The Effect of Surface Hydrophobicity on the Attachment of Fungal Conidia to Substrates of Polyvinyl Acetate and Polyvinyl Alcohol

© 2020, The Author(s). Biofouling of PVAc and PVOH surfaces by fungal conidia can result in surface discolouration and subsequent biodeterioration. In order to understand the interactions of fungal conidia on polymer surfaces, the surface properties of PVAc and PVOH and the hydrophobicity, size and shape of three type of fungal conidia was determined (Aspergillus niger 1957, Aspergillus niger 1988 and Aureobasidium pullulans). Fungal conidia were used in a range of binding assays (attachment, adhesion and retention). The PVAc and PVOH demonstrated different surface topographies and the PVAc demonstrated a higher maximum height (300.6 nm) when compared to the PVOH (434.2 nm). The PVAc surfaces was less wettable (75°) than the PVOH surface (62°). The FTIR demonstrated differences in the chemistries of the two surfaces, whereby the PVOH confirmed the presence of polar moieties. Hydrophobicity assays demonstrated that both A. niger species’ were more non-wettable than the A. pullulans. Following the attachment assays, the more hydrophobic Aspergillus spp. conidia attached in greater numbers to the more wettable surface and the A. pullulans was retained in greater numbers to the less wettable PVAc surface. The adhesion and retention assays demonstrated that the more polar surface retained all the types of conidia, regardless of their surface hydrophobicities. This study demonstrated that conidial binding to the surfaces were influenced by the chemistry and physicochemistry of the surfaces and spores. However, the inclusion of a washing stage influenced the adhesion of conidia to surfaces. In environments that were indicative of a attachment or retention assay a PVAc surface would reduce the number of A. niger spp. spores whilst a PVOH surface would reduce the number of A. pullulans spores. However, in an environment similar to a adhesion assay, a PVAc surface would be most beneficial to reduce spore retention. Thus, the use of the correct methodology that reflects the environment in which the surface is to be used is important in order to accurately inform hygienic surface development

Impact of educational interventions on adolescent attitudes and knowledge regarding vaccination: A pilot study

© 2018 Carolan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Background Current immunisation levels in England currently fall slightly below the threshold recommended by the World Health Organization, and the three-year trend for vaccination uptake is downwards. Attitudes towards vaccination can affect future decisions on whether or not to vaccinate, and this can have significant public health implications. Interventions can impact future vaccination decisions, and these interventions can take several forms. Relatively little work has been reported on the use of vaccination interventions in young people, who form the next generation of individuals likely to make vaccination decisions. Method We investigated the impact of two different types of educational intervention on attitudes towards vaccination in young people in England. A cohort of young people (n = 63) was recruited via a local school. This group was divided into three sub-groups; one (n = 21) received a presentation-based intervent ion, one (n = 26) received an interactive simulation-based intervention, and the third (n = 16) received no intervention. Participants supplied information on (1) their attitudes towards vaccination, and (2) their information needs and views on personal choice concerning vaccination, at three time points: immediately before and after the intervention, and after six months. Results Neither intervention had a significant effect on participants’ attitudes towards vaccination. However, the group receiving the presentation-based intervention saw a sustained uplift in confidence about information needs, which was not observed in the simulation-based intervention group. Discussion Our findings with young people are consistent with previous work on vaccination interventions aimed at adults, which have shown limited effectiveness, and which can actually reduce intention to vaccinate. Our findings on the most effective mode of delivery for the intervention should inform future discussion in the growing “games for health” domain, which proposes the use of interactive digital resources in healthcare education

Microbial contamination of removable prosthodontic appliances from laboratories and impact of clinical storage

Decontamination of dental instruments has recently been the subject of considerable debate. However, little information is available on the potential bacterial colonisation of dental appliances returning from dental laboratories and their need for decontamination. This study investigated the extent and nature of microbial contamination of removable prosthodontic appliances produced at different dental laboratories and stored in two clinical teaching units (CTU 1 and CTU 2) of a dental hospital and school. Forty consecutive dental prosthodontic appliances that were being stored under varying conditions in the two clinical teaching units were selected for study; the appliances having been produced 'in-house' (hospital laboratory) or 'out-of-house' (external commercial laboratory). Two appliances, that were known to have undergone decontamination before storage, were used as controls. Swabs were taken according to a standard protocol and transferred to the microbiological laboratory with bacterial growth expressed as colony forming units (cfu) per cm(2). Microbial sampling yielded growth from 23 (58%) of the 40 appliances studied (CTU 1, n = 22; CTU 2, n = 18), with 38% of these having a high level of contamination (>42,000 cfu/cm(2)). The predominant bacteria isolated were Bacillus spp. (57%), pseudomonads (22%) and staphylococci (13%). Fungi of the genus Candida were detected in 38% of the samples. There was no significant difference in contamination of the appliances in relation to either their place of production or the CTU (p >0.05). However, the level of contamination was significantly higher (p = 0.035) for those appliances stored in plastic bag with fluid (n = 16) compared to those stored on models (n = 19). No growth was recovered from the two appliances that had undergone decontamination before storage. The research showed that appliances received from laboratories are often contaminated and therefore there is a need for routine disinfection of such items before use and a review of storage conditions required

A Bestiary of Digital Monsters

Part 4: Living with MonstersInternational audienceThis article puts forward a bestiary of digital monsters. By bringing into dialogue scholarship in monster theory with that in science and technology studies, we develop the idea of the bestiary as a way of exploring sites where digital monsters are made. We discuss the role of bestiaries in narrating anxieties about the present. We proceed to populate our bestiary with various sociotechnical ‘beasts’ arising in collaborative research project on new data relations in Denmark. The paper argues for the place of the ever-incomplete bestiary in understanding digital monsters, for the bestiary’s role as gathering point within our project, and for its capacities to speak beyond a single research setting. Through the bestiary, we look toward the ways we already live with monsters and to the forms of analysis available for describing the beasts in our midst