Death In Urban Areas Research Articles

Bio-Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Leaf Extract of <em>Pongamia pinnata</em> as an Effective Larvicide on Dengue Vector <em>Aedes albopictus</em> (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae)

The frequent cases of dengue incidences are leading cause of illness and death in urban areas and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) is a primary vector for Dengue transmission in India. Synthesis of leaf mediated silver nanoparticles especially with Pongamia pinnata is a potential substitute for the existing organophosphorus insecticides like Tenophos, malathion and fenthion etc., for mosquito control programme. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible absorption spectrum, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Analysis of TEM showed that the synthesized silver nanoparticles are in spherical shape with average size of 20 nm. Further the XRD analysis confirms the nano-crystalline phase of silver with face centred cubic (FCC) crystal structure. GC-MS analysis elucidated the presence of two active ingredients, such as 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z) and n-hexadecanoic acid, which are the prominent substances considered as larvicide. Larvae were exposed to varying concentrations of plant extracts and synthesized silver nanoparticles for 24 hours. From the results, it is found that plant extracts showed moderate larvicidal effects but, the synthesized silver nanoparticles had found to be toxic to larvae at LC50 (0.25 ppm) and LC90 (1 ppm).

COPD in China: The Burden and Importance of Proper Management

Although, to our knowledge, there has been no exhaustive or credible review of the evidence of the disease burden of COPD in China, COPD has become an increasing public health concern to the Chinese medical community. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence and evaluate and clarify the disease burden of COPD in China with the aim of improving effective management. We reviewed previous studies of COPD in China, which included data on prevalence, mortality, disease burden, risk factors, diagnosis, and management by searching related Web sites, including PubMed, ProQuest, and Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge, as well as major Chinese databases and government Web sites. Reported COPD prevalence varied between 5% and 13% in different provinces/cities across China. In 2008, COPD ranked fourth as a leading cause of death in urban areas and third in rural areas. In addition, COPD accounted for 1.6% of all hospital admissions in China in that year. The high prevalence of smoking and biomass fuel use acted as major contributors to the high occurrence of COPD in China. Management of COPD in China should focus on adjusting the distribution of medical resources and on addressing public health policies to facilitate earlier diagnosis in rural areas, aim to reduce smoking prevalence, improve patients' self-management, and keep physicians' knowledge up to date and consistent with current guidelines. COPD is one of the most challenging medical issues facing China because of its influence on both personal and public health and its impact on the economy. Optimal management strategies should be adopted and strengthened immediately.

Road Map and Challenges for Universal Coverage for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in India

Road Map and Challenges for Universal Coverage for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in India

Window Safety Devices

Unintentional injuries are a significant nursing and public health problem. Falls are the most common type of unintentional injury and are the leading cause of death from unintentional injury among children in the United States. For persons of all ages, falls also are a leading cause of hospitalization (Hudson, Storch, Mohamed, & Boulay, 2008). In children, falls from high places are a major cause of morbidity and mortality (Sasser et al., 2009). Falls from heights such as windows are a common cause of pediatric death in urban areas.

Fire-related deaths in India in 2001: a retrospective analysis of data

Hospital-based studies have suggested that fire-related deaths might be a neglected public-health issue in India. However, no national estimates of these deaths exist and the only numbers reported in published literature come from the Indian police. We combined multiple health datasets to assess the extent of the problem. We computed age-sex-specific fire-related mortality fractions nationally using a death registration system based on medically certified causes of death in urban areas and a verbal autopsy based sample survey for rural populations. We combined these data with all-cause mortality estimates based on the sample registration system and the population census. We adjusted for ill-defined injury categories that might contain misclassified fire-related deaths, and estimated the proportion of suicides due to self-immolation when deaths were reported by external causes. We estimated over 163 000 fire-related deaths in 2001 in India, which is about 2% of all deaths. This number was six times that reported by police. About 106 000 of these deaths occurred in women, mostly between 15 and 34 years of age. This age-sex pattern was consistent across multiple local studies, and the average ratio of fire-related deaths of young women to young men was 3:1. The high frequency of fire-related deaths in young women suggests that these deaths share common causes, including kitchen accidents, self-immolation, and different forms of domestic violence. Identification of populations at risk and description of structural determinants from existing data sources are urgently needed so that interventions can be rapidly implemented.

Coronary heart disease in China

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the second leading cause of cardiovascular death in the Chinese population. It accounts for 22% of cardiovascular deaths in urban areas and 13% in rural...

Increased excess deaths in urban areas: quantification of geographical variation in mortality in Japan, 1973–1998

To quantify the magnitude of geographical health inequality by sex and age group, and to observe the change in regional distribution of health disadvantage, this study estimated excess deaths attributable to the mortality variation among municipalities across Japan from 1973 through 1998. The municipalities ( N=3340 in 1995) were divided into quintiles according to standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Using the mortality of the lowest SMR quintile as the standard, the number of excess deaths (ED) and its ratio to observed deaths (EDR) were estimated by sex, age group (total population and under 65-year population) and regional block in 1973–1977, 1978–1982, 1983–1987, 1988–1992 and 1993–1998. Total annual ED in 1993–1998 was estimated as 47,124 for males and 46,562 for females, representing EDR of 9.9 and 11.6%, respectively. The under 65-year population had a higher EDR than the total population. Rural regions showed a marked decrease in EDR in contrast to the increase in urban regions over time. The present study suggests that the reduction of a large number of deaths, especially premature deaths, is expected by elimination of geographical health inequality, and that health policies for urban residents are prioritized.

Childhood injuries and deaths due to falls from windows

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children, and falls are the most common type of unintentional injury in the US. The incidence of falls from windows, a common cause of death in urban areas, has not been described outside major cities such as New York and Chicago, and rates in urban and suburban areas have not been compared. To estimate the incidence and identify the population at risk for falls from windows among children in Hamilton County, Ohio. Retrospective case series identified using Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CHMC) Trauma Registry. Hamilton County, Ohio, which has urban and nonurban areas. Children less than 15 years old residing in Hamilton County, Ohio, presenting to CHMC in Cincinnati, Ohio, after a fall from a window between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 1997. Annual incidence by age, race, gender, and residence of those who fell from windows. Over the 7-year study period, 86 (6.3%) of 1,363 falls were from windows. The mortality rate for falls from windows was 4.7%, compared to 0.07% for all other falls presenting to CHMC (P<.0001). Children 0-4 years old had a higher rate of falls than children aged 5-14 (14.6/100,000 vs. 2.0/100,000) (P<.0001). Males were twice as likely to fall as females (P<.016), and black children were three times more likely to fall than non-black children (P<.002). The incidence of falls in the city of Cincinnati was four times that of the non-urban area (P<.0002). Injuries from falls from windows are a public health problem in Hamilton County, Ohio, especially for young, urban children.

Maternal Mortality in India: Estimates from a Regression Model

This report outlines a new technique for the estimation of maternal mortality by relating the sex differentials in mortality for people of reproductive age to the age schedule of fertility. The application of this method to the data from the Sample Registration System for 1982-86 indicates a level of maternal mortality of 580 deaths per 100,000 live births for India as a whole, 638 deaths in rural areas, and 389 deaths in urban areas. Estimates derived for the major states suggest relatively high maternal mortality in the eastern and northern parts of the country. They also indicate a substantial decline in maternal mortality since the 1960s. The decline in the birth rate is estimated to have accounted for nearly one-fourth of the decrease in the maternal death rate and 5 percent of the fall in the maternal mortality ratio in the 10-year period between 1972-76 and 1982-86. The method of estimation described here is well-suited to the data circumstances in India.