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Europe
Kinds of Europe Selected AbstractsENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION IN THE UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT: PRESENT AND FUTURE VIEW OF EUROPEDIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY, Issue 2009Horst Neuhaus In Western countries endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has been widely accepted for treatment of early Barrett`s neoplasia and flat or depressed colorectal adenomas. In contrast endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is infrequently performed for several reasons. It seems to be difficult to overcome the learning curve of this difficult technique because of the low case volume of early gastric cancer. On the other hand ESD of esophageal or colorectal lesions is even more challenging and is considered to be inappropriate for learning. In addition the indication for esophageal or colorectal ESD is controversial in view of excellent results of the well established EMR technique which is less time-consuming and safer than ESD. A recent survey of leading Western endoscopy centers indicated the limited experience with ESD with a low number of cases for all potential indications. Only a few training courses have been established and the number of ongoing clinical studies is limited. Only 12 out of 340 published articles on "endoscopic mucosal dissection" were reported from Western countries. A better acceptance of ESD requires improvement of the technique to allow an easier, faster and safer approach. There is a strong demand for structured training courses and limitations of human cases to selected centers which participate in prospective trials. A close collaboration between Western and Asian centers is recommended for improvement of the ESD technique and its clinical application. [source] THE NATURE OF MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE: AN ECOLOGICAL HISTORY edited by A. T. Grove and Oliver Rackham, Yale University Press, New Haven, 2001.EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 8 2001No. of pages: 384. No abstract is available for this article. [source] ECONOMICS, RELIGION AND THE DECLINE OF EUROPE,ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 4 2004Niall Ferguson This article asks whether there is any casual connection between the contemporaneous decline in industriousness and religiosity in Europe over the past 25 years. In the United States working hours and levels of religious faith and observance have held steady or even increased over this period. But in most European countries they have declined together. Could this be a posthumous vindication of Max Weber's thesis about the Protestant work ethic and the rise of capitalism? Though there clearly are some important links between religion and economic behaviour, the article concludes that the evidence does not perfectly fit Weber's theory, which emphasised abstinence rather than consumption as a determinant of economic development. [source] DRUGS AND MONEY: MANAGING THE DRUG TRADE AND CRIME-MONEY IN EUROPEADDICTION, Issue 6 2006PIERRE KOPP No abstract is available for this article. [source] TIME TO THE MOST RECENT COMMON ANCESTOR AND DIVERGENCE TIMES OF POPULATIONS OF COMMON CHAFFINCHES (FRINGILLA COELEBS) IN EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA: INSIGHTS INTO PLEISTOCENE REFUGIA AND CURRENT LEVELS OF MIGRATIONEVOLUTION, Issue 1 2002Cortland K. Griswold Abstract We analyzed sequences from a 275-bp hypervariable region in the 5, end of the mitochondrial DNA control region in 190 common chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) from 19 populations in Europe and North Africa, including new samples from Greece and Morocco. Coalescent techniques were applied to estimate the time to the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) and divergence times of these populations. The first objective of this study was to infer the locations of refugia where chaffinches survived the last glacial episode, and this was achieved by estimating the TMRCA of populations in regions surrounding the Mediterranean that were unglaciated in the late Pleistocene. Although extant populations in Iberia, Corsica, Greece, and North Africa harbor haplotypes that are basal in a phylogenetic tree, this information alone cannot be used to infer that these localities served as refugia, because it is impossible to infer the ages of populations and their divergence times without also considering the population genetic processes of mutation, migration, and drift. Provided we assume the TMRCAs of populations are a reasonable estimate of a population's age, coalescent-based methods place resident populations in Iberia, Corsica, Greece, and North Africa during the time of the last glacial maximum, suggesting these regions served as refugia for the common chaffinch. The second objective was to determine when populations began diverging from each other and to use this as a baseline to estimate current levels of gene flow. Divergence time estimates suggest that European populations began diverging about 60,000 years before present. The relatively recent divergence of populations in North Africa, Italy, and Iberia may explain why classic migration estimates based on equilibrium assumptions are high for these populations. We compare these estimates with nonequilibrium-based estimates and show that the nonequilibrium estimates are consistently lower than the equilibrium estimates. [source] THE CHURCHES OF EUROPE ,"ARE WE STILL OF ANY USE?"INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MISSION, Issue 362 2002Keith Clements First page of article [source] THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AFRICAN CHRISTIAN DIASPORA IN EUROPEINTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MISSION, Issue 354 2000Selected Bibliography First page of article [source] AFRICA,EUROPE: Migrant Boats Sink off Libyan CoastAFRICA RESEARCH BULLETIN: ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SERIES, Issue 3 2009Article first published online: 1 MAY 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] MONETARY TRANSMISSION MECHANISM IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE: SURVEYING THE SURVEYABLEJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 2 2009Balázs Égert Abstract This paper surveys recent advances in empirical studies of the monetary transmission mechanism, with special attention to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Our results indicate that the strength of the exchange rate pass-through substantially declined over time mainly due to a fall in inflation rates and to some extent due to the so-called composition effect. The asset price channel is weak and is likely to remain weak because of shallow stock and private bond markets and because of low stock and bond holdings of domestic households. House prices may become an exception with booming mortgage lending and with high owner occupancy ratios. While the credit channel could be a powerful channel of monetary transmission , as new funds raised on capital markets are close to zero in CEE , it is actually not, as both commercial banks and non-financial corporations can escape domestic monetary conditions by borrowing from their foreign mother companies. The moderately good news, however, is that those banks and firms are influenced by monetary policy in the euro area because their parent institutions are themselves subjected to the credit channel in the euro area. [source] EUROPE IN CRISIS: A QUESTION OF BELIEF OR UNBELIEF?MODERN THEOLOGY, Issue 2 2007PERSPECTIVES FROM THE VATICAN For Joseph Ratzinger, elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, modernity has transformed Europe into a continent without God. As a result, Europe's self-understanding is flawed. This outcome puts serious doubts on the Church's resolution, expressed in Gaudium et spes, to dialogue with the modern world. Moreover, the present pope was among the first to warn both church and society against the erosion of modernity. Also more recently, e.g. in his Values in a Time of Upheaval, he argued that only a Europe firmly rooted in Christian faith can survive the nihilism and moral crisis with which it is confronted. As a creative minority Christians should help Europe win back the best of its heritage and use it to the service of all humanity. In this contribution Boeve presents the evolution and primary features of Joseph Ratzinger's thought in this regard and concludes with a number of critical observations. [source] THE SHAPE OF THE PHANEROZOIC MARINE PALAEODIVERSITY CURVE: HOW MUCH CAN BE PREDICTED FROM THE SEDIMENTARY ROCK RECORD OF WESTERN EUROPE?PALAEONTOLOGY, Issue 4 2007ANDREW B. SMITH Abstract:, Palaeodiversity curves are constructed from counts of fossils collected at outcrop and thus potentially biased by variation in the rock record, specifically by the amount of sedimentary rock representative of different time intervals that has been preserved at outcrop. To investigate how much of a problem this poses we have compiled a high-resolution record of marine rock outcrop area in Western Europe for the Phanerozoic and use this to generate a model that predicts the sampled diversity curve. We find that we can predict with high accuracy the variance of the marine genus diversity curve (itself dominated by European taxa) from rock outcrop data and a three-step model of diversity that tracks supercontinent fragmentation, coalescence and fragmentation. The size and position of two of the five major mass extinction spikes are largely predicted by rock outcrop data. We conclude that the long-term trends in taxonomic diversity and the end-Cretaceous extinction are not the result of rock area bias, but cannot rule out that rock outcrop area bias explains many of the short-term rises and falls in sampled diversity that palaeontologists have previously sought to explain biologically. [source] BETTER REGULATION IN EUROPE: BETWEEN PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND REGULATORY REFORMPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 3 2009CLAUDIO M. RADAELLI Can the European regulatory state be managed? The European Union (EU) and its member states have looked at better regulation as a possible answer to this difficult question. This emerging public policy presents challenges to scholars of public management and administrative reforms, but also opportunities. In this conceptual article, we start from the problems created by the value-laden discourse used by policy-makers in this area, and provide a definition and a framework that are suitable for empirical/explanatory research. We then show how public administration scholars could usefully bring better regulation into their research agendas. To be more specific, we situate better regulation in the context of the academic debates on the New Public Management, the political control of bureaucracies, evidence-based policy, and the regulatory state in Europe. [source] CONFIANCE DANS LES ASSOCIATIONS DE DEFENSE DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT ET OPPOSITION AUX OGM EN EUROPEANNALS OF PUBLIC AND COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2007Samira Chaklatti RÉSUMÉ,:,L'apparition des plantes génétiquement modifiées, en Europe, a donné lieu à des débats importants notamment en ce qui a trait à la consommation des produits alimentaires issus des procédures de génie génétique. Dans ce contexte le mouvement collectif associatif est apparu comme un acteur important de diffusion de l'information sur le sujet, influençant de cette manière les comportements individuels des consommateurs. A partir des données de l'Eurobaromètre 58.0, on utilise un probit multivarié pour préciser l'importance de la confiance dans les associations de défense de l'environnement sur le niveau d'acquiescement ou de refus des biotechnologies agricoles à usage alimentaire de la part des "citoyens ordinaires". Nous discutons les principaux faits stylisés ainsi caractérisés: notre approche confirme les résultats de la plupart des différentes recherches en théorie du consommateur sur l'importance des attitudes et valeurs personnelles et de l'inscription dans certains réseaux sociaux pour l'opposition ou, au contraire, l'acquiescement aux OGM. [source] TOWARDS A NEW APPROACH TO ARCHAEOMAGNETIC DATING IN EUROPE USING GEOMAGNETIC FIELD MODELLING*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2009A. LODGE We introduce a new approach to producing secular variation curves for archaeomagnetic dating, using global geomagnetic field modelling techniques. Using published palaeosecular variation curves for five European locations as input, and a previous global model for regularization, we produce a model for the period ad 0,1900, which reproduces the input curves within their 95% confidence intervals, and successfully fits data from other regions in Europe. Our global model performs as well as a previous regional model, but additionally ensures consistency with physical constraints. We show that the curves currently used for dating are not mutually consistent, and therefore that in the future this new approach will provide more reliable curves for archaeomagnetic dating. [source] The impact of victim-offender mediation: A cross-national perspectiveCONFLICT RESOLUTION QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2000Mark S. Umbreit The field of victim-offender mediation, now in its third decade, has grown extensively throughout North America and Europe, with programs in more than twelve hundred communities. This article reports on results from three related studies on the consequences of participating in victim-offender mediation, including programs in four of the United States (Umbreit, 1996, 1994a, 1994b; Umbreit and Coates, 1993), four provinces of Canada (Umbreit, 1999, 1995c), and two cities in England (Umbreit and Roberts, 1996). VOM is implemented differently in various places, reflecting cultural norms and mores. Given innumerable ways of doing victim-offender mediation, are there common experiences shared among participants that can inform program delivery and justice policy? The VOM model was found to be a highly transportable and flexible program in diverse settings. High levels of client satisfaction with both the process and outcome were found, and a high level of fairness was expressed. VOM continues to be a promising model, reflecting the principles of the restorative justice movement and offering a firm foundation of practice wisdom and research from which other newer forms of victim-offender dialogue, such as family group conferences, circles, and boards, can benefit (Bazemore and Umbreit, 1999). [source] Understanding the Causes of Disease in European Freshwater CrayfishCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2004BRETT F. EDGERTON Aphanomyces astaci; bioseguridad; epizootia; langostinos de agua dulce; patología de langostinos; peste de langostinos Abstract:,Native European freshwater crayfish (Astacida, Decapoda) are under severe pressure from habitat alteration, the introduction of nonindigenous species, and epizootic disease. Crayfish plague, an acute disease of freshwater crayfish caused by the fungus-like agent Aphanomyces astaci, was introduced into Europe in the mid-nineteenth century and is responsible for ongoing widespread epizootic mortality in native European populations. We reviewed recent developments and current practices in the field of crayfish pathology. The severity of crayfish plague has resulted in an overemphasis on it. Diagnostic methods for detecting fungi and fungal-like agents, and sometimes culturing them, are frequently the sole techniques used to investigate disease outbreaks in European freshwater crayfish. Consequently, the causes of a significant proportion of outbreaks are undetermined. Pathogen groups well known for causing disease in other crustaceans, such as viruses and rickettsia-like organisms, are poorly understood or unknown in European freshwater crayfish. Moreover, the pathogenic significance of some long-known pathogens of European freshwater crayfish remains obscure. For effective management of this culturally significant and threatened resource, there is an urgent need for researchers, diagnosticians, and resource managers to address the issue of disease in European freshwater crayfish from a broader perspective than has been applied previously. Resumen:,Los langostinos nativos de Europa (Astacida, Decapada) están bajo severa presión por alteración del hábitat, la introducción de especies no nativas y una enfermedad epizoótica. La peste de langostinos, una enfermedad aguda de langostinos de agua dulce producida por el agente micoide Aphanomyces astaci, fue introducida a Europa a mediados del siglo diecinueve y es responsable de la actual mortalidad epizoótica de poblaciones Europeas nativas. Revisamos acontecimientos recientes y prácticas actuales en el campo de la patología de langostinos. La severidad de la peste de langostinos ha resultado en un excesivo énfasis en ella. Los métodos para diagnosticar, y algunas veces cultivar, hongos y agentes micoides frecuentemente son la única técnica empleada al investigar brotes de la enfermedad en langostinos de agua dulce en Europa. Consecuentemente, no están determinadas las causas de una proporción significativa de los brotes. Grupos patógenos, como virus y organismos similares a rickettsias, bien conocidos por producir enfermedades en otros crustáceos son poco o nada conocidos en langostinos de agua dulce de Europa. Más aún, el significado patogénico de algunos patógenos de langostinos de agua dulce de Europa largamente conocidos es oscuro. Para el manejo efectivo de este recurso culturalmente significativo y amenazado es urgente la necesidad de investigadores, diagnosticadores y gestores de recursos para atender el asunto de la enfermedad en langostinos de agua dulce europeos desde una perspectiva más amplia que la previamente aplicada. [source] From Red Lists to Species of Conservation ConcernCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2004VERENA KELLER aves; conservación de especies; listas rojas; prioridades de conservación; Suiza Abstract:,National red lists of threatened animal and plant species prepared according to the criteria of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) adequately reflect the extinction risk of species within a country but cannot be used directly to set conservation priorities. In particular, the significance of national populations for the conservation of the species as a whole is not taken into account. We present a procedure that can be used to assess national responsibility based on the national red-list status of a species, the international importance of the national population, and the species' "historical rarity" status. We distinguished five responsibility classes for breeding birds: B1, threatened species with internationally important populations in Switzerland; B2, threatened species with internationally less important populations; B3, nonthreatened species with internationally important populations; B4, nonthreatened species with internationally less important populations; and B5, species that have never been common in Switzerland. Two responsibility classes were distinguished for birds occurring in Switzerland as visitors: G1, species with large concentrations in Switzerland and an unfavorable conservation status in Europe, and G2, species with large concentrations in Switzerland and a favorable conservation status in Europe. Two additional classes (G3 and G4) for visiting species occurring in internationally less important numbers are possible but were not analyzed in detail. Responsibility classes B1, B2, B3, G1, and G2 were defined as species of national conservation concern. We developed the method for birds in Switzerland, but it can be used in other countries and for other taxonomic groups as well. It is particularly suitable where national red lists are established according to IUCN guidelines. Resumen:,Las listas rojas nacionales de especies de animales y plantas amenazadas que siguen los criterios de la World Conservation Union (IUCN) reflejan adecuadamente el riesgo de extinción de especies en un país pero no pueden ser utilizadas directamente para definir prioridades de conservación. En particular, no se toma en cuenta el significado de poblaciones nacionales para la conservación de especies como tales. Presentamos un procedimiento que se puede utilizar para evaluar la responsabilidad nacional con base en el estatus de lista roja de una especie en un país, la importancia internacional de la población nacional y el estatus de "rareza histórica" de la especie. Distinguimos cinco clases de responsabilidad para aves residentes: B1, especies amenazadas con poblaciones internacionalmente importantes en Suiza; B2, especies amenazadas con poblaciones internacionalmente menos importantes; B3, especies no amenazadas con poblaciones internacionalmente importantes; B4, especies no amenazadas con poblaciones internacionalmente menos importantes; y B5, especies que nunca han sido comunes en Suiza. Se distinguieron dos clases de responsabilidad para aves que ocurren como visitantes en Suiza: G1, especies con grandes concentraciones en Suiza y un estatus de conservación desfavorable en Europa y G2, especies con grandes concentraciones en Suiza y un estatus de conservación favorable en Europa. Son posibles dos clases más, (G3 y G4) para especies visitantes que ocurren en números menos importantes internacionalmente, pero no fueron analizados en detalle. Las clases de responsabilidad B1, B2, B3, G1 y G2 fueron definidas como especies de interés nacional para la conservación. Desarrollamos el método para aves en Suiza, pero también se puede utilizar en otros países y con otros grupos taxonómicos, Es particularmente adecuado donde las listas rojas nacionales se establecen de acuerdo con lineamientos de IUCN. [source] Enhancement of Farmland Biodiversity within Set-Aside LandCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2004JOSH VAN BUSKIRK agricultura; biodiversidad; conservación; terrenos de reserva Abstract:,The efficacy of agricultural set-aside policies for protecting farmland biodiversity is widely debated. Based on a meta-analysis of 127 published studies, we found that land withdrawn from conventional production unequivocally enhances biodiversity in North America and Europe. The number of species of birds, insects, spiders, and plants is 1,1.5 standard deviation units higher on set-aside land, and population densities increase by 0.5,1 standard deviation units. Set-aside land may be especially beneficial for desirable taxa because North American bird species that have exhibited population declines react most positively to set-aside agricultural land. Larger and older plots protect more species and higher densities, and set-aside land is more effective in countries with less-intensive agricultural practices and higher fractions of land removed from production. Although policies specifically designed to protect biodiversity might work even better, current incentives clearly improve the standing of plants and animals in farmland. Resumen:,La eficiencia de las políticas de reservas agrícolas para la protección de la biodiversidad en tierras cultivadas esta ámpliamente debatida. Con base en un meta-análisis de 127 estudios publicados, encontramos que terrenos retirados de la producción convencional inequívocamente mejoran la biodiversidad en Norte América y Europa. El número de especies de aves, insectos, arañas y plantas es 1-1.5 unidades de desviación estándar más alto en terrenos de reserva, y las densidades de población incrementan en 0.5-1 unidades de desviación estándar. Los terrenos de reserva pueden ser especialmente benéficos para taxones deseables porque especies de aves norteamericanas que han presentado una declinación poblacional reaccionan positivamente a terrenos agrícolas de reserva. Parcelas más grandes y viejas protegen a más especies y tienen mayores densidades, y los terrenos de reserva son más efectivos en países con prácticas agrícolas menos intensivas y con mayores fracciones de tierras removidas de la producción. Aunque las políticas diseñadas específicamente para proteger la biodiversidad pueden ser mejores aún, los incentivos actuales claramente mejoran la situación de plantas y animales en tierras agrícolas. [source] Constitutional Limitations of Privatization in the USA and Europe: A Theoretical and Comparative PerspectiveCONSTELLATIONS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRITICAL AND DEMOCRATIC THEORY, Issue 3 2010George KatrougalosArticle first published online: 24 AUG 2010 First page of article [source] Europe as a "Special Area for Human Hope"CONSTELLATIONS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRITICAL AND DEMOCRATIC THEORY, Issue 3 2007Alessandro Ferrara First page of article [source] February 15, or What Binds Europeans Together: A Plea for a Common Foreign Policy, Beginning in the Core of EuropeCONSTELLATIONS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRITICAL AND DEMOCRATIC THEORY, Issue 3 2003Jürgen Habermas First page of article [source] Dermatitis from common ivy (Hedera helix L. subsp. helix) in Europe: past, present, and futureCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 4 2010Evy Paulsen Common ivy (Hedera helix subsp. helix) is a well-known native and ornamental plant in Europe. Reports on contact dermatitis from ivy have regularly appeared since 1899. Recently, it has been suggested that allergic contact dermatitis from the plant may be under-diagnosed, partly due to lack of commercial patch test allergens. The objective of the article is to present the results of aimed patch testing with the main common ivy allergen, falcarinol, during a 16-year period and review the newer literature. Consecutive patients tested with falcarinol 0.03% petrolatum from May 1993 to May 2009 were included. Cases published since 1987 were retrieved from the PubMed database. One hundred and twenty-seven Danish patients were tested with falcarinol and 10 (7.9%) tested positive. Seven were occupationally sensitized. Between 1994 and 2009, 28 new cases of contact dermatitis from ivy were reported, 2 of which were occupational. Only 11 of the 28 patients were tested with pure allergens. Falcarinol is not only widely distributed in the ivy family, but also in the closely related Apiaceae. Sensitization may occur in childhood or in adults pruning ivy plants or handling them in an occupational setting. In view of the ubiquity of falcarinol-containing plants and the relatively high prevalence of positive reactions in aimed patch testing, falcarinol should be the next plant allergen to be commercially available and included in the plant series worldwide. [source] Formaldehyde-releasers in cosmetics: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergyCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 1 2010Part 1. In this part of a series of review articles on formaldehyde-releasers and their relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy, formaldehyde-releasers in cosmetics are discussed. In this first part of the article, key data are presented including frequency of sensitization and of their use in cosmetics. In Europe, low frequencies of sensitization have been observed to all releasers: 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol 0.4,1.2%, diazolidinyl urea 0.5,1.4%, imidazolidinyl urea 0.3,1.4%, quaternium-15 0.6,1.9% (for DMDM hydantoin no recent data are available). All releasers score (far) higher prevalences in the USA; the possible explanations for this are discussed. The relevance of positive patch test reactions has been insufficiently investigated. In the USA, approximately 20% of cosmetics and personal care products (stay-on products: 17%, rinse-off products 27%) contain a formaldehyde-releaser. The use of quaternium-15 is decreasing. For Europe, there are no comparable recent data available. In the second part of the article, the patch test relationship of the releasers in cosmetics to formaldehyde contact allergy will be reviewed and it will be assessed whether products preserved with formaldehyde-releasers may contain enough free formaldehyde to pose a threat to individuals who have contact allergy to formaldehyde. [source] Shoe contact dermatitis from dimethyl fumarate: clinical manifestations, patch test results, chemical analysis, and source of exposureCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 5 2009Ana Giménez-Arnau Background: The methyl ester form of fumaric acid named dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an effective mould-growth inhibitor. Its irritating and sensitizing properties were demonstrated in animal models. Recently, DMF has been identified as responsible for furniture contact dermatitis in Europe. Objective: To describe the clinical manifestations, patch test results, shoe chemical analysis, and source of exposure to DMF-induced shoe contact dermatitis. Patients, Materials, and Methods: Patients with suspected shoe contact dermatitis were studied in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Patch test results obtained with their own shoe and the European baseline series, acrylates and fumaric acid esters (FAE), were recorded according to international guidelines. The content of DMF in shoes was analysed with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Results: Acute, immediate irritant contact dermatitis and non-immunological contact urticaria were observed in eight adults and two children, respectively. All the adult patients studied developed a delayed sensitization demonstrated by a positive patch testing to DMF , 0.1% in pet. Cross-reactivity with other FAEs and acrylates was observed. At least 12 different shoe brands were investigated. The chemical analysis from the available shoes showed the presence of DMF. Conclusion: DMF in shoes was responsible for severe contact dermatitis. Global preventive measures for avoiding contact with DMF are necessary. [source] Formaldehyde-releasers: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy.CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 2 2009Contact allergy to formaldehyde, inventory of formaldehyde-releasers This is one of series of review articles on formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasers (others: formaldehyde in cosmetics, in clothes and in metalworking fluids and miscellaneous). Thirty-five chemicals were identified as being formaldehyde-releasers. Although a further seven are listed in the literature as formaldehyde-releasers, data are inadequate to consider them as such beyond doubt. Several (nomenclature) mistakes and outdated information are discussed. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde allergy are reviewed: applications, exposure scenarios, legislation, patch testing problems, frequency of sensitization, relevance of positive patch test reactions, clinical pattern of allergic contact dermatitis from formaldehyde, prognosis, threshold for elicitation of allergic contact dermatitis, analytical tests to determine formaldehyde in products and frequency of exposure to formaldehyde and releasers. The frequency of contact allergy to formaldehyde is consistently higher in the USA (8,9%) than in Europe (2,3%). Patch testing with formaldehyde is problematic; the currently used 1% solution may result in both false-positive and false-negative (up to 40%) reactions. Determining the relevance of patch test reactions is often challenging. What concentration of formaldehyde is safe for sensitive patients remains unknown. Levels of 200,300 p.p.m. free formaldehyde in cosmetic products have been shown to induce dermatitis from short-term use on normal skin. [source] p -Phenylenediamine sensitization is more prevalent in central and southern European patch test centres than in Scandinavian: results from a multicentre studyCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 6 2009Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen Background:, Positive patch test reactions to p -phenylenediamine (PPD) are common. PPD is used in oxidative hair dyes and is also present in dark henna temporary ,tattoos'. Cross-sensitization to other contact allergens may occur. Because subjects sensitized to PPD are at risk of clinically severe reactions upon hair dyeing, there is a need for ,current' prevalence data on PPD sensitization. Objectives:, To compare PPD patch test results from dermatitis patients tested between 2003 and 2007 in 10 European patch test centres and to analyse the causes and determine relevance of positive PPD patch test reactions. Materials:, Patch testing was performed using PPD (1% free base in petrolatum from Trolab (Almirall Hermal GmbH, Reinbeck, Germany) or Chemotechnique (Malmö, Sweden), equivalent to 0.090 mg/cm2 in the TRUE® test from MEKOS Laboratories AS). Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-squared test. Results:, The weighted average prevalence was 4.6% among 21 515 patients. PPD sensitization occurred more often in centres located in Central and Southern Europe than in Scandinavian centres (odds ratio = 2.40; 95% confidence interval = 2.07,2.78). The overall proportion of positive patch test reactions to PPD that were registered as being of either current or ,past' relevance was high (weighted average 53.6% and 20.3%, respectively). Consumer hair dyeing was the most prominent cause of PPD sensitization (weighted average 41.8%). Furthermore, occupational hair dye exposure (10.6%) and cross-sensitization to textile dyes (12.6%) were frequently reported. Conclusions:, PPD sensitization caused by exposure to hair dyes is frequent and remains a present problem for patients visiting contact dermatitis clinics, especially in patch test centres located in Central and Southern Europe. [source] Metalworking exposures and persistent skin symptoms in the ECRHS II and SAPALDIA 2 cohortsCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 5 2009Maria C. Mirabelli Background:, Diseases of the skin are important and often preventable conditions occurring among workers with dermal exposures to irritant and sensitizing agents. Objective:, We conducted this analysis to assess the associations between metalworking exposures and current and persistent skin symptoms among male and female participants in two population-based epidemiologic studies. Methods:, We pooled data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II (ECRHS II) and the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Disease in Adults 2 (SAPALDIA 2), two prospective cohort studies in Europe. Each participant completed interviewer-administered questionnaires to provide information about symptoms and exposures related to selected occupations, including metalworking, during the follow-up periods. We assessed associations between skin symptoms and the frequency of metalworking exposures among 676 ECRHS II/SAPALDIA 2 respondents. Results:, Current skin symptoms were reported by 10% of metalworkers and were associated with frequent use, defined as four or more days per week, of oil-based metalworking fluids [prevalence ratio (PR): 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25,2.49)] and organic solvent/degreasing agents (PR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.21,3.50). Conclusions:, Skin symptom prevalence is associated with increasing frequency of oil-based metalworking fluid and degreasing agent use. Our findings justify assessing strategies for reducing the frequency of metal-related exposures. [source] Dendritic cells: biology of the skinCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 1 2009Mascha J. Toebak Allergic contact dermatitis results from a T-cell-mediated, delayed-type hypersensitivity immune response induced by allergens. Skin dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in the initiation of allergic skin responses. Following encounter with an allergen, DCs become activated and undergo maturation and differentiate into immunostimulatory DCs and are able to present antigens effectively to T cells. The frequency of allergic skin disorders has increased in the past decades. Therefore, the identification of potential sensitizing chemicals is important for skin safety. Traditionally, predictive testing for allergenicity has been conducted in animal models. For regulatory reasons, animal use for sensitization testing of compounds for cosmetic purposes is shortly to be prohibited in Europe. Therefore, new non-animal-based test methods need to be developed. Several DC-based assays have been described to discriminate allergens from irritants. Unfortunately, current in vitro methods are not sufficiently resilient to identify allergens and therefore need refinement. Here, we review the immunobiology of skin DCs (Langerhans' cells and dermal dendritic cells) and their role in allergic and irritant contact dermatitis and then explore the possible use of DC-based models for discriminating between allergens and irritants. [source] Epidemiological data on consumer allergy to p -phenylenediamineCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 6 2008Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen Many women and men now dye their hair. p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) is a frequent and important component of permanent hair dye products; exposure to it may cause allergic contact sensitization, acute dermatitis, and severe facial oedema. To increase our understanding of PPD allergy, we reviewed published literature containing PPD patch test data from dermatitis patients and individuals in the general population. This was performed to estimate the median prevalence and the weighted average of PPD sensitization and thereby assess the burden of PPD-containing hair care products on health. Literature was examined using PubMed,MEDLINE, Biosis, and Science Citation Index. The median prevalence among dermatitis patients was 4.3% in Asia, 4% in Europe, and 6.2% in North America. A widespread increase in the prevalence of PPD sensitization was observed among Asian dermatitis patients. In Europe, a decrease in the 1970s was replaced by a plateau with steady, high prevalences ranging between 2% and 6%. The prevalence remained high in North America, although a decreasing tendency was observed. Contact allergy to PPD is an important health issue for both women and men. More stringent regulation and enforcement are required as public health measures to reduce the burden of disease that exposure to PPD has brought to populations. [source] The epidemiology of contact allergy in the general population , prevalence and main findingsCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 5 2007Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen A substantial number of studies have investigated the prevalence of contact allergy in the general population and in unselected subgroups of the general population. The aim of this review was to determine a median prevalence and summarize the main findings from studies on contact allergy in the general population. Published research mainly originates from North America and Western Europe. The median prevalence of contact allergy to at least 1 allergen was 21.2% (range 12.5,40.6%), and the weighted average prevalence was 19.5%, based on data collected on all age groups and all countries between 1966 and 2007. The most prevalent contact allergens were nickel, thimerosal, and fragrance mix. The median nickel allergy prevalence was 8.6% (range 0.7,27.8%) and demonstrates that nickel was an important cause of contact allergy in the general population and that it was widespread in both men and women. Numerous studies demonstrated that pierced ears were a significant risk factor for nickel allergy. Nickel was a risk factor for hand eczema in women. Finally, heavy smoking was associated with contact allergy, mostly in women. Population-based epidemiological studies are considered a prerequisite in the surveillance of national and international contact allergy epidemics. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||