Observations of the 1992 U.S. Pelagic Pair Trawl Fishery in the Northwest Atlantic

Pelagic pair trawling for tuna, Thunnus spp., and swordfish, Xiphias gladius, was introduced in U.S. Northwest Atlantic waters in 1991. During autumn (October-November) of 1992 under the authority oft he Federal Atlantic Swordfish Regulations, the National Marine Fisheries Service placed observers aboard pelagic pair trawl vessels to document the catch, bycatch, discard, and gear used in this new fishery. The fishery is conducted primarily at night along shelf-edge waters from June to November. In late 1991, revised regulations restricted swordfish to bycatch in this fishery resulting in pelagic pair trawl vessels targeting tuna throughout 1992. Analyses of 1992 data indicate that albacore, T. alalunga, was the predominant species caught, although yellowfin tuna, T. albaeares, and bigeye tuna, T. obesus, were the preferred target species. Bycatch also included swordfish, large sharks, pelagic rays and other pelagic fishes, other tunas, and marine mammals

The oral microbiome and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Significant evidence supports an association between periodontal pathogenic bacteria and preterm birth and preeclampsia. The virulence properties assigned to specific oral pathogenic bacteria, for example, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Filifactor alocis, Campylobacter rectus, and others, render them as potential collaborators in adverse outcomes of pregnancy. Several pathways have been suggested for this association: 1) hematogenous spread (bacteremia) of periodontal pathogens; 2) hematogenous spread of multiple mediators of inflammation that are generated by the host and/or fetal immune response to pathogenic bacteria; and 3) the possibility of oral microbial pathogen transmission, with subsequent colonization, in the vaginal microbiome resulting from sexual practices. As periodontal disease is, for the most part, preventable, the medical and dental public health communities can address intervention strategies to control oral inflammatory disease, lessen the systemic inflammatory burden, and ultimately reduce the potential for adverse pregnancy outcomes. This article reviews the oral, vaginal, and placental microbiomes, considers their potential impact on preterm labor, and the future research needed to confirm or refute this relationship

Characterization of Microbial Activity

The overall goal of this study is to investigate the phenomena that affect the fate and transport of radionuclides in the environment. The objective of this task, “Characterization of Microbial Activity”, is to develop a molecular biological method for the characterization of the microbial population indigenous to the Yucca Mountain Project site, with emphasis in detection and measurement of species or groups of microorganisms that could be involved in actinide and/or metal reduction, and subsurface transport. Subtasks consist of QA planning and preparation, and literature review. This task is part of a cooperative agreement between the UNLV Research Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy (#DE-FC28-04RW12237) titled “Yucca Mountain Groundwater Characterization”

A study on information induced medication errors

The electronic health record (eHR) system has recently been considered one of the biggest advancements in healthcare services. A personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR) system is proposed by the Australian government to make the health system more agile, secure, and sustainable. Although the PCEHR system claims the electronic health records can be controlled by the patients, healthcare professionals and database/system operators may assist in disclosing the patients’ eHRs for retaliation or other ill purposes. As the conventional methods for preserving the privacy of eHRs solely trust the system operators, these data are vulnerable to be exploited by the authorised personnel in an immoral/unethical way. Furthermore, issues such as the sheer number of eHRs, their sensitive nature, flexible access, and efficient user revocation have remained the most important challenges towards fine-grained, cryptographically enforced data access control. In this paper we propose a patient centric cloud-based PCEHR framework, which employs a homomorphic encryption technique in storing the eHRs. The proposed system ensures the control of both access and privacy of eHRs stored in the cloud database

Developing a mobile audiometric sound booth application for Apple IOS devices

Hearing loss in Australian children, particularly those in rural and remote areas, is a growing health concern. Resultant deafness has significant impact on the educational and social development of such children. Whilst telehealth had provided other benefits for rural and remote areas, the absence of suitable testing equipment and associated healthcare specialists has meant that there is a gap in this area of child health that could be addressed using a mobile solution. This paper discusses the research and development of a mobile application for testing and diagnosis of hearing loss in children. It is unique in its ability to be able to function in uncontrolled test environments, and conforms to current hearing assessment standards. The application also produces an audiogram that can be immediately electronically transferred to the relevant healthcare provider. The application is specifically designed for young children to use and is designed to be used in collaboration with healthcare specialist audiologists and paediatricians. The prototype is currently undergoing testing at the Telethon Speech and Hearing institute, Perth, Western Australia. The results are expected to deliver crucial quantitative data to determine the accuracy of the application, as well as qualitative data from healthcare professionals and consumers

A conceptual framework for secure mobile health

Mobile health is characterised by its diversity of applicability, in a multifaceted and multidisciplinary healthcare delivery continuum. In an environment of rapid change with the increasing development of mobile health, issues related to security and privacy must be well thought out. The different competing tensions in the development of mobile health from the device technologies and associated regulation, to clinical workflow and patient acceptance, require a framework for security that reflects the complex structure of this emerging field. There are three distinct associated elements that require investigation: technology, clinical, and human factors. Each of these elements consists of multiple aspects and there are specific risk factors to be addressed successively and co-dependently in each case. The fundamental approach to defining a conceptual framework for secure use of mobile health requires systematic identification of properties for the tensions and critical factors which impact these elements. The resulting conceptual framework presented here can be used for new critique, augmentation or deployment of mobile health solutions from the perspective of data protection and security

Developing a Mobile Audiometric Sound Booth Application for Apple IOS Devices

Hearing loss in Australian children, particularly those in rural and remote areas, is a growing health concern. Resultant deafness has significant impact on the educational and social development of such children. Whilst telehealth had provided other benefits for rural and remote areas, the absence of suitable testing equipment and associated healthcare specialists has meant that there is a gap in this area of child health that could be addressed using a mobile solution. This paper discusses the research and development of a mobile application for testing and diagnosis of hearing loss in children. It is unique in its ability to be able to function in uncontrolled test environments, and conforms to current hearing assessment standards. The application also produces an audiogram that can be immediately electronically transferred to the relevant healthcare provider. The application is specifically designed for young children to use and is designed to be used in collaboration with healthcare specialist audiologists and paediatricians. The prototype is currently undergoing testing at the Telethon Speech and Hearing institute, Perth, Western Australia. The results are expected to deliver crucial quantitative data to determine the accuracy of the application, as well as qualitative data from healthcare professionals and consumers

Can intrusion detection implementation be adapted to end-user capabilities?

In an environment where technical solutions for securing networked systems are commonplace, there still exist problems in implementation of such solutions for home and small business users. One component of this protection is the use of intrusion detection systems. Intrusion detection monitors network traffic for suspicious activity, performs access blocking and alerts the system administrator or user of potential attacks. This paper reviews the basic function of intrusion detection systems and maps them to an existing end-user capability framework. Using this framework, implementation guidance and systematic improvement in implementation of this security measure are defined

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices: A Complex Environment and Multifaceted Problem

The increased connectivity to existing computer networks has exposed medical devices to cybersecurity vulnerabilities from which they were previously shielded. For the prevention of cybersecurity incidents, it is important to recognize the complexity of the operational environment as well as to catalog the technical vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity protection is not just a technical issue; it is a richer and more intricate problem to solve. A review of the factors that contribute to such a potentially insecure environment, together with the identification of the vulnerabilities, is important for understanding why these vulnerabilities persist and what the solution space should look like. This multifaceted problem must be viewed from a systemic perspective if adequate protection is to be put in place and patient safety concerns addressed. This requires technical controls, governance, resilience measures, consolidated reporting, context expertise, regulation, and standards. It is evident that a coordinated, proactive approach to address this complex challenge is essential. In the interim, patient safety is under threat