Fermented Corn Flour Poisoning in Rural Areas of China Ⅲ. Isolation and Identification of Main Toxin Produced by Causal Microorganisms

Flavotoxin A was isolated from Pseudomonas cocovenenans subsp. farinofermentans culture in semisolid potato-dextrose-agar medium, which was isolated from fermented corn meal that had caused food poisoning outbreaks in China. The isolation, purification, and chemical structure of this toxin were studied. The NMR spectra, the uv spectra, and molar extinction coefficients, and the mass spectra of Flavotoxin A are in good agreement with those reported for bongkrekic acid. Therefore, Flavotoxin A and bongkrekic acid are the same organic chemical compound; the molecular formula is C_(28)H_(38)O_7. The oral LD_(50) of the purified Flavotoxin A in mice was 3.16mg/kg (1.53-6.15mg/kg). The existence of bongkrekic acid in toxic fermented corn samples collected during food poisoning outbreaks was also confirmed. It is concluded that bongkrekic acid has played an important role in the outbreaks of fermented corn poisoning. 1989 Academic Press, Inc.

Determining Optimal Strategies to Reduce Maternal and Child Mortality in Rural Areas in Western China: an Assessment Using the Lives Saved Tool

China, as a whole, is about to meet the Millennium Development Goals for reducing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR), but the disparities between rural area and urban area still exists. This study estimated the potential effectiveness of expanding coverage with high impact interventions using the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). It was found that gestational hypertension, antepartum and postpartum hemorrhage, preterm birth, neonatal asphyxia, and neonatal childhood pneumonia and diarrhea are still the major killers of mothers and children in rural area in China. It was estimated that 30% of deaths among 0-59 month old children and 25% of maternal deaths in 2008 could be prevented in 2015 if primary health care intervention coverage expanded to a feasible level. The LiST death cause framework, compared to data from the Maternal and Child Mortality Surveillance System, represents 60%-80% of neonatal deaths, 40%-50% of deaths in 1-59 month old children and 40%-60% of maternal deaths in rural areas of western China.

A Better Instrument for Screening Diabetes in Rural Areas of China: An Equation Developed from Multivariate Logistic Regression or a Simplified Scoring Form

Diabetes has become a major public health concern in the world and the total number of diabetic patients is considered to soar to 366 million in 2030. Emerging evidence has suggested that earlier detection of type 2 diabetes, glycaemic control improvement and intensified risk factor management may result in clinically important improvements in diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. According to the World Health Organization （WHO）p strategies such as clinical questionnaires, urine glucose, blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin A1C （HbA1C） and combinations of the above tests can be used for screening diabetes.

Child Mortality Patterns in Rural Areas of Anhui and Henan Provinces in China, 1990

County-based IMR and U5MR in Anhui and Henan provinces in China were estimated and analyzed by using the 1990 Census Data. Census was conducted on July 1,1990, the number of deaths only occurred in the first half year of 1990 was collected. In order to obtain the total population and total number of deaths in the same year, the total number of deaths in each eqersex group for the whole 1990 was then estimated by taking the death number in the first half of 1990 as the base and multiplying a coefficient, which varied in different age-sex-region groups. Two major adjustments for some possible underreporting cases in female birth and infant death were made. If the sex ratio at age 0 in some counties was beyond 1. 2, then it was taken as 1. 15 for rural counties and 1.10 for urban cities, which were the estimates of sex ratios for the children at ape 5 in the national 1% Population Sampling Survey in 1995. The adjustment for IMR were made by comparing the segment of the county lift table from age 15 through 59 with that from the same age groups in the international and Chinese Model Life Tables. The IMR in the county life table would be substituted by the one in the closest Model Life Talbe, if it was less than in the latter.The findings of the analysis may be summarized as fol1ows: (i) Total county-based IMR and U5MR were 33. 4 Per 1000 and 41. 4 per 1000 respectively, with great variations between urban cities (25. 4 per 1000 for IMR and 31. 4 per 1 000 for U5MR) and rural counties (35. 1 Per 1000 for IMR and 43. 6 per 1000 for U5MR). There were also sighficant differences in child mortality between nationally identified Poor counties and other counties in rural areas. In the opr counties the total IMR was 40. 7 per 1 000 living births in average while in non-opr counties it was only 33. 2 per 1000 in average (P < 0.05). The U5MR in opr counties was 25 percent higher than in non-opr counties (51. 5 vs 40. 9 Per 1 000 living births).(ii) Statistically significant correlation between child mortality and socio-economic variables was revealed from the data set, among which gross social economic products per capita was found to have the strongest relationship with child mortality. The neqative correlation was found between child mortality and a set of socalled' rich' variables including the gross social products, gr-oss agricultural products, gna industrial products and the proportions of high-educated population at county level, whereas the poSitive correlation was found between child mortality and a set of'poor' variables, such as proportions Of residents with lower 1evel of education and illiteracy rate.(iii) thfferences in child mortality between these two provinces were found, which were identical to the trends of differences in socio-economic indicators between them.tower child mortality proved to be associated with better socio-economic conditions(higher per capita products, higher proPortions of residents with higher level of education, lower proportion of less educated people and illiteracy) in province Henan.

A Survey on English Reading Status of Left-behind Children in Rural Areas of Northern China

Taking Suining County in Xuzhou city of Jiangsu province as the survey subject,this paper is to study the current English reading situation of the left-behind children based on a questionnaire survey of 472 respondents from 4 primary and middle schools in rural areas.The result indicated that there are serious problems in the current situation of English reading among left-behind children in rural areas,which are as follows:insufficient reading time and books,few access to having books,increased digital reading,many reading disabilities,poor reading environment,etc.This paper analyzes the reasons and gives corresponding countermeasures for society,school and family,to improve the English reading condition of rural left-behind children and to better promote their reading ability and habits.It also provides the reference for narrowing the disparity gap of reading resources services between urban and rural China.