Transitioning Care from Hospital to Home, Increasing Awareness of Take-home Pressure Injury Prevention Kits

With proper implementation of evidence-based interventions, most pressure injuries (PI) can be prevented. While prevention is considered standard of care while inpatient, there is a need to transition this care from hospital to home. This CNL project aimed to increased awareness of take home PI prevention kits made available to staff nurses at on medical surgical hospital unit with 15 staff nurses. An author-blinded, internal chart review and a comprehensive review of evidence-based literature were studied to provide background data and support for implementation using the staff huddle. Direct observation and staff interaction was incorporated with Lewin’s change theory to propel the project forward. Implementation began on March 29th, and data from pre and post-testing during huddles was evaluated using a run chart and revealed a successful goal of at least 75% increased staff awareness. Questionnaires and informal discussions revealed that while the majority of staff felt the kits offered patients positive preventative tools, responses captured that approximately 25% of staff felt providing the kits would increase workload. The author concludes a strong connection to nursing relevance in advocating for patient safety by transitioning care from hospital to home, however, appreciative inquiry suggests that it would beneficial to address staff concerns surrounding increased workload in order to increase solidification of stakeholder buy-in toward promoting global aim success

Effect of visual cues on the resolution of perceptual ambiguity in Parkinson’s disease and normal aging

Parkinson's disease (PD) and normal aging have been associated with changes in visual perception, including reliance on external cues to guide behavior. This raises the question of the extent to which these groups use visual cues when disambiguating information. Twenty-seven individuals with PD, 23 normal control adults (NC), and 20 younger adults (YA) were presented a Necker cube in which one face was highlighted by thickening the lines defining the face. The hypothesis was that the visual cues would help PD and NC to exert better control over bistable perception. There were three conditions, including passive viewing and two volitional-control conditions (hold one percept in front; and switch: speed up the alternation between the two). In the Hold condition, the cue was either consistent or inconsistent with task instructions. Mean dominance durations (time spent on each percept) under passive viewing were comparable in PD and NC, and shorter in YA. PD and YA increased dominance durations in the Hold cue-consistent condition relative to NC, meaning that appropriate cues helped PD but not NC hold one perceptual interpretation. By contrast, in the Switch condition, NC and YA decreased dominance durations relative to PD, meaning that the use of cues helped NC but not PD in expediting the switch between percepts. Provision of low-level cues has effects on volitional control in PD that are different from in normal aging, and only under task-specific conditions does the use of such cues facilitate the resolution of perceptual ambiguity.Published versio

Removal of 1,2-dichloroethane from industrial wastewater with membrane filtration

Background and Aims: 1,2-dichloroetane [ethylene dichloride (EDC)] is a chlorinated hydrocarbon which is widely used to produce vinyl chloride. The later is the major precursor to PVC production. Wastewater originating from EDC production is characterized by high turbidity and contains ethylene dichloride and FeCl3 particles. The aim of the present study was to investigate the treatability of EDC effluent using membrane filtration.Materials and Methods: Laboratory scale experiments were carried out on Abadan petrochemical complex wastewater (EDC unit) with various membrane filtration processes that combine microfiltration with nanofiltration. Microfiltration membrane was used as a pretreatment to remove turbidity as well as FeCl3 fine particles, which may subsequently damage nanofiltration system. The microfiltration effluent was thereafter fed to a nanofiltration membrane cell. The filtration performance was assessed through turbidity, TDS, COD and 1,2-dichloroetane removals. pH, temperature and system pressure were also controlled during the study.Results: Successful removal of turbidity (97.5%) and FeCl3 particles (98%) was achieved by microfiltration. EDC concentration in raw effluent was ranged between 2,000 to 3,000 ppm. The nanofiltration membrane cell followed by microfiltration achieved a very high 1,2-dichloroetane removal (96.7) from water. The experimental results indeed showed that the permeate was consisted mainly of water, which asserts that 1,2-dichloroetane was separated in waste phase.Conclusion: The results obtained provide further support for previous researches into this brain area and support the application of membrane technology to remove and recovery of soluble organic compounds from petrochemical wastewater.Key words: Petrochemical wastewater, 1,2-dichloroetane, Membrane filtration, Nanofiltration, Microfiltratio

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis to Investigate the Correlation Vegetable Irrigation with Wastewater and Concentration of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTES): a Case Study of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus)

Water shortage and stress around the world lead to the reuse of wastewater in many sectors while the recycling of water in agriculture as one of the most consumed sectors can boost the contamination of crops by potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the correlation between the accumulation of PTEs (Fe, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, As, Cd, and Se) in edible parts of spinach and radish plants and sewage irrigation by the aid of a meta-analysis. Moreover, the non-carcinogenic risk (N-CR) and carcinogenic risk (CR) for health risk assessment of consumers were assessed through actual total target hazard quotient (TTHQact) and carcinogenic risk (CRact). After the screening process, 51 articles with 75 studies were included. According to findings, the rank order of PTEs in spinach and radish were Fe > Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cd > As > Se and Fe > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Pb > As > Cd > Se, respectively. PTE adsorption by edible parts of spinach (leafy vegetable) was higher than radish. The health risk assessment shows that residents in Iran, India, and China are at N-CR while the population of Iran, India, and Pakistan are facing CR. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Inactivation of Fecal coliforms during solar and photocatalytic disinfection by zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles in compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs)

Water samples of 0, 50, and 100 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) spiked with fecal coliforms (107 CFU/ml) were exposed to natural sunshine in 1l quartz glass tubes fitted with rectors' compound parabolic concentrators CPCS at two forms CPC1 (whit nanoparticle zinc oxide) and CPC2(without nanoparticle zinc oxide). The samples were characterized using the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). On clear days, the complete inactivation times (more than 7-log unit reduction in bacterial population) in the systems with CPC1, and CPC2 were 15, and 30 min, respectively. The maximum temperatures obtained in the water samples were 80°C for CPC1, and 82°C for CPC2. The use of CPC1 with hydroxyl radicals (OH·) production significantly improved the efficiency of the old CPCS technique, since these systems (CPC1-2) shortened the exposure times to solar radiation and also minimized the negative effects of turbidity and also regrowth was zero in the disinfected samples. Due to two simultaneous effects of high temperatures and UV, regrowth in most ways of solar disinfection was not seen in these examples. Overall, this technology has been proved to be a good enhancement method to inactivate microorganisms under real conditions and represents a good alternative technique to drinking water treatment. © 2019, Islamic Azad University

Influence of Parasitic Worm Infections on Allergy Diagnosis in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Epidemiological studies from Sub-Saharan Africa indicate that allergies are on the rise in this region especially in urban compared to rural areas. This increase has been linked to improved hygiene, lifestyle changes, and lower exposure to pathogens in childhood. Reduced exposure to parasitic worm (helminth) infections and allergy outcomes has been the focus of a number of population studies over the years. Paradoxically, there are parallels in the immune responses to helminths and to allergies. Both conditions are associated with elevated levels of immunoglobulin E, high numbers of T helper 2 cells, eosinophils, and mast cells. These immune parallels have meant that the diagnosis of allergies in parts of the world where helminths are endemic can be hampered. The aim of this review is to examine observations from population studies conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa that demonstrate how helminth infections influence the parameters used to diagnose allergy outcomes in this region. We explore specifically how helminth infections hinder the in vitro diagnosis of allergic sensitization, influence the clinical manifestations of allergy, and also the effect of anthelmintic treatment on allergy outcomes. Advancing our understanding of how helminths influence allergy diagnosis is imperative for the development of improved tools to assess, diagnose, and treat allergic disorders in both helminth-endemic and non-endemic countries worldwide

Associations between socio-environmental determinants and the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis in Guilan, Iran

Background: Certain social determinants may influence host susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) infections, and increase the risk of developing the disease. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of several host and environmental factors on the risk of TB in northern Iranian households. Patients and Methods: This case control study was conducted for one year between 2010 and 2011 in the Guilan province in Iran. Eightyseven confirmed TB positive cases, based on convenience sampling, were included in this study. A patient positive for TB was confirmed by a positive sputum smear, chest X-ray, and clinical manifestations as diagnosed by a physician. The data were collected using observational methods, and were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: The average mean age of the TB cases was 51±22 years old, and 40.2 (35/87) of the TB cases were male and 59.8 (52/87) were female. The majority of TB cases were from rural areas (71.3, 62/87), while 28.7 (25/87) were from urban areas. Significant differences (P < 0.001) were observed between the geographical conditions and distribution of the disease. The room density of the individuals was significantly different (2.9±1.2 vs. 2.2±1.9, P<0.002) among the TB cases and control group, respectively. A statistical difference was observed between the groups in terms of the building materials (P < 0.05), while significantly inadequate UV irradiation was seen in the houses of the TB patients, compared to the control group (82.8 vs. 14.9,P<0.001). The hygiene of the houses seemed to be a significant risk factor (P<0.001) for TB infection.Conclusions: The results suggest that in the studied region several host and environmental factors were associated with higher risks of TB infection. © 2016, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center

Metabolic homeostasis in chronic helminth infection is sustained by organ-specific metabolic rewiring

Opisthorchiasis, is a hepatobiliary disease caused by flukes of the trematode family Opisthorchiidae. A chronic form of the disease implies a prolonged coexistence of a host and the parasite. The pathological changes inflicted by the worm to the host’s hepatobiliary system are well documented. Yet, the response to the infection also triggers a deep remodeling of the host systemic metabolism reaching a new homeostasis and affecting the organs beyond the worm location. Understanding the metabolic alternation in chronic opisthorchiasis, could help us to pinpoint pathways that underlie infection opening possibilities for the development of more selective treatment strategies. Here, with this report we apply an integrative, multicompartment metabolomics analysis, using multiple biofluids, stool samples and tissue extracts to describe metabolic changes in Opisthorchis felineus infected animals at the chronic stage. We show that the shift in lipid metabolism in the serum, a depletion of the amino acids pool, an alteration of the ketogenic pathways in the jejunum and a suppressed metabolic activity of the spleen are the key features of the metabolic host adaptation at the chronic stage of O. felineus infection. We describe this combination of the metabolic changes as a “metabolically mediated immunosuppressive status of organism” which develops during a chronic infection. This status in combination with other factors (e.g., parasite-derived immunomodulators) might increase risk of infection-related malignancy

A Proline-Rich Structural Protein of the Surface Sheath of Larval Brugia Filarial Nematode Parasites

Both cDNA and genomic DNA sequences have been isolated which encode a proline-rich precursor protein of the sheath from microfilariae, the first stage larvae of the filarial nematode parasites Brugia pahangi andBrugia malayi. This 22-kDa protein is soluble only under reducing conditions and is extensively cross- linked by both disulfide and nonreducible bonds. Immunogold electron microscopy shows that the protein is localized exclusively in the sheath, a vestigial remnant of the eggshell, which is retained by and encloses the mature microfilaria. Analysis by Western blotting confirms that the protein is expressed only in microfilariae and adult female worms, although transcripts are detectable only in adult females. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a short N-terminal hydrophobic putative leader sequence, a central repetitive domain that contains 14 copies of a degenerate 5-amino acid repeat with the consensus sequence Met- Pro-Pro-Gln-Gly, and a C-terminal prolinerich do- main flanked by clusters of cysteine residues. These clusters can be aligned with cysteine residues implicated in cross-linking of a family of cuticular collagens originally identified in Caenorhabditiselegans but which extends to other nematodes