Addressing climate change through a nursing lens within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Background

In 2000, the United Nations (UN) introduced the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), described as a global movement with the primary aim of ending world-wide poverty (“Millennium Summit,” 2000). The second phase of the project, known as the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda offers an increased emphasis on lessening the mitigating factors associated with climate change and adapting to the negative effects of climate change. Nurses are in the unique position to address the health-related impacts related to climate change through community health approaches aimed at education and promotion of environmental stewardship.

离子色谱法测定实验动物环境空气中的氨

目的 建立一种用抑制电导离子色谱仪测定实验动物环境空气中氨的方法。方法 以稀硫酸作为吸收液采集空气中的氨,使氨在吸收液中转化为铵离子,选用抑制型电导检测器,CS12A阳离子分析柱,以甲磺酸作为淋洗液,通过测定吸收液中的铵离子的含量来计算空气中氨的浓度。结果 铵离子在0~1.00 μg/mL范围内具有良好的线性(r=0.9991),方法精密度高(RSD<6.38%),最低检出浓度为0.012 mg/m³,方法的平均回收率98.8%。结论 该法操作简便,无干扰离子影响,可作为实验动物环境空气中氨的测定方法。     

13C-Enrichment of Urinary Uric Acid after l-[Ring-2-13C]Histidine Dose in Adult Humans

We determined whether ring-2 carbon of histidine is folate-dependently transferred to carbons 8 (C₈) and/or 2 (C₂) in urinary uric acid in humans. Two adults collected each urine void for four days. Aliquots of urine for the first day were used for baseline values; then the subjects ingested 0.7 g (3.3 mmol) of l-[ring-2-¹³C]histidine and collected urine for three experimental days. Aliquots were analyzed for percentage ¹³C-content at C₂ and C₈ by a liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Percentage enrichment was determined by subtracting time-of-day paired baseline percentage ¹³C-content from experimental percentage ¹³C-content for each void. C₂ was predominantly ¹³C-enriched in the majority of voids. The percentage enrichments at C₂ for two subjects were 0.14 (±0.028 [SEM], n = 26) and 0.18 (±0.049, n = 21), whereas at C₈, they were 0.008 (±0.006) and −0.005 (±0.008), respectively. The mean C₂-enrichments were significantly greater than zero (p < 0.01), whereas those of C₈ were not (p > 0.2). The enrichment had a diurnal rhythm peaking in the morning. Our results may be useful in the estimation of the timing for the administration of drugs that interfere with purine nucleotide biosynthesis in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease.     

吗啡急性处理小鼠的微阵列数据分析和生物标记识别

目的通过生物信息学方法,识别吗啡急性处理小鼠的差异表达基因及其富集的通路。方法从高通量基因表达数据库(Gene Expression Omnibus)下载吗啡急性处理小鼠的微阵列数据,并调用R语言3.1.0软件的质量控制包Affy QCReport 1.42.0对数据样本进行质量控制分析,运用R语言的微阵列数据线性模型识别吗啡处理前后的差异表达基因,采用表达分析系统检测算法进行差异表达基因的通路富集分析。结果吗啡急性处理小鼠的微阵列基因表达数据具有良好的均一性和阵列强度相似性,识别得到Gm11627、Zfand4、Zbtb16、Pkp2和Plin4等481个差异表达基因和癌症、黑素原生成和丝裂原活化蛋白激酶信号等8条代谢通路。结论所识别的差异表达基因和代谢通路成为吗啡急性处理小鼠潜在的生物标记。     

Predicting urban design effects on physical activity and public health: A case study

With increasing global concerns about obesity and related health effects, tools to predict how urban form affects population physical activity and health are needed. However, such tools have not been well established. This article develops a computer simulation model for forecasting the health effects of urban features that promote walking. The article demonstrates the model using a proposed small-area plan for a neighborhood of 10,400 residents in Raleigh, North Carolina, one of the fastest-growing and most sprawling U.S. cities. The simulation model predicts that the plan would increase average daily time spent walking for transportation by 17 min. As a result, annual deaths from all causes are predicted to decrease by 5.5%. Annual new cases of diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and hypertension are predicted to decline by 1.9%, 2.3%, 1.3%, and 1.6%, respectively. The present value of these health benefits is $21,000 per resident.     

Turkey Handwashing Survey: suggestion for taking the ecological model into better consideration

Objectives

This study is aimed to find out the handwashing habits and their relations to the socio-economic variables.

Methods

The sampling is determined regarding the address-based population registration system of the country. The multi-staged stratified cluster sampling method was used. It is conducted by a face to face questionnaire with 6854 persons. 22 questions are asked whether they are washing their hands or not related to different situations, the results are graded and the “Handwashing Habits Score” (HHS) is obtained. The reasons for not handwashing were evaluated by categorizing as individual, environmental and combined reasons.

Results

The HHS is increasing in the older age groups (β = 0.148, p < 0.001), females (β = 0.306, p < 0.001), citizens of urban settlement (β = 0.061, p < 0.001), higher education levels (β = 0.191, p < 0.001). The reasons for not handwashing were found as 53.3 % individual, 39.2 % environmental, 7.5 % combined. The frequency of mentioning not washing hands because of the environmental reasons is getting higher in the older age groups, in the urban side, and in the higher education level (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The handwashing habits are shaped by the determinant networks which form a complex structure by intertwining individual, socio-economic and environmental factors in different sub-groups with various weights. This result might contribute to the efforts of conceptualizing the health behaviors with ecological model.     

Insecticide Residues in Soil,Water, and Eggplant Fruits and Farmers’ Health Effects Due to Exposure to Pesticides

Objectives

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an important vegetable crop that is widely cultivated in the tropical and subtropical areas in Asia. Globally, the top three eggplant producers are China, India, and Egypt. The Philippines has been one of the top 10 eggplant-producing countries based on area planted and crop productivity. This study aims to describe the insecticide residues found in soil, water, and eggplant fruits in eggplant farms in Sta. Maria, Pangasinan.

Methods

The study design is a cross sectional of randomly selected eggplant farms in Sta. Maria, Pangasinan. Soil, water, and eggplant fruits were collected and subjected to gas chromatography (Shimadzu) analysis for multi-pesticide residues.

Results

Farmers from Sta. Maria, Pangasinan were found to be applying a broad spectrum of insecticides on their eggplant crop. Soil samples from 11 (about 42 %) out of the 26 farms tested positive for insecticide residues, six of which from four farms exceeded the acceptable maximum residue limit. These residues were profenofos, triazophos, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, and malathion. No insecticide residues were detected from water samples taken from the 26 farms. Cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos were the insecticide residues detected in eggplant fruit samples. A maximum of 20 % of the eggplant samples tested positive for insecticide residues. In the eggplant fruit study, all farmers have been using Prevathon^® for 24 years at a rate of 10 ml/application, and Malathion^® for 25 years at about 16.5 ml/application, respectively equivalent to 0.24 liter-years and 0.413 liter-years of exposure. Similarly, to the findings in the soil and water study, although Brodan^® and Magnum^® were not prevalently applied, the farmers’ liter-years of exposure to these insecticides, and their active ingredients, were highest at about 18.92 and 10.0, respectively. The farmers and farm workers in the soil and water study reported experiencing itchiness of the skin (63.8 %), redness of the eyes (29.3 %), muscle pains (27.6 %), and headaches (27.6 %), as being related to their pesticide exposure.

Conclusion

In summary, a maximum of 20 % of the eggplant samples tested positive for insecticide residues at any one stage of sampling done. The farmers and farm workers also reported of pesticide-related illnesses but none of them sought any medical attention. Intervention to reduce the farmers’ pesticide exposure can focus on the risk factors identified, primarily the toxicity of pesticides used, the unsafe application practices, and the adverse health effects of pesticide exposure.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12199-014-0425-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

我国传统人居环境对健康元素的利用及其分析

当亚健康一词逐渐从理解转为重视之后,西方为此提出了一个新的模式,即健康是机体、心理与社会和环境的总合,并强调环境和社会对身心的影响。环境健康学对人居环境的要求是最大限度地、最全面地为人类的健康开发有利因素,不仅为近期的健康状况着想,也要为远期健康状况着想,并指出日照、小气候、空气质量等对健康的重要性。     

抗生素制药菌渣的处理处置技术进展与分析

通过文献查阅和对国内数十家典型抗生素制药企业实地调研,本文分析了近6年(2007-2012年)国内抗生素制药菌渣产量、市场份额、地域分布等情况,对抗生素处理处置方法进行了分析总结,包括堆肥、厌氧消化、酵母膏用品、菌渣水煤浆、菌渣活性炭技术.分析结果发现,目前国内的菌渣处理处置和资源化技术中堆肥、厌氧消化最受多数企业认可.然而,各类抗生素制药菌渣处理处置技术都会不同程度的产生相关污染物,残留抗生素效价在进行资源化利用时还需谨慎处理.     

不同气候模式下我国长角血蜱潜在适生区预测

［摘要］　目的　分析环境和气候因子对我国长角血蜱适生区分布的影响,并预测不同气候模式下长角血蜱的潜在分布区。方法　从文献中获取我国长角血蜱分布点信息,结合环境和气候因子数据,运用MaxEnt最大熵模型,分析年均温、昼夜温差日均值、等温性、温度季节性变化标准差、最暖月最高温、最冷月最低温、年均温变化范围、最湿季度平均温度、最干季度平均温度、最暖季度平均温度、最冷季度平均温度、年均降水量、最湿月降水量、最干月降水量、降水量变异系数、最湿季度降水量、最干季度降水量、最暖季度降水量、最冷季度降水量等19个气候因子及海拔、坡度、坡向、植被覆盖率等4个环境因子对长角血蜱潜在分布的影响,并预测当前和未来不同气候模式下（RCP 2.6和RCP 8.5）长角血蜱潜在地理分布区。结果　在影响我国长角血蜱地理分布的环境和气候因子中,贡献率均超过10%的因子主要包括最干月降水量（26.0%）、年均温（11.2%）、年均降水量（10.0%）和海拔（24.2%）。当前气候模式下,我国长角血蜱高、中、低适生区面积分别为123.19万、169.62万、185.44万km2。在RCP 2.6气候模式下,2050和2070年我国长角血蜱分布区面积分别增加33.61万km2和36.73万km2;在RCP 8.5气候模式下,2050年和2070年我国长角血蜱分布区面积分别增加38.10万km2 和35.80万km2。结论　降水、温度和海拔等气候和环境因子对我国长角血蜱分布区影响较大;在未来不同气候模式下,我国长角血蜱适生区面积均可能增加。