I eat the manofê so it is not forgotten : Local perceptions and consumption of native wild edible plants from seasonal dry forests in Brazil

Background: There is little information available on the factors influencing people's selection of wild plants for consumption. Studies suggest a suitable method of understanding the selection of edible plants is to assess people's perceptions of these resources. The use and knowledge of wild resources is disappearing, as is the opportunity to use them. This study analyzes people's perceptions of native wild edible plants in a rural Caatinga (seasonal dry forest) community in Northeast Brazil and the relationships between the use of these resources and socioeconomic factors.Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 39 people were conducted to form a convenience sample to gather information regarding people's perceptions of 12 native wild edible plant species. The relationships between variables were assessed by simple linear regression analysis, Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses, and in the case of nominal variables, contingency tables. The discourse of participants regarding their opinions of the use of wild plants as food was analyzed through the collective subject discourse analysis technique.Results: Perceptions were classified into 18 categories. The most cited category was organoleptic characteristics of the edible part more specifically, flavor. Flavor was the main positive perception associated with plant use, whereas the negative perception that most limited the use of these plants was cultural acceptance. Perceptions of the use of wild edible plants were directly correlated with both interviewee age and income.Conclusion: Within the studied community, people's perceptions of native wild edible plants are related to their consumption. Moreover, the study found that young people have less interest in these resources. These findings suggest that changing perceptions may affect the conservation of plants, traditional practices and the associated knowledge. © 2014 Cruz et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Modificação na frequência alimentar de crianças e adolescentes: acompanhamento em serviço de referência

PURPOSE: to identify changes in the food intake patterns among overweight children and teenagers, treated at a reference medical centre. METHOD: the method used is that of a cohort study, between April 2010 and April 2011. A total of 109 children and teenagers, either obese or overweight, took part in the study. The population was divided into two subgroups depending on the permanence period (more than 6 months, and less than 6 months off the treatment). The chi-square test and logistic regression were carried out. RESULTS: the group which had been longer off the treatment tended to consume more soft drinks, pasta and fried foods, and less fruit and vegetables. The group with less time showed an improvement, with a reduction of consumption of soft drinks and other goodies. There was confirmation of an increased risk for consumption of soft drinks, pasta and goodies in general, as also detachment from the treatment in adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: The group with a longer period of monitoring has had a positive change in food intake frequency. The main contribution made by this study is that of showing that multiprofissional treatment, including some nursing care, is efficient in progressively changing the food intake of children and adolescents who are overweight.OBJETIVO: identificar modificaciones en la frecuencia alimenticia de niños y adolescentes con exceso de peso, tratadas en un servicio de referencia. MÉTODO: estudio de cohorte, realizado entre abril de 2010 y abril de 2011; participaron 109 niños y adolescentes obesos o con sobrepeso; la población fue dividida en dos grupos de acuerdo con el tiempo de permanencia en el tratamiento (>;6 meses yOBJETIVO: identificar modificações na frequência alimentar de crianças e adolescentes com excesso de peso, tratadas em um serviço de referência. MÉTODO: estudo de coorte, realizado entre abril/2010 e abril/2011. Participaram 109 crianças e adolescentes obesos ou com sobrepeso. A população foi dividida em dois grupos, de acordo com o tempo de permanência (>;6 meses

Assistência de enfermagem na puericultura: Acantose nigricans como marcador de risco metabólico

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the association between the presence of Acantose nigricans and metabolic changes in overweight adolescents, so as to ascertain the relevance of the identification of this marker in the nursing consultation. METHOD: a cross-sectional study undertaken between April 2009 and April 2010 with 118 adolescents who were service users of the Center for Child Obesity in Campina Grande in the Brazilian State of Paraíba (PB). The presence of Acantose nigricans, and the subjects' anthropometric measurements, were investigated. The following exams were made: insulin, triglycerides, HDL-Cholesterol, Glucose and the homeostatic model of assessment (HOMA-IR). RESULTS: there was association between the presence of Acantose nigricans and participants with insulin resistance (p=0.008), metabolic syndrome (p=0.031), elevated triglycerides (p=0.045) and altered HDL (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: the suggestion is supported that the detection/identification of Acantose nigricans may be used in the nursing consultation as a tool for identifying overweight adolescents with greater risk of metabolic changes.OBJETIVO: analizar la asociación entre la presencia de Acantose nigricans y alteraciones metabólicas en adolescentes con exceso de peso, a fin de verificar la relevancia de la identificación de este marcador en la consulta de enfermería. MÉTODO: estudio transversal realizado entre abril/2009 y abril/2010, con 118 adolescentes, usuarios del Centro de Obesidad Infantil de Campina Grande/PB. Fueron investigadas la presencia de Acantose nigricans y las medidas antropométricas en los sujetos. Fueron aplicados los test: insulina, triglicéridos, HDL-Colesterol, Glucosa y homeostático modelo de evaluación (HOMA-IR). RESULTADOS: fue encontrada asociación entre la presencia de Acantose nigricans y participantes con resistencia en contra de la insulina (p=0,008), síndrome metabólica (p=0,031), triglicéridos elevados (p=0,045) y HDL alterado (p=0,002). CONCLUSIONES: se subraya la sugestión de que la detección/identificación de la Acantose nigricans podrá ser utilizada en la consulta de enfermería como herramienta para la identificación de adolescentes con exceso de peso con mayor riesgo de alteración metabólica.OBJETIVO: analisar a associação entre a presença de Acantose nigricans e alterações metabólicas em adolescentes com excesso de peso, a fim de verificar a relevância da identificação desse marcador na consulta de enfermagem. MÉTODO: estudo transversal, realizado entre abril/2009 e abril/2010, com 118 adolescentes, usuários do Centro de Obesidade Infantil de Campina Grande, Paraíba. Investigaram-se a presença de Acantose nigricans e as medidas antropométricas nos sujeitos. Foram realizados os exames: insulina, triglicerídeos, HDL-Colesterol, glicose e homeostático modelo de avaliação. RESULTADOS: houve associação entre a presença de Acantose nigricans e participantes com resistência insulínica (p=0,008), síndrome metabólica (p=0,031), triglicerídeo elevado (p=0,045) e HDL alterado (p=0,002). CONCLUSÕES: reforça-se a sugestão de que a detecção/identificação da Acantose nigricans pode vir a ser utilizada na consulta de enfermagem como ferramenta para a identificação de adolescentes com excesso de peso com maior risco de alteração metabólica

Power-dependent effective reflection of fiber Bragg grating as output coupler of Ytterbium-doped fiber laser

In this paper, we discuss the effective reflection of a fiber Bragg grating and its dependence on laser power when it is used as an output coupler of an ytterbium-doped fiber laser (here the effective reflection is considered to be a part of intracavity laser power reflected by the grating back to the laser cavity). We propose and discuss an experimental technique based on spectral and power analysis and derive simple formulae that permits one to obtain the intra-cavity power and the grating effective reflection. We show that, due to spectral broadening, the effective reflection dramatically decreases with increasing laser power, the effect precisely fitted using the derived formulae describing this quantity. The experimental part of the present study is based on an analysis of the operational regime of a long-wavelength ytterbium-doped fiber laser