Nutritional and economic advantages for homeless families in shelters providing kitchen facilities and food.

Food habits were examined in homeless families in Boston-area hotels and family shelters. Reported household income, food expenditures, food sources, and attitudes were analyzed for 77 caretakers grouped according to kitchen facilities provided and amount of food provided. Diets were analyzed using a 4-week semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire for 71 female respondents grouped by type of residence (hotel or shelter).

Comparison of the substrate-binding pockets of the Rous sarcoma virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 proteases.

A steady state kinetic analysis of the avian myeloblastosis virus/Rous sarcoma virus (AMV/RSV) and human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) retroviral proteases (PRs) was carried out using a series of 40 peptide substrates that are derivatives of the AMV/RSV nucleocapsid-PR cleavage site. These peptides contain single amino acid substitutions in each of the seven positions of the minimum length substrate required by the PR for specific and efficient cleavage. These peptide substrates are distinguished by the individual enzyme subsites of the AMV/RSV and HIV-1 PRs.

Purification of antifungal lipopeptides by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

A rapid procedure for the purification of antifungal lipopeptides from Bacillus subtilis, a potential agent for biocontrol of plant diseases, was tested. It consists of a solid-phase extraction on C18 gel followed by reversed-phase chromatography using a biocompatible PepRPC HR 5/5 column with a pharmacia fast protein liquid chromatographic system. This is a very effective method for isolating and fractionating iturin A and surfactin, two lipopeptides of different nature, co-produced by Bacillus subtilis strain S499.

Back pain and its correlates among workers in family care.

In order to assess the prevalence of back pain problems among family care workers, and the association of back pain with selected variables, a cross-sectional survey among the 4723 employees of the largest Flemish organization for family care was conducted. A self-administered questionnaire comparable to the standardized Nordic questionnaire on musculoskeletal symptoms was distributed to all employees of the organization. The response rate was 90 per cent (n = 4256) and the study population was almost uniformly composed of females (99.

Pharmacoeconomics of immunisation: a review.

The effects of immunisation programmes that have existed for several decades in developed countries are demonstrated by the decrease and even eradication of smallpox, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps and hepatitis B. Cost, health policy and spontaneous evolution in the incidence of communicable diseases have a decisive influence on the use of a vaccine. Investment in vaccination policy has to be encouraged to maintain this progress made in the control of infectious diseases and to meet new challenges.

Comparison of micronutrient intake measured by a dietary questionnaire and biochemical indicators of micronutrient status.

We compared the intake of 12 micronutrients as reported on a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire with corresponding biochemical indicators of nutrient status in a sample of 57 males and 82 females aged 40-83 y. Age-, sex-and energy-adjusted correlation coefficients ranged from near zero for thiamin, vitamin A, and zinc to 0.63 for folate.

Pharmacological profile of the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor of Fasciola hepatica body wall muscle.

5-HT is a candidate for the excitatory transmitter at the neuromuscular junction in trematodes including Fasciola hepatica. This study has determined the response of a muscle strip preparation from Fasciola hepatica to 5-HT and a range of agonists that distinguish between the vertebrate receptor 5-HT subtypes. 5-HT increased the resting tone and the rhythmic activity of the muscle strip.

Long-term morbidity and mortality of overweight adolescents. A follow-up of the Harvard Growth Study of 1922 to 1935.

Background: Overweight in adults is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In contrast, the long-term effect of overweight in adolescence on morbidity and mortality is not known.

Methods: We studied the relation between overweight and morbidity and mortality in 508 lean or overweight adolescents 13 to 18 years old who participated in the Harvard Growth Study of 1922 to 1935.

m-Sulfonate benzene diazonium chloride: a powerful affinity label for the gamma-aminobutyric acid binding site from rat brain.

m-Sulfonate benzene diazonium chloride (MSBD) was used to affinity-label the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) binding site from rat brain membranes. To assess the irreversibility of the labeling reaction, we used an efficient ligand dissociation procedure combined to a rapid [3H]muscimol binding assay, both steps being performed on filter-adsorbed membranes. Inactivation of specific [3H]-muscimol binding sites by MSBD and its prevention by GABA were both time- and concentration-dependent.

Chronic idiopathic urticaria: profiles of skin mast cell histamine release during active disease and remission.

Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is characterized by the increased releasability of histamine by mast cells in normal-appearing skin. In active CIU, this abnormality is consistently present. To determine if this finding subsides when the disease goes into remission phase, we analyzed the histamine secretion in patients with CIU in remission (CIUR) compared with that of patients with CIU and in normal control (NC) subjects, with the skin-chamber technique.

Effects of vitamin C on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and blood pressure.

Diet has been linked to cardiovascular disease risk by its influence on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and blood pressure (BP). Recent evidence suggests that vitamin C may play a role in regulation of cholesterol and BP. The cross-sectional relationships of plasma ascorbic acid (PAA) with cholesterol and BP are described in three Boston area samples: 1) 249 males and 447 females (aged 60-100 years), 2) 100 Chinese-American males and 159 Chinese-American females (aged 60-96 years), and 3) 225 male and 192 female participants (aged 20-60 years) in a randomized field trial of vitamin C supplementation.

A cross-sectional study of vitamin C intake and blood pressure in the elderly.

Data collected as part of a study designed to examine the nutritional status of non-institutionalized elderly individuals, ages 60-100 years, residing in the Boston area were used to investigate the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and vitamin C intake reported by three-day diet records. Four hundred and ten subjects not taking antihypertensive medications were grouped into 5 categories of vitamin C intake: < 60, 60-119, 120-179, 180-239, > or = 240 mg/day. Relative differences in systolic and diastolic BP between subjects consuming > or = 240 mg/day compared to those consuming < 60 mg/day were -6.

The Enterococcus hirae R40 penicillin-binding protein 5 and the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus penicillin-binding protein 2' are similar.

The penicillin-resistant Enterococcus hirae R40 has a typical profile of membrane-bound penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) except that the 71 kDa PBP5 of low penicillin affinity represents about 50% of all the PBPs present. Water-soluble tryptic-digest peptides were selectively produced from PBP5, their N-terminal regions were sequenced and synthetic oligonucleotides were used as primers to generate a 476 bp DNA fragment by polymerase chain reaction. On the basis of these data, the PBP5-encoding gene was cloned in Escherichia coli by using pBR322 as vector.

Mode of membrane insertion and sequence of a 32-amino acid peptide stretch of the penicillin-binding protein 4 of Enterococcus hirae.

Analysis of water-soluble derivatives of the Enterococcus hirae 75-kDa membrane-bound penicillin-binding protein 4 (PBP4) has yielded the amino acid sequence of a 32-amino acid polypeptide stretch. This peptide is similar to peptide segments known to occur in the N-terminal domain of high-Mr PBPs of class B. The E.

Relationship in humans between ascorbic acid consumption and levels of total and reduced ascorbic acid in lens, aqueous humor, and plasma.

The relationships between plasma, aqueous humor and lens ascorbic acid levels are examined in 131 samples from 127 patients. Mean ascorbate intake for nonsupplemented individuals was 148 mg/day or over two times the recommended daily allowance. A subset of 44 patients participated in a trial to assess the impact of vitamin C supplementation of 2 grams per day on aqueous and lens ascorbic acid levels.

Epidemiologic evidence of a role for the antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids in cataract prevention.

The relationship between antioxidant nutrient status and senile cataract was examined in 77 subjects with cataracts and 35 control subjects with clear lenses. Subjects with low (below the 20th percentile) and moderate (20th-80th percentiles) plasma nutrient and nutrient intake levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids were compared with subjects with high levels (above the 80th percentile). The odds ratio (OR) of cortical (CX) cataract among subjects with low plasma carotenoid levels was 7.

Bioconversion of a L-carnitin precursor in a one- or two-phase system.

The ability of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to bioconvert stereo-selectively octyl-4-chloroacetoacetate (OCA) into the corresponding chiral alcohol, precursor of L-carnitin, an important physiological agent, was investigated. In a monophasic system with free cells, more than 90% of OCA (0.018 M) bioconversion have been reached after 6 h (enantiomeric excess for the R form, eeR:97%).