Lignin peroxidase catalyses the oxidative N‐demethylation of ring‐substituted N,N‐dimethylanilines by an electron‐transfer mechanism whereby an anilinium radical cation is formed which is then ...deprotonated by the enzyme. Information on the nature of the basic centre which deprotonates the radical cation has been obtained by determining the KDIE profile (plot of kH/kD vs. the pKa of the aniline radical cations) for a number of ring‐substituted N,N‐bis(dideuteriomethyl)anilines. From the bell‐shaped curve it has been estimated that the pKa of the proton‐ing base is about 7. Interestingly, almost the same value has been obtained when the same type of study has been carried out using a water‐soluble model compound: 5,10,15,20‐tetraphenyl‐21H,23H‐porphine‐p,p′,p′′,p′′′‐tetrasulfonic acid iron(III) chloride. This is a strong indication that the radical cation is deprotonated by the same species in the enzymatic and in the chemical reactions. It is suggested that this species is the reduced iron‐oxo complex.
The authors investigated exposure to C. jejuni infection in 83 subjects 18-65 years of age who had worked for 2-40 years in a slaughterhouse where as many as 1,000 sheep, 500 swine, and 100 cattle ...were processed weekly. CF antibodies were detected using a standard method, including the following five antigens: C. jejuni, Yersinia enterocolitica , types 3 and 9, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis , and Brucella . The results confirm an increased risk for C. jejuni infection in slaughterhouse workers and indicate that direct handling of infected animals and animal products is a major cause of this risk.
A cross-sectional study on 64 institutionalized and 65 noninstitutionalized elderly women has been undertaken. The age range was 60 through 90 years. Vitamin C status was assessed by serum ascorbic ...acid measurement and the nutritional status was evaluated by a three-day dietary record and main anthropometric measurements. Mean concentration of ascorbic acid was 1.03 mg/dl in the noninstitutionalized and 0.67 mg/dl in the institutionalized group (p < 0.001). A serum ascorbic acid level < 0.2 mg/dl was found in one (1.5%) and seven (10.9%) subjects respectively (p < 0.03). Mean intake of vitamin C was 104.1 mg/d in the former and 87.3 mg/d in the latter group (p = NS), being less than 45 mg/d in 16 living at home and 11 institutionalized women. Serum ascorbic acid level did not correlate significantly to dietary nutrient intake but correlated to activity of daily living level (r = -0.29), vitamin C intake (r = 0.23), ideal body weight (r = -0.15), relative body weight (r= 0.15) and body mass index (r = 0.14). Suggestions are made concerning a higher intake of vitamin C and a more careful catering to improve the health status of the elderly people living in large institutions. The authors also suggest to include the serum ascorbic level determination in the assessment of the general health status of the elderly.
The evaluation of the demand for assistance requires instruments and procedures scientifically validated as being effective. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a survey on the demand ...for assistance by a sector of the population, with an approach based on validated instruments and standardised procedures. The survey was carried out on a sample of 1,245 elderly persons (610 in Rome and 635 in Viterbo), who represent the over sixty-five year olds, resident in the Local Health Authority Roma D area and in the Local Health Authority of Viterbo. All the subjects were given the questionnaire for the Geriatric Functional Evaluation (GFE). Around 30% of over sixty-five year olds needs assistance. The Final Brief Evaluation indicates that 8% (CL 95%: 7.2-8.8) of the people interviewed need health and social services at the time of the study, and 20.6% more (CL95%: 19.5-21.7), should be carefully monitored in order to provide supportive, even if only social, services. Around 20.7% (CL95% 19.6-21.8) suffers from neurological pathologies and is characterised by a reduced functional capacity, as pointed out by the Multiple Correspondence Analysis. The combination of neuropathy and need of physical rehabilitation service is relevant part of the need for assistance. The approach used makes it possible to find out about situations of frailty in advance, so that a suitable plan of assistance in the area surveyed is possible.
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