Digital Commons Network^™

The Economic Evolution Of Cuyahoga County, Richey Piiparinen, Joshua Valdez, Jim Russell

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Cleveland’s progress can be intimated through a variety of topics. Some topics—like “globalization,” “innovation,”, “deindustrialization”, and “pandemic”—seem big and distant, while others are less abstract and more local, such as “jobs,” “income,” “housing,” “policing”, “education,” and “health”. Then there are some topics that are viscerally personal, if only because the direct impact they have on the mind and body. These include “foreclosure,” “lead,” “infant mortality,” “opioids,” “police brutality”, and “pneumonia”.

While these issues are of topical concern in their own right, their vastness in scope can be disorienting to those charged with guiding progress. No doubt, a multitude of efforts …

Obstetric Risk In Pregnancy Interacts With Hair Cortisone Levels To Reduce Gestational Length, Wangira Musana, Craig R. Cohen, Miriam Kuppermann, Roy Gerona, Anthony Wanyoro, David Aguilar, Nicole Santos, Sandra J. Weiss, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Maternal psychological stress has been linked to preterm birth. However, the dierential contribution of psychological stress versus stress hormones is not clear. Studies focus primarily on perceived stress and cortisol, with few assessing its inter-convertible hormone cortisone. Furthermore, little is known about the potential moderating roles of obstetric risk and fetal sex in the relationship between maternal stress and gestational length. This gap in knowledge is particularly evident for rural women who typically experience chronic multiple stressors during pregnancy. We explored the relationship of hormonal and psychological stress to gestational length and the eects of obstetric risks and …

Differences In Hiv, Sti And Other Risk Factors Among Younger And Older Male Sex Workers Who Have Sex With Men In Nairobi, Kenya, Nicholas Muraguri, Jerry Okoth Okal, Marleen Temmerman, Helgar Musyoki, Peter Gichangi

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Introduction: Previous surveys of male sex workers (MSW) in sub-Saharan Africa have not fully documented the HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) rates and vulnerabilities by age category.

Methods: The bio-behavioral survey of MSW in Nairobi, Kenya, utilized respondent-driven sampling to recruit MSW. Structured interviews captured MSW's behavioral aspects, and biological tests for HIV and other STIs.

Results: Analysis of the two age categories, 18–24 years (younger MSW) and 25 years and above (older MSW), shows that of all participants, a significantly higher proportion of younger MSW (59.6% crude, 69.6% RDS-adjusted) were recruited compared to older MSW …

The Effect Of Resampling On Classifier Performance: Anempirical Study, Utomo Pujianto, Muhammad Iqbal Akbar, Niendhitta Tamia Lassela, Deni Sutaji

Knowledge Engineering and Data Science

An imbalanced class on a dataset is a common classification problem. The effect of using imbalanced class datasets can cause a decrease in the performance of the classifier. Resampling is one of the solutions to this problem. This study used 100 datasets from 3 websites: UCI Machine Learning, Kaggle, and OpenML. Each dataset will go through 3 processing stages: the resampling process, the classification process, and the significance testing process between performance evaluation values of the combination of classifier and the resampling using paired t-test. The resampling used in the process is Random Undersampling, Random Oversampling, and SMOTE. The classifier …

Duration Of Empiric Antibiotic Therapy In Young Febrile Infants, Emma Kelly, Tibisay Villalobos Md, Kristin M. Held Wheatley Pharmd, Bcop

Research Scholars

No abstract provided.

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Syphilis Screening Tool To Increase Patient Testing For Syphilis Among Adults 18 Years And Older In A Rural Primary Care Clinic, Valeria S. Wiggins

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are an increasing epidemic in the United States (U.S.) that need immediate interventions to reverse the effects of syphilis on the sexual health of adults in rural populations. Many are unaware of the growing rate of syphilis and the overall impact it causes nationally. When syphilis is detected early, it can be easily treated and cured. Rural primary care providers are ideal candidates for implementing education, screening, testing, and treatment.

Purpose: The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aims to increase the frequency of screening patients in rural primary care clinics for high-risk sexual behaviors. …

Clabsi’S: Reducing The Rates In An Urban Intensive Care Unit By Consistent Use Of The Central Line Maintenance Evaluation Tool (Clmet), Bridget Smith

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Quality improvement efforts from an urban facility have observed a need for staff education on the central line maintenance bundle and consistent surveillance with the Central Line Maintenance Evaluation Tool (CLMET).

Purpose: To address the practice gap of central line maintenance bundle usage at the bedside by utilizing the CLMET consistently.

Methods: A voluntary didactic program offered to staff and encouraging daily utilization of the CLMET that included real-time feedback by the supervisors.

Results: Pretest grade for the unit (n=13, 82.06) and the post-test grade (n=13, 86.33), which is + 4.27 points after education. Pre-implementation, January 1st through 31st, …

Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship For Healthcare Providers In An Urgent Care Setting To Reduce Antibiotic Misuse For Respiratory Infections, Ashley Pauldin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Antimicrobial resistance has been identified as a major threat by the World Health Organization (WHO), and antimicrobial stewardship is a key strategy to overcome resistance. A major contributing factor to this crisis is the inappropriate use of antibiotic prescriptions in outpatient settings. Although evidence-based guidelines on appropriate treatment for acute upper respiratory infections (URIs) have been developed, the need for improving provider and patient awareness and knowledge in the urgent care setting is critical.

Purpose: The purpose of the DNP project was to implement antimicrobial stewardship guidelines in the urgent care facility to decrease the misuse of antibiotic prescribing …

The Use Of The Centers For Disease Control (Cdc) Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship Program To Reduce Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescriptions Written For Sinusitis In A Rural Urgent Care Clinic Setting, Melanie Maddox

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: The discovery of antibiotics has been a significant success in fighting bacterial infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2018, inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics contributed to antibiotic-resistant conditions, which led to 2 million infections, and has killed about 23,000 Americans annually (Chaney, 2018: CDC, 2019). By 2050, 10 million people are expected to die globally due to bacterial resistance, with the cost potentially reaching $100 trillion (WHO, 2019).

Purpose: The purpose of the DNP Project is to decrease unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for the diagnosis of sinusitis in a rural urgent care clinic and increase provider awareness …

Worldwide Consequences Of Covid-19 On Research In Stem, Michelle Hoang, Santanu De

Biology Faculty Articles

A global public health emergency like the Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires accurate and timely data collection in the research community. High-impact research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been prioritized in the fight against COVID-19. The present study analyzed the consequences of COVID-19 on STEM research and the collaboration between research institutions and industries worldwide. It was noted that COVID19 had caused significant delays in non-COVID-19-related research projects and the onset of several remote studies. Most importantly, researchers in the STEM fields directed their attention and expertise to help mitigate virus transmission, treat patients, and …

Human / Nature

In Case You Missed It

JULY 2022

A Parallel Infodemic: Multifaceted Approaches To Online Public Health Mis- And Disinformation During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Erin Hutchins

UC Law Journal

During the COVID-19 pandemic, communities congregated in online spaces more than ever before. While some people found solidarity online, many others found snippets of false information regarding COVID-19’s origin, transmission, and preventative measures. Inaccurate public health information originated long before the COVID-19 pandemic, but it thrived as the uncertainty around daily living dragged on. The pandemic prompted a conversation about who, if anyone, is responsible for deciphering and regulating the spread of false and misleading information. This Note presents two methods in which inaccurate information can be redressed. First, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—which provides sweeping immunity for …

Adr Provisions To Inoculate The Vaccine Industry From Governmental Ip Takings, Mark Buck

Journal of Dispute Resolution

It started with a cough. It continued with a fever. After several days of treatment with over-the-counter medications without improvement, it became clear that Victor Villarroel Saavedra, an unvaccinated but otherwise in good health Bolivian physician, had contracted COVID-19 in the summer of 2020. By this point, Victor’s options were limited: seek at-home care or go to the hospital. After a few days of in-home care with nasal canal oxygen and nursing/physician oversight, he was eventually transferred to a hospital where he passed within the week. This all could have been avoided with a simple jab in the otherwise healthy …

Parent Attitudes Towards Childhood Vaccines After The Onset Of Sars-Cov-2 In The United States, Douglas J. Opel, Anna Furniss, Chuan Zhou, John D. Rice, Heather Spielvogle, Christine Spina, Cathryn Perreira, Jessica Giang, Jeffrey D. Robinson, Multiple Additional Authors

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: To understand the influence of a novel infectious disease epidemic on parent general attitudes about childhood vaccines.

Methods: We conducted a natural experiment utilizing cross-sectional survey data from parents of infants in Washington and Colorado participating in a larger trial that began on September 27, 2019. At enrollment, parents completed the short version of the Parental Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV-SF), a validated survey scored from 0-4, with higher scores representing more negative attitudes. The exposure variable was onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the US, with the before-period defined as September 27, 2019 –– February 28, …

Does Public Health Start Within Jails? A New Incentive For Reform Of Wisconsin's Bail System, Mahmood N. Abdellatif

Marquette Law Review

Wisconsin’s Milwaukee and Dane Counties are among many jurisdictions in the country employing modern bail reforms, specifically the Public Safety Assessment (PSA). Most of these jurisdictions adopted the PSA before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, but are increasingly relevant as the virus continues to derail public health measures. Through the intersection of detainees, correctional officers, judicial officials, attorneys, and visitors, millions of Americans filter in and out of correctional facilities on an annual basis. These facilities serve as a microcosm of society and breeding ground for mass infection. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified an existing need …

Comparative Susceptibility Of Eastern Cottontails And New Zealand White Rabbits To Classical Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (Rhdv) And Rhdv2, Fawzi Mohamed, Thomas Gidlewski, Mary L. Berninger, Heather M. Petrowski, Alexa J. Bracht, Carla Bravo De Rueda, Roger W. Barrette, Meredith Grady, Emily S. O'Hearn, Charles E. Lewis, Karen E. Moran, Tracy L. Sturgill, Lorenzo Capucci, J. Jeffrey Root

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is associated with high morbidity and mortality in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In 2010, a genetically distinct RHDV named RHDV2 emerged in Europe and spread to many other regions, including North America in 2016. Prior to this study it was unknown if eastern cottontails (ECT(s); Sylvilagus floridanus), one of the most common wild lagomorphs in the United States, were susceptible to RHDV2. In this study, 10 wild-caught ECTs and 10 New Zealand white rabbits (NZWR(s); O. cuniculus) were each inoculated orally with either RHDV (RHDVa/GI.1a; n = 5 per species) or RHDV2 (a recombinant …

Associative Learning In The Monodelphis Domestica Utilizing The Cpa Paradigm, Joseph Caleb Cantu

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to investigate associative learning in the Monodelphis domestica by utilizing the conditioned place aversion paradigm (CPA). The Monodelphis domestica has been used as an animal model for research in multiple fields; however, there is still little information regarding associative learning or utilizing a CPA paradigm. Expanding the literature of the Monodelphis domestica would be adding to the limited research concerning associative learning utilizing the CPA paradigm.

Quantifying Human Mobility Patterns During Disruptive Events With Geospatial Big Data, Yuqin Jiang

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding human mobility patterns is an essence for geography and geographical information science. Although existing studies have found that human mobility patterns are highly predictable, such patterns can be disrupted by events, ranging from sports games to natural hazard caused evacuations. However, traditional data collection methods that heavily rely on self-reported travel behaviors are often delayed and at a small scale, and thus are often not sufficient to reveal the disrupted human mobility patterns. Fortunately, with the development of geolocating-related technologies, multiple platforms are able to capture human mobility data in unprecedented spatiotemporal scales and granularities. These data, such as …

Solar Radiation And Soil Moisture Drive Tropical Forest Understory Responses To Experimental And Natural Hurricanes, J. Aaron Hogan, Joanne M. Sharpe, Ashley Van Beusekom, Sarah Stankavich, Samuel Matta Carmona, John E. Bithorn, Jamarys Torres-Díaz, Grizelle González, Jess K. Zimmerman, Aaron B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Tropical forest understory regeneration occurs rapidly after disturbance with compositional trajectories that depend on species availability and environmental conditions. To predict future tropical forest regeneration dynamics, we need a deeper understanding of how pulse disturbance events, like hurricanes, interact with environmental variability to affect understory demography and composition. We examined fern and sapling mortality, recruitment, and community composition in relation to solar radiation and soil moisture using 17 years of forest dynamics data (2003–2019) from the Canopy Trimming Experiment in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. Solar radiation increased 150% and soil moisture increased 40% following canopy trimming of experimental …

Does Media Affect Adherence To Covid-19 Quarantine Protocols?, Luz Suplico-Jeong, Reynaldo Bautista Jr., Noel Sajid Murad, Nelson Guillen Jr.

DLSU Business & Economics Review

The Philippines, which has experienced community quarantine from March 2020 to the present, is one country that has imposed quarantine protocols. Although the Philippine government imposes penalties on those who do not follow the quarantine protocols, the success of quarantine depends on the individual’s adherence to quarantine protocols. This study examined if media affected adherence to COVID-19 protocols. 334 residents from lloilo, Philippines were surveyed. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework, the results showed a positive relationship between (1) attitude and quarantine adherence, (2) controllability and quarantine adherence, and (3) media and quarantine adherence. This implies that …

Impact Of Covid-19 On The 2020 Financial Results Of Selected Philippine Publicly-Listed Companies, Cynthia P. Cudia, Ezra L. Panopio

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This paper evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the 2020 financial results of selected Philippine Publicly- Listed Companies (PLCs) in the Philippine Stock Exchange.. Using ratio analysis to determine the consequences of this infectious disease affecting PLCs, results show a decline in the percent-change in revenue, expenses, and net income from the average figures for 2017 to 2019 to corresponding figures for 2020. Content analysis revealed that most Philippine PLCs disclosed high and medium details as to the impact of COVID-19. Furthermore, the study’s results demonstrated that most PLCs provided qualitative or quantitative details about the respective measures …

Without Accommodation, Jennifer B. Shinall

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), workers with disabilities have the legal right to reasonable workplace accommodations provided by employers. Because this legal right is unique to disabled workers, these workers could, in theory, enjoy greater access to the types of accommodations that are desirable to all workers including the ability to work from home, to work flexible hours, and to take leave. This Article compares access to these accommodations, which have become increasingly desirable during the COVID-19 pandemic, between disabled workers and nondisabled workers. Using 2017-2018 data from the American Time Use Survey's Leave and Job Flexibilities Module, …

Wetlands As Social Ecological Systems, And Relationality In The Policy Domain, Pierre Horwitz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A wetland policy perspective based on social ecological systems accepts that wetlands are part of landwaterscapes, that people are part of wetland ecosystems, and that the health of wetlands and the health of people are interdependent, evidence of the close, reciprocal and indivisible relationships between nature and culture. These relationships are storied and place-based, associated with place attachment, and are representations of relational values. They are most easily located wherever and whenever Indigenous and local peoples’ knowledge and interests are at play in wetland settings. Legal and administrative processes that recognise Chthonic law and rights for wetlands will elevate relational …

Sustainability In Clinical Practice: A Cross-National Comparative Study Of Nursing Students, Jennie Aronsson, Anna Anåker, Marie Elf, Janet Richardson

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BACKGROUND: Delivering health care negatively influences the environment and contributes to climate change. This study examined how nursing students in England and Sweden can make changes in clinical practice to enhance environmental sustainability. METHOD: Third-year undergraduate nursing students at English and Swedish universities responded to open-ended questions on the Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Students in both countries identified lack of confidence as the main barrier to challenging unsustainable practice, followed by a resistance to change in practice. English students predominantly changed their own behavior or influenced the practice of others. Swedish …

Reducing Inpatient Falls And Falls With Injury, Constance Leigh Cannon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Patient falls are a costly problem for many inpatient hospitals and are exacerbated by poor training of nursing and ancillary staff. The researcher sought to determine if there was a difference in inpatient falls and falls with injury after a hospital facility in the Southwestern United States revised its fall prevention policy, reorganized its fall prevention committee, and provided new interventions for nurses assessing patients for fall risk. In this quantitative, retrospective, comparative project, the researcher reviewed data from 2017–2020 related to the facility’s fall prevention program, including its new interventions and efforts to involve patients in their safety and …

Analysis Of An Antibiotic Stewardship Program For Asymptomatic Bacteriuria In The Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Larissa Grigoryan, Aanand D Naik, Paola Lichtenberger, Christopher J Graber, Payal K Patel, Dimitri M Drekonja, Timothy P Gauthier, Bhavarth Shukla, Anne E Sales, Sarah L Krein, John N Van, Laura M Dillon, Sylvia J Hysong, Jennifer R Kramer, Annette Walder, David Ramsey, Barbara W Trautner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Antibiotic stewardship for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is an important quality improvement target. Understanding how to implement successful antibiotic stewardship interventions is limited.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a quality improvement stewardship intervention on reducing unnecessary urine cultures and antibiotic use in patients with ASB.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This interrupted time series quality improvement study was performed at the acute inpatient medical and long-term care units of 4 intervention sites and 4 comparison sites in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system from October 1, 2017, through April 30, 2020. Participants included the clinicians who order or collect …

A Descriptive Analysis Of An Instructional Coaching Process And Its Impact On Student Reading Learning Outcomes, Frederico Leon Rowe

Theses and Dissertations

Instructional coaching has become a widely used method that focuses on improving teacher effectiveness and enhancing professional growth that might help teachers focus on individual needs, growth in teaching and learning, and sharing best practices with others. Instructional coaches have the potential to bridge that gap. The mixed methods study was conducted to describe the instructional coaching process among grades 2 through 5 teachers. The qualitative differences were similarities between the literacy coach’s and the mathematics coach’s procedures and processes in goal setting, observations, meetings, conferences, and feedback. For grades 2 and 3, the non-coaching group had lower pre-reading scores …

Dying Of Pestilence: Gender, Stature, And Mortality From The Black Death In 14th Century Kyrgyzstan, David Wayne Hansen Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Bioarchaeological studies have provided important information about mortality patterns during the Second Pandemic of Plague, including the Black Death, but to date have focused exclusively on European contexts. This study represents a temporal and spatial expansion of plague bioarchaeology, focusing on Central Asia, the origin of the Second Pandemic. I examine the relationship between stature, gender, and plague mortality during an outbreak of plague at two fortified settlements in northern Kyrgyzstan in 1338-39, the earliest archaeological sites known to contain victims of the Black Death in Eurasia.

Stature is frequently used in bioarchaeology as a proxy for exposures to developmental …

Impact Of Embedded Cross-Reactivity Alert For Penicillin-Allergic Patients, Brianna Holumzer, Amy Slenker Md, Eric Young Md, Kathryn Zaffiri Mph, Jarrod W. Kile Rphd

Research Scholars

No abstract provided.

Reshaping The Tumor Microenvironment With Oncolytic Viruses, Positive Regulation Of The Immune Synapse, And Blockade Of The Immunosuppressive Oncometabolic Circuitry, Teresa T Nguyen, Dong Ho Shin, Sagar Sohoni, Sanjay K Singh, Yisel Rivera-Molina, Hong Jiang, Xuejun Fan, Joy Gumin, Frederick F Lang, Christopher Alvarez-Breckenridge, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino, Lisha Zhu, W Jim Zheng, Lijie Zhai, Erik Ladomersky, Kristen L Lauing, Marta M Alonso, Derek A Wainwright, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Juan Fueyo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Oncolytic viruses are considered part of immunotherapy and have shown promise in preclinical experiments and clinical trials. Results from these studies have suggested that tumor microenvironment remodeling is required to achieve an effective response in solid tumors. Here, we assess the extent to which targeting specific mechanisms underlying the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment optimizes viroimmunotherapy.

Methods: We used RNA-seq analyses to analyze the transcriptome, and validated the results using Q-PCR, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence. Viral activity was analyzed by replication assays and viral titration. Kyn and Trp metabolite levels were quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation …