The pack size effect:influence on consumer perceptions of portion sizes

Larger portions as well as larger packs can lead to larger prospective consumption estimates, larger servings and increased consumption, described as 'portion-size effects' and 'pack size effects'. Although related, the effects of pack sizes on portion estimates have received less attention. While it is not possible to generalize consumer behaviour across cultures, external cues taken from pack size may affect us all. We thus examined whether pack sizes influence portion size estimates across cultures, leading to a general 'pack size effect'. We compared portion size estimates based on digital presentations of different product pack sizes of solid and liquid products. The study with 13,177 participants across six European countries consisted of three parts. Parts 1 and 2 asked participants to indicate the number of portions present in a combined photographic and text-based description of different pack sizes. The estimated portion size was calculated as the quotient of the content weight or volume of the food presented and the number of stated portions. In Part 3, participants stated the number of food items that make up a portion when presented with packs of food containing either a small or a large number of items. The estimated portion size was calculated as the item weight times the item number. For all three parts and across all countries, we found that participants' portion estimates were based on larger portions for larger packs compared to smaller packs (Part 1 and 2) as well as more items to make up a portion (Part 3); hence, portions were stated to be larger in all cases. Considering that the larger estimated portions are likely to be consumed, there are implications for energy intake and weight status

The human gut microbe <i>Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron</i> encodes the founding member of a novel glycosaminoglycan-degrading polysaccharide lyase family PL29

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and GAG-degrading enzymes have wide-ranging applications in the medical and biotechnological industries. The former are also an important nutrient source for select species of the human gut microbiota (HGM), a key player in host-microbial interactions. How GAGs are metabolized by the HGM is therefore of interest and has been extensively investigated in the model human gut microbe Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. The presence of yet uncharacterized GAG-inducible genes in its genome and that of related species however, is testament to our incomplete understanding of this process. Nevertheless, it presents a potential opportunity for the discovery of additional GAG-degrading enzymes. Here, we investigated a gene of unknown function (BT_3328) from the chondroitin sulfate (CS) utilization locus of B. thetaiotaomicron. NMR and UV spectroscopic assays revealed that it encodes a novel polysaccharide lyase (PL), hereafter referred to as BtCDH, reflecting its source (B. thetaiotaomicron or Bt) and ability to degrade the GAGs CS, dermatan sulfate (DS) and hyaluronic acid (HA). When incubated with HA, BtCDH generated a series of unsaturated HA sugars including Δ4,5UA-GlcNAc, Δ4,5UA-GlcNAc-GlcA-GlcNac, Δ4,5UA-[GlcNAc-GlcA]2-GlcNac and Δ4,5UA-[GlcNAc-GlcA]3-GlcNac) as end products and hence was classed as endo-acting. A combination of genetic and biochemical assays revealed that BtCDH localizes to the cell surface of B. thetaiotaomicron where it enables extracellular GAG degradation. BtCDH homologues were also detected in several other HGM species and we therefore propose that it represents the founding member of a new polysaccharide lyase family (PL29). The current discovery also contributes new insights into CS metabolism by the HGM

The impact of diet during adolescence on the neonatal health of offspring:evidence on the importance of preconception diet. The HUNT study

Emerging evidence suggests that parents’ nutritional status before and at the time of conception influences the lifelong physical and mental health of their child. Yet little is known about the relationship between diet in adolescence and the health of the next generation at birth. This study examined data from Norwegian cohorts to assess the relationship between dietary patterns in adolescence and neonatal outcomes. Data from adolescents who participated in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (Young-HUNT) were merged with birth data for their offspring through the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Young-HUNT1 collected data from 8980 adolescents between 1995 and 1997. Linear regression was used to assess associations between adolescents’ diet and later neonatal outcomes of their offspring adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Analyses were replicated with data from the Young-HUNT3 cohort (dietary data collected from 2006 to 2008) and combined with Young-HUNT1 for pooled analyses. In Young-HUNT1, there was evidence of associations between dietary choices, meal patterns, and neonatal outcomes, these were similar in the pooled analyses but were attenuated to the point of nonsignificance in the smaller Young-HUNT3 cohort. Overall, energy-dense food products were associated with a small detrimental impact on some neonatal outcomes, whereas healthier food choices appeared protective. Our study suggests that there are causal links between consumption of healthy and unhealthy food and meal patterns in adolescence with neonatal outcomes for offspring some years later. The effects seen are small and will require even larger studies with more state-of-the-art dietary assessment to estimate these robustly

Enhancing encapsulation of hydrophobic phyto-drugs naringenin and baicalein in polymeric nano-micelles

Pluronic micelles hold great potential to act as hydrophobic drug delivery carriers; however, there is a pressing need to optimize their use in commercial formulations. This is the first report that describes the loading of phyto-drugs naringenin (NAR) and baicalein (BAC) in different Pluronics F108, F127 and P84 using solvent evaporation method (S.Ev.M) and Direct dissolution method (D.D.M.). Pluronic P84 micelles were able to encapsulate significantly higher amount of both phyto-drugs as compared to other Pluronic micelles. S.Ev.M appreciably enhanced the encapsulation of NAR (19.2 ± 0.438 mg/mL) and BAC (2.593 ± 0.223 mg/mL) compared to D.D.M. (NAR, 10.95 ± 0.212 mg/mL, and BAC, 1.058 ± 0.049 mg/mL) in 5% w/v and 12% w/v Pluronic P84, respectively. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) results showed a spherical morphology after the incorporation of NAR into Pluronic micelles and evidenced that S.Ev.M did not affect the morphology. Sustained release behavior of phyto-drugs was observed from the loaded Pluronic micelles, which was conformed via in vitro release studies. Finally, antioxidant activity was analyzed by ABTS•+ (2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) scavenging assays, with both NAR and BAC loaded P84 micelles (IC50 7.185 and 28.90 μg/mL) showcasing a marked increase in antioxidant properties compared to the pure phyto-drugs NAR and BAC (IC50 13.25 and 53.68 μg/mL) or other Pluronic formulations. Interaction of phyto-drugs and Pluronic P84 has been screened using 1H NMR Spectroscopy (proton nuclear magnetic spectroscopy) and revealed that the whole NAR molecule was encapsulated within the Pluronic micelles. These phyto-drugs hold great potential for use as nutraceuticals and other pharmaceutical applications but currently can't be used due to poor solubilization. Therefore, it can be suggested that preparation of drug loaded Pluronic formulations using S.Ev.M. would be more convenient, fast, and efficient method over D.D.M

Synthesis, structure and stereodynamics of atropisomeric N-chloroamides

Atropisomeric N-chloroamides were efficiently accessed by electrophilic halogenation of ortho-substituted secondary anilides. The stereodynamics of atropisomerism in these novel scaffolds was interrogated by detailed experimental and computational studies, revealing that racemization is correlated with amide isomerization. The stereoelectronic nature of the amide was shown to significantly influence racemization rates, with potentially important implications for other C–N atropisomeric scaffolds

Mirubactin C rescues the lethal effect of cell wall biosynthesis mutations in Bacillus subtilis

Growth of most rod-shaped bacteria is accompanied by the insertion of new peptidoglycan into the cylindrical cell wall. This insertion, which helps maintain and determine the shape of the cell, is guided by a protein machine called the rod complex or elongasome. Although most of the proteins in this complex are essential under normal growth conditions, cell viability can be rescued, for reasons that are not understood, by the presence of a high (mM) Mg(2+) concentration. We screened for natural product compounds that could rescue the growth of mutants affected in rod-complex function. By screening > 2,000 extracts from a diverse collection of actinobacteria, we identified a compound, mirubactin C, related to the known iron siderophore mirubactin A, which rescued growth in the low micromolar range, and this activity was confirmed using synthetic mirubactin C. The compound also displayed toxicity at higher concentrations, and this effect appears related to iron homeostasis. However, several lines of evidence suggest that the mirubactin C rescuing activity is not due simply to iron sequestration. The results support an emerging view that the functions of bacterial siderophores extend well beyond simply iron binding and uptake

Efficient hydrolytic hydrogen evolution from sodium borohydride catalyzed by polymer immobilized ionic liquid‐stabilized platinum nanoparticles

Platinum nanoparticles stabilized by imidazolium‐based phosphine‐decorated Polymer Immobilized Ionic Liquids (PPh2‐PIIL) catalyze the hydrolytic evolution of hydrogen from sodium borohydride with remarkable efficiency, under mild conditions. The composition of the polymer influences efficiency with the catalyst based on a polyethylene glycol modified imidazolium monomer (PtNP@PPh2‐PEGPIILS) more active than its N‐alkylated counterpart (PtNP@PPh2‐N‐decylPIILS). The maximum initial TOF of 169 moleH2.molcat−1.min−1 obtained at 30 °C with a catalyst loading of 0.08 mol% is among the highest to be reported for the aqueous phase hydrolysis of sodium borohydride catalyzed by a PtNP‐based system. Kinetic studies revealed that the apparent activation energy (Ea) of 23.9 kJ mol−1 for the hydrolysis of NaBH4 catalyzed by PtNP@PPh2‐PEGPIILS is significantly lower than that of 35.6 kJ mol−1 for PtNP@PPh2‐N‐decylPIILS. Primary kinetic isotope effects kH/kD of 1.8 and 2.1 obtained with PtNP@PPh2‐PEGPIILS and PtNP@PPh2‐N‐decylPIILS, respectively, for the hydrolysis with D2O support a mechanism involving rate determining oxidative addition or σ‐bond metathesis of the O−H bond. Catalyst stability and reuse studies showed that PtNP@PPh2‐PEGPIILS retained 70 % of its activity across five runs; the gradual drop in conversion appears to be due to poisoning of the catalyst by the accumulated metaborate product as well as the increased viscosity of the reaction mixture

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Systemic HIV and SIV latency reversal via non-canonical NF-κB signalling in vivo

Long-lasting, latently infected resting CD4+ T cells are the greatest obstacle to obtaining a cure for HIV infection, as these cells can persist despite decades of treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Estimates indicate that more than 70 years of continuous, fully suppressive ART are needed to eliminate the HIV reservoir1. Alternatively, induction of HIV from its latent state could accelerate the decrease in the reservoir, thus reducing the time to eradication. Previous attempts to reactivate latent HIV in preclinical animal models and in clinical trials have measured HIV induction in the peripheral blood with minimal focus on tissue reservoirs and have had limited effect2–9. Here we show that activation of the non-canonical NF-κB signalling pathway by AZD5582 results in the induction of HIV and SIV RNA expression in the blood and tissues of ART-suppressed bone-marrow–liver–thymus (BLT) humanized mice and rhesus macaques infected with HIV and SIV, respectively. Analysis of resting CD4+ T cells from tissues after AZD5582 treatment revealed increased SIV RNA expression in the lymph nodes of macaques and robust induction of HIV in almost all tissues analysed in humanized mice, including the lymph nodes, thymus, bone marrow, liver and lung. This promising approach to latency reversal—in combination with appropriate tools for systemic clearance of persistent HIV infection—greatly increases opportunities for HIV eradication