Cluster randomised control trial protocol for estimating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a complex intervention to increase care home staff influenza vaccination rates compared to usual practice (FLUCARE)

The care home staff influenza vaccination rate in England is significantly lower than the 75% World Health Organisation recommendation. This represents a substantial potential for resident harm. Barriers to staff vaccination stem from individual and organisational levels. Existing interventions address some but not all barriers and are not underpinned by behavioural science theory. This study aims to estimate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a theory-informed intervention to improve care home staff vaccination rates compared to routine practice. Set in care homes with both nursing and residential focus, and a range of ownership status, only homes providing long stay care to older people with a staff vaccination rate below 40% are eligible to participate. Participation expressions of interest will be sought using a variety of approaches prior to seeking consent. The primary outcome measure is the proportion of staff vaccinated at 6 months, with secondary outcome measures being proportion vaccinated at 3 months, numbers of staff sick days, general practitioner and nurse visits to care home, care home resident hospitalisations and mortality. Based on the assumptions that the mean cluster (care home) size is 54 staff, a coefficient of variation of 0.48, control vaccination rate is 55%, intervention 75%, intra-cluster correlation coefficient of 0.2 and with 90% power, and 20% attrition, we require 39 care homes per arm. Blocked randomisation will be at the level of care home, stratified by the proportion of non-white care home staff, and implemented by Norwich Clinical Trials Unit. The intervention comprises co-designed information videos and posters, provision of in-house staff vaccination clinics, and incentive scheme and monthly data collection on trial outcomes. Beyond usual practice, the control arm will additionally contribute monthly data. Data will be collected at the start, monthly and at 6 months, and analysis will be blind to allocation. Statistical analysis will use the intention-to-treat principle with the difference in vaccination rates between groups compared using a random effect logistic regression model at the staff-level. This will be the first study to use a theory-informed intervention designed to comprehensively address identified barriers to care home staff influenza vaccination. Trial registration: ISRCTN ISRCTN22729870. Registered on 24 August 22. Secondary identifiers: R209939, IRAS 316820, CPMS 53812

Design and Creation of the Wigs for the Spring Term Production of Jordan Harrison’s Act A Lady: A Comedy at Union College

This project began due to my need for a thesis when I decided to change my theater minor into a major. I was at a loss for what I wanted that thesis to be. I combined my love of theater with my love of hair and thus this thesis was born. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I took on the project but what I got could never have been expected. I had never taken any sort of theater costume, make-up or hair design class before, however so that seemed like a good place to start. Fall 2022 I took Beyond Cosplay and got my first taste of the world of theatrical design and I enjoyed it. For my final project I created an 18th century wig out of paper that could actually be worn and that sparked conversations surrounding possible materials for the wigs for Act A Lady: A Comedy by Jordan Harrison. Since this play revolves around three men in the midwest “dressing up” as ladies to put on a play for their town we discussed the possibility of using paper or other found materials to make the wigs out of. Well this idea was incorporated into some of the “rehearsal” costumes for the characters as seen from the flour sack for Greta and the baskets for Romola and the countess, we decided to use real hair for the wigs. The wigs could not be switched as often as the “rehearsal” costume pieces were and since the “real” costumes were not made out of found objects we used real hair for the wigs. As far as how realistic the wigs were some historical research went into the ideas behind the costumes but they were as realistic as townsfolk in the 1920s in the midwest would have made 18th century wigs. Another aspect that was taken into account when making the wigs was the current hair of the performers and what changes they were willing to make to their hair, if any

Measuring Concentrations of Acrylamide in Brewed Coffee

The color and flavor of roasted foods arises from molecules that are formed when amino acids, like asparagine, react with sugars via the Maillard reaction. However, some undesired products also form during this reaction, one of them being acrylamide. Acrylamide has been detected in tobacco smoke, tea, coffee and water. Acrylamide was not detected in green coffee beans; therefore, roasting is required to form this chemical. The frequency with which the public is exposed to acrylamide and the magnitude of that exposure is a public health concern because acrylamide is known to have a variety of toxic effects. Acrylamide is a neurotoxin and a potential endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC), and increased dietary amounts of acrylamide have been linked to different types of cancer, including ovary, renal and endometrial. EDCs can impair the endocrine system in a variety of ways including mimicking hormonal activity, interfering with metabolism, excretion and release. As a neurotoxin, acrylamide can affect memory, cognitive function and learning. The younger population is the most susceptible to the effects of EDCs, and foods containing acrylamide are popular and consumed in large amounts within that population, such as chicken nuggets, french fries, cereal, and cookies. In this study, acrylamide is extracted from brewed coffee using simplified liquid extraction and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The accuracy of the method has been validated using a standard reference material of fortified instant coffee. This method has been used to quantify acrylamide concentrations in various types of brewed coffee and to investigate the effects of variables such as type of roast, decaffeination, and bean origin. Our results suggest that differences in roast or caffeination do not significantly affect acrylamide concentrations in brewed coffee. Ongoing studies include further improving method precision and continuing to investigate trends in acrylamide formation in various types of brewed coffee

Measuring Concentrations of Acrylamide in Brewed Coffee

Amino acids, like asparagine, react with sugars via the Maillard reaction to form compounds that contribute to the color and flavor of roasted foods. However, some undesired products also form during this reaction, one of them being acrylamide. Acrylamide is a neurotoxin and a potential endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC), and increased dietary amounts of acrylamide have been linked to different types of cancers, including ovary, renal and endometrial. EDCs can impair the endocrine system in a variety of ways including mimicking hormonal activity, interfering with metabolism, excretion and release. As a neurotoxin, acrylamide can affect memory, cognitive function and learning. In this study, acrylamide is extracted from the brewed coffee using simplified liquid extraction and analyzed alongside known standards using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The accuracy of the method has been validated using a standard reference material. This method has been used to quantify acrylamide concentrations in various types of brewed coffee and investigate the effects of variables such as type of roast, decaffeination, and bean origin. Our results suggest that differences in roast or caffeination do not significantly affect acrylamide concentrations in brewed coffee. Ongoing studies include improving precision and accuracy using the established method and applying the method to investigate trends of acrylamide formation in various types of brewed coffee

Cluster randomised control trial protocol for estimating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a complex intervention to increase care home staff influenza vaccination rates compared to usual practice (FLUCARE)

The care home staff influenza vaccination rate in England is significantly lower than the 75% World Health Organisation recommendation. This represents a substantial potential for resident harm. Barriers to staff vaccination stem from individual and organisational levels. Existing interventions address some but not all barriers and are not underpinned by behavioural science theory. This study aims to estimate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a theory-informed intervention to improve care home staff vaccination rates compared to routine practice. Set in care homes with both nursing and residential focus, and a range of ownership status, only homes providing long stay care to older people with a staff vaccination rate below 40% are eligible to participate. Participation expressions of interest will be sought using a variety of approaches prior to seeking consent. The primary outcome measure is the proportion of staff vaccinated at 6 months, with secondary outcome measures being proportion vaccinated at 3 months, numbers of staff sick days, general practitioner and nurse visits to care home, care home resident hospitalisations and mortality. Based on the assumptions that the mean cluster (care home) size is 54 staff, a coefficient of variation of 0.48, control vaccination rate is 55%, intervention 75%, intra-cluster correlation coefficient of 0.2 and with 90% power, and 20% attrition, we require 39 care homes per arm. Blocked randomisation will be at the level of care home, stratified by the proportion of non-white care home staff, and implemented by Norwich Clinical Trials Unit. The intervention comprises co-designed information videos and posters, provision of in-house staff vaccination clinics, and incentive scheme and monthly data collection on trial outcomes. Beyond usual practice, the control arm will additionally contribute monthly data. Data will be collected at the start, monthly and at 6 months, and analysis will be blind to allocation. Statistical analysis will use the intention-to-treat principle with the difference in vaccination rates between groups compared using a random effect logistic regression model at the staff-level. This will be the first study to use a theory-informed intervention designed to comprehensively address identified barriers to care home staff influenza vaccination. Trial registration: ISRCTN ISRCTN22729870. Registered on 24 August 22. Secondary identifiers: R209939, IRAS 316820, CPMS 53812