scholarly journals Ongoing downplaying of the carcinogenicity of chrysotile asbestos by vested interests

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xaver Baur ◽  
Arthur L. Frank
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Scientific Journals ◽  
Chrysotile Asbestos ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Mining Companies ◽  
Public Media ◽  
Overwhelming Evidence ◽  
Vested Interests ◽  
Liability Claims

AbstractIndustries that mine, manufacture and sell asbestos or asbestos-containing products have a long tradition of promoting the use of asbestos, while placing the burden of economic and health costs on workers and society. This has been successfully done in recent years and decades in spite of the overwhelming evidence that all asbestos types are carcinogenic and cause asbestosis. In doing so, the asbestos industry has undermined the WHO campaign to reach a worldwide ban of asbestos and to eliminate asbestos-related diseases. Even worse, in recent years they succeeded in continuing asbestos mining and consuming in the range of about 1.3 million tons annually. Nowadays, production takes place predominantly in Russia, Kazakhstan and China. Chrysotile is the only asbestos type still sold and represents 95% of asbestos traded over the last century.The asbestos industry, especially its PR agency, the International Chrysotile Association, ICA, financed by asbestos mining companies in Russia, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe and asbestos industrialists in India and Mexico, continues to be extremely active by using slogans such as chrysotile can be used safely.Another approach of the asbestos industry and of some of its insurance agencies is to broadly defeat liability claims of asbestos victims.In doing so they systematically use inappropriate science produced by their own and/or by industry-affiliated researchers. Some of the latter were also engaged in producing defense material for other industries including the tobacco industry. Frequent examples of distributing such disinformation include questioning or denying established scientific knowledge about adverse health effects of asbestos. False evidence continues to be published in scientific journals and books.The persisting strong influence of vested asbestos-related interests in workers and public health issues including regulations and compensation necessitate ongoing alertness, corrections and appropriate reactions in scientific as well as public media and policy advisory bodies.

Viewpoint: eHealth solutions for Covid-19 and patientinvolvement (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Pappot ◽  
Gry Assam Taarnhøj ◽  
Helle Pappot
Keyword(s):  
Patient Involvement ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
The Public ◽  
Systems Perspective ◽  
Public Media ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
User Friendly

UNSTRUCTURED Many eHealth researchers at present hope for telemedicine to solve health issues during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, and we agree that this is to hope for. However, most eHealth solutions have focus on the health care systems perspective and not necessarily the patients. With set-off in Covid-19 case-stories in the public media, our own experience from being healthcare professionals in this pandemic and experiences from previous research on eHealth and patient involvement in other severe illnesses, we here focus on eHealth solutions for Covid-19 and patientinvolvement, which may be of special importance, when the issue is isolation and quarantine. Going through a group of eHealth providers’ perception of their tool’s functionality according to eHealth solutions for Covid-19, we find that nearly all the solutions have potential for patient involvement, and it is our hypothesis that these solutions may benefit from patient involvement to integrate the healthcare systems needs and the patient’s needs, ensuring an improved outcome. Especially, when it comes to eHealth solutions to overcome isolation and quarantine patientinvolvement may be crucial to secure a successful, user-friendly and meaningful tool. During the Covid-19 pandemic every possible tool avoiding feelings of loneliness, stress and anxiety is needed. We hope, that the Covid-19 pandemic can benefit from existing technologies used with the patient’s perspective to help solve the patients’ needs.

scholarly journals Local communities and health disaster management in the mining sector

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Freek Cronjé ◽  
Suzanne Reyneke ◽  
David Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Environmental Harm ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mining Communities ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Mining Companies ◽  
Natural Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
The One

Mining activities throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have impacted on the health and safety of mining communities for many decades. Despite the economic contribution of mining to surrounding communities, a huge amount of social and environmental harm is associated with the industry. In this regard, mining companies have, on the one hand, contributed toward improved social development by providing jobs, paying taxes and earning foreign exchange. On the other hand, they have been linked publicly to poor labour conditions, corruption, pollution incidents, health and safety failings, as well as disrespect of human rights. The objectives of this study are to give an overview of social and natural factors relating to health disasters in selected communities in the mining environment. Regarding the findings, this paper focuses on the social and natural factors involved in the creation of health disasters. The social factors include poverty, unemployment, poor housing and infrastructure, prostitution and a high influx of unaccompanied migrant labour. Major health issues in this regard, which will be highlighted, are the extraordinary high incidence rate of HIV and STIs (sexually transmitted infections), addiction and mental illness. The environmental (natural) threats to health that will be discussed in the study are harmful particles in the air and water, excessive noise and overcrowded and unhygienic living conditions. In conclusion, the paper also finds that communities need to be ‘fenced in’ in terms of health disaster management instead of being excluded. Specific recommendations to mining companies to reduce health and safety disasters will be made to conclude the paper.

Pharmaceutical Promotion in Canada: Convince Them or Confuse Them

1987 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Lexchin
Keyword(s):  
Medical Profession ◽  
The Public ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Drug Companies ◽  
Public Media ◽  
Pharmaceutical Promotion ◽  
The Government ◽  
To Come ◽  
Cost Of Drugs ◽  
The Cost

Currently, drug companies are spending in excess of $200 million annually on promoting their products to Canadian physicians. Although the industry has adopted a voluntary code of advertising practice, this has not prevented gross excesses in all forms of pharmaceutical promotion: drug-company sponsored continuing medical education, and promotion through the public media, detailers, direct mail, sampling, and journal advertising. Not only does advertising add to the cost of drugs, but physicians' reliance on information conveyed through advertising leads to poor prescribing and consequently to significant adverse health effects for patients. Reforms of promotional practices are possible, but the initiative is unlikely to come from either the medical profession or the government. Pressure applied through an emerging grass-roots movement is the best hope for change.

scholarly journals Stem Cells: A Gold Mine in Dental Research and Tissue Engineering

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-44
Author(s):  
Hashmi Rahat ◽  
◽  
Ahmad Fahim ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Developmental Biology ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gold Mine ◽  
Scientific Journals ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Human Stem Cells ◽  
Health And Well Being

The explosion of articles not only in scientific journals, but also in the print media and continuous TV debates, one could easily say the term “stem cells” has become synonym to the word “cure”. The extraordinary advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases, such as oral health issues, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, continues to deprive people of health and well-being. Tremendous effort and exceptional research in human developmental biology has led to the identification and discovery of human stem cells.

scholarly journals A representação do imigrante pela imprensa brasileira: uma revisão de literatura

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Rosali Henriques ◽  
Isabella Gonçalves ◽  
Talita Magnolo
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Fundamental Problem ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Media Discourse ◽  
Scientific Journals ◽  
Public Media

The main objective of this article is to conduct an investigation into the representation of immigrants in public media discourse in Brazil, with the intention of understanding the use of stereotyped terms, as well as their frameworks. The work performs a literature review on media discourse related to immigration and its effects, focusing on Brazilian news coverage. The method of analysis and research was configured from the survey of academic productions in scientific journals in the country, between the years 2010 and 2019. It seeks to understand how the frameworks and representations are capable of producing meanings, especially when dealing with immigration as a fundamental problem.

VINYL AND LINOLEUM FLOORING: HEALTH ISSUES AS PERCEIVED BY LAY PEOPLE AND ARCHITECTS

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emina K. Petrović ◽  
Brenda Vale ◽  
Marc S. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
General Population ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Chemical Content ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Legislative Changes ◽  
Set Up

Recently more information has emerged on possible adverse health effects associated with some building and furnishing materials, leading to or initiating legislative changes towards their reduction or elimination in many parts of the world. However, more general knowledge of the health risks associated with building and furnishing materials could make a significant contribution to improvements in indoor air quality. A study was set up to evaluate the level of knowledge in the relevant literature and the general population (from New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States), and New Zealand architectural professionals. The results for vinyl and linoleum are presented, these being two flooring materials very similar in terms of appearance and application, but different in terms of chemical content and possible impact on health. The article indicates significant issues with the level of reported knowledge, with participants from the general population struggling to differentiate between vinyl and linoleum, and professionals reporting more prevalent use of vinyl, which they rate as less healthy.

The Global Trade and Public Health Nexus: The Role of WHO

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-65
Author(s):  
Kelley Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
International Health ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Trade Relations ◽  
Vested Interests ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
Health Organization

The globalization of the world economy and changing trade relations have major public health implications. The trading community's foremost concern has been to minimize the perceived interference by health issues with freer trade. The exploration of how trade liberalization is affecting determinants of health is well underway and has attracted worldwide attention. Importantly, the professional community has engaged trade-related organizations to ensure proper representation of public health interests. The UN's World Health Organization (WHO) is mandated “to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work.” This responsibility obligates it to address major trends that impinge on human health. The article suggests areas of study to strengthen the WHO's role and urges that it reevaluate its traditional focus on working with the health ministries of its member states. In many ways, public health is still playing “catch up” with powerful vested interests. New tools and strategies are needed.

Mission impossible? Research praxis and activist interventions in New Zealand media policy

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-244
Author(s):  
Peter A. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Interactive Media ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Media Policy ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Public Media ◽  
Vested Interests ◽  
Research Praxis

Over the last two decades, public media arrangements in many countries have been eroded by unsympathetic governments cutting subsidies/license fees or, in some cases, actively dismantling their institutional arrangements. The proliferation of online/mobile/interactive media has legitimated a view among some policy-makers and vested interests within the private media sector that public service provisions are an anachronism in the digital media ecology. In such a context, critical media scholars whose research is intended to not only inform the academic community but influence public policy face significant challenges. Drawing on the author’s own experience of praxis in the New Zealand media policy sector, the article presents three case studies: the campaign to save TVNZ7, the campaign to unfreeze Radio New Zealand’s funding and the Fairfax-NZME merger. These serve to highlight some of the practical and normative challenges for research praxis, particularly those encountered by scholars who engage with pro-public service media advocacy coalitions. In doing so, the analysis will identify several points of tension that arise when research praxis attempts to extend beyond describing the world to trying to influence the policies and practices being studied. These include questions of whether it is possible/desirable to sustain academic objectivity/neutrality in seeking to develop stakeholder relations or whether commitment to an ideological or politically partisan position is necessary or problematic. The complexities and compromises of seeking access to policy-makers as an ‘insider’ as opposed to neutral ‘outsider’ are also considered. The analysis concludes that there is no necessary contradiction between critical praxis and scholarly independence and, indeed, that praxis may serve to improve the quality of academic scholarship through stakeholder engagement.

scholarly journals Effects of progesterone on the reproductive physiology in zebrafish

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunyun Zhong ◽  
Kewen Xiong ◽  
Xin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine System ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Fish Reproduction ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Adult Zebrafish ◽  
Female Fish ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Male Fish ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Short Term Exposure

AbstractRecent studies have investigated that the synthetic progestins may lead to health issues to the aquatic organisms. Progesterone is a steroidal progestin and has been used as a contraceptive drug, which is detected in the aquatic ecosystem. However, the potential effects of progesterone on the fish reproduction are largely unclear. Here, we tested the effects of progesterone on the fish reproductive and endocrine systems. Adult zebrafish were exposed to progesterone for 10 days at environmental concentrations. The production of eggs was reduced in the exposed fish, and the circulating concentrations of estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) in female fish or 11-keto testosterone (11-KT) in male fish were significantly diminished. Our results suggested that progesterone may cause adverse health effects on fish by disrupting the endocrine system, and short-term exposure to progesterone could overt affect the fish reproduction.

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