Dicofol exposure to Florida citrus applicators: Effects of protective clothing

Mixer-loaders and applicators of the pesticide dicofol in Florida citrus groves were monitored for exposure. Alpha-cellulose pads were placed inside and outside regular work clothing. When protective suits were in use, pads were also placed outside the suit. Dicofol accumulation rates were measured when gloves and/or facemasks were worn. Hand rinses were collected. Results showed that an ungloved, normally attired applicator reduced his total dermal exposure 38% by wearing a disposable Tyvek^® protective suit, 27% by wearing gloves, and 65% by wearing both. Suits reduced total dermal exposure by 40% for mixer-loaders, but the use of gloves led to an exposure increase, probably because the inside of the gloves became contaminated.Florida Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Series No. 6402.     

Health impacts of family planning

Among the many effects of family planning is the influence ithas on mortality and morbidity in women and children throughthe mechanism of changing the number and spacing of children.There is a complex set of relationships between mother's age,parity, birth spacing and infant and child mortality and morbidity.Much effort has been put into untangling this web in the hopeof identifying clear causal connections, but for the most parton the basis of inadequate data. Rather than attempt to establishthe relative importance of child spacing as a cause of decreasesin mortality, this paper takes as its starting point that thereis a connection, and presents some possible causal mechanismswhich explain how short birth intervals and child mortalitycould be related. In addition the most frequently cited hypotheses-maternaldepletion and sibling competition-a third is examined-birthcrowding which, it is suggested, influences the pattern of thetransmission of infectious diseases and, in turn, mortality. In the field of maternal mortality, the data which could beused to quantify the benefits of family planning are in evenshorter supply; however, the causal connections are rather moreeasily identified. The final section combines parity-specificdata on maternal mortality with evidence of changes in fertilitypatterns brought about by family planning to assess how successfulwe can hope to be in reducing through birth control the numberof women who die in childbirth.     

Recovery of T cell subsets after autologous bone marrow transplantation is mainly due to proliferation of mature T cells in the graft

In 22 patients with malignancies, treated with high-dose chemoradiotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT), peripheral blood T cell subsets and functions were studied. In ten cytomegalovirus (CMV)-negative patients, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (representing T cells of the helper/inducer phenotype and T cells of the suppressor/cytotoxic phenotype, respectively), recovered slowly and simultaneously. In 12 CMV-positive patients, however, CD8+ T cells recovered more rapidly than CD4+ T cells and rose to increased counts. No T cells with an immature phenotype (CD1+, OKT6+) were observed. Lymphocyte stimulation by herpes simplex virus infected fibroblasts (and by CMV-infected fibroblasts in CMV-positive patients) in contrast remained high and even increased after BMT in both groups. These data indicate that T cell recovery after autologous BMT is mainly due to proliferation of mature T cells present in the BM graft and not to generation of new T cells from T cell precursors.     

Identification and characterization of a low-affinity granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor on primary and cultured human melanoma cells

Hematopoietic growth factor receptors are present on cells of normal nonhematopoietic tissues such as endothelium and placenta. We previously demonstrated functional human granulocyte-macrophage colony- stimulating factor (GM-CSF) receptors on small cell carcinoma of the lung cell lines, and others have reported that certain solid tumor cell lines respond to GM-CSF in clonogenic assays. In the current study, we examine human melanoma cell lines and fresh specimens of melanoma to determine whether they have functional GM-CSF receptors. Scatchard analyses of 125I-GM-CSF equilibrium binding to melanoma cell lines showed a mean of 542 +/- 67 sites per cell with a kd of 0.72 +/- 0.14 nmol/L. Cross-linking studies in the melanoma cell line, M14, showed a major GM-CSF receptor species of 84,000 daltons. Under the conditions tested, the M14 cells did not have a proliferative response to GM-CSF in vitro, nor was any induction of primary response genes detected by Northern analysis in response to GM-CSF. Studies to determine internal translocation of the receptor-ligand complex indicated less than 10% of the 125I-GM-CSF internalized was specifically bound to receptors. Primary melanoma cells from five surgical specimens had GM-CSF receptors; Scatchard analysis was performed on one sample, showing 555 sites/cell with a kd of 0.23 nmol/L. These results indicate that human tumor cells may express a low-affinity GM-CSF receptor protein that localizes to the cell surface and binds ligand, but lacks functional components or accessory factors needed to transduce a signal.     

Cost-effectiveness of counseling and pedometer use to increase physical activity in the Netherlands: a modeling study

Background

Counseling in combination with pedometer use has proven to be effective in increasing physical activity and improving health outcomes. We investigated the cost-effectiveness of this intervention targeted at one million insufficiently active adults who visit their general practitioner in the Netherlands.

Methods

We used the RIVM chronic disease model to estimate the long-term effects of increased physical activity on the future health care costs and quality adjusted life years (QALY) gained, from a health care perspective.

Results

The intervention resulted in almost 6000 people shifting to more favorable physical-activity levels, and in 5100 life years and 6100 QALYs gained, at an additional total cost of EUR 67.6 million. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was EUR 13,200 per life year gained and EUR 11,100 per QALY gained. The intervention has a probability of 0.66 to be cost-effective if a QALY gained is valued at the Dutch informal threshold for cost-effectiveness of preventive intervention of EUR 20,000. A sensitivity analysis showed substantial uncertainty of ICER values.

Conclusion

Counseling in combination with pedometer use aiming to increase physical activity may be a cost-effective intervention. However, the intervention only yields relatively small health benefits in the Netherlands.     

Preparation of factor IX deficient human plasma by immunoaffinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody

A murine hybridoma clone is described that grows continuously in culture and produces a monoclonal antibody we have called Royal Free Monoclonal Antibody to factor IX No. 1 (RFF-IX/1). This has high affinity for a coagulation site on factor IX. RFF-IX/1 immobilised on sepharose can be used to deplete factor IX from normal human plasma. This immunoaffinity depleted plasma is indistinguishable from severe Christmas disease plasma and can be used as the substrate in a one stage coagulation assay for factor IX. The affinity column has high capacity and can be regenerated so that large scale production from normal plasma of factor IX deficient plasma as a diagnostic reagent is now feasible.