Proactively Monitoring Departmental Clinical IT Systems with an Open Source Availability System

The goal of all radiology information technology (IT) support organizations is excellent customer service through the availability of critical clinical information services, such as picture archiving communication systems and radiology information systems. Despite these goals, IT support personnel often act like firefighters, reacting to each problem, but unable to prevent or predict other problems. Proactive support is always more desirable than reactive support. Warning signs may exist well before a technical issue becomes system wide or the user is affected. The objective for IT support organizations in health care should be to maximize system uptime by using proactive monitoring systems for failures and to automatically detect failures through systems management tools. We report on the implementation of Nagios, an open source monitoring tool, as an availability management system in a diagnostic imaging department and on customized applications and protocols specific to radiology needs

Malaria and Helminth Co-infections in School and Preschool Children: A Cross-sectional Study in Magu district, north-Western Tanzania.

Malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminth infections (STH) are important parasitic infections in Sub-Saharan Africa where a significant proportion of people are exposed to co-infections of more than one parasite. In Tanzania, these infections are a major public health problem particularly in school and pre-school children. The current study investigated malaria and helminth co-infections and anaemia in school and pre-school children in Magu district, Tanzania. School and pre-school children were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Stool samples were examined for Schistosoma mansoni and STH infections using Kato Katz technique. Urine samples were examined for Schistosoma haematobium using the urine filtration method. Blood samples were examined for malaria parasites and haemoglobin concentrations using the Giemsa stain and Haemoque methods, respectively. Out of 1,546 children examined, 1,079 (69.8%) were infected with one or more parasites. Malaria-helminth co-infections were observed in 276 children (60% of all children with P. falciparum infection). Malaria parasites were significantly more prevalent in hookworm infected children than in hookworm free children (p = 0.046). However, this association was non-significant on multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR = 1.320, p = 0.064). Malaria parasite density decreased with increasing infection intensity of S. mansoni and with increasing number of co-infecting helminth species. Anaemia prevalence was 34.4% and was significantly associated with malaria infection, S. haematobium infection and with multiple parasite infections. Whereas S. mansoni infection was a significant predictor of malaria parasite density, P. falciparum and S. haematobium infections were significant predictors of anaemia. These findings suggest that multiple parasite infections are common in school and pre-school children in Magu district. Concurrent P. falciparum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium infections increase the risk of lower Hb levels and anaemia, which in turn calls for integrated disease control interventions. The associations between malaria and helminth infections detected in this study need further investigation

The role of the perception of family environment in relation to body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and difficulties in close relationships

Purpose Invalidating childhood environments have been characterised as those in which caregivers do not validate a child's personal experiences and the communication of emotions is considered inappropriate, being either ignored or punished. The current study assessed the relationships among invalidating childhood environments, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and difficulties in close relationships in a sample of college students. Methods In this study, 362 non-clinical participants with ages ranging from 17 to 25 years (M = 20.02, SD = 1.51) completed self-report measures. Results Difficulties in close relationships, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating were significantly higher in invalidating families than in validating families. Invalidating childhood environments were associated with higher body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, and both associations were mediated by difficulties in close relationships. Finally, body dissatisfaction mediates the effects of BMI and difficulties in close relationships on eating disorder symptoms. Conclusions Perceived experiences of invalidation in childhood may be associated with eating disorder symptomatology. In addition, difficulties in close relationships during adulthood possibly contribute to the emergence of eating disorder symptoms.- (undefined