bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Learning Organization Practice and Disciplines in Case of Sire District Public Health Office, Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, 2018:Qualitative Case Study
Authors: Hailu Biniam Worku 
Published: October 2020

AbstractLearning Organizations are organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspirations are set free and where people are continually learning how to learn together. The aim of this study was to assess Learning organization practice and disciplines in case of Sire District Public health office. Learning organization if implemented in the health institutions it enables ignition of newly created more another’s learning organization units moreover, learning organization concept if implemented in the organization it can enables organization to achieve their goal systematically besides this, it also enhance employees their job commitment whereas, the organization not implemented learning organization concept might be opposite of this or vice versa. The study employed qualitative case-study design in sire District public health office. Document review, in depth interview and Focus group discussion with flexible probing techniques were employed to collect the data from 3 key informants and 2 FGD from January 1, 2018 to January 11, 2018. A semi structured interview guide was prepared to explore key informants’ idea about current situation and efforts made to enable organization to be a learning organization and also thematic analyses were used to analyze the findings of the study. The study result revealed that the organization assessed in both parameter of learning organization (five disciplines Peter Senge and Pedler et al criteria of practice of learning organization) the organization was practiced preponderance of learning organization concept was practiced within five disciplines of learning organizations there were implemented in their office. The finding of the study revealed that sire district public health office was practiced learning organization and disciplines in there organization that was exercised as good and the organization also participate entire employees and stakeholders to carry out organizational plan that were align with national strategies of the country moreover, the organization had created enabling learning opportunities to enhance a learning organization among themselves and others.
A national study of self-reported COVID symptoms during the first viral wave in Canada
Authors: Tang Xuyang , Gelband Hellen , Lam Teresa , Nagelkerke Nico , Reid Angus , Jha Prabhat ,   for the Action to beat Coronavirus (Ab-C) Study Investigators
Published: October 2020

AbstractImportanceAccurate understanding of COVID pandemic during the first viral wave in Canada could help prepare for future epidemic waves.ObjectiveTo track the early course of the pandemic by examining self-reported COVID symptoms over time before testing became widely available.DesignAdults from the nationally representative Angus Reid Forum were randomly invited to complete an online survey in May/June 2020. The study is a part of the Action to Beat Coronavirus antibody testing study.SettingA 20-item internet survey.Participants14,408 adults age 18 years of age.ExposuresThe months that respondents and any household members first experienced various respiratory, neurological, sleep, skin or gastric symptoms.Main Outcomes and Measure“COVID symptom-positive,” defined as fever (or fever with hallucinations) plus at least one of difficulty breathing, a dry severe cough, loss of smell or “COVID toe.”ResultsIn total, 14,408 panel members (48% male and 52% female) completed the survey. Despite overrepresentation of higher levels of education, the prevalence of obesity, smoking, diabetes and hypertension were similar to national census and health surveys. A total of 811 (5.6%) were COVID symptom-positive; highest rates were at ages 18-44 years (8.3% among), declining at older ages. Females had higher odds of reporting COVID symptoms (OR = 1.32, 95%CI 1.11 – 1.56) as did visible minorities (OR = 1.74, 1.29 – 2.35). COVID symptom positivity for respondents and their household members peaked in March (OR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.59 – 2.34 compared to earlier months).Conclusions and RelevanceThis study enhances our current understanding of the progression of the COVID epidemic in Canada, with few laboratory-confirmed cases in January and February, peaking in April. The results suggest substantial viral transmission in March, before widespread testing began, and a gradual decline in cases since May.
Trait Anxiety Effects on Late Phase Threatening Speech Processing: Evidence from Electroencephalography
Authors: Busch-Moreno Simon , Tuomainen Jyrki , Vinson David 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe effects of threatening stimuli, including threatening language, on trait anxiety have been widely studied. However, whether anxiety levels have a direct effect on language processing has not been so consistently explored. The present study focuses on eventrelated potential (ERP) patterns resulting from electroencephalographic (EEG) measurement of participants’ (n = 36) brain activity while they perform a dichotic listening task. Participants’ anxiety level was measured via a behavioural inhibition system scale (BIS). Later, participants listened to dichotically paired sentences, one neutral and the other threatening, and indicated at which ear they heard the threatening stimulus. Threatening sentences expressed threat semantically-only, prosodically-only, or both combined (congruent threat). ERPs showed a late positivity, interpreted as a late positive complex (LPC). Results from Bayesian hierarchical models provided strong support for an association between LPC and BIS score. This was interpreted as an effect of trait anxiety on deliberation processes. We discuss two possible interpretations. On the one hand, verbal repetitive thinking, as associated with anxious rumination and worry, can be the mechanism disrupting late phase deliberation processes. Instantiated by inner speech, verbal repetitive thinking might be the vehicle of anxiety-related reappraisal and/or rehearsal. On the other hand, increased BIS could be simply affecting an extended evaluation stage as proposed by multistep models, maybe due to over-engagement with threat or to task-related effects.Graphical Abstract
Regional differences in vaccine uptake and serological responses to vaccine and circulating strains of H1N1 viruses among patients with confirmed influenza
Authors: Fink Ashley L. , Liu Hsuan , Shaw-Saliba Kathryn , Mehoke Thomas , Evans Jared , Liu Zhen-Ying , Lewis Mitra , Sauer Lauren , Thielen Peter , Chen Kuan-Fu , Rothman Richard , Klein Sabra L. , Pekosz Andrew 
Published: October 2020

BackgroundSeasonal epidemics of influenza are often characterized through national or international surveillance efforts to determine vaccine efficacy and vaccine strain selection, but they do not provide detailed information about local variations in factors that can influence influenza cases and disease severity.MethodsSurveillance for influenza like illness was performed in Emergency Medicine Departments in Taipei, Taiwan and Baltimore, Maryland during the winter of 2015-16. Detailed demographic and clinical data were obtained. Nasal swabs or washes were collected for influenza virus diagnosis, sequencing and isolation. Serum was collected to determine neutralizing antibody levels.ResultsH1N1 viruses dominated both sites, but more influenza cases occurred in Taipei compared to Baltimore. H1 HA clade diversity was greater in Taipei. Vaccination rates were lower in Taipei than Baltimore, but vaccination was associated with an increase in serum neutralizing antibodies to recent H1N1 strains in Taipei, but not Baltimore. There was a higher level of preexisting immunity to circulating H1N1 strains in Baltimore.ConclusionsRegional differences in preexisting immunity and H1N1 strain circulation may have contributed to the vastly different 2015-16 influenza seasons in Taipei and Baltimore and suggest immune responses to vaccination can be affected by the degree of preexisting immunity in the population.
Assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of household-pooled universal testing to control COVID-19 epidemics
Authors: Libin Pieter , Willem Lander , Verstraeten Timothy , Torneri Andrea , Vanderlocht Joris , Hens Niel 
Published: October 2020

AbstractCurrent outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 are threatening the health care systems of several countries around the world. The control of SARS-CoV-2 epidemics currently relies on non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as social distancing, teleworking, mouth masks and contact tracing. However, as pre-symptomatic transmission remains an important driver of the epidemic, contact tracing efforts struggle to fully control SARS-CoV-2 epidemics. Therefore, in this work, we investigate to what extent the use of universal testing, i.e., an approach in which we screen the entire population, can be utilized to mitigate this epidemic. To this end, we rely on PCR test pooling of individuals that belong to the same households, to allow for a universal testing procedure that is feasible with the current testing capacity. We evaluate two isolation strategies: on the one handpool isolation, where we isolate all individuals that belong to a positive PCR test pool, and on the other handindividual isolation, where we determine which of the individuals that belong to the positive PCR pool are positive, through an additional testing step. We evaluate this universal testing approach in the STRIDE individual-based epidemiological model in the context of the Belgian COVID-19 epidemic. As the organisation of universal testing will be challenging, we discuss the different aspects related to sample extraction and PCR testing, to demonstrate the feasibility of universal testing when a decentralized testing approach is used. We show through simulation, that weekly universal testing is able to control the epidemic, even when many of the contact reductions are relieved. Finally, our model shows that the use of universal testing in combination with stringent contact reductions could be considered as a strategy to eradicate the virus.
An Agent-Based Model to assess COVID-19 spread and health systems burden in Telangana state, India
Authors: M S Narassima , Jammy Guru Rajesh , A Sankarshana , Pant Rashmi , S P Anbuudayasankar , Choudhury Lincoln , Yeldandi Vijay , Singh Shubham , John Denny 
Published: October 2020

AbstractObjectivesTo assess the transmission dynamics and the health systems’ burden of COVID-19 using an Agent Based Modeling (ABM) approach using a synthetic population.Study designThe study used a synthetic population with 31,738,240 agents representing 90.67 percent of the overall population of Telangana state, India as per 2011 Census of India. Lockdown phases as per Indian scenario considering the effects of post-lockdown, use of control measures and immunity on secondary infections were studied.MethodsThe counts of people in different health states were measured separately for each district of Telangana. The model was run for 365 days and six scenarios with varying proportions of people using control measures (100%, 75% and 50%) and varying immunity periods (90 and 180 days). Sensitivity Analysis has been done for two districts to compare the change in transmission dynamics when incubation period and asymptomatic proportion are changed.ResultsResults indicate that the peak values were attained soon after the lockdown was lifted. The risk estimates indicate that protection factor values are higher when more proportion of people adopt control measures.ConclusionsABM approach helps to analyze grassroot details compared to compartmental models. Risk estimates allow the policymakers to determine the protection offered, its strength and percentage of population shielded by use of control measures.
Development and comparison of a novel multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) assay with other nucleic acid amplification methods for SARS-CoV-2 detection
Authors: Wai Luu Laurence Don , Payne Michael , Zhang Xiaomei , Luo Lijuan , Lan Ruiting 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe development of alternative isothermal amplification assays including multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) may address speed and portability limitations of real-time PCR (rt-PCR) methods for SARS-CoV-2 detection. We developed a novel SARS-CoV-2 MCDA assay and compared its speed and sensitivity to loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and rt-PCR. Two MCDA assays targeting SARS-CoV-2 N gene and ORF1ab was designed. The fastest time to detection and sensitivity of MCDA was compared to LAMP and rt-PCR using DNA standards and transcribed RNA. For N gene, MCDA was faster than LAMP and rt-PCR by 10 and 20 minutes, respectively with fastest time to detection at 5.2 minutes. rt-PCR had highest sensitivity with limit of detection at 10 copies/µl compared with MCDA (100 copies/µl) and LAMP (500 copies/µl). For ORF1ab, MCDA and LAMP had similar speed with fastest time to detection at 9.7 and 8.4 minutes, respectively. LAMP was more sensitive for ORF1ab detection with 50 copies/µl compared to MCDA (500 copies/µl). In conclusion, different nucleic acid amplification methods provide different advantages. MCDA is the fastest nucleic acid amplification method for SARS-CoV-2 while rt-PCR is the most sensitive. These advantages should be considered when determining the most suitable nucleic acid amplification methods for different applications.
The excess insulin requirement in severe COVID-19 compared to non-COVID-19 viral pneumonitis is related to the severity of respiratory failure and pre-existing diabetes
Authors: Lockhart Sam M. , Griffiths Harry , Petrisor Bogdan , Usman Ammara , Calvo-Latorre Julia , Heales Laura , Bansiya Vishakha , Mahroof Razeen , Morris Andrew Conway 
Published: October 2020

AbstractObjectiveSevere COVID-19 has been anecdotally associated with high insulin requirements. It has been proposed that this may be driven by a direct diabetogenic effect of the virus that is unique to SARS-CoV-2, but evidence to support this is limited. To explore this, we compared insulin requirements in patients with severe COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 viral pneumonitis.Research DesignRetrospective cohort study of patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to our intensive care unit between March and June 2020. A historical control cohort of non-COVID-19 viral pneumonitis patients was identified from routinely collected audit data.ResultsInsulin requirements were similar in patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 viral pneumonitis after adjustment for pre-existing diabetes and severity of respiratory failure.ConclusionsIn this single center study, we could not find evidence of a unique diabetogenic effect of COVID-19. We suggest that high insulin requirements in this disease relate to its propensity to cause severe respiratory failure in patients with pre-existing metabolic disease.
Renin Angiotensin System Inhibition and Susceptibility and Outcomes from COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 69,200 COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Zhang Yi , Yu Shikai , Xu Yawei , Williams Bryan 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundEarly observational studies suggested that the use of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, specifically angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, may increase the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and adversely affect the prognosis or survival of infected patients. To explore the impact of RAS inhibitor use on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, from all published studies.Methods and FindingsA systematic review and meta-analysis of the use of RAS inhibitors in relation to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and/or the severity and mortality associated with COVID-19 was conducted. English language bibliographic databases PubMed, Web of Science, OVID Embase, Scopus, MedRxiv, BioRxiv, searched from Jan 1st, 2020 to July 20th, 2020. 58 observational studies (69,200 COVID-19 patients and 3,103,335 controls) were included. There was no difference in the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection between RAS inhibitor users and non-users (unadjusted OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.21), (adjusted OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.02), (adjusted HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.31). There was no significant difference in the severe Covid-19 case rate between RAS inhibitor users and non-users (unadjusted OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.36), (adjusted OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.12), or in mortality due to COVID-19 between RAS inhibitor users and non-users (unadjusted OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.44), (adjusted OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.23), (adjusted HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.14).ConclusionsIn the most comprehensive analysis of all available data to date, treatment with RAS inhibitors was not associated with increased risk of infection, severity of disease, or mortality due to COVID-19. The best available evidence suggests that these treatments should not be discontinued on the basis of concern about risk associated with COVID-19.
Dilution-based Evaluation of Airborne Infection Risk - Thorough Expansion of Wells-Riley Model
Authors: Zhang Sheng , Lin Zhang 
Published: October 2020

AbstractEvaluation of airborne infection risk with spatial and temporal resolutions is indispensable for the design of proper interventions fighting infectious respiratory diseases (e.g., COVID-19), because the distribution of aerosol contagions is both spatially and temporally non-uniform. However, the well-recognized Wells-Riley model and modified Wells-Riley model (i.e., the rebreathed-fraction model) are limited to the well-mixed condition and unable to evaluate airborne infection risk spatially and temporally, which could result in overestimation or underestimation of airborne infection risk. This study proposes a dilution-based evaluation method for airborne infection risk. The method proposed is benchmarked by the Wells-Riley model and modified Wells-Riley model, which indicates that the method proposed is a thorough expansion of the Wells-Riley model for evaluation of airborne infection risk with both spatial and temporal resolutions. Experiments in a mock hospital ward also demonstrate that the method proposed effectively evaluates the airborne infection risk both spatially and temporally.
The relationship between neighborhood poverty and COVID-19 mortality within racial/ethnic groups (Cook County, Illinois)
Authors: Feldman Justin M. , Bassett Mary T. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundPrior research has identified higher rates of COVID-19 mortality among people of color (relative to non-Hispanic whites) and populations in high-poverty neighborhoods (relative to wealthier neighborhoods). It is unclear, however, whether non-Hispanic whites in high-poverty neighborhoods experience elevated mortality, or whether people of color living in wealthy areas are relatively protected. Exploring socioeconomic position in combination with race/ethnicity can lead to a more detailed understanding of the specific processes that result in COVID-19 inequities.Methods and FindingsWe used census and individual-level mortality data for the non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic/Latinx populations of Cook County, Illinois, USA. We excluded deaths related to nursing homes and other institutions. We calculated age and gender-adjusted mortality rates by race/ethnicity, census tract poverty quartile, and age group (0-64 and ≥65 years).Within all racial/ethnic groups, COVID-19 mortality rates were greatest in the highest-poverty quartile and lowest in the lowest-poverty quartile. The mortality rate for younger non-Hispanic whites in the highest-poverty quartile was 13.5 times that of younger non-Hispanic whites in the lowest-poverty quartile (95% CI: 8.5, 21.4). For young people in the highest-poverty quartile, the non-Hispanic white and Black mortality rates were similar. Among younger people in the lowest-poverty quartile, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic/Latinx people had mortality rates nearly three times that of non-Hispanic whites. For the older population, the mortality rate among non-Hispanic whites in the highest-poverty quartile was less than that of lowest-poverty non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic/Latinx populations.ConclusionsOur findings suggest racial/ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 mortality are partly, but not entirely, attributable to the higher average socioeconomic position of non-Hispanic whites relative to the non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic/Latinx populations. Future research on health equity in COVID-19 outcomes should collect and analyze individual-level data on the potential mechanisms driving population distributions of exposure, severe illness, and death.
Rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection by immunofluorescence – a new tool to detect infectivity
Authors: Porte Lorena , Legarraga Paulette , Iruretagoyena Mirentxu , Vollrath Valeska , Pizarro Gabriel , Munita José M. , Araos Rafael , Weitzel Thomas 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe evaluated SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid fluorescence immunoassays reliably identified patients within the first 5 days of symptom onset, when respiratory secretions carried high viral loads. This high performance suggests that these tests might play an important role for future PCR-independent strategies to detect early or infective cases.
Another Feature of Silicon Nanowire Field Effect Transistor Biosensor: Dynamic Detection
Authors: Chen Hang , Deng Lijuan , Li Hang , Huang Longchang , Zhu Xiaoping , Jiang Yanfeng , Wang Tong 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSilicon nanowire field effect transistor (SiNW-FET) biosensors are capable of label-free, real-time and biological detection with high sensitivity and specificity. However, direct observation on protein-protein interaction in blood or serum is still very difficult because of the complex physiological environment and Debye-screening effect. In order to overcome the detection obstacles, we used dialysis desalination method to purify the detection fluid and overcome Debye-screening effect. In our research, a top-down approach was proposed to fabricate the SiNW-FET, APTES-Glu chemical chain was used to link antibody to the SiNWs. And after verified the detection ability of silicon nanometer biosensors, the dynamic detection process of HbA1c was successfully realized. This could be helpful for accurate diagnosis of diabetes for clinical application. And it makes it possible to dynamic research of small biomolecules without markers.