Annual Campaigns Research Articles

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of Egyptians towards antibiotic use in the community: can we do better?

BackgroundInfectious diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide. This is concerning because of the increasing capacity of the pathogens to develop antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic overuse and misuse remain the main drivers of resistance development. In the USA and Europe, annual campaigns raise awareness of antibiotic misuse hazards and promote their judicial use. Similar efforts are lacking in Egypt. This study assessed the knowledge of the public in Alexandria, Egypt of antibiotic misuse risks and their habits towards antibiotic use, in addition to conducting a campaign to increase awareness of the safe use of antibiotics.MethodsA questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards antibiotics was used to collect responses from study participants at various sports clubs in Alexandria in 2019. An awareness campaign to correct misconceptions and a post awareness survey followed.ResultsMost of the participants were well-educated (85%), in their middle age (51%) and took antibiotics last year (80%). 22% would take an antibiotic for common cold. This dropped to 7% following the awareness. There was a 1.6 time increase in participants who would start an antibiotic on a healthcare professional’s advice following the campaign. A 1.3 time increase in participants who would finish an antibiotic regimen was also observed. The campaign made all participants recognize that unwise antibiotic use is harmful to them or others; and 1.5 more participants would spread the word about antibiotic resistance. Despite learning of the risks of antibiotic use, there was no change in how often participants thought they should take antibiotics.ConclusionsAlthough awareness of antibiotic resistance is rising, some wrong perceptions hold fast. This highlights the need for patient and healthcare-tailored awareness sessions as part of a structured and national public health program directed to the Egyptian population.

The impact of an annual mass media campaign on treatment seeking for alcohol use disorders in the Danish population: An interrupted time-series analysis

IntroductionA minority of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) seek treatment. In Denmark, a mass media campaign, “RESPEKT”, aiming to increase treatment seeking, has been broadcasted nationwide since 2015. The campaign is unique from an international perspective. Similar interventions have, up until now, not been scientifically evaluated. AimTo investigate whether there was an association between campaign periods and treatment seeking for AUD. A secondary aim was to investigate possible gender differences. The hypotheses were that treatment seeking would increase during the campaign periods, and that men would increase their treatment seeking more compared to women. MethodStudy design: Interrupted time-series analysis.Participants: Adults aged 18 years and above in the Danish population seeking AUD treatment.Exposure: Campaign periods year 2015–2018.Outcome: Changes in treatment seeking defined as treatment entry respectively filled prescription of AUD pharmacotherapy.Data: National Alcohol Treatment Register on treatment entries for specialist addiction care and National Prescription Registry for filled prescriptions on AUD pharmacotherapies 2013–2018.Analysis: Segmented negative binomial regression, including the full cohort and stratified by sex. ResultsThe results show no association between campaign periods and treatment seeking. Nor were there any gender differences in treatment seeking. The hypotheses were not confirmed. ConclusionThe campaign periods showed no association with treatment seeking. Eventual future campaigns should possibly focus on earlier steps of the treatment seeking process, as problem recognition, to increase treatment seeking. There is a great need to develop other ways to narrow the treatment gap for AUD.

Analysis of a tiered top-down approach using satellite and aircraft platforms to monitor oil and gas facilities in the Permian basin

As energy systems transition towards decarbonization, natural gas is expected to play an important role as a cleaner hydrocarbon fuel source to bridge the gap between renewable energy production and increasing energy demand. Regulations aim to reduce methane emissions from natural gas systems to ensure the total environmental impacts of natural gas production and consumption are indeed lesser than for other fossil fuels. GHGSat Inc., has developed a tiered top-down remote sensing approach utilizing satellite and airborne instruments to monitor methane emissions from industrial sites globally. This satellite-aircraft hybrid system was demonstrated in the Permian basin for detecting and quantifying methane emissions from oil and gas (O&G) facilities. A heavy-tail distribution of methane emissions was observed, with 12% of emitting targets (total sample size of 106) accounting for over 50% of total detected methane emissions. Traditional leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs often incorporate multiple annual screening campaigns with ground-based optical gas imaging (OGI) technologies to detect methane leaks from O&G infrastructure. Three alternative LDAR programs incorporating GHGSat's satellite and airborne monitoring technologies were modelled using the Arolytics AroFEMP methane model. Model parameters were derived from GHGSat's 2021 Permian basin data to evaluate their equivalency and costs against traditional LDAR monitoring. When compared to the required practice of performing OGI surveys four times per year, the proposed alternative LDAR programs were modelled to have at least equivalent methane reduction performance while being substantially more cost-effective.

Process Evaluation of a Collaborative Social Media Health Campaign: An Analysis of Partner and User Engagement.

Collaborative health promotion campaigns are advantageous because they extend the resources and reach of any single organization. Yet, they can be challenging because they require partner commitment and compromise. On social media, however, these campaigns are especially beneficial due to the high demand for ongoing content that facilitates user engagement. This study is a content analysis of an annual collaborative campaign, Preteen Vaccine Week, conducted by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to promote preteen immunizations. Campaign partners are encouraged to use creative assets provided by CDPH and to follow a themed content calendar. Message characteristics and audience engagement were evaluated for 2 years of the campaign (2019-2020). Results indicate that when there was a specific health issue scheduled as the daily theme, 85% of posts reflected that health topic. However, when the theme was general awareness, only 15% of posts aligned. Furthermore, the majority of posts included supplemental audiovisual assets of which nearly half were provided by CDPH. These findings suggest partners attempted to work together. Analyses of message characteristics indicate there was little effort to encourage online user engagement; however, a majority of messages included a call-to-action. These findings indicate that health organizations continue to use social media much like they use mass media: for information dissemination and behavioral recommendations.

Slope stability evolution of a deep‐seated landslide considering a constantly deforming topography

AbstractSlow‐moving deep‐seated landslides are characterised by continuous deformation, constantly changing topography and sliding‐mass geometry. Deformation rates are predominantly controlled by temporal dynamics of pore pressure. Progressing movements typically cause an over‐steepening of a landslide's foot, making these areas more susceptible to secondary slope failures and piggyback slides that, once they occur, change the geometric boundary conditions of a slope. This study presents an integrated topographic monitoring and geomechanical modelling approach, which is suitable for both model‐based replication of the landslide's hydro‐meteorological drivers and assessment of the long‐term effect of topographic changes on the stability behaviour of a large deep‐seated landslide. Parametrised at the Vögelsberg landslide (Tyrol, Austria) the integrated approach quantified considerable mass relocations between 2007 and 2020 at the landslide's foot and assessed respective effects on slope stability. Additionally, scenarios of past and future topographies were reconstructed and projected. Mass relocations of the order of 25 000 m3 were assessed between multiple airborne laser scanning acquisitions covering a period of 13 years. Based on annual uncrewed aerial vehicle laser scanning campaigns, area‐wide 3D displacements were analysed, exceeding a magnitude of 200 cm a−1 at small parts (2.500 m2) on the steeper foot of the active landslide. The main landslide body (0.28 km2) moves considerably slower with movements of 2–10 cm a−1. Besides spatio‐temporally varying hydrological drivers, topographic changes can have a severe impact on slope stability and therefore modify the spatiotemporal activity of the landslide. It is shown that, besides the hydrometeorological drivers, the varying elevation of the landslide's toe is a key parameter determining the long‐term trend of slope stability. With the presented approach the formation and evolution of the Vögelsberg landslide can be understood and explained.

Variation of UV-A/UV-B daily profiles depending on locations and altitude

Solar UV/visible monitoring has increased its importance in the recent years due to the global warming, unexpected atmospheric anomalies and storms, and the increasing needs for additional human protection. In mountain areas with high elevation the interest to UV irradiation measurements is expected to increase due to atmospheric transparency, however frequent events of lightning and risk of equipment failures has to be taken into account. The cost of the UV measurement systems can be greatly reduced by employing low-cost integrated inexpensive digital sensors with on-chip signal conditioning as detectors which are more convenient for field deployment and outdoor measurements. Thus, a compact portable UV/visible sensor equipment is in great demand for annual solar irradiation monitoring and seasonal all-day measurement campaigns. In this work, we report on the development of an in-house portable UV sensor system based on digital sensors with I2C communication, open-source hardware and software. The developed equipment is based on integrated digital sensors (VEML 6075, TSL 2591). It has been developed by employing Wi-Fi ESP 32 microcontroller, ODROID microcomputer and open-source software (InfluxDB and Grafana visualization tool). We investigate the system performance by measuring daily profiles of UV-B/UV-A irradiation in different locations and under different atmospheric conditions in order to evaluate its feasibility for prevention of humans from UV overexposure during outdoor operations. On-field tests are performed for 2 years in 7 different locations in Bulgaria. Interestingly, in downtown during particular days with high traffic an increased UV scattering and absorption due to urban pollution has been observed.

Following the Trend: A Comparative Analysis of Public Engagement and Funding for Annual Prostate and Breast Cancer Campaigns Using Google Trends.

Google Trends (Google Inc., USA) is a web-based service that offers data on the time and volume of Google Internet searches. We used Google Trends to identify increases in search traffic caused by cancer campaigns, which are held in October and November each year for breast cancer (BC) and prostate cancer (PC), respectively, in our region. We investigated whether this increase in search traffic coincided with increased research funding or public donations. Google searches for PC were compared and scaled against searches for BC from January 2010 to December 2021. The month with the highest volume of search hits for either term was given a relative search volume index of 100. All other months for both search terms were scaled against this index of 100. The degree of government research spending and public donations were contrasted against search traffic. Search volume increased for both campaign months (49% for BC in October, 5% for PC in November). The mean relative search volume for each campaign's specific month was 72.6 for BC, 18.4 for PC; mean difference of 50.75 (95% confidence interval=42.7-58.8, p<0.001). Annual mean (±standard deviation) expenditure of Government research grants was $22.2 million (± $1.5 million) for BC and $9.7 million (± $2.9 million) for PC with a mean difference of $12.5 million (95% confidence interval=$10.5-14.6 million, p<0.001). The BC campaign resulted in a statistically significant increase in search traffic compared to that for PC and correlated with statistically significant increases in research spending. Google Trends offers a method of evaluating cancer campaign efficacy and public interest.

Effectiveness of influenza vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers in Qatar

BackgroundSome studies have reported that influenza vaccination is associated with lower risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and/or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) morbidity and mortality. This study aims to estimate effectiveness of influenza vaccination, using Abbott’s quadrivalent Influvac Tetra vaccine, against SARS-CoV-2 infection and against severe COVID-19. MethodsThis matched, test-negative, case-control study was implemented on a population of 30,774 healthcare workers (HCWs) in Qatar during the 2020 annual influenza vaccination campaign, September 17, 2020-December 31, 2020, before introduction of COVID-19 vaccination. ResultsOf 30,774 HCWs, 576 with PCR-positive tests and 10,033 with exclusively PCR-negative tests were eligible for inclusion in the study. Matching by sex, age, nationality, reason for PCR testing, and PCR test date yielded 518 cases matched to 2058 controls. Median duration between influenza vaccination and the PCR test was 43 days (IQR, 29–62). Estimated effectiveness of influenza vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection> 14 days after receiving the vaccine was 29.7% (95% CI: 5.5–47.7%). Estimated effectiveness of influenza vaccination against severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19 was 88.9% (95% CI: 4.1–98.7%). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the main analysis results. ConclusionsRecent influenza vaccination is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity.

Fear and Betrayal: Smallpox and the Turning Point of the French and Indian War

Fear and BetrayalSmallpox and the Turning Point of the French and Indian War John Booss (bio) The Indians fear nothing so much as this disease …. —Louis Antoine de Bougainville, Adventures in the Wilderness It is in the nature of great events, as Francis Parkman has said, to obscure the great events that came before them.1 The American Revolution has greatly eclipsed the French and Indian War in the popular imagination and in scholarly attention; yet, it has been called "The War That Made America."2 In this article, I examine the French and Indian War in which the two great colonizing powers, France and England, grappled for control of the North American continent.3 For Indigenous peoples, the conflict threatened their lands, their way [End Page 246] of life, and their very existence. In 1758 the Moravian minister Christian Post was told by Delaware Indian leaders that "you and the French contrived the war, to waste the Indians between you; and that you and the French intend to divide the land between you."4 The focus here is on the role of an outbreak of smallpox in the turning of the tide, or in marking the turning point from French and Indian victories to English dominance and ultimate triumph. I examine a smallpox outbreak among the Native allies of the French between August 1757 and the start of 1758. As suggested by my use of "turning point," the war can be split into two periods: the first, in which the French and their Indian allies predominated, from 1754 to 1757; and the second, in which the British predominated and ultimately prevailed, from 1758 to 1760. A major cause of the turn of the tide was the infection by smallpox of Indians from the upper Great Lakes region (Pays d'en Haut) following the siege of Fort William Henry on Lake George in August 1757. The infection was carried by the Indians back to their home villages and caused a massive outbreak and, subsequently, devastating mortality. The consequent refusal of the Indians of the Pays d'en Haut to join the French in their campaign of 1758 ensued. The role of smallpox in the participation by Amerindian allies of the French has been studied by D. Peter MacLeod.5 He examined reports of the annual number of Indians serving with the French and determined that smallpox was critical to decisions about whether the Indians would participate in the annual campaigns. He noted that the fluctuations of the numbers of Indian warriors were "of limited significance to the outcome of the war." His concern was the "political independence and freedom of action of the Indians."6 I examine the refusal of the Indians from the Pays d'en Haut to participate in the campaign of 1758 as a consequence of the smallpox epidemic in their villages, which had resulted from exposure during the campaign for Fort William Henry in 1757. Modifying MacLeod's conclusion, I contend that their refusal, subsequent to the outbreak of smallpox, was a critical component in the turning point of the war. The explicit connection between smallpox brought from the campaign for Fort William Henry and the turning point of the war does not appear to have been previously developed in detail. In contrast to the highly focused role of a smallpox outbreak in the French and Indian War, historians have recorded the massive effects of smallpox on other conflicts in the New [End Page 247] World. Smallpox epidemics played a major role in bringing down the Aztec and Inca cultures in Mexico and Peru, respectively.7 The role of smallpox in the defeat of the Aztec empire by the Spaniards and Indigenous allies in 1519–21 at Tenochtitlan was so dramatic that William H. McNeil began his epochal book Plagues and Peoples with that "extraordinary story."8 He later stated, "Clearly if smallpox had not come when it did, the Spanish victory could not have been achieved in Mexico."9 Alfred W. Crosby opened his 1967 paper titled "Conquistador y Pestilencia: The First New World Pandemic and the Fall of the Great Indian Empires" with the assertion, "The most sensational military conflicts in all history...

Epidemiological and pathological screening of suspected cases of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Yola Modern Abattoir, Adamawa State Nigeria

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia is an important infectious disease of cattle caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides and a major constraint to cattle production in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was aimed to identify pathological and histopathological lesions identified in cattle tentatively diagnosed with CBPP at Yola Modern Abattoir, Adamawa State. A total of 9,750 cattle were examined at post-mortem for a period of six months, 110 (1.13%) had lesions suggestive of CBPP out of which seventeen (17) were randomly selected and processed for histopathology based on standard laboratory protocols. Based on sex, CBPP lesion was observed more in female 63 (1.06%) than in the male 47 (1.24%). Whereas, CBPP lesions was observed highest in White Fulani breed 68 (1.14%) followed by Cross breeds 23 (91.16%) and Sokoto Gudali 19 (1.74%) and lowest in Red Bororo 10 (1.36%). There was insignificant statistical association (P&gt;0.05) between CBPP lesions and sex and breed of cattle sampled. Age distribution of CBPP lesion was observed higher in cattle between ages of 4-7 years 79 (1.16%), followed by cattle of 1-3 years 28 (1.15%) and least in cattle less than 1 year 3 (0.60%) with significant statistical difference (P&lt;0.05) between the age groups. Histopathology lesions observed include severe congestion of pulmonary blood vessel in all the lung tissues and fibrin exudation into inter-alveolar spaces with almost all the alveoli collapsed. The bronchiolar epithelium was observed to be thickened, hyperplastic and folded, with a considerable quantity of edematous fluid and numerous inflammatory cells seen in the lumen. In conclusion, this study had demonstrated the presence of CBPP lesions in cattle in the study area. Therefore, serological screening of all cattle, stamping out policies and aggressive annual vaccination campaigns are thus recommended in the study area.

Fire installations at the Bronze Age site of Ca’ Baredi near Aquileia: An interdisciplinary insight into subsistence and social practices

The Bronze Age site of Ca’ Baredi / Canale Anfora near Aquileia (municipality of Terzo di Aquileia), NE Italy, is currently being investigated by the University of Udine within the framework of a project which aims at reconstructing the cultural landscape in the area before Roman Aquileia was founded. Over several annual campaigns, a couple of specialised areas provided with many fire installations have been investigated. Fire installations dating from the mid-Middle Bronze Age to well into the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500–1200 BCE), were located either outdoor or within light provisional structures such as enclosures or half-roofed rooms; they were mainly used for food manipulation and cooking, although evidence was found of multiple activities, including light craftwork.The contribution of organic residue analysis had already made it possible to identify the contents of a few ceramic vessels, indicating wine consumption. This paper aims to bring research a step forward, updating the knowledge base with new data collected from stratigraphic investigation, and integrating it with bioarchaeological data, including both faunal and plant remains. Some additional data from the organic residue analysis have also been included for an overall view of the change in patterns of subsistence and domestic activities over time.

A systematic review of randomized clinical trials on quadrivalent influenza vaccines for adults

Abstract Background Vaccination is the most effective intervention to prevent influenza. Adults at risk of complications are among the targets of annual vaccination campaigns and can receive different types of quadrivalent influenza vaccines (QIV). To assess the immunogenicity of different QIVs we performed a systematic review of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with the aim of indirectly compare them through a network meta-analysis. Methods The systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-NMA guidelines. We systematically searched RCTs conducted in adults aged 18-64 years that assessed the immunogenicity, namely seroprotection and seroconversion rate (SPR and SCR), of any QIV compared to any comparator. The literature search was performed on three databases (Medline, Cochrane Library and Scopus) until March 30th, 2021. Results Twenty-four RCTs were included in the systematic review. A network meta-analysis was not possible: the assumption of transitivity was not satisfied. Therefore, we decided to combine data on immunogenicity and efficacy of each QIV through single meta-analyses in the presence of at least two studies. Live attenuated QIV showed the worst results in terms of both SCR and SPR. Standard dose egg based, low dose adjuvanted, cell based, recombinant and intradermal QIV showed similar SCR in respect to influenza strain A, whereas low dose adjuvanted QIV showed an overall better profile in respect to B lineages. Regarding SCR, the better results were issued by standard egg based, cell based, recombinant, and low dose adjuvanted QIVs. Conclusions Albeit an indirect comparison among different QIVs was not possible, the assessment of SCR and SPR provided an overview of their respective potentiality and criticality in adulthood. In particular attention should be paid to new generation influenza vaccines that can have an antigen sparing effect and to the collection of real world data to make comparison among different QIVs possible. Key messages • Available evidence does not allow to perform indirect comparison of the quadrivalent influenza vaccines for adults. • Some QIVs, including new generation ones, elicit a better antibody response.

An Analysis of Arguments Advanced via Twitter in an Advocacy Campaign to Promote Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems.

Advocates of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) increasingly use Twitter to promote liberal ENDS policies. "World Vape Day" (WVD) is an annual campaign organized by pro-ENDS advocacy groups, some of which have links to the nicotine industry (eg, via funding from the "Foundation for a Smoke-Free World"). In 2020, the campaign used dedicated social media accounts to disseminate WVD-branded images and campaign messages. We examined tweets posted as part of WVD 2020 to identify and analyze pro-ENDS policy arguments. We extracted tweets posted between 26 May and 3 June 2020 that included the hashtag #WorldVapeDay. We used qualitative thematic analysis to code a random sample (n = 2200) of approximately half the original English language tweets (n = 4387) and used descriptive analysis to identify the most frequently used co-hashtags. Arguments related to four themes: harm reduction, smoking cessation, rights and justice, and opposition to ENDS restrictions. Tweets criticized individuals and groups perceived as opposing liberal ENDS regulation, and used personal testimonials to frame ENDS as a harm reduction tool and life-saving smoking cessation aid. Tweets also advanced rights-based arguments, such as privileging adults' rights over children's rights, and calling for greater recognition of consumers' voices. Tweets frequently used hashtags associated with the WHO and World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). The WVD campaign presented a series of linked pro-ENDS arguments seemingly aimed at policy-makers, and strategically integrated with the WHO's WNTD campaign. Critically assessing pro-ENDS arguments and the campaigns used to promote these is vital to helping policy actors develop proportionate ENDS policy. Social media platforms have considerable potential to influence policy actors. Tweets are easily generated and duplicated, creating an impression of sizeable and influential stakeholders. Evidence that the "World Vape Day" campaign was supported by groups with industry links, and targeted-at least in part-at WHO officials and those who follow the WHO World No Tobacco Day campaign, highlights the importance of critically reviewing such campaigns. Further research could examine how health advocates could engage in pro-ENDS campaigns to support balanced messaging and informed policy-making.

One vaccine to counter many diseases? Modeling the economics of oral polio vaccine against child mortality and COVID-19.

IntroductionRecent reviews summarize evidence that some vaccines have heterologous or non-specific effects (NSE), potentially offering protection against multiple pathogens. Numerous economic evaluations examine vaccines' pathogen-specific effects, but less than a handful focus on NSE. This paper addresses that gap by reporting economic evaluations of the NSE of oral polio vaccine (OPV) against under-five mortality and COVID-19.Materials and methodsWe studied two settings: (1) reducing child mortality in a high-mortality setting (Guinea-Bissau) and (2) preventing COVID-19 in India. In the former, the intervention involves three annual campaigns in which children receive OPV incremental to routine immunization. In the latter, a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered model was developed to estimate the population benefits of two scenarios, in which OPV would be co-administered alongside COVID-19 vaccines. Incremental cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost ratios were modeled for ranges of intervention effectiveness estimates to supplement the headline numbers and account for heterogeneity and uncertainty.ResultsFor child mortality, headline cost-effectiveness was $650 per child death averted. For COVID-19, assuming OPV had 20% effectiveness, incremental cost per death averted was $23,000–65,000 if it were administered simultaneously with a COVID-19 vaccine <200 days into a wave of the epidemic. If the COVID-19 vaccine availability were delayed, the cost per averted death would decrease to $2600–6100. Estimated benefit-to-cost ratios vary but are consistently high.DiscussionEconomic evaluation suggests the potential of OPV to efficiently reduce child mortality in high mortality environments. Likewise, within a broad range of assumed effect sizes, OPV (or another vaccine with NSE) could play an economically attractive role against COVID-19 in countries facing COVID-19 vaccine delays.FundingThe contribution by DTJ was supported through grants from Trond Mohn Foundation (BFS2019MT02) and Norad (RAF-18/0009) through the Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting.

Country data on AMR in Kuwait in the context of community-acquired respiratory tract infections: links between antibiotic susceptibility, local and international antibiotic prescribing guidelines, access to medicine and clinical outcome.

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to global public health. Selection of resistant bacteria is driven by inappropriate use of antibiotics, amongst other factors. COVID-19 may have exacerbated AMR due to unnecessary antibiotic prescribing. Country-level knowledge is needed to understand options for action.ObjectivesTo review AMR in Kuwait and initiatives underway addressing it. Identifying any areas where more information is required will provide a call to action to minimize any further rise in AMR within Kuwait and to improve patient outcomes.MethodsNational initiatives to address AMR, antibiotic use and prescribing, and availability of susceptibility data, particularly for the key community-acquired respiratory tract infection (CA-RTI) pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, were identified. National and international antibiotic prescribing guidelines commonly used locally for specific CA-RTIs (community-acquired pneumonia, acute otitis media and acute bacterial rhinosinusitis) were also reviewed, plus local antibiotic availability. Insights from a clinician in Kuwait were sought to contextualize this information.ConclusionsIn Kuwait there have been some initiatives addressing AMR such as annual campaigns for proper use of antibiotics. Antibiotic use is high but there appears to be a low understanding in the general public about their appropriate use. However, there is legislation in place prohibiting over-the-counter purchase of antibiotics. Only international guidelines for CA-RTIs are used. A more standardized inclusive approach in developing local guidelines, using up-to-date surveillance data of isolates from community-acquired infections in Kuwait, could make management guideline use more locally relevant for clinicians. This would pave the way for a higher level of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and improved adherence. This would, in turn, potentially limit AMR development and improve clinical patient outcomes.

The relationship between meat disgust and meat avoidance-A chicken-and-egg problem.

Feelings of disgust toward meat have been researched for at least 30 years, but so far the causal relationship that may link meat disgust and meat consumption has remained elusive. Two possible pathways have been proposed in previous literature: the more common pathway seems to be that meat disgust is developed after a transition to vegetarianism, potentially via the process of moralization and recruitment of (moral) disgust. Other accounts suggest the existence of a second pathway in which disgust initiates the avoidance of meat and this can be explained by existing theories of disgust functioning as a pathogen avoidance mechanism and meat serving as a pathogen cue. However, the evidence base for either relationship remains thin and to our knowledge no research has examined whether temporary meat abstention can lead to increases in meat disgust, as the first pathway suggests. We measured meat disgust and meat intake in n = 40 meat eaters before and after attempting a meat-free diet for 1 month (while taking part in the annual vegan campaign Veganuary). Although most participants lapsed to eating meat during this period, we found that reductions in meat intake during the month were predictive of increases in meat disgust afterwards. This supports the view that meat disgust is expressed as a result of meat avoidance in meat eaters. Implications for theoretical understanding of the relationship between meat disgust and meat avoidance, as well as the development of disgust based interventions are discussed.

Acceptance of Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Survey among Israel Defense Forces Soldiers

Data regarding the contribution of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts to real-world uptake of influenza vaccination remains unclear. This cross-sectional survey-based study among Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and specifically, previous COVID-19 vaccines uptake, on the intention to vaccinate for influenza during 2021–2022 season. Participants engaged in an online survey addressing vaccination history and current vaccine-related preferences. The survey was delivered prior to the initiation of the IDF’s annual influenza immunization campaign. A multinomial logistic regression model was applied to analyze factors correlated with unwillingness to receive influenza vaccine. Overall, 825 invitations to participate in the survey were distributed and the overall response rate was 78.5%. Among the 648 participants who replied (61.6% males, median age of 20 years), 51.9% were willing to receive the upcoming influenza vaccine. Factors associated with vaccine reluctance included being female, not receiving the previous season’s influenza vaccine, not having a previous diagnosis of COVID-19, and having decreased uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Among participants not intending to receive an influenza vaccine, 50.3% stated that they are healthy and have no need for the vaccine and 36.2% stated they received too many vaccines over the previous year. The results of this study may suggest that influenza vaccination rates in the post-COVID-19 vaccine era may be reduced due to a perceived “vaccine saturation” phenomenon, owing to the density of COVID-19 vaccine administration. Future interventions such as campaigns related to maximizing influenza vaccination coverage should address repeated doses of COVID-19 vaccine administration.

SCAPE ROOM AS A SENSITIZATION AND EDUCATION STRATEGY ABOUT PRESSURE INJURY PREVENTION

Objective: To report the experience of using the escape room as an educational and awareness strategy for the prevention of pressure injuries in the hospital context. Methods: This is an experience report about an activity developed in November 2021, with professionals from the multidisciplinary team of a large philanthropic hospital located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo (SP), Brazil. Results: The game was played as an educational strategy associated with other initiatives on the issue, during the annual pressure injury prevention campaign. Eighty-two professionals participated in the activity, including nurses, nursing technicians, nutritionists, and physiotherapists. A total of 57 participants (69.5%) managed to unravel the proposed puzzles and leave the escape room in the proposed time. The reaction evaluation showed a high level of satisfaction with the activity, in addition to numerous compliments on the chosen methodology, as well as the creativity in which the topic was approached and developed. Conclusion: The use of a methodology based on the interaction of the participants, such as escape rooms, associated with other educational activities seems to be interesting to promote learning and awareness about pressure injury prevention.

Webinar offers insights into annual giving campaigns

Nonprofit resources website Charityhowto.com will host a webinar titled How to Organize an Annual Giving Campaign that Draws Donors in and Keeps Them Engaged on Sept. 7 at 1:00 pm ET.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot like #25DaysofFishmas: Communicating Freshwater Biodiversity Using Social Media

As audiences increasingly turn to social media platforms for information about the environment, scientists can use a variety of techniques to engage with the public in meaningful and productive dialogues about “wicked” ecological problems such as the loss of global freshwater biodiversity. Using #25DaysofFishmas, an annual Twitter campaign that I created to highlight fish diversity in the Laurentian Great Lakes, I examined the relationship between tweet attributes and the number of audience impressions (i.e., views) and engagements (i.e., interactions such as retweets and likes). I hypothesized that audiences would be more likely to engage with tweets about familiar species such as those considered “sportfish.” However, the species that received the highest total impressions and engagements included nongame species like Silver Lamprey Ichthyomyzon unicuspis and Bowfin Amia calva. Using generalized linear mixed effects models, I found that the use of images consistently explained the number of impressions and engagements a tweet received, with other explanatory variables including the use of hashtags and timing of posts. This analysis illustrates how scientists can use social media not only as a megaphone to broadcast research, but as an interactive platform to directly engage broader audiences and foster appreciation for regional and global fish biodiversity.