Microbiome Analysis for Wastewater Surveillance during COVID-19.

Wastewater surveillance (WS), when coupled with advanced molecular techniques, offers near real-time monitoring of community-wide transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and allows assessing and mitigating COVID-19 outbreaks, by evaluating the total microbial assemblage in a community. Composite wastewater samples (24 h) were collected weekly from a manhole between December 2020 and November 2021 in Maryland, USA. RT-qPCR results showed concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA recovered from wastewater samples reflected incidence of COVID-19 cases.

Thriving, Not Just Surviving: Recognizing Burnout and Simple Tips to Start Feeling Better.

Burnout has been prevalent since before COVID-19 and continues to affect a large portion of the health-care workforce. At JADPRO Live Virtual 2021, Margaret Leddy, PA-C, MMSc, defined burnout in the setting of the oncology/hematology advanced practice role, described symptoms you can recognize in yourself and others, and provided three tips to combat burnout.

Distributions of waterborne pathogens in raw wastewater based on a 14-month, multi-site monitoring campaign.

The California State Water Resources Control Board is the first regulatory body in the United States to develop statewide regulations for direct potable reuse (DPR). To support this effort, a pathogen monitoring campaign was undertaken to develop and implement an optimized standard operating protocol to better characterize the concentration of human pathogens in raw wastewater. Methods to detect relevant viral and protozoan pathogens in raw wastewater were optimized and implemented during a 14-month monitoring campaign.

How much time is enough? Sentinel lymph node mapping time depends on the radiotracer agent.

Background: In 2014, technetium-99m tilmanocept (TcTM) replaced technetium-99m sulfur colloid (TcSC) as the standard lymphoscintigraphy (LS) mapping agent in melanoma patients undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). The aim of this study was to examine differences in mapping time, intra-operative identification of sentinel lymph node (SLN), and false negative rate (FNR) between patients who underwent SLNB with TcTM compared to TcSC.

Methods: Patients who underwent SLNB between 2010 and 2018 were retrospectively identified.

Metagenomic Sequencing and Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Fecal Pollution Assessment in an Urban Watershed.

Microbial contamination of recreation waters is a major concern globally, with pollutants originating from many sources, including human and other animal wastes often introduced during storm events. Fecal contamination is traditionally monitored by employing culture methods targeting fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), namely . and enterococci, which provides only limited information of a few microbial taxa and no information on their sources.

The Effect of COVID-19 on Orthopedic Practices and Surgeons in Louisiana.

This study was performed to analyze the effect that coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has had on orthopedic surgeons' practices, their patients, and orthopedic surgeons themselves through a survey distributed to members of the Louisiana Orthopaedic Association (LOA). An anonymous 22-question online survey was created and distributed to 323 LOA members. Of the 323 recipients of the survey, 99 (30.

Injectable Therapies for Regional Melanoma.

Patients with unresectable cutaneous, subcutaneous, or nodal melanoma metastases are often candidates for injectable therapies, which are attractive for ease of intralesional delivery to superficial metastases and limited systemic toxicity profiles. Injectable or intralesional therapies can be part of multifaceted treatment strategies to kill tumor directly or to alter the tumor so as to make it more sensitive to systemic therapy. Talimogene laherparepvec is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved injectable therapy currently in wide clinical use in the United States, although ongoing trials are evaluating novel intralesional agents as well as combinations with systemic therapies, particularly checkpoint inhibitors.

Microbial resolution of whole genome shotgun and 16S amplicon metagenomic sequencing using publicly available NEON data.

Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the biosphere, playing a crucial role in both biogeochemistry of the planet and human health. However, identifying these microorganisms and defining their function are challenging. Widely used approaches in comparative metagenomics, 16S amplicon sequencing and whole genome shotgun sequencing (WGS), have provided access to DNA sequencing analysis to identify microorganisms and evaluate diversity and abundance in various environments.

Crafting effective messages to enhance safe infant sleep.

Background: Health care professionals are continually challenged by the need to provide health information in a way that successfully changes health practices. Research has documented this as a concern in relation to safe infant sleep health campaigns. Often, caregivers' knowledge of recommended practices is not associated with a change in infant sleep choices.

Online assessment of sand filter performance for bacterial removal in a full-scale drinking water treatment plant.

Microbiological risks associated with drinking water can be minimized by providing enhanced integrity monitoring of bacterial removal by water treatment processes. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of real-time bacteriological counters for continuously assessing the performance of a full-scale sand filter to remove bacteria. Over the course of an 8-day evaluation, online counting of bacteria was successfully performed, providing continuous bacterial counts in the sand filter influent and effluent over approximate ranges from 17 × 10 to 94 × 10 and from 0.

Assessment of online bacterial particle counts for monitoring the performance of reverse osmosis membrane process in potable reuse.

Safety of potable reuse can be enhanced by improved water quality monitoring techniques for assessing water treatment processes. This study evaluated the efficacy of online bacterial counting for continuous monitoring of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to remove bacteria using real-time bacteriological commercial counters and an on-site pilot-scale RO system. Prior to on-site assessments, the online bacterial counting was verified by comparing the measurement of fluorescent particles in water with flow cytometry.

Characterization of the Microbiome at the World's Largest Potable Water Reuse Facility.

Conventional water resources are not sufficient in many regions to meet the needs of growing populations. Due to cyclical weather cycles, drought, and climate change, water stress has increased worldwide including in Southern California, which serves as a model for regions that integrate reuse of wastewater for both potable and non-potable use. The Orange County Water District (OCWD) Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) is a highly engineered system designed to treat and produce up to 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of purified water from a municipal wastewater source for potable reuse.

Investigation of a passive capstan based grasp enhancement feature in a voluntary-closing prosthetic terminal device.

Body-powered prosthetic terminal devices fall into two main categories: voluntary-closing devices, which require the user to exert a force to maintain a grasp, and voluntary opening devices, which generally utilize springs to close and maintain a force. As a result, voluntary-closing devices often have a locking feature that allows the user to relax and transport objects while maintaining a firm grip. In this paper, we examine a new type of capstan-based passive brake mechanism in a voluntary-closing prosthetic terminal device.

Witchcraft and Biopsychosocial Causes of Mental Illness: Attitudes and Beliefs About Mental Illness Among Health Professionals in Five Countries.

This study examines the intercorrelation of measures reflecting beliefs about and attitudes toward people with mental illness in a sample of health professionals (N = 902) from five countries: Brazil, China, Ghana, Nigeria, and the United States, and, more specifically, the association of beliefs in supernatural as contrasted with biopsychosocial causes of mental illness. Factor analysis of a 43-item questionnaire identified four factors favoring a) socializing with people with mental illness; b) normalizing their roles in society; c) belief in supernatural causes of mental illness (e.g.

Lightweight custom composite prosthetic components using an additive manufacturing-based molding technique.

Additive manufacturing techniques are becoming more prominent and cost-effective as 3D printing becomes higher quality and more inexpensive. The idea of 3D printed prosthetics components promises affordable, customizable devices, but these systems currently have major shortcomings in durability and function. In this paper, we propose a fabrication method for custom composite prostheses utilizing additive manufacturing, allowing for customizability, as well the durability of professional prosthetics.

A monoclonal antibody against the receptor for advanced glycation end products attenuates inflammatory and neuropathic pain in the mouse.

Background: The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a multi-ligand receptor in the immunoglobulin superfamily. RAGE is localized throughout ascending sensory pathways (skin, peripheral nerve, dorsal root ganglion, spinal cord), and in cell types interacting with sensory neurons (endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, monocytes and macrophages). Neuronal RAGE expression increases in pathological pain states in humans and rodents, and soluble RAGE attenuates thermal hypoalgesia in diabetic mice.

Obstetrician-Gynecologists' Practices, Statistical Literacy, and Risk Communication with Regard to Sexually Transmitted Infections.

In order to best care for women, obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) must be able to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as effectively communicate risks regarding STIs. This article provides a narrative review of studies primarily conducted by the Research Department at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, about missed opportunities for STI risk communication. Missed opportunities include the omission or partial completion of STI risk assessment and counseling, failure to offer screening or testing, lack of follow-up on STI testing/vaccination refusals, and a failure to comply with existing guidelines.

Cross-National Analysis of Beliefs and Attitude Toward Mental Illness Among Medical Professionals From Five Countries.

This quantitative study sought to compare beliefs about the manifestation, causes and treatment of mental illness and attitudes toward people with mental illness among health professionals from five countries: the United States, Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria, and China. A total of 902 health professionals from the five countries were surveyed using a questionnaire addressing attitudes towards people with mental illness and beliefs about the causes of mental illness. Chi-square and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to compare age and gender of the samples.

Targeting repulsive guidance molecule A to promote regeneration and neuroprotection in multiple sclerosis.

Repulsive guidance molecule A (RGMa) is a potent inhibitor of neuronal regeneration and a regulator of cell death, and it plays a role in multiple sclerosis (MS). In autopsy material from progressive MS patients, RGMa was found in active and chronic lesions, as well as in normal-appearing gray and white matter, and was expressed by cellular meningeal infiltrates. Levels of soluble RGMa in the cerebrospinal fluid were decreased in progressive MS patients successfully treated with intrathecal corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide (TCA), showing functional improvements.

Obstetrician-gynecologists' knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding elder abuse screening.

Background: Elder abuse is a prevalent and growing social problem with significant consequences on victims' mental and physical health. Unfortunately, many cases of elder abuse go unreported. Elderly women are at increased risk for abuse and, as such, obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs) are in a unique position to screen for and report abuse.

Health and well-being of homeless veterans participating in transitional and supported employment: Six-month outcomes.

Supported employment, specifically individual placement and support (IPS), improves competitive employment (CE) rates for individuals with serious mental illness, but has not shown greater improvement in non-vocational outcomes than other rehabilitation approaches. The Department of Veterans Affairs offers two types of vocational services, IPS and transitional work experience (TWE), but no study has compared the effectiveness of these approaches. This secondary analysis of data from a study of homeless veterans compared 6 mo improvement in diverse outcomes for five employment patterns: never worked, worked only in TWE, worked in TWE followed by CE, worked in CE without IPS, and worked in CE with IPS referral.

Potential human pathogenic bacteria in a mixed urban watershed as revealed by pyrosequencing.

Current microbial source tracking (MST) methods for water depend on testing for fecal indicator bacterial counts or specific marker gene sequences to identify fecal contamination where potential human pathogenic bacteria could be present. In this study, we applied 454 high-throughput pyrosequencing to identify bacterial pathogen DNA sequences, including those not traditionally monitored by MST and correlated their abundances to specific sources of contamination such as urban runoff and agricultural runoff from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), recreation park area, waste-water treatment plants, and natural sites with little or no human activities. Samples for pyrosequencing were surface water, and sediment collected from 19 sites.

Obstetrician-gynecologists' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding major depressive disorder.

Background: Obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) provide depression screening and treatment, but these practices could be improved. This study investigated the use of depression screening tools and treatment of adolescents with depressive symptoms.

Methods: Surveys were sent to 220 members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) who had responded to a survey on depression in the past two years.