The structure and diversity of human gut microbiota are directly related to diet, though less is known about the influences of ethnicity and diet-related behaviors, such as fasting (intermittent caloric restriction). In this study, we investigated whether fasting for Ramadan altered the microbiota in Chinese and Pakistani individuals. Using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and self-reported dietary intake surveys, we determined that both the microbiota and dietary composition were significantly different with little overlap between ethnic groups. Principal Coordinate Analyses (PCoA) comparison of samples collected from both groups before and after fasting showed partial separation of microbiota related to fasting in the Pakistani group, but not in the Chinese group. Measurement of alpha diversity showed that Ramadan fasting significantly altered the coverage and ACE indices among Chinese subjects, but otherwise incurred no changes among either group. Specifically, Prevotella and Faecalibacterium drove predominance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in the Pakistani group, while Bacteroides (phylum Bacteroidetes) were the most prevalent among Chinese participants both before and after fasting. We observed significant enrichment of some specific taxa and depletion of others in individuals of both populations, suggesting that fasting could affect beta diversity. Notably, Dorea, Klebsiella, and Faecalibacterium were more abundant in the Chinese group after fasting, while Sutterella, Parabacteroides, and Alistipes were significantly enriched after fasting in the Pakistani group. Evaluation of the combined groups showed that genera Coprococcus, Clostridium_XlV, and Lachnospiracea were all significantly decreased after fasting. Analysis of food intake and macronutrient energy sources showed that fat-derived energy was positively associated with Oscillibacter and Prevotella, but negatively associated with Bacteroides. In addition, the consumption of sweets was significantly positively correlated with the prevalence of Akkermansia. Our study indicated that diet was the most significant influence on microbiota, and correlated with ethnic groups, while fasting led to enrichment of specific bacterial taxa in some individuals. Given the dearth of understanding about the impacts of fasting on microbiota, our results provide valuable inroads for future study aimed at novel, personalized, behavior-based treatments targeting specific gut microbes for prevention or treatment of digestive disorders.

Livestock have long been integral to food production systems, often not by choice but by need. While our knowledge of livestock greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation has evolved, the prevailing focus has been—somewhat myopically—on technology applications associated with mitigation. Here, we (1) examine the global distribution of livestock GHG emissions, (2) explore social, economic and environmental co‐benefits and trade‐offs associated with mitigation interventions and (3) critique approaches for quantifying GHG emissions. This review uncovered many insights. First, while GHG emissions from ruminant livestock are greatest in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC; globally, 66% of emissions are produced by Latin America and the Caribbean, East and southeast Asia and south Asia), the majority of mitigation strategies are designed for developed countries. This serious concern is heightened by the fact that 80% of growth in global meat production over the next decade will occur in LMIC. Second, few studies concurrently assess social, economic and environmental aspects of mitigation. Of the 54 interventions reviewed, only 16 had triple‐bottom line benefit with medium–high mitigation potential. Third, while efforts designed to stimulate the adoption of strategies allowing both emissions reduction (ER) and carbon sequestration (CS) would achieve the greatest net emissions mitigation, CS measures have greater potential mitigation and co‐benefits. The scientific community must shift attention away from the prevailing myopic lens on carbon, towards more holistic, systems‐based, multi‐metric approaches that carefully consider the raison d'être for livestock systems. Consequential life cycle assessments and systems‐aligned ‘socio‐economic planetary boundaries’ offer useful starting points that may uncover leverage points and cross‐scale emergent properties. The derivation of harmonized, globally reconciled sustainability metrics requires iterative dialogue between stakeholders at all levels. Greater emphasis on the simultaneous characterization of multiple sustainability dimensions would help avoid situations where progress made in one area causes maladaptive outcomes in other areas.

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Extreme weather events threaten food security, yet global assessments of impacts caused by crop waterlogging are rare. Here we first develop a paradigm that distils common stress patterns across environments, genotypes and climate horizons. Second, we embed improved process-based understanding into a farming systems model to discern changes in global crop waterlogging under future climates. Third, we develop avenues for adapting cropping systems to waterlogging contextualised by environment. We find that yield penalties caused by waterlogging increase from 3–11% historically to 10–20% by 2080, with penalties reflecting a trade-off between the duration of waterlogging and the timing of waterlogging relative to crop stage. We document greater potential for waterlogging-tolerant genotypes in environments with longer temperate growing seasons (e.g., UK, France, Russia, China), compared with environments with higher annualised ratios of evapotranspiration to precipitation (e.g., Australia). Under future climates, altering sowing time and adoption of waterlogging-tolerant genotypes reduces yield penalties by 18%, while earlier sowing of winter genotypes alleviates waterlogging by 8%. We highlight the serendipitous outcome wherein waterlogging stress patterns under present conditions are likely to be similar to those in the future, suggesting that adaptations for future climates could be designed using stress patterns realised today.

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Succeeding in breeding super hybrid rice has been considered as a great progress in rice production in China. This on-farm study was conducted with Minirhizotron techniques to identify dynamic root morphological traits and distribution (0–30 cm) under different nitrogen treatments. Five elite super hybrid rice cultivars, Liangyoupeijiu (LYPJ), Yliangyou 1(YLY1), Yliangyou 2(YLY2), Yliangyou 900(YLY900) and Super 1000(S1000), were grown at four N levels: 0 kg ha−1 (N1), 210 kg ha−1 (N2), 300 kg ha−1 (N3) and 390 kg ha−1 (N4) in 2015 and 2016. Results showed these cultivars had greater root traits and higher grain yield under N3. Total root number (TRN) and total root length (TRL) of these cultivars reached maximum at 55 days after transplanting (DAT). The new released cultivars YLY900 and S1000 were featured with an improved root system among these cultivars. The percentage of root number on 10–20 cm soil was over 50% compared with other soil layer. A significant positive correlation was found between grain yield and both TRN and TRL at 10–20 cm soil layer (P < 0.01). Given this situation, the grain yield of super rice cultivars could be further improved by increasing the proportion of roots at 10–20 cm soil layer under suitable nitrogen management.

The effect of high temperatures on rice production has attracted considerable research attention. It is not clear, however, whether nitrogen (N) management can be used to alleviate the damaging effects of high temperatures on flowering in rice. In this study, we compared the yields of five elite super hybrid rice varieties and examined their heat tolerance under four N treatments in two seasons with contrasting temperatures at flowering: 2015 (normal temperature) and 2016 (high temperature). The average daily temperature during the flowering stage in 2016 was 31.1°C, which was 4.5°C higher than that in 2015. There was a significant positive correlation between grain yield and N level ( R 2 = 0.42, P < 0.01). However, mean grain yield of the five rice varieties in 2015 was 10.5% higher than that in 2016. High N levels reduced yield losses in plants exposed to high temperature in 2016. The mean seed-set percentage in 2016 was 13.0% lower than that in 2015 at higher N levels, but spikelets per panicle increased by 7.6% at higher N levels compared with lower N levels. Higher N levels reduced the number of degenerated spikelets under high temperatures. Spikelets per panicle and N treatment level were positively correlated at high temperatures ( R 2 = 0.32, P < 0.05). These results confirmed that increasing N application could alleviate yield losses caused by high temperatures in super hybrid rice during the flowering stage.

A twofold delayed-choice experiment was performed, where the behavior of a quantum system was a posteriori chosen twice.