Impact of Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Rodent Sightings on Mental Health among Residents of New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety are prevalent globally, and rates are especially high in New York City (NYC) since the COVID-19 pandemic. Neighborhood social and physical environments have been found to influence mental health. We investigated the impact of neighborhood social cohesion and neighborhood rodent sightings (as an indicator of neighborhood cleanliness) on nonspecific serious psychological distress (NSPD) status using 2020 NYC Community Health Survey data from 8781 NYC residents. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationships among social cohesion, rodent sightings, and NSPD adjusted for confounders and complex sampling and weighted to the NYC population. Effect measure modification of rodent sightings on the effect of social cohesion on NSPD was evaluated on the multiplicative scale by adding the interaction term to the multivariable model and, if significant, stratifying on the effect modifier, and on the additive scale using the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). Social cohesion was found to decrease the odds of NSPD, and rodent sightings were found to increase the odds of NSPD. We found significant evidence of effect measure modification on the multiplicative scale. In the stratified models, there was a protective effect of social cohesion against NSPD among those not reporting rodent sightings, but no effect among those reporting rodent sightings. Our findings suggest that both neighborhood social cohesion and rodent sightings impact the mental health of New Yorkers and that rodent infestations may diminish the benefit of neighborhood social cohesion.

Rapid Detection of Cleanliness on Direct Bonded Copper Substrate by Using UV Hyperspectral Imaging.

In the manufacturing process of electrical devices, ensuring the cleanliness of technical surfaces, such as direct bonded copper substrates, is crucial. An in-line monitoring system for quality checking must provide sufficiently resolved lateral data in a short time. UV hyperspectral imaging is a promising in-line method for rapid, contactless, and large-scale detection of contamination; thus, UV hyperspectral imaging (225-400 nm) was utilized to characterize the cleanliness of direct bonded copper in a non-destructive way. In total, 11 levels of cleanliness were prepared, and a total of 44 samples were measured to develop multivariate models for characterizing and predicting the cleanliness levels. The setup included a pushbroom imager, a deuterium lamp, and a conveyor belt for laterally resolved measurements of copper surfaces. A principal component analysis (PCA) model effectively differentiated among the sample types based on the first two principal components with approximately 100.0% explained variance. A partial least squares regression (PLS-R) model to determine the optimal sonication time showed reliable performance, with R2cv = 0.928 and RMSECV = 0.849. This model was able to predict the cleanliness of each pixel in a testing sample set, exemplifying a step in the manufacturing process of direct bonded copper substrates. Combined with multivariate data modeling, the in-line UV prototype system demonstrates a significant potential for further advancement towards its application in real-world, large-scale processes.

The influence of environmental cleanliness on food perceptions.

Background: Getting consumers to adopt healthier eating habits continues to be a puzzle for marketers and policymakers all over the globe. Nevertheless, research continues to identify factors that can influence consumers' food consumption. Aim: The purpose of this research is to explore how one relatively unexplored factor, namely the cleanliness of the surrounding environment, can affect perceptions and consumption. Methods: An online survey experiment presenting participants with either a clean or dirty environment scenario and asking subsequent questions about their dining experience was utilized. Results: Participants in a clean (vs. dirty) environment perceived their food to be healthier, fresher, and of higher quality, relative to a dirty environment. This effect, in turn, mediated the relationship between condition and perceptions of meal quality. Conclusion: Clean environmental conditions, though not directly related to the food products provided at food venues, can nevertheless have a strong influence on consumers' dining experience.

Association between food control inspection grades and regional incidence of infectious foodborne diseases in Finland.

We studied regional food control inspection grades and their relation to regional incidence of domestically acquired foodborne diseases (caused by Campylobacter spp. Salmonella spp. enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), and Listeria monocytogenes) using food control inspection data of local food business operators and infectious disease data from 2014 to 2019 from Finland. We observed that inferior overall inspection grades were associated with increased incidence of Salmonella infections (p=0.02). Specifically, inferior grades on cleanliness of facilities, surfaces, and equipment were associated with increased incidence of Salmonella infections (p=0.04). For this topical inspection area, a high effect size was also seen for Campylobacter infections (p=0.06). Of the individual inspection items, an association between increased incidence of Campylobacter infections and inferior grades on storage of foodstuffs (p=0.01) and verification of hygiene proficiency (p=0.03) was observed. These results suggest that food control recognizes non-compliances that may predispose to foodborne diseases.

Applicability of the Barcelona scale to assess the quality of cleanliness of mucosa at esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There are few scales with prospective validation for the assessment of the upper gastrointestinal mucosal cleanliness during an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reproducible cleanliness scale for use during an EGD. METHODS: We developed a cleanliness scale (Barcelona scale) with a score (0-2 points) of five segments of the upper gastrointestinal tract with thorough cleaning techniques (esophagus, fundus, body, antrum, and duodenum). First, 125 photos (25 of each area) were assessed, and a score was assigned to each image by consensus among 7 experts endoscopists. Subsequently, 100 of the 125 images were selected and the inter- and intra-observer variability of 15 previously trained endoscopists was evaluated using the same images at two different times. RESULTS: In total, 1500 assessments were performed. In 1336/1500 observations (89%) there was agreement with the consensus score, with a mean kappa value of 0.83 (0.45-0.96). In the second evaluation, in 1330/1500 observations (89%) there was agreement with the consensus score, with a mean kappa value of 0.82 (0.45-0.93). The intra-observer variability was 0.89 (0.76-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: The Barcelona cleanliness scale is a valid measure and reproducible with minimal training. Its application in clinical practice is a significant step to standardize the quality of the EGD.

AI-KODA score application for cleanliness assessment in video capsule endoscopy frames.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is no automated method for assessing cleanliness in video capsule endoscopy (VCE). Our objectives were to automate the process of evaluating and collecting medical scores of VCE frames according to the existing KOrea-CanaDA (KODA) scoring system by developing an easy-to-use mobile application called artificial intelligence-KODA (AI-KODA) score, as well as to determine the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the KODA score among three readers for prospective AI applications, and check the efficacy of the application. METHOD: From the 28 patient capsule videos considered, 1539 sequential frames were selected at five-minute intervals, and 634 random frames were selected at random intervals during small bowel transit. The frames were processed and shifted to AI-KODA. Three readers (gastroenterology fellows), who had been trained in reading VCE, rated 2173 frames in duplicate four weeks apart after completing the training module on AI-KODA. The scores were saved automatically in real time. Reliability was assessed for each video using estimate of intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). Then, the AI dataset was developed using the frames and their respective scores, and it was subjected to automatic classification of the scores via the random forest and the k-nearest neighbors classifiers. RESULTS: For sequential frames, ICCs for inter-rater variability were 'excellent' to 'good' among the three readers, while ICCs for intra-rater variability were 'good' to 'moderate'. For random frames, ICCs for inter-rater and intra-rater variability were 'excellent' among the three readers. The overall accuracy achieved was up to 61% for the random forest classifier and 62.38% for the k-nearest neighbors classifier. CONCLUSIONS: AI-KODA automates the process of scoring VCE frames based on the existing KODA score. It saves time in cleanliness assessment and is user-friendly for research and clinical use. Comprehensive benchmarking of the AI dataset is in process.

Magnetic-controlled capsule endoscopy performance in aging patients.

BACKGROUND: The increasing elderly population and wide use of magnetic capsule endoscopy (MCE) have led to more attention to elderly patients. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the performance (including transit time, cleanliness score, positive findings and safety) of MCE in aging patients (≥ 60 years), especially patients over 80 years old. METHODS: Consecutive patients of ≥ 60 years undergoing MCE at our center from August 2017 to August 2022 were classified into the oldest (≥ 80 years) and the older (60-79 years) groups. Esophageal transit time (ETT), gastric examination time (GET), small bowel transit time (SITT), and the quality of gastric preparation were compared. Information on examination indications, subjective discomforts, adverse events, and MCE outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Of 293 enrolled patients, 128 patients were in the oldest group and 165 patients were in the older group. ETT and GET were longer in the oldest group, whereas SITT was slightly longer in the oldest patients. Visualization scores were significantly lower in the body and antrum in the oldest patients. The total visualization score was lower in the older group compared with the oldest group; however, the difference was not significant. Cleanliness scores at the fundus and antrum and total cleanliness scores were lower in the oldest patients compared with the older patients. Positive findings and ulcers and erosions in the small intestine were more common in the oldest group. One patient had nausea during the gastric examination. Capsule retention in the cecum occurred in one case. CONCLUSION: MCE was feasible and safe for aging patients. ETT and GET were markedly longer and gastric cleanliness and visualization were worse, while overall small intestine-positive findings were higher in the oldest patients compared with the older patients.

Intramammary infections and risk factors in freshly calved heifers in Swedish dairy herds.

Subclinical mastitis can be common among freshly calved heifers (FCH), but the prevalence differs between herds, possibly due to variation in risk factors. The aims of this observational study were to identify differences in occurrence of intramammary infection (IMI) in FCH between herds with documented good or poorer first-parity udder health based on cow somatic cell count (CSCC) in early lactation, and to study herd differences in animal factors important for udder health, such as udder and hock skin lesions and animal cleanliness. Three groups of herds were included: those with high proportions of FCH with low CSCC (≤75,000 cells/mL) at the first 2 milk recordings after calving (LL), herds with high proportions of FCH with high CSCC (>100,000 cells/mL) at the first and low CSCC at the second recording (HL), and herds with high proportions of FCH with high CSCC at both recordings (HH). Thirty-nine herds (13 LL, 11 HL, 15 HH) were visited 3 times during a 12-mo period for observation of cleanliness and hock lesions, and sampling of udder and teat skin using swab cloths of milk-fed calves, early-pregnant heifers, and late-pregnant heifers. In 25 (9 LL, 9 HL, 7 HH) udder quarter samples from colostrum and milk on d 3 to 4 after calving were taken by the farmers from FCH during one year. The farmers also provided information on calving (individual or group), use of restraint and oxytocin at milking, and presence of teat and udder skin lesions. Bacterial growth in swab samples and quarter samples was investigated by culturing, and a selection of isolates was genotyped using whole-genome sequencing. Cleanliness, hock and udder skin lesions other than udder-thigh dermatitis, and growth of bacteria in swab samples did not differ between herd groups. It was more common that FCH from LL herds, compared with FCH in HH and HL herds, calved in a group of animals. Use of restraint at milking was more common in LL herds than in HH herds, whereas presence of udder-thigh dermatitis was lowest in LL herds. Specific infection was found in 14% of 5,593 quarter samples from 722 FCH. The most common IMI was Staphylococcus chromogenes. Growth of Staphylococcus simulans was more common in HH than in LL and HL herds. In colostrum samples, Staphylococcus haemolyticus was more common in HL and HH than in LL herds. The proportion of quarters with the same specific infection at both samplings was higher in HH than in LL herds and tended to be higher in HH than in HL herds. The proportion of quarters with Staph. chromogenes IMI at both samplings tended to differ between herd groups and was highest in HH herds. Whole-genome sequencing found the same sequence type of Staph. chromogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in both samples in almost all quarters with the same infection at both samplings. The differences in IMI between herd groups were in line with the higher somatic cell count in HH herds. The reasons for the predominance of Staph. chromogenes IMI in FCH need further studies.

The association between the vaginal microenvironment and fecundability: a register-based cohort study among Chinese women.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between the vaginal microenvironment and fecundability among women. DESIGN: Register-based nationwide cohort study. SETTING: Chinese National Free Pre-conception Check-up Project from 2015 to 2018. POPULATION: Our study included a total of 3 388 554 eligible women who were attempting to become pregnant. METHOD: We assessed the vaginal microenvironment at baseline by considering four indices: vaginal pH, clue cell examination, whiff test and vaginal cleanliness grading. If any of these indicators was abnormal, the vaginal microenvironment was defined as poor. Propensity score matching was used to control for potential confounders and reduce bias. Logistic models were used to estimate the fecundability odds ratios (FORs) after adjustment for covariates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Achievement of a pregnancy within 1 year. RESULTS: Of the total study population, 379 718 women (11.2%) had a poor vaginal microenvironment and their pregnancy rate after 1 year was significantly lower than the group with a normal microenvironment (71.8% versus 76.1%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the women with a poor vaginal microenvironment were associated with a 9% reduction in fecundability compared with the normal microenvironment group (FOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.90-0.92). The adverse effects of a poor vaginal microenvironment were stronger among multipara (FOR 0.89, 95% CI 0.87-0.90) or women with irregular menstruation (FOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.84-0.89). CONCLUSION: There was a negative association between a poor vaginal microenvironment and the fecundability of women. These findings highlight the significance of assessing the vaginal microenvironment during pre-pregnancy health examinations. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Women with a poor vaginal microenvironment were associated with a reduction in fecundability.

The Impact of a Novel Operational Readiness Response Model on the Environmental Cleanliness of Emergency Ambulances.

Objectives: Environmental cleanliness of emergency ambulances may be associated with increased risk of healthcare acquired infection (HAI). Surface cleanliness, measured using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing, has been demonstrated to correlate with potentially harmful levels of microbial pathogens. In most ambulance services, environmental cleanliness of ambulances and the equipment within them is the responsibility of paramedics. In 2016 NSW Ambulance introduced the Make Ready Model (MRM), in which ambulances are systematically cleaned by non-clinical support staff at the end of each shift. This prospective study aimed to 1) provide a baseline level of ambulance cleanliness; and 2) compare the MRM to a standard cleaning model (SCM). Methods: A prospective comparative study was conducted comparing cleanliness of ambulances in the SCM to those in the MRM. Adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence testing was performed in a pseudo-randomised sample of ambulances. Six 'high touch' areas within each ambulance were systematically sampled. Testing occurred without warning to operational staff. The primary outcome was 'overall bioburden' (OB)' measured in radiant light units ('RLU'). Non-parametric tests were used to assess differences in RLU values between each of the test points, while Poisson multivariate regression was used to compare median overall bioburden between the two groups, adjusting for the confounder variable of 14-day ambulance workload. Results: Sixty-eight ambulances were sampled, 32 from the SCM and 36 from the MRM. Median surface bioburden was significantly lower in the MRM for four of the six test points (preparation table, mobile data terminal, stretcher handles and steering wheel). For the primary outcome of overall bioburden, the unadjusted MRM OB was 35% lower than for the SCM group (RR 0.65 (0.64-0.66; p < 0.01)). After adjusting for the significant confounding variable of 14-day workload, the OB was 38% lower for the MRM group (ARR 0.68 (0.61-0.63; p < 0.001)). Conclusion: The innovative MRM cleaning system was associated with significantly improved cleanliness in frontline emergency ambulances. The magnitude of improvement in cleanliness suggests this cleaning model has the potential to make a major contribution to infection control strategies in paramedicine. Future research should focus on cost effectiveness of the MRM and its applicability to regional and remote ambulance service operations.

Individual and environmental factors associated with defecation while lying down in dairy cows.

Cows typically defecate while standing. Freestalls are designed to position standing cows such that their feces fall into the alley. Cows sometimes defecate while lying down, increasing the risk that feces contaminate the stall surface. We conducted 2 studies investigating cow-level and environmental factors associated with defecating while recumbent. In experiment 1, we hypothesized that conditions making it more difficult for cows to stand up (including greater age, high body weight, pregnancy, and lameness) would increase the risk of this behavior. We followed 92 cows for 12 d, scanning stalls 5 times/d using live observation. Almost half (48%) of all cows defecated while recumbent at least once; cows that spent more time lying down and that were earlier in gestation were at highest risk. Weight, parity, age, and lameness were not associated with this behavior. In experiment 2, we tested how overstocking influenced the occurrence of defecating while recumbent. We predicted overstocking would increase the occurrence of this behavior, especially when cows were in stalls at more preferred locations. We recorded stall occupancy, displacement attempts, and defecating while recumbent in 4 groups of 36 cows tested at both 100% and 150% lying stall stocking densities for 2 nights each using a crossover design. Overstocking resulted in higher stall use and more displacements, but less lying and fewer perching events. We did not detect any relationship between use of specific stalls or competition and defecating while recumbent. Most recorded displacements were associated with perching. Increased time perching increased the likelihood of defecating while recumbent, perhaps because perching cows were less dominant or more reluctant to stand up once lying down in the stall. Overstocking did not increase defecating while recumbent, likely because cows spent less time lying down. Together, these results indicate that defecating while recumbent can be common, and points to some of the cow-level factors associated with this behavior.

Semantic Segmentation Dataset for AI-Based Quantification of Clean Mucosa in Capsule Endoscopy.

Background and Objectives: Capsule endoscopy (CE) for bowel cleanliness evaluation primarily depends on subjective methods. To objectively evaluate bowel cleanliness, we focused on artificial intelligence (AI)-based assessments. We aimed to generate a large segmentation dataset from CE images and verify its quality using a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based algorithm. Materials and Methods: Images were extracted and divided into 10 stages according to the clean regions in a CE video. Each image was classified into three classes (clean, dark, and floats/bubbles) or two classes (clean and non-clean). Using this semantic segmentation dataset, a CNN training was performed with 169 videos, and a clean region (visualization scale (VS)) formula was developed. Then, measuring mean intersection over union (mIoU), Dice index, and clean mucosal predictions were performed. The VS performance was tested using 10 videos. Results: A total of 10,033 frames of the semantic segmentation dataset were constructed from 179 patients. The 3-class and 2-class semantic segmentation's testing performance was 0.7716 mIoU (range: 0.7031-0.8071), 0.8627 Dice index (range: 0.7846-0.8891), and 0.8927 mIoU (range: 0.8562-0.9330), 0.9457 Dice index (range: 0.9225-0.9654), respectively. In addition, the 3-class and 2-class clean mucosal prediction accuracy was 94.4% and 95.7%, respectively. The VS prediction performance for both 3-class and 2-class segmentation was almost identical to the ground truth. Conclusions: We established a semantic segmentation dataset spanning 10 stages uniformly from 179 patients. The prediction accuracy for clean mucosa was significantly high (above 94%). Our VS equation can approximately measure the region of clean mucosa. These results confirmed our dataset to be ideal for an accurate and quantitative assessment of AI-based bowel cleanliness.

Correlation between postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction and vaginal microecological imbalance in late pregnancy. / äº§åŽç›†åº•åŠŸèƒ½éšœç¢ä¸Žå¦Šå¨ æ™šæœŸé˜´é“å¾®ç”Ÿæ€å¤±è¡¡çš„ç›¸å ³æ€§ï¼ˆè‹±æ–‡ï¼‰.

OBJECTIVES: Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) seriously affects women's physical and mental health. Pregnancy and childbirth are recognized as high-risk factors for PFD, and studies have shown that vaginal microenvironmental disorders can promote the development of pelvic organ prolapse. In this study, we intend to investigate whether the changes in vaginal microecology during pregnancy affect the pelvic floor function and participate in the development of postpartum PFD, and provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of PFD. METHODS: A total of 358 full-term mothers who delivered in Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from November 2019 to April 2020 were selected and underwent review 6 to 8 weeks after delivery. The pelvic floor structures were examined using pelvic floor ultrasound, and ultrasound values were measured at rest and at maximum Valsalva maneuver. One hundred and seventy women with PFD were assigned in a PFD group, and 188 women without PFD were assigned in a control group. The clinical data of all mothers were collected, and the clinical data and the results of microecological testing for vaginal secretions after 36 weeks of gestation and before delivery were compared between the 2 groups. The correlation of PFD with leucorrhoea cleanliness, lactobacillus level, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) was analyzed, and logistic regression analysis was used to screen for independent risk factors for PFD. RESULTS: The incidences of VVC, BV, Lactobacillus vaginalis deficiency, and leucorrhoea cleanliness ≥III° were all higher in the PFD group than those in the control group (P<0.05). Among them, leukocyte cleanliness ≥III°and lack of Lactobacilli in the vagina were independent risk factors for the development of PFD, while VVC and BV were not independent risk factors for the development of PFD. CONCLUSIONS: Postpartum PFD is related to vaginal microecological imbalance in late pregnancy, among which Lactobacillus vaginalis deficiency and leucorrhoea cleanliness ≥III° are independent risk factors for the occurrence of PFD. Therefore, pregnant women with Lactobacillus vaginalis deficiency and leucorrhoea cleanliness ≥III° in late pregnancy should pay attention to the occurrence of postpartum PFD, and early diagnosis and effective intervention of postpartum PFD should be enhanced.

Analysis of factors affecting students going to school toilets in a rural primary school in China.

BACKGROUND: Several factors may affect students going to school toilets, but a few studies have analyzed the reasons for students using toilets. This study aimed to use a structural equation model to understand the factors that impacted children's toilet behavior. METHODS: This study was performed in 12 rural nonboarding primary schools (6 schools in the northern and 6 schools in the southern regions of China). All students of the third and sixth grades (761 students) were examined. A questionnaire on students' toilet behavior was used. The questionnaire included 33 perceptual items based on 5 factors: toilet facilities, cleanliness, hygiene practices, peer relationship, and experience. The questionnaire also covered the frequency of voiding and defecating by themselves. The exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and pathway analysis were used to analyze the causes of students' toilet behavior. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation coefficient of 0.300 indicated that cleanliness impacted the toilet frequency of students. The visual experience of the overall cleanliness of the toilet had the most significant impact on students' toilet behavior (path coefficient, 0.81). Washing facilities and convenient handwashing had the least impact on toilet use (path coefficient, 0.52). CONCLUSION: Cleanliness was the primary consideration for students' toilet use on campus. The visual experience of the overall cleanliness of toilets had the most significant impact when students used toilets. No pre-survey was conducted to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Using self-reported data might be associated with potential recall errors.

Associations of freestall design and cleanliness with cow lying behavior, hygiene, lameness, and risk of high somatic cell count.

The objective of this study was to investigate associations of freestall design and cleanliness with cow lying behavior, hygiene, lameness, and risk of new high somatic cell count (SCC). Cows from 18 commercial freestall dairy herds (22 ± 15 cows/farm; mean ± SD) in Ontario, Canada, were enrolled in a longitudinal study. Four hundred focal cows that were <120 d in milk, had no mastitis treatment in the last 3 mo, and had an SCC <100,000 cells/mL at their most recent milk test were selected for the study. Data on SCC were collected through Dairy Herd Improvement Association milk testing (at ~5-wk intervals). Each farm was visited 5 ± 3 d (mean ± SD) after each milk test until 3 tests were completed (~105 d), for a total of 3 observation periods per cow. Elevated SCC was used as an indicator of subclinical mastitis. An incident of new high SCC was defined as a cow having SCC >200,000 cells/mL at the end of an observation period, when SCC was <100,000 cells/mL at the beginning of that period. Lying behavior was recorded for 6 d after each milk sampling, using electronic data loggers. Cows were scored during each period for lameness (5-point scale, with scores ≥3 = lame), body condition score (BCS; 5-point scale; 1 = thin to 5 = fat), and hygiene (4-point scale). Stall cleanliness was assessed during each period with a 1.20 × 1.65-m metal grid, containing 88 squares. The grid was centered between stall partitions of every tenth stall on each farm, and the squares containing visible urine or fecal matter (or both) were counted. Cow lying time averaged 10.9 ± 1.9 h/d. On average, cows with low BCS (≤2.5) spent 37 ± 16.6 min/d less time lying down than high-BCS cows (≥4.0). On average, cows tended to spend 36 ± 18.3 min/d more time lying down in deep-bedded versus mattress-based stalls. Mean proportion of soiled squares per stall was 20.1 ± 0.50%. Across farms, cow lying time decreased as the proportion of soiled squares per stall increased. A difference in daily lying time of ~80 more min/d was modeled for cows housed in barns with the cleanest stalls compared with those with the dirtiest stalls. Higher neck rail height [for every 1 SD (10 cm) increase] increased the odds (odds ratio = 1.5) of cows having a dirty upper leg-flank and udder. The odds of a cow having a dirty upper leg-flank, udder, and lower legs were 1.5, 2.0, and 1.9 times greater, respectively, for cows housed with dirtier stalls. Also, cows housed on farms with dirtier stalls had 1.3 times greater odds of being lame at the time of observation. Over the study period, 50 new high-SCC cases were detected, resulting in an incidence rate of 0.45 cases of new high SCC per cow-year at risk. No measured factors were detected to be associated with risk of a new high SCC. Overall, our results confirm that cows lie down longer in cleaner and more comfortable environments. Further, these results highlight the need for improved stall cleanliness to optimize lying time and potentially reduce lameness.

Handheld Multispectral Fluorescence Imaging System to Detect and Disinfect Surface Contamination.

Contamination inspection is an ongoing concern for food distributors, restaurant owners, caterers, and others who handle food. Food contamination must be prevented, and zero tolerance legal requirements and damage to the reputation of institutions or restaurants can be very costly. This paper introduces a new handheld fluorescence-based imaging system that can rapidly detect, disinfect, and document invisible organic residues and biofilms which may host pathogens. The contamination, sanitization inspection, and disinfection (CSI-D) system uses light at two fluorescence excitation wavelengths, ultraviolet C (UVC) at 275 nm and violet at 405 nm, for the detection of organic residues, including saliva and respiratory droplets. The 275 nm light is also utilized to disinfect pathogens commonly found within the contaminated residues. Efficacy testing of the neutralizing effects of the ultraviolet light was conducted for Aspergillus fumigatus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and the influenza A virus (a fungus, a bacterium, and a virus, respectively, each commonly found in saliva and respiratory droplets). After the exposure to UVC light from the CSI-D, all three pathogens experienced deactivation (> 99.99%) in under ten seconds. Up to five-log reductions have also been shown within 10 s of UVC irradiation from the CSI-D system.

Use of Hyperspectral Imaging for the Quantification of Organic Contaminants on Copper Surfaces for Electronic Applications.

To correctly assess the cleanliness of technical surfaces in a production process, corresponding online monitoring systems must provide sufficient data. A promising method for fast, large-area, and non-contact monitoring is hyperspectral imaging (HSI), which was used in this paper for the detection and quantification of organic surface contaminations. Depending on the cleaning parameter constellation, different levels of organic residues remained on the surface. Afterwards, the cleanliness was determined by the carbon content in the atom percent on the sample surfaces, characterized by XPS and AES. The HSI data and the XPS measurements were correlated, using machine learning methods, to generate a predictive model for the carbon content of the surface. The regression algorithms elastic net, random forest regression, and support vector machine regression were used. Overall, the developed method was able to quantify organic contaminations on technical surfaces. The best regression model found was a random forest model, which achieved an R2 of 0.7 and an RMSE of 7.65 At.-% C. Due to the easy-to-use measurement and the fast evaluation by machine learning, the method seems suitable for an online monitoring system. However, the results also show that further experiments are necessary to improve the quality of the prediction models.

Is cleanliness next to abstinence? The effect of cleanliness priming on attitudes towards harm reduction strategies for people with substance use disorders.

Can exposure to a cleanliness prime affect moral judgements towards harm reduction strategies (HRS) for individuals with substance use disorders? Our research examined (a) the effect of a cleanliness prime on attitudes towards HRS and (b) whether this effect would be attenuated by a brief educational presentation. Participants were randomly assigned to a priming condition and an educational presentation condition. Results demonstrated that (a) the cleanliness prime did not shift attitudes towards HRS, however, (b) the educational presentations significantly shifted attitudes to be more positive after the Harm Reduction presentation and more negative after the Healthy Living presentation. The literature on priming is mixed and our results support a growing body of research challenging the robustness of cleanliness priming and also demonstrates that brief presentations can change attitudes. Our research has implications for education on the benefits of HRS in reducing disease transmission, refuse in the community, and overdose deaths.

Subconscious influences on perceived cleanliness in hospitality settings.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, now and for years to come, guests at hospitality venues will have heightened awareness with regard to formulating their perceptions of cleanliness. While perceived cleanliness has received attention in our existing body of literature, this conceptual paper integrates potential subconscious influencers on cleanliness perceptions into our understanding. Specifically, findings contained in various streams of research suggest that a number of factors can have subconscious influences on individuals' perceptions of cleanliness in service environments. Such factors include the degree of lighting, the presence of plants / greenery, the shininess of surfaces, the use of ambient scents, the use of white bedding, and the presence of cleaning staff. Evidently, the sooner hospitality venues (particularly airlines, lodging operations, restaurants, and cruise ships) are perceived as clean and safe, the faster they will recover from the pandemic. As such, this paper is rich with both practical and research implications.

COVID-19 and hospitality 5.0: Redefining hospitality operations.

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has severely affected the global hospitality industry. The hygiene and cleanliness of hotels has become the focal point in the recovery plan during COVID-19. This study investigates the effects of past disasters on the global hospitality industry, and how the industry responded to them. Since past pandemics and epidemics identified hygiene and cleanliness as an important factor, this study further explores the role of technology in ensuring hygiene and cleanliness. Hence, this study further examines the scalability of Industry 5.0 design principles into the hospitality context, leading to Hospitality 5.0 to improve operational efficiency. The study further delineates how Hospitality 5.0 technologies can ensure hygiene and cleanliness in various touchpoints in customer's journey. This study serves as a foundation to understand how synergy between humans and machines can be achieved through Hospitality 5.0. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.