Digital Commons Network^™

Gender In The Time Of Covid-19: Evaluating National Leadership And Covid-19 Fatalities, Leah C. Windsor, Gina Yannitell Reinhardt, Alistair J. Windsor, Robert Ostergard, Susan Allen, Courtney Burns, Jarod Giger, Reed Wood

Social Work Faculty Publications

In this paper we explore whether countries led by women have fared better during the COVID-19 pandemic than those led by men. Media and public health officials have lauded the perceived gender-related influence on policies and strategies for reducing the deleterious effects of the pandemic. We examine this proposition by analyzing COVID-19-related deaths globally across countries led by men and women. While we find some limited support for lower reported fatality rates in countries led by women, they are not statistically significant. Country cultural values offer more substantive explanation for COVID-19 outcomes. We offer several potential explanations for the pervasive …

3-In-1 Hybrid Learning Environment, Holly Hapke, Anita Lee-Post, Tereza Dean

Marketing & Supply Chain Faculty Publications

We propose a learning innovation called 3-in-1 Hybrid environment as a solution for educational institutions to meet the challenge of balancing campus reopening against public health risks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Our proposed innovation provides students options to attend class synchronously (either face-to-face or remote) or asynchronously (online) in an interactive learning environment that promotes emotional, behavioral, and cognitive engagement. We designed and implemented a large Marketing Management class with over 800 students as a 3-in-1 course. We examined its effectiveness in an empirical study and found that (1) students have a positive attitude toward 3-in-1 Hybrid learning; (2) they …

Prospective Evaluation Of Association Between Negative Emotions And Heart Failure Symptom Severity, Kyoung Suk Lee, Terry A. Lennie, Debra K. Moser

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Prior studies of symptoms in heart failure (HF) were largely cross-sectional and symptoms were measured using retrospective recall. Because negative emotions influence information processing, retrospective symptom reports by patients with depressive symptoms and anxiety may be biased. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in patterns of symptom changes, measured prospectively, over 15 days by levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety.

Methods: HF patients (N=52) rated daily symptom severity for shortness of breath (SOB), fatigue, sleep disturbance, and edema over 15 days on a 10-point visual analogue scale. Patients were grouped into higher vs …

Social Determinants Of Discrimination And Access To Health Care Among Transgender Women In Oregon, Jonathan Garcia, Richard A. Crosby

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

Purpose: Transgender women in the United States experience health disparities and limited access to gender-affirming health services. This study describes the social determinants of health that shape access to health services for transgender women in Oregon, a state with a high tally of gender-affirming policies.

Methods: We conducted qualitative interviews with 25 transgender women between 18 and 39 years of age. Interviews explored the social, economic, cultural, and legal factors that shape access to health. A Qualtrics survey captured sociodemographic characteristics. We identified facilitators and barriers to accessing gender-affirming services using thematic analysis of qualitative data.

Results: Our participants perceived …

Cellular Proliferation Of Equine Bone Marrow- And Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Decline With Increasing Donor Age, Jasmin Bagge, James N. Macleod, Lise C. Berg

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Background: Bone marrow (BM)- and adipose tissue (AT)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used increasingly for autologous cell therapy in equine practice to treat musculoskeletal and other injuries. Current recommendations often call for 10–100 million MSCs per treatment, necessitating the expansion of primary cells in culture prior to therapeutic use. Of concern, human and rodent studies have shown a decline of both MSC recovery from sampled tissue and in vitro proliferative capacity with increasing donor age. This may be problematic for applications of autologous cell-based therapies in the important equine demographic of older patients.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of …

The Poststroke Peripheral Immune Response Is Differentially Regulated By Leukemia Inhibitory Factor In Aged Male And Female Rodents, Stephanie M. Davis, Lisa A. Collier, Sarah J. Messmer, Keith R. Pennypacker

Neurology Faculty Publications

Background. The goal of this study was to determine whether leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) promotes anti-inflammatory activity after stroke in a sex-dependent manner. Methods. Aged (18-month-old) Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes underwent sham surgery or permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Animals received three doses of intravenous LIF (125 μg/kg) or PBS at 6, 24, and 48 h before euthanization at 72 h. Spleen weights were measured immediately following euthanization. Western blot was used to measure protein levels of CCL8, CD11b, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL-12 p40, IL-3, and the LIF receptor (LIFR) in spleen tissue. ELISA was used …

Multicultural Competencies Of Healthcare Professionals And Disability-Inclusive In Telehealth During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Si-Yi Chao, Keith B. Wilson, Carrie L. Acklin

Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education Faculty Publications

There is evidence that people with disabilities are more likely to be discriminated against and to have disproportionate health care disparities compared to people who are able-bodied during the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. In light of COVID-19, telehealth has been transformed to the primary health care delivery due to social restrictions of most, globally. Disability-inclusive telehealth design can promote culturally diverse groups access and more accurate COVID-19 information, knowledge, public health measures, and guidelines of preventive strategies for acquiring COVID-19. Applying multicultural competencies is required for healthcare providers to maximize health engagement and outcomes of PWD. In many areas of health …

The Influence Of Affect On Hpv Vaccine Decision Making In An Hpv Vaccine Naïve College Student Population, Lynne B. Klasko-Foster, Sarahmona M. Przybyla, Heather Orom, Elizabeth Gage-Bouchard, Marc T. Kiviniemi

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

The HPV vaccine is recommended for all adolescents starting at age 11, but coverage is low, especially in the young adult population. The CDC is prioritizing catch-up vaccination and has expanded recommendations for all young adults to age 26. College students may be ideal targets for HPV vaccine interventions as they typically have on-site clinics that offer prevention services and students are in the position to make decisions about their own healthcare. We examined the risk perceptions of 101 HPV vaccine-naïve college students, both in terms of risk cognition (beliefs about susceptibility to HPV-related cancers and genital warts) and affect …

Behavioral And Enhanced Perinatal Intervention (B-Epic): A Randomized Trial Targeting Tobacco Use Among Opioid Dependent Pregnant Women, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Michelle R. Lofwall, Teresa M. Waters, Paul Nuzzo, Janine Barnett, Letitia Ducas, Andrea Mccubbin, Niraj R. Chavan, Lisa Blair, Kristin Ashford

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background

Opioid use during pregnancy is a significant public health issue. The standard of care for treating opioid use disorder during pregnancy includes medications for opioid disorder (MOUD). However, tobacco use often goes unaddressed among pregnant women on MOUD. In 2018, our team received a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded R34 to conduct a three year-randomized trial to test the feasibility of a novel tobacco intervention for pregnant women receiving MOUD.

Aims

The aims of this study are: (1) to determine the impact of the B-EPIC intervention on maternal tobacco use and stage of change; (2) to determine …

Cross-Cultural Analysis Of Gamer Identity: A Comparison Of The United States And Poland, Małgorzata Ćwil, William T. Howe

Communication Faculty Publications

Who is a gamer? What kind of people are perceived to be gamers? And finally – who perceives themselves as a gamer? In this article the authors attempt to answer these three questions from a multinational perspective.

Background. Games are nowadays one of the most frequently encountered forms of entertainment and constitute an ever-increasing part of many people’s day-to-day lives. With the rising popularity of video games, there is a need to conduct a research concerning gamer identity and to find out who perceives themselves as a gamer. The aim of this study is to compare the results of …

The Relationship Between Sport-Related Concussion And Sensation-Seeking, Spencer W. Liebel, Kathryn L. Van Pelt, Gian-Gabriel P. Garcia, Lauren L. Czerniak, Michael A. Mccrea, Thomas W. Mcallister, Steven P. Broglio, Care Consortium Investigators

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Sensation-seeking, or the need for novel and exciting experiences, is thought to play a role in sport-related concussion (SRC), yet much remains unknown regarding these relationships and, more importantly, how sensation-seeking influences SRC risk. The current study assessed sensation-seeking, sport contact level, and SRC history and incidence in a large sample of NCAA collegiate athletes. Data included a full study sample of 22,374 baseline evaluations and a sub-sample of 2037 incident SRC. Independent samples t-test, analysis of covariance, and hierarchical logistic regression were constructed to address study hypotheses. Results showed that (1) among participants without SRC, sensation-seeking scores were …

Rural Community Toolbox To Help Battle Opioid Epidemic, Liz Carey

Journal of Appalachian Health

An online data repository and toolbox created by the Office of National Drug Control Policy is designed to provide communities with knowledge and resources to fight the opioid epidemic according to their unique needs.

Viral Data, Agnieszka Leszczynski, Matthew Zook

Geography Faculty Publications

We are experiencing a historical moment characterized by unprecedented conditions of virality: a viral pandemic, the viral diffusion of misinformation and conspiracy theories, the viral momentum of ongoing Hong Kong protests, and the viral spread of #BlackLivesMatter demonstrations and related efforts to defund policing. These co-articulations of crises, traumas, and virality both implicate and are implicated by big data practices occurring in a present that is pervasively mediated by data materialities, deeply rooted dataist ideologies that entrench processes of datafication as granting objective access to truth and attendant practices of tracking, data analytics, algorithmic prediction, and data-driven targeting of individuals …

“It's Hard To See How These Would Be Harmful To Kids”: Public Library Staff Perceptions Of Child Development And Drag Queen Storytimes, Sarah C. Barriage, Vanessa Kitzie, Diana Floegel, Shannon M. Oltmann

Information Science Faculty Publications

This paper reports preliminary results of a survey of 458 US public library staff members regarding their perceptions of drag queen storytimes (DQS) and the ways in which these storytimes influence child development. The majority of respondents from libraries that have hosted at least one DQS agreed that DQS support healthy child development and positively influence children’s understanding of gender and/or sexuality, while respondents from libraries that have not hosted DQS were more likely to disagree or report being undecided. Specific ways in which respondents perceive DQS to influence child development are also analyzed.

Cet article présente les résultats préliminaires …

Workplace Anger Costs Women Irrespective Of Race, Christopher K. Marshburn, Kevin J. Cochran, Elinor Flynn, Linda J. Levine

Psychology Faculty Publications

The current research investigated the role that a person’s race, gender, and emotional expressions play in workplace evaluations of their competence and status. Previous research demonstrates that women who express anger in the workplace are penalized, whereas men are not, and may even be rewarded. Workplace sanctions against angry women are often attributed to a backlash resulting from the violation of gender stereotypes. However, gender stereotypes may differ by race. The present study addressed this question using a between-subjects experimental design where participants (N = 630) read a vignette describing a new employee, which varied with respect to the …

Implementation And Sustainment Of A Statewide Telemedicine Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Network For Federally Designated Safety-Net Clinics, Ana Bastos De Carvalho, S. Lee Ware, Feitong Lei, Heather M. Bush, Robert Sprang, Eric B. Higgins

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

CONTEXT: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of incident blindness among working-age adults in the United States. Federally designated safety-net clinics (FDSC) often serve as point-of-contact for patients least likely to receive recommended DR screenings, creating opportunity for targeted interventions to increase screening access and compliance.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: With such a goal, we implemented and assessed the longitudinal performance of an FDSC-based telemedicine DR screening (TDRS) network of 22 clinical sites providing nonmydriatic fundus photography with remote interpretation and reporting. Retrospective analysis of patient encounters between February 2014 and January 2019 was performed to assess rates of …

Did Covid-19 Change Life Insurance Offerings?, Timothy F. Harris, Aaron Yelowitz, Charles J. Courtemanche

Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise Working Papers

The profitability of life insurance offerings is contingent on accurate projections and pricing of mortality risk. The COVID-19 pandemic created significant uncertainty, with dire mortality predictions from early forecasts resulting in widespread government intervention and greater individual precaution that reduced the projected death toll. We analyze how life insurance companies changed pricing and offerings in response to COVID-19 using monthly data on term life insurance policies from Compulife. We estimate event-study models that exploit well-established variation in the COVID-19 mortality rate based on age and underlying health status. Despite the increase in mortality risk and significant uncertainty, we find limited …

Distinct Clinicopathologic Clusters Of Persons With Tdp-43 Proteinopathy, Yuriko Katsumata, Erin L. Abner, Shama Karanth, Merilee A. Teylan, Charles N. Mock, Matthew D. Cykowski, Edward B. Lee, Kevin L. Boehme, Shubhabrata Mukherjee, John S. K. Kauwe, Richard J. Kryscio, Frederick A. Schmitt, David W. Fardo, Peter T. Nelson

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

To better understand clinical and neuropathological features of TDP-43 proteinopathies, data were analyzed from autopsied research volunteers who were followed in the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) data set. All subjects (n = 495) had autopsy-proven TDP-43 proteinopathy as an inclusion criterion. Subjects underwent comprehensive longitudinal clinical evaluations yearly for 6.9 years before death on average. We tested whether an unsupervised clustering algorithm could detect coherent groups of TDP-43 immunopositive cases based on age at death and extensive neuropathologic data. Although many of the brains had mixed pathologies, four discernible clusters were identified. Key differentiating features were age at …

Risk Factors For Delayed Viral Suppression On First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy Among Persons Living With Hiv In Haiti, 2013-2017, Shannan N. Rich, Robert L. Cook, Lusine Yaghjyan, Kesner Francois, Nancy Puttkammer, Ermane Robin, Jungjun Bae, Nadjy Joseph, Luisa Pessoa-Brandão, Chris Delcher

Institute for Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy Faculty Publications

Studies of viral suppression on first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) in Haiti are limited, particularly among PLHIV outside of the Ouest department, where the capital Port-au-Prince is located. This study described the prevalence and risk factors for delayed viral suppression among PLHIV in all geographic departments of Haiti between 2013 and 2017. Individuals who received viral load testing 3 to 12 months after ART initiation were included. Data on demographics and clinical care were obtained from the Haitian Active Longitudinal Tracking of HIV database. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to predict delayed viral …

An Experimental Investigation Into Promoting Mental Health Service Use On Social Media: Effects Of Source And Comments, Zhaomeng Niu, Lun Hu, David C. Jeong, Jared Brickman, Jerod L. Stapleton

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

Mental health is an increasingly prevalent topic of public interest, but remains a complex area requiring focused research that must account for negative perceptions surrounding mental health issues. The current work explores the roles of social media information source credibility and valence of social media comments on health outcomes in such a mental health context. We used a 2 (message source: professional vs. layperson) × 3 (valence of comments: positive vs. negative vs. mixed) online experiment to examine the effects of source and valence of comments on trust, attitudes and intentions related to mental health information and services among 422 …

Genetic-Based Hypertension Subtype Identification Using Informative Snps, Yuanjing Ma, Hongmei Jiang, Sanjiv J. Shah, Donna K. Arnett, Marguerite R. Irvin, Yuan Luo

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

In this work, we proposed a process to select informative genetic variants for identifying clinically meaningful subtypes of hypertensive patients. We studied 575 African American (AA) and 612 Caucasian hypertensive participants enrolled in the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN) study and analyzed each race-based group separately. All study participants underwent GWAS (Genome-Wide Association Studies) and echocardiography. We applied a variety of statistical methods and filtering criteria, including generalized linear models, F statistics, burden tests, deleterious variant filtering, and others to select the most informative hypertension-related genetic variants. We performed an unsupervised learning algorithm non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) to identify hypertension …

Comparison Of Native And Non-Native Predator Consumption Rates And Prey Avoidance Behavior In North America And Europe, Ayse Gül Ünlü, John J. Obrycki, Roman Bucher

Entomology Faculty Publications

Novel predator–prey interactions can contribute to the invasion success of non-native predators. For example, native prey can fail to recognize and avoid non-native predators due to a lack of co-evolutionary history and cue dissimilarity with native predators. This might result in a competitive advantage for non-native predators. Numerous lady beetle species were globally redistributed as biological control agents against aphids, resulting in novel predator–prey interactions. Here, we investigated the strength of avoidance behavior of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) toward chemical cues of native lady beetles and non-native Asian Harmonia axyridis and European Coccinella septempunctata and Hippodamia variegata …

Toward A Century Of Language Attitudes Research: Looking Back And Moving Forward, Marko Dragojevic, Fabio Fasoli, Jennifer Cramer, Tamara Rakić

Communication Faculty Publications

The study of language attitudes is concerned with the social meanings people assign to language and its users. With roots in social psychology nearly a century ago, language attitudes research spans several academic disciplines and draws on diverse methodological approaches. In an attempt to integrate this work and traverse disciplinary boundaries and methodological proclivities, we propose that language attitudes—as a unified field—can be organized into five distinct—yet interdependent and complementary—lines of research: documentation, explanation, development, consequences, and change. After highlighting some of the key findings that have emerged from each area, we discuss several opportunities and challenges for future research.

Neuronal Calcium Imaging, Excitability, And Plasticity Changes In The Aldh2-/- Mouse Model Of Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease, Adam O. Ghoweri, Peter Gagolewicz, Hilaree N. Frazier, John C. Gant, R. David Andrew, Brian M. Bennett, Olivier Thibault

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Dysregulated signaling in neurons and astrocytes participates in pathophysiological alterations seen in the Alzheimer's disease brain, including increases in amyloid-β, hyperphosphorylated tau, inflammation, calcium dysregulation, and oxidative stress. These are often noted prior to the development of behavioral, cognitive, and non-cognitive deficits. However, the extent to which these pathological changes function together or independently is unclear.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the temporal relationship between calcium dysregulation and oxidative stress, as some reports suggest that dysregulated calcium promotes increased formation of reactive oxygen species, while others support the opposite. Prior work has quantified several key outcome measures associated with …

A User Study Of A Wearable System To Enhance Bystanders’ Facial Privacy, Alfredo J. Perez, Sherali Zeadally, Scott Griffith, Luis Y. Matos Garcia, Jaouad A. Mouloud

Information Science Faculty Publications

The privacy of users and information are becoming increasingly important with the growth and pervasive use of mobile devices such as wearables, mobile phones, drones, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Today many of these mobile devices are equipped with cameras which enable users to take pictures and record videos anytime they need to do so. In many such cases, bystanders’ privacy is not a concern, and as a result, audio and video of bystanders are often captured without their consent. We present results from a user study in which 21 participants were asked to use a wearable system called …

Development And Implementation Of An Influenza Point-Of-Care Testing Service In A Chain Community Pharmacy Setting, Rachel Hardin, Pheli Roberts, Brooke Hudspeth, Angela Tracy, Lauren Baldwin, Michael Raque, Clark D. Kebodeaux

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Point-of-care testing is becoming increasingly commonplace in community pharmacy settings. These tests are often used in the management of chronic disease, such as blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c and lipid levels, but can also be used for acute conditions such as influenza infection and group A streptococcus pharyngitis. When used for these acute infections, point-of-care tests can allow for pharmacist-initiated treatment. In this study, an influenza point-of-care testing service was developed and implemented in a chain community pharmacy setting and a retrospective review was conducted to assess the service. Of patients tested, 29% tested positive for influenza A and/or B; 92% …

Cardioplastic Approach To Omental Flap Coverage For Severe Aortic Root Infections In The Opioid Era, Alisha R. Bonaroti, R. Wesley Edmunds, Ryan C. Decoster, James Y. Liau, Michael E. Sekela, Henry C. Vasconez

Surgery Faculty Publications

Aortic root abscesses are severe sequelae of endocarditis that clinically manifest as life-threatening infection. As the opioid epidemic continues to yield a national crisis, the incidence and severity of this disease process have increased. Reconstruction of the aortic root is a challenging undertaking and carries the risk of recurrent infection. The omentum has an established reputation as a reliable flap in thoracic reconstruction, given its amorphous form and immunogenic properties, but it has not been utilized for aortic root infections. We present a novel indication for the omental flap using a cardioplastic approach in coverage of aortic root reconstruction. Four …

Facing Others: Ray Johnson’S Portrait Of A Curator As A Network, Miriam Kienle

Art and Visual Studies Faculty Publications

Deploying various forms of art world communication (commercial, bureaucratic, and interpersonal), Ray Johnson made a portrait of the curator Samuel J. Wagstaff during the mid-1960s that unworked the singular and unified image of his subject and emphasized identity as contingent upon a person’s position in their social network. Although many have noted the networked character of Johnson’s mail art practice—wherein participants were connected to each other with and through continually circulated collaged correspondence—few have explored it in relation to contemporary network theory and none have examined how it relates to portraiture of the period. By analyzing the remains of Johnson’s …

Pregnant Violence In Post-3.11 Fiction, Doug Slaymaker

Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures Faculty Publications

This essay explores the violence and the threat of violence associated with pregnancy in Japanese fiction after the triple disasters—the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown—of March 11, 2011. There is hardly a female character in this fiction that is not confronted with questions about pregnancy and childbirth. The queries are surely motivated by genuine concern about the humans involved, but they are just as often about control, about a woman’s body as a public item, about responsibility to the child, and then to society at large. Childbearing in a disaster zone is profoundly anxiety-producing; but it is also worth examining …

Measuring The Spread Of Covid-19 In Kentucky: Do We Have The Right Data?, Kenneth R. Troske, Paul A. Coomes

Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise Working Papers

We examine various measures of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths, with an emphasis on data for Kentucky. We find that: Data on the number of new reported cases of the disease obtained from convenience samples (as opposed to representative random samples) is an inaccurate measure of the spread of the disease in the State. Using CDC data and national studies, it appears that there were ten times the number of infections in March than reported for Kentucky at the time and by September the State is still capturing only one out of two people infected.

A better measure of new …