Digital Commons Network^™

Public Opinion Regarding Government Response To Covid-19: Case Study Of A Large Commercial City In Nigeria, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D., Sorochi Iloanusi, Osaro Mgbere, Nchebe-Jah Raymond Iloanusi, Anthony Idowu Ajayi, Ekere James Essien

Faculty Publications

Introduction: government measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be effective without widespread compliance by the public. A greater understanding of citizens' perceptions of these measures can help government agencies adapt their strategies to boost compliance. We examined citizens' perceptions of government's measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications on compliance using data from Onitsha city, Anambra State Nigeria.

Methods: data was obtained through in-person interviews of 140 consenting adults in March 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize the data.

Results: most participants (84.7%) doubted government's ability to manage the COVID-19 outbreak, raising concerns about …

Discovery Of Clioquinol And Analogues As Novel Inhibitors Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection, Ace2 And Ace2 - Spike Protein Interaction In Vitro, Omonike A. Olaleye, Manvir Kaur, Collins Onyenaka, Tolulope Adebusuyi

Faculty Publications

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in an ongoing pandemic. Presently, there are no clinically approved drugs for COVID-19. Hence, there is an urgent need to accelerate the development of effective antivirals. Herein, we discovered Clioquinol (5-chloro-7-iodo-8-quinolinol (CLQ)), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug, and two of its analogues (7-bromo-5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline (CLBQ14); and 5, 7-Dichloro-8-hydroxyquinoline (CLCQ)) as potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced cytopathic effect in vitro. In addition, all three compounds showed potent anti-exopeptidase activity against recombinant human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (rhACE2) and inhibited the binding of rhACE2 …

Three-Dimensional Analysis Of The Effect Of Human Movement On Indoor Airflow Patterns, Arup Bhattacharya, Jovan Pantelic, Ali Ghahramani, Ehsan S. Mousavi

Faculty Publications

Human activity is known to leave significant effects on indoor airflow patterns. These patterns are carefully designed for many facilities such as cleanrooms, pharmaceutical settings, and healthcare environments, where human-induced wakes contribute to the transport of contaminants. Therefore, the knowledge about these wakes as it relates to indoor air quality is critical. As a result, a series of experiments were conducted in a controlled chamber to study the three-dimensional effects of true human walking on airflow. Experiments were designed to capture the effect of human walking under three different flow conditions, and for two different walking schemes. The results show …

Synergies Among Environmental Science Research And Monitoring Networks: A Research Agenda, J. A. Jones, P. M. Groffman, J. Blair, F. W. Davis, H. Dugan, E. E. Euskirchen, Serita D. Frey, T. K. Harms, E. Hinckley, M. Kosmala, S. Loberg, S. Malone, K. Novick, S. Malone, K. Novick, S. Record, A. V. Rocha, B. L. Ruddell, E. H. Stanley, C. Sturtevant, A. Thorpe, T. White, W. R. Wieder, L. Zhai, K. Zhu

Faculty Publications

Many research and monitoring networks in recent decades have provided publicly available data documenting environmental and ecological change, but little is known about the status of efforts to synthesize this information across networks. We convened a working group to assess ongoing and potential cross-network synthesis research and outline opportunities and challenges for the future, focusing on the US-based research network (the US Long-Term Ecological Research network, LTER) and monitoring network (the National Ecological Observatory Network, NEON). LTER-NEON cross-network research synergies arise from the potentials for LTER measurements, experiments, models, and observational studies to provide context and mechanisms for interpreting NEON …

The Worst Is Behind Us: News Media Choice And False Optimism In The Summer Of 2020, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Thomas G. Safford

Faculty Publications

In the summer of 2020, mitigation efforts slowed the first US wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts warned, however, that without coordinated, sustained mitigation—such as testing and tracing, limited travel or gatherings, social distancing and mask wearing—the worst could lie ahead. A July survey found majority (59%) agreement with the expert warnings, while a minority (27%) mistakenly thought that the worst was behind us, or that COVID-19 was not a real problem. Among frequent Fox News and conservative talk radio consumers, however, large majorities (67–80%) held such false optimism or denial views, in contrast with small minorities (9–16%) among public …

Application Of Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratio As A Motivational Tool Within A Multi-Hospital Healthcare System, Stephanie Shealy, Joseph Kohn, Emily Yongue, Casey Troficanto, P Brandon Bookstaver, Julie Ann Justo, Hana R. Winders, Sangita Dash, Majdi N. Al-Hasan

Faculty Publications

The standardized antimicrobial administration ratio (SAAR) is a novel antimicrobial stewardship metric that compares actual to expected antimicrobial use (AU). This prospective cohort study examines the utility of SAAR reporting and inter-facility comparisons as a motivational tool to improve overall and broad-spectrum AU within a three-hospital healthcare system. Transparent inter-facility comparisons were deployed during system-wide antimicrobial stewardship meetings beginning in October 2017. Stakeholders were advised to interpret the results to foster competition and incorporate SAAR data into focused antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Student's -test was used to compare mean SAARs in the pre- (July 2017 through October 2017) and post-intervention periods …

Urban-Rural Differences In Covid-19 Exposures And Outcomes In The South: A Preliminary Analysis Of South Carolina, Qian Huang, Sarah Jackson, Sahar Derakhshan, Logan Lee, Erika Pham, Amber Jackson, Susan L. Cutter

Faculty Publications

As the COVID-19 pandemic moved beyond the initial heavily impacted and urbanized Northeast region of the United States, hotspots of cases in other urban areas ensued across the country in early 2020. In South Carolina, the spatial and temporal patterns were different, initially concentrating in small towns within metro counties, then diffusing to centralized urban areas and rural areas. When mitigation restrictions were relaxed, hotspots reappeared in the major cities. This paper examines the county-scale spatial and temporal patterns of confirmed cases of COVID-19 for South Carolina from March 1st—September 5th, 2020. We first describe the initial diffusion of the …

Differential Relationships Of Stress And Hiv Disclosure By Gender: A Person Centered Longitudinal Study, Chengbo Zeng, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Xueying Yang Ph.D., Zhiyong Shen, Yuejiao Zhou

Faculty Publications

Background: Existing literature mostly consider HIV disclosure as a static event and investigate its relationship with stress using a cross-sectional design. It is unclear about the dynamic changes of HIV disclosure levels (defined as the number of disclosure targets) and how stress may influence these changes. This study explored different disclosure levels using a person-centered longitudinal approach, examined whether stress could predict these disclosure levels, and investigated if this relationship differed by gender among people living with HIV (PLWH). Methods: Data were derived from a prospective cohort study conducted from November 2016 to January 2018 in Guangxi, China. Four hundred …

Increased Mood Disorder Symptoms, Perceived Stress, And Alcohol Use Among College Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nora E. Charles, Stephanie J. Strong, Lauren C. Burns, Margaret R. Bullerjahn, Katherine M. Serafine

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruption during the spring of 2020. Many college students were told to leave campus at spring break and to complete the semester remotely. This study evaluates effects of this disruption on student well-being. Measures of psychological symptoms, perceived stress, and alcohol use during the pandemic were completed by 148 students in spring 2020 and 352 students in fall 2020 at a university in the southeastern U.S. Results from both cohorts were compared to 240 students who completed the same measures in the fall 2019 semester. Participants in spring 2020 reported more mood disorder symptoms, perceived …

Psychiatric Symptoms, Risk, And Protective Factors Among University Students In Quarantine During The Covid-19 Pandemic In China, Shufang Sun, Simon B. Goldberg, Danhua Lin, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Don Operario

Faculty Publications

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has made unprecedented impact on the psychological health of university students, a population vulnerable to distress and mental health disorders. This study investigated psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress) during state-enforced quarantine among university students in China (N = 1912) through a cross-sectional survey during March and April 2020. Results: Psychiatric symptoms were alarmingly prevalent: 67.05% reported traumatic stress, 46.55% had depressive symptoms, and 34.73% reported anxiety symptoms. Further, 19.56% endorsed suicidal ideation. We explored risk and protective factors of psychological health, including demographic variables, two known protective factors for mental health (mindfulness, perceived social …

Small Molecule Inhibitors Of The Bacterioferritin (Bfrb)-Ferredoxin (Bfd) Complex Kill Biofilm-Embedded Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Cells, Anabel Soldano, Huili Yao, Achala N.D. Punchi Hewage, Kevin Meraz, Joel K. Annor-Gyamfi, Richard A. Bunce, Kevin P. Battaile, Scott Lovell, Mario Rivera

Faculty Publications

© 2020 American Chemical Society. Bacteria depend on a well-regulated iron homeostasis to survive adverse environments. A key component of the iron homeostasis machinery is the compartmentalization of Fe3+ in bacterioferritin and its subsequent mobilization as Fe2+ to satisfy metabolic requirements. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa Fe3+ is compartmentalized in bacterioferritin (BfrB), and its mobilization to the cytosol requires binding of a ferredoxin (Bfd) to reduce the stored Fe3+ and release the soluble Fe2+. Blocking the BfrB-Bfd complex in P. aeruginosa by deletion of the bfd gene triggers an irreversible accumulation of Fe3+ in BfrB, concomitant cytosolic iron deficiency and significant impairment …

Marginal Warming Associated With A Covid-19 Quarantine And The Implications For Disease Transmission, P. W. Miller, C. Reesman, M. K. Grossman, S. A. Nelson, V. Liu, P. Wang

Faculty Publications

During January-February 2020, parts of China faced restricted mobility under COVID-19 quarantines, which have been associated with improved air quality. Because particulate pollutants scatter, diffuse, and absorb incoming solar radiation, a net negative radiative forcing, decreased air pollution can yield surface warming. As such, this study (1) documents the evolution of China's January-February 2020 air temperature and concurrent particulate changes; (2) determines the temperature response related to reduced particulates during the COVID-19 quarantine (C19Q); and (3) discusses the conceptual implications for temperature-dependent disease transmission. C19Q particulate evolution is monitored using satellite analyses, and concurrent temperature anomalies are diagnosed using surface …

Global Sex Disparity Of Covid-19: A Descriptive Review Of Sex Hormones And Consideration For The Potential Therapeutic Use Of Hormone Replacement Therapy In Older Adults, S C. Okpechi, J T. Fong, S S. Gill, J C. Harman, S C. Okpechi, Q C. Chukwurah, I O. Onor, S K. Alahari

Faculty Publications

The 2019-2020 SARS-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to healthcare sectors around the world. As of November 2020, there have been over 64 million confirmed cases and approaching 2 million deaths globally. Despite the large number of positive cases, there are very limited established standards of care and therapeutic options available. To date, there is still no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccine for COVID-19, although there are several options in various clinical trial stages. Herein, we have performed a global review evaluating the roles of age and sex on COVID-19 hospitalizations, ICU admissions, deaths in hospitals, …

Bats And Humans During Thesars-Cov-2outbreak: The Case Of Bat-Coronaviruses From Mexico, P Colunga-Salas, G Hernandez-Canchola

Faculty Publications

The novelSARS-CoV-2coronavirus has attracted attention due to the high number of human cases around the world. It has been proposed that this virus originated in bats, possibly transmitted to humans by an intermediate host, making bats a group of great interest during this outbreak. Almost 10% of the world's bat species inhabit Mexico, and 14 previous novel CoVs have been recorded in Mexican bats. However, the phylogenetic relationships between these viruses and the novel coronavirus are unknown. The aim of this communication was therefore to describe the phylogenetic relationships between Mexican bat-CoVs andSARS-CoV-2. We showed that Mexican bat-CoVs sequences are …

The Interplay Between Environmental Exposures And Covid-19 Risks In The Health Of Children, P D. Sly, B A. Trottier, C M. Bulka, S A. Cormier, P D. Sly, R C. Fry, K W. Kim, S Kleeberger, P Kumar, P J. Landrigan, K L. Carlsen, A Pascale, F Polack, M Ruchirawat, H J. Zar, W A. Suk

Faculty Publications

Background: An unusual feature of SARS-Cov-2 infection and the COVID-19 pandemic is that children are less severely affected than adults. This is especially paradoxical given the epidemiological links between poor air quality and increased COVID-19 severity in adults and that children are generally more vulnerable than adults to the adverse consequences of air pollution. Objectives: To identify gaps in knowledge about the factors that protect children from severe SARS-Cov-2 infection even in the face of air pollution, and to develop a transdisciplinary research strategy to address these gaps. Methods: An international group of researchers interested in children's environmental health was …

Experimental Re-Infected Cats Do Not Transmit Sars-Cov-2, N N. Gaudreault, M Carossino, I Morozov, J D. Trujillo, N N. Gaudreault, D W. Madden, K Cool, B L. Artiaga, C Mcdowell, D Bold, V Balaraman, T Kwon, W J. Ma, J Henningson, D W. Wilson, W C. Wilson, U C. Balasuriya, A Garcia-Sastre, J A. Richt

Faculty Publications

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 and responsible for the current global pandemic. We and others have previously demonstrated that cats are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and can efficiently transmit the virus to naive cats. Here, we address whether cats previously exposed to SARS-CoV-2 can be re-infected with SARS-CoV-2. In two independent studies, SARS-CoV-2-infected cats were re-challenged with SARS-CoV-2 at 21 days post primary challenge (DPC) and necropsies performed at 4, 7 and 14 days post-secondary challenge (DP2C). Sentinels were co-mingled with the re-challenged cats at 1 DP2C. Clinical signs were recorded, and nasal, oropharyngeal, and rectal swabs, blood, …

Host Genotype And Tissue Type Determine Dwv Infection Intensity, Hannah J. Penn, Michael Simone-Finstrom, Sarah Lang, Judy Chen, Kristen Healy

Faculty Publications

Varroa mite-vectored viruses such as Deformed wing virus (DWV) are of great concern for honey bee health as they can cause disease in individuals and increase colony mortality. Two genotypes of DWV (A and B) are prevalent in the United States and may have differential virulence and pathogenicity. Honey bee genetic stocks bred to resist Varroa mites also exhibit differential infection responses to the Varroa mite-vectored viruses. The goal of this project was to determine if interactions between host genotype could influence the overall infection levels and dissemination of DWV within honey bees. To do this, we injected DWV isolated …

Eat Clean And Safe Food: A Food-Based Dietary Guideline For The Elderly In South Africa, Makenzie Miller, Wilna Oldewage-Theron, Carin Napier

Faculty Publications

As the population of elderly individuals in South Africa (SA) grows, there is a need to promote the continued health of these persons as they progress through the life cycle. Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) for the SA elderly were developed to address this need. These thirteen guidelines for the elderly collectively offer a basis of health practices that the elderly can follow to ensure that they are taking the right steps toward maintaining their health. While the guideline ‘Eat clean and safe food’ is not included in the current SA FBDGs, this recommendation is of particular importance to the …

Solopreneur Digital Ecosystems: Genesis, Lineage And Preliminary Categorization, Gabriele Piccoli, Biagio Palese, Joaquin Rodriguez

Faculty Publications

This paper traces the genesis and lineage of solopreneur digital ecosystems. These ecosystems, fostered by a digital environment that is infrastructural, combinatorial and servitized, are enabling the rise to prominence of the solopreneur. We theorize solopreneur digital ecosystems as the latest incarnation of systems beyond firm control, with digital platforms and digital marketplaces as their principal enablers. In an effort to compare them from the perspective of the solopreneur, we categorize solopreneur digital ecosystems on three dimensions: algorithmic control, commoditization, and lock-in. Our work contributes a framework that solopreneurs can use to identify ecosystems in which they can optimally invest …

Solopreneur Digital Ecosystems: Genesis, Lineage And Preliminary Categorization, Gabriele Piccoli, Biagio Palese, Joaquin Rodriguez

Faculty Publications

This paper traces the genesis and lineage of solopreneur digital ecosystems. These ecosystems, fostered by a digital environment that is infrastructural, combinatorial and servitized, are enabling the rise to prominence of the solopreneur. We theorize solopreneur digital ecosystems as the latest incarnation of systems beyond firm control, with digital platforms and digital marketplaces as their principal enablers. In an effort to compare them from the perspective of the solopreneur, we categorize solopreneur digital ecosystems on three dimensions: algorithmic control, commoditization, and lock-in. Our work contributes a framework that solopreneurs can use to identify ecosystems in which they can optimally invest …

Validity Of A Four-Item Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scale For Assessing Water Issues Related To Health And Well-Being, Sera L. Young, Joshua D. Miller, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Godfred O. Boateng, Zeina Jamaluddine, Torsten B. Neilands

Faculty Publications

We sought to determine whether a shortened version of the 12-item Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale, which measures water insecurity equivalently in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is valid for broad use. Using data from 9,261 households in 25 LMICs, subsets of candidate items were evaluated on their predictive accuracy, criterion validity, and sensitivity-specificity. A subset with items assessing "worry," "changing plans," "limited drinking water," and "inability to wash hands" because of problems with water (range: 0-12) were highly correlated with full HWISE Scale scores (correlation coefficient: 0.949-0.980) and introduced minimal additional error (root mean square error: 2.13-2.68). Criterion …

Fear Of Zika: Information Seeking As Cause And Consequence, James Price Dillard, Ruobing Li, Chun Yang

Faculty Publications

This study examined the relationship between information seeking and fear during the Zika-induced global health crisis. A longitudinal survey of women in the Southern U.S. (N = 306) was conducted in 2016, beginning just days after the World Health Organization declared Zika a global crisis. The data showed that time 1 fear stimulated information seeking at time 2 and that time 2 information seeking caused fear at time 3. This pattern held regardless of whether participants were pregnant or planning to become pregnant (high personal relevance) versus neither (low personal relevance). The findings are at odds with most theories of …

Less Common Bacterial, Fungal And Viral Infections: Review Of Management In The Pregnant Patient, Alyssa P. Gould, Hana R. Winders, Kayla R. Stover, P Brandon Bookstaver, Brooke Griffin, Christopher M. Bland, Lea S. Eiland, Milena Murray

Faculty Publications

This review is a comprehensive summary of treatment options for pregnant patients with less common bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. It offers guidance to clinicians based on the most recently published evidence-based research and expert recommendations. A search of MEDLINE (inception to March 2021) and the CDC website was performed. Liposomal amphotericin B is the preferred therapy for cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, oesophageal candidiasis, and coccidioidomycosis, especially during the first trimester due to teratogenic concerns with azole antifungals. For oral candidiasis, clotrimazole troches or miconazole mucoadhesive buccal tablets are recommended. A β-lactam antimicrobial is preferred over doxycycline for various manifestations of Lyme …

Lower Socioeconomic Status Neighborhoods In Puerto Rico Have More Diverse Mosquito Communities And Higher Aedes Aegypti Abundance, Nicole A. Scavo, Roberto Barrera, Limarie J. Reyes-Torres, Donald A. Yee

Faculty Publications

Mosquito community dynamics in urban areas are influenced by an array of both social and ecological factors. Human socioeconomic factors (SEF) can be related to mosquito abundance and diversity as urban mosquito development sites are modified by varying human activity, e.g., level of abandoned structures or amount of accumulated trash. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationships among mosquito diversity, populations of Aedes aegypti, and SEF in a tropical urban setting. Mosquitoes were collected using BG Sentinel 2 traps and CDC light traps during three periods between late 2018 and early 2019 in San Juan, Puerto …

Utilizing Theories And Evaluation In Digital Gaming Interventions To Increase Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Young Males: Qualitative Study, Gabrielle Darville, Jade Burns, Tanaka Chavanduka, Charkarra Anderson-Lewis

Faculty Publications

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. HPV attributes to most cancers including anal, oral, cervical, and penile. Despite infection rates in the United States, recommendations and communication campaigns have traditionally focused on females. Because of this, males lack knowledge about reasons for vaccination, the benefits of being vaccinated, and their HPV risk, overall. Gaming as a health education strategy can be beneficial as mechanism that can promote behavior change for this key demographic because of the popularity of gaming.

Objective: We sought to explore the relationship between gamification and …

Co-Opting Coronavirus, Assailing Asylum, Ashley B. Armstrong

Faculty Publications

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued an Order on March 26, 2020, under Title 42, Section 265 of the Public Health Service Act, in the name of combatting the spread of coronavirus. The Order has been called the “Asylum Ban” because it effectively has sealed the southern border to protection-seekers, resulting in the pushback of nearly 400,000 asylees and unaccompanied children. This Article argues that the Trump administration has contravened the rule of law by using the coronavirus pandemic as a convenient pretext to end asylum in the U.S., and by violating the rights of protection-seekers. In doing so, …

Nutritional Approach For Increasing Public Health During Pandemic Of Covid-19: A Comprehensive Review Of Antiviral Nutrients And Nutraceuticals, Vahideh Ebrahimzadeh-Attari, Ghodratollah Panahi, James R. Hébert Scd, Alireza Ostadrahimi, Maryam Saghafi-Asl, Neda Lotfi-Yaghin, Behzad Baradaran

Faculty Publications

Background: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is considered as the most life-threatening pandemic disease during the last decade. The individual nutritional status, though usually ignored in the management of COVID-19, plays a critical role in the immune function and pathogenesis of infection. Accordingly, the present review article aimed to report the effects of nutrients and nutraceuticals on respiratory viral infections including COVID-19, with a focus on their mechanisms of action.

Methods: Studies were identified via systematic searches of the databases including PubMed/ MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar from 2000 until April 2020, using keywords. All relevant clinical and experimental studies …

A Computational Simulation-Based Framework For Estimating Potential Product Impact During Product Design, Christopher S. Mabey, Andrew G. Armstrong, Christopher A. Mattson, John L. Salmon, Nile W. Hatch, Eric C. Dahlin

Faculty Publications

The impact of engineered products is a topic of concern in society. Product impact may fall under the categories of economic, environmental or social impact, with the last category defined as the effect of a product on the day-to-day life of people. Design teams lack sufficient tools to estimate the social impact of products, and the combined impacts of economic, environmental and social impacts for the products they are designing. This paper aims to provide a framework for the estimation of product impact during product design. To estimate product impact, models of both the product and society are required. This …

For The Children? A Mixed Methods Analysis Of World Bank Structural Adjustment Loans, Health Projects, And Infant Mortality In Latin America, Shiri Noy

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Correlates Of Physical Health Conditions In Jamaica And Guyana, Krim K. Lacey, Karen Powell Sears, Tazhmoye V. Crawford, Letroy O. Cummings, Sasha R. Drummond-Lewis, Rohan D. Jeremiah, James S. Jackson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.