Biotechnology product development, biosafety regulation and environmental risk assessment in the Philippines

This study looks at the current biotechnology and biosafety situation in the Philippines. It assesses whether the country's biotechnology organizations are in a position to effectively perform biosafety regulation, protect intellectual property rights and respond to the accelerating pace of international biotechnology product development. Based on a mixture of primary and secondary information, the study finds that biotechnology development is constrained by funding and resources. It also finds that, while biosafety guidelines and practices are relatively strong, there are a number of institutional weaknesses. The study recommends measures to make biotechnology research and development more cost-effective and to improve biosafety in the country. Overall, the report calls for the Philippines to carefully balance the need for biotechnology regulation with the need for innovative biotechnology development

Association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been associated with exposures in the workplace. We aimed to assess the association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data from 28 823 adults (≥40 years) in 34 countries. We considered 11 occupations and grouped them by likelihood of exposure to organic dusts, inorganic dusts and fumes. The association of chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheeze, dyspnoea, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/FVC with occupation was assessed, per study site, using multivariable regression. These estimates were then meta-analysed. Sensitivity analyses explored differences between sexes and gross national income. Results Overall, working in settings with potentially high exposure to dusts or fumes was associated with respiratory symptoms but not lung function differences. The most common occupation was farming. Compared to people not working in any of the 11 considered occupations, those who were farmers for ≥20 years were more likely to have chronic cough (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19–1.94), wheeze (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.63) and dyspnoea (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.53–2.20), but not lower FVC (β=0.02 L, 95% CI −0.02–0.06 L) or lower FEV1/FVC (β=0.04%, 95% CI −0.49–0.58%). Some findings differed by sex and gross national income. Conclusion At a population level, the occupational exposures considered in this study do not appear to be major determinants of differences in lung function, although they are associated with more respiratory symptoms. Because not all work settings were included in this study, respiratory surveillance should still be encouraged among high-risk dusty and fume job workers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.publishedVersio

Cohort Profile: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study was established to assess the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction, a key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its risk factors in adults (≥40 years) from general populations across the world. The baseline study was conducted between 2003 and 2016, in 41 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Oceania, and collected high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry from 28 828 participants. The follow-up study was conducted between 2019 and 2021, in 18 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. At baseline, there were in these sites 12 502 participants with high-quality spirometry. A total of 6452 were followed up, with 5936 completing the study core questionnaire. Of these, 4044 also provided high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry. On both occasions, the core questionnaire covered information on respiratory symptoms, doctor diagnoses, health care use, medication use and ealth status, as well as potential risk factors. Information on occupation, environmental exposures and diet was also collected

Making Biotechnology Safer: An Assessment from the Philippines

Modern biotechnology is one of the most controversial areas of scientific development. It has been championed as a solution to poverty, hunger and environmental degradation. However, there are also many environmental, health and social equity concerns associated with the genetic modification of crops and animals. The challenge, particularly for developing countries, is to benefit from these technologies while ensuring that biosafety issues are adequately addressed.Biotechnology, Philippines

Study of Alternative Mechanisms for Rural Credit Delivery

This study aims to identify possible alternative mechanisms of extending credit to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) and to assess the effectiveness, viability and sustainability of the alternative mechanisms for delivering credit assistance to ARBs. It employs two research methods, namely survey and case study and it covers 37 financial institutions and 370 borrowers from regions 6 and 7.agrarian reform, agriculture sector, collateral, credit program, borrower

Overdiagnosis of COPD in subjects with unobstructed spirometry

Background: There are several reports on the underdiagnosis of COPD, while little is known about COPD overdiagnosis and overtreatment. We describe the overdiagnosis and the prevalence of spirometrically defined false-positive COPD, as well as their relationship with overtreatment across 23 population samples in 20 countries participating in the BOLD Study between 2003 and 2012. Methods: A false-positive diagnosis of COPD was considered when participants reported a doctor's diagnosis of COPD, but postbronchodilator spirometry was unobstructed (FEV1/FVC > LLN). Additional analyses were performed using the fixed ratio criterion (FEV1/FVC < 0.7). Results: Among 16,177 participants, 919 (5.7%) reported a previous medical diagnosis of COPD. Postbronchodilator spirometry was unobstructed in 569 subjects (61.9%): false-positive COPD. A similar rate of overdiagnosis was seen when using the fixed ratio criterion (55.3%). In a subgroup analysis excluding participants who reported a diagnosis of "chronic bronchitis" or "emphysema" (n = 220), 37.7% had no airflow limitation. The site-specific prevalence of false-positive COPD varied greatly, from 1.9% in low- to middle-income countries to 4.9% in high-income countries. In multivariate analysis, overdiagnosis was more common among women, and was associated with higher education; former and current smoking; the presence of wheeze, cough, and phlegm; and concomitant medical diagnosis of asthma or heart disease. Among the subjects with false-positive COPD, 45.7% reported current use of respiratory medication. Excluding patients with reported asthma, 34.4% of those with normal spirometry still used a respiratory medication. Conclusions: False-positive COPD is frequent. This might expose nonobstructed subjects to possible adverse effects of respiratory medication.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

COPD: should diagnosis match physiology?

We are very grateful to Dr. Vanfleteren and colleagues for commenting on our data regarding overdiagnosed COPD2 and for putting this evidence into the framework of the current understanding of the disease. Based on the data presented on overdiagnosis, and on prior Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) observations on underdiagnosis,3 we truly believe that our worldwide community of pulmonary specialists could do much better in caring for this extremely prevalent and devastating disease. Overall, our data indicate that for one patient with a “matched” COPD diagnosis (ie, the presence of postbronchodilator airways obstruction and a positive recall of such a diagnosis), there is always another “mismatched,” false-positive patient with COPD. This patient possibly experiences all the untoward consequences, such as receiving expensive and possibly harmful medication, and missing chances for treatment of cardiac disease or asthma. On the contrary, for each “known” patient with COPD who has a poorly reversible airway obstruction, there are four to five other patients out there with yet undetected airways obstruction. Again, we are missing opportunities in these patients for smoking intervention, symptom relief, and prolongation of their lives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio