RECEPTION

LUNCHEON

The Current Conditions and Outlook for Manufacturing and the Economy

David Heuther's presentation will focus on 3 key areas. The first part will examine why manufacturing remains a critical component to the U.S. economy. The second portion of the talk will examine the (1) why the manufacturing recovery got off to such a sluggish start after the 2001 recession, (2) how conditions have improved significantly over the past year, and (3) what the short term outlook is for manufacturing and the economy in general for 2005. The final portion of the presentation will discuss the long-term challenges (both domestic and international) facing manufacturing and what policies need to be adopted in the coming years to improve the competitiveness of American manufacturing.

Trends, Opportunities and Challenges in the U.S. Plumbing Tube Market

Copper long has been a favored material of professional plumbers. Today, it faces challenges from competing materials in various applications, as well as problems resulting from diminishing skilled trade workers.

China’s Copper and Copper Alloy Semis Industry

Simon Hunt will review developments in China’s copper and copper alloy semis’ industry over the past ten years. For many products, especially wire rod and tube, growth has been phenomenal since 2000, with a similar trend likely for sheet/strip and other products in the next three years. The wire and cable sector has seen a similar growth profile, notably for power cable, magnet and building wires.

Such growth would not have been possible without robust demand for end use products, whether consumer electronics and appliances, or housing or electrical generation and distribution.

BREAK

Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases and Their Prevention
Panel Discussion

Copper and its Antimicrobial Resistant Properties

Dr. Michels will discuss the research being conducted at the University of Southampton on copper and copper alloys, which have shown to have excellent anti-bacterial properties. Bacteria , including E. coli 0157:H7 and MRSA die when placed on dry copper alloys, however no antibacterial effect is seen when placed on stainless steel. This intrinsic antimicrobial characteristic of copper alloys strongly suggests than the use of copper alloys as building hardware and other human contact surfaces can play a prominent role in controlling the the spread of infectious human pathogens.

Today’s Food Safety Issues

During the last decade, there has been extensive media coverage of the safety of the food supply. Stories and reports have highlighted foodborne illness outbreaks involving several pathogenic microorganisms in a variety of foods. This presentation will address the factors that influence the microbiological safety of foods and provide perspectives on this important issue.

Reducing the Occurrence of Foodborne Illnesses

Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes are three prominent foodborne pathogens collectively responsible for millions of illnesses and hundreds of deaths annually in the United States. No single approach can effectively prevent their transmission to humans, hence a variety of measures from the farm to the table are needed to have a major impact on reducing these illnesses.

The Public Health Response: The Federal Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance

The federal government has numerous activities in the area of antimicrobial resistance including surveillance, prevention and control, research and product development. Agencies and departments throughout the executive branch collaborate through an interagency task force. The task force produced an action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance in 2001 and agencies have worked to accomplish the more than 80 action items since that time. There are a number of increasingly concerning antimicrobial resistant infections that appear to be increasing in incidence including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the community and pan-resistant gram negative infections in healthcare settings. There have been some notable successes in the public health response to drug resistance, including the decline in drug resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae infections after introduction of the conjugate vaccine and the decrease in inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing due to greater public and clinician awareness.

Successful Hospital Infection Control Strategies

Each year around 10% of the 25 million person U.S. hospital population becomes infected with hospital associated infections having substantial socioeconomic impact. A wide variety of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi are responsible. Of those patients infected, reliable sources estimate that around 100,000 will die. The origin of these pathogens are from patients, healthcare personnel and the hospital environment itself. In the presence of a highly susceptible patient populations and the selective pressure of modern antibiotics, highly virulent so-called super bugs have developed. This scenario is not limited to the U.S. alone but common to healthcare systems around the world. A plethora of new products, equipment and materials have been introduced to counter the problem, with some providing promise of incremental success. It is widely believed that the majority of these infections are preventable through basic hygiene. Contact surface cross-contamination and facility aerobiology both play a role, but it is mainly via the human hand that most of these microorganisms are transmitted. Relative risk of infection in healthcare facilities is in fact system-dependent requiring systematic assessment of problems and program execution. Through a metanalysis of existing data, this presentation examines various types of infections, providing new insights with regards to their cost and strategies found effective at preventing their occurrence.