Combining conventional and smartphone technologies to evaluate the psychomotor status in chronic malnutrition: A cross-sectional pilot study in sub-Saharan Africa.

Malnutrition remains a pressing health concern in developing nations, contributing to growth delay (stunting) and psychomotor impairments among the youth. Tanzania has the highest prevalence of stunting, yet the psychomotor status of its population has not been previously studied. To address this gap, we gathered anthropometric, nutritional, and psychomotor data from 211 children with the aim of assessing the reliability of digital tools as indicators of psychomotor performance in relation to the nutritional status. Collected anthropometric measures included middle-upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skinfold thickness (TST), and handgrip strength, while psychomotor variables were assessed using digital finger tapping test (DFTT), eye-tracking test (ETT), and nine-hole peg test (9HPT). Statistical analysis revealed significant associations between age and both MUAC and handgrip strength (R = 0.5, p < 0.001). Moreover, DFTT and 9HPT demonstrated a correlation with each other (p = 0.026) and with MUAC, handgrip strength, and age (p < 0.001). Notably, lower stature was independently linked to slower horizontal eye movements (p < 0.001). Findings underscores the crucial link between nutrition and psychomotor skills in Tanzanian children. Digital tests like DFTT, ETT, and the 9HPT show promise for assessing psychomotor performance. Addressing malnutrition requires comprehensive interventions. Future research should explore long-term effects of interventions in resource-limited settings.

A Comparison of the Mediterranean Diet and Current Food Patterns in Italy: A Life Cycle Thinking Approach for a Sustainable Consumption.

The transition toward more sustainable food systems, which already represents a central element of the European Farm to Fork and Green Deal strategies, could be an effective measure to contribute to global decarbonization and greenhouse gas (GHGs) reduction goals; concurrently, it could improve the health status and nutrition of the global population. In this context, the Mediterranean diet (MD) could play a considerable role, as it is generally recognized as a more balanced, healthy, and sustainable eating pattern than Western consumption patterns, which are characterized by excess food and high energy content, thus causing undesirable effects on both human health and the environment. Although traditionally linked to MD, Italy sees relatively moderate adherence by its citizens, as they consume about +75% of the daily caloric intake recommended by MD. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively assess the potential environmental, economic, and health impacts of this lower adherence to MD by Italians. Current Italian Food Patterns (CIFP) in 2019 were analyzed and compared to the MD recommended amounts through a Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) approach (LCA) and carbon footprint (CF) analysis. The results show that CIFP, compared to MD, has +133% greater impacts on the environmental macro-area, +100% greater impacts on the human health macro-area, and +59% greater impacts on the economic macro-area (with annual fossil and mineral resource savings of $53.35 per person, $3.2 billion per year). The analysis also shows that CIFP has a CF of 6.54 × 101 kg CO2 eq, +142% over MD (2.7 × 101 kg CO2 eq), resulting in a lower environmental impact of the Mediterranean diet.

Microsystem Nodes for Soil Monitoring via an Energy Mapping Network: A Proof-of-Concept Preliminary Study.

The need for accurate information and the availability of novel tool and technological advances in agriculture have given rise to innovative autonomous systems. The aim is to monitor key parameters for optimal water and fertilizer management. A key issue in precision agriculture is the in situ monitoring of soil macronutrients. Here, a proof-of-concept study was conducted that tested two types of sensors capable of capturing both the electrochemical response of the soil and the electrical potential generated by the interaction between the soil and plants. These two sensors can be used to monitor large areas using a network approach, due to their small size and low power consumption. The voltammetric sensor (BIONOTE-L) proved to be able to characterize different soil samples. It was able, indeed, to provide a reproducible voltammetric fingerprint specific for each soil type, and to monitor the concentration of CaCl2 and NaCl in the soil. BIONOTE-L can be coupled to a device capable of capturing the energy produced by interactions between plants and soil. As a consequence, the functionality of the microsystem node when applied in a large-area monitoring network can be extended. Additional calibrations will be performed to fully characterize the instrument node, to implement the network, and to specialize it for a particular application in the field.

Micromachined Tools Using Acoustic Wave Triggering for the Interaction with the Growth of Plant Biological Systems.

A plant biological system is exposed to external influences. In general, each plant has its characteristics and needs with specific interaction mechanisms adapted to its survival. Interactions between systems can be examined and modeled as energy exchanges of mechanical, chemical or electrical variables. Thus, each specific interaction can be examined by triggering the system via a specific stimulus. The objective of this work was to study a specific stimulus (mechanical stimulation) as a driver of plants and their interaction with the environment. In particular, the experimental design concerns the setting up and testing of an automatic source of mechanical stimuli at different wavelengths, generated by an electromechanical transducer, to induce a micro-interaction in plants (or in parts of them) that produces a specific behavior (hypothesis) of plants. Four different experimental setups were developed for this work, each pursuing the same objective: the analysis of the germination process induced by stimulation by sound waves in the audible range. It can be said that the introduction of sound waves as a stimulant or a brake for the growth of plants can offer significant advantages when used on a large scale in the primary sector, since these effects can be used instead of polluting chemical solutions.