Animal-Assisted Interventions on a College Campus to Improve Wellness: Adventures With the Northern Michigan University Wildpups.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of anxiety and stress among university students has been well established. However, limited studies document the effects of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) on college campuses. METHOD: An AAI program was created and implemented during the 2021-2022 academic year to study the effects on students' stress and anxiety. Five faculty dog and handler teams, called the "Wildpups," participated in events that allowed individuals to interact with registered therapy dogs. Nursing students assessed vital signs including heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure before and after events. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory survey was used to assess pre- and postperceived anxiety, and a visual analog scale was used to assess pre- and postperceived stress. RESULTS: Participants' blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates, and perceived stress and anxiety decreased significantly after events. CONCLUSION: Embedded AAI programs on college campuses positively affect the life and mental well-being of individuals. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(11):631-637.].

A quantitative risk assessment for the incursion of lumpy skin disease virus into Australia via long-distance windborne dispersal of arthropod vectors.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an infectious disease of cattle and water buffalo caused by lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). It is primarily transmitted mechanically by biting insects. LSDV has spread from Africa to the Middle-East, the Balkans, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Asia and India, suggesting that a wide variety of arthropod vectors are capable of mechanical transmission. In 2022, LSD was detected in Indonesia, heightening awareness for Australia's livestock industries. To better understand the risk of LSDV incursion to Australia we undertook a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) looking at windborne dispersal of arthropod vectors, assuming a hypothetical situation where LSD is endemic in south-east Asia and Papua New Guinea. We estimated the risk of LSDV incursion to be low, with a median incursion rate of one incursion every 403 years, based on a model where several infectious insects (i.e. a 'small batch' of 3-5) must bite a single bovine to transmit infection. The incursion risk increases substantially to one incursion every 7-8 years if a bite from a single insect is sufficient for transmission. The risk becomes negligible (one incursion every 20,706 years) if bites from many insects (i.e. a 'large batch' of 30-50 insects) are necessary. Critically, several of our parameter estimates were highly uncertain during sensitivity analyses. Thus, a key outcome of this QRA was to better prioritise surveillance activities and to understand the key research gaps associated with LSDV in the Australasian context. The current literature shows that multiple vectors are required for successful bovine-to-vector transmission of LSDV, suggesting that our estimate of one outbreak every 403 years more accurately represents the risk to Australia; however, the role of single insects in transmission has not yet been evaluated. Similarly, attempts to transmit LSDV between bovines by Culicoides have not been successful, although midges were the highest risk vector category in our model due to the high vector-to-host ratio for midges compared to other vector categories. Our findings provide further insight into the risk of LSD to Australian cattle industries and identify the Tiwi Islands and areas east of Darwin as priority regions for LSDV surveillance, especially between December and March.

In situ analysis of growth rate evolution during molecular layer deposition of ultra-thin polyurea films using aliphatic and aromatic precursors.

Organic thin films formed by molecular layer deposition (MLD) are important for next-generation electronics, energy storage, photoresists, protective barriers and other applications. This study uses in situ ellipsometry and quartz crystal microbalance to explore growth initiation and growth rate evolution during MLD of polyurea using aromatic p-phenylene diisocyanate (PDIC) or aliphatic 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDIC) combined with ethylenediamine (ED) or 1,6-hexanediamine (HD) co-reactants. During the first 10-20 cycles of growth, we show the growth rate can increase and/or decrease substantially depending on the substrate as well as the flexibility, length, and structure of the isocyanate and amine reactants used. The transition from initial to steady growth is attributed to a change in active surface site density as the growth proceeds, where the number of sites is determined by a balance between steric effects that block active sites, double reactions that consume multiple active sites, and precursor physisorption and sub-surface diffusion that create new active sites, where the extent of each mechanism depends on the precursors and deposition conditions. Results shown here provide useful insight into mechanisms needed to control growth of ultra-thin organic films for advanced applications.

The Effect of a Community Based Educational Intervention on Oral Health Knowledge Levels of Adult Caregivers of Young Children in the Rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Low levels of oral health literacy in parents and caregivers may place a child at risk for poor oral health (Miller, Lee, DeWalt, & Vann, 2010). The purpose of this project was to determine baseline oral health literacy levels for a sample of adult caregivers of young children living in rural communities and to determine the effectiveness of a community-based education program on increasing these baseline levels of knowledge. A convenience sample of sixty-four participants who attended educational programs aimed at adult caregivers of young children comprised the sample. The Upper Peninsula Oral Health Literacy Assessment Survey was administered prior to and after participants attended the educational programming. A paired sample t-test was utilized to analyze the data. There was a statistically significant increase in oral health literacy levels after the implementation of a community-based educational program. Scores reflecting oral health literacy rose from 68.8% on the pre-test to 92.6% on the post-test. This study confirms a need for further oral health education. Increasing oral health literacy levels in adult caregivers of young children may lead to an increase in oral health seeking behaviors and a decrease in preventable dental caries in the pediatric population.

Efficacy of a nitric oxide dressing in decreasing bacterial counts on human skin.

OBJECTIVE: Inhibiting the proliferation of skin bacteria, using nitric oxide (NO), is a potential strategy to prevent infections. This study evaluated the efficacy of using a new NO releasing film dressing to decrease resident human bacterial skin flora compared with the measured microbial activity underneath control sterile Tegaderm transparent dressings. METHODS: A within-subjects design using a sample of convenience compared the bacterial counts under the skin of experimental dressings to those under control dressings. NO releasing film dressings (three) and control dressings (three) were applied without antiseptic preparation to the intact skin on the backs of 67 healthy volunteers. Subsequent skin cultures were obtained from underneath dressing pairs (one experimental and one control) on days three, five, and seven after application. Baseline microflora bacterial counts from uncovered skin was obtained on day three of the study. Comparisons of bacterial counts were analysed. RESULTS: On days three, five and seven, the experimental NO releasing film dressings demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in bacterial count compared with the control dressings. CONCLUSION: The NO releasing film dressings resulted in significantly lower bacterial colony counts as compared to the control dressings at all time points. Incorporating a NO compound into a dressing has an antibacterial effect lasting a minimum of seven days.

A Review on Antibiotic Resistance: Alarm Bells are Ringing.

Antibiotics are the 'wonder drugs' to combat microbes. For decades, multiple varieties of antibiotics have not only been used for therapeutic purposes but practiced prophylactically across other industries such as agriculture and animal husbandry. Uncertainty has arisen, as microbes have become resistant to common antibiotics while the host remains unaware that antibiotic resistance has emerged. The aim of this review is to explore the origin, development, and the current state of antibiotic resistance, regulation, and challenges by examining available literature. We found that antibiotic resistance is increasing at an alarming rate. A growing list of infections i.e., pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gonorrhea are becoming harder and at times impossible to treat while antibiotics are becoming less effective. Antibiotic-resistant infections correlate with the level of antibiotic consumption. Non-judicial use of antibiotics is mostly responsible for making the microbes resistant. The antibiotic treatment repertoire for existing or emerging hard-to-treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections is limited, resulting in high morbidity and mortality report. This review article reiterates the optimal use of antimicrobial medicines in human and animal health to reduce antibiotic resistance. Evidence from the literature suggests that the knowledge regarding antibiotic resistance in the population is still scarce. Therefore, the need of educating patients and the public is essential to fight against the antimicrobial resistance battle.

Program outcomes following implementation of a hybrid curriculum at the certificate level.

AIM: This study examined satisfaction levels and learning outcomes before and after implementation of a hybrid curriculum. BACKGROUND: Increased competition for clinical sites pressured a practical nursing program to explore alternative placement solutions. A hybrid curriculum, defined as offering 50 percent of second-semester theory course content online, was implemented in order to free students from place-bound instruction and thereby open new clinical opportunities. METHODS: A summative evaluation was conducted to compare NCLEX-PN pass rates, grade outcomes, student satisfaction, and attrition rates between a prehybrid group of 119 practical nursing students and a hybrid group of 106 practical nursing students. RESULTS: Findings indicate no significant differences in NCLEX pass rates and grade outcomes between the groups and an improvement in satisfaction and attrition rates. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that use of a hybrid curriculum can open new clinical opportunities while maintaining the learning outcomes of NCLEX-PN pass rates and course grades.

Osteoporosis update.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that is estimated to affect more than 75 million people worldwide. The US Department of Health and Human Services projects that the disease will impact more than 10 million women by 2020 if efforts to prevent it are ineffective. This article provides an overview of the pathophysiology of osteoporosis, prevention measures, and an update of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved medications that are used in the treatment of this widespread disease. METHODS: The current literature on the pathology, risks, and treatment of osteoporosis was reviewed. Studies providing the evidence for best practices are included in the following sections: prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis. Current national standards for diagnosis and treatment are highlighted. RESULTS: Bisphosphonates continue to be the most popular and widely used pharmacologic treatment for osteoporosis. However, when bisphosphonates are contraindicated or cause side effects so serious that it is not possible for some women to use them, alternative pharmacologic treatments and forms of dosing are available. DISCUSSION: When lifestyle and dietary modifications are insufficient to offset a diagnosis of osteoporosis, there are a variety of pharmaceutical options available that will provide safe and effective protection against fracture due to osteoporosis.