Prevention of overweight and obesity in a Norwegian public health care context: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Greater understanding about the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity in preschool children within public health care is needed. This study assessed the impact of The First Steps module in routine primary health care including mapping of height/weight and diet followed by parental counselling of healthy habits on overweight and obesity in children aged 2 to 7 years. Further, we explored the experiences of public health nurses (PHNs) with the module. METHODS: Body weight and height obtained in 2014 and 2016 were extracted retrospectively for 676 children from the health records of children at 2, 4, or 6 years of age in five child health centers in Southern Norway. Sex- and age-adjusted body mass index (BMI) z-scores and weight status classifications were calculated according to the International Obesity Task Force reference values. Impact was assessed as change in mean BMI z-scores for children with under-, normal-, and overweight, respectively, and as proportion of children with overweight and obesity. In focus groups, PHNs described their experiences with the practical application of the module. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. RESULTS: Mean BMI z-scores decreased from 2014 to 2016 in overweight children (- 0.26) and increased in children with under- (0.63) and normal weight (0.06), whereas the proportion of children with overweight and obesity was stable. PHNs believed that the module provides them with new tools that are useful for addressing the intricacies of childhood obesity. They described counseling sessions with families as "moving upstream in a river" and that overweight and obesity may be one of many complex challenges for these families. CONCLUSIONS: Mean BMI z-score decreased in children with overweight during the 2 years after initiation of The First Steps module. PHNs considered the module as useful for addressing children's overweight and obesity, which was perceived as one of several complex challenges for most of these families. Specialist and evidence-based support is needed to address overweight and obesity in children in primary care. Further research should focus on integrating the issues relating to overweight and obesity within other family problems.

AtPIP5K1, an Arabidopsis thaliana phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase, synthesizes PtdIns(3,4)P(2) and PtdIns(4,5)P(2) in vitro and is inhibited by phosphorylation.

PtdIns phosphate kinases (PIPkins), which generate PtdInsP(2) isomers, have been classified into three subfamilies that differ in their substrate specificities. We demonstrate here that the previously identified AtPIP5K1 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana encodes a PIPkin with dual substrate specificity in vitro, capable of phosphorylating PtdIns3P and PtdIns4P to PtdIns(3,4)P(2) and PtdIns(4,5)P(2) respectively. We also show that recombinant AtPIP5K1 is phosphorylated by protein kinase A and a soluble protein kinase from A. thaliana. Phosphorylation of AtPIP5K1 by protein kinase A is accompanied by a 40% inhibition of its catalytic activity. Full activity is recovered by treating phosphorylated AtPIP5K1 with alkaline phosphatase.

Salinity and hyperosmotic stress induce rapid increases in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, diacylglycerol pyrophosphate, and phosphatidylcholine in Arabidopsis thaliana cells.

In animal cells, phosphoinositides are key components of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate/diacylglycerol-based signaling pathway, but also have many other cellular functions. These lipids are also believed to fulfill similar functions in plant cells, although many details concerning the components of a plant phosphoinositide system, and their regulation are still missing. Only recently have the different phosphoinositide isomers been unambiguously identified in plant cells. Another problem that hinders the study of the function of phosphoinositides and their derivatives, as well as the regulation of their metabolism, in plant cells is the need for a homogenous, easily obtainable material, from which the extraction and purification of phospholipids is relatively easy and quantitatively reproducible. We present here a thorough characterization of the phospholipids purified from [(32)P]orthophosphate- and myo-[2-(3)H]inositol-radiolabeled Arabidopsis thaliana suspension-cultured cells. We then show that NaCl treatment induces dramatic increases in the levels of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and diacylglycerol pyrophosphate and also affects the turnover of phosphatidylcholine. The increase in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate was also observed with a non-ionic hyperosmotic shock. In contrast, the increase in diacylglycerol pyrophosphate and the turnover of phosphatidylcholine were relatively specific to salt treatments as only minor changes in the metabolism of these two phospholipids were detected when the cells were treated with sorbitol instead of NaCl.

Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase associated with spinach plasma membranes. Isolation and characterization of two distinct forms

Highly purified plasma membranes from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves contained phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) kinase activity that was firmly associated with the membrane. The enzyme was solubilized by detergent treatment (2% [w/v] Triton X-100) and purified by heparin-Sepharose and Q-Sepharose chromatography. Two enzymically active fractions, QI and QII, both exhibiting PtdIns 4-kinase activity, were resolved and purified 100- to 300-fold over the plasma membrane. QI and QII shared similar high apparent K(m) values for ATP (approximately 0.45 mM) and PtdIns (approximately 0.2 mM) and were insensitive to inhibition by adenosine. While Mg(2+) was the preferred divalent cation, Mn(2+) could partly substitute in the reaction catalyzed by the QII enzyme but not in that catalyzed by QI. Mn(2+) acted synergistically with suboptimal Mg(2+) concentrations to activate not only the QII enzyme, but also to some extent QI. Both enzymes were inhibited by millimolar concentrations of Ca(2+) and micromolar concentrations of wortmannin. The apparent molecular mass for QI was 120 kD, which was determined by SDS-PAGE and western blotting using an antibody against a peptide unique for lipid kinases and the binding of (3)H-wortmannin, and for QII 65 kD as determined by immunodetection and renaturation of PtdIns kinase activity in the 65-kD region of polyacrylamide gels.

[Utilization of anti-infective agents in pediatric departments in health region 2]. / Forbruk av antiinfeksiøse legemidler ved barneavdelingene i helseregion 2.

Children are often treated with antiinfective drugs, both in and out of hospital, but few studies of antiinfective drug use in paediatric departments have been published. We have analysed the dispensing of antiinfective drugs from hospital pharmacies to all eight paediatric departments in south-eastern Norway (Health region 2) during the years 1990-95. The total consumption of antiinfective drugs, measured by the number of defined daily doses (DDD), did not increase during the study period, though the total costs for such drugs increased by 48% for all eight departments. In 1995 the antiinfective drug use varied between 15 and 30 defined daily doses per 100 bed days. The total use of cephalosporins increased significantly. For vancomycin, antifungal drugs and antiviral agents, both consumption and cost increased in several departments. Knowledge of the total use of antiinfective drugs may be important when evaluating treatment regimens, especially with regard to microbial resistance.

A comparison of the binding characteristics of the beta-adrenoceptor antagonists 3H-dihydroalprenolol and 125I-iodocyanopindolol in rat liver.

The binding characteristics of 3H-dihydroalprenolol and 125I-iodocyanopindolol have been compared in a particulate fraction from regenerating rat liver. When total 3H-dihydroalprenolol binding and inhibition of total 3H-dihydroalprenolol binding by (-)isoprenaline, (-)alprenolol and (+/-)cyanopindolol was investigated, it was found that all agents were bound to two classes of saturable binding sites. In the inhibition studies, the presence of two binding components was not obvious until the data were transformed into Hofstee plots and these were decomposed, except in the case of (+/-)cyanopindolol. Only (+/-)cyanopindolol was found to distinguish clearly between the two saturable binding sites identified by 3H-dihydroalprenolol, as indicated by a broad plateau in the inhibition curve. When 125I-iodocyanopindolol was used as radioligand, only one saturable binding site was identified, even in the presence of less selective inhibiting ligands. The lower affinity component of 3H-dihydroalprenolol binding could be inhibited by 10 microM phentolamine. However, binding experiments with 3H-prazosin indicated that the lower affinity component was not identical with the alpha-adrenoceptor. Phentolamine did not influence 125I-iodocyanopindolol binding. Thus, due to its higher specific activity and a high degree of selectivity, 125I-iodocyanopindolol appears to be the ligand of choice.