Defining criteria and indicators for a sustainability label of local public services

The assessment of sustainability of public services is an important issue, especially at local level, taken into account the central role of local governments as a major public employer and provider of a diversity of services. Local governments are close to citizens and are moving faster than other public sector levels with regard to the integration of sustainability principles in their operations and strategies. A sustainability label to communicate public service performance enables to disclose information directly to service users. However, there is a dearth of research about labels addressing specific sustainability criteria for local services. The main aim of this research was the development of a conceptual framework to define a sustainability label, as a tool to assess and communicate sustainability of local public services. The approach was developed taking into account criteria of the European Union Ecolabel and indicators of the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. The ecolabel is a relatively well-known voluntary instrument in Europe and has the potential for application in public service activities and operations, but only assess the environmental component of sustainability. The Global Reporting Initiative, in particular the Sector Supplement for Public Agencies, was then used to integrate the other sustainability components. Thirty-six (36) criteria and respective indicators were adapted for the proposed sustainability label conceptual framework. A Portuguese local public service was used as an exploratory case study to test the proposed conceptual model into practice. The overall results demonstrate that few criteria were accomplished in this local public service, stressing that new practices and public policies need to be adopted to invert the current trend, especially through the application of assessment systems. This exploratory case study research has shown how useful can be a sustainability label to support local governments in evaluating and communicating the sustainability performance of their public services. This case could drive and support other government levels, including central and regional public administration, in adopting and exploring public service labels and their associated performance approaches.     

实验鼠群的健康监测管理

虽然实验鼠种群的总体健康水平得到了显著的提高,但还是有很多重要的传染性病原体在实验鼠群中流行.实验鼠群的健康状况对于动物福利、科学研究甚或人类健康都很重要.所以必须要对实验鼠群进行健康监测.笔者依据自身的实践和经验,对鼠群健康监测的基本原理进行了分析,包括以下的内容：鼠群健康监测的必要性、健康检测规程的建立、哨兵鼠、常用的监测力法、样本采集原则、对检测结果的解读和应对.相信读者在了解这些基本的原理后,能设定出符合自身设施实际的鼠群健康监测计划并逐步在实践中完善.     

戈壁野营驻训我部开展卫生防病的实践体会

新形势下,做好部队野营训练的卫勤保障工作,深入研究训练伤及其相关疾病的防治,是新时期军事斗争准备卫勤保障的重要内容,也是时代赋予医务人员的崇高责任。随着信息化进程的不断加快,部队完成军事斗争准备各项任务日趋繁重。对广大官兵的身心健康提出了更高标准,发挥健康教育优势,促进官兵健康,必须与时俱进,不断创新。我部采取多种方式、提高官兵自我防护及保健能力,从而促进部队整体全面建设稳步发展。     

健康宣教在小儿狭窄性腱鞘炎围手术期应用价值

目的：对手术疗法治疗狭窄性腱鞘炎的小儿患者采取系统的整体健康宣教,使得患儿疗程缩短,治愈率高,复发率降至最低,功能康复效果良好,提高护理质量。方法：在保守治疗无效的情况下,手术疗法切除部分狭窄腱鞘,围手术期实施系统的全面的功能康复训练及宣教。结果：54例患儿完全治愈,随访3~26个月,无复发及并发症,愈后功能良好。结论：细致、周密的做好围手术期对家长及患儿的双重健康宣教工作,使得护患关系融洽,患者自护能力大大加强,治疗及护理效果满意。     

我国转基因技术风险交流分析

随着生物技术的迅猛发展,发展转基因产业的战略选择与公众对转基因安全疑虑的矛盾十分突出。通过转基因舆情分析,指出我国转基因风险交流存在的不足主要为风险交流工作缺乏顶层设计,信息公开程度较低,风险交流方式和内容单调,公益机构未能发挥应有作用。在此基础上,提出了加强转基因风险交流的政策建议:(1)明确转基因风险交流的目标;(2)建立转基因风险交流协调框架;(3)建立转基因信息公开平台和信息监测平台;(4)完善管理部门和公益机构的风险交流职能;(5)改革科技项目政策。     

乳酸和APACHE II 评分在评估老年脓毒症患者预后中的应用

目的:研究乳酸和急性生理学及慢性健康状况评分(APACHE Ⅱ评分)对老年脓毒症患者预后的评估作用。方法:老年脓毒症患者96例,按照入院时血乳酸值分成升高者60例,乳酸正常者36例,比较两组的病死率、休克、机械通气和MODS发生率、APACHE Ⅱ评分的区别;根据APACHE Ⅱ评分(<15、15～24、≥25)分为3组,比较每组患者的病情和预后区别。结果:乳酸升高组老年脓毒症患者的机械通气、休克发生率、MODS发生率、APACHE Ⅱ评分明显大于乳酸正常组(P<0.05),病死率明显上升(28.3%vs 2.7%),(P=0.005);随着APACHE Ⅱ评分增高,患者病情逐渐加重,休克发生率和住院病死率明显升高,(P<0.05),患者乳酸水平也明显增高(P<0.05)。结论:血乳酸和APACHE Ⅱ评分都可以评估老年脓毒症患者病情严重和预后,两者升高提示预后差。     

WHO health risk assessment process for static fields

The World Health Organization (WHO) has a commitment to helping Member States achieve safe, sustainable and health-enhancing human environments, protected from biological, chemical and physical agents. The latter includes advising on the health impact of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and radiation.

The results of the WHO/ICNIRP/NRPB workshop on static magnetic fields, published in this volume, provide a valuable and much needed contribution to the health risk assessment of exposure to static electric and magnetic fields, which is currently being coordinated by the WHO's International EMF Project. This WHO health risk assessment will be published as an environmental health criteria (EHC) monograph in early 2005.

This paper briefly gives an overview of the process of developing the WHO static fields EHC monograph, the criteria applied to studies that could contribute to the EHC, along with the ‘weight-of-evidence’ approach to health risk assessment. In addition, there is an increasing awareness of the need to account for uncertainty in the science database. This is traditionally addressed by further research, and the EMF project addresses these needs through the development of a ‘research agenda’. However, research programmes may take several years to complete, and the long latency associated with diseases such as cancer in people may also preclude a rapid outcome in some studies. The issue of current uncertainty is being addressed by the WHO EMF project through the development of a ‘precautionary framework’ in which precautionary measures will be applied to policy recommendations.     

Impact of dry mouth conditions on oral health-related quality of life in older people

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of dry mouth conditions on oral health‐related quality of life in frail old people, residents at community care centers. Further, reliability and validity of a visual analogue scale (VAS) for dry mouth symptoms were determined within the study cohort. Background: In old people functional, social and psychological impacts of oral conditions are associated with an overall sense of well being and general health. Subjective dry mouth and reduced saliva flow are common disorders in old people caused by disease and medication. Thus, dry mouth conditions may be determinants for compromised oral health‐related quality of life in old people. Method: In total, 50 old people living at service homes for the old people were asked to answer questionnaires on subjective dry mouth (VAS) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP14) for oral health‐related quality of life. Saliva flow was estimated by absorbing saliva into a pre‐weighed cotton roll. Results: The final study cohort comprised 41 old people (aged 83–91 years). Significant associations were identified between both objective and subjective dry mouth and overall or specific aspects of oral health‐related quality of life. Conclusion: Dry mouth (objective and subjective) is significantly associated with oral health‐related quality of life strengthening the value of monitoring dry mouth conditions in the care of frail old people.     

运用微生物法测定保健食品中的维生素B6

介绍运用微生物法测定保健食品中维生素B6的含量。GB／T5009．154—2003将微生物法规定为测定食品中维生素B6的国家标准方法Ⅲ。其原理为卡尔斯伯酵母菌需在有维生素B6存在的条件下才能生长,在一定条件下维生素B6的量与其生长量成正比关系。用分光光度仪在550nm波长下测定该菌的生长．与标准曲线相比较,从而得出该样品中维生素B6的含量。通过对国标方法作较详细的注解,并对有些地方作适当的修改,以期对需要开展此项工作的实验室及其人员会有较大的帮助。     

Comparison of bioelectrical impedance and BMI in predicting obesity-related medical conditions

Objective : To determine the relative validity of specific bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) prediction equations and BMI as predictors of physiologically relevant general adiposity. Research Methods and Procedures : Subjects were >12, 000 men and women from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey population. We examined the correlations between BMI and percentage body fat based on 51 different predictive equations, blood pressure, and blood levels of glucose, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, which are known to reflect adiposity, while controlling for other determinants of these physiological measures. Results : BMI consistently had one of the highest correlations across biological markers, and no BIA‐based measure was superior. Percent body fat estimated from BIA was minimally predictive of the physiological markers independent of BMI. Discussion : These results suggest that BIA is not superior to BMI as a predictor of overall adiposity in a general population.