A review of the use of information and communication technologies for dietary assessment

Presently used dietary-assessment methods often present difficulties for researchers and respondents, and misreporting errors are common. Methods using information and communication technologies (ICT) may improve quality and accuracy. The present paper presents a systematic literature review describing studies applying ICT to dietary assessment. Eligible papers published between January 1995 and February 2008 were classified into four assessment categories: computerised assessment; personal digital assistants (PDA); digital photography; smart cards. Computerised assessments comprise frequency questionnaires, 24 h recalls (24HR) and diet history assessments. Self-administered computerised assessments, which can include audio support, may reduce literacy problems, be translated and are useful for younger age groups, but less so for those unfamiliar with computers. Self-administered 24HR utilising computers yielded comparable results as standard methods, but needed supervision if used in children. Computer-assisted interviewer-administered recall results were similar to conventional recalls, and reduced inter-interviewer variability. PDA showed some advantages but did not reduce underreporting. Mobile phone meal photos did not improve PDA accuracy. Digital photography for assessing individual food intake in dining facilities was accurate for adults and children, although validity was slightly higher with direct visual observation. Smart cards in dining facilities were useful for measuring food choice but not total dietary intake. In conclusion, computerised assessments and PDA are promising, and could improve dietary assessment quality in some vulnerable groups and decrease researcher workload. Both still need comprehensive evaluation for micronutrient intake assessment. Further work is necessary for improving ICT tools in established and new methods and for their rigorous evaluatio

Role of Mobile Phone Technology in Improving Small Farm Productivity

Telecommunication, especially mobile phones have the potential to provide solution to the existing information asymmetry in various lagging sectors like agriculture. India’s agricultural sector suffers from low growth rates and low productivity. Issues in access to information are weak points at every stage of the agri-supply chain. For small farmer-based economy like India, access to information can possibly enable better incomes and productivity to the farmers. This paper through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with farmers, has tried to find answers to the use and impact of mobile phones and mobile-enabled services on agricultural productivity. The answers to these questions are of relevance to develop better policy environment conducive for small and medium farmers and have implications for mobile phone operators, information service providers, and policymakers. The study has shown that although, mobile phones can act as catalyst to improving farm productivity and rural incomes, the quality of information, timeliness of information and trustworthiness of information are the three important aspects that have to be delivered to the farmers to meet their needs and expectations. There exist critical binding constraints that restrict the ability of the farming community to realize full-potential gains and it is more so for small than large farmers.Agricultural and Food Policy,

The cost of virtue : reward as well as feedback are required to reduce user ICT power consumption

This work was partly supported by the IU-AC project, funded by grant EP/J016756/1 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).We show that students in a school lab environment will change their behaviour to be more energy efficient, when appropriate incentives are in place, and when measurement-based, real-time feedback about their energy usage is provided. Rewards incentivise `non-green' users to be `green' as well as encouraging those users who already claim to be `green'. Measurement-based feedback improves user energy awareness and helps users to explore and adjust their use of computers to become `greener', but is not sufficient by itself. In our measurements, weekly mean group energy use as a whole reduced by up to 16%; and weekly individual user energy consumption reduced by up to 56% during active use. The findings are drawn from our longitudinal study that involved 83 Computer Science students; lasted 48 weeks across 2 academic years; monitored a total of 26778 hours of active computer use; collected approximately 2TB of raw data.Publisher PD

Identifying Advantages and Disadvantages of Variable Rate Irrigation – An Updated Review

Variable rate irrigation (VRI) sprinklers on mechanical move irrigation systems (center pivot or lateral move) have been commercially available since 2004. Although the number of VRI, zone or individual sprinkler, systems adopted to date is lower than expected there is a continued interest to harness this technology, especially when climate variability, regulatory nutrient management, water conservation policies, and declining water for agriculture compound the challenges involved for irrigated crop production. This article reviews the potential advantages and potential disadvantages of VRI technology for moving sprinklers, provides updated examples on such aspects, suggests a protocol for designing and implementing VRI technology and reports on the recent advancements. The advantages of VRI technology are demonstrated in the areas of agronomic improvement, greater economic returns, environmental protection and risk management, while the main drawbacks to VRI technology include the complexity to successfully implement the technology and the lack of evidence that it assures better performance in net profit or water savings. Although advances have been made in VRI technologies, its penetration into the market will continue to depend on tangible and perceived benefits by producers

Linking urban consumers and rural farmers in India: A comparison of traditional and modern food supply chains

"Food supply chains are being transformed in a number of developing countries due to widespread changes in urban food demand. To better anticipate the impact of this transformation and thus assist in the design of appropriate policies, it is important to understand the changes that are occurring in these supply chains. In a case study of India, we find that overall urban consumption is increasing; the urban food basket is shifting away from staples toward high-value products; and modern market channels (modern retail, food processing, and the food service industry) are on the rise. We document differing practices in traditional and modern food supply chains and identify an agenda for future research." from authors' abstractAgricultural marketing, Market transformation, Rural-urban linkages, Globalization, Markets,

IoT-Based Environmental Control System for Fish Farms with Sensor Integration and Machine Learning Decision Support

In response to the burgeoning global demand for seafood and the challenges of managing fish farms, we introduce an innovative IoT-based environmental control system that integrates sensor technology and advanced machine learning decision support. Deploying a network of wireless sensors within the fish farm, we continuously collect real-time data on crucial environmental parameters, including water temperature, pH levels, humidity, and fish behavior. This data undergoes meticulous preprocessing to ensure its reliability, including imputation, outlier detection, feature engineering, and synchronization. At the heart of our system are four distinct machine learning algorithms: Random Forests predict and optimize water temperature and pH levels for the fish, fostering their health and growth; Support Vector Machines (SVMs) function as an early warning system, promptly detecting diseases and parasites in fish; Gradient Boosting Machines (GBMs) dynamically fine-tune the feeding schedule based on real-time environmental conditions, promoting resource efficiency and fish productivity; Neural Networks manage the operation of critical equipment like water pumps and heaters to maintain the desired environmental conditions within the farm. These machine learning algorithms collaboratively make real-time decisions to ensure that the fish farm's environmental conditions align with predefined specifications, leading to improved fish health and productivity while simultaneously reducing resource wastage, thereby contributing to increased profitability and sustainability. This research article showcases the power of data-driven decision support in fish farming, promising to meet the growing demand for seafood while emphasizing environmental responsibility and economic viability, thus revolutionizing the future of fish farming

A Game Theoretic Framework for Surplus Food Distribution in Smart Cities and Beyond

Food waste is a major challenge for the present world. It is the precursor to several socioeconomic problems that are plaguing the modern society. To counter the same and to, simultaneously, stand by the undernourished, surplus food redistribution has surfaced as a viable solution. Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-mediated food redistribution is a highly scalable approach and it percolates into the masses far better. Even if ICT is not brought into the picture, the presence of food surplus redistribution in developing countries like India is scarce and is limited to only a few of the major cities. The discussion of a surplus food redistribution framework under strategic settings is a less discussed topic around the globe. This paper aims at addressing a surplus food redistribution framework under strategic settings, thereby facilitating a smoother exchange of surplus food in the smart cities of developing countries, and beyond. As ICT is seamlessly available in smart cities, the paper aims to focus the framework in these cities. However, this can be extended beyond the smart cities to places with greater human involvement.Comment: 31 pages, 8 figures, 5 table