Relevance of pharmacogenomics for developing countries in Europe : implementation in the Maltese population

Pharmacogenomics is a promising new discipline that can realize personalized treatment for patients suffering from many common diseases, particularly those with multiple treatment modalities. Recent advances in the deciphering of the human genome sequence and high throughput genotyping technology have led to the reduction of the overall genotyping costs and enabled the inclusion of genotype-related dosing recommendations into drug package inserts, hence allowing the integration of pharmacogenomics into clinical practice. Although, pharmacogenomics gradually assumes an integral part in mainstream medical practice in developed countries, many countries, particularly from the developing world, still do not have access either to the knowledge or the resources to individualize drug treatment. The PharmacoGenetics for Every Nation Initiative (PGENI) aims to fill in this gap, by making pharmacogenomics globally applicable, not only by defining population-specific pharmacogenomic marker frequency profiles and formulating country-specific recommendations for drug efficacy and safety but also by increasing general public and healthcare professionals’ awareness over pharmacogenomics and genomic medicine. This article highlights the PGENI activities in Europe and its implementation in the Maltese population, in an effort to make pharmacogenomics readily applicable in European healthcare systems.peer-reviewe

Impossible protest: noborders in Calais

Since the closure of the Red Cross refugee reception centre in Sangatte, undocumented migrants in Calais hoping to cross the border to Britain have been forced to take refuge in a number of squatted migrant camps, locally known by all as ‘the jungles.’ Unauthorised shanty-like residences built by the migrants themselves, living conditions in the camps are very poor. In June 2009, European ‘noborder’ activists set up a week-long protest camp in the area with the intention of confronting the authorities over their treatment of undocumented migrants. In this article, we analyse the June 2009 noborder camp as an instance of ‘immigrant protest.’ Drawing on ethnographic materials and Jacques Rancière's work on politics and aesthetics, we construct a typology of forms of border control through which to analyse the different ways in which the politics of the noborder camp were staged, performed and policed. Developing a critique of policing practices which threatened to make immigrant protest ‘impossible’, we highlight moments of protest which, through the affirmation of an ‘axiomatic’ equality, disrupted and disarticulated the borders between citizens and non-citizens, the political and non-political

Geochemical effect of the rock chemistry and the anthropogenic activities on groundwater: The case study of NW Euboea, Greece

Στη παρούσα μελέτη πραγματοποιήθηκε γεωχημική έρευνα των υπόγειων ψυχρών νερών της ΒΑ Εύβοιας. Στην ΒΑ Εύβοια εμφανίζεται πληθώρα γεωλογικών σχηματισμών με πλούσια ορυκτολογική σύσταση. Οι κυριότεροι τύποι πετρωμάτων που απαντώνται είναι: i) ιζηματογενή πετρώματα, ii) πετρώματα της οφιολιθικής σειράς όπως περιδοτίτες, γάββροι, σερπεντινίτες κ.α., iii) μεταμορφωμένα βασικά εκρηξιγενή πετρώματα με παρεμβολές σχιστόλιθων και φυλλιτών. Επίσης, στη ΒΑ Εύβοια εμφανίζονται θερμές πηγές. Οι ανθρωπογενείς δραστηριότητες στην περιοχή μελέτης είναι κυρίως αγροτικής φύσεως, ενώ απουσιάζει οποιαδήποτε σημαντική βιομηχανική δραστηριότητα. Ένας από τους σκοπούς ευρύτερης έρευνας που διεξάγεται στην περιοχή, είναι ο εντοπισμός της επιρροής των φυσικών παραγόντων και των ανθρωπογενών δραστηριοτήτων στον χημισμό των υπόγεων νερών, εδαφών κλπ. Στα πλαίσια της παρούσας μελέτης συλλέχθηκαν 45 δείγματα υπόγειων νερών, τα οποία αναλύθηκαν φασματοφωτομετρικά για τον προσδιορισμό των κύριων ανιόντων/κατιόντων και με FP και AAS προσδιορίστηκαν κύρια στοιχεία και ιχνοστοιχεία. Επιλεγμένα δείγματα αναλύθηκαν με ICP-AES και ICP-MS για τον προσδιορισμό μια μεγάλης σειράς ιχνοστοιχείων. Από την επεξεργασία των αποτελεσμάτων διαπιστώθηκε πως οι συγκεντρώσεις στα νερά, διαφόρων στοιχείων (π.χ. Cr, Ni, Zn) επηρεάζεται από την χημική σύσταση των πετρωμάτων της περιοχής και κυρίως από τα οφιολιθικά και μεταμορφωμένα πετρώματα. Οι ανθρωπογενείς δραστηριότητες διαπιστώθηκε ότι επηρεάζουν την σύσταση των υπόγειων νερών, σε περιοχές στις οποίες υπάρχει έντονη χρήση λιπασμάτων και φυτοφαρμάκων, αυξάνοντας την συγκέντρωση ανιόντων (NO3-, SO4 -2, PO4 -3) σε αυτά.A geochemical study of NW Euboea island ground waters was undertaken, in order to examine the possible effect of the chemical composition of the country rocks of the area as well as of the anthropogenic activities, to the concentration of environmentally important elements and chemical compounds in the groundwaters. NW Euboea consists of a great variety of rock types showing a wide range in mineralogical and chemical composition. The main groups of rocks occurring in NW Euboea are: i) various types of sedimentary rocks e.g. shale and chert formations, carbonate and clastic rocks, ii) ophiolitic rocks including peridotite, gabbro, serpentinite etc, and iii) epizonally metamorphosed basic igneous rocks, with schist and phyllite intercalations. A number of hot springs also occur in the area. The main anthropogenic activity in the area is the agricultural land use, as any significant industrial activity is absent. For that purpose, 45 water samples were collected and analyzed by Spectrophotometry for the main anions and by FP and AAS for major and a number of trace elements. On the basis of those analyses, a number of the water samples were selected and analyzed by ICP-AES and ICP-MS for a large group of mainly metallic trace elements. The interpretation of the analytical data showed clearly that the content of the groundwater for a significant group of trace elements (e.g. Cr, Ni, Zn) was considerably influenced by the chemical composition of the surrounding rocks, especially the ophiolitic and metamorphic rocks. The anthropogenic activities also affect the groundwater quality, near areas where the use of fertilizers and pesticides for agricultural purposes is extensive, resulting to the increase of various anion concentrations (NO3 -, SO4 -2, PO4 -3)

Учебная история болезни по внутренним болезням и военно-полевой терапии

ВНУТРЕННИЕ БОЛЕЗНИВОЕННО-ПОЛЕВАЯ ТЕРАПИЯИСТОРИЯ БОЛЕЗНИМЕТОДИЧЕСКИЕ УКАЗАНИЯМетодические указания учат студентов правильно оформлять историю болезни пациента

Genomic medicine without borders: which strategies should developing countries employ to invest in precision medicine? A new "fast-second winner" strategy

Genomic medicine has greatly matured in terms of its technical capabilities, but the diffusion of genomic innovations worldwide faces significant barriers beyond mere access to technology. New global development strategies are sorely needed for biotechnologies such as genomics and their applications toward precision medicine without borders. Moreover, diffusion of genomic medicine globally cannot adhere to a “one-size-fits-all-countries” development strategy, in the same way that drug treatments should be customized. This begs a timely, difficult but crucial question: How should developing countries, and the resource-limited regions of developed countries, invest in genomic medicine? Although a full-scale investment in infrastructure from discovery to the translational implementation of genomic science is ideal, this may not always be feasible in all countries at all times. A simple “transplantation of genomics” from developed to developing countries is unlikely to be feasible. Nor should developing countries be seen as simple recipients and beneficiaries of genomic medicine developed elsewhere because important advances in genomic medicine have materialized in developing countries as well. There are several noteworthy examples of genomic medicine success stories involving resource-limited settings that are contextualized and described in this global genomic medicine innovation analysis. In addition, we outline here a new long-term development strategy for global genomic medicine in a way that recognizes the individual country's pressing public health priorities and disease burdens. We term this approach the “Fast-Second Winner” model of innovation that supports innovation commencing not only “upstream” of discovery science but also “mid-stream,” building on emerging highly promising biomarker and diagnostic candidates from the global science discovery pipeline, based on the unique needs of each country. A mid-stream entry into innovation can enhance collective learning from other innovators' mistakes upstream in discovery science and boost the probability of success for translation and implementation when resources are limited. This à la carte model of global innovation and development strategy offers multiple entry points into the global genomics innovation ecosystem for developing countries, whether or not extensive and expensive discovery infrastructures are already in place. Ultimately, broadening our thinking beyond the linear model of innovation will help us to enable the vision and practice of genomics without borders in both developed and resource-limited settings

Water Purity

The subject of this paper is the purity of water, the problems facing the whole planet in terms of it, solutions for them, as well as a little research conducted by us on our peers. Based on the theoretical framework of the work, we wanted to prove to the readers: a) The problem of water pollution has now taken on enormous proportions, and is no longer just a threat to countries far from Greece, b) there are ways to ensure drinking water for ourselves and for entire communities. Regarding the exploratory part of our work, the study involved 20 junior high school and high school students, who answered a questionnaire that examined issues such as the domestic use of water for each, their behavior towards water, etc. Then, the results were recorded and presented by means of in graphs

The identification and analysis of making-do waste: insights from two Brazilian construction sites

Making-do has been pointed out as an important category of waste in the construction industry. It refers to a situation in which a task starts or continues without having available all the inputs required for its completion, such as materials, machinery, tools, personnel, external conditions, and information. By contrast, the literature points out that improvisation is a ubiquitous human practice even in highly structured business organizations, and plays an important role when rules and methods fail. The aim of this paper is to provide some insights on the nature of making-do as a type of waste, based on two exploratory case studies carried out on construction sites. The main contributions of this research work are concerned with the identification of different categories of making-do and its main causes. This paper also discusses some strategies for reducing making-do on construction sites

In the wake of austerity: social impact bonds and the financialisation of the welfare state in Britain

This paper provides an analysis of the financialisation of the British welfare state. In a continuation of neo-liberal privatisation and labour market activation, the financialised welfare state pursues a policy of welfare retrenchment, while engaging in forms of social engineering aimed at producing self-responsibilised individuals and communities who are financially literate, ‘investment-ready’ and economically productive. New financial instruments such as social impact bonds are deployed to these ends, both to ‘solve social problems’ and enable cost saving. Through the use of such financial instruments, the implementation of regulatory infrastructures and tax incentives, the financialised welfare state becomes a vehicle for the transfer of wealth from the public to private investors, while subjecting the domain of social policy to the vicissitudes of global financial markets. This paper offers a critique of these developments, situating the case of Britain within the broader global context and with regard to the implications for understanding the current political economy of the welfare state