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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

GIS applications in land management: the loss of high quality land to development in Central Mississippi from 1987-2002.

The socio-economic trends and history of Central Mississippi reveal a major rural influence based upon a dependence on agricultural activities as part of the economic engine driving the state's economy. Yet, in the last several years, the amount of agricultural land in the counties continues to decline. Similar changes in other variables associated with agricultural land use and the continuity of farming in the state have also been changing. Indeed, under the pressure of urban growth, some farmers are forced to use less productive soils or have abandoned the agricultural business. Considering the gravity of the problem and the implications for sustainable development, public concern has increased in the state of Mississippi that urbanization and other factors may be eroding potential farmland. Given the effects of the current trends on the future capacity to produce food items, there are concerns that the growing incidence of farmland loss may also erode the basis for sustainable use of agricultural land, biodiversity and protection of the state's ecological treasures. Notwithstanding the gravity of these trends, no major effort in the literature has aimed at documenting the incidence of agricultural land loss and the linkages to urbanization in the region of Central Mississippi. What changes have taken place in the size of agricultural land within the counties and what factors are responsible for it? This paper examines the issue of farmland loss in Central Mississippi with a focus at the county level between 1987 and 2002 from a temporal-spatial perspective. In terms of methodology, the paper uses a mixed scale approach based upon the existing literature. Data were drawn from the United States Census databases of Population and Agriculture. This information is analyzed with basic descriptive statistics and GIS with particular attention to the spatial trends at the county level. Results indicate that the counties under consideration have experienced considerable change in the amount of agricultural land and other variables associated with the use of farmland, due to urbanization. With the types of changes occurring, instituting effective policies anchored in sustainability, community participation, and growth management will go a long way in addressing the situation. Other strategies for farmland protection based upon land information inventory and mapping in the region, are also recommended. The paper stands as an update of the existing literature and offers a valuable tool for decision makers within the domain of natural resources management.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2003

Excess mortality due to diabetes in Mississippi and the estimated extent of underreporting on death certificates.

OBJECTIVE: To develop alternative estimates of the excess mortality attributable to diabetes in Mississippi. METHODS: For each age/sex group, the total (all cause) mortality rate in the population was partitioned into the mortality rates for diabetics (M1) and non-diabetics (M0), using age- and sex-specific mortality rate ratios for diabetics from the Verona Diabetes Study. M1 and M0 were used, respectively, to calculate the predicted number of deaths and the 'usual' number of deaths (the number expected if diabetics had the same mortality rates as non-diabetics) in diabetics. The difference between predicted and 'usual' deaths is the number of excess deaths in diabetics--that is, deaths attributable specifically to diabetes. This was compared to the number of deaths in which diabetes was registered on death certificates as an underlying and/or contributory cause. RESULTS: In Mississippi in 1998-2000, 2,322 male and 3,436 female deaths in diabetics were calculated to be excess. These numbers are approximately three times the numbers of deaths in which diabetes was registered on the death certificate as the underlying cause of death. The excess numbers of deaths are much closer to the total numbers of deaths due to diabetes (that is, where diabetes is listed as either an underlying or a contributory cause of death). CONCLUSIONS: When reporting diabetes mortality numbers, public health agencies should consider reporting total registered diabetes deaths, not just registered underlying deaths. Better education of providers and others to increase the awareness of the importance of listing diabetes on the death certificate would help to increase concern and make diabetes a priority for public health action. Persons with diabetes have higher mortality rates and excess premature mortality, and diabetes ranks consistently among the leading causes of death in Mississippi and the U.S. Yet it has long been known that mortality attributable to diabetes is underestimated. Cause-of-death statistics are unreliable due to underreporting of diabetes on death certificates, and estimates based on attributable risk calculations do not take into account competing risks for mortality. In view of the public health importance of diabetes, it would be useful to develop alternative estimates of the burden of excess mortality attributable to it. In this paper I estimate the excess mortality attributable to diabetes for the diabetic population of Mississippi using epidemiologic data on the prevalence of diabetes and the relative risk of mortality among persons with diabetes.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed1991

Trauma care at the University of Mississippi Medical Center: economic & other realities.

There are a number of complicating factors which do, or have the potential to, impact trauma care at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the University Hospital. These are (Exhibit 6): Number of Trauma Patients. There are more trauma patients in Mississippi than any single hospital or group of physicians can care for under present circumstances. Type of Trauma Patients. The only Level I center is constantly stressed with trauma patients, many of whom could be adequately treated at other facilities. Hospital Resources. Resources are frequently stretched beyond reasonable limitations. Primary examples include the SICU and nursing personnel on numerous units. Lack of a Trauma Network. The effects of the first three factors are compounded by the lack of a trauma network in the State of Mississippi. Trauma Funding. The lack of trauma funding, on a statewide basis, for equipment and other needed resources impairs the ability of all hospitals (including the University Hospital) to meet the needs of trauma patients. Patient Finances. Tied to the lack of specific funding is the financial case mix of trauma patients. It is simply not financially worthwhile for hospitals or physicians to involve themselves, on a regular basis, in the care of these patients. These issues are related to one another in a complex fashion. Many are beyond the scope of the University Hospital and the University of Mississippi Medical Center to resolve. But, they adversely impact our facilities, and others throughout the state, on a daily basis. As these issues are reviewed and thought about, one final fact should be kept in mind.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Accidents↗
PubMed1989

Rural Health Research Program--the University of Mississippi.

The Rural Health Research Program (RHRP) of the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Mississippi has been designated by the State of Mississippi as a program mandated to conduct health research throughout rural Mississippi. The authors discuss the historical development of RHRP and describes its present capability for fulfilling this research mandate. They describe the opportunities presented by RHRP for collaborative research with other health care professionals interested in health care problems and solutions in rural Mississippi.

Health Services Research↗
PubMed1983

Identification of chlorinated nitrobenzene residues in Mississippi River fish.

Residues of lower chlorinated nitrobenzenes have been found at levels up to about 1 ppm in 8 samples of Mississippi River fish. Electron capture gas chromatography (EC/GC) was used for determination after extraction and cleanup using a procedure based on the AOAC multiresidue method for organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides in nonfatty foods. The residues found included 2-, 3-, and 4-chloronitrobenzene and 2,3- and 3,4-dichloronitrobenzene; identity was confirmed by GC/mass spectrometry. GC retention times for 15 monochloro-through pentachloro-substituted nitrobenzene congeners were determined with OV-101 and mixed OV-101 + OV-210 columns at 130 degrees C. In studies of the nonfatty food extraction and cleanup procedures of the AOAC method, recoveries of 15 chlorinated nitrobenzenes from spiked fish samples ranged from 68 to 116%. GC of cleaned up fish extract aliquots equivalent to 20 mg sample allowed quantitation of individual congeners at levels of about 0.025 and 0.005 ppm with 3H and 63Ni EC detectors, respectively. The contamination of Mississippi River fish with chlorinated nitrobenzenes appears to be localized in a 150 mile section of the river extending from St. Louis, MO, to Cape Girardeau, MO; no chlorinated nitrobenzenes (less than 0.005 ppm) were detected in Mississippi River fish caught above or below this region of the river or in fish from the lower Missouri River, which joins the Mississippi River near St. Louis.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Isotopic evidence of nitrate sources and denitrification in the Mississippi River, Illinois.

Anthropogenic nitrate (NO3-) within the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River basin and discharge to the Gulf of Mexico has been linked to serious environmental problems. The sources of this NO3- have been estimated by others using mass balance methods; however, there is considerable uncertainty in these estimates. Part of the uncertainty is the degree of denitrification that the NO3- has undergone. The isotopic composition of NO3- in the Mississippi River adjacent to Illinois and tile drain (subsurface drain) discharge in agricultural areas of east-central Illinois was examined using N and O isotopes to help identify the major sources of NO3- and assess the degree of denitrification in the samples. The isotopic evidence suggests that most of the NO3- in the river is primarily derived from synthetic fertilizers and soil organic N, which is consistent with published estimates of N inputs to the Mississippi River. The 1:2 relationship between delta18O and delta15N also indicate that, depending on sample location and season, NO3- in the river and tile drains has undergone significant denitrification, ranging from about 0 to 55%. The majority of the denitrification appears to have occurred before discharge into the Mississippi River.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Genetic relationships of infectious bronchitis virus isolates from Mississippi broilers.

A 582-base pair segment located in the nucleocapsid protein terminal part of the S1 gene of 26 Arkansas (Ark)-type infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) isolates from Mississippi broilers was amplified and sequenced. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and cycle sequencing techniques were used to elucidate the genetic and deduced amino acid relationships among the isolates. Analysis suggested that the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the isolates were highly conserved, with greater than 99.4% nucleotide and 98.4% amino acid homology among the Mississippi isolates. The Mississippi isolates had less than 2.3% nucleotide and 5.2% amino acid variation when compared with the vaccine strain Ark DPI and less than 3.0% nucleotide and 5.2% amino acid variation when compared with the Ark-type Georgia variant. This study suggests that the 26 IBV isolates that are genetically closely related to the vaccine strain may be derived from the vaccine strain by point mutation. The results also indicate that within a 1-yr period Ark-type IBV in Mississippi was spread with little or no change in its genetic sequence. The 21 identical isolates appeared in different farms and companies, suggesting that poor biosecurity was practiced and contributed to the spreading of the disease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Self-reported health of residents of the Mississippi Delta.

The rural Lower Mississippi Delta of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi has a large economically and socially disadvantaged population at high risk for health problems. Their health status is poorly understood as they are not well represented in national health surveys. A random-digit-dialing telephone survey was conducted in 2000, with 2,236 respondents representing residents of 36 counties along the Mississippi River. Self-reported chronic conditions, health status, and obesity (derived from weight and height) were compared with the nationally representative Continuing Survey of Food Intake of Individuals. High cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension were significantly higher than in the national sample. Obesity was strikingly higher in Delta children (27.9% versus 16.2%) of all ages and in Delta adults (33.9% versus 17.3%). Controlling for age, income, and gender, African Americans were at particular risk for obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. A public health crisis appears to exist in the Delta given the high prevalence health problems.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Factors associated with health care access for Mississippi children with special health care needs.

OBJECTIVES: This purpose of the study was to examine the factors associated with access to routine care and to specialty care for Mississippi children with special health care needs (CSHCN). METHODS: We analyzed data for Mississippi CSHCN from the 2001 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Using a modified version of Andersen and Aday's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, we explored the relationship of independent variables (e.g., demographics, insurance, severity of illness) to dependent variables (did not obtain routine care, did not obtain specialty care). We conducted bivariate and logistic regression analyses using SAS and SUDAAN. RESULTS: Based on self-reported data, with a 61% response rate, 66% of Mississippi CSHCN needed routine health care, and 52.8% needed specialty care. Of these children, 6.5% did not receive routine care and 9.3% did not receive specialty care. In a fully adjusted model, discontinuous insurance coverage was an important factor associated with not having obtained routine care (OR = 7.8; CI = 1.7-35.9) and specialty care (OR = 8.6; CI = 2.0-36.8). Children with a high illness severity rank were more likely to have not obtained routine care than children with a low rank (OR 1.4; CI = 1.1-1.9). CONCLUSIONS: It may be important to establish a health insurance safety net for families who lack insurance continuity since it appears that a lapse in insurance coverage impedes health care access. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between illness severity and lack of health care access, especially for children with special health care needs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Atmospheric nitrogen in the Mississippi River Basin--emissions, deposition and transport.

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen has been cited as a major factor in the nitrogen saturation of forests in the north-eastern United States and as a contributor to the eutrophication of coastal waters, including the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Sources of nitrogen emissions and the resulting spatial patterns of nitrogen deposition within the Mississippi River Basin, however, have not been fully documented. An assessment of atmospheric nitrogen in the Mississippi River Basin was therefore conducted in 1998-1999 to: (1) evaluate the forms in which nitrogen is deposited from the atmosphere; (2) quantify the spatial distribution of atmospheric nitrogen deposition throughout the basin; and (3) relate locations of emission sources to spatial deposition patterns to evaluate atmospheric transport. Deposition data collected through the NADP/NTN (National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network) and CASTNet (Clean Air Status and Trends Network) were used for this analysis. NOx Tier 1 emission data by county was obtained for 1992 from the US Environmental Protection Agency (Emissions Trends Viewer CD, 1985-1995, version 1.0, September 1996) and NH3 emissions data was derived from the 1992 Census of Agriculture (US Department of Commerce. Census of Agriculture, US Summary and County Level Data, US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Geographic Area series, 1995:1b) or the National Agricultural Statistics Service (US Department of Agriculture. National Agricultural Statistics Service Historical Data. Accessed 7/98 at URL, 1998. http://www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/hisdata++ +.htm). The highest rates of wet deposition of NO3- were in the north-eastern part of the basin, downwind of electric utility plants and urban areas, whereas the highest rates of wet deposition of NH4+ were in Iowa, near the center of intensive agricultural activities in the Midwest. The lowest rates of atmospheric nitrogen deposition were on the western (windward) side of the basin, which suggests that most of the nitrogen deposited within the basin is derived from internal sources. Atmospheric transport eastward across the basin boundary is greater for NO3- than NH4+, but a significant amount of NH4+ is likely to be transported out of the basin through the formation of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 particles--a process that greatly increases the atmospheric residence time of NH4+. This process is also a likely factor in the atmospheric transport of nitrogen from the Midwest to upland forest regions in the North-East, such as the western Adirondack region of New York, where NH4+ constitutes 38% of the total wet deposition of N.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2005

Observations on distribution and seasonal activity of the Gulf Coast tick in Mississippi.

Medical importance of the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum Koch, has been highlighted with the recent discovery of a new rickettsial pathogen associated with this tick. Accordingly, distribution and seasonal collection records of A. maculatum were assessed in Mississippi by using three sources of data: sampling of experimental field plots, national tick collection records, and Mississippi Department of Health human tick biting records. A. maculatum was collected in 17/82 (21%) Mississippi counties, mostly in central and southern regions. Estimates of seasonal activity were made using collection data for 2,217 adult, 11 nymphal, and 426 larval specimens. Adult A. maculatum were collected during March through November, with a peak during late July through early August. Nymphs were collected during February through August, and larvae were collected once during each of June, September, and October. Small sample sizes of the immature stages precluded determination of their peak activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Mississippi: survey for spotted fever antibodies in dogs and for spotted fever group reckettsiae in dog ticks.

During epidemiologic studies of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Mississippi in 1973, dogs were surveyed for antibodies tp spotted fever group antigens and for tick parasites infected with rickettsiae of the spotted fever group. Fifty-three (46%) of 116 serum samples had complement-fixing antibody titers greater than or equal to 1:8 as compared to only one (5%) of 21 samples from a group of dogs obtained from metropolitan Chicage. Fifty-two per cent of the dogs tested from Mississippi had microagglutinating antibodies titers greater than or equal to 1:8; 9% of dogs from Chicago had similar titers. Rickettsia rickettsii was demonstrated in only one (0.8%) of 129 Dermacentor variabilis removed from Mississippi dogs. Quite unexpectedly, 167 (18.9%) of 884 Rhipicephalus sanguineus taken from these dogs contained spotted fever group rickettsiae.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1992

Seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus among adolescent attendees of Mississippi sexually transmitted disease clinics: a rural epidemic.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among adolescents is causing increasing concern, and teenagers attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics run a high risk of contracting it. To determine the status of HIV infection in a Mississippi adolescent population, we evaluated seroprevalence rates for adolescents attending Mississippi State Department of Health STD clinics from 1988 to 1990. During this 2-year period, 9855 adolescents (aged 13 to 20 years) attended STD clinics, and HIV antibody was confirmed in 39 (seroprevalence rate 4.0/1000; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.7 to 5.2). Seropositive rates were almost equal for male and female subjects (4.1/1000 and 3.8/1000, respectively), suggesting predominantly heterosexual transmission. Rates among blacks were 3.5 times higher than among whites. Adolescents with HIV infection were identified throughout the state, irrespective of urban centers. Rates among the smallest counties (ie, population less than 25,000) were not significantly different from those of the largest counties (ie, population greater than 100,000). Mississippi's rank in the top 10 states for other STDs and the state's high teenage pregnancy rate make it an epicenter of the HIV epidemic among adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Attitudes toward environmental tobacco smoke in Mississippi: still a burning issue.

Mississippi is one of eight states without any form of legislation restricting tobacco use in public places or work sites. In a telephone survey of 1,210 Mississippi adults, 95 percent of respondents, including 90 percent of current smokers, were in favor of prohibiting or restricting smoking in public areas and 91 percent of respondents, including 81 percent of current smokers, were in favor of smoking restrictions at work sites. Mississippi needs to undertake public health initiatives to promote the rights of nonsmokers and reduce the adverse health effects to nonsmokers of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in public places and work sites.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Access to health care professionals in rural Mississippi.

BACKGROUND: The location and identification of health professionals' practice sites is the first step in enhancing the availability of quality medical care to all regions of the state. Identification of specific areas of need is difficult, as provider data is often collected and housed separately through multiple organizations. This study provides a comparative review of the distribution of physicians, dentists, nurses, and psychologists and examines future provider needs of selected rural counties and regions within the state. METHODS: Data were compiled from multiple state and federal agencies. RESULTS: Twenty percent of Mississippi physicians are at or near retirement age. Several Mississippi counties could lose most or all of their physicians in the next few years. The distribution of health care workers is uneven across the state. CONCLUSION: Maldistribution of health care workers and the aging health care workforce impacts access to care, particularly in rural Mississippi counties.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2002

Nursing home case-mix reimbursement in Mississippi and South Dakota.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of nursing home case-mix reimbursement on facility case mix and costs in Mississippi and South Dakota. DATA SOURCES: Secondary data from resident assessments and Medicaid cost reports from 154 Mississippi and 107 South Dakota nursing facilities in 1992 and 1994, before and after implementation of new case-mix reimbursement systems. STUDY DESIGN: The study relied on a two-wave panel design to examine case mix (resident acuity) and direct care costs in 1-year periods before and after implementation of a nursing home case-mix reimbursement system. Cross-lagged regression models were used to assess change in case mix and costs between periods while taking into account facility characteristics. DATA COLLECTION: Facility-level measures were constructed from Medicaid cost reports and Minimum Data Set-Plus assessment records supplied by each state. Resident case mix was based on the RUG-III classification system. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Facility case-mix scores and direct care costs increased significantly between periods in both states. Changes in facility costs and case mix were significantly related in a positive direction. Medicare utilization and the rate of hospitalizations from the nursing facility also increased significantly between periods, particularly in Mississippi. CONCLUSIONS: The case-mix reimbursement systems appeared to achieve their intended goals: improved access for heavy-care residents and increased direct care expenditures in facilities with higher acuity residents. However, increases in Medicare utilization may have influenced facility case mix or costs, and some facilities may have been unprepared to care for higher acuity residents, as indicated by increased rates of hospitalization.

Diagnosis-Related Groups↗
PubMed1992

Granny midwives in Mississippi: career and birthing practices.

In this study career and birthing practices of Mississippi granny midwives who held permits and practiced in the early 1980's are reported. Leininger's (1978, 1985) mini ethnonursing method was used as the primary research approach. Although other authors have studied granny midwives in the South using alternate research methods such as Mongeau (1973) in North Carolina using analysis of historical documents and field research; Campbell (1946) in Georgia using field study research; Kroska (1985) in Alabama using mini-ethnography, to date no one has systematically studied granny midwives and their practices in Mississippi. Patterns and themes from verbatim and record analysis data indicate that the Mississippi granny midwives were practitioners who were called by God to practice. The majority had a mother or aunt who had also been a midwife. They used an oligopolistic market approach combined with altruism and care. They practiced family centered maternity care while using three practice modalities of folk, professional and motherwit for enacting their practice. Although their practice was externally regimented, they practiced in an autonomous way as their individual judgment dictated.

Career Mobility↗
PubMed2005

Demographics and distribution of dentists in Mississippi: a dental work force study.

BACKGROUND: Many segments of the population experience one or more barriers to accessing quality oral health care, including availability of licensed dentists. The purpose of the authors' study was to analyze the availability of dentists in Mississippi by county over four decades to determine the geographic distribution of dentists, shifts in their distribution over time and how this distribution relates to population demographics. METHODS: Dentist-to-population ratios were determined by county from 1970 through 2000. The authors analyzed these data using standardized z scores and geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Results are presented graphically and geographically. RESULTS: Results showed that 55 counties were designated as dental health professional shortage areas in 1970, 51 counties in 1980, 30 in 1990 and 40 in 2000. Counties that have a more favorable ratio of providers to population were determined, indicating areas in which dentists are more likely to practice. CONCLUSIONS: Many geographic areas in Mississippi remain underserved. Identifying these areas is a critical first step when addressing the current state of Mississippi's dental work force. This type of information is useful for decision making as well as responding to the population's oral health care needs. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Results of this study can assist current and future practicing dentists, dental school administrators and policy-makers in making informed decisions for determining suitable practice locations, dental school admissions criteria and areas to target for public health initiatives. This model also is useful for studying work force disparities in other health care professions.

Dentistry↗