivotal environmental factor in the development of SCZ.DNA methylation may be an intermediate factor mediating exposure to famine during pregnancy and SCZ,and DNA methylation quantitative trait loci might serve as a promising tool for linking SCZ and prenatal famine.AIM To analyze the association between prenatal famine exposure and SCZ risk in Northeast Han Chinese through analysis of DNA methylation related loci.METHODS A total of 954 Han Chinese from Northeast China were recruited,including 443 patients with SCZ and 511 healthy controls.The participants were further divided into famine(born in 1960-1962)and non-famine(born in 1963-1965)groups to investigate the effect of prenatal famine exposure.Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)selected according to the relevant literature were genotyped,namely,rs11917047 in PTPRG,rs2239681 in IGF2,rs3842756 in INSIGF,and rs61955196 in ABCB9.DNA were extracted from peripheral blood samples,and the genotypes of these SNP loci were detected using the improved Multiple Ligase Detection Reaction multiple SNP typing technique.The associations of the DNA methylation related SNPs with SCZ risk and prenatal famine,and their interactions were analyzed using logistic regression analysis and generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction(GMDR)software.RESULTS Based on the sequencing data,genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the four selected SNPs were determined.All genotype frequencies of the four SNPs in the healthy control group were tested for deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium(P>0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that rs61955196 was significantly associated with SCZ risk in the log-additive model[odds ratio(OR):1.22;95%confidence interval(CI):1.01-1.48;P=0.040].We also found that the rs61955196 allele was related with an enhanced risk of SCZ(G>C,OR:1.22;95%CI:1.01-1.47;P=0.042).However,no associations were observed between rs11917047,rs2239681,or rs3842756 and SCZ risk.Under the optimal genetic model,no significant association of famine with the four SNPs was seen.Though the gene–gene interactions between rs2239681 and rs61955196 were found in GMDR analysis,none of the gene-gene interactions and gene-famine interactions were associated with the risk of SCZ.CONCLUSION Our study suggested that rs61955196 in ABCB9 is associated with SCZ susceptibility in Northeast Han Chinese,providing insight into genetic effects on SCZ.
文摘This report describes in vitro micropropagation of Boscia senegalensis,so-called famine foods,that helped the people in Darfur and Kordofan,Sudan survive during the 1984-1985 famine.Four types of explants prepared from green mature zygotic embryos were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium augmented with 1-5 mg/L 6-benzyladenine (BA).The highest number of shoots per explant (14.3±0.9) was achieved on MS medium supplemented with 3 mg/L BA,while the highest shoot length [(3.5±0.4) cm] was obtained with 1 mg/L BA.The shoot cluster,when subcultured to its same medium,significantly increased the rate of shoot multiplication by the end of the third subculture.The maximum mean number of shoots per explant (86.5±3.6) was produced after three multiplication cycles on 3 mg/L BA-supplemented medium.In vitro induced shoots were excised and rooted on half strength MS medium fortified with 0.25 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) to obtain complete plantlets.B.senegalensis-regenerated plantlets obtained in vitro for the first time,were hardened and 95% survived under greenhouse conditions.
文摘In 2007-2008, the world experienced over 1 billion people going hungry. This complex food security and public health crisis have many levels, actors and stakeholders. There lacks equity in access food markets, unbalanced consumption of nutrients and poor state institutions that, all negatively impact food security. Global financial products and regimes can greatly influence food prices, and if not properly regulated, this can lead to whole market manipulation and starvation. This paper discusses the basics of food security in a public health framework and describes the legal and financial mechanisms that lead to food insecurity.
基金Project 18KBGZ/463AC01,from the University of SalamancaERASMUS Intensive Programme 2012-1-ES1-ERA10-54375 are acknowledged for financial support.
文摘The commercial stone industry inÄlvdalen,northwest of Stockholm,started in the second half of the 18th century as a social need.The region had been plagued by severe famine and there was an urgent need for additional wealth-generating industry.At that time it was already known that the porphyry in the area was similar to the“porfido rosso antico”from Egypt which had played an important role in the Roman culture.Many ups and downs followed.During one period in the 19th century,the Swedish Royal family owned the industry.At the same time,several“porphyry”objects were presented to different courts around Europe(e.g.a 4 metre tall vase to the Russian czar,although of a more granitic variety).Otherwise most products have been smaller objects like urns,vases,candelabras,etc.The very hard Stone(with variable red or black colours)can be highly polished.
