Norwegians approve of the health authorities' strategy to communicate worst case pandemic scenarios.

According to the Norwegian pandemic preparedness plans, health authorities shall assess their communication activities before and during an outbreak of infectious diseases. A survey was conducted on 29 April 2009 on acceptance of communications by the national public health authorities concerning the emerging threat from the new influenza A(H1N1) virus. The survey was similar to other surveys in 2005-6 about the avian flu. The results were not very different--the overall majority of the people interviewed were not worried and the health authorities were regarded as trustworthy.

Short term storage of samples containing monoamines: ascorbic acid and glutathione give better protection against degradation than perchloric acid.

In order to study the protection of monoamines from degradation during short-time storage, the effect of three different antioxidants on the degradation of dopamine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) was analyzed after 5 and 20 h. The results showed that dopamine was still quite stable after 20 h storage at room temperature, but that about 95% of 5-HIAA had disappeared. The best protection against degradation of all three substances was achieved when 15% v/v of a solution containing 1-2 mM ascorbic acid or 40 mM glutathione was added to the sample, resulting in near 100% protection after 20 h. Perchloric acid actually accelerated the degradation of 5-HIAA.

[Cardiovascular risk factors in persons aged 40-42 years in the county of Hedmark 1988-94]. / Risikofaktorer for hjerte- og karsykdommer hos 40-42-åringer i Hedmark fylke 1988-94.

We present the results from three surveys conducted in 1988, 1991 and 1994 in Hedmark comparing risk factors for cardiovascular disease among men and women age 40-42 years. The data are compared with the results for persons in the same age group from the counties Vestfold, Rogaland and Nordland, and examined in the same periods. In 1991 the average levels of total cholesterol and infarction risk score were the same in Hedmark and the three other counties, but in 1994 Hedmark compared less favourably. While the mean levels of total cholesterol showed minimal difference between rural and urban municipalities in Hedmark, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure were higher in the rural areas. Adjustment of the results in Hedmark for lower attendance rate among unmarried, divorced and widowed persons in 1991 and 1994 than in 1988 does not affect other risk factors than smoking. We discuss possible explanations of the less favourable results and the implications for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.