Out-patient visits for gastrointestinal cancer at a quaternary South African hospital-trends and geospatial distribution

BackgroundThis study sought to determine trends in out-patient visits for gastrointestinal cancer (GC) at a quaternary hospital in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa; and identify geographical regions which contribute most to GC-related out-patient clinic utilization at this hospital.MethodData for GC-related outpatient visits over an 11-year period was obtained from the hospital''s administrative database. Trends were analyzed using simple regression and trend line analyses. Patient residential postal codes from the administrative database were used to determine the geospatial distribution of complex GC in KZN.ResultsStrong increasing trends in GC-related out-patient visits were noted for age >65 years old (R²=0.8014), male (R²=0.7020), female (R²=0.7292), lower GC (R²=0.7094), and rural residence (R²=0.7008). Moderate increasing trends in GC-related out-patient visits were noted for age ≤65 years old (R²=0.6556), upper GC (R²=0.6498), and urban residence (R²=0.6988). The magnitude at which the number of out-patient visits increased was greater for urban residence when compared with rural residence (p=0.006). Urban centers and some regions along the North and South coast of KZN contributed the most toward GC-related out-patient visits.ConclusionOut-patient visits for complex GC in KZN are increasing. Several regions have been identified for anti-cancer interventions and decentralized out-patient services.     

Effect of PAHs on Routine Blood and Immunoglobulin Indices of Residents Living in Areas Polluted by Coking

正Incomplete combustion of bituminous coal will produce a large number of coke oven emissions(COEs). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)account for the largest proportion of these COEs.PAHs enter the human body mainly through the respiratory tract, digestive tract, and skin~([1]),becoming hydroxyl PAHs(OH-PAHs) following their metabolism by the human body and are ultimately excreted mainly in urine. OH-PAHs in urine can effectively reflect the internal exposure to PAHs and     

Practical Solutions for Pesticide Safety: A Farm and Research Team Participatory Model

Development of the Practical Solutions for Pesticide Safety guide used participatory research strategies to identify and evaluate solutions that reduce pesticide exposures for workers and their families and to disseminate these solutions. Project principles were (1) workplace chemicals belong in the workplace, and (2) pesticide handlers and farm managers are experts, with direct knowledge of production practices. The project’s participatory methods were grounded in self-determination theory. Practical solutions were identified and evaluated based on five criteria: practicality, adaptability, health and safety, novelty, and regulatory compliance. Research activities that had more personal contact provided better outcomes. The Expert Working Group, composed of farm managers and pesticide handlers, was key to the identification of solutions, as were farm site visits. Audience participation, hands-on testing, and orchard field trials were particularly effective in the evaluation of potential solutions. Small work groups in a Regional Advisory Committee provided the best direction and guidance for a “user-friendly” translational document that provided evidence-based practical solutions. The “farmer to farmer” format of the guide was endorsed by both the Expert Working Group and the Regional Advisory Committee. Managers and pesticide handlers wanted to share their solutions in order to “help others stay safe,” and they appreciated attribution in the guide. The guide is now being used in educational programs across the region. The fundamental concept that farmers and farmworkers are innovators and experts in agricultural production was affirmed by this study. The success of this process demonstrates the value of participatory industrial hygiene in agriculture.     

Dietary n-3 long chain PUFA supplementation promotes a pro-resolving oxylipin profile in the brain

The brain is highly enriched in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) that display immunomodulatory properties in the brain. At the periphery, the modulation of inflammation by LC-PUFAs occurs through lipid mediators called oxylipins which have anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving activities when derived from n-3 LC-PUFAs and pro-inflammatory activities when derived from n-6 LC-PUFAs. However, whether a diet rich in LC-PUFAs modulates oxylipins and neuroinflammation in the brain has been poorly investigated. In this study, the effect of a dietary n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation on oxylipin profile and neuroinflammation in the brain was analyzed. Mice were given diets deficient or supplemented in n-3 LC-PUFAs for a 2-month period starting at post-natal day 21, followed by a peripheral administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at adulthood. We first showed that dietary n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation induced n-3 LC-PUFA enrichment in the hippocampus and subsequently an increase in n-3 PUFA-derived oxylipins and a decrease in n-6 PUFA-derived oxylipins. In response to LPS, n-3 LC-PUFA deficient mice presented a pro-inflammatory oxylipin profile whereas n-3 LC-PUFA supplemented mice displayed an anti-inflammatory oxylipin profile in the hippocampus. Accordingly, the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase, the enzymes implicated in pro- and anti-inflammatory oxylipin synthesis, was induced by LPS in both diets. In addition, LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine increase was reduced by dietary n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation. These results indicate that brain n-3 LC-PUFAs increase by dietary means and promote the synthesis of anti-inflammatory derived bioactive oxylipins. As neuroinflammation plays a key role in all brain injuries and many neurodegenerative disorders, the present data suggest that dietary habits may be an important regulator of brain cytokine production in these contexts.