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Reducing coronary heart disease in the Australian Coalfields: evaluation of a 10-year community intervention.

Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of death in Australia with the Coalfields district of New South Wales having one of the country's highest rates. Identification of the Coalfields epidemic in the 1970's led to the formation of a community awareness program in the late 1980's (the healthy heart support group) followed by a more intense community action program in 1990, the Coalfields Healthy Heartbeat (CHHB). CHHB is a coalition of community members, local government officers, health workers and University researchers. We evaluate the CHHB program, examining both the nature and sustainability of heart health activities undertaken, as well as trends in risk factor levels and rates of coronary events in the Coalfields in comparison with nearby local government areas. Process data reveal difficulties mobilising the community as a whole; activities had to be selected for interested subgroups such as families of heart disease patients, school children, retired people and women concerned with family nutrition and body maintenance. Outcome data show a significantly larger reduction in case fatality for Coalfields men (although nonfatal heart attacks did not decline) while changes in risk factors levels were comparable with surrounding areas. We explain positive responses to the CHHB by schools, heart attack survivors and women interested in body maintenance in terms of the meaning these subgroups find in health promotion discourses based on their embodied experiences. When faced with a threat to one's identity, health discourse suddenly becomes meaningful along with the regimens for health improvement. General public disinterest in heart health promotion is examined in the context of historical patterns of outsiders criticising the lifestyle of miners, an orientation toward communal rather than individual responsibility for health (i.e. community 'owned' emergency services and hospitals) and anger about risks from environmental hazards imposed by industrialists.

Adult↗

Differential human electrodermal responses to odours.

Evaluation of the pleasantness of odours is an important function of the olfactory system. Electrodermal recordings monitor activity in the autonomic nervous system and it has been hypothesized that such measurements could be especially valuable for investigations of affective processes in the olfactory system. In this study we measured changes in skin conductance on both hands while subjects were exposed birhinally to two pleasant and two unpleasant odours. All odours were iso-intense and non-trigeminal. We wanted to test the hypothesis that skin conductance is contra laterally governed. Furthermore, we tested the hypothesis that unpleasant odours produce larger skin conductance responses than pleasant odours. Our results indicate that there are differential skin conductance responses to different odours, but we did not find that unpleasant odours in general produce larger skin conduction responses than pleasant odours. Neither did we find support for the hypothesis that skin conduction is contralaterally governed. Rather, our data are consistent with the existence of an ipsilateral system for the control of emotional responses.

Electric Conductivity↗

Geographical change in residential care provision for the elderly in England, 1988-93.

This paper offers an investigation of the spatial consequences of changes in the structural organization of residential care in England between 1988 and 1993. Data from various government publications were analysed using descriptive and spatial statistical methods. While the study period witnessed an overall levelling of residential care growth, the independent (i.e. private and voluntary) sector's share of all elderly residents in England increased from 56% to 73%. At both national and intra-regional scales, the structural changes resulted in an increasing geographical concentration of public sector residents and a moderate trend towards a more uniform spatial distribution of private residents.

Aged↗

Number and type of substances in alcohol and drug-related completed suicides in an Australian sample.

BACKGROUND: The association between substance use and suicide is well-established, but evidence is scant regarding the relationship between the number, type, and level of substances and other risk factors in completed suicide across the lifespan. AIMS: To examine the relationship between social/demographic characteristics and the number, type, and level of drugs present in an unrestricted age sample of completed suicides in Australia. METHOD: An analysis was undertaken of 893 substance-related suicides using data from the Government Statistician's Office for the years 1989-1992. RESULTS: The number and type of substances present in suicide victims was related to the individuals' gender, age, marital status, employment status, and method of suicide. Blood alcohol level was significantly different between the methods of suicide, but was unrelated to demographic characteristics of the individual. The level of antidepressants and minor tranquilizers in the individuals was also unrelated to demographic characteristics. CONCLUSION: Examination of the type and number of substances present in completed suicides is an important component in creating profiles of potential suicide victims.

Adult↗

Monitoring dynamics of single-cell gene expression over multiple cell cycles.

Recent progress in reconstructing gene regulatory networks has established a framework for a quantitative description of the dynamics of many important cellular processes. Such a description will require novel experimental techniques that enable the generation of time-series data for the governing regulatory proteins in a large number of individual living cells. Here, we utilize microfabrication to construct a Tesla microchemostat that permits single-cell fluorescence imaging of gene expression over many cellular generations. The device is used to capture and constrain asymmetrically dividing or motile cells within a trapping region and to deliver nutrients and regulate the cellular population within this region. We illustrate the operation of the microchemostat with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and explore the evolution of single-cell gene expression and cycle time as a function of generation. Our findings highlight the importance of novel assays for quantifying the dynamics of gene expression and cellular growth, and establish a methodology for exploring the effects of gene expression on long-term processes such as cellular aging.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Learning oral presentation skills: a rhetorical analysis with pedagogical and professional implications.

OBJECTIVE: Oral presentation skills are central to physician-physician communication; however, little is known about how these skills are learned. Rhetoric is a social science which studies communication in terms of context and explores the action of language on knowledge, attitudes, and values. It has not previously been applied to medical discourse. We used rhetorical principles to qualitatively study how students learn oral presentation skills and what professional values are communicated in this process. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: Inpatient general medicine service in a university-affiliated public hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twelve third-year medical students during their internal medicine clerkship and 14 teachers. MEASUREMENTS: One-hundred sixty hours of ethnographic observation. including 73 oral presentations on rounds. Discoursed-based interviews of 8 students and 10 teachers. Data were qualitatively analyzed to uncover recurrent patterns of communication. MAIN RESULTS: Students and teachers had different perceptions of the purpose of oral presentation, and this was reflected in performance. Students described and conducted the presentation as a rule-based, data-storage activity governed by "order" and "structure." Teachers approached the presentation as a flexible means of "communication" and a method for "constructing" the details of a case into a diagnostic or therapeutic plan. Although most teachers viewed oral presentations rhetorically (sensitive to context), most feedback that students received was implicit and acontextual, with little guidance provided for determining relevant content. This led to dysfunctional generalizations by students, sometimes resulting in worse communication skills (e.g., comment "be brief" resulted in reading faster rather than editing) and unintended value acquisition (e.g., request for less social history interpreted as social history never relevant). CONCLUSIONS: Students learn oral presentation by trial and error rather than through teaching of an explicit rhetorical model. This may delay development of effective communication skills and result in acquisition of unintended professional values. Teaching and learning of oral presentation skills may be improved by emphasizing that context determines content and by making explicit the tacit rules of presentation.

Communication↗

A prospective regional audit of surgical management of endometrial cancer in the South and West of England.

The results of a prospective audit of surgical management of endometrial cancer in the South and West of England is presented. A minimum data set was defined and information collected prospectively. There was limited tertiary referral to a gynaecological oncologist. The role of centralisation of endometrial cancer care has been questioned, as surgery has traditionally been simple in patients perceived to be at increased risk of more radical surgery. However, this audit demonstrates that standards of even this simple care within the region are often inadequate, with only one-third of patients having basic staging procedures performed fully. This has important implications for patients management, future interpretation of outcome data and clinical governance in endometrial cancer care.

Journal Article↗

Registering in a health facility for delivery protects against maternal mortality in a developing country setting.

A prospective study on the maternal deaths in public and private health facilities in Ogun State was undertaken for a period of 9 months (November 2003 - July 2004). While data were collected from all of the primary, the secondary and tertiary health facilities, it could only be collected from 123 (18.6%) of the private health facilities in the state. Of the 20,831 live births during the period, 37 maternal deaths occurred giving a maternal mortality ratio of 177.6 deaths per 100,000 live births. Some 84% of maternal deaths were not registered for delivery in the health facilities they delivered. The maternal mortality ratio is comparable with previously reported data for South-West Nigeria. A total of 81% of the deaths were due to three main causes: haemorrhage, eclampsia and infection. The maternal mortality ratio was almost three-fold greater in women above the age of 35 years. There is therefore a need to enhance activities to reduce maternal mortality. Private health facilities registration must be tied to sending data to authorized government departments. There is also a need to capture childbirth and attendant complications and death occurring outside orthodox health facilities.

Adolescent↗

Mortality trends of elderly people in Taiwan from 1974 to 1994.

BACKGROUND: the hypothesis that disability and death will eventually be compressed to a period late in life needs empirical confirmation. OBJECTIVES: we have examined the secular trends of life expectancy and common causes of death in the aged population of Taiwan. METHOD: we compared the life expectancy, causes of death and probability of death for people at birth, at age 65 and at age 85 for both sexes from 1974 to 1994 using data from Taiwan government statistics. RESULTS: there has been a substantial gain in life expectancy, especially for men age 85 and over, in the past 20 years. . Mortality due to stroke, ischaemic heart disease, hypertension and chronic pulmonary disease has declined. There has been a steep increase in cancer deaths and deaths associated with diabetes mellitus. Tuberculosis and injury-related deaths have declined but pneumonia deaths have increased. For elderly people, the probability of dying from cancer and ischaemic heart disease increased with time. However, the probability of dying from stroke decreased. Although there was a decrease in probability of deaths associated with falls, there was an increase of deaths due to 'frailty' (as judged by falls, pneumonia and septicaemia). CONCLUSIONS: cancer is a major cause of death in the elderly population of Taiwan. This rapidly expanding elderly population seemed to suffer from poorer health in the later period of their life.

Aged↗

Cash benefits are associated with lower risk behavior among the homeless and marginally housed in San Francisco.

To address the widespread debate about the role of public assistance to the urban poor, the authors determined characteristics of individuals receiving cash assistance and explored the link between cash subsidies and risk behavior. From 1999 to 2000, a representative sample of homeless and marginally housed (HMH) adults living in San Francisco was recruited and interviewed about subsidies, shelter, jail, and drug use. Among 1,156 adults, 87% were ever homeless, 22% currently injected drugs, and 14% were HIV positive. Sixty percent of participants reported that most of their income came from subsidies [mostly subsidized (MS)]. The MS had lower odds of receiving any income from selling drugs or trading sex. Adjusting for HIV infection, the MS had higher odds of sleeping in a hotel [odds ratio (OR) = 2.39] or shelter (OR = 1.61) compared to the street. The MS had lower odds of injection drug use (OR = 0.69) and recent incarceration (OR = O.77). Among San Francisco's homeless, being MS was positively associated with having shelter and negatively associated with injection drug use and incarceration. These data suggest that government subsidies are associated with positive health behaviors among the urban poor.

Adult↗

Open care for the aged: Swedish model.

Many countries view the Swedish model of open care for the aged with increasing interest. Open care offers several points of access to the service system and a wide range of services both in urban and rural areas. Nevertheless, governments need more data for a comprehensive evaluation of cost-effectiveness and the degree of coordination between health and medical services and social and environmental services in comparison with other models of care.

Aged↗

Effect of vertebral shell on injection pressure and intravertebral pressure in vertebroplasty.

STUDY DESIGN: An experimental biomechanical study conducted on osteoporotic cadaveric vertebrae. OBJECTIVES: 1) To measure the intravertebral shell pressure and injection pressure; and 2) to determine the effect of the vertebral shell on the intravertebral shell pressure and on the injection pressure. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Forces that govern cement flow are an essential component of the cement injection process in vertebroplasty. The vertebral shell may play a significant role in confining the flow of cement in the vertebral body and thereby affecting the intravertebral pressure and injection pressure. METHODS: A small fenestration was created in the left lateral vertebral shell of 14 vertebrae. A valve to open and close the fenestration and a sensor to measure the intravertebral pressure were attached to the opening. A closed fenestration simulated an intact shell, whereas an open fenestration represented a vented shell. Injection pressure and intravertebral pressure at the shell were recorded during a controlled injection. RESULTS: A closed fenestration resulted in a significant increase in the intravertebral pressure at the shell. During the injection, the shell pressure increased on average to approximately 3.54 +/- 2.91 kPa. Conversely, an open fenestration resulted in an instant relaxation of the shell pressure to the ambient pressure of 0 kPa. Additionally, the injection pressure was approximately 97 times higher than the shell pressure. CONCLUSION: The presence of vertebral shell seems to be important for intravertebral pressure. However, the intravertebral shell pressure adds very little to the injection pressure.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

Unresponsiveness to factor VIII inhibitor bypassing agents during haemostatic treatment for life-threatening massive bleeding in a patient with haemophilia A and a high responding inhibitor.

We report a case of haemophilia A with a high responding inhibitor of factor VIII (FVIII) who had a serious retroperitoneal haematoma caused by penetration of a duodenal ulcer. Inhibitor-bypassing therapy was commenced immediately on admission. On the 17th day of treatment with activated prothrombin complex concentrate (APCC; FEIBA, re-bleeding occurred and thrombelastography (TEG) demonstrated resistance to therapy. Treatment was changed to recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa; NovoSeven and resulted in clinical improvement together with an improvement in TEG parameters. On the 10th day of continuous infusion with NovoSeven, however, TEG again showed resistance to therapy. FEIBA infusions were re-introduced and TEG results remained satisfactory for 7 days. On day 34, however, further retroperitoneal bleeding was evident and a decline in the haemostatic efficiency of FEIBA was recorded by TEG. NovoSeven was again successfully administered for 7 days. There were no laboratory findings to indicate disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), hypercoagulability or abnormal fibrinolysis. The plasma-based clotting tests did not show any additional prolongation on the occasions when the TEG demonstrated unresponsiveness to FEIBA or NovoSeven. These findings suggested that some component of whole blood, other than plasma might have governed the TEG data. The long-term use of APCC such as FEIBA or rFVIIa, requires careful monitoring in terms of FVIII inhibitor bypassing activity as well as the tendency to DIC.

Adolescent↗

New South Wales trends in mortality differentials between small rural and urban communities over a 25-year period, 1970-1994.

OBJECTIVE: To identify trends in premature mortality differences between urban and small rural communities in NSW over a 25-years period. DESIGN: A longitudinal population-based study. ABS population and death data by local government area, sex and age for the period 1970 to 1994, were used to derive mortality measures for urban and small rural communities in NSW. SETTING: NSW local government areas categorised by the Rural and Remote Metropolitan Area Classification system as 'capital city' (the Sydney Statistical Division) and 'other rural area' and 'other remote area'. SUBJECTS: All persons aged 0-74 years resident in the aforementioned NSW local government areas between 1970 and 1994 inclusive. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Whether premature mortality differentials have widened, narrowed or remained the same over the study period and the magnitude of any identified changes. RESULT: There was a decrease in premature mortality rates for men and women in both urban and small rural communities. However, the decline was less in small rural communities, with the differential between small rural and urban areas increasing 2-3% every 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in age structure, proportion of indigenous and migrant populations between small rural communities and urban NSW can not fully account for the increasing differential. Other possible explanatory factors include socioeconomic status and different exposures and practices in rural areas.

Adolescent↗

Definition of race and ethnicity in older people in Medicare and Medicaid.

BACKGROUND: Race and ethnicity are important predictors of health care access and outcomes, but quality of their documentation in the healthcare system is often problematic. OBJECTIVES: To study the agreement between Medicare and Medicaid descriptions of race and ethnicity in older beneficiaries. DESIGN: Quasiexperimental design in a natural practice setting. SETTING: New Jersey. PARTICIPANTS: 153,241 dually enrolled participants in Medicare and Medicaid. MEASUREMENTS: Agreement rates between administrative databases on recipients' race and ethnicity. RESULTS: Agreement between Medicare and Medicaid on the recipients' race and ethnicity was modest (kappa = .58; 95% CI, .57-.58) for men and women alike and across different age groups. Depending on whether Medicare or Medicaid was used as the reference standard, the relative agreement rates for race and ethnic group assignments varied. For example, using Medicare as the reference, the relative agreement rate was 84% for whites, 74% for blacks, 61% for others, 23% for Hispanics, and only 5% for Asians. Using Medicaid as the reference, a different pattern emerged. However, such gradients of agreement rates across racial groups were observed in both programs. Medicare and Medicaid reported different percentages of all race and ethnicity groups, with Medicaid reporting greater proportions of White and Black beneficiaries, and Medicare reporting greater proportions of Hispanic, Asian, and Other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Depiction of race and ethnicity data in large government health insurance programs is approximate at best and often contradictory from one program to another. This can impede efforts to study the relationship between these important characteristics and health care utilization and outcomes.

Aged↗

Trends in suicide and unemployment in Scotland, 1976-86.

To establish whether a correlation exists between unemployment and suicide the trends in the rates of both among men in Scotland during 1976-86 were studied. Both rates showed rapid increases in the late 1970s and then much slower increases after 1982. In contrast, among women, although the rate of unemployment followed a similar pattern, there was a gradual fall in the rate of suicide. The trends in regional unemployment for men during 1971-81 were compared with the suicide rates for the period before the increase (1974-7) and the period after the rapid increase (1983-6). No association was observed between trends in suicide and unemployment when analysed by health board areas or aggregates of local government districts. These data do not support the hypothesis that the rise in unemployment is a direct cause of the rise in suicide rates among men.

Adult↗

State size as measured in terms of public spending and world health, 1990-2000.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between state size (measured in terms of public spending) and public health indicators in a sample of countries representing all regions of the world and from 1990-2000. METHODS: An ecological study was performed using data on Central Government Spending (CGS) and per capita Gross National Product (GNP) obtained from the International Monetary Fund, and on life expectancy, maternal, and infant mortality, provided by the World Health Organization. A multiple linear regression model was fitted to estimate the effect of CGS on health, which also took into consideration per capita GNP and geographical region. RESULTS: CGS varied little over the study period, with convergence around an average of 28%, but within a relatively wide range (7.80-53.0%); the countries with the strongest economies (according to per capita GNP) had the highest levels of CGS. The influence of this factor was particularly relevant for the infant mortality rate (r = 0.40; beta = -1.327; EE = 0.237; t = -5.590; p < 0.001). Per capita GNP and geographic location were also associated with variations in health; health indicators tended to be worse for poorer countries in Africa and Asia. In the adjusted model, CGS was statistically significant with regard to infant and maternal mortality rates. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that state size (in terms of public spending) has an important influence upon health and particularly upon mortality. Although it is important to bear in mind the limitations of this study and the reduced time window used, these results should be taken into consideration in the current political and epidemiological debate.

Developing Countries↗

Demographic pattern and clinical characteristics of patients with smear- positive pulmonary tuberculosis in kuwait.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to document various clinical factors that are likely to be of help in the control of tuberculosis in Kuwait. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Details of patients with sputum positive for acid-fast bacilli in the period from January 1998 to December 2000 were collected retrospectively from the case records and population statistics from government sources. The data were then tabulated and analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 526 cases, 83.5% were expatriates and 16.5% Kuwaiti; 373 (70.9%) were male. Of the expatriates, 66.7% were from Asia and the Far East, 5.7% were > or =60 years. The annual incidence was 8.34 per 100,000 population. The lowest incidence was observed in the Jahrah governorate with an overall incidence of 5 (2.0 among Kuwaitis and 6.4 among expatriates) per 100,000 population. The highest incidence overall (10.2) and among Kuwaitis (4.1) was observed in the Farwaniya governorate, while the highest incidence among expatriates was seen in the Capital governorate (13.4). Radiologically, 94 (19.5%) had minimal, 246 (51.5%) had moderately advanced and 141 (29.3%) far-advanced disease. The majority of the patients (72%) had only + status for AFB in the smear. Hypercalcemia (25.7%), hyponatremia (22.15%) and hyperglycemia (29.9%) were common in the patients. Mean serum albumin was low (28.7 +/- 5.5 g/l). Two hundred and forty-seven (47.2%) were declared cured while 116 (22.2%) completed treatment. Comparison between nationals and expatriates showed a significant difference only for age, smoking status, defaulter rate and place of residence. CONCLUSION: The lowest regional incidence was found in the Jahrah governorate. Both biochemical abnormalities and radiologically advanced presentations were common. Disease pattern and response to treatment was purely individual and did not differ with respect to nationality or race.

Adult↗