Digital Commons Network^™

Hla Class I Associations With The Severity Of Covid-19 Disease In The United Arab Emirates, Guan K. Tay, Halima Alnaqbi, Sarah Chehadeh, Braulio Peramo, Farah Mustafa, Tahir A. Rizvi, Bassam H. Mahboub, Maimunah Uddin, Nawal Alkaabi, Eman Alefishat, Herbert F. Jelinek, Habiba Alsafar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

SARS-CoV-2 appears to induce diverse innate and adaptive immune responses, resulting in different clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Due to their function in presenting viral peptides and initiating the adaptive immune response, certain Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) alleles may influence the susceptibility to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, 92 COVID-19 patients from 15 different nationalities, with mild (n = 30), moderate (n = 35), and severe (n = 27) SARS-CoV-2 infection, living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were genotyped for the Class I HLA -A, -C, and -B alleles using next-generation sequencing (NGS) between the period of May 2020 …

Neutralization, Effector Function And Immune Imprinting Of Omicron Variants, Amin Addetia, James Brett Case, Suzanne M Scheaffer, Bradley Whitener, Michael S Diamond, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants have acquired convergent mutations at hot spots in the receptor-binding domain

Personal Protective Equipment Use Among Dental Healthcare Personnel During The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic And The Impact Of An Educational Video In Clinical Practice, Lucy C Vogt, Kimberly A Reske, Daniel Park, Tracey Habrock Bach, Henry B Stewart, Olivia G Arter, Daniel Stoeckel, Heidi M Steinkamp, Stephen Y Liang, Michael J Durkin, Jennie H Kwon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Dental healthcare personnel (DHCP) are at high risk of exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We sought to identify how DHCP changed their use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to pilot an educational video designed to improve knowledge of proper PPE use.

DESIGN: The study comprised 2 sets of semistructured qualitative interviews.

SETTING: The study was conducted in 8 dental clinics in a Midwestern metropolitan area.

PARTICIPANTS: In total, 70 DHCP participated in the first set of interviews; 63 DHCP participated in the second set of interviews.

METHODS: In September-November 2020 …

Evaluation Of Plasma Biomarkers To Predict Major Adverse Kidney Events In Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19, Steven Menez, Madhurima Kaushal, Sanjay Jain, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are at increased risk for major adverse kidney events (MAKE). We sought to identify plasma biomarkers predictive of MAKE in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: A total of 576 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 2020 and January 2021 across 3 academic medical centers.

EXPOSURE: Twenty-six plasma biomarkers of injury, inflammation, and repair from first available blood samples collected during hospitalization.

OUTCOME: MAKE, defined as KDIGO stage 3 acute kidney injury (AKI), dialysis-requiring AKI, or mortality up to 60 days.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Cox proportional hazards regression …

Comparison Of Bivalent And Monovalent Sars-Cov-2 Variant Vaccines: The Phase 2 Randomized Open-Label Covail Trial, Angela R Branche, Rachel M Presti, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Vaccine protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection wanes over time, requiring updated boosters. In a phase 2, open-label, randomized clinical trial with sequentially enrolled stages at 22 US sites, we assessed safety and immunogenicity of a second boost with monovalent or bivalent variant vaccines from mRNA and protein-based platforms targeting wild-type, Beta, Delta and Omicron BA.1 spike antigens. The primary outcome was pseudovirus neutralization titers at 50% inhibitory dilution (ID

Covid: The Sound Of Silence, Saptarshi Biswas

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

COVID brought its toll of deaths. Something the human race has not experienced in recent times. Something almost unimaginable in the modern world! But having joined a new hospital and moved to a sleepy old town, COVID gave me a sense of solitude I have not experienced for eons. There are times you wonder at the endless ocean in front of you and communicate with your inner soul.

Who Left The Hospital Against Medical Advice During The Early Covid-19 Pandemic?, Bryan Werner, Se Won Lee

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Patients leaving against medical advice (AMA) presents a challenge to hospitals as they try to manage costs and improve patient outcomes in an ever-increasing competitive market. Investigating AMA discharges that occurred during the early COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to better understand this phenomenon and be better prepared for the future.

Methods

This retrospective analysis of 34 379 patients from a nationwide private healthcare system across 20 states analyzed patients during the early stages of the pandemic who chose to leave against medical advice (AMA) after being admitted with COVID-19 infection and identified several patient characteristics associated with …

Covid-19 Disease Characterization And Outcomes Comparison In Pediatrics, Rachel Rowland, Abigail Schauble, Brendon Cornett

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

It has been reported that children experience less severe COVID-19 symptoms than adults; however, the literature that supports this idea is evolving. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively characterize hospitalized COVID-19-positive pediatric patients with a focus on the assessment of risk factors for poorer outcomes, mortality, and evaluation of interventions utilized and associated clinical outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a multi-center retrospective chart review of patients 18 years old or younger who were COVID-19 positive and admitted to any US HCA Healthcare Pediatric service line between January 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020. We identified 6081 children across …

Gold Nanoparticle-Based Strategies Against Sars-Cov-2: A Review, Yousef Rasmi, Kevser K. Kırboğa, Johra Khan, Ena Gupta, Fadia Mostafa, Murali M. Yallapu, Fernanda Pilaquinga

School of Medicine Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been an immense threat to global public health and has also had a negative socioeconomic impact worldwide. However, although the pandemic is now under control, it has demonstrated that society is unprepared to use analysis methods that are applicable to various types of viruses nor apply new therapies to prevent infections, considering the extensive time needed for vaccine development. The use of nanomaterial-based diagnostics and therapeutics can provide essential strategies for both virus detection and treatment. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are the nanomaterials most commonly used to enhance virus …

Small Historically Black Colleges And Universities Bridging Social Capital: The Use Of Language, Tone And Content To Share Information On Instagram, Pamela Peters

Journal of Research Initiatives

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained higher education institutions, especially small Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). As campuses closed and reopened, Black communities' digital divide grew, adding to the need to stay connected. This study uses social capital to examine how institutions use language, tone, content, and information to bridge social capital. An analysis of 35 small liberal arts HBCUs’ Instagram posts was undertaken to compare post frequency, types of information, engagement, tone, language, and content in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pandemic, 2020 and 2021. This study indicates that post-oversaturation in 2020 and 2021 and information …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Student Preparedness In Introductory English Composition Courses, Christopher W. Guillory

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

The rapid spread of COVID-19, which lead to a global pandemic, caused educational systems to switch from face-to-face learning to some form of online or remote delivery. This abrupt change in learning may have impacted students’ ability to be successful in college. The purpose of this study was to compare the passage rate of students enrolled in an English composition course before the spread of COVID-19 and after the spread of COVID-19. This study used Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory, which looks at how people adapt to changes in their surroundings, and Astin’s Student Involvement Theory, which looks at people’s …

Workload And Stress Level In Non-Covid-19 Zoning Nurses At National Central Public Hospital Jakarta, Zakiyah Zakiyah, Ulfah Nuraini Karim, Aliana Dewi, Siti Nuraini, Aan Sutandi, Rony Darmawansyah Alnur

Kesmas

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the workload for nurses directly handling COVID-19 patients and those working in non-COVID-19 zones. As the number of COVID-19 cases rises, nurses face psychological problems, including stress. This study aimed to determine the relationship between workload and stress levels in a non-COVID-19 zoning ward using a cross-sectional approach and Spearman’s correlation test conducted on 94 nurses at one hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia, selected through simple random sampling. The workload questionnaire with 15 items and the DASS 42 questionnaire were used to measure stress levels. The results indicated that most nurses (73.4%) experienced a heavy workload. …

The Prevalence Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Adolescents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chinenye Lynette Ejezie, Lara S Savas, Casey Durand, Ross Shegog, Paula Cuccaro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among adolescents has steadily improved over the past several years. However, research conducted to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted this positive trend in HPV vaccine initiation among racial and ethnic minority adolescents is limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine if the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting changes in the US health-care sector affected the increasing HPV vaccine initiation among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic adolescents aged 13-17 years.

METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design to examine data from the National Immunization Survey-Teen (2019-2021), logistic regression and moderation analysis were used to model race-specific variations …

Adherence Model To Cervical Cancer Treatment In The Covid-19 Era, María Luisa Quintero Soto, Javier Carreón Guillén, José Marcos Bustos Aguayo, Jorge Hernández Valdes, Gilberto Bermúdez Ruíz, Francisco Espinoza Morales, Arturo Sanchez Sanchez, Celia Yaneth Quiroz Campas Campas, Rosa María Rincón Ornelas, María Del Rosario Molina González, Cruz García Lirios

Baghdad Science Journal

Cervical Uterine Cancer is a disease that explains the vulnerability in which women are in terms of reproductive health with an impact on occupational health and public health, even when in Mexico the prevalence rate is lower than the other member countries of the OECD, its impact on Human Development and Local Development shows the importance that the disease have in communities more than in cities where prevention policies through check-ups and medical examinations seem to curb the trend, but show the lack of opportunities and capacities of health centers in rural areas. To establish the reliability, validity, and correlations …

The Impact Of Vaccinations And Chronic Disease On Covid Death Rates, James L. Doti

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

This study presents a theoretical and empirical regression model to measure the efficacy of vaccinations in reducing COVID death rates across states over the 3/10/21 to 12/28/22 period. During that period, it was estimated that the availability of vaccinations resulted in a reduction of 427,000 COVID deaths in the nation. To arrive at that estimate, other covariants were held constant. In particular, it was found that chronic disease should be included as an explanatory variable to arrive at unbiased measures of the efficacy of vaccinations in reducing deaths. In addition, the percentage of people over the age of 65 was …

A Relationship Study Of Coronavirus (Covid-19) Infection, Blood Groups, And Some Related Factors In Iraqi Patients, Alyaa M. Zyara, Atheer Abdulrazzaq Aldoori, Farah Thamer Samawi, Shaymaa Ismael Kadhim, Zainab Anwar Ali

Baghdad Science Journal

Many studies of the relationship between COVID-19 and different factors have been conducted since the beginning of the corona pandemic. The relationship between COVID-19 and different biomarkers including ABO blood groups, D-dimer, Ferritin and CRP, was examined. Six hundred (600) patients, were included in this trial among them, 324 (56%) females and the rest 276 (46%) were males. The frequencies of blood types A, B, AB, and O were 25.33, 38.00, 31.33, and 5.33%, respectively, in the case group. Association analysis between the ABO blood group and D-dimer, Ferritin and CRP of COVID-19 patients indicated that there was a statistically …

Post Covid-19 Effect On Medical Staff And Doctors' Productivity Analysed By Machine Learning, Maitham G. Yousif, Khalid Hashim, Salman Rawaf

Baghdad Science Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the healthcare sector and the productivity of medical staff and doctors. This study employs machine learning to analyze the post-COVID-19 impact on the productivity of medical staff and doctors across various specialties. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 960 participants from different specialties between June 1, 2022, and April 5, 2023. The study collected demographic data, including age, gender, and socioeconomic status, as well as information on participants' sleeping habits and any COVID-19 complications they experienced. The findings indicate a significant decline in the productivity of medical staff and doctors, with an average reduction …

Comparative Analysis Of Mfo, Gwo And Gso For Classification Of Covid-19 Chest X-Ray Images, Asraa M. Mohammad, Hussien Attia, Yossra H. Ali

Baghdad Science Journal

Medical images play a crucial role in the classification of various diseases and conditions. One of the imaging modalities is X-rays which provide valuable visual information that helps in the identification and characterization of various medical conditions. Chest radiograph (CXR) images have long been used to examine and monitor numerous lung disorders, such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, atelectasis, and hernia. COVID-19 detection can be accomplished using CXR images as well. COVID-19, a virus that causes infections in the lungs and the airways of the upper respiratory tract, was first discovered in 2019 in Wuhan Province, China, and has since been thought …

Igg3 Subclass Antibodies Recognize Antigenically Drifted Influenza Viruses And Sars-Cov-2 Variants Through Efficient Bivalent Binding, Marcus J. Bolton, Jefferson J.S. Santos, Claudia P. Arevalo, Trevor Griesman, Megan Watson, Shuk Hang Li, Paul Bates, Holly Ramage, Patrick C. Wilson, Scott E. Hensley

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

The constant domains of antibodies are important for effector functions, but less is known about how they can affect binding and neutralization of viruses. Here, we evaluated a panel of human influenza virus monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) expressed as IgG1, IgG2, or IgG3. We found that many influenza virus-specific mAbs have altered binding and neutralization capacity depending on the IgG subclass encoded and that these differences result from unique bivalency capacities of the subclasses. Importantly, subclass differences in antibody binding and neutralization were greatest when the affinity for the target antigen was reduced through antigenic mismatch. We found that antibodies expressed …

Child Care Costs In The Mountain West, 2021, Mohit Pande, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet examines data on child care costs in five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, from the Child Care Aware of America’s (CCAoA) report “Price of Care: 2021 Child Care Affordability.” The original report includes data on the cost of child care and the percent of yearly income allocated to child care for married and single parents. The report analyzes single family respondents and the impact of child care on work schedules. The report also provides information on the state of the child care workforce, including annual incomes of child care workers and the …

A Comprehensive Drosophila Resource To Identify Key Functional Interactions Between Sars-Cov-2 Factors And Host Proteins, Annabel Guichard, Shenzhao Lu, Oguz Kanca, Daniel Bressan, Yan Huang, Mengqi Ma, Sara Sanz Juste, Jonathan C Andrews, Kristy L Jay, Marketta Sneider, Ruth Schwartz, Mei-Chu Huang, Danqing Bei, Hongling Pan, Liwen Ma, Wen-Wen Lin, Ankush Auradkar, Pranjali Bhagwat, Soo Park, Kenneth H Wan, Takashi Ohsako, Toshiyuki Takano-Shimizu, Susan E Celniker, Michael F Wangler, Shinya Yamamoto, Hugo J Bellen, Ethan Bier

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Development of effective therapies against SARS-CoV-2 infections relies on mechanistic knowledge of virus-host interface. Abundant physical interactions between viral and host proteins have been identified, but few have been functionally characterized. Harnessing the power of fly genetics, we develop a comprehensive Drosophila COVID-19 resource (DCR) consisting of publicly available strains for conditional tissue-specific expression of all SARS-CoV-2 encoded proteins, UAS-human cDNA transgenic lines encoding established host-viral interacting factors, and GAL4 insertion lines disrupting fly homologs of SARS-CoV-2 human interacting proteins. We demonstrate the utility of the DCR to functionally assess SARS-CoV-2 genes and candidate human binding partners. We show that …

Finding Data Pathways Through The ‘Pandemic Pilgrimage Boom’: Embedded-Like Research, Covid-19, And The British Pilgrimage Trust, Eleanor O’Keeffe

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This article reviews claims that the United Kingdom experienced a ‘pandemic pilgrimage boom’. It contributes findings from an ‘embedded-like’ research project, which drew on data created by the British Pilgrimage Trust (BPT) – a heritage and wellbeing charity that hosts a website hub to support pilgrimage action in the UK – to debate about the impact of COVID-19 on pilgrimage practice. These findings show how a set of uses and meanings about pilgrimage, particularly its affordances for mental health and emotional wellbeing, have resonated during the pandemic, especially at moments of heightened social stress. This has generated greater social traction …

Understanding Risk Perception And Xenophobic Attitudes During The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic In The United States, Sera Yoo, William Eger, Ashley Moore, Emily Miron, Marney A. White

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Introduction: There have been over 87 million cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States (US).

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a novel questionnaire to assess risk perception of COVID-19 and xenophobic attitudes among adults in the US at the beginning of the pandemic.

Methods: An anonymous self-report questionnaire was developed for this study in February 2020, and was distributed using convenience sampling from March 10 to March 25, 2020. The questionnaire assessed knowledge and risk perceptions of COVID-19, as well as attitudes toward individuals of various races and ethnicities.

Results: 662 US adults …

Coping With Covid Through Tangled And Social Media, Maram Alturky

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

In response to the events of COVID-19 in 2020, social content creators found connections between their lives and the life of Rapunzel as represented in Disney’s 2010 retelling of the Rapunzel tale, Tangled. To show these connections, YouTube videos were made to highlight the similarities between people’s lives under quarantine and Rapunzel’s containment in the tower. While these videos were seemingly made to play on current life events, they illustrate the many ways in which fairy tales have been used to bridge the fantastical and reality when attempting to cope with trauma. This article explores the connections between fairy tales …

Rapid Direct Detection Of Sars-Cov-2 Aerosols In Exhaled Breath At The Point Of Care, Dishit P Ghumra, Nishit Shetty, Kevin R Mcbrearty, Joseph V Puthussery, Benjamin J Sumlin, Woodrow D Gardiner, Brookelyn M Doherty, Jordan P Magrecki, Jane A O'Halloran, Rachel M Presti, Traci L Bricker, Adrianus C M Boon, Carla M Yuede, John R Cirrito, Rajan K Chakrabarty, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Airborne transmission via virus-laden aerosols is a dominant route for the transmission of respiratory diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Direct, non-invasive screening of respiratory virus aerosols in patients has been a long-standing technical challenge. Here, we introduce a point-of-care testing platform that directly detects SARS-CoV-2 aerosols in as little as two exhaled breaths of patients and provides results in under 60 s. It integrates a hand-held breath aerosol collector and a llama-derived, SARS-CoV-2 spike-protein specific nanobody bound to an ultrasensitive micro-immunoelectrode biosensor, which detects the oxidation of tyrosine amino acids present in SARS-CoV-2 viral particles. Laboratory …

When Kinship Caregivers Became Teachers: Role Stress And Strain From Remote Learning During Covid-19, Amanda Klein-Cox, Angela Tobin, Ramona Denby

Social Work Faculty Research

For caregivers of school-age children, schooling at home was a significant stressor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research demonstrates the emotional burden of taking on the role of teacher while trying to balance responsibilities related to work, household, and childcare. Yet little is known about the well-being of kinship caregivers during this time, although this population is at heightened risk for role stress and strain and emotional distress. This article shares the results of focus groups conducted as part of a larger qualitative study, the purpose of which was to understand the factors that influenced the well-being of kinship families during …

A Case Study On How Hbcus Use Social Media To Reduce Uncertainty Of Covid-19, Kelsey Anne-Gabrielle Armstrong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study aims to understand how HBCUs use social media to deliver crisis communication messages to students about COVID-19 and how the HBCU culture impacts student perspectives. The theory guiding this study is uncertainty reduction theory (Berger & Calabrese, 1974), as it explains the communication strategies used to reduce uncertainty during a crisis. Data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews and content analysis. Data analysis strategies included deductive and inductive coding and directed content analysis. The study results provide insight into how the HBCU culture impacts the perspective of an HBCUs response to COVID-19 and overall crisis communication messaging …

The Lived Experiences Of Nursing Students Spiritual Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Research Study, Pamela Williams-Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine the concept of the spiritual well-being of senior-level nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research was reinforced by Parse's (1992) human becoming theory which contains the construct of spirituality. Student nurses are “knowing beings" with a sense of purpose, constantly propelling themselves toward possibilities and freely choosing personal meaning in situations in an intersubjective process of relating value priorities. This study will also be reinforced by the conceptual framework of the spiritual framework of coping by Gall et al. (2005). This framework was used to guide the nursing students' …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Leadership Development And Burnout Among Korean Immigrant Church Leaders In The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Jinwon Seo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The global outbreak and pandemic of COVID-19 is an unprecedented event that causes many people to experience psychological, spiritual, and social health crises as well as physical crisis. There is limited empirical research existed on the influence of COVID-19 on church leaders, particularly within the Korean immigrant community. A phenomenological approach was adopted, utilizing semi-structured individual interviews with Korean immigrant church leaders to explore their lived experiences during the pandemic. The findings revealed three primary themes: change, support, and burnout. Korean immigrant church leaders demonstrated balanced leadership development in guiding, providing, and protecting roles, but also experienced exhaustion due to …

Remote Learning In Collegiate Instrumental Courses: The Impact Of Remote Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Future Of Remote Learning, Beverly R. Gard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

During the 2020-2022 COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges were required to transition to a remote learning platform. This was a new concept to many professors and proved to impact college courses, including courses that relied on in-person learning and interactions, such as instrumental music courses. Courses were affected because teaching and learning methods that applied to in-person learning were not entirely possible with remote learning due to the mandates of social distancing and the lack of face-to-face instruction. Many music professors were required to make necessary changes to the curriculum, teaching styles, and educational technologies. Courses required new and innovative ways …