"Do you think adolescents' food intake is satisfactory?" - Views of Indian parents and teachers.

Adolescents develop food habits that affect both their present and future health. Underpinned by the stakeholder theory, this study was designed to explore the perspective of parents and nutrition educators regarding urban Indian adolescents' food habits. Thirty-two educators and 280 parents from five independent, English-speaking, secondary schools in Kolkata, India completed a paper-based instrument consisting of both closed and open-ended measures.

Association between food liking and the dietary quality in Australian young adults.

Background And Objectives: An individual's liking for food maybe associated with food consumption. This study investigates the association between food liking and dietary quality in Australian young adults.

Methods And Study Design: Food liking and food frequency data were collected via an online Food Liking Questionnaire (FLQ) and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ).

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 24-h urinary output of children and adolescents: impact on the assessment of iodine status using urinary biomarkers.

Purpose: Urinary iodine concentration (UIC (μg/ml) from spot urine samples collected from school-aged children is used to determine the iodine status of populations. Some studies further extrapolate UIC to represent daily iodine intake, based on the assumption that children pass approximately 1 L urine over 24-h, but this has never been assessed in population studies. Therefore, the present review aimed to collate and produce an estimate of the average 24-h urine volume of children and adolescents (> 1 year and < 19 years) from published studies.

The relationship between culture, food liking, and body mass index in Australian and Thai young adults.

Background And Objectives: An individual's liking of food may be associated with Body Mass Index (BMI) due to its subsequent impact on food consumption. This study investigates the association between food liking and BMI in young adults from Australia and Thailand.

Methods And Study Design: Food liking data were collected via a validated online Food Liking Questionnaire (FLQ).

Assessing Food Liking: Comparison of Food Liking Questionnaires and Direct Food Tasting in Two Cultures.

Food liking can be directly measured in specialised sensory testing facilities; however, this method is not feasible for large population samples. The aim of the study was to compare a Food Liking Questionnaire (FLQ) against lab-based sensory testing in two countries. The study was conducted with 70 Australian and Thai participants (35 Australian, 35 Thai, mean (SD) age 19 (3.

Parents' and Teachers' Views of Food Environments and Policies in Indian Private Secondary Schools.

School food environments and policies can play a pivotal role in inculcating healthy food habits among young people. This cross-sectional survey explored teachers' and parents' views of the role of school food environments and policies in promoting healthy food consumption among Indian adolescents. Thirty-two teachers and 280 parents from five private, English-speaking, secondary schools in Kolkata, India took part in a short questionnaire survey which included closed and open answer questions.

Barriers to Nutrition Promotion in Private Secondary Schools in Kolkata, India: Perspectives of Parents and Teachers.

School-based nutrition promotion is critical to the development of healthy eating habits in adolescents. Unfortunately, most Indian secondary schools do not support healthy eating among adolescents. Therefore, this study was designed to understand the perspectives of teachers and parents regarding the potential barriers to nutrition promotion in Indian secondary schools.

Indian adolescents' perceptions of the home food environment.

Background: The home food environment has the potential to influence the eating behaviour of adolescents. This investigation aimed to understand Indian adolescents' perspectives of their home food environments.

Methods: Adolescents aged 14-16 years (n = 1026, 65.

Immunodominant cytomegalovirus-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in sub-Saharan African populations.

More than 90% of children in Africa are infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) by the age of 12 months. However, the high-frequency, immunodominant CD8+ T-cell responses that control CMV infection have not been well studied in African populations. We therefore sought to define the immunodominant CMV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses within sub-Saharan African study subjects.

Dietary intake and sources of sodium and potassium among Australian schoolchildren: results from the cross-sectional Salt and Other Nutrients in Children (SONIC) study.

Objectives: To examine sodium and potassium urinary excretion by socioeconomic status (SES), discretionary salt use habits and dietary sources of sodium and potassium in a sample of Australian schoolchildren.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Primary schools located in Victoria, Australia.

Saporin-conjugated tetramers identify efficacious anti-HIV CD8+ T-cell specificities.

Antigen-specific T-cells are highly variable, spanning potent antiviral efficacy and damaging auto-reactivity. In virus infections, identifying the most efficacious responses is critical to vaccine design. However, current methods depend on indirect measures or on ex vivo expanded CTL clones.

HLA-B*14:02-Restricted Env-Specific CD8 T-Cell Activity Has Highly Potent Antiviral Efficacy Associated with Immune Control of HIV Infection.

Immune control of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) infection is typically associated with effective Gag-specific CD8 T-cell responses. We here focus on HLA-B*14, which protects against HIV disease progression, but the immunodominant HLA-B*14-restricted anti-HIV response is Env specific (ERYLKDQQL, HLA-B*14-EL9). A subdominant HLA-B*14-restricted response targets Gag (DRYFKTLRA, HLA-B*14-DA9).

Iodine Intakes of Victorian Schoolchildren Measured Using 24-h Urinary Iodine Excretion.

Mandatory fortification of bread with iodized salt was introduced in Australia in 2009, and studies using spot urine collections conducted post fortification indicate that Australian schoolchildren are now replete. However an accurate estimate of daily iodine intake utilizing 24-h urinary iodine excretion (UIE μg/day) has not been reported and compared to the estimated average requirement (EAR). This study aimed to assess daily total iodine intake and status of a sample of primary schoolchildren using 24-h urine samples.

Food consumption patterns of adolescents aged 14-16 years in Kolkata, India.

Background: The nutrition transition has brought about rapid changes in the structure of the Indian diet. The replacement of traditional home-cooked meals with ready-to-eat, processed foods has contributed to an increased risk of chronic diseases in urban Indians. Improving the nutrition of Indians by promoting healthy food consumption in early life and in adolescence would help to reduce these health risks.

PARV4 prevalence, phylogeny, immunology and coinfection with HIV, HBV and HCV in a multicentre African cohort.

The seroprevalence of human parvovirus-4 (PARV4) varies considerably by region. In sub-Saharan Africa, seroprevalence is high in the general population, but little is known about the transmission routes or the prevalence of coinfection with blood-borne viruses, HBV, HCV and HIV.  To further explore the characteristics of PARV4 in this setting, with a particular focus on the prevalence and significance of coinfection, we screened a cohort of 695 individuals recruited from Durban and Kimberley (South Africa) and Gaborone (Botswana) for PARV4 IgG and DNA, as well as documenting HIV, HBV and HCV status.

Hepcidin is a Better Predictor of Iron Stores in Premenopausal Women than Blood Loss or Dietary Intake.

The relationship between dietary intake, circulating hepcidin and iron status in free-living premenopausal women has not been explored. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify dietary determinants of iron stores after accounting for blood loss and to determine whether iron intake predicts iron stores independently of hepcidin in a sample of Australian women. Three hundred thirty eight women aged 18-50 years were recruited.

What influences urban Indian secondary school students' food consumption? - A qualitative study.

Indian adolescents' over reliance on foods such as nutrient-poor snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages and take-away foods puts them at significant risk of obesity and several diet-related chronic diseases. Therefore, the factors that influence their dietary behaviours need to be better understood in order to develop effective nutrition promotion strategies. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to investigate adolescents', parents', teachers', and school principals' perceptions of the main influences on adolescent eating behaviours.

Food environment and policies in private schools in Kolkata, India.

School food policies and services have the potential to influence the food practices and eating behaviours of adolescents which in turn may affect their lifestyles and health in adulthood. The aim of this qualitative investigation was to describe the opinions of adolescents, their parents, nutrition educators and school principals about the prevailing food environment and canteen policies in Indian schools. Fifteen adolescents aged 14-15 years, 15 parents, 12 teachers and 10 principals from 10 private schools in Kolkata, India participated in semi-structured interviews.

Association between Parent and Child Dietary Sodium and Potassium Intakes as Assessed by 24-h Urinary Excretion.

The aim of this study was to assess the association between parent and child sodium (Na) and potassium (K) intake as assessed by 24-h urinary excretion (24hUE). Primary school children and their parent(s) provided one 24-h urine sample and information on cooking and children's discretionary salt use. Valid urine samples were provided by 108 mothers (mean age 41.

24-h urinary sodium excretion is associated with obesity in a cross-sectional sample of Australian schoolchildren.

Emerging evidence indicates that dietary Na may be linked to obesity; however it is unclear whether this relationship is independent of energy intake (EI). The aim of this study was to assess the association between Na intake and measures of adiposity, including BMI z score, weight category and waist:height ratio (WHtR), in a sample of Australian schoolchildren. This was a cross-sectional study of schoolchildren aged 4-12 years.

HLA-A is a Predictor of Hepatitis B e Antigen Status in HIV-Positive African Adults.

Outcomes of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) are varied, with increased morbidity reported in the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection. The factors driving different outcomes are not well understood, but there is increasing interest in an HLA class I effect. We therefore studied the influence of HLA class I on HBV in an African HIV-positive cohort.

Mobile Phone App Aimed at Improving Iron Intake and Bioavailability in Premenopausal Women: A Qualitative Evaluation.

Background: Low iron intake can lead to iron deficiency, which can result in impaired health and iron-deficiency anemia. A mobile phone app, combining successful dietary strategies to increase bioavailable iron with strategies for behavior change, such as goal setting, monitoring, feedback, and resources for knowledge acquisition, was developed with the aim to increase bioavailable iron intake in premenopausal women.

Objective: To evaluate the content, usability, and acceptability of a mobile phone app designed to improve intake of bioavailable dietary iron.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Coinfection among HIV-Positive Women in South Africa and Botswana.

There is progressive concern about the evolving burden of morbidity and mortality caused by coinfection with HIV-1 and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in sub-Saharan Africa, but the epidemiology and impact of this problem are not well defined. We therefore set out to assimilate more information about the nature of HBV/HIV coinfection in this region by undertaking a retrospective observational study of southern African adult women. We used samples from previously recruited HIV-1 positive women attending antenatal clinics in three settings in South Africa and Botswana (n = 950) and added a small cohort of HIV-negative antenatal South African women for comparison (n = 72).