Recent trends in human leptospirosis in Italy

The recent epidemiological trends of human leptospirosis in Italy were investigated using data collected for the years 1981–1985. A total of 626 hospitalized patients with clinical diagnoses of suspected leptospirosis were reported by hospital centers from several Italian regions. Epidemiological, clinical and seroimmunological data were collected in 517 of these cases and examined by the National Center for Leptospirosis.Serological findings in 33.5% of these subjects met the criteria for confirmation of the disease. In 21.8% of the subjects, low titer antibodies were detected, which possibly reflected previous leptospiral infections. An early antibiotic treatment of the current infection may also have lowered the seroimmunological response in some of these patients.In 59.3% of the confirmed cases, modes of transmission were allotted equally between accidental events and recreational or occupational activities. Drinking water from an open air fountain emerged as an uncommon mode of transmission; it was responsible for an outbreak of 33 cases of leptospirosis. In another 37.07% of the subjects, it was impossible to establish the mode of transmission.Respiratory or influenza-like symptoms were the only clinical signs of illness in 21.2% of the patients with confirmed leptospirosis.In comparison to the sixties and seventies, the prevalence of infecting serovars showed increasing incidence of infections due to serovars of the Javanica (11.0%) and Australis (11.0%) serogroups and an important decrease in the Bataviae serogroup infections (from 58.8% in rice-field workers in the forties to 0.6% in the years 1981–1985). Sejroe serogroup infections accounted for 4.5 per cent of confirmed cases of leptospirosis.In 49.7% of subjects with confirmed leptospirosis, cross-agglutination at the same titre with two or more serovars of different sero-groups occurred, thus preventing the identification of the serogroup of the infecting strain.     

Diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma in an urban hospital: clinical spectrum and trend in incidence over time

This retrospective analysis reviews the clinical experience of a major urban referral hospital with diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma during the 14-year period from 1973 through 1986. Seventy-five cases of definite or equivocal mesothelioma were identified. There were four cases of primary malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, seven cases of benign fibrous mesothelioma, and 64 cases of diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma. In 43 cases (67%) of diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma, there was historic evidence of asbestos exposure. In 21 cases (33%), there was no known history of asbestos exposure. An increase in annual incidence of diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma was observed over the study period, from three cases in 1973 to ten cases in 1986. Despite greater awareness of this disease, the diagnosis remains a difficult one to establish given the nonspecific symptoms, signs and radiographic appearance, variable histologic appearance, and poor diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of thoracentesis and closed pleural biopsy. Thoracotomy, thoracoscopy, and CT-guided needle biopsies gave higher yields and are the diagnostic measures of choice when diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma is suspected.     

A persisting secular trend for body measurements in Dutch children. The Oosterwolde 11 study

To investigate whether the secular trend for growth in Dutch children still exists, the Oosterwolde I study of 1980 was repeated in 1989. A persisting secular trend was visible for height while the z scores of body proportions show no change during the past 10 years, which suggests that there is no change in the timing of puberty.     

白城市52年间法定报告传染病流行趋势分析

目的：了解掌握法定报告传染病流行情况及变化。方法：采用描述流行病学方法，分析报告传染病的消长分布。结果：传染病的发病率，死亡率，病死率都呈显著下降趋势，病种间消长有明显变化。结论：血源及性传播疾病为新时期的主要传染病病种。     

Clastogenic effect of fenfluramine in mice bone marrow cells in vivo

Fenfluramine, an amphetamine derivative used in the treatment of obesity, has been evaluated in vivo in the bone marrow cells of Swiss albino mice using two cytogenetic endpoints for assessing its genotoxic and clastogenic potentials. Concentrations of 0.75, 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 mg/kg b.w. were administered orally for the study of sister chromatid exchange frequencies and chromosome aberrations (CA). SCE frequencies showed a positive dose response; 1.5 mg/kg being the minimum effective concentration. Fen caused a prolongation of cell cycle at all concentrations. Except for the minimum therapeutic dose (0.75 mg), all other doses (1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 mg) showed a significant increase in the percentage of damaged cells over that of the vehicle control. The degree of clastogenicity was directly proportional to the dosage used and inversely related with the duration of treatment. A gradual reduction of the clastogenic potential was observed after 12 and 24 hr of exposure, indicating that the maximum effect occurs at the middle or late synthetic phase of the cell cycle. This study, probably the first detailed screening of the drug for its genotoxicity, shows that Fen is moderately clastogenic and a DNA damaging agent in vivo.     

Congenital clubfoot in Europe: A population‐based study

We aimed to assess prevalence, birth outcome, associated anomalies and prenatal diagnosis of congenital clubfoot in Europe using data from the EUROCAT network, and to validate the recording of congenital clubfoot as a major congenital anomaly by EUROCAT registries. Cases of congenital clubfoot were included from 18 EUROCAT registries covering more than 4.8 million births in 1995–2011. Cases without chromosomal anomalies born during 2005–2009, were randomly selected for validation using a questionnaire on diagnostic details and treatment. There was 5,458 congenital clubfoot cases of which 5,056 (93%) were liveborn infants. Total prevalence of congenital clubfoot was 1.13 per 1,000 births (95% CI 1.10–1.16). Prevalence of congenital clubfoot without chromosomal anomaly was 1.08 per 1,000 births (95% CI 1.05–1.11) and prevalence of isolated congenital clubfoot was 0.92 per 1,000 births (95% CI 0.90–0.95), both with decreasing trends over time and large variations in prevalence by registry. The majority of cases were isolated congenital clubfoot (82%) and 11% had associated major congenital anomalies. Prenatal detection rate of isolated congenital clubfoot was 22% and increased over time. Among 301 validated congenital clubfoot cases, diagnosis was confirmed for 286 (95%). In conclusion, this large population‐based study found a decreasing trend of congenital clubfoot in Europe after 1999–2002, an increasing prenatal detection rate, and a high standard of coding of congenital clubfoot in EUROCAT.     

大、中学生对文化维度的知觉

目的:考察大、中学生对文化维度的知觉的情况和发展趋势。方法:用Trandis编制的个人主义-集体主义量表(Individualism-Collectivism Scale)对1760名大、中学生进行测量。结果:大、中学生对文化维度的知觉存在年龄效应;随着年龄增加,对集体主义维度的知觉从42.05%下降到27.40%,而对个人主义维度的知觉从5.01%上升到18.58%;水平维度的知觉从47.06%下降到40.71%;垂直维度的知觉从4.14%上升到6.19%。结论:大、中学生对文化维度的知觉的差异主要表现在个人主义和集体主义的维度,水平维度和垂直维度有轻微的波动。     

2011—2020年郑州市二七区居民恶性肿瘤死亡趋势及减寿分析

目的了解郑州市二七区居民2011—2020年恶性肿瘤死亡流行趋势及对居民寿命的影响情况,为制定恶性肿瘤防治对策提供科学依据。方法对2011—2020年郑州市二七区居民恶性肿瘤死亡资料进行分析,计算恶性肿瘤死亡率、潜在减寿年数(potential years of life lost,PYLL)、标化潜在减寿年数(standardized potential years of life lost,SPYLL)、标化潜在减寿率(standardized potential years of life lost rate,SPYLLR)和人均减寿年数(average years of life lost,AYLL)等指标,采用年度变化百分比(annual percent change,APC)分析率的时间变化趋势。结果2011—2020年郑州市二七区居民恶性肿瘤年均死亡率为114.68/10万,标化死亡率为103.52/10万,男性年均死亡率(146.09/10万)高于女性(84.56/10万)。恶性肿瘤前5位死因依次为肺癌、肝癌、胃癌、结直肠癌和食管癌,共占恶性肿瘤死亡构成的65.36%。2011—2020年该区居民恶性肿瘤死亡率呈上升趋势(APC=3.70%,P<0.001)。0~44岁年龄组恶性肿瘤死亡率处于较低水平,45岁后随年龄增长逐渐升高,75岁以后迅速升高。恶性肿瘤总PYLL为39067人年,SPYLLR为6.73‰,AYLL为12.59年。结论肺癌、肝癌、胃癌、结直肠癌和食管癌是二七区恶性肿瘤预防控制的重点工作,同时宫颈癌和乳腺癌对女性健康的影响不可忽视,应针对主要恶性肿瘤和重点人群开展综合防控措施,以降低恶性肿瘤的死亡率。     

流行性脑脊髓膜炎的流行趋势变化与其疫苗接种

在过去几十年,随着疫苗的广泛使用,不同国家和区域引起流行性脑脊髓膜炎(简称流脑)病原体的血清群也发生了变迁。本文将脑膜炎球菌疫苗免疫接种、感染人群、不同区域和国家流脑的流行趋势及其内在机制研究进展进行综述,为进一步了解流脑流行趋势变化与其疫苗接种和后续制定免疫策略提供参考。     

我国近40年来死因构成的变迁及预防对策的思考

目的　为卫生主管部门的科学决策、确定疾病的防制重点、合理分配卫生资源提供可靠依据 ,并提出相应的预防对策。方法　通过收集、综合、整理我国部分城市及县的有关资料 ,应用Office 2 0 0 0进行图表处理 ,并作趋势卡方检验 ,对我国近 4 0年来死因构成比及主要死因死亡率的变化进行分析。结果　解放以来 ,我国人口死亡率显著下降 ;近 4 0年来城乡死因构成比发生了明显变化 ,恶性肿瘤、脑血管病、心脏病、呼吸系统疾病、损伤和中毒已成为前 5位死因 ,占总死亡的 80 %左右 ,城市以恶性肿瘤为首位 ,农村以呼吸系统疾病为首位 ;内分泌、营养、代谢及免疫疾病、精神病、神经病进入城市前 10位死因 ,新生儿病、传染病、肺结核仍处于农村前 10位死因之列。结论　我国医疗卫生事业取得了巨大成就 ,特别是在传染病、肺结核防治方面 ;恶性肿瘤、慢性病、损伤和中毒应作为今后我国疾病防治的重点之一 ;在农村 ,应进一步加强妇幼保健 ,降低新生儿病死亡率