Feature Article

Wheat is an important staple that acts as a primary source of dietary energy, protein, and essential micronutrients such as iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) for the world’s population. Approximately two billion people suffer from micronutrient deficiency, thus breeders have crossed high Zn progenitors such as synthetic hexaploid wheat, T. dicoccum, T. spelta, and landraces to generate wheat varieties with competitive yield and enhanced grain Zn that are being adopted by farmers in South Asia.

This review focuses on fluorosis and iodine deficiency disorders, two serious, highly prevalent metabolic disorders that are under-reported. These are caused by the two elements of the halogen family, fluorine and iodine. The former in excess and the latter in deficiency are the cause for concern.

Cotton is a major cash crop of global significance. It has a peculiar and inherent growth pattern with coinciding physiological growth stages. This study is based upon modelling and simulation for Hisar region.

Cotton is a major cash crop of global significance. It has a peculiar and inherent growth pattern with coinciding physiological growth stages. This study is based upon modelling and simulation for Hisar region. Stage-wise water stress has been quantified for three Bt-cotton cultivars with three sowing dates under both irrigated and non-irrigated (rainfed) conditions to assess the most sensitive stage.

Original Source

Empiric probiotics are commonly consumed by healthy individuals as means of life quality improvement and disease prevention. However, evidence of probiotic gut mucosal colonization efficacy remains sparse and controversial. We metagenomically characterized the murine and human mucosal-associated gastrointestinal microbiome and found it to only partially correlate with stool microbiome. A sequential invasive multi-omics measurement at baseline and during consumption of an 11-strain probiotic combination or placebo demonstrated that probiotics remain viable upon gastrointestinal passage.

Insufficient physical activity is a leading risk factor for non-communicable disease, negatively impacting mental health and overall quality of life, according to this new study published in Lancet. Physical and mental health of more than 1.4 billion adults is at risk reveals the study that details the levels of insufficient physical activity in different countries and estimates global and regional trends

Human health risk assessment methods have advanced in recent years to more accurately estimate risks associated with exposure during childhood. However, predicting risks related to infant exposures to environmental chemicals in breast milk and formula remains challenging.

In 2015, diesel cars accounted for 41.3% of the total passenger car fleet in Europe. While harmonized emissions limits are implemented at the EU level, on-road emissions of diesel cars have been found to be up to 16 times higher than those measured in test stands.

The size and structure of the socioeconomic metabolism are key for the planet’s sustainability. In this article, we provide a consistent assessment of the development of material flows through the global economy in the period 1900–2015 using material flow accounting in combination with results from dynamic stock-flow modelling.

Competition over limited water resources is one of the main concerns for the coming decades. Although water issues alone have not been the sole trigger for warfare in the past, tensions over freshwater management and use represent one of the main concerns in political relations between riparian states and may exacerbate existing tensions, increase regional instability and social unrest. Previous studies made great efforts to understand how international water management problems were addressed by actors in a more cooperative or confrontational way.