ABSTRACT
It has been suggested that COVID-19 patients have distinct tongue features, which may help to monitor the development of their condition. To determine if there was any specific tongue coating feature in COVID-19, this study investigated the difference in tongue coating between COVID-19 subjects and subjects with other acute inflammatory diseases characterized by fever. Tongue images taken with smartphones from three age-matched groups, namely, COVID group (n=92), non-COVID febrile group (n=92), and normal control group (n=92), were analyzed by two blinded raters according to a tongue coating scoring scheme, which assessed the levels of thick fur, slimy or greasy fur, discolored fur and composite index of tongue coating. Compared with control, significant increases in all coating indexes were found in the COVID group (P<0.001), as well as in the non-COVID febrile group (P<0.001). However, no difference was observed between COVID and non-COVID febrile groups for all coating indexes measured. In COVID-19 subjects, their scores of coating indexes had weak but significant correlations with certain inflammatory biomarkers, including WBC and neutrophil - lymphocyte ratio. It is concluded that COVID-19 subjects have pathological tongue coating patterns that are associated with inflammatory responses, and these coating patterns can help to indicate the direction of disease development.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To take intervention measures for health promotion after investigation of occupational health needs among employees, to analyze the economic input and output of the intervention measures, and to analyze the feasibility of health promotion through cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A survey was conducted in an enterprise using a self-designed questionnaire to investigate the general information on enterprise, occupational history of each employee, awareness of occupational health knowledge, awareness of general health knowledge, awareness of hypertension, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, etc., lifestyle, and needs for health knowledge. Intervention measures were taken in the enterprise according to the investigation results, and then investigation and economic analysis of investment in health promotion, economic benefit, and absence of employees were performed using the questionnaire.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After intervention, the awareness rate of the Code of Occupational Disease Prevention increased from 4.5% to 15.3%, the awareness rate of the definition of occupational diseases increased from 4.5% to 73.5%, and the awareness rate of the prevention and control measures for occupational diseases increased from 38.4% to 85.8%. Before intervention, 25.4%of all employees thought salt intake needed to be reduced, and this proportion increased to 92.5% after intervention. After the control strategy for health promotion, the benefit of health promotion that results from avoiding absence of employees and preventing occupational diseases was more than ten times the investment in health promotion, suggesting a significant benefit of health promotion conducted in the enterprise.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The return on health promotion's investment for enterprise is worth. Health promotion really not just contribute to improve hygienic knowledge but increase the economic benefit.</p>
Subject(s)
Cost-Benefit Analysis , Health Promotion , Economics , Occupational Health Services , Economics , Surveys and Questionnaires , WorkplaceABSTRACT
Bacterium djl-6, capable of degrading carbendazim, was isolated by continuous enrichment culture originating from carbendazim-treated soil. The isolate was identified as Rhodococcus sp. according to its phenotypic features, physiologic and biochemical characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis. The strain could use carbendazim as sole carbon or nitrogen source. It showed a high average degradation rate of 55.56 mg . L(-1) . d(-1) in M9 medium amended with carbendazim. High-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis showed the presence of 2-aminobenzimidazole, benzimidazole, and an unknown metabolite with molecular ions (M(+)) of m/z 104.8 and 118.5. The degradation in the isolate djl-6 seems to be initiated with the cleavage of the methyl carbemate side chain, resulting in the formation of 2-aminobenzimidazole and benzimidazole. This is the first report of the intermediates benzimidazole and 2-aminobenzimidazole found together in the culture filtrate of pure bacterium.