A Collaborative Effort to Assess Disparities Associated with Behavioral Health in The North Texas Region

Objective: This study aimed to provide an assessment of 16 North Texas Counties’ behavioral health access disparities and provide details of the percentage of hospital patient visits from each county diagnosed with mental health and drug issues. The gender, age, race-ethnicity and insurance status of each patient, the zip codes where they live and patient migration between different providers was also detailed. Furthermore, the number of psychiatric beds for each county is listed. Methods: This study utilized the DFWHC Foundation\u27s data warehouse which contains comprehensive hospital visit data from 96 partner hospitals, to understand the clinical trends of mental health and substance misuse. Data from other sources like the state health department and non-profit organizations were also used for this study. Results: In 2016 behavioral health visits in the 16 North Texas Counties were comprised of 53 percent (620,324 visits) for mental health, substance abuse 36 percent (420,456 visits) and 11 percent (134,999 visits) were for both reasons. Of note, almost all counties have behavioral health provider capacity below national and state averages. Seven North Texas Counties have no psychiatric care beds and the number of behavioral care providers throughout the region is below national and state levels. Conclusion: This study identifies behavioral health characteristics in 16 North Texas counties. The study also identifies the need to improve provider capacity to address the high rates of both mental health and substance abuse visits per county. Overall, this study highlights the increased need for collaborative policy efforts to address behavioral and substance abuse related disparities in the North Texas region

Rising trends of caesarean section: a retrospective study

Background: The indications of Caesarean Section (CS) have been changing over time, along with a visible, much talked about rise in the rate. Without a doubt, C-sections can effectively prevent maternal and perinatal mortality when done for a medical indication. However, little is researched about the extent of maternal indications and the fetal outcomes of C-sections.Methods: Data of January to March 2012 and January to March 2017 was obtained by detailed study of the patient files from the Medical Records Department of the hospital. A predesigned proforma was used to record the relevant information. Data was analysed using standard statistical methods.Results: Cephalo pelvic disproportion (CPD) and fetal distress (FD) remained the major causes of CS in both the groups, being 50.4% in group2012 and 60.5% in group2017. Trends of CS due to maternal demand and tubal ligations are emerging. Though the rise in CS was not significant in the 5 year period having gone up from 45.41% to 48.81%, there was significant increase in deliveries without complications, having jumped up from 74.8% to 88.3%.Conclusions: As per the study, there was non-significant rise in the incidence of C-sections in the time period of study. Major contributory factors observed were CPD and FD, in which it is imperative to perform C-sections

Carbohydrate intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in high BMI African American children.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between intakes of subgroups of energy-providing carbohydrate, and markers of cardiometabolic risk factors in high BMI African American (AA) children.A cross sectional analysis was performed on data from a sample of 9-11 year old children (n = 95) with BMI greater than the 85th percentile. Fasting hematological and biochemical values for selected markers of cardiometabolic risk factors were related to intakes of carbohydrates and sugars.After adjusting for gender, pubertal stage and waist circumference, multivariate regression analysis showed that higher intakes of carbohydrate (with fat and protein held constant) were associated with higher plasma concentrations of triglycerides (TG), VLDL-C, IDL-C, and worse insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, HOMA-IR). After dividing carbohydrate into non-sugar versus sugar fractions, sugars were significantly related to higher TG, VLDL-C, IDL-C, lower adipocyte fatty acid insulin sensitivity (ISI-FFA), and was closely associated with increased HOMA-IR. Similar trends were observed for sugars classified as added sugars, and for sugars included in beverages. Further dividing sugar according to the food group from which it was consumed showed that consuming more sugar from the candy/soda food group was highly significantly associated with increased TG, VLDL-C, IDL-C and closely associated with increased HOMA-IR. Sugars consumed in all fruit-containing foods were significantly associated with lower ISI-FFA. Sugars consumed as fruit beverages was significantly associated with VLDL-C, IDL-C and ISI-FFA whereas sugars consumed as fresh, dried and preserved fruits did not show significant associations with these markers.Sugars consumed from in all dairy foods were significantly associated with higher TG, VLDL-C and IDL-C, and with significantly lower HDL-C and ISI-FFA. These effects were associated with sugars consumed in sweetened dairy products, but not with sugars consumed in unsweetened dairy products. This analysis suggests that increases in carbohydrate energy, especially in the form of sugar, may be detrimental to cardiometabolic health in high BMI children

The role of modified biophysical profile in predicting perinatal outcome in high risk pregnancies

Background: The goal of antepartum fetal surveillance is early identification of the compromised fetus and timely intervention when the fetus is at risk, but still in an uncompromised state. Modified Biophysical Profile (MBPP) includes Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI) and non stress test (NST). AFI is a marker of long term placental function and NST is a marker of short term fetal condition. The aim of this study is to assess the role of Modified Biophysical Profile in high risk pregnancies and assess perinatal outcome and to study the impact of NST and AFI individually in high risk pregnancies.Methods: 100 ANC patients with high risk factors were evaluated with modified biophysical profile 37 week onwards with non stress test (NST) for 20 mins and amniotic fluid index (AFI) with 4 quadrant technique. High risk pregnancies include preeclampsia, IUGR, oligohydramnios, postdated pregnancy, etc. and various parameters were assessed to determine perinatal and maternal morbidity. All parameters were statistically analyzed.Results: The above study states that need for LSCS, intrapartum fetal distress, meconium stained liquor, APGAR score, need for neonatal resuscitation and perinatal morbidity were definitely higher in cases with abnormal MBPP.Conclusions: Thus MBPP is an easy, cost effective and time saving measure and hence can be used as a primary antepartum fetal surveillance test to predict perinatal outcome and provide timely intervention in high risk pregnancies

Potentiality of natural live food organisms in shrimp culture: A review

The aquaculture industry is growing quickly due to increased fish consumption and a decline in wild fish catch. About half of the world's seafood demand for human consumption is now met by farmed seafood. The aquafeed market is expanding along with the aquaculture sector. Some of the elements in shrimp feed are derived from terrestrial plants and low-value forage fishes (fish meal). It is impossible to produce more fish meals since doing so would harm the ocean's environment and sustainability. The reduction in shrimp feed cost can also be done by introducing low-cost, environment-friendly ingredients in shrimp feed formulation. Therefore, new and ecologically friendly shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) feed component sources must be created. Live food organisms are a preferable option for this since they provide a variety of essential amino acids and beneficial triglycerides like fat, vitamins, and colors in their cell metabolites. Microalgae biomasses also represent feasible ingredients for shrimp feed sources. Their distinctive variety of bioactive chemicals can enhance color and pellet quality, act as a bulk element in shrimp feed, and boost the viability of farmed species. Live food organisms have a great economic potential since they have the highest  biomass productivity of all photosynthetic organisms. In addition to giving farmers and exporters a better choice for feeding their fish, the availability of on-grown live food would also open up the prospect of improving the performance and quality of the fish and shrimp through bioencapsulation. This review study examines the possibility of generating natural food biomass as a component in shrimp feed.

Lp(a)-cholesterol is associated with HDL-cholesterol in overweight and obese African American children and is not an independent risk factor for CVD

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The role of Lipoprotein (a) cholesterol {Lp(a)-C}as an additional and/or independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not clear. We evaluated the associations between Lp(a)-C and other CVD risk factors including plasma lipoprotein concentrations and body fatness in overweight and obese African American children.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional analysis was carried out using data from a sample of 121 African American children aged 9-11 years with Body Mass Index (BMI)'s greater than the 85th percentile. Body height, weight and waist circumference (WC) were measured. Fasting plasma concentrations of Lp(a)-C, Total cholesterol (TC), High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), Very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), Intermediate density lipoprotein cholesterol (IDL-C), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and Triacylglycerides (TAG) were analyzed using the vertical auto profile (VAP) cholesterol method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After adjusting for child age, gender, and pubertal status, Lp(a)-C was positively associated with both HDL-C and TC, and negatively associated with VLDL-C and TAG. Including BMIz and WC as additional covariates did not alter the direction of the relationships between Lp(a)-C and the other lipoproteins. Finally, after adjusting for the other plasma lipoproteins, Lp(a)-C remained strongly associated with HDL-C, whereas the associations of Lp(a)-C with the other lipoproteins were not significant when HDL-C was simultaneously included in the regression models.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lp(a)-C was positively associated with HDL-C and this association is not influenced by other lipoprotein subclasses or by the degree of obesity. We conclude that Lp(a) cholesterol is not an independent risk factor for CVD in African American children.</p

Effect of zinc concentration on the growth performance of White leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei Boone

Awareness about healthy organic food is increasing, leading to research on contaminants/pollutants and their effect on aquatic fauna and mankind. The effect of zinc sulphate on the growth performance of White leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) was evaluated under six doses viz; 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg/l in in vitro study conducted from June to October 2021.  The results revealed that higher doses of zinc sulphate showed toxicity against L. vannamei. The weight (3.12gm), length (8.95cm), weight gain per shrimp (4.11g), average daily weight gain (0.032), and specific growth rate (1.1g) were significantly (5%) lower at the higher dose (8mg/l) of zinc sulphate than control 11.73g, 16.22cm, 19.75g, 0.156g, and 2.20g respectively. With an increase in zinc sulphate dose from 0 mg/l in control to 8 mg/l, survival of shrimp decreased from 100 % to 7%. The Lethal concentration (LC50) for zinc sulphate treatments was recorded at 0.71 ppm for shrimp. The water quality parameter pH (7.17-8.09), dissolved oxygen (6.13-7.58mg/l), hardness (4000-4772mg/l), and total alkalinity (162-231mg/l) were in an optimum range. The variation in Nitrite- Nitrogen, Nitrate- Nitrogen and Ammonical-Nitrogen (0-0.018, 0-0.4, 0-0.018mg/l) were within a permissible range. Thus, the present study revealed that zinc had a negative potential effect on L. vannamei at higher concentrations and may lead to serious economic loss to farmers if ignored

A comparative study of azelastine, cromolyn and olopatadine ophthalmic solution in vernal keratoconjunctivitis in a tertiary care hospital-open label parallel group study design

Background: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic, bilateral, external ocular inflammatory disease primarily affecting young boys living in warm, dry climates with seasonal variations. The disease causes lot of discomfort to the patient and sometimes can predispose to serious problems like shield ulceration and keratoconus. A number of drugs are used in the management of the condition, with variable results. The aims and objectives of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of the drugs, cromolyn sodium, azelastine and olopatadine ophthalmic solutions in the treatment of VKC.Methods: Sixty patients of VKC were studied over a period of 6 weeks. They were divided into 3 groups randomly to receive one of the drugs under study. Symptoms and signs were recorded after detailed questioning and examination according to modified criterion of Tabbara and Arafat.Results: There was significant reduction in the mean itching scores with olopatadine as compared to cromolyn sodium and azelastine (p<0.05). Olopatadine significantly decreased mean lacrimation scores as compared to cromolyn sodium and azelastine (p<0.005). Olopatadine, cromolyn and azelastine showed significant reduction of corneal stippling, but no drug was significantly better than the other. Both cromolyn and olopatadine showed reduction of limbal edema equally (p<0.05), olopatadine reduced limbal edema more significantly as compared to azelastine (p<0.05).Conclusions: All the three drugs were found to be safe in the treatment of VKC. Olopatadine may be preferred over the other two drugs since it reduced both itching and discharge most significantly

Pulse Wave Velocity and Electroneurophysiological Evaluation in patients of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease of undetermined etiology involving the synovial membranes and articular structures of multiple joints and is also associated with carditis, pleuritis, hepatitis, peripheral neuropathy and vasculitis. The present study was undertaken to investigate arterial stiffness using carotid-radial and femoral-dorsalis pedis pulse wave velocity measurements and electrophysiological tests for peripheral nervous system involvement. 25 patients (aged between 20-60 years) with rheumatoid arthritis according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology and 25 control subjects of the same age and sex were recruited. In the motor conduction studies, out of 25 patients of Rheumatoid arthritis, 6 had clinical evidence of peripheral neuropathy. 11 patients showed pure sensory neuropathy (44%), 10 showed mixed sensory motor neuropathy (40%) while 4 showed normal motor and sensory conduction velocity. Two patients (8%) showed features of entrapment neuropathy of median nerve i.e. feature of Carpal tunnel syndrome. In the pulse wave velocity evaluation statistically significant increase in pulse wave velocity between femoral-dorsalis pedis and carotid-radial artery segments was observed in Rheumatoid arthritis patients as compared to the control group. Measurement of carotid-radial and femoral-dorsalis pedis PWV may provide a simple and non-invasive technique for identifying patients at increased risk of vascular disease in Rheumatoid arthritis

Ecological impact of heavy metals on aquatic environment with reference to fish and human health

Heavy metals have a high density that is harmful even in low quantity. These metals enter aquatic habitats through various sources, home effluents, including industrial waste, atmospheric sources, and other metal-based businesses, as well as E-Waste. Heavy metal pollution is responsible for degenerating aquatic species, creating physical abnormalities in creatures and contaminating the aquatic environment. These poisonous heavy metals cause a variety of fish ailments like decrease in hatching rate, teratogenesis and bioaccumulation in the tissues etc. The contamination of heavy metals in aquatic bodies and ecosystems has a significant influence on the food chain. Because fish people consume fish, it has an indirect impact on their health. These heavy metals also have a higher impact on the environment because they remain for longer periods and have bio-accumulative capabilities, leading water health to deteriorate. This study offers insight into the disruption of fish and human physiology, their reproductive ability by heavy metals. This review provides baseline data on the heavy metals and aquatic environment, especially fish and human health. The data will increase sensitivity to preventing and managing aquatic environmental pollution, particularly heavy metal contamination