Developing Research-Oriented Health Professionals: Understanding Students' Perceptions and Needs for Extracurricular Research Opportunities.

Background: Undergraduate training in research principles is often mandated by healthcare profession regulators in Ireland to prepare graduates for higher specialist training. Students can be offered the opportunity to participate in extracurricular research activities, in addition to those embedded in the curricula. This cross-sectional study aims to explore student attitudes towards research and to understand their motivations for engaging in research-related activities and any barriers that might prevent them from doing so.

A comparison of culture methods and polymerase chain reaction in detecting from hospital surfaces.

. Environmental surveillance for is challenging. There are no internationally agreed recommendations on which method should be used when environmental surveillance is undertaken.

Is online case-based learning effective in helping undergraduate medical students choose the appropriate antibiotics to treat important infections?

Background: Medical students are frequently confused about indication for and choice of antibiotic. We developed an online learning resource that focused on antibiotic stewardship and important infections where medical students could practise their antibiotic decision-making skills safely.

Methods: The resource was made available to third-year undergraduate medical students via their virtual learning environment.

Can e-learning improve the performance of undergraduate medical students in Clinical Microbiology examinations?

Background: Clinical Microbiology is a core subject in medical undergraduate curricula. However, students struggle to cover the content and clinically contextualise basic microbiology. Our aim was to evaluate student engagement with new e-learning material and to investigate the impact it had on examination performance in a Clinical Microbiology module.

Decontamination of Hospital Surfaces With Multijet Cold Plasma: A Method to Enhance Infection Prevention and Control?

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of a multijet cold-plasma system and its efficacy in decontaminating 2 surfaces commonly found in hospitals DESIGN An in vitro study of common causes of healthcare-acquired infection METHODS Log10 9 cultures of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii were applied to 5-cm2 sections of stainless steel and mattress. Human serum albumin (HSA) was used as a proxy marker for organic material, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the impact on bacterial cell structure. The inoculated surfaces were exposed to a cold-air-plasma-generating multijet prototype for 15, 20, 30, and 45 seconds.

A comparative study: do "clickers" increase student engagement in multidisciplinary clinical microbiology teaching?

Background: Audience response devices, or "clickers", have been used in the education of future healthcare professionals for several years with varying success. They have been reported to improve the learning experience by promoting engagement and knowledge retention. In 2014, our department evaluated the use of "clickers" in a newly introduced multidisciplinary approach to teaching large groups of third year medical students clinical cases developed around a microbiology theme.

Cold air plasma to decontaminate inanimate surfaces of the hospital environment.

The hospital environment harbors bacteria that may cause health care-associated infections. Microorganisms, such as multiresistant bacteria, can spread around the patient's inanimate environment. Some recently introduced biodecontamination approaches in hospitals have significant limitations due to the toxic nature of the gases and the length of time required for aeration.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt-related infections caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis: pathogenesis and implications for treatment.

The insertion of medical devices, such as intraventricular shunts, is often complicated by infection leading to ventriculitis. Frequently, such infections result from colonisation and subsequent biofilm formation on the surfaces of the shunts by Staphylococcus epidermidis. The pathogenesis of neurosurgical shunt-related infection is complex with interactions between the pathogen, the device and the unique local immunological environment of the central nervous system (CNS).

Candida infection of the central nervous system following neurosurgery: a 12-year review.

Background: Candida infection of the central nervous system (CNS) following neurosurgery is relatively unusual but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We present our experience with this infection in adults and discuss clinical characteristics, treatment options, and outcome.

Methods: All episodes of Candida isolated from the central nervous system were identified by searching our laboratory database.

Biofilm characteristics of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates associated with device-related meningitis.

Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm causes device-related meningitis in neurosurgical patients. This study assessed the contribution of polysaccharide and protein to the development of a strong biofilm-positive phenotype in four S. epidermidis isolates associated with probable device-related meningitis, under varying environmental conditions.

Staphylococcus epidermidis polysaccharide intercellular adhesin induces IL-8 expression in human astrocytes via a mechanism involving TLR2.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is an opportunistic biofilm-forming pathogen associated with neurosurgical device-related meningitis. Expression of the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) on its surface promotes S. epidermidis biofilm formation.