Clinical Aspects of Kaolin Pneumoconiosis

More than 300,000 water-using industrial plants discharge three to four times as much oxygen-demanding wastes as all of the nonindustrial wastes discharged to sewerage in the United States. Many wastes discharged by industries are toxic to aquatic life and, perhaps indirectly, to man. The volume of industrial wastewater discharge in 1968 exceeded 14 trillion gal before treatment. Indications are that more than half of this wastewater volume comes from four major industrial groups: paper, organic chemicals, petroleum refining, and steel. Industrial pollution problems are created by oxygen-demanding wastewater constituents, organic and inorganic settleable solids, suspended solids, floatable materials, toxic metals or substances, nuisance-stimulating nutrients, and waste heat. Treatment and control processes are now available for most industrial wastes; however, some pollutants, including complex chemicals, present difficult abatement problems. The magnitude of the national industrial-waste problem has remained relatively unknown. There has not been until very recently a detailed inventory of industrial wastes. The Environmental Protection Agency within the past year embarked upon a three-pronged program to inventory, study, and regulate this vast waste complex. A voluntary national-industrial-wastes inventory was begun in early August 1971, following a test mailing to refine the questionnaire and the instructions. A comprehensive questionnaire has been mailed to 10,000 of the major water-using industries in the United States. The inventory questionnaire was designed to collect information on quantity and quality of wastewater constituents and discharge methods. Data from the inventory will be computerized to facilitate their use, and they should prove extremely valuable in all governmental activities connected with the control of industrial wastes. The Environmental Protection Agency is in partnership with the Corps of Engineers in the administration of the River and Harbor Act of 1899. Under the provision of this Act, each industrial waste discharge to the nation's waters will be regulated by a permit issued by the Corps of Engineers. The EPA will make a review, evaluate compliance with water-quality standards, and recommend actions on the permit requests. Comprehensive studies on 20 major industrial categories have recently been completed. These studies define a feasible effluent level based on production units for an industrial category. They present the best and most comprehensive compilation of data now available on wastewater management from these industrial categories.

Adenotonsillectomy may increase the risk of alopecia areata in childhood: A nationwide population-based cohort study

C ircular R etribution T he E ffects of C limate C hange on U.S. and G lobal E conomy Hannes Prescher Until just recently, the pretext to all problems was tifying climate change based solely on the increase in “global warming.” (“Why is it raining?” “It’s because these gases is difficult. Much controversy surrounds of global warming.”) Then the economy plummeted: the various estimates that have been made with a massive national debt, a huge trade deficit, weak respect to the specific increase in CO 2 levels over time. job growth, and suddenly the focal point of all prob- However, recent studies conducted by the Intergov- lems is “the economy.” One (idiom) is exchanged for ernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) decrease another yet the two are closely linked. Consider the the uncertainty of predicting the result of future emis- effect that global warming has on the economy. We are sion scenarios. The IPPC asserts that the doubling of accustomed to thinking of the environment as an infi- CO 2 emissions will increase the global mean surface nite well of resources that exists for the benefit of our temperature by 3°C yearly. 1 The IPCC determined that economic growth and so we take from it at will. Yet mean surface temperatures have increased by 0.74°C the climatic changes that ensue create natural disas- ± 0.18°C over the last one hundred years and that the ters and debilitate the economy: the damages incurred last decade experienced the warmest temperatures on reduce the initial growth created from environmental record. The planet is getting warmer and with increas- resources. The two are essentially linked in a mutu- ing evidence, humans are substantially to blame for it. 2 ally induced cycle that fluctuates between economic growth and decline. It is not surprising that both A catholic and detrimental shift in the climate is issues, the economy and the effects of global warming, the product of increasing global temperatures. This have risen to the fore of global po- litical concern and The agricultural industry, more so than any other action. The increase major industry, is severely impacted by climate change. in natural disasters, namely hurricanes as devastating as Katrina and the decimation of the agricultural indus- shift is manifested in the increased intensity of tropi- try, clearly demonstrates the powerful effects that cal cyclone activity, which leads to devastating hur- climate change has on the global economy. However, ricanes, and increased occurrence and duration of we can change this development by switching to solar extreme draughts, which greatly reduces agricultural and hydrogen systems as primary sources of energy. output and global food supply. We can effectively reduce the variable of economic damage induced by climate change and thereby build The agricultural industry, more so than any other a foundation not only for a healthier planet, but also major industry, is severely impacted by climate change. for a better and more stable economy. The yearly output and food supply is a direct product of fluctuations in temperature and precipitation. The global greenhouse effect is the primary con- Climate change is a permanent trend, one that can be tributor to the increase in the Earth’s mean surface seen only by analyzing the change in soil temperature temperature, and thus the main contributor to climate and its effect on crop output over many years. Such a change. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, study reveals that temperatures, especially for inland methane and chlorofluorocarbons collect in the atmo- areas, will increase dramatically. Such an increase will sphere and act much like an insulating blanket, trap- place a higher demand for water to irrigate the land, a ping heat and preventing the radiation of light back need that will prove costly as higher temperature will into space. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and slowly deplete the soil water. The scarcity of water will oil, and deforestation all contribute to the increase in be profound and the need extreme. these green house gases. There is no doubt that quan- B S J 4 • B erkeley S cientific J ournal • E conomics • S pring 2010 • V olume 13 • I ssue 2

Over the past 15–20 years several laboratories have been investigating the regulation of muscle protein synthesis by diet and exercise. It is clear that resistance exercise stimulates muscle protein synthesis. The greatest stimulation comes from resistance exercise plus a source of amino acids (for review see Tipton & Ferrando, 2008). Interestingly, similar increases in muscle protein synthesis are observed following endurance exercise (Tipton et al. 1996); protein ingestion also enhances this response (Howarth et al. 2009). Given the differences in adaptations to these types of exercise, this similarity of response of muscle protein synthesis may seem somewhat paradoxical. The explanation may lie in the methodology. The response of mixed muscle protein synthesis was determined in these studies (Tipton & Ferrando, 2008). Measurement of mixed muscle protein synthesis is essentially a weighted average of the rates of synthesis of all proteins in the muscle, i.e. it does not distinguish the responses of different proteins. Intuitively, given the differences in adaptations to different types of training, it is not difficult to accept that resistance and endurance exercise, for example, should differentially influence different proteins. Recent advances in methodology have allowed us to begin to address these questions. The acute response to exercise and nutritional interventions may be measured and extrapolated to represent the potential for long-term adaptive changes. Adaptations to any exercise training regime result from changes in the type, quantity and activity of proteins in various tissues. For example, muscle growth in response to resistance exercise training is determined by increases in the myofibrillar proteins. Muscle protein synthesis rate has been shown to be predictive of long-term changes in muscle (Tipton, 2008). For example, a recent metabolic study demonstrated that milk ingestion resulted in greater muscle protein synthesis than soy following resistance exercise (Wilkinson et al. 2007). A follow-up longitudinal study by the same research group demonstrated that milk supplementation resulted in greater increases in muscle mass and strength than soy supplements (Hartman et al. 2007). Thus, it is clear that the acute metabolic response to various exercise and nutritional combinations is a useful way to determine optimal training and diet regimes. The results of a study published in this issue of The Journal of Physiology by Moore et al. (2009) offer interesting and important advances toward our understanding of the influence of nutrition and exercise on different types of proteins. This study helps pave the way for future studies that will further our understanding of training adaptations. Moore et al. (2009) used a unilateral exercise model to simultaneously measure protein synthesis rates in response to whey protein ingestion at rest and following resistance exercise. Moreover, the time course of the response to each was determined. The results demonstrate a differential response of the two protein types to feeding. The rate of sarcoplasmic protein synthesis was increased following protein ingestion to the same extent in both the resting and the exercised leg. On the other hand, myofibrillar protein synthesis was increased to a greater extent and the response lasted longer in the exercised leg. These novel findings illustrate that the response of proteins to exercise and nutrition is not uniform. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, these results underline the value of measuring the response of various protein fractions to nutritional and exercise interventions. The present study examined the response only to resistance exercise (Moore et al. 2009). However, another recent study by this research group provides additional information on differential responsiveness of various protein fractions. Wilkinson et al. (2008) report that myofibrillar protein synthesis and mitochondrial protein synthesis rates both increased in response to resistance exercise. Only mitochondrial protein synthesis increased in response to endurance exercise. Furthermore, exercise training changed these responses (Wilkinson et al. 2008). These data were gathered with a background of hyperaminoacidaemia for all conditions, so the interactive effect of exercise type and nutrition on the different types of protein could not be determined. Clearly, these types of studies provide us with the ability to investigate the potential for exercise and nutrition to influence training results. Further investigation of the impact of different types of exercise on the synthesis of different protein fractions and the interaction with nutritional interventions must follow. Furthermore, studies should delineate responses in various populations. These studies will provide important information for athletes practicing various types of sports. More importantly, these types of studies will offer information critical to designing optimal nutrition and exercise interventions to diminish muscle wasting and metabolic disease.

No Association between <i>hOGG1</i> Ser326Cys Polymorphism and Risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Departmentof Pharmacology, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandKey words: atopic dermatitis; clinical features;constitutional dermatitis; epidemiology; extrinsictype; immunopathology; intrinsic type.Prof. Dr B. Wu¨thrichAllergy Unit, Department of DermatologyUniversity Hospital8091 ZurichSwitzerlandAccepted for publication 22 March 2001

Recent Publications on Archaeological Ceramic Analyses and their Contributions to the Study of Ancient Pottery Technology

The benzodiazepines are among the most prescribed drugs in medical practice. They are all derivatives of the 1, 4-benzodiazepine nucleus and include the so-called minor tranquillisers (diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, oxazepam, lorazepam, medazepam and potassium clorazepate) and the hypnotics (nitrazepam and flurazepam). From the early 1960s when chlordiazepoxide was first available for use in clinical practice the benzodiazepines have been a major growth industry for the pharmaceutical corporations. In 1970, for instance, in Britain the combined total number of EC 10 prescriptions (effectively all from general practice) for chlordiazepoxide, diazepam and nitrazepam 14 971 000, compared to 3 361 000 for digoxin or 7 948 000 for ampicillin (Committee on Safety of Medicines, 1964 to 1973). In 1972 in the United States prescriptions from retail pharmacies for benzodiazepine tranquillisers and hypnotics were approximately 81 million (Greenblatt and Shader, 1974). The expenditure on these exceeded 200 million dollars. Unfortunately there are no comprehensive studies of treatment adherence (drug compliance) specifically for benzodiazepines, but Blackwell (1976) has stated that non-adherence of out-patients to medical treatment in general, is between 25 and 50 per cent. If the, lower of these percentages is applied to the American figures for 1972 we arrive at a rough estimate of 50 million dollars worth of wasted drugs, which speaks for itself.

The advent of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as a less invasive method to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has revolutionized the field of interventional cardiology. The use of metal stents as supporting structures, in addition to balloon angioplasty, for maintaining the patency of blocked coronary vessels was first pioneered in 1986 [1]. Before the introduction of drug-eluting stents (DES), bare-metal stents (BMS) were the mainstay in coronary stenting procedures. Indeed, coronary stenting accounted for 84.2% of all PCI procedures in 1999, and by 2005, 90% of stenting procedures were made using a DES [2].

The association of epilepsy and migraine has been long recognized. Migraine and epilepsy are both chronic disorders with episodic attacks. Furthermore, headache may be a premonitory or postdromic symptom of seizures, and migraine headaches may cause seizures per se (migralepsy). Migraine and epilepsy are comorbid, sharing pathophysiological mechanisms and common clinical features. Several recent studies identified common genetic and molecular substrates for migraine and epilepsy, including phenotypic-genotypic correlations with mutations in the CACNA1A, ATP1A2, and SCN1A genes, as well as in syndromes due to mutations in the SLC1A3, POLG, and C10orF2 genes. Herein, we review the relationship between migraine and epilepsy, focusing on clinical aspects and some recent pathophysiological and molecular studies.

BackgroundPeople living with musculoskeletal pain conditions prefer pain self-reporting for better pain management [1]. In a recent feasibility study, 104 people living with musculoskeletal pain conditions completed daily pain manikin...

This review is focused on the role of infectious agents in the development of some lymphoma entities. Associations involving bacterial infections mostly regard marginal zone B-cell lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-type. Some paradigmatic examples of these associations include the Helicobacter pylori-related gastric MALT lymphoma and the more recently reported links between Chlamydophila psittaci and ocular adnexal MALT lymphomas and Borrelia burgdorferi and cutaneous MALT lymphomas. The well-documented association between Epstein-Barr virus infection and related lymphoproliferative disorders are analysed as an example of lymphotropic virus with tumourigenic activity. Molecular, biological and clinical features as well as therapeutic implications of these associations are analysed and future perspectives in this field are discussed.

(Reprinted with permission from American Psychiatric Association, http://psychiatryonline.org/guidelines).

Macular oedema is a common complication and vision-limiting factor in uveitis. The aim of this study was to compare retinal thickness as measured by optical coherence tomography and photoreceptor function as measured by fundus-related microperimetry with respect to their correlation with visual acuity. Prospective observational monocentre study. Thirty-one patients (53 eyes) with endogenous uveitis and fluorescein angiographically confirmed macular oedema were evaluated. Foveal thickness was analysed using spectral-domain (Spectralis(TM) ; Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) OCT and retinal sensitivity was assessed using fundus-related microperimetry (MP1; Nidek Technologies, Padova, Italy). All findings were correlated with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Foveal thickness was correlated with BCVA [p = 0.005, r = 0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12-0.59]. For microperimetry measurements, a negative correlation with logMAR visual acuity was found. Fixation abnormalities were not associated with poor visual acuity, increased foveal thickness or retinal sensitivity. In eyes with cystoid changes in the outer plexiform and inner nuclear layer, foveal thickness was increased (p < 0.0001). Epiretinal membrane formation was present in 70%. In these eyes, foveal thickness was significantly increased (p = 0.003) and visual acuity was worse (p = 0.08). Foveal thickness and fundus-related microperimetry were correlated with visual acuity. Cystoid changes in the outer plexiform and inner nuclear layer and the presence of epiretinal membrane were associated with poor visual acuity. Fixation abnormalities were not associated with poor visual acuity.

Recent genetic studies of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), both in B cell precursor and T cell ALL (B/T-ALL), clarified the landscape of genetic alterations due to great progress of comprehensive genome sequencing technologies including next generation sequencing. These studies revealed genetic alterations such as somatic structural DNA rearrangement and sequence mutations that affect multiple pathways including lymphocyte development, cytokine signaling, JAK-STAT pathway, MAP kinase and RAS signaling pathway, transcriptional, and epigenetic regulation to provide us new insight of leukemogenesis of pediatric B/T-ALL. In addition, recent comprehensive genetic studies of paired diagnostic and relapse samples clarified the mechanism of clonal evolution of leukemic cells to provide novel insights of mechanism of therapeutic resistance of pediatric ALL. Owing to huge success of genetic studies, several new subtypes of pediatric ALL have been identified, and some of them are clinically important to be candidate of targeted therapy. Here, we provide a review of recent genetic studies of pediatric ALL including B/T-ALL, acute leukemia ambiguous lineage, and relapsed ALL and discuss the importance of genetic basis of pediatric ALL.