Dietary casein and soybean protein affect the concentrations of serum cholesterol, triglyceride and free amino acids in rats

This work was undertaken to investigate the concentrations of free amino acids in blood after food was withheld from growing, male Wistar rats fed cholesterol-free, low fat (1 g corn oil/100 g) diets with casein or soybean protein for 2 wk. A diet containing 22.5 or 23.5 g/100 g of soybean protein was hypocholesterolemic compared with a diet containing 20.0 g casein/100 g diet. A comparison of serum amino acids in soybean protein-fed vs. casein-fed rats showed that, whereas concentrations of many amino acids were lower in the soybean protein-fed rats compared with the casein-fed groups, glycine was the only amino acid having a higher concentration. Further, alanine was significantly lower in the soybean protein-fed rats compared with the casein-fed rats, and the protein-induced differences in glycine and alanine concentrations of unfed rats were reproducible. When diets containing 15.0% casein or 30.0% soybean protein, a casein diet supplemented with glycine and a soybean protein diet supplemented with methionine were compared, the changes in serum glycine and alanine correlated with the changes in serum cholesterol. Concentrations of several amino acids, particularly valine, leucine and tyrosine, also changed when serum cholesterol concentrations varied, but these effects could not be explained by our experiments. The results suggest that a change in serum concentration of glycine and alanine of unfed rats may be related to the change in serum cholesterol concentration.

[Study on the families' participation need for women in labor]

This study was done to suggest basic modifications in the present situation for the family of women in labour which is a separation management method. The study design was a descriptive study. The number of the subjects were 80. They were husbands, mothers in law, and mothers of women in labour who were full term and for whom there were no complications, either for the mother or the fetus. Data collection was done with a structured questionnaire which was analyzed using frequencies. The results were as follows, 1. Most of the subjects (95.0%) wanted to participate in the labour process. 2. The subjects wanted to support the women in labour by way of encouraging (95.0%), consoling (95.0%), listening to (75.0%), praying with (68.8%), hand holding (97.5%), stroking (63.8%), helping with respiration control (50.0%), maintaining relaxation (46.3%), changing position (58.8%), and illustration (58.8%). 3. The subjects answered that they expected their participation to have the effect of an easier labour course (52.5%), security for the women in labour (95.0%), and providing a better relationship between the women in labour (66.3%) and the new baby (55.0%). 4. The priority of the response as to who is the best supporter was husband, and mother of the women in labour in that order. It can be concluded that nurses maintained a management method which ignored the needs of the families of women in labour. If given consideration is to be given to these subjects, future programs should initiate ways to let the families participate in the labour process.

Significant changes of bronchial responsiveness to methacholine after early asthmatic reaction to toluene diisocyanate (TDI) in a TDI-sensitive asthmatic worker

Current asthma is often diagnostically excluded by the presence of normal bronchial responsiveness. We report on a TDI-induced occupational asthma patient with normal bronchial responsiveness. He had suffered from shortness of breath during and after TDI exposure for several months. His initial methacholine bronchial challenge test showed a negative response. The bronchoprovacation test with TDI showed an isolated immediate bronchoconstriction. The following methacholine bronchial challenge tests revealed that the bronchial hyperresponsiveness developed seven hours after the TDI challenge (methacholine PC20:5.1 mg/ml), progressed up until 24 hours, and returned to normal on the seventh day. This case provides evidence that the response of the airway to TDI may not always be accompanied by bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine. Screening programs utilizing methacholine challenges may not always identify TDI-sensitized asthmatic workers.

[Cadmium toxicity on rat's placenta: effect of zinc]

Maternal administration of CdCl2 (40 microM/kg) on the 19th day of gestation produces several ultrastructural modifications of the rat placental barrier which may be held responsible for fetal death. ZnCl2 (100 microM/kg) administered simultaneously with cadmium antagonises the cadmium toxicity in syncytial layer I.

[Mental conflict of urban Korean housewives--a qualitative analysis of 20 interviews]

This study analysed marital conflicts, related factors, and adjustments to those conflicts described by urban Korean women. The purpose was to discover directions for resolutions that would enhance the helpfulness of volunteers or professionals working with women in counselling settings. The investigator interviewed 20 married women, all mothers and housewives living in Seoul, attending marriage encounter programs and the Lifeline telephone counselling service. An interview schedule using six open-ended questions guided the data collection which took place between May 31 and December 29, 1988. Content analysis of the data revealed, in order of reported frequency, the following areas of conflict: relationships between husband wife, relationships with children, relationships between the wife and her mother-in-Law, unsatisfied sexual needs, the husband's extra marital relationships, lack of self actualization and financial matters. Analysis of the data suggested the following factors were related to the conflicts: reasons for marriage, traditional views about marriage and divorce including to accept a marriage arranged by the parents, the husband's traditional attitude toward the sex role of the wife, the husband's patriarchal authoritarianism, and his attitude toward the wife's employment outside the home. The women thought these conflicts severely affected their relationships within the family, particularly with their children. Literature suggests links with such poor parent-child-family relationships and adolescent or young people's social problems. Volunteers or professionals working with married women in counselling situations need to be conscious of the possibility of these conflicts during assessment, and direct their guidance toward such conflict resolution. The researcher makes several suggestions which include the need for the husband to give emotional support to his wife, to recognize the worth of housework, to share the work of the home, to find ways to enhance the wife's self-actualization and to ease dreary housework routines by providing modern appliances.