电焊作业对工人血液中必需元素的影响

目的:探讨电焊作业对工人血液中必需元素的影响。方法:以某金属结构厂82名电焊作业工人为接触组,另以不接触毒物的61名非电焊工人为对照组,血锰含量测定采用石墨炉原子吸收法,血中铜、铁、锌、镁、钙含量则采用火焰原子吸收法测定。同时对电焊作业环境空气中的锰浓度、对照组作业场所空气中锰浓度进行采样测定。结果:血锰,接触组为42173±21163μg/L,明显高于对照组(29197±17162μg/L,P<0101);血锌,接触组和对照组分别为9102±3147mg/L和12172±3189mg/L,两者差异有显著性(P<0105);血镁,接触组和对照组分别为47199±9186mg/L和35182±15108mg/L,两者差异有显著性(P<0105);两组间血铜、血铁和血钙含量差异均无显著性(P>0105)。结论:电焊作业可能导致工人血锰含量增加,同时还可引起血锌含量下降,血镁含量升高。     

噪声和锰接触对职业人群神经行为功能影响的研究

目的 探讨噪声与锰作业对工人神经行为功能的影响.方法 应用计算机神经行为评价系统(NES-C3)对87名噪声与锰联舍接触组、85名单纯噪声组和55名对照组工人进行测试,并对工作场所的噪声水平与空气锰浓度进行检测.结果 噪声和锰接触组工人在符号译码、视简单反应时、复杂反应时目标追踪和情感表达中的紧张、愤怒、疲惫、忧郁的测试结果与噪声接触组比较差异有显著性(P＜0.05),但血锰浓度、工龄与神经行为之间无明显相关关系.结论 噪声与锰对神经行为功能的联合作用效应比单一噪声所致的损害严重.     

电焊作业对工人血清去甲肾上腺素含量和乙酰胆碱酯酶活性的影响

以某金属结构厂65名电焊作业工人为接触组,另以不接触毒物的49名非电焊工人为对照组,采用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)测定血清去甲肾上腺素(NE)含量,用比色法测定血清乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)活性。同时检测受试者血锰浓度。结果接触组NE含量为(266.69±211.63)pg/ml,明显高于对照组〔(164.68±130.45)pg/ml〕(P<0.01);接触组AChE活性为(72.35±13.61)U/ml,明显高于对照组〔(60.50±13.00)U/ml〕(P<0.01),接触组血锰为(0.778±0.389)μmol/L,明显高于对照组〔(0.546±0.321)μmol/L〕(P<0.01)。提示电焊作业可导致工人血锰浓度增加,同时引起血清NE含量和AChE活性升高。     

锰电焊对作业工人血SOD、MDA影响的研究

对37名锰电焊作业工人血超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和脂质过氧化产物一丙二醛(LPO-MDA)进行研究.结果表明锰电焊作业工人SOD活性减低,MDA浓度升高,其均值分别为483.65±146.83u/gHb和5.40±1.74μmol/ml,与对照组比较降低了24.06%,升高了76.47%,均有明显差异(P＜0.05);工龄分层研究显示,随接锰作业工龄的延长,接锰组的尿锰水平和MDA均有升高的趋势,而SOD活性有下降趋势.     

丙烯腈作业人群的神经行为特征研究

目的评价丙烯腈对职业人群神经行为功能的影响、效应特征及其可能的影响因素.方法选取石化公司职业接触丙烯腈的作业工人175名作为接触组(其中低浓度组81人、中浓度组94人),另根据接触组的年龄、性别和文化程度从不接触任何毒物的人群中选取174人作为对照组,采用WHO神经行为核心测试组合综合评价神经行为功能.结果低、中浓度接触组的消极情感状态得分高于对照组,但中浓度组得分却较低浓度组有所降低,差异有显著性(P＜0,05);低、中两组的数字跨度测试倒序得分(6.16±2.36、5.90±2.38)明显低于对照组(7.84±2.22),差异有显著性(P＜0.01);低、中接触组目标追踪Ⅱ测试中总打点数(227.65±43.00、238.23±44.58)和正确打点数(223.86±40.28、231.67±42 03)低于对照组(265.97±57.13、259.60±54.15),差异有显著性(P＜0.01).对低浓度组和中浓度组进行工龄分层分析提示,短期记忆损害具有明显的工龄效应关系.结论长期接触丙烯腈对作业工人神经行为功能的影响主要表现为消极情绪增加,短期记忆能力下降以及手部运动速度减慢,且短期记忆影响和心理运动能力改变具有明显接触工龄效应关系.     

接锰工人计算机神经行为测试探讨

目的通过使用中文版计算机神经行为评价系统(NES-C3)项目的测试,探讨锰对职业接触工人神经行为的影响.方法以100名接锰工人和26名非接锰工人为测试对象,然后选取11个行为测试项目进行测试.将接锰工人按累积暴露指数(CEI)大小分为低暴露组(CRI＜5)与高暴露组(CEI≥5),每名工人由专业人员单独测试.结果暴露组工人的行为如情绪、符号译码、视简单反应时、目标追踪得分,与对照组相比已有明显改变(P＜0.05).相关分析发现神经行为功能改变与锰累积暴露剂量之间存在剂量效应关系.结论长期接触锰可引起职业接触工人情感状态、心理运动能力、手眼协调能力的改变.计算机神经行为测试可作为一种检测职业接锰工人神经系统亚临床损害的较理想的方法.     

锰对作业工人血清一氧化氮合酶活力的影响

目的探讨锰对作业工人血清中一氧化氮合酶(NOS)活力的影响.方法以某冶炼厂43名锰作业工人为接触组,另以30名非接锰者为对照组,采用NOS催化L-精氨酸法测定血清NOS活力;血锰测定采用石墨炉原子吸收法,血铜、铁、锌和工作场所空气中锰浓度的测定采用火焰原子吸收法.结果锰接触组NOS活力为(28.09±4.81)×103单位/L,显著低于对照组的(31.04±4.53)×103单位/L(P＜0.05),且接触组血清NOS活力与血锰值有一定的直线相关关系(r=-0.358,P＜0.05);接触组血锰为(1.05±0.87)μmol/L,高于对照组(0.71±0.47)μmol/L(P＜0.01);接触组和对照组血锌分别为(83.59±16.85)和(92.91±21.89)μmol/L,两组差异有显著性(P＜0.05);但两组间血铜和血铁含量差异均无显著性(P＞0.05).结论接触锰可能导致作业工人血锰含量增加,引起血清NOS活力降低;同时还可引起血锌含量下降.     

电焊作业对工人血清一氧化氮合酶活力的影响

目的探讨电焊作业对工人血清中一氧化氮合酶(NOS)活力的影响,进一步了解电焊作业对工人健康损害的机制,为保护电焊作业工人身体健康提供理论依据。方法以某金属结构厂54名电焊作业工人为接触组,不接触毒物的59名非电焊工人为对照组,采用NOS催化L-Arg法测定血清中NOS活力;血锰含量测定采用石墨炉原子吸收法,血中铜、铁、锌、镁、钙含量测定采用火焰原子吸收法。结果接触组工人血清中总NOS活力为(27.88±7.49)U/ml,低于对照组(30.48±4.69)U/ml,差异有显著性(P<0.05),且接触组工人血清中诱导型NOS(iNOS)活力为(16.18±6.70)U/ml,亦低于对照组(19.71±4.26)U/ml,差异有显著性(P<0.05);血锰接触组为(42.73±21.63)μg/L,明显高于对照组(29.97±17.62)μg/L,差异有显著性(P<0.01);血锌接触组和对照组分别为(9.02±3.47)mg/L和(12.72±3.89)mg/L,两组间差异有显著性(P<0.05);接触组和对照组血镁分别为(47.99±9.86)mg/L和(35.82±15.08)mg/L,两组间差异有显著性(P<0.05);两组间血铜、血铁和血钙含量比较,差异均无显著性(P>0.05)。结论电焊作业可能导致工人血锰含量增加,而引起血清NOS活力降低;同时还可使血锌含量下降和血镁含量升高。     

低浓度锰对作业工人神经行为功能的影响

本文对71名接触低浓度锰作业工人进行了神经行为功能测试。结果表明,接触组工人的情感、听记忆、手工操作敏捷度、视感知/记忆和运动稳定性等测验得分均明显低于对照组。提示长期接触低浓度锰可能对工人的神经行为功能产生损害。     

接触铅对男工尿睾丸酮含量的影响

为评价铅接触对雄性激素的影响,选取不同铅浓度作业岗位男工54名,以放射免疫法测定其尿睾丸酮。结果表明,高铅浓度作业岗位,高血锌卟啉组工人尿睾丸酮含量为0.38±0.15、0.31±0.10nmol/μg肌酐,明显低于低铅浓度,低锌卟啉组工人的0.54±0.25nmol/μg肌酐(P<0.05),尿睾丸酮含量与作业工种有一定相关倾向(P<0.05)。提示:男工接触铅后可影响睾丸酮的代谢。     

Calcium intake in the elderly: validation of a dietary questionnaire

Epidemiological studies of calcium and osteoporosis have been hampered by the lack of a suitable tool for assessing calcium intake. This report describes a new frequency and amount questionnaire for measuring present and past calcium intake in the elderly. The validity of the questionnaire was tested against two commonly used standards of dietary assessment, five-day duplicate diets and seven-day weighed dietary inventories. The resulting correlation coefficients were, respectively, r = 0.76 and r = 0.69, while that for repeatability was r = 0.84. Furthermore, the questionnaire categorized subjects into thirds of the distribution of intake with almost no gross misclassification. It is suggested that the present findings may be extended to the majority of normal, healthy elderly subjects, implying wide application for the questionnaire in the assessment of calcium intake in the elderly.     

The occurrence of antimicrobial substances in toilet,sink and shower drainpipes of clinical units: A neglected source of antibiotic residues

Antibiotics represent one of the most important drug groups used in the management of bacterial infections in humans and animals. Due to the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance, assurance of the antibacterial effectiveness of these substances has moved into the focus of public health. The reduction in antibiotic residues in wastewater and the environment may play a decisive role in the development of increasing rates of antibiotic resistance. The present study examines the wastewater of 31 patient rooms of various German clinics for possible residues of antibiotics, as well as the wastewater of five private households as a reference.To the best of our knowledge, this study shows for the first time that in hospitals with high antibiotic consumption rates, residues of these drugs can be regularly detected in toilets, sink siphons and shower drains at concentrations ranging from 0.02?μg·L^?1 to a maximum of 79?mg·L^?1. After complete flushing of the wastewater siphons, antibiotics are no longer detectable, but after temporal stagnation, the concentration of the active substances in the water phases of respective siphons increases again, suggesting that antibiotics persist through the washing process in biofilms. This study demonstrates that clinical wastewater systems offer further possibilities for the optimization of antibiotic resistance surveillance.     

Self-reported health problems among Swedish miners one year after unemployment

Unemployment is considered to be a public health concern sincedeterioration in the health of the unemployed is often anticipated.However, for some groups, such as miners, unemployment mightimprove health due to a cessation of potentially harmful occupationalexposures. This study evaluates the health of 79 miners in oneSwedish iron-ore mine, and 226 age-matched controls from thegeneral population, during one year after the closure of themine. The participants received a questionnaire regarding medicalhistory and subjective symptoms at the beginning of the studyperiod, and after one year. Statistically significant negativeeffects on self-reported health attributable to unemploymentwere not found, although neuropsychiatric symptoms were morecommon among the unemployed miners. The miners reported a statisticallysignificant improvement in grip force (p=0.031). They had asignificantly higher prevalence of symptoms associated withmining related exposures when compared with the population controls;pain in the upper extremities [relative risk (RR)=2.27, 95%confidence interval (Cl)=1.44–3.59), back pain (RR=1.84;Cl=1.237–2.75), vasospastic disease of the fingers (RR=2.05;Cl=1.18–3.57) and obstructive respiratory symptoms (attacksof dyspnea and wheezing: RR=3.67; Cl=1.167–11.6).     

Excès de cas humains et animaux de tularémie en France au cours de l’hiver 2007–2008 : émergence ou phénomène isolé ?

Context

Tularemia is a zoonosis affecting humans and hares in France. We describe the results of surveillance in both species, in 2007 and 2008.

Methods

Human tularemia cases are mandatorily notifiable in France since 2003. In hares, surveillance relies on volunteer hunter associations in all districts of the country. Data from mandatory reports and volunteer surveillance in 2007/2008 were analyzed and compared with previous results.

Results

In 2007/2008, 144 cases were reported in humans and 117 cases in hares. This was a 100% increase compared to previous years. Human cases differed from those of previous years only by the frequency of contact with breeding animals. Human cases without any documented risk exposure were also more frequent.

Conclusion

An increase of tularemia cases occurred in 2007/2008 in both species. Complementary studies are needed to identify the species reservoir in France to understand the causes of this peak of cases.     

深圳公立医院管理体制改革制度设计

深圳公立医院管理体制改革实行政事分开、管办分开,在理事会架构下按法定机构模式组建市医管中心,落实公立医院运营管理自主权.作者从当前公立医院管理体制的弊端入手,介绍了深圳市进行公立医院管理体制改革的基本思路及改革方案设计的主要举措,深入剖析了的改革方案的特点,并对改革效果进行了预测.     

Occupational health hazards in mining: an overview

This review article outlines the physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychosocial occupational health hazards of mining and associated metallurgical processes. Mining remains an important industrial sector in many parts of the world and although substantial progress has been made in the control of occupational health hazards, there remains room for further risk reduction. This applies particularly to traumatic injury hazards, ergonomic hazards and noise. Vigilance is also required to ensure exposures to coal dust and crystalline silica remain effectively controlled.     

Manufacture and use of nanomaterials: current status in the UK and global trends

This paper provides an overview of the production and use of nanomaterials (NMs), particularly in the UK. Currently, relatively few companies in the UK are identifiable as NM manufacturers, the main emphasis being the bulk markets in metals and metal oxides, and some niche markets such as carbon nanotubes and quantum dots. NM manufacturing in the UK does not reflect the global emphasis on fullerenes, nanotubes and fibres. Some assumptions have been made about the types of NM that are likely to be imported into the UK, which currently include fullerenes, modified fullerenes and other carbon-based NMs including nanotubes. Many university departments, spin-offs and private companies have developed processes for the manufacture of NMs but may only be producing small quantities for research and development (R&D) purposes. However, some have the potential to scale up to produce large quantities. The nanotechnology industry in the UK has strong R&D backup from universities and related institutions. This review has covered R&D trends at such institutions, and appropriate information has been added to a searchable database. While several companies are including NMs in their products, only a few (e.g. manufacturers of paints, coatings, cosmetics, catalysts, polymer composites) are using nanoparticles (NPs) in any significant quantities. However, this situation is likely to change rapidly. There is a need to collect more information about exposure to NPs in both manufacturing and user scenarios. As the market grows, and as manufacturers switch from the micro- to the nanoscale, the potential for exposure will increase. More research is required to quantify any risks to workers and consumers.     

Effects of nitrogen dioxide on red blood cells of rats: Changes in components of red cell membranes during in vivo exposure to NO2

Red cell membranes, prepared from red blood cells of rats exposed to 4, 10, or 20 ppm nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) for 1 to 10 days, were examined for evidence of changes in membrane components. Appreciable changes were not found in contents of phospholipid and cholesterol during exposure to 10 ppm NO₂. By contrast, protein content altered with the time of exposure. Moreover, changes in protein composition were observed by employing sodium dodecyl sulfate — polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Twenty-four-hour exposure to NO₂ at the concentration above 10 ppm resulted in a marked increase in the percentage of lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LysoPE) to the total phospholipids. The prolonged exposure to 10 ppm NO₂ gave rise to a further increase in LysoPE, whereas the percentage of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) showed a gradual decrease. A 1-day exposure to 4.0 ppm NO₂ also caused an increase in sialic acid content and decreases in those of PE and hexose. In addition to contents of these components the percentage of LysoPE increased 5 days after exposure and the elevated values were maintained up to the end of exposure period. These results demonstrate that red blood cells in circulation exhibit different membrane properties in terms of lipid and carbohydrate composition during 10 days of exposure to 4.0 ppm NO₂.     

Investigating clusters in the workplace and beyond

Clusters of disease are common and occur in the workplace and in the general community. They often arouse considerable concern among the population. Investigations have sometimes lead to exciting new knowledge, but in general the investigation of clusters is difficult and often unrewarding, especially for community clusters. In the workplace, investigations are more likely to find associations and even new causes, but still many clusters remain enigmatic. Despite this, there are many reasons for investigating clusters, including allaying community concern and identifying uncontrolled exposures. A structure for investigating clusters in the workplace is suggested.