Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Health Standards (health + standards)
Selected AbstractsThe needs of physically disabled young people during transition to adult servicesCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2004B. Ko Abstract Objectives, The needs and provisions for health service and housing adaptation of a cohort of school leavers with physical disabilities in two inner city London health districts are described in this cross-sectional study. Methods, Fourteen young people were assessed by two consultant community paediatricians during their last year at school, using a structured proforma that includes the British Association of Community Child Health standards of functional levels. Results, Great difficulty was encountered in identifying the subjects, partly because of inadequate information systems. Only 16 were identified out of over 12 000 school leavers. Important discrepancies were found between the needs assessed and the services provided. For the total sample, the need for 49 potential referrals to adult specialist services was identified, but 17 were not made as such services did not exist, in contrast to what had been available within paediatric services. Adult physiotherapy and occupational therapy services were particularly under-provided for young people with physical disabilities. Only a minority were eligible for housing adaptations. Conclusions, Suggestions are made for improvements in information systems, the transition process, revised provision of services and closer involvement of general practitioners. [source] Benchmark dose estimation based on epidemiologic cohort dataENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 5 2005Knashawn H. Morales Abstract Risk assessments based on epidemiologic studies are becoming increasingly common in evaluating environmental health risks and setting health standards. This article will discuss and compare some of the available methods for exposure,response modeling and risk estimation based on environmental epidemiologic studies with age-specific incidence and mortality data. Recommendations will be made regarding approaches that can be used in practice. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Treatment of pediculosis capitis with thiabendazole: a pilot studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2003Mohammad Reza Namazi MD Background, Despite the improvement of health standards, head lice infestation remains a problem worldwide. In addition, there is increasing evidence that head lice are becoming resistant to common pediculocides. Aim, To test the potential effectiveness of thiabendazole, a potent and broad-spectrum antiparasitic and scabicidal agent, for the treatment of pediculosis capitis. Methods, Twenty-three female patients, aged 7,12 years, who had active head lice infestation, were treated with oral thiabendazole, 20 mg/kg twice daily for 1 day, with repeat treatment after 10 days. Results, On the 11th day, meticulous hair examination showed that 21 patients had responded to treatment [91%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 71,98%], with 14 showing complete responsiveness (61%; 95% CI, 40,78%). The only adverse reactions observed were nausea and mild dizziness, which occurred in four patients, three of whom took the drug on an empty stomach. Conclusions, Thiabendazole may be a promising treatment for head lice infestation. The primary action of this drug seems to be the inhibition of parasite microtubule polymerization by binding to ,-tubulin. In addition, thiabendazole may interfere with the synaptic transmission of lice through its probable cholinergic effect. As pediculosis capitis is a very communicable disease, the unresponsiveness to thiabendazole could largely be attributed to new infestations during the drug-free interval. Therefore, massive and simultaneous rather than individual and isolated treatments should be used to achieve the epidemiologic control of this ectoparasitosis. As this is a preliminary study, the performance of double-blind, randomized controlled trials on this subject is warranted. Thiabendazole, either alone or in combination with other agents, may prove to be of particular use in areas in which head lice show resistance to common pediculocides. [source] Covalently linked immunomagnetic separation/adenosine triphosphate technique (Cov-IMS/ATP) enables rapid, in-field detection and quantification of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. in freshwater and marine environmentsJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010C.M. Lee Abstract Aims:, Developing a rapid method for detection of faecal pollution is among the critical goals set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency in its revision of water quality criteria. The purpose of this study is to devise and test covalently linked antibody,bead complexes for faecal indicator bacteria (FIB), specifically Escherichia coli or Enterococcus spp., in measuring water quality in freshwater and marine systems. Methods and Results:, Covalently linked complexes were 58,89% more robust than antibody,bead complexes used in previous studies. Freshwater and marine water samples analysed using covalently linked immunomagnetic separation/adenosine triphosphate quantification technique (Cov-IMS/ATP) and culture-based methods yielded good correlations for E. coli (R = 0·87) and Enterococcus spp. (R = 0·94), with method detection limits below EPA recreational water quality health standards for single standard exceedances (E. coli, 38 cells per 100 ml; Enterococcus spp. , 25 cells per 100 ml). Cov-IMS/ATP correctly classified 87% of E. coli and 94% of Enterococcus spp. samples based on these water quality standards. Cov-IMS/ATP was also used as a field method to rapidly distinguish differential loading of E. coli between two stream channels to their confluence. Conclusions:, Cov-IMS/ATP is a robust, in-field detection method for determining water quality of both fresh and marine water systems as well as differential loading of FIB from two converging channels. Significance and Impact of the Study:, To our knowledge, this is the first work to present a viable rapid, in-field assay for measuring FIB concentrations in marine water environments. Cov-IMS/ATP is a potential alternative detection method, particularly in areas with limited laboratory support and resources, because of its increased economy and portability. [source] NONLINEAR CONSTRAINED OPTIMIZATION of THERMAL PROCESSING II.JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2003FINITE CYLINDRICAL GEOMETRIES, VARIABLE PROCESS TEMPERATURE PROFILES to REDUCE PROCESS TIME, to IMPROVE NUTRIENT RETENTION IN SPHERICAL ABSTRACT Conventional methods for thermal processing of foods use constant processing temperature profiles (CPTPs) for a prescribed processing time, which is based on achieving a required microbial lethality to comply with public health standards. This also results in degradation of nutrients and quality factors. the variable process temperature profiles (VPTPs) obtained by using optimization methods can reduce quality losses and/or processing time compared to CPTPs. the objective of this research was to evaluate VPTPs using the Complex Method to reduce the processing time and/or improve quality retention for a specified level of lethality in thermal processing of conduction heated foods. the VPTPs were obtained for volume average retention of thiamine considering different sizes of spheres (small and large) and finite cylinders (small and large), and the thiamine retention and processing time results were compared with a conventional method (processing at 121.1C) for a specified lethality level. the use of VPTPs resulted in a 37 and 10% decrease in processing times in spherical and 40 % and 6 % for finite cylindrical shapes, for the same objective function value and specified lethality compared to the CPTP process. For the same processing time, the improvements in thiamine destruction were 3.7 and 2 % for spheres, and 3.9 and 2.2% for finite cylinders. [source] Aboriginal deaths in Western Australia: 1985,89 and 1990,94AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 2 2000Michael Gracey Objective: To examine death data for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal persons in Western Australia (WA) in 1985,89 and 1990,94. Methods: Population estimates were provided by the Health Information Centre of the WA Health Department based on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Death data came from the WA Registrar-General's Office. Standard methods were used to obtain rates and levels of significance. Results: Main causes of deaths among Aboriginal males in 1990,94 were circulatory conditions, respiratory, injury and poisoning, neoplasms and endocrine diseases; in Aboriginal females they were circulatory, neoplasms, endocrine diseases, respiratory diseases, and injury and poisoning. From 1985,89 to 1990,94, the Aboriginal male all-cause age-standardised death rates fell 3% (ns) while the non-Aboriginal male rate fell 11% (p<0.05). The Aboriginal female all-cause death rate rose 11% (ns) while the non-Aboriginal rate fell 5% (p<0.05). The allcause death rate ratio (Aboriginahnon-Aboriginal) changed from 2.4 to 2.6 (males) and 2.5 to 2.9 (females). There was a major increase in deaths from endocrine diseases among Aborigines and non-Aborigines. This increase was proportionally much greater among Aborigines. In non-Aborigines there was a significant decrease in deaths from circulatory diseases (mainly ischaemic heart disease); this did not occur among Aborigines. Conclusions: Over the study period, Aboriginal health standards, as reflected by death rates, apparently worsened relative to non-Aboriginal standards. Implications: Better health promotion, disease prevention and disease care are required to help achieve acceptable health standards among Aboriginal peoples. [source] | ||||||||||