Dana Sirbu

The Measurement of Body Composition by ioelectrical Impedance

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) has been proven an inexpensive, reliable, simple, safe, and noninvasive technique for clinical and non clinical purposes. The ability of BIA to accurately assess body composition is dependent upon a number of technical and biological assumptions. This paper provides an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the BIA method with specific reference to assessment body composition

Identifying the impact of global warming on population using a clustering based approach

Being one of the contemporary worlds problems, global warming is a complex phenomenon with unavoidable immediate and long-term effects on human health. So far, population health has been little addressed by relating it to the global warming phenomenon. However, the reality of recent years has alerted the medical scientific community on the need to establish how aspects of human pathology are influenced/conditioned by environmental factors altered by global warming. In this paper we are focusing on the problem of identifying populational groups with high risks in the context of global warming. In this direction, a clustering based approach is introduced and an hierarchical agglomerative clustering algorithm is developed. Our approach can be useful in assisting physicians in detecting patients for which special profilactic measures should be developed. An experimental evaluation of the proposed algorithm on a simple case study is provided, emphasizing the potential of our approach.

Potential Impact of Climate Change on Pandemic Influenza Risk

Health problems related to the environment continue to be a major source of concern all over the world.  Society needs to develop measures that will eliminate or considerably reduce hazardous factors from the environment that can result in health risk to humans.

West Nile Virus: Risk Factors of Spreading, Prevention and Control Measures

West Nile is an insect-borne flavivirus which can cause serious, life-altering and even fatal diseases. It has been detected in at least 48 species of mosquitoes, over 250 species of birds, and at 18 mammalian species, including humans. The most serious manifestation of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection is fatal encephalitis in humans and horses, as well as mortality in certain domestic and wild birds. Approximately one in 150 infections results in severe neurological illness. Given our incomplete and evolving knowledge of the ecology and public health impact of WN virus, as well as the efficacy of control efforts, the virus will remain an important public health challenge in the next years all round the world. The purpose of this study is to understanding how and why the WNV epidemics occurred, by the evaluation of epidemiological, ecological, clinical and potential risk factors that can lead to epidemic manifestation. This information will be both interesting and useful in order to developing a global surveillance and effective control strategies for preventing the spread of WNV.

Approaches on H5N1 Avian Influenza Spreading in Relation with Human Health Risk

Recent experiences with highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza have given the world its first advance warning that another influenza pandemic may be imminent. Given the serious consequences of past pandemics, this advance warning has stimulated a search for ways to prevent such an event from occurring through preparedness, rapid response and containment. The rapid response and containment strategy aims to stop, or at least slow the spread of pandemic influenza at the source of its emergence in order to minimize global morbidity and mortality.

The Relationship Between Infant Methemoglobinemia and Environmental Exposure to Nitrates

In the framework of the paper the incidence of infant methemoglobinemia in Cluj county, Romania was evaluated from medical records. The incidence rate ranged from 42 to 239 per 100,000 live births between 2000 and 2004. Bottle-babies less than 4 months are the age group most at risk of acquired methemoglobinemia. Well water was the main source of nitrate, though early incorporation of vegetable juices and table food into infant diet were also incriminated. Some recommendations for the management of methemoglobinemia in this area are described: introduce a low nitrate water supply scheme specially for infant feeding, education program for mothers to increase duration of breast feeding, further studies on long-term development effects on infants.

Evaluation of groundwater contamination and protection measures in a rural area

Clean drinking water plays a very important role in the health of a community. Providing safe drinking water to the people has been a major challenge for Romanian Government in order to achieve the goal of accession into the EU by 2007. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the chemical contamination of groundwater in a rural region from Cluj County, Romania. Samples of water from twenty wells uniform distributed in the whole study area were analyzed for metals and anions concentration. The results revealed high level of nitrates as well as concentrations of lead, cadmium, iron, zinc and copper above of the safety limit in some wells. This situation may have health risks to the local population. Implementation of groundwater protection measures in this area is necessary to prevent contamination by substances hazardous to human health.