[New immigrant women and health]. / Les nouvelles immigrantes et la santé.

The Canadian health care system serves an increasingly ethnically diverse clientele, especially in major urban centres. Sustained inflows of immigrants demand that social and health care services partially revise their mission to help these newcomers maintain their health following arrival in Canada, since their health generally tends to deteriorate over time. This poses a special challenge for women who have immigrated recently, because their health is often jeopardized by vulnerability linked to their socioeconomic status. Responding in a culturally appropriate way to each person's needs entails a choice of health promotion and disease prevention strategies. While this choice is based on specific definitions of the concepts, it also must reflect immigrant women's perceptions of what constitutes promotion, prevention and health. The purpose of this study was to develop a profile of their perceptions and use of preventive social and health care services. Our respondents reported that health is the absence of psychological and physical problems and that health promotion is associated primarily with a good diet, physical exercise, control of stress, and continuing to lead an active life (work, education). They believe that disease prevention lies primarily in overcoming financial problems and gaining access to a healthy diet and medical care. These views are similar to North American concepts. Research could confirm the similarities and differences between immigrant women and host populations. Nursing interventions would support culturally appropriate comprehensive action that addresses the individual, family, community and social aspects.

[Health promotion for immigrant women in Quebec]. / Promotion de la santé en faveur des femmes immigrant au Québec.

Over the past fifteen years, the Canadian population has undergone increasing cultural diversification. Many researchers have investigated the role of culture with respect to social and health services. Most studies confirm the fact that increased cultural diversification related to immigration challenges the public health system in many ways. Certain groups, such as economically challenged immigrant women, may pose even greater problems to the health system. While these individuals are in relatively good health upon arrival to Canada, there is a need to ensure that adequate health promotion as well as disease prevention strategies are instituted. It is important to examine the concepts of health promotion and disease prevention through a cultural perspective. Little research has been done in this area. Concepts of promotion and prevention as they are understood by immigrants may not always coincide with North American or European definitions. Therefore, it is essential to consider life conditions that surround potential health promotion and prevention behaviors of immigrants. Empowerment, economic integration and acculturation are among the many factors that need to be taken into account when studying immigrants' health promotion behavior. Here, we present a critical analysis of current knowledge in this field. This is followed by research recommendations aimed at facilitating the development of health promotion and prevention strategies that are appropriate to the needs of Canadian, and more specifically of immigrant women in Québec.

Biogenesis of a 35-kilodalton protein associated with outer mitochondrial membrane in rat liver.

Biochemical analyses following subcellular fractionation of rat liver indicated that the outer mitochondrial membrane contains a number of membrane-specific proteins of which a 35-kilodalton species (OMM-35) is a prominent component. These results were confirmed and extended by electron microscope immunocytochemical tests based on the protein A-gold technique. OMM-35 is tightly bound to the outer mitochondrial membrane, e.g. it was not released by sonication in the presence of 1.5 M KCl and 0.1% sodium deoxycholate. However, it did not react with the photoaffinity probe azidopyrene, which indicates that OM-35 is located peripherally on the membrane rather than buried deep in the lipid bilayer as an intrinsic protein. Since low levels of detergent were required for OMM-35 in intact mitochondria to react with exogenous antibodies, OMM-35 is probably located on the side of the outer membrane which faces the interior of the organelle. When rat liver mRNA was translated in a messenger-dependent cell-free system derived from rabbit reticulocytes, antiserum against OMM-35 precipitated a single polypeptide product which migrated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels with molecular weight characteristics of a protein slightly larger (by Mr = 500) than OMM-35 obtained from isolated outer mitochondrial membrane. The mRNA coding for OMM-35 was recovered exclusively from membrane-free polysomes. Thus, the route followed for synthesis and subsequent insertion of OMM-35 into the outer membrane of mitochondria is the post-translational pathway which has been previously described for proteins destined for the interior compartments of this organelle.

In vitro synthesis of a putative precursor to the mitochondrial enzyme, carbamyl phosphate synthetase.

A simple and rapid procedure is described for purification of carbamyl phosphate synthetase from the matrix fraction of rat liver mitochondria. Antibodies to the enzyme were raised in sheep and purified from antiserum by affinity chromatography on enzyme-bound Sepharose columns. When membrane-free polyribosomes, isolated from a cytosolic fraction of rat liver, were incubated in a messenger-dependent rabbit reticulocyte protein-synthesizing system in the presence of [35S]methionine, the purified antibody precipitated a product of translation representing 0.2% of total trichloroacetic acid-insoluble radioactivity. It demonstrated mobility characteristics in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels expected for a polypeptide of molecular mass approximately 5500 daltons larger than the mature mitochondrial form of the enzyme (160,000 daltons). Proteolysis of both the mature and presumptive in vitro precursor forms of the enzyme yielded respective sets of peptide fragments which gave similar patterns upon gel electrophoresis. Excess mitochondrial enzyme effectively competed with the in vitro product for interaction with anti-carbamyl phosphate synthetase antibody.