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Abstract Background Healthcare-associated infections are a major source of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Infection Preventionists (IPs) are healthcare workers tasked at overseeing the prevention and control of these infections, but they may have difficulties obtaining up-to-date information, primarily in rural states. The objective of this study was to evaluate the importance of public health involvement on the knowledge-sharing network of IPs in a rural state. Findings A total of 95 attendees completed our survey. The addition of public health professionals increased the density of the network, reduced the number of separate components of the network, and reduced the number of key players needed to contact nearly all of the other network members. All network metrics were higher for public health professionals than for IPs without public health involvement. Conclusions The addition of public health professionals involved in healthcare infection prevention activities augmented the knowledge sharing potential of the IPs in Iowa. Rural states without public health involvement in healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention efforts should consider the potential benefits of adding these personnel to the public health workforce to help facilitate communication of HAI-related information.

CIRCE (Coherent InfraRed CEnter) is a proposal for a new electron storage ring to be built at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The ring design is optimized for the generation of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in the terahertz frequency range. Among others, CIRCE operation includes three interesting CSR modes: ultra stable, femtosecond laser slicing and broadband bursting. CSR allows CIRCE to generate an extremely high flux in the terahertz frequency region. The many orders of magnitude increase in the intensity over that presently achievable by conventional sources, has the potential to enable new science experiments. The characteristics of CIRCE and of the different modes of operation are described in this paper.

This paper describes a design study with the objective of optimizing spectral performance of an elliptical wiggler to be installed at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Advanced Light Source (ALS). This device is to produce circularly polarized radiation in the energy range of 50 eV to 10 KeV. A figure of merit, which is a function of flux density and degree of circular polarization, is introduced as the objective function for optimization. An optimum set point for a particular photon energy is characterized by values of peak vertical field, horizontal deflection parameter, and vertical aperture. Optimum performance is evaluated for the nominal ALS operating energy of 1.5 GeV.

The precision and accuracy of symptoms and signs of influenza is reviewed. Clinical findings identify patients with influenza-like illness but are not particularly useful for confirming or excluding the diagnosis of influenza.

Until the mid-1990s, data on the smoking behavior of veterans were available only for small populations in select settings. Reports described the prevalence of smoking among outpatients as ranging between […]

Appendicitis is probably best diagnosed with a combination of physical exam and medical history. Appendicitis, or inflammation of the appendix, is a common cause of abdominal pain. It can lead to serious complications if the appendix ruptures. Pain can be poorly localized but is present in the right lower quadrant when inflammation is advanced. Guarding, rigidity, rebound tenderness and fever are also signs of appendicitis. Pain while moving the legs of a reclining patient can reveal irritation of muscles by the appendix., Appendicitis is a common cause of abdominal pain for which prompt diagnosis is rewarded by a marked decrease in morbidity and mortality. The history and physical examination are at least as accurate as any laboratory modality in diagnosing or excluding appendicitis. Those signs and symptoms most helpful in diagnosing or excluding appendicitis are reviewed. The presence of a positive psoas sign, fever, or migratory pain to the right lower quadrant suggests an increased likelihood of appendicitis. Conversely, the presence of vomiting before pain makes appendicitis unlikely. The lack of the classic migration of pain, right lower quadrant pain, guarding, or fever makes appendicitis less likely. This article reviews the literature evaluating the operating characteristics of the most useful elements of the history and physical examination for the diagnosis of appendicitis. JAMA. 1996;276:1589-1594

Medical residents and students who are directly offered the influenza vaccine at conferences and clinics are more likely to be vaccinated than those who are offered the vaccine by other methods. A total of 442 medical residents and students were sent a memorandum regarding vaccination, then half of the remaining unvaccinated individuals were sent a personal letter, half of the letter recipients received a telephone call, and the remaining unvaccinated individuals were directly offered vaccination at conferences and clinics. During the three weeks following the memorandum, 87 individuals (20%) were vaccinated. Five weeks after the letter, 61 individuals (34%) who received letters were vaccinated, compared to 30 individuals (17%) who did not receive letters. By the end of the study, 275 individuals (62%) were vaccinated, 29 (7%) refused and 138 (31%) did not receive the notices. The number of individuals who were vaccinated did not increase significantly after telephone notification. Ninety percent of the individuals offered the vaccine at conferences and clinics were vaccinated, and 10% refused.