Nutrition as a military capability to deliver human advantage: more people, more ready, more of the time.

Soldiers must achieve high-level mission-preparedness to endure extended periods of physical and cognitive activity, with unpredictable recovery, in all environments. Nutrition provides the foundation for health and performance. Militaries have not maximised the strategic and financial value that considering nutrition as a military capability could deliver. A whole system approach to military nutrition, based on the prepare-perform-recover human capability cycle phases, is presented. Trainee nutrition requirements, through to very-high-readiness forces undertaking arduous roles at reach, must be specifically addressed. Promoting military performance diets in the prepare phase, through practitioner-supported nutrition education and food provision, will ensure mission readiness and mitigate ill health. Delivering nutrition in field settings in the perform phase-through smaller/lighter, nutritionally optimised rations and smart packaging technologies-will improve utility and minimise waste. Strategic dietary supplement use can provide a mission performance-enhancing adjunct to a food-first philosophy. Impact value chain analysis of military nutrition capability investments could support cost-benefit measurement.

Factors associated with HCV antiviral treatment uptake among participants of a community-based HCV programme for marginalized patients.

While the majority of cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in developed countries occur among illicit drug users, HCV antiviral treatment uptake is poor in this population. Several studies have shown that patients can successfully be treated for HCV in the context of methadone maintenance programmes, but little evidence exists evaluating HCV treatment models for substance users where methadone maintenance is not indicated. This retrospective cohort study involved 129 persons participating in psycho-educational support groups and integrated, interprofessional, community-based health services focused on the treatment for HCV among marginalized populations with high rates of crack cocaine use and mental health comorbidities. We sought to identify the factors associated with antiviral treatment uptake. Group participation improved access to health care. While 19% had previously seen an HCV specialist prior to group initiation, 59% saw an HCV specialist during the group. Half of the participants were nonimmune to hepatitis A or B at baseline, and 80% of these patients received immunization through the programme. The programme treated 24 patients with pegylated interferon and ribavirin and achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR) rate of 91% for genotype 2 or 3 and 54% for genotype 1. Stable housing was independently associated with initiation of treatment, and there was a nonsignificant trend towards lower rates of treatment initiation among women. SVR rates for those who had used crack or injection drugs in the month prior to joining the programme did not differ significantly from those who had abstained.

A single metal ion plays structural and chemical roles in an aminoacyl-transferase ribozyme.

Catalytically active RNA molecules rely on metal ions for structural and/or catalytic functions. Our in vitro selected aminoacyl-transferase ribozyme is no exception, as it employs a single fully hydrated Mg2+ ion for catalysis [Suga, H., et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 10118-10125]. Here we report the essential catalytic residues of the ribozyme and their spatial arrangement in the relation to the metal binding site. Evidence obtained using a combination of Pb2+ and Tb3+ hydrolytic cleavage assays on wild type and mutant ribozymes revealed a cooperative metal binding site that consists of the tandem G:U wobble pairs in P1 and consecutive G:U and U:A pairs in P3. The formation of this concerted Mg2+ binding site positions the P1 and P3 helices in a parallel manner, placing the L3 tetraloop in close proximity to the internal guide sequence (IGS, substrate binding site), which is adjacent to P1. Certain monovalent metal ions inhibit catalysis at low concentrations but support catalysis at high concentrations. These analyses imply that the Mg2+ ion plays both structural and chemical roles and that it brings about the significant rate acceleration in aminoacyl-transfer in concert with the L3-IGS long-range interaction.

Testing for natural and synthetic anabolic agents in human urine.

This paper describes a comprehensive method for the detection of natural and synthetic anabolic agents, including some veterinary preparations such as trenbolone, zeranol (a non-steroidal agent) and clenbuterol (a beta 2-agonist). For the natural steroids such as testosterone, the precise determination of urinary androgens during routine procedures allowed the description of statistical distribution of relevant parameters of the endogenous steroid profile amongst male athletes. The validity of the results is discussed, taking into account some factors that may cause the degradation of the specimen.

Quantification of GR90291 in human blood by high resolution gas chromatography-mass selective detection (HRGC-MSD).

A specific and sensitive high resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the determination of GR90291 in human blood is described. The extraction of GR90291 from blood required a polar organic solvent mixture. The crude extract was further purified by successive liquid-liquid partitioning prior to esterification with an HCl-n-butanol solution. This derivative was analysed using a deuterium-labelled internal standard by selected ion monitoring mass spectrometry. The calibration curve ranged from 1 to 100 ng ml-1. The method is reliable for the determination of GR90291 pharmacokinetics in human subjects.

Interactive effects of nutrition and cannabis upon rat perinatal development.

In order to examine the effects of cannabinoids, malnutrition, and their possible interaction upon the developing rat fetus, female Wistar rats were exposed to cannabis smoke, placebo smoke, or no smoke while concurrently consuming 1 of 3 diets differing in protein concentration (8%, 24%, 64%). Both the diet and drug treatments were administered 20 days prior to and throughout gestation. Of the 12 variables affected by the low-protein diet, 8 were significantly potentiated when undernutrition was combined with cannabis treatment. Some dependent variables that were not altered either by the low-protein diet or by cannabis inhalation were affected by the combination of treatments. These included a lengthened gestation period, an increase in occurrence of stillbirths and litter destruction, and decreased activity in the rat pups. Cannabis coupled with a standard protein diet resulted in a number of developmental indices being delayed but combining the drug with an enriched protein diet ameliorated these effects. The evidence also suggests that the administration of cannabis both before and during gestation resulted in a degree of tolerance to some aspects of the drug effects.