Adult Cancer Survivors in Maine, 2011-2012

Maine has one of the highest cancer incidence rates in the nation, yet little information about cancer survivors in Maine has been available. Beginning in 2008, the Maine Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a large annual telephone survey of Maine adults, began including questions on cancer history. In this report, the authors use 2011-2012 BRFSS data to examine the prevalence of cancer history among adults in Maine and to detail the demographic characteristics, risk behaviors, comorbid chronic conditions, quality of life, cancer screening and other health care measures, and cancer treatment and follow-up related measures among Maine cancer survivors

Multiple COVID-19 Outbreaks Linked to a Wedding Reception in Rural Maine — August 7–September 14, 2020

Summary What is already known about this topic? Large gatherings pose a high risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission. What is added by this report? A wedding reception with 55 persons in a rural Maine town led to COVID-19 outbreaks in the local community, as well as at a long-term care facility and a correctional facility in other counties. Overall, 177 COVID-19 cases were linked to the event, including seven hospitalizations and seven deaths (four in hospitalized persons). Investigation revealed noncompliance with CDC’s recommended mitigation measures. What are the implications for public health practice? To mitigate transmission, persons should avoid large gatherings, practice physical distancing, wear masks, stay home when ill, and self-quarantine after exposure to a person with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection

GMO vs. Non-GMO: Comparing the Addictiveness of Corn in Rats

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) refer to organisms whose DNA has been altered to produce a certain characteristic. GMOs account for a significant proportion of the crops produced in the United States. Specifically, GMO corn accounted for approximately 88% of all corn grown for human and animal consumption in the year 2012. Previously conducted studies have not uniformly demonstrated the safe use of GMO corn, and no studies have been conducted analyzing the addictiveness of GMO corn. The idea of addiction refers to more than just a physical dependence, but to a psychological dependence on something as well. It is sometimes accompanied by compulsive, uncontrollable behaviors that can interfere with other activities and which increase in intensity as there is an increase in access to the substance. Because food addiction is implicated in the prevalence of obesity and its associated pathologies, identifying addictiveness in GMO products may lead to changes in crop production, food production, and use. This study will compare the addictive behaviors of rats who are fed GMO corn. The rats will be randomly divided into three groups. Each group will be fed a diet containing a portion of corn consisting of 0%, 50%, or 100% GMO corn, respectively, for 28 days. After the 28 day treatment period, the rats will be fed a corn-free diet for 10 days. The assessments will include both cage food consumption and body weight measurements taken during both the treatment and withdrawal periods, and behavioral symptoms observed in an open field test during the withdrawal period. The presence of withdrawal indicators will be scored for each rat, and the scores will be compared between the groups using a repeated measures ANOVA test

GMO vs. Non-GMO: Comparing the Addictiveness of Corn in Rats

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) refer to organisms whose DNA has been altered to produce a certain characteristic. GMOs account for a significant proportion of the crops produced in the United States. Specifically, GMO corn accounted for approximately 88% of all corn grown for human and animal consumption in the year 2012. Previously conducted studies have not uniformly demonstrated the safe use of GMO corn, and no studies have been conducted to analyze the addictiveness of GMO corn. The idea of addiction refers to more than just a physical dependence, but to a psychological dependence on something as well. Addiction is sometimes accompanied by compulsive, uncontrollable behaviors that can interfere with other activities and which increase in intensity as there is an increase in access to the substance. Because food addiction is implicated in the prevalence of obesity and its associated pathologies, identifying addictiveness in GMO products may lead to changes in crop production, food production, and use. This study will compare the addictive behaviors of rats who are fed GMO corn. The rats will be randomly divided into three groups. Each group will be fed a diet containing a portion of corn consisting of 0%, 50%, or 100% GMO corn, respectively, for 28 days. After the 28 day treatment period, the rats will be fed a corn-free diet for 10 days. The assessments will include both cage food consumption and body weight measurements taken during both the treatment and withdrawal periods, and behavioral symptoms observed in an open field test during the withdrawal period. The presence of withdrawal indicators will be scored for each rat. The scores will then be compared between the groups using a repeated measures ANOVA test

Racial Disparities in Blood Pressure Control and Treatment Differences in a Medicaid Population, North Carolina, 2005-2006

Introduction: Racial disparities in prevalence and control of high blood pressure are well-documented. We studied blood pressure control and interventions received during the course of a year in a sample of black and white Medicaid recipients with high blood pressure and examined patient, provider, and treatment characteristics as potential explanatory factors for racial disparities in blood pressure control. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 2,078 black and 1,436 white North Carolina Medicaid recipients who had high blood pressure managed in primary care practices from July 2005 through June 2006. Documented provider responses to high blood pressure during office visits during the prior year were reviewed. Results: Blacks were less likely than whites to have blood pressure at goal (43.6% compared with 50.9%, P = .001). Blacks above goal were more likely than whites above goal to have been prescribed 4 or more antihypertensive drug classes (24.7% compared with 13.4%, P < .001); to have had medication adjusted during the prior year (46.7% compared with 40.4%, P = .02); and to have a documented provider response to high blood pressure during office visits (35.7% compared with 30.0% of visits, P = .02). Many blacks (28.0%) and whites (34.3%) with blood pressure above goal had fewer than 2 antihypertensive drug classes prescribed. Conclusion: In this population with Medicaid coverage and access to primary care, blacks were less likely than whites to have their blood pressure controlled. Blacks received more frequent intervention and had greater use of combination antihypertensive therapy. Care patterns observed in the usual management of high blood pressure were not sufficient to achieve treatment goals or eliminate disparities

The Association of Perceived and Objectively Measured Crime with Physical Activity: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Crime is one aspect of the environment that can act as a barrier to physical activity. The goals of this study were to (1) compare measures of perceived crime with observed crime and (2) examine the association between the independent and combined effects of objective and perceived crime on physical activity

Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia Among Insured Residents of New York City, 2004

Introduction: Health care access and sociodemographic characteristics may influence chronic disease management even among adults who have health insurance. The objective of this study was to examine awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, by health care access and sociodemographic characteristics, among insured adults in New York City. Methods: Using data from the 2004 New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we investigated inequalities in the diagnosis and management of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia among insured adults aged 20 to 64 years (n = 1,334). We assessed differences in insurance type (public, private) and routine place of care (yes, no), by sociodemographic characteristics. Results: One in 10 participants with hypertension and 3 in 10 with hypercholesterolemia were unaware and untreated. Having a routine place of care was associated with treatment and control of hypertension and with awareness, treatment, and control of hypercholesterolemia, after adjusting for insurance type, age, sex, race/ethnicity, foreign birth, income, and education. Differences in systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol between people with versus without a routine place of care were 2 to 3 times the difference found between people with public versus private insurance. Few differences were associated with sociodemographic characteristics after adjusting for routine place of care and insurance type; however, male sex, younger age, Asian race, and foreign birth with short-term US residence reduced the odds of having a routine place of care. Neither income nor education predicted having a routine place of care. Conclusion: Sociodemographic characteristics may influence chronic disease management among the insured through health care access factors such as having a routine place of care

Geographic and Sociodemographic Disparities in Drive Times to Joint Commission–Certified Primary Stroke Centers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia

Introduction: Timely access to facilities that provide acute stroke care is necessary to reduce disabilities and death from stroke. We examined geographic and sociodemographic disparities in drive times to Joint Commission–certified primary stroke centers (JCPSCs) and other hospitals with stroke care quality improvement initiatives in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Methods: We defined boundaries for 30- and 60-minute drive-time areas to JCPSCs and other hospitals by using geographic information systems (GIS) mapping technology and calculated the proportions of the population living in these drive-time areas by sociodemographic characteristics. Age-adjusted county-level stroke death rates were overlaid onto the drive-time areas. Results: Approximately 55% of the population lived within a 30-minute drive time to a JCPSC; 77% lived within a 60-minute drive time. Disparities in percentage of the population within 30-minute drive times were found by race/ethnicity, education, income, and urban/rural status; the disparity was largest between urban areas (70% lived within 30-minute drive time) and rural areas (26%). The rural coastal plains had the largest concentration of counties with high stroke death rates and the fewest JCPSCs. Conclusion: Many areas in this tri-state region lack timely access to JCPSCs. Alternative strategies are needed to expand provision of quality acute stroke care in this region. GIS modeling is valuable for examining and strategically planning the distribution of hospitals providing acute stroke care

Microservice Transition and its Granularity Problem: A Systematic Mapping Study

Microservices have gained wide recognition and acceptance in software industries as an emerging architectural style for autonomic, scalable, and more reliable computing. The transition to microservices has been highly motivated by the need for better alignment of technical design decisions with improving value potentials of architectures. Despite microservices' popularity, research still lacks disciplined understanding of transition and consensus on the principles and activities underlying "micro-ing" architectures. In this paper, we report on a systematic mapping study that consolidates various views, approaches and activities that commonly assist in the transition to microservices. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the transition; it also contributes a working definition of the transition and technical activities underlying it. We term the transition and technical activities leading to microservice architectures as microservitization. We then shed light on a fundamental problem of microservitization: microservice granularity and reasoning about its adaptation as first-class entities. This study reviews state-of-the-art and -practice related to reasoning about microservice granularity; it reviews modelling approaches, aspects considered, guidelines and processes used to reason about microservice granularity. This study identifies opportunities for future research and development related to reasoning about microservice granularity.Comment: 36 pages including references, 6 figures, and 3 table