ORCID Profile
0000-0002-3683-5638
Current Organisations
Indiana University Bloomington
,
Griffith University Griffith Health
,
University of Queensland
,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-12-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SREP38380
Abstract: In China, the health impact of cold weather has received little attention, which limits our understanding of the health impacts of climate change. We collected daily mortality and meteorological data in 66 communities across China from 2006 to 2011. Within each community, we estimated the effect of cold spell exposure on mortality using a Distributed Lag Nonlinear Model (DLNM). We also examined the modification effect of cold spell characteristics (intensity, duration, and timing) and in idual-specific factors (causes of death, age, gender and education). Meta-analysis method was finally used to estimate the overall effects. The overall cumulative excess risk (CER) of non-accidental mortality during cold spell days was 28.2% (95% CI: 21.4%, 35.3%) compared with non-cold spell days. There was a significant increase in mortality when the cold spell duration and intensity increased or occurred earlier in the season. Cold spell effects and effect modification by cold spell characteristics were more pronounced in south China. The elderly, people with low education level and those with respiratory diseases were generally more vulnerable to cold spells. Cold spells statistically significantly increase mortality risk in China, with greater effects in southern China. This effect is modified by cold spell characteristics and in idual-level factors.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 30-12-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2016.03.074
Abstract: More than 35 million people in coastal Bangladesh are vulnerable to increasing freshwater salinization. This will continue to affect more people and to a greater extent as climate change projections are realised in this area in the future. However the evidence for health effects of consuming high salinity water is limited. This research examined the association between drinking water salinity and blood pressure in young adults in coastal Bangladesh. We conducted a cross-sectional study during May-June 2014 in a rural coastal sub-district of Bangladesh. Data on blood pressure (BP) and salinity of potable water sources was collected from 253 participants aged 19-25 years. A linear regression method was used to examine the association between water salinity exposure categories and systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) level. Sixty five percent of the study population were exposed to highly saline drinking water above the Bangladesh standard (600 mg/L and above). Multivariable linear regression analyses identified that compared to the low water salinity exposure category ( 600 mg/L), had statistically significantly higher SBP (B 3.46, 95% CI 0.75, 6.17 p = 0.01) and DBP (B 2.77, 95% CI 0.31, 5.24 p = 0.03). Our research shows that elevated salinity in drinking water is associated with higher BP in young coastal populations. Blood pressure is an important risk factor of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Given the extent of salinization of freshwater in many low-lying countries including in Bangladesh, and the likely exacerbation related to climate change-induced sea level rise, implementation of preventative strategies through dietary interventions along with promotion of low saline drinking water must be a priority in these settings.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-04-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2022
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-10-2019
Abstract: Climate change-related extreme events such as floods have and will continue to present a great challenge to disaster risk management. There is a pressing need to develop a robust management strategy via enhancing the resiliency of the community, particularly in the context of complex urban environments, like Jakarta. Resilience is conceptualized within specific contexts and uniquely tailored to the targeted setting, yet research regarding the operational concept of a flood-resilient community in the context of Jakarta remains limited. This paper will elaborate this operational concept through understanding the desirable features and influential barriers of a flood-resilient community through the lenses of three main stakeholder groups: disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation (CCA), and development. It will also discuss the ways in which the synergies that exist across these groups can be enhanced. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were applied in this study, and multiple sources of data were used. The findings indicate that these groups share common views regarding the importance of human aspects being central to resilience building efforts. We argue there is an urgent need to shift the flood resilience building paradigm towards building community resilience from the people and to apply a collaborative governance approach to facilitate effective partnership between the actors involved.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 20-02-2021
DOI: 10.3390/JRFM14020085
Abstract: Considering the importance of political economy in implementing Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), this research investigates the significance of political economy in the distribution of DRR funding in Bangladesh. The study analysed data from self-reported surveys from 133 members of the sub-district level disaster management committee and government officials working with DRR. Employing the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method, we find that political economy factors explain 68% of the variance in funding allocations. We also show that four categories of political economy factors—power and authority, interest and incentives, institutions, and values and ideas—are significantly influential over the distribution of DRR funding across subdistricts of Bangladesh. Our findings offer important policy implications to reduce the potential risks surrounding political economy influences in fund allocation and advance climate finance literature.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2013.12.027
Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the effects of dust-haze on mortality and to estimate the seasonal and in idual-specific modification effects in Guangzhou, China. Mortality, air pollution and meteorological data were collected for 2006-2011. A dust-haze day was defined as daily visibility <10 km with relative humidity <90%. This definition was further ided into light (8-10 km), medium (5-8 km) and heavy dust-haze (<5 km). A distributed lag linear model (DLM) was employed. Light, medium and heavy dust-haze days were associated with increased mortality of 3.4%, 6.8% and 10.4% respectively, at a lag of 0-6 days. This effect was more pronounced during the cold season, for cardiovascular mortality (CVD), respiratory mortality (RESP), in males and people ≥60years. These effects became insignificant after adjustment for PM10. We concluded that dust-haze significantly increased mortality risk in Guangzhou, China, and this effect appears to be dominated by particulate mass and modified by season and in idual-specific factors.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1100/2012/340317
Abstract: Objective . Few studies have assessed the impact of trauma volume on the operational efficiency of emergency departments. Herein, we evaluate the association between trauma volume with the positive rate of head computed tomography scans in head trauma patients in a tertiary care hospital. Methods . This is a retrospective cohort review involving all head trauma patients presenting to a tertiary care hospital. Trauma census, head trauma patient volume, the number of emergent head CT scans, and the number of positive head CT scans were collected on a monthly basis. Comparison was primarily made between the trauma patient volume and the positive rate of head CT scans. Results . 25,549 trauma patients were reviewed. Of these, 5,168 (20.2%) sustained head trauma and 3,336 head CT scans were performed with mean 29.1% positive rate of substantial head injuries. The monthly data were analyzed and a statistically significant correlation between monthly trauma volume and decrease in positive rate of head CT scan was identified (Pearson r = − 0.51 , P = 0.02 ). With introducing different cut-point values of trauma volume, we identified the threshold of trauma census as approximately 4.9 and 8.8% higher than mean monthly trauma volume in discriminating significant decrease of positive rate of head CT scans.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2011
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 07-2015
Abstract: Granitoids are silicic rocks that make up the majority of the continental crust, but different models arise for the origins of these rocks. One classification scheme defines different granitoid types on the basis of materials involved in the melting/crystallization process. In this end-member case, granitoids may be derived from melting of a preexisting igneous rock, while other granitoids, by contrast, are formed or influenced by melting of buried sedimentary material. In the latter case, assimilated sedimentary material altered by chemical processes occurring at the near surface of Earth-including biological activity-could influence magma chemical properties. Here, we apply a redox-sensitive calibration based on the incorporation of Ce into zircon crystals found in these two rock types, termed sedimentary-type (S-type) and igneous-type (I-type) granitoids. The ∼400 Ma Lachlan Fold Belt rocks of southeastern Australia were chosen for investigation here these rocks have been a key target used to describe and explore granitoid genesis for close to 50 years. We observe that zircons found in S-type granitoids formed under more reducing conditions than those formed from I-type granitoids from the same terrain. This observation, while reflecting 9 granitoids and 289 analyses of zircons from a region where over 400 different plutons have been identified, is consistent with the incorporation of (reduced) organic matter in the former and highlights one possible manner in which life may modify the composition of igneous minerals. The chemical properties of rocks or igneous minerals may extend the search for ancient biological activity to the earliest period of known igneous activity, which dates back to ∼4.4 billion years ago. If organic matter was incorporated into Hadean sediments that were buried and melted, then these biological remnants could imprint a chemical signature within the subsequent melt and the resulting crystal assemblage, including zircon.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2017.03.012
Abstract: A systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis cannot provide the endpoint answer for a chemical risk assessment (CRA). The objective of this study was to apply SR and meta-regression (MR) analysis to address this limitation using a case study in cardiovascular risk from arsenic exposure in Vietnam. Published studies were searched from PubMed using the keywords of arsenic exposure and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Random-effects meta-regression was applied to model the linear relationship between arsenic concentration in water and risk of CVD, and then the no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) were identified from the regression function. The probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) technique was applied to characterize risk of CVD due to arsenic exposure by estimating the overlapping coefficient between dose-response and exposure distribution curves. The risks were evaluated for groundwater, treated and drinking water. A total of 8 high quality studies for dose-response and 12 studies for exposure data were included for final analyses. The results of MR suggested a NOAEL of 50 μg/L and a guideline of 5 μg/L for arsenic in water which valued as a half of NOAEL and guidelines recommended from previous studies and authorities. The results of PRA indicated that the observed exposure level with exceeding CVD risk was 52% for groundwater, 24% for treated water, and 10% for drinking water in Vietnam, respectively. The study found that systematic review and meta-regression can be considered as an ideal method to chemical risk assessment due to its advantages to bring the answer for the endpoint question of a CRA.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 1989
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2020
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 02-2015
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 02-02-2019
Abstract: There is a lack of research focusing on the association of temperature with mortality and hospitalization in developing countries with tropical climates and a low capacity to cope with the influences of extreme weather events. This study aimed to examine and compare the effect of temperature, including heat waves, on mortality and hospitalization in the most populous city of Vietnam. We used quasi-Poisson time series regression coupled with the distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to examine the overall pattern and compare the temperature-health outcome relationship. The main and added effects of heat waves were evaluated. The main effect of heat waves significantly increased the risk of all cause-specific mortality. Significant main effects of heat waves on hospitalization were observed only for elderly people and people with respiratory diseases (elderly, relative risk (RR) = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14–3.45 respiratory diseases, RR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.19–1.42). The RRs of the main effect were substantially higher than those of the added effect in mortality the same was applicable for hospitalizations of people with respiratory diseases and elderly people. The findings of this study have important implications for public health adaptation and prevention program implementation in the protection of residents from the adverse health effects of temperature.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-10-2020
DOI: 10.1186/S42523-020-00055-3
Abstract: Insect-associated microorganisms can provide a wide range of benefits to their host, but insect dependency on these microbes varies greatly. The origin and functionality of insect microbiomes is not well understood. Many caterpillars can harbor symbionts in their gut that impact host metabolism, nutrient uptake and pathogen protection. Despite our lack of knowledge on the ecological factors driving microbiome assemblages of wild caterpillars, they seem to be highly variable and influenced by diet and environment. Several recent studies have shown that shoot-feeding caterpillars acquire part of their microbiome from the soil. Here, we examine microbiomes of a monophagous caterpillar ( Tyria jacobaeae ) collected from their natural host plant ( Jacobaea vulgaris ) growing in three different environments: coastal dunes, natural inland grasslands and riverine grasslands, and compare the bacterial communities of the wild caterpillars to those of soil s les collected from underneath each of the host plants from which the caterpillars were collected. The microbiomes of the caterpillars were dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Only 5% of the total bacterial ersity represented 86.2% of the total caterpillar’s microbiome. Interestingly, we found a high consistency of dominant bacteria within the family Burkholderiaceae in all caterpillar s les across the three habitats. There was one licon sequence variant belonging to the genus Ralstonia that represented on average 53% of total community composition across all caterpillars. On average, one quarter of the caterpillar microbiome was shared with the soil. We found that the monophagous caterpillars collected from fields located more than 100 km apart were all dominated by a single Ralstonia . The remainder of the bacterial communities that were present resembled the local microbial communities in the soil in which the host plant was growing. Our findings provide an ex le of a caterpillar that has just a few key associated bacteria, but that also contains a community of low abundant bacteria characteristic of soil communities.
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
Date: 04-07-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2017.01.006
Abstract: This study examined the temporal and spatial patterns of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam. A time-series analysis was used to examine the temporal patterns of HFMD in relation to climate factors while a retrospective space-time scan was used to detect the high-risk space-time clusters of this disease. A 1°C increase in average temperature was associated with 5.6% increase in HFMD rate at lag 5days (95% CI 0.3-10.9). A 1% increase in humidity had equal influence of 1.7% increases on HFMD rate at both lag 3days and 6days (95% CI 0.7-2.7 and 95% CI 0.8-2.6, respectively). An increase in 1 unit of rainfall was associated with a 0.5% increase of HFMD rate on the lag 1 and 6days (95% CI 0.2-0.9 and 95% CI 0.1-0.8, respectively). The predictive model indicated that the peak of HFMD was from October to December - the rainy season in the Mekong Delta region. Most high-risk clusters were located in areas with high population density and close to transport routes. The findings suggest that HFMD is influenced by climate factors and is likely to increase in the future due to climate change related weather events.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.AAP.2010.11.001
Abstract: This study was designed to determine the incidence rate and risk factors of missed injuries in major trauma patients in the emergency department (ED). Hospital records of all 976 trauma patients visiting the ED and admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) of a medical center in Taiwan from 2006 to 2007 were reviewed. Missed injuries were defined as those not identified in the ED but recognized later in the ICUs. Clinically significant injuries were those with an Abbreviated Injury Scale of ≥ 2. In the 2-year period, there were 133 missed injuries in 118 patients in the ED, for a prevalence of 12.1% 87 injuries were clinically significant in 78 patients, for a prevalence of 8.0%. The estimated incidence rate per 100 person-hours was 3.2 for missed injuries and 2.1 for clinically significant missed injuries. The most commonly involved body region of missed injuries was the head/neck, followed by the chest and extremities. Results of a Cox regression analysis showed that a younger age, more-severe injury, polytrauma, and the absence of soft-tissue injuries were significantly associated with missed injuries, while younger ages, more-severe injuries, and the presence of chest and pelvic injuries were also significantly associated with clinically significant missed injuries. In conclusion, a considerable number of injuries, particularly to the head/neck, may be undetected in the ED, while young people and patients with certain injury patterns such as severity levels, polytrauma, and the presence of a chest or pelvic injury are more likely to have missed injuries and/or clinically significant missed injuries.
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 15-05-2019
Abstract: There is a wealth of literature indicating that socio-cultural understanding is crucial in the implementation of sanitation programmes. However, in Indonesia, the exploration and response to this understanding in regard to sanitation uptake and sustainability remain weak. This study aims to gain an understanding of the cultural determinants underpinning sanitation issues across all sanitation stages in one part of Indonesia in order to address both uptake and sustainability. A qualitative exploratory study in two rural communities in Bali identified some cultural values and traditional roles that can affect sanitation uptake and sustainability. A set of values relating to harmony and purity, and community and in idual roles defined by culture appears to modify the perception of risks and barriers, and sets priorities for resources and commitment. The paper also discusses how to translate the understanding of local values and roles into action strategies in order to improve sanitation uptake and sustainability.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-11-2005
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2788.2005.00729.X
Abstract: Little information is available on the provision of supportive health environments for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) in institutions. The aim of this study was to present an overview of supportive environments for health in institutions in Taiwan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the perceptions of 121 Taiwanese Institutional Directors on their setting's implementation of supportive healthy physical, social, and economic environments. Analyses showed that first-aid kits (97.5%) and medicine cabinets (85.5%) were the most common health facilities in institutions. Seventy-three per cent of institutions had set up specific areas to be used for rehabilitation practice, while only 43.1% thought their rehabilitation equipment/devices adequate for their real needs. Eighty-eight per cent of institutions implemented health promotion plans for people with ID, while 76.6% had appropriated specific health promotion plans. Sixty-three institutions (52.1%) reported employment of skilled nurses to serve people with ID, and these institutions showed statistically significant differences in implementation of each health facility. The present paper is the first to analyze supportive environments for health in disability institutions in Taiwan. An important focus of future research will be the extension of the present findings to consider the appropriateness of each area of supportive environments for improving the quality of institutional care for people with ID.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-11-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-018-3701-8
Abstract: Agricultural farmers in developing countries are at high risk of pesticide exposure and adverse effects because of unsafe practices and inappropriate legislation. Biological monitoring is considered a useful tool for pesticide exposure assessment however, its use is limited in developing countries due to a lack of techniques and resources such as laboratory analysis, trained staff and budgets. This study examines whether the World Health Organization predicted exposure assessment model (WHO-PEAM) is a suitable alternative tool for assessing insecticide exposure among agricultural farmers. WHO-PEAM was used to predict daily doses (PDD) of chlorpyrifos for a group of Vietnamese rice farmers using a set of exposure parameters obtained from a questionnaire survey of participant famers during a field study. These results were compared to absorbed daily doses (ADD) of chlorpyrifos for the farmers measured using a biological monitoring program, in which 24-h urine s les were collected and analysed for the chlorpyrifos metabolite, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) using LC/MS. Validation of the model results was tested using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (WSR) and two-way mixed-model intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The mean of total ADD was 20 μg/kg/day while that of total PDD was 22 μg/kg/day. The WSR test revealed no statistically significant difference in the average values of ADD
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2011
DOI: 10.1038/IJIR.2011.9
Abstract: There is growing evidence of a link between ED, metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study was to explore the prevalence of MS using three different definitions (World Health Organization (WHO), International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) and Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III)), and to compare the association of CVD in ED outpatients using these definitions. This study enrolled 254 participants with a mean age of 55.3 ± 0.9 years (range, 21 to 81 years) with ED as diagnosed by International Index of Erectile Function score. All participants underwent MS evaluation based on the three criteria. Differences of MS prevalence, demographical characteristics, biochemical profiles, pro-inflammatory and inflammatory markers, echocardiographic characteristics and the association with Framingham cardiac risk score (FCRS) were compared. The presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the WHO group and high waist girth in the IDF group were significant because of the necessity of respective criteria. The MS prevalence in the WHO, IDF and ATP III groups was 30.7, 34.3 and 36.6%, respectively (P = 0.367). The degrees of agreement among each definition were substantial to perfect. No significant findings in echocardiographic characteristics, biochemical, inflammatory and pro-inflammatory markers were noted. The FCRS showed borderline nonsignificant difference (17.9 ± 0.4, 16.8 ± 0.4 and 16.9 ± 0.4, P = 0.079) however, the FCRS was more closely correlated with the WHO than with the IDF and ATP III (Spearman's correlation coefficients were 0.522, 0.531 and 0.462, respectively P = 0.021). In patients < 55 years of age and those who smoke, the Spearman's correlation in the WHO group was significantly higher than in the IDF and ATP III groups. The prevalence of the MS using different definitions in ED patients was not different. The WHO-defined MS was more closely associated with CVD.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-12-2013
Publisher: Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.24818/JAMIS.2023.01009
Abstract: The pitch template initiated by Faff (2015, 2021) is employed in this pitching research letter (PRL) for my PhD research topic. It not only facilitates a systematic approach for researchers to articulate a research idea critically but also aids new PhD students and novice researchers in overcoming the uncertainties in their early research stage. This PRL comprises the introduction and brief review of the pitching template, followed by a personal reflection regarding the implementation of the framework and its benefits.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2005.12.003
Abstract: Few studies reported in the literature have addressed the long-term trend of the use of medical care for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in institutions. The subject cohort in this study was made of 168 in iduals with ID in a public residential facility from 1999 to 2002 in Taipei, Taiwan. The average age of participants was 19.3 years, and their average stay in an institution was 6.6 years. The average annual outpatient visit of the study participants was 18.2 in the previous 4 years. It was found that they had more medical visits than the general population. Nearly 20.8-34.5% (average 29.0%) of the participants utilized more than 25 visits annually which was defined as high outpatient visit users. This group of high outpatient users consumed more than half of the total annual outpatient care visits in the past 4 years. In the full model of Generalized Estimating Equations to compare the high and non-high outpatient users, the factor of in iduals with ID dwelling in the institution were more likely to be high outpatient care users than in iduals who were only accepting institutional day care services (OR=6.29, 95% CI=1.35-29.30). The present study provides general information of high outpatient utilization and its determinants of people with ID and provides evidence for medical care decision makers dealing with policy development for people with ID care in institutions.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-06-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41586-018-0264-2
Abstract: The structure and composition of granites provide clues to the nature of silicic volcanism, the formation of continents, and the rheological and thermal properties of the Earth's upper crust as far back as the Hadean eon during the nascent stages of the planet's formation
Publisher: Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Date: 2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America
Date: 05-2023
DOI: 10.2138/AM-2022-8388
Abstract: Partition coefficients for rare earth elements (REEs) between apatite and basaltic melt were determined as a function of oxygen fugacity (fO2 iron-wüstite to hematite-magnetite buffers) at 1 bar and between 1110 and 1175 °C. Apatite-melt partitioning data for REE3+ (La, Sm, Gd, Lu) show near constant values at all experimental conditions, while bulk Eu becomes more incompatible (with an increasing negative anomaly) with decreasing fO2. Experiments define three apatite calibrations that can theoretically be used as redox sensors. The first, a XANES calibration that directly measures Eu valence in apatite, requires saturation at similar temperature-composition conditions to experiments and is defined by: ( E u 3 + ∑ E u ) Apatite = 1 1 + 10 - 0.10 ± 0.01 × l o g ( f o 2 ) - 1.63 ± 0.16 . The second technique involves analysis of Sm, Eu, and Gd in both apatite and coexisting basaltic melt (glass), and is defined by: ( Eu E u * ) D Sm × Gd = 1 1 + 10 - 0.15 ± 0.03 × l o g ( f o 2 ) - 2.46 ± 0.41 . The third technique is based on the lattice strain model and also requires analysis of REE in both apatite and basalt. This calibration is defined by ( Eu E u * ) D lattice strain = 1 1 + 10 - 0.20 ± 0.03 × l o g ( f o 2 ) - 3.03 ± 0.42 . The Eu valence-state partitioning techniques based on (Sm×Gd) and lattice strain are virtually indistinguishable, such that either methodology is valid. Application of any of these calibrations is best carried out in systems where both apatite and coexisting glass are present and in direct contact with one another. In holocrystalline rocks, whole rock analyses can be used as a guide to melt composition, but considerations and corrections must be made to either the lattice strain or Sm×Gd techniques to ensure that the effect of plagioclase crystallization either prior to or during apatite growth can be removed. Similarly, if the melt source has an inherited either a positive or negative Eu anomaly, appropriate corrections must also be made to lattice strain or Sm×Gd techniques that are based on whole rock analyses. This being the case, if apatite is primary and saturates from the parent melt early during the crystallization sequence, these corrections may be minimal. The partition coefficients for the REE between apatite and melt range from a maximum DEu3+ = 1.67 ± 0.25 (as determined by lattice strain) to DLu3+ = 0.69 ± 0.10. The REE partition coefficient pattern, as observed in the Onuma diagram, is in a fortuitous situation where the most compatible REE (Eu3+) is also the polyvalent element used to monitor fO2. These experiments provide a quantitative means of assessing Eu anomalies in apatite and how they be used to constrain the oxygen fugacity of silicate melts.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.BURNS.2018.01.006
Abstract: Here, we investigated whether the abbreviated burn severity index (ABSI) scoring system predicts acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a retrospective analysis of a severe flammable starch-based powder burn population. Demographics, total body surface area (TBSA) burn, the presence of mouth and nose burn, ABSI, inhalation injury, and clinical outcomes for each patient were analysed for association with inpatient ARDS based on the Berlin definition. We treated 53 patients (64% male, 36% female) and observed no fatalities. The median age, TBSA burn, and the ABSI were 22.2±3.6, 42.2±21, and 7.8±2.8, respectively. Inhalation injury was present in 56.6% of the cases, and mouth and nose burn was present in 30.2%. ARDS was prevalent at 30%. The mean abbreviated burn severity index (ABSI) was 10.6±1.5 in the ARDS group and 6.6±2.3 in the non-ARDS (P<0.001) group. The mean TBSA burn percentage for ARDS and the non-ARDS groups were 61.4±13.9% and 34±18%, respectively (P<0.001). The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curves for an ABSI≥9 was 0.905. Our results show that the ABSI is effective for predicting ARDS in young in iduals with severe starch-based powder burn.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-05-2012
DOI: 10.1038/JES.2012.32
Abstract: Chlorpyrifos is the most common organophosphate compound registered for agricultural use in Vietnam. The aim of this study was to evaluate chlorpyrifos exposure to rice farmers in Vietnam, using a probabilistic approach. Urine s les on a 24-h basis were collected from farmers before and post application of pesticide. S les were analysed for 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), the major urinary metabolite of chlorpyrifos, using an enzymatic pre-treatment for extraction and HPLC-MS/MS. Absorbed daily doses (ADD) of chlorpyrifos for farmers were subsequently estimated from the urinary TCP levels. The baseline and post-application exposure levels were evaluated at the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile representing low, medium and high-exposure groups in the population. Regression analysis was applied to examine the association between exposure level and factors. The baseline exposure level, which ranged from 0.03 to 1.98 μg/kg/day was below the chronic guidelines recommended by international and national bodies. However, the post-application exposure level, which ranged from 0.35 to 94 μg/kg/day exceeded most of the acute guidelines at the 95th percentile level. Multivariate analysis provided strong evidence for a relationship between post-application exposure level and amount of chlorpyrifos used, as well as body coverage of personal protective equipment.
Publisher: European Center of Sustainable Development
Date: 10-2019
DOI: 10.14207/EJSD.2019.V8N5P358
Abstract: Bangladesh is one of the resource-scarce countries most vulnerable to climate-related disasters, particularly flood and cyclone. Based on the semi-structured in-depth interviews of 38 stakeholders and literature review, this study examined the public spending distribution process in DRR. This paper demonstrates how the processes of political economy- enclosure, exclusion, encroachment, and entrenchment occurs in the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) efforts of Department of Disaster Management (DDM), particularly the distribution of flood shelters. Enclosure occurs when DRR projects are allocated to less vulnerable areas or broaden the influence of dominant actors into the public spending. Exclusion happens when DRR efforts reduce vulnerable people‟s access to public funds or marginalize disadvantaged stakeholder in decision-making process. Encroachment occurs when the distribution of DRR projects and selection of location and issues increase the environmental hazards or lead to other forms of disaster risk. Entrenchment happens when DRR projects aggravate the injustice or increase the grabbing of resources by the elites and increase inequality a community. This research explored that exclusionary forms of fund distribution of DRR happen locally and nationally. DRR related distribution have encroached through DRR project distribution without discussing local needs. Most severely, DRR related unequal distribution have entrenched social class making the backward communities vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Influencing practitioners of DRR need to take necessary actions to eliminate the potential risks from the processes of enclosure, exclusion, encroachment, and entrenchment happens in DRR related project fund allocations.Keywords: Bangladesh, Disaster Risk Reduction, Fund Distribution, Political Economy
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-10-2012
Abstract: The Taiwanese Network of Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) has been in place since 2006 and developing rapidly. The criticism of inadequate evaluation of the HPH approach taken elsewhere also holds true for the Taiwan HPH Network. Organizational change is a key to sustainable and effective health promotion, and it is also an important aspect in the European HPH movement. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate changes in organizational capacity for the implementation of HPH in Taiwan. All 55 HPH coordinators were invited to participate in the study, and 52 of them completed the questionnaires. The survey covered seven dimensions of HPH organizational capacity, and a total score of each dimension was calculated and converted to a figure on a scale of 10. This study has shown that HPH made a positive impact on HP hospitals in Taiwan regarding organizational change in capacity building for HPH. Leadership, organization culture and mission and strategy received the top three highest mean scores (8.19 ± 1.25, 8.08 ± 1.39, 7.99 ± 1.42), while staff participation received the lowest score (7.62 ± 1.26). The high level of organizational change was associated with the high satisfaction levels of organizational support from the viewpoint of the HPH coordinators. Based on a cluster analysis, a majority of the HP hospitals in Taiwan seemed to have adopted the addition model in putting the HPH initiative into practice a few hospitals appeared to have accepted HPH initiative well through the integration model. These results presented evidence that HPH contributed to organizational capacity building of hospitals for health promotion.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S00484-014-0848-Y
Abstract: Although several studies have documented that latitude might be an effect modifier of the association between temperature and mortality, little is known about how much latitude modifies the temperature-mortality relationship. In this study, we examined this research question using a distributed lag non-linear model and meta-regression analysis based on data from 13 large cities of eastern US from the US National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air Pollution Study. We found that cold effects lasted about 1 month while hot effects were acute and short-term. Meta-regression analysis showed that latitude modified both the cold and hot effects with statistical significance. The cold effect decreased with the latitude increment, with -0.11 % change of mortality effect for 1° increment, while the hot effect increased with the latitude increment, with 0.18 % change of mortality effect for 1° increment. This finding indicates the importance of latitude on temperature-related mortality risk, which is helpful for city to develop localized effective adaptation strategy in the context of climate change.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-04-2017
Abstract: Drinking water in the Mekong Delta Region (MDR) is highly vulnerable to salinity intrusion and this problem is expected to increase with the projected climate change and sea level rise. Despite this, research on health effects of saline contaminated water is scarce in this region. This study examines the risk of hospital admission for hypertension in salinity-affected areas of the MDR. Cases and controls were obtained from national rovincial hospital admission records for 2013. The cases were adult patients whom hypertension (ICD10-code: I10-I15) was primary diagnosis for admission. Of the 13 provinces in the MDR, we identified seven as 'salinity exposed' and the remaining as 'non-exposed' areas. A multi-level logistic regression model was used to examine the association between salinity exposure and hypertension outcome. Of the total 573 650 hospital admissions, 22 382 (~3.9%) were hypertensive cases. The multi-level logistic model combining both in idual and ecological factors showed a 9% increase in risk (95% CI: 3-14%) of hypertension admission among in iduals in exposed areas compared to those in non-exposed areas. In order to develop and promote appropriate adaptation strategies, further research is recommended to identify the salt exposure pathways and consumption behaviours in the salinity exposed areas.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2006
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJCARD.2005.11.102
Abstract: Low ankle-arm systolic blood pressure index is strongly correlated with various cardiovascular risk factors. However, although the potential hazards of resulting coronary artery disease (CAD) are well established, no data is available regarding how ankle-arm index (AAI) and CAD severity are related. This study enrolled 477 patients and all patients underwent coronary angiography and AAI measurements. Based on AAI values, patients were ided into study (AAI value of or=0.9, 351 patients). Among baseline characteristics, the study group showed a significantly older and higher female ratio than the control group. The presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), current smoking status and LDL-cholesterol level differed significantly between these two groups. Mean number of lesions and target vessel involvement were significant different between the study and control group (2.6+/-1.1 vs. 1.9+/-1.0, p<0.0001 2.0+/-0.8 vs. 1.6+/-0.7, p<0.0001). Percentages of lesion sites on ostial and proximal portions were markedly high in the study group than in the control group. Significant differences also emerged in the complex stenotic lesions (B2 or C) and lesion morphology (calcified, chronic total occlusion, irregular, bifurcation and diffuse) of these two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis, showed that AAI is a statistically significant independent predictor for lesion site, complex stenotic lesions and lesion morphology with Odds ratios (ORs) of, respectively, 1.728, 2.880 and 2.71. The AAI is a useful non-invasive tool for the prediction of CAD severity.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 04-05-2023
DOI: 10.3389/FPUBH.2023.1066694
Abstract: Knowledge regarding the treatment cost of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the real world is vital for disease burden forecasts and health resources planning. However, it is greatly hindered by obtaining reliable cost data from actual patients. To address this knowledge gap, this study aims to estimate the treatment cost and specific cost components for COVID-19 inpatients in Shenzhen city, China in 2020–2021. It is a 2 years' cross-sectional study. The de-identified discharge claims were collected from the hospital information system (HIS) of COVID-19 designated hospital in Shenzhen, China. One thousand three hundred ninety-eight inpatients with a discharge diagnosis for COVID-19 from January 10, 2020 (the first COVID-19 case admitted in the hospital in Shenzhen) to December 31, 2021. A comparison was made of treatment cost and cost components of COVID-19 inpatients among seven COVID-19 clinical classifications (asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe, critical, convalescent and re-positive cases) and three admission stages ( ided by the implementation of different treatment guidelines). The multi-variable linear regression models were used to conduct the analysis. The treatment cost for included COVID-19 inpatients was USD 3,328.8. The number of convalescent cases accounted for the largest proportion of all COVID-19 inpatients (42.7%). The severe and critical cases incurred more than 40% of treatment cost on western medicine, while the other five COVID-19 clinical classifications spent the largest proportion (32%−51%) on lab testing. Compared with asymptomatic cases, significant increases of treatment cost were observed in mild cases (by 30.0%), moderate cases (by 49.2%), severe cases (by 228.7%) and critical cases (by 680.7%), while reductions were shown in re-positive cases (by 43.1%) and convalescent cases (by 38.6%). The decreasing trend of treatment cost was observed during the latter two stages by 7.6 and 17.9%, respectively. Our findings identified the difference of inpatient treatment cost across seven COVID-19 clinical classifications and the changes at three admission stages. It is highly suggestive to inform the financial burden experienced by the health insurance fund and the Government, to emphasize the rational use of lab tests and western medicine in the COVID-19 treatment guideline, and to design suitable treatment and control policy for convalescent cases.
Publisher: Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS)
Date: 11-2017
Abstract: Purpose: One of the most common complications of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy is middle ear barotrauma (MEB), occasionally causing otalgia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dried salted plum consumption on MEB and otalgia associated with HBO2 therapy. Materials and methods: Patients undergoing the first chamber session of HBO2 therapy were included in the present prospective randomized controlled trial. The Valsalva maneuver was administered to all patients before HBO2. The patients were randomly ided into two groups: one that ate a dried salted plum during HBO2 treatment and the other that did not. An otoscopic examination was performed after HBO2 therapy. The MEB was graded according to Teed scores. The degree of otalgia was recorded using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results: Ninety patients were enrolled. The overall incidence of MEB (Teed score grade 1~4) was 39.6% (21 of 53) for patients administered a dried salted plum versus 37.8% (14 of 37) for the control group (P=1.000). The incidence of mild MEB (Teed score grade 1~2) and severe MEB (Teed score Grade 3~4) between the two groups was not significantly different. Otalgia was present in 5.7% (3 of 53) of patients administered a dried salted plum versus 18.9% (7 of 37) for the control group (P=.085). No patients administered a dried salted plum had a VAS score ≥4 for otalgia versus 10.8% (4 of 37) for the control group (P=.026). Conclusions: Dried salted plum consumption does not decrease the incidence of MEB, but may ameliorate the severity of first chamber session HBO2-induced otalgia.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2017.08.158
Abstract: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is a significant public health issue in Asia-pacific countries. Numerous studies have examined the relationship between socio-ecological factors and HFMD however the research findings were inconsistent. This study examined the association between socio-ecologic factors and HFMD in multiple provinces across Vietnam. We applied a spatial autoregressive model using a Bayesian framework to examine the relationship between HFMD and socio-demographic factors. We used a Generalized Linear Model (GLD) with Poisson family to examine the province-specific association between monthly HFMD and climatic factors while controlling for spatial lag, seasonality and long-term trend of HFMD. Then, we used a random-effect meta-analysis to generate pooled effect size of climate-HFMD association for regional and country scale. One percent increase in newborn breastfed within 1h of birth, households with permanent houses, and households accessed to safe water resulted in 1.57% (95% CI: -2.25, -0.93), 0.96% (-1.66, -0.23), and 1.13% (-2.16, -0.18) reduction in HFMD incidence, respectively. At the country-level, HFMD increased 7% (RR: 1.07 95%CI: 1.052-1.088) and 3.1% (RR: 1.031, 95%CI: 1.024-1.039) for 1°C increase in monthly temperature above 26°C and 1% increase in monthly humidity above 76%. Whereas, HFMD decreased 3.1% associated with 1mm increase in monthly cumulative rainfalls. The climate-HFMD relationship was varied by regions and provinces across the country. The findings reflect an important implication for the climate change adaptation strategies and public-health decision, of which development of weather-based early warning systems should be considered to strengthen communicable disease prevention system.
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 24-12-2019
Abstract: Our findings highlight how soil fungal and bacterial communities respond to time, season, and plant species identity. We found that succession shapes the soil bacterial community, while plant species and the type of plant species that grows in the soil drive the assembly of soil fungal communities. Future research on the effects of plants on soil microbes should take into consideration the relative roles of both time and plant growth on creating soil legacies that impact future plants growing in the soil. Understanding the temporal (in)stability of microbial communities in soils will be crucial for predicting soil microbial composition and functioning, especially as plant species compositions will shift with global climatic changes and land-use alterations. As fungal and bacterial communities respond to different environmental cues, our study also highlights that the selection of study organisms to answer specific ecological questions is not trivial and that the timing of s ling can greatly affect the conclusions made from these studies.
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 04-2013
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.1206025
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJSO.2011.03.004
Abstract: Major liver resection prevents intrahepatic tumor recurrence in T2 hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion or daughter nodules. There is no consensus on whether major or minor hepatectomy is better for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. We investigated the outcomes of liver resection type in resectable HCC patients. Two hundred sixty-three HCC patients with Child-Pugh class A liver function who underwent curative hepatectomy were enrolled. Among them, 186 patients had pathologic stage T1 HCC and 77 had stage T2 HCC. Patients were also classed according to the type of resection (major or minor). Clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes were compared. Patients with T1 HCC who underwent major resection had a higher rate of blood transfusion than those who underwent minor resection (P < 0.001). The disease-free survival rate of T2 patients who underwent major resection was better than that of patients who underwent minor resection (P = 0.004). The overall survival rates of T1 and T2 HCC patients did not differ significantly between those with major or minor resection. Major liver resection is recommended for T2 HCC patients with adequate remnant liver function because it results in a better disease-free survival rate than does minor resection in these patients. Minor liver resection is suggested for T1 HCC patients, except for those with a tumor sitting close to vessels, because it is associated with a low incidence of blood transfusion and a good survival rate.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-11-2011
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE10655
Abstract: Magmatic outgassing of volatiles from Earth's interior probably played a critical part in determining the composition of the earliest atmosphere, more than 4,000 million years (Myr) ago. Given an elemental inventory of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur, the identity of molecular species in gaseous volcanic emanations depends critically on the pressure (fugacity) of oxygen. Reduced melts having oxygen fugacities close to that defined by the iron-wüstite buffer would yield volatile species such as CH(4), H(2), H(2)S, NH(3) and CO, whereas melts close to the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer would be similar to present-day conditions and would be dominated by H(2)O, CO(2), SO(2) and N(2) (refs 1-4). Direct constraints on the oxidation state of terrestrial magmas before 3,850 Myr before present (that is, the Hadean eon) are tenuous because the rock record is sparse or absent. S les from this earliest period of Earth's history are limited to igneous detrital zircons that pre-date the known rock record, with ages approaching ∼4,400 Myr (refs 5-8). Here we report a redox-sensitive calibration to determine the oxidation state of Hadean magmatic melts that is based on the incorporation of cerium into zircon crystals. We find that the melts have average oxygen fugacities that are consistent with an oxidation state defined by the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer, similar to present-day conditions. Moreover, selected Hadean zircons (having chemical characteristics consistent with crystallization specifically from mantle-derived melts) suggest oxygen fugacities similar to those of Archaean and present-day mantle-derived lavas as early as ∼4,350 Myr before present. These results suggest that outgassing of Earth's interior later than ∼200 Myr into the history of Solar System formation would not have resulted in a reducing atmosphere.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1155/2014/634123
Abstract: Background . Microarray technology shows great potential but previous studies were limited by small number of s les in the colorectal cancer (CRC) research. The aims of this study are to investigate gene expression profile of CRCs by pooling cDNA microarrays using PAM, ANN, and decision trees (CART and C5.0). Methods . Pooled 16 datasets contained 88 normal mucosal tissues and 1186 CRCs. PAM was performed to identify significant expressed genes in CRCs and models of PAM, ANN, CART, and C5.0 were constructed for screening candidate genes via ranking gene order of significances. Results . The first screening identified 55 genes. The test accuracy of each model was over 0.97 averagely. Less than eight genes achieve excellent classification accuracy. Combining the results of four models, we found the top eight differential genes in CRCs suppressor genes, CA7, SPIB, GUCA2B, AQP8, IL6R and CWH43 oncogenes, SPP1 and TCN1 . Genes of higher significances showed lower variation in rank ordering by different methods. Conclusion . We adopted a two-tier genetic screen, which not only reduced the number of candidate genes but also yielded good accuracy (nearly 100%). This method can be applied to future studies. Among the top eight genes, CA7 , TCN1 , and CWH43 have not been reported to be related to CRC.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2014.08.046
Abstract: Seasonal patterns in mortality have been recognised for decades, with a marked excess of deaths in winter, yet our understanding of the causes of this phenomenon is not yet complete. Research has shown that low and high temperatures are associated with increased mortality independently of season however, the impact of unseasonal weather on mortality has been less studied. In this study, we aimed to determine if unseasonal patterns in weather were associated with unseasonal patterns in mortality. We obtained daily temperature, humidity and mortality data from 1988 to 2009 for five major Australian cities with a range of climates. We split the seasonal patterns in temperature, humidity and mortality into their stationary and non-stationary parts. A stationary seasonal pattern is consistent from year-to-year, and a non-stationary pattern varies from year-to-year. We used Poisson regression to investigate associations between unseasonal weather and an unusual number of deaths. We found that deaths rates in Australia were 20-30% higher in winter than summer. The seasonal pattern of mortality was non-stationary, with much larger peaks in some winters. Winters that were colder or drier than a typical winter had significantly increased death risks in most cities. Conversely summers that were warmer or more humid than average showed no increase in death risks. Better understanding the occurrence and cause of seasonal variations in mortality will help with disease prevention and save lives.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-2000
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-1990
Publisher: National Institute of Industrial Health
Date: 2009
Abstract: The present study was to describe the input rocess and evaluate the effectiveness of Taiwanese Workplace Health Promotion Initiatives based on employees' perspectives. This study employed a cross-sectional design by a structured questionnaire that was completed by 842 employees in 30 workplaces that participated in the Taiwan Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) Initiatives which supported by Ministry of Health from 2004 to 2006. The results found that the employees generally agreed that WHP improved their personal health skills. There was a lower level of agreement with respect to other input rocess domains such as workplace healthy policy, workplace supportive health environments and WHP activities and services and the WHP effectiveness. With regard to the prediction of WHP effectiveness, the domain of workplace health activities/services could only predict 50.5% of the variation of the effectiveness in a regression model. Three domains of workplace - health activities/services, personal health skills and supportive health environments - were significantly correlated to the agree level of health promotion effectiveness. The results suggest that companies that intend initiating health promotion programs need to conduct a detailed assessment of the nature of the workplace settings and the perceptions of employees.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 29-04-2016
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 10-2016
Abstract: Aberrant DNA methylation plays a crucial role in cancer development however, prospective evidence of an interaction between molecular biomarkers and cancer staging for predicting the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is still limited. We examined DNA methylation in tumors and adjacent normal tissues from patients who underwent CRC surgical resection, and evaluated the interaction between cancer staging (advanced vs local) and DNA methylation to predict the prognosis of CRC. We recruited 132 patients with CRC from Tri-Service General Hospital in Taiwan and used the candidate gene approach to select 3 tumor suppressor genes involved in carcinogenesis pathways. ORs and 95% CIs were computed using logistic regression analyses while adjusting for potential covariates. Advanced cancer stage was correlated with cancer recurrence (OR 7.22, 95% CI 2.82 to 18.45 p .001). In addition, after stratification by promoter methylation in 3 combined genes in the matched normal tissues, we observed a joint effect after adjusting for sex, age at surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy, yielding a significant OR of 20.35 (95% CI 4.16 to 99.57 p .001). DNA methylation status would significantly increase the recurrence risk of CRC with a significant impact on joint effect between DNA methylation and clinical stage, particularly in matched normal tissues. This was attributed to molecular changes that could not be examined on the basis of clinical pathology. Our interaction results may serve as a reference marker for evaluating the risk of recurrence in future studies.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 19-07-2021
DOI: 10.1136/OEMED-2021-107768
Abstract: To examine the relationship between flood severity and risk of hospitalisation in the Vietnam Mekong River Delta (MRD). We obtained data on hospitalisations and hydro-meteorological factors during 2011–2014 for seven MRD provinces. We classified each day into a flood-season exposure period: the 2011 extreme annual flood (EAF) 2012–2014 routine annual floods (RAF) dry season and non-flood wet season (reference period). We used province-specific Poisson regression models to calculate hospitalisation incidence rate ratios (IRRs). We pooled IRRs across provinces using random-effects meta-analysis. During the EAF, non-external cause hospitalisations increased 7.2% (95% CI 3.2% to 11.4%) infectious disease hospitalisations increased 16.4% (4.3% to 29.8%) and respiratory disease hospitalisations increased 25.5% (15.5% to 36.4%). During the RAF, respiratory disease hospitalisations increased 8.2% (3.2% to 13.5%). During the dry season, hospitalisations decreased for non-external causes and for each specific cause except injuries. We observed a gradient of decreasing risk of hospitalisation from EAF to RAF/non-flood wet season to dry season. Adaptation measures should be strengthened to prepare for the increased probability of more frequent extreme floods in the future, driven by climate change.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2016.10.019
Abstract: Although many in idual studies have examined the association between temperature and blood pressure (BP), they used different methods and also their results were somewhat inconsistent. The aims of this study are to quantitatively summarize previous studies and to systematically assess the methodological issues to make recommendations for future research. We searched relevant empirical studies published before January 2016 concerning temperature and BP among adults using the MEDLINE, Embase and PubMed databases. Mean changes in systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) per 1°C reduction in temperature were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. Of 23 studies included, 14 were used for meta-analysis. Consistent, statistically significant, inverse associations were observed between ambient temperature (mean, maximum, minimum outdoor temperature and indoor temperature) and BP. An 1°C decrease in mean daily outdoor temperature was associated with an increase in SBP and DBP of 0.26mmHg (95% CI: 0.18-0.33) and 0.13 (95% CI: 0.11-0.16), respectively. The increase was greater in people with conditions related to cardiovascular disease. An 1°C decrease in indoor temperature was associated with 0.38mmHg (0.18-0.58) increase in SBP, while the effects on DBP were not estimated due to limited studies. Among the previous studies on temperature-BP relationship, temperature and BP measurements are not accurate enough and statistical methods need to be improved. Lower ambient temperatures seem to increase adults' BP and people with conditions related to cardiovascular disease are more susceptible to drops in temperature. Indoor temperature appeared to have a stronger effect on BP than outdoor temperature. To understand temperature-BP relationship well, a study combining repeated personal temperature exposure and ambulatory BP monitoring, applying improved statistical methods to examine potential non-linear relationship is warranted.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1743-6109.2010.01853.X
Abstract: Accumulated evidence shows that erectile dysfunction (ED) may be a precursor of coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in coronary phenotypes between patients with ED and patients with angina pectoris. The study enrolled 30 ED patients (study group) and 120 age-matched angina patients who had no ED (control group). All patients had angiographically documented CAD. The differences in demographic characteristics, biochemical profiles and coronary characteristics between the study and control groups were compared. Diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity defined by body mass index were more common in the study group than in the control group. The mean number of lesions and mean number of vessels with evidence of CAD were significantly different between the study and control groups (2.3 ± 0.1 vs. 2.2 ± 0.1, P < 0.001 2.0 ± 0.2 vs. 1.8 ± 0.1, P < 0.001). The distribution of vessel involvement was similar between the groups, except for more common involvement of the ramus in the study group. There were no differences in distribution of lesion sites between the two groups. The control group had a higher percentage of type A stenotic lesions than the study group (16.3% vs. 2.9%, P = 0.004). Significant differences were also observed in type C lesions (52.9% in study group vs. 38.0% in control group, P = 0.026). Fewer calcified, irregular, and bifurcated lesions were present in the study group compared to control. This study documented coronary phenotypes in ED patients without symptomatic CAD. Although the artery size hypothesis and ED had well been thought to be a precursor of CAD, the severity of coronary lesions in these patients was not more benign than that observed in angina pectoris patients who have no ED.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 04-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1743-6109.2009.01562.X
Abstract: There is growing evidence of a link between erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to explore the independent determinants of CAD in ED outpatients. This study enrolled 243 patients, ranging in age from 21 to 81 years old, suffering from ED as diagnosed by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores. All patients underwent exercise stress tests or thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography perfusion imagings. Based on examination results, patients were ided into study (22 patients with a positive finding) and control groups (221 patients with a negative finding). The differences of demographic characteristics, biochemical profiles, pro-inflammatory and inflammatory markers, and echocardiographic characteristics between study and control group were compared. The age, presence of DM and current smoking status were significant high in the study group. A significant lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, a higher percentage of HDL cholesterol level& mg/dL, and a higher apo-lipoprotein B/A1, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and homocysteine found in the study group. The Framingham cardiac risk scores, the ratio of mitral inflow velocity to early diastolic velocity in the annulus derived by tissue Doppler imaging (E/Et), the ratio of E/Et ≥ 15, the value of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and IMT ≥ 1 mm were higher in study group than in the control group. In stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis, a high waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), high IMT, high E/Et, hs-CRP levels, LDL cholesterol ≥ 130 mg/dL, smoking status, and the presence of DM and metabolic syndrome (MS) were independent determinants of CAD in ED patients. This study first shows the independent determinants of CAD in ED outpatients. This novel finding may improve the screening of low-risk ED patients for CAD.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.ECHO.2011.08.020
Abstract: Although previous studies have established the ability of mitral annular velocities and velocity dispersion indices to differentiate between ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and nonischemic cardiomyopathy, prospective data are lacking on both the use of heterogeneity of mitral annular velocities to predict the ischemic etiology in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and further cardiovascular prognosis. A total of 232 patients with left ventricular ejection fractions < 40% were admitted between 2008 and 2010. Doppler tissue imaging was performed on six mitral annular sites for three consecutive beats and then averaged for each site. Systolic (Vs') and early (Ve') and late (Va') diastolic mitral annular velocity dispersion indices among the six mitral annular sites were calculated. Ve' was a significant predictor (P < .01) of ICM in multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for clinical variables and conventional echocardiography. The optimal cutoff value for predicting ICM was Ve' ≥ 16.7 with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.92. Its sensitivity and specificity were 87% and 85%, respectively. During follow-up (median, 32 months), 64 participants experienced cardiac mortality. The adjusted hazard ratio in Cox proportional-hazards analysis for death in the third tertile in comparison with the first tertile of Ve' was 2.92 (P = .02). A high degree of heterogeneity of e', expressed as Ve', provides incremental value over clinical variables and conventional echocardiography to predict the prevalence of low left ventricular ejection fractions patients with ICM. Furthermore, elevated Ve' could also identify patients at a high risk for cardiac mortality.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.CJCA.2011.10.016
Abstract: People with metabolic syndrome (MS) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease-associated morbidity and all-cause mortality. However, predicting the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) according to different MS definitions is controversial. This study explores the prevalence and severity of CAD according to different MS definitions, focusing on their predictive value. We enrolled 690 Taiwanese adults with CAD in this study. Coronary artery lesions were classified by the modified American Heart Association-American College of Cardiology grading system. MS was diagnosed in 3 groups of randomly assigned subjects according to World Health Organization (WHO), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and revised Adult Treatment Panel III (rATP III) criteria. More MS components and more severe CAD were identified in the WHO group. Prevalence of MS in the WHO, IDF, and rATP III groups was 33.9%, 47.4%, and 52.8%, respectively (P < 0.001). Mean lesion and culprit vessel numbers were slightly higher in WHO-group patients. The WHO group had more complex stenoses with type C classification than did the IDF and rATP III groups (32.7%, 26.3%, and 28.1% P = 0.041) and significantly more calcified stenoses (21.5%, 16.2%, and 16.4% P = 0.027). In a comparison of CAD severity by complex morphology lesions, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was higher in the WHO group (0.552 95% confidence interval, 0.509-0.595 P = 0.019). Compared with IDF and rATP III definitions, the WHO definition of MS has superior predictive value of CAD severity in Taiwanese patients.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-10-2013
Abstract: In many parts of the world, including in China, extreme heat events or heat waves are likely to increase in intensity, frequency, and duration in light of climate change in the next decades. Risk perception and adaptation behaviors are two important components in reducing the health impacts of heat waves, but little is known about their relationships in China. This study aimed to examine the associations between risk perception to heat waves, adaptation behaviors, and heatstroke among the public in Guangdong province, China. A total of 2,183 adult participants were selected using a four-stage s ling method in Guangdong province. From September to November of 2010 each subject was interviewed at home by a well-trained investigator using a structured questionnaire. The information collected included socio-demographic characteristics, risk perception and spontaneous adaptation behaviors during heat wave periods, and heatstroke experience in the last year. Chi-square tests and unconditional logistic regression models were employed to analyze the data. This study found that 14.8%, 65.3% and 19.9% of participants perceived heat waves as a low, moderate or high health risk, respectively. About 99.1% participants employed at least one spontaneous adaptation behavior, and 26.2%, 51.2% and 22.6% respondents employed , 4–7, and adaptation behaviors during heat waves, respectively. In iduals with moderate (OR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.38-6.22) or high (OR=10.58, 95% CI: 4.74-23.63) risk perception experienced more heatstroke in the past year than others. Drinking more water and wearing light clothes in urban areas, while decreasing activity as well as wearing light clothes in rural areas were negatively associated with heatstroke. In iduals with high risk perception and employing adaptation behaviors during heat waves had the highest risks of heatstroke (OR=47.46, 95% CI: 12.82-175.73). There is a large room for improving health risk perception and adaptation capacity to heat waves among the public of Guangdong province. People with higher risk perception and fewer adaptation behaviors during heat waves may be more vulnerable to heat waves.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 28-06-2018
DOI: 10.1155/2018/2710185
Abstract: Background . Epidemics such as SARS and H7N9 have caused huge negative impacts on population health and the economy in China. Aims . This article discusses the impacts of SARS in 2003 and H7N9 in 2013 in China, in order to provide a better understanding to government and practitioners of why improving management of response to infectious disease outbreaks is so critical for a country’s economy, its society, and its place in the global community. Methods . To provide the results of an analysis of impacts of SARS and H7N9 based on feedback from documents, informants, and focus groups on events during the SARS and H7N9 outbreaks. Results . Both outbreaks of SARS and H7N9 have had an impact on China, causing significant negative impacts on health, the economy, and even national and even international security. Conclusions . Both SARS coronavirus and H7N9 viruses presented a global epidemic threat, but the social and economic impacts of H7N9 were not as serious as in the case of SARS because the response to H7N9 was more effective.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2022
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-08-2020
Publisher: International Heart Journal (Japanese Heart Journal)
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1536/IHJ.47.775
Abstract: Acute pulmonary embolism continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. This retrospective analysis aimed to determine whether the combination of elevated troponin I and right ventricular dilatation (RVD) could provide a more powerful predictor for risk evaluation. The study data comprised records of 110 patients with either high-probability ventilation erfusion lung scan or positive spiral computed tomography. All cause 100-day mortality was 18.2%. The hypotension and RVD variables significantly influenced 100-day mortality. For the combination of RVD and raised troponin I, the 100-day mortality rate was 31%. Notably, the group with elevated troponin I and no RVD had a 100-day mortality rate of only 3.7%. The combination of RVD and elevated troponin had a positive predictive value of 31% and a negative predictive value of 88% for 100-day mortality. Compared with existing reports, conflicting conclusions for the in idual prognostic role of elevated troponin I, cancer, and heart failure were obtained. These conflicting conclusions most likely resulted from inappropriate cut-off troponin I values and the modest s le size. In conclusion, the combination of elevated troponin and RVD was able to identify a subset of patients most likely to benefit from aggressive therapy.
Publisher: Ivyspring International Publisher
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.7150/IJMS.17145
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2014.09.022
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of and contributing factors to osteopenia and osteoporosis among people with intellectual disabilities (ID) or/and developmental disabilities (DD) residing in a disability institution in Taiwan. The present study was conducted at one disability institution in Taiwan and recruited 184 institutionalized residents with ID and/or DD (115 men and 69 women aged 18-72 years) for analysis. For all residents with ID and/or DD, information was obtained about their age, gender, level of ID, BMI, and bone mineral density (BMD). BMD is a measurement of calcium levels in bones that can estimate the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Bone tests were ided into three outcome categories based on their calcaneal BMD T-scores: Normal BMD, a T-score≧-1 Osteopenia, -2.5≦T-score<-1 and Osteoporosis, a T-score<-2.5. The results revealed that 46.2% of cases were normal and that 27.7% and 26.1% of cases had osteopenia and osteoporosis, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analyses found that male gender (OR=2.482, 95% CI=1.04-5.93, p<0.05), age≧40 years (OR=3.051, 95% CI=1.07-8.69, p<0.05) and being overweight/obese (OR=0.395, 95% CI=0.17-0.93, p<0.05) were more likely to be associated with osteoporosis. Another model indicated that males (OR=2.169, 95% CI=1.12-4.19, p<0.05) and those aged≧40 years (OR=3.026, 95% CI=1.32-7, p<0.01) tended to have an increased risk for osteopenia and osteoporosis. To improve the bone quality of in iduals with ID or/and DD and to decrease the occurrence of osteopenia and osteoporosis, this study highlights that we should pay much attention to the potential risk factors for bone quality in these vulnerable populations.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2019
Abstract: Despite the improved safety of the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh since 2013, other workplace health and safety issues in the ready-made garment industry continue, especially violence towards female workers. This article examines this violence as well as the social norms and attitudes of key stakeholders underpinning it. Data were collected in four ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions with female workers and key-informant interviews with different stakeholders, along with factory observations. Findings were analysed thematically. Female workers described personal experience of violence in the workplace: physical and verbal abuse, constant pressure, other personal restrictions and withholding of pay. They did not make complaints for fear of losing their jobs. Supervisors characterized the women as ‘disobedient,’ ‘uncooperative’ and ‘unwilling’ to work and viewed their behaviour as acceptable. Other stakeholders ignored these problems. Finally, this study suggests how the findings encourage action to prevent violence in the workplace in order to address the emerging occupational health problems in Bangladesh.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-2017
DOI: 10.2147/IJWH.S137250
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-04-2020
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.13497
Publisher: Japanese Circulation Society
Date: 2012
Abstract: Early (e')/late (a') diastolic mitral annular velocity ratio is a powerful independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Doppler tissue imaging, however, may change over time according to intervention and medical treatment. The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate whether, in clinically stable patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), the decrease of an initially high e'/a' ratio on long-term therapy predicts a more favorable outcome. One hundred and eighty-one adult patients with CHF and high e'/a' ratio (≥ 0.74) underwent repeat echocardiography 6 months after the initial examination, and were then followed up for a mean period of 20 months. After 6 months, e'/a' ratio did not change in 95 patients, whereas it was significantly decreased (<0.74) in the remaining 86 patients. During follow-up, 55 participants (30%) had cardiac events. According to multivariate Cox regression analysis, decrease in e'/a' ratio, initial New York Heart Association class III or IV, and change in LV mass index as well as in systolic mitral annular velocities emerged as independent predictors of survival. The decrease of an initially high e'/a' ratio on long-term therapy predicts a more favorable outcome in clinically stable patients with CHF.
Publisher: International Research and Cooperation Association for Bio & Socio-Sciences Advancement (IRCA-BSSA)
Date: 31-10-2022
Abstract: COVID-19 has been a topic of interest since a pandemic struck in 2019. The morbidity of influenza tended to decrease due to the measures to prevent COVID-19. Indeed, influenza seems to be "ignored" in this era of COVID-19. However, influenza has not disappeared from the scene. Presented here are two ex les of recent influenza epidemics in China and Australia. Possible interactions between COVID-19 and influenza are discussed. Measures against COVID-19 may reduce contact with influenza, subsequently reducing adaptive immunity against influenza in the general population. Influenza might not be center stage right now, but insufficient adaptive immunity in the population may potentially trigger a future influenza pandemic. Coinfection with COVID-19 and influenza might potentially be a thorny problem. Hence, influenza cannot be ignored. Governments around the world should take measures to prepare for a possible influenza pandemic in the future.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 30-11-2012
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 04-10-2017
DOI: 10.1017/DMP.2017.114
Abstract: China’s emergency management of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was heavily criticized, whereas the H7N9 response was praised by the international community. The aims of this study were to examine and compare the strengths and weaknesses of risk communication conducted in response to SARS and H7N9 and their associated social impacts on affected communities in China. A qualitative comparative case study approach was employed in the present study, using a set of 8 risk communication principles selected from international literature to suit the Chinese context for the comparative analysis of emergency responses of SARS and H7N9. The study found significant differences in the risk communication conducted in the 2 cases. The SARS outbreak fully exposed China’s lack of experience in public health risk communication. By contrast, the Chinese government’s risk communication strategies had improved significantly during the H7N9 outbreak. Trust is the basis for communication. Maintaining an open and honest attitude and actively engaging stakeholders to address their risk information needs will serve to build trust and facilitate multi-sector collaborations in dealing with a public health crisis. From SARS to H7N9, risk communication practices in China greatly improved, which, in turn, lessened adverse social impacts and improved outcomes in emergency management of public health crises. ( Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness . 2018 :587–598)
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-03-2013
Abstract: Microarray technology can acquire information about thousands of genes simultaneously. We analyzed published breast cancer microarray databases to predict five-year recurrence and compared the performance of three data mining algorithms of artificial neural networks (ANN), decision trees (DT) and logistic regression (LR) and two composite models of DT-ANN and DT-LR. The collection of microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus, four breast cancer datasets were pooled for predicting five-year breast cancer relapse. After data compilation, 757 subjects, 5 clinical variables and 13,452 genetic variables were aggregated. The bootstrap method, Mann-Whitney U test and 20-fold cross-validation were performed to investigate candidate genes with 100 most-significant p-values. The predictive powers of DT, LR and ANN models were assessed using accuracy and the area under ROC curve. The associated genes were evaluated using Cox regression. The DT models exhibited the lowest predictive power and the poorest extrapolation when applied to the test s les. The ANN models displayed the best predictive power and showed the best extrapolation. The 21 most-associated genes, as determined by integration of each model, were analyzed using Cox regression with a 3.53-fold (95% CI: 2.24-5.58) increased risk of breast cancer five-year recurrence… The 21 selected genes can predict breast cancer recurrence. Among these genes, CCNB1, PLK1 and TOP2A are in the cell cycle G2/M DNA damage checkpoint pathway. Oncologists can offer the genetic information for patients when understanding the gene expression profiles on breast cancer recurrence.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 25-09-2019
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 24-09-2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2004
Abstract: Changes in the circulating volume associated with hemodialysis (HD) resulted in alternations of left ventricular (LV) filling. However, previous studies offered conflicting findings. This study thus evaluated the impact of HD on LV diastolic filling indices and hemodynamics. Forty patients with end-stage renal disease were studied by Doppler echocardiography immediately before and after HD. The cardiac size, volume and mass were determined by M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography. LV diastolic filling parameters and hemodynamics were assessed from mitral inflow using Doppler echocardiography. Left atrial and LV dimension, LV volume, and LV mass decreased significantly after HD (p<0.001). Cardiac output declined from 5.74+/-1.37 to 4.98+/-1.27 L/min (p<0.001), whereas, the ejection fraction remained unchanged. HD elicited marked changes in the early diastolic E (95.1+/-20.5 to 70.3+/-18.2 cm/s, p<0.001) and late atrial filling A velocities (104.3+/-20.9 to 88.9+/-16.9 cm/s, p<0.001). In addition, correction of the deceleration time of E and isovolumic relaxation time prolonged significantly (p=0.011 and p<0.001, respectively). Findings in this study indicate that HD altering the loading condition significantly influenced the LV diastolic function and hemodynamics. Moreover, Doppler echocardiography provides an effective means of assessing the effects on LV diastolic filling and hemodynamics during HD.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 10-06-2019
DOI: 10.1017/DMP.2019.10
Abstract: Risk communication plays a very important role in the prevention of public health crisis events and has been considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be 1 of the main functions of an emergency public health crisis. However, it is a relatively new research field in China, so many people have mistaken understandings of risk communication. This article will describe the concept and importance of risk communication and briefly introduce the role of risk communication in public health crisis management. It also provides information for the prevention of public health crisis events in the future.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2019
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 22-05-2023
Abstract: Global climate change has contributed to the intensity, frequency, and duration of heatwave events. The association between heatwaves and elderly mortality is highly researched in developed countries. In contrast, heatwave impact on hospital admissions has been insufficiently studied worldwide due to data availability and sensitivity. In our opinion, the relationship between heatwaves and hospital admissions is worthwhile to explore as it could have a profound impact on healthcare systems. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the associations between heatwaves and hospitalisations for the elderly by age group in Selangor, Malaysia, from 2010 to 2020. We further explored the impact of heatwaves on the risks of cause-specific hospital admissions across age groups within the elderly. This study applied generalized additive models (GAMs) with the Poisson family and distributed lag models (DLMs) to estimate the effect of heatwaves on hospitalisations. According to the findings, there was no significant increase in hospitalisations for those aged 60 and older during heatwaves however, a rise in mean apparent temperature (ATmean) by 1 °C significantly increased the risk of hospital admission by 12.9%. Heatwaves had no immediate effects on hospital admissions among elderly patients, but significant delay effects were identified for ATmean with a lag of 0–3 days. The hospital admission rates of the elderly groups started declining after a 5-day average following the heatwave event. Females were found to be relatively more vulnerable than males during heatwave periods. Consequently, these results can provide a reference to improve public health strategies to target elderly people who are at the greatest risk of hospitalisations due to heatwaves. Development of early heatwave and health warning systems for the elderly would assist with preventing and reducing health risks while also minimising the burden on the whole hospital system in Selangor, Malaysia.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-04-2016
DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2016.1175413
Abstract: We summarized epidemiological studies assessing sodium in drinking water and changes in blood pressure or hypertension published in English from 1960 to 2015 from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. We extracted data on blood pressure level or prevalence of hypertension and calculated pooled estimates using an inverse variance weighted random-effects model. The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) in 7 studies (12 data sets) comparing the low and high water sodium exposure groups for systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 0.08 (95% CI, -0.17 to 0.34) and for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 0.23 (95% CI, 0.09-0.36). Of the 3 studies that assessed the association between high water sodium and odds of hypertension, 2 recent studies showed consistent findings of higher risk of hypertension. Our systematic review suggests an association between water sodium and human blood pressure (more consistently for DBP) but remain inconclusive because of the small number of studies (largely in young populations) and the cross-sectional design and methodological drawbacks. In the context of climate-change-related sea level rise and increasing saltwater intrusion into drinking water sources, further research is urgently warranted to investigate and guide intervention in this increasingly widespread problem.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-07-2021
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-021-15354-8
Abstract: Human health risk assessments of exposures to non-carcinogenic occupational and environmental toxicants have mostly been undertaken using the Hazard Quotient (HQ) approach, which largely ignores variabilities in both exposures and associated adverse health outcomes, unlike probabilistic approaches. Chlorpyrifos is a neurotoxic insecticide that is commonly applied by farmers in Ghana with limited research on associated health risks among applicators. The objective of this study was to assess health risks associated with chlorpyrifos exposure among applicators on rice farms in Ghana, using advanced probabilistic approaches that incorporate variability in both exposure doses and adverse response doses obtained from human epidemiological studies. Urine s les obtained from the applicators were analyzed for 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP)from which Absorbed Daily Dose (ADD) and Lifetime Average Daily Dose (LADD) levels of chlorpyrifos were estimated. The scientific literature was searched to identify human epidemiological data from studies that have reported chlorpyrifos adverse effects and their corresponding exposure levels. Equivalent ADD and LADD of chlorpyrifos were estimated from the human epidemiological data to obtain chlorpyrifos Toxicant Sensitivity Distributions (TSDs). Using the applicators' chlorpyrifos dose distribution and TSDs, adverse health risks among the applicators were characterized using the probabilistic approaches, Overall Risk Probability (ORP) and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). The probabilities of chlorpyrifos adverse health effects occurring under the chronic exposure scenarios ranged from 1 to 8%, while those for acute exposure scenarios ranged from 31 to 34%. This study indicates that while the risks of chronic adverse health effects from chlorpyrifos exposure among the applicators were low, acute health risks were high.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-01-2013
DOI: 10.1007/S00270-013-0548-8
Abstract: The severity of residual stenosis (RS) sometimes cannot be accurately measured by angiography during central vein intervention. This study evaluated the role of pullback pressure measurement during central vein stenosis (CVS) intervention. A retrospective review enrolled 94 consecutive dialysis patients who underwent CVS interventions but not stenting procedures. Patients were classified into 2 groups by either angiography or pressure gradient (PG) criteria, respectively. Groups ided by angiographic result were successful group (RS ≤ 30 %) and acceptable group (50 % ≥ RS > 30 %), while groups ided by PG were low PG group (PG ≤ 5 mmHg) and high PG group (PG >5 mmHg). Baseline characteristics and 12-month patency rates between the groups were analyzed. The angiography results placed 63 patients in the successful group and 31 patients in the acceptable group. The patency rate at 12 month was not statistically different (P = 0.167). When the patients were reclassified by the postintervention pullback PG, the patency rate at 12 months was significant (P = 0.048). Further analysis in groups re ided by different combinations of RS and PG criteria identified significant differences in the group with both RS ≤ 30 % and PG ≤ 5 mmHg compared with those with either RS >30 % (P = 0.047) or PG >5 mmHg (P = 0.027). In addition, there was a significant difference between those with both RS ≤ 30 % and PG ≤ 5 mmHg compared with those with both RS >30 % and PG >5 mmHg (P = 0.027). Postintervention PG can better predict long-term outcomes after angioplasty for CVS in nonstented dialysis patients than angiography.
Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America
Date: 02-2014
DOI: 10.2138/AM.2014.4222
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2009.10.012
Abstract: This study aims to establish evidence-based data to explore the perceptions and experience of primary care physicians in the Pap smear screening provision for women with intellectual disabilities (ID), and to analyze the associated factors in the delivery of screening services to women with ID in Taiwan. Data obtained by a cross-sectional survey by a structured, self-administered questionnaire (12 perceptional issues), and were posted to all primary care settings (N=168) which provided Pap smear tests for women with ID in Taichung and I-Lan counties in Taiwan, Republic of China during the period of 2009. The vital primary care physician of each healthcare setting was the main respondent of the questionnaire. Finally, there were 69 valid questionnaires returned, giving a response rate of 41.7%. The main findings showed that 72.5% medical care settings provide Pap smear services and 51.5% have practical experience on conducting the tests for women with ID. Among the respondents, nearly 90% primary care physicians expressed that women with ID need Pap smear test regularly. With regard to the associated factors in the delivery of Pap smear screening services to women with ID. The study found that experienced healthcare settings in Pap smear tests for women with ID were more likely to be in public healthcare settings, felt confident in providing screening tests, having a rapid screening program and having a reminding follow-up system. Those respondents felt necessity in Pap smear test for women with ID were more likely to express it is needed to set up a special screening clinic for this group of women. The present study suggests that women with ID need thoughtful, well-coordinated care from primary care physicians, to increase access to health care providers may be helpful in improving Pap screening tests for this population.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2014.10.051
Abstract: This study aims to answer the research question of "Are early onset aging conditions correlated to daily activity functions in youth and adults with Down syndrome (DS)?" A cross-sectional survey was employed to recruit 216 in iduals with DS over 15 years of age in the analyses. A structured questionnaire included demographic data, brief self-reported aging conditions, Dementia Screening Questionnaire for In iduals with Intellectual Disabilities (DSQIID) and activity of daily living (ADL) scales were completed by the primary caregivers who were well-suited for providing information on the functioning conditions of the DS in iduals. Results showed that the most five frequent aging conditions (sometimes, usually and always) included frailty (20.2%), vision problem (15.8%), loss of language ability (15.3%), sleep problem (14.9%) and memory impairment (14.5%). Other onset aging conditions included more chronic diseases (13.9%), hearing loss (13%), chewing ability and tooth loss (12.5%), incontinence (11.1%), depressive syndrome (7.7%), falls and gait disorder (7.2%), loss of taste and smell (7.2%). The data also showed scores of DSQIID, onset aging conditions and ADL has significant relationships each other in Pearson's correlation tests. Finally, multiple linear regression analyses indicated onset aging conditions (β=-0.735, p<0.001) can significantly predicted the variation in ADL scores after adjusting other factors (R
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-05-2019
DOI: 10.1007/S11136-019-02199-5
Abstract: The relationship between built environments and the quality of life (QoL) of the elderly has gained great attention in recent years. However, most QoL studies have been conducted in western countries thus, limited research was found in Asia, in which the population density, urban forms, narrow roadways, and land use patterns are more compact and highly mixed in terms of use. Therefore, the purpose of this study was an interdisciplinary analysis of two national datasets, the National Land Use Investigation and the National Health Interview Survey, to explore the relationship between built environments and the health-related quality of life of older adults in Taiwan. Eight types of built environments at the township level were calculated, and 1222 nationally representative older adults aged 65 and older were recruited. The outcome variable was health-related QoL as measured using the EQ-5D, including utility score and the EQ-VAS. Statistical methods included descriptive analysis, bivariate analysis, and mixed-effects logistic regression analysis, which were conducted using SAS 9.4 software. The results showed that a significant relationship exists between cultural and historical facilities and low EQ-VAS none of the built environments were found to be related to the EQ-5D. In idual factors are the main determinants of the EQ-5D of older adults in Taiwan. Positive relationships were found if older adults were engaging in physical activities and social participation. We suggest that building a supportive environment in which elderly people could consistently engage in physical activities and social participation is another potential approach that might contribute to active aging.
Publisher: Geological Society of America
Date: 24-09-2021
Abstract: Here we present an overview of the geology of the Manhattan Prong and a specific guide for field stops in northern Central Park. This guide is intended to provide a brief introduction to these complex rocks for researchers, undergraduate students, and teachers. Given the easy access to Central Park and numerous schools and institutions nearby, these outcrops provide ideal teaching outcrops for students of all levels. We also present new geochemical and isotopic results for the Manhattan and Hartland Schists. Previous work has focused primarily on field mapping, structural relationships, or infrastructure-related mapping, whereas our new geochemistry data allow for more detailed discussions of provenance and overall tectonic history of these rocks. Our results suggest that all of the rocks in northern Central Park (regardless of mapped unit) are derived from Laurentia.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2008.02.001
Abstract: Little is known about the job strain of staff working in disability institutions. This study investigated the staff's job strain profile and its determinants which included the worker characteristics and the psychosocial working environments in Taiwan. A cross-sectional study survey was carried out among 1243 workers by means of a self-answered questionnaire. The outcome variable (high-strain job) was evaluated. The explanatory variables were: worker characteristics and the psychosocial working environment evaluated according to Karasek's Job Demand-Control-Support model. The results show that many staff characteristics were correlated with job strain, such as staff's working hours, age, gender, job title, educational level, religion, in-job training, working years in disability institutions and Effort-Reward Imbalance factors. Organization factors, such as geographical, institutional ownership and accreditation performance and size were also correlated with staff's job strain. In multiple a logistic regression model of the job strain, we found that the factors of financial reward (high compare to low, OR=0.95, 95% CI=0.928-0.975), extrinsic effort (high compare to low, OR=1.072, 95% CI=1.072-1.158), perceived job stress (sometimes stressful compare to no stress, OR=2.305, 95% CI=1.161-4.575 very stressful compare to no stress, OR=3.931, 95% CI=1.738-8.893) of the staff were significantly correlated to the high job strain of the staff. An important focus of future research should be extending the findings to consider the factors to affect the high job strain to improve the well-being for staff working for people with intellectual disability.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-02-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-04-2015
DOI: 10.1007/S00520-015-2741-6
Abstract: Palliative care consultation service (PCCS) is currently utilized to provide care to terminal patients in Taiwan. However, there is little research on the relationship between PCCS and end-of-life outcomes. This study aimed to elucidate the association between PCCS and end-of-life outcomes in terminal cancer patients. Retrospective chart reviews of terminal cancer patients who consulted the PCCS of a medical center in Taiwan from January 2007 to December 2012 were performed. Data on 1369 patients were recorded, which included details of outcomes such as discharge from hospital, transfer to hospice ward, and death after PCCS termination. Other variables such as demographics, disease-related information, symptoms, and psychosocial needs were also evaluated. Logistic regression models were employed to estimate the adjusted odds ratios and related 95% confidence intervals. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, timing of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) signature, constipation, and spiritual problems experienced by the patients were important predictors for terminal cancer patients who were discharged from the hospital or had expired at the time of PCCS termination. Age, gender, primary cancer diagnosis, timing of DNR signature, constipation, and other physical symptoms were the key predictors for patients who were transferred to the hospice ward or had expired. This study confirms the outcomes of PCCS and highlights the important predictors for patients at PCCS termination. These factors can be targeted to improve and enhance the quality of PCCS rendered in the future.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2016.10.008
Abstract: The effects of heatwaves on morbidity in developing and tropical countries have not been well explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between heatwaves and hospitalization and the potential influence of socio-economic factors on this relationship in Vietnam. Generalized Linear Models (GLM) with Poisson family and Distributed Lag Models (DLM) were applied to evaluate the effect of heatwaves for each province (province-level effect). A random-effects meta-analysis was applied to calculate the pooled estimates (country-level effects) for 'all causes', infectious, cardiovascular, and respiratory admissions queried by lag days, regions, sex, and ages. We used random-effects meta-regression to explore the potential influence of socio-economic factors on the relationship between heatwaves and hospitalization. The size of province-level effects varied across provinces. The pooled estimates show that heatwaves were significantly associated with a 2.5% (95%CI: 0.8-4.3) and 3.8% (95%CI, 1.5-6.2) increase in all causes and infectious admissions at lag 0. Cardiovascular and respiratory admissions (0.8%, 95%CI: -1.6-3.3 2.2%, 95%CI: -0.7-5.2) were not significantly increased after a heatwave event. The risk of hospitalization due to heatwaves was higher in the North than in the South for all causes (5.4%, 95%CI: -0.1-11.5 versus 1.3%, 95%CI: 0.1-2.6), infectious (11.2%, 95%CI: 3.1-19.9 versus 3.2%, 95%CI: 0.7-5.7), cardiovascular (7.5%, 95%CI: 1.1-14.4 versus -1.2%, 95%CI: -2.6-2.3), and respiratory diseases (2.7%, 95%CI: -5.4-11.5 versus 2.1%, 95%CI: -0.8-1.2). A non-significant influence of socio-economic factors on the relationship between heatwave and hospitalization was observed. This study provides important evidence and suggests implications for the projected impacts of climate change related extreme weather. Climate change adaptation programs of the health sector should be developed to protect residents from the effects of extreme weather events such as heatwaves in Vietnam.
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 04-2017
DOI: 10.1002/2016GC006794
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-1997
DOI: 10.1111/J.1467-842X.1997.TB01718.X
Abstract: The workplace is an important setting, affecting the physical, mental, economic and social wellbeing of workers, and, in turn, their families. Health of workers has many determinants, and a multidisciplinary, integrated approach is important. An overview of trends in workplace health promotion shows that current thinking has changed from a narrowly based risk-factors approach aimed at in idual behaviour changes, to an integrative approach aimed at creating health-promoting workplaces. The health-promoting workplace has 'an all-encompassing approach that empowers workers and employers to improve all facets of their health'. There are gaps in knowledge, at the state and national levels, relevant to the planning and assessment of workplace health. A national information network is needed to facilitate better links between public health practitioners and researchers in advancing the health of working Australians.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.4278/AJHP.120816-ARB-397
Abstract: To evaluate the pattern of perceived changes in the implementation of the Health Promoting Hospital (HPH) Initiative. This was a cross-sectional study with a self-administered questionnaire, asking the correspondents what changes they perceived before and after adopting the HPH initiative. This study was conducted with 55 hospitals committed to the HPH in Taiwan, and 52 completed the questionnaire. One coordinator in each of the 55 hospitals served as subject. HPH seeks to improve health gains for its stakeholders by developing structure, cultures, decisions, and process conducive to health promotion. Perceived changes were measured in the areas of more resource inputs, changing work models, realigned implementation strategies, more programs, higher service volume, and improved quality control. Regarding realigned strategies, emphasizing the impact of healthy public policies, supportive environments, staff participation, in idual knowledge and skills, and reorienting health services were measured. Descriptive analysis was used to examine the pattern of “prevalence of changes.” Changes were more prevalent in the domains of patients and community (both with averaged ranks = 1.8) “realigning strategies” was the area in which more changes were perceived (average rank = 1). Emphases on healthy public policies and reorienting health services were the leading changes (both averaged ranks = 2.4) regarding realigning strategies. The HPH initiative appeared to be an effective approach to build organizational capacity for health promotion.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-09-2021
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-021-16601-8
Abstract: Vietnam is one Southeast Asian country most vulnerable to climate change. By the end of the twenty-first century, temperature could rise above 5°C across Vietnam according to the IPCC highest emission pathway scenario. However, research on the temperature-health effects from the geographically erse sub-tropical northern region of Vietnam is limited making location specific health system preparedness difficult. This study examines the elevated temperature-hospitalization relationship for the seven provinces in northern Vietnam by using generalized linear and distributed lag models. A random-effect meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled temperature hospitalizations risks for all causes, and for infectious, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases. The pooled estimates show a significant effect of high temperature on hospitalizations for the same day (lag 0), when a 1°C increase in temperature above 24°C was significantly associated with 1.1% (95% CI, 0.9-1.4%) increased risk for all-cause hospital admissions, 2.4% (95% CI, 1.9-2.9%) increased risk for infectious disease admissions, 0.5% (95% CI, 0.1-0.9%) increased risk for cardiovascular disease admissions, and 1.3% (95% CI, 0.9-1.6%) increased risk for respiratory disease admissions. This research adds to the scant evidence examining heat and health morbidity effects in sub-tropical climates and has important implications for better understanding and preparing for the future impacts of climate change related temperature on Vietnam residents.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2014.04.026
Abstract: The present study aims to investigate the onset of dementia conditions using the Dementia Screening Questionnaire for In iduals with Intellectual Disabilities (DSQIID) scale and to identify the possible factors associated with DSQIID scores in people with Down syndrome (DS). The study population was recruited from the voluntary registry members of the Republic of China Foundation for Persons with Down syndrome primary caregivers provided DSQIID information on 196 adolescents and adults with DS (aged 15-48 years) who were entered into the database and analyzed using SPSS 20.0 software. The results described the distribution of early-onset dementia conditions in 53 adolescents and adults with DS, and 2.6% of the subjects with DS had possible dementia (DSQIID score ≧ 20). Univariate analyses found that older age (p=0.001) and comorbid conditions (p=0.003) were significantly associated with DSQIID scores. Older subjects were more likely to have higher DSQIID scores than were younger age groups after ANOVA and Scheffe's tests. Lastly, a multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age (p<0.01), severe disability level (p<0.05) and comorbid condition (p<0.01) significantly explained 13% of the variation in DSQIID scores after adjusting for the factors of gender, education level and multiple disabilities in adolescents and adults with DS. The study highlights that future research should focus on the occurrence of dementia in people with DS and on identifying its influencing factors based on sound measurements, to initiate appropriate healthy aging policies for this group of people.
Publisher: Cureus, Inc.
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.7759/CUREUS.3398
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-2018
Publisher: University of New South Wales Library
Date: 19-07-2023
DOI: 10.31646/GBIO.204
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-01-2009
DOI: 10.1038/IJIR.2009.1
Abstract: We determined the association between the severity of erectile dysfunction (ED) and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, including metabolic syndrome (MS). A total of 141 ED patients were ided into three groups on the basis of ED severity, which was determined using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores. The prevalence of MS among the ED patients was 32.6%. Significantly lower IIEF scores were noted in patients with MS than in patients without MS (7.6+/-6.4 vs 11.6+/-7.4, P=0.003). As assessed by the anthropometric indices of body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio, obesity was detected in 58.9, 54.6 and 32.6% of the patients, respectively. Of the 141 patients, 39 had mild, 24 had moderate and 78 had severe ED. Statistically significant differences were noted among the different ED severity groups with regard to the presence of hypertension, systolic blood pressure, presence of MS and number of MS components. Multivariate analysis showed that the odds ratio for high-low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level in moderate and severe ED, determined with reference to mild ED, were 9.346 and 6.452, respectively. The presence of MS, number of MS components, and certain traditional cardiovascular risk factors, particularly high-LDL cholesterol level and hypertension, may influence the severity of ED.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2009.10.001
Abstract: Although little is known about the incidence of cervical cancer in women with intellectual disabilities (ID), Pap smear screening is an effective public health program to prevent cervical cancer to this group of people. The purposes of this study were to identify and evaluate the factors regarding the utilization of the Pap smears in women with ID seen in the preventive health screening program. We employed a cross-sectional survey "2009 National Survey on Preventive Health Use and Determinants among People with Disabilities", with the study s le 508 women with ID (aged > or =15 years) participated in the research in Taiwan. Results showed that there were 22.1% women with ID had ever used Pap smear screening previously and mean age of the first screening was nearly 40 years old. Comparing to the general population in Taiwan, the ID women at age group or =35 years was more likely to use Pap smears than did the general women. Finally, a logistic regression analysis showed that marital status and had experience of accepted tubal ligation surgery were two factors which predicted Pap smear test use in the study. Those women with ID who had marital status were 8.99 times (95% CI=1.65-49.15) more likely than those had not marital status to use Pap smear test. Women with ID had experience on tubal ligation surgery were 10.48 times (95% CI=1.40-78.26) more likely to use Pap smear test than their counterparts. This study highlights that to acknowledge the rights of women with ID to access Pap smear screening service, health professionals will need to become more flexible and competent in the service that they provide.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2014.11.004
Abstract: Many studies have reported increased mortality risk associated with heat waves. However, few have assessed the health impacts at a nation scale in a developing country. This study examines the mortality effects of heat waves in China and explores whether the effects are modified by in idual-level and community-level characteristics. Daily mortality and meteorological variables from 66 Chinese communities were collected for the period 2006-2011. Heat waves were defined as ≥2 consecutive days with mean temperature ≥95th percentile of the year-round community-specific distribution. The community-specific mortality effects of heat waves were first estimated using a Distributed Lag Non-linear Model (DLNM), adjusting for potential confounders. To investigate effect modification by in idual characteristics (age, gender, cause of death, education level or place of death), separate DLNM models were further fitted. Potential effect modification by community characteristics was examined using a meta-regression analysis. A total of 5.0% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.9%-7.2%) excess deaths were associated with heat waves in 66 Chinese communities, with the highest excess deaths in north China (6.0%, 95% CI: 1%-11.3%), followed by east China (5.2%, 95% CI: 0.4%-10.2%) and south China (4.5%, 95% CI: 1.4%-7.6%). Our results indicate that in idual characteristics significantly modified heat waves effects in China, with greater effects on cardiovascular mortality, cerebrovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, the elderly, females, the population dying outside of a hospital and those with a higher education attainment. Heat wave mortality effects were also more pronounced for those living in urban cities or densely populated communities. Heat waves significantly increased mortality risk in China with apparent spatial heterogeneity, which was modified by some in idual-level and community-level factors. Our findings suggest adaptation plans that target vulnerable populations in susceptible communities during heat wave events should be developed to reduce health risks.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 05-10-2019
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to inspect disaster risk reduction (DRR) challenges from a political economy (PE) perspective and to explore how PE determinants facilitate or hinder effective DRR in Bangladesh. A qualitative case study, using semi-structured in-depth interviews, official documents and literature review has been conducted to explore the current process and practices of DRR in Bangladesh. The specific focus is on the distribution of public spending on flood shelters implemented by the Department of Disaster Management. The study revealed a number of findings, including that the interest and incentives of influencing decision makers matter formal and informal institutions have influence and the values and ideas of dominating stakeholders’ impact on decisions regarding public spending of DRR in Bangladesh. These PE factors often hinder efficiency by leading to overlapping efforts and inefficient use of scarce resources. DRR planners and practitioners need to take steps to mitigate potential risks from PE processes in the allocations of DRR funding by implementing improved distribution arrangements. Despite many successes in dealing with disasters, Bangladesh faces several challenges, including better governance of funds. DRR challenges can be considered as a problem of PE, which concerns the distribution of resources, and includes how powerful decision makers affect economic choices. Prior research examining the challenges in DRR-related funding distribution from a PE perspective is limited. Therefore, this study attempts to fill this gap in the literature by focusing on the situation in Bangladesh from this perspective. The authors elaborate how PE determinants can function as both barrier and opportunities on the ground in DRR-related fund distribution and in the selection of project locations and beneficiaries.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-02-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2010.01.008
Abstract: There are not many studies pertaining to the spinal or limb abnormalities in people with intellectual disabilities, without a clear profile of these deformities of them, efforts to understand its characters and improve their quality of life will be impossible. Therefore, this paper aims to describe the prevalence and related factors of spinal and limb abnormalities in adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The participants who participated in health examinations as they enrolled into special schools at the first year, a total of 822 aged 15-18 years adolescents with ID were recruited to this study. The results showed that there were 14.5% and 8.5% cases had spinal and limb abnormalities based on the physician's observation and X-ray test. Factors of BMI level and limb abnormalities were significantly predicted the spinal abnormality occurrence in those adolescents with ID. Gender, disability level and have a spinal abnormality were variables that can statistically correlate to limb abnormality condition. The study highlights that in order to ensure people with intellectual disabilities receive an appropriate quality of care, it is important to have a precise understanding of the ways in which the needs of them who have spinal or limb deformities differ from the sole intellectual disability and the general population as a whole.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 19-03-2016
DOI: 10.1093/PM/PNW026
Abstract: Developing a new measurement index is the first step in evaluating pain relief outcomes. Although the percentage difference in pain intensity (%PID) is the most popular indicator, this indicator does not take into account the goal of pain relief. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop a pain relief index (PRI) for outcome evaluation and to examine the index using demographic characteristics of cancer inpatients with clinically significant pain. Retrospective cohort study. A national hospital. All cancer inpatients. Pain intensity was assessed using a numerical rating scale, a faces pain scale or the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Behavioral Tool. Using a nursing information system, a pain score database containing data from 2011 through 2013 was analyzed. Cancer patients representing 93,812 hospitalizations were considered in this study. We focused on cancer patients for whom the worst pain intensity (WPI) was ≥ 4 points. PRI values of -62.02% to -72.55% were observed in the WPI ≥ 7 and 4 ≤ WPI ≤ 6 groups. Significant (P 65 years old, those who were admitted to the medicine or gynecology and those who had a hospital stay > 30 days. This hospital-based study demonstrated that the PRI is an effective and valid measure for evaluating outcome data using an electronic nursing information system. We will further define the meaningful range of percentage difference in PRI from various perspectives.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-01-2015
Abstract: Mekong Delta Basin (MDB) is vulnerable to extreme climate and hydrological events. The objectives of this review are to understand of water related health effects exacerbated by climate change and the gaps of knowledge on the relationships between climate conditions, water quality, and water-related diseases in the MDB. The findings indicate that a few studies with qualitative emphases on the relationships between climate and water quality have been conducted in MDB, and they are insufficient to describe the pattern of climate-disease relationship. The diseases caused by chemical contaminants in relation to changes of climate conditions are neglected in MDB. We suggest further studies to examine the influence of short-term variation of climate conditions on water quality and water-related diseases for the purpose of public health and medical prevention, and due to the trans-boundary nature of MDB, developing partnership in data sharing and research collaboration among MDBs countries should be prioritized.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-03-2013
DOI: 10.1111/RISA.12023
Abstract: Various methods for risk characterization have been developed using probabilistic approaches. Data on Vietnamese farmers are available for the comparison of outcomes for risk characterization using different probabilistic methods. This article addresses the health risk characterization of chlorpyrifos using epidemiological dose-response data and probabilistic techniques obtained from a case study with rice farmers in Vietnam. Urine s les were collected from farmers and analyzed for trichloropyridinol (TCP), which was converted into absorbed daily dose of chlorpyrifos. Adverse health response doses due to chlorpyrifos exposure were collected from epidemiological studies to develop dose-adverse health response relationships. The health risk of chlorpyrifos was quantified using hazard quotient (HQ), Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), and overall risk probability (ORP) methods. With baseline (prior to pesticide spraying) and lifetime exposure levels (over a lifetime of pesticide spraying events), the HQ ranged from 0.06 to 7.1. The MCS method indicated less than 0.05% of the population would be affected while the ORP method indicated that less than 1.5% of the population would be adversely affected. With postapplication exposure levels, the HQ ranged from 1 to 32.5. The risk calculated by the MCS method was that 29% of the population would be affected, and the risk calculated by ORP method was 33%. The MCS and ORP methods have advantages in risk characterization due to use of the full distribution of data exposure as well as dose response, whereas HQ methods only used the exposure data distribution. These evaluations indicated that single-event spraying is likely to have adverse effects on Vietnamese rice farmers.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2012
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2022
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-02-2017
Abstract: This experimental study investigated long-term effectiveness of two educational methods on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) about palliative care consultation services (PCCS) among nurses, recruited from a medical center located in Northern Taiwan in 2015, using a stratified cluster s ling method, with 88 participants in multimedia (experimental) and 92 in traditional paper education (control) group. Data were collected using KAP-PCCS questionnaire before education, immediately after, and 3rd and 6th month after education. Results showed that both K-PCCSI and P-PCCSI significantly increased immediately after, and at the 3rd month after education for the experimental group the K-PCCSI remained significantly higher for the experimental group at the 6th month. The highest increase in scores for both K-PCCSI and P-PCCSI was observed at the 3rd month. There was no significant change in A-PCCS in both groups after follow-up periods, when compared before education. Therefore, using multimedia every 3 months to continue strengthening their knowledge may increase the referrals of terminal patients to PCCS.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 31-01-2014
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 16-03-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJRAD.2014.10.010
Abstract: To analyze the features of non-mass-like (NML) breast lesions on ultrasound (US) and determine their corresponding malignancy rate and to stratify these lesion patterns according to US BI-RADS categories. One hundred sixty-four consecutive lesions were retrospectively classified into four types according to the US features, the corresponding positive predictive values (PPVs) were obtained. Clinical, imaging, and histopathological findings were reviewed. Among the 164 lesions, 39 (24%) were classified as type Ia, 14 (8%) as type Ib, 39 (24%) as type IIa, 19 (12%) as type IIb, 19 (12%) as type III, and 34 (21%) as type IV. The PPVs for malignancy were 21% for type Ia, 79% for type Ib, 10% for type IIa, 58% for type IIb, 16% for type III, and 21% for type IV. All NML lesions were classified as BI-RADS category 4a (type IIa), 4b (type Ia, III and IV) and 4c (type Ib and IIb) according to their PPVs. There was a significantly higher frequency of malignancy among lesions of type Ib and type IIb compared with the other types (P<0.01 for each). Lesions with associated calcifications, presence of abnormal axillary nodes, or a mammographic finding of suspected malignancy had a higher probability of malignancy (P<0.05 for each). US is useful in clarifying the indication for biopsy of NML lesions. The types of US classifications used in our study establish reliable references for the NML patterns when stratified according to the BI-RADS categories.
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 14-10-2015
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 12-2019
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2019-032561
Abstract: Health and climate change are inexorably linked through the exacerbation of health risks and the contribution of the health sector to greenhouse gas emissions. Climate action in healthcare settings is critical to reduce risks and impacts of climate change through the smarter use of energy, minimising waste and enhancing disaster preparedness. Globally, hospital climate action is growing however, the potential for further progress and impacts remains. The literature on this topic lacks synthesis, and this poses challenges for hospital leadership in tracking the impact of climate action. This scoping review will summarise the current knowledge about hospital climate action and existing tools to measure progress in this area. This scoping review will be conducted applying the six-stage protocol proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. The study includes literature of how hospitals have addressed climate change (mitigation and adaptation) since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997. All identified studies indexed in Medline, Scopus, Embase and CINAHL will be examined. The search strategy will also include Google Scholar to capture relevant grey literature. Quantitative and thematic analysis will be used to evaluate and categorise the study results. This scoping review is part of the climate-smart healthcare initiative which will provide a valuable synthesis to aid understanding of hospitals’ climate actions, and tools used to measure its implementation. As such it will contribute to mobilising and accelerating the implementation of climate action in hospitals. The findings will be disseminated with all members of the International Health Promoting Hospital and Health Services (HPH) and the Global Green and Healthy Hospital network. Dissemination will occur through peer-reviewed publications and with the HPH and GGHH members through its annual conference and newsletter.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-06-2015
DOI: 10.1007/S00484-015-1011-0
Abstract: Extreme heat events have occurred more frequently in China in recent years, leading to serious impacts on human life and the health care system. To identify the characteristics of in iduals with heat-related illnesses in China during the summer of 2013, we collected the data from the Heat-related Illness Surveillance System in Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). A total of 5758 cases were reported in the summer of 2013, mostly concentrated in urban areas around the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. We found a difference in age distribution of percentage of deaths from heat-related illness between males and females. Severe cases in males mostly occurred in the age group 45-74 years but in females mostly in the age group over 75. A distributed lag non-linear model had been used to identify population vulnerabilities in Ningbo and Chongqing. The results show that there was a clear positive relationship between maximum temperature and heat-related illness, and the heat effect was nonlinear and could last for 3 days. The elderly and males in the range of 45-64 years old might be the most vulnerable people of heat-related illness in China. We also highlighted some deficiencies of the surveillance system, such that the reported data were not accurate, comprehensive, or timely enough at this stage.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-03-2014
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-01-2014
Abstract: Organizational capacity building for health promotion (HP) is beneficial to the effective implementation of HP in organizational settings. The World Health Organization (WHO) Health Promoting Hospitals' (HPHs) initiative encourages hospitals to promote the health of their stakeholders by developing organizational capacity. This study analyzes an application case of one hospital of the HPH initiative in Taiwan, characterizes actions aiming at building organizational support to strengthen health gains and identifies facilitators of and barriers to the implementation of the HP in this hospital. Case study methodology was used with a triangulation of various sources thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative information. This study found a positive impact of the HPH initiative on the case hospital, such as more support from leadership, a fine-tuned HP mission and strategy, cultivated pro-HP habits of physical activities, a supportive intramural structure, an HP-inclusive system, improved management practices and enhanced staff participation. Transformational and transactional enablers are of equal importance in implementing HPH. However, it was also found that the case hospital encountered more transactional barriers than transformational ones. This hospital was hindered by insufficient support from external environments, leadership with limited autonomy and authority, a preference for ideals over professionalism, insufficient participation by physicians, a lack of manpower and time, a merit system with limited stimulating effect, ineffective management practices in weak central project management, a lack of integration, insufficient communication and an inability to inculcate the staff on the importance of HP, and inadequate staff participation. Several implications for other hospitals are suggested.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1155/2015/745410
Abstract: Background . Neck circumference (NC) is an anthropometric measure of obesity for upper subcutaneous adipose tissue distribution which is associated with cardiometabolic risk. This study investigated whether NC is associated with indicators of chronic kidney disease (CKD) for high cardiometabolic risk patients. Methods . A total of 177 consecutive patients who underwent the outpatient departments of cardiology were prospectively enrolled in the study. The patients were aged years with normal renal function or with stages 1–4 CKD. A linear regression was performed using the Enter method to present an unadjusted R 2 , standardized coefficients, and standard error, and the Durbin-Watson test was used to assess residual independence. Results . Most anthropometric measurements from patients aged ≧65 were lower than those from patients aged , except for women’s waist circumference (WC) and waist hip ratio. Female NC obtained the highest R 2 values for 24 hr CCR, uric acid, microalbuminuria, hsCRP, triglycerides, and HDL compared to BMI, WC, and hip circumference. The significances of female NC with 24 hr CCR and uric acid were improved after adjusted age and serum creatinine. Conclusions . NC is associated with indicators of CKD for high cardiometabolic risk patients and can be routinely measured as easy as WC in the future.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-12-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0261199
Abstract: Evidence shows sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is a risk factor for obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in children. Investigating the influential profiles, which have been examined insufficiently, will help to inform the reduction of SSB consumption. The present research examines the current trend in SSB consumption and associated factors among children in China, in order to inform policy development. Secondary data was extracted from China’s Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011), a repeated cross-sectional research, and a Chi-squared test was applied to compare SSB consumption in the last year, queried by social demographical, `environmental, behavioral, and parental factors. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression was employed to examine the trend and effects of the multiple factors. A total of 6015 Chinese children aged 6–17 years were investigated. From 2004 to 2011, the percentage of SSB consumption in children increased from 72.6% to 90.3%. The prevalence in urban areas was higher than the prevalence in rural areas, higher in high schools than primary and middle schools, higher in east coast affluent provinces than other provinces, and higher in high-income households than low-income households. Other associated factors include children’s fast food and salty snacks preference, level of physical activity, sedentariness, and parental education. The strongest association with SSB consumption in children was the mother’s SSB consumption (adjusted odds ratio: 5.54, 95% CI: 3.17–9.67). Children’s SSB consumption has increased significantly in China, and is associated with socio-economic, demographic, level of physical activity, food preference, and parental factors. Future strategies aimed at reducing SSB consumption among children need to consider these factors.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 05-03-2020
DOI: 10.1136/INJURYPREV-2018-043088
Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the helmet law on the changes in potential years of life lost (PYLL) due to traffic mortality and to examine modification effects of socioeconomic factors on the impacts in Vietnam. We applied an interrupted time series design using the Bayesian framework to estimate the impact of the law at the provincial level. Then, we used random effects meta-analysis to estimate the impact of the law at the country level and to examine the modification effects of socioeconomic factors. The results indicate that the impacts varied among the provinces. These impacts could be classified by four main groups comprising positive impact, and positive impact without sustainability, possible positive impact, negative or inconsistent impact. For the country-level impact, the results reveal a significantly consistent change in monthly PYLLs at the level of 18 per 100 000 persons, and the post-trend was stable without significant change. The results of meta-regression show that 1 unit increase in the population density (persons/km 2 ), migration rate (%) and income (×1000 dong) are non-significantly associated with increases of PYLLs at 1.3, 27 and 27 per 100 000 person-months, respectively, whereas 1% increase in literacy associated with a decrease of PYLL at 44 per 100 000 person-months. Further studies should be warranted to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the law implementation, including its acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, cost-effectiveness and sustainability.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-12-2015
Publisher: Institute for Population and Social Research
Date: 02-04-2023
Abstract: This study aims to determine the prevalence and associated factors of turnover intention among interprovincial migrant workers in garment companies in a rapidly urbanizing area of Vietnam. This study employed a mixed method approach, beginning with in-depth interviews with 12 migrant garment workers to develop survey instruments, which were then used in a quantitative survey. The survey recruited and interviewed 328 inter-provincial migrant workers working in garment factories using a social mapping s ling method. Multivariable backward stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with worker turnover intention. The results show a high prevalence of turnover intention (46.3%) among the survey participants. High psychological demand (OR = 2.5, 95% CI [1.4, 4.4], p .001), low job control, income dissatisfaction (OR = 3, 95% CI [1.5, 6], p .01), migration intention (OR = 13, 95% CI [7, 24], p .001) and male gender (OR = 2.5, 95% CI [1.3, 4.8], p .01) are factors significantly associated with turnover intention among migrant workers. This study provides a model for understanding migrant laborers’ turnover intentions in the garment industry, as well as critical data for developing needs-based intervention programs for this vulnerable group, such as appropriate resettlement strategies and the creation of a healthy working environment, both of which could play essential roles in the garment industry’s workforce retention.
Publisher: Medknow
Date: 2018
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-01-2022
DOI: 10.3390/SU14021006
Abstract: In recent years, Indonesia has experienced rapid increases in severe climate-related disasters have dramatically impacted populations unevenly the poor and the vulnerable populations are most affected, and adaptive measures are urgently needed to protect and mitigate the impact on their health. However, very little is known about the existing measures addressing climate-related disasters and health impacts among vulnerable groups. WHO established a Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management framework to urge governments and relevant actors to systematically collect evidence to develop science-based feasible adaptive strategies for priority groups. This study used scoping review methods to identify the action areas of Health-EDRM in policy documents in Indonesia, its content, and any potential gaps that require further study. The results from the documents’ review were then reported and discussed at a national stakeholder consultation meeting. This study has identified several achievements, lessons learned, and challenges from strategies and policies for health adaptation in facing climate-related disasters in Indonesia. This study also proposed strategies and recommendations to support mobilizing and accelerating health adaptation actions towards climate-related disasters in Indonesia.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-10-2013
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 02-2013
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.1104541
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 12-05-2010
Abstract: Contact investigation is a logical approach to intensified case finding in China. However, currently there are no written national guidelines. The aim of this study is to review the published literature that describes the procedures followed by local level and report the yield for active tuberculosis (TB) cases. Studies conducted in China and published between 1997 and 2007 on contact investigation were searched. Twelve studies were included in the review. There was no standard definition of contact and no study provided details on how to prioritize contacts. Investigation methods vary between each study. The number of contacts investigated per index case ranged from 22.7 to 658 in congregate settings and from 1.5 to 5.8 in household. The yields for active TB ranged from 0 to 11.765% in congregate settings and from 0 to 6.897% in household. The weighted yields for smear-positive index and smear-negative index were 1 and 0.2% respectively in household and 0.5% for pulmonary case index in congregate settings. There is considerable heterogeneity amongst the methods used and the cases yielded in these studies, and in general the quality of contact investigation is low therefore, there is a need for China to develop national guidelines on contact investigation.
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 04-01-2023
DOI: 10.1001/JAMANETWORKOPEN.2022.49440
Abstract: Dengue fever is a climate-sensitive infectious disease. However, its association with local hydrological conditions and the role of city development remain unclear. To quantify the association between hydrological conditions and dengue fever incidence in China and to explore the modification role of city development in this association. This cross-sectional study collected data between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2019, from 54 cities in 4 coastal provinces in southeast China. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) was calculated from ambient temperature and precipitation, with SPEI thresholds of 2 for extreme wet conditions and −2 for extreme dry conditions. The SPEI–dengue fever incidence association was examined over a 6-month lag, and the modification roles of 5 city development dimensions were assessed. Data were analyzed in May 2022. City-level monthly temperature, precipitation, SPEI, and annual city development indicators from 2013 to 2019. The primary outcome was city-level monthly dengue fever incidence. Spatiotemporal bayesian hierarchal models were used to examine the SPEI–dengue fever incidence association over a 6-month lag period. An interaction term between SPEI and each city development indicator was added into the model to assess the modification role of city development. Included in the analysis were 70 006 dengue fever cases reported in 54 cities in 4 provinces in China from 2013 to 2019. Overall, a U-shaped cumulative curve was observed, with wet and dry conditions both associated with increased dengue fever risk. The relative risk [RR] peaked at a 1-month lag for extreme wet conditions (1.27 95% credible interval [CrI], 1.05-1.53) and at a 6-month lag for extreme dry conditions (1.63 95% CrI, 1.29-2.05). The RRs of extreme wet and dry conditions were greater in areas with limited economic development, health care resources, and income per capita. Extreme dry conditions were higher and prolonged in areas with more green space per capita (RR, 1.84 95% CrI, 1.37-2.46). Highly urbanized areas had a higher risk of dengue fever after extreme wet conditions (RR, 1.80 95% CrI, 1.26-2.56), while less urbanized areas had the highest risk of dengue fever in extreme dry conditions (RR, 1.70 95% CrI, 1.11-2.60). Results of this study showed that extreme hydrological conditions were associated with increased dengue fever incidence within a 6-month lag period, with different dimensions of city development playing various modification roles in this association. These findings may help in developing climate change adaptation strategies and public health interventions against dengue fever.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-11-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2016.03.034
Abstract: The Mekong Delta Region (MDR) in Vietnam is highly vulnerable to extreme weather related to climate change. However there have been hardly any studies on temperature-hospitalization relationships. The objectives of this study were to examine temperature-hospitalization relationship and to evaluate the effects of socio-economic factors on the risk of hospitalizations due to high temperature in the MDR. The Generalized Linear and Distributed Lag Models were used to examine hospitalizations for extreme temperature for each of the 13 provinces in the MDR. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled risk for all causes, and for infectious, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases sorted by sex and age groups. Random-effects meta-regression was used to evaluate the effect of socio-economic factors on the temperature-hospitalization association. For 1°C increase in average temperature, the risk of hospital admissions increased by 1.3% (95% CI, 0.9-1.8) for all causes, 2.2% (95% CI, 1.4-3.1) for infectious diseases, and 1.1% (95% CI, 0.5-1.7) for respiratory diseases. However the result was inconsistent for cardiovascular diseases. Meta-regression showed population density, poverty rate, and illiteracy rate increased the risk of hospitalization due to high temperature, while higher household income, houses using safe water, and houses using hygienic toilets reduced this risk. In the MDR, high temperatures have a significant impact on hospitalizations for infectious and respiratory diseases. Our findings have important implications for better understanding the future impacts of climate change on residents of the MDR. Adaptation programs that consider the risk and protective factors should be developed to protect residents from extreme temperature conditions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2013.12.013
Abstract: Caregivers of adults with an intellectual disability experience depressive symptoms, but the aging factors of the care recipients associated with the depressive symptoms are unknown. The objective of this study was to analyze the onset aging conditions of adults with an intellectual disability that associated with the depression scores of their primary caregivers. A cross-sectional survey was administered to gather information from 455 caregivers of adults with an intellectual disability about their symptoms of depression which assessed by a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The 12 aging conditions of adults with an intellectual disability include physical and mental health. The results indicate that 78% of adults with an intellectual disability demonstrate aging conditions. Physical conditions associated with aging include hearing decline (66.3%), vision decline (63.6%), incontinence (44%), articulation and bone degeneration (57.9%), teeth loss (80.4), physical strength decline (81.2%), sense of taste and smell decline (52.8%), and accompanied chronic illnesses (74.6%). Mental conditions associated with aging include memory loss (77%), language ability deterioration (74.4%), poor sleep quality (74.2%), and easy onset of depression and sadness (50.3%). Aging conditions of adults with an intellectual disability (p<0.001) was one factor that significantly affected the presence of depressive symptom among caregivers after controlling demographic characteristics. Particularly, poor sleep quality of adults with an intellectual disability (yes vs. no, OR=3.807, p=0.002) was statistically correlated to the occurrence of significant depressive symptoms among their caregivers. This study suggests that the authorities should reorient community services and future policies toward the needs of family caregivers to decrease the burdens associated with caregiving.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2013.12.015
Abstract: Few studies have investigated in detail which factors influence activities of daily living (ADL) in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) comorbid with/without dementia conditions. The objective of the present study was to describe the relation between early onset dementia conditions and progressive loss of ADL capabilities and to examine the influence of dementia conditions and other possible factors toward ADL scores in adults with ID. This study was part of the "Healthy Aging Initiatives for Persons with an Intellectual Disability in Taiwan: A Social Ecological Approach" project. We analyzed data from 459 adults aged 45 years or older with an ID regarding their early onset symptoms of dementia and their ADL profile based on the perspective of the primary caregivers. Results show that a significant negative correlation was found between dementia score and ADL score in a Pearson's correlation test (r=-0.28, p<0.001). The multiple linear regression model reported that factors of male gender (β=4.187, p<0.05), marital status (β=4.79, p<0.05), education level (primary: β=5.544, p<0.05 junior high or more: β=8.147, p<0.01), Down's syndrome (β=-9.290, p<0.05), severe or profound disability level (β=-6.725, p<0.05 β=-15.773, p<0.001), comorbid condition (β=-4.853, p<0.05) and dementia conditions (β=-9.245, p<0.001) were variables that were able to significantly predict the ADL score (R(2)=0.241) after controlling for age. Disability level and comorbidity can explain 10% of the ADL score variation, whereas dementia conditions can only explain 3% of the ADL score variation in the study. The present study highlights that future studies should scrutinize in detail the reasons for the low explanatory power of dementia for ADL, particularly in examining the appropriateness of the measurement scales for dementia and ADL in aging adults with ID.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-09-2012
Abstract: Previous follow-up studies of repeated self-harm show that the cumulative risk of repeated self-harm within one year is 5.7%–15%, with females at greatest risk. However, relatively few studies have focused on the Far East. The objective of this study was to calculate the cumulative risk of repeated self-harm over different lengths of follow-up time (3 months, 6 months, and 1–8 years), to determine factors influencing repeated self-harm and to explore the interaction between gender and self-harm methods. We used self-harm patient who hospitalized due to first-time self-harm between 2000 and 2007 from 1,230 hospitals in Taiwan. Hospitalization for repeated self-harm among members of this cohort was tracked after 3 months, 6 months, and 1–8 years. Tracking continued until December 31, 2008. We analyzed the cumulative risk and risk factors of repeated self-harm by using negative binomial regression. Of the 39,875 in idual study s les, 3,388 in iduals (8.50%) were found to have repeatedly self-harmed. The cumulative risk of repeated self-harm within three months was 7.19% and within one year was 8%. Within 8 years, it was 8.70%. Females were more likely to repeatedly self-harm than males (RR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.15–1.76). The main method of self-harm was solid or liquid substances (RR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.23–2.04) or cutting or piercing (RR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.02–1.82), and in patients with psychiatric disorders were more likely to self-harm (RR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.48–1.75). The key time for intervention for repeated self-harm is within three months. Appropriate prevention programs should be developed based on gender differences.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2013.01.090
Abstract: Numerous studies have reported the association between ambient temperature and mortality. However, few multicity studies have been conducted in subtropical regions in developing countries. The present study assessed the health effects of temperature on mortality in four subtropical cities of China. We used "double threshold-natural cubic spline" distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to investigate the cold and hot effects on mortality at different lags in four subtropical cities. Then we conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the overall cold and hot effects on mortality at different lag days. A U-shaped relationship between temperature and mortality was found in the four cities. Cold effect was delayed and persisted for about 27 days, whereas hot effect was acute and lasted for 3 days. In Changsha, Kunming, Guangzhou and Zhuhai, a 1 °C decrease of temperature under the low threshold was associated with a lag0-27 cumulative relative risk (RR) of 1.061 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.023-1.099), 1.044 (95% CI: 1.033-1.056), 1.096 (95% CI: 1.075-1.117) and 1.111 (95% CI: 1.078-1.145) for total mortality, respectively. And RR for 1 °C increase of temperature above the hot threshold at the lag0 was 1.020 (95% CI: 1.003-1.037), 1.017 (95% CI: 1.004-1.030), 1.029 (95% CI: 1.020-1.039) and 1.023 (95% CI: 1.004-1.042), respectively. The cold and hot effects were greater among the elderly in Changsha, Guangzhou and Zhuhai. Meta analysis showed that the hot effect decreased gradually with lag days, with the greatest effect at current day (RR=1.023, 95% CI: 1.015-1.031) while the cumulative cold effect increased gradually with lag days, with the highest effect at lag0-27 (RR=1.076, 95% CI: 1.046-1.107). Both low and high temperatures were associated with increased mortality in the four subtropical Chinese cities, and cold effect was more durable and pronounced than hot effect.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 29-04-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.ECOENV.2019.01.077
Abstract: Chlorpyrifos is one of the most widely used organophosphate pesticides and has a record of adverse effects on applicators. Assessment of exposure to chlorpyrifos based on its urinary metabolite, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), is considered as the most accurate. However, urine s ling can be difficult, and the laboratory analytical procedures involved are complex and expensive. A simpler approach for assessing pesticide exposure among applicators is the whole-body dermal dosimetry method, but this needs validation. The objective of this study was to compare chlorpyrifos exposure estimates obtained separately with the urinary TCP and the whole-body dermal dosimetry methods from applicators. Exposure estimates from the whole-body dermal dosimetry method (5-29 μg/kg/day) showed less variation than those from the urinary TCP method (1-71 μg/kg/day), but both were in close agreement at the mean level (16 μg/kg/day and 15 μg/kg/day, respectively). The whole-body dermal dosimetry method is therefore valid for providing estimates of the typical levels of pesticide exposure among applicators in situations where the urinary TCP method cannot be applied.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2015
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 06-02-2020
DOI: 10.1017/DMP.2019.142
Abstract: Collaboration and cooperation are critical for public health management. Nevertheless, collaboration and cooperation between government departments, as well as other entities, are still in a weak condition in China. This article analyzes the status of collaboration and cooperation in the management of public health services in China and explores the problems and gives strategic suggestions for strengthening collaboration and cooperation in the development of public health service systems in China, in order to provide a reference for improvement of public health management in the future. This study uses a qualitative case study approach, including documents review, in-depth interview, and focus group. The main problems of collaboration and cooperation in public health service management in China include problems of effective collaboration and cooperation between institutions and relevant departments, public information platform, and implementation of public health and health promotion. On this basis, several relevant policy recommendations are put forward. Collaboration and cooperation are critical for the overall coordination and sustainable development of public health in China, and there is still work to be done in order to achieve appropriate cooperation and collaboration between different entities in the provision of public health services.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJSO.2006.10.012
Abstract: To compare the utility of seven commonly used staging systems in the prediction of survival among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing major or minor hepatectomy. All patients were classified by the Okuda, the TNM, the CLIP, the BCLC, the CUPI, the JIS and the MELD classifications to estimate the probabilities of survival. Survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and were examined using log-rank testing. The overall predictive power for patient survival with each staging system was evaluated using linear trend chi(2) tests and from the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. In our patient cohort, the log-rank test and the linear trend chi(2) test of the CLIP and JIS systems gave better results than did the other staging systems. The discriminatory ability of the CLIP and JIS staging for death, evaluated by ROC curve areas, was also better. In the subgroups of major hepatectomy patients with a non-cirrhotic liver or minor hepatectomy patients with a cirrhotic liver, the CLIP and JIS systems showed similar better performances in these three tests. The discriminatory ability of the CLIP system was the best in major hepatectomy patients with a non-cirrhotic liver while JIS score discriminated best in minor hepatectomy patients with a cirrhotic liver. Among the seven staging systems, the CLIP and JIS systems perform better than do the others. While the CLIP system should be considered to stage major hepatectomy patients, the JIS system could be chosen to stage minor hepatectomy patients.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 15-08-2011
DOI: 10.3109/13668250.2011.599316
Abstract: There is little information available related to the reproductive health of people with intellectual disability (ID). The aims of the present study are to describe caregiver attitudes and to examine determinants of gynaecological health for women with ID. We recruited 1152 caregivers (response rate=71.87%) and analysed their responses to a mailed-out, self-administered, structured questionnaire. We ided attitudinal perceptions of reproductive health into 4 domains: menstruation, menopause, sex education, and preventive healthcare. Each domain in turn had 5 issues (questions), with scores of 1 to 4 given according to the level of agreement with each issue (low to high score: strongly disagree, disagree, agree, and strongly agree). The total sum score for each domain was 5-20 (total score range: 20-80). The respondents' attitudinal mean score was 57.78±4.64 (range: 48-75). The multiple logistic regression model revealed that the factors of "workplace training in reproductive health" (OR=1.793, 95% CI=1.31-2.46), "felt satisfied with public reproductive health services for the client" (OR=0.694, 95% CI=0.53-0.92), and "scores of reproductive health knowledge" (OR=1.735, 95% CI=1.29-2.34) were significantly correlated with attitudinal score level toward gynaecological health for women with ID. The study highlights that service authorities should address health policy initiatives to continue providing workplace training in reproductive health, public reproductive health services. There is also a need for caregivers to increase their knowledge of reproductive health.
Publisher: Japanese Circulation Society
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1253/CIRCJ.70.686
Abstract: Although a low ankle-arm index (AAI) has been reported to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in several populations, no data exist concerning the impact of AAI for outpatients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) in the clinical setting. The present study enrolled 840 outpatients (age range 35-87 years, mean age 63.9+/-10.2) with suspected CAD. All patients underwent AAI measurements and coronary angiography, and based on the AAI values, they were ided into group A (AAI or=0.9 n=649 CAD positive, 509). Metabolic syndrome (MS), obesity, and level of the inflammatory biomarker high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were compared between the 2 groups. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values in predicting CAD with an AAI value 3 mg/L) and uric acid (>7 mg/dl) with odds ratios of 1.769, 3.907 and 2.580, respectively. The AAI test is an effective tool in predicting CAD in outpatients in clinical practise.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2008.04.006
Abstract: The purposes of the present study were to determine whether extrinsic high-effort/low-reward conditions at work are associated with personal characteristics and the organizational environments. A cross-sectional survey was conducted (76.7% response rate, N=1243) by recruiting the staff caring for people with intellectual disabilities of Taiwan in 2006. Conditions at work were measured using Siegrist's Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model, the questionnaire included 23 Likert scaled items and it ided into three scales: effort, reward and overcommitment. Multiple logistic regression modeling was conducted for extrinsic high-effort/low-reward status in relation to staff and working environmental factors. We found that 15.1% staff were in the low-effort/low-reward group, 35.9% was in the low-effort/high-reward group, 17.9% belonged to the high-effort/high-reward group and 31.1% was included in the high-effort/low-reward group. Controlling for many personal demographic and organizational characteristics, the factors of perceived job support (OR=0.91 95% CI=0854-0.97), job control (OR=0.954, 95% CI=0.934-0.974), job demand (OR=1.155, 95% CI=1.109-1.203) and job stress (felt sometimes stressful compare to no stress at all, OR=2.305, 95% CI=1.161-4.575) of the staff were significantly correlated to the extrinsic high effort/low reward at work in the multiple logistic regression model. The present study highlights that the service providers need to be aware and understand the experiences that their staff encounters in the organizational, interpersonal and personal level regarding unfair working conditions such as high effort/low reward to improve the positive health of the staff.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2020
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.3246
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 16-04-2015
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268815000709
Abstract: This study examined the temporal and spatial patterns of diarrhoea in relation to hydro-meteorological factors in the Mekong Delta area in Vietnam. A time-series design was applied to examine the temporal pattern of the climate–diarrhoea relationship using Poisson regression models. Spatial analysis was applied to examine the spatial clusters of diarrhoea using Global Moran's I and local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (LISA). The temporal pattern showed that the highest peak of diarrhoea was from weeks 30–42 corresponding to August–October annually. A 1 cm increase in river water level at a lag of 1 week was associated with a small [0·07%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·01–0·1] increase in the diarrhoeal rate. A 1 °C increase in temperature at lag of 2 and 4 weeks was associated with a 1·5% (95% CI 0·3−2·7) and 1·1% (95% CI 0·1−2·3) increase in diarrhoeal risk, respectively. Relative humidity and diarrhoeal risk were in nonlinear relationship. The spatial analysis showed significant clustering of diarrhoea, and the LISA map shows three multi-centred diarrhoeal clusters and three single-centred clusters in the research location. The findings suggest that climatic conditions projected to be associated with climate change have important implication for human health impact in the Mekong Delta region.
Publisher: Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Date: 2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2004
DOI: 10.1053/J.AJKD.2004.03.012
Abstract: Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, commonly found in hemodialysis (HD) patients, is a major cause of intradialytic hypotension. Conventional Doppler interrogation of mitral flow velocities typically is load dependent. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) recently was proposed as a new and relatively load-independent approach to assess diastolic function. The aim of this study is to determine whether HD-related volume reduction affects mitral annular velocities in a large number of patients. One hundred twenty-eight uremic patients underwent Doppler echocardiography 1 hour before and after HD. Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography were used to analyze LV size, volume, mass, systolic function, and the inferior vena cava. Doppler signals were obtained from the mitral inflow and TDI of the mitral annulus to measure variations in hemodynamics and LV diastolic filling parameters. After HD, LV size, volume, mass, stroke volume, and cardiac output were significantly decreased (all P < 0.001). Peak early (E) and late diastolic velocities (A) and E/A ratio decreased significantly after HD (all P < 0.001). Mitral annulus E' velocity and E'/A' ratio also changed significantly (both P < 0.001), whereas A' did not. Consequently, changes in E and A significantly differed with respect to the varying amount of ultrafiltration (both P < 0.05). Our larger cohort study shows that the proposed technique of TDI is still volume dependent. Therefore, LV diastolic function in HD patients must be assessed carefully in a timely manner, even when the new Doppler application is used.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2012.04.002
Abstract: Tinfoil manufacturing and electronic waste (e-waste) recycling remain rudimentary processes in Zhejing Province, China, which could account for elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) and health impacts on children. We assessed the potential health risks of lead in tinfoil manufacturing and e-waste recycling areas. 329 children in total aged 11-12 who lived in a tinfoil manufacturing area (Lanxi), an e-waste recycling area (Luqiao) and a reference area (Chun'an) were studied. Lead levels in children's blood were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, serum calcium, δ-Aminolaevulinic acid (δ-ALA) and intelligence quotient (IQ) were also measured. Geometric mean of BLLs in Lanxi, Luqiao and Chun'an were 8.11 μg/dL, 6.97 μg/dL, and 2.78 μg/dL respectively, with 35.1%, 38.9% and 0% of children who had BLLs above 10 μg/dL. The BLLs in exposed areas were much higher than those in the control area. Lanxi children had higher creatinine and calcium than Chun'an children, and Luqiao children had higher δ-ALA and lower calcium than Chun'an children. No significant differences of IQ were observed between Lanxi, Luqiao and Chun'an, however a negative relationship between BLLs and IQ was shown for the study children. The results indicated that lead pollution from e-waste recycling and tinfoil processing appears to be a potential serious threat to children's health.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2010.10.015
Abstract: Although many previous studies have begun to address the reproductive health needs of women with intellectual disabilities however, the supportive behaviors of caregivers to assist their reproductive health is not well understood. Data from a cross-sectional survey of "2009 National Survey on Reproductive Health Care Needs and Health Education Strategies for Women with Intellectual Disabilities in Taiwan" were analyzed. Study s le consisted of 1152 caregivers who working in 32 disability institutions have been analyzed in the study. The results showed that the caregiver did not have adequate supportive behaviors towards reproductive health care for women with ID (mean score was 29.84 out of 60), particularly in the arrangement of preventive reproductive health services. We analyzed the potential significant variables in a multiple linear regression model to examine the factors which affect the caregiver's supportive behaviors of reproductive health for women with ID. The model revealed that the factor of respondent's gender, job category, working years in disability setting, helping experience of reproductive health for women with ID, perception of reproductive health knowledge, in-job training of reproductive health, perceived adequacy of public reproductive health service for the client, scores of reproductive health knowledge and reproductive health attitude were significantly correlated to their supportive behavioral score of reproductive health for women with ID. These factors can explain 23.6% of the variation of supportive behavioral score. The present study suggests the reproductive health interventions need to take into account the perspectives of health workers, caregivers and women, as well as the constraints they face in providing and receiving services, respectively.
Publisher: International Heart Journal (Japanese Heart Journal)
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1536/IHJ.49.355
Abstract: This study attempts to compare the risks and benefits of provisional stenting with drug eluting stents and bypass surgery for left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis. Recent improvements in interventional technologies have increased interest in percutaneous treatment of LMCA stenosis. However, application of percutaneous techniques to LMCA has been sporadic and controversial. In-hospital and one year outcomes of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) cases were compared. From September, 2003 to June, 2005, a total of 59 consecutive patients with de novo unprotected LMCA stenosis were treated with either CABG or PCI. Twenty patients received non-intravascular ultrasound-guided PCI with a stent in the LMCA. Thirty-nine patients underwent CABG. At 30-day follow-up, the major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACE) rates of mortality, myocardial infarction, cerebral vascular accident, and target vessel revascularization were 25.6% in the CABG group and 5% in the PCI group (P=0.054). At one year follow-up, the MACE rates were 33.3% in the CABG group and 5% in the PCI group. One year MACE for the CABG group significantly differed from that of the PCI group (P=0.015). The odds ratio (OR) of one year MACE-free survival was 0.75 (P<0.001) in the CABG group versus the PCI group. Further analysis demonstrated there was a significant difference in in-hospital MACE and one year MACE between the elective CABG group and elective PCI group (P=0.045). However, there was no significant difference between the emergent CABG group and emergent PCI group (P=1.000 for in-hospital MACE P=0.486 for one year MACE). PCI on unprotected LM offers an alternative option in patients with high surgical risk and appropriate lesion morphology.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-05-2018
Publisher: OMICS Publishing Group
Date: 2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1080/09638280701476078
Abstract: This study was designed to investigate general practitioners' (GPs) beliefs about the perceived importance of their role in, and their satisfaction with, providing healthcare to people with intellectual disabilities. The identification of healthcare issues with potential for improvement was assessed using gap analysis and an opportunity-guided method. A cross-sectional census survey by a mail-structured questionnaire recruited 331 GPs (response rate--16%) who provided information on healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities in 2006 in Taiwan. The results indicated that GPs considered their role in providing healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities to be important (mean score 7.2-8.3). However, the respondents generally did not feel satisfied (mean score 4.6-5.5) with their achievements in treating patients with intellectual disabilities. We found that the gender and educational level of the respondents were statistically correlated to the perceived importance they considered their work to have, while the factors of age, medical practice setting and training experience in intellectual disability were statistically correlated to GPs' perceived satisfaction in providing healthcare to people with intellectual disabilities (p < 0.05). Those healthcare issues of'training and experience in intellectual disability', 'multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral cooperation', 'adequate competence in disability diagnosis', 'genetic consulting services', 'duty of disease prevention and health promotion', and 'adequate medical consultation time' were the five most promising areas to be improved in healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities according to the opportunity-guided analysis. This study highlights that health professionals need to examine carefully healthcare issues pertaining to people with ID, and that much more effort is required to develop appropriate healthcare policies based on the opportunity-guided health issues identified here.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 21-10-2014
DOI: 10.3402/GHA.V7.25051
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2011.01.057
Abstract: Nationwide data were collected concerning inpatient care use and medical expenditure of people with disabilities (N=937,944) among national health insurance beneficiaries in Taiwan. Data included gender, age, hospitalization frequency and expenditure, healthcare setting and service department, discharge diagnose disease according to the ICD-9-CM coding system which has been used in Taiwan NHI diagnosis system. There were 27.88% of persons with disabilities have been hospitalized for treatments during the year 2005 and it was 3.5 times of the general population (7.95%). The mean of annual inpatient care expenditure was 163,544.21 NTD, and male patients use more inpatient care cost than female patients in people with disabilities. However, the hospitalization rate in female patients is statistical higher than male patients in the study (p<0.001). Infectious and parasitic diseases, mental disorders, diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the circulatory system, injury and poisoning were the top five reasons for hospitalization among the subjects. Our study also found that psychiatry, internal medicine, orthopedic, surgery and neurosurgery are the top five clinical isions which the cases used more frequently than other clinical departments in hospitalizations. The present study presents the first information of hospitalization care and medical costs in people with disabilities based on a nationwide data analyzes in Taiwan. We suggest the importance of supporting people with disabilities during hospitalizations, following up rehabilitation and there is an urgent need for cost-effective intervention programs for disability prevention, which could be offset against the cost for treating the disabled in the future.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-04-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-07-2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-1998
DOI: 10.1080/13557858.1998.9961854
Abstract: In recent decades, Australia has rapidly become one of the more ethnically erse societies with over 120 different languages groups and 41.9% of the population having at least one parent born overseas. This presents a great challenge for decision-makers and service providers to plan and provide effective and responsive health services for communities with such erse languages, cultural backgrounds, migration circumstances and socioeconomic status. In order to offer equitable, culturally sensitive and appropriate health services, there is a pressing need to identify and manage cross-cultural health issues. This paper will first clarify concepts fundamental to the understanding of cross-cultural phenomena. It will then discuss several priority migrant health issues including communication breakdown, reproductive health, mental health, workplace health and safety, and doubly disadvantaged groups. Finally it will recommend measures to address the above issues and to promote equity, access and quality in health care for migrants.
Publisher: Poltekkes Kemenkes Surabaya
Date: 21-04-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-07-2016
DOI: 10.1111/TMI.12754
Abstract: To develop a prediction score scheme useful for prevention practitioners and authorities to implement dengue preparedness and controls in the Mekong Delta region (MDR). We applied a spatial scan statistic to identify high-risk dengue clusters in the MDR and used generalised linear-distributed lag models to examine climate-dengue associations using dengue case records and meteorological data from 2003 to 2013. The significant predictors were collapsed into categorical scales, and the β-coefficients of predictors were converted to prediction scores. The score scheme was validated for predicting dengue outbreaks using ROC analysis. The north-eastern MDR was identified as the high-risk cluster. A 1 °C increase in temperature at lag 1-4 and 5-8 weeks increased the dengue risk 11% (95% CI, 9-13) and 7% (95% CI, 6-8), respectively. A 1% rise in humidity increased dengue risk 0.9% (95% CI, 0.2-1.4) at lag 1-4 and 0.8% (95% CI, 0.2-1.4) at lag 5-8 weeks. Similarly, a 1-mm increase in rainfall increased dengue risk 0.1% (95% CI, 0.05-0.16) at lag 1-4 and 0.11% (95% CI, 0.07-0.16) at lag 5-8 weeks. The predicted scores performed with high accuracy in diagnosing the dengue outbreaks (96.3%). This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of a dengue prediction score scheme derived from complex statistical models for high-risk dengue clusters. We recommend a further study to examine the possibility of incorporating such a score scheme into the dengue early warning system in similar climate settings.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2014
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 12-01-2017
Abstract: Despite increased promotion, sanitation programmes have varying degrees of success partly because of limited consideration of the wider context beyond in idual factors in programme design. Although a recent model, Integrated Behaviour Model for Water Sanitation and Hygiene (IBM-WASH) comprehensively addresses this gap, the model focuses on the initial adoption factors and lacks emphasis on the functioning of the entire sanitation system from toilet usage to the safe disposal of the waste. Hence application of the model is limited, to some degree, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for sanitation which have broadened the scope for sustainable sanitation service. Based on a review of available frameworks, this paper proposes an alternative comprehensive framework using an ecological public health approach to health determinants but does so through application across the spectrum of sanitation stages. A systematic literature review on sanitation adoption factors and comparative analysis of the proposed framework and the IBM-WASH framework was conducted to analyse the benefits of the framework. The findings show that different factors operate differently for each sanitation service stage, requiring a different set of actions for each stage. Our alternative framework can better address factors across sanitation stages and encourage collaboration among stakeholders with different disciplinary backgrounds.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 09-2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2011.11.075
Abstract: Chlorpyrifos is the most common organophosphate insecticide registered for use in Vietnam and is widely used in agriculture, particularly rice farming. However, chlorpyrifos exposure to and adverse effects on farmers has not been evaluated. In this study, biological monitoring of chlorpyrifos exposure in a group of rice farmers was conducted after a typical application event using back-pack spraying. Urine s les (24 h) were collected from the rice farmers before and post insecticide application. S les were analysed for 3,5,6-trichloropyridinol (TCP), the major urinary metabolite of chlorpyrifos, using an enzymatic pre-treatment before extraction followed by HPLC-MS/MS. Absorbed Daily Dose (ADD) of chlorpyrifos for farmers were then estimated from urinary TCP levels, expressed as μg g(-1)creatinine. The analytical method for urinary TCP had a low detection limit (0.6 μg L(-1)), acceptable recovery values (80-114%), and low relative percentage differences in duplicate and repeated s les. Post-application chlorpyrifos ADD of farmers varied from 0.4 to 94.2 μg kg(-1) (body weight) d(-1) with a mean of 19.4 μg kg(-1) d(-1) which was approximately 80-fold higher than the mean baseline exposure level (0.24 μg kg(-1) d(-1)). Hazard Quotients (ratio of the mean ADD for rice farmers to acute oral reference dose) calculated using acute oral reference doses recommended by United States and Australian agencies varied from 2.1 (Australian NRA), 4.2 (US EPA) to 6.9 (ATSDR). Biological monitoring using HPLC-MS/MS analysis of urinary TCP (24 h) was found to be an effective method for measuring chlorpyrifos exposure among farmers. This case study found that Vietnamese rice farmers had relatively high exposures to chlorpyrifos after application, which were likely to have adverse health effects.
Publisher: Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention
Date: 03-12-2015
DOI: 10.7314/APJCP.2015.16.17.7401
Abstract: Cervical cancer continues to be a serious public health problem in the developing world, including China. Because of its large population with geographical and socioeconomic inequities, China has a high burden of cervical cancer and important disparities among different regions. In this review, we first present an overview of the cervical cancer incidence and mortality over time, and focus on ersity and disparity in access to care for various subpopulations across geographical regions and socioeconomic strata in China. Then, we describe population-based cervical cancer screening in China, and in particular implementation of the National Cervical Cancer Screening Program in Rural Areas (NACCSPRA) and the challenges that this program faces. These include low screening coverage, shortage of qualified health care personnel and limited funds. To improve prevention of cervical cancer and obtain better cancer outcomes, the Chinese government needs to urgently consider the following key factors: reducing disparities in health care access, collecting accurate and broadly representative data in cancer registries, expanding target population size and increasing allocation of government funding for training of personnel, improving health education for women, enhancing quality control of screening services and improving a system to increase follow up for women with positive results.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2026
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.05.131
Abstract: This study examined spatial variability of heat-related morbidity in multiple districts of the Mekong Delta Region (MDR), Vietnam. It was conducted in 132 district/cities of the MDR. We used a series of hierarchical Bayesian models to examine the region-wide and district-specific association between temperatures and hospitalizations during the period of 2010-2013. The potential effects of seasonality, long-term trends, day of the week and holidays were controlled in the models. We also examined influences of socio-demographic factors on the temperature-hospitalization relationship. The results indicate that an increase of 5 °C in average temperature was associated with a 6.1% increase (95%CI: 5.9, 6.2) in region-wide hospital admissions. However, the district-level risks ranged from a 55.2% decrease {95%CI: (-54), (-56)} to a 24.4% increase (24.3-24.6) in admissions per 5 °C increase in average temperature. This reflects the heterogeneous magnitudes of temperature-hospitalization risk across districts. The results also indicate that temperature-hospitalization risk increased by 1.3% (95%CI: 1.2-1.4), for each increase of 1000 persons/km
Publisher: Clinical Health Promotion Centre
Date: 05-2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 31-08-2017
Abstract: To address to burden of infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, the Vietnamese government has enacted the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (LPCIDs) since July 2008. However, no evaluation of the impact of the LPCID has been conducted. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the LPCID on diarrhoeal control for the 5 years following the implementation of LPCID in Vietnam. We used an interrupted time series design using a segmented regression analysis to estimate the 'province-level' impact of LPCID and then used random-effect meta-analysis to estimate the pooled effect sizes of the 'country-level' impact of LPCID on diarrhoeal control throughout Vietnam. The results show that the impacts varied by provinces. They were classified in four groups: 'positive impact, positive impact without sustainability, possibly positive impact, no or negative impact' of the LPCID. The meta-analysis indicated that the country-level impact of the LPCID became significant at 11 months after the LPCID took effect, with a decrease in level of diarrhoea of 9.7% (coefficient, -0.097 95% CI: -19.1 to - 0.002) and a permanent downward trend of diarrhoea at a rate of 1.1% per month (coefficient, -0.011 95% CI: -0.02 to - 0.003) whereas the trend in diarrhoea before the LPCID took effect was unchanging (coefficient, 0.002 95% CI, 0-0.004). At 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months following the LPCID implementation date the levels of diarrhoea decreased by 10.9% (coefficient, -0.109 95% CI: -0.203 to - 0.015), P < 0.01), 21.8% (coefficient, -0.218 95% CI: -0.338 to - 0.098), P < 0.01), 31% (coefficient, -0.31 95% CI: -0.474 to - 0.145), P < 0.01), 46.8% (coefficient, -0.468 95% CI: -0.667 to - 0.27), P < 0.01), 48.2% (coefficient, -0.482 95% CI: -0.708 to - 0.256), P < 0.01) respectively. The findings of this study reveal the effectiveness of the LPCID in reducing diarrhoea incidence in Vietnam. However, further studies should be conducted to better understanding the cost-effectiveness, acceptability, and sustainability of each component of the LPCID.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-05-2019
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 09-08-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2005
DOI: 10.1016/J.YGYNO.2004.09.065
Abstract: Whereas human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major determinant of cervical carcinogenesis, host genetic factors may confer in idual susceptibility and prognosis. Matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) is an important modulator of carcinogenesis. A guanine insertion (2G) polymorphism at nucleotide -1607 of the MMP-1 gene promoter creates an Ets-1-binding site, which increases transcription activity. The present study investigates the association between MMP-1 polymorphism and cervical neoplasia, and their prognostic significance. In this study, the MMP-1 polymorphism was assessed in 135 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) and 197 invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), and in age-matched controls, by capillary electrophoresis. The association of clinicopathological factors and HPV status with MMP-1 genotypes was tested. Frequencies of the 2G allele in HSIL and SCC were 64% and 65%, respectively, which did not differ significantly from control values (66% and 64%, respectively). The 2G allele was associated with advanced stages of disease (P = 0.03), whereas the G allele was more common in patients with regional lymph node metastases (P = 0.02). The survival time in patients with the heterozygous genotype G/2G (median, 55.3 months) was significantly longer than those with either the G/G (50.3 months) or 2G/2G genotype (43.9 months) (P = 0.02). No significant correlation between HPV status and MMP-1 genotype was identified. The genetic polymorphisms of MMP-1 are not associated with the risk of HSIL and SCC, but with the invasiveness and prognosis of SCC. The heterozygous genotype of MMP-1 can be used as a prognostic marker in patients with invasive cervical cancer.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-1994
DOI: 10.1016/0001-706X(94)90008-6
Abstract: Increasing demographic and epidemiological evidence shows that maternal health problems are widespread and are linked to social, cultural, and economic factors, in particular, to women's status in society. Thus, there is an urgent need to expand existing knowledge about these influences on reproductive health and to empower women to gain control over them. To this end, there is a need for a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on social science research and training. The Ford Foundation, after an extensive review of its work in population and development, embarked on a new, ten-year, comprehensive reproductive health program for the 1990s. This paper describes one component of that program, a partnership with the All China Women's Federation to sponsor a series of reproductive health research activities. It examines the development and evaluates the positive and negative outcomes of the project, which commenced in 1991, from the perspective of a consultant involved in the process. So far, the project has generated interest in reproductive health in at least twenty-one Chinese provinces and has fostered a real partnership between the sponsoring and the collaborating agency. Based on the immediate outcomes of a research competition designed to identify research projects and investigators, of participant evaluation of the methodology training course, and of the strategies aimed at building capabilities and strengthening institutions in order to ensure future success, I conclude that the Ford Foundation's reproductive health initiative in China is a worthwhile and sustainable project.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2018.03.121
Abstract: Generally, there is limited information on pesticide absorbed dose levels and health risk attributable to the dermal route of exposure among applicators. The objective of this study was to evaluate the absorbed dose levels and consequent health risk from dermal exposure to chlorpyrifos among applicators on rice farms in Ghana. The whole-body dosimetry technique was used to capture chlorpyrifos residues penetrating the applicators' clothing and reaching their skin, as well as residues reaching uncovered body areas of the applicators. Acute (ADD
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 11-03-2013
Abstract: Several polymorphisms in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and ACE2 genes are associated with the development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Certain genetic polymorphisms may modify the deleterious effects of environmental factors such as cigarette smoking and may also modify the inherited risk. We investigated the association of six ACE and ACE2 polymorphisms with ESRD to determine whether a relationship exists between gene-smoking interactions and ESRD. We performed a case-control association study and genotyped 683 ESRD patients and 653 healthy controls. All subjects were genotyped for ACE (I/D, G2350A and A-240T) and ACE2 (G8790A, A1075G and G16854C) gene polymorphisms by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. Significant associations were observed between ACE I/D and G2350A polymorphisms and ESRD. There was no difference in ACE2 genotype distribution between ESRD patients and healthy controls. Haplotype analysis showed that DAA and DAT haplotypes were risk factors for ESRD. Moreover, a gene-environment interaction was observed between ACE I/D polymorphism and cigarette smoking. ACE I/D and ACE G2350A polymorphisms were associated with the development of ESRD. The interaction between ACE I/D polymorphism and smoking is also associated with an enhanced risk of ESRD.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2017.03.062
Abstract: Studies evaluating dermal exposure to pesticides among applicators in tropical countries have largely been conducted using the patch dosimetry and hand wiping/washing techniques. This study used the more accurate whole-body dosimetry technique to evaluate dermal exposure to chlorpyrifos among applicators on rice farms in Ghana. The exposure levels were plotted as Cumulative Probability Distribution (CPD). Total Dermal Exposure (TDE) of chlorpyrifos among the median exposed and the 5% highly exposed groups during a spray event were 24 mg and 48 mg, respectively. When these were converted as a percentage of the quantity of active ingredient applied (Unit Exposure, UE), UE values of 0.03% and 0.06% were found among the median exposed and the 5% highly exposed groups, respectively. Overall, the hands were the most contaminated anatomical regions of the applicators, both in terms of proportion of TDE (39%) and skin loading (13 μg/cm
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-11-2019
DOI: 10.1007/S00484-019-01824-9
Abstract: Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is an emerging infectious disease that affects thousands of children every year in Vietnam, especially in the Mekong Delta Region (MDR). This study aims to analyse both provincial and regional level effects of climate factors on HFMD in multiple provinces of this high-risk region. Generalized linear models were used to analyse the daily effects of average temperature, humidity and rainfall on HFMD incidence in each province (provincial-level effects), and random-effect meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled effect size of these climate-HFMD associations (regional-level effects). Daily effects of the climate factors on HFMD were found at both provincial level and regional level. At provincial level, temperature and humidity had statistically significant positive associations with HFMD while rainfall had both positive and negative associations with HFMD at different lag days. At regional level, temperature and humidity were positively associated with HFMD at lag 0 days (1.7% 95%CI 0.1%-3.3%) and at lag 3 days (0.3% 95%CI 0.1%-0.5%), respectively. In contrast, rainfall was found to be negatively associated with HFMD at lag 5 days (- 0.3% 95%CI - 0.4% to - 0.1%). Heterogeneities of the effects of rainfall on HFMD were found to be higher than those of temperature or humidity. This is the first study to address the climate-HFMD associations in multiple provinces of the MDR. These associations draw attention to climate-related health issues and will help in developing an environment-based early warning system for HFMD prevention and control.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 06-06-2014
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-07-2022
Abstract: To analysis the death and disease burden caused by high sugar-sweetened beverages intake in China from 1990 to 2019. Data were obtained from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study. We analyzed the death cases caused by high sugar-sweetened beverages intake in China and provinces from 1990 to 2019, as well as the disease burden (including disability-adjusted of life year), years of life lost and years lived with disability, and compared the changes of death in 1990 and 2019. In 2019, the number of deaths attributed to sugar-sweetened beverages in China reached 46 633 with an increase of 95% compared with 1990. The proportion of deaths caused by excessive consumption of carbon-containing beverages increased from 0.34% in 1990 to 0.46% in 2019, an increase of 35%. In 2019, the top five provinces in China with more deaths caused by excessive intake of sugary beverages were Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Hunan and Guangdong, with the number of death cases 4337, 3881, 3010, 2762 and 2611, respectively. The number of deaths and disease burdens caused by high sugar-sweetened beverages intake in China has increased significantly over the past three decades. The burden of disease due to high intake of sugary beverages varies widely from province to province. We suggest that attention should be paid to the problem of excessive intake of high sugar-sweetened beverages for Chinese population. In addition to regular monitoring and investigation of sugar-sweetened beverage intake, comprehensive measures should be taken in China’s sugar control work.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2014
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 20-03-2015
Publisher: Japanese Circulation Society
Date: 2012
Abstract: Although the acute effect of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) therapy had been documented for patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial obstructive disease (PAOD), its efficacy in improving quality of life (QOL), especially for those with infrapopliteal diffuse lesions, remains unclear. Thirty-one patients with infrapopliteal diffuse or multiple segmental lesions were enrolled in the study. Based on receipt of IPC therapy (3 h daily for 3 months), patients were allocated to a study (n=23) or control (n=8) group. The 6-min walking test, transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO₂), and QOL evaluated with the Short-Form 36 questionnaire were measured at the beginning and end of the study. In the QOL analysis, scores for physical functioning, physical and emotional role functioning, bodily pain, and general and mental health showed significant changes after IPC therapy. In the 6-min walking test, duration, and the initial and absolute claudication distances were significantly increased in the study group. The TcPO₂ also significantly increased in the distal end of the target limb after IPC therapy. Patients at high risk for utation with infrapopliteal diffuse or multiple segmental lesions can improve their walking ability, TcPO₂ of the target limb and QOL after IPC therapy.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 06-02-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2016.03.070
Abstract: Air pollution has become an alarming issue in Vietnam recently however, there was only one study so far on the effects of ambient air pollution on population health. Our study aimed to investigate the short-term effects of air pollutants including PM10, NO2, SO2, and O3 on respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the largest city in Vietnam. Data on hospitalization from the two largest hospitals in HCMC and daily records of PM10, NO2, SO2, O3 and meteorological data were collected from February 2004 to December 2007. A time-series regression analysis with distributed lag model was applied for data analysis. Changes in levels of NO2 and PM10 were strongly associated with hospital admissions for both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) whereas levels of SO2 were only moderately associated with respiratory and CVD hospital admissions and O3 concentration was not associated with any of them. For a 10μg/m(3) increase of each air pollutant, the risk of respiratory admissions increased from 0.7% to 8% while the risk of CVD admissions increased from 0.5% to 4%. Females were found to be more sensitive than males to exposure to air pollutants in regard to respiratory diseases. In regard to CVD, females (RR, 1.04, 95% CI, 1.01-1.07) had a slightly higher risk of admissions than males (RR, 1.03, 95% CI, 1-1.06) to exposure to NO2. In contrast, males (RR, 1.007, 95%CI, 1-1.01) had a higher risk of admission than females (RR, 1.004, 95%CI, 1.001-1.007) to exposure to PM10. People in the age group of 5-65year-olds had a slightly higher risk of admissions caused by air pollutants than the elderly (65+years old) except for a significant effect of PM10 on the risk of cardiovascular admissions was found for the elderly only.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-11-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-06-2019
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 27-01-2021
Abstract: Pesticides are indispensable in agricultural production. They have been used by farmers to control weeds and insects, and their remarkable increases in agricultural products have been reported. The increase in the world’s population in the 20th century could not have been possible without a parallel increase in food production. About one-third of agricultural products are produced depending on the application of pesticides. Without the use of pesticides, there would be a 78% loss of fruit production, a 54% loss of vegetable production, and a 32% loss of cereal production. Therefore, pesticides play a critical role in reducing diseases and increasing crop yields worldwide. Thus, it is essential to discuss the agricultural development process the historical perspective, types and specific uses of pesticides and pesticide behavior, its contamination, and adverse effects on the natural environment. The review study indicates that agricultural development has a long history in many places around the world. The history of pesticide use can be ided into three periods of time. Pesticides are classified by different classification terms such as chemical classes, functional groups, modes of action, and toxicity. Pesticides are used to kill pests and control weeds using chemical ingredients hence, they can also be toxic to other organisms, including birds, fish, beneficial insects, and non-target plants, as well as air, water, soil, and crops. Moreover, pesticide contamination moves away from the target plants, resulting in environmental pollution. Such chemical residues impact human health through environmental and food contamination. In addition, climate change-related factors also impact on pesticide application and result in increased pesticide usage and pesticide pollution. Therefore, this review will provide the scientific information necessary for pesticide application and management in the future.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2008.08.002
Abstract: Little explicit attention has been given to the generic health profile of staff working for people with intellectual disability in institutions. This study aimed to provide a profile of physical and mental health of staff working in disability welfare institutions, and to examine the possible demographic and organizational factors that explain an association with their health. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted to analyze 1243 staff (76% response rate) working in 24 institutions in Taiwan. The 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36) Taiwan version was used to measure their generic health status. The mean of Physical component scores (PCS) was slightly higher than Mental component scores (MCS) (50.83 vs. 45.12). With regard to each dimension among PCS, the mean score of Physical functioning (PF) was 57.14 (S.D.=5.93), Role limitations-physical (RP) was 49.88 (S.D.=9.69), Bodily pain (BP) was 52.14 (S.D.=8.09) and General medical health (GH) was 51.50 (S.D.=8.28). Among the MCS, Vitality (VT) was 46.19 (S.D.=6.71) Social functioning (SF) was 46.44 (S.D.=7.58) Role limitations-emotional (RE) was 47.30 (S.D.=11.89) and Mental health (MH) was 43.58 (S.D.=8.81). We found the generic health of staff working for people with intellectual disabilities were significantly lower in PCS and MCS than the Taiwan general population. Influences of staff's demographic and organizational characteristics on their health were also analyzed in the content. This study highlights the authorities and service providers need to continue to develop their awareness and understanding of the experiences that their staff encounters in the organizations, so that they can receive resources to support their positive health in working for people with intellectual disabilities.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2005
DOI: 10.1080/1355785052000323029
Abstract: In Chinese society, traditional postnatal practices and family support protect the health and well-being of women after childbirth. The absence of support for these practices for Chinese migrants in Western societies can have negative implications for their health. Recent studies reveal that postnatal stress is a growing concern among Chinese migrant women in Brisbane, Australia. There is a need to investigate the experiences of these women in order to understand factors affecting their postnatal health and to identify gaps in, and ways to improve, existing services and support identified needs. This paper examines postnatal experience and health needs of Chinese migrant women in Brisbane from three different places of origin: Taiwan, Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Previous studies on reproductive health beliefs and practices of Chinese women have found that a relationship exists between postnatal maternal health and postnatal cultural practices, appropriate family and community support and social circumstances, particularly pressures relating to employment. This study further tests and confirms these findings by comparing the experience of the three Chinese groups who have different migration circumstances, socio-economic and employment status, and support networks. The study reveals that among the three groups, PRC migrants are more likely to have encountered downward social mobility, economic hardship, social isolation, employment and language problems. While all three groups believe in the necessity of traditional postnatal practices, the PRC group has less support and is also more likely to have experienced postnatal health problems than the other two groups. This paper concludes with two sets of recommendations: one for community organizations with a focus on empowerment and cooperation and one for service providers concerning improvement of multi-sectoral partnership, cross-cultural communication and the development of a postnatal care service model.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-05-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S00259-014-2802-Y
Abstract: The identification of the mutation status of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is important for the optimization of treatment in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The acquisition of adequate tissues for EGFR mutational analysis is sometimes not feasible, especially in advanced-stage patients. The aim of this study was to predict EGFR mutation status in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma based on (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake and imaging features in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), as well as on the serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. We retrospectively reviewed 132 pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients who underwent EGFR mutation testing, pretreatment FDG PET/CT and serum CEA analysis. The associations between EGFR mutations and patient characteristics, maximal standard uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumors, serum CEA level and CT imaging features were analyzed. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to quantify the predictive value of these factors. EGFR mutations were identified in 69 patients (52.2 %). Patients with SUVmax ≥6 (p = 0.002) and CEA level ≥5 (p = 0.013) were more likely to have EGFR mutations. The CT characteristics of larger tumors (≥3 cm) (p = 0.023) and tumors with a nonspiculated margin (p = 0.026) were also associated with EGFR mutations. Multivariate analysis showed that higher SUVmax and CEA level, never smoking and a nonspiculated tumor margin were the most significant predictors of EGFR mutation. The combined use of these four criteria yielded a higher area under the ROC curve (0.82), suggesting a good discrimination. The combined evaluation of FDG uptake, CEA level, smoking status and tumor margins may be helpful in predicting EGFR mutation status in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, especially when the tumor s le is inadequate for genetic analysis or genetic testing is not available. Further large-scale prospective studies are needed to validate these results.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-09-2019
Abstract: Although many literature reviews synthesize literature regarding workplace health promotion (WHP) interventions, systematic reviews on the effectiveness of and factors influencing the operation of WHP activities in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are scarce. Therefore, we systematically reviewed evaluation studies to examine the effectiveness and factors related to the implementation of WHP programmes in LMIC. Twenty-six peer-reviewed and grey evaluation studies, published before November 2017, were included from electronic databases (PubMed, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Web of Science) and manual searching. The results revealed that WHP intervention in LMIC was effective in reducing health risks in a wide range of industries and settings, including in resource-poor contexts such as small enterprises and the manufacturing industry. The main factors positively influencing the effectiveness of the intervention are long intervention time period, and needs-based and active intervention strategies. In addition, commitment from workplace leaders, the involvement of workers and support from authorities and professionals are factors contributing to a successful WHP programme. However, the evidence regarding the effectiveness of WHP in LMIC regarding the health outcomes and business productivity is inconclusive due to the several remaining methodological limitations. Future developments of more rigorous methods of evaluating the effectiveness of WHP activities should be addressed to produce higher-quality evidence that would inform future practice.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-04-2019
Abstract: Workplaces in the rapidly industrializing Asia-Pacific region face growing pressures from high-speed development driven by global competition, migration and the aging of the workforce. Apart from addressing work-related injuries, workplaces in the region also have to deal with increasing occupational stress, chronic diseases and their associated socio-economic burden. Meanwhile, interventions in workplace health are still dominated by a narrow behavioral change model. To this end, the integrative workplace health promotion model, initiated by the World Health Organization from successful post-1990 pilot projects, emerges as a timely, comprehensive and appropriate means to manage contemporary workplace health and safety issues in the region. In this paper, we highlight the key workplace health challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and the utility of the integrative workplace health promotion model in addressing them. We provide a brief overview of the pressing challenges confronting workplaces in the region, then explain the why, what and how of integrative workplace health promotion. We illustrate this model by reviewing successful ex les of good practice and evidence of their achievements from workplace health promotion programs in Asia-Pacific from 2002 to date, with specific attention to government-led workplace health promotion programs in Shanghai, Singapore and Taiwan. Drawing from these successful ex les, we recommend government policies and facilitating strategies needed to guide, support and sustain industries in implementing integrative workplace health promotion. We conclude that consistent supportive government policies, coupled with facilitation by international bodies towards capacity and professional network building, are crucial to developing and sustaining healthy workplaces in the region.
Publisher: Geological Society of America
Date: 13-10-2023
DOI: 10.1130/B37024.1
Publisher: Japanese Circulation Society
Date: 2012
Abstract: Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Myocardial dysfunction may occur in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the absence of coronary artery disease or left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Although tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is a highly effective means of quantifying myocardial diastolic function, its differences in ESRD patients with diabetes and without diabetes remain unclear. A total of 101 ESRD patients on maintenance hemodialysis with normal LV systolic function were studied: 37 with type 2 DM and 64 without DM. Conventional echocardiography and TDI were performed to evaluate LV systolic and diastolic functions. The conventional LV systolic and diastolic echocardiographic parameters did not differ according to presence of DM, except for the left atrial size and volume index (P<0.001). The ESRD patients with DM, however, had significantly decreased mitral annular early diastolic peak velocity (e') and ratio of early to late diastolic mitral annular velocity (e'/a' both P<0.02). Additionally, the group with DM had markedly higher estimated LV end-diastolic filling pressure (E/e' P=0.011). ESRD patients with DM had advanced LV diastolic dysfunction on TDI. In ESRD patients with DM, diabetic cardiomyopathy associated with advanced LV diastolic dysfunction is observed. (Circ J 2012 76: 2380-2385).
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-01-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2010.09.018
Abstract: Although longevity among older adults with intellectual disabilities is increasing, there is limited information on their premature aging related health characteristics and how it may change with increasing age. The present paper provides information of the institutional manager's perception on early onset aging and service preparation for this population. We used purposive s ling to recruit 54 institutional managers who care for people with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan. The present study employed a cross-sectional design using a self-administrative structured questionnaire that was completed by the respondents in November 2009. The results showed that more than 90% of the respondents agreed with earlier onset aging characteristics of people with ID. However, nearly all of the respondents expressed that the government policies were inadequate and the institution is not capable of caring for aging people with ID, and more than half of them did not satisfy to their provisional care for this group of people. With regard to the service priority of government aging policy for people with ID, the respondent expressed that medical care, financial support, daily living care were the main areas in the future policy development for them. The factors of institutional type, expressed adequacy of government's service, respondent's job position, age, and working years in disability service were variables that can significantly predict the positive perceptions toward future governmental aging services for people with ID (adjusted R(2) = 0.563). We suggest that the future study strategy should underpin the aging characteristics of people with intellectual disabilities and its differences with general population to provide the useful information for the institutional caregivers.
Publisher: Impact Journals, LLC
Date: 13-04-2018
Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.2138/AM-2017-5632
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2009.07.005
Abstract: The present study based on World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) scale to examine quality of life of the caregivers caring for their children/adolescents with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan, and the factors contributing to their quality of life. Structured interviews were conducted with 597 caregivers of children/adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The results found that the mean scores in each domain of WHOQOL-BREF of the caregivers as the followings: physical capacity (PC) was 13.71+/-2.35, psychological well-being (PW) was 12.21+/-2.55, social relationship (SR) was 12.99+/-2.43 and environment (EN) was 12.32+/-2.38. These mean scores were lower than the general population and slight higher than the caregivers of adults with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan. Finally, multiple stepwise regressions were conducted to examine the characteristics of caregiver and children/adolescents with intellectual disabilities will more likely explained the WHOQOL-BREF mean scores. The study found the following three factors: self-perceived health status, household income and stress from insufficient family support were significantly correlated to all four domains in multiple stepwise regression analyses. The results highlights that caregivers of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities seem to display a lower WHOQOL-BREF mean score than the general population, probably for a combination of stress, health and household income factors. These finding must be taken into account in policy making to provide better and more specific supports and interventions for the caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2013.03.050
Abstract: Volatile aromatic hydrocarbons (VAHs: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, mp-xylene, o-xylene, styrene, naphthalene) in residential indoor air in Brisbane, Australia were measured in 32 houses. The total VAHs (TVAHs) levels ranged between 2 and 137μg/m(3) and were lower than the most of the houses in the literature data. The VAHs were believed to originate from heat insulation systems, building material products as well motor vehicles but naphthalene and styrene originated from other sources. Internal garages had concentrations which are higher than the indoor air by 25-50% due to the presence of motor vehicles and may be a major source of indoor VAHs. However indoor concentrations are higher than that in the outdoor ambient air. The age of the house was found to be negatively related to VAHs concentrations in the houses with the half-life of TVAH at approximately 13years. The concentration levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and styrene are well below the guideline values set by agencies from Hong Kong, Japan, Germany and the WHO while the concentration level of naphthalene in one house exceeded the guideline value from Germany.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 12-2015
Abstract: Intracranial stenosis (ICS) is a major determinant of ischemic stroke in Asians. We determined the clinical significance of different risk factors and the role of ICS in Taiwanese patients with varied distributions of cervicocerebral stenosis. Presence of extracranial carotid stenosis (ECS, ≥70%) and ICS ( %) was examined in 13 539 patients using ultrasonography and magnetic resonance angiography, respectively. Seven hundred thirty‐three patients with non‐ECS/ICS (n=372), isolated ICS (n=112), isolated ECS (n=121), or combined ECS/ICS (CEIS, n=128) were selected. Prevalence of ischemic stroke in each group was compared, and risk factors for stenosis were determined. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for each risk factor was calculated. Prevalence of ischemic stroke was highest in patients with CEIS (odds ratio 15.86 P .001), followed in decreasing order by those with isolated ICS (odds ratio 7.16 P .001), isolated ECS (odds ratio 1.77 P =0.011), and non‐ECS/ICS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that hypertension, coronary artery disease, and smoking were risk factors for isolated ECS hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and smoking were risk factors for isolated ICS and diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and smoking were risk factors for CEIS. Smoking, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease were the greatest contributors to CEIS, isolated ICS, and isolated ECS, respectively. CEIS was associated with higher odds of ischemic stroke compared with isolated ICS and isolated ECS. Smoking and diabetes mellitus, major determinants of CEIS and isolated ICS, should be targeted in therapeutic strategies to reduce the risk of ischemic stroke.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2013
Publisher: WHO Press
Date: 11-04-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-10-2015
DOI: 10.1007/S00484-015-1078-7
Abstract: Flooding causes significant public health issues. The Mekong Delta has been considered the region to be the most vulnerable to flooding in Vietnam. This study assessed the spatial vulnerability of the health impacts of flooding in the Mekong Delta region, Vietnam. This study applied a vulnerability assessment framework which was computed as the function of three dimensions: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The indicators for each dimension were derived from the relevant literature, consultations with experts, and data availability. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and a principal component analysis (PCA) were used to determine the weight of indicators. Vulnerability indexes (VIs) were then computed for each province. A total of 29 indicators (sensitivity index, 14 adaptive capacity index, 13 and exposure index, 2) were employed to evaluate the vulnerability to the health impacts of flooding at a provincial level. The results of AHP revealed that the highest VIs were found in the Dong Thap and An Giang provinces (VI, 1.948 and 1.574, respectively). VIs were distributed with higher indexes in upstream provinces close to a river than in coastal provinces. PCA generated three components from the 29 indicators, and the VIs computed from the PCA method are in substantial agreement with the AHP method (ICC = 0.71, p < 0.05). The vulnerability to the health impacts of flooding varies from province to province in the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam. In idual plans for health preparedness and adaption to flooding should be developed for each province in the Mekong Delta region.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-11-2009
DOI: 10.1007/S00345-009-0486-X
Abstract: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an early sign of vascular dysfunction. Studies have reported a correlation between arterial stiffness and cardiovascular events. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association among different criteria for assessing arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk factors in ED patients. Assessment of pulse wave velocity (PWV), pulse pressure (PP), ratio of mitral inflow velocity to early diastolic velocity in the annulus derived by tissue Doppler imaging (E/Et), and intima-medial thickness (IMT) were performed in 200 ED patients. Linear statistical analysis of the coronary artery disease risk factors revealed that PWV, PP and E/Et were positively correlated with age, duration of diabetes mellitus (DM), and systolic and diastolic blood pressures. PWV and E/Et were positively correlated with waist circumference and number of metabolic syndrome (MS) components. For category-wise analysis, the PWV, PP and E/Et were higher in patients with DM, hypertension and MS. Multiple regression analysis showed that the independent determinants for PWV comprised age, DM, hypertension, and MS for PP comprised age, hypertension, and MS for E/Et comprised age and MS and for IMT comprised only DM. Thus, PWV, PP and E/Et may be employed as markers to identify ED patients with potential cardiovascular risk factors, including MS and obesity.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 14-04-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FMICB.2021.644046
Abstract: The rhizosphere microbial community of crop plants in intensively managed arable soils is strongly dominated by bacteria, especially in the initial stages of plant development. In order to establish more erse and balanced rhizosphere microbiomes, as seen for wild plants, crop variety selection could be based on their ability to promote growth of saprotrophic fungi in the rhizosphere. We hypothesized that this can be achieved by increasing the exudation of phenolic acids, as generally higher fungal abundance is observed in environments with phenolic-rich inputs, such as exudates of older plants and litter leachates. To test this, a rhizosphere simulation microcosm was designed to establish gradual diffusion of root exudate metabolites from sterile sand into arable soil. With this system, we tested the fungus-stimulating effect of eight phenolic acids alone or in combination with primary root metabolites. Ergosterol-based fungal biomass measurements revealed that most phenolic acids did not increase fungal abundance in the arable soil layer. These results were supported by comparison of fungal biomass in the rhizosphere of wild type Arabidopsis thaliana plants and mutants with altered phenolic acid metabolism. Salicylic acid was the only phenolic acid that stimulated a higher fungal biomass in the arable soil layer of microcosms, but only when combined with a background of primary root metabolites. However, such effect on rhizosphere fungi was not confirmed for a salicylic acid-impaired A. thaliana mutant. For three phenolic acid treatments (chlorogenic acid, salicylic acid, vanillic acid) fungal and bacterial community compositions were analyzed using licon sequencing. Despite having little effect on fungal biomass, phenolic acids combined with primary metabolites promoted a higher relative abundance of soil-borne fungi with the ability to invade plant roots ( Fusarium, Trichoderma and Fusicolla spp.) in the simulated rhizosphere. Bacterial community composition was also affected by these phenolic acids. Although this study indicates that phenolic acids do not increase fungal biomass in the rhizosphere, we highlight a potential role of phenolic acids as attractants for root-colonizing fungi.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-05-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2014.11.016
Abstract: Previous studies examining temperature-mortality associations in China focused on a single city or a small number of cities. A multi-city study covering different climatic zones is necessary to better understand regional differences in temperature risk on mortality in China. Sixty-six communities from 7 regions across China were included in this study. We first used a Distributed Lag Non-linear Model (DLNM) to estimate community-specific effects of temperature on non-accidental mortality during 2006-2011. A multivariate meta-analysis was then applied to pool the estimates of community-specific effects. A U-shaped curve was observed between temperature and mortality at the national level in China, indicating both low and high temperatures were associated with increased mortality risk. The overall threshold was at about the 75th percentile of the pooled temperature distribution. The relative risk was 1.61 (95% CI: 1.48-1.74) for extremely cold temperature (1st percentile of temperature), and 1.21 (95% CI: 1.10-1.34) for extreme hot temperature (99th percentile of temperature) at lag0-21 days. The temperature-mortality relationship is different for different regions. Compared with north China, south China had a higher minimum mortality temperature (MMT), and there was a larger cold effect in the more southern parts of China and a more pronounced hot effect in more northern parts. Both cold and hot temperatures increase mortality risk in China, and the relationship varies geographically. Our findings suggest that public health policies for climate change adaptation should be tailored to the local climate conditions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2006
DOI: 10.1016/J.ANNEPIDEM.2005.02.015
Abstract: This prospective cohort study of 11,889 women was conducted to determine significant factors associated with the risk of breast cancer among Chinese women in Taiwan, a low-incidence area. In-person interviews were completed for subjects to solicit information on hormonal factors. Measurements of height, weight, and waist-and- hip circumferences were performed by well-trained assistants using standardized techniques. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to estimate relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During an average follow-up time of 10.3 years (range: 1 to 11 years) with an accumulation of 134,063 person-years, 104 incident breast cancer cases were identified through data linkage with national cancer registry profile. There was a significant elevation in breast-cancer risk with increasing duration of the interval between age at menarche and age at first full-term pregnancy (FFTP). Additionally, central adiposity reflected by hip circumference was a significant predictor of breast cancer in this Chinese female population. The findings of this study indicated common mechanisms responsible for the higher incidence of breast cancer in Western populations may also explain the risk of breast cancer development in Taiwan, a low-incidence area.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 27-03-2015
Publisher: Institute of Rural Health
Date: 11-05-2015
Abstract: Guidelines set by various agencies for the control and management of chlorpyrifos cover a wide range of values reflecting difficulties in the procedures for their development. To overcome these difficulties a new method to set guidelines would be developed. Published data derived from epidemiological investigations on human populations would be used to develop a dose-response relationship for chlorpyrifos allowing the calculation of threshold values which can be used as guidelines. Data from the scientific literature on human populations were collected to evaluate the adverse response doses for a range of health effects. The Cumulative Frequency Distribution (CFD) for the minimum levels of adverse effects measured in terms of the Lifetime Average Daily Dose (LADD(D)) and the Absorbed Daily Dose for neurological (ADD(DN)) and non-neurological effects were used. Linear regression equations were fitted to the CFD plots giving R 2 values of 0.93 and 0.86 indicating a normal distribution of the data. Using these CFD plots, the chronic and acute threshold values were calculated at the 5% cumulative frequency level for chlorpyrifos exposure giving values at 0.5 µg/kg/d and 3 µg/kg/d respectively. Guidelines set using this technique at the values at 0.5 µg/kg/d and 3 µg/kg/d for chronic and acute exposure respectively provide an alternative to the currently used biological endpoint and safety factor method.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-08-2015
DOI: 10.1111/NEP.12495
Abstract: To examine the reliability and validity of a modified Chinese version of the uraemic pruritus scale for measurement of different degrees of itching, as well as to identify the predictors for the severity of uraemic pruritus among long-term dialysis patients. Long-term dialysis patients (n = 110) were recruited for a cross-sectional study from a medical centre in Taiwan. A modified Chinese version of the uraemic pruritus scale was used to evaluate sleep disturbance and the severity, frequency and distribution of itching. Reliability was evaluated using item-total correlations, Cronbach's α, and intra-class correlation. Validity was evaluated by the content validity index, predictive and discriminative validity. Multiple linear regression was used on the predictors for the severity of uraemic pruritus. After optimization for reliability, the scale retained seven items. The Cronbach's α was 0.86, and the results showed that the scale had predictive and discriminative validity. High intact-parathyroid hormone and creatinine clearance rate were important predictors for the severity of uraemic pruritus. The severity of uraemic pruritus was the important predictor for the sleeping disturbance. The modified uraemic pruritus scale can discriminate between patients with a total pruritus score of ≥11 and those with a score of 0 points. The modified Chinese scale is a useful tool for clinically assessing the various degrees of itching among long-term dialysis patients. Our study validates that it could apply to clinical practice in assessment of uraemic pruritus.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 14-12-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-07-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-08-2013
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2018-026203
Abstract: To use the extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to predict smoking cessation counsellors’ intentions to offer smoking cessation support. Cross-sectional study Taiwanese military A survey of 432 smoking cessation counsellors was conducted in 2017. All participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that solicited information concerning demographics, smoking behaviour, self-rated suitability for being a counsellor, the knowledge and skills learnt from training courses and the TPB construct. The factors of perceived behavioural control (β=0.590, p .001), self-rated suitability for being a counsellor (acceptable vs not suitable, β=0.436, p=0.001 suitable vs not suitable, β=0.510, p .001), knowledge (β=0.298, p=0.020) and professional specialty (military doctor vs non-military doctor, β=0.198, p=0.034) were found to be correlated with intention. However, attitude, subjective norms and descriptive norms were determined to be non-significant correlates. The model explained 59.7% of the variance for the intention to offer smoking cessation support (F[12,343]=44.864, p .001). To encourage smoking cessation counsellors to offer cessation support to smokers, policies should aim to increase their perceived behavioural control, knowledge and self-rated suitability for being a counsellor.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2009
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-06-2013
DOI: 10.1111/OBR.12055
Abstract: The aims of our meta-analysis were to examine the pattern and gender's influence on body mass index (BMI) - pneumonia relationship. Published studies were searched from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library databases using keywords of pneumonia, BMI and epidemiologic studies. Random-effects analysis was applied to estimate pooled effect sizes from in idual studies. The Cochrane Q-test and index of heterogeneity (I(2) ) were used to evaluate heterogeneity, and Egger's test was used to evaluate publication bias. Random-effects meta-regression was applied to examine the pattern and gender's influence on BMI-pneumonia relationship. A total of 1,531 studies were initially identified, and 25 studies finally were included. The pooled relative risk (RR) and meta-regression model revealed a J-shaped relationship between BMI and risk of community-acquired pneumonia (underweight, RR 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-2.2, P < 0.01 overweight, 0.89, 95%CI, 0.8-1.03, P, 0.1 obesity, 1.03, 95% CI, 0.8-1.3, p. 8) and U-shaped relationship between BMI and risk of influenza-related pneumonia (underweight, RR 1.9, 95% CI, 1.2-3, P < 0.01 overweight, 0.89, 95% CI, 0.79-0.99, P, 0.03 obesity, 1.3, 95% CI, 1.05-1.63, p. 2 morbidity obesity, 4.6, 95% CI, 2.2-9.8, P < 0.01) whereas, no difference in risk of nosocomial pneumonia was found across the BMI groups. Gender difference did not make significant contribution in modifying BMI-pneumonia risk relationship.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJPHAR.2019.01.011
Abstract: Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5a (TRACP5a) is mainly secreted by activated macrophages in chronic inflammation. Serum TRACP5a is associated with symptom distress in lung cancer patients during chemotherapy. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether chemotherapy drugs modulate TRACP5a as an inducible marker for symptom distress in lung cancer patients during chemotherapy. In clinical analysis, lung cancer participants completely received the six-cycle chemotherapy process (n = 42). Clinical determinations for TRACP5a, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), white blood cells, monocytes, and hemoglobin were analyzed at six time points: BL, C1d8, C2d1, C4d1, C4d8, and Ed28. Meanwhile, five questionnaires for fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, depression, and confusion were finished before drug treatment. For monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation, THP-1 cells were treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). TRACP5a secretion in THP-1 cells was determined at the following days up to 6 days after 1-day incubation of chemotherapy drugs by dot blotting. Clinical analysis revealed that TRACP5a significantly increased at C1d8 and C4d8, but dropped at C2d1 and Ed28. CRP and IL-6 displayed a broad-range variation, resulting in no significant difference among the assessment time points. In contrast, monocytes decreased at C1d8 and C4d8, but rose again at C2d1 and Ed28. In symptom distress, the changes only in fatigue and sleep disturbance were positively associated with the trend in TRACP5a. In PMA-treated THP-1 cells, TRACP5a significantly increased after stimulation with gemcitabine and paclitaxel. Taken together, induction of TRACP5a by chemotherapy drugs might be generated from monocyte-differentiated macrophages, further causing clinical symptom distress in lung cancer patients.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-10-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Publisher: International Heart Journal (Japanese Heart Journal)
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1536/IHJ.14-322
Abstract: There are many published articles on the effects of the antithrombolytic function of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors) in myocardial infarction. However, few studies have explored the effects and optimal concentration of tirofibans in diminishing the extent of myocardial reperfusion injury (RI).Rats received 120 minutes of coronary ligation and 180 minutes of reperfusion. The rats were then ided into 7 groups based on the concentration of tirofiban administered intravenously 30 minutes prior to coronary reperfusion to the end of reperfusion. The ratio of myocardial necrotic area to area at risk (AAR), and myocardial malondialdehyde (MDA) and plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities were measured. The apoptotic index (AI) was the percentage of myocytes positive for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) out of all myocytes stained by 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI).The ratio of myocardial necrotic area to AAR significantly decreased in all tirofiban subgroups. The MDA activity for tirofiban concentrations of 2 and 5 ug/kg/minute showed a slight reduction. MPO activity was significantly decreased at a tirofiban concentration of 2 ug/kg/minute. The AI was significantly decreased at a tirofiban concentration of ≥ 0.4 ug/kg/minute.The results indicate that a tirofiban can significantly ameliorate the cardiac RI and myocyte apoptosis in rats.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 08-08-2022
Abstract: Objective: Non-communicable and chronic diseases (NCDs) have become a public health problem that seriously threatens the population’s health, especially in rapidly industrialized countries. Given the complexity of managing NCDs, there is growing evidence that interventions embedding or incorporating health promotion strategies can help reduce the disease burden of NCDs. This review aims to identify and map existing control and prevention policies for NCDs in China and identify gaps or opportunities for policy modifications and development, to transfer evidence-based guidelines into empirical public health intervention practices and research. Design: A review was conducted to evaluate the policy documents to manage NCDs in China. Keywords “chronic disease”, “health”, and “policy” were used to search documents published on the Chinese official national websites. Nvivo 12.0 was used to conduct a content analysis of the policy documents. Results: Fifty-six NCD prevention policies were retrieved from the search, and ten documents that incorporated the health promotion component were analyzed. The Healthy China 2030 Plan and Recommendations on Implementing the Healthy China Action are the core health policies of China’s Central Government. These, coupled with three nationwide community-based projects, have provided a foundational transformation platform for health promotion implementation. Conclusion: This review revealed the Chinese Government’s determination and commitment toward the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion public health. Additional efforts and a focus on accelerating policy transformation and strengthening policy evaluation are required to achieve this commitment.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2016.12.027
Abstract: The association between heavy rainfall and infectious intestinal diseases (IID) has not been well described and little research has been conducted in developing countries. This study examines the association between heavy rainfall and hospital admissions for IID in Ho Chi Minh City, the most populous city in Vietnam. An interrupted time-series method was used to examine the effect of each in idual heavy rainfall event (HRE) on IID. The percentage changes in post-HRE level and trends of IID were estimated for 30days following each HRE. Then a random-effect meta-analysis was used to quantify the pooled estimate of effect sizes of all HREs on IID. The pooled estimates were calculated over a 21day lag period. The effects of a HRE on IID varied across in idual HREs. The pooled estimates indicate that the levels of IID following a HRE increased from 7.3% to 13.5% for lags from 0 to 21days, however statistically significant increases were only observed for lags from 4 to 6days (13.5%, 95%CI: 1.4-25.4 13.3%, 95%CI: 1.5-25.0 and 12.9%, 95%CI: 1.6-24.1 respectively). An average decrease of 0.11% (95%CI: -0.55-0.33) per day was observed for the post-HRE trend. This finding has important implications for the projected impacts on residents living in this city which is highly vulnerable to increased heavy rainfall associated with climate change. Adaptation and intervention programs should be developed to prevent this additional burden of disease and to protect residents from the adverse impacts of extreme weather events.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-10-2017
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 21-09-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-08-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 07-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJCARD.2010.03.002
Abstract: The 64-multislice computed tomography (MSCT) can be used to directly guide the complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure and predict the outcome. This study aimed to determine the possibility of success of angioplasty for chronic total occlusion (CTO) performed on the basis of MSCT results. In this study, we assessed 82 de novo CTO lesions in 67 patients, who were subjected to 64-MSCT before undergoing PCIs. The lesions were either treated with an antegrade approach or a combined bilateral antegrade and retrograde approach. The clinical characteristics of the patients and the angiographic and 64-MSCT parameters associated with the intervention result were analyzed. In this study, the technical and procedural success rates were 89.0% and 80.5%, respectively. There were significant differences in heavy calcification with the calcification length ratio of >0.5, proximal stump calcification, and distal stump calcification between the technical-success and technical-failure groups (P<0.001, P=0.022, and P=0.003, respectively) as well as between the procedural-success and procedural-failure groups (P 0.5 remains to be the independent negative predictor of both technical and procedural success.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-03-2019
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-019-04606-3
Abstract: The concentration level related to toxicities of trace elements in drinking water, rice, wheat flour, and their associated negative impacts on human health have become an emergent issue in China. Because Xinjiang is the largest province in China with the majority of arable pasture land available for cultivation, it is important to analyze the concentrations of trace elements in relation to their toxicities in water, rice, and wheat flour and to investigate the health risk differences between agricultural and pastoral areas in Bay County, Xinjiang. The study results showed that (1) metal concentrations from drinking water, rice, and wheat flour were within the permissible limits (2) concentration levels of trace elements and their total risk from drinking water and rice were higher in the agricultural areas than those in the pastoral areas, whereas concentration levels of trace elements and their total risk from wheat flour were higher in the pastoral areas than those in the agricultural areas (3) the concentration level of the trace elements in rice were higher than in the wheat flour, but the risk from the wheat flour was higher than the risk from rice (4) total non-cancer risk from the flour (HI
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 30-11-2015
DOI: 10.2166/WH.2015.129
Abstract: Increasing salinity of freshwater from environmental and anthropogenic influences is threatening the health of 35 million inhabitants in coastal Bangladesh. Yet little is known about the characteristics of their exposure to salt (sodium), a major risk factor for hypertension and related chronic diseases. This research examined sodium consumption levels and associated factors in young adults. We assessed spot urine s les for 282 participants (19–25 years) during May–June 2014 in a rural sub-district in southwestern coastal Bangladesh and measured sodium levels of their potable water sources. The significant factors associated with high sodium consumption were determined from logistic regression analyses. Mean sodium content in tube-well water (885 mg/L) was significantly higher than pond water (738 mg/L) (P = 0.01). Fifty three percent of subjects were consuming sodium at levels above the WHO recommended level (≥2 g/day). The users of tube-well water were more likely to consume sodium above this recommended level than pond water users. Salinity problems are projected to increase with climate change, and with large populations potentially at risk, appropriate public health and behavior-change interventions are an urgent priority for this vulnerable coastal region along with targeted research to better understand sodium exposure pathways and health benefits of alternative water supplies.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2009.07.008
Abstract: The aims of the preset study were to describe the profile of serum uric acid, the prevalence of hyperuricemia and its risk factors among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 941 children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (aged 4-18 years) who participated in annual health examinations in three special schools in Taiwan. This study indicated 30.6% boys and 17.9% girls with intellectual disabilities were with hyperuricemia in Taiwan. The factors of gender, age and BMI were variables that can significantly predict the hyperuricemia occurrence in this vulnerable population. Those children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities were boys (OR=2.93, 95% CI=2.02-4.26) and older age (OR=6.49, 95% CI=2.19-19.21) were more likely to be hyperuricemia. With regard to BMI to hyperuricemia occurrence, those children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities were overweight (OR=1.16-3.21, 95% CI=1.16-3.21) and being obese (OR=4.95-11.58, 95% CI=4.95-11.58) was more likely to have a hyperuricemia than the normal weight group. This study provides the general profile of serum uric acid, hyperuricemia and its risk factors of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Medical professionals should be highly alert to the possible consequences of hyperuricemia and provide useful information about the clinical manifestation of this condition for caregivers of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.
Publisher: American Scientific Publishers
Date: 04-2017
Publisher: IGI Global
Date: 04-12-2020
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-4817-2.CH019
Abstract: Sustainable food systems can contribute to addressing food security, poverty alleviation, and economic growth. With 870 million people around the world being undernourished, and food shortages exacerbated by climate change, the United Nations, in 2013, made food security a priority. This study aimed to develop a food waste reduction program model to assist with designing and delivering effective responses in relevant institutions. This study conducted desktop review of literature, detailing proven practices in food waste management systems and synthesised key success factors. Three cases, from San Francisco, Taiwan, and South Korea, were chosen for further analysis because they have a proven track record of success. The study also proposes a program for designing, implementing, and evaluating future food waste management programs. The findings have identified significant policy opportunities for food waste management strategies and have provided an opportunity to develop food waste guidelines as many work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of halving global food waste.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 06-2019
Abstract: The Health Promotion Administration of Taiwan launched an integrative certification initiative in 2016 to streamline a plural system of certifications of health promotion in hospitals. It endeavored to replace original certifications, thereby establishing the proposal of a self-assessment instrument to aid in this integration. This study aimed to verify the robustness of this self-assessment tool by conducting exploratory factor analyses through stratification, reliability tests, content and construct validity tests, and specialist evaluations, which were convened to judge the comprehensibility, applicability, and importance of the standards and measures of this tool. A stratified random s ling of 46 hospitals was performed to confirm the validity of this tool. The tool rendered a floor effect of 0% and a ceiling effect of 13%. A valid factor structure and internal consistency (α ranged from 0.88 to 0.96) in each standard were verified. Hospitals with previous certificates or with 300+ beds achieved high compliance scores. A majority of experts agreed that the sub-standards were comprehensible (≥80%), applicable (≥70%), and important (≥70%). Finally, we conclude that the self-assessment tool is valid and can serve as a reference for other countries with hospitals committed to health promotion in hospital settings.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-07-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S11104-022-05590-3
Abstract: Insect herbivory affects plant growth, nutrient and secondary metabolite concentrations and litter quality. Changes to litter quality due to insect herbivory can alter decomposition, with knock on effects for plant growth mediated through the plant-litter-soil feedback pathway. Using a multi-phase glasshouse experiment, we tested how changes in shoot and root litter quality of fast- and slow-growing grass caused by insect herbivores affect the performance of response plants in the soil in which the litter decomposed. We found that insect herbivory resulted in marginal changes to litter quality and did not affect growth when plants were grown with fast- versus slow-growing litter. Overall, presence of litter resulted in reduced root and shoot growth and this effect was significantly more negative in shoots versus roots. However, this effect was minimal, with a loss of c. 1.4% and 3.1% dry weight biomass in roots versus shoots, respectively. Further, shoot litter exposed to insect herbivory interacted with response plant identity to affect root growth. Our results suggest that whether litter originates from plant tissues exposed to insect herbivory or not and its interaction with fast- versus slow-growing grasses is of little importance, but species-specific responses to herbivory-conditioned litter can occur. Taken collectively, the overall role of the plant-litter-soil feedback pathway, as well as its interaction with insect herbivory, is unlikely to affect broader ecosystem processes in this system.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2016.01.154
Abstract: The association between temperatures and risk of cardiovascular mortality has been recognized but the association drawn from previous meta-analysis was weak due to the lack of sufficient studies. This paper presented a review with updated reports in the literature about the risk of cardiovascular hospitalization in relation to different temperature exposures and examined the dose-response relationship of temperature-cardiovascular hospitalization by change in units of temperature, latitudes, and lag days. The pooled effect sizes were calculated for cold, heat, heatwave, and diurnal variation using random-effects meta-analysis, and the dose-response relationship of temperature-cardiovascular admission was modelled using random-effect meta-regression. The Cochrane Q-test and index of heterogeneity (I(2)) were used to evaluate heterogeneity, and Egger's test was used to evaluate publication bias. Sixty-four studies were included in meta-analysis. The pooled results suggest that for a change in temperature condition, the risk of cardiovascular hospitalization increased 2.8% (RR, 1.028 95% CI, 1.021-1.035) for cold exposure, 2.2% (RR, 1.022 95% CI, 1.006-1.039) for heatwave exposure, and 0.7% (RR, 1.007 95% CI, 1.002-1.012) for an increase in diurnal temperature. However no association was observed for heat exposure. The significant dose-response relationship of temperature - cardiovascular admission was found with cold exposure and diurnal temperature. Increase in one-day lag caused a marginal reduction in risk of cardiovascular hospitalizations for cold exposure and diurnal variation, and increase in latitude was associated with a decrease in risk of cardiovascular hospitalizations for diurnal temperature only. There is a significant short-term effect of cold exposure, heatwave and diurnal variation on cardiovascular hospitalizations. Further research is needed to understand the temperature-cardiovascular relationship for different climate areas.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.WHI.2010.09.002
Abstract: From the 1990s until 2002, hormone therapy (HT) was a popular treatment for menopausal syndrome in middle-aged women. Since the Women's Health Initiatives (WHI) studies in 2002 warned that the risk of HT might exceed its benefits, there has been a reduction in its use worldwide, including in Taiwan. Many studies reported this decline, but few discussed whether HT may or may not fulfill menopausal women's health needs. This study examines the changes in HT prescriptions and other measures by menopausal women in Taiwan and the implications of these changes in relation to their needs. This study analyzes annual and monthly rates of HT prescription and outpatient care utilization among Taiwanese women in the 45- to 64-year-old age group. It is based on medical claims data of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Programs from 2000 to 2004. The data showed that HT was the prevailing treatment for menopausal syndrome before the WHI publications. The rate of HT prescription increased annually, peaking in 2001 at 21.6%, but declined from 2002 to 9.7% in 2004. At the same time, the number of Taiwanese women seeking traditional Chinese medicine for the menopausal syndrome increased. HT prescriptions in Taiwan declined significantly after the WHI reports, demonstrating the elasticity of the need for HT. But utilization data in Taiwan showed that attendance at outpatient clinics at menopause remained constant and the use of traditional Chinese medicine increased. Further studies should investigate health needs from menopausal women's perspectives to develop appropriate measures to meet their needs.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2002
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-07-2023
Abstract: Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) is the Australian national research network established to support improvements to health, the Australian health system, and the environment in response to the unfolding climate crisis. The HEAL Network comprises researchers, community members and organisations, policymakers, practitioners, service providers, and other stakeholders from erse backgrounds and sectors. HEAL seeks to protect and improve public health, reduce health inequities and inequalities, and strengthen health system sustainability and resilience in the face of environmental and climate change, all with a commitment to building on the strengths, knowledge, wisdom, and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culture, and communities. Supporting applied research that can inform policy and practice, and effective research translation, implementation, and impact are important goals across the HEAL Network and essential to achieve its intended outcomes. To aid translation approaches, a research translation, implementation, and impact strategy for the HEAL Network was developed. The strategy has been created to inform and guide research translation across HEAL, emphasising communication, trust, partnerships, and co-design with communities and community organisations as well as the decision-makers responsible for public policies and programs. Development of the strategy was guided by research translation theory and practice and the Health in All Policies and Environment in All Policies frameworks. As described in this paper, the strategy is underpinned by a set of principles and outlines preliminary actions which will be further expanded over the course of the HEAL Network’s activities. Through these actions, the HEAL Network is well-positioned to ensure successful research translation and implementation across its program of work.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 09-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2014.02.049
Abstract: Heat waves have been reported to be associated with increased mortality however, fewer studies have examined the effect modification by heat wave characteristics, in idual characteristics and community characteristics. This study investigated the effect of extreme heat on mortality in 2 urban and 2 rural communities in Guangdong Province, China during 2006-2010. The effect of extreme heat was ided into two parts: main effect due to high temperature and added effect due to prolonged heat for several consecutive days. A distributed lag non-linear model was used to calculate the relative risk with consideration of lag days and potential confounding factors. Separate models were further fit by in idual characteristics (cause of death, age and gender) and heat wave characteristics (intensity, duration and timing), and potential effect modification of community characteristics was examined using a meta-regression, such as educational levels, percentage of the elderly, Gross Regional Domestic Product (GDP). The overall main effects (ER=8.2%, 95% CI: 3.4%, 13.2%) were greater than the added effects (ER=0.0%, 95% CI: -3.8%, 4.0%) on the current day. The main effect peaked at lag0-2, and was higher for the two rural areas compared to the two cities, for respiratory compared to cardiovascular mortality, for those ≥75 years old and for females. The modifying effects of heat wave characteristics and community characteristics on mortality were not statistically significant. This study suggests the effects of extreme heat were mainly driven by high temperature, which can be modified by some in idual characteristics.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 28-05-2015
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 03-07-2013
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268813001519
Abstract: We examined the spatial distribution pattern and meteorological drivers of dengue fever (DF) in Guangdong Province, China. Annual incidence of DF was calculated for each county between 2005 and 2011 and the geographical distribution pattern of DF was examined using Moran's I statistic and excess risk maps. A time-stratified case-crossover study was used to investigate the short-term relationship between DF and meteorological factors and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). High-epidemic DF areas were restricted to the Pearl River Delta region and the Han River Delta region, Moran's I of DF distribution was significant from 2005 to 2006 and from 2009 to 2011. Daily vapour pressure, mean and minimum temperatures were associated with increased DF risk. Maximum temperature and SOI were negatively associated with DF transmission. The risk of DF was non-randomly distributed in the counties in Guangdong Province. Meteorological factors could be important predictors of DF transmission.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2011.11.011
Abstract: The aim of the present study was to describe the seasonal influenza vaccination rate and to examine its determinants for children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) living in the community. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to analyze the data on seasonal influenza vaccination rate among 1055 ID in iduals between the ages of 12-18 years. The results found that 22.9% of the study participants used the vaccine during the past three years, and the vaccination rate among different age groups varied from 18.1 to 26.5%. There was no gender difference of seasonal influenza vaccination rate among age groups. Multilevel logistic regression analysis revealed that ID in iduals with moderate (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.08-2.34) or severe (OR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.20-4.45) disability, with an illness (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.02-2.63), who have general health exams (ever used, OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.03-2.40 regularly used, OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.05-3.41) were more likely to have seasonal influenza vaccination than their counterparts. The present study highlights that the substantial disparity in receipt of seasonal influenza vaccine in children and adolescents with ID reflects the effects of disability level, disease condition, and general health exam experience and suggests the need for greater attention to factors affecting ID in iduals to improve their preventive health care.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 2015
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 17-02-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-05-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-018-2259-9
Abstract: Chlorpyrifos is a neurotoxic insecticide that is widely used in the agricultural sector of Ghana. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of chlorpyrifos exposure and health risk among applicators (n = 21) on irrigated rice farms in Ghana, based on a typical application event. Pre- and post-application urine s les (24-h) were collected from the applicators and analysed for 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), using LC-MS/MS. The levels of chlorpyrifos-absorbed dose with the applicators were estimated from the urinary TCP levels. Prior to application, the median absorbed dose of chlorpyrifos (background exposure) with the applicators was 0.2 μg/kg/day (range 0.05 to 2 μg/kg/day). Following application, the median absorbed dose of chlorpyrifos (application exposure) increased 30-fold to 6 μg/kg/day (range 0.7 to 74 μg/kg/day). The mean elimination half-life (t
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-06-2022
DOI: 10.5694/MJA2.51595
Publisher: Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Date: 2010
Publisher: European Open Science Publishing
Date: 02-08-2022
DOI: 10.24018/EJEDU.2022.3.4.362
Abstract: Economic development in almost all countries causes harmful effects that future generations will feel. The solution to this issue is the application of sustainability in all aspects of life, including at universities. Students as future generations are stakeholders interested in implementing sustainable universities. This study aims to see the readiness of students to support the implementation of sustainable universities in Indonesia. The research method used is pre, and post-experiment using video media about climate change's negative impacts and causes. Data analysis of selected respondents purposively was carried out using content and descriptive analysis. The result is that students are quite ready to support the implementation of a sustainable university even students provide several strategies to make the performance of a sustainable university successful.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-03-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-08-2012
DOI: 10.1007/S00038-012-0391-8
Abstract: To examine the development in healthcare workplace health promotion (WHP) in Taiwan through the Health Promoting Hospital (HPH) initiative. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire, involving all 55 hospitals committed to the HPH approach (HP hospitals) as of the end of 2009 52 completed the questionnaire. Fifty of 52 hospitals perceived a change in organizational capacity which mainly occurred in the areas of re-aligning strategies (96 %) and more resources (71 %). Regarding re-aligning strategies, 85 % of the hospitals engaged in increased staff participation, 66 % in staff-oriented health services. The HPH initiative has led to new developments in capacity building of WHP among HP hospitals in Taiwan, and this study has mapped a pattern of such developments.
Publisher: Tohoku University Medical Press
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1620/TJEM.225.109
Abstract: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly recognized as a global public health problem. As inflammatory processes and genetic factors are involved in the pathogenesis of CKD, we have investigated the potential genetic contribution of Toll-like receptor (TLR) gene polymorphisms in CKD. In a case-control association study, 149 CKD patients and 429 healthy controls were genotyped by real-time polymerase chain reaction. CKD patients were defined as kidney damage (albuminuria, proteinuria or hematuria) or glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) for 3 months or more. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at TLR-2 G2408A, TLR-4 A12874G and C13174T, and TLR-9 T-1237C, T-1486C, and G1635A were assessed, and linkage disequilibrium calculations and haplotype association analysis were undertaken. The functions of TLR-9 have been documented to recognize the viral and bacterial CpG DNA sequences, whereas detects microbe-derived peptidoglycan and lipopeptides and TLR-4 binds lipopolysaccharides. SNPs within the TLR genes may influence promoter activity, mRNA conformation and subcellular localization, and/or protein structure and function. Our results show that only the TLR-9 T-1237C and G1635A gene polymorphisms demonstrate an association with CKD (p = 0.002 and p = 0.04, respectively). The TLR-9 TCA haplotype at T-1237C, T-1486C, and G1635A was associated with a lower risk of CKD, whereas the TTA haplotype was associated with a higher risk of CKD. In the Han Chinese population, those who carry the C and A alleles at SNPs T-1237C and G1635A in the TLR-9 gene appear to be more susceptible to the development of CKD.
No related grants have been discovered for Cordia Chu.