Digital Commons Network^™

N95 Respirator Reuse, Decontamination Methods, And Microbial Burden: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Zi Yang Jiang, Zhen Huang, Isaac Schmale, Eric L Brown, Michael C Lorenz, Scott J Patlovich, Karan Goswami, Hannah B Wilson, Jumah Ahmad, Ronda Alexander, William Bryan, Luke Burke, Martin J Citardi, Jose Elias, Tang Ho, Jack Jacob, Garren Low, Pedro Miramón, Aniruddha U Patki, William C Yao, Amber U Luong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: to evaluate the effectiveness and ease of N95 respirator decontamination methods in a clinic setting and to identify the extent of microbial colonization on respirators associated with reuse.

METHODS: In a prospective fashion, N95 respirators (n = 15) were randomized to a decontamination process (time, dry heat, or ultraviolet C light [UVC]) in outpatient clinics. Each respirator was re-used up to 5 separate clinic sessions. Swabs on each respirator for SARS-CoV-2, bacteria, and fungi were obtained before clinic, after clinic and post-treatment. Mask integrity was checked after each treatment (n = 68). Statistical analyses were performed to determine factors …

Discourse Of Renewal: A Qualitative Analysis Of The University Of Montana’S Covid-19 Crisis Communication, Haley Renae Gabel

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a public health crisis that has affected lives and impacted organizations across the world. The pandemic has interrupted student learning and threatened universities nationwide. Crises are trying times for organizations, and when faced with a crisis, an organization has an obligation to keep its members informed; therefore, it must carefully choose how to respond and communicate about the crisis. This study uses discourse of renewal theory as a lens to analyze the University of Montana’s communication about COVID-19, studying 37 pages of university emails and documents on the university website. Results indicate that …

Camp Quest Leader Perspectives On Virtual Summer Camps Options During Pandemics, Timothy James Cummings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summer overnight camping, a noteworthy childhood leadership growth opportunity, has suffered greatly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Camp Quest, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides federated support services and governance to 12 independent nationwide camping organizations, was forced to cancel all of its in-person sessions. Hence, they now face an existential crisis that perhaps virtual camping sessions (i.e., camping activities performed remotely and online using computer equipment) can mitigate. Accordingly, this generic qualitative professional administrative study sought to understand and describe the perspectives of the camping leaders related to their experiences with virtual camping so that their mission …

Relationship Between Employee Perception Of Work Experience, Employee Perception Of Supervisors, And Intent To Leave, Kathryn F. Denning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover can be costly; estimates for recruiting and training new hires are between 90% and 200% of the employee's annual salary. Understanding employee intent to leave is critical for managers to reduce turnover rates. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between federal government agency employees' perception of their work experience, employee perception of supervisors, and employee intent to leave. Secondary data from 359,120 completed surveys from the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) were analyzed. The results of the binary logistic regression were significant, X2 (359,120) = 17609.539, …

Impact Of Teleworking During Covid-19 Of Stress And Job Satisfaction For College Students, Dona G. Foreman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The widespread outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) engulfed the United States and other countries across the world. This pandemic imposed restrictions which demanded a large majority of the population to telework, to close schools, and to close child-care facilities. One of the primary benefits of teleworking was the autonomy. However, the pandemic has now created an environment where the boundary of work and home are difficult to define. College students working from home during the pandemic are now faced with the responsibility of monitoring the virtual learning of their school-age children. his study was developed from the theoretical base of …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Literacy Instruction With Autistic Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Heather Ann Marzenski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFamilies and educators have voiced concerns about the literacy skills of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the situation. Pandemic era studies have demonstrated the ramifications that students with ASD have faced, including regression of literacy skills, lower grades, lack of support services, and subpar instruction. Teachers' perceptions remained unexamined in the pandemic era studies. The purpose of this basic qualitative dissertation was to examine teachers’ perceptions about the materials and strategies used to deliver literacy instruction during the pandemic for students with ASD. The conceptual frameworks that underpinned this study were self-determination theory …

Relationship Between Employee Perception Of Work Experience, Employee Perception Of Supervisors, And Intent To Leave, Kathryn F. Denning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover can be costly; estimates for recruiting and training new hires are between 90% and 200% of the employee's annual salary. Understanding employee intent to leave is critical for managers to reduce turnover rates. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between federal government agency employees' perception of their work experience, employee perception of supervisors, and employee intent to leave. Secondary data from 359,120 completed surveys from the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) were analyzed. The results of the binary logistic regression were significant, X2 (359,120) = 17609.539, …

Taking Account Of Asymptomatic Infections: A Modeling Study Of The Covid-19 Outbreak On The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship, Li-Shan Huang, Li Li, Lucia Dunn, Mai He

Open Access Publications

The COVID-19 outbreak on the Diamond Princess (DP) cruise ship has provided empirical data to study the transmission potential of COVID-19 with the presence of pre/asymptomatic cases. We studied the changes in R0 on DP from January 21 to February 19, 2020 based on chain binomial models under two scenarios: no quarantine assuming a random mixing condition, and quarantine of passengers in cabins-passengers may get infected either by an infectious case in a shared cabin or by pre/asymptomatic crew who continued to work. Estimates of R0 at the beginning of the epidemic were 3.27 (95% CI, 3.02-3.54) and 3.78 (95% …

Guidelines For Conducting Virtual Cognitive Interviews During A Pandemic, James A Shepperd, Gabrielle Pogge, Jean M Hunleth, Sienna Ruiz, Erika A Waters

Open Access Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged researchers working in physical contact with research participants. Cognitive interviews examine whether study components (most often questionnaire items) are worded or structured in a manner that allows study participants to interpret the items in a way intended by the researcher. We developed guidelines to conduct cognitive interviews virtually to accommodate interviewees who have limited access to the internet. The guidelines describe the essential communication and safety equipment requirements and outline a procedure for collecting responses while maintaining the safety of the participants and researchers. Furthermore, the guidelines provide suggestions regarding training of participants to use …

Clinical Prediction Rule For Sars-Cov-2 Infection From 116 U.S. Emergency Departments 2-22-2021, Jeffrey A. Kline, Stacey House, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

OBJECTIVES: Accurate and reliable criteria to rapidly estimate the probability of infection with the novel coronavirus-2 that causes the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) and associated disease (COVID-19) remain an urgent unmet need, especially in emergency care. The objective was to derive and validate a clinical prediction score for SARS-CoV-2 infection that uses simple criteria widely available at the point of care.

METHODS: Data came from the registry data from the national REgistry of suspected COVID-19 in EmeRgency care (RECOVER network) comprising 116 hospitals from 25 states in the US. Clinical variables and 30-day outcomes were abstracted from medical records …

Cxcl17 Is A Specific Diagnostic Biomarker For Severe Pandemic Influenza A(H1n1) That Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome, Jose Alberto Choreño-Parra, Shabaana A Khader, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 17 (CXCL17) is chemotactic for myeloid cells, exhibits bactericidal activity, and exerts anti-viral functions. This chemokine is constitutively expressed in the respiratory tract, suggesting a role in lung defenses. However, little is known about the participation of CXCL17 against relevant respiratory pathogens in humans. Here, we evaluated the serum levels and lung tissue expression pattern of CXCL17 in a cohort of patients with severe pandemic influenza A(H1N1) from Mexico City. Peripheral blood samples obtained on admission and seven days after hospitalization were processed for determinations of serum CXCL17 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The …

Association Of Circulating Sex Hormones With Inflammation And Disease Severity In Patients With Covid-19, Sandeep Dhindsa, Nan Zhang, Michael J. Mcphaul, Zengru Wu, Amit K. Ghoshal, Emma C. Erlich, Kartik Mani, Gwendalyn J. Randolph, John R. Edwards, Philip A. Mudd, Abhinav Diwan

Open Access Publications

Importance: Male sex is a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19 illness. It is not known whether sex hormones contribute to this predisposition.

Objective: To investigate the association of concentrations of serum testosterone, estradiol, and insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1, concentrations of which are regulated by sex hormone signaling) with COVID-19 severity.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study was conducted using serum samples collected from consecutive patients who presented from March through May 2020 to the Barnes Jewish Hospital in St Louis, Missouri, with COVID-19 (diagnosed using nasopharyngeal swabs).

Exposures: Testosterone, estradiol, and IGF-1 concentrations were measured at …

Characteristics And Outcomes Among Us Patients Hospitalized For Ischemic Stroke Before Vs During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Adam De Havenon, John P. Ney, Brian Callaghan, Samuel Hohmann, Ernie Shippey, Shadi Yaghi, Mohammad Anadani, Jennifer J. Majersik

Open Access Publications

Importance: After the emergence of COVID-19, studies reported a decrease in hospitalizations of patients with ischemic stroke (IS), but there are little to no data regarding hospitalizations for the remainder of 2020, including outcome data from a large cohort of patients with IS and comorbid COVID-19.

Objective: To assess hospital discharge rates, demographic factors, and outcomes of hospitalization associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among US patients with IS before vs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Vizient Clinical Data Base on 324 013 patients with IS at 478 nonfederal hospitals …

Clinical And Immunological Factors That Distinguish Covid-19 From Pandemic Influenza A(H1n1), José Alberto Choreño-Parra, Shabaana A Khader, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a global health threat with the potential to cause severe disease manifestations in the lungs. Although COVID-19 has been extensively characterized clinically, the factors distinguishing SARS-CoV-2 from other respiratory viruses are unknown. Here, we compared the clinical, histopathological, and immunological characteristics of patients with COVID-19 and pandemic influenza A(H1N1). We observed a higher frequency of respiratory symptoms, increased tissue injury markers, and a histological pattern of alveolar pneumonia in pandemic influenza A(H1N1) patients. Conversely, dry cough, gastrointestinal symptoms and interstitial lung pathology were …

Identify. Quantify. Predict. Why Immunologists Should Widely Use Molecular Imaging For Coronavirus Disease 2019, Freimut D Juengling, Antonio Maldonado, Frank Wuest, Thomas H Schindler

Open Access Publications

Molecular imaging using PET/CT or PET/MRI has evolved from an experimental imaging modality at its inception in 1972 to an integral component of diagnostic procedures in oncology, and, to lesser extent, in cardiology and neurology, by successfully offering

Outcomes Associated With Social Distancing Policies In St Louis, Missouri, During The Early Phase Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elvin H. Geng, Joshua Schwab, Randi Foraker, Branson Fox, Christine M. Hoehner, Mario Schootman, Aaloke Mody, William Powderly, Byron Yount, Keith Woeltje, Maya Petersen

Open Access Publications

Importance: In the absence of a national strategy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many public health decisions fell to local elected officials and agencies. Outcomes of such policies depend on a complex combination of local epidemic conditions and demographic features as well as the intensity and timing of such policies and are therefore unclear.

Objective: To use a decision analytical model of the COVID-19 epidemic to investigate potential outcomes if actual policies enacted in March 2020 (during the first wave of the epidemic) in the St Louis region of Missouri had been delayed.

Design, Setting, and Participants: A previously …

Racial Disparities In The Sofa Score Among Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19, Benjamin Tolchin, Carol Oladele, Deron Galusha, Nitu Kashyap, Mary Showstark, Jennifer Bonito, Michelle C. Salazar, Jennifer L. Herbst, Steve Martino, Nancy Kim, Katherine A. Nash, Max Jordan Nguemeni Tiako, Shireen Roy, Rebeca Vergara Greeno, Karen Jubanyik

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score predicts probability of in-hospital mortality. Many crisis standards of care suggest the use of SOFA scores to allocate medical resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Are SOFA scores elevated among Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients hospitalized with COVID-19, compared to Non-Hispanic White patients?

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study conducted in Yale New Haven Health System, including 5 hospitals with total of 2681 beds. Study population drawn from consecutive patients aged ≥18 admitted with COVID-19 from March 29th to August 1st, 2020. Patients excluded from the analysis if not their first …

Public Preferences For Social Distancing Policy Measures To Mitigate The Spread Of Covid-19 In Missouri, Ingrid Eshun-Wilson, Aaloke Mody, Virginia Mckay, Matifadza Hlatshwayo, Cory Bradley, Vetta Thompson, David V. Glidden, Elvin H. Geng

Open Access Publications

Importance: Policies to promote social distancing can minimize COVID-19 transmission but come with substantial social and economic costs. Quantifying relative preferences among the public for such practices can inform locally relevant policy prioritization and optimize uptake.

Objective: To evaluate relative utilities (ie, preferences) for COVID-19 pandemic social distancing strategies against the hypothetical risk of acquiring COVID-19 and anticipated income loss.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This survey study recruited individuals living in the Missouri area from May to June 2020 via randomly distributed unincentivized social media advertisements and local recruitment platforms for members of minority racial and ethnic groups. Participants answered …

Mortality In Hemodialysis Patients With Covid-19, The Effect Of Paricalcitol Or Calcimimetics, María Dolores Arenas Jimenez, Adriana S Dusso, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: In COVID-19 patients, low serum vitamin D (VD) levels have been associated with severe acute respiratory failure and poor prognosis. In regular hemodialysis (HD) patients, there is VD deficiency and markedly reduced calcitriol levels, which may predispose them to worse outcomes of COVID-19 infection. Some hemodialysis patients receive treatment with drugs for secondary hyperparathyroidism, which have well known pleiotropic effects beyond mineral metabolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of VD status and the administration of active vitamin D medications, used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism, on survival in a cohort of COVID-19 positive HD patients. …

Using Lorenz Curves To Measure Racial Inequities In Covid-19 Testing, Aaloke Mody, Kristin Pfeifauf, Elvin H. Geng

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Understanding Drivers Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Racial Disparities: A Population-Level Analysis Of Covid-19 Testing Among Black And White Populations, Aaloke Mody, Kristin Pfeifauf, Cory Bradley, Branson Fox, Matifadza G. Hlatshwayo, Will Ross, Vetta Sanders-Thompson, Karen Joynt Maddox, Mat Reidhead, Mario Schootman, William G. Powderly, Elvin H. Geng

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Disparities in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing-the pandemic's most critical but limited resource-may be an important but modifiable driver of COVID-19 inequities.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the Missouri State Department of Health and Senior Services on all COVID-19 tests conducted in the St Louis and Kansas City regions. We adapted a well-established tool for measuring inequity-the Lorenz curve-to compare COVID-19 testing rates per diagnosed case among Black and White populations.

RESULTS: Between 14/3/2020 and 15/9/2020, 606 725 and 328 204 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the St Louis and Kansas City regions, respectively. Over time, Black individuals consistently …

Divergent Attitudes Regarding The Benefits Of Face Masks In Aviation Colleges And Universities, Andrew R. Dattel, Peiheng Gao, Hanzi Xie, Maxine E. Lubner

Publications

Opinions and practices regarding face masks (FM) to attenuate COVID-19’s spread remains polarized across the United States. We examined whether these attitudes extend to the aviation collegiate community. A 14-question survey was sent to 90 aviation colleges and universities throughout the country. Responses were solicited from students, faculty, and staff. Of the 598 respondents, 77% were students, 13% were faculty, and 10% were staff. Pilots comprised 66% of the respondents. A Principal Component Analysis reduced the questions to two scales: Benefits and Inconvenience. Females, non-pilots, and older respondents reported greater benefits to wearing a FMand fewer inconveniences. A multiple regression …

2020/2021 State Of Metropolitan Housing Report: Covid-19 And The Struggle To Stay Safe At Home In Louisville, Ky ..., Lauren Heberle, Kelly Kinahan, Rebecca Halpryn

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Seismic Shifts: The Covid-19 Pandemic's Gendered Fault Lines And Implications For International Law, Shruti Rana

Faculty Publications

As we look towards the pandemic's end, this article examines the pandemic's impacts on the international legal order through a gendered lens. It argues that in the short-term, the pandemic reinforces public-private divides in international law, reinvigorating previous debates over the state's power in social relations-its role in protecting people from, as opposed to perpetrating, harm. It argues that in the long-term, these developments threaten to unravel the most recent gains in international law and global governance that have operated to support and expand the recognition of human rights to marginalised groups. Left unaddressed, this unraveling will further entrench such …

Undergraduate Students’ Perspectives On Mental Health Services, Resources, And Supports During Covid-19: A Qualitative Dissertation, Amy Hutson Chatham

All ETDs from UAB

During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased isolation from supportive relationships, uncertainty about the future, fear of illness, and lack of traditional life-events took a toll on university student mental health. It is important to understand undergraduate students’ mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and their desires for support from their institutions of higher education. Existing studies have documented increased rates of depression, stress, and anxiety among university undergraduates; however, these studies rarely illuminate students’ perspectives on mental health services, resources, and supports that they need during and because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This phenomenological study explored the perspectives of undergraduate …

An Analysis Of Preterm Birth Related To Sars-Cov-2 Infection By Race, Madeleine B. Mcgwin

All ETDs from UAB

Research investigating the association between pregnant women with COVID-19 infection and adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, having been contradicting. Individual differences between study populations, e.g., racial composition, may explain some of these inconsistencies. The aim of the present study is to determine if the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and pre-term birth varies according to race. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Vizient Clinical Data Base/Research Manager (CDB/RM). The study participants were women who gave birth in one of the Vizient facilities between March 2020 and January 2021. A positive COVID-19 test status was the primary exposure …

Probable Selective Compounds For Inhibition Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection: A Review, Nagaraju Rajendraprasad

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The world is severely facing the pandemic COVID-19 Corona viral disease. Many people died and more than five millions are fighting for their life in the world. The viral candidate has become to play villain role for the real life due to non-availability of medication. In this background attempt is made to present a review report on the probable and effective compounds to inhibit the viral activity of SARS-CoV-2. The works on the use of plant-based and synthetic compounds to suppress the viral functioning is summarized. Wherever possible, the mechanism of action with the results and effect of dose are …

Kinesthetic Learners During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Occupational Therapy Students’ Perspective On E-Learning, Michael Stamm, Kailey Francetic, Regina Reilly, Angela Tharp, Nicole Thompson, Ryleigh Weidenhamer

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of the study was to understand the perspective of kinesthetic learners in an online learning environment. A Microsoft Forms survey was created and distributed to the sample population using the university electronic mailing list. If self-identified as kinesthetic learners, subjects were asked to participate in a semi-structured focus group. Twenty-six subjects responded to the survey, with 73% (n=19) identifying as kinesthetic learners. Quantitative results showed subjects felt most confident in content comprehension but less confident in clinical application. Qualitative data collection led to emergence of the following four themes—advantages, disadvantages, accommodations to e-learning, and external factors. …

The Right To Mental Health In Yemen, Waleed Alhariri, Amanda Mcnally, Sarah Knuckey

Faculty Scholarship

Mental health issues are all too common consequences of conflict and atrocity crimes, often causing upwards of one-quarter of the post-conflict, post-atrocity population to suffer from physical and mental sequelae that linger long after weapons have been silenced. After more than six years of ongoing conflict, Yemen’s already weak health care system is on the brink of collapse, and population resilience has been severely stressed by indiscriminate attacks, airstrikes, torture, food insecurity, unemployment, cholera, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines Yemen’s responsibilities regarding the right to mental health and details the few actions the government has taken to …

Bursting The Auto Loan Bubble In The Wake Of Covid-19, Pamela Foohey

Scholarly Works

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, auto loans outstanding in the United States had soared to record highs. The boom in lending spanned new and used cars and traditional and subprime loans. With loan delinquencies also hitting new highs almost every quarter, predictions that the auto lending market could burst soon abounded. When the economy came to a grinding halt and unemployment skyrocketed in the wake of the pandemic, auto lenders knew they were facing a crisis. Throughout 2020, auto lenders granted more payment forbearances to consumers, while slashing interest rates on new loans. Auto manufacturers similarly made promises to buyers, such …