bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detection of COVID-19 Infection from Routine Blood Exams with Machine Learning: a Feasibility Study
Authors: Brinati Davide , Campagner Andrea , Ferrari Davide , Locatelli Massimo , Banfi Giuseppe , Cabitza Federico 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemia due to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, in its first 4 months since its outbreak, has to date reached more than 200 countries worldwide with more than 2 million confirmed cases (probably a much higher number of infected), and almost 200,000 deaths. Amplification of viral RNA by (real time) reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) is the current gold standard test for confirmation of infection, although it presents known shortcomings: long turnaround times (3-4 hours to generate results), potential shortage of reagents, false-negative rates as large as 15-20%, the need for certified laboratories, expensive equipment and trained personnel. Thus there is a need for alternative, faster, less expensive and more accessible tests.Material and methodsWe developed two machine learning classification models using hematochemical values from routine blood exams (namely: white blood cells counts, and the platelets, CRP, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP, LDH plasma levels) drawn from 279 patients who, after being admitted to the San Raffaele Hospital (Milan, Italy) emergency-room with COVID-19 symptoms, were screened with the rRT-PCR test performed on respiratory tract specimens. Of these patients, 177 resulted positive, whereas 102 received a negative response.ResultsWe have developed two machine learning models, to discriminate between patients who are either positive or negative to the SARS-CoV-2: their accuracy ranges between 82% and 86%, and sensitivity between 92% e 95%, so comparably well with respect to the gold standard. We also developed an interpretable Decision Tree model as a simple decision aid for clinician interpreting blood tests (even off-line) for COVID-19 suspect cases.DiscussionThis study demonstrated the feasibility and clinical soundness of using blood tests analysis and machine learning as an alternative to rRT-PCR for identifying COVID-19 positive patients. This is especially useful in those countries, like developing ones, suffering from shortages of rRT-PCR reagents and specialized laboratories. We made available a Web-based tool for clinical reference and evaluation1.
Model the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 propagation with public health intervention
Authors: Mamo Dejen Ketema 
Published: April 2020

AbstractIn this work, a researcher develop SHEIQRD (Susceptible-Stay at home-Exposed-Infected-Quarantine-Recovery-Death) coronavirus pandemic spread model. The disease-free and endemic equilibrium points are calculated and analyzed. The basic reproductive number ℛ0 is derived and its sensitivity analysis is done. COVID-19 pandemic spread is die out when ℛ0 ≤ 1 and its persist in the community whenever ℛ0 > 1. Efficient stay at home rate, high coverage of precise identification and isolation of expose and infected individuals, and redaction of transmission and stay at home return rate can be mitigate the pandemics. Finally, theoretical analysis and numerical results are consistent.
Modelling the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in six high burden countries
Authors: Rahman Azizur , Kuddus Md Abdul 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe new coronavirus disease, officially known as COVID-19, originated in China in 2019 and has since spread around the globe. We presented a modified Susceptible-Latent-Infected-Removed (SLIR) compartmental model of COVID-19 disease transmission with nonlinear incidence during the epidemic period. We provided the model calibration to estimate parameters with day wise corona virus (COVID-19) data i.e. reported cases by worldometer from the period of 15th February to 30th March, 2020 in six high burden countries including Australia, Italy, Spain, USA, UK and Canada. We estimate transmission rates for each countries and found that the highest transmission rate country in Spain, which may be increase the new cases and deaths in Spain than the other countries. Sensitivity analysis was used to identify the most important parameters through the partial rank correlation coefficient method. We found that the transmission rate of COVID-19 had the largest influence on the prevalence. We also provides the prediction of new cases in COVID-19 until May 18, 2020 using the developed model and recommends, control strategies of COVID-19. The information that we generated from this study would be useful to the decision makers of various organizations across the world including the Ministry of Health in Australia, Italy, Spain, USA, UK and Canada to control COVID-19.
SARS-CoV-2 RNA titers in wastewater anticipated COVID-19 occurrence in a low prevalence area
Authors: Randazzo Walter , Truchado Pilar , Cuevas-Ferrando Enric , Simón Pedro , Allende Ana , Sánchez Gloria 
Published: April 2020

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused more than 200,000 reported COVID-19 cases in Spain resulting in more than 20,800 deaths as of April 21, 2020. Faecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from COVID-19 patients has extensively been reported. Therefore, we investigated the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in six wastewater treatments plants (WWTPs) serving the major municipalities within the Region of Murcia (Spain), the area with the lowest COVID-19 prevalence within Iberian Peninsula. Firstly, an aluminum hydroxide adsorption-precipitation concentration method was tested using a porcine coronavirus (Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, PEDV) and mengovirus (MgV). The procedure resulted in average recoveries of 10.90 ± 3.54% and 10.85 ± 2.11% in influent water and 3.29 ± 1.58% and 6.19 ± 1.00% in effluent water samples for PEDV and MgV, respectively. Then, the method was used to monitor the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 from March 12 to April 14, 2020 in influent, secondary and tertiary effluent water samples. By using the real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) Diagnostic Panel validated by US CDC that targets three regions of the virus nucleocapsid (N) gene, we estimated quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA titers in untreated wastewater waters of 5.38 ± 0.21 log genomic copies/L on average. Two secondary water samples resulted positive (2 out of 18) and all tertiary water samples tested as negative (0 out 12). This environmental surveillance data were compared to declared COVID-19 cases at municipality level, revealing that SARS-CoV-2 was circulating among the population even before the first cases were reported by local or national authorities in many of the cities where wastewaters have been sampled. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in early stages of the spread of COVID-19 highlights the relevance of this strategy as an early indicator of the infection within a specific population. At this point, this environmental surveillance could be implemented by municipalities right away as a tool, designed to help authorities to coordinate the exit strategy to gradually lift its coronavirus lockdown.
Measuring Italian Citizens’ Engagement in the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic Containment Measures: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Graffigna Guendalina , Barello Serena , Savarese Mariarosaria , Palamenghi Lorenzo , Castellini Greta , Bonanomi Andrea , Lozza Edoardo 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundIn January 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started to spread in Italy. The Italian government adopted urgent measures to hold its spread. Enforcing compliance to such measures is crucial in order to enhance their effectiveness. Engaging citizens in the COVID-19 preventive process is today urgent in Italy and around the world. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated the role of health engagement in predicting citizens’ compliance to health emergency containment measures.MethodAn online survey was administered between February 28th and March 4th 2020 on a representative sample of 1000 Italians. The questionnaire included a measure of Health Engagement (PHE-S) and a series of ad hoc items intended to measure both affective and behavioral responses of the citizens to the emergency in terms of perceived susceptibility to and severity of the disease, orientation towards health management, change in habits and in purchases. To investigate the relationship between Health Engagement and these variables, a series of ANOVAs, Logistic regressions and crosstabs have been carried out.ResultsLess engaged people show higher levels of perceived susceptibility to the virus and of severity of the disease; they trust less scientific and healthcare authorities, they feel less self-effective in managing their own health - both in normal conditions and under stress - and are less prone to cooperate with healthcare professionals. Low levels of Health Engagement are also associated with a change in the usual purchase behavior.ConclusionsThe Patient Health Engagement Model (PHE) provides a useful framework for understanding how people will respond to health threats such as pandemics. Therefore, intervention studies should focus on particular groups and on raising their levels of engagement to increase the effectiveness of educational initiatives devoted to promote preventive behaviors.
Knowledge and Beliefs of General Public of India on COVID-19: A Web-based Cross-sectional Survey
Authors: Krishna Puvvada Rahul , Undela Krishna , Palaksha Shilpa , Gupta Balaji Sathyanarayana 
Published: April 2020

AbstractContextDespite many awareness programs conducted by the governments and other agencies, there are certain false beliefs among the general public of India towards the transmission, prevention, and treatment of COVID-19.AimsTo assess the knowledge and beliefs of the general public of India on COVID-19.Materials and MethodsA web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between 20th March and 15th April 2020. A 17-item questionnaire was developed, validated, and used for the study. The questionnaire was randomly distributed among the public using Google forms through social media networks. Descriptive analysis was performed to represent the study characteristics, Chi-square test for assessing the associations among the study variables, and logistic regression analysis for identifying the factors influencing the beliefs.ResultsA total of 462 participants with a mean (SD) age of 30.66 (11.31) years were responded to the questionnaire. Study participants are having fairly good knowledge of the basic aspects of COVID-19. However, a considerable fraction of participants were having false beliefs towards the transmission of new coronavirus, and prevention & treatment of COVID-19. It was observed that the participants who were aged 31-60 years and >60 years, education level of intermediate or diploma and high school certificate, and occupation as the unskilled workers had more of false beliefs towards COVID-19 compared to their counterparts.ConclusionThough the overall knowledge on COVID-19 was good enough among the general public of India, still there is a need for education to avoid false beliefs especially among the people who are elderly, having a low level of education, and non-professional workers.Key MessagesA cross-sectional web-based online survey was conducted to assess the knowledge and beliefs of general public of India on COVID-19. It was identified that the knowledge among the general public on COVID-19 is fairly good. However, still there are some false beliefs among the population towards transmission of new coronavirus, and prevention & treatment of COVID-19, especially among the people who are elderly, having low level of education, and non-professional workers.
Chest computed tomography (CT) scan findings in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Karimian Mohammad , Azami Milad 
Published: April 2020

AbstractObjectivesNumerous cases of pneumonia of caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were reported in Wuhan, China. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan is highly important in the diagnosis and follow-up of lung disease treatment. The present meta-analysis was performed to evaluate chest CT findings in COVID-19 patients.Materials and MethodsAll research steps were taken according to the MOOSE protocol and the final report was based on PRISMA guidelines. Each stage of the study was conducted by two independent authors. We searched the Web of Science, Ovid, Science Direct, Scopus, EMBASE, PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, CINAHL and Google scholar databases. The search was conducted on March 20, 2020. Grey literature was searched at medrxiv website. All analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis. The adapted Newcastle Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the risk of bias. We registered this review at PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42019127858).ResultsFinally, 40 eligible studies with 4,183 patients with COVID-19 were used for meta- analysis. The rate of positive chest CT scan in patients with COVID-19 was 94.5% (95%CI: 91.7-96.3). Bilateral lung involvement, pure ground-glass opacity (GGO), mixed (GGO pulse consolidation or reticular), consolidation, reticular, and presence of nodule findings in chest CT scan of COVID-19 pneumonia patients were respectively estimated to be 79.1% (95% CI: 70.8- 85.5), 64.9% (95%CI: 54.1-74.4), 49.2% (95%CI: 35.7-62.8), 30.3% (95%CI: 19.6-43.6), 17.0% (95%CI: 3.9-50.9) and 16.6% (95%CI: 13.6-20.2). The distribution of lung lesions in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was peripheral (70.0% [95%CI: 57.8-79.9]), central (3.9% [95%CI: 1.4-10.6]), and peripheral and central (31.1% [95%CI: 19.5-45.8]). The most common pulmonary lobes involved were right lower lobe (86.5% [95%CI: 57.7-96.8]) and left lower lobe (81.0% [95%CI: 50.5-94.7]).ConclusionOur study showed that chest CT scan has little weakness in diagnosis of COVID-19 combined to personal history, clinical symptoms, and initial laboratory findings, and may therefore serve as a standard method for diagnosis of COVID-19 based on its features and transformation rule, before initial RT-PCR screening.
Aphasia in Bilinguals
Authors: Ardila Alfredo , Lahiri Durjoy 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundLittle is known about the influence of bilingualism in aphasia.AimsTo analyze the effect of bilingualism in a group of patients with aphasia.MethodsData from155 monolingual and 53 bilingual aphasia patients were analyzed.ResultsIt was found that aphasia was significantly less severe in bilinguals when compared to monolinguals (p=0.023)ConclusionBilingualism represents a protecting factor in aphasia. Aphasia is less severe and consequently, recovery is expected to be better in bilingual patients.
Inclusion of medical fitness to drive in medical postgraduate training curricula
Authors: Azawi Laith Al , O’Byrne Aisling , Roche Lily , O’Neill Desmond , Ryan Margaret 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundTransport mobility, and access to driving, is an important factor in social inclusion and well-being. Doctors have an important role to play in supporting safe mobility through applying the knowledge developed in the field of traffic medicine and incorporating state of the art national and international medical fitness to drive (MFTD) guidelines. Little is known about the profile of MFTD in postgraduate curricula for core and higher specialist training.AimsWe profiled the inclusion of MFTD in the curricula of postgraduate core, higher and streamlined medical and surgical specialties in the Republic of Ireland and the UK. Methods: All publicly available syllabi of basic and higher/ streamlined specialist training in postgraduate medical and surgical colleges in both jurisdictions were analysed (N = 122).ResultsIn Ireland, 25% of basic training schemes included MFTD in the curriculum. Two-thirds of curricula of higher specialty and streamlined training schemes also included MFTD. For the UK, 44% of core and 36% of higher training schemes curricula included MFTD. Just under one-quarter of all curricula reviewed included MFTD for more than one medical condition or treatment. Common topics in both Irish and UK curricula included seizures/epilepsy, syncope and visual disturbances.ConclusionThere are notable deficits in MFTD training for specialists in Ireland and the UK. Common conditions which can significantly impair MFTD such as stroke, diabetes and alcohol use disorders are severely underrepresented and curricula should be revisited to include relevant training and guidance for MFTD for trainees.Main MessagesDoctors have an important role in supporting safe driving among patients with a range of medical conditionsBasic and higher specialist training curricula in a range of specialities in the British Isles are deficient in content relating to medical fitness to driveCurricular development for specialist training should include provision of concise and speciality-relevant guidance on medical fitness to driveResearch QuestionsWhat barriers exist currently to the inclusion of medical fitness to drive and how could these be mitigated?What are the specialty-relevant prioritizations of medical conditions related to medical fitness to drive for inclusion in each curriculum?What resources and evidence are available to specialist training programmes to support the guidance for medical fitness to drive in their curricula?
Forecast and interpretation of daily affected people during 21 days lockdown due to COVID 19 pandemic in India
Authors: Bhattacharyya Achintya , Bhowmik Dipak , Mukherjee Joy 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe problem of facing difficulty to control the spreading of newly detected novel corona virus 2019 is a matter of attention throughout the whole world. The total numbers of infected individuals have already crossed 2 million throughout the world. The government of all the affected countries have already taken many measures like lockdown to stop the spread. Therefore, it is important to study the nature of growth and interpretations are necessary for taking needful by the government. In this paper, we have tried to interpret the spreading capability of novel corona virus in India taking into consideration of 21 days lockdown data. The prediction is based on the present number of available cases and number of new cases reporting daily. We have explained the number of infected people in India comparing with Italy, China, Spain, and USA data of 21 days individually after announcing lockdown. The plot of daily new cases with the number of days spent after lockdown is fitted by linear and polynomial function. The best fitted graph is chosen for interpretation and that is based on the parameters obtained from fitting. The forecast of maximum spreading possibility is discussed with linear and 4-degree polynomial fitting parameters. Finally, some further preventive measurements are also discussed.
Pooling of Nasopharyngeal Swab Specimens for SARS-CoV-2 detection by RT-PCR
Authors: Torres Ignacio , Albert Eliseo , Navarro David 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTSystematic testing of large population groups by RT-PCR is mandatory to Covid-19 case identification and contact tracing in order to minimize the likelyhood of resurgence in contagion. Sample pooling for RT-PCR has been effectively used to detect community transmission of SARS CoV-2. Nevertheless, this procedure may decrease the sensitivity of RT-PCR assays due to specimen dilution. We evaluated the efficacy of this strategy for diagnosis of Covid-19 using a sensitive commercially-available RT-PCR targeting SARS CoV-2 E and RdRp genes in a single reaction. A total of 20 mini-pools containing either 5 (n=10) or 10 (n=10) nasopharyngeal exudates collected in universal transport medium were made, each of which including a unique positive NP specimen. Positive specimens yielding CT <32 for the E gene (6 out of 10) or <35.2 for the RdRP gene (7 out of 10) were detected in mini-pools of both sizes. In contrast, most NP samples displaying CTs > 35.8 for the E gene or 35.7 for the RdRP gene remained undetected in mini-pools of 5 specimens (3/4 and 2/3, respectively) or in mini-pools of 10 samples (4/4 and 3/3, respectively.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake among users of non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis: a longitudinal analysis of attendees at a large sexual health clinic in Montréal
Authors: Xia Yiqing , Greenwald R. Zoë , Milwid M. Rachael , Trottier Claire , Boissonnault Michel , Gaul Neil , Charest Louise , Landry Gabrielle , Zahedi N. Navid , Szabo Jason , Thomas Réjean , Maheu-Giroux Mathieu 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundReducing HIV transmission using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) requires targeting individuals at high acquisition risk, such as men who have sex with men (MSM) with a history of non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP). This study aims to characterize longitudinal trends in PrEP uptake and its determinants among nPEP users in Montréal.MethodsEligible attendees at Clinique médicale l’Actuel were recruited prospectively starting in October 2000 (nPEP) and January 2013 (PrEP). Linking these cohorts, we characterized the PEP-to-PrEP cascade, examined the determinants of PrEP uptake after nPEP consultation using a Cox proportional-hazard model, and assessed whether PrEP persistence differed by nPEP history using Kaplan-Meier curves.ResultsAs of August 2019, 31% of 2,682 MSM nPEP cohort participants had two or more nPEP consultations. Subsequent PrEP consultations occurred among 36% of nPEP users, of which 17% sought nPEP again afterwards. Among 2,718 PrEP cohort participants, 46% reported previous nPEP use. Among nPEP users, those aged 25-49 years (Hazard Ratio (HR)=1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-1.7), with more nPEP episodes (HR=1.4, 95%CI: 1.3-1.5), reported chemsex (HR=1.3, 95%CI: 1.1-1.7), with a STI history (HR=1.5; 95%CI: 1.3-1.7), and who returned for their first nPEP follow-up visit (HR=3.4, 95%CI: 2.7-4.2) had higher rates of PrEP linkage. There was no difference in PrEP persistence between PEP-to-PrEP and PrEP only participants.ConclusionOver one-third of nPEP users were subsequently prescribed PrEP. However, the large proportion of men who repeatedly use nPEP calls for more efficient PrEP-linkage services and, among those that use PrEP, improved persistence should be encouraged.