Reference point for action

Within the EU, in contrast with other areas of food control, there is no obligation to use standardized methods in the surveillance of veterinary medicine residues. Instead, a criterion-based approach applies that defines the performance characteristics that the methods used must meet." However, within the United States and some other countries methods are statutorily prescribed. The method must be able to detect the marker residue, specifically, mefabolife, sum of metabolites, or parent compound at/or below the appropriate regulatory limit (RL), as available. In the EU, the RL for authorized veterinary medicinal products is the maximum residue limit (MRL). The RL for prohibited and unauthorized substances is the minimum required performance limit (MRPL) or the reference point for action (RPA). ° In other cases, especially for unauthorized substances, the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) Recommended Concentration (RC)" can be applied, although this has no legal standing and is not a limit per se. 

A major factor affecting the quality of the final result is the suitability of the analytical method applied. Ensuring that the method is fit for purpose can be considered a basic quality control criterion. It is important that laboratories restrict their choice of methods to those that have been characterized as suitable for the matrix and analyte of interest, and at the level of interest. In the EU, and in many other countries and regions, the regulatory limit for authorized veterinary medicinal products is the maximum residue limit (MRL), and for contaminants the maximum permitted limit. Eor prohibited or unauthorized analytes, there is often a threshold or action limit set in Europe, for example, the appropriate regulatory limit is the minimum required performance limit (MRPL) or the reference point for action (RPA), as defined in Article 4 of Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, Article 2 of Commission Decision 2005/34/EC, and Articles 18 and 19 of Council Regulation (EEC) 470/2009.2 ... 

One possible compromise here would be to develop an index based on the performance of a neutral agent that only mechanically removes viruses from hands. In the past, nonmedicated soaps have often been used for this purpose. However, soaps on the market differ widely, especially in properties such as pH and detergent action. Tap water also differs at different geographical locations. Therefore, a simple, safe, and readily available solution such as standard hard water (e.g., with 200 ppm hardness) could be used to establish the reference point for this index. Product efficacy claims could then be allowed at a certain differential above the mechanical virus removal with hard water. Manufacturers could publish the performance index of their formulation on the label to aid in product selection. To prevent minor differences in indices being used as a sales feature, a simple product classitication scheme could be developed. 

The answers to the Minister s questions call for conceptual clarity. When concepts such as risk and incident are mentioned in the same breath, it becomes difficult to assess the nature and scale of the problem or the reference points for policy. In this document, we make a distinction between incidents, damage, risks and uncertainty. In other words, we differentiate between action leading to an actual violation of physical safety (incidents, how the consequences of that action (damage) are dealt with, and how relatively known and undisputed threats to safety (risks) are handled, as well as the safety issues arising from faulty knowledge and/or conflicting values, for which we use the collective term uncertainty . ... 

Table 4.5 Examples of the different electronic substitution constants used in QSAR studies. Inductive substituent constants (crO are the contribution the inductive effect makes to Hammett constants and can be used for aliphatic compounds. Taft substitution constants (cr ) refer to aliphatic substituents but use propanoic acid (the 2-methyl derivative of ethanoic acid) as the reference point. The Swain-Lupton constants represent the contributions due to the inductive (.F) and mesomeric or resonance (R) components of Hammett constants. Adapted from An Introduction to the Principles of Drug Design and Action by Smith and Williams 3rd Ed. (1998) Ed. H.J.Smith. Reproduced by permission of Harwood Academic Publishers.

It might be thought that 1 am reading too much into this passage. Marx does not say in so many words that the collective interest of the capitalist class explained the Factory Acts, although it is natural to understand him in this way when he refers to the actions of a "state that is ruled by capitalist and landlord". An important passage from the 1861-3 Critique, while still not unambiguous on this point, at least leaves no room for doubt as to the conflict between the collective and the individual interests of the capitalists ... 

The opium alkaloid thebaine, although therapeutically useless (causes seizures and has little analgetic action), is important as the chemical starting point for the commercial synthesis of methyldihydromorphinone (Metopon), hydrocodone and hydromorphone, oxy-morphone, and the very interesting oripavine compounds (see later). Since these drugs are modifications of a natural alkaloid, they may be referred to as semisynthetic opiates. 

---