Coliphage association with coliform indicators: A case study in Chile

This paper summarizes the results obtained from an International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada, funded study to evaluate the potential of using coliphage as an indicator of water quality. Raw water sample data indicated that the A-1 test combined with the coliphage test would make an excellent screening program for health hazards in these waters. The superiority of the Presence/Absence test for detecting microbial health hazards in potable water was readily shown, while the H₂S paper strip technique was found to be equally efficient for testing potable waters as traditional coliform water quality indicators.     

Coliphage association with coliform indicators: A case study—Brazil

Many microbiological tests are currently available for evaluating the suitability of water resources for human use. Cost, speed, simplicity, and the ability of the test to detect microbial contamination are some of the key factors involved in selecting the appropriate test. The performance of the test often depends on the nature of the tested water and hence it is necessary to evaluate the test under local conditions. This paper compares the performance of several microbiological tests on Brazilian waters. These tests include traditional coliform tests, and the presence/absence and coliphage tests.     

胸腺肽致中枢神经系统脱髓鞘病2例

2003 年非典型肺炎的防 治中,胸腺肽 被用于预防性 注射,本 文报道 2 例 注射 胸腺 肽后 发生中 枢神经系统脱髓鞘病的病例。 例 1 女,33 岁。主因睡眠增多、语无伦次 5 d,于2003 年 5 月 15 日 入院。患 者为预防 SARS 于入院前 第 21、19、17、16、15 天 每 日 肌 注 胸 腺 肽 20 mg ,5d前睡眠增多,4 前语无伦次,问答不切题 ,对刚发 d生事 情回 答“ 不知 道 ”,不接 电 话,反 复重 复“ 我在开门开不开”,自诉眼痛,眼科检查未见异常。3 d 前来急诊头颅 CT 未见异常,给 予抗病毒和支持治疗。1 d 前出现尿失禁,查脑脊 液压力正常,白…     

茶素胶囊致肝损害4例

2001年10月～2002年10月,我院共收治了4例因服用减肥药物茶素胶囊而引起药物性肝损害的患者。现报道如下。1病历报告1.1一般情况本组共4例,均为女性。年龄为30岁～50岁,有磺胺类药物过敏史者1例,住院时间最短25d,最长97d。详见表1。表14例患者一般情况1.2肝损害的潜伏期及临床表现4例患者用药后2～6周出现肝损害,其临床表现以尿黄为主,乏力及消化道症状较轻,详见表2。1.3实验室及辅助检查情况见表3。1.4诊断经过4例患者中,有3例在门诊均被误诊为病毒性肝炎,收入病房后经详细询问病史,发现有服药史,且消化道症状较轻,故考虑有药物性肝损害的…     

维生素K1注射液致发热2例的原因分析

例1女,25岁。因慢性肾炎,于2003年10月20日入院。住院诊断:慢性肾炎,轻度系膜增生性肾小球肾病,既往无药物过敏史。入院查体:T36.5℃,P80次/min,BP115/80mmHg(1mmHg=0.133kPa),查体无阳性体征。实验室检查:WBC5.2×109/L,N0.54,Hb104g/L,PLT209×109/L,尿蛋白定量153mg/24h,胸透未见异常。为进一步明确诊断,于入院后第5天在B超引导下行“肾穿刺活检术”。手术顺利,术后常规臀部肌内注射维生素K1注射液10mg,2次/d。术后第2天,患者出现发热、寒战,体温39.2℃,双侧臀部注射部位皮肤发红、痛痒、片状红斑,其中最大面积约为(5.0×6.0)cm…     

保妇康栓致寒战、发热3例

例1女,53岁。主因间断寒战,发热4d,于2004年5月24日来我院门诊就诊。自2004年5月20日起,每天凌晨2时许开始寒战,0.5h后发热,体温达39℃以上,3h后体温逐渐降至正常,无其它伴随症状,查体:一般情况好,巩膜无黄染,咽部未见异常,浅表淋巴结不肿大,心肺听诊(-),腹平软,无压痛,未及包块,肝脾肋下未及。实验室检查:血常规:WBC9.5×109/L,N0.76,L0.24,未查到疟原虫。尿常规、胸片、血生化27项、免疫7项检查均无异常。追问病史,发现患者因老年性阴道炎,自5月19日开始每晚10时许阴道用保妇康栓1枚,故考虑患者的寒战发热可能为保妇康栓所致,嘱停用保…     

Metabolomics as read-across tool: A case study with phenoxy herbicides

New technologies, such as metabolomics, can address chemical grouping and read across from a biological perspective. In a virtual case study, we selected MCPP as target substance and MCPA and 2,4-DP as source substances with the goal to waive a 90-day study with MCPP. In order to develop a convincing case to show how biological data can substantiate read across, we used metabolomics on blood samples from the 28-day studies to show the qualitative and quantitative similarity of the substances. The 28-day metabolome evaluation of source substances and the target substance indicate liver and kidneys as target organs. 2,4-DP was identified as the best source substance. Using the information of the 90-day 2,4-DP study, we predicted MCPP's toxicity profile at 2500 ppm: reduced food consumption and body weight gain, liver and kidney weight increases with clinical-pathology changes and a moderate red blood cell parameter reduction. NOEL prediction for MCPP was below that of 2,4-DP (<500 ppm), and similar to that of MCPA (≥150 ppm). Qualitatively, these predictions are comparable to the results of the real MCPP 90-day study in rats (reduced food consumption and body weight gain, weight increases and clinical-pathology changes in liver and kidneys, reduced red blood cells values). Quantitatively, the predicted NOAEL (150 ppm) is similar to the actual study (NOEL = 75 ppm, NOAEL ≤ 500 ppm). Thus, the 90-day rat toxicity study of MCPP could have been waived and substituted by the 90-day results of 2,4-DP by using metabolome data of 28 day studies.     

Heterogeneous motivations for coca growing: The case of an indigenous Aymara community in Peru

Coca is a native bush from the Amazon rainforest from which cocaine is extracted. Growing coca is a profitable activity; however, not all farmers located in the coca-supply areas do so. Little is known about farmers’ motivations for the decision to grow coca and if so, how much to grow. This article evaluates the influence of monetary and non-monetary factors on these decisions. The study is based on a survey of 496 households in an indigenous Aymara community in Peru. The results suggest, for example, that farmers are more likely to cultivate coca when their plots are characterized by flatter agricultural slopes and when in debt. In relation to the scale of coca cultivation, farmers can be classified into two groups. The larger group (73 percent) grows a high number of coca bushes when facing economic hardship; farmers in the second group (27 percent) seem to be more motivated by the potential profits from coca production relative to coffee, the alternative crop in the area. Therefore, the results support the common notion that farmers cultivate coca in accordance with economic need. Nonetheless, non-economic factors also influence the number of coca bushes cultivated and offer an additional opportunity to reduce coca cultivation if explicitly considered in drug-control policies. This research also discusses potential farmers’ responses to different coca-growing reduction strategies. Common drug-control policies such as organic coffee certification, road construction, and education have mixed effects on coca cultivation, depending on the type of coca grower. As such, farmers’ motivations are heterogeneous and the design of effective drug-control policies needs to reflect this.     

Seeking truth in heroin indicators: The case of new york city

An epidemiological investigation of New York City's indirect indicators of heroin activity from 1970 through 1976 yielded insights about New York City heroin trends. Indirect indicators were gathered from official data sources, such as law enforcement, health, and treatment agencies. Since each indicator had significant limitations inhibiting interpretation, a factor analysis of the indicators was performed, resulting in the reduction of a large number of variables to a small number of factors.The factor analysis demonstrated the way in which New York City indicators cluster or move together — a “street” component, including arrests, hepatitis, price and purity of retail heroin; a “new admissions to methadone treatment” component; and a “readmissions to methadone treatment” component. Furthermore, the analysis revealed the time-lag relationships between components — “new admissions to methadone treatment” lag 1–2 years behind the “street” component; “readmissions to methadone treatment” lag 1–3 years behind the “new admissions” component.Finally, the 1970–1976 factor scores were related to 1970–1974 estimates of narcotic addicts in New York City in regression analysis, and were also projected through 1978, yielding estimates of New York City's heroin addict population from 1975 through 1978.     

Lack of direct association between serum transferrin and serum biochemical indicators of vitamin A nutriture

The association between serum transferrin and serum biochemical indicators of vitamin A and protein nutriture was investigated in 295 preschool children. Their levels of retinol and RBP correlated positively and significantly with transferrin, iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), total proteins and albumin. However, when removing those cases having unacceptable levels of total proteins (less than or equal to 6.4 g/dl) and/or albumin (less than or equal to 3.5 g/dl), the significant correlation between retinol (or RBP) and transferrin disappeared. It is concluded that transferrin levels are not directly related to the vitamin A nutritional status. The significance of this observation in relation to the known interaction between vitamin A and iron is discussed.     

含雄黄中成药致慢性砷中毒2例

例1女。22岁。因便秘于1999年6月开始不规则服用(长期间断性)健儿药片(别名:郑州肥儿丸,内含雄黄、甘草、使君子仁、蜂蜡、郁金等成分。),2000年6月患者开始出现乏力、月经不调等症状(不明原因),2002年症状加重,在当地(山西运城)血研所诊断为MDS(骨髓异常增生综合征),2002年下半年出现皮肤反应:躯干点状色素减退斑,斑周围出现色素沉着,呈雨滴状。2004年4月患者来我院就诊,检查:面部、躯干、双上臂、双股部散在绿豆大小色素减退斑,周围色素沉着,呈雨滴状改变,双手前臂、手背、双小腿、足背弥漫性色素沉着,掌跖点状角化。实验室检查砷含量:…     

Handling of contamination variability in exposure assessment: a case study with ochratoxin A.

The contamination of foods dedicated to human consumption varies over space and time. In exposure assessment, this is usually addressed through probabilistic modelling. The present work explores how the variability and uncertainty of exposures estimated at the population level are affected by: (a) the (non-)parametric nature of input contamination distributions; (b) the time-window used to sample contamination values within those distributions. Focusing on exposure of the French population to food mycotoxin ochratoxin A, we implement a range of second-order Monte-Carlo simulations that allow distinguishing variability of exposures from uncertainty of distributional parameters estimates. A simulation runs 10,000 iterations. Overall estimates of parameters are given by the median across iterations and 95%CI by 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles. Our results show that: (a) parametric (log-normal) input distributions may lead to over-estimation of variability and greater uncertainty as compared to non-parametric ones (P97.5 [95%CI] of 7.1 [6.6;7.7] for Parametric-Occasion, 4.6 [4.3;5.0] for Non-Parametric-Occasion), and that (b) the 'Occasion' time-window combines better estimate of variability and lower uncertainty when exposure modelling is applied to populations living in developed countries with complex agri-food systems (P97.5 [95%CI]: 7.3 [6.2;8.9] for Non-Parametric-Week, 4.6 [4.3;5.0] for Non-Parametric-Occasion). A deterministic approach is nevertheless preferred to probabilistic modelling every time input data quality is questionable.     

Fibrous pleural tumor with hypoglycemia: case study

Many neoplastic tumors exhibit paraneoplastic syndromes manifested by endocrinopathy. This is particularly true of intrathoracic tumors such as lung cancers, thymomas, carcinoid tumors and mediastinal germ cell neoplasm. Fibrous tumors of the pleura are rare intrathoracic tumors, which are usually benign and often grow to huge size. A subset of these neoplasms present with the syndrome of hypoglycemia. Although first reported more than 70 years ago, the diagnosis is rarely considered when a patient presents with syncope and hypoglycemia. This article reports a patient who presented with a large pleural mass and a hypoglycemic syndrome. (The disease was surgically cured.) The probable mechanism of hypoglycemia is discussed.     

A case study of employment case management with chronically unemployed methadone maintained clients

Employment interventions implemented in drug treatment programs have been marginally successful, but few interventions have been found to address the needs of chronically unemployed clients. Employment case management (ECM) is a comprehensive employment intervention strategy designed to motivate chronically unemployed persons to engage in work, assist in job placement, and provide post employment support through workforce integration, while maintaining progress in drug treatment. This clinical case study reports on a convenience sample of 10 chronically unemployed methadone maintained clients who voluntarily enrolled in the ECM project. Clients received individual ECM services for a period of 26 weeks. Clients were assessed at two- and eight-month follow-up intervals. Nine of the 10 clients were employed at the two-month follow-up assessment and six maintained employment at the eight-month follow-up. Moreover, three clients were able to successfully transition from welfare to competitive private sector employment. Preliminary data suggest that ECM may be an effective intervention strategy to help chronically unemployed methadone clients obtain and maintain employment. Qualitatively, clients reported that post employment intervention services such as motivational counseling, problem solving, and employer advocacy helped sustain employment.     

Unrecorded alcohol in East Africa: A case study of Kenya

Alcohol misuse contributes substantially to the global morbidity and mortality burden. Unrecorded alcohol, alcohol that is purchased by means which precludes regulation, represents a substantial proportion of the alcohol consumed in East Africa. In Kenya, homebrew also known as traditional brew, has been linked to several fatalities and hospitalizations. Previously banned, the Kenyan government recently legalized homebrew in an effort to regulate and reduce its harm. Despite legalization, however, homebrew continues to be endemic. In this paper, we examine the scope and harm associated with unrecorded alcohol in Kenya, and discuss current policies and interventions aimed at reducing production and consumption of unrecorded alcohol in the Kenyan context that reflect its culture, politics, environment and resources.