Empowering local communities to make lifestyle changes: is the Health Mela a potential solution?

Background: Health Melas are community-led public health events held in the North West of England that provide health information and free health checks. This descriptive observational study evaluates whether Health Melas are able to identify undiagnosed cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in hard-to-reach communities and encourage individuals to make lifestyle changes. Methods: Attendees ≥18 years at three separate Health Melas in 2016–2017 were invited to participate in screening and counselling for CVD risk factors as part of a Health MOT. Information was collected about demographics, CVD risk factors, blood pressure, total cholesterol, blood sugar and attendees’ feedback. QRISK2 scoring system was used to estimate CVD risk. Results: 375 attendees completed a questionnaire. The highest proportion (36.9%) of attendees were from areas of the lowest Index of Health Deprivation and Disability quintile; 38.8% were of South Asian ethnicity. Of the attendees who were eligible for a free National Health Service Health Check, 9.1% had received one. Overall, 57.5% of all attendees had a QRISK2 score ≥10% (of whom 56.9% were not on statins), 92.2% of attendees believed the Health Mela will help them to make lifestyle changes, 98.2% said they had improved their understanding of their health, and 99.6% thought the Health Mela was useful. 73.6% of those who had received a previous Health MOT reported making lifestyle changes. There was a positive correlation between South Asian ethnicity and QRISK2 score. Conclusion: This study suggests the Health Melas successfully involve South Asian populations and people from a lower Index of Health Deprivation and Disability. Attendees felt the events were useful, improved understanding of their health needs and encouraged them to make lifestyle changes. High rates of modifiable CVD risk factors were newly identified and a high proportion of attendees were found to be at intermediate to high risk of CVD

Black Hole Entropy from a Highly Excited Elementary String

Suggested correspondence between a black hole and a highly excited elementary string is explored. Black hole entropy is calculated by computing the density of states for an open excited string. We identify the square root of oscillator number of the excited string with Rindler energy of black hole to obtain an entropy formula which, not only agrees at the leading order with the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, but also reproduces the logarithmic correction obtained for black hole entropy in the quantum geometry framework. This provides an additional supporting evidence for correspondence between black holes and strings.Comment: revtex, 4 page

Black Hole Entropy from Spin One Punctures

Recent suggestion, that the emission of a quantum of energy corresponding to the asymptotic value of quasinormal modes of a Schwarzschild black hole should be associated with the loss of spin one punctures from the black hole horizon, fixes the Immirzi parameter to a definite value. We show that saturating the horizon with spin one punctures reproduces the earlier formula for the black hole entropy, including the $ln (area)$ correction with definite coefficient (- 3/2) for large area.Comment: 4 pages. RevTe

Empowering local communities to make lifestyle changes: is the Health Mela a potential solution?

Background: Health Melas are community-led public health events held in the North West of England that provide health information and free health checks. This descriptive observational study evaluates whether Health Melas are able to identify undiagnosed cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in hard-to-reach communities and encourage individuals to make lifestyle changes. Methods: Attendees ≥18 years at three separate Health Melas in 2016–2017 were invited to participate in screening and counselling for CVD risk factors as part of a Health MOT. Information was collected about demographics, CVD risk factors, blood pressure, total cholesterol, blood sugar and attendees’ feedback. QRISK2 scoring system was used to estimate CVD risk. Results: 375 attendees completed a questionnaire. The highest proportion (36.9%) of attendees were from areas of the lowest Index of Health Deprivation and Disability quintile; 38.8% were of South Asian ethnicity. Of the attendees who were eligible for a free National Health Service Health Check, 9.1% had received one. Overall, 57.5% of all attendees had a QRISK2 score ≥10% (of whom 56.9% were not on statins), 92.2% of attendees believed the Health Mela will help them to make lifestyle changes, 98.2% said they had improved their understanding of their health, and 99.6% thought the Health Mela was useful. 73.6% of those who had received a previous Health MOT reported making lifestyle changes. There was a positive correlation between South Asian ethnicity and QRISK2 score. Conclusion: This study suggests the Health Melas successfully involve South Asian populations and people from a lower Index of Health Deprivation and Disability. Attendees felt the events were useful, improved understanding of their health needs and encouraged them to make lifestyle changes. High rates of modifiable CVD risk factors were newly identified and a high proportion of attendees were found to be at intermediate to high risk of CVD

Evaluation of outcomes of 5cm all-around mesh reinforcement after endoscopic component separation and midline closure during laparoscopic ventral hernia repair

Background: To evaluate the short term recurrence, pain scores, infection rates and cost factors by using 5cm all around composite mesh reinforcement of the closed defect after endoscopic video-assisted component separation for large ventral hernia repair. Methods: All patients who were clinically assessed to have large (≥5cm diameter of defect) midline ventral hernia underwent an abdominal CT as per protocol to calculate the Component Separation Index and were subjected to endoscopic video-assisted component separation. Next laparoscopy is done, hernial contents were reduced with adhesiolysis and midline defect is closed vertically with VLoc sutures, under physiologic tension. The closed suture line is reinforced with a mesh having a 5cm all round overlap irrespective of the original hernia defect. Results: A total of 30 patients were operated. Over a follow up period ranging from 3-18 months there were no recurrences, no surgical site infection, no seroma formation, no mesh infection, fewer tackers were required resulting in more favorable pain scores. Due to smaller mesh and fewer tackers there was significant cost reduction per case. Conclusion: Endoscopic component separation technique is useful in tension less large midline ventral hernia repair. Only 5cm all around mesh reinforcement of midline closure is required thus significantly cutting down the cost of surgery with excellent patient outcome

Diversity in morpho-pomological attributes and biochemical profiling of bael (Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa) genotypes of North-Western India

Bael is a medicinal cum fruit tree with multipurpose utility and propagated mostly through seeds. The present study aimed to assess and analyse the morpho-pomological and biochemical traits of eighty seedlings grown bael genotypes comparison with two commercial cultivars (NB-5 and NB-9) of bael. The significant differences were detected among the genotypes based on the measured morpho-pomological and biochemical traits. The morpho-pomological and biochemical traits of bael exhibited variation ranging from 6.17% to 133.65%. Trunk girth ranged from 29.50 to 63.40 cm and tree spread (N–S) varied 1.00–6.30 m. Fruit length ranged from 4.60 to 12.05 cm and fruit width ranged from 4.64 to 11.72 cm. Moreover, fruit weight ranged from 56.33 to 917.65 g and pulp percentage varied from 58.64 to 81.38%. Soluble Solid Content ranged from 25.90 to 36.77 0brix and ascorbic acid varied from 14.38 to 25.45 mg/100 g. Fruit length was positively correlated with fruit width, fruit weight, pulp percentage, seed length, seed diameter and number of seeds per fruit, while it was negatively correlated with fruit surface and total number of fruit per plant. Principal component analysis showed that 76.66% of the variability observed was explained by the 13 components. Ward cluster analysis using Euclidean distance classified the genotypes into two main clusters. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the diversity and relationships among the studied genotypes, aiding future breeding and selection programs for improved bael cultivation

Microbiological effectiveness and cost of disinfecting water by boiling in semi-urban India.

Despite shortcomings, boiling is the most common means of treating water at home and the benchmark against which emerging point-of-use water treatment approaches are measured. In a 5-month study, we assessed the microbiological effectiveness and cost of the practice among 218 self-reported boilers relying on unprotected water supplies. Boiling was associated with a 99% reduction in geometric mean fecal coliforms (FCs; P < 0.001). Despite high levels of fecal contamination in source water, 59.6% of stored drinking water samples from self-reported boilers met the World Health Organization standard for safe drinking water (0 FC/100 mL), and 5.7% were between 1 and 10 FC/100 mL. Nevertheless, 40.4% of stored drinking water samples were positive for FCs, with 25.1% exceeding 100 FC/100 mL. The estimated monthly fuel cost for boiling was INR 43.8 (US$0.88) for households using liquid petroleum gas and INR 34.7 (US$0.69) for households using wood

Evaluating Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Risk at Health Melasin Preston and Burnley: Promoting Lifestyle Changes, Enhancing Healthcare Management, and Providing Hands-On Experience for Students

Background: Community health events such as Health Melas are critical in identifying undiagnosed health conditions and promoting public health. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Health Melas in evaluating diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in Preston and Burnley. It also explores the dual benefits of these events in enhancing healthcare management and providing practical training for students. Methods: The Health Mela 2024, a collaborative effort between the National Forum for Health and Well-being (NFHW) and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) School of Medicine and Dentistry, was conducted in Preston on April 13 and in Burnley on May 11. A total of 170 participants in Preston and 71 in Burnley utilised the health screening facilities at the health mela. Data analysis was performed on 149 complete datasets in Preston and 56 in Burnley. Participants underwent assessments, including anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and blood biochemistry. We gathered student feedback through a comprehensive questionnaire to evaluate how the health Melas have influenced their practical experience. Results: Out of the 205 participants analysed, 64 were healthy,48 had previously diagnosed conditions, and 93 were newly diagnosed with conditions including obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Specifically, 20 participants were newly identified as obese, 41 had dyslipidaemia, 20 had hypertension, and 12 had diabetes. High diabetes risk was noted in 37 participants, and elevated CVD risk was found in 36 participants. All newly diagnosed individuals were referred to their General Practitioners (GPs) for further management. Students reported significant improvements in clinical skills and community health understanding. Conclusion: The Health Melas in Preston and Burnley successfully identified many undiagnosed diabetes and CVD cases, underscoring the importance of community health screenings. These events facilitated the early detection and management of chronic conditions and provided invaluable hands-on experience for students. Future initiatives should incorporate long-term follow-up and leverage technology to enhance the sustainability and impact of community health interventions

Reaching Vulnerable Populations through Portable and Mobile Dentistry—Current and Future Opportunities

The Action for Dental Health Act of 2017 bill is intended to prevent dental disease and divert dental emergencies from high-cost centers (like hospital emergency rooms) to dental offices. Lines 15&ndash;17 of the bill include grant funding to support portable or mobile dental equipment, and this should lead to an expansion of opportunities to deliver and receive care through the use of portable dental equipment and mobile dental vans, i.e., portable and mobile dentistry (PMD). Historically, PMD has been valuable to bridge the access gap for those for whom transport can be a challenge, like children and the elderly. However, PMD could be valuable to large employers, allowing the employees to receive dental care with minimal disruption to their workday. Oral pain is known to affect work and school attendance, and improving access to dental care could benefit individuals, families, organizations, and communities