Suburban Population Research Articles

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among a healthy suburban population: genotypic diversity and frequency of pathogenicity genes

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among a healthy suburban population: genotypic diversity and frequency of pathogenicity genes

Radiation Oncology Alternative Payment Model (RO-APM) Monte Carlo Simulations to Predict Financial Impact and Viability for Common Practice Types

The RO-APM will trial an episode-based payment schema over a five-year period starting in 2022. Practices were randomly selected for mandatory inclusion in the RO-APM. Participating departments have different case mixes, patients, and clinical practices that will dictate the relative impact of the RO-APM. It is our aim to create a highly versatile Monte Carlo model to simulate RO-APM effects on reimbursement and practice financial stability. In this study, we specifically focus on suburban and rural settings.Monte Carlo simulations were developed in Python to model the effects of the RO-APM model over the 5-year trial period. The model requires a patient population, distribution of delivery techniques, and fractionation patterns per delivery technique for each of the 16 defined disease sites. This information was gathered from two non-associated regional clinics: one that serves primarily a suburban population (SP) while the other serves a mixed SP and rural population (MP). All fixed and variable financial expenses were collected and included. The inclusion of extra administrative work for the RO-APM submission was also included using time-driven activity-based costing methods. Considering each clinic's Medicare population, statistical analyses of how the patient population, delivery technique, and fractionation patterns impact reimbursement for this subset population was performed. The RO-APM model was also compared to the fee-for-service model (FFS-M).Disease site distributions were within 7.5% absolute difference between the two clinics. The four most common disease sites treated averaged between the two clinics were lung (20.1%), breast (16.9%), prostate (12.6%), and head & neck (H&N) (9.9%). Fractionation patterns were within 3 fractions (fx) across all disease site modalities except for bladder (MP +19fx) and lung (MP +13fx) IMRT, and 3D H&N (MP +3.4fx). Medicare population was 30% and 33% for the SP and MP, respectively. The SP had a 10.4% ± 0.5% higher reimbursement rate in the RO-APM when compared to the FFS-M for its set of patients seen. The MP had a 5.0% ± 0.3% higher reimbursement rate in the RO-APM when compared to the FFS-M for its patient population. Investigating fractionation impact further, the correlation between the number of fractions across all sites/modalities and reimbursement rate increase for the RO-APM compared to the FFS-M was r (498) = -.45, P < 0.01, meaning that a lower number of fractions leads to a higher return in the RO-APM across multiple disease sites. Finally, additional administrative work in the RO-APM is expected to cost approximately 0.8% of the total reimbursement rate.In our analysis using extracted clinical patterns from two separate clinics, lower fractionation patterns can lead to a higher return on investment in the RO-APM compared to the FFS-M, demonstrating viability of the proposed RO-APM.

Effect of autonomous vehicles on travel and urban characteristics

This study considers a closed core-suburb city connected by a highway. Two travel modes, namely on-demand and frequency-based autonomous vehicles (AVs), are used for commuting between the suburb and urban core. Each resident attempts to maximize his/her individual utility with consideration to environment quality by choosing a residential location, travel mode, departure time, and non-housing composite consumption good within an expenditure budget. The traffic equilibria are analytically derived for two right-of-way policies, namely (i) the two travel modes sharing the right-of-way and (ii) frequency-based AVs-priority, with consideration of the effect of AVs on travel and urban characteristics. It was found from the analytical results that at any level of AV automation, adopting the frequency-based AVs-priority policy can reduce travel cost for suburban residents while alleviating traffic congestion. Furthermore, an increase in AV automation level results in an increase in expected trip time if the highway capacity is less elastic than the value of travel time for on-demand AVs with respect to the automation level. In addition, if the environment quality depends solely on the residential density, with an increasing level of AV automation, the suburban population and the number of residents using on-demand AVs increase, the land rent in the urban core reduces, the suburb expands, and the utility for all residents increases. These findings help to provide a better understanding of the interactions between AVs, travel and urban characteristics, and serve as a valuable reference to transportation-urban planning in the era of driving automation.

Maternal Emotional States in Relation to Offspring Weight and Health-Related Quality of Life: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.

BackgroundMaternal characteristics have been known to be associated with parenting practices, which could eventually influence their child’s weight and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the direct and indirect associations of maternal emotional states (depression, anxiety, and stress) with body mass index (BMI) and HRQoL in their children.MethodsThis study was conducted within the framework of the Tehran lipid and glucose study (TLGS). Participants were the children (n = 231) enrolled in TLGS during 2014 - 2016, who had complete data on maternal emotional states. The body weight and height of children were measured using the standard protocol, and BMI Z-score was determined using Anthroplus. Also, HRQoL in children and emotional states in mothers were assessed using the Iranian version of the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQLTM4.0) and the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21), respectively. Structural equations modeling (SEM) was used to assess the direct and indirect relations of maternal emotional states with children’s BMI Z-score and HRQoL.ResultsMean age, BMI Z-score, and HRQoL total score in children were 13.8 ± 3.1 years, 0.74 ± 1.5, and 84.7 ± 11.3, respectively. In the mothers, median DASS-21 scores (interquartile ranges) in the three scales of depression, anxiety, and stress were 4 (0 - 10), 6 (2 - 12), and 14 (8 - 20), respectively. Maternal level of education was significantly associated with the DASS-21 score (β = -0.23, 95% CI: -0.37,-0.07). Maternal DASS-21 score was significantly associated with BMI Z-score only in girls (β = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.53). Significant determinants of HRQoL in boys were the child’s age (β = -0.21, 95% CI: -0.40, -0.01) and maternal education (β = -0.24, 95%CI: -0.44, -0.02) and emotional state (β = -0.24, 95% CI: -0.44, -0.03). The child’s age (β = -0.33, 95% CI: -0.53, -0.10) and maternal emotional state (β = -0.31, 95% CI: -0.54, -0.08) were significantly associated with HRQoL in girls.ConclusionsThe maternal emotional state is an important determinant of HRQoL in children, regardless of their weight status. Further research is recommended to examine the current hypothesized model in rural and suburban populations, taking into consideration more influential factors.

PREVALENCE OF OSTEOPOROSIS IN SUB-URBAN POPULATION OF CHENNAI USING QUS (QUANTITATIVE ULTRASOUND) OF CALCANEUM -A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Background:Burden of Osteoporosis and its related fractures are enormous and growing public health concern. Worldwide, an estimated 200 million adults suffer from osteoporosis. Vertebral and non-vertebral fractures are the most clinically relevant osteoporotic fracture because they are expensive to treat and have severe consequences for middle aged and elderly population.(1 ,2) The purpose of our study was to assess calcaneal ultrasound score as a screening test for osteoporosis. Material and Methods: Fifty patients above the age of 40 years who attended a health checkup camp conducted by our institute in a suburban population base of Chennai,Tamilnadu was subjected for noninvasive QUS of calcaneum bone as a screening test for osteoporosis. They were divided into different age groups ,co-morbid conditions noted and BMD scores from QUS was assessed. Statistical method were used with SPSS Version .It was a cross sectional descriptive study. Results: A total of 50 patients underwent QUS of calcaneum bone in our study , all of them above the age of 40 years. 33(66%) of them were females and 17(34%) were males. Eight patients( 16% ) had T score &lt; -2.5 out of which 1 was male. 26 patients(52%) had T scores in the osteopenic range (-1&gt;Tscore&gt;-2.5).16 patients(32%) had T scores in the normal range. 40 % of patients had associated osteoarthritis and four patients had diabetes. 2 patients who underwent screening had past history of nontraumatic fractures. Conclusion: QUS of calcaneum is a good screening tool for assessing bone density in our country since its cost effective and can be used in various screening camps. The machine is portable and can be used with minimal training making it easier for the primary caregiver. It has reasonably good sensitivity and fair specicity when using Tscore of -2.5 as the cut off point. However DEXAis the gold standard for treatment and followup of patients with osteoporosis.

Utilization of Remote Diabetic Retinal Screening in a Suburban Healthcare System.

PurposeWe conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the utilization of a tele-ophthalmology screening program in a low-risk, suburban population of patients with diabetes.MethodsA total of 214 diabetic patients without previously documented diabetic retinopathy (DR) underwent point-of-care non-mydriatic fundus photography through their primary care providers at five Beth Israel Lahey Health locations. The characteristics of the patients who received remote screening were compared with those patients who were eligible for screening but did not take part in the program. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) was implemented to examine the cost of screening by tele-ophthalmology compared with in-person examinations.ResultsTele-ophthalmology screening was more likely to be provided for patients who were younger (OR 0.985; 95% CI 0.973–0.997, p=0.016), who were obese (OR 2.04; 95% CI: 1.47–2.84, p=0.008), who had an HbA1c above 8.0% (OR 1.60; 95% CI: 1.13–2.26, p=0.031), or who had an eye examination in the past year (OR 5.55; 95% CI: 3.89–7.92, p<0.001). Those patients newly diagnosed with DR because of the program were more likely to have diabetic nephropathy (OR 7.79; 95% CI: 1.73–35.05, p=0.007). TDABC identified a health system cost-savings of between $8 and $29 per patient screened by tele-ophthalmology compared with the cost of in-person eye examinations.ConclusionTele-ophthalmology presents an opportunity to reduce the costs of screening patients without prior evidence of DR, especially those who have completed a comprehensive eye examination within the prior year.

Epidemiological profile of early childhood caries in a sub-urban population in Nigeria

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and severity of early childhood caries (ECC) in children 6–71-months; identify the teeth most at risk for ECC; and identify risk indicators associated with significant caries index (SiC) score in different age groups.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study that collected data (using a household survey) on the ECC risk indicators (frequency of tooth brushing, consumption of refined carbohydrate in-between-meals, daily use of fluoridated toothpaste, and dental service utilization in the 12 months) in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. We computed the prevalence of ECC using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDASI (d1–6)) index; caries severity using the ICDAS-2(d1–2) and ICDAS-3(d3–6) for non-cavitated and cavitated lesions respectively, decayed missing, filled teeth (dmft), and surfaces (dmfs) and SiC indices; and caries complications using the pulp (p), ulceration (u), fistula (f) and abscesses (a) (pufa) index, for children 6–11-months-old, 12–23-months-old, 23–35-months-old, 35–47-months-old; 48–59-months-old and 60–71-months-old. The differences in the mean dmft, dmfs, pufa scores, and ICDAS 1, 2, and 3 scores, and proportion of children with each ECC risk indicator were computed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk indicators for the ECC SiC index score for each age group.ResultsThe prevalence of ECC was 4.7%: 2.9% had non-cavitated lesions and 2.8% had cavitated lesions. The mean (SD) dmft, dmfs and pufa scores were 0.13 (0.92), 0.24 (1.91) and 0.04 (0.46) respectively. The dmft and dmfs scores were highest among the 24–35-months-olds while the SiC score was highest among the 12–23-months-olds. There were no significant differences in dmft, dmfs, and pufa scores between the different age groups. Toothbrushing more than once a day was the only factor associated with the SiC score: it decreases the odds for the SiC score in children 48–59-months-old. The teeth worst affected by ECC were #85 and #61.ConclusionThe prevalence, severity and risk indicator for ECC seems to differ for each age group. The granular details on the risk profile of children with ECC in this population with a low ECC prevalence and burden can allow for the planning of age-targeted interventions.

Natural population growth and urban management in metropolitan regions: Insights from pre-crisis and post-crisis Athens, Greece

Between the 1970s and the 1990s, cities in Southern Europe experienced a progressive delocalisation of population, settlements and activities over larger regions. Economic downturns have increasingly influenced more recent waves of metropolitan growth, shaping differentiated patterns of urban change. While some cities evolved towards accelerated population dynamics in central districts responding to re-urbanisation impulses, other agglomerations were intrinsically bounded in a sort of ‘late suburbanisation’, with demographic shrinkage of both inner districts and rural areas, and uneven expansion of suburban population. By providing a comprehensive interpretation of the socioeconomic mechanisms underlying recent urban expansion, this study illustrates a diachronic analysis of population dynamics over multiple spatial scales and time frames in a metropolitan region of Southern Europe (Athens, Greece) between 1999 and 2019. Natural population balance was investigated vis à vis selected territorial indicators using descriptive, inferential and multivariate statistics. Results of the analysis identify different social forces underlying suburban population growth during economic expansion (2000s) and recession (2010s), evidencing a distinctive response of local communities to economic downturns that depends mostly on the background context (affluent versus disadvantaged neighbourhoods). Given the multiplicity of territorial dimensions involved in urban growth, our findings highlight how economic downturns distinctively shape metropolitan development based on locally differentiated demographic dynamics.

Yellow-billed Magpie Population Status and Habitat Characteristics in Urban Sacramento, California

Most research on the ecology of the Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli) has been focused in oak woodlands and savannas in California’s Coast Ranges; urban and suburban populations, some of which are sizable, have received little attention. In 2020, we studied eight colonies in six parks around Sacramento and in 2021 expanded the survey to 43 sites, detecting 827 breeding magpies. Population estimates based on nest counts were generally higher than those from direct counts, and nest counts were more repeatable and efficient. Counts of recently fledged young in family groups yielded reproductive rates similar to those observed near the coast before arrival of West Nile virus in 2003, suggesting that the virus is not currently affecting nestlings’ survival. Sacramento magpies nested in the upper canopy of a wide variety of large trees, both native and non-native. They foraged preferentially in low herbaceous habitat—irrigated turf and unirrigated annual grassland that was mowed or grazed. The presence of rivers and streams influenced occupancy strongly. Colony size was strongly related to the amount of low herbaceous foraging habitat within 0.5 km of colony sites with nearby flowing water. Our results suggest that at least 4 ha of low herbaceous foraging habitat is needed to support a small nesting colony. Retention of herbaceous habitat near large trees and flowing water, plus mowing or grazing to keep herbaceous growth low, should benefit urban Yellow-billed Magpies.

English

BACKGROUND Dysmenorrhoea is the most common gynaecological problem. Almost half of the female adolescents suffer from it resulting in a major cause of school / college absenteeism. We tried to find out the prevalence of dysmenorrhoea among female adolescents in a suburban population and investigate a potential association between the body mass index, dietary habits and behavioural factors and its correlation with absenteeism. METHODS A cross sectional study was done on 270 adolescent females attending outpatient department of a suburban medical college. We interviewed the selected adolescent girls using a pretested semi structured questionnaire after obtaining their or their parents consent. Statistical analysis was done using frequencies, percentages and chi square test with statistical software package SPSS version 20. RESULTS Total 270 unmarried adolescent girls were interviewed. Among them 51.1 % girls suffered from dysmenorrhoea. 58.7 % patients suffered from mild dysmenorrhoea whereas 27.5 % and 13.8 % suffered from moderate and severe dysmenorrhoea respectively. 59.02 % of girls with normal BMI and 54.55 % of obese girls suffered from dysmenorrhoea. Only 16 % patients with mild dysmenorrhoea were absent from their school or college whereas 63.1 % and 84.2 % of patients with moderate to severe dysmenorrhoea had school or college absenteeism respectively. 74.47 % of patients used to take self-medication. CONCLUSIONS Dysmenorrhoea was a significant cause of absenteeism and habit of self-medication was prevalent. Introduction of a school health program for menstrual health might improve the issues. KEY WORDS Menstruation, Dysmenorrhoea, Adolescents

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a community-based colorectal cancer screening program in Shanghai, China.

This study investigated the cost-effectiveness of a community-based colorectal cancer-screening program (C-CRCSP) in Shanghai, China, among the residents in the urban, suburban and rural areas. A Markov model was constructed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a 25-year annual C-CRCSP including 100 000 populations. Cost-effectiveness was determined by the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER); referring to either life-years gained, or quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained. The threshold was gross domestic product per capita. Univariate and multivariate sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate the influence of compliance, prevalence, technological performance, medical cost and annual cost discount rate (3.5%) on ICER. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis evaluated the probability of the cost-effectiveness of C-CRCSP at different maximum acceptable ceiling ratios. Compared with no screening, the C-CRCSP resulted in total gains of 7840 QALYs and 2210 life-years (LY), at a total cost of CNY 58.54 million; that is, the ICER were CNY 7460/QALYs and CNY 26650/LY. Stratifying by residency, the cumulative gains in QALYs and LY were estimated to be the lowest in the urban populations compared with the rural and suburban populations. The cost for the urban population was 3-fold and 6-fold that of the suburban and rural populations. The ICER for QALYs ranged from 2180 (rural) to 16 840 (urban). The cost-effectiveness of a C-CRCSP in Shanghai was most favorable for the rural population, while the urban population benefits less in terms of QALYs. ICER could be enhanced by measures that increase compliance.

EXPOSURE AND CONSEQUENCES OF NOISE POLLUTION AMONG RESIDENTS OF BICHI TOWN, KANO STATE, NIGERIA

Environmental pollution is the most important public health problem densely in populated areas in the developing countries and often the underlying cause of many diseases of public health importance. Noise pollution is an undesirable sound that interferes with wellbeing in the environment with significant effects. With the current rapid growth and technological advancement, noise pollution is increasingly becoming environmental menace that deserves appropriate attention in order to&#x0D; mitigate its health effects. This paper aims to determine the sources, awareness and health effects of noise pollution in a typical Nigerian sub-urban population. Descriptive cross-sectional study using interviewer administered questionnaire and measurement of environmental noise using acoustic metre. Majority of the respondents (75.8%) were exposed to noise levels above the 55dB WHO safe noise level without health effects. Power generators, automobiles and grinding machines are the commonest sources of noise pollution in the studied environment amounted to a value of 55.8%, 40% and 35.8% respectively and to a lesser extent hawker (16.4%) and loudspeaker (9.6%) among others. Sleep disturbance, headache, and poor concentration were commonly reported effects of noise in the environment with magnitudes of 52.7%, 50.9%, 15.8% respectively. Anxiety (12.1%) and hearing disturbances (11.5%) were also common. Noise pollution associated health problems are common in the community with significant effects on the quality of life of the inhabitants. Stable power supply, effective legislation and improvement in living condition of the people are key to minimize noise pollution and avert its deleterious health effects

Water Shutoffs During COVID-19 and Black Lives: Case Study Detroit

The present water shutoff crisis in Detroit, which has deepened with the spread of COVID-19, exists within an historical context of decades-old government-sanctioned racial residential segregation policies that continue today. This includes the decrease in black homeownership and wealth, integration, and democratically elected governance. Information collected by local grassroots organizations, Detroit newspaper reports, and academic research, specific to the metropolitan area, reveal the inter-relationships among banking/housing industries, water access, and government policies. The result has been diversions of taxpayer money away from affordable housing, home loans, and public services (i.e., water). Instead, public resources are distributed to support those in powerful political and economic positions. Although water has not been formally privatized, we argue that a system of commodification exists, which taxes/fines the impoverished black population of the City of Detroit, but provides free and/or reduced water rates to the elites and largely white suburban population. The immediate actions required are reconnecting household water, providing affordable housing, redirecting taxpayer funds to the benefit of the public good, and government transparency and accountability. Collaborative networks of local environmental organizations, including mostly black participants, are leading the public opposition to these policies and directly link water shutoffs to public health. We suggest that future research efforts focus on work that increases the public awareness of the systemic linkages among water shutoffs, public health, racist social structures, housing patterns, and government policies. Continued active democratic participation of community residents must be a priority in future research and organizing activities.

An Empirical Examination of the Inequality of Forgone Care in India

ABSTRACT Understanding how well a health system is meeting the needs of the population is critical to achieving the policy aspirations of universal health coverage. This study focuses on assessing the inequity of forgone care for priority maternal and child health services across India. We utilize data from the 4th round of the Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) to examine inequality of forgone care. Our outcomes include forgone institutional delivery, antenatal care, medical care for a child with fever or cough, and medical care for a child with diarrhea. Wagstaff’s standardized concentration indices (CIs) are computed at the national level, over urban and rural sub-populations, and by state. Regression decomposition is performed to determine the influence of specific drivers on overall inequality. There was significant variation in the national-level prevalence and CIs for forgone antenatal care (17.8%, CI: −0.423), forgone medical care for a child with fever or cough (32.4%, CI: −0.199), forgone medical care for a child with diarrhea (33.8%, CI: −0.172), and forgone institutional delivery (24.5%, CI: −0.436). For all outcomes, forgone care is disproportionately concentrated among the poor, particularly in rural areas. There is also significant heterogeneity in state-level inequalities. Decomposition analyses show that socioeconomic status, maternal education, rural status, and state-level per capita health spending are the leading drivers of observed inequalities in forgone care. Results suggest attending to both the operation and financing of India’s health care system as well as the social determinants that make poor women more likely to forgo maternal health care.

EXPOSURE AND CONSEQUENCES OF NOISE POLLUTION AMONG RESIDENTS OF BICHI TOWN, KANO STATE, NIGERIA

Environmental pollution is the most important public health problem densely in populated areas in the developing countries and often the underlying cause of many diseases of public health importance. Noise pollution is an undesirable sound that interferes with wellbeing in the environment with significant effects. With the current rapid growth and technological advancement, noise pollution is increasingly becoming environmental menace that deserves appropriate attention in order to mitigate its health effects. This paper aims to determine the sources, awareness and health effects of noise pollution in a typical Nigerian sub-urban population. Descriptive cross-sectional study using interviewer administered questionnaire and measurement of environmental noise using acoustic metre. Majority of the respondents (75.8%) were exposed to noise levels above the 55dB WHO safe noise level without health effects. Power generators, automobiles and grinding machines are the commonest sources of noise pollution in the studied environment amounted to a value of 55.8%, 40% and 35.8% respectively and to a lesser extent hawker (16.4%) and loudspeaker (9.6%) among others. Sleep disturbance, headache, and poor concentration were commonly reported effects of noise in the environment with magnitudes of 52.7%, 50.9%, 15.8% respectively. Anxiety (12.1%) and hearing disturbances (11.5%) were also common. Noise pollution associated health problems are common in the community with significant effects on the quality of life of the inhabitants. Stable power supply, effective legislation and improvement in living condition of the people are key to minimize noise pollution and avert its deleterious health effects.

COVID-19 related Attitudes and Risk Perceptions across Urban, Rural, and Suburban Areas in the United States

This study identifies differences in COVID-19 related attitudes and risk perceptions among urban, rural, and suburban populations in the US using data from an online, nationwide survey collected during April-October 2020. In general, rural respondents were found to be less concerned by the pandemic and a lower proportion of rural respondents support staying at home and shutting down businesses. While only about half of rural respondents are concerned about getting severe reactions themselves from COVID-19 (compared to ~60% for urban and suburban respondents), all place types respondents are concerned about friends or family members getting severe reactions (~75%).

English

BACKGROUND The study was carried out to determine the prevalence of dental caries among urban and suburban population in Pakistan to assess the association of dental caries with oral hygiene status, socioeconomic status, and dental service availability. METHODS A total of 200 patients was enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Decayed, filled, and missing teeth (DMFT), oral hygiene status, socioeconomic status (SES), and presence / absence of dental care facility were recorded. A specially designed proforma was used to record the data regarding oral hygiene practices, dental treatment availability and socioeconomic background, for the study. The data obtained was statistically analysed using SPSS version 15 software. Chi-square test was applied for association between categorical variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to test the difference in DMFT scores of various age groups. Student t test was applied to test the difference in DMFT scores in both sexes. RESULTS Comparison of mean D, M and F status revealed a high tendency towards decayed teeth. Mean DMFT score was found to be 4.41. Maximum DMFT was recorded among 50 years and above age group, followed closely (2.39) by 40 - 49 years. Increased caries prevalence was seen in people with poor oral hygiene and belonging to low socioeconomic status. Caries rate was also high in areas with lack of dental care facilities. CONCLUSIONS Oral hygiene practices, dietary habits, and access to dental care services played an important role in prevalence of dental caries. Socio-economic status has been found to play an important role in access to dental care facilities. From the current report, importance for public health was noted; the socioeconomic status, educational status of parents, and family structure, affect oral health in under-privileged communities. The prevalence of dental caries also plays an important role in oral hygiene procedures, eating patterns, and access to dental care services. KEY WORDS Dental Caries, SES, Oral Hygiene, Dental Care Facility, DMFT.

UTILITY OF SERUM CRP AND LDH AS MARKERS OF HEMOTOXICITY IN SNAKE BITE VICTIMS: HOSPITAL BASED STUDY

Background: Snakebite is a common medical emergency and an occupational hazard commonly seen in the rural as well as suburban population. In this study to determine the utility of Serum CRP and LDH as Markers of hemotoxicity in snake bite victims.&#x0D; Materials &amp; Methods: This hospital based prospective study was conducted a total 60 admitted patients in the department of general medicine at Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences, Palghar during June 2020 to December 2020. The patients were included were with alleged history of snake bite &amp; history of unknown bite but with symptoms and signs compatible with snake bite envenomation otherwise patients were excluded.&#x0D; Results: Most frequent site of snakebite was the lower limbs constituting 85.0% of bites. Majority (41.7%) of the patients presented with features compatible with moderate envenomation. Serum CRP showed a significant elevation in their levels in the severe as compared to the mild envenomed group.&#x0D; Conclusion: Snakebite commonly affects people in the younger age group &amp; hemotoxic envenomation is most common manifestation of envenomation observed.&#x0D; Keywords: Snakebite, Envenomation, Serum CRP, LDH, Haematological Parameters.

Genetic structure of urban and non-urban populations differs between two common parid species

Landscape conversions induced by human activities can affect dispersal patterns of various bird species and, as a result, affect genetic structure of their populations. Genetic differentiation of bird populations may be enhanced by habitat variation, especially in urban-non-urban systems. The majority of population genetic studies focus on single species, which inflicts limitations for direct comparisons of genetic responses of avian populations to urbanization. Here, we used a set of microsatellite markers to examine genetic diversity, gene flow and population structure in two common parid species, great tits Parus major and blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus occupying three sites in habitats with contrasting urbanization level in central Poland. We found low but significant divergence of urban park population with both suburban and non-urban forest great tit populations, while no differentiation was found between suburban forest and non-urban forest populations. In contrast, no evidence for genetic differentiation was found between blue tit populations from the urban park, suburban forest and non-urban forest sites. We conclude that great tits and blue tits respond to urbanization-related changes in a different way, which may be a result of different rates of migration and/or dispersal, likely higher in blue tits. Some impact may be also induced by interspecific competition. We suggest that changing the focus of urban genetic research from single to multiple species may provide novel insights into how natural populations respond to the processes of urbanization.

Early childhood caries: Are maternal psychosocial factors, decision-making ability, and caries status risk indicators for children in a sub-urban Nigerian population?

ObjectiveEarly childhood caries (ECC) is caries in children below the age of 72 months. The aim of the study was to determine the association of maternal psychosocial factors (general anxiety, dental anxiety, sense of coherence, parenting stress, fatalism, social support, depressive symptoms, and executive dysfunction), decision-making abilities, education, income and caries status with the prevalence and severity of ECC among children resident in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.MethodsA dataset of 1549 mother–child (6–71-months-old) dyads collected through examinations and a household survey, using validated psychometric tools to measure the psychosocial factors, were analyzed. The DMFT for the mothers and the dmft for the child were determined. The association between maternal psychosocial factors, education, income, and decision-making ability, the prevalence of maternal caries, and the prevalence of ECC was determined using logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe prevalence of maternal caries was 3.3%, and the mean (standard deviation-SD) DMFT was 0.10 (0.76). The ECC prevalence was 4.3%, and the mean (SD) dmft was 0.13 (0.92). There was no significant difference between the prevalence and severity of maternal caries and ECC by maternal age, education, income, or decision-making abilities. There was also no significant difference in maternal caries, ECC prevalence and ECC severity by maternal psychosocial factors. The only significant association was between the prevalence of caries in the mother and children: children whose mothers had caries were over six times more likely to have ECC than were children with mothers who had no caries (AOR: 6.67; 95% CI 3.23–13.79; p < 0.001).ConclusionThe significant association between ECC and maternal caries prevalence suggests that prenatal oral health care for mothers may reduce the risk for ECC.