The Further Adventures of Germ Girl

Secular trends in body mass index and the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents inSChandong, China, from 1985-2010

Zhang Ying-Xiu & Wang Shu-Rong

Journal of Public Health 34(1) 131-137

 The BMI of children and adolescents aged 7–18 was calculated using data from five national surveys on students’ constitution and health carried out by the government in 1985, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 in Shandong Province, China. The distribution of BMI was reported, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was obtained according to the screening criteria of overweight and obesity for Chinese students using BMI [Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC) standard]. Overweight and obesity prevalence were also computed using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cutoffs. Results In the past 25 years, the P50 (50th percentile) of BMI increased. The average increments of BMI were 2.18 kg/m2 for boys and 1.21 kg/m2 for girls, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased rapidly: using WGOC standard, the prevalence of overweight increased from 1.91% for boys and 2.02% for girls in 1985 to 17.34% for boys and 11.97% for girls in 2010, and the prevalence of obesity increased from 0.27% for boys and 0.23% for girls in 1985 to 15.83% for boys and 7.12% for girls in 2010; using IOTF standard, the prevalence of overweight increased from 1.54% for boys and 1.27% for girls in 1985 to 19.06% for boys and 13.42% for girls in 2010, and the prevalence of obesity increased from 0.04% for boys and 0.03% for girls in 1985 to 9.33% for boys and 2.42% for girls in 2010, respectively.

The Relationship Between Quilting and Well-Being

Emily Burt & Jacqueline Atkinson

Journal of Public Health, 34(1) 54-59

Results: Cognitive, emotional and social processes were uncovered, which participants identified as important for their wellbeing. Participants found quilting to be a productive use of time and an accessible means of engaging in free creativity. Colour was psychologically uplifting. Quilting was challenging, demanded concentration and participants maintained and learned new skills. Participants experienced ‘flow’ while quilting. A strong social network fostered the formation of strong friendships. Affirmation from others boosted self-esteem and increased motivation for skill development. Quilts were often given altruistically and gave quilting added purpose.

Interesting: A petition has been put up on the We The People citizen-participation page of the White House site, asking for regulation over antibiotic use in agriculture.

It’s been up a week and has 5,526 signatures so far. (Looks like the floor for consideration is 25,000 within a month.)

Here’s the text:

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Protect our families’ health by ending the overuse of antibiotics in food producing animals.

Almost 80% of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are for food animals. Industrial farms routinely feed these drugs to the animals to promote growth and compensate for unsanitary and overcrowded conditions. This overuse creates antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can spread to humans and cause expensive, hard-to-treat illnesses.

In June 2010, the FDA issued draft recommendations on voluntary limits to this overuse—but we are still waiting for action.

With more Americans becoming ill with infections resistant to antibiotics, we must end this practice that threatens the viability of these miracle drugs.

Please sign this petition urging the Obama Administration to end antibiotic overuse in food animal production.

Lactic Acid Bacterium and Yeast Microbiotas of 19 Sourdoughs Used for Traditional/Typical Italian Breads: Interactions between Ingredients and Microbial Species Diversity

Fabio Minervini,a Raffaella Di Cagno,a Anna Lattanzi,a Maria De Angelis,a Livio Antonielli,b Gianluigi Cardinali,b Stefan Cappelle,c and Marco Gobbettia

Department of Biologia e Chimica Agro-Forestale ed Ambientale, University of Bari, Italy,a Department of Applied Biology, Microbiology Division, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy,b and Beldem S.A., Andenne, Belgiumc

The study of the microbiotas of 19 Italian sourdoughs used for the manufacture of traditional/typical breads allowed the identi- fication, through a culture-dependent approach, of 20 and 4 species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts, respectively. Numer- ically, the most frequent LAB isolates were Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (ca. 28% of the total LAB isolates), Lactobacillus plan- tarum (ca. 16%), and Lactobacillus paralimentarius (ca. 14%). Saccharomyces cerevisiae was identified in 16 sourdoughs. Candida humilis, Kazachstania barnettii, and Kazachstania exigua were also identified. As shown by principal component anal- ysis (PCA), a correlation was found between the ingredients, especially the type of flour, the microbial community, and the bio- chemical features of sourdoughs. Triticum durum flours were characterized by the high level of maltose, glucose, fructose, and free amino acids (FAA) correlated with the sole or main presence of obligately heterofermentative LAB, the lowest number of facultatively heterofermentative strains, and the low cell density of yeasts in the mature sourdoughs. This study highlighted, through a comprehensive and comparative approach, the dominant microbiotas of 19 Italian sourdoughs, which determined some of the peculiarities of the resulting traditional/typical Italian breads.

Published Date: 2012-02-17 14:27:11

Subject: PRO> Non-tuberculous mycobacteria - USA: tattoo, RFI

Archive Number: 20120217.1043907

NON-TUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIA - USA: TATTOO, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION *******************************************************************

A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org

ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases http://www.isid.org

Date: Tue 14 Feb 2012

From: Duc Nguyen [edited]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating cases of non-tuberculosis mycobacterial infection associated with tattooing.

If you are aware of a case of tattoo-associated non-tuberculosis (atypical) mycobacterial skin infection diagnosed between May 2011 and February 2012 in the USA, please contact Duc Nguyen, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, CDC via … phone (404-639-0027).

 [According to an email from Dr Nguyen, the original cases were infected with Mycobacterium chelonae but they are interested in other non-tuberculosis mycobacteria as well, including other species such as M. abscessus and M. bolletii.)

Started by @CarlZimmer with an all-star cast of editors comprising all the cool kids in science writing (well, except me). Check it out immediately at http://www.downloadtheuniverse.com.

Their opener says:

It is still tough for readers to discover new science ebooks. Traditional book reviews limit themselves to works on paper. Some ebooks may appear in computer magazines, but buried in reviews of laptops and printers. In between, we need a community. Download the Universe is a step towards that community. It is the work of a group of writers and scientists who are deeply intrigued by the future of science books.

The rate of outbreaks caused by unpasteurized milk (often called raw milk) and products made from it was 150 times greater than outbreaks linked to pasteurized milk, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 13-year review also revealed that the states where the sale of raw milk was legal had more than twice the rate of outbreaks as states where it was illegal. The study, published Feb. 21 in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, reviewed dairy product outbreaks from 1993 to 2006 in all 50 states. The authors compared the amount of milk produced in the United States during the study period (about 2.7 trillion pounds) to the amount that CDC estimates was likely consumed raw (1 percent or 27 billion pounds) to determine the 150 times higher rate for outbreaks caused by raw milk products. Raw milk products include cheese and yogurt…

The symbol of American success often involves having the biggest house possible, but our outsized fantasies seem to be shifting. According to a new survey, more than three quarters of us consider having sidewalks and places to take a walk one of our top priorities when deciding where to live. Six in 10 people also said they would sacrifice a bigger house to live in a neighborhood that featured a mix of houses, stores, and businesses within an easy walk.

By @JoNelAleccia

Amid reports of more than 500 dogs sickened by chicken jerky pet treats imported from China, government health officials are ramping up border inspections for dangerous toxins.

Food and Drug Administration officials have begun collecting and testing chicken jerky treats upon import, analyzing samples for evidence of melamine and melamine analogs and diethylene glycol, chemicals used in plastics and resins, a spokeswoman said.

Melamine-tainted imported pet food sickened and killed thousands of dogs and cats in the U.S. in 2007, leading to massive recalls and criminal indictments of Chinese and American pet food executives.

So far, FDA officials have found no evidence of harmful levels of melamine or other substances in the chicken jerky treats, said spokeswoman Tamara Ward. But the agency has increased its surveillance of the products, even as repeated chemical and microbial tests have failed to reveal a source for illnesses that continue to mount…

Two cases of measles in Hamilton County have been confirmed by the State who suspects there may be two more in Boone County. And one of those patients from Hamilton County was in the Super Bowl Village on Friday. The combination of 200,000 tightly-packed people and a highly contagious infection is sparking plenty of worry.

By Michael Fielding on 2/10/2012

Montana’s pork industry would get a major boost under a plan by Gov. Brian Schweitzer to bring a Chinese-backed processing facility to Shelby, located in the northern part of the state near the Canadian border.

After a similar courting of Danish investors failed to lead anywhere five years ago, Schweitzer turned to the Chinese, who hope to build a USDA-certified facility that would process 1.2 million hogs annually and employ 500 people.

It would be the state’s first commercial-scale meat processing facility, Schweitzer told Meatingplace. “Right now we’re exporting meat out of state,” he said.

“The Chinese consume 50 percent of the pork on the planet. They don’t want to compete with themselves,” he said of their interest in the Montana facility. “They want new production.”

Shelby, Mont., lies at the intersection of Interstate 15 into Alberta and U.S. Route 2, which connects with Interstate 90. It’s also on a major rail route between Seattle and Chicago…

By Todd Neale, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today Published: February 08, 2012

The FDA warned today that use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) — including popular brands such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid — may increase the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.

The warning comes after a review of data from the agency’s Adverse Event Reporting System and the medical literature suggested such a link. A meta-analysis reported at the 2010 meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology yielded the same finding.

Many of the adverse event reports involved patients who were elderly, had underlying medical conditions, or were taking broad spectrum antibiotics. All of those factors could have contributed to the greater risk of C. difficile-associated diarrhea, but the use of PPIs could not be excluded.

The FDA advised healthcare providers to consider a diagnosis of C. difficile-associated diarrhea if patients taking PPIs present with diarrhea that is not improving and said patients should take the lowest dose of PPI for the shortest time possible to improve the condition being treated. The agency is working with the drug makers to modify the labels to include the possible risk of C. difficile-associated diarrhea…

Click through to the story for a list of the brand names affected by the warning.

I gave a talk at the SoCon12 unconference about how I transitioned from newspaper reporter to blogger-freelance writer-microblogger-Twitterer-etc. and what I’ve learned so far. My notes are stashed on a separate page on this Tumblr; there’s also a link in the left rail.

By Mark Astley, 02-Feb-2012

Over half of food processing and packaging firms on the Chinese mainland failed safety inspections in 2011 – a figure food quality control company AsiaInspection has called “alarming.”

According to a report by the China-based company, 51% of all food facility check-ups conducted in the country failed, with ‘major’ defects including cases of rodent faecal contamination accounting for around 10%.

This figure covers food products inspected in food processing and packaging facilities.

Chemical contamination has also become a worrying factor – with incidents in the Chinese food processing sector becoming commonplace, the company said…

From De Telegraaf (De nummer 1 in nieuws), we have a report that 99% of retail chickens produced with intensive farming and sold in Dutch Supermarkets are contaminated with ESBL-containing bacteria. Organic chicken appears to be far less contaminated, perhaps 1/8th as likely. My Dutch is a little rusty, so I’ve provided the sources. Either way, fear the kipfilet!!

Sources:

1. De Telegraaf article (Dutch)

2. Radio Netherlands Worldwide (English)

3. Consumentenbond 1/31/2012 (Dutch)

(Reporting by James Kelleher; Editing by Greg McCune)

 Pfizer said on Tuesday it was recalling about 1 million packets of birth control pills in the United States because they may not contain enough contraceptive to prevent pregnancy. Pfizer said the birth control pills posed no health threat to women but it urged consumers affected by the recall to “begin using a non-hormonal form of contraception immediately.” The drugmaker said the issue involved 14 lots of Lo/Ovral-28 tablets and 14 lots of Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets. It said an investigation had found that some blister packs of the oral contraceptive might contain an inexact count of inert or active ingredients in the tablets.