Diet quality on days without breakfast or lunch - Identifying targets to improve adolescents' diet.

Dietary intake in adolescents does often not align with the recommended dietary guidelines. Excess intakes of added sugar and saturated fat, and insufficient vegetable intake are among the identified challenges, which can affect future health negatively. Identifying targets to improve dietary practices is therefore essential. The current study aimed to examine the prevalence of meal skipping and if meal skipping days had a different diet quality than other days, using data from a recent Norwegian dietary survey in adolescents (n = 689, age 12-14 years). Their dietary intake was recorded for four days, using a web-based record system. Differences between days with, and without, breakfast or lunch were explored using mixed effect models, adjusting for correlated data and covariates, including weekday-weekend effect. In total, 8% and 11% were days without breakfast and lunch, respectively. Days with breakfast or lunch were associated with higher intake of fibre, and higher odds of consuming fruits and berries, juice and smoothie, than days without breakfast or lunch. Weekdays with lunch were also associated with lower intakes of added sugar and total fat (in % of energy), and discretionary foods, compared to weekdays without lunch. Skipping breakfast and lunch was associated with reduced diet quality in adolescents. Targeting these meals, and in particular school lunch, is a potential way forward to improve adolescents' dietary intake.

Physiological changes in pigs exposed to a blast wave from a detonating high-explosive charge.

The aim of this project was to study respiration, circulation, and brain activity in pigs during and after a blast wave exposure. Ten anesthetized pigs were used. Seven were exposed to blast and three were controls. Physiological parameters of respiration and circulation as well as cortical activity were followed from 30 minutes before until 120 minutes after the real or simulated blast. There were no significant changes in heart rhythm, cardiac output, arterial oxygen or carbon dioxide tension, blood pH, or mixed venous saturation during the experiment. The blast exposure caused intestinal injuries but no lung damage. A transient flattening of the electroencephalogram was seen immediately after the blast in four experimental animals, in contrast to the unchanged baseline electroencephalogram of the control animals. This momentary depression of cortical activity accompanied by short-lasting apnea indicates a blast wave-induced effect on the brainstem or higher controlling center.

Preparation and purification of an end to end coupled mEGF-dextran conjugate.

The amino terminus of mouse epidermal growth factor (mEGF) was coupled directly to the aldehyde end of dextran through a reductive amination procedure. The highest coupling efficiency was approximately 80% and could be reached after approximately 24 h of reaction time at pH 8. Gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 Fine removed free mEGF from the conjugate. Preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to separate the conjugate from excess noncharged dextran. The conjugate bound specifically to the EGF receptor on cultured glioma cells as shown in displacement tests with free mEGF. The conjugate was stable in the pH interval 4-9, in 2 M sodium chloride, in 7 M urea, and in human serum and could still bind to the EGF receptor after such treatments. The conjugates are candidates for targeted nuclide therapy.

Isolation and characterization of catalase from Penicillium chrysogenum.

Catalase from a crude preparation of Penicillium chrysogenum was isolated in a single chromatographic step by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) on Cu(II)-Chelating Sepharose Fast Flow. A chromatographically and electrophoretically homogeneous enzyme was obtained in 89% yield. IMAC was found to be superior to ion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, size-exclusion and concanavalin A affinity chromatography. Analytical and preparative chromatography gave essentially the same chromatograms. Isoelectric point, molecular weight (by ultracentrifugation), amino acid composition, carbohydrate content and subunit organization were determined. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant, KM, and the azide competitor constant, Ki, were calculated and found to be 59 microM and 6.1 microM, respectively.

Model studies on iron(III) ion affinity chromatography. II. Interaction of immobilized iron(III) ions with phosphorylated amino acids, peptides and proteins.

The chromatographic behaviour of phosphoamino acids, phosphopeptides and phosphoproteins and their non-phosphorylated counterparts was studied on Fe(III)-Chelating Sepharose and Fe(III)-Chelating Superose. The phosphorylated compounds, in contrast to their non-phosphorylated or dephosphorylated counterparts, adsorb to immobilized iron(III) ions at pH 5.5 and can be desorbed by an increase in pH. Phosphoamino acids were eluted at pH 6.5-6.7, whereas monophosphopeptides and phosphoprotamine eluted in the pH range 6.9-7.5. Molecules possessing clusters(s) of carboxylic groups are weakly retained (gamma-carboxyglutamic acid, Ala-Ser-Glu5) or bound (polyglutamic acid, beta-casein) to the immobilized iron(III) ions at pH 5.5. Dephosphorylated beta-casein was desorbed at pH 7.0, whereas for elution of native (non-dephosphorylated) beta-casein, phosphate buffer of pH 7.7 was required. The homopolymer of polyglutamic acid was desorbed in the pH range 6.0-6.3, whereas copolymers of glutamic acid and tyrosine require pH 7.0-7.3 or even phosphate buffer at pH 7.7 for elution.