Exploring the potential of plant astrobiology: adapting flora for extra-terrestrial habitats: a review.

In recent years, the realm of astrobiology has expanded beyond the search for microbial life to encompass the intriguing possibility of plant life beyond our planet. Plant astrobiology delves into the adaptations and mechanisms that might allow Earth's flora to flourish in the harsh conditions of outer space and other celestial bodies. This review aims to shed light on the captivating field of plant astrobiology, its implications, and the challenges and opportunities it presents. Plant astrobiology marries the disciplines of botany and astrobiology, challenging us to envision the growth of plants beyond Earth's atmosphere. Researchers in this field are not only exploring the potential for plant life on other planets and moons but also investigating how plants could be harnessed to sustain life during extended space missions. The review discusses how plants could adapt to environments characterized by low gravity, high radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, and different atmospheric compositions. It highlights the physiological changes necessary for plants to survive and reproduce in these conditions. A pivotal concept is the integration of plants into closed-loop life support systems, where plants would play a crucial role in recycling waste products, generating oxygen, and producing food. The review delves into ongoing research involving genetic modifications and synthetic biology techniques to enhance plants' resilience in space environments. It addresses ethical considerations associated with altering organisms for off-planet habitation. Additionally, the review contemplates the psychological and emotional benefits of having greenery in enclosed, isolated space habitats. The review concludes that by employing advanced research methodologies, the field of plant astrobiology can greatly enhance the viability and sustainability of future space missions, highlighting the essential role of plants in sustaining long-term human presence beyond Earth.

Application of soil amendments to reduce the transfer of trace metal elements from contaminated soils of Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) to vegetables.

The extraction of copper and cobalt from mines has led to the contamination of agricultural soils by trace metal elements (TMEs) (e.g. Cu: 204 to 1355 mg/kg). The mining industry is one of the sources of metal discharges into the environment, contributing to water, soil, and air contamination and causing metabolic disorders in the inhabitants of the city of Lubumbashi (R.D. Congo). This study assessed the effectiveness of organocalcareous soil improvers applied to TME-contaminated soils to reduce their transfer to plants. Following a factorial design, increasing doses of organic soil improvers (chicken droppings and sawdust) and agricultural lime were applied to the soils of three market gardens (high, medium, and low Cu contamination). The experiment was monitored for 60 days. Soil physicochemical properties (pH, TOC, and total and available copper, cobalt, lead, cadmium, and zinc (mg/kg)) were determined for the three gardens and in the vegetable biomass. The daily consumption index of the vegetables was determined based on total TME content. The results show that organocalcareous soil improvers did not promote plant growth and survival on soils with high and medium levels of copper contamination. However, on soils with low copper content, organocalcareous soil improvers improved germination and plant survival and reduced the transfer of metals from the soil to the plants. The best germination and plant survival rates were obtained with the lightly contaminated market garden. In addition, the organo-limestone amendments applied to the soils slightly increased the soil pH from acidic to slightly acidic, with pH values ranging from (5.43 ± 0.07 to 7.26 ± 0.33). The daily vegetable consumption index obtained for cobalt in the low-contaminated garden ranged from (0.029 to 0.465 mg/60 kg/day), i.e. from 0.5 to 8.45 times higher than the FAO/WHO limit, unlike the other trace metals (Cd, Cu and Pb) for which the daily consumption index found was lower than the FAO/WHO limit. Organocalcareous soil improvers can only be applied to soils with low levels of TME contamination, but for soils with medium to high levels of metal contamination, new soilless production techniques such as hydroponics or bioponics are needed.

Impact of a school-based intervention and the COVID-19 pandemic on healthy eating in Navajo families: Results from the Yéego! Healthy eating and gardening intervention trial.

Objectives: As part of a group randomized trial of a school-based intervention promoting gardening and healthy eating, health behaviors of adult family members were evaluated. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Navajo Nation in March 2020 and the ongoing Yéego! collaborative study allowed description of adult response to COVID as an ancillary objective. Methods: Six elementary schools on the Navajo Nation in Arizona or New Mexico had been randomized to intervention or comparison group. One adult family member for each 3rd and 4th grade student completed surveys at baseline, nine-month and 21-month follow-up. Adult outcomes were fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, obesogenic dietary index and gardening frequency. COVID-related measures were collected at 21-month follow-up. Differential changes and interactions were examined using repeated measures linear mixed models. Results: Adult F&V intake increased significantly more in the intervention group than in the comparison group at nine months by 2.26 servings/day (95% CI: 0.45, 4.06). No other changes were associated with the intervention at nine or 21 months. At 21 months, in the subgroup with COVID concerns, the differential change in F&V intake was 2.02 (95% CI: 0.21, 3.84) servings/day. In cross-sectional analyses, only healthy eating measures varied by levels of COVID concerns, stress and resilience. Conclusions: The child focused school-based intervention had some impact on adult family members, particularly their F&V intake, suggesting the reach of the intervention extended to students' families. The impact on adult F&V intake persisted among those reporting COVID concerns. Findings have important implications for augmenting healthy eating interventions.

The Impact of Gardening on Dietary Inflammation: Mixed-Effect Models and Propensity Score Analyses.

Introduction: Gardening has been found to increase vegetable intake and reduce BMI; this suggests that it may improve diets by lowering inflammatory content. The goal of this study goal was to evaluate the effect of gardening on Dietary Inflammatory Index scores. Methods: Longitudinal data were collected annually between 2015 and 2018 from adults in low-income, urban neighborhoods of Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. The authors measured the association between gardening and Dietary Inflammatory Index in the full data set using multivariable mixed-effect models with a random intercept for participant (Model 1; n=409). To further explore potential causation, the author used propensity score analyses in a subset of the data by building a 1-to-1 matched model (Model 2; n=339). Results: Of 409 adults, 30.3% were gardeners with Dietary Inflammatory Index scores ranging from -6.228 to +6.225. Participating in gardening was associated with lower Dietary Inflammatory Index scores in the mixed-effects model (-0.45; 95% CI= -0.85, -0.04; Model 1) and the 1-to-1 matched model (-0.77; 95% CI= -1.40, -0.14; Model 2). Conclusions: The analyses indicate that gardeners had lower Dietary Inflammatory Index scores than nongardeners, implying lower diet-driven inflammation. These findings highlight the potential for a causal relationship between gardening and Dietary Inflammatory Index, which should be confirmed in future studies. If this relationship is validated, strategies to increase gardening may be worth testing as primary prevention tools for diet-driven chronic disease.

Exploring the Impact of a Persuasive Serious Video Game (Farmily) on Promoting Home Gardening Among Novices: Design and Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Home gardens worldwide provide sustenance, economic support, and access to fresh produce and promote household well-being, health, self-sufficiency, and food security. However, they face significant challenges worldwide and necessitate innovative promotion approaches. Serious video games have proven effective in promoting agricultural knowledge. However, more research is needed on the persuasive potential of agriculture games to influence players' thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. This provides an opportunity to examine the impact of persuasive games on promoting home gardening among novices. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the design and development of Farmily, a persuasive video game promoting home gardening among novices. In addition, it evaluated the effectiveness of Farmily and compared its impact with that of a traditional home gardening workshop. Furthermore, the study explored how game enjoyment relates to the game's outcomes. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial with 50 novice gardening participants aged 20 to 50 years was carried out. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group (1.5-hour workshop) or an experimental group (1.5-hour Farmily session). Pre- and postintervention assessments were conducted. We evaluated Farmily's impact on knowledge, attitudes, perceived self-efficacy, and intentions regarding initiating home gardens. In addition, we investigated the user enjoyment and its relationship with the game's effect outcomes. RESULTS: The experimental group significantly improved their knowledge (t24=4.26; P<.001), attitude (z24=2.98; P=.003), self-efficacy (t24=2.6; P=.02), and intention to initiate home gardens (z24=4.15; P<.001). The experimental group showed similar effectiveness in knowledge transfer (t24=-1.71; P=.09) and a more significant impact on attitude (z24=2.73; P=.006), self-efficacy (t24=2.21; P=.03), and intention to start a home garden (t24=-5.33; P<.001) than the control group. Farmily was well received by the intervention group, generating high enjoyment. Furthermore, user enjoyment substantially correlated with user attitudes (r23=0.72; P<.001) and self-efficacy (r23=0.67; P<.001), yet no discernible association was observed among user enjoyment, knowledge (r23=0.26; P=.20), and intention (r23=0.06; P=.77). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence indicates that Farmily appears to be a viable tool for promoting home gardening among novices in the short term. Farmily demonstrated similar effects in knowledge improvement to those of a traditional workshop and had a more significant impact on the other variables. In addition, we found that the player's gaming experience positively relates to the player's attitudes and self-efficacy. A well-powered randomized controlled trial with more diverse samples and extended follow-up periods will be conducted to establish the long-term efficacy of Farmily and gain a deeper understanding of the influence of enjoyment on game outcomes.

Creating Local "Citizen's Governance Spaces" in Austerity Contexts : Food Recuperation and Urban Gardening in Montréal (Canada) as Ways to Pragmatically Invent Alternatives.

While there is a growing interest in citizen-led initiatives, there is still no consensus on how to situate them, especially in relation to state institutions. On the one hand, citizen-led initiatives are seen as being co-opted by formal institutions in a context of austerity. On the other hand, these initiatives are often presented as "spaces of resistance" to neoliberalism, or as political acts of reclaiming the city. Mapping and tracing urban gardening and dumpster diving from their grassroots emergence to their inclusion in the institutional world through a two-level analysis, we show that individuals and loosely organized collectives involved in such initiatives are embedded in complex relationships with local institutions and third sector organizations that do, in turn, structure their practice and its consequences. The two-level analysis we propose follows this process: it is through interactions and relationships with other "practitioners" and with their social and institutional environment that these urban social practices gradually institutionalize.

Analysis of the Contribution of Home Gardens to Household Food Security in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Addressing food security is one of the national priorities in South Africa, enshrined under the country's constitution, yet there is a growing percentage of households struggling to meet their food requirements. Food insecurity and malnutrition remain severe problems in rural communities and can be addressed through home gardening. This study aimed to assess the contributions of home gardens to food security in Limpopo Province. This study employed a quantitative research methodology. A total of 2043 rural households were selected using multistage stratified random sampling. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to measure household food insecurity levels of home garden participants. Results showed that 46% of participants were food secure, 24% were severely food insecure, 17% were moderately food insecure and 13% were mildly food insecure. The results from the endogenous switching Poisson regression model showed that gender, household size, wage/salary, access to land, agriculture-related assistance and market distance had a positive influence on household food security of home garden participants. On the other hand, employment status and receiving any social relief had a negative association with household food security of home garden participants. The results also showed that employment status had a positive influence on the food security of home garden non-participants, while education, access to land, wage/salary and age had a negative influence. The results from average treatment effects (ATEs) showed that households that participated in home garden production had a negative and significant (p-value < 0.05) impact on household food insecurity. This study concludes that involvement in home gardening improves food security. Household food security can be enhanced through agricultural training and skills enhancement directed at increasing participation in home gardening in rural areas, thus addressing income and food security challenges. Agricultural education needs to be introduced and facilitated at school levels so that an understanding of food systems, nutrition and food security can be attained from younger age groups.

Gardening and subjective cognitive decline: a cross-sectional study and mediation analyses of 136,748 adults aged 45+ years.

BACKGROUND: Given the benefits of gardening for physical and psychological health, we explored whether gardening was associated with lower risks of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a precursor of dementia, and SCD-related functional limitations. METHODS: Included in this cross-sectional study were 136,748 participants aged 45 + years old from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2019 survey, who were then categorized into three groups according to self-reported exercise status: non-exercisers, gardeners, and other exercisers. SCD was assessed via a questionnaire, and SCD-related functional limitations were referred to as having difficulties in engaging in household or social activities due to SCD. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the associations of gardening with SCD and SCD-related functional limitations, adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, and health status. Mediation analyses were conducted to examine whether the observed association between gardening and SCD was mediated by energy expenditure (MET-hours/week), depression status, and consumption of fruits and vegetables. RESULTS: Overall, 11.1% and 5.4% of participants self-reported experiencing SCD and SCD-related functional limitations, respectively. The adjusted OR for gardeners vs. non-exercisers, was 0.72 (95% CI 0.62-0.83) for SCD and 0.57 (95% CI 0.44-0.73) for SCD-related functional limitations. The observed association between gardening and SCD was explained by higher energy expenditure (39.0%), lower likelihood of having depression (21.5%), and higher consumption of fruits and vegetables (3.4%) (P<0.05 for all). Similar patterns were observed for SCD-related functional limitations. CONCLUSION: In this nationally representative sample, gardening was associated with better cognitive status, which may be mainly attributed to better depression status and energy expenditure.

Promoting planting in front gardens: a systematic approach to intervention development.

Planting in front gardens is associated with a range of human and environmental health benefits. Effective interventions aimed at cultivating this practice are, however, hampered by the paucity of theory- and evidence-based behavioural research in this context. This study aims to systematically determine a set of behaviour change interventions likely to be effective at promoting planting in front gardens amongst UK householders. The Behaviour Change Wheel framework was applied. Behavioural systems mapping was used to identify community actors relevant to front gardening. Potential behavioural influences on householders' front gardening were identified using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour model. Using peer-reviewed scientific findings as evidence, behavioural influences were systematically linked to potential intervention strategies, behaviour change techniques and real-world implementation options. Finally, intervention recommendations were refined through expert evaluations and local councillor and public stakeholder feedback, evaluating them against the Acceptability, Practicability, Effectiveness, Affordability, Side effects and Equity criteria in a UK implementation context. This study formulated 12 intervention recommendations, implementable at a community level, to promote front gardening. Stakeholder feedback revealed a preference for educational and supportive (social and practical) strategies (e.g., community gardening workshops, front gardening 'starter kits') over persuasive and motivational approaches (e.g., social marketing, motivational letters from the council to householders). Householders' front gardening behaviour is complex and influenced by the behaviour of many other community actors. It also needs to be understood as a step in a continuum of other behaviours (e.g., clearing land, gardening, waste disposal). This study demonstrates the application of behavioural science to an understudied implementation context, that is, front gardening promotion, drawing on a rigorous development process promoting a transparent approach to intervention design. Stakeholder consultation allowed relevance, feasibility and practical issues to be considered. These improve the likely effectiveness of interventions in practice. The next steps include evaluating the proposed interventions in practice.

Understanding Health-Related Motivations for Urban Food Self-Production in the Light of Semantic Fields Analysis.

One of the contemporary challenges facing urban areas is the necessity to identify novel approaches to resident involvement in solution creation, with a particular focus on ensuring the best possible nutrition. By investigating the process of co-participation of city dwellers in a unique education project, this paper aims to gain a deeper understanding of the health-related motivations that underpin the decision of early adopters of the implemented technological innovations to join the social experiment. The qualitative study employed purposive sampling and in-depth interviews conducted in two waves, the first between October and November 2022 and the second between September 2023 and January 2024. The study comprised 42 participants drawn from two communities of residents in Lódz and Warsaw, Poland. Transcriptions of the interviews were carried out using semantic field analysis, employing a quantitative approach that counts the frequency of keyword occurrences. Three categories of semantic fields were identified: associations, oppositions, and actions toward the subject, including positive, neutral, and negative temperatures. The findings demonstrate that the health concerns of residents are a pivotal factor in their decision to participate in urban food self-production initiatives, given their limited access to nutritious and healthy vegetables. This is related to several factors, including restrictions related to urbanization and the displacement of local suppliers, lifestyle, and the fast pace of urban life. The dissemination of innovative solutions for growing food in urban environments could, therefore, facilitate awareness-raising and motivation to alter the dietary habits of inhabitants.

Effects of Childcare Hands-On Gardening on Preschoolers' (3-5 Years) Physical Activity in Semi-Arid Climate Zone.

How hands-on gardening impacts behaviors including healthy eating and physical activity during early childhood can be of critical importance for preventing the early onset of obesity. This study investigates how participating in hands-on gardening impacts preschoolers' (3-5 years old) physical activity (measured by accelerometers) in childcare centers in the semi-arid climate zone. The research was conducted in eight licensed childcare centers located in West Texas with 149 children (n = 149). Four childcare centers in the experimental group received hands-on garden interventions; the other four in the control group did not. In both experimental (intervention) and control (non-intervention) centers, children wore Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers continuously for 5 days before and for 5 days after intervention (a total of 10 days). Results show that the duration of sedentary behavior of children in the experimental (intervention) group significantly decreased compared to children in the control (non-intervention) group. The finding suggests that the positive effects of childcare hands-on gardening on physical activity extend to semi-arid climate zones where gardening is challenging due to high temperatures and lack of annual rainfall. The research emphasizes the critical need to incorporate hands-on gardening in childcare centers as an obesity prevention strategy nationally in the US and beyond.

Draft genome sequence of Escherichia coli MTR_GS_S1457 strain isolated from a soil sample of a vegetable garden in Gazipur, Bangladesh.

We announce the sequence of the Escherichia coli MTR_GS_S1457 strain isolated from a soil sample of a vegetable gardening system for the first time in Bangladesh. With a length of 4,918,647 bp, this strain contained one plasmid, two CRISPR arrays, 54 predicted antibiotic resistance genes, and 81 predicted virulence factor genes.

Influence of Compost Amendments on Soil and Human Gastrointestinal Bacterial Communities during a Single Gardening Season.

To measure associations between gardening with different compost amendments and the human gut microbiota composition, gardeners (n = 25) were provided with one of three types of compost: chicken manure (CM), dairy manure and plant material (DMP), or plant-based (P). Stool samples were collected before gardening (T1), after compost amendment (T2), and at peak garden harvest (T3). Compost and soil samples were collected. DNA was extracted, 16S rRNA libraries were established, and libraries were sequenced by Illumina MiSeq. Sequences were processed using mothur, and data were analyzed in R software version 4.2.2. Fast expectation-maximization microbial source tracking analysis was used to determine stool bacteria sources. At T2/T3, the gut microbiotas of P participants had the lowest Shannon alpha diversity, which was also the trend at T1. In stool from T2, Ruminococcus 1 were less abundant in the microbiotas of those using P compost as compared to those using CM or DMP. At T2, Prevotella 9 had the highest abundance in the microbiotas of those using CM compost. In participants who used CM compost to amend their gardening plots, a larger proportion of the human stool bacteria were sourced from CM compared to soil. Soil exposure through gardening was associated with a small but detectable change in the gardeners' gut microbiota composition. These results suggest that human interactions with soil through gardening could potentially impact health through alterations to the gut microbiota.

Association between gardening activity and frailty in patients with heart failure.

Objective Frailty is common in patients with heart failure (HF). Given that gardening demands regular physical activity and offers therapeutic relaxation benefits, this activity may reduce frailty. We investigated the association between gardening activities and frailty in patients with HF. Methods, patients, or materials Between August 2022 and March 2023, we surveyed patients at risk of HF and those with HF who regularly attended a cardiology outpatient clinic. Gardening activities were defined as the ongoing cultivation of flowers, vegetables, or fruits for more than a year. The questionnaire assessed the presence or absence of gardening activities as well as the frequency, duration per session, years of experience, and scale of such activities. We calculated the frailty index. Frailty was defined as a frailty index of 0.25 or greater. Results Of the 1,277 respondents, 69% engaged in gardening and 35% were frail. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, gardening activities showed an inverse association with frailty [odds ratio = 0.723, 95% confidence interval (0.533-0.981)]. Moreover, frailty and the frailty index showed an inverse association with more extended and large-scale gardening activities. Conclusion Gardening activities were thus found to be associated with a low prevalence of frailty in patients with HF.

Outdoor gardening activity with different frequency and duration may be associated with reduction of total and cause-specific mortality risk for general U.S. adults: Findings from the NHANES.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Engaging in recommended levels of physical activity (PA) is associated with reduced overall and cause-specific mortality rates. Our study aims to examine the relationship between gardening-specific PA and all-cause and cause-specific mortality based on representative U.S. adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 13,812 adults representing 663.5 million non-institutionalized U.S. adults were included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Self-reported gardening activity (GA) was assessed by a validated questionnaire, and outcomes of interest were all-cause mortality and mortality specific to certain causes. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using survey-multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. During a median follow-up period of 16.8 years (Interquartile range = 14.8-18.7), there were 3,476 deaths. After adjusting for potential covariates, we found that participants exposed to GA were more likely to have a lower risk of total mortality [HR (95% CI): 0.76 (0.68, 0.85), P-value < 0.001], cancer-specific mortality [HR (95% CI): 0.81 (0.67, 0.99), P-value < 0.05], cardiovascular disease mortality [HR (95% CI): 0.65 (0.53, 0.80), P-value < 0.001], and respiratory disease mortality [HR (95% CI): 0.66 (0.45, 0.98), P-value < 0.05], compared to those without GA exposure. Furthermore, engaging in GA more frequently and for longer durations was significantly associated with a lower total mortality risk. CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence that engaging in GA is associated with a decreased risk of overall and cause-specific mortality. However, further longitudinal or interventional studies are needed to investigate the potential benefits of GA.

Gardening/yardwork in people with knee osteoarthritis is not associated with symptom or structural progression over 48 months: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship of gardening/yardwork with symptomatic and structural progression in those with pre-existing radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), an observational study designed to evaluate potential and known biomarkers and risk factors of knee OA. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study nested within the OAI, including participants ≥ 50 years old with radiographic OA in at least one knee at the time of OAI enrollment. A participant reported the level of gardening/yardwork activity in a self-administered survey. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association of gardening/yardwork on new frequent knee pain, Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) worsening, medial joint space narrowing (JSN) worsening, and improved frequent knee pain. RESULTS: Of 1808 knees (1203 participants), over 60% of knees had KL grade = 2, 65% had medial JSN, and slightly more than a third had frequent knee symptoms. Gardeners/yardworkers and non-gardners/yardworkers had similar "worsening" outcomes for new knee pain (29% vs. 29%), KL worsening (19% vs. 18%), and medial JSN (23% vs. 24%). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the "worsening" outcomes of new knee pain, KL worsening, and medial JSN worsening were 1.0 (0.7-1.3), 1.0 (0.8-1.3), and 1.1 (0.9-1.4), respectively. The gardeners/yardworkers had an adjusted OR of 1.2 (0.9-1.7) for improved knee pain compared with non-gardners/yardworkers. CONCLUSION: Gardening/yardwork is not associated with knee OA progression and should not be discouraged in those with knee OA. Key Points • Gardening/yardwork is not associated with knee OA symptomatic or structural progression. • Gardening/yardwork should not be discouraged in people with knee OA.

Perceived Impacts of Urban Gardens and Peer Nutritional Counseling for People Living With HIV in the Dominican Republic.

OBJECTIVE: Explore participants' perceptions of urban gardens and peer nutritional counseling intervention for people with HIV and food insecurity on antiretroviral therapy in the Dominican Republic. METHODS: Semistructured endline interviews (n = 21) with intervention participants about their perceptions of diet, health, and quality of life. A codebook was applied to verbatim transcripts, and coded data were analyzed using matrices to identify themes. RESULTS: Participants were mostly Dominican (86%; 14% Haitian); 57% were men; the mean age was 45 years. The most salient experiences described by intervention participants were improved dietary quality and diversity, improved food security, and saving money. Participants also emphasized improved social interactions, mental health, and emotional well-being. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Urban gardens and peer nutritional counseling may improve participants' diet and psychosocial well-being. Nutrition programs with marginalized populations may need to improve access to healthy foods and build camaraderie and linkages to programs addressing structural factors.

Urban indoor gardening enhances immune regulation and diversifies skin microbiota - A placebo-controlled double-blinded intervention study.

According to the hygiene and biodiversity hypotheses, frequent exposure to environmental microbiota, especially through soil contact, diversifies commensal microbiota, enhances immune modulation, and ultimately lowers the risk of immune-mediated diseases. Here we test the underlying assumption of the hygiene and biodiversity hypotheses by instructing volunteers to grow edible plants indoors during the winter season when natural exposure to environmental microbiota is low. The one-month randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind trial consisted of two treatments: participants received either microbially diverse growing medium or visually similar but microbially poor growing medium. Skin microbiota and a panel of seven immune markers were analyzed in the beginning of the trial and after one month. The diversity of five bacterial phyla (Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia) and one class (Bacteroidia) increased on the skin of participants in the intervention group while no changes were observed in the placebo group. The number of nodes and edges in the co-occurrence networks of the skin bacteria increased on average three times more in the intervention group than in the placebo group. The plasma levels of the immunomodulatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) increased in the intervention group when compared with the placebo group. A similar trend was observed in the interleukin 17A (IL-17A) levels and in the IL-10:IL-17A ratios. Participants in both groups reported high satisfaction and adherence to the trial. The current study provides evidence in support of the core assumption of the hygiene and biodiversity hypotheses of immune-mediated diseases. Indoor urban gardening offers a meaningful and convenient approach for increasing year-round exposure to environmental microbiota, paving the way for other prophylactic practices that might help prevent immune-mediated diseases.

Wildlife-friendly garden practices increase butterfly abundance and species richness in urban and arable landscapes.

Insect declines are being reported worldwide and private, residential gardens could provide refugia for these species under increasing land use change. Interest in wildlife-friendly gardening has increased, but many management recommendations lack a scientific evidence-base. We used a large citizen science scheme, the Garden Butterfly Survey (GBS), with data from over 600 gardens across Great Britain (2016-2021) to determine how the surrounding landscape influences the abundance and species richness of butterflies in gardens and whether wildlife-friendly gardening practices, such as having long grass and providing nectar plants, benefit butterflies. First, we show that GBS provides reliable estimates of species abundances by comparing with results from standardised, long-term monitoring data. Garden size and surrounding land use had significant effects on butterfly abundance and richness in gardens, including positive relationships with garden size, woodland and arable farmland and negative relationships with urbanisation. Both the presence and area of long grass in gardens were positively related to higher butterfly richness and abundance, with the latter being driven by butterflies that use grasses as larval host plants. These effects differed depending on the surrounding landscape, such that long grass resulted in higher garden butterfly abundance in landscapes dominated by arable farming, and higher abundance and richness in highly urbanised areas. The presence of flowering ivy (Hedera spp.) in gardens resulted in higher abundance of Celastrina argiolus holly blue which uses ivy as a larval host, and of Vanessa atalanta red admiral and Polygonia c-album comma, which favour it as a nectar source. Our work provides evidence that undertaking simple wildlife-friendly garden practices can be beneficial for attracting butterflies, particularly in heavily modified areas. With over 728,000 ha of gardens in Great Britain, the cumulative effect of leaving areas of lawn uncut and providing nectar and larval host plants could be key for helping biodiversity.

Association between gardening and multiple sleep complaints: A nationwide study of 62,098 adults.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity was suggested to be related to sleep health, while the gardening-sleep association among the community population remained unrevealed. Therefore, this study aimed to explore whether gardening was associated with sleep complaints. METHODS: A total of 62,098 adults from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were included in this study and further categorized as non-exercisers, gardeners, and other exercisers, based on their self-reported exercise status. Sleep complaints including short/prolonged sleep duration, probable insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and sleep apnea were surveyed via a questionnaire. Primary outcome was multiple sleep complaints (coexistence of ≥2 sleep complaints) and secondary outcomes referred to individual sleep complaints. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess the associations between gardening or tertiles of gardening duration and the outcomes using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: The sample included 16,707 non-exercisers, 4243 gardeners, and 41,148 other exercisers. Relative to non-exercisers, gardeners (OR 0.58, 95%CI 0.49-0.67) and other exercisers (OR 0.67, 95%CI 0.61-0.72) had a lower likelihood of experiencing multiple sleep complaints. The adjusted OR comparing the highest gardening duration tertile to non-exercise was 0.45 (95%CI 0.33-0.63) for multiple sleep complaints (P for trend <0.001). Similar patterns persisted in several individual sleep complaints, such as short sleep duration, probable insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and sleep apnea. LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional study design and use of self-reported variables. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide study observed an inverse association of gardening with multiple sleep complaints and several individual sleep complaints, in a dose-response manner.