Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology to Study Chlamydia Occurrence on a College Campus

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, commonly affecting sexually active college-aged adults. Presently, opportunistic testing, self-testing, and information campaigns are methods to screen vulnerable populations and raise awareness about chlamydia. Chlamydia remains underdiagnosed and undertested due to a lack of participation by individuals who may have been exposed to it. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a rising biomonitoring tool that detects the presence of disease- and drug-specific biomarkers in a community\u27s wastewater. In this study, wastewater-based epidemiology was used to detect the presence of C. trachomatis on the University of Central Florida campus. Wastewater samples were collected from two locations on campus from January 2022 to December 2022. The samples were pasteurized and filtered. DNA was extracted from the filters and was subsequently quantified using qPCR. C. trachomatis was detected at both sites of the UCF campus, with peaks corresponding to periods of the academic semester at which students arrived on campus or had fewer academic responsibilities. It was concluded that wastewater-based epidemiology provided a low-cost and non-invasive tool to notify the public of potential chlamydia outbreaks and encourage testing. Exploration in wastewater-based epidemiology should continue in research of C. trachomatis detection

Remediação por extração multifásica: estudo de caso da implantação do sistema em posto de combutível

Orientador: Sandro FroehnerMonografia (graduação) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Tecnologia, Curso de Graduação em Engenharia AmbientalInclui referênciasResumo: A contaminação de solos e águas subterrâneas por derivados do petróleo é um dos problemas ambientais mais comuns da atualidade. A contaminação mais comum é por compostos BTEX encontrados na gasolina, formado pelos hidrocarbonetos monoaromáticos benzeno, tolueno, etilbenzeno e xilenos, sendo a contaminação por benzeno a mais nociva para saúde humana. A contaminação por BTEX, geralmente tem como alvo o sistema nervoso, além de tornar inviável o uso da água subterrânea. A maior fonte de contaminação são os postos de combustíveis. Atualmente, no Brasil, existem cerca de 38 mil postos de combustíveis, nos quais contaminação de solo e água subterrânea por vazamentos são frequentes, tanto por problemas de estocagem quanto por problemas nos equipamentos utilizados. A remediação é o processo no qual os teores de contaminante são reduzidos a níveis que não prejudiquem a saúde humana, dentro do limite previsto na legislação. O sistema Extração Multifásica é um dos mecanismos mais recomendados para remediação in situ em postos de combustível, devido a sua praticidade e baixo custo. Tal técnica foi proposta como metodologia para tratamento em um posto de combustível, cujos dados mostram a existência de contaminação por benzeno em dois poços de monitoramento e fase livre de produto em cinco poços de monitoramento

Balancing workload, motivation and job satisfaction in Rwanda: assessing the effect of adding family planning service provision to community health worker duties

BackgroundTask shifting from higher cadre providers to CHWs has been widely adopted to address healthcare provider shortages, but the addition of any service can potentially add to an already considerable workload for CHWs. Objective measures of workload alone, such as work-related time and travel may not reflect howCHWs actually perceive and react to their circumstances. This study combined perception and objectivemeasures of workload to examine their effect on quality of services, worker performance, and job and clientsatisfaction.MethodsThree hundred eighty-three CHWs from control and intervention districts, where the intervention group was trained to provide contraceptive resupply, completed diaries of work-related activities for one month. Interviews were also conducted with a subset of CHWs and their clients.ResultsCHW diaries did not reveal significant differences between intervention and control groups in time spent on service provision or travel. Over 90% of CHWs reported workload manageability, job satisfaction, and motivation to perform their jobs. Clients were highly satisfied with CHW services and most stated preference for future services from CHWs.ConclusionThe study demonstrated that adding resupply of hormonal contraceptives to CHWs’ tasks would not place undue burden on them. Accordingly, the initiative was scaled upin all 30 districts in the country

Promoting vasectomy services in Malawi

Vasectomy is a safe and highly effective family planning method for men and couples who do not want any more children, but in low resource settings, few men seek out or have access to this method. Increasing the voluntary use of vasectomy is a cost-effective strategy for countries to reduce unmet need for family planning, decrease unintended pregnancies, and meet national family planning goals. By engaging men directly in family planning, vasectomy also holds promise for promoting positive gender norms and healthy relationships. | This brief is part of a set of resources from FHI 360/Evidence Project providing policymakers, advocates, program managers, and service providers with evidence-based recommendations for improving vasectomy programming

Promoting vasectomy services in the Philippines

Vasectomy is a safe and highly effective family planning method for men and couples who do not want any more children, but in low resource settings, few men seek out or have access to this method. Increasing the voluntary use of vasectomy is a cost-effective strategy for countries to reduce unmet need for family planning, decrease unintended pregnancies, and meet national family planning goals. By engaging men directly in family planning, vasectomy also holds promise for promoting positive gender norms and healthy relationships. | This brief is part of a set of resources from FHI 360/Evidence Project providing policymakers, advocates, program managers, and service providers with evidence-based recommendations for improving vasectomy programming

Promoting vasectomy services in Ethiopia

Vasectomy is a safe and highly effective family planning method for men and couples who do not want any more children, but in low resource settings, few men seek out or have access to this method. Increasing the voluntary use of vasectomy is a cost-effective strategy for countries to reduce unmet need for family planning, decrease unintended pregnancies, and meet national family planning goals. By engaging men directly in family planning, vasectomy also holds promise for promoting positive gender norms and healthy relationships. | This brief is part of a set of resources from FHI 360/Evidence Project providing policymakers, advocates, program managers, and service providers with evidence-based recommendations for improving vasectomy programming

Promouvoir les services de vasectomie au Burundi

Vasectomy is a safe and highly effective family planning method for men and couples who do not want any more children, but in low resource settings, few men seek out or have access to this method. Increasing the voluntary use of vasectomy is a cost-effective strategy for countries to reduce unmet need for family planning, decrease unintended pregnancies, and meet national family planning goals. By engaging men directly in family planning, vasectomy also holds promise for promoting positive gender norms and healthy relationships. | This brief is part of a set of resources from FHI 360/Evidence Project providing policymakers, advocates, program managers, and service providers with evidence-based recommendations for improving vasectomy programming

Promoting vasectomy services in Rwanda

Vasectomy is a safe and highly effective family planning method for men and couples who do not want any more children, but in low resource settings, few men seek out or have access to this method. Increasing the voluntary use of vasectomy is a cost-effective strategy for countries to reduce unmet need for family planning, decrease unintended pregnancies, and meet national family planning goals. By engaging men directly in family planning, vasectomy also holds promise for promoting positive gender norms and healthy relationships. | This brief is part of a set of resources from FHI 360/Evidence Project providing policymakers, advocates, program managers, and service providers with evidence-based recommendations for improving vasectomy programming

How to create successful vasectomy programs

Vasectomy is a safe and highly effective family planning method for men and couples who do not want any more children, but in low resource settings, few men seek out or have access to this method. Increasing the voluntary use of vasectomy is a cost-effective strategy for countries to reduce unmet need for family planning, decrease unintended pregnancies, and meet national family planning goals. By engaging men directly in family planning, vasectomy also holds promise for promoting positive gender norms and healthy relationships. | This brief is part of a set of resources from FHI 360/Evidence Project providing policymakers, advocates, program managers, and service providers with evidence-based recommendations for improving vasectomy programming