Ross River virus disease in tropical Queensland: evolution of rheumatic manifestations in an inception cohort followed for six months

Objective: To describe the natural history of rheumatic manifestations of Ross River virus (RRV) disease. Design: Prospective longitudinal clinical review. Setting: North Queensland local government areas of Cairns, Douglas, Mareeba and Atherton during January to May 1998. Participants: General practice patients diagnosed with RRV disease on the basis of symptoms and a positive RRV IgM result. Main outcome measures: Rheumatic symptoms and signs assessed as soon as possible after disease onset and on two subsequent occasions (up to 6.5 months after onset). Results: 57 patients were recruited, 47 of whom were reviewed three times (at means of 1.1, 2.4 and 3.6 months after disease onset). Results are reported for these 47: 46 (98%) complained of joint pain at first review, with the ankles, wrists, fingers, knees and metacarpophalangeal joints (II-IV) most commonly involved. Prevalence of joint pain decreased progressively on second and third reviews, both overall (92% and 68% of patients, respectively), and in the five joints most commonly affected. The prevalence of other common rheumatic symptoms and signs, and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also progressively declined over the three reviews. Conclusions: Earlier studies may have overestimated the prevalence and duration of symptoms in RRV disease. Progressive resolution over 3-6 months appears usual.

Couple communication and female problem drinking: A behavioral observation study

Couples with alcohol and relationship problems often report poor communication, yet little is known about the communication of maritally distressed couples in which the woman abuses alcohol (MDWA couples). Compared with maritally distressed couples without alcohol problems (MDNA) and couples with neither problem (NDNA), MDWA couples showed a distinctive pattern of negative communication. Similar to MDNA men, MDWA men spoke negatively to their partners but listened positively to their partners much like NDNA men. MDWA women listened negatively, much as MDNA women did, but spoke positively, like NDNA women did. The interactions of MDWA couples can be characterized as a male-demand-female-withdraw pattern, which is a gender reversal of the female-demand-male-withdraw pattern often observed in MDNA couples.

Current concepts - Schistosomiasis

In 1851, Theodor Bilharz described a parasitic infection (bilharzia) that would later be termed schistosomiasis. Currently, 200 million people in 74 countries have this disease; 120 million of them have symptoms, and 20 million have severe illness.1 Schistosomiasis is caused by parasitic trematode worms (schistosomes) that reside in the abdominal veins of their vertebrate definitive hosts. The life cycle of the schistosome is depicted in Figure 1. Schistosomiasis is 1 of the 10 tropical diseases especially targeted for control by the Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases of the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Physical activity and sedentary behavior: A population-based study of barriers, enjoyment, and preference

The associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with barriers, enjoyment, and preferences were examined in a population-based mail survey of 1,332 adults. Respondents reporting high enjoyment and preference for physical activity were more likely to report high levels of activity. Those reporting cost, the weather, and personal barriers to physical activity were less likely to be physically active. Preference for sedentary behavior was associated with the decreased likelihood of being physically active, and the weather as a barrier to physical activity was associated with the increased likelihood of sedentary behavior. These constructs can be used to examine individual and environmental influences on physical activity and sedentary behavior in specific populations and could inform the development of targeted interventions.

Overweight and obesity in Australia: The 1999-2000 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab)

Objective: To measure the prevalence of obesity in Australian adults and to examine the associations of obesity with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. Design: AusDiab, a cross-sectional study conducted between May 1999 and December 2000, involved participants from 42 randomly selected districts throughout Australia. Participants: Of 20 347 eligible people aged greater than or equal to 25 years who completed a household interview, 11247 attended the physical examination at local survey sites (response rate, 55%). Main outcome measures: Overweight and obesity defined by body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2)) and waist circumference (cm); sociodemographic factors (including smoking, physical activity and television viewing time). Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity (BMI greater than or equal to 25.0 kg/m(2); waist circumference greater than or equal to 80.0 cm [women] or greater than or equal to 94.0 cm [men]) in both sexes was almost 60%, defined by either BMI or waist circumference. The prevalence of obesity was 2.5 times higher than in 1980. Using waist circumference, the prevalence of obesity was higher in women than men (34.1% v 26.8%; P < 0.01). Lower educational status, higher television viewing time and lower physical activity time were each strongly associated with obesity, with television viewing time showing a stronger relationship than physical activity time. Conclusions: The prevalence of obesity in Australia has more than doubled in the past 20 years. Strong positive associations between obesity and each of television viewing time and lower physical activity time confirm the influence of sedentary lifestyles on obesity, and underline the potential benefits of reducing sedentary behaviour, as well as increasing physical activity, to curb the obesity epidemic.

Evaluation of an internet-based physical activity intervention: A preliminary investigation

The Internet has the potential for delivering innovative, interactive physical activity (PA) interventions to large numbers of people. This study was designed to test the efficacy. of ant Internet intervention that consisted of a Web site plus 12 weekly e-mail tip sheets, compared with a waiting list control group. The Internet intervention was theory based and emphasized clear, graphical presentation of PA information. Sixty-five (30 intervention and 35 control) sedentary adult employees of several large hospitals (9 men and 56 women) were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 study arms. Of the 65 participants, 57 completed the 1-month follow-up, and 52 completed the 3-month follow-up. At both 1 and 3 months, those in the intervention group were significantly more likely to have progressed, in stage of motivational readiness for PA than participants in the control group: 1 month, chi(2)(1, N = 52) = 4.05, p

Trends in physical activity participation and the impact of integrated campaigns among Australian adults, 1997-99

Objectives: To determine whether awareness of the moderate physical activity message and prevalence of participation changed among Australian adults between 1997 and 1999, and if changes differed across Australia. Methods: Data were compared on awareness of the moderate physical activity message and on physical activity participation from identical national physical activity surveys in 1997 and 1999. Results: In 1999, following integrated public health efforts, recognition of the Active Australia campaign was substantially higher in NSW/ACT (61.7%) than elsewhere (29.3%). Knowledge about benefits of moderate activity increased between 1997 and 1999, more so in States with public health campaigns. National participation in 'sufficient physical activity' declined between 1997 and 1999, from 63% to 57%, but the decline was smaller in NSW/ACT (4.4%) than in the other States (6.0%). Conclusions and implications: Declining trends in physical activity in Australia require increased public health investments, including strategic planning and public education, such as occurred in NSW (1997/98).

Candidíase laríngea isolada em paciente imunocompetente: relato de caso e revisão literária pertinente

Através de revisão de literatura, confirma-se que infecção laríngea por cândida é uma entidade rara e usualmente associada a infecção pulmonar ou candidíase disseminada¹. Candidíase em laringe de forma isolada (C.L.I.) é uma patologia ainda mais rara, e comumente relacionada a pacientes imunodeficientes². Sabe-se que à laringoscopia direta, a candidíase pode apresentar achados físicos pobres como simples hiperemia local ou mesmo leucoplasia, mimetizando patologias como DRGE até neoplasias, fazendo, pois, parte do diagnóstico diferencial. Encontramos e documentamos em nosso serviço um caso de infecção por cândida de forma isolada em laringe (C.L.I.) em paciente imunocompetente. Havia comprometimento laríngeo importante, inclusive com lesão deformante em epiglote, simulando processo neoplásico. O diagnóstico foi estabelecido por videolaringoscopia e 2 biópsias da lesão encontrada, sendo os materiais obtidos submetidos a 2 estudos histopatológicos. Tomamos o cuidado de afastar síndromes imunodeficitárias, inclusive de etiologia viral, através de pesquisa sorológica e investigação sobre abuso de corticoesteróides ou antibióticos sistêmicos. Fizemos o follow-up do paciente "per" e pós tratamento com antifúngico sistêmico, acompanhando evolução e melhora através da endoscopia e sinais clínicos.

Self-reported hearing performance in workers exposed to solvents

OBJECTIVE: To compare hearing performance relating to the peripheral and central auditory system between solvent-exposed and non-exposed workers. METHODS: Forty-eight workers exposed to a mixture of solvents and 48 non-exposed control subjects of matched age, gender and educational level were selected to participate in the study. The evaluation procedures included: pure-tone audiometry (500 - 8,000 Hz), to investigate the peripheral auditory system; the Random Gap Detection test, to assess the central auditory system; and the Amsterdam Inventory for Auditory Disability and Handicap, to investigate subjects' self-reported hearing performance in daily-life activities. A Student t test and analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were computed to determine possible significant differences between solvent-exposed and non-exposed subjects for the hearing level, Random Gap Detection test and Amsterdam Inventory for Auditory Disability and Handicap. Pearson correlations among the three measures were also calculated. RESULTS: Solvent-exposed subjects exhibited significantly poorer hearing thresholds for the right ear than non-exposed subjects. Also, solvent-exposed subjects exhibited poorer results for the Random Gap Detection test and self-reported poorer listening performance than non-exposed subjects. Results of the Amsterdam Inventory for Auditory Disability and Handicap were significantly correlated with the binaural average of subject pure-tone thresholds and Random Gap Detection test performance. CONCLUSIONS: Solvent exposure is associated with poorer hearing performance in daily life activities that relate to the function of the peripheral and central auditory system.

Water-contact patterns and schistosoma mansoni infection in a rural community in northeast Brazil

We evaluated the influence of water-related human activities, contaminative behaviour, house location, education and socio-economic status on endemic Schistosoma mansoni infection. The study was conducted in a hilry non-irrigated area of rural northeast Brazil amongst a defined population of subsistence farmers, of whom 93% were infected by age 20. The area was mapped, water bodies were surveyed, and a detailed questionnaire was performed on each household. Infection was assessed by duplicate stool examinations using the sensitive Bell technique to quantify egg excretion. For each household, and index of intensity of infection was computed by grouping individual log-transformed egg counts as an age-sex adjusted Z score. Few households had a sanitary installation or a domestic water supply. However, neither water-contact nor contaminative behavior were indiscriminate. The people made considerable effort to defaecate far from a water source, to obtain household drinking water from the cleanest source, and to bathe only at certain sites where privacy is assured. Land ownership and literacy correlated poorly with the household index of intensity of infection. The key influence on infection status was the relative location of the house and snail-free or snail colonized water sources. In this area, a safe domestic water supply is the critical input needed to achieve definitive control of endemic Schistosomiasis.

The removal of xenobiotic compounds from wastewater through the use of biological processes and advanced oxidation technologies

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Química e Bioquímica pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Broadband: What do consumers want? Examining willingness-to-pay

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

InnovationCity Ruhr: a prime example for social and technological innovation

The project “InnovationCity Ruhr” deals with the reconstruction of the city of Bottrop with regard to energy saving measures. The aim is to make the city more environmental friendly in order to create a model for other industrial cities. Until the conclusion of the project in the year 2020, it is planned to change the surface of Bottrop in several positive ways. This paper focuses on the description of the project to give the reader an example of what exactly is done within the scope of InnovationCity Ruhr. Besides that, the link to the subject of sociology shall be given in order to show that the project is a prime example for social innovation.

Structural change in the ruhr region: problems, potentials and developments

Due to the decline of the heavy industries in the Ruhr region, the area has to reinvent itself. The orientation towards service industries proves to be a difficult task for the district and its population. This paper examines the challenges, problems and potentials of the Ruhr region against the backdrop of its economical history out of a sociological perspective. Thereby the economical situation and its outcome towards the population stand in the foreground of the paper.