Perceptions of New Zealand nutrition labels by Māori, Pacific and low-income shoppers

BACKGROUND: In New Zealand the burden of nutrition-related disease is greatest among Māori, Pacific and low-income peoples. Nutrition labels have the potential to promote healthy food choices and eating behaviours. To date, there has been a noticeable lack of research among indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and low-income populations regarding their perceptions, use and understanding of nutrition labels. Our aim was to evaluate perceptions of New Zealand nutrition labels by Māori, Pacific and low-income peoples and to explore improvements or alternatives to current labelling systems. METHODS: Māori, Samoan and Tongan researchers recruited participants who were regular food shoppers. Six focus groups were conducted which involved 158 people in total: one Māori group, one Samoan, one Tongan, and three low-income groups. RESULTS: Māori, Pacific and low-income New Zealanders rarely use nutrition labels to assist them with their food purchases for a number of reasons, including lack of time to read labels, lack of understanding, shopping habits and relative absence of simple nutrition labels on the low-cost foods they purchase. CONCLUSIONS: Current New Zealand nutrition labels are not meeting the needs of those who need them most. Possible improvements include targeted social marketing and education campaigns, increasing the number of low-cost foods with voluntary nutrition labels, a reduction in the price of 'healthy' food, and consideration of an alternative mandatory nutrition labelling system that uses simple imagery like traffic lights.     

Testing nutrient profile models using data from a survey of nutrition professionals

OBJECTIVE: To compare nutrient profile models with a standard ranking of 120 foods. DESIGN: Over 700 nutrition professionals were asked to categorise 120 foods into one of six positions on the basis of their healthiness. These categorisations were used to produce a standard ranking of the 120 foods. The standard ranking was compared with the results of applying eight different nutrient profile models to the 120 foods: Models SSCg3d and WXYfm developed for the UK Food Standards Agency, the Nutritious Food Index, the Ratio of Recommended to Restricted nutrients, the Naturally Nutrient Rich score, the Australian Heart Foundation's Tick scheme, the American Heart Association's heart-check mark and the Netherlands tripartite classification model for foods. Rank correlation was assessed for continuous models, and dependence was assessed for categorical models. RESULTS: The continuous models each showed good correlation with the standard ranking (Spearman's rho = 0.6-0.8). The categorical models achieved high chi(2) results, indicating a high level of dependence between the nutrition professionals' and the models' categorisations (P < 0.001). Models SSCg3d and WXYfm achieved higher scores than the other models, implying a greater agreement with the standard ranking of foods. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that Models SSCg3d and WXYfm rank and categorise foods in accordance with the views of nutrition professionals.     

The origin of Guideline Daily Amounts and the Food Standards Agency's guidance on what counts as 'a lot' and 'a little'

OBJECTIVE: This paper provides the rationale for the Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) for fat, saturated fat and other nutrients that appear on food labels in the UK. These GDAs are provided voluntarily by manufacturers and retailers and were developed to help people make better use of nutrition labelling--the format of which is prescribed by the European Union's nutrition labelling directive. The paper also describes the basis to some Rules of Thumb for what counts as 'a lot' or 'a little' of fat, saturated fat and other nutrients, in an individual food. DESIGN: The paper gives the background to, and purpose of, the GDAs and Rules of Thumb and explains how they were calculated. It briefly describes their subsequent usage by food producers and others. RESULTS: Both GDAs and the Rules of Thumb first appeared in a leaflet developed by the authors and published in 1996 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. GDAs for fat, saturated fat and energy were adopted subsequently by the Institute of Grocery Distribution and then by many retailers and some manufacturers. The Rules of Thumb for fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium have recently been republished in some leaflets published by the Food Standards Agency in the UK. CONCLUSIONS: GDAs and Rules of Thumb may provide useful ways of helping consumers make sense of nutrition labelling. The current GDAs and the Rules of Thumb could usefully be updated in the light of recent developments.     

植物营养与肥料学科的现状与展望

经过了一百多年科学家的辛勤工作,植物营养和肥料学科已经形成了自己完整的科学体系,在农业生产中发挥了巨大作用。目前的植物营养与肥料学科正在向定量化投入营养物质的方向发展,在考察宏观效应的同时充分注意考察微观机理,把各营养元素之间的交互作用作为研究的热点,并正与环境科学、生态科学在交叉,向植物遗传学渗透和扩展而形成新的学科。加强植物营养物质的循环和再利用,提高营养物质的利用效率,提高作物本身吸收利用养分的能力,发展保肥增效的新型肥料将是今后植物营养与肥料科学的研究重点。市场经济促进了新型肥料的出现和生产,也产生了形形色色的模糊概念,影响了植物营养与肥料科学的正常发展。这些模糊概念表现在,过低地估计了化学肥料的作用,过高地估计了化肥的污染效应;把农作物产品质量的降低归罪于化学肥料的施用;歪曲了肥料概念,造成了商品混乱。澄清这些模糊概念,有助于植物营养与肥料学科的发展,也有利于农业生产的发展。     

水土保持综合措施对红壤坡地养分流失作用过程研究

为了研究红壤坡地养分流失规律,通过江西省水土保持生态科技园2006～2007年野外试验,分析了3种生态措施、3种典型降雨红壤坡地N、P流失过程。结果表明:不同降雨类型下采取生态措施能对整个径流过程中的总氮和总磷浓度起到明显的控制作用,且各处理径流中氮和磷的流失主要集中在径流初期,后期均匀稳定。养分流失均以侵蚀泥沙携带养分流失为主,但随着降雨的减小,泥沙携带养分流失量占养分总流失量的比例会降低。各处理侵蚀泥沙均有养分富集现象,而且随着降雨的减小而增大。     

Use of Food Label Information by Trinidad Consumers and Implications for National Health

Nutritional information on food labels helps consumers make informed decisions about what they chose to consume. This study, conducted among 320 consumers in Trinidad, West Indies, examined consumers' use of various informational components of the label and the influence of health-related factors on use of such information. The study found that, although there was a fairly high reading of food label information, fats and sodium information were not given the required attention. Six variables—(a) diabetes; (b) allergies; (c) gender; (d) level of schooling; (e) fast food consumption; and (f) fiber consumption—significantly impacted the use of food label information.     

基于作物营养当量修正产量比系数法的农用地质量分等

产量比系数是农用地分等中的基础参数,由于不同地区产量比系数确定的基础不同,分等结果无法达到全国可比。为提高农用地分等结果的全国可比性,该文依据供给人体所需能量和营养的蛋白质、脂肪、碳水化合物、矿物质、维生素等营养素在不同作物间可比这一特点,选取20种营养素指标和9种标准耕作制度规定作物,构建营养当量修正法,通过计算不同作物"营养当量"来修正产量比系数,并选取北方以小麦为基准作物的河北省曲周县土地整治项目区和南方以水稻为基准作物的江苏省宜兴市丁蜀镇作为案例进行实证,对比通过营养当量修正法和最高产量比法计算产量比系数所得出的农用地自然等的差异。研究结果显示,曲周县土地整治项目区自然等指数区间由2 060～2 896上升为2 516～3 580,等别序列由11～15等上升为13～18等;丁蜀镇自然等指数由区间由2 460～2 918下降为2 013～2 393,等别序列由13～15等下降为11～12等,2个研究区间的农用地自然等别差异扩大。该文可以为相关研究提供参考,为完善农用地质量分等体系提供借鉴。     

Management of forests under nutrient and water stress

Management of forest nutrition through fertilization and other forestry practices has, undoubtedly, helped to increase the productivity of forests. Relatively little attention has been given to the potential for manipulating available water, although water relations of trees have been studied extensively. It is being increasingly recognized that, for fast-growing tree species, availability of water and its interaction with nutrients have overriding influences on growth, with major implications for the development of cost effective management practices to increase yield. For example, it has been argued that leaf area development is primarily controlled by available water and that in turn, determines the response to nutrient management. Crucial questions which need to be examined inlude:At the process level, how does the interplay between water and nutrients influence nutrient dynamics in forests? How do trees and associated vegetation interact with respect to the use of water and nutrients? How does water and nutrient availability influence leaf area development, assimilation and in particular assimilate partitioning? Does improved nutrition influence water use efficiency? An urgent need for the study of nutrition of trees under water stress also arises from the many problems encountered in reforesting arid and degraded land. This paper is an overview of these issues, emphasizing the mechanisms and processes that underly the response of trees and stands to manipulations of water and nutrient availability.     

Management of forests under nutrient and water stress

Management of forest nutrition through fertilization and other forestry practices has, undoubtedly, helped to increase the productivity of forests. Relatively little attention has been given to the potential for manipulating available water, although water relations of trees have been studied extensively. It is being increasingly recognized that, for fast-growing tree species, availability of water and its interaction with nutrients have overriding influences on growth, with major implications for the development of cost effective management practices to increase yield. For example, it has been argued that leaf area development is primarily controlled by available water and that in turn, determines the response to nutrient management. Crucial questions which need to be examined inlude: At the process level, how does the interplay between water and nutrients influence nutrient dynamics in forests? How do trees and associated vegetation interact with respect to the use of water and nutrients? How does water and nutrient availability influence leaf area development, assimilation and in particular assimilate partitioning? Does improved nutrition influence water use efficiency? An urgent need for the study of nutrition of trees under water stress also arises from the many problems encountered in reforesting arid and degraded land. This paper is an overview of these issues, emphasizing the mechanisms and processes that underly the response of trees and stands to manipulations of water and nutrient availability.     

外源营养物对菌丝体生物质材料的生长研究及其性能表征

为优化菌丝体生物质材料配方和成品性能,该研究以菌丝生长速率为评价指标,首先通过单因素试验筛选出较佳外源营养物。再利用Plackett-Burman试验确定了影响平菇菌丝生长的主要因素为葡萄糖、酵母粉和KH2PO4,通过最陡爬坡试验和Box-Behnken响应面分析对添加物进行分析,得到较佳外源营养物组合为：质量分数为4.7%葡萄糖、1%酵母粉和0.3%磷酸二氢钾。最后比较了未添加和添加外源营养物制得的菌丝体材料结构与性能,结果表明：与未添加组相比,添加外源营养物制得的菌丝体材料,其菌丝粗壮且相对致密,菌丝直径增加了460 nm;复合材料压缩强度为114 kPa,较未添加对照组提升了43.7%,说明外源营养物的添加促进了平菇菌丝的生长,提高了菌丝体材料的强度和回弹性。研究结果为菌丝体生物质材料的制备及其性能优化提供参考。     

作物营养从有机肥到化肥的变化与反思

二十世纪前，农业生产主要靠施用有机肥为作物提供营养，维持地力不衰，这一时期一般称为“有机营养”阶段。之后，化肥逐渐取代有机肥，成为作物养分的主要来源，农业生产进入以化肥养分供应为主的“无机营养”阶段。化肥的连续大量施用在作物增产方面发挥了巨大作用，也带来了不少问题，以致近年来出现了怀疑或否定农业生产中施用化肥的思潮。为此，本文回顾了植物营养学科的发展历程和我国化肥使用的历史，指出仅靠施用有机肥、种植豆科作物等传统的营养作物的方式难以满足农业生产对养分的需求，化肥与有机肥配合施用是我国农业发展的正确道路。目前生产中，化肥施用存在不合理和过量问题，有机肥施用方面，主要是集约化养殖业与种植业的不合理布局，存在种养分离，难以农业利用等养分管理问题。同时解决这两个问题，除采取已有的合理施肥技术及方法外，还应改变从植物营养角度只重视氮磷钾等无机养分的供应，拓宽为重视碳、氮、磷及钾等不同元素间的时空平衡关系；以农业生态系统养分资源高效循环利用为核心，采取不同方式实现有机–无机营养的结合，应避免陷入有机与无机营养的争论；从生物地球化学循环角度看待养分利用与管理问题，关注养分在田块、流域及区域尺度的流向及对土壤、水体及大气的影响；将科技与政策等有效结合，提高养分利用效率，减少养分损失，保障我国农业的健康持续发展。     

冬小麦在固原试区的生态适应性

通过分析影响作物生产的四大生态因子:光、热、水、肥的供需状况,探讨了在冬春小麦混交区的黄土高原西部种植冬小麦的可行性与不利因素.作者认为:冬小麦在此区光照是适宜的,热量比较适宜.水分不足、肥力缺乏严重影响了冬小麦产量.并提出了发展冬小麦的措施:1、选择和培育抗旱、抗寒品种;2、采取适时早播和保温保水措施;3、增磷补氮、培肥地力.     

New concepts on soil fertility and plant nutrition as illustrated by research on forest trees and stands

The interrelationships and use of a series of general concepts in modelling plant nutrition and growth are exemplified with laboratory and field experiments with steady state nutrition and growth mainly of forest tree species. It follows from mathematical derivations that in order to maintain a constant nutrient concentration in the plant, the relative uptake rate, R_U, and therefore the relative addition rate, R_A, must equal the relative growth rate, R_G. A concept corresponding to R_A has been introduced to specify the rate of nutrient supply under field conditions, the nutrient flux density, D_n. The ability of the plant to take up the nutrients made available is expressed in the concept of utilization capacity, U_n. The experimental results suggest that plant nutrient requirements can be defined by two variables: complete nutrient proportions in plant and fertilizer and rate of application of fertilizer to support current growth.

Experiments with tree seedlings grown with different R_A's resulted in very stable internal nutrient concentrations. The nutrition/growth relationships were in good agreement with theory but very different from traditional textbook principles; the value of R_G, up to a maximum, followed very closely the value of R_A, independent of the external concentrations of nutrients, and the growth rate was proportional to the amount of nutrient in the plant. The proportionality parameter expresses the nutrient productivity, P_n, a concept which has been found to be widely useful. From these relationships it follows that growth does not show a diminishing return with an increased nutrient supply, as indicated by the Mitscherlich curve, and that optimum nutrient status is identified as a discrete value rather than as a concentration range.

The production increase in the forest field trials was very large and far exceeded expected potentials. There are indications that the use of repeated, small fertilizations may result in increased soil fertility for a long period of time.     

Validation of a diet history questionnaire for use with Costa Rican adults

OBJECTIVE: To validate a diet history questionnaire (DHQ) using a weighed food record (WFR) as the standard method in the estimation of food consumption and nutrient intake in a group of adults. DESIGN: WFR: all foods consumed by subjects during 7 consecutive days were weighed and recorded by nutrition students. Two DHQ interviews were carried out on days 1 (first diet history questionnaire, DHQ1) and 28 (second diet history questionnaire, DHQ2). SETTING: Costa Rica. SUBJECTS: Sixty adults: 30 men and 30 women; 30 living in urban and 30 in rural areas. RESULTS: In comparison to the WFR, the DHQ1 gave statistically significant higher estimates of the mean intake of 19 nutrients for men and of three nutrients for women. The uncorrected correlation coefficients for nutrient intake according to both methods ranged from 0.40 to 0.83 for males and from 0.22 to 0.62 for females. Percentage of subjects classified in the same quartiles of nutrient intake according to each method ranged from 33.3% to 63.3% for males and from 23.3% to 53.3% for females. Misclassification in extreme quartiles ranged from 0% to 13.3% for both sexes. The mean food group consumption, according to the DHQ1, when compared with the WFR, gave statistically significant differences for three of the 18 food groups for men and for two groups in the case of women. The two applications of the DHQ gave similar results. CONCLUSION: Validation of a DHQ using a WFR as the standard method gave results that compare favourably with those reported by other authors. This study found important differences in the response of men and women to the DHQ: among men, the estimates of mean nutrient intake from DHQ1 were significantly greater than those of the WFR, while in the case of women, the mean nutrient intake estimates from both methods were not significantly different. There was a higher degree of correlation between the DHQ1 and the WFR mean nutrient intakes among men than among women. The DHQ showed good reproducibility.     

丛枝菌根(AM)真菌与共生植物物质交换研究进展

丛枝菌根(Arbuscular Mycorrhizal,AM)真菌能与约 80% 的陆生植物形成共生关系,植、 菌间矿质养分、 碳水化合物的物质交换是自然界物质循环的重要内容。目前,AM 真菌促进共生植物矿质养分吸收的研究相对较多。研究表明, AM 真菌可通过根外菌丝更小的吸收直径,加强矿质养分的空间有效性; 通过释放有机酸、 土壤酶,活化土壤中被固定的矿质养分; 通过根外菌丝上较低 Km 值的矿质养分转运蛋白,保证养分从土壤至根外菌丝的转运效率; 通过矿质养分在菌丝内运输形式的改变,增强养分的运输速率; 通过诱导共生植物矿质养分转运蛋白表达,提高植、 菌间养分的转运效率。相较于 AM 真菌促进共生植物养分吸收,植物反馈真菌碳水化合物的研究相对较少。鉴于 AM 真菌与植物共生关系在生态系统中的重要作用,明晰植、 菌间矿质养分和碳水化合物交换的具体场所(丛枝、 根内菌丝、 根外菌丝)、 具体形式(离子、 聚合物、 氨基酸、 蔗糖、 单糖)、 具体过程(主动运输)具有重要科学意义。本文对 AM 真菌与共生植物物质交换的丛枝、 菌丝双膜结构,氮(N)、 磷(P)、 糖等物质交换的具体形式以及跨双膜、 耗能量、 互耦连的物质交换过程进行综述,并从物质交换的场所、 形式、 过程三个方面提出了植、 菌物质交换的研究方向。     

不同砧木对富士苹果矿质元素含量和品质指标的影响

砧木作为果树的重要组成部分,不仅影响树体对矿质营养元素的吸收、 运转和利用,而且对地上部树体的生长发育和果实品质形成具有重要的调控作用。本文以富士苹果为试材,研究了不同砧木与苹果叶营养元素、 果实矿质营养和品质指标间的关系。结果表明, 砧木类型影响苹果叶片对矿质元素的吸收,矮化砧苹果叶片的P、 K、 Ca和Cu含量均高于乔化砧,分别比乔化砧高20.00%、 13.50%、 9.09% 和 32.72%;但其他矿质元素含量均低于乔化砧。除Ca和B元素外,矮化砧苹果果实的N、 P、 K、 Mg、 Fe、 Mn和Cu含量均高于乔化砧,分别比乔化砧高39.46%、 46.30%、 19.13%、 9.68%、 32.41%、 18.96% 和 68.31%。与乔化砧相比,矮化砧富士苹果具有较高的单果重、 可溶性固形物和可滴定酸含量,分别比乔化砧高5.53%、 5.25% 和 6.82%。相关分析表明,苹果叶片大量元素 N、 P、 K和Ca与果实部分营养元素间存在显著的相关性,其中叶片K和果实N的相关系数高达0.9001;而叶片微量元素Fe、 Mn、 Zn和B与果实矿质元素间均不存在显著的相关性。另外,富士苹果果实的Ca含量仅为叶片Ca含量的1.58％,是所测矿质元素中相对含量最低的,这可能是套袋苹果易发生苦痘病的原因所在。     

放牧对荒漠草原土壤微生物的影响及其季节动态研究

研究了内蒙古荒漠草原不同放牧强度下土壤中微生物数量和养分含量的变化及其季节动态变化。结果表明,草原土壤中各类群微生物数量关系是细菌>自生固氮菌>放线菌>真菌,垂直分布为0~10 cm>10~20 cm土层;土壤微生物和养分含量随季节变化有着明显的变化,但各类群变化规律并不完全相同;与围栏相比,土壤中微生物总数量、细菌、真菌、放线菌和养分含量在轻牧区增加,重牧区降低。自生固氮菌数量在放牧区均增加。     

Reproducibility of a short semi-quantitative food group questionnaire and its performance in estimating nutrient intake compared with a 7-day diet diary in the Million Women Study

OBJECTIVES: To assess the short- and long-term reproducibility of a short food group questionnaire, and to compare its performance for estimating nutrient intakes in comparison with a 7-day diet diary. DESIGN: Participants for the reproducibility study completed the food group questionnaire at two time points, up to 2 years apart. Participants for the performance study completed both the food group questionnaire and a 7-day diet diary a few months apart. Reproducibility was assessed by kappa statistics and percentage change between the two questionnaires; performance was assessed by kappa statistics, rank correlations and percentages of participants classified into the same and opposite thirds of intake. SETTING: A random sample of participants in the Million Women Study, a population-based prospective study in the UK. SUBJECTS: In total, 12 221 women aged 50-64 years. RESULTS: In the reproducibility study, 75% of the food group items showed at least moderate agreement for all four time-point comparisons. Items showing fair agreement or worse tended to be those where few respondents reported eating them more than once a week, those consumed in small amounts and those relating to types of fat consumed. Compared with the diet diary, the food group questionnaire showed consistently reasonable performance for the nutrients carbohydrate, saturated fat, cholesterol, total sugars, alcohol, fibre, calcium, riboflavin, folate and vitamin C. CONCLUSIONS: The short food group questionnaire used in this study has been shown to be reproducible over time and to perform reasonably well for the assessment of a number of dietary nutrients.     

怀来盆地不同土地利用方式对土壤质量的影响分析

基于对河北省怀来县官厅水库南北两岸8种主要土地利用类型的土壤养分、pH值和土壤容重等的分析,讨论了不同土地利用方式对土壤质量的影响,并评价了不同土地利用方式下的土壤退化程度。结果表明:怀来县官厅水库北岸的防护林地,由于合理的土地利用管理与保护措施,土壤容重最低,土壤养分含量高于其它几种土地利用方式;而由坡耕地撂荒后演替而来的草地,由于当地干旱寒冷多风的气候环境,土壤的母质条件以及缺乏有效的恢复措施等原因引起土壤质量继续退化;在长期不合理的土地管理措施影响下位于水库南岸的防护林地及葡萄园、果园、玉米地等土壤也发生较严重退化,表现为土壤容重、pH值显著增加,大部分土壤养分显著降低。土壤退化指数的计算结果也表明草地及南岸的玉米地、葡萄园的土壤发生了较严重的退化。在对数据进行处理分析过程中发现,土壤有机质、有机碳与全氮之间存在显著正相关关系。