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Some host factors and seasonal variations in the fatal road traffic accidents occurring in eastern suburban Calcutta.

An extensive study of road traffic accident cases occurring within eastern suburban Calcutta during April 1992 to March 1993 was done. Of which 276 fatal cases having minimum medical aids were taken into consideration to avoid erroneous interpretation. Male pedestrians of age group of 50 years and above were mostly involved during the time period of 5 A.M. to 12 Noon. Fatal Accidents mostly occurred during winter and on the broader roads (Highways) and in majority of cases victims were at fault.

Accidents, Traffic↗

[Anthropometric growth of the school population in rural and suburban areas of Durango, Mexico].

The nutritional status of school children from the rural and suburban areas from the state of Durango. México, was determined using anthropometric evaluation, during the periods 92-93 and 93-94. The sample included a total of 1,033 school children, of which 504 were males and 529 females, ranging ages from 3 to 15 years. The results of the study indicate that compared to the international standards, linear growth and weight of the Durango children decline with age and accentuate theirself through time. On the other hand, growth in body mass index exhibits a lesser retardation than that of height by age and weight by age. Evaluation of the weight by height index indicated that about 3% of the school children has suffered from chronic undernutrition.

Adolescent↗

Decriminalization of public drunkenness: the response of suburban police.

In 1973, Massachusetts abolished the crime of public drunkenness, with the intent that many of the persons who formerly had been arrested on this charge would now be treated at detoxification centers. We studied the effects of this law in the Boston suburbs, with an emphasis on the police response. We found that there has been a paradoxical increase in drinking-related jail cell detentions, and that the police and detoxification centers are dealing with two essentially different and unrelated populations. Police and detoxification officials agree that the suburban detoxification system is irrelevant for dealing with most of the public intoxicants whom the police have always dealt with and whom they continue to deal with.

Alcoholic Intoxication↗

"Feed a cold, starve a fever"--folk models of infection in an English suburban community, and their relation to medical treatment.

This paper outlines a widely-held conception of illness, related to perceived changes in body temperature--'Chills' and 'Colds' on one hand, 'Fevers' on the other---in an English suburban community on the outskirts of London. The relationship between this folk model, and that of the local family physicians is analysed, to show how biomedical treatment and concepts, particularly the germ theory of disease, far from challenging the folk model, actually reinforce it. Remedies which cannot be scientifically and biomedically justified are nevertheless prescribed by the physicians to meet their patients' need to 'make sense' of biomedical treatment in terms of their folk model of illness. At the interface between physicians and patient, biomedical diagnoses and treatment are more 'negotiable' than previously realised--and this has important implications for the delivery of health care.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Mental health training and consultation with suburban police.

A community mental health consultation and education program with 10 suburban police departments has helped foster the development of an awareness of mental health issues on the part of police officers and their chiefs and increased their orientation toward prevention of problems before they arise. The keys to success in this project have been flexibility in the application of consultation and training modalities, a willingness to view the world through the police officers' eyes, and the cooperative involvement of officers and their chiefs in all phases of program planning.

Adolescent↗

Estimating the risks and prevalence of hypertension in a suburban area of Beijing.

Community-oriented primary care (COPC) provides a framework for identifying and addressing a defined community's health and health care needs. The research reported upon here is based on a community health survey in a new suburban neighborhood (Tayuan region) in the Haidian district of Beijing, conducted by the Beijing Medical University Department of Preventive Medicine and Health Care, to serve as a basis for planning health care services for the residents in that community. The analyses focus on the prevalence and predictors of hypertension among older adult residents (those 45 years of age and older). Based on logistic regression analyses, the odds ratios (in parentheses) confirm that individuals with a family history of cardiovascular disease were more likely to have been diagnosed as hypertensive (1.57). Hypertensives were also more likely to have uncontrolled systolic (3.85) or diastolic (4.75) blood pressure and associated behavioral and biologic risks, such as obesity (1.87) and renal damage (2.60). These risks were even greater among current or former smokers. These analyses will inform the design of community-oriented primary care interventions in that particular community in the People's Republic of China. They also signal important implications and highlight practical methods for assessing and targeting interventions in U.S. communities facing comparable, but unexamined, risks.

Aged↗

Thyroid lesions and dioxin accumulation in the livers of jungle crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in urban and suburban Tokyo.

Wild jungle crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) captured from three different areas of Tokyo were examined to evaluate environmental contamination of dioxins. In addition to the pathologic examination of their whole body, accumulation of dioxins, mRNA expression of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and pentoxyresorufin-O-depenthylase (PROD) activity in the liver were determined. Marked histopathologic changes were observed in the thyroid glands, especially in the crows from the urban downtown area. Levels of dioxins and their toxic equivalents (TEQs) and AhR mRNA expression in the livers of the crows from the urban area were higher than those from the suburban area. There was a high correlation between the levels of TEQs and PROD activity. The results of the present study demonstrated that jungle crows possess AhR-mediated toxicologic pathways similar to those of mammals and suggest the possibility that the thyroidal changes observed in the adult crows from the urban areas are one of the toxic manifestations resulting from exposure to dioxins and other environmental chemicals.

Age Factors↗

Evaluation of ambient air pollution impact on carrot plants at a suburban site using open top chambers.

The present experiment was done to evaluate the impact of ambient air pollution on carrot (Dacus carota var. Pusa Kesar) plants using open top chambers (OTCs) ventilated with ambient (NFCs) or charcoal filtered air (FCs) at a suburban site of Varanasi, India. Various morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of the plants were studied at different growth stages. Air monitoring data clearly showed high concentrations of SO2, NO2 and O3 in the ambient air of study site. SO2 and NO2 concentrations were higher during early growth stages of carrot, whereas O3 concentration was highest during later growth stages. Filtration of air has caused significant reductions in all the three pollutant concentrations in FCs as compared to NFCs. Plants growing in FCs showed significantly higher photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency and variable fluorescence as compared to plants growing in NFCs. Protein content also showed a similar pattern, however, lipid peroxidation, ascorbic acid content and peroxidase activity were higher in plants growing in NFCs as compared to FCs. Shoot length, number of leaves per plant, leaf area and root and shoot weight increased significantly upon filtration of ambient air. Total nitrogen decreased significantly in root, but increased significantly in shoot of plants grown in NFCs. Total P, Mg, Ca and K contents decreased significantly in plants grown in NFCs as compared to FCs. The individual pollutant concentrations were below threshold for plant injury, but the combined effect of all the three seems to act synergistically in causing greater adverse impact on dry weight and physiology of carrot plants. The study clearly indicates that air pollutants are high enough in the ambient air to cause significant unfavorable impact on carrot plants. The work further supports the usefulness of OTCs for assessing air pollution damage under field conditions in developing countries.

Air Pollutants↗

Biomonitoring of air pollution in a seasonally dry tropical suburban area using wheat transplants.

Air pollution has been identified as a serious problem throughout the world which causes tremendous loss to the crops by affecting plant growth and yield. Earlier, air pollution was restricted to urban and industrial regions. Over the last few decades, however, it has become evident that pollutants can be transported over long distances and hence their impact may be felt widely over rural areas. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of urban air pollution on suburban agriculture with respect to the changes in photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, water-use efficiency, plant height, numbers of tillers, leaves, ears and seeds, chlorophyll, carotenoid, protein, phenol, ascorbic acid, nitrogen and sulphate-sulphur contents and seed weight of pot-grown wheat plants (Triticum aestivum var. HUW 468) kept at different sites around Varanasi city receiving varying levels of pollution load. Mean concentrations of SO2, NO2 and O3 were monitored. The study clearly showed that plants are negatively affected by the ambient levels of air pollutants. Reduction in various parameters directly corresponded with the air pollution levels at different sites.

Agriculture↗

Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the diaphragm and birth control pill during the first year of use among suburban adolescents.

Little attention has been paid to the diaphragm as a contraceptive option for adolescents. To compare diaphragm and birth control pill use by adolescents, 124 females (aged 13-20 years) in a suburban-based adolescent health service were interviewed at least one year after receiving a contraceptive prescription. The 73 diaphragm choosers did not differ from the 51 pill choosers in age, race, or reason for their original visit to the health service. Diaphragm choosers, however, were better students, of higher socioeconomic status, and had had fewer prior pregnancies. In the year following prescription, continuous use for 12 months was reported by 43% of diaphragm choosers and 45% of pill choosers, with significantly more pill (26%) than diaphragm (8%) choosers reporting discontinued use for at least one month while remaining sexually active. Regular use (diaphragm every intercourse, missing less than or equal to 1 pill/month) was reported by 36% of diaphragm choosers compared to 88% of pill choosers; and at least one pregnancy during the year was reported by 15% of diaphragm choosers and 18% of pill choosers. At follow-up interviews, diaphragm subjects disliked the immediate annoyances of the diaphragm, and pill users expressed concern about the potential side effects of the pill. No single factor or set of factors correlated with continuous and regular use of either method. Because both methods present specific problems for certain patients, we suggest that in addition to the pill, the diaphragm should receive serious consideration as a contraceptive option for adolescents.

Adolescent↗

A survey to determine the prevalence of abnormal growth patterns in adolescents from a suburban school district.

A longitudinal survey of 1017 (514 male, 503 female) school health records was undertaken to assess the prevalence of normal and abnormal growth patterns in adolescents attending a suburban upper middle class junior-senior high school. The vast majority (97.4% of the students) were growing and gaining weight at a steady rate, maintaining a similar percentile for height and weight throughout adolescence. However, 75% of these students had mild deficits or excesses of body weight for height, which also remained constant throughout adolescence. Approximately 10% of the students had a body weight deficit or excess for height greater than 20%. These students were growing along normal percentile patterns. This was true whether the student had short, normal, or tall stature. Only a minority (2.6%) had an abnormal growth pattern. There were 18 students who had deteriorating linear growth and had decelerated across one or two major percentile lines for height. Only eight students demonstrated accelerated growth characterized by progressive weight gain greater than 10 kg/year and crossing a major percentile line for weight.

Adolescent↗

Prevalence and correlates of past-year substance use, abuse, and dependence in a suburban community sample of high-school students.

To assess the severity of substance use, abuse and dependence in a community sample of high school students, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in a suburban New Jersey community. Participants, a sample of 9th to 12th graders from six high schools (N=1044), completed a self-administered questionnaire after obtaining active parental consent. The measure of substance use disorders was based on 27 specially designed questions that approximate the DSM-IV criteria for abuse and dependence. Equivalent multivariate logit models were used to estimate the significant correlates for both use and dependence/abuse. The prevalence of drug use in this sample was similar to the national average for all drugs except alcohol. A total of 16.4% of the surveyed students reported either abuse or dependence symptoms with alcohol in the past year. The rates of abuse/dependence for marijuana and other illicit drugs were 13.4% and 3.9%. The rate of nicotine dependence was 8.0%. The logit models designed to examine the correlates of substance use showed minimal predictive or correlative value in explaining substance abuse or dependence in adolescence. More research is needed to identify and understand the factors leading adolescents from drug use to abuse or dependence.

Adolescent↗

Carotid atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors: a comparison of residents of a rural area of Okinawa with residents of a typical suburban area of Fukuoka, Japan.

Areas of Japan are known worldwide for the longevity of their residents. Okinawa has the highest longevity in Japan and a low rate of death due to cardiovascular disease. We investigated carotid atherosclerotic (CA) risk factors in islands of I city in Okinawa prefecture and compared them with K town, a suburban area of Fukuoka prefecture in Kyushu, to determine the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and carotid atherosclerosis. We investigated conventional cardiovascular risk factors in 1078 I city residents (375 men, mean age 63.7 and 703 women, mean age 60.0) in 2000 and 2364 K town residents (676 men, mean age 57.1 and 1688 women, mean age 53.0) in 1999. Carotid atherosclerosis was assessed by mean intima-media thickness (IMT) by B-mode ultrasound. The mean IMT was significantly lower in the residents of I city than in those of K town (P < 0.05). Total cholesterol (TC) and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and smoking rate were also lower in I city than in K town. Body mass index (BMI) and triglyceride (TG) level were higher in I city than in K town. In I city, multiple regression analysis found independent relationships between carotid atherosclerosis and age, sex (male), hypertension, LDL cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and diabetes. The lower mean IMT is probably related to a lower lifetime burden of atherosclerotic risk factors, which may in turn be related to the longevity of Okinawa residents. BMI was not a cardiovascular risk factor, although LDL cholesterol was a common important risk factor.

Adult↗

The influence of lifestyle modification on carotid artery intima-media thickness in a suburban Japanese population.

To evaluate the influence of lifestyle modification with and without lipid-lowering drug therapy on the carotid arterial wall, we did a 2 year prospective ultrasound study of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in 1390 male and female residents of a suburban Japanese town. According to total cholesterol (TC) level at baseline, subjects were classified into a lifestyle modification alone group (TC >/= 220 mg/dl, n = 437), a lifestyle modification with lipid-lowering drug group (TC >/= 220 mg/dl, n = 159), and a control group (TC < 220 mg/dl, n = 794). After 2 years of follow-up, both sexes of both treatment groups showed significant reductions of TC, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and IMT, although TC continued over 220 mg/dl in some subjects in the lifestyle modification group. The reduction of TC and LDL-C was significantly higher in the lifestyle modification with lipid-lowering drug group than in the lifestyle modification alone group. Although the IMT reduction was not statistically different between the treatment groups of either sex, the reduction of IMT was greater in the lifestyle modification with lipid-lowering drug group than in the lifestyle modification alone group. Our results indicate that comprehensive lifestyle modification can reduce carotid IMT in the general population, with or without the use of lipid-lowering drugs and that cholesterol reduction is of benefit even when TC level remain above the recommended level.

Adult↗

Emission inventory and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere at a suburban area in Taiwan.

The application of a chemical mass balance air pollution model to ambient measurements of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is presented. Sixteen air samples were collected at seven sites in a suburban area in Taiwan and analyzed for the concentration of 21 compounds between July 2001 and September 2001. Each ambient sample was evaluated for the PAH contribution from six sources (heavy oil combustion, natural gas combustion, coal combustion, diesel combustion, vehicles and municipal solid waste incinerator). Average predictions agree well with the emission inventory. By this method, the average contributions are 49%, 14%, 22%, 12%, and 2% from vehicles, heavy oil combustion, natural gas combustion, coal combustion and diesel combustion at these seven receptors. By far, vehicles are the major PAH emission sources and municipal solid waste incinerator is a minor contributor. The calculated result of particulate PAHs is compared with that of total (gaseous and particulate) PAHs. The estimate based on total PAHs is better than the estimate based on particulate PAHs only. Contributions of eight low reactive PAHs for the same emission sources and receptors were calculated. Atmospheric reactivity seems not a problem for source apportionment in this study.

Air Pollutants↗

Role of ethylene diurea (EDU) in assessing impact of ozone on Vigna radiata L. plants in a suburban area of Allahabad (India).

A field study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of ethylene diurea (N-[2-(2-oxo-1-imidazolidinyl)ethyl]-N'-phenylurea; EDU) in assessing the impact of O3 on mung bean plants (Vigna radiata L. var. Malviya Jyoti) grown in suburban area of Allahabad city situated in a dry tropical region of India. EDU is a synthetic chemical having anti-ozonant property. Mean monthly O3 concentration varied between 64 and 69 microg m(-3) during the experimental period. In comparison to EDU-treated plants, non-EDU-treated plants showed significant reductions in plant growth and yield under ambient conditions. Significant favourable effects of EDU-application were observed with respect to photosynthetic pigments, soluble protein, ascorbic acid and phenol contents. EDU-treated plants maintained higher levels of pigments, protein and ascorbic acid in foliage as compared to non-EDU-treated ones. The study clearly demonstrated that EDU alleviates the unfavourable effects of O3 on mung bean plants, and therefore can be used as a tool to assess the growth and yield losses in areas having higher O3 concentrations.

Agriculture↗

Heavy metal contamination of soil and vegetables in suburban areas of Varanasi, India.

Heavy metal contamination of soil resulting from wastewater irrigation is a cause of serious concern due to the potential health impacts of consuming contaminated produce. In this study an assessment is made of the impact of wastewater irrigation on heavy metal contamination of Beta vulgaris (palak); this is a highly nutritious leafy vegetable that is widely cultivated and consumed in urban India, particularly by the poor. A field study was conducted at three major sites that were irrigated by either treated or untreated wastewater in the suburban areas of Varanasi, India according to normal practice. Samples of irrigation water, soil, and the edible portion of the palak (Beta vulgaris L. var All green H1) were collected monthly during the summer and winter seasons and were analyzed for Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Mn, and Ni. Heavy metals in irrigation water were below the internationally recommended (WHO) maximum permissible limits set for agricultural use for all heavy metals except Cd at all the sites. Similarly, the mean heavy metal concentrations in soil were below the Indian standards for all heavy metals, but the maximum value of Cd recorded during January was higher than the standard. However, in the edible portion of B. vulgaris, the Cd concentration was higher than the permissible limits of the Indian standard during summer, whereas Pb and Ni concentrations were higher in both summer and winter seasons. Results of linear regression analysis computed to assess the relationship between individual heavy metal concentration in the vegetable samples and in soil showed that Zn in soil had a positive significant relationship with vegetable contamination during winter. Concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Mn in soil and plant showed significant positive relationships only during summer. Concentration of Cr and Pb during winter season and Zn and Ni during summer season showed significant negative relationships between soil and plant contamination. The study concludes that the use of treated and untreated wastewater for irrigation has increased the contamination of Cd, Pb, and Ni in edible portion of vegetables causing potential health risk in the long term from this practice. The study also points to the fact that adherence to standards for heavy metal contamination of soil and irrigation water does not ensure safe food.

Agriculture↗

Temporal variations of PM2.5 in the ambient air of a suburban site in Athens, Greece.

Twenty-three hour measurements of PM(2.5) particulate matter have been carried out during the period between the 1st April and the 13th November 2003 in a suburban area of Athens. The monitoring site was located in the National Research Center "DEMOKRITOS", on the foot of Hemittos Mountain and about 12 km away from the center of Athens. The site covers an area of 600 acres in a forest of pine trees close enough to the newly constructed Hemittos Mountain peripheral highway. PM(2.5) samples were collected on 47 mm filters, with the use of low volume gravimetric samplers while a meteorological station recorded meteorological data 6 m above the ground, nearby the sampling instrumentation. The daily average PM(2.5) concentration reached 21.1 microg m(-3) and all measurements were below U.S. Environmental Pollution Agency daily limit (65 microg m(-3)). A regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship among PM(2.5) concentrations and meteorological parameters. Additionally, PM(2.5) mass concentrations were correlated with other inorganic gaseous pollutants (O(3), NO, NO(2), SO(2)) while weekly and seasonal PM(2.5) variations were also investigated.

Air Pollutants↗