Zika Virus

The purpose of this public health brief is to learn about the Zika virus, the epidemiology of it, and possible solutions for the virus. The Zika virus has been present in many places such as Africa, Asia, North America, and so many more. People who live in these affected areas and anyone traveling to these places where Zika has been present is at risk, especially pregnant women or women trying to conceive. While the Zika virus has a low mortality rate, the morbidity rates are higher. Some outcomes may include eye defects, hearing loss, and impaired growth. The Zika virus can be diagnosed by health care providers through a series of questions and then blood tests to confirm. Although there are no current vaccines or cures available, there are many prevention methods you can take

Underexposed features of CHARGE syndrome: immunological, adrenal, and scapular function

CHARGE syndrome is a rare and complex genetic condition. Children with this syndrome may have a combination of various congenital defects, developmental and behavioral problems. Abnormalities such as heart defects, blindness or deafness, receive a lot of attention. This is certainly important, but in this thesis we have focused on less obvious features: the immune system, the adrenal and shoulder function. Our studies show that children with CHARGE syndrome may have a reduced immune reaction to infections because they have insufficient immune cells. They also have an insufficient response to vaccinations. The thymus is an important organ for the production of immune cells, but we could not confirm in what extent the thymus might play a role in our findings. We have demonstrated that abnormalities in the adrenal function rarely occur. We also showed that reduced shoulder function, due to abnormalities in the nerves innervating the muscles, could be the only visible sign of CHARGE syndrome. The results of our research should be included in current guideline(s) to create more awareness among doctors so that patients can receive optimal care, also for underexposed features. For example, we advise to do specific blood tests and to consider revaccinations in patients who have recurrent infections. Standard testing for the adrenal function is not required which may give patients and their parents some relief. The thesis ends with a message on how important it is that patients, doctors, researchers and policy makers work together to tackle underexposed issues in rare diseases

Developing profession ready teacher education graduates through school-university partnerships : An Australian study

The engagement of both school and university has played a significant role in initial teacher education. The focus of this paper is the growth of an alternative style of school-university partnership from a single school to a Hub of 19 school-university partnership, in the inner-west suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Four school and university mentors who have participated over a seven-year period have completed surveys on their engagement. Using a Community of Practice (CoP) theoretical framework to underpin model development, it is possible to showcase the growth of the partnerships as important in informing discussion relating to the implementation of integrated school-university partnerships and practice

Computerized Enumeration and Bio-volume Estimation of the Cyanobacteria Anabaena flos-aquae

One of the most noticeable consequences of global climate change is the increased occurrence of algae and cyanobacteria blooms in surface waters. Some of these organisms may release hazardous toxins which represent a threat for human and animal health worldwide. Accordingly, the identification of threshold levels of toxic cyanobacteria cells has become common practice to ensure successful water management. The majority of current methods for cyanobacteria enumeration and bio-volume assessment are very time-consuming and costly. Furthermore, when dealing with multicellular organisms (i.e., filaments, colonies, agglomerates etc.), none of the existing enumeration methods can achieve good accuracy and all tend to underestimate cell concentrations and bio-volume. In this study, we introduce an integrated method for automated enumeration and bio-volume estimation of Anabaena flos-aquae, a common filamentous species of cyanobacteria often present in water blooms. Since Anabaena filaments are often long and tangled, a sample of its culture was first sonicated to isolate individual cells, and then imaged while being excited by a 546nm light source to considerably improve contrast. A probabilistic unsupervised classification was introduced to detect the target cells, and the size distribution of the cells was used for model calibration. Using this learned cell model, subsequent samples with natural Anabaena filaments were automatically enumerated and the bio-volume estimated. Compared to traditional manual enumeration using a hemacytometer, the developed method achieved equivalent accuracy in much less time, with less resources, and provided additional bio-volume information. These preliminary results demonstrate the potential of the developed method as a robust tool for water quality monitoring

Embracing Resiliency: Practical Strategies to Minimize Teacher Burnout and Elevate Retention

Abstract Teacher shortage constitutes a crisis in the U.S. and the education system at-large. In light of the crisis of teacher shortage and the severity of turnover rate, the purpose of this paper is to join in the dialogue to further the conversation regarding how believing or reinforcing stereotypes can contribute to burnout and unrealistic expectations teachers face in education. Suggestions for pre-service and in-service teachers to acquire a more realistic and resilient lens for themselves as educators and the profession is presented. The following themes will be explored: collaboration, embracing vulnerability, empowerment and agency, support and mentoring, and self-care and resiliency

Automated enumeration and size distribution analysis of Microcystis aeruginosa via fluorescence imaging

Due to climate change, toxic cyanobacteria and algae blooms and the associated exposure risk to humans has become a global issue. As a result, routine monitoring to evaluate cell concentrations is increasingly required to ensure safe water supplies. Current methods for cyanobacteria and algae cells enumeration are time consuming and cost-intensive due to the need for manual labor, which prevents their widespread adoption for routine water monitoring.. Automated enumeration with computer-assisted image analysis has strong potential to become a viable solution for continuous routine monitoring; however, the design of such automated systems is challenging due to: a) poor contrast between the target cells and the background, b) presence of confounding cells and abiotic particles and b) image quality variability depending on factors such as the underlying microscopy system in use and the sample condition. In this study, we introduce a novel integrated imaging-based method for automated enumeration and size distribution of Microcystis aeruginosa, a species of freshwater cyanobacteria that can originate harmful blooms. The target cells were excited using a 546nm light source and the resulting fluorescent imaging signal was acquired. A probabilistic unsupervised classification approach was taken to detect Microcystis cells from the surrounding background based on the fluorescent signal. A Gaussian mixture model was learned from the fluorescent imaging signal. The detected Microcystis cells were then enumerated and statistics regarding their size distribution automatically computed. When compared to the manual enumeration data using an hemacytometer, the developed method achieved higher accuracy using much less time and resources, without cell staining. These preliminary results demonstrate the potential of the proposed method as a powerful and robust tool for water quality monitoring and safe water quality control when used alongside gold standard methods

Moral distress and burnout in internal medicine residents

Background: Residents frequently encounter situations in their workplace that may induce moral distress or burnout. The objective of this study was to measure overall and rotation-specific moral distress and burnout in medical residents, and the relationship between demographics and moral distress and burnout.Methods: The revised Moral Distress Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Human Service version) were administered to Internal Medicine residents in the 2013-2014 academic year at the University of British Columbia.Results: Of the 88 residents, 45 completed the surveys. Participants (mean age 30+/-3; 46% male) reported a median moral distress score (interquartile range) of 77 (50-96). Twenty-six percent of residents had considered quitting because of moral distress, 21% had a high level of burnout, and only 5% had a low level of burnout. Moral distress scores were highest during Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) rotations, and lowest during elective rotations (p<0.0001). Women reported higher emotional exhaustion. Moral distress was associated with depersonalization (p=0.01), and both moral distress and burnout were associated with intention to leave the job.Conclusion: Internal Medicine residents report moral distress that is greatest during ICU and CTU rotations, and is associated with burnout and intention to leave the job