Isotope Dilution Space Ratio Declines Above the Age of 60 Years, Potentially Impacting Estimates of Total Energy Expenditure by the Doubly Labeled Water Method1-3, *, ˆ.

Doubly labeled water is gold standard for measuring total energy expenditure (TEE). Measurements using the method are sensitive to the isotope dilution space ratio (DSR). Accuracy and precision of the method might be improved if we could identify factors influencing DSR. We evaluated the potential associations of age, sex, ethnicity, anthropometry, body composition, turnover rates of the isotopes, and geographical elevation with DSR. We used univariate regression analysis to explore the relationships between the continuous variables and analysis of variance to test the relationships between the categorical variables with DSR. Subsequently, we used General Linear Modeling (GLM) and One-way ANOVA to evaluate the simultaneous associations of age, sex, ethnicity, fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) on DSR. From 5,678 measurements complied from studies around the world with diverse ethnicity and living at various elevations, the average DSR was 1.0364 ± 0.0141 (mean ± SD). No meaningful physiological effect of any of the continuous and categorical variable on DSR was detected. GLM analysis revealed no effect of FFM and FM (P > 0.33) on DSR, but DSR decreased with age (P < 0.001) among those 60 years of age and older regardless of sex. Among the White who were younger than 60 years of age, DSR was not related to FFM and FM (P = 0.73) but was affected by both age and sex (P < 0.001). Previous estimates of age-related decline in TEE may have overestimated TEE at age 90. Validation studies on older participants are required to confirm this finding.

Patient experiences and views on pharmaceutical care during adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: The use of adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) after primary treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer reduces the risk of recurrence and mortality. However, non-adherence is still common. Limited consideration has been given to how users deal with AET and the role of pharmaceutical care. Therefore, this study aims to obtain insight into the needs and wishes of women using AET regarding pharmaceutical care and eHealth. METHODS: This is a qualitative explorative study comprising semi-structured interviews (n = 16) and a focus group (n = 5) among women who use or used AET after primary early-stage breast cancer (EBC) treatment using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the interviews and focus group: (1) experiences with AET use, (2) experiences with provided information and (3) needs and wishes regarding pharmaceutical care. Most women were highly motivated to use AET and indicated to have received useful information on AET. However, many expressed a strong need for more elaborate tailored and timely provided information on AET. They acknowledged the accessibility of pharmacists but reported that currently, pharmacists are hardly involved in AET care. Several women considered eHealth useful to obtain counselling and reliable information. CONCLUSION: Women need more comprehensive information and follow-up in primary setting after initial cancer treatments. A more elaborate role for the pharmacy and eHealth/mHealth, especially with regard to counselling on side effects and side effect management, could potentially improve pharmaceutical care.

Prosocial choices: How do young children evaluate considerate and inconsiderate behavior?

Adults often act considerately toward others, for example, by leaving the last cookie on a plate or stepping aside on a busy sidewalk. What do young children infer from observing considerate behavior? In three preregistered studies, we assess how young children evaluate considerate and inconsiderate behavior by showing them animated videos in which targets make decisions that either leave or limit choice options for others. Study 1 (N = 372 6- to 12-year-old children, 170 girls, 187 boys [15 not reported], 84.4% native Dutch) showed that older children, but not younger children (i.e., 6 years), evaluated considerate others (i.e., who leave a choice for others) as nicer than inconsiderate others, and they were also more willing to lend their toys to them. Moreover, children's evaluations were specific to the social domain, as children of all ages evaluated both targets as equally smart. Focusing on younger children (5-7 years), study 2 (N = 99; 57 boys, 42 girls, 78.8% native Dutch) showed that when the consequences of considerate or inconsiderate behavior were made explicit and videos showed one target at a time, children as young as 5 years old evaluated considerate targets as nicer. Study 3 (N = 43; 20 boys, 23 girls, 92.5% native Dutch) showed that young children also evaluated considerate behavior as nicer when the consequences of considerate behavior were not made explicit. These studies extend developmental research on prosocial behavior and suggest that considerate behavior conveys a clear social signal early in life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Parental Support and Positive Mood Buffer Adolescents' Academic Motivation During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

School closures during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 severely disrupted adolescents' lives. We used a daily diary method for 20 days, including online and physical school days, assessing daily mood, social support and conflict, and academic motivation in 102 adolescents aged 12-16 years. We found that adolescents' academic motivation was lower on online compared with physical school days. In general, positive mood was positively associated with academic motivation, and friend conflict related negatively to academic motivation. Moreover, lower levels of parental support were related to lower academic motivation on online versus physical school days. Overall, these findings identified some critical changes in adolescents' daily experiences during the COVID-19 school closure and social-emotional factors that may buffer decreases in adolescents' academic motivation.

Browning of White Adipose Tissue as a Therapeutic Tool in the Fight against Atherosclerosis.

Despite continuous medical advances, atherosclerosis remains the prime cause of mortality worldwide. Emerging findings on brown and beige adipocytes highlighted that these fat cells share the specific ability of non-shivering thermogenesis due to the expression of uncoupling protein 1. Brown fat is established during embryogenesis, and beige cells emerge from white adipose tissue exposed to specific stimuli like cold exposure into a process called browning. The consecutive energy expenditure of both thermogenic adipose tissues has shown therapeutic potential in metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes. The latest data suggest promising effects on atherosclerosis development as well. Upon cold exposure, mice and humans have a physiological increase in brown adipose tissue activation and browning of white adipocytes is promoted. The use of drugs like ß3-adrenergic agonists in murine models induces similar effects. With respect to atheroprotection, thermogenic adipose tissue activation has beneficial outcomes in mice by decreasing plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins, by increasing high-density lipoproteins, and by inducing secretion of atheroprotective adipokines. Atheroprotective effects involve an unaffected hepatic clearance. Latest clinical data tend to find thinner atherosclerotic lesions in patients with higher brown adipose tissue activity. Strategies for preserving healthy arteries are a major concern for public health.

An agenda for research and action toward diverse and just futures for life on Earth.

Decades of research and policy interventions on biodiversity have insufficiently addressed the dual issues of biodiversity degradation and social justice. New approaches are therefore needed. We devised a research and action agenda that calls for a collective task of revisiting biodiversity toward the goal of sustaining diverse and just futures for life on Earth. Revisiting biodiversity involves critically reflecting on past and present research, policy, and practice concerning biodiversity to inspire creative thinking about the future. The agenda was developed through a 2-year dialogue process that involved close to 300 experts from diverse disciplines and locations. This process was informed by social science insights that show biodiversity research and action is underpinned by choices about how problems are conceptualized. Recognizing knowledge, action, and ethics as inseparable, we synthesized a set of principles that help navigate the task of revisiting biodiversity. The agenda articulates 4 thematic areas for future research. First, researchers need to revisit biodiversity narratives by challenging conceptualizations that exclude diversity and entrench the separation of humans, cultures, economies, and societies from nature. Second, researchers should focus on the relationships between the Anthropocene, biodiversity, and culture by considering humanity and biodiversity as tied together in specific contexts. Third, researchers should focus on nature and economies by better accounting for the interacting structures of economic and financial systems as core drivers of biodiversity loss. Finally, researchers should enable transformative biodiversity research and action by reconfiguring relationships between human and nonhuman communities in and through science, policy, and practice. Revisiting biodiversity necessitates a renewed focus on dialogue among biodiversity communities and beyond that critically reflects on the past to channel research and action toward fostering just and diverse futures for human and nonhuman life on Earth.

Una Agenda para la Investigación y la Acción hacia un Futuro Diverso y Justo para la Vida sobre la Tierra Resumen Las décadas de investigación e intervenciones políticas sobre la biodiversidad han tratado significativamente los temas de la degradación de la biodiversidad y la justicia social. Debido a esto, se requieren nuevas estrategias. Diseñamos una agenda de investigación y acción que llama a la labor colectiva de revisar la biodiversidad hacia el objetivo de sustentar un futuro diverso y justo para la vida sobre la Tierra. Cuando se revisa la biodiversidad, se requiere de una reflexión crítica sobre las investigaciones, políticas y prácticas presentes y pasadas sobre la biodiversidad para inspirar un pensamiento creativo acerca del futuro. Desarrollamos la agenda por medio de un proceso de diálogo de dos años que involucró a casi 300 expertos de diversas disciplinas y localidades. Este proceso estuvo orientado por el conocimiento de las ciencias sociales que muestra cómo la investigación y la acción para la biodiversidad están sostenidas por las opciones de cómo están conceptualizados los problemas. Reconocimos al conocimiento, la acción y la ética como inseparables y sintetizamos un conjunto de principios que ayuda a navegar la labor de revisar la biodiversidad. La agenda articula cuatro áreas temáticas para la investigación en el futuro. Primero, los investigadores necesitan revisar las narrativas de la biodiversidad mediante el cuestionamiento de las conceptualizaciones que excluyen a la diversidad y consolidan la separación entre humanos, culturas, economías y sociedades y la naturaleza. Segundo, los investigadores deberían enfocarse en las relaciones entre el antropoceno, la biodiversidad y la cultura al considerar a la humanidad y la biodiversidad como interconectadas en contextos específicos. Tercero, los investigadores deberían enfocarse en la naturaleza y las economías al tener en mejor cuenta la interacción de las estructuras de los sistemas económico y financiero como conductores nucleares de la pérdida de la biodiversidad. Finalmente, los investigadores deberían permitir la investigación y acción transformadoras de la biodiversidad al reconfigurar las relaciones entre las comunidades humanas y no humanas dentro y a través de la ciencia, la política y la práctica. La revisión de la biodiversidad necesita de un enfoque renovado sobre el diálogo entre las comunidades de la biodiversidad y más allá, que reflexione críticamente sobre el pasado para canalizar a la investigación y acción hacia el fomento del futuro justo y diverso para la vida humana y no humana sobre la Tierra.

Genetic dissection of the secretory route followed by a fungal extracellular glycosyl hydrolase.

Hyphal tip cells of Aspergillus nidulans are > 100 µm-long, which challenges intracellular traffic. In spite of the basic and applied interest of the secretory pathway of filamentous fungi, only recently has it been investigated in detail. We used InuA, an inducible and highly glycosylated inulinase, and mutations affecting different intracellular membranous compartments, to investigate the route by which the enzyme traffics to the extracellular medium. InuA is core-N-glycosylated in the ER and hyperglycosylated during transit across the Golgi. Hyperglycosylation was prevented by ts mutations in sarASAR1 impeding ER exit, and in sedVSED5 and rabORAB1 dissipating the early Golgi, but not by mutations in the TGN regulators hypATRS120 and hypBSEC7 , implicating the early Golgi in cargo glycosylation. podB1ts (cog2ts ) affecting the COG complex also prevents glycosylation, without disassembling early Golgi cisternae. That InuA exocytosis is prevented by inactivation of any of the above genes shows that it follows a conventional secretory pathway. However, ablation of RabBRAB5 regulating early endosomes (EEs), but not of RabSRAB7 , its equivalent in late endosomes, also prevents InuA accumulation in the medium, indicating that EEs are specifically required for InuA exocytosis. This work provides a framework to understand the secretion of enzyme cargoes by industrial filamentous fungi.

Cytotoxic Deoxypodophyllotoxin Can Be Extracted in High Purity from Anthriscus sylvestris Roots by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide.

Deoxypodophyllotoxin is present in the roots of Anthriscus sylvestris. This compound is cytotoxic on its own, but it can also be converted into podophyllotoxin, which is in high demand as a precursor for the important anticancer drugs etoposide and teniposide. In this study, deoxypodophyllotoxin is extracted from A. sylvestris roots by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. The process is simple and scalable. The supercritical carbon dioxide method extracts 75 - 80% of the total deoxypodophyllotoxin content, which is comparable to a single extraction by traditional Soxhlet. However, less polar components are extracted. The activity of the supercritical carbon dioxide extract containing deoxypodophyllotoxin was assessed by demonstrating that the extract arrests A549 and HeLa cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. We conclude that biologically active deoxypodophyllotoxin can be extracted from A. sylvestris by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. The method is solvent free and more sustainable compared to traditional methods.

Pannexin1 links lymphatic function to lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis.

Extracellular ATP is a central signaling molecule in inflammatory responses. Pannexin1 (Panx1) channels release ATP in a controlled manner and have been implicated in various inflammatory pathologies, but their role in atherogenesis remains elusive. Using atherosclerosis-susceptible mouse models with ubiquitous deletion of Panx1 (Panx1 -/- Apoe -/- ) or with Cre recombinase-mediated deletion of Panx1 in endothelial cells and monocytes (Tie2-Cre Tg Panx1 fl/fl Apoe -/- ; Panx1 del Apoe -/- ), we identified a novel role for Panx1 in the lymphatic vasculature. Atherosclerotic lesion development in response to high-cholesterol diet was enhanced in Panx1 del Apoe -/- mice, pointing to an atheroprotective role for Panx1 in endothelial and/or monocytic cells. Unexpectedly, atherogenesis was not changed in mice with ubiquitous Panx1 deletion, but Panx1 -/- Apoe -/- mice displayed reduced body weight, serum cholesterol, triglycerides and free fatty acids, suggesting altered lipid metabolism in these Panx1-deficient mice. Mechanistically, Panx1 -/- Apoe -/- mice showed impairment of lymphatic vessel function with decreased drainage of interstitial fluids and reduced dietary fat absorption. Thus, the detrimental effect of Panx1 deletion in endothelial and/or monocytic cells during atherogenesis is counterbalanced by an opposite effect resulting from impaired lymphatic function in ubiquitous Panx1-deficient mice. Collectively, our findings unveil a pivotal role of Panx1 in linking lymphatic function to lipid metabolism and atherosclerotic plaque development.

Importance of dietary calcium and vitamin D in the treatment of hypercalcaemia in Williams-Beuren syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by the deletion of 26-28 genes on chromosome 7. Fifteen percent of WBS patients present with hypercalcaemia during infancy, which is generally mild and resolves spontaneously before the age of 4 years. The mechanisms underlying the transient hypercalcaemia in WBS are poorly understood. CASE: We report a case of severe symptomatic hypercalcaemia in a patient with WBS, in which treatment with mild calcium restriction, hyperhydration and repeated bisphosphonate administration only resulted in short-lasting effects. Long-term lowering of serum calcium was only achieved after reducing calcium and vitamin D intake to the bare minimum. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates the potential severity of hypercalcaemia in WBS, and demonstrates that both the cause as well as the solution of this problem may be found in the intestinal absorption of calcium. We hypothesise that the phenotypical resemblance between WBS and transient idiopathic infantile hypercalcaemia can be explained by similarities in the underlying genetic defect. Patients suffering from transient infantile hypercalcaemia were recently described to have mutations in CYP24A1, the key enzyme in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 degradation. In the light of this new development we discuss the role of one of the deleted genes in WBS, Williams syndrome transcription factor (WSTF), in the etiology of hypercalcaemia in WBS.

CRISPR immunity relies on the consecutive binding and degradation of negatively supercoiled invader DNA by Cascade and Cas3.

The prokaryotic CRISPR/Cas immune system is based on genomic loci that contain incorporated sequence tags from viruses and plasmids. Using small guide RNA molecules, these sequences act as a memory to reject returning invaders. Both the Cascade ribonucleoprotein complex and the Cas3 nuclease/helicase are required for CRISPR interference in Escherichia coli, but it is unknown how natural target DNA molecules are recognized and neutralized by their combined action. Here we show that Cascade efficiently locates target sequences in negatively supercoiled DNA, but only if these are flanked by a protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM). PAM recognition by Cascade exclusively involves the crRNA-complementary DNA strand. After Cascade-mediated R loop formation, the Cse1 subunit recruits Cas3, which catalyzes nicking of target DNA through its HD-nuclease domain. The target is then progressively unwound and cleaved by the joint ATP-dependent helicase activity and Mg(2+)-dependent HD-nuclease activity of Cas3, leading to complete target DNA degradation and invader neutralization.

Energy intake of Swedish overweight and obese children is underestimated using a diet history interview.

Estimating energy intake (EI) of a child by using a diet history interview (DHI) method may be a challenge because of difficulty for the child to remember what has been eaten as well as to report portion sizes. The aim of this research was to validate reported EI from a DHI in children classified as overweight or obese by comparing the reported EI to total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by 2 objective measures. Eighty-five 10.5- +/- 1.1-y-old overweight and obese children, with help from 1 or 2 parents, reported their EI 2 wk retrospectively in a DHI. Reported EI was compared with TEE, as measured by SenseWear armband (n = 85) and the doubly-labeled water (DLW) method (n = 21), during the same period as the DHI. Reported EI was underestimated by 14% when validated against both the armband and DLW method. Underestimation did not differ between boys and girls. However, the EI of obese children was underestimated by 22%, which is twice the rate as for the overweight children (95% CI: 0.55, 3.08). Underestimated EI was negatively correlated with BMI (r = -0.38; P = <0.01) as well as age (r = -0.21; P = 0.05). EI is underestimated to a higher extent among children with higher BMI and higher age when using a DHI method. The findings show the importance of validating dietary intake of children in general and in overweight and obese children in particular.

Relationship between follicle number and (multiple) live birth rate after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and intrauterine insemination.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between the number of mature ovarian follicles and the (multiple) live birth rate after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and intrauterine insemination. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 2463 intrauterine insemination cycles performed during a natural cycle (n = 118), or after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with either clomiphene citrate (n = 663) or with gonadotrophins (n = 1682) were reviewed to assess the impact of the type of stimulation and the number of follicles 14 mm or larger on the (multiple) live birth rate per cycle. RESULTS: The live birth rate after intrauterine insemination was significantly higher (P = .02) after stimulation with gonadotrophins (13%) than after clomiphene cirate (8%) if only 1 follicle 14 mm or larger was present. If 2 or more follicles were present, there was no statistically significant difference between both stimulation methods. CONCLUSION: Treatment of intrauterine insemination with gonadotrophin is effective with an acceptable (multiple) live birth rate when 1 or 2 follicles 14 mm or larger are present.

Deficient alternative complement pathway activation due to factor D deficiency by 2 novel mutations in the complement factor D gene in a family with meningococcal infections.

The complement system is an essential element in our innate defense against infections with Neisseria meningitidis. We describe 2 cases of meningococcal septic shock, 1 of them fatal, in 2 children of a Turkish family. In the surviving patient, alternative pathway activation was absent and factor D plasma concentrations were undetectable. Concentrations of mannose-binding lectin (MBL), C1q, C4 and C3, factor B, properdin, factor H, and factor I were normal. Mutation analysis of the factor D gene revealed a T638 > G (Val213 > Gly) and a T640 > C (Cys214 > Arg) mutation in the genomic DNA from the patient, both in homozygous form. The consanguineous parents and an unaffected sister had these mutations in heterozygous form. In vitro incubation of factor-D-deficient plasma of the boy with serogroup B N meningitidis showed normal MBL-mediated complement activation but no formation of the alternative pathway C3-convertase C3bBbP, and severely decreased C3bc formation and terminal complement activation. The defect was restored after supplementation with factor D. In conclusion, this is the second report of a factor D gene mutation leading to factor D deficiency in a family with meningococcal disease. This deficiency abolishes alternative-pathway dependent complement activation by N meningitidis, and leads to an increased susceptibility to invasive meningococcal disease.

Young Swedish vegans have different sources of nutrients than young omnivores.

The aim of this study was to identify sources of nutrients in diets of young Swedish vegans and omnivores. Three months of dietary intakes were investigated by diet history interviews. Volunteers were recruited through advertising and visits to schools in the city of Umeå, Sweden. Thirty vegans, 15 female and 15 male, aged 17.5+/-1.0 years, were compared with 30 sex-, age-, and height-matched omnivores. Vegans had different sources of nutrients than young omnivores and relied to a great extent on dietary supplements as a source of vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, and selenium. Dietary intake of vegetables, fruits, and berries exceeded 500 g/day for 21 of the 30 vegans, whereas the same held true for only 1 of the 30 omnivores. Instead of animal products, young vegans rely on dietary supplements, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and berries as sources of nutrients.

Adverse drug reactions in older Australians, 1981-2002.

OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in people aged 60 years or over causing admission to or an extended stay in Western Australian hospitals between 1981 and 2002. DESIGN AND SETTING: Secondary data analysis of case series. PATIENTS: 43,380 patients admitted to WA public and private hospitals with an (International Classification of Diseases) ICD external cause code for an ADR, identified by the population-based WA Hospital Morbidity Data System. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age-specific, age-standardised and drug-specific rates of ADR-related hospital stays. RESULTS: The age-standardised rate of ADR-related hospital stays increased from 2.5 per 1000 person-years (py) in 1981 to 12.9 per 1000 py in 2002. The largest increases occurred in those aged 80 + years (tenfold in men and sevenfold in women). The most common drug group involved was cardiovascular agents (17.5%), while anticoagulants (7.5%), cytotoxics (7.4%) and antirheumatics (6.8%) were the more specific drug classes most often implicated. ADRs from the last three classes of drugs were still rising at the end of the study, whereas ADRs from corticosteroids and antihypertensives peaked in 1996 and from opioids in 2000. CONCLUSIONS: Increases in hospital admissions or extended lengths of stay due to ADRs in WA have continued despite programs to promote rational and safer use of medicines. The sharp increase in ADRs from anticoagulants warrants attention to revised clinical guidelines.

A multi-residue screening method for the determination of 73 pesticides and metabolites in fruit and vegetables using high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

A multi-residue screening method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of 73 pesticides and their metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. These pesticides were determined under a single set of experimental conditions involving a simple acetonitrile extraction without the requirement for a clean-up step. Validation was achieved at 0.01 and 0.1 mg kg(-1) levels in apple, lettuce and orange. Recoveries were in the range 77-124% for the majority of pesticides.

Veganism as status passage: the process of becoming a vegan among youths in Sweden.

In a town in northern Sweden, 3.3% of the 15-year-old adolescents were vegans in 1996. This study describes the process of becoming a vegan among adolescents and interprets the informants' descriptions by constructing categories, which later on were related to relevant theories. Group interviews were conducted with three vegans and in-depth interviews were performed with three other vegan adolescents. The methodology was grounded theory and the adolescents' perceptions were analyzed in the framework of symbolic interactionism. Three types of vegans were identified: the Conformed Vegan, the Organized Vegan, and the Individualistic Vegan. The decision to become a vegan was reported to be influenced by perceived internal reasons such as ethics, health, distaste for meat, and preference for vegetarian food. In addition, friends, family, school, media, and music influenced the decision to become a vegan. The perceived consequences of becoming a vegan were positive as well as negative and differed between the three types of vegans. Veganism as a new type of status passage with specific characteristics was illustrated. No modifications or new properties were discovered that add to the theory of status passage which indicates that the general model is applicable also in a vegan context.

Lifestyle-related characteristics of young low-meat consumers and omnivores in Sweden and Norway.

PURPOSE: To compare the lifestyle-related characteristics of low-meat consumer and omnivore adolescents in Sweden and Norway. METHODS: A total of 2041 students (578 from Umeå, Sweden; 504 from Stockholm, Sweden; and 959 from Bergen, Norway), with a mean age of 15.5 years, completed a questionnaire. Information was collected about physical characteristics, and health, family situation, social, exercise, alcohol, and tobacco habits. The response rate was 95% in Umeå, 91% in Stockholm, and 83% in Bergen. Statistical analyses included Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: There was no reported difference between low-meat consumers and omnivores with respect to alcohol use, smoking, weight, or amount of exercise. Female low-meat consumers more frequently used smokeless tobacco, reported having more sick days during the last year, attached less importance to "being healthy," and had been depressed more often than female omnivores. Male low-meat consumers reported, to a greater extent than male omnivores, having been tired without reason, having often had headaches and having been depressed. Female low-meat consumers had parents with a higher average level of education than did female omnivores and more often spent time with friends after school. CONCLUSIONS: Vegetarianism or low-meat consumption is mainly a female phenomenon among adolescents in this study. The study indicates that the lifestyle of young low-meat consumers differs from the lifestyle found in previous studies of vegetarians with respect to the respondents' exercise habits, their perception of their own health, and their use of alcohol and tobacco. Contrary to findings from other studies, adherence to a low-meat diet may not correlate with other health promotion practices among adolescents in Sweden and Norway.