Outcomes of a high school program to increase fruit and vegetable consumption: Gimme 5--a fresh nutrition concept for students

This paper describes an intervention to increase high school students' fruit and vegetable consumption. Twelve schools were randomized to intervention or control conditions. The cohort (2,213 students; 56% females, 84% Caucasian) were followed from 9th to 12th grades. Interventions comprised a media campaign, classroom workshops, school meal modification, and parental support. Usual daily servings of fruit/vegetables increased 14% in the intervention compared to the control group (p > 0.001) the first three years. At follow-up, consumption within the control group also increased, resulting in no significant difference between groups. Intervention group knowledge scores and awareness indicators were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.0001). Gimme 5 provided a first model to show that dietary habits of high school students can be influenced by positive media messages relative to that age group, increased exposure to a variety of tasty products, and minimal classroom activity.     

Influence of selected packaging materials on some quality aspects of pressure-assisted thermally processed carrots during storage

Role of packaging barrier properties and storage conditions on pressure-assisted thermally processed (PATP) carrot quality were investigated. Samples were packaged in pouches fabricated using three packaging materials (Nylon/EVOH/EVA, Nylon/EVA and MetPET/PE) and processed at 600 MPa and 110 °C for 10 minutes. Processed pouches were stored at 25 and 37 °C, and withdrawn over 12 weeks. Samples were analyzed for color, β-carotene and total plate count. Oxygen and water vapor transmission rates (OTR, WVTR), melting point and enthalpy of fusion of the packages were evaluated. PATP treatment resulted in product shelf-stability during storage. Packaging type and storage conditions significantly influenced the product color and β-carotene content. Nylon/EVOH/EVA package best preserved carrot quality. PATP increased OTR of the MetPET/PE and degraded carrot color and β-carotene during storage. Raw carrots had 11.13 mg/100g β-carotene content. PATP treatment followed by 12 weeks storage at 37 °C reduced the β-carotene content of carrots packaged in Nylon/EVOH/EVA, Nylon/EVA and MetPET/PE to 7.19, 0.04 and 0.06 mg/100g, respectively. Similarly, the red color of carrot samples (25.51 for raw carrots) decreased to 19.85, 3.44 and 7.20 for Nylon/EVOH/EVA, Nylon/EVA and MetPET/PE, respectively. The study demonstrated the importance of high barrier packaging materials in preserving PATP-treated carrot quality.     

Status of mastitis therapy and prevention

Dog platelets are refractory to aggregation by arachidonic acid (AA) but generate an unstable activity that aggregates rabbit platelets. Formation of this activity is inhibited by indomethacin, by the peroxide scavenging enzyme catalase, by two chelating agents that bind Cu+ and Cu2+ ions, by the -SH agent dithiothreitol and is stimulated by cysteine. Agitation of dog platelets is followed by spontaneous aggregation and uncovers aggregation by AA, which is blocked by indomethacin. Neither indomethacin nor apyrase prevent spontaneous aggregation, ruling out both activation of prostaglandin synthetase and leakage of ADP as possible explanations. Complexation of plasma Ca2+ by citrate as an explanation for refractoriness to AA was ruled out by replacing citrate with heparin. Dog platelets are also refractory to PGH2 formed from AA by the cyclo oxygenase component of prostaglandin synthetase. Aggregation of rabbit platelets by PGH2 is not inhibited by indomethacin, by catalase, by dithiothreitol or by metal chelating agents and is not potentiated by cysteine. This confirms that the reagents act before PGH2 is formed. Aggregating activity generated by dog platelets is probably due to an unstable lipoperoxide whose generation involves mechanisms similar to those responsible for aggregation of rabbit platelets, since similar antagonists block both processes.