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The civilian version of the Mississippi PTSD Scale: a psychometric evaluation.

This three-part study examined the reliability and validity of the civilian version of the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD using data from the nonveteran participants in the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. The Civilian Mississippi Scale had a raw score distribution that was roughly symmetric, with an acceptable degree of dispersion and a reasonably high internal consistency reliability coefficient. Overall, however, measurement precision was weaker than that for the military version of the instrument, and confirmatory factor analytic findings differed from those found for the military version. Preliminary investigations of validity were in the form of correlations with indices of stressful life events, a PTSD symptom count, and measures of demoralization and active expression of hostility. The Civilian Mississippi Scale emerged from the various analyses as a PTSD measure with potential but requiring further validational study and perhaps some refinement.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Concentration and transport of chlordane and nonachlor associated with suspended sediment in the Mississippi River, May 1988 to June 1990.

Technical chlordane, a formerly widely used organochlorine pesticide, has become widespread in the environment. The distribution of technical chlordane in riverine environments may be due in part to resuspension and aqueous transport of contaminated bed sediment. To test this hypothesis, the Mississippi River was sampled for suspended sediment five times over a two-year period, at up to 17 sites from St. Louis to below New Orleans, including major tributaries. The ratio of chlordane to nonachlor concentrations averaged 3.6 during May-June 1988 for the Mississippi River below its confluence with the Ohio River. During March-April 1989, the ratio was 0.6, suggesting weathered technical chlordane contributions to the suspended sediment. During June 1989, the ratio averaged 1.1, indicating some input of less weathered technical chlordane. During February-March and May-June 1990, the ratios again shifted, from 0.8 to 1.3. This shifting ratio is likely due to resuspension of weathered technical chlordane associated with bed sediment during spring runoff. Annual transport by suspended sediment from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico was estimated to be 110 kg of chlordane and 100 kg of nonachlor.

Chlordan↗

Toxicity of Sediment Collected Upriver and Downriver of Major Cities Along the Lower Mississippi River

The Lower Mississippi River contributes significantly to the biodiversity and ecological stability of the alluvial valley, but agricultural, industrial, and municipal developments have historically impacted environmental quality of the river. Toxicity of sediment and sediment pore water was used to assess the current effects of major cities on sediment quality along the Lower Mississippi River. Composite sediment samples were collected from four sites upriver and four sites downriver of five major cities: Cairo, IL; Memphis, TN; Vicksburg, MS; Baton Rouge, LA; and New Orleans, LA. Acute toxicity was determined by exposing Hyalella azteca to solid-phase sediment for 10 days with two water renewals per day and to sediment pore water under static conditions for 96 h. After the initial tests, animals were exposed to ultraviolet light for 16 h. Sediments were analyzed for organics (organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, organophosphate insecticides, and PAHs) and metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn). With the exception of upriver from Memphis, solid-phase sediments were not toxic to H. azteca. Pore water from sediments collected upriver of Memphis also showed slight toxicity. Exposure of H. azteca to ultraviolet light did not increase the toxicity of the sediment or pore-water samples, indicating a lack of toxicity from PAHs that are photoactivated by ultraviolet light. Chemical analyses did not reveal any contaminant levels of concern in the sediments. Based on toxicity testing and chemical analyses, quality of sediments collected from the Lower Mississippi was good, with the exception of sites sampled upriver of Memphis.

Journal Article↗

Fluvial transport of human remains in the lower Mississippi River.

The Mississippi River has claimed many lives over the last several decades. A better understanding of the universal dynamics of its fluvial system can help direct the production of a predictive model regarding the transportation of human remains in the river. The model may then be applied to situations where the location and the identification of water victims are necessarily part of the recovery process. Results from the preliminary phase of a longitudinal project involving the transport of human remains in the Mississippi River are presented and represent the analyses of 233 case files of river victims. A provisional model for fluvial transport of human remains in the Mississippi River is proposed and examined. This model indicates that time in the river and distance a body travels are related. Such a model may assist in pinpointing entry location for unidentified human remains found in the river or on its banks. Further, it has the potential to provide local and regional law enforcement agencies, the United States Coast Guard, and other search and rescue organizations with primary search areas when someone is missing in the river. Other results from this study indicate that a relationship exists between the side of the river where victims enter the water and the side of the river where the remains are recovered. Finally, relationships are established between the length of time before recovery of the remains and state of preservation exhibited by those remains. A secondary benefit from this study is a database of river victims that can be used by a variety of different agencies.

Adolescent↗

Dietary intake in the lower Mississippi delta region: results from the Foods of our Delta Study.

OBJECTIVE: To collect and evaluate food intake data from a culturally diverse population and compare with national survey data. DESIGN: The Foods Of Our Delta Study was a baseline, cross-sectional survey that utilized random-digit dialing methodology to identify the sample. Food intake was obtained from a 24-hour dietary recall administered by computer-assisted telephone interview using the multiple-pass method. SUBJECTS/SETTING: One thousand seven hundred fifty-one adults and 485 children in the Lower Mississippi Delta (Delta) of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Comparisons of subsets within the Delta were made using weighted t tests. Comparisons of the Delta with the overall US population from the US Department of Agriculture Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and with the Dietary Reference Intakes were made using independent sample z tests of weighted estimates. RESULTS: Energy intake did not differ between the Delta and the US populations. Intakes of protein were lower, fat higher, and certain micronutrients lower in Delta adults than in US adults. Delta adults had a 20% lower intake of fruits and vegetables than the US adults and generally poorer adherence to recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid. African American Delta adults generally consumed less-optimal diets than white Delta adults. Delta children had diets similar to children of the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals sample population, but lower intakes were noted for vitamins A, C, riboflavin, and B-6, and for calcium and iron. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Data such as these will help drive intervention development in this rural region and perhaps set the stage for research in similarly impoverished areas.

Adolescent↗

St Louis encephalitis. The 1975 epidemic in Mississippi.

In 1975, 229 laboratory-documented cases of St Louis encephalitis, 36 of which resulted in death, occurred in Mississippi. A total of 58% of these persons had encephalitis, 15% had aseptic meningitis, 21% had a febrile illness with no known CNS involvement, and 6% had other syndromes. Attack rates and case-fatality ratios increased with age. Although 60% of the cases occurred in a four-county area of northwest Mississippi, cases occurred in 42 of the 82 counties throughout the state. The epidemic erupted almost simultaneously, with variable intensity, in widely separated areas. Mosquito-control, measures were applied, but the results were not quantified.

Adolescent↗

Adolescent pregnancy: the Jackson, Mississippi, experience.

An adolescent pregnancy center combining the educational, medical, and social needs was operational in Jackson, Mississippi, from September, 1971, to July 1976. Administrative responsibilities were shared by the University of Mississippi and the Jackson Separate School District. From 1971 to 1975, 763 students were enrolled. The mean age was 16 and ages ranged from 11 to 18 years. Ninety-nine per cent were black and a majority were poor and from a single-parent home. There was a 78 per cent school retention rate, but the center did not reduce dependence upon welfare assistance. When center, noncenter, faculty, and unregistered patients were compared, no difference could be detected in the incidence of medical complications, low birth weight, hypertension, and hematocrit. When compared for age only hypertension and difficult deliveries appeared to be age related.

Adolescent↗

Reducing risks of maintenance dredging on freshwater mussels (Unionidae) in the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi.

In response to proposed dredging in a 122-km reach of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi, we studied freshwater mussels (family: Unionidae) using qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative (0.25 m(2) total substratum removal) methods in 1987, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2002, and 2003. Our objectives were to identify important mussel resources, to devise methods for minimizing dredging risks, and to identify habitat improvement features. Approximately 60% of the fauna was located on two high-density shoals characterized by extreme dominance of the commercially valuable threeridge (Amblema plicata). Shallow nearshore and main channel areas comprised approximately 10 and 88% of the aquatic habitat in the project area; however, these areas were of less importance for mussels and supported densities of approximately 5 and 0.5 individuals/m(2), respectively. Throughout the project area the mussel fauna exhibited little or no evidence of recent recruitment, dominance of relatively few species (either A. plicata, or the bank climber Plectomerus dombeyanus), and low species diversity (H') and evenness. No federally listed endangered or threatened mussels were found, although the pyramid pigtoe (Pleurobema pyramidatum), a species listed as endangered in Mississippi, was collected in and upstream of the project area. Two other state-listed species, Plethobasus cyphyus (sheepnose) and Quadrula cylindrica (rabbitsfoot), were only found on gravelly shoals upriver of the project area. Maintenance plans were redesigned to minimize environmental damage; a hydraulic cutterhead dredge will be used in most of the mainstem to reduce risk to nearshore habitats. High-density assemblages on four shoals will not be dredged and 150 and 100 m buffer zones will be left immediately up and downriver. Enhancements for aquatic biota will be created with gravel substratum and wing dams.

Animals↗

Evaluation of menus planned in Mississippi child-care centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

OBJECTIVES: To collect information from licensed child-care centers in Mississippi on their foodservice operations relative to participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA); to collect information on who planned the menus; and to evaluate the energy and nutrient content of the planned menus relative to the suggested goal of one third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) and the recommendations made in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. DESIGN: Survey questionnaire. SETTING: Licensed child-care centers in Mississippi. SAMPLES: Ninety-two licensed child-care centers provided cycle menus for analysis. One hundred eighteen centers returned the questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Content of the menus relative to the meal-pattern guidelines established for the Child and Adult Care Food Program; the energy and nutrient content of the menus relative to the RDAs and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: One-way analysis of variance and frequencies. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent of the centers reported participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. All but one of the centers planned menus that met the meal-pattern requirements established by the program, licensure, and Head Start Performance Standards. Results showed that following the established meal-pattern guidelines for the child nutrition programs may not guarantee consistent nutritional quality of planned menus in child-care centers. The mean amounts of energy and many nutrients were significantly lower (P < .05) for centers that reported participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Mean fat levels for all centers exceeded the recommendation of no more than 30% of total energy from fat: 40.8% of total energy from fat was reported by centers that participated in the program and 38% by those that said they did not. APPLICATIONS: Additional guidance is needed for menu planning in child-care centers to ensure compliance with the nutritional goal of meeting one third of the RDAs and Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Child↗

Mercury in sediment and fish from North Mississippi Lakes.

Sediments and/or fish were collected from Sardis, Enid and Grenada Lakes, which are located in three different watersheds in North Mississippi, in order to assess mercury contamination. The mean total mercury concentration in sediments from Enid Lake in 1997 was 0.154 mg Hg/kg, while 1998 sediment concentrations in Sardis, Enid and Grenada Lakes were 0.112, 0.088 and 0.133 mg Hg/kg, respectively. Sediment mercury concentrations in 1999 were similar in all three lakes but, generally lower than 1998. Mean total mercury concentrations in edible fillets of fish collected from Enid Lake in 1998 were above the human health FDA action level (> 1.0 mg Hg/kg) for bass (1.40), crappie (1.69) and gar (1.89); however, tissue concentrations were less than 1.0 mg Hg/kg in carp (0.63) and catfish (0.82). Human hazard indexes for each species was > or = 1 for both adults and children, indicating that there is a potential for toxic effects to occur. In addition, calculated consumption limits indicate that adults may consume 4-12 oz. of fish per month, depending on the species consumed. For children, 2 oz. per month may be consumed. Further studies are needed to determine the exact environmental consequences and human health impacts associated with mercury contamination in North Mississippi and the Southeastern United States.

Adult↗

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) in food samples collected in southern Mississippi, USA.

In 1994, we analyzed 43 foodstuff samples from local supermarkets in southern Mississippi, USA, for PCDD/PCDF. 2,3,7,8-Cl4DD could be quantified in 31 of these samples. On a lipid basis, levels in meat (0.53-1.10 pg I-TEQ/g) and dairy products (0.42-1.10 pg I-TEQ/g) were slightly lower than those reported from other industrialized countries. While levels in dairy samples from the United States and Europe are comparable, there is a difference in the contribution of individual congeners to the I-TEQ: for example, in milk samples from Germany approximately 40% of the I-TEQ is due to the presence of 2,3, 4,7,8-Cl5DF while in the Mississippi samples this congener only contributes 16%. The highest concentrations of PCDD/PCDF in our study were detected in the farm-raised catfish (10.2-27.8 pg I-TEQ/g). A unique finding was that in addition to the 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/PCDF the catfish samples contained many non-2,3,7,8-substituted congeners. This is unusual because vertebrate animals selectively eliminate or metabolize the non-2,3,7,8-substituted congeners.

Benzofurans↗

Occurrence of pesticides in rain and air in urban and agricultural areas of Mississippi, April-September 1995.

In April 1995, the US Geological Survey began a study to determine the occurrence and temporal distribution of 49 pesticides and pesticide metabolites in air and rain samples from an urban and an agricultural sampling site in Mississippi. The study was a joint effort between the National Water-Quality Assessment and the Toxic Substances Programs and was part of a larger study examining the occurrence and temporal distribution of pesticides in air and rain in the Mississippi River basin. Concurrent high-volume air and wet-only deposition samples were collected weekly. The air samplers consisted of a glass-fiber filter to collect particles and tandem polyurethane foam plugs to collect gas-phase pesticides. Every rain and air sample collected from the urban and agricultural sites had detectable levels of multiple pesticides. The magnitude of the total concentration was 5-10 times higher at the agricultural site as compared to the urban site. The pesticide with the highest concentration in rain at both sites was methyl parathion. The pesticide with the highest concentration in the air samples from the agricultural site was also methyl parathion, but from the urban site the highest concentration was diazinon followed closely by chlorpyrifos. More than two decades since p,p'-DDT was banned from use in the United States, p,p'-DDE, a metabolite of p,p'-DDT, was detected in every air sample collected from the agricultural site and in more than half of the air samples from the urban site.

Agriculture↗

Seasonal pattern of inhibition of Ostertagia ostertagi in calves in northeast Mississippi.

The composition of, and seasonal changes in, populations of gastrointestinal parasites of calves in northeast Mississippi were determined for 10 months post-weaning. After weaning on 15 October, 20 mixed breed beef steers were grazed together on a 4 ha fescue/bermudagrass pasture. From November through August of the following year, two of the calves were removed each month for necropsy and counting of gastrointestinal nematodes. Eight species of worms were found: Haemonchus placei, Ostertagia ostertagi, Trichostrongylus axei, Bunostomum phlebotomum, Cooperia spp., Trichostrongylus colubriformis, Oesophagostomum spp., and Trichuris ovis. During all months, Ostertagia ostertagi and Cooperia spp. combined comprised at least 89% of gastrointestinal nematode burdens. Cooperia spp. represented 92.6% of the total worm burden of calves in November but declined to about 56% in January and February. From March through August, Ostertagia ostertagi comprised at least 79% of the worms from calves. Numbers of inhibited Ostertagia ostertagi increased markedly from February to March and remained at high levels prior to resumption of development in August. The proportion of Trichostrongylus axei remained about 4% throughout the year, but the highest numbers were recorded in the summer months. Other species were minor components of the worm population. These data indicate that with respect to Ostertagia ostertagi, northeast Mississippi can be considered a summer inhibition zone.

Abomasum↗

Genetic consequences of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) restoration in Mississippi.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were nearly extirpated from the southeastern USA during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Recovery programmes, including protection of remnant native stocks and transplants from other parts of the species' range, were initiated in the early 1900's. The recovery programmes were highly successful and deer are presently numerous and continuously distributed throughout the southeastern USA. However, the impact of the recovery programmes on the present genetic structure of white-tailed deer remains to be thoroughly investigated. We used 17 microsatellite DNA loci to assess genetic differentiation and diversity for 543 white-tailed deer representing 16 populations in Mississippi and three extra-state reference populations. There was significant genetic differentiation among all populations and the majority of genetic variation (> or = 93%) was contained within populations. Patterns of genetic structure, genetic similarity and isolation by distance within Mississippi were not concordant with geographical proximity of populations or subspecies delineations. We detected evidence of past genetic bottlenecks in nine of the 19 populations examined. However, despite experiencing genetic bottlenecks or founder events, allelic diversity and heterozygosity were uniformly high in all populations. These exceeded reported values for other cervid species that experienced similar population declines within the past century. The recovery programme was successful in that deer were restored to their former range while maintaining high and uniform genetic variability. Our results seem to confirm the importance of rapid population expansion and habitat continuity in retaining genetic variation in restored populations. However, the use of diverse transplant stocks and the varied demographic histories of populations resulted in fine-scale genetic structuring.

Analysis of Variance↗

Blastomycosis: organ involvement and etiologic diagnosis. A review of 123 patients from Mississippi.

Blastomycosis can only be diagnosed through the identification of the yeasts of Blastomyces dermatitidis in body fluids, tissues, or cultured material. The charts from 123 patients treated for blastomycosis at the University of Mississippi Medical Center from January 1980 through May 2000 were reviewed to determine the role of wet preparation, cytology, histology, and culture in diagnosing this fungal disease. Cytology uncovered the etiologic agent in 56.1% of all cases and in 71.8% of pulmonary cases. Cytology also was the first method to disclose the fungus in 57.7% of pulmonary cases. Sputum was the cytology specimen examined in 51% of the patients. In 69 patients with lung involvement, pulmonary cytology was positive in 97% of cases. Wet preparation was the second method to most commonly uncover the fungus in 37.4% of all cases. Histology was the third method with 32.5% of positive cases. Cultures were positive in 64.2% of all cases but they were the first to detect the fungus in only 3.2% of all patients. There was pulmonary involvement in 87% of patients, cutaneous involvement in 20%, osseous involvement in 15%, and central nervous involvement in 3%. In the medical literature the relative proportion of pulmonary versus disseminated disease clearly increased in series reported after 1959. Proportionally to the pattern of patients admitted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, there is a clear predominance of black males among patients with blastomycosis followed by black females. White females constitute the sex/ethnic group least affected by this fungal disease.

Adolescent↗

Nurse practitioners providing health care to rural and underserved areas in four Mississippi Delta states.

The aims of the study were to examine the nurse practitioners' (NP) workplace distribution, the relationship between the NPs' racial/ethnic characteristics, and the demographic characteristics of Mississippi Delta counties; and the NPs' practice in communities designated as health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). A total of 453 NPs from Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana returned surveys (42 per cent response rate). More than 50 per cent of the NPs worked in physician private practice or hospital/medical centers. Fifty-nine per cent of the NPs practiced in rural areas whereas 31 per cent practiced in HPSAs. The proportion of NPs practicing in rural settings in each state exceeded the percentage of the population identified as rural in each state; however, there were weak relationships between NPs' practice sites in counties with greater numbers of minorities or poor citizens. NPs had a tendency to work in counties with a higher percentage of poverty, black citizens, and sewers. NPs were less likely to work in counties with better-educated citizens and in counties with larger percentages of Hispanic citizens. African-American NPs tended to practice in counties with higher percentages of African-American citizens.

Humans↗

Rural v. urban aspects of cancer: first-year data from the Mississippi Central Cancer Registry.

This study investigated various aspects of cancer between rural and urban localities. The Mississippi State Department of Health Central Cancer Registry received reports of 9,685 new cancer cases in 1996 while there were 5,732 cancer deaths. Even though no difference was found between rural and urban age-adjusted cancer incidence (and mortality), for the vast majority of results, there was a significant difference between rural and urban residents for stage of disease at initial diagnosis. Results also show that the proportion of tumors unstaged at diagnosis is greater for rural compared to urban residents. While this study has limitations, findings suggest that rural residents in Mississippi and rural African American women in particular, have less access to, or utilization of, early cancer detection programs and/or quality medical care.

Adolescent↗

Acute rheumatic fever in Mississippi: a survey of hospitalized cases, 1964 to 1973.

The incidence of acute rheumatic fever in Mississippi was estimated by reviewing the hospital charts of Mississippi residents with a discharge diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever from 1964 through 1973. The average annual incidence was 1.5 cases/100,000 population for primary attacks and 0.4 cases/100,000 population for recurrent attacks. The annual incidence was highest for the group aged 19 to 14 years, with 4.8 cases/100,000 population for primary attacks and 1.4 cases/100,000 population for recurrences. These rates are significantly lower than rates reported from similar surveys in Nashville, Baltimore, New York City, and the Navajo reservation. Age-adjusted rates of primary and recurrent attacks were higher for blacks than for whites, but the proportion of attacks that were recurrences did not differ by race. The proportion of attacks that were severe (cardiomegaly, pericarditis, or congestive heart failure) was significantly greater for blacks than for whites. No significant change in incidence was detected in the ten-year period. Among persons with primary attacks, only 18% are known to have had an antecedent pharyngitis and consulted a physician. Only 21% of persons with secondary attacks are known to have been receiving chemoprophylaxis.

Acute Disease↗