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PubMed1993

Carcinogens in Israeli milk: a study in regulatory failure.

The potential danger to humans of exposure to chemicals shown to be carcinogenic in animals has become increasingly clear in the last 20 years. A gap still exists, however, between the appreciation of the risk by scientists and the willingness of public health authorities to reduce it. Three pesticides, shown repeatedly to produce over a dozen different types of cancer in rats and mice, were discovered in inordinately high concentrations in Israeli milk and dairy products. The three pesticides--alpha-BHC, gamma-BHC (lindane), and DDT--had been shown to be present for ten years or more at mean concentrations up to 100 times those found in U.S. dairy products--with resultant concentrations in breast milk being possibly 800 times greater than those in the United States--yet neither the Ministry of Health nor the Israel Cancer Association made any apparent moves either to warn the public or to rectify the situation. A small consumer organization, Consumer Shield, brought the issue into the open. Through public pressure, court action, and the threat of further legal redress--and despite repeated attacks in the media by the milk producers, the Ministry, and the Cancer Association--Consumer Shield forced the authorities to outlaw the use of alpha-BHC and lindane (DDT no longer being in general use). The ban resulted in a precipitous drop in the concentrations of these substances in Israeli milk. Recent epidemiological and laboratory findings suggest that the dramatic drop in breast cancer mortality rates subsequent to the pesticide ban could be a direct result of that ban.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Goal achievement and the accountability of consumer-run organizations.

This study explores how consumer-run organizations (CROs) can maintain independence while meeting the accountability needs of funding agencies. The importance of both funding agency needs for accountability and CRO needs for independence are discussed. A goal-tracking process is proposed as a potential strategy for balancing the potentially conflicting needs of accountability and independence. To demonstrate the utility of the goal tracking approach, this study analyzes goal tracking documentation in 3 years of quarterly reports from 21 CROs (also known as consumer drop-in centers and self-help agencies). Results detail the different goals of CROs. A 68% goal achievement rate suggests general organizational competence. Furthermore, CRO operations appear to be relatively cost-efficient, with an average of $11.51 spent per person per day. The analysis of quarterly reports leads to a discussion of several insights that may be useful to CROs, funding agencies, researchers, and mental health professionals.

Community Mental Health Services↗
PubMed2002

Simulation of the exposure to deoxynivalenol of French consumers of organic and conventional foodstuffs.

The aim of this study was to estimate the exposure to deoxynivalenol in wheat of consumers of organic and conventional products using a probabilistic method, and to compare these levels with a toxicological reference so as to provide risk managers with scientific data to be used in the regulatory decision-making process. First, a product consumption frequency questionnaire was completed by consumers of organic products, thus providing data on the consumption of organic products. Data on the consumption of conventional products were obtained from the French "INCA" survey. Data on deoxynivalenol levels in wheat came from a previous study. The results of exposure simulations using the Monte-Carlo sampling method showed that 10% of those consuming organic wheat containing deoxynivalenol may be exposed to this natural toxin at levels above the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed2004

Involving homeless persons in the leadership of a health care organization.

Consumer advisory boards (CABs) are a way of involving patients in their health care. To engage the homeless in the administration of a health care organization for the homeless, a service agency formed such a board comprising homeless and formerly homeless individuals. The purpose was to integrate experiences of homelessness into programmatic design and research efforts of the organization, and to promote participatory research among the homeless. A content analysis and member checking revealed four distinct themes relating to committee goals, identity definition, power, and issues and needs of the homeless. Findings indicate that participatory research provided a useful structure in which the CAB could improve self-sufficiency and self-efficacy, and contribute to the direction of the health care agency.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Pursuit of assisted dying: a pilot study of inquiries made to a national consumer-based organization.

Legal developments in assisted dying have focused on assisted suicide for mentally competent, terminally ill adults. Requests for assisted dying are likely to represent broader concerns, but studies have been limited to surveys of specific patient groups or recollections of physicians. To describe the nature of inquiries by a broad range of persons seeking assisted dying, a retrospective review was performed of confidential client memoranda summarizing telephone inquiries regarding assisted dying to a counseling service of a national, not-for-profit, consumer-based organization. The review evaluated the underlying medical condition prompting the inquiry, evidence of patient's decisional capacity, and relationship of caller to the patient. Of 125 assisted suicide calls, 111 with medical illness were analyzed. Among 111 inquiries, 71 (64%) were made by someone other than the person suffering from the illness ("the patient"); 52 (47%) of these were family members, 14 (13%) were friends, and 5 (7%) were professionals. Cancer accounted for 25% of cases, HIV/AIDS and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for 10 and 9%, respectively, other neurological diseases for 23%, and chronic or other medical conditions for approximately 17%. In an additional 10 cases, there was no medical illness. Within the group of callers inquiring on behalf of others, 18 (25%) stated the patient lacked ability to communicate his or her wishes and 7 (10%) stated there was uncertainty. Inquiries about assisted dying represent a broader range of concerns than represented by legal initiatives. More study is needed to determine if enhanced knowledge about alternatives, such as palliative care, reduces requests for assisted dying.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Studies on the mechanism of bacterial resistance to complement-mediated killing. I. Terminal complement components are deposited and released from Salmonella minnesota S218 without causing bacterial death.

The mechanism of resistance of gram-negative bacteria to killing by complement was investigated. Complement consumption and uptake of purified, radiolabeled complement components on bacteria was studied using a serum- sensitive and a serum-resistant strain of Salmonella minnesota. Twice as many molecules of (125)I C3 were bound per colony-forming unit (CFU) of the smooth, serum-resistant S. minnesota S218 as were bound per CFU of the rough, serum-sensitive S. minnesota Re595 in 10 percent pooled normal human serum (PNHS), although 75-80 percent of C3 was consumed by both organisms. Hemolytic titrations documented total consumption of C9 by 5 min and more than 95 percent consumption of C5 and C7 by 15 min in the reaction with S218 with 10 percent PNHS. In contrast, negligible C5 depletion, 10 percent C7 consumption, and only a 26 percent decrease in C9 titer occurred with the serum-sensitive Re595. Binding of (125)I C5, (125)I C7, and (125)I C9 to S218 and Re595 was measured in 10 percent PNHS. A total of 6,600 molecules C5/CFU, 5,200 molecules C7/CFU, and 3,100 molecules C9/CFU bound to S218 after 5-10 min of incubation at 37 degrees C, but 50-70 percent of the C5, C7, and C9 bound to S218 was released from the organism during incubation at 37 degrees C for 60 min. Binding of 2,000 molecules C5/CFU, 1,900 molecules C7/CFU, and 9,000 molecules C9/CFU to Re595 was achieved by 20 min and was stable. The ratio of bound C9 molecules to bound C7 molecules, measured using (131)I C9 and (125)I C7, was constant for both organisms after 15 min and was 4.3:1 on Re595 and 0.65:1 on S218 in 10 percent PNHS. With addition of increasing amounts of purified, unlabeled (29 to 10 percent PNHS, there was no change in the C9:C7 ratio on Re595. However, with S218 there was a linear increase of the C9:C7 ratio, which approached the ratio on Re595. There was no (14)C release from S218 incubated in PNHS, nor was there evidence by electron microscopy of outer membrane damage to S218. Therefore, S. minnesota S218 is resistant to killing by PNHS, despite the fact that the organism consumes terminal complement components efficiently and that terminal components are deposited on the surface in significant amounts. The C5b-9 complex is released from the surface of S218 without causing lethal outer membrane damage.

Adsorption↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Application of molecular systematics to study of bacterial cultures consuming volatile organic compounds].

A range of species of four mixed bacterial cultures was studied by molecular systematics methods with the use of 16S rRNA genes. The cultures had been developed for application in minireactors, to degrade volatile organic compounds (VOCs): ethyl benzene, m-xylene, styrene, and o-xylene. A sample of 30 plasmid rDNA clones was obtained for each of the mixed cultures. The clones were analyzed by RFLP according to two restriction sites. Major variants of the 16S-rDNA sequences, corresponding to the most abundant species, were determined for each association. Sequencing of four clones of predominant 16S-rDNAs showed that the culture consuming ethyl benzene was dominated by Pseudomonas fluorescens; o-xylene, by Achromobacter xylosoxydans; styrene, by Pseudomonas veronii; and m-xylene, by Delftia acidovorans. Minor components of all four cultures were generally similar. They included species of the genera Sphingobacter, Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Pedobacter, and Paenibacillus. Sampling sequencing of genes for 16S rRNA cloned from total genomic DNA allowed quantitative determination of the composition of actual bacterial associations consuming VOCs in minireactors.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2001

Thermodynamic and Kinetic Requirements in Anaerobic Methane Oxidizing Consortia Exclude Hydrogen, Acetate, and Methanol as Possible Electron Shuttles.

Anaerobic methane oxidation (AMO) has long remained an enigma in microbial ecology. In the process the net reaction appears to be an oxidation of methane with sulfate as electron acceptor. In order to explain experimental data such as effects of inhibitors and isotopic signals in biomarkers it has been suggested that the process is carried out by a consortium of bacteria using an unknown compound to shuttle electrons between the participants. The overall change in free energy during AMO with sulfate is very small (?22 kJ mol-1) at in situ concentrations of methane and sulfate. In order to share the available free energy between the members of the consortium, the concentration of the intermediate electron shuttle compound becomes crucial. Diffusive flux of a substrate (i.e, the electron shuttle) between bacteria requires a stable concentration gradient where the concentration is higher in the producing organism than in the consuming organism. Since changes in concentrations cause changes in reaction free energies, the diffusive flux of a catabolic product/substrate between bacteria is associated with a net loss of available energy. This restricts maximal inter-bacterial distances in consortia composed of stationary bacteria. A simple theoretical model was used to describe the relationship between inter-bacterial distances and the energy lost due to concentration differences in consortia. Key parameters turned out to be the permissible concentration range of the electron shuttle in the consortium (i.e., the concentration range that allows both participants to gain sufficient energy) and the stoichiometry of the partial reactions. The model was applied to two known consortia degrading ethanol and butyrate and to four hypothetical methane-oxidizing consortia (MOC) based on interspecies transfer of hydrogen, methanol, acetate, or formate, respectively. In the first three MOCs the permissible distances between producers and consumers of the transferred compounds were less than two times prokaryotic cell wall diameters. Consequently, it is not possible that a MOC can be based on inter-species transfer of hydrogen, methanol, or acetate. Formate, on the other hand, is a possible shuttle candidate provided the bacteria are attached to one another. In general the model predicts that members of consortia thriving on low energy such as the MOC must adhere to each other and utilize a compound for the exchange of electrons that has a high permissible concentration range and a high diffusion coefficient and transfers as many electrons as possible per molecule.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Toxicity of fipronil and its degradation products to Procambarus sp.: field and laboratory studies.

Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole insecticide that is the active ingredient in the pesticide Icon 6.2 FS which is applied to rice seeds targeting the rice water weevil. An arthropod-selective insecticide, fipronil blocks the GABA-gated chloride channel and is unique in that several of its degradation products have been indicated to be equal or more potent than fipronil. After application of rice seeds (2-3 days postplant) to flooded rice fields, water is typically pumped from the rice fields and can be used for the culture of crayfish (Procambarus sp.). Because fipronil is selective for arthropods, is transported via organic sediment, and crayfish consume organic sediment, 96-h LC(50) experiments were conducted with fipronil and three of its environmental derivatives in crayfish under conditions without carrier solvents in water of similar pH, alkalinity, and hardness as observed in south Louisiana crayfish culture ponds. Measured LC(50)s for fipronil to red swamp (Procambarus clarkii) and white river (Procambarus zonangulus) crayfish were 14.3 (95% CI; 5.1-23.4) and 19.5 (95% CI; 11.1-27.9) microg/L, respectively. LC(50)s of fipronil sulfone (11.2; 9.2-13.2 microg/L), fipronil sulfide (15.5; 13-18 microg/L); and the photoproduct, desulfinyl fipronil (68.6; 46-95.2 microg/L) displayed very high toxicity in crayfish. In situ toxicity studies using caged crayfish in culturing ponds receiving effluent from drained rice fields indicated that effluent from rice fields planted with Icon-treated seed was significantly more toxic compared to untreated surface water (40% survival compared to 83% survival). Hazard quotient comparisons using measured water concentrations in the field and laboratory-based LC(50)s indicated that fipronil and its metabolites in water resulting from Icon-treated rice seed planting poses a significant risk to crayfish survival.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Selecting consumers for neighborhood health center boards.

During the winter of 1978, a study of board members of 13 neighborhood health centers was conducted in which consumers were found to have parity of influence with non-consumers. Organized group sponsorship and backing of consumers, rather than their election or appointment, were partially responsible for this parity. Despite literature reports that organized group backing would increase the chances of "vested interest" conflicts on the board, consumers who were affiliated with organized groups were not found to be more competitive than those who were not thus affiliated. In contrast, nonconsumers with organized group backing did have a tendency to feel competitive on their boards.

Community Health Centers↗
PubMed1978

Social networks, the family, and the schizophrenic patient: introduction to the issue.

This article is an editor's introduction to the theme of a special issue of the Schizophrenia Bulletin. The origin of the social network concept is described. Ideology, morale, structure, and the larger social context are identified as aspects of the social network to be examined in future research. Consumer organizations of schizophrenics and their families are described, and their potential for network formation and cooperation with organized psychiatry is discussed.

Consumer Organizations↗
PubMed1981

Professional Standards Review Organizations and confidentiality: the question of public access to medical peer review data through the Freedom of Information Act.

The degree of confidentiality to be accorded data gathered and analyzed by Professional Standards Review Organizations (PSROs) in the course of their medical peer review activities is a crucial and controversial issue in health policy. In late 1977, a consumer organization in Washington, D.C. sought access to data in the hands of the local PSRO through a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act, touching off a continuing debate throughout the country. That lawsuit is now on appeal. The courts, the Congress, and the Department of Health and Human Services have all been involved in the ongoing controversy. PSROs, practicing physicians, and health care consumers all have an interest in the outcome. This article analyzes the PSRO Program and its data confidentiality problems, examines in detail the lawsuit that sparked the controversy, and assesses the overall impact of this case on the PSRO program and on federal regulation of the health care system in general.

Civil Rights↗