The health effects of moderate alcohol intake in humans: an epidemiologic review.

A large body of scientific evidence associates the moderate intake of alcohol with reduced mortality among middle-aged and older people in industrialized societies. This association is due largely to a reduced risk of death from coronary heart disease, which appears to outweigh any possible adverse effects of moderate drinking. The regular consumption of small amounts of alcohol is more healthful than the sporadic consumption of larger amounts. No beneficial effect of moderate drinking on mortality has been demonstrated in young adults (premenopausal women and men who have not reached their forties). It is theoretically possible that moderate drinking in young adulthood might reduce the risk of later heart disease; however, this has not been clearly demonstrated. For some individuals (e.g., those who cannot keep their drinking moderate, pregnant women, and those who are taking medications that may interact adversely with alcoholic beverages), the risks of alcohol consumption, even in moderation, outweigh any potential benefits. Because even small amounts of alcohol can impair judgment and coordination, no one should drink alcoholic beverages, even in moderation, before driving a motor vehicle or performing other activities that involve attention and skill.

Optimum Cultural Conditions for Induction of Temperate Bacteriophages in Lactic Streptococci.

Nineteen strains of lactic-group streptococci were examined for lysogeny by treatment with ultraviolet light; eight were inducible. The effectiveness of lysogenic induction with ultraviolet light or mitomycin C depended on the dose of inducing agent, temperature of incubation, and age of the culture. Strain-specific differences in responses to all of these factors were observed; however, in general induction was most effective at temperatures of 30 C or less and when cultures were in mid-exponential growth. No single ultraviolet or mitomycin C dose would induce all eight strains. Cultures which had been frozen and thawed were generally not inducible immediately after thawing. This was attributed to inhibition of bacterial growth by freezing. Cultures which had been chilled without freezing remained inducible. Lysogenic induction was not affected by either calcium or phosphate.