Explore the vast range of titles available.

Barriers in science and academia have prevented women from becoming researchers and experts that are viewed as equivalent to their colleagues who are men. We evaluated the participation and success of women researchers at ASM journals to better understand their success in the field of microbiology. We found that women are underrepresented as expert scientists at ASM journals. This is, in part, due to a combination of both low submissions from senior women authors and more negative outcomes on submitted manuscripts for women compared to men. Despite 50% of biology Ph.D. graduates being women, the number of women that advance in academia decreases at each level (e.g., from graduate to postdoctorate to tenure track). Recently, scientific societies and publishers have begun examining internal submissions data to evaluate representation and evaluation of women in their peer review processes; however, representation and attitudes differ by scientific field, and to date, no studies have investigated academic publishing in the field of microbiology. Using manuscripts submitted between January 2012 and August 2018 to the 15 journals published by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), we describe the representation of women at ASM journals and the outcomes of their manuscripts. Senior women authors at ASM journals were underrepresented compared to global and society estimates of microbiology researchers. Additionally, manuscripts submitted by corresponding authors that were women received more negative outcomes than those submitted by men. These negative outcomes were somewhat mediated by whether or not the corresponding author was based in the United States and by the type of institution for United States-based authors. Nonetheless, the pattern for women corresponding authors to receive more negative outcomes on their submitted manuscripts held. We conclude with suggestions to improve the representation of women and decrease structural penalties against women. IMPORTANCE Barriers in science and academia have prevented women from becoming researchers and experts that are viewed as equivalent to their colleagues who are men. We evaluated the participation and success of women researchers at ASM journals to better understand their success in the field of microbiology. We found that women are underrepresented as expert scientists at ASM journals. This is, in part, due to a combination of both low submissions from senior women authors and more negative outcomes on submitted manuscripts for women compared to men.

The rise of Quit Lit describing the myriad reasons for leaving academia and constant complaining by mentors leave many trainees with little desire for an academic career. Although there are clearly structural and social problems in academia, I feel that they are outweighed by the benefits of working and living in an academic environment. The rise of Quit Lit describing the myriad reasons for leaving academia and constant complaining by mentors leave many trainees with little desire for an academic career. Although there are clearly structural and social problems in academia, I feel that they are outweighed by the benefits of working and living in an academic environment. Every academic values different things about their job, and here I outline the factors that keep me in academia. To make sure that our best scientists are not scared away from academia, we must provide balance to the negativity that regularly surrounds discussions of careers in academia.

Research regarding zoonotic diseases often focuses on infectious diseases animals have given to humans. However, an increasing number of reports indicate that humans are transmitting pathogens to animals. Recent examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, influenza A virus, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Ascaris lumbricoides. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of published literature regarding reverse zoonoses and highlight the need for future work in this area. An initial broad literature review yielded 4763 titles, of which 4704 were excluded as not meeting inclusion criteria. After careful screening, 56 articles (from 56 countries over three decades) with documented human-to-animal disease transmission were included in this report. In these publications, 21 (38%) pathogens studied were bacterial, 16 (29%) were viral, 12 (21%) were parasitic, and 7 (13%) were fungal, other, or involved multiple pathogens. Effected animals included wildlife (n = 28, 50%), livestock (n = 24, 43%), companion animals (n = 13, 23%), and various other animals or animals not explicitly mentioned (n = 2, 4%). Published reports of reverse zoonoses transmission occurred in every continent except Antarctica therefore indicating a worldwide disease threat. As we see a global increase in industrial animal production, the rapid movement of humans and animals, and the habitats of humans and wild animals intertwining with great complexity, the future promises more opportunities for humans to cause reverse zoonoses. Scientific research must be conducted in this area to provide a richer understanding of emerging and reemerging disease threats. As a result, multidisciplinary approaches such as One Health will be needed to mitigate these problems.

Background Animals are a reservoir for ESBL/pAmpC-producing Escherichia coli/Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-E/K). We investigated the association between occupational contact with different types of animals and the prevalence of ESBL-E/K carriage among veterinary healthcare workers, assessed molecular characteristics of ESBL-E/K, and followed-up on the ESBL-E/K carriage status of participants and their household members. Methods Participants completed a questionnaire about their contact with animals at work and at home, health status, travel behaviour and hygiene, and sent in a faecal sample which was tested for the presence of ESBL-E/K. Resistance genes were typed using PCR and sequencing . ESBL-E/K positive participants and their household members were followed up after 6 months. Risk factors were analysed using multivariable logistic regression methods. Results The prevalence of ESBL-E/K carriage was 9.8% (47/482; 95%CI 7.4–12.7). The most frequently occurring ESBL genes were bla CTX-M-15 , bla CTX-M-14 and bla DHA-1 . The predominant sequence type was ST131. None of the occupation related factors, such as contact with specific animal species, were significantly associated with ESBL-E/K carriage, whereas travel to Africa, Asia or Latin America in the past 6 months (OR 4.4), and stomach/bowel complaints in the past 4 weeks (OR 2.2) were. Sixteen of 33 initially ESBL-E/K positive participants (48.5%) tested positive again 6 months later, in 14 persons the same ESBL gene and E. coli ST was found. Four of 23 (17.4%) household members carried ESBL-E/K, in three persons this was the same ESBL gene and E. coli ST as in the veterinary healthcare worker. Conclusions Despite the absence of specific occupation related risk factors, ESBL-E/K carriage in veterinary healthcare workers was high compared to the prevalence in the general Dutch population (5%). This indicates that occupational contact with animals is a potential source of ESBL-E/K for the population at large.

Background While competency-based education has gained prominence in preparing professionals for practice, clinical microbiology residency programs face a challenge in defining specific, observable tasks that align with Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). The current lack of a standardized set of EPAs tailored to clinical microbiology creates a gap in assessing learner proficiency and educational outcomes. Objectives This study aims to develop and validate a set of specific EPAs for clinical microbiology using a multi-step national expert consensus-building process. Methods This study was conducted in Egypt, involving experts from various medical schools across the country. As the first step, a thorough literature review was undertaken to identify potential EPAs pertinent to clinical microbiology residency programs. Then, evaluation of EPAs for quality and structure using EQual rubric involved five experts in medical education and clinical microbiology, resulting in the confirmation of relevant EPAs. Subsequently, three rounds of the modified Delphi method were employed, engaging ten clinical microbiology experts from various medical schools. Simultaneously, content validity was assessed based on these ratings. Participants also determined the appropriate year of entrustment for each EPA item, and an 80% Validity index agreement threshold was calculated to ensure consensus among participant groups. Results The use of the literature review and initial expert evaluation using EQual rubric confirmed 39 out of the initially identified 43 EPAs. Following the modified Delphi method rounds, 16 EPAs gained acceptance, signifying their relevance and appropriateness for clinical microbiology residency training. These EPAs were categorized into key areas, including preanalytical testing and quality assurance, microbiological techniques and diagnostics, infection control and safety practices, clinical leadership and teamwork, research and development, and laboratory management and communication. Conclusions This study developed 16 EPAs for clinical microbiology residency programs. These EPAs were developed using a robust multi step validation study. This provides a further step towards competency-based postgraduate training in clinical microbiology. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important global health concern, projected to contribute to significant mortality, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, perceptions of clinical health professions students towards antimicrobial resistance and rational use of medicine and confidence level to prescribe antimicrobials. Methods An online descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinical health professions students across 9 medical schools in Uganda. A semi-structured questionnaire using Kobo Toolbox form was shared among participants via WhatsApp Messenger (Meta, California, USA). Knowledge was categorized using modified Bloom’s cut-off. One-way ANOVA, Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, and logistic regression were used to assess the association between dependent and independent variables. A p  < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results We surveyed 681 participants, most were pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree ( n  = 433, 63.6%), with a mean age of 24 (standard deviation: 3.6) years. Most participants ( n  = 596, 87.5%) had sufficient knowledge about antimicrobial resistance with a mean score of 85 ± 14.2%. There was a significant difference in mean knowledge scores of year 4 (86.6%) compared to year 3 (82.4%) ( p  = 0.002) and year 5 (88.0%) compared to year 3 (82.4%) ( p  <  0.001). Most participants ( n  = 456, 66.9%), were confident on making an accurate diagnosis of infection, and choosing the correct antimicrobial agent to use ( n  = 484, 71.1%). Conclusion Health profession students exhibited good knowledge on antimicrobial resistance and high self-perceived confidence that should be leveraged to foster better future antimicrobial prescription practices. However, they still agreed that a separated course unit on AMR is necessary which responsible authorities should consider to consolidate the efforts.

The rapid evolution of technological advancements in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is enabling ever faster progress. However, the rapid pace of change can also lead to elevated stress for STEM workers. Here, we provide strategies for coping with and limiting technostress amongst researchers and other STEM professionals.

Objective Studies suggest that the colonization of multidrug-resistant organism in the gut of healthcare workers is similar to that of healthy individuals. However, due to exposure to medical environments, is the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in the gut of ICU healthcare workers higher than that of healthy individuals? Design Prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional study. Setting Eight medical centers in China, recruiting from January 2024 to February 2024. Participants 303 Healthy people (201 ICU healthcare workers and 103 healthy controls) were screened and 290 Healthy people (191 ICU healthcare workers and 99 healthy controls) were included in analysis. Main outcome measures Fecal samples were collected and subjected to metagenomic sequencing. We compared the total ARG abundance, ARG diversity, and gut microbiome composition between the two groups. Results After adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index, ICU healthcare workers exhibited a significantly higher total ARG abundance compared to healthy controls (fold change = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.12–1.34, p <  0.001). The β-diversity of ARG between the two groups differed significantly ( p =  0.001). No significant linear or nonlinear relationship was observed between the duration of ICU occupational exposure and ARG abundance ( p for overall = 0.96, p for nonlinear = 0.84). Conclusion In this prospective, multicenter study, we found that ICU healthcare workers exhibit significantly higher gut ARGs abundance compared to healthy controls. Meanwhile, ICU healthcare workers, including physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants, have a different composition of gut ARGs compared to healthy individuals. Trial registration : NCT06228248.

Health workers are prone to burnout, which can have an adverse effect on their person and the patients to whom care is offered. The goal of this paper was to assess the levels of burnout experienced by healthcare workers in Accra, Ghana. The study was conducted using the cross-sectional study design. Questionnaires were used to obtain data from 365 respondents who worked in 12 major healthcare facilities. Data obtained were analyzed with SPSS version 23. Majority of the respondents were females (56.7%) as against males (43.3%). The total score for all burnout variables among health worker groups ranged from good (71.50%), alarming (12.60%), acute crisis (6.02%), and burnout (9.90%). Among the health worker groups, nurses had the highest percentage score values for all burnout variables. There was an association between burnout and these sociodemographic characteristics: age (p<0.001), gender (p=0.003), educational qualification (p<0.001), occupation (p<0.001), years of work experience (p<0.001), marital status (p<0.001), and parenthood (having children) (p<0.001). It is recommended that measures should be put in place in Ghanaian hospitals to assess stress and burnout levels to ensure people who are going through such situations are properly cared and supported.

The creation of a welcoming hospital atmosphere is necessary to improve patient wellbeing and encourage healing. The goal of this study was to examine the variables affecting hospitalised patients' comfort. The study procedure included a thorough search of the Web of Science and Scopus databases, as well as the use of software analytic tools to graphically map enormous literature data, providing a deeper understanding of the linkages within the literature and its changing patterns. Insights from a range of disciplines, including engineering, psychology, immunology, microbiology, and environmental science, were included into our study using content analysis and clustering approaches. The physical environment and the social environment are two crucial factors that are related to patient comfort. The study stress the need of giving patient comfort a top priority as they heal, especially by tackling indoor air pollution. Our research also emphasises how important hospital care and food guidelines are for improving patient comfort. Prioritising patients who need specialised care and attention, especially those who have suffered trauma, should be the focus of future study. Future research in important fields including trauma, communication, hospital architecture, and nursing will be built on the findings of this study. To enhance research in these crucial areas, worldwide collaboration between experts from other nations is also advised. Although many studies stress the significance of patient comfort, few have drawn conclusions from a variety of disciplines, including medicine, engineering, immunology, microbiology, and environmental science, the most crucial issue of thoroughly researching the improvement of patient comfort has not been addressed. Healthcare workers, engineers, and other professions will benefit greatly from this study's investigation of the connection between hospital indoor environments and patient comfort.