Associations Between Healthcare Facility Types and Healthcare-Associated Infections

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) continue to be an epidemiological issue burdening patients and public health systems worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine if specific healthcare facility types (Acute Care Hospitals, Long Term Acute Care Hospitals, and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities) were associated with particular categories of HAIs: Ventilator-Associated Pneumonias (VAPs), Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs), and Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs). The theoretical framework for this study was the environmental determinants of infectious disease framework. A single research question focused on whether an association existed among the specified health care facility types and HAIs. Three independent categorical variables were used, including Acute Care Hospitals, Long Term Acute Care Hospitals, and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, and 3 dependent variables were used, comprising of VAPs, CAUTIs, and CLABSIs. A quantitative design engaged the chi-square test of association, using a 2012 population-level report of archival data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u27s National Healthcare Safety Network. Seven groups of HAIs and facility types were tested, and the results revealed that 6 groups had statistically significant differences. This study may contribute to positive social change by helping to identify whether healthcare facility types are associated with HAIs and to supply evidence to stakeholders to support standardization of best practices across all facility types, thus contributing to the reduction of HAIs in the United States

Examination of the Role of Religious and Psychosocial Factors in HIV Medication Adherence Rates

Optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with favorable HIV outcomes, including higher CD4 cell counts, HIV virus suppression and a lower risk of HIV transmission. However, only 25% of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) in the USA are virally suppressed. Sub-optimal adherence (p\u3c 0.05). Social support satisfaction was also significantly associated with ART adherence (OR = 1.52, 95% CI [1.11–2.08], p \u3c 0.05) and energy/fatigue/vitality (OR = 1.03, 95% CI [1.00–1.05], p \u3c 0.05)

Correlates and Predictors of Medication Adherence in Outpatients Living with HIV/AIDS

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important in HIV outcomes and HIV prevention. However, ART adherence remains suboptimal in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). This study examined associations among ART adherence and demographic, psychosocial, and religious factors in a sample of 292 PLWH. Average age of participants was 45.1 ± 7.8 years and they had been living with HIV for 10.8 ± 7.0 years, on average. Mean ART adherence scores differed significantly between participants based on age (F = 5.861, p = .016), depressive symptom status (F = 17.61, p \u3c .0001), religious attendance (F = 5.901, p = .016), and prayer (F = 5.791, p = .017). Only age, social support, prayer, and negative religious coping were significant predictors of ART adherence, in a multivariate regression model. Higher ART adherence scores were significantly associated with being older than 50 years (β = .17, p = .014), greater social support satisfaction (β = .15, p = .031), praying daily or more (β = .17, p = .021) and lower negative religious coping scores (β = −.18, p = .014). Clinicians should assess/address these factors during ART treatment counseling

Supernova Pointing Capabilities of DUNE

International audienceThe determination of the direction of a stellar core collapse via its neutrino emission is crucial for the identification of the progenitor for a multimessenger follow-up. A highly effective method of reconstructing supernova directions within the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is introduced. The supernova neutrino pointing resolution is studied by simulating and reconstructing electron-neutrino charged-current absorption on $^{40}$Ar and elastic scattering of neutrinos on electrons. Procedures to reconstruct individual interactions, including a newly developed technique called ``brems flipping'', as well as the burst direction from an ensemble of interactions are described. Performance of the burst direction reconstruction is evaluated for supernovae happening at a distance of 10 kpc for a specific supernova burst flux model. The pointing resolution is found to be 3.4 degrees at 68% coverage for a perfect interaction-channel classification and a fiducial mass of 40 kton, and 6.6 degrees for a 10 kton fiducial mass respectively. Assuming a 4% rate of charged-current interactions being misidentified as elastic scattering, DUNE's burst pointing resolution is found to be 4.3 degrees (8.7 degrees) at 68% coverage

Performance of a modular ton-scale pixel-readout liquid argon time projection chamber

The Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements, and provide comparisons to detector simulations

Performance of a modular ton-scale pixel-readout liquid argon time projection chamber

International audienceThe Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements, and provide comparisons to detector simulations