Impact of intense sanitization procedures on bacterial communities recovered from floor drains in pork processing plants.

Background: Pork processing plants in the United States (US) cease operations for 24-48 h every six or twelve months to perform intense sanitization (IS) using fogging, foaming, and further antimicrobial treatments to disrupt natural biofilms that may harbor pathogens and spoilage organisms. The impact such treatments have on short-term changes in environmental microorganisms is not well understood, nor is the rate at which bacterial communities return. Methods: Swab samples were collected from floor drains to provide representative environmental microorganisms at two US pork processing plants before, during, and after an IS procedure. Samples were collected from four coolers where finished carcasses were chilled and from four locations near cutting tables. Each sample was characterized by total mesophile count (TMC), total psychrophile count (TPC), and other indicator bacteria; their biofilm-forming ability, tolerance of the formed biofilm to a quaternary ammonium compound (300 ppm, QAC), and ability to protect co-inoculated Salmonella enterica. In addition, bacterial community composition was determined using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Results: IS procedures disrupted bacteria present but to different extents depending on the plant and the area of the plant. IS reduced TPC and TMC, by up to 1.5 Log10 CFU only to return to pre-IS levels within 2-3 days. The impact of IS on microorganisms in coolers was varied, with reductions of 2-4 Log10, and required 2 to 4 weeks to return to pre-IS levels. The results near fabrication lines were mixed, with little to no significant changes at one plant, while at the other, two processing lines showed 4 to 6 Log10 reductions. Resistance to QAC and the protection of Salmonella by the biofilms varied between plants and between areas of the plants as well. Community profiling of bacteria at the genus level showed that IS reduced species diversity and the disruption led to new community compositions that in some cases did not return to the pre-IS state even after 15 to 16 weeks. Discussion: The results found here reveal the impact of using IS to disrupt the presence of pathogen or spoilage microorganisms in US pork processing facilities may not have the intended effect.

The Role of Meeting Exercise and Nutrition Guidelines on Sleep during Pregnancy.

Sleep disturbances are common during pregnancy. This study determined whether meeting physical activity or dietary guidelines during pregnancy was associated with improved sleep. Third trimester pregnant women (n = 49, 31.9 ± 4.1 years) completed physical activity and sleep questionnaires and then wore a wrist actigraph 24 h/day and completed three 24 h dietary recalls across two weeks. Participants who reported meeting physical activity guidelines (>150 min moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]/week, n = 23) or dietary guidelines (≥1.1 g protein/kg body weight/day, n = 26 or ≥25 g fiber/day, n = 16) were compared to those who were physically inactive (<90 min/week) or did not meet dietary guidelines, respectively. Multivariate ANOVAs and Mann-Whitney U tests compared groups and correlations were conducted between physical activity, diet, and sleep variables. Physical activity groups did not differ in objective sleep measures (ps > 0.05); however, the active group reported better sleep quality (p = 0.049). Those who met protein guidelines exhibited longer sleep duration and less wake-after-sleep-onset (ps < 0.05). Across all participants, higher weekly MET mins/week of MVPA associated with better sleep quality (p = 0.02), and a diet higher in fat and lower in carbohydrates associated with longer sleep duration (ps < 0.05). Meeting physical activity and nutrition guidelines positively associates with improved sleep, with protein associated with objective measures and physical activity with subjective measures.

Shotgun-metagenomics reveals a highly diverse and communal microbial network present in the drains of three beef-processing plants.

Background: Multi-species biofilms pose a problem in various environments, especially food-processing environments. The diversity of microorganisms in these biofilms plays a critical role in their integrity and protection against external biotic and abiotic factors. Compared to single-species biofilms, mixed-species biofilms are more resistant to various stresses, including antimicrobials like sanitizers. Therefore, understanding the microbiome composition and diversity in biofilms and their metabolic potential is a priority when developing intervention techniques to combat foodborne pathogens in food processing environments. Methods: This study aimed to describe and compare the microbiome profile of 75 drain biofilm samples obtained from five different locations (Hotscale, Hotbox, Cooler, Processing, & Grind room) of three beef-processing plants (Plant A, B & C) taken over two timepoints 2017-18 (T1) and 2021 (T2) by shotgun sequencing. Results: Core microbiome analysis found Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, and Acinetobacter to be the top three prevalent genera among the plants and locations. Alpha diversity analysis demonstrated a high diversity of microbiome present in all the plants and locations across the time points. Functional analysis showed the high metabolic potential of the microbial community with abundance of genes in metabolism, cell-adhesion, motility, and quorum sensing. Moreover, Quaternary Ammonium Compound (QAC) resistance genes were also observed, this is significant as QAC sanitizers are commonly used in many food processing facilities. Multi-functional genes such as transposases, polymerases, permeases, flagellar proteins, and Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) were found suggesting these are dynamic microbial communities that work together to protect themselves against environmental stresses through multiple defense mechanisms. Conclusion: This study provides a framework for understanding the collective microbial network spanning a beef processing system. The results can be used to develop intervention strategies to best control these highly communicative microbial networks.

Addressing adolescent substance use in an urban pediatric federally qualified health center.

OBJECTIVE: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a systematic approach to identification and intervention for individuals at risk for substance use disorders. Prior research indicates that SBIRT is underutilized in pediatric primary care. Yet few studies have examined procedures for identifying and addressing substance use in clinics that serve publicly insured adolescents (i.e., federally qualified health centers [FQHC]). This descriptive, multi-method study assessed adolescent substance use frequency and provider perspectives to inform SBIRT implementation in an urban pediatric FQHC in California. METHODS: A medical record review assessed substance use frequency and correlates among publicly insured adolescents aged 12-17 years who completed a well-child visit in pediatric primary care between 2014 and 2017 (N = 2252). Data on substance use (i.e., alcohol, illicit drugs, and tobacco) were from a health assessment tool mandated by Medicaid. Semi-structured interviews with 12 providers (i.e., pediatricians, nurse practitioners, behavioral health clinicians) elicited information about the current clinic workflow for adolescent substance use and barriers and facilitators to SBIRT implementation. RESULTS: Of 1588 adolescents who completed the assessment (70.5%), 6.8% reported current substance use. Self-reported use was highest among non-Hispanic Black (15.2%) adolescents and those with co-occurring depressive symptoms (14.4%). Provider-reported challenges to implementing SBIRT included a lack of space for confidential screening and a lack of referral options. Providers favored implementing technology-based tools such as tablets for adolescent pre-visit screening and electronic medical record-based decision support to facilitate brief intervention and treatment referrals. CONCLUSIONS: This study fills a substantial research gap by examining factors that impede and support SBIRT implementation in pediatric FQHC settings. Successful SBIRT implementation in these settings could significantly reduce the unmet need for substance use treatment among uninsured and publicly insured adolescents. Pediatric primary care and urgent care providers perceived SBIRT to be feasible, and health information and digital technologies may facilitate the integration of SBIRT into clinic workflows. Ensuring confidentiality for screening and expanding referral options for adolescents in need of community-based addiction treatment are also critical to increasing SBIRT uptake.

Collecting Social Media Information in a Substance Use Intervention Trial With Adolescent Girls With Lifetime Substance Use History: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents with juvenile legal system contact face numerous barriers to participation in behavioral health intervention research, including housing disruption, legal privacy concerns, and systems mistrust. Technology, such as social media, may be a novel and developmentally appropriate adolescent research study engagement and retention tool. OBJECTIVE: We examined data on social media information collected for study retention purposes from adolescents participating in a substance use intervention trial. METHODS: Data were collected as part of a randomized controlled trial determining efficacy of a group-based substance use intervention for girls and young women (12-24 years) with substance use histories referred from legal and school systems in the United States. Baseline demographic and social media information was analyzed from the subset of 114 adolescent girls (mean age 15.7 years; range 13-18 years), of whom 31.6% (36/114) were legally involved, 87.7% (100/114) belonged to minoritized racial/ethnic groups, and 32.5% (37/114) received public assistance. RESULTS: Most girls (74/114, 64.9%) provided at least one social media account (Instagram, 95% [70/74]; Facebook, 27% [20/74]; and Twitter, 11% [8/74]) during study enrollment. Legally involved girls were significantly less likely to provide social media information than school-referred girls (44% [16/36] versus 74% [58/78]; χ21 [N=114]=9.68, P=.002). CONCLUSIONS: Obtaining social media information for study retention purposes from adolescent girls with lifetime substance use appears possible; however, particular subgroups (ie, legally involved girls) may be less likely to provide accounts. Factors shaping legally involved girls' willingness to provide social media information, including mistrust and privacy concerns, and the impact of researcher's access to social media information on study retention are critical directions for future research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02293057; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02293057.