Price survey comparison of alcoholic beverages with the five basic food groups in Paraiba, Brazil

The study of alcohol abuse is relatively new in Brazil. Government estimates suggest that 11.2% of the Brazilian population is alcohol dependent. Problems associated with alcohol dependence include domestic violence, increased risk of traffic accidents, poor self-esteem and weak academic performance. A factor known to correlate with alcohol abuse in 12-17 year olds is to have the money necessary to purchase alcoholic beverages. No data is available, however, on the price of alcoholic beverages. The objective of the present study was to provide data on price and to compare the price of alcoholic beverages to basic food items in the Brazilian diet. We also had interest in studying a population in the northeast region of Brazil. This region is the poorest in Brazil, has the highest percentage of alcohol dependency and is seldom the focus of research on dependency. We report that the prices of many alcoholic beverages are less than the price of basic food items. Prices of alcoholic beverages including beer, wine and spirits were compared to the prices of select food items as represented in the Food Pyramid. Food items were selected from the categories of Grain, Dairy, Fruit, Meat and Vegetable. Data was gathered from 32 supermarkets in 8 cities in the northeast state of Paraiba. The price of alcohol is generally less expensive than most basic food group items, especially brands of cachaca (a spirit distilled from sugar cane) and beer. Data on price should be considered in any alcohol dependency program in Brazil.Peer reviewedPsycholog

The Impacts of Reduced Access to Abortion and Family Planning Services: Evidence from Texas

Between 2011 and 2014, Texas enacted three pieces of legislation that significantly reduced funding for family planning services and increased restrictions on abortion clinic operations. Together this legislation creates cross-county variation in access to abortion and family planning services, which we leverage to understand the impact of family planning and abortion clinic access on abortions, births, and contraceptive purchases. In-state abortions fell 20% and births rose 3% in counties that no longer had an abortion provider within 50 miles. Births increased 1% and contraceptive purchases rose 8% in counties without a publicly-funded family planning clinic within 25 miles

Różnorodność grzybów zasiedlających obumarłe pąki kwiatostanowe różanecznika zawsze zielonego (Rhododendron L.)

The infection of rhododendron (Rhododendron L.) inflorescence buds caused by pathogenic fungi induces its browning, withering, and dieback. The identification of fungi causing the infection of rhododendron inflorescence buds can be a reason for creating new improved cultivars with genetically determined resistance to pathogens. The investigations were carried out in 2010–2011 on the collection of ornamental plants of the Faculty of Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Kraków. The material comprised infected inflorescence buds collected from nine newly bred taxa and one botanical species of rhododendron. 596 colonies of fungi belonging to 31 species were isolated from infected rhododendron inflorescence buds. The dominant species were: Pestalotiopsis sydowiana, Truncatella truncata, Alternaria alternata, Phialophora asteris, and Trichoderma viride, which constituted almost 74% of the isolated fungi population. Boeremia exigua var. exigua, Epicoccum nigrum, Fusarium poae, Mammaria echinobotryoides, Paraphoma chrysanthemicola, Phialophora cyclaminis, Phoma eupyrena, Talaromyces wortmannii, Umbelopsis isabellina, and other fungi were isolated in a lower number. The results of mycological analysis confirm the diversity of species colonizing necrotic inflorescence buds of rhododendron.Porażenie pąków kwiatostanowych różanecznika zawsze zielonego (Rhododendron L.) przez grzyby chorobotwórcze powoduje ich brunatnienie, zasychanie i obumieranie. Określenie sprawców porażenia pąków kwiatostanowych różanecznika może stanowić przyczynek do tworzenia nowych, ulepszonych odmian wykazujących genetycznie warunkowaną odporność na patogeny. Badania prowadzono w latach 2010–2011, w kolekcji roślin ozdobnych Wydziału Ogrodniczego Uniwersytetu Rolniczego w Krakowie. Materiał badawczy stanowiły porażone pąki kwiatostanowe pobrane z dziewięciu nowo wyhodowanych taksonów i jednego gatunku botanicznego różanecznika zawsze zielonego. Z porażonych wierzchołkowych pąków kwiatostanowych różanecznika wyizolowano 569 kolonii grzybów, należących do 31 gatunków. Wśród grzybów dominowały: Pestalotiopsis sydowiana, Truncatella truncata, Alternaria alternata, Phialophora asteris i Trichoderma viride, stanowiąc prawie 74% całości zbiorowiska wyodrębnionych grzybów. W mniejszej liczbie wyodrębniono: Boeremia exigua var. exigua, Epicoccum nigrum, Fusarium poae, Mammaria echinobotryoides, Paraphoma chrysanthemicola, Phialophora cyclaminis, Phoma eupyrena, Talaromyces wortmannii, Umbelopsis isabellina i inne. Wyniki analizy mykologicznej potwierdziły różnorodność gatunkową grzybów zasiedlających porażone, obumarłe pąki kwiatostanowe różanecznika zawsze zielonego

Różnorodność grzybów bytujących na liściach sadzonek różanecznika (Rhododendron L.)

Rhododendrons (Rhododendron L.) are shrubs whose attractiveness is determined by their multi-coloured flowers and evergreen leaves. Necroses visible on the leaves of rhododendron cuttings diminish the suitability of nursery material for marketing. These symptoms are most frequently caused by fungi. The investigations were conducted in 2010–2011 in an ornamental shrub nursery to identify fungi colonizing the phyllosphere of rhododendron cuttings and causing leaf necroses. The material for analysis consisted of leaves of 11 rhododendron cultivars. 550 leaves were collected from 110 half-yearold cuttings for mycological analysis. Over 350 fungal colonies belonging to 15 species were isolated from the leaves of rhododendron cuttings. The dominants included: Pestalotiopsis sydowiana, Trichoderma koningii and Alternaria alternata. The influents included: Aspergillus brasiliensis, Mucor hiemalis f. hiemalis, Epicoccum nigrum, Sordaria fimicola and Umbelopsis isabellina. A large majority of the fungi preferred the phyllosphere environment of Yakushima rhododendron (R. yakushimanum) cultivars ‘Sneezy’ and ‘Golden Torch’ as well as of the large-flowered cultivars ‘Flautando’, ‘Dominik’, and ‘Simona’. The phyllosphere of the large-flowered cultivars ‘Bernstein’, ‘Nova Zembla’, and ‘Goldbuckett’ was a reservoir for many fungal colonies and fungi species. The cultivars less susceptible to colonization by fungi and the most promising for planting in green areas and home gardens are the large-flowered cultivars ‘Bernstein’, ‘Nova Zembla’, ‘Goldbuckett’, ‘Rasputin’, and ‘Roseum Elegans’.Różaneczniki (Rhododendron L.) to krzewy, o których atrakcyjności decydują wielobarwne kwiaty oraz zimozielone liście. Na liściach sadzonek różaneczników widoczne są nekrozy obniżające przydatność materiału szkółkarskiego w obrocie handlowym. Symptomy te najczęściej wywoływane są przez grzyby. Celem badań prowadzonych w szkółce krzewów ozdobnych, w latach 2010–2011, była identyfikacja grzybów bytujących w fyllosferze sadzonek różanecznika i powodujących nekrozy liści. Materiał badawczy stanowiły liście 11 odmian różanecznika. Do analizy mykologicznej pobrano 550 liści ze 110 półrocznych sadzonek. Z liści sadzonek różanecznika z objawami nekroz, wyodrębniono ponad 350 kolonii grzybów należących do 15 gatunków. Do dominantów zaliczono: Pestalotiopsis sydowiana, Trichoderma koningii i Alternaria alternata. Do influentów zaklasyfikowano: Aspergillus brasiliensis, Mucor hiemalis f. hiemalis, Epicoccum nigrum, Sordaria fimicola i Umbelopsis isabellina. Grzyby w dużej przewadze liczebnej preferowały środowisko fyllosfery odmian różanecznika jakuszimańskiego ‘Sneezy’ i ‘Golden Torch’ oraz różanecznika wielkokwiatowego: ‘Flautando’, ‘Dominik’ i ‘Simona’. Środowisko fyllosfery odmian wielkokwiatowych: ‘Bernstein’, ‘Nova Zembla’ i ‘Goldbuckett’ było rezerwuarem dla niewielu kolonii i gatunków grzybów. Odmianami mało podatnymi na zasiedlenie przez grzyby i najlepiej rokującymi do nasadzeń w terenach zieleni i ogrodach przydomowych są odmiany wielkokwiatowe: ‘Bernstein’, ‘Nova Zembla’, ‘Goldbuckett’, ‘Rasputin’ i ‘Roseum Elegans’