This study presents a numerical examination of a steady, two-dimensional second-grade nanofluid flowing due to a stretching sheet with convective boundary conditions. The model incorporates temperature-dependent thermophysical properties, featuring an exponential decay of viscosity and density alongside a linear variation in thermal conductivity. To ensure a physically consistent solution for the resulting fourth-order momentum equation, an augmented boundary condition and a judiciously selected sign for the normal stress modulus are implemented. The governing nonlinear partial differential equations are transformed into a coupled system of ordinary differential equations via similarity variables and solved computationally using the Runge Kutta shooting technique. Graphical and tabular results elucidate the impact of pivotal dimensionless parameters on the flow, thermal, and concentration fields, as well as on engineering quantities of interest. A key finding affirms the unidirectional transfer of heat from the sheet to the nanofluid, offering new insights into the behavior of second-grade nanofluids with variable properties. A principal finding of this investigation is that increasing viscosity, density variation, suction, and thermophoretic transport collectively modify the boundary-layer behavior by suppressing the near-wall fluid motion, enhancing thermal and concentration distributions, and significantly influencing the skin-friction characteristics. The outcomes of this study are validated through comparison with available peer-reviewed results, showing good agreement that supports the reliability of the numerical model and the consistency of the obtained solutions.
The current review critically discusses microbial laccase as an emerging green biocatalyst towards the sustainable degradation of xenobiotic pollutants. The review integrates current knowledge on laccase diversity, catalytic mechanisms, mediator systems, and emerging industrial applications. An illustrative computational case study of Bacillus subtilis laccase suggested potential interactions of conserved residues at the T1 copper site with substrates such as congo red, doxorubicin, and difenoconazole, indicating a possible role in substrate binding interactions. Global bibliometric analysis (2012-2025) summarizes global research trends and collaborations in laccase-mediated bioremediation research. This combination of experimental literature and bibliometric analysis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current research directions and technological potential of laccases. The review also identifies key challenges associated with enzyme operational stability, production, and scalability. Future research developments should focus on integrating protein engineering, nanobiocatalysis, and AI-assisted process optimization to enhance the efficiency and scalability of laccase-based industrial applications within the circular bioeconomic framework.
Microorganisms play a pivotal role in environmental detoxification by utilizing their metabolic pathways to degrade, transform, or immobilize toxic pollutants such as hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial effluents. This review explores microbial enzymatic systems, including oxidoreductases, hydrolases, and transferases, that facilitate pollutant breakdown. Various bioremediation strategies, such as bioaugmentation, biostimulation, and phytoremediation-assisted microbial degradation, are discussed alongside advances in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, which enhance microbial efficiency for targeted detoxification. The potential of microbial consortia in tackling complex contamination scenarios is also examined. Additionally, omics-based approaches, including metagenomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, provide deeper insights into microbial community dynamics and metabolic capabilities. Challenges such as environmental limitations, regulatory concerns, and sustainability issues are critically analyzed. By integrating microbiology with biotechnological innovations, microbial metabolism can be effectively harnessed for large-scale pollution mitigation, offering ecofriendly and cost-effective solutions to address global environmental challenges and promote sustainable industrial practices.
In situ cellulase production is a key strategy to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and robustness of second-generation bioethanol processes. However, limitations related to heat transfer, bioreactor operation, and downstream processing still hinder large-scale implementation of solid-state fermentation (SSF) for enzymes production. This study systematically evaluated the integrated production, extraction, recovery and stabilization of endoglucanase from the cultivation of Myceliophthora thermophila I-1D3b in a multilayer packed-bed bioreactor operated under batch and continuous modes, using sugarcane bagasse and wheat bran (7:3 w/w) as substrate. Fermentations were carried at 45 °C for 96 h, and the enzymatic extracts were characterized as a function of pH and temperature, as well as subjected to concentration by ammonium sulfate and ethanol precipitation. Maximum enzymatic activity was achieved at 60 °C and pH 4.0, confirming a thermoacidophilic profile suitable for industrial applications. Ammonium sulfate precipitation outperformed ethanol, achieving 78.7% of recovering of total units of enzymatic activity from the raw extract and an activity of 156 U·g.d.s⁻¹ (enzyme units per gram of dry substrate), whereas ethanol resulted in significant activity losses under the evaluated conditions. Within the bioreactor, maximum temperatures reached 48.2 °C (batch) and 48.9 °C (continuous), indicating effective mitigation of overheating. Increasing percolation water flow rate significantly enhanced enzyme recovery, highlighting mass transfer as a key limiting factor in downstream performance. Similar average activities were obtained for batch (95.63 ± 28.37 U·g.d.s⁻¹) and continuous operation (96.36 ± 4.63 U·g.d.s⁻¹), while continuous mode reduced variability among modules, indicating improved spatial homogeneity. Overall, process integration combining thermal control, percolation-based extraction, and downstream processing enhances robustness and industrial applicability of SSF-based cellulase production.
Catalase, an industrially important enzyme, catalyzes the hydrolysis of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, playing a crucial role in various industries, including wastewater treatment in the textile sector. This study aimed to clone and express the catalase gene from Kocuria rhizophila ATCC 9341 into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), then characterize the purified enzyme and evaluate its potential for hydrogen peroxide degradation in textile wastewater. The 1524 bp gene was amplified and ligated into pET-21a( +) using the T4 DNA ligase enzyme. The expression of the recombinant catalase gene in E. coli BL21(DE3) was verified by using Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, with an estimated molecular weight of 57 kDa. The purified enzyme demonstrated a specific activity of 109.55 U/mg, optimal activity at pH 7-7.5, and 50 °C. The enzyme showed significant stability up to 80 °C and in a wide range of pH (4.0-9.0) by retaining up to 70% activity. The enzyme was also found to be resistant to several organic solvents, EDTA, β-mercaptoethanol, and metal ions, but was inhibited by Cu2+ and Cr2+. In-silico studies, including 3D modeling, quality validation, and molecular docking with hydrogen peroxide, confirmed strong ligand interactions, aligning with the experimental data. The combined experimental and computational findings suggest the enzyme's potential for industrial applications, especially in bioremediation and oxidative treatments.
Managing marine pollution from expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a critical environmental challenge, yet reliable empirical data on the actual recovery burden are often lacking. This investigation addresses this gap by using primary field data from three comprehensive sampling cycles. Through a combined life cycle assessment and cost analysis, the environmental and economic impacts of remediation versus industrial prevention were compared. The results quantify the cost of inaction, showing that collection from hard-to-reach shores accounts for 99.5% of the total cost and 83% of CO2 emissions, with geographic dispersion and labour intensity as the main limiting factors. In contrast, mechanical processing is technologically mature and has low operating costs. The investigation also redefines sustainability metrics based on the waste's end use, valorizing recycled EPS as a substitute for natural mineral aggregates (sand). This approach turns the disadvantage of low density into an advantage, achieving a greater than 99% reduction in carbon footprint per cubic metre compared to mineral aggregates. The present article clearly highlights that collecting waste before entering the marine environment is essential. At the same time, converting marine EPS into a resource is viable, as the environmental benefits of preserving natural deposits offset the high recovery costs, supporting a practical circular economy strategy.
The biotransformation of macroalgal biomass represents a major catabolic challenge due to its structurally diverse polysaccharides and inhibitory polyphenols. Unlike terrestrial lignocellulosic substrates, macroalgal polysaccharides contain multiple monomer types, branching patterns, and sulfation states. Additionally, toxic macroalgal polyphenols have been shown to inhibit both microbial growth and their catalytic enzymes. While herbivorous fishes have evolved specialized gut microbiota to process these substrates, the enzymatic pathways remain poorly characterized, with few experimentally validated polysaccharide utilization loci or biochemically defined marine sulfatases, and limited understanding of polyphenol degradation. Here, we developed in vitro microcosms, based on the gut microbiome of the generalist macro-algivorous fish Kyphosus cinerascens, to temporally resolve the activity of the microbial guilds involved in macroalgal polysaccharide and polyphenol transformation. First, parallel cDNA/DNA amplicon sequencing was employed to distinguish the natural active fraction from transient gut microbiome taxa that became inactive/dead after their ingestion. Four medium combinations were able to propagate between 96% and 99% of the active hindgut microbial families, reproducing the cooperative degradation dynamics observed in vivo. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic profiling of these four optimized in vitro microcosms served as models to assess the stepwise functional successions occurring in the natural gut microbiome. Early Gammaproteobacteria expressed enzymes linked to polyphenol detoxification and alginate degradation, followed by Bacillota, Bacteroidota, and Verrucomicrobiota guilds targeting more recalcitrant sulfated polysaccharides and polyphenols. Together, these results identified temporal and taxonomic coordination as key features of macroalgal biomass deconstruction, providing an experimentally tractable model for discovering novel carbohydrate-active enzymes and elucidating poorly understood pathways of marine polyphenol degradation.IMPORTANCESeaweed represents a source of sustainable biomass for various applications, but scalable industrial methods struggle to break down seaweed biomass into intermediate products due to the complexity of its constituents. Fish of the genus Kyphosus feed on different seaweed types by leveraging gastrointestinal bacteria to neutralize inhibitory polyphenols and convert their polysaccharides into simple sugars. This study identifies microbial groups that are transcriptionally active in natural fish hindgut microbiomes and how to propagate these active microbial communities in vitro. This enabled assessing how distinct microbial guilds act in succession to transform complex polysaccharides and polyphenols. Notably, this is the first study to assess the biotransformation capacities of macroalgal polyphenols by complex in vitro hindgut microbiomes of a generalist herbivorous fish. These findings advance our ecological understanding of cooperative degradation in marine gut symbioses and establish a tractable platform for discovering new enzymes and pathways with potential applications in algal biomass utilization.
Around the world, globalization processes combined with an enhanced understanding of public health have resulted in former industrial river sites being transformed into amenities that enhance quality of life. These urban transformations can potentially address environmental injustices or perpetuate them. While scholars have documented environmental injustices in the US for decades, less attention has been given to assessing the justice implications of urban transformations, such as river restoration efforts. We draw from the scholarship on environmental justice to investigate the US Environmental Protection Agency's Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP) program, which aims to restore urban rivers and reconnect disadvantaged communities with their waterways. Through document analysis and interviews with key stakeholders, we find that the UWFP approach demonstrates a synergistic effect through collaboration and the development of local partnerships that helps to realize the concept of "sense of place" as a tool for promoting stewardship. Lessons from this study can shed light on the nexus of justice and river restoration efforts in the US and other regions.
Against the backdrop of global climate change and sustainable development, cities, as major sources of carbon emissions, play a pivotal role in achieving carbon neutrality goals. This study examines the synergistic impact of innovative city and low-carbon city pilots on carbon intensity, using panel data from 272 Chinese cities. The findings reveal that low-carbon and innovative city construction (LCICC) significantly reduces carbon intensity, primarily through technological advances, industrial upgrading, and green finance. However, the carbon intensity reduction is only significant in central regions and resource-based cities. Conversely, LCICC significantly increases carbon intensity in cities characterized by lower administrative status and non-resource-dependent economic structures. This study not only enriches the theory of urban transformation and provides new perspectives for carbon reduction research but also offers the first empirical evidence of synergistic emission reduction effects from the simultaneous implementation of innovation and low-carbon city pilots. These findings provide a replicable analytical framework for other developing economies pursuing dual policy pathways toward carbon neutrality.
1. This study examined the dynamics of the 2019-2023 avian influenza (AI) outbreak on large-scale poultry farms in Russia and explored the management factors associated with morbidity levels.2. Six industrial poultry farms were included in the study, with repeated observations taken annually. Data on AI morbidity and mortality, biosecurity practices, vaccination coverage and virus sub-type distribution were collected from veterinary surveillance reports and farm health records. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise morbidity and mortality levels across intervention periods. Welch's t-tests and non-parametric tests were used to compare morbidity and mortality rates before and after the introduction of enhanced control measures in 2021.3. Correlation analysis evaluated the relationship between morbidity and mortality. Linear regression models examined the associations between management factors and morbidity levels. Temporal changes in virus sub-type distribution were analysed using chi-squared tests.4. Morbidity rate fell from 11.6% prior to the intervention period (2019-2020) to 8.9% following the implementation of enhanced control measures (2022-2023), while the mean mortality rate decreased from 5.8% to 4.2%. Regression analysis revealed a significant association between higher vaccination coverage and lower morbidity levels.5. Biosecurity indicators were significantly related to morbidity variation across farms. Temporal analysis revealed significant changes in the distribution of sub-types, with H5N1, H5N8 and H9N2 detected throughout the observation period.6. These results suggested that integrated disease control strategies are associated with improved management of AI in large-scale poultry production systems. The observed reductions likely reflected a combination of farm-level interventions and broader national and ecological trends.
Occupational exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is a growing concern, as workers may experience higher exposures compared to the general population. However, the contribution of occupational exposure to PFAS on overall body burden remains understudied. This study aims to identify occupational groups with high PFAS body burden based on the data from 2013 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and assess potential health risks using the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) guidelines for clinicians. Serum concentration of 12 PFAS compounds among U.S. residents aged ≥16 yr was obtained from the 2013 to 2014 NHANES (N = 2099), which provides the most recent cycle with detailed information on current and longest jobs. Occupational history was obtained from 2010 U.S. Bureau of the Census Industrial & Occupational Classification coding system reported in the NHANES dataset. Occupations and industries associated with the highest PFAS body burden were determined and categorized into 3 risk groups per NASEM thresholds (<2, 2 to 20, and >20 ng/mL) for the sum of 7 PFAS. Survey-weighted linear regressions were conducted to compare PFAS levels across 23 occupational/industry groups, stratified by gender and age. Higher total PFAS concentrations (sum of all detectable PFAS) were observed for both current and longest jobs (GMs: 12.4 to 14.4 ng/mL) in construction/extraction, installation/maintenance/repair, and arts/design/entertainment/sports/media occupations. PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and PFNA accounted for >70% of total PFAS body burden. Over 20% of participants exceeded the NASEM high-risk threshold (≥20 ng/mL) in installation/maintenance/repair, construction, manufacturing, durable goods, and transportation/warehousing, with GMs ranging from 28.6 to 37.6 ng/mL. Elevated PFAS levels were observed in construction and installation/maintenance/repair groups in adjusted models, relative to their respective reference groups. Significantly elevated associations were most pronounced among adults aged 30 to 64 and among females in installation/maintenance/repair compared with sales. The observed differences in PFAS serum levels, including elevated body burdens among workers in construction/extraction, arts/design/entertainment/sports/media, and installation/maintenance/repair, underscore the need for targeted biomonitoring and exposure intervention among these occupational groups.
The present study presents a new approach to boost citric acid production by combining genetic improvement and enzyme inhibition in the fungus Aspergillus niger. A mutant strain, named NA-CYS3, was developed by chemically treating the wild-type strain to make it resistant to L-cysteine HCl, a chemical that normally limits growth. This mutant showed better tolerance and higher productivity. Optimal fermentation conditions including medium volume (50 mL), acidity (pH: 4.5), inoculum size (10%), incubation time (144 h), and temperature (30 °C) were optimized to maximize citric acid yield. Under these conditions, NA-CYS3 produced 26.35 g/L, a 2.7-fold increase in substrate use and higher yield compared to the wild-type strain. To further increase production, the activity of aconitase, an enzyme involved in the citric acid cycle, was partially blocked by adding two inhibitors, potassium ferrocyanide (K₄Fe(CN)₆; 0.004%) and methanol (1 mL), shortly after fermentation started. This "aconitase co-inhibition strategy" slowed down certain metabolic steps, leading NA-CYS3 to produce nearly 49 g/L of citric acid, significantly more than the wild-type's 35.65 g/L. Kinetic parameters (Yp/s, Qp, qp) further confirmed its superior production capacity. These findings demonstrate that combining strain mutation with targeted enzyme inhibition can greatly enhance citric acid biosynthesis. The NA-CYS3 strain shows promise for efficient and large-scale industrial production of citric acid. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04929-2.
To address the increasing demand for platinum (Pt) and the accumulation of hazardous waste, this study proposes a novel and sustainable pyrometallurgical co-smelting strategy for recovering Pt from spent automotive catalysts (SACs) using electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) as a co-smelting agent. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed the feasibility of reducing Pt oxides and sulfides to their metallic form under high-temperature, reductive conditions, enabling efficient alloying with iron (Fe). A five-component slag system (SiO2-Al2O3-CaO-MgO-FeO) was designed to lower the melting temperature and viscosity, thereby improving the separation efficiency of slag and alloy. Through systematic single-factor experiments, the effects of alkalinity (CaO/SiO2), EAFD addition amount, reducing agents amount, and smelting temperature on Pt recovery were investigated. Optimal recovery (96.4%) was achieved under the conditions of CaO/SiO2 = 0.7, 20 wt% EAFD addition amount, 6 wt% reducing agents amount, and a smelting temperature of 1550°C. Microstructural characterizations using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed that Pt was predominantly incorporated into the Fe matrix through substitutional solid solution mechanisms. Furthermore, the resulting slag exhibited a dense, amorphous glassy microstructure, indicating excellent environmental stability and inertness, thereby minimizing the risk of secondary pollution. Overall, this integrated co-smelting approach not only offers a technically viable and environmentally benign method for the high-efficiency recovery of Pt from SACs but also establishes a novel paradigm for the cross-sectoral recycling of hazardous industrial residues such as EAFD. The proposed strategy thus holds significant potential for advancing circular economy practices within the waste management industries.
Conventional vitamin C intake estimations via food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) typically ignore cooking techniques, which can significantly alter nutrient content. This study evaluates the effect of incorporating a home cooking frequency questionnaire (HCFQ) alongside a FFQ to calculate vitamin C intake and its impact on adherence to dietary recommendations. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis in the PREDIMAR study, a randomized trial that aims to evaluate the effect of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil on atrial fibrillation recurrence after ablation. Vitamin C intake was estimated in two ways: derived from (1) raw food using a FFQ and the Spanish food composition tables, and (2) from raw and cooked food using a FFQ+HCFQ. Adherence to estimated average requirements and a recommended intake of 200 mg/day were used to assess nutritional adequacy. Paired t-Test compared vitamin C mean intakes derived from both methods, and paired McNemar tests assessed differences in adequacy rates. Among 447 patients (25.1% female; mean age = 59.7 years (10.1)), mean vitamin C intake (SD) was significantly higher when derived solely from the FFQ (173.7 mg/day (71.2)) vs. FFQ+HCFQ (160.1 mg/day (68.8); p < 0.001). The largest decreases of vitamin C, when cooking techniques were considered, were observed in legumes (- 88.0%), tubers (- 62.7%), and vegetables (- 12.5%). The main source of between-person variability in vitamin C intake from vegetables and tubers was raw vegetables and boiled potatoes, respectively. Adequacy of vitamin C intake significantly dropped using FFQ+HCFQ (21.5%) vs. FFQ alone (30.4%, p < 0.001). Ignoring cooking methods may lead to overestimation by approximately 8% of both vitamin C intake and adequacy prevalence in epidemiologic research. Incorporating a cooking-frequency questionnaire yields more conservative and potentially accurate estimates, improving nutritional epidemiology precision.
The purpose was to examine how variations in AI output design affect radiologists' performance in interpreting chest X-rays. Eight readers interpreted 80 COVID-19 chest images under five AI conditions in this retrospective study: no feedback, one-word summary, graph, heatmap, and heatmap + graph. Reader accuracy and eye-tracking data were analyzed to assess diagnostic performance and efficiency. Performance data were analyzed using a generalized mixed model nested for cases within readers assuming a binary distribution and with sandwich estimation; eye-tracking data were analyzed with analysis of variance. Baseline accuracy for detecting COVID-19 without AI was high and remained largely consistent across all AI designs. Fewer than 1% of decisions changed from correct to incorrect (true positive → false negative; true negative → false positive) with AI, while approximately 1% of decisions improved (false negative → true positive; false positive → true negative). More complex AI displays, such as the combined heatmap + graph, were associated with longer interpretation times and increased gaze shifts between the clinical image and AI outputs. Providing well-designed AI output can increase diagnosis accuracy and visual search of chest images. Simpler displays may support faster decision-making, whereas complex visualizations could impose additional cognitive demands to process the additional information. However, accuracy improvements likely outweigh modest increases in viewing time. Optimizing the presentation of AI information is essential to integrate human expertise effectively and create a synergistic human-AI partnership in clinical imaging, where the human remains the ultimate decision-maker.
Freshwater clams belonging to the genus Corbicula have been identified as exotic animals in New Zealand. Here, we present the complete mitochondrial genome of C. australis from a sample collected in the North Island of New Zealand.
Expanding the detection targets and application scope of the gas sensor is highly significant. For instance, the selective and rapid detection of trace levels of 1-octen-3-ol, a volatile compound produced by fungal metabolic activity, is crucial for grain safety monitoring, yet it remains a major technical challenge. Herein, an AuPt alloy nanocluster-sensitized WO3 chemiresistive gas sensor is developed for the detection of volatile 1-octen-3-ol, which exhibits an ultralow detection limit (12 ppb), good selectivity, and long-term stability (60 days). It effectively identifies various mold species infecting grain, including A. flavus, A. niger, R. stolonifer, P. citrinum, and A. alternata. The exceptional sensing performance stems from the strategic decoration of WO3 with AuPt alloy nanoclusters. Modulation of the d-band center of noble metal strengthens the orbital overlap with the π* orbital of 1-octen-3-ol, while simultaneously promoting oxygen adsorption and dissociation on the sensing surface. The generated active oxygen species migrate from the nanoclusters to the WO3 surface via oxygen spillover, significantly enhancing the kinetics of the gas-solid interfacial redox reaction. This study extends the application of chemiresistive gas sensors to grain mold monitoring by developing a high-performance 1-octen-3-ol sensor based on noble metal nanocluster-sensitized semiconductor metal oxides.
Single-cell multi-omics datasets are rapidly expanding, and integrating complementary modalities can provide a more comprehensive view of the molecular mechanisms underlying biological processes. However, cross-modality alignment remains challenging due to modality-specific measurement differences and mismatches in cell-type proportions. Here, we present single-cell Optimal Transport-based Label Transfer (scOT-LT), a semi-supervised label-transfer framework that aligns single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and scATAC-seq data using label-aware unbalanced optimal transport, which tolerates compositional mismatch while favoring label-consistent correspondences. scOT-LT learns a shared embedding through unbalanced optimal transport-guided alignment and transfers cell-type labels from the annotated scRNA-seq reference to unlabeled scATAC-seq via entropic OT coupling. Evaluations on multiple real-world datasets show that scOT-LT achieves strong modality mixing and high label-transfer accuracy, remains robust under downsampled scRNA-seq annotations, and can reliably detect novel cell types. Thus, scOT-LT not only improves integration and label-transfer performance but also yields explicit, interpretable cross-modality coupling, providing a practical approach for multimodal integration and annotation.
Hospital malnutrition remains highly prevalent in Australia and contributes to poorer clinical outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Hospital nutrition standards play a critical role in ensuring nutritionally adequate menus and supporting patient intake. While Australian jurisdictions have developed hospital nutrition standards, the extent of their consistency and alignment with national and international evidence-based guidelines has not been systematically examined. This scoping review aimed to identify and compare existing hospital nutrition standards across Australia and assess their alignment with the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) hospital nutrition guidelines. Guided by JBI methodology for scoping reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) reporting guidelines, grey literature searches were conducted across government websites, national repositories, and targeted Google searches. Twelve documents met inclusion criteria, including six nutrition standards and six supporting documents. Directed content analysis guided by ADG and ESPEN deductive frameworks was used to extract and compare data across jurisdictions. Findings showed strong alignment with the ADG, particularly in five food group provision and macronutrient targets. Alignment with ESPEN guidelines was more variable. All jurisdictions met minimum energy and protein targets and offered patient menu choices; however, inconsistencies were observed in therapeutic diet provisions, macronutrient distribution, food service considerations, adaptations for diverse patient groups and monitoring practices. Hospital nutrition standards in Australia are fragmented. Developing a unified evidence-based standard integrating ADG principles with ESPEN hospital nutrition recommendations could enhance consistency, quality, and equity in hospital nutrition care.