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1.
J Am Med Dir Assoc ; : 105217, 2024 Aug 17.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39163989

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: Compare the effectiveness of 2 nonpharmacologic approaches to dementia care in nursing homes on 12- and 18-month resident outcomes, which was after the emergence of COVID-19. DESIGN AND INTERVENTION: A cluster randomized pragmatic trial, which included an embedded convergent mixed-methods design. Nursing homes were randomized to a team-based (TB) or problem-based (PB) intervention arm. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Residents (n = 2658 at baseline) and staff (n = 327) from 52 nursing homes in the United States. METHODS: The exploratory quantitative analysis used a difference-in-differences model to compare the change in TB arm resident outcomes between baseline, 12 months, and 18 months relative to the PB arm using the Minimum Data Set 3.0. Outcomes included antipsychotic medication use, behavioral symptoms, wandering, and rejection of care. Staff interview data were analyzed in a 3-phase team-based rapid qualitative analysis approach, after which data were integrated. RESULTS: Rejection of care decreased by 5.9 percentage points in the TB arm relative to the PB arm at 12 months (95% CI -11.7 to -0.2). Emergent results indicated that COVID-19 visitation restrictions prevented PB staff from working with families to manage rejection of care as was done before the pandemic, whereas TB staff described using collaboration strategies not hindered by the pandemic. There was no statistically significant difference between arms in antipsychotic medication use, behavioral symptoms, and wandering at either follow-up period. When integrated, qualitative data provided contradictory information on antipsychotic medication use and confirmatory information on behavioral symptoms and wandering. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The exploratory nature and mixed results of the quantitative data analysis limited the ability to determine a clear benefit of one approach over the other. Findings suggest that dementia care delivery faced complex challenges during COVID-19 and required engagement from a broad range of nursing home staff underscoring the importance of equipping all staff with foundational dementia care knowledge.

2.
J Am Med Dir Assoc ; : 105216, 2024 Aug 17.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39163990

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: Nursing home dementia care initiatives have prioritized nonpharmacologic approaches to manage behavioral symptoms. This study compares the effectiveness of 2 nonpharmacologic approaches on resident outcomes. DESIGN AND INTERVENTION: Cluster randomized controlled trial using a convergent mixed methods design to compare the team-based and problem-based approaches to dementia care. The team-based arm received facility-wide training, providing a shared language and knowledge across staff. The problem-based arm received discipline-specific web-based training for certain staff. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Residents living with dementia (n = 2728) in 53 nursing homes; 327 staff. METHODS: Outcomes were antipsychotic medication use, behavioral symptoms, rejection of care, and wandering captured with the Minimum Data Set. Exploratory quantitative analysis compared change in outcomes between baseline and 6-month follow-up, across arms using a difference-in-difference model. Qualitative data were collected via staff interviews. Integration of quantitative and qualitative data determined whether these sources provided confirmatory, emergent, or contradictory information on outcomes. RESULTS: Resident wandering increased 3.51 percentage points (95% CI 0.6, 6.4) in the team-based arm compared to the problem-based arm, without increase in adverse events. Data integration confirmed this finding. Staff in the team-based arm described wandering as a positive coping strategy for the resident. We found mixed results for the other 3 outcomes. There was no statistically significant difference in antipsychotic medication use across arms, but staff interviews did reveal differences. There were trends of increased behavioral symptoms in the team-based arm and increased rejection of care in the problem-based arm (neither statistically significant), which were confirmed by qualitative findings. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Integration results suggest a benefit for resident wandering in the team-based approach, compared with the problem-based approach. Although findings are exploratory, training for all nursing home staff that accounts for diverse education and training needs may influence care delivery and have benefits for residents living with dementia.

3.
PLoS One ; 19(7): e0304779, 2024.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38980887

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the association between changes in mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 mortality across geographic areas and by race/ethnicity. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Los Angeles County between April and May 2021. The study used the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 to assess major depression risk. Participants' home ZIP codes were classified into low, middle, and high COVID-19 mortality impacted areas (CMIA). RESULTS: While there were existing mental health disparities due to differences in demographics and social determinants of health across CMIA in 2018, the pandemic exacerbated the disparities, especially for residents living in high CMIA. Non-White residents in high CMIA reported the largest deterioration in mental health. Differences in mental health by CMIA persisted after controlling for resident characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Living in an area with higher COVID-19 mortality rates may have been associated with worse mental health, with Non-White residents reporting worse mental health outcomes in the high mortality area. POLICY IMPLICATIONS: It is crucial to advocate for greater mental health resources in high COVID-19 mortality areas especially for racial/ethnic minorities.


Assuntos
COVID-19 , Saúde Mental , Humanos , COVID-19/mortalidade , COVID-19/epidemiologia , COVID-19/psicologia , Los Angeles/epidemiologia , Saúde Mental/estatística & dados numéricos , Masculino , Feminino , Estudos Transversais , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto , Idoso , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2/isolamento & purificação , Estudos de Coortes
4.
Am J Prev Med ; 66(6): 957-962, 2024 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38342478

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna on September 11, 2023. Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation that everyone aged ≥6 years receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine, the general public's intentions to receive the new 2023-2024 vaccine are unknown. METHODS: Intentions to receive the new COVID-19 vaccine and the demographic predictors of those intentions were assessed from a survey of adult residents, aged ≥18 years, of Los Angeles County, California conducted in October 2023. RESULTS: Of the 1,090 participants, 701 (64.3%) indicated they were planning on receiving the new COVID-19 vaccine, 217 (19.9%) responded no, and 172 (15.8%) were unsure. Male gender (versus female); age groups of 50-64 and ≥65 years (versus 18-29 years); and ≥$100,000 household income (versus ≤$49,999) were associated with higher odds of reporting yes than reporting no regarding their vaccination intentions. Asian and Hispanic race/ethnicity (versus Non-Hispanic White) were associated with higher odds of indicating not sure than the odds of indicating no vaccination intentions. A significantly higher proportion of not-sure respondents reported "I plan to wait and see if it is safe and may get it later", whereas a significantly higher proportion of no respondents reported "I don't believe I need a COVID-19 vaccine booster" and "I don't trust COVID-19 vaccines." CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates demographic differences in attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination intentions and highlights the importance of promotional messages and initiatives that target more hesitant populations. These messages should address possible side effects and vaccine safety.


Assuntos
Vacinas contra COVID-19 , COVID-19 , Intenção , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Vacinas contra COVID-19/administração & dosagem , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Adolescente , Adulto Jovem , Idoso , Inquéritos e Questionários , SARS-CoV-2 , Hesitação Vacinal/estatística & dados numéricos , Hesitação Vacinal/psicologia , Los Angeles , Estados Unidos , Vacinação/estatística & dados numéricos , Vacinação/psicologia
5.
Science ; 383(6683): eadj9986, 2024 Feb 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38330118

RESUMO

Most health care providers in developing countries know that oral rehydration salts (ORS) are a lifesaving and inexpensive treatment for child diarrhea, yet few prescribe it. This know-do gap has puzzled experts for decades. Using randomized experiments in India, we estimated the extent to which ORS underprescription is driven by perceptions that patients do not want ORS, provider's financial incentives, and ORS stock-outs (out-of-stock events). Patients expressing a preference for ORS increased ORS prescribing by 27 percentage points. Eliminating stock-outs increased ORS provision by 7 percentage points. Removing financial incentives did not affect ORS prescribing on average but did increase ORS prescribing at pharmacies. We estimate that perceptions that patients do not want ORS explain 42% of underprescribing, whereas stock-outs and financial incentives explain only 6 and 5%, respectively.


Assuntos
Diarreia , Prescrições de Medicamentos , Preferência do Paciente , Soluções para Reidratação , Criança , Humanos , Lactente , Diarreia/tratamento farmacológico , Pessoal de Saúde , Índia , Qualidade da Assistência à Saúde , Soluções para Reidratação/uso terapêutico , Preferência do Paciente/psicologia , Percepção
6.
JAMA Health Forum ; 5(2): e235325, 2024 Feb 02.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38363561

RESUMO

Importance: Medicare Advantage (MA) plans receive capitated per enrollee payments that create financial incentives to provide care more efficiently than traditional Medicare (TM); however, incentives could be associated with MA plans reducing use of beneficial services. Postacute care can improve functional status, but it is costly, and thus may be provided differently to Medicare beneficiaries by MA plans compared with TM. Objective: To estimate the association of MA compared with TM enrollment with postacute care use and postdischarge outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a cohort study using Medicare data on 4613 hospitalizations among retired Ohio state employees and 2 comparison groups in 2015 and 2016. The study investigated the association of a policy change with use of postacute care and outcomes. The policy changed state retiree health benefits in Ohio from a mandatory MA plan to subsidies for either supplemental TM coverage or an MA plan. After policy implementation, approximately 75% of retired Ohio state employees switched to TM. Hospitalizations for 3 high-volume conditions that usually require postacute rehabilitation were assessed. Data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review files were used to identify all hospitalizations in short-term acute care hospitals. Difference-in-difference regressions were used to estimate changes for retired Ohio state employees compared with other 2015 MA enrollees in Ohio and with Kentucky public retirees who were continuously offered a mandatory MA plan. Data analyses were performed from September 1, 2019, to November 30, 2023. Exposures: Enrollment in Ohio state retiree health benefits in 2015, after which most members shifted to TM. Main Outcomes and Measures: Received care in an inpatient rehabilitation facility, skilled nursing facility, or home health, or any postacute care; the occurrence of any hospital readmission; the number of days in the community during the 30 days after hospital discharge; and mortality. Results: The study sample included 2373 hospitalizations for Ohio public retirees, 1651 hospitalizations for other Humana MA enrollees in Ohio, and 589 hospitalizations for public retirees in Kentucky. After the 2016 policy implementation, the percentage of hospitalizations covered by MA decreased by 70.1 (95% CI, -74.2 to -65.9) percentage points (pp), inpatient rehabilitation facility admissions increased by 9.7 (95% CI, 4.7 to 14.7) pp, use of only home health or skilled nursing facility care fell by 8.6 (95% CI, -14.6 to -2.6) pp, and days in the community fell by 1.6 (95% CI, -2.9 to -0.3) days for Ohio public retirees compared with other Humana MA enrollees in Ohio. There was no change in 30-day mortality or hospital readmissions; similar results were found by comparisons using Kentucky public retirees as a control group. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cohort study indicate that after a change in retiree health benefits, most Ohio public retirees shifted from MA to TM and received more intensive postacute care with no significant change in measured short-term postdischarge outcomes. Future work should consider additional measures of postacute functional status over a longer follow-up period.


Assuntos
Medicare Part C , Idoso , Humanos , Estados Unidos , Estudos de Coortes , Alta do Paciente , Cuidados Semi-Intensivos , Assistência ao Convalescente
8.
Cell Biol Int ; 48(3): 347-357, 2024 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38212941

RESUMO

Cell lines are important in vitro models to answer biological mechanisms with less genetic variations. The present study was attempted to develop a cell line from rainbow trout, where we obtained a cell line from the heart, named "RBT-H." The cell line was authenticated using karyotyping and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequencing. The karyotype demonstrated diploid chromosome number (2n) as 62 and the sequence of partial COI gene was 99.84% similar to rainbow trout COI data set, both suggesting the origin of RBT-H from the rainbow trout. The heart cell line was mycoplasma-free and found to be refractory to infection with the Tilapia lake virus. The RBT-H cell line is deposited in the National Repository of Fish Cell Line (NRFC) at ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow, India, with Accession no. NRFC0075 for maintenance and distribution to researchers on request for R&D.


Assuntos
Doenças dos Peixes , Oncorhynchus mykiss , Tilápia , Animais , Oncorhynchus mykiss/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular , Índia
10.
J Am Med Dir Assoc ; 25(2): 209-214.e1, 2024 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38008125

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: Nursing home (NH) staff often report not having adequate dementia-specific knowledge to effectively care for these residents. Between 2011 and 2019, 9 states in the United States implemented dementia training requirements for NH staff. This study evaluated whether the state-mandated dementia training for NH staff was associated with improving resident outcomes. DESIGN: Compared trends in antipsychotic medication before and after implementation of state training requirements to trends in states without requirements. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: NHs. METHODS: Data from Care Compare for NHs and LTCFocus were linked to state policy data. We excluded 14 states that had implemented training requirements before the start of the study period in 2011. We estimated difference-in-differences models that compared trends in antipsychotic medication use before and after implementation of training requirements in states that have newly implemented requirements to trends in states without requirements. We also investigated whether the impact of training was larger in states with more stringent training requirements (eg, specifying a minimum number of training hours) and in NHs with a special care unit for dementia and examined similar analyses for restraint use and falls. RESULTS: We found that training requirements were associated with a 0.59-percentage point reduction (95% CI -0.91 to -0.27) in antipsychotics use. Effects were larger in NHs with a special care unit for dementia and in states that had stricter training requirements. We also found that training requirements were associated with a 0.17-percentage point reduction (95% CI -0.26 to -0.07) in restraint use measure and had no impact on falls. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: State requirements for NH staff dementia training were associated with a small, but significant, reduction in the use of antipsychotic medication and physical restraints.


Assuntos
Antipsicóticos , Demência , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem , Humanos , Estados Unidos , Antipsicóticos/uso terapêutico , Demência/tratamento farmacológico , Casas de Saúde , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem/educação , Instituições de Cuidados Especializados de Enfermagem
11.
Microb Pathog ; 186: 106475, 2024 Jan.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38048839

RESUMO

Tilapia lake virus ('TiLV-MH-2022') was recently recovered from the naturally infected farmed tilapia. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using segment 1 specific primers, followed by Sanger sequencing, confirmed the infection. The pairwise sequence homology of segment 1 showed its close relationship with the previous isolates. The virus was successfully detected from the mucus, which emphasised the possibility of non-invasive screening of tilapia on a large scale. The virus inoculum prepared from the infected tissues was tested for in vivo and in vitro pathogenicity. Around 100-140 nm-sized electron-dense virus particles were observed in the infected OnlL cells. Based on the onset of symptoms and lesions, all RT-PCR-positive fish were categorised into two groups, 'clinical' and 'subclinical'. A lesion-scoring technique was developed for assessing the pathogenicity of the virus isolate. The external and internal gross lesions and histopathological alterations in the critical organs of the fish, such as the brain, kidney, gills, and liver, were assessed on a scale of 0 (no gross lesion) to 5 (most severe lesions). Overall lesion score was significantly high in the clinical and subclinical groups for gross and histopathology, respectively. This study is the first such attempt to standardise a semi-quantitative lesion scoring technique for TiLV infection, which establishes a clinical relevance and prognostic ability to distinguish between the apparent and inapparent infection.


Assuntos
Ciclídeos , Doenças Transmissíveis , Doenças dos Peixes , Tilápia , Vírus , Animais , Infecções Assintomáticas , Virulência , Prognóstico , Doenças dos Peixes/diagnóstico , Vírus/genética
12.
Sci Rep ; 13(1): 20761, 2023 11 25.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38007568

RESUMO

Prevention of COVID-19 with vaccine requires multiple doses and updated boosters to maintain protection; however currently there are no tests that can measure immunity and guide clinical decisions about timing of booster doses. This study examined the association between the risk of COVID-19 breakthrough infections and receptor binding domain (RBD) antibody levels and receipt of booster of COVID-19 vaccines. A community sample of Los Angeles County adults were surveyed between 2021 and 2022 to determine if they had a self-reported breakthrough infection. Predictors included RBD antibody levels, measured by binding antibody responses to the ancestral strain at baseline and self-reported booster shot during the study period. Of the 859 participants, 182 (21%) reported a breakthrough infection. Irrespective of the level of antibodies, the risk of breakthrough infection was similar, ranging from 19 to 23% (P = 0.78). The risk of breakthrough infections was lower among participants who had a booster shot (P = 0.004). The protective effect of a booster shot did not vary by antibody levels prior to receiving the booster. This study found no association between RBD antibody levels and risk of breakthrough infections, while the receipt of booster was associated with lower risk of breakthrough infections, which was independent of pre-booster antibody levels. Therefore, antibody levels might not be a useful guide for clinical decisions about timing of booster doses.


Assuntos
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Adulto , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Infecções Irruptivas , Vacinas contra COVID-19 , Estudos de Coortes , Pandemias , Anticorpos , Anticorpos Antivirais
13.
JAMA Pediatr ; 177(12): 1352-1354, 2023 12 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37870828

RESUMO

This cohort study evaluates the duration of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and its association with vaccination status in children after a positive COVID-19 test result.


Assuntos
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , Criança , Eliminação de Partículas Virais , Fezes
14.
J Fish Dis ; 2023 Oct 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37818735

RESUMO

Tilapia parvovirus (TiPV) has been associated with heavy mortalities in tilapia as a single infection or in co-infection with Tilapia lake virus (TiLV). In this study, TiPV was detected in farmed Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, from two geographical regions of India, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. TiPV-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reported earlier was used in the screening. Tilapia collected from Maharashtra showed characteristic clinical signs, and TiPV was detected along with TiLV and/or Aeromonas spp. However, fish from Uttar Pradesh were apparently healthy and only TiPV could be detected in these samples. A high prevalence of TiPV was recorded from both the geographical locations, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh (59.6% and 95.0% respectively). The virus could be detected in tissues such as the spleen, liver, kidney, brain and mucus. The spleen appeared to be the best tissue for detecting TiPV in apparently healthy tilapia. The presence of TiPV was further confirmed through sequencing the PCR products, isolation of the virus in the cell line and electron microscopy. Sequences of the NS1 gene of the two TiPV isolates showed similarity to the earlier reported TiPV isolates. The virus could be successfully propagated in O. niloticus Liver (OnL) cell line, and cytopathic effect was observed as early as 3 days post-infection. Furthermore, the presence of non-enveloped icosahedral to round virus particles measuring about 26-35 nm could be demonstrated in the cytoplasm and nucleus of infected OnL cells in transmission electron microscopy. With this confirmation of the presence of the virus, India is the third country to report TiPV after China and Thailand. The detection of TiPV in co-infection cases with TiLV and in apparently healthy Nile tilapia suggests its wide distribution and potential synergistic effect in co-infection cases. Therefore, this emerging virus needs holistic attention to understand its virulence, host-specificity and epidemiological risk factors.

15.
Health Econ ; 32(11): 2499-2515, 2023 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37464737

RESUMO

As a way of slowing COVID-19 transmission, many countries and U.S. states implemented shelter-in-place (SIP) policies. However, the effects of SIP policies on public health are a priori ambiguous. Using an event study approach and data from 43 countries and all U.S. states, we measure changes in excess deaths following the implementation of COVID-19 shelter-in-place (SIP) policies. We do not find that countries or U.S. states that implemented SIP policies earlier had lower excess deaths. We do not observe differences in excess deaths before and after the implementation of SIP policies, even when accounting for pre-SIP COVID-19 death rates.


Assuntos
COVID-19 , Humanos , Abrigo de Emergência , Saúde Pública , Políticas
16.
Soc Sci Med ; 330: 116062, 2023 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37418992

RESUMO

CONTEXT: Scholars have suggested that direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs may discourage or encourage changes in lifestyle to improve health. The current paper informs this debate by examining associations between estimated exposure to DTCA for drugs focused on heart disease/cholesterol and diabetes and self-reported exercise and consumption of a variety of unhealthy foods (candy, sugary drinks, alcohol, and fast food). METHODS: We estimated exposure to DTCA by combining data from Kantar Media Intelligence (Kantar) on televised pharmaceutical DTCA airings in the U.S. from January 2003 to August 2016 (n = 7,696,851 airings) with thirteen years of data from the Simmons National Consumer Survey (Simmons), a mailed survey on television viewing patterns. We estimated associations between exposure to advertising (both overall and for advertisements with specific content) and self-reported physical activity and dietary behavior using Simmons data from January 2004 to December 2016 (n = 288,483 respondents from n = 157,621 unique households in the U.S.). Our analysis controls for many potential confounders including respondent demographics, temporal trends, and program placement to account for purposeful ad targeting to higher-risk adults. FINDINGS: Higher estimated exposure to DTCA for heart disease and diabetes drugs were not consistently associated with meaningful differences in the frequency of engaging in regular physical activity. Greater estimated exposure to DTCA for both diseases were, linked to small but consistently higher volume of consumption of candy, sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol, and fast food. Specific DTCA message content about diet and exercise explained very little of the observed association between overall DTCA exposure volume and study outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Many Americans were regularly exposed to pharmaceutical DTCA for heart disease and diabetes from 2003 to 2016. Widespread exposure to such DTCA is associated with higher levels (though small in magnitude) of consuming alcohol, fast food, candy, and sugar-sweetened beverages.


Assuntos
Diabetes Mellitus , Publicidade Direta ao Consumidor , Cardiopatias , Medicamentos sob Prescrição , Adulto , Humanos , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , Publicidade , Fast Foods , Dieta , Exercício Físico
17.
J Public Econ ; 2212023 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37275770

RESUMO

This paper examines how direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs influences utilization by exploiting a large and plausibly exogenous shock to DTCA driven by the introduction of Medicare Part D. Part D led to larger increases in advertising in geographic areas with higher concentrations of Medicare beneficiaries. We examine the impact of this differential increase in advertising on non-elderly individuals to isolate advertising effects from the direct effects of Part D. We find that exposure to advertising led to large increases in treatment initiation and improved medication adherence. Advertising also had sizeable positive spillover effects on non-advertised generic drugs. Our results imply significant spillovers from Medicare Part D on the under-65 population and an important role for non-price factors in influencing prescription drug utilization.

18.
PLoS One ; 18(6): e0286553, 2023.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37319186

RESUMO

The oomycete Aphanomyces invadans causes epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), a World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)-listed disease that has seriously impacted a wide range of fish worldwide. Currently, only three conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are recommended for the detection of A. invadans. The robust quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay has recently become more important due to its highly accurate nature and the applicability of qPCR-based environmental DNA (eDNA) detection in the monitoring of pathogens in aquatic environments. Therefore, in this study, we developed a novel TaqMan probe-based qPCR method to sensitively and quantitatively detect A. invadans. The assay limit of detection was determined using 10-fold serial dilutions of linearized A. invadans plasmid. Assay sensitivity was assessed in the presence of interfering substances and compared to three WOAH-listed primers using the mycelia and zoospores of A. invadans with and without fish muscle tissue. The assay specificity was also theoretically and experimentally assessed against other oomycetes, fish muscle tissue, and water samples. The assay's repeatability and reproducibility were determined. In this study, the limit of detection of the developed assay was 7.24 copies of A. invadans genomic DNA per reaction (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.75 to 19.05 copies/reaction). The assay showed the same sensitivity in the presence of other substances. Compared to the WOAH-recommended PCR assays, this assay had 10-times higher sensitivity for all tested samples. There were no cross-reactions with other closely related oomycetes, fish muscle, or water samples, indicating that the assay was highly specific for A. invadans. The repeatability and reproducibility tests showed little variation, ranging from 0.1-0.9% and 0.04-1.1%, respectively, indicating the high consistency, repeatability, and reliability of the developed assay. This highly rapid, sensitive, specific, and consistent EUS qPCR assay would be of importance in transboundary disease management and the monitoring of pathogens in aquatic environments.


Assuntos
Aphanomyces , Doenças dos Peixes , Oomicetos , Animais , Aphanomyces/genética , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Peixes , Água , Doenças dos Peixes/diagnóstico
19.
Contemp Clin Trials Commun ; 34: 101161, 2023 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37347001

RESUMO

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the daily challenges nursing home (NH) staff face caring for the residents living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Non-pharmacological approaches are prioritized over off-label medication to manage the behavioral and psychological symptoms of ADRD. Yet, it is not clear how to best equip NH staff and families with the knowledge and strategies needed to provide non-pharmacological approaches to these residents. Methods: This clustered randomized trial will compare team- and problem-based approaches to non-pharmacological ADRD care. The team-based approach includes core training for all NH staff using a common language and strategies to support continuity and sustainability. The problem-based approach capitalizes on the expertise of the professional healthcare providers to target issues that arise. A convergent mixed methods design will be used to examine (a) comparative effectiveness of the two approaches on long-term NH resident outcomes and (b) whether either approach is protective against the negative consequences of COVID-19. The primary outcome is the percentage of ADRD residents with off-label antipsychotic medication use, which will be evaluated with an intent-to-treat approach. Staff and family caregiver perspectives will be explored using a multiple case study approach. Conclusion: This trial will be the first-ever evaluation of team- and problem-based approaches to ADRD care across multiple NHs and geographic regions. Results can provide health system leaders and policymakers with evidence on how to optimize ADRD training for staff in an effort to enhance ADRD care delivery.

20.
Prev Med Rep ; 34: 102245, 2023 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37252067

RESUMO

Despite the efficacy and widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine uptake has been relatively low in U.S. Hispanic communities, especially among adolescents. This study examined vaccination status among 444 high school students in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods of Los Angeles County, California in May-June 2022 (mean age = 15.74 years, 55% female, 93% Hispanic). Guided by Protection Motivation Theory, we hypothesized that the odds of being fully vaccinated (at least 2 vaccine doses) would be significantly associated with higher levels of perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy. 79% of the respondents were fully vaccinated. Binary logistic regression analyses found that response efficacy (belief in the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine) and self-efficacy to get vaccinated were significantly associated with the likelihood of being fully vaccinated. Perceived severity of COVID-19 and perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 were not associated with the likelihood of being fully vaccinated. Results indicate that health communications are needed to convince Hispanic adolescents and their parents that the COVID-19 vaccine is effective, and outreach efforts are needed to remove barriers to vaccination among this population.

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