A study on "selenium-health" database in China

A database for "Se and health" has been established using DATA-TRIEVE data management system on a VAX-11/780 computer. Over 5000 pieces of information including 300 kinds of samples from 28 provinces in China were stored. The information relates to endemk diseases such as Keshan disease, Kaschin-Beck disease, Se-poison disease, cancers, heart disease and so on. The database can be accessed through keywords: samples, province, county, analytical method and the Se-content values can be obtained in tabulated form. The output includes primary statistics of the retrieved data sets. A multi-variable statistic program package featuring in pattern recognition is attached to the system.     

The roles of organic degradation products andselenium in the pathogenesis ofKaschin-Beck disease

An investigation on the organic degradation products and selenium in the pathogenesis of Kaschin-Beck disease was carried out. The results demonstrated that the organic degradation products existed in food and drinking water were the pathogens of the KBD; their leading pathological process of cells would be "membrane injury" due to peroxide. As GSH-Px is a selenium contained enzyme, therefore insufficient selenium would be one of the most important conditions to cause KBD.     

Minimizing air pollution exposure: A practical policy to protect vulnerable older adults from death and disability

Air pollution causes an estimated 200,000 deaths per year in the United States alone. Older adults are at greater risk of mortality caused by air pollution. Here we quantify the number of older adult facilities in Los Angeles County who are exposed to high levels of traffic derived air pollution, and propose policy solutions to reduce pollution exposure to this vulnerable subgroup. Distances between 20,362 intersections and 858 elder care facilities were estimated, and roads or highways within 500 of facilities were used to estimate traffic volume exposure. Of the 858 facilities, 54 were located near at least one major roadway, defined as a traffic volume over 100,000 cars per day. These 54 facilities house approximately 6000 older adults. Following standards established for schools, we recommend legislation mandating the placement of new elder care facilities a minimum of 500 ft from major roadways in order to reduce unnecessary mortality risk from pollution exposure.     

Gastrointestinal Bacterial Transmission among Humans,Mountain Gorillas,and Livestock in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park,Uganda

Abstract: Habitat overlap can increase the risks of anthroponotic and zoonotic pathogen transmission between humans, livestock, and wild apes. We collected Escherichia coli bacteria from humans, livestock, and mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, from May to August 2005 to examine whether habitat overlap influences rates and patterns of pathogen transmission between humans and apes and whether livestock might facilitate transmission. We genotyped 496 E. coli isolates with repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting and measured susceptibility to 11 antibiotics with the disc‐diffusion method. We conducted population genetic analyses to examine genetic differences among populations of bacteria from different hosts and locations. Gorilla populations that overlapped in their use of habitat at high rates with people and livestock harbored E. coli that were genetically similar to E. coli from those people and livestock, whereas E. coli from gorillas that did not overlap in their use of habitats with people and livestock were more distantly related to human or livestock bacteria. Thirty‐five percent of isolates from humans, 27% of isolates from livestock, and 17% of isolates from gorillas were clinically resistant to at least one antibiotic used by local people, and the proportion of individual gorillas harboring resistant isolates declined across populations in proportion to decreasing degrees of habitat overlap with humans. These patterns of genetic similarity and antibiotic resistance among E. coli from populations of apes, humans, and livestock indicate that habitat overlap between species affects the dynamics of gastrointestinal bacterial transmission, perhaps through domestic animal intermediates and the physical environment. Limiting such transmission would benefit human and domestic animal health and ape conservation.     

室内环境与高龄者血压的关联性——以大连市供暖季为例

对中国大连市供暖季住宅室内环境与高龄者血压的关联性进行了调查研究，具体包括住宅热湿环境（温度、相对湿度）、化学污染（CO₂、CO、甲醛和TVOC）、物理污染（PM_2.5）和生物污染（附着真菌）与高龄者血压的关联性.研究表明，城市和农村住宅供热方式不同是导致住宅室内热环境舒适度差异的主要原因.在大连农村，处于室外的厕所与室内形成的大温差使得农村高龄者患心血管疾病的诱发风险比城市更高.城市高龄者的平均血压比农村低且波动小.城市住宅室内温湿度与血压均存在关联（P<0.01），农村室内温湿度对血压的影响程度不如城市明显.另外，室内空气质量参数并未发现与血压存在显著关联.