A breach of the skin barrier, due to a burn wound, facilitates colonization by various microorganisms. Burn wounds can become colonized from the patients’ own skin flora, respiratory tract, or with exogenous bacteria from the environment. Strategies to treat burn wound infections are multipronged: removal of the infected necrotic tissue, wound dressing to protect the damaged area, and treatment with specific antimicrobials to prevent reinfection. The development of chronic infections, which could potentially lead to sepsis, depends largely on how well the microorganisms form biofilms within the wound. There are numerous antimicrobial gels and antibiotics that help prevent a burn wound from becoming infected, as well as, eliminate an already infected burn wound. However, global antibiotic resistance by microorganisms to these treatments has greatly increased, and it is imperative that new antimicrobial agents be formulated before infections become untreatable. Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Escherichia, Candida, Citrobacter, and Klebsiella are common causative agents of burn wound infections and are becoming increasingly resistant to antimicrobial medications. A newly synthesized antimicrobial gel compound (AGC) has shown promise in preventing growth of various bacteria and fungi commonly associated with burn wound infections. This study evaluated the activity of the AGC on a panel of Gram-positive and Gram- negative bacteria, and the fungi, Candida albicans, which represent the top ten causative infectious agents of burn wounds. The AGC reduced, to varying degrees, the microorganism’s growth, cell viability, and cellular metabolism. This novel antimicrobial compound shows promising potential as an effective option for prevention and treatment of infections in burn wound victims to avoid sepsis.

No description available.

E-cigarettes became available in the United States during 2007. Studies using national data have found an increase in e- cigarette use among adolescents as early as 2011. In 2014, e-cigarettes became the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents; however, little is known about its association with other tobacco products use. Therefore, the present study aimed to: 1) Examine the association between initiating tobacco use via e-cigarettes and subsequent use of other tobacco products; 2) Examine the association between the exposure to e-cigarettes marketing messages and tobacco use; 3) Describe symptoms of nicotine dependence associated with e-cigarette use, compared with cigarette and dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes. All aims were carried out among data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) 2014 and 2015. The participants of NYTS were adolescents, and they self-reported their demographic characteristics and tobacco use in an anonymous 81-item pencil-paper questionnaire. Findings from logistic regression modeling showed that initiating tobacco use via e-cigarettes was significantly associated with subsequent current use of cigarettes (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-4.0), cigars (AOR= 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.4), smokeless tobacco (AOR= 3.1; 95% CI, 2.2-5.4), or any tobacco products (AOR= 4.4; 95% CI, 3.5-5.6). In addition, living with someone who used e-cigarettes at home significantly increased the likelihood of using tobacco products. Notably, e-cigarette marketing exposure was significantly associated with current use of cigarettes (AOR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.6), hookah (AOR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.03-1.7), cigars (AOR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.6), and polytobacco (i.e. more than one tobacco product) use (AOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.5-2.1). Among adolescent daily tobacco users, 35.6% of e-cigarette users and 85.3% of cigarette users reported one or more dependence symptoms. These proportions increased to 74.3% among e-cigarette and 93.3% of cigarette dual (i.e. combined) users. Strong craving was the most commonly reported symptom with a range of 16.1-58.9% among different types of smokers in the study. In conclusion, exposure to e-cigarette marketing messages and e-cigarette use were associated with use of other tobacco products. Furthermore, e-cigarette use is addictive. Despite cigarette and dual (i.e. e-cigarette and cigarette) users being more likely to report dependence symptoms than e-cigarette users, the addictiveness of e-cigarettes occurred at appreciable rates. Collectively, the findings suggest that e-cigarettes are associated with dependence symptoms and use of tobacco products and suggest that stricter regulations are needed to prevent adolescent access to and use of e-cigarettes.

In 2008, The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Rhythm Society issued revised guidelines for automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (AICD). We hypothesized that these guidelines have influenced AICD implantation rates.

The absence of consistent and correct usage of condoms increases the risk of STI's and HIV/AIDS. However, most studies done to date across the nation indicate a low usage of condoms among college students. In fall of 2004, the National College Health Assessment was administered to a random sample of students at a state comprehensive university in south central Kentucky. Findings revealed that among the sexually active students, approximately half never used condoms during vaginal intercourse. Further among students engaging in anal sex, an alarmingly high proportion --95%- reported never using condom during this act. These findings along with differences noted in various subgroups (gender, Greek Status, housing, class standing) and other risk behaviors (alcohol, illicit drug use) will be presented and discussed.

Adolescent obesity is an important public health issue, and one important factor that contributes to the problem is overeating, eating more than required for homeostasis. Appetitive behaviors such as overeating may in part be the result of poor control of impulsive behavior. This study investigated the relationship between impulsivity factors and snacking habits. The Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire (YAQ) and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) were completed by 198 Southern California high school students (56% female; age M=15.8, SD=0.9). Four subscales were calculated from responses on the YAQ and included the frequency of consuming sweetened drinks, sweet snacks, salty snacks, and fresh fruits. Multiple regression was used to determine the association of the YAQ subscales with the six first-order impulsivity factors in the BIS after adjusting for age, gender, and SES (mother and father education). Self-control impulsivity was positively associated with salty snack consumption. Both sweet snacks and drinks had a positive correlation with cognitive complexity. Finally, perseverance had a positive association with sweet snacks. Fruit consumption had no association with impulsivity levels. This is the first study of which we are aware that examined the association between snacking behaviors and the first-order factors for impulsivity in the BIS. It is beneficial to understand the processes behind snacking decisions so we can intervene to help adolescents make better food choices. Snacking is likely to be under the control of the adolescent compared, for example, to meals prepared at home by a parent or guardian. As a result, targeting snacking habits with interventions among adolescents may be an effective approach to reducing obesity.

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No description available.

For the past several decades, the United States led the world in incarceration rates. With nearly 2.3 million people being held in state or federal prisons or local jails in 2019, incarceration rates in the United States are over four times higher than in other developed countries. Disparities exist by gender, race, ethnicity, and other special populations. Males are 13 times more likely to be incarcerated than females. Additionally, black males are 5.7 times and Hispanic males are 2.8 times more likely to be incarcerated than white males. Individuals who experience incarceration have poorer mental and physical health outcomes. People with criminal records or history of incarceration encounter significant barriers to employment as well. Children of incarcerated parents are more likely to experience poor health outcomes and behavioral issues that increase the risk of future incarceration. One intervention that contributes to higher success of reintegration and can prevent rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration is reentry programs, particularly those with a holistic approach combining employment during and after release, work skills training, mental health and substance use counseling, and support post-release to assist with housing and continued counseling services. Correctional Career Pathways (CCP) is one such program developed and expanded in five Tennessee counties. The first aim of this project was to explore the facilitators, barriers, and impact of the CCP program by analyzing the data collected by the CCP program and highlighting lessons learned in the process. The second aim was to identify opportunities for improvement and sustainability of the CCP by conducting interviews with key partners in CCP implementation across all counties. Information gathered through this project was helpful in creating a roadmap to expand this program to other communities, providing ways to improve the program, and making it more sustainable.

No description available.