Publications by authors named "Will Robertson"

Article Synopsis
  • The study examines a community-based intervention aimed at reducing opioid-related overdose deaths by increasing the adoption of evidence-based practices including overdose education and naloxone distribution, medication treatment for opioid use disorder, and prescription safety.
  • In a cluster-randomized trial, 67 communities across Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio were assigned to either receive the intervention or serve as a control group during a period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in fentanyl overdoses.
  • Results showed no significant difference in opioid-related overdose death rates between the intervention and control groups, with both averaging similar rates, indicating that the community-engaged strategies did not have a measurable impact during the study period.
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Woodchip filters have received attention in recent years for their ability to sustain denitrification activity across multiyear time frames. However, in some freshwater aquatic ecosystems, P rather than N is the nutrient considered most responsible for eutrophication. Previous studies have indicated that woodchip filters have limited ability to remove dissolved P, but in agricultural terrain, P export in watercourses is often dominated by particulate P (PP).

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Campylobacter species contribute to an enormous burden of enteric illnesses around the world. This study compared two different methods for detecting Campylobacter species in surface water samples from agricultural watersheds across Canada. One method was based on membrane filtration (MF) of 500 ml water samples followed by selective microaerophilic enrichment at 42 degrees C in Bolton broth, isolation of Campylobacter on CCDA, and subsequent identification confirmation by a PCR assay.

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Recent molecular evidence suggests that different species and/or genotypes of Cryptosporidium display strong host specificity, altering our perceptions regarding the zoonotic potential of this parasite. Molecular forensic profiling of the small-subunit rRNA gene from oocysts enumerated on microscope slides by U.S.

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A real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) assay was developed for detecting and quantifying Escherichia coli in water samples from agricultural watersheds. The assay included optimization of DNA extraction and purification from water samples, and Q-PCR amplification conditions using newly designed species-specific oligonucleotide primers derived from conserved flanking regions of the 16S rRNA gene, the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and the 23S rRNA gene. The assay was optimized using a pure culture of E.

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Surface pasteurization for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes was evaluated for radiant heat prepackage pasteurization, submersed water postpackage pasteurization, and combinations of the two techniques on various types of ready-to-eat deli turkey products obtained from at least four different manufacturers. Products were inoculated either by in-package liquid inoculum or surface sponge-contact with approximately 10(9) CFU of L. monocytogenes.

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