Unit "katal" for catalytic activity (IUPAC Technical Report)

2001 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 927-931 ◽  
Author(s):  
René Dybkær

Expressing the amount of a catalyst is often most conveniently done by assessing its catalytic effect. Under zero-order kinetics the catalyzed rate of conversion for a specified reaction is constant and proportionate to the amount-of-substance concentration of catalyst present. Defining the kind-of-quantity "catalytic activity" as a property of the catalyst measured by the catalyzed rate of conversion, the coherent SI unit is mole per second. Following thorough discussions in the IUPAC, the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC), the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB), and the World Health Organization (WHO), a petition was presented by the IFCC to the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) on a special name "katal", symbol kat, for "mole per second" when used in measuring catalytic activity. This request was granted by the General Conference for Weights and Measures (CGPM) by Resolution 12 (1999). Hereafter, the coherent SI unit katal = 1 mol s­1 should replace the off-system IUB unit "(enzyme) unit" = 1 mmol min­1 16.67 nkat. Thus, by suitable definition of reaction conditions, results for catalytic activity and derivative kinds-of-quantity are metrologically traceable to the SI.

1985 ◽  
Vol 53 (01) ◽  
pp. 134-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
P J Gaffney ◽  
A D Curtis

SummaryAn international collaborative study involving seven laboratories was undertaken to assess which of three lyophilised preparations might serve as an International Standard (I.S.) for tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Two of the preparations were isolates from human melanoma cell cultures while one was of pig heart origin. A clot lysis assay was used by all participants in the study.The data suggested that both preparations of human cell origin were comparable, in that their log dose-response lines were parallel, while that of the porcine preparation was not. Accelerated degradation studies indicated that one melanoma extract (denoted 83/517) was more stable than the other and it was decided to recommend preparation 83/517 as the standard for t-PA. The International Committee for Thrombosis and Haemostasis (Stockholm 1983) has recommended the use of this material as a standard and it has been established by the Expert Committee on Biological Standardization of the World Health Organization as the International, Standard for tissue plasminogen activator, with an assigned potency of 1000 International Units per ampoule.


2021 ◽  
pp. 101053952110260
Author(s):  
Mairead Connolly ◽  
Laura Phung ◽  
Elise Farrington ◽  
Michelle J. L. Scoullar ◽  
Alyce N. Wilson ◽  
...  

Preterm birth and stillbirth are important global perinatal health indicators. Definitions of these indicators can differ between countries, affecting comparability of preterm birth and stillbirth rates across countries. This study aimed to document national-level adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) definitions of preterm birth and stillbirth in the WHO Western Pacific region. A systematic search of government health websites and 4 electronic databases was conducted. Any official report or published study describing the national definition of preterm birth or stillbirth published between 2000 and 2020 was eligible for inclusion. A total of 58 data sources from 21 countries were identified. There was considerable variation in how preterm birth and stillbirth was defined across the region. The most frequently used lower gestational age threshold for viability of preterm birth was 28 weeks gestation (range 20-28 weeks), and stillbirth was most frequently classified from 20 weeks gestation (range 12-28 weeks). High-income countries more frequently used earlier gestational ages for preterm birth and stillbirth compared with low- to middle-income countries. The findings highlight the importance of clear, standardized, internationally comparable definitions for perinatal indicators. Further research is needed to determine the impact on regional preterm birth and stillbirth rates.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 987-987
Author(s):  
Hu Ching-Li

It is important to recall the definition of health embodied in the Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO) over 45 years ago: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic, or social condition." Among the Organization's mandated functions is "to promote maternal and child health and welfare and to foster the ability to live harmoniously in a changing total environment." The challenge of that task is no less today than it was then. Historically, societies have evolved various patterns of family structure for social and economic functions. In preindustrial societies there evolved a great concordance between these functions, with many of the health, developmental, and socialization functions taking place first within the family and then within the immediate community. The rapid social changes of both the industrial and information revolutions have changed drastically the functions of the family, and have shifted many of the health, developmental, and social functions to nonfamily institutions, from which families are often excluded or marginally involved. Much of the international attention to child health in this last decade has been directed at simple interventions to prevent the nearly 13 million deaths each year of children under 5: universal child immunization; the control of diarrheal and acute respiratory diseases; and infant and young child nutrition, particularly breast-feeding.


Author(s):  
Hasan Ghodsi ◽  
Sanaz Sohrabizadeh ◽  
Reaza Khani Jazani ◽  
Amir Kavousi

ABSTRACT Objective: Volunteers need considerable resiliency to cope with formidable challenges during their operations in disaster scenes. The present study was conducted to identify factors affecting the different aspects of resiliency among volunteers in disasters. Material and Methods: The databases of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, Google Scholar, World Health Organization Library, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Library, PsycArticles, and SafetyLit were searched until September 29, 2018. The main search terms were resiliency, disaster, humanitarian aid worker, and volunteer. Results: A total of 548 documents were obtained and screened based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A number of 8 documents was selected for the final analysis. The main factors contributing to the resilience of volunteers at the 3 stages of pre-, during, and post-disasters were classified into 3 groups of individual, environmental, and organizational. Important factors affecting resilience of volunteers in disasters included previous disaster response experience and disaster-related training. Conclusion: Resiliency should be deemed integral to relief operations. Considering the main factors affecting volunteers’ resiliency, it is highly suggested that organizations active in humanitarian endeavors explore the factors impacting on resilience among their volunteers via various research methods and seek to select those with higher degrees of resilience in order to avert untoward consequences in their missions.


Author(s):  
Fernanda Karla Nascimento ◽  
Roberta Alvarenga Reis ◽  
Alexandre Saadeh ◽  
Fran Demétrio ◽  
Ivaneide Leal Ataide Rodrigues ◽  
...  

Objective: to describe attributes associated with the Quality of Life of Brazilian transgender children and adolescents according to their own perception. Method: descriptive study conducted with 32 participants between eight and 18 years old, who were either interviewed or participated in focus groups. The statements were transcribed, grouped with the aid of the Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires software, version 0.7 alpha 2 and described according to the definition of Quality of Life by the World Health Organization concerning to the mental, physical, and social dimensions. Results: it was possible to identify the family nucleus as the main social support for transgender children and adolescents. However, the experience of prejudice and discrimination were negative attributes associated with Quality of Life. Conclusion: the statements indicate that lives of transgender children and adolescents are impacted by social, physical, and mental factors due to the stigma and discrimination experienced. It is expected to contribute to the formulation of public policies related to transgender children and adolescents and expand the discussion on the citizens’ duties and rights in relation to transsexuality.


2011 ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Rosangela Invernizzi ◽  
Agnese Filocco

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are acquired clonal disorders of hematopoiesis, that are characterized most frequently by normocellular or hypercellular bone marrow specimens, and maturation that is morphologically and functionally dysplastic. MDS constitute a complex hematological problem: differences in disease presentation, progression and outcome have made it necessary to use classification systems to improve diagnosis, prognostication and treatment selection. On the basis of new scientific and clinical information, classification and prognostic systems have recently been updated and minimal diagnostic criteria forMDS have been proposed by expert panels. In addition, in the last few years our ability to define the prognosis of the individual patient with MDS has improved. In this paper World Health Organization (WHO) classification refinements and recent prognostic scoring systems for the definition of individual risk are highlighted and current criteria are discussed. The recommendations should facilitate diagnostic and prognostic evaluations in MDS and selection of patients for new effective targeted therapies.


Author(s):  
Shakeel Ahmad Bhat ◽  
Farooq Sher ◽  
Rohitashw Kumar ◽  
Emina Karahmet ◽  
Syed Anam Ul Haq ◽  
...  

AbstractCoronavirus refers to a group of widespread viruses. The name refers to the specific morphology of these viruses because their spikes look like a crown under an electron microscope. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has been reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, was proclaimed an international public health emergency (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020, and on 11 March 2020, it was declared as a pandemic (World Health Organization 2020). The official name of the virus was declared by the WHO as “COVID-19 virus”, formerly known as “2019-nCoV”, or “Wuhan Coronavirus”. The International Committee on Virus Taxonomy’s Coronavirus Research Group has identified that this virus is a form of coronavirus that caused a severe outbreak of acute respiratory syndrome in 2002–2003 (SARS). As a result, the latest severe acute respiratory syndrome has been classified as a corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogen by this committee. This disease spread quickly across the country and the world within the first 3 months of the outbreak and became a global pandemic. To stop COVID-19 from spreading, the governing agencies used various chemicals to disinfect different commercial spaces, streets and highways. However, people used it aggressively because of panic conditions, anxiety and unconsciousness, which can have a detrimental impact on human health and the environment. Our water bodies, soil and air have been polluted by disinfectants, forming secondary products that can be poisonous and mutagenic. In the prevention and spread of COVID-19, disinfection is crucial, but disinfection should be carried out with sufficient precautions to minimize exposure to harmful by-products. In addition, to prevent inhalation, adequate personal protective equipment should be worn and chemical usage, concentrations, ventilation in the room and application techniques should be carefully considered. In the USA, 60% of respondents said they cleaned or disinfected their homes more often than they had in the previous months. In addition to the robust use of disinfection approaches to combat COVID-19, we will explore safe preventative solutions here.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-32
Author(s):  
Semen Kireev ◽  
I. Popov ◽  
A. Ban'kovskiy ◽  
E. Litvinenko ◽  
E. Surova

At the end of 2019, an outbreak of a new coronavirus infection occurred in the People's Re-public of China with an epicenter in the city of Wuhan (Hubei province). On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization has assigned the official name of the infection caused by the new coronavirus - COVID-19 ("Coronavirus disease2019"). On February 11, 2020, the International Committee on Virus Taxonomy gave the official name to the infectious agent - SARS-CoV-2.Since the end of January 2020, cases of COVID-19 have begun to be registered in many coun-tries of the world, mainly associated with travel to the PRC. At the end of February 2020, the epidemiological situation with COVID-19 in South Korea, Iran and Italy sharply worsened, which subsequently led to a significant increase in the number of cases in other countries of the world associated with travel to these countries, incl. and in Russia. The World Health Organiza-tion announced the COVID-19 pandemic on 11 March 2020, and the pandemic's challenge to the world will remain so as long as people are not immune to it.The Regional Director of the World Health Organization Takeshi Kasai, on the basis of an epidemiological analysis, reports that the spread of coronavirus infection COVID-19 in July-August 2020 occurred mainly among people under 50 years old, and they often did not even know about it, because they had mild or no symptoms. In the future, these people then infect older people who are more difficult to tolerate COVID-19. And we need to redouble our efforts to prevent the spread of the virus in vulnerable communities.


2017 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
B. Vellas ◽  
S. Sourdet

Worldwide, the number of people age 60 and older is expected to grow from nearly 900 million in 2015 to over 1.3 trillion in 2030 (1). Increased age is associated with gradual increases in molecular and cellular damage; impairment of bodily functions; decreased muscle mass and strength; loss of bone density; declining vision, hearing and cognition; multimorbidity; and frailty (2). Frailty has been conceptualized as a physiological syndrome of decreased reserve and resilience, resulting in progressive functional decline, increased vulnerability to many stressors, and an increase in negative health outcomes and dependence (3, 4). It has been recognized by the World Health Organization (2) and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (5) as a major public health concern among the elderly, although consensus on a definition of frailty remains elusive (6). Nonetheless, research suggests that disability and dependence in the elderly may be preventable by targeting frail and pre-frail older adults (3, 7, 8).


Author(s):  
Rebecca McKnight ◽  
Jonathan Price ◽  
John Geddes

One in four individuals suffer from a psychiatric disorder at some point in their life, with 15– 20 per cent fitting cri­teria for a mental disorder at any given time. The latter corresponds to around 450 million people worldwide, placing mental disorders as one of the leading causes of global morbidity. Mental health problems represent five of the ten leading causes of disability worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in mid 2016 that ‘the global cost of mental illness is £651 billion per year’, stating that the equivalent of 50 million working years was being lost annually due to mental disorders. The financial global impact is clearly vast, but on a smaller scale, the social and psychological impacts of having a mental dis­order on yourself or your family are greater still. It is often difficult for the general public and clin­icians outside psychiatry to think of mental health dis­orders as ‘diseases’ because it is harder to pinpoint a specific pathological cause for them. When confronted with this view, it is helpful to consider that most of medicine was actually founded on this basis. For ex­ample, although medicine has been a profession for the past 2500 years, it was only in the late 1980s that Helicobacter pylori was linked to gastric/ duodenal ul­cers and gastric carcinoma, or more recently still that the BRCA genes were found to be a cause of breast cancer. Still much of clinical medicine treats a patient’s symptoms rather than objective abnormalities. The WHO has given the following definition of mental health:… Mental health is defined as a state of well- being in which every individual realizes his or her own po­tential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.… This is a helpful definition, because it clearly defines a mental disorder as a condition that disrupts this state in any way, and sets clear goals of treatment for the clinician. It identifies the fact that a disruption of an individual’s mental health impacts negatively not only upon their enjoyment and ability to cope with life, but also upon that of the wider community.


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