Datasets:

medalpaca

/

medical_meadow_cord19

like 10

Follow

medalpaca 46

A balance for fairness: fair distribution utilising physics

The problem of ‘uneven distribution of wealth’ accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic In the chaotic modern society, there is an increasing demand for the realisation of true ‘fairness’ In this study, we propose a fair distribution method ‘using physics’, which imitates the Greek mythology, Themis, having a ‘balance of judgement’ in her left hand, for the profit in games of characteristic function form Specifically, we show that the linear programming problem for calculating ‘nucleolus (a solution for the fair distribution)’ can be efficiently solved by considering it as a physical system in which gravity works In addition to significantly reducing the computational complexity, the proposed scheme provides a new perspective to open up a physics-based policymaker that is adaptable to real-time changes We will be able to implement it not only in liquid systems but also in many other physical systems, including semiconductor chips The fair distribution problem can be solved immediately using physical systems, which should reduce disputes and conflicts based on inaccurate information and misunderstandings, eliminating fraud and injustice

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers’ anxiety levels

AIM: This study aims to examine the effect of COVID-19 on the anxiety levels of healthcare employees. METHODS: This descriptive study used the snowball sampling method to recruit participants. The study was conducted between 18 and 25 April 2020 with a total of 710 participants. The data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Ethics committee approval was obtained to conduct the study, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS 24.0 statistical package program using descriptive statistics, t tests and ANOVA. RESULTS: In the study, 46.8% of the participants were in the 26–35 age group, 60.7% were female, 19.9% worked at clinics with COVID-19 patients (service, intensive care and emergency clinics), and 17.6% had a chronic disease. The state and trait anxiety mean scores of the participants were 60.29 ± 6.13 and 44.18 ± 7.69, respectively. Statistically significant differences were found in the participants’ state and trait anxiety levels with respect to their age, gender, unit of work, marital status, status of having children and presence of a chronic disease (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The state and trait anxiety levels of the healthcare workers in the study were found to be “severe” and “moderate,” respectively.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

The First 60 Days: Physical Therapy in a Neurosurgical Center Converted Into a COVID-19 Center in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this case report was to describe the role of physical therapists in a neurosurgical center that was converted into a COVID-19 center for critically ill patients. METHODS (CASE DESCRIPTION): On March 16, 2020, the state government of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, determined that a neurosurgical center with 44 ICU beds equipped with mechanical ventilators should immediately transfer all patients with neurological conditions to other institutions and prepare for patients who were critically ill with COVID-19. The staff, including physical therapists, were trained to handle patients with COVID-19, many of whom were developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with complex and multifactorial ventilatory support needs. Adjustments were made to the physical therapy routine and protocols. Following the stabilization of patients' respiratory condition, physical therapist interventions focused on restoring physical function. RESULTS: A total of 116 confirmed COVID-19 cases were treated from March 17 to May 17, 2020. Sixty percent were men (70) and 40% were women (46), with a median age of 59 years. Eighty-nine percent (103) underwent mechanical ventilation during hospitalization, of which 11% (11) were successfully extubated. Thirty percent (31) of patients underwent tracheostomy, and 26% of those (8) were successfully decannulated. Of the total patients, 57 patients died (mortality rate of 49%), 4 (3%) were transferred to another institution, 23 (20%) were discharged home, and 32 (28%) continued to be hospitalized. CONCLUSION: Physical therapists in the ICU can facilitate care for critical events such as intubation, patient positioning, ventilatory adjustments, extubation, and functional training. IMPACT: The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of physical therapists, specifically in the care of patients who are critically ill with COVID-19. The availability and expertise of physical therapists in the ICU are important for managing critical events such as intubation, patient positioning, ventilatory adjustments, extubation, and functional training.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Does COVID-19 pandemic trigger career anxiety in tourism students? Exploring the role of psychological resilience

This study aims to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic affects career anxiety of tourism students, who are the potential future employees of tourism and hospitality industry. Data was collected using an online survey with 1097 undergraduate students in the field of tourism in Turkey. The results of the study revealed that perceived risk of infection and fear of COVID-19 significantly impact students' career anxiety, and fear of COVID-19 mediate the relationship between perceived infection risk and career anxiety. In addition, the results indicated that psychological resilience, which is an individual resource against difficulties, represents a factor that reduces career anxieties of students in the face of pandemic-related negative impacts. The findings contribute to the understanding of how pandemic diseases affect career anxiety in students, who are the future workforce of the tourism sector, and to determine the role of individual resources such as psychological resilience in this process.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

The Covid-19 Infodemic and the Efficacy of Corrections

Social media platforms have taken unprecedented steps to combat misinformation about Covid-19. However, critics question whether the most common strategy – labeling and alerting readers to misinformation – successfully counters misinformation or paradoxically reinforces inaccurate beliefs. Using a pair of survey experiments, we examine the efficacy of two different corrections in reducing accuracy misperceptions and social media sharing that spreads false claims. Simply flagging fake headlines had little effect on subjects’ accuracy assessments and social media responses. Corrections explicitly countering false claims with factual information were more effective, though many respondents reported that they believed and would share the false information. Despite the increasing politicization of America’s pandemic response and polarization more generally, corrections to false claims with and without partisan valence were equally effective. We found no evidence of partisan backfire effects. The efficacy of corrections did vary with social media usage and age, a proxy for digital literacy. However, these moderating effects were inconsistent and often conflicting. Our results suggest that more aggressive corrections are essential to combating the Covid-19 infodemic;backlash risks are minimal and milder corrections ineffective.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Synchronous and Asynchronous English Writing Classes in the EFL Context: Students' Practices and Benefits

Synchronous and asynchronous classes were implemented by universities around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) engaged in multiple practices when attending English writing classes in both modes. However, the practices they engaged in and the benefits they perceived were reportedly of limited benefit. This study asks: What are the practices of students that emerge during synchronous and asynchronous English writing classes? What are the benefits of synchronous and asynchronous English writing classes from the student's perspective? Group and one-to-one interviews were conducted with twelve students majoring in computer science and information technology at a Saudi university. Thematic analysis revealed that students engage in practices including using the split view on iPads, opening additional windows to search for information, searching using smartphone apps, and writing notes and highlighting key concepts when attending English writing classes regardless of learning mode. It also revealed that synchronous classes offered students real-time communication and provided immediate feedback, while asynchronous classes allowed students to navigate the challenges of distance learning, complementing the synchronous English writing classes and providing students with a sense of security. This paper concludes by advising language teachers to record synchronous classes, raise students' awareness of the benefits of attending both types of classes and encourage students to apply practices reported by previous students to maximize their English language learning.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Decolonising medical causality in the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has irrevocably changed every aspect of social, medical and economic life globally. Although our traditional Western consideration of the underlying causes have led to massive strides in prevention and control of spread, a wider more inclusive approach, including principles of African and non-Western causality may facilitate our ability to prevent future outbreaks. Decolonising our traditional thoughts on medical causality may compliment the practice of medicine and enrich our understanding of health.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

“The Greedy I That Gives”- The Paradox of Egocentrism and Altruism: Terror Management and System Justification Perspectives on the Interrelationship Between Mortality Salience and Charitable Donations Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Why do people give and help others in face of their own mortality salience? The existential struggle with the awareness of death impacts the gamut of human cognition, emotion, and behavior This multi-method research (ΣN = 1,219) explains the psychosocial impact of COVID-19-related mortality salience on altruism Drawing from terror management theory, two studies tested death-thought accessibility, mortality salience, and anxiety buffer hypotheses Study 1 (cross-sectional survey), using structural equation modeling, confirms death anxiety and fear are predictors of powerlessness and materialism which, in turn, predict charitable donations Study 2 (between-subjects experiment) confirms the causal effects of COVID-19-induced mortality salience on altruism Controlling income and socioeconomic status, people in the mortality salience treatment condition indicate greater monetary donations ($), ratio of prosocial (altruistic) to proself (egocentric) spending (%), donation of time (hour), monetary valuation of time (hourly rate = $/hour), and economic value of donated time (hourly rate*hour) than the controls These effects are mediated by powerlessness Moderating effects of relevant individual difference factors are significant: the greedier, more selfish, narcissistic, materialistic, and system-justifying the donor is, the higher monetary donations, volunteer time, and perceived value of donated time are, only when the COVID-19-induced mortality is made salient but not in the controls Environmental and dispositional factors jointly influence vulnerability to mortality salience The paradox of egocentrism and altruism, as an evolutionarily adaptive protective buffer against existential insecurity for social and cultural animals, can help revitalize resilience, thus shedding some lights on the socio-psychological mechanism of consumers' subjective well-being Implications for consumer affairs, social marketers, and policymakers are discussed

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

A novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a review of host cell signaling pathways

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are the largest group of positive-sense RNA viruses By increasing our understanding of the interactions between CoVs and the host innate immune system, we can evaluate the development and persistence of inflammation in the lungs and reduce the risk of CoV-induced lung inflammation with a new group of genetic variants Here, we aim to discuss some recent changes in host cell factors that may be used by CoV to promote the proliferation cycle We also discuss different host cell signaling pathways that can be considered in the host-pathogen interactions at the molecular level The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has created new challenges for the cultural, economic, and health infrastructures Therefore, it is important that healthcare systems and physicians recognize a global integrated framework for monitoring the progression of COVID-19 to develop targeted therapies that can potentially save human lives

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

429 Incidence and management of adverse events among COVID-19 vaccination receipts with Brugada syndrome. Results from a multicentre-prospective European registry

AIMS: Patients with Brugada syndrome have an increased risk of life-threatening arrhythmias when experience fever. Therefore, a prompt treatment of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAI) is suggested in these patients. COVID-19 vaccination can be associated with fever in about 20% of patients. The aim of the study is to evaluate the incidence and management of adverse events within 48 h from COVID-19 vaccination among Brugada patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty patients were enrolled from a prospective registry involving four European hospitals with a dedicated inherited disease ambulatory. Cardiological follow-up was performed within one month from vaccination. Mean age was 47 ± 17 years, 80% (num = 63) were male. Prevalence of Brugada types 1, 2, and 3 was as follows: 25% type 1, 39% type 2, and 24% type 3. Twenty-six percent of patients had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Within in 48 h from vaccination, 35% (num = 28) of patients experienced joint paint, 19% (num = 15) fever and 4% (num = 3) chest pain. In 8 out of 15 fever episodes body temperature was ≥38 degrees and treated with NSAI drugs. No patients had syncope or fatigue episodes and no arrhythmic episodes were recorded in patients with ICD. Conclusions About 20% of patients experienced fever after Covid-19 vaccination but no patient experienced life-threatening arrhythmias. Careful evaluation of body temperature and administration of NSAI in case of temperature higher than 38 is suggested.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Low 25(OH)D Level Is Associated with Severe Course and Poor Prognosis in COVID-19

We evaluated associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level and severity of new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in hospitalized patients. We assessed serum 25(OH)D level in 133 patients aged 21–93 years. Twenty-five (19%) patients had severe disease, 108 patients (81%) had moderate disease, and 18 (14%) patients died. 25(OH)D level ranged from 3.0 to 97.0 ng/mL (median, 13.5 [25%; 75%, 9.6; 23.3] ng/mL). Vitamin D deficiency was diagnosed in 90 patients, including 37 with severe deficiency. In patients with severe course of disease, 25(OH)D level was lower (median, 9.7 [25%; 75%, 6.0; 14.9] ng/mL), and vitamin D deficiency was more common than in patients with moderate course (median, 14.6 [25%; 75%, 10.6; 24.4] ng/mL, p = 0.003). In patients who died, 25(OH)D was 9.6 [25%; 75%, 6.0; 11.5] ng/mL, compared with 14.8 [25%; 75%, 10.1; 24.3] ng/mL in discharged patients (p = 0.001). Severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased risk of COVID-19 severity and fatal outcome. The threshold for 25(OH)D level associated with increased risk of severe course was 11.7 ng/mL. Approximately the same 25(OH)D level, 10.9 ng/mL, was associated with increased risk of mortality. Thus, most COVID-19 patients have vitamin D deficiency; severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of COVID-19 severity and fatal outcome.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Incidence and risk factors for moderate/severe COVID-19 in rheumatic diseases patients on hydroxychloroquine: a 24-week prospective cohort

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 and its main outcomes in rheumatic disease (RD) patients on hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) compared to household cohabitants (HC). METHODS: This is a 24-week nationwide prospective multi-centre cohort with a control group without RD and not using HCQ. All participants were monitored through scheduled phone interviews performed by health professionals. Details regarding COVID-19 symptoms, and epidemiological, clinical, and demographic data were recorded on a specific web-based platform. COVID-19 was defined according to the Brazilian Ministry of Health criteria and classified as mild, moderate or severe. RESULTS: A total of 9,585 participants, 5,164 (53.9%) RD patients on HCQ and 4,421 (46.1%) HC were enrolled from March 29th, 2020 to September 30th, 2020, according to the eligibility criteria. COVID-19 confirmed cases were higher in RD patients than in cohabitants [728 (14.1%) vs. 427 (9.7%), p&lt;0.001] in a 24-week follow-up. However, there was no significant difference regarding outcomes related to moderate/ severe COVID-19 (7.1% and 7.3%, respectively, p=0.896). After multiple adjustments, risk factors associated with hospitalisation were age over 65 (HR=4.5;95%CI 1.35-15.04, p=0.014) and cardiopathy (HR=2.57;95%CI 1.12-5.91, p=0.026). The final survival analysis demonstrated the probability of dying in 180 days after a COVID-19 diagnosis was significantly higher in patients over 65 years (HR=20.8;95%CI 4.5-96.1) and with 2 or more comorbidities (HR=10.8;95%CI 1.1-107.9 and HR=24.8;95%CI 2.5-249.3, p=0.006, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although RD patients have had a higher COVID-19 incidence than individuals from the same epidemiological background, the COVID-19 severity was related to traditional risk factors, particularly multiple comorbidities and age, and not to underlying RD and HCQ.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Case Report: Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Resolved, Uncomplicated COVID-19 Pneumonia-A Literature Review

As the global COVID-19 pandemic has progressed, awareness of uncommon presentations and complications has increased. The actual incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax was found to be 0.66%, or six patients out of 902 who tested positive in recently published literature of 3368 patients (Zantah M, Dominguez Castillo E, Townsend R, Dikengil F, Criner GJ. Pneumothorax in COVID-19 disease-incidence and clinical characteristics. Respir Res. 2020 Sep 16;21(1):236.). Of those six patients, only two (0.22%) were not associated with mechanical ventilation barotrauma or comorbid lung disease such as COPD. Here, we present a spontaneous pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum in a patient four days after he had been discharged from hospitalization due to uncomplicated COVID-19 pneumonia.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Anesthesiologist behavior and anesthesia machine use in the operating room during the COVID-19 pandemic: awareness and changes to cope with the risk of infection transmission

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease [coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection] first appeared in December 2019 in China and is now spreading worldwide. Because SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted via aerosols and surface contaminations of the environment, appropriate use of anesthesia machines and appropriate behavior in the operation room (OR) are required specifically in relation to this disease. The use of high-performance hydrophobic filters with a high rate of virus rejection is recommended as the type of viral filter, and surgical team behaviors that result in aerosol splashes should be avoided. Appropriate hand hygiene by the anesthesiologist is crucial to prevent unexpected environmental contamination. When the anesthesia machine is used instead of an intensive care unit ventilator, it is important to keep the fresh gas flow at least equal to the minute ventilation to prevent excessive humidity in the circuit and to monitor condensation in the circuit and inspiratory carbon dioxide pressure. In addition, both the surgical smoke inherent in thermal tissue destruction and the surgical team's shoe soles may be factors for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the operating room. Ensuring social distancing-even with a mask in the OR-may be beneficial because healthcare providers may be asymptomatic carriers. After the acute crisis period of COVID-19, the number of cases of essential but nonurgent surgeries for waiting patients is likely to increase; therefore, optimization of OR scheduling will be an important topic. Anesthesiologists will benefit from new standard practices focusing on the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Feeding recombinant E. coli with GST-mBmKTX fusion protein increases the fecundity and lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Scorpion venom could be a useful treatment for a variety of diseases, such as cancer, epilepsy and analgesia. BmKTX is a polypeptide extracts from scorpion venom (PESV), which have attracted much attention from researchers in recent years. mBmKTX is a mutant polypeptide according to the amino acid sequence of BmKTX. We expressed it with the vector pGEX-4T-1 in Escherichia coli, and Caenorhabditis elegans were used as the animal model and fed with the strains. In this study, the expression of pGEX-mBmKTX was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, and GST-mBmKTX purified from pGEX-mBmKTX as a glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged fusion protein is approximately 30kDa. The secondary structure prediction shows that mBmKTX is mainly composed of approximately 13% β-sheet and 86% loop. A food clearance assay and brood size assay indicated that the worms fed pGEX-mBmKTX ate more and had greater fecundity than those fed the empty vector. A lifespan analysis demonstrated that mBmKTX could significantly prolong the lifespan of C. elegans, with an increase of 22.5% compared with the control. Behavioral assays confirmed that mBmKTX had no influence on the locomotion of C. elegans. In addition, microarray analysis and quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated that there are 320 differentially expressed genes, 182 of which are related to reproduction, growth and lifespan. In conclusion, the data suggested that mBmKTX has potential utility for increasing fecundity and animal survival.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Mitigating the impact of the 'silos' between the disability and aged-care sectors in Australia: Development of a Best Practice Framework

BACKGROUND: Although a 'person-centred focus' is a legislated objective for both aged-care and disability services sectors in Australia, evidence suggests limited translation into systems and practices due to entrenched silos. This paper proposes a Best Practice Framework to mitigate these silos. METHODS: Mixed-methods research comprising key informant interviews with major stakeholders across both sectors; a survey of people with/without intellectual disability aged 60+ years; qualitative in-depth interviews; and survey of health professionals. RESULTS: There is an urgent need to develop inter-sectoral 'integrated care systems'. Key components include choice in accommodation; regular assessment of health and well-being indicators; development and adoption of nationally consistent policies/standards across integrated aged- and disability-care sectors; improved strategies for workforce planning; and upskilling of existing staff including place-based collaboration. CONCLUSIONS: An integrated service model requires collaboration on broader public policy instruments, appropriate planning and resourcing. A strategic shift is required to ensure better quality person-centred support systems.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Long experience with a web-based, interactive, conversational virtual patient case simulation for medical students' evaluation: comparison with oral examination

Virtual patients (VP) have been advocated as reliable tools for teaching and evaluating clinical skills and competence. We have developed an internet-based, OSCE-like, conversational VP system designed both for training and assessment of medical students. The system, that encompasses complete patient management from H&P to diagnostic procedures and treatment, has now been used regularly during the clerkship of internal medicine. The present article describes the system and compares assessments undertaken with the VP-system over the last five years, to traditional bed-side oral exams. All students practiced on their own exercise VP cases, while preparing for the final exam. A total of 586 students were evaluated simultaneously with both assessment modalities. The &#945;Cronbach of the VP exam averaged 0.86. No correlation was found between the grades obtained in the two exams, indicating that the VP exam evaluated different parameters than those assessed by the examiners in the oral examinations. We conclude that a VP system can be utilized as a valid and reliable examination tool. It is also most useful for independent training by students during their ward-based learning, as well as when not studying in classes, wards or clinics, when social distancing is required.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Lightweight Deep Learning Model for Automated COVID-19 Diagnosis from CXR Images

The novel coronavirus has caused a huge number of infections and continues to be a concern. Rapid detection of infection is paramount in order to (i) ensure timely quarantine and segregation, and (ii) to plan suitable treatment trajectories. The conventional RT-PCR test for COVID-19 is both expensive and slow. Therefore, researchers looked towards leveraging deep learning (DL) for diagnosis of the disease from a variety of images such as CT Scans, Chest X-Ray images, etc. Such deep models have shown promise, and are increasingly been improved upon. This paper presents one such bespoke deep learning model for COVID-19 detection from CXR scans. It is shown that the proposed model matches the performance of most other available DL models while requiring only a fraction of the model size and number of parameters, thereby making it the most lightweight high-performance model available for automated COVID-19 detection from CXR images. © 2021 IEEE.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Assessment of fluid unresponsiveness guided by lung ultrasound in abdominal surgery: a prospective cohort study.

A fluid challenge can generate an infraclinical interstitial syndrome that may be detected by the appearance of B-lines by lung ultrasound. Our objective was to evaluate the appearance of B-lines as a diagnostic marker of preload unresponsiveness and postoperative complications in the operating theater. We conducted a prospective, bicentric, observational study. Adult patients undergoing abdominal surgery were included. Stroke volume (SV) was determined before and after a fluid challenge with 250 mL crystalloids (Delta-SV) using esophageal Doppler monitoring. Responders were defined by an increase of Delta-SV > 10% after fluid challenge. B-lines were collected at four bilateral predefined zones (right and left anterior and lateral). Delta-B-line was defined as the number of newly appearing B-lines after a fluid challenge. Postoperative pulmonary complications were prospectively recorded according to European guidelines. In total, 197 patients were analyzed. After a first fluid challenge, 67% of patients were responders and 33% were non-responders. Delta-B-line was significantly higher in non-responders than responders [4 (2-7) vs 1 (0-3), p < 0.0001]. Delta-B-line was able to diagnose fluid non-responders with an area under the curve of 0.74 (95% CI 0.67-0.80, p < 0.0001). The best threshold was two B-lines with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 57%. The final Delta-B-line could predict postoperative pulmonary complications with an area under the curve of 0.74 (95% CI 0.67-0.80, p = 0.0004). Delta-B-line of two or more detected in four lung ultrasound zones can be considered to be a marker of preload unresponsiveness after a fluid challenge in abdominal surgery.The objectives and procedures of the study were registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03502460; Principal investigator: Stéphane BAR, date of registration: April 18, 2018).

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

A graph based recommender system for managing Covid-19 Crisis

The paper aims to present a graph based recommender system for managing the Covid-19 crisis by considering patient and medical staff data. Working with limited number of medical staff, require optimization when creating the appropriate medical staff to assist patient. Patient medical files usually contain more information about the patient diseases and symptoms. In this paper the recommender system at first analyses the patient medical files to find and decide which profile of medical staff could assist efficiency this patient in a crisis situation. Second the recommender system by taking into account the availability of the medical staff will try to propose others doctors with the same profile and the nearest competencies.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Anti-inflammatory effects of GLP-1 in patients with COVID-19

INTRODUCTION: Understanding the pathogenesis and risk factors to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is necessary. Due to the importance of the inflammatory pathways in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 patients, evaluating the effects of anti-inflammatory medications is important. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) is awell-known glucose-lowering agent with anti-inflammatory effects. AREAS COVERED: Resources were extracted from the PubMed database, using keywords such as glucagon-like peptide-1, GLP-1 RA, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, inflammation, in April2021. In this review, the effects of GLP-1RA in reducing inflammation and modifying risk factors of COVID-19 severe complications are discussed. However, GLP-1 is degraded by DPP-4 with aplasma half-life of about 2–5 minutes, which makes it difficult to measure GLP-1 plasma level in clinical settings. EXPERT OPINION: Since no definitive treatment is available for COVID-19 so far, determining promising targets to design and/or repurpose effective medications is necessary.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

COVID-19 or Not, Breast Cancer Treatment Must Go On.

When at the end of last year Professor Traian Patrascu asked me to coordinate an issue of the journal "Chirurgia" dedicated to breast cancer, I was both surprised and intrigued. For two reasons: firstly it seemed to me so little time had passed since the previous issue about this disease and perhaps there weren't many new things to say and secondly I believed that the only topic worth discussing nowadays was the disease that overshadowed anything else: COVID-19. Nevertheless I realized that he was right. More than 3 years had passed since the previous issue and there were many updates related to this subject and COVID-19 or not, the treatment of breast cancer must continue. I am grateful to those who answered to my invitation to write an article. I was amazed by the huge number and the quality of the papers received. They were so numerous that we decided to have a supplement of the journal dedicated to breast cancer edited with the contribution of the Romanian Society of Breast Surgery and Oncology. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire planet in almost every aspect of life, including the medical system. The treatment of other diseases, other than COVID-19, has in some way become secondary, at least for the time being. This had immediate repercussions and will inevitably have a long-term impact as well. Breast cancer patients suffered consequently. Screening, diagnosis, treatments including surgery and post therapeutic follow-ups have been profoundly affected by the pandemic.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Heat stress effects on bovine sperm cells: a chronological approach to early findings.

Testicular heat stress affects sperm quality and fertility. However, the chronology of these effects is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to establish the early sequential effects of heat stress in bull sperm quality. Semen and blood samples of Nellore breed bulls were collected and distributed into control and testicular heat stress (scrotal bags/96 h) groups. Semen samples were evaluated for sperm motility, abnormalities, plasma membrane integrity, acrosomal membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, sperm lipid peroxidation, seminal plasma lipid peroxidation, and DNA fragmentation. Blood plasma was also evaluated for lipid peroxidation. An increase in sperm abnormalities was observed 7 days following heat stress. After 14 days, sperm lipid peroxidation increased and mitochondrial membrane function, sperm motility, and plasma membrane integrity decreased. Heat stress effects were still observed after 21 days following heat stress. An increase in sperm DNA fragmentation was observed as a late effect after 28 days. Thus, the initial effects of heat stress (i.e., increasing sperm abnormalities and lipid peroxidation) suggest the presence of oxidative stress in the semen that alters mitochondrial function, sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, and belatedly, DNA fragmentation. Although sperm abnormalities persisted and increased over time, sperm lipid peroxidation, in turn, increased only until 21 days after heat stress. In this regard, these findings provide a greater understanding of the chronological effects of experimentally induced heat stress on bovine sperm, providing valuable insights about spermatogenesis during the first 28 days following heat stress.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Race, Power, and COVID-19: A Call for Advocacy within Bioethics

Events in 2020 have sparked a reimagination of how both individuals and institutions should consider race, power, health, and marginalization in society. In a response to these developments, we examine the current and past limitations of the ways in which bioethicists have considered race and, more generally, discourses of marginalization. We argue that the foundational principle of justice necessitates that bioethics, as an institution, maintain an active voice against systemic injustice. To carry out this charge, bioethics as a field should promote alternative narratives-"counter storytelling"-to the mainstream voices that have traditionally been heard and accepted, largely without opposition. Additionally, we engage with both Post-Colonial and Critical Race Theory, which we believe are important tools for bioethics in pursuit of equity. Ultimately, we advocate for a proactive form of bioethics that actively resists and denounces injustice and which considers a much wider variety of voices about justice than bioethics has historically considered.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Environment for nursing scholarship and journal impact factors in Taiwan.

Universities are seeking objective measures to assess their faculty members' research output in order to improve their national and international standing. Despite concerns, many have adopted the impact factor of journals for this purpose. The objective of this study was to explore the conditions that have been created within Taiwan as a result of such national and institutional policies. A case study design was used. Information was sought from five senior faculty members, who responded to a questionnaire with items derived from the literature. A key participant provided context within the country. The data were summarized and described. The respondents confirmed the presence of governmental and university policies for publication in high-impact factor journals; they saw some positive aspects, yet described the obstacles faced by many scholars, felt that the policies led to competition rather than cooperation, and viewed national, compared to international, publications in opposing terms. The findings are discussed within the context of current nursing literature. It is recommended that, where impact factors are used, they not be the only quality measure. A larger and more representative study is also recommended.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

COVID-19 and Undergraduates with Disabilities: Challenges Resulting from the Rapid Transition to Online Course Delivery for Students with Disabilities in Undergraduate STEM at Large-Enrollment Institutions

The COVID-19 pandemic caused nearly all colleges and universities to transition in-person courses to an online format. In this study, we explored how the rapid transition to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic affected students with disabilities. We interviewed 66 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) undergraduates with disabilities at seven large-enrollment institutions during Spring 2020. We probed to what extent students were able to access their existing accommodations, to what extent the online environment required novel accommodations, and what factors prevented students from being properly accommodated in STEM courses. Using inductive coding, we identified that students were unable to access previously established accommodations, such as reduced-distraction testing and note-takers. We also found that the online learning environment presented novel challenges for students with disabilities that may have been lessened with the implementation of accommodations. Finally, we found that instructors making decisions about what accommodations were appropriate for students and disability resource centers neglecting to contact students after the transition to online instruction prevented students from receiving the accommodations that they required in STEM courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study illuminates current gaps in the support of students with disabilities and pinpoints ways to make online STEM learning environments more inclusive for students with disabilities.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Rapid review of the existing COVID-19 Case Definitions: A Bayesian Approach model to COVID-19 Case Definitions: A Research Article

Background: Since December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rapidly spread around the world leading to a pandemic with more than 3,000,000 infected people and more than 200,000 death. Several case definitions have been released and revised by countries and organizations. However, collectivization of case definitions has not been fully investigated.Methods In this study, we rapidly reviewed existing COVID-19 case definitions, finally a dynamic case definition algorithm was provided by using Bayesian theorem models of diagnosis.Results Our results showed categorization as suspected, probable, and confirmed cases, is used in majority of case definitions. Furthermore, the criteria for suspected cases and laboratory testing priority was a point of argument. Due to pandemic situation and resource limitation, diagnostic tests were rationed and mainly administered to a selected population, thus it was shown that the fraction of positive test results does not reflect the total infection rate of the population. Case definitions for COVID-19 is changing as we learn more about the disease. RT-PCR and CT Scan of lung seem to be beneficial in COVID-19 diagnosis and combing them with epidemiological criteria helps us in better understanding of the disease.Conclusion Based on our results, in the current case definitions, only symptomatic patients categorized and tested as a susceptible case. While the majority of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic carriers of the disease, thus making the prevention more challenging. Dynamic statistical models can provide new insights into surveillance systems.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Recommendations for pediatric chronic liver disease and liver transplant during COVID-19/ Recomendaciones en enfermedad hepática crónica y trasplante hepático durante COVID-19 en pediatría

Resumen: El brote del virus SARS-CoV-2 que comenzó a fines del año 2019 en China, se ha expandido a Chile y al mundo rápidamente. Hasta la fecha, en Chile, ha afectado a 18.435 personas con una letalidad en adultos de 1,4%. Los pacientes pediátricos con enfermedades hepáticas crónicas son también susceptibles a COVID-19 y podrían tener una peor evolución. El objetivo es entregar recomendaciones sobre el tratamiento médico de pacientes pediátricos con daño hepático crónico (DHC), hepatitis autoinmune (HAI), Enfermedad de hígado graso no alcohólico (EHGNA) y trasplantados hepáticos (TH) en relación a COVID-19. Lo primordial es evitar el contagio y para esto, lo más importante es el lavado de manos, uso de mascarilla en espacios públicos y cerrados, como el distanciamiento social y evitar contacto con personas sintomáticas. Los pacientes con DHC, HAI, EHGNA y TH deben evitar los controles presenciales y favorecer la telemedicina. No existe evidencia que recomiende la modifi cación del tratamiento basal en estos casos. En pacientes COVID-19 (+) se recomienda medidas de aislamiento, preferir uso de paracetamol como antipirético y analgésico y en el manejo de la inmunosupresión, debe considerarse cada caso de forma individual, según gravedad y con evaluación del especialista. Además, se revisan las actuales terapias específicas para COVID-19 y sus precauciones en pacientes con hepatopatías. Las medidas de prevención del contagio, aislamiento social y diagnóstico precoz son fundamentales en pacientes con enfermedad hepática y el riesgo de infección por SARS- CoV-2.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Improvement in mood symptoms post-bariatric surgery among people with obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS We aimed to examine if bariatric surgery was associated with a reduction in the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among people with obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS We pooled data from 49 studies involving 11,255 people with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery. The study outcomes were the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among these patients pre- and post-surgery. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in BMI post-operatively (pooled d+: -13.3 kg/m2 [95% CI -15.19, -11.47], p<0.001). The pooled proportion of patients with anxiety symptoms reduced from 24.5% pre-operatively to 16.9% post-operatively, with an OR of 0.58 (95% CI 0.51, 0.67, p<0.001). The reduction remained significant in women aged ≥40 years and irrespective of post-operative BMI. There were significant reductions in HADS score (anxiety component) by 0.64 (pooled d+: -0.64 [95% CI -1.06, -0.22], p=0.003) and GAD-7 score by 0.54 (pooled d+: -0.54 [95% CI -0.64, -0.44], p<0.001]). The pooled proportion of depressive symptoms reduced from 34.7% pre-operatively to 20.4% post-operatively, with an OR of 0.49 (95% CI 0.37, 0.65, p<0.001). The reduction remained significant irrespective of patient's age and post-operative BMI. There were also significant reductions in HADS score (depressive component) (pooled d+: -1.34 [95% CI -1.93, -0.76], p<0.001), BDI score (pooled d+: -1.04 [95% CI -1.46, -0.63], p<0.001) and PHQ-9 score (pooled d+: -1.11 [95% CI -1.21, -1.01], p<0.001). CONCLUSION Bariatric surgery was associated with significant reductions in the prevalence and severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms among people with obesity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Unclear issues regarding COVID-19

Scientists from all over the world have been intensively working to discover different aspects of Coronavi-rus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since the first cluster of cases was reported in China. Herein, we aimed to investigate unclear issues related to transmission and pathogenesis of disease as well as accuracy of diagnostic tests and treatment modalities. A literature search on PubMed, Ovid, and EMBASE databases was con-ducted, and articles pertinent to identified search terms were extracted. A snow-ball search strategy was followed in order to retrieve additional relevant articles. It was reported that viral spread may occur during the asymptomatic phase of infection, and viral load was suggested to be a useful marker to assess disease severity. In contrast to immune response against viral infections, cytotoxic T lymphocytes decline in SARS-CoV-2 infection, which can be partially explained by direct invasion of T lymphocytes or apoptosis activated by SARS-CoV-2. Dysregulation of the urokinase pathway, cleavage of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein by FXa and FIIa, and consumption coagulopathy were the proposed mechanisms of the coagulation dysfunction in COVID-19. False-negative rates of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction varied between 3% and 41% across studies. The probability of the positive test was proposed to decrease with the number of days past from symptom onset. Safety issues related to infection spread limit the use of high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in hypoxic patients. Further studies are required to elucidate the challenging issues, thus enhancing the management of COVID-19 patients.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

A comparison of Remdesivir versus gold cluster in COVID-19 animal model: A better therapeutic outcome of gold cluster

While gold compound have been approved for Rheumatoid arthritis treatment as it well suppresses inflammatory cytokines of patients, no such treatment is currently available for COVID-19 treatment in vivo . We firstly disclose gold cluster yields better therapeutic outcome than Remdesivir in COVID-19 hamster treatments as it is armed with direct inhibition viral replication and intrinsic suppression inflammatory cytokines expression. Crystal data reveals that Au (I), released from gold cluster (GA), covalently binds thiolate of Cys145 of SARS-CoV-2 M(pro). GA directly decreases SARS-CoV-2 viral replication and intrinsically down-regulates NFκB pathway therefore significantly inhibiting expression of inflammatory cytokines in cells. The inflammatory cytokines in GA-treated COVID-19 transgenic mice are found to be significantly lower than that of control mice. When COVID-19 golden hamsters are treated by GA, the lung inflammatory cytokines levels are significantly lower than that of Remdesivir. The pathological results show that GA treatment significantly reduce lung inflammatory injuries when compared to that of Remdesivir-treated COVID-19 hamsters.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Spike G614 Variant Surpasses That of the D614 Variant after Cold Storage

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) carrying the D614G mutation on the spike protein is the predominant circulating variant and is associated with enhanced infectivity. However, whether this dominant variant can potentially spread through the cold chain and whether the spike protein affects virus stability after cold storage remain unclear. To compare the infectivity of two SARS-CoV-2 variants, namely, SARS-CoV-2 variants with spike protein with the D614 mutation (S-D614) and G614 mutation (S-G614), after different periods of refrigeration (4°C) and freezing (-20°C). We also determined the integrity of the viral RNA and the ability of the spike protein to bind angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) after storage at these conditions. The results showed that SARS-CoV-2 was more stable and infectious after storage at -20°C than at 4°C. Particularly, the S-G614 variant was found to be more stable than the S-D614 variant. The spike protein of the S-G614 variant had better binding ability with the ACE2 receptor than that of the S-D614 variant after storage at -20°C for up to 30 days. Our findings revealed that SARS-CoV-2 remains stable and infectious after refrigeration or freezing, and their stability and infectivity up to 30 days depends on the spike variant. Stability and infectivity are related to each other, and the higher stability of S-G614 compared to that of S-D614 may contribute to rapid viral spread of the S-G614 variant.IMPORTANCE It has been observed that variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are more stable and infectious after storage at -20°C than at 4°C. A SARS-CoV-2 S-D614G variant is currently the most dominant variant in circulation and is associated with enhanced infectivity. We compared the stability of two SARS-CoV-2 variants: the early S-D614 variant carrying the D614 spike protein and the new S-G614 variant carrying the G614 spike protein, stored at both 4°C and -20°C for different periods. We observed that SARS-CoV-2 remains stable and infectious after refrigeration or freezing, which further depends on the spike variant, that is, the ability of the spike protein to bind with the ACE2 receptor with higher efficiency. The high stability of the S-G614 variant also explains its rapid spread and infectivity. Therefore, precautions should be taken during and after handling food preserved under cold conditions.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

COVID-19 Mortality in Europe, by Latitude and Obesity Status: A Geo-Spatial Analysis in 40 Countries

On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a public health emergency of international concern and later characterized it as a pandemic. New data show that excess body mass and vitamin D deficiency might be related to the disease severity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether latitude, as a proxy of sunlight exposure and Vitamin D synthesis, and prevalent obesity among European populations, is related to COVID-19 spread and severity. European COVID-19 data (incidence and fatality), including information on the prevalence of obesity, social distancing, and others were obtained by the “Our World in Data” website on 17 April 2021. Adjusted analysis showed that higher COVID-19 incidence and fatality were pictured in countries being in higher latitude, both during the whole period, as well as, during the time period 1 November 2020–31 March 2021. Higher incidence and fatality of COVID-19 were observed where the prevalence of overweight/obesity was higher during the whole time period, whereas during the time period 1 November 2020–31 March 2021, only COVID-19 incidence was higher but not a fatality. The present results provide insights for targeted interventions and preventive strategies against COVID-19.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

An overview of preclinical animal models for SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 has caused millions of fatalities globally since its origin in November 2019. The SARS-CoV-2 shares 79 and 50 per cent genome similarity with its predecessors, severe SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, all belonging to the same genus, Betacoronavirus. This relatively new virus has stymied the effective control of COVID-19 pandemic and caused huge social and economic impact worldwide. The FDA-approved drugs were re-purposed to reduce the number of fatalities caused by SARS-CoV-2. However, controversy surrounds about the efficacy of these re-purposed antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2.This necessitates the identification of new drug targets for SARS-CoV-2. Hence, the development of pre-clinical animal model is warranted. Such animal models may help us gain better understanding of the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and will be effective tools for the evaluation and licensure of therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2. This review provides a summary of the attempts made till to develop a suitable animal model to understand pathophysiology and effectiveness of therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Study of the Spike (S) glycoprotein from the SARSCoV-2 as a possible source of translocating peptides of biomedical interest

Membranes are natural selective barriers necessary for the correct function of human cells as they control the entry of diverse molecules into the intracellular space Although small and polar molecules such as amino acids and ions cancome across the membrane through channels, larger macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids generally failto do so This represents a significant obstacle for efficient intracellular drug delivery, which is essential to increase the bioavailability of pharmacological agents for the treatment of numerous diseases Commonly, diverse methods havebeen studied to mediate the uptake of large molecules, including mechanical and electrical transfection techniques,but also viral carrier systems Some of these methods have been successfully tested in vitro but exhibit biosafety and cytotoxicity issues Inconsequence, there is an increasing interest in the development of novel delivery methods with low cytotoxicity butalso high transduction efficiency An attractive alternative is the cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), which can beobtained from different origins including signal peptides, viral proteins, or antimicrobial peptides CPPs are generallyshort peptides with lengths between 5-30 amino acids, positively charged or amphipathic, and rich in arginine andlysine Due to their ability to intermingle with the phospholipids of membrane bilayers, some CPPs are able toundergo translocation, and consequently can be considered as promising candidates for the delivery of biologically active molecules to cells The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has attracted significant attention over the past few months as it is responsible forthe current global sanitary emergency where more than 1 3 M cases have been confirmed and over 70,000 peoplehave died The Spike (S) glycoprotein has been thought to be responsible as the major determinant of the viraltropism towards human cells This protein has a 180 kDa molecular weight and is displayed at the viral surface as atrimer composed of two major domains The first one is the S1, which contains the receptor-binding domain (RBD)responsible for mediating the receptor binding (Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) The second one is the S2, whichallows the membrane fusion through the exposure of a fusion protein that is activated by proteolytic cleavage in a siteupstream (S2’) and proteolytically primed at the interface of the S1 and S2 domains Transmission of the geneticmaterial into the host cells has been attributed to proteases in priming, receptor binding, and some ionic interactions controlling the stability of the virus By recognizing the strong interaction between de spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 from the cellular membrane of the lung cells, here we aimed at finding motifs that could serve aspossible sources of peptides capable of intermingling with membranes, and eventually with superior translocatingpotency For this purpose, a prediction of the tertiary structure of the S protein from the SARS-CoV-2 was performedby homology, using Phyre Server, with the S protein from the bat coronavirus RaTG13 This was selected due to itscloseness to the SARS-CoV-2 virus as it shares more than 93% of the identity in the S gene Simultaneously, thestructure was also predicted de novo using the iTASSER Server to assure that predictions were robust enough forbiophysical interaction studies To determine the motifs with significant membrane activity (and potential translocationability), a prediction of the possible formed transmembrane helices was carried out using TMHMM Server v 2 0 Finally, the selected sequences were studied into detail via molecular dynamics (MD), using a mode membrane Copyright © American Institute of Chemical Engineers All rights reserved

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

First Report of CR1 Polymorphisms and Soluble CR1 Levels Associated with Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease (LOAD) in Latin America

The CR1 gene has been widely studied in Alzheimer's disease (AD), since its first association with the disease in 2009. Even after 11 years of this discovery, the role of this gene in AD has not yet been fully elucidated and the association of its variants was not validated in Latin American populations. We genotyped five CR1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs rs6656401, rs3849266, rs2274567, rs4844610, and rs12034383) in up to 162 AD patients and 137 controls through PCR-SSP and iPLEX MassARRAY Platform (Sequenom), and measured soluble CR1 (sCR1) levels in plasma of 40 AD patients and 39 controls with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Homozygosity for haplotype rs3849266*C_rs2274567*A (CA/CA genotype) was associated with susceptibility to AD (OR = 2.94, p = 0.018). Patients presented higher sCR1 levels in plasma than controls (p = 0.038). Furthermore, patients that carry the rs2274567*G allele (p.1208Arg) presented higher sCR1 levels than A/A (p.1208His/His) homozygotes (p = 0.036). This is the first study to validate the association of CR1 polymorphisms with late-onset Alzheimer's disease, as well as to evaluate sCR1 levels in a Latin American population. SNPs present in the regulatory and coding regions of this gene may be playing a key role in the observed association, probably by interfering in Aß plaques clearance. Inhibition may be due to the increase in local sCR1 levels observed in patients, which may result from polymorphisms leading to larger isoforms of CR1 and/or structural alterations of the protein that makes it less functional, as well as increased vesiculation of the molecules.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Isolation Precautions for Visitors to Healthcare Settings

Visitors may be involved in infection transmission within healthcare settings; however, there is currently limited published data on this subject. This chapter describes situations in which visitor-associated infection transmission occurred and highlights the potential role of visitors in the transmission of pathogenic organisms that can lead to outbreaks in healthcare settings. Infection prevention measures, including isolation precautions and visitor restriction, may be utilized and potentially adapted in order to protect patients and their visitors as well as healthcare personnel. The practical and ethical challenges regarding the use of isolation precautions among visitors to healthcare facilities are discussed.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Interaction between SARS-CoV helicase and a multifunctional cellular protein (Ddx5) revealed by yeast and mammalian cell two-hybrid systems

To reveal the putative cellular factors involved in SARS coronavirus replication, the helicase (Hel, nsp13) of SARS coronavirus was used to screen the cDNA library of rat pulmonary epithelial cells using the yeast two-hybrid system. Positively interacting proteins were further tested using a mammalian cell hybrid system and co-immunoprecipitation in the human A549 cell line, which has been shown to support SARS coronavirus replication. Out of the seven positive clones observed by yeast two-hybrid assay, only the Ddx5 (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp box polypeptide 5) protein showed specific interaction with SARS-CoV helicase. When expression of DdX5 was knocked down by small interfering RNA (siRNA), SARS coronavirus replication was significantly inhibited in fetal rhesus kidney (FRhK-4) cells. Since Ddx5 is a multifunctional protein that plays important roles in transcriptional regulation, its interaction with SARS coronavirus helicase provides interesting clues for studying virus–host cell interactions in SARS-CoV infections. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00705-009-0323-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Development of a Predictive Score for COVID-19 Diagnosis based on Demographics and Symptoms in Patients Attended at a Dedicated Screening Unit

Background: The diagnosis of COVID-19 based on clinical evaluation is difficult because symptoms often overlap with other respiratory diseases. A clinical score predictive of COVID-19 based on readily assessed variables may be useful in settings with restricted or no access to molecular diagnostic tests. Methods: A score based on demographics and symptoms was developed in a cross-sectional study including patients attended in a dedicated COVID-19 screening unit. A backward stepwise logistic regression model was constructed and values for each variable were assigned according to their {beta} coefficient values in the final model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed and its area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Results: A total of 464 patients were included: 98 (21.1%) COVID-19 and 366 (78.9%) non-COVID-19 patients. The score included variables independently associated with COVID-19 in the final model: age equal or above 60 years (2 points), fever (2), dyspnea (1), fatigue (1 point) and coryza (-1). Score values were significantly higher in COVID-19 than non-COVID-19 patients: median (Interquartile Range), 3 (2-4), and 1 (0-2), respectively; P<0.001. The score had an AUC of 0.80 (95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.76-0.86). The specificity of scores equal or greater than 4 and 5 points were 90.4 (95%CI, 87.0-93.3) and 96.2 (95%CI, 93.7-97.9), respectively. Conclusions: This preliminary score based on patients symptoms is a feasible tool that may be useful in setting with restricted or no access to molecular tests in a pandemic period, owing to the high specificity. Further studies are required to validate the score in other populations.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Understanding Public Perceptions of COVID-19 Contact Tracing Apps: Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Social Media Analysis

BACKGROUND: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 and its subsequent spread worldwide continues to be a global health crisis. Many governments consider contact tracing of citizens through apps installed on mobile phones as a key mechanism to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we sought to explore the suitability of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled social media analyses using Facebook and Twitter to understand public perceptions of COVID-19 contact tracing apps in the United Kingdom. METHODS: We extracted and analyzed over 10,000 relevant social media posts across an 8-month period, from March 1 to October 31, 2020. We used an initial filter with COVID-19-related keywords, which were predefined as part of an open Twitter-based COVID-19 dataset. We then applied a second filter using contract tracing app-related keywords and a geographical filter. We developed and utilized a hybrid, rule-based ensemble model, combining state-of-the-art lexicon rule-based and deep learning-based approaches. RESULTS: Overall, we observed 76% positive and 12% negative sentiments, with the majority of negative sentiments reported in the North of England. These sentiments varied over time, likely influenced by ongoing public debates around implementing app-based contact tracing by using a centralized model where data would be shared with the health service, compared with decentralized contact-tracing technology. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in sentiments corroborate with ongoing debates surrounding the information governance of health-related information. AI-enabled social media analysis of public attitudes in health care can help facilitate the implementation of effective public health campaigns.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

@thermogramer: Thermal Imaging as a Tool for Science Communication and E-Learning in Social Media

The COVID-19 pandemic boosted the presence of thermal cameras in our society. These devices are becoming cheaper and smaller and can even be plugged in our smartphones. Therefore, soon enough everybody will have access to these instruments. Thermal cameras have been widely used for industrial, research and/or academic purposes. Now, in the rise of the online era, this work proposes and assesses a new application for such devices as visual engaging tools for science communication and e-learning in social media. Here, we introduce @thermogramer as a science communication channel that shows multispectral (optical and thermal) images of daily life objects to explain the science behind different topics of social interest (climate change, emerging technologies, health, and popular traditions). This young project is already present in social media, press, TV and museum's exhibitions, and its designed content have been already useful for new inexperienced users, science educators and communicators.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

A Large-Scale Clinical Validation Study Using nCapp Cloud Plus Terminal by Frontline Doctors for the Rapid Diagnosis of COVID-19 and COVID-19 pneumonia in China

Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic acute infectious disease, especially with the features of possible asymptomatic carriers and high contagiousness. It causes acute respiratory distress syndrome and results in a high mortality rate if pneumonia is involved. Currently, it is difficult to quickly identify asymptomatic cases or COVID-19 patients with pneumonia due to limited access to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) nucleic acid tests and CT scans, which facilitates the spread of the disease at the community level, and contributes to the overwhelming of medical resources in intensive care units. Goal This study aimed to develop a scientific and rigorous clinical diagnostic tool for the rapid prediction of COVID-19 cases based on a COVID-19 clinical case database in China, and to assist global frontline doctors to efficiently and precisely diagnose asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and cases who had a false-negative RT-PCR test result. Methods With online consent, and the approval of the ethics committee of Zhongshan Hospital Fudan Unversity (approval number B2020-032R) to ensure that patient privacy is protected, clinical information has been uploaded in real-time through the New Coronavirus Intelligent Auto-diagnostic Assistant Application of cloud plus terminal (nCapp) by doctors from different cities (Wuhan, Shanghai, Harbin, Dalian, Wuxi, Qingdao, Rizhao, and Bengbu) during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. By quality control and data anonymization on the platform, a total of 3,249 cases from COVID-19 high-risk groups were collected. These patients had SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test results and chest CT scans, both of which were used as the gold standard for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and COVID-19 pneumonia. In particular, the dataset included 137 indeterminate cases who initially did not have RT-PCR tests and subsequently had positive RT-PCR results, 62 suspected cases who initially had false-negative RT-PCR test results and subsequently had positive RT-PCR results, and 122 asymptomatic cases who had positive RT-PCR test results, amongst whom 31 cases were diagnosed. We also integrated the function of a survey in nCapp to collect user feedback from frontline doctors. Findings We applied the statistical method of a multi-factor regression model to the training dataset (1,624 cases) and developed a prediction model for COVID-19 with 9 clinical indicators that are fast and accessible: 'Residing or visiting history in epidemic regions', 'Exposure history to COVID-19 patient', 'Dry cough', 'Fatigue', 'Breathlessness', 'No body temperature decrease after antibiotic treatment', 'Fingertip blood oxygen saturation<=93%', 'Lymphopenia', and 'C-reactive protein (CRP) increased'. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for the model was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.86, 0.89) in the training dataset and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.82, 0.86) in the validation dataset (1,625 cases). To ensure the sensitivity of the model, we used a cutoff value of 0.09. The sensitivity and specificity of the model were 98.0% (95% CI: 96.9%, 99.1%) and 17.3% (95% CI: 15.0%, 19.6%), respectively, in the training dataset, and 96.5% (95% CI: 95.1%, 98.0%) and 18.8% (95% CI: 16.4%, 21.2%), respectively, in the validation dataset. In the subset of the 137 indeterminate cases who initially did not have RT-PCR tests and subsequently had positive RT-PCR results, the model predicted 132 cases, accounting for 96.4% (95% CI: 91.7%, 98.8%) of the cases. In the subset of the 62 suspected cases who initially had false-negative RT-PCR test results and subsequently had positive RT-PCR results, the model predicted 59 cases, accounting for 95.2% (95% CI: 86.5%, 99.0%) of the cases. Considering the specificity of the model, we used a cutoff value of 0.32. The sensitivity and specificity of the model were 83.5% (95% CI: 80.5%, 86.4%) and 83.2% (95% CI: 80.9%, 85.5%), respectively, in the training dataset, and 79.6% (95% CI: 76.4%, 82.8%) and 81.3% (95% CI: 78.9%, 83.7%), respectively, in the validation dataset, which is very close to the published AI model. The results of the online survey 'Questionnaire Star' showed that 90.9% of nCapp users in WeChat mini programs were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with the tool. The WeChat mini program received a significantly higher satisfaction rate than other platforms, especially for 'availability and sharing convenience of the App' and 'fast speed of log-in and data entry'. Discussion With the assistance of nCapp, a mobile-based diagnostic tool developed from a large database that we collected from COVID-19 high-risk groups in China, frontline doctors can rapidly identify asymptomatic patients and avoid misdiagnoses of cases with false-negative RT-PCR results. These patients require timely isolation or close medical supervision. By applying the model, medical resources can be allocated more reasonably, and missed diagnoses can be reduced. In addition, further education and interaction among medical professionals can improve the diagnostic efficiency for COVID-19, thus avoiding the transmission of the disease from asymptomatic patients at the community level.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic course in Saudi Arabia: A dynamic epidemiological model

OBJECTIVE: Saudi Arabia ranks second in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Eastern Mediterranean region. It houses the two most sacred religious places for Muslims: Mecca and Medina. It is important to know what the trend in case numbers will be in the next 4–6 months, especially during the Hajj pilgrimage season. METHODS: Epidemiological data on COVID-19 were obtained from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health. A susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) prediction model was constructed to predict the trend in COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia in the next 6 months. FINDINGS: The model predicts that the number of active cases will peak by 22 May 2020. The cumulative infected cases are predicted to reach 70,321 at that time. The total number of infected individuals is estimated reach to 114,580 by the end of the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Our estimates show that by the time the Hajj season commences in Saudi Arabia, the pandemic will be in the midst of its deceleration phase (phase 3). This information will likely be useful to policymakers in their management of the outbreak.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Systemic thrombosis in a large cohort of COVID-19 patients despite thromboprophylaxis: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Incidence of thrombotic events associated to Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is difficult to assess and reported rates differ significantly. Optimal thromboprophylaxis is unclear. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyze the characteristics of patients with a confirmed thrombotic complication including inflammatory and hemostatic parameters, compare patients affected by arterial vs venous events and examine differences between survivors and non-survivors. We reviewed compliance with thromboprophylaxis and explored how the implementation of a severity-adjusted protocol could have influenced outcome. METHODS: Single-cohort retrospective study of COVID-19 patients admitted, from March 3 to May 3 2020, to the Infanta Leonor University Hospital in Madrid, epicenter of the Spanish outbreak. RESULTS: Among 1127 patients, 80 thrombotic events were diagnosed in 69 patients (6.1% of the entire cohort). Forty-three patients (62%) suffered venous thromboembolism, 18 (26%) arterial episodes and 6 (9%) concurrent venous and arterial thrombosis. Most patients (90%) with a confirmed thrombotic complication where under low-molecular-weight heparin treatment. Overt disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was rare. Initial ISTH DIC score and pre-event CRP were significantly higher among non-survivors. In multivariate analysis, arterial localization was an independent predictor of mortality (OR = 18, 95% CI: 2.4-142, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite quasi-universal thromboprophylaxis, COVID-19 lead to a myriad of arterial and venous thrombotic events. Considering the subgroup of patients with thrombotic episodes, arterial events appeared earlier in the course of disease and conferred very poor prognosis, and an ISTH DIC score &#8805; 3 at presentation was identified as a potential predictor of mortality. Severity-adjusted thromboprophylaxis seemed to decrease the number of events and could have influenced mortality. Randomized controlled trials are eagerly awaited.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Sonographic evaluation of diaphragmatic thickness and excursion as a predictor for successful extubation in mechanically ventilated preterm infants

Sonographic assessment of diaphragmatic thickness and excursion has been found to be an accurate tool in predicting successful extubation of adult patients from invasive mechanical ventilation. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of sonographic assessment of diaphragmatic thickness and excursion in predicting successful extubation of preterm infants from invasive conventional mechanical ventilation. Preterm infants less than 32 weeks gestation who required invasive conventional mechanical ventilation were evaluated by diaphragmatic sonography within 1 h of their planned extubation. Infants were classified into successful or failed extubation groups based on their ability to stay off invasive mechanical ventilation for 72 h after extubation. Inspiratory and expiratory thickness plus excursion of the right and left hemidiaphragm as well as diaphragmatic thickening fraction (DTF) measures were compared between groups. We included 43 eligible infants, of whom 34 infants succeeded and 9 infants failed extubation. Infants in the successful extubation group had a significantly higher expiratory thickness of the right and left hemidiaphragm, excursion of the right and left hemidiaphragm, inspiratory thickness of the left hemidiaphragm, and DTF of the left hemidiaphragm compared with infants who failed extubation. The receiver-operating characteristic curves showed that excursion of the right and left hemidiaphragm has the highest significant accuracy in predicting successful extubation of preterm infants among all diaphragmatic parameters (AUC is 0.98 and 0.96, respectively; p value < 0.001 for both). Conclusion: We conclude that diaphragmatic excursion is a useful indicator for successful extubation of preterm infants from mechanical ventilation.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) and Retropharyngeal Edema: A Case Series

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is thought to follow SARS-CoV-2 infection and presents with fever and multisystem dysfunction. We report three children with suspected MIS-C found to have retropharyngeal edema without evidence of a bacterial etiology. We raise the possibility that an association between MIS-C and retropharyngeal edema exists.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Contactless Human Activity Analysis: An Overview of Different Modalities

Human Activity Analysis (HAA) is a prominent research field in this modern era which has enlightened us with the opportunities of monitoring regular activities or the surrounding environment as per our desire. In recent times, Contactless Human Activity Analysis (CHAA) has added a new dimension in this domain as these systems perform without any wearable device or any kind of physical contact with the user. We have analyzed different modalities of CHAA and arranged them into three major categories: RF-based, sound-based, and vision-based modalities. In this chapter, we have presented state-of-the-art modalities, frequently faced challenges with some probable solutions, and currently used applications of CHAA with future directions.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Practical Machine-Checked Formalization of Change Impact Analysis

Change impact analysis techniques determine the components affected by a change to a software system, and are used as part of many program analysis techniques and tools, e.g., in regression test selection, build systems, and compilers. The correctness of such analyses usually depends both on domain-specific properties and change impact analysis, and is rarely established formally, which is detrimental to trustworthiness. We present a formalization of change impact analysis with machine-checked proofs of correctness in the Coq proof assistant. Our formal model factors out domain-specific concerns and captures system components and their interrelations in terms of dependency graphs. Using compositionality, we also capture hierarchical impact analysis formally for the first time, which, e.g., can capture when impacted files are used to locate impacted tests inside those files. We refined our verified impact analysis for performance, extracted it to efficient executable OCaml code, and integrated it with a regression test selection tool, one regression proof selection tool, and one build system, replacing their existing impact analyses. We then evaluated the resulting toolchains on several open source projects, and our results show that the toolchains run with only small differences compared to the original running time. We believe our formalization can provide a basis for formally proving domain-specific techniques using change impact analysis correct, and our verified code can be integrated with additional tools to increase their reliability.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Construction and Immunogenicity of Modified mRNA-Vaccine Variants Encoding Influenza Virus Antigens

Nucleic acid-based influenza vaccines are a promising platform that have recently and rapidly developed. We previously demonstrated the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines encoding artificial immunogens AgH1, AgH3, and AgM2, which contained conserved fragments of the hemagglutinin stem of two subtypes of influenza A—H1N1 and H3N2—and conserved protein M2. Thus, the aim of this study was to design and characterize modified mRNA obtained using the above plasmid DNA vaccines as a template. To select the most promising protocol for creating highly immunogenic mRNA vaccines, we performed a comparative analysis of mRNA modifications aimed at increasing its translational activity and decreasing toxicity. We used mRNA encoding a green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a model. Eight mRNA-GFP variants with different modifications (M0–M7) were obtained using the classic cap(1), its chemical analog ARCA (anti-reverse cap analog), pseudouridine (Ψ), N6-methyladenosine (m6A), and 5-methylcytosine (m5C) in different ratios. Modifications M2, M6, and M7, which provided the most intensive fluorescence of transfected HEK293FT cells were used for template synthesis when mRNA encoded influenza immunogens AgH1, AgH3, and AgM2. Virus specific antibodies were registered in groups of animals immunized with a mix of mRNAs encoding AgH1, AgH3, and AgM2, which contained either ARCA (with inclusions of 100% Ψ and 20% m6A (M6)) or a classic cap(1) (with 100% substitution of U with Ψ (M7)). M6 modification was the least toxic when compared with other mRNA variants. M6 and M7 RNA modifications can therefore be considered as promising protocols for designing mRNA vaccines.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

COVID-19 infections in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Northern Italy): a population-based retrospective analysis

OBJECTIVES: to study the cumulative incidence, the demographics and health conditions of the population tested for COVID-19, and to map the evolving distribution of individual cases in the population of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (North-Eastern Italy). DESIGN: population-based observational study based on a record linkage procedure of databases included in the electronic health information system of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: the study group consisted of individuals who resided in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and who underwent COVID-19 testing from 01.03 to 24.04.2020. The study group was identified from the laboratory database, which contains all the microbiological testing performed in regional facilities. Tested people were categorized into positive or negative cases, based on test results. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: probability of being tested for and cumulative incidence of COVID-19. RESULTS: the cumulative probability of being tested for COVID-19 was 278/10,000 inhabitants, while the cumulative incidence was 22 cases/10,000. Out of 33,853 tested people, 2,744 (8.1%) turned out to be positive for COVID-19. Women were tested more often than men (337 vs 216/10,000), and they showed a higher incidence of infection than men (25 and 19 infected cases/10,000 residents, respectively). Both cumulative incidence and cumulative probability of being tested were higher in the elderly population. About 25% of infected people was hosted in retirement homes and 9% was represented by healthcare workers. Thirty seven percent of positive cases had hypertension, 15% cardiologic diseases, while diabetes and cancer characterized 11.7% and 10% of the infected population, respectively. The geographic distribution of positive cases showed a faster spread of the infection in the city of Trieste, an urban area with the highest regional population density. CONCLUSIONS: the COVID-19 pandemic did not hit the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region as hard as other Northern Italian Regions. In the early phase, as documented in this study, the COVID-19 pandemic particularly affected women and elderly people, especially those living in retirement homes in Trieste.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

The association between COVID-19 and asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Recently, the associations between COVID-19 and its comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, immunosuppression, and other diseases have been reported in the many studies [1]. However, there is no clear evidence about whether patients with asthma were at a higher risk of severe or fatal COVID-19.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

A survey of laboratory biosafety and protective measures in blood transfusion departments during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Thousands of healthcare workers (HCWs) have been infected with 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Laboratory personnel in blood transfusion departments may be infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) if laboratory biosafety protection is insufficient. Therefore, we investigated the current situation of laboratory biosafety protection in blood transfusion departments to determine how to improve the safety of laboratory processes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online survey was conducted in blood transfusion departments from 1st to 6th May 2020 in China. A total of 653 individuals completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed with reference to COVID-19 laboratory biosafety summarized in Annex II. All responses were summarized using only descriptive statistics and expressed as frequencies and ratios [n (%)]. RESULTS: Most participants were concerned about COVID-19. Some participants had inadequate knowledge of COVID-19. Two participants stated that there were laboratory personnel infected with SARS-CoV-2 in their departments. A total of 31 (4.7%) participants did not receive any safety and security training. In terms of laboratory biosafety protection practices, the major challenges were suboptimal laboratory safety practices and insufficient laboratory conditions. CONCLUSION: The major deficiencies were insufficient security and safety training, and a lack of personal protective equipment, automatic cap removal centrifuges and biosafety cabinets. Consequently, we should enhance the security and safety training of laboratory personnel to improve their laboratory biosafety protection practices and ensure that laboratory conditions are sufficient to improve the safety of laboratory processes.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

COVID-19: unravelling the clinical progression of nature's virtually perfect biological weapon

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has shocked the world and caused morbidity and mortality on an unprecedented level in the era of modern medicine Evidence generated to-date on the virulence and pathogenicity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) suggests that COVID-19 may be considered a perfect storm, caused by a nature's virtually perfect biological weapon This conclusion is supported by an updated analysis of pathogenesis and clinical progression of this infectious disease It is now readily apparent that COVID-19 is not a clear-cut disorder, but is instead a gradually evolving pathology, characterized by a series of stages sustained by different molecular and biological mechanisms The disease can hence be divided in at least five different phases (incubation, respiratory, pro-inflammatory, pro-thrombotic, and death or remission) Whilst the virus triggers direct cytopathic injury during the initial stage of illness, in the following evolving phases, it is the host itself that undergoes an almost suicidal reaction, sustained, amplified and maintained by the immune, complement and hemostatic systems Another peculiar property making SARS-CoV-2 a devious and vicious pathogen is the biophysical structure of its receptor biding domain, which needs to be primed by human proteases, thus being less efficiently targetable by the host immune system The unique pathophysiology of COVID-19 requires the customization of therapy by individual patient characteristics and according to the phase-specific, evolving derangement of the multiple biological pathways

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Prior and novel coronaviruses, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and human reproduction: what is known?

OBJECTIVE: To summarize current understanding of the effects of novel and prior coronaviruses on human reproduction, specifically male and female gametes, and in pregnancy. DESIGN: Review of English publications in PubMed and Embase to April 6, 2020. METHOD(S): Articles were screened for reports including coronavirus, reproduction, pathophysiology, and pregnancy. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Reproductive outcomes, effects on gametes, pregnancy outcomes, and neonatal complications. RESULT(S): Seventy-nine reports formed the basis of the review. Coronavirus binding to cells involves the S1 domain of the spike protein to receptors present in reproductive tissues, including angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), CD26, Ezrin, and cyclophilins. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1) may cause severe orchitis leading to germ cell destruction in males. Reports indicate decreased sperm concentration and motility for 72-90 days following Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Gonadotropin-dependent expression of ACE2 was found in human ovaries, but it is unclear whether SARS-Coronavirus 2 (CoV-2) adversely affects female gametogenesis. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 infection has a lower maternal case fatality rate than SARS or Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), but anecdotal reports suggest that infected, asymptomatic women may develop respiratory symptoms postpartum. Coronavirus Disease 2019 infections in pregnancy are associated with preterm delivery. Postpartum neonatal transmission from mother to child has been reported. CONCLUSION(S): Coronavirus Disease 2019 infection may affect adversely some pregnant women and their offspring. Additional studies are needed to assess effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male and female fertility.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

A Mobile App for Self-management of Urgency and Mixed Urinary Incontinence in Women: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Many women experience urgency (UUI) and mixed (MUI) urinary incontinence but commonly hesitate to seek care Treatment access and self-management for these conditions can be supported through eHealth approaches Objective: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the mobile app Tät II for self-management of UUI and MUI in women Methods: This randomized controlled trial included women ≥18 years old with UUI or MUI and ≥2 leakages per week Those with red-flag symptoms were excluded Participants were recruited via analog and digital advertisements and screened for initial selection through a web-based questionnaire Data were collected using another questionnaire and a 2-day bladder diary A telephone interview confirmed the symptom diagnosis Participants were randomized (1:1) to receive access to a treatment app (including pelvic floor muscle training, bladder training, psychoeducation, lifestyle advice, tailored advice, exercise log, reinforcement messages, and reminders) or an information app (control group), with no external treatment guidance provided The primary outcome was incontinence symptoms at the 15-week follow-up, measured using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ)−Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) Urgency symptoms were assessed using the ICIQ−Overactive Bladder Module (ICIQ-OAB) and quality of life using the ICIQ−Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life Module (ICIQ-LUTSqol) Incontinence episode frequency (IEF) was calculated per bladder diary entries Improvement was measured using the Patient’s Global Impression of Improvement All outcomes were self-reported Cure was defined as no leakages per the bladder diary Intention-to-treat analysis was performed Results: Between April 2017 and March 2018, 123 women (mean age 58 3, SD 9 6 years) were randomized to the treatment (n=60, 2 lost to follow-up) or information (n=63) group Of these, 35 (28%) women had UUI, and 88 (72%) had MUI Mean ICIQ-UI SF score at follow-up was lower in the treatment group than in the information group (estimated difference −3 1, 95% CI −4 8 to −1 3) The estimated between-group difference was −1 8 (95% CI −2 8 to −0 99) for mean ICIQ-OAB score and −6 3 (95% CI −10 5 to −2 1) for the mean ICIQ-LUTSqol score at follow-up IEF reduction from baseline to follow-up was greater in the treatment group (−10 5, IQR −17 5 to −3 5) than in the information group (P&lt; 001) Improvement was reported by 87% (52/60) of treatment group participants and by 30% (19/63) of information group participants The cure rate was 32% in the treatment group, and 6% in the information group (odds ratio 5 4, 95% CI 1 9-15 6;P= 002) About 67% (40/60) of the treatment group participants used the app more than thrice a week Conclusions: The treatment app was effective for improving urgency and mixed incontinence in women When self-management is appropriate, this app may be a good alternative to pharmacological treatment or other conservative management, thus increasing access to care Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials gov NCT03097549;https://clinicaltrials gov/ct2/show/NCT03097549

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Compassion-Focused Group Therapy for Treatment-Resistant OCD: Initial Evaluation Using a Multiple Baseline Design

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health disorder that can easily become a treatment-resistant condition. Although effective therapies exist, only about half of the patients seem to benefit from them when we consider treatment refusal, dropout rates, and residual symptoms. Thus, providing effective augmentation to standard therapies could improve existing treatments. Group compassion-focused interventions have shown promise for reducing depression, anxiety, and avoidance related to various clinical problems, but this approach has never been evaluated for OCD individuals. However, cultivating compassion for self and others seems crucial for OCD patients, given the accumulating research suggesting that fear of guilt, along with isolation and self-criticism, can strongly contribute to the development and maintenance of OCD. The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the acceptability, tolerability, and effectiveness of an 8-week group compassion-focused intervention for reducing OCD symptoms, depression, fear of guilt and self-criticism, and increasing common humanity and compassionate self-reassuring skills in treatment-resistant OCD patients. Using a multiple baseline experimental design, the intervention was evaluated in a sample of OCD patients (N = 8) who had completed at least 6 months of CBT treatment for OCD, but who continued to suffer from significant symptoms. Participants were randomized to different baseline assessment lengths; they then received 8 weekly, 120-min group sessions of compassion-focused therapy for OCD (CFT-OCD), and then were tested again at post-treatment and at 1 month follow up. Despite the adverse external circumstances (post-treatment and follow-up data collection were carried out, respectively, at the beginning and in the middle of the Italian lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic), by the end of treatment, all participants demonstrated reliable decreases in OCD symptoms, and these improvements were maintained at 4-week follow-up for seven of eight participants. The intervention was also associated with improvements in fear of guilt, self-criticism, and self-reassurance, but less consistent improvements in depression and common humanity. Participants reported high levels of acceptability of and satisfaction with the intervention. Results suggest that the intervention may be beneficial as either a stand-alone treatment or as an augmentation to other treatments.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis in COVID-19: presentation of two cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Neurological manifestations of COVID-19 are still incompletely understood. Neurological manifestations may be due to direct viral effect on neurons and glial cells, to an immune-mediated response to the virus, or to a hypercoagulable state and associated endothelial damage, as well as to severe systemic disease with prolonged intensive care unit stay. OBJECTIVE: To describe two patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and delayed recovery of consciousness after sedation withdrawal, in whom MRI disclosed multifocal white matter brain lesions, compatible with the diagnosis of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. METHODS: Observational report of two cases of severe COVID-19 infection in patients from two tertiary hospitals in São Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS: These patients underwent neurologic and systemic evaluation for delayed awakening after sedation withdrawal. MRI displayed multifocal centrum semiovale lesions, suggestive of demyelinating inflammation. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 was negative in both cases. CONCLUSION: A recurrent pattern of multifocal white matter lesions can occur in COVID-19 patients, possibly associated with delayed awakening. Additional studies are necessary to elucidate the role of the viral infection and of inflammatory and immune-mediated associated changes in neurological manifestations of COVID-19.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Minimally invasive and inexpensive percutaneous abscess drainage using an indwelling needle cannula

PURPOSE: Abscess is still a formidable disease and requires adequate drainage. Moreover, drainage in the head and neck area needs cosmetic care, especially in the pediatric population. In this report, we introduce our method of percutaneous abscess drainage using an indwelling needle cannula. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten pediatric and five adult patients with cervical and/or facial abscess treated with this drainage method were retrospectively reviewed. Using an indwelling needle cannula (18-14 G Surflow®, Terumo, Tokyo, Japan), abscesses were penetrated under ultrasonic examination. Once purulent retention was identified, the inner metal needle was removed and the outer elastic needle was left and fixed. The outer needle was connected to the tube for continuous suction drainage for large abscess. RESULTS: The primary diseases of these abscesses were cervical abscess of dental origin (5), purulent lymphadenitis (3), pyriform sinus fistula (2) and subperiosteal abscess due to mastoiditis (2), circumorbital cellulitis (1), infection of Warthin's tumor (1), and unknown origin (1). The median (range) duration of drainage was 4 days (3–9 days). Abscesses were successfully treated, and no patients required additional incision for abscess drainage. No apparent scars after drainage were observed. CONCLUSION: This technique resembles the usual venous placement of an indwelling needle cannula and is thought to be familiar to physicians. Although simple and inexpensive, this drainage is safe, effective, and minimally invasive for the treatment of abscess.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Drug may help treat SARS

Interferon helps infected monkeys breathe more easily.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Submaximal Exercise Provokes Increased Activation of the Anterior Default Mode Network During the Resting State as a Biomarker of Postexertional Malaise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is characterized by disabling fatigue and postexertional malaise. We developed a provocation paradigm with two submaximal bicycle exercise stress tests on consecutive days bracketed by magnetic resonance imaging, orthostatic intolerance, and symptom assessments before and after exercise in order to induce objective changes of exercise induced symptom exacerbation and cognitive dysfunction. Method: Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) scans were performed while at rest on the preexercise and postexercise days in 34 ME/CFS and 24 control subjects. Seed regions from the FSL data library with significant BOLD signals were nodes that clustered into networks using independent component analysis. Differences in signal amplitudes between groups on pre- and post-exercise days were determined by general linear model and ANOVA. Results: The most striking exercise-induced effect in ME/CFS was the increased spontaneous activity in the medial prefrontal cortex that is the anterior node of the Default Mode Network (DMN). In contrast, this region had decreased activation for controls. Overall, controls had higher BOLD signals suggesting reduced global cerebral blood flow in ME/CFS. Conclusion: The dynamic increase in activation of the anterior DMN node after exercise may be a biomarker of postexertional malaise and symptom exacerbation in CFS. The specificity of this postexertional finding in ME/CFS can now be assessed by comparison to post-COVID fatigue, Gulf War Illness, fibromyalgia, chronic idiopathic fatigue, and fatigue in systemic medical and psychiatric diseases.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Incidence, Risk Factors, and Attributable Mortality of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections in the Intensive Care Unit After Suspected Catheters Infection: A Retrospective 10-year Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION: Catheter management strategies for suspected catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) remain a major challenge in intensive care units (ICUs). The objective of this study was to determine the incidence, risk factors, and mortality attributable to CRBSIs in those patients. METHODS: A population-based surveillance on suspected CRBSI was conducted from 2009 to 2018 in a tertiary care hospital in China. We used the results of catheter tip culture to identify patients with suspected CRBSIs. Demographics, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria, interventions, and microorganism culture results were analysed and compared between patients with and without confirmed CRBSIs. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified the risk factors for CRBSIs, and attributable mortality was evaluated with a time-varying Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: In total, 686 patients with 795 episodes of suspected CRBSIs were included; 19.2% (153/795) episodes were confirmed as CRBSIs, and 17.4% (119/686) patients died within 30 days. The multifactor model shows that CRBSIs were associated with fever, hypotension, acute respiratory distress syndrome, hyperglycaemia and the use of continuous renal replacement therapy. The AUC was 77.0% (95% CI 73.3%–80.7%). The population attributable mortality fraction of CRBSI in patients was 18.2%, and mortality rate did not differ significantly between patients with and without CRBSIs (95% CI 0.464–1.279, P = 0.312). CONCLUSIONS: This initial model based on the SIRS criteria is relatively better at identifying patients with CRBSI but only in domains of the sensitivity. There were no significant differences in attributable mortality due to CRBSI and other causes in patients with suspected CRBSI, which prompt catheter removal and re-insertion of new catheter may not benefit patients with suspected CRBSIs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: China Clinical Trials Registration number; ChiCTR1900022175. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40121-021-00429-3.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

What Works to Improve Nutrition and Food Sustainability across the First 2000 Days of Life: A Rapid Review

Informed by the Innocenti framework, this rapid review of systematic reviews (n = 60) and sentinel grey literature (n = 27) synthesises the evidence of what works to improve nutrition and food sustainability across the first 2000 days. Most systematic reviews focused on interventions targeting the behaviour of parents and caregivers (n = 49), with fewer reviews focusing on the personal (n = 7) and external (n = 4) food environments. No reviews focused on food supply-chain activities. Most reviews were rated as critically low (n = 28, 47%) or low (n = 21, 35%) quality using AMSTAR 2. Evidence supports the effectiveness of multi-component breastfeeding interventions, interventions delivered in home and child-care settings, particularly when involving parents, interactive skill building and repeated exposure to vegetables. Food vouchers and access to local farmers markets and community gardens have potential for improving access and availability to healthier foods, while evidence supports interventions improving the external food environment, including fiscal strategies such as the SSB tax, restrictions on marketing and advertising of discretionary products and improved food labelling. Overall, this review highlights the importance of action across a range of settings and sectors at the international, national and local levels to improve young children’s diets.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Influenza and Other Prophylactic Vaccination Coverage in Polish Adult Patients Undergoing Allergen Immunotherapy—A Survey Study among Patients and Physicians

Vaccines against infectious diseases may raise safety concerns in patients undergoing allergen immunotherapy (AIT). The objective of our study was to investigate influenza vaccine and other selected prophylactic vaccines coverage in patients treated with AIT and the attitude of physicians towards vaccinations in this group of patients. We conducted a questionnaire-based study among patients undergoing AIT and physicians. The patients’ survey evaluated influenza and other prophylactic vaccines coverage. The physicians’ survey assessed their experience and opinions on prophylactic vaccinations during AIT. In total, 176 patients (aged 18–79 years) and 120 doctors filled the questionnaires. Patients were assigned to two groups—inhaled allergens group (n = 101) and insect venoms group (n = 68). The number of patients who received any dose (36% and 45%, p = 0.26), as well as two or more doses (17% and 22%, p = 0.43) of influenza vaccine was comparable between two groups. However, in both groups there was a significant (p < 0.0001) decrease in influenza vaccine uptake after the beginning of AIT. Patients from the inhaled allergens group declared a higher tetanus vaccine rate (41% vs. 19%, p = 0.004). The groups did not differ in the pneumococcal and tick-borne encephalitis vaccination coverage. A majority of doctors believe that prophylactic vaccinations in patients undergoing AIT are safe and effective (96% and 94%, respectively); however, as many as 87% of them identify with the need to create clear recommendations regarding vaccinating patients undergoing AIT. Prophylactic vaccine coverage is not satisfactory among Polish adult patients undergoing AIT. Polish doctors are convinced of the validity of prophylactic vaccinations during AIT.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

COVID-19 Pandemic and Thalassemia Major Patients: Transfusion Practice and Treatment Assessment

BACKGROUND: When the COVID-19 epidemic occurred for the first time in December 2019, the governments worldwide took some restriction measures for slowing the spread of novel coronavirus. Eventually, there was a considerable decrease in volunteer blood donations. Regular transfusions and follow-up of patients with thalassemia major (TM) should be maintained during this period. It is possible that the treatment of the patients with TM may hinder due to the difficulty of reaching the treatment center and the difficulty of blood supply. Thus, in this study, we aimed to investigate whether there were any differences in the follow-up and treatment of the patients with TM during the outbreak. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-one patients with TM who were followed up in our center without COVID-19 contact history and symptoms were included in this study. The demographic features and red blood cell volume per kilogram they received, pretransfusion hemoglobin, serum ferritin (SF) level, biochemical parameters, and transfusion interval were recorded. The difference between the arithmetic mean of the data before and during the pandemic was evaluated. RESULTS: In this study, 61 patients with TM (32 males/29 females, mean age 13.9±6.8 y) were evaluated. The mean pretransfusion hemoglobin value was 9.14±0.77 g/dL and 8.87± 0.80 g/dL before and during the pandemic, respectively (P=0.023). There was no difference between before and during the pandemic concerning transfusion interval and transfusion volume. However, SF levels increased above 1000 ng/mL in 16.6% of patients. CONCLUSION: Although blood donation decreased significantly during the pandemic, it was observed in this study that the blood needs of patients with TM could be provided. The results of the SF level showed that the management of chelation therapy should be more meticulous. However, we should be ready for the challenges in the transfusion practice of patients with TM due to fluctuations in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Management of cardiac patients in epidemic outbreak

In times of Covid19 epidemic/pandemic, cardiac patients are vulnerable group with many specific conditions that could aggravate their condition. In this narrative review, we present possible measures adequate in managing cardiac patients in epidemic outbreak. The overview on role of cardiologists and Crisis Management Team in management of cardiac patients is given. Protocols and measures implemented in Covid19 crises are presented in light of risk assessment and disease prevention of cardiac patients and measures that should be taken for each cardiac condition. Specificity of epidemics calls for specific measures in addressing cardiac patients as part of the affected population. Many possible outcomes could be expected in an epidemic outbreak in relation to cardiovascular diseases, but tailored measures will keep cardiac patients safe. Proposed preventive measures for cardiac patients could be implemented in existing protocols for epidemic outbreak.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Status epilepticus admissions during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Salzburg—A population‐based study

Several emergencies were admitted less frequently to the hospital during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. To investigate whether this also occurred with status epilepticus (SE) we compared admissions due to first SE from March to April 2020 (“Time of COVID,” TOC) with January to February 2020 (“pre‐COVID,” preCOV). We also compared admission numbers in TOC and preCOV with the respective 2‐month periods in 2018 and 2019 in a retrospective cohort analysis. Two investigators independently searched the hospital patient database for various forms of SE. There was no significant change in the 2‐month incidences of first SE in the city of Salzburg from preCOV of 6.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.9‐12.3) to TOC of 6.9/100 000 adults (95% CI 3.4‐13.3). Admission numbers did not differ significantly from previous years. Estimated adjusted incidence was in line with a recent 5‐year epidemiological study in Salzburg. However, a trend toward less‐frequent nonconvulsive SE (NCSE) and loss of female predominance were indirect hints of underdiagnosing SE. In contrast to other medical conditions, SE most often presents clinically with impaired consciousness, which may promote admission to emergency departments even in times of lock‐down. Further research of medical support of women and patients with NCSE during pandemic‐related restrictions is warranted.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Influence the Biological Properties of Malignant Tumours via Paracrine Secretion and Exosome Production

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are an essential component of the tumour microenvironment. They represent a heterogeneous group of cells that are under the control of cancer cells and can reversely influence the cancer cell population. They affect the cancer cell differentiation status, and the migration and formation of metastases. This is achieved through the production of the extracellular matrix and numerous bioactive factors. IL-6 seems to play the central role in the communication of noncancerous and cancer cells in the tumour. This review outlines the role of exosomes in cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Available data on the exosomal cargo, which can significantly intensify interactions in the tumour, are summarised. The role of exosomes as mediators of the dialogue between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts is discussed together with their therapeutic relevance. The functional unity of the paracrine- and exosome-mediated communication of cancer cells with the tumour microenvironment represented by CAFs is worthy of attention.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

The Geographical Distribution of Probable COVID-19 Patients Transferred by Tehran Emergency Medical Services;a Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Mapping of COVID-19 infection in the city can help us know more about how the disease is distributed and spread This study was conducted to investigate the geographical distribution of probable COVID-19 patients who were transferred to destination hospitals by emergency medical services (EMS) in the first wave of the epidemic, in Tehran, Iran Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed based on recorded missions during the first 3-month period of the pandemic in Tehran, Iran All probable cases of COVID-19 who were transferred to the hospitals following contact with Tehran EMS during the study period were enrolled Arc-GIS software was utilized to draw the distribution map of the contact places of the cases Results: In this study, the data of 4018 patients were analyzed (60 9% male) The mean age of the patients was 54 1 +/- 20 7 years;and the mean age of the patients had increased with time during the studied 3 months (p = 0 003) The average incidence rate of this disease in Tehran during the study period was 4 6 per 10,000 population Generally, the lowest and highest raw frequencies of Tehran COVID-19 contamination were seen in municipal districts 21 and 4, respectively The raw frequency of cases during the 3-month study period also showed that the highest number of cases in Tehran occurred in municipal districts 5 and 4, respectively Conclusion: In the present study, using geographic information systems (GIS), geographical distribution map of COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran, during the first 3 months of the pandemic was drawn

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Stroke Care in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic disease globally. The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College has adopted telestroke to make stroke care accessible in remote areas. During the period January 2020 to March 2020, there was no COVID-19 case reported in our stroke center. A significant reduction of stroke admission was observed between the ischemic stroke group (235 vs. 588 cases) and the intracerebral hemorrhage group (136 vs. 150 cases) when compared with the same period last year (p < 0.001). The mean door-to-needle time (DNT) and door-to-puncture time (DPT) was 62 and 124 min, respectively. Compared to the same period last year, a significant change was observed in DNT (62 ± 12 vs. 47 ± 8 min, p = 0.019) but not in DPT (124 ± 58 vs. 135 ± 23 min, p = 0.682). A total of 46 telestroke consultations were received from network hospitals. Telestroke management in the central hospital was performed on 17 patients. Of them, 3 (17.6%) patients had brain hernia and died in hospital and 8 (47.1%) patients were able to ambulation at discharge and had a modified Rankin Scale of 0–2 at 3 months. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted stroke care significantly in our hospital, including prehospital and in-hospital settings, resulting in a significant drop in acute ischemic stroke admissions and a delay in DNT. The construction of a telestroke network enabled us to extend health-care resources and make stroke care accessible in remote areas. Stroke education and public awareness should be reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Maoto, a traditional herbal medicine, for post-exposure prophylaxis for Japanese healthcare workers exposed to COVID-19: A single center study

Background Little research has been done on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for COVID-19. This study was done to determine if maoto, a traditional herbal medicine commonly used for diseases with symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, can be repurposed for post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent the spread of nosocomial infection with SARS-CoV-2. Methods A cohort analysis was done of the data of 55 health care workers (HCWs) whether to get infected with SARS-CoV-2 in a Japanese hospital experiencing a COVID-19 cluster in April of 2021. Of these subjects, maoto granules for medical use were prescribed for PEP to 42 HCWs and taken for three days in mid-April. Controls were 13 HCWs who rejected the use of maoto. Polymerase chain reaction was performed routinely once or twice a week or when a participant presented with symptoms of COVID-19. Result There were no background differences between the maoto and control groups by profession, sex, or mean age. No severe adverse reactions were observed. During the observation period of 1 week, significantly fewer subjects were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the maoto group (N = 3, 7.1%) than in the control group (N = 6, 46.2%). The prophylactic effectiveness of maoto was 84.5%. Conclusion Oral administration of maoto is suggested to be effective as PEP against nosocomial COVID-19 infection.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Kidney Transplantation in Saudi Arabia: Outcomes and Future Opportunities

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant services all over the world were severely impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The optimum management of kidney transplant recipients with coronavirus disease 2019 remains uncertain. MATERIAL/METHODS: We conducted a multicenter cohort study of kidney transplant recipients with coronavirus disease 2019 infection in Saudi Arabia. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to study predictors of graft and patient outcomes at 28 days after coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis. RESULTS: We included 130 kidney transplant recipients, with a mean age of 48.7(±14.4) years. Fifty-nine patients were managed at home with daily follow-up utilizing a dedicated clinic, while 71 (54.6%) required hospital admission. Acute kidney injury occurred in 35 (26.9%) patients. Secondary infections occurred in 38 (29.2%) patients. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies testing was carried out in 84 patients, of whom 70 tested positive for IgG and/or IgM. Fourteen patients died (10.8%). A multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that age, creatinine at presentation, acute kidney injury, and use of azithromycin were significantly associated with worse patient survival. Graft loss was associated with requiring renal replacement therapy and development of secondary infections. CONCLUSIONS: Despite kidney transplant recipients with coronavirus disease 2019 infection having higher rate of hospital admission and mortality compared to the general population, a significant number of them can be managed using a telemedicine clinic. Most kidney transplant patients seem to mount an antibody response following coronavirus disease 2019 infection, and it remains to be seen if they will have a similar response to the incoming vaccines.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

E-learning critical success factors during the covid-19 pandemic: A comprehensive analysis of e-learning managerial perspectives

During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions were shut down all over the world, which impacted over 60% of students and caused a massive disruption of the education system. The goal of this paper was to identify the critical success factors for E-learning during COVID-19 using the multi-criteria Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) techniques to enhance the educational process. Data were generated by interviewing 69 E-learning managers in educational institutions during COVID-19 based on defined evaluation criteria and E-learning approaches through several channels. We found that technology management, support from management, increased student awareness to use E-learning systems, and demanding a high level of information technology from instructors, students, and universities were the most influential factors for E-learning during COVID-19. Among the five learning systems, blended learning was the most suitable learning system to practice. These results demonstrated that, regardless of how extraordinary the technology is in an educational institution, the readiness of E-learning execution played a large role in boosting the educational process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Perspectives in surgical and anaesthetic management of lung cancer in the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Early in 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quickly spread globally, giving rise to a pandemic. In this critical scenario, patients with lung cancer need to continue to receive optimal care and at the same be shielded from infection with the potentially severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Upgrades to the prevention and control of infection have become paramount in order to lower the risk of hospital contagion. Aerosol-generating procedures such as endotracheal intubation or endoscopic procedures may expose health care workers to a high risk of infection. Moreover, thoracic anaesthesia usually requires highly complex airway management procedures because of the need for one-lung isolation and one-lung ventilation. Therefore, in the current pandemic, providing a fast-track algorithm for scientifically standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment recommendations for patients with lung cancer is urgent. Suggestions for improving existing contagion control guidelines are needed, even in the case of non-symptomatic patients who possibly are responsible for virus spread. A COVID-19-specific intraoperative management strategy designed to reduce risk of infection in both health care workers and patients is also required.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Enhanced catalytic ozonation of ibuprofen using a 3D structured catalyst with MnO2 nanosheets on carbon microfibers.

Heterogeneous catalytic ozonation is an effective approach to degrade refractory organic pollutants in water. However, ozonation catalysts with combined merits of high activity, good reusability and low cost for practical industrial applications are still rare. This study aims to develop an efficient, stable and economic ozonation catalyst for the degradation of Ibuprofen, a pharmaceutical compound frequently detected as a refractory pollutant in treated wastewaters. The novel three-dimensional network-structured catalyst, comprising of δ-MnO2 nanosheets grown on woven carbon microfibers (MnO2 nanosheets/carbon microfiber), was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal approach. Catalytic ozonation performance of Ibuprofen removal in water using the new catalyst proves a significant enhancement, where Ibuprofen removal efficiency of close to 90% was achieved with a catalyst loading of 1% (w/v). In contrast, conventional ozonation was only able to achieve 65% removal efficiency under the same operating condition. The enhanced performance with the new catalyst could be attributed to its significantly increased available surface active sites and improved mass transfer of reaction media, as a result of the special surface and structure properties of this new three-dimensional network-structured catalyst. Moreover, the new catalyst displays excellent stability and reusability for ibuprofen degradation over successive reaction cycles. The facile synthesis method and low-cost materials render the new catalyst high potential for industrial scaling up. With the combined advantages of high efficiency, high stability, and low cost, this study sheds new light for industrial applications of ozonation catalysts.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS): an immune dysregulatory pandemic

Porcine reproductive and respiratory disease syndrome (PRRS) is a viral pandemic that especially affects neonates within the “critical window” of immunological development. PRRS was recognized in 1987 and within a few years became pandemic causing an estimated yearly $600,000 economic loss in the USA with comparative losses in most other countries. The causative agent is a single-stranded, positive-sense enveloped arterivirus (PRRSV) that infects macrophages and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Despite the discovery of PRRSV in 1991 and the publication of >2,000 articles, the control of PRRS is problematic. Despite the large volume of literature on this disease, the cellular and molecular mechanisms describing how PRRSV dysregulates the host immune system are poorly understood. We know that PRRSV suppresses innate immunity and causes abnormal B cell proliferation and repertoire development, often lymphopenia and thymic atrophy. The PRRSV genome is highly diverse, rapidly evolving but amenable to the generation of many mutants and chimeric viruses for experimental studies. PRRSV only replicates in swine which adds to the experimental difficulty since no inbred well-defined animal models are available. In this article, we summarize current knowledge and apply it toward developing a series of provocative and testable hypotheses to explain how PRRSV immunomodulates the porcine immune system with the goal of adding new perspectives on this disease.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Modeling Effectiveness of Partial Lockdown in Breaking Covid-19 Transmission Chain in Malaysia

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) was first reported in Wuhan, China in early December 2019. On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a worldwide pandemic. Within six months, this highly infectious disease has rapidly spread over 200 countries in six continents, infecting more than 12 million and killing more than 560,000. Malaysia recorded as of July 12, a total of 8718 persons tested positive for Covid-19, with 122 deaths, and 8519 fully recovered, out of a population of 32.4 million. Unprecedented public health and socio-economic policy have been formulated by the Malaysian government to control the catastrophic pandemic spread and to resolve deep socio-economic disruptions and uncertainties. For Malaysia, a major pandemic control policy measure is the Movement Control Order (MCO) over a period of 24 weeks from March 18 to August 31, 2020. This MCO decision is facilitated by the use of epidemiology models such as SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered) model. This MCO has resulted in major socio-economic disruptions and uncertainty. To overcome these immense economic disruptions and uncertainty, several major economic stimulation packages amounting to RM 250 billion, equivalent to 17% of Malaysia 2019 GDP, are formulated to revitalize Malaysia’s economy. Epidemiology models are widely used worldwide to formulate socially acceptable policy measures for breaking the infection transmission chain and for enhancing economic resilience. Since the start of Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia, we use and continuously calibrate the existing SIR-based in-house FluSiM@USM model to examine the effectiveness of various intervention and mitigation measures in reducing the pandemic burden, the result of which is presented in this chapter. Our epidemic model analysis suggests that MCO has managed to effectively control the spread of Covid-19 by significantly reducing the effective reproduction number Rt, from 3.5 to 0.2 over a period of 12 weeks. The constantly evolving knowledge of Covid-19 transmission dynamics requires regular data updates and model enhancements. Collaboration and communication between modelers and public health authorities are essential to formulating and supporting complex public health policy decision. This chapter highlights the effectiveness of MCO in controlling Covid-19 spread. It discusses major socio-economic disruptions and uncertainties caused by Covid-19 and MCO to the Malaysian and world economy. Guided by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction developed by the United Nations, this chapter will focus the deliberation on the trade-offs between saving life and saving the economy. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Combination of Multiple Microsatellite Analysis and Genome-Wide SNP Genotyping Helps to Solve Wildlife Crime: A Case Study of Poaching of a Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica) in Russian Mountain National Park

SIMPLE SUMMARY: DNA molecular techniques, including multiple microsatellite analysis and genome-wide SNP-genotyping, were used to unlock and prove the poaching of wild goats (Capra caucasica) in an area of the Caucasian mountains in Russia. ABSTRACT: Poaching is one of the major types of wildlife crime in Russia. Remnants of goats (presumably the wild endemic species, the Caucasian tur) were found in an area of the Caucasian mountains. The case study involves a suspected poacher whose vehicle was found to have two duffel bags containing pieces of a carcass, which he claimed was that of a goat from his flock. The aim of the forensic genetic analysis for this case was to (i) establish individual identity and (ii) perform species identification. DNA typing based on fourteen microsatellites revealed that STR-genotypes generated from pieces of evidence found at crime scene fully matched those obtained from the evidence seized from the suspect. The results of genome-wide SNP-genotyping, using Illumina Goat SNP50 BeadChip, provided evidence that the poached animal was a wild Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica). Thus, based on comprehensive molecular genetic analysis, evidence of poaching was obtained and sent to local authorities. To our knowledge, this case study is the first to attempt to use DNA chips in wildlife forensics of ungulates.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Vocalsound: A Dataset for Improving Human Vocal Sounds Recognition

Recognizing human non-speech vocalizations is an important task and has broad applications such as automatic sound transcription and health condition monitoring. However, existing datasets have a relatively small number of vocal sound samples or noisy labels. As a consequence, state-of-the-art audio event classification models may not perform well in detecting human vocal sounds. To support research on building robust and accurate vocal sound recognition, we have created a VocalSound dataset consisting of over 21,000 crowdsourced recordings of laughter, sighs, coughs, throat clearing, sneezes, and sniffs from 3,365 unique subjects. Experiments show that the vocal sound recognition performance of a model can be significantly improved by 41.9% by adding VocalSound dataset to an existing dataset as training material. In addition, different from previous datasets, the VocalSound dataset contains meta information such as speaker age, gender, native language, country, and health condition.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Can mathematical modelling solve the current Covid-19 crisis?

Since COVID-19 transmission started in late January, mathematical modelling has been at the forefront of shaping the decisions around different non-pharmaceutical interventions to confine its’ spread in the UK and worldwide. This Editorial discusses the importance of modelling in understanding Covid-19 spread, highlights different modelling approaches and suggests that while modelling is important, no one model can give all the answers.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

ACR Convergence 2020 Abstract Supplement

For a searchable version of these abstracts, please visit www.acrabstracts.org.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Gut microbiome, Vitamin D, ACE2 interactions are critical factors in immune-senescence and inflammaging: key for vaccine response and severity of COVID-19 infection

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to spread sporadically in the Unites States and worldwide. The severity and mortality excessively affected the frail elderly with co-existing medical diseases. There is growing evidence that cross-talk between the gut microbiome, Vitamin D and RAS/ACE2 system is essential for a balanced functioning of the elderly immune system and in regulating inflammation. In this review, we hypothesize that the state of gut microbiome, prior to infection determines the outcome associated with COVID-19 sepsis and may also be a critical factor in success to vaccination. METHODS: Articles from PubMed/Medline searches were reviewed using a combination of terms “SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Inflammaging, Immune-senescence, Gut microbiome, Vitamin D, RAS/ACE2, Vaccination”. CONCLUSION: Evidence indicates a complex association between gut microbiota, ACE-2 expression and Vitamin D in COVID-19 severity. Status of gut microbiome is highly predictive of the blood molecular signatures and inflammatory markers and host responses to infection. Vitamin D has immunomodulatory function in innate and adaptive immune responses to viral infection. Anti-inflammatory functions of Vit D include regulation of gut microbiome and maintaining microbial diversity. It promotes growth of gut-friendly commensal strains of Bifida and Fermicutus species. In addition, Vitamin D is a negative regulator for expression of renin and interacts with the RAS/ ACE/ACE-2 signaling axis. Collectively, this triad may be the critical, link in determination of outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The presented data are empirical and informative. Further research using advanced systems biology techniques and artificial intelligence-assisted integration could assist with correlation of the gut microbiome with sepsis and vaccine responses. Modulating these factors may impact in guiding the success of vaccines and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 infections.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Restricted Prevalence Rates of COVID-19’s Infectivity, Hospitalization, Recovery, Mortality in the USA and Their Implications

This article constructs and demonstrates an alternate probabilistic approach (using incidence rate restricted model), compared with the deterministic mathematical models such as SIR, to capture the impact of healthcare efforts on the prevalence rate of the COVID-19’s infectivity, hospitalization, recovery, and mortality in the eastern, central, mountain, and pacific time zone states in the USA. We add additional new properties for the incidence rate restricted Poisson probability distribution. With new properties, our method becomes feasible to comprehend not only the patterns of the prevalence rate of the COVID-19’s infectivity, hospitalization, recovery, and mortality but also to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of social distancing, healthcare management’s efforts to hospitalize the patients, the patient’s immunity to recover, and lastly the unfortunate mortality itself. To make regional comparisons (as the people’s movement is far more frequent within than outside the regional zone on daily basis), we group the COVID-19 data in terms of eastern, central, mountain, and pacific zone states. Several non-intuitive findings in the data results are noticed. They include the existence of imbalance, different vulnerability, and risk reduction in these four regions. For example, the impact of healthcare efforts is high in the recovery category in the pacific states. The impact is less in the hospitalization category in the mountain states. The least impact is seen in the infectivity category in the eastern zone states. A few thoughts on future research work are cited. It requires collecting rich data on COVID-19 and extracting valuable information for better public health policies.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

The Collection is Dead;Long Live the Collective: Rethinking the Role of Content and Collections in the Museum’s Purpose Post-pandemic

Originally titled, “From Treasure House to Production House: Community-driven storytelling and the ‘born digital’ collection in the museum as distributed network,” this paper began as an attempt to share the storytelling and “digital first” strategies being developed at the Peale in Baltimore, Maryland. Inspired by the “new citizenship” approach to organizational participation developed in the UK [1] and leading work in the cultural sector presented at the international MuseWeb conferences among others, the Peale is an experiment in dismantling museum hierarchies, from the primacy of the object to the curatorial process, with the aim of transforming the 21st century museum from treasure house into a production house of culture. After the RISE-IMET conference at which this paper was to be presented was postponed due to the pandemic, this thesis had to be expanded to take into account the impact of 2020’s quarantines on museums. The closure of physical institutions globally, and the corresponding pivot to online content and audiences, compels us to redefine “collection” in the post-pandemic museum as more than content, be it digital or analog, and instead put the expanded concept of “collective,” including content and its connections with creators and audiences – i.e. stories – at the heart of the museum’s purpose and economy. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Cancer patient survival can be parametrized to improve trial precision and reveal time-dependent therapeutic effects

Individual participant data (IPD) from oncology clinical trials is invaluable for identifying factors that influence trial success and failure, improving trial design and interpretation, and comparing pre-clinical studies to clinical outcomes. However, the IPD used to generate published survival curves are not generally publicly available. We impute survival IPD from ~500 arms of Phase 3 oncology trials (representing ~220,000 events) and find that they are well fit by a two-parameter Weibull distribution. Use of Weibull functions with overall survival significantly increases the precision of small arms typical of early phase trials: analysis of a 50-patient trial arm using parametric forms is as precise as traditional, non-parametric analysis of a 90-patient arm. We also show that frequent deviations from the Cox proportional hazards assumption, particularly in trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors, arise from time-dependent therapeutic effects. Trial duration therefore has an underappreciated impact on the likelihood of success.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Unexpected BP Sensitivity to Angiotensin II in a Patient With Coronavirus Disease 2019, ARDS, and Septic Shock

We report the case of an 88-year-old man with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who presented with ARDS and septic shock. The patient had exquisite BP sensitivity to low-dose angiotensin II (Ang-2), allowing for rapid liberation from high-dose vasopressors. We hypothesize that sensitivity to Ang-2 might be related to biological effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. The case is suggestive of a potential role for synthetic Ang-2 for patients with COVID-19 and septic shock. Further studies are needed to confirm our observed clinical efficacy.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and obesity. Impact of obesity and its main comorbidities in the evolution of the disease

The COVID-19 pandemic is posing a great challenge worldwide Its rapid progression has caused thousands of deaths worldwide Although multiple aspects remain to be clarified, some risk factors associated with a worse prognosis have been identified These include obesity and some of its main complications, such as diabetes and high blood pressure Furthermore, although the possible long-term complications and psychological effects that may appear in survivors of COVID-19 are not well known yet, there is a concern that those complications may be greater in obese patients In this manuscript, we review some of the data published so far and the main points that remain to be elucidated are emphasized

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Views on business continuity and disaster recovery

Purpose There is a noticeable confusion in the literature between Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP). The two expressions are very often used interchangeably especially when it comes to their application. In this paper, the differences between business continuity and disaster recovery are discussed. The disaster management cycle is also addressed in order to highlight the importance of having plans before, during and after the occurrence of an incident. Design/methodology/approach A review of the extant literature on business continuity and disaster recovery was made. A number of different views were then presented in order to provide a better understanding of the two concepts and their potential overlap/connection. The literature review was conducted in 2020 using a variety of academic resources ranging from journal articles to text books and credible Internet websites. Relevant journal articles were obtained from two primary databases: Emerald Insight and EBSCOhost. Keywords, such as DRP, continuity, disruption and BCP, were mainly used to facilitate the search for these resources and other related material. Findings Reviewing the literature revealed that BCP and DRP are not the same. Yet, they are used interchangeably very often in the literature. This indicates a possible relationship/overlap between the two. The relationship between BCP and DRP can be viewed from a variety of perspectives, which altogether provide a better understanding of their purposes and application. Practical implications On top of the need to differentiate between business continuity and disaster recovery, the widespread impact of the current COVID-19 crisis, especially on businesses and supply chains, has unfolded the necessity to deal with business disruptions in all their forms and the significance of quick and effective recovery. This research clarifies the purpose of BCP and the purpose of DRP and their role in combating impacts of disruptive incidents on businesses and organizations. Originality/value BCP and DRP are discussed extensively in the literature. Yet, few studies attempted to address the precise functions of the two resulting in an obvious confusion between their meaning and purpose which subsequently reduced the uniqueness of their application and the uniqueness of the application of each. Only a small minority of practitioners and academics recognise the precise differences between the two. This study aims at clarifying this misconception to a wider set of readers and interested parties.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Integration of System Biology Tools to Investigate Huperzine A as an Anti-Alzheimer Agent

Aim: The present study aimed to investigate huperzine A as an anti-Alzheimer agent based on the principle that a single compound can regulate multiple proteins and associated pathways, using system biology tools. Methodology: The simplified molecular-input line-entry system of huperzine A was retrieved from the PubChem database, and its targets were predicted using SwissTargetPrediction. These targets were matched with the proteins deposited in DisGeNET for Alzheimer disease and enriched in STRING to identify the probably regulated pathways, cellular components, biological processes, and molecular function. Furthermore, huperzine A was docked against acetylcholinesterase using AutoDock Vina, and simulations were performed with the Gromacs package to take into account the dynamics of the system and its effect on the stability and function of the ligands. Results: A total of 100 targets were predicted to be targeted by huperzine A, of which 42 were regulated at a minimum probability of 0.05. Similarly, 101 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were triggered, in which neuroactive ligand–receptor interactions scored the least false discovery rate. Also, huperzine A was predicted to modulate 54 cellular components, 120 molecular functions, and 873 biological processes. Furthermore, huperzine A possessed a binding affinity of −8.7 kcal/mol with AChE and interacted within the active site of AChE via H-bonds and hydrophobic interactions.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Potential pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

A review The emergence of novel coronavirus pneumonia which was named as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has posed a serious threat to public health Notably, COVID-19 has rapidly spread around the world and large amount of people have been infected There is imminent need to investigate the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and develop effective therapeutic strategies to contain the epidemic The spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 mediates viral entry into target cells, with S1 subunit binding to a cellular receptor and S2 subunit fusing viral and host membranes Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), previously known as a cell receptor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), is putatively responsible for mediating COVID-19 In this review, we detail our current understanding of the interaction between S protein and ACE2 in the process of virus infection and the potential pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, which has critical implications for exploring the potential therapeutic strategies for COVID-19

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

"We Decided We Don't Want Children. We Will Let Them Know Tonight": Parental Humor on Social Media in a Time of Coronavirus Pandemic

A thematic analysis of humor circulating on Israeli social networks during the COVID-19 lockdown reveals challenges that parents faced Parents (mostly mothers) expressed the hardships of surviving quarantine while taking care of their children Their humor presents them as helpless, depressed, and even suicidal when they discover that none of their coping mechanisms help them Grandmothers escaped from caring for their grandchildren, and the relationships with remote schooling are contradictory, at best Overall, this article highlights the unique role that humor plays as an outlet for parents' anxieties and distress during the pandemic

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Computational and synthetic biology approaches for the biosynthesis of antiviral and anticancer terpenoids from Bacillus subtilis.

Recent advancements in medicinal research have identified several antiviral and anticancer terpenoids that are usually deployed as a source of flavor, fragrances and pharmaceuticals. Under the current COVID-19 pandemic conditions, natural therapeutics with least side effects are the need of the hour to save the patients, especially, which are pre-affected with other medical complications. Although, plants are the major sources of terpenoids; however, for the environmental concerns, the global interest has shifted to the biocatalytic production of molecules from microbial sources. The gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis is a suitable host in this regard due to its GRAS (generally regarded as safe) status, ease in genetic manipulations and wide industrial acceptability. The B. subtilis synthesizes its terpenoid molecules from 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) pathway, a common route in almost all microbial strains. Here, we summarize the computational and synthetic biology approaches to improve the production of terpenoid-based therapeutics from B. subtilis by utilizing DXP pathway. We focus on the in-silico approaches for screening the functionally improved enzyme-variants of the two crucial enzymes namely, the DXP synthase (DXS) and farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS). The approaches for engineering the active sites are subsequently explained. It will be helpful to construct the functionally improved enzymes for the high-yield production of terpenoid-based anticancer and antiviral metabolites, which would help to reduce the cost and improve the availability of such therapeutics for the humankind.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Why do People Continue using the Webinar Application? Insight in the New Normal Period

Webinars have been widely used in the education before the COVID-19 pandemic due to the application development in the face-to-face learning process. When someday the pandemic ends, will the habit of using webinar technology also end? This study aims to examine what factors influence participants to continue using webinars during the new normal. The conceptual model was built using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, involving 429 respondents. Their quantitative perceptions were processed using PLS-SEM assisted by Smart PLS 3.3.2 software. Factors that influence Satisfaction (SAT) and Perceived Usefulness (USE) are Perceived Enjoyment (ENJ), Perceived Ease of Use (EOU), Perceived Security (SEC), and Perceived Content Quality (QUA) while Webinar Application Continuous Intention (CONT) factor are influenced by Social Influence (INF), Satisfaction (SAT), and Perceived Usefulness (USE). Thus, the webinar application will continue to be used together with the face-to-face method, which will be opened gradually. © 2021 IEEE.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

The Psychological State of Teachers During the COVID-19 Crisis: The Challenge of Returning to Face-to-Face Teaching

Schools in Spain were closed in March 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 In September 2020 most schools and universities in Spain reopened and teachers felt great uncertainty due to this unprecedented situation Teachers have accumulated psychological symptoms since the beginning of the pandemic During the lockdown they had to introduce online teaching and in view of the reopening of schools they have shown great concern for the new unprecedented teaching situation The present study aims to measure the symptomatology shown by teaching staff in the Basque Autonomous Community at the time when schools were reopened To do this, we recruited a sample of 1,633 teachers who were given an online questionnaire which, in addition to collecting socio-demographic data, measured stress, anxiety and depression using the DASS-21scale The results revealed that a high percentage of teachers showed anxiety, depression and stress symptoms Furthermore, variables such as gender, age, job stability, the level of education at which they teach and parental status also influence this symptomatology We argue for the need to safeguard the mental health of teachers in order to improve both the quality of teaching and the mental health of students

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Outcomes of root canal therapy or full pulpotomy using two endodontic biomaterials in mature permanent teeth: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: The concept of minimally invasive endodontics recommends less-invasive vital pulp therapy (VPT) modalities over more aggressive traditional endodontic approaches in mature permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure, including irreversible pulpitis (IP) cases. Consequently, VPT needs to be compared with root canal therapy (RCT) in terms of treatment outcomes. This randomized clinical trial compares the results of full pulpotomy using two calcium-silicate cements, i.e., mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement, with RCT in mature permanent teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 157 carious pulp exposure cases in two academic centers with/without established IP were selected/included/randomly appointed to three study arms; (i) RCT (n = 51) as the reference treatment, (ii) pulpotomy with ProRoot MTA (PMTA; n = 55), and (iii) pulpotomy with CEM cement (PCEM; n = 51) as two alternative VPT treatments. Two-year clinical/radiographic results were the outcomes of interest. Data were statistically analyzed through the analysis of variance, chi-square, Fisher exact test, and Kruskal–Wallis. RESULTS: At 2-year recall, 147 teeth were examined (6.4% dropout). All molars, except for one, were clinically functional/symptom-free, and there was no statistical difference between the three study arms (p = 0.653). The radiographic success rates in RCT, PMTA, and PCEM arms were 98%, 100%, and 97.9%, respectively, without statistically significant differences (p = 0.544). CONCLUSION: In the management of mature permanent teeth with/without established IP, all experimental groups exhibited equivalent/comparable results. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Simple VPT using MTA/CEM can be suggested/recommended as a viable advantageous alternative to RCT for the management of carious pulp exposures with/without sign/symptoms of IP.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Belongingness is a Mediating Factor Between Religious Service Attendance and Reduced Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to test whether pre-pandemic religious service attendance relates to both lesser impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and lower levels of psychological distress among a sample of 645 American adults across nine US regions. A second aim was to test whether belongingness mediated these relationships. First, it was expected that more frequent pre-pandemic religious service attendance relates to belongingness, which mediates the religious service attendance and psychological distress association. Second, it was expected that people who felt greater belongingness also experienced less perceived impact from the pandemic. Results from a path model supported these hypotheses. This is among the first studies to provide empirical evidence for religion’s association with psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Single-incision pediatric endosurgery-assisted ileocecectomy for resection of a NEC stricture.

A single-incision pediatric endosurgery (SIPES) has not been typically used for operations in premature infants yet. We report a case of a 3-month-old 25-week premature infant who underwent SIPES-assisted ileocecal resection for a stricture after medically treated necrotizing enterocolitis. The patient recovered uneventfully, and was discharged on full feeds 15 postoperatively with virtually no appreciable scar. SIPES is a reasonable alternative for NEC stricture resection in premature infants. Prematurity should not be considered a contraindication to single-incision endosurgery.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Effect of COVID-19 on Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction in Major League Baseball Pitchers

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the suspension and shortening of the 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season from 162 to 60 regular season games. The effect of this disruption on injury rates, specifically injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), has not been quantified. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to compare the rate of UCL reconstruction (UCLR), surgery timing, and pitching workload in MLB pitchers from before and after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. We hypothesized that UCLR rates relative to games played would be increased and pitching workload would be decreased in 2020 compared with previous seasons. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: An extensive online search using publicly available data was conducted to identify all MLB pitchers who underwent UCLR between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020. Only pitchers who were competing at the MLB level when undergoing reconstruction were included. Player characteristics and surgery date, as well as career and season of surgery pitching workload, were collected for all included pitchers. All data were compared as a pooled sample (2017-2019 vs 2020). RESULTS: A similar number of pitchers underwent UCLR during or after the 2020 regular season (n = 18) compared with the 2017-2019 seasons (n = 16, 20, and 16, respectively). However, after accounting for the decrease in games played during the 2020 regular season, an MLB pitcher was 2.9 times more likely to undergo surgery per game after the COVID-19 lockdown compared with the previous years (P < .001). MLB pitchers who underwent surgery in 2020 threw fewer preseason innings than did pitchers who underwent surgery between 2017 and 2019 (5.98 vs 9.39; P = .001). CONCLUSION: MLB pitchers were almost 3 times more likely to undergo UCLR per game after the COVID-19 lockdown. A decreased preseason pitching workload because of the COVID-19 lockdown may have had an effect on per game UCLR rates.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Antimicrobial Nanomaterials and Coatings: Current Mechanisms and Future Perspectives to Control the Spread of Viruses Including SARS-CoV-2

The global COVID-19 pandemic has attracted considerable attention toward innovative methods and technologies for suppressing the spread of viruses. Transmission via contaminated surfaces has been recognized as an important route for spreading SARS-CoV-2. Although significant efforts have been made to develop antibacterial surface coatings, the literature remains scarce for a systematic study on broad-range antiviral coatings. Here, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the antiviral materials and coatings that could be implemented for suppressing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 via contaminated surfaces. We discuss the mechanism of operation and effectivity of several types of inorganic and organic materials, in the bulk and nanomaterial form, and assess the possibility of implementing these as antiviral coatings. Toxicity and environmental concerns are also discussed for the presented approaches. Finally, we present future perspectives with regards to emerging antimicrobial technologies such as omniphobic surfaces and assess their potential in suppressing surface-mediated virus transfer. Although some of these emerging technologies have not yet been tested directly as antiviral coatings, they hold great potential for designing the next generation of antiviral surfaces.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

Impact of lockdown of Covid-19 pandemic on home injuries of children

Background: Due to the social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been forced to stay at home for extended periods of time. Besides the disease itself growing globally, this pandemic has inflicted many other healthcare problems. This study aims to look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric home injuries. Methods: It is a prospective descriptive study conducted over a 5-month period from January 20, 2020 to June 12, 2020 of all children aged 0 to 18 years consulting the pediatric medical emergency department of the children's hospital in Rabat for home injuries. Results: A total of 13616 patients were admitted during the period from January 20, 2020 to June 12, 2020. Among them, 296 children were admitted for home injuries representing 1.5% of the total admissions before the lockdown and 4.3% during the lockdown. The mean age of the patients was 4 years. Most home injuries occurred in the evening from 6 pm onwards. The most frequent home injuries were foreign body ingestions (33.2%), drug intoxications (16.9%), CO intoxications (16.6%), and caustic ingestions (13.6%). The average admission delay after the accident was 14 hours before and during containment. During the confinement, 82% of the children received in the emergency room required hospitalization for specialized care or monitoring, and 18% were treated at home. Conclusion: The social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in pediatric home injuries requiring admission to our department. Governments and healthcare authorities should proactively implement appropriate intervention programs and better plan resources to prevent these home injuries during the lockdown. © 2022 JEMTAC Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Acute Care. All rights reserved.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title

The hot hand in the wild

Streaks of success have always fascinated people and a lot of research has been conducted to identify whether the "hot hand" effect is real. While sports have provided an appropriate platform for studying this phenomenon, the majority of existing literature examines scenarios in a vacuum with results that might or might not be applicable in the wild. In this study, we build on the existing literature and develop an appropriate framework to quantify the extent to which success can come in streaks-beyond the stroke of chance-in a natural environment. Considering in-game basketball game situations, our analysis provides statistical evidence that individual players do indeed exhibit the hot hand in varying degrees, that is, individual players can consistently get in a streak of successful shots beyond random chance. However, as a whole, the average player exhibits shooting regression, that is, after consecutive makes he tends to perform below expectations. Even though our results are based on a sports setting, we believe that our study provides a path towards thinking of the hot hand beyond a laboratory-like, controlled environment. This is crucial if we want to use similar results to enhance our decision making and better understand short and long term outcomes of repeated decisions.

Please summerize the given abstract to a title