Survivors of war in the Northern Kosovo (II): baseline clinical and functional assessment and lasting effects on the health of a vulnerable population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study documents torture and injury experience and investigates emotional well-being of victims of massive violence identified during a household survey in Mitrovicë district in Kosovo. Their physical health indicators such as body mass index (BMI), handgrip strength and standing balance were also measured. A further aim is to suggest approaches for developing and monitoring rehabilitation programmes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A detailed assessment was carried out on 63 male and 62 female victims. Interviews and physical examination provided information about traumatic exposure, injuries, and intensity and frequency of pain. Emotional well-being was assessed using the "WHO-5 Well-Being" score. Height, weight, handgrip strength and standing balance performance were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Around 50% of victims had experienced at least two types of torture methods and reported at least two injury locations; 70% had moderate or severe pain and 92% reported constant or periodic pain within the previous two weeks. Only 10% of the victims were in paid employment. Nearly 90% of victims had experienced at least four types of emotional disturbances within the previous two weeks, and many had low scores for emotional well-being. This was found to be associated with severe pain, higher exposure to violence and human rights violations and with a low educational level, unemployment and the absence of political or social involvement.</p> <p>Over two thirds of victims were overweight or obese. They showed marked decline in handgrip strength and only 19 victims managed to maintain standing balance. Those who were employed or had a higher education level, who did not take anti-depressant or anxiety drugs and had better emotional well-being or no pain complaints showed better handgrip strength and standing balance.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The victims reported a high prevalence of severe pain and emotional disturbance. They showed high BMI and a reduced level of physical fitness. Education, employment, political and social participation were associated with emotional well-being. Interventions to promote physical activity and social participation are recommended. The results indicate that the rapid assessment procedure used here offers an adequate tool for collecting data for the monitoring of health interventions among the most vulnerable groups of a population exposed to violence.</p

Ficins (E.C. 3.4.22.3). Purification and Characterization of the Enzymic Components of the Latex of Ficus Glabrata

The crude fig latex (from Ficus glabrata) has been shown to contain at least six ficin components. Three ficins were separated and purified by salt-fractionation, chromatography on CM-cellulose, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 at pH 4.5. Two ficins (II and III) were obtained crystalline and shown to be homogeneous by several criteria. The amino acid compositions of ficins II and III were determined, and differ notably in their histidine content (ficin II, three residues per mol; ficin III, one residue per mol). The equivalent weight of ficin III by titration with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) is 26,000. The stoichiometry of inhibition of ficin by HgCl was studied. When [HgCl]/[ficin] was greater than 0.5, no free sulfhydryl groups were detected, indicating the formation of a dimer. Stability studies on the ficins indicate that autodigestion is not a serious problem during their purification and storage

Specificity and pH Dependence of Ficin-Catalyzed Hydrolyses. Comparisons with Bromelain Specificity

The specificity of ficin has been investigated using a number of ester and peptide substrates. Three families of esters were used: (i) a series of hippuric acid esters, for which the identity of the values suggests the rate-determining deacylation of a hippuryl-ficin intermediate; (ii) a series of N-acylglycine p-nitrophenyl esters, for which k/K was found to be markedly dependent on the size of the nonpolar acyl group, increasing by a factor of 200 in going from the formyl to the trans-cinnamoyl derivative; and (iii) a series of N-benzyloxycarbonylamino acid p-nitrophenyl esters, in which the L-alanine and L-lysine derivatives were the best substrates examined. The effect of pH on k has been determined for the ficin-catalyzed hydrolyses of α-N-benzoyl-Larginine methyl ester and N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-alanine pnitrophenyl ester. The effects of ficin and bromelain on a number of dipeptides, tripeptides, and polypeptides (bradykinin, angiotensin, and oxidized insulin A and B chains) have been studied. The results indicate that ficin and bromelain should prove generally useful in peptide sequencing, since they catalyze the hydrolysis of glycyl, alanyl, and leucyl bonds, as well as valyl, phenylalanyl, tyrosyl, and other bonds under more vigorous conditions