Gender and suicide among laborers

The literature on occupation and suicide has neglected gender differences. as well as occupations in the lower socio-economic classes. The present study tests the thesis that statistically infrequent role sets foster relatively high suicide rates. An analysis of gender differences in suicide among laborers confirms this perspective for females. Female laborers had a suicide rate of 38.6/100,000 or 7.6 times that of females in general. Overrepresentation of males in the ranks of laborers does not, however, decrease their suicide risk. An economic theory of suicide, however, is consistent with the high rates of both male and female laborers. The results provide no support for a Durkheimian theory of social class and suicide.     

Disseminated aspergillosis in two dogs in Israel

Aspergillus terreus, normally a soil or plant saprophyte, causes disseminated systemic infection, involving primarily the skeletal and the cardiopulmonary system in humans and dogs.(1, 2) We describe two cases of German shepherd dogs that were referred to Koret School of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital with a history of anorexia and weakness. Case 1 suffered from neurological deficits, paraparesis and lumbar pain whereas case 2 suffered from unilateral uveitis and exophthalmus. Both dogs were treated symptomatically, but deteriorated progressively despite therapy and were therefore euthanised. Necropsy revealed disseminated aspergillosis, and numerous organs had multiple, miliary, white-yellow foci. Microscopically, these were identified as granulomas, containing fungal hyphae. Affected tissue included brain, heart, kidneys, spleen, lymph nodes and bones (case 2). Aspergillus terreus was isolated from different organs and from urine culture. We suggest that disseminated aspergillosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in German shepherd dogs presenting with ocular disease, neurological deficits, spinal column pain, urinary system disorders, and radiographic evidence of skeletal and/or respiratory pathology.     

Prevalence of small rearrangements in the factor VIII gene F8C among patients with severe hemophilia A

Hemophilia A is a common X-linked bleeding disorder caused by various types of mutations in the factor VIII gene F8C. The most common intron 22-inversion is responsible for about 40% of the severe hemophilia A cases while large deletions, point mutations and small (less than 100 bp) deletions or insertions are responsible for the disease in the rest of patients. We report on nine novel (6 deletions, two indels and one partial duplication) and five recurrent small rearrangements identified in 15 German patients with severe hemophilia A, negative for the intron 22-inversion. c.2208-2214delTTATTAC/c.2207-2215insCTCTT and c.4665-4678del/c.4664-4678insAAGGAA identified in the present study are the first small indels described in the factor VIII gene. Our analyses suggest that the prevalence of this type of mutations (predominantly located in exon 14) among patients with severe phenotype and negative for the common intron 22-inversion, is about 30%. The correlation between these molecular defects and formation of factor VIII inhibitors as well as the parental origin of the de novo mutations are evaluated. Finally we show that denaturing HPLC (DHPLC) and classic heteroduplex analysis (HA) are able to detect these sequence alterations on 100% and could be preferred as a screening approach when analysing for mutations in factor VIII in severely affected patients.     

Allergens in house-dust samples in Germany: results of an East-West German comparison

The background of this study is the finding of several studies that the frequency of respiratory allergies was significantly higher in the former West Germany than the former East Germany. The present study investigated the levels of allergens of house-dust mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1), cat (Fel d 1), and cockroach (Bla g 2) in the household dust of 201 homes in Hamburg (West Germany) and 204 homes in Erfurt (East Germany), and examined the factors that affect these levels. The characteristics of homes were assessed by a questionnaire. The allergen levels were studied in dust from living rooms (LR), bedrooms (BR), and mattresses (MA). We detected in samples from Hamburg significantly higher allergen concentrations than in Erfurt: three times higher Der p 1, five times higher Der f 1, and three times higher Fel d 1. For Bla g 2, no comparison was possible because the concentrations were below the detection limit in 93% of the samples. Most of the differences could be explained by differences in housing and living characteristics between both cities. The mean ratio of Der p 1 levels in mattress dust between Hamburg and Erfurt decreased from 4.1 to 1.54 (NS) after adjustment for season, building material, age of the house, story of the dwelling, type of heating, age of carpet/mattress, presence of dogs, and indoor climate (temperature, humidity). The mean ratio of Der f 1 levels decreased from 6.9 to 2.78 (P<0.05) after adjustment for these factors. The mean ratio for Fel d 1 in mattress dust decreased fom 4.03 to 1.65 (P<0.05) after adjustment for season, building material, story of dwelling, size of dwelling, ventilation, cleaning routines, and pets. A similar reduction was seen for floor dust (LR plus BR). Our results indicate that the differences between the concentrations of mite and cat allergens found in Hamburg and Erfurt are explicable mainly, but not completely, by different building characteristics (age of houses, building material, story, and size of the dwelling) which affected the indoor climate, as well as by differences in other individual living habits (keeping of pets, age of carpets or mattresses, and cleaning routines).     

浅谈德国人的舌象特点

经长达20年的时间,通过对5000多名德国人患者(中北欧人种)的舌质、舌苔、舌下络脉观察及其临床观察结果的分析,阐述了德国人(中北欧人种)的舌象特点、形成原因及和华人舌象的区别,为中医治疗欧洲患得及中医的国际化发展提供了临床诊断依据。     

Revised and new reference values for some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in blood for human biomonitoring in environmental medicine

Reference values for environmental pollutants related to the German population are established continuously by the Human Biomonitoring Commission of the German Federal Environmental Agency. The revised and new reference values for organochlorine compounds in whole blood are derived from the German Environmental Survey 1998 (adults aged 18-69 years) and from a survey performed with children (age 9-11 years) in south-west Germany 1998/99. The levels of organochlorine compounds in blood of adults increased with increasing age. Therefore the reference values are revised for different age groups (age groups: 18-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69). The reference values for PCB 138 in whole blood range from 0.4 to 2.2 micrograms/l, for PCB 153 from 0.6 to 3.3 micrograms/l, for PCB 180 from 0.3 to 2.4 micrograms/l, for beta-HCH from 0.3 to 0.9 microgram/l and for HCB from 0.4 to 5.8 micrograms/l. The reference values for DDE among adults in East Germany are higher compared to those in West Germany. The reference values of DDE in blood for adults in West Germany increase from 1.5 micrograms/l to 11 micrograms/l for the different age groups. The corresponding results for East Germany are 3 and 31 micrograms/l. The following reference values in blood of children (age 9-11 years) are recommended: 0.3 microgram/l for PCB 138, 0.4 microgram/l for PCB 153, 0.3 microgram/l for PCB 180, 0.9 microgram/l for sum of PCB (138 + 153 + 180), 0.3 microgram/l for beta-HCH, 0.3 microgram/l for HCB and 0.7 microgram/l for DDE. In comparison with the former evaluation the revised reference values for PCB, beta-HCH and HCB levels in blood were reduced especially for younger adults.     

北京市区德国小蠊对4种杀虫剂的抗性测定

目的：了解德国小蠊敏感品系（ｓ）和北京市区４个野外品系（Ｄ、Ｃ１、Ｃ２、Ｈ）对氯氰菊酯、溴氰菊酯、二氯苯醚菊酯及敌敌畏的敏感性，以便通过抗性水平来指导合理用药。方法：药膜接触法。结果：北京市区４个野外品系对上述４种杀虫剂的平均抗性系数分别为敏感品系的３．８１、２．３０、２．９４、３．１６倍；其中二氯苯醚菊酯与敌敌畏在Ｈ品系中、氯氰菊酯在Ｄ品系中均产生了较高抗性，其抗性系数分别为５．３８、６．９７和５．３１。结论：北京市区４个野外品系德国小蠊对３种常用拟除虫菊酯类药剂和１种有机磷类药剂已产生不同程度的抗性     

Roentgenographic Chest Screening in the Detection and Survival of Patients with Lung Cancer

In the German Democratic Republic (GDR), annual mass roentgenographic screening of the chest was introduced twenty years ago. To ascertain its value in the detection of lung cancer, data were collected about treatment results at the country's main chest clinics. The study covers 13,293 operations and 10,838 resections, accounting for nearly 90% of all patients with lung cancer treated surgically in the GDR from 1949 to 1974.From 1965 to 1968, the five-year survival was more favorable in patients who were screened than in those who were diagnosed after clinical symptoms had appeared (36% for the former, 29% for the latter). For improvement of overall results, we recommend differentiated regular chest roentgenographic screening of men 40 to 70 years of age, individualized on the basis of tobacco usage, and full exploitation of all diagnostic and surgical tools now available.     

Effect of sodium nitrite, carbon monoxide, and reduced food supply on unilateral ovarian compensatory hypertrophy in the rat

Two weeks after extirpation of the right ovary from normal rats the weight of the left ovary increased as compared with controls (sham operation) or with the removed right ovary. This effect was not prevented following administration of daily injections of 0.4 or 0.8 mmol of NaNO₂/kg ip which produced methemoglobin concentrations of 30 and 55%, respectively, or by daily injections of 0.6, 1.2, 2.4, or 7.2 mmol of CO/kg sc which produced carboxyhemoglobin concentrations of 17, 36, 47, and 60%, respectively, or by a standard diet containing 1% NaNO₂ for 14 days. After feeding a standard diet containing 2.5% NaNO₂ the ovarian hypertrophy became depressed. In this case we observed a decrease in body weight. Both the decrease in body weight and the depression of compensatory ovarian response were also demonstrated by reducing the food supply for the 2 weeks.