Search Results (67)

Workplace violence (WV) is a ubiquitous risk in healthcare settings where it has been associated with physical and mental health problems. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the violence experienced by healthcare workers (HCWs) and the presence of eating disorders (EDs). During routine health surveillance, 1215 HCWs were questioned about their experience of WV and the short version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-QS) was used to assess their eating behaviors. Sleep quality, stress, and the presence of common mental illnesses and metabolic disorders were also evaluated. HCWs who had experienced one or more assaults in the previous year had a significantly higher EDE score than their colleagues. In a multivariate model, WV doubled the risk of EDs (odds ratio 2.33, confidence intervals 95% 1.30; 4.18, p < 0.01). A very significant association was observed between common mental disorders and EDs (OR 1.13, CI 95% 1.04; 1.23, p < 0.01), while low sleep quality almost reached a significant level (OR 1.09, CI 95% 0.99; 1.20). The higher frequency of EDs among workers subjected to violence may result from maladaptive coping mechanisms used when stress and mental health problems caused by WV lead to compensatory overeating. However, reverse causation, where WV is induced by stigmatization, cannot be ruled out. Because of the considerable impact EDs have on physical and mental health, productivity, and patient care, healthcare organizations should adopt programs designed to prevent these disorders in HCWs. Full article

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan with distinct biological functions, dependent on its molecular weight. High-molecular-weight HA (HMWHA) primarily exhibits structural and anti-inflammatory roles, whereas low-(LMWHA) and very low-molecular-weight HAs (vLMWHA) actively participate in tissue regeneration and angiogenesis. This review highlights the pivotal roles of HA across the female reproductive lifespan, emphasizing how molecular weight dictates its therapeutic potential. In gynecology, LMWHA effectively alleviates symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, restores vaginal architecture, and mitigates complications following pelvic radiotherapy, improving both tissue integrity and patient quality of life. vLMWHA shows promise in enhancing viral clearance and lesion regression in human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. In obstetrics, HMWHA plays crucial roles in implantation, immunotolerance, and embryogenesis and maintains cervical barrier integrity to prevent ascending infections and preterm birth. Moreover, emerging clinical evidence supports oral HMWHA supplementation for reducing pregnancy complications, such as threatened miscarriage, subchorionic hematomas, and preterm delivery. This review underscores the necessity of considering HA’s molecular weight to optimize interventions in gynecological and obstetric care, offering tailored strategies to support women’s health throughout their lives. Full article

Gestational exposure to environmental chemicals has long been considered an important contributor to adverse pregnancy outcomes. While humans are exposed to a large complexity of environmental chemicals under real scenarios, existing studies have generally focused on a limited number of substances when exploring the health impacts of environmental exposure. Our work employed the recently developed ExpoNano strategy to characterize exposure to 283 environmental chemicals via urine in pregnant women from three Chinese cities and explored the association between environmental exposure and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) through a nested case–control study within a prospective birth cohort. The results revealed ubiquitous gestational exposure (detection frequency > 70%) to 37 chemicals, including selected mono-phthalate esters (mono-PAEs), non-PAE plasticizers, synthetic antioxidants, organophosphate esters, personal care products, UV stabilizers, photoinitiators, pesticides, and hydroxy polyaromatic hydrocarbons across the three cities. The cumulative concentrations of detectable chemicals displayed median values of 461–741 ng/mL in different populations of pregnant women, which exhibited significant variations across regions. In the GDM case–control study (85 GDM cases and 170 healthy controls), although mixed exposure was not associated with the risk of GDM, exposure to acetyl tributyl citrate, an emerging plasticizer, was found to be significantly associated with GDM risk, based on both the single-pollutant and mixed exposure models. However, it should be noted that due to the relatively small sample size, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary exploratory results requiring further validation in larger cohorts. This study demonstrates the complexity of environmental chemical exposure during pregnancy, indicating a critical need for further investigations of the potential impact on pregnancy outcomes. Full article

Bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment and critical to human health and disease, yet only a small fraction can be identified through standard culture methods. Advances in next-generation sequencing techniques have improved bacterial identification, but these DNA-based methods cannot distinguish live bacteria from relic DNA. Recently, DNA-labeling dyes (e.g., 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine [BrdU] and propidium monoazide [PMA]) have been used to detect metabolically active bacteria in different sample types. Here, we compare BrdU and PMA in combination with 16SrRNA gene sequencing to characterize metabolically active bacteria in two different sample types: (1) manufactured products (n = 78; cigarettes, hookah, and little cigar) and (2) natural samples (n = 186; rainwater, soil, and produce). Metabolically active bacterial communities identified in BrdU-labeled samples had lower alpha diversity than that of PMA-treated and non-treated samples. Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Enterobacter, and Acinetobacter were observed in all the samples tested. Irrespective of sample type, Pseudomonas was predominant in BrdU-treated samples, while Acinetobacter was more abundant in non-treated samples compared to PMA-treated samples. We also observed that PMA-treated samples tend to overestimate the metabolically active bacterial fraction compared to BrdU-treated samples. Overall, our study highlights how different labeling techniques influence bacterial community analysis findings, underscoring the need for careful selection of labeling approaches when assessing environmental samples. Full article

Trauma, mental illnesses, and substance use disorders (SUD) are well-documented contributors leading to women’s incarceration; however, less is known about how these factors also influence women’s pathways through prison once incarcerated. To address this gap, we examined (1) women’s pathways to and through prison-based mental health services, (2) summarized their sociodemographic and diagnostic profiles, and (3) examined how mental health and addiction relate to indicators of within-prison functioning, intervention receipt, and recidivism. Data derived from routine administrative and treatment records of women incarcerated between January 2015 and December 2023 in the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW). The full sample comprised 5775 women who entered WCCW during the study period. The majority (53.2%) of women admitted to prison in the study period had at least one mental health diagnosis requiring at least moderate mental health intervention. Substance use (62.73%), trauma-related (61.11%), and mood (47.71%) disorders were most common. Individuals with at least a diagnosis of psychosis, neurocognitive disorders, and personality disorders had greater rates of close observation stays, crisis events, and non-suicidal self-injury risk assessments. Psychosis was associated with the highest rate of crisis events, while personality disorders were associated with the highest rate of non-suicidal self-injury risk assessments. Three-year recidivism rates were highest amongst those with a diagnosis of psychosis or ADHD. Trauma-focused and substance use treatments were associated with lower rates of crisis interventions and other critical incidents in their post-treatment period, but no relationship was observed for reductions in post-release recidivism. Overwhelmingly, women enter prison with significant mental health care needs and require a high-level of care that is largely reflective of the nearly ubiquitous nature of trauma, psychological distress, and addiction. The level of care needed, in response to the varied and complicated diagnostic profile of incarcerated women (e.g., ADHD, psychosis, trauma), as well as the number of critical incidents stemming from symptoms, reflects the need for more clinical staff to expand reach along with training in a wide range of modalities. Full article

As online health and wellness programs become more ubiquitous post-pandemic, there is a need to better understand how people with physical disabilities respond to different types of program offerings. Online health promotion programs have become popular in the disability community, and programs offer a range of activities across various wellness domains (e.g., exercise, nutrition). This study examined factors predicting adherence to three different types of online health promotion programs tailored for people with physical disabilities. A survey was developed to examine factors associated with high, moderate, and low adherence to three different types of health promotion programs. Participants who completed an online wellness program were sent a survey that asked questions related to adherence to a range of wellness activities. The three programs included the MENTOR (Mindfulness, Exercise, and Nutrition to Optimize Resilience), GROWTH (Growing Resilience Out of Wellness and Thoughtful Habits), and SOSE (State of Slim Everybody) programs, all of which focus on different self-care strategies. MENTOR focused on educating participants about mindfulness, exercise, and nutrition; GROWTH aimed to deliver mental and emotional health techniques, while SOSE’s purpose was to teach participants how to implement healthy weight loss, weight management, and daily exercise practices. Results indicated that participant perceptions of program delivery, specifically programs being disability friendly, virtual environment enjoyment, having positive instructor relationships, adaptable content, the instructor’s knowledge about disability, the instructor’s use of appropriate language, and program satisfaction, affected the likelihood of high adherence among people with physical disabilities enrolled in the health and wellness programs. Full article

Aspergillus spp. are ubiquitous fungi present in soil, organic debris, water, decaying vegetation and dust produced in renovation and/or building work. Several studies have shown the presence of aspergilli in various healthcare environments. Typically, thousands of fungal spores are inhaled every day, but if spore clearance fails (typically in immunocompromised patients), fungi can grow and invade lung tissue, causing invasive aspergillosis (IA) which is one of the most frequent infections in highly immunocompromised patients. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common species involved; this species can be attributed to about 80% of the cases of aspergillosis. According to the WHO, Aspergillus fumigatus is one of four critical priority fungi. The first-line treatment of diseases caused by Aspergillus, in particular IA, is based on triazole antimycotics. Unfortunately, resistance to antimycotics is increasing, partly due to their widespread use in various areas, becoming a significant concern to clinicians who are charged with caring for patients at high risk of invasive mycoses. A recent WHO report emphasised the need for strategies to improve the response, and in particular strengthen laboratory capacity and surveillance, support investment in research and strengthen public health interventions for the prevention and control of fungal infections through a One Health approach. Full article

Microplastic (MP) pollution has emerged as a critical environmental and health issue, particularly in urban areas where the use of plastic packaging for preserved foods, personal care products, and other consumables is prevalent. The rapid pace of urbanization amplifies the challenges associated with managing MP pollution, making it imperative to develop innovative and sustainable solutions. MPs are ubiquitous in urban environments, originating from various sources and pathways, including improper waste disposal, stormwater runoff, and atmospheric deposition. These tiny particles not only threaten ecological integrity but also pose significant risks to human health. Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive approach that integrates environmental management, public health considerations, and socio-economic factors within urban planning. The presence of MPs adversely affects ecosystems and human health, highlighting the urgent need for effective MP management within sustainable urbanization strategies. This paper presents a novel perspective on managing MP pollution in urban environments, focusing on the specific challenges and opportunities. Unlike existing reviews that provide broad overviews of MP pollution, our study proposes management strategies designed to address the distinct issues faced in urban settings. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of knowledge regarding MPs in urban areas, encompassing environmental, health, and socio-economic impacts. These strategies include promoting eco-friendly alternatives to plastics, enhancing waste collection and disposal systems, and implementing policy interventions aimed at reducing plastic consumption. By addressing urban-specific challenges and proposing comprehensive solutions, our study aims to significantly contribute to the field of MP pollution management in sustainable urbanization, ultimately safeguarding human health and the environment. Full article

Background: With an estimated global prevalence rate of over 30%, dental fear is a ubiquitous public health phenomenon. Dental fear’s adverse effects on patient oral health and quality of life are well established; the stresses and financial repercussions it can pose to providers are increasingly recognized. Although dental fear is highly treatable, a disseminable intervention that satisfies the needs of patients and dental care providers has yet to be realized. Objectives: We sought to understand allied dental professionals’ experiences treating patients with dental fear and their impressions of, and receptivity to, a stepped-care approach, including perceived barriers and facilitators to its adoption. Methods: Thirteen semi-structured focus groups comprising students in (a) current dental hygiene programs and (b) other dental programs, who had prior experience working as licensed dental hygienists or allied professionals (i.e., dental assistants, dental therapists, dental treatment coordinators; N = 49) were conducted. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Results: Participant responses supported the need for innovation in managing dental fear in practices, and supported hygienists as likely facilitators of any new behavioral approach. Overall, participants were receptive to the idea of a stepped-care treatment approach but identified several factors (e.g., accessibility, costs, treatment credibility) that would need to be addressed for its adoption by patients and dental professionals. Conclusion: A stepped-care approach to dental fear treatment has promise to meet the needs of patients and dental professionals. Potential barriers and facilitators to adoption provide a roadmap for future intervention refinement and efficacy testing. Full article

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are compounds found in several environmental compartments whose ubiquitous presence can cause toxicity for the entire ecosystem. Several personal care products, including antibiotics, have entered this group of compounds, constituting a major global threat. It is essential to develop simple and reliable methods by which to quantify these contaminants in several matrices. In this work, mussels were chosen as sentinel organisms to assess environmental pollution and the safety of bivalve mollusk consumption according to the “One Health perspective”. A liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS) was developed for the quantification of two macrolides, erythromycin (ERY) and azithromycin (AZI), in mussels. This new method was validated according to international guidelines, showing high selectivity, good recoveries (>60% for both of them), sensitivity, and precision. The method was successfully applied for ERY and AZI research in mussels farmed along the Sardinian coasts (Italy), demonstrating itself to be useful for routine analysis by competent authorities. The tested macrolides were not determined in the analyzed sites at concentrations above the limits of detection (LODs). These results demonstrate the food safety of mussels (as concerns the studied antibiotics) and a negligible amount of pollution derived from these drugs in the studied area. Full article

Bacterial multidrug resistance poses a growing hazard to public health worldwide. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous bacterial species that has been identified as the second most critical pathogen on the list of drug-resistant bacteria posing a huge threat to human health. P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic Gram-negative bacterium that rapidly produces multiple virulence factors that promote adhesion, host cell penetration, and pathogenicity. It possesses inherent resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics, evading antibiotic treatment by triggering the persister phenotype. Traditional approaches for detecting pathogens in laboratory and clinical settings primarily involve microbiological, nucleic acid-based, immunological, and sequencing techniques, among others. These procedures are time-consuming, necessitate advanced laboratory equipment and skilled staff, and incur large setup costs, rendering them unsuitable for on-the-spot detection of bacterial infections in settings with limited resources. Aptasensors utilize nucleic acid aptamers as bio-receptors to detect pathogens. They circumvent the existing limitations of conventional detection systems due to their sensitivity, versatility for modification, cost-efficiency, and ability to enable real-time detection. So far, as per the literature, three aptamers have been developed against P. aeruginosa using whole bacterial cells but with unreported binding sites. This study aims to identify highly specific aptamers that can bind specifically to P. aeruginosa using whole-bacterium SELEX at any stage of growth with an extensive study of binding site interaction and identification. The objective is to develop an aptamer-based kit enabling rapid point-of-care detection of P. aeruginosa in clinical and environmental samples. Full article

(1) Background: Access to abortion care is a crucial reproductive health right. Refugees and migrants may have restricted access to and utilisation of abortion care, associated with histories of displacement, precarious migrant and citizenship status and difficulty navigating unfamiliar host country healthcare systems. However, there is limited evidence on the abortion experiences and perspectives of refugees and migrants. Moreover, existing research has not been synthesised to identify trends informing sexual and reproductive care access among this marginalised population. This systematic review aimed to address this gap in the cumulative evidence on refugee and migrant experiences and perspectives of abortion in host countries. (2) Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched the following databases for studies on refugee and migrant abortion attitudes, decision making and experiences: Embase, Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, Sociological Abstracts, and Scopus. We also searched the grey literature on the same. Inclusion criteria specified qualitative studies involving migrant and/or refugee populations, examining their abortion experiences, attitudes or perspectives, written in English, published between January 2000 and December 2022. Two reviewers screened titles, abstracts and full-text articles, resulting in 27 articles included in the review, following consensus checks by two co-authors. The included studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. (3) Results: Abortion was stigmatised and generally considered impermissible and undesirable. However, participants discussed socioculturally determined ‘exceptions’ to this, positing circumstances where abortion was acceptable. There were striking differences in experiences between participants in higher-income settings and those in lower- and middle-income settings. Difficulties accessing care were ubiquitous but were heightened in lower-resource settings and among participants with precarious citizenship, financial and legal statuses. (4) Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for an international convention to guide policy and programming that acknowledges the specific abortion requirements of migrant and refugee communities, with attention to their financial, legal and social precarity. Full article

The advancement of sciences and technologies, economic challenges, increasing expectations, and consumerism result in a radical transformation of health and social care around the globe, characterized by foundational organizational, methodological, and technological paradigm changes. The transformation of the health and social care ecosystems aims at ubiquitously providing personalized, preventive, predictive, participative precision (5P) medicine, considering and understanding the individual’s health status in a comprehensive context from the elementary particle up to society. For designing and implementing such advanced ecosystems, an understanding and correct representation of the structure, function, and relations of their components is inevitable, thereby including the perspectives, principles, and methodologies of all included disciplines. To guarantee consistent and conformant processes and outcomes, the specifications and principles must be based on international standards. A core standard for representing transformed health ecosystems and managing the integration and interoperability of systems, components, specifications, and artifacts is ISO 23903:2021, therefore playing a central role in this publication. Consequently, ISO/TC 215 and CEN/TC 251, both representing the international standardization on health informatics, declared the deployment of ISO 23903:2021 mandatory for all their projects and standards addressing more than one domain. The paper summarizes and concludes the first author’s leading engagement in the evolution of pHealth in Europe and beyond over the last 15 years, discussing the concepts, principles, and standards for designing, implementing, and managing 5P medicine ecosystems. It not only introduces the theoretical foundations of the approach but also exemplifies its deployment in practical projects and solutions regarding interoperability and integration in multi-domain ecosystems. The presented approach enables comprehensive and consistent integration of and interoperability between domains, systems, related actors, specifications, standards, and solutions. That way, it should help overcome the problems and limitations of data-centric approaches, which still dominate projects and products nowadays, and replace them with knowledge-centric, comprehensive, and consistent ones. Full article

Aspergillus mold is a ubiquitously found, airborne pathogen that can cause a variety of diseases from mild to life-threatening in severity. Limitations in diagnostic methods combined with anti-fungal resistance render Aspergillus a global emerging pathogen. In industry, Aspergilli produce toxins, such as aflatoxins, which can cause food spoilage and pose public health risk issues. Here, we report a multiplex qPCR method for the detection and identification of the five most common pathogenic Aspergillus species, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, and Aspergillus nidulans. Our approach exploits species-specific nucleotide polymorphisms within their ITS genomic regions. This novel assay combines multiplex single-color real time qPCR and melting curve analysis and provides a straight-forward, rapid, and cost-effective detection method that can identify five Aspergillus species simultaneously in a single reaction using only six unlabeled primers. Due to their unique fragment lengths, the resulting amplicons are directly linked to certain Aspergillus species like fingerprints, following either electrophoresis or melting curve analysis. Our method is characterized by high analytical sensitivity and specificity, so it may serve as a useful and inexpensive tool for Aspergillus diagnostic applications both in health care and the food industry. Full article

Endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs) can have a harmful effect on the human body’s endocrine system and thus adversely affect the development, reproduction, neurological, cardiovascular, and immune systems and metabolism in humans and wildlife. According to the World Health Organization, EDCs are mostly man-made and found ubiquitously in our daily lives, notably in pesticides, metals, and additives or contaminants in food and personal care products. Human exposure occurs through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a proven EDC capable of mimicking or blocking receptors and altering hormone concentrations and metabolism. Although consumed in low doses, it can stimulate cellular responses and affect the body’s functions. In humans, exposure to BPA has been correlated with the onset or development of several diseases. This literature review aimed to verify the effects of BPA on human male infertility using the most recently published literature. Thus, this review allowed us to conclude that this compound seems to have harmful effects on human male fertility, causing changes in hormonal and semen characteristics. However, these conclusions lack more robust and reproducible scientific studies. Even so, and since male infertility prevalence is increasing, preventive measures must be taken to ensure male fertility. Full article