Effect of major epidemics on cultural awareness

Mankind has been stricken with "major" epidemic diseases throughout its history. The most serious among them immediately threaten man's life e.g. plague, cholera, smallpox, typhus, and dysentery, besides, there are others which take a slower course e.g. lues, leprosy, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, and malaria. Yet, the "lesser" epidemic diseases like diphtheria, scarlet fever, mumps, pneumococcosis, influenza, and most recently AIDS may also turn into "major" ones. Originally, man exclusively depended on his genetic makeup for protection, and being particularly prone to attacks of disease he was subject to natural selection. Thus, only one human species survived, the homo sapiens. Interbreeding achieved biologic adaptation and created a balanced genetic polymorphism. Advancing in his degree of civilization, man formed groups, developed clothing, fire, houses, and tools, and his increasing cultural awareness allowed him to migrate from the tropical climates to more temperate, and less disease-infested zones. Immigration and wars, and the accompanying infections jeopardized and diminished entire populations and eradicated highly developed cultures like that of the American Indians. The plague, coming from Asia, and lues, from America, as well as cholera, influenza, and smallpox spread around the whole globe. Fear and terror led to irrational conclusions and triggered persecutions. The attitude of accepting disease as a God-sent fate (Hiob), or a God-sent punishment suppressed reasonable measures against disease. The necessary official measures have increasingly restricted liberty, and this patronizing treatment needs to be opposed with a higher sense of responsibility. Medical art has developed from more healing towards prophylactic and predictive medicine, which prognosticates the individual susceptibility to particular infections, and other risk factors.     

Cumulative selection and genetic change for weaning or yearling weight or for yearling weight plus muscle score in Hereford cattle

Selection in three lines of Hereford cattle for 1) weaning weight (WWL), 2) yearling weight (YWL), and 3) an index of yearling weight and muscle score (IXL) was studied. Remnant foundation cows and semen from seven foundation sires were used to establish an unselected control line for the last 11 yr of the experiment. Performance data collected over a 23-yr period on birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), postweaning gain (PWG), yearling weight (YWT), muscle score (MSC), and an index (IDX) giving equal weight to standard deviations of yearling weight and muscle score were analyzed. Generation interval of midparents was about 4.16 yr in each selected line. Sire and dam selection differentials, in standard deviation units per generation, for primary criteria were, respectively, 1.59 and .33 for WWT in WWL, 1.75 and .25 for YWT in YWL, and 1.42 and .25 for IDX in IXL. Components of direct and maternal genetic variances, direct-maternal covariance, and dam permanent environmental variance were estimated by REML. The average annual response of males and females in actual units for each trait in WWL, YWL, and IXL was, respectively, BWT, .22, .24, and .27 kg; WWT, .98, .63, and 1.26 kg; YWT, 2.43, 2.64, and 3.44 kg; and MSC, .053, .009, and .104 scores. Average selection responses in BWT, WWT, YWT, MSC, and IDX per unit of primary criteria in each selection line (all in standard deviation units) were .22, .20, .31, .10, and .24 for WWT in WWL; .23, .12, .32, .04, and .21 for YWT in YWL; and .27, .22, .40, .20, and .36 for IDX in IXL. Responses in bold type are realized heritability and others are correlated responses. Realized genetic correlations were .78 for WWT and YWT, .87 for WWT and IDX, and .86 for YWT and IDX. Responses for all traits in IXL were greater than in other selected lines.     

Excretion and metabolism of tipredane, a novel glucocorticoid, in the rat, mouse, monkey, and human

The excretion and metabolism of [3H]tipredane, a novel glucocorticoid, has been studied in mice, rats, marmosets, rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys, and humans. After oral administration, [3H]tipredane was rapidly absorbed, metabolized, and excreted into urine and feces. In mice and male rats, radioactivity was excreted primarily into feces or bile, whereas in female rats, monkeys, and humans, excretion was mainly via the renal route. Some sex differences in the proportions excreted into urine and feces were noted in rodents, with females eliminating relatively more radioactivity in urine. Tipredane was shown to be extensively metabolized, but the routes were highly species-dependent and, in the rat, they were sex-dependent. Unchanged tipredane was not detected in any urine, bile, or blood extracts. Urinary and blood extract profiles indicated that there were between 10 and 30 metabolites in rats and mice, the majority of which constituted < 2% of the dose. In these species, the major pathways involved loss of the thioethyl moiety, S-oxidation of the thiomethyl group, and saturation of the adjacent saturated C16-17 bond. Hydroxylation of the steroid B-ring was seen in the 7 alpha-position in mice and female rats, and in the 6 beta-position in male rats. Metabolism of tipredane in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys and humans was similar, but less extensive and different to that seen in rodents. The major products, the 6 beta-hydroxylated sulfoxide and sulfone metabolites of tipredane, accounted for 21-36% of the dose in human and monkey urine, and were also major components in blood. In contrast to mice and rats, S-oxidation and an unsaturated C16-17 bond were evident in primates. Metabolism of tipredane was rapid and complex, with significant species differences, although the disposition in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys seemed to be similar to humans.     

Distribution of 14 elements in tissues and organs of oceanic seabirds

The concentrations of 14 trace elements (Li, V, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Ag, Cd, Cs, Pb, and Hg) were determined in tissues and organs of three species and in the liver of 11 species of seabirds. Comparatively high concentrations of Li, Co, Sr, and V were found in the femur. Cd, Se, Cu, and Mn concentrations were relatively higher in the kidney than in other tissues and organs. Rb, Cs, and Pb concentrations were rather uniform among tissues. Concentrations of essential elements such as Mn, Cu, and Co were comparable among seabird species, except high Cu concentrations in northern giant petrel. Among nonessential elements, concentrations of Cd and Hg were variable according to seabird species. Pb levels were low in all the species. High Se levels (100 microg/g dry weight) were found in the liver of black-footed albatross and grey petrel. There were significant positive correlations between Se and Cd concentrations in three species and between Se and Hg in black-footed albatross, suggesting that Se has an antagonistic action on the toxic effects of Cd and Hg. Concentrations of Li, V, Ag, and Cs were usually low (less than 1 microg/g dry weight).     

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in the liver, erythrocytes, and serum of rats after methanol intoxication

Lipid peroxidation products measured as a malondialdehyde and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GSSG-R), and concentrations of ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, and glutathione (GSH) were measured in the liver, erythrocytes, and serum of rats 6, 14, and 24 h and 2, 5, and 7 d after treatment with 3 g methanol/kg. GSH-Px and GSSG-R activities, GSH level, and ascorbate concentration in the liver, erythrocytes, and blood serum were significantly decreased. In addition, SOD and alpha-tocopherol in erythrocytes were diminished, while malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver, erythrocytes, and serum were elevated. Further, erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin levels, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were reduced. These results indicate that methanol intoxication in rats leads to an increase in the lipid peroxidation and impairment in the antioxidant mechanisms in liver, erythrocytes, and blood serum.     

Dreams and psychoanalysis: A love-hate story.

This article explores the early and contemporary relationship between dreams and psychoanalysis. Dreams, once at the center of psychoanalytic theory and practice, have lost their singular importance, having been replaced by other concerns (e.g., the therapeutic relationship). The causes of this decline are many and complex, but include, in this hypothesis, a long-standing underlying ambivalence (both love and hate) toward dreams and their interpretation in psychoanalysis. Aspects of this unacknowledged ambivalence include significant cultural, personal, and systemic factors, which are elaborated. Both appreciation, pleasure, and interest, on the one hand, and fear, suspicion, and domination, on the other, are described. The classical method and the interpersonal and relational approaches are examined in relation to dreams, and both are found to reflect difficulties in approaching dreams. Finally, the love–hate story is extended into the relation between dreams, psychoanalysis, and the new electronic era. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New scales to assess change in the Addiction Severity Index for the opioid, cocaine, and alcohol dependent.

Analyses were performed to construct and confirm the validity of new conjoint intake and 6-month follow-up scales for the Addiction Severity Index (A. T. McLellan, L. Luborsky, G. E. Woody, & C. P. O'Brien, 1980) applied to a diverse sample of substance dependence patients (N?=?1,008). A multistage scaling strategy identified 5 psychometrically integral addiction problem scales. Exploratory item and factor analyses, confirmatory oblique item clustering, and variance partitioning verified that the scales comprised relatively little common variance and that each retained a substantial amount of unique and reliable variance. Resulting scales (Psychiatric, Drug, Alcohol, Family, and Legal Problems, respectively) were highly internally consistent and structurally stable overall, at intake and follow-up and across gender, age, ethnicity, and substance abuse categories. Concurrent and predictive validity over 2 years were supported for clinical subsamples based on comorbid psychopathology and mood, HIV risk behaviors, personality indices, urine toxicology, and criminal records. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Explanation of rewards that do not reduce tissue needs.

Evaluates theories offered for the variety of non-need-reducing stimuli which elicit the organism's interaction and serve as rewards including the theoretical analyses of D. Berlyne, W. Dember and R. Earl, D. Fiske and S. Maddi, H. Fowler, M. Glanzer, A. Jones, D. McClelland and R. Clark, K. Montgomery, A. Myers and H. Miller, D. Premack, and F. Sheffield. Some of the conceptual, empirical, and methodological issues, which seem most basic at this time for testing and extending these theories, are discussed. (126 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Microbial communities of printing paper machines

The microbial content of printing paper machines, running at a temperature of 45-50 degrees C and at pH 4.5-5, was studied. Bacteria were prevalent colonizers of the machine wet end and the raw materials. A total of 390 strains of aerobic bacteria were isolated and 86% of these were identified to genus and species by biochemical, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic methods. The most common bacteria found at the machine wet end were Bacillus coagulans and other Bacillus species, Burkholderia cepacia, Ralstonia pickettii, and in pink slimes, accumulating in the wire area and press section, species of Deinococcus, aureobacterium and Brevibacterium. Paper-making chemicals also contained species of Aureobacterium, B. cereus, B. licheniformis, B. sphaericus, Bordetella, Hydrogenophaga, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pantoea agglomerans, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Staphylococcus and sometimes other enteric bacteria, but these did not colonize the process water. Yeasts and moulds were not present in significant numbers. A total of 131 strains were tested for their potential to degrade paper-making raw materials; 91 strains were found to have degradative activity, mainly species of Burkholderia and Ralstonia, Sphingomonas and Bacillus, and enterobacteria produced enzymes which degraded paper-making chemicals. Stainless steel adhering strains occurred in slimes and wire water and were identified as Burkholderia cepacia, B. coagulans and Deinococcus geothermalis. Coloured slimes were formed on the machine by species of Deinococcus, Acinetobacter and Methylobacterium (pink), Aureobacterium, Pantoea and Ralstonia (yellowish) and Microbulbifer-related strains (brown). The impact of the strains and species found in the printing paper machine community on the technical quality of paper, machine operation, and as a potential biohazard (Hazard Group 2 bacteria), is discussed.     

Parameter estimates for direct, maternal, and grandmaternal genetic effects for birth weight and weaning weight in Hereford cattle

Birth and weaning weights adjusted for age of dam from four lines of Hereford cattle were analyzed to determine the relationships among grandmaternal, maternal, and direct genetic effects. Three lines were selected for 1) weaning weight (WWL), 2) yearling weight (YWL), and 3) an index of yearling weight and muscle score (IXL). The fourth line was an unselected control line (CTL). Numbers of observations ranged from 1,699 (CTL) to 2,811 (WWL), and number of animals in the pedigree file ranged from 2,266 to 3,192. Two animal models were used to obtain estimates by REML using an average information method. Model 1 included random direct and maternal genetic, permanent maternal environmental, and residual environmental effects, and fixed sex x year effects. Model 2 additionally included random grandmaternal genetic and permanent grandmaternal environmental effects. For birth weight, Models 1 and 2 gave almost identical estimates for direct and maternal heritability, and for the fraction of variance that was due to maternal permanent environmental effects. Estimates for grandmaternal heritability could be obtained only for IXL (.03) and CTL (.01). For weaning weight, estimates for direct heritability were similar from both models. Estimates for maternal heritability from Model 1 were .18, .20, .13, and .20, and corresponding estimates from Model 2 were .34, .31, .13, and .34 for WWL, YWL, IXL, and CTL, respectively. For IXL, estimates for variances that were due to grandmaternal genetic and grandmaternal permanent environmental variances could not be obtained and were set to zero. Grandmaternal heritability estimates for WWL, YWL, and CTL were .05, .09, and .12. Estimates of correlations between direct and maternal genetic effects were -.13, -.44, -.11, and -.26 for WWL, YWL, IXL, and CTL. Estimates of correlations between direct and grandmaternal genetic effects were .21, .83, and .55, and those between maternal and grandmaternal genetic effects were -.99, -.84, and -.76 for WWL, YWL, and CTL, respectively. These results indicate that grandmaternal effects may be important for weaning weight and that maternal heritability may be underestimated if grandmaternal effects are not included in the model.     

The Study of Health Assessment and Risk in Ethnic groups (SHARE): rationale and design. The SHARE Investigators

The Study of Health Assessment and Risk in Ethnic groups (SHARE) is a study to determine the risk factors for atherosclerosis among three ethnic populations in Canada. Three hundred and thirty South Asian Canadian, 320 Chinese Canadian and 320 European Canadian men and women between 35 and 75 years of age are being randomly sampled from communities in Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta for assessment of conventional (i.e., smoking, dyslipidemia, diabetes and hypertension) and emerging (i.e., candidate genes for atherosclerosis, homocysteine, fibrinolytic parameters, neurohormones, glucose intolerance, markers of infection, socioeconomic status, psychosocial status and diet) cardiovascular disease risk factors. Subclinical atherosclerosis is measured by quantitative B-mode ultrasonography of the carotid arteries, and other objective measures of vascular disease are a 12-lead electrocardiogram, a two-dimensional echocardiogram, ankle to arm blood pressure ratio and urine microalbumin concentration. The relationship between the conventional and emerging risk factors, and atherosclerosis, vascular disease and markers of end-organ damage will be evaluated between and within ethnic groups.     

Divergence, convergence, openness, and specificity in training and supervision.

Reviews the books, Supervision and training: Models, dilemmas and challenges edited by F. W. Kaslow (1986); Handbook of family therapy training and supervision edited by H. A. Liddle, D. C. Breunlin, and R. C. Schwartz (see record 1988-98390-000); and Family therapy education and supervision edited by F. P. Piercy (1986). Kaslow's book uniformly addresses the subject of supervision with some comment on training formats as well. The volume succeeds admirably in realizing the editor's intention of presenting a multiplicity of viable models, and her summary chapter draws common threads together into a patchwork of issues and themes. Liddle, Breunlin, and Schwartz's book is thoughtful and concise, with a nice blend of conceptual and practical material. The book offers the most current overview and bibliography available, useful specific recommendations, and thoughtful organization of its articles. It is praiseworthy in its attention to research, theory, and context and stage-of-training factors in relation to supervision and training. Piercy's book contains chapters which are well presented and offer valuable concrete guidelines; however, overall the material is unfocused, scattered across too many areas, and works best in journal form. All three of the volumes considered in this review serve as compendiums, and in some cases updates, of models for the delivery of training and supervision. There is very little overlap of content among the three, and taken together, they offer intra- and interdisciplinary contrasts of training and supervision that may serve as the starting place for program planning, or for hypothesizing data collection, and theorizing about these two important endeavors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Essentials of abnormal psychology, first Canadian edition.

Reviews the book, Essentials of abnormal psychology, first Canadian edition by V. Mark Durand, David H. Barlow, and Sherry H. Stewart (2007). This first edition covers the terrain one might expect of an abnormal psychology textbook. This includes chapters on historical context, approaches to psychopathology, clinical assessment, diagnosis and research methods, anxiety disorders, somatoform and dissociative disorders, mood disorders and suicide, physical disorders and health psychology, eating and sleep disorders, sexual and gender identity disorders, substance-related disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia and other related disorders, developmental and cognitive disorders, and finally, legal and ethical issues as related to mental health. Although the book initially may look rather dense (it is not), there are numerous organisational aids to facilitate learning. The authors have more than amply succeeded in their stated intention to present a multidimensional perspective, integrating behavioural, emotional and cognitive, and social contexts to explore the essentials of abnormal psychology. Using easy to understand language appropriate for undergraduates, this book guides the reader through the fascinating field of abnormal psychology, pointing out the expected, and for an added bonus, the unexpected and often neglected. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between high-dose treatment and combination chemotherapy: the concept of summation dose intensity

The most important variables for the clinical use of antitumor agents (AAs) are dose and combination chemotherapy. The objectives of this study were to analyze the relationship between these two variables and to propose a unified conceptual framework for the construct and interpretation of clinical trials. Definitions and variables with respect to dose include potency, therapeutic index, standard dose, efficacy, relative efficacy, dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), dose rate, dose density, dose intensity, and fractional dose intensity. Our overarching concept, that is, summation dose intensity (SDI), was calculated in several ways, depending upon the nature of the data, and included the relative efficacy method, the unit regimen method, and the high dose method. The SDI concept was then applied to disease categories and strategies to determine its usefulness and effectiveness in integrating dose and combinations. The tumors and settings were: mustargen-vincristine-procarbazine-prednisone in Hodgkin's disease, combination chemotherapy for acute lymphocytic leukemia in children, metastatic breast cancer including dose and combinations, selected other solid tumors, alternating chemotherapy, and high dose studies in the leukemias and lymphomas. SDI was effective in integrating and quantifying dose and combination chemotherapy. For classical AAs, the implication of SDI for the construct and analysis of clinical trials was emphasized. In addition to new drug development, emphasis should be given to reducing or eliminating DLTs, such as those of the marrow, now and, in the future, those of the gastrointestinal tract toxicity and other DLTs. The above was derived from and applies to the classical AAs. Whether they will apply to, with appropriate adjustment, agents with significantly different dose-response curves, such as biotherapeutics and hormonal agents, remains to be determined.     

废锂电池酸浸液非萃取除杂研究

主要研究了废锂电池酸浸液杂质除杂原理,采取“两段酸浸—中和除Fe、Al—絮凝除F—深度除杂”非萃取除杂工艺。在除杂过程中,由于酸浸液含高浓度Ni、Co、Mn离子,中和剂的种类和浓度将影响Ni、Co、Mn的损失率。通过工艺控制及中和剂调试,选择10%CaCO₃作为除Fe、Al、F中和剂,Fe、Al、Cu、F含量可分别从0.20、9.76、0.58、1.66 g/L降至0.01、0.02、0.01、29.86 mg/L,达到三元前驱体溶液杂质标准要求。此时,Ni、Co、Mn的损失率分别仅为0.96%、0.04%、0.01%,均在接受范围之内。     

Selection of tumor antigens as targets for immune attack using immunohistochemistry: protein antigens

The relative expression of mucin antigens MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC5B, and MUC7 and glycoprotein antigens KSA, carcinoembryonic antigen, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), HER-2/neu, and human chorionic gonadotropin-beta on different cancers and normal tissues is difficult to determine from available reports. We have compared the distribution of these antigens by immunohistology on a broad range of malignant and normal tissues. MUC1 expression was most intense in cancers of breast, lung, ovarian, and endometrial origin; MUC2 was most intense in cancers of colon and prostate origin; and MUC5AC was most intense in cancers of breast and gastric origin. MUC4 was intensely expressed in 50% of cancers of colon and pancreas origin, and MUC3, MUC5B, and MUC7 were expressed in a variety of epithelial cancers, but not so intensely. KSA was intensely and uniformly expressed on all epithelial cancers; carcinoembryonic antigen was expressed in most cancers of breast, lung, colon, pancreas, and gastric origin; and PSMA was expressed only in cancers of prostate origin. Human chorionic gonadotropin-beta was expressed on the majority of sarcomas and cancers of breast, lung, and pancreas origin, although intense staining was not seen. Staining on normal tissues was restricted to one or many normal epithelial tissues ranging from MUC3, MUC4, and PSMA, which were expressed only on epithelia of pancreas, stomach, and prostate origin, respectively, to MUC1 and KSA, which were expressed on most normal epithelia. Expression was restricted to the secretory borders of these epithelia while stroma and other normal tissues were completely negative. These results plus the results of the two previous papers (S. Zhang et al, Int. J. Cancer, 73: 42-49, 1997; S. Zhang et al., Int. J. Cancer, 73: 50-56, 1997) in this series provide the basis for selection of multiple cell surface antigens as targets for antibody-mediated attack against these cancers.     

Folate, vitamin D, and iron intakes are low among pregnant Finnish women

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate dietary habits and nutrient intake of Finnish pregnant women, to relate these to the use of dietary supplements, and to explore possible dietary variations according to age and education. DESIGN: A random dietary survey using two five day estimated food records. SETTING: Pregnant women from 13 maternity clinics in the city of Oulu, Finland. SUBJECTS: One hundred and eighteen pregnant women in their third trimester. MAIN RESULTS: The main sources of energy were cereal products and milk products. The consumption of fish and poultry was low. Women with a higher educational level consumed more vegetables, fruit, fruit juices, and tea and less sausages, inner organs and coffee than women with a lower educational level. Younger women (< 25 y) consumed more sugar and pork and less berries, butter and inner organs than older women. On average 15% of the total energy was supplied by protein, 33% by fats, 52% by carbohydrates, and 12% by sucrose. Compared to the Nordic nutrition recommendations, the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids and the intake of dietary fibre were low and the intake of sugar high. The intakes of vitamins and minerals met or exceeded the recommended allowances, except for vitamin D, folate, and iron. Of the subjects 70% used dietary supplements. With the exception of vitamin D, folate, and iron, both the supplement users and non-users had an adequate nutrient intake from their diet. CONCLUSIONS: A balanced diet covers the increased nutrient requirements during pregnancy, with the exception for vitamin D, folate, and iron. The use of dietary supplements during pregnancy is excessive and partly focused on the wrong nutrients. Young and less educated, and smoking pregnant women need more nutritional guidance.     

Disseminated malignant histiocytosis in a golden retriever: clinicopathologic, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical findings

Diagnosis of malignant histiocytosis (MH), a disorder characterized by systemic proliferation of morphologically atypical histiocytes and their precursors, in an 8-year-old neutered female Golden Retriever was based on light and electron microscopic and immunohistochemical findings. Clinically, the dog presented with unilateral forelimb lameness. Eight days after surgical exploration of a swollen brachium, the dog developed sudden onset of posterior paresis, fecal and urinary incontinence, and a flaccid tail. Necropsy revealed infiltrative and nodular lesions in the right forelimb and regional lymph nodes, thoracic and abdominal cavities, and lumbar epidural space. Gross lesions were not found in the lungs or integument. Histopathologic examination showed infiltrates of atypical histiocytes in skeletal muscle, joint, and regional lymph nodes of the right forelimb; intercostal muscle; lung; liver; spleen; pancreas; kidneys; and spinal dura. Most tumor infiltrates were nodular and composed of loosely aggregated cells that were 10-30 microns in diameter with abundant eosinophilic to foamy cytoplasm, had central or eccentric nuclei, and were periodic acid-Schiff negative. Many binucleated cells, multinucleated giant cells, and mitotic figures were seen. Tumor cells contained phagocytosed erythrocytes, mononuclear cells, and some leukocytes. Ultrastructural features of tumor cells included cytoplasmic lipid droplets, lysosomes, and phagolysosomes. Immunohistochemical studies on paraffin-embedded sections showed positive reactivity to human T-cell Ag (clone UCHL-1) and for lysozyme, alpha-1-antitrypsin, and cathespin B. Polyclonal intracellular immunoglobulin reactivity and lectin binding (peanut, soybean, and wheat germ agglutinins and concanavalin A) were also demonstrated. Criteria for diagnosis of malignant histiocytic tumors and differential diagnosis are discussed.     

Cancer and other causes of death among male and female farmers from twenty-three states

Occupation and industry codes on death certificates from 23 states for 1984-1988 were used to evaluate mortality risks among white and nonwhite, male and female farmers. Proportionate mortality and proportionate cancer mortality ratios were calculated using deaths among nonfarmers from the same states to generate expected numbers. Among farmers there were 119,648 deaths among white men, 2,400 among white women, 11,446 among nonwhite men, and 2,066 among nonwhite women. Deficits occurred in all race-sex groups for infective and parasitic diseases, all cancer combined, lung cancer, liver cancer, diseases of the nervous system, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, and emphysema. As reported in other studies, white male farmers had excesses of cancer of the lymphatic and hematopoietic system, lip, eye, brain, and prostate. Excesses of cancers of the pancreas, kidney, bone, and thyroid were new findings. Regional patterns were evident, particularly among white men. Significant excesses for accidents, vascular lesions of the central nervous system (CNS), and cancers of the prostate tended to occur in most geographic regions, while excesses for mechanical suffocation, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and cancers of the lip, brain, and the lymphatic and hematopoietic system were limited to the Central states. Increases among nonwhite men were similar to those in white men for some causes of death (vascular lesions of the CNS and cancers of the pancreas and prostate), but were absent for others (lymphatic and hematopoietic system, lip, eye, kidney, and brain). Women (white and nonwhite) had excesses for vascular lesions of the CNS, disease of the genitourinary system (white women only), and cancers of the stomach and cervix (nonwhite women only). Cancer of the buccal cavity and pharynx was slightly elevated among women, and white women had nonsignificant excesses of multiple myeloma and leukemia. Excesses for leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occurred among white men and women, but not among nonwhites. Excesses for several types of accidental deaths were seen among all race-sex groups.     

Mortality patterns and trends for lung cancer and other tobacco-related cancers in the Americas, 1955-1989

Mortality from cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, oesphagus, larynx and lung between 1955 and 1989 has been analysed for USA, Canada and 14 countries in Latin America. Among males, Uruguay, Cuba, Argentina and Puerto Rico have the highest rates for all sites, and Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Colombia have the lowest rates. Among females, Cuba, Colombia and Puerto Rico rank high for all sites, and Mexico, Paraguay, Ecuador and Peru rank low. For both sexes, lung cancer mortality rates from the US and Canada are high, whereas rates from other sites are intermediate. An increasing trend in lung cancer mortality over time is shown in all countries except Cuba (no changes), Argentina, Paraguay and Peru (decreasing trend). In Latin America, the tobacco-related lung cancer epidemic is in its early phase among males, and very early phase among females.