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This paper explores the principles of co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by reflecting on the literature, learning from experiences of allied health professionals, and considering how co-design can be applied in rural and remote allied health practice.This paper has been authored by a working group from Services for Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH). SARRAH is a member-based allied health organisation, working to improve health outcomes for rural and remote Australians. SARRAH has been representing and supporting allied health professionals in rural and remote Australia for over 20 years, with a member base that includes students, practitioners, programme managers, policy makers and academics. As a non-Indigenous organisation, SARRAH works in partnership and receives guidance from the peak organisation, Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA).Over a period of 3 months, a group of eleven SARRAH members and staff came together to review available literature, seek member perspectives and share their experiences and understandings of co-design. Working group discussions were grounded in the knowledge and experiences shared by two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group members.This paper proposes that successful co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities places legitimate value on different knowledge systems, is built on strong and trusting relationships, promotes inclusive involvement and requires authentic partnerships. Using these principles, SARRAH will engage with members and stakeholders to influence meaningful change in allied health practice in rural and remote Australia.

The aims of this study were to determine the efficacy of the KontrolFlex™ Accufile™ compared to the READY•STEEL™ Flexofile® using an electronic apex locator and to evaluate the instrument's design via scanning electron microscopy. Actual canal lengths of 30 extracted teeth were determined under magnification. An alginate model was used to determine experimental canal lengths with the Root ZX II apex locator (EAL) and size #10 Accufiles and Flexofiles. Differences between actual lengths and experimental lengths were compared with Student's t test. The average experimental lengths were short of the actual length by -0.10 mm (±0.34) and -0.12 mm (±0.16) for the Accufile and Flexofile, respectively with no statistical difference (p 0.05). SEM images revealed similar non-cutting Batt tips and a square cross-section for the Accufile and triangular for the Flexofile. Both files provided similarly high levels of reliability when used with the Root ZX II EAL.

Objective We evaluated 1-year outcomes after platinum chromium everolimus-eluting stents (PtCr-EES) in small versus non-small coronary arteries within a large, diverse sample of men, women, and minorities. Background There exists limited outcomes data on the use of second-generation drug-eluting stent to treat small diameter coronary arteries. Methods We pooled patients from the PLATINUM Diversity and PROMUS Element Plus stent registries. Small-vessel percutaneous coronary intervention (SV-PCI) was defined as ≥1 target lesion with reference vessel diameter (RVD) ≤2.5 mm. Endpoints included major adverse cardiac event (MACE; death, myocardial infarction [MI] or target vessel revascularization [TVR]), target vessel failure (TVF; death related to the target vessel, target vessel MI or TVR) and definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST). Multivariable Cox regression was used to risk-adjust outcomes. Results We included 4,155/4,182 (99%) patients with available RVD, of which 1,607 (39%) underwent small-vessel PCI. SV-PCI was not associated with increased MACE (adjHR 1.02; 95%CI 0.81-1.30) or TVF (adjHR 1.07; 95%CI 0.82-1.39). MI risk was lower in white men compared to women and minorities, both in the setting of SV-PCI (adjHR 0.41; 95%CI 0.23-0.74 and adjHR 0.39; 95%CI 0.20-0.75, respectively) and for non-SV-PCI (adjHR 0.61; 95%CI 0.38-0.99 and adjHR 0.45; 95%CI 0.27-0.74, respectively). There was no significant interaction between RVD and sex or minority status for any endpoint. Conclusion In a large diverse contemporary PCI outcomes database, SV-PCI with PtCr-EES was not associated with increased MACE or TVR and did not account for the increased MI risk noted in women and minorities compared to white men.

Adopting a single instead of multiple targets can be an effective way to overcome the classic time-inconsistency problem. The choice of a single mandate depends on the trade openness and the credibility. Reduced-form empirical results show as central banks become less credible, they are more likely to adopt a pegged exchange rate, and the tendency to peg depends on trade openness. In a model with “loose commitment,” as credibility falls, either an inflation target or a pegged exchange rate is more likely to be adopted.Arelatively closed (highly open) economywould adopt an inflation target (exchange rate peg).

BACKGROUND: We examined the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in primiparous kidney donors compared to matched controls. METHODS: Fifty-nine women with a history of kidney donation prior to their first pregnancy with normal renal function and no history of kidney disease, diabetes or chronic hypertension were matched 1:4 by age (within 2 years) and race to women with two kidneys using data from an integrated healthcare delivery system. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were defined as preterm delivery (delivery < 37 weeks), delivery via cesarean section, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia/eclampsia, gestational diabetes, length of stay in the hospital > 3 days, infant death/transfer to acute facility and low birth weight (

We performed a pooled analysis of data on self-reported history of infections in relation to the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) from 17 case-control studies that included 12,585 cases and 15,416 controls aged 16-96 years at recruitment. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated in two-stage random-effect or joint fixed-effect models, adjusting for age, sex and study centre. Data from the 2 years before diagnosis (or date of interview for controls) were excluded. A self-reported history of infectious mononucleosis was associated with an excess risk of NHL (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.01-1.57 based on data from 16 studies); study-specific results indicate significant (I(2) = 51%, p = 0.01) heterogeneity. A self-reported history of measles or whooping cough was associated with an approximate 15% reduction in risk. History of other infection was not associated with NHL. We find little clear evidence of an association between NHL risk and infection although the limitations of data based on self-reported medical history (particularly of childhood illness reported by older people) are well recognized.

Genetic variation in immune-related genes may play a role in the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). To test the hypothesis that innate immunity polymorphisms may be associated with NHL risk, we genotyped 144 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs) capturing common genetic variation within 12 innate immunity gene regions in three independent population-based case-control studies (1946 cases and 1808 controls). Gene-based analyses found IL1RN to be associated with NHL risk (minP = 0·03); specifically, IL1RN rs2637988 was associated with an increased risk of NHL (per-allele odds ratio = 1·15, 95% confidence interval = 1·05-1·27; P(trend) = 0·003), which was consistent across study, subtype, and gender. FCGR2A was also associated with a decreased risk of the follicular lymphoma NHL subtype (minP = 0·03). Our findings suggest that genetic variation in IL1RN and FCGR2A may play a role in lymphomagenesis. Given that conflicting results have been reported regarding the association between IL1RN SNPs and NHL risk, a larger number of innate immunity genes with sufficient genomic coverage should be evaluated systematically across many studies.

The t(14;18) chromosomal translocation is the most common cytogenetic abnormality in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), occurring in 70-90% of follicular lymphomas (FL) and 30-50% of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). Previous t(14;18)-NHL studies have not evaluated risk factors for NHL defined by both t(14;18) status and histology. In this population-based case-control study, t(14;18) status was determined in DLBCL cases using fluorescence in situ hybridization on paraffin-embedded tumor sections. Polytomous logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between a wide variety of exposures and t(14;18)-positive (N=109) and -negative DLBCL (N=125) and FL (N=318), adjusting for sex, age, race, and study center. Taller height, more lifetime surgeries, and PCB180 exposure were associated with t(14;18)-positivity. Taller individuals (third tertile vs. first tertile) had elevated risks of t(14;18)-positive DLBCL (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-3.0) and FL (OR=1.4, 95%CI 1.0-1.9) but not t(14;18)-negative DLBCL. Similar patterns were seen for individuals with more lifetime surgeries (13+ vs. 0-12 surgeries; t(14;18)-positive DLBCL OR=1.4, 95%CI 0.7-2.7; FL OR=1.6, 95%CI 1.1-2.5) and individuals exposed to PCB180 greater than 20.8 ng/g (t(14;18)-positive DLBCL OR=1.3, 95%CI 0.6-2.9; FL OR=1.7, 95%CI 1.0-2.8). In contrast, termite treatment and high alpha-chlordane levels were associated with t(14;18)-negative DLBCL only, suggesting that these exposures do not act through t(14;18). Our findings suggest that putative associations between NHL and height, surgeries, and PCB180 may be t(14;18)-mediated and provide support for case-subtyping based on molecular and histologic subtypes. Future efforts should focus on pooling data to confirm and extend previous research on risk factors for t(14;18)-NHL subtypes.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) incidence is unclear because of historical lack of population-based registration and possibly because of underdiagnosis. We conducted a study to evaluate completeness of MDS registration in the Seattle-Puget Sound region of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program—which has reported the highest rates among the SEER registries since mandatory reporting of MDS began in 2001. We identified incident MDS cases of any age that occurred within a nonprofit healthcare system in western Washington State in 2005 or 2006 through the local SEER registry or by relevant diagnostic code followed by medical chart review to classify these patients as unlikely, possible, or definite/probable MDS. We calculated age-standardized incidence rates for all identified MDS cases and for case groups based on identification method, and we summarized medical histories of the MDS patients. MDS incidence in our study population was estimated as 7.0 per 100,000 person-years in 2005–2006 when combining MDS cases identified by SEER and definite/probable cases identified by chart review, which was similar to the rate of 6.9 reported by our local SEER registry. The addition of possible MDS cases identified from chart review increased the rate to 10.2 per 100,000. MDS patients frequently had previous cancer diagnoses (25%) and comorbidities such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Our investigation suggests that although reporting of confirmed MDS diagnoses in our region appears complete, MDS incidence is likely underestimated because of omission of cases who are symptomatic but do not receive definitive diagnoses. Am. J. Hematol., 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Genetic variations in DNA repair genes are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis and development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). To further explore this hypothesis, we genotyped 319 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 27 DNA repair gene regions in 1946 cases and 1808 controls pooled from three population-based case-control studies of NHL in the US and Australia. Relative risks of NHL and NHL subtypes in relation to SNP genotypes were assessed using logistic regression. Associations of gene regions and pathways with NHL or NHL subtypes were explored using the minP and tail-strength statistics, respectively. Overall, genetic polymorphisms within the DNA repair pathway were associated with NHL (P = 0·005). Similar associations were seen with the double-strand break repair (P = 0·02) and nucleotide excision repair (P = 0·04) pathways. Five SNPs (BLM rs441399, RAD50 rs2237060, FAM82A2 rs2304583, ERCC3 rs4150506, and XRCC4 rs13178127) were particularly noteworthy because their gene regions were significantly associated with NHL or NHL subtypes (minP ≤ 0·05), or because of high level of statistical significance (P ≤ 0·005) and consistent findings across the three studies. These results support the hypothesis that common genetic polymorphisms in human DNA repair genes may modify the risk of NHL.

BACKGROUND: Smoking, alcohol use, and obesity appear to increase the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but to the authors' knowledge, few studies to date have assessed their impact on NHL prognosis. METHODS: The association between prediagnosis cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and body mass index (BMI) and overall survival was evaluated in 1286 patients enrolled through population-based registries in the United States from 1998 through 2000. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using Cox regression, adjusting for clinical and demographic factors. RESULTS: Through 2007, 442 patients had died (34%), and the median follow-up for surviving patients was 7.7 years. Compared with never smokers, former (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.12-2.26) and current (HR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.97-2.29) smokers had poorer survival, and poorer survival was found to be positively associated with smoking duration, number of cigarettes smoked per day, pack-years of smoking, and shorter time since quitting (all P 43.1 g/week (median intake among drinkers) had poorer survival (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.06-2.27), whereas those drinkers consuming less than this amount demonstrated no survival disadvantage (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.75-1.71). Greater BMI was associated with poorer survival (P = 0.046), but the survival disadvantage was only noted among obese individuals (HR, 1.32 for BMI ≥30 vs BMI 20-24.9; 95% CI, 1.02-1.70). These results held for lymphoma-specific survival and were broadly similar for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. CONCLUSIONS: NHL patients who smoked, consumed alcohol, or were obese before diagnosis were found to have a poorer overall and lymphoma-specific survival. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.

This essay surveys the relations between ethics and religion in a variety of comparative contexts. It suggests replacing the older paradigms of moral theory, for example, deontology/teleology/consequentialism, with a more supple one deploying law, character, and economics. At the same time, it argues for an emphasis on history and ethnography that will ultimately blur both typologies and disciplinary boundaries. This is a good thing if we wish to understand how people actually think about their moral commitments and the worlds they live in.

Mary Douglas's Purity and Danger and Herbert Fingarette's Confucius: The Secular as Sacred have had a continuous impact on cultural anthropology and the study of ancient Chinese thought, respectively, but neither has typically been read as a contribution to comparative religious ethics. This paper argues that both books developed from profound dissatisfaction with the empiricist presuppositions that dominated their fields into the 1970s and that both should be associated with the revival of American pragmatism that is currently driving a reinterpretation of ethics as a social practice embedded in historically contingent discourse about agency, virtue, and social organization. This pragmatic turn results in a shift of comparative ethics away from issues of methods and metaethics in the direction of history and fieldwork as the preconditions for useful comparison.

The incidence of NHL has increased dramatically since at least the 1950s, and during this timeframe there has been a major increase in the use of blood transfusions, invasive surgical procedures and anesthesia, all of which can impact immune function. We evaluated these factors with NHL risk in a population-based study of 759 cases and 589 frequency-matched controls. Risk factor data were collected during in-person interviews. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate ORs and 95% CIs, adjusted for the matching factors. History of transfusion was associated with a 26% higher risk of NHL (95% CI 0.91-1.73), and the elevated risk was specific to transfusions first given 5-29 years before the reference date (OR = 1.69; 95% CI 1.08-2.62) and transfusions given for a medical condition (OR = 2.09; 95% CI 1.03-4.26). The total number of surgeries and dental procedures (OR = 1.53 for 26+ surgeries compared to 0-6; 95% CI 1.02-2.29) and to a lesser extent the total number of exposures to general or local/regional anesthesia (OR = 1.35 for 24+ times compared to 0-6; 95% CI 0.91-2.02) were positively associated with risk of NHL. Inclusion of transfusion and surgery or transfusion and anesthesia in the same model did not attenuate these associations. All results were broadly consistent for both DLBCL and follicular subtypes. Blood transfusions were associated with NHL risk, but appear to be a marker for underlying medical conditions. Multiple surgical procedures and/or repeated administration of anesthesia have not been previously reported to be associated with risk of NHL and these exposures warrant further evaluation.

Jeffrey Stout's Democracy and Tradition puts forward a complex argument in favor of American democracy as a healthy and legitimate moral and political tradition in itself. Stout does not dwell on the place of his own work in the "pragmatic" approach to the study of religion in the last thirty years. This paper attempts to situate Stout's work in the approach to religion identified with Mary Douglas and Wayne Proudfoot and to suggest some of the consequences for comparative religious ethics of his making that "pragmatic turn." despite the fact that Jeffrey stout introduces Democracy and Tradition as a "contribution to comparative ethics" (Stout 2004, 15) and adds a substantive "Appendix on Method in Comparative Ethics" (283286), he only hints at the place this volume occupies in what I'll call the "pragmatic turn" in the study of ethics and religion over the last forty years. I plan to sketch the genealogy of this turn and Stout's place in it. I'll conclude with what may seem a surprising result and recommend that Stout, and everybody else, for that matter, embrace that result as a way of acknowledging the impact of the pragmatic turn on moral theory.

Two related polyomaviruses, JC virus (JCV) and BK virus (BKV), commonly cause lifelong infections in humans, with periodic reactivation manifesting as viral shedding in urine. Because JCV can infect lymphocytes and cause chromosomal damage, it is a plausible candidate to cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). To test this hypothesis, we measured IgG antibodies to JCV and BKV capsids using a virus-like particle enzyme immunoassay in 3 separate groups of subjects. First, in a U.S. population-based case-control study of NHL (724 cases, 622 controls), we found lower JCV antibody levels in cases than controls (median optical density = 0.12 vs. 0.21, p < 0.0001); likewise, JCV seroprevalence was lower in cases (49% vs. 59%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.56–0.87). In contrast, BKV antibody levels did not differ between groups. Second, we found that JCV and BKV antibody levels changed little over time among 24 NHL patients receiving chemotherapy. Third, we evaluated 126 homosexual men, of whom 46 were shedding JCV and 14 were shedding BKV in urine. Antibody levels were much higher in shedders than non-shedders (JCV: median optical density = 0.67 vs. 0.07, p < 0.0001; BKV: 0.87 vs. 0.40, p = 0.003), indicating that these antibodies are a marker for viral replication. Because no deficit of BKV antibody was seen in NHL cases, and because antibody levels did not change materially with chemotherapy, we suggest that the lower levels of JCV antibody observed in NHL patients may not be due entirely to a disease or treatment effect. Additional research is needed to determine whether JCV replication is decreased in individuals with NHL and whether these findings are consistent with an etiologic role for JCV in NHL. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Alain Epp Weaver's analysis of the theological foundations of Augustine's proscription of all lies in all circumstances does more than improve our understanding of Augustine. In drawing a plausible and illuminating parallel between the theological logic of Augustine and the theological logic of John Howard Yoder, Weaver not only succeeds in defining the credibility of Christian pacifism but also provides support for interpreting Yoder as a biblical realist. Moreover, the divergence between Weaver and Christopher Kirwan in their critical assessments of the cogency of Augustine'streatment of lying serves to throw into relief the differences between secular philosophical ethics and theological ethics, incidentally suggesting why it is often difficult for twentieth-century thinkers to understand and evaluate premodern texts.

J. B. Schneewind's The Invention of Autonomy has been hailed as a major interpretation of modern moral thought. Schneewind's narrative, however, elides several serious interpretive issues, particularly in the transition form late medieval to early modern thought. This results in potentially distorted accounts of Thomas Aquinas, Hugo Grotius, and G. W. Leibniz. Since these thinkers play a crucial role in Schneewind's argument, uncertainty over their work calls into question at least some of Schneewind's larger agenda for the history of ethics.

Considerable interest has developed during the past ten years regarding the hypothesis that living organisms may respond to temporal variability in ELF magnetic fields to which they are exposed. Consequently, methods to measure various aspects of temporal variability are of interest. In this paper, five measures of temporal variability were examined: Arithmetic means (Dmean) and rms values (Drms) of the first differences (i.e., absolute value of the difference between consecutive measurements) of magnetic field recordings; “standardized” forms of Drms, denoted RCMS, obtained by dividing Drms by the standard deviations of the magnetic field data; and mean (Fmean) and rms (Frms) values of fractional first differences. Theoretical investigations showed that Dmean and Drms are virtually unaffected by long-term systematic trends (changes) in exposure. These measures thus provide rather specific measures of short-term temporal variability. This was also true to a lesser extent for Fmean and Frms. In contrast, the RCMS metric was affected by both short-term and long-term exposure variabilities. The metrics were also investigated using a data set consisting of twice-repeated two-calendar-day recordings of bedroom magnetic fields and personal exposures of 203 women residing in the western portion of Washington State. The predominant source of short-term temporal variability in magnetic field exposures arose from the movement of subjects through spatially varying magnetic fields. Spearman correlations between TWA bedroom magnetic fields or TWA personal exposures and five measures of temporal variability were relatively low. Weak to moderate levels of correlation were observed between temporal variability measured during two different sessions separated in time by 3 or 6 months. We conclude that first difference and fractional difference metrics provide specific and fairly independent measures of short-term temporal variability. The RCMS metric does not provide an easily interpreted measure of short-term or long-term temporal variability. This last result raises uncertainties about the interpretation of published studies that use the RCMS metric. Bioelectromagnetics 22:232–245, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

We evaluated the feasibility of using morning urine samples in epidemiological studies aimed at clarifying the relationship between nocturnal melatonin levels and breast cancer risk. Initially, a laboratory-based study of 29 women (40- 70 yr old) was performed to examine the correlation between plasma melatonin levels in hourly nocturnal blood samples and both melatonin and its major enzymatic metabolite, 6-hydroxymelatonin-sulfate (6-OHMS) in morning urine samples. In a companion field study, morning urine samples were collected from 203 healthy women to assess similarities and differences in laboratory versus field measures. Taken together, our results indicate: 1) levels of melatonin and of creatinine-corrected 6-OHMS in the first morning void urine are strongly correlated with total nocturnal plasma melatonin output (P < 0.001) and also with peak nocturnal melatonin values (P < 0.001); 2) similar ranges for 6-OHMS were found in the laboratory and the field; and 3) neither menopausal status nor hormonal replacement therapy altered 6-OHMS values in morning void urine. The inclusion of morning urine samples in epidemiological studies of cancer could allow cost-effective, widespread testing of the role played by melatonin in human health and disease.

Comment by Aaron L. Mackler on “‘Through Her I Too Shall Bear a Child’: Birth Surrogates in Jewish Law” by Elie Spitz Reply by Elie Kaplan Spitz Research Note by G. Scott Davis

The author considers the work of the 16th century Spanish Dominican Francisco de Vitoria on the justice of the conquest of the Americas. He argues that it is essential to read Vitoria’s work in the light of Thomas Aquinas’s views on virtue and conscience. In this light, Vitoria’s condemnation of the Conquistadors is more sweeping than previous interpreters have thought. Finally, the author suggests that there is an important rift between Vitoria’s thought and that of the generations that follow, with important consequences for understanding and applying just war thinking in the modern world.

BACKGROUND. This report provides results of an analysis of temporal trends in childhood cancer incidence in the U.S., stratified by age, sex, and to a lessor extent, race, within common histologic subtypes. METHODS. Population-based data from nine registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute were analyzed. The analysis was limited to children age 5 14 years. Cancer cases were restricted to those patients with a malignant neoplasm diagnosed between 1974 and 1991; more than 12,000 children were included. Average annual percentage change in incidence rates and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated from the maximum likelihood method of Poisson regression. RESULTS. Among children age 5 14 years there was a 1% average yearly increase (95% CI 0.6, 1.3) in the incidence rates of all malignant neoplasms combined. The average annual percentage change was similar for males and females, and slightly higher for black children compared with white children. Rates increased an average of 2% or more per year for astroglial tumors, rhabdomyosarcomas, germ cell tumors, and osteosarcomas. The average annual percentage change for acute lymphoid leukemia was 1.6% and trends were somewhat stronger for blacks than whites. Cancer trends, in general, were strongest in young children. In particular, increases in astroglial tumors and rhabdomyosarcomas were most apparent among children age < 3 years, and for retinoblastoma and neuroblastoma among children in their first year of life. The average annual percentage change for acute lymphoid leukemia did not vary dramatically with age, however children age i 2 years had stronger trends compared with older children. We found little evidence for increasing trends in Wilms' tumor, primitive neuroectodermal tumors, or hematopoietic neoplasms other than acute lymphoid leukemia. CONCLUSIONS. These results suggest that cancer occurrence among children within specific histologies increased modestly in the US. between 1974 and 1991, and that the increases were most apparent among young children. Cancer 1996; 78:532-41. 0 1996 American Cancer Society.

Background. Rates of cancer in children usually are presented in 5-year age groups, despite large variations of incidence within these groups. The purpose of this report is to provide histology-specific incidence rates within single-year age groups, stratified by sex and race, among children. Methods. Data from the National Cancer Institute's SEER Program were used to calculate incidence rates among children younger than 15 years of age at diagnosis. The SEER population denominator file was modified to allow calculation of rates within single years of age. Results. Large differences in rates within 5-year age groups were found for many histologic types. Retinobiastoma and Wilms' tumor, for instance, had up to eight-fold differences. Substantial differences also were observed for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, neuroblastoma, Hodgkin's disease, acute lymphoid leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and osteosarcoma. In general, rates were higher among males than females, although female rates were often higher among young children. Rates of white children were generally higher than those of black children, especially during the first 5 years of life. Embryonal tumors comprised the majority of neoplasms during the first 2 years of life. Conclusion. Important demographic patterns of cancer incidence in children are obscured when data are summarized into 5-year age groups. Cancer 1995;75:2186–95.

Various dicobalt hexacarbonyl acetylene complexes were efficiently converted to the unprotected acetylene by the reaction of two molar equivalents of sodium methylthiolate. Yields and reaction times depend upon the choice of solvent. DMF proved to be the most efficient solvent, with the reaction proceeding at >80% conversion in 5 minutes at room temperature.

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell malignancy with a poorly understood etiology. The purpose of our research was to examine the relationships between lifetime occupations and MM in a relatively large case–control study. Methods MM cases (n = 180) were identified through cancer registries in the Seattle-Puget Sound area and Detroit. Population-based controls (n = 481) were identified using random digit dialing and Medicare and Medicaid Services files. In-person interviews were conducted to ascertain occupational histories. Standard occupational classification (SOC) and standard industrial classification (SIC) codes were assigned to each job held by each participant. Unconditional logistic regression was used to generate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between MM and having ever worked in each occupation/industry and according to duration of employment in an occupation/industry. Results The risk of MM was associated with several manufacturing occupations and industries, including machine operators and tenders, not elsewhere classified (SOC 76) (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.0–3.3); textile, apparel, and furnishing machine operators and tenders (SOC 765) (OR = 6.0, CI = 1.7–21); and machinery manufacturing, except electrical (SIC 35) (OR = 3.3, CI = 1.7–6.7). Several service occupations and industries, such as food and beverage preparation (SOC 521) (OR = 2.0, CI = 1.1–3.8), were also associated with MM. One occupation that has been associated with MM in several previous studies, painters, paperhangers, and plasterers (SOC 644) was associated with a non-significantly elevated risk (OR = 3.6, CI = 0.7–19). Conclusions We found associations between the risk of MM and employment in several manufacturing and service-related occupations and industries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:768–779, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A case-control study of oral cancer was conducted in western Washington state between 1983 and 1987. Cases (n = 379) were identified through a population-based registry, and controls (n = 514) were selected by telephone using random digit dialing. Subjects participated in a personal interview, completed a food-frequency questionnaire, and submitted clippings from the nails of each great toe for the determination of selenium and zinc concentrations. The odds ratio (OR) for low selenium levels in nail tissue (lowest 25% of the distribution compared to the upper 75%) was 1.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-2.2). Likewise, the odds ratio for low zinc levels in nails was 1.6 (95% CI 1.0-2.3), but for low dietary zinc was 1.0 (95% CI 0.7-1.7). Men with oral cancer had lower nail selenium levels than did the controls (OR = 1.9), but women with oral cancer did not (OR = 0.6). Individuals 20 to 39 years of age with oral cancer, in particular, were more likely to have lower selenium levels in nail tissue than controls (OR = 16.4). There was a significant interaction between selenium and ascorbic acid levels which could not be explained by cigarette use. Subjects at greatest risk had low levels of both nutrients (OR = 3.8 for smokers and OR = 5.7 for non-smokers). However, since the elements were deposited in the nail matrix close to the date of diagnosis, the differences in the element concentrations between cases and controls may have been a result of the disease. Further etiologic studies of selenium, vitamin intake and oral carcinoma are warranted.

Both the incidence and mortality rates of gastric cancer have been consistently declining over the past several decades in the United States. In contrast, the incidence of gastric lymphoma may have been increasing during this time. Based on data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, annual incidence rates of gastric lymphoma from 1973 to 1986 were examined. There was a twofold increase in the age-adjusted incidence rates of gastric lymphoma during this time. This increase occurred in both men and women but was limited to people over 60 years of age. Although the reasons for this increase are unknown, the authors speculate that this may be a true increase since neither differences in SEER coding practices nor changes in diagnostic procedures could explain these observations.

A population-based case-control study was conducted to examine the relationship between certain medical conditions, the use of tobacco, alcohol and coffee, and the incidence of pancreatic cancer. Cases (N = 148) were married men ages 20 through 74 years diagnosed with pancreatic cancer from July 1982 through June 1986. Controls (N = 188) were identified by random digit dialing. Wives, responding as surrogates for both cases and controls, were interviewed by telephone and completed, alone, a food frequency questionnaire. The risk of pancreatic cancer was increased in individuals with a history of diabetes or pancreatitis, and decreased in those with a history of tonsillectomy. Individuals who had ever smoked cigarettes were at elevated risk of disease. This excess risk was confined to current smokers, in whom the odds ratio was 3.2 (95% CI 1.8-5.7); the risk among former smokers resembled that in those who had never smoked. There was no excess risk of pancreatic cancer among those who had ever used other forms of tobacco, including pipe tobacco, cigars and chewing tobacco. After adjustment for demographic and dietary characteristics, there was no association between pancreatic cancer risk and the intake of coffee, beer, red wine, hard liquor or all alcohol combined; a slight reduction in risk was seen among those consuming white wine daily.

To investigate the possible association between residential formaldehyde exposures and risk of cancer of the oro- and hypopharynx (OHPC, N = 205), nasopharynx (NPC, N = 27) and sinus and nasal cavity (SNC, N = 53), a population-based case-control investigation was carried out in 13 counties of western Washington. Controls (N = 552) were selected by random digit dialing. Subjects' residential histories, including type of dwelling, were determined from a structured telephone interview which also collected smoking, alcohol and demographic information. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate exposure odds ratios (OR) while adjusting for known risk factors. A strong association was found between a history of having lived in a mobile home and NPC, but not OHPC or SNC. The NPC risk increased with the number of years lived in a mobile home: for those with 1 to 9 years the OR = 2.1 (95% confidence interval = 0.7-6.6), and for those with 10 or more years, the OR = 5.5 (95% CI = 1.6-19.4). No associations were found between any of the cancers and a history of exposure to new constructions containing particle board and plywood, or to urea-formaldehyde foam insulation. The association found with living in a mobile home must be interpreted with caution since it is based on a small number of cases, and may be due to factors other than formaldehyde. This report emphasizes the need for additional studies focusing on potential associations between indoor air pollutants and respiratory cancers.

There is evidence to suggest that young adult Hodgkin's Disease (HD) may be initiated by an infectious process and that age at exposure to the etiologic infection is an important modifier of risk. There is little evidence, however, to suggest that HD is transmissible through interpersonal contact. To evaluate this hypothesis, a population-based case-control study was conducted with 103 HD cases diagnosed between January 1, 1974 and June 30, 1979 in King County, Washington. Its purpose was to determine whether cases aggregate before clinical disease through interpersonal contact in either school or employment settings to a greater degree than would be expected in the general population. One control was randomly selected for each case of the same sex, approximate age, and general socioeconomic level. Results showed no indication of case aggregation in employment settings (observed/expected = 0.77; P = 0.77). Case contact was greater than would be expected in schools (observed/expected = 1.2; P = 0.07), particularly in grade schools (observed/expected = 1.94; P = 0.009). This finding is consistent with the possibility that HD is dependent on age at exposure, has an infectious origin, and can be transmitted horizontally in select circumstances. Additional research possibilities are recommended as suggested by these data.

Data from nine US population-based cancer registries participating in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program from 1973 through 1982 were analyzed to examine demographic characteristics related to the occurrence of the two major types of cancer of the esophagus. The overall annual incidence rate per 100,000 persons was 2.6 for squamous cell carcinoma and 0.4 for adenocarcinoma. The sex ratio for adenocarcinoma varied from one age group to the next and was highest in the 50- to 59-year-old group. It was relatively the same for squamous cell carcinoma. The male-to-female ratio was higher for adenocarcinoma (seven in whites and 10 in blacks) than for squamous cell carcinoma (three and four, respectively). The highest sex-specific ratio for adenocarcinoma occurred in the lower third of the esophagus. Blacks had a fourfold to fivefold higher rate of squamous cell carcinoma than whites, but the rate of adenocarcinoma in blacks was 30% of the rate in whites. The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma in black men and women increased by approximately 30% between 1973 and 1982, and the rate of adenocarcinoma among white men increased 74%. Nearly half of the squamous cell carcinomas occurred in the middle of the esophagus, whereas the majority (79%) of the adenocarcinomas arose in the lower third. These data suggest that the two major histologic types of esophageal cancer may be of different etiologic origin.

The survival of 78 patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer entered in prospective, randomized investigational trials is compared to that of a population-based group of control patients not included in such trials. The survival of trial patients is significantly better than that of controls (P < 0.001). This survival advantage for trial participants is most apparent among late Stage I patients, and is observed after matching for known prognostic factors (i.e., primary tumor size, nodal status, tumor histology) and after adjusting in the analysis for age, sex, and the administration of radiation therapy. Several explanations for the improved outcome for trial patients are explored, including differences in preoperative evaluation, staging, surgical technique, placebo effects, and patient motivation. These results suggest the possibility that inclusion in these controlled cancer trials may have had an inherent advantage for all participants. Cancer 56: 1710-1718, 1985.