Background:The One Health approach involves collaboration across several sectors,including public health,veterinary and environmental sectors in an integrated manner.These sectors may be disparate and unrelated,howeve...Background:The One Health approach involves collaboration across several sectors,including public health,veterinary and environmental sectors in an integrated manner.These sectors may be disparate and unrelated,however to succeed,all stakeholders need to understand what the other stakeholders are communicating.Likewise,it is important that there is public acceptance and support of One Health approaches,which requires effective communication between professional and institutional organisations and the public.To help aid and facilitate such communication,written materials need to be readable by all stakeholders,in order to communicate effectively.There has been an exponential increase in the publication of papers involving One Health,with<5 per year,in the 2000s,to nearly 500 published in 2023.To date,readability of One Health information has not been scrutinised,nor has it been considered as an integral intervention of One Health policy communication.The aim of this study was therefore to examine readability of public-facing One Health information prepared by 24 global organisations.Methods:Readability was calculated using Readable software,to obtain four readability scores[(i)Flesch Reading Ease(FRE),(ii)Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level(FKGL),(iii)Gunning Fog Index and(iv)SMOG Index]and two text metrics[words/sentence,syllables/word]for 100 sources of One Health information,from four categories[One Health public information;PubMed abstracts;Science in One Health(SOH)abstracts(articles);SOH abstracts(reviews)].Results:Readability of One Health information for the public is poor,not reaching readability reference standards.No information was found that had a readability of less than 9th grade(around 14 years old).Mean values for the FRE and FKGL were(19.4±1.4)(target>60)and(15.6±0.3)(target<8),respectively,with mean words per sentence and syllables per word of 20.5 and 2.0,respectively.Abstracts with“One Health”in the title were more difficult to read than those without“One Health”in the title(FRE:P=0.0337;FKGL:P=0.0087).Comparison of FRE and FKGL readability scores for the four categories of One Health information[One Health public information;PubMed abstracts;SOH abstracts(articles);SOH abstracts(reviews)]showed that SOH abstracts from articles were easier to read than those from SOH reviews.No One Health public-facing information from the 100 sources examined met the FKGL target of8.The most easily read One Health information required a Grade Level of 9th grade(14-15 years old),with a mean Grade Level of 15.5(university/college level).Conclusion:Considerable work is required in making One Health written materials more readable,particularly for children and adolescents(<14 years of age).It is important that any interventions or mitigations taken to support better public understanding of the One Health approach are not ephemeral,but have longer lasting and legacy value.Authors of One Health information should consider using readability calculators when preparing One Health information for their stakeholders,to check the readability of their work,so that the final material is within recommended readability reference parameters,to support the health literacy and stakeholder-directed knowledge of their readers.展开更多
Background People with cystic fibrosis(CF)may develop clinically significant chronic respiratory infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)and non-tuberculous mycobacteria(NTM).Open water has been suggested to be an i...Background People with cystic fibrosis(CF)may develop clinically significant chronic respiratory infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)and non-tuberculous mycobacteria(NTM).Open water has been suggested to be an important source for continuous or intermittent exposure to these pathogens.To date,there has been a paucity of studies examining the relationship between chronic PA and NTM infection in CF patients and surfaces waters,including blue spaces.The aim of this study was therefore to examine the relationship between chronic pulmonary infection with PA and NTMs in children and adults with CF in European countries and area of surface waters,including blue spaces.Methods European CF registry data detailing incidence of chronic PA and NTM infection in adults and children with CF in Europe(n=41,486 in 24 European countries)was correlated with surface water area data from the same countries(approx.678,278 km2)employing Spearman coefficients.Results Correlation of chronic PA infection in children and adults and surface water area were not significant(p=0.0680 and p=0.8448,respectively),as was NTM infection(p=0.7371 and p=0.0712,respectively).Conclusions Acquistion of PA and its avoidance in people with CF is a complicated dynamic,not solely driven by close association with surface water,but through the integration of several other factors,including mitigations by people with CF to avoid high risk scenarios with surface water.This study was unable to demonstrate a correlation between PA and NTM infection in people with cystic fibrosis and surface water area at a national level.CF patients should continue to be vigilant about potential infection risks posed by water and take evidence-based decisions regarding their behaviour around water to protect them for acquiring these organisms from these sources.展开更多
Antibiotic resistance presents a significant challenge to clinical,veterinary,and plant health and is now recognized by the World Health Organization(WHO)as a major emerging problem of global significance.As yet,there...Antibiotic resistance presents a significant challenge to clinical,veterinary,and plant health and is now recognized by the World Health Organization(WHO)as a major emerging problem of global significance.As yet,there have been no successful discoveries of classes of novel antibiotics since 1987.There is an antibiotic discovery void,and it is now widely acknowledged that there is an urgent need for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.For economic reasons,many of the largest pharmaceutical companies have abandoned the antibiotic field,and research conducted by academia was scaled back due to funding cuts following the economic crisis.A post-antibiotic era-in which common infections and minor injuries can kill-far from being an apocalyptic fantasy,is indeed a very real possibility for the 21st century.展开更多
Objectives:A study was undertaken to:1.examine contaminating bacteria on a variety of spices purchased at retail market;2.investigate if spice bacterial enrichments alter the phenotype of 13 bacterial foodborne and cl...Objectives:A study was undertaken to:1.examine contaminating bacteria on a variety of spices purchased at retail market;2.investigate if spice bacterial enrichments alter the phenotype of 13 bacterial foodborne and clinical pathogens and 1 probiotic organism;and 3.investigate if spices can alter antimicrobial activity of seven clinical antibiotics against 16 bacterial foodborne/clinical pathogens.Materials and Methods:Microbiological examination was undertaken employing 27 spice varieties with four antibiotics and 15 bacterial pathogens.Results:Bacteriological contamination levels varied amongst spice varieties,ranging from Kasmin chilli powder(7.5×10^(6)cfu/g;log10^(6).88 cfu/g)to ginger(1.5×10^(4)cfu/g;log_(10)4.18 cfu/g);mean contamination was 1.38×10^(6)cfu/g(log_(10)6.14 cfu/g).Four species within the genus Bacillus were identified(Bacillus megaterium,Bacillus subtilis,Bacillus licheniformis,and Bacillus cereus).There was no phenotypic difference with the 14 bacteria,with bacterial colony growth/proliferation,pigment production,or with adhesin and mucoid production.None of the spice cultures inhibited any of the 14 bacterial species examined.In the case of doxycycline,amoxicillin,colistin,erythromycin,and piperacillin/tazobactam,the zone of inhibition increased with the inclusion of the 26 spice varieties,suggesting that the spices were interacting synergistically with the antibiotic,thus making the antibiotic more potent against the bacteria tested.Conclusions:This study demonstrates a positive interaction between spices and conventional antibiotics.Given the burden of antimicrobial resistance(AMR)worldwide,but particularly in South Asian countries(India and Pakistan),any food-related innovation that can help maximize the potency of existing antibiotics is to be encouraged and developed.The specific mechanism as to how spices increase the potency of antibiotics needs to be elucidated,as well as novel food(spice)delivery modalities including novel medicinal foodstuffs or functional foods,that can harness this beneficial effect for medicine and society.展开更多
文摘Background:The One Health approach involves collaboration across several sectors,including public health,veterinary and environmental sectors in an integrated manner.These sectors may be disparate and unrelated,however to succeed,all stakeholders need to understand what the other stakeholders are communicating.Likewise,it is important that there is public acceptance and support of One Health approaches,which requires effective communication between professional and institutional organisations and the public.To help aid and facilitate such communication,written materials need to be readable by all stakeholders,in order to communicate effectively.There has been an exponential increase in the publication of papers involving One Health,with<5 per year,in the 2000s,to nearly 500 published in 2023.To date,readability of One Health information has not been scrutinised,nor has it been considered as an integral intervention of One Health policy communication.The aim of this study was therefore to examine readability of public-facing One Health information prepared by 24 global organisations.Methods:Readability was calculated using Readable software,to obtain four readability scores[(i)Flesch Reading Ease(FRE),(ii)Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level(FKGL),(iii)Gunning Fog Index and(iv)SMOG Index]and two text metrics[words/sentence,syllables/word]for 100 sources of One Health information,from four categories[One Health public information;PubMed abstracts;Science in One Health(SOH)abstracts(articles);SOH abstracts(reviews)].Results:Readability of One Health information for the public is poor,not reaching readability reference standards.No information was found that had a readability of less than 9th grade(around 14 years old).Mean values for the FRE and FKGL were(19.4±1.4)(target>60)and(15.6±0.3)(target<8),respectively,with mean words per sentence and syllables per word of 20.5 and 2.0,respectively.Abstracts with“One Health”in the title were more difficult to read than those without“One Health”in the title(FRE:P=0.0337;FKGL:P=0.0087).Comparison of FRE and FKGL readability scores for the four categories of One Health information[One Health public information;PubMed abstracts;SOH abstracts(articles);SOH abstracts(reviews)]showed that SOH abstracts from articles were easier to read than those from SOH reviews.No One Health public-facing information from the 100 sources examined met the FKGL target of8.The most easily read One Health information required a Grade Level of 9th grade(14-15 years old),with a mean Grade Level of 15.5(university/college level).Conclusion:Considerable work is required in making One Health written materials more readable,particularly for children and adolescents(<14 years of age).It is important that any interventions or mitigations taken to support better public understanding of the One Health approach are not ephemeral,but have longer lasting and legacy value.Authors of One Health information should consider using readability calculators when preparing One Health information for their stakeholders,to check the readability of their work,so that the final material is within recommended readability reference parameters,to support the health literacy and stakeholder-directed knowledge of their readers.
文摘Background People with cystic fibrosis(CF)may develop clinically significant chronic respiratory infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)and non-tuberculous mycobacteria(NTM).Open water has been suggested to be an important source for continuous or intermittent exposure to these pathogens.To date,there has been a paucity of studies examining the relationship between chronic PA and NTM infection in CF patients and surfaces waters,including blue spaces.The aim of this study was therefore to examine the relationship between chronic pulmonary infection with PA and NTMs in children and adults with CF in European countries and area of surface waters,including blue spaces.Methods European CF registry data detailing incidence of chronic PA and NTM infection in adults and children with CF in Europe(n=41,486 in 24 European countries)was correlated with surface water area data from the same countries(approx.678,278 km2)employing Spearman coefficients.Results Correlation of chronic PA infection in children and adults and surface water area were not significant(p=0.0680 and p=0.8448,respectively),as was NTM infection(p=0.7371 and p=0.0712,respectively).Conclusions Acquistion of PA and its avoidance in people with CF is a complicated dynamic,not solely driven by close association with surface water,but through the integration of several other factors,including mitigations by people with CF to avoid high risk scenarios with surface water.This study was unable to demonstrate a correlation between PA and NTM infection in people with cystic fibrosis and surface water area at a national level.CF patients should continue to be vigilant about potential infection risks posed by water and take evidence-based decisions regarding their behaviour around water to protect them for acquiring these organisms from these sources.
基金DWN thanks Professors James Dooley and Ibrahim Banat at Ulster University for critical comments.The Department of Agriculture,Environment and Rural Affairs(DAERA)is gratefully acknowledged for facilitating this literature review process through an Evidence and Innovation project 16/3/11(activity 48125).
文摘Antibiotic resistance presents a significant challenge to clinical,veterinary,and plant health and is now recognized by the World Health Organization(WHO)as a major emerging problem of global significance.As yet,there have been no successful discoveries of classes of novel antibiotics since 1987.There is an antibiotic discovery void,and it is now widely acknowledged that there is an urgent need for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.For economic reasons,many of the largest pharmaceutical companies have abandoned the antibiotic field,and research conducted by academia was scaled back due to funding cuts following the economic crisis.A post-antibiotic era-in which common infections and minor injuries can kill-far from being an apocalyptic fantasy,is indeed a very real possibility for the 21st century.
文摘Objectives:A study was undertaken to:1.examine contaminating bacteria on a variety of spices purchased at retail market;2.investigate if spice bacterial enrichments alter the phenotype of 13 bacterial foodborne and clinical pathogens and 1 probiotic organism;and 3.investigate if spices can alter antimicrobial activity of seven clinical antibiotics against 16 bacterial foodborne/clinical pathogens.Materials and Methods:Microbiological examination was undertaken employing 27 spice varieties with four antibiotics and 15 bacterial pathogens.Results:Bacteriological contamination levels varied amongst spice varieties,ranging from Kasmin chilli powder(7.5×10^(6)cfu/g;log10^(6).88 cfu/g)to ginger(1.5×10^(4)cfu/g;log_(10)4.18 cfu/g);mean contamination was 1.38×10^(6)cfu/g(log_(10)6.14 cfu/g).Four species within the genus Bacillus were identified(Bacillus megaterium,Bacillus subtilis,Bacillus licheniformis,and Bacillus cereus).There was no phenotypic difference with the 14 bacteria,with bacterial colony growth/proliferation,pigment production,or with adhesin and mucoid production.None of the spice cultures inhibited any of the 14 bacterial species examined.In the case of doxycycline,amoxicillin,colistin,erythromycin,and piperacillin/tazobactam,the zone of inhibition increased with the inclusion of the 26 spice varieties,suggesting that the spices were interacting synergistically with the antibiotic,thus making the antibiotic more potent against the bacteria tested.Conclusions:This study demonstrates a positive interaction between spices and conventional antibiotics.Given the burden of antimicrobial resistance(AMR)worldwide,but particularly in South Asian countries(India and Pakistan),any food-related innovation that can help maximize the potency of existing antibiotics is to be encouraged and developed.The specific mechanism as to how spices increase the potency of antibiotics needs to be elucidated,as well as novel food(spice)delivery modalities including novel medicinal foodstuffs or functional foods,that can harness this beneficial effect for medicine and society.
