Vaccine Passport - A blockchain based architecture for secure, tamper-resistant, privacy-enhanced credentialing mechanism of vaccination and verification of test results (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiu An Lee ◽  
Hsin-Hua Kung ◽  
Wei-Chen Wu ◽  
Jai Ganesh Udayasankaran ◽  
Yu-Chih Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Protection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Vaccination Rate ◽  
Data Accuracy ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Laboratory Test Results ◽  
Encryption And Decryption ◽  
International Data

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The prevention and treatment methods for COVID-19 are not yet clear. At present, there are at least 287 preventive vaccines against COVID-19 in the world, of which 5 vaccines are available for emergency use as of June 2021, but none has completed clinical trial. Nevertheless, with the development of vaccines, disease conditions in various countries are gradually controlled. OBJECTIVE The vaccination rate has increased in time, and activities in various countries have gradually recovered. Therefore, the focus of the next stage is confirming and proving that everyone is vaccinated to ensure that those without vaccines will not become a breach in the next wave of diseases. The vaccination or RT-PCR test results are all certified and verified by paper documents issued by hospitals or testing institutions. Meanwhile, falsified documents are a major risk factor in confirming the vaccination status and laboratory test results. Although the Vaccine Passport (VP) may become an important key to future global activities based on the current strategy, the problems of document verification and data use among countries have not yet been resolved. METHODS The blockchain architecture proposed in this research can be applied together by public and private entities and be rapidly expanded. Furthermore, the open ledger of blockchain achieves transparency and data accuracy. On the other hand, smart contracts (SCs) achieve authorization and authentication, while the encryption and decryption mechanisms achieve data protection. In order to make it globally available, the international data standard “Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource (FHIR)” is adopted into this research. In general, this blockchain architecture can achieve global vaccine passport verification accurately and at a low cost. RESULTS The open nature of the blockchain contributes to establishing transparency and data accuracy. Total three entities are included in this blockchain architecture. All of the authorization are public in the open ledger. The smart certificate enables authorization and authentication, while the encryption and decryption mechanism ensure data protection. This proof of concept demonstrates the design of blockchain architecture which, when adopted, can achieve global vaccine passport verification accurately and at a cost country can afford. An actual vaccine passport case was established and demonstrated in this study. Open blockchain, individually authorized authentication mechanisms, and international standard vaccine passports were adopted. CONCLUSIONS Blockchain architecture is used to build the authentication process of an executable international vaccine passport, with advantages of low cost, high interoperability, effectiveness, security and verifiability.

scholarly journals Diabetes Insipidus and Concomitant Myocarditis: A Late Sequelae of COVID-19 Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 232470962199995
Author(s):  
Abu Baker Sheikh ◽  
Nismat Javed ◽  
Abdul Ahad Ehsan Sheikh ◽  
Shubhra Upadhyay ◽  
Rahul Shekhar
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Insipidus ◽  
Young Male ◽  
Urine Osmolality ◽  
High Serum ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Laboratory Test Results ◽  
Late Sequela ◽  
Endocrine Complications

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has become a global pandemic. Apart from the mild features of the disease, long-term complications involve many systems including both endocrine and cardiovascular systems. Myocarditis, secondary to COVID-19, has become a well-known complication of the disease. However, endocrine complications are generally not common, particularly isolated pituitary abnormalities. There is one other report of diabetes insipidus developing as a late sequela of COVID-19. In this article, we report a case of a young male who presented with features of myocarditis but developed diabetes insipidus on day 7 of admission as a long-term complication after recovery from COVID-19 infection. His laboratory test results at the time of developing the complication revealed a high serum sodium level and low urine osmolality. The patient recovered on administration of desmopressin and was discharged after 16 days of hospitalization.

scholarly journals Comparative behavior of local hyperelastic lowgrade rubbers for low-cost base isolation

2019 ◽  
Vol 276 ◽  
pp. 01001
Author(s):  
Tavio ◽  
Usman Wijaya
Keyword(s):  
Base Isolation ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Tensile Tests ◽  
Uniaxial Tensile ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Laboratory Test Results ◽  
Planar Shear ◽  
Yeoh Model ◽  
Hyperelastic Model

As the second largest rubber producer in the world, Indonesia has a very potential opportunity to support the development of rubber base isolation. Various grades of rubber are produced by the local rubber manufacturers starting from the low to high grade rubbers. In the study, the local rubbers were also compared to the rubbers from another developing country, e.g. India. The laboratory test results used to develop the suitable constitutive model for hyperelastic material and then compared to the hyperelastic model of Shahzad et al. Several tests on the local low-grade rubbers have been conducted, namely the uniaxial tensile, planar shear, and equibiaxial tensile tests. From the tests, it can be concluded the behavior of the local low-grade rubber can be fitted with the Ogden model different from the characteristic of rubber tested by Shahzad et al. which was fitted with the Yeoh model.

Morning Rounds Inpatient Test Availability

2000 ◽  
Vol 124 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Novis ◽  
Jane C. Dale
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Physician Satisfaction ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Improvement Program ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Laboratory Service ◽  
Practice Characteristics ◽  
Laboratory Services ◽  
Laboratory Test Results

Abstract Objectives.—To determine the success with which laboratories were able to report morning test results on time, the laboratory practice characteristics associated with improved success, and the degree of satisfaction among clinicians with the timeliness of laboratory service. Design.—Hospital laboratories participating in the College of American Pathologist Q-Probes laboratory quality improvement program prospectively calculated the percentages of morning-run complete blood cell count (CBC) and electrolyte results that were reported on or before predetermined reporting deadlines, completed questionnaires concerning their departments' practice characteristics as they related to performing morning blood work, and distributed to physician utilizers of morning laboratory services questionnaires evaluating physician satisfaction with laboratory services. Setting and Participants.—A total of 367 public and private institutions located in the United States (355), Canada (5), Australia (2), and 1 each in the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, Korea, and Guam. Main Outcome Measure.—The percentages of morning-run CBC and electrolyte results reported on or before predetermined reporting deadlines. Results.—Participants submitted data on 40 256 CBC and 39 604 electrolyte specimens. In aggregate, a total of 88.9% of these tests (90.2% of CBCs and 87.6% of electrolytes) were reported on or before the reporting deadlines that the participating laboratories set for themselves. Half of the participants reported 94.6% of their CBC results and 95.5% of their electrolyte results on or before their self-imposed reporting deadlines. No specific demographic features or departmental practice characteristics were associated with higher or lower rates of institutional reporting compliance. Most physician utilizers of early-morning laboratory test results believed that the laboratory is sensitive to and meets the needs of clinicians for timely reporting of early-morning test results. Conclusions.—Most laboratories are capable of reporting 95% of their routine morning laboratory tests on time, and most physicians are satisfied with their laboratories' morning testing service.

Effect of Ibuprofen on Serum Laboratory Test Results

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1025-1034
Author(s):  
Carol L. Colvin ◽  
Raymond J. Townsend ◽  
William R. Gillespie ◽  
Kenneth S. Albert
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Test ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Laboratory Test Results

Quality benchmarking of smartphone laboratory medicine applications: comparison of laboratory medicine specialists’ and non-laboratory medicine professionals’ evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Snežana Jovičić ◽  
Joanna Siodmiak ◽  
Marta Duque Alcorta ◽  
Maximillian Kittel ◽  
Wytze Oosterhuis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Quality ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Laboratory Medicine ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Content Quality ◽  
Laboratory Test Results ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Health Applications

AbstractObjectivesThere are many mobile health applications (apps) now available and some that use in some way laboratory medicine data. Among them, patient-oriented are of the lowest content quality. The aim of this study was to compare the opinions of non-laboratory medicine professionals (NLMP) with those of laboratory medicine specialists (LMS) and define the benchmarks for quality assessment of laboratory medicine apps.MethodsTwenty-five volunteers from six European countries evaluated 16 selected patient-oriented apps. Participants were 20–60 years old, 44% were females, with different educational degrees, and no professional involvement in laboratory medicine. Each participant completed a questionnaire based on the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and the System Usability Scale, as previously used for rating the app quality by LMS. The responses from the two groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman correlation.ResultsThe median total score of NLMP app evaluation was 2.73 out of 5 (IQR 0.95) compared to 3.78 (IQR 1.05) by the LMS. All scores were statistically significantly lower in the NLMP group (p<0.05), except for the item Information quality (p=0.1631). The suggested benchmarks for a useful appear: increasing awareness of the importance and delivering an understanding of persons’ own laboratory test results; understandable terminology; easy to use; appropriate graphic design, and trustworthy information.ConclusionsNLMP’ evaluation confirmed the low utility of currently available laboratory medicine apps. A reliable app should contain trustworthy and understandable information. The appearance of an app should be fit for purpose and easy to use.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and pregnancy – where are we now? A review

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 428-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Rajewska ◽  
Wioletta Mikołajek-Bedner ◽  
Joanna Lebdowicz-Knul ◽  
Małgorzata Sokołowska ◽  
Sebastian Kwiatkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Fatality ◽  
Fetal Distress ◽  
Delivery Mode ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Third Trimester ◽  
The Third ◽  
Laboratory Test Results ◽  
Protective Antibodies ◽  
Polymerase Chain

AbstractThe new acute respiratory disease severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly contagious. It has caused many deaths, despite a relatively low general case fatality rate (CFR). The most common early manifestations of infection are fever, cough, fatigue and myalgia. The diagnosis is based on the exposure history, clinical manifestation, laboratory test results, chest computed tomography (CT) findings and a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) result for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The effect of SARS-CoV-2 on pregnancy is not already clear. There is no evidence that pregnant women are more susceptible than the general population. In the third trimester, COVID-19 can cause premature rupture of membranes, premature labour and fetal distress. There are no data on complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection before the third trimester. COVID-19 infection is an indication for delivery if necessary to improve maternal oxygenation. Decision on delivery mode should be individualised. Vertical transmission of coronavirus from the pregnant woman to the fetus has not been proven. As the virus is absent in breast milk, the experts encourage breastfeeding for neonatal acquisition of protective antibodies.

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Digital Models of Objects of Cultural Heritage Obtained by the “3D SLS” and “SfM” Methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5321
Author(s):  
Marcin Barszcz ◽  
Jerzy Montusiewicz ◽  
Magdalena Paśnikowska-Łukaszuk ◽  
Anna Sałamacha
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
Digital Models ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Three Dimensional Models ◽  
3D Digitisation

In the era of the global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, 3D digitisation of selected museum artefacts is becoming more and more frequent practice, but the vast majority is performed by specialised teams. The paper presents the results of comparative studies of 3D digital models of the same museum artefacts from the Silk Road area generated by two completely different technologies: Structure from Motion (SfM)—a method belonging to the so-called low-cost technologies—and by Structured-light 3D Scanning (3D SLS). Moreover, procedural differences in data acquisition and their processing to generate three-dimensional models are presented. Models built using a point cloud were created from data collected in the Afrasiyab museum in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) during “The 1st Scientific Expedition of the Lublin University of Technology to Central Asia” in 2017. Photos for creating 3D models in SfM technology were taken during a virtual expedition carried out under the “3D Digital Silk Road” program in 2021. The obtained results show that the quality of the 3D models generated with SfM differs from the models from the technology (3D SLS), but they may be placed in the galleries of the vitrual museum. The obtained models from SfM do not have information about their size, which means that they are not fully suitable for archiving purposes of cultural heritage, unlike the models from SLS.

scholarly journals Atypical anti-glomerular basement membrane disease with anti-GBM antibody negativity and ANCA positivity: a case report

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Guo ◽  
Qinghua Yin ◽  
Song Lei ◽  
Yanjun He ◽  
Ping Fu
Keyword(s):  
Basement Membrane ◽  
Glomerular Basement Membrane ◽  
Rare Case ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Case Presentation ◽  
Severe Renal Insufficiency ◽  
Laboratory Test Results ◽  
Organ Specific

Abstract Background Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that involves the lung and kidneys and leads to rapid glomerulonephritis progression, with or without diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, and even respiratory failure. Classic cases of anti-GBM disease are diagnosed based on the presence of the anti-GBM antibody in serum samples and kidney or lung biopsy tissue samples. However, atypical cases of anti-GBM disease are also seen in clinical practice. Case presentation We herein report the rare case of a patient with atypical anti-GBM disease whose serum was negative for the anti-GBM antibody but positive for the myeloperoxidase (MPO) anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) and another atypical ANCA. Laboratory test results showed severe renal insufficiency with a creatinine level of 385 μmol/L. Renal biopsy specimen analysis revealed 100% glomeruli with crescents; immunofluorescence showed immunoglobulin G (IgG) linearly deposited alongside the GBM. Finally, the patient was discharged successfully after treatment with plasmapheresis, methylprednisolone and prednisone. Conclusion This patient, whose serum was negative for the anti-GBM antibody but positive for p-ANCA and another atypical ANCA, had a rare case of anti-GBM disease. Insights from this unusual case might help physicians diagnose rare forms of glomerulonephritis and treat affected patients in a timely manner.

Requiem for the STAT Test: Automation and Point of Care Testing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gurmukh Singh ◽  
Natasha M Savage ◽  
Brandy Gunsolus ◽  
Kellie A Foss
Keyword(s):  
Point Of Care ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Test Automation ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Point Of Care Testing ◽  
Tube System ◽  
Front End ◽  
Laboratory Test Results ◽  
Batch Testing ◽  
Pneumatic Tube System

Abstract Objective Quick turnaround of laboratory test results is needed for medical and administrative reasons. Historically, laboratory tests have been requested as routine or STAT. With a few exceptions, a total turnaround time of 90 minutes has been the usually acceptable turnaround time for STAT tests. Methods We implemented front-end automation and autoverification and eliminated batch testing for routine tests. We instituted on-site intraoperative testing for selected analytes and employed point of care (POC) testing judiciously. The pneumatic tube system for specimen transport was expanded. Results The in-laboratory turnaround time was reduced to 45 minutes for more than 90% of tests that could reasonably be ordered STAT. With rare exceptions, the laboratory no longer differentiates between routine and STAT testing. Having a single queue for all tests has improved the efficiency of the laboratory. Conclusion It has been recognized in manufacturing that batch processing and having multiple queues for products are inefficient. The same principles were applied to laboratory testing, which resulted in improvement in operational efficiency and elimination of STAT tests. We propose that the target for in-laboratory turnaround time for STAT tests, if not all tests, be 45 minutes or less for more than 90% of specimens.

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