The combination of tools offers doctors a more precise alternative to other measures of disease risk like body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio, according to findings published in theEuropean Heart Journal - Digital Health.

Metabolic syndrome can lead to heart attack, stroke and other serious health issues and affects over a third of the U.S. population and a quarter of people globally. The condition lacks widely accepted screening strategies. However, researchers found that using a 3D body volume scanner combined with imaging technology and Mayo Clinic-developed algorithms may help clinicians offer a more accurate method for identifying people who have the syndrome, as well as those at risk for developing it.

The effects of metabolic disease create hardship for patients. In addition to heart attack and stroke, people with metabolic syndrome are more likely to develop diabetes, cognitive disease and liver disease. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed clinically when at least three of these five conditions are present: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and high fasting blood sugar.

"There is a need for a reliable, repeatable measure of metabolic syndrome risk and severity," says Betsy Medina Inojosa, M.D., a research fellow at Mayo Clinic and first author of the study. "Body mass index measurements and bioimpedance scales that measure body fat and muscle are inaccurate for many people, and other types of scans are not widely available. Our research shows that this AI model may also be a tool to guide clinicians and patients to take action and seek outcomes that are a better fit for their metabolic health."

To develop the tool, researchers trained and validated an AI model on 1,280 volunteer subjects who underwent an evaluation that included 3D body-volume scans, standardized clinical questionnaires, blood tests and traditional body shape measurements. An extra 133 volunteers had front- and side-view images taken via a mobile app from Select Research called myBVI to further test the tool's ability to evaluate whether they had metabolic syndrome, and if so, how severe it was.

People with metabolic syndrome typically have apple-shaped bodies, meaning they carry a lot of their weight around the abdomen. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome revolves around laboratory tests, blood pressure and body shape measurements, but there are no widely accepted routine screening strategies because these measurements are not always available or reproducible in the same way.

"This small study finds that digitally measuring a patient's body volume index with 3D imaging provides a highly accurate measurement of shapes and volumes in critical regions where unhealthy visceral fat is deposited, such as the abdomen and chest," says Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., director of Preventive Cardiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and senior author of the study. "The scans also record the volume of hips, buttocks and legs – a measure related to muscle mass and 'healthy' fat. The 3D information about body volume in these key regions, whether from the large, stationary 3D scanner or from the mobile app, accurately flagged the presence and severity of metabolic syndrome using imaging instead of invasive tests. Looking ahead, the next steps will be to broaden the sample of research subjects to include more diversity."

On 18th July 2024, an order was passed by Hon’ble Justice S. Kannammal, Judge (Retd.) Madras High Court, Chairman, Fee Committee, Puducherry on fee revision for PG Medical (Clinical & Non-Clinical) / PG Dental – (Clinical & Para Clinical) / UG MBBS / UG Dental / B.Sc. (Nursing) in unaided private self-financed medical/dental/paramedical colleges in the Union Territory of Puducherry. As per the order passed on fee revision, the Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) has released the permissible fee fixed for the years 2024-25 and 2025-26.

The revised fees are as follows-

APPROVED FEE STRUCTURE FOR UNDERGRADUATE (UG) MBBS COURSES

S.NO

COLLEGE NAME

TYPE OF SEATS

FOR 2024-25 & 2025-26

1

PIMS

GOVERNMENT

Rs. 04.00 Lakhs

2

SMVMCH

Rs. 04.00 Lakhs

3

SVMCH

Rs. 04.00 Lakhs

4

PIMS

MANAGEMENT

Rs. 16.80 Lakhs

5

SMVMCH

Rs. 16.80 Lakhs

6

SVMCH

Rs. 16.80 Lakhs

7

PIMS

NRI

Rs. 21.00 Lakhs

8

SMVMCH

Rs. 21.00 Lakhs

9

SVMCH

Rs. 21.00 Lakhs

APPROVED FEE STRUCTURE FOR POSTGRADUATE (PG) MEDICAL COURSES

S.NO

COLLEGE NAME

TYPE OF SEATS

MD/MS

FOR 2024-25 & 2025-26

1

PIMS

GOVERNMENT

Clinical

Rs. 7,95,000

Non-Clinical

Rs. 6,55,000

2

SMVMCH

Clinical

Rs. 7,95,000

Non-Clinical

Rs. 6,55,000

3

SVMCH

Clinical

Rs. 7,95,000

Non-Clinical

Rs. 6,55,000

4

PIMS

MANAGEMENT

Clinical

Rs. 23,90,000

Non-Clinical

Rs. 13.05,000

5

SMVMCH

Clinical

Rs. 23,90,000

Non-Clinical

Rs. 13.05,000

6

SVMCH

Clinical

Rs. 23,90,000

Non-Clinical

Rs. 13.05,000

APPROVED FEE STRUCTURE FOR PG DENTAL COURSES

S.NO

COLLEGE NAME

TYPE OF SEATS

PG DENTAL

FOR 2024-25 & 2025-26

1

Mahe Institute of Dental Sciences, Mahe.

GOVERNMENT

Clinical

Rs. 6,22,000

Para-Clinical

Rs. 5,53,000

MANAGEMENT

Clinical

Rs. I4,00,000

Para-Clinical

Rs. 7,19,000

2

Sri Venkateswara Dental College.

GOVERNMENT

Clinical

Rs. 6,22,000

MANAGEMENT

Clinical

Rs. I 4,00,000

APPROVED FEE STRUCTURE FOR UG DENTAL COURSES

S.NO

COLLEGE NAME

TYPE OF SEATS

FOR 2024-25 & 2025-26

1

Mahe Institute of Dental Sciences, Mahe.

GOVERNMENT

Rs. 3,00,000

MANAGEMENT

Rs. 6,50,000

2

Sri Venkateswara Dental College.

GOVERNMENT

Rs. 3,00,000

MANAGEMENT

Rs.6,50,000

APPROVED FEE STRUCTURE FOR BSc NURSING COURSES

S.NO

COLLEGE NAME

FOR 2024-25 & 2025-26

1

Sri Manakula Vinayagar Nursing College.

Rs. 52,000

2

PIMS- College of Nursing.

Rs. 52,000

3

Indrani College of Nursing.

Rs. 52,000

4

Sabari College of Nursing.

Rs. 52,000

5

East Coast Institute of Medical Sciences.

Rs. 42,000

6

A G Padmavathy College of Nursing.

Rs. 42,000

7

RAAK Nursing and Para Medical College.

Rs. 42,000

8

Immaculate Institute of Health Sciences.

Rs. 42,000

9

Christ College of Nursing

Rs. 42,000

10

Vivekananda Nursing College.

Rs. 42,000

IMPORTANT POINTS

1 This fee covers the annual tuition fee (excluding books and necessary equipment, hostel fees, transportation fees food expenses etc.).

2 The institutes will not be entitled to charge any fees except those fixed by the Fees Committee. Any deviation will be treated as a violation of the orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India and strict action should be taken against the management of such institute by the appropriate authorities such as the Government of Puducherry, National Medical Council (NMC) and Pondicherry University. The punitive action for violation will include withdrawal of approval by NMC and heavy penalty by the concerned university as well as cancellation of affiliation.

3 The reasonable fee structure prescribed above for the respective institutions will be the maximum fee for the respective course and the institutions will be free to fix a lower fee structure than that prescribed by the Fee Committee, if they so desire.

To view the fee structure, click the link below

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/centac-releases-revised-fee-structure-for-medical-dental-courses-for-2024-25-and-2025-26-249365.pdf

The footage circulating online shows an individual emptying residential waste bins and dumping the contents near a business establishment. The Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) said it was not an isolated incident and has sounded the alarm over persistent illegal dumping in the area.

“What we’re seeing here is an ongoing problem where food cartons and various other waste items are being dumped indiscriminately,” Carl Padmore, the SSA’s public relations officer, told Barbados TODAY.

Padmore revealed that the perpetrator was disposing of both personal and others’ refuse, exacerbating an already critical situation.

“We are deeply concerned because such actions contribute to the increasing rodent population in the area,” Padmore said. “Moreover, this waste can wash down into the road, leading to severe flooding, especially during heavy rainfall.”

Despite a prominently displayed ‘No Dumping’ sign, the area continues to be plagued by illegal dumping by both residents and businesses. Repeated warnings and public health notices have fallen on deaf ears, leaving authorities frustrated.

“The public health officers have spoken to the residents and businesses in this area, but it seems nothing is working,” Padmore lamented, repeating his appeal to the public for support in tackling this issue.

The SSA’s efforts to address the situation have been hampered by limitations in their enforcement capabilities, as this responsibility lies with the police. Padmore expressed hope that increased awareness and community co-operation could help stem the tide of illegal dumping.

As the SSA redoubles its efforts to combat this environmental menace, it urges residents and businesses to dispose of waste responsibly. 

“This issue affects everyone, and we need the public’s help to stop illegal dumping,” Padmore urged, while calling on the public to report any witnessed illegal dumping to the relevant authorities. Only through collective action, he argued, can Bridgetown hope to clean up its act and safeguard its environmental future.

The post Garbage rogue caught on camera appeared first on Barbados Today.