Posten (Norway)

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are widely used as long-term adjunctive therapy or as monotherapy in epilepsy and other indications and consist of a group of drugs that are highly susceptible to drug interactions. The purpose of the present review is to focus upon clinically relevant interactions where AEDs are involved and especially on pharmacokinetic interactions. The older AEDs are susceptible to cause induction (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone) or inhibition (valproic acid), resulting in a decrease or increase, respectively, in the serum concentration of other AEDs, as well as other drug classes (anticoagulants, oral contraceptives, antidepressants, antipsychotics, antimicrobal drugs, antineoplastic drugs, and immunosupressants). Conversely, the serum concentrations of AEDs may be increased by enzyme inhibitors among antidepressants and antipsychotics, antimicrobal drugs (as macrolides or isoniazid) and decreased by other mechanisms as induction, reduced absorption or excretion (as oral contraceptives, cimetidine, probenicid and antacides). Pharmacokinetic interactions involving newer AEDs include the enzyme inhibitors felbamate, rufinamide, and stiripentol and the inducers oxcarbazepine and topiramate. Lamotrigine is affected by these drugs, older AEDs and other drug classes as oral contraceptives. Individual AED interactions may be divided into three levels depending on the clinical consequences of alterations in serum concentrations. This approach may point to interactions of specific importance, although it should be implemented with caution, as it is not meant to oversimplify fact matters. Level 1 involves serious clinical consequences, and the combination should be avoided. Level 2 usually implies cautiousness and possible dosage adjustments, as the combination may not be possible to avoid. Level 3 refers to interactions where dosage adjustments are usually not necessary. Updated knowledge regarding drug interactions is important to predict the potential for harmful or lacking effects involving AEDs.

Effect of analysis at different times 91 Differences between periods 91 Differences among years Fecal sample

Abstract Flexible photodetectors have emerged during the past few years for applications in healthcare, security, and environmental monitoring. Recently, 2D materials have started being implemented as functional layers in flexible photodetector due to their outstanding optoelectronic characteristics paired with high mechanical flexibility. In this work, the authors analyze the progress of 2D material‐based flexible photodetectors architectures, with a focus on graphene family, (Di)chalcogenides and van der Waals heterostructures. The optical and mechanical characteristics of 2D materials flexible photodetectors are systematically analyzed. Furthermore, the processing techniques compatible with flexible substrates and proof‐of‐concept sensors integrating 2D material flexible photodetectors are also reviewed. In the last section, the remaining challenges and future perspectives are discussed, envisioning to support future developments in the field.

Abstract Thirty years of research, and especially the refinements of many geological, geochemical and geophysical techniques, have uncovered many new facets of the geology of the Scandinavian Caledonides, also correcting some fundamental misconceptions. Our present understanding is that of a sequence of allochthons, some derived from Baltica, but others of probably exotic origin, in part from the Laurentian margin that collided with Baltica, but perhaps also from other parts of Rodinia. The present paper summarizes the main features of the Scandinavian Caledonides, proposing some rethinking of the traditional schemes, which were developed lacking a substantial amount of the information we have today, and discusses the main advances since the last major synthesis in 1985.

BACKGROUND: Industrialized and welfare societies are faced with vast challenges in the field of healthcare in the years to come. New technological opportunities and implementation of welfare technology through co-creation are considered part of the solution to this challenge. Resistance to new technology and resistance to change is, however, assumed to rise from employees, care receivers and next of kin. The purpose of this article is to identify and describe forms of resistance that emerged in five municipalities during a technology implementation project as part of the care for older people. METHODS: This is a longitudinal, single-embedded case study with elements of action research, following an implementation of welfare technology in the municipal healthcare services. Participants included staff from the municipalities, a network of technology developers and a group of researchers. Data from interviews, focus groups and participatory observation were analysed. RESULTS: Resistance to co-creation and implementation was found in all groups of stakeholders, mirroring the complexity of the municipal context. Four main forms of resistance were identified: 1) organizational resistance, 2) cultural resistance, 3) technological resistance and 4) ethical resistance, each including several subforms. The resistance emerges from a variety of perceived threats, partly parallel to, partly across the four main forms of resistance, such as a) threats to stability and predictability (fear of change), b) threats to role and group identity (fear of losing power or control) and c) threats to basic healthcare values (fear of losing moral or professional integrity). CONCLUSION: The study refines the categorization of resistance to the implementation of welfare technology in healthcare settings. It identifies resistance categories, how resistance changes over time and suggests that resistance may play a productive role when the implementation is organized as a co-creation process. This indicates that the importance of organizational translation between professional cultures should not be underestimated, and supports research indicating that focus on co-initiation in the initial phase of implementation projects may help prevent different forms of resistance in complex co-creation processes.

Abstract. The Arctic sea-ice is retreating faster than predicted by climate models and could become ice free during summer this century. The reduced sea-ice extent may effectively "unlock" the Arctic Ocean to increased human activities such as transit shipping and expanded oil and gas production. Travel time between Europe and the north Pacific Region can be reduced by up to 50 % with low sea-ice levels and the use of this route could increase substantially as the sea-ice retreats. Oil and gas activities already occur in the Arctic region and given the large undiscovered petroleum resources increased activity could be expected with reduced sea-ice. We use a bottom-up shipping model and a detailed global energy market model to construct emission inventories of Arctic shipping and petroleum activities in 2030 and 2050 given estimated sea-ice extents. The emission inventories are on a 1×1 degree grid and cover both short-lived components (SO2, NOx, CO, NMVOC, BC, OC) and the long-lived greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O). We find rapid growth in transit shipping due to increased profitability with the shorter transit times compensating for increased costs in traversing areas of sea-ice. Oil and gas production remains relatively stable leading to reduced emissions from emission factor improvements. The location of oil and gas production moves into locations requiring more ship transport relative to pipeline transport, leading to rapid emissions growth from oil and gas transport via ship. Our emission inventories for the Arctic region will be used as input into chemical transport, radiative transfer, and climate models to quantify the role of Arctic activities in climate change compared to similar emissions occurring outside of the Arctic region.

To identify the ecological and genetic mechanisms of local adaptation requires estimating selection on traits, identifying their genetic basis, and evaluating whether divergence in adaptive traits is due to conditional neutrality or genetic trade-offs. To this end, we conducted field experiments for three years using recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from two ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana (Italy, Sweden), and at each parental site examined selection on flowering time and mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL). There was strong selection for early flowering in Italy, but weak selection in Sweden. Eleven distinct flowering time QTL were detected, and for each the Italian genotype caused earlier flowering. Twenty-seven candidate genes were identified, two of which (FLC and VIN3) appear under major flowering time QTL in Italy. Seven of eight QTL in Italy with narrow credible intervals colocalized with previously reported fitness QTL, in comparison to three of four in Sweden. The results demonstrate that the magnitude of selection on flowering time differs strikingly between our study populations, that the genetic basis of flowering time variation is multigenic with some QTL of large effect, and suggest that divergence in flowering time between ecotypes is due mainly to conditional neutrality.

Mafic igneous rocks of Cretaceous age (80–130 Ma) scattered around the Arctic Ocean are commonly referred to as the High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP). We have mapped out the distribution of HALIP igneous rocks in the Barents Sea region over the past decade based on integrated seismic–gravity–magnetic interpretation, field work, review of publications, and analyses of new and vintage borehole and field samples. The mapping reveals abundant igneous rocks in the northern and eastern Barents Sea covering an area of ~ 900,000 km2 with a conservative volume estimate of 100,000 to 200,000 km3 of intrusions. The igneous province is dominated by sheet intrusions injected into Triassic and Permian sedimentary rocks. Hydrothermal vent complexes are rare, and only two potential vent complexes have been identified on seismic data in the eastern Barents Sea. We have further done extensive radiometric dating of the igneous samples in the Barents Sea region. New 40Ar/39Ar dating of thirteen samples from Svalbard reveal ages of crystallization and alteration. The large age span (60–140 Ma for the raw ages) is likely due to partial or complete overprint of the K/Ar system in plagioclase, and the age of the magma emplacement is better represented by U/Pb TIMS ages. Only one of our 40Ar/39Ar analyses of plagioclase yielded a statistically valid age that is in line with the recently published U/Pb TIMS ages of 122–125 Ma. The new data clearly document that relying on published data from the K/Ar system can lead to erroneous conclusions on the age of crystallization in this province without a careful use of additional 40Ar/39Ar degassing data (i.e., K/Ca). We propose that the magmatism on Svalbard and Franz Josef Land represents a distinct magmatic event near the Barremian/Aptian boundary (125 Ma) in the Barents Sea. This Early Cretaceous Barents Sea magmatism resulted in the formation of the BSSC (Barents Sea Sill Complex). BSSC age rocks are also present in Arctic Canada (Sverdrup Basin) and on Bennett Island (New Siberia Islands). The massive injection of hot magma into potentially organic-rich sediments in the eastern and northern Barents Basin caused rapid organic matter maturation and formation of thermogenic gas and oil in contact aureoles. We estimate that up to 20,000 Gt of carbon were potentially mobilized, corresponding to 175 trillion barrels of oil equivalent. The production rates and fate of the carbon gases are uncertain. However, we speculate that rapid release of aureole greenhouse gases (methane) may have triggered the Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a) and the associated negative δ13C excursion in the Early Aptian. Some of the methane may also be trapped in the vast hydrocarbon gas accumulations found in the east Barents Basin.

Electric aviation has become an important area of research following the rapid growth of the aviation industry, which directly corresponds to significant growth in aviation-related emissions. Despite the promising emission reduction potential of electric airplanes, several technological and regulatory challenges restrict the realization of this new regime of sustainable air transport. Significant advancements in enabling technologies, new certification standards, and infrastructural development are required to make commercial air transport viable. This review paper surveys scholarly and industrial literature to identify the main technological areas of electric aviation, including battery technology, electric machine technology, airframe, and propulsion technologies; where the technology currently stands, their future projections, and their challenges. Several electric aircraft design concepts, prototypes, and existing products are also surveyed in this study to identify the constraints of technological advancement and regulatory frameworks that could impede the realization and time to market the proposed electric airplanes.

The Barents Sea has experienced substantial warming over the last few decades with expansion of relatively\nwarm Atlantic water and reduction in sea ice. Based on a review of relevant literature and additional\nanalyses, we report changes in the pelagic compartment associated with this warming using\ndata from autumn surveys (acoustic capelin, 0-group fish, and ecosystem surveys). We estimated biomass\nfor 25 components of the pelagic community, including macroplankton, 0-group fish, and juvenile\nand adult pelagic fish, were examined for spatial and temporal variation over the period 1993–2013. The\nestimated total biomass of the investigated pelagic compartment, not including mesozooplankton, ranged\nbetween about 6 and 30 million tonnes wet weight with an average of 17 million tonnes over the\n21-years period. Krill was the dominant biomass component (63%), whereas pelagic fish (capelin, polar\ncod and herring) made up 26% and 0-group fish 11% of the biomass on average. The spatial distribution\nof biomass showed a broad-scale pattern reflecting differences in distribution of the main pelagic fishes\n(capelin in the north, polar cod in the east, and herring in the south) and transport of krill and 0-group\nfish with the Atlantic water flowing into the southern Barents Sea. Dividing the Barents Sea into six\nregions, the highest average biomass values were found in the Southwestern and South-Central subareas\n(about 4 million tonnes in each), with krill as the main component. Biomass was also high in the North-\nCentral subarea (about 3 million tonnes) where capelin was the major contributor.\nThe total estimated biomass of the pelagic compartment remained relatively stable during each of two\nmain periods (before and after 2004), but increased by a factor of two from around 11 million tonnes in\nthe first to around 23 million tonnes in the last period. The pronounced increase reflected the warming\nbetween the relatively cold 1990s and the warmer 2000s and was driven mainly by an increase in krill\ndue presumably to increased advection. Variable recruitment of fish had a strong influence on the variation\nin pelagic biomass, first as 0-group fish (including demersal species such as cod and haddock) and\nsubsequently over the next years manifested as strong or weak year classes of dominant pelagic species.\nAssociated with the warming there was also a northern or eastern extension of the distribution of several\ncomponents although the broad-scale geographical pattern of biomass distribution remained similar\nbetween the first and the last parts of the investigated period. The capelin stock, a dominant species with\na substantial contribution to total biomass, experienced two collapses followed by recoveries in the\n1990s and 2000s. The apparent stability in total biomass in each of the two periods (before and after\n2004) reflected compensating and dampening mechanisms. In the first period, krill showed an inverse\nrelationship with capelin, increasing when the capelin stock was low. In the second period, other fishes\nincluding juvenile herring, polar cod and blue whiting increased to fill the ‘void’ of the low capelin stock.\nThe syntheses reported here provides a basis for modelling some of the key players and dominating processes\nand drivers of change in the ecosystem.

Terra Nova, 25, 30–37, 2013 Abstract The late Mesoproterozoic Sveconorwegian orogen in southwest Baltica is traditionally interpreted as the eastward continuation of the Grenville orogen in Canada, resulting from collision with Amazonia, forming a central part in the assembly of the Rodinia supercontinent. We challenge this conventional view based on results from recent work in southwest Norway demonstrating voluminous subduction‐related magmatism in the period 1050–1020 Ma, followed by geographically restricted high‐ T /medium‐ P metamorphism between 1035 and 970 Ma, succeeded by ferroan magmatism over large parts of south Norway in the period 990–920 Ma. This magmatic and metamorphic evolution may be better understood as reflecting a long‐lived accretionary margin, undergoing periodic compression and extension, than continent–continent collision. This study has implications for Grenville–Sveconorwegian correlations, comparisons with modern continental margins, Rodinia reconstructions and how we recognize geodynamic settings in ancient orogens.

BACKGROUND: Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are systems to store patient information like medical histories, test results, and medications electronically. It helps to give quality service by improving data handling and communication in healthcare setting. EMR implementation in developing countries is increasing exponentially. But, only few of them are successfully implemented. Intention to use EMRs by health care provider is crucial for successful implementation and adoption of EMRs. However, intention of health care providers to use EMR in Ethiopia is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess health care provider's intention to use and its predictors towards Electronic Medical Record systems at three referral hospitals in north-west, Ethiopia, 2019. METHODS: Institutional based cross-sectional explanatory study design was conducted from March to September among 420 health care providers working at three referral hospitals in north-west Ethiopia. Data were analyzed using structural equation model (SEM). Simple and multiple SEM were used to assess the determinants of health care providers intention to use EMRs. Critical ratio and standardized coefficients were used to measure the association of dependent and independent variables, 95% confidence intervals and P-value were calculated to evaluate statistical significance. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULT: The mean age of the study subjects was 32.4 years ±8.3 SD. More than two-third 293(69.8%) of the participants were male. Among 420 health care providers, only 167 (39.8%) were scored above the mean of intention to use EMRs. Factors positively associated with intention to use EMRs were performance expectancy (β = 0.39, p < 0.001), effort expectancy (β = 0.24,p < 0.001),social influence (β = 0.18,p < 0.001),facilitating condition (β = 0.23,p < 0.001), and computer literacy (β = 0.08,p < 0.001). Performance expectancy was highly associated with intention to use EMRs. CONCLUSION: Generally, about 40 % of health care providers were scored above the mean of intention to use EMRs. Performance expectancy played a major role in determining health care providers' intention to use EMRs. The intention of health care providers to use EMRs was attributed by social influence, facilitating condition in the organization, effort expectancy, performance expectancy and computer literacy. Therefore, identifying necessary prerequisites before the actual implementation of EMRs will help to improve the implementation status.

Abstract The North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP), composed of volcanic sequences and intrusive rocks, occurs onshore in Greenland, the Faeroe Islands, the UK and Ireland, and offshore surrounding these areas as well as the west coast of Norway. Geochronological data have been published for Cenozoic igneous and volcanic rocks for much of the province, and provide valuable information to analyse the evolution of the province and magmatic processes more broadly. As part of the NE Atlantic Geosciences (NAG) cooperation, we examined approximately 700 dates from over 70 published studies and created a comprehensive database to facilitate ready access to this important information. This includes U–Pb, Rb–Sr, Re–Os, 40 Ar/ 39 Ar and K–Ar ages presented relative to the Geological Time Scale 2012. 40 Ar/ 39 Ar and K–Ar ages have been recalculated to a common reference. The complete database includes data that range from approximately 177 to 0.19 Ma. Our evaluation shows that variable sample quality, ambiguous data-handling methods, inadequate data reporting and data interpretation should preclude the use of data for purposes of rigorous geochronological analysis. Through a series of filtering techniques described here, we suggest excluding &gt;500 dates as being of too poor a quality to use in age determinations. Our analysis highlights the need for published geochronological studies to include sufficient information to allow critical assessment of ages and interpretations. We present an ‘optimized’ dataset containing 130 ages that range from approximately 64 to 13 Ma. The filtered dataset emphasizes the need for firm chronological benchmarks and suggests that some sub-provinces in the NAIP would greatly benefit from renewed research attention. Supplementary material: The full NAG-TEC Geochronological Database 001 and Data Evaluation 002 are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3554472

Brand posts are concise and recurrent updates created by brands and sent out to their followers on social media. Brand posts play a crucial linking role by connecting brands to their customers and fans on a daily basis. Brand posts represent a rich form of communication that convey various brand meaning and experiences using multiple media formats. Despite this, however, brand posts have not been subjected to formalized analyses in the literature. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to conduct a formalized analysis of brand posts and propose a systematic framework to categorize them. With this aim, the study performed qualitative content analysis involving three interrelated coding procedures. First, the study reviewed the relevant literature to identify pre-existing coding categories (deductive coding). Second, the study drew together systematic inferences from a purposive sample of brand posts (n = 371) to derive new coding categories (inductive coding). Finally, the study implemented a double-coding procedure on a probabilistic sample of brand posts (n = 249) to validate the initial coding categories (validation coding). Together, the three coding procedures produced 12 exhaustive and mutually exclusive categories of brand posts. The proposed categorization offers a comprehensive framework to think about brand posts. For marketers, it provides guidance to create the stream of content necessary to stimulate daily customer interaction on social media. For researchers, it offers a solid conceptual foundation to categorize, code and model brand posts.

Global demand for cobalt is increasing rapidly as we transition to a low-carbon economy. In order to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of this critical metal there is considerable interest in Europe in understanding the availability of cobalt from indigenous resources. This study reviews information on cobalt resources in Europe and evaluates the potential for additional discoveries. Based on published information and a survey of national mineral resource agencies, 509 cobalt-bearing deposits and occurrences have been identified in 25 countries in Europe. Harmonised cobalt resources, classified using the United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC), have been estimated for 151 deposits in 12 countries where data are available. The calculated total resource comprises 1 342 649 tonnes of contained cobalt metal. This includes: 114 638 tonnes in commercial projects with current cobalt extraction; 370 409 tonnes in potentially commercial projects; 111 107 tonnes in historic estimates compliant with modern reporting; and 746 495 tonnes in non-compliant historic estimates. Analysis of these data reveals that cobalt resources are widely distributed across Europe in deposits of several different types. Global mine production of cobalt is dominated by stratiform sediment-hosted copper deposits, magmatic nickel-copper deposits and nickel laterite deposits, but other deposit types may also be significantly enriched in cobalt. In Europe, current cobalt production is derived from three mines in Finland: the magmatic sulfide deposit at Kevitsa; the Kylylahti deposit of volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) affinity; and the black shale-hosted deposit at Sotkamo (Talvivaara). This study has identified 104 deposits in Europe that are currently being explored for cobalt, of which 79 are located in Finland, Norway and Sweden. The Fennoscandian Shield and the Caledonian Belt in these countries are high priority exploration terrains for a variety of cobalt-bearing deposits, notably magmatic Ni-Cu-Co deposits. The Svecofennian, Sveconorwegian and the Caledonian orogenies in Fennoscandia also resulted in the formation of several other cobalt-enriched deposit types. These include chiefly metasediment- and metavolcanic-hosted Co-Cu-Au, VMS, skarn and polymetallic vein deposits. The Kupferschiefer deposits in Poland and Germany are stratiform sediment-hosted Cu deposits with some similarities to the Central African Copperbelt, which is the predominant global producer. However, the cobalt grade in the Kupferschiefer deposits is relatively low (0.005–0.008% Co) and not currently economic to exploit without significant improvement in extraction technology. In the Balkans and Turkey cobalt grades and tonnages are known in 27 nickel laterite deposits, with several containing more than 10 000 tonnes of cobalt metal. Only nickel is currently recovered from these deposits, but new processing technologies such as high-pressure acid leaching could enable cobalt recovery in the future. Small polymetallic cobalt-bearing vein deposits in several European countries have been historic producers of cobalt. Today most are uneconomic, but new technologies and the drive towards locally-sourced raw materials could make them viable future sources of cobalt. Our analysis suggests that geological availability in Europe is not a problem. However, many economic, technological, environmental and social challenges will have to be overcome for exploration projects to become commercial.

Previous empirical research has largely neglected the mediating role of green innovations on the top management commitment-customer cooperation relationship. This study examines effects of green process innovation and green managerial innovations on this relationship. An empirical analysis with a sample of 181 ISO 14001 Turkish manufacturing firms suggests that top management commitment positively affects customer cooperation, process innovation and managerial innovation. Green process innovation mediates the positive association between top management commitment and customer cooperation, whereas green managerial innovation does not. These findings suggest that green process innovation facilitates business partners to mitigate the external negative impact on environment. By contrast, green managerial innovation has a stronger in-house orientation and facilitates business firms to minimize their carbon footprints.

Lacking a long time series on the assets of the very wealthy, Saez and Zucman (2015) use US tax records to obtain estimates of wealth holdings by capitalizing asset income from tax returns. They document marked upward trends in wealth concentration. We use data on tax returns and actual wealth holdings from tax records for the whole Norwegian population to test the robustness of the methodology. We document that measures of wealth based on the capitalization approach can lead to misleading conclusions about the level and the dynamics of wealth inequality if returns are heterogeneous and even moderately correlated with wealth.

OBJECTIVE: Using meta-analytic procedures, we compare the effectiveness of recent controlled trials of worksite smoking cessation during the 1990s with a previous meta-analysis of programmes conducted in the 1980s. DATA SOURCES: ABI/Inform, BRS, CHID, Dissertation Abstracts International, ERIC, Medline, Occupational Health and Safety Database, PsycInfo, Smoking and Health Database, SSCI, and Sociological Abstracts. STUDY SELECTION: Controlled smoking cessation interventions at the workplace with at least six months follow up published from 1989 to 2001 and reporting quit rates (QRs). DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently scanned titles/abstracts of relevant reports, and we reached consensus regarding inclusion/exclusion of the full text reports by negotiation. A third reviewer resolved disagreements. Two reviewers extracted data according to a coding manual. Consensus was again reached through negotiation and the use of a third reviewer. DATA SYNTHESIS: 19 journal articles were found reporting studies conforming to the study's inclusion criteria. Interventions included self help manuals, physician advice, health education, cessation groups, incentives, and competitions. A total of 4960 control subjects were compared with 4618 intervention subjects. The adjusted random effects odds ratio was 2.03 (95% confidence interval 1.42 to 2.90) at six months follow up, 1.56 (95% CI 1.17 to 2.07) at 12 months, and 1.33 (95% CI 0.95 to 1.87) at more than 12 months follow up. Funnel plots were consistent with strong publication bias at the first two follow ups but not the third. In Fisher et al's 1990 study, the corresponding ORs were 1.18, 1.66, and 1.18. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation interventions at the worksite showed initial effectiveness, but the effect seemed to decrease over time and was not present beyond 12 months. Compared to the Fisher (1990) analysis, the effectiveness was higher for the six month follow up. Disappointingly, we found methodological inadequacies and insufficient reporting of key variables that were similar to those found in the earlier meta-analysis. This prevented us from determining much about the most effective components of interventions. It is advisable for researchers conducting studies in the future to report data on attrition and retention rates of participants who quit, because these variables can affect QRs.

The strongly hydrophobic bacteriocin amylovorin L471 from Lactobacillus amylovorus DCE 471 was isolated and purified to homogeneity from complex culture broth by a novel, rapid and simple three-step protocol including (i) ammonium sulphate precipitation, (ii) chloroform/methanol extraction/precipitation and (iii) reversed-phase HPLC, the only chromatographic step involved. The molecular mass of the peptide was determined to be 4876.9 Da by electrospray mass spectrometric analysis. N-terminal amino acid sequencing identified 35 amino acid residues as being identical to the N-terminal sequence of lactobin A, a bacteriocin from another L. amylovorus strain. These non-identical strains produce bacteriocins that display small differences in molecular mass and inhibitory spectrum. The amino acid sequence of amylovorin L471 shared significant homology with lactacin X, one of the two bactericidal peptides produced by Lactobacillus johnsonii VPI11088. A purified amylovorin L471 preparation permitted confirmation of the inhibitory spectrum previously established with a crude extract. It displayed a bactericidal mode of action on lactobacilli after an extremely rapid adsorption to the target cells. Two Listeria spp. were only weakly sensitive. Amylovorin L471 appears to be produced constitutively. Ethanol not only stimulated specific bacteriocin production but also prevented adsorption of the bacteriocin molecules to the producer cells upon prolonged fermentation. The latter result supports the hypothesis that the apparent inactivation of bacteriocin observed during the stationary phase of batch fermentations is due to adsorption.

BACKGROUND: While research on school children's health has mainly focused on risk factors and illness, few studies have examined aspects of health promotion. Thus, this study focuses on health promotional factors including general self-efficacy (GSE) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). GSE refers to a global confidence in coping ability across a wide range of demanding situations, and is related to health. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between GSE and HRQOL, and associations between HRQOL and socio-demographic characteristics. Knowledge of these associations in healthy school children is currently lacking. METHODS: During 2006 and 2007, 279 school children in the seventh grade across eastern Norway completed a survey assessing their GSE and HRQOL. The children were from schools that had been randomly selected using cluster sampling. T-tests were computed to compare mean subscale values between HRQOL and socio-demographic variables. Single and multiple regression analyses were performed to explore associations among GSE, HRQOL and socio-demographic variables. RESULTS: Regression analyses showed a significant relationship between increasing degrees of GSE and increasing degrees of HRQOL. In analyses adjusted for socio-demographic variables, boys scored higher than girls on self-esteem. School children from single-parent families had lower scores on HRQOL than those from two-parent families, and children who had relocated within the last five years had lower scores on HRQOL than those who had not relocated. CONCLUSION: The strong relationship between GSE and HRQOL indicates that GSE might be a resource for increasing the HRQOL for school children.