The state of food systems worldwide in the countdown to 2030

This Analysis presents a recently developed food system indicator framework and holistic monitoring architecture to track food system transformation towards global development, health and sustainability goals. Five themes are considered: (1) diets, nutrition and health; (2) environment, natural resources and production; (3) livelihoods, poverty and equity; (4) governance; and (5) resilience. Each theme is divided into three to five indicator domains, and indicators were selected to reflect each domain through a consultative process. In total, 50 indicators were selected, with at least one indicator available for every domain. Harmonized data of these 50 indicators provide a baseline assessment of the world's food systems. We show that every country can claim positive outcomes in some parts of food systems, but none are among the highest ranked across all domains. Furthermore, some indicators are independent of national income, and each highlights a specific aspiration for healthy, sustainable and just food systems. The Food Systems Countdown Initiative will track food systems annually to 2030, amending the framework as new indicators or better data emerge.

An integrated assessment of environmental sustainability and nutrient availability of food consumption patterns in Latin America and the Caribbean

BACKGROUND

In Latin America and the Caribbean, historical shifts away from traditional, plant-sourced food production and consumption patterns may undermine both nutritional status and environmental sustainability. Although agricultural intensification and increasingly animal-centric dietary preferences in the region are well-documented, their influence on environmental degradation remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to 1) characterize the environmental impacts of current food consumption patterns in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean and 2) identify food groups that minimize impact while maintaining adequate nutrient availability.

DESIGN

Apparent regional food consumption was derived using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Balance Sheets on per capita food availability and levels of imported vs. local food production. Region-specific life cycle assessment data on greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and freshwater consumption were leveraged to estimate total, food group-level, and nutrient-specific environmental impacts.

RESULTS

Annual overall emissions were highest in Caribbean food consumption patterns (2521.2 kg/capita), largely derived from meat (26.7%) and fruit (23.8%) production. Land use (1941.0 m2/capita) and water consumption (2060.8 m3/capita), in contrast, were highest for the South American pattern, due to high consumption of meat and dairy. Across the regions, meat constituted 7.5-12.7% of food consumption yet accounted for as much as 73.1% of greenhouse gas emissions, 56.6% of land use, and 54.2% of water consumption. In contrast, legumes and seeds, cereals, roots, and vegetables demonstrated overall low environmental impacts, particularly relative to their contributions to dietary protein, iron, and zinc availability.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings point to the capacity of plant-sourced food consumption to minimize environmental harm without necessarily jeopardizing nutrient availability in Latin America and the Caribbean. Local agriculture can contribute to food system sustainability by producing diversified plant-sourced foods, cornerstones of many traditional food customs, and mitigating the impacts of industrialized livestock operations and imported, animal-centric dietary habits.

A-15 Gender Differences in Self-Reported Symptomatology at Baseline Testing

Purpose: To examine whether there are gender differences in symptomatology reported at baseline testing in individuals who did not report a prior concussion history or a diagnosis of ADHD, dyslexia, autism, headaches, psychiatric conditions, substance abuse, and epilepsy at baseline using ImPACT. Methods: Participants were selected from an archival de-identified sports medicine ImPACT database. The sample (n = 1898) consisted of high school athletes who were primarily male (60.8%) adolescents in South Florida with an overall mean age of 15.35 years (SD = 1.09). A series of independent samples t-test was conducted to determine the relationship between gender and composite score performance at baseline. All analyses were conducted at p < 0.05. Results: The independent samples t-test found significant differences between gender and self-reported symptomatology concerning headaches [t(1,895) = 5.17, p < 0.001], irritability [t(1,895) = 5.23, p < 0.001], nervousness [t(1895) = 6.06, p < 0.001], sadness [t(1,895) = 3.86, p < 0.001], and feeling more emotional [t(1,895) = 7.83, p < 0.001]. No differences were seen in sleep, vestibular somatic, or cognitive symptoms. Conclusions: Results indicate high school age females are more likely to endorse symptoms related to disturbances in emotions and headaches when compared to their male counterparts at baseline testing. Differences were not seen between groups in regard to sleep, cognitive, and vestibular somatic symptoms. These results suggest that may be a specific gender profile of symptoms that can expected upon completion of baseline testing in high school athletes. Furthermore, these results signify certain symptoms that may need to be of more concern post-concussion in females when determining return to play and education.

A-16 Gender Differences and Composite Scores Performance at Baseline

Purpose: To examine whether there are gender differences in symptomatology reported at baseline testing in individuals who did not report a prior concussion history, diagnosis of ADHD, dyslexia, autism, headaches, psychiatric conditions, substance abuse, and epilepsy at baseline using ImPACT. Methods: Participants were selected from an archival de-identified sports medicine ImPACT baseline database. The sample (n = 1898) consisted of adolescent high school athletes, primarily male (60.8%) in South Florida (mean age = 15.35 years, SD = 1.09). An independent samples t-test was conducted to determine the relationship between gender and composite score performance at baseline. All analyses were conducted at p < 0.05. Results: The independent samples t-test revealed significant differences (p < 0.001) between genders on verbal memory and impulse control composite scores, but not visual memory, visual motor speed, and reaction time. Conclusions: Females performed significantly better on the overall measure of verbal memory which is consistent with previous studies (Cottle et al., 2017; Covassin et al., 2006). This may be due to female athletes exerting more effort or taking baseline testing more seriously (Cottle et al., 2017). Female athletes exhibited more control on impulse control, a task where quick and accurate decision making is required. Significant differences were not found in reaction time, visual memory, and visual motor speed which is not in line with previous studies. This may be due to the version of ImPACT used. Previous studies were conducted using version 2.0 or 2.1, while this study was conducted with versions 4.1 and 4.2. As ImPACT was updated, the new versions may have become less sensitive to differences in gender.

WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies

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B-41 SPECT Differences between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Objective

To assess whether diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) interactively alter brain activity, as measured by a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging.

Method

The sample included adults diagnosed with OCD (n = 915) with a mean age of 34.65 and predominantly male (68.6%) and adults with PTSD (n = 1,481) which had a mean age of 41.33 and was predominantly female (57.2%). Significant differences were observed for gender . Multiple ANCOVAs were conducted to determine differences between cerebral blood flow (CBF)in 17 different brain regions.

Results

Results showed hyper-perfusion in the PTSD group as compared to the OCD group in the pariental L/R[F(1,2393) = 6.47,p < 0.01/F(1,2393) = 12.31,p < .01], motor sensory L/R[F(1,2393) = 19.33,p < .001/F(1,2393) = 17.32,p < .01] and temporal left [F(1,2393) = 12.49,p < .01].

Conclusion

Significantly higher rCBF in the pariental and motor sensory for OCD individuals may be due to visual-constructive and controlled fluency which are usually associated with compulsion. Due to the hyperalert nature related with OCD rituals, these areas are more active when compared to PTSD. Hyperfusion was reported for PTSD in the left temporal lobe compared to OCD, this region is usually associated with registering potential threasts in the environment. This can be explained by the hypervigilant conduct seen in individuals with PTSD. Overall, it appears that individuals with OCD struggle with continual inability to inhibit repetitive thoughts and behaviors due to the over activation in the motor sensory and parietal region. Alternatively, the activation in PTSD individuals can be a result of a way to help them cope with threats in the environment.

B-35 Differences in Blood Flow Perfusion at Baseline in Individuals with Bipolar Disorder

Objective

To examine differences in blood flow perfusion, measured by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), at baseline between individuals diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and healthy controls.

Method

The participants were part of an archival de-identified SPECT database. The sample (N = 160) had a Mage = 38.85, was primarily male (53.1%) and Caucasian (55%). The sample consisted of individuals diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder using DSM-IV criteria (n = 80, Mage = 36.06, SD = 15.453, 61.3% male) and no DSM-IV diagnosis (n = 80, Mage = 41.64, SD = 16.473, 45% male).

Results

One-way ANOVAs showed hypoperfusion in the following areas: left (F[1,158] = 19.100,p < .001) and right Limbic region (F[1,158] = 16.938,p < .001) and left (F[1,158] = 41.959,p < .001) and right Basal Ganglia region (F[1,158] = 35.768,p < .001 and hyperperfusion in the following areas: left (F[1,158] = 20.639,p < .001) and right (F[1,158] = 15.645,p < .001) Cerebellum region.

Conclusion

Results of this study do not support previous research which has consistently found hypoperfusion in the temporal and parietal lobes across depressive and manic episodes. Furthermore, hypoperfusion of the right Limbic region is generally seen in those experiencing a depressive episode, while hyperperfusion of the left is seen during a manic episode. It is possible that participants of this study were not experiencing a depressive or manic episode at baseline. Results may be suggestive of euthymia which is distinguishable from healthy controls. It is also possible that these results are indicative of rCBF when a manic or depressive episode ends and transition into a euthymic state begins. Overall, little is known about rCBF in euthymia and this study is limited by unknown diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder I or II.

A-08 Aggressive Presentation of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A SPECT Study

Objective

Explore the effects of aggression in adults diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF).

Method

Participants were extracted from an archival de-identified SPECT database (n = 889,Mage = 36.73, 60.4% male, 71.6% Caucasian). Two groups were formed based on self-reported aggressive symptoms: low (below 25th percentile; n = 396) and high aggression (above 75th percentile; n = 435).

Results

Age was used as a covariate. One-way ANCOVA’s were conducted controlling for age (alpha = .01). Significant differences were found between groups in the left (F[1,829] = 5.755, ) and right (F[1,829] = 6.114) limbic regions, left basal ganglia (F[1,829] = 4.006, p = .046), left occipital (F[1,829] = 3.951,p = .047), and right parietal regions (F[1,829] = 4.341,p = .038). Discussion: Results revealed that individuals with ADHD and high aggression failed to have significantly different levels of rCBF in areas of the brain responsible for emotion regulation compared to those with low aggression. This study is the first to explore differences in rCBF in a sample of individuals with ADHD. It was hypothesized that higher activation in the limbic and basal ganglia areas was the process of experiencing highly emotional/distressing feelings and the process of acting upon these emotional experiences. However, SPECT failed to present as a reliable resource for identifying individuals with ADHD that have aggressive and impulsive tendencies in this study. Thus, it is suggested that clinicians use caution when using SPECT as a resource in identifying populations likely to engage in aggressive and highly dangerous acts (i.e., suicide/homicide). Further research is needed in using SPECT to identify ADHD populations which may be likely to engaged in aggressive and highly dangerous acts.

B-42 SPECT Differences between PTSD and Healthy Controls

Objective

To test whether Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) alters brain activity compared to a Healthy group at baseline, as measured by a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging.

Methods

The sample (n  = 189) included a PTSD group (n  = 109, Mage = 43.4, 23% Male, 71.6% Caucasian.) and a Healthy group (n  = 80, Mage = 41.5, 45 Males, 41.3% Caucasian.).

Results

The results revealed significant decrease (p < .01) of CBF in the PTSD group in the left (F(1,187) = 9.678, p = .002) and right (F(1,187) = 7.112, p = .008) Basal Ganglia compared to the healthy group. The left (F(1,187) = 10.384, p = .002) and right (F(1,187) = 8.892, p = .003) Cerebellum and the left (F(1,187) = 5.591, p = .019) and right (F(1,187) = 5.898, p = .016) Temporal areas had significant increases in CBF in the PTSD group compared to the Healthy group.

Conclusion

The pattern of increased CBF in the Temporal lobes in those suffering from PTSD can be associated with personal increase in emotional responsivity. The increase in emotional lability can be related to the symptoms that are evident in PTSD, including, attention and consolidation of memory. Furthermore, the increased cerebellar CBF may affect major functions including motor movements and procedural memory. By having overactivation in these areas individuals with PTSD may experience symptoms of increased alertness, hypervigilance, and inability to control behavioral actions that have previously been learned in stressful situations. Decreased CBF in the Basal Ganglia of the PTSD group suggests an aberration of functions controlled by this area, such as, motor learning, executive functions, and reinforcement-learning. Treatment of PTSD can target discrete brain systems related to these differences in cognitive activity.

B-37 Examining Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms: A SPECT Exploratory Analysis

Objective

To examine regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) differences between those with self-reported high and low levels of depressive symptoms.

Method

Participants were selected from a de-identified archival SPECT database. Depressive symptoms were determined by self-reported factors related to depression which included eight questions rated on a six point Likert scale. Groups were separated into highest and lowest 20% of ratings on this scale. Low reported depressive symptoms group (n = 2453,Mage = 42.85,SD = 18.35,male = 64%,Caucasian = 67%); high reported depressive symptoms group consisted (n = 2673,Mage = 38.52,SD = 13.44,male = 58%,Caucasian = 70%). Differences between groups were assessed across 17 brain regions at baseline.

Results

One-way ANCOVAs were conducted (p < .001) controlling for age and gender across 17 brain regions. Significant differences were found between groups in the left cerebellum (F[1,5122] = 19.396,p < .001),left frontal(F[1,5122] = 17.870,p < .001),right frontal (F[1,5122] = 22.175,p < .001),left motor sensory(F[1,5122] = 28.974,p < .001),and right motor sensory(F[1,5122] = 31.534,p < .001),such that the low depressive symptoms group exhibited higher rCBF in the left and right frontal and left and right motor sensory,whereas, the high depressive symptoms group exhibited higher rCBF in the left cerebellum.

Conclusion

Results indicate increased self-reported depressive symptomatology may be associated with decreased frontal lobe. The motor sensory region can result in deficits involving encoding or motor output showing slower motor/sensory processing in those with increased self-reported depressive symptoms. Research has shown increased activity in the cerebellum during sadness which may explain the higher rCBF in the depressed group. These findings demonstrate that neurological differences exist between varying degrees of self-reported depressive symptom severity. As a result, SPECT may be a useful objective measure to monitor and assess self-reported depressive severity throughout the course of treatment.

B-08 Cerebral Blood Flow Differences at Baseline Between Cortical Regions in Tic Disorders Population

Objective

To identify CBF differences between individuals with Tic Disorder and healthy controls.

Methods

The data for this study was acquired from a de-identified archival Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) database. The sample included a healthy control group (n = 83,age M = 42.02,54.22% female) and a second group included individuals diagnosed with Tic Disorder (n = 177,age M = 33.54,83.05% male). Significant differences were found for gender [χ(2) = 41.16,p < .001] between groups. As a result, ANCOVAs were conducted to measure CBF differences across the brain using SPECT scans between the two groups while controlling for gender.

Results

Results showed significant differences between the two groups and perfusion in 4 brain regions. Hypo-perfusion in the Tic Disorder group was observed in the right basal ganglia [F(1,260) = 30.959,p < .001] and left [F(1,260) = 32.16,p < .001]. Hyper-perfusion was found in the right cerebellum [F(1,260) = 16.63,p < .001], and left [F(1,260) = 22.17,p < .001] in the same group.

Conclusion

Results indicate that individuals with tic disorders have diminished CBF than healthy controls in both sides of the basal ganglia. This contrasts previous studies, which have shown that individuals with tic disorders have more CBF in the basal ganglia. Further research is needed to understand this inconsistency; a possible explanation is that there is an inhibiting effect on the basal ganglia. Increased CBF in both sides of the cerebellum supports previous research as this cortical area has been shown to have connections with the basal ganglia, activating the pathway that trigger the motor tics. Tic disorders are usually associated with other comorbidities therefore the sample may have other diagnoses that affect blood flow. Future research should control for potential comorbidities.