Rural Demographics Racial/Ethnic Diversification in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Population Change in the United States: Implications for Health Care Provision in Rural America

The diversification of the rural population of the United States provides substantial challenges to the current and to future health care systems in rural areas. Because of a variety of historical, discriminatory, and other factors, minority populations have had lower levels of access to health care in rural as well as urban areas and higher rates of both mortality and morbidity than nonminority populations. Although minority health issues have often been seen as primarily urban issues, this article demonstrates that minority population growth has become a major component of total population growth in rural areas in the past several decades (accounting for nearly 62% of the net growth in the nonmetropolitan population of the United States in the 1980s and for nearly 42% in the 1990s), that future US population growth is likely to be largely a product of minority population growth (nearly 89% of US net population growth from 2000 to 2100 is projected to be due to minority population growth), and that the incidence of diseases and disorders in the US population will come to increasingly involve minority populations (by 2050 roughly 43% of all disease/disorder incidences would involve minority population members). The growth of younger minority populations with disproportionately impoverished socioeconomic characteristics will pose challenges for rural areas and health care systems, which also are likely to face health issues created by disproportionately older populations.     

Depression,sleeping pattern,and suicidal ideation among medical students in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional pilot study

Journal of Public Health - Depression is a major morbidity and the most common mental disorder among the medical students in medical schools globally. Undergraduate students suffer stress more due...     

Implications of Crop Rotation and Fungicide on Fusarium and Mycotoxin Spectra in Manitoba Barley, 2017–2019

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most important diseases of barley in Manitoba province (western Canada), and other major barley producing regions of the world. Little is known about the Fusarium species and mycotoxin spectra associated with FHB of barley in Manitoba. Hence, barley grain samples were collected from 149 commercial fields from 2017 to 2019, along with information on respective cropping history, and analyzed with respect to Fusarium species spectra, abundance, chemotype composition, and mycotoxin profiles. Fusarium poae was the predominant Fusarium species associated with FHB of barley in Manitoba, followed by F. graminearum, and F. sporotrichioides; F. equiseti and F. avenaceum were also detected but at low levels. F. poae strains with the nivalenol (NIV) chemotype and F. graminearum strains with 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol (3-ADON) and 15-acetyl deoxynivalenol (15-ADON) chemotypes were commonly detected in the barley grain samples. Nivalenol (597.7, 219.1, and 412.4 µg kg⁻¹) and deoxynivalenol (DON) (264.7, 56.7, and 65.3 µg kg⁻¹) were the two most prevalent mycotoxins contaminating Manitoba barley in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. A substantially higher DON content was detected in grain samples from barley fields with cereals as a preceding crop compared to canola and flax. Furthermore, F. poae proved less sensitive to four triazole fungicides (metconazole, prothioconazole+tebuconazole, tebuconazole, and prothioconazole) than F. graminearum. Findings from this research will assist barley producers with improved understanding of FHB threat levels and optimizing practices for the best management of FHB in barley.     

Subtypes A,C, G,and recombinant HIV type 1 are circulating in Bangladesh

We analyzed the genetic diversity of HIV-1 circulating in Bangladesh by direct sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic analysis of the V3 region of the env gene and p17 fragment of the gag gene from nine unrelated patients. The sequences from one sample grouped into subtype A, five samples grouped into subtype C, and one grouped into subtype G. In addition, two patients appeared to be infected with different recombinant viruses consisting of subtype A and unclassifiable viral sequences. Epidemiological analysis revealed heterosexual transmission in the majority of cases. Furthermore, most subjects had a history of traveling, either to India or to the Arabian Peninsula. This study shows that several HIV-1 subtypes are circulating in Bangladesh, and we conclude that there must have been several introductions of HIV-1 into the Bangladeshi population.     

Sexual life style, drug habit and socio-demographic status of drug addicts in Bangladesh

The sexual life style, drug habit and socio-demographic status of 253 male hospitalized drug addicts were investigated. This study was conducted during the period June 1997 to July 1998, and each case was selected by the random sampling method. The research instrument was an interviewer-administered questionnaire, the sexual habits, number and quality of sex partners, use of condoms, sexually transmitted diseases, etc., were considered as indicators of the sexual life style of the drug addicts. Eighty-eight percent (n=233) of the addicts were heterosexual. Bisexuality was found only in 7% (n=18) of the addicts. Eighty-seven percent (n=240) of the addicts have multiple sex partners of either commercial or residential category. Most of the drug addicts (72%,n=181) did not use condoms. Fifty-seven percent (n=145) of the addicts were observed to have sexual diseases. As indicators of a drug habit, starting drug, choice of drug, period of addiction, sharing of needles, etc., were included. Cannabis was the starting substance for 59% (n=149) of the addicts. Heroin was the drug of choice for 60% (n=157) addicts. A single drug was taken only by 8% (n=20) of the addicts and the remaining 92% (n=233) took multiple drugs. The drug addicts (n=97) who used mostly injection (87%,n=84) shared needles. Education, occupation, income, age, marital status, influencing factors for addiction were considered as socio-demographic characteristics. Young adults (79%,n=199), secondary educated (46%,n=116), low-mid income (60%,n=150), businessmen (46%,n=150) and married (60%,n=151) people were found highly involved in addiction. Self-curiosity and a friend's incitement were revealed as the most important influencing factors for taking drugs.     

Correlates of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in the general adult population of China: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a significant public health issue in China. Understanding factors associated with chronic HBV is important to enable targeted screening and education and to improve early diagnosis and prevention of disease progression. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify and describe correlates of chronic HBV among Chinese adults. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE and grey literature up to 25 June 2020. Eligible papers included observational studies in adults of the general population in China that reported factors associated with chronic HBV, measured by Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Meta-analysis was performed using fixed-effect models of HBsAg prevalence among factors, and of adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for chronic HBV associated with each factor. Overall 39 articles were included, covering 22 factors, including a range of sociodemographic, behavioural and medical factors. In meta-analysis of eligible studies, a range of factors were significantly associated with higher HBsAg prevalence, including middle age, male sex, being married, rural residence, lower education, smoking, having a HBsAg positive household contact, family history of HBV, history of surgery or blood transfusion. The adjusted ORs varied, from 1.11 (95% CI 1.05–1.18) for smoking to 5.13 (95% CI 4.99–5.26) for having a HBsAg positive household contact. In Chinese adults, a range of factors are associated with chronic HBV infection, which may help inform targeted screening in the general population.