In recent studies, periodontal health has been linked to being overweight and/or obese. Among common oral bacteria, Selenomonas noxia has been implicated in converting periodontal health to disease, and Selenomonas species have also been found in gastric ulcers. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for the specific and rapid detection of S. noxia. Two oligonucleotide primer pairs and one probe were designed and tested to determine optimal amplification signal with three strains of S. noxia. The PCR assay was tested against fourteen non-target organisms, including closely related oral Selenomonads, one phylogenetically closely related bacterium, and two commonly isolated oral bacteria. One of the primer sets was more sensitive at detecting the target organism and was selected for optimization and validation experiments. The designed primers and probe amplified the target organism with 100 % specificity. PCR inhibition was observed with an internal positive control, and inhibition was resolved by diluting the DNA extract. The qPCR assay designed in this study can be used to specifically detect S. noxia in the clinical setting and in future research involving the enhanced detection of S. noxia. The assay can also be used in epidemiological studies for understanding the role of S. noxia in disease processes including, but not limited to, oral health and obesity of infectious origin.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a postnatal withdrawal syndrome among neonates born to mothers with drug dependence disorders. NAS poses a significant public health challenge nationally, with a six-fold increase in incidence (1.2 to 6.7 per 1000 hospital births/year) from 2000–2016. Besides national data, it is critical to quantify NAS at the state-level to identify target areas for prevention. The objectives of this study were to ascertain statewide burden, including county and regional distribution of NAS in Nevada during 2016–2018, and to investigate potential factors associated with NAS. This study utilized hospital administrative data, and a total of 100,845 inpatient pediatric discharges were examined to identify NAS cases. Statistical analyses included estimation of crude incidence rates per 1000 hospital births and multilevel logistic regression modeling. NAS incidence in Nevada decreased slightly from 8.6 to 7.7 per 1000 hospital births between 2016 and 2018, but the overall incidence of 8 was substantially higher than earlier estimates (4.8/1000 hospital births) reported for 2013. Incidence was disproportionately higher among white newborns (12, 95% CI 11.0,13.0) and Medicaid enrollees (13.2, 95% CI 11.0,15.0). Southern Nevada had the highest incidence rate of 8.2 per 1000 hospital births. Nearly 75% of NAS cases were residents of Clark County. Incidence rates of NAS parallel the growing opioid prescription rates in Nevada and highlight the need for adopting opioid control prescribing practices to combat this drug epidemic. These findings might help in designing and evaluating state- and system-level interventions introduced to combat the opioid epidemic.

The urbanization of the Las Vegas Valley has transformed this part of the Mohave Desert into a green oasis by introducing many non-native plant species, some of which are allergenic. Typically, one monitoring station is established per city to obtain pollen counts for an entire metropolitan area. However, variations in pollen concentrations could occur among different microenvironments. The objective of this study is to measure and compare pollen concentrations in five locations in Las Vegas to determine if there are significant differences between microenvironments within the city. Air samples were collected from five sites across the Las Vegas Valley over a 1-year period. Prepared slides were analyzed with a light microscope for pollen grains and converted into airborne pollen concentrations. Mixed model methods were used to determine mean differences. Tree pollen was the greatest contributor to the annual average airborne pollen concentrations (130 grains/m³) compared to weeds (6 grains/m³) and grass (3 grains/m³). The highest peak occurred in March 2016 (9589 total grains/m³). There were several differences among sites with respect to concentrations of individual tree species and for total weed and grass concentrations. We observed significant variations in concentration and composition among the five pollen collection stations that were established across the Las Vegas Valley. This study presented new outdoor pollen data for the southwest region of the USA, focused in Las Vegas. The results indicate that more sites and comprehensive monitoring of outdoor allergens are needed to provide accurate information to the community about outdoor air quality conditions.

In recent years, renewable portfolio standards (RPS), which require a certain percentage of electricity sold to consumers to come from renewable resources, have been established by many state governments to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants in the United States. Nevada’s RPS set a target of 50% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. By coupling the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s AVoided Emissions and geneRation Tool (AVERT) and CO–Benefits Risk Assessment (COBRA) model, this study assesses potential emission reductions from fossil fuels owing to this requirement and regional health benefits via improved air quality, as well as how these benefits vary spatially under high and low projected electricity demands in 2030. Successful implementation of the RPS could produce health benefits equivalent to USD 3–8 million per year for Nevada residents and up to USD 164 million per year for the entire U.S. Nevada is ranked only 6th among states benefiting from the policy, while California and Washington obtain the most health benefits. There is also inequity among Nevada counties, partly caused by the county population and proximity to major fossil fuel power plants. Lowering electricity demands by 5% in Nevada would lead to a ~10% increase in health benefits. These findings should empower public support of RPS policies and energy conservation to reduce air pollution and public health inequity for the region.

Background: Fungal infections pose a significant threat to public health, with over 6.55 million cases and 2.55 million deaths annually. Exposure to fungal spores in indoor environments primarily occurs through inhalation or direct contact with surfaces. Monitoring is critical for early detection and prevention of outbreaks, yet routine airborne fungal testing is not universally mandated across healthcare settings. Methods: A systematic review of peer-reviewed articles from four databases was conducted to identify current airborne fungal monitoring guidelines and best practices for sample collection, culture media, incubation conditions, and results interpretation. Results: Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria, and four studies discussed potential guidelines for acceptable airborne fungal levels in healthcare environments. Guidelines ranged from 1000 CFU/m³ for non-filtered areas. The most common fungi identified were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Rhizopus, with six WHO-listed critical fungal pathogens found. Impaction was the sole sampling method used, with most studies employing Sabouraud dextrose or malt extract agar with chloramphenicol, incubation for 2–7 days at 25–30 °C, and morphological identification. Conclusions: The need for globally recognized fungal monitoring standards is pressing. Without them, preventable fungal exposure will persist, risking severe, potentially fatal infections for patients and healthcare workers.