scholarly journals Geographical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Case Series With COVID-19 Outbreaks Caused by Asymptomatic Carriers From June 2020 to January 2021 in China: A Narrative Research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Liu ◽  
Hongbing Xiang ◽  
Anne Manyande ◽  
Weiguo Xu ◽  
Li Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Narrative Research ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Viral Transmission ◽  
Epidemic Control ◽  
Asymptomatic Carriers ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
High Risk Populations ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract With the COVID-19 epidemic quickly under control in China within the early months of 2020, importing the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the country now poses great challenges in epidemic control and prevention. Asymptomatic carriers play a critical role in the transmission of the virus and transmission on a large-scale poses enormous concern. We obtained data from new cluster outbreak regions with COVID-19 caused by asymptomatic carriers from June 2020 to January 2021, and reported the epidemiological characteristics, clinical data and the possible routes of viral transmission and infection. These results indicate the importance of regularly screening high-risk populations critical for epidemic control and provide the basis for suppressing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

scholarly journals Epidemiological characteristics of SARS-COV-2 in Myanmar

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aung Min Thway ◽  
Htun Tayza ◽  
Tun Tun Win ◽  
Ye Minn Tun ◽  
Moe Myint Aung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Likelihood Method ◽  
Data Series ◽  
Retrospective Case ◽  
Serial Interval ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Growth Method ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
Estimation Parameters

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In Myanmar, first COVID-19 reported cases were identified on 23rd March 2020. There were 336 reported confirmed cases, 261 recovered and 6 deaths through 13th July 2020. The study was a retrospective case series and all COVID-19 confirmed cases from 23rd March to 13th July 2020 were included. The data series of COVID-19 cases were extracted from the daily official reports of the Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS), Myanmar and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Myanmar. Among 336 confirmed cases, there were 169 cases with reported transmission events. The median serial interval was 4 days (IQR 3, 2-5) with the range of 0 - 26 days. The mean of the reproduction number was 1.44 with (95% CI = 1.30-1.60) by exponential growth method and 1.32 with (95% CI = 0.98-1.73) confident interval by maximum likelihood method. This study outlined the epidemiological characteristics and epidemic parameters of COVID-19 in Myanmar. The estimation parameters in this study can be comparable with other studies and variability of these parameters can be considered when implementing disease control strategy in Myanmar.

scholarly journals Clinical Characteristics of 34 Children with Coronavirus Disease-2019 in the West of China: a Multiple-center Case Series

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Che Zhang ◽  
Jiaowei Gu ◽  
Quanjing Chen ◽  
Na Deng ◽  
Jingfeng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Onset ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Ground Glass Opacity ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
List Type ◽  
Epidemic Control ◽  
Computed Tomographic ◽  
Paediatric Patients ◽  
Initial Symptoms ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

AbstractBackgroundUp to 9 March, 2020, 109577 patients were diagnosed with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) globally. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of adult patients have been revealed recently. However, the information of paediatric patients remains unclear. We describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of paediatric patients to provide valuable insight into early diagnosis of COVID-19 in children, as well as epidemic control policy making.Methods and FindingsThis retrospective, observational study was a case series performed at 4 hospitals in the west of China. Thirty-four paediatric patients with COVID-19 were included from January 1 to February 25, 2020. And the final follow-up visit was completed by February 28, 2020. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics were analyzed on the basis of demographic data, medical history, laboratory tests, radiological findings, and treatment information. Data analysis was performed on 34 paediatrics patients with COVID-19 aged from 1 to 144 months (median 33.00, IQR 10.00 - 94.25), among whom 14 males (41.18%) were included. 47.60% of patients were noticed without any exposure history. The median incubation period was 10.50 (7.75 - 25.25) days. Infections of other respiratory pathogens were reported in 16 patients (47.06%). The most common initial symptoms were fever (76.47%), cough (58.82%), and expectoration (20.59%). Vomiting (11.76%) and diarrhea (11.76%) were also reported in a considerable portion of cases. A remarkable increase was detected in serum amyloid A for 17 patients (85.00%) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein for 17 patients (58.62%), while a decrease of prealbumin was noticed in 25 patients (78.13%). In addition, the levels of lactate dehydrogenase was increased significantly in 28 patients (82.35%), as well as α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in 25 patients (73.53%). Patchy lesions in lobules were detected by chest computed tomographic scans in 28 patients (82.36%). The typical feature of ground-glass opacity for adults was rare in paediatric patients (2.94%). A late-onset pattern of lesions in lobules were also noticed. Stratified analysis of the clinical features were not performed due to relatively limited samples.ConclusionsOur data presented the clinical and epidemiological features of paediatric patients systemically. The findings offer new insight into the early identification and intervention of paediatric patients with COVID-19.Author summaryWhy was this study done?The 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection has spread worldwide rapidly.Early identification and intervention are necessary for effective epidemic control in both adults and children, however the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of paediatric patients remains unclear.What did the researchers do and find?We collected and analyzed clinical data of 34 paediatric patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in 4 hospitals of China from January 1 to February 25, 2020.We described the clinical and epidemiological features of the patients, and focused on the differences in initial symptoms and radiological findings between paediatric patients and adult patients.Distinguished from adult patients, higher incidences of fever, vomiting, and diarrhea were noticed on admission in paediatric cases.Patchy shadows of high density were common in lobules lesions, while the typical features of ground-glass opacity in adults were rare in paediatric cases.A late-onset pattern of lobules lesions was revealed on the basis of chest computed tomographic scans.What do these findings mean?The specific clinical features in paediatric patients should be paid more attention to, when the physicians are dealing with suspected cases.The epidemiological model in children was characterized with dominant family cluster transmission and extended incubation period, which should be taken into consideration in policy making for epidemic control.

Nursing professionals’ attitudes toward use of physical restraints in Styrian nursing homes Austria

Pflege ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-63
Author(s):  
Hannes Mayerl ◽  
Tanja Trummer ◽  
Erwin Stolz ◽  
Éva Rásky ◽  
Wolfgang Freidl
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Physical Restraint ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Physical Restraints ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Restraint Use ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Nursing Professionals

Abstract. Background: Given that nursing staff play a critical role in the decision regarding use of physical restraints, research has examined nursing professionals’ attitudes toward this practice. Aim: Since nursing professionals’ views on physical restraint use have not yet been examined in Austria to date, we aimed to explore nursing professionals’ attitudes concerning use of physical restraints in nursing homes of Styria (Austria). Method: Data were collected from a convenience sample of nursing professionals (N = 355) within 19 Styrian nursing homes, based on a cross-sectional study design. Attitudes toward the practice of restraint use were assessed by means of the Maastricht Attitude Questionnaire in the German version. Results: The overall results showed rather positive attitudes toward the use of physical restraints, yet the findings regarding the sub-dimensions of the questionnaire were mixed. Although nursing professionals tended to deny “good reasons” for using physical restraints, they evaluated the consequences of physical restraint use rather positive and considered restraint use as an appropriate health care practice. Nursing professionals’ views regarding the consequences of using specific physical restraints further showed that belts were considered as the most restricting and discomforting devices. Conclusions: Overall, Austrian nursing professionals seemed to hold more positive attitudes toward the use of physical restraints than counterparts in other Western European countries. Future nationwide large-scale surveys will be needed to confirm our findings.

scholarly journals Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Patients with Hereditary Podocytopathies, Alport Syndrome, and FSGS: A Case Series to Better Plan a Large-Scale Study

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1815
Author(s):  
Jan Boeckhaus ◽  
Oliver Gross
Keyword(s):  
Glomerular Filtration ◽  
Alport Syndrome ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Hereditary Diseases ◽  
Glomerular Filtration Barrier ◽  
Early Effect ◽  
Filtration Barrier ◽  
First Case ◽  
Sodium Glucose Cotransporter

Hereditary diseases of the glomerular filtration barrier are characterized by a more vulnerable glomerular basement membrane and dysfunctional podocytes. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated the nephroprotective effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in chronic kidney disease (CKD). SGLT2-mediated afferent arteriole vasoconstriction is hypothesized to correct the hemodynamic overload of the glomerular filtration barrier in hereditary podocytopathies. To test this hypothesis, we report data in a case series of patients with Alport syndrome and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) with respect of the early effect of SGLT2i on the kidney function. Mean duration of treatment was 4.5 (±2.9) months. Mean serum creatinine before and after SGLT-2i initiation was 1.46 (±0.42) and 1.58 (±0.55) mg/dL, respectively, with a median estimated glomerular filtration rate of 64 (±27) before and 64 (±32) mL/min/1.73 m2 after initiation of SGLT2i. Mean urinary albumin-creatinine ratio in mg/g creatinine before SGLT-2i initiation was 1827 (±1560) and decreased by almost 40% to 1127 (±854) after SGLT2i initiation. To our knowledge, this is the first case series on the effect and safety of SGLT2i in patients with hereditary podocytopathies. Specific large-scale trials in podocytopathies are needed to confirm our findings in this population with a tremendous unmet medical need for more effective, early on, and safe nephroprotective therapies.

scholarly journals STEM-20. A CANCER STEM CELL-SELECTIVE APOPTOSIS-INDUCING SMALL MOLECULE FOR THE TREATMENT OF GBM

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii200-ii200
Author(s):  
Stephen Skirboll ◽  
Natasha Lucki ◽  
Genaro Villa ◽  
Naja Vergani ◽  
Michael Bollong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Tumor Formation ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Caspase 1 ◽  
Activation Assay

Abstract INTRODUCTION Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of primary brain cancer. A subpopulation of multipotent cells termed GBM cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a critical role in tumor initiation and maintenance, drug resistance, and recurrence following surgery. New therapeutic strategies for the treatment of GBM have recently focused on targeting CSCs. Here we have used an unbiased large-scale screening approach to identify drug-like small molecules that induce apoptosis in GBM CSCs in a cell type-selective manner. METHODS A luciferase-based survival assay of patient-derived GBM CSC lines was established to perform a large-scale screen of ∼one million drug-like small molecules with the goal of identifying novel compounds that are selectively toxic to chemoresistant GBM CSCs. Compounds found to kill GBM CSC lines as compared to control cell types were further characterized. A caspase activation assay was used to evaluate the mechanism of induced cell death. A xenograft animal model using patient-derived GBM CSCs was employed to test the leading candidate for suppression of in vivo tumor formation. RESULTS We identified a small molecule, termed RIPGBM, from the cell-based chemical screen that induces apoptosis in primary patient-derived GBM CSC cultures. The cell type-dependent selectivity of RIPGBM appears to arise at least in part from redox-dependent formation of a proapoptotic derivative, termed cRIPGBM, in GBM CSCs. cRIPGBM induces caspase 1-dependent apoptosis by binding to receptor-interacting protein kinase 2 (RIPK2) and acting as a molecular switch, which reduces the formation of a prosurvival RIPK2/TAK1 complex and increases the formation of a proapoptotic RIPK2/caspase 1 complex. In an intracranial GBM xenograft mouse model, RIPGBM was found to significantly suppress tumor formation. CONCLUSIONS Our chemical genetics-based approach has identified a small molecule drug candidate and a potential drug target that selectively targets cancer stem cells and provides an approach for the treatment of GBMs.

scholarly journals Epidemiological profile of Plasmodium ovale spp. imported from Africa to Anhui Province, China, 2012–2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Shuqi Wang ◽  
Duoquan Wang ◽  
Sarah Auburn ◽  
Shenning Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Latency Period ◽  
Anhui Province ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Plasmodium Ovale ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Endemic Areas ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background Although autochthonous malaria cases are no longer reported in Anhui Province, China, imported malaria has become a major health concern. The proportion of reported malaria cases caused by Plasmodium ovale spp. increased to levels higher than expected during 2012 to 2019, and showed two peaks, 19.69% in 2015 and 19.35% in 2018. Methods A case-based retrospective study was performed using data collected from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP) and Information System for Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention (ISPDCP) from 2012 to 2019 to assess the trends and differences between Plasmodium ovale curtisi (P. o. curtisi) and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri (P. o. wallikeri). Epidemiological characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Plasmodium o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri were found to simultaneously circulate in 14 African countries. Among 128 patients infected with P. ovale spp., the proportion of co-infection cases was 10.16%. Six cases of co-infection with P. ovale spp. and P. falciparum were noted, each presenting with two clinical attacks (the first attack was due to P. falciparum and the second was due to P. ovale spp.) at different intervals. Accurate identification of the infecting species was achieved among only 20.00% of cases of P. ovale spp. infection. At the reporting units, 32.17% and 6.96% of cases of P. ovale spp. infection were misdiagnosed as P. vivax and P. falciparum infections, respectively. Conclusion The present results indicate that the potential of P. ovale spp. to co-infect with other Plasmodium species has been previously underestimated, as is the incidence of P. ovale spp. in countries where malaria is endemic. P. o. curtisi may have a long latency period of > 3 years and potentially cause residual foci, thus posing challenges to the elimination of malaria in P. ovale spp.-endemic areas. Considering the low rate of species identification, more sensitive point-of-care detection methods need to be developed for P. ovale spp. and introduced in non-endemic areas.

scholarly journals Complex Network Modelling of Origin–Destination Commuting Flows for the COVID-19 Epidemic Spread Analysis in Italian Lombardy Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4381
Author(s):  
Angela Lombardi ◽  
Nicola Amoroso ◽  
Alfonso Monaco ◽  
Sabina Tangaro ◽  
Roberto Bellotti
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Epidemic Spread ◽  
Network Modelling ◽  
Lombardy Region ◽  
Commuting Flows ◽  
Dynamic Growth ◽  
Spread Analysis

Currently the whole world is affected by the COVID-19 disease. Italy was the first country to be seriously affected in Europe, where the first COVID-19 outbreak was localized in the Lombardy region. The further spreading of the cases led to the lockdown of the most affected regions in northern Italy and then the entire country. In this work we investigated an epidemic spread scenario in the Lombardy region by using the origin–destination matrix with information about the commuting flows among 1450 urban areas within the region. We performed a large-scale simulation-based modeling of the epidemic spread over the networks related to three main motivations, i.e., work, study and occasional transfers to quantify the potential contribution of each category of travellers to the spread of the epidemic process. Our findings outline that the three networks are characterised by different weight dynamic growth rates and that the network “work” has a critical role in the diffusion phenomenon showing the greatest contribution to the epidemic spread.

scholarly journals Current Advances in Robotics for Head and Neck Surgery—A Systematic Review

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1398
Author(s):  
Felix Boehm ◽  
Rene Graesslin ◽  
Marie-Nicole Theodoraki ◽  
Leon Schild ◽  
Jens Greve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Neck Surgery ◽  
Head And Neck Surgery ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Surgical Robots ◽  
Standard Procedures

Background. In the past few years, surgical robots have recently entered the medical field, particularly in urology, gynecology, and general surgery. However, the clinical effectiveness and safety of robot-assisted surgery (RAS) in the field of head and neck surgery has not been clearly established. In this review, we evaluate to what extent RAS can potentially be applied in head and neck surgery, in which fields it is already daily routine and what advantages can be seen in comparison to conventional surgery. Data sources. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic review of trials published between 2000 and 2021, as well as currently ongoing trials registered in clinicaltrials.gov. The results were structured according to anatomical regions, for the topics “Costs,” “current clinical trials,” and “robotic research” we added separate sections for the sake of clarity. Results. Our findings show a lack of large-scale systematic randomized trials on the use of robots in head and neck surgery. Most studies include small case series or lack a control arm which enables a comparison with established standard procedures. Conclusion. The question of financial reimbursement is still not answered and the systems on the market still require some specific improvements for the use in head and neck surgery.

A Novel Real-Time Thermal Analysis and Layer Time Control Framework for Large Scale Additive Manufacturing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepehr Fathizadan ◽  
Feng Ju ◽  
Kyle Rowe ◽  
Alex Fiechter ◽  
Nils Hofmann
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Time Data

Abstract Production efficiency and product quality need to be addressed simultaneously to ensure the reliability of large scale additive manufacturing. Specifically, print surface temperature plays a critical role in determining the quality characteristics of the product. Moreover, heat transfer via conduction as a result of spatial correlation between locations on the surface of large and complex geometries necessitates the employment of more robust methodologies to extract and monitor the data. In this paper, we propose a framework for real-time data extraction from thermal images as well as a novel method for controlling layer time during the printing process. A FLIR™ thermal camera captures and stores the stream of images from the print surface temperature while the Thermwood Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM™) machine is printing components. A set of digital image processing tasks were performed to extract the thermal data. Separate regression models based on real-time thermal imaging data are built on each location on the surface to predict the associated temperatures. Subsequently, a control method is proposed to find the best time for printing the next layer given the predictions. Finally, several scenarios based on the cooling dynamics of surface structure were defined and analyzed, and the results were compared to the current fixed layer time policy. It was concluded that the proposed method can significantly increase the efficiency by reducing the overall printing time while preserving the quality.

Learning Management System for Greater Learner Engagement in Higher Education—A Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 234763112110498
Author(s):  
Parimala Veluvali ◽  
Jayesh Surisetti
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Management System ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Learning Management System ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Learner Engagement ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Online Mode ◽  
Learning Management

Online education helped resume learning that had come to a momentary and uncertain pause with the onset of COVID-19 pandemic across the globe. Since then, learning in many educational institutions continued through synchronous and asynchronous modes, with teaching being undertaken remotely on digital platforms. In this large-scale migration towards online mode of curriculum delivery induced by the pandemic, the institutional learning management system (LMS) had a critical role to play in ensuring uninterrupted learning and student engagement. By drawing heavily from extant works, learnings from MOOC platforms, observations from the LMS applications in corporate training, the present article synthesis the extant literature on how the effective use of LMS can make the learning process interactive, student centric, catering to the needs of diverse learners in higher education.

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