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PubMedDate not supplied

Analytical methods for aflatoxins in corn and peanuts.

Aflatoxin determinations can be approached many ways. Peanuts and corn are more often contaminated with aflatoxins B1 and B2 than with aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2. Some countries are only interested in B1 content and others are interested in the total aflatoxin content. It is essential to safely handle all experimental materials associated with aflatoxin analyses or the aflatoxigenic fungi. Visual screening of suspect peanut lots, based on the presence of conidial heads of the Aspergillus flavus group, and screening corn for the presence of bright greenish yellow fluorescence (BGYF) are not chemical tests and such screening techniques may allow aflatoxin contaminated lots into commerce. Minicolumn screening procedures should always be used in conjunction with a quantitative method. Several thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods are suitable for quantitation and are in general use. Immunochemical methods such as the ELISA or affinity column methods are being rapidly developed. The chemical and immunochemical methods can be reliable if care is taken, using suitable controls and personnel that are well-trained. All analytical laboratories should stress safety and include suitable analytical validation procedures.

Aflatoxins↗
PubMed1996

Evaluation of an automated auditory brainstem response infant hearing screening method in at risk neonates.

UNLABELLED: An automated auditory brainstem response (ABR) method-the ALGO-1 Plus- has been developed for hearing screening in healthy neonates. The aim of this study was to test the validity of this automated ABR screening method in at-risk neonates in a neonatal intensive care unit. Two hundred and fifty at-risk neonates were selected for screening according to the criteria of the American Joint Commerce on Infant Hearing. All 250 neonates were screened with the ALGO-1 Plus for bilateral hearing loss. When two consecutive screenings pointed to bilateral hearing loss ("refer") further audiological investigations were performed and where necessary therapeutic measures were taken. All children who "passed" the screening unilateral or bilateral enrolled in a nationwide behavioural screening programme at the age of 9 months as well as in a 6-monthly follow up programme documenting speech and language development. A total of 245 (98%) neonates passed the ALGO-1 screening, 230 (92%) at the first attempt and 15 (6%) at the second attempt. Five (2%) were referred with bilateral hearing loss. One of these died of congenital rubella shortly after screening and bilateral congenital hearing loss of > 35 dB was confirmed in the other 4. None of the infants who passed the screening were discovered to have moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss (> 40 dB) with behavioural screening (n = 183/233) or at follow up (n = 233/233). In this study, all at-risk neonates with bilateral congenital hearing loss were detected with ALGO-1 Plus screening. No false-negatives were discovered. CONCLUSION: The ALGO-1 Plus infant hearing screener can be used as a valid automated ABR-screener to detect hearing loss in at-risk neonates in a neonatal intensive care setting.

Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem↗
PubMed1977

Repression of asexual embryogenesis in vitro by some plant growth regulators.

A factor that represses asexual embryogenesis has been observed in the Rutaceae, with particularly high concentrations in the naturally monoembryonic cultivars. This investigation was an initial step towards identifying the factor. Citrus reticulata Blanco Ponkan mandarin nucellus explants and Daucus carota L. 'Queen Anne's Lace' callus were employed to examine effects of known plant growth regulators and to determine possible identity of one or more of them with the repressive factor. The chalazal halves of ovules of C. media L. 'Citron of Commerce' were used as control repressor source. Embryo initiation and growth of both test tissues were depressed markedly by 2,4-D, abscisic acid and ethephon. Slight inhibitions were obtained with IAA, kinetin and gibberellic acid. Recovery from the repressor did not occur readily in Citrus nucellus following recultures in citron-ovule-free medium; carrot callus resumed normal embryogenesis immediately upon transfer to suppressor-free medium. The repression by natural sources apparently involved the combined action of some or all natural hormones that are generically related to the above.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A transactional analysis of biobehavioral systems.

The system of behavior [B] consists of those transactional interrelationships between organism [O] and environment [E] that govern their commerce. The biological significance of such [O]-[E] interrelationships, their truing through learning, as well as those systems involved in the subordinate and superordinate regulation of behavior, are clear when life, itself, is seen as an emergent property of the [O]-[E] complex. In addition, a systems view of these hierarchically organized complexities suggests that they adaptively self-stabilize and self-organize, over time, as they participate in [L], the organism-environment complex. Such a transactional analysis of biobehavioral systems resonates well with the most basic axioms of Pavlov's paradigm.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

A web implementation: the good and the not-so-good.

E-commerce, e-mail, e-greeting, e-this, and e-that everywhere you turn there is a new "e" word for an internet or Web application. We, at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, have been "e-nlightened" and will discuss in this report the implementation of a web-based radiology information system (RIS) in our radiology division or "e-radiology" division. The application, IDXRad Version 10.0 from IDX Corp, Burlington, VT, is in use at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and has both intranet (for use in Radiology) and internet (referring physician viewing) modules. We will concentrate on the features of using a web browser for the application's front-end, including easy prototyping for screen review, easier mock-ups of demonstrations by vendors and developers, and easier training as more people become web-addicted. Project communication can be facilitated with an internal project web page, and use of the web browser can accommodate quicker turnaround of software upgrades as the software code is centrally located. Compared with other technologies, including client/server, there is a smaller roll out cost when using a standard web browser. However, the new technology requires a change and changes are never implemented without challenges. A seasoned technologist using a legacy system can enter data quicker using function keys than using a graphical user interface and pointing and clicking through a series of pop-up windows. Also, effective use of a web browser depends on intuitive design for it to be easily implemented and accepted by the user. Some software packages will not work on both of the popular web browsers and then are tailored to specific release levels. As computer-based patient records become a standard, patient confidentiality must be enforced. The technical design and application security features that support the web-based software package will be discussed. Also web technologies have their own implementation issues.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed2001

Twenty five years of reference material activity at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

In the mid 1970s, the available RMs, notably Bowen's Kale and Orchard Leaves and Bovine liver from National Bureau of Standards (NBS), although of great benefit, were overwhelmingly insufficiently representative, in respect of matrix and elemental composition, of the wide range of natural products submitted for analysis and in worldwide commerce. To provide additional coverage, an RM development project was initiated with input from cooperating analysts leading to an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cooperative venture and development of a total of 12 different agricultural/food RMs. With a total of 303 concentration values for 34 elements and a wide range of matrix components such as ash, silica, protein, fat, carbohydrate and fiber, these RMs significantly augment the world repertoire of biological control materials. A final material under consideration is a highly reliable, discrete, synthetic RM for quality control and calibration. This paper summarizes the research and developmental activities undertaken during the past quarter of a century related to RM development at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and includes a short historical background, conceptual considerations, preparation, physical characterization, homogeneity estimation, chemical characterization, calculation of recommended reference values and associated uncertainties, methodology development and application, and performance of inorganic analytical methods in a multielement, multilaboratory, collaborative characterization campaign.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

A Crosswalk from the Endangered Species Act to the HCP Handbook and Real HCPs.

The U.S. Departments of Interior and Commerce published the HCP handbook in 1996 to guide the issuance of incidental take permits (ITPs). The HCP handbook lists six guidelines and provides many others throughout the text. However, the guidelines sometimes contradict the intent of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and some are vague due to their use of improperly defined terms, such as ecosystem, region(al), net benefits, and habitat types. A proposed addendum provides little improvement to the HCP handbook. The guidelines in the HCP handbook could be prepared to better match those that scientists would expect from the language of the ESA. Three HCPs met only 3-10% of the 39 guidelines I would expect based on the ESA, and they met only 7-20% of the 30 guidelines in the HCP handbook. Based on a recent legal decision on the Alabama Beach Mouse HCP, ITP applicants are expected to follow the guidelines in the HCP handbook. The three HCPs I reviewed are vulnerable to similar legal decisions. However, many of the guidelines in the HCP handbook are inconsistent with the ESA. Therefore, I recommend that the HCP handbook be revised so that it is consistent with the ESA and with academic standards in the use of scientific methods. The guidelines need to be more explicit to be operationally consistent. Such a revision would provide ITP applicants and all the stakeholders with much more certainty in the outcome of the process. In lieu of a revised HCP handbook, I recommend that ITP applicants prepare their HCPs using the standards presented in Smallwood and others (Environmental Management, 1999, 24:421-435), thereby giving their HCPs a strong scientific foundation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Occupational health in Singapore.

Singapore, a newly industrializing country in Southeast Asia, has a resident population of 3 million and a work force of 1.75 million. Most workers are employed in the manufacturing, services, and commerce sectors. Agricultural and mining activities are negligible. In 1996 the infant mortality rate was 3.8 per 1,000 live births and the life expectancy at birth was 77 years. In 1996 the total industrial accident rate was 2.7 per million man-hours worked and the severity rate was 353 industrial man-days lost per million man-hours worked. The shipbuilding and construction industries had the most frequent and most severe accidents. In the same year, 1,521 cases of occupational disease were notified to, and confirmed by, the Ministry of Labor. The majority of cases involved noise-induced hearing loss. There is substantial underreporting of cases. New cases that are expected to appear will be work-related illnesses such as musculoskeletal or psychosocial disorders. The principal occupational health legislation in Singapore is the Factories Act. Although it selectively targets workers at highest risk of developing occupational illness, its main limitation is the exclusion of nonfactory workers, who comprise 63% of the working population. Labor regulations are enforced by the Ministry of Labor. Workmen's compensation paid in 1995 amounted to S $46.6 million (U.S. $1=S $1.75). Education and training in occupational health is provided by employer federations, employee unions, and various government agencies. Occupational health is taught to medical students during their undergraduate training. Postgraduate-diploma and Masters programs in occupational medicine are also available. About 600 doctors in Singapore have some form of postgraduate training in occupational health. Health care for workers is offered either through the private sector or through government clinics and hospitals. Although Singapore has made great strides in protecting and promoting the health of its workers, it must constantly strive to strengthen its commitment to occupational health and safety. New problems in the next century must be anticipated and solutions, implemented. Improved training and development of health professionals is needed such that they be better prepared to deliver optimal occupational health care. Finally, labor legislation must be appropriate and responsive to protect the health of all workers.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2004

Correlations of life-span variation parameters in 128 successive generations of Drosophila melanogaster with changes in atmospheric pressure and geomagnetic activity.

Correlations between the parameters of life-span (LS) distribution of Drosophila melanogaster, including mean LS (MLS) and the time of 10 and 90% population mortality, and some geophysical parameters that are usually beyond the control of researchers dealing with laboratory cultures, including atmospheric pressure, solar activity indices (Wolf's sunspot numbers and 2,800-MHz radio flux), and geomagnetic activity (planetary index, K(p)), were studied. Geophysical data were obtained from free-access official web sites of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration of the US Department of Commerce and the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism and Radiowave Propagation of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The geophysical parameters were calculated only for the period corresponding to 10 days of preimaginal development of the flies from egg to imago. Canonical correlation analysis, calculation of the non-parametric Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients, and graphical data analysis were used. Highly significant correlations between parameters of LS distribution in males and females and environmental factors, such as the atmospheric pressure on the 4th and 5th day of development and geomagnetic activity indices (K(p)) on the 6th and 10th day of development were found, with correlation coefficients varying from 0.31 to 0.37 (P<0.02). Assuming a causal relationship between geophysical factors and LS, it may be hypothesized that energetically weak environmental factors determine the formation of LS oscillatory dynamics in laboratory populations. The possible mechanisms underlying the contribution of these environmental factors to the LS variation in successive generations are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

The urban heat island in a small city in coastal Portugal.

This project arose from the need to study the phenomenon of the urban heat island, since only by recognising this phenomenon can we moderate it to improve the human and urban environments. Not only big cities develop urban heat islands. This study detected the presence and recorded the characteristics of an urban heat island in the small coastal city of Aveiro, Portugal. The study was developed through the scheduled measurements of air temperature and the analysis of the geographical, meteorological and urban conditions. The form and intensity of Aveiro's heat island are a response to the interaction of three principal factors: the urban morphology (the hottest zones in the city are those with the tallest and the highest density of buildings, without green spaces and with intense generation of heat from traffic, commerce and services); the meteorological conditions (the intensity of the island is at its maximum when the sky is totally clear and there is no wind, and at its minimum in those situations when there is atmospheric instability, such as wind, cloud and precipitation); and the proximity of the coastal lagoon (which borders the city to the west and northwest and moderates seasonal temperatures. The urban heat island influences the comfort and health of its inhabitants, thus urban planning is very important in the moderation and prevention of this phenomenon.

Air Movements↗
PubMed2006

The Internet as a source of drugs of abuse.

The Internet is a vital medium for communication, entertainment, and commerce, with more than 1 billion individuals connected worldwide. In addition to the many positive functions served by the Internet, it also has been used to facilitate the illicit sale of controlled substances. No-prescription websites (NPWs) offer--and then actually sell--controlled substances over the Internet without a valid prescription. NPW monitoring studies have focused primarily on the availability of prescription opioid medications, although many other drugs of abuse also are available online. Research indicates that these NPW sites are prevalent. Google or Yahoo searches simply using the term "Vicodin" return 40% to 50% NPWs in the top 100 sites. Thus, NPWs represent an important development in the sale of illicit drugs because of the ease with which controlled substances can be sold with relative anonymity. The emergence of NPWs requires new law enforcement and public health initiatives; continued monitoring efforts will determine whether efforts to reduce the availability of NPWs are successful.

Analgesics, Opioid↗
PubMed2003

Guard dogs of perception: the corporate takeover of science.

The belief that science is "a driver of growth in the knowledge economy" has led in recent decades to increasing encouragement by government of the involvement of industry and of commerce in the sponsorship and direction of research in universities, and to the increasing influence of industrial representatives on advisory panels associated with the publicly funded scientific research councils. By extending the doctrine of commercial confidentiality into university laboratories, inconvenient findings have been suppressed, and both free endeavour and free speech undermined. This has narrowed our scientific horizons and compromised government advisors. It is argued that scientific freedom is a guarantor of our wider liberties. Science, which tells us who we are and how we can live better, is being distorted so twisting our understanding of the ways in which we might progress, shutting off alternatives to existing models of development. Business now stands as a guard dog at the gates of perception. Only the inquiries which suit its needs are allowed to pass.

Chemical Industry↗
PubMed2003

Strengthening the United States' database protection laws: balancing public access and private control.

This paper develops three arguments for increasing the strength of database protection under U.S. law. First, stronger protections would encourage private investment in database development, and private databases have many potential benefits for science and industry. Second, stronger protections would discourage extensive use of private licenses to protect databases and would allow for greater public control over database laws and policies. Third, stronger database protections in the U.S. would harmonize U.S. and E.U. laws and would thus enhance international trade, commerce, and research. The U.S. should therefore follow the European example and develop two tiers of protection for databases: 1) protection for creative databases under copyright law; 2) protection for non-creative databases through a special type of sui generis protection. In order to balance private control of data and public access to data, sui generis protections should define a "fair use" exemption that permits some unauthorized extraction of data for private, educational, and research purposes, provided that such extraction does not adversely impact the economic value of the database.

Access to Information↗
PubMed1986

The industrial role in risk assessment.

Industry has a major role in the assessment and management of risk to society from its operations. Much of the basic knowledge of manufacturing operations, product distribution, use and ultimate disposal of products and byproducts resides in industry. Basic data on the health and environmental effects of materials in commerce has been generated by industry. This information must be utilized in the evaluation of risk so that appropriate management decisions can be made. Experience gained in the industrial sector with risk assessment and management should be of value to government in its oversight role on behalf of society. There is growing realization in both industry and government of the need for more effective communication of risk to the general public in the context of management decisions.

Communication↗
PubMed1994

Occupational exposure to metallic cobalt in the Province of Bergamo. Results of a 1991 survey.

The results of a survey on workers potentially exposed to cobalt in the Bergamo Province are reported. Its aim is to assess the number of workers at risk of developing respiratory disease due to the inhalation of metallic cobalt. Interest was shown after an examination of 11 cases of 'hard metal disease', which we diagnosed, in workers who came from different production areas and had different degrees of exposure. A first group of 45 factories with potential cobalt exposure was identified by consulting the archives of the Local Sanitary Units (USSL) and of the Chamber of Commerce, and by use of the telephone directory and requesting information from the producers and users of Widia tools. A second group of 2039 factories was selected from those industrial activities where we had previously ascertained the presence of grinding operations using hard metal tools with diamond wheels. This study is related to all the factories in the first group and 10% of the factories in the second group. More than 304 inspections were carried out. In this context 403 exposed workers were identified. Workplace air measurements (250 samples) and biological monitoring (> 600 samples) to determine the exposure levels to cobalt were performed. The results show an unexpected diffuse occupational exposure in different production areas where the airborne cobalt is frequently underestimated and higher than the TLV.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1995

Modified methods for the enumeration of spores of mesophilic Clostridium species in dried foods.

Clostridia constitute markers of limited though definite importance for the microbiological integrity of particular foods processed for safety, provided their application and the results obtained are meticulously considered and guided by proper ecological awareness. Their selective diagnostic enumeration in food specimens relies on their ability to reduce sulphite in agar media, visualised by the presence of ferrous cations leading to the production of black colonies. The composition of the medium used substantially affects the productivity of the procedure. We established that (1) the sulphite activity and the ferrous ion should be rigorously standardised; (2) tryptose is one of the appropriate nitrogen sources for a limited number of clostridia; (3) the basal medium should be free of added acetate and lactate. Black colonies obtained in the newly elaborated medium, termed Differential clostridial agar (DCA) should be further examined for morphology and metronidazole sensitivity, since some bacilli might mimic clostridia under the conditions of the procedure. An elegant variant of the technique relies on using a bottom-layer of mannitol/egg yolk/polymyxin/bromocresol purple agar, inoculated with macerates of food in buffered cysteine hydrochloride peptone saline, immediately liberally overlayered with freshly prepared DCA. Plates are incubated and read in tightly closed bags of plastic with a low oxygen permeability coefficient, which eliminates the need for using anaerobic jars. Colony identification is relying on assessment of sulphite reduction, egg yolk dissimilation, the mode of attack on mannitol and when required to be supported by classical other physiological traits. The mandatory precautions to be observed in this procedure call for extreme caution when introducing reference ranges ("standards") for clostridial spores in foods, particularly in the international commerce.

Clostridium↗
PubMed1994

Historical changes in diabetes therapy in Japan.

The origins of many aspects of ancient Japanese culture lie in knowledge brought from China, and medicine was no exception. Subsequently, however, in the middle of the 16th century, Portuguese missionaries introduced Western medicine to Japan along with Christianity. They were followed by the Dutch in the 17th century, who introduced Western culture while carrying on commerce at their Dejima outpost in Nagasaki. This was called the Dutch school in Japan, and although there was thus contact with Western culture and the Japanese eagerly studied Western medicine, it was not until after the establishment of the Meiji Reform government in the middle of the 19th century that there was aggressive incorporation and acceptance of modern Western medicine in Japan. The University of Tokyo was the first university in Japan. Preserved in the library of the Third Department of Internal Medicine are old records of hospitalized cases in Japan, and those documents form the basis of this review of the history of the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Japan.

Diabetes Mellitus↗
PubMed1992

Teams and team management in nurse education.

Nursing traditionally relied upon power-coercive and status-oriented management styles similar to those which have underpinned failing British industry but team work and team management styles underpin the success and excellence of organisations in industry and commerce. The author argues that such team work and team management can create the dynamic 'problem-solving' style required for the management of complex issues such as exist within nurse education today. The author presents an outline of teams, their characteristics and the models currently available for managing, building and maintaining teams.

Administrative Personnel↗