PyDOSS: An open-source Python-based communicable disease outbreak surveillance system designed and used in a COVID-19 community care facility (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Fang ◽  
Jonathan Kia-Sheng Phua ◽  
Terrence Chiew ◽  
Daniel De-Liang Loh ◽  
Lincoln Ming Han Liow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Healthcare Team ◽  
Increased Risk

BACKGROUND During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, community care facilities (CCF) were set up as temporary out-of-hospital isolation facilities to contain the surge of cases in Singapore. Confined living spaces within CCFs posed an increased risk of communicable disease spread among residents. OBJECTIVE This inspired our healthcare team managing a CCF operation to design a low-cost communicable disease outbreak surveillance system (CDOSS). METHODS Our CDOSS was designed with the following considerations: (1) comprehensiveness, (2) efficiency through passive reconnoitering from electronic medical record (EMR) data, (3) ability to provide spatiotemporal insights, (4) low-cost and (5) ease of use. We used Python to develop a lightweight application – Python-based Communicable Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (PyDOSS) – that was able perform syndromic surveillance and fever monitoring. With minimal user actions, its data pipeline would generate daily control charts and geospatial heat maps of cases from raw EMR data and logged vital signs. PyDOSS was successfully implemented as part of our CCF workflow. We also simulated a gastroenteritis (GE) outbreak to test the effectiveness of the system. RESULTS PyDOSS was used throughout the entire duration of operation; the output was reviewed daily by senior management. No disease outbreaks were identified during our medical operation. In the simulated GE outbreak, PyDOSS was able to effectively detect an outbreak within 24 hours and provided information about cluster progression which could aid in contact tracing. The code for a stock version of PyDOSS has been made publicly available. CONCLUSIONS PyDOSS is an effective surveillance system which was successfully implemented in a real-life medical operation. With the system developed using open-source technology and the code made freely available, it significantly reduces the cost of developing and operating CDOSS and may be useful for similar temporary medical operations, or in resource-limited settings.

scholarly journals Nutrient Dense, Low-Cost Foods Can Improve the Affordability and Quality of the New Zealand Diet—A Substitution Modeling Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7950
Author(s):  
Carlene S. Starck ◽  
Michelle Blumfield ◽  
Tim Keighley ◽  
Skye Marshall ◽  
Peter Petocz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Ratio ◽  
Processing Level ◽  
Nutrient Density ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
The Impact

The high prevalence of non-communicable disease in New Zealand (NZ) is driven in part by unhealthy diet selections, with food costs contributing to an increased risk for vulnerable population groups. This study aimed to: (i) identify the nutrient density-to-cost ratio of NZ foods; (ii) model the impact of substituting foods with a lower nutrient density-to-cost ratio with those with a higher nutrient density-to-cost ratio on diet quality and affordability in representative NZ population samples for low and medium socioeconomic status (SES) households by ethnicity; and (iii) evaluate food processing level. Foods were categorized, coded for processing level and discretionary status, analyzed for nutrient density and cost, and ranked by nutrient density-to-cost ratio. The top quartile of nutrient dense, low-cost foods were 56% unprocessed (vegetables, fruit, porridge, pasta, rice, nuts/seeds), 31% ultra-processed (vegetable dishes, fortified bread, breakfast cereals unfortified <15 g sugars/100 g and fortified 15–30 g sugars/100 g), 6% processed (fruit juice), and 6% culinary processed (oils). Using substitution modeling, diet quality improved by 59% and 71% for adults and children, respectively, and affordability increased by 20–24%, depending on ethnicity and SES. The NZ diet can be made healthier and more affordable when nutritious, low-cost foods are selected. Processing levels in the healthier, modeled diet suggest that some non-discretionary ultra-processed foods may provide a valuable source of low-cost nutrition for food insecure populations.

ASSESSMENT OF THE PLATELET COUNT IN THE PREGNANT WOMEN IN IGIMS, PATNA, BIHAR

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanwi Singh ◽  
Anshuman Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Count ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Screening Test ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Platelet Indices ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Low Platelet Count ◽  
Severity Of The Disease

The major risk associated with low platelet count in pregnancy is the increased risk of bleeding during the childbirth or post that. There is an increased blood supply to the uterus during pregnancy and the surgical procedure requires cutting of major blood vessels. Women with thrombocytopenia are at increased risk of losing excessive blood. The risk is more in case of caesarean delivery as compared to vaginal delivery. Hence based on above findings the present study was planned for Assessment of the Platelet Count in the Pregnant Women in IGIMS, Patna, Bihar. The present study was planned in Department of Pathology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science, Patna, Bihar, India. The present study was planned from duration of January 2019 to June 2019. In the present study 200 pregnant females samples received for the platelet estimation were enrolled in the present study. Clinically platelet indices can be a useful screening test for early identification of preeclampsia and eclampsia. Also platelet indices can assess the prognosis of this disease in pregnant women and can be used as an effective prognostic marker because it correlates with severity of the disease. Platelet count is a simple, low cost, and rapid routine screening test. Hence the data generated from the present study concludes that platelet count can be used as a simple and cost effective tool to monitor the progression of preeclampsia, thereby preventing complications to develop during the gestational period. Keywords: Platelet Count, Pregnant Women, IGIMS, Patna, Bihar, etc.

Rapid mapping accuracy assessment using low-cost UAV and open-source Structure from Motion

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 55-61
Author(s):  
Ettore Potente ◽  
Cosimo Cagnazzo ◽  
Alessandro Deodati ◽  
Giuseppe Mastronuzzi
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Structure From Motion ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Mapping Accuracy ◽  
Rapid Mapping ◽  
Source Structure

New-onset type 2 diabetes in heart failure: impact of heart failure and death versus ischemic events – a Danish nationwide cohort study

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
B Zareini ◽  
P.B Blanche ◽  
A.H Holt ◽  
M.M Malik ◽  
D.P Rajan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Risk Ratio ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Ischemic Event ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Ischemic Events ◽  
New Onset

Abstract Background Development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is common in patients with heart failure (HF), but knowledge of future cardiovascular events is lacking. Purpose We compared risk of heart failure hospitalization (HFH) or death versus ischemic events in real-life HF patients with new-onset T2D, prevalent T2D and no T2D. Methods Using the Danish nationwide registers, we identified all patients with HF between 1998–2016. The patients were separated in two different HF cohorts based on the status of T2D. One cohort consisted of HF patients with either prevalent or absent T2D at the time of HF diagnosis. The other cohort consisted of HF patients, who developed new-onset T2D, included at time of diagnosis. The two HF cohorts were analyzed separately. Outcomes for both cohorts were analyzed as time-to-first event as either an ischemic event (i.e. composite outcome of fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral artery disease), HFH, or event-free death (not related to HFH or the ischemic event). For each cohort, we estimated the five-year absolute risk of ischemic event, HFH and event-free death, along with five-year risk ratio of HFH or event-free death versus ischemic events. Effects among subgroups were investigated by stratifying both cohorts based on age, gender and comorbidities present at inclusion. Results A total of 139,264 HF patients were included between 1998 and 2016, of which 29,078 (21%) patients had prevalent T2D at baseline. A total of 11,819 (8%) developed new-onset T2D and were included in the second cohort. The median duration of time between HF diagnosis and new-onset T2D diagnosis was: 4.1 years (IQR:1.5; 5.8). The absolute five-year risk of an ischemic event in patients with new-onset T2D, prevalent T2D and no T2D was: 17.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 17.2; 18.6), 26.1% (95% CI: 25.6; 26.7), and 18.8% (95% CI:18.6; 19.0). Corresponding estimates for HFH were: 31.5% (95% CI: 30.6; 32.3), 33.6% (95% CI: 33.0; 34.2), and 30,7% (95% CI: 30.5; 31.0). The absolute five-year risk of event-free death among patients with new-onset T2D, prevalent T2D and no T2D was: 20.9% (95% CI: 20.2; 21.7), 18.9% (95% CI:18.4; 19.3), and 18.6% (95% CI: 18.4; 18.8) (see Figure). The five-year risk ratio of experiencing HFH or event-free death versus an ischemic event was: 2.9 (95% CI: 2.8; 3.1), 2.0 (95% CI:2.0; 2.1), and 2.6 (95% CI: 2.6; 2.7) for patients with new-onset T2D, prevalent T2D and no T2D, respectively. Similar results of absolute and relative risk were present across all subgroups. Conclusion In our population of HF patients, 8% developed new-onset diabetes. Development of T2D in patients with HF increases the risk of HFH and mortality three-fold. The increased risk of new-onset T2D is higher than the importance of prevalent T2D in patients with HF. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

scholarly journals Implementation of a Six-Layer Smart Factory Architecture with Special Focus on Transdisciplinary Engineering Education

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 2944
Author(s):  
Benjamin James Ralph ◽  
Marcel Sorger ◽  
Benjamin Schödinger ◽  
Hans-Jörg Schmölzer ◽  
Karin Hartl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Material Behavior ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Programming Environments ◽  
Metal Processing

Smart factories are an integral element of the manufacturing infrastructure in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. Nevertheless, there is frequently a deficiency of adequate training facilities for future engineering experts in the academic environment. For this reason, this paper describes the development and implementation of two different layer architectures for the metal processing environment. The first architecture is based on low-cost but resilient devices, allowing interested parties to work with mostly open-source interfaces and standard back-end programming environments. Additionally, one proprietary and two open-source graphical user interfaces (GUIs) were developed. Those interfaces can be adapted front-end as well as back-end, ensuring a holistic comprehension of their capabilities and limits. As a result, a six-layer architecture, from digitization to an interactive project management tool, was designed and implemented in the practical workflow at the academic institution. To take the complexity of thermo-mechanical processing in the metal processing field into account, an alternative layer, connected with the thermo-mechanical treatment simulator Gleeble 3800, was designed. This framework is capable of transferring sensor data with high frequency, enabling data collection for the numerical simulation of complex material behavior under high temperature processing. Finally, the possibility of connecting both systems by using open-source software packages is demonstrated.

scholarly journals 662 PAP Therapy: A Review of Resources for the Uninsured during COVID-19

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A259-A259
Author(s):  
Melissa Malinky ◽  
Abigail Oberla ◽  
Meena Khan ◽  
M Melanie Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Wait Time ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fixed Cost ◽  
United States Census ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Available Resources

Abstract Introduction In 2019, the United States Census estimated 8% (26.1 million) people were without health insurance. Further, an estimated 3.5 million people became/remained uninsured from COVID-19-related job losses. Patients with OSA that belong to a lower socioeconomic status (SES) are less likely to have access to healthcare and may be under or uninsured. Untreated OSA can lead to increased risk of symptoms and associated co-morbidities. Resources to help the uninsured to obtain PAP therapy were available pre-COVID, including two main sources, American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) and our local branch serving central Ohio, The Breathing Association. However, the COVID pandemic limited access or closed these programs. Our Sleep Medicine clinics saw 148 uninsured OSA patients between March-December, 2020. Given these difficulties, we re-evaluated available resources for the uninsured. Methods We conducted a search for current low cost ($100 or less) PAP therapy options for the uninsured, March 15, 2020-December 3, 2020, by: (1) contacting pre-COVID-19 resources, including Durable Medical Equipment (DME) providers, (2) consulting social work, and (3) completing a librarian assisted web-search not limited to PubMed, Embase, CINAHL for academic related articles and electronic searches using a combination of English complete word and common keywords: OSA, PAP, uninsured, no insurance, cheap, medically uninsured, resources, self-pay, low-income, financial assistance, US. Resources such as private sellers were not investigated. Results During COVID-19, assistance for PAP machines/supplies have closed or required a protracted wait-time. Options including refurbished items range from low, one-time fixed cost or income-based discounts from: one local charity (Joint Organization for Inner-City Needs) and DME (Dasco), and four national entities (ASAA, Second Wind CPAP, Reggie White Foundation, CPAP Liquidators). An Electronic Health Record-based tool was developed and distributed to increase provider awareness of pandemic available resources. Conclusion Untreated OSA is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular co-morbidities. Access and cost may limit treatment in OSA patients from a lower SES. The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered programs providing discount PAP and supplies, leaving fewer resources for these patients, thus further widening this health care disparity. Alternatives are needed and current resources are not easily accessible for providers and patients. Support (if any):

scholarly journals Induction of Neural Plasticity Using a Low-Cost Open Source Brain-Computer Interface and a 3D-Printed Wrist Exoskeleton

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 572
Author(s):  
Mads Jochumsen ◽  
Taha Al Muhammadee Janjua ◽  
Juan Carlos Arceo ◽  
Jimmy Lauber ◽  
Emilie Simoneau Buessinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
True Positive Rate ◽  
Positive Rate ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
And Control ◽  
Bci System

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been proven to be useful for stroke rehabilitation, but there are a number of factors that impede the use of this technology in rehabilitation clinics and in home-use, the major factors including the usability and costs of the BCI system. The aims of this study were to develop a cheap 3D-printed wrist exoskeleton that can be controlled by a cheap open source BCI (OpenViBE), and to determine if training with such a setup could induce neural plasticity. Eleven healthy volunteers imagined wrist extensions, which were detected from single-trial electroencephalography (EEG), and in response to this, the wrist exoskeleton replicated the intended movement. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited using transcranial magnetic stimulation were measured before, immediately after, and 30 min after BCI training with the exoskeleton. The BCI system had a true positive rate of 86 ± 12% with 1.20 ± 0.57 false detections per minute. Compared to the measurement before the BCI training, the MEPs increased by 35 ± 60% immediately after and 67 ± 60% 30 min after the BCI training. There was no association between the BCI performance and the induction of plasticity. In conclusion, it is possible to detect imaginary movements using an open-source BCI setup and control a cheap 3D-printed exoskeleton that when combined with the BCI can induce neural plasticity. These findings may promote the availability of BCI technology for rehabilitation clinics and home-use. However, the usability must be improved, and further tests are needed with stroke patients.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN OPEN DESIGN COMMUNITIES: A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE

2011 ◽  
Vol 08 (04) ◽  
pp. 557-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINA RAASCH
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Industrial Practice ◽  
Open Design ◽  
Open Development ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
Process Perspective ◽  
Significant Attention

Open source (OS) has raised significant attention in industrial practice and in scholarly research as a new and successful mode of product development. This paper is among the first to study open source development processes outside their original context, the software industry. In particular, we investigate the development of tangible products in so-called open design projects. We study how open design projects address the challenges usually put forward in the literature as barriers to the open development of tangible products. The analysis rests on the comparative qualitative investigation of four cases from different industries. We find that, subject to certain contingencies, open design processes can be organized to resemble OSS development processes to a considerable degree. Some practices are established specifically to uphold OS principles in the open design context, while others starkly differ from those found in OSS development. Our discussion focusses on different aspects of modularity as well as the availability of low-cost tools.

scholarly journals An open source and low-cost Smart Auditorium

2021 ◽  
Vol 191 ◽  
pp. 518-523
Author(s):  
Oqaidi Mohammed ◽  
Ait Abdelouahid Rachida ◽  
Debauche Olivier ◽  
Marzak Abdelaziz
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Low Cost
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