An Evaluation of the Effects of the Australian Food and Health Dialogue Targets on the Sodium Content of Bread,Breakfast Cereals and Processed Meats

The Australian Food and Health Dialogue set sodium reduction targets for three food categories (breads, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and processed meats) to be achieved by December, 2013. Sodium levels for 1849 relevant packaged foods on the shelves of Australian supermarkets between 2010 and 2013 were examined. Changes in mean sodium content were assessed by linear mixed models, and the significance of differences in the proportion of products meeting targets was determined using chi-squared or McNemar’s tests. The mean sodium level of bread products fell from 454 to 415 mg/100 g (9% lower, p < 0.001), and the proportion reaching target rose from 42% to 67% (p < 0.005). The mean sodium content of breakfast cereals also fell substantially from 316 to 237 mg/100 g (25% lower, p < 0.001) over the study period. The decline in mean sodium content of bacon/ham/cured meats from 1215 to 1114 mg/100 g (8% lower, p = 0.001) was smaller, but associated with a rise in the proportion meeting the target from 28% to 47%. Declines in mean sodium content did not appreciably differ between companies that did and did not make public commitments to the targets. These data show that the Australian food industry can reduce salt levels of processed foods and provide a strong case for broadening and strengthening of the Food and Health Dialogue (FHD) process.     

Detection and quantification of circulating immature platelets: agreement between flow cytometric and automated detection

Immature platelets—also termed reticulated platelets (RP)—are platelets newly released into the circulation, and have been associated with a variety of pathological thrombotic events. They can be assessed by flow cytometry after staining with thiazole orange (TO) or by using a module added to a fully automated analyzer that is currently in wide clinical use and expressed as a fraction of the total platelet count (IPF). We sought to assess the correlation and agreement between these two methods. IPF was measured using Sysmex XE 2100—and at the same time point- we used TO staining and flow cytometry to measure RP levels. Two different gates were used for the flow cytometry method, 1 and 0.5 %. Measurements from the automated analyzer were then compared separately to measurements performed using each gate. Agreement between methods was assessed using Bland–Altman method. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was also calculated. 129 subjects were enrolled and stratified into 5 groups: (1) Healthy subjects, (2) End stage renal disease, (3) Chronic stable coronary artery disease, (4) Post Coronary artery bypass surgery, (5) Peripheral thrombocytopenia. Median IPF levels were increased for patients in groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 (4.0, 4.7, 4.3, and 8.3 % respectively) compared to healthy subjects (2.5 %) p = 0.0001. Although the observed correlation between the two methods tended to be good in patients with high IPF values (i.e., group 5), the overall observed correlation was poor (Pearson’s correlation coefficient r = 0.27). Furthermore, there was poor agreement between the two methods in all groups. Despite the good correlation that was observed between the two methods at higher IPF values, the lack of agreement was significant.     

Differential development of relational memory and pattern separation

Researchers have taken a number of different approaches in their exploration of hippocampal function. One approach seeks to describe hippocampal function by probing the memory representations that the hippocampus supports. Another approach focuses on the role of the hippocampus in pattern separation and completion. Each of these approaches to understanding hippocampal function utilizes a distinct set of specialized tasks, and both of these task sets are known to be sensitive to changes in hippocampal function with age and disease status. But the question remains whether the tasks utilized in these two approaches tap into the same aspects of hippocampal function. We explored this question in the context of hippocampal development. Preadolescent children (N = 73) and young adults (N = 41) completed an identical battery of cognitive tasks consisting of a spatial reconstruction relational memory task, the mnemonic similarity task (MST)—an object‐based pattern separation task, and a novel hybrid task—the Object Discrimination and Distribution (ODD) Task—designed to integrate and simultaneously tax pattern separation and spatial relational memory. Children did not demonstrate impairments in lure discrimination relative to young adults on either the object‐based pattern separation task or for aspects of the ODD task that required pattern separation in the absence of relational memory demands but performed more poorly across aspects of tasks that required relational binding.