Participating in a fruit and vegetable intervention trial improves longer term fruit and vegetable consumption and barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption: a follow-up of the ADIT study

BACKGROUND: Fruit and vegetable (FV) based intervention studies can be effective in increasing short term FV consumption. However, the longer term efficacy of such interventions is still unclear. The aim of the current study was to examine the maintenance of change in FV consumption 18-months after cessation of a FV intervention and to examine the effect of participating in a FV intervention on barriers to FV consumption.

METHODS: A follow-up of a randomised controlled FV trial in 83 older adults (habitually consuming ≤2 portions/day) was conducted. At baseline, participants were assigned to continue consuming ≤2 portions FV/day or consume ≥5 portions FV/day for 16-weeks. We assessed FV intake and barriers to FV consumption at baseline, end of intervention and 18-months post-intervention.

RESULTS: At 18-months, mean FV intakes in both groups were greater than baseline. The 5 portions/day group continued to show greater increases in FV consumption at 18-months than the 2 portions/day group (p < 0.01). At 18-months, both groups reported greater liking (p < 0.01) and ease in consuming FV (p = 0.001) while difficulties with consuming FV decreased (p < 0.001). The 2 portions/day group reported greater awareness of FV recommendations at 18-months (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Participating in a FV intervention can lead to longer-term positive changes in FV consumption regardless of original group allocation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials.gov NCT00858728 .

Choice of commuting mode among employees: Do home neighborhood environment, worksite neighborhood environment, and worksite policy and supports matter?

BACKGROUND: Promoting the use of public transit and active transport (walking and cycling) instead of car driving is an appealing strategy to increase overall physical activity.

PURPOSE: To quantify the combined associations between self-reported home and worksite neighborhood environments, worksite support and policies, and employees' commuting modes.

METHOD: Between 2012 and 2013, participants residing in four Missouri metropolitan areas were interviewed via telephone (n = 1,338) and provided information on socio-demographic characteristics, home and worksite neighborhoods, and worksite support and policies. Commuting mode was self-reported and categorized into car driving, public transit, and active commuting. Commuting distance was calculated using geographic information systems. Commuters providing completed data were included in the analysis. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the correlates of using public transit and active commuting.

RESULT: The majority of participants reported commuting by driving (88.9%); only 4.9% used public transit and 6.2% used active modes. After multivariate adjustment, having transit stops within 10-15 minutes walking distance from home (p=0.05) and using worksite incentive for public transit (p<0.001) were associated with commuting by public transit. Commuting distance (p<0.001) was negatively associated with active commuting. Having free or low cost recreation facilities around the worksite (p=0.04) and using bike facilities to lock bikes at the worksite (p<0.001) were associated with active commuting.

CONCLUSION: Both environment features and worksite supports and policies are associated with the choice of commuting mode. Future studies should use longitudinal designs to investigate the potential of promoting alternative commuting modes through worksite efforts that support sustainable commuting behaviors as well as the potential of built environment improvements.

Increasing fruit and vegetable intake has no effect on retinal vessel caliber in adults at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Retinal vessel abnormalities are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. To date, there are no trials investigating the effect of dietary factors on the retinal microvasculature. This study examined the dose response effect of fruit and vegetable (FV) intake on retinal vessel caliber in overweight adults at high CVD risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Following a 4 week washout period, participants were randomized to consume either 2 or 4 or 7 portions of FV daily for 12 weeks. Retinal vessel caliber was measured at baseline and post-intervention. A total of 62 participants completed the study. Self-reported FV intake indicated good compliance with the intervention, with serum concentrations of zeaxanthin and lutein increasing significantly across the groups in a dose-dependent manner (P for trend < 0.05). There were no significant changes in body composition, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure or fasting blood lipid profiles in response to the FV intervention. Increasing age was a significant determinant of wider retinal venules (P = 0.004) whereas baseline systolic blood pressure was a significant determinant of narrower retinal arterioles (P = 0.03). Overall, there was no evidence of any short-term dose-response effect of FV intake on retinal vessel caliber (CRAE (P = 0.92) or CRVE (P = 0.42)).

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated no effect of increasing FV intake on retinal vessel caliber in overweight adults at high risk of developing primary CVD.

Supporting an ethnic minority woman's choice for pain relief in labour: a reflection

Despite professional expectations for midwives to provide care to women that is founded in equality and recognises diversity (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2015), women from ethnic minority populations consistently suggest that they are not heard (Briscoe and Lavender, 2009; Tobin et al, 2014). This article reflects upon a situation where a Portuguese woman with limited English speaking ability was denied access to epidural anaesthesia as the midwife felt that she could not give valid consent to the procedure without the presence of an interpreter. The midwife’s role within this situation will be reflected upon and implications for midwifery practice identified.

Assessing the evidence: Student response system versus computer based testing for undertaking multiple choice question assessment in undergraduate nursing education

There is a dearth of evidence focusing on student preferences for computer-based testing versus
testing via student response systems for summative assessment in undergraduate education.
This quantitative study compared the preference and acceptability of computer-based testing
and a student response system for completing multiple choice questions in undergraduate
nursing education. After using both computer-based testing and a student response system to
complete multiple choice questions, 192 first year undergraduate nursing students rated their
preferences and attitudes towards using computer-based testing and a student response system.
Results indicated that seventy four percent felt the student response system was easy to use.
Fifty six percent felt the student response system took more time than the computer-based testing
to become familiar with. Sixty Percent felt computer-based testing was more users friendly.
Seventy Percent of students would prefer to take a multiple choice question summative exam
via computer-based testing, although Fifty percent would be happy to take using student response
system. Results are useful for undergraduate educators in relation to student’s preference
for using computer-based testing or student response system to undertake a summative
multiple choice question exam

Evaluation of fruit and seed diversity and characterization of carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) cultivars in Algarve region

The genetic diversity of 15 carob ( Ceratonia siliqua L.) cultivars located in an experimental field from Algarve (Portugal) was evaluated over 7 years using 12 fruit and seed phenotypic characters, in order to characterize carob cultivars. The values of morphological traits obtained by cultiv ar were compared with those from other countries of the Mediterranean basin. Statistically significant differences were found between cultivars for al l characters which were examined, what indicates a high genetic diversity. The relationship among these characters was analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) resulting in the separation of these cultivars classed in four groups (clusters I–IV) and in four ungrouped cultivars. A three dimension of the model was found to be significant and explained 74.5% of the total variation, in which the first component accounting for 34.6% of the total variation is dominated by fruit characters, while the second component is dominated by seed characters. Cultivars plotted on the left-lower quadrant on the space determined by principal components 1 and 2 are characterized by fruits with high seed yield more appropriated for industrial rentability. The correlation analyses established by cultivar provided a specific understanding about the way how fruit and seed characteristics correlate within each cultivar. This approach can be useful for the development of a breeding programme, aiming to increase the seed yield, seed thickness, individual and total seed weight by fruit, characteristics that are determinant to improve the industrial exploitation of carob.

Effect of N-nutrition and irrigation on carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) fruit production

Carob is a traditional crop in Mediterranean areas. It exhibits drought resistance (Lo Gullo and Salleo 1988. Nunes et al. 1989) and tolerates different edaphic conditions (Martins-Loução and Brito de Carvalho 1990).

The effect of alginate-based edible coatings enriched with essential oils constituents on Arbutus unedo L. fresh fruit storage

The effect of coating Arbutus unedo fresh fruit with alginate-based edible coatings enriched with the essential oils compounds (EOC) eugenol (Eug) and citral (Cit) was studied. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against the main postharvest pathogens were determined for Eug and Cit giving values of 0.10 and 0.15 (w/v), respectively. Twelve formulations of edible coatings were used: sodium alginate (AL) was tested at 1 and 2% (w/v) with incorporation of Eug and Cit at MIC and double MIC or their combination at MIC. Arbutus berries were dipped in those solutions for 2 min, and then stored at 0.5 degrees C. Control consisted of uncoated fruit. On days 0, 14 and 28, samples were taken to perform physicochemical and biochemical analysis [color CIE (L*, h degrees), firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), weight Loss, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), microbial growth and taste panels]. Results showed that edible coatings of 1% AL were the best to maintain most quality attributes of the commodity through storage at 0.5 degrees C. The incorporation of Cit and Eug into the alginate edible coatings improved the coatings in most cases, AL 1% + Eug 0.20% and AL 1% + Cit 0.15% + Eug 0.10% being those that better preserved sensory and nutritional attributes and reduced microbial spoilage. Thus, these coatings may be useful for improving postharvest quality and storage life of fresh arbutus fruit. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conservation status of the endangered chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) in Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park : (Republic of Guinea-Bissau)

Tese de doutoramento, Biologia (Ecologia), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2014

Increasing school choice: sustainability paradox

The UK government wants school travel to be safer, healthier and more environmentally friendly-with more pupils walking and cycling. In addition in 2005, it published the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper. One of the key aims of the paper was to improve school choice for all pupils. This is to be achieved by giving more choice to disadvantaged children; and promoting fair admissions in order to give parents access to a wider range of schools. Allowing parents to look further than their local catchment area school is likely to result in greater numbers of children traveling longer distances. Therefore, as this paper illustrates, if school choice is really to be open to all, school transport must be included as part of the tool kit promoting choice and targeted at those who need it most.

The brain-sex theory of occupational choice: a counterexample

The brain-sex theory of occupational choice suggests that males and females in male-typical careers show a male pattern of cognitive ability in terms of better spatial than verbal performance on cognitive tests with the reverse pattern for females and males in female-typical careers, These differences are thought to result from patterns of cerebral functional lateralisation. This study Sought Such occupationally related effects using synonym generation (verbal ability) and mental rotation (spatial ability) tasks used previously. It also used entrants to these careers as participants to examine whether patterns of cognitive abilities might predate explicit training and practice. Using a population of entrants to sex-differentiated University Courses, a moderate occupational effect on the synonym generation task was found, along with a weak (p<.10) sex effect on the mental rotation task. Highest performance on the mental rotation task was by female Students in fashion design, a female-dominated occupation which makes substantial visuospatial demands and attracts many students with literacy problems such as dyslexia. This group then appears to be a counterexample to the brain-sex theory. However, methodological issues Surrounding previous Studies are highlighted: the simple synonym task appears to show limited discrimination of the sexes, leading to questions concerning the legitimacy of inferences about lateralisation based on scores from that test. Moreover, the human figure-based mental rotation task appears to tap the wrong aspect of visuospatial skill, likely to be needed for male-typical courses such as engineering, Since the fashion-clesign career is also one that attracts disproportionately many male students whose sexual orientation is homosexual, data were examined for evidence of female-typical patterns of cognitive performance among that subgroup. This was not found. This study therefore provides Do evidence for the claim that female-pattern cerebral functional lateralisation is likely in gay males.

Inflation targeting and the consistency of monetary policy decisions in Mexico: an empirical analysis with discrete choice models

This paper examines the nature of monetary policy decisions in Mexico using discrete choice models applied to the Central Bank's explicit monetary policy instrument. We find that monetary policy adjustments in Mexico have been strongly consistent with the CB's inflation targeting strategy. We also find evidence that monetary policy responds in a forward-looking manner to deviations of inflation from the target and that observed policy adjustments exhibit asymmetric features, with stronger responses to positive than to negative deviations of inflation from the target and a greater likelihood of policy persistence during periods when monetary policy is tightened, compared with periods when policy is loosened.