[Quality level assessment of lowly efficient Tamarix chinensis secondary shrubs in Laizhou Bay of Yellow River Delta].

PubMed

Xia, Jiang-Bao; Liu, Yu-Ting; Zhu, Jin-Fang; Xu, Jing-Wei; Lu, Zhao-Hua; Liu, Jing-Tao; Liu, Qing

2013-06-01

Taking the Tamarix chinensis secondary shrubs in Laizhou Bay of Yellow River Delta as test objects, and by using synthetic factor method, this paper studied the main factors causing the lowly efficiency of T. chinensis secondary shrubs as well as the main parameters for the classification of lowly efficient T. chinensis secondary shrubs. A total of 24 indices including shrubs growth and soil physical and chemical properties were selected to determine the main affecting factors and parameters in evaluating and classifying the lowly efficient shrubs. There were no obvious correlations between the indices reflecting the shrubs growth and soil quality, and thus, only using shrub growth index to reflect the lowly efficiency level of T. chinensis was not enough, and it would be necessary to combine with soil quality factors to make a comprehensive evaluation. The principal factors reflecting the quality level of lowly efficient T. chinensis shrubs included soil salt content and moisture content, stand age, single tree's aboveground stem, leaf biomass, and basal diameter, followed by soil density, porosity, and soil nutrient status. The lowly efficient T. chinensis shrubs in the Bay could be classified into five types, namely, shrub with growth potential, slightly low quality shrub, moderately lowly efficient shrub, moderately low quality and lowly efficient shrub, and seriously low quality and lowly efficient shrub. The main features, low efficiency causes, and management measures of these shrubs were discussed based on the mean cluster value.

What Makes CLIL Leadership Effective? A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soler, David; González-Davies, Maria; Iñesta, Anna

2017-01-01

The swift growth of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has caused a diversification of CLIL models designed to fit specific contexts. Although variation across programmes is inevitable, exploring the main factors for the effective implementation of CLIL may help avoid the risk of promoting inefficient practices. The main purpose of…

Causes of Male Dropout Rate in Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ud Din, Muhammad Naseer; Dad, Hukam; Iqbal, Javid; Shah, Syed Shafqat Ali; Niazi, Muhammad Imran

2011-01-01

This study aimed to seek the cause of male students' dropout rate at the primary level of F.R. Peshawar. The main objectives of the study were: 1) to study the teacher problems and attitudes of the dropouts, 2) to determine the factors that cause dropouts, 3) to study the government's strategy of dropouts, and 4) to provide suggestions to overcome…

Low back injuries related to nursing professionals working conditions: a systematic review.

PubMed

Schlossmacher, Roberta; Amaral, Fernando Gonçalves

2012-01-01

Identify the prevalence of low back disorders and associated risks, as well as the characteristics and ergonomic factors present in the work of nursing professionals. Systematic review based on the search of terms such as low back pain, professionals, hospital ergonomics, work organization, nursing found in national and international databases. The prevalence of low back pain symptoms was between 14.7% and 72% and the main cause, that is, the transference of the patient from bed to chair, leaded to the profession abandonment as a main consequence. it was possible to conclude that the prevalence of low back injury is high among nursing professionals and its causes are related to occupational factors - physical or psychological, which are in many cases permanent and disabling.

Mild intellectual disability in children in Lahore, Pakistan: aetiology and risk factors.

PubMed

Yaqoob, M; Bashir, A; Zaman, S; Ferngren, H; Von Dobeln, U; Gustavson, K-H

2004-10-01

One of the main objectives of studying intellectual disability (ID) in children is to explore its causes. A specific aetiological diagnosis is important in determining the prognosis, nature and extent of services needed to support affected children. Aetiology and risk factors in mild ID were studied in a cohort of longitudinally followed children (6-10 years of age, n = 40) in four population groups in and around Lahore, Pakistan. The overall prevalence of mild ID was 6.2%. In 22% of the cases the onset of mild ID was prenatal with small for gestational age and multifactorial inheritance as the main underlying factors. During the postnatal period (28% of the cases), social deprivation and malnutrition were the major causes of ID. In a substantial proportion of the cases (50%), the cause of ID could not be traced. The present study indicates a clear relationship of mild ID with prenatal and postnatal malnutrition and social deprivation. Two independent variables, maternal illiteracy and small head circumference at birth, showed a clear association with the development of mild mental disability among children in the study population.

[Main causes of non-compliance with pulmonary tuberculosis treatment].

PubMed

Manjarréz Morales, E M; Serrano Montes, V; Cano Pérez, G; Verduzco Guerrero, E; Escandón Romero, C; Escobedo de la Peña, J

1993-01-01

One hundred rural patient with pulmonary tuberculosis and 74 urban patients were included in the study in order to study the main causes of non-compliance. Crude cumulative incidencia was 42% (73/164). Those factors with the strongest association with non-compliance, independently of its association with other factors, were to live in rural areas (OR 0 10.4; p < 0.001), had not gone to school (analfabet) (OR = 4.5; p < 0.001), and last more than an hour to reach the medical care unit (protector) (OR = 0.40; p = 0.07). No association was found with socioeconomic factors, neither with the patient's knowledge of the disease. Identifying those factors related to non-compliance is important, since non-compliance occurs in the very firsts days of treatment, when the shortage of treatment or giving fewer pills do not work at all. To get a better medial control may be a good way to reach the expected control of the disease.

Urinary tract infection in children after cardiac surgery: Incidence, causes, risk factors and outcomes in a single-center study.

PubMed

Kabbani, Mohamed S; Ismail, Sameh R; Fatima, Anis; Shafi, Rehana; Idris, Julinar A; Mehmood, Akhter; Singh, Reetam K; Elbarabry, Mahmoud; Hijazi, Omar; Hussein, Mohamed A

2016-01-01

Nosocomial urinary tract infection (UTI) increases hospitalization, cost and morbidity. In this cohort study, we aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors, etiology and outcomes of UTIs in post-operative cardiac children. To this end, we studied all post-operative patients admitted to the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) in 2012, and we divided the patients into two groups: the UTI (UTI group) and the non-UTI (control group). We compared both groups for multiple peri-operative risk factors. We included 413 children in this study. Of these, 29 (7%) had UTIs after cardiac surgery (UTI group), and 384 (93%) were free from UTIs (control group). All UTI cases were catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs). A total of 1578 urinary catheter days were assessed in this study, with a CAUTI density rate of 18 per 1000 catheter days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated the following risk factors for CAUTI development: duration of urinary catheter placement (p<0.001), presence of congenital abnormalities of kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) (p<0.0041) and the presence of certain syndromes (Down, William, and Noonan) (p<0.02). Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 63% of the CAUTI. The main causes of CAUTI were Klebsiella (27%), Candida (24%) and Escherichia coli (21%). Resistant organisms caused 34% of CAUTI. Two patients (7%) died in the UTI group compared with the one patient (0.3%) who died in the control group (p<0.05). Based on these findings, we concluded that an increased duration of the urinary catheter, the presence of CAKUT, and the presence of syndromes comprised the main risk factors for CAUTI. Gram-negative organisms were the main causes for CAUTI, and one-third of them found to be resistant in this single-center study. Copyright © 2016 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Application of root cause analysis in healthcare].

PubMed

Hsu, Tsung-Fu

2007-12-01

The main purpose of this study was to explore various aspects of root cause analysis (RCA), including its definition, rationale concept, main objective, implementation procedures, most common analysis methodology (fault tree analysis, FTA), and advantages and methodologic limitations in regard to healthcare. Several adverse events that occurred at a certain hospital were also analyzed by the author using FTA as part of this study. RCA is a process employed to identify basic and contributing causal factors underlying performance variations associated with adverse events. The rationale concept of RCA offers a systemic approach to improving patient safety that does not assign blame or liability to individuals. The four-step process involved in conducting an RCA includes: RCA preparation, proximate cause identification, root cause identification, and recommendation generation and implementation. FTA is a logical, structured process that can help identify potential causes of system failure before actual failures occur. Some advantages and significant methodologic limitations of RCA were discussed. Finally, we emphasized that errors stem principally from faults attributable to system design, practice guidelines, work conditions, and other human factors, which induce health professionals to make negligence or mistakes with regard to healthcare. We must explore the root causes of medical errors to eliminate potential RCA system failure factors. Also, a systemic approach is needed to resolve medical errors and move beyond a current culture centered on assigning fault to individuals. In constructing a real environment of patient-centered safety healthcare, we can help encourage clients to accept state-of-the-art healthcare services.

Improving Skilled Birth Attendance in Ghana: An Evidence-Based Policy Brief.

PubMed

Apanga, Paschal Awingura; Awoonor-Williams, John Koku

2017-01-01

This commentary has the objective of improving skilled birth attendance in Ghana to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. We have provided evidence of causes of low-skilled birth attendance in Ghana. Physical accessibility of health care, sociocultural factors, economic factors and health care system delivery problems were found as the main underlying causes of low levels of skilled birth attendance in Ghana. The paper provides potential strategies in addressing maternal and child health issues in Ghana.

We Need Compassion More than Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, James

2014-01-01

There are two causes that have been suggested as the major contributors to poor student achievement. One view attributes student underachievement to educational factors such as inadequate standards and poor teachers. The other view sees societal factors as the main contributor to low student achievement. This commentary looks at one societal…

Comparison of Adaline and Multiple Linear Regression Methods for Rainfall Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutawinaya, IP; Astawa, INGA; Hariyanti, NKD

2018-01-01

Heavy rainfall can cause disaster, therefore need a forecast to predict rainfall intensity. Main factor that cause flooding is there is a high rainfall intensity and it makes the river become overcapacity. This will cause flooding around the area. Rainfall factor is a dynamic factor, so rainfall is very interesting to be studied. In order to support the rainfall forecasting, there are methods that can be used from Artificial Intelligence (AI) to statistic. In this research, we used Adaline for AI method and Regression for statistic method. The more accurate forecast result shows the method that used is good for forecasting the rainfall. Through those methods, we expected which is the best method for rainfall forecasting here.

[Phlebitis associated to intravenous/infusional therapy].

PubMed

Nicotera, Raffaela

2011-01-01

Phlebitis is a common problem associated to intravenous therapies, it may cause pain, sepsis and increased duration of hospitalization. Several factors can increase the risk of phlebitis. The literature review addresses the mechanisms of chemical phlebitis, the characteristics of drugs likely to cause a phlebitis and the main measures to be adopted for prevention and treatment.

Soils: man-caused radioactivity and radiation forecast

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gablin, Vassily

2007-07-01

Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: One of the main tasks of the radiation safety guarantee is non-admission of the excess over critical radiation levels. In Russia they are man-caused radiation levels. Meanwhile any radiation measurement represents total radioactivity. That is why it is hard to assess natural and man-caused contributions to total radioactivity. It is shown that soil radioactivity depends on natural factors including radioactivity of rocks and cosmic radiation as well as man-caused factors including nuclear and non-nuclear technologies. Whole totality of these factors includes unpredictable (non-deterministic) factors - nuclear explosions and radiation accidents,more » and predictable ones (deterministic) - all the rest. Deterministic factors represent background radioactivity whose trends is the base of the radiation forecast. Non-deterministic factors represent man-caused radiation treatment contribution which is to be controlled. This contribution is equal to the difference in measured radioactivity and radiation background. The way of calculation of background radioactivity is proposed. Contemporary soils are complicated technologically influenced systems with multi-leveled spatial and temporary inhomogeneity of radionuclides distribution. Generally analysis area can be characterized by any set of factors of soil radioactivity including natural and man-caused factors. Natural factors are cosmic radiation and radioactivity of rocks. Man-caused factors are shown on Fig. 1. It is obvious that man-caused radioactivity is due to both artificial and natural emitters. Any result of radiation measurement represents total radioactivity i.e. the sum of activities resulting from natural and man-caused emitters. There is no gauge which could separately measure natural and man-caused radioactivity. That is why it is so hard to assess natural and man-caused contributions to soil radioactivity. It would have been possible if human activity had led to contamination of soil only by artificial radionuclides. But we can view a totality of soil radioactivity factors in the following way. (author)« less

Driver Performance Problems of Intercity Bus Public Transportation Safety in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suraji, A.; Harnen, S.; Wicaksono, A.; Djakfar, L.

2017-11-01

The risk of an inter-city bus public accident can be influenced by various factors such as the driver’s performance. Therefore, knowing the various influential factors related to driver’s performance is very necessary as an effort to realize road traffic safety. This study aims to determine the factors that fall on the accident associated with the driver’s performance and make mathematical modeling factors that affect the accident. Methods of data retrieval were obtained from NTSC secondary data. The data was processed by identifying factors that cause the accident. Furthermore data processing and analysis used the PCA method to obtain mathematical modeling of factors influencing the inter-city bus accidents. The results showed that the main factors that cause accidents are health, discipline, and driver competence.

Survival, causes of death, and prognostic factors in systemic sclerosis: analysis of 947 Brazilian patients.

PubMed

Sampaio-Barros, Percival D; Bortoluzzo, Adriana B; Marangoni, Roberta G; Rocha, Luiza F; Del Rio, Ana Paula T; Samara, Adil M; Yoshinari, Natalino H; Marques-Neto, João Francisco

2012-10-01

To analyze survival, prognostic factors, and causes of death in a large cohort of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). From 1991 to 2010, 947 patients with SSc were treated at 2 referral university centers in Brazil. Causes of death were considered SSc-related and non-SSc-related. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify prognostic factors. Survival at 5 and 10 years was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. One hundred sixty-eight patients died during the followup. Among the 110 deaths considered related to SSc, there was predominance of lung (48.1%) and heart (24.5%) involvement. Most of the 58 deaths not related to SSc were caused by infection, cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, and cancer. Male sex, modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) > 20, osteoarticular involvement, lung involvement, and renal crisis were the main prognostic factors associated to death. Overall survival rate was 90% for 5 years and 84% for 10 years. Patients presented worse prognosis if they had diffuse SSc (85% vs 92% at 5 yrs, respectively, and 77% vs 87% at 10 yrs, compared to limited SSc), male sex (77% vs 90% at 5 yrs and 64% vs 86% at 10 yrs, compared to female sex), and mRSS > 20 (83% vs 90% at 5 yrs and 66% vs 86% at 10 yrs, compared to mRSS < 20). Survival was worse in male patients with diffuse SSc, and lung and heart involvement represented the main causes of death in this South American series of patients with SSc.

Cardiac Channelopathies and Sudden Death: Recent Clinical and Genetic Advances.

PubMed

Fernández-Falgueras, Anna; Sarquella-Brugada, Georgia; Brugada, Josep; Brugada, Ramon; Campuzano, Oscar

2017-01-29

Sudden cardiac death poses a unique challenge to clinicians because it may be the only symptom of an inherited heart condition. Indeed, inherited heart diseases can cause sudden cardiac death in older and younger individuals. Two groups of familial diseases are responsible for sudden cardiac death: cardiomyopathies (mainly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy) and channelopathies (mainly long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, short QT syndrome, and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia). This review focuses on cardiac channelopathies, which are characterized by lethal arrhythmias in the structurally normal heart, incomplete penetrance, and variable expressivity. Arrhythmias in these diseases result from pathogenic variants in genes encoding cardiac ion channels or associated proteins. Due to a lack of gross structural changes in the heart, channelopathies are often considered as potential causes of death in otherwise unexplained forensic autopsies. The asymptomatic nature of channelopathies is cause for concern in family members who may be carrying genetic risk factors, making the identification of these genetic factors of significant clinical importance.

[Pallidal and subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson's disease: lessons from the unsatisfactory results].

PubMed

2001-01-01

Deep brain stimulation is being widely used in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Outcome determinants are not known. Some relevant data about outcome may be obtained from the study of patients with unsatisfactory results. We have retrospectively analyzed the number and causes of unsatisfactory results (insufficient improvement 6 months after the intervention) in 211 patients. Forty patients (18.9%) experienced an unsatisfactory result. Inadequate clinical selection by advanced age, abnormal MRI and levodopa unresponsive symptoms was the main cause in 28 cases. In 11 patients a misplacement of the electrode was reported. In 2 cases no cause was identified. Thirty-four out of the 40 patients corresponded to the early experience of the teams involved in the study. We conclude that the main factors responsible for a negative outcome are related to the inadequate clinical selection of the patients and the incorrect placement of the electrode. The experience of the team may also be a key factor.

MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Hypothyroidism-associated hyponatremia: mechanisms, implications and treatment.

PubMed

Liamis, G; Filippatos, T D; Liontos, A; Elisaf, M S

2017-01-01

Patients with moderate to severe hypothyroidism and mainly patients with myxedema may exhibit reduced sodium levels (<135 mmol/L). The aim of this short review is the presentation of the mechanisms of hyponatremia and of the available data regarding its implications and treatment in patients with hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is one of the causes of hyponatremia, thus thyroid-stimulating hormone determination is mandatory during the evaluation of patients with reduced serum sodium levels. The main mechanism for the development of hyponatremia in patients with chronic hypothyroidism is the decreased capacity of free water excretion due to elevated antidiuretic hormone levels, which are mainly attributed to the hypothyroidism-induced decrease in cardiac output. However, recent data suggest that the hypothyroidism-induced hyponatremia is rather rare and probably occurs only in severe hypothyroidism and myxedema. Other possible causes and superimposed factors of hyponatremia (e.g. drugs, infections, adrenal insufficiency) should be considered in patients with mild/moderate hypothyroidism. Treatment of hypothyroidism and fluid restriction are usually adequate for the management of mild hyponatremia in patients with hypothyroidism. Patients with possible hyponatremic encephalopathy should be urgently treated according to current guidelines. Severe hypothyroidism may be the cause of hyponatremia. All hypothyroid patients with low serum sodium levels should be evaluated for other causes and superimposed factors of hyponatremia and treated accordingly. © 2017 European Society of Endocrinology.

Stroke

MedlinePlus

... taking blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin). Very high blood pressure may cause blood vessels to burst, leading to ... can develop bleeding and become a hemorrhagic stroke. High blood pressure is the main risk factor for strokes . Other ...

High Cholesterol in Children and Teens

MedlinePlus

... some cholesterol to work properly. But if your child or teen has high cholesterol (too much cholesterol ... other heart diseases. What causes high cholesterol in children and teens? Three main factors contribute to high ...

[Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and their association with occupational nursing].

PubMed

Barboza, Michele Cristiene Nachtigall; Milbrath, Viviane Marten; Bielemann, Valquíria Machado; de Siqueira, Hedi Crecencia Heckler

2008-12-01

Work-related musculoskeletal diseases (MSD) are disorders in the musculoskeletal structures caused by chronic occupational processes. The objective of this study was to get to know scientific papers on MSD related to the nursing profession. A bibliographic research of the last ten years was conducted at Health Virtual Library using the main data bases. Twenty-one summaries were found. Among them, thirteen were selected because they specifically focused on the subject. Three main areas were identified: occupational health nurses in relation to MSDs--their importance in health prevention and promotion; Ergonomics as MSDs prevention method: performed as changes on work consider risk factors; Vulnerability of Nursing staff to MSDs--predisposing factors to disease caused by inappropriate working conditions. The conclusion was that an occupational and ergonomic health service is important to prevent MSDs, especially among the nursing staff.

Understanding causes of fall and struck-by incidents: What differentiates construction safety in the Arabian Gulf region?

PubMed

Fass, Simon; Yousef, Rami; Liginlal, Divakaran; Vyas, Priyanka

2017-01-01

Rapid growth in the Arabian Gulf region has fueled an explosive pace of construction and a rise in risks of occupational injury. Scarcity of pertinent data, however, makes it hard to determine whether accident characteristics, causal factors and remedial interventions identified elsewhere apply to the Gulf in comparable ways. This difficulty stems from unusual construction sector characteristics, notably a heterogeneous mix of expatriate laborers and firms working without a common language, work culture or labor practices. Does this change the mix of accident types or the ranking of main causes and priority remedies? To answer this question, a sample of 519 incident records was analyzed to determine whether accident types and frequencies are comparable to elsewhere. Site safety experts were then interviewed to determine whether rankings of factors and interventions should be similar. Findings are that types are indeed comparable, but the rankings of factors and interventions may not be. Main factors have to do with worker skills and training, experience, use of safety gear and risk perception. The overarching safety issue, however, is that firms and governments do not have strong incentive to address these factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Listeria monocytogenes endophthalmitis - case report and review of risk factors and treatment outcomes.

PubMed

Bajor, Anna; Luhr, Anke; Brockmann, Dorothee; Suerbaum, Sebastian; Framme, Carsten; Sedlacek, Ludwig

2016-07-16

The majority of cases of endophthalmitis are caused by exogenous pathogens; only 5-10 % are of endogenous origin. One cause of these rare cases of endogenous endophthalmitis is Listeria monocytogenes. Twenty-six cases of endophthalmitis due to this pathogen have been published over the last twenty years. The aim of this review is to summarize the main risk factors and common clinical findings of endogenous endophthalmitis due to Listeria monocytogenes. We report on a 62-year-old female presenting with a sterile hypopyon iritis with secondary glaucoma and an underlying rheumatoid disease. In microbiological analysis we identified Listeria monocytogenes. Further we searched through all published cases for typical signs, risk factors, details of medical and surgical treatment and outcome of endogenous endophthalmitis due to this rare pathogen. Ocular symptoms in almost all of these published cases included pain, redness of the eye, and decreased vision. Main clinical features included elevated intraocular pressure and fibrinous anterior chamber reaction, as well as a dark hypopyon. While the infection is typically spread endogenously, neither an exogenous nor endogenous source of infection could be identified in most cases. Immunocompromised patients are at higher risk of being infected than immunocompetent patients. The clinical course of endophthalmitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes had different visual outcomes. In some cases, the infection led to enucleation, blindness, or strong visual loss, whereas most patients showed a tendency of visual improvement during therapy. Early diagnosis and treatment initiation are crucial factors in the outcome of endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes. This possible differential diagnosis should be kept in mind while treating patients with presumable sterile hypopyon and anterior uveitis having a high intraocular pressure. A bacterial source should be considered with a prompt initiation of systemic antibiotic treatment, mainly in immunocompromised patients, who develop endogenous anterior uveitis. An appropriate microbiological sampling is essential to detect atypical microorganisms and to choose an effective antibiotic treatment.

Effective Factors on Shortage of Breastfeeding According to Iranian Traditional Medicine.

PubMed

Ghorat, Fereshteh; Nejatbakhsh, Fatemeh; Ahmadi, Mohammad; Namazi, Nazli

2016-05-01

Support for breastfeeding is a public health priority. One of the major factors that can negatively affect breastfeeding is the lack of breast milk. There are many instructions on the subject of breast milk in Iranian traditional medicine resources. This article attempts to investigate causes and reasons for the lack of breast milk from the perspective of the great scholars in this field. This study reviews the literature based on the Iranian traditional medicine. The literature review included traditional medicine resources and a survey of reputable databases using keywords such as "morzae", "sady", "pestan", "sheer", "sheerkhar", and "hifzossehhe". The content analysis was used after collecting data. According to the viewpoint stated in traditional medicine literature, the primary substance for milk production is blood that transforms to milk after crossing the breast glandular tissue. The main causes of milk shortage can be classified into four categories, namely food-related factors, factors related to blood impaired, factors related to breast tissue and psychological and physical factors. One of the main reasons for milk shortage is the impaired quality and quantity of food. Appropriate mizaj of breast tissue is required for adequate milk production as it develops sufficient ability to absorb and transform the substance into milk. On the other hand, the ability of breast tissue is greatly influenced by the main organs of the body, particularly the heart; being the core of understanding psychological factors. Thus, psychological factors can have a significant effect on the process of milk production. Due to the importance of breastfeeding, reflection on other viewpoints, such as those mentioned in Iranian traditional medicine, could pave the way towards new research areas. It could also steer policies towards an extra focus on breastfeeding by mothers.

Causes of death in peritoneal dialysis patients with different kidney diseases and comorbidities: a retrospective clinical analysis in a Chinese center.

PubMed

Zhang, Qianying; Ren, Hong; Xie, Jingyuan; Li, Xiao; Huang, Xiaomin; Chen, Nan

2014-06-01

The objective of the study is to identify and compare the different causes of death among peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients varying in baseline characteristics, including gender, age, primary diseases, and comorbidities and to assess risk factors for first-year death. The clinical data of 179 PD patients who were regularly followed up in our hospital and died between January 2006 and February 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Median age at PD catheter implantation was 73 years. The most common primary diseases leading to ESRD were diabetic nephropathy (DN; 26.3 %), chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN; 24.6 %), and hypertensive nephropathy (HN; 21.8 %). The main causes of death in the DN and CGN groups were infections (42.6 %) and cardiocerebrovascular accidents (34.1 %), respectively. Patients with systemic vasculitis (SV) had the highest mortality rate from infection (71.4 %). Cox regression model showed that, compared with patients with CGN, those who had primary disease of DN, renal amyloidosis, multiple myeloma, or vasculitis were at higher risk of first-year death. Cerebrovascular disease, chronic heart failure, and/or lower serum albumin at baseline were also risk factors for first-year death. The main causes of death in PD patients with DN and CGN were infections and cardiocerebrovascular accidents, respectively. Risk factors for first-year death included the primary diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic heart failure, and lower serum albumin at baseline.

Maternal death audit in Rwanda 2009-2013: a nationwide facility-based retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Sayinzoga, Felix; Bijlmakers, Leon; van Dillen, Jeroen; Mivumbi, Victor; Ngabo, Fidèle; van der Velden, Koos

2016-01-22

Presenting the results of 5 years of implementing health facility-based maternal death audits in Rwanda, showing maternal death classification, identification of substandard (care) factors that have contributed to death, and conclusive recommendations for quality improvements in maternal and obstetric care. Nationwide facility-based retrospective cohort study. All cases of maternal death audited by district hospital-based audit teams between January 2009 and December 2013 were reviewed. Maternal deaths that were not subjected to a local audit are not part of the cohort. 987 audited cases of maternal death. Characteristics of deceased women, timing of onset of complications, place of death, parity, gravida, antenatal clinic attendance, reported cause of death, service factors and individual factors identified by committees as having contributed to death, and recommendations made by audit teams. 987 cases were audited, representing 93.1% of all maternal deaths reported through the national health management information system over the 5-year period. Almost 3 quarters of the deaths (71.6%) occurred at district hospitals. In 44.9% of these cases, death occurred in the post-partum period. Seventy per cent were due to direct causes, with post-partum haemorrhage as the leading cause (22.7%), followed by obstructed labour (12.3%). Indirect causes accounted for 25.7% of maternal deaths, with malaria as the leading cause (7.5%). Health system failures were identified as the main responsible factor for the majority of cases (61.0%); in 30.3% of the cases, the main factor was patient or community related. The facility-based maternal death audit approach has helped hospital teams to identify direct and indirect causes of death, and their contributing factors, and to make recommendations for actions that would reduce the risk of reoccurrence. Rwanda can complement maternal death audits with other strategies, in particular confidential enquiries and near-miss audits, so as to inform corrective measures. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Analysis on Dangerous Source of Large Safety Accident in Storage Tank Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tong; Li, Ying; Xie, Tiansheng; Liu, Yu; Zhu, Xueyuan

2018-01-01

The difference between a large safety accident and a general accident is that the consequences of a large safety accident are particularly serious. To study the tank area which factors directly or indirectly lead to the occurrence of large-sized safety accidents. According to the three kinds of hazard source theory and the consequence cause analysis of the super safety accident, this paper analyzes the dangerous source of the super safety accident in the tank area from four aspects, such as energy source, large-sized safety accident reason, management missing, environmental impact Based on the analysis of three kinds of hazard sources and environmental analysis to derive the main risk factors and the AHP evaluation model is established, and after rigorous and scientific calculation, the weights of the related factors in four kinds of risk factors and each type of risk factors are obtained. The result of analytic hierarchy process shows that management reasons is the most important one, and then the environmental factors and the direct cause and Energy source. It should be noted that although the direct cause is relatively low overall importance, the direct cause of Failure of emergency measures and Failure of prevention and control facilities in greater weight.

Anatomopathological causes of death in patients with advanced cancer: association with the use of anticoagulation and antibiotics at the end of life.

PubMed

Pautex, Sophie; Vayne-Bossert, Petra; Jamme, Sharon; Herrmann, François; Vilarino, Raquel; Weber, Catherine; Burkhardt, Karim

2013-06-01

Anatomopathological studies that described the immediate causes of death of patients with advanced cancer were first published approximately 20 years ago. Our objective was to analyze if causes of death changed with a wider use of broad spectrum antibiotics and prophylactic anticoagulation. We conducted a retrospective study of all patients with an advanced cancer hospitalized in the Division of Palliative Medicine at the University Hospital Geneva from 2004 to 2010 who had an autopsy. Two hundred forty patients were included (130 men, mean age: 74±13). Main causes of death discovered at the autopsy were pulmonary infection (n=131; 55%), advanced cancer (n=39; 16%), pulmonary infection together with pulmonary embolism (PE) (n=27; 12%), PE alone (n=22; 9%), cardiac complications (n=19; 5%) and others (n=2; 1%). In a logistic regression model, with adjusting for age, gender, main diagnosis, comorbidities, blood count, corticosteroids, and antibiotics, there were no independent factors associated with pulmonary infection at autopsy. In a similar model, with adjusting for age, gender, main diagnosis, comorbidities, and anticoagulation, the only independent factor associated with PE at autopsy was the history of thrombo-embolic disease and therapeutic anticoagulation. The results of this retrospective study demonstrate that causes of death did not change with the modification of our practice. The high rate of pulmonary infection and embolism in this population, including in patients who received broad spectrum and prophylactic anticoagulation should encourage us to pursue other prospective studies to actually demonstrate the benefit of these treatments in this population.

Childhood blindness and severe visual impairment in Malaysia: a nationwide study

PubMed Central

Patel, D K; Tajunisah, I; Gilbert, C; Subrayan, V

2011-01-01

Aim To determine the causes of childhood blindness and severe visual impairment (BL/SVI) in schools for the blind in Malaysia. Methods All children ≤15years attending 24 schools for the blind throughout the country were examined using the WHO Prevention of Blindness Programme (WHO/PBL) eye examination record for children, and visual loss was classified according to the International Classification of Disease (ICD). Results In all, 469 children were examined, of whom 448 (95.6%) had BL/SVI. The major causes of visual loss were retinal disorders (n=148, 33% mainly retinopathy of prematurity (n=78, 17.4%)), cataract/pseudophakia/aphakia (n=77, 17.2%), and anomalies affecting the whole globe. (n=86, 19.2%). The major underlying etiology was undetermined (n=193, 43.1%), followed by hereditary factors, 21.7% (mainly retinal dystrophies), and perinatal factors, 20.5%. More than 34 (7.6%) cases were considered potentially preventable and 192 (42.9%) potentially treatable. Conclusion Diseases of the retina are the major cause of visual impairment, with retinopathy of prematurity being an important avoidable cause. This reflects expansion of neonatal services in Malaysia, and improved survival of very low birth weight and preterm babies. Lens-related causes of visual impairment reflect the need to further improve pediatric ophthalmology services in Malaysia. PMID:21350565

Determination of Job Stresses and Their Consequences in Drivers in Ilam

PubMed Central

Rahmani, Abdolrasoul; khodaei, Roghiyeh; Farjami, Atena; Mahmodkhani, Somayeh; Gharagozlou, Faramarz; Ahmadnezhad, Iman; Karchani, Mohsen; Vatani, Javad

2013-01-01

Background: Human factors cause 60–70 percent of automobile accidents. Everything related to people that is involved in and interacting with a system is considered to be a human factor. These factors can be psychological, biological, or social, and all of them can affect drivers’ behaviors. Therefore, one of the negative and unfavorable effects of these factors is that they cause accidents. According to previous research, increases in the job stresses result in increases in the incidence of car accidents. Drivers who feel stressed often do not to observe the rules, and they may not even notice the warning signs. By measuring the job stress among drivers and its adverse effects, this research aimed to provide an appropriate managerial solution to reduce these problems. Methods: The sample in this descriptive-analytical study consisted of 250 drivers who were selected and investigated. A job stress questionnaire was used as a means for collecting data. Health conditions were assessed by referring to clinical documents provided for the drivers. Accident data were included in the study using accident-related documentation. Two hundred and fifty drivers from Ilam, Iran participated and were analyzed in this study. This research is a cross-sectional study that was performed by dossiers and personal memoirs. Data were analyzed by SPSS16 and the chi-squared test. Results: The study showed that the main factors that cause medium- to high-level stress are the physical environment, workload and ambiguity of duties. It also showed that the incidence and severity of accidents increased as stress levels increased. Conclusion: This study shows high prevalence of job stress amongst drivers in Ilam. The main causes of the prevalence of stress among drivers in Ilam City are physical environment, workload and ambiguity of duties, responsibility. PMID:26120388

[1991-2004 follow-up of a Spanish general population cohort. Mortality and raising risk factors in the DRECE III Study (Diet and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Spain)].

PubMed

Gómez de la Cámara, Agustín; Rubio Herrera, Miguel Angel; Gutiérrez Fuentes, José Antonio; Gómez Gerique, Juan Antonio; del Campo, Jorge; Jurado Valenzuela, César; Lapetra Peralta, José; Menús Palazón, Elena; Rodríguez Pascual, Nieves

2008-01-01

The DRECE III study is based on the follow up of a cohort representative of the Spanish general population. The mortality, its main causes and relevant risk factors have been analyzed. The DRECE cohort is composed of 4783 subjects followed since 1991 to 2004 (70930 person-years). In 1991 a general medical exam including blood analysis and nutritional questionnaire was undertaken. Currently the age spam is from 18 to 73 years. Vital status and mortality causes were provided by the National Institute of Statistics. In this period, 125 deaths were registered: 53 persons (42.4%) due to cancer; 31 persons (24.8%) due to circulatory causes, of which 24 were due to cardiovascular origin. The remaining 41 (32.8%) deaths were included under the ICD 10 "Other chapters". For the all causes mortality the independent associated variables were: creatinina 1.5 mgr/dl, HR 3.78 (95% CI: 1.52-9.40); diabetes, HR 2.80 (95% CI: 1.74-4.46); male sex, HR 2.39 (I95% CI: 1.61-3.55); age, HR 1.08 (I95% CI: 1.07-1.10); and gammaglutamil transpeptidasa, HR 1.001 (I95% CI: 1.000-1.003). In the case of cancer mortality the risk factors founded were: age, HR 1.12 (I95% CI: 1.09-1.16); and tobacco, HR 1.33 (I95% CI: 1.14-1.54). For cardiovascular mortality were creatinina 1.5 mg/dl, HR 19.40 (I95% CI: 5.45-69.12); diabetes, HR 9.82 (I95% CI: 4.19-23.04); and age, HR 1.10 (I95% CI: 1.05-1.15). We obtain a mortality pattern where cancer is the most frequent cause. Classic risk factors appear associated to main death causes. Diabetes mellitus has an outstanding role as risk factor associated to early mortality. No specific diet data was associated neither to all causes mortality, nor to cardiovascular or cancer.

Acne and diet.

PubMed

Wolf, Ronni; Matz, Hagit; Orion, Edith

2004-01-01

Forbidden foods? "The first law of dietetics seems to be: If it tastes good, it's bad for you" (Isaac Asimov, Russian-born biochemist and science fiction writer). This was essentially the Magna Carta for dermatologists of the 1950s: anything coveted by the teenage palate was suspect for morning after acne. Today, half a century later, although the slant has shifted away for this line of thinking in our dermatologic textbooks, several articles on the beliefs and perceptions of acne patients showed that nothing much has changed and that they expect us to give them detailed instructions of what "acne-related" foods they should avoid. In one such study(1), diet was the third most frequently implicated factor (after hormones and genetics) as the cause of the disease, with 32% of the respondents selecting diet as the main cause, and 44% thinking that foods aggravate acne. In another study that analyzed knowledge about causes of acne among English teenagers, 11% of the responders blamed greasy food as the main cause of the disease(2), whereas in another study found that 41% of final-year medical students of the University of Melbourne chose diet as an important factor of acne exacerbation on a final examination.(3)

Mild Intellectual Disability in Children in Lahore, Pakistan: Aetiology and Risk Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yaqoob, M.; Bashir, A.; Zaman, S.; Ferngren, H.; von Dobeln, U.; Gustavson, K.-H.

2004-01-01

One of the main objectives of studying intellectual disability (ID) in children is to explore its causes. A specific aetiological diagnosis is important in determining the prognosis, nature and extent of services needed to support affected children. Aetiology and risk factors in mild ID were studied in a cohort of longitudinally followed children…

[Status quo and influencing factors of disabilities caused by injury in Guangdong province].

PubMed

Dai, Jin-fang; Dong, Xiao-mei; Song, Zhuo-ping; Jiang, Ming-xu; Wang, Chang; Wang, Sheng-yong

2011-09-01

To analyze the epidemiology status and risk factors of disabilities caused by injury in Guangdong province. Stratified multi-stage cluster sampling was used to identify 1530 subjects with disabilities (among them, 415 disabilities caused by injury), in the villages or districts in the four regions of Guangzhou, Qingyuan, Zhaoqing and Huizhou in 2010. Subjects were interviewed by trained staff with self-made questionnaires about the status of the disabled, then 415 disabled caused by injury were interviewed about the process of the injury causing disability. The variables in this survey included gender, regions, rural (urban) residences, occupation, age and injury style. The difference of injury were analyzed through χ(2) test, and the influencing factors were explored through classification tree model. The top five causes of disability were road traffic injury, fall, work-related injury, medical accident, scald or burn, accounting for 32.53% (135/415), 21.45% (89/415), 12.77% (53/415), 8.43% (35/415) and 5.06% (21/415), respectively. The proportion of male was higher than female in all disabilities caused by injury (295 male, 117 female, 3 unknown). Female had higher proportion 8.55% (10/117) than male 3.05% (9/295) with the cause of scald or burn (χ(2) = 6.302, P = 0.012), the proportion of rural residents 38.89%(84/216)was also higher than urban residents 25.63% (51/199) in disabilities caused by traffic accident (χ(2) = 43.850, P < 0.001); and the proportion of rural residents 25.46%(55/216)was also higher than urban residents 8.55% (34/199) in disabilities caused by the fall (χ(2) = 8.257, P = 0.004). Different age groups and regions had different types of injury causing disability, 53.08% (69/130) traffic accident and 51.92% (27/52) work-injury mainly caused disability in 25 - 44 age group, 85.71% (30/35) medical accident and 76.20% (16/21) scald or burn mainly caused disability in 0 - 14 age group, the injury caused by the fall was 62.50% (5/8) in 65- age group. The proportions of fall in Qingyuan 29.09% (16/55) and Huizhou 28.23% (37/131) were significantly higher than that in Guangzhou 13.38% (21/157) and Zhaoqing 21.13% (15/71) (χ(2) = 11.904, P = 0.008). The proportions of work-injury in Guangzhou 19.11% (30/157) and Zhaoqing 19.72% (14/71) were significantly higher than that in Qingyuan 0.00% (0/55) and Huizhou 6.09% (8/131) (χ(2) = 22.309, P < 0.001). The proportions of disabled by scald or burn in Guangzhou 10.83% (17/157) and Qingyuan 0.00% (0/55) were significantly higher than that in Zhaoqing 1.41% (1/71) and Huizhou 2.27% (3/131) (χ(2) = 17.826, P < 0.001). Classification tree model revealed that the age group, occupation and urban-rural were major factors influencing intended harm, the highest proportion of the intended harm was in 25 - 44 age group (59.21%, 151/255). The road traffic injury, fall, work-related injury, medical accident and scald or burn were main causes of disability in Guangdong province. Gender, age, and urban-rural factors were associated with disabilities caused by injury.

[Lightning-caused fire, its affecting factors and prediction: a review].

PubMed

Zhang, Ji-Li; Bi, Wu; Wang, Xiao-Hong; Wang, Zi-Bo; Li, Di-Fei

2013-09-01

Lightning-caused fire is the most important natural fire source. Its induced forest fire brings enormous losses to human beings and ecological environment. Many countries have paid great attention to the prediction of lightning-caused fire. From the viewpoint of the main factors affecting the formation of lightning-caused fire, this paper emphatically analyzed the effects and action mechanisms of cloud-to-ground lightning, fuel, meteorology, and terrain on the formation and development process of lightning-caused fire, and, on the basis of this, summarized and reviewed the logistic model, K-function, and other mathematical methods widely used in prediction research of lightning-caused fire. The prediction methods and processes of lightning-caused fire in America and Canada were also introduced. The insufficiencies and their possible solutions for the present researches as well as the directions of further studies were proposed, aimed to provide necessary theoretical basis and literature reference for the prediction of lightning-caused fire in China.

Perceived causes of severe mental disturbance and preferred interventions by the Borana semi-nomadic population in southern Ethiopia: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Culture affects the way people conceptualize causes of severe mental disturbance which may lead to a variation in the preferred intervention methods. There is a seemingly dichotomous belief regarding what causes severe mental disturbance: people living in western countries tend to focus mainly on biological and psychosocial risk factors; whereas, in non-western countries the focus is mainly on supernatural and religious factors. These belief systems about causation potentially dictate the type of intervention preferred. Studying such belief systems in any society is expected to help in planning and implementation of appropriate mental health services. Methods A qualitative study was conducted among the Borana semi-nomadic population in southern Ethiopia to explore perceived causes of severe mental disturbance and preferred interventions. We selected, using purposive sampling, key informants from three villages and conducted a total of six focus group discussions: three for males and three for females. Results The views expressed regarding the causes of mental disturbance were heterogeneous encompassing supernatural causes such as possession by evil spirits, curse, bewitchment, ‘exposure to wind’ and subsequent attack by evil spirit in postnatal women and biopsychosocial causes such as infections (malaria), loss, ‘thinking too much’, and alcohol and khat abuse. The preferred interventions for severe mental disturbance included mainly indigenous approaches, such as consulting Borana wise men or indigenous healers, prayer, holy water treatment and seeking modern mental health care as a last resort. Conclusions These findings will be of value for health care planners who wish to expand modern mental health care to this population, indicating the need to increase awareness about the causes of severe mental disturbance and their interventions and collaborate with influential people and indigenous healers to increase acceptability of modern mental health care. It also provides information for further research in the area of mental health in this semi-nomadic population. PMID:22789076

Determination of important topographic factors for landslide mapping analysis using MLP network.

PubMed

Alkhasawneh, Mutasem Sh; Ngah, Umi Kalthum; Tay, Lea Tien; Mat Isa, Nor Ashidi; Al-batah, Mohammad Subhi

2013-01-01

Landslide is one of the natural disasters that occur in Malaysia. Topographic factors such as elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, general curvature, plan curvature, and profile curvature are considered as the main causes of landslides. In order to determine the dominant topographic factors in landslide mapping analysis, a study was conducted and presented in this paper. There are three main stages involved in this study. The first stage is the extraction of extra topographic factors. Previous landslide studies had identified mainly six topographic factors. Seven new additional factors have been proposed in this study. They are longitude curvature, tangential curvature, cross section curvature, surface area, diagonal line length, surface roughness, and rugosity. The second stage is the specification of the weight of each factor using two methods. The methods are multilayer perceptron (MLP) network classification accuracy and Zhou's algorithm. At the third stage, the factors with higher weights were used to improve the MLP performance. Out of the thirteen factors, eight factors were considered as important factors, which are surface area, longitude curvature, diagonal length, slope angle, elevation, slope aspect, rugosity, and profile curvature. The classification accuracy of multilayer perceptron neural network has increased by 3% after the elimination of five less important factors.

Determination of Important Topographic Factors for Landslide Mapping Analysis Using MLP Network

PubMed Central

Alkhasawneh, Mutasem Sh.; Ngah, Umi Kalthum; Mat Isa, Nor Ashidi; Al-batah, Mohammad Subhi

2013-01-01

Landslide is one of the natural disasters that occur in Malaysia. Topographic factors such as elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, general curvature, plan curvature, and profile curvature are considered as the main causes of landslides. In order to determine the dominant topographic factors in landslide mapping analysis, a study was conducted and presented in this paper. There are three main stages involved in this study. The first stage is the extraction of extra topographic factors. Previous landslide studies had identified mainly six topographic factors. Seven new additional factors have been proposed in this study. They are longitude curvature, tangential curvature, cross section curvature, surface area, diagonal line length, surface roughness, and rugosity. The second stage is the specification of the weight of each factor using two methods. The methods are multilayer perceptron (MLP) network classification accuracy and Zhou's algorithm. At the third stage, the factors with higher weights were used to improve the MLP performance. Out of the thirteen factors, eight factors were considered as important factors, which are surface area, longitude curvature, diagonal length, slope angle, elevation, slope aspect, rugosity, and profile curvature. The classification accuracy of multilayer perceptron neural network has increased by 3% after the elimination of five less important factors. PMID:24453846

[Mechanics analysis of fracture of orthodontic wires].

PubMed

Wang, Yeping; Sun, Xiaoye; Zhang, Longqi

2003-03-01

Fracture problem of orthodontic wires was discussed in this paper. The calculation formulae of bending stress and tensile stress were obtained. All main factors that affect bending stress and tensile stress of orthodontic wires were analyzed and discussed. It was concluded that the main causes of fracture of orthodontic wires were fatigue and static disruption. Some improving proposals for preventing fracture of orthodontic wires were put forward.

Genetic update on inflammatory factors in ulcerative colitis: Review of the current literature

PubMed Central

Sarlos, Patricia; Kovesdi, Erzsebet; Magyari, Lili; Banfai, Zsolt; Szabo, Andras; Javorhazy, Andras; Melegh, Bela

2014-01-01

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the main types of inflammatory bowel disease, which is caused by dysregulated immune responses in genetically predisposed individuals. Several genetic factors, including interleukin and interleukin receptor gene polymorphisms and other inflammation-related genes play central role in mediating and modulating the inflammation in the human body, thereby these can be the main cause of development of the disease. It is clear these data are very important for understanding the base of the disease, especially in terms of clinical utility and validity, but summarized literature is exiguous for challenge health specialist that can used in the clinical practice nowadays. This review summarizes the current literature on inflammation-related genetic polymorphisms which are associated with UC. We performed an electronic search of Pubmed Database among publications of the last 10 years, using the following medical subject heading terms: UC, ulcerative colitis, inflammation, genes, polymorphisms, and susceptibility. PMID:25133031

Spatial Patterns and Impacts of Environmental and Climatic Factors on Canine Sinonasal Aspergillosis in Northern California

PubMed Central

Magro, Monise; Sykes, Jane; Vishkautsan, Polina; Martínez-López, Beatriz

2017-01-01

Sinonasal aspergillosis (SNA) causes chronic nasal discharge in dogs and has a worldwide distribution, although most reports of SNA in North America originate from the western USA. SNA is mainly caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, a ubiquitous saprophytic filamentous fungus. Infection is thought to follow inhalation of spores. SNA is a disease of the nasal cavity and/or sinuses with variable degrees of local invasion and destruction. While some host factors appear to predispose to SNA (such as belonging to a dolichocephalic breed), environmental risk factors have been scarcely studied. Because A. fumigatus is also the main cause of invasive aspergillosis in humans, unraveling the distribution and the environmental and climatic risk factors for this agent in dogs would be of great benefit for public health studies, advancing understanding of both distribution and risk factors in humans. In this study, we reviewed electronic medical records of 250 dogs diagnosed with SNA between 1990 and 2014 at the University of California Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH). A 145-mile radius catchment area around the VMTH was selected. Data were aggregated by zip code and incorporated into a multivariate logistic regression model. The logistic regression model was compared to an autologistic regression model to evaluate the effect of spatial autocorrelation. Traffic density, active composting sites, and environmental and climatic factors related with wind and temperature were significantly associated with increase in disease occurrence in dogs. Results provide valuable information about the risk factors and spatial distribution of SNA in dogs in Northern California. Our ultimate goal is to utilize the results to investigate risk-based interventions, promote awareness, and serve as a model for further studies of aspergillosis in humans. PMID:28717638

Spatial Patterns and Impacts of Environmental and Climatic Factors on Canine Sinonasal Aspergillosis in Northern California.

PubMed

Magro, Monise; Sykes, Jane; Vishkautsan, Polina; Martínez-López, Beatriz

2017-01-01

Sinonasal aspergillosis (SNA) causes chronic nasal discharge in dogs and has a worldwide distribution, although most reports of SNA in North America originate from the western USA. SNA is mainly caused by Aspergillus fumigatus , a ubiquitous saprophytic filamentous fungus. Infection is thought to follow inhalation of spores. SNA is a disease of the nasal cavity and/or sinuses with variable degrees of local invasion and destruction. While some host factors appear to predispose to SNA (such as belonging to a dolichocephalic breed), environmental risk factors have been scarcely studied. Because A. fumigatus is also the main cause of invasive aspergillosis in humans, unraveling the distribution and the environmental and climatic risk factors for this agent in dogs would be of great benefit for public health studies, advancing understanding of both distribution and risk factors in humans. In this study, we reviewed electronic medical records of 250 dogs diagnosed with SNA between 1990 and 2014 at the University of California Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH). A 145-mile radius catchment area around the VMTH was selected. Data were aggregated by zip code and incorporated into a multivariate logistic regression model. The logistic regression model was compared to an autologistic regression model to evaluate the effect of spatial autocorrelation. Traffic density, active composting sites, and environmental and climatic factors related with wind and temperature were significantly associated with increase in disease occurrence in dogs. Results provide valuable information about the risk factors and spatial distribution of SNA in dogs in Northern California. Our ultimate goal is to utilize the results to investigate risk-based interventions, promote awareness, and serve as a model for further studies of aspergillosis in humans.

Chronic Pancreatitis.

PubMed

Stram, Michelle; Liu, Shu; Singhi, Aatur D

2016-12-01

Chronic pancreatitis is a debilitating condition often associated with severe abdominal pain and exocrine and endocrine dysfunction. The underlying cause is multifactorial and involves complex interaction of environmental, genetic, and/or other risk factors. The pathology is dependent on the underlying pathogenesis of the disease. This review describes the clinical, gross, and microscopic findings of the main subtypes of chronic pancreatitis: alcoholic chronic pancreatitis, obstructive chronic pancreatitis, paraduodenal ("groove") pancreatitis, pancreatic divisum, autoimmune pancreatitis, and genetic factors associated with chronic pancreatitis. As pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma may be confused with chronic pancreatitis, the main distinguishing features between these 2 diseases are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Homing in on sweet spots in Cretaceous Austin chalk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, G.E.; Sonnenberg, F.P.

1993-11-29

In discussing the nature and causes of fracturing in the Cretaceous Austin chalk of south central Texas, many geologists and operators involved in horizontal drilling of the chalk consider regional rock stress as the probable main cause of the fractures. If Austin chalk fractures are mainly the result of regional extensional stress without localizing factors, then fractured sweet spots are randomly distributed and successful exploration is more or less a matter of luck, usually dependent upon the coincidental placement of a seismic line. But if local, deep-seated structure or basement topography are the main causes of sweet spots, then amore » successful exploration method would be to first delineate the basement paleo structure or topography and secondly, place a seismic line to confirm the delineated features. Finding localities of maximum fracturing and production would than be based on scientific logic rather than luck. It is the purpose of this article to present the results of an examination of these alternative causes for the Austin chalk fracturing in the hope of determining the most cost effective exploration method for the fractured chalk reservoir.« less

Maternal mortality in Syria: causes, contributing factors and preventability.

PubMed

Bashour, Hyam; Abdulsalam, Asmaa; Jabr, Aisha; Cheikha, Salah; Tabbaa, Mohammed; Lahham, Moataz; Dihman, Reem; Khadra, Mazen; Campbell, Oona M R

2009-09-01

To describe the biomedical and other causes of maternal death in Syria and to assess their preventability. A reproductive age mortality study (RAMOS) design was used to identify pregnancy related deaths. All deaths among women aged 15-49 reported to the national civil register for 2003 were investigated through home interviews. Verbal autopsies were used to ascertain the cause of death among pregnancy related maternal deaths, and causes and preventability of deaths were assessed by a panel of doctors. A total of 129 maternal deaths were identified and reviewed. Direct medical causes accounted for 88%, and haemorrhage was the main cause of death (65%). Sixty nine deaths (54%) occurred during labour or delivery. Poor clinical skills and lack of clinical competency were behind 54% of maternal deaths. Ninety one percent of maternal deaths were preventable. The causes of maternal death in Syria and their contributing factors reflect serious defects in the quality of maternal care that need to be urgently rectified.

Knowledge gaps in scientific literature on maternal mortality: a systematic review.

PubMed Central

Gil-González, Diana; Carrasco-Portiño, Mercedes; Ruiz, Maria Teresa

2006-01-01

Issues related to maternal mortality have generated a lot of empirical and theoretical information. However, despite the amount of work published on the topic, maternal mortality continues to occur at high rates and solutions to the problem are still not clear. Scientific research on maternal mortality is focused mainly on clinical factors. However, this approach may not be the most useful if we are to understand the problem of maternal mortality as a whole and appreciate the importance of economical, political and social macrostructural factors. In this paper, we report the number of scientific studies published between 2000 and 2004 about the main causes of maternal death, as identified by WHO, and compare the proportion of papers on each cause with the corresponding burden of each cause. Secondly, we systematically review the characteristics and quality of the papers on the macrostructural determinants of maternal mortality. In view of their burden, obstructed labour, unsafe abortion and haemorrhage are proportionally underrepresented in the scientific literature. In our review, most studies analysed were cross-sectional, and were carried out by developed countries without the participation of researchers in the developing countries where maternal mortality was studied. The main macrostructural factors mentioned were socioeconomic variables. Overall, there is a lack of published information about the cultural and political determinants of maternal mortality. We believe that a high-quality scientific approach must be taken in studies of maternal mortality in order to obtain robust comparative data and that study design should be improved to allow causality between macrostructural determinants and maternal mortality to be shown. PMID:17143465

A case of Clostridium difficile infection complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome treated with fecal microbiota transplantation.

PubMed

Kim, Ji Eun; Gweon, Tae-Geun; Yeo, Chang Dong; Cho, Young-Seok; Kim, Gi Jun; Kim, Jae Young; Kim, Jong Wook; Kim, Hyunho; Lee, Hye Won; Lim, Taeseok; Ham, Hyoju; Oh, Hyun Jin; Lee, Yeongbok; Byeon, Jaeho; Park, Sung Soo

2014-09-21

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a life-threatening disorder caused mainly by pneumonia. Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a common nosocomial diarrheal disease. Disruption of normal intestinal flora by antibiotics is the main risk factor for CDI. The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for serious medical conditions can make it difficult to treat CDI complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome. Fecal microbiota transplantation is a highly effective treatment in patients with refractory CDI. Here we report on a patient with refractory CDI and acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by pneumonia who was treated with fecal microbiota transplantation.

Causes and risk factors of urinary incontinence: Avicenna's point of view vs. contemporary findings.

PubMed

Nojavan, Fatemeh; Sharifi, Hossein; Ghanbari, Zinat; Kamalinejad, Mohammad; Mokaberinejad, Roshanak; Emami, Maryam

2015-02-22

To extract the causes and risk factors of urinary incontinence from an old medical text by Avicenna entitled "Canon of Medicine" and comparing it with contemporary studies. In this study, etiology and risk factors of urinary incontinence were extracted from Avicenna's "Canon of Medicine". Commentaries written on this book and other old reliable medical texts about bladder and its diseases were also studied. Then the achieved information was compared with contemporary findings of published articles. Urinary incontinence results from bladder dysfunction in reservoir phase. Bladder's involuntary muscles and voluntary external sphincter are two main components which are involved in this process. Urinary incontinence can exist without obvious structural and neuronal etiologies. According to Avicenna, distemperment of muscular tissue of bladder and external sphincter is the cause for urinary incontinence in such cases. Distemperment is the result of bothering qualities in tissue, i.e.: "wet" and "cold". They are the two bothering qualities which are caused by extracorporeal and intracorporeal factors. Interestingly, the positive associations of some of these factors with urinary incontinence have been shown in recent researches. "Cold" and "wet" distemperment of bladder and external sphincter can be independent etiologies of urinary incontinence which should be investigated. 

Passive fishing techniques: a cause of turtle mortality in the Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barko, V.A.; Briggler, J.T.; Ostendorf, D.E.

2004-01-01

We investigated variation of incidentally captured turtle mortality in response to environmental factors and passive fishing techniques. We used Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) data collected from 1996 to 2001 in the unimpounded upper Mississippi River (UMR) adjacent to Missouri and Illinois, USA. We used a principle components analysis (PCA) and a stepwise discriminant function analysis to identify factors correlated with mortality of captured turtles. Furthermore, we were interested in what percentage of turtles died from passive fishing techniques and what techniques caused the most turtle mortality. The main factors influencing captured turtle mortality were water temperature and depth at net deployment. Fyke nets captured the most turtles and caused the most turtle mortality. Almost 90% of mortalities occurred in offshore aquatic areas (i.e., side channel or tributary). Our results provide information on causes of turtle mortality (as bycatch) in a riverine system and implications for river turtle conservation by suggesting management strategies to reduce turtle bycatch and decrease mortality of captured turtles.

Does tight control of systemic factors help in the management of diabetic retinopathy?

PubMed Central

Rajalakshmi, Ramachandran; Prathiba, Vijayaraghavan; Mohan, Viswanathan

2016-01-01

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the leading causes of preventable blindness, is associated with many systemic factors that contribute to the development and progression of this microvascular complication of diabetes. While the duration of diabetes is the major risk factor for the development of DR, the main modifiable systemic risk factors for development and progression of DR are hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. This review article looks at the evidence that control of these systemic factors has significant benefits in delaying the onset and progression of DR. PMID:26953026

Numerical Ergonomics Analysis in Operation Environment of CNC Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, S. F.; Yang, Z. X.

2010-05-01

The performance of operator will be affected by different operation environments [1]. Moreover, poor operation environment may cause health problems of the operator [2]. Physical and psychological considerations are two main factors that will affect the performance of operator under different conditions of operation environment. In this paper, applying scientific and systematic methods find out the pivot elements in the field of physical and psychological factors. There are five main factors including light, temperature, noise, air flow and space that are analyzed. A numerical ergonomics model has been built up regarding the analysis results which can support to advance the design of operation environment. Moreover, the output of numerical ergonomic model can provide the safe, comfortable, more productive conditions for the operator.

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome: Pathogenesis and Clinical Picture.

PubMed

Jiang, Hong; Du, Hong; Wang, Li M; Wang, Ping Z; Bai, Xue F

2016-01-01

Hantaan virus (HTNV) causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which is a zoonosis endemic in eastern Asia, especially in China. The reservoir host of HTNV is field mouse (Apodemus agraricus). The main manifestation of HFRS, including acute kidney injury, increases vascular permeability, and coagulation abnormalities. In this paper, we review the current knowledge of the pathogenesis of HFRS including virus factor, immunity factor and host genetic factors. Furthermore, the treatment and prevention will be discussed.

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome: Pathogenesis and Clinical Picture

PubMed Central

Jiang, Hong; Du, Hong; Wang, Li M.; Wang, Ping Z.; Bai, Xue F.

2016-01-01

Hantaan virus (HTNV) causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which is a zoonosis endemic in eastern Asia, especially in China. The reservoir host of HTNV is field mouse (Apodemus agraricus). The main manifestation of HFRS, including acute kidney injury, increases vascular permeability, and coagulation abnormalities. In this paper, we review the current knowledge of the pathogenesis of HFRS including virus factor, immunity factor and host genetic factors. Furthermore, the treatment and prevention will be discussed. PMID:26870699

A Multiple Decrement Life Table Reveals That Host Plant Resistance and Parasitism Are Major Causes of Mortality for the Wheat Stem Sawfly.

PubMed

Buteler, Micaela; Peterson, Robert K D; Hofland, Megan L; Weaver, David K

2015-12-01

This study investigated the dynamics of parasitism, host plant resistance, pathogens, and predation on the demography of wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), developing in susceptible (hollow stem) and resistant (solid stem) wheat hosts. This study is also the first to investigate the prevalence and impact of cannibalism on wheat stem sawfly mortality. Wheat stem sawflies were sampled in two commercial wheat fields over 4 yr from the egg stage through adult emergence, and multiple decrement life tables were constructed and analyzed. Cannibalism, host plant resistance, or unknown factors were the most prevalent factors causing egg mortality. Summer mortality of prediapause larvae ranged from 28 to 84%, mainly due to parasitism by Bracon cephi (Gahan) and Bracon lissogaster Muesebeck, cannibalism, and host plant resistance. Winter mortality ranged from 6 to 54% of the overwintering larvae, mainly due to unknown factors or pathogens. Cannibalism is a major cause of irreplaceable mortality because it is absolute, with only a single survivor in every multiple infested stem. Subsequent to obligate cannibalism, mortality of feeding larvae due to host plant resistance was lower in hollow stem wheat than in solid stem wheat. Mortality from host plant resistance was largely irreplaceable. Irreplaceable mortality due to parasitoids was greater in hollow stem wheat than in solid stem wheat. Host plant resistance due to stem solidness and parasitism in hollow stems cause substantial mortality in populations of actively feeding larvae responsible for all crop losses. Therefore, enhancing these mortality factors is vital to effective integrated pest management of wheat stem sawfly. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Main factors causing intergranular and quasi-cleavage fractures at hydrogen-induced cracking in tempered martensitic steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurokawa, Ami; Doshida, Tomoki; Hagihara, Yukito; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Takai, Kenichi

2018-05-01

Though intergranular (IG) and quasi-cleavage (QC) fractures have been widely recognized as typical fracture modes of the hydrogen-induced cracking in high-strength steels, the main factor has been unclarified yet. In the present study, the hydrogen content dependence on the main factor causing hydrogen-induced cracking has been examined through the fracture mode transition from QC to IG at the crack initiation site in the tempered martensitic steels. Two kinds of tempered martensitic steels were prepared to change the cohesive force due to the different precipitation states of Fe3C on the prior γ grain boundaries. A high amount of Si (H-Si) steel has a small amount of Fe3C on the prior austenite grain boundaries. Whereas, a low amount of Si (L-Si) steel has a large amount of Fe3C sheets on the grain boundaries. The fracture modes and initiations were observed using FE-SEM (Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscope). The crack initiation sites of the H-Si steel were QC fracture at the notch tip under various hydrogen contents. While the crack initiation of the L-Si steel change from QC fracture at the notch tip to QC and IG fractures from approximately 10 µm ahead of the notch tip as increasing in hydrogen content. For L-Si steels, two possibilities are considered that the QC or IG fracture occurred firstly, or the QC and IG fractures occurred simultaneously. Furthermore, the principal stress and equivalent plastic strain distributions near the notch tip were calculated with FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis. The plastic strain was the maximum at the notch tip and the principle stress was the maximum at approximately 10 µm from the notch tip. The position of the initiation of QC and IG fracture observed using FE-SEM corresponds to the position of maximum strain and stress obtained with FEM, respectively. These findings indicate that the main factors causing hydrogen-induced cracking are different between QC and IG fractures.

[Disasters and public health: an approach from the theoretical framework of epidemiology].

PubMed

Arcos González, Pedro Ignacio; Castro Delgado, Rafael; del Busto Prado, Francisco

2002-01-01

Throughout the 1990-2000 period, disasters (catastrophes) caused an average of 75,000 deaths yearly, injuring an average of 256 million people a year and causing economic losses totaling more than 650 billion euros. The magnitude of this problem, its impact on public health and on the degree of development of the populations involved are of such major importance as to warrant special interest from the public health standpoint, especially as a result of what are known as complex emergencies. The objective of this study is that of reviewing the definitions, the main concepts and the basic characteristics of disaster epidemiology. An analysis is also made of the risk factors involved in disasters, the impacts on public health of the main types of disasters and the main preventive strategies in terms of the different stages of the disaster cycle.

Autistic spectrum disorders: A review of clinical features, theories and diagnosis.

PubMed

Fakhoury, Marc

2015-06-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of neurodevelopmental disorders that is among the most severe in terms of prevalence, morbidity and impact to the society. It is characterized by complex behavioral phenotype and deficits in both social and cognitive functions. Although the exact cause of ASD is still not known, the main findings emphasize the role of genetic and environmental factors in the development of autistic behavior. Environmental factors are also likely to interact with the genetic profile and cause aberrant changes in brain growth, neuronal development, and functional connectivity. The past few years have seen an increase in the prevalence of ASD, as a result of enhanced clinical tests and diagnostic tools. Despite growing evidence for the involvement of endogenous biomarkers in the pathophysiology of ASD, early detection of this disorder remains a big challenge. This paper describes the main behavioral and cognitive features of ASD, as well as the symptoms that differentiate autism from other developmental disorders. An attempt will be made to integrate all the available evidence which point to reduced brain connectivity, mirror neurons deficits, and inhibition-excitation imbalance in individuals with ASD. Finally, this review discusses the main factors involved in the pathophysiology of ASD, and illustrates some of the most important markers used for the diagnosis of this debilitating disorder. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IMRT for head and neck cancer: reducing xerostomia and dysphagia

PubMed Central

Wang, XiaoShen; Eisbruch, Avraham

2016-01-01

Dysphagia and xerostomia are the main sequellae of chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer, and the main factors in reducing long-term patient quality of life. IMRT uses advanced technology to focus the high radiation doses on the targets and avoid irradiation of non-involved tissues. The decisions about sparing organs and tissues whose damage causes xerostomia and dysphagia depends on the evidence for dose–response relationships for the organs causing these sequellae. This paper discusses the evidence for the contribution of radiotherapy to xerostomia via damage of the major salivary glands (parotid and submandibular) and minor salivary glands within the oral cavity, and the contribution of radiotherapy-related effect on important swallowing structures causing dysphagia. Recommendations for dose limits to these organs, based on measurements of xerostomia and dysphagia following radiotherapy, are provided here. PMID:27538846

Microbiological Food Safety for Vulnerable People

PubMed Central

Lund, Barbara M.

2015-01-01

Foodborne pathogens are more likely to cause infection and to result in serious consequences in vulnerable people than in healthy adults. People with some increase in susceptibility may form nearly 20% of the population in the UK and the USA. Conditions leading to increased susceptibility are listed. The main factors leading to foodborne disease caused by major pathogens are outlined and examples are given of outbreaks resulting from these factors. Measures to prevent foodborne disease include procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point principles and prerequisite programmes and, especially for vulnerable people, the use of lower-risk foods in place of higher-risk products. PMID:26308030

Social experiential deprivation in autism spectrum disorders: A possible prognostic factor?

PubMed

Kaku, Sowmyashree Mayur; Basheer, Salah; Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan; Bharath, Rose Dawn; Girimaji, Satish Chandra; Srinath, Shoba

2017-04-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are well known to be influenced by various environmental factors. Among these influencers, social experiential deprivation (SED) in infancy is one of them which is not well reported. We explored factors contributing to SED in 11 young children diagnosed to have ASD and compared them to 24 children without SED also having ASD. Intervention mainly addressing factors causing SED for 6 months demonstrated that children with SED had a better outcome at follow up. Could SED be a possible prognostic factor in children with ASD? Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermally stratified acid water in late winter - a key factor inducing self-accelerating processes which increase acidification

Treesearch

Hans Hultberg

1976-01-01

Ion separation of acid air pollutants out of snow causes-sudden, deep pH-drops in lakes and running waters at an early stage of snowmelting. These pH-drops have drastic effects on fish populations and are suggested to be the main cause of Sphagnum invasion and changes in the microflora already at an early stage of acidification, i.e. when summer pH-...

Qualitative cross-sectional study of the perceived causes of depression in South Asian origin women in Toronto

PubMed Central

Ekanayake, Samanthika; Ahmad, Farah

2012-01-01

Objective To explore how South Asian origin women in Toronto, Canada, understand and explain the causes of their depression. Design Cross-sectional in-depth qualitative interviews. Setting Outpatient service in Toronto, Ontario. Participants Ten women with symptoms of depression aged between 22 and 65 years of age. Seven were from India, two from Sri Lanka and one from Pakistan. Four were Muslim, three Hindu and three Catholic. Two participants had university degrees, one a high school diploma and seven had completed less than a high school education. Eight were married, one was unmarried and one a widow. Results Three main factors emerged from the participant narratives as the causes of depression: family and relationships, culture and migration and socioeconomic. The majority of the participants identified domestic abuse, marital problems and interpersonal problems in the family as the cause of their depression. Culture and migration and socioeconomic factors were considered contributory. None of our study participants reported spiritual, supernatural or religious factors as causes of depression. Conclusion A personal–social–cultural model emerged as the aetiological paradigm for depression. Given the perceived causation, psycho-social treatment methods may be more acceptable for South Asian origin women. PMID:22337816

Qualitative cross-sectional study of the perceived causes of depression in South Asian origin women in Toronto.

PubMed

Ekanayake, Samanthika; Ahmad, Farah; McKenzie, Kwame

2012-01-01

To explore how South Asian origin women in Toronto, Canada, understand and explain the causes of their depression. Cross-sectional in-depth qualitative interviews. Outpatient service in Toronto, Ontario. Ten women with symptoms of depression aged between 22 and 65 years of age. Seven were from India, two from Sri Lanka and one from Pakistan. Four were Muslim, three Hindu and three Catholic. Two participants had university degrees, one a high school diploma and seven had completed less than a high school education. Eight were married, one was unmarried and one a widow. Three main factors emerged from the participant narratives as the causes of depression: family and relationships, culture and migration and socioeconomic. The majority of the participants identified domestic abuse, marital problems and interpersonal problems in the family as the cause of their depression. Culture and migration and socioeconomic factors were considered contributory. None of our study participants reported spiritual, supernatural or religious factors as causes of depression. A personal-social-cultural model emerged as the aetiological paradigm for depression. Given the perceived causation, psycho-social treatment methods may be more acceptable for South Asian origin women.

Comment on “Slow adaptation in the face of rapid warming leads to collapse of the Gulf of Maine cod fishery”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmer, Michael C.; Deroba, Jonathan J.; Legault, Christopher M.; Brooks, Elizabeth N.

2016-04-01

Pershing et al. (Reports, 13 November, p. 809) concluded that failure to account for temperature in the assessment and management of Gulf of Maine Atlantic cod caused overfishing. We argue that the “extra mortality” calculation driving this conclusion is an artifact. Environmental factors affect all stocks, but attribution of additional mortality to temperature alone by Pershing et al. is unsupported by the data.

Parametric Study on Responses of a Self-Anchored Suspension Bridge to Sudden Breakage of a Hanger

PubMed Central

Jiang, Meng; Huang, Cailiang

2014-01-01

The girder of self-anchored suspension bridge is subjected to large compression force applied by main cables. So, serious damage of the girder due to breakage of hangers may cause the collapse of the whole bridge. With the time increasing, the hangers may break suddenly for their resistance capacities decrease due to corrosion. Using nonlinear static and dynamic analysis methods and adopting 3D finite element model, the responses of an actual self-anchored suspension bridge to sudden breakage of hangers are studied in this paper. The results show that the sudden breakage of a hanger causes violent vibration and large changes in internal forces of the bridge. In the process of the vibration, the maximum tension of hanger produced by breakage of a hanger exceeds 2.22 times its initial value, and the reaction forces of the bearings increase by more than 1.86 times the tension of the broken hanger. Based on the actual bridge, the influences of some factors including flexural stiffness of girder, torsion stiffness of girder, flexural stiffness of main cable, weight of girder, weight of main cable, span to sag ratio of main cable, distance of hangers, span length, and breakage time of hanger on the dynamic responses are studied in detail, and the influencing extent of the factors is presented. PMID:25045734

Parametric study on responses of a self-anchored suspension bridge to sudden breakage of a hanger.

PubMed

Qiu, Wenliang; Jiang, Meng; Huang, Cailiang

2014-01-01

The girder of self-anchored suspension bridge is subjected to large compression force applied by main cables. So, serious damage of the girder due to breakage of hangers may cause the collapse of the whole bridge. With the time increasing, the hangers may break suddenly for their resistance capacities decrease due to corrosion. Using nonlinear static and dynamic analysis methods and adopting 3D finite element model, the responses of an actual self-anchored suspension bridge to sudden breakage of hangers are studied in this paper. The results show that the sudden breakage of a hanger causes violent vibration and large changes in internal forces of the bridge. In the process of the vibration, the maximum tension of hanger produced by breakage of a hanger exceeds 2.22 times its initial value, and the reaction forces of the bearings increase by more than 1.86 times the tension of the broken hanger. Based on the actual bridge, the influences of some factors including flexural stiffness of girder, torsion stiffness of girder, flexural stiffness of main cable, weight of girder, weight of main cable, span to sag ratio of main cable, distance of hangers, span length, and breakage time of hanger on the dynamic responses are studied in detail, and the influencing extent of the factors is presented.

[The establishment of relationship between mental disorder of a victim and psychotraumatic effect of sexual character in the legal expertise of "health harm severity"].

PubMed

Iakovleva, E Iu

2009-01-01

Based on the analysis of 51 cases of sexual crimes committed against persons with mean age 11,1 years, main points of expert analysis of statement or exclusion of cause-effect relationship between mental disorder of a victim and psychogenic action of sexual infringement in the legal expertise of "health harm severity" are presented. The regularities of development of mental disorder in judicially significant situations with regard to the influence of different types of psychogenic factors (specific sexual traumatization, additional and concomitant factors, non-specific psychogenic factors) are described. Definitions of different variants of cause-effect relationships (directed, modified) are formulated. The author suggests the grounds for choosing a form (definite, probable) of expert conclusion.

Multicausal analysis on water deterioration processes present in a drinking water treatment system.

PubMed

Wang, Li; Ma, Fang; Pang, Changlong; Firdoz, Shaik

2013-03-01

The fluctuation of water turbidity has been studied during summer in the settling tanks of a drinking water treatment plant. Results from the multiple cause-effect model indicated that five main pathways interactively influenced thequalityof tank water. During rain, turbidity levels increased mainly as a result of decreasing pH and anaerobic reactions (partial effect = 68%). Increasing water temperature combined with dissolved oxygen concentration (partial effect = 64%) was the key parameterforcontrolling decreases in water turbidity during nighttime periods after a rainy day. The dominant factor influencing increases in turbidity during sunny daytime periods was algal blooms (partial effect = 86%). However, short-circuiting waves (partial effect = 77%) was the main cause for increased nighttime water turbidity after a sunny day. The trade offbetween regulatory pathways was responsible for environmental changes, and the outcome was determined by the comparative strengths of each pathway.

[EXTRINSIC AND INTRINSIC FACTORS FOR FALLS THAT CAUSED HIP FRACTURE].

PubMed

Tsur, Atzmon; Shakeer, Nael; Segal, Zvi; Itah, Dorit; Eluz, Dana

2017-05-01

Among the reasons described as possibly causing falls in older and elderly people are extrinsic factors such as bumping into objects, slipping on a wet floor, etc., and intrinsic factors - those that occur suddenly without warning. To investigate the connection between the reasons for falls, extrinsic or intrinsic and different medical and nonmedical factors. The survey included 82 people, 53 women and 29 men, who fell and broke their hip, underwent surgery, and were treated at the Rehabilitation Department. Data showed that 39 people fell due to extrinsic factors and 43 due to intrinsic reasons. We examined the correlation with several factors, both medical and non-medical, that may have influenced the scenario of each group. Falls due to extrinsic reasons took place at all hours of the day and night, mainly in people who were alone and who wore shoes or sandals at the time of the fall and who either suffered from slight or no disturbances in attention and concentration. Falls due to intrinsic reasons occurred mainly during rest or sleep hours, in people who walked barefoot or with socks or slippers and who suffered moderate or severe disturbances in attention and concentration. Although the differences in the extrinsic vs. intrinsic reasons for falls that led to broken hips were fairly clear, it would be difficult to recommend new tools for prevention of this phenomenon. Trying to predict an infrequent future event such as a traumatic fall is inherently difficult.

Effects of duration and other noise characteristics on the annoyance caused by aircraft-flyover noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccurdy, D. A.; Powell, C. A.

1979-01-01

A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the effects of duration and other noise characteristics on the annoyance caused by aircraft-flyover noise. Duration, doppler shift, and spectra were individually controlled by specifying aircraft operational factors, such as velocity, altitude, and spectrum, in a computer synthesis of the aircraft-noise stimuli. This control allowed the separation of the effects of duration from the other main factors in the experimental design: velocity, tonal content, and sound pressure level. The annoyance of a set of noise stimuli which were comprised of factorial combinations of a 3 durations, 3 velocities, 3 sound pressure levels, and 2 tone conditions were judged. The judgements were made by using a graphical scale procedure similar to numerical category scaling. Each of the main factors except velocity was found to affect the judged annoyance significantly. The interaction of tonal content with sound pressure level was also found to be significant. The duration correction used in the effective-perceived-noise-level procedure, 3 dB per doubling of effective duration, was found to account most accurately for the effect of duration. No significant effect doppler shift was found.

Causes and remedies for the dominant risk factors in Enterprise System implementation projects: the consultants' perspective.

PubMed

Lech, Przemysław

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate the causes of the dominant risk factors, affecting Enterprise System implementation projects and propose remedies for those risk factors from the perspective of implementation consultants. The study used a qualitative research strategy, based on e-mail interviews, semi-structured personal interviews with consultants and participant observation during implementation projects. The main contribution of this paper is that it offers viable indications of how to mitigate the dominant risk factors. These indications were grouped into the following categories: stable project scope, smooth communication supported by the project management, dedicated, competent and decision-making client team, competent and engaged consultant project manager, schedule and budget consistent with the project scope, use of methodology and procedures, enforced and enabled by the project managers, competent and dedicated consultants. A detailed description is provided for each category.

Risk factors and injury prevention in elite athletes: a descriptive study of the opinions of physical therapists, doctors and trainers.

PubMed

Saragiotto, Bruno T; Di Pierro, Carla; Lopes, Alexandre D

2014-01-01

Musculoskeletal injuries occur frequently in elite athletes. Understanding what professionals who work with patients with sports injuries think about prevention has been suggested as an important aspect to improve the effectiveness of programs to prevent sports injuries. To describe and characterize the opinions of physical therapists, physicians and trainers on 'risk factors' and 'prevention of injury' in elite athletes. This is a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews with members of the medical and technical department of the Brazilian delegation who participated in the Pan American Games of Guadalajara 2011. The interview was conducted using two questions: 1) "What do you think can cause injuries in athletes participating in your sport?" 2) "What do you do to prevent injuries in your sport?" The interviews were analyzed in two stages, the identification of thematic units, followed by the categorization and grouping of thematic units. We interviewed a total of 30 professionals. Regarding question 1, the main factors attributed as responsible for injury were over-training and incorrect sports techniques. Regarding question 2, the main reported strategies used to prevent injuries were muscle strengthening, nutritional counseling and guidance. The main factors affecting the appearance of lesions were over-training, incorrect sports technique, inadequate nutrition and factors related to the athlete's behavior. The main injury prevention strategies were muscle strengthening, nutritional counseling and guidance.

Risk factors for granuloma formation in children induced by tracheobronchial foreign bodies.

PubMed

Huang, Zhenghua; Zhou, Ai; Zhang, Jianya; Xie, Lisheng; Li, Qi

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the risk factors for granuloma formation caused by plant-based tracheobronchial foreign bodies in children, and investigate the underlying pathogenesis. In this retrospective analysis of 153 cases with tracheobronchial foreign bodies (peanuts and watermelon seeds), 35 cases of granuloma formation as granulation group (G), and 118 cases of no granuloma formation as non-granulation group (NG) were studied. Clinical data pertaining to sex (S), age (A), foreign body surface smoothness (SF), foreign body shape (SH), foreign body oil release state (O), the location of foreign bodies (L), and foreign body retention time (T) were collected for statistical analysis. Univariate analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups (G and NG) with respect to S, A, SH and L. Significant factors based on univariate analysis included SF, O and T. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that SF and T were independent risk factors associated with development of granuloma. SF, O and T had relationship with the granuloma formation. Local trauma caused by an irregular and sharp foreign body, and extended period of time represent the main factors causing granuloma formation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Home tracheotomy mechanical ventilation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: causes, complications and 1-year survival.

PubMed

Sancho, Jesús; Servera, Emilio; Díaz, José Luis; Bañuls, Pilar; Marín, Julio

2011-11-01

Home tracheotomy mechanical ventilation (HTMV) can prolong survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) when non-invasive ventilation (NIV) fails, but knowledge about HTMV is scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the causes of tracheotomy and the main issues of 1-year HTMV in a cohort of patients with ALS. A prospective study of all patients needing HTMV was performed in a referral respiratory care unit (RCU) from April 2001 to January 2010. Patients' informed decisions about HTMV were fully respected. Caregivers were trained and could telephone the RCU. Hospital staff made home visits. All patients (n=116) agreed to participate and a tracheotomy was needed for 76, mainly due to bulbar dysfunction. Of the 38 who had a tracheotomy, in 21 it was performed in an acute setting and in 17 as a non-emergency procedure. In 19 patients the tracheotomy was related to the inadequacy of mechanically assisted coughing (MAC) to maintain normal oxygen saturation. During HTMV, 19 patients required hospitalisation, 12 with respiratory problems. The 1-year survival rate was 78.9%, with a mean survival of 10.39 months (95% CI 9.36 to 11.43). Sudden death was the main cause of death (n=9) and only one patient died from respiratory causes. No predictive factors for survival were found. Besides NIV inadequacy, the ineffectiveness of mechanically assisted coughing appears to be a relevant cause of tracheotomy for patients with ALS with severe bulbar dysfunction. Patients choosing HTMV provided by a referral RCU could have a good 1-year survival rate, respiratory problems being the main cause of hospitalisation but not of death.

Mortality, Causes of Death and Associated Factors Relate to a Large HIV Population-Based Cohort.

PubMed

Garriga, César; García de Olalla, Patricia; Miró, Josep M; Ocaña, Inma; Knobel, Hernando; Barberá, Maria Jesús; Humet, Victoria; Domingo, Pere; Gatell, Josep M; Ribera, Esteve; Gurguí, Mercè; Marco, Andrés; Caylà, Joan A

2015-01-01

Antiretroviral therapy has led to a decrease in HIV-related mortality and to the emergence of non-AIDS defining diseases as competing causes of death. This study estimates the HIV mortality rate and their risk factors with regard to different causes in a large city from January 2001 to June 2013. We followed-up 3137 newly diagnosed HIV non-AIDS cases. Causes of death were classified as HIV-related, non-HIV-related and external. We examined the effect of risk factors on survival using mortality rates, Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox models. Finally, we estimated survival for each main cause of death groups through Fine and Gray models. 182 deaths were found [14.0/1000 person-years of follow-up (py); 95% confidence interval (CI):12.0-16.1/1000 py], 81.3% of them had a known cause of death. Mortality rate by HIV-related causes and non-HIV-related causes was the same (4.9/1000 py; CI:3.7-6.1/1000 py), external was lower [1.7/1000 py; (1.0-2.4/1000 py)]. Kaplan-Meier estimate showed worse survival in intravenous drug user (IDU) and heterosexuals than in men having sex with men (MSM). Factors associated with HIV-related causes of death include: IDU male (subHazard Ratio (sHR):3.2; CI:1.5-7.0) and <200 CD4 at diagnosis (sHR:2.7; CI:1.3-5.7) versus ≥500 CD4. Factors associated with non-HIV-related causes of death include: ageing (sHR:1.5; CI:1.4-1.7) and heterosexual female (sHR:2.8; CI:1.1-7.3) versus MSM. Factors associated with external causes of death were IDU male (sHR:28.7; CI:6.7-123.2) and heterosexual male (sHR:11.8; CI:2.5-56.4) versus MSM. There are important differences in survival among transmission groups. Improved treatment is especially necessary in IDUs and heterosexual males.

What are the factors that contribute to road accidents? An assessment of law enforcement views, ordinary drivers' opinions, and road accident records.

PubMed

Rolison, Jonathan J; Regev, Shirley; Moutari, Salissou; Feeney, Aidan

2018-06-01

What are the main contributing factors to road accidents? Factors such as inexperience, lack of skill, and risk-taking behaviors have been associated with the collisions of young drivers. In contrast, visual, cognitive, and mobility impairment have been associated with the collisions of older drivers. We investigated the main causes of road accidents by drawing on multiple sources: expert views of police officers, lay views of the driving public, and official road accident records. In Studies 1 and 2, police officers and the public were asked about the typical causes of road traffic collisions using hypothetical accident scenarios. In Study 3, we investigated whether the views of police officers and the public about accident causation influence their recall accuracy for factors reported to contribute to hypothetical road accidents. The results show that both expert views of police officers and lay views of the driving public closely approximated the typical factors associated with the collisions of young and older drivers, as determined from official accident records. The results also reveal potential underreporting of factors in existing accident records, identifying possible inadequacies in law enforcement practices for investigating driver distraction, drug and alcohol impairment, and uncorrected or defective eyesight. Our investigation also highlights a need for accident report forms to be continuously reviewed and updated to ensure that contributing factor lists reflect the full range of factors that contribute to road accidents. Finally, the views held by police officers and the public on accident causation influenced their memory recall of factors involved in hypothetical scenarios. These findings indicate that delay in completing accident report forms should be minimised, possibly by use of mobile reporting devices at the accident scene. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A barley UDP-glucosyltransferase inactivates nivalenol and provides Fusarium head blight resistance in transgenic wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fusarium Head Blight is a disease of cereal crops that causes severe yield losses and mycotoxin contamination of grain. The main causal pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, produces the trichothecene toxins deoxynivalenol or nivalenol as virulence factors. Nivalenol-producing isolates are most prevalent ...

Potential economic impact assessment for cattle parasites in Mexico review

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Here, economic losses caused by cattle parasites in Mexico were estimated on an annual basis. The main factors taken into consideration for this assessment included the total number of animals at risk, potential detrimental effects of parasitism on milk production or weight gain, and records of cond...

[Ocular findings in patients with Steinert myotonic dystrophy].

PubMed

Markowska, Elzbieta; Zalewska, Renata; Mariak, Zofia; Wojnar, Małgorzata

2006-01-01

The authors present one of many myotonic dystrophies: Steinert myotonic dystrophy (Steinert disease), which is a disease occuring seldom, and causing a lot of problems during the diagnostic and treatment process. Genetic factors, results of the histopathology tests, main clinical symptoms, particularly ophtalmic manifestation are described in this article.

[Human ecology. Which is the main challenge to Russia?].

PubMed

Velichkovskiĭ, B T

2002-01-01

The main direction in the study of human ecology in Russia today is to provide evidence for how to maintain environmental balance in the biosphere of the Earth, though the above factor also exerts a constantly growing negative impact on the health and life quality of the population. During the years of the reforms in the country, all the principal medical and demographic indices have undergone negative changes. To overcome the medicodemographic crisis should be now a priority problem to be solved in human ecology in Russia. The crisis was mainly caused by the "shock" strategy of the reforms. To eliminate the negative medicodemographic consequences, a strong working motivation should be firstly created for the population, that is to create such conditions that allow people to earn well-deserved living by honest work. All this requires the development of small business, democratization of private property forms of private property, and changes in the Government's policy concerning work payment. Medical scientists should clarify how biological mechanisms, that is negative social, economic and psychological factors, cause a drastic increase in mortality, particularly in the able-bodied population. This process is likely to involve three regulation levels; the central nervous system (dynamic stereotype break, as called by I. P. Pavlov), the neuroendocrine system (great stress, as described by G. Selye), molecular-cellular free radical processes (phenoptosis, as outlined by V. P. Skulachev). Five factors that most negatively affect human health and demographic processes were identified.

Why is control of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa poor?

PubMed Central

Seedat, YK

2015-01-01

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in 2010, hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 115 mmHg) was the leading cause of death, increasing 67% since 1990. It was also the sixth leading cause of disability, contributing more than 11 million adjusted life years. In SSA, stroke was the main outcome of uncontrolled hypertension. Poverty is the major underlying factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This article analyses the causes of poor compliance in the treatment of hypertension in SSA and provides suggestions on the treatment of hypertension in a poverty-stricken continent. PMID:26407222

[The clinical picture and psychopathology of the XYY constitution].

PubMed

Schlegel, J H; Schönwetter, H P; Langenbeck, U

1975-06-01

It is reported on 2 cases of the XYY chormosomal constitution. The patients were comparable only with respect to some somatic deviations. Age at manifestation of psychic abnormalities as well as the degree of deviation of behaviour were rather different. One patient got his psychic traumatization mainly in early childhood where as the other suffered from a more puberal conflict. Genetic disposition may be the basic cause of the psychological abnormalities. Yet, the degree of deviation seems to be influenced mainly by environmental factors.

Communicating cancer-prevention information.

PubMed

Brody, J E

1992-01-01

The message to the public regarding cancer prevention should emphasize moderation and evolutionary change in living habits rather than revolutions and focus on total life-style not just individual factors. It is essential to keep people focused on the modifiable factors that can really make a difference. Currently, people worry about minutiae, ie, possible substances in the environment that might cause some cancers, rather than the main, more clearly defined factors, eg, smoking, diet, and sedentary living. The media must play a major role in cancer prevention, assisted by rational, clear-speaking professionals.

The cause of divorce among men and women referred to marriage and legal office in Qazvin, Iran.

PubMed

Barikani, Ameneh; Ebrahim, Sarichlow Mohamad; Navid, Mohammadi

2012-08-27

Marital separation and divorce can be the most unpleasant event in the adult's life, and families will be hurt by divorce event. The prevalence of divorce has been increased in last decades. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the divorce cause among the divorce seeking men and women in Qazvin, Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 572 (400 women and 172 men) subjects who requested for divorce and were referred to divorce and marriage office of Qazvin province during 3 month in 2009. Data were collected by self - administered questionnaire, interviewing subjects and using Likert scale. Data were analyzed by Chi- Square test and Mann-Whitney (SPSS version 16). The participants of the study included 400 women (26.5 ± 7.4 years) and 172 men. In view points of women the primary wrong mate selection was main cause of divorce (59.8%), but the men believed that the families and relatives interference was the main reason for separation (43.7%). Among the respondents, mean score of "dependency to their families" and "unmet emotional needs" were 3.44 ± 1.6 and 3.86 ± 1.4 respectively. In addition mean score of infertility among men and women were 1.37 ± 1.0 and 1.29 ± 0.9 respectively. Wrong mate selection, unmet emotional needs, families' interference, and "dependency to families" are more important factors than traditional factors which are sexual or physical factors.

Research progress in the genetics of hyperuricaemia and gout.

PubMed

Zheng, Min; Ma, Jun-wu

2016-04-01

Gout is one of the most common inflammatory arthritis caused by hyperuricaemia, which is affected by both genetic factors and environmental factors. Early researches show that a few of rare monogenic mutations, such as PRPS1 and HPRT1 mutations, lead to abnormal purine anabolism and then cause hyperuricaemia and gout. In recent years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified dozens of susceptibility loci and/or candidate genes associated with hyperuricemia and gout. Loss-of-function mutations in SLC2A9, SLC22A11, and SLC22A12 cause hereditary hypouricaemia, while their overexpression may increase the reabsorption of uric acid. In contrast, loss-of-function mutations in ABCG2, SLC17A1, and SLC17A3 cause urate underexcretion of renal and intestinal. These variations leading to blood uric acid excretion disorder (excess reabsorption and underexcretion) are the main genetic factors affecting hyperuicemia and gout. Moreover, to some degree, inhibins-activins growth factor system, transcription factors, cytoskeleton and gene-environment interaction can also affect the level of blood uric acid. In addition, two risk genes, RFX3 and KCNQ1, which might impair immune response and lead to functional deficiency of beta cell were recently discovered to influence hyperuiceamia and gout in Han Chinese. This paper systematically reviews genetic studies on hyperuricaemia and gout to improve our understanding of pathogenesis of hyperuricaemia and gout.

Investigation on the Factors Influencing Construction Time and Cost Overrun for High-Rise Building Projects In Penang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nor Haslinda, A.; Xian, T. Wei; Norfarahayu, K.; Muhamad Hanafi, R.; Fikri, H. Muhammad

2018-04-01

Time and cost overruns have become one prominent issue for most construction projects around the world. Project costing and timeframe extension had been causing a lot of wastage and loss of opportunity for many parties involved. Therefore, this research was carried out to investigate the factors influencing time and cost overruns for high-rise construction projects in Penang, Malaysia. A set of questionnaires survey was distributed to the project managers who had been or currently involved in the high-rise building projects in Penang to get their input and perceptions for each factor identified as well as its frequency of occurrence. In order to rank all the factors gathered, the mean index of the most distinguishing factors and its frequency of occurrence were multiplied to get the severity index. The results revealed that for time overrun, the most predominant causes were due to design changes, inadequate planning and scheduling and poor labor productivity. Meanwhile, the predominant causes of cost overrun were poor pre-construction budget and material cost planning, inaccurate quantity take-off and materials cost increased by inflation. The significance of establishing the issues related to time and cost overruns for the high-rise building construction project is to provide a greater insight and understanding on the causes of delays, particularly among the main project players: contractors, client, and consultants.

Mortality from Congenital Heart Disease in Mexico: A Problem on the Rise

PubMed Central

Torres-Cosme, José Luis; Rolón-Porras, Constanza; Aguinaga-Ríos, Mónica; Acosta-Granado, Pedro Manuel; Reyes-Muñoz, Enrique; Murguía-Peniche, Teresa

2016-01-01

Background and Objectives Temporal trends in mortality from congenital heart disease (CHD) vary among regions. It is therefore necessary to study this problem in each country. In Mexico, congenital anomalies were responsible for 24% of infant mortality in 2013 and CHD represented 55% of total deaths from congenital anomalies among children under 1 year of age. The objectives of this study were to analyze the trends in infant mortality from CHD in Mexico (1998 to 2013), its specific causes, age at death and associated socio-demographic factors. Methods Population-based study which calculated the compounded annual growth rate of death rom CHD between 1998 and 2013. Specific causes, age at which death from CHD occurred and risk factors associated with mortality were analyzed for the year 2013. Results Infant mortality from CHD increased 24.8% from 1998 to 2013 (114.4 to 146.4/ 100,000 live births). A total of 3,593 CHD deaths occurred in 2013; the main causes were CHD with left-to-right shunt (n = 487; 19.8/100,000 live births) and cyanotic heart disease (n = 410; 16.7/100,000). A total of 1,049 (29.2%) deaths from CHD occurred during the first week of life. Risk factors associated with mortality from CHD were, in order of magnitude: non-institutional birth, rural area, birth in a public hospital and male sex. Conclusions Mortality from CHD has increased in Mexico. The main causes were CHD with left-to-right shunt, which are not necessarily fatal if treated promptly. Populations vulnerable to death from CHD were identified. Approximately one-third of the CHD occurred during the first week of life. It is important to promote early diagnosis, especially for non-institutional births. PMID:26937635

Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death: a competing risk analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort.

PubMed

Lindqvist, P G; Epstein, E; Nielsen, K; Landin-Olsson, M; Ingvar, C; Olsson, H

2016-10-01

Women with active sunlight exposure habits experience a lower mortality rate than women who avoid sun exposure; however, they are at an increased risk of skin cancer. We aimed to explore the differences in main causes of death according to sun exposure. We assessed the differences in sun exposure as a risk factor for all-cause mortality in a competing risk scenario for 29 518 Swedish women in a prospective 20-year follow-up of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort. Women were recruited from 1990 to 1992 (aged 25-64 years at the start of the study). We obtained detailed information at baseline on sun exposure habits and potential confounders. The data were analysed using modern survival statistics. Women with active sun exposure habits were mainly at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and noncancer/non-CVD death as compared to those who avoided sun exposure. As a result of their increased survival, the relative contribution of cancer death increased in these women. Nonsmokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking. Compared to the highest sun exposure group, life expectancy of avoiders of sun exposure was reduced by 0.6-2.1 years. The longer life expectancy amongst women with active sun exposure habits was related to a decrease in CVD and noncancer/non-CVD mortality, causing the relative contribution of death due to cancer to increase. © 2016 The Association for the Publication of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

[Chronic non-communicable diseases in Brazil: priorities for disease management and research].

PubMed

Duncan, Bruce Bartholow; Chor, Dóra; Aquino, Estela M L; Bensenor, Isabela M; Mill, José Geraldo; Schmidt, Maria Inês; Lotufo, Paulo Andrade; Vigo, Alvaro; Barreto, Sandhi Maria

2012-12-01

Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases are the main source of disease burden in Brazil. In 2011, the Brazilian Ministry of Health launched the Strategic Plan of Action for Management of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases focusing on population-based interventions to manage cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases mainly through fighting tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. Although a significant number of scientific studies on chronic diseases and their risk factors have been undertaken in Brazil, few are of cohort design. In this context, the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), a cohort study of 15,105 Brazilian public servants reflects the reality of high prevalences of diabetes, hypertension and the main chronic diseases risk factors. The diversity of information that the Study will produce can provide important input to better understand the causes of chronic diseases and to support public policies for fighting them.

Determining factors for the presence of impurities in selectively collected biowaste.

PubMed

Puig-Ventosa, Ignasi; Freire-González, Jaume; Jofra-Sora, Marta

2013-05-01

The presence of impurities in biodegradable waste (biowaste) causes problems with the management of waste, among which are additional costs derived from the need to improve pre-treatment of biowaste, loss of treatment capacity and the difficulty selling treated biowaste as compost owing to its low quality. When treated biowaste is used for soil conditioning it can also cause soil pollution. Understanding the reasons why impurities are in biowaste and the factors affecting the percentage of impurities present can be used to determine ways to minimise these negative effects. This article attempts to identify the main causes for the presence of impurities in biowaste. In order to do so, it carries out an empirical analysis of the level of impurities in biowaste from municipal waste collection in two steps. First, a bivariate analysis focuses on significant correlations between the presence of impurities and several variables. Second, the construction of an explanatory model based on the significant relations obtained in the first step, and on literature research, are used to check the stated hypothesis. The estimates demonstrate that the collection system, the global levels of separate collection, the urban density of the municipality and the requirement to use compostable bags may be the main drivers of impurity levels in biowaste.

The importance of fetal gender in intrauterine growth restriction

PubMed Central

Radulescu, L; Ferechide, D; Popa, F

2013-01-01

One of the most important causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity complicating significant percentage pregnancies is intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Fetal growth restriction is the main cause of intrauterine fetal death and the second leading cause of death in the neonatal period. Numerous studies in different populations reveal an association between intrauterine growth restriction and perinatal and postnatal developments, which differ according to the sex of newborns with intrauterine growth restriction. However, the mechanisms of intrauterine programming, the critical time necessary to cause injury and involvement of other factors are unclear and although several authors’ opinions differ, it seems that females are more likely to develop intrauterine growth restriction. Abbreviations: IUGR=intrauterine growth restriction PMID:23599816

Wheelbarrow tire explosion causing trauma to the forearm and hand: a case report

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Introduction Tire explosion injuries are rare, but they may result in a severe injury pattern. Case reports and statistics from injuries caused by exploded truck tires during servicing are established, but trauma from exploded small tires seems to be unknown. Case presentation A 47-year-old german man inflated a wheelbarrow tire. The tire exploded during inflation and caused an open, multiple forearm and hand injury. Conclusion Even small tires can cause severe injury patterns in the case of an explosion. High inflating pressures and low safety distances are the main factors responsible for this occurrence. Broad safety information and suitable filling devices are indispensable for preventing these occurrences. PMID:19946543

Causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in the Republic of Suriname.

PubMed

Heijthuijsen, Astrid Anna Maria; Beunders, Victoria Apollonia Annemarie; Jiawan, Dinesh; de Mesquita-Voigt, Anne-Marie Bueno; Pawiroredjo, Jerrel; Mourits, Maarten; Tanck, Michael; Verhoeff, Joost; Saeed, Peerooz

2013-07-01

To determine the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) in children in Suriname (Dutch Guyana) and to identify preventable and treatable causes. 4643 children under 16 years of age were recruited from two locations: 33 children attending the only school for the blind were examined and 4610 medical records were analysed at an eye clinic. Data have been collected using the WHO Prevention of Blindness Programme eye examination record for children. 65 children were identified with SVI/BL, 58.5% were blind and 41.5% were severely visually impaired (SVI). The major anatomical site of SVI/BL was the retina in 33.8%, lens in 15.4% and normal appearing globe in 15.4%. The major underlying aetiology of SVI/BL was undetermined in 56.9% (mainly cataract and abnormality since birth) and perinatal factors 21.5% (mainly retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)). Avoidable causes of SVI/BL accounted for 40% of cases; 7.7% were preventable and 32.3% were treatable with cataracts and ROP the most common causes (15.4% and 12.3%, respectively). More than a third of the SVI/BL causes are potentially avoidable, with childhood cataract and ROP the leading causes. Corneal scarring from vitamin A deficiency does not seem to be a continuing issue in Suriname.

Analysis of the spatial-temporal variation characteristics of vegetative drought and its relationship with meteorological factors in China from 1982 to 2010.

PubMed

Shen, Qiu; Liang, Liang; Luo, Xiang; Li, Yanjun; Zhang, Lianpeng

2017-08-25

Drought is a complex natural phenomenon that can cause reduced water supplies and can consequently have substantial effects on agriculture and socioeconomic activities. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the spatial-temporal variation characteristics of vegetative drought and its relationship with meteorological factors in China. The Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) dataset calculated from NOAA/AVHRR images from 1982 to 2010 was used to analyse the spatial-temporal variation characteristics of vegetative drought in China. This study also examined the trends in meteorological factors and their influences on drought using monitoring data collected from 686 national ground meteorological stations. The results showed that the VCI appeared to slowly rise in China from 1982 to 2010. From 1982 to 1999, the VCI rose slowly. Then, around 2000, the VCI exhibited a severe fluctuation before it entered into a relatively stable stage. Drought frequencies in China were higher, showing a spatial distribution feature of "higher in the north and lower in the south". Based on the different levels of drought, the frequencies of mild and moderate drought in four geographical areas were higher, and the frequency of severe drought was higher only in ecologically vulnerable areas, such as the Tarim Basin and the Qaidam Basin. Drought was mainly influenced by meteorological factors, which differed regionally. In the northern region, the main influential factor was sunshine duration, while the other factors showed minimal effects. In the southern region and Tibetan Plateau, the main influential factors were sunshine duration and temperature. In the northwestern region, the main influential factors were wind velocity and station atmospheric pressure.

A survey of visual impairment and blindness in children attending four schools for the blind in Cambodia.

PubMed

Sia, David I T; Muecke, James; Hammerton, Michael; Ngy, Meng; Kong, Aimee; Morse, Anna; Holmes, Martin; Piseth, Horm; Hamilton, Carolyn; Selva, Dinesh

2010-08-01

To identify the causes of blindness and severe visual impairment (BL/SVI) in children attending four schools for the blind in Cambodia and to provide spectacles, low vision aids, orientation and mobility training and ophthalmic treatment. Children < 16 years of age were recruited from all 4 schools for the blind in Cambodia. Causes of visual impairment and blindness were determined and categorized using World Health Organization methods. Of the 95 children examined, 54.7% were blind (BL) and 10.5% were severely visually impaired (SVI). The major anatomical site of BL/SVI was the lens in 27.4%, cornea in 25.8%, retina in 21% and whole globe in 17.7%. The major underlying etiologies of BL/SVI were hereditary factors (mainly cataract and retinal dystrophies) in 45.2%, undetermined/unknown (mainly microphthalmia and anterior segment dysgenesis) in 38.7% and childhood factors in 11.3%. Avoidable causes of BL/SVI accounted for 50% of the cases; 12.9% of the total were preventable with measles being the commonest cause (8.1% of the total); 37.1% were treatable with cataracts and glaucoma being the commonest causes (22.6% and 4.8% respectively). More than 35% of children required an optical device and 27.4% had potential for visual improvement with intervention. Half of the BL/SVI causes were potentially avoidable. The data support the need for increased coverage of measles immunization. There is also a need to develop specialized pediatric ophthalmic services for the management of surgically remediable conditions, to provide optometric, low vision and orientation and mobility services. Genetic risk counseling services also may be considered.

Biliary diseases as main causes of pyogenic liver abscess caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae.

PubMed

Shi, Shao-Hua; Feng, Xiao-Ning; Lai, Ming-Chun; Kong, Hai-Shen; Zheng, Shu-Sen

2017-05-01

Little is known about aetiology and morbidity and clinical characteristics of pyogenic liver abscess caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. An analysis between pyogenic liver abscess patients caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates and those caused by non-extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae was performed. Among 817 pyogenic liver abscess patients, there were 176 patients (21.5%) with pyogenic liver abscess of biliary origin, and 67 pyogenic liver abscess patients (8.2%) caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates (mainly Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae). Of 176 pyogenic liver abscess patients related to biliary disorders, there were 48 pyogenic liver abscess patients (27.3%) caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Within 67 pyogenic liver abscess patients caused by Enterobacteriaceae expressing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, the occurrences of 48 pyogenic liver abscess patients (71.6%) were associated with biliary disorders. When compared with pyogenic liver abscess patients caused by non-extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, there were significantly greater incidences of polymicrobial infections, bacteremia, pulmonary infection, recurrence and death in pyogenic liver abscess patients caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Carbapenems remain mainstay drugs against extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Independent risk factors for occurrence of pyogenic liver abscess caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were biliary disorders including extra- and intrahepatic cholangiolithiasis and an abnormal bilioenteric communication between bile and gut, a treatment history of malignancy such as operation and chemotherapy, pulmonary infection, and diabetes mellitus. Pyogenic liver abscess caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates mainly occurs in patients with biliary disorders or with a treatment history of malignancy. The mainstay of treatment remains carbapenems in combination with adequate aspiration or drainage. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Main Factors of Uranium Accumulation in the Ishim Plain Saline Lakes (Western Siberia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vladimirov, A. G.; Krivonogov, S. K.; Karpov, A. V.; Nikolaeva, I. V.; Razvorotneva, L. I.; Kolpakova, M. N.; Moroz, E. N.

2018-04-01

Hydrochemical analysis of the high-salinity lakes in the Ishim Plain (>250-300 g/L) located at the border with the Northern Kazakhstan uranium ore province is performed. The studies have shown that the main factor of concentration and redistribution of uranium in the lake basins of the Ishim Plain are the processes of intense salt deflation causing sanding of lakes and uranium depletion in the near-surface layer of the bottom deposits. The correlation between the hydroxide forms of uranium binding in the bottom lacustrine deposits of the Ishim Plain and the coffinite composition of the Semizbai deposit makes it possible to consider this province to be promising for the discovery of hydromineral uranium deposits.

Anatomical causes of female infertility and their management.

PubMed

Abrao, Mauricio S; Muzii, Ludovico; Marana, Riccardo

2013-12-01

The main female anatomical causes of infertility include post-infectious tubal damage, endometriosis, and congenital/acquired uterine anomalies. Congenital (septate uterus) and acquired (myomas and synechiae) diseases of the uterus may lead to infertility, pregnancy loss, and other obstetric complications. Pelvic inflammatory disease represents the most common cause of tubal damage. Surgery still remains an important option for tubal factor infertility, with results in terms of reproductive outcome that compare favorably with those of in vitro fertilization. Endometriosis is a common gynecologic condition affecting women of reproductive age, which can cause pain and infertility. The cause of infertility associated with endometriosis remains elusive, suggesting a multifactorial mechanism involving immunologic, genetic, and environmental factors. Despite the high prevalence of endometriosis, the exact mechanisms of its pathogenesis are unknown. Specific combinations of medical, surgical, and psychological treatments can ameliorate the quality of life of women with endometriosis. In the majority of cases, surgical treatment of endometriosis has promoted significant increases in fertilization rates. There are obvious associations between endometriosis and the immune system, and future strategies to treat endometriosis might be based on immunologic concepts. © 2013.

Sources of Stress: Perceptions of South African TESOL Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Amanda

2016-01-01

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study investigating which factors inside and outside the classroom result in feelings of stress for TESOL teachers working at private language schools in South Africa. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews, the findings reveal three main areas that cause stress for TESOL teachers: the job of…

Education of Civic Consciousness in George Kershenshteyner's Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belentsov, Sergei I.; Fahrutdinova, Anastasia V.; Okulich-Kazarin, Valery

2017-01-01

Relevance of the publication is caused by need of judgment of realities and prospects of development of the Russian society. The education system is the main factor of updating of tenor of life of the state and further development of democratic institutes. Therefore questions of a humanization of Russian education become defining in historical and…

Processes affecting the transport of nitrogen in groundwater and factors related to slope position

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nitrate (NO3-) pollution of water resources has been a major problem for years, causing contaminated water supplies, harmful effects on human health, and widespread eutrophication of fresh water resources. The main objectives of this study were to: 1) understand the processes affecting NO3- transpor...

Identification of risk factors and causes of persistence of Salmonella Gallinarum in laying hens farms from Colombia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The presence of Salmonella Gallinarum (SG) was recently identified in brown egg layers in Colombia. During 2013, twenty isolates were analyzed using Intergenic Sequence Ribotyping. Eighteen (90%) were SG and two (10%) were Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). SG was isolated mainly from organs of sick birds...

Risk factors and injury prevention in elite athletes: a descriptive study of the opinions of physical therapists, doctors and trainers

PubMed Central

Saragiotto, Bruno T.; Di Pierro, Carla; Lopes, Alexandre D.

2014-01-01

Background Musculoskeletal injuries occur frequently in elite athletes. Understanding what professionals who work with patients with sports injuries think about prevention has been suggested as an important aspect to improve the effectiveness of programs to prevent sports injuries. Objectives To describe and characterize the opinions of physical therapists, physicians and trainers on 'risk factors' and 'prevention of injury' in elite athletes. Method This is a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews with members of the medical and technical department of the Brazilian delegation who participated in the Pan American Games of Guadalajara 2011. The interview was conducted using two questions: 1) "What do you think can cause injuries in athletes participating in your sport?" 2) "What do you do to prevent injuries in your sport?" The interviews were analyzed in two stages, the identification of thematic units, followed by the categorization and grouping of thematic units. Results We interviewed a total of 30 professionals. Regarding question 1, the main factors attributed as responsible for injury were over-training and incorrect sports techniques. Regarding question 2, the main reported strategies used to prevent injuries were muscle strengthening, nutritional counseling and guidance. Conclusions The main factors affecting the appearance of lesions were over-training, incorrect sports technique, inadequate nutrition and factors related to the athlete's behavior. The main injury prevention strategies were muscle strengthening, nutritional counseling and guidance. PMID:24845023

Innovating aging: promises and pitfalls on the road to life extension

PubMed Central

Vijg, Jan; de Grey, Aubrey D.N.J.

2014-01-01

One of the main benefits from the dramatic technological progress over the last two centuries is the enormous increase in human life expectancy, which has now reached record highs. After conquering most childhood diseases and a fair fraction of the diseases that plague adulthood, medical technology is now mainly pre-occupied by age-related disorders. Further progress is dependent on circumventing the traditional medical focus on individual diseases and instead targeting aging as a whole as the ultimate cause of the health problems that affect humankind at old age. In principle, a major effort to control the gradual accumulation of molecular and cellular damage – considered by many as the ultimate cause of intrinsic aging – may rapidly lead to interventions for regenerating aged and worn-out tissues and organs. While considered impossible by many, there really is no reason to reject this as scientifically implausible. However, as we discuss, it is not only scientific progress that is currently a limiting factor, but societal factors that hinder and may ultimately prevent further progress in testing and adopting the many possible interventions to cure aging. PMID:24732067

Woman's experiences of applying for a divorce

PubMed Central

Zandiyeh, Zahra; Yousefi, Hojatollah

2014-01-01

Background: Divorce is one of the most controversial and damaging social issues. Since the divorce rates are increasing rapidly, the current study evaluated the effects of factors leading to divorce application. Materials and Methods: This qualitative content analysis used purposive sampling to select 10 female divorce applicants at Isfahan Department of Justice (Isfahan, Iran). In-depth interviews were used for data collection. The contents of the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a phenomenological method. The reliability and validity, i.e. real values, applicability, stability, and fact-based results, were ensured through relevant measures. Results: Overall, 110 codes were extracted from the interviews. The codes were organized in 18 subthemes and seven main themes. The main themes included experiences of violence, cultural factors, family factors, financial factors, safety factors, experiences of promiscuity, and social factors. Conclusion: Different individual, social, and cultural factors may lead to divorce. The first step in reducing divorce rates is to identify the most important and influential risk factors for divorce. Community health nurses will then be able to help the families solve their problems. In general, eliminating the causes of divorce can prevent its severe consequences at individual, family, and social levels. PMID:24834086

Burden of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases in Iran: Estimates Based on the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, 2010.

PubMed

Malekzadeh, Fatemeh; Sepanlou, Sadaf Ghajarieh; Poustchi, Hossein; Naghavi, Mohsen; Forouzanfar, Mohammad Hossein; Shahraz, Saeid; Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Malekzadeh, Reza

2015-07-01

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal and liver diseases (GILD) constitute a noteworthy portion of causes of death and disability in Iran. However, data on their prevalence and burden is sparse in Iran. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study in 2010 has provided invaluable comprehensive data on the burden of GILD in Iran. METHODS Estimations of death, years of life lost due to premature death (YLL), years of life lost due to disability (YLD), disability-adjusted life years (DALY), life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy have been reported for 291 diseases, 67 risk factors, 1160 sequelae, for both sexes and 19 age groups, form 1990 to 2010 for 187 countries. In the current paper, 5 major categories of gastrointestinal (GI) and liver diseases have been investigated as follows: GI infectious diseases, GI and liver cancers, liver infections, chronic end stage liver disease, and other digestive diseases. RESULTS Among women, 7.6% of all deaths and 3.9% of all DALYs were due to digestive and liver diseases in 2010. The respective figures in men were 7.8% of deaths and 4.6% of DALYs. The most important cause of death among children under 5 is diarrhea. Among adults between 15 to 49 years old, the main causes of death are GI and liver cancers and cirrhosis, while diarrhea still remains a major cause of DALY. Among adults 50 years and above, GI and liver cancers and cirrhosis are the main causes of both deaths and DALYs. Gastritis and duodenitis, diarrheal diseases, gall bladder and bile duct diseases, acute hepatitis A, peptic ulcer disease, appendicitis, and acute hepatitis A mainly cause disability rather than death. CONCLUSION GBD study provides invaluable source of data on burden of GILD in Iran. However, there exist limitations, namely overestimation of burden of liver cancer and underestimation of the burden of GI diseases that are usually diagnosed in outpatient settings. The collaboration of scientists across the world and specifically those from developing countries is necessary for improving the accuracy of future updates of GBD in these countries.

Epidemiological profile of work-related accidents with biological exposure among medical students in a surgical emergency room.

PubMed

Reis, Phillipe Geraldo Teixeira de Abreu; Driessen, Anna Luiza; da Costa, Ana Claudia Brenner Affonso; Nasr, Adonis; Collaço, Iwan Augusto; Tomasich, Flávio Daniel Saavedra

2013-01-01

To evaluate the accidents with biological material among medical students interning in a trauma emergency room and identify key related situations, attributed causes and prevention. we conducted a study with a quantitative approach. Data were collected through a questionnaire applied via internet, with closed, multiple-choice questions regarding accidents with biological material. The sample comprised 100 students. thirty-two had accidents with biological material. Higher-risk activities were local anesthesia (39.47%), suture (18.42%) and needle recapping (15.79%). The main routes of exposure to biological material were the eyes or mucosa, with 34%, and syringe needle puncture, with 45%. After contamination, only 52% reported the accident to the responsible department. The main causes of accidents and routes of exposure found may be attributed to several factors, such as lack of training and failure to use personal protective equipment. Educational and preventive actions are extremely important to reduce the incidence of accidents with biological materials and improve the conduct of post-exposure. It is important to understand the main causes attributed and situations related, so as general and effective measures can be applied.

Iron absorption from Southeast Asian diets. II. Role of various factors that might explain low absorption.

PubMed

Hallberg, L; Björn-Rasmussen, E; Rossander, L; Suwanik, R

1977-04-01

Previously reported levels of iron absorption from common Southeast Asian meals composed of rice, vegetables, and spices were too low to be consistent with the known prevalence of iron deficiency. In the present paper the cause of the low absorption was systematically sought. Variables investigated comprised methodological errors, factors in the diet such as certain foodstuffs, or contaminants inhibiting the absorption and characteristics of the subjects accompanied by malabsorption of dietary iron. The latter was excluded by comparing the absorption from both wheat rolls and a composit rice meal in Thai and Swedish women using the absorption of a small dose of ferrous ascorbate as a common basis of comparison. Two main factors were identified as causing the low absorption in the previous studies: the homogenization of the labeled meals before serving and the use of rice flour instead of rice. Iron absorption from nonhomogenized meals of identical composition as studied previously was many times higher (on an average 0.16 mg) and was consistent with the actual prevalence of iron deficiency in lower socioeconomic groups of Thais mainly consuming the simple meals studied. Recent modifications of the method to measure nonheme iron absorption from composite meals have thus not only made the determination simpler but also more accurate.

Perceptions of Malaysian colorectal cancer patients regarding dietary intake: a qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Yusof, Afzaninawati Suria; Isa, Zaleha Md; Shah, Shamsul Azhar

2013-01-01

Changes in dietary practices are known to be associated with changes in the health and disease pattern of a population. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the perception of colorectal cancer patients regarding causes of colorectal cancer and the influence of diet. Twelve respondents from three major ethnicities in Malaysia were selected from the quantitative study on dietary pattern and colorectal cancer carried out earlier in this study. In-depth interviews (IDI), conducted from April until June 2012, were mainly in the Malay language with additional use of English and continued until the saturation point was reached. All interviews were autorecorded so that verbatim transcriptions could be created. Causes of colorectal cancer were categorized into internal and external factors. The majority of respondents agreed that there is an association between Western foods and colorectal cancer. Malaysian traditional diet was not related to colorectal cancer as less preservative agents were used. Malaysian diet preparation consisting of taste of cooking (spicy, salty and sour foods) plus type of cooking (fry, grilled and smoked) were considered causes of colorectal cancer. All respondents changed their dietary pattern to healthy food after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Advice from doctors regarding suitable food for colorectal cancer was useful in this regard. Eating outside, use of food flavoring ingredients and preservative agents were considered to be the main factors causing colorectal cancer. All respondents admitted that they changed to a healthy diet after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

PubMed

Ness-Jensen, Eivind; Lagergren, Jesper

2017-10-01

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) develops when reflux of gastric content causes troublesome symptoms or complications. The main symptoms are heartburn and acid regurgitation and complications include oesophagitis, strictures, Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma. In addition to hereditary influence, GORD is associated with lifestyle factors, mainly obesity. Tobacco smoking is regarded as an aetiological factor of GORD, while alcohol consumption is considered a triggering factor of reflux episodes and not a causal factor. Yet, both tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption can reduce the lower oesophageal sphincter pressure, facilitating reflux. In addition, tobacco smoking reduces the production of saliva rich in bicarbonate, which is important for buffering and clearance of acid in the oesophagus. Alcohol also has a direct noxious effect on the oesophageal mucosa, which predisposes to acidic injury. Tobacco smoking cessation reduces the risk of GORD symptoms and avoidance of alcohol is encouraged in individuals where alcohol consumption triggers reflux. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virulence factors and resistance mechanisms of Serratia marcescens. A short review.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Ana P; Holanda, A R M; Lustosa, G P; Nóbrega, S M B; Santana, Willma J; Souza, Luciana B S; Coutinho, H D M

2006-03-01

Serratia marcescens, a Gram-negative bacillus that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, is a human opportunistic pathogen bacterium that causes many diseases, such as urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, bacteremia, conjunctivitis, endocarditis, meningitis and wound infections. Many plasmides that confers multi-drug resistance were discovered, such as virulence factors, like cytotoxins that damage epithelial cells. The main topic of this paper presents a review about the molecular traits evolved in the pathogenic processes mediated by Serratia and its mechanism of resistance to drugs.

Solar Tracking Error Analysis of Fresnel Reflector

PubMed Central

Zheng, Jiantao; Yan, Junjie; Pei, Jie; Liu, Guanjie

2014-01-01

Depending on the rotational structure of Fresnel reflector, the rotation angle of the mirror was deduced under the eccentric condition. By analyzing the influence of the sun tracking rotation angle error caused by main factors, the change rule and extent of the influence were revealed. It is concluded that the tracking errors caused by the difference between the rotation axis and true north meridian, at noon, were maximum under certain conditions and reduced at morning and afternoon gradually. The tracking error caused by other deviations such as rotating eccentric, latitude, and solar altitude was positive at morning, negative at afternoon, and zero at a certain moment of noon. PMID:24895664

Assessment and quantification of post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome severity at farm level.

PubMed

Alarcon, Pablo; Velasova, Martina; Werling, Dirk; Stärk, Katharina D C; Chang, Yu-Mei; Nevel, Amanda; Pfeiffer, Dirk U; Wieland, Barbara

2011-01-01

Post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) causes major economic losses for the English pig industry and severity of clinical signs and economic impact vary considerably between affected farms. We present here a novel approach to quantify severity of PMWS based on morbidity and mortality data and presence of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). In 2008-2009, 147 pig farms across England, non-vaccinating for PCV2, were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Factor analysis was used to generate variables representing biologically meaningful aspects of variation among qualitative and quantitative morbidity variables. Together with other known variables linked to PMWS, the resulting factors were included in a principal component analysis (PCA) to derive an algorithm for PMWS severity. Factor analysis resulted in two factors: Morbidity Factor 1 (MF1) representing mainly weaner and grower morbidity, and Morbidity Factor 2 (MF2) which mainly reflects variation in finisher morbidity. This indicates that farms either had high morbidity mainly in weaners/growers or mainly in finishers. Subsequent PCA resulted in the extraction of one component representing variation in MF1, post-weaning mortality and percentage of PCV2 PCR positive animals. Component scores were normalised to a value range from 0 to 10 and farms classified into: non or slightly affected farms with a score <4, moderately affected farms with scores 4-6.5 and highly affected farms with a score >6.5. The identified farm level PMWS severities will be used to identify risk factors related to these, to assess the efficacy of PCV2 vaccination and investigating the economic impact of potential control measures. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

IMRT for head and neck cancer: reducing xerostomia and dysphagia.

PubMed

Wang, XiaoShen; Eisbruch, Avraham

2016-08-01

Dysphagia and xerostomia are the main sequellae of chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer, and the main factors in reducing long-term patient quality of life. IMRT uses advanced technology to focus the high radiation doses on the targets and avoid irradiation of non-involved tissues. The decisions about sparing organs and tissues whose damage causes xerostomia and dysphagia depends on the evidence for dose-response relationships for the organs causing these sequellae. This paper discusses the evidence for the contribution of radiotherapy to xerostomia via damage of the major salivary glands (parotid and submandibular) and minor salivary glands within the oral cavity, and the contribution of radiotherapy-related effect on important swallowing structures causing dysphagia. Recommendations for dose limits to these organs, based on measurements of xerostomia and dysphagia following radiotherapy, are provided here. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

[Etiologies of non-hemolytic jaundice in infants: a retrospective analysis of 3113 cases].

PubMed

Peng, Xiaorong; Xu, Hongmei

2015-06-01

To investigate the causes of non-hemolytic jaundice among infants in Chongqing, China from the period of 1982 to 2011 and to determine whether the etiologies have changed over the past 30 years. The medical records of 3 113 infants,aged 1 month to 1 year,admitted to our hospital with non-hemolytic jaundice were collected and stratified according to decade-long time periods: group A (1982-1991), n=537; group B (1992-2001), n=786; group C (2002-2011), n=1 790. Data on sex, age, etiology and bilirubin level were retrospectively assessed using the chi-square test. In the three groups, boys consistently accounted for the majority of cases (group A:74.3%, group B:66.7%, group C:62.6%). In group A, 52% of the patients were 1-2 months of age; the peak age of patients in both group B and C was 2-3 months (group B:67.8%, group C:61.0%). Group A showed the highest level of patients with mildly elevated total bilirubin level (80.3%); however, moderately elevated total bilirubin level was most frequent in group B (53.4%) and group C (49.7%). The main etiologic diagnoses of the patients in group A were cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection (31.7%), sepsis (18.2%), hepatitis B virus (HBV) (1.3%), and biliary tract anomalies (1.3%); 46.6% of the cases had unclear cause. The main etiologic diagnoses of the cases in group B were CMV infection (36.0%), sepsis (21.5%), breast milk jaundice (2.0%), and HBV (1.9%); 37.9% of the cases had unclear cause. The main etiologic diagnoses of the cases in group C were CMV infection (42.6%), sepsis (7.5%), breast milk jaundice (17.7%), and biliary tract anomalies (2.46%); 29.1% of the cases had unclear cause. In Chongqing, infective factors, especially CMV, remain the main cause of nonhemolytic jaundice in infants, but bacterial etiologies have declined over the past 30 years.Non-infective factors, such as biliary tract anomalies and inherited metabolic diseases, have trended upwards. Although there has been great progress in the clinical management of non-hemolytic jaundice in infants, etiological diagnosis remains a challenge and further study is needed to eliminate this condition.

Spatial and Temporal Epidemiology of Nephropathia Epidemica Incidence and Hantavirus Seroprevalence in Rodent Hosts: Identification of the Main Environmental Factors in Europe.

PubMed

Monchatre-Leroy, E; Crespin, L; Boué, F; Marianneau, P; Calavas, D; Hénaux, V

2017-08-01

In Europe, the increasing number of nephropathia epidemica (NE) infections in humans, caused by Puumala virus carried by bank voles (Myodes glareolus), has triggered studies of environmental factors driving these infections. NE infections have been shown to occur in specific geographical areas characterized by environmental factors that influence the distribution and dynamics of host populations and virus persistence in the soil. Here, we review the influence of environmental conditions (including climate factors, food availability and habitat conditions) with respect to incidence in humans and seroprevalence in rodents, considering both direct and indirect transmission pathways. For each type of environmental factor, results and discrepancies between studies are presented and examined in the light of biological hypotheses. Overall, food availability and temperature appear to be the main drivers of host seroprevalence and NE incidence, but data quality and statistical approaches varied greatly among studies. We highlight the issues that now need to be addressed and suggest improvements for study design in regard to the current knowledge on hantavirus epidemiology. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Seroprevalence and risk factors for leptospirosis in cattle, sheep, and goats at consorted rearing from the State of Piauí, northeastern Brazil.

PubMed

Campos, Ângela Piauilino; Miranda, Dayane Francisca Higino; Rodrigues, Huanna Waleska Soares; da Silva Carneiro Lustosa, Micherlene; Martins, Gustavo Henrique Chaves; Mineiro, Ana Lys Bezerra Barradas; Castro, Vanessa; Azevedo, Sérgio Santos; de Sousa Silva, Silvana Maria Medeiros

2017-06-01

Leptospirosis is an endemic disease in Latin America, caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. It is considered one of the main causes responsible for the negative economic impact on global livestock by causing reproductive problems. The research aimed to determine the prevalence of leptospirosis in cattle, sheep, and goats at consorted rearing in the micro-region of Teresina, Piauí state, northeastern Brazil, as well as to identify prevalent serovars and risk factors associated with seroprevalence. Serum samples were analyzed in 336 sheep, 292 goats, and 253 cattle using microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Overall, 378 samples were positive to MAT, with seroprevalence of 42.9%. The prevalences in cattle, sheep, and goats were 50.5, 40.5, and 34.6%, respectively. All herds presented at least one seropositive animal; the Hardjo/Wolffi serovar association was the most common in cattle and Icterohaemorrhagiae in goats and sheep. Beef production (OR = 4.9), cattle herd over 35 animals (OR = 4.0), feeding on pasture (OR = 6.4), weir and/or stream as water source (OR = 2.1), and no veterinary services (OR = 2.9) were risk factors for cattle infection. For sheep, intensive management system (OR = 5.3), suspended slatted facilities (OR = 2.2), more than 20 sheep in reproductive age (OR = 1.9), and absence of deworming (OR = 3.5) were the risk factors, while for goats, the identified risk factors were sheep herd over 52 animals (OR = 1.9) and no veterinary services (OR = 1.8). We conclude that the infection was spreading in consorted herds in this region. Thus, it would be interesting and important to conduct educative activities to farmers on the economic impacts of this disease and the need of preventive and control strategies mainly focused on sanitary measures and animal handling.

The Cause of Divorce among Men and Women Referred to Marriage and Legal Office in Qazvin, Iran

PubMed Central

Barikani, Ameneh; Ebrahim, Sarichlow Mohamad; Navid, Mohammadi

2012-01-01

Background: Marital separation and divorce can be the most unpleasant event in the adult’s life, and families will be hurt by divorce event. The prevalence of divorce has been increased in last decades. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the divorce cause among the divorce seeking men and women in Qazvin, Iran. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 572 (400 women and 172 men) subjects who requested for divorce and were referred to divorce and marriage office of Qazvin province during 3 month in 2009. Data were collected by self – administered questionnaire, interviewing subjects and using Likert scale. Data were analyzed by Chi- Square test and Mann-Whitney (SPSS version 16). Results: The participants of the study included 400 women (26.5±7.4 years) and 172 men. In view points of women the primary wrong mate selection was main cause of divorce (59.8%), but the men believed that the families and relatives interference was the main reason for separation (43.7%). Among the respondents, mean score of “dependency to their families” and “unmet emotional needs” were 3.44±1.6 and 3.86±1.4 respectively. In addition mean score of infertility among men and women were 1.37±1.0 and 1.29±0.9 respectively. Conclusion: Wrong mate selection, unmet emotional needs, families’ interference, and “dependency to families” are more important factors than traditional factors which are sexual or physical factors. PMID:22980391

Work-based predictors of mortality: a 20-year follow-up of healthy employees.

PubMed

Shirom, Arie; Toker, Sharon; Alkaly, Yasmin; Jacobson, Orit; Balicer, Ran

2011-05-01

This study investigated the effects of the Job-Demand-Control-Support (JDC-S) model's components, workload, control, peer and supervisor social support, on the risk of all-cause mortality. Also examined was the expectation that the above work-based components interact in predicting all-cause mortality. The study's hypotheses were tested after controlling for physiological variables and health behaviors known to be risk factors for mortality. The design used was prospective. Baseline data were obtained from healthy employees (N = 820) who underwent periodic health examinations in 1988. Follow-up data on all-cause mortality were obtained from the participants' computerized medical file, kept by their HMO, in 2008. The baseline data covered socioeconomic, behavioral, and biological risk factors in addition to the components of the JDC-S model. During the period of follow-up, 53 deaths were recorded. Data were analyzed using Cox regressions. Only one main effect was found: the risk of mortality was significantly lower for those reporting high levels of peer social support. The study found two significant interactions. Higher levels of control reduced the risk of mortality for the men and increased it for the women. The main effect of peer social support on mortality risk was significantly higher for those whose baseline age ranged from 38 to 43 but not for the older than 43 or the younger than 38 participants. Peer social support is a protective factor, reducing the risk of mortality, while perceived control reduces the risk of mortality among men but increases it among women. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Root Causes of the Housing Bubble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaizoji, Taisei

In this chapter we investigate root causes of the recent US housing bubble which has been caused a serious downturn in US economic growth since autumn of 2008. We propose a simple model of housing markets in order to indicate the possible determinants of recent housing prices. Utilizing the model, we verify a number of hypotheses which have been proposed in the recent literature on the housing bubbles. We suggest that the main causes of the housing bubble from 2000 to 2006 are (1) non-elastic housing supply in the metropolitan areas, and (2) declines in the mortgage loan rate and the housing premium by the massive mortgage credit expansion. We also suggest that these factors were strongly influenced by policies that governments and the Federal Reserve Board performed.

Maple Syrup Decreases TDP-43 Proteotoxicity in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

PubMed

Aaron, Catherine; Beaudry, Gabrielle; Parker, J Alex; Therrien, Martine

2016-05-04

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease causing death of the motor neurons. Proteotoxicity caused by TDP-43 protein is an important aspect of ALS pathogenesis, with TDP-43 being the main constituent of the aggregates found in patients. We have previously tested the effect of different sugars on the proteotoxicity caused by the expression of mutant TDP-43 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here we tested maple syrup, a natural compound containing many active molecules including sugars and phenols, for neuroprotective activity. Maple syrup decreased several age-dependent phenotypes caused by the expression of TDP-43(A315T) in C. elegans motor neurons and requires the FOXO transcription factor DAF-16 to be effective.

Burning mouth syndrome: a review and update.

PubMed

Sun, Andy; Wu, Kai-Ming; Wang, Yi-Ping; Lin, Hung-Pin; Chen, Hsin-Ming; Chiang, Chun-Pin

2013-10-01

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is characterized by the presence of burning sensation of the oral mucosa in the absence of clinically apparent mucosal alterations. It occurs more commonly in middle-aged and elderly women and often affects the tongue tip and lateral borders, lips, and hard and soft palate. In addition to a burning sensation, the patients with BMS may also complain unremitting oral mucosal pain, dysgeusia, and xerostomia. BMS can be classified into two clinical forms: primary and secondary BMS. The primary BMS is essential or idiopathic, in which the organic local/systemic causes cannot be identified and a neuropathological cause is likely. The diagnosis of primary BMS depends mainly on exclusion of etiological factors. The secondary BMS is caused by local, systemic, and/or psychological factors; thus, its diagnosis depends on identification of the exact causative factor. When local, systemic or psychological factors are present, treatment or elimination of these factors usually results in a significant clinical improvement of BMS symptoms. Vitamin, zinc, or hormone replacement therapy has been found to be effective for reducing the oral burning or pain symptom in some BMS patients with deficiency of the corresponding factor. If patients still have the symptoms after the removal of potential causes, drug therapy should be instituted. Previous randomized controlled clinical trials found that drug therapy with capsaicin, alpha-lipoic acid, clonazepam, and antidepressants may provide relief of oral burning or pain symptom. In addition, psychotherapy and behavioral feedback may also help eliminate the BMS symptoms. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of saliva from chronically reserpinized rat on Na and K transport in perfused main excretory duct of submandibular gland of normal rat.

PubMed

Jirakulsomchok, D; Schneyer, C A

1987-09-01

Reserpine (RES) (0.5 mg/kg body wt, ip) was administered to rats for 7 days. On Day 8 saliva was evoked from these animals by intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine nitrate (10 mg/kg body wt) and saliva from submandibular and parotid glands was collected separately. These collected salivas were used to perfuse through the main ducts of the submandibular glands of normal rats. After a control period of perfusion of the main duct with bicarbonate saline solution, parotid saliva from RES rats was perfused through the duct followed by regular perfusion. There was inhibition of Na absorption (22%) and K secretion (23%). Moreover, when submandibular saliva from treated rat was perfused through the main duct prior to regular perfusion, there was a decrease in Na absorption (31%) and K secretion (28%). In contrast, perfusion of the main duct with either parotid or submandibular saliva from normal rats caused no significant changes in Na and K transport. The present experiments confirm previous studies that there is some Na-inhibitory factor(s) present in saliva of the chronically RES-treated rat.

The effects of non-uniform environmental conditions on piglet crushing and maternal behavior of sows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crushing is one of the main causes of piglet death in swine farrowing systems. Studies have shown a wide variability of piglet mortality rate among distinct litters, which has been associated with maternal ability of sows. In an effort to understand factors that affect sow maternal ability, this stu...

Improving Student Interest and Achievement in Social Studies Using a Multiple Intelligence Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanley, Chris; Hermiz, Carmen; Lagioia-Peddy, Jennifer; Levine-Albuck, Valerie

This action research paper describes a program initiated by teacher researchers to improve academic achievement and interest in social studies. The targeted group consisted of fifth graders in a lower middle class community in the Midwest. Analysis of the problem-causes data show three main factors: curriculum, attitude, and effect. In regard to…

The Academic Procrastination in Junior High School Students' Mathematics Learning: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asri, Dahlia Novarianing; Setyosari, Punaji; Hitipeuw, Imanuel; Chusniyah, Tutut

2017-01-01

Among the main causes of low learning achievement in mathematics learning is a delayed behavior to do tasks, commonly called academic procrastination. The objectives of this research are to describe and to explain the causal factors and consequences of academic procrastination in learning mathematics for junior high school students. This research…

PubMed Central

Lang, Jean-Yves

1983-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the connective tissue, affecting many organs of the body. The cause of SLE remains unknown, but the results of recent immunologic research have enlighted the characteristics of this disease and have contributed to improve the prognosis over the years. The renal and central nervous system involvement, as well as infection, remain high in the list of mortality causes. The usual treatment includes acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), antimalarials and corticosteroids. Main factors known to induce SLE are: sun exposures, pregnancy, therapeutic abortion, infection and several drugs. PMID:21283476

Quantifying the influence of natural and socioeconomic factors and their interactive impact on PM2.5 pollution in China.

PubMed

Yang, Dongyang; Wang, Xiaomin; Xu, Jianhua; Xu, Chengdong; Lu, Debin; Ye, Chao; Wang, Zujing; Bai, Ling

2018-06-04

PM 2.5 pollution is an environmental issue caused by multiple natural and socioeconomic factors, presenting with significant spatial disparities across mainland China. However, the determinant power of natural and socioeconomic factors and their interactive impact on PM 2.5 pollution is still unclear. In the study, the GeogDetector method was used to quantify nonlinear associations between PM 2.5 and potential factors. This study found that natural factors, including ecological environments and climate, were more influential than socioeconomic factors, and climate was the predominant factor (q = 0.56) in influencing PM 2.5 pollution. Among all interactions of the six influencing factors, the interaction of industry and climate had the largest influence (q = 0.66). Two recognized major contaminated areas were the Tarim Basin in the northwest region and the eastern plain region; the former was mainly influenced by the warm temperate arid climate and desert, and the latter was mainly influenced by the warm temperate semi-humid climate and multiple socioeconomic factors. The findings provided an interpretation of the influencing mechanisms of PM 2.5 pollution, which can contribute to more specific policies aimed at successful PM 2.5 pollution control and abatement. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of the HTLV-1 viral factors in the induction of apoptosis.

PubMed

Karimi, Mohammad; Mohammadi, Hamed; Hemmatzadeh, Maryam; Mohammadi, Asadollah; Rafatpanah, Houshang; Baradaran, Behzad

2017-01-01

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP) are the two main diseases that are caused by the HTLV-1 virus. One of the features of HTLV-1 infection is its resistance against programmed cell death, which maintains the survival of cells to oncogenic transformation and underlies the viruses' therapeutic resistance. Two main genes by which the virus develops cancer are Tax and HBZ; playing an essential role in angiogenesis in regulating viral transcription and modulating multiple host factors as well as apoptosis pathways. Here we have reviewed by prior research how the apoptosis pathways are suppressed by the Tax and HBZ and new drugs which have been designed to deal with this suppression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Toxic hepatitis in occupational exposure to solvents

PubMed Central

Malaguarnera, Giulia; Cataudella, Emanuela; Giordano, Maria; Nunnari, Giuseppe; Chisari, Giuseppe; Malaguarnera, Mariano

2012-01-01

The liver is the main organ responsible for the metabolism of drugs and toxic chemicals, and so is the primary target organ for many organic solvents. Work activities with hepatotoxins exposures are numerous and, moreover, organic solvents are used in various industrial processes. Organic solvents used in different industrial processes may be associated with hepatotoxicity. Several factors contribute to liver toxicity; among these are: species differences, nutritional condition, genetic factors, interaction with medications in use, alcohol abuse and interaction, and age. This review addresses the mechanisms of hepatotoxicity. The main pathogenic mechanisms responsible for functional and organic damage caused by solvents are: inflammation, dysfunction of cytochrome P450, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. The health impact of exposure to solvents in the workplace remains an interesting and worrying question for professional health work. PMID:22719183

Causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in the Republic of Suriname

PubMed Central

Heijthuijsen, Astrid Anna Maria; Beunders, Victoria Apollonia Annemarie; Jiawan, Dinesh; de Mesquita-Voigt, Anne-Marie Bueno; Pawiroredjo, Jerrel; Mourits, Maarten; Tanck, Michael; Verhoeff, Joost; Saeed, Peerooz

2013-01-01

Aims To determine the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) in children in Suriname (Dutch Guyana) and to identify preventable and treatable causes. Methods 4643 children under 16 years of age were recruited from two locations: 33 children attending the only school for the blind were examined and 4610 medical records were analysed at an eye clinic. Data have been collected using the WHO Prevention of Blindness Programme eye examination record for children. Results 65 children were identified with SVI/BL, 58.5% were blind and 41.5% were severely visually impaired (SVI). The major anatomical site of SVI/BL was the retina in 33.8%, lens in 15.4% and normal appearing globe in 15.4%. The major underlying aetiology of SVI/BL was undetermined in 56.9% (mainly cataract and abnormality since birth) and perinatal factors 21.5% (mainly retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)). Avoidable causes of SVI/BL accounted for 40% of cases; 7.7% were preventable and 32.3% were treatable with cataracts and ROP the most common causes (15.4% and 12.3%, respectively). Conclusions More than a third of the SVI/BL causes are potentially avoidable, with childhood cataract and ROP the leading causes. Corneal scarring from vitamin A deficiency does not seem to be a continuing issue in Suriname. PMID:23603759

[Analysis of main risk factors causing foodborne diseases in food catering business].

PubMed

Fan, Yong-xiang; Liu, Xiu-mei; Bao, Yi-dan

2011-06-01

To study main risk factors that cause foodborne diseases in food catering business. Data from references and investigations conducted in food catering units were used to establish models which based on @Risk 4.5 with Monte Carlo method referring to food handling practice model (FHPM) to make risk assessment on factors of food contamination in food catering units. The Beta-Poisson models on dose-response relationship to Salmonella (developed by WHO/FAO and United States Department of Agriculture) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (developed by US FDA) were used in this article to analyze the dose-response relationship of pathogens. The average probability of food poisoning by consuming Salmonella contaminated cooked meat under refrigeration was 1.96 × 10(-4) which was 1/2800 of the food under non-refrigeration (the average probability of food poisoning was 0.35 at room temperature 25°C). The average probability by consuming 6 hours stored meat under room temperature was 0.11 which was 16 times of 2 hours storage (6.79 × 10(-3)). The average probability by consuming contaminated meat without fully cooking was 1.71 × 10(-4) which was 100 times of consuming fully cooked meat (1.88 × 10(-6)). The probability growth of food poisoning by consuming Vibrio parahaemolyticus contaminated fresh seafood was proportional with contamination level and prevalence. The primary contamination level, storage temperature and time, cooking process and cross contamination are important factors of catering food safety.

Causes of Incivility in Iranian Nursing Students: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Rad, Mostafa; Ildarabadi, Es-hagh; Moharreri, Fatemeh; Moonaghi, Hossein Karimi

2016-01-01

Background: Incivility among nursing students is a common academic problem. Knowing the causes of students’ incivility will enable the faculty members and academic institutions to select correct strategies to deal with this problem. This study was conducted to explore the causes of incivility among nursing students from both educators’ and students’ points of view. Methods: gThis qualitative content analysis study was applied in order to explore experiences and insights of 17 nursing lecturers and 9 nursing students who were selected through purposeful sampling and interviewed on the causes of incivility. Participants were selected among students and lecturers of nursing schools in Khorasan Razavi. The inclusion criteria for the students were having passed one educational term and for the lecturers having one year experience of teaching respectively. Data gathering was done using deep semi-structured interviews starting from March 2014 to March 2015. Results: Three main categories extracted from the data were student related factors, teacher related factors, and organizational factors. Non-educational engagement, attracting attentions, lack of motivation, students’ personality, and lack of experience were the subcategories of student related factors. Subcategories of teacher related factors included lack of skills, teachers’ personal qualities, lack of experience, and incivility of teachers. Finally, the subcategories of organizational factors included no evaluation system for teachers and lack of understanding the organizational rules and regulations. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that factors related to students, teachers, and organization may lead to nursing students’ incivility and clarified its dimensions. In order to develop a civil environment in nursing college, managers and educators’ awareness should be promoted via various ways such as workshops. PMID:26793730

Use of the Ishikawa diagram in a case-control analysis to assess the causes of a diffuse lamellar keratitis outbreak.

PubMed

Lira, Luis Henrique; Hirai, Flávio E; Oliveira, Marivaldo; Portellinha, Waldir; Nakano, Eliane Mayumi

2017-01-01

To identify the causes of a diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) outbreak using a systematic search tool in a case-control analysis. An Ishikawa diagram was used to guide physicians to determine the potential risk factors involved in this outbreak. Coherence between the occurrences and each possible cause listed in the diagram was verified, and the total number of eyes at risk was used to calculate the proportion of affected eyes. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression to determine the independent effect of the risk factors, after controlling for confounders and test interactions. All DLK cases were reported in 2007 between June 13 and December 21; during this period, 3,698 procedures were performed. Of the 1,682 flap-related procedures, 204 eyes of 141 individuals presented with DLK. No direct relationship was observed between the occurrence of DLK and the presence of any specific factors; however, flap-lifting enhancements, procedures performed during the morning shift, and non-use of therapeutic contact lenses after the surgery were significantly related to higher occurrence percentages of this condition. The Ishikawa diagram, like most quality tools, is a visualization and knowledge organization tool. This systematization allowed the investigators to thoroughly assess all the possible causes of DLK outbreak. A clear view of the entire surgical logistics permitted even more rigid management of the main factors involved in the process and, as a result, highlighted factors that deserved attention. The case-control analysis on every factor raised by the Ishikawa diagram indicated that the commonly suspected factors such as biofilm contamination of the water reservoir in autoclaves, the air-conditioning filter system, glove powder, microkeratome motor oil, and gentian violet markers were not related to the outbreak.

Causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in students in schools for the blind in Northwest Ethiopia.

PubMed

Asferaw, Mulusew; Woodruff, Geoffrey; Gilbert, Clare

2017-01-01

To determine the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) among students in schools for the blind in Northwest Ethiopia and to identify preventable and treatable causes. Students attending nine schools for the blind in Northwest Ethiopia were examined and causes assigned using the standard WHO record form for children with blindness and low vision in May and June 2015. 383 students were examined, 357 (93%) of whom were severely visually impaired or blind (<6/60 in their better eye). 253 (70.9%) were aged 16 years or above and 228 (63.9%) were males. 100 students aged <16 years were blind and four were SVI, total 104. The major anatomical site of visual loss among those 0-15 years was cornea/phthisis (47.1%), usually due to measles and vitamin A deficiency, followed by whole globe (22.1%), lens (9.6%) and uvea (8.7%). Among students aged 16 years and above, corneal/phthisis (76.3%) was the major anatomical cause, followed by lens (6.3%), whole globe (4.7%), uvea (3.6%) and optic nerve (3.2%). The leading underlying aetiology among students aged <16 years was childhood factors (39.4%) (13.5% measles, 10.6% vitamin A deficiency), followed by unknown aetiology (54.8%), perinatal (2.9%) and hereditary factors (2.9%). In the older group, childhood factors (72.3%) (25% measles, 15% vitamin A deficiency) were major causes, followed by unknown aetiology (24.1%), perinatal (2.4%) and hereditary factors (0.8%). Over 80% of the causes were avoidable with majority being potentially preventable (65%). Corneal blindness, mainly as the result of measles and vitamin A deficiency, is still a public health problem in Northwest Ethiopia, and this has not changed as observed in other low-income countries. More than three-fourth of causes of SVI/BL in students in schools for the blind are potentially avoidable, with measles/vitamin A deficiency and cataract being the leading causes.

The effect of health system factors on outcomes and costs after bariatric surgery in a universal healthcare system: a national cohort study of bariatric surgery in Canada.

PubMed

Doumouras, Aristithes G; Saleh, Fady; Anvari, Sama; Gmora, Scott; Anvari, Mehran; Hong, Dennis

2017-11-01

Previous data demonstrate that patients who receive bariatric surgery at a Center of Excellence are different than those who receive care at non-accredited centers. Canada provides a unique opportunity to naturally exclude confounders such as insurance status, hospital ownership, and lack of access on comparisons between hospitals and surgeons in bariatric surgery outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of hospital accreditation and other health system factors on all-cause morbidity after bariatric surgery in Canada. This was a population-based study of all patients aged ≥18 who received a bariatric procedure in Canada (excluding Quebec) from April 2008 until March 2015. The main outcomes for this study were all-cause morbidity and costs during the index admission. All-cause morbidity included any documented complication which extended length of stay by 24 h or required reoperation. Risk-adjusted hierarchical regression models were used to determine predictors of morbidity and cost. Overall, 18,398 patients were identified and the all-cause morbidity rate was 10.1%. Surgeon volume and teaching hospitals were both found to significantly decrease the odds of all-cause morbidity. Specifically, for each increase in 25 bariatric cases per year, the odds of all-cause morbidity was 0.94 times lower (95% CI 0.87-1.00, p = 0.03). Teaching hospitals conferred a 0.75 lower odds of all-cause morbidity (95% CI 0.58-0.95, p < 0.001). Importantly, formal accreditation was not associated with a decrease in all-cause morbidity within a universal healthcare system. No health system factors were associated with significant cost differences. This national cohort study found that surgeon volume and teaching hospitals predicted lower all-cause morbidity after surgery while hospital accreditation was not a significant factor.

Fatigue failure of metal components as a factor in civil aircraft accidents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holshouser, W. L.; Mayner, R. D.

1972-01-01

A review of records maintained by the National Transportation Safety Board showed that 16,054 civil aviation accidents occurred in the United States during the 3-year period ending December 31, 1969. Material failure was an important factor in the cause of 942 of these accidents. Fatigue was identified as the mode of the material failures associated with the cause of 155 accidents and in many other accidents the records indicated that fatigue failures might have been involved. There were 27 fatal accidents and 157 fatalities in accidents in which fatigue failures of metal components were definitely identified. Fatigue failures associated with accidents occurred most frequently in landing-gear components, followed in order by powerplant, propeller, and structural components in fixed-wing aircraft and tail-rotor and main-rotor components in rotorcraft. In a study of 230 laboratory reports on failed components associated with the cause of accidents, fatigue was identified as the mode of failure in more than 60 percent of the failed components. The most frequently identified cause of fatigue, as well as most other types of material failures, was improper maintenance (including inadequate inspection). Fabrication defects, design deficiencies, defective material, and abnormal service damage also caused many fatigue failures. Four case histories of major accidents are included in the paper as illustrations of some of the factors invovled in fatigue failures of aircraft components.

Organizational factors affecting length of stay in the emergency department: initial observational study.

PubMed

Bashkin, Osnat; Caspi, Sigalit; Haligoa, Rachel; Mizrahi, Sari; Stalnikowicz, Ruth

2015-01-01

Length of stay (LOS) is considered a key measure of emergency department throughput, and from the perspective of the patient, it is perceived as a measure of healthcare service quality. Prolonged LOS can be caused by various internal and external factors. This study examined LOS in the emergency department and explored the main factors that influence LOS and cause delay in patient care. Observations of 105 patients were performed over a 3-month period at the emergency room of a community urban hospital. Observers monitored patients from the moment of entrance to the department until discharge or admission to another hospital ward. Analysis revealed a general average total emergency department LOS of 438 min. Significant differences in average LOS were found between admitted patients (Mean = 544 min, SD = 323 min) and discharged patients (Mean = 291 min, SD = 286 min). In addition, nurse and physician change of shifts and admissions to hospital wards were found to be significant factors associated with LOS. Using an Ishikawa causal diagram, we explored various latent organizational factors that may prolong this time. The study identified several factors that are associated with high average emergency department LOS. High LOS may lead to increases in expenditures and may have implications for patient safety, whereas certain organizational changes, communication improvement, and time management may have a positive effect on it. Interdisciplinary methods can be used to explore factors causing prolonged emergency department LOS and contribute to a better understanding of them.

[Prediction model of human-caused fire occurrence in the boreal forest of northern China].

PubMed

Guo, Fu-tao; Su, Zhang-wen; Wang, Guang-yu; Wang, Qiang; Sun, Long; Yang, Ting-ting

2015-07-01

The Chinese boreal forest is an important forest resource in China. However, it has been suffering serious disturbances of forest fires, which were caused equally by natural disasters (e.g., lightning) and human activities. The literature on human-caused fires indicates that climate, topography, vegetation, and human infrastructure are significant factors that impact the occurrence and spread of human-caused fires. But the studies on human-caused fires in the boreal forest of northern China are limited and less comprehensive. This paper applied the spatial analysis tools in ArcGIS 10.0 and Logistic regression model to investigate the driving factors of human-caused fires. Our data included the geographic coordinates of human-caused fires, climate factors during year 1974-2009, topographic information, and forest map. The results indicated that distance to railway (x1) and average relative humidity (x2) significantly impacted the occurrence of human-caused fire in the study area. The logistic model for predicting the fire occurrence probability was formulated as P= 1/[11+e-(3.026-0.00011x1-0.047x2)] with an accuracy rate of 80%. The above model was used to predict the monthly fire occurrence during the fire season of 2015 based on the HADCM2 future weather data. The prediction results showed that the high risk of human-caused fire occurrence concentrated in the months of April, May, June and August, while April and May had higher risk of fire occurrence than other months. According to the spatial distribution of possibility of fire occurrence, the high fire risk zones were mainly in the west and southwest of Tahe, where the major railways were located.

Emergence and Disappearance of a Virulent Clone of Haemophilus influenzae Biogroup aegyptius, Cause of Brazilian Purpuric Fever

PubMed Central

Harrison, Lee H.; Simonsen, Vera; Waldman, Eliseu A.

2008-01-01

Summary: In 1984, children presented to the emergency department of a hospital in the small town of Promissão, São Paulo State, Brazil, with an acute febrile illness that rapidly progressed to death. Local clinicians and public health officials recognized that these children had an unusual illness, which led to outbreak investigations conducted by Brazilian health officials in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The studies that followed are an excellent example of the coordinated and parallel studies that are used to investigate outbreaks of a new disease, which became known as Brazilian purpuric fever (BPF). In the first outbreak investigation, a case-control study confirmed an association between BPF and antecedent conjunctivitis but the etiology of the disease could not be determined. In a subsequent outbreak, children with BPF were found to have bacteremia caused by Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius (H. aegyptius), an organism previously known mainly to cause self-limited purulent conjunctivitis. Molecular characterization of blood and other isolates demonstrated the clonal nature of the H. aegyptius strains that caused BPF, which were genetically distant from the diverse strains that cause only conjunctivitis. This led to an intense effort to identify the factors causing the unusual invasiveness of the BPF clone, which has yet to definitively identify the virulence factor or factors involved. After a series of outbreaks and sporadic cases through 1993, no additional cases of BPF have been reported. PMID:18854482

[Mold infections in lung transplants].

PubMed

Solé, Amparo; Ussetti, Piedad

2014-01-01

Invasive infections by molds, mainly Aspergillus infections, account for more than 10% of infectious complications in lung transplant recipients. These infections have a bimodal presentation: an early one, mainly invading bronchial airways, and a late one, mostly focused on lung or disseminated. The Aspergillus colonization at any time in the post-transplant period is one of the major risk factors. Late colonization, together with chronic rejection, is one of the main causes of late invasive forms. A galactomannan value of 0.5 in bronchoalveolar lavage is currently considered a predictive factor of pulmonary invasive infection. There is no universal strategy in terms of prophylaxis. Targeted prophylaxis and preemptive treatment instead of universal prophylaxis, are gaining more followers. The therapeutic drug monitoring level of azoles is highly recommended in the treatment. Monotherapy with voriconazole is the treatment of choice in invasive aspergillosis; combined antifungal therapies are only recommended in severe, disseminated, and other infections due to non-Aspergillus molds. Copyright © 2014 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Bovine leptospirosis: Prevalence, associated risk factors for infection and their cause-effect relation.

PubMed

Fávero, Juscivete F; de Araújo, Hugo L; Lilenbaum, Walter; Machado, Gustavo; Tonin, Alexandre A; Baldissera, Matheus D; Stefani, Lenita M; Da Silva, Aleksandro S

2017-06-01

Leptospirosis is a cosmopolitan infectious disease that causes severe reproductive disorders in cattle, especially those related to abortion. This disease has rodents as main reservoirs; however, cattle are responsible for maintenance of the disease. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with infection and cause-effect relation of leptospirosis in dairy herds from Southern of Brazil. Serum samples of 1242 cows were collected from herds classified as of medium and high density, and tested by microscopic agglutination test (MAT). These farms were located in the West part of Santa Catarina State (Brazil). A total of 80 cows (6.44%) were considered positives for the infection with titration of 1:100. Using a multivariate analysis, we identified two factors associated to bovine leptospirosis: dog access to pastures (p < 0.001) and feed exposure to rodents (p = 0.05). Cause-effect analysis demonstrated that the occurrence of reproductive disorders was significantly (p = 0.01) linked to leptospirosis. Thus, we conclude that leptospirosis is prevalent in dairy cattle in the west part of Santa Catarina state, as well as the access of dogs to pastures and contact of rodents with feed increase the chance of cattle infection by Leptospira spp. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fn14: a new player in cancer-induced cachexia.

PubMed

Johnston, Amelia J; Hoogenraad, Nicholas J

2016-07-01

Although cancer cachexia is a very significant condition that is present in up to 80% of cancer cases, the cause of the condition has remained a puzzle. Cancer cachexia is a condition which is mainly characterised by muscle wasting, mobilization of fat reserves, and overall metabolic disturbance. This review aims to highlight some of the recent findings in cancer cachexia research. It has been recently demonstrated that the expression of a single receptor, fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14, on a tumour can initiate cachexia and that this can be completely ablated by treatment with an antibody against this receptor. Also recently described was the role of parathyroid hormone receptor-binding proteins in causing cachexia through a mechanism where white adipose tissue is replaced with brown adipose tissue. In parallel, work done in drosophila suggests that the impaired insulin signalling is a direct cause of cancer cachexia through the release of an insulin growth factor binding protein that inhibits insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 signalling. Successful therapies are urgently needed to combat cancer cachexia in the clinic. Recent research is making progress toward discovering the underlying molecular causes of the condition, which could lead to new therapeutic approaches and in the future contribute to more positive clinical outcomes for cancer sufferers.

Interaction of Physical Exposures and Occupational Factors on Sickness Absence in Automotive Industry Workers.

PubMed

Valirad, Fateme; Ghaffari, Mostafa; Abdi, Alireza; Attarchi, Mirsaeed; Mircheraghi, Seyed Farzin; Mohammadi, Saber

2015-04-23

Increased sickness absence in recent years has been a trouble making issue in industrial society. Identify the causes of sickness absence and its influencing factors, is an important step to control and reduce its associated complications and costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate main factors associated with the incidence of sickness absence. In 2012, a cross-sectional study on 758 employees of a car accessories producing company was applied and relevant information about the number of days and episodes of sickness absence, Disease resulting in absence from work, personal features, occupational factors and physical exposures were collected. To determine risk factors associated with sickness absence, Logistic regression analysis was used. The most common diseases leading to sickness absence in order of frequency were Respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal diseases and injuries at work. Musculoskeletal disorders increased the danger of long term absence by 4/33 times. Blue collar and shift works were the most important occupational factors associated with the incidence of sickness absence. The main physical factors that affect incidence of sickness absence were frequent bending-twisting and heavy lifting. Identifying controllable factors of sickness absence and trying to prevent and modify them such as compliance of ergonomic principals to decrease physical can be effective in reducing sickness absence.

Attributions of poverty among social work and non-social work students in Croatia.

PubMed

Ljubotina, Olja Druzić; Ljubotina, Damir

2007-10-01

To investigate how students in Croatia perceive causes of poverty and to examine the differences in attributions of poverty between students of social work, economics, and agriculture. The study included 365 participants, students of social work (n=143), economics (n=137), and agriculture (n=82). We used the newly developed Attribution of Poverty Scale, consisting of 4 factors, as follows: individual causes of poverty (eg, lack of skills and capabilities, lack of effort, poor money management, alcohol abuse); micro-environmental causes (eg, poor family, region, single parenthood); structural/societal causes (eg, poor economy, consequences of political transition, war); and fatalistic causes (eg, bad luck, fate, God's will). We also used a questionnaire that measured 5 dimensions of students' personal values: humanistic values, family values, striving for self-actualization, traditional values, and hedonistic values. In both questionnaires, items were rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Students of all three faculties put most emphasis on structural causes of poverty (mean+/-standard deviation=3.54+/-0.76 on a 1-5 scale), followed by environmental (3.18+/-0.60), individual (2.95+/-0.68), and fatalistic causes (1.81+/-0.74). Social work students perceived individual factors as significantly less important causes of poverty (ANOVA, F-value=12.55, P<0.001) than students of economics and agriculture. We found a correlation between humanistic values and perceived structural (r=0.267, P<0.001) and micro-environmental causes of poverty (r=0.185, P<0.001), and also between traditional values and structural (r=0.168, P<0.001), micro-environmental (r=0.170, P<0.001), and fatalistic causes of poverty (r=0.149, P<0.001). Students see structural/societal factors, such as poor economy and political transition as main causes of poverty in Croatia. Individual factors connected with individual's personal characteristics were considered less important, while luck and fate were considered as least important. Students of social work perceived individual causes to be less important than students of agriculture and economics. Students with strong humanistic and traditional values put more emphasis on external sources of poverty.

[Amblyopia. Epidemiology, causes and risk factors].

PubMed

Elflein, H M

2016-04-01

Amblyopia is the main cause for mostly monocular, impaired vision in childhood. Treatment and prevention of amblyopia is only effective during childhood. Ophthalmological screening of children does not yet exist in Germany. The prevalence of amblyopia in Germany is 5.6%, which is higher than in reports from studies in Australia; however, the prevalence of amblyopia is not comparable in these studies due to different definitions of amblyopia and the inclusion/exclusion criteria of the study cohorts. At present it is unknown at what age ophthalmological screening should be carried out to prevent amblyopia and the appropriate frequency of screening examinations. Amblyopia is a disorder of the visual cortex that is due to suppression and deprivation of one eye leading to unilateral visual impairment. Approximately 50% of cases of amblyopia are caused by anisometropia, 25% by strabismus and in every sixth person by a combination of both. Other causes, such as unilateral congenital cataracts are relatively rare. A variety of factors, such as ocular pathologies, premature birth, familial disposition and general diseases are associated with an increased risk for amblyopia.

Users' and GPs' causal attributions of illegal substance use: an exploratory interview study.

PubMed

Wynn, Rolf; Karlsen, Kjetil; Lorntzsen, Bianca; Bjerke, Trond Nergaard; Bergvik, Svein

2009-08-01

There is a need to explore the beliefs regarding the causes of illegal substance use of the people who themselves use the substances (SU) and their GPs. Increased knowledge about such beliefs--often referred to as causal attributions--may improve mutual understanding and communication between SU and GPs. Eight SU and five GPs were interviewed about the causes of illegal substance use. They also talked about how substance use was discussed in consultations. Data were analysed qualitatively. Both the SU and the GPs believed that several factors usually were important in each case of illegal substance use. The SU more often than the GPs emphasised the positive aspects of illegal substance use. We discerned five main causes: biological, social, lack of self-control, positive experiences, and chance. Several of the SU and GPs emphasised that it was difficult to communicate about substance use. The GPs and the SU believed illegal substance use is caused by many factors, including biological, social, and lack of self-control. Communicating about illegal substance use is challenging. GPs should be aware of the clinical importance of causal attributions and should explore beliefs held by SU about the causes of their substance use.

Geographical scenario uncertainty in generic fate and exposure factors of toxic pollutants for life-cycle impact assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huijbregts, Mark A.J.; Lundi, Sven; McKone, Thomas E.

In environmental life-cycle assessments (LCA), fate and exposure factors account for the general fate and exposure properties of chemicals under generic environmental conditions by means of 'evaluative' multi-media fate and exposure box models. To assess the effect of using different generic environmental conditions, fate and exposure factors of chemicals emitted under typical conditions of (1) Western Europe, (2) Australia and (3) the United States of America were compared with the multi-media fate and exposure box model USES-LCA. Comparing the results of the three evaluative environments, it was found that the uncertainty in fate and exposure factors for ecosystems and humansmore » due to choice of an evaluative environment, as represented by the ratio of the 97.5th and 50th percentile, is between a factor 2 and 10. Particularly, fate and exposure factors of emissions causing effects in fresh water ecosystems and effects on human health have relatively high uncertainty. This uncertainty i s mainly caused by the continental difference in the average soil erosion rate, the dimensions of the fresh water and agricultural soil compartment, and the fraction of drinking water coming from ground water.« less

Adaptive photoacoustic imaging using the Mallart-Fink focusing factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Meng-Lin

2008-02-01

Focusing errors caused by sound velocity heterogeneities widen the mainlobe and elevate the sidelobes, thus degrading both spatial and contrast resolutions in photoacoustic imaging. We propose an adaptive array-based photoacoustic imaging technique that uses the Mallart-Fink (MF) focusing factor weighting to reduce the effect of such focusing errors. The definition of the MF focusing factor indicates that the MF focusing factor at the main lobe of the point-spread function is high (close to 1, without speckle noise being present, which is the case in photoacoustic imaging), whereas it is low at the sidelobes. Based on this property, the elevated sidelobes caused by sound velocity heterogeneities in the tissue can be suppressed after being multiplied by the corresponding map of the MF focusing factor on each imaging point; thus the focusing quality can be improved. This technique makes no assumption of sources of focusing errors and directly suppresses the unwanted sidelobe contributions. Numerical experiments with near field phase screen and displaced phase screen models were performed here to verify the proposed adaptive weighting technique. The effect of the signal-to-noise ratio on the MF focusing factor is also discussed.

Severe maternal morbidity and near miss due to postpartum hemorrhage in a national multicenter surveillance study.

PubMed

Rocha Filho, Edilberto A; Costa, Maria L; Cecatti, Jose G; Parpinelli, Mary A; Haddad, Samira M; Pacagnella, Rodolfo C; Sousa, Maria H; Melo, Elias F; Surita, Fernanda G; Souza, Joao P

2015-02-01

To assess the occurrence of severe maternal complications owing to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and its associated factors. A secondary analysis of data from a multicenter cross-sectional prospective surveillance study included 9555 cases of severe maternal morbidity at 27 centers in Brazil between July 2009 and June 2010. Complications of PPH, conditions of severity management, and sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics were assessed. Factors independently associated with severe maternal outcome (SMO) were identified using multiple regression analysis. Overall, 1192 (12.5%) of the 9555 women experienced complications owing to PPH (981 had potentially life-threatening conditions, 181 maternal near miss, and 30 had died). The SMO ratio was 2.6 per 1000 live births among women with PPH and 8.5 per 1000 live births among women with other complications. Women with PPH had a higher risk of blood transfusion and return to the operating theater than did those with complications from other causes. Maternal age, length of pregnancy, previous uterine scar, and cesarean delivery were the main factors associated with an increased risk of SMO secondary to PPH. PPH frequently leads to severe maternal morbidity. A surveillance system can identify the main causes of morbidity and could help to improve care, especially among women identified as being at high risk of PPH. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organizational Commitment Mediating the Effects of Big Five Personality Compliance to Occupational Safety Standard Operating Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prayitno, Hadi; Suwandi, Tjipto; Hamidah

2016-01-01

The incidence of work accidents in the construction industry particularly in Indonesia and generally internationally shows an increasingly worrying trend given that either quantitatively or qualitatively the number of work accidents is very large compared to that of other industrial sectors. The main causing factors are mostly due to the workers'…

Psychological and Pedagogical Support of the Formation of Professional World Outlook of the University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirillova, Olga V.; Kirillova, Tatyana V.; Abramova, Lyudmila A.; Gavrilova, Irina V.; Vaibert, Margarita I.

2017-01-01

The research urgency is caused by necessity of the accumulation of human capital as the main factor of economic growth. The purpose of this article is to identify methods of psychological and pedagogical support of formation of professional outlook of the university students. Methodological basis of the research was the principle of acmeology,…

Writing in French in Secondary Schools in England and Germany: Are the British Really "Bad Language Learners?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gruber, Alice; Tonkyn, Alan

2017-01-01

It is widely assumed that the British are poorer modern foreign language (MFL) learners than their fellow Europeans. Motivation has often been seen as the main cause of this perceived disparity in language learning success. However, there have also been suggestions that curricular and pedagogical factors may play a part. This article reports a…

Structural fabrication quality as a factor of industrial facilities safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tishkov, E. V.; Kardaev, E. M.; Stolbova, S. Yu; Shishova, O. S.

2018-04-01

In the conditions of industrial facilities high wear degree, it is very important to ensure the possibility of their safe operation in order to avoid various kinds of accidents and catastrophes. As practice shows, industrial plant collapses can occur suddenly under normal operating conditions. Usually, such accidents can take place at different stages of structures life cycle. One of the reasons for this is the initially low quality of reinforced concrete structures fabrication. The article considers the factors contributing to the collapse of reinforced concrete structures of water purification tanks located on the territory of the Omsk Region. The main surveys results on tank structures after collapse with the use of ultrasonic and physical methods of investigation are presented. On the basis of the obtained data analysis, it was found that the main cause of the accidents was the insufficient load-bearing capacity of typical reinforced concrete structures, caused by defects in their fabrication in the factory conditions because of exceeding the standard displacement from the design position of the working reinforcement. Recommendations are given on the identification of defective structures and the prevention of similar accidents when operating similar tanks at manufacturing plants constructed from standard designs.

Cryptococcal pathogenic mechanisms: a dangerous trip from the environment to the brain.

PubMed

Esher, Shannon K; Zaragoza, Oscar; Alspaugh, James Andrew

2018-01-01

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast that causes serious infections, most commonly of the central nervous system (CNS). C. neoformans is mainly found in the environment and acquired by inhalation. It could be metaphorically imagined that cryptococcal disease is a "journey" for the microorganism that starts in the environment, where this yeast loads its suitcase with virulence traits. C. neoformans first encounters the infected mammalian host in the lungs, a site in which it must choose the right elements from its "virulence suitcase" to survive the pulmonary immune response. However, the lung is often only the first stop in this journey, and in some individuals the fungal trip continues to the brain. To enter the brain, C. neoformans must "open" the main barrier that protects this organ, the blood brain barrier (BBB). Once in the brain, C. neoformans expresses a distinct set of protective attributes that confers a strong neurotropism and the ability to cause brain colonisation. In summary, C. neoformans is a unique fungal pathogen as shown in its ability to survive in the face of multiple stress factors and to express virulence factors that contribute to the development of disease.

Multi-scale modeling for the transmission of influenza and the evaluation of interventions toward it.

PubMed

Guo, Dongmin; Li, King C; Peters, Timothy R; Snively, Beverly M; Poehling, Katherine A; Zhou, Xiaobo

2015-03-11

Mathematical modeling of influenza epidemic is important for analyzing the main cause of the epidemic and finding effective interventions towards it. The epidemic is a dynamic process. In this process, daily infections are caused by people's contacts, and the frequency of contacts can be mainly influenced by their cognition to the disease. The cognition is in turn influenced by daily illness attack rate, climate, and other environment factors. Few existing methods considered the dynamic process in their models. Therefore, their prediction results can hardly be explained by the mechanisms of epidemic spreading. In this paper, we developed a heterogeneous graph modeling approach (HGM) to describe the dynamic process of influenza virus transmission by taking advantage of our unique clinical data. We built social network of studied region and embedded an Agent-Based Model (ABM) in the HGM to describe the dynamic change of an epidemic. Our simulations have a good agreement with clinical data. Parameter sensitivity analysis showed that temperature influences the dynamic of epidemic significantly and system behavior analysis showed social network degree is a critical factor determining the size of an epidemic. Finally, multiple scenarios for vaccination and school closure strategies were simulated and their performance was analyzed.

Cryptococcal pathogenic mechanisms: a dangerous trip from the environment to the brain

PubMed Central

Esher, Shannon K; Zaragoza, Oscar; Alspaugh, James Andrew

2018-01-01

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast that causes serious infections, most commonly of the central nervous system (CNS). C. neoformans is mainly found in the environment and acquired by inhalation. It could be metaphorically imagined that cryptococcal disease is a “journey” for the microorganism that starts in the environment, where this yeast loads its suitcase with virulence traits. C. neoformans first encounters the infected mammalian host in the lungs, a site in which it must choose the right elements from its “virulence suitcase” to survive the pulmonary immune response. However, the lung is often only the first stop in this journey, and in some individuals the fungal trip continues to the brain. To enter the brain, C. neoformans must “open” the main barrier that protects this organ, the blood brain barrier (BBB). Once in the brain, C. neoformans expresses a distinct set of protective attributes that confers a strong neurotropism and the ability to cause brain colonisation. In summary, C. neoformans is a unique fungal pathogen as shown in its ability to survive in the face of multiple stress factors and to express virulence factors that contribute to the development of disease. PMID:29668825

Risk factors for mortality in liver transplant recipients with ESKAPE infection.

PubMed

Song, S H; Li, X X; Wan, Q Q; Ye, Q F

2014-12-01

Although infections caused by the pathogens Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp (ESKAPE) have recently been identified as serious emerging problems in solid organ transplant, no information in liver transplant (LT) recipients is available. We sought to investigate the risk factors for associated mortality in LT recipients with ESKAPE infections. A retrospective analysis of infection after LT was reviewed. Risk factors for mortality caused by ESKAPE infection were identified. Fifty-three episodes of infections caused by ESKAPE were documented in 51 LT recipients. The main sites of infection were the bloodstream (49.0%), the lungs (33.3%), and the intra-abdominal/biliary tract (17.6%). The risk factors for mortality independently associated with ESKAPE infection were female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 6.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-40.8, P = .042), septic shock (OR = 30.1, 95% CI = 3.7-244.8, P = .001), and lymphocyte counts <300/mm(3) (OR = 20.2, 95% CI = 2.9-142.2, P = .003). To improve the results of LT, more effective therapeutic treatments are of paramount importance when female LT recipients with ESKAPE infection present with septic shock and decreased lymphocyte counts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Excess coronary artery disease risk in South Asian immigrants: Can dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein explain increased risk?

PubMed Central

Dodani, Sunita

2008-01-01

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States (US), and South Asian immigrants (SAIs) have a higher risk of CAD compared to Caucasians. Traditional risk factors may not completely explain high risk, and some of the unknown risk factors need to be explored. This short review is mainly focused on the possible role of dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in causing CAD and presents an overview of available literature on dysfunctional HDL. Discussion: The conventional risk factors, insulin resistance parameters, and metabolic syndrome, although important in predicting CAD risk, may not sufficiently predict risk in SAIs. HDL has antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antithrombotic properties that contribute to its function as an antiatherogenic agent. Recent Caucasian studies have shown HDL is not only ineffective as an antioxidant but, paradoxically, appears to be prooxidant, and has been found to be associated with CAD. Several causes have been hypothesized for HDL to become dysfunctional, including Apo lipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) polymorphisms. New risk factors and markers like dysfunctional HDL and genetic polymorphisms may be associated with CAD. Conclusions: More research is required in SAIs to explore associations with CAD and to enhance early detection and prevention of CAD in this high risk group. PMID:19183743

How Can Diet Influence the Risk of Stroke?

PubMed Central

Medeiros, Fernanda; Casanova, Marcela de Abreu; Fraulob, Julio Cesar; Trindade, Michelle

2012-01-01

Cerebrovascular diseases are the second cause of mortality in the world, and hypertension is considered a main risk factor for occurrence of stroke. The mechanisms responsible for the increased stroke risk remain unclear. However, dietary interventions have been applied in the management and treatment of their risk factors, which include increased blood pressure levels, obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Further studies should be conducted to assess the effects of carotenoids, flavonoids, n-3 polyunsaturated fats, and lower salt and high glycemic index intake in risk of stroke. PMID:22693656

Noise As A Risk Factor In The Preparation Of Useful Mineral Substances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irimia, Alin; Sorin, Simion; Pupăzan, Daniel; Călămar, Angela

2015-07-01

Noise from industrial activities is a major problem because of its noxious and its presence in all technological activities. The coal preparation activity from industry, in the presence of risks of exposure to noise, is affecting the health and safety of workers. Occupational hearing loss and deafness caused by exposure to noise at work are the most encountered illnesses occurring in the European Union. This paper examines the main sources of noise in coal preparation technological process and their effects on the human factor.

Risk factors for competing noncancer mortality after definitive treatment for advanced-stage head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Kim, Yong Han; Roh, Jong-Lyel; Kim, Sung-Bae; Choi, Seung-Ho; Nam, Soon Yuhl; Kim, Sang Yoon

2018-05-27

Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) can die of index tumor progression and second tumor or noncancer causes. Here, we investigated the risk factors for competing noncancer mortality (NCM) in a prospective cohort of patients with advanced-stage HNC. A prospective observational study was conducted with 604 patients who underwent definitive treatment for advanced-stage HNC between 2010 and 2015. Main outcomes were NCM and cancer mortality (CM) defined as death from noncancer causes and HNC or second cancers, respectively. Cumulative incidence and cause-specific hazard functions were used to analyze the risk factors of NCM and CM. Age, smoking, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), performance status, body mass index, rural residence, education and hemoglobin level at diagnosis, and chemotherapy were significantly associated with NCM (all P<0.05). Multivariate analyses showed that age, CCI, and hemoglobin were independent factors of NCM. Age (≥65 years), CCI (≥2), and hemoglobin (<11 g/dL) were related to 4.5-, 3.2-, and 2.7-fold increased adjusted risk of NCM, respectively. Old age, comorbidity, and hemoglobin at diagnosis were independent predictors of NCM. The risk factors could be used to predict noncancer death after definitive treatment for advanced-stage HNC. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Comparative morphological investigation on the rabbit's auricle after exposure to CO2- and Nd:YAG-laser radiation.

PubMed

Wandhöfer, A; Bally, G; Kauffmann, G; Karduck, A

1977-10-31

By comparing the effects of CO2- and Nd:YAG-laser radiation (mainly differing in wave-length by a factor of 10), a surgical instrument suitable for Otorhinolaryngology had to be found. The studies were performed on the rabbit's auricle in order to examine the effect of the laser irradiation mainly on the cartilage. The CO2-laser was found to be more efficient in cutting and caused less extended tissue damage than the Nd:YAG-laser. The latter seems to be more suitable for soft tissue surgery.

Clostridium difficile Infection in Production Animals and Avian Species: A Review.

PubMed

Moono, Peter; Foster, Niki F; Hampson, David J; Knight, Daniel R; Bloomfield, Lauren E; Riley, Thomas V

2016-12-01

Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis in hospitalized humans. Recently, C. difficile infection (CDI) has been increasingly recognized as a cause of neonatal enteritis in food animals such as pigs, resulting in stunted growth, delays in weaning, and mortality, as well as colitis in large birds such as ostriches. C. difficile is a strictly anaerobic spore-forming bacterium, which produces two toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB) as its main virulence factors. The majority of strains isolated from animals produce an additional binary toxin (C. difficile transferase) that is associated with increased virulence. C. difficile is ubiquitous in the environment and has a wide host range. This review summarizes the epidemiology, clinical presentations, risk factors, and laboratory diagnosis of CDI in animals. Increased awareness by veterinarians and animal owners of the significance of clinical disease caused by C. difficile in livestock and avians is needed. Finally, this review provides an overview on methods for controlling environmental contamination and potential therapeutics available.

History of the preanalytical phase: a personal view

PubMed Central

Guder, Walter G.

2014-01-01

In the 70ies of the last century, ther term “preanalytical phase” was introduced in the literature. This term describes all actions and aspects of the “brain to brain circle” of the medical laboratory diagnostic procedure happening before the analytical phase. The author describes his personal experiences in the early seventies and the following history of increasing awareness of this phase as the main cause of “laboratory errors”. This includes the definitions of influence and interference factors as well as the first publications in book, internet, CD-Rom and recent App form over the past 40 years. In addition, a short summary of previous developments as prerequesits of laboratory diagnostic actions is described from the middle age matula for urine collection to the blood collection tubes, anticoagulants and centrifuges. The short review gives a personal view on the possible causes of missing awareness of preanalytical causes of error and future aspects of new techniques in regulation of requests to introduction of quality assurance programs for preanalytical factors. PMID:24627712

Cardiovascular drugs inducing QT prolongation: facts and evidence.

PubMed

Taira, Carlos A; Opezzo, Javier A W; Mayer, Marcos A; Höcht, Christian

2010-01-01

Acquired QT syndrome is mainly caused by the administration of drugs that prolong ventricular repolarization. On the other hand, the risk of drug-induced torsades de pointes is increased by numerous predisposing factors, such as genetic predisposition, female sex, hypokalemia and cardiac dysfunction. This adverse reaction is induced by different chemical compounds used for the treatment of a variety of pathologies, including arrhythmias. As it is known, antiarrhythmic agents and other cardiovascular drugs can prolong the QT interval, causing this adverse reaction. Of the 20 most commonly reported drugs, 10 were cardiovascular agents and these appeared in 348 of the reports (46%). Class Ia antiarrhythmic agents have frequently been linked to inducing arrhythmia, including torsades de pointes. Sotalol and amiodarone, class III antiarrhythmics, are known to prolong the QT interval by blocking I(Kr). Due to the severity of events caused by the therapeutic use of these drugs, in this work of revision the cardiovascular drugs that present this property and the factors and evidence will be mentioned.

Evaluation of emission factors for light-duty gasoline vehicles based on chassis dynamometer and tunnel studies in Shanghai, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Cheng; Tao, Shikang; Lou, Shengrong; Hu, Qingyao; Wang, Hongli; Wang, Qian; Li, Li; Wang, Hongyu; Liu, Jian'gang; Quan, Yifeng; Zhou, Lanlan

2017-11-01

CO, THC, NOx, and PM emission factors of 51 light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs) spanning the emission standards from Euro 2 to Euro 5 were measured by a chassis dynamometer. High frequencies of high-emitting vehicles were observed in Euro 2 and Euro 3 LDGV fleet. 56% and 33% of high-emitting vehicles contributed 81%-92% and 82%-85% of the emissions in Euro 2 and Euro 3 test fleet, respectively. Malfunctions of catalytic convertors after high strength use are the main cause of the high emissions. Continuous monitoring of a gasoline vehicle dominated tunnel in Shanghai, China was conducted to evaluate the average emission factors of vehicles in real-world. The results indicated that the emission factors of LDGVs were considerably underestimated in EI guidebook in China. The overlook of high-emitting vehicles in older vehicle fleet is the main reason for this underestimation. Enhancing the supervision of high emission vehicles and strengthening the compliance tests of in-use vehicles are essential measures to control the emissions of in-use gasoline vehicles at the present stage in China.

Impact of homicide and traffic crashes on life expectancy in the largest Latin American country.

PubMed

Auger, Nathalie; Le Serbon, Emilie; Rasella, Davide; Aquino, Rosana; Barreto, Maurício L

2016-09-01

Brazil and Canada are on opposite poles of the spectrum for life expectancy in America. We identified factors underlying Brazil's lower life expectancy relative to Canada, with emphasis on the role of injury compared with other major causes. We computed life expectancy at birth in Brazil and Canada in 2010 and identified the ages and causes of death responsible for the gap between both countries. The main outcome measure was the contribution of homicide and traffic accidents to the gap, compared with other causes of death. Relative to Canada, life expectancy was lower in Brazil by 8.2 years (men) and 5.2 years (women). Injury lowered life expectancy of men in Brazil by 2.2 years, or more than a quarter of the gap, mainly due to homicide and traffic accidents between ages 20 and 64 years. Homicide and traffic accidents contributed more than all circulatory diseases combined. In women, circulatory disease was the most important cause of lower life expectancy. In 2010, homicides and traffic accidents were the principal cause for short life expectancy of men in Brazil. Improving life expectancy in Brazil requires addressing the root causes of inequalities that drive illicit drug trade, violence and accidents. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Risk factors for and causes and treatment of recurrence of inferior vena cava type of Budd-Chiari syndrome after stenting in China: A retrospective analysis of a large cohort.

PubMed

Li, Wen-Dong; Yu, Hui-Ying; Qian, Ai-Min; Rong, Jian-Jie; Zhang, Ye-Qing; Li, Xiao-Qiang

2017-03-01

To explore the risk factors for recurrence of inferior vena cava (IVC)-type Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) after stenting and evaluate the feasibility and primary outcomes of endovascular therapies for recurrent BCS. A retrospective analysis of 219 patients was performed to identify risk factors for recurrence. The images of the recurrent patients during follow-up duration and interventional surgery were also reviewed to find the possible reasons of recurrence. The outcome of endovascular therapies for recurrent BCS was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Among the 219 patients, 172 patients with primary IVC-type BCS underwent stenting and 28 patients experienced recurrence. Multivariate analysis identified age, Child-Pugh score, MELD and total bilirubin as independent recurrent indicators. Possible causes of recurrence include thrombosis in the stent, re-obstruction in or above the stent, and stent-related hepatic vein obstruction. Twenty-five patients with recurrent BCS underwent endovascular therapies with a few complications and achieved a high level of short- and mid-term patency. Age, total bilirubin and severity of liver function are the main risk factors for BCS recurrence. These risks might contribute to thrombosis or subsequent fibrous obstruction. Endovascular therapies are effective and safe management options that yield positive outcomes for recurrent BCS. • Risk factors for recurrent Budd-Chiari syndrome were identified by multivariate analysis. • Causes of recurrent Budd-Chiari syndrome were investigated by assessing radiological images. • There is a correlation between risk factors and causes of recurrence. • Endovascular therapies for recurrent Budd-Chiari syndrome are effective and safe.

Drivers of wetland conversion: a global meta-analysis.

PubMed

van Asselen, Sanneke; Verburg, Peter H; Vermaat, Jan E; Janse, Jan H

2013-01-01

Meta-analysis of case studies has become an important tool for synthesizing case study findings in land change. Meta-analyses of deforestation, urbanization, desertification and change in shifting cultivation systems have been published. This present study adds to this literature, with an analysis of the proximate causes and underlying forces of wetland conversion at a global scale using two complementary approaches of systematic review. Firstly, a meta-analysis of 105 case-study papers describing wetland conversion was performed, showing that different combinations of multiple-factor proximate causes, and underlying forces, drive wetland conversion. Agricultural development has been the main proximate cause of wetland conversion, and economic growth and population density are the most frequently identified underlying forces. Secondly, to add a more quantitative component to the study, a logistic meta-regression analysis was performed to estimate the likelihood of wetland conversion worldwide, using globally-consistent biophysical and socioeconomic location factor maps. Significant factors explaining wetland conversion, in order of importance, are market influence, total wetland area (lower conversion probability), mean annual temperature and cropland or built-up area. The regression analyses results support the outcomes of the meta-analysis of the processes of conversion mentioned in the individual case studies. In other meta-analyses of land change, similar factors (e.g., agricultural development, population growth, market/economic factors) are also identified as important causes of various types of land change (e.g., deforestation, desertification). Meta-analysis helps to identify commonalities across the various local case studies and identify which variables may lead to individual cases to behave differently. The meta-regression provides maps indicating the likelihood of wetland conversion worldwide based on the location factors that have determined historic conversions.

Drivers of Wetland Conversion: a Global Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

van Asselen, Sanneke; Verburg, Peter H.; Vermaat, Jan E.; Janse, Jan H.

2013-01-01

Meta-analysis of case studies has become an important tool for synthesizing case study findings in land change. Meta-analyses of deforestation, urbanization, desertification and change in shifting cultivation systems have been published. This present study adds to this literature, with an analysis of the proximate causes and underlying forces of wetland conversion at a global scale using two complementary approaches of systematic review. Firstly, a meta-analysis of 105 case-study papers describing wetland conversion was performed, showing that different combinations of multiple-factor proximate causes, and underlying forces, drive wetland conversion. Agricultural development has been the main proximate cause of wetland conversion, and economic growth and population density are the most frequently identified underlying forces. Secondly, to add a more quantitative component to the study, a logistic meta-regression analysis was performed to estimate the likelihood of wetland conversion worldwide, using globally-consistent biophysical and socioeconomic location factor maps. Significant factors explaining wetland conversion, in order of importance, are market influence, total wetland area (lower conversion probability), mean annual temperature and cropland or built-up area. The regression analyses results support the outcomes of the meta-analysis of the processes of conversion mentioned in the individual case studies. In other meta-analyses of land change, similar factors (e.g., agricultural development, population growth, market/economic factors) are also identified as important causes of various types of land change (e.g., deforestation, desertification). Meta-analysis helps to identify commonalities across the various local case studies and identify which variables may lead to individual cases to behave differently. The meta-regression provides maps indicating the likelihood of wetland conversion worldwide based on the location factors that have determined historic conversions. PMID:24282580

Synergistic effect of factor VII gene polymorphisms causing mild factor VII deficiency in a case of severe factor X deficiency.

PubMed

Deshpande, Rutuja; Ghosh, Kanjaksha; Shetty, Shrimati

2017-01-01

Congenital combined deficiency of coagulation factors VII and X are mainly attributed to large deletions involving both the genes in chromosome 13 or occasionally due to the coincidental occurrence of independently occurring mutations. We report the molecular basis of congenital combined deficiency of factors VII and X in a 6-year-old female child. Direct DNA sequencing of both factor VII (F7) and factor X (F10) genes showed a novel homozygous missense mutation p.Cys90Tyr (c.307G>A) in exon 4 of F10. No mutations were detected in F7; however, the patient was homozygous for three polymorphic alleles known to be associated with reduced factor VII levels. The present case illustrates the synergistic effect of multiple polymorphisms resulting in phenotypic factor VII deficiency in the absence of a pathogenic mutation.

The Analysis of Learning Obstacle and Students Learning Motivation of Prospective Math Teachers in Basic Physics Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniawan, D. T.; Suhandi, A.; Kaniawati, I.; Rusdiana, D.

2017-02-01

Learning motivation revealed as a whole intrinsic factor that created, maintained and supported students to achieve the goal of learning. As the bigger motivation came with bigger success, motivation was considered as the main key to reach what students have planned. There were intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence both the students and lecturers’ motivation. The factors in one hand, were essential to be defined by the lecturers in order to maintain and enhance the students’ enthusiasm. On the other hand, they also encouraged and thrilled the students to learn. The study aimed to expose and describe the motivational tendency and to knowledge and analyze learning obstacles faced by the students in basic physics class on students of prospective math teachers in FKIP Unswagati Cirebon. In addition, the study focused on the description of the six motivational components stated by Glyn and Koballa. The six were intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, the relevance of studying physics for subjective purposes, willpower, self assessment and anxiety. Class responses were determined through questionnaire with four main indicators; the causes of being less popular subject, the cause of being disfavored subject, the description of the way the students draw the examination on basic physics subject and the academic background of the students. The results showed that 54% students stated that physics was disfavored because the subject was difficult to understand, 49% stated that the cause of being disfavored of the subject was because physics required complicated mathematics. Most of the students preferred to have game based activities that boosted thinking skill. According to the analysis of the students’ motivation, the findings revealed that the students’ had high level of anxiety in learning the subject. They mostly expressed their anxiety appeared from the material density and text book based assignments.

Toxicity of Doxorubicin on Pig Liver After Chemoembolization with Doxorubicin-loaded Microspheres: A Pilot DNA-microarrays and Histology Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verret, Valentin, E-mail: valentin.verret@archimmed.com; Namur, Julien; Ghegediban, Saieda Homayra

The potential mechanisms accounting for the hepatotoxicity of doxorubicin-loaded microspheres in chemoembolization were examined by combining histology and DNA-microarray techniques.The left hepatic arteries of two pigs were embolized with 1 mL of doxorubicin-loaded (25 mg; (DoxMS)) or non-loaded (BlandMS) microspheres. The histopathological effects of the embolization were analyzed at 1 week. RNAs extracted from both the embolized and control liver areas were hybridized onto Agilent porcine microarrays. Genes showing significantly different expression (p < 0.01; fold-change > 2) between two groups were classified by biological process. At 1 week after embolization, DoxMS caused arterial and parenchymal necrosis in 51 andmore » 38 % of embolized vessels, respectively. By contrast, BlandMS did not cause any tissue damage. Up-regulated genes following embolization with DoxMS (vs. BlandMS, n = 353) were mainly involved in cell death, apoptosis, and metabolism of doxorubicin. Down-regulated genes (n = 120) were mainly related to hepatic functions, including enzymes of lipid and carbohydrate metabolisms. Up-regulated genes included genes related to cell proliferation (growth factors and transcription factors), tissue remodeling (MMPs and several collagen types), inflammatory reaction (interleukins and chemokines), and angiogenesis (angiogenic factors and HIF1a pathway), all of which play an important role in liver healing and regeneration. DoxMS caused lesions to the liver, provoked cell death, and disturbed liver metabolism. An inflammatory repair process with cell proliferation, tissue remodeling, and angiogenesis was rapidly initiated during the first week after chemoembolization. This pilot study provides a comprehensive method to compare different types of DoxMS in healthy animals or tumor models.« less

[Analysis of body mass index in different sector workers for over ten years].

PubMed

Perbellini, L; Zonzin, C; Baldo, M

2010-01-01

A critical review of the literature on obesity and overweight underlines that a low educational level, a low social-economic status, certain working conditions, the lack of physical activity in leisure time, together with the availability of food, are the main factors favouring increased prevalence of obesity. Certain jobs also contribute significantly to this problem. Automation, the use of machines for heavy works and sedentary activities favour body weight increase. Jobs that are a source of stress, such as work with night shift can cause metabolic disorders leading to an increased prevalence of obesity. The main aim of this article is to study the trend of body weight in different working area during ten years, comparing this parameter to different factors such as job, blood pressure, smoke, alcool and health diseases.

Biochemistry of Apple Aroma: A Review.

PubMed

Espino-Díaz, Miguel; Sepúlveda, David Roberto; González-Aguilar, Gustavo; Olivas, Guadalupe I

2016-12-01

Flavour is a key quality attribute of apples defined by volatile aroma compounds. Biosynthesis of aroma compounds involves metabolic pathways in which the main precursors are fatty and amino acids, and the main products are aldehydes, alcohols and esters. Some enzymes are crucial in the production of volatile compounds, such as lipoxygenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and alcohol acyltransferase. Composition and concentration of volatiles in apples may be altered by pre- and postharvest factors that cause a decline in apple flavour. Addition of biosynthetic precursors of volatile compounds may be a strategy to promote aroma production in apples. The present manuscript compiles information regarding the biosynthesis of volatile aroma compounds, including metabolic pathways, enzymes and substrates involved, factors that may affect their production and also includes a wide number of studies focused on the addition of biosynthetic precursors in their production.

Biochemistry of Apple Aroma: A Review

PubMed Central

Espino-Díaz, Miguel; Sepúlveda, David Roberto; González-Aguilar, Gustavo

2016-01-01

Summary Flavour is a key quality attribute of apples defined by volatile aroma compounds. Biosynthesis of aroma compounds involves metabolic pathways in which the main precursors are fatty and amino acids, and the main products are aldehydes, alcohols and esters. Some enzymes are crucial in the production of volatile compounds, such as lipoxygenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and alcohol acyltransferase. Composition and concentration of volatiles in apples may be altered by pre- and postharvest factors that cause a decline in apple flavour. Addition of biosynthetic precursors of volatile compounds may be a strategy to promote aroma production in apples. The present manuscript compiles information regarding the biosynthesis of volatile aroma compounds, including metabolic pathways, enzymes and substrates involved, factors that may affect their production and also includes a wide number of studies focused on the addition of biosynthetic precursors in their production. PMID:28115895

Research on ion implantation in MEMS device fabrication by theory, simulation and experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Minyu; Zhao, Yulong; Jiao, Binbin; Zhu, Lingjian; Zhang, Guodong; Wang, Lei

2018-06-01

Ion implantation is widely utilized in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), applied for embedded lead, resistors, conductivity modifications and so forth. In order to achieve an expected device, the principle of ion implantation must be carefully examined. The elementary theory of ion implantation including implantation mechanism, projectile range and implantation-caused damage in the target were studied, which can be regarded as the guidance of ion implantation in MEMS device design and fabrication. Critical factors including implantations dose, energy and annealing conditions are examined by simulations and experiments. The implantation dose mainly determines the dopant concentration in the target substrate. The implantation energy is the key factor of the depth of the dopant elements. The annealing time mainly affects the repair degree of lattice damage and thus the activated elements’ ratio. These factors all together contribute to ions’ behavior in the substrates and characters of the devices. The results can be referred to in the MEMS design, especially piezoresistive devices.

The burden of disease and injury in Australia.

PubMed Central

Mathers, C. D.; Vos, E. T.; Stevenson, C. E.; Begg, S. J.

2001-01-01

An overview of the results of the Australian Burden of Disease (ABD) study is presented. The ABD study was the first to use methodology developed for the Global Burden of Disease study to measure the burden of disease and injury in a developed country. In 1996, mental disorders were the main causes of disability burden, responsible for nearly 30% of total years of life lost to disability (YLD), with depression accounting for 8% of the total YLD. Ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the main contributors to the disease burden disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), together causing nearly 18% of the total disease burden. Risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, obesity and inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption were responsible for much of the overall disease burden in Australia. The lessons learnt from the ABD study are discussed, together with methodological issues that require further attention. PMID:11731817

Current status of iron metabolism: Clinical and therapeutic implications.

PubMed

Conde Diez, Susana; de Las Cuevas Allende, Ricardo; Conde García, Eulogio

2017-03-03

Hepcidin is the main regulator of iron metabolism and a pathogenic factor in iron disorders. Hepcidin deficiency causes iron overload, whereas hepcidin excess causes or contributes to the development of iron-restricted anaemia in chronic inflammatory diseases. We know the mechanisms involved in the synthesis of hepcidin and, under physiological conditions, there is a balance between activating signals and inhibitory signals that regulate its synthesis. The former include those related to plasmatic iron level and also those related to chronic inflammatory diseases. The most important inhibitory signals are related to active erythropoiesis and to matriptase-2. Knowing how hepcidin is synthesised has helped design new pharmacological treatments whose main target is the hepcidin. In the near future, there will be effective treatments aimed at correcting the defect of many of these iron metabolism disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

[Genetic variability of the bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum (Burkholderiales: Burholderiaceae) in the banana-growing region of Uraba (Colombia)].

PubMed

Cardozo, Carolina; Rodríguez, Paola; Cotes, José Miguel; Marín, Mauricio

2010-03-01

The banana moko disease, caused by the bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum, is one of the most important phytopathological problems of the banana agribusiness in tropical countries. In Uraba and Magdalena (Colombia), the main exporting regions of banana in Colombia, this disease causes a destruction estimated in 16.5 ha/year. The bacterium presents an extremely high level of genetic variation that affects control measures. This is the first study of its variation in Colombia and was done with AFLP molecular markers on a population of 100 isolates from banana plants, soils and "weeds". The high level of genetic diversity, with Nei and Shannon indexes of h=0.32 and I=0.48, respectively, and the AMOVA, showed that this population is subestructured (Fst=0.66): the host is the main factor of differentiation. Even so, previous tests show that all varieties have pathogenicity on Musa.

Difference in causes and prognostic factors of early death between cohorts with de novo and relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia.

PubMed

Zhao, Hongli; Zhao, Yanqiu; Zhang, Yingmei; Hou, Jinxiao; Yang, Huiyuan; Cao, Fenglin; Yang, Yiju; Hou, Wenyi; Sun, Jiayue; Jin, Bo; Fu, Jinyue; Li, Haitao; Wang, Ping; Ge, Fei; Zhou, Jin

2018-03-01

Early death (ED) remains the most critical issue in the current care of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Very limited data are available regarding ED in patients with relapsed APL. In this retrospective study, 285 de novo and 79 relapsed patients were included. All patients received single-agent arsenic trioxide as induction therapy. The differences in baseline clinical features, incidence, causes, and prognostic factors of ED were compared between the two patient cohorts. The relapse cohort exhibited a better overall condition than the de novo cohort upon hospital admission. The ED rate in the relapsed patients (24.1%) was somewhat higher than that in the de novo patients (17.9%), although the difference was not significant (P = 0.219). For both cohorts, hemorrhage was the main cause of ED, followed by differentiation syndrome, infection, and other causes. Increased serum creatinine level, older age, male sex, white blood cell (WBC) count > 10 × 10 9 /L, and fibrinogen < 1 g/L were independently risk factors for ED in the de novo patients, whereas WBC count > 10 × 10 9 /L, elevated serum uric acid level, and D-dimer > 4 mg/L were independent risk factors for ED in the relapsed patients. These data furnish clinically relevant information that might be useful for designing more appropriate risk-adapted treatment protocols aimed at reducing ED rate in patients with relapsed APL.

[Maternal deaths due to infectious cause, results from the French confidential enquiry into maternal deaths, 2010-2012].

PubMed

Rigouzzo, A; Tessier, V; Zieleskiewicz, L

2017-12-01

Over the period 2010-2012, maternal mortality from infectious causes accounted for 5% of maternal deaths by direct causes and 16% of maternal deaths by indirect causes. Among the 22 deaths caused by infection occurred during this period, 6 deaths were attributed to direct causes from genital tract origin, confirming thus the decrease in direct maternal deaths by infection during the last ten years. On the contrary, indirect maternal deaths by infection, from extragenital origin, doubled during the same period, with 16 deaths in the last triennium, dominated by winter respiratory infections, particularly influenza: the 2009-2010 influenza A (H1N1) virus pandemic was the leading cause of indirect maternal mortality by infection during the studied period. The main infectious agents involved in maternal deaths from direct causes were Streptococcus A, Escherichia Coli and Clostridium perfringens: these bacterias were responsible for toxic shock syndrome, severe sepsis, secondary in some cases to cellulitis or necrotizing fasciitis. Of the 6 deaths due to direct infection, 4 were considered avoidable because of inadequate management: delayed or missed diagnosis, delayed or inadequate initiation of a specific medical and/or surgical treatment. Of the 16 indirect maternal deaths due to infection causes, the most often involved infectious agents were influenza A (H1N1) virus and Streptococcus pneumonia with induced purpura fulminans: the absence of influenza vaccination during pregnancy, delayed diagnosis and emergency initiation of a specific treatment, were the main contributory factors to these deaths and their avoidability in 70% of the cases analyzed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Measures for the Safe Operation of Anchoring in a Storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Tianding; Ai, Wanzheng

2018-01-01

The collision and stranding of ship other shipwreck accidents are mainly caused by the ship dragging. As the water is less in coastal areas, anchoring has less influence on cementing ship, so strong wind is the most important factor for ship anchoring. Therefore, it is very important to study the safety evaluation of mooring in strong wind. In this paper, the measures taken after the ship anchoring is come up with from the analysis on the typical accidents and causes of anchoring security. The safety measures at the time of anchoring are also studied.

Necrotrophic pathogens use the salicylic acid signaling pathway to promote disease development in tomato.

PubMed

Rahman, Taha Abd El; Oirdi, Mohamed El; Gonzalez-Lamothe, Rocio; Bouarab, Kamal

2012-12-01

Plants use different immune pathways to combat pathogens. The activation of the jasmonic acid (JA)-signaling pathway is required for resistance against necrotrophic pathogens; however, to combat biotrophic pathogens, the plants activate mainly the salicylic acid (SA)-signaling pathway. SA can antagonize JA signaling and vice versa. NPR1 (noninducible pathogenesis-related 1) is considered a master regulator of SA signaling. NPR1 interacts with TGA transcription factors, ultimately leading to the activation of SA-dependent responses. SA has been shown to promote disease development caused by the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea through NPR1, by suppressing the expression of two JA-dependent defense genes, proteinase inhibitors I and II. We show here that the transcription factor TGA1.a contributes to disease development caused by B. cinerea in tomato by suppressing the expression of proteinase inhibitors I and II. Finally, we present evidence that the SA-signaling pathway contributes to disease development caused by another necrotrophic pathogen, Alternaria solani, in tomato. Disease development promoted by SA through NPR1 requires the TGA1.a transcription factor. These data highlight how necrotrophs manipulate the SAsignaling pathway to promote their disease in tomato.

The condition of insomnia: etiopathogenetic considerations and their impact on treatment practices.

PubMed

Dikeos, Dimitris G; Soldatos, Constantin R

2005-08-01

Insomnia is conceived as the subjective complaint of reduced sleep quantity and/or quality, even in the absence of objective verification of sleep loss; it is the outcome of the interplay of many environmental, biological, and psychological factors, which can be distinguished into predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating. Predisposing and precipitating factors include various demographic characteristics and the occurrence of psychiatric or somatic illnesses as well as other stressful life events. The perpetuating factors, responsible for the development of chronicity of the complaint of insomnia, mainly involve a 24-hour state of hyperarousal and a vicious cycle of sleeplessness causing fear of sleeplessness which in turn leads to further hyperarousal and more sleeplessness. Particular psychological characteristics, including excessive use of denial and repression as well as a strong propensity for internalisation of emotions, are also among the main factors contributing to the psychophysiological activation and state of hyper-arousability commonly encountered among insomniac patients. The treatment should not only focus on ameliorating sleeplessness, it should also address all those factors that cause and maintain insomnia. An integrative management of insomnia includes education on sleep hygiene measures, behavioural, cognitive and psychodynamic psychotherapies, and the utilization of sleep-promoting drugs. Among the latter, only for the use of benzodiazepine or benzodiazepine-like hypnotics exists sufficient evidence for efficacy as well as adequate information on their side-effect profiles. Thus, these compounds are considered as the drugs of choice for the treatment of insomnia. It is recommended that the use of hypnotic drugs is restricted to the initial period of treatment; they should be rationally utilized within the context of a broad therapeutic program, which is based on a sound doctor-patient relationship and includes sleep hygiene education and the application of certain psychotherapeutic techniques in an individualized manner.

Is twin pregnancy a risk factor for devolopmental dysplasia of the hip - retrospective analysis using ultrasonography.

PubMed

Czubak, Jarosław; Mazela, Jan L; Majda, Waldemar; Woźniak, Waldemar

2003-12-30

Background. Disorders in development of the hip in the uterus are caused mainly by mechanical factors. Their influence has been established on the basis of the results of examinations of newborns from singleton pregancies. Malposition of the fetus and the lack of space in the uterus are present in higher frequency in twin pregnancies. Thus, it is probable, that twin pregnacy may be a risk factor in developmental dysplasia of the hip.
Material and methods. We examined clinically and ultrasonographically 308 hip joints of 154 newborn twins and compare the values of the alpha related to different position in uterus, birthweight, gender, length of gestation and mode of delivery. The only pathological position of the fetus in the uterus is the tranverse one.
Results and Conclusions. The results of ultrasound examinations reveal that in the cramped space inside the uterus in twin pregnancies hip joints develop in different conditions than in singleton pregnancies and the twin pregnancy cannot be regarded as a risk factor which may cause developmental dysplasia of the hip.

Robin Williams' suicide: a case study.

PubMed

Tohid, Hassaan

2016-01-01

The world renowned comedian and four-time Oscar nominated actor Robin Williams died on August 11, 2014. From the outset, the news indicated that his death was believed to be a suicide and this was later confirmed to be true by the autopsy reports. Williams had been suffering from severe depression, which is believed to be the leading contributor to his suicide. In this case study, I will highlight the event of the actor's suicide and the main risk factors along with depression leading to his tragic death. As of the end of 2015, no other case study seemed to have addressed or explored the links between the cause (or causes) and events leading to Robin Williams' suicide. Robin Williams was suffering from relationship problems, financial problems, drug addiction, and major depression. All of these factors led to his suicide. The chances of committing suicide drastically increase in the presence of any of the key risk factors. Unfortunately, the actor Robin Williams was dealing with four of the major risk factors all together, which put him at a high risk of committing suicide and eventually led to his tragic death.

Lifetime socioeconomic position and mortality: prospective observational study.

PubMed Central

Smith, G. D.; Hart, C.; Blane, D.; Gillis, C.; Hawthorne, V.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To assess the influence of socioeconomic position over a lifetime on risk factors for cardiovascular disease, on morbidity, and on mortality from various causes. DESIGN: Prospective observational study with 21 years of follow up. Social class was determined as manual or non-manual at three stages of participants' lives: from the social class of their father's job, the social class of their first job, and the social class of their job at the time of screening. A cumulative social class indicator was constructed, ranging from non-manual social class at all three stages of life to manual social class at all three stages. SETTING: 27 workplaces in the west of Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: 5766 men aged 35-64 at the time of examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence and level of risk factors for cardiovascular disease; morbidity; and mortality from broad causes of death. RESULTS: From non-manual social class locations at all three life stages to manual at all stages there were strong positive trends for blood pressure, body mass index, current cigarette smoking, angina, and bronchitis. Inverse trends were seen for height, cholesterol concentration, lung function, and being an ex-smoker. 1580 men died during follow up. Age adjusted relative death rates in comparison with the men of non-manual social class locations at all three stages of life were 1.29 (95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.56) in men of two non-manual and one manual social class; 1.45 (1.21 to 1.73) in men of two manual and one non-manual social class; and 1.71 (1.46 to 2.01) in men of manual social class at all three stages. Mortality from cardiovascular disease showed a similar graded association with cumulative social class. Mortality from cancer was mainly raised among men of manual social class at all three stages. Adjustment for a wide range of risk factors caused little attenuation in the association of cumulative social class with mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular disease; greater attenuation was seen in the association with mortality from non-cardiovascular, non-cancer disease. Fathers having a manual [corrected] occupation was strongly associated with mortality from cardiovascular disease: relative rate 1.41 (1.15 to 1.72). Participants' social class at the time of screening was more strongly associated than the other social class indicators with mortality from cancer and from non-cardiovascular, non-cancer causes. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic factors acting over the lifetime affect health and risk of premature death. The relative importance of influences at different stages varies for the cause of death. Studies with data on socioeconomic circumstances at only one stage of life are inadequate for fully elucidating the contribution of socioeconomic factors to health and mortality risk. PMID:9055712

Insulin-like growth factor-I treatment of children with Laron syndrome (primary growth hormone insensitivity).

PubMed

Laron, Zvi

2008-03-01

Laron syndrome (LS, congenital primary GH insensitivity) is caused by deletions or mutations in the GH receptor gene, resulting in an inability to generate insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). If untreated, the deficiency of IGF-I results in severe dwarfism, as well as skeletal and muscular underdevelopment. The only treatment is the daily administration of recombinant IGF-I. This review summarizes the present experience by several groups worldwide. The main conclusions are: A. The one or two injections regimen result in the same growth velocity; B. The growth velocity obtained with IGF-I administration is smaller than that observed with hGH in children with congenital isolated GH deficiency; C. Overdosage of IGF-I causes a series of adverse effects which can be avoided by carefully monitoring the serum IGF-I and GH levels.

Decreasing spatial variability in precipitation extremes in southwestern China and the local/large-scale influencing factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Meixian; Xu, Xianli; Sun, Alex

2015-07-01

Climate extremes can cause devastating damage to human society and ecosystems. Recent studies have drawn many conclusions about trends in climate extremes, but few have focused on quantitative analysis of their spatial variability and underlying mechanisms. By using the techniques of overlapping moving windows, the Mann-Kendall trend test, correlation, and stepwise regression, this study examined the spatial-temporal variation of precipitation extremes and investigated the potential key factors influencing this variation in southwestern (SW) China, a globally important biodiversity hot spot and climate-sensitive region. Results showed that the changing trends of precipitation extremes were not spatially uniform, but the spatial variability of these precipitation extremes decreased from 1959 to 2012. Further analysis found that atmospheric circulations rather than local factors (land cover, topographic conditions, etc.) were the main cause of such precipitation extremes. This study suggests that droughts or floods may become more homogenously widespread throughout SW China. Hence, region-wide assessments and coordination are needed to help mitigate the economic and ecological impacts.

Oligodendrogenesis in the normal and pathological central nervous system

PubMed Central

El Waly, Bilal; Macchi, Magali; Cayre, Myriam; Durbec, Pascale

2014-01-01

Oligodendrocytes (OLGs) are generated late in development and myelination is thus a tardive event in the brain developmental process. It is however maintained whole life long at lower rate, and myelin sheath is crucial for proper signal transmission and neuronal survival. Unfortunately, OLGs present a high susceptibility to oxidative stress, thus demyelination often takes place secondary to diverse brain lesions or pathologies. OLGs can also be the target of immune attacks, leading to primary demyelination lesions. Following oligodendrocytic death, spontaneous remyelination may occur to a certain extent. In this review, we will mainly focus on the adult brain and on the two main sources of progenitor cells that contribute to oligodendrogenesis: parenchymal oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and subventricular zone (SVZ)-derived progenitors. We will shortly come back on the main steps of oligodendrogenesis in the postnatal and adult brain, and summarize the key factors involved in the determination of oligodendrocytic fate. We will then shed light on the main causes of demyelination in the adult brain and present the animal models that have been developed to get insight on the demyelination/remyelination process. Finally, we will synthetize the results of studies searching for factors able to modulate spontaneous myelin repair. PMID:24971048

The impact of smoking on gender differences in life expectancy: more heterogeneous than often stated

PubMed Central

Wegner-Siegmundt, Christian

2015-01-01

Background: Throughout industrialized countries, tobacco consumption is seen as the predominant driver of both the trend and the extent of gender differences in life expectancy. However, several factors raise doubts to this generalization. We hypothesize that the impact of smoking on the gender gap is context-specific and differs between populations. Methods: We decompose the gender differences in life expectancy into fractions caused by smoking and other non-biological factors for 53 industrialized countries and the period 1955–2009 to assess the significance of smoking among the causes that can be influenced by direct or indirect interference. Results: The trend of the gender gap can indeed be attributed to smoking in most populations of the western world. However, with regard to the overall extent of male excess mortality, smoking is the main driver only in the minority of the studied populations. While the impact of smoking to gender differences in life expectancy declines in all populations, the contribution of other non-biological factors is in most cases higher at the end than at the beginning of the observation period. Conclusions: Over-generalized statements suggesting that smoking is the main driver of the gender gap in all populations can be misleading. The results of this study demonstrate that—regardless of the prevailing effect of smoking—many populations have still remarkable potentials to further narrow their gender gaps in life expectancy. Although measures to further reduce the prevalence of tobacco consumption must be continued, more attention should be directed to the growing importance of other non-biological factors. PMID:25505018

Climatic factors in resurgence of Mediterranean spotted fever

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arenas, E.E.; Creus, B.F.; Cueto, F.B.

1986-06-07

There has been a recent resurgence of Mediterranean spotted fever in areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This disease is caused by Rickettsia conorii, the dog tick being the vector and main reservoir. Ticks prefer warm weather and their activity increases with rising temperature. In the Valles Occidental, Spain, the incidence of the disease is correlated with hotter and drier summers in the past ten years.

[Sociomedical aspects of reduction of risk in the development of occupational diseases and industrial trauma in railway transport].

PubMed

Pankova, V B; Ivanov, V K; Kutovoĭ, V S

2001-01-01

The paper outlines the main constituents of occupational risk in railway workers, which are based on the sanitary and biomedical criteria of injury safety. Sociomedical aspects of the incidence of railway occupational diseases and injuries are discussed. A list of major occupational factors and causes that determine a high occupational risk in railway workers is given.

Antithyroid Drug Therapy for Graves' Disease and Implications for Recurrence

PubMed Central

Fu, Jing; Xu, Yuan

2017-01-01

Graves' disease (GD) is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism worldwide. Current therapeutic options for GD include antithyroid drugs (ATD), radioactive iodine, and thyroidectomy. ATD treatment is generally well accepted by patients and clinicians due to some advantages including normalizing thyroid function in a short time, hardly causing hypothyroidism, and ameliorating immune disorder while avoiding radiation exposure and invasive procedures. However, the relatively high recurrence rate is a major concern for ATD treatment, which is associated with multiple influencing factors like clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and genetic and environmental factors. Of these influencing factors, some are modifiable but some are nonmodifiable. The recurrence risk can be reduced by adjusting the modifiable factors as much as possible. The titration regimen for 12–18 months is the optimal strategy of ATD. Levothyroxine administration after successful ATD treatment was not recommended. The addition of immunosuppressive drugs might be helpful to decrease the recurrence rate of GD patients after ATD withdrawal, whereas further studies are needed to address the safety and efficacy. This paper reviewed the current knowledge of ATD treatment and mainly focused on influencing factors for recurrence in GD patients with ATD treatment. PMID:28529524

Distribution pattern of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica in Western Afghanistan during 2013-2014.

PubMed

Fakhar, Mahdi; Karamian, Mehdi; Ghatee, Mohammad Amin; Taylor, Walter Robert; Pazoki Ghohe, Hossein; Rasooli, Sayed Abobakar

2017-12-01

Anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL), caused by Leishmania tropica, is the main cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in the Herat province, Western Afghanistan. We investigated the role of environmental factors on ACL distribution in Herat. Epidemiological data from 2457 patients were retrieved from the local WHO sub-office. Shapefile layers of districts, cities, villages, land cover, soil type and digital elevation model (DEM) of the Herat province were used to assess, by logistic regression modelling, the effects of land cover, soil types, elevation, and proximity to the Harirud river on the distribution of ACL. The key determinants of distribution were: (i) close proximity to the Harirud river, (ii) elevation between 700 and 1200m, (iii) intensive and intermittent irrigated cultivated land, and (iv) Haplocalcids with Torriorthents and Torrifluvents soil types. No ACL cases were found below 700m, and a few cases were present at >1200m in irrigated areas around the Harirud river. These findings suggest that moist soil and the humidity from irrigated areas found between 700 and 1200m provide suitable breeding sites of Phlebotomus sergenti, the main sandfly vector of L. tropica in Afghanistan. The effect of elevation also explains the predominance of ACL over ZCL in this region. The present study showed that distribution of ACL is strongly associated with environmental factors in West Afghanistan where the political and socio-economic conditions may also affect the epidemiology of CL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Tropical causes of epilepsy].

PubMed

Carod-Artal, F J

Eighty-five percent of all epileptics live in tropical regions. Prenatal risk factors, traumatic brain injuries and different parasitic infestations of the central nervous system (CNS) are the reasons behind the high prevalence of epilepsy. This work reviews the main parasitic infestations causing epilepsy in the tropics. Neurocysticercosis is the main cause of focal epilepsy in early adulthood in endemic areas (30-50%). All the phases of cysticerci (viable, transitional and calcified) are associated with epileptic seizures. Anti-cysticercus treatment helps get rid of cysticerci faster and reduces the risk of recurrence of seizures in patients with viable cysts. Symptomatic epilepsy can be the first manifestation of neuroschistosomiasis in patients without any systemic symptoms. The pseudotumoral form can trigger seizures secondary to the presence of granulomas and oedemas in the cerebral cortex. The eggs of Schistosoma japonicum are smaller, reach the CNS more easily and trigger epileptic seizures more frequently. Toxocariasis and sparganosis are other parasitic infestations that can give rise to symptomatic seizures. The risk factors for suffering chronic epilepsy after cerebral malaria are a positive familial history of epilepsy and a history of episodes of fever and cerebral malaria that began with coma or which progressed with multiple, prolonged epileptic seizures. About 20% of patients with cerebral infarction secondary to Chagas disease present late vascular epilepsy as a complication. Very few studies have been conducted to examine the prognosis, risk of recurrence and modification of the natural course of seizures associated with tropical parasitic infestations, except for the case of neurocysticercosis.

Economic inequality in presenting near vision acuity in a middle-aged population: a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition.

PubMed

Emamian, Mohammad Hassan; Zeraati, Hojjat; Majdzadeh, Reza; Shariati, Mohammad; Hashemi, Hassan; Jafarzadehpur, Ebrahim; Fotouhi, Akbar

2013-09-01

To investigate economic inequality and its determinants in near vision, in a middle-aged population. In this population-based study, the presenting near vision in the better eye was investigated as the main outcome. If this vision revealed a value ≥1.6 M, the participant was considered to have presenting near vision impairment (PNVI). The effect of variables studied on PNVI was investigated using logistic regression. Economic inequality in PNVI was investigated using the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method. PNVI in the better eye was observed in 18.2% (95% CI 16.8 to 19.6) of participants. The prevalence of PNVI in the high and low economic groups was 11.7% (95% CI 10.3 to 13.0) and 28.5% (95% CI 26.0 to 31.0), respectively. Age and education were observed as the main factors in the explained portion of this gap and were in favour of the high economic group. Gender and eye care utilisation were factors affecting the unexplained portion of this gap and were in favour of the low economic group. Economic inequality plays a significant role in PNVI, while age and education are among the main factors affecting this gap. The effect caused by any change in these two factors was found to have a greater effect on women with low economic status.

Response of CO2 and H2O fluxes of a mountainous tropical rain forest in equatorial Indonesia to El Niño events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olchev, A.; Ibrom, A.; Panferov, O.; Gushchina, D.; Propastin, P.; Kreilein, H.; June, T.; Rauf, A.; Gravenhorst, G.; Knohl, A.

2015-03-01

The possible impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on the main components of CO2 and H2O fluxes in a pristine mountainous tropical rainforest growing in Central Sulawesi in Indonesia is described. The fluxes were continuously measured using the eddy covariance method for the period from January 2004 to June 2008. During this period, two episodes of El Niño and one episode of La Niña were observed. All these ENSO episodes had moderate intensity and were of Central Pacific type. The temporal variability analysis of the main meteorological parameters and components of CO2 and H2O exchange showed a very high sensitivity of Evapotranspiration (ET) and Gross Primary Production (GPP) of the tropical rain forest to meteorological variations caused by both El Niño and La Niña episodes. Incoming solar radiation is the main governing factor that is responsible for ET and GPP variability. Ecosystem Respiration (RE) dynamics depend mainly on the air temperature changes and are almost insensitive to ENSO. Changes of precipitation due to moderate ENSO events did not cause any notable effect on ET and GPP, mainly because of sufficient soil moisture conditions even in periods of anomalous reduction of precipitation in the region.

The role of infection and sepsis in the Brazilian Network for Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity.

PubMed

Pfitscher, L C; Cecatti, J G; Haddad, S M; Parpinelli, M A; Souza, J P; Quintana, S M; Surita, F G; Costa, M L

2016-02-01

To identify the burden of severe infection within the Brazilian Network for Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity and factors associated with worse maternal outcomes. This was a multicentre cross-sectional study involving 27 referral maternity hospitals in Brazil. WHO's standardised criteria for potentially life-threatening conditions and maternal near miss were used to identify cases through prospective surveillance and the main cause of morbidity was identified as infection or other causes (hypertension, haemorrhage or clinical/surgical). Complications due to infection were compared to complications due to the remaining causes of morbidity. Factors associated with a severe maternal outcome were assessed for the cases of infection. A total of 502 (5.3%) cases of maternal morbidity were associated with severe infection vs. 9053 cases (94.7%) with other causes. Considering increased severity of cases, infection was responsible for one-fourth of all maternal near miss (23.6%) and nearly half (46.4%) of maternal deaths, with a maternal near miss to maternal death ratio three times (2.8:1) that of cases without infection (7.8:1) and a high mortality index (26.3%). Within cases of infection, substandard care was present in over one half of the severe maternal outcome cases. Factors independently associated with worse maternal outcomes were HIV/AIDS, hysterectomy, prolonged hospitalisation, intensive care admission and delays in medical care. Infection is an alarming cause of maternal morbidity and mortality and timely diagnosis and adequate management are key to improving outcomes during pregnancy. Delays should be addressed, risk factors identified, and specific protocols of surveillance and care developed for use during pregnancy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Why do organizations not learn from incidents? Bottlenecks, causes and conditions for a failure to effectively learn.

PubMed

Drupsteen, Linda; Hasle, Peter

2014-11-01

If organizations would be able to learn more effectively from incidents that occurred in the past, future incidents and consequential injury or damage can be prevented. To improve learning from incidents, this study aimed to identify limiting factors, i.e. the causes of the failure to effectively learn. In seven organizations focus groups were held to discuss factors that according to employees contributed to the failure to learn. By use of a model of the learning from incidents process, the steps, where difficulties for learning arose, became visible, and the causes for these difficulties could be studied. Difficulties were identified in multiple steps of the learning process, but most difficulties became visible when planning actions, which is the phase that bridges the gap from incident investigation to actions for improvement. The main causes for learning difficulties, which were identified by the participants in this study, were tightly related to the learning process, but some indirect causes - or conditions - such as lack of ownership and limitations in expertise were also mentioned. The results illustrate that there are two types of causes for the failure to effectively learn: direct causes and indirect causes, here called conditions. By actively and systematically studying learning, more conditions might be identified and indicators for a successful learning process may be determined. Studying the learning process does, however, require a shift from learning from incidents to learning to learn. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of lifestyle-related factors on all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes: the Taichung Diabetes Study.

PubMed

Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Li, Chia-Ing; Liu, Chiu-Shong; Lin, Wen-Yuan; Fuh, Martin Mao-Tsu; Yang, Sing-Yu; Lee, Cheng-Chun; Li, Tsai-Chung

2012-01-01

To examine whether combined lifestyle behaviors have an impact on all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients aged 30-94 years with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Participants included 5,686 patients >30 years old with T2DM who were enrolled in a Diabetes Care Management Program at a medical center in central Taiwan before 2007. Lifestyle behaviors consisted of smoking, alcohol drinking, physical inactivity, and carbohydrate intake. The main outcomes were all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between combined lifestyle behaviors and mortality. The mortality rate among men was 24.10 per 1,000 person-years, and that among women was 17.25 per 1,000 person-years. After adjusting for the traditional risk factors, we found that combined lifestyle behavior was independently associated with all-cause mortality and mortality due to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Patients with three or more points were at a 3.50-fold greater risk of all-cause mortality (95% CI 2.06-5.96) and a 4.94-fold (1.62-15.06), 4.24-fold (1.20-14.95), and 1.31-fold (0.39-4.41) greater risk of diabetes-specific, CVD-specific, and cancer-specific mortality, respectively, compared with patients with zero points. Among these associations, the combined lifestyle behavior was not significantly associated with cancer mortality. Combined lifestyle behavior is a strong predictor of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with T2DM.

Discontinued drugs in 2012: cardiovascular drugs.

PubMed

Zhao, Hong-Ping; Jiang, Hong-Min; Xiang, Bing-Ren

2013-11-01

The continued high rate of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has attracted wide concern and great attention of pharmaceutical industry. In order to reduce the attrition of cardiovascular drug R&D, it might be helpful recapitulating previous failures and identifying the potential factors to success. This perspective mainly analyses the 30 cardiovascular drugs dropped from clinical development in 2012. Reasons causing the termination of the cardiovascular drugs in the past 5 years are also tabulated and analysed. The analysis shows that the attrition is highest in Phase II trials and financial and strategic factors and lack of clinical efficacy are the principal reasons for these disappointments. To solve the four problems (The 'better than the Beatles' problem, the 'cautious regulator' problem, the 'throw money at it' tendency and the 'basic researchbrute force' bias) is recommended as the main measure to increase the number and quality of approvable products.

Current overview of extrinsic and intrinsic factors in etiology and progression of inflammatory bowel diseases.

PubMed

Sobczak, Marta; Fabisiak, Adam; Murawska, Natalia; Wesołowska, Ewelina; Wierzbicka, Paulina; Wlazłowski, Marcin; Wójcikowska, Marta; Zatorski, Hubert; Zwolińska, Marta; Fichna, Jakub

2014-10-01

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic, relapsing disorders affecting gastrointestinal (GI) tract and associated with intestinal mucosa damage and inflammation. The principal therapeutic goals in IBD include control of the intestinal inflammation and treatment of the major symptoms, mainly abdominal pain and diarrhea. Current therapeutic strategies for IBD rely on the use of non-specific anti-inflammatory agents and immunosuppressive drugs (e.g. aminosalicylates, monoclonal antibodies, and antibiotics), which cause severe side effects, and - in a significant number of patients - do not induce long-term benefits. In this review, we summarize the epidemiology and the most important risk factors of IBD, including genetic, immunological and environmental. Our main focus is to discuss pharmacological targets for current and future treatments of IBD. Copyright © 2014 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

A deterministic model of nettle caterpillar life cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syukriyah, Y.; Nuraini, N.; Handayani, D.

2018-03-01

Palm oil is an excellent product in the plantation sector in Indonesia. The level of palm oil productivity is very potential to increase every year. However, the level of palm oil productivity is lower than its potential. Pests and diseases are the main factors that can reduce production levels by up to 40%. The existence of pests in plants can be caused by various factors, so the anticipation in controlling pest attacks should be prepared as early as possible. Caterpillars are the main pests in oil palm. The nettle caterpillars are leaf eaters that can significantly decrease palm productivity. We construct a deterministic model that describes the life cycle of the caterpillar and its mitigation by using a caterpillar predator. The equilibrium points of the model are analyzed. The numerical simulations are constructed to give a representation how the predator as the natural enemies affects the nettle caterpillar life cycle.

HSV-2 Vaccine: Current Status and Insight into Factors for Developing an Efficient Vaccine

PubMed Central

Zhu, Xiao-Peng; Muhammad, Zaka S.; Wang, Jian-Guang; Lin, Wu; Guo, Shi-Kun; Zhang, Wei

2014-01-01

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), a globally sexually transmitted virus, and also one of the main causes of genital ulcer diseases, increases susceptibility to HIV-1. Effective vaccines to prevent HSV-2 infection are not yet available, but are currently being developed. To facilitate this process, the latest progress in development of these vaccines is reviewed in this paper. A summary of the most promising HSV-2 vaccines tested in animals in the last five years is presented, including the main factors, and new ideas for developing an effective vaccine from animal experiments and human clinical trials. Experimental results indicate that future HSV-2 vaccines may depend on a strategy that targets mucosal immunity. Furthermore, estradiol, which increases the effectiveness of vaccines, may be considered as an adjuvant. Therefore, this review is expected to provide possible strategies for development of future HSV-2 vaccines. PMID:24469503

Study on relationship of performance shaping factor in human error probability with prevalent stress of PUSPATI TRIGA reactor operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahim, Ahmad Nabil Bin Ab; Mohamed, Faizal; Farid, Mohd Fairus Abdul; Fazli Zakaria, Mohd; Sangau Ligam, Alfred; Ramli, Nurhayati Binti

2018-01-01

Human factor can be affected by prevalence stress measured using Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). From the respondents feedback can be summarized that the main factor causes the highest prevalence stress is due to the working conditions that require operators to handle critical situation and make a prompt critical decisions. The relationship between the prevalence stress and performance shaping factors found that PSFFitness and PSFWork Process showed positive Pearson’s Correlation with the score of .763 and .826 while the level of significance, p = .028 and p = .012. These positive correlations with good significant values between prevalence stress and human performance shaping factor (PSF) related to fitness, work processes and procedures. The higher the stress level of the respondents, the higher the score of selected for the PSFs. This is due to the higher levels of stress lead to deteriorating physical health and cognitive also worsened. In addition, the lack of understanding in the work procedures can also be a factor that causes a growing stress. The higher these values will lead to the higher the probabilities of human error occur. Thus, monitoring the level of stress among operators RTP is important to ensure the safety of RTP.

[The problems of hearing impairment in the flying staff of commercial aviation in Russia].

PubMed

Pankova, V B; Bushmanov, A Iu

2014-01-01

The authors discuss the problems pertaining to the growing incidence of hearing impairment in the members of the flying staff employed in commercial aviation of Russia and the main criteria used to elucidate the causes behind occupational diseases of the organs of hearing. Special attention is given to the principal normative documents regulating the methodological basis on which the acoustic factor in the aircraft cockpit is evaluated, peculiarities of occupational sensorineural hearing impairment and the methods for its detection. The main errors in the determination of the relationship between the working conditions and the diseases of the organs of hearing are discussed.

[Carbon sources metabolic characteristics of airborne microbial communities in constructed wetlands].

PubMed

Song, Zhi-Wen; Wang, Lin; Xu, Ai-Ling; Wu, Deng-Deng; Xia, Yan

2015-02-01

Using BIOLOG-GN plates, this article describes the carbon sources metabolic characteristics of airborne microbial communities in a free surface-flow constructed wetland in different seasons and clarify the correlation between airborne microbial metabolic functions and environmental factors. The average well color development (AWCD), carbon metabolic profiles and McIntosh values of airborne microbial communities in different seasons were quite different. Analysis of the variations showed that AWCD in spring and summer differed significantly from that in autumn and winter (P < 0.01). In the same season, the degree of utilization of different types of carbon by airborne microbes was different. Summer had a significant difference from other seasons (P < 0.05). Dominant communities of airborne microbes in four seasons were carboxylic acids metabolic community, carbohydrates metabolic community, polymers metabolic community and carboxylic acids metabolic community respectively. Principal component analysis showed that the carbon metabolic characteristics of airborne microbial community in autumn were similar to those in winter but different from those in spring and summer. The characteristics of carbon metabolism revealed differences between summer and spring, autumn, or winter. These differences were mainly caused by amines or amides while the differences between spring and autumn or winter were mainly caused by carboxylic acids. Environmental factors, including changes in wind speed, temperature, and humidity acted to influence the carbon sources metabolic properties of airborne microbial community. The dominant environmental factors that acted to influence the carbon sources metabolic properties of airborne microbial community varied between different seasons.

Fatality risk assessment and modeling of drivers responsibility for causing traffic accidents in Dubai.

PubMed

Abdalla, Ibrahim M

2002-01-01

This paper examines crash and safety statistics from the Emirate of Dubai in an attempt to identify factors responsible for making this population at greater risk of crashes compared to other countries. In developing countries such as the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), motor-vehicle-related mortalities frequently exceed those of the industrialized nations of North America and Europe. Fatality and injury data used in the analysis mainly come from Dubai Emirate police reports and from other relevant international sources. Groups of the population are identified according to associated risk and exposure factors. Influence and strength of the most common risk factors are quantified using relative risk, the Lorenz curve, and the Gini index. Further analysis employed logit modeling, and possible predictors available in Dubai police reports, to estimate probability and odds ratios associated with drivers that are deemed responsible for causing traffic accidents. Traffic fatality risk was found to be higher in Dubai, compared to some developed nations, and to vary considerably between different classes of road users and groups of the resident population. The likelihood of a driver causing an accident is considerably higher for those driving goods vehicles, but it is also associated with other factors. Results provide epidemiological inferences about traffic mortality and morbidity, and suggest priorities and appropriate measures for intervention, targeting resident population.

Understanding transportation-caused rangeland damage in Mongolia.

PubMed

Keshkamat, S S; Tsendbazar, N E; Zuidgeest, M H P; Shiirev-Adiya, S; van der Veen, A; van Maarseveen, M F A M

2013-01-15

Mongolia, a vast and sparsely populated semi-arid country, has very little formal road infrastructure. Since the 1990s, private ownership and usage of vehicles has been increasing, which has created a web of dirt track corridors due to the communal land tenure and unobstructed terrain, with some of these corridors reaching over 4 km in width. This practice aids wind- and water-aided erosion and desertification, causing enormous negative environmental effects. Little is being done to counter the phenomenon, mainly because the logic of the driving behaviour that causes this dirt road widening is not fully understood. The research in this article postulates that this driving behaviour has rational foundations and is linked to various geographical factors (natural and man-made geographical features). We analysed 11,000 km of arterial routes in the country using spatial statistics and determined that geographically weighted regression (GWR) analysis offers a good explanation for whether, and by how much, the selected geographical factors affect the creation of corridor widths and how their effect varies across the landscape. We determined that corridor widths are correlated to factors such as proximity to river crossings, traffic intensity, and vegetation abundance. Knowing these factors can help local planners and engineers design counter-measures that could help to control and reduce the widths of these corridors, until paved roads can replace the dirt track corridors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Systemic and local mechanisms leading to cachexia in cancer].

PubMed

Grabiec, Kamil; Burchert, Marta; Milewska, Marta; Błaszczyk, Maciej; Grzelkowska-Kowalczyk, Katarzyna

2013-12-31

Cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome of atrophy of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, resulting in progressive loss of body weight associated with low quality of life and poor prognosis in cancer. Studies on experimental animal models and observations on patients have shown that the soluble factors secreted by tumor cells and tissues of the patient can participate in regulation of the wasting process. Cachexia is often accompanied by anorexia, which is caused by predominance of signals inhibiting appetite in the hypothalamus, such as release of proopiomelanocortin and anorexigenic action of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α). Cachexia is also accompanied by extensive metabolic changes consisting of increase of resting energy expenditure and disturbance of carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism. Increased expression of protein uncoupling phosphorylation leads to increased thermogenesis in skeletal muscle. Tumor tissue hypoxia caused by its growth beyond blood vessels activates the transcription factor HIF-1, which results in increase in glycolysis, and leads to lactic acid accumulation and activation of the energy inefficient Cori cycle. Loss of fat tissue is caused by increase of lipolysis induced by lipid-mobilizing factor (LMF) and proinflammatory cytokines. Skeletal muscle wasting in cachexia is caused by a reduction of protein synthesis at the stage of initiation and elongation of translation and the simultaneous increase of protein degradation via ubiquitin-dependent and lysosomal pathways. The main mediators of skeletal muscle wasting in cancer are proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF), proinflammatory cytokines, and angiotensin II acting through increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nuclear factor NF-κB activation, as well as glucocorticoid activated FOXO transcription factors and myostatin. Understanding of the complexity of the interaction of factors produced by the tumor and the patient's body may form the basis for the development of effective treatments for cachexia in cancer and other pathological conditions.

Risk Factors for Campylobacteriosis of Chicken, Ruminant, and Environmental Origin: A Combined Case-Control and Source Attribution Analysis

PubMed Central

Wagenaar, Jaap A.; de Boer, Albert G.; Havelaar, Arie H.; Friesema, Ingrid H. M.; French, Nigel P.; Busani, Luca; van Pelt, Wilfrid

2012-01-01

Background Campylobacteriosis contributes strongly to the disease burden of food-borne pathogens. Case-control studies are limited in attributing human infections to the different reservoirs because they can only trace back to the points of exposure, which may not point to the original reservoirs because of cross-contamination. Human Campylobacter infections can be attributed to specific reservoirs by estimating the extent of subtype sharing between strains from humans and reservoirs using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated risk factors for human campylobacteriosis caused by Campylobacter strains attributed to different reservoirs. Sequence types (STs) were determined for 696 C. jejuni and 41 C. coli strains from endemic human cases included in a case-control study. The asymmetric island model, a population genetics approach for modeling Campylobacter evolution and transmission, attributed these cases to four putative animal reservoirs (chicken, cattle, sheep, pig) and to the environment (water, sand, wild birds) considered as a proxy for other unidentified reservoirs. Most cases were attributed to chicken (66%) and cattle (21%), identified as the main reservoirs in The Netherlands. Consuming chicken was a risk factor for campylobacteriosis caused by chicken-associated STs, whereas consuming beef and pork were protective. Risk factors for campylobacteriosis caused by ruminant-associated STs were contact with animals, barbecuing in non-urban areas, consumption of tripe, and never/seldom chicken consumption. Consuming game and swimming in a domestic swimming pool during springtime were risk factors for campylobacteriosis caused by environment-associated STs. Infections with chicken- and ruminant-associated STs were only partially explained by food-borne transmission; direct contact and environmental pathways were also important. Conclusion/Significance This is the first case-control study in which risk factors for campylobacteriosis are investigated in relation to the attributed reservoirs based on MLST profiles. Combining epidemiological and source attribution data improved campylobacteriosis risk factor identification and characterization, generated hypotheses, and showed that genotype-based source attribution is epidemiologically sensible. PMID:22880049

Equid Herpesvirus Type 1 Activates Platelets

PubMed Central

Stokol, Tracy; Yeo, Wee Ming; Burnett, Deborah; DeAngelis, Nicole; Huang, Teng; Osterrieder, Nikolaus; Catalfamo, James

2015-01-01

Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) causes outbreaks of abortion and neurological disease in horses. One of the main causes of these clinical syndromes is thrombosis in placental and spinal cord vessels, however the mechanism for thrombus formation is unknown. Platelets form part of the thrombus and amplify and propagate thrombin generation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that EHV-1 activates platelets. We found that two EHV-1 strains, RacL11 and Ab4 at 0.5 or higher plaque forming unit/cell, activate platelets within 10 minutes, causing α-granule secretion (surface P-selectin expression) and platelet microvesiculation (increased small events double positive for CD41 and Annexin V). Microvesiculation was more pronounced with the RacL11 strain. Virus-induced P-selectin expression required plasma and 1.0 mM exogenous calcium. P-selectin expression was abolished and microvesiculation was significantly reduced in factor VII- or X-deficient human plasma. Both P-selectin expression and microvesiculation were re-established in factor VII-deficient human plasma with added purified human factor VIIa (1 nM). A glycoprotein C-deficient mutant of the Ab4 strain activated platelets as effectively as non-mutated Ab4. P-selectin expression was abolished and microvesiculation was significantly reduced by preincubation of virus with a goat polyclonal anti-rabbit tissue factor antibody. Infectious virus could be retrieved from washed EHV-1-exposed platelets, suggesting a direct platelet-virus interaction. Our results indicate that EHV-1 activates equine platelets and that α-granule secretion is a consequence of virus-associated tissue factor triggering factor X activation and thrombin generation. Microvesiculation was only partly tissue factor and thrombin-dependent, suggesting the virus causes microvesiculation through other mechanisms, potentially through direct binding. These findings suggest that EHV-1-induced platelet activation could contribute to the thrombosis that occurs in clinically infected horses and provides a new mechanism by which viruses activate hemostasis. PMID:25905776

[Factors associated to mortality by non-communicable diseases in Colombia, 2008-2012].

PubMed

Martínez, Julio Cesar

2016-12-01

Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of premature mortality and disability in the world. To describe the trend pattern and to explore which risk factors were associated with mortality rates in Colombia from 2008 to 2012. A descriptive study was conducted to analyze mortality rate trends from the official vital statistics (death certificates) from 2008 to 2012. Between 2008 and 2012 there were 727,146 deaths due to non-communicable diseases, and 58.5% of them occurred among men aged less than 75 years. The mortality rate during the study period was 319.5 deaths per 100,000 people. The trend showed a statistically significant decline in mortality rates (-3%) across the country. For each woman who died due to external causes (i.e., not related to illness or old age), five men died under the same circumstances (OR=5,295; IC 95%: 5,143-5,454). The five most important causes of mortality were heart diseases, injuries due to aggressions, malignant tumors, chronic lower respiratory diseases and road traffic accidents. The cause of death differed significantly by sex and age. The main causes of death in Colombia were heart diseases and injuries (homicide). Mortality was higher among men of all ages than among women, but 15 to 45 year-old males were more likely to die due to external causes.

Experimental Investigation of Inter-Blade Vortices in a Model Francis Turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LIU, Demin; LIU, Xiaobing; ZHAO, Yongzhi

2017-07-01

The inter-blade vortex in a Francis turbine becomes one of the main hydraulic factors that are likely to cause blade erosion at deep part load operating conditions. However, the causes and the mechanism of inter-blade vortex are still under investigation according to present researches. Thus the causes of inter-blade vortex and the effect of different hydraulic parameters on the inter-blade vortex are investigated experimentally. The whole life cycle of the inter-blade vortex is observed by a high speed camera. The test results illustrate the whole life cycle of the inter-blade vortex from generation to separation and even to fading. It is observed that the inter-blade vortex becomes stronger with the decreasing of flow and head, which leads to pressure fluctuation. Meanwhile, the pressure fluctuations in the vane-less area and the draft tube section become stronger when inter-blade vortices exist in the blade channel. The turbine will be damaged if operating in the inter-blade vortex zone, so its operating range must be far away from that zone. This paper reveals the main cause of the inter-blade vortex which is the larger incidence angle between the inflow angle and the blade angle on the leading edge of the runner at deep part load operating conditions.

Regional-level estimation of expected years of life lost attributable to overweight and obesity among Mexican adults.

PubMed

Murillo-Zamora, Efrén; García-Ceballos, Raúl; Delgado-Enciso, Iván; Garza-Guajardo, Raquel; Barboza-Quintana, Oralia; Rodríguez-Sánchez, Irám P; Mendoza-Cano, Oliver

2016-01-01

Excess body weight has become a major public health problem worldwide, and the burden of overweight and obesity was calculated in this work from a health economics perspective. To estimate the burden of disease attributable to overweight and obesity among males and females aged 20 years and older using years of life lost (YLL) and age-standardized YLL rates (ASYLL), and to rank the leading causes of premature death. A cross-sectional study took place (2010-2014) and 6,054 deaths were analyzed. Thirteen basic causes of death associated with overweight or obesity were included. The population attributable fraction (PAF), YLL, and ASYLL were calculated. The overall burden attributable to overweight and obesity was 36,087 YLL, and the estimated ASYLL per 10,000 persons was 1,098 and 1,029 in males and females, respectively. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was the main cause of premature death (males, 968 ASYLL; females, 772 ASYLL). Overweight and obesity are major risk factors of chronic diseases that are main causes of premature death in the study population. Strategies for preventing overweight and obesity may decrease the incidence and mortality associated with these non-communicable diseases. ASYLL seems to be an indicator that is particularly well adapted to decision-making in public health.

The two main theories on dental bruxism.

PubMed

Behr, Michael; Hahnel, Sebastian; Faltermeier, Andreas; Bürgers, Ralf; Kolbeck, Carola; Handel, Gerhard; Proff, Peter

2012-03-20

Bruxism is characterized by non-functional contact of mandibular and maxillary teeth resulting in clenching or grating of teeth. Theories on factors causing bruxism are a matter of controversy in current literature. The dental profession has predominantly viewed peripheral local morphological disorders, such as malocclusion, as the cause of clenching and gnashing. This etiological model is based on the theory that occlusal maladjustment results in reduced masticatory muscle tone. In the absence of occlusal equilibration, motor neuron activity of masticatory muscles is triggered by periodontal receptors. The second theory assumes that central disturbances in the area of the basal ganglia are the main cause of bruxism. An imbalance in the circuit processing of the basal ganglia is supposed to be responsible for muscle hyperactivity during nocturnal dyskinesia such as bruxism. Some authors assume that bruxism constitutes sleep-related parafunctional activity (parasomnia). A recent model, which may explain the potential imbalance of the basal ganglia, is neuroplasticity. Neural plasticity is based on the ability of synapses to change the way they work. Activation of neural plasticity can change the relationship between inhibitory and excitatory neurons. It seems obvious that bruxism is not a symptom specific to just one disease. Many forms (and causes) of bruxism may exist simultaneously, as, for example, peripheral or central forms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The biology of Echinoparyphium (Trematoda, Echinostomatidae).

PubMed

Huffman, Jane E; Fried, Bernard

2012-09-01

Echinoparyphium species are common, widely distributed intestinal parasites causing disease in animals worldwide. Intermediate hosts include snails, bivalves, and fish, whereas the definitive hosts are mainly birds and mammals. This review examines the significant literature on Echinoparyphium. Descriptive studies, life cycle, experimental and manipulative studies, and biochemical and molecular studies are presented. The influence of environmental factors, and toxic pollutants, are reviewed as well as studies on the pathology of Echinoparyphium.

[Pathophysiology of hypertension in chronic kidney disease].

PubMed

Sawicka, Magdalena; Jędras, Mirosław

2014-01-01

Hypertension is both an important cause and consequence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is present in 80-85% of the patients. The article summarizes the main pathogenetic factors of hypertension in CKD such as: sodium retention, increased activity the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and sympathetic nervous system, impaired nitric oxide synthesis and endothelium-mediated vasodilatation, oxidative stress, disorders of calcium metabolism and parathyroid hormone secretion, vascular calcification and increased arterial stiffness.

[Advanced glycation end products: A risk factor for human health].

PubMed

Wautier, M-P; Tessier, F J; Wautier, J-L

2014-11-01

Advanced glycation end products (AGE) result from a chemical reaction between the carbonyl group of reducing sugar and the nucleophilic NH2 of a free amino acid or a protein; lysine and arginine being the main reactive amino acids on proteins. Following this first step, a molecular rearrangement occurs, rearrangement of Amadori resulting to the formation of Maillard products. Glycation can cause the clouding of the lens by inducing reactions crosslinking proteins. Specialized receptors (RAGE, Galectin 3…) bind AGE. The binding to the receptor causes the formation of free radicals, which have a deleterious effect because they are powerful oxidizing agents, but also play the role of intracellular messenger, altering the cell functions. This is especially true at the level of endothelial cells: the attachment of AGE to RAGE receptor causes an increase in vascular permeability. AGE binding to endothelium RAGE and to monocytes-macrophages, led to the production of cytokines, growth factors, to the expression of adhesion molecules, and the production of procoagulant activity. Diabetic retinopathy is related to excessive secretion of vascular growth factor (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]). AGE-RAGE receptor binding causes the synthesis and secretion of VEGF. Increased permeability, facilitation of leukocyte migration, the production of reactive oxygen species, cytokines and VEGF suggest that the AGE could be an element of a cascade of reactions responsible for the diabetic angiopathy and vascular damages observed during aging and chronic renal failure. Balanced diet or some drugs can limit the deleterious effect of AGE. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1990–2010

PubMed Central

Jaber, Sara; Mokdad, Ali H.; AlMazroa, Mohammad A.; Murray, Christopher J.L.; Al Rabeeah, Abdullah A.

2014-01-01

Introduction We report the burden of disease and risk factors measured by causes of death, years of life lost attributable to premature mortality (YLLs), years of life lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 1990, 2005, and 2010 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods We used the Global Burden of Diseases 2010 (GBD 2010) methodology to estimate the country-level burden of disease in KSA. We used data from systematic reviews of the literature, household survey data, antenatal clinic surveillance data, reportable disease notifications, disease registries, hospital admissions data, outpatient visit data, population-based cancer registries, active screening data, and other administrative data. Results Noncommunicable diseases and road traffic injuries became the leading cause of death and disability in KSA in 2010. Elevated body mass index was the leading risk factor for disease (7.02% for males and 4.61% for females in 2010). High glucose levels were the second leading disease risk factor for females (3.28%) and third for males (6.25%) in 2010. Preterm birth complications were the main cause for DALYs in 1990; however, in 2010, the leading cause of DALYs for males was road traffic injuries (12.40%) and for females it was major depressive disorder (7.88%). Conclusion KSA is facing a rising burden of noncommunicable diseases and road traffic injuries as a result of rapid changes in behaviors. Our results demonstrate the need for major intervention to reduce these burdens and to engage other sectors of the government and the community in these efforts. PMID:25275806

Dependence of flood risk perceptions on socioeconomic and objective risk factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botzen, W. J. W.; Aerts, J. C. J. H.; van den Bergh, J. C. J. M.

2009-10-01

This study examines flood risk perceptions of individuals in the Netherlands using a survey of approximately 1000 homeowners. Perceptions of a range of aspects of flood risk are elicited. Various statistical models are used to estimate the influence of socioeconomic and geographical characteristics, personal experience with flooding, knowledge of flood threats, and individual risk attitudes on shaping risk belief. The study shows that in general, perceptions of flood risk are low. An analysis of the factors determining risk perceptions provides four main insights relevant for policy makers and insurers. First, differences in expected risk are consistently related to actual risk levels, since individuals in the vicinity of a main river and low-lying areas generally have elevated risk perceptions. Second, individuals in areas unprotected by dikes tend to underestimate their risk of flooding. Third, individuals with little knowledge of the causes of flood events have lower perceptions of flood risk. Fourth, there is some evidence that older and more highly educated individuals have a lower flood risk perception. The findings indicate that increasing knowledge of citizens about the causes of flooding may increase flood risk awareness. It is especially important to target individuals who live in areas unprotected by dike infrastructure, since they tend to be unaware of or ignore the high risk exposure faced.

[Overpopulation is bad, but excessive consumption is worse].

PubMed

Susuki, D

1993-12-01

The notion that consumption in developed countries is the main cause of ecological deterioration and planetary contamination is contested by many who assert that overpopulation in the developing world is the main factor. But the great disparity in income and consumption between rich and poor countries cannot be ignored. Each Canadian consumes 16 to 20 times more than an inhabitant of India or China and 60 to 70 times more than an inhabitant of Bangladesh. Consequently, the 1.1 billion inhabitants of industrialized countries cause ecological effects equivalent to what would be produced by 17 to 70 billion inhabitants of developing countries. The planet could not support 5.5 billion persons consuming at the rate of the 1.1 billion in the developed world. Consumption has been encouraged by the government and businesses in the U.S. and is an important factor in the health of the economy. But increases in consumption are not sustainable indefinitely. Much of current consumption results from inefficiency and waste. The life style of the developed countries has a high price in violence, alienation, alcoholism, vandalism, loneliness, pollution, and disturbance of the family and neighborhood. Becoming content with less consumption and striving for a future based on communities with greater self-confidence and self-sufficiency is a reasonable goal from both ecological and social points of view.

Factors influencing development of cracking-sliding failures of loess across the eastern Huangtu Plateau of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanrong; Mao, Jiarui; Xiang, Xiqiong; Mo, Ping

2018-04-01

Loess is a porous, weakly cemented, and unsaturated Quaternary sediment deposited by the wind in arid and semiarid regions. Loess is widely and thickly distributed in China, making the Huangtu Plateau the largest bulk accumulation of loess on Earth. However, the fragile geoenvironment in the loess areas of China causes frequent and various geohazards, such as cracking-sliding failure (beng-hua in Chinese), which is a typical geohazard that causes the largest number of casualties each year. This study investigates the main influencing factors and development patterns of cracking-sliding failure of loess to help prevent its occurrence and reduce losses effectively. The following conclusions are derived from this study: (1) cracking-sliding failures mostly take place in rectilinear slopes, convex slopes, slopes with gradients greater than 60°, slopes with heights of 5 to 40 m, and slopes mostly exposed to sunlight with aspects of 180 to 270°; (2) cracking-sliding failures occur mostly from 10 pm to 4 am and mainly in the rainy season (July to September) and in the freeze-thaw season (March to April); and (3) highly intense human activities in the region correspond to a high possibility of cracking-sliding failures.

Causes of male infertility: a 9-year prospective monocentre study on 1737 patients with reduced total sperm counts

PubMed Central

Punab, M.; Poolamets, O.; Paju, P.; Vihljajev, V.; Pomm, K.; Ladva, R.; Korrovits, P.; Laan, M.

2017-01-01

STUDY QUESTION What are the primary causes of severe male factor infertility? SUMMARY ANSWER Although 40% of all patients showed primary causes of infertility, which could be subdivided into three groups based on the severity of their effect, ~75% of oligozoospermia cases remained idiopathic. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY There are few large-scale epidemiological studies analyzing the causes of male factor infertility. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A prospective clinical-epidemiological study was conducted at the Andrology Centre, Tartu University Hospital between 2005 and 2013, recruiting male partners of couples failing to conceive a child for over ≥12 months. Among 8518 patients, 1737 (20.4%) were diagnosed with severe male factor infertility. A reference group of fertile controls was comprised of 325 partners of pregnant women. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The mean age of infertility patients and fertile controls was 33.2 ± 7.3 and 31.7 ± 6.3 years, respectively. All participants were examined using a standardized andrology workup, accompanied by a structured medical interview. Hormonal analysis included serum FSH, LH and testosterone. Semen quality was determined in accordance to the World Health Organization recommendations. Cases with spermatozoa concentrations of ≤5 million/ml were screened for chromosomal aberrations and Y-chromosomal microdeletions. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The primary cause of infertility was defined for 695 of 1737 patients (~40%). The analyzed causal factors could be divided into absolute (secondary hypogonadism, genetic causes, seminal tract obstruction), severe (oncological diseases, severe sexual dysfunction) and plausible causal factors (congenital anomalies in uro-genital tract, acquired or secondary testicular damage). The latter were also detected for 11 (3.4%) men with proven fertility (diagnoses: unilateral cryptorchidism, testis cancer, orchitis, mumps orchitis). The causal factors behind the most severe forms of impaired spermatogenesis were relatively well understood; causes were assigned: for aspermia in 46/46 cases (100%), for azoospermia in 321/388 cases (82.7%), and for cryptozoospermia in 54/130 cases (41.5%). In contrast, 75% of oligozoospermia cases remained unexplained. The main cause of aspermia was severe sexual dysfunction (71.7% of aspermia patients). Azoospermia patients accounted for 86.4% of all cases diagnosed with secondary hypogonadism and 97.1% of patients with seminal tract obstruction. Of patients with a known genetic factor, 87.4% had extreme infertility (azoo-, crypto- or aspermia). The prevalence of congenital anomalies in the uro-genital tract was not clearly correlated with the severity of impaired sperm production. Previously defined ‘potential contributing factors’ varicocele and leukocytospermia were excluded as the primary causes of male infertility. However, their incidence was >2-fold higher (31.0 vs 13.5% and 16.1 vs 7.4%; P < 0.001) in the idiopathic infertility group compared to controls. In addition, the proportions of overweight (or obese) patients and patients suffering from a chronic disease were significantly increased in almost all of the patient subgroups. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION The study included only subjects with reduced total spermatozoa counts. Thus, these findings cannot be automatically applied to all male factor infertility cases. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The novel insights and improved clarity achieved in the comprehensive analysis regarding the absolute, causative and plausible factors behind male infertility, as well as the ‘potential contributing factors’, will be valuable tools in updating the current clinical guidelines. The study highlights knowledge gaps and reiterates an urgent need to uncover the causes and mechanisms behind, and potential treatments of, oligozoospermic cases, representing the majority of idiopathic infertility patients (86.3%). STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The project was financed by the EU through the ERDF, project HAPPY PREGNANCY, no. 3.2.0701.12-004 (M.P., M.L.) and the Estonian Research Council: grants PUT181 (M.P.) and IUT34-12 (M.L.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. We have no competing interests to declare. TRAIL  REGISTRATION NUMBER Not applicable PMID:27864361

[Risk, cause and disease in the occupational environment. Neurologic risk factors].

PubMed

Maqueda-Blasco, J

In this paper we study the epidemiological criteria and those of etiological investigation which should be considered when analysing and investigating problems with health due to exposure to occupational hazards, with special attention to neurological damage due to chemical or physical contamination or to the ergonometric requirements of the task. We define the part played by occupational hazards in causing disease both professional and related to other occupations. The different preventive models used in the history of prevention of professional hazards are analysed. Particular attention is paid to the so-called socio-technical model which considers illness as dysfunction of the relation man/work. The neurological risk factors are analysed separately; therefore we emphasize the different neurotoxic chemicals, physical and ergonomic agents (the latter may be considered a pandemic in the workplace), and we establish the relationships with the main clinical and functional disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems and the musculoskeletal system.

[Clinical aspects and prognostic factors of icterohemorrhagic leptospirosis in adults. Apropos of 249 cases in La Reunion].

PubMed

Pertuiset, E; Fen Chong, M; Duval, G; Génin, R

1988-01-01

Human leptospirosis of the classical and severe icterohemorrhagic type, usually due to the L. icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup, is frequent in La Réunion. In a retrospective study conducted between 1980 and 1984 in 249 adult patients, the mortality rate was 13 p. 100. Our data and those found in the literature indicate that the main cause of death is pneumopathy, followed by profuse haemorrhages, arrhythmias and cardiovascular collapse. Acute renal failure is common and often severe; it facilitates gastrointestinal bleeding and is of poor prognosis, particularly in patients with prolonged anuria, a possible cause of lethal hyperkalaemia. Other factors of unfavourable outcome have been demonstrated statistically; they include disturbances of consciousness, hypoprothrombinaemia, epigastric muscle rigidity, hyperleukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, high aspartate aminotransferase levels and chronic alcoholism. At the moment, pulmonary, cardiac and haemorrhagic complications concur with renal failure to darken the prognosis of these severe forms of leptospirosis.

[The role of natriuretic peptides in heart failure].

PubMed

Ancona, R; Limongelli, G; Pacileo, G; Miele, T; Rea, A; Roselli, T; Masarone, D; Messina, S; Palmieri, R; Golia, E; Iacomino, M; Gala, S; Calabrò, P; Di Salvo, G; Calabrò, R

2007-10-01

Over the last decades, there has been a significant increase in incidence and prevalence of heart failure, a major cause of cardiac morbidity and mortality. Measurements of neurohormones, in particular B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), can significantly improve diagnostic accuracy, and also correlate with long-term morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure presenting to the emergency department. BNP is secreted by cardiac ventricles mainly in response to wall stress and neurohormonal factors like the sympathetic nervous system, endothelins, and the rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. BNP increases myocardial relaxation and oppose the vasoconstrictive, sodium retaining, and natriuretic effects caused by vasoconstrictive factors. BNP is the first biomarker to prove its clinical value for the diagnosis of left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction but also for the right ventricular dysfunction, guiding prognosis and therapy management. Emerging clinical data will help further refine biomarker-guided therapeutic and monitoring strategies involving BNP.

Lifestyle Changes in Young Adulthood and Middle Age and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality: The Doetinchem Cohort Study.

PubMed

Hulsegge, Gerben; Looman, Moniek; Smit, Henriëtte A; Daviglus, Martha L; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Verschuren, W M Monique

2016-01-13

The associations between overall lifestyle profile and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death have been mainly investigated in cross-sectional studies. The full benefits of a healthy lifestyle may therefore be underestimated, and the magnitude of benefits associated with changes in lifestyle remains unclear. We quantified the association of changes in lifestyle profiles over 5 years with risk of CVD and all-cause mortality. Lifestyle factors (ie, diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption) and body mass index were assessed and dichotomized as healthy/unhealthy among 5263 adults ages 26 to 66 in 1993-1997 and 5 years later (1998-2002). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to quantify associations of change in lifestyle with fatal/nonfatal CVD and all-cause mortality that occurred 8 to 15 years after 1998-2002. Independent of baseline lifestyles, each decrement in number of healthy lifestyle factors was, on average, associated with 35% higher risk of CVD (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.12-1.63) and 37% higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.10-1.70); no association was noted with increase in the number of healthy lifestyle factors (P>0.5). Individuals who maintained 4 to 5 healthy lifestyle factors had 2.5 times lower risk of CVD (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.25-0.63) and all-cause mortality (HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.22-0.73) than those who maintained only 0 to 1 healthy lifestyle factor. Our findings suggest that the benefits of healthy lifestyles may be easier lost than gained over a 5-year period. This underscores the need for efforts to promote maintenance of healthy lifestyles throughout the life course. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Birth characteristics in a clinical sample of women seeking infertility treatment: a case-control study.

PubMed

Vikström, Josefin; Hammar, Mats; Josefsson, Ann; Bladh, Marie; Sydsjö, Gunilla

2014-03-10

To determine the distribution of low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) by main cause of infertility (female, combined, male, unexplained) in women seeking infertility treatment. A case-control study. A Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Sweden. All women (n=1293) born in Sweden in 1973 or later and who were part of heterosexual couples seeking infertility treatment at a Centre of Reproductive Medicine from 2005 to 2010 were asked to participate. Those who had not begun the diagnostic process and who declined participation in the study were excluded. In total, 1206 women (94.5%) participated in the study. Main cause of infertility (female, combined, male, unexplained) collected from the patients' medical charts. LBW (<2500 g), preterm birth (<37 weeks), SGA (<-2SD of the mean weight for the gestational length) and LGA (>+2SD of the mean weight for the gestational length), collected from the Swedish Medical Birth Register. The risk of being born with LBW was increased about 2.4 times (OR=2.40, CI 1.13 to 5.07, p=0.02) in women seeking treatment for infertility due to female causes rather than for male or unexplained causes. Women with a female infertility factor were 2.7 times more likely to be born SGA (OR=2.73, CI 1.02 to 7.34, p=0.047) compared with those in whom the cause of infertility was unexplained. Women born with LBW or SGA seem to suffer an increased risk of infertility due to a female factor. Thus, infants born with birth characteristics that deviate from the norm may be at greater risk of difficulties in childbearing later on in life. Since this study is the first of its kind, more studies are needed to verify the associations found in this study and to determine their nature.

The Prevalence and Causes of Vision Loss in Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians: The National Eye Health Survey.

PubMed

Foreman, Joshua; Xie, Jing; Keel, Stuart; van Wijngaarden, Peter; Sandhu, Sukhpal Singh; Ang, Ghee Soon; Fan Gaskin, Jennifer; Crowston, Jonathan; Bourne, Rupert; Taylor, Hugh R; Dirani, Mohamed

2017-12-01

To conduct a nationwide survey on the prevalence and causes of vision loss in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Nationwide, cross-sectional, population-based survey. Indigenous Australians aged 40 years or older and non-Indigenous Australians aged 50 years and older. Multistage random-cluster sampling was used to select 3098 non-Indigenous Australians and 1738 Indigenous Australians from 30 sites across 5 remoteness strata (response rate of 71.5%). Sociodemographic and health data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Trained examiners conducted standardized eye examinations, including visual acuity, perimetry, slit-lamp examination, intraocular pressure, and fundus photography. The prevalence and main causes of bilateral presenting vision loss (visual acuity <6/12 in the better eye) were determined, and risk factors were identified. Prevalence and main causes of vision loss. The overall prevalence of vision loss in Australia was 6.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.4-7.8). The prevalence of vision loss was 11.2% (95% CI, 9.5-13.1) in Indigenous Australians and 6.5% (95% CI, 5.3-7.9) in non-Indigenous Australians. Vision loss was 2.8 times more prevalent in Indigenous Australians than in non-Indigenous Australians after age and gender adjustment (17.7%, 95% CI, 14.5-21.0 vs. 6.4%, 95% CI, 5.2-7.6, P < 0.001). In non-Indigenous Australians, the leading causes of vision loss were uncorrected refractive error (61.3%), cataract (13.2%), and age-related macular degeneration (10.3%). In Indigenous Australians, the leading causes of vision loss were uncorrected refractive error (60.8%), cataract (20.1%), and diabetic retinopathy (5.2%). In non-Indigenous Australians, increasing age (odds ratio [OR], 1.72 per decade) and having not had an eye examination within the past year (OR, 1.61) were risk factors for vision loss. Risk factors in Indigenous Australians included older age (OR, 1.61 per decade), remoteness (OR, 2.02), gender (OR, 0.60 for men), and diabetes in combination with never having had an eye examination (OR, 14.47). Vision loss is more prevalent in Indigenous Australians than in non-Indigenous Australians, highlighting that improvements in eye healthcare in Indigenous communities are required. The leading causes of vision loss were uncorrected refractive error and cataract, which are readily treatable. Other countries with Indigenous communities may benefit from conducting similar surveys of Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hierarchical modeling of indoor radon concentration: how much do geology and building factors matter?

PubMed

Borgoni, Riccardo; De Francesco, Davide; De Bartolo, Daniela; Tzavidis, Nikos

2014-12-01

Radon is a natural gas known to be the main contributor to natural background radiation exposure and only second to smoking as major leading cause of lung cancer. The main concern is in indoor environments where the gas tends to accumulate and can reach high concentrations. The primary contributor of this gas into the building is from the soil although architectonic characteristics, such as building materials, can largely affect concentration values. Understanding the factors affecting the concentration in dwellings and workplaces is important both in prevention, when the construction of a new building is being planned, and in mitigation when the amount of Radon detected inside a building is too high. In this paper we investigate how several factors, such as geologic typologies of the soil and a range of building characteristics, impact on indoor concentration focusing, in particular, on how concentration changes as a function of the floor level. Adopting a mixed effects model to account for the hierarchical nature of the data, we also quantify the extent to which such measurable factors manage to explain the variability of indoor radon concentration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of ions, heavy metals, fluoride, and agrochemicals: critical evaluation of potential aetiological factors of chronic kidney disease of multifactorial origin (CKDmfo/CKDu) and recommendations for its eradication.

PubMed

Wimalawansa, Sunil J

2016-06-01

The pollution of water and food through human waste and anthropogenic activities, including industrial waste and agricultural runoff, is a mounting problem worldwide. Water pollution from microbes causes identifiable diarrhoeal illnesses. The consumption of water contaminated with heavy metals, fluoride, and other toxins causes insidious illnesses that lead to protracted, non-communicable diseases and death. Chronic kidney disease of unusual/uncertain/unknown aetiology is one such example, began to manifest in the mid-1960s in several dry-zonal agricultural societies in developing economies that are located around the equator. In Sri Lanka, such a disease is affecting the North Central Province, the rice bowl of the country that first appeared in the mid-1990s. Several potential causes have been postulated, including heavy metals, fluoride, cyanobacterial and algae toxins, agrochemicals, and high salinity and ionicity in water, but no specific source or causative factor has been identified for CKD of multifactorial origin (CKDmfo). Three large studies conducted in the recent past failed to find any of the postulated components (heavy metals, cyanobacterial toxins, fluoride, salinity, or agrochemicals) at levels higher than those deemed safe by the World Health Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency. At the reported low levels in water and with the heterogeneous geographical distribution, it is unrealistic to expect any of these components individually could cause this disease. However, the additive or synergistic effects of a combination of factors and components, even at lower exposure levels, together with malnutrition and harmful behaviours, and/or a yet-unidentified (or not investigated) toxin, can cause this epidemic. Because the cause is unknown, scientists need to work on broader hypotheses, so that key causative elements are not missed. Taken together the plausibility of multiple factors in the genesis of this disease, the appropriate terminology is CKDmfo, a name that also indicates the need for multi-disciplinary research programs to facilitate identifying the cause(s) and the need for multiple approaches to eradicate it. While some potential causes remain to be investigated, existing data point to polluted water as the main source of this disease. This article evaluates pros and cons of each hypothesis and highlights the importance of among others, providing clean water to all affected and surrounding communities. Available data do not support any of the postulated agents, chemicals, heavy metals, fluoride, salinity/ionicity, or individual agrochemical components, such as phosphate or glyphosate, as causative factors for CKDmfo in Sri Lanka. However, as the CKDmfo name implies, a combination of these factors (or an unknown toxin) together with harmful behaviour and chronic dehydration may cause this disease. Irrespective of the cause, prevention is the only way forward for eradication.

[Comorbidities of COPD].

PubMed

Brinchault, G; Diot, P; Dixmier, A; Goupil, F; Guillais, P; Gut-Gobert, C; Leroyer, C; Marchand-Adam, S; Meurice, J-C; Morel, H; Person, C; Cavaillès, A

2015-12-01

COPD is a slowly progressive chronic respiratory disease causing an irreversible decrease in air flow. The main cause is smoking, which provokes inflammatory phenomena in the respiratory tract. COPD is a serious public health issue, causing high morbidity, mortality and disability. Related comorbidities are linked to ageing, common risk factors and genetic predispositions. A combination of comorbidities increases healthcare costs. For instance, patients with more than two comorbidities represent a quarter of all COPD sufferers but account for half the related health costs. Our review describes different comorbidities and their impact on the COPD prognosis. The comorbidities include: cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, denutrition, obesity, ageing, anemia, sleeping disorders, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, anxiety-depression and lung cancer. The prognosis worsens with one or more comorbidities. Clinicians are faced with the challenge of finding practical and appropriate ways of treating these comorbidities, and there is increasing interest in developing a global, multidisciplinary approach to management. Managing this chronic disease should be based on a holistic, patient-centred approach and smoking cessation remains the key factor in the care of COPD patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Effect of the patient-to-patient communication model on dysphagia caused by total laryngectomy.

PubMed

Tian, L; An, R; Zhang, J; Sun, Y; Zhao, R; Liu, M

2017-03-01

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of a patient-to-patient communication model on dysphagia in laryngeal cancer patients after total laryngectomy. Sixty-five patients who had undergone total laryngectomy were randomly divided into three groups: a routine communication group, a patient communication group (that received the patient-to-patient communication model) and a physician communication group. Questionnaires were used to compare quality of life and swallowing problems among all patient groups. The main factors causing dysphagia in total laryngectomy patients were related to fear and mental health. The patient communication group had improved visual analogue scale scores at one week after starting to eat. Quality of life in swallowing disorders questionnaire scores were significantly higher in the patient communication and physician communication groups than in the routine communication group. In addition, swallowing problems were much more severe in patients educated to high school level and above than in others. The patient-to-patient communication model can be used to resolve swallowing problems caused by psychological factors in total laryngectomy patients.

Familial mixed nephrocalcinosis as a cause of chronic kidney failure: two case reports.

PubMed

de Arruda, Pedro Francisco Ferraz; Gatti, Márcio; de Arruda, José Germano Ferraz; Fácio, Fernando Nestor; Spessoto, Luis Cesar Fava; de Arruda, Laísa Ferraz; de Godoy, José Maria Pereira; Godoy, Moacir Fernandes

2014-10-27

Nephrocalcinosis consists of the deposition of calcium salts in the renal parenchyma and is considered the mixed form when it involves the renal cortex and medulla. The main etiological agents of this condition are primary hyperparathyroidism, renal tubular acidosis, medullary sponge kidney, hyperoxaluria and taking certain drugs. These factors can lead to hypercalcemia and/or hypercalciuria, which can give rise to nephrocalcinosis. Patient 1 was a 48-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of bilateral nephrocalcinosis causing chronic kidney failure. Imaging examinations (X-ray, ultrasound and computed tomography of the abdomen) revealed extensive calcium deposits in the renal parenchyma, indicating nephrocalcinosis as the causal factor of the disease. Patient 2 is the 45-year-old brother of patient 1. He exhibited an advanced stage of chronic kidney failure. As nephrocalcinosis is considered to have a genetic component, a family investigation revealed this condition in patient 2. Nephrocalcinosis may be detected incidentally through diagnostic imaging studies. Whenever possible, treatment should include the base disease that caused the appearance of the calcification, as the precise etiological determination is extremely important.

Research on the Application of Fast-steering Mirror in Stellar Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mei, R.; Hu, Z. W.; Xu, T.; Sun, C. S.

2017-07-01

For a stellar interferometer, the fast-steering mirror (FSM) is widely utilized to correct wavefront tilt caused by atmospheric turbulence and internal instrumental vibration due to its high resolution and fast response frequency. In this study, the non-coplanar error between the FSM and actuator deflection axis introduced by manufacture, assembly, and adjustment is analyzed. Via a numerical method, the additional optical path difference (OPD) caused by above factors is studied, and its effects on tracking accuracy of stellar interferometer are also discussed. On the other hand, the starlight parallelism between the beams of two arms is one of the main factors of the loss of fringe visibility. By analyzing the influence of wavefront tilt caused by the atmospheric turbulence on fringe visibility, a simple and efficient real-time correction scheme of starlight parallelism is proposed based on a single array detector. The feasibility of this scheme is demonstrated by laboratory experiment. The results show that starlight parallelism meets the requirement of stellar interferometer in wavefront tilt preliminarily after the correction of fast-steering mirror.

Gastroenteritis: a waterborne outbreak affecting 1600 people in a small Danish town.

PubMed Central

Laursen, E; Mygind, O; Rasmussen, B; Rønne, T

1994-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE--To examine (i) the extent of illness caused by contamination of a waterworks with waste water due to overflow, and its correlation with precipitation; (ii) the potential secondary spread; (iii) economic losses due to sick leave. DESIGN--A historical follow up study with structured postal questionnaires. SETTING--A small community on the outskirts of greater Copenhagen at the end of 1991 and the beginning of 1992. PARTICIPANTS--The main study group comprised all 703 households supplied by the waterworks (response rate: 89% of households). There was a control group of 200 randomly chosen households in neighbouring communities with a different water supply source (response rate: 64% of households). A day care group of all 149 children (response rate: 78%) and 30 teachers (response rate: 83%) who lived in central Copenhagen, but spent the day in four day care centres supplied by the waterworks, and members of their household was also studied. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Altogether 1455 people (88% of respondents in the main study group) reported having had symptoms of gastroenteritis, particularly diarrhoea (83%) and vomiting (55%). In the control group, 10% had had symptoms of gastroenteritis. The onset of episodes with diarrhoea correlated well with precipitation (Spearman's correlation coefficient: 0.75; p = 0.0002). The secondary attack rate in household contacts was 12%. No pathogens were found. Affected people stayed home from work for a total of 1658 days. The cost of loss of production because of sick leave amounted to 1,600,000 Danish kroner (180,000 pounds). CONCLUSIONS--The outbreak caused extensive illness correlated with precipitation, showed secondary spread, and was associated with major economic losses. Increased awareness among local physicians and waterworks personnel of the possibility of contamination of the water could have led to earlier intervention and reduced the extent of illness. Outbreaks are often caused by several factors, many of a technical nature, which in this case acted together. It is recommended that attention be paid to each factor. PMID:7964354

Causes and anatomical site of blindness and severe visual loss in Isfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran.

PubMed

Dehghan, A; Kianersi, F; Moazam, E; Ghanbari, H

2010-02-01

This study in 2005 evaluated the causes and major anatomical site of blindness and severe visual loss at a school for blind children in Isfahan province, Islamic Republic of Iran. All 211 students were examined according to the modified WHO/PBL eye examination record: 70.4% were blind, 24.3% had severe visual loss and 5.3% were visually impaired. The major causes of abnormality were hereditary factors (42.7%), prenatal/neonatal (18.5%) and unknown etiology (35.5%). The main sites of abnormality were the retina (62.6%), whole globe (17.5%), lens (7.1%) and optic nerve (7.1%). A high proportion of parents were in a consanguineous marriage (49.2%). The pattern of blindness in Isfahan encompasses characteristics of both developed and developing countries.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome in the course of thyrotoxicosis - a case report.

PubMed

Wierzbicka-Chmiel, Joanna; Wierzbicki, Krzysztof; Kajdaniuk, Dariusz; Sędziak, Ryszard; Marek, Bogdan

2011-01-01

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (also called Wernicke's encephalopathy) is a potentially fatal, neuropsychiatric syndrome caused most frequently by thiamine deficiency. The three classic symptoms found together are confusion, ataxia and eyeball manifestations. Memory disturbances can also be symptoms. Wernicke's encephalopathy mainly results from alcohol abuse, but also from malnutrition, cancer, chronic dialysis, thyrotoxicosis and, in well-founded cases, encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease (EAATD). The coexistence of many factors makes a proper diagnosis difficult, delays appropriate treatment and consequently reduces the chance of complete recovery. We present the case of a 53 year-old female with Wernicke's encephalopathy caused by chronic malnutrition, surgical operation, as well as thyrotoxicosis. She received treatment with intravenous thiamine administration and also anti-thyroid treatment which caused satisfactory regression of her neurological symptoms.

Gully erosion in Madagascar: causes and impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raveloson, Andrea; Székely, Balázs; Visnovitz, Ferenc

2017-04-01

Soil erosion has been recognized as the main cause of land degradation worldwide and gully erosion is currently considered as one of the most impressive and striking erosion type. This global environmental problem has numerous causes (both natural and anthropogenic) and inflict serious socio-economic problems all around the world. The present study aims to discuss the occurrence and environmental issues related to lavakization in Madagascar and its impact on landscape (badland formation), land use management, flora and fauna, infrastructures, soil properties and human life itself. We assembled and reviewed lavaka researches since 1953. Exact location of the field surveys, cited triggering factors and results of these scientific papers have been studied in detail and compared with our data collected using satellite imagery. Lavaka distribution was analyzed using GIS methods and the relation between their density and different factors was studied. An overview of the many contributing factors (climate, topography, geology, vegetation cover, fault systems, tectonism and land use including inappropriate cultivation and irrigation systems) is given in order to better understand lavaka formation, distribution and impacts. Synthesis of previous researches might help us define area susceptible to gully formation. This can be used to determine prevention priorities for farmers, to manage their lands sustainably. This is ILARG contribution 18.

Stressors for Spanish nursing students in clinical practice.

PubMed

Suarez-Garcia, Jose-Maria; Maestro-Gonzalez, Alba; Zuazua-Rico, David; Sánchez-Zaballos, Marta; Mosteiro-Diaz, Maria-Pilar

2018-05-01

Clinical practice is critical for nursing students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to properly develop professionally. The presence of stress in clinical practice may negatively affect their training. To understand the extent to which clinical practice can be stressful for nursing students at a Spanish university and to determine the main stressors associated with the practice. Cross-sectional, descriptive, and observational study conducted in 2016 at the two nursing colleges of the University of Oviedo, located in Oviedo and Gijón in the Principality of Asturias, Spain. A total of 450 nursing students at a Spanish university served as participants in this study from January to April 2016. A data collection sheet was developed to track different sociodemographic variables, and was distributed together with the KEZKAK questionnaire, a validated scale adapted to Spanish nursing students. It is composed of 41 items using a 4-point Likert scale, rating how much the described situation worries them from 0 ("Not at all") to 3 ("A lot"). Students were most concerned about issues relating to causing harm to patients and lack of competence. Women found clinical practice to be more stressful than men did, both in general terms (p < 0.001) and with respect to all individual factors included in the questionnaire. In addition, there were associations between the "lack of competence" factor and having a job simultaneously (p = 0.011), the "contact with suffering" factor and the school year (p = 0.018), and the "being harmed by the relationship with patients" factor and the age group (p = 0.013). Nursing students, particularly women, see clinical practice as "rather stressful", with the main stressors being those related to causing harm to patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Features and risk factors of nonfatal injury among the rural children: a survey of seven schools in a mountain area in Southwest China.

PubMed

Shi, Xiu-Quan; Qi, Yong-Hong; Shi, Dan; Yan, Cheng; Shi, Junxin; Cao, Bo-Ling; Liu, Dan; Luo, Li-Rong; Wang, Hai-Yan

2014-01-01

We aimed to investigate the patterns and risk factors of nonfatal injuries among rural mountain-area children in southwest China. A stratified sampling method was used to recruit rural children aged 8 to 17 years (mainly 9-14 years) from 7 schools. Self-reported injuries during the past 12 months and relevant concerns were collected from June to December 2012 by using a structured questionnaire in a class interview. The mean age of the 2,854 children was 12.2 ± 1.5 years. The probability of annual injury was 16.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 15.3-18.1%), with slightly higher injury risk for boys than girls (17.7% vs. 16.0%; P>0.05). The top 3 causes of injuries were falls (37.3%), animal-related incidents (20.6%), and burns (14.9%). The main injury risk factors included being involved in a violent episode (odds ratio [OR] 1.34, 95% CI 1.08-1.66, P = 0.007), maltreatment by parents or guardians (1.42, 1.17-1.72, P<0.001), and being from a single-child family (1.30, 1.10-1.66, P = 0.039). Older age was a protective factor (0.81, 0.76-0.87, P<0.001). The incidence of nonfatal injury among rural children was high, and falls were the leading cause. Younger children and boys from poor-care and poor-living environments were at increased risk of injury, which requires urgent attention. Injury prevention programs targeting these issues are needed in this mountain area and similar rural regions of China.

Features and Risk Factors of Nonfatal Injury among the Rural Children: A Survey of Seven Schools in a Mountain Area in Southwest China

PubMed Central

Shi, Xiu-Quan; Qi, Yong-Hong; Shi, Dan; Yan, Cheng; Shi, Junxin; Cao, Bo-Ling; Liu, Dan; Luo, Li-Rong; Wang, Hai-Yan

2014-01-01

Objective We aimed to investigate the patterns and risk factors of nonfatal injuries among rural mountain-area children in southwest China. Methods A stratified sampling method was used to recruit rural children aged 8 to 17 years (mainly 9–14 years) from 7 schools. Self-reported injuries during the past 12 months and relevant concerns were collected from June to December 2012 by using a structured questionnaire in a class interview. Results The mean age of the 2,854 children was 12.2±1.5 years. The probability of annual injury was 16.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 15.3–18.1%), with slightly higher injury risk for boys than girls (17.7% vs. 16.0%; P>0.05). The top 3 causes of injuries were falls (37.3%), animal-related incidents (20.6%), and burns (14.9%). The main injury risk factors included being involved in a violent episode (odds ratio [OR] 1.34, 95% CI 1.08–1.66, P = 0.007), maltreatment by parents or guardians (1.42, 1.17–1.72, P<0.001), and being from a single-child family (1.30, 1.10–1.66, P = 0.039). Older age was a protective factor (0.81, 0.76–0.87, P<0.001). Conclusions The incidence of nonfatal injury among rural children was high, and falls were the leading cause. Younger children and boys from poor-care and poor-living environments were at increased risk of injury, which requires urgent attention. Injury prevention programs targeting these issues are needed in this mountain area and similar rural regions of China. PMID:25010712

Molecular dynamics study of the phosphorylation effect on the conformational states of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II.

PubMed

Yonezawa, Yasushige

2014-05-01

The carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II in eukaryotes regulates mRNA processing processes by recruiting various regulation factors. A main function of the CTD relies on the heptad consensus sequence (YSPTSPS). The CTD dynamically changes its conformational state to recognize and bind different regulation factors. The dynamical conformation changes are caused by modifications, mainly phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, to the serine residues. In this study, we investigate the conformational states of the unit consensus CTD peptide with various phosphorylation patterns of the serine residues by extended ensemble simulations. The results show that the CTD without phosphorylation has a flexible disordered structure distributed between twisted and extended states, but phosphorylation tends to reduce the conformational space. It was found that phosphorylation induces a β-turn around the phosphorylated serine residue and the cis conformation of the proline residue significantly inhibits the β-turn formation. The β-turn should contribute to specific CTD binding of the different regulation factors by changing the conformation propensity combined with induced fit.

Work-Related Upper Limb Disorders: A Case Report

PubMed Central

Stoyneva, Zlatka Borisova; Dermendjiev, Svetlan; Dermendjiev, Tihomir; Dobrev, Hristo

2015-01-01

In this study the complex interrelationship between physical factors, job stress, lifestyle and genetic factors on symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limbs is demonstrated by a case report and discussion of the literature. A 58 year old woman with long lasting complaints of the upper limbs with increasing intensity and duration, generalisation, combined with skin thickness, Raynaud’s phenomenon, joint disorders, arterial and pulmonary hypertension, metabolic lipid dysfunctions is presented. Occupational history proves continuous duration of service at a job with occupational physical static load with numerous repetitive monotonous systematic motions of fingers and hands as a weaver of Persian rugs followed by work at an automated loom and variable labour activities. Though the complaints dated since the time she was a manual weaver, the manifestations of generalized joint degenerative changes, system sclerosis with Raynaud’s phenomenon with similar upper extremities signs and symptoms discount upper limbs musculoskeletal disorder as caused only or mainly by occupational risk factors. The main principles and criteria for occupational diagnosis of musculoskeletal upper limb disorders and legislative requirements for their reglamentation are discussed. PMID:27275213

[Clinic-internal and -external factors of length of hospital stay].

PubMed

Schariatzadeh, R; Imoberdorf, R; Ballmer, P E

2011-01-19

In the context of forthcoming initiation of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) in Switzerland, the objective of the study was to find factors having an impact on the inpatient's length of hospital stay. The study was performed on two general-medical wards of the Kantonsspital Winterthur, where all admitted patients were included in the study over two months. The various periods of diagnostic and therapeutic management of the patients and all diagnostic and therapeutic measures plus the arrangements after hospitalization were recorded. The determinants influencing the length of hospital stay were classified in clinic-internal or -external. 124 inpatients entered the study. 91 (73.4%) had a length of hospital stay without delay, whereas 33 (26.6%) patients had an extended length of hospital stay. The cumulative length of hospital stay of all patients was 1314 days, whereof 216 days (16.4%) were caused by delays. 67 days were caused by clinic-internal (5.1%) and 149 days by clinic-external factors (11.3%). Delays were substantially more generated by clinic-internal than -external factors. Clinic-internal factors were mainly weekends with interruption of the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, dead times waiting for diagnostic results and waiting times for consultations. Clinic-external factors were caused by delayed transfer in nursing homes or rehabilitation institutions, waiting for family members for the backhaul and by indetermination of the patient. Also factors relating to the patients' characteristics had an influence on the length of hospital stay. Summing up, a substantial part of the length of hospital stay was caused by delays. However, the many different clinic-internal factors complicate solutions to lower the length of hospital stay. Moreover, factors that cannot be influenced such as waiting for microbiological results, contribute to extended length of hospital stay. Early scheduling of post-hospital arrangements may lower length of hospital stay. Moreover, when cantonal restriction falls away in 2012, patients may be transferred to rehabilitation institutions more rapidly. Also the insurance companies may possibly strengthen their organisation and thus may meet the costs more quickly.

Epidemiology, transmission, diagnosis, and outcome of Hepatitis C virus infection.

PubMed

Moosavy, Seyed Hamid; Davoodian, Parivash; Nazarnezhad, Mirza Ali; Nejatizaheh, Abdolazim; Eftekhar, Ebrahim; Mahboobi, Hamidreza

2017-10-01

Hepatitis C infection is one of the main causes of chronic liver disorders worldwide. Nearly three percent (3%) of the world population has an HCV infection. Prevalence of HCV infection was higher in some groups such as injected drug users (IDUs) and HIV positive populations. Acute hepatitis has proven asymptomatic in most cases, and delay of diagnosis might lead to late onset of hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. Some host characteristics such as age, gender, body mass index, and viral properties are associated with HCV outcome hepatitis. Although disease progression is typically slow, some risk factors such as alcohol abuse and coinfection of patients with HBV and HIV can worsen the disease. On the other hand, viral overload is one of the main causes of prediction of HCV infection outcome. Prevalence of HCV infection will increase if we do not consider means of transmission, virus behaviors, and immunologic responses. Rapid diagnostic tests can help us to create preventive strategies among undeveloped villages and prisoners. Screening and training of the high-risk population such as IV drug users, dialysis patients, and hemophiliacs must be one of main HCV preventive programs. The present review is intended to help health policymakers to design suitable preventive and management programs.

Plant MYB Transcription Factors: Their Role in Drought Response Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Baldoni, Elena; Genga, Annamaria; Cominelli, Eleonora

2015-01-01

Water scarcity is one of the major causes of poor plant performance and limited crop yields worldwide and it is the single most common cause of severe food shortage in developing countries. Several molecular networks involved in stress perception, signal transduction and stress responses in plants have been elucidated so far. Transcription factors are major players in water stress signaling. In recent years, different MYB transcription factors, mainly in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. but also in some crops, have been characterized for their involvement in drought response. For some of them there is evidence supporting a specific role in response to water stress, such as the regulation of stomatal movement, the control of suberin and cuticular waxes synthesis and the regulation of flower development. Moreover, some of these genes have also been characterized for their involvement in other abiotic or biotic stresses, an important feature considering that in nature, plants are often simultaneously subjected to multiple rather than single environmental perturbations. This review summarizes recent studies highlighting the role of the MYB family of transcription factors in the adaptive responses to drought stress. The practical application value of MYBs in crop improvement, such as stress tolerance engineering, is also discussed. PMID:26184177

Plant MYB Transcription Factors: Their Role in Drought Response Mechanisms.

PubMed

Baldoni, Elena; Genga, Annamaria; Cominelli, Eleonora

2015-07-13

Water scarcity is one of the major causes of poor plant performance and limited crop yields worldwide and it is the single most common cause of severe food shortage in developing countries. Several molecular networks involved in stress perception, signal transduction and stress responses in plants have been elucidated so far. Transcription factors are major players in water stress signaling. In recent years, different MYB transcription factors, mainly in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. but also in some crops, have been characterized for their involvement in drought response. For some of them there is evidence supporting a specific role in response to water stress, such as the regulation of stomatal movement, the control of suberin and cuticular waxes synthesis and the regulation of flower development. Moreover, some of these genes have also been characterized for their involvement in other abiotic or biotic stresses, an important feature considering that in nature, plants are often simultaneously subjected to multiple rather than single environmental perturbations. This review summarizes recent studies highlighting the role of the MYB family of transcription factors in the adaptive responses to drought stress. The practical application value of MYBs in crop improvement, such as stress tolerance engineering, is also discussed.

[Burden of disease, injuries, risk factors and challenges for the health system in Mexico].

PubMed

Lozano, Rafael; Gómez-Dantés, Héctor; Garrido-Latorre, Francisco; Jiménez-Corona, Aída; Campuzano-Rincón, Julio César; Franco-Marina, Francisco; Medina-Mora, María Elena; Borges, Guilherme; Naghavi, Mohsen; Wang, Haidong; Vos, Theo; Lopez, Alan D; Murray, Christopher J L

2013-12-01

To present the results of the burden of disease, injuries and risk factors in Mexico from 1990 to 2010 for the principal illnesses, injuries and risk factors by sex. A secondary analysis of the study results published by the Global Burden of Disease 2010 for Mexico performed by IHME. In 2010, Mexico lost 26.2 million of Disability adjusted live years (DALYs), 56 % were in male and 44 % in women. The main causes of DALYs in men are violence, ischemic heart disease and road traffic injuries. In the case of women the leading causes are diabetes, chronic kidney disease and ischemic heart diseases. The mental disorders and musculoskeletal conditions concentrate 18% of health lost. The risk factors that most affect men in Mexico are: alcohol consumption, overweight/obesity, high blood glucose levels and blood pressure and tobacco consumption (35.6 % of DALYs lost). In women, overweight and obesity, high blood sugar and blood pressure, lack of physical activity and consumption of alcohol are responsible for 40 % of DALYs lost. In both sexes the problems with diet contribute 12% of the burden. The epidemiological situation in Mexico, demands an urgent adaptation and modernization of the health system.

Concerted Action of Sphingomyelinase and Non-Hemolytic Enterotoxin in Pathogenic Bacillus cereus

PubMed Central

Doll, Viktoria M.

2013-01-01

Bacillus cereus causes food poisoning and serious non-gastrointestinal-tract infections. Non-hemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe), which is present in most B. cereus strains, is considered to be one of the main virulence factors. However, a B. cereus ΔnheBC mutant strain lacking Nhe is still cytotoxic to intestinal epithelial cells. In a screen for additional cytotoxic factors using an in vitro model for polarized colon epithelial cells we identified B. cereus sphingomyelinase (SMase) as a strong inducer of epithelial cell death. Using single and double deletion mutants of sph, the gene encoding for SMase, and nheBC in B. cereus we demonstrated that SMase is an important factor for B. cereus cytotoxicity in vitro and pathogenicity in vivo. SMase substantially complemented Nhe induced cytotoxicity in vitro. In addition, SMase but not Nhe contributed significantly to the mortality rate of larvae in vivo in the insect model Galleria mellonella. Our study suggests that the role of B. cereus SMase as a secreted virulence factor for in vivo pathogenesis has been underestimated and that Nhe and SMase complement each other significantly to cause full B. cereus virulence hence disease formation. PMID:23613846

Mass mortalities in bivalve populations: A review of the edible cockle Cerastoderma edule (L.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdon, Daryl; Callaway, Ruth; Elliott, Michael; Smith, Tim; Wither, Andrew

2014-10-01

Mass mortalities in bivalve populations have long been of particular concern, especially when the species supports a commercial fishery or is of conservation interest. Here we consider the evidence of mass mortalities of the edible cockle, Cerastoderma edule (L.). Through the construction of a conceptual model eight potential factors (or groups of factors) which may cause mass mortalities are identified and reviewed. These include: food limitation; density; oxygen depletion and organic loadings; temperature and salinity; parasites, pathogens and commensals; toxicants and other persistent pollutants; predation, and changes in sediment, suspended solids, topography and bathymetry. The interplay between factors in recognized and discussed based on evidence mainly from the published literature relating to temperate edible cockle beds. Anecdotal evidence is also reported from a structured survey of site-specific evidence provided by fisheries managers in England and Wales. Case studies from the UK and Europe indicate that there is often no single, clear generic cause of mass mortalities in cockle populations. The importance of linked site-specific scientific investigations and laboratory-based experiments to fill the gaps in our current understanding of mass mortalities in bivalve species is highlighted as necessary to take account of both local extrinsic and intrinsic factors.

Population-based study of epilepsy in Cambodia associated factors, measures of impact, stigma, quality of life, knowledge-attitude-practice, and treatment gap.

PubMed

Bhalla, Devender; Chea, Kimly; Hun, Chamroeun; Vannareth, Mey; Huc, Pierre; Chan, Samleng; Sebbag, Robert; Gérard, Daniel; Dumas, Michel; Oum, Sophal; Druet-Cabanac, Michel; Preux, Pierre-Marie

2012-01-01

Identify epilepsy-associated factors and calculate measures of impact, stigma, quality of life (QOL), knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) and treatment gap in Prey Veng, Cambodia. This first Cambodian population-based case-control study had 96 epileptologist-confirmed epilepsy cases and 192 randomly selected matched healthy controls. Standard questionnaires, which have been used in similar settings, were used for collecting data on various parameters. Univariate and multivariate regression was done to determine odds ratios. Jacoby stigma, 31-item QOL, KAP etc were determined and so were the factors associated with them using STATA software. Treatment gap was measured using direct method. Multivariate analyses yielded family history of epilepsy, difficult or long delivery, other problems beside seizures (mainly mental retardation, hyperthermia), and eventful pregnancy of the subject's mother as factors associated with epilepsy. There was high frequency of seizure precipitants esp. those related to sleep. Population attributable risk (%) was: family history (15.0), eventful pregnancy of subject's mother (14.5), long/difficult birth (6.5), and other problem beside seizures (20.0). Mean stigma (1.9±1.1, on a scale of 3) was mainly related to treatment efficacy. Mean QOL (5.0±1.4 on a scale of 10) was mainly related to treatment regularity. Cause or risk factor could be determined in 56% of cases. Treatment gap was 65.8%. Factors in pre- and perinatal period were found to be most crucial for epilepsy risk in Cambodia which inturn provides major prevention opportunities. A global action plan for treatment, stigma reduction and improvement of QOL should be set-up in this country.

Population-Based Study of Epilepsy in Cambodia Associated Factors, Measures of Impact, Stigma, Quality of Life, Knowledge-Attitude-Practice, and Treatment Gap

PubMed Central

Bhalla, Devender; Chea, Kimly; Hun, Chamroeun; Vannareth, Mey; Huc, Pierre; Chan, Samleng; Sebbag, Robert; Gérard, Daniel; Dumas, Michel; Oum, Sophal; Druet-Cabanac, Michel; Preux, Pierre-Marie

2012-01-01

Purpose Identify epilepsy-associated factors and calculate measures of impact, stigma, quality of life (QOL), knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) and treatment gap in Prey Veng, Cambodia. Methods This first Cambodian population-based case-control study had 96 epileptologist-confirmed epilepsy cases and 192 randomly selected matched healthy controls. Standard questionnaires, which have been used in similar settings, were used for collecting data on various parameters. Univariate and multivariate regression was done to determine odds ratios. Jacoby stigma, 31-item QOL, KAP etc were determined and so were the factors associated with them using STATA software. Treatment gap was measured using direct method. Key findings Multivariate analyses yielded family history of epilepsy, difficult or long delivery, other problems beside seizures (mainly mental retardation, hyperthermia), and eventful pregnancy of the subject's mother as factors associated with epilepsy. There was high frequency of seizure precipitants esp. those related to sleep. Population attributable risk (%) was: family history (15.0), eventful pregnancy of subject's mother (14.5), long/difficult birth (6.5), and other problem beside seizures (20.0). Mean stigma (1.9±1.1, on a scale of 3) was mainly related to treatment efficacy. Mean QOL (5.0±1.4 on a scale of 10) was mainly related to treatment regularity. Cause or risk factor could be determined in 56% of cases. Treatment gap was 65.8%. Significance Factors in pre- and perinatal period were found to be most crucial for epilepsy risk in Cambodia which inturn provides major prevention opportunities. A global action plan for treatment, stigma reduction and improvement of QOL should be set-up in this country. PMID:23077505

Assessment and prediction of urban air pollution caused by motor transport exhaust gases using computer simulation methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyarshinov, Michael G.; Vaismana, Yakov I.

2016-10-01

The following methods were used in order to identify the pollution fields of urban air caused by the motor transport exhaust gases: the mathematical model, which enables to consider the influence of the main factors that determine pollution fields formation in the complex spatial domain; the authoring software designed for computational modeling of the gas flow, generated by numerous mobile point sources; the results of computing experiments on pollutant spread analysis and evolution of their concentration fields. The computational model of exhaust gas distribution and dispersion in a spatial domain, which includes urban buildings, structures and main traffic arteries, takes into account a stochastic character of cars apparition on the borders of the examined territory and uses a Poisson process. The model also considers the traffic lights switching and permits to define the fields of velocity, pressure and temperature of the discharge gases in urban air. The verification of mathematical model and software used confirmed their satisfactory fit to the in-situ measurements data and the possibility to use the obtained computing results for assessment and prediction of urban air pollution caused by motor transport exhaust gases.

Health of Europeans twenty years after the fall of Berlin wall.

PubMed

Ginter, E; Simko, V

2010-01-01

The failure of central planning in the totalitarian systems of the USSR and its satellites adversely affected not only the economy and social relations but also the population health. While in the countries with established democracy (DEM) the general health and the life expectancy (LE) steadily improved, in countries declaring socialism (SOC) the LE was stagnant and in the USSR even decreased. Dramatic changes in Russia after the demise of Soviet Union resulted in an extraordinary destabilization of LE that reached a minimum in 1994. Remarkably, even twenty years after the breakdown of the Iron Curtain there persists a gap in the general health between the DEM and the SOC regions of Europe. Within the territory of the former Soviet influence there are additional differences in LE: Central Europe is much better off than Russia and its neighbours. Main cause of relatively high mortality in the post totalitarian Europe is the cardiovascular disease (CVD). Among females about 80% difference in LE between DEM and SOC countries is related to premature CVD mortality. In SOC males compared to DEM, about 50% of the higher mortality is caused by CVD, 20% is related to external factors (trauma, suicide) and 10% is oncologic disorders. The main suggested cause of such excess mortality, besides a low socioeconomic level and limited funding for health care, is an improper life style: alcoholism, smoking and inadequate intake of protective nutrients. Alcoholism, especially binge drinking is a prominent factor in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and in the Baltic Republics (Fig. 6, Tab. 4, Ref. 20).

Chronic gastritis - an update.

PubMed

Varbanova, Mariya; Frauenschläger, Katrin; Malfertheiner, Peter

2014-12-01

Helicobacter pylori is the main aetiologic factor for chronic gastritis worldwide. The degree of inflammation and the evolution of this form of chronic gastritis can vary largely depending on bacterial virulence factors, host susceptibility factors and environmental conditions. Autoimmune gastritis is another cause of chronic inflammation in the stomach, which can occur in all age groups. This disease presents typically with vitamin B12 deficiency and pernicious anaemia. The presence of anti-parietal cell antibodies is highly specific for the diagnosis. The role of H. pylori as a trigger for autoimmune gastritis remains uncertain. Other rare conditions for chronic gastritis are chronic inflammatory conditions such as Crohn's disease or on the background of lymphocytic or collagenous gastroenteropathies. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Clinical assessment and treatment of diabetes in patients with chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Carretero Gómez, J; Arévalo Lorido, J C

2018-04-21

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is the main cause of chronic kidney disease. Patients with this disease have higher morbidity and mortality and risk of hypoglycaemia than those without this disease. In 2010, type 2 diabetes was the reason for starting renal replacement therapy in 24.7% of patients. The prevalence of microalbuminuria, proteinuria and a reduced glomerular filtration rate is 36%, 8% and 22%, respectively. The presence of albuminuria is a predictor of chronic kidney disease. Diabetic kidney disease, previously known as diabetic nephropathy, refers to kidney disease caused by diabetes. Renal hyperfiltration is a marker of intraglomerular hypertension and a risk factor for onset and progression. The new antidiabetic drugs, mainly dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, have been shown to prevent or slow the progression of kidney disease. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.

An outbreak of fatal hemorrhagic pneumonia caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in shelter dogs.

PubMed

Byun, Jae Won; Yoon, Soon Seek; Woo, Gye-Hyeong; Jung, Byeong Yeal; Joo, Yi-Seok

2009-09-01

An outbreak of fatal hemorrhagic pneumonia with 70-90% morbidity and 50% mortality occurred in an animal shelter in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, Korea. Clinically, the affected dogs showed severe respiratory distress within 48 h after arriving in the shelter. The dead were found mainly with nasal bleeding and hematemesis. At necropsy, hemothorax and hemorrhagic pneumonia along with severe pulmonary consolidation was observed, though histopathological analysis showed mainly hemorrhagic bronchopneumonia. Lymphoid depletion was inconsistently seen in the spleen, tonsil and bronchial lymph node. Gram-positive colonies were shown in blood vessels or parenchyma of cerebrum, lung, liver, spleen, and kidney. Also, Streptococcus (S.) equi subsp. zooepidemicus was isolated from the various organs in which the bacterium was microscopically and histologically detected. In addition, approximately 0.9 Kb specific amplicon, antiphagocytic factor H binding protein, was amplified in the bacterial isolates. In this study, we reported an outbreak of canine hemorrhagic bronchopneumonia caused by S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus in an animal shelter in Yangju, Korea.

An outbreak of fatal hemorrhagic pneumonia caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in shelter dogs

PubMed Central

Yoon, Soon-Seek; Woo, Gye-Hyeong; Jung, Byeong Yeal; Joo, Yi-Seok

2009-01-01

An outbreak of fatal hemorrhagic pneumonia with 70~90% morbidity and 50% mortality occurred in an animal shelter in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, Korea. Clinically, the affected dogs showed severe respiratory distress within 48 h after arriving in the shelter. The dead were found mainly with nasal bleeding and hematemesis. At necropsy, hemothorax and hemorrhagic pneumonia along with severe pulmonary consolidation was observed, though histopathological analysis showed mainly hemorrhagic bronchopneumonia. Lymphoid depletion was inconsistently seen in the spleen, tonsil and bronchial lymph node. Gram-positive colonies were shown in blood vessels or parenchyma of cerebrum, lung, liver, spleen, and kidney. Also, Streptococcus (S.) equi subsp. zooepidemicus was isolated from the various organs in which the bacterium was microscopically and histologically detected. In addition, approximately 0.9 Kb specific amplicon, antiphagocytic factor H binding protein, was amplified in the bacterial isolates. In this study, we reported an outbreak of canine hemorrhagic bronchopneumonia caused by S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus in an animal shelter in Yangju, Korea. PMID:19687630

Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of hypertension in ischaemic stroke patients.

PubMed

Hisham, Nur Fatirul; Bayraktutan, Ulvi

2013-10-01

Stroke continues to be one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. There are 2 main types of stroke: ischaemic strokes, which are caused by obstruction of the blood vessels leading to or within the brain, and haemorrhagic strokes, which are induced by the disruption of blood vessels. Stroke is a disease of multifactorial aetiology that may develop as an end state in patients with serious vascular conditions--most notably, uncontrolled arterial hypertension--thereby necessitating the effective control of this risk factor to prevent stroke or its recurrence. This paper focuses specifically on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of ischaemic stroke mainly in chronically hypertensive patients and pays particular attention to the efficacy of a select group of routinely used major antihypertensive drugs (i.e., angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers, and calcium channel blockers) in the treatment of strokes. Copyright © 2013 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury in Italy: a multi-centred study.

PubMed

Zampolini, M; Zaccaria, B; Tolli, V; Frustaci, A; Franceschini, M

2012-01-01

The aims of this study were to analyse TBI rehabilitation in Italy, identifying the main factors conditioning motor and functional recovery and destination upon discharge of traumatic severe acquired brain injury (sABI) patients who had undergone intensive rehabilitative treatment. An observational prospective study of 863 consecutive patients admitted to 52 Rehabilitation Centres from January 2001 to December 2003. The main cause of trauma was road accidents (79.8%), the mean length of stay was 87.31 ± 77.26 days and 40.4% access to rehabilitation facilities after a month. Pressure sore rates fell from 26.1% to 6.6% during the rehabilitation programme. After discharge 615 patients returned home, whilst 212 were admitted to other health facilities. This study highlights some major criticisms of rehabilitation of TBI. The delay of admission and evitable complications such as pressure sores are correlated to a worse outcome. While LOS causes a problem of cost-effectiveness, the rate of home discharge is prevalent and very high compared with other studies.

Treatment options in otitis media with effusion.

PubMed

Upadhya, Ila; Datar, J

2014-01-01

Secretary Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the accumulation of mucus in the middle ear and sometimes in the mastoid air cell system. The main etiological factor is alteration in mucociliary system of middle ear secondary to ET malfunction which may be primary or secondary. OME is the cause of concern due to its occurance in paediatric age group, highest at 2 years of age, presenting as impairment of hearing leading to delayed speech and language development, poor academic performance and behavioral problems. In spite of this there are no confirmed guidelines of treatment to overcome. Many treatment options are available medical as well as surgical. Prospective study conducted to evaluate various treatment options revealed that auto inflation of ET is the main stay of treatment. If the ET malfunction is due to any reasons like adenoids, deviated nasal septum, hypertrophied turbinates or any other cause surgical intervention of the same gives 100% results. Medical management gives good results but recurrence is equally common.

Working conditions as risk factors for disability retirement: a longitudinal register linkage study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Early retirement due to disability is a public health and work environment problem that shortens working careers. Transition to disability retirement is based on ill-health, but working conditions are also of relevance. We examined the contributions of work arrangements, physical working conditions and psychosocial working conditions to subsequent disability retirement. Methods The data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study cohort on employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. Information on working conditions was obtained from the baseline surveys conducted in 2000, 2001 and 2002. These data were linked with register data on disability retirement and their main diagnoses obtained from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. Follow up by the end of 2008 yielded 525 disability retirement events. The analysed data included 6525 participants and 525 disability retirement events. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated from Cox regression analysis. Results Several working conditions showed own associations with disability retirement before adjustment. After adjustment for all working conditions, the primary risk factors for all-cause disability retirement were physical workload among women (HR 2.02, 95% CI 1.57-2.59) and men (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.18-3.38), and low job control among women (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.29-1.99). In addition, for disability retirement due to musculoskeletal causes, the risk factors were physical workload and low job control. For disability retirement due to mental causes the risk factors were computer work and low job control. Furthermore, occupational class was a risk factor for disability retirement due to all causes and musculoskeletal diseases. Conclusions Among various working conditions, those that are physically demanding and those that imply low job control are potential risk factors for disability retirement. Improving the physical working environment and enhancing control over one’s job is likely to help prevent early retirement due to disability. PMID:22537302

Global issues related to enteric viral infections.

PubMed

Desselberger, Ulrich

2014-01-01

Acute viral gastroenteritis is a major health issue worldwide and is associated with high annual mortality, particularly in children of developing countries. Rotaviruses, caliciviruses and astroviruses are the main causes. Accurate diagnoses are possible by recently developed molecular techniques. In many setups, zoonotic transmission is an important epidemiological factor. Treatment consists of rehydration and is otherwise symptomatic. The worldwide introduction of universal rotavirus vaccination of infants has significantly reduced rotavirus disease and mortality.

Factors that influence Asian communities' access to mental health care.

PubMed

Wynaden, Dianne; Chapman, Rose; Orb, Angelica; McGowan, Sunita; Zeeman, Zenith; Yeak, SiewHo

2005-06-01

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study to identify factors that influence Asian communities' access to mental health care and how mental health care is delivered to them. Semistructured interviews were completed with Asian community members/leaders and health-care professionals. Content analysis identified major themes. Participants also completed a demographic data sheet. The research aimed to provide health professionals with an increased understanding of the values and beliefs held by people from Asian communities regarding the cause and treatment of mental illness. Data analysis identified six main themes that influenced Asian communities' access to mental health care and how mental health care is delivered to them. They were: shame and stigma; causes of mental illness; family reputation; hiding up; seeking help; and lack of collaboration. The findings highlighted that people from Asian communities are unwilling to access help from mainstream services because of their beliefs, and that stigma and shame are key factors that influence this reluctance. The findings also highlight that the mental health needs of refugee women are significant, and that they comprise a vulnerable group within Australian society.

Risk factors and treatment outcomes of bloodstream infection caused by extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacter species in adults with cancer.

PubMed

Huh, Kyungmin; Kang, Cheol-In; Kim, Jungok; Cho, Sun Young; Ha, Young Eun; Joo, Eun-Jeong; Chung, Doo Ryeon; Lee, Nam Yong; Peck, Kyong Ran; Song, Jae-Hoon

2014-02-01

Treatment of Enterobacter infection is complicated due to its intrinsic resistance to cephalosporins. Medical records of 192 adults with cancer who had Enterobacter bacteremia were analyzed retrospectively to evaluate the risk factors for and the treatment outcomes in extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistant Enterobacter bacteremia in adults with cancer. The main outcome measure was 30-day mortality. Of the 192 patients, 53 (27.6%) had bloodstream infections caused by ESC-resistant Enterobacter species. Recent use of a third-generation cephalosporin, older age, tumor progression at last evaluation, recent surgery, and nosocomial acquisition were associated with ESC-resistant Enterobacter bacteremia. The 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the resistant group. Multivariate analysis showed that respiratory tract infection, tumor progression, septic shock at presentation, Enterobacter aerogenes as the culprit pathogen, and diabetes mellitus were independent risk factors for mortality. ESC resistance was significantly associated with mortality in patients with E. aerogenes bacteremia, although not in the overall patient population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microbial Etiology of Pneumonia: Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Resistance Patterns.

PubMed

Cilloniz, Catia; Martin-Loeches, Ignacio; Garcia-Vidal, Carolina; San Jose, Alicia; Torres, Antoni

2016-12-16

Globally, pneumonia is a serious public health concern and a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Despite advances in antimicrobial therapies, microbiological diagnostic tests and prevention measures, pneumonia remains the main cause of death from infectious disease in the world. An important reason for the increased global mortality is the impact of pneumonia on chronic diseases, along with the increasing age of the population and the virulence factors of the causative microorganism. The increasing number of multidrug-resistant bacteria, difficult-to-treat microorganisms, and the emergence of new pathogens are a major problem for clinicians when deciding antimicrobial therapy. A key factor for managing and effectively guiding appropriate antimicrobial therapy is an understanding of the role of the different causative microorganisms in the etiology of pneumonia, since it has been shown that the adequacy of initial antimicrobial therapy is a key factor for prognosis in pneumonia. Furthermore, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapies are sometimes given until microbiological results are available and de-escalation cannot be performed quickly. This review provides an overview of microbial etiology, resistance patterns, epidemiology and microbial diagnosis of pneumonia.

A Brief Overview of Preeclampsia

PubMed Central

Al-Jameil, Noura; Aziz Khan, Farah; Fareed Khan, Mohammad; Tabassum, Hajera

2014-01-01

Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. It occurs in women with first or multiple pregnancies and is characterized by new onset hypertension and proteinuria. Improper placentation is mainly responsible for the disease. If PE remains untreated, it moves towards more serious condition known as eclampsia. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, proteinuria, obesity, family history, nulliparity, multiple pregnancies and thrombotic vascular disease contribute as the risk factors for PE. PE triggered metabolic stress causes vascular injury, thus contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD) in future. This risk appears to be increased especially in women with a history of recurrent PE and eclampsia. Clinically increased serum levels of sFlt-1 and decreased placental growth factor (PIGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) represent the severe condition of PE. The clinical findings of sever PE are assorted by the presence of systemic endothelial dysfunction, microangiopathy, the liver (hemolysis, elevated liver function tests and low platelet count, namely HELLP syndrome) and the kidney (proteinuria). The early detection of PE is one of the most important goals in obstetrics. PMID:24400024

A brief overview of preeclampsia.

PubMed

Al-Jameil, Noura; Aziz Khan, Farah; Fareed Khan, Mohammad; Tabassum, Hajera

2014-02-01

Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. It occurs in women with first or multiple pregnancies and is characterized by new onset hypertension and proteinuria. Improper placentation is mainly responsible for the disease. If PE remains untreated, it moves towards more serious condition known as eclampsia. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, proteinuria, obesity, family history, nulliparity, multiple pregnancies and thrombotic vascular disease contribute as the risk factors for PE. PE triggered metabolic stress causes vascular injury, thus contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD) in future. This risk appears to be increased especially in women with a history of recurrent PE and eclampsia. Clinically increased serum levels of sFlt-1 and decreased placental growth factor (PIGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) represent the severe condition of PE. The clinical findings of sever PE are assorted by the presence of systemic endothelial dysfunction, microangiopathy, the liver (hemolysis, elevated liver function tests and low platelet count, namely HELLP syndrome) and the kidney (proteinuria). The early detection of PE is one of the most important goals in obstetrics.

Comparative analysis of human tissue interactomes reveals factors leading to tissue-specific manifestation of hereditary diseases.

PubMed

Barshir, Ruth; Shwartz, Omer; Smoly, Ilan Y; Yeger-Lotem, Esti

2014-06-01

An open question in human genetics is what underlies the tissue-specific manifestation of hereditary diseases, which are caused by genomic aberrations that are present in cells across the human body. Here we analyzed this phenomenon for over 300 hereditary diseases by using comparative network analysis. We created an extensive resource of protein expression and interactions in 16 main human tissues, by integrating recent data of gene and protein expression across tissues with data of protein-protein interactions (PPIs). The resulting tissue interaction networks (interactomes) shared a large fraction of their proteins and PPIs, and only a small fraction of them were tissue-specific. Applying this resource to hereditary diseases, we first show that most of the disease-causing genes are widely expressed across tissues, yet, enigmatically, cause disease phenotypes in few tissues only. Upon testing for factors that could lead to tissue-specific vulnerability, we find that disease-causing genes tend to have elevated transcript levels and increased number of tissue-specific PPIs in their disease tissues compared to unaffected tissues. We demonstrate through several examples that these tissue-specific PPIs can highlight disease mechanisms, and thus, owing to their small number, provide a powerful filter for interrogating disease etiologies. As two thirds of the hereditary diseases are associated with these factors, comparative tissue analysis offers a meaningful and efficient framework for enhancing the understanding of the molecular basis of hereditary diseases.

On the causes of persistent apical periodontitis: a review.

PubMed

Nair, P N R

2006-04-01

Apical periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of periradicular tissues caused by aetiological agents of endodontic origin. Persistent apical periodontitis occurs when root canal treatment of apical periodontitis has not adequately eliminated intraradicular infection. Problems that lead to persistent apical periodontitis include: inadequate aseptic control, poor access cavity design, missed canals, inadequate instrumentation, debridement and leaking temporary or permanent restorations. Even when the most stringent procedures are followed, apical periodontitis may still persist as asymptomatic radiolucencies, because of the complexity of the root canal system formed by the main and accessory canals, their ramifications and anastomoses where residual infection can persist. Further, there are extraradicular factors -- located within the inflamed periapical tissue -- that can interfere with post-treatment healing of apical periodontitis. The causes of apical periodontitis persisting after root canal treatment have not been well characterized. During the 1990s, a series of investigations have shown that there are six biological factors that lead to asymptomatic radiolucencies persisting after root canal treatment. These are: (i) intraradicular infection persisting in the complex apical root canal system; (ii) extraradicular infection, generally in the form of periapical actinomycosis; (iii) extruded root canal filling or other exogenous materials that cause a foreign body reaction; (iv) accumulation of endogenous cholesterol crystals that irritate periapical tissues; (v) true cystic lesions, and (vi) scar tissue healing of the lesion. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the causative factors of non-resolving periapical lesions that are seen as asymptomatic radiolucencies post-treatment.

[Jerusalem syndrome. Symptoms, course and cultural context].

PubMed

Prochwicz, Katarzyna; Sobczyk, Artur

2011-01-01

The Jerusalem syndrome is an acute psychotic state observed in tourists and pilgrims who visit Jerusalem. The main symptom of this disorder is identification with a character from the Bible and exhibiting behaviours which seems to be typical for this character. The article presents an overview of cultural and demographic factors associated with the appearance of the Jerusalem syndrome. Three main categories of the syndrome were identified with special focus on the category unconjoined to previous psychopathology which can be described as the 'pure' form of the Jerusalem syndrome. The main diagnostic criteria for the 'pure' type and the sequence of seven clinical stages of the Jerusalem syndrome were described. The article contains a review of the hypothesis about the causes of Jerusalem syndrome with special attention given to the role of places of particular meaning for religious tradition.

Female Pattern Hair Loss: a clinical and pathophysiological review*

PubMed Central

Ramos, Paulo Müller; Miot, Hélio Amante

2015-01-01

Female Pattern Hair Loss or female androgenetic alopecia is the main cause of hair loss in adult women and has a major impact on patients' quality of life. It evolves from the progressive miniaturization of follicles that lead to a subsequent decrease of the hair density, leading to a non-scarring diffuse alopecia, with characteristic clinical, dermoscopic and histological patterns. In spite of the high frequency of the disease and the relevance of its psychological impact, its pathogenesis is not yet fully understood, being influenced by genetic, hormonal and environmental factors. In addition, response to treatment is variable. In this article, authors discuss the main clinical, epidemiological and pathophysiological aspects of female pattern hair loss. PMID:26375223

The "multiple hormone deficiency" theory of aging: is human senescence caused mainly by multiple hormone deficiencies?

PubMed

Hertoghe, T

2005-12-01

In the human body, the productions, levels and cell receptors of most hormones progressively decline with age, gradually putting the body into various states of endocrine deficiency. The circadian cycles of these hormones also change, sometimes profoundly, with time. In aging individuals, the well-balanced endocrine system can fall into a chaotic condition with losses, phase-advancements, phase delays, unpredictable irregularities of nycthemeral hormone cycles, in particular in very old or sick individuals. The desynchronization makes hormone activities peak at the wrong times and become inefficient, and in certain cases health threatening. The occurrence of multiple hormone deficits and spilling through desynchronization may constitute the major causes of human senescence, and they are treatable causes. Several arguments can be put forward to support the view that senescence is mainly a multiple hormone deficiency syndrome: First, many if not most of the signs, symptoms and diseases (including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, dementia) of senescence are similar to physical consequences of hormone deficiencies and may be caused by hormone deficiencies. Second, most of the presumed causes of senescence such as excessive free radical formation, glycation, cross-linking of proteins, imbalanced apoptosis system, accumulation of waste products, failure of repair systems, deficient immune system, may be caused or favored by hormone deficiencies. Even genetic causes such as limits to cell proliferation (such as the Hayflick limit of cell division), poor gene polymorphisms, premature telomere shortening and activation of possible genetic "dead programs" may have links with hormone deficiencies, being either the consequence, the cause, or the major favoring factor of hormone deficiencies. Third, well-dosed and -balanced hormone supplements may slow down or stop the progression of signs, symptoms, or diseases of senescence and may often reverse or even cure them. If hormone deficiencies and imbalances are the major causes of senescence, what then is the treatment? Crucial for the treatment of senescent persons is to make a correct diagnosis by making up an anamnesis of all symptoms related to hormone disturbances, conducting a thorough physical examination, and getting laboratory tests done such as serum and 24-hour urine analyses. The physician should look not only for hormone deficiencies, including the mildest ones, but also for any alterations in hormone circadian cycles, and for the presence of any factors--nutritional, dietary, behavioral, lifestyle, environmental (including illumination and indoor, outdoor, or dietary pollutants)--that cause or aggravate hormone deficiencies. After completion of the detailed diagnostic phase and obtaining and analyzing the results of the tests, treatment can start. In general, before supplying hormones, all other factors that contribute to senescence should be eliminated. After that, supplements of the missing hormones can then be administered, carefully respecting an appropriate timing of their intake, and eventually recommending measures such as lifestyle changes to restore circadian rhythmicity.

[Vitamin B12 deficiency: what's new?].

PubMed

Braillard, O; Casini, A; Samii, K; Rufenacht, P; Junod, Perron N

2012-09-26

Vitamin B12 screening is only recommended among symptomatic patients or in those with risk factors. The main cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is the food cobalamin malabsorption syndrom. Holotranscobalamin is a more reliable marker than cyanocobalamin to confirm vitamin B12 deficiency, but it has not been validated yet in complex situations. An autoimmune gastritis must be excluded in the absence of risk factors but in the presence of a probable deficiency. Oral substitution treatment is effective but requires excellent therapeutic compliance and close follow-up to monitor the response to treatment. It has not yet been studied among patients suffering from severe symptoms, inflammatory bowel disease and ileal resection.

[Blood pressure and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)].

PubMed

Kiałka, Marta; Milewicz, Tomasz; Klocek, Marek

2015-01-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder occurring in women of childbearing age. The literature describes the relationship between PCOS and high blood pressure levels and increased risk of arterial hypertension development, which is an important and strong risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events in the future. Among the main causes of hypertension in PCOS women insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, greater sympathetic nerve activity and concomitance of obesity are stressed. Because PCOS may contribute to earlier development of hypertension, as well as pre-hypertension, therefore it is advisable to monitor blood pressure systematically, to control known risk factors, and to initiate the treatment of hypertension when the disease occur.

Young adult international adoptees' search for birth parents.

PubMed

Tieman, Wendy; van der Ende, Jan; Verhulst, Frank C

2008-10-01

This study examines international adoptees and factors associated with searching for birth parents. A total of 1,417 international adoptees in The Netherlands, aged 24 to 30 years, were divided into 4 groups: uninterested nonsearchers, interested nonsearchers, searchers, and reunited searchers. In total, 32% of adoptees had searched. Although the majority of searchers were well-adjusted, they had more problems--mainly internalizing problems--than uninterested nonsearchers. These problems, however, were not caused by the search itself. It is concluded that searching is the product of natural curiosity influenced by external factors such as the divorce of adoptive parents and the options for searching. Copyright 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

Investigating the causality of changes in the landscape pattern of Lake Urmia basin, Iran using remote sensing and time series analysis.

PubMed

Mehrian, Majid Ramezani; Hernandez, Raul Ponce; Yavari, Ahmad Reza; Faryadi, Shahrzad; Salehi, Esmaeil

2016-08-01

Lake Urmia is the second largest hypersaline lake in the world in terms of surface area. In recent decades, the drop in water level of the lake has been one of the most important environmental issues in Iran. At present, the entire basin is threatened due to abrupt decline of the lake's water level and the consequent increase in salinity. Despite the numerous studies, there is still an ambiguity about the main cause of this environmental crisis. This paper is an attempt to detect the changes in the landscape structure of the main elements of the whole basin using remote sensing techniques and analyze the results against climate data with time series analysis for the purpose of achieving a more clarified illustration of processes and trends. Trend analysis of the different affecting factors indicates that the main cause of the drastic dry out of the lake is the huge expansion of irrigated agriculture in the basin between 1999 and 2014. The climatological parameters including precipitation and temperature cannot be the main reasons for reduced water level in the lake. The results show how the increase in irrigated agricultural area without considering the water resources limits can lead to a regional disaster. The approach used in this study can be a useful tool to monitor and assess the causality of environmental disaster.

Trajectory of cause of death among brought dead neonates in tertiary care public facilities of Pakistan: A multicenter study.

PubMed

Mustufa, Muhammad Ayaz; Sheikh, Munir Ahmed; Taseer, Ijaz-Ul-Haque; Raza, Syed Jamal; Arshad, Muhammad Sohail; Akhter, Tasleem; Arain, Ghazala Mohyuddin; Habibullah, Sultana; Safdar, Sohail; Firdous, Rukhsana; Adnan, Muhammad

2017-02-01

Considering the fact that Pakistan is amongst the countries with very high neonatal mortality rates, we conducted a research study to determine the possible causes and characteristics of neonates presenting dead to the emergency department of tertiary public health care facilities of Pakistan using verbal autopsies. A descriptive case series study was conducted in emergency department/pediatrics ward/neonatal ward/nursery unit of ten tertiary care public health facilities, situated in seven major cities of Pakistan from November, 2011 to June, 2013. Precoded verbal autopsy proforma was used to collect information regarding cause of death, family narratives and other associated risks accountable for pathway to mortality. We identified 431 neonates presenting dead to the emergency department (238 males and 193 females). Sepsis (26.7%), birth asphyxia (18.8%) and persistent pulmonary arrest (17.2%) were main primary causes of brought death. Around 72% brought dead neonates were referred from doctors/health care facilities and more than 28% caregivers mentioned that they were not informed about the diagnosis/ailment of their deceased newborn. Findings of our study suggest that infectious disease remains the main primary cause of neonatal mortality. Underweight in newborns (64%) was estimated as a leading associated risk. Delays in referrals to respective health care facility enlightened the concern of sub-standard prerequisites of neonatal care that could be one of the major contributing risk factor of high mortality rates.

Motivations toward smoking cessation, reasons for relapse, and modes of quitting: results from a qualitative study among former and current smokers

PubMed Central

Buczkowski, Krzysztof; Marcinowicz, Ludmila; Czachowski, Slawomir; Piszczek, Elwira

2014-01-01

Background Smoking cessation plays a crucial role in reducing preventable morbidity and mortality and is a recognized public-health-policy issue in many countries. Two of the most important factors that affect the efficacy of quitting smoking are motivation and the ability to cope with situations causing relapse. Aim The objective of the study reported here was to investigate former and current smokers’ motivations for smoking cessation, reasons for relapse, and modes of quitting. Methods We arranged four focus groups with 24 participants (twelve current and twelve former smokers) and eleven semi-structured interviews (five current and six former smokers) with a view to understanding and categorizing their opinions on motivations and the course and process of smoking cessation. The data were next analyzed using descriptive qualitative methods. Results Three main themes were identified: (1) motivations to quit smoking, (2) reasons why smokers sometimes relapse, and (3) modes of quitting smoking. Within the first theme, the following six subthemes surfaced: (1) a smoking ban at home and at work due to other people’s wishes and rules, (2) the high cost of cigarettes, (3) the unpleasant smell, (4) health concern, (5) pregnancy and breastfeeding, and (6) a variety of other factors. The second theme encompassed the following subthemes: (1) stress and the need to lessen it by smoking a cigarette, (2) the need to experience the pleasure connected with smoking, and (3) the smoking environment both at home and at work. Participants presented different smoking-cessation modes, but mainly they were unplanned attempts. Conclusion Two very important motivations for smoking cessation were a smoking ban at home and at work due to other people’s wishes and rules, and the high cost of cigarettes. The most common smoking-cessation mode was a spontaneous decision to quit, caused by a particular trigger factor. Relapse causes encompassed, most notably: stress, lack of the pleasure previously obtained from smoking, and the smoking environment. PMID:25336926

Timing and causes of death in septic shock.

PubMed

Daviaud, Fabrice; Grimaldi, David; Dechartres, Agnès; Charpentier, Julien; Geri, Guillaume; Marin, Nathalie; Chiche, Jean-Daniel; Cariou, Alain; Mira, Jean-Paul; Pène, Frédéric

2015-12-01

Most studies about septic shock report a crude mortality rate that neither distinguishes between early and late deaths nor addresses the direct causes of death. We herein aimed to determine the modalities of death in septic shock. This was a 6-year (2008-2013) monocenter retrospective study. All consecutive patients diagnosed for septic shock within the first 48 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission were included. Early and late deaths were defined as occurring within or after 3 days following ICU admission, respectively. The main cause of death in the ICU was determined from medical files. A multinomial logistic regression analysis using the status alive as the reference category was performed to identify the prognostic factors associated with early and late deaths. Five hundred forty-three patients were included, with a mean age of 66 ± 15 years and a high proportion (67 %) of comorbidities. The in-ICU and in-hospital mortality rates were 37.2 and 45 %, respectively. Deaths occurred early for 78 (32 %) and later on for 166 (68 %) patients in the ICU (n = 124) or in the hospital (n = 42). Early deaths were mainly attributable to intractable multiple organ failure related to the primary infection (82 %) and to mesenteric ischemia (6.4 %). In-ICU late deaths were directly related to end-of-life decisions in 29 % of patients and otherwise mostly related to ICU-acquired complications, including nosocomial infections (20.4 %) and mesenteric ischemia (16.6 %). Independent determinants of early death were age, malignancy, diabetes mellitus, no pathogen identification, and initial severity. Among 3-day survivors, independent risk factors for late death were age, cirrhosis, no pathogen identification, and previous corticosteroid treatment. Our study provides a comprehensive assessment of septic shock-related deaths. Identification of risk factors of early and late deaths may determine differential prognostic patterns.

The international research progress of Ammonia(NH3) emissions and emissions reduction technology in farmland ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, W. Z.; Jiao, Y.

2017-03-01

NH3 is the important factor leading to the grey haze, and one of the main causes of environmental problems of serious ecological imbalance, such as acid rain and air quality deterioration. The fertilizer excessive application of the current farmland results NH3 emissions intensity greatly. In order to clear the farmland NH3 emissions research status and achievements, the literature of farmland NH3 emission related were retrievaled by the SCI journals and Chinese science citation database. Some factors of NH3 emission were analyzed such as soil factors, climate factors and farmland management measures. The research progress was inductived on farmland NH3 emission reduction technology. The results will help to clarify farmland NH3 emissions research progress. The theoretical guidance was provided on the future of farmland NH3 emissions research.

Dyslipidemia in chronic kidney disease: are statins still indicated in reduction cardiovascular risk in patients on dialysis treatment?

PubMed

Scarpioni, Roberto; Ricardi, Marco; Melfa, Luigi; Cristinelli, Luciano

2010-12-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasingly health disease all around the world with a high burden of mortality and cardiovascular (CV) morbidity rate. Even when renal replacement therapy is reached, more than half patients die, mainly for CV causes due either to uremia-related cardiovascular risk factors (such as anemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, mineral bone disease-CKD with hyperparathyroidism, oxidative stress, hypoalbuminemia, chronic inflammation, prothrombotic factors) or to traditional ones (age, male gender, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, smoking, insulin levels, family history, dyslipidemia). Among the latter causes dyslipidemia represents one of the major, potentially correctable risk factor. Statins have demonstrated to effectively and safely reduce cholesterol levels in CKD patients. Here we will examine the effects of statins on CV risk factors in CKD patients and particularly in patients on dialysis treatment, in the light of the unfavorable results of the large trials 4D and AURORA, recently published, underlining the role of malnutrition/inflammation as confounding factor. Probably it will be that only with a real prevention, starting statins even in the early stages of CKD, as indicated by post hoc analysis of large trials, that we will reach results in reducing the mortality rate in CKD patients. In the meanwhile, all the other remediable CV risk factors have to be at the same time corrected. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Analysis of the causes of dental implant fracture: A retrospective clinical study.

PubMed

Stoichkov, Biser; Kirov, Dimitar

2018-01-01

Fracture of osseointegrated dental implants is the most severe mechanical complication. The aim of the present study was to analyze possible causative factors for implant body fracture. One hundred and one patients with 218 fitted implants and a follow-up period of 3 to 10 years were studied. Factors associated with biomechanical and physiologic overloading such as parafunctional activity (eg, bruxism), occlusion, and cantilevers, and factors related to the planning of the dental prosthesis, available bone volume, implant area, implant diameter, number of implants, and their inclination were tracked. The impact of their effect was analyzed using the Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc Mann-Whitney test for each group. The incidence of dental implant fracture was 2.3% in the investigated cases. Improper treatment planning, bruxism, and time of the complication setting in were the main factors leading to this complication. Typical size effect was established only for available bruxism, occlusal errors, and their activity duration. These complications were observed most often with single crown prostheses, and in combination with parafunctional activities such as bruxism and lack of implant-protected occlusion. Occlusal overload due to bruxism or inappropriate or inadequate occlusion as a single factor or a combination of these factors during the first years after the functional load can cause implant fracture. Fracture of the implant body more frequently occurred with single crowns than with other implant-supported fixed dental prostheses.

Low back pain in school-age children: risk factors, clinical features and diagnostic managment.

PubMed

Boćkowski, L; Sobaniec, W; Kułak, W; Smigielska-Kuzia, J; Sendrowski, K; Roszkowska, M

2007-01-01

Low back pain (LBP) is common in adult population, and it is becoming a serious health concern in adolescents. On surveys, about every fifth child in the school-age reports LBP. The study objective was to analysis the natural history, risk factors, clinical symptoms, causes and diagnostic management in school-age children hospitalized with LBP. The study group consisted of 36 patients at the age between 10 and 18 years, 22 girls and 14 boys suffering from LBP hospitalized in our Department of Pediatric Neurology and Rehabilitation in years 2000-2004. The mean age of clinical onset of LBP in our group was 14.7 years, earlier in girls, later in boys. We find the family history of LBP in 50% children. Most frequent factors associated with LBP were: spina bifida (16.7%) and incorrect posture (13.9%). Half of patients pointed the factor initialising LBP: rapid, incoordinated move (39%) or heavy load rise (11%). 58% of patients present the symptoms of ischialgia. Diagnostic imaging showed disc protrusion in 11 children (31%) 6 in computed tomography, 4 in magnetic resonance imaging and 1 in X-Ray examination only. Other causes of LBP included: spondylolysis in 2 patients, Scheuermann disease in one case and juvenile reumatoid arthritis in one case. Some school-age children suffering on low back pain, particulary with sciatic neuralgia symptoms seek medical care in hospital. Althought the main causes are mechanical, associated with lack of physical activity or strenous exercise, serious diagnostic managment is strongly recommended.

Beneficial effects of naringenin in liver diseases: Molecular mechanisms

PubMed Central

Hernández-Aquino, Erika; Muriel, Pablo

2018-01-01

Liver diseases are caused by different etiological agents, mainly alcohol consumption, viruses, drug intoxication or malnutrition. Frequently, liver diseases are initiated by oxidative stress and inflammation that lead to the excessive production of extracellular matrix (ECM), followed by a progression to fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has been reported that some natural products display hepatoprotective properties. Naringenin is a flavonoid with antioxidant, antifibrogenic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties that is capable of preventing liver damage caused by different agents. The main protective effects of naringenin in liver diseases are the inhibition of oxidative stress, transforming growth factor (TGF-β) pathway and the prevention of the transdifferentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), leading to decreased collagen synthesis. Other effects include the inhibition of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), toll-like receptor (TLR) and TGF-β non-canonical pathways, the inhibition of which further results in a strong reduction in ECM synthesis and deposition. In addition, naringenin has shown beneficial effects on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through the regulation of lipid metabolism, modulating the synthesis and oxidation of lipids and cholesterol. Moreover, naringenin protects from HCC, since it inhibits growth factors such as TGF-β and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), inducing apoptosis and regulating MAPK pathways. Naringenin is safe and acts by targeting multiple proteins. However, it possesses low bioavailability and high intestinal metabolism. In this regard, formulations, such as nanoparticles or liposomes, have been developed to improve naringenin bioavailability. We conclude that naringenin should be considered in the future as an important candidate in the treatment of different liver diseases. PMID:29713125

Identification of the influencing factors on groundwater drought and depletion in north-western Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustafa, Syed Md. Touhidul; Abdollahi, Khodayar; Verbeiren, Boud; Huysmans, Marijke

2017-08-01

Groundwater drought is a specific type of hydrological drought that concerns groundwater bodies. It may have a significant adverse effect on the socio-economic, agricultural, and environmental conditions. Investigating the effect of different climatic and anthropogenic factors on groundwater drought provides essential information for sustainable planning and management of (ground) water resources. The aim of this study is to identify the influencing factors on groundwater drought in north-western Bangladesh, to understand the forcing mechanisms. A multi-step methodology is proposed to achieve this objective. The standardised precipitation index (SPI) and reconnaissance drought index (RDI) have been used to quantify the aggregated deficit between precipitation and the evaporative demand of the atmosphere, i.e. meteorological drought. The influence of land-cover patterns on the groundwater drought has been identified by calculating spatially distributed groundwater recharge as a function of land cover. Groundwater drought is defined by a threshold method. The results show that the evapotranspiration and rainfall deficits are determining meteorological drought, which shows a direct relation with groundwater recharge deficits. Land-cover change has a small effect on groundwater recharge but does not seem to be the main cause of groundwater-level decline (depletion) in the study area. The groundwater depth and groundwater-level deficit (drought) is continuously increasing with little correlation to meteorological drought or recharge anomalies. Overexploitation of groundwater for irrigation seems to be the main cause of groundwater-level decline in the study area. Efficient irrigation management is essential to reduce the growing pressure on groundwater resources and ensure sustainable water management.

Effect of viewing distance on 3D fatigue caused by viewing mobile 3D content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mun, Sungchul; Lee, Dong-Su; Park, Min-Chul; Yano, Sumio

2013-05-01

With an advent of autostereoscopic display technique and increased needs for smart phones, there has been a significant growth in mobile TV markets. The rapid growth in technical, economical, and social aspects has encouraged 3D TV manufacturers to apply 3D rendering technology to mobile devices so that people have more opportunities to come into contact with many 3D content anytime and anywhere. Even if the mobile 3D technology leads to the current market growth, there is an important thing to consider for consistent development and growth in the display market. To put it briefly, human factors linked to mobile 3D viewing should be taken into consideration before developing mobile 3D technology. Many studies have investigated whether mobile 3D viewing causes undesirable biomedical effects such as motion sickness and visual fatigue, but few have examined main factors adversely affecting human health. Viewing distance is considered one of the main factors to establish optimized viewing environments from a viewer's point of view. Thus, in an effort to determine human-friendly viewing environments, this study aims to investigate the effect of viewing distance on human visual system when exposing to mobile 3D environments. Recording and analyzing brainwaves before and after watching mobile 3D content, we explore how viewing distance affects viewing experience from physiological and psychological perspectives. Results obtained in this study are expected to provide viewing guidelines for viewers, help ensure viewers against undesirable 3D effects, and lead to make gradual progress towards a human-friendly mobile 3D viewing.

Diet and Dental Caries: The Pivotal Role of Free Sugars Reemphasized.

PubMed

Sheiham, A; James, W P T

2015-10-01

The importance of sugars as a cause of caries is underemphasized and not prominent in preventive strategies. This is despite overwhelming evidence of its unique role in causing a worldwide caries epidemic. Why this neglect? One reason is that researchers mistakenly consider caries to be a multifactorial disease; they also concentrate mainly on mitigating factors, particularly fluoride. However, this is to misunderstand that the only cause of caries is dietary sugars. These provide a substrate for cariogenic oral bacteria to flourish and to generate enamel-demineralizing acids. Modifying factors such as fluoride and dental hygiene would not be needed if we tackled the single cause--sugars. In this article, we demonstrate the sensitivity of cariogenesis to even very low sugars intakes. Quantitative analyses show a log-linear dose-response relationship between the sucrose or its monosaccharide intakes and the progressive lifelong development of caries. This results in a substantial dental health burden throughout life. Processed starches have cariogenic potential when accompanying sucrose, but human studies do not provide unequivocal data of their cariogenicity. The long-standing failure to identify the need for drastic national reductions in sugars intakes reflects scientific confusion partly induced by pressure from major industrial sugar interests. © International & American Associations for Dental Research 2015.

A dynamic factor model of the evaluation of the financial crisis in Turkey.

PubMed

Sezgin, F; Kinay, B

2010-01-01

Factor analysis has been widely used in economics and finance in situations where a relatively large number of variables are believed to be driven by few common causes of variation. Dynamic factor analysis (DFA) which is a combination of factor and time series analysis, involves autocorrelation matrices calculated from multivariate time series. Dynamic factor models were traditionally used to construct economic indicators, macroeconomic analysis, business cycles and forecasting. In recent years, dynamic factor models have become more popular in empirical macroeconomics. They have more advantages than other methods in various respects. Factor models can for instance cope with many variables without running into scarce degrees of freedom problems often faced in regression-based analysis. In this study, a model which determines the effect of the global crisis on Turkey is proposed. The main aim of the paper is to analyze how several macroeconomic quantities show an alteration before the evolution of the crisis and to decide if a crisis can be forecasted or not.

A Protocol for the Preparation of Cryoprecipitate and Cryo-depleted Plasma for Proteomic Studies.

PubMed

Sparrow, Rosemary L; Simpson, Richard J; Greening, David W

2017-01-01

Cryoprecipitate is a concentrate of high-molecular-weight plasma proteins that precipitate when frozen plasma is slowly thawed at 1-6 °C. The concentrate contains factor VIII (antihemophilic factor), von Willebrand factor (vWF), fibrinogen, factor XIII, fibronectin, and small amounts of other plasma proteins. Clinical grade preparations of cryoprecipitate are mainly used to treat fibrinogen deficiency caused by acute bleeding or functional abnormalities of the fibrinogen protein. In the past, cryoprecipitate was used to treat von Willebrand disease and hemophilia A (factor VIII deficiency), but the availability of more highly purified coagulation factor concentrates or recombinant protein preparations has superseded the use of cryoprecipitate for these coagulopathies. Cryo-depleted plasma ("cryosupernatant") is the plasma supernatant remaining following removal of the cryoprecipitate from frozen-thawed plasma. It contains all the other plasma proteins and clotting factors present in plasma that remain soluble during cold-temperature thawing of the plasma. This protocol describes the clinical-scale preparation of cryoprecipitate and cryo-depleted plasma for proteomic studies.

Hyphae-specific genes HGC1, ALS3, HWP1, and ECE1 and relevant signaling pathways in Candida albicans.

PubMed

Fan, Yan; He, Hong; Dong, Yan; Pan, Hengbiao

2013-12-01

Fungal virulence mechanisms include adhesion to epithelia, morphogenesis, production of secretory hydrolytic enzymes, and phenotype switching, all of which contribute to the process of pathogenesis. A striking feature of the biology of Candida albicans is its ability to grow in yeast, pseudohyphal, and hyphal forms. The hyphal form plays an important role in causing disease, by invading epithelial cells and causing tissue damage. In this review, we illustrate some of the main hyphae-specific genes, namely HGC1, UME6, ALS3, HWP1, and ECE1, and their relevant and reversed signal transduction pathways in reactions stimulated by environmental factors, including pH, CO2, and serum.

Strategic emergency department design: An approach to capacity planning in healthcare provision in overcrowded emergency rooms.

PubMed

Exadaktylos, Aristomenis K; Evangelopoulos, Dimitrios S; Wullschleger, Marcel; Bürki, Leo; Zimmermann, Heinz

2008-11-17

Healthcare professionals and the public have increasing concerns about the ability of emergency departments to meet current demands. Increased demand for emergency services, mainly caused by a growing number of minor and moderate injuries has reached crisis proportions, especially in the United Kingdom. Numerous efforts have been made to explore the complex causes because it is becoming more and more important to provide adequate healthcare within tight budgets. Optimisation of patient pathways in the emergency department is therefore an important factor.This paper explores the possibilities offered by dynamic simulation tools to improve patient pathways using the emergency department of a busy university teaching hospital in Switzerland as an example.

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Management in Women

PubMed Central

Al-Badr, Ahmed; Al-Shaikh, Ghadeer

2013-01-01

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most frequent clinical bacterial infections in women, accounting for nearly 25% of all infections. Around 50–60% of women will develop UTIs in their lifetimes. Escherichia coli is the organism that causes UTIs in most patients. Recurrent UTIs (RUTI) are mainly caused by reinfection by the same pathogen. Having frequent sexual intercourse is one of the greatest risk factors for RUTIs. In a subgroup of individuals with coexisting morbid conditions, complicated RUTIs can lead to upper tract infections or urosepsis. Although the initial treatment is antimicrobial therapy, use of different prophylactic regimens and alternative strategies are available to reduce exposure to antibiotics. PMID:23984019

Crack Growth Behavior in the Threshold Region for High Cyclic Loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forman, R.; Figert, J.; Beek, J.; Ventura, J.; Martinez, J.; Samonski, F.

2011-01-01

The present studies show that fanning in the threshold regime is likely caused by other factors than a plastic wake developed during load shedding. The cause of fanning at low R-values is a result of localized roughness, mainly formation of a faceted crack surface morphology , plus crack bifurcations which alters the crack closure at low R-values. The crack growth behavior in the threshold regime involves both crack closure theory and the dislocation theory of metals. Research will continue in studying numerous other metal alloys and performing more extensive analysis, such as the variation in dislocation properties (e.g., stacking fault energy) and its effects in different materials.

VIGILANCE POISON: Illegal poisoning and lead intoxication are the main factors affecting avian scavenger survival in the Pyrenees (France).

PubMed

Berny, Philippe; Vilagines, Lydia; Cugnasse, Jean-Marc; Mastain, Olivier; Chollet, Jean-Yves; Joncour, Guy; Razin, Martine

2015-08-01

A specific surveillance program has been set up to monitor avian scavenger populations in the French Pyrenean Mountains, hosting a high proportion of the French populations. The two main purposes of the study were to identify all causes of death and to investigate poisoning cases. All 170 birds found dead during the 7-year program were submitted to full necropsy, X-Ray, parasitological investigations and consistent analytical toxicology screenings (Cholinesterase inhibitors, anticoagulant rodenticides, organochlorine insecticides, Pb, Cd). Over the study period, 8 Bearded Vultures, 120 Griffon Vultures, 8 Egyptian Vultures and 34 Red kites were eventually collected. Mortality events were often multifactorial, but poisoning was by far the most common cause of death (24.1%), followed by trauma/fall (12%), bacterial diseases and starvation (8%) and electrocution (6%). Illicit use of banned pesticides was identified as a common cause of poisoning (53% of all poisoning cases) and lead poisoning was also identified as a significant toxicant issue (17% of all poisoning cases). Lead isotopic signature could be associated primarily with ammunition. Last, a positive association between trauma and lead contamination was detected, indicating that lead could be a significant contributor to different causes of death. These results urge for severe restrictions on the use of lead ammunition to prevent scavengers from detrimental exposure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mortality in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde employees: 2007-2009.

PubMed

Freer, K; Waclawski, E

2013-09-01

Just over a fifth of all deaths in Scotland occur in those under the age of 65. This study examined deaths in service in employees of the National Health Service Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GG&C) Health Board over a 3-year period. To assess crude death rates by occupational group, the main causes of death and evidence of causes that could have been prevented or modified by lifestyle changes. Demographic details, occupational grouping and death certificate data were obtained for all NHS GG&C employees who died in service between 2007 and 2009. A total of 138 employees died in this period. The occupational groups in which most deaths occurred were support services (porters, domestic and catering staff; 35%) and nurses (34%). The commonest causes of death were lung cancer (15%), ischaemic heart disease (9%) and suicide (9%). The overall crude death rate was 1.2/1000 persons/year (females 1.0 and males 1.7) and was highest among support services employees (2.4) and lowest among medical staff (0.5). The relative risk of death in support services was significantly greater than the majority of occupational groups. These findings suggest health inequality within this workforce. The main causes of death identified in the support services group could potentially be modified through workplace risk factor screening and health promotion.

Identifying the causes, prevention and management of crises in dementia. An online survey of stakeholders.

PubMed

Ledgerd, Ritchard; Hoe, Juanita; Hoare, Zoë; Devine, Mike; Toot, Sandeep; Challis, David; Orrell, Martin

2016-06-01

Crisis situations in dementia can lead to hospital admission or institutionalisation. Offering immediate interventions may help avoid admission, whilst stabilising measures can help prevent future crises. Our objective was to identify the main causes of crisis and interventions to treat or prevent crisis in persons with dementia based on different stakeholder perspectives. An online questionnaire was developed to identify the causes of crisis and appropriate interventions in a crisis. Participants included people with dementia, family carers and staff working in health and social care, including emergency and voluntary sectors, and academia. The results ranked the main causes of crisis, interventions that can prevent a crisis and interventions that can be useful in a crisis. Wandering, falls and infection were highly rated as risk factors for crises across all stakeholder groups. Consumers rated aggression as less important but severity of memory impairment as much more important than the other groups did. Education and support for family carers and home care staff were highly valued for preventing crises. Well-trained home care staff, communication equipment, emergency contacts and access to respite were highly valued for managing crises. We identified triggers and interventions that different stakeholders see as important for crisis in dementia. Recognition of these may be critical to planning effective and accepted support and care for people with dementia. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Laboratory assessment of Activated Protein C Resistance/Factor V-Leiden and performance characteristics of a new quantitative assay.

PubMed

Amiral, Jean; Vissac, Anne Marie; Seghatchian, Jerard

2017-12-01

Activated Protein C Resistance is mainly associated to a factor V mutation (RQ506), which induces a deficient inactivation of activated factor V by activated protein C, and is associated to an increased risk of venous and arterial thrombosis in affected individuals, caused by the prolonged activated factor V survival. Its prevalence is mainly in Caucasians (about 5%), and this mutation is absent in Africans and Asians. Presence of Factor V-Leiden is usually evidenced with clotting methods, using a two-step APTT assay performed without or with APC: prolongation of blood coagulation time is decreased if this factor is present. The R506Q Factor V-Leiden mutation is now usually characterized using molecular biology, and this technique tends to become the first intention assay for characterization of patients. Both techniques are qualitative, and allow classifying tested individuals as heterozygotes or homozygotes for the mutation, when present. A new quantitative assay for Factor V-Leiden, using a one-step clotting method, has been developed, and designed with highly purified human coagulation proteins. Clotting is triggered with human Factor Xa, in presence of calcium and phospholipids (mixture which favours APC action over clotting process). Diluted tested plasma, is supplemented with a clotting mixture containing human fibrinogen, prothrombin, and protein S at a constant concentration. APC is added, and clotting is initiated with calcium. Calibration is performed with a pool of plasmas from patients carrying the R506Q Factor V mutation, and its mixtures with normal plasma. Homozygous patients have clotting times of about <40sec; heterozygous patients have clotting times of about 40-60sec and normal individuals yield clotting times >70sec. Factor V-Leiden concentration is usually >75% in homozygous patients, 30-60% in heterozygous patients and below 5% in normal. The assay is insensitive to clotting factor deficiencies (II, VII, VIII: C, IX, X), dicoumarol or heparin therapies, and has no interference with lupus anticoagulant (LA). This new assay for Factor V-Leiden can be easily used in any coagulation laboratory, is performed as a single test, and is quantitative. This assay has a high robustness, is accurate and presents a good intra- (<3%) and inter-assay (<5%) variability. It contributes solving most of the laboratory issues faced when testing factor V-Leiden. Quantitation of Factor V-L could contribute to a better assessment of thrombotic risk in affected patients, as this complication is first associated to and caused by the presence of a defined amount of FVa. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of rate of force application during compression on tablet capping.

PubMed

Sarkar, Srimanta; Ooi, Shing Ming; Liew, Celine Valeria; Heng, Paul Wan Sia

2015-04-01

Root cause and possible processing remediation of tablet capping were investigated using a specially designed tablet press with an air compensator installed above the precompression roll to limit compression force and allow extended dwell time in the precompression event. Using acetaminophen-starch (77.9:22.1) as a model formulation, tablets were prepared by various combinations of precompression and main compression forces, set precompression thickness, and turret speed. The rate of force application (RFA) was the main factor contributing to the tablet mechanical strength and capping. When target force above the force required for strong interparticulate bond formation, the resultant high RFA contributed to more pronounced air entrapment, uneven force distribution, and consequently, stratified densification in compact together with high viscoelastic recovery. These factors collectively had contributed to the tablet capping. As extended dwell time assisted particle rearrangement and air escape, a denser and more homogenous packing in the die could be achieved. This occurred during the extended dwell time when a low precompression force was applied, followed by application of main compression force for strong interparticulate bond formation that was the most beneficial option to solve capping problem. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Gender inequalities in external cause mortality in Brazil, 2010.

PubMed

de Moura, Erly Catarina; Gomes, Romeu; Falcão, Marcia Thereza Couto; Schwarz, Eduardo; das Neves, Alice Cristina Medeiros; Santos, Wallace

2015-03-01

To estimate mortality rate by external causes in Brazil. Mortality national 2010's data corrected by underreport and adjusted by direct method were evaluated by sex according to age, region of residence, race/skin color, education and conjugal situation. The standardized mortality coefficient of external causes is higher among men (178 per thousand inhabitants) than among women (24 per thousand inhabitants), being higher among young men (20 to 29 years old) in all regions and decreasing with aging. The mortality rate reaches almost nine times higher among men comparably to women, being higher in North and Northeast regions. The death incidence by external causes is higher among men (36.4%) than among women (10.9%), meaning 170% more risk for men. The risk is also higher among the youngest: 6.00 for men and 7.36 for women. The main kind of death by external causes among men is aggressions, followed by transport accidents, the opposite of women. Besides sex, age is the more important predictive factor of precocious death by external causes, pointing the need of many and various sectors in order to construct new identities of non violence.

Measuring the effects of socioeconomic factors on mental health among migrants in urban China: a multiple indicators multiple causes model.

PubMed

Guan, Ming

2017-01-01

Since 1978, rural-urban migrants mainly contribute Chinese urbanization. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of socioeconomic factors on mental health of them. Their mental health was measured by 12-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). The study sample comprised 5925 migrants obtained from the 2009 rural-to-urban migrants survey (RUMiC). The relationships among the instruments were assessed by the correlation analysis. The one-factor (overall items), two-factor (positive vs. negative items), and model conducted by principal component analysis were tested in the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). On the basis of three CFA models, the three multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) models with age, gender, marriage, ethnicity, and employment were constructed to investigate the concurrent associations between socioeconomic factors and GHQ-12. Of the sample, only 1.94% were of ethnic origin and mean age was 31.63 (SD = ±10.43) years. The one-factor, two-factor, and three-factor structure (i.e. semi-positive/negative/independent usefulness) had good model fits in the CFA analysis and gave order (i.e. 2 factor>3 factor>1 factor), which suggests that the three models can be used to assess psychological symptoms of migrants in urban China. All MIMIC models had acceptable fit and gave order (i.e. one-dimensional model>two-dimensional model>three-dimensional model). There were weak associations of socioeconomic factors with mental health among migrants in urban China. Policy discussion suggested that improvement of socioeconomic status of rural-urban migrants and mental health systems in urban China should be highlighted and strengthened.

Cause-and-effect analysis of risk management files to assess patient care in the emergency department.

PubMed

White, Andrew A; Wright, Seth W; Blanco, Roberto; Lemonds, Brent; Sisco, Janice; Bledsoe, Sandy; Irwin, Cindy; Isenhour, Jennifer; Pichert, James W

2004-10-01

Identifying the etiologies of adverse outcomes is an important first step in improving patient safety and reducing malpractice risks. However, relatively little is known about the causes of emergency department-related adverse outcomes. The objective was to describe a method for identification of common causes of adverse outcomes in an emergency department. This methodology potentially can suggest ways to improve care and might provide a model for identification of factors associated with adverse outcomes. This was a retrospective analysis of 74 consecutive files opened by a malpractice insurer between 1995 and 2000. Each risk-management file was analyzed to identify potential causes of adverse outcomes. The main outcomes were rater-assigned codes for alleged problems with care (e.g., failures of communication or problems related to diagnosis). About 50% of cases were related to injuries or abdominal complaints. A contributing cause was found in 92% of cases, and most had more than one contributing cause. The most frequent contributing categories included failure to diagnose (45%), supervision problems (31%), communication problems (30%), patient behavior (24%), administrative problems (20%), and documentation (20%). Specific relating factors within these categories, such as lack of timely resident supervision and failure to follow policies and procedures, were identified. This project documented that an aggregate analysis of risk-management files has the potential to identify shared causes related to real or perceived adverse outcomes. Several potentially correctable systems problems were identified using this methodology. These simple, descriptive management tools may be useful in identifying issues for problem solving and can be easily learned by physicians and managers.

Educational gains in cause-specific mortality: Accounting for cognitive ability and family-level confounders using propensity score weighting.

PubMed

Bijwaard, Govert E; Myrskylä, Mikko; Tynelius, Per; Rasmussen, Finn

2017-07-01

A negative educational gradient has been found for many causes of death. This association may be partly explained by confounding factors that affect both educational attainment and mortality. We correct the cause-specific educational gradient for observed individual background and unobserved family factors using an innovative method based on months lost due to a specific cause of death re-weighted by the probability of attaining a higher educational level. We use data on men with brothers from the Swedish Military Conscription Registry (1951-1983), linked to administrative registers. This dataset of some 700,000 men allows us to distinguish between five education levels and many causes of death. The empirical results reveal that raising the educational level from primary to tertiary would result in an additional 20 months of survival between ages 18 and 63. This improvement in mortality is mainly attributable to fewer deaths from external causes. The highly educated gain more than nine months due to the reduction in deaths from external causes, but gain only two months due to the reduction in cancer mortality and four months due to the reduction in cardiovascular mortality. Ignoring confounding would lead to an underestimation of the gains by educational attainment, especially for the less educated. Our results imply that if the education distribution of 50,000 Swedish men from the 1951 cohort were replaced with that of the corresponding 1983 cohort, 22% of the person-years that were lost to death between ages 18 and 63 would have been saved for this cohort. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Roentgenomorphological substantiation of drainage of the thoracic duct in patients with liver cirrhosis].

PubMed

Riabukhin, I A; Nazyrov, F G; Vorozheĭkin, V M; Khamidov, P M; Kirichenko, I P

1983-04-01

On the basis of an analysis of rentgeno-morphological investigations of the thoracic lymphatic duct (TLD) in 115 patients with complications of hepatocirrhosis and 50 postmortem observations the authors make a conclusion that one of the main factors of the development of insufficiency of TLD in hepatocirrhosis is an excess of lymph resulting in congestion in the duct. It may be considered as a cause for drainage of the TLD in patients with hepatocirrhosis.

Bad eating habits as the main cause of obesity among children.

PubMed

Kuźbicka, Karolina; Rachoń, Dominik

2013-01-01

Obesity is undoubtedly one of the biggest medical problems of the 21st century. Regrettably, the problem affects more and more children and adolescents. 10% of world's school-aged children have an excess body weight and a quarter of these children are obese. In Europe every fifth school-aged child suffers from an excess body weight. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among Polish adolescents is about 14%. An excess body weight can be the consequence of genetic factors, endocrine disorders or certain drugs. However, "simple obesity" is the most common, consequence of providing too much energy from food products in comparison to energy expenditure (caloric excess). Today's lifestyle promotes the development of obesity. The lack of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and energy-rich diet are the main causes of an excess body fat accumulation. Because of improper eating behaviours children consume an excess amount of energy; and their diet is deficient in elements necessary for proper development. The examples of such bad eating habits are: snacking highly processed and calorie-rich foods between meals eating in front of the TV screen, skipping breakfasts, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, "eating out" frequently and "emotional eating". Bad eating behaviours are crucial factors for the development of obesity. Eating habits are usually formed in early childhood and parents play a very important role in their development.

Exploring perceptions of health caregivers on the causes of caregivers’ occupational burnout in institutes of children with cerebral palsy: A qualitative study

PubMed Central

Dehghan, Abbass; Hosseini, Seyed Ali; Rassfiani, Mehdi; Dalvand, Hamid

2017-01-01

Background Providing care for children with cerebral palsy (CP) is hard, energy-consuming, and long-term. Consequently, occupational burnout is highly probable for caregivers. Objective This study aimed to explore the perception of health caregivers regarding the causes of caregivers’ occupational burnout in institutes of children with CP. Methods This qualitative study was conducted using content analysis methodology during an eight-month period in 2016. Nine caregivers, two managers, and one physiotherapist participated in the study. Purposive sampling method was used to select participants. In depth, semi-structure interviews were used to gather the data. All interviews were conducted at their workplace, in Tehran, Iran. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and overviewed. Constant comparative analyses were used to analyze the interviews. Results The results were categorized into three main categories and nine sub-categories. The main categories were as follows: care-related stress, nature of caring occupation, and organizational demands and resources. Conclusion Results of this study showed that several factors are involved in creating burnout among caregivers. The exploration of these factors may help us in designing appropriate interventions for caregivers to correctly implement caring activities so that they less suffer from care-related pressures and also become able to allocate some time for their own activities of interest and for recreational, social, and family activities. PMID:28848625

Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 and Cause-Specific Mortality in the General Population: The Northern Manhattan Study

PubMed Central

Souma, Nao; Isakova, Tamara; Lipiszko, David; Sacco, Ralph L.; Elkind, Mitchell S. V.; DeRosa, Janet T.; Silverberg, Shonni J.; Mendez, Armando J.; Dong, Chuanhui

2016-01-01

Context: An elevated fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23 is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients with kidney disease. The relationship between FGF23 and cause-specific mortality in the general population is unknown. Objective: To investigate the association of elevated FGF23 with the risk of cause-specific mortality in a racially and ethnically diverse urban general population. Design, Setting, Participants: The Northern Manhattan Study is a population-based prospective cohort study. Residents who were > 39 years old and had no history of stroke were enrolled between 1993 and 2001. Participants with available blood samples for baseline FGF23 testing were included in the current study (n = 2525). Main Outcome Measures: Cause-specific death events. Results: A total of 1198 deaths (474 vascular, 612 nonvascular, 112 unknown cause) occurred during a median follow-up of 14 years. Compared to participants in the lowest FGF23 quintile, those in the highest quintile had a 2.07-fold higher risk (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45, 2.94) of vascular death and a 1.64-fold higher risk (95% CI, 1.22, 2.20) of nonvascular death in fully adjusted models. Higher FGF23 was independently associated with increased risk of mortality due to cancer, but only in Hispanic participants (hazard ratio per 1 unit increase in ln FGF23 of 1.87; 95% CI, 1.40, 2.50; P for interaction = .01). Conclusions: Elevated FGF23 was independently associated with increased risk of vascular and nonvascular mortality in a diverse general population and with increased risk of cancer death specifically in Hispanic individuals. PMID:27501282

Study and Application of a Multi Magnetoresistor Sensor System to Detect Corrosion in Suspension Cables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres, V.; Quek, S.; Gaydecki, P.

2010-02-01

Aging and deterioration of the main functional parts in civil structures is one of the biggest problems that private and governmental institutions, dedicated to operate and maintain such structures, are facing now days. In the case of relatively old suspension bridges, problems emerge due to corrosion and break of wires in the main cables. Decisive information and a reliable monitoring and evaluation are factors of great relevance required to prevent significant or catastrophic damages caused to the structure, and more importantly, to people. The main challenge for the NDE methods of inspection arises in dealing with the steel wrapping barrier of the suspension cable, which main function is to shield, shape and hold the bundles. The following work, presents a study of a multi-Magnetoresistive sensors system aiming to support the monitoring and evaluation of suspension cables at some of its stages. Modelling, signal acquisition, signal processing, experiments and the initial phases of implementation are presented and discussed widely.

Integrated modeling and analysis of the multiple electromechanical couplings for the direct driven feed system in machine tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiaojun; Lu, Dun; Liu, Hui; Zhao, Wanhua

2018-06-01

The complicated electromechanical coupling phenomena due to different kinds of causes have significant influences on the dynamic precision of the direct driven feed system in machine tools. In this paper, a novel integrated modeling and analysis method of the multiple electromechanical couplings for the direct driven feed system in machine tools is presented. At first, four different kinds of electromechanical coupling phenomena in the direct driven feed system are analyzed systematically. Then a novel integrated modeling and analysis method of the electromechanical coupling which is influenced by multiple factors is put forward. In addition, the effects of multiple electromechanical couplings on the dynamic precision of the feed system and their main influencing factors are compared and discussed, respectively. Finally, the results of modeling and analysis are verified by the experiments. It finds out that multiple electromechanical coupling loops, which are overlapped and influenced by each other, are the main reasons of the displacement fluctuations in the direct driven feed system.

[Work, cardiopathy, and sports].

PubMed

Assanelli, D; Cottarelli, C; Salvadori, G; Rubino, F; Fernando, F; Biffi, A

2004-01-01

Heart disease is the main cause of early disability and premature death in Europe. Regular physical activity may prevent heart disease, diabetes, ictus, and obesity. Nevertheless, a certain resistance to a dynamic lifestyle, lack of free time, lack of motivation and other factors are frequently encountered. To stress the importance of physical activity in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. A literature review of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease was carried out. It has been shown that physical exercise is beneficial to the cardiovascular apparatus and to the bones and joints, by improving some metabolic parameters. Recent studies have shown that a personalized, moderate physical activity should be suggested for primary and secondary prevention, in particular for subjects with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction. An increase in sports activity and physical exercise at work and at school is recommended so as to improve quality of life and promote home rehabilitation. Some promising experience has already been made among workers and their families with excellent results, as shown by a follow-up period of three years.

Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema (RS3PE); a rare association with phyllodes tumour of breast.

PubMed

Sarkar, R N; Phaujdar, Sibaji; Banerjee, Siwalik; Siddhanta, Sattik; De, Dibyendu; Bhattachary, Kuntal; Pal, Hare Krishna

2012-04-01

Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema (RS3PE) is a rare entity mainly found in elderly males. It is characterized by pitting edema mainly of dorsum of both hands giving a "boxing glove hand" appearance; rarely involving feet also, acute in onset, negative rheumatoid factor and a good response to low dose corticosteroid therapy. Clinically it almost resembles a case of polymyalgia rheumatica, late onset rheumatoid arthritis or other seronegative spondyloarthropathy.Though there are multiple underlying factors causing this rare entity but it has very close associations with many malignancies.So far its association with solid tumours and hematological malignancies has been reported. Phyllodes tumour of breast shows wide spectrum of activity from a benign condition to a locally aggressive and sometimes metastatic tumour.One fourth of the cases recur after definitive treatment.Our case represent an unusual association with recurrent phyllodes tumour of breast with RS3PE.

Candida spp. in periodontal disease: a brief review.

PubMed

Sardi, Janaina C O; Duque, Cristiane; Mariano, Flávia S; Peixoto, Iza T A; Höfling, José F; Gonçalves, Reginaldo B

2010-06-01

Although the main reservoir of Candida spp. is believed to be the buccal mucosa, these microorganisms can coaggregate with bacteria in subgingival biofilm and adhere to epithelial cells. Such interactions are associated with the capacity of Candida spp. to invade gingival conjunctive tissue, and may be important in the microbial colonization that contributes to progression of oral alterations caused by diabetes mellitus, some medications, and immunosuppressive diseases such as AIDS. In addition, immune deficiency can result in proliferation of Candida spp. and germination of forms that are more virulent and have a higher capacity to adhere to and penetrate cells in host tissues. The virulence factors of Candida spp. increase host susceptibility to proliferation of these microorganisms and are likely to be important in the study of periodontal disease. Herein, we briefly review the literature pertaining to the role of Candida spp. in periodontal disease, and consider the main virulence factors, the host immune response to these microorganisms, and the effect of concomitant immunosuppressive conditions.

A Preliminary Review of Fatigue Among Rail Staff

PubMed Central

Fan, Jialin; Smith, Andrew P.

2018-01-01

Background: Fatigue is a severe problem in the rail industry, which may jeopardize train crew's health and safety. Nonetheless, a preliminary review of all empirical evidence for train crew fatigue is still lacking. The aim of the present paper is, therefore, to provide a preliminary description of occupational fatigue in the rail industry. This paper reviews the literature with the research question examining the risk factors associated with train crew fatigue, covering both papers published in refereed journals and reports from trade organizations and regulators. It assesses the progress of research on railway fatigue, including research on the main risk factors for railway fatigue, the association between fatigue and railway incidents, and how to better manage fatigue in the railway industry. Methods: Systematic searches were performed in both science and industry databases. The searches considered studies published before August 2017. The main exclusion criterion was fatigue not being directly measured through subjective or objective methods. Results: A total of 31 studies were included in the main review. The causes of fatigue included long working hours, heavy workload, early morning or night shifts, and insufficient sleep. Poor working environment, particular job roles, and individual differences also contributed to fatigue. Conclusion: Fatigue in the rail industry includes most of the features of occupational fatigue, and it is also subject to industry-specific factors. The effect of fatigue on well-being and the fatigued population in the railway industry are still not clear. Future studies can consider associations between occupational risk factors and perceived fatigue by examining the prevalence of fatigue and identifying the potential risk factors in staff within the railway industry. PMID:29867630

Risk assessment of drought disaster in southern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.

2015-12-01

Abstract: Drought has become an increasing concern in southern China, but the drought risk has not been adequately studied. This study presents a method for the spatial assessment of drought risk in southern China using a conceptual framework that emphasizes the combined role of hazard, vulnerability, and exposure.A drought hazard map was retrieved with a compound index of meteorological drought method in a GIS environment. Normally, a large variation in the disaster-inducing factor implies a high probability of economic/social losses caused by a drought disaster. The map indicated that areas with a higher risk of drought hazard were mainly distributed in mid-east Yunnan and the basins in eastern Sichuan.The vulnerability indices were based on climate factors as well as land use, geomorphological types, soil properties, and drainage density. The water preserving capability of purple calcareous soil in the basins in Sichuan and mid-east Yunnan, and the lateritic red soil in northeastern Guangdong is relatively weak. The main geomorphological features in Guangxi and Guangdong are hills, which leads to a serious expectation of soil and water losses. Thus, the main areas with a high risk of drought vulnerability are mid-east Yunnan and the basins in eastern Sichuan.The exposure indices were based on population density and agricultural production because population and agriculture experience the main impacts of a drought disaster. Higher exposure indices mean higher economic/social losses due to drought disasters. Areas with high exposure indices were mainly distributed in Guangdong and southern Guangxi.The overall risk was then calculated as the product of the hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. The results indicated a higher risk of drought disaster in the basins in eastern Sichuan,, northeastern Yunnan, and northeastern Guangdong. The main factor influencing the risk of a drought disaster was the hazard, but the vulnerability and exposure also played important roles.

Expression of Human Hemojuvelin (HJV) Is Tightly Regulated by Two Upstream Open Reading Frames in HJV mRNA That Respond to Iron Overload in Hepatic Cells

PubMed Central

Onofre, Cláudia; Tomé, Filipa; Barbosa, Cristina; Silva, Ana Luísa

2015-01-01

The gene encoding human hemojuvelin (HJV) is one of the genes that, when mutated, can cause juvenile hemochromatosis, an early-onset inherited disorder associated with iron overload. The 5′ untranslated region of the human HJV mRNA has two upstream open reading frames (uORFs), with 28 and 19 codons formed by two upstream AUGs (uAUGs) sharing the same in-frame stop codon. Here we show that these uORFs decrease the translational efficiency of the downstream main ORF in HeLa and HepG2 cells. Indeed, ribosomal access to the main AUG is conditioned by the strong uAUG context, which results in the first uORF being translated most frequently. The reach of the main ORF is then achieved by ribosomes that resume scanning after uORF translation. Furthermore, the amino acid sequences of the uORF-encoded peptides also reinforce the translational repression of the main ORF. Interestingly, when iron levels increase, translational repression is relieved specifically in hepatic cells. The upregulation of protein levels occurs along with phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2α. Nevertheless, our results support a model in which the increasing recognition of the main AUG is mediated by a tissue-specific factor that promotes uORF bypass. These results support a tight HJV translational regulation involved in iron homeostasis. PMID:25666510

Health and social inequities in Malta.

PubMed

Agius, F

1990-01-01

This paper focuses on the sources that are thought to lead to the genesis of health and social inequity in a small island community. It is largely a descriptive exposition, the main aim of which is to introduce the topic in Malta. Small size is the key geographical factor. This fact is dwelt upon to stress that although there are differences, say, between the two inhabitable islands, such differences are very small. Social homogeneity and an almost indiscernible urban-rural difference are strong factors that reduce any tendency for regional inequities. Socio-cultural factors in Malta are largely determined by family life and its relation with the established church. The traditional Catholic way of life is depicted as gradually giving way to a more secular lifestyle. Politics is represented as the prime factor for causing division within the this society. This is not without reason since this factor has taken over the other cause of division, namely parochialism. Political factors determine the distribution of resources including health resources. The important economic factors are that there are no great differences between the high income and the low income groups. However, due importance must always be given to the subterranean economy. The health profile is that of a developed country with low infant mortality and a long life expectancy. Infectious diseases have been on the decline and their persistence is usually linked to areas that have remained underdeveloped. The disadvantaged groups identified are the chronically unemployed, single mothers, possibly a section of the migrant population and the elderly.

Zinc in Infection and Inflammation

PubMed Central

Gammoh, Nour Zahi; Rink, Lothar

2017-01-01

Micronutrient homeostasis is a key factor in maintaining a healthy immune system. Zinc is an essential micronutrient that is involved in the regulation of the innate and adaptive immune responses. The main cause of zinc deficiency is malnutrition. Zinc deficiency leads to cell-mediated immune dysfunctions among other manifestations. Consequently, such dysfunctions lead to a worse outcome in the response towards bacterial infection and sepsis. For instance, zinc is an essential component of the pathogen-eliminating signal transduction pathways leading to neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) formation, as well as inducing cell-mediated immunity over humoral immunity by regulating specific factors of differentiation. Additionally, zinc deficiency plays a role in inflammation, mainly elevating inflammatory response as well as damage to host tissue. Zinc is involved in the modulation of the proinflammatory response by targeting Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB), a transcription factor that is the master regulator of proinflammatory responses. It is also involved in controlling oxidative stress and regulating inflammatory cytokines. Zinc plays an intricate function during an immune response and its homeostasis is critical for sustaining proper immune function. This review will summarize the latest findings concerning the role of this micronutrient during the course of infections and inflammatory response and how the immune system modulates zinc depending on different stimuli. PMID:28629136

[Health and exercise: effects of exercise on high blood pressure].

PubMed

Ikeda, M; Nanri, H; Himeno, E

1993-09-01

Many factors, such as genetic, psychological, environmental, and socioeconomical factors, influence the health of individuals. Recently behavioral risks which cause preventable chronic diseases or premature death have been increasing. These risk factors are mainly due to living habits, such as over-eating, less exercise and psychological stress. Physical activity or fitness is reported to be inversely associated with morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases diabetes mellitus, cancer and so on. Hypertension has also been reported to be associated with low physical fitness in cross-sectional studies. We have so far reported a significant blood pressure reduction in mild hypertensive patients who completed mild intensity exercise training in well controlled studies. Exercise seemed to modify the multiple factors that might participate in raising and maintaining high blood pressure. The mechanisms of lowering blood pressure by exercise training are mainly due to a depletion of blood volume or the reduction of both cardiac output and the sympathetic tone. They were supported by the evidence of increased levels of prostaglandin E, dopamine, taurine, and decreased levels of plasma norepinephrine and endogenous ouavain-like substance. In this article, we have reviewed the physiological and biochemical roles of exercise, the effects of exercise on high blood pressure, and the hypotensive mechanism of mild aerobic exercise hypertensive patients.

Zinc in Infection and Inflammation.

PubMed

Gammoh, Nour Zahi; Rink, Lothar

2017-06-17

Micronutrient homeostasis is a key factor in maintaining a healthy immune system. Zinc is an essential micronutrient that is involved in the regulation of the innate and adaptive immune responses. The main cause of zinc deficiency is malnutrition. Zinc deficiency leads to cell-mediated immune dysfunctions among other manifestations. Consequently, such dysfunctions lead to a worse outcome in the response towards bacterial infection and sepsis. For instance, zinc is an essential component of the pathogen-eliminating signal transduction pathways leading to neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) formation, as well as inducing cell-mediated immunity over humoral immunity by regulating specific factors of differentiation. Additionally, zinc deficiency plays a role in inflammation, mainly elevating inflammatory response as well as damage to host tissue. Zinc is involved in the modulation of the proinflammatory response by targeting Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB), a transcription factor that is the master regulator of proinflammatory responses. It is also involved in controlling oxidative stress and regulating inflammatory cytokines. Zinc plays an intricate function during an immune response and its homeostasis is critical for sustaining proper immune function. This review will summarize the latest findings concerning the role of this micronutrient during the course of infections and inflammatory response and how the immune system modulates zinc depending on different stimuli.

A population approach to renal replacement therapy epidemiology: lessons from the EVEREST study.

PubMed

Caskey, Fergus J; Jager, Kitty J

2014-08-01

The marked variation that exists in renal replacement therapy (RRT) epidemiology between countries and within countries requires careful systematic examination if the root causes are to be understood. While individual patient-level studies are undoubtedly important, there is a complementary role for more population-level, area-based studies--an aetiological approach. The EVEREST Study adopted such an approach, bringing RRT incidence rates, survival and modality mix together with macroeconomic factors, general population factors and renal service organizational factors for up to 46 countries. This review considers the background to EVEREST, its key results and then the main methodological lessons and their potential application to ongoing work. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

Development and Cause of Aeolian Desertification in Alpine Region-In Case of Maqu County in the Source of Yellow River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Junfeng; Qian, Quangqiang; Luo, Wanyin; Dong, Zhibao

2016-04-01

Maqu county locates in the northeast of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which main native vegetation is alpine meadow. It was suffered severe desertification in recent years. In this study, we used Landsat images to investigate development of desertification. The result showed that the area of desertification land increased significantly, patch numbers and patch area of desertified land also increased from 1975-1990, the increased desertified land mainly converted from grassland. The degree of desertification also increased from 1990-2000, mainly because fixed sandy land converted to mobile sandy land and semi-fixed sandy land. The area of desertification land decreased from 2000-2010, the desertification land mainly converted to low coverage grassland. The reason responsible for desertification development including natural factors, such as temperature increased, the Yellow River runoff decreased, rodents and pests damage, and unreasonable management measures, such as long-time overgrazing, digging turf for building fence and herbs. In the beginning of this century, the implementation of ecological restoration project was main reason responsible for desertification reversion.

Low back pain characterized by muscle resistance and occupational factors associated with nursing1

PubMed Central

Petersen, Rafael de Souza; Marziale, Maria Helena Palucci

2014-01-01

Objective to identify the occupational factors associated with low back pain using a surveillance tool and to characterize the low back pain by the resistance of the extensor muscles of the vertebral column among nursing professionals at an Intensive Care Unit. Methods Cross-sectional study. The workers answered a questionnaire about occupational factors and participated in a resistance test of the extensor muscles of the vertebral column. Associations were established through Student's T-test or Mann-Whitney's U-test and correlations using Pearson's test. Results Out of 48 participants, 32 (67%) suffered from low pain. For the resistance test, the subjects suffering from low back pain endured less time in comparison with asymptomatic subjects, but without significant differences (p=0.147). The duration of the pain episode showed a significant negative correlation (p=0.016) with the results of the resistance test though. The main factors identified as causes of low back pain were biomechanical and postural elements, conditions of the muscle structure and physical and organizational conditions. Conclusions the main occupational factors associated with the low back pain were the posture and the characteristics of the physical and organizational conditions. In addition, the extensor muscles of the column showed a trend towards lesser resistance for workers in pain. This evidence is important when considering prevention and treatment strategies. PMID:25029048

Factors influencing the virological testing of cornea donors.

PubMed

Röck, Tobias; Beck, Robert; Jürgens, Stefan; Bartz-Schmidt, Karl Ulrich; Bramkamp, Matthias; Thaler, Sebastian; Röck, Daniel

2017-11-01

To assess the influence of donor, environment, and logistical factors on the results of virological testing of blood samples from cornea donors.Data from 670 consecutive cornea donors were analyzed retrospectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influence of different factors on the results of virological testing of blood samples from cornea donors.The mean annual rate of donors with serology-reactive or not evaluable result was 14.8% (99 of 670) (range 11.9%-16.9%). The cause of donor death by cancer increased the risk of serology-reactive or not evaluable result (P = .0300). Prolonged time between death and post mortem blood removal was associated with a higher rate of serology-reactive or not evaluable result (P < .0001). Mean monthly temperature including warmer months, differentiating between septic and aseptic donors, sex, and donor age had no significant impact on the results of virological testing of blood samples from cornea donors.The cause of donor death by cancer and a prolonged time between death and post mortem blood removal seem to be mainly responsible for serology-reactive or not evaluable result of blood samples from cornea donors. The percentage of discarded corneas caused by serology-reactive or not evaluable result may be reduced by shortening the period of time between death and post mortem blood removal. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing the virological testing of cornea donors

PubMed Central

Röck, Tobias; Beck, Robert; Jürgens, Stefan; Bartz-Schmidt, Karl Ulrich; Bramkamp, Matthias; Thaler, Sebastian; Röck, Daniel

2017-01-01

Abstract To assess the influence of donor, environment, and logistical factors on the results of virological testing of blood samples from cornea donors. Data from 670 consecutive cornea donors were analyzed retrospectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influence of different factors on the results of virological testing of blood samples from cornea donors. The mean annual rate of donors with serology-reactive or not evaluable result was 14.8% (99 of 670) (range 11.9%–16.9%). The cause of donor death by cancer increased the risk of serology-reactive or not evaluable result (P = .0300). Prolonged time between death and post mortem blood removal was associated with a higher rate of serology-reactive or not evaluable result (P < .0001). Mean monthly temperature including warmer months, differentiating between septic and aseptic donors, sex, and donor age had no significant impact on the results of virological testing of blood samples from cornea donors. The cause of donor death by cancer and a prolonged time between death and post mortem blood removal seem to be mainly responsible for serology-reactive or not evaluable result of blood samples from cornea donors. The percentage of discarded corneas caused by serology-reactive or not evaluable result may be reduced by shortening the period of time between death and post mortem blood removal. PMID:29381929

Causes and correlates of anemia in 200 patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

PubMed

Rovellini, Angelo; Graziadei, Giovanna; Folli, Christian; Brambilla, Anna Maria; Cosentini, Roberto; Canetta, Ciro; Monzani, Valter

2012-12-01

Acute heart failure has a poor prognosis and the presence of anemia may increase the risk of adverse outcomes. However, the clinical and laboratory characteristics of anemia in acute heart failure are poorly known. We aimed to assess the causes and the clinical and laboratory correlates of anemia in patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema (ACPE). This observational study, performed in an Emergency Unit, enrolled 200 patients treated with medical therapy and continuous positive airway pressure. Anemia was found in 36% of patients (38.5% of females and 32.5% of males) and was severe (hemoglobin <9 g/dL) in 6.9% of cases. The most frequent causes of anemia were chronic renal failure (27.8%), chronic inflammatory states (27.8%) and the clustering of multiple factors (18.1%). A wider spectrum of etiological factors was found in females than in males. Microcytic anemia was observed only in females (20% of those anemic), mainly due to iron deficiency/chronic blood loss. Glomerular filtration rate, serum iron, serum albumin, total cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure were independently associated with hemoglobin levels. The etiology of anemia in ACPE is heterogeneous, with several causal factors besides impaired renal function. The pattern of anemia is different between genders, suggesting that sex-specific diagnostic and therapeutic targets should be implemented. Copyright © 2012 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unconsummated marriage: clarification of aetiology; treatment with intracorporeal injection.

PubMed

Zargooshi, J

2000-07-01

To clarify the aetiological factors in unconsummated marriage in Iran, and to report the results of intracorporeal injection therapy for erectile dysfunction in these circumstances. During a 2-year period, 200 cases of unconsummated marriage were evaluated. A detailed history was obtained to clarify the circumstances of the problem; if simple measures failed to resolve the problem, intracorporeal injection with papaverine +/- phentolamine was used. The main factor associated with an unconsummated marriage was the intense social pressure to accomplish hasty coitus with an unfamiliar woman (some men having had no social contact with their new bride) and in the presence of relatives waiting nearby for evidence of the bride's virginity and confirmation of coitus. The initial problem was then further compounded with resultant erectile failure caused by anxiety about sexual performance. Inability to consummate the marriage was caused by premature ejaculation in 23%, erectile dysfunction in 61%, and a combination in 16%; 70% of patients were able to consummate the union after intracorporeal injection with papaverine +/- phentolamine. In addition to psychological causes and a lack of sexual education, the social circumstances in which partners are obliged to initiate and complete coitus are important factors in the aetiology of unconsummated marriage. Intracorporeal injection is useful in treating this problem and it should be the therapy of choice for unconsummated marriage in developing countries, where the conditions do not favour psychotherapy and where alternative erectogenic agents are expensive or unavailable.

Natural and human-induced sinkhole hazards in Saudi Arabia: distribution, investigation, causes and impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youssef, Ahmed M.; Al-Harbi, Hasan M.; Gutiérrez, Francisco; Zabramwi, Yasser A.; Bulkhi, Ali B.; Zahrani, Saeed A.; Bahamil, Alaa M.; Zahrani, Ahmed J.; Otaibi, Zaam A.; El-Haddad, Bosy A.

2016-05-01

Approximately 60 % of the 2,150,000 km2 area of Saudi Arabia is underlain by soluble sediments (carbonate and evaporite rock formations, salt diapirs, sabkha deposits). Despite its hyper-arid climate, a wide variety of recent sinkholes have been reported in numerous areas, involving significant property losses. Human activities, most notably groundwater extraction, have induced unstable conditions on pre-existing cavities. This work provides an overview of the sinkhole hazard in Saudi Arabia, a scarcely explored topic. It identifies the main karst formations and the distribution of the most problematic sinkhole areas, illustrated through several case studies covering the wide spectrum of subsidence mechanisms. Some of the main investigation methods are presented through selected examples, including remote sensing, trenching and geophysics. Based on the available data, the main causal factors are identified and further actions that should be undertaken to better assess and manage the risk are discussed.

Influence of viral infection on essential oil composition of Ocimum basilicum (Lamiaceae).

PubMed

Nagai, Alice; Duarte, Ligia M L; Santos, Déborah Y A C

2011-08-01

Ocimum basilicum L., popularly known as sweet basil, is a Lamiaceae species whose essential oil is mainly composed of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and phenylpropanoids. The contents of these compounds can be affected by abiotic and biotic factors such as infections caused by viruses. The main goal of this research was an investigation of the effects of viral infection on the essential oil profile of common basil. Seeds of O. basilicum L. cv. Genovese were sowed and kept in a greenhouse. Plants presenting two pairs of leaves above the cotyledons were inoculated with an unidentified virus isolated from a field plant showing chlorotic yellow spots and foliar deformation. Essential oils of healthy and infected plants were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GCMS. Changes in essential oil composition due to viral infection were observed. Methyleugenol and p-cresol,2,6-di-tert-butyl were the main constituents. However, methyleugenol contents were significantly decreased in infected plants.

[Xerostomia: clinic, etiology, diagnosis and treatment].

PubMed

Guobis, Zygimantas; Baseviciene, Nomeda; Paipaliene, Pajauta; Sabalys, Gintautas; Kubilius, Ricardas

2006-01-01

The aim of this article is to review the problem of xerostomia considering its clinical, etiological, diagnostic and treatment features, basing on the today's tutorials and scientific articles found in databases on the Internet. Recent epidemiologic data on the prevalence of xerostomia in different countries are introduced. There are analyzed the main aspects of clinical manifestations of xerostomia, according to the different etiology analyzed. The most common etiological factors causing xerostomia, especially the main three of them: radiation therapy, Sjögren's syndrome, and drugs, are pointed out. The most popular and accepted clinical and laboratory assays for measuring and evaluating the function of salivary glands are represented. Attention is paid to xerostomia as substantiation of the separate diagnosis and its role in diagnosing other diseases. The concept of possible treatment modalities and prognosis are discussed. The main and most common problems concerning xerostomia are revealed.

Effects of growing location on the production of main active components and antioxidant activity of Dasiphora fruticosa (L.) Rydb. by chemometric methods.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Wang, Dongmei; Hou, Xiaogai; Yang, Yueqin; Xue, Xian; Jia, Qishi; Zhang, Lixia; Zhao, Wei; Yin, Dongxue

2018-05-17

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a very important role in the health system of China. The content and activity of active component are main indexes that evaluate the quality of TCM, however they may vary with environmental factors in their growing locations. In this study, effects of environmental factors on the contents of active components and antioxidant activity of Dasiphora fruticosa from the five main production areas of China were investigated. The contents of tannin, total flavonoid and rutin were determined and varied within the range of 7.65-10.69%, 2.30-5.39% and 0.18-0.81%, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH assay, with the DPPH IC 50 values ranged from 8.791 to 32.534μg mL -1 . In order to further explore the cause of these significant geographical variations, the chemometric methods including correlation analysis, principal component analysis, gray correlation analysis, and path analysis were conducted. The results showed environmental factors had significant effect on the active component contents and antioxidant activity. Rapidly available phosphorus (RAP) and rapidly available nitrogen (RAN) were common dominant factors, and a significant positive correlation was observed between RAP and active components and antioxidant activity (P<0.05). Contributed by their high active components and strong antioxidant activity, Bange in Tibet and Geermu in Qinghai Province was selected as a favorable growing location, respectively. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Causes of irregularities in trends of global mean surface temperature since the late 19th century

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

The time series of monthly global mean surface temperature (GST) since 1891 is successfully reconstructed from known natural and anthropogenic forcing factors, including internal climate variability, using a multiple regression technique. Comparisons are made with the performance of 40 CMIP5 models in predicting GST. The relative contributions of the various forcing factors to GST changes vary in time, but most of the warming since 1891 is found to be attributable to the net influence of increasing greenhouse gases and anthropogenic aerosols. Separate statistically independent analyses are also carried out for three periods of GST slowdown (1896–1910, 1941–1975, and 1998–2013 and subperiods); two periods of strong warming (1911–1940 and 1976–1997) are also analyzed. A reduction in total incident solar radiation forcing played a significant cooling role over 2001–2010. The only serious disagreements between the reconstructions and observations occur during the Second World War, especially in the period 1944–1945, when observed near-worldwide sea surface temperatures (SSTs) may be significantly warm-biased. In contrast, reconstructions of near-worldwide SSTs were rather warmer than those observed between about 1907 and 1910. However, the generally high reconstruction accuracy shows that known external and internal forcing factors explain all the main variations in GST between 1891 and 2015, allowing for our current understanding of their uncertainties. Accordingly, no important additional factors are needed to explain the two main warming and three main slowdown periods during this epoch. PMID:29881771

Largely ignored: the impact of the threshold value for a QALY on the importance of a transferability factor.

PubMed

Vemer, Pepijn; Rutten-van Mölken, Maureen P M H

2011-10-01

Recently, several checklists systematically assessed factors that affect the transferability of cost-effectiveness (CE) studies between jurisdictions. The role of the threshold value for a QALY has been given little consideration in these checklists, even though the importance of a factor as a cause of between country differences in CE depends on this threshold. In this paper, we study the impact of the willingness-to-pay (WTP) per QALY on the importance of transferability factors in the case of smoking cessation support (SCS). We investigated, for several values of the WTP, how differences between six countries affect the incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) of SCS. The investigated factors were demography, smoking prevalence, mortality, epidemiology and costs of smoking-related diseases, resource use and unit costs of SCS, utility weights and discount rates. We found that when the WTP decreased, factors that mainly affect health outcomes became less important and factors that mainly effect costs became more important. With a WTP below 1,000, the factors most responsible for between country differences in INMB were resource use and unit costs of SCS and the costs of smoking-related diseases. Utility values had little impact. At a threshold above 10,000, between country differences were primarily due to different discount rates, utility weights and epidemiology of smoking-related diseases. Costs of smoking-related diseases had little impact. At all thresholds, demography had little impact. We concluded that, when judging the transferability of a CE study, we should consider the between country differences in WTP threshold values.

Mapping palm oil expansion using SAR to study the impact on the CO2 cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohl, Christine

2014-06-01

With Malaysia being the second largest palm oil producer in the world and the fact that palm oil ranks first in vegetable oil production on the world market the palm oil industry became an important factor in the country. Along with the expansion of palm oil across the nation causing deforestation of natural rain forest and conversion of peat land into plantation land there are several factors causing a tremendous increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Main causes of CO2 emission apart from deforestation and peat-land conversion are the fires to create plantation land plus the fires burning waste products of the plantations itself. This paper describes a project that aims at the development of a remote sensing monitoring system to allow a continuous observation of oil palm plantation activities and expansion in order to be able to quantify CO2 emissions. The research concentrates on developing a spaceborne synthetic aperture radar information extraction system for palm oil plantations in the Tropics. This will lead to objective figures that can be used internationally to create a policy implementation plan to sustainably reduce CO2 emission in the future.

[Analysis of the incidence and causes of repeated surgical interventions in patients with early complications electrotherapy - 1 center experience from the period 2012-2015].

PubMed

Piątek, Łukasz; Polewczyk, Anna; Kurzawski, Jacek; Zachura, Małgorzata; Kaczmarczyk, Małgorzata; Janion, Marianna

Due to increasing number of patients treated by cardiac implantable electronic devices we observe increasing number of complications after these procedures We analysed causes of early surgical revision of implantable devices connected with 1673 procedures of implantation (871 procedures) or exchange (802 procedures) of pacing systems (PM), cardioverter-difibrillators (ICD) and resynchronisation systems (CRT) in one local centre of electrotherapy in years 2012 to 2015. We characterised risk factors and its influence on encountered complications. In analysed period 72 reinterventions after implantations or exchanges of PM/ICD/CRT were performed. Main causes of early complications were: lead malfunction (2.5%), including the dislodgement of the leads in 1.9%, pocket hematoma (1.4%) and other abnormalities of the pocket (0.4 %), including pocket infections in 0.2%. The most important risk factors of early complications were often implantations of the leads with passive fixation and anticoagulation therapy in perioperative period. The knowledge of the early complications after implantations and exchanges of PM/ICD/CRT should improve the safety of procedures through more often used of the leads with active fixation and properly preparation of the patients requering the antithrombic therapy.

[Clinical characteristics and management of children hospitalized for influenza in four epidemic seasons (2002-2006)].

PubMed

Ros Aranal, I; Navarra Vicente, B; Lavilla Fernández, M J; De Juan Martín, F; Bouthelier Moreno, M; Omeñaca Teres, M; Ciria Calavia, L

2008-01-01

Influenza is frequent during childhood, affecting approximately 30-40 % of children. To identify the most frequent causes of hospitalization in children admitted to hospital for influenza, as well as the main symptoms and clinical diagnoses at discharge, and to relate these factors with the type of influenza virus and patients' age. A further aim was to evaluate the use of the diagnostic and therapeutic methods. We performed a retrospective descriptive study through a review of the medical records of children admitted to the Miguel Servet Children's Hospital in Zaragoza (Spain) for influenza in four epidemic seasons (2002-2006). A total of 178 influenza cases were found, 132 due to influenza A and 46 due to influenza B. Hospital admission was mainly due to fever without focus, especially in infants aged less than 6 months, followed by convulsions and shortness of breath. The main symptoms were fever, cough, rhinitis, and vomiting. The latter was especially frequent in children older than 3 years and in patients with influenza B virus. The main discharge diagnoses were upper respiratory tract infection, pharyngitis-tonsillitis, and otitis. Diagnosis of bronchitis was more frequent in children aged less than 2 years old. Chest X-ray was performed in 80% of the patients and lung consolidation was found in 10.5%. Antibiotic therapy was administered in 59% of the patients, mainly amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. The causes of admission for influenza and clinical presentation of this infection vary widely, sometimes depending on age and the type of influenza virus.

Stressors in the relatives of patients admitted to an intensive care unit.

PubMed

Barth, Angélica Adam; Weigel, Bruna Dorfey; Dummer, Claus Dieter; Machado, Kelly Campara; Tisott, Taís Montagner

2016-09-01

To identify and stratify the main stressors for the relatives of patients admitted to the adult intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted with relatives of patients admitted to an intensive care unit from April to October 2014. The following materials were used: a questionnaire containing identification information and demographic data of the relatives, clinical data of the patients, and 25 stressors adapted from the Intensive Care Unit Environmental Stressor Scale. The degree of stress caused by each factor was determined on a scale of values from 1 to 4. The stressors were ranked based on the average score obtained. The main cause of admission to the intensive care unit was clinical in 36 (52.2%) cases. The main stressors were the patient being in a state of coma (3.15 ± 1.23), the patient being unable to speak (3.15 ± 1.20), and the reason for admission (3.00 ± 1.27). After removing the 27 (39.1%) coma patients from the analysis, the main stressors for the relatives were the reason for admission (2.75 ± 1.354), seeing the patient in the intensive care unit (2.51 ± 1.227), and the patient being unable to speak (2.50 ± 1.269). Difficulties in communication and in the relationship with the patient admitted to the intensive care unit were identified as the main stressors by their relatives, with the state of coma being predominant. By contrast, the environment, work routines, and relationship between the relatives and intensive care unit team had the least impact as stressors.

Does emotional stress cause type 2 diabetes mellitus? A review from the European Depression in Diabetes (EDID) Research Consortium.

PubMed

Pouwer, Frans; Kupper, Nina; Adriaanse, Marcel C

2010-02-01

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 220 million people worldwide have type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients with type 2 diabetes not only have a chronic disease to cope with, they are also at increased risk for coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. The exact causes of type 2 diabetes are still not clear. Since the 17th century, it has been suggested that emotional stress plays a role in the etiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. So far, review studies have mainly focused on depression as a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Yet, chronic emotional stress is an established risk factor for the development of depression. The present review provides an overview of mainly prospective epidemiological studies that have investigated the associations between different forms of emotional stress and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results of longitudinal studies suggest that not only depression but also general emotional stress and anxiety, sleeping problems, anger, and hostility are associated with an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. Conflicting results were found regarding childhood neglect, life events, and work stress. It is important to emphasize that publication-bias may have occurred, resulting from "fishing-expeditions," where authors search their data for significant associations. Publication bias may also be caused by the tendency of reviewers and Editors to reject manuscripts with negative results for publication. It is therefore essential that research groups, who aim to conduct a new epidemiological cohort study, prospectively describe and publish the design of their study. Future research should focus on identifying mechanisms linking different forms of stress and incident type 2 diabetes.

Neuro-ophthalmological approach to facial nerve palsy.

PubMed

Portelinha, Joana; Passarinho, Maria Picoto; Costa, João Marques

2015-01-01

Facial nerve palsy is associated with significant morbidity and can have different etiologies. The most common causes are Bell's palsy, Ramsay-Hunt syndrome and trauma, including surgical trauma. Incidence varies between 17 and 35 cases per 100,000. Initial evaluation should include accurate clinical history, followed by a comprehensive investigation of the head and neck, including ophthalmological, otological, oral and neurological examination, to exclude secondary causes. Routine laboratory testing and diagnostic imaging is not indicated in patients with new-onset Bell's palsy, but should be performed in patients with risk factors, atypical cases or in any case without resolution within 4 months. Many factors are involved in determining the appropriate treatment of these patients: the underlying cause, expected duration of nerve dysfunction, anatomical manifestations, severity of symptoms and objective clinical findings. Systemic steroids should be offered to patients with new-onset Bell's palsy to increase the chance of facial nerve recovery and reduce synkinesis. Ophthalmologists play a pivotal role in the multidisciplinary team involved in the evaluation and rehabilitation of these patients. In the acute phase, the main priority should be to ensure adequate corneal protection. Treatment depends on the degree of nerve lesion and on the risk of the corneal damage based on the amount of lagophthalmos, the quality of Bell's phenomenon, the presence or absence of corneal sensitivity and the degree of lid retraction. The main therapy is intensive lubrication. Other treatments include: taping the eyelid overnight, botulinum toxin injection, tarsorrhaphy, eyelid weight implants, scleral contact lenses and palpebral spring. Once the cornea is protected, longer term planning for eyelid and facial rehabilitation may take place. Spontaneous complete recovery of Bell's palsy occurs in up to 70% of cases. Long-term complications include aberrant regeneration with synkinesis. FNP after acoustic neuroma surgery remains the most common indication for FN rehabilitation.

Factors that influence public awareness of domestic waste characteristics and management in rural areas.

PubMed

Han, Zhiyong; Duan, Qingqing; Fei, Yongqiang; Zeng, Dan; Shi, Guozhong; Li, Haimei; Hu, Meilun

2018-05-01

Public awareness of domestic waste characteristics and management (PADWCM) is a prerequisite for a domestic waste management (DWM) plan. In this study, we considered China as a typical example of developing countries to investigate the public perception of environmental pollution (PEP), its PADWCM, and its socioeconomic factors, using questionnaires and statistical methods. The results indicated that the public PEP was mainly due to obvious environmental contamination in local villages, and the PADWCM is still inadequate in rural areas. However, 83.9% of the respondents agreed that DWM is highly necessary. The PADWCM, including the hazard, recyclability, and characteristic pollution caused by domestic waste, was learned mainly from people's direct PEP, experiences, and repurchasing by recyclers. Education period had highly significant positive correlations and regressions with PEP and PADWCM, respectively. Additionally, education directly affected public awareness in different income and age groups. Demonstration projects had a significant positive effect on the awareness of characteristic pollution caused by domestic waste, which was readily perceived. Propaganda had a significant positive influence on the awareness of treatment necessity. Age and gender had no obvious effects on public PEP and PADWCM. Some aspects of PADWCM requiring a deep understanding became stronger as income increased; however, the PADWCM located close to poor people became weaker. Some aspects of PEP could significantly influence the awareness of characteristic pollution caused by domestic waste and awareness of treatment necessity. Therefore, improving environmental education, performing demonstration projects and effective environmental propaganda, increasing people's income, and attracting young people to participate in DWM will be important for enhancing environmental awareness and DWM in rural areas. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:395-406. © 2018 SETAC. © 2018 SETAC.

Factors Controlling the Stable Nitrogen Isotopic Composition (δ15N) of Lipids in Marine Animals

PubMed Central

Svensson, Elisabeth; Schouten, Stefan; Hopmans, Ellen C.; Middelburg, Jack J.; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.

2016-01-01

Lipid extraction of biomass prior to stable isotope analysis is known to cause variable changes in the stable nitrogen isotopic composition (δ15N) of residual biomass. However, the underlying factors causing these changes are not yet clear. Here we address this issue by comparing the δ15N of bulk and residual biomass of several marine animal tissues (fish, crab, cockle, oyster, and polychaete), as well as the δ15N of the extracted lipids. As observed previously, lipid extraction led to a variable offset in δ15N of biomass (differences ranging from -2.3 to +1.8 ‰). Importantly, the total lipid extract (TLE) was highly depleted in 15N compared to bulk biomass, and also highly variable (differences ranging from -14 to +0.7 ‰). The TLE consisted mainly of phosphatidylcholines, a group of lipids with one nitrogen atom in the headgroup. To elucidate the cause for the 15N-depletion in the TLE, the δ15N of amino acids was determined, including serine because it is one of the main sources of nitrogen to N-containing lipids. Serine δ15N values differed by -7 to +2 ‰ from bulk biomass δ15N, and correlated well with the 15N depletion in TLEs. On average, serine was less depleted (-3‰) than the TLE (-7 ‰), possibly due to fractionation during biosynthesis of N-containing headgroups, or that other nitrogen-containing compounds, such as urea and choline, or recycled nitrogen contribute to the nitrogen isotopic composition of the TLE. The depletion in 15N of the TLE relative to biomass increased with the trophic level of the organisms. PMID:26731720

Swine dysentery: aetiology, pathogenicity, determinants of transmission and the fight against the disease.

PubMed

Alvarez-Ordóñez, Avelino; Martínez-Lobo, Francisco Javier; Arguello, Héctor; Carvajal, Ana; Rubio, Pedro

2013-05-10

Swine Dysentery (SD) is a severe mucohaemorhagic enteric disease of pigs caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, which has a large impact on pig production and causes important losses due to mortality and sub-optimal performance. Although B. hyodysenteriae has been traditionally considered a pathogen mainly transmitted by direct contact, through the introduction of subclinically infected animals into a previously uninfected herd, recent findings position B. hyodysenteriae as a potential threat for indirect transmission between farms. This article summarizes the knowledge available on the etiological agent of SD and its virulence traits, and reviews the determinants of SD transmission. The between-herds and within-herd transmission routes are addressed. The factors affecting disease transmission are thoroughly discussed, i.e., environmental survival of the pathogen, husbandry factors (production system, production stage, farm management), role of vectors, diet influence and interaction of the microorganism with gut microbiota. Finally, prophylactic and therapeutic approaches to fight against the disease are briefly described.

Swine Dysentery: Aetiology, Pathogenicity, Determinants of Transmission and the Fight against the Disease

PubMed Central

Alvarez-Ordóñez, Avelino; Martínez-Lobo, Francisco Javier; Arguello, Héctor; Carvajal, Ana; Rubio, Pedro

2013-01-01

Swine Dysentery (SD) is a severe mucohaemorhagic enteric disease of pigs caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, which has a large impact on pig production and causes important losses due to mortality and sub-optimal performance. Although B. hyodysenteriae has been traditionally considered a pathogen mainly transmitted by direct contact, through the introduction of subclinically infected animals into a previously uninfected herd, recent findings position B. hyodysenteriae as a potential threat for indirect transmission between farms. This article summarizes the knowledge available on the etiological agent of SD and its virulence traits, and reviews the determinants of SD transmission. The between-herds and within-herd transmission routes are addressed. The factors affecting disease transmission are thoroughly discussed, i.e., environmental survival of the pathogen, husbandry factors (production system, production stage, farm management), role of vectors, diet influence and interaction of the microorganism with gut microbiota. Finally, prophylactic and therapeutic approaches to fight against the disease are briefly described. PMID:23665849

n-Butanol extract from Folium isatidis inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory cytokine production in macrophages and protects mice against lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxic shock

PubMed Central

Jiang, Lili; Lu, Yili; Jin, Jiahui; Dong, Lili; Xu, Fengli; Chen, Shuangshuang; Wang, Zhanyue; Liang, Guang; Shan, Xiaoou

2015-01-01

Sepsis, which is caused by severe infection, is an important cause of mortality, but effective clinical treatment against sepsis is extremely limited. As the main component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plays a major role in inflammatory responses. Studies have shown beneficial pharmacological effects for Folium isatidis. The present study further illuminated the effects of n-butanol extract from Folium isatidis in LPS-induced septic shock and identified the main active chemical components. Our study showed that pretreatment with n-butanol extract from Folium isatidis not only significantly inhibited LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 production but also markedly and dose dependently enhanced the recruitment of MyD88, the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and the degradation of IκB-α. Additionally, the extract exhibited dramatic protective effects against lung injury and death in mice with septic shock. Eight main active compounds were identified, including organic acids, glycoside, indolinones, and flavonoids. These findings provide a perspective on the respiratory protection offered by n-butanol extract from Folium isatidis in LPS-induced sepsis and outline a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of sepsis. PMID:26491261

Regional Risk Evaluation of Flood Disasters for the Trunk-Highway in Shaanxi, China

PubMed Central

Qi, Hong-Liang; Tian, Wei-Ping; Li, Jia-Chun

2015-01-01

Due to the complicated environment there are various types of highway disasters in Shaanxi Province (China). The damages caused are severe, losses are heavy, and have rapidly increased over the years, especially those caused by flood disasters along the rivers in mountainous areas. Therefore, research on risk evaluations, which play important roles in the prevention and mitigation of highway disasters are very important. An evaluation model was established based on the superposition theory of regional influencing factors to highway flood disasters. Based on the formation mechanism and influencing factors of highway flood disasters, the main influencing factors were selected. These factors include rainstorms, terrain slopes, soil types, vegetation coverage and regional river density, which are based on evaluation indexes from climate conditions and underlying surface of the basin. A regional risk evaluation of highway flood disasters in Shaanxi was established using GIS. The risk index was divided into five levels using statistical methods, in accordance with the regional characteristics of highway flood disasters. Considering the difference in upfront investments, road grade, etc, between expressways and trunk-highways in China, a regional risk evaluation of trunk-highway flood disasters was completed. The evaluation results indicate that the risk evaluation is consistent with the actual situation. PMID:26528994

Nutrigenomics in cardiovascular disease: implications for the future.

PubMed

Engler, Mary B

2009-12-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is a complex multifactorial disease which is influenced by environmental and genetic factors. There is substantial evidence on the relationship between diet and CVD risk. An understanding of how genetic variation interacts with the diet to influence CVD risk is a rapidly evolving area of research. Since diet is the mainstay of risk factor modification, it is important to consider potential genetic influences on CVD risk. Nutrigenomics is the study of the interaction between diet and an individual's genetic makeup. Single nucleotide polymorphisms are the key factors in human genetic variation and provide a molecular basis for phenotypic differences between individuals. Whole genome and candidate gene association studies are two main approaches used in cardiovascular genetics to identify disease-causing genes. Recent nutrigenomics studies show the influence of genotype on the responsiveness to dietary factors or nutrients that may reduce CVD risk. Nutrigenomics research is expected to provide the scientific evidence for genotype-based personalized nutrition to promote health and prevent chronic disease, including CVD. It is imperative that healthcare providers, including cardiovascular nurses, are trained in genetics to foster delivery of competent genetic- and genomic-focused care and to facilitate incorporation of this new knowledge into current clinical practice, education, and research.

[Factors associated with road accidents in the city of Lubumbashi].

PubMed

Kandolo, Simon Ilunga; Matungulu, Charles Matungulu; Mukanya, Pascal Kimba; Umba, Irène Kabange; Kabamba, Julie Ndayi; Numbi, Oscar Luboya; Ilunga, Benjamin Kabyla; Kaj, Françoise Malonga; Lubaba, Célestin Banza; Ngongo, Ghislain Mashini

2014-01-01

We conducted a retrospective non-comparative cross-sectional study in Lubumbashi on factors associated with road accidents. To contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality related to road accidents based on a better understanding of this phenomenon in the city of Lubumbashi, to assess the frequency and the growth of road accidents in the city of Lubumbashi and to determine the factors predisposing to these accidents. This non-controlled retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study covered the period from 1st January to 31st December 2008, and included all cases of vehicles registered by the police department after an accident. A total of 1,915 road traffic were reported, mostly caused by public transport vehicles (59%) driven by young adult males (89% of cases) with a mean age of 28 years. The main cause was speeding combined with other factors (34% of cases). The majority of these accidents occurred in the city of Lubumbashi (52.9% of cases) between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (74% of cases). Transit vehicles were exposed to a greater risk of road accidents (59%). There is an urgent need for accurate information on the rules of the road for drivers and road users to reduce the mortality and morbidity due to road accidents.

Regional Risk Evaluation of Flood Disasters for the Trunk-Highway in Shaanxi, China.

PubMed

Qi, Hong-Liang; Tian, Wei-Ping; Li, Jia-Chun

2015-10-29

Due to the complicated environment there are various types of highway disasters in Shaanxi Province (China). The damages caused are severe, losses are heavy, and have rapidly increased over the years, especially those caused by flood disasters along the rivers in mountainous areas. Therefore, research on risk evaluations, which play important roles in the prevention and mitigation of highway disasters are very important. An evaluation model was established based on the superposition theory of regional influencing factors to highway flood disasters. Based on the formation mechanism and influencing factors of highway flood disasters, the main influencing factors were selected. These factors include rainstorms, terrain slopes, soil types, vegetation coverage and regional river density, which are based on evaluation indexes from climate conditions and underlying surface of the basin. A regional risk evaluation of highway flood disasters in Shaanxi was established using GIS. The risk index was divided into five levels using statistical methods, in accordance with the regional characteristics of highway flood disasters. Considering the difference in upfront investments, road grade, etc, between expressways and trunk-highways in China, a regional risk evaluation of trunk-highway flood disasters was completed. The evaluation results indicate that the risk evaluation is consistent with the actual situation.

Fracture study of windshield glass panes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, H. Y.

1987-01-01

The major stresses which cause crack propagation in windshield glass panes are induced by bending moments which result from the pressure differentials across the panes. Hence the stress intensity factors for the finite plate with the semi-elliptical surface flaw and edge crack under the bending moments are examined. The results show that the crack growth will be upperbound if it is computed by using the stress intensity factor for the finite plate with the edge crack subjected to pure bending moments. Furthermore, if the ratio of crack depth to plate thickness, a/t, is within 0.3, the stress intensity factor can be conservatively assumed to be constant at the value of a/t equal to zero. A simplified equation to predict the structural life of glass panes is derived based on constant stress intensity factor. The accuracy of structural life is mainly dependent on how close the empirical parameter, m, can be estimated.

Molecular Signaling in Tumorigenesis of Gastric Cancer

PubMed

Molaei, Fatemeh; Forghanifard, Mohammad Mahdi; Fahim, Yasaman; Abbaszadegan, Mohammad Reza

2018-07-01

Gastric cancer (GC) is regarded as the fifth most common cancer and the third cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Mechanism of GC pathogenesis is still unclear and relies on multiple factors, including environmental and genetic characteristics. One of the most important environmental factors of GC occurrence is infection with Helicobacter pylori that is classified as class one carcinogens. Dysregulation of several genes and pathways play an essential role during gastric carcinogenesis. Dysregulation of developmental pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin signaling, Hedgehog signaling, Hippo pathway, Notch signaling, nuclear factor-kB, and epidermal growth factor receptor have been found in GC. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as an important process during embryogenesis and tumorigenesis, is supposed to play a role in initiation, invasion, metastasis, and progression of GC. Although surgery is the main therapeutic modality of the disease, the understanding of biological processes of cell signaling pathways may help to develop new therapeutic targets for GC.

I think, therefore I am: a twin study of attributional style in adolescents.

PubMed

Lau, Jennifer Y F; Rijsdijk, Frühling; Eley, Thalia C

2006-07-01

Parenting factors may be important to the development of attributional style in adolescence, which in turn relates to depression symptoms. These relationships have mainly been considered in terms of social risk mechanisms, and little is known about the role of genetic influences. Self-reported measures of attributional style, depression symptoms and parental disciplinary styles were administered to over 1300 adolescent twin and sibling pairs. Model-fitting techniques were used to examine the role of genetic and environmental influences. Moderate genetic influences on attributional style were demonstrated, and furthermore, its association with depression reflected considerable genetic effects. Familial factors were implicated in the association between attributional style and punitive parenting, although genetic from shared environmental causes could not be distinguished. Our results demonstrate that attributional style is influenced by genetic, as well as social factors. Implications for aetiological pathways integrating cognitive, genetic and social factors on adolescent depression are discussed.

Impact of corticotherapy, nutrition, and sleep disorder on quality of life of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Jeronimo, Giovanna; Nozoe, Karen T; Polesel, Daniel N; Moreira, Gustavo A; Tufik, Sergio; Andersen, Monica L

2016-03-01

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the second most common hereditary genetic disease in humans and has elevated mortality. DMD is an X-linked, life-limiting progressive muscle-wasting disease found predominantly in boys and young men. One of the main treatments for patients with DMD is corticosteroids. However, long-term use may cause major side effects such as obesity, a reduction in vitamin D, and osteoporosis. Sleep-disordered breathing is a common condition among patients with DMD, especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In children, OSA is associated with obesity and a reduction of vitamin D concentration. In this article we aim to explore the interrelationship that exists between corticosteroids, obesity, OSA, and the risk of osteoporosis. Our main hypothesis is that factors such as nutrition and sleep are related to obesity and OSA, respectively. In addition, the chronic use of corticosteroids, obesity, and OSA are factors that can reduce serum levels of vitamin D, triggering osteoporosis. Thus, these factors play a key role in affecting the quality of life for patients with DMD and intervention based on these aspects may improve survival. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biomass smoke as a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: effects on innate immunity.

PubMed

Olloquequi, Jordi; Silva O, Rafael

2016-07-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, is considered an archetypical disease of innate immunity, where inhaled particles and gases trigger an inflammatory response, favoring tissue proliferation in small airways and tissue destruction in lung parenchyma, in addition to the recruitment of immune cells to these compartments. Although cigarette smoking is still considered the main risk factor for developing COPD, the trend of proposing biomass smoke (BS) exposure as a principal risk factor is gaining importance, as around 3 billion people worldwide are exposed to this pollutant daily. A considerable amount of evidence has shown the potential of BS as an enhancer of lung inflammation. However, an impairment of some innate immune responses after BS exposure has also been described. Regarding the mechanisms by which biomass smoke alters the innate immune responses, three main classes of cell surface receptors-the TLRs, the scavenger receptors and the transient receptor potential channels-have shown the ability to transduce signals initiated after BS exposure. This article is an updated and comprehensive review of the immunomodulatory effects described after the interaction of BS components with these receptors. © The Author(s) 2016.

Hypertension: physiology and pathophysiology.

PubMed

Hall, John E; Granger, Joey P; do Carmo, Jussara M; da Silva, Alexandre A; Dubinion, John; George, Eric; Hamza, Shereen; Speed, Joshua; Hall, Michael E

2012-10-01

Despite major advances in understanding the pathophysiology of hypertension and availability of effective and safe antihypertensive drugs, suboptimal blood pressure (BP) control is still the most important risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and is globally responsible for more than 7 million deaths annually. Short-term and long-term BP regulation involve the integrated actions of multiple cardiovascular, renal, neural, endocrine, and local tissue control systems. Clinical and experimental observations strongly support a central role for the kidneys in the long-term regulation of BP, and abnormal renal-pressure natriuresis is present in all forms of chronic hypertension. Impaired renal-pressure natriuresis and chronic hypertension can be caused by intrarenal or extrarenal factors that reduce glomerular filtration rate or increase renal tubular reabsorption of salt and water; these factors include excessive activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems, increased formation of reactive oxygen species, endothelin, and inflammatory cytokines, or decreased synthesis of nitric oxide and various natriuretic factors. In human primary (essential) hypertension, the precise causes of impaired renal function are not completely understood, although excessive weight gain and dietary factors appear to play a major role since hypertension is rare in nonobese hunter-gathers living in nonindustrialized societies. Recent advances in genetics offer opportunities to discover gene-environment interactions that may also contribute to hypertension, although success thus far has been limited mainly to identification of rare monogenic forms of hypertension. © 2012 American Physiological Society

Risk Factors for Bartonella species Infection in Blood Donors from Southeast Brazil.

PubMed

Diniz, Pedro Paulo Vissotto de Paiva; Velho, Paulo Eduardo Neves Ferreira; Pitassi, Luiza Helena Urso; Drummond, Marina Rovani; Lania, Bruno Grosselli; Barjas-Castro, Maria Lourdes; Sowy, Stanley; Breitschwerdt, Edward B; Scorpio, Diana Gerardi

2016-03-01

Bacteria from the genus Bartonella are emerging blood-borne bacteria, capable of causing long-lasting infection in marine and terrestrial mammals, including humans. Bartonella are generally well adapted to their main host, causing persistent infection without clinical manifestation. However, these organisms may cause severe disease in natural or accidental hosts. In humans, Bartonella species have been detected from sick patients presented with diverse disease manifestations, including cat scratch disease, trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis, endocarditis, polyarthritis, or granulomatous inflammatory disease. However, with the advances in diagnostic methods, subclinical bloodstream infection in humans has been reported, with the potential for transmission through blood transfusion been recently investigated by our group. The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors associated with Bartonella species infection in asymptomatic blood donors presented at a major blood bank in Southeastern Brazil. Five hundred blood donors were randomly enrolled and tested for Bartonella species infection by specialized blood cultured coupled with high-sensitive PCR assays. Epidemiological questionnaires were designed to cover major potential risk factors, such as age, gender, ethnicity, contact with companion animals, livestock, or wild animals, bites from insects or animal, economical status, among other factors. Based on multivariate logistic regression, bloodstream infection with B. henselae or B. clarridgeiae was associated with cat contact (adjusted OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.1-9.6) or history of tick bite (adjusted OR: 3.7, 95% CI: 1.3-13.4). These risk factors should be considered during donor screening, as bacteremia by these Bartonella species may not be detected by traditional laboratory screening methods, and it may be transmitted by blood transfusion.

Ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death in Fabry disease: a systematic review of risk factors in clinical practice.

PubMed

Baig, Shanat; Edward, Nicky C; Kotecha, Dipak; Liu, Boyang; Nordin, Sabrina; Kozor, Rebecca; Moon, James C; Geberhiwot, Tarekegn; Steeds, Richard P

2017-10-17

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of α-galactosidase A enzyme. Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a common cause of mortality in FD, in particular as a result of heart failure and arrhythmia, with a significant proportion of events categorized as sudden. There are no clear models for risk prediction in FD. This systematic review aims to identify the risk factors for ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) in FD. A systematic search was performed following PRISMA guidelines of EMBASE, Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane from inception to August 2016, focusing on identification of risk factors for the development of VA or SCD. Thirteen studies were included in the review (n = 4185 patients) from 1189 articles, with follow-up of 1.2-10 years. Weighted average age was 37.6 years, and 50% were male. Death from any cause was reported in 8.3%. Of these, 75% was due to CV problems, with the majority being SCD events (62% of reported deaths). Ventricular tachycardia was reported in 7 studies, with an average prevalence of 15.3%. Risk factors associated with SCD events were age, male gender, left ventricular hypertrophy, late gadolinium enhancement on CV magnetic resonance imaging, and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. Although a multi-system disease, FD is a predominantly cardiac disease from a mortality perspective, with death mainly from SCD events. Limited evidence highlights the importance of clinical and imaging risk factors that could contribute to improved decision-making in the management of FD. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A classification of psychological factors leading to violent behavior in posttraumatic stress disorder.

PubMed

Silva, J A; Derecho, D V; Leong, G B; Weinstock, R; Ferrari, M M

2001-03-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder has long been linked to violent behavior. However, the exact nature of that association remains poorly characterized due to the limitations of knowledge in the area of phenomenology, contextual factors, the biology, and the nature of the aggression involved in the disorder. A clear understanding of the genesis of violence in posttraumatic stress disorder can be helpful to those involved in assessing psychiatric-legal issues relevant to the disorder and in its therapeutic management. In this article, we review the potential psychological links between posttraumatic stress disorder secondary to combat exposure and violent behavior and suggest a tentative classification of the main psychological causes of violence in that syndrome.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (lGF-l): safety and efficacy.

PubMed

Laron, Zvi

2004-11-01

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a peptide synthesized mainly in the liver by stimulation by pituitary growth hormone (GH). It circulates almost entirely bound to its binding proteins. It is the anabolic effector hormone of GH. It is the only treatment in states of GH resistance such as Laron syndrome and blocking antibodies to human GH. As it suppresses insulin and GH secretion it has been used in states of insulin resistance including Type II diabetes mellitus. IGF-I is administered by once or twice daily injections. Adverse effects are mostly caused by overdosage. The usual daily dose in children ranges from 100-200 microg/kg.

[Pathophysiological aspects of wound healing in normal and diabetic foot].

PubMed

Maksimova, N V; Lyundup, A V; Lubimov, R O; Melnichenko, G A; Nikolenko, V N

2014-01-01

The main cause of long-term healing of ulcers in patients with diabetic foot is considered to be direct mechanical damage when walking due to reduced sensitivity to due to neuropathy, hyperglycemia, infection and peripheral artery disease. These factors determine the standard approaches to the treatment of diabeticfoot, which include: offloading, glycemic control, debridement of ulcers, antibiotic therapy and revascularization. Recently, however, disturbances in the healing process of the skin in diabetes recognized an additional factor affecting the timing of healing patients with diabetic foot. Improved understanding and correction of cellular, molecular and biochemical abnormalities in chronic wound in combination with standard of care for affords new ground for solving the problem of ulcer healing in diabetes.

Fifty years of stroke researches in India

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Tapas Kumar; Das, Shyamal Kumar

2016-01-01

Currently, the stroke incidence in India is much higher than Western industrialized countries. Large vessel intracranial atherosclerosis is the commonest cause of ischemic stroke in India. The common risk factors, that is, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and dyslipidemia are quite prevalent and inadequately controlled; mainly because of poor public awareness and inadequate infrastructure. Only a small number of ischemic stroke cases are able to have the benefit of thrombolytic therapy. Benefits from stem cell therapy in established stroke cases are under evaluation. Presently, prevention of stroke is the best option considering the Indian scenario through control and/or avoiding risk factors of stroke. Interventional studies are an important need for this scenario. PMID:27011621

Advances in the Microbiome: Applications to Clostridium difficile Infection

PubMed Central

Culligan, Eamonn P.; Sleator, Roy D.

2016-01-01

Clostridium difficile is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing over 400,000 infections and approximately 29,000 deaths in the United States alone each year. C. difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in the developed world, and, in recent years, the emergence of hyper-virulent (mainly ribotypes 027 and 078, sometimes characterised by increased toxin production), epidemic strains and an increase in the number of community-acquired infections has caused further concern. Antibiotic therapy with metronidazole, vancomycin or fidaxomicin is the primary treatment for C. difficile infection (CDI). However, CDI is unique, in that, antibiotic use is also a major risk factor for acquiring CDI or recurrent CDI due to disruption of the normal gut microbiota. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative, non-antibiotic therapeutics to treat or prevent CDI. Here, we review a number of such potential treatments which have emerged from advances in the field of microbiome research. PMID:27657145

Accidental deaths caused by electricity in Sweden, 1975-2000.

PubMed

Lindström, Richard; Bylund, Per-Olof; Eriksson, Anders

2006-11-01

This study analyzes accidental fatalities caused by electricity--at work and during leisure time--to evaluate risk factors, the role of alcohol, and to identify possible preventive strategies. In Sweden, data on fatalities by electrocution from 1975 through 2000 were collected from the National Cause-of-Death Register. Additional cases were found in the archives of The Swedish National Electrical Safety Board. Suicides and deaths by lightning were excluded. Two hundred and eighty-five deaths were found, including occupational (n=132), leisure time (n=151), and unknown (n=2). Most deaths were caused by aerial power lines, and the most common place for an electrical injury was a railway area or residential property. Postmortem blood from 20% (n=47) of the tested cases was found positive for alcohol, and these persons were killed mainly during leisure time. During the study period, the overall incidence of electricity-related fatalities has decreased, in spite of increased use of electricity. This indicates that safety improvements have been successful.

Children's Deaths in Maine, 1976-1980 Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaper, Ruth; And Others

The final report of a statistical study of 1,737 childhood deaths in Maine from 1976-80 by cause and age also looks at distribution of deaths by cause and age in Maine's low-income population. The findings showed disease was the major cause of death (1,068 deaths) followed by accidents (578 deaths), suicide (50 deaths), and homicide (29 deaths).…

Influence of socioeconomic factors on hospital readmissions for heart failure and acute myocardial infarction in patients 65 years and older: evidence from a systematic review

PubMed Central

Damiani, Gianfranco; Salvatori, Eleonora; Silvestrini, Giulia; Ivanova, Ivana; Bojovic, Luka; Iodice, Lanfranco; Ricciardi, Walter

2015-01-01

Purpose Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Among these diseases, heart failure (HF) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are the most common causes of hospitalization. Therefore, readmission for HF and AMI is receiving increasing attention. Several socioeconomic factors could affect readmissions in this target group, and thus, a systematic review was conducted to identify the effect of socioeconomic factors on the risk for readmission in people aged 65 years and older with HF or AMI. Methods The search was carried out by querying an electronic database and hand searching. Studies with an association between the risk for readmission and at least one socioeconomic factor in patients aged 65 years or older who are affected by HF or AMI were included. A quality assessment was conducted independently by two reviewers. The agreement was quantified by Cohen’s Kappa statistic. The outcomes of studies were categorized in the short-term and the long-term, according to the follow-up period of readmission. A positive association was reported if an increase in the risk for readmission among disadvantaged patients was found. A cumulative effect of socioeconomic factors was computed by considering the association for each study and the number of available studies. Results A total of eleven articles were included in the review. They were mainly published in the United States. All the articles analyzed patients who were hospitalized for HF, and four of them also analyzed patients with AMI. Seven studies (63.6%) were found for the short-term outcome, and four studies (36.4%) were found for the long-term outcome. For the short-term outcome, race/ethnicity and marital status showed a positive cumulative effect on the risk for readmission. Regarding the educational level of a patient, no effect was found. Conclusion Among the socioeconomic factors, mainly race/ethnicity and marital status affect the risk for readmission in elderly people with HF or AMI. Multidisciplinary hospital-based quality initiatives, disease management, and care transition programs are a priority for health care systems to achieve better coordination. PMID:25653510

Influence of socioeconomic factors on hospital readmissions for heart failure and acute myocardial infarction in patients 65 years and older: evidence from a systematic review.

PubMed

Damiani, Gianfranco; Salvatori, Eleonora; Silvestrini, Giulia; Ivanova, Ivana; Bojovic, Luka; Iodice, Lanfranco; Ricciardi, Walter

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Among these diseases, heart failure (HF) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are the most common causes of hospitalization. Therefore, readmission for HF and AMI is receiving increasing attention. Several socioeconomic factors could affect readmissions in this target group, and thus, a systematic review was conducted to identify the effect of socioeconomic factors on the risk for readmission in people aged 65 years and older with HF or AMI. The search was carried out by querying an electronic database and hand searching. Studies with an association between the risk for readmission and at least one socioeconomic factor in patients aged 65 years or older who are affected by HF or AMI were included. A quality assessment was conducted independently by two reviewers. The agreement was quantified by Cohen's Kappa statistic. The outcomes of studies were categorized in the short-term and the long-term, according to the follow-up period of readmission. A positive association was reported if an increase in the risk for readmission among disadvantaged patients was found. A cumulative effect of socioeconomic factors was computed by considering the association for each study and the number of available studies. A total of eleven articles were included in the review. They were mainly published in the United States. All the articles analyzed patients who were hospitalized for HF, and four of them also analyzed patients with AMI. Seven studies (63.6%) were found for the short-term outcome, and four studies (36.4%) were found for the long-term outcome. For the short-term outcome, race/ethnicity and marital status showed a positive cumulative effect on the risk for readmission. Regarding the educational level of a patient, no effect was found. Among the socioeconomic factors, mainly race/ethnicity and marital status affect the risk for readmission in elderly people with HF or AMI. Multidisciplinary hospital-based quality initiatives, disease management, and care transition programs are a priority for health care systems to achieve better coordination.

Energy efficiency in U.K. shopping centres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mangiarotti, Michela

Energy efficiency in shopping centres means providing comfortable internal environment and services to the occupants with minimum energy use in a cost-effective and environmentally sensitive manner. This research considers the interaction of three factors affecting the energy efficiency of shopping centres: i) performance of the building fabric and services ii) management of the building in terms of operation, control, maintenance and replacement of the building fabric and services, and company's energy policy iii) occupants' expectation for comfort and awareness of energy efficiency. The aim of the investigation is to determine the role of the above factors in the energy consumption and carbon emissions of shopping centres and the scope for reducing this energy usage by changing one or all the three factors. The study also attempts to prioritize the changes in the above factors that are more cost-effective at reducing that energy consumption and identify the benefits and main economic and legal drivers for energy efficiency in shopping centres. To achieve these targets, three case studies have been analysed. Using energy data from bills, the performance of the selected case studies has been assessed to establish trends and current energy consumption and carbon emissions of shopping centres and their related causes. A regression analysis has attempted to break down the energy consumption of the landlords' area by end-use to identify the main sources of energy usage and consequently introduce cost-effective measures for saving energy. A monitoring and occupants' survey in both landlords' and tenants' areas have been carried out at the same time to compare the objective data of the environmental conditions with the subjective impressions of shoppers and shopkeepers. In particular, the monitoring aimed at assessing the internal environment to identify possible causes of discomfort and opportunities for introducing energy saving measures. The survey looked at determining the occupants' expectation for comfort and awareness of energy efficiency in shopping centres. The results show the complexity of prioritizing the three factors affecting energy efficiency in shopping centres, highlighting the relationships between those factors, and the role of different actors, involved in the life of shopping centres, in the energy and environmental performance of these buildings.

The Hinton train disaster.

PubMed

Smiley, A M

1990-10-01

In February of 1986 a head-on collision occurred between a freight train and a passenger train in western Canada killing 23 people and causing over $30 million of damage. A Commission of Inquiry appointed by the Canadian government concluded that human error was the major reason for the collision. This report discusses the factors contributing to the human error: mainly poor work-rest schedules, the monotonous nature of the train driving task, insufficient information about train movements, and the inadequate backup systems in case of human error.

Ten years of a multidisciplinary diabetic foot team approach in Sao Paulo, Brazil

PubMed Central

Batista, Fábio; Augusto Magalhães, Antonio; Gamba, Mônica; Nery, Caio; Cardoso, Cristina

2010-01-01

Diabetes mellitus can cause devastating foot problems including loss of protective sensation with subsequent ulcerations and amputations. The natural history and pathophysiology of diabetic foot ulcers is best understood and managed by a multiprofessional team approach. The main factors for prevention and treatment of these devastating diabetic foot conditions are shown, with special attention to education of the patient. This approach decreases the morbidity of the disease, besides its economical and social feasibility. PMID:22396805

[Retrospective analysis of primary disability among employees of enterprises for the production of technical ceramics].

PubMed

Serebryakov, P V; Khoshtariya, N V; Mustafina, I Z

On the example of588 disability cases registered in employees of the plant for the production of technical ceramics during the 1975-2014 the analysis of the dynamics of illness, gender and age structure of disability indices on the main Origlnarartlcie and auxiliary units of the enterprise was executed for the interval of 10 years periods. There were followed trends in the alteration of the structure of the disability caused by the socio-economic, hygienic and demographic factors.

Risk Assessment at the Cosmetic Product Manufacturer by Expert Judgment Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vtorushina, A. N.; Larionova, E. V.; Mezenceva, I. L.; Nikonova, E. D.

2017-05-01

A case study was performed in a cosmetic product manufacturer. We have identified the main risk factors of occupational accidents and their causes. Risk of accidents is assessed by the expert judgment method. Event tree for the most probable accident is built and recommendations on improvement of occupational health and safety protection system at the cosmetic product manufacturer are developed. The results of this paper can be used to develop actions to improve the occupational safety and health system in the chemical industry.

[Physiopathological mechanisms of abomasal Trichostrongylidae infections in small ruminants].

PubMed

Scala, A

2006-09-01

Abomasal Trichostrongylidae infections are still today an important cause of scarce performances in small ruminants, mainly when bred in extensive systems. Although morpho-biology, symptomatology, prophylaxis and therapy of these infections are well known, other, such as physiopathology, are less investigated. The aim of the present note is to review the more important physiopathogenetic mechanisms of abomasal Trichostrongylidae infections, with special emphasis to Haemonchus spp. and Teladorsagia spp. The parasitic anorexia due to the action of gastrin, the defects of digestion due to hypocloridia, the scarce intestinal absorption and anaemia caused by H. contortus are discussed. Furthermore, the effects of hypersensitivity sometimes caused by these abomasal nematodes are examined. A better knowledge of physiopathological mechanisms can represent an important factor to understand the relationships between host and parasite, useful to set up new diagnostic techniques or new therapeutic and prophylactic protocols for sanitary education and control plans of these important and widespread parasitic infections.

Burden of disease caused by local transport in Warsaw, Poland

PubMed Central

Tainio, Marko

2015-01-01

Transport is a major source of air pollution, noise, injuries and physical activity in the urban environment. The quantification of the health risks and benefits arising from these factors would provide useful information for the planning of cost-effective mitigation actions. In this study we quantified the burden of disease caused by local transport in the city of Warsaw, Poland. The disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were estimated for transport related air pollution (particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), cadmium, lead and nickel), noise, injuries and physical activity. Exposure to these factors was based on local and international data, and the exposure-response functions (ERFs) were based on published reviews and recommendations. The uncertainties were quantified and propagated with the Monte Carlo method. Local transport generated air pollution, noise and injuries were estimated to cause approximately 58,000 DALYs in the study area. From this burden 44% was due to air pollution and 46% due to noise. Transport related physical activity was estimated to cause a health benefit of 17,000 DALYs. Main quantified uncertainties were related to disability weight for the annoyance (due to noise) and to the ERFs for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution and walking. The results indicate that the health burden of transport could be mitigated by reducing motorized transport, which causes air pollution and noise, and by encouraging walking and cycling in the study area. PMID:26516622

Sources of Variation in Sweat Chloride Measurements in Cystic Fibrosis

PubMed Central

Blackman, Scott M.; Raraigh, Karen S.; Corvol, Harriet; Rommens, Johanna M.; Pace, Rhonda G.; Boelle, Pierre-Yves; McGready, John; Sosnay, Patrick R.; Strug, Lisa J.; Knowles, Michael R.; Cutting, Garry R.

2016-01-01

Rationale: Expanding the use of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) potentiators and correctors for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) requires precise and accurate biomarkers. Sweat chloride concentration provides an in vivo assessment of CFTR function, but it is unknown the degree to which CFTR mutations account for sweat chloride variation. Objectives: To estimate potential sources of variation for sweat chloride measurements, including demographic factors, testing variability, recording biases, and CFTR genotype itself. Methods: A total of 2,639 sweat chloride measurements were obtained in 1,761 twins/siblings from the CF Twin-Sibling Study, French CF Modifier Gene Study, and Canadian Consortium for Genetic Studies. Variance component estimation was performed by nested mixed modeling. Measurements and Main Results: Across the tested CF population as a whole, CFTR gene mutations were found to be the primary determinant of sweat chloride variability (56.1% of variation) with contributions from variation over time (e.g., factors related to testing on different days; 13.8%), environmental factors (e.g., climate, family diet; 13.5%), other residual factors (e.g., test variability; 9.9%), and unique individual factors (e.g., modifier genes, unique exposures; 6.8%) (likelihood ratio test, P < 0.001). Twin analysis suggested that modifier genes did not play a significant role because the heritability estimate was negligible (H2 = 0; 95% confidence interval, 0.0–0.35). For an individual with CF, variation in sweat chloride was primarily caused by variation over time (58.1%) with the remainder attributable to residual/random factors (41.9%). Conclusions: Variation in the CFTR gene is the predominant cause of sweat chloride variation; most of the non-CFTR variation is caused by testing variability and unique environmental factors. If test precision and accuracy can be improved, sweat chloride measurement could be a valuable biomarker for assessing response to therapies directed at mutant CFTR. PMID:27258095

Paediatric in-patient prescribing errors in Malaysia: a cross-sectional multicentre study.

PubMed

Khoo, Teik Beng; Tan, Jing Wen; Ng, Hoong Phak; Choo, Chong Ming; Bt Abdul Shukor, Intan Nor Chahaya; Teh, Siao Hean

2017-06-01

Background There is a lack of large comprehensive studies in developing countries on paediatric in-patient prescribing errors in different settings. Objectives To determine the characteristics of in-patient prescribing errors among paediatric patients. Setting General paediatric wards, neonatal intensive care units and paediatric intensive care units in government hospitals in Malaysia. Methods This is a cross-sectional multicentre study involving 17 participating hospitals. Drug charts were reviewed in each ward to identify the prescribing errors. All prescribing errors identified were further assessed for their potential clinical consequences, likely causes and contributing factors. Main outcome measures Incidence, types, potential clinical consequences, causes and contributing factors of the prescribing errors. Results The overall prescribing error rate was 9.2% out of 17,889 prescribed medications. There was no significant difference in the prescribing error rates between different types of hospitals or wards. The use of electronic prescribing had a higher prescribing error rate than manual prescribing (16.9 vs 8.2%, p < 0.05). Twenty eight (1.7%) prescribing errors were deemed to have serious potential clinical consequences and 2 (0.1%) were judged to be potentially fatal. Most of the errors were attributed to human factors, i.e. performance or knowledge deficit. The most common contributing factors were due to lack of supervision or of knowledge. Conclusions Although electronic prescribing may potentially improve safety, it may conversely cause prescribing errors due to suboptimal interfaces and cumbersome work processes. Junior doctors need specific training in paediatric prescribing and close supervision to reduce prescribing errors in paediatric in-patients.

Numerical Modeling of Exploitation Relics and Faults Influence on Rock Mass Deformations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wesołowski, Marek

2016-12-01

This article presents numerical modeling results of fault planes and exploitation relics influenced by the size and distribution of rock mass and surface area deformations. Numerical calculations were performed using the finite difference program FLAC. To assess the changes taking place in a rock mass, an anisotropic elasto-plastic ubiquitous joint model was used, into which the Coulomb-Mohr strength (plasticity) condition was implemented. The article takes as an example the actual exploitation of the longwall 225 area in the seam 502wg of the "Pokój" coal mine. Computer simulations have shown that it is possible to determine the influence of fault planes and exploitation relics on the size and distribution of rock mass and its surface deformation. The main factor causing additional deformations of the area surface are the abandoned workings in the seam 502wd. These abandoned workings are the activation factor that caused additional subsidences and also, due to the significant dip, they are a layer on which the rock mass slides down in the direction of the extracted space. These factors are not taken into account by the geometrical and integral theories.

Recipient area folliculitis after follicular-unit transplantation: characterization of clinical features and analysis of associated factors.

PubMed

Bunagan, M J Kristine S; Pathomvanich, Damkerng; Laorwong, Kongkiat

2010-07-01

Postoperative recipient-area folliculitis may be a cause of less or delayed growth of transplanted hair and an obvious cause of distress to the patient. No study has been done to elaborate on its clinical features and assess possible factors that may correlate with its occurrence. To study the clinical features and possible factors that may be associated with the development of recipient-area folliculitis after follicular-unit transplantation (FUT). Retrospective analysis of 27 patients who developed folliculitis after FUT and 28 patients without such complication. Lesion onset ranged from 2 days to 6 months after FUT (mean 1.44 months). Lesions were mostly pustules that resolved without sequela. Statistical analysis showed that, in terms of patient characteristics (e.g., hair features, scalp condition) and the number of grafts transplanted, there was no statistically significant difference in assessed parameters between those with and without folliculitis (p<.05). Main clinical features of postoperative folliculitis consist mostly of few to moderate self-limited pustules. In this study, regardless of management, lesions healed without scarring and without affecting graft growth. Neither patient characteristics nor number of grafts transplanted was associated with this complication.

Organic Solvents as Risk Factor for Autoimmune Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Barragán-Martínez, Carolina; Speck-Hernández, Cesar A.; Montoya-Ortiz, Gladis; Mantilla, Rubén D.; Anaya, Juan-Manuel; Rojas-Villarraga, Adriana

2012-01-01

Background Genetic and epigenetic factors interacting with the environment over time are the main causes of complex diseases such as autoimmune diseases (ADs). Among the environmental factors are organic solvents (OSs), which are chemical compounds used routinely in commercial industries. Since controversy exists over whether ADs are caused by OSs, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to assess the association between OSs and ADs. Methods and Findings The systematic search was done in the PubMed, SCOPUS, SciELO and LILACS databases up to February 2012. Any type of study that used accepted classification criteria for ADs and had information about exposure to OSs was selected. Out of a total of 103 articles retrieved, 33 were finally included in the meta-analysis. The final odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained by the random effect model. A sensitivity analysis confirmed results were not sensitive to restrictions on the data included. Publication bias was trivial. Exposure to OSs was associated to systemic sclerosis, primary systemic vasculitis and multiple sclerosis individually and also to all the ADs evaluated and taken together as a single trait (OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.25–1.92; p-value<0.001). Conclusion Exposure to OSs is a risk factor for developing ADs. As a corollary, individuals with non-modifiable risk factors (i.e., familial autoimmunity or carrying genetic factors) should avoid any exposure to OSs in order to avoid increasing their risk of ADs. PMID:23284705

Obturator internus pyomyositis manifested as sciatica in a patient with subacute bacterial endocarditis: A rare case report.

PubMed

Hsu, Wei-Ching; Hsu, Jin-Yi; Chen, Michael Yu-Chih; Liang, Chung-Chao

2016-07-01

Pyomyositis is a pyogenic infection of the skeletal muscles causing myalgia and fever in patients. Hematogenous seeding engendered by persistent bacteremia and septic embolism is usually the underlying cause of the disease. Trauma, intravenous drug use, and immunodeficiency are the main predisposing factors.Obturator internus pyomyositis with sciatica has not previously been reported. We report a rare case of a patient with subacute bacterial endocarditis presenting with left buttock pain and sciatica.Computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of obturator internus pyomyositis. The patient was discharged uneventfully after successful antibiotic treatment.The mortality rate of patients who have pyomyositis comorbid with another condition or disease is extremely high. Early diagnosis and aggressive management are imperative.

Lymph nodes fine needle cytology in the diagnosis of infectious diseases: clinical settings.

PubMed

Natella, Valentina; Cozzolino, Immacolata; Sosa Fernandez, Laura Virginia; Vigliar, Elena

2012-01-01

Lymph node reactive hyperplasia, caused by specific infectious etiologic factors, represents the most frequent cause of enlarged peripheral lymph nodes. The main infectious agents are viruses, pyogenic bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi and protozoa that may determine unspecific or specific pathological entities, such as cat-scratch disease, toxoplasmosis or infectious mononucleosis. Lymph node fine needle cytology (FNC) is a safe, simple, cost-effective and efficient technique that quickly provides information about the cell population and the nature of the process. FNC can also provide suitable material for ancillary techniques, such as flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, molecular biology and microbiological examinations. This study focuses on the cytological features of benign lymphadenopathy of infectious origin and their possible contribution to the clinical setting definition of corresponding patients.

Modeling the macrodynamics of international migration: determinants of emigration from Cyprus, 1946-85.

PubMed

Diamantides, N D; Constantinou, S T

1989-07-01

"A model is presented of international migration that is based on the concept of a pool of potential emigrants at the origin created by push-pull forces and by the establishment of information feedback between origin and destination. The forces can be economic, political, or both, and are analytically expressed by the 'mediating factor'. The model is macrodynamic in nature and provides both for the main secular component of the migratory flow and for transient components caused by extraordinary events. The model is expressed in a Bernoulli-type differential equation through which quantitative weights can be derived for each of the operating causes. Out-migration from the Republic of Cyprus is used to test the tenets of the model." excerpt

Influence of non-ideal performance of lasers on displacement precision in single-grating heterodyne interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guochao; Xie, Xuedong; Yan, Shuhua

2010-10-01

Principle of the dual-wavelength single grating nanometer displacement measuring system, with a long range, high precision, and good stability, is presented. As a result of the nano-level high-precision displacement measurement, the error caused by a variety of adverse factors must be taken into account. In this paper, errors, due to the non-ideal performance of the dual-frequency laser, including linear error caused by wavelength instability and non-linear error caused by elliptic polarization of the laser, are mainly discussed and analyzed. On the basis of theoretical modeling, the corresponding error formulas are derived as well. Through simulation, the limit value of linear error caused by wavelength instability is 2nm, and on the assumption that 0.85 x T = , 1 Ty = of the polarizing beam splitter(PBS), the limit values of nonlinear-error caused by elliptic polarization are 1.49nm, 2.99nm, 4.49nm while the non-orthogonal angle is selected correspondingly at 1°, 2°, 3° respectively. The law of the error change is analyzed based on different values of Tx and Ty .

Human male infertility and its genetic causes.

PubMed

Miyamoto, Toshinobu; Minase, Gaku; Shin, Takeshi; Ueda, Hiroto; Okada, Hiroshi; Sengoku, Kazuo

2017-04-01

Infertility affects about 15% of couples who wish to have children and half of these cases are associated with male factors. Genetic causes of azoospermia include chromosomal abnormalities, Y chromosome microdeletions, and specific mutations/deletions of several Y chromosome genes. Many researchers have analyzed genes in the AZF region on the Y chromosome; however, in 2003 the SYCP3 gene on chromosome 12 (12q23) was identified as causing azoospermia by meiotic arrest through a point mutation. We mainly describe the SYCP3 and PLK4 genes that we have studied in our laboratory, and add comments on other genes associated with human male infertility. Up to now, The 17 genes causing male infertility by their mutation have been reported in human. Infertility caused by nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) is very important in the field of assisted reproductive technology. Even with the aid of chromosomal analysis, ultrasonography of the testis, and detailed endocrinology, only MD-TESE can confirm the presence of immature spermatozoa in the testes. We strongly hope that these studies help clinics avoid ineffective MD-TESE procedures.

Socioeconomic factors and all cause and cause-specific mortality among older people in Latin America, India, and China: a population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Ferri, Cleusa P; Acosta, Daisy; Guerra, Mariella; Huang, Yueqin; Llibre-Rodriguez, Juan J; Salas, Aquiles; Sosa, Ana Luisa; Williams, Joseph D; Gaona, Ciro; Liu, Zhaorui; Noriega-Fernandez, Lisseth; Jotheeswaran, A T; Prince, Martin J

2012-02-01

Even in low and middle income countries most deaths occur in older adults. In Europe, the effects of better education and home ownership upon mortality seem to persist into old age, but these effects may not generalise to LMICs. Reliable data on causes and determinants of mortality are lacking. The vital status of 12,373 people aged 65 y and over was determined 3-5 y after baseline survey in sites in Latin America, India, and China. We report crude and standardised mortality rates, standardized mortality ratios comparing mortality experience with that in the United States, and estimated associations with socioeconomic factors using Cox's proportional hazards regression. Cause-specific mortality fractions were estimated using the InterVA algorithm. Crude mortality rates varied from 27.3 to 70.0 per 1,000 person-years, a 3-fold variation persisting after standardisation for demographic and economic factors. Compared with the US, mortality was much higher in urban India and rural China, much lower in Peru, Venezuela, and urban Mexico, and similar in other sites. Mortality rates were higher among men, and increased with age. Adjusting for these effects, it was found that education, occupational attainment, assets, and pension receipt were all inversely associated with mortality, and food insecurity positively associated. Mutually adjusted, only education remained protective (pooled hazard ratio 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.98). Most deaths occurred at home, but, except in India, most individuals received medical attention during their final illness. Chronic diseases were the main causes of death, together with tuberculosis and liver disease, with stroke the leading cause in nearly all sites. Education seems to have an important latent effect on mortality into late life. However, compositional differences in socioeconomic position do not explain differences in mortality between sites. Social protection for older people, and the effectiveness of health systems in preventing and treating chronic disease, may be as important as economic and human development.

Remote sensing data applied to the evaluation of soil erosion caused by land-use. Ribeirao Anhumas Basin Area: A case study. [Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Dosanjosferreirapinto, S.; Kux, H. J. H.

1980-01-01

Formerly covered by a tropical forest, the study area was deforested in the early 40's for coffee plantation and cattle raising, which caused intense gully erosion problems. To develop a method to analyze the relationship between land use and soil erosion, visual interpretations of aerial photographs (scale 1:25.000), MSS-LANDSAT imagery (scale 1:250,000), as well as automatic interpretation of computer compatible tapes by IMAGE-100 system were carried out. From visual interpretation the following data were obtained: land use and cover tapes, slope classes, ravine frequency, and a texture sketch map. During field work, soil samples were collected for texture and X-ray analysis. The texture sketch map indicate that the areas with higher slope angles have a higher susceptibilty to the development of gullies. Also, the over carriage of pastureland, together with very friable lithologies (mainly sandstone) occuring in that area, seem to be the main factors influencing the catastrophic extension of ravines in the study site.

Primary prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care.

PubMed

van der Molen, Thys; Schokker, Siebrig

2009-12-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent disease, with cigarette smoking being the main risk factor. Prevention is crucial in the fight against COPD. Whereas primary prevention is targeted on whole populations, patient populations are the focus of primary care; therefore, prevention in this setting is mainly aimed at preventing further deterioration of the disease in patients who present with the first signs of disease (secondary prevention). Prevention of COPD in primary care requires detection of COPD at an early stage. An accurate definition of COPD is crucial in this identification process. The benefits of detecting new patients with COPD should be determined before recommending screening and case-finding programs in primary care. No evidence is available that screening by spirometry results in significant health gains. Effective treatment options in patients with mild disease are lacking. Smoking cessation is the cornerstone of COPD prevention. Because cigarette smoking is not only a major cause of COPD but is also a major cause of many other diseases, a decline in tobacco smoking would result in substantial health benefits.

Liver Disease in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Wijewantha, Hasitha S

2017-01-01

Liver disease in Sri Lanka is mainly due to alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In contrast to other South Asian countries, the prevalence of hepatitis B and C is low in Sri Lanka and prevalence of hepatitis A is intermediate. The few reported cases of hepatitis E in Sri Lanka are mainly in people who have traveled to neighboring South Asian countries. Wilson's disease, autoimmune hepatitis, hemochromatosis, drug-induced liver disease, and primary biliary cirrhosis are recognized causes of liver disease in Sri Lanka. Pyogenic and amebic liver abscesses and dengue infection are the other causes of liver disease. Some of the commonly used plants as traditional herbal medicine in Sri Lanka have been shown to have deleterious effects on the liver in animal studies. Considering the high popularity of traditional herbal medicine in the country, it is likely that herbal medicine is an etiological factor for liver disease in Sri Lanka, but no published data are available. Address reprint requests to: Wijewantha HS. Liver Disease in Sri Lanka. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2017;7(1):78-81.

Gastroretentive drug delivery systems for therapeutic management of peptic ulcer.

PubMed

Garg, Tarun; Kumar, Animesh; Rath, Goutam; Goyal, Amit K

2014-01-01

A peptic ulcer, stomach ulcer, or gastric ulcer, also known as peptic ulcer disease (PUD), is a very common chronic disorder of the stomach which is mainly caused by damage or impairment of the stomach lining. Various factors such as pepsin, gastric acid, H. pylori, NSAIDs, prostaglandins, mucus, bicarbonate, and blood flow to mucosa play an important role in causing peptic ulcers. In this review article, our main focus is on some important gastroretentive drug delivery systems (GRDDS) (floating, bioadhesive, high density, swellable, raft forming, superporous hydrogel, and magnetic systems) which will be helpful in gastroretention of different dosage forms for treatment of peptic ulcer. GRDDS provides a mean for controlled release of compounds that are absorbed by active transport in the upper intestine. It also enables controlled delivery for paracellularly absorbed drugs without a decrease in bioavailability. The above approaches are specific for targeting and leading to a marked improvement in the quality of life for a large number of patients. In the future, it is expected that they will become of growing significance, finally leading to improved efficiencies of various types of pharmacotherapies.

Food-dependent, exercise-induced gastrointestinal distress.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Erick Prado; Burini, Roberto Carlos

2011-09-28

Among athletes strenuous exercise, dehydration and gastric emptying (GE) delay are the main causes of gastrointestinal (GI) complaints, whereas gut ischemia is the main cause of their nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and (blood) diarrhea. Additionally any factor that limits sweat evaporation, such as a hot and humid environment and/or body dehydration, has profound effects on muscle glycogen depletion and risk for heat illness. A serious underperfusion of the gut often leads to mucosal damage and enhanced permeability so as to hide blood loss, microbiota invasion (or endotoxemia) and food-born allergen absorption (with anaphylaxis). The goal of exercise rehydration is to intake more fluid orally than what is being lost in sweat. Sports drinks provide the addition of sodium and carbohydrates to assist with intestinal absorption of water and muscle-glycogen replenishment, respectively. However GE is proportionally slowed by carbohydrate-rich (hyperosmolar) solutions. On the other hand, in order to prevent hyponatremia, avoiding overhydration is recommended. Caregiver's responsibility would be to inform athletes about potential dangers of drinking too much water and also advise them to refrain from using hypertonic fluid replacements.

Differential diagnosis of CNS angiostrongyliasis: a short review.

PubMed

Senthong, Vichai; Chindaprasirt, Jarin; Sawanyawisuth, Kittisak

2013-06-01

The diagnostic criterion for eosinophilic meningitis (EOM) is the identification of an absolute count of 10 eosinophils per ml or more than 10% of the total white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the proper clinical context. The most common cause of EOM is Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, termed meningitic angiostrongyliasis (MA). Neurognathostomiasis (NG) is the main parasitic disease in the differential diagnosis of meningitic angiostrongyliasis. This short review is based on articles published on Medline between 2000 and 2012 related to EOM. There are three main approaches that can be used to differentiate between MA and NG, involving clinical factors, history of larval exposure, and serological tests. MA patients presented with acute severe headache but without neurological deficit, combined with a history of eating uncooked snails or slugs. NG patients always presented with motor weakness, migratory swelling, radicular pain and had history of eating uncooked poultry or fish. Specific antigenic bands in immunoblot tests are helpful tools to differentiate the two diseases. Other causes of eosinophilic meningitis are neurocysticercosis, cerebral paragonimiasis, Toxoplasma canis, Baylisascaris, tuberculous meningitis, and cryptococcal meningitis.

Diffusional conductance to CO2 is the key limitation to photosynthesis in salt-stressed leaves of rice (Oryza sativa).

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoxiao; Wang, Wencheng; Huang, Jianliang; Peng, Shaobing; Xiong, Dongliang

2018-05-01

Salinity significantly limits leaf photosynthesis but the factors causing the limitation in salt-stressed leaves remain unclear. In the present work, photosynthetic and biochemical traits were investigated in four rice genotypes under two NaCl concentration (0 and 150 mM) to assess the stomatal, mesophyll and biochemical contributions to reduced photosynthetic rate (A) in salt-stressed leaves. Our results indicated that salinity led to a decrease in A, leaf osmotic potential, electron transport rate and CO 2 concentrations in the chloroplasts (C c ) of rice leaves. Decreased A in salt-stressed leaves was mainly attributable to low C c , which was determined by stomatal and mesophyll conductance. The increased stomatal limitation was mainly related to the low leaf osmotic potential caused by soil salinity. However, the increased mesophyll limitation in salt-stressed leaves was related to both osmotic stress and ion stress. These findings highlight the importance of considering mesophyll conductance when developing salinity-tolerant rice cultivars. © 2017 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Food-dependent, exercise-induced gastrointestinal distress

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Among athletes strenuous exercise, dehydration and gastric emptying (GE) delay are the main causes of gastrointestinal (GI) complaints, whereas gut ischemia is the main cause of their nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and (blood) diarrhea. Additionally any factor that limits sweat evaporation, such as a hot and humid environment and/or body dehydration, has profound effects on muscle glycogen depletion and risk for heat illness. A serious underperfusion of the gut often leads to mucosal damage and enhanced permeability so as to hide blood loss, microbiota invasion (or endotoxemia) and food-born allergen absorption (with anaphylaxis). The goal of exercise rehydration is to intake more fluid orally than what is being lost in sweat. Sports drinks provide the addition of sodium and carbohydrates to assist with intestinal absorption of water and muscle-glycogen replenishment, respectively. However GE is proportionally slowed by carbohydrate-rich (hyperosmolar) solutions. On the other hand, in order to prevent hyponatremia, avoiding overhydration is recommended. Caregiver's responsibility would be to inform athletes about potential dangers of drinking too much water and also advise them to refrain from using hypertonic fluid replacements. PMID:21955383

Variation in the mobilization of mercury into Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus chicks in coastal saltpans, as revealed by stable isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavares, P. C.; Kelly, A.; Maia, R.; Lopes, R. J.; Serrão Santos, R.; Pereira, M. E.; Duarte, A. C.; Furness, R. W.

2008-03-01

Causes of variation in mobilization of mercury into Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus chicks were studied through analysis of stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen. Blood and breast feathers were collected from chicks in coastal saltpans during successive breeding seasons. Detritus samples and potential prey (macroinvertebrates) were also collected. Total mercury concentrations and stable isotope signatures were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy and isotope ratio mass spectrometry respectively. Mercury levels in Chironomidae, Corixidae and Hydrophilidae correlated with mercury levels in chick feathers. Differences of δ 15N signatures between macroinvertebrate groups indicated that they belong to different trophic levels. δ 15N signatures of invertebrates correlated with mercury levels in invertebrates and chicks, but not with δ 15N signatures in chicks. Between-group and between-site differences of δ 15N signatures and mercury levels in invertebrates suggested that they contribute differently to mercury mobilization into chicks, and their relative contribution depends on prey availability in each site. Inter-site differences in the biomagnification factor reinforced that idea. δ 13C signatures in invertebrates marked a larger range of carbon sources than just detritus. Variation of water inflow regime and prey availability may cause between-group and between-site differences of δ 13C signatures in prey. Discrepancies between feather and blood for δ 13C signatures in Praias-Sado and Vaia suggested that temporal variation of prey availability may be the main factor affecting mercury mobilization into chicks in both those cases, since their water inflow regimes are the same. The lowest levels of δ 13C signatures in Vau suggested that water inflow regime may be the main factor in this case, since no discrepancy existed in δ 13C signatures between blood and feather.

Adherence to Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction in Long-Term Users: How Do Men Use the Inhibitors?

PubMed Central

Carvalheira, Ana; Forjaz, Vera; Pereira, Nuno Monteiro

2014-01-01

Introduction The high effectiveness of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5-i) in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) has been demonstrated. However, previous research shows that PDE5-i treatments have high discontinuation rates. Aim The main goals of this study were to (i) characterize the way men use PDE5-i and (ii) analyze the adherence to treatment, identifying the factors that influence PDE5-i use. Methods A total of 148 men with clinical diagnosis for ED who maintained the treatment with PDE5-i for over 3 years were interviewed. Interviews concerning their ongoing treatment were carried out using a standardized questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative items. Main Outcome Measures Physiological measures included the intracavernous alprostadil injection test, associated with penile rigidometry and penile Doppler ultrasound. The qualitative measure included two questions: “Do you use the drug in every sexual intercourse?” and “How do you use the inhibitor?” Results ED causes were classified as venogenic (31%), arteriogenic (23%), psychogenic (18%), iatrogenic (13%), neurogenic (8%), and diabetic (7%). Participation rate was 71.8%. Of the 148 patients studied, 75% claimed not to use PDE5-i in every intercourse. Most used tadalafil (66%), followed by sildenafil (20%), vardenafil (10%), and 4% alternated the type of medicine. Four main categories emerged concerning the factors that determine the intake of PDE5-i in some intercourse situations and not in others: (i) psychological factors; (ii) medication-related factors; (iii) circumstantial factors; and (iv) relational factors. Conclusion The analysis of men's narratives revealed a combination of factors that influence the adherence to PDE5-i. The psychological and medication-related factors were the most prevalent. This study highlighted the importance of taking these factors into account, both at the time of prescription and during the follow-up in order to improve adherence. Carvalheira A, Forjaz V, and Pereira NM. Adherence to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in long-term users: How do men use the inhibitors? Sex Med 2014;2:96–102. PMID:25356304

Work-related fear and the threats of fear among emergency department nursing staff and physicians in Finland.

PubMed

Mikkola, Riitta; Huhtala, Heini; Paavilainen, Eija

2017-10-01

To describe fear, the threats causing fear and the occurrence of fear among emergency department nursing staff and physicians. The emergency department is a challenging workplace where the staff is often confronted by factors that cause fear. A cross-sectional study. A survey was conducted in 16 hospitals (n = 544). Nurses, practical nurses, orderlies and physicians from those hospitals participated in the survey. The survey questionnaire was based on the analysis of interviews of 30 nurses from one university hospital and one central hospital. The results of the interviews were analysed using the inductive content analysis method. The analysis of the survey was performed using statistical methods, such as frequencies, cross-tabulation and principal component analysis. The results showed that nearly all of the emergency department personnel had experienced work-related fear. Generally, the fear had been momentary. According to the survey results, fear was most often caused by medication errors, the resuscitation of a child, a catastrophic accident, urgent or violent situations or patients armed with weapons. Threats that caused fear included insecurity, danger in the work environment, threat of loss of one's health and threat of the consequences of one's mistakes and actions. The staff of emergency departments often encountered factors or situations that caused fear. The main threats causing fear that were raised by the respondents were insecurity and danger in the work environment. The data obtained from this study can be utilised in identifying and describing work-related fear and threats of fear among emergency department nursing staff and physicians. Based on the information herein, it will be possible to develop methods to prevent situations that cause fear in emergency departments. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Environmental effects and aquatic organisms: investigations of molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis.

PubMed Central

Van Beneden, R J

1997-01-01

Cancers of the reproductive system are among the leading causes of mortality in women in the United States. While both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in their etiology, the extent of the contribution of environmental factors to human diseases remains controversial. To better address the role of environmental exposures in cancer etiology, there has been an increasing focus on the development of nontraditional, environmentally relevant models. Our research involves the development of one such model. Gonadal tumors have been described in the softshell clam (Mya arenaria) in Maine and the hardshell clam (Mercenaria spp.) from Florida. Prevalence of these tumors is as high as 40% in some populations in eastern Maine and 60% in some areas along the Indian River in Florida. The average tumor prevalence in Maine and Florida is approximately 20 and 11%, respectively. An association has been suggested between the use of herbicides and the incidence of gonadal tumors in the softshell clam in Maine. The role of environmental exposures in the development of the tumors in Mercenaria in Florida is unknown; however, there is evidence that genetic factors may contribute to its etiology. Epidemiologic studies of human populations in these same areas show a higher than average mortality rate due to cancers of the reproductive system in women, including both ovarian and breast cancer. The relationship, if any, among these observations is unknown. Our studies on the molecular basis of this disease in clams may provide additional information on environmental exposures and their possible link to cancer in clams and other organisms, including humans. Images Figure 1. A Figure 1. B PMID:9168012

Assessment of destabilizing factor for automatic control systems in propulsion systems of mechatronic and maritime transport objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhilenkov, A. A.; Kapitonov, A. A.

2017-10-01

It is known that many of today’s ships and vessels have a shaft generator as a part of their power plants. Modern automatic control systems used in the world’s fleet do not enable their shaft generators to operate in parallel with the main diesel generators for long-term sustenance of the total load of the ship network. On the other hand, according to our calculations and experiments, a shaft generator operated in parallel with the main power plant helps save at least 10% of fuel while making the power system of the ship more efficient, reliable, and eco-friendly. The fouling and corrosion of the propeller as well as the weather conditions of navigation affect its modulus of resistance. It changes the free component of the transient process of shaft generator stress frequency changes in transient processes. While the shaft generator and the diesel generator of the ship power plant are paralleled, there emerges an angle between their EMF. This results in equalizing currents generated between them. The altering torque in the drive-shaft line—propeller system causes torsional fluctuations of the ship shaft line. To compensate for the effect of destabilizing factors and torsional fluctuations of the shaft line on the dynamic characteristics of the transient process that alters the RPM of the main engine, sliding mode controls can be used. To synthesize such a control, one has to evaluate the effect of destabilizing factors.

Causes of morbidity in wild raptor populations admitted at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Spain from 1995-2007: a long term retrospective study.

PubMed

Molina-López, Rafael A; Casal, Jordi; Darwich, Laila

2011-01-01

Morbidity studies complement the understanding of hazards to raptors by identifying natural or anthropogenic factors. Descriptive epidemiological studies of wildlife have become an important source of information about hazards to wildlife populations. On the other hand, data referenced to the overall wild population could provide a more accurate assessment of the potential impact of the morbidity/mortality causes in populations of wild birds. The present study described the morbidity causes of hospitalized wild raptors and their incidence in the wild populations, through a long term retrospective study conducted at a wildlife rehabilitation centre of Catalonia (1995-2007). Importantly, Seasonal Cumulative Incidences (SCI) were calculated considering estimations of the wild population in the region and trend analyses were applied among the different years. A total of 7021 birds were analysed: 7 species of Strigiformes (n = 3521) and 23 of Falconiformes (n = 3500). The main causes of morbidity were trauma (49.5%), mostly in the Falconiformes, and orphaned/young birds (32.2%) mainly in the Strigiformes. During wintering periods, the largest morbidity incidence was observed in Accipiter gentillis due to gunshot wounds and in Tyto alba due to vehicle trauma. Within the breeding season, Falco tinnunculus (orphaned/young category) and Bubo bubo (electrocution and metabolic disorders) represented the most affected species. Cases due to orphaned/young, infectious/parasitic diseases, electrocution and unknown trauma tended to increase among years. By contrast, cases by undetermined cause, vehicle trauma and captivity decreased throughout the study period. Interestingly, gunshot injuries remained constant during the study period. Frequencies of morbidity causes calculated as the proportion of each cause referred to the total number of admitted cases, allowed a qualitative assessment of hazards for the studied populations. However, cumulative incidences based on estimated wild raptor population provided a more accurate approach to the potential ecological impact of the morbidity causes in the wild populations.

Causes of Morbidity in Wild Raptor Populations Admitted at a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Spain from 1995-2007: A Long Term Retrospective Study

PubMed Central

Molina-López, Rafael A.; Casal, Jordi; Darwich, Laila

2011-01-01

Background Morbidity studies complement the understanding of hazards to raptors by identifying natural or anthropogenic factors. Descriptive epidemiological studies of wildlife have become an important source of information about hazards to wildlife populations. On the other hand, data referenced to the overall wild population could provide a more accurate assessment of the potential impact of the morbidity/mortality causes in populations of wild birds. Methodology/Principal Findings The present study described the morbidity causes of hospitalized wild raptors and their incidence in the wild populations, through a long term retrospective study conducted at a wildlife rehabilitation centre of Catalonia (1995–2007). Importantly, Seasonal Cumulative Incidences (SCI) were calculated considering estimations of the wild population in the region and trend analyses were applied among the different years. A total of 7021 birds were analysed: 7 species of Strigiformes (n = 3521) and 23 of Falconiformes (n = 3500). The main causes of morbidity were trauma (49.5%), mostly in the Falconiformes, and orphaned/young birds (32.2%) mainly in the Strigiformes. During wintering periods, the largest morbidity incidence was observed in Accipiter gentillis due to gunshot wounds and in Tyto alba due to vehicle trauma. Within the breeding season, Falco tinnunculus (orphaned/young category) and Bubo bubo (electrocution and metabolic disorders) represented the most affected species. Cases due to orphaned/young, infectious/parasitic diseases, electrocution and unknown trauma tended to increase among years. By contrast, cases by undetermined cause, vehicle trauma and captivity decreased throughout the study period. Interestingly, gunshot injuries remained constant during the study period. Conclusions/Significance Frequencies of morbidity causes calculated as the proportion of each cause referred to the total number of admitted cases, allowed a qualitative assessment of hazards for the studied populations. However, cumulative incidences based on estimated wild raptor population provided a more accurate approach to the potential ecological impact of the morbidity causes in the wild populations. PMID:21966362

Simulation study of the initial crystallization processes of poly(3-hexylthiophene) in solution: ordering dynamics of main chains and side chains.

PubMed

Takizawa, Yuumi; Shimomura, Takeshi; Miura, Toshiaki

2013-05-23

We study the initial nucleation dynamics of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in solution, focusing on the relationship between the ordering process of main chains and that of side chains. We carried out Langevin dynamics simulation and found that the initial nucleation processes consist of three steps: the ordering of ring orientation, the ordering of main-chain vectors, and the ordering of side chains. At the start, the normal vectors of thiophene rings aligned in a very short time, followed by alignment of main-chain end-to-end vectors. The flexible side-chain ordering took almost 5 times longer than the rigid-main-chain ordering. The simulation results indicated that the ordering of side chains was induced after the formation of the regular stack structure of main chains. This slow ordering dynamics of flexible side chains is one of the factors that cause anisotropic nuclei growth, which would be closely related to the formation of nanofiber structures without external flow field. Our simulation results revealed how the combined structure of the planar and rigid-main-chain backbones and the sparse flexible side chains lead to specific ordering behaviors that are not observed in ordinary linear polymer crystallization processes.

Temporal scaling behavior of forest and urban fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.; Song, W.; Zheng, H.; Telesca, L.

2009-04-01

It has been found that many natural systems are characterized by scaling behavior. In such systems natural factors dominate the event dynamics. Forest fires in different countries have been found to exhibit frequency-size power law over many orders of magnitude and with similar value of parameters. But in countries with high population density such as China and Japan, more than 95% of the forest fire disasters are caused by human activities. Furthermore, with the development of society, the wildland-urban interface (WUI) area is becoming more and more populated, and the forest fire is much connected with urban fire. Therefore exploring the scaling behavior of fires dominated by human-related factors is very challenging. The present paper explores the temporal scaling behavior of forest fires and urban fires in Japan with mathematical methods. Two factors, Allan factor (AF) and Fano factor (FF) are used to investigate time-scaling of fire systems. It is found that the FF for both forest fires and urban fires increases linearly in log-log scales, and this indicates that it behaves as a power-law for all the investigated timescales. From the AF plot a 7 days cycle is found, which indicates a weekly cycle. This may be caused by human activities which has a weekly periodicity because on weekends people usually have more outdoor activities, which may cause more hidden trouble of fire disasters. Our findings point out that although the human factors are the main cause, both the forest fires and urban fires exhibit time-scaling behavior. At the same time, the scaling exponents for urban fires are larger than forest fires, signifying a more intense clustering. The reason may be that fires are affected not only by weather condition, but also by human activities, which play a more important role for urban fires than forest fires and have a power law distribution and scaling behavior. Then some work is done to the relative humidity. Similar distribution law characterizes the relative humidity. The AF plot and FF plot of relative humidity validate the existence of a strong link between weather and fires, and it is very likely that the daily humidity cycle determines the daily fire periodicity.

Trends in the gap in life expectancy between Arabs and Jews in Israel between 1975 and 2004.

PubMed

Na'amnih, Wasef; Muhsen, Khitam; Tarabeia, Jalal; Saabneh, Ameed; Green, Manfred S

2010-10-01

To examine trends in the Arab-Jew life expectancy gap in Israel during 1975-2004 and to determine the contribution of age groups and causes of death to changes in the gap. Data on life expectancy and mortality rates by cause of death, for Arabs and Jews, were obtained from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Standard life table techniques were used for decomposition analysis to explore the contribution to changes in the life expectancy gap. While life expectancy of Arabs was lower than Jews during 1975-2004, there was a decline in this gap during 1975-98. However, during the following years the gap increased and the difference in 2004 was 3.2 years for men and 4 years for women. During 2000-04, the main causes of death contributing to the gap in life expectancy were chronic diseases, mainly heart disease and diabetes. Heart disease mortality contributed mostly to the overall life expectancy gap for males and females, accounting for 0.89 and 1.17 years, respectively. The age group >65 years contributed most to the gap (1.33 years among males, and 2.42 years among females). Following a period of reduction, the gap in life expectancy at birth between Arabs and Jews in Israel has started to widen. These findings indicate the need for increased attention to primary prevention and disease management in the Arab population. Reducing social and individual risk factors for major causes of death should be a national priority.

The influence of very low doses of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) on the apoptosis of rat neutrophils in vivo. The role of reactive oxygen species.

PubMed

Jablonski, J; Jablonska, E; Chojnowski, M

2001-08-13

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) causes the apoptosis of neutrophils in vitro experiments. This compound also has the ability to stimulate neutrophils for the production of reactive oxygen species. It has been decided to examine more closely whether the apoptosis of neutrophils by NDMA is caused by the influence of the radicals produced by these cells and whether the stimulation to undergo apoptosis of neutrophils is caused by NDMA in either the original form or by its metabolites. The experiment was conducted on rats. The animals were administered a one-time dose of NDMA intragastrically, 1.5 mg/kg. The research was conducted 1,2,4,12 h consecutively following NDMA administration. The concentration of NDMA in blood was evaluated by means of the gas chromatography method. The neutrophils were isolated from blood by means of differential centrifugation. Respiratory burst was assessed in cells, by means of the cytochrome c reduction method. The percentage of cells revealing morphological properties of apoptosis was determined under the fluorescent microscope. It has been observed that the activation of the respiratory burst is caused mainly by non-metabolised NDMA. Probably the non-metabolised molecules of this compound also have a decisive role in the initiation of apoptosis of neutrophils. It can be assumed that the main factor responsible for the apoptosis of neutrophil rats following a one-time NDMA administration is the induction of respiratory burst in neutrophils by this compound.

[Risk factors associated to preclampsia].

PubMed

López-Carbajal, Mario Joaquín; Manríquez-Moreno, María Esther; Gálvez-Camargo, Daniela; Ramírez-Jiménez, Evelia

2012-01-01

preeclampsia constitutes one of the main causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The aim was to identify the risk factors associated to the developmental of preeclampsia mild-moderate and severe, as well as the force of association of these factors in a hospital of second-level medical care. study of cases and controls, a relation 1:1, in women withdrawn of the Service of Gynecology and Obstetrics during 2004 to 2007. Pregnant women with more than 20 weeks gestation were included. In the cases group we included patients with diagnosis of preeclampsia mild-moderate or severe (corroborated clinical and laboratory). In the controls group that had a normal childbirth without pathology during the pregnancy. 42 cases and 42 controls. The average age was of 27 years. The associated risk factors were overweight, obesity, irregular prenatal control, short or long intergenesic period, history of caesarean or preeclampsia in previous pregnancies. the knowledge of the risk factors will allow the accomplishment of preventive measures and decrease the fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality due to preeclampsia.

Spatial econometric analysis of factors influencing regional energy efficiency in China.

PubMed

Song, Malin; Chen, Yu; An, Qingxian

2018-05-01

Increased environmental pollution and energy consumption caused by the country's rapid development has raised considerable public concern, and has become the focus of the government and public. This study employs the super-efficiency slack-based model-data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) to measure the total factor energy efficiency of 30 provinces in China. The estimation model for the spatial interaction intensity of regional total factor energy efficiency is based on Wilson's maximum entropy model. The model is used to analyze the factors that affect the potential value of total factor energy efficiency using spatial dynamic panel data for 30 provinces during 2000-2014. The study found that there are differences and spatial correlations of energy efficiency among provinces and regions in China. The energy efficiency in the eastern, central, and western regions fluctuated significantly, and was mainly because of significant energy efficiency impacts on influences of industrial structure, energy intensity, and technological progress. This research is of great significance to China's energy efficiency and regional coordinated development.

Causes of male infertility: a 9-year prospective monocentre study on 1737 patients with reduced total sperm counts.

PubMed

Punab, M; Poolamets, O; Paju, P; Vihljajev, V; Pomm, K; Ladva, R; Korrovits, P; Laan, M

2017-01-01

What are the primary causes of severe male factor infertility? Although 40% of all patients showed primary causes of infertility, which could be subdivided into three groups based on the severity of their effect, ~75% of oligozoospermia cases remained idiopathic. There are few large-scale epidemiological studies analyzing the causes of male factor infertility. A prospective clinical-epidemiological study was conducted at the Andrology Centre, Tartu University Hospital between 2005 and 2013, recruiting male partners of couples failing to conceive a child for over ≥12 months. Among 8518 patients, 1737 (20.4%) were diagnosed with severe male factor infertility. A reference group of fertile controls was comprised of 325 partners of pregnant women. The mean age of infertility patients and fertile controls was 33.2 ± 7.3 and 31.7 ± 6.3 years, respectively. All participants were examined using a standardized andrology workup, accompanied by a structured medical interview. Hormonal analysis included serum FSH, LH and testosterone. Semen quality was determined in accordance to the World Health Organization recommendations. Cases with spermatozoa concentrations of ≤5 million/ml were screened for chromosomal aberrations and Y-chromosomal microdeletions. The primary cause of infertility was defined for 695 of 1737 patients (~40%). The analyzed causal factors could be divided into absolute (secondary hypogonadism, genetic causes, seminal tract obstruction), severe (oncological diseases, severe sexual dysfunction) and plausible causal factors (congenital anomalies in uro-genital tract, acquired or secondary testicular damage). The latter were also detected for 11 (3.4%) men with proven fertility (diagnoses: unilateral cryptorchidism, testis cancer, orchitis, mumps orchitis). The causal factors behind the most severe forms of impaired spermatogenesis were relatively well understood; causes were assigned: for aspermia in 46/46 cases (100%), for azoospermia in 321/388 cases (82.7%), and for cryptozoospermia in 54/130 cases (41.5%). In contrast, 75% of oligozoospermia cases remained unexplained. The main cause of aspermia was severe sexual dysfunction (71.7% of aspermia patients). Azoospermia patients accounted for 86.4% of all cases diagnosed with secondary hypogonadism and 97.1% of patients with seminal tract obstruction. Of patients with a known genetic factor, 87.4% had extreme infertility (azoo-, crypto- or aspermia). The prevalence of congenital anomalies in the uro-genital tract was not clearly correlated with the severity of impaired sperm production. Previously defined 'potential contributing factors' varicocele and leukocytospermia were excluded as the primary causes of male infertility. However, their incidence was >2-fold higher (31.0 vs 13.5% and 16.1 vs 7.4%; P < 0.001) in the idiopathic infertility group compared to controls. In addition, the proportions of overweight (or obese) patients and patients suffering from a chronic disease were significantly increased in almost all of the patient subgroups. The study included only subjects with reduced total spermatozoa counts. Thus, these findings cannot be automatically applied to all male factor infertility cases. The novel insights and improved clarity achieved in the comprehensive analysis regarding the absolute, causative and plausible factors behind male infertility, as well as the 'potential contributing factors', will be valuable tools in updating the current clinical guidelines. The study highlights knowledge gaps and reiterates an urgent need to uncover the causes and mechanisms behind, and potential treatments of, oligozoospermic cases, representing the majority of idiopathic infertility patients (86.3%). The project was financed by the EU through the ERDF, project HAPPY PREGNANCY, no. 3.2.0701.12-004 (M.P., M.L.) and the Estonian Research Council: grants PUT181 (M.P.) and IUT34-12 (M.L.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. We have no competing interests to declare. TRAIL  REGISTRATION NUMBER: Not applicable. ©The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

Specific features of thermocouple calorimeter application for measurements of pulsed X-ray emission from plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gavrilov, V. V.; Fasakhov, I. K.

2012-01-15

It is shown that the accuracy of time-integrated measurements of pulsed X-ray emission from hot plasma with calibrated thermocouple calorimeters is mainly determined by two factors. The first and the most important factor is heating of the filter by the absorbed X-rays; as a result, the calorimeter measures the thermal radiation of the filter, which causes appreciable distortion of the temporal profile and amplitude of the recorded signal. The second factor is the dependence of the effective depth of X-ray absorption in the dielectric that covers the entrance window of the calorimeter on the energy of X-ray photons, i.e., onmore » the recorded radiation spectrum. The results of model calculations of the calorimeter signal are compared with the experimental data.« less

Stability of cyanocobalamin in sugar-coated tablets.

PubMed

Ohmori, Shinji; Kataoka, Masumi; Koyama, Hiroyoshi

2007-06-07

The purpose of this study was to clarify the stability of cyanocobalamin (VB(12)-CN) in sugar-coated tablets containing fursultiamine hydrochloride (TTFD-HCl), riboflavin (VB(2)), and pyridoxine hydrochloride (VB(6)), and to identify the factors affecting the stability of VB(12)-CN in these sugar-coated tablets. The stability of VB(12)-CN was investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography while decomposition was evaluated kinetically. The decomposition of VB(12)-CN in sugar-coated tablets with high equilibrium relative humidity (more than 60%) under closed conditions showed complex kinetics and followed an Avrami-Erofe'ev equation, which expresses a random nucleation (two-dimensional growth of nuclei) model. We showed that equilibrium relative humidity, the incorporation of VB(2) and VB(6), and sugar coating, are the main factors influencing decomposition and that these factors cause the complex decomposition kinetics.

Risk factor analysis for long-term tunneled dialysis catheter-related bacteremias.

PubMed

Jean, G; Charra, B; Chazot, C; Vanel, T; Terrat, J C; Hurot, J M; Laurent, G

2002-07-01

Infection, mainly related to vascular access, is one of the main causes of morbidity and a preventable cause of death in hemodialysis patients. From January 1994 to April 1998 we conducted a prospective study to assess the incidence and risk factors of catheter-related bacteremia. One hundred and twenty-nine tunneled dual-lumen hemodialysis catheters were inserted percutaneously into the internal jugular vein in 89 patients. Bacteremia (n = 56) occurred at least once with 37 (29%) of the catheters (an incidence of 1.1/1,000 catheter-days); local infection (n = 45, 1/1,000 catheter-days) was associated with bacteremia in 18 cases. Death in 1 case was directly related to Staphylococcus aureus (SA) septic shock, and septicemia contributed to deaths in 2 additional cases. Catheters were removed in 48% of the bacteremic episodes. Treatment comprised intravenous double antimicrobial therapy for 15-20 days. Bacteriological data of bacteremia showed 55% involvement of SA. Nasal carriage of SA was observed in 35% of the patients with catheters. Bacteremic catheters were more frequently observed in patients with diabetes mellitus (p = 0.03), peripheral atherosclerosis (p = 0.001), a previous history of bacteremia (p = 0.05), nasal carriage of SA (p = 0.0001), longer catheter survival time (p = 0.001), higher total intravenous iron dose (p = 0.001), more frequent urokinase catheter infusion (p < 0.01), and local infection (p < 0.001) compared with non-bacteremic catheters. Monovariate survival analysis showed that significant initial risk factors for bacteremia were nasal carriage of SA (p = 0.00001), previous bacteremia (p = 0.0001), peripheral atherosclerosis (p = 0.005), and diabetes (p = 0.04). This study confirms the relatively high incidence of bacteremia with tunneled double-lumen silicone catheters and its potential complications. Possible preventive actions are discussed according to the risk factors. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

Numerical and experimental analysis of factors leading to suture dehiscence after Billroth II gastric resection.

PubMed

Cvetkovic, Aleksandar M; Milasinovic, Danko Z; Peulic, Aleksandar S; Mijailovic, Nikola V; Filipovic, Nenad D; Zdravkovic, Nebojsa D

2014-11-01

The main goal of this study was to numerically quantify risk of duodenal stump blowout after Billroth II (BII) gastric resection. Our hypothesis was that the geometry of the reconstructed tract after BII resection is one of the key factors that can lead to duodenal dehiscence. We used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with finite element (FE) simulations of various models of BII reconstructed gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as well as non-perfused, ex vivo, porcine experimental models. As main geometrical parameters for FE postoperative models we have used duodenal stump length and inclination between gastric remnant and duodenal stump. Virtual gastric resection was performed on each of 3D FE models based on multislice Computer Tomography (CT) DICOM. According to our computer simulation the difference between maximal duodenal stump pressures for models with most and least preferable geometry of reconstructed GI tract is about 30%. We compared the resulting postoperative duodenal pressure from computer simulations with duodenal stump dehiscence pressure from the experiment. Pressure at duodenal stump after BII resection obtained by computer simulation is 4-5 times lower than the dehiscence pressure according to our experiment on isolated bowel segment. Our conclusion is that if the surgery is performed technically correct, geometry variations of the reconstructed GI tract by themselves are not sufficient to cause duodenal stump blowout. Pressure that develops in the duodenal stump after BII resection using omega loop, only in the conjunction with other risk factors can cause duodenal dehiscence. Increased duodenal pressure after BII resection is risk factor. Hence we recommend the routine use of Roux en Y anastomosis as a safer solution in terms of resulting intraluminal pressure. However, if the surgeon decides to perform BII reconstruction, results obtained with this methodology can be valuable. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cow-specific risk factors for clinical mastitis in Brazilian dairy cattle.

PubMed

Oliveira, C S F; Hogeveen, H; Botelho, A M; Maia, P V; Coelho, S G; Haddad, J P A

2015-10-01

Information related to mastitis risk factors is useful for the design and implementation of clinical mastitis (CM) control programs. The first objective of our study was to model the risk of CM under Brazilian conditions, using cow-specific risk factors. Our second objective was to explore which risk factors were associated with the occurrence of the most common pathogens involved in Brazilian CM infections. The analyses were based on 65 months of data from 9,789 dairy cows and 12,464 CM cases. Cow-specific risk factors that could easily be measured in standard Brazilian dairy farms were used in the statistical analyses, which included logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression. The first month of lactation, high somatic cell count, rainy season and history of clinical mastitis cases were factors associated with CM for both primiparous and multiparous cows. In addition, parity and breed were also associated risk factors for multiparous cows. Of all CM cases, 54% showed positive bacteriological culturing results from which 57% were classified as environmental pathogens, with a large percentage of coliforms (35%). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (16%), Streptococcus uberis (9%), Streptococcus agalactiae (7%) and other Streptococci (9%) were also common pathogens. Among the pathogens analyzed, the association of cow-specific risk factors, such as Zebu breed (OR=5.84, 95%CI 3.77-10.77) and accumulated history of SCC (1.76, 95%CI 1.37-2.27), was different for CM caused by Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and S. agalactiae in comparison to CM caused by coliforms. Our results suggest that CM control programs in Brazil should specially consider the recent history of clinical mastitis cases and the beginning of the lactations, mainly during the rainy season as important risk factor for mastitis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Two methods of assessing the mortality factors affecting the larvae and pupae of Cameraria ohridella in the leaves of Aesculus hippocastanum in Switzerland and Bulgaria.

PubMed

Girardoz, S; Tomov, R; Eschen, R; Quicke, D L J; Kenis, M

2007-10-01

The horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella, is an invasive alien species defoliating horse-chestnut, a popular ornamental tree in Europe. This paper presents quantitative data on mortality factors affecting larvae and pupae of the leaf miner in Switzerland and Bulgaria, both in urban and forest environments. Two sampling methods were used and compared: a cohort method, consisting of the surveying of pre-selected mines throughout their development, and a grab sampling method, consisting of single sets of leaves collected and dissected at regular intervals. The total mortality per generation varied between 14 and 99%. Mortality was caused by a variety of factors, including parasitism, host feeding, predation by birds and arthropods, plant defence reaction, leaf senescence, intra-specific competition and inter-specific competition with a fungal disease. Significant interactions were found between mortality factors and sampling methods, countries, environments and generation. No mortality factor was dominant throughout the sites, generations and methods tested. Plant defence reactions constituted the main mortality factor for the first two larval stages, whereas predation by birds and arthropods and parasitism were more important in older larvae and pupae. Mortality caused by leaf senescence was often the dominant mortality factor in the last annual generation. The cohort method detected higher mortality rates than the grab sampling method. In particular, mortality by plant defence reaction and leaf senescence were better assessed using the cohort method, which is, therefore, recommended for life table studies on leaf miners.

[Analysis of the trend and impact of mortality due to external causes: Mexico, 2000-2013].

PubMed

Dávila Cervantes, Claudio Alberto; Pardo Montaño, Ana Melisa

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to analyze mortality due to the main external causes of death (traffic accidents, other accidents, homicides and suicides) in Mexico, calculating the years of life lost between 0 and 100 years of age and their contribution to the change in life expectancy between 2000 and 2013, at the national level, by sex and age group. Data came from mortality vital statistics of the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) [National Institute of Statistics and Geography]. The biggest impact in mortality due to external causes occurred in adolescent and adult males 15-49 years of age; mortality due to these causes remained constant in males and slightly decreased in females. Mortality due to traffic accidents and other accidents decreased, with a positive contribution to life expectancy, but this effect was canceled out by the increase in mortality due to homicides and suicides. Mortality due to external causes can be avoided through interventions, programs and prevention strategies as well as timely treatment. It is necessary to develop multidisciplinary studies on the dynamics of the factors associated with mortality due to these causes.

Missed Opportunities in Neonatal Deaths in Rwanda: Applying the Three Delays Model in a Cross-Sectional Analysis of Neonatal Death.

PubMed

Wilmot, Efua; Yotebieng, Marcel; Norris, Alison; Ngabo, Fidele

2017-05-01

Objective Administered in a timely manner, current evidence-based interventions could reduce neonatal deaths from infections, intrapartum injuries and complications due to prematurity. The three delays model (delay in seeking care, in arriving at a health facility, and in receiving adequate care), which has been applied to understanding maternal deaths, may be useful for understanding neonatal deaths. We assess the main causes of neonatal deaths in Rwanda and their associated delays. Methods Using a cross-sectional study design, we evaluated data from 2012 from 40 facilities in which babies were delivered. Audit committees in each facility reviewed each neonatal death in the facility and reported finding to the Ministry of Health using structured questionnaires. Information from questionnaires were centralized in an electronic database. At the end of 2012, records from 40 health facilities across Rwanda's five provinces (mainly district hospitals) were available in the database and were used for this analysis. Results Of the 1324 neonates, the major causes of death were: asphyxia and its complications (36.7%), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) (22.5%), and prematurity (22.4%). At least one delay was experienced by nearly three-quarters of neonates: Maternal Delay in Seeking Care 22.1%, Maternal Delay in Arrival to Care 11.2%, Maternal Delay in Adequate Care 14.2%, Neonatal Delay in Seeking Care 8.1%, Neonatal Delay in Arrival to Care 9.3%, and Neonatal Delay in Adequate Care 29.1%. Neonates with each of the main causes of death had statistically significantly increased odds of experiencing Maternal Delay in Seeking Care. Asphyxia deaths had increased odds of experiencing all three Maternal Delays. LRTI deaths had increased odds of all three Neonatal Delays. Conclusion Delays for women in seeking obstetrical care is a critical factor associated with the main causes of neonatal death in Rwanda. Improving obstetrical care quality could reduce neonatal deaths due to asphyxia. Likewise, reducing all three delays could reduce neonatal deaths due to LRTI.

Appraisal of salinity and fluoride in a semi-arid region of India using statistical and multivariate techniques.

PubMed

Mor, Suman; Singh, Surender; Yadav, Poonam; Rani, Versha; Rani, Pushpa; Sheoran, Monika; Singh, Gurmeet; Ravindra, Khaiwal

2009-12-01

Various physico-chemical parameters, including fluoride (F(-)), were analyzed to understand the hydro-geochemistry of an aquifer in a semi-arid region of India. Furthermore, the quality of the shallow and deep aquifer (using tube well and hand pumps) was also investigated for their best ecological use including drinking, domestic, agricultural and other activities. Different multivariate techniques were applied to understand the groundwater chemistry of the aquifer. Findings of the correlation matrix were strengthened by the factor analysis, and this shows that salinity is mainly caused by magnesium salts as compared to calcium salts in the aquifer. The problem of salinization seems mainly compounded by the contamination of the shallow aquifers by the recharging water. High factor loading of total alkalinity and bicarbonates indicates that total alkalinity was mainly due to carbonates and bicarbonates of sodium. The concentration of F(-) was found more in the deep aquifer than the shallow aquifer. Further, only a few groundwater samples lie below the permissible limit of F(-), and this indicates a risk of dental caries in the populace of the study area. The present study indicates that regular monitoring of groundwater is an important step to avoid human health risks and to assess its quality for various ecological purposes.

Contrast of lithospheric dynamics across the southern and eastern margins of the Tibetan Plateau: a numerical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yujun; Fan, Taoyuan; Wu, Zhonghai

2018-05-01

Both of the southern and eastern margins of the Tibetan Plateau are bounded by the cratonic blocks (Indian plate and Sichuan basin). However, there are many differences in tectonic deformation, lithospheric structure and surface heat flow between these two margins. What dynamics cause these differences? With the constraints of the lithospheric structure and surface heat flow across the southern and eastern margins of Tibetan Plateau, we constructed 2-D thermal-mechanical finite-element models to investigate the dynamics across these two margins. The results show that the delamination of mantle lithosphere beneath the Lhasa terrane in Oligocene and the rheological contrast between the Indian and Tibetan crust are the two main factors that control the subduction of the Indian plate. The dynamics across the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau are different from the southern margin. During the lateral expansion of the Tibetan Plateau, pure shear thickening is the main deformation characteristic for the Songpan-Ganzi lithosphere. This thickening results in the reduction of geothermal gradient and surface heat flow. From this study, it can be seen that the delamination of the mantle lithosphere and the rheological contrast between the Tibetan Plateau and its bounding blocks are the two main factors that control the lithospheric deformation and surface heat flow.

Chemical toxicity and radioactivity of depleted uranium: The evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies.

PubMed

Asic, Adna; Kurtovic-Kozaric, Amina; Besic, Larisa; Mehinovic, Lejla; Hasic, Azra; Kozaric, Mirza; Hukic, Mirsada; Marjanovic, Damir

2017-07-01

The main aim of this review is to summarize and discuss the current state of knowledge on chemical toxicity and radioactivity of depleted uranium (DU) and their effect on living systems and cell lines. This was done by presenting a summary of previous investigations conducted on different mammalian body systems and cell cultures in terms of potential changes caused by either chemical toxicity or radioactivity of DU. In addition, the authors aimed to point out the limitations of those studies and possible future directions. The majority of both in vitro and in vivo studies performed using animal models regarding possible effects caused by acute or chronic DU exposure has been reviewed. Furthermore, exposure time and dose, DU particle solubility, and uranium isotopes as factors affecting the extent of DU effects have been discussed. Special attention has been dedicated to chromosomal aberrations, DNA damage and DNA breaks, as well as micronuclei formation and epigenetic changes, as DU has recently been considered a possible causative factor of all these processes. Therefore, this approach might represent a novel area of study of DU-related irradiation effects on health. Since different studies offer contradictory results, the main aim of this review is to summarize and briefly discuss previously obtained results in order to identify the current opinion on DU toxicity and radioactivity effects in relation to exposure type and duration, as well as DU properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient safety in primary allied health care: what can we learn from incidents in a Dutch exploratory cohort study?

PubMed

van Dulmen, Simone A; Tacken, Margot A J B; Staal, J Bart; Gaal, Sander; Wensing, Michel; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G

2011-12-01

Research on patient safety in allied healthcare is scarce. Our aim was to document patient safety in primary allied healthcare in the Netherlands and to identify factors associated with incidents. DESIGN AND SUBJECT: A retrospective study of 1000 patient records in a representative sample of 20 allied healthcare practices was combined with a prospective incident-reporting study. All records were reviewed by trained researchers to identify patient safety incidents. The incidents were classified and analyzed, using the Prevention and Recovery Information System for Monitoring and Analysis method. Factors associated with incidents were examined in a logistic regression analysis. In 18 out of 1000 (1.8%; 95% confidence interval: 1.0-2.6) records an incident was detected. The main causes of incidents were related to errors in clinical decisions (89%), communication with other healthcare providers (67%), and monitoring (56%). The probability of incidents was higher if more care providers had been involved and if patient records were incomplete (37% of the records). No incidents were reported in the prospective study. The absolute number of incidents was low, which could imply a low risk of harm in Dutch primary allied healthcare. Nevertheless, incompleteness of the patient records and the fact that incidents were mainly caused through human actions suggest that a focus on clinical reasoning and record keeping is needed to further enhance patient safety. Improvements in record keeping will be necessary before accurate incident reporting will be feasible and valid.

What do recreational runners think about risk factors for running injuries? A descriptive study of their beliefs and opinions.

PubMed

Saragiotto, Bruno Tirotti; Yamato, Tiê Parma; Lopes, Alexandre Dias

2014-10-01

Qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews. To describe the beliefs and opinions of runners about risk factors associated with running injuries. Despite the health benefits of running, a high prevalence of injury has been reported in runners. Preventive strategies for running injuries may be more successful with a better knowledge of runners' beliefs. A semi-structured interview of recreational runners was based on the question, "What do you think can cause injuries in runners?" Analysis of the interviews was performed in 3 steps: (1) organizing the data into thematic units, (2) reading and reorganizing the data according to frequency of citation, and (3) interpreting and summarizing the data. The runner interviews were continued until no new beliefs and opinions of runners regarding injuries were being added to the data, indicating saturation of the topic. A total of 95 recreational runners (65 men, 30 women) between the ages of 19 and 71 years were interviewed. Of those interviewed, the average running experience was 5.5 years and approximately 45% had experienced a running-related injury in the past. The factors suggested by the runners were divided into extrinsic and intrinsic factors. The most cited extrinsic factors were "not stretching," "excess of training," "not warming up," "lack of strength," and "wearing the wrong shoes." For the intrinsic factors, the main terms cited were "not respecting the body's limitations" and "foot-type changes." Recreational runners mainly attributed injury to factors related to training, running shoes, and exceeding the body's limits. Knowing the factors identified in this study may contribute to the development of better educational strategies to prevent running injuries, as some of the runners' beliefs are not supported by the research literature.

Unhealthy Behaviours: An International Comparison

PubMed Central

Ferretti, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

In the current global economy, chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the leading cause of death and a major health concern for both developed and developing countries. Among other factors, the worldwide spread of NCDs is driven by the globalisation of unhealthy habits. The purpose of this paper is to develop a simple statistic to measure, at the national level, the average population’s exposure to the main NCDs modifiable risk factors. The approach and methodology followed by the United Nations Development Programme to compute the Human Development Index (HDI) is applied to four basic indicators of NCD-related preventable risk factors (alcohol consumption, excess caloric intake, non-balanced diet and tobacco use) in 112 countries worldwide in 2012–14. We obtain a summary composite index, which we call the Unhealthy Behaviour Index (UBI), which ranks countries by the average level of the unhealthy habits (drinking, eating and smoking) of their populations. We find that Belarus and Russian federation are the two countries with the unhealthiest NCD-related lifestyle. With the exception of Canada, the first twenty populations more exposed to the main NCDs preventable risk factors all live in European countries, and mainly in countries of Eastern Europe. Overall, the UBI tends to increase along with the level of human development. In medium, high and very high HDI countries, however, the same level of human development may be associated with very different kinds of NCD-related lifestyles. Finally, economic growth may push populations toward either more unhealthy or healthy habits, depending on the countries’ level of development; the elasticity of unhealthy habits with respect to income per capita is positive (but less than one: on average 0.6) until $30,000, decreases as income rises, and becomes negative (around -0.3) in very high income countries. PMID:26512717

Unhealthy Behaviours: An International Comparison.

PubMed

Ferretti, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

In the current global economy, chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the leading cause of death and a major health concern for both developed and developing countries. Among other factors, the worldwide spread of NCDs is driven by the globalisation of unhealthy habits. The purpose of this paper is to develop a simple statistic to measure, at the national level, the average population's exposure to the main NCDs modifiable risk factors. The approach and methodology followed by the United Nations Development Programme to compute the Human Development Index (HDI) is applied to four basic indicators of NCD-related preventable risk factors (alcohol consumption, excess caloric intake, non-balanced diet and tobacco use) in 112 countries worldwide in 2012-14. We obtain a summary composite index, which we call the Unhealthy Behaviour Index (UBI), which ranks countries by the average level of the unhealthy habits (drinking, eating and smoking) of their populations. We find that Belarus and Russian federation are the two countries with the unhealthiest NCD-related lifestyle. With the exception of Canada, the first twenty populations more exposed to the main NCDs preventable risk factors all live in European countries, and mainly in countries of Eastern Europe. Overall, the UBI tends to increase along with the level of human development. In medium, high and very high HDI countries, however, the same level of human development may be associated with very different kinds of NCD-related lifestyles. Finally, economic growth may push populations toward either more unhealthy or healthy habits, depending on the countries' level of development; the elasticity of unhealthy habits with respect to income per capita is positive (but less than one: on average 0.6) until $30,000, decreases as income rises, and becomes negative (around -0.3) in very high income countries.

Multicausality in fatty liver disease: Is there a rationale to distinguish between alcoholic and non-alcoholic origin?

PubMed Central

Völzke, Henry

2012-01-01

Apart from alcohol, there are other factors that may induce complications, which resemble alcohol-related liver disorders. In particular, obesity has been brought into focus as a risk factor for fatty liver disease. The term “non-alcoholic” fatty liver disease is commonly used to distinguish between obesity-related and alcohol-related hepatic steatosis. This review uses the epidemiological perspective to critically assess whether it is necessary and useful to differentiate between alcoholic and “non-alcoholic” fatty liver disease. The MEDLINE database was searched using the PubMed search engine, and a review of reference lists from original research and review articles was conducted. The concept to distinguish between alcoholic and “non-alcoholic” fatty liver disease is mainly based on specific pathomechanisms. This concept has, however, several limitations including the common overlap between alcohol misuse and obesity-related metabolic disorders and the non-consideration of additional causal factors. Both entities share similar histopathological patterns. Studies demonstrating differences in clinical presentation and outcome are often biased by selection. Risk factor reduction is the main principle of prevention and treatment of both disease forms. In conclusion, alcoholic and “non-alcoholic” fatty liver diseases are one and the same disease caused by different risk factors. A shift from artificial categories to a more general approach to fatty liver disease as a multicausal disorder may optimize preventive strategies and help clinicians more effectively treat patients at the individual level. PMID:22826613

RISK FACTORS FOR CONTACT LENS INDUCED PAPILLARY CONJUNCTIVITIS ASSOCIATED WITH SILICONE HYDROGEL CONTACT LENS WEAR

PubMed Central

Tagliaferri, Angela; Love, Thomas E.; Szczotka-Flynn, Loretta

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Contact lens induced papillary conjunctivitis (CLPC) continues to be a major cause of dropout during contact lens extended wear. This retrospective study explores risk factors for the development of CLPC during silicone hydrogel lens extended wear. METHODS Data from 205 subjects enrolled in the Longitudinal Analysis of Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lens (LASH) study wearing lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel lenses for up to 30 days of continuous wear were used to determine risk factors for CLPC in this secondary analysis of the main cohort. The main covariates of interest included substantial lens-associated bacterial bioburden, and topographically determined lens base curve-to-cornea fitting relationships. Additional covariates of interest included history of prior adverse events, time of year, race, education level, gender and other subject demographics. Statistical analyses included univariate logistic regression to assess the impact of potential risk factors on the binary CLPC outcome, and Cox proportional hazards regression to describe the impact of those factors on time-to-CLPC diagnosis. RESULTS Across 12 months of follow-up, 52 subjects (25%) experienced CLPC. No associations were found between CLPC development and the presence of bacterial bioburden, lens-to-cornea fitting relationships, history of prior adverse events, gender or race. CLPC development followed the same seasonal trends as the local peaks in environmental allergans. CONCLUSIONS Lens fit and biodeposits, in the form of lens associated bacterial bioburden, were not associated with the development of CLPC during extended wear with lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel lenses. PMID:24681609

Stressors in the relatives of patients admitted to an intensive care unit

PubMed Central

Barth, Angélica Adam; Weigel, Bruna Dorfey; Dummer, Claus Dieter; Machado, Kelly Campara; Tisott, Taís Montagner

2016-01-01

Objective To identify and stratify the main stressors for the relatives of patients admitted to the adult intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. Methods Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted with relatives of patients admitted to an intensive care unit from April to October 2014. The following materials were used: a questionnaire containing identification information and demographic data of the relatives, clinical data of the patients, and 25 stressors adapted from the Intensive Care Unit Environmental Stressor Scale. The degree of stress caused by each factor was determined on a scale of values from 1 to 4. The stressors were ranked based on the average score obtained. Results The main cause of admission to the intensive care unit was clinical in 36 (52.2%) cases. The main stressors were the patient being in a state of coma (3.15 ± 1.23), the patient being unable to speak (3.15 ± 1.20), and the reason for admission (3.00 ± 1.27). After removing the 27 (39.1%) coma patients from the analysis, the main stressors for the relatives were the reason for admission (2.75 ± 1.354), seeing the patient in the intensive care unit (2.51 ± 1.227), and the patient being unable to speak (2.50 ± 1.269). Conclusion Difficulties in communication and in the relationship with the patient admitted to the intensive care unit were identified as the main stressors by their relatives, with the state of coma being predominant. By contrast, the environment, work routines, and relationship between the relatives and intensive care unit team had the least impact as stressors. PMID:27737424

Electron Flux Dropouts at L ˜ 4.2 From Global Positioning System Satellites: Occurrences, Magnitudes, and Main Driving Factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boynton, R. J.; Mourenas, D.; Balikhin, M. A.

2017-11-01

Dropouts in electron fluxes at L ˜ 4.2 were investigated for a broad range of energies from 120 keV to 10 MeV, using 16 years of electron flux data from Combined X-ray Dosimeter on board Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. Dropouts were defined as flux decreases by at least a factor 4 in 12 h, or 24 h during which a decrease by at least a factor of 1.5 must occur during each 12 h time bin. Such fast and strong dropouts were automatically identified from the GPS electron flux data and statistics of dropout magnitudes, and occurrences were compiled as a function of electron energy. Moreover, the Error Reduction Ratio analysis was employed to search for nonlinear relationships between electron flux dropouts and various solar wind and geomagnetic activity indices, in order to identify potential external causes of dropouts. At L ˜ 4.2, the main driving factor for the more numerous and stronger 1-10 MeV electron dropouts turns out to be the southward interplanetary magnetic field Bs, suggesting an important effect from precipitation loss due to combined electromagnetic ion cyclotron and whistler mode waves in a significant fraction of these events, supplementing magnetopause shadowing and outward radial diffusion which are also effective at lower energies.

[Semiautomatic defibrillation in children].

PubMed

Rodríguez Núñez, A; Iglesias Vázquez, J A

2004-08-01

The main survival factor in cardiac arrest secondary to ventricular fibrillation (VF) is the interval between collapse and defibrillation; consequently, this treatment constitutes one of the most important links in the survival chain in adults. Although VF is a rare cause of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in children, its detection and treatment is essential because in the pediatric cardiac arrest scenario, VF is the dysrhythmia with the best prognosis. Automated external defibrillators (AED) are simple devices that allow cardiac rhythm to be analyzed; they can also determine whether it is shockable or not with high sensitivity and specificity in adults and children. Currently available evidence has prompted the recommendation of AED use in children older than 1 year without signs of circulation, mainly in the pre-hospital setting and ideally with a dose-limiting device.

Deterioration of the Floor of Interior Courtyard of Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo, Egypt.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazel, Tarek

The college- mosque of Sultan Hassan is considered one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture not only in Egypt but also in the East. Its open interior courtyard is paved with three different types of marble slabs. These marble slabs suffer from severe deterioration. Causes of this deterioration were determined accurately through the ocular examination of the courtyard and confirmed by the laboratory tests which were carried out on samples representing the three common types of marble used in the floor namely the white, the red and the black marble. Sun light and heat are the main deterioration factors and the consequent thermal expansion is the main property which led to the detected deterioration phenomena. Types and mechanisms of deterioration affected the floor were described and explained.

Number of Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors and Mortality in Patients With First Myocardial Infarction

PubMed Central

Canto, John G.; Kiefe, Catarina I.; Rogers, William J.; Peterson, Eric D.; Frederick, Paul D.; French, William J.; Gibson, C. Michael; Pollack, Charles V.; Ornato, Joseph P.; Zalenski, Robert J.; Penney, Jan; Tiefenbrunn, Alan J.; Greenland, Philip

2013-01-01

Context Few studies have examined the association between the number of coronary heart disease risk factors and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction in community practice. Objective To determine the association between the number of coronary heart disease risk factors in patients with first myocardial infarction and hospital mortality. Design Observational study from the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction, 1994-2006. Patients We examined the presence and absence of 5 major traditional coronary heart disease risk factors (hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and family history of coronary heart disease) and hospital mortality among 542 008 patients with first myocardial infarction and without prior cardiovascular disease. Main Outcome Measure All-cause in-hospital mortality. Results A majority (85.6%) of patients who presented with initial myocardial infarction had at least 1 of the 5 coronary heart disease risk factors, and 14.4% had none of the 5 risk factors. Age varied inversely with the number of coronary heart disease risk factors, from a mean age of 71.5 years with 0 risk factors to 56.7 years with 5 risk factors (P for trend <.001). The total number of in-hospital deaths for all causes was 50 788. Unadjusted in-hospital mortality rates were 14.9%, 10.9%, 7.9%, 5.3%, 4.2%, and 3.6% for patients with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 risk factors, respectively. After adjusting for age and other clinical factors, there was an inverse association between the number of coronary heart disease risk factors and hospital mortality adjusted odds ratio (1.54; 95% CI, 1.23-1.94) among individuals with 0 vs 5 risk factors. This association was consistent among several age strata and important patient subgroups. Conclusion Among patients with incident acute myocardial infarction without prior cardiovascular disease, in-hospital mortality was inversely related to the number of coronary heart disease risk factors. PMID:22089719

Comparison of Linear and Non-linear Regression Analysis to Determine Pulmonary Pressure in Hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Scarneciu, Camelia C; Sangeorzan, Livia; Rus, Horatiu; Scarneciu, Vlad D; Varciu, Mihai S; Andreescu, Oana; Scarneciu, Ioan

2017-01-01

This study aimed at assessing the incidence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) at newly diagnosed hyperthyroid patients and at finding a simple model showing the complex functional relation between pulmonary hypertension in hyperthyroidism and the factors causing it. The 53 hyperthyroid patients (H-group) were evaluated mainly by using an echocardiographical method and compared with 35 euthyroid (E-group) and 25 healthy people (C-group). In order to identify the factors causing pulmonary hypertension the statistical method of comparing the values of arithmetical means is used. The functional relation between the two random variables (PAPs and each of the factors determining it within our research study) can be expressed by linear or non-linear function. By applying the linear regression method described by a first-degree equation the line of regression (linear model) has been determined; by applying the non-linear regression method described by a second degree equation, a parabola-type curve of regression (non-linear or polynomial model) has been determined. We made the comparison and the validation of these two models by calculating the determination coefficient (criterion 1), the comparison of residuals (criterion 2), application of AIC criterion (criterion 3) and use of F-test (criterion 4). From the H-group, 47% have pulmonary hypertension completely reversible when obtaining euthyroidism. The factors causing pulmonary hypertension were identified: previously known- level of free thyroxin, pulmonary vascular resistance, cardiac output; new factors identified in this study- pretreatment period, age, systolic blood pressure. According to the four criteria and to the clinical judgment, we consider that the polynomial model (graphically parabola- type) is better than the linear one. The better model showing the functional relation between the pulmonary hypertension in hyperthyroidism and the factors identified in this study is given by a polynomial equation of second degree where the parabola is its graphical representation.

Blend lines in the polarized spectrum of the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowmya, K.; Nagendra, K. N.; Sampoorna, M.

2012-07-01

Blend lines form an integral part of the theoretical analysis and modelling of the polarized spectrum of the Sun. Their interaction with other spectral lines needs to be explored and understood before we can properly use the main spectral lines to diagnose the Sun. They are known to cause a decrease in the polarization in the wings of the main line on which they superpose, or in the polarization of the continuum, when they are assumed to be formed either under the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions or when their intrinsic polarizability factor is zero. In this paper, we describe the theoretical framework to include the blend lines formed under non-LTE conditions, in the radiative transfer equation, and the numerical techniques to solve it. The properties of a blend line having an intrinsic polarization of its own and its interaction with the main line are discussed. The results of our analysis show that the influence of the blend lines on the main spectral lines, though small in the present context, is important and needs to be considered when interpreting the polarized spectral lines in the second solar spectrum.

Critical Appraisal of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) and Circulating Soluble Receptors for Advanced Glycation End Products (sRAGE) as a Predictive Biomarkers for Cardiovascular Disease in Hemodialysis Patients.

PubMed

Assiri, Adel M A; Kamel, Hala F M; ALrefai, Abeer A

2018-05-22

The interaction of advanced glycation end products (AGE) and their receptors promote vascular complications of diabetes in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The soluble form of the receptor for the advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) has been studied as a vascular biomarker in various diseases with controversial results. Our aim was to evaluate the association of the serum levels of the AGEs and their receptor sRAGE with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the cardiovascular risk factors among HD patients. There were 130 HD patients and 80 age and gender matched control subjects were involved; 31.5% of the HD group were diabetic, which was an underlying cause of renal impairment; 36.1% had CVD, which was comprising 44.7% of diabetics and 55.3% of non-diabetic patients. The AGEs and sRAGE were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, the lipid profile, glycemic indices, pre-dialysis renal function tests, and hemoglobin % (Hb) were evaluated. The results show that the circulating AGEs and sRAGE levels were significantly higher in the HD patients. Those with underlying diabetes displayed higher sRAGE levels, which were positively correlated with hyperglycemia, HbA1C, and total cholesterol (TC). The HD patients with an increased serum sRAGE exhibited more cardiovascular risk factors (hypercholesterolemia and anemia) with a high prevalence of CVD. Using a linear regression analysis, we found a significant association of sRAGE with CVD and TC among HD patients, regardless of whether associating diabetes was an underlying cause of renal impairment. Overall, the HD patients displayed significantly higher serum AGEs with a concomitant increase in the circulating sRAGE levels, mainly in the diabetic HD, which were significantly associated with the CVD (independent predictors) and CV risk factors (hypercholesterolemia), mainly sRAGEs, regardless of the underlying diabetes mellitus. This highlights the prognostic role of AGEs and sRAGE in HD patients regardless of underlying cause in order to predict the risk for CVD.

Feedback Augmented Sub-Ranging (FASR) Quantizer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guilligan, Gerard

2012-01-01

This innovation is intended to reduce the size, power, and complexity of pipeline analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that require high resolution and speed along with low power. Digitizers are important components in any application where analog signals (such as light, sound, temperature, etc.) need to be digitally processed. The innovation implements amplification of a sampled residual voltage in a switched capacitor amplifier stage that does not depend on charge redistribution. The result is less sensitive to capacitor mismatches that cause gain errors, which are the main limitation of such amplifiers in pipeline ADCs. The residual errors due to mismatch are reduced by at least a factor of 16, which is equivalent to at least 4 bits of improvement. The settling time is also faster because of a higher feedback factor. In traditional switched capacitor residue amplifiers, closed-loop amplification of a sampled and held residue signal is achieved by redistributing sampled charge onto a feedback capacitor around a high-gain transconductance amplifier. The residual charge that was sampled during the acquisition or sampling phase is stored on two or more capacitors, often equal in value or integral multiples of each other. During the hold or amplification phase, all of the charge is redistributed onto one capacitor in the feedback loop of the amplifier to produce an amplified voltage. The key error source is the non-ideal ratios of feedback and input capacitors caused by manufacturing tolerances, called mismatches. The mismatches cause non-ideal closed-loop gain, leading to higher differential non-linearity. Traditional solutions to the mismatch errors are to use larger capacitor values (than dictated by thermal noise requirements) and/or complex calibration schemes, both of which increase the die size and power dissipation. The key features of this innovation are (1) the elimination of the need for charge redistribution to achieve an accurate closed-loop gain of two, (2) a higher feedback factor in the amplifier stage giving a higher closed-loop bandwidth compared to the prior art, and (3) reduced requirement for calibration. The accuracy of the new amplifier is mainly limited by the sampling networks parasitic capacitances, which should be minimized in relation to the sampling capacitors.

What Challenges Manual Workers' Ability to Cope with Back Pain at Work, and What Influences Their Decision to Call in Sick?

PubMed

Frederiksen, Pernille; Karsten, Mette Marie V; Indahl, Aage; Bendix, Tom

2015-12-01

Although back pain (BP) is a very common cause for sickness absence, most people stay at work during BP episodes. Existing knowledge on the factors influencing the decision to stay at work despite pain is limited. The aim of this study was to explore challenges for coping with BP at work and decisive factors for work attendance among workers with high physical work demands. Three focus groups (n = 20) were conducted using an explorative inductive method. Participants were public-employed manual workers with high physical work demands. All had personal BP experience. Thematic analysis was used for interpretation. Results were matched with the Flags system framework to guide future recommendations. Workers with BP were challenged by poor physical work conditions and a lack of supervisor support/trust (i.e. lack of adjustment latitude). Organization of workers into teams created close co-worker relationships, which positively affected BP coping. Workers responded to BP by applying helpful individual adjustments to reduce or prevent pain. Traditional ergonomics was considered inconvenient, but nonetheless ideal. When pain was not decisive, the decision to call in sick was mainly governed by workplace factors (i.e. sick absence policies, job strain, and close co-workers relationships) and to a less degree by personal factors. Factors influencing BP coping at work and the decision to report sick was mainly governed by factors concerning general working conditions. Creating a flexible and inclusive working environment guided by the senior management and overall work environment regulations seems favourable.

Risk Factors of Cancer in the United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Razzak, Hira Abdul; Harbi, Alya; Shelpai, Wael; Qawas, xAhmadxx

2018-01-01

Cancer is recognized to be a major healthcare problem globally. Cancer is a disease that mainly occurs when alterations in a normal cell group within the body leads to uncontrolled growth, mainly causing a lump referred to as a tumor. The aim of this study is to systematically review and extract studies reporting the risk factors of cancer in UAE between 2007 and 2016. A systematic literature search was performed by using "PubMed, Scopus databases, Science direct, and local journals" and appropriate key terms to retrieve studies carried out in United Arab Emirates with regards to risk factors of the cancer. 75 articles were extracted in the beginning. After screening for exclusion criteria and retrieval of full texts, overall 16 articles were used in this study. Search limits were restricted to studies in English language, between 2007 and 2016, and on UAE population (both citizens and expatriates). This review yielded 16 studies about the cancer risk factors in United Arab Emirates, including cross sectional studies (n = 9), population-based crosssectional retrospective survey (n = 1), retrospective cohort studies (n = 4) and qualitative studies (n = 2). Tobacco use, unhealthy diet, family history, infection with HPV, physical activity, and radiation exposure were among the factors investigated. There was insufficient evidence available on some potentially essential risk factors such as use of alcohol, aging, and being overweight. This systematic review signifies an increasing cancer prevalence in the United Arab Emirates and suggests that extra effort is needed with a multi-sectorial approach in future at both the national and international level to effectively tackle the burden of cancer.

Density, Demography, and Influential Environmental Factors on Overwintering Populations of Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) in Southern Yunnan, China

PubMed Central

Hu, Shao-Ji; Fu, Da-Ying; Han, Zhong-Liang; Ye, Hui

2015-01-01

Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is the most serious pest on rice in southwestern China. Yunnan province is within this region and is a major overwintering area for S. furcifera in China. This field study was carried out over 4 yr (2010–2013) and focused on S. furcifera distribution, population density, and demography, as well as the relationship between various environmental factors and the distribution and density of overwintering S. furcifera in Yunnan. Our study demonstrated that overwintering populations of S. furcifera mainly occurred in valleys and lowlands below 25.02°N and 1,680 m above sea level (a.s.l.), where ratooning rice was present. The overwintering range of S. furcifera has expanded in Yunnan compared with 20 yr ago, and regional climate change is believed to be the main contributing cause for this expansion. Environmental factor analysis showed that the mean air temperature of the coldest quarter and precipitation of the coldest quarter were two key factors that were strongly linked to the overwintering distribution and density of S. furcifera in Yunnan. Wintertime temperature was the principal influencing factor to determine the distribution and density of S. furcifera, while the effect of precipitation was indirect in that it influenced the insect’s distribution via its host. This study documented the major overwintering areas of S. furcifera in Yunnan, which can be used to predict outbreak potential in the following spring. Hence, key climatic factors, overwintering distribution, and density of S. furcifera should be used when forecasting outbreaks in spring. PMID:25978998

Clinical factors associated with classical symptoms of aortic valve stenosis.

PubMed

Nishizaki, Yuji; Daimon, Masao; Miyazaki, Sakiko; Suzuki, Hiromasa; Kawata, Takayuki; Miyauchi, Katsumi; Chiang, Shuo-Ju; Makinae, Haruka; Shinozaki, Tomohiro; Daida, Hiroyuki

2013-05-01

The recognition of clinical symptoms is critical to a therapeutic strategy for aortic valve stenosis (AS). It was hypothesized that AS symptoms might have multiple causes; hence, a study was conducted to investigate the factors that separately influence the classic symptoms of dyspnea, angina and syncope in AS. The medical records of 170 consecutive patients with AS (> or = moderate grade) were reviewed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the hemodynamic and clinical factors that separately influence the development of three clinical symptoms: dyspnea (defined as NYHA class > or = 2), angina, and syncope. The most common symptom was dyspnea (47.1%), followed by angina (12.4%) and syncope (4.7%). The factors associated with dyspnea were a higher e' ratio (p = 0.04) and peak aortic valve velocity (p = 0.01). Only the severity of AS was associated with syncope. The presence of hypertension was associated with angina (p = 0.04). Moreover, coronary angiography was performed in 59 patients before aortic valve replacement and revealed coronary stenosis (> 50% diameter stenosis) in 11/16 patients (69%) that had angina. The presence of coronary stenosis was significantly associated with angina (p = 0.02). The development of dyspnea, angina or syncope was influenced by different factors in AS. Dyspnea and syncope were mainly associated with AS severity, and diastolic dysfunction also influenced dyspnea. In contrast, angina was mainly related to the presence of coronary stenosis rather than to AS severity. These factors should be considered when, selecting a therapeutic strategy for AS patients in the modern era.

Resistive-Pulse Measurements with Nanopipettes: Detection of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C (VEGF-C) Using Antibody-Decorated Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Cai, Huijing; Wang, Yixian; Yu, Yun; Mirkin, Michael V; Bhakta, Snehasis; Bishop, Gregory W; Joshi, Amit A; Rusling, James F

2015-06-16

Quartz nanopipettes have recently been employed for resistive-pulse sensing of Au nanoparticles (AuNP) and nanoparticles with bound antibodies. The analytical signal in such experiments is the change in ionic current caused by the nanoparticle translocation through the pipette orifice. This paper describes resistive-pulse detection of cancer biomarker (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C, VEGF-C) through the use of antibody-modified AuNPs and nanopipettes. The main challenge was to differentiate between AuNPs with attached antibodies for VEGF-C and antigen-conjugated particles. The zeta-potentials of these types of particles are not very different, and, therefore, carefully chosen pipettes with well-characterized geometry were necessary for selective detection of VEGF-C.

Resistive-Pulse Measurements with Nanopipettes: Detection of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C (VEGF-C) Using Antibody-Decorated Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Cai, Huijing; Wang, Yixian; Yu, Yun; Mirkin, Michael V.; Bhakta, Snehasis; Bishop, Gregory W.; Joshi, Amit A.; Rusling, James F.

2015-01-01

Quartz nanopipettes have recently been employed for resistive-pulse sensing of Au nanoparticles (AuNP) and nanoparticles with bound antibodies. The analytical signal in such experiments is the change in ionic current caused by the nanoparticle translocation through the pipette orifice. This paper describes resistive-pulse detection of cancer biomarker (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C, VEGF-C) through the use of antibody-modified AuNPs and nanopipettes. The main challenge was to differentiate between AuNPs with attached antibodies for VEGF-C and antigen-conjugated particles. The zeta-potentials of these types of particles are not very different, and, therefore, carefully chosen pipettes with well-characterized geometry were necessary for selective detection of VEGF-C. PMID:26040997

Reversible superhydrophilicity and hydrophobicity switching of V2O5 thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chunzi; Peng, Zhiguang; Cui, Xiaoyu; Neil, Eric; Li, Yuanshi; Kasap, Safa; Yang, Qiaoqin

2018-03-01

V2O5 thin films are well-known "smart" materials due to their reversible wettability under UV irradiation and dark storage. Their surfaces are usually hydrophobic and turn into hydrophilic under UV irradiation. However, the V2O5 thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering in present work are superhydrophilic and turned into hydrophobic after days' of storage in air. This change can be recovered by heating. The effects of many factors including surface roughness, irradiation from visible light, UV, & X-ray, and storage in air & vacuum on the reversible switching of wettability were investigated. The results show that air absorption is the main factor causing the film surface change from superhydrophilicity to hydrophobicity.

[The management of 126 cases of posterior cracked crown of tooth and its effective observation].

PubMed

Chen, L L

2000-06-01

To detect the treatment and effect of posterior cracked tooth. 162 posterior cracked teeth of 158 cases, including enamel fissure and dentin fissure, all there cases undergone the synthetical treatment and follow up in different period, the longest observation period was 2.5 years. The healing and improved rate of 162 cracked teeth 90.74%. Among cases of failure, we have founded 6 cases of acute pulpitis (3.7%), 3 cases of alveodental abscess (1.85%), 2 cases of chronic apical periodontitis (1.24%), 4 cases of tooth fracture (2.4%). Cracked tooth was caused by multiple factors. Early diagnosis, synthetical treatment, and follow up in different period are 3 main factors in treatment.

[Integrated Management Area of Vascular Risk: A new organisational model for global control of risk factors].

PubMed

Armario, P; Jericó, C; Vila, L; Freixa, R; Martin-Castillejos, C; Rotllan, M

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), is a major cause of morbidity and mortality that increases the cost of care. Currently there is a low degree of control of the main cardiovascular risk factors, although we have a good therapeutic arsenal. To achieve the improvement of this reality, a good coordination and multidisciplinary participation are essential. The development of new organizational models such as the Integrated Management Area of Vascular Risk can facilitate the therapeutic harmonization and unification of the health messages offered by different levels of care, based on clinical practice guidelines, in order to provide patient-centred integrated care. Copyright © 2016 SEH-LELHA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Carbon Nanotubes in Biomedical Applications: Factors, Mechanisms, and Remedies of Toxicity.

PubMed

Alshehri, Reem; Ilyas, Asad Muhammad; Hasan, Anwarul; Arnaout, Adnan; Ahmed, Farid; Memic, Adnan

2016-09-22

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) represent one of the most studied allotropes of carbon. The unique physicochemical properties of CNTs make them among prime candidates for numerous applications in biomedical fields including drug delivery, gene therapy, biosensors, and tissue engineering applications. However, toxicity of CNTs has been a major concern for their use in biomedical applications. In this review, we present an overview of carbon nanotubes in biomedical applications; we particularly focus on various factors and mechanisms affecting their toxicity. We have discussed various parameters including the size, length, agglomeration, and impurities of CNTs that may cause oxidative stress, which is often the main mechanism of CNTs' toxicity. Other toxic pathways are also examined, and possible ways to overcome these challenges have been discussed.

Clinical effect of pancreaticojejunostomy with a long-internal stent during pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with a main pancreatic duct of small diameter.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Tomohisa; Satoi, Sohei; Yanagimoto, Hiroaki; Hirooka, Satoshi; Yamaki, So; Ryota, Hironori; Kotsuka, Masaya; Matsui, Yoichi; Kon, Masanori

2017-06-01

Post-operative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the most common causes of death following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effect of a long-internal stent on the development of POPF in patients with a main pancreatic duct diameter of 3 mm or less. Patients (N = 108) with a main pancreatic duct (≤3 mm) who underwent PD were included in this single-institution historical control study. Between January 2012 and December 2013, 54 patients had undergone PJ with a long-internal stent across the duct-to-mucosa anastomosis (long-stent group), and between February 2009 and December 2011, 54 patients had undergone PJ without a stent (control). There was no significant difference between groups (long-stent vs control) in the incidence of POPF (70% vs. 56%, p = 0.110) and grade B/C POPF (26% vs. 26%, p = 1.000). Univariate analysis identified body mass index, extent of blood loss and soft pancreatic parenchyma as risk factors related to POPF. Multivariate analysis identified extent of blood loss and soft pancreatic parenchyma as significant risk factors. Placement of a long-internal stent during PJ did not reduce POPF after PD in patients with a main pancreatic duct of small diameter. Copyright © 2017 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An epidemiologic survey of road traffic accidents in Iran: analysis of driver-related factors.

PubMed

Moafian, Ghasem; Aghabeigi, Mohammad-Reza; Heydari, Seyed Taghi; Hoseinzadeh, Amin; Lankarani, Kamran Bagheri; Sarikhani, Yaser

2013-01-01

Road traffic accident (RTA) and its related injuries contribute to a significant portion of the burden of diseases in Iran. This paper explores the association between driver-related factors and RTA in the country. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran and all data regarding RTAs from March 20, 2010 to June 10, 2010 were obtained from the Traffic Police Department. We included 538 588 RTA records, which were classified to control for the main confounders: accident type, final cause of accident, time of accident and driver-related factors. Driver-related factors included sex, educational level, license type, type of injury, duration between accident and getting the driving license and driver's error type. A total of 538 588 drivers (91.83% male, sex ratio of almost 13:1) were involved in the RTAs. Among them 423 932 (78.71%) were uninjured; 224 818 (41.74%) had a diploma degree. Grade 2 driving license represented the highest proportion of all driving licenses (290 811, 54.00%). The greatest number of accidents took place at 12:00-13:59 (75 024, 13.93%). The proportion of drivers involved in RTAs decreased from 15.90% in the first year of getting a driving license to 3.13% after 10 years'of driving experience. Neglect of regulations was the commonest cause of traffic crashes (345 589, 64.17%). Non-observance of priority and inattention to the front were the most frequent final causes of death (138 175, 25.66% and 129 352, 24.02%, respectively). We found significant association between type of accident and sex, education, license type, time of accident, final cause of accident, driver's error as well as duration between accident and getting the driving license (all P less than 0.001). Our results will improve the traffic law enforcement measures, which will change inappropriate behavior of drivers and protect the least experienced road users.

Retaining Participants in Outpatient and Community-Based Health Studies: Researchers and Participants in Their Own Words.

PubMed

Odierna, Donna H; Bero, Lisa A

Loss to follow-up can introduce bias into research, making it difficult to develop inclusive evidence-based health policies and practice guidelines. We aimed to deepen understanding of reasons why participants leave or remain in longitudinal health studies. We interviewed 59 researchers and current and former research participants in six focus groups ( n = 55) or interviews ( n = 4) at three study centers in a large academic research institution. We used minimally structured interview guides and inductive thematic analysis to explore participant-level, study-level, and contextual participation barriers and facilitators. Four main themes emerged: transportation, incentives and motivation, caregiver concerns, and the social and physical environment. Themes shared crosscutting issues involving funding, flexibility, and relationships between researchers and research participants. Study-level and contextual factors appear to interact with participant characteristics, particularly socioeconomic status and disease severity to affect participant retention. Participants' characteristics do not seem to be the main cause of study dropout. Researchers and funders might be able to address contextual and study factors in ways that reduce barriers to participation.

Programmed cell death in periodontitis: recent advances and future perspectives.

PubMed

Song, B; Zhou, T; Yang, W L; Liu, J; Shao, L Q

2017-07-01

Periodontitis is a highly prevalent infectious disease, characterized by destruction of the periodontium, and is the main cause of tooth loss. Periodontitis is initiated by periodontal pathogens, while other risk factors including smoking, stress, and systemic diseases aggravate its progression. Periodontitis affects many people worldwide, but the molecular mechanisms by which pathogens and risk factors destroy the periodontium are unclear. Programmed cell death (PCD), different from necrosis, is an active cell death mediated by a cascade of gene expression events and can be mainly classified into apoptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, and pyroptosis. Although PCD is involved in many inflammatory diseases, its correlation with periodontitis is unclear. After reviewing the relevant published articles, we found that apoptosis has indeed been reported to play a role in periodontitis. However, the role of autophagy in periodontitis needs further verification. Additionally, implication of necroptosis or pyroptosis in periodontitis remains unknown. Therefore, we recommend future studies, which will unravel the pivotal role of PCD in periodontitis, allowing us to prevent, diagnose, and treat the disease, as well as predict its outcomes. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Melatonin and human mitochondrial diseases

PubMed Central

Sharafati-Chaleshtori, Reza; Shirzad, Hedayatollah; Rafieian-Kopaei, Mahmoud; Soltani, Amin

2017-01-01

Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the main causative factors in a wide variety of complications such as neurodegenerative disorders, ischemia/reperfusion, aging process, and septic shock. Decrease in respiratory complex activity, increase in free radical production, increase in mitochondrial synthase activity, increase in nitric oxide production, and impair in electron transport system and/or mitochondrial permeability are considered as the main factors responsible for mitochondrial dysfunction. Melatonin, the pineal gland hormone, is selectively taken up by mitochondria and acts as a powerful antioxidant, regulating the mitochondrial bioenergetic function. Melatonin increases the permeability of membranes and is the stimulator of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and catalase. It also acts as an inhibitor of lipoxygenase. Melatonin can cause resistance to oxidation damage by fixing the microsomal membranes. Melatonin has been shown to retard aging and inhibit neurodegenerative disorders, ischemia/reperfusion, septic shock, diabetes, cancer, and other complications related to oxidative stress. The purpose of the current study, other than introducing melatonin, was to present the recent findings on clinical effects in diseases related to mitochondrial dysfunction including diabetes, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, and diseases related to brain function. PMID:28400824

Suicide and attempted suicide: epidemiological surveillance as a crucial means of a local suicide prevention project in Trento's Province.

PubMed

Di Napoli, Wilma Angela; Della Rosa, Alberto

2015-09-01

The World Health Organization identifies suicide among the top 10 causes of death in many countries with an overall mortality rate of 16 per 100,000 inhabitants. Furthermore suicide attempts present a frequency 4-10 times greater than the suicidal events, representing also one of the main risk factors to lead to recurrent attempts of suicide. In 2008 the Autonomous Province of Trento launched a suicide prevention pogram called "Invitation to Life" which includes various interventions intended to counter the phenomenon of suicide in the region. Actually the epidemiological research upon the phenomenon of suicide in Trentino region is one of the main pillars of the project: it represents a fundamental requirement to identify risk and protective factors in the population in order to adopt more specific and effective preventive strategies. This article aims to present methods and instruments for epidemiological monitoring of suicide and attempted suicide which are applied in Trentino and to describe results after seven years from the beginning of the local prevention program "Invitation to life".

Obesity prevention in children.

PubMed

Moreno, Luis A; Bel-Serrat, Silvia; Santaliestra-Pasías, Alba M; Rodríguez, Gerardo

2013-01-01

The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity continues to be unacceptably high and of public health concern in Europe. During childhood and adolescence, environmental factors are the main drivers of obesity development. Obesity is caused by a chronic energy imbalance involving both dietary intake and physical activity patterns. Several risk factors are influencing obesity development, even starting in the prenatal period. From birth, along life, mainly diet and physical activity/inactivity are the most important drivers on top of genetic susceptibility. The first years of life can therefore be crucial to start preventive interventions that can have an impact on lifestyle and on later overweight and obesity. Schools are an attractive and popular setting for implementing interventions for children. Interventions including a community component are considered to be the most effective. Obesity control will require policy interventions to improve the environments that promote poor dietary intake and physical inactivity rather than individually focused interventions. More solid institutional and health policies are needed together with more effective interventions to obtain evident changes for the prevention of excess adiposity among children. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The causes of variation in the presence of genetic covariance between sexual traits and preferences.

PubMed

Fowler-Finn, Kasey D; Rodríguez, Rafael L

2016-05-01

Mating traits and mate preferences often show patterns of tight correspondence across populations and species. These patterns of apparent coevolution may result from a genetic association between traits and preferences (i.e. trait-preference genetic covariance). We review the literature on trait-preference covariance to determine its prevalence and potential biological relevance. Of the 43 studies we identified, a surprising 63% detected covariance. We test multiple hypotheses for factors that may influence the likelihood of detecting this covariance. The main predictor was the presence of genetic variation in mate preferences, which is one of the three main conditions required for the establishment of covariance. In fact, 89% of the nine studies where heritability of preference was high detected covariance. Variables pertaining to the experimental methods and type of traits involved in different studies did not greatly influence the detection of trait-preference covariance. Trait-preference genetic covariance appears to be widespread and therefore represents an important and currently underappreciated factor in the coevolution of traits and preferences. © 2015 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Contribution of Large Animals to Translational Research on Prenatal Programming of Obesity and Associated Diseases.

PubMed

Gonzalez-Bulnes, Antonio; Chavatte-Palmer, Pascale

2017-01-01

The awareness of factors causing obesity and associated disorders has grown up in the last years from genome to a more complicated concept (developmental programming) in which prenatal and early-postnatal conditions markedly modify the phenotype and homeostasis of the individuals and determine juvenile growth, life-time fitness/obesity and disease risks. Experimentation in human beings is impeded by ethical issues plus inherent high variability and confounding factors (genetics, lifestyle and socioeconomic heterogeneity) and preclinical studies in adequate translational animal models are therefore decisive. Most of the studies have been performed in rodents, whilst the use of large animals is scarce. Having in mind body-size, handlingeasiness and cost-efficiency, the main large animal species for use in biomedical research are rabbits, sheep and swine. The choice of the model depends on the research objectives. To outline the main features of the use of rabbits, sheep and swine and their contributions as translational models in prenatal programming of obesity and associated disorders. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Educational Brief: Using Space for a Better Foundation on Earth Mechanics of Granular Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dooling, Dave (Editor)

2002-01-01

Soils are three-phase composite materials that consist of soil, solid particles, and voids filled with water and/or air. Based on the particle-size distribution, they are generally classified as fine-grained (clays and plastic silts) and coarse-grained soils (nonplastic silts, sand, and gravel). Soil's resistance to external loadings is mainly derived from friction between particles and cohesion. Friction resistance is due to particles' surface-to-surface friction, interlocking, crushing, rearrangement, and dilation (or expansion) during shearing. Cohesion can be due to chemical cementation between particles, electrostatic and electromagnetic forces, and soil-water reaction and equilibrium. The basic factor responsible for the strength of coarse-grained soils is friction. Cohesion can be ignored. This educational brief focuses on measuring shear strength of sands (typical example of coarse-grained soils) where, for the same material, packing density is a main factor to be considered when one asks about the shear strength value. As the external load is applied, the soil's resistance is attained through shearing resistance, which causes the soil volume to increase (expand) or decrease (compress) depending on the initial packing density.

Vitiligo - Part 1*

PubMed Central

Tarlé, Roberto Gomes; do Nascimento, Liliane Machado; Mira, Marcelo Távora; de Castro, Caio Cesar Silva

2014-01-01

Vitiligo is a chronic stigmatizing disease, already known for millennia, which mainly affects melanocytes from epidermis basal layer, leading to the development of hypochromic and achromic patches. Its estimated prevalence is 0.5% worldwide. The involvement of genetic factors controlling susceptibility to vitiligo has been studied over the last decades, and results of previous studies present vitiligo as a complex, multifactorial and polygenic disease. In this context, a few genes, including DDR1, XBP1 and NLRP1 have been consistently and functionally associated with the disease. Notwithstanding, environmental factors that precipitate or maintain the disease are yet to be described. The pathogenesis of vitiligo has not been totally clarified until now and many theories have been proposed. Of these, the autoimmune hypothesis is now the most cited and studied among experts. Dysfunction in metabolic pathways, which could lead to production of toxic metabolites causing damage to melanocytes, has also been investigated. Melanocytes adhesion deficit in patients with vitiligo is mainly speculated by the appearance of Köebner phenomenon, recently, new genes and proteins involved in this deficit have been found. PMID:24937821

Sensory shelf-life limiting factor of high hydrostatic pressure processed avocado paste.

PubMed

Jacobo-Velázquez, D A; Hernández-Brenes, C

2011-08-01

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing pasteurizes avocado paste without a significant impact on flavor. Although HHP-treated avocado paste stored under refrigeration is safe for human consumption for months, sensory changes taking place during storage cause the rejection of the product by consumers within days. Although it is known that the shelf life of the product ends before its microbial counts are high, its sensory shelf life limiting factor remains unknown. The present study focused on the use of a trained panel and a consumer panel to determine the sensory shelf life limiting factor of HHP-treated avocado paste. The trained panel identified sour and rancid flavors as the main sensory descriptors (critical descriptors) that differentiated stored from freshly processed samples. Further data obtained from consumers identified sour flavor as the main cause for a significant decrease in the acceptability (shelf life limiting factor) of refrigerated HHP-treated avocado paste. The study allowed the elucidation of a proposed deterioration mechanism for HHP-treated avocado paste during its refrigerated shelf life. The information through this work enhances scientific knowledge of the product and proposes the sour flavor development during storage as a relevant sensory attribute that needs to be improved in order to enhance the product shelf life. At present, HHP is the most effective commercial nonthermal technology to process avocado paste when compared to thermal and chemical alternatives. HHP-treated avocado paste is a microbiologically stable food for a period of at least 45 d stored under refrigeration. However, previous published work indicated that consumers rejected the product after approximately 19 d of storage due to sensory changes. This manuscript presents a sensory study that permitted the identification of the critical sensory descriptor that is acting as the sensory shelf life limiting factor of the product. The data presented herein along with previous reported data allows a better understanding of the deterioration mechanism that occurs during the storage of HHP-treated avocado paste. This information is relevant and useful for the elucidation of possible alternatives to enhance the shelf life of HHP-treated avocado paste. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Risk Factors for new accidental falls in elderly patients at traumatology ambulatory center.

PubMed

Porto Gautério, Daiane; Zortea, Bruna; Costa Santos, Silvana Sidney; da Silva Tarouco, Bárbara; Lopes, Manoel José; João Fonseca, Cesar

2015-01-01

To identify the risks factors for new accidental falls in elderly patients attended in the Traumatology Ambulatory of a University hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Quantitative study of the type of multiple cases. Performed at the traumatology ambulatory, amongst fifteen elders that attended the inclusion criteria: age of sixty or more; patient at the traumatology ambulatory because of a fall motivated by accident, oriented and in conditions of answer an interview of data collectors. The data collection was made between April and June, 2013, with the Elderly Nursing Core Set scale (Lopes & Fonseca). The data analysis was made by a descriptive structure, which helped identify the existence of relation patterns among the cases. The risk factors for new accidental falls identified with larger incidence amongst the elders studied were: impaired balance (15/15), age above 65 (11/15), use of antihypertensive drugs (9/15), absence of non-slip material at home environment (7/15), in seven cases; rugs scattered at the floor of the house (6/15). The combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that include the environmental risks is considered a much more relevant cause to occur the new falls. The minimization of the home dangers, allied to the control of the elder intrinsic factors, may reduce the risks of causes. In that sense, is necessary that the nursing team make available more attention to the elderly assisted at the ambulatories, mainly those with sequelae due to fall accidents.

Understanding the risk and protective factors associated with obesity amongst Libyan adults - a qualitative study.

PubMed

Lemamsha, H; Papadopoulos, C; Randhawa, G

2018-04-13

There are a range of multifaceted behavioural and societal factors that combine to contribute to the causes of obesity. However, it is not yet known how particularly countries' cultural norms are contributing to the global obesity epidemic. Despite obesity reaching epidemic proportions in Libya, since the discovery of oil in 1959, there is a lack of information about obesity in Libyan adults. This study sought to explore the views of key informants about the risk and protective factors associated with obesity among Libyan men and women. A series of qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with Libyan healthcare professionals and community leaders. Eleven main themes (risk and protective factors) were identified, specifically: socio-demographic and biological factors, socioeconomic status, unhealthy eating behaviours, knowledge about obesity, social-cultural influences, Libya's healthcare facilities, physical activity and the effect of the neighbourhood environment, sedentary behaviour, Libyan food-subsidy policy, and suggestions for preventing and controlling obesity. Key recommendations are that an electronic health information system needs to be implemented and awareness about obesity and its causes and consequences needs to be raised among the public in order to dispel the many myths and misconceptions held by Libyans about obesity. The current political instability within Libya is contributing to a less-active lifestyle for the population due to security concerns and the impact of curfews. Our findings have implications for Libyan health policy and highlight the urgent need for action towards mitigating against the obesity epidemic in Libya.

EIT images of ventilation: what contributes to the resistivity changes?

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Patterson, Robert P

2005-04-01

One promising application of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is the monitoring of pulmonary ventilation and edema. Using three-dimensional (3D) finite difference human models as virtual phantoms, the factors that contribute to the observed lung resistivity changes in the EIT images were investigated. The results showed that the factors included not only tissue resistivity or vessel volume changes, but also chest expansion and tissue/organ movement. The chest expansion introduced artifacts in the center of the EIT images, ranging from -2% to 31% of the image magnitude. With the increase of simulated chest expansion, the percentage contribution of chest expansion relative to lung resistivity change in the EIT image remained relatively constant. The averaged resistivity changes in the lung regions caused by chest expansion ranged from 0.65% to 18.31%. Tissue/organ movement resulted in an increased resistivity in the lung region and in the center anterior region of EIT images. The increased resistivity with inspiration observed in the heart region was caused mainly by a drop in the heart position, which reduced the heart area at the electrode level and was replaced by the lung tissue with higher resistivity. This study indicates that for the analysis of EIT, data errors caused by chest expansion and tissue/organ movement need to be considered.

Cytosolic Double-Stranded DNA as a Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern Induces the Inflammatory Response in Rat Pancreatic Stellate Cells: A Plausible Mechanism for Tissue Injury-Associated Pancreatitis

PubMed Central

Nakamura, Taichi; Ito, Tetsuhide; Igarashi, Hisato; Uchida, Masahiko; Hijioka, Masayuki; Oono, Takamasa; Fujimori, Nao; Niina, Yusuke; Suzuki, Koichi; Jensen, Robert T.; Takayanagi, Ryoichi

2012-01-01

Pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of unknown causes. There are many triggers causing pancreatitis, such as alcohol, common bile duct stone, virus and congenital or acquired stenosis of main pancreatic duct, which often involve tissue injuries. Pancreatitis often occurs in sterile condition, where the dead/dying pancreatic parenchymal cells and the necrotic tissues derived from self-digested-pancreas were observed. However, the causal relationship between tissue injury and pancreatitis and how tissue injury could induce the inflammation of the pancreas were not elucidated fully until now. This study demonstrates that cytosolic double-stranded DNA increases the expression of several inflammatory genes (cytokines, chemokines, type I interferon, and major histocompatibility complex) in rat pancreatic stellate cells. Furthermore, these increase accompanied the multiple signal molecules genes, such as interferon regulatory factors, nuclear factor-kappa B, low-molecular-weight protein 2, and transporter associated with antigen processing 1. We suggest that this phenomenon is a plausible mechanism that might explain how cell damage of the pancreas or tissue injury triggers acute, chronic, and autoimmune pancreatitis; it is potentially relevant to host immune responses induced during alcohol consumption or other causes. PMID:22550608

Hemorrhagic pericardial effusion as the debut of acquired hemophilia in a chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient

PubMed Central

Bastida, José María; Cano-Mozo, María Teresa; Lopez-Cadenas, Felix; Vallejo, Victor Eduardo; Merchán, Soraya; Santos-Montón, Cecilia; González-Calle, David; Carrillo, Javier; Martín, Ana Africa; Torres-Hernández, Jose Angel; González, Marcos; Martín-Herrero, Francisco; Pabón, Pedro; González-Porras, Jose Ramon

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare bleeding disease caused by autoantibodies against factor VIII. Spontaneous bleeding symptoms usually affect the skin and muscle, while pericardial effusion is an extremely rare manifestation. In the elderly, anticoagulant treatment is frequent and bleeding symptoms are usually associated with this. Clinical findings: We report a hemorrhagic pericardial effusion as the AHA debut in a patient with untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia and anticoagulated with apixaban for atrial fibrillation and chronic arterial ischemia. The patient was treated with recombinant activated factor VII to control the active bleeding and corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide to eradicate the inhibitor. In addition, a briefly review of hematological malignancies associated to acquired hemophilia was performed. Particularities: a) anticoagulant treatment may confuse the suspicion of AHA and its diagnosis; b) hemorrhagic pericardial effusion is an extremely rare presentation; c) bypassing agents raise the risk of thromboembolism; d) hematological malignancies rarely cause AHA (<20% of cases). Conclusion: A multidisciplinary team is needed to diagnose and manage AHA effectively. The use of anticoagulants may lead to the misdiagnosis of clinical symptoms. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is one of the main causes of hematological malignancies associated. The specific treatment of CLL is still recommended in the event of active disease. PMID:29381944

Mechanism of Inflammation in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

PubMed Central

Parmeggiani, Francesco; Romano, Mario R.; Costagliola, Ciro; Semeraro, Francesco; Incorvaia, Carlo; D'Angelo, Sergio; Perri, Paolo; De Palma, Paolo; De Nadai, Katia; Sebastiani, Adolfo

2012-01-01

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disease that represents the most common cause of irreversible visual impairment among people over the age of 50 in Europe, the United States, and Australia, accounting for up to 50% of all cases of central blindness. Risk factors of AMD are heterogeneous, mainly including increasing age and different genetic predispositions, together with several environmental/epigenetic factors, that is, cigarette smoking, dietary habits, and phototoxic exposure. In the aging retina, free radicals and oxidized lipoproteins are considered to be major causes of tissue stress resulting in local triggers for parainflammation, a chronic status which contributes to initiation and/or progression of many human neurodegenerative diseases such as AMD. Experimental and clinical evidences strongly indicate the pathogenetic role of immunologic processes in AMD occurrence, consisting of production of inflammatory related molecules, recruitment of macrophages, complement activation, microglial activation and accumulation within those structures that compose an essential area of the retina known as macula lutea. This paper reviews some attractive aspects of the literature about the mechanisms of inflammation in AMD, especially focusing on those findings or arguments more directly translatable to improve the clinical management of patients with AMD and to prevent the severe vision loss caused by this disease. PMID:23209345

Higher-order vibrational mode frequency tuning utilizing fishbone-shaped microelectromechanical systems resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Naoya; Tanigawa, Hiroshi; Suzuki, Kenichiro

2013-04-01

Resonators based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have received considerable attention for their applications for wireless equipment. The requirements for this application include small size, high frequency, wide bandwidth and high portability. However, few MEMS resonators with wide-frequency tuning have been reported. A fishbone-shaped resonator has a resonant frequency with a maximum response that can be changed according to the location and number of several exciting electrodes. Therefore, it can be expected to provide wide-frequency tuning. The resonator has three types of electrostatic forces that can be generated to deform a main beam. We evaluate the vibrational modes caused by each exciting electrodes by comparing simulated results with measured ones. We then successfully demonstrate the frequency tuning of the first to fifth resonant modes by using the algorithm we propose here. The resulting frequency tuning covers 178 to 1746 kHz. In addition, we investigate the suppression of the anchor loss to enhance the Q-factor. An experiment shows that tapered-shaped anchors provide a higher Q-factor than rectangular-shaped anchors. The Q-factor of the resonators supported by suspension beams is also discussed. Because the suspension beams cause complicated vibrational modes for higher frequencies, the enhancement of the Q-factor for high vibrational modes cannot be obtained here. At present, the tapered-anchor resonators are thought to be most suitable for frequency tuning applications.

PubMed Central

SPAGNOLO, A.M.; OTTRIA, G.; AMICIZIA, D.; PERDELLI, F.

2013-01-01

Summary Surgical site infections (SSI) account for 14% to 17% of all hospital-acquired infections and 38% of nosocomial infections in surgical patients. SSI remain a substantial cause of morbidity and death, possibly because of the larger numbers of elderly surgical patients or those with a variety of chronic and immunocompromising conditions, and emergence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. Factors causing surgical site infection are multifarious. Several studies have identified the main patient-related (endogenous risk factors) and procedure-related (external risk factors) factors that influence the risk of SSI. The rate of surgical wound infections is strongly influenced by operating theatre quality, too. A safe and salubrious operating theatre is an environment in which all sources of pollution and any micro-environmental alterations are kept strictly under control. This can be achieved only through careful planning, maintenance and periodic checks, as well as proper ongoing training for staff. Many international scientific societies have produced guidelines regarding the environmental features of operating theatres (positive pressure, exchanges of filtered air per hour, air-conditioning systems with HEPA filters, etc.) and issued recommendations on healthcare-associated infection, including SSI, concerning surveillance methods, intervention to actively prevent SSI and approaches to monitoring the implementation of such strategies. Therefore, the prevention of SSI requires a multidisciplinary approach and the commitment of all concerned, including that of those who are responsible for the design, layout and functioning of operating theatres. PMID:24783890

[Reproducibility of the use of classifications of causes of death in the context of inquiries in perinatal mortality].

PubMed

Rajmil, L; Plasencia, A; Borrell, C

1993-11-01

The objective of this study was to verify the reliability of the classifications of perinatal mortality causes. An independent observer coded the cases of perinatal death (n = 152) collected in the Encuesta Confidencial de Mortalidad Perinatal de Barcelona (ECMP, Confidential Perinatal Mortality Inquiry of Barcelona), by using both the Aberdeen classification system (regarding obstetric factors) and the Wigglesworth classification system (according to the initial pathological cause), with the same information used previously by the ECMP Commission. For the Aberdeen classification, the observed concordance index (Po) was 86% and the Kappa coefficient (K) 0.77 (95% CI: 0.68-0.86). For the Wigglesworth classification, the figures were 89% and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.74-0.90), respectively. The disagreement was mainly due to differences in the interpretation of the sequence of death, minimal information available in order to classify the cause of death, and misunderstanding of the existing information. To a lesser extent, the disagreement was caused by a failure to comply with the rules laid down for classifications. The assessment of the causes of death was not significantly influenced by birth weight, gestational age, time of death or the presence of necropsy. These results support the use of classifications of perinatal mortality causes in the context of confidential inquiries.

Predictive factors for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency after pancreatoduodenectomy with pancreaticogastrostomy.

PubMed

Nakamura, Hiroyuki; Murakami, Yoshiaki; Uemura, Kenichiro; Hayashidani, Yasuo; Sudo, Takeshi; Ohge, Hiroki; Sueda, Taijiro

2009-07-01

The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) with pancreaticogastrostomy (PG). A (13)C-labeled mixed triglyceride breath test was performed in 61 patients after PD to assess exocrine pancreatic function. Percent (13)CO(2) cumulative dose at 7 h <5% was considered diagnostic of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Abdominal computed tomography scans were utilized to assess the dilatation of the main pancreatic duct (MPD dilatation) in the remnant. Thirty-eight of 61 patients (62.3%) were diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Univariate analysis identified significant associations between two preoperative factors (preoperative impaired endocrine function and a hard pancreatic texture induced by preexisting obstructive pancreatitis), plus one postoperative factor (MPD dilatation caused by PG stricture) and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis determined that all three of these factors were independent factors (P < 0.05). Although exocrine pancreatic insufficiency after PD may be partly explainable by preexisting obstructive pancreatitis prior to surgery, surgeons desiring to obtain better postoperative exocrine pancreatic function after PD would be well-advised to devote considerable attention to preventing PG stricture.

Hole mobilities and the effective Hall factor in p-type GaAs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenzel, M.; Irmer, G.; Monecke, J.; Siegel, W.

1997-06-01

We prove the effective Hall factor in p-GaAs to be larger than values discussed in the literature up to now. The scattering rates for the relevant scattering mechanisms in p-GaAs have been recalculated after critical testing the existing models. These calculations allow to deduce theoretical drift and theoretical Hall mobilities as functions of temperature which can be compared with measured data. Theoretical Hall factors in the heavy and light hole bands and an effective Hall factor result. The calculated room temperature values of the drift mobility and of the effective Hall factor are 118 cm2/V s and 3.6, respectively. The fitted acoustic deformation potential E1=7.9 eV and the fitted optical coupling constant DK=1.24×1011 eV/m are close to values published before. It is shown that the measured strong dependence of the Hall mobility on the Hall concentration is not mainly caused by scattering by ionized impurities but by the dependence of the effective Hall factor on the hole concentration.

Theorethical principles of fluid managment according to physicochemical Stewart approach.

PubMed

Smuszkiewicz, Piotr; Szrama, Jakub

2013-01-01

Interpreting acid base disturbances according to the physicochemical Stewart approach allows the cause of such abnormalities to be discovered. This method is based on three independent variables: SID (strong ion difference), mainly sodium and chloride; weak acids concentration - Atot, mainly albumins and phosphate; and carbon dioxide tension - pCO₂. These three independent variables are responsible for the change of water dissociation and for the change in H+ concentration and, consequently, the change in serum pH value. The SID value of the fluids administered to a patient is responsible for the change of serum SID value and therefore causes a change in the patient's acid base status. During the infusion of a given fluid, the SID value of the serum becomes closer to the SID value of that fluid; on the other hand, the infusion causes a decrease in Atot concentration. In order to avoid acid base disturbances connected with fluid administration, the SID value of fluids being administered should be greater than 0 and lower then the serum SID. It has been suggested that fluids should be given of which the SID value is as close as possible to the actual serum HCO₃ concentration. Knowing the SID value of the fluid administered, and the serum HCO₃ concentration, one can expect a change of serum pH after a fluid infusion. Administering a fluid with a SID greater than the HCO₃ concentration causes a pH increase towards alkalosis. Likewise, administering a a fluid with a SID lower than the HCO₃ concentration causes a pH decrease towards acidosis. It seems that knowledge of the electrolyte concentration and the SID value of an administered fluid is an important factor regarding acid base disturbances.

Incidence of ill-health related job loss and related social and occupational factors. The "unfit for the job" study: a one-year follow-up study of 51,132 workers.

PubMed

Lesage, Francois-Xavier; Dutheil, Frederic; Godderis, Lode; Divies, Aymeric; Choron, Guillaume

2018-01-01

The analysis of ill-health related job loss may be a relevant indicator for the prioritization of actions in the workplace or in the field of public health, as well as a target for health promotion. The aim of this study was to analyze the medical causes, the incidence, and the characteristics of employees medically unfit to do their job. This one-year prospective study included all workers followed by occupational physicians in an occupational health service in the south of France. The incidence of unfitness for work have been grouped according to the main medical causes and analyzed. We performed a multivariate analysis in order to adjust the observed risk of job loss based on the age groups, sex, occupation and the activity sectors. A total of 17 occupational physicians followed up 51,132 workers. The all-cause incidence of being unfit to return to one's job was 7.8‰ ( n = 398). The two main causes of being unfit for one's job were musculoskeletal disorders (47.2%, n = 188) and mental ill-health (38.4%, n = 153). Being over 50 years old (Odds ratio (OR) 2.63, confidence interval 95% CI [2.13-3.25]) and being a woman (OR 1.52, 95% CI [1.21-1.91]) were associated with the all-cause unfitness, independent of occupation and activity sector. Identification of occupational and demographic determinants independently associated with ill-health related job loss may provide significant and cost-effective arguments for health promotion and job loss prevention.

Giant scrotal elephantiasis: an idiopathic case.

PubMed

Dianzani, C; Gaspardini, F; Persichetti, P; Brunetti, B; Pizzuti, A; Margiotti, K; Degener, A M

2010-01-01

Scrotal elephantiasis is very rare disease in industrialized countries, where it is mainly due to surgery, irradiation or malignancies. It can be defined as idiopathic only when the possible congenital, infectious and compressive causes are excluded. We report a case of massive scrotal lymphoedema in an adult Caucasian patient, in Italy. He presented an extremely voluminous scrotal mass measuring 50 x 47 x 13 cm (weight 18 kg), which extended below his knees, invalidating all his daily activities. The patient was hospitalized in order to undergo to surgical treatment. Although genetic causes were searched and the possible role of infectious agents and compressive factors was evaluated, no etiology was ascertained. Histopathologic examination showed non-specific chronic inflammation, confirming the diagnosis of idiopathic elephantiasis. One year after surgical treatment, the patient is healthy without recurrence signs.

Clinical and histological evaluation of thermal injury thresholds in human teeth: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Baldissara, P; Catapano, S; Scotti, R

1997-11-01

The effect on healthy dental pulp of thermal increases ranging from 8.9 to 14.7 degrees C was evaluated. These temperature increases correspond approximately to those caused by certain restorative procedures, such as tooth preparation with high-speed instruments and the fabrication of direct provisional crowns. Two criteria of evaluation have been used in conjunction, a clinical (symptomatic) and a histological one, to assert with greater precision potential damage to the pulp. The results suggest a low susceptibility of cells to heat, which does not appear to be a major factor of injury, at least in the short term. The main cause of postoperative inflammation or necrosis of the pulp is probably the injury of the dentine, a tissue in direct functional and physiological connection with the pulp.

Gynecomastia: Clinical evaluation and management

PubMed Central

Cuhaci, Neslihan; Polat, Sefika Burcak; Evranos, Berna; Ersoy, Reyhan; Cakir, Bekir

2014-01-01

Gynecomastia is the benign enlargement of male breast glandular tissue and is the most common breast condition in males. At least 30% of males will be affected during their life. Since it causes anxiety, psychosocial discomfort and fear of breast cancer, early diagnostic evaluation is important and patients usually seek medical attention. Gynecomastia was reported to cause an imbalance between estrogen and androgen action or an increased estrogen to androgen ratio, due to increased estrogen production, decreased androgen production or both. Evaluation of gynecomastia must include a detailed medical history, clinical examination, specific blood tests, imaging and tissue sampling. Individual treatment requirements can range from simple reassurance to medical treatment or even surgery. The main aim of any intervention is to relieve the symptoms and exclude other etiological factors. PMID:24741509

Holocene Faunal Trends in West Siberia and Their Causes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gashev, S. N.; Aleshina, A. O.; Zuban, I. A.; Lupinos, M. Y.; Mardonova, L. B.; Mitropolskiy, M. G.; Selyukov, A. G.; Sorokina, N. V.; Stolbov, V. A.; Shapovalov, S. I.

2017-12-01

Based on an analysis of the transformation of vertebrate and invertebrate fauna of West Siberia in the Holocene, the classification and periodization of the main faunal trends are presented. Against the background of changing environmental conditions, the key regularities of the faunal dynamics, and the ways some species penetrate into the territory of the region and others disappear from the beginning of the Holocene to the present time have been indicated. Three global and four fluctuating trends are identified. The anthropogenic trend is ascertained separately. A conclusion is made about the prevailing causes of these changes, associated primarily with periodic climatic processes of different levels, determined by planetary geological and cosmic cycles. It is emphasized that, in the historical period, anthropogenic factors play a significant role in the regional faunal dynamics.

Mapping and predicting mortality from systemic sclerosis.

PubMed

Elhai, Muriel; Meune, Christophe; Boubaya, Marouane; Avouac, Jérôme; Hachulla, Eric; Balbir-Gurman, Alexandra; Riemekasten, Gabriela; Airò, Paolo; Joven, Beatriz; Vettori, Serena; Cozzi, Franco; Ullman, Susanne; Czirják, László; Tikly, Mohammed; Müller-Ladner, Ulf; Caramaschi, Paola; Distler, Oliver; Iannone, Florenzo; Ananieva, Lidia P; Hesselstrand, Roger; Becvar, Radim; Gabrielli, Armando; Damjanov, Nemanja; Salvador, Maria J; Riccieri, Valeria; Mihai, Carina; Szücs, Gabriella; Walker, Ulrich A; Hunzelmann, Nicolas; Martinovic, Duska; Smith, Vanessa; Müller, Carolina de Souza; Montecucco, Carlo Maurizio; Opris, Daniela; Ingegnoli, Francesca; Vlachoyiannopoulos, Panayiotis G; Stamenkovic, Bojana; Rosato, Edoardo; Heitmann, Stefan; Distler, Jörg H W; Zenone, Thierry; Seidel, Matthias; Vacca, Alessandra; Langhe, Ellen De; Novak, Srdan; Cutolo, Maurizio; Mouthon, Luc; Henes, Jörg; Chizzolini, Carlo; Mühlen, Carlos Alberto von; Solanki, Kamal; Rednic, Simona; Stamp, Lisa; Anic, Branimir; Santamaria, Vera Ortiz; De Santis, Maria; Yavuz, Sule; Sifuentes-Giraldo, Walter Alberto; Chatelus, Emmanuel; Stork, Jiri; Laar, Jacob van; Loyo, Esthela; García de la Peña Lefebvre, Paloma; Eyerich, Kilian; Cosentino, Vanesa; Alegre-Sancho, Juan Jose; Kowal-Bielecka, Otylia; Rey, Grégoire; Matucci-Cerinic, Marco; Allanore, Yannick

2017-11-01

To determine the causes of death and risk factors in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Between 2000 and 2011, we examined the death certificates of all French patients with SSc to determine causes of death. Then we examined causes of death and developed a score associated with all-cause mortality from the international European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database. Candidate prognostic factors were tested by Cox proportional hazards regression model by single variable analysis, followed by a multiple variable model stratified by centres. The bootstrapping technique was used for internal validation. We identified 2719 French certificates of deaths related to SSc, mainly from cardiac (31%) and respiratory (18%) causes, and an increase in SSc-specific mortality over time. Over a median follow-up of 2.3 years, 1072 (9.6%) of 11 193 patients from the EUSTAR sample died, from cardiac disease in 27% and respiratory causes in 17%. By multiple variable analysis, a risk score was developed, which accurately predicted the 3-year mortality, with an area under the curve of 0.82. The 3-year survival of patients in the upper quartile was 53%, in contrast with 98% in the first quartile. Combining two complementary and detailed databases enabled the collection of an unprecedented 3700 deaths, revealing the major contribution of the cardiopulmonary system to SSc mortality. We also developed a robust score to risk-stratify these patients and estimate their 3-year survival. With the emergence of new therapies, these important observations should help caregivers plan and refine the monitoring and management to prolong these patients' survival. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The incidence of bent dorsal fins in free-ranging cetaceans.

PubMed

Alves, F; Towers, J R; Baird, R W; Bearzi, G; Bonizzoni, S; Ferreira, R; Halicka, Z; Alessandrini, A; Kopelman, A H; Yzoard, C; Rasmussen, M H; Bertulli, C G; Jourdain, E; Gullan, A; Rocha, D; Hupman, K; Mrusczok, M-T; Samarra, F I P; Magalhães, S; Weir, C R; Ford, J K B; Dinis, A

2018-02-01

Laterally bent dorsal fins are rarely observed in free-ranging populations of cetaceans, contrary to captivity, where most killer whale Orcinus orca adult males have laterally collapsed fins. This topic has been poorly explored, and data/information on its occurrence and possible causes are limited. The present study: (i) undertakes a review of the available information on bent dorsal fins in free-ranging cetaceans, and updates it with new records, (ii) reports on the proportion of bent fins in different study populations, and (iii) discusses possible causes. An empirical approach based on bibliographic research and compilation of 52 new records collected worldwide resulted in a total of 17 species of cetaceans displaying bent dorsal fins. The species with the highest number of records (64%) and from most locations was O. orca. On average, individuals with bent dorsal fins represent < 1% of their populations, with the exception of false killer whales Pseudorca crassidens and O. orca. While line injuries associated with fisheries interactions may be the main cause for P. crassidens, and the vulnerability to health issues caused by the evolutionary enlargement of the fin may be the cause for O. orca adult males, factors contributing to this abnormality for other species are still unclear. The occurrence of bent dorsals could be influenced by a set of variables rather than by a single factor but, irrespective of the cause, it is suggested that it does not directly affect the animals' survivorship. While still rare in nature, this incident is more common (at least 101 known cases) and widespread (geographically and in species diversity) than hypothesized, and is not confined only to animals in captive environments. Investigation into the occurrence of bent fins may be an interesting avenue of research. © 2017 Anatomical Society.

Risk assessment and driving factors for artificial topography on element heterogeneity: Case study at Jiangsu, China.

PubMed

Hong, Hualong; Dai, Minyue; Lu, Haoliang; Liu, Jingchun; Zhang, Jie; Yan, Chongling

2018-02-01

The rapid expansion of construction related to coastal development evokes great concern about environmental risks. Recent attention has been focused mainly on factors related to the effects of waterlogging, but there is urgent need to address the potential hazard caused by artificial topography: derived changes in the elemental composition of the sediments. To reveal possible mechanisms and to assess the environmental risks of artificial topography on transition of elemental composition in the sediment at adjoining zones, a nest-random effects-combined investigation was carried out around a semi-open seawall. The results implied great changes induced by artificial topography. Not only did artificial topography alter the sediment elemental composition at sites under the effect of artificial topography, but also caused a coupling pattern transition of elements S and Cd. The biogeochemical processes associated with S were also important, as suggested by cluster analysis. The geo-accumulation index shows that artificial topography triggered the accumulation of C, N, S, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb, As and Cd, and increased the pollution risk of C, N, S, Cu, As and Cd. Enrichment factors reveal that artificial topography is a new type of human-activity-derived Cu contamination. The heavy metal Cu was notably promoted on both the geo-accumulation index and the enrichment factor under the influence of artificial topography. Further analysis showed that the Cu content in the sediment could be fitted using equations for Al and organic carbon, which represented clay mineral sedimentation and organic matter accumulation, respectively. Copper could be a reliable indicator of environmental degradation caused by artificial topography. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Athletes' perception of the causes of injury in gymnastics.

PubMed

Kolar, Edvard; Pavletič, Mitija S; Smrdu, Maja; Atiković, Almir

2017-05-01

Gymnastics requires a high level of flexibility, conditioning and complete body recruitment that is infrequently matched by other sports. Artistic gymnastics has a relatively high incidence of injuries, which are generally of minor or medium severity. With all its complexity, it poses a unique diagnostic and treatment challenge to medical practitioners. The present study examined athletes' perception of the causes of injury and of the possible ways to reduce their incidence. The research involved 63 quality athletes, of whom 20 were in men's artistic gymnastics, 21 in women's artistic gymnastics, and 22 in rhythmic gymnastics. We used the self-assessment method. Factors inducing injury were grouped into three different categories: training, the athlete himself, and the environment. We used the χ2 test to test the association between a risk factor and injuries. The association between injuries and risk factors was also tested using a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Overall, an incidence of 184 injuries was found, of which 67 (36.4%) were acute and 117 (63.5%) were chronic injuries. According to binary logistic regression analyses, psychological factors significantly associated with the prevalence of acute and chronic injury in both sexes for all disciplines were: a poor technique, improper methods of teaching, and an inadequate load. In our study, higher rates of acute and chronic injury were observed among male gymnasts, who reported their occurrence during training by overload, and among female gymnasts, who reported a poor technique, improper methods of teaching, and an inadequate load as main causes of their occurrence. Improving the communication between athletes and coaches, taking the opinion of an athlete into account, and the athlete's active involvement in preparation of the program include the most crucial points for reducing the incidence of injuries.

The Genetic Liability to Disability Retirement: A 30-Year Follow-Up Study of 24,000 Finnish Twins

PubMed Central

Harkonmäki, Karoliina; Silventoinen, Karri; Levälahti, Esko; Pitkäniemi, Janne; Huunan-Seppälä, Antti; Klaukka, Timo; Koskenvuo, Markku; Kaprio, Jaakko

2008-01-01

Background No previous studies on the effect of genetic factors on the liability to disability retirement have been carried out. The main aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of genetic factors on disability retirement due to the most common medical causes, including depressive disorders. Methods The study sample consisted of 24 043 participants (49.7% women) consisting of 11 186 complete same-sex twin pairs including 3519 monozygotic (MZ) and 7667dizygotic (DZ) pairs. Information on retirement events during 1.1.1975–31.12.2004, including disability pensions (DPs) with diagnoses, was obtained from the Finnish nationwide official pension registers. Correlations in liability for MZ and DZ twins and discrete time correlated frailty model were used to investigate the genetic liability to age at disability retirement. Results The 30 year cumulative incidence of disability retirement was 20%. Under the best fitting genetic models, the heritability estimate for DPs due to any medical cause was 0.36 (95% CI 0.32–0.40), due to musculoskeletal disorders 0.37 (0.30–0.43), cardiovascular diseases 0.48 (0.39–0.57), mental disorders 0.42 (0.35–0.49) and all other reasons 0.24 (0.17–0.31). The effect of genetic factors decreased with increasing age of retirement. For DP due to depressive disorders, 28% of the variance was explained by environmental factors shared by family members (95% CI 21–36) and 58% of the variance by the age interval specific environmental factors (95% CI 44–71). Conclusions A moderate genetic contribution to the variation of disability retirement due to any medical cause was found. The genetic effects appeared to be stronger at younger ages of disability retirement suggesting the increasing influence of environmental factors not shared with family members with increasing age. Familial aggregation in DPs due to depressive disorders was best explained by the common environmental factors and genetic factors were not needed to account for the pattern of familial aggregation. PMID:18923678

[Gender and age dependent mortality from nervous diseases in Azerbaijan].

PubMed

Mamedbeyli, A K

2015-01-01

To assess age- and sex-related changes in the mortality from nervous diseases at the population level. Methods of descriptive statistics and analysis of qualitative traits were applied. We analyzed 13580 medical certificates of cause of death from nervous diseases (all classes of ICD-10). The mortality rate varied with age, the main trend of which was the dynamic growth. Age-specific mortality rates for men and women differed from each other: in most ages (20-24, 30-34, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 65-69), the likelihood of mortality was higher in men, and at the age of 5-9, 15-19, 60-64, 70 and more years in women. After the standardization of gender differences by age, the mortality risk of nervous illnesses disappeared (146.74 and 144.16 per 100 thousand for men and women, respectively).  There were significant differences in the proportion of nervous diseases of all-cause mortality among the population in the groups stratified by age and sex. It is believed that situational factors is a cause of actual prevailing of gender age- and sex-related mortality risks. Gender features of age-related risk of mortality from nervous diseases are characterized by the multidirectional dynamics of likelihood of mortality and specific weight of nervous diseases among all causes of mortality. The actual gender features of age-related risk of mortality from nervous diseases are generally caused by situational factors (different age structure and unequal level of the general mortality among male and female population) which disappear after standardization.