Monthly Archives: May 2009

Author : Tarun Jaswani

In the estimation of the risks, three or more steps are involved, requiring the inputs of different disciplines

The first step, Hazard Identification, aims to determine the qualitative nature of the potential adverse consequences of the contaminant (chemical, radiation, noise, etc ) and the strength of the evidence it can have that effect This is done, for chemical hazards, by drawing from the results of the sciences of toxicology and epidemiology For other kinds of hazard, engineering or other disciplines are involved

The second step for chemical risk assessment, Dose-Response Analysis, is determining the relationship between dose and the probability or the incidence of effect (dose-response assessment) The complexity of this step in many contexts derives mainly from the need to extrapolate results from experimental animals (e g mouse, rat) to humans, and/or from high to lower doses In addition, the differences between individuals due to genetics or other factors mean that the hazard may be higher for particular groups, called susceptible populations An alternative to dose-response estimation is to determine an effect unlikely to yield observable effects In developing such a dose, to account for the largely unknown effects of animal to human extrapolations, increased variability in humans, or missing data, a prudent approach is often adopted by including safety factors in the estimate of the “safe” dose, typically a factor of 10 for each unknown step

The third step, Exposure Quantification, aims to determine the amount of a contaminant (dose) that individuals and populations will receive This is done by examining the results of the discipline of exposure assessment As different location, lifestyles and other factors likely influence the amount of contaminant that is received, a range or distribution of possible values is generated in this step Particular care is taken to determine the exposure of the susceptible population(s)

Finally, the results of the three steps above are then combined to produce an estimate of risk Because of the different susceptibilities and exposures, this risk will vary within a population The decisions based on the application of risk assessment are sometimes based on a standard of protecting those most at risk This problem raises the question of how small a segment of a population must be protected

If the risk is higher for a particular sub-population because of abnormal exposure rather than susceptibility, there is a potential to consider strategies to further reduce the exposure of that subgroup If an identifiable sub-population is more susceptible due to inherent genetic or other factors, there is a policy choice whether to set policies for protecting the general population that are protective of such groups (as is currently done for children when data exists, or is done under the Clean Air Act for populations such as asthmatics) or whether if the group is too small, or the costs to high Sometimes, a suitable position is to at least limit the risk of the more susceptible to some risk level above which it seems too inequitable to leave them out of the risk

he idea of not increasing lifetime risk by more than one in a million has become common place in public health discourse and policy How consensus settled on this particular figure is unclear In some respects, this figure has the characteristics of a mythical number In another sense, the figure provides a numerical basis for what to consider a negligible increase in risk In part, the one in a million benchmark arose early in public health risk assessment history when risk assessment was a tempering analysis to existing statutory language such as the Delaney Clause prohibition on any use of introduced carcinogens or where environmental statutes were using a “best technology” decision rule Some current environmental decision making allows some discretion to deem individual risks potentially “acceptable” if below one in ten thousand increased lifetime risk Low risk criteria such as these do provide some protection for the case that individuals may be exposed to multiple chemicals (whether pollutants or food additives, or other chemicals) But both of these benchmarks are clearly small relative to the typical one in four lifetime risk of death by cancer (due to all causes combined) in developed countries

Individuals may be tempted to advocate the adoption of a zero-risk policy After all the 1 in a million policy would still cause the death of hundreds or thousands, of people in a large enough population In practice however, a true zero-risk is possible only with the suppression of the risk-causing activity More stringent requirements, or even the 1 in a million one, may not be technologically feasible at a given time, or so expensive as to render the risk-causing activity unsustainable

In the interest of public health, the risks vs benefits of the possible alternatives must be carefully considered For example, it might well be that the emissions from hospital incinerators result in a certain number of deaths per year However, this risk must be balanced against the available alternatives In some unusual cases, there are significant public health risks, as well as economic costs, associated with all options For example, there are risks associated with no incineration (with the potential risk for spread of infectious diseases) or even no hospitals But, often further investigation identifies further options, such as separating noninfectious from infectious wastes, or air pollution controls on a medical incinerator, that provide a broad range of options of acceptable risk – though with varying practical implications and varying economic costs Intelligent thought about a reasonably full set of options is essential Thus, it is not unusual for there to be an iterative process between analysis, consideration of options, and then further analysis

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Author : Victor Epand

Starting any new venture needs some basic research, planning and preparation To start any business or enterprise looks easy Looking at the rosy picture of making profits makes one tend to forget hidden obstacles in the way, or the amount of trouble one might have to face Starting a new magazine too, requires a certain amount of data, an honest assessment of your resources, and the ability to come up with such a publication in the present competitive market, with a well laid-out plan and an arrangement to meet all the production and marketing requirements and costs

Look before you leap

Always consider whether your resources and preparations are sufficient to make a successful entry into the market Make an impartial assessment of your plan and preparation with respect to the true market potential of your magazine Any impractical idea or notion about your enterprise will cost you heavy financial losses, a lot of headache, and a bad reputation, to say the least Try to view your plan as an outsider, who is bound to look for loopholes or glaring faults of your scheme that might be overlooked by you

Start with a firm foundation

Develop journalistic skills, with an excellent record of accomplishment This helps you to obtain an idea about the reader requirement, business potential of the venture, and the overall market Such a journalistic career is also helpful in creating an identity as a scribe, and helps establish contacts in the related field

Innovate marketable ideas

Think about any innovative marketable ideas that will make your magazine different from others, as well as prove to be cost-effective Sometimes it is possible to start as a pullout product of an already established newspaper or periodical, provided your proposal is considered attractive, feasible and practical enough by the concerned publication If you are convinced that the local market potential is not fully utilized through the publication, because of its focus on bigger markets, you can prepare and present a detailed study highlighting the under-penetrated local market, its growth potential, a workable plan of a pullout publication that will prove profitable It is much more like a report prepared by a marketing company before introducing a product to any specific local market Always find out your well-defined market and the target population

Better ways to start a magazine

It is suggested that a magazine may be started as an online publication before coming out in print medium Online publication does not need huge expenses unlike the print medium All it would need will be the expenses required for creating your ISP, purchasing the domain name, website designing charges, and whatever time you invest in writing Seek advice of the professionals or friends in this field Ensure your venture is going to be a profitable one, and go ahead to plan and prepare

It is recommended that you should visit some useful websites such as www sba gov that provide useful inputs on starting an enterprise on one’s own There are other useful websites as well that give more specific information and tips about how to start a magazine and run it profitably Make a good use of all these available resources before planning to start your magazine

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about magazines and comics. When looking for magazines and comics, we recommend you shop only at the best magazine and comic stores for magazines, used magazines, and used comics.

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Author : Elizabeth Grant

Those who have a keen interest in the future of self certified mortgages may have noticed that they are beginning to appear more and more frequently in the media Self certified mortgages – which enable the borrower to certify their income without needing to supply standard income documentation – may be extremely popular with the self employed but they are also a cause for concern for the regulatory bodies

Despite being introduced over ten years ago, it is only over the last few years that significant concerns have been raised over the future of self certification mortgages Many experts believe that although these mortgages have worked well until now, the situation could be completely different should the UK economy take a turn for the worst The worry is that mortgage lenders have, during the last few booming house market years, relaxed lending rules too far allowing many unsuitable borrowers to qualify for self cert mortgages

Traditionally self certified mortgages were normally only suitable for the self-employed However as the UK economy has grown in strength, the attitude towards self certified mortgages has changed, resulting in lenders approving mortgages for a range of applicants such as temporary employees or part-time workers Moreover, there are concerns that desperate house buyers may lie about their income in order to secure themselves a mortgage

These concerns have been thoroughly investigated by the FSA and on the whole it is thought that the majority of those being accepted for self certified mortgages are not being encouraged to exaggerate their income and that they are fully suitable for self certified mortgages This is thought to be as a result of a push for lenders to tighten up their procedures in detecting more fraudulent applications Although normally this would suggest that the future of self certified mortgages is secure, the regulatory bodies still seem to be concerned over the possibility for future abuse of the system

So what does all this mean for the average borrower interested in self certifying their income? The changes in regulation which have so far taken place may mean that it is more difficult to obtain a self certified mortgage However, it also means that you are only likely to be accepted for this type of mortgage if you are really suitable for it For those borrowers who are bent on obtaining a mortgage regardless of whether they have to lie about their earnings, the future may indeed be bleak but for those who are interested and genuinely meet the self certified mortgage criteria, the future looks bright

Elizabeth Grant writes exclusively for The Mortgage Broker specialist mortgage websites. To read more of Elizabeth ‘s articles on Self Cert Mortgages please visit the Self Cert Mortgage Centre.

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