An investigation into the bioaccessibility of potassium in unprocessed fruits and vegetables

Epidemiological studies and clinical trials have consistently shown an inverse association between potassium intake and blood pressure. As a means of raising potassium intake within the UK population, an increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables is strongly advocated. The aim of this study was to determine the bioaccessibility of potassium in these foods. A 10-day crossover feeding trial was performed on 11 healthy volunteers. For 5 days a diet providing most of the potassium in the form of unprocessed fruits and vegetables was followed by a diet in which the potassium was believed to be almost wholly bioaccessible, being derived from animal foods and fruit juices. The potassium and sodium of the diets and the urine were determined by chemical analysis: 96.3% of the potassium in the ‘high bioaccessible diet’ was recovered in the urine, compared with 76.8% from the diet rich in fruits and vegetables. This difference is attributed to the cellular structure of plant foods. The relatively poor bioaccessibility of potassium diminishes the perceived nutritive value of these foods with regard to potassium intake.     

Increasing antioxidant intake from fruits and vegetables: practical strategies for the Scottish population

Background Increasing intakes of dietary antioxidants may help to reduce oxidative damage caused by free radicals and provide protection against the progression of a number of chronic diseases. The present study aimed to estimate the antioxidant intake from fruits and vegetables in the UK and Scottish population and to examine consumption models to identify potential strategies to optimize antioxidant intake from these foods. Methods This was a retrospective study of cross‐sectional data on fruit and vegetable intake in relation to antioxidant intake. Antioxidant capacity of individual fruits and vegetables was determined by the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay and data on quantity and frequency of consumption of fruits and vegetables determined from National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2000–2001. Results Mean antioxidant intake in UK population from fruits and vegetables varied by region. In the Scottish sample (n = 123), mean antioxidant intake was estimated at 680 ± 689 μmol day^?1 with 92% subjects consuming <400 g of fruits and vegetables per day. Consumption data showed that strawberries, apples, orange citrus fruits, purple broccoli and cauliflower were the top five sources of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables in the Scottish population. Conclusions Appropriate selection of fruits and vegetables would help to achieve a higher antioxidant intake with the potential to produce significant health benefits.     

Processes underlying young women''s decisions to eat fruits and vegetables

OBJECTIVE: To relate the use of identified processes that college women use to eat enough fruits and enough vegetables to their stages of readiness to change and their fruit and vegetable (F/V) intakes. METHOD: A cross-sectional assessment of college women 18-24 years of age (n = 236) was conducted to assess stage of readiness to eat F/V. Use of seven processes, earlier confirmed in a separate sample of college students the same age (health concerns, self-reevaluation, social liberation, health commitment/action, interpersonal control, external reinforcement and helping relationships) was compared with stage of change for F/V and 3 days of dietary intakes. RESULTS: In these young college women, use of self-reevaluation, a cognitive process for change, peaked in the preparation stage for both F/V. Use of health commitment/action, a post-action process including counter-conditioning, peaked in those in action/maintenance for F/V. Weight concerns related to the counter-conditioning processes women used to eat more fruit. CONCLUSION: Health practitioners should focus on weight management, appearance and health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables for this demographic group.     

Intervention effects of exercise self-regulation on physical exercise and eating fruits and vegetables: a longitudinal study in orthopedic and cardiac rehabilitation

Objective

The primary objective of this study was to unveil the mechanisms by which an exercise self-regulation intervention affects physical exercise in a rehabilitation context. The second aim was to investigate whether the intervention led to changes in fruit and vegetable intake that was not targeted in the intervention. Finally, it was tested whether changes in exercise habit strength may explain such a transfer effect.

Method

A quasi-experimental design was conducted in Germany between 2009 and 2011 with 725 rehabilitation patients. Patients received either a self-regulation intervention or an online questionnaire. Six weeks after discharge, self-reported changes in exercise and dietary behaviors, exercise habit strength, and cognitions were measured.

Quantitative results

The exercise self-regulation intervention led to a higher increment in exercise behavior, exercise habit strength, and fruit and vegetable intake than the control condition. Changes in physical exercise were mediated by changes in action control (slope = 0.04; 99% CI = 0.01 to 0.06) and satisfaction (slope = 0.05; 99% CI: = 0.02 to 0.08), but not in action planning. Changes in fruit and vegetable intake were mediated by changes in exercise habit strength (slope = 0.05; 99% CI = 0.01 to 0.08).

Conclusion

Interventions could be optimized if they aim at fostering exercise habits. This in turn may also facilitate transfer effects from one health behavior to the other.     

The protective role of fruits and vegetables against radiation-induced cancer

The role of fruits and vegetables in protecting against radiation-induced cancer and the positive evidence from epidemiology and ancillary investigations are discussed in this review. The recently reported Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivor studies provide strong evidence for the protective role of fruits and vegetables against radiation-induced cancer. The anticarcinogenic substances contained in, and the anticarcinogenic mechanisms proposed for, fruits and vegetables are reviewed. The anticarcinogenic effectiveness of fruits and vegetables are compared with that of dietary supplements. The reasons for the observed superiority of fruits and vegetables are advanced.     

Association between distance to nearest supermarket and provision of fruits and vegetables in English nurseries

With 796,500 places available for children in England, pre-school nurseries could serve as an important setting for population-wide dietary intervention. It is critical to understand the determinants of healthy food provision in this setting, which may include access to food stores. This study examined the association between objective, GIS-derived supermarket proximity and fruit and vegetable serving frequency, using data from 623 English nurseries. Overall, 116 (18%) nurseries served fruits and vegetables infrequently (<2–3 times/week), but provision differed by supermarket proximity. In adjusted multivariable regression models, nurseries farthest from their nearest supermarket (Q5, 1.7–19.8 km) had 2.38 (95% CI 1.01–5.63) greater odds of infrequent provision. Our results suggest that supermarket access may be important for nurseries in meeting fruit and vegetable provision guidelines. We advance a growing body of international literature, for the first time linking the food practices of institutions to their neighbourhood food retail context.     

Portion size selection of fruits and vegetables by 9- to 10-year-old children in Liverpool

BACKGROUND: It is important to promote the intake of fruit and vegetables but it is not clear how children interpret the term 'portion'. The aim of this study was to describe portion sizes of various fruits and vegetables selected by primary school children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study collected data on children's self-selected portions of fruits and vegetables. Forty-three boys and 52 girls aged 9-10 years attending after school food clubs in Liverpool took part. Children placed a 'portion' of each fruit and vegetable into an empty bowl which was weighed using digital scales accurate to 1 g. RESULTS: Mean portion sizes ranged from 126 g for satsumas to 61 g for peas but there were no significant differences between boys and girls. Portions of fruits were larger than portions of vegetables and although there were statistically significant correlations between the portion sizes selected by individual children they were not particularly strong. CONCLUSIONS: These children had all taken part in activities promoting '5-a-day' but their perception of 'a portion' varied enormously. It is recommended that children receive targeted activities to help them improve their understanding of what constitutes a 'portion'.     

冻干技术在果蔬中有机氯及多种拟除虫菊酯农药残留检测中的应用

目的：应用冻干技术建立果蔬中有机氯及多种拟除虫菊酯农药残留检测方法。方法：应用冻干技术去除果蔬中的水分,以丙酮-二氯甲烷（1：1）为提取溶剂,经CARB/NH2和Florisl固相萃取柱净化,用GC-ECD测定,峰面积定量。结果：10种农药加标回收率为80.8%-95.4%,相对标准偏差为1.8%-4.8%,最低检出浓度为0.001-0.005 mg/kg（当称样量为5.00 g时）。结论：冻干技术对检测结果影响较小,而且前处理过程中有机溶剂的用量大大减少了,操作简单,检测结果的重现性及方法回收率明显改善,该方法适合果蔬中1种有机氯及9种拟除虫菊酯类农药残留的同时检测,尤其适合大批量农残样品的检测。     

Hormonal contraception and the risks of STI acquisition: results of a feasibility study to plan a future randomized trial

BACKGROUND: Because of limitations in observational studies, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) would help clarify whether hormonal contraception increases the risks of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI). However, the feasibility of such a trial is uncertain. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a study to assess the feasibility of conducting a RCT that would compare the acquisition risk for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in women randomized to an intrauterine device (IUD) or depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). In our cross-sectional survey conducted at three clinics, we gave information on a potential RCT to clients, asked them questions to assess comprehensibility and finally asked respondents whether they would consider enrolling in such a trial. In addition, the 190 participants provided urine or endocervical swab specimens so we could estimate the prevalence of STIs. RESULTS: Overall, 70% of participants stated that they would take part in a future trial and accept randomization to either the IUD or DMPA. Participant understanding of the trial requirements was high. Twenty-nine percent of the participants were infected with either N. gonorrhoeae or C. trachomatis. CONCLUSION: With a high prevalence of STI in this population and the apparent willingness of appropriate candidates to participate, an RCT to measure risks of incident STI infection from hormonal contraception appears feasible.     

固相萃取-气相色谱法快速测定蔬果中23种有机磷农药残留

目的:建立蔬果中23种有机磷农药残留GC-FPD分析方法。方法:采乙腈均浆提取样品中的有机磷类农药,通过固相萃取仪提取净化,用FPD检测器进行检测。结果:23种有机磷农药在0.05μg/ml～2.0μg/ml范围内均有较好的线性相关系数均在0.99以上,检出限为0.2μg/L～10.0μg/L,23种有机磷农药回收率加标0.5 mg/kg时,为73.5%～99.5%之间,加标2.0 mg/kg时,为80.5%～102.4%之间,变异系数RSD,加标0.5 mg/kg时,为1.1%～4.6%之间,加标2.0 mg/kg时,为1.2%～5.1%之间。结论:此法简便,快速,净化效果好,回收率高,可同时测定水果、蔬菜中的多种有机磷农药残留。     

2008-2011年荆门市市售果蔬食品中农药残留情况

目的 为了解荆门市市售果蔬食品中农药残留的整体水平,对可能发生的污染事件进行预报和预警.方法 采用随机与定点抽样的方法采集荆门市2008-2011年市售果蔬222份测定其中农药的残留量,将检测结果与我国最大残留限量进行比较,从而对市售果蔬中农药的残留水平进行评价.结果 9类果蔬中农药残留量总的超标率为54.50％,其中水果类超标率最高,为80.00％.4类残留农药总的超标率为63.06％,其中有机磷类农药超标率为60.81％,氨基甲酸酯类农药超标率为2.25％,2种拟除虫菊酯类农药和1种有机氯类农药未超标.结论 该市市售果蔬中农药残留问题比较严峻,水果类污染最严重.果蔬中残留农药主要是有机磷农药.建议加强食品的监督管理,确保市民食用安全的食品.     

一种快速测定蔬菜水果中多种有机氯农药的简易新方法

〔目的〕建立了一个简单、快速的多种有机氯农药残留同时分析的新方法。〔方法〕采用一种新的样品前处理方法 -基质固相分散 (MatrixSolidPhaseDisperse ,MSPD)从蔬菜水果中提取、净化 2 0种常用有机氯农药残留。用GC/ECD分析检测 ,GC/MSD(SIM)进行确证。由于基质固相分散集提取、过滤、净化于一步完成 ,使得样品的预处理变得非常简单 ,避免了样品均化、转溶、乳化、浓缩造成的待测农药组分的损失 ,大大提高了方法的准确度和精密度。〔结果〕2 0种有机氯农药的回收率在 81.2 %～ 117.2 %之间 ,相对标准偏差小于 10 % ,完全能满足蔬菜水果中农药残留的分析要求。〔结论〕该方法适用于各种新鲜蔬菜水果样品的分析。     

Women of lower educational attainment have lower food involvement and eat less fruit and vegetables

Women who leave school with few or no educational qualifications are less likely to have diets that meet current recommendations than women who attain more qualifications at school. We hypothesise that lower 'food involvement', meaning that food has a lower level of importance in their lives, explains the poorer quality diets of women of lower educational attainment. We administered Bell and Marshall [(2003). The construct of food involvement in behavioral research: Scale development and validation. Appetite, 40, 235-244.] Food Involvement scale to 242 women of varied educational attainment, of whom 127 were also asked how often they ate fruit and vegetables. Women's food involvement decreased with decreasing educational attainment. Forty-two percent of women who had no educational qualifications were in the lowest quarter of the food involvement score, compared with 12% of women with degrees. Women with lower scores on the food involvement scale also reported eating fruit and vegetables less often. The odds of eating fewer fruit and vegetables rose with lower educational attainment and with lower food involvement scores, suggesting that each has an independent effect. We have shown that the Food Involvement scale discriminates between women, is associated with other characteristics and predicts dietary quality. We now plan to use it in a larger, representative population of women of lower educational attainment to examine its role along with other psychological variables in determining dietary quality.     

可行性研究及前期策划准备工作在医院改扩建中的作用

通过可行性研究和前期策划准备工作，可以使医院改扩建项目工作建立在科学、公正、经济、合理、客观、可持续发展轨道上，保证了医院改扩建工作符合国家政策和区域卫生规划的要求，从而使医院改扩建工作满足医疗市场、医疗体系的需求，符合医疗改革的需要，避免了医院改扩建项目的先天不足。     

Using machine learning to examine associations between the built environment and physical function: A feasibility study

Linking geospatial neighbourhood design characteristics to health and behavioural data from population-representative cohorts is limited by data availability and difficulty collecting information on environmental characteristics (e.g. greenery, building setbacks, dwelling structure). As an alternative, this study examined the feasibility of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) – machine learning – to measure neighbourhood design using ‘street view’ and aerial imagery to explore the relationship between the built environment and physical function. This study included 3102 adults aged 45 years and older clustered in 200 neighbourhoods in 2016 from the How Areas in Brisbane Influence Health and Activity (HABITAT) project in Brisbane, Australia. Exposure data were Google Street View and Google Maps images from within the 200 neighbourhoods, and outcome data were self-reported physical function using the PF-10 (a subset of the SF-36). Physical function scores were aggregated to the neighbourhood level, and the highest and lowest 20 neighbourhoods respectively were used in analysis. We found that the aerial imagery retrieved was unable to be used to adequately train the model, meaning that aerial imagery failed to produce meaningful results. Of the street view images, n = 56,330 images were downloaded and used to train the GAN model. Model outputs included augmented street view images between neighbourhoods classed as having high function and low function residents. The GAN model detected differences in neighbourhood design characteristics between neighbourhoods classed as high and low physical function at the aggregate level. Specifically, differences were identified in urban greenery (including tree heights) and dwelling structure (e.g. building height). This study provides important lessons for future work in this field, especially related to the uniqueness, diversity and amount of imagery required for successful applications of deep learning methods.     

PMA-实时荧光PCR快速检测蔬果中金黄色葡萄球菌活菌

目的 将叠氮溴化丙锭（PMA）与实时荧光定量PCR（real-time PCR）技术相结合,快速检测蔬果中金黄色葡萄球菌活菌。方法 通过对影响PMA作用的关键因素,包括PMA浓度、光照时间以及活、死菌比例混合等进行试验,确定PMA的作用条件。以金黄色葡萄球菌nuc基因为靶基因,建立PMA-实时荧光定量PCR方法,并构建金黄色葡萄球菌重组质粒标准品,用于检测蔬果中金黄色葡萄球菌活菌。结果 在PMA 30 μg/ml浓度下,曝光5 min,可实现PMA筛选金黄色葡萄球菌活菌的作用。由构建的质粒标准品模板建立标准曲线表现出良好线性关系,相关系数r = 0.9995,所建立的方法灵敏度可达到14 copies /μl,且特异性良好。经2 h增菌后用PMA进行筛选,再用荧光定量PCR检测,可实现快速对蔬果样品中活的金黄色葡萄球菌的检测。结论 用PMA-实时荧光定量PCR方法可快速检测蔬果中活的金黄色葡萄球菌,可为食品安全风险监测提供可靠数据。     

绵阳市蔬菜、水果和粮食中四种有机氯农药残留量调查

目的:了解绵阳市蔬菜、水果和粮食中四种有机氯农药残留量及其分布规律,为制定切实有效的预防控制措施提供科学依据。方法:从绵阳各类超市、农贸市场和农户购买蔬菜、水果和粮食样品,采用气相色谱法进行分析。结果:样品中六六六、滴滴涕、三氯杀螨醇和艾氏剂残留检出率分别为76.5%、63.5%、32.5%和14.0%,三氯杀螨醇和艾氏剂超标率分别为3.0%和0.5%,其他未超标。蔬菜、水果和粮食农残检出率无显著性差异(P>0.05)。四种农药的检出率有显著性差异(P<0.05)。三种不同来源样品农残超标率无显著性差异(P>0.05)。全年四个季度以第二季度的农残超标率最高,为5.9%。结论:绵阳市蔬菜、水果和粮食中四种有机氯农药残留检出率较高。     

Effect of fruits and vegetables on metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Evidence regarding the effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on metabolic syndrome remains inconclusive. Using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane, we searched for relevant studies published before 10 December 2013. Of the 383 articles identified, eight randomized controlled trials with 396 participants (205 in intervention groups and 191 in control groups) were included in the final analyses. Fruit and vegetable intake was associated with a reduction in diastolic blood pressure (standardized mean difference: ?0.29; 95% confidence interval: ?0.57 to ?0.02; p?=?0.04); however, such intake did not affect waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in metabolic syndrome patients. In a subgroup analysis, there were no statistically significant differences found according to the intervention period and provision type. Our results suggest an inverse association between fruit and vegetable consumption and diastolic blood pressure in metabolic syndrome patients.