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Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) are synthesized in the placental cells of ruminants and are detectable in blood, milk, and urine. Many of these proteins have been obtained and characterized from placental extracts by precipitation with 80 % ammonium sulfate. The possibility of purifying PAGs by precipitation with other concentrations of ammonium sulfate remains unexplored. We aimed to study PAG proteins obtained from extracts of ovine placenta at 100 days of gestation through precipitation with 40 % ammonium sulfate (Extract 40). The main protein complex (130 kDa) was obtained after Extract 40 precipitation. Under reducing SDS-PAGE conditions, the 130 kDa complex dissociated in two PAG proteins with apparent molecular weights of 52.1 kDa and 26.1 kDa. The 130 kDa protein appeared to be a molecular complex consisting of two copies of the 52.1 kDa protein linked to one copy of the 26.1 kDa protein, presumably by disulfide bonds. Furthermore, the 52.1 kDa protein consisted of at least three isoforms with distinct isoelectric points. Amino acid microsequencing of the 52.1 kDa protein revealed a chimeric structure containing amino acid sequences of PAG1, PAG4, PAG6, and PAG1-like proteins. This procedure recovered a novel 130 kDa protein complex composed of 26.1 kDa and two 52.1 kDa PAGs. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been previously reported as heterologous polymeric molecules.

Emerging research has highlighted COVID-19's profound impact on the nervous system, with ongoing debate regarding its severity and the emergence of peripheral neurological disorders. This study delves into the correlation between COVID-19 severity and electromyographic abnormalities in hospitalized patients, aiming to elucidate the nature and extent of neuromuscular dysfunction associated with the disease.

A random sample of 1418 (40.8% male) Hispanics and 501 (46.1% male) non-Hispanic Whites were surveyed about their behavioral expectations for driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages (DUI). Hispanics reported more often than Whites that the effects of DUI would be driving carelessly, being angry at other drivers, feeling nervous, losing the respect of friends, feeling guilty, feeling too tired to drive, and losing their self-respect. There were gender differences among Hispanics but not among Whites. Hispanic abstainers reported the likelihood of the various outcomes more frequently than drinkers although drinking status produced no statistically significant differences among non-Hispanic Whites.

This study analyzed the responses of 391 Mexican-Americans (44.9% males) and 531 Central Americans (40.2% males) who were between 21 and 65 years of age and resided in San Francisco, California. In general, Mexican-Americans were found to have a lower proportion of abstainers (56.8%) than Central Americans (64.4%). Mexican-Americans reported drinking more often and in greater quantities than Central Americans, and the proportion of "high" drinkers was higher among Mexican-American men and women than among the Central American respondents. Despite this diversity in the topography of alcoholic beverage consumption between Mexican-Americans and Central Americans, the role of gender and acculturation on shaping those variables was fairly consistent across groups. The acculturation level of the respondents was found to significantly affect the proportion of abstainers in both groups. Furthermore, gender was an important determinant of frequency, total number of drinks, and volume of drinking for Mexican-Americans and for Central Americans.

An archival study was done of 500 medical records from a community clinic serving a low-income predominantly Hispanic area of Los Angeles. Data collected included demographic characteristics and presenting symptoms or reasons for visit, as well as diagnoses and treatment. Patients tended to be young, poor, female Hispanics. The majority of patient visits were for family planning services, with smaller proportions for pediatric, general medical, or pregnancy testing services. Return rates for family planning and other services were not as high as desirable, with more than half of the sample having made only one clinic visit. A careful analysis of the demographic characteristics of oral contraceptive acceptors who returned or did not return for services indicated that the two groups were similar to each other except that married women were more likely to return than single women. One quarter of positive pregnancy tests were done on women who were more than 12 weeks pregnant, while another quarter of positive tests were referred for abortion. The data highlighted certain changes needed in service delivery, such as the need for a pre- and postnatal care component of service and a need to attract more older and male patients. In the future, collection of archival data from this same clinic could facilitate the evaluation of certain policy changes, since those data could be compared with the present findings.

Background. Prevalence of cigarette smoking among Latinos compared to whites is higher among men (30.9% versus 27.9%), but lower among women (16.3% versus 23.5%). More acculturated Latina women, however, smoke more. Compared to other smokers, Latinos report consuming about half the average number of cigarettes per day. Up to a quarter of Latino smokers of less than 10 cigarettes per day may be underreporting consumption. The association between smoking and depression has also been found in Latinos.Program Goals. The Programa Latino Para Dejar de Fumar (Programa) goals are: 1) to evaluate attitudinal, behavioral, and cultural differences between Latino and white smokers; 2) to integrate these findings into a comprehensive, culturally-appropriate smoking cessation intervention; and 3) to implement the intervention in a defined community in order to decrease cigarette smoking prevalence, increase behaviors that may lead smokers to quit, and promote a nonsmoking environment.Program Components. Heightened concern about health effects of smoking the importance of social smoking and the influence of the family on behavior are integrated in the Programa components: 1) the promotion of a full-color, Spanish-language, self-help, smoking cessation guide (Guia), distributed at no charge; 2) an anti-smoking Spanish-language, electronic media campaign; 3) community involvement; 4) quit smoking contests; 5) smoking cessation, individual, telephone consultations (consultas); and 6) collaboration with health care personnel.Results. Effectiveness of the Programa is being evaluated by annual, cross-sectional, random digit dialing telephone surveys compared to two baseline surveys. After 19 months of intervention, the proportion who had heard of the Programa increased from 18.5% to 44.0%, and over one third of less acculturated smokers had the Guia. Future directions will emphasize smoking prevention among youth, prevention of relapse among quitters, and depression prevention.

This investigation studied the effects of acculturation on attitudinal familism in 452 Hispanics compared to 227 white nonHispanics. Despite differences in the national origin of Hispanics, Mexican-, Central -and Cuban-Americans reported similar attitudes toward the family indicating that familism is a core characteristic in the Hispanic culture. Three basic dimensions of familism were found: Familial obligations, perceived support from the family and family as referents. The high level of perceived family support, invariable despite changes in acculturation, is the most essential dimension of Hispanic familism. Familial obligations and the perception of the family as referents appear to diminish with the level of acculturation, but the perception of family support doesn't change. Although these two dimensions of familism decrease concurrently with the level of acculturation, the attitudes of persons with high levels of acculturation are more familistic than those of white nonHispanics.

This article summarizes the outcome of health education efforts among populations that, due to their cultural heritage, have received limited services. The literature reviewed shows that programs found to be effective in one population cannot be assumed to be equally effective with a different population. An argument is made for the design of culturally appropriate and group-specific interventions which would properly serve the various underserved populations. Research needs to be conducted to identify appropriate approaches and intervention strategies, as well as the group-specific sociopsychological characteristics (attitudes, norms, values, expectan cies) that are related to health-damaging and protective behaviors.

Un total de 152 estudiantes universitarios de Bogotá, Colombia y el mismo número de una universidad en Chicago, Estados Unidos hicieron atribuciones sobre el éxito o el fracaso en la labores académicas de un individuo (hombre o mujer) que ellos desconocían. Posteriormente, estos mismos sujetos hicieron atribuciones para el éxito o el fracaso propio, de nuevo en una tarea académica. No se encontraron diferencias significativas debidas al sexo del sujeto en lo que concierne a las atribuciones del observador para el éxito o el fracaso del individuo que se evaluó. Los sujetos estadounidenses prefirieron hacer atribuciones internas para su propio comportamiento así como para el comportamiento de otros individuos mientras que los colombianos prefirieron hacer atribuciones con un locus de control externo. Las mujeres de ambos países consideraron las causas internas como más importantes para su propio éxito que los hombres aunque este patrón fue lo opuesto para una situación de fracaso.