The landmark Humanitarian Response Review, commissioned by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator in 2005, has catalyzed recent reforms in disaster response through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. These reforms include a "cluster lead" approach to sectoral responsibilities and the strengthening of humanitarian coordination. Clinical medicine, public health, and disaster incident m...

Background: Patients with advanced head and neck cancers typically succumb to uncontrolled local disease. Even aggressive therapy, median survival is about 12 months, the five-year overall <20%. Radiation treatment used in palliative setting an option for some patients who are not eligible curative therapy. Palliative aims reduce cancer-related symptoms while causing fewest side effects toxi...

On October 2,1979, Brother Joseph Charles Fox, an 83-year-old member of the Society of Mary (Chaminade High School, Mineola, N.Y.), underwent hernia surgery. During the surgery he suffered severe cardiorespiratory arrest, which resulted in diffuse cerebral and brain-stem anoxia. Brother Fox lost spontaneous respiration and had to be maintained on a respirator. His physicians concluded that he w...