The effects of energy supplementation (group I received 200 kcal/day and group II received 1000/kcal day) were examined on road workers in Kenya. Anthropometric, dietary, worker productivity, clinical hematology, and parasitology data were collected from 224 workers of both sexes or, subsamples of these workers at base-line, midpoint, and final measurement periods. Sixty-seven percent of the work force was less than 85% of weight for height. Females tended to be better nourished than males. Multiple regression analysis showed that increases in arm circumference and Hb levels were associated with significant productivity gains of about 4%. At the midpoint, group II males gained 1.10 kg (p less than 0.0003) while group I males showed no change. Weight loss during the latter part of the study resulted in no significant final weight change for males. "Successful" supplementation was weakly associated with a productivity increase for group II workers of 12.5% (p less than 0.10).

SUMMARYThe daily food intake and related changes in body weight were measured in young rats which were fed on synthetic diets containing 1% (3 experiments), 2% (4 experiments) and 20% (1 experiment) casein respectively. Some rats were infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and allowed to feed ad libitum, some remained uninfected and were allowed to feed ad libitum while others, which were matched by initial weight with rats from the infected group, remained uninfected and were given only the same amount of food as that consumed during the previous 24 h by their infected partners. No significant differences were detected between the rats before the start of the infection. Thereafter, the food intake of the infected undernourished rats was usually found to be significantly lower and the loss of body weight significantly greater than those of the uninfected rats. In infection periods of relatively long duration, the pair-fed uninfected rats did not lose as much weight as their infected partners even though their food intake (1% and 2% casein) was the same. Although the food intake, and consequently the weight, of infected rats fed on the diet containing 20% casein were significantly less than in their uninfected partners, no significant differences were observed between the weights of the infected and pair-fed rats fed on this diet.

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Polymorphid acanthocephalans with long necks, spheroid proboscides, and eggs without polar swellings of the fertilization membrane constitute a morphologically distinct group of species. In the past, this taxon was considered a separate genus, Profilicollis. More recently, workers have been unwilling to accept these features as generic-level characters, and presently the group is considered a subgenus of Polymorphus. An analysis prompted by our studies of various polymorphid cystacanths in crabs along the coasts of Scotland and the U.S.A. reveals that all records of Polymorphus in decapods refer to species with 6 cement glands frequently assigned to Hexaglandula, to incidental occurrences of species purported to be Polymorphus minutus, or to species of the subgenus Profilicollis. Occurrence in decapod crustaceans implies substantial life history differences from the other species of the genus occurring in amphipod crustaceans. We conclude this, together with morphological distinctiveness, justifies return of Profilicollis to full generic status within Polymorphidae.