Poetry and prose: Mediating and modeling faculty member mental health and wellness

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has resulted in an amplified focus on mental health and wellness for post-secondary education students, educators, and administrators. Knowledge regarding the mental health and wellness of educators and administrators within post-secondary institutions and the support mechanisms available are limited, but during this time of crisis have become increasingly necessary. Relationships and interactions that were once organic in nature are now occurring through alternative virtual methods, and we propose that communal creative writing provides a space for building rapport and reenergizing ourselves and our students. A Creative Writing Community established within a Faculty of Education is mediating and modeling the types of critical-collaborative spaces needed for pre-service teachers and adult/mature educators and researchers in a post-COVID-19 pandemic world. Unnecessary divides between creative and academic approaches to writing are bridged as the skills and techniques required to compose poetry and prose reveal an innovative and independent means of expression with the potential to promote mental health and wellness among post-secondary education stakeholders. This poetic inquiry case study delivers practical recommendations for facilitating community problem-solving, promoting educator and administrator well-being, and developing pedagogical/andragogical solutions and strategies for application within online and remote teaching and learning platforms. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Bladder Cancer Patients' Utilization of Urologic Telehealth Services

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Infection control practices and public policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic shifted healthcare practices towards a telemedicine format. Even two years after peak onset of the pandemic, many clinics, including our own institution, maintain a working telehealth option for patient visits, with some patients even preferring this modality of care delivery. Our objective was to evaluate patient utilization of telehealth visits versus inperson visits at our institution and whether this was impacted by demographics, medical history, and socioeconomic factors. METHOD(S): Medical Record Numbers for all patients with bladder cancer were pulled via accessible billing-level data from the period 7/1/2019-2/28/2022. Chart review was conducted to pull clinical data on patients including telehealth versus in person visits, demographic data, clinical stage, comorbidities (diabetes, smoking status, BMI), rural/urban status by zip code (>50,000, <50,000 individuals) and income levels by zip code (25K-49.9K, 50K-99.9K, <100K), payor status, patient distance, and gas savings/carbon footprint. RESULT(S): 430 patients completed in person visits while 268 completed telehealth visits. There was no statistically significant difference for in person visits vs. telehealth visits regarding patients' race (p=0.541), ethnicity (p=0.394) age (p=0.862), urban/rural status (p=0.507), payor status (p=0.127), mean zip code income (p=0.175), and comorbidities (p=0.626 for diabetes, p=0.706 for smoking, p=0.459 for BMI), and clinical stage (p=0.07). There was a statistically significant difference in mean distance (14.85 miles versus 26.86 miles, p<0.01). CONCLUSION(S): Post-pandemic, telehealth usage and acceptability among patients with bladder cancer remains high. Patients' with bladder cancer receive care from their urologist via in person visits versus telehealth at similar rates irrespective of their urban/rural status, demographics, payor status, relevant comorbidities, or relative income. Patients are more likely to engage in care with their urologist via telehealth if they live farther from a large urban academic center, which produces an economical and environmental impact via gas/time savings and reduced carbon footprint.

Universal SARS-CoV-2 Testing Among Obstetrical Patients (UNIVERSE-OB) in Ottawa, Canada

Objectives: Universal testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within birthing units is an effective strategy to contain infection and estimate community prevalence. Given the high-prevalence of COVID-19 cases in Ontario, the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of active and recovered SARS-CoV-2 infection among pregnant individuals in Ottawa through universal SARS-CoV-2 and serology testing. Methods: From October 19th to November 27th, 2020, pregnant individuals admitted to triage assessment units at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) were consented for SARS-CoV-2 testing. Swab and serology samples were analyzed using digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was defined as a positive result for immunoglobulin (Ig) G, either alone or in combination with IgM and/or IgA. Results: From the 395 enrolled participants, 284 swab and 353 serology samples were collected. We found that 18 of 395 (4.6%) participants had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure: 2/284 (0.70%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 16/353 (4.5%) were positive for anti–SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Seropositive participants were similar to seronegative participants in terms of demographics, clinical characteristics, and pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions: The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 ddPCR positivity and seropositivity in the obstetrical population at TOH was 0.70% and 4.5%, respectively in the fall of 2020. According to local public health data, the infection rate peaked at 0.6% during the study time period. Universal SARS-CoV-2 testing programs may help approximate community prevalence, however, justification of this strategy depends on testing capabilities and the local context of COVID-19 infection. Keywords: pregnancy;COVID-19;SARS-CoV-2;universal testing;seroprevalence

IDENTIFYING STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO USE OF DIGITAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGY

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic magnified the digital health divide among marginalized populations when health systems scaled back inperson visits as a public health precaution. We conducted this qualitative study during the pandemic to solicit patient and provider perceptions of use of digital health programs (patient portals, telemedicine, remote hypertension/diabetes monitoring) and to inform strategies to surmount barriers to accessing remote care. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 patients and 29 primary care providers (PCPs) from northern and southeastern Louisiana who were recruited within an integrated delivery health system and an FQHC between May and July 2021. We used constant comparative method of grounded theory to identify themes. Commonalities/differences in perspectives between patients and PCPs were analyzed. RESULTS:Most patients recruited to the study self-identified as Black (68%), female (73%), mean age 51, lived in an urban area (77%), and had Medicaid (58%). Most PCPs were White (79%), male (52%), mean age 39, and reported Medicaid as the predominant insurer (59%). Most patients reported using smartphones for accessing the internet for health and non-health activities. Some participants used apps to track their health but noted internet/data/storage limits. PCPs noted increased uptake of misinformation on the internet prompting them to proactively recommend websites and apps. Most patients had used a patient portal and reported convenience of messaging their PCP, getting refills, scheduling appointments, and reviewing test results. PCPs noted a concurrent increase in their in-basket workload with a particular concern for frequent messaging like cellphone texting. Most patients had telemedicine video visits using their smartphones - some of which converted to audio when technology problems arose. Patients and PCPs noted telemedicine is appropriate for routine follow-up but preferred in-person visits. PCPs noted additional workflow disruption when moving from in-person to video visits in the same clinic session. Few patients were enrolled in a digital health program for remote monitoring;however, patients and PCPs agreed these programs provide valuable adjuncts to chronic care. PCPs reported patient limitations in accessing such programs due to the need for smartphones/internet/WiFi and select insurance coverage which can lead to further disparities in access to care. CONCLUSIONS: Health policies that support broadband/internet/ smartphone service as a standard utility and insurance coverage for digital health programming are paramount for surmounting major patient barriers. Clinical practice procedures which optimize technical support for patients and providers are also needed. RESULTS: Of the 236 women in the study, there was a mean age of 66.5 years ± 7.1;67 self-identified as Black, 93 as White, 49 as Hispanic and 16 as Other. Median CA anxiety score was 3 while DM anxiety score was 2.5 (p<0.001). For the anxiety groups, 67 (28%) were in the high CA/high DM group, 52 (22%) in the high CA/low DM group, 15 (6%) in the low CA/high DM group, and 94 (39%) in the low CA/low DM group. Participants in the high CA/low DMand low CA/low DMgroups were more likely to adhere to a healthy diet (73% and 71% compared with 51% for high CA/high DM and 53% for low CA/high DM, p= 0.02). They also had an increased likelihood of consuming at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily (69% and 57% vs. 45% for high CA/high DM and 40% for low CA/high DM, p= 0.03) and adhering to oral DM medications (62% and 75% vs. 52% for high CA/high DM and 20% for low CA/high DM, p= 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Older breast cancer survivors with DM have different levels of anxiety about CA versus DM and those with high DM anxiety are less likely to adhere to DMSMBs. Our findings suggest that increased anxiety might hinder one's ability to achieve disease control, making anxiety management vital to supporting patient adherence and health.

Recognition of Protein Network for Bioinformatics Knowledge Analysis Using Support Vector Machine.

Protein is the material foundation of living things, and it directly takes part in and runs the process of living things itself. Predicting protein complexes helps us understand the structure and function of complexes, and it is an important foundation for studying how cells work. Genome-wide protein interaction (PPI) data is growing as high-throughput experiments become more common. The aim of this research is that it provides a dual-tree complex wavelet transform which is used to find out about the structure of proteins. It also identifies the secondary structure of protein network. Many computer-based methods for predicting protein complexes have also been developed in the field. Identifying the secondary structure of a protein is very important when you are studying protein characteristics and properties. This is how the protein sequence is added to the distance matrix. The scope of this research is that it can confidently predict certain protein complexes rapidly, which compensates for shortcomings in biological research. The three-dimensional coordinates of C atom are used to do this. According to the texture information in the distance matrix, the matrix is broken down into four levels by the double-tree complex wavelet transform because it has four levels. The subband energy and standard deviation in different directions are taken, and then, the two-dimensional feature vector is used to show the secondary structure features of the protein in a way that is easy to understand. Then, the KNN and SVM classifiers are used to classify the features that were found. Experiments show that a new feature called a dual-tree complex wavelet can improve the texture granularity and directionality of the traditional feature extraction method, which is called secondary structure.

THE LINK BETWEEN DELIRIUM AND DEMENTIA

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Cognitive predictors of social adjustment in pediatric brain tumor survivors treated with photon versus proton radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric brain tumor survivors are at risk for poor social outcomes. It remains unknown whether cognitive sparing with proton radiotherapy (PRT) supports better social outcomes relative to photon radiotherapy (XRT). We hypothesized that survivors treated with PRT would outperform those treated with XRT on measures of cognitive and social outcomes. Further, we hypothesized that cognitive performance would predict survivor social outcomes. PROCEDURE: Survivors who underwent PRT (n = 38) or XRT (n = 20) participated in a neurocognitive evaluation >1 year post radiotherapy. Group differences in cognitive and social functioning were assessed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Regression analyses examined predictors of peer relations and social skills. RESULTS: Age at evaluation, radiation dose, tumor diameter, and sex did not differ between groups (all p > .05). XRT participants were younger at diagnosis (XRT M = 5.0 years, PRT M = 7.6 years) and further out from radiotherapy (XRT M = 8.7 years, PRT M = 4.6 years). The XRT group performed worse than the PRT group on measures of processing speed (p = .01) and verbal memory (p < .01); however, social outcomes did not differ by radiation type. The proportion of survivors with impairment in peer relations and social skills exceeded expectation; χ2 (1) = 38.67, p < .001; χ2 (1) = 5.63, p < .05. Household poverty predicted peer relation difficulties (t = 2.18, p < .05), and verbal memory approached significance (t = -1.99, p = .05). Tumor diameter predicted social skills (t = -2.07, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of radiation modality, survivors are at risk for social challenges. Deficits in verbal memory may place survivors at particular risk. Results support monitoring of cognitive and social functioning throughout survivorship, as well as consideration of sociodemographic risk factors.

Generational differences in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among college students

Purpose of Study The objective of this study was to identify generational differences in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among college students. Methods Used An online survey was conducted between September and October 2021 to the student body at Louisiana State University Shreveport to compare COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the following generations: Baby Boomers (1955-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), Millennials (1981- 1996), and Generation Z (1997-2000). Summary of Results Among the 339 participants, 66.8% were female, 28.5% male, 2.4% non-binary, and 2.4% other. Regarding their race, 64% were White, 16% African American, 9.8% selected two or more races or other, 6% Middle Eastern or North African, 5% Hispanic/Latinx, 2.7% Asian, and 1.2% Native American or Alaska Native. Among the generations who participated in the study, 43.2% were from Generation Z (GZ), 31.8% Millennials (M), 21.9% Generation X (GX), and 3% Baby Boomer (BB). Of the participants who selected that they had not received the COVID-19 vaccine, Generation Z (53.8%) reported the highest number, followed by Millennials (26.1%). In addition, when asked if participants planned to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, over half of Generation Z reported that they did not plan to get the vaccine compared to 19.7% of Generation X and 1.7% of Baby Boomers. Interestingly, when asked if FDA approval made them feel more confident in the vaccine's safety, the data suggests no statistical significance between groups. The leading causes for vaccine hesitancy among Generation Z were not trusting the COVID-19 vaccine (56.7%), and concerns about unknown long-term side effects of the vaccine (68.3%). Conclusions Of the generational groups, Generation Z college students report low rates of COVID-19 vaccination and intention of receiving the vaccine. This fact may have implications for herd immunity for college campuses across the nation.

Sniffing out COVID-19

Drivers crossing into Singapore at the Tuas Checkpoint have always had to show their passports or work visas. Since May, however, the 200,000 daily travelers have also had to provide a different kind of information: the molecular makeup of their breath. Each driver rolls down their window and exhales into a large, disposable, cigar-sized mouthpiece connected to a mass spectrometer. In less than 6o s, their breath sample is analyzed to determine whether they have COVID-19.

Thrombotic Events in COVID-19 Are Associated With a Lower Use of Prophylactic Anticoagulation Before Hospitalization and Followed by Decreases in Platelet Reactivity.

Background: Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a prothrombotic state and a high incidence of thrombotic event(s) (TE). Objectives: To study platelet reactivity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and determine a possible association with the clinical outcomes thrombosis and all-cause mortality. Methods: Seventy nine hospitalized COVID-19 patients were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study and provided blood samples in which platelet reactivity in response to stimulation with ADP and TRAP-6 was determined using flow cytometry. Clinical outcomes included thrombotic events, and all-cause mortality. Results: The incidence of TE in this study was 28% and all-cause mortality 16%. Patients that developed a TE were younger than patients that did not develop a TE [median age of 55 vs. 70 years; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.96 per 1 year of age, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92-1.00; p = 0.041]. Furthermore, patients using preexisting thromboprophylaxis were less likely to develop a thrombotic complication than patients that were not (18 vs. 54%; AOR = 0.19, 95% CI 0.04-0.84; p = 0.029). Conversely, having asthma strongly increased the risk on TE development (AOR = 6.2, 95% CI 1.15-33.7; p = 0.034). No significant differences in baseline P-selectin expression or platelet reactivity were observed between the COVID-19 positive patients (n = 79) and COVID-19 negative hospitalized control patients (n = 21), nor between COVID-19 positive survivors or non-survivors. However, patients showed decreased platelet reactivity in response to TRAP-6 following TE development. Conclusion: We observed an association between the use of preexisting thromboprophylaxis and a decreased risk of TE during COVID-19. This suggests that these therapies are beneficial for coping with COVID-19 associated hypercoagulability. This highlights the importance of patient therapy adherence. We observed lowered platelet reactivity after the development of TE, which might be attributed to platelet desensitization during thromboinflammation.