Microbial water quality communication: public and practitioner insights from British Columbia, Canada.

This work examines the communication interactions of water suppliers and health authorities with the general public regarding microbial source water quality for recreational and drinking water. We compare current approaches to risk communication observable in British Columbia (BC), Canada, with best practices derived from the communications literature, finding significant gaps between theory and practice. By considering public views and government practices together, we identify key disconnects, leading to the conclusion that at present, neither the public's needs nor public health officials' goals are being met. We find: (1) there is a general lack of awareness and poor understanding by the public of microbial threats to water and the associated health implications; (2) the public often does not know where to find water quality information; (3) public information needs are not identified or met; (4) information sharing by authorities is predominantly one-way and reactive (crisis-oriented); and (5) the effectiveness of communications is not evaluated. There is a need for both improved public understanding of water quality-related risks, and new approaches to ensure information related to water quality reaches audiences. Overall, greater attention should be given to planning and goal setting related to microbial water risk communication.

[Callas or the trajectory of the meteor]. / Callas ou la trajectoire du météore.

The lyric career of Maria Callas, though exceptional, is also noteworthy for its brevity. The first signs of downturn appeared at the age of 36 and her voice fell silent at only 40. Though the literature has massively commented on this premature worsening, few analyses of its characteristics have been made public so far The purpose of our study was to realise a perceptual and acoustical analysis of recorded arias by the artist at the climax to the fall. The audible impairments were first verbally described, and then compared to acoustical observations based on spectrographic analyses and fundamental-frequency measurements.

The public's acceptance of novel vaccines during a pandemic: a focus group study and its application to influenza H1N1.

As influenza H1N1 spreads around the world, health officials are considering the development and use of a new vaccine to protect the public and help control the outbreak. Acceptance of novel vaccines during health crises, however, is influenced by perceptions of a range of risks, including the risk of infection, risk of becoming severely ill or dying if infected, as well as the risk of serious side and long-term effects of the vaccine. A study on 11 focus groups was conducted with the public in Vancouver, Canada in 2006 and 2007 to explore how people assess these risks and how these assessments relate to their willingness to use novel vaccines in a pandemic. Concerns about using new vaccines during a pandemic differ from concerns about using established products in a non-crisis situation. Participants were hesitant to use novel vaccines because of a low perception of the early risk of infection in a pandemic, coupled with the many uncertainties that surround new vaccines and the emerging infectious disease, and owing to the concern that unsafe pharmaceuticals may be rushed to market during a health crisis. Understanding the public´s assessment of the risks related to, and willingness to use, novel vaccines during a pandemic can help officials promote disease-control measures in ways that improve the likelihood of acceptance by the public and may increase uptake of an H1N1 vaccine.

Utilización de las consultas de pediatría de Atención Primaria y morbilidad en la ciudad de Toledo.Comparación entre una cohorte de hijos de españoles y otrade hijos de inmigrantes / Use of pediatric Primary Health Care consultation morbility in Toledo. Comparation between a Spanish children cohort and an inmigration one

Objetivos: conocer el uso de consultas de pediatría de Atención Primaria y morbilidad en hijos de inmigrantes (HI) comparándolos con hijos de población autóctona (HA). Diseño: estudio observacional con grupo control. Material y métodos: muestras de 147 hijos de inmigrantes (HI) y 147 hijos de la población autóctona (HA) apareados por edad y sexo, de los 4 Centros de Salud de Toledo, recogiéndose de las historias clínicas datos demográficos, inicio y duración de lactancia materna, asistencia a consultas programadas, situación calendario vacunal, número, motivos de consulta y pruebas complementarias solicitadas en un año (junio 2000-junio 2001). Resultados: el número medio de consultas/año fue similar en ambos grupos, 2,12 (DE 2,43) y 2,56 (DE 2,96) en HI y HA respectivamente. El 37,41 por ciento de HI faltó en alguna ocasión a consulta programada, frente al 17 por ciento de HA (p<0,05). El motivo de consulta más frecuente en ambos grupos fue infección respiratoria de vías altas (63,37 por ciento en HI v s 73,79 por ciento en HA). Las gastroenteritis agudas y las otitis fueron menos frecuentes en HI que en HA (9,89 v s 20,39 por ciento; 10,88 v s 23,3 por ciento respectivamente, p<0,05), lo contrario que los dolores abdominales inespecíficos (9,9 por ciento en HI v s 1,94 por ciento en HA, p<0,05), el resto de motivos de consulta fue similar en ambos grupos. Se solicitaron 39 pruebas complementarias en HI y 29 en HA, destacando el Mantoux, solicitado en 4 ocasiones en HI y ninguna en HA. La duración de la lactancia natural fue mayor en inmigrantes, 4,59 meses (DE 3,25) , que en autóctonos, 3,52 meses (DE 2,08), p<0,05. Conclusiones: los HI se comportan de forma muy similar a los HA en cuanto al número de consultas anuales y a las patologías más frecuentemente observadas. Sin embargo, la diferencia encontrada en algunas patologías, el alto incumplimiento a consultas programadas y la mayor duración de la lactancia materna nos recuerda que estamos ante una población con aún diferencias socioculturales (AU)