Comparison between the for-profit human milk industry and nonprofit human milk banking: Time for regulation?

Human milk (HM) is a highly evolutionary selected, complex biofluid, which provides tailored nutrition, immune system support and developmental cues that are unique to each maternal-infant dyad. In the absence of maternal milk, the World Health Organisation recommends vulnerable infants should be fed with screened donor HM (DHM) from a HM bank (HMB) ideally embedded in local or regional lactation support services. However, demand for HM products has arisen from an increasing awareness of the developmental and health impacts of the early introduction of formula and a lack of prioritisation into government-funded and nonprofit milk banking and innovation. This survey of global nonprofit milk bank leaders aimed to outline the trends, commonalities and differences between nonprofit and for-profit HM banking, examine strategies regarding the marketing and placement of products to hospital and public customers and outline the key social, ethical and human rights concerns. The survey captured information from 59 milk bank leaders in 30 countries from every populated continent. In total, five companies are currently trading HM products with several early-stage private milk companies (PMCs). Products tended to be more expensive from PMC than HMB, milk providers were financially remunerated and lactation support for milk providers and recipients was not a core function of PMCs. Current regulatory frameworks for HM vary widely, with the majority of countries lacking any framework, and most others placing HM within food legislation, which does not include the support and care of milk donors and recipient prioritisation. Regulation as a Medical Product of Human Origin was only in place to prevent the sale of HM in four countries; export and import of HM was banned in two countries. This paper discusses the safety and ethical concerns raised by the commodification of HM and the opportunities policymakers have globally and country-level to limit the potential for exploitation and the undermining of breastfeeding

The Plasminogen Activation System and the Regulation of Catecholaminergic Function

The local environment of neurosecretory cells contains the major components of the plasminogen activation system, including the plasminogen activators, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), as well as binding sites for t-PA, the receptor for u-PA (uPAR), and also the plasminogen activator inhibitor, PAI-1. Furthermore, these cells express specific binding sites for plasminogen, which is available in the circulation and in interstitial fluid. Colocalization of plasminogen and its activators on cell surfaces provides a mechanism for promoting local plasminogen activation. Plasmin is retained on the cell surface where it is protected from its inhibitor, α2-antiplasmin. In neurosecretory cells, localized plasmin activity provides a mechanism for extracellular processing of secreted hormones. Neurotransmitter release from catecholaminergic cells is negatively regulated by cleavage products formed by plasmin-mediated proteolysis. Recently, we have identified a major plasminogen receptor, Plg-RKT. We have found that Plg-RKT is highly expressed in chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla as well as in other catecholaminergic cells and tissues. Plg-RKT-dependent plasminogen activation plays a key role in regulating catecholaminergic neurosecretory cell function

Концепція реформування літературної освіти в середній школі (предмет – українська література)

This paper provides a technique that minimize the cruise drag (or maximize L/D) fora blended wing body transport with a number of constraints. The wing shape design isdone by splitting the problem into 2D airfoil design and 3D twist optimization with a frozenplanform. A 45% to 50% reduction of inviscid drag is nally obtained, with desired pitchingmoment. The results indicate that further improvement can be obtained by modifying theplanform and varying the camber more aggressively.QC 20121113NOVEMO

2,6-dibenzoyl-1,4-benzoquinone

Publisher's version/PDFIn contrast to the stacking characteristic of quinones, the title compound, C[subscript 20]H[subscript 12]O[subscript 4], forms a two-dimensional network of C--H...O hydrogen bonds. The molecule has an unsymmetrical butterfly shape with the two benzoyl O atoms lying out of the plane of the quinonoid ring. The unusual conformation is a result of the crystal packing and the numerous weak hydrogen bonds

Activation of Human T-Helper/Inducer Cell, T-Cytotoxic Cell, B-Cell, and Natural Killer (NK)-Cells and induction of Natural Killer Cell Activity against K562 Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells with Modified Citrus Pectin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Modified citrus pectin (MCP) is known for its anti-cancer effects and its ability to be absorbed and circulated in the human body. In this report we tested the ability of MCP to induce the activation of human blood lymphocyte subsets like T, B and NK-cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>MCP treated human blood samples were incubated with specific antibody combinations and analyzed in a flow cytometer using a 3-color protocol. To test functionality of the activated NK-cells, isolated normal lymphocytes were treated with increasing concentrations of MCP. Log-phase PKH26-labeled K562 leukemic cells were added to the lymphocytes and incubated for 4 h. The mixture was stained with FITC-labeled active form of caspase 3 antibody and analyzed by a 2-color flow cytometry protocol. The percentage of K562 cells positive for PKH26 and FITC were calculated as the dead cells induced by NK-cells. Monosaccharide analysis of the MCP was performed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulse amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>MCP activated T-cytotoxic cells and B-cell in a dose-dependent manner, and induced significant dose-dependent activation of NK-cells. MCP-activated NK-cells demonstrated functionality in inducing cancer cell death. MCP consisted of oligogalacturonic acids with some containing 4,5-unsaturated non-reducing ends.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>MCP has immunostimulatory properties in human blood samples, including the activation of functional NK cells against K562 leukemic cells in culture. Unsaturated oligogalacturonic acids appear to be the immunostimulatory carbohydrates in MCP.</p

Visual Acuity and Associated Factors. The Central India Eye and Medical Study

Visual acuity is a major parameter for quality of vision and quality of life. Information on visual acuity and its associated factors in rural societies almost untouched by any industrialization is mostly non-available. It was, therefore, the purpose of our study to determine the distribution of visual acuity and its associated factors in a rural population not marked influenced by modern lifestyle. The population-based Central India Eye and Medical Study included 4711 subjects (aged 30+ years), who underwent a detailed ophthalmologic examination including visual acuity measurement. Visual acuity measurements were available for 4706 subjects with a mean age of 49.5±13.4 years (range: 30–100 years). BCVA decreased significantly (P<0.001) from the moderately hyperopic group (0.08±0.15 logMAR) to the emmetropic group (0.16±0.52 logMAR), the moderately myopic group (0.28±0.33 logMAR), the highly hyperopic group (0.66±0.62 logMAR) and finally the highly myopic group (1.32±0.92 logMAR). In multivariate analysis, BCVA was significantly associated with the systemic parameters of lower age (P<0.001), higher level of education (P<0.001), higher body stature (P<0.001) and higher body mass index (P<0.001), and with the ophthalmic parameters of more hyperopic refractive error (spherical equivalent) (P<0.001), shorter axial length (P<0.001), lower degree of nuclear cataract (P<0.001), and lower intraocular pressure (P = 0.006). The results suggest that in the rural population of Central India, major determinants of visual acuity were socioeconomic background, body stature and body mass index, age, refractive error, cataract and intraocular pressure

Awareness of Breast Cancer Risk Factors in Women with vs. Without High Breast Density

Jan Endrikat,1,2 Gilda Schmidt,2 Bhagyashree Oak,3 Viplav Shukla,3 Prakirti Nangia,3 Nicolas Schleyer,1 John Crocker,3 Ruud Pijnapppel4 1Radiology, Bayer AG, Berlin, Germany; 2Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University Medical School of Saarland, Homburg, Saar, Germany; 3Trinity Life Sciences, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA; 4Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the NetherlandsCorrespondence: Jan Endrikat, Bayer AG, Müllerstr. 178, Berlin, 13353, Germany, Tel +49 175 3095846, Email [email protected]: Women with high breast density (HBD) carry an increased risk for breast cancer (BC). The aim of the study was to provide data on awareness and knowledge gaps among women with vs w/o HBD about BC risk factors (BCRFs), which is the basis for effective communication about screening.Patients and Methods: This was a web-based survey of 3000 women aged ≥ 30 and ≤ 70 from six countries. It comprised of 45 questions. T-tests and chi-square tests with False Discovery Rate adjustments were conducted as applicable, with significant differences reported at α=0.05.Results: Three-thousand women were included in the analysis, 733 (24.4%) had HBD. Overall, 39% of women were familiar with the concept of HBD in the context of BC. Thirty-one percent of women were aware of HBD as BCRF and for 24% of women HBD was personally applicable. A significantly higher proportion of women with HBD were aware of almost all BCRFs compared to women w/o HBD (p ≤ 0.05). Similarly, a significantly higher proportion of women with HBD have undergone screening procedures compared to women w/o HBD (p ≤ 0.05). Women with HBD were significantly better aware of basic facts about BC (p ≤ 0.05). A total of 1617 women underwent mammography, 904 ultrasound and 150 MRI during their last screening. The most relevant source of information about BC was the health care professional, as reported by 63% of women.Conclusion: Overall 39% of women were familiar with HBD as BCRF. Lack of BCRF awareness may contribute to delayed screenings, missed opportunities for early detection, and potentially poorer outcomes for individuals with dense breast tissue. Thus, this information should be communicated more widely.Keywords: breast cancer risk factors, dense breast, screening, imaging modalities, sources of informatio

Prognostic significance of endogenous adhesion/growth-regulatory lectins in lung cancer

Objective: To determine the expression of endogenous adhesion/growth-regulatory lectins and their binding sites using labeled tissue lectins as well as the binding profile of hyaluronic acid as an approach to define new prognostic markers. Methods: Sections of paraffin-embedded histological material of 481 lungs from lung tumor patients following radical lung excision processed by a routine immunohistochemical method (avidin-biotin labeling, DAB chromogen). Specific antibodies against galectins-1 and - 3 and the heparin-binding lectin were tested. Staining by labeled galectins and hyaluronic acid was similarly visualized by a routine protocol. After semiquantitative assessment of staining, the results were compared with the pT and pN stages and the histological type. Survival was calculated by univariate and multivariate methods. Results: Binding of galectin-1 and its expression tended to increase, whereas the parameters for galectin-3 decreased in advanced pT and pN stages at a statistically significant level. The number of positive cases was considerably smaller among the cases with small cell lung cancer than in the group with non-small-cell lung cancer, among which adenocarcinomas figured prominently with the exception of galectin-1 expression. Kaplan-Meier computations revealed that the survival rate of patients with galectin-3-binding or galectin-1-expressing tumors was significantly poorer than that of the negative cases. In the multivariate calculations of survival lymph node metastases ( p < 0.0001), histological type ( p = 0.003), galectin-3-binding capacity ( p = 0.01), galectin-3 expression ( p = 0.03) and pT status ( p = 0.003) proved to be independent prognostic factors, not correlated with the pN stage. Conclusion: The expression and the capacity to bind the adhesion/growth regulatory galectin-3 is defined as an unfavorable prognostic factor not correlated with the pTN stage. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel