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Selected AbstractsQuality of histopathological reporting on melanoma and influence of use of a synoptic templateHISTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2010Lauren E Haydu Haydu L E, Holt P E, Karim R Z, Madronio C M, Thompson J F, Armstrong B K & Scolyer R A (2010) Histopathology56, 768,774 Quality of histopathological reporting on melanoma and influence of use of a synoptic template Aims:, To evaluate the quality of histopathological reporting for melanoma in a whole population, to assess the influence on quality of the use of a synoptic template and thus to provide an evidence base to guide improvement in reporting melanoma pathology. Methods and results:, Histopathology reports of all primary invasive melanomas notified to the New South Wales Central Cancer Registry between October 2006 and October 2007 (n = 3784) were reviewed. A detailed audit of histopathology reports for consecutively diagnosed primary invasive melanoma over 6 months (n = 2082) was performed to assess the quality of each report based on compliance with the 2008 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Melanoma in Australia and New Zealand. Only half of the initial excision specimen reports included the essential components necessary to stage a melanoma patient according to the 2002 American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer melanoma staging system. Report format was strongly correlated with completeness and validity of reporting: reports in a synoptic format, with or without a descriptive component, achieved the highest quality levels. Conclusions:, Even in a population with a high incidence of melanoma, concordance of pathology reports with current guidelines was comparatively low. Wider adoption of synoptic reporting is likely to increase report quality. [source] Comparative performances of staging systems for early hepatocellular carcinomaHPB, Issue 5 2009Hari Nathan Abstract Background:, Several staging systems for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been proposed, but studies of their prognostic accuracy have yielded conflicting conclusions. Stratifying patients with early HCC is of particular interest because these patients may derive the greatest benefit from intervention, yet no studies have evaluated the comparative performances of staging systems in patients with early HCC. Methods:, A retrospective cohort study was performed using data on 379 patients who underwent liver resection or liver transplantation for HCC at six major hepatobiliary centres in the USA and Europe. The staging systems evaluated were: the Okuda staging system, the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) staging system, the Cancer of the Liver Italian Programme (CLIP) score, the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system, the Japanese Integrated Staging (JIS) score and the American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer (AJCC/UICC) staging system, 6th edition. A recently proposed early HCC prognostic score was also evaluated. The discriminative abilities of the staging systems were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models and the bootstrap-corrected concordance index (c). Results:, Overall survival of the cohort was 74% at 3 years and 52% at 5 years, with a median survival of 62 months. Most systems demonstrated poor discriminatory ability (P > 0.05 on Cox proportional hazards analysis, c, 0.5). However, the AJCC/UICC system clearly stratified patients (P < 0.001, c= 0.59), albeit only into two groups. The early HCC prognostic score also clearly stratified patients (P < 0.001, c= 0.60) and identified three distinct prognostic groups. Discussion:, The early HCC prognostic score is superior to the AJCC/UICC staging system (6th edition) for predicting the survival of patients with early HCC after liver resection or liver transplantation. Other major HCC staging systems perform poorly in patients with early HCC. [source] Sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with thin melanomasTHE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 8 2007Roberto CECCHI ABSTRACT The aim of the present study is to report our experience with lymphatic mapping (LM) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in a selected group of patients with thin primary cutaneous melanomas. Fifty patients (22 females and 28 males; mean age, 57.8 years; range, 30,77 years) with a mean tumor thickness of 0.63 mm (range, 0.24,1.00 mm) underwent LM/SLNB. Twenty-eight (56%) of them had Clark level II, 20 (40%) had Clark level III, and two (4%) had Clark level IV. Tumor ulceration was present in two patients (4%) and histological regression in 35 patients (70%). Sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases occurred in two of 50 patients (4%). The first case was a 0.88-mm thick, Clark level III, non-ulcerated superficial spreading melanoma of the trunk, without any regression. The second case was a 0.95-mm thick, Clark level IV, non-ulcerated superficial spreading melanoma of the neck, with regression. Both patients were disease-free 76 and 50 months after the SLNB procedure and followed complete lymph node dissection, respectively. The patients with negative SLN were disease-free after a median follow up of 44 months (mean, 43.2; range, 15,84 months). Published data and our experience suggest that LM/SLNB is not routinely indicated for melanomas less than 0.75 mm. Our results confirmed the accuracy of the new American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer criteria, in which SLNB is required for thin melanomas less than 1.0 mm when they have ulceration or Clark level IV and V invasion. [source] The Clinical Significance of Coexpression of Cyclooxygenases-2, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors, and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Nasopharyngeal CarcinomaTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 11 2008Jianji Pan MD Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis: To investigate the inter-relationship of the expressions of cyclooxygenases-2 (COX-2), vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) cells, and their clinical significance in association with the extent of disease at diagnosis. Study Design: Prospective. Methods: Expressions of COX-2, VEGF, and EGFR protein were detected using immunohistochemistry in 111 patients with pathologically confirmed stage II to IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The correlation between the expressions of the three tumor markers and the stages of disease at diagnosis were investigated. Results: COX-2, VEGF, and EGFR were over-expressed in 76.6, 66.7, and 73.9% of NPC cells, respectively. The staining patterns was cytoplasmic for VEGF, membranous for EGFR, and both cytoplasmic and membranous for COX-2 in tumor cells. Linear associations were observed between the intensity of the expressions of COX-2 vs. VEGF, COX-2 vs. EGFR, or VEGF vs. EGFR. Furthermore, the intensity of the expressions of all three markers was significantly associated with the extent of the tumor measured by the Tumor, Node, Metastasis classification and staging grouping of the American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer staging system. Conclusion: COX-2, VEGF, and EGFR expressions in NPC cells were interrelated, and the intensity of the expressions of all three markers were significantly associated with the stage of the disease at diagnosis. Further investigation is needed to determine the clinical applications of COX-2, VEGF, and EGFR in predicting the long-term outcome of NPC after definitive therapy. [source] The Need to Rationalize and Prioritize Threatening Processes Used to Determine Threat Status in the IUCN Red ListCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2009MATT W. HAYWARD carnivora; competencia; estatus de conservación; procesos amenazantes Abstract:,Thorough evaluation has made the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List the most widely used and accepted authority on the conservation status of biodiversity. Although the system used to determine risk of extinction is rigorously and objectively applied, the list of threatening processes affecting a species is far more subjectively determined and has not had adequate review. I reviewed the threats listed in the IUCN Red List for randomly selected groups within the three most threatened orders of mammals: Artiodactyla, Carnivora, and Primates. These groups are taxonomically related and often ecologically similar, so I expected they would suffer relatively similar threats. Hominoid primates and all other terrestrial fauna faced similar threats, except for bovine artiodactyls and large, predatory carnivores, which faced significantly different threats. Although the status of bovines and hominoids and the number of threats affecting them were correlated, this was not the case for large carnivores. Most notable, however, was the great variation in the threats affecting individual members of each group. For example, the endangered European bison (Bison bonasus) has no threatening processes listed for it, and the lion (Panthera leo) is the only large predator listed as threatened with extinction by civil war. Some threatening processes appear spurious for the conservation of the species, whereas other seemingly important factors are not recorded as threats. The subjective nature of listing threatening processes, via expert opinion, results in substantial biases that may be allayed by independent peer review, use of technical manuals, consensus among multiple assessors, incorporation of probability modeling via decision-tree analysis, and adequate coordination among evaluators. The primary focus should be on species-level threats rather than population-level threats because the IUCN Red List is a global assessment and smaller-scale threats are more appropriate for national status assessments. Until conservationists agree on the threats affecting species and their relative importance, conservation action and success will be hampered by scattering scarce resources too widely and often by implementing conflicting strategies. Resumen:,La evaluación exhaustiva ha hecho que la Lista Roja de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN) sea la autoridad más aceptada y ampliamente utilizada respecto al estatus de conservación de la biodiversidad. Aunque el sistema utilizado para determinar el riesgo de extinción es aplicado rigurosa y objetivamente, la lista de procesos amenazantes que afectan a las especies es determinado muy subjetivamente y no es revisado adecuadamente. Revisé las amenazas consideradas en la Lista Roja UICN para grupos seleccionados aleatoriamente en los tres órdenes de mamíferos más amenazados: Artyodactila, Carnivora y Primates. Estos grupos están relacionados taxonómicamente y a menudo son ecológicamente similares, así que esperaba que tuvieran amenazas relativamente similares. Los primates homínidos y toda la demás fauna terrestre enfrentan amenazas similares, excepto por los bovinos artiodáctilos y los carnívoros depredadores mayores, que enfrentan amenazas significativamente diferentes. Aunque el estatus de los bovinos y homínidos y el número de amenazas que los afectan estuvieron correlacionados, este no fue el caso para los carnívoros mayores. Sin embargo, lo más notable fue la gran variación en las amenazas que afectan a miembros individuales de cada grupo. Por ejemplo, no hay procesos amenazantes enlistados para el bisonte europeo (Bison bonasus), y el león (Panthera leo) es el único depredador mayor enlistado como amenazado de extinción por la guerra civil. Algunos procesos amenazantes parecen espurios para la conservación de las especies, mientras que otros factores aparentemente importantes no están registrados como amenazas. La naturaleza subjetiva de los procesos de enlistado, por medio de la opinión de expertos, resulta en sesgos sustanciales que pueden disiparse por la revisión independiente por pares, el uso de manuales técnicos, el consenso de múltiples asesores, la incorporación del modelado probabilístico mediante análisis de árboles de decisión y la adecuada coordinación entre evaluadores. El enfoque principal debería ser sobre amenazas a nivel de especies en lugar de amenazas a nivel de poblaciones porque la Lista Roja UICN es una evaluación global y las amenazas a menor escala son más apropiadas para evaluaciones nacionales de estatus. Hasta que los conservacionistas estén de acuerdo sobre las amenazas que afectan a las especies y su importancia relativa, las acciones de conservación y su éxito estarán obstaculizados por la dispersión demasiado amplia de recursos limitados y a menudo por la implementación de estrategias contrapuestas. [source] Intellectual property rights and bio commons: open source and beyondINTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 188 2006Krishna Ravi Srinivas For many years seeds and plant varieties were beyond the purview of intellectual property rights. But since the 1930s intellectual property rights have covered them. Till the advent of trade-related intellectual property rights under the World Trade Organisation, nations had no obligation to extend intellectual property rights to them, unless they were members of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. Apart from provisions of trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, changes in laws, technological advances, and judicial interpretations of laws have resulted in the strengthening of the rights of patent holders and breeders, while farmers' rights have been diminished or effectively nullified. This has other implications like restriction on the researchers' freedom to invent and innovate and for North,South trade in seeds and grains, particularly in GM crops such as soya. In this article, open source is suggested as a solution and a BioLinux model is put forth as an alternative. While it is not claimed that open source will be a panacea, this article highlights some of the possibilities that are opened up by open source. It also suggests that open source will be very useful in finding a solution to anti-commons problems while promoting innovations. [source] ASBMB and FAOBMB Inc.: Present status and future opportunitiesIUBMB LIFE, Issue 7 2010John de Jersey Past and present relationships of three biochemistry and molecular biology organizations: the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB); and the International Union for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are discussed. The future of these organizations, particularly FAOBMB, is then considered in the light of factors behind their current status and likely future effects of globalization, growth in Asia, changes in disciplinary focus and contribution to global issues. © 2010 IUBMB IUBMB Life 62(7): 483,485, 2010 [source] Outcomes of the International Union of Crystallography Commission on Powder Diffraction Round Robin on Quantitative Phase Analysis: samples 2, 3, 4, synthetic bauxite, natural granodiorite and pharmaceuticalsJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2002Nicola V. Y. Scarlett The International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) Commission on Powder Diffraction (CPD) has sponsored a round robin on the determination of quantitative phase abundance from diffraction data. The aims of the round robin have been detailed by Madsen et al. [J. Appl. Cryst. (2001), 34, 409,426]. In summary, they were (i) to document the methods and strategies commonly employed in quantitative phases analysis (QPA), especially those involving powder diffraction, (ii) to assess levels of accuracy, precision and lower limits of detection, (iii) to identify specific problem areas and develop practical solutions, (iv) to formulate recommended procedures for QPA using diffraction data, and (v) to create a standard set of samples for future reference. The first paper (Madsen et al., 2001) covered the results of sample 1 (a simple three-phase mixture of corundum, fluorite and zincite). The remaining samples used in the round robin covered a wide range of analytical complexity, and presented a series of different problems to the analysts. These problems included preferred orientation (sample 2), the analysis of amorphous content (sample 3), microabsorption (sample 4), complex synthetic and natural mineral suites, along with pharmaceutical mixtures with and without an amorphous component. This paper forms the second part of the round-robin study and reports the results of samples 2 (corundum, fluorite, zincite, brucite), 3 (corundum, fluorite, zincite, silica flour) and 4 (corundum, magnetite, zircon), synthetic bauxite, natural granodiorite and the synthetic pharmaceutical mixtures (mannitol, nizatidine, valine, sucrose, starch). The outcomes of this second part of the round robin support the findings of the initial study. The presence of increased analytical problems within these samples has only served to exacerbate the difficulties experienced by many operators with the sample 1 suite. The major difficulties are caused by lack of operator expertise, which becomes more apparent with these more complex samples. Some of these samples also introduced the requirement for skill and judgement in sample preparation techniques. This second part of the round robin concluded that the greatest physical obstacle to accurate QPA for X-ray based methods is the presence of absorption contrast between phases (microabsorption), which may prove to be insurmountable in some circumstances. [source] Outcomes of the International Union of Crystallography Commission on Powder Diffraction Round Robin on Quantitative Phase Analysis: samples 1a to 1hJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2001Ian C. Madsen The International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) Commission on Powder Diffraction (CPD) has sponsored a round robin on the determination of quantitative phase abundance from diffraction data. Specifically, the aims of the round robin were (i) to document the methods and strategies commonly employed in quantitative phase analysis (QPA), especially those involving powder diffraction, (ii) to assess levels of accuracy, precision and lower limits of detection, (iii) to identify specific problem areas and develop practical solutions, (iv) to formulate recommended procedures for QPA using diffraction data, and (v) to create a standard set of samples for future reference. Some of the analytical issues which have been addressed include (a) the type of analysis (integrated intensities or full-profile, Rietveld or full-profile, database of observed patterns) and (b) the type of instrument used, including geometry and radiation (X-ray, neutron or synchrotron). While the samples used in the round robin covered a wide range of analytical complexity, this paper reports the results for only the sample 1 mixtures. Sample 1 is a simple three-phase system prepared with eight different compositions covering a wide range of abundance for each phase. The component phases were chosen to minimize sample-related problems, such as the degree of crystallinity, preferred orientation and microabsorption. However, these were still issues that needed to be addressed by the analysts. The results returned indicate a great deal of variation in the ability of the participating laboratories to perform QPA of this simple three-component system. These differences result from such problems as (i) use of unsuitable reference intensity ratios, (ii) errors in whole-pattern refinement software operation and in interpretation of results, (iii) operator errors in the use of the Rietveld method, often arising from a lack of crystallographic understanding, and (iv) application of excessive microabsorption correction. Another major area for concern is the calculation of errors in phase abundance determination, with wide variations in reported values between participants. Few details of methodology used to derive these errors were supplied and many participants provided no measure of error at all. [source] Clinical verification of the superiority of the current International Union Against Cancer staging criteria in an Australian population of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomaJOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 4 2004J Corry Summary The purpose of this study is to assess the prognostic abilities of the fourth and fifth edition International Union Against Cancer (UICC) staging systems for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Australian patients. All patients planned for curative treatment at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre from April 1985 to December 1999 were included in this study. There were 181 patients eligible for this study. The median follow up was 7.6 years. Histological subgroups were World Health Organization (WHO) 1 (23), WHO 2 (12), and WHO 3 (146). Presentation with stage IV disease was 83% by UICC fourth edition staging and 34% by UICC fifth edition staging. The 5 years failure-free survival (FFS) rates for stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 disease by the fourth edition was 77, 100, 93, and 49% respectively,and by the fifth edition was 85, 76, 57 and 36%, respectively. The 5 years overall survival (OS) for stage 1, 2, 3, and 4 disease by the fourth edition was 77, 100, 100 and 61%; respectively, and by the fifth edition was 85, 82, 67 and 53%, respectively. Stage 4 patients by the fourth edition were reclassified as stages 2, 3 and 4 by the fifth edition with hazard ratios of 0.77, 1.01 and 1.79, respectively. In multifactor analysis, the fifth edition staging system was significantly related to FFS and OS after allowing for the fourth edition (FFS: P = 0.002; OS: P = 0.005), but the fourth edition was not significantly related to FFS or OS after allowing for the fifth edition (FFS: P = 0.96; OS: P = 0.96). This study confirms the prognostic superiority of the fifth edition UICC staging system over the fourth edition staging system in an Australian NPC population. [source] Formal ratification of the Quaternary System/Period and the Pleistocene Series/Epoch with a base at 2.58 Ma,JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 2 2010Philip L. Gibbard Abstract In June 2009, the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) formally ratified a proposal by the International Commission on Stratigraphy to lower the base of the Quaternary System/Period to the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Gelasian Stage/Age at Monte San Nicola, Sicily, Italy. The Gelasian until then had been the uppermost stage of the Pliocene Series/Epoch. The base of the Gelasian corresponds to Marine Isotope Stage 103, and has an astronomically tuned age of 2.58 Ma. A proposal that the base of the Pleistocene Series/Epoch be lowered to coincide with that of the Quaternary (the Gelasian GSSP) was also accepted by the IUGS Executive Committee. The GSSP at Vrica, Calabria, Italy, which had hitherto defined the basal boundary of both the Quaternary and the Pleistocene, remains available as the base of the Calabrian Stage/Age (now the second stage of the revised Pleistocene). In ratifying these proposals, the IUGS has acknowledged the distinctive qualities of the Quaternary by reaffirming it as a full system/period, correctly complied with the hierarchical requirements of the geological timescale by lowering the base of the Pleistocene to that of the Quaternary, and fully respected the historical and widespread current usage of both the terms ,Quaternary' and ,Pleistocene'. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Climates of the past: evidence from natural and documentary archives,JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 5 2009Iain Robertson Abstract This special issue of the Journal of Quaternary Science contains a set of 12 papers based upon a thematic session aimed at reconstructing climate of the last 1000 years from multi-proxy archives, held at the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) XVII Congress in Cairns, Australia. New techniques are presented to enable the extraction of proxy climatic data from natural and documentary archives with the aim of preserving environmental information across all temporal scales. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records,JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 1 2009Mike Walker Abstract The Greenland ice core from NorthGRIP (NGRIP) contains a proxy climate record across the Pleistocene,Holocene boundary of unprecedented clarity and resolution. Analysis of an array of physical and chemical parameters within the ice enables the base of the Holocene, as reflected in the first signs of climatic warming at the end of the Younger Dryas/Greenland Stadial 1 cold phase, to be located with a high degree of precision. This climatic event is most clearly reflected in an abrupt shift in deuterium excess values, accompanied by more gradual changes in ,18O, dust concentration, a range of chemical species, and annual layer thickness. A timescale based on multi-parameter annual layer counting provides an age of 11 700 calendar yr b2,k (before AD 2000) for the base of the Holocene, with a maximum counting error of 99,yr. A proposal that an archived core from this unique sequence should constitute the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Holocene Series/Epoch (Quaternary System/Period) has been ratified by the International Union of Geological Sciences. Five auxiliary stratotypes for the Pleistocene,Holocene boundary have also been recognised. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Global Standard Stratotype-section and Point (GSSP) of the Furongian Series and Paibian Stage (Cambrian)LETHAIA, Issue 4 2004SHANCHI PENG The Global Standard Stratotype-section and Point (GSSP) of the Furongian Series (uppermost series of the Cambrian System) and the Paibian Stage (lowermost stage of the Furongian Series), has been recently defined and ratified by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). The boundary stratotype is 369,metres above the base of the Huaqiao Formation in the Paibi section, northwestern Hunan Province, China. This point coincides with the first appearance of the cosmopolitan agnostoid trilobite Glyptagnostus reticulatus, and occurs near the base of a large positive carbon isotopic excursion (SPICE excursion). [source] Primates in traditional folk medicine: a world overviewMAMMAL REVIEW, Issue 2 2010Rômulo R. N. ALVES ABSTRACT 1Almost 50% of primate species are in danger of becoming extinct, according to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This is partly because of their consumption by humans. The reasons for hunting vary by region. One pretext is the medicinal or magical value of products derived from these animals. 2In this paper, we provide an overview of the global use of primates in traditional folk medicines as well as identifying the species used as remedies associated with folk beliefs. Some important questions relating to the conservation of primates are addressed. 3Our results revealed that at least 101 species of primates, which belong to 38 genera and 10 families, were used in traditional folk practices and in magic,religious rituals throughout the world. 4Of the 101 species of primates recorded in our review, 12 species were classified as Critically Endangered, 23 as Endangered, 22 as Vulnerable, seven as Near Threatened, 36 as Least Concern and one as Data Deficient in the IUCN Red List. All species were also included in The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Appendices I or II, although the reasons for their inclusion were not necessarily related to their medicinal use. 5The widespread utilization of primates in traditional medicine is evidence of the importance of understanding such uses in the context of primate conservation as well as the need for considering socio-cultural factors when establishing management plans concerning the sustainable use of these mammals. [source] Lupine, a source of new as well as hidden food allergensMOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH (FORMERLY NAHRUNG/FOOD), Issue 1 2010Uta Jappe Abstract The present review summarizes current knowledge about lupine allergy, potential sensitization routes, cross-reactions between lupine and other legumes, and the respective IgE-binding proteins. Since the 1990s, lupine flour is used as a substitute for or additive to other flours, mostly wheat flour, in several countries of the EU. In 1994, the first case of an immediate-type allergy after ingestion of lupine flour-containing pasta was reported. Since then, the number of published incidents following ingestion or inhalation of lupine flour is rising. So far, the Lupinus angustifolius ,-conglutin has been designated as the allergen Lup an 1 by the International Union of Immunological Societies Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee. Initially, publications focussed on the fact that peanut-allergic patients were at risk to develop anaphylaxis to lupine due to cross-reactivity between peanut and lupine. At present, however, the ratio between cases of pre-existing legume allergy (mostly peanut allergy) to de novo sensitization to lupine seed is nearly 1:1. Although in December 2006, lupine and products thereof were included in the EU foodstuff allergen list according to the Commission Directive 2006/142/EC amending Annex IIIA of Directive 2000/13/EC in order to prevent severe reactions caused by "hidden food allergens", the majority of patients and medical personnel are still not aware of raw lupine seed as potentially dangerous food allergen. [source] Bound xenobiotic residues in food commodities of plant and animal originPEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 3 2002W Skidmore The following are extended summaries of Technical Reports which are produced at intervals by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). They are entirely the responsibility of IUPAC/the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board of Pest Management Science. Copyright © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Mortality among Ontario members of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied CraftworkersAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2005Murray M. Finkelstein PhD Abstract Background Dust exposed workers may be at increased risk of pneumoconiosis, stomach cancer, lung cancer, and obstructive lung disease. Bricklayers may experience high exposures to silica and inorganic dusts. The aim of this study was to examine the mortality pattern of bricklayers to identify occupational associations with mortality. Methods A cohort of 10,953 workers was assembled from records of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (IUBAC). Mortality was ascertained by linkage to the Canadian Mortality Registry at Statistics Canada. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) were computed using Ontario general population mortality rates as the reference. Results Twenty or more years from first membership, SMRs for lung (158; 130,190) and stomach (235; 140,370) cancers were significantly elevated. There were four deaths from pneumoconiosis, but non-malignant respiratory mortality SMRs were not increased. Conclusions Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers are at risk from diseases associated with heavy exposure to inorganic dust: lung cancer, stomach cancer, and pneumoconiosis. Dust control as well as education and training of these workers to protect themselves against inhalation hazards is necessary. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:4,9, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A proportionate mortality study of bricklayers and allied craftworkers,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2005Joyce Salg PhD Abstract Background Mortality among members of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (IUBAC) is examined. Bricklayers and allied craft workers may be exposed to cobalt, epoxy resins, pitch, lime, and to lung carcinogens such as asbestos, silica, and nickel. Methods Proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) were computed using US age-, gender-, and race-specific mortality rates for members who died during 1986,1991. Results Statistically significant PMRs among white men were found for cancers of the esophagus (PMR,=,134), stomach (PMR,=,131), respiratory system, trachea, bronchus, and lung (PMR,=,144), other parts of the respiratory system (PMR,=,216), other and unspecified sites (PMR,=,125). Elevated PMRs were also found for other diseases of the blood and blood forming organs (PMR,=,201), emphysema (PMR,=,133) and for asbestosis (PMR,=,554), and other respiratory diseases (PMR,=,119). Conclusions Results are consistent with those found in previous studies, and suggest the need for intervention activities directed at the prevention of these cancers, and other respiratory diseases. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:10,19, 2005. Published 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] International Union of Crystallography Twenty-First General Assembly and International Congress of Crystallography, Osaka, Japan, 23,31 August 2008ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION A, Issue 5 2009DOI: 10.1107/S010876730803364 First page of article [source] 60 years of IUCr journalsACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION A, Issue 3 2009André Authier In the 60 years since its birth in 1948, the number of journals published by the International Union of Crystallography has risen from one to eight. A brief account of the history of the forerunner of the IUCr journals, Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, is given. The context of the birth of the IUCr and the first of its journals, Acta Crystallographica, is recalled. The circumstances which led to the growth of Acta into several sections, at first A and B then, successively, C, D, E and F, and the launch of two new journals, the Journal of Applied Crystallography and the Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, are described. The transition from print-on-paper to electronic journals is also remembered. [source] Sample survey of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Henan, China, 1996RESPIROLOGY, Issue 1 2002GUOBIN WANG Background: There is little reliable data on the global drug resistance to tuberculosis (TB) as most of the existing data is based upon biased samples, is not standardized or was obtained using poor techniques. For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) developed a global project on anti-TB drug resistance surveillance (DRS) in 1994. China joined this project in 1995 and the province of Henan was selected as the first site for collection of representative samples to survey the prevalence of drug-resistant TB. Methodology: Standard drug susceptibility testing by the proportion method against streptomycin (S), isoniazid (H), rifampicin (R), and ethambutol (E) was performed with Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from 916 new cases and 456 previously treated cases. Treatment outcome of these patients has been evaluated according to the regimens and drug susceptibility patterns. Results: Drug resistance among new cases to any drug was found to be 43.0% and any resistance: S, 32.5%; H, 31.0%; R, 20.7%; and E, 10.3%. Drug resistance among previously treated cases to any drug was 68.2% and any resistance: S, 52.2%; H, 49.3%; R, 48.3%; and E, 20.4%. The cure rate for new cases was 43.3% and 29.4% for previously treated cases. The poor cure rate resulted mainly from a high defaulter rate. Conclusion: Drug-resistant TB was found to be highly prevalent in Henan and the cure rate remained poor. The results strongly indicated that Henan should take immediate action to improve the cure rate of patients through expansion of the introduction of the directly observed treatment short-course strategy. [source] Recent Developments in India's Plant Variety Protection, Seed Regulation and Linkages with UPOV's Proposed MembershipTHE JOURNAL OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Issue 3 2009Prabhash Ranjan The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights of the World Trade Organization imposes an obligation on all member countries to protect plant varieties either by patents or by a sui generis regime or by a combination of both. India explored the sui generis option to provide protection to plant varieties. This legal regime recognizes the rights of commercial breeders and also grants a positive right to farmers and goes beyond the widely recognized international sui generis regime represented by the International Union for the Protection of Plant Varieties (UPOV). Notwithstanding this, India has made an application to join UPOV. However, with the present plant variety law, India's membership application to join UPOV may not be successful. The recent development of bringing the Seeds Bill, which dilutes farmers' rights provisions in the plant variety law, is important in this regard. The article argues that if the Seeds Bill is passed in its present form, it will dilute the beneficial provisions of the plant variety law and pave the way for India to join UPOV. [source] Quality of Life Correlates After Surgery for Laryngeal Carcinoma,,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 10 2007Julian Bindewald Abstract Objectives: To assess the correlation of operation mode, postoperative radiotherapy, and disease stage factors with the health-related quality of life (HRQL) measures after surgery for laryngeal carcinoma. Study Design: Reanalysis of data of two multi-institutional cross-sectional studies. Patients and Methods: We interviewed 218 laryngectomees and 153 partial laryngectomy patients in and near Leipzig, Germany, in two cross-sectional studies, using the general and the head- and neck-specific quality of life questionnaires of the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-H&N35). Multifactorial univariate and multivariate models were calculated, with laryngectomy vs. partial laryngectomy, radiotherapy (irradiated or not), and disease stage (International Union Against Cancer [UICC] stages I/II vs. III/IV) as influencing factors and the HRQL scales and items as dependent variables. Analyses were adjusted for the patient's age and the time elapsed since the operation. Results: Laryngectomees were more affected in their sense of smell (P , .000). Among irradiated patients, functioning levels and many symptom scales showed worse results (P , .05). Both operation mode and postoperative radiotherapy were independently associated with head- and neck-specific HRQL in multivariate analysis. Differences between disease stage groups, however, were not significant. Patient's age was an influencing factor on HRQL, but time since operation was not. Conclusions: Postoperative radiotherapy seems to have the greatest impact on patients' HRQL independent of other clinical factors following surgery for laryngeal carcinoma. Aftercare of irradiated laryngeal carcinoma patients should focus more on the patient's quality of life. [source] CIF: the computer language of crystallographyACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION B, Issue 3-1 2002I. David Brown The Crystallographic Information File (CIF) was adopted in 1990 by the International Union of Crystallography as a file structure for the archiving and distribution of crystallographic information. The CIF standard is now well established and is in regular use for reporting crystal structure determinations to Acta Crystallographica and other journals. The structure of CIF is flexible and extensible and is compatible with other evolving standards. It is well suited to relational and object-oriented models, and is being adopted by the crystallographic databases. This paper reviews the development of CIF and describes its salient features. Future extension of the standard to include implementation of methods will allow CIF to exploit the potential of advanced information-handling software. [source] Characterization of 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), an endangered birdANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2010Hongfei ZOU ABSTRACT Red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis) were classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but recently, their population has decreased dramatically. For the purpose of conserving this endangered species, 18 microsatellite markers were developed, including 12 newly isolated ones from a genomic library and 6 modified from another crane species. The markers were characterized in 26 red-crowned cranes. As a result, these markers displayed 3,13 alleles, and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.462 to 1.000 and from 0.483 to 0.884, respectively. The marker suite averaged 6.390 alleles per locus with an average polymorphic information content of 0.631. The combined exclusion probability (PE-1) was 0.9985, and the combined exclusion probability (PE-2) was 0.9999. Three of the 18 microsatellite loci presented significant deviations from Hardy,Weinberg Equilibrium (P < 0.05), likely due to sampling bias and unknown founder relatedness in a semi-free population. Our results show that microsatellite loci can provide a standard protocol for genetic information in red-crowned crane populations upon which strategies for effective conservation and management may be based. [source] Covers, volume 25, Number 6, 2009ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY, Issue 6 2009Article first published online: 26 NOV 200 Front and back cover caption, volume 25 issue 6 ANTHROPOLOGY IN CHINA In China the history of anthropology is tightly linked to the discovery and documentation of ethnic diversity within the state. The 16th Congress of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences was held in China in summer 2009 in the southwestern state of Yunnan, where this diversity is most pronounced. Participants were encouraged to visit model communities, enjoy music and dance performances by the minorities, and admire their colourful costumes, as in this picture, which shows how VIP guests were welcomed to the closing ceremony of the Congress. Yet just a few weeks earlier, at the other end of the country in Xinjiang, almost 200 people were killed in the worst ethnic rioting since Liberation 60 years ago. While most economic and educational indicators suggest that socialist ethnic policies have been an impressive success, evidently not all is harmonious. Especially among Tibetans and Uyghurs, policies of recognition and the emphasis on a territorial homeland have fostered aspirations which cannot be satisfied by stepping up support for folklore and building ever larger ethnic museums and theme parks. In these regions, the evidence which power holders present as proof of progress and integration, and even as the accomplishment of an ancient civilizing mission, is interpreted locally in terms of assimilation. These tensions constrain the possibilities for anthropological research, for Chinese and foreign scholars alike. In his contribution to this issue, Chris Hann juxtaposes his impressions of the Congress in Kunming with his experiences of rural fieldwork among the Uyghurs of Xinjiang. [source] Of conferences and conflicts: 16th Congress of the IUAES, China, Summer 2009ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY, Issue 6 2009Chris Hann The 16th Congress of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences in July 2009 was an opportunity for China to showcase socialist policies toward ethnic minorities. However just three weeks before the Congress 200 people were killed in ethnic rioting in Xinjiang. Hann's Narrative contrasts the dominant rhetoric of the Congress with the realities on the ground in rural eastern Xinjiang. [source] A protocol for stocking hatchery reared freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritiferaAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 6 2010J. D. Bolland Abstract 1.Freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera L.) populations are under serious threat of extinction throughout their geographical range and only a few remnant populations are recruiting to adulthood. Consequently, M. margaritifera is classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. 2.Several institutions across many countries have set up Ark sites at hatcheries to culture and rear young M. margaritifera from population remnants, with the intention of stocking these juveniles into rivers. The release location must fulfill the habitat requirements for the full life-cycle of the species, so they can contribute to the next generation and thus the long-term recovery of the species. However, little research or advice exists about how to decide if river environments are suitable for stocking. 3.A protocol is presented for determining whether a M. margaritifera population will benefit from stocking hatchery reared juveniles and how to identify suitable areas. Stocking locations are considered from catchment scale to microscale using water quality (reach), macrohabitat (site) and microhabitat, including physicochemical properties of the substratum (spots). 4.A case study of the River Esk in north-east England, is incorporated to exemplify the myriad of considerations surrounding attempts to conserve M. margaritifera, and describes how implementation of the protocol can structure and assist stocking programmes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Deutsches Nationalkomitee in der International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS), Division of History of Science (DHS)BERICHTE ZUR WISSENSCHAFTSGESCHICHTE, Issue 1 2007Bettina Wahrig No abstract is available for this article. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||