Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in the U.S.: Evidence from a representative cross-sectional survey.

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 102175
Author(s):  
Ama Owusu-Dommey ◽  
Kristen Pogreba-Brown ◽  
Lorenzo Villa-Zapata
Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff A. Dennis ◽  
Lisaann S. Gittner ◽  
J. Drew Payne ◽  
Kenneth Nugent

Abstract Background Global 12-month psychosis prevalence is estimated at roughly 0.4%, although prevalence of antipsychotic use in the U.S. is estimated at roughly 1.7%. Antipsychotics are frequently prescribed for off label uses, but have also been shown to carry risk factors for certain comorbid conditions and with other prescription medications. The study aims to describe the socio-demographic and health characteristics of U.S. adults taking prescription antipsychotic medications, and to better understand the association of antipsychotic medications and comorbid chronic diseases. Methods The study pools 2013–2018 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of non-institutionalized U.S. residents (n = 17,691). Survey staff record prescription medications taken within the past 30 days for each respondent, from which typical and atypical antipsychotic medications were identified. Results Prevalence of antipsychotic use among U.S. adults was 1.6% (n = 320). Over 90% of individuals taking antipsychotics reported having health insurance and a usual place for care, significantly more than their counterparts not taking antipsychotics. Further, those taking antipsychotics reported higher prevalence of comorbid chronic diseases and took an average of 2.3 prescription medications more than individuals not taking antipsychotics. Individuals taking antipsychotics were more likely to sleep 9 or more hours per night, be a current smoker, and have a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2. Conclusions U.S. adults who take antipsychotic medications report more consistent health care access and higher prevalence of comorbid chronic diseases compared to those not taking antipsychotics. The higher comorbidity prevalence and number of total prescriptions highlight the need for careful assessment and monitoring of existing comorbidities and potential drug-drug interactions among adults taking antipsychotics in the U.S.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-158
Author(s):  
Jordan Patterson

A Review of: Lund, B., & Agbaji, D. (2018). Use of Dewey Decimal Classification by academic libraries in the United States. Cataloging and Classification Quarterly, 56(7), 653-661. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639374.2018.1517851 Abstract Objective – To determine the current use of Dewey Decimal Classification in academic libraries in the United States of America (U.S.). Design – Cross-sectional survey using a systematic sampling method. Setting – Online academic library catalogues in the U.S. Subjects – 3,973 academic library catalogues. Methods – The researchers identified 3,973 academic libraries affiliated with degree-granting post-secondary institutions in the U.S. The researchers searched each library’s online catalogue for 10 terms from a predetermined list. From the results of each search, the researchers selected at least five titles, noted the classification scheme used to classify each title, and coded the library as using Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), Library of Congress Classification (LCC), both DDC and LCC, or other classification schemes. Based on the results of their data collection, the researchers calculated totals. The totals of this current study’s data collection were compared to statistics on DDC usage from two previous reports, one published in 1975 and one in 1996. The researchers performed statistical analyses to determine if there were any discernible trends from the earliest reported statistics through to the current study. Main Results – Collections classified using DDC were present in 717 libraries (18.9%). Adjusting for the increase in the number of academic libraries in the U.S. between 1975 and 2017, DDC usage in academic libraries has declined by 56% in that time frame. The number of libraries with only DDC in evidence is unreported. Conclusion – The previous four decades have seen a significant decrease in the use of DDC in U.S. academic libraries in favour of LCC; however, the rate at which DDC has disappeared from academic libraries has slowed dramatically since the 1960s. There is no clear indication that DDC will disappear from academic libraries completely.


2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Mancianti ◽  
Simona Nardoni ◽  
Gaetano Ariti ◽  
Dario Parlanti ◽  
Giovanna Giuliani ◽  
...  

Cats are the key species in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection, even if the proportion of subjects excreting oocysts is low. The aim of the present paper was to obtain information about seroprevalence, oocyst shedding rate and presence of T gondii DNA in faeces collected from an urban population of colony cats in Florence (Tuscany). Fifty European shorthair feral cats were examined for anti- T gondii specific antibodies by a modified agglutination test (MAT), and for oocysts by microscopic examination and for faecal protozoal DNA, by means of a nested polymerase chain reaction (n-PCR) protocol. Twenty-two out of 50 serum samples (44%) were MAT positive. T gondii oocysts were not detected in any of the examined faecal samples. Eight out of 50 faecal specimens (16%) were n-PCR positive and sequencing of the bands was specific for T gondii. Detection by combination of the two methods was higher than single techniques and enhanced the detection of T gondii up to 48%. Our results suggest that the use of MAT plus PCR in faeces may be the best choice for diagnosis of feline toxoplasmosis. Further studies to ascertain the real infectivity of the copro-PCR positive subjects are required.


2006 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Klun ◽  
Olgica Djurković-Djaković ◽  
Sofija Katić-Radivojević ◽  
Aleksandra Nikolić

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E Adkison ◽  
Maansi Bansal-Travers ◽  
Danielle M Smith ◽  
Richard J O’Connor ◽  
Andrew J Hyland

2020 ◽  
pp. 108482232096308
Author(s):  
Zainab Toteh Osakwe ◽  
Izuagie Ikhapoh ◽  
Bhavleen Kaur Arora ◽  
Rose Saint Fleur-Calixte

The objective of this study was to describe the perception of home healthcare (HHC) nurses toward persons with dementia (PWD). Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 225 registered nurses at 11 home care agencies across 7 states in the U.S. A web based modified Approaches to Dementia (ADQ) was used to assess nurses’ perception of person-centeredness. Most of the respondents were female (91.6%). Overall, greater years of experience as a registered nurse and age (<40 years) were associated with higher mean person-centeredness scores. Efforts to improve patient-centered dementia care in the HHC setting may need to be tailored to unique groups of HHC nurses.


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