National pholcodine consumption and prevalence of IgE-sensitization: a multicentre study

P>Background: The aim of this study was to test, on a multinational level, the pholcodine (PHO) hypothesis, i.e. that the consumption of PHO-containing cough mixtures could cause higher prevalence of IgE antibodies to PHO, morphine (MOR) and suxamethonium (SUX). As a consequence the risk of anaphylaxis to neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) will be increased. Methods: National PHO consumptions were derived from the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) database. IgE and IgE antibodies to PHO, MOR, SUX and P-aminophenyl-phosphoryl choline (PAPPC) were measured in sera from atopic individuals, defined by a positive Phadiatop (R) test (> 0.35 kU(A)/l), collected in nine countries representing high and low PHO-consuming nations. Results: There was a significant positive association between PHO consumption and prevalences of IgE-sensitization to PHO and MOR, but not to SUX and PAPPC, as calculated both by exposure group comparisons and linear regression analysis. The Netherlands and the USA, did not have PHO-containing drugs on the markets, although the former had a considerable PHO consumption. Both countries had high figures of IgE-sensitization. Conclusion: This international prevalence study lends additional support to the PHO hypothesis and, consequently, that continued use of drugs containing this substance should be seriously questioned. The results also indicate that other, yet unknown, substances may lead to IgE-sensitization towards NMBAs

Between Informality and Organized Crime: Criminalization of Small-Scale Mining in the Peruvian Rainforest

“Mining, like other types of resource extraction, is often carried out by a number of actors ranging from licit to illicit. Laws governing resource extraction have to balance the interests of the local economy, the environment, and law enforcement. In Peru, the government has attempted to tackle the increasing involvement of organized crime groups (OCGs) in the jungle region of Madre de Dios by placing “illegal mining” under the organized crime legislation, thereby elevating the seriousness of illegal mining to an activity classified as “organized crime.” This chapter studies the implications of this classification in the local context of Madre de Dios, focusing on the impact this legislative change is having on the local population involved in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). Ethnographic fieldwork and qualitative interviews reveal how conflicting policies have erased the line between the informal and the illegal, victimizing those local miners willing to make the step toward environmental sustainability through the formalization process

Pore Condensation in Glycerol Dehydration : Modification of a Mixed Oxide Catalyst

Pore condensation has been suggested as an initiator of deactivation in the dehydration of glycerol to acrolein. To avoid potential pore condensation of the glycerol, a series of WO3supported on ZrO2 catalysts have been prepared through thermal sintering, with modified pore systems. It was shown that catalysts heat treated at temperatures above 800 °C yielded suitable pore system and the catalyst also showed a substantial increase in acrolein yield. The longevity of the heat-treated catalysts was also improved, indeed a catalyst heat treated at 850 °C displayed significantly higher yields and lower pressure-drop build up over the 600 h of testing. Further, the catalyst characterisation work gave evidence for a transition from monoclinic to triclinic tungsten oxide between 850 and 900 °C. There is also an increase in acid-site concentration of the heat-treated catalysts. Given the improved catalyst performance after heat-treatment, it is not unlikely that pore condensation is a significant contributing factor in catalyst deactivation for WO3 supported on ZrO2 catalysts in the glycerol dehydration reaction