New survey illustrates challenges associated with healthcare environmental hygiene in facilities worldwide

Results from first-of-its-kind evaluation published in American Journal of Infection Control will inform refinement of new self-assessment and improvement tool

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ASSOCIATION FOR PROFESSIONALS IN INFECTION CONTROL

Arlington, Va., May 26, 2022 – A global, pilot study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), provides the first, quantified overview of the strengths and challenges associated with healthcare environmental hygiene (HEH) practices in healthcare facilities (HCFs) around the world. Study researchers will use the findings to further enhance an in-development self-assessment tool that will help facilities benchmark and improve their HEH.

“We were surprised to find that 98 percent of the facilities participating in our survey were majorly lacking in one or more of the World Health Organization’s multimodal improvement strategies for infection prevention and control practices,” said Alexandra Peters, Ph.D., Can, University of Geneva, and first author on the published study. “This survey suggests that challenges with key components of HEH, including staff education and training, workplace culture, and access to adequate products and equipment, remain ubiquitous regardless of geography or income level. These results reinforce the need for a self-assessment tool to help HCFs worldwide identify HEH challenges and necessary resources.”

HEH is an important component of infection prevention and control (IPC) that comprises the cleaning of all surfaces in hospital rooms. It is reliant on multiple factors, including adequate cleaning products and supplies; best practices-based protocols; training, education and quality control; and the institutional safety climate. Departments responsible for HEH face numerous challenges, including limited budgets, an unstable workforce, and a lack of access to safe and effective products.

Under the direction of Prof. Didier Pittet of the University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Peters and several colleagues designed a pilot study to evaluate the strengths and challenges in HEH programs around the world and across resource levels. The study also evaluated a preliminary version of the Healthcare Environmental Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework (HEHSAF), a 39-question tool designed by global experts to help facilities’ HEH programs evaluate their current strengths and challenges and their improvement over time. Researchers sent the preliminary HEHSAF to 743 HCFs between April and June 2021; 51 HCFs from 35 countries ultimately participated in the study.

Overall, 98% (50 out of 51) of participating HCFs lacked in some or all of the five components of the multimodal IPC improvement strategy, independent of income level. Other key findings include:

• 71% of respondents felt that their facility gave enough importance to HEH and 47% felt that the budget allocated for cleaning and disinfection was adequate.
• 67% of HCFs reported that necessary HEH products and supplies were always available, 27% said they were sometimes available and 6% said they were never or rarely available. Among the 90% of HCFs that reported HEH equipment and supplies were available, 16% could still not perform adequate sterilization because equipment was not in good working condition.
• Just over 50% of HCFs reported that their protocols were based on best practices and updated regularly.
• Only 22% of HCFs provided or required (if staff was outsourced) comprehensive formal HEH training upon hiring; 28% did not provide or require any formal training at all.

“This study highlights environmental hygiene needs that are similar to those we identified more than 25 years ago for hand hygiene promotion at the time we introduced alcohol-based hand gels in hospitals,” said Prof. Pittet, who is also chair of the Clean Hospitals Initiative, leading the WHO Hand Hygiene promotion initiative “SaveLives:CleanYourHands”, and lead senior author of the study published today.

“These findings provide the global IPC community with a baseline for HEH assessment, and should encourage focus, improvement, and investment in HEH globally to reduce healthcare-associated infections and their implications,” said Linda Dickey, RN, MPH, CIC, FAPIC, and 2022 APIC president. “The final HEHSAF will be an invaluable tool to support this effort.”

About APIC

Founded in 1972, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is the leading association for infection preventionists and epidemiologists. With more than 15,000 members, APIC advances the science and practice of infection prevention and control. APIC carries out its mission through research, advocacy, and patient safety; education, credentialing, and certification; and fostering development of the infection prevention and control workforce of the future. Together with our members and partners, we are working toward a safer world through the prevention of infection. Join us and learn more at apic.org.

About AJIC

As the official peer-reviewed journal of APIC, The American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) is the foremost resource on infection control, epidemiology, infectious diseases, quality management, occupational health, and disease prevention. Published by Elsevier, AJIC also publishes infection control guidelines from APIC and the CDC. AJIC is included in Index Medicus and CINAHL. Visit AJIC at ajicjournal.org.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

“Results of an international pilot survey on healthcare environmental hygiene at the facility level,” by Alexandra Peters, PhD, Can; Marie N. Schmid BS; Marlieke E.A. de Kraker, PhD; Pierre Parneix, MD; Didier Pittet, Prof., MD, MS, CBE, was published online in AJIC on May 26, 2022. The article may be found online at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2022.02.029

AUTHORS

Didier Pittet, Prof., MD, MS, CBE (corresponding author: didier.pittet@hcuge.ch)

University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland

 

Alexandra Peters, PhD, Can

University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine; University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

 

Marie N. Schmid, BS

University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

 

Marlieke E.A. de Kraker, PhD

University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland

 

Pierre Parneix, MD

Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France

 

# # #

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JOURNAL

American Journal of Infection Control

DOI

10.1016/j.ajic.2022.02.029 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Results of an international pilot survey on healthcare environmental hygiene at the facility level

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

26-May-2022

Pets or threats? Goldfish might be harmful for biodiversity

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PENSOFT PUBLISHERS

Invasive species are one of the leading causes of global biodiversity loss, and the pet trade is responsible for a third of all aquatic invasive species. Pet owners releasing unwanted pets into the wild is a major problem. Whilst many believe this is a humane option, a new research suggests that attempting to ‘save’ the life of a goldfish could in fact lead to catastrophic outcomes for native biodiversity.

To better understand the ecological risks posed by species within the pet trade, the researchers focused on the two most commonly traded fish species in Northern Ireland: goldfish and the white cloud mountain minnow.

The globally popular goldfish was first domesticated over a thousand years ago and has since established non-native populations around the world. The white cloud mountain minnow on the other hand is a species with a limited invasion history to date.

This study, published in NeoBiota, developed a new method for assessing the ecological impacts and risks of potential pet trade invaders, based on availability, feeding rates and behaviour. The research showed goldfish to be voracious, consuming much more than the white cloud mountain minnow or native species. In terms of behaviour patterns, goldfish were also found to be much braver, a trait linked with invasive spread.

Lead author, Dr James Dickey from Queen’s University Belfast, explains: “Our research suggests that goldfish pose a triple threat. Not only are they readily available, but they combine insatiable appetites with bold behaviour. While northern European climates are often a barrier to non-native species surviving in the wild, goldfish are known to be tolerant to such conditions, and could pose a real threat to native biodiversity in rivers and lakes, eating up the resources that other species depend on.

“Our research highlights that goldfish are high risk, but we hope that the methods developed here can be used to assess others in the pet trade across Ireland and further afield. Readily available species are most likely to be released, so limiting the availability of potentially impactful ones, alongside better education of pet owners, is a solution to preventing damaging invaders establishing in the future.”

The research led by Queen’s University Belfast was funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) NI. The study was presented at the International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species in Oostende, Belgium along with a range of other leading research from Queen’s on alien species.

 

Original source:

Dickey JWE, Arnott G, McGlade CLO, Moore A, Riddell GE, Dick JTA (2022) Threats at home? Assessing the potential ecological impacts and risks of commonly traded pet fishes. NeoBiota 73: 109–136. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.73.80542

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JOURNAL

NeoBiota

DOI

10.3897/neobiota.73.80542 

ARTICLE TITLE

Threats at home? Assessing the potential ecological impacts and risks of commonly traded pet fishes

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-May-2022

Decline of diatoms due to ocean acidification

Study shows unexpected negative impact by CO2 on important plankton group

Peer-Reviewed Publication

HELMHOLTZ CENTRE FOR OCEAN RESEARCH KIEL (GEOMAR)

 

IMAGE: BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHER JAN TAUCHER IS WORKING ON A MESOCOSM. MESOCOSMS ARE A TYPE OF LARGE-VOLUME, OVERSIZED TEST TUBE IN THE OCEAN WITH A CAPACITY OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LITERS, IN WHICH CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS CAN BE STUDIED IN A CLOSED BUT OTHERWISE NATURAL ECOSYSTEM. view more 

CREDIT: ULF RIEBESELL / GEOMAR

While calcifying organisms like oysters and corals have difficulty forming their shells and skeletons in more acidic seawater, diatoms have been considered less susceptible to the effects of ocean acidification – a chemical change triggered by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2). The globally widespread tiny diatoms use silica, a compound of silicon, oxygen and hydrogen, as a building material for their shells. That diatoms are nevertheless under threat has now been demonstrated for the first time by researchers from GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited New Zealand and the University of Tasmania in a study published in Nature. For the study, researchers linked an overarching analysis of various data sources with Earth system modeling. The findings provide a new assessment of the global impact of ocean acidification.

 

As a result of ocean acidification, the silicon shells of diatoms dissolve more slowly. This is not an advantage – it causes diatoms to sink into deeper water layers, before they chemically dissolve and are converted back into silica. Consequently, this nutrient is more efficiently exported to the deep ocean and thus becomes scarcer in the light-flooded surface layer, where it is needed to form new shells. This causes a decline in diatoms, according to the scientists in their recent publication. Diatoms contribute 40 percent of the production of plant biomass in the ocean and are the basis of many marine food webs. They are also the main driver of the biological carbon pump that transports CO2 into the deep ocean for long-term storage.

 

Dr. Jan Taucher, marine biologist at GEOMAR and first author of the study says: "With an overarching analysis of field experiments and observational data, we wanted to find out how ocean acidification affects diatoms on a global scale. Our current understanding of ecological effects of ocean change is largely based on small-scale experiments, that is, from a particular place at a particular time. These findings can be deceptive if the complexity of the Earth system is not taken into account. Our study uses diatoms as an example to show how small-scale effects can lead to ocean-wide changes with unforeseen and far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystems and matter cycles. Since diatoms are one of the most important plankton groups in the ocean, their decline could lead to a significant shift in the marine food web or even a change for the ocean as a carbon sink."

 

The meta-analysis examined data from five mesocosm studies from 2010 to 2014, from different ocean regions ranging from Arctic to subtropical waters. Mesocosms are a type of large-volume, oversized test tube in the ocean with a capacity of tens of thousands of liters, in which changes in environmental conditions can be studied in a closed but otherwise natural ecosystem. For this purpose, the water enclosed in the mesocosms was enriched in carbon dioxide to correspond to future scenarios with moderate to high increases in atmospheric CO2 levels. For the present study, the chemical composition of organic material from sediment traps was evaluated as it sank through the water contained in the experimental containers over the course of several weeks of experiments. Combined with measurements from the water column, an accurate picture of biogeochemical processes within the ecosystem emerged.

 

The findings obtained from the mesocosm studies could be confirmed using global observational data from the open ocean. They show – in line with the results of the meta-analysis – a lower dissolution of the silicon shells at higher seawater acidity. With the resulting data sets, simulations were performed in an Earth system model to assess the ocean-wide consequences of the observed trends.

 

"Already by the end of this century, we expect a loss of up to ten percent of diatoms. That's immense when you consider how important they are to life in the ocean and to the climate system," Dr. Taucher continued. "However, it is important to think beyond 2100. Climate change will not stop abruptly, and global effects in particular take some time to become clearly visible. Depending on the amount of emissions, our model in the study predicts a loss of up to 27 percent silica in surface waters and an ocean-wide decline in diatoms of up to 26 percent by the year 2200 – more than a quarter of the current population."

 

This finding of the study is in sharp contrast to the previous state of ocean research, which sees calcifying organisms as losers and diatoms being less affected by ocean acidification. Professor Ulf Riebesell, marine biologist at GEOMAR and head of the mesocosm experiments adds: "This study once again highlights the complexity of the Earth system and the associated difficulty in predicting the consequences of man-made climate change in its entirety. Surprises of this kind remind us again and again of the incalculable risks we run if we do not counteract climate change swiftly and decisively."

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JOURNAL

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-022-04687-0 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Meta-analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Slower silica dissolution under ocean acidification triggers global diatom decline

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-May-2022

Purdue, Rolls-Royce sign 10-year, $75 million strategic alliance agreement

Industry-academia deal is the largest in Purdue University history

Business Announcement

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: PURDUE UNIVERSITY AND ROLLS-ROYCE OFFICIALS HAVE SIGNED A RESEARCH AND TESTING AGREEMENT THAT WILL BRING $75 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS; THE INVESTMENT WILL BE FOCUSED PRIMARILY AT PURDUE’S ZUCROW LABORATORIES, THE LARGEST ACADEMIC PROPULSION LABORATORY IN THE WORLD. view more 

CREDIT: (PURDUE UNIVERSITY PHOTO: CARSON SLABAUGH)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University and Rolls-Royce officials have signed a research and testing agreement that will bring $75 million over 10 years to the West Lafayette campus. It is the largest deal with an industry partner in Purdue history.

The Purdue and Rolls-Royce relationship has thrived for more than 70 years, highlighted by millions of dollars invested in aerospace testing technology, sponsorship of graduate student research fellowships and more than 600 Purdue graduates among the company’s current workforce in Indianapolis. Purdue is designated among the top class of partners as a Rolls-Royce University Technology Center, recognizing their collaborations on research, including advanced engine technology, materials and testing capability. Additionally, the relationship between Rolls-Royce and Purdue recently has expanded to include significant work on initiatives in hypersonics, cybersecurity and digital technology.

The newly signed agreement will fund testing and research with a focus in the areas of gas turbine technology and electrical and digital technology. Rolls-Royce already boasts some of the most efficient and capable power systems in the world across a suite of civil and defense applications. This investment will be focused primarily at Purdue’s Zucrow Laboratories — the largest academic propulsion laboratory in the world — for research in sustainable power systems through advanced technology in electrification, turbines, compressors and combustion with sustainable fuels.

This research partnership announcement is concurrent with news in April that Purdue will construct a $73 million, 55,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, high-speed propulsion laboratory for hypersonic technologies in the Discovery Park District at Purdue.

What they're saying

Purdue University President Mitch Daniels: "Purdue's research partnership with Rolls-Royce will address some of the greatest technology challenges facing the U.S. Our faculty and students will work on advanced technology capabilities to ensure long-term national security. This will enhance the university's role as a world leader in engineering research." 

Mung Chiang, the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering and executive vice president of Purdue University for strategic initiatives: "Purdue has become the epicenter of hypersonic research and testing in the U.S. We are excited across three tracks: first, our own investment for federal and industry projects, such as the wind tunnel and manufacturing facility announced in 2021, and the high-speed propulsion facility in 2022 that Rolls Royce will be able to use; second, private sector’s investment to grow their presence in the Discovery Park District at Purdue; and third, a nonprofit consortium of industry members for ground testing hosted at Purdue.”

Theresa Mayer, Purdue University executive vice president for research and partnerships: "This record-setting agreement is another example of Purdue working with leaders in industry, government and academia to advance national security. We are excited by the prospects of technological innovation that will be discovered and developed through this agreement with Rolls-Royce."

Warren White, Rolls-Royce head of assembly and testing: “We’re excited to further strengthen our long-standing partnership with Purdue University through this new test and research agreement. We firmly believe in the innovative power that comes from strong collaboration between industry and academia. Over the next decade, we’ll explore transformative technologies like hybrid-electric and hypersonic propulsion that will help define the future of aerospace.”

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last four years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu.

About Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce pioneers the power that matters to connect, power and protect society. We have pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations by 2030 (excluding product testing) and joined the UN Race to Zero campaign in 2020, affirming our ambition to play a fundamental role in enabling the sectors in which we operate to achieve net zero carbon by 2050.

Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.

Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centers, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.

www.Rolls-Royce.com 

Writer: Steve Martin, sgmartin@prf.org 

Sources: Mitch Daniels

Mung Chiang

Theresa Mayer

Warren White

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory plans transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions

PNNL to be one of four national labs to participate in DOE’s NZL Pilot Initiative

Business Announcement

DOE/PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY

 

IMAGE: THE PNNL CAMPUS IN RICHLAND, WASHINGTON. view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO: PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY

By Greg Koller

RICHLAND, Wash.—From buildings, to transportation, to electricity generation and energy storage, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has long been a leader in providing clean energy solutions. Now, as one of four national laboratories in the Department of Energy’s Net Zero Labs (NZL) Pilot Initiative, announced earlier today, the laboratory is aiming to be among the first federal facilities to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions—including carbon dioxide—is a key step towards addressing climate change. As part of NZL, PNNL will demonstrate how new technologies, innovative approaches and partnering with industry and communities can lead to net-zero emissions and decarbonization of operations.

Other laboratories participating in the NZL Pilot Initiative are Idaho National Laboratory, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Together, with PNNL, their collaborative efforts are expected to lead to new knowledge and net-zero solutions that can be replicated across the national laboratory system and the nation.

PNNL’s role in NZL aligns with the laboratory’s own Net-Zero Emissions and Resilient Operations (NZERO) initiative, which seeks to fully transition to a net-zero campus by 2030. NZERO is focused on replacing current energy sources with low-impact sources, such as renewables, reducing energy use in buildings and fleet vehicles, and enhancing resilience to protect against power disruptions.

The effort includes striving for 24/7 carbon-free energy operations, meaning that all of PNNL’s energy would come from clean sources around the clock. The initiative also leverages PNNL’s research capabilities to demonstrate and evaluate technologies and approaches under realistic operating conditions, with PNNL’s Richland and Sequim campuses serving as living laboratories.

“PNNL is ideally suited to help the nation meet its ambitious climate and energy goals,” said PNNL Director Steven Ashby. “The DOE and PNNL initiatives integrate our research strengths in clean energy systems with our focus on efficient and sustainable campus operations and key partnerships with local communities, utilities and other stakeholders.”

To achieve its NZERO goals, PNNL will move away from using energy provided by carbon-intensive sources, such as natural gas, and transition to electrifying its buildings, vehicles and equipment in partnership with local electric utilities, which also are committed to clean energy sources.

The laboratory also will reduce energy use and emissions through efficiency upgrades and operational changes. For example, PNNL will use waste heat captured from supercomputers to heat other buildings on its Richland campus and is taking steps to address potential emissions of gases when research equipment is serviced.

To improve the energy resilience of PNNL’s operations while making progress toward net-zero goals, PNNL will update building design standards and model campus buildings. These efforts will inform and test new designs and operating approaches to optimize performance in a way that reduces emissions and protects against disruptions in electric utility service.

PNNL will draw upon its expertise in energy efficiency, power grid architecture, energy storage and other research areas to develop, demonstrate and deploy innovative technologies toward net-zero carbon emissions.

“Regional stakeholder engagement will be key to accelerating adoption,” Ashby noted. “PNNL will be partnering with local and regional utilities, city and state governments, research institutions and community organizations to both contribute to NZERO demonstrations and to share in our learning.”

The State of Washington has already invested in a renewable energy demonstration that will help begin the transition to net-zero emissions at the PNNL-Sequim campus on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

“Achieving 24/7 net-zero emissions and energy resilient operations at PNNL by 2030 is an ambitious goal,” Ashby acknowledged. “But, with DOE’s investment in the NZL Pilot Initiative—along with our innovation and commitment,  ongoing campus modernization, and robust collaborations and community partnerships—we can get there.”

For more about PNNL’s NZERO initiative, see https://www.pnnl.gov/net-zero.

CAPTION

PNNL’s Heat Transfer Building is part of the Energy Sciences Center, which opened in Spring 2022. The Heat Transfer Building will allow PNNL to use waste heat captured from supercomputers to heat other buildings on its Richland campus.

CREDIT

Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

About PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in sustainable energy and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science. For more information on PNNL, visit PNNL's News Center. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

EPA-funded study will measure soil and dust ingestion levels in US children

Researchers in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health will examine how much soil and dust kids inadvertently swallow and use the data to protect children from exposure to harmful chemicals.

Grant and Award Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA HEALTH SCIENCES

TUCSON, Arizona — How much dust do children swallow? Researchers at theUniversity of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health will try to answer that question in Arizona as part of the Dust Ingestion Children Study, or DIRT, a national project funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Young children may ingest significant quantities of soil and dust as they often play on the ground and put their hands and objects that may have dust or soil on them into their mouths. Soil and dust ingestion can be a major route of exposure to chemicals such as lead, arsenic, pesticides, flame retardants and perfluoroalkyl substances. As a result, the benchmark data for child dust and soil ingestion levels is vital for public health research and policy. “The more we know about typical dirt and dust ingestion levels for children, the more we can do to protect them inside and outside the home,” said Paloma Beamer, PhD, Arizona DIRT research site lead and professor in the Zuckerman College of Public Health. “This new data will enable the EPA to make better risk estimates that can inform reduction and prevention measures.” The project looks at inadvertent soil and dust ingestion levels in children across a range of environments both inside and outside the home. The goal is to establish new data benchmarks for the EPA’s Exposure Factors Handbook, which informs child health guidelines and regulations related to consumer products such as toys, pesticide registration and clean-up requirements for hazardous waste sites. The study will use a combination of videotaping, dust sampling and behavior modeling to quantify how much dust winds up on the hands – and in the mouths – of children during their daily activities. Research teams will recruit families with children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years in different neighborhoods and communities. Additional families will participate in a survey about their children’s and household behaviors. The grant, part of a larger national EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) study, has three research sites coordinated by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University under the leadership of Alesia Ferguson, PhD, chair of the Built Environment Department and head of the Geomatics, Construction Management, and Environmental Health and Safety programs. Helena Solo-Gabriele, PhD, MS, professor of environmental engineering at the University of Miami, leads a Florida research site. Dr. Beamer will receive $435,000 in funding over three years to lead the Arizona site.  The EPA STAR program aims to stimulate and support scientific and engineering research that advances EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. The STAR program funds research on the environmental and public health effects of air quality, climate change, environmental justice, water quality and quantity, hazardous waste, toxic substances and pesticides. “We are very pleased to be part of this EPA STAR grant,” said Zuckerman College of Public Health Dean Iman Hakim, MD, PhD, MPH. “Dr. Beamer brings exceptional knowledge and experience in this area of exposure science and this new research will inform the EPA’s national public health measures to help protect children. This work that will benefit millions of lives.” The Dust Ingestion Children Study is currently recruiting families to participate. Information is available on the study website or via email at dirt@arizona.edu. # # #

 

About the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health Established in 2000, the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona Health Sciences is the first nationally accredited college of public health in the Southwest. Today the college remains the only accredited college of public health in the state of Arizona, with campuses in Tucson and Phoenix. The college enrolls more than 1,100 students per year across degree programs at the bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctoral levels. Through research, education and community engagement, the UArizona Zuckerman College of Public Health continues to find solutions to public health problems in Arizona, the Southwest and globally. For more information: publichealth.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram).

Researchers simulate COVID-19 classroom transmission

Model predictions show that universal mask usage can reduce new infections by up to 72% and high vaccination rates successfully curb transmission for more contagious variants.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

With coronavirus cases rising again in nearly every US state, the big question is: how can we stay safe while resuming normal life, particularly in crowded spaces such as college campuses? Over the past two years, decision-makers have been forced to make choices about everything from vaccination and mask mandates to occupancy limits, based on ever-changing assumptions about COVID-19.

Now, USC researchers have helped quantify the effectiveness of some of the most debated mitigation strategies by simulating the spread of COVID-19 on a university campus, specifically by modeling airborne transmission risks associated with in-person classes.

The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), shows that during the highly transmissible Delta variant outbreak, at least 93% of students should be vaccinated, with everyone wearing masks indoors, to prevent an uptick in cases. For the original COVID-19 strain, 23% of students should be vaccinated, with everyone wearing masks indoors (or 64% of students without mask usage).

These findings will help decision-makers in the event of ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks or an outbreak of a similar infectious disease. The simulation model also allows decision-makers to explore “what-if” scenarios relating to the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms by varying parameters to see the outcome under different scenarios, such as hybrid classes, current vaccination rates, masking protocols, community infection levels, and varying levels of virus infectiousness.

“I think the hardest thing about the pandemic has been finding the right balance—there is a tension between having some sort of normalcy to go about our lives, and also keeping ourselves safe,” said study co-author Bhaskar Krishnamachari, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and computer science.

“This paper contributes to more clear-headed thinking about when we can be in a mode of operating in person, with or without masks, and when we need to mandate vaccines. We have felt our way around many of these things over the past two years, but this gives us a more concrete, data-driven process to go by. It doesn’t have to be an arbitrary or political decision. This tells us that scientifically, there is nuance.”

Titled “Simulating COVID-19 Classroom Transmission on a University Campus,” the study is authored by Arvin Hekmati, a computer science Ph.D. student; Mitul Luhar, a professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering; Bhaskar Krishnamachari, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and computer science; and Maja Matarić, a professor of computer science, neuroscience and pediatrics.

Highly granular data

The research is particularly relevant during the early days of an infectious disease outbreak when policymakers face the difficult decision of decreeing school closures. Using a simulation of COVID-19 spread based on real anonymized data from a large university, the researchers projected the impact of various school reopening strategies: complete closure, hybrid, in-person; vaccinated and unvaccinated; masked and unmasked.

In a first-of-its-kind study, the model accounts for highly granular data such as class schedules, classroom sizes, occupancy, ventilation rates, as well as vaccine rate and efficacy, and even information specific to classroom interactions, such as the role of speech and disease transmission in an enclosed space.

The results showed that without vaccination, moving 90% of classes online can reduce new infections by as much as 94%, while universal mask usage can reduce new infections by up to 72%.

“With this tool, universities do not need to make these decisions without knowledge – they can make informed decisions for university policies to keep it safe for students, faculty, and staff,” said Hekmati. “Nothing needs to be made by assumptions; we can quantify every aspect of this epidemic and come up with the best decision.”

Opportunity and responsibility

Researchers from computer science, electrical engineering and aerospace engineering fields teamed up to work on this paper, which draws on expertise in both large-scale computer modeling and the mechanistic transmission modeling of COVID-19.

“As a university, we have an opportunity and responsibility to study our own community in order to gain insights to inform the broader public,” said Matarić.

“This project was tremendously satisfying because it brought together colleagues from multiple Viterbi School departments who enabled the analysis and modeling, which in turn provided insights into safety policies for university campuses during pandemic conditions.”

To inform the model, Professor Luhar, an expert on modeling indoor airborne dispersion, analyzed the mechanisms of COVID-19 transmission, considering everything from room size to the number of people present, and how much they speak—all of which can result in variability in virus emission rates from instructors and students.

During lectures, for instance, instructors will tend to speak significantly more often than students, which could influence transmission rates. “Providing those facts in the model made it very compatible in the cases of universities and classrooms,” said Hekmati.

In future work, the team hopes to expand their research to include a tool that could be used by campus administrators at large universities and workplace campuses. While this model is specifically designed for classrooms, there are many modular aspects that could be tweaked to extend to other types of environments, said the researchers.

“Nothing gives us more satisfaction as researchers in engineering than to have a positive impact on society,” said Krishnamachari, who also serves as Hekmati’s advisor. “Most of us, when we started engineering school, we had this dream that we do work that is meaningful, that helps others, and I'm very happy for Arvin that he has worked on a project where he can see that kind of positive impact."

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JOURNAL

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

ARTICLE TITLE

Simulating COVID-19 classroom transmission on a university campus

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

24-May-2022

Rising rates of people experiencing homelessness in rural areas call for increased WASH-access, particularly among women

Peer-Reviewed Publication

EMORY HEALTH SCIENCES

In the United States, 2.3 to 3.5 million people experience homelessness every year. While homelessness is often considered an urban issue, it’s a problem that is growing in rural areas, where substance use can serve as a catalyst for homelessness. New research led by investigators at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University highlights the substantial barriers to accessing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services among people experiencing homelessness in rural areas.

To help combat this significant—and growing—public health issue, the authors call for developing place-based, stigma-free access to WASH facilities in rural areas, with specific focus placed on meeting the sanitary needs of women and people who inject drugs. April M. Ballard, MPH, was lead author on the article. Additional authors include Hannah L. F. Cooper, ScD, and Bethany A. Caruso, PhD, MPH, both from Rollins; and April M. Young, PhD, from University of Kentucky. 

“Limited WASH access is not only concerning from an infectious disease transmission standpoint, but also from a dignity and human rights standpoint,” says Ballard. “WASH, when sufficient, provides us the space to care for ourselves and have dignity, to feel human. This is acutely true during a global pandemic and as many Americans are newly experiencing homelessness.”

The investigators conducted exploratory research on people experiencing homelessness in five counties in rural Appalachian Kentucky to better understand barriers to WASH resources and unique challenges facing this population, particularly in relation to substance use. Interviews with research participants revealed the complex and interrelated impacts of unmet WASH needs on self-esteem, self-worth, and drug usage.

“The important link between WASH and substance use is rarely recognized, despite the fact that harm reduction approaches to injection drug use ask people to use clean water to mix or dilute drugs and clean their skin and hands prior to injecting,” says Ballard. “Our findings reveal nuances that researchers and practitioners should consider. For example, how can we ask people to perform these behaviors when they may not even have access to clean drinking water or a shower to clean their body?”

The authors recommend that rural areas build onto the new public WASH infrastructure established during the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide public sanitation facilities equipped with showers, restrooms, and laundry access, as well as free hygiene and menstrual products. They also recommend that these services be spread throughout rural communities and for access to facilities to be made available unconditionally (i.e. no ID requirements or felony or drug background checks) alongside harm reduction services.

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JOURNAL

PLOS Water

DOI

10.1371/journal.pwat.0000019 

ARTICLE TITLE

‘You feel how you look’: Exploring the impacts of unmet water, sanitation, and hygiene needs among rural people experiencing homelessness and their intersection with drug use

Social dissatisfaction predicts vulnerability to financial exploitation in older adults

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC led the first study linking interpersonal problems to financial vulnerability over time.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF USC

 

IMAGE: DUKE HAN, PHD, DIRECTOR OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY MEDICINE, KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF USC view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO CREDIT: RICARDO CARRASCO III

Researchers who study elder abuse have long believed that when older adults face loneliness or relationship problems, they are more likely to fall victim to monetary scams and exploitation. But the field has only studied the link retrospectively, looking back in time to see whether a connection exists, and has yet to establish a firm link.

Now, a team of researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has collected longitudinal data showing that an increase in interpersonal dysfunction, defined as loneliness or dissatisfaction with relationships, predicts subsequent vulnerability to financial exploitation. The results were just published in the journal Aging & Mental Health.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that the quality of older adults’ interpersonal relationships has an impact on their financial vulnerability at a later time,” said the study’s senior author, Duke Han, PhD, director of neuropsychology in the Department of Family Medicine and a professor of family medicine, neurology, psychology and gerontology at the Keck School of Medicine.

The findings underscore that social connectedness, which is already known to enhance physical health and psychological wellbeing among older adults, may also be a key protector against financial abuse.

“This study points to a specific factor—social functioning—that could allow us to predict, and ultimately prevent, vulnerability to financial exploitation before it happens,” said Aaron Lim, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Han’s research lab and first author of the study.

A spike in vulnerability

The participants included 26 adults, aged 50 and older, with an average age of 65. At the beginning of the study, researchers evaluated each participant’s overall health, cognitive functioning, depression and anxiety symptoms and prior history of financial exploitation and controlled for these factors in their statistical analyses.

Then, for six months, the researchers collected data at two-week intervals. They measured each participant’s interpersonal dysfunction by asking how frequently they had argued with someone, felt rejected, felt lonely, wished their relationships were better and wished they had more friends. They also assessed participants’ vulnerability to financial exploitation during the past two weeks with questions such as “how confident are you in making big financial decisions?” and “how often has someone talked you into a decision to spend or donate money that you did not initially want to do?”

“When a person reported a spike in problems within their social circle or increased feelings of loneliness, we were much more likely to see a corresponding spike in their psychological vulnerability to being financially exploited two weeks later,” Lim said.

In addition to the effects within individuals, there was also a significant effect between participants: Those who had higher interpersonal dysfunction compared to other participants tended to report greater vulnerability to financial exploitation.

Preventing exploitation

The study’s results offer insight into how to counteract common financial scams that target older adults, including phishing emails, investment schemes and the “grandparent scam,” where an older adult receives a call from someone about a grandchild in urgent need of money.

At the individual level, Lim suggests that people watch for social upsets in their parents’ and grandparents’ lives—such as the death of a close friend or an argument with a family member—as risk factors for financial vulnerability in the immediate future. At the community level, organizations that support seniors can also provide additional opportunities for social connection.

Because the study’s sample was small, the results need to be replicated in larger and more diverse samples, Han said. The research team also plans to build on the findings with a follow-up study to investigate the connection between social dysfunction and actual incidents of financial exploitation, not just vulnerability.

About this study

In addition to Han and Lim, the study’s other authors are Laura Mosqueda and Annie L. Nguyen from the Department of Family Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC; Tyler B. Mason from the Department of Population and Public Health Science, Keck School of Medicine of USC; Laura Fenton from the Department of Psychology, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences; Gali H. Weissberger from the Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University; and Peter Lichtenberg from the Department of Psychology, Wayne State University.

This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging [1RF1AG068166, T32AG000037, K01AG064986] and the Elder Justice Foundation.

About Keck School of Medicine of USC

Founded in 1885, the Keck School of Medicine of USC is one of the nation’s leading medical institutions, known for innovative patient care, scientific discovery, education and community service. Medical and graduate students work closely with world-renowned faculty and receive hands-on training in one of the nation’s most diverse communities. They participate in cutting-edge research as they develop into tomorrow’s health leaders. The Keck School faculty are key participants in training of 1200 resident physicians across 70 specialty and subspecialty programs, thus playing a major role in the education of physicians practicing in Southern California.

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JOURNAL

Aging & Mental Health

DOI

10.1080/13607863.2022.2076210 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Interpersonal dysfunction predicts subsequent financial exploitation vulnerability in a sample of adults over 50: a prospective observational study