Environmental health

Background: Parks are important venues that can encourage population-level physical activity, and policy legislation can facilitate or discourage physical activity and other park uses, depending on the type and level of support. This study aims to summarize the status and content of state-level park-related legislation. Methods: We searched for...

Silicosis may be defined as the disease resulting from chronic occupational exposure to silica dust. Silica is primarily composed of quartz dust and has been classified since 2000 as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. government. Silicosis may lead to impairment of lung function resulting from fibrosis of the...

Food safety is an important public health issue in the U.S. Eating at restaurants and other food service facilities increasingly has been associated with food borne disease outbreaks. Food safety training and certification of food mangers has been used as a method for reducing food safety violations at food service...

This study focused upon the determination of physicochemical and microbial properties, including metals, selected anions and coliform bacteria in drinking water samples from hand-dug wells in the Kumasi metropolis of the Republic of Ghana. The purpose was to assess the quality of water from these sources. Ten different water samples...

Ten plants indigenous to Sudan and of common use in Sudanese folk-medicine, were examined in vitro for antimalarial activity against schizonts maturation of Plasmodium falciparum, the major human malaria parasite. All plant samples displayed various antiplasmodial activity. Three plant extracts caused 100% inhibition of the parasite growth at concentrations of...

Recent evidence suggests that voluntary rhythmic movements such as chewing may increase blood serotonin and subsequently brain serotonin, which in turn acts to alleviate premenstrual symptoms. In this observational cross-sectional study, we tested the hypothesis that hardness (difficulty of chewing) of the habitual diet (i.e. dietary hardness) is associated with...

One-thousand Illinois elementary teachers received a survey intended to assess the amount and manner in which they included environmental education in the classroom during the 2005 academic year. Over 91% of respondents (n = 234) said that they taught about the environment at least once during the school year, yet...

No abstract.

Cultured cells of Pavlova sp. glycosylated bisphenol A to its mono-glucoside, 2-(4-β-D-glucopyranosyloxyphenyl)-2- hydroxyphenylpropane (9%). Use of immobilized Pavlova cells in sodium alginate gel improved yield of the product (17%). On the other hand, Pavlova cell cultures converted benzophenone into diphenylmethanol (49%) and diphenylmethyl β-D-glucopyranoside (6%). Incubation of benzophenone with immobilized...

Background: Evidence of climate change and its impact continues to be accumulated, and it is argued that the consequences of climate change are likely to result in an increased demand on health services. It has been claimed that climate change presents new challenges for health services and that strategies should...

J. Sullivan1, B. Parras3, R. St. Marie4, W. Subra5, S. Petronella1, J. Gorenstein2, R. Fuchs-Young2,  R.K. Santa1, A. Chavarria1, J. Ward1 and P. Diamond11University of Texas Medical Branch @ Galveston/NIEHs Center in Environmental Toxicology. 2University of Texas/MD Anderson Cancer Center @ Smithville/Center for Research in Environmental Diseases. 3T.e.j.a.s. Texas Environmental...

Kentaro Murakami1, Yoshihiro Miyake2, Satoshi Sasaki1, Keiko Tanaka2, Yukihiro Ohya3, Yoshio Hirota4 and Osaka Maternal and Child Health study group51Department of social and Preventive Epidemiology, school of Public Health, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. 2Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan. 3Division of Allergy, Department...

Kei Shimoda1, Hatsuyuki Hamada2 and Hiroki Hamada31Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan. 2National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, 1 Shiromizu-cho, Kagoshima 891-2390, Japan. 3Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Okayama University of Science, 1-1 Ridai-cho, Okayama 700-0005, Japan.AbstractBenzophenone...

Sanna Asa-Mäkitaipale1,2, Mervi Jehkonen3, Jukka Uitti4,5 and Juhani Vilkki21South Karelian Central Hospital, Department of Neurology, Lappeenranta, Finland. 2University of Helsinki, Department of Psychology, Helsinki, Finland. 3University of Tampere, Department of Psychology, Tampere, Finland. 4Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Tampere, Finland. 5Clinic of Occupational Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.AbstractObjective: The...

Timothy KelleyEnvironmental Health Sciences Program, Department of Health Education and Promotion, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.

Guy HuttonWater and Sanitation Program, World Bank.AbstractEnvironmental burden of disease represents one quarter of overall disease burden, hence necessitating greater attention from decision makers both inside and outside the health sector. Economic evaluation techniques such as cost- effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis provide key information to health decision makers on...

Natalie Hemsing1 and Lorraine Greaves21Tobacco Research Coordinator, British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 2Executive Director, British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.AbstractIntroduction: Chronic heart and respiratory diseases are two of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality affecting women....

Judy Kruger Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. AbstractThe primary goal of many park and recreation agencies is to provide resources and programs that improve quality of life for the community. Increasing physical activity is one aspect of...

N.M. Nelson1, A. Wright1, R.G. Lowry2 and N. Mutrie1 1Department of Sport, Culture and the Arts, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. 2Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Chichester, West Sussex, UK. Abstract Researchers are beginning to explore environmental correlates to further the field of physical activity...

J. Richardson1, F. Kagawa2 and A. Nichols3 1Professor of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health and Social Work, University of Plymouth, 3 Portland Villas, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, U.K. 2Research Team Coordinator. Centre for Sustainable Futures, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, U.K. 3Faculty...

Douglas Holdstock 20 Tanglewood Close, Woking, Surrey GU22 8LG, U.K. Abstract Improvements in the provision of an acceptable standard of health care, particularly in the developing world, will be undermined by three ongoing processes: ongoing armed conflicts; the threat of global warming due to rising levels of...

Jane A. McElroy Assistant Professor, University of Missouri, Family and Community Medicine, MA306 Medical Science Building, Columbia, MO 65212.

Beatriz Pérez-Cadahía1,2, Josefina Méndez1, Eduardo Pásaro2, Anunciación Lafuente3, Teresa Cabaleiro3 and Blanca Laffon1,2 1Toxicology Unit, Dept. Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain. 2Dept. Cell and Molecular Biology, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain. 3Toxicology Laboratory, University of...

Ryotaro Wake1, Junichi Yoshikawa2, Kazuo Haze3, Shinichiro Otani4, Takayoshi Yoshimura5, Iku Toda6, Masaki Nishimoto7, Takahiko Kawarabayashi8, Atsushi Tanaka9, Kenei Shimada2, Hidetaka Iida10, Kazuhide Takeuchi1 and Minoru Yoshiyama1 1Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan. 2Department of Cardiology, Osaka Hospital of Japan...

Takemi Sugiyama Cancer Prevention Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Abstract A growing number of studies focus on the role of environments in promoting active lifestyles.1 Being physically active in daily life, which is known to have significant health benefits,2 is easier to do in some...

Robert J. Petrella, Emily Kennedy and Tom J. Overend Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Abstract Background:  Evidence is unequivocal that exercise training can improve health outcomes. However, despite this evidence, adoption of healthy lifestyles is poor. The physical environment...

Pracha P. Eamranond1,2,3 and Howard Hu1,3,4 1Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. 2Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. 3Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. 4Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Department...

Peter A. Harvey Chief, Water and Environmental Sanitation, UNICEF, Zambia, Associate, Water, Engineering Development Centre, Loughborough University, U.K. Abstract The global environmental sanitation crisis cannot be denied: well over a century after the sanitary revolution in 19th century Europe, 40% of the world’s population still lacks access...

Kentaro Murakami1, Satoshi Sasaki1, Yoshiko Takahashi2, Hitomi Okubo3, Naoko Hirota4, Akiko Notsu5, Mitsuru Fukui6 and Chigusa Date7 1Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, School of Public Health, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. 2Department of Health and Nutrition, School of Home Economics, Wayo Women’s University, Chiba, Japan. 3Department of...