Cities ; Hospitals ; Humans

Diarrhea ; Cities ; Epidemiologic Causality

Enteritis ; Diarrhea ; Cities

Studies conducted to evaluate temporal trends of heat-related mortality have not considered the effects of heat waves; although it is known they can affect mortality and act as a modifying factor. After adjusting for long-term trends and seasonality, the effects of temperature on non-accidental deaths in Seoul and Busan (inland and coastal cities, respectively) were analyzed using a generalized additive model of Poisson distribution. We evaluated temporal trends of heat-related mortalities in four periods (1991-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005, and 2006-2012). The effects of temperature on mortality were evaluated according to the occurrence of a heat wave and results were compared in the two cities. The effect of temperature on mortality was the greatest in 1991-1995 in Seoul; no significant change was observed in Busan. When we stratified the study period by heat wave status, the risk increase in mortality was 15.9% per 1℃ during years with a heat wave in Seoul, which was much higher than 0.31% increase observed during years without a heat wave. On the other hand, Busan showed a linear relationship between temperature and mortality and no significant difference between years with or without a heat wave. Variations in the relationship between temperature and mortality could be misunderstood if heat waves are not considered. Furthermore, heterogeneity was found in the modifying effect of heat waves on heat-related mortality in inland and coastal cities. The findings of this study help understand relations between temperature and mortality.
Cause of Death/*trends ; Cities ; Humans ; Temperature

Cities ; Environment ; Humans ; Motor Activity ; Reproducibility of Results

The city of Itoigawa is a remote place, with a population of as few as 50,000, where people aged 65 and older occupy 30% of its population. Most people with neurological disorders here have been treated at the Neurosurgical Department of the Itoigawa General Hospital. However, the number of surgical operations has decreased year after year. In search of the factors in the decreasing tendency, we analized the annual statistics about the hospitalized patients and this city's population in the past 11 years beginning on Nov. 1 1995. The diminution of the operation cases was correlated most positively with a decrease in the population of this city (+0.844), and most negatively with an increase in the ratio of persons aged 65 or older (-0.822). The number of operation cases was probably linked to the change in population make-up of the region. The number of operations on older patients had a tendency to decline presumably because of functionally poor prognosis. Conclusively, this study revealed that it is hard for neurosurgeons working in remote localities like this city to keep up the number of operative cases.
Cities ; Relations ; Small ; seconds ; Surgical aspects

Organisms (MeSH Category) ; Food ; Feces ; Cities

OBJECTIVES: To explore the species distribution and constituent ratio of diatoms in main sections of urban district rivers where drowning occurs frequently in Chengdu. METHODS: Total 39 water samples from the sampling points of 5 rivers （Jinjiang, Jinniu, Qingyang, Wuhou and Chenghua districts） in October 2014 were collected. The diatoms smear were made and the species distribution and constituent ratio of diatoms from the water samples were analyzed using biological microscope and acquisition system of digital microscope. RESULTS: Total 21 species of diatoms were detected in main sections of urban district rivers in Chengdu. Significant differences in the dominant diatom species and proportions of the different rivers were observed, and there were different species existed in all sampling points of the upstream, midstream and downstream of the rivers. CONCLUSIONS The database of species map, species distribution and constituent ratio of diatoms in main sections of urban district rivers in Chengdu are preliminarily established, which has special meaning for the analysis and evaluation of falling location inference using diatoms test in case investigation.
China ; Cities ; Diatoms/classification* ; Drowning ; Rivers

Objective: To explore the sampling method in China National Human Biomonitoring Program (HBP) and the related errors, so as to calculate and evaluate the study design in sampling. Methods: The sampling method of HBP is of multistage nature. Taking the results of sampling method from Guizhou province as an example, results related to sampling error and variation coefficient were calculated, using the multistage unequal probability sampling error method. Results: The HBP covered 152 monitoring sites in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and with 21 888 residents selected. The replacement rates at various stages were 5.26%, 6.35% and 40.6% respectively. The sampling error in Guizhou province was 3 207 594, and the coefficient of variation was 0.097. Conclusions: According to the multi-stage unequal probability sampling method, the sampling coefficient variability appeared small with high precision, in Guizhou province. However, this method did not consider the weight adjustment of non-sampling errors such as population missing rate and response rate. Methods related to the calculation on multi-stage sampling error among large-scale public health monitoring projects need to be further studied.
China ; Cities ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Research Design

OBJECTIVETo determine the validity of the diagnostic evidence for deceased cases in hospitals.

METHODSAll information collected from medical records of the deceased cases in tertiary care health facilities was input into our database. Four diagnosis levels were determined based on level of diagnostic evidence: level I was based on autopsy, pathology or operative exploration, level II on physical and laboratory tests plus expert clinical judgment, level III on expert clinical judgment, level IV on postmortem assumptions. After the diagnostic evidence of each deceased case was reviewed by a panel of three experts, the diagnostic level of each diagnosis was determined.

RESULTSAmong the 2102 medical cases for verbal autopsy study, only 26 (1.24%) afforded diagnostic evidence for level III. Among the level III evidence-based cases of death, the major causes of death were cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and gastroenterological diseases. According to some special symptoms and medical histories, these cases could be diagnosed by comprehensive clinical judgment. Only one case met the criteria for level IV.

CONCLUSIONLevel I diagnostic evidence is hard to attain in China because of the traditional concept and economic restriction. The causes for 2101 deaths can be validated by level II or III diagnostic evidence.