Cancer and Toxic Substances: The Problem of Causation and the Use of Epidemiology

This article seeks to illuminate the difficulties in finding causation between cancer development and toxic substances. Section II gives a brief history of cancer in society as well as an introduction to the biological cancer mechanism, and highlights our general lack of knowledge about cancer. Section III takes a brief look at some occupations and environmental factors that have been suggested causes of cancer. Section IV discusses in depth the problems with establishing association between toxic substances and cancer, especially in establishing causal significance. Section V analyzes how the epidemiology of disease and toxic substances is treated by courts. Section VI takes a quick look at the Bendectin birth defects case, and Section VII looks at radiation exposure cases. And in Section VIII , the authors turn to look at various legislative proposals that have been suggested to handle the issue

Cancer and Toxic Substances: The Problem of Causation and the Use of Epidemiology

This article seeks to illuminate the difficulties in finding causation between cancer development and toxic substances. Section II gives a brief history of cancer in society as well as an introduction to the biological cancer mechanism, and highlights our general lack of knowledge about cancer. Section III takes a brief look at some occupations and environmental factors that have been suggested causes of cancer. Section IV discusses in depth the problems with establishing association between toxic substances and cancer, especially in establishing causal significance. Section V analyzes how the epidemiology of disease and toxic substances is treated by courts. Section VI takes a quick look at the Bendectin birth defects case, and Section VII looks at radiation exposure cases. And in Section VIII , the authors turn to look at various legislative proposals that have been suggested to handle the issue

The modern monastic : the developing vernacular in monasteries of the United States

This report covers the modern liturgy and chants of Catholic monasteries of the United States since the Second Vatican Council in 1962-1965. One of its constitutions, Sacrosanctum Concilium, stated that the Catholic Church could use the vernacular language instead of Latin for Mass. Following Vatican II, the Congress of Abbots commenced and concluded that Benedictine monasteries would adopt the vernacular language as well. Historians, catholics, and musicologists were dismayed by what they believed would be the inevitable loss of Gregorian Chant within the Church. Since Vatican II, however, monasteries have composed original, vernacular chants or have translated the traditional Latin plainchants into English text with original musical settings. This case study surveys these new twenty and twenty-first century chants and compares them to their medieval and later Latin counterparts. Even though the Gregorian chant tradition has diminished since 1965, the Catholic Church has seen an increase in active participation and communal worship in congregations worldwide. The six monasteries in this study are Assumption Abbey (Ava, Missouri), Conception Abbey (Conception, Missouri), Saint Benedict’s Abbey (Bartonville, Illinois), St. Benedict’s Abbey (Atchison, Kansas), St. Scholastica Monastery (Boerne, Texas), and St. Gregory’s Abbey (Shawnee, Oklahoma). My fieldwork investigates the current use of English chants and how the vernacular has been a positive change for the monasteries through oral histories and observations made at each monastery by tracing the effects of the new liturgy among the religious that most prominently advocated for the changes.Musi

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) Polymorphisms, Haplotypes and Activity in Predicting CAD Risk in North-West Indian Punjabis

Human serum paraoxonase-1 (PON1) prevents oxidation of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and hydrolyzes the oxidized form, therefore preventing the development of atherosclerosis. The polymorphisms of PON1 gene are known to affect the PON1 activity and thereby coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. As studies are lacking in North-West Indian Punjabi's, a distinct ethnic group with high incidence of CAD, we determined PON1 activity, genotypes and haplotypes in this population and correlated them with the risk of CAD.350 angiographically proven (≥ 70% stenosis) CAD patients and 300 healthy controls were investigated. PON1 activity was determined towards paraoxon (Paraoxonase; PONase) and phenylacetate (Arylesterase; AREase) substrates. In addition, genotyping was carried out by using multiplex PCR, allele specific oligonucleotide -PCR and PCR-RFLP methods and haplotyping was determined by PHASE software. The serum PONase and AREase activities were significantly lower in CAD patients as compared to the controls. All studied polymorphisms except L55M had significant effect on PONase activity. However AREase activity was not affected by them. In a logistic regression model, after adjustment for the conventional risk factors for CAD, QR (OR: 2.73 (1.57-4.72)) and RR (OR, 16.24 (6.41-41.14)) genotypes of Q192R polymorphism and GG (OR: 2.07 (1.02-4.21)) genotype of -162A/G polymorphism had significantly higher CAD risk. Haplotypes L-T-G-Q-C (OR: 3.25 (1.72-6.16)) and L-T-G-R-G (OR: 2.82 (1.01-7.80)) were also significantly associated with CAD.In conclusion this study shows that CAD patients had lower PONase and AREase activities as compared to the controls. The coding Q192R polymorphism, promoter -162A/G polymorphism and L-T-G-Q-C and L-T-G-R-G haplotypes are all independently associated with CAD

Cause of Death and Predictors of All-Cause Mortality in Anticoagulated Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation : Data From ROCKET AF

M. Kaste on työryhmän ROCKET AF Steering Comm jäsen.Background-Atrial fibrillation is associated with higher mortality. Identification of causes of death and contemporary risk factors for all-cause mortality may guide interventions. Methods and Results-In the Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared with Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation (ROCKET AF) study, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were randomized to rivaroxaban or dose-adjusted warfarin. Cox proportional hazards regression with backward elimination identified factors at randomization that were independently associated with all-cause mortality in the 14 171 participants in the intention-to-treat population. The median age was 73 years, and the mean CHADS(2) score was 3.5. Over 1.9 years of median follow-up, 1214 (8.6%) patients died. Kaplan-Meier mortality rates were 4.2% at 1 year and 8.9% at 2 years. The majority of classified deaths (1081) were cardiovascular (72%), whereas only 6% were nonhemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism. No significant difference in all-cause mortality was observed between the rivaroxaban and warfarin arms (P=0.15). Heart failure (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.33-1.70, P= 75 years (hazard ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.51-1.90, P Conclusions-In a large population of patients anticoagulated for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, approximate to 7 in 10 deaths were cardiovascular, whereasPeer reviewe

Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for parasellar meningiomas: a preliminary report of visual outcomes

Background/aim: Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) is a new treatment for brain tumours that are close to critical structures, such as the visual apparatus. This study aims to assess the visual outcomes for patients with parasellar meningioma following FSRT. Methods: A retrospective, non-comparative case series of 13 patients with parasellar meningiomas who were treated in one institution with FSRT between January 1995 and January 2001. Results: 13 patients (26 eyes) were followed for a mean of 2 years. Visual acuity improved in four eyes (12.5%), remained stable in 18 eyes (75%), and worsened in three eyes (12.5%). Visual field improved in 15 eyes (57%), remained stable in six eyes (23%), and worsened in four eyes (15%). No adverse visual outcome occurred as a result of radiation. Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that FSRT is a safe and effective treatment for parasellar meningiomas