Environmental Health Program Performance and its Relationship with Environment-Related Disease in Florida

This study used a unique approach to examine Florida county health department environmental health (EH) program performance of the 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services (EEPHS) and its relationship with environment- related disease, described by enteric disease rates. Correlation analysis tested the association between performance of each EEPHS and five different enteric disease rates, while multivariate regression analysis further examined the relationships while considering program organizational characteristics as potential confounders. Correlation analysesrevealed cryptosporidiosis was associated with EEPHS 2 diagnose (Τb = .195, p = .027) and EEPHS 8 workforce (Τb= .234, p = .006), and salmonellosis with EEPHS 4 mobilize (Τb = .179, p = .042) and EEPHS 6 enforce (Τb = .201, p = .020). Multivariate regression results showed EEPHS 2 diagnose (p = .04) and EEPHS 4 mobilize (p = .00) had statistically significant associations with cryptosporidiosis and salmonellosis, respectively, and suggested that improved performance of these two EEPHS may have decreased disease incidence. EH programs may benefit from improving the performance of EEPHS to address the incidence of certain enteric diseases. Continued efforts to develop a robust understanding of EH program performance and its impact on environment-related disease could enhance EH services delivery and ability to improve health outcomes

Corporate Governance for Sustainability

The current model of corporate governance needs reform. There is mounting evidence that the practices of shareholder primacy drive company directors and executives to adopt the same short time horizon as financial markets. Pressure to meet the demands of the financial markets drives stock buybacks, excessive dividends and a failure to invest in productive capabilities. The result is a ‘tragedy of the horizon’, with corporations and their shareholders failing to consider environmental, social or even their own, long-term, economic sustainability. With less than a decade left to address the threat of climate change, and with consensus emerging that businesses need to be held accountable for their contribution, it is time to act and reform corporate governance in the EU. The statement puts forward specific recommendations to clarify the obligations of company boards and directors and make corporate governance practice significantly more sustainable and focused on the long term

Prevalence of Blood Lead among Children Living in Battery Recycling Communities in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of blood lead levels (BLLs) among children 1 to 5 years old who reside near and distant to informally used lead-acid battery (ULAB) recycling locations and examine risk factors for elevated BLLs. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three greater Jakarta neighborhoods where informal ULAB recycling occurs. Venous BLLs among 279 children were analyzed using portable blood lead testing machines. Demographic, child activities, and sources of lead exposure inside and outside homes were assessed. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with the prevalence of BLLs. Forty-seven percent of children had BLLs ≥ 5 µg/dL and 9% had BLLs ≥ 10 µg/dL. No differences in geometric mean BLLs were observed between children who lived near and distant to ULAB locations. Older child age groups [Prevalence Ratio (PR) 2.14, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.16, 4.18) and low household income (PR 1.58, 95% CI 1.03, 2.40) were associated with BLLs 5–9 µg/dL. Low educational attainment of the child’s father (PR 3.17, 95% CI 1.23, 8.16) and frequent outdoor child activity (PR 4.93, 95% CI 1.09, 22.21) were predictors of BLLs ≥ 10 µg/dL. This study shows the association between lead exposure among children and environmental sources. Public health officials can consider expanded surveillance, health care provider education, and development of strategies to reduce lead exposure

High-Intensity Targeted Screening for Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Children in 2 Inner-City Chicago Communities

Objectives. We assessed the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (>/= 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood), risk factors, and previous blood lead testing among children in 2 high-risk Chicago, Ill, communities. Methods. Through high-intensity targeted screening, blood lead levels were tested and risks were assessed among a representative sample of children aged 1 to 5 years who were at risk for lead exposure. Results. Of the 539 children who were tested, 27% had elevated blood lead levels, and 61% had never been tested previously. Elevated blood lead levels were associated with chipped exterior house paint. Conclusions. Most children who lived in these communities--where the prevalence for elevated blood lead levels among children was 12 times higher than the national prevalence--were not tested for lead poisoning. Our findings highlight the need for targeted community outreach that includes testing blood lead levels in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations

Two Functional Lupus-Associated BLK Promoter Variants Control Cell-Type- and Developmental-Stage-Specific Transcription

Efforts to identify lupus-associated causal variants in the FAM167A/BLK locus on 8p21 are hampered by highly associated noncausal variants. In this report, we used a trans-population mapping and sequencing strategy to identify a common variant (rs922483) in the proximal BLK promoter and a tri-allelic variant (rs1382568) in the upstream alternative BLK promoter as putative causal variants for association with systemic lupus erythematosus. The risk allele (T) at rs922483 reduced proximal promoter activity and modulated alternative promoter usage. Allelic differences at rs1382568 resulted in altered promoter activity in B progenitor cell lines. Thus, our results demonstrated that both lupus-associated functional variants contribute to the autoimmune disease association by modulating transcription of BLK in B cells and thus potentially altering immune responses