Meals described as healthy or unhealthy match public health education in England

Dietary guidelines for the general public aim to lower the incidence of nutrition-related diseases by influencing habitual food choices. Yet little is known about how well the guidelines are matched by the actual practices that people regard as healthy or unhealthy. In the present study, British residents were asked in a cognitive interview to write a description of an occasion when either they ate in an unhealthy way or the eating was healthy. The reported foods and drinks, as well as sort of occasion, location, people present and time of day, were categorised by verbal and semantic similarities. The number of mentions of terms in each category was then contrasted between groups in exact probability tests. Perceived unhealthy and healthy eating occasions differed reliably in the sorts of foods and the contexts reported. There was also full agreement with the national guidelines on eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, eating small amounts of foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar, drinking plenty of water, and cutting down on alcohol. There was a tendency to regard choices of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods as healthy. Reported healthy and unhealthy eating did not differ in incidences of meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein or of dairy foods and milk. These results indicate that operationally clear recommendations by health professionals are well understood in this culture but members of the public do not make clear distinctions in the case of foods that can be included in moderate amounts in a healthy diet

Past and recent effects of livestock activity on the genetic diversity and population structure of native guanaco populations of arid patagonia

Extensive livestock production and urbanization entail modifications of natural landscapes, including installation of fences, development of agriculture, urbanization of natural areas, and construction of roads and infrastructure that, together, impact native fauna. Here, we evaluate the diversity and genetic structure of endemic guanacos (Lama guanicoe) of the Monte and Patagonian Steppe of central Argentina, which have been reduced and displaced by sheep ranching and other impacts of human activities. Analyses of genetic variation of microsatellite loci and d-loop revealed high levels of genetic variation and latitudinal segregation of mitochondrial haplotypes. There were indications of at least two historical populations in the Monte and the Patagonian Steppe based on shared haplotypes and shared demographic history among localities. Currently, guanacos are structured into three groups that were probably reconnected relatively recently, possibly facilitated by a reduction of sheep and livestock in recent decades and a recovery of the guanaco populations. These results provide evidence of the genetic effects of livestock activity and urbanization on wild herbivore populations, which were possibly exacerbated by an arid environment with limited productive areas. The results highlight the importance of enacting conservation management plans to ensure the persistence of ancestral and ecologically functional populations of guanacos.Fil: Mesas, Andrés. Universidad del Bio Bio; ChileFil: Baldi, Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales; Argentina. South American Camelids Specialist Group; Chile. Wildlife Conservation Society; ArgentinaFil: González, Benito A.. South American Camelids Specialist Group; Chile. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Burgi, Maria Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales; Argentina. South American Camelids Specialist Group; Chile. Wildlife Conservation Society; ArgentinaFil: Chávez, Alexandra. Universidad del Bio Bio; ChileFil: Johnson, Warren E.. Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Marín, Juan C.. Universidad del Bio Bio; Chil

Diseño y desarrollo de una aplicación de escritorio como soporte para la toma de decisiones de zonas de control en la asignación de las ayudas agrarias

El control de las ayudas agrarias es imprescindible dentro del contexto normativo de la agricultura europea. Los procesos de control que realizan las administraciones públicas se basan, en gran medida, en visitas de campo a zonas concretas que varían anualmente en función de factores definidos para cada campaña. Esta metodología origina una movilización importante de personal y equipos que redunda en altos costes económicos y temporales, lo que implica que las zonas elegidas para el control sean las más óptimas posibles para rentabilizar al máximo el trabajo. Esta necesidad de optimización pone de manifiesto la necesidad de automatizar la selección de las zonas, tal que los criterios que intervengan en el proceso sean valorados de forma objetiva e imparcial atendiendo a parámetros que aparecen regulados en la normativa vigente. Este marco planteado es idóneo para el desarrollo y empleo de un SIG que permita de manera automática, sistemática y objetiva la selección de dichas zonas mediante una evaluación multicriterio. El objetivo de este trabajo es el desarrollo de una aplicación de escritorio adaptada a unas necesidades particulares, empleando librerías de código libre para determinar las zonas de control mediante una evaluación multicriterio.The control of agricultural aid is essential in the context of European agricultural policy. The control processes carried out by the government are based on field visits to specific areas, such areas change annually depending on factors for each campaign. This methodology results in a significant mobilization of personnel and equipement causing high economic costs and time, which means that the areas chosen for the control must be the most optimal possible to maximize the job. The need for optimization emphasizes the need to automate the selection of areas, such that the criteria involved in the process must be evaluated objectively and impartially on the basis of parameters present in the regulations. The framework proposed is suitable for the development and use of a GIS to automatically enable, the systematic and objective selection of these areas through a multi-criteria evaluation. The aim of this study is to develop a desktop application adapted to some particular needs, using open source libraries to identify areas of control via a multicriteria evaluation

Control de campo de ayudas agrarias basado en telefonía móvil

Hoy día, la mayoría de los datos que se manejan llevan asociados una componente geográfica. Bajo este contexto asistimos a un acercamiento de tecnologías empleadas por usuarios expertos hacia usuarios genéricos. En este marco se plantea la integración de las nuevas tecnologías en el control de las ayudas agrarias. Actualmente, los procesos de control de ayudas agrarias se basan fundamentalmente en visitas de campo con objeto de certificar el uso del suelo. Esta metodología de control origina una movilización importante de personal y equipos, empleando simultáneamente dispositivos como cámara fotográfica, tablet-PC, GPS, etc. El objetivo de este proyecto ha sido el desarrollo de una aplicación para telefonía móvil aprovechando los distintos sensores que se encuentran integrados en él, utilizando terminales que añaden nuevas funcionalidades, asegurando la integridad de la información, mejorando su correcta interpretación así como estableciendo diferentes canales de difusión. El proyecto se ha desarrollado bajo Android, empleando librerías de código abierto y de ejecución independiente al fabricante del dispositivo telefónico. El resultado es un software que integra información de diferentes sensores, presentando el terminal móvil apto para los trabajos de control de campo, reduciendo el material a emplear y mejorando la integridad de la información.Today, most data we use is associated with a geographic component. In this context we are witnessing a convergence in technologies used by expert users to generic users. In this framework we look at the integration of new technologies in the control of agricultural aid. Currently, control processes agricultural subsidies are fundamentally based on field visits in order to certify the land use. This control methodology results in a significant mobilization of personnel and equipment, using devices like a camera, tablet PC, GPS, etc. The objective of this project has been to develop a mobile application taking advantage of the different sensors that are integrated into it, using terminals that add new functionality, ensuring data integrity, improving its correct interpretation as well as establishing different channels diffusion. The project has been developed under Android, using open source libraries independent to the device manufacturer. The result is software that integrates information from different sensors, introducing the mobile terminal suitable for the work of field control, reducing the material to be used and improved data integrity

J-shaped relationship between habitual coffee consumption and 10-year (2002–2012) cardiovascular disease incidence:the ATTICA study

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the association between coffee consumption and 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence in the ATTICA study, and whether this is modified by the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) at baseline. Methods: During 2001–2002, 3042 healthy adults (1514 men and 1528 women) living in the greater area of Athens were voluntarily recruited to the ATTICA study. In 2011–2012, the 10-year follow-up was performed in 2583 participants (15% of the participants were lost to follow-up). Coffee consumption was assessed by a validated food-frequency questionnaire at baseline (abstention, low, moderate, heavy). Incidence of fatal or non-fatal CVD event was recorded using WHO-ICD-10 criteria and MetS was defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment panel III (revised) criteria. Results: Overall, after controlling for potential CVD risk factors, the multivariate analysis revealed a J-shaped association between daily coffee drinking and the risk for a first CVD event in a 10-year period. Particularly, the odds ratio for low (250 ml/day), compared to abstention, were 0.44 (95% CI 0.29–0.68), 0.49 (95% CI 0.27–0.92) and 2.48 (95% CI 1.56–1.93), respectively. This inverse association was also verified among participants without MetS at baseline, but not among participants with the MetS. Conclusions: These data support the protective effect of drinking moderate quantities of coffee (equivalent to approximately 1–2 cups daily) against CVD incidents. This protective effect was only significant for participants without MetS at baseline

Standardized postnatal management of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia in Europe: The CDH EURO Consortium Consensus - 2015 Update

In 2010, the congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) EURO Consortium published a standardized neonatal treatment protocol. Five years later, the number of participating centers has been raised from 13 to 22. In this article the relevant literature is updated, and consensus has been reached between the members of the CDH EURO Consortium. Key updated recommendations are: (1) planned delivery after a gestational age of 39 weeks in a high-volume tertiary center; (2) neuromuscular blocking agents to be avoided during initial treatment in the delivery room; (3) adapt treatment to reach a preductal saturation of between 80 and 95% and postductal saturation >70%; (4) target PaCO2 to be between 50 and 70 mm Hg; (5) conventional mechanical ventilation to be the optimal initial ventilation strategy, and (6) intravenous sildenafil to be considered in CDH patients with severe pulmonary hypertension. This article represents the current opinion of all consortium members in Europe for the optimal neonatal treatment of CDH

Curing of Plasmid pXO1 from Bacillus anthracis Using Plasmid Incompatibility

The large plasmid pXO1 encoding the anthrax toxin is important for the virulence of Bacillus anthracis. It is essential to cure pXO1 from B. anthracis to evaluate its role in the pathogenesis of anthrax infection. Because conventional methods for curing plasmids (e.g., curing agents or growth at elevated temperatures) can induce mutations in the host chromosomal DNA, we developed a specific and reliable method to eliminate pXO1 from B. anthracis using plasmid incompatibility. Three putative replication origins of pXO1 were inserted into a temperature-sensitive plasmid to generate three incompatible plasmids. One of the three plasmids successfully eliminated the large plasmid pXO1 from B. anthracis vaccine strain A16R and wild type strain A16. These findings provided additional information about the replication/partitioning of pXO1 and demonstrated that introducing a small incompatible plasmid can generate plasmid-cured strains of B. anthracis without inducing spontaneous mutations in the host chromosome

Understanding the risk and protective factors associated with obesity amongst Libyan adults - a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: There are a range of multifaceted behavioural and societal factors that combine to contribute to the causes of obesity. However, it is not yet known how particularly countries' cultural norms are contributing to the global obesity epidemic. Despite obesity reaching epidemic proportions in Libya, since the discovery of oil in 1959, there is a lack of information about obesity in Libyan adults. This study sought to explore the views of key informants about the risk and protective factors associated with obesity among Libyan men and women. METHODS: A series of qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with Libyan healthcare professionals and community leaders. RESULTS: Eleven main themes (risk and protective factors) were identified, specifically: socio-demographic and biological factors, socioeconomic status, unhealthy eating behaviours, knowledge about obesity, social-cultural influences, Libya's healthcare facilities, physical activity and the effect of the neighbourhood environment, sedentary behaviour, Libyan food-subsidy policy, and suggestions for preventing and controlling obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Key recommendations are that an electronic health information system needs to be implemented and awareness about obesity and its causes and consequences needs to be raised among the public in order to dispel the many myths and misconceptions held by Libyans about obesity. The current political instability within Libya is contributing to a less-active lifestyle for the population due to security concerns and the impact of curfews. Our findings have implications for Libyan health policy and highlight the urgent need for action towards mitigating against the obesity epidemic in Libya