Understanding Health Risks for Adolescents in Protective Custody

Children in child welfare protective custody (e.g., foster care) are known to have increased health concerns compared to children not in protective custody. The poor health documented for children in protective custody persists well into adulthood; young adults who emancipate from protective custody report poorer health, lower quality of life, and increased health risk behaviors compared to young adults in the general population. This includes increased mental health concerns, substance use, sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, and HIV diagnosis. Identifying youth in protective custody with mental health concerns, chronic medical conditions, and increased health risk behaviors while they remain in custody would provide the opportunity to target prevention and intervention efforts to curtail poor health outcomes while youth are still connected to health and social services. This study leveraged linked electronic health records and child welfare administrative records for 351 youth ages 15 and older to identify young people in custody who were experiencing mental health conditions, chronic medical conditions, and health risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, sexual risk). Results indicate that 41.6% of youth have a mental health diagnosis, with depression and behavior disorders most common. Additionally, 41.3% of youth experience chronic medical conditions, primarily allergies, obesity, and vision and hearing concerns. Finally, 39.6% of youth use substances and 37.0% engage in risky sexual behaviors. Predictors of health risks were examined. Those findings indicate that women, those with longer lengths of stay and more times in custody, and those in independent living and conjugate care settings are at greatest risk for mental health conditions, chronic medical conditions, and health risk behaviors. Results suggest a need to ensure that youth remain connected to health and mental health safety nets, with particular attention needed for adolescents in care for longer and/or those placed in non-family style settings. Understanding who is at risk is critical for developing interventions and policies to target youth who are most vulnerable for increased health concerns that can be implemented while they are in custody and are available to receive services

Fabrication of X-Graded H13 and Cu Powder Mix Using High Power Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser

The manufacturing of Functionally Graded Material (FGM) parts using Solid Free Form manufacturing technologies has been carried out since early 1980. At present, most of the powder manufacturing techniques are being focused on layering powder with different powder blend compositions with Z gradients (graded in direction of layer build). Although, there are a few researchers working on multi powder feeder and deposition system, the study of laser fusion of the deposited powder (by a powder deposition system) is minimum or not known to date. Consequently, the manufacturing of functionally graded structures is still geometry limited. This work was focused on the manufacturing of X-graded (graded along the powder bed plane) specimens with H13 tool steel and Cu mix. Five bimodal powder blends were used with a multi-container feed hopper to spread powder layers for the selective laser fusion of the powder. The powder was fused using a high power Nd:YAG pulsed laser using a specific scanning strategy to reduce porosity. Specimens were produced with graded Cu within the H13 matrix. The specimens were analysed for dimensional accuracy, microstructure, porosity, cracks and micro hardness of the FGM.Mechanical Engineerin

Who Speaks for Me?: Addressing Variability in Informed Consent Practices for Minimal Risk Research Involving Foster Youth

Background: Youth in protective custody (i.e., foster care) are at higher risk for poorer physical and mental health outcomes compared with those who are not. These differences may be due in part to the lack of research on the population to create evidence-based recommendations for health care delivery. A potential contributor to this lack of research is difficulties in obtaining informed consent for empirical studies in this population. The objective of this study was to describe the approaches to obtaining informed consent in minimal risk studies of foster youth and provide recommendations for future requirements. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature to characterize the informed consent approaches in published minimal risk research involving youth in foster care. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Embase, ERIC, Scopus, and EBMR. Inclusion criteria were: studies conducted in the United States, included current foster youth, minimal risk, peer reviewed, and published in English. Full text was reviewed, and individuals required to consent and assent were extracted. Results: Forty-nine publications from 33 studies were identified. Studies required 0 to 3 individuals to consent. Individuals required to give consent included case workers (16, 48%), foster caregivers (12, 36%), biological parents (7, 21%), judges (5, 15%), and guardian ad litems (2, 6%). Twenty-nine (88%) studies required the youth’s assent. The studies used 14 different combinations of individuals. One (3%) study utilized a waiver of consent. Conclusions: There is no consistent approach for obtaining informed consent for foster youth to participate in minimal risk research. Consent should ideally involve individuals with legal authority and knowledge of the individual youth’s interests and should not be burdensome. Consensus regarding consent requirements may facilitate research involving foster youth

A Novel Lactic Acid Bacteria Mixture: Macrophage-Targeted Prophylactic Intervention in Colorectal Cancer Management

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common forms of cancer. Its onset from chronic inflammation is widely accepted. Moreover, dysbiosis plays an undeniable role, thus the use of probiotics in CRC has been suggested. They exhibit both anti- and pro-inflammatory properties and restore balance in the microbiota. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunomodulatory properties of six lactobacilli with probiotic features in an in vitro model of macrophage-like cells and to test these pooled probiotics for their anti-tumour properties in a chemically induced CRC model using Wistar male rats. Upon co-culture of M1- and M2-like macrophages with lactobacilli, cytokine release (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-18, IL-23) and phagocytic activity using fluorescent-labelled bacteria were tested. The effects of orally administered probiotics on basic cancer and immune parameters and cytokine concentration (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-18) in colon tumours were studied. Tested lactobacilli exhibited both pro- and anti-inflammatory properties in in vitro conditions. In vivo study showed that the administration of probiotics was able to decrease multiplicity, volume and total tumour numbers, restore colon length (p &lt; 0.05) and increase IL-18 production (p &lt; 0.05) in tumour tissue. These data indicate both an immunomodulatory effect of probiotics on distinct macrophage subsets and a protective effect against chemically-induced CRC.</jats:p

The Role of Information Sharing to Improve Case Management in Child Welfare

Congress enacted the Adoption and Safe Families Act to improve outcomes concerning the permanency, safety, and wellbeing of children in the care of child welfare agencies. However, achieving its goals for the more than 700,000 children who spend time in the custody of child protective services (CPS) every year in the United States is made more difficult by their poorer health compared to the general population.1 Common health concerns among children in CPS custody include developmental delay (e.g., intellectual delay or disability, gross or fine motor delay, speech delay), infections diseases, mental and behavioral health concerns, and medical concerns. Higher levels of healthcare compared to other children who live in poverty are often required.2 While health concerns may have been identified before children entered CPS custody, connections to healthcare providers and services are disrupted when children are removed from their families of origin and placed in out-of-home care. Efforts to collect a child’s complete medical history upon entering care may be difficult, and incomplete histories negatively impact health and disease management. Moreover, disruptions in healthcare can continue even after children enter CPS custody and out-of-home care—for example, when children change placements or caseworkers—leading to additional challenges managing children’s health needs and increasing healthcare use.

Plasma Properties in the Plume of a Hall Thruster Cluster

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76225/1/AIAA-3765-486.pd

Effects of Cathode Configuration on Hall Thruster Cluster Plume Properties

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76620/1/AIAA-24636-518.pd

Fermented Liquid Feed (FLF) can reduce the transfer and incidence of Salmonella in pigs.

Surveillance studies have shown that feeding pigs liquid diets, and particularly fermented liquid diets reduces the incidence of Salmonella positive herds. Studies have shown that a concentration of 70 mmol kg-1 lactic acid is bacteriostatic to Salmonella and that concentrations \u3e100 mmol kg-1 are bactericidal. Uncontrolled natural fermentation results in lactic acid concentrations varying between 0 and 140 mmol kg-1 so cannot be relied upon to produce bactericidal levels of lactic acid. However, if selected lactic acid bacteria are used as inoculants and the temperature of the fermentation is controlled (circa 30∞C), acid onditions can be produced within 24 h that rapidly and effectively exclude enteropathogens from the diet

Gastric Cardia Adenocarcinoma with Metastasis to the Scalp: A Case Report

Cutaneous metastasis is a rare manifestation of advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Gastric adenocarcinoma rarely presents with cutaneous metastasis, as cutaneous manifestations occur in less than 1% of upper GI tract malignancies. Here, we present the case of a patient with advanced gastric cardia adenocarcinoma with metastasis to the right occipital region of the scalp. Following shave biopsy, the immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular profile of the scalp lesion were analyzed, both of which confirmed metastasis and guided the treatment approach. The lesion demonstrated programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), an immune checkpoint protein, positivity by IHC, which led to the recommendation for treatment with immunotherapy as per the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. Clinicians should conduct dermatologic examinations in patients with a history of gastric cancer or who are currently undergoing chemotherapy for gastric cancer in order to monitor for disease progression or metastatic lesions. The aim of this report is to increase awareness of scalp metastasis as an indicator of advanced internal visceral carcinoma for earlier diagnosis and improved management of the condition.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]