Food Sovereignty Assessment Tool: 2nd Edition

This publication provides an introduction to the food security movement in Indian Country, and it provides a resource for thinking about food systems in Native communities and what can be done to regain control of Native food systems

Infliximab in recalcitrant severe atopic eczema associated with contact allergy.

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once weekly administration of high dosage etanercept in patients with plaque psoriasis results of a pilot experience power study

Abstract Etanercept is a soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor fusion protein which is approved for the treatment of plaque psoriasis at the dose of either 25mg twice weekly (BIW) or, for the initial 12 weeks, 50mg BIW. Alternative dosing regimens have not been evaluated in psoriasis. In this study, we compare the efficacy and tolerability of two etanercept dosing regimens--50mg BIW and 100mg once weekly (OW)--for 12 weeks in 108 patients with moderate-to-severe recalcitrant psoriasis. Efficacy measures included Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), severity of pruritus recorded on a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the influence on quality of life assessed by means of Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Both etanercept regimens caused a significant change in all the efficacy parameters after 4 weeks and 12 weeks, at a comparable rate. At week 12, a PASI improvement of at least 50% from baseline (PASI 50) was achieved by 74% of patients treated with 50mg BIW and 78% of patients treated with 100mg OW. A PASI 75 response was obtained in 54% and 50% of patients treated with 50mg BIW and 100mg OW, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated with similar type and frequency of adverse events between the two groups

Argentinean agid test for diagnosis of equine infectious anemia: six years of history

Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a disease of high economic impact on the equine industry worldwide. Since horses are frequent travelers, EIA falls under strict regulatory control programs in many countries. In Argentina the national animal health authority (SENASA) states that all horses imported, moving within the country, or congregating at public assemblies must have a negative EIA report conducted within the previous 2 months. The agent causing EIA is a RNA virus from the Retroviridae family and its major capsid protein named p26 is the most immunogenic protein in the viral particle. Thus, the detection of specific antibodies directed to p26 is the aim of most diagnosis tests available in the world. The agar gel immunodifusion (AGID) is the officially accepted method to certify the diagnosis of EIA in Argentina. Since 2009 IncuINTA was working on the scaling up and production of the KIT AIE IDGA RP26, an Argentinean AGID test entirely developed in the laboratory containing a recombinant p26 protein to detect EIA antibodies in horses’ serum. Until 2015 IncuINTA produced two pilot batches and six commercial batches (one per year) containing from 24000 determinations in 2011 to 39600 determinations in 2015. Since the product was launched in 2011, the sales were increased 109%. Up to date we have placed on the market 170640 determinations. As expected, the number of laboratories buying the KIT AIE IDGA RP26 was also increasing through time being 26 in 2011 and 36 in 2015. This number of clients represents 17% of the 207 laboratories authorized by SENASA to diagnose EIA in Argentina. These laboratories are located mostly in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Formosa, La Pampa, Rio Negro, Cordoba, Corrientes, Salta and Tucum an provinces. Until 2009 there was no Argentinean EIA test available in our market being the imported ones very expensive. IncuINTA, which is a R&D laboratory, could scale up, produce and sell the KIT AIE IDGA RP26 during six consecutive years. After this success, IncuINTA perspective is to increase the number of batches each year to be able to attend the demand of most diagnosis laboratories in the country.Fil: Bok, Marina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Asenzo, G.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Vena, M. M.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Parreño, V.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Wigdorovitz, A.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Virología; Argentina10th International Equine Infectious Diseases ConferenceBuenos AiresArgentinaUniversity of Kentuck

Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Melanoma Incidence Rates in Georgia: 2000-2011

Background: The objective of this research was to investigate melanoma incidence rates and health outcomes in Georgia over time and by race, socio-economic status (SES), and gender. Methods: Age-adjusted melanoma incidence rates were obtained from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry SEER*Stat Database (2000-2011). To compare incidence rates across counties, and public health districts and by race, SES and gender, maps were generated using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A cluster analysis was performed by use of SaTScan, and maps were created to visualize clusters of melanoma cases. Results: In Georgia, from 2000-2011, age-adjusted incidence rates for melanoma were higher among Whites than Blacks (28.0 vs. 1.1 per 100,000 population). For both races, high rates were found to be associated with high SES. For Whites, high rates were concentrated in urban areas relative to Blacks in rural areas. Clusters of melanoma incident cases were found mainly in the north central region of Georgia. Conclusions: For Georgia, results for map comparisons are consistent with previous research findings that higher melanoma incidence rates are associated with high SES for Whites and, to a lesser extent, for Blacks. Melanoma interventions in Georgia should focus on urban White and rural Black at-risk populations, especially those with high SES

RF and THz Identification Using a New Generation of Chipless RFID Tags

This article presents two chipless RFID approaches where data are reading using electromagnetic waves and where the medium encoding the data is completely passive. The former approach rests on the use of RF waves (more precisely the ultra-wide band UWB). The tags developed for this application are comparable with very specific, planar, conductive, radar targets where the relation between the tag geometry and its electromagnetic signature is perfectly known and is used to encode the data. The principle of operation as well as the realization process of the RF tags presented in this paper is similar to those already reported in the literature. However, contrary to the majority of chipless RFID tags, these labels do not present an antenna function dissociated from the circuit part where the data are stored. Here, functions such as the receiver, the treatment and the emitter of the signal are closely dependent. The data storage capacity of the RF chipless tags is proportional to of the used frequency bandwidth. As radio spectrum is regulated, the number of possible encoding bits is thus strongly limited with this technology. This is the reason why we introduce a new family of tags radically different from the preceding one, where data is encoded in volume thanks to a multilayer structure operating in the THz domain. These two approaches although different are complementary and allow to increase significantly the data storage capacity of the chipless tags. Simulation and experimental results are reported in this paper for both configurations. We demonstrate a coding capacity of 3.3 bit/cm2 for RFID chipless tags and a potential 10 bits coding capacity in the THz domain

Consensus on the use of the fixed combination calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate in the treatment of plaque psoriasis.

Calcipotriol, a vitamin D analogue, and betamethasone dipropionate, a high potency corticosteroid, are complementary agents for the topical treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. Robust evidence on the efficacy and safety of their fixed combination has been provided by randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trials involving more than 7000 patients with the ointment formulation in psoriasis of the body and more than 4000 patients with the gel formulation in scalp psoriasis. These trials have shown that the fixed combination ointment is more effective and better tolerated, not only than placebo, but also than calcipotriol and tacalcitol monotherapies. In addition, it has proved, in most instances, to be more effective than betamethasone and at least as well tolerated. The same applies to the gel for scalp and body psoriasis. Safety studies have excluded that repeated courses of treatment with the fixed combination for up to one year produce systemic effects. Studies have also shown that the fixed combination treatment improves quality of life to a significantly greater extent than calcipotriol, with the once daily regimen most appreciated by patients, in both active disease and recurrency. Because of the extensive evidence, American and European guidelines recommend the calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate fixed combination a

Communicating serum chemical concentrations to study participants: follow up survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A considerable literature now supports the importance of effective communication with study participants, including how best to develop communication plans focusing on the uncertainty of health risks associated with particular environmental exposures. Strategies for communicating individual concentrations of environmental chemicals in human biological samples in the absence of clearly established safe or hazardous levels have been discussed from a conceptual basis and to a lesser extent from an empirical basis. We designed and evaluated an empirically based communication strategy for women of reproductive age who previously participated in a prospective study focusing on persistent environmental chemicals and reproductive outcomes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cohort of women followed from preconception through pregnancy or up to 12 menstrual cycles without pregnancy was given their individual serum concentrations for lead, dichloro-2,2-bis<it>p</it>-chlorophenyl ethylene, and select polychlorinated biphenyl congeners. Two versions of standardized letters were prepared depending upon women's exposure status, which was characterized as low or high. Letters included an introduction, individual concentrations, population reference values and guidance for minimizing future exposures. Participants were actively monitored for any questions or concerns following receipt of letters.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ninety-eight women were sent letters informing them of their individual concentrations to select study chemicals. None of the 89 (91%) participating women irrespective of exposure status contacted the research team with questions or concerns about communicated exposures despite an invitation to do so.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings suggest that study participants can be informed about their individual serum concentrations without generating unnecessary concern.</p