Individual and community socioeconomic status : impact on mental health in individuals with arthritis

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A new routing protocol for ad hoc wireless networks design, implementation and performance evaluation

A collection of mobile nodes can form a multi-hop radio network with a dynamic topology and without the need for any infrastructure such as base stations or wired network. Such a Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) maintain their structure and connectivity in a decentralised and distributed fashion. Each mobile node acts as both a router for other nodes traffic, as well as a source of traffic of its own In this thesis we develop and present a new hybrid routing protocol called Multipath Distance Vector Zone Routing Protocol, which is referred to as MDVZRP. In MDVZRP we assume that all the routes in the routing table are active and usable at any time, unless the node received or discovered a broken link. There is no need to periodically update the routing tables, therefore reducing the periodic update messages and hence reducing the control traffic in the entire network. The protocol guarantees loop freedom and alternative disjoint paths. Routes are immediately available within each routing zone. For destinations outside the zone, MDVZRP employs a route discovery technique known as routing information on demand. Once the node is informed by either the MAC layer or itself that it should discover the non- reachable nodes, MDVZRP adopts a new technique. First, we discuss the Ad Hoc networks and routing in general, then the motivation of MDVZRP regarding the nodes‟ flat view, and the selection and acquisition of multipath getting and selection. Furthermore, we describe the stages of MDVZRP and the protocol routing process with examples. The performance of MDVZRP is then evaluated to determine its operating parameters, and also to investigate its performance in a range of different scenarios. Finally, MDVZRP is compared with DSDV and AODV ordinary routing protocols (standard) delivering CBR traffic. Simulation results show that MDVZRP gives a better performance than DSDV in all circumstances, it is also better than AODV in most of the scenarios, especially at low mobility

Perceptions of Individual and Community Environmental Influences on Fruit and Vegetable Intake, North Carolina, 2004

Introduction: Increases in obesity and other chronic conditions continue to fuel efforts for lifestyle behavior changes. However, many strategies do not address the impact of environment on lifestyle behaviors, particularly healthy dietary intake. This study explored the perceptions of environment on intake of fruits and vegetables in a cohort of 2,479 people recruited from 22 family practices in North Carolina. Methods: Participants were administered a health and social demographic survey. Formative assessment was conducted on a subsample of 32 people by using focus groups, semistructured individual interviews, community mapping, and photographs. Interviews and discussions were transcribed and content was analyzed using ATLAS.ti version 5. Survey data were evaluated for means, frequencies, and group differences. Results: The 2,479 participants had a mean age of 52.8 years, mean body mass index (BMI) of 29.4, and were predominantly female, white, married, and high school graduates. The 32 subsample participants were older, heavier, and less educated. Some prevalent perceptions about contextual factors related to dietary intake included taste-bud fatigue (boredom with commonly eaten foods), life stresses, lack of forethought in meal planning, current health status, economic status, the ability to garden, lifetime dietary exposure, concerns about food safety, contradictory nutrition messages from the media, and variable work schedules. Conclusion: Perceptions about intake of fruits and vegetables intake are influenced by individual (intrinsic) and community (extrinsic) environmental factors. We suggest approaches for influencing behavior and changing perceptions using available resources

The turbidity maximum zone of the Yenisei River (Siberia) and its impact on organic and inorganic proxies

A general overview of the processes taking place in the summer mixing zone of the fresh Yenisei River water with the marine waters of the Kara Sea is given in this study, with special emphasis on the interaction between bulk (total suspended matter), inorganic (Fe, Mn) and organic (suspended organic carbon, suspended nitrogen) proxies. Within the mixing zone, a zone of enhanced turbidity (maximum turbidity zone) was observed comparable to studies in other rivers. Flocculation of particles due to changes in salinity and hydrography cause this maximum turbidity zone, and resuspension additionally enhances the turbidity in the near-bottom layers. Organic matter behaves conservatively in the mixing zone in terms of its percentage of suspended matter. It, however, undergoes degradation as revealed by amino acid data. Inorganic, redox- and salinity-sensitive, proxies (Mn, Fe) behave non-conservatively. Dissolved iron is removed at low salinities (<2) due to precipitation of iron oxyhydroxides and adsorption of manganese on suspended particles, enhancing the Mn/Al ratio of the suspended matter in the same zone. At higher salinities within the mixing zone, Fe/Al and Mn/Al ratios of the suspended particles are depleted due to resuspension of sediment with lower Fe/Al and Mn/Al ratios. Dissolved manganese concentrations are significantly higher in the near-bottom layers of the mixing zone due to release from the anoxic sediment. All things considered, the Yenisei River mixing zone shows patterns similar to other world's rivers

Associations of educational attainment, occupation and community poverty with knee osteoarthritis in the Johnston County (North Carolina) osteoarthritis project

Abstract: Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine data from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis (OA) Project for independent associations of educational attainment, occupation and community poverty with tibiofemoral knee OA. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 3,591 individuals (66% Caucasian and 34% African American). Educational attainment ( 25%) were examined separately and together in logistic models adjusting for covariates of age, gender, race, body mass index (BMI), smoking, knee injury and occupational activity score. Outcomes were presence of radiographic knee OA (rOA), symptomatic knee OA (sxOA), bilateral rOA and bilateral sxOA. Results: When all three socioeconomic status (SES) variables were analyzed simultaneously, low educational attainment was significantly associated with rOA (odds ratio (OR) = 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 1.73), bilateral rOA (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.13, 1.81), and sxOA (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.34, 2.06), after adjusting for covariates. Independently, living in a community of high household poverty rate was associated with rOA (OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.43, 2.36), bilateral rOA (OR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.12, 2.16), and sxOA (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.00, 1.83). Occupation had no significant independent association beyond educational attainment and community poverty. Conclusions: Both educational attainment and community SES were independently associated with knee OA after adjusting for primary risk factors for knee OA

Limited educational attainment and radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Johnston County (North Carolina) Osteoarthritis Project

Abstract Introduction Applying a cross-sectional analysis to a sample of 2,627 African-American and Caucasian adults aged ≥ 45 years from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, we studied the association between educational attainment and prevalence of radiographic knee osteoarthritis and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Methods Age- and race-adjusted associations between education and osteoarthritis outcomes were assessed by gender-stratified logistic regression models, with additional models adjusting for body mass index, knee injury, smoking, alcohol use, and occupational factors. Results In an analysis of all participants, low educational attainment (<12 years) was associated with higher prevalence of four knee osteoarthritis outcomes (unilateral and bilateral radiographic and symptomatic osteoarthritis). Women with low educational attainment had 50% higher odds of having radiographic knee osteoarthritis and 65% higher odds of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis compared with those with higher educational attainment (≥ 12 years), by using fully adjusted models. In the subset of postmenopausal women, these associations tended to be weaker but little affected by adjustment for hormone replacement therapy. Men with low educational attainment had 85% higher odds of having symptomatic knee osteoarthritis by using fully adjusted models, but the association with radiographic knee osteoarthritis was explained by age. Conclusions After adjustment for known risk factors, educational attainment, as an indicator of socioeconomic status, is associated with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in both men and women and with radiographic knee osteoarthritis in women

Thoracic Electrical Impedance Tomography—The 2022 Veterinary Consensus Statement

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive real-time non-ionising imaging modality that has many applications. Since the first recorded use in 1978, the technology has become more widely used especially in human adult and neonatal critical care monitoring. Recently, there has been an increase in research on thoracic EIT in veterinary medicine. Real-time imaging of the thorax allows evaluation of ventilation distribution in anesthetised and conscious animals. As the technology becomes recognised in the veterinary community there is a need to standardize approaches to data collection, analysis, interpretation and nomenclature, ensuring comparison and repeatability between researchers and studies. A group of nineteen veterinarians and two biomedical engineers experienced in veterinary EIT were consulted and contributed to the preparation of this statement. The aim of this consensus is to provide an introduction to this imaging modality, to highlight clinical relevance and to include recommendations on how to effectively use thoracic EIT in veterinary species. Based on this, the consensus statement aims to address the need for a streamlined approach to veterinary thoracic EIT and includes: an introduction to the use of EIT in veterinary species, the technical background to creation of the functional images, a consensus from all contributing authors on the practical application and use of the technology, descriptions and interpretation of current available variables including appropriate statistical analysis, nomenclature recommended for consistency and future developments in thoracic EIT. The information provided in this consensus statement may benefit researchers and clinicians working within the field of veterinary thoracic EIT. We endeavor to inform future users of the benefits of this imaging modality and provide opportunities to further explore applications of this technology with regards to perfusion imaging and pathology diagnosis

Independent and combined influence of homeownership, occupation, education, income, and community poverty on physical health in persons with arthritis

To examine the independent and combined influence of individual and community-level socioeconomic (SES) measures with physical health status outcomes in people with self-reported arthritis