The Impact of Relative Humidity and Atmospheric Pressure on Mortality in Guangzhou,China

Objective Although many studies have examined the effects of ambient temperatures on mortality, little evidence is on health impacts of atmospheric pressure and relative humidity. This study aimed to assess the impacts of atmospheric pressure and relative humidity on mortality in Guangzhou, China. Methods This study included 213,737 registered deaths during 2003-2011 in Guangzhou, China. A quasi-Poisson regression with a distributed lag non-linear model was used to assess the effects of atmospheric pressure/relative humidity. Results We found significant effect of low atmospheric pressure/relative humidity on mortality. There was a 1.79% （95% confidence interval： 0.38%-3.22%） increase in non-accidental mortality and a 2.27% （0.07%-4.51%） increase in cardiovascular mortality comparing the 5th and 25th percentile of atmospheric pressure. A 3.97% （0.67%-7.39%） increase in cardiovascular mortality was also observed comparing the 5th and 25th percentile of relative humidity. Women were more vulnerable to decrease in atmospheric pressure and relative humidity than men. Age and education attainment were also potential effect modifiers. Furthermore, low atmospheric pressure and relative humidity increased temperature-related mortality. Conclusion Both low atmospheric pressure and relative humidity are important risk factors of mortality. Our findings would be helpful to develop health risk assessment and climate policy interventions that would better protect vulnerable subgroups of the population.     

Advancement of tuberculosis control and research in China.

Since the founding of new China, the status of tuberculosis (TB) has been greatly improved through effective control measures and application of research achievements. In the early 1950s, more than 90% of adults in Shanghai and Tianjin had been infected. Tuberculosis ranked the first among the leading causes of death in big cities and the mortality rate reached 169-259/100000 in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Hangzhou. The estimated prevalence of tuberculosis in the urban area (3500/100000) was higher than that in the countryside (1500/100000).     

Report on Childhood Obesity in China （4） Prevalence and Trends of Overweight and Obesity in Chinese Urban School-age Children and Adolescents, 1985-2000

Objective To describe the nationwide prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity, and their group variations and trends over the past 20 years in the Chinese urban population. Methods Data sets of boys and girls at the age of 7-18 years collected from the series of Chinese national surveillance on students' constitution and health (CNSSCH) between 1985 and 2000 were divided into five socioeconomic and demographic groups, while BMI classification reference proposed by Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC) was used as screening reference to calculate the prevalence and trends of overweight/obesity in these groups. Results In 2000, the prevalence of obesity and overweight in boys aged 7-18 years was 11.3% and 6.5% in Beijing, 13.2% and 4.9% in Shanghai, 9.9% and 4.5% in coastal big cities, and 5.8% and 2.0% in coastal medium/small-sized cities, respectively, while the prevalence of of obesity and overweight in girls of the same age group was 8.2% and 3.7% in Beijing, 7.3% and 2.6% in Shanghai, 5.9% and 2.8% in coastal big cities, and 4.8% and 1.7% in coastal medium/small-sized cities, respectively. The prevalence of obesity was low in most of the inland cities at an early stage of epidemic overweight. The epidemic manifested a gradient distribution in groups, which was closely related to socioeconomic status (SES) of the study population. However, a dramatic and steady increasing trend was witnessed among all sex-age subgroups in the five urban groups, and such a trend was stronger in boys than in girls, and much stronger in children than in adolescents. Conclusion Although China is at an early stage of epidemic obesity by and large, the prevalence of obesity in her urban population, particularly in coastal big cities has reached the average level of developed countries. The increasing trend has been rapid since early 1990s, and the increments in obesity and overweight are exceptionally high. The prospect of epidemic obesity in China is in no way optimistic. Therefore, preventive program should be focused on the improvement of the balance between caloric intake and energy expenditure, and interventions aimed at changing children's life styles.     

The Trends in Maternal Mortality between 1996 and 2009 in Guizhou,China: Ethnic Differences and Associated Factors

China bears a large burden of global maternal mortality, and the largest burden of maternal deaths in China is in poor western provinces. This study aimed to investigate the trends in maternal mortality and its associated factors in Guizhou province of western China between 1996 and 2009, and examine differences between minority and non-minority counties. A population-based, longitudinal, retrospective study was performed in a poor western province of China with a considerably large ethnic minority population. All 86 counties/districts of Guizhou were included with population at county, township and village level. Maternal mortality data were collected from routine reporting database of Guizhou Provincial Health Bureau. Trend and comparative analyses and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS 17.0. Maternal mortality ratio(MMR) and its change over time, differences between ethnic groups were analyzed. A declining trend in maternal mortality and rising trend in hospital delivery in Guizhou was observed; ethnic differences between two ethnic groups persisted. The reduction in maternal mortality between 1996 and 2009 was related with increased gross domestic product, decreased male illiteracy rate, and increased hospital delivery rate. We found the declining trends in maternal mortality in Guizhou with persisting ethnic differences. The declining trends are related with economic development, hospital delivery and male illiteracy. Effective health education on maternal health is urgently needed for the minority groups, and basic education for the new generation should be enhanced to eradicate the illiteracy.     

Different Effects of Mahuang Decoction and Maxing Shigan Decoction on Animal Temperature Tropism and Correlation to Differences of Cold and Hot Nature of Chinese Materia Medica

Objective To establish an objective method for evaluating the intrinsic characteristics between cold and hot nature of Chinese materia medica (CMM) through the different effects of Mahuang decoction (MHD) and Maxing Shigan decoction (MSD) on animal temperature tropism. Methods The equipment with cold/hot pads was used to investigate the variety of the temperature tropism between two groups of mice treated by MHD and MSD, respectively. Meanwhile, the activities of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), superoxide dismutase, succinate dehydrogenase, and malondialdehyde were measured. Results After treated by MHD, the macroscopic behavioral index of remaining rate on warm pad (40 ℃) of mice decreased significantly (P < 0.05), suggesting the enhancement of cold tropism, meanwhile, the internal indices of ATPase activity and oxygen consuming volume increased significantly (P < 0.05), suggesting the enhancement of energy metabolism. On the other hand, the above-mentioned indices in MSD group changed on the inverse way. Conclusion The relative drug nature of MHD and MSD revealed in this study is consistent with the theoretical prognostication or definition. It indicates that the internal cold and hot nature of CMM could be reflected in ethological way on the changes of animal temperature tropism which might be internally regulated by body energy metabolism.     

Projections of Temperature-related Non-accidental Mortality in Nanjing,China

<正>The health effects of climatic changes constitute an important research area, yet few researchers have reported city-or region-specific projections of temperature-related deaths based on assumptions about mitigation and adaptation. Herein, we provide quantitative projections for the number of additional deaths expected in the future, owing to the cold and heat in the city of Nanjing, China, based on 31 global circulation models(GCMs), two representative     

Temperature and Daily Mortality in Shanghai： A Time-series Study

Objective To investigate the association between temperature and daily mortality in Shanghai from June 1, 2000 to December 31,2001. Methods Time-series approach was used to estimate the effect of temperature on daily total and cause-specific mortality. We fitted generalized additive Poisson regression using non-parametric smooth functions to control for long-term time trend, season and other variables. We also controlled for day of the week. Results A gently sloping V-like relationship between total mortality and temperature was found, with an optimum temperature (e.g.temperature with lowest mortality risk) value of 26.7℃ in Shanghai. For temperatures above the optimum value, total mortality increased by 0.73% for each degree Celsius increase; while for temperature below the optimum value, total mortality decreased by 1.21% for each degree Celsius increase. Conclusions Our findings indicate that temperature has an effect on daily mortality in Shanghai, and the time-series approach is a useful tool for studying the temperature-mortality association.     

Stroke in urban and rural areas of China.

A large-scale population survey was conducted to clarify the degree of harm and feature of distribution of stroke in China. 5 800,000 of a billion people were investigated in 29 provinces and cities excluding Taiwan province. The incidence, prevalence and mortality were standardized by direct method using the world standard population. The incidence of stroke was 109.95 per 100,000 people in 1986 and its 95% CI (confidence interval) 107.25-112.65 per 100,000. The age-standardized incidence was 115.87/100,000. The point prevalence of stroke was 245.49 per 100,000 people on December 31, 1986 and its 95% CI 241.57-249.61 per 100,000, with an age-standardized prevalence of 259.86 per 100,000. The mortality of stroke was 76.78 per 100,000 in 1986 and its 95% CI 74.52-79.04 per 100,000, with an age-standardized mortality of 80.94 per 100,000. There was a tendency for the rates to increase gradually from south to north and to decrease progressively from east to west. The models of linear regression were established between latitude and rates as well as between longitude and rates. The incidence, prevalence and mortality of stroke differed significantly in various topographic areas. They were much higher in cities than in rural areas, and much higher in men than in women. The incidence, prevalence and mortality increased with age, and their relationships fitted in Logistic curve well.

     

Cohort Mortality Study in Three Ceramic Factories in Jingdezhen in China

To investigate the health impacts of crystalline silica mixed dust and other potential occupational hazards on workers in ceramic factories, a cohort study of 4851 workers registered in the employment records in 3 ceramic factories in Jingdezhen city of China between 1972 and 1974 was identified. The cohort mortality was traced throughout 2003 with an accumulation of 128970.2 person-years, revealed 1542 deaths. Standardized mortality ratios （SMRs） were calculated for the main causes of death by using Chinese national mortality rates as reference. The mortality from all causes in three ceramic factories was 12.0‰ and the cumulative mortality was 31.8%. Malignant neoplasm, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, infectious diseases were the first four illnesses that threaten workers’ life, and they accounted for 73.2% of all deaths. The results of this study showed that the standardized mortality ratio for all subjects was 1.02, which is very close to that expected on the basis of the China national mortality rates. Statistically significant mortality excesses for respiratory disease （SMR=1.36）, pneumoconiosis （SMR=37.34）, infectious disease （SMR=5.70） and pul- monary tuberculosis （SMR=3.88） were observed. The mortality of 2938 dust-exposed workers was higher than that of 1913 non dust-exposed workers. Except for pneumoconiosis, the mortality from lung cancer, non-malignant respiratory diseases and pulmonary tuberculosis in dust-exposed workers were significantly increased as compared with that in non-exposed workers, and the relative risks （RRs） were 1.86 （1.16–2.99）, 2.50 （1.84–3.40）, 1.81 （1.34–2.45）. The exposure-response relationships between cumulative dust exposure level and mortality from all causes, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, respiratory diseases, and pulmonary tuberculosis were also identified. The findings indicated that silica mixed dust in ceramic factories has harmful impact on the workers’ health and life span in ceramic factory.     

Impact of Cerebrovascular Disease Mortality on Life Expectancy in China

Objective To evaluate the impact of cerebrovascular disease mortality on life expectancy （LE） in China in 2010 compared with 2005, and to identify the high-risk population （age, sex, and region） where cerebrovascular disease mortality has had a major impact on LE. Methods LE and cause-eliminated LE were calculated by using standard life tables which used adjusted mortality data from the Death Surveillance Data Sets in 2005 and 2010 from the National Disease Surveillance System. Decomposition was used to quantitate the impact of cerebrovascular disease in different age groups. Results LE in China was 73.24 years in 2010, which was higher in women and urban residents compared with men and rural residents. The loss of LE caused by cerebrovascular disease mortality was 2.26 years, which was higher in men and rural residents compared with women and urban residents. More than 30% of the loss of LE were attributed to premature death from cerebrovascular disease in people aged 〈65 years. Compared with 2005, LE in 2010 increased by 0.92 years. The reduction of cerebrovascular disease mortality in urban residents contributed 0.45 years to the increase of LE, but the increase of cerebrovascular disease mortality caused a 0.12-year loss of LE in rural residents. Conclusion Cerebrovascular disease mortality had a major impact on LE in China, with a significant difference between urban and rural residents. LE is likely to be further increased by reducing cerebrovascular disease mortality, and special attention should be paid to reducing premature deaths in people aged 〈65 years.     

Burden of Outpatient Visits Attributable to Ambient Temperature in Qingdao,China

Climate change has been referred to as one of the greatest threats to human health, with reports citing likely increases in extreme meteorological events. In this study, we estimated the relationships between temperature and outpatients at a major hospital in Qingdao, China, during 2015–2017, and assessed the morbidity burden. The results showed that both low and high temperatures were associated with an increased risk of outpatient visits. High temperatures were responsible for more morbidity than low temperatures, with an attributed fraction (AF) of 16.86％. Most temperature-related burdens were attributed to moderate cold and hot temperatures, with AFs of 5.99％ and 14.44％, respectively, with the young (0–17) and male showing greater susceptibility. The results suggest that governments should implement intervention measures to reduce the adverse effects of non-optimal temperatures on public health— especially in vulnerable groups.     

Assessing Heat-related Mortality Risks in Beijing, China

ObjectiveTo obtain the exposure-response relationship for temperature and mortality, and assess the risk of heat-related premature death.MethodsA statistical model was developed using a Poisson generalized linear regression model with Beijing mortality and temperature data from October 1st, 2006 to September 30th, 2008. We calculated the exposure-response relationship for temperature and mortality in the central city, and inner suburban and outer suburban regions. Based on this relationship, a health risk model was used to assess the risk of heat-related premature death in the summer (June to August) of 2009.ResultsThe population in the outer suburbs had the highest temperature-related mortality risk. People in the central city had a mid-range risk, while people in the inner suburbs had the lowest risk. Risk assessment predicted that the number of heat-related premature deaths in the summer of 2009 was 1581. The city areas of Chaoyang and Haidian districts had the highest number of premature deaths. The number of premature deaths in the southern areas of Beijing (Fangshan, Fengtai, Daxing, and Tongzhou districts) was in the mid-range.ConclusionAmbient temperature significantly affects human mortality in Beijing. People in the city and outer suburban area have a higher temperature-related mortality risk than people in the inner suburban area. This may be explained by a temperature-related vulnerability.     

温度相关的疾病负担研究进展

气温作为全球性环境危险因素之一,能增加人群发病和死亡风险,造成健康经济损失。评估温度相关疾病负担对于制定及实施适应性政策具有重要意义。论文聚焦近年来全球各国温度相关疾病负担研究,梳理和评价相关研究指标、评估方法与现状,为温度相关疾病负担的评估及预估研究提出建议。     

热板法、醋酸扭体法疼痛模型寒、热属性的初步研究

目的:疼痛模型是否具有寒热属性的探讨.方法:分别采用体温、利血平、肾上腺素、阿托品、优甲乐、不同地板温度为影响因素,观察不同批次小鼠热板法、醋酸扭体法痛阈的相关性.结果:该6个方面对疼痛模型的寒、热属性无明显相关.结论:在本实验条件下,热板法、醋酸扭体法疼痛模型的寒、热属性尚不能确认.     

Study on Hot Property of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata and its Compatibility with Zingiberis Rhizoma Based on Animal Temperature Tropism

Objective To establish an objective method for evaluating the intrinsic characteristics between hot and cold properties of herbal drugs and to study the hot property of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (ALRP) and its compatibility with Zingiberis Rhizoma (ZR) on animal temperature tropism. Methods The equipment with cold/hot pads was used to investigate the variety of temperature tropism among mice treated by ALRP and its compatibility with ZR. Meanwhile, the activities of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), total anti-oxidant capability (T-AOC), and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) were measured. Results Compared with the homologous ALRP group, the compatibility between ALRP and ZR (AZ) had a stronger action against the decreasing of remaining rate on hot pad (P < 0.05), suggesting an enhancement of cold tropism. Meanwhile, the internal indexes of Na+-K+-ATPase activity, Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase activity, and oxygen consuming volume increased significantly (P < 0.05), suggesting an enhancement of energy metabolism. The changes of T-AOC and T-SOD activity suggested that AZ reinforced the anti-oxidative capability of mice. In addition, it could be inferred from cluster analysis that the activity of AZ was concretely stronger than that of homologous ALRP. Conclusion ALRP and ZR are both herbs with hot property, but AZ has an enhanced trend of hot property. This external behavior of cold tropism and the internal activity of energy metabolism and anti-oxidant might reflect the internal hot property in an intuitive and objective way. The changes of ATPase activity of liver tissue might be the mechanism of drug action.     

不同生活环境中小家鼠尾长率差异的比较研究

测定了９个地区１５９只小家鼠的尾长率，发现小家鼠尾长率与其所在地区的年平均气温具有极强的正相关（ｒ＝０．９６），尾长率与气温的回归方程为ｙ＝１．４５ｘ＋６３．７５。处于寒冷、温暖与炎热地区小家鼠的尾长率三者间差异极显著。探讨了小家鼠尾长率变化的机理和我国小家鼠种下分类十分复杂的原因。     

PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO A CHANGING ENV,IRONMENT* (1) SENSATIONS OF HEAT AND MOISTURE

INTRODUCTION Feelings of discomfort may be experienced by persons entering artificially cooled buildings in hot weather. For some years p4st, residents in India, Mal.aya and notably in Shanghai have complained that the cooling of public building,s by means of air-conditioning syst;ems frequently fails to solve the problem of comfort during hot weather. It is a common experience that an acute sense of chilling descri''oed as "cold shock" may be felt on entering an air-conditioned building from the street, whilst on leaving it an overpowering sensation of heat may be encountered.     

老年患者不同证型红外热象舌图温度负荷的变化

目的 :探讨老年不同中医辨证分型的红外热象舌图温度负荷变化。方法 :被测试者分为阴虚证、阳虚证、气滞血瘀证、气血两虚证、湿热证五组。施以冷负荷后 ,红外舌图分析选取七个点温为代表 ,以计算机图像处理系统确定纵横坐标位置 ,对采录的所有红外舌图进行分析、处理。结果 :阴虚组舌尖、舌前两侧点冷负荷前后变化值与正常组比较 P<0 .0 5 ;阳虚组各点冷负荷前后变化值均低于正常组 (除 M点 ) ,且 T点、TL 点、TR点、M点均大于气血两虚组及湿热组 P<0 .0 5 ;气滞血瘀组舌温变化值低于正常 (T点 P<0 .0 5 ) ;气血两虚组各点温变化值均显著低于正常组 (P<0 .0 5～ 0 .0 1)及其他证型组 ;湿热组舌尖、舌前两侧点冷负荷前后变化值与正常组比较 P<0 .0 5 ,且低于阴虚组、阳虚组、气滞血瘀组。结论 :老年不同中医辨证分型的红外热象舌图各有其特征 ,红外热象舌图直观、重复性强 ,可作为中医辨证分型和疗效判断的临床指标