Public Health Commons^™

Is Higher Viral Load In The Upper Respiratory Tract Associated With Severe Pneumonia? Findings From The Perch Study., Daniel R Feikin, Wei Fu, Daniel E Park, Qiyuan Shi, Melissa M Higdon, Henry C Baggett, +Several Additional Authors

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background.

The etiologic inference of identifying a pathogen in the upper respiratory tract (URT) of children with pneumonia is unclear. To determine if viral load could provide evidence of causality of pneumonia, we compared viral load in the URT of children with World Health Organization–defined severe and very severe pneumonia and age-matched community controls.

Methods.

In the 9 developing country sites, nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs from children with and without pneumonia were tested using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for 17 viruses. The association of viral load with case status was evaluated using logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed …

Association Of C-Reactive Protein With Bacterial And Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Pneumonia Among Children Aged <5 Years In The Perch Study., Melissa M Higdon, Tham Le, Katherine L O'Brien, David R Murdoch, Christine Prosperi, Henry C Baggett, Daniel E Park, +Several Additional Authors

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background.

Lack of a gold standard for identifying bacterial and viral etiologies of pneumonia has limited evaluation of C-reactive protein (CRP) for identifying bacterial pneumonia. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of CRP for identifying bacterial vs respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pneumonia in the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) multicenter case-control study. Methods.

We measured serum CRP levels in cases with World Health Organization–defined severe or very severe pneumonia and a subset of community controls. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of elevated CRP for “confirmed” bacterial pneumonia (positive blood culture or positive lung aspirate or pleural fluid …

Standardization Of Clinical Assessment And Sample Collection Across All Perch Study Sites., Jane Crawley, Christine Prosperi, Henry C Baggett, W Abdullah Brooks, Maria Deloria Knoll, Daniel E Park, +Several Additional Authors

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background.: Variable adherence to standardized case definitions, clinical procedures, specimen collection techniques, and laboratory methods has complicated the interpretation of previous multicenter pneumonia etiology studies. To circumvent these problems, a program of clinical standardization was embedded in the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) study.

Methods.: Between March 2011 and August 2013, standardized training on the PERCH case definition, clinical procedures, and collection of laboratory specimens was delivered to 331 clinical staff at 9 study sites in 7 countries (The Gambia, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, Zambia, Thailand, and Bangladesh), through 32 on-site courses and a training website. Staff competency …

The Diagnostic Utility Of Induced Sputum Microscopy And Culture In Childhood Pneumonia., David R Murdoch, Susan C Morpeth, Laura L Hammitt, Amanda J Driscoll, Nora L Watson, Daniel E Park, +Several Additional Authors

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background.

Sputum microscopy and culture are commonly used for diagnosing the cause of pneumonia in adults but are rarely performed in children due to difficulties in obtaining specimens. Induced sputum is occasionally used to investigate lower respiratory infections in children but has not been widely used in pneumonia etiology studies. Methods.

We evaluated the diagnostic utility of induced sputum microscopy and culture in patients enrolled in the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) study, a large study of community-acquired pneumonia in children aged 1–59 months. Comparisons were made between induced sputum samples from hospitalized children with radiographically confirmed pneumonia …

Effects Of Temperature On The Emission Rate Of Formaldehyde From Medium Density Fiberboard In A Controlled Chamber, William Swankie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Formaldehyde is a colorless gas that is found naturally in the environment. It is a popular additive in many consumer products including composite wood products. Composite wood products are engineered wood panels produced from pressing pieces, chips, particles, or fibers of wood together at high temperatures held together with a bonding agent. This bonding agent is often formaldehyde-containing resins that are known to release formaldehyde over time. This is concerning because of the carcinogenic classification of formaldehyde, the wide spread application of composite wood products, and the increasing amount of time spent in the indoor environment.

In a controlled 0.53 …

Impact Of Serum Sp-A And Sp-D Levels On Comparison And Prognosis Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Kai Wang, Qing Ju, Jing Cao, Wenze Tang, Jian Zhang

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background and objective:

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has a poor prognosis in general; however, it is heterogeneous to detect relative biomarkers for predicting the disease progression. Serum biomarkers can be conveniently collected to detect and help to differentially diagnose IPF and predict IPF prognosis. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the use of serum surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D) for differential diagnosis and prognosis of IPF.

Methods:

Relevant articles were searched in PubMed, Embase, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructuredatabases and reviewed by 2 independent readers. Standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were …

Incorporating Place And Space: A Hierarchical Spatial Approach To Exploring Preventable Congestive Heart Failure Hospitalizations In New York City, Rachael Weiss Riley

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Faced with rising medical care costs, increasing prevalence, and widening health disparities, preventing congestive heart failure (CHF) hospitalizations is a central public health concern. Despite evidence of geographical clustering in preventable CHF admissions, there is a lack of research designed to examine spatial patterning of CHF and the local area neighborhood determinants that contribute to this variability. This study sought to assess and evaluate the importance of both space and place in analyzing preventable CHF hospitalizations and readmissions by applying appropriate statistical techniques, clarifying the assumption inherent in each method, and interpreting the findings within the context of existing …

Risk Of Incident Clinical Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease-Type Dementia Attributable To Pathology-Confirmed Vascular Disease, Hiroko H. Dodge, Jian Zhu, Randy Woltjer, Peter T. Nelson, David A. Bennett, Nigel J. Cairns, David W. Fardo, Jeffrey A. Kaye, Deniz-Erten Lyons, Nora Mattek, Julie A. Schneider, Lisa C. Silbert, Chengjie Xiong, Lei Yu, Frederick A. Schmitt, Richard J. Kryscio, Erin L. Abner, Smart Data Consortium

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The presence of cerebrovascular pathology may increase the risk of clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

METHODS: We examined excess risk of incident clinical diagnosis of AD (probable and possible AD) posed by the presence of lacunes and large infarcts beyond AD pathology using data from the Statistical Modeling of Aging and Risk of Transition study, a consortium of longitudinal cohort studies with more than 2000 autopsies. We created six mutually exclusive pathology patterns combining three levels of AD pathology (low, moderate, or high AD pathology) and two levels of vascular pathology (without lacunes and large infarcts or with …

Counterfeit Medicines In Socioeconomic Perspective, Desy Nuryunarsih Nuryunarsih

Kesmas

Obat-obatan palsu berpotensi mencapai 70% dari pasaran obat internasional dengan proporsi terbanyak ditemukan di negara berkembang. Meningkatkan kesadaran masyarakat akan adanya obat-obatan palsu akan secara langsung memengaruhi permintaan produk obat palsu yang akhirnya akan mengurangi kegiatan pemalsuan obat. Akan tetapi, meningkatkan pengetahuan masyarakat akan bahaya obat-obatan palsu tidaklah mudah sebab profesi kesehatan masyarakat harus juga mempertimbangkan keberagaman faktor-faktor sosial, ekonomi dan pendidikan. Laporan ini menelaah artikel jurnal yang ditelaah oleh kelompok seminat, laporan media, laporan resmi pemerintah dan non-pemerintah. Sebanyak 179 artikel (dari 1990 sampai 2014) ditelaah untuk mengetahui hubungan antara indeks pembangunan manusia (IPM) dari USA, Jepang, Brasil, Iran, …

The Use Of “Kakayu Dental Flipbook” In Oral Health Knowledge Improvement For Elementary School Students In Depok, Rikawarastuti Rikawarastuti, Eka Anggreni, Rahaju Budiarti, Nurlaila Ramadhan Suid

Kesmas

Perlu adanya edukasi untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan anak Indonesia tentang pentingnya memelihara kesehatan gigi dan mulut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan hubungan antara faktor siswa sekolah dasar seperti kelas, usia, jenis kelamin dengan jumlah anak dalam keluarga atau faktor ekonomi seorang ibu rumah tangga atau berpenghasilan tetap, yang dipengaruhi oleh peningkatan pengetahuan dari edukasi kesehatan gigi dan mulut. Disain penelitian quasi experiment pre-test dan post-test tanpa desain grup kontrol melibatkan 141 siswa yang dipilih melalui purposive sampling. Sampel tersebar pada siswa kelas IV, V, dan VI sekolah dasar swasta di Depok, Jawa Barat, Indonesia pada April-Oktober 2016. Data penelitian diperoleh dari …

Extrovert Personality Type And Prolonged Second Stage Of Labor, Yuni Kusmiyati, Chandra Tyas Nurfitria, Suherni Suherni, Heni Puji Wahyuningsih

Kesmas

Kepribadian dapat memengaruhi respons individu yang dapat berdampak pada proses persalinan lama. Penelitian sebelumnya menunjukkan adanya hubungan kepribadian dengan waktu persalinan. Tipe kepribadian ekstrover (tipe A) cenderung lebih rentan terhadap stres dibandingkan orang dengan tipe kepribadian introvert (tipe B). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan tipe kepribadian ekstrover dan variabel luar (pendidikan, ekonomi, usia ibu dan paritas) dengan persalinan kala II lama. Studi kasus kontrol dilakukan pada 156 ibu bersalin yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi pada tahun 2015 di Yogyakarta. Sampel kasus adalah 52 ibu dengan persalinan kala II lama dan kontrol adalah 104 ibu dengan persalinan kala II normal. Penelitian …

Impact Of Women’S Empowerment On Infant Mortality In Indonesia, Hanik Stiyaningsih, Febri Wicaksono

Kesmas

Secara umum, otonomi dan pemberdayaan perempuan menjadi salah satu faktor penting dalam pembangunan. Kurangnya otonomi dan pemberdayaan perempuan dapat menyebabkan hasil negatif pada kesehatan dan kematian anak. Belum terdapat penelitian terkini yang menganalisis hubungan antara pemberdayaan perempuan dan kematian bayi di Indonesia. Penelitian ini berusaha mengisi kekosongan tersebut dengan menelusuri pengaruh pemberdayaan perempuan terhadap kematian bayi di Indonesia. Sampel berjumlah 9.754 perempuan berusia 15-49 tahun yang terakhir melahirkan pada periode tahun 2007-2012 diambil dari Survei Demografi dan Kesehatan Indonesia 2012. Pemberdayaan perempuan diukur dengan menggunakan indeks komposit yang dibangun dari delapan indikator dari tiga dimensi pemberdayaan perempuan, yaitu partisipasi dalam …

Risk Factors Of Acute Respiratory Infections In Practice Area For Community Of Medical Students In Semarang, Siti Thomas Zulaikhah, Purwito Soegeng, Titiek Sumarawati

Kesmas

Infeki saluran pernapasan akut (ISPA) menempati urutan pertama dari 10 besar penyakit di Puskesmas Bangetayu dengan persentase terbanyak di Kelurahan Penggaron Lor. Keterampilan untuk mempelajari distribusi dan frekuensi penyakit serta faktor determinan yang memengaruhi manusia sangat diperlukan untuk menetapkan intervensi yang paling efektif untuk meningkatkan derajat kesehatan masyarakat. Perlu dilakukan penelitian untuk mengetahui faktor risiko yang paling dominan berhubungan dengan kejadian ISPA di lokasi praktik komunitas mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Islam Sultan Agung Semarang. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain potong lintang dengan jumlah responden 100 orang dan sampel dikumpulkan dengan menggunakan stratified random sampling. Sepuluh variabel yang diteliti adalah faktor risiko …

Effects Of Multilevel Intervention In Workplace Health Promotion On Workers’ Metabolic Syndrome Components, Zahtamal Zahtamal, Wasilah Rochmah, Yayi Suryo Prabandari

Kesmas

Sekitar 10-30% orang Asia dewasa mengalami sindrom metabolik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap efek Promosi Kesehatan di Tempat Kerja PKDTK dengan intervensi multilevel pada komponen/penanda pekerja yang menderita sindrom metabolik. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada tahun 2014-2015 dengan menggunakan desain quasi experimental dengan intervensi subjek secara multilevel di Indonesia. Program PKDTK untuk kelompok intervensi multilevel berupa kombinasi latihan fisik, diet, pendidikan kesehatan, dukungan sosial, dan advokasi salama 12 minggu. Program PKDTK untuk kelompok kontrol hanya pendidikan kesehatan. Instrumen penelitian seperti IPAQ, table food recall 24 jam, alat pengukuran fisik, dan laboratorium klinis. Analisis data menggunakan Marginal Homogeneity, paired sample t, Mc …

Controlling Factors That Potentially Against Transmission Of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever At State Elementary Schools In Yogyakarta, Tri Baskoro Tunggul Satoto, Nur Alvira, Tri Wibawa, Ajib Diptyanusa

Kesmas

Sekolah dasar merupakan tempat yang dapat mengakibatkan peningkatan penyakit dengue pada anak karena faktor lingkungan, adanya potensi penularan, belum adanya system manajemen lingkungan yang baik dan beberapa upaya pengendalian yang tidak lagi efektif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor yang berpotensi terhadap penularan demam berdarah dengue bagi anak, sehingga sistem kewaspadaan dini dapat ditegakkan. Jenis penelitian ini adalah analitik dengan rancangan potong lintang. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada 91 sekolah dasar negeri di Kota Yogyakarta. Variabel yang diobservasi adalah serotype virus DEN, resistensi insektisida, kepadatan vektor,dan kondisi fisik sekolah. Analisis data menggunakan analisis deskriptif dan korelasi-regresi (a = 0.05). Hasil menunjukkan bahwa …

Rebon Shrimp Powder Addition Influence To Nutritional Values, Organoleptic Properties And Acceptance Of Supplementary Food By Children Aged 4-5 Years Old, Priyo Sulistiyono, Dewi Marhaeni Diah Herawati, Insi Farisa Desy Arya

Kesmas

Prevalensi gizi kurang dan stunting pada anak bawah lima tahun (balita) di Kota Cirebon masih cukup tinggi yaitu mencapai 13,9% dan 15,7%. Udang rebon (Acetes erythraeus) memiliki kandungan protein dan kalsium yang tinggi. Pengaruh penambahan udang rebon dalam makanan tambahan (bubur lemu dan bolu kukus) terhadap kualitas gizi diteliti. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh bubuk udang rebon terhadap nilai gizi, sifat organoleptik dan daya terima. Uji laboratorium dan perangkat lunak Nutriservey digunakan untuk analisis nilai gizi bubuk udang rebon dan gizi makanan tambahan. Uji organoleptik menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap dengan empat perlakuan (bubuk udang rebon 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%) …

Analyzing Sexual Transmission In The Spread Of The Zika Virus In Colombia, Victoria M. Kelley

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Control Policies And Sensitivity Analysis In A Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Model: A Case Study In Cusco Region, Peru., Rocio M. Caja-Rivera, Ignacio Barradas

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Midlife And Late-Life Vascular Risk Factors And White Matter Microstructural Integrity: The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Neurocognitive Study., Melinda C Power, Jonathan V Tingle, Robert I Reid, Juebin Huang, A Richey Sharrett, Josef Coresh, Michael Griswold, Kejal Kantarci, Clifford R Jack, David Knopman, Rebecca F Gottesman, Thomas H Mosley

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Diffusion tensor imaging measures of white matter (WM) microstructural integrity appear to provide earlier indication of WM injury than WM hyperintensities; however, risk factors for poor WM microstructural integrity have not been established. Our study quantifies the association between vascular risk factors in midlife and late life with measures of late-life WM microstructural integrity.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We used data from 1851 participants in ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study) who completed 3-T magnetic resonance imaging, including diffusion tensor imaging, as part of the ARIC Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS). We quantified the association among lipids, glucose, and blood pressure from …

Geospatial And Negative Binomial Regression Analysis Of Culex Nigripalpus, Culex Erraticus, Coquillettidia Perturbans, And Aedes Vexans Counts And Precipitation And Land Use Land Cover Covariates In Polk County, Florida, Joshua P. Wright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although mosquito monitoring systems in the form of dry-ice bated CDC light traps and sentinel chickens are used by mosquito control personnel in Polk County, Florida, the placement of these are random and do not necessarily reflect prevalent areas of vector mosquito populations. This can result in significant health, economic, and social impacts during disease outbreaks. Of these vector mosquitoes Culex nigripalpus, Culex erraticus, Coquillettidia perturbans, and Aedes vexans are present in Polk County and known to transmit multiple diseases, posing a public health concern. This study seeks to evaluate the effect of Land use Land cover …

Cohort Profile: Seek, Test, Treat And Retain United States Criminal Justice Cohort., Redonna Chandler, Michael S Gordon, Bridget Kruszka, Lauren N Strand, Frederick L Altice, Irene Kuo, +Several Additional Authors

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The STTR treatment cascade provides a framework for research aimed at improving the delivery of services, care and outcomes of PLWH. The development of effective approaches to increase HIV diagnoses and engage PLWH in subsequent steps of the treatment cascade could lead to earlier and sustained ART treatment resulting in viral suppression. There is an unmet need for research applying the treatment cascade to improve outcomes for those with criminal justice involvement.

METHODS: The Seek, Test, Treat, and Retain (STTR) criminal justice (CJ) cohort combines data from 11 studies across the HIV treatment cascade that focused on persons involved …

Environmental Health, Tessa Oliaro

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

There is a very important intersection between the environment, public health, and socioeconomic factors (Braveman, 2014). These include waste disposal, water use and quality, road safety, ecosystem services, and many more. Environmental health stresses, “the health impacts of physical, chemical, and biological agents in the environment and workplace, and learns to develop strategies to measure and control major environmental health problems both locally…and in settings around the globe” (UC Berkeley School of Public Health, 2017). This overarching umbrella can have emphases in environmental epidemiology, exposure science, climate change, ergonomics, home and industrial hygiene, and molecular epidemiology. Exploring each of these …

Cancer-Specific Mortality, Cure Fraction, And Noncancer Causes Of Death Among Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients In The Immunochemotherapy Era., Nadia Howlader, Angela B Mariotto, Caroline Besson, Gita Suneja, Kim Robien, Naji Younes, Eric A Engels

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND

Survival after the diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been increasing since 2002 because of improved therapies; however, long-term outcomes for these patients in the modern treatment era are still unknown.

METHODS

Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data, this study first assessed factors associated with DLBCL-specific mortality during 2002-2012. An epidemiologic risk profile, based on clinical and demographic characteristics, was used to stratify DLBCL cases into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups. The proportions of DLBCL cases that might be considered cured in these 3 risk groups was estimated. Risks of death due to various noncancer causes …

Umass Memorial Healthcare Information System Job Ladder, Matthew Simoncini, Vamsi Kavuru, Antariksh Nanda, Tahaseen Mahaboob Basha, Vikram Patil

School of Professional Studies

The capstone project report emphasizes the importance of a job ladder and the need of an hour to implement it at UMASS Memorial health care. The scope of this project is to create a well-established job ladder at UMASS with pre-defined standards on job levels related to Information Technology department that would facilitate in hiring, developing and promoting employees at various stages.

A Learning Framework For The Ywca Central Massachusetts, Dayna Ankermann, Manjushree Burdekar, Priyanka Joshi, Ying Song, Yumeng Chen, Xing Xie

School of Professional Studies

After meeting with the Director of Wellness and Health Equity at the YWCA Central Massachusetts (which will be referred to as the YWCA from here on out), we learned that as a non-profit gym and health center, it is heavily underfunded. The main focus of the project was to determine how to upkeep the facility while bringing in new customers with limited resources and budget. Due to the needs of the YWCA, our group focused on six aspects: revenue stream, donor retention, increasing membership, customer experience, social media marketing, and membership fee structure. After completing extensive research, we were able …

Human Services Management (Hsm) Certificate Program Expansion To Western Massachusetts Feasibility Study, Paul Campbell, Patrick Deschenes, Maria Pacheco, Bradley Paul, Elizabeth Vittum, Jing Zhang

School of Professional Studies

One of the most popular cost-savings programs that the Providers’ Council currently offers its members is a Certificate in Nonprofit Human Service Management (HSM) provided in partnership with Clark University and Suffolk University. As human services providers are struggling to hire and retain qualified staff, the need to provide professional development opportunities to help grow and expand a skilled health and human services workforce is a critical issue facing nonprofit organizations and communities in Massachusetts. This feasibility study examines the viability of Providers’ Council and Clark University expanding its HSM Certificate Program to organizations and staff located in western Massachusetts. …

Somali National University, Sharmarke Abdulla, Nikala Pieroni, Jenna Caskie, Sergii Odnodvorets, Tanyue Gong, Lahari Dasari

School of Professional Studies

The executive summary presents an overview of the principal conclusions and recommendations for Somali National University Faculty of Education (FoEd) regarding the following concerns: Difficulty with recruiting high quality prospects to the FoEd; Ineffective and counterintuitive use of social media as a tool to improve brand equity, as well as as a tool to attract and communicate with prospective and current students; Unbalanced gender ratio of current student body; Absence of student services and student supports; Low student retention rate; Limited resources for academic advising; This document is the result of a Clark University School of Professional Studies Capstone Project.

Tuberculosis And Risk Of Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis, Moises A. Huaman, Richard J. Kryscio, Carl J. Fichtenbaum, David Henson, Elizabeth G. Salt, Timothy R. Sterling, Beth A. Garvy

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Several pathogens have been associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Whether this occurs with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is unclear. We assessed if tuberculosis disease increased the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We identified patients with tuberculosis index claims from a large de-identified database of ~15 million adults enrolled in a U.S. commercial insurance policy between 2008 and 2010. Tuberculosis patients were 1:1 matched to patients without tuberculosis claims using propensity scores. We compared the occurrence of index AMI claims between the tuberculosis and non-tuberculosis cohorts using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox Proportional Hazard models. Data on 2026 patients with …

Determining The Effects Of Social Media Monitoring To Identify Potential Foodborne Illness In Southern Nevada, Lauren Diprete

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Foodborne illness, commonly referred to as food poisoning, affects an estimated 1 in 6 Americans every year, despite the fact that it is entirely preventable. Many cases of foodborne illness go unreported; however, better reporting leads to faster health department response and containment. Social media monitoring, using software to identify trends in social media posts, is a novel new tool that has been tested in a variety of public health fields with promising preliminary results. The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) has employed social media monitoring software to identify potential foodborne illness within Southern Nevada. The purpose of this study …

Evaluation Of A Fluorescence Method For Quantifying Bioaerosol Concentrations On Air Quality Filter Samples, Rachel Kolberg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Airborne particulate matter (PM) in outdoor environments contains many components that cause adverse human health effects. The size of the particulates determine in what manner the particles would bypass the body’s defense mechanisms to enter the respiratory system and is directly related to their health impacts. Currently the United States Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to regulate the annual and 24-hour average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in the air. PM2.5 are fine particles with aerodynamic diameter <2.5μm, small enough to reach the deepest parts of the bronchi and lungs. PM10 include PM2.5 and larger particles with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5-10μm. Both PM2.5 and PM10 contain multiple components from multiple sources. Bioaerosols are an important component of PM, but there is limited knowledge about how bioaerosols contribute to PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. There is also a lack of research about the incidence and prevalence of disease caused by bioaerosols and about the limits of exposure to bioaerosol particulates. The main barrier to assess bioaerosol concentrations and health-related effects is the absence of quick and inexpensive methodology for quantifying bioaerosols. This study explored the feasibility of using fluorescence microscopy to quickly quantify bioaerosols in PM2.5 and PM10 collected on polycarbonate filters. Bioaerosols were stained with a DNA marker directly on a filter, followed by fixation, microscopic imaging, and automatic counting. The method was first validated using reference samples prepared by depositing different known concentrations of E. coli onto blank polycarbonate filters. The results indicated a linear response over two orders of magnitude (R2 = 0.9) and an accuracy within ±25%. E. coli were also deposited onto selected ambient PM10 and PM2.5 filter samples to determine if pre-loaded particles would interfere with bioaerosol imaging and counting. It was found that despite an increase in uncertainty (variability), the calibration slope remained within ±10% of unity for both PM2.5 and PM10 samples. Bioaerosol concentrations in ambient samples, as quantified by this method, were on average 14% higher for PM10 than for PM2.5 acquired concurrently in a desert environment of Las Vegas, Nevada. The application of this method to other types of compliance filters, such as Teflon filters and tapes of a Beta Attenuation Monitor (BAM) were also explored in this study. By means of a high-yield approach this method is expected to facilitate bioaerosol research, support exposure and health assessments, and help refine NAAQS for PM2.5 and PM10.