Factors Associated with COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Pipeline.

Public health entities nationwide conducted historic hiring to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-pandemic recovery has seen recognition and investment in the need for public health infrastructure including workforce. This case study presents a descriptive analysis of COVID-19 case investigators and contact tracers who were part of the COVID-19 workforce in Michigan and associated factors in their ongoing interest in the field.

Racioethnic diversity in the dynamics of the vaginal microbiome during pregnancy.

The microbiome of the female reproductive tract has implications for women's reproductive health. We examined the vaginal microbiome in two cohorts of women who experienced normal term births: a cross-sectionally sampled cohort of 613 pregnant and 1,969 non-pregnant women, focusing on 300 pregnant and 300 non-pregnant women of African, Hispanic or European ancestry case-matched for race, gestational age and household income; and a longitudinally sampled cohort of 90 pregnant women of African or non-African ancestry. In these women, the vaginal microbiome shifted during pregnancy toward Lactobacillus-dominated profiles at the expense of taxa often associated with vaginal dysbiosis.

The vaginal microbiome and preterm birth.

The incidence of preterm birth exceeds 10% worldwide. There are significant disparities in the frequency of preterm birth among populations within countries, and women of African ancestry disproportionately bear the burden of risk in the United States. In the present study, we report a community resource that includes 'omics' data from approximately 12,000 samples as part of the integrative Human Microbiome Project.

Phase variation of poly-N-acetylglucosamine expression in Staphylococcus aureus.

Polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), also known as poly-N-acetyl-β-(1-6)-glucosamine (PIA/PNAG) is an important component of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms and also contributes to resistance to phagocytosis. The proteins IcaA, IcaD, IcaB, and IcaC are encoded within the intercellular adhesin (ica) operon and synthesize PIA/PNAG. We discovered a mechanism of phase variation in PIA/PNAG expression that appears to involve slipped-strand mispairing.

Staphylococcal biofilms: quest for the magic bullet.

The biofilm phenotype has been recognized only relatively recently in medical history but it has rapidly become clear that the development of many, if not the majority of bacterial infections depends upon the formation of a biofilm. Medical device-related infections are one of the clearest examples of biofilm-dependent infections. Bacteria proficiently adhere to and establish biofilms on synthetic surfaces, and to date, no material has proven to completely preclude bacterial adherence.

Regulation of the intercellular adhesin locus regulator (icaR) by SarA, sigmaB, and IcaR in Staphylococcus aureus.

The staphylococcal accessory regulator SarA and the alternative sigma factor sigma(B) have been previously identified as positive regulators, and IcaR as a negative regulator, of icaADBC expression. Here, we show that in Staphylococcus aureus SarA and sigma(B) are also required for icaR expression and that IcaR does not have a significant effect on its own expression.

The legal framework for language access in healthcare settings: Title VI and beyond.

Over the past few decades, the number and diversity of limited English speakers in the USA has burgeoned. With this increased diversity has come increased pressure--including new legal requirements--on healthcare systems and clinicians to ensure equal treatment of limited English speakers. Healthcare providers are often unclear about their legal obligations to provide language services.