Digital Commons Network^™

Characterization Of Antimicrobial Effects Of Plasma-Treated Water (Ptw) Produced By Microwave-Induced Plasma (Midiplexc) On Pseudomonas Fluorescens Biofilms, Oliver Handorf, Viktoria Isabella Pauker, Thomas Weihe, Eric Freund, Sander Bekeschus, Katharina Riedel, Uta Schnabel, Jörg Ehlbeck

Articles

stract: For the decontamination of surfaces in the food production industry, plasma generated compounds (PGCs) such as plasma-treated water (PTW) or plasma processed air (PPA) offer many promising possibilities for future applications. Therefore, the antimicrobial effect of water treated with microwave-induced plasma (MidiPLexc) on Pseudomonas fluorescensbiofilms was investigated. 10 ml deionized water was treated with the MidiPLexc plasma source for 100 s, 300 s and 900 s (pre-treatment time) and the bacterial biofilms were exposed to the PTW for 1 min, 3 min and 5 min (post treatment time). To investigate the influence of PTW on P. fluorescensbiofilms, microbiological assays …

A Framework For Validating And Testing Agent-Based Models: A Case Study From Infectious Diseases Modelling., Elizabeth Hunter, John D. Kelleher

Conference papers

In this paper we present a framework for validating and testing an agent-based model that includes determining the appropriate number of runs to account for variation in model runs, validating the model and showing that the model can be used to learn about the system. To demonstrate the framework we use a case study of an agent-based model for the spread of infectious diseases.

A Study Of Self-Evaluation And Estimator Error In Internal Medicine Residents And Its Influence On The Academic Achievement Of Medical Knowledge, William Morse

Wayne State University Dissertations

The main objective of this study is to address the research question—how does a sample of internal medicine residents self-evaluate and what, if any, influence does this have on their academic achievement of medical knowledge? The research builds on and extends our understanding of the self-evaluation process through the moderating effects between competency-related beliefs and academic achievement of medical knowledge. The study design is quantitative, cross-sectional survey research using a non-random sample of 58 internal medicine residents at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. The primary sources for data collection included a study survey that measured competency-related beliefs as a …

Asia Pacific Perspectives Vol. 16 No. 2, 2020, University Of San Francisco

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Contents:

Editor's Introduction by Melissa S. Dale

We are pleased to announce the publication of the latest issue of Asia Pacific Perspectives. In vol. 16, no. 2 (2020), we present the multifaceted ways in which scholars in the humanities and social sciences are looking at food and culture in the Asia Pacific. Beyond satisfying our curiosity about food trends and consumption patterns both past and present, our latest issue also considers themes important for our understanding of East Asia during the 20th and 21st centuries including global modernity, imperialism, the history of food in East Asia, the history of animal …

The Mortality After Release From Incarceration Consortium (Maric): Protocol For A Multi-National, Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis, Rohan Borschmann, Holly Tibble, Matthew J. Spittal, David Preen, Jane Pirkis, Sarah Larney, David L. Rosen, Jesse T. Young, Alexander D. Love, Frederick L. Altice, Ingrid A. Binswanger, Anne Bukten, Tony Butler, Zheng Chang, Chuan-Yu Chen, Thomas Clausen, Peer Brehm Christensen, Gabriel J. Culbert, Louisa Degenhardt, Anja J. E. Dirkzwager, Kate Dolan, Seena Fazel, Colin Fischbacher, Margaret Giles, Lesley Graham, David Harding, Yen-Fang Huang, Florence Huber, Azar Karaminia

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction More than 30 million adults are released from incarceration globally each year. Many experience complex physical and mental health problems, and are at markedly increased risk of preventable mortality. Despite this, evidence regarding the global epidemiology of mortality following release from incarceration is insufficient to inform the development of targeted, evidence-based responses. Many previous studies have suffered from inadequate power and poor precision, and even large studies have limited capacity to disaggregate data by specific causes of death, sub-populations or time since release to answer questions of clinical and public health relevance. Objectives To comprehensively document the incidence, timing, …

Summary Of Respiratory Diseases Among Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Children, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Summary of respiratory diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is a plain language publication that provides summarised and updated information from the Review of respiratory diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children published by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet in 2018. The Summaryis useful for health workers and those studying in the field as a quick source of information about respiratory diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It focuses on:

• factors contributing to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children's respiratory diseases
• how common acute and chronic respiratory diseases are
• prevention and management of …

Summary Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health Status 2019, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Summary of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status 2019 (Summary) provides a brief and current overview of the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia in a plain language and visual style. The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet has prepared the Summary as part of our contribution to support those in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce and those participating in research and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities...

Predictors Of Hand Hygiene Behaviours Among Primary And Secondary School Children In A Rural District Setting In Zimbabwe: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiologic Study, France Ncube, Artwell Kanda, Maude Chahwanda, Margaret Macherera, Bigboy Ngwenya

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020, IWA Publishing. All rights reserved. Hand hygiene is one of the most effective and efficient ways of controlling faecal–oral diseases. However, little is known about the predictors of hand hygiene behaviours among school children. A predesigned checklist guide was used to observe hygiene behaviours of 460 pupils from four rural schools in Shamva South district, Zimbabwe. A pretested questionnaire was administered to obtain demographic data of the observed school children. Membership of a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) club, age, gender and the level of education were associated with hand hygiene practices (p < 0.05). The findings indicated that investing in hand hygiene behaviour change processes among school children using the promotion, formation, resuscitation and empowerment of WASH clubs in schools is important in disease prevention among communities in developing countries.

The Impact Of Parenthood On Substance Use Disorder Treatment Participation And Motivation Of Incarcerated Offenders, Shelly L. Wilkerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The United States has more people in prison than any other country in the world. While many of these prisons offer treatment groups designed to rehabilitate inmates, it is unknown at what rate individuals participate in these groups and what their motivation is for involvement. This study investigated the impact of parenthood on substance use disorder treatment participation and motivation of incarcerated males and females. Descriptive statistics and chi square tests of independence were used to examine differences in participation rates and motivation of incarcerated parents and non-parents and incarcerated male and female parents. The study showed statistically significant results …

Beyond What We Knew:Health And Disease Among Blacks,With An Emphasis On Women In Memphis, From Slavery To Early Twentieth Century, Letoshia Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Letoshia, Foster, Ph.D. The University of Memphis, August 2020. Beyond What We Knew: Health, and Disease Among Blacks: With an Emphasis on Women in Memphis, From Slavery to Early Twentieth CenturyThis dissertation provides a comprehensive analysis of health issues among Black people in Memphis from the antebellum period through the early twentieth century. Throughout this period, slavery and Jim Crow had an inescapable effect on black Memphians lives. Race and gender were strong indicators for poor health outcomes. The topics of morbidity and mortality among Blacks over a seventy-year period is reflected in various types of scholarship, especially medical history …

How Quality Management Has Been Impacted In The Face Of Covid-19, Eldina Siljkovic

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted many facets of the United States. This study focuses on its magnitude in comparison to prior pandemics such as Anthrax, SARS, and Ebola. In addition to this comparison its impact on Quality Management within the agricultural sector and food supply chain was also assessed. The results of these studies showcase that COVID-19 has grown exponentially in comparison to prior pandemics and will continue to do so as we enter the winter season. Agricultural equipment manufacturing companies saw a drastic decline in quarterly revenues within 2020 in comparison to 2019. Millions in net sales were lost …

Association Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms With Dyslipidemia In Antiretroviral Exposed Hiv Patients In A Ghanaian Population: A Case-Control Study, Christian Obirikorang, Emmanuel Acheampong, Lawrence Quaye, Joseph Yorke, Ernestine Kubi Amos-Abanyie, Priscilla Abena Akyaw, Enoch Odame Anto, Simon Bannison Bani, Evans Adu Asamoah, Emmanuella Nsenbah Batu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Dyslipidemia is a potential complication of long-term usage of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and also known to be associated with genetic factors. The host genetic variants associated with dyslipidemia in HIV patients on ART in Ghana have not been fully explored. The study constituted a total of 289 HIV-infected patients on stable ART for at least a year. Fasting blood was collected into EDTA tube for lipids measurement. Lipid profiles were used to define dyslipidemia based on the NCEP-ATP III criteria. HIV-infected subjects were categorized into two groups; those with dyslipidemia (cases) (n = 90; 31.1%) and without dyslipidemia (controls)(n = …

Tnf-Block Genotypes Influence Susceptibility To Hiv-Associated Sensory Neuropathy In Indonesians And South Africans, Jessica Gaff, Fitri Octaviana, Prinisha Pillay, Huguette Gaelle Ngassa Mbenda, Ibnu A. Ariyanto, June Ann Gan, Catherine L. Cherry, Peter Kamerman, Simon M. Laws, Patricia Price

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

HIV-associated sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) is a disabling complication of HIV disease and antiretroviral therapies (ART). Since stavudine was removed from recommended treatment schedules, the prevalence of HIV-SN has declined and associated risk factors have changed. With stavudine, rs1799964*C (TNF-1031) associated with HIV-SN in Caucasians and Indonesians but not in South Africans. Here, we investigate associations between HIV-SN and rs1799964*C and 12 other polymorphisms spanning TNF and seven neighboring genes (the TNF-block) in Indonesians (n = 202; 34/168 cases) and South Africans (n = 75; 29/75 cases) treated without stavudine. Haplotypes were derived using fastPHASE and haplotype networks built with PopART. …

Sharing Is Caring: A Study Of Food-Sharing Practices In Australian Early Childhood Education And Care Services, Ruth Wallace, Karen Lombardi, Charlotte De Backer, Leesa Costello, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Food connects people, and can significantly impact the physical, social and emotional development of young children. Food sharing and family-style mealtimes can support healthy eating practices and psychological well-being among young children, and carersother than family members, such as Early Childhood Education and Care staff, play an important role in the provision of these practices. Despite increasing numbers of Australian children attending Early Childhood Education and Care services, there is often reluctance among staff to promote such mealtime practices, to the detriment of children's social and emotional development. The aim of this paper was to focus on the potential role …

Cost-Effectiveness Of An Environmental Cleaning Bundle For Reducing Healthcare-Associated Infections, Nicole M. White, Adrian G. Barnett, Lisa Hall, Brett G. Mitchell, Alison Farrington, Kate Halton, David L. Paterson, Thomas V. Riley, Anne Gardner, Katie Page, Christian A. Gericke, Nicolas Graves

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a significant patient safety issue, with point prevalence estimates being ~5% in high-income countries. In 2016–2017, the Researching Effective Approaches to Cleaning in Hospitals (REACH) study implemented an environmental cleaning bundle targeting communication, staff training, improved cleaning technique, product use, and audit of frequent touch-point cleaning. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of the environmental cleaning bundle for reducing the incidence of HAIs. Methods: A stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial was conducted in 11 hospitals recruited from 6 Australian states and territories. Bundle effectiveness was measured by the numbers of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, Clostridium difficile infection, and vancomycin-resistant …

Importance Of Vitamin D In The Antenatal Period For Maternal Well-Being, Gemma Jarvis, Sadie Geraghty

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Vitamin D deficiency is widely recognised as a major public health issue around the world; and is essential for optimal development and strengthening of the musculoskeletal system including the prevention of conditions such as osteoporosis, osteopenia and rickets. The association between vitamin D and childhood rickets has led to the fortification of food sources and consequently the eradication of the rickets disease. Vitamin D levels are of particular importance for pregnant women, especially for the development of the bone and muscle development of the fetus. In the last decade there has been a substantial increase in the incidence of vitamin …

Combination Of Ct And Rt-Pcr In The Screening Or Diagnosis Of Covid-19, Youxin Wang, Haifeng Hou, Wenrui Wang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

[No abstract available]

Do Paramedics Have A Professional Obligation To Work During A Pandemic? A Qualitative Exploration Of Community Member Expectations, Cameron Anderson, Julie Ann Pooley, Brennen Mills, Emma Anderson, Erin Smith

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives:

Previous research has identified a lack of clarification regarding paramedic professional obligation to work. Understanding community expectations of paramedics will provide some clarity around this issue. The objective of this research was to explore the expectations of a sample of Australian community members regarding the professional obligation of paramedics to respond during pandemics.

Methods:

The authors used qualitative methods to gather Australian community member perspectives immediately before the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Focus groups were used for data collection, and a thematic analysis was conducted.

Results:

The findings revealed 9 key themes: context of obligation …

Marked Increase In Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infections, Western Australia, 2004-2018, Lauren E. Bloomfield, G. W. Coombs, S. Tempone, P. K. Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 World Scientific Publishing Company. This study presents enhanced surveillance data from 2004 – 2018 for all community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) specimens collected in Western Australia (WA), and describes the changing epidemiology over this period. A total of 57,557 cases were reviewed. Annual incidence rates increased from 86.2 cases per 100,000 population to 245.6 per 100,000 population (IRR = 2.9, CI95 2.7 – 3.0). The proportion of isolates carrying Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-associated genes increased from 3.4% to 59.8% (χ2 test for trend 7021.9, p0.001). The emergence of PVL-positive, “Queensland CA-MRSA” (ST93- IV) and “WA 121” (ST5-IV) accounted for …

Activate Or Inhibit? Implications Of Autophagy Modulation As A Therapeutic Strategy For Alzheimer’S Disease, Sharmeelavathi Krishnan, Yasaswi Shrestha, Dona P.W. Jayatunga, Sarah Rea, Ralph Martins, Prashant Bharadwaj

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Neurodegenerative diseases result in a range of conditions depending on the type of proteinopathy, genes affected or the location of the degeneration in the brain. Proteinopathies such as senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain are prominent features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Autophagy is a highly regulated mechanism of eliminating dysfunctional organelles and proteins, and plays an important role in removing these pathogenic intracellular protein aggregates, not only in AD, but also in other neurodegenerative diseases. Activating autophagy is gaining interest as a potential therapeutic strategy for chronic diseases featuring protein aggregation and misfolding, including AD. Although autophagy activation …

Evaluation Of An Ag85b Immunosensor With Potential For Electrochemical Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Diagnostics, Brian Murphy, Eithne Dempsey

Articles

Tuberculosis remains a major global health concern, especially in the developing world, and monitoring/early detection of the disease relies on low cost technologies that provide rapid and accurate results. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the responsible bacterial pathogen and it is currently estimated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), that one quarter of the world’s population, mainly in the developing world, is infected with TB. The overall aim of this work was to advance a screening electrochemical sensor for label free detection of Ag85B, a member of the Antigen 85 complex - major secretary protein of M. Tuberculosisand biomarker for disease. An …

Social, Cultural And Economic Aspects Of Antimicrobial Resistance, Timo Minssen, Kevin Outterson, Susan Rogers Van Katwyk, Pedro Henrique D Batista, Clare I. R. Chandler, Francesco Ciabuschi, Stephan Harbarth, Aaron Kesselheim, Ramanan Laxminarayan, Kathleen Liddell, Michael T. Osterholm, Lance Price, Steven J. Hoffman

Faculty Scholarship

Although often considered only a medical problem, antimicrobial resistance is an evolutionary challenge accelerated by social, cultural and economic factors that lead to the misuse, overuse and abuse of life-saving antimicrobial medicines. The antimicrobial resistance challenge is compounded by inadequate attention to disease prevention and response, global circulation of people and products, differences in industry and market regulations across countries, and a fragile pipeline of new antibiotics and their alternatives. While the discovery of new antimicrobials will provide temporary solutions, sustainable success requires rigorous social science research that explores the drivers of antimicrobial resistance. These solutions should promote balance between …

Understanding Violent-Crime Recidivism, J. J. Prescott, Benjamin David Pyle, Sonja B. Starr

Faculty Scholarship

People convicted of violent crimes constitute a majority of the imprisoned population but are generally ignored by existing policies aimed at reducing mass incarceration. Serious efforts to shrink the large footprint of the prison system will need to recognize this fact. This point is especially pressing at the time of this writing, as states and the federal system consider large-scale prison releases motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those convicted of violent crimes constitute a large majority of older prisoners, who are extremely vulnerable to the spread of the virus behind bars. Excluding them from protective measures will deeply undermine those …

The Perceived Influence Of Grandparents’ Beliefs And Attitudes On Parents’ Breastfeeding Behaviour And Paediatric Vaccination Decisions, Shantha Premila Karthigesu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Human infants are highly dependent on their parents for a prolonged period of time. The resources required to raise a child cannot be provided by biological parents alone and requires the assistance of others, usually relatives. Grandparents among them, have played the most significant role. With increased life expectancy in Western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic (WEIRD) societies, grandparents have come to the forefront as informal childcare providers. Although the influence of a child’s social environment on health has been well-studied, the influence of grandparents, specifically in regard to breastfeeding remains inconclusive, while grandparental influence on paediatric vaccinations has not …

Use, Adoption, And Effectiveness Of Tippy-Tap Handwashing Station In Promoting Hand Hygiene Practices In Resource-Limited Settings: A Systematic Review, Balwani C. Mbakaya, Fatch W. Kalembo, Maggie Zgambo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Tippy-taps are locally made devices for washing hands with running water. They are simple and low-cost, enabling technology that provides adequate water sources, handwashing stations and motivation for people to prioritise handwashing. This systematic review aimed to establish the use, benefits, adoption and effectiveness of enabling technology; tippy-tap handwashing station, in resource-limited settings.

Methods:

We systematically searched for articles in the PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, AMED, CINAHL, DOAJ and Google Scholar databases guided by the acceptable best practice developed by the PROSPERO and COCHRANE for systematic search and selection of articles. Search terms such as tippy-taps, enabling technology, hand-washing station, …

Summary Of Cancer Among Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.

First Age- And Gender-Matched Case-Control Study In Australia Examining The Possible Association Between Toxoplasma Gondii Infection And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Busselton Health Study, Aus Molan, Kazunori Nosaka, Michael Hunter, Jinxia Zhang, Xiaoni Meng, Manshu Song, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

An emerging field of research is starting to examine the association of infectious pathogens with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). An understudied parasite of interest is Toxoplasma gondii. Globally, very few studies have been conducted to investigate this association. Additionally, very little data exists on the prevalence of T. gondii in the general Australian population. Our group sought to determine the prevalence, association, and risk factors between T. gondii infection and T2DM from a representative Australian human population. Through a cross-sectional, age-A nd gender-matched case-control study, 150 subjects with T2DM together with 150 control subjects from the Busselton Health Study …

Antibiotic Development — Economic, Regulatory And Societal Challenges, Christine Årdal, Manica Balasegaram, Ramanan Laxminarayan, David Mcadams, Kevin Outterson, John H. Rex, Nithima Sumpradit

Faculty Scholarship

Antibiotic resistance is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges to global health, and the emergence of resistance has outpaced the development of new antibiotics. However, investments by the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology companies for research into and development of new antibiotics are diminishing. The public health implications of a drying antibiotic pipeline are recognized by policymakers, regulators and many companies. In this Viewpoint article, seven experts discuss the challenges that are contributing to the decline in antibiotic drug discovery and development, and the national and international initiatives aimed at incentivizing research and the development of new antibiotics to improve the …

Trajectories Of Hiv-Related Internalized Stigma And Disclosure Concerns Among Art Initiators And Non-Initiators In South Africa, Brian T. Chan, Brendan G. Maughan-Brown, Laura M. Bogart, Valerie A. Earnshaw, Gugulethu Tshabalala, Ingrid Courtney, Janan J. Dietrich, Catherine Orrell, Glenda Gray, David R. Bangsberg, Alexander C. Tsai, Ingrid T. Katz

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

HIV-related stigma among people living with HIV (PLHIV) is associated with worse health outcomes. We used longitudinal data from a multisite cohort in South Africa to assess changes over time in stigma after HIV diagnosis and determine whether antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation is associated with stigma reduction. We administered the Internalized AIDS-Related Stigma Scale (IARSS, a six-item dichotomous scale questionnaire) at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months to newly diagnosed ART-eligible participants between 2014 and 2015. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the IARSS contained a four-item internalized stigma factor (α = .80) and a two-item disclosure concerns factor (α …

Mobile Health Technologies May Be Acceptable Tools For Providing Social Support To Tuberculosis Patients In Rural Uganda: A Parallel Mixed-Method Study, Angella Musiimenta, Wilson Tumuhimbise, Esther Atukunda, Aaron T. Mugaba, Conrad Muzoora, Mari Armstrong-Hough, David Bangsberg, Multiple Additional Authors

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background. Social support has been shown to mitigate social barriers to medication adherence and improve tuberculosis (TB) treatment success rates. The use of mobile technology to activate social support systems among TB patients, however, has not been well explored. Moreover, studies that tie supportive SMS (Short Message Service) texts to electronic monitoring of TB medication adherence are lacking.

Objective. To explore TB patients’ current access to social support and perceptions of utilizing real-time adherence monitoring interventions to support medication adherence. Methods. We purposively selected TB patients who owned phones, had been taking TB medications for ≥1 month, were receiving their …