Digital Commons Network^™

A Survey On Mosquito Control Knowledge And Insecticide Use In New Orleans, La, 2020–2021, Erin R. Cloherty, Janet C. Mcallister, James A. Ottea, Kristen Healy, Claudia Riegel

Faculty Publications

Mosquitoes are a known public nuisance and can vector various diseases. Historically, New Orleans, LA, has long been acquainted with the burden of mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever in the 20th century and West Nile virus in the 21st century. Government mosquito control awareness campaigns have been around for decades as has the use of organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides by mosquito abatement districts. However, few data are available on public perception of mosquito control and public usage of insecticides to kill mosquitoes in New Orleans. We conducted a survey from August 2020 to July 2021 to evaluate …

Taxonomic Profiling Of Nasutitermes Takasagoensis Microbiota To Investigate The Role Of Termites As Vectors Of Bacteria Linked To Ironwood Tree Decline In Guam, Garima Setia, Junyan Chen, Robert Schlub, Claudia Husseneder

Faculty Publications

The ironwood tree (Casuarina equisetifolia, family Casuarinaceae), an indigenous agroforestry species in Guam, has been threatened by ironwood tree decline (IWTD) since 2002. Formation of bacterial ooze by the wilt pathogen from the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex and wetwood bacteria (primarily Klebsiella species) has been linked to IWTD. In addition, termite infestation of trees was statistically associated with IWTD. Termites are known carriers of a diverse microbiome. Therefore, we hypothesized that termites could be vectors of bacteria linked to IWTD. To investigate the potential role of termites as pathogen vectors, we employed next-generation 16S rRNA gene sequencing to describe the …

A Repeated-Measures Study Of Relational Turbulence And Transition Processing Communication During The Summer Of Covid-19 (Summer 2020), Kellie St Cyr Brisini, Denise Haunani Solomon

Faculty Publications

Drawing upon relational turbulence theory and the experiencing life transitions model, this study examined communication and relationship qualities as married couples experienced work-family changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-four American married, different-sex partners affected by job-related changes due to COVID-19 reported their relationship qualities and their own and their spouse’s engagement in transition processing communication weekly for 10 weeks. Hypotheses addressed associations between relationship qualities and communication experiences both averaged across the 10 weeks and indexed by within-week deviations from those averages, controlling for the previous week’s reports. Husbands’ and wives’ own attempts—and also their perceptions of their spouse’s attempts—to …

Linking Stress To The Emergence Of Relational Turbulence In Marriage, Kellie St Cyr Brisini, Denise Haunani Solomon, Miriam Brinberg

Faculty Publications

The assumption that stress negatively impacts marital relationships is widely accepted; however, the majority of research has focused on marital satisfaction as the outcome of interest. Relational turbulence is a quality of romantic associations on par with—but distinct from—satisfaction, in which partners conceptualize their relationship as chaotic or tumultuous. This paper draws on relational turbulence theory (RTT) and stress spillover research to propose that day-to-day stress corresponds with perceptions of relational uncertainty and interdependence, which contributes to increases in relational turbulence. We evaluated these assumptions using data from 64 heterosexual married partners who experienced work-related disruptions due to the COVID-19 …

Building Resilience To Extreme Weather And Climate Events In The Rural Water And Wastewater Sectors, Nathan P. Kettle, Sarah F. Trainor, Renee Edwards, Donald Antrobus, Curt Baranowski, Tina Buxbaum, Kevin Berry, Michael Brubaker, Kristine L. De Long, Steve Fries, Davin Holen, Barry Keim, Danielle Meeker, Harry Penn, Cheryl Rosa, Rick Thoman, John Walsh, Jian Zhang

Faculty Publications

Extreme weather and climate events pose significant risks to rural water and wastewater systems. We examine the vulnerability of the water sector to weather and climate extremes in rural, predominantly Indigenous and underserved coastal areas and analyze how networks support resilience. Drawing on the analysis of 39 web-based questionnaire responses and 19 interviews with rural water and wastewater managers and service providers in southern Louisiana and western Alaska, this article reports a range of interrelated historical, environmental, and social factors that influence vulnerability to extreme weather events. Formal and informal social networks serve multiple roles in building resilience. These roles …

Personalized Feedback Intervention For Individuals With Low Distress Tolerance Who Smoke Cigarettes: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Digital Intervention, Brooke Y. Redmond, Aniqua Salwa, Jonathan B. Bricker, Julia D. Buckner, Lorra Garey, Michael J. Zvolensky

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disability in the United States and frequently co-occurs with anxiety and depressive symptoms. A novel and integrative, theory-driven approach to address the heterogeneity of mood-related symptoms associated with cigarette use is to focus on transdiagnostic processes, such as distress tolerance, that underpin both mood-related symptoms and smoking behavior. The current study sought to develop and examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a digitally delivered integrated personalized feedback intervention (PFI) that addresses smoking-distress tolerance relations. Methods: Participants included 121 adults (71.1 % male; Mage = 29.33 years, SD …

The Brief Adolescent Depression Screen: A Brief Screening Tool For Depression And Suicidal Behavior In Inpatient Adolescents, Erin P. Vaughan, Emily C. Kemp, Emily L. Robertson, Toni M. Walker, Paige Picou, Paul J. Frick, John De Back

Faculty Publications

Background: In clinical settings, there is significant need for brief, easily-administered assessment tools for adolescent depression that can be used by mental health clinicians from a variety of training backgrounds. Existing depression screening tools do not assess for duration and consistency of symptoms, two key indicators of pathological depression. Objective: The Brief Adolescent Depression Screen (BADS) was developed to screen for major and persistent depressive disorders in adolescents in order to meet the assessment needs in an inpatient setting, and the validity of this tool was tested. Method: The current study used a sample of 396 inpatient adolescents to assess …

Genetic Variants Associated With Hantavirus Infection In A Reservoir Host Are Related To Regulation Of Inflammation And Immune Surveillance, Anna A. Pérez-Umphrey, Amie E. Settlecowski, Jean P. Elbers, S. Tyler Williams, Colleen B. Jonsson, Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati, Allison M. Snider, Sabrina S. Taylor

Faculty Publications

The immunogenetics of wildlife populations influence the epidemiology and evolutionary dynamic of the host-pathogen system. Profiling immune gene diversity present in wildlife may be especially important for those species that, while not at risk of disease or extinction themselves, are host to diseases that are a threat to humans, other wildlife, or livestock. Hantaviruses (genus: Orthohantavirus) are globally distributed zoonotic RNA viruses with pathogenic strains carried by a diverse group of rodent hosts. The marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) is the reservoir host of Orthohantavirus bayoui, a hantavirus that causes fatal cases of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in humans. We performed …

Modeling Of Cryopreservation Pathway Operation At An Aquatic Biomedical Stock Center For Zebrafish, Sarah Bodenstein, Fidan Abdullayeva, Joy M. Murphy, Zoltan M. Varga, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

Aquatic biomedical model organisms play a substantial role in advancing our understanding of human health, however, comparably little work has been directed towards developing dependable, high-throughput storage programs for valuable genetic resources. The Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC) has developed a standardized cryopreservation pathway and stored thousands of genetic lines in their repository for use by the biomedical research community. This has yet to be replicated in other facilities, and an overall repository-level pathway has never been analyzed for aquatic species. To encourage repository development for other biomedical models and to improve the ZIRC storage process and system, this study …

Increased Lipogenesis Is Important For Hexavalent Chromium-Transformed Lung Cells And Xenograft Tumor Growth, James T.F. Wise, Kazuya Kondo

Faculty Publications

Hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), is a known carcinogen and environmental health concern. It has been established that reactive oxygen species, genomic instability, and DNA damage repair deficiency are important contributors to the Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis mechanism. However, some hallmarks of cancer remain under-researched regarding the mechanism behind Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis. Increased lipogenesis is important to carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis in multiple types of cancers, yet the role increased lipogenesis has in Cr(VI) carcinogenesis is unclear. We report here that Cr(VI)-induced transformation of three human lung cell lines (BEAS-2B, BEP2D, and WTHBF-6) resulted in increased lipogenesis (palmitic acid levels), and Cr(VI)-transformed cells had an increased …

Healthy Eating And Active Living Policy, Systems, And Environmental Changes In Rural Louisiana: A Contextual Inquiry To Inform Implementation Strategies, Bailey Houghtaling, Laura Balis, Nila Pradhananga, Melissa Cater, Denise Holston

Faculty Publications

Background: Healthy eating and active living policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes are implemented across the United States through Cooperative Extension. However, translating multisector PSE changes to practice in community settings is challenging and there is a lack of knowledge about barriers and facilitators to PSE changes among state Extension systems using standardized frameworks. Therefore, a research-to-practice partnership effort aimed to identify Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service Family and Consumer Science (LFCS) practitioners’ barriers and facilitators to implementing PSE changes in rural Louisiana communities. Methods: A qualitative approach using the 2022 Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (2022 CFIR) was used. Focus …

Multiscale Analysis Of Spatial Accessibility To Acute Hospitals In Carinthia, Austria, Changzhen Wang, Michael Leitner, Gernot Paulus

Faculty Publications

Health care accessibility studies are well established in the US but lacking in Austria, even though both experience high costs and have hospital care as the largest contributor to health care spending. This study aims to examine multiscale spatial accessibility to acute hospitals in Carinthia, Austria. Using the most recent data at census block and 250 meter grid levels, we refine proximity and generalized two-step floating catchment area (G2SFCA) methods while accounting for the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) and edge effects. For census blocks and 250 meter grids, the mean travel times to the nearest acute hospitals are 16 …

Informing Trauma-Informed Care In Schools And Other Useful Practices For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Paul Mooney, Joseph B. Ryan

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Remote Testing Of Adult Neurogenic Tests: Implications And Recommendations For Speech-Language Pathologists, Angela Burda, Carrie Axt, Samantha Balk, Zoe Bleile, Madilyn Fahey, Paul Kort Freeman, Heather Hogelucht, Paeten Schultz, Kamryn Shaffer, Kara Wright

Faculty Publications

Purpose: One purpose of this preliminary case report was to document the challenges that can arise when giving adult neurogenic tests via telepractice. Another purpose was to develop recommendations on adaptations that can be made when speech-language pathologists give the tests employed in this report. Though one test was adapted by its authors to be given remotely, the other two tests have little or no published adaptations regarding remote administration. Methods: A 33 year old female and a 51 year old male, both of whom have acquired neurogenic communicative disorders, were given the Apraxia Battery for Adults-2nd edition, the Ross …

Creating A Supportive Environment For Older Adults In China ——Exploring Factors Associated With The Need For Home Modifications Based On A Cross-Sectional Survey In Central China, Jiajing Li, Bei Wu, Jing Wang

Faculty Publications

A supportive home environment is critical to the safety and quality of life of older adults. Home modification is an effective way to build a supportive home environment for older adults’ aging in place. However, there is a lack of knowledge on older adults’ need for home modifications in China. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in three provinces of China (Hubei, Hunan, and Henan) using stratified and cluster sampling methods in 2021. A total of 5485 older adults aged 60 and over were included. The outcome variables were: need for home modifications, level of need, and type of modification needed. …

Development Of A Methodology For The Quantification Of Reaerosolization Of A Biological Contaminate Surrogate Particle From A Military Uniform Fabric, George Cooksey, Jeremy M. Slagley, Casey W. Cooper, Douglas Lewis, Alisha Helm

Faculty Publications

In a mass casualty medical evacuation after a bioaerosol (BA) dispersal event, a decontamination (DC) method is needed that can both decontaminate and prevent biological particle (BP) re-aerosolization (RA) of contaminated clothes. However, neither the efficacy of current DC methods nor the risk of BP RA is greatly explored in the existing literature. The goals of this study were to develop a repeatable method to quantify the RA of a biological contaminant off military uniform fabric swatches and to test the efficacy of one DC protocol (high-volume, low-pressure water) using 1 µm polystyrene latex (PSL) spheres as a surrogate. A …

Disease Severity Of Covid-19 In Different Phases Of The Pandemic: Do Healthcare Workers Have Better Outcomes?, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Fanghui Shi, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Haoyuan Gao, Shujie Chen, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background:

This study aimed to characterize and compare the demographics, clinical profile, and COVID-19 outcomes between healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs COVID-19 patients diagnosed in different phases of the pandemic defined by the vaccine rollout policy and different variants that circulated in South Carolina (SC).

Methods:

Extracted from the statewide electronic health record data, we analyzed the clinical outcome of 34,502 HCWs and 1,071,020 non-HCWs adults diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 between March 2, 2020 to April 14, 2022. Logistic regression models were used to explore the association between different pandemic phases and COVID-19 severity-related outcomes.

Results:

Substantial reductions in mortality were …

Racial Disparities In Adequacy Of Prenatal Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic In South Carolina, 2018–2021, Emmanuel Fabrice Julceus Md, Mph, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Peiyin Hung Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Jihong Liu Sc.D.

Faculty Publications

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals’ decision of not admitting pregnant women’s partner or support person, and pregnant women’s fear of contracting COVID-19 in hospitals may disrupt prenatal care. We aimed to examine whether prenatal care utilization in South Carolina varied before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the variation was different by race.

Methods: We utilized 2018–2021 statewide birth certificate data using a pre-post design, including all women who delivered a live birth in South Carolina. The Kotelchuck Index - incorporating the timing of prenatal care initiation and the frequency of gestational age-adjusted visits - was employed to …

Dual Barriers: Examining Digital Access And Travel Burdens To Hospital Maternity Care Access In The United States, 2020, Peiyin Hung Ph.D., Marion Granger, Nansi Boghossian, Jiani Yu, Sayward Harrison, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Berry A. Campbell, Bo Cai Ph.D., Chen Liang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Policy Points The White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis report released in June 2022 highlighted the need to enhance equitable access to maternity care. Nationwide hospital maternity unit closures have worsened the maternal health crisis in underserved communities, leaving many birthing people with few options and with long travel times to reach essential care. Ensuring equitable access to maternity care requires addressing travel burdens to care and inadequate digital access. Our findings reveal socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the United States face dual barriers to maternity care access, as communities located farthest away from care facilities had the …

Correlations Between Educational Struggle, Toxic Sites By School District And Demographic Variables, With Geographical Information System Projections, Junu Shrestha, Raihan K. Khan, Shane Mcclintock, John Degroote, Catherine L. Zeman

Faculty Publications

This correlational study associated data on children enrolled in individualized educational plans in their K-12 schools (IEP) and an algorithm-calculated score of neurotoxins at contaminated sites located in each school district. The study also mapped and projected the correlations using Geographical Information System (GIS) technology. These data were populated in ArcMap 10.5 (a GIS software) for generating maps and data to conduct geospatial analysis. A total of 1 Superfund site and 39 CERCLA sites were identified as contaminated sites for this analysis. The majority of contaminants were heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. The mean toxic score …

The Importance Of Cism Responder Self-Care: Don't Neglect Engaging In Meaningful Activities, Harvey J. Burnett Jr, David Sherman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Crisis Of Unrepresented Immigrants: Vastly Increasing The Number Of Accredited Representatives Offers The Best Hope For Resolving It, Michele R. Pistone

Faculty Publications

The U.S. immigration system is exceedingly complex, and access to legal representation is the primary determinant in obtaining a just immigration outcome. Immigrants must navigate a byzantine, burdensome, and high-stakes legal process, conducted in a language they often do not speak. They often must do so without any legal representation. Unlike criminal defendants, immigrants are not entitled to government-funded lawyers. Legal services organizations, such as Legal Services Corporation, that receive any federal funding are prohibited from providing legal representation to most immigrants. Faith-based and charitable legal services organizations provide some legal representation to immigrants through attorneys, staff members, and volunteer …

Identifying And Supporting Financially Vulnerable Women Experiencing Economic Abuse: A Grounded Theory Approach, Leslie Book, Ann Kayis-Kumar, Youngdeok Lim, Jack Noone, Michael Walpole, Jan Breckenridge

Faculty Publications

This study extends the literature by exploring the role of pro bono tax clinics within the social impact ecosystem with a focus on the experiences of women in financial distress who are otherwise unable to access professional tax advice. Using clinic data derived from a pro bono tax advisory clinic, this article finds that 58 per cent of financially vulnerable women seeking pro bono tax services have experienced domestic and family violence (DFV), confirming again the link between financial stress and economic abuse. Yet only 3 per cent of these women were receiving domestic and family violence-related support, highlighting the …

The New Candian Defence: The Impact Of Undrip Article 30 On Canadian Domestic Defence Strategy, Preston Jordan Lim

Faculty Publications

Article 30 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples articulates a general ban on military activities that take place on Indigenous territory. Despite the potentially significant consequences of article 30 for Canadian defence policy, few scholars have devoted serious attention to the article. This article will fill that gap by discussing the meaning of article 30 and suggesting approaches to implementation that the Canadian state ought to adopt. This article argues that, far from constraining Canadian defence strategy, article 30 may well serve as a catalyst, encouraging Canadian defence planners to take a more community-based approach …

Under Siege: Battling The Foes Of Emotional And Cognitive Distress, Ronald Coffen

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Exercise Training On Lipoprotein Subclass Particle Concentrations And Sizes In Older Women: Results From A Randomized Controlled Trial, Ryan R. Porter, Joshua R. Sparks, J. Larry Durstine, Sabra S. Custer, Raymond W. Thompson, Xuewen Wang

Faculty Publications

Background: Evidence suggests that lipoprotein subclass particles are critical markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Older women have increased CVD risk related to age. The purpose of this study was to determine whether low and moderate doses of exercise influence lipoprotein subclasses. Methods: Women (60–75 years) were randomized into groups for 16 weeks of moderate-intensity exercise training at a low or moderate dose (33.6 and 58.8 kJ/kg body weight weekly, respectively). Lipoprotein subclasses were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after the training. RESULTS: The average weekly exercise duration was 109 and 164 min, for low- and moderate-dose …

Effect Of Menstrual Cycle And Contraceptive Pill Phase On Aspects Of Exercise Physiology And Athletic Performance In Female Athletes: Protocol For The Feminae International Multisite Innovative Project, Kirsty J. Elliott Sale, Tessa R. Flood, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Eimear Dolan, Bryan Saunders, Mette Hansen, Johanna K. Ihalainen, Ritva S. Mikkonen, Clare Minahan, Jane S. Thornton, Kathryn E. Ackerman, Constance M. Lebrun, Craig Sale, Trent Stellingwerff, Paul A. Swinton, Anthony C. Hackney

Faculty Publications

The idiom € more high-quality research is needed' has become the slogan for sport and exercise physiology-based research in female athletes. However, in most instances, it is challenging to address this gap of high-quality research in elite female athletes at a single study site due to challenges in recruiting enough participants with numerous menstrual cycle and contraceptive pill permutations. Accordingly, we have assembled an international multisite team to undertake an innovative project for female athletes, which investigates the effects of changes in endogenous and exogenous oestrogen and progesterone/progestins across the menstrual cycle and in response to second-generation combined monophasic contraceptive …

Understanding The Implications Of Underreporting, Vaccine Efficiency And Social Behavior On The Post-Pandemic Spread Using Physics Informed Neural Networks: A Case Study Of China, Samiran Ghosh, Alonso Ogueda-Oliva, Aditi Ghosh, Malay Banerjee

Faculty Publications

In late 2019, the emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, led to the implementation of stringent measures forming the zero-COVID policy aimed at eliminating transmission. Zero COVID policy basically aimed at completely eliminating the transmission of COVID-19. However, the relaxation of this policy in late 2022 reportedly resulted in a rapid surge of COVID-19 cases. The aim of this work is to investigate the factors contributing to this outbreak using a new SEIR-type epidemic model with time-dependent level of immunity. Our model incorporates a time-dependent level of immunity considering vaccine doses administered and time-post-vaccination dependent vaccine efficacy. We find that …

Therapeutics To Treat Psychiatric And Neurological Disorders: A Promising Perspective From Algerian Traditional Medicine, Farida Larit, Francisco León Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Ancient people sought out drugs in nature to prevent, cure, and treat their diseases, including mental illnesses. Plants were their primary source for meeting their healthcare needs. In Algeria, folk medicine remains a fundamental part of the local intangible knowledge. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive ethnomedicinal investigation and documentation of medicinal plants and the different plant formulations traditionally used in Algeria for the treatment of pain, psychiatric, and neurological disorders. It also intends to improve the current knowledge of Algerian folk medicine. Several scientific databases were used to accomplish this work. Based on this investigation, we identified 82 …

Understanding The Impacts Of Molecular And Macromolecular Crowding Agents On Protein-Polymer Complex Coacervates, Shanta Biswas, Alison L. Hecht, Sadie A. Noble, Qingqiu Huang, Richard E. Gillilan, Amy Y. Xu

Faculty Publications

Complex coacervation refers to the liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) process occurring between charged macromolecules. The study of complex coacervation is of great interest due to its implications in the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs) in living cells. However, the impacts of the crowded intracellular environment on the behavior and interactions of biomolecules involved in MLO formation are not fully understood. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the effects of crowding on a model protein-polymer complex coacervate system. Specifically, we examined the influence of sucrose as a molecular crowder and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a macromolecular crowder. Our results reveal …