Current and future economic burden of osteoporosis in New Zealand.

Background: Osteoporosis is recognized as a serious health condition in developed as well as developing countries. There are no accurate estimates of the extent of the burden of osteoporosis in New Zealand. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic burden of osteoporosis in New Zealand using data from international studies and population and health services information from New Zealand.

Does a functional activity programme improve function, quality of life, and falls for residents in long term care? Cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of an activity programme in improving function, quality of life, and falls in older people in residential care.

Design: Cluster randomised controlled trial with one year follow-up.

Setting: 41 low level dependency residential care homes in New Zealand.

Promoting independence in residential care: successful recruitment for a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To describe the recruitment strategy and association between facility and staff characteristics and success of resident recruitment for the Promoting Independence in Residential Care (PIRC) trial.

Design: Cross-sectional study of staff and facility characteristics and recruitment rates within facilities with calculation of cluster effects of multiple measures.

Setting And Participants: Staff of low-level dependency residential care facilities and residents able to engage in a physical activity program in 2 cities in New Zealand.

Role of the delta 8 double bond of agroclavine in lysergic acid amide biosynthesis by Claviceps purpurea.

Agroclavine, given to actively-growing sclerotial tissue of a strain of Claviceps purpurea which can not normally elaborate ergot alkaloids, was transformed by this tissue into lysergic acid amide with overall efficiency of approximately 40%. By contrast, festuclavine (8,9-dihydro-agroclavine) was not transformed, indicating specificity in the mechanism of lysergyl biosynthesis.

An intermediary role for the tremorgenic mycotoxin TR-2 in the biosynthesis of verruculogen.

14C-Labelled compound TR-2, a tremorgenic mycotoxin, was administered to Penicillium raistrickii in submerged fermentation. Half of the added radiolabel was taken up by the fungus during the 60 h incubation period and the secondary metabolites subsequently isolated, principally verruculogen but also fumitremorgin B, were found to be radiolabelled. The efficiency of biosynthetic incorporation of TR-2 into verruculogen within the mycelium was at least 35%, demonstrating for the first time an intermediary role for TR-2.