Obesity Weighting up the Evidence: All-Island Multisectoral Conference on Obesity

The World Health Organization reports that overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions globally and estimates that approximately 1.6 billion adults and at least 20 million children under the age of five are overweight or obese. It is accepted that being overweight or obese increases the risk of health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers and has significant impacts on a wide range of other factors including education, employment and emotional wellbeing. This conference aimed to present a multisectoral audience with the latest developments in overweight and obesity prevention and management. This presentation was given by Dr. Kevin Balanda, Institute of Public Health in Ireland. The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) is leading the development of an All-Ireland obesity observatory The obesity observatory development is being undertaken in collaboration with: - HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research ﾖ UCC /UCD - Centre of Excellence for Public Health (NI) - QUB Projected outcomes: Adequate sample size Data to be sought and recorded Usefulness of a database in influencing policy Value to clinicians in management of obesity

Proceedings of a conference on the Years Ahead Report

The National Council on Ageing and Older People is an advisory body to the Minister for Health on all aspects of ageing and the welfare of older people. In fulfilment of its terms of reference, the Council has recently published a Review of the implementation of the recommendations of the 1988 report The Years Ahead â?" A Policy for the Elderly The Review was a major undertaking and required contact with Government Departments, the eight health boards, a large sample of local authorities and many other organisations. All of the recommendations contained in The Years Ahead report were analysed, and a comprehensive picture of health and social services for older people was presented. The Council is indebted to the authors of the review, Dr Helen Ruddle, Dr Freda Donoghue and Mr Ray Mulvihill for their efforts in preparing such a comprehensive and high quality reportDownload the Report here

White Paper on Private Health Insurance

This White Paper, which arises from commitments in the Action Programme for the New Millennium, sets out the Government’s policy objectives and proposals regarding the role of private health insurance in the overall healthcare system, the regulation of the health insurance market, and the corporate structure and status of the Voluntary Health Insurance Board Download the Report here

Role of the microenvironment on epithelial stem cell fate

Stratified epithelia of mammals contain adult stem/progenitor cells that are instrumental for renewal, regeneration and repair. We have recently demonstrated, using clonal and functional analysis, that all stratified epithelia contain clonogenic stem cells that can respond to skin morphogenetic signals, while cells obtained from simple or pseudo-stratified epithelia cannot. A genome-wide expression analysis favors multilineage priming rather than reprogramming. Collectively, these observations are reminiscent of epithelial metaplasia, a phenomenon in which a cell adopts the phenotype of another epithelial cell, often in response to repeated environmental stress, e.g. smoking, alcohol and micro-traumatisms. Furthermore, they support the notion that metaplasia results from the expression of an unseen potency, revealed by an environmental deficiency. The thymus supposedly contains only progenitor epithelial cells but no stem cells. We have demonstrated that the thymus also contains a small population of clonogenic cells that can function as bona fide multipotent hair follicle stem cells in response to an inductive skin microenvironment and a genome-wide expression analysis indicates that it correlates with robust changes in the expression of genes important for thymus identity. Hence, multilineage priming or reprogramming can account for the fate change of epithelial stem/progenitor cells in response to a varying microenvironment.

European guidelines for empirical antibacterial therapy for febrile neutropenic patients in the era of growing resistance: summary of the 2011 4th European Conference on Infections in Leukemia.

Owing to increasing resistance and the limited arsenal of new antibiotics, especially against Gram-negative pathogens, carefully designed antibiotic regimens are obligatory for febrile neutropenic patients, along with effective infection control. The Expert Group of the 4(th) European Conference on Infections in Leukemia has developed guidelines for initial empirical therapy in febrile neutropenic patients, based on: i) the local resistance epidemiology; and ii) the patient's risk factors for resistant bacteria and for a complicated clinical course. An 'escalation' approach, avoiding empirical carbapenems and combinations, should be employed in patients without particular risk factors. A 'de-escalation' approach, with initial broad-spectrum antibiotics or combinations, should be used only in those patients with: i) known prior colonization or infection with resistant pathogens; or ii) complicated presentation; or iii) in centers where resistant pathogens are prevalent at the onset of febrile neutropenia. In the latter case, infection control and antibiotic stewardship also need urgent review. Modification of the initial regimen at 72-96 h should be based on the patient's clinical course and the microbiological results. Discontinuation of antibiotics after 72 h or later should be considered in neutropenic patients with fever of unknown origin who are hemodynamically stable since presentation and afebrile for at least 48 h, irrespective of neutrophil count and expected duration of neutropenia. This strategy aims to minimize the collateral damage associated with antibiotic overuse, and the further selection of resistance.

Early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer consensus on diagnosis, treatment and follow-up : 2nd ESMO Consensus Conference on Lung Cancer.

To complement the existing treatment guidelines for all tumour types, ESMO organises consensus conferences to focus on specific issues in each type of tumour. The 2nd ESMO Consensus Conference on Lung Cancer was held on 11-12 May 2013 in Lugano. A total of 35 experts met to address several questions on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in each of four areas: pathology and molecular biomarkers, first-line/second and further lines in advanced disease, early-stage disease and locally advanced disease. For each question, recommendations were made including reference to the grade of recommendation and level of evidence. This consensus paper focuses on early-stage disease.

Compensation for environmental damages under international law

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to clarify the contribution of international dispute adjudication mechanisms in regard to environmental protection. Most specifically, the study aims to identify and develop the criterion adopted by the international judge in relation to the compensation for environmental damages. In this perspective, the study identifies some gaps between international responsibility and environmental protection interests. The premise sustained all along the study is that compensation is determinant to conciliate environmental prerogatives with mechanisms of international adjudication, in particular the system of international responsibility. Supported by the analysis of treaties, international decisions and secondary sources, the thesis defends the idea that some elements of international law allow the adjudicator to adapt the compensation to attend certain environmental interests, creating a new approach which was entitled 'fair compensation'. The antithesis of this approach is the idea that compensation in international law is limited exclusively to the strict reparation of the material losses incurred by the victim. As a synthesis, the study defends the specificity of environmental damages in relation to other kind of damages that are subject to compensation under international law. The measure upon which compensation for environmental damages could be classified as a specific type of damage under international law remains to be determined. The main conclusion of the study is that the existing standard of compensation defined by the theory and practice of international law is impossible to be strictly respected in cases involving environmental damages. This limitation is mainly due to the complexity of the notion of environment, which is constantly conflicting with the anthropologic view of legal theory. The study supports the idea that the establishment of a 'fair compensation' which takes into account the political, legal and technical context of the environmental damage, is the best possible approach to conciliate internationally responsibility and environmental interests. This could be implemented by the observance of certain elements by the international judge/arbitrator through a case-by-case analysis.

Audit report on the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy for the year ended June 30, 2006

Audit report on the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy for the year ended June 30, 2006

Second ESMO consensus conference on lung cancer: pathology and molecular biomarkers for non-small-cell lung cancer.

To complement the existing treatment guidelines for all tumour types, ESMO organises consensus conferences to focus on specific issues in each type of tumour. The Second ESMO Consensus Conference on Lung Cancer was held on 11-12 May 2013 in Lugano. A total of 35 experts met to address several questions on management of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in each of four areas: pathology and molecular biomarkers, early stage disease, locally advanced disease and advanced (metastatic) disease. For each question, recommendations were made including reference to the grade of recommendation and level of evidence. This consensus paper focuses on recommendations for pathology and molecular biomarkers in relation to the diagnosis of lung cancer, primarily non-small-cell carcinomas.

ETYK III-vaihe (Tasavallan Presidentin esittämä Suomen puheenvuoro 31.7.1975 = Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe = main speech of Finland delivered by President Urho Kekkonen July 31, 1975)

Puhe

Audit report on the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy for the year ended June 30, 2007

Audit report on the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy for the year ended June 30, 2007