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At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Cyanobacteria and earthy/musty compounds found in commercial catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) ponds in the Mississippi Delta and Mississippi--Alabama Blackland Prairie.

The compounds responsible for earthy and musty "off-flavors" in farm-raised channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in the southeastern United States of America are geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), respectively. These compounds are produced by certain species of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) that grow in the aquaculture ponds. Previous research has focused on the species of cyanobacteria found in catfish ponds in west Mississippi (the leading region of catfish production in the USA), while the species responsible for earthy/musty off-flavors in catfish produced in the Mississippi-Alabama Blackland Prairie (MABP) region (second greatest region of catfish production) have not been described. We examined water samples from commercial catfish ponds in both regions to contrast the different types of cyanobacteria and assess the prevalence of geosmin and MIB. Results established that filamentous cyanobacteria are more common in west Mississippi compared to the MABP region. Also, the MIB-producing cyanobacterium Oscillatoria perornata is present in catfish ponds in both geographic locations, and geosmin is more prevalent in catfish ponds in the MABP region than in west Mississippi.

Alabama↗
PubMed2001

Dose-response implications of the University of Alabama study of lymphohematopoietic cancer among workers exposed to 1,3-butadiene and styrene in the synthetic rubber industry.

New quantitative cancer risk estimates for exposure to 1,3-butadiene are presented. These estimates are based on the most recent human epidemiologic data developed by Drs Delzell and Macaluso and their colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The implications of Poisson regression analyses of the relative rate for leukemia are explored using their updated dose estimates and lymphohematopoietic cancer data. The Poisson regression model in these analyses has the same form as in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s draft risk assessment of 1,3-butadiene [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Health Risk Assessment of 1,3-Butadiene - External Review Draft, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, 63 Fed. Reg. 7167 (February 12, 1998) Publication NCEA-W-0267, Washington, 1998]. Consistent with the proposed cancer risk assessment guidelines of the EPA and the EPA's draft risk assessment, the exploration includes the maximum likelihood estimate of the 'effective concentration' (EC(01)) corresponding to an extra risk of leukemia of 0.01 (1%) from a lifetime continuous exposure to 1,3-butadiene based on a linear dose-response model and the cumulative 1,3-butadiene dose metric (ppm-years). The incorporation of the most recent exposure estimates results in a 2.5-fold decrease in the estimates of leukemia risks computed by EPA. In addition, three changes proposed by the American Chemistry Council (formerly the Chemical Manufacturers Association) to the EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) for EPA's draft risk assessment of 1,3-butadiene are incorporated into the calculation. This results in approximately an additional fivefold decrease in the risk estimates of leukemia. The leukemia cancer risk estimates in the EPA's draft risk assessment of 1,3-butadiene decrease by approximately a factor of 13-fold when the updated epidemiologic data and the alternative numbers proposed by industry to the SAB are both incorporated. Specifically, the maximum likelihood estimate of the EC(01) increases from EPA's 1.2 ppm to 2.8 ppm on the basis of the updated epidemiologic data and increases further to 15.1 ppm when the CMA's proposed changes are also incorporated.

Alabama↗
PubMed2003

Tributyltin and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels in Mobile Bay, Alabama: a review.

A review of the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and tributyltin (TBT) in sediments from Mobile Bay, Alabama, shows that overall levels of PAH decrease from the upper bay (RI) to the lower bay (RIV). Analysis of PAH ratios indicate that pyrogenic sources such as fossil fuel combustion are dominant. There are so few data on TBT in sediments that spatial trends cannot be identified. Levels of PAHs in oyster tissues decrease from the upper bay (RI) to the lower bay (RIII). Although there is no significant temporal trend for PAH levels in bivalves for the US; in the bay, levels in Region II (RII) have decreased significantly and are currently below the national median. There is no trend in Region III (RIII), where levels remain below RII and the national median. RI and RIV had too few data for trend analysis. Mean levels of TBT in oyster tissues decrease from the upper bay (RI) to the lower bay (RIII). Temporal trend analysis indicates a significant decreasing trend for TBT in the US but no significant trend was detected for RII and RIII in Mobile Bay. TBT levels in RII are consistently higher than levels in the US and RIII, which are similar. Data from RI are too limited for analysis and there are no data for RIV.

Alabama↗
PubMed2001

Chiral analysis of organochlorine pesticides in Alabama soils.

The enantiomeric composition of organochlorine (OC) pesticide residues was investigated in 32 agricultural and 3 cemetery soils from Alabama. The enantiomeric signatures were similar to those from other soils in US and Canada. The enantiomer fractions (EFs) of o,p'-DDT showed great variability, ranging from 0.41 to 0.57 while the EFs of chlordanes and chlordane metabolites were less variable and differed in general significantly from racemic. Enantioselective depletion of (+)trans-chlordane, (-)cis-chlordane, the first eluting enantiomer of MC5, and enrichment of (+)heptachlor-exo-epoxide and (+)oxychlordane was found in a large majority of the samples with detectable residues. The enantiomeric composition of alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane was racemic or close to racemic.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2002

Chemical quality of bottled waters from three cities in eastern Alabama.

Twenty-five brands of bottled waters consisting of both purified and spring types collected randomly from three Alabama cities, USA were assessed for their suitability for human consumption. Water quality constituents analyzed include pH, conductivity, alkalinity, chloride, nitrate + nitrite, sulfate, phosphate, total carbon (TC), inorganic carbon (IC), total organic carbon (TOC), and 27 elements on the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). The results obtained were compared with US EPA drinking water standards and the European union (EU) drinking water directive. Ni was non-detectable in all the samples and Cu, Pb, Sb, Zn, Mn, Al, Cr, Mg, P, Ca, sulfate, chloride and nitrates + nitrites were all below their respective USEPA drinking water standards or EU maximum admissible concentrations (MAC). The conductivity, pH, As, Cd, Hg, Zn, Se and Tl values in some samples exceeded the EU and USEPA standards for drinking water. No sample had pH > 8.5, but seven bottled water brands analyzed were acidic (pH < 6.5). Most of the sampled brands had TOC concentrations exceeding 3 mg/l. The concentrations of most water quality constituents analyzed, in most cases, were higher in the spring water brands compared to the purified or distilled brands of bottled water. A one-way parametric analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted on pH, conductivity, IC, TOC, Ca, Na, K, Mg, Se, sulfate, chloride and nitrate + nitrite values for 10 brands of bottled water to ascertain the homogeneity of variances within and between the brands, suggested significant differences in variances across the brands at a 95% confidence level except for selenium, sodium and calcium.

Alabama↗
PubMed2003

Epidemiology of child homicide in Jefferson County, Alabama.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to present the epidemiology of homicide among children younger than 6 years of age in Jefferson County, Alabama. This study focused on obtaining great detail on homicides and suspicious deaths occurring within a fixed population. METHODS: For purposes of this study, cases included Jefferson County deaths attributed to "homicide" or that were "undetermined" as noted in the coroner files among children younger than 6 years of age who were born and died between January 1, 1988 and December, 31, 1998. Victim and offender characteristics were obtained from the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner Office records. Environmental factors and circumstances surrounding the death were noted as well. RESULTS: The 53 study subjects were mainly female (55%), Black (69%), younger than 2 years of age (85%), had single mothers (38%), and a history of abuse (53%). Offenders were more likely to be male (64%), Black (73%), and a parent of the victim (53%). Homicides primarily resulted from an angry impulse (61%), with hands the most common weapon (61%). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of deaths in this study occurred among children younger than age 2, with a high proportion of fatalities among Black children of unmarried mothers. The offender most often knew the victim, with half of all homicides and two-thirds of all infant homicides involving a parent. More than half of the homicides resulted from an angry impulse, while the most common scenario for deaths with undetermined intent involved the caretaker finding the child unresponsive.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2001

Patterns of psychoactive substance detection from routine toxicology of suicides in Mobile, Alabama, between 1990 and 1998.

BACKGROUND: Postmortem toxicology can be useful for reconstructing some clinically important events occurring before a suicide. Its utility may be improved by examining patterns of detected substances in a population over time. METHODS: Toxicology was performed for 333 (96%) of the 346 suicides occurring in Mobile County, Alabama, between October 1990 and September 1998. Detected psychoactive substances were grouped in three categories: alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis; abusable prescription medications; and non-abused psychotropic medications. The overlap between these three categories was assessed. RESULTS: Psychoactive substances were detected in 227 (68%) of 333 suicides. Of the cases positive for any prescription psychoactive medication, 2/3 were positive for an abusable medication. An abusable substance was found in 56% of cases positive for non-abused psychotropic medication. Alcohol, cocaine and/or cannabis were found in 34% of cases with abusable prescription medications and in 33% with non-abused psychotropics. LIMITATIONS: Clinicians must be aware of a number of methodological realities when interpreting routine postmortem toxicology results. CONCLUSIONS: Routine surveillance of psychoactive substances among suicides can provide useful data for directing and monitoring strategies for suicide prevention in clinical practice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Suicide and antidepressants in south Alabama: evidence for improved treatment of depression.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of antidepressants among suicides in the era since the introduction of newer less toxic antidepressants. Comprehensive post mortem toxicological examinations were performed on 94% of certain and uncertain suicides in Mobile County, Alabama, between October 1, 1990 and September 30, 1995. Comparisons were made between current data from Mobile and data from the San Diego study in 1981-83. About twice as many suicides in Mobile were positive for antidepressants than in San Diego (15% vs. 8%). The proportions of antidepressant overdose deaths were the same (5%), however. Antidepressants were found in significantly fewer males than females and blacks than whites in Mobile. Although antidepressants were found in a greater proportion of people who committed suicide in Mobile, they were not used more frequently as a means of suicide. The authors conclude that this may represent improvement in care received by people with depression. It remains to be determined what suicide preventive effects individual antidepressants or groups of antidepressants may have.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Personal, social, and physical environmental correlates of physical activity in rural African-American women in Alabama.

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity is prevalent among African-American women in rural Alabama. The purpose of this study was to explore personal, social, and physical environmental factors associated with activity to help plan interventions. METHODS: As part of the Women's Cardiovascular Health Network Project, telephone surveys were collected from African-American women residing in three rural counties. The women reported the number of minutes engaged in moderate or vigorous activities and were categorized into the following groups: (1) inactive (no moderate or vigorous activities), (2) insufficient (not meeting recommendations), and (3) meets recommendations (engaged in moderate activity five times per week for at least 30 minutes or vigorous activity three times per week for at least 20 minutes). Logistic regression modeling was used to identify personal, social, and physical environmental factors associated with the more active groups. RESULTS: Among the 567 women who were classified in physical activity groups, 221 (39%) met the recommendations, 260 (46%) were insufficiently active, and 86 (15%) were inactive. In the adjusted model, the social environmental factors associated with women meeting the recommendations (versus inactive) were attending religious services and seeing people exercise in the neighborhood. Attending religious services, knowing people who exercise, and a higher social issue score were associated with women who reported any activity (versus inactive). No physical environmental factors were associated with the more active groups. CONCLUSIONS: Social environmental factors were associated with higher levels of activity and need to be considered when planning interventions. More research is needed to identify associations between specific aspects of the social environment and physical activity behaviors.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2001

Postneonatal mortality in Alabama: why no progress in the 90s?

PURPOSE: To examine the factors associated with postneonatal mortality. METHODS: Logistic regression was used to examine the effects of various variables on postneonatal mortality in Alabama. RESULTS: The most important predictor of postneonatal mortality was birth weight. Social and economic variables were also important in explaining postneonatal mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Reductions in postneonatal mortality may require closer case management of low birth weight neonatal survivors. Survival of these infants creates a cohort at risk of postneonatal mortality. Many of these low birth weight infants are born into an environment where their mothers' parenting potential is compromised by youth and poverty. This may be responsible for the failure to reduce postneonatal mortality and explain its increasing proportion of infant deaths; deaths may be being postponed from the neonatal to the postneonatal period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Adolescent pregnancy, infant mortality, and source of payment for birth: Alabama residential live births, 1991-1994.

PURPOSE: To assess potential impact of programs to prevent adolescent pregnancy on infant mortality. METHODS: Infants (n = 247,503) born alive to Alabama residents from 1991 to 1994 were identified from birth cohort files and linked to infant death records. Deliveries funded by Medicaid, private insurance, and self-payers were studied separately. Relative risks (RR) and population attributable risks were calculated. The latter provided estimated percentages by which infant (<1 year) death risks would have decreased if adolescent (< or =19 years) pregnancies had been prevented. RESULTS: Infants of mothers <16 years of age were at higher risk of death than were infants of mothers aged 20 to 34 years (adults): the RRs were 4.1, 3.4, and 1.4 for self-payers, private insurance, and Medicaid groups, respectively. In the self-payer and private insurance groups, but not the Medicaid group, infants of mothers aged 17 to 19 years were more likely to die than were infants of adults. Infants from repeat adolescent pregnancies comprised nearly one-third of all infants born to adolescents, and in each payer-group were more likely to die than were infants of adults: The RRs were 4.9, 2.5, and 1.3 for self-payers, private-insurance, and Medicaid groups, respectively. Theoretically, preventing all adolescent pregnancies and preventing only repeat adolescent pregnancies would have reduced infant mortality in the total population by 8% and 4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Programs to prevent first and subsequent adolescent pregnancies probably have little effect on infant mortality. Efforts to prevent adolescent pregnancies should not have a short-term goal of notably reducing infant mortality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

A comparison of diabetes care in rural and urban medical clinics in Alabama.

This study sought to determine the differences in the level of diabetes care of patients in a rural family practice clinic and an urban internal medicine clinic in Alabama. Medical records of patients with diabetes were reviewed and management practices were compared to current American Diabetes Association (ADA) standards of care. The rural practice had fewer patients at goal A1c, goal LDL, and goal blood pressure. Rural patients were also less likely to receive screening and preventative services such as lipid profiles, eye examinations, microalbumin screening, aspirin therapy, and vaccinations than urban patients. Although, adherence to the ADA standards of care was lower with rural patients, the results suggest that there exists significant opportunity to improve the delivery of diabetes care services to both patient populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The pre- and postdoctoral Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program (CPCTP) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has attracted high-quality trainees from all over the United States. The trainees have pursued courses of study in epidemiology, nutrition sciences, health behavior, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, or public health nutrition; and research projects in cessation of tobacco use, cancer screening, cancer epidemiology, diet modification, nutrient-cancer relationships, statistical modeling of carcinogenesis, medical-nutrition education, and obesity, in precise alignment with NCI cancer control objectives. Both courses and research projects have been interdisciplinary, taking advantage of the strong interdepartmental collaborative atmosphere at UAB. Former trainees have been successfully placed in academic, administrative, and practice positions in which they can strategically apply their cancer prevention and control expertise.

Adult↗
PubMed2007

Psychometric properties of the Alabama parenting questionnaire-preschool revision.

The psychometric properties of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire-Preschool Revision (APQ-PR) were explored in a sample of hyperactive-inattentive preschool children (N = 47) and nonimpaired controls (N = 113). A subset of parents completed the questionnaire on 2 occasions, approximately 1 year apart. Factor analysis revealed a 3-factor solution, accounting for 32.28% of the variance. The resultant Positive Parenting, Negative/Inconsistent Parenting, and Punitive Parenting factors demonstrated good internal consistency and temporal stability. At baseline, parents of hyperactive-inattentive and control children did not differ on any APQ-PR subscale. However, over time parents of controls increased their use of positive parenting techniques, whereas the use of positive parenting practices decreased over time in the hyperactive-inattentive group.

Alabama↗
PubMed2000

Transferrin saturation phenotype and HFE genotype screening for hemochromatosis and primary iron overload: predictions from a model based on national, racial, and ethnic group composition in central Alabama.

There is interest in general population screening for hemochromatosis and other primary iron overload disorders, although not all persons are at equal risk. We developed a model to estimate the numbers of persons in national, racial, or ethnic population subgroups in Jefferson County, Alabama, who would be detected using transferrin saturation (phenotype) or HFE mutation analysis (genotype) screening. Approximately 62% are Caucasians, 37% are African Americans, and the remainder are Hispanics, Asians, or Native Americans. The predicted phenotype frequencies are greatest in a Caucasian subgroup, ethnicity unspecified, which consists predominantly of persons of Scotch and Irish descent (0.0065 men, 0.0046 women), and in African Americans (0.0089 men, 0.0085 women). Frequencies of the HFE genotype C282Y/C282Y > or = 0.0001 are predicted to occur only among Caucasians; the greatest frequency (0.0080) was predicted to occur in the ethnicity-unspecified Caucasian population. C282Y/C282Y frequency estimates were lower in Italian, Greek, and Jewish subgroups. There is excellent agreement in the numbers of the ethnicity-unspecified Caucasians who would be detected using phenotype and genotype criteria. Our model also indicates that phenotyping would identify more persons with primary iron overload than would genotyping in our Italian Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American subgroups. This is consistent with previous observations that indicate that primary iron overload disorders in persons of southern Italian descent and African Americans are largely attributable to non-HFE alleles. Because the proportions of population subgroups and their genetic constitution may differ significantly in other geographic regions, we suggest that models similar to the present one be constructed to predict optimal screening strategies for primary iron overload disorders.

Alabama↗
PubMed1976

Nutritional status of a population sample in Macon County, Alabama.

A nutrition survey was conducted in Macon County, Alabama, with a population sample of 102 individuals, 76% of whom were black. Three 24-hr dietary recalls were obtained for each participant and 24 nutrients and energy were calculated for each combined 3-day intake. Serological and hematological analyses of blood were performed. Dietary calculations indicated that intakes of calcium, vitamin B12, calories, and iron were lowest within the population sample. Blood analyses did not confirm the calculated inadequacies of dietary calcium, vitamin B12, or iron. Body weight data did not support the calculated inadequate energy intakes. Serum analysis indicated a folic acid deficiency. Mean intakes of energy and macronutrients were higher in nonblacks than in blacks; for most vitamins and minerals, the same was true. The lower calcium intakes among blacks than among nonblacks in the growing years exceeded the differential in energy intakes. Higher serum vitamin B12 levels in blacks than in nonblacks were observed but not explained.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Increased risk of agricultural injury among African-American farm workers from Alabama and Mississippi.

Research on the epidemiology of agriculture-related injuries has largely ignored African-Americans and farm workers. This cohort study is the first to estimate injury rates and to evaluate prospectively risk factors for agriculture-related injuries and compare them among African-American and Caucasian farmers and African-American farm workers. A total of 1,246 subjects (685 Caucasian owners, 321 African-American owners, and 240 African-American workers) from Alabama and Mississippi were selected from Agricultural Statistics Services databases and other sources and were enrolled between January 1994 and June 1996. Baseline data included detailed demographic, farm and farming, and behavioral information. From January 1994 to April 1998, subjects were contacted biannually to ascertain the occurrence of an agriculture-related injury. Injury rates were 2.9 times (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.0, 4.3) higher for African-American farm workers compared with Caucasian and African-American owners. Part-time farming (relative risk (RR) = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.3, 2.5), prior agricultural injury (RR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.0, 2.1), and farm machinery in fair/poor condition (RR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.7) were also independently associated with injury rates. The results demonstrate the increased frequency of agricultural injury among farm workers and identify a number of possible ways of reducing them.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2003

Improving primary care in rural Alabama with a pharmacy initiative.

The effect of pharmaceutical care on the prevention, detection, and resolution of medication-related problems in high-risk patients in a rural community was studied. Adult patients who received care at clinics in a medically underserved area of Alabama and who were identified as being at high risk of medication-related adverse events were randomly assigned to a control group or an intervention group. The control group received standard medical care, and the intervention group received pharmaceutical care, including a medical record review, a medication history review, pharmacotherapeutic evaluation, and patient medication education and monitoring over a one-year period. A total of 69 patients completed the study (33 in the intervention group and 36 in the control group). The percentage of patients responding to hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and anticoagulation therapy increased significantly in the intervention group and declined in the control group. Ratings for inappropriate prescribing improved in all 10 domains evaluated in the intervention group but worsened in 5 domains in the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups at 12 months in health-related quality of life or medication misadventures. Medication compliance scores improved in the intervention group but not in the control group. Medication knowledge increased in the intervention group and decreased in the control group. Pharmaceutical care in a rural, community-based setting appeared to reduce inappropriate prescribing, enhance disease management, and improve medication compliance and knowledge without adversely affecting health-related quality of life.

Aged↗