Perceptions of adolescents and young people regarding endemic dental fluorosis in a rural area of Brazil: psychosocial suffering

Severe dental fluorosis is endemic in some rural areas of Brazil. This paper describes the psychosocial consequences of this condition and how it has affected the self-esteem of adolescents and young people in a rural area in Brazil. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were carried out with 23 adolescents and young people affected by severe dental fluorosis and 14 of their teachers. The study revealed the affected individuals were embarrassed to smile at strangers due to a presumed association between fluorosis and a lack of dental hygiene. Further findings include conflicts between affected and non-affected students at school, problems in pursuing a romantic relationship and uncertainties regarding a professional future. Disbelief and scepticism were observed regarding the ethical position that science can offer a solution to the problems stemming from the disease. Lesions from severe dental fluorosis appear to be a stigmatising factor and have contributed toward suffering and self-exclusion among an entire generation of adolescents and young people.     

海南省保亭黎族地区药用植物资源调查研究

选择海南省保亭县中全村人口均为黎族人的南梗、抄芭两个村对保亭县的植物资源进行调查.结果 表明,这两个村的药用维管束植物资源有83科186属225种,其中蕨类6科6属6种,裸子植物2科2属2种,被子植物75科178属217种,225种药用植物中包含13种海南特有种[海南苏铁Cycas hainanensis C.J.Chen、海南轮环藤Cyclea hainanensis Merr.、海南地不容Stephania hainanensis H.S.Lo et Y. Tsoong. 、海南梧桐Firmiana hainanensis Kosterm.、海南韶子Nephelium topengii (Merr.)H.S.、降香黄檀(花梨母)Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen等]、7种国家级保护植物[黑桫椤Cyathea podophylla (Hook.) Cop.、野生龙眼Euphoria longan (Lour.)Steud.、野生荔枝L. chinensis Sonn. var. cuspontanea Hsue等]5种海南省重点保护植物[黄牛木Cratoxylon ligustrinum(Spach.)Bl.、细子龙Amesiodendron chinense (Merr.)Hu、龙眼Euphoria longan (Lour.)Steud.、荔枝Litchi chinensis Sonn.、海南韶子等]和15种民间药用但未见记载或仅记载有药用而未开展深入研究的药用植物[膜叶嘉赐树Casearia membranacea Hance、爪哇马儿Mukia javanica (Miq.) C.Jeffrey、大苞栝楼Trichosanthes bracteata Voigt等].对保亭黎族地区药用植物资源的科属特点进行分析,结果显示:这些药用植物在科的分布中比较集中,主要分布在蝶形花科、大戟科、菊科、姜科、芸香科、无患子科、伞形科、茜草科等科中,在属的分布中比较分散,186属中仅有30个属含有2种或2种以上的种.     

重庆市燃煤污染型地方性氟中毒防治调查结果分析

目的了解重庆市燃煤型氟中毒病区的防治现状,为燃煤型氟中毒的防治决策提供科学依据。方法采用分层整群抽样的方法,运用统一设计的居民防治现状调查问卷,对抽查的病区村居民进行问卷调查。调查内容包括病区居民的燃料结构、炉灶使用情况和耕种方式等,计算改炉改灶的合格率、改炉改灶的正确使用率、炉灶的报废率。运用Dean's法检查所有调查村8～12岁儿童氟斑牙患病情况,计算氟斑牙的患病率、氟斑牙指数、缺损率。按照《地方性氟骨症的临床诊断标准》,调查所有病区村16岁及以上的成人,计算氟骨症患病率。结果本次共调查8个病区县9个乡镇12个村4512户,其中使用煤作为燃料的户数为4408户,占97.70%。使用炉灶的户数为4405户,使用率达到97.63%,正确使用率为47.92%。改炉正确使用率为61.77%,报废率为0.38%。改灶正确使用率为46.36%,报废率为0.21%。8～12岁儿童氟斑牙检出率为72.88%,缺损率为8.16%,氟斑牙指数为1.29。16岁及以上氟骨症检出率为1.92%。结论通过20年的以改炉改灶为主的综合性防治,重庆市燃煤型氟中毒病情逐渐减轻,病区类型和数量逐渐减少,说明以改炉改灶为主的综合性防治措施效...     

新疆地方性砷中毒地区人群头发的伸长和相对强力的研究

作者对新疆奎屯地方性砷中毒病区居民的头发进行了研究,结果表明:病区中砷中毒患者与非患者之间头发的伸长和相对强力无显著性差异,而与对照区居民相比,病区居民头发的伸长和相对强力均明显降低。病区居民改用符合卫生标准的水两年后,头发的伸长和相对强力明显增加。调查结果还提示,应注意地方性砷中毒病区砷对非患者的潜在危害。作者认为,用头发的伸长和相对强力来评价地方性砷中毒区的改水效果是较为敏感和客观的适宜指标。     

Changing trends of an endemic trauma

The incidence of severe burn is extremely high in the Low and Middle Income Countries with an estimated 90% of the world incidence of which 50% is in South East Asia. Through an earlier analysis of 11,196 burn admission over 8 years (1993–2000—Phase I) to our burn unit we established the endemic nature of the injury [Ahuja RB, Bhattacharya S. An analysis of 11,196 burn admissions and evaluation of conservative management techniques. Burns 2002;28:555–61]. A continued analysis of 5566 burn admissions over the next 7 years (2001–2007—Phase II) and its comparison with the Phase I reveals a significant change in the epidemiological profile. The average yearly admissions have fallen by 43.14%, from 1399.5 patients in Phase I to 795.14 patients in Phase II. This fall in average yearly admissions is predominant in the age group 16–35 years (52.61% decline) and 36–55 years (46.51% decline). The overall female to male ratio has also changed from 1.26:1 to 0.91:1. However, the overall mean %TBSA burn has reduced only mildly from 49.12% TBSA in Phase I to 44.39% in Phase II. During Phase II there was also a significant decline of 46.93% and 56.25% in the yearly admission of flame and scald burn respectively. Non-intentional incidents still remain the main mode of injury accounting for 87.12% in Phase I and 89.89% in Phase II. But, the yearly admissions of non-intentional burns fell from 1219.25 in Phase I to 714.71 in Phase II, which is a significant drop of 41.38%. Kitchen continues to dominate as the main location for flame incidents, but the yearly admission rate from kitchen accidents dropped from 897.5 patients in Phase I to 368.43 patients in Phase II. At the same time, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) leaks which accounted for only 0.72% of all kitchen accidents in Phase I rose to 10.74% in Phase II. Another redeeming feature is the reduction in overall mortality from 51.8% in Phase I to 40.20% in Phase II. Interestingly, a very significant negative correlation exists (being significant at 0.01 level—2 tailed) between burn admissions and the yearly per-capita income of Delhi, from 1993 to 2005, to prove that the incidence and profile of burns directly reflects the economic development of the society. We see this as the first long term study from a burn unit of a developing country to directly reflect this association of burn incidence and its changing profile with economic prosperity.     

Severe Murine Typhus with Pulmonary System Involvement

We encountered a case of severe murine typhus complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome. To determine worldwide prevalence of such cases, we reviewed the literature and found that respiratory symptoms occur in ≈30% of murine typhus patients. In disease-endemic areas, murine typhus should be considered for patients with respiratory symptoms and fever.     

洞庭湖区居民接触疫水行为方式与社会经济因素的关系探讨

目的 研究洞庭湖区居民接触疫水行为方式与社会经济因素的关系. 方法 在洞庭湖区常德市、岳阳市、益阳市三地,采取随机抽样方法,对当地居民及医院血吸虫病患者进行个人问卷调查,收集年龄、性别、职业、学历、家庭收入、家庭居住区域等个人及家庭基本情况,了解其接触疫水的季节、地点、具体途径等行为方式.利用SPSS软件,应用logistic回归模型分析居民接触疫水行为方式与社会经济因素的关系. 结果 回收有效调查问卷148份.Logistic回归分析显示：从事农业生产的群体如农渔民,常使用传统、改造性不强的厕所、以及年龄较大的群体通过生产劳动接触疫水的频率更高;女性,学历较低,常使用传统、改造性不强的厕所,以及年龄较大的群体更容易在生活中接触疫水;男性,从事非农化职业如公务员、学生等,学历越高,以及年龄较小的群体通过娱乐方式接触疫水的情况更多. 结论 洞庭湖区居民接触疫水行为方式受当地的社会经济因素影响.     

Molecular Investigation of Canine Parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) Outbreak in Nevis Island: Analysis of the Nearly Complete Genomes of CPV-2 Strains from the Caribbean Region

To date, there is a dearth of information on canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) from the Caribbean region. During August–October 2020, the veterinary clinic on the Caribbean island of Nevis reported 64 household dogs with CPV-2-like clinical signs (hemorrhagic/non-hemorrhagic diarrhea and vomiting), of which 27 animals died. Rectal swabs/fecal samples were obtained from 43 dogs. A total of 39 of the 43 dogs tested positive for CPV-2 antigen and/or DNA, while 4 samples, negative for CPV-2 antigen, were not available for PCR. Among the 21 untested dogs, 15 had CPV-2 positive littermates. Analysis of the complete VP2 sequences of 32 strains identified new CPV-2a (CPV-2a with Ser297Ala in VP2) as the predominant CPV-2 on Nevis Island. Two nonsynonymous mutations, one rare (Asp373Asn) and the other uncommon (Ala262Thr), were observed in a few VP2 sequences. It was intriguing that new CPV-2a was associated with an outbreak of gastroenteritis on Nevis while found at low frequencies in sporadic cases of diarrhea on the neighboring island of St. Kitts. The nearly complete CPV-2 genomes (4 CPV-2 strains from St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN)) were reported for the first time from the Caribbean region. Eleven substitutions were found among the SKN genomes, which included nine synonymous substitutions, five of which have been rarely reported, and the two nonsynonymous substitutions. Phylogenetically, the SKN CPV-2 sequences formed a distinct cluster, with CPV-2b/USA/1998 strains constituting the nearest cluster. Our findings suggested that new CPV-2a is endemic in the region, with the potential to cause severe outbreaks, warranting further studies across the Caribbean Islands. Analysis of the SKN CPV-2 genomes corroborated the hypothesis that recurrent parallel evolution and reversion might play important roles in the evolution of CPV-2.