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Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic neonatal lung disease that occurs in over 50% of premature infants. BPD is characterized by damage to the alveoli and bronchioles and improper vasculature formation. It is primarily caused by overexposure to oxygen through mechanical ventilation, but there are other risk factors that make infants more susceptible to BPD. Microbial composition impacts risk for developing BPD, and research is ongoing about the effects of the microbiome on BPD pathogenesis; this information is also valuable for preventative treatment. This paper reviews the normal function of the lungs, pathogenesis of BPD and how it affects normal lung function, and the current and ongoing research concerning the effects of the microbiome on BPD.

Oral hormonal birth control is frequently used by women for the regulation of medical conditions or as a contraceptive method. However, many women are dissatisfied with the side effects they experience while taking birth control, such as mood changes or oligomenorrhea. The primary objective of this paper is to conduct a scholarly literature review of the side effects caused by oral hormonal birth control, including an explanation of the mechanism of action of these contraceptives on the female reproductive system. The results of this review showed that some perceived side effects, such as weight gain, have little scientific basis, while other side effects, such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and mood changes, are significantly affected by risk factors women may possess.

Infection control practices (ICPs) are crucial for maintaining the health and safety of residents in a residential care community (RCC). This paper examines the differences in COVID-19 infection rates and cases based on the characteristics of RCCs, such as ICPs, personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, ownership type (for-profit vs. nonprofit), census regions, and RCC size. While ICPs contribute significantly to preventing and controlling the highly contagious virus, a comprehensive program is encouraged to provide a targeted intervention based on RCC’s environmental factors. The importance of the characteristics of the RCCs must be considered in combing with the ICPs to enhance the impact of the infection practices, which will substantially improve the overall success of the infection control and prevention in COVID-19 outcomes. Systems Theory offers the lens for researchers to evaluate, examine, and compare various factors that are associated with the outcome of disease transmission and how those factors are related in certain settings. It facilitates the components such as census region, PPEs, size of the facility, and ownership type (for-profit vs. nonprofit) that are closely linked and provides feedback in a more accurate way to improve the overall success of the process. The study employed ANOVA to test the mean difference between each characteristic, revealing that for-profit and larger organizations tend to have higher infection rates in terms of the ICPs outcomes. However, there were contradictory results concerning other variables for PPE shortages and geographical variations (p>0.05), calling for more diverse explorations regarding the prevalence of ICPs and characteristics of RCCs in the future research.