Application of a Novel Method for Assessing Cumulative Risk Burden by County

The purpose of this study is to apply the Human Security Index (HSI) as a tool to detect social and economic cumulative risk burden at a county-level in the state of Texas. The HSI is an index comprising a network of three sub-components or “fabrics”; the Economic, Environmental, and Social Fabrics. We hypothesized that the HSI will be a useful instrument for identifying and analyzing socioeconomic conditions that contribute to cumulative risk burden in vulnerable counties. We expected to identify statistical associations between cumulative risk burden and (a) ethnic concentration and (b) geographic proximity to the Texas-Mexico border. Findings from this study indicate that the Texas-Mexico border region did not have consistently higher total or individual fabric scores as would be suggested by the high disease burden and low income in this region. While the Economic, Environmental, Social Fabrics (including the Health subfabric) were highly associated with Hispanic ethnic concentration, the overall HSI and the Crime subfabric were not. In addition, the Education, Health and Crime subfabrics were associated with African American racial composition, while Environment, Economic and Social Fabrics were not. Application of the HSI to Texas counties provides a fuller and more nuanced understanding of socioeconomic and environmental conditions, and increases awareness of the role played by environmental, economic, and social factors in observed health disparities by race/ethnicity and geographic region

A Document Analysis of Anti-Hazing Policy

Every year students are physically, mentally, and/or emotionally injured due to hazing. Some injuries are so significant they result in student deaths, yet “hazing is an issue that has been largely overlooked and under studied” (Allan & Madden, 2008, p. 5). Hazing is institutionalized by organizations, clubs, and groups, as well as within campus policy. Student hazing experiences are different for the individual(s) involved, and institutional experiences vary as institutions have their own hazing definitions and policies. Through document analysis, we examined and critically analyzed the ambiguous anti-hazing policy at the state and federal levels

Testing and Development of the Data Acquisition for the ALICE Experiment Fast Interaction Trigger Detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collides charged nuclei of atoms to replicate the beginning of the universe: high-energy density environments of quarks, gluons, and leptons. The resulting particles released from the collisions provide insight to the behavior of the universe millionths of a second after the Big Bang. Capturing information about the particles released from the collisions require extreme precision that is provided by a project the ALICE team is collaborating on called the Fast Interaction Trigger (FIT). The FIT upgrades will replace the current triggers at the ALICE experiment, enabling selection of the most interesting collisions/ events that require further analysis. Our task is to become familiar with, edit the software for, and plot the results from a piece of equipment called the desktop digitizer. By using the digitizer to measure the signal from an Avalanche Photodiode, a type of photon detector, CERN physicists will be able to use these methods for the micro-channel-plate photomultiplier detectors involved in FIT. With the upgraded trigger detector, ALICE will be able make more accurate and precise measurements, furthering our knowledge about the high density matter from which our Universe evolved. CERN is where theory meets experiment for particle physics, and with new developments and upgrades such as FIT, yesterday’s hypotheses can become tomorrow’s knowledge

Health Literacy: Understanding Medication Labels

Introduction: According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), over 90 million people in the U.S. have difficulty understanding and using health information including medication labels. Purpose: To determine how individuals interpret medication labels and the relationship between medication label interpretation and level of health literacy. Method: Participants were recruited from a student-run health fair and a University Relay for Life. After securing consent, participants completed demographic information and the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM). Participants were asked to blindly choose three medication containers from a bag. The labels were prepared by a registered pharmacist and affixed to medication containers. In response to questions, participants relayed information perceived to be on the labels. Sample: There were a total of 21 participants. Ages ranged from 18-89 years. Education levels varied from 10th grade to master’s degree. Findings: Using content analysis, respondents were unable to correctly interpret dosing directions on four out five medication labels. Participants added incorrect information not on the labels. No relationship was found between REALM scores and the ability to correctly interpret medication labels. Conclusions: Findings support that nurses should ask clients to restate medication label information. This assessment of understanding may increase a client\u27s ability to adhere to the medication regimen

Socioeconomic and Cultural County-level Factors Associated with Race/Ethnic Differences in Body Mass Index in 4th Grade Students in Texas

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between county-level socioeconomic environment and the propensity to be overweight or obese by race/ethnic group in a sample of fourth grade children the Texas public school system. Methods: The data used come from the School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) surveillance study – a surveillance study of school-aged children in Texas. The outcome variable used was Body Mass Index (BMI) categorized as underweight/normal/healthy, overweight, and obese. Exposure variables were derived from county-level Hispanic and Black concentration and socioeconomic data using the Human Security Index (HSI) as a framework. We made comparisons between Non-Hispanic White, Black and Hispanic children enrolled in the fourth grade. We used bivariate and regression analysis using jackknife variance estimates. Results: Hispanic and Black children were more likely to be obese and overweight than non-Hispanic White children. Hispanic and Black children were more likely to live in counties with higher economic, educational and social stress than non-Hispanic White children. In the logistic regression analysis comparing the odds of overweight or obese to underweight/healthy/normal weight, both Hispanic and Black children continued to have a higher odds of overweight and obesity than non-Hispanic White children. In separate regression analyses for each race/ethnic group (ie, Hispanic, Black, and White students) the county-level educational and social stress variables had a significant association with overweight and obesity in Hispanic children only. Hispanic ethnic concentration was associated with the odds of being overweight but not obese, while percent Black was associated with obesity in Hispanic children. There were no significant associations between socioeconomic or ethnic concentration and overweight or obese in Black children. Discussion: The results from this study indicate that county-level effects on childhood obesity may be more than just socioeconomics and ethnic concentration. Future research should involve multiple levels of analysis, including census tract, school and home variables simultaneously, in order to understand how the environments children live in impact their risk for obesity and how these influences may vary by race/ethnicity

Determinación del análisis bromatológico proximal y minerales en pupusas a base de "Arroz" (Oryza sativa) consumidas en el campus central de la Universidad de El Salvador

Las pupusas son un alimento de alto consumo a nivel nacional, muchos salvadoreños por sus bajos costos las ingieren en los tres tiempos del día, debido a esta situación surge el interés por estudiar las pupusas a base de “Arroz”. Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo principal la determinación del análisis bromatológico proximal y la cuantificación de: calcio, magnesio, hierro, zinc, sodio, potasio y fósforo en pupusas elaboradas a base de “Arroz” con tres rellenos distintos; para seleccionar los rellenos de las pupusas y el sitio de muestreo se tomó como referencia la tesis: “Determinación del análisis bromatológico proximal y minerales en pupusas a base de Zea mays (“Maíz”) comercializadas dentro y en los alrededores del campus central de la Universidad de El Salvador”. De la cual se obtuvo lo siguiente: los rellenos seleccionados fueron: Queso, Revueltas y “Frijol” con queso y el sitio de muestreo seleccionado fue: la entrada peatonal de la Universidad de El Salvador conocida como la minerva. Se analizó una muestra por cada relleno y en total se analizaron 3 rellenos distintos. Los análisis se realizaron por triplicado en el Laboratorio de Química Agrícola de la Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas de la Universidad de El Salvador, durante los meses de septiembre y octubre de 2022. De los resultados obtenidos se destaca: que las pupusas de queso a base de “Arroz” aportan mayor cantidad de proteína, que las pupusas revueltas aportan mayor cantidad de grasa y que las pupusas de “Frijol” con queso aportan más carbohidratos. Para los minerales se observó que las pupusas de queso aportan calcio y sodio, que las revueltas aportan magnesio, zinc y potasio y que las de “Frijol” con queso aportan hierro

La crónica de Ibagué de los años 80 contada por Zoraida de Cadavid

IbaguéZoraida de Cadavid, escritora y docente nacida en Ibagué en 1949, publicó con regularidades notas, crónicas y reportajes en periódicos de su ciudad natal. En 1991 lanzó el poemario El retorno de los dioses, de 192 páginas y otro denominado Mis sagradas escri-turas

Mitos y creencias alimentarias en gestantes atendidas en el Centro de Salud Alto Trujillo. El Porvenir – 2020

Con el objetivo de explorar los mitos y creencias sobre la alimentación durante la gestación en pacientes del Centro de Salud Alto Trujillo. El Porvenir -2020; se realizó una investigación de tipo cualitativo, diseño fenomenológico, en 30 gestantes, a quienes se le aplico una entrevista a profundidad. Se encontró que las gestantes mantienen mitos como: debo comer por dos, satisfacer los antojos, mayor consumo de carbohidratos, cuidados con la sal, ají y café; entre las creencias relacionadas a su alimentación son: consumir en menor cantidad especias (albahaca, azafrán, canela y orégano), alimentos prohibidos (menestra, palta, huevos y trigo), grasas (mantequilla, queso y embutidos), cítricos (jugo de naranja, limón, lima, maracuyá y piña) y vegetales (repollo, espinaca, coliflor y brócoli) y en mayor cantidad consumir pescado. Las repercusiones de estos mitos y creencias en sus hijos son: él bebe nacerá flaquito, con la lengua afuera, con puntos rojos o alergia en el cuerpo, hacen mal al cerebro y corazón del bebe, olería mal al nacer, las grasas producen sobrepeso y el consumo de pescado les hace inteligentes. En la madre causarían: hinchazón, los cítricos bajan la presión arterial y arde el estómago, las menestras caen mal al hígado, producen gases y las especias son abortivas.With the aim of exploring the myths and beliefs about diet during pregnancy in patients of the Alto Trujillo Health Center. El Porvenir -2020; A qualitative research, phenomenological design, was carried out in 30 pregnant women, to whom an indepth interview was applied. It was found that pregnant women maintain myths such as: I should eat for two, satisfy cravings, greater consumption of carbohydrates, be careful with salt, chili and coffee; Among the beliefs related to their diet are: consume fewer spices (basil, saffron, cinnamon and oregano), prohibited foods (stew, avocado, eggs and wheat), fats (butter, cheese and sausages), citrus fruits (juice of orange), lemon, lime, passion fruit and pineapple) and vegetables (cabbage, spinach, cauliflower and broccoli) and in greater quantities consume fish. The repercussions of these myths and beliefs on their children are: the baby will be born skinny, with the tongue sticking out, with red spots or allergies on the body, they harm the baby's brain and heart, it would smell bad at birth, fats produce overweight and eating fish makes them smart. In the mother, they would cause: bloating, citrus fruits lower blood pressure and the stomach burns, beans fall badly on the liver, produce gases and spices are abortifacient.Tesi

CTLA4 +49AG (rs231775) and CT60 (rs3087243) gene variants are not associated with alopecia areata in a Mexican population from Monterrey Mexico

Background: Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that produces non-scarring hair loss around the body. Gene variants of the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) gene, a negative regulator of T-cell response, have been associated with a predisposition to autoimmune diseases in different populations; however, the involvement of these genetic variants in the development of AA is controversial. Objective: The present study evaluated the potential association of two CTLA4 gene variants with alopecia areata in a Mexican population. Methods: We genotyped +49AG (rs231775) and CT60 (rs3087243) variants in 50 AA patients and 100 healthy control participants through PCR-RFLP. Results: No statistical difference was observed for either of the gene variants regarding allele or genotype frequencies between AA patients and the controls when the parameters of family/personal history of autoimmune diseases or gender were considered (p > 0.05).Study limitations: Small sample size of patients and the data were obtained from NortheastMexico population.Conclusion: The genetic variants rs231775 and rs3087243 of the CTLA4 gene are not a risk factorfor the development of alopecia areata in the analyzed Mexican populatio