What Should Ethical And Strategic Employers Do About Covid-19 Vaccines?, Dale B. Thompson, Susan A. Suspina, Katherina G. Pattit, Dawn R. Swink

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pharmacists’ Responses To Medication Management Following Disasters, Rellamichelle W. Tyree

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disasters, both natural and human made, can cause emerging health threats in the United States and the Caribbean. The disasters that pharmacists experienced and reported for this study included hurricanes, snowstorms, ice storms, flooding, and a pandemic. The purpose of this research was to investigate the challenges and outcomes associated with pharmacists’ medication management practices during and following disasters. This generic qualitative study focused on pharmacists’ experiences and their responses to disaster planning and medication management activities. The ecological model of disaster management was the conceptual framework used to investigate the pharmacists and their responses and actions used to address …

Understanding The Perspectives Of African American Gay And Bisexual Men Toward Hiv, Victor Onwezi , Ikechukwu Nwanguma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an urgent need to stop the HIV epidemic among African American gay and bisexual men in the United States. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to identify the health issues responsible for the HIV epidemic among African gay and bisexual men. Two theoretical frameworks that guided the study were the transtheoretical model and the syndemic theory. The study's research involved understanding African American gay and bisexual men's perspective toward HIV infections and their understanding of possible reasons HIV rates appear to increase in their community. Semi-structured telephone interviews and field notes were used to collect primary …

Appraisal Of Institutional Antimicrobial Stewardship In Selected Public Health Facilities In Nigeria, Joshua Olusegun Obasanya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The misuse of antimicrobials (AM) constitutes a huge problem in developing countries, including Nigeria, posing severe public health threats to the populace’s health. Misuse contributes to the high consumption of AM, driving the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Establishing functional antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs at the health facility levels is recognized as an effective and efficient strategies to tackle AMR. Literature is replete with evidence of poor prescription practices, but few studies assessing the factors contributing to inappropriate use of AM in Nigeria exist. The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of AMS practice at …

Association Between Parental Socioeconomic Status And Childhood Obesity In The Southwest Geopolitical Zone Of Nigeria, Omatsola Aboyowa Sifo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractGlobally, childhood obesity is a major social and public health concern characterized by complications such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the association between childhood obesity in children age 6–12 years and the socioeconomic status of their parents in the Southwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Social cognitive theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. Questionnaire data were collected from 384 parents/guardians of children age 6–12 years across three states in the Southwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression at …

Will Covid-19 Be Eradicated?, Matthew Kieke

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this paper I want to define the meaning of “eradication”, explain the history of various diseases that have been eradicated, and compare and contrast them to covid-19, to answer the question of “Will covid-19 be eradicated”?

Humidity Reduces Rapid And Distant Airborne Dispersal Of Viable Viral Particles In Classroom Settings, Antun Skanata, Fabrizio Spagnolo, Molly Metz, Davida S. Smyth, John J. Dennehy

Publications and Research

The transmission of airborne pathogens is considered to be the main route through which a number of known and emerging respiratory diseases infect their hosts. While physical distancing and mask wearing may help mitigate short-range transmission, the extent of long-range transmission in closed spaces where a pathogen remains suspended in the air remains unknown. We have developed a method to detect viable virus particles by using an aerosolized bacteriophage Phi6 in combination with its host Pseudomonas phaseolicola, which when seeded on agar plates acts as a virus detector that can be placed at a range of distances away from an …

Exploring How Online Responses Change In Response To Debunking Messages About Covid-19 On Whatsapp, Xingyu Ken Chen, Jin-Cheon Na, Luke Kien-Weng Tan, Mark Chong, Murphy Choy

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a concurrent outbreak of false information online. Debunking false information about a health crisis is critical as misinformation can trigger protests or panic, which necessitates a better understanding of it. This exploratory study examined the effects of debunking messages on a COVID-19-related public chat on WhatsApp in Singapore. Design/methodology/approach: To understand the effects of debunking messages about COVID-19 on WhatsApp conversations, the following was studied. The relationship between source credibility (i.e. characteristics of a communicator that affect the receiver's acceptance of the message) of different debunking message types and their effects on the length …

The Impact Of Tobacco Use On Covid-19 Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Jessica Baker, Nandita Krishnan, Lorien C. Abroms, Carla J. Berg

GW Authored Works

Introduction. Tobacco use increases risks for numerous diseases, including respiratory illnesses. We examined the literature to determine whether a history of tobacco use increases risks for adverse outcomes among COVID-19 patients. Methods. We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, LitCovid, Scopus, and Europe PMC (for preprints) using COVID-19 and tobacco-related terms. We included studies of human subjects with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infections that examined tobacco use history as an exposure and used multivariable analyses. The data was collected between March 31st, 2020, and February 20th, 2021. Outcomes included mortality, hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and illness severity. Results. Among the 39 …

Covid-19 Collaborative Modelling For Policy Response In The Philippines, Malaysia And Vietnam, Angus Hughes, Romain Ragonnet, Pavithra Jayasundara, Hoang-Anh Ngo, Elvira P. De Lara-Tuprio, Ma. Regina Justina Estuar, Timothy Robin Y. Teng, Law Kian Boon, Kalaiarasu M. Peariasamy, Zhuo-Lin Chong, Izzuna Mudla M. Ghazali, Greg J. Fox, Thu-Anh Nguyen, Linh-Vi Le, Milinda Abayawardana B. Eng, David Shipman, Emma S. Mcbryde, Michael T. Meehan, Jamie M. Caldwell, James M. Trauer

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Mathematical models that capture COVID-19 dynamics have supported public health responses and policy development since the beginning of the pandemic, yet there is limited discourse to describe features of an optimal modelling platform to support policy decisions or how modellers and policy makers have engaged with each other. Here, we outline how we used a modelling software platform to support public health decision making for the COVID-19 response in the Western Pacific Region (WPR) countries of the Philippines, Malaysia and Viet Nam. This perspective describes an approach to support evidence-based public health decisions and policy, which may help inform other …

An Examination Of Three Transitional Events In The Substance Misuse Trajectories Of Women With Criminal Legal System Involvement, Martha Tillson

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

Research has consistently demonstrated that criminal legal system (CLS)-involved women are distinct from men in initiation and course of drug use, with important differences on biological, environmental, and sociocultural levels. Thus, the unique pathways and transitions into and out of drug use for women with CLS involvement are critical to consider from a research perspective, but also from a need to develop and support evidence-based, women-centered services in correctional contexts. This dissertation project uses a three-paper format to investigate three aims: (1) to understand CLS-involved women’s initiations to injection drug use and their experiences providing injection initiation assistance (IIA) to …

Increasing Staff Compliance With Routine Hcv Screening And Improving Linkage To Care Among Patients Testing Hepatitis C Positive In The Emergency Department, Carson G. Swartz

DNP Projects

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood-borne pathogen that can cause severe liver disease, cancer, and death and is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Several academic medical centers including University of Kentucky Healthcare have implemented routine HCV screening for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) and have discovered a large viral burden amongst patients who are often symptomatic.

Purpose: The purpose of this doctoral project is to increase staff compliance, confidence, and education regarding the HCV screening process in an urban, Level I emergency department, as well as to evaluate whether an …

Addressing The Inpatient Penicillin Allergy: Implementing A Nurse-Driven Allergy Assessment Tool To Enhance Antimicrobial Stewardship., Shelby Ryan Bliss

DNP Projects

Background: In an acute care setting, more than half the inpatient population receives antibiotics. Approximately 10% of the general population reports an allergy to penicillin. It has been replicated in the literature with data that of those who report a penicillin allergy, up to 95% are incorrectly identified. When a patient is admitted to the hospital with a penicillin allergy on their electronic health record, they are at higher risk for adverse events such as a hospital acquired infection, the occurrence of an antibiotic resistant bacteria related to receiving broader therapy and increased healthcare utilization.

Purpose: The purpose of this …

Using Community-Based Screening To Quantify The Relationship Between Hiv And Hypertension In A Rural South African Community, Jessica Ainooson

Public Health Theses

Background: Over the past three decades, the prevalence of hypertension has increased in sub-Saharan Africa, paralleling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between HIV status and elevated blood pressure in a rural South African community. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted from a community-based screening program providing TB/HIV/blood pressure/glucose screening in the rural sub-district of Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa from 2011 - 2017. Descriptive analyses were used to characterize the frequency of measured and self-reported hypertension, HIV status, and sociodemographic variables. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to estimate the relationship between HIV status …

Exploring Climate Policy And Health Perspectives In Samoa: A Mixed Methods Study, Erika-Ann Fumiko Kim

Public Health Theses

Background: Greenhouse gas emissions have driven human-induced climate change, bringing several impacts to small island nations in the Pacific. Samoa, a small island developing state located in the south Pacific Ocean, is at disproportionate risk from impacts of climate change such as rising surface temperatures, rising sea levels, increases in frequency and degree of heavy precipitation events, and increases in the frequency of droughts. Simultaneously, Samoan populations possess a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. For multiple decades, the Government of Samoa has framed climate change as a key issue that threatens the lives, …

Evaluating The Cost-Effectiveness Of Varied Vaccination Strategies For Ebola Virus Disease In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Rachel Amanda Lobe-Costonis

Public Health Theses

Introduction: The 2018 outbreak of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo was the first to occur in the context of an ongoing complex humanitarian emergency. Despite optimism for an effective response given the efficacious one-dose Merck vaccine (ERVEBO), the immense challenges to public health efforts caused by the ongoing armed conflict posed unprecedented complications to the recommended ring vaccination strategy. In the end, contract tracing efforts for ring vaccination reached only 82% of individuals at best estimate, and the outbreak lasted 89 weeks with a total cost of $734 million. In comparison, transmission dynamic modeling has shown the …

Mathematical Models Of Infection Prevention Programs In Hospital Settings, Kelly A. Reagan

Theses and Dissertations

Hospitals play a vital role in providing for the healthcare needs of a community. Patients can develop hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) during their hospitalization due to exposure to foreign bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Infection prevention programs target and reduce HAIs, but implementing the infection prevention programs often comes with a cost. The goal of my research is to use mathematical models to quantify the impact of infection prevention programs on cases of HAIs and total healthcare costs. First, I use a Markov chain model to quantify how one infection prevention program reduces general HAIs in the hospital. Then, I calculate the …

Covid-19 Mortality May Be Reduced Among Fully Vaccinated Solid Organ Transplant Recipients, Micaela Sandoval, Duc T Nguyen, Howard J Huang, Stephanie G Yi, R Mark Ghobrial, A Osama Gaber, Edward A Graviss

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at increased risk for morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 due to their immunosuppressed state and reduced immunogenicity from COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. This investigation examined the association between COVID-19 mRNA vaccination status and mortality among SOT recipients diagnosed with COVID-19.

METHODS & FINDINGS: A retrospective, registry-based chart review was conducted investigating COVID-19 mortality among immunosuppressed solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients in a large metropolitan healthcare system in Houston, Texas, USA. Electronic health record data was collected from consecutive SOT recipients who received a diagnostic SARS-CoV-2 test between March 1, 2020, and October 1, 2021. …

Application Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning For Hiv Prevention Interventions, Yang Xiang, Jingcheng Du, Kayo Fujimoto, Fang Li, John Schneider, Cui Tao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In 2019, the US Government announced its goal to end the HIV epidemic within 10 years, mirroring the initiatives set forth by UNAIDS. Public health prevention interventions are a crucial part of this ambitious goal. However, numerous challenges to this goal exist, including improving HIV awareness, increasing early HIV infection detection, ensuring rapid treatment, optimising resource distribution, and providing efficient prevention services for vulnerable populations. Artificial intelligence has had a pivotal role in revolutionising health care and has shown great potential in developing effective HIV prevention intervention strategies. Although artificial intelligence has been used in a few HIV prevention intervention …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Organizational Challenges And Facilitators To Screening Individuals Experiencing Homelessness For Hepatitis C Virus (Hcv) In Houston, Texas, Alane Celeste-Villalvir, J Michael Wilkerson, Christine Markham, Lourdes Rodriguez, Vanessa Schick

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Individuals experiencing homelessness may be at a disproportionately high risk for hepatitis C (HCV) because they may be more likely to engage in HCV risk behaviors. Community organizations that provide services to these vulnerable individuals can effectively screen, diagnose, and navigate them into HCV care. However, screening people experiencing homelessness for HCV at such organizations is limited by various challenges that remain understudied, including budgetary considerations and strategies to improve teamwork and communication. Accordingly, this study investigated the organizational challenges and facilitators to HCV screening of individuals experiencing homelessness as reported by homeless services providers.

METHODS: Staff (N = …

Methodology To Estimate Natural- And Vaccine-Induced Antibodies To Sars-Cov-2 In A Large Geographic Region, Stacia M Desantis, Luis G León-Novelo, Michael D Swartz, Ashraf S Yaseen, Melissa A Valerio-Shewmaker, Yashar Talebi, Frances A Brito, Jessica A Ross, Harold W Kohl, Sarah E Messiah, Steve H Kelder, Leqing Wu, Shiming Zhang, Kimberly A Aguillard, Michael O Gonzalez, Onyinye S Omega-Njemnob, David Lakey, Jennifer A Shuford, Stephen Pont, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate estimates of natural and/or vaccine-induced antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are difficult to obtain. Although model-based estimates of seroprevalence have been proposed, they require inputting unknown parameters including viral reproduction number, longevity of immune response, and other dynamic factors. In contrast to a model-based approach, the current study presents a data-driven detailed statistical procedure for estimating total seroprevalence (defined as antibodies from natural infection or from full vaccination) in a region using prospectively collected serological data and state-level vaccination data. Specifically, we conducted a longitudinal statewide serological survey with 88,605 participants 5 years or older with 3 prospective blood draws beginning …

Evaluation Of The Kitchen Microbiome And Food Safety Behaviors Of Predominantly Low-Income Families, Christina K Carstens, Joelle K Salazar, Shreela V Sharma, Wenyaw Chan, Charles Darkoh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bacterial pathogens in the domestic environment present a risk to residents, particularly among susceptible populations. However, the impact of consumer demographic characteristics and food handling methods on kitchen microbiomes is not fully understood. The domestic kitchen bacterial communities of ten predominantly low-income families in Houston, TX, were assessed in conjunction with a cross-sectional food safety survey to evaluate differences in household and surface-specific microbiomes and bacterial foodborne pathogen presence. Three kitchen surfaces within each household, including the sink drain, the refrigerator handle, and the counter, were environmentally sampled and metataxonomically evaluated via targeted 16S rRNA sequencing. Disposable dish sponges were …

Emergence Of Dual And Multicarbapenemase Coproducing Organisms In The United States, Bekana K Tadese, Tolulope Olumuyiwa, Charles Darkoh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Carbapenemase-producing organisms commonly carry a single carbapenemase gene conferring resistant to carbapenems and other β-lactam antibiotics. Here, we report rare cases of multidrug-resistant

"Don't Know Where To Go For Help": Safety And Economic Needs Among Violence Survivors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Leila Wood, Elizabeth Baumler, Rachel Voth Schrag, Shannon Guillot-Wright, Dixie Hairston, Jeff Temple, Elizabeth Torres

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine has created additional problems for survivors of interpersonal violence. The purpose of this study is to gain a preliminary understanding of the health, safety, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people that are experiencing or have previously experienced violence, stalking, threats, and/or abuse. An online survey, open from April to June 2020, was taken by people with safety concerns from interpersonal violence. Participants were recruited from IPV and sexual assault-focused agencies, state coalitions, and social media. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive methods in SPSS and coding methods from thematic and content …

Determinants Of Social Distancing Adherence, Philip Gerretsen, Julia Kim, Eric E Brown, Lena C Quilty, Samantha Wells, Fernando Caravaggio, Jianmeng Song, Marcos Sanches, Branka Agic, Bruce G Pollock, Ariel Graff-Guerrero

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Governments and public health authorities across many jurisdictions implemented social (physical) distancing measures to contain the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Adherence to these measures is variable and likely influenced by various factors. This study aimed to 1) identify the individual sociodemographic, COVID-19 and social distancing related, and psychological determinants of social distancing adherence, and 2) explore regional differences in social distancing adherence in the United States (U.S.) and English-speaking Canada based on each region's discrepant response to social distancing restrictions.

Methods: A web-based repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted in 4,942 English-speaking participants from the four …

Epidemiology Of Antibiotic Use And Drivers Of Cross-Border Procurement In A Mexican American Border Community, Heather T Essigmann, David A Aguilar, William B Perkison, Katherine G Bay, Magdalena R Deaton, Sharon A Brown, Craig L Hanis, Eric L Brown

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The U.S.-Mexico Border is an area of opportunity for improved health care access; however, gaps remain as to how and where U.S. border residents, particularly those who are underinsured, obtain care. Antibiotics are one of the most common reported drivers of cross-border healthcare access and a medication of particular concern since indiscriminate or inappropriate use is associated with antimicrobial resistance. In addition, many studies assessing preferences for Mexican pharmaceuticals and healthcare in U.S. border residents were done prior to 2010 when many prescription medications, including antibiotics, were available over the counter in Mexico.

METHODS: Data used in this study …

Trends And Correlates Of Breakthrough Infections With Sars-Cov-2, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Savitri Appana, Mengxi Wang, Luis Leon-Novelo, Eric Bakota, Yuanqing Ye, Shreela Sharma, Alanna C Morrison, Dritana Marko, Stephen H Linder, Alison Rector, Katelyn K Jetelina, Eric Boerwinkle, Marcia De Oliveira Otto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) delta variant has been hypothesized to decrease the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Factors associated with infections with SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination are unknown. In this observational cohort study, we examined two groups in Harris County, Texas: (1) individuals with positive Nucleic Acid Amplification test between 12/14/2020 and 9/30/2021 and (2) the subset of individuals fully vaccinated in the same time period. Infected individuals were classified as a breakthrough if their infection occurred 14 days after their vaccination had been completed. Among fully vaccinated individuals, demographic and vaccine factors associated with breakthrough infections were …

Population-Based Correlates Of Covid-19 Infection: An Analysis From The Dfw Covid-19 Prevalence Study, Amit G Singal, Andrew Masica, Kate Esselink, Caitlin C Murphy, Jill A Dever, Annika Reczek, Matthew Bensen, Nicole Mack, Ellen Stutts, Jamie L Ridenhour, Evan Galt, Jordan Brainerd, Noa Kopplin, Sruthi Yekkaluri, Chris Rubio, Shelby Anderson, Kathryn Jan, Natalie Whitworth, Jacqueline Wagner, Stephen Allen, Alagar R Muthukumar, Jasmin Tiro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has resulted in over 1 million deaths in the U.S. as of June 2022, with continued surges after vaccine availability. Information on related attitudes and behaviors are needed to inform public health strategies. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19, risk factors of infection, and related attitudes and behaviors in a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse urban population.

METHODS: The DFW COVID-19 Prevalence Study Protocol 1 was conducted from July 2020 to March 2021 on a randomly selected sample of adults aged 18-89 years, living in Dallas or Tarrant Counties, Texas. Participants were asked to complete a …

Determining Effective Treatment Regimens For Breast Cancer Using Combined Immunotherapy And Chemotherapy In Vivo, Akhila R. Kunuthuru, Laura Graham, Harry D. Bear Md, Phd

UROP Posters

Breast cancer has the highest incidence rate of all cancers globally in women, and those of African descent, especially West African females, face higher rates of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a more aggressive form of breast cancer. Immunotherapy for breast cancer is a relatively new treatment option, and research is ongoing to identify the best combination treatments for increasing survival of those diagnosed with TNBC. Eganelisib (IPI-549: a PI3K-gamma inhibitor that works to shift M2 macrophages to M1 to augment T cell function) with other combinatory treatments has shown promising results in reducing tumor growth and increasing survival in mice. …

Analysis Of Excess Mortality At The County Level In Alabama By Socioeconomic Factors, Abigail Jo Tucker

All ETDs from UAB

Objective: Analyze county level socioeconomic factors and their association with Covid-19 excess mortality in Alabama.Methods: Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between potential risk factors assessed using the American Community survey (n = 40 counties and county clusters) and excess mortality in 2020 per 100,000 population. Excess mortality came from a previously published paper by Ackley et al. Results: Median household income (per 1,000 dollars); an average county median household income that 1,000 dollars higher was associated with 6 per 100,000 lower excess mortality (β= -5.953 p-value