Residential radon and COPD. An ecological study in Galicia,Spain

Purpose: Radon is a human lung carcinogen but it might be linked with other respiratory diseases. We aimed to assess the relationship between residential radon exposure and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) prevalence and hospital admissions at a municipal level.

Materials and methods: We designed an ecological study where we included those municipalities with at least three radon measurements. Using mixed Poisson regression models, we calculated the relative risk (RR) for COPD for each 100?Bq/m³ of increase in radon concentration and also the relative risk for COPD using a cut-off point of 50?Bq/m³. We did not have individual data on cigarette smoking and therefore we used a proxy (bladder cancer standardized mortality rate) that has proved to account for tobacco consumption. We performed separate analyses for sex and also sensitivity analysis considering age and rurality.

Results: A total of 3040 radon measurements and 49,393 COPD cases were included. The relative risk for COPD prevalence was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92–0.97) while for hospital admissions the RR was 1.04 (95% CI: 1.00–1.10) for each 100?Bq/m³. Relative risks were higher for women compared to men. Using a categorical analysis with a cut-off point of 50?Bq/m³, the RR for COPD prevalence was 1.06 (95% CI: 1.02–1.10) and for hospital admissions it was 1.08 (95% CI: 1.00–1.17) for women living in municipalities with more than 50?Bq/m³. All risks were also higher for women. No relevant differences were observed for age, rurality or other categories for radon exposure.

Conclusion: While the influence of radon on COPD prevalence is unclear depending on the approach used, it seems that residential radon might increase the risk of hospital admissions in COPD patients. Women have a higher risk than men in all situations. Since this is an ecological study, results should be interpreted cautiously.     

浙贝母品质现状及中药材生态适宜性的研究进展

当今社会人们对中医中药越来越重视,中药材的品质直接决定疗效的好坏,由于中药材生产种植缺乏对科学的理论指导、药材产地的区划研究不够全面等原因,导致中药材无论是品质、产量还是价格都一路走低。而这样的情况不但导致了高品质药材供不应求的市场现状,也给以药材种植为经济支持的地区和人民带来直接的影响。该文通过对浙贝母药材的品质研究发现,不同产地的浙贝母存在良莠不齐、品种老化、质量差距大等问题,而生态环境对药材的质量与产量有着重大影响,将很大程度上影响药材的质与量。为解决高品质药材生产问题,查阅多方文献发现生态适宜性研究方法是找出中药材品质与环境生态因素之间的关系较好的方法之一,在浙贝母药材全国产地适宜性区域划分、道地产区的确立和药材种植适宜新产区的发现中发挥着重要作用。本文对浙贝母药材的资源现状、质量评价和其生态适应性研究的技术方法进行了综述,为浙贝母药材药资源保护与综合利用、生产等提供了新的思路与方法,有助于解决现阶段以浙贝母药材为代表的中药材产区退化、品质下降、产量减少等问题。     

林下仿生态种植金线莲的质量标准研究

目的对林下仿生态种植金线莲的质量标准进行研究。方法建立林下仿生态种植金线莲的性状、显微特征、薄层鉴别及含量测定方法,并按《中国药典》2015年版有关规定对水分、灰分和酸不溶性灰分等项目进行了测定。结果林下仿生态种植金线莲在性状、显微特征和薄层色谱方面均具有专属性特征,经测定5个基地的金线莲水分平均为8.69%,总灰分平均为11.93%,酸不溶性成分平均为3.27%;含量测定结果槲皮素平均质量分数为0.021 0%,异鼠李素平均质量分数为0.024 7%,山柰素平均质量分数为0.027 3%。结论上述方法简便、专属性好,重现性好,可为林下仿生态种植金线莲质量标准的制定提供依据。     

影响白术挥发油积累因素的研究进展

菊科苍术属白术Atractylodes macrocephala的干燥根茎为白术的药用部位,是常用的传统中药,具有健脾、美容等功效。挥发油是白术的主要药用成分,其中主要含有倍半萜类化合物,具有明显的抗肿瘤作用。近年来,白术的市场需求量逐渐增加,然而其质量却参差不齐。对白术次级代谢产物挥发油中倍半萜的生物合成和转化途径进行综述,并从遗传和生态角度总结了影响白术挥发油积累的主要因素,以期为研究白术倍半萜的合成和转化途径提供参考,为提高白术挥发油的产量和品质提供帮助。     

How do assessments of activities of daily living address executive functions: A scoping review

ABSTRACT

Executive functions (EF) allow persons to adapt to situations arising in daily life and can be affected following acquired brain injury (ABI). Measuring the impact of EF impairments on the accomplishment of activities of daily living (ADL) requires specific assessment tools, but choosing the right tool may be difficult.

Purpose: To conduct a scoping review on how assessments of ADL address EF and EF impairments in persons with ABI.

Method: A scoping review of literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) published until August 2014 was conducted. Using a systematic procedure, literature was selected, results were charted, and tools were analysed with respect to their goals, underlying models, psychometric properties and applicability. The analysis also included how tools considered components of EF according to Lezak’s model.

Results: 12 tools, developed either to assess EF in ADL, independence in ADL considering EF or ADL capacities, were identified and analysed according to multiple criteria.

Conclusions: This review provides important information about existing tools to assist in tool selection and clinical decision-making related to ABI and EF.     

发育性协调障碍儿童动作能力干预研究系统评价

目的 探讨不同干预方法对发育性协调障碍(DCD)儿童动作能力的影响,为DCD儿童干预方案的选择提供理论依据。方法 搜集1995年1月-2015年3月关于针对改善DCD儿童动作能力的中英文干预研究,并对文献进行筛选、资料提取分析、文献质量评价、结果讨论和结论报告。41篇文献最终被纳入系统评价,本文将纳入文献中提及的干预方式分为“以任务为导向”的方法、“以过程为导向”的方法和药物治疗3类,并采用PEDro量表和牛津中心证据水平评价纳入文献的质量,进而对每类方法的治疗效果进行评价。结果 PEDro量表文献质量评价平均得分为6.3,为中等水平;采用牛津中心证据水平对文献质量评价,证据水平均在中等(Ⅱb)及以上。不同类型干预方式对DCD儿童动作能力改善程度为:“以任务为导向”的方法对DCD儿童动作能力的提高最有效,其效果高于“以过程为导向”的方法。药物治疗对DCD和ADHD共病儿童具有一定的疗效。结论 以“任务为导向”的DCD儿童动作能力发展干预方法优于以“过程为导向”的方法,药物治疗对DCD和ADHD共病儿童有较好的干预。     

Perceived stress mediates the relationship between mindfulness and negative affect variability: A randomized controlled trial among middle‐aged to older adults

Despite the interest in mindfulness over the past 20 years, studies have only recently begun to examine mindfulness in older adults. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate pretreatment to post‐treatment change in negative affect variability (NAV) following a mindfulness training among 134 mildly stressed, middle‐aged to older adults. The secondary aim was to assess if the effects of mindfulness training on NAV would be partially explained by pretreatment to post‐treatment reductions in perceived stress, a trend that would be congruent with several stress models. In this randomized control trial, participants were assigned to either a 6‐week mindfulness meditation training programme or to a wait list control. Ecological momentary assessment, a data capturing technique that queries about present moment experiences in real time, captured NAV. Mixed‐model ANOVAs and a path analysis were conducted. Participants in the mindfulness meditation training significantly reduced NAV when compared with wait list control participants. Further, there was a significant indirect group effect on reductions in NAV through change in perceived stress. Few studies have tested mechanisms of action, which connect changes that occur during mindfulness training with psychological outcomes in older adults. Understanding the mechanisms by which mindfulness enhances well‐being may optimize interventions.     

Spatial distribution and spread potential of sixteen Leptospira serovars in a subtropical region of Brazil

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that represents a major problem in animal and public health due to its high prevalence and widespread distribution. This zoonotic disease is most prevalent in tropical environments where conditions favour pathogen survival. The ecological preferences of Leptospira serovars are poorly understood, limiting our knowledge of where and when outbreaks can occur, which may result in misinformed prevention and control plans. While the disease can occur consistently in time and space in tropical regions, research on the ecology of leptospirosis remains limited in subtropical regions. This research gap regarding Leptospira ecology brings public and veterinary health problems, impacting local economies. To fill this gap of knowledge, we suggest to assess geographic and ecological features among Leptospira serovars in a subtropical area of Brazil where leptospirosis is endemic to (a) highlight environmental conditions that facilitate or limit Leptospira spread and survival and (b) reconstruct its geographic distribution. An ecological niche modelling framework was used to characterize and compare Leptospira serovars in both geographic and environmental space. Our results show that despite the geographic overlap exhibited by the different serovars assessed, we found ecological divergence among their occupied ecological niches. Ecological divergences were expressed as ranges of potential distributions and environmental conditions found suitably by serovar, Sejroe being the most asymmetric (<0.15). Most important predictors for the potential distribution of most serovars were soil pH (31.7%) and landscape temperature (24.2%). Identification of environmental preferences will allow epidemiologists to better infer the presence of a serovar based on the environmental characteristics of regions rather than inferences based solely on historical epidemiological records. Including geographic and ecological ranges of serovars also may help to forecast transmission potential of Leptospira in public health and the food animal practice.     

应用二分类Logistic回归筛选重度阴道炎症反应的危险因素

目的:筛选阴道微生态评价检测系统中重度阴道炎症反应的危险因素。方法:收集4019例患者的阴道微生态评价检测及诊断结果,采用二分类Logistic回归统计分析。结果:重度阴道炎症反应最重要的危险因素为需氧菌性阴道炎(B=1.055,P=0.000,OR=2.873);其次为乳酸杆菌功能(B=1.044,P=0.000,OR=2.841)、菌群多样性(B=0.871,P=0.000,OR=2.390)、滴虫阴道炎(B=0.462,P=0.000,OR=1.588)及年龄(B=0.233,P=0.014,OR=1.263)。结论:重度阴道炎症反应主要危险因素包括需氧菌性阴道炎、乳酸杆菌功能、菌群多样性、滴虫阴道炎及年龄。     

人颊黏膜微生物群落年龄相关性演替研究

目的 初步探讨健康人群颊黏膜菌群组成在不同年龄及牙列阶段的动态演替过程。方法 25例健康受试者根据年龄及牙列情况分为5组：乳牙列组、混合牙列组、青少年组、青年组及老年组;分别提取各样本的细菌总DNA进行聚合酶链式反应,采用Quantity One软件对扩增产物的变性梯度凝胶电泳（DGGE）指纹图谱进行生物信息学分析。结果 1）颊黏膜菌群的组成具有个体差异性。2）乳牙列组、混合牙列组、青少年组、青年组及老年组DGGE指纹图谱的平均条带数分别为21.2±4.0、17.8±3.9、15.8±4.3、16.8±3.7、22.2±6.5,各组间的差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）,提示颊黏膜优势菌群的数量在各个年龄阶段保持相对稳定。3）5组的Shannon指数分别为1.73±0.2、1.43±0.1、1.05±0.2、1.45±0.2和1.63±0.3,各组间的差异有统计学意义（P=0.003）;提示颊黏膜微生物的多样性在儿童至青少年阶段呈下降趋势,在青年至老年阶段呈上升趋势。4）群落结构相似性聚类分析发现：同组内大部分样本聚类位置相近,群落结构表现出较高的相似性;不同组的大部分样本未聚类在一起,群落结构呈现出一定的差异性。结论 不同年龄组健康人群的颊黏膜微生物群落组成存在差异,青少年期可能是颊黏膜微生物多样性改变的重要转折点。