A new measure of health motivation influencing food choices and its association with food intakes and nutritional biomarkers in European adolescents

Objective:To develop a scale to assess health motivation influencing food choices and to explore its performance in the associations with food intakes and nutritional biomarkers. Design:Psychometric study using cross-sectional self-report questionnaires and nutritional biomarkers. Setting:Multi-centre investigation conducted in ten European cities. Participants:2954 adolescents who were included in the HELENA study and completed the Food Choices and Preferences (FCP) questionnaire. Results:Nineteen out of 124 items of the FCP questionnaire were in the same dimension. Sixteen presented adequate parameters for the Scale of evaluatiOn of Food choIcEs (SOFIE). The scores were positively associated with the intakes of cereals, dairy products, meats and eggs, and fish, as well as with blood concentrations of vitamin C, ß-carotene, n-3 fatty acids, cobalamin, holo-transcobalamin and folate; scores were negatively associated with the intake of alcohol. Conclusions:SOFIE can improve the assessment of motivation influencing food choices based on items with the best performance and is proposed as a new measure to health-related studies

Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora

Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution

Effect of fertilization with fluid swine slurry on production and nutritive value of Tifton 85 Efeito da fertilização com esterco líquido de suínos sobre a produção e o valor nutritivo do capim-tifton 85

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different doses of liquid swine slurry on dry matter accumulation rate and nutritive values (crude proten and neutral detergent fiber) of Tifton 85 grass pasture cultivated in southwestern Paraná from October 2005 to March 2006. It was used a complete random experimental design in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme composed of four doses of swine slurry in the plots (0, 80, 160 and 320 m³/ha) and four consecutive cuts in the subplots of the pasture. It was carried out two applications, one in the beginning of the experiment and other after 80 days. Cuts were performed every time pasture height was 40 cm. There was a dose versus cut interaction for all variables. Swine slurry promoted increase on dry matter accumulation rate only on the first cut after its application (cuts 1 and 3). Dry matter maximal yield (24.2 t/ha) was obtained at 249 m³/ha of swine slurry manure (143 and 106 m³/ha, respectively for applications 1 and 2), corresponding to 450 kg of N/ha. Percentage of crude protein increases and neutral detergent fiber of Tifton 85 grass decreases as dose of swine slurry increases, improving forage nutritive value. Use efficiency and nitrogen recovery rate decrease with addition of swine slurry doses.<br>Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de diferentes doses de dejeto líquido de suínos sobre a taxa de acúmulo de matéria seca e o valor nutritivo (proteína bruta e fibra em detergente neutro) de uma pastagem de capim-tifton 85 cultivada na região sudoeste do Paraná no período de outubro de 2005 a março de 2006. Utilizou-se delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso em esquema fatorial de 4 x 4, composto por quatro doses de dejetos líquidos de suínos nas parcelas (0, 80, 160 e 320 m³/ha) e quatro cortes consecutivos nas subparcelas da pastagem. Foram realizadas duas aplicações, uma no início do experimento e outra 80 dias após. Os cortes foram realizados sempre que a altura da pastagem atingisse 40 cm. Houve interação dose versus corte para todas as variáveis. Os dejetos promoveram aumento na taxa de acúmulo de matéria seca somente no primeiro corte após sua aplicação (cortes 1 e 3). O rendimento máximo de matéria seca (24,2 t/ha) foi obtido na dose de 249 m³/ha de dejetos (143 e 106 m³/ha, respectivamente, para as aplicações 1 e 2), correspondentes a 450 kg/ha de nitrogênio. O percentual de proteína bruta aumenta e o de fibra em detergente neutro do capim-tifton 85 diminui com o aumento da dose de dejetos, melhorando o valor nutritivo da forragem. A eficiência de utilização e a taxa de recuperação do nitrogênio diminuem com o incremento da dose de dejetos líquido de suínos