低温作业工人血清一氧化氮和一氧化氮合酶水平调查

选择保鲜冷库作业工人53名、水产冷库作业工人53名作为低温作业暴露组,同时选择当地不接触低温作业的村民58人作为对照组,测量作业前后的体温、血压,并采集作业后静脉血测定一氧化氮合酶(NOS)活力及一氧化氮(NO)含量。结果显示冷藏保鲜组和水产冷冻组工人体温和血压作业后均低于作业前,血清NO含量和NOS活力均高于对照组,差异有极显著性(P<0.01)。     

低温作业工人热应激蛋白抗体水平与氧化性损伤关系

目的探讨冷库低温作业工人热应激蛋白70(HSP70)抗体水平及其与职业危害的关系。方法选择保鲜冷库作业工人53名(保鲜组),水产冷库作业工人53名(冷冻组)作为低温作业暴露组,同时选择当地不接触低温作业的村民58名作为对照组,采用Westernblot免疫印迹法检测其血浆HSP70抗体滴度,同时检测其超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)、丙二醛(MDA)的变化情况,并分析各指标之间的关系。结果保鲜组及冷冻组血浆HSP70抗体1∶10阳性率分别为43.4%、37.7%高于对照组的6.9%(P<0.05),1∶20阳性率均为17.0%,高于对照组的1.7%(P<0.05),暴露组HSP70抗体阳性组的SOD和GSH低于阴性组(P<0.05)。结论冷库低温作业可导致作业工人HSP70抗体阳性增高,并与机体的氧化损伤相关。     

铅作业工人神经行为功能分析

目的探讨和评价铅作业工人神经行为功能状况。方法使用WTO神经行为核心测验组合对接触组和对照组进行神经行为功能测试调查,同时测定铅作业工人尿铅浓度。结果接触组的各情感状态积分均明显高于对照组,差异有非常显著性(P<0.01);各行为功能指标积分均明显低于对照组,差异有显著性(P<0.01),且高工龄组低于低工龄组,差异有显著性(P<0.05,P<0.01)。结论铅对作业工人情感和神经行为功能存在有害影响,神经行为功能测定可作为铅作业工人接触反应的早期评价指标。     

电镀作业工人神经行为功能变化

目的了解电镀作业工人神经行为功能的变化。方法采用世界卫生组织推荐的神经行为核心测试组合(WHO-NCTB)对86名电镀作业工人进行测试,同时选择39名未接触其他神经毒物者为对照。结果接触与对照组在情感状态得分及行为功能分上差异有显著性(P<0.01)。结论从事电镀作业工人早期神经系统功能受到不同程度损害,神经行为功能的改变可做为其早期受损指标之一。     

空调作业环境对神经行为功能的影响

目的探讨空调环境对作业工人神经行为功能的影响。方法运用WHO推荐的神经行为功能测试组合(WHO-NCTB)对深圳市某企业密闭空调环境作业工人86名(观察组)及非空调环境作业工人102名(对照组)进行了神经行为功能测试。结果观察组5项消极情绪状况(紧张-焦虑、忧郁-沮丧、愤怒-敌意、疲劳-惰性、困惑-迷茫)的得分均显著(或非常显著)高于对照组(P0.05或P0.01),观察组积极情绪状态(有力-好动)的得分显著低于对照组(P0.05);观察组的简单反应时平均值慢于对照组(P0.01),数字译码得分显著低于对照组(P0.05),而错误打点数明显高于对照组(P0.01),差异均有统计学意义。结论空调环境可对作业工人神经行为功能产生一定的影响,有必要对空调环境采取干预措施,以促进空调环境作业工人的身体健康。     

低温作业工人的神经行为功能调查

本文选择合肥肉联厂和啤酒厂５２名低温作业工人，进行了神经行为功能测验。结果表明，低温作业工人语言与核心神经行为功能总得分和情绪、简单反应时、数字广度、视觉持留记忆、目标描准追击、指叩、积木图案、数字顺序与视觉再生分测验得分均明显低于对照组。提示低温对人体神经行为功能有明显影响，并与低温程度有关，随着接触低温时间的增加而影响加重。建议应加强多种防寒保暖措施和尽快制订冷库低温作业卫生标准。     

甲苯作业对工人神经行为功能的影响

对接触甲苯工人(暴露组)和对照组工人采用神经行为核心测试组合(NCTB)进行神经行为测试。结果暴露组在目标追踪、数字译码、数字跨度及视觉记忆测试等方面与对照组相比差异有显著性(P<0.05)。说明接触甲苯对作业工人的神经行为功能可产生一定的影响。     

加油站作业工人神经行为功能的调查

为了解加油站汽油对作业工人神经行为功能的影响,应用WHO推荐的神经行为核心测试组合(Neurobehavior Core Test Battery,NCTB)对20家加油站的99名加油工和97名对照人员进行有关症状和神经行为功能的询问和测试,并测定加油站作业环境空气中汽油浓度。结果显示,在神经系统的躯体不适症状方面,加油工组的头痛、多梦、记忆力差、下肢无力、四肢麻木等症状发生率明显高于对照组(P<0.05);加油工组的疲劳-惰性(F)及慌乱-困惑(C)分值明显高于对照组(分别为P<0.01和P<0.05);加油工组的光简单反应时明显长于对照组(P<0.01),而视觉保留记忆分值低于对照组(P<0.05)。提示,长期接触汽油可能对工人的神经行为功能造成一定影响。     

冷库作业工人淋巴细胞中HSP70水平的研究

目的　研究冷应激对冷库作业工人体内HSP70水平的影响及可能的机制。方法　选取冷库作业工人为研究对象 ,其中保鲜冷库 ( 0℃组 ) 5 3人 ,水产冷库 ( -2 0℃组 ) 5 3人 ;另选年龄、性别、劳动强度与之匹配的、不从事有毒有害作业的村民 5 8人作为对照。用Westernblot法检测淋巴细胞HSP70水平。结果　 0℃组和 -2 0℃组分别与对照组相比 ,其淋巴细胞HSP70水平明显增高 ,差异有显著性 (P <0 0 5 ) ;0℃组与 -2 0℃组相比 ,HSP70水平差异无显著性 (P >0 0 5 )。结论　低温环境作为一种应激因素 ,可使体内热应激蛋白合成与表达增加。     

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。     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.