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PubMed2001

The IOMC organisations: a source of chemical safety information.

The Inter-Organisation Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) was established in 1995 as a mechanism to co-ordinate the efforts of Inter-governmental Organisations in promoting the sound management of chemicals. The seven participating organisations are the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Members consult on the planning, programming, implementation and monitoring of activities undertaken jointly or individually, and help ensure that programmes are mutually supportive, complementary and avoid duplication of efforts, thus meeting the overall needs of the users more efficiently and effectively. To deal with technical work, the IOMC established smaller thematic groups in the main programme areas of Agenda 21's Chapter 19. One such group promotes information exchange work. Within this IOMC framework, the seven organisations have developed approaches and products to help customers find chemical safety information, as well as improving modalities of access to these data. These mechanisms come in addition to and complement the extensive information products and databases developed and provided by the individual organisations. This article presents an overview of the role of each organisation, an introduction to its electronic information products and tools, and a discussion of the products of this joint effort.

Databases as Topic↗
PubMed1999

Physical medicine and rehabilitation: past - present - future.

The inaugural lecture reflects a little on the past, but above all considers the present and future of physical medicine and rehabilitation and stresses the most important aspects on scientific expertise. Physical medicine entered the German language in the late 19th century. An important milestone in the history was the opening in February 1991 of the Central Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, which was the first to begin work in the New General Hospital. 15 staff doctors, 74 physiotherapists, 12 occupational therapists, seven masseurs and eight qualified medical assistants are constantly occupied in clinical practise. To illustrate the recent academic activities at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation the results of research from the individual working groups are compiled. First clinical and technical diagnostic studies are focused on. Essentially such studies demonstrate the efficacy of physical treatments, which are being reported. Current rehabilitation concepts are presented subsequently. Finally some light is shed on future areas of interest.

Austria↗
PubMed2000

Standardization in biological staining. The influence of dye manufacturing.

The purpose of biological staining is to obtain specimens of biological material that can be assessed in the microscope. These specimens are influenced by all processes from removal from the intact organism to mounting on the microscopic slide. To achieve comparable results with various techniques for biological staining, standardization of all procedures and reagents is mandatory. In this paper, I focus particularly on dyes and consider the possibilities for obtaining standardized dyes. In general practice, most biological staining takes place with available commercial dyes. These dyes may or may not have been subjected to quality assessment either internally by the producer or vendor or externally by independent investigators or organizations such as the Biological Stain Commission. Concerted attempts at standardization in Europe are discussed. The latest results of this work, the European standard EN 12376, is presented. This standard is concerned with information supplied by the manufacturer with in vitro diagnostic reagents for biological staining. The standard has been prepared by a Working Group on Staining in Biology under Technical Committee 140, In Vitro Medical Devices, of the European committee for standardization, CEN.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Perimortal management--humanistic assignment and responsibility. Attempt at status determination].

The scientific research and practical use of all questions concerning life demands interdisciplinary cooperation. This is the result of neglection of death and dying and new social and medical developments as there are institutionalisation of dying and scientific-technical progress. The foundation of the working group "perimortal medicine" in 1983 in the Association for clinical medicine gives the possibility to discuss theoretical and practical questions concerning the end of life, death and dying. It seems to be important, that also bereavement and sympathy belongs to the topics. The results will help to develop the quality of care for the dying and the survivors.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Dosimetry for occupational exposure to cosmic radiation.

In the course of their work, aircraft crew and frequent flyers are exposed to elevated levels of cosmic radiation of galactic and solar origin and secondary radiation produced in the atmosphere, aircraft structure, etc. This has been recognised for some time and estimates of the exposure of aircraft crew have been made previously and included in, for example, UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) publications. The recent increased interest has been brought about by several factors--the consideration that the relative biological effectiveness of the neutron component as being underestimated; the trend towards higher cruising altitudes for subsonic commercial aircraft and business jet aircraft; and, most importantly, the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in Publication 60, and the revision of the Euratom Basic Safety Standards Directive (BSS). In 1992, the European Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) established a Working Group to consider the exposure to cosmic radiation of aircraft crew, and the scientific and technical problems associated with radiation protection dosimetry for this occupational group. The Working Group was composed of fifteen scientists (plus a corresponding member) involved in this field of study and with knowledge of radiation measurement at aviation altitudes. This paper is based on the findings of this Working Group. Where arrangements are made to take account of the exposure of aircraft crew to cosmic radiation, dose estimation procedures will not be necessary for persons for whom total annual doses are not liable to exceed 1 mSv, and therefore, in general, for crew on aircraft not routinely flying above 8 km. Where estimates of effective dose and, in the case of female staff who are pregnant, equivalent dose to the embryo or fetus, are required (for regulatory or other purposes), it was concluded that the preferred procedure was to determine route doses and fold these with data on staff rostering.

Aircraft↗
PubMed2000

[Echocardiography in Spain. Survey of the Working Group of the Echocardiography and other Imaging Techniques of the Spanish Society of Cardiology].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Echocardiography has become the technique of choice in the diagnosis of most heart diseases, but results are considerably influenced by the experience of the echocardiographer and quality of the equipment. The Work Group of Spanish Echocardiography has conducted a survey to ascertain the activity and technical and human resources of echocardiography in Spain. METHODS: The survey was sent by mail to the 420 members of the Work Group and to the 120 echocardiographic laboratories of hospitals with more than 300 beds. RESULTS: The survey was answered by 25% of the members and by 90% of the echocardiographic laboratories. The most of the echocardiographers who answered the survey performed more than 20 studies a week and did both echocardiography in addition to other clinical activities. In the survey directed at laboratories, 48 responded from tertiary hospitals and 46 from secondary centres. Personnel of tertiary hospital laboratories usually includes two or more cardiologists, two nurses or auxiliary nurses, but less than half have a full-time secretary. Transesophageal echocardiography is performed in 76% of the laboratories and stress echocardiography in 46%. The number of studies performed per machine per week ranges from 35 to 50, depending on the type of study and diseases studied. The delay in performing studies in hospitalised patients is less than 3 days; however, the waiting list of out-patients exceeds 6 months in 50% of the tertiary hospitals. Nevertheless, only 11% of the centres work in the morning and the afternoon. Although 33% of the equipment in the public hospitals is over 5 years old, great efforts are being made to acquire new machines; 62% of laboratories have harmonic imaging machines. CONCLUSIONS: The important increase in the demand for echocardiography in clinical practice has not been accompanied by consequent increase in human and technological resources and this significant changes are required in the near future to fulfil laboratory resources and management.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2002

Demography or respect?: work group demography versus organizational dynamics as determinants of meaning and satisfaction at work.

This article tests two competing models of meaning and satisfaction at work. First, meaning and satisfaction at work can be influenced by the demographic composition of work groups, especially their racial and gender compositions. Second, meaning and satisfaction can be influenced by management behaviour, especially by leadership in maintaining a productive environment and by respect for workers' rights. We evaluate these determinants, along with more traditional determinants that focus on socio-technical characteristics, using a unique data set derived from content analysing the reports provided by book-length organizational ethnographies (N = 108). Work group composition is found to have only a minor and selective influence on meaning at work. In contrast, management leadership and respect for workers' rights are found to have much stronger and more widespread effects. The well established role of socio-technical factors such as job autonomy as foundations for meaning and satisfaction in work is also replicated in the analysis. When contrasted with both work group demography and traditional job and organizational characteristics, a well run organization is found to be the single most important underpinning for a meaningful and satisfying work life. In the concluding section we develop the implication of these findings for organizational analysis.

Demography↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Mental health and work environment of a group of public health preventive service users].

BACKGROUND: In a previous organizational study we proposed shared technical initiatives in public occupational health and mental health public services dedicated to mental health at work which is now completely neglected. OBJECTIVES: To study the occupational mental health demand in public health services users by improving shared tools among public health services. METHODS: Data collection on socio-demographic characteristics, relationship between mental health and working environment, organizational constraints in a group of mental, occupational and public health service users (no 90). RESULTS: A third of the users, mostly women, described the working environment as negative for mental health. The main reported organizational constraints were poor career possibilities, relationship with the public and workload. Inadequate workload is the leading cause for a negative evaluation of working conditions for mental health. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that mental health at work is a public health problem that has to be better investigated using tools shared between mental and occupational health services.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Guidelines for establishing a technical support group for the radiation therapy clinic.

During the last decade, radiation therapy has grown to become an important medical treatment in the treatment of cancer. The growth of this field has created a need for an electronic and mechanical support group to service the needs of the treatment centers (clinics). Because of the uniqueness of equipment, the maintenance criteria are somewhat different than that for other types of equipment. The information for this paper was derived from five years of experience that the Mallinckrodt Institute has accumulated through its own technical group plus information gained through discussions with other groups in the therapy field. The technical support group at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) presently maintains six high-energy therapy machines, two simulators, and a superficial X-ray unit. Topics discussed include the technical personnel required, the duties of the group, working hours, suggested electronic/mechanical equipment, and other pertinent aspects.

Equipment and Supplies, Hospital↗
PubMed1992

Aphasia and its relation to language and thinking. Finding alternative ways for communication.

A pictorial computerized communication aid for aphasic patients, PicBox, (12) has been developed by a group in Sweden. During the technical and clinical work with the PicBox program we have had the reason and possibility to reflect on the relation between aphasia, language and thinking. From linguistic and neuropsychological research it has been claimed that in aphasia there is often a general cognitive impairment. Preliminary results from three patients' use of PicBox show that aphasic disturbances can, to some extent, be compensated for by pictorial communication, thus indicating an underlying cognitive competence. There are, however, also data indicating a deeper disturbance leading to an inability to fully use alternatives for spoken or written language.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The development of European standard (CEN) methods in support of European Directives for plastics materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuff.

CEC Directives have been implemented for plastics materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. These introduce limits upon the overall migration from plastics into food and food simulants. In addition, specific migration limits or composition limits for free monomer in the final article, have been set for some monomers. Agreed test methods are required to allow these Directives to be respected. CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, has created a working group to develop suitable test methods. This is 'Working Group 5, Chemical Methods of Test', of CEN Technical Committee TC 194, Utensils in contact with food. This group has drafted a ten part standard for determining overall migration into aqueous and fatty food simulants by total immersion, by standard cell, by standard pouch and by filling. This draft standard has been approved by CEN TC 194 for circulation for public comment as a provisional standard, i.e. as an ENV. Further parts of this standard are in preparation for determining overall migration at high temperatures, etc. Simultaneously, Working Group 5 is cooperating with the BCR (Community Bureau of Reference) to produce reference materials with certified values of overall migration. CEN TC 194 Working Group 5 is also drafting methods for monomers subject to limitation in Directive 90/128/EEC. Good progress is being made on the monomers of highest priority but it is recognized that developing methods for all the monomers subject to limitation would take many years. Therefore, collaboration with the BCR, the Council of Europe and others is taking place to accelerate method development.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Ultrasound angioplasty: an update review.

The use of therapeutic ultrasound to treat atherosclerosis and thrombosis has been appreciated for decades. However, it was only the explosive growth of angioplasty in the 1980s that brought real momentum to the development of therapeutic catheter ultrasound. The idea behind this technique was that ultrasound, by its bioselectivity, might provide a solution to some of the shortcomings of balloon angioplasty. In the late 1980s, two groups, headed by Rosenschein and Siegel, began serious work to address the technical challenge of developing a catheter that would provide efficient external ultrasound energy to the lesion. Current catheters from both groups consist of a solid metal probe which is connected to a piezoelectric transducer. In the distal segment, the wire is specially designed to increase energy delivery. Initial in vitro studies concentrated on understanding the mechanisms of ablation and the effects of mechanical vibration, thermal phenomena and cavitation. Clinical studies of ultrasound ablation were initially performed in peripheral vessels. Later, after safety had been assured, clinical studies involving the coronary arteries began to take place. In this article we aim to update the reader about the experimental and limited clinical experience in this novel technique for treating different kinds of arterial obstruction.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells from sources other than bone marrow: biological and technical aspects.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Identification and characterization of hematopoietic stem cells in peripheral blood (PB) and cord blood (CB) have suggested feasible alternatives to conventional allogeneic bone marrow (BM) transplantation. The growing interest in this use of allogeneic stem cells has prompted the Working Group on CD34-positive Hematopoietic Cells to review this subject by analyzing its biological and technical aspects. EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION SOURCES: The method used for preparing this review was informal consensus development. Members of the Working Group met three times, and the participants at these meetings examined a list of problems previously prepared by the chairman. They discussed the individual points in order to reach an agreement on the various concepts, and eventually approved the final manuscript. Some of the authors of the present review have been working in the field of hematopoietic stem cell biology and processing, and have contributed original papers published in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, the material examined in the present review includes articles and abstracts published in journals covered by the Science Citation Index and Medline. STATE OF ART: Several studies have now shown that hematopoietic stem cells collected from peripheral blood after the administration of G-CSF, or from cord blood upon delivery, are capable of supporting rapid and complete reconstitution of BM function in allogeneic recipients. Perhaps more importantly, reinfusion of large numbers of HLA-matched T-cells from PB collections or T-cells with various degrees of HLA disparity from CB did not result in a higher incidence or greater severity of acute graft-versus-host disease than expected with BM. Based on the data reviewed, operative guidelines for mobilization, collection and graft processing are provided. PERSPECTIVES: It should be remembered that despite the growing interest, these procedures must be still considered as advanced clinical research and should be included in formal clinical trials aimed at demonstrating their definitive role in stem cell transplantation. In this regard, a large European randomized study is currently comparing PB and BM allografts. However, the possibility of collecting large quantities of hematopoietic progenitor-stem cells, perhaps with reduced allo-reactivity, offers an exciting perspective for widening the number of potential stem cell donors and greater leeway for graft manipulation than is possible with BM.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Surgeon General's Workshop on Health Promotion and Aging.

The following report contains all of the recommendations of the working group on oral health that met during the Surgeon General's Workshop on Health Promotion and Aging, March 20-23, 1988, in Washington, DC, under the direction of Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and a number of leaders in geriatrics and gerontology. The working group was composed of 17 specialists, including Frank Martin, technical manager; Scott Presson, reporter; James Beck, chairman; and group members Ronald Ettinger, Jean Frazier, Mary Alice Gaston, Helen Gift, Neville Gilmore, Marc Heft, H. Asuman Kiyak, James Marshall, Roseann Mulligan, Linda Niessen, Vincent Rogers, Michele Saunders, Ruth Seigler, and Hongying Wang. The report also includes dental-related recommendations made by the working groups on medication, preventive health services, alcohol, physical fitness and exercise, injury prevention, mental health, smoking cessation, and nutrition. Eight workshops have been sponsored by the surgeon general since his appointment to office in 1981; this workshop was the first to focus on dentistry and aging.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Web-based technical assistance and training to promote community tobacco control policy change.

In 1998 the tobacco industry was released of claims that provided monetary relief for states. A significant expansion of tobacco control activity in many states created a need to develop local capacity. Technical assistance and training for new and experienced staff became a significant challenge for tobacco control leadership. In Colorado, this challenge was addressed in part through the development of a technical assistance and training Web site designed for local tobacco control staff and coalition members. Researchers, technical Web site development specialists, state health agency, and state tobacco control coalition staff collaborated to develop, promote, and test the efficacy of this Web site. The work group embodied a range of skills including tobacco control, Web site technical development, marketing, training, and project management. Persistent marketing, updating of Web site content, and institutionalizing it as a principal source of information and training were key to use by community coalition members.

Colorado↗
PubMed2001

Sensory, digestive and metabolic influences on preference and intake.

In the 1960s. scientific work on the mechanisms of appetite began to shift from the effects of deprivation on reinforcement, motivation and sensation (hunger and thirst) to the influences of ingestion itself on what and how much was chosen at a bout of eating and drinking (the sating of appetite). This personal overview starts with John D. Davis's involvement in this trend to studying sensory, digestive and metabolic controls of meal volume, as he and the author each joined the field. The main topic is the diverse series of innovative experiments that Davis carried out in the author's research group in 1970 1971. This work exemplified Davis's technical inventiveness and theoretical precision. It generated influential findings on behavioural roles of dietary flavours, gastric distension and hepatic metabolism.

Animals↗