Self-rated health and its relationship to functional status and well-being in a group of elderly Guatemalan subjects.

This study examined the association of self-rated health with physical function and emotional well-being, while controlling for differences in sex, age and anthropometry. Subjects were participants in a multicentre study originated by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS). A total of 151 elderly Guatemalan subjects were examined using a questionnaire which included information on self-rated health, activities of daily living, well-being, and a common battery of anthropometric variables. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) obtained with polytomous logistic regression showed that subjects with the highest score on the well-being index compared with those with the lowest were 1.67 times more likely (P-value <0.001, confidence interval (C.I.) = 1.31-2.14) to rate themselves in 'good' health versus 'fair' and 'poor' health. Subjects with the highest score versus those with the lowest on the mobility index were 1.15 times more likely (P-value <0.05, (C.I.) = 1.00-1.32) to rate themselves in 'good' health versus the other health ratings. These are the first results to examine the relationship of self-rated health to physical function and emotional well-being of elderly, free-living Guatemalans.

Good research practices: a commonsense approach to ensuring quality in research facilities.

This guideline can be a useful tool for assisting and assessing "non-GLP" laboratories in academic and contract settings. This guideline has proven useful in assessing academic and/or contract labs where a final product is needed which would meet FDA expectations for preclinical or clinical research. Because of differing research settings and study types, we apply the standards in a flexible manner. For example, in some settings, the study plan is simply documented in a research notebook as the study unfolds, whereas in other settings a written protocol (which is signed by the principal investigator) is in place prior to study initiation. Additionally, all criteria may not be applicable to every research facility. The focus of this guideline is to ensure that sufficient documentation exists which will allow for study reconstruction and to provide adequate evidence that the raw data generated by the facility are accurate. This guideline is a useful tool for Quality Assurance personnel and can also be used by research personnel in the development of appropriate quality systems for their research environment.

The critical phase inspection process: a benchmarking study in search of industries' best practices.

Benchmarking is the orderly process of measuring one's own products, services, and practices against those of companies recognized as leaders. Eli Lilly and Company's Quality Assurance Department formed the Critical Phase Inspection Team to benchmark the processes for selecting and conducting critical phase inspections and reporting inspection findings. The team developed a telephone survey that was conducted with 33 other quality assurance units across the country. Analysis of the phone survey responses resulted in the identification of 5 quality assurance units that we felt could provide valuable information to us on these activities. Site visits to these companies were arranged and information was shared. We present here the analysis and results of our benchmarking endeavor. Through the information sharing involved in the benchmarking process, namely, the telephone surveys and the site visits, fresh ideas emerged and new acquaintances were made. Comparisons and adaptations of our methods with others in the quality assurance business will lead us to breakthrough improvements that will allow us to improve our current processes.

Brain and central nervous system cancer mortality in U. S. rubber workers.

Since 1963 the observed mortality experience of BCNS cancers among rubber workers appears to be very comparable to that expected. A possible exception to this statement is the experience of one plant in Akron, Ohio, reported by Monson and Nakano. Excesses in earlier years may also be localized to one or two companies. The results of a case-control study did not support a hypothesized association of elevated BCNS cancer risk with exposures in the tire building/tire assembly segments of the rubber tire manufacturing process. The direction of future epidemiologic studies would benefit by the assembly of as large a number of cases as possible and should focus on calendar periods of exposure, make allowance for a latent period, and include retrospective industrial hygiene assessments of the specific exposures.