Risk communication: lessons from an ethnographic, pragmatic, and Canadian regulatory perspective

In a regulatory context, it is important to understand how effective risk communication fits into the overall risk assessment, management, and decision-making process. This includes recognizing the intersections between risk analysis and the 3Ps: policy, politics, and publics, and understanding the barriers to effective communication. Risk communication is especially challenging when it requires the audience to follow and act on authoritative information or advice. Risk communicators must factor attributes such as risk perception, tolerance, and behaviors, and tailor the delivery of messages to diverse audiences. This paper captures the discourse from an intradepartmental workshop on risk communication with participants from Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. The workshop provided an opportunity to discuss and share references to existing frameworks, pertinent documents, and examples of effective risk communication strategies based on the authors' ethnographic and pragmatic experiences. The workshop aimed to strengthen risk communication by better understanding the value in collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, applying a systems thinking lens, and finding opportunities to experiment and evaluate risk communication strategies for regulatory purposes

The Crystal Structure of a Cyanobacterial Water-Soluble Carotenoid Binding Protein

AbstractCarotenoids undergo a wide range of photochemical reactions in animal, plant, and microbial systems. In photosynthetic organisms, in addition to light harvesting, they perform an essential role in protecting against light-induced damage by quenching singlet oxygen, superoxide anion radicals, or triplet-state chlorophyll. We have determined the crystal structure of a water-soluble orange carotenoid protein (OCP) isolated from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira maxima at a resolution of 2.1 Å. OCP forms a homodimer with one carotenoid molecule per monomer. The carotenoid binding site is lined by a striking number of methionine residues. The structure reveals several possible ways in which the protein environment influences the spectral properties of the pigment and provides insight into how the OCP carries out its putative functions in photoprotection

A Review of the Evidence Germane to the Putative Protective Role of the Macular Carotenoids for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

There is a consensus that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the result of (photo)- oxidative-induced retinal injury and its inflammatory sequelae, the latter being influenced by genetic background. The dietary carotenoids, lutein (L), zeaxanthin (Z), and meso-zeaxanthin (meso-Z), accumulate at the macula, where they are collectively known as macular pigment (MP). The anatomic (central retinal), biochemical (anti-oxidant) and optical (short-wavelength- filtering) properties of this pigment have generated interest in the biologically plausible rationale that MP may confer protection against AMD. Level 1 evidence has shown that dietary supplementation with broad-spectrum anti-oxidants results in risk reduction for AMD progression. Studies have demonstrated that MP rises in response to supplementation with the macular carotenoids, although level 1 evidence that such supplementation results in risk reduction of AMD and/or its progression is still lacking. Although appropriately weighted attention should be accorded to higher levels of evidence, the totality of available data should be appraised in an attempt to inform professional practice. In this context, the literature demonstrates that supplementation with the macular carotenoids is probably the best means of fortifying the anti-oxidant defenses of the macula, thus putatively reducing the risk of AMD and/or its progression

Effects of Anacetrapib in Patients with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) by anacetrapib reduces LDL cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. However, trials of other CETP inhibitors have shown neutral or adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 30,449 adults with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy and who had a mean LDL cholesterol level of 61 mg per deciliter (1.58 mmol per liter), a mean non-HDL cholesterol level of 92 mg per deciliter (2.38 mmol per liter), and a mean HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg per deciliter (1.03 mmol per liter). The patients were assigned to receive either 100 mg of anacetrapib once daily (15,225 patients) or matching placebo (15,224 patients). The primary outcome was the first major coronary event, a composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (1640 of 15,225 patients [10.8%] vs. 1803 of 15,224 patients [11.8%]; rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97; P=0.004). The relative difference in risk was similar across multiple prespecified subgroups. At the trial midpoint, the mean level of HDL cholesterol was higher by 43 mg per deciliter (1.12 mmol per liter) in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (a relative difference of 104%), and the mean level of non-HDL cholesterol was lower by 17 mg per deciliter (0.44 mmol per liter), a relative difference of -18%. There were no significant between-group differences in the risk of death, cancer, or other serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive statin therapy, the use of anacetrapib resulted in a lower incidence of major coronary events than the use of placebo. (Funded by Merck and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN48678192 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01252953 ; and EudraCT number, 2010-023467-18 .)

Alcohol: Friend or FOE? Alcoholic Beverage Hormesis for Cataract and Atherosclerosis is Related to Plasma Antioxidant Activity

Objectives: To correlate the oxidative state of postabsorptive blood plasma after consumption of one or three drinks of different beverages with known J-shaped epidemiological risk curves. Design, interventions, and main outcome measures: Red wine, lager beer, stout (alcoholic and alcohol-free), with antioxidant activity, and an aqueous solution of alcohol were compared for the plasma antioxidant or pro-oxidant activity in human volunteers following consumption of one or three typical drinks containing equivalent amounts of alcohol (except for an alcohol-free stout used as a control for stout). Results: One drink of red wine, lager beer, or stout (5% alcohol v/v, and alcohol-free) significantly increased the average antioxidant activity in plasma samples obtained from volunteers averaged over 240 min. Three drinks of red wine, lager beer, or stout (5% alcohol v/v, and alcohol-free) significantly increased the average pro-oxidant activity in plasma samples obtained from volunteers averaged over 360 min. For a solution of alcohol, three drinks resulted in pro-oxidant plasma on average, whereas while one drink did not significantly affect the plasma oxidative status. A preliminary experiment in which two volunteers showed a significantly increased time to metabolize ethanol after ingestion resulted in elevated antioxidant activity in plasma for lager beer and red wine. Conclusions: One drink of red wine, beer, or stout provided equivalent increases in plasma antioxidant activity. Three drinks of red wine, beer, or stout provided equivalent increases in plasma pro-oxidant activity. This may explain, at least in part, the decreased risk of cataract and atherosclerosis from daily consumption of one drink of different types of alcoholic beverages as well as the increased risk from daily consumption of three drinks of alcoholic beverages. The plasma pro-oxidant activity appears to be due to ethanol metabolism, whereas the antioxidant activity may be due to the absorption of polyphenols in the beverages

Photooxidation studies with perylenediimides in solution, PVC and sol-gel thin films under concentrated sun light

The singlet oxygen quantum yields (??), LUMO energy levels (eV), photo stabilities under Xe-lamp irradiation of N,N'-di-dodecyl-3,4,9,10- bis(dicarboximide)perylene and N,N'-di-(1-dehydroabiethyl)-3,4,9,10- bis(dicarboximide)perylene, N-DODEPER and ABIPER, respectively, in different host matrices (solution, PVC and sol-gel matrix) are determined. Quenching of their emission by KI is found to give kq values of 3.5-37.4 × 109M-1s-1. Quenching is more efficient in solution phase than it is in immobilized phases. ??'S of ABIPER and N-DODEPER are in negligible range, 0.090 and 0.095, respectively. The LUMO energy levels determined by cyclic voltammetric studies are 3.65 and 3.49eV for ABIPER and N-DODEPER, respectively. Neither ABIPER nor N-DODEPER showed degradation tendency in sol-gel matrix. Photooxidation of ?-terpinene is performed with ABIPER and N-DODEPER as photosensitizers, both in acetonitrile solutions and immobilized phases (PVC and sol-gel host matrices) by the use of two different irradiation sources, Na lamp and concentrated sun light. The photosensitizers exhibited different activities on the product profile, which were strongly dependent on the irradiation source, period of irradiation and the phase that the sensitizers were placed (solution or immobilized phases). Product analysis results point that in immobilized phases of PVC films 3,6-dioxoheptanal is the major product. In solution and immobilized phase of sol-gel ascaridol is the most abundant product. Superoxide anion radical, forms as reactive intermediate at photoinduced electron transfer process, directs the primary mechanistic step of photooxidations. A secondary mechanistic step is being proposed for the clarification of product formations. ©2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Devlet Planlama Örgütü: NATO A-2 National Council for Scientific ResearchAlper Toker, Du Pont representative in Turkey, for providing us polyester support material and Dr. Tanju Varlikli for the proofreading. We appreciate the project support funds of Research Center of Ege University (EBILTEM),The State Planning Organization of Turkey (DPT), NATO A-2 support funds of the Scientific Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for their encouragement and support. -

Effect of γ-radiation on green onion DNA integrity: Role of ascorbic acid and polyphenols against nucleic acid damage

The effect of γ-radiation on green onion DNA integrity, phenol content, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, employing pyrogallol red and fluorescein as probes, as well as ascorbic acid content has been evaluated. Measurements using thiazole orange-DNA fluorescence and agarose gel electrophoresis show that γ-radiation does not lead to an apparent DNA change in green onion. However, it was readily cleaved upon irradiation from the previously isolated nucleic acid. Furthermore, green onion exposure to γ-radiation produces slight increases in the polyphenol concentrations (163-188 μM Trolox eq.) and a decrease in the oxygen radical absorbance using fluorescein (from 245 to 200 Trolox eq.) Interestingly, a high ascorbic acid content (364 μM), which decreases by 40% after γ-ray exposure was measured by using pyrogallol-red-based oxygen radical absorbance capacity induction times from green onion aqueous extracts. Thus, our results suggest that ascorbic acid present in green onion plays a fundamental role in the plant antioxidant response toward γ-radiation exposure, while polyphenols remain largely unchanged, as revealed from oxygen radical absorbance capacity, employing pyrogallol red. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Fil: Jimenez, Liliana Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. University of Ottawa; CanadáFil: Alarcón, Emilio. University of Ottawa; CanadáFil: Trevithick-Sutton, Colleen. University of Ottawa; CanadáFil: Gandhi, Niket. University of Ottawa; CanadáFil: Scaiano, Juan Cesar. University of Ottawa; Canad

Effect of Cyclodextrins on the Physicochemical Properties of Chlorophyll a in Aqueous Solution

The interactions between chlorophyll a and two β-cyclodextrins, that have the same cavity size but different substituents, were studied in aqueous solutions. These supramolecular host-guest complexes were examined by a combination of UV/vis absorption, circular dichroism, NMR, and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. The results indicate that all cyclodextrins solubilize the pigment mainly in monomeric form in water. The pigment forms 1:1 complexes with the heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-β- cyclodextrin and 1:2 complexes with the hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin. In such complexes the methyl groups of the cyclodextrin inner cavity are involved in the interaction with the pigment as evidenced by NMR measurements. We also measured the luminescence of singlet oxygen photosensitized by chlorophyll a in the inclusion complexes

“The effect of Cyclodextrines on the physicochemical properties of Chlorophyll a in aqueous solution”

The interactions between chlorophyll a and two â-cyclodextrins, that have the same cavity size but different substituents, were studied in aqueous solutions. These supramolecular host-guest complexes were examined by a combination of UV/vis absorption, circular dichroism, NMR, and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. The results indicate that all cyclodextrins solubilize the pigment mainly in monomeric form in water. The pigment forms 1:1 complexes with the heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-â- cyclodextrin and 1:2 complexes with the hydroxypropyl-â-cyclodextrin. In such complexes the methyl groups of the cyclodextrin inner cavity are involved in the interaction with the pigment as evidenced by NMR measurements. We also measured the luminescence of singlet oxygen photosensitized by chlorophyll a in the inclusion complexes