Letter to the Editor Response: Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Stakeholders in African American and Latinx Communities in the Deep South Through the Lens of the Health Belief Model.

The purpose of this submission to respond to a Letter to the Editor recently submitted regarding our manuscript, "Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Stakeholders in African American and Latinx Communities in the Deep South through the Lens of the Health Belief Model" published in the American Journal of Health Promotion in February, 2022. The manuscript reported on a study that had as its purpose to qualitatively explore perceptions related to COVID-19 vaccination intention among African American and Latinx participants and suggest potential intervention strategies.

A critical review of microplastic degradation and material flow analysis towards a circular economy.

The resilience and low cost of plastics has made their usage ubiquitous, but is also the cause of their prevalence and longevity as waste. Plastic pollution has become a great concern to the health and wellbeing of ecosystems around the world; microplastics are a particular threat, due to their high mobility, ease of ingestion by wildlife, and ability to adsorb and carry toxic contaminants. Material flow analysis has been widely applied to examine stocks and flows of materials in other industries, and has more recently been applied to plastics to examine areas where waste can reach the environment. However, while much research has gone into the environmental fate of microplastics, degradation strategies have been a lesser focus, and material flow analysis of microplastics has suffered from lack of data. Furthermore, the variety of plastics, their additives, and any contaminants pose a significant challenge in degrading (and not merely fragmenting) microplastic particles. This review discusses the current degradation strategies and solutions for dealing with existing and newly-generated microplastic waste along with examining the status of microplastics-based material flow analysis, which are critical for evaluating the possibility of incorporating microplastic waste into a circular economy. The degradation strategies are critically examined, identifying challenges and current trends, as well as important considerations that are frequently under-reported. An emphasis is placed on identifying missing data or information in both material flow analysis and degradation methods that could prove crucial in improving understanding of microplastic flows, as well as optimizing degradation strategies and minimizing any negative environmental impact.

Hydrothermal deconstruction of single-use personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To minimise the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there has been a substantial increase in the production and usage of synthetic personal protective equipment (PPE) globally. Consequently, single-use PPE have been widely adopted without appropriate regulations for their disposal, leading to extensive environmental contamination worldwide. This study investigates the non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction of different PPE items, including isolation gowns, gloves, goggles, face shields, surgical masks, and filtering-facepiece respirators. The selected PPE items were subjected to hydrothermal deconstruction for 90 min in the presence of 30-bar initial oxygen pressure, at temperatures ranging between 250 °C and 350 °C. The solid content in form of total suspended solids (TSS) was reduced up to 97.6%. The total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) decreased with increasing deconstruction temperature, and at 350 °C the lowest tCOD and sCOD content of 546.6 mg/L and 470 mg/L, respectively, was achieved. Short-chained volatile fatty acids were produced after 90 min of deconstruction, predominantly acetic acid at concentrations up to 8974 mg/L. Ammonia nitrogen content (NH3-N) of up to 542.6 mg/L was also detected. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and unreacted oxygen (O2) were the main gaseous by-products at up to 15.6% (w/w) and 88.7% (w/w), respectively. The findings suggest that non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction is a viable option to process and manage PPE waste.

Hydrothermal deconstruction of single-use personal protective equipment: process design and economic performance.

Increased demand for single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a marked increase in the amount of PPE waste and associated environmental pollution. Developing efficient and environmentally safe technologies to manage and dispose of this PPE waste stream is imperative. We designed and evaluated a hydrothermal deconstruction technology to reduce PPE waste by up to 99% in weight. Hydrothermal deconstruction of single-use PPE waste was modelled using experimental data in Aspen Plus. Techno-economic and sensitivity analyses were conducted, and the results showed that plant scale, plant lifetime, discount rate, and labour costs were the key factors affecting overall processing costs. For a 200 kg/batch plant under optimal conditions, the cost of processing PPE waste was found to be 10 NZD/kg (6 USD/kg), which is comparable to the conventional practice of autoclaving followed by landfilling. The potential environmental impacts of this process were found to be negligible; meanwhile, this practice significantly reduced the use of limited landfill space.

Antimicrobial polymeric composites for high-touch surfaces in healthcare applications.

Antimicrobial polymer composites have long been utilized in the healthcare field as part of the first line of defense. These composites are desirable in that they pose a minimal risk of developing contagions with antibiotic resistance. For this reason, the field of antimicrobial composites has seen steady growth over recent years and is becoming increasingly important during the current COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we first review the need of the antimicrobial polymers in high tough surfaces, the antimicrobial mechanism, and then the recent advances in the development of antimicrobial polymer composite including the utilization of intrinsic antimicrobial polymers, the addition of antimicrobial additives, and new exploration of surface patterning. While there are many established and developing methods of imbuing a material with antimicrobial activity, there currently is no standard quantification method for these properties leading to difficulty comparing the efficacy of these materials within the literature. A discussion of the common antimicrobial characterization methods is provided along with highlights on the need of a standardized quantification of antiviral and antibacterial properties in testing to allow ease of comparison between generated libraries and to facilitate proper screening. We also discuss and comment on the current trends of the development of antimicrobial polymer composites with long-lasting and specific antimicrobial activities, nontoxic properties, and environmental friendliness against a broad-spectrum of microbes.

Ultraviolet-C Irradiation, Heat, and Storage as Potential Methods of Inactivating SARS-CoV-2 and Bacterial Pathogens on Filtering Facepiece Respirators.

The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 to Aotearoa/New Zealand in February 2020 triggered a massive response at multiple levels. Procurement and sustainability of medical supplies to hospitals and clinics during the then upcoming COVID-19 pandemic was one of the top priorities. Continuing access to new personal protective equipment (PPE) was not guaranteed; thus, disinfecting and reusing PPE was considered as a potential alternative. Here, we describe part of a local program intended to test and implement a system to disinfect PPE for potential reuse in New Zealand. We used filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) coupons inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 or clinically relevant multidrug-resistant pathogens (Acinetobacter baumannii Ab5075, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 LAC and cystic-fibrosis isolate Pseudomonas aeruginosa LESB58), to evaluate the potential use of ultraviolet-C germicidal irradiation (UV-C) or dry heat treatment to disinfect PPE. An applied UV-C dose of 1000 mJ/cm2 was sufficient to completely inactivate high doses of SARS-CoV-2; however, irregularities in the FFR coupons hindered the efficacy of UV-C to fully inactivate the virus, even at higher UV-C doses (2000 mJ/cm2). Conversely, incubating contaminated FFR coupons at 65 °C for 30 min or 70 °C for 15 min, was sufficient to block SARS-CoV-2 replication, even in the presence of mucin or a soil load (mimicking salivary or respiratory secretions, respectively). Dry heat (90 min at 75 °C to 80 °C) effectively killed 106 planktonic bacteria; however, even extending the incubation time up to two hours at 80 °C did not completely kill bacteria when grown in colony biofilms. Importantly, we also showed that FFR material can harbor replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 for up to 35 days at room temperature in the presence of a soil load. We are currently using these findings to optimize and establish a robust process for decontaminating, reusing, and reducing wastage of PPE in New Zealand.

Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Stakeholders in African American and Latinx Communities in the Deep South Through the Lens of the Health Belief Model.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore perceptions related to COVID-19 vaccination intention among African American and Latinx participants and suggest intervention strategies. APPROACH: Ninety minute virtual focus groups (N = 8), segmented by county, race and ethnicity were conducted with stakeholders from 3 vulnerable Alabama counties. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N = 67) were primarily African American and Latinx, at least 19 years, and residents or stakeholders in Jefferson, Mobile, and Dallas counties. SETTING: Focus groups took place virtually over Zoom. METHODS: The semi-structured guide explored perceptions of COVID-19, with an emphasis on barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake. Focus groups lasted approximately 90 minutes and were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by a team of 3 investigators, according to the guidelines of Thematic Analysis using NVivo 12. To provide guidance in the development of interventions to decrease vaccine hesitancy, we examined how themes fit with the constructs of the Health Belief Model. RESULTS: We found that primary themes driving COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, ordered from most to least discussed, are mistrust, fear, and lack of information. Additionally, interventions to decrease vaccine hesitancy should be multi-modal, community engaged, and provide consistent, comprehensive messages delivered by trusted sources.

Encapsulation and controlled release of vitamin C in modified cellulose nanocrystal/chitosan nanocapsules.

Vitamin C (VC), widely used in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, is susceptible to degradation, and new formulations are necessary to maintain its stability. To address this challenge, VC encapsulation was achieved via electrostatic interaction with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTMAC)-chitosan (GCh) followed by cross-linking with phosphorylated-cellulose nanocrystals (PCNC) to form VC-GCh-PCNC nanocapsules. The particle size, surface charge, degradation, encapsulation efficiency, cumulative release, free-radical scavenging assay, and antibacterial test were quantified. Additionally, a simulated human gastrointestinal environment was used to assess the efficacy of the encapsulated VC under physiological conditions. Both VC loaded, GCh-PCNC, and GCh-Sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) nanocapsules were spherical with a diameter of 450 â€‹± â€‹8 and 428 â€‹± â€‹6 â€‹nm respectively. VC-GCh-PCNC displayed a higher encapsulation efficiency of 90.3 â€‹± â€‹0.42% and a sustained release over 14 days. The release profiles were fitted to the first-order and Higuchi kinetic models with R2 values greater than 0.95. VC-GCh-PCNC possessed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity with a minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of 8-16 â€‹µg/mL. These results highlight that modified CNC-based nano-formulations can preserve, protect and control the release of active compounds with improved antioxidant and antibacterial properties for food and nutraceutical applications.

Barriers to Advancement in Academic Medicine: the Perception Gap Between Majority Men and Other Faculty.

BACKGROUND: According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, women comprise 26% of full professors and 19% of medical school department chairs. African American and Latino faculty comprise 4.6% of full professors and 6.9% of department chairs. OBJECTIVE: Because of the lack of representation of women and racial/ethnic minority faculty at the highest levels of academic medicine, this study examines the perceptions of barriers to advancement by men and women academic medical school faculty of differing races and ethnicities to explore potential differences in perceptions by demographic group. DESIGN: Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted between July and September 2017. PARTICIPANTS: In order to give all faculty a chance to participate, faculty of all ranks and specialties were recruited from one southeastern medical school to participate in the study. APPROACH: Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by 3 members of the research team using an inductive approach to thematic analysis. Participants were organized into 4 groups for analysis-underrepresented in medicine (URiM) women, majority women, URiM men, majority men. KEY RESULTS: Sixty-four faculty consented to participate in the study (56.2% women, 34.4% URiM). Subthemes were grouped under three main themes: Perceptions of Barriers to Advancement of Women Faculty, Perceptions of Barriers to Advancement of African American and Latino Faculty, and Perceptions of the Institutional Climate for Diversity. Majority men tended to voice distinctly different perspectives than the other three demographic groups, with the most notable differences between majority men and URiM women. Majority  men tended to suggest that the advancement of women and URiM faculty was acceptable or getting better, the lack of URiM faculty in leadership was due mainly to pipeline issues, and women choose not to advance to leadership positions. CONCLUSION: We found that participant gender and race/ethnicity shaped perspectives of medical school faculty advancement in distinct ways.

Rapid Review of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 Viability, Susceptibility to Treatment, and the Disinfection and Reuse of PPE, Particularly Filtering Facepiece Respirators.

In the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, hospitals are often stretched beyond capacity. There are widespread reports of dwindling supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly N95-type filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), which are paramount to protect frontline medical/nursing staff, and to minimize further spread of the virus. We carried out a rapid review to summarize the existing literature on the viability of SARS-CoV-2, the efficacy of key potential disinfection procedures against the virus (specifically ultraviolet light and heat), and the impact of these procedures on FFR performance, material integrity, and/or fit. In light of the recent discovery of SARS-CoV-2 and limited associated research, our review also focused on the closely related SARS-CoV-1. We propose a possible whole-of-PPE disinfection solution for potential reuse that could be rapidly instituted in many health care settings, without significant investments in equipment.

Solar light active silver/iron oxide/zinc oxide heterostructure for photodegradation of ciprofloxacin, transformation products and antibacterial activity.

This paper reports on the multitasking potential of a silver/iron oxide/zinc oxide (Ag/Fe2O3/ZnO) heterostructure, which was used for the photocatalytic decomposition of ciprofloxacin (CPX) and bacterial disinfection. The Ag/Fe2O3/ZnO heterostructure was successfully prepared using a facile precipitation method, and characterization results showed interesting structural, morphological, compositional and luminescent properties. The morphological results of the prepared heterostructure confirmed the deposition of Ag nanoparticles onto the surface of ZnO nanoplates and Fe2O3 nanorods. Treatment studies showed that the Ag/Fe2O3/ZnO heterostructure had superior solar light driven photocatalytic activity towards CPX degradation (76.4%) compared to bare Fe2O3 nanorods (43.2%) and ZnO nanoplates (63.1%), Ag/Fe2O3 (28.2%) and Ag/ZnO (64.5%) under optimized conditions (initial CPX concentration: 10 mg/L; pH 4; catalyst loading: 0.3 g/L). Reactive species study confirmed the roles of e-, h+, OH and O2- in the photocatalytic degradation process. This photocatalytic behaviour of the Ag/Fe2O3/ZnO heterostructure could be attributed to the improved full solar spectrum harvesting capacity, separation of charge carriers and migration of e-/h+ across the heterostructure interface. In addition, the Ag/Fe2O3/ZnO heterostructure also showed good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) under both dark and visible light conditions. This might be due to generation of reactive oxygen species during the reaction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study till date on the utilization of Ag/Fe2O3/ZnO heterostructure for the photocatalytic degradation of CPX and E. coli bacteria disinfection. Therefore, this work offers an attractive path to design ZnO-based ternary heterostructures for solar-driven applications in wastewater remediation.

A mechanistic model for gas-liquid mass transfer prediction in a rocking disposable bioreactor.

Rocking disposable bioreactors are a newer approach to smaller-scale cell growth that use a cyclic rocking motion to induce mixing and oxygen transfer from the headspace gas into the liquid. Compared with traditional stirred-tank and pneumatic bioreactors, rocking bioreactors operate in a very different physical mode and in this study the oxygen transfer pathways are reassessed to develop a fundamental mass transfer (kL a) model that is compared with experimental data. The model combines two mechanisms, namely surface aeration and oxygenation via a breaking wave with air entrainment, borrowing concepts from ocean wave models. Experimental data for kLa across the range of possible operating conditions (rocking speed, angle, and liquid volume) confirms the validity of the modeling approach, with most predictions falling within ±20% of the experimental values. At low speeds (up to 20 rpm) the surface aeration mechanism is shown to be dominant with a kLa of around 3.5 hr-1 , while at high speeds (40 rpm) and angles the breaking wave mechanism contributes up to 91% of the overall kLa (65 hr-1 ). This model provides an improved fundamental basis for understanding gas-liquid mass transfer for the operation, scale-up, and potential design improvements for rocking bioreactors.

Colorimetric Detection of Mercury Ions in Water with Capped Silver Nanoprisms.

The emission of mercury (II) from coal combustion and other industrial processes may have impacts on water resources, and the detection with sensitive but rapid testing methods is desirable for environmental screening. Towards this end, silver nanoprisms were chemically synthesized resulting in a blue reagent solution that transitioned towards red and yellow solutions when exposed to Hg2+ ions at concentrations from 0.5 to 100 µM. A galvanic reduction of Hg2+ onto the surfaces is apparently responsible for a change in nanoprism shape towards spherical nanoparticles, leading to the change in solution color. There were no interferences by other tested mono- and divalent metal cations in solution and pH had minimal influence in the range of 6.5 to 9.8. The silver nanoprism reagent provided a detection limit of approximately 1.5 µM (300 µg/L) for mercury (II), which compared reasonably well with other reported nanoparticle-based techniques. Further optimization may reduce this detection limit, but matrix effects in realistic water samples require further investigation and amelioration.

Poly-L-arginine Coated Silver Nanoprisms and Their Anti-Bacterial Properties.

The aim of this study was to test the effect of two different morphologies of silver nanoparticles, spheres, and prisms, on their antibacterial properties when coated with poly-L-arginine (poly-Arg) to enhance the interactions with cells. Silver nanoparticle solutions were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, as well as antimicrobial tests. These ultimately showed that a prismatic morphology exhibited stronger antimicrobial effects against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica. The minimum bactericidal concentration was found to be 0.65 µg/mL in the case of a prismatic AgNP-poly-Arg-PVP (silver nanoparticle-poly-L-arginine-polyvinylpyrrolidone) nanocomposite. The anticancer cell activity of the silver nanoparticles was also studied, where the maximum effect against a HeLa cell line was 80% mortality with a prismatic AgNP-poly-Arg-PVP nanocomposite at a concentration of 11 µg/mL. The antimicrobial activity of these silver nanocomposites demonstrates the potential of such coated silver nanoparticles in the area of nano-medicine.

Synthesis of Vertically-Aligned Zinc Oxide Nanowires and Their Application as a Photocatalyst.

Vertically aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires were hydrothermally synthesized on a glass substrate with the assistance of a pre-coated ZnO seeding layer. The crystalline structure, morphology and transmission spectrum of the as-synthesized sample were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, respectively, indicating a wurzite ZnO material of approximately 100 nm wire diameter and absorbance at 425 nm and lower wavelengths. The photocatalytic activity of the sample was tested via the degradation of methyl orange in aqueous solution under UV-A irradiation. The synthesized nanowires showed a high photocatalytic activity, which increased up to 90% degradation in 2 h as pH was increased to 12. It was shown that the photocatalytic activity of the nanowires was proportional to the length to diameter ratio of the nanowires, which was in turn controlled by the growth time and grain size of the seed layer. Estimates suggest that diffusion into the regions between nanowires may be significantly hindered. Finally, the reusability of the prepared ZnO nanowire samples was also investigated, with results showing that the nanowires still showed 97% of its original photoactivity after ten cycles of use.

Colorimetric enumeration of bacterial contamination in water based on ß-galactosidase gold nanoshell activity.

In this study we report a method for the rapid and sensitive estimation of bacterial cell concentration in solution based on a colorimetric enzyme/gold nanoshells conjugate system. The CTAB capped gold nanoshells are electrostatically attracted by both the bacterial surface and the enzyme ß-galactosidase. The preferential binding of cationic (CTAB)-functionalized gold nanoshells to the more negative bacterial surfaces leaves active ß-galactosidase in solution, providing an enzyme-amplified colorimetric response of the binding event. A progressive increase in the enzyme activity is evidenced by the conversion of the yellow-orange CPRG substrate into the red chromophore chlorophenol red, which can be correlated with increasing bacterial cell numbers. Using this strategy, the quantification of bacteria at concentrations as low as 10 bacteria/mL of solution has been achieved. The present method of bacterial cell load assessment offers a distinct potential advantage over other conventional methods such as plate counting in terms of ease of operation, rapidity, high sensitivity and quantitative detection of bacterial cells.

Introduction: Impacting the Social Determinants of Health through a Regional Academic-Community Partnership: The Experience of the Mid-South Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center for Health Disparities Research.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to describe the background and experience of the Academic-Community Engagement (ACE) Core of the Mid-South Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center for Health Disparities Research (Mid-South TCC) in impacting the social determinants of health through the establishment and implementation of a regional academic-community partnership. Conceptual Framework: The Mid-South TCC is informed by three strands of research: the social determinants of health, the socioecological model, and community-based participatory research (CBPR). Combined, these elements represent a science of engagement that has allowed us to use CBPR principles at a regional level to address the social determinants of health disparities. Results: The ACE Core established state coalitions in each of our founding states-Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi-and an Expansion Coalition in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The ACE Core funded and supported a diversity of 15 community engaged projects at each level of the socioecological model in our six partner states through our community coalitions. Conclusion: Through our cross-discipline, cross-regional infrastructure developed strategically over time, and led by the ACE Core, the Mid-South TCC has established an extensive infrastructure for accomplishing our overarching goal of investigating the social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors driving and sustaining health disparities in obesity and chronic illnesses, and developing and implementing interventions to ameliorate such disparities.

Using Patient Perspectives to Inform the Development of a Behavioral Intervention for Chronic Pain in Patients with HIV: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Chronic pain is a common and disabling comorbidity in individuals living with HIV. Behavioral interventions are among the most effective and safe nonpharmacologic treatments for chronic pain. However, the success of a behavioral intervention is influenced by how well it is tailored to the target population's biological, psychological, and social context. Given well-documented psychosocial vulnerabilities among persons with HIV, it is critical to develop a behavioral intervention for chronic pain tailored to this population. Objective: To use qualitative methods to investigate patient preferences for the structure and delivery of a behavioral intervention for chronic pain in individuals with HIV. Methods: Interviews and focus groups were used to elicit participant preferences. A thematic analysis approach, with an initial round of open coding, was used to develop the codebook and analyze the data. Results: Qualitative data from 12 interviews and 3 focus groups with patients living with HIV and chronic pain (total N = 24) were analyzed. Emergent themes fell into four major categories: perceived value of group sessions, incorporating peer leadership, and two key elements of how the intervention should be delivered: the HIV status of group participants and views on phone-delivered intervention content. Discussion: This study provides a framework for the structure and delivery of a behavioral intervention for chronic pain in individuals with HIV based on patient preferences. We will use these results to design our intervention, and hope that our approach informs the work of investigators in other disciplines who seek to incorporate patient preferences during intervention development.

Adsorbent comparisons for anesthetic gas capture in hospital air emissions.

For the development of emission control strategies, activated carbon, zeolite, molecular sieves, and a silica gel were tested for adsorption of the newer anesthetic gases isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane from air. The activated carbon Norit GCA 48 was selected for the best performance, and adsorption isotherms at room temperature were developed for the three anesthetics. Equilibrium capacities for this carbon were in the range of 500 to 1,000 mg g(-1) for these anesthetics at partial pressures ranging from 5 to 45 Torr, with the most volatile compound (desflurane) showing the least favorable adsorption. Activated carbons are therefore suggested for use as effective adsorbents in emission control of these anesthetic gases from hospitals.