Current norms and practices in using a seizure diary for managing epilepsy: A scoping review

Epilepsy is a chronic and debilitating condition affecting people of all ages in many nations. Healthcare practitioners look for effective ways to track patients' seizures, and a seizure diary is one of the methods used. This scoping review sought to identify current norms and practices for using seizure diaries to manage epilepsy. Method: A scoping review was performed by screening relevant studies and identifying themes, categories and subcategories. Results: A total of 1125 articles were identified from the database; 46 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, of which 23 articles were selected. The majority (48%) of the studies were prospective studies. The majority (65%) of the articles were studies conducted in the United States. The themes identified were types of seizure diaries used in clinical practice, contents and structure of a standardized seizure diary, the use and efficacy of seizure diaries in medicine and challenges relating to using a seizure diary for patient management. Conclusion: The study revealed that a seizure diary remains a relevant tool in managing epilepsy. The two forms of diaries in use are electronic and paper-based diaries. The high cost of data and the expensive devices required to access electronic diaries make it unsuitable in a resource-limited setting. Despite its disadvantages, imperfections and inadequacies, the paper-based diary is still relevant for managing patients with epilepsy in resource-limited settings. Contribution: This study reviewed the literature to find the current norms and practices in using seizure diaries. The benefits of the different formats were emphasized

Facilitators and barriers to improved cookstove adoption: a community-based cross-sectional study in Northwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND@#Among the environmental risk factors, household air pollution exposure from traditional cooking practices is one of the biggest killers globally, which mainly impacts developing countries where many families rely on traditional cooking practices. Although improved cookstove adoption is central to tackle this public health issue, the efforts to disseminate cookstove technologies have faced challenges, and the adoption rates are reported to be very low in many developing countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the magnitude and identify potential factors that may act as facilitators or barriers to adoption from users' point of view.@*METHODS@#As part of the wider stove trial project, a cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 5830 households under randomly selected clusters. The required data were collected through face-to-face interviews, and a backward stepwise logistic regression analysis technique was applied to evaluate the effect of potential predictor variables on adoption using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) as measures of effect.@*RESULTS@#The prevalence of adoption was found to be 12.3% (95% CI 11.5-13.2), and households headed by females (AOR 1.96; 95% CI 1.24-3.10), private house ownership (AOR 4.58; 95% CI 3.89-6.19), separate cooking location (AOR 1.84; 95% CI 1.49-2.78), fuel purchasing (AOR 2.13; 95% CI 1.64-2.76), health benefit (AOR 1.76; 95% CI 1.15-2.70), optimistic social interaction (AOR 1.81; 95% CI 1.46-2.26), traditional suitability (AOR 1.58; 95% CI 1.28-1.95), stove use demonstration experience (AOR 2.47; 95% CI 1.98-3.07), cheap price (AOR 2.48; 95% CI 1.91-3.21), availability (AOR 1.81; 95% CI 1.5-1, 2.17), fuel-saving benefit (AOR 1.63; 95% CI 1.18-2.24), and more durable stove (AOR 1.71; 95% CI 1.30-2.26) of cookstove played a significant role as facilitators to adoption. In addition, lower educational level of head (AOR 0.31; 95% CI 0.23-0.42) and fuel processing requirement (AOR 0.55; 95% CI 0.44-0.70) of cookstove were found to be barriers for adoption.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Extremely lower improved cookstove adoption was observed due to household- and setting-related, cookstove technology-related, user knowledge- and perception-related, and financial- and market development-related factors. Therefore, to gain successful adoption, implementers and policymakers should consider those important factors in the implementation of clean cooking solutions to the community.

Nickel exposure from keys: a Brazilian issue

Abstract: Keys are a significant source of exposure to metal allergens and can be a relevant problem for nickel-allergic individuals. This study aimed to perform nickel and cobalt spot testing among the 5 most common Brazilian brands of keys. Among the tested keys, 100% showed positive result to nickel spot test, 83,3% presented strong positive reaction. 50% exhibited cobalt release as well. Nickel release from keys is very common in our country and may cause a negative impact on sensitized individual's quality of life. Study's results highlight the importance of establishing directives to regulate nickel release in Brazil.

After 10 years, how do changes in asset ownership affect the Indicador Econômico Nacional? / Como as mudanças na posse de bens afetam o Indicador Econômico Nacional em 10 anos?

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Our main objective was to analyse how the evolution of household assets ownership affected the Indicador Econômico Nacional (IEN – National Wealth index) and to point out the most stable assets and which lost importance more quickly. METHODS We analysed the trend of the ownership of each IEN variable and the distribution of the households’ scores. We calculated the correlation coefficients of each variable separately with the IEN score and the household income. We also evaluated how the changes of the score distribution over time affected the validity of the published reference cut-points. We used data from consortium surveys conducted every two years from 2002 to 2014 in the city of Pelotas, Brazil. RESULTS An increase in the educational level of household heads and in the ownership of all IEN assets, except radio and telephone, was observed in the study period. In general, the correlation of the assets with the IEN scores decreased over time. There was an increase in the score, with a consequent increase in the quintiles cut-points, but the distance between these cut-points had no significant variation. Thus, the reference cut-points for Pelotas, quickly became outdated. CONCLUSIONS Some assets showed greatly reduction on its importance for the indicator, and the reference cut-points became obsolete very quickly. It is essential for a standardized wealth (or asset) index with research purposes to be updated frequently, especially the cut-points of reference distribution.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Analisar como a evolução temporal da posse de bens domésticos afetou o Indicador Econômico Nacional e como essas mudanças afetaram o poder discriminatório do indicador. MÉTODOS Analisou-se a evolução temporal da posse de cada uma das variáveis do Indicador Econômico Nacional, bem como da distribuição do escore dos domicílios. Utilizamos dados de inquéritos populacionais realizados bienalmente no município de Pelotas, RS, de 2002 a 2014. Foi calculado o coeficiente de correlação de cada variável isoladamente com o escore do Indicador Econômico Nacional e com a renda familiar. Avaliamos também como a variação da distribuição do escore ao longo do tempo afetou a validade da utilização dos pontos de corte de referência publicados. RESULTADOS Houve aumento da escolaridade dos chefes das famílias e da posse de todos os bens, exceto rádio e linha telefônica no período. A correlação dos bens com o Indicador Econômico Nacional reduziu com o tempo. O escore aumentou, com consequente incremento nos pontos de corte dos quintis, mas a distância entre os pontos não teve variação importante. Assim, os pontos de corte de referência publicados para Pelotas rapidamente ficaram desatualizados. CONCLUSÕES Alguns bens perderam a capacidade discriminatória e os pontos de corte ficaram obsoletos rapidamente. É essencial um indicador de bens padronizado para uso em pesquisa, que seja atualizado com frequência, em especial os pontos de corte da distribuição de referência.

Control de criaderos de Aedes aegypti con el programa Recicla por tu bienestar en Mérida, México / Control of Aedes aegypti breeding sites with the program Recicla por tu bienestar in Merida, Mexico

Objetivos. Determinar la importancia de los criaderos de Ae. aegypti en Mérida; evaluar el impacto del programa Recicla por tu bienestar (RxB) sobre la presencia/abundancia de éstos y la percepción de los habitantes. Material y métodos. Se calculó la importancia de los criaderos por su productividad pupal. Se realizaron muestreos pre y post RxB en colonias para cuantificar el total de recipientes/criaderos. Se aplicó una encuesta a participantes sobre la percepción sobre RxB en colonias seleccionadas. Resultados. Los botes, cubetas y diversos objetos chicos fueron los criaderos más importantes. RxB tuvo un impacto significativo en la reducción del número de recipientes (IRR=0.74), en los recipientes positivos (IRR=0.33) y en la positividad de las viviendas para Ae.aegypti (OR=0.41 j.Todos los entrevistados opinaron que RxB es necesario y la gran mayoría piensa que es útil. Conclusiones. RxB debe ser considerada una buena práctica para el control del vector del dengue.

Objectives. To determine the importance of Ae. aegypti breeding-sites in Merida;to evaluate the impact of Recicla por tu bienestar (RxB, a recycling program) on the reduction of breeding sites and the perception of participants. Materials and methods. The relative importance for pupae production of the different types of breeding-sites was determined. Pre-and post-RxB entomological surveys were performed in participant neighborhoods to evaluate the impact on total containers and positive breeding-sites. A survey on the perception of participating people about dengue prevention and control and RxB was applied. Results. Buckets/pots and "small diverse items" were the most important breeding-sites. RxB had a significant impact in the reduction of total containers (IRR = 0.74), positive containers (IRR = 0.33) and the risk of a house being positive for Ae. aegypti (OR = 0.41). All the interviewed participants referred RxB as needed and most consider it useful. Conclusions. RxB should be considered as a good practice for the dengue vector control.

Analysis of the security risk in home medical equipment / 中国医疗器械杂志

The popularization of home medical equipment facilitates the treatment and management of many diseases, improving the patient compliance. However, due to the absence of medical background, most of their users have various security risk in the course of reorganization, choosing, using and maintenance of the products. This paper analyzed the property of security risk in home medical equipment, and described the matters needing attention in the using of several common products.

Microbial presence on kitchen dishcloths in Chinese households / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

To study the microbiological contamination of kitchen dishcloths in Chinese housholds, 1010 'in-use' kitchen dishcloths were collected from residential premises in Beijing and Shanghai, and they were sent to the laboratory for microbiological quality analysis. The aerobic plate counts for dishcloths were 10-109 cfu/cm2 in the range of 150 cfu/cm2 to 1.776×109 cfu/cm2 (Beijing) and 62.5 cfu/cm2 to 8.75×108 cfu/cm2 (Shanghai). Nineteen species of bacteria were detected in the dishcloths, most of which were conditional pathogenic bacteria. This study found a significant difference in the aerobic plate counts of dishcloths with regard to type, number of the days used, activities used for, and some family factors. The findings of the study highlight the potential for contamination of kitchen dishcloths within homes.

Difusión masiva de reportes situacionales sobre dengue: efectos de la intervención en Guadalajara de Buga, Colombia / Mass communication of dengue surveillance data: effect of an intervention in Guadalajara de Buga, Colombia

Introducción. La retroalimentación a las comunidades de la situación de dengue en su localidad, podría ser útil para mantener la motivación para su participación en el control del dengue y disminuir los índices entomológicos de Aedes . Objetivos. Evaluar la cobertura y el alcance de una intervención basada en la difusión masiva de reportes situacionales sobre el dengue y su efecto en la presencia de criaderos intradomiciliarios de Aedes spp. en Guadalajara de Buga, Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio observacional de corte transversal en 1.426 viviendas, para establecer la presencia de criaderos intradomiciliarios y caracterizar la exposición a la intervención. El efecto de la intervención se evaluó en un estudio de casos y controles. Los casos obedecieron al total de viviendas con criaderos positivos y, entre las viviendas sin criaderos positivos ubicadas en la misma manzana del caso, se seleccionaron aleatoriamente cuatro controles por caso. Resultados. El índice de viviendas positivas fue de 2,5 %. La cobertura fue del 59,4 % y el alcance del 22,3 %. El contacto con la intervención no se asoció con la ausencia de criaderos intradomiciliarios positivos. La presencia de matas con agua o floreros se asoció con criaderos positivos (p=0,01) y el uso de anjeos se consideró como factor protector (p=0,02). Conclusiones. Aunque la cobertura de la intervención fue adecuada, no se observó que tuviera efecto sobre la ausencia de criaderos intradomiciliarios positivos. Por lo tanto, se requiere la evaluación de la intervención en términos de su fidelidad, diseño y proceso de implementación.

Introduction: Maintaining communities abreast of their local dengue situation could help to keep them motivated to participate in dengue control and to decrease Aedes entomological indexes. Objectives: To evaluate the coverage and reach of an intervention based on mass-media communication of dengue surveillance reports and its effect on the presence of intra-domiciliary breeding sites for Aedes in Guadalajara de Buga, Colombia. Materials and methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 1,426 households to identify the intra-domiciliary breeding sites and to characterize the intervention exposure. To evaluate the effect of the intervention, a case-control study was performed. All households with positive breeding sites were considered as cases. Four controls per case were randomly selected among the non-positive breeding site households located on the same block of the case. Results: The positive house index was 2.5%; coverage was 59.4% and reach was 22.3%. There was no association between the intervention and the presence of intra-domiciliary breeding sites. The presence of water plants and flower pots were associated to positive breeding sites (p=0.01) and the use of screens was associated to the absence of breeding sites (p=0.02). Conclusions: Although intervention coverage was adequate, the lack of association between the intervention and the absence of positive breeding sites requires assessing its fidelity, factors related to the design, and the implementation process.

Municipal-level covariates of health status in Brazil: a proposed method for data interpolation / Covariables a escala municipal del estado de salud en el Brasil: propuesta de un método para la interpolación de datos

OBJECTIVE: To propose a method for the interpolation of yearly local-level covariates of health status that is suitable for panel data analysis of the effect of health services. METHODS: The proposed method distributes the yearly rate of growth of covariates at the regional level (e.g., state) from household survey data, and applies it to interpolate yearly data at the local level (e.g., municipality) between two consecutive census surveys. The method was applied to municipal-level socioeconomic covariates of health status in Brazil for every year between 2001 and 2009. The data was tested on a previously validated analysis of the effects of the Family Health Program on post-neonatal infant mortality in Brazil. RESULTS: A total of 895 628 values were generated for 20 socioeconomic predictors of health status. Valid data were obtained for 5 057 municipalities in the Northeast, Southeast, South, and Center-West regions of Brazil, from 2001 to 2009, covering 98.89% of the municipalities in these regions and 90.87% of municipalities in the country. A supplemental annex includes the interpolated data from 2001 to 2009, plus the 2000 and 2010 census data, for all 5 057 municipalities. An application on a fixed-effect regression model suggested that, compared to linear interpolation, the proposed method reduced multi-collinearity and improved the precision of the estimates of the effects of health services. CONCLUSIONS: The advantages of the proposed interpolation method suggest that it is a feasible solution for panel data analysis of health services at the local level in Brazil and other countries.

OBJETIVO: Proponer un método para la interpolación de las covariables locales anuales del estado de salud que sea apropiado para el análisis de datos longitudinales del efecto de los servicios de salud. MÉTODOS: El método propuesto, a partir de los datos de las encuestas llevadas a cabo en los hogares, distribuye la tasa anual de crecimiento de las covariables a escala regional (por ejemplo, un estado) y la utiliza para interpolar los datos anuales a escala local (por ejemplo, un municipio) entre dos encuestas censales consecutivas. El método se aplicó a las covariables socioeconómicas a escala municipal del estado de salud en el Brasil para cada año de los comprendidos entre el 2001 y el 2009. Los datos se sometieron a prueba mediante un análisis previamente validado de los efectos del Programa de Salud Familiar sobre la mortalidad posneonatal en lactantes del Brasil. RESULTADOS: Se generaron un total de 895 628 valores correspondientes a 20 factores predictivos socioeconómicos del estado de salud. Se obtuvieron datos válidos de 5 057 municipios de las regiones del nordeste, sudeste, sur y centro-oeste del Brasil, del 2001 al 2009, que comprendían el 98,89% de los municipios de estas regiones y el 90,87% de los municipios del país. Un anexo suplementario incluye los datos interpolados del 2001 al 2009, y los datos de los censos del 2000 y del 2010 correspondientes a los 5 057 municipios. La aplicación de un modelo de regresión de efectos fijos indicó que, en comparación con la interpolación lineal, el método propuesto redujo la multicolinealidad y mejoró la precisión de los cálculos de los efectos de los servicios de salud. CONCLUSIONES: Las ventajas del método de interpolación propuesto indican que cons- tituye una solución factible para el análisis de datos longitudinales de los servicios de salud a escala local en el Brasil y en otros países.

Água de abastecimento público de consumo humano e oviposição de Aedes aegypti / Agua de abastecimiento público de consumo humano y oviposición de Aedes aegypti / Public drinking water supply and egg laying by Aedes aegypti

OBJETIVO: Analisar o efeito da qualidade da água de reservatórios domésticos de abastecimento público na resposta oviposicional de fêmeas de Aedes aegypti. MÉTODOS: Estudo conduzido em laboratório a partir de imaturos de Ae. aegypti, coletados em caixas d'água do município de Potim, SP, 2009. Foram disponibilizados simultaneamente três tipos de água por gaiola para a deposição dos ovos: ovipositor (A) com água coletada em caixa d'água de Taubaté, SP; ovipositor (B) com água destilada (controle); e ovipositor (C) com água coletada em caixa d'água de Potim. Foram analisados parâmetros fisicoquímicos. O teste de Kruskall-Wallis foi utilizado para analisar a média de ovos nas diferentes amostras de água e nas comparações posteriores, o teste Dwass-Steel-Chritchlow-Flingner. O índice de atividade de oviposição foi adotado para avaliar a resposta oviposicional. RESULTADOS: Foi observada diferença significativa no número de ovos entre as soluções líquidas testadas (H = 45; p < 0,0001). O número de ovos na água de caixas d'água de abastecimento público de captação em poços profundos (C) foi estatisticamente superior a amostras de água de caixas d'água de abastecimento público de superfície (A) (p < 0,0001) e do Controle (B) (p < 0,0001). Não houve diferença significante entre o número de ovos do Controle (B) e água de superfície (A). A primeira postura foi a mais produtiva em todas as soluções testadas nas três gaiolas. A amostra de água (C) produziu índice positivo (0,54), i.e., atrativo para oviposição. CONCLUSÕES: A qualidade da água influiu na oviposição de Ae. aegypti. As elevadas concentrações de nitrogênio ...

OBJETIVO: Analizar el efecto de la calidad de agua de reservatorios domésticos de abastecimiento público en la respuesta de oviposición por hembras de Aedes aegypti. MÉTODOS: Estudio conducido en laboratorio a partir de inmaduros de Ae. aegypti, colectados en tanques de agua del municipio de Potim, SP, Brasil, 2009. Se disponibilizaron simultáneamente tres tipos de agua por jaula para la deposición de los huevos: ovipositor (A) con agua colectada en tanque de agua de Taubaté, SP (Brasil), ovipositor (B) agua destilada (control) y ovipositor (C) con agua colectada en el tanque de agua de Potim. Se analizaron parámetros fisicoquímicos. La prueba de Kruskall-Wallis fue usada para analizar el promedio de huevos en las diferentes muestras de agua y en las comparaciones posteriores, la prueba de Dwass-Steel-Chritchlow-Flingner. El índice de actividad de oviposición fue adoptado para evaluar la respuesta en las diferentes muestras. RESULTADOS: Se observó diferencia significativa en el número de huevos entre las soluciones líquidas evaluadas (H= 45; p˂0,0001). El número de huevos en el agua de los tanques para abastecimiento público, de captación en pozos profundos (C) fue estadísticamente superior a las muestras de tanques para abastecimiento público de superficie (A) (p˂0,0001) y del Control (B) (p˂0,0001). No hubo diferencia significativa entre el número de huevos del Control (B) y el agua de superficie (A). La primera postura fue la más productiva en todas las soluciones evaluadas en las tres jaulas. La muestra de agua (C) produjo índice positivo (0,54), es decir, atractivo para oviposición. CONCLUSIONES: La calidad de agua influyó en la oviposición de Ae. aegypti. Las elevadas concentraciones de nitrógeno amoniacal en el agua de abastecimiento público sugieren que dicho componente ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the quality of publicly supplied water in domestic water tanks on egg laying by female Aedes aegypti. METHODS: Laboratory study on immature Ae. aegypti, collected from water-tanks in the municipality of Potim, SP, Southeastern Brazil. Each cage contained three types of water in which eggs could be laid: Three choice per test were simultaneously used to deposit the eggs, ovipositor (A) with water collected from a water tank in Taubaté, ovipositor (B) with distilled water (control) and ovipositor (C) water collected from a water tank in the municipality of Potim. Physiochemical parameters were analyzed. The Kruskall-Wallis test was used to analyze the mean number of eggs in each water sample and the Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner test was used in making comparisons. To evaluate egg laying, an ovipositional activity index was adopted. RESULTS: A significant difference in the number of eggs was found between the liquid solutions tested (H = 45; p < 0.0001). The number of eggs found in water tank samples originating from deep wells (C), was statistically superior to water samples from water tanks originating from superficial wells (A) (p < 0.0001) and from the Control (C) p < 0.0001. There was no significant difference between the number of eggs in Control (B) and the surface water (A). In all three tests, the first position was the most productive in all tested solutions. Only water sample (C) produced a positive index (0.54), i.e., attractive to egg laying. CONCLUSIONS: Water quality influences egg laying by Aedes aegypti. The high concentrations of ammonium nitrate in public water supplies suggest that this chemical component was responsible for attracting pregnant female Aedes aegypti to lay eggs in these environments. .

Fluxo domiciliar de geração e destinação de resíduos de equipamentos elétricos e eletrônicos no município de São Paulo/SP: caracterização e subsídios para políticas públicas / Household flow of generation and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment in the City of São Paulo, State of São Paulo characterization and elements for public policies

Introdução: O crescente consumo de equipamentos elétricos e eletrônicos (EEE) e o processo acelerado de geração de resíduos é um fenômeno global, que vêm despertando interesse científico e político. Os resíduos de equipamentos elétricos e eletrônicos (REEE) contêm substâncias perigosas como metais pesados e retardantes de chama e quando manejados ou dispostos inadequadamente, causam impactos ao ambiente e à saúde. Diretrizes para a gestão têm sido propostas em diversas partes do mundo, especialmente na União Europeia. No Brasil ainda não há uma política pública específica para a gestão dos REEE. A gestão requer diagnóstico que considere as características dos dois fluxos existentes: o institucional e o domiciliar. O fluxo domiciliar é complexo e problemático por apresentar geração difusa e estar associado a comportamentos e práticas adotadas pelos proprietários dos produtos. Objetivo: Estudar o fluxo domiciliar de geração e destinação de REEE no município de São Paulo/SP, caracterizando as etapas de aquisição dos produtos, armazenagem no domicílio e descarte ao final da vida útil. Método: Estudo transversal de base populacional com amostra representativa dos domicílios do município de São Paulo/SP (n=395). Foi utilizado questionário estruturado pré-elaborado para levantar informações sobre: características, quantidade e comportamentos relativos a 26 tipos de EEE. Foi realizada análise descritiva dos dados, estimando-se o total de equipamentos existentes (em uso e fora de uso) e descartados nos domicílios. Além disso, realizou-se estudo de caso sobre a gestão dos REEE em Portugal à luz da política pública existente para os países da UE, por meio de entrevistas com uso de roteiros semi-estruturados, realizadas com os principais agentes envolvidos. Resultados: No município de São Paulo havia 71,8 milhões de EEE (IC95 por cento : 68,4-75,3), dos quais 8,8 milhões (IC95 por cento : 7,8-9,9) encontravam-se guardados (fora de uso). A média de equipamentos existente nos domicílios foi de 21 EEE/domicílio (IC95 por cento : 19,7-21,7). Embora a maioria dos relatos indicasse tentativa de prolongar o tempo de uso por meio do conserto (50,6 por cento ;IC95 por cento :45,9-55,9) havia limitações econômicas e técnicas; para 65 por cento o custo do conserto é o maior fator impeditivo.

Bens de consumo e insegurança alimentar: diferenças de gênero, cor de pele autorreferida e condição socioeconômica / Household appliances and food insecurity: gender, referred skin color and socioeconomic differences

OBJETIVO: Com base nos dados da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD, 2004), foram comparadas as diferenças na prevalência de insegurança moderada/grave em relação à segurança alimentar, e insegurança leve quanto à posse de bens de consumo e outras condições socioeconômicas e demográficas. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados os domicílios particulares permanentes, com rendimento domiciliar per capita de até um salário mínimo, utilizando-se a Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar respondida por morador do domicílio (n=51.357). A associação entre as variáveis e a variável dependente (segurança alimentar) foi verificada pelo teste do Χ2 com nível de significância de 5 por cento. Foram calculadas razões de prevalência brutas e intervalos de confiança de 95 por cento e a análise ajustada foi conduzida por meio de regressão múltipla de Poisson, utilizando Stata 8.0, que incorpora as ponderações do desenho amostral com delineamento complexo. RESULTADOS: A renda domiciliar mensal per capita foi a variável com maior força de associação com a segurança alimentar. Tanto em áreas urbanas quanto rurais, foram encontradas elevadas razões de prevalência para insegurança alimentar moderada ou grave nos domicílios chefiados por mulheres, de cor negra, presença no domicílio de seis ou mais moradores, localização metropolitana e com ausência de alguns bens específicos (fogão, filtro, geladeira, freezer, máquina de lavar roupa e telefone celular). Em modelo que incluiu, entre os bens, apenas a posse de geladeira, a maior razão de prevalência ocorreu na renda de até » de salário mínimo, seguindo-se a ausência de posse de geladeira, tanto nos domicílios chefiados por homens brancos, como por negros e mulheres brancas ou negras. Embora os domicílios chefiados por mulheres e por negros apresentem maior insegurança alimentar, as diferenças intragrupais foram maiores em domicílios chefiados por homens brancos e menores nos de mulheres negras. CONCLUSÃO: Em nível nacional e em domicílios com renda de até um salário mínimo, condições socioeconômicas mais precárias estão associadas à insegurança alimentar, sendo a situação agravada naqueles chefiados por mulheres e onde residem pessoas de cor autorreferida como negra. A ausência de bens identifica, entre os pobres, a população mais vulnerável à insegurança alimentar e pode se constituir em indicador complementar, sobretudo em estudos locais, onde há escassez de recursos técnicos para coleta de dados e análises mais sofisticadas.

OBJECTIVE: Data from the National Household Survey 2004 was analyzed to compare differences in prevalence among moderate or severe food insecurity. Also, it was compared food security or mild food insecurity households in relation to the assets and other socioeconomic and demographic conditions of the household. METHOD: Private permanent households, with per capita monthly income of up to one minimum wage and with the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale answered by a household resident were studied (n=51,357). Association of variables with the dependent variable (food security) was verified using Χ2 test, with 5 percent significance level. Crude prevalence ratio, respective 95 percent confidence interval and adjusted analyses were carried out using Poisson multiple regression Stata 8.0. It considers the weights of the complex sampling design of the survey. RESULTS: The per capita monthly household income was the variable with strongest association to food security. Both in urban and rural areas, there were higher risk of moderate or severe food insecurity prevalence ratio when the head of the household was a female, black color, presence of six or more members in the household, metropolitan area and with absence of some specific assets (stove, water filter, refrigerator, freezer, washing machine and cellular phone). In a model that, among assets, included just the refrigerator, it was observed the highest prevalence ratio for household income of up to » of a minimum wage and after this, the absence of refrigerator among households headed by white and black males and white or black female. Although female and black headed households have greater food restriction, internal differences among these groups were higher for households headed by white males and lower for those headed by black females. CONCLUSION: At national level and households with monthly income of up to one minimum age, poor socioeconomic conditions are associated to household food insecurity. This situation is worse among those headed by women and black people. Among poor people, the absence of assets identifies the most vulnerable population to food insecurity and may be used as complementary indicator, mainly in local studies with poor technical resources for data collection and more sophisticated analyzes.

Household Arthropod Allergens in Korea

Arthropods are important in human health, which can transmit pathogens to humans, parasitize, or produce important allergens. Allergy prevalence becomes higher in Korea recently as well as other developed countries in contrast to a decrease of infectious diseases. Allergic diseases caused by household arthropods have increased dramatically during the last few decades since human beings spend more their time for indoor activities in modernized life style. Household arthropods are one of the most common causes of allergic diseases. Biological characterization of household arthropods and researches on their allergens will provide better understanding of the pathogenesis of allergic diseases and suggest new therapeutic ways. Therefore, studies on arthropods of allergenic importance can be considered one of the major research areas in medical arthropodology and parasitology. Here, the biology of several household arthropods, including house dust mites and cockroaches, the 2 most well known arthropods living indoor together with humans worldwide, and characteristics of their allergens, especially the research activities on these allergens performed in Korea, are summarized.

Empalamiento inguinal: presentación de dos casos clínicos / Inguinal impalement: report of two cases

BACKGROUND: Traumatic inguinal lesions in children are relatively unusual and those caused by impalement are less common. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the clinical course of two similar cases. CLINICAL CASES: A 13-year-old male and a 7-year-old female are presented in this report. During an accidental fall, they sustained an inguinal wound. In the emergency room, a wooden stake and a metallic bar were seen in the inguinal region. The surgical procedure shows absence of vascular, neurological, visceral and testicular damage. Both wounds caused by foreign bodies were subcutaneous and removed without complications. CONCLUSIONS: These types of accidents are uncommon and the absence of damage is the most relevant issue.

Inactivation mechanism of microorganisms by the synergy of silver and light irradiation, and the application in household electrical appliances / 生物工程学报

The inactivation efficiencies of microorganisms were found to be enhanced by using silver solution together with ultraviolet light (UV-A, 395 nm) irradiation. The inactivation efficiencies were improved remarkably especially in eukaryotic microorganism. To make clear the inactivation mechanism of microorganisms by the combination effect of silver and ultraviolet light irradiation, the resultant solution was characterized by ESR (Electron spin resonance, ESR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the methnd for measuring enzyme activity of mitochondria for eukarvotic cells were used to conjecture the mechanism, by analysis of the morphological and physiologic changes in eukaryotic cells. It is proposed that silver oxide (Ag20) can be activated by ultraviolet light irradiation and react with water molecules to produce hydroxyl radical (.OH). Hydroxyl radical could damage cell wall of eukaryotic microorganisms, and inactivate the enzyme activity of mitochondria of eukaryotic microorganism cells. Accordingly, eukaryotic microorganism cells would die. In the experiment, Staphylococcus aureus was employed as the representative of prokaryotic microorganisms, and Candida albicans and Trichophyton mentagrophytes as the representative of eukaryotic microorganisms, respectively. Moreover, the results of the technology applied to washing machine were presented and discussed.

Leaching of lead and cadmium from glass dinnerware.

Heavy metals like lead and cadmium were found to leach out from food contact surface of opal glass dinnerware when treated with five food acids as a leaching solution. The leachates used were: acetic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, lactic acid and ascorbic acid at three different concentrations 2%, 4%, and 8% (v/v). At room temperature, duration of leaching varied from 1h to 24h in each case. The amount of metals leached in individual acid was found to be maximum at the 4% acid concentration. Release of Pb and Cd was faster in first 2h leaching period. Maximum amount of Pb and Cd were leached in 4% acetic acid at room temperature.

Evaluating in-home water purification methods for communities in Texas on the border with Mexico

This study evaluated user preferences among three alternative in-home water treatment technologies suitable for households relying on trucked water in El Paso County, Texas, which is on the border with Mexico. The three technologies were: chlorination of household storage tanks, small-scale batch chlorination, and point-of-use ultraviolet disinfection. Fifteen households used each of the three technologies in succession for roughly four weeks each during April through June of 2004. Data were collected on treated water quality, and a face-valid survey was administered orally to assess user satisfaction with the technologies on a variety of attributes. Treatment with a counter-top ultraviolet disinfection system received statistically significantly higher ratings for taste and odor and likelihood of future use than the other two approaches. Ultraviolet disinfection and small-scale batch chlorination both received significantly higher ratings for ease of use than did storage tank chlorination. Over-chlorination was a common problem with both batch chlorination and storage tank chlorination. Water quality in the households using trucked water is now higher than was reported by a previous study, suggesting that water quality has improved over time.

Este estudio evaluó las preferencias de los consumidores de tres tecnologías domésticas para el tratamiento del agua, apropiadas para viviendas del condado de El Paso, Texas, situado en la frontera con México, que dependen del agua transportada en camiones. Las tres tecnologías fueron cloración de los tanques domésticos de almacenamiento, cloración de pequeños lotes de agua y desinfección mediante luz ultravioleta en el punto de dispensación. Quince viviendas utilizaron sucesivamente cada una de las tres tecnologías durante aproximadamente cuatro semanas entre abril y junio de 2004. Se registraron los datos sobre la calidad del agua tratada y se realizó una encuesta oral aceptada por los expertos para medir el grado de satisfacción de los usuarios con relación a diversos atributos de esas tecnologías. El tratamiento con el sistema de desinfección mediante luz ultravioleta instalado sobre la barra de la cocina tuvo una mejor valoración según el gusto y el olor del agua y una mayor probabilidad de uso futuro que los otros dos métodos. La desinfección mediante luz ultravioleta y la cloración de pequeños lotes recibieron mayor puntuación por su facilidad de uso con respecto a la cloración de los tanques de almacenamiento. La cloración excesiva fue un problema frecuente, tanto en la cloración de pequeños lotes como de los tanques de almacenamiento. La calidad del agua en las viviendas que utilizan agua transportada en camiones es ahora superior que la encontrada en estudios anteriores, lo que parece indicar que la calidad del agua ha mejorado.