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Simulators in robotics are well-known tools for the development of new applications and training and integration of systems for remote operation or supervision. Therefore, robotics is one of the most used practices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-based educational frameworks, and, with COVID-19, simulators have become increasingly important. This study shows specific benefits achieved for K-12 students in an individualized family service plan/resource teachers for the gifted model based on a review. A simulator is typically adopted for undergraduates students to increase their ability to make technical-based decisions and move smoothly between the real and virtual worlds, with a strong emphasis on the feedback from both. It enables students to develop abilities to build robots without needing commercial kits. In a sim-to-real approach, early simulation allows improved team integration and reduced reliance on skills, equalizing the abilities of students, regardless of their backgrounds. Simultaneously, simulation encourages students to work harder in real implementation by equalizing their class level, resulting in competition-based learning.
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Objetivos: Analisar o perfil dos doadores de plaquetafereses do Banco de Sangue Santa Marcelina, no ano de 2021, seguido da analise dos procedimentos correlacionando com caracteristicas dos doadores. Material e metodos: Coleta de dados dos procedimentos de plaquetafereses realizados em 2021 no Banco de Sangue Santa Marcelina. Resultados: Feito, em 2021, 1104 procedimentos de plaquetafereses em 466 doadores. Executados na MCS+, 67% (736 procedimentos) e na TRIMA, 33% (368 procedimentos). Desses 466 doadores, 78% (365 doadores) eram homens e 22% (101) mulheres. Em relacao a idade, 70% (325 doadores) na faixa etaria de 30-49 anos, 1% (4) tinham mais de 60 anos. Doadores com sobrepeso foram os mais comuns, 51% (239), com indice de massa corporea (IMC) entre 25-29,9, obeso grau I (IMC 30-34,9) presente em 26% (120), 17% (78) na faixa normal (IMC 18,5-24,9) e 2% (9), sendo 6 homens e 3 mulheres, tinham obesidade grau III (IMC >=40). A contagem plaquetaria previa em 49% (227) variou entre 200.000 e 269.999/mm3, em 29% (133) entre 150.000-199.999/mm3, 2% (7) apresentavam plaquetas acima de 320.000/mm3. Mais da metade desses doadores, 52% (244), fizeram apenas um procedimento de plaquetaferese em 2021, e no geral, 93% (435) fizeram de 1-6 procedimentos no ano, o maximo de coletas foi de 14 vezes em um doador. Em 61% (284) dos doadores, a volemia sanguinea variou entre 4.100 e 5.299ml, 5% (22) doadores tinham entre 3500 e 4099ml e 5% (23) tinham mais de 6500ml. Em 64% (706) dos procedimentos, o tempo variou entre 60 e 89 minutos, houve 1% (14) procedimentos que, devido intercorrencias variadas, o tempo ficou entre 0 e 30 minutos e nao houve coleta de produto viavel, sendo 8 interrupcoes na MCS+ e 6 na TRIMA. Em 23% (86/368) dos procedimentos na TRIMA foi possivel realizar em menos 60 minutos, e apenas em 5% (36/736) na MCS+, mas, o tempo medio, entre 1 hora e 1h30min, foi similar, 63% (462/736) na MCS+ e 66% (242/368) na TRIMA. Na maioria dos procedimentos, 60% (659), coletou-se uma plaquetafereses simples, e em 37% (413) foi possivel coletar uma dupla, separando por maquina, a TRIMA coletou mais duplas 56% (205/368) contra 28% (208/736) na MCS+. O procedimento removeu de 0,0 a 50% das plaquetas circulantes, em 76% (840) retirou entre 20-39,9%. Apos o procedimento, a contagem plaquetaria remanescente estimada ficou acima de 100.000/mm3 em 100% dos doadores. Discussao: A doacao de plaquetafereses contribui para manutencao dos estoques, pois de um doador e possivel coletar o equivalente a 6 ou 12 unidades de randomicas, se for bolsa simples ou dupla, e sao desleucocitadas durante o processamento com baixa contaminacao de hemacias. Em nosso servico, a maioria dos doadores sao do sexo masculino, acima de 30 anos, com excesso de peso e contagem previa de plaquetas acima de 200.000/mm3. Em 2021 ainda havia muitas restricoes por causa da pandemia de Sars-Cov-2, isso poderia explicar o porque 52% dos doadores fizeram apenas uma doacao neste ano avaliado. Bolsas duplas foram obtidas com mais frequencia na TRIMA, porem, nem todos os doadores tem um acesso venoso bom para TRIMA e a realizamos muito mais procedimentos na MCS+ em nosso servico. Na MCS+ o tempo de procedimento foi maior que na TRIMA, a primeira e de fluxo descontinuo e a segunda continuo, essa diferenca de tempo e de conhecimento geral. Conforme recomendacao, nenhum doador terminou o procedimento com plaquetas estimadas menor que 100.000/mm3. Conclusao: Os equipamentos avaliados sao seguros e tem diferencas de processos que auxiliam o servico a ampliar as opcoes de doadores sem comprometer a qualidade. Deve-se adotar os cuidados previsto na legislacao em relacao a selecao e protecao e estimular as doacoes de repeticao, que sao permitidas ate 24 vezes por ano. Copyright © 2022
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Nowadays, the skills present in computer programming are important in several fields of work. Computational thinking, the ability to create algorithms for solving problems and logical reasoning are some of the skills developed when someone learn to program. This paper presents an experience report of an extension project that aimed to teach computational thinking and introduction to programming with robotics support for children at school in person, but which had to be adapted for remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The original planning, adaptations for remote learning, and the application and evaluation of the course will be reported.
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BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Haemodialysis (HD) patients tend to be old, have weakened immune systems and suffer from multiple comorbidities, making them particularly prone to infections and death by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Global vaccination against SARS-CoV2 has been underway, but long-term data in dialysis patients are still scant. We aimed to study the seroconversion with the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine in HD patients of 5 Dialysis Centres after the first 2 doses and monitor the immune responses and clinical data during the following 7 months. We also investigated the security of the vaccine. METHOD: We included 404 patients on chronic HD. All patients received 2 shots of the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine, separated by 21 days. Serologic tests were run using Quant II IgG anti-Spike SARS-CoV-2 assay by Abbott. Blood was drawn 21 days after the first dose (D22), 21 days after the second dose (D43), 3 and 6 months after the first dose (M3 and M6, respectively). We asked the patients to answer written questionaries about the symptoms reported during the 7 days after each vaccination. RESULTS: 60.6% of our patients were male and the median age was 70 years (min 19, max 97). 26 patients (6.4%) had previously been infected with COVID-19. 6 of them (23.1%) needed hospitalization. At 7 months follow-up, there were 3 new cases and 1 death (the one who died had negative antibody counts at M3). Maximum response to the vaccine was seen at D43, with 97.3% of the patients showing positive antibody titers. At 6 months, 91.5% still had positive antibodies. As is reported in Table 1, the following patients had higher antibody titers at D43 and M6: patients with COVID-19 before the first vaccine, younger patients, patients with higher albumin levels, patients on HDF versus HD. Patients on HDF had higher titers at all moments during the 6 months (Figure 1). Patients with cancer without antineoplasic treatment in the last 6 months showed lower rates of seroconversion at D43: OR: 0.117 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.016-0.863]} and M6 (OR: 0.203, 95% CI 0.049-0.842]. Patients whose levels of C-reactive protein was ≤ 2.8 mg/dL had more probability of seroconversion at D43 (OR: 7.840, 95% CI 1.839-33.419;P < 0.005) as well as those with a higher (better) Karnofsky scale (OR 1.062, 95% CI 1.016-1.110). 43.4% of the patients reported at least one side effect after the first shot and 64.6% after the second shot. A total of 69.1% had at least one-side effect on the first or second shot. All the reported reactions were mild and transitory. CONCLUSION: Patients on HD respond surprisingly well to anti-COVID-19 vaccination and present only mild side effects. Further studies should analyze the impact of HDF on immune responses, since our work suggests that this type of dialysis may have a positive and protective long-term role on this population.
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An accurate and rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 is an effective strategy for pandemic control, allowing disease screening and timely therapeutic intervention. We analyzed scientific reports about rapid tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19 to assess their reliability parameters. Medical Subject Headings terms or keywords related to point-of-care and rapid diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 were searched in data published from November 2020 to November 2021 in PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Notable differences were observed in sensitivity among direct tests that used different samples, and good accuracy was reported in a significant number of studies (>80%). Pediatric samples and samples with high Ct values (RT-PCR) had suboptimal sensitivity (range 45.4% to 66%). Further, a lack of sensitivity (<46.2%) was observed in point-of-care tests and in rapid diagnostic tests for antibody detection in the first days after infection, with increasing values in postinfection analysis (>60%). For serological detection of IgM or Antigen rapid diagnostic tests, no cross-reactivity was found with other coronaviruses. Therefore, although these tests are very important in facing the pandemic, they still need to be improved to test cross-reactivity against other pathogens, especially against other coronaviruses.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, several challenges appeared before everyone. One of the biggest impacts that were observed was on education as a whole. The need for social distance and remote classes directly impacted teaching. Especially in matters of technology there were some more difficulties that needed to be overcome. In this article we will see an experience of how to teach robotics remotely at the IFSP/RGT in an accessible way to students and as a motivating tool during the period of remote classes. © 2021 IEEE.
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This paper discusses water security and wellbeing within a public health perspective and focuses on urban areas with high population density. It analyses access to safe water and the multiple challenges to water security in two megacities: S..o Paulo and London, comparing differences and similarities. It illustrates how water security and health are related to Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6): universal and equitable access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene, and SDG3: healthy lives and well-being for all, focusing on the problem exacerbated by the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, during 2020.
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OBJECTIVE: To understand the repercussions of COVID-19 on the path of pregnancy. METHOD: Qualitative, participatory action research (PAR) study, based on Paulo Freire's Research Itinerary. A virtual culture circle was held in October 2020, with the participation of 12 pregnant women, living in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. RESULTS: In the virtual culture circle, pregnant women talked and critically reflected on two generating themes: flowers and thorns in the course of pregnancy. They meant living in the virtual culture circle as spaces for sharing experiences, welcoming and learning, among others. CONCLUSIONS: For the participants, pregnancy during the pandemic brought difficulties such as social isolation, absence from work and the university, fears, anxieties, loneliness and insecurities. However, it also improved health care, intensifying self-care and investment in family relationships.
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COVID-19 , Brazil/epidemiology , Flowers , Humans , Pandemics , Pregnancy , Qualitative Research , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Considering the context of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, in which face-to-face classes were suddenly suspended and teachers at all levels of education had to adapt to the use of digital technologies to teach their classes, this article reflects on didactic strategies that teachers created to adapt to this new context. The first part of the text presents the concept of interactive didactic design and online education, which are important elements that help the teacher to re-elaborate his online lesson planning. In the second section, we present a brief history of creating and inserting technological artifacts in the school environment to meet the needs of teachers. The text ends with the results of a systematic literature review in which scientific papers are presented that deal with technological artifacts created, in the context of the pandemic, by teachers from different institutions, to promote educational processes mediated by technologies.
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INTRODUCTION: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) can detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a highly specific manner. However, a decrease in the specificity of PCR assays for their targets may lead to false negative results. METHODS: Here, 177 high-coverage complete SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences from 13 Brazilian states were aligned with 15 WHO recommended PCR assays. RESULTS: Only 3 of the 15 completely aligned to all Brazilian sequences. Ten assays had mismatches in up to 3 sequences and two in many sequences. CONCLUSION: These results should be taken into consideration when using PCR-based diagnostics in Brazil.
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INTRODUCTION: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) can detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a highly specific manner. However, a decrease in the specificity of PCR assays for their targets may lead to false negative results. METHODS: Here, 177 high-coverage complete SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences from 13 Brazilian states were aligned with 15 WHO recommended PCR assays. RESULTS: Only 3 of the 15 completely aligned to all Brazilian sequences. Ten assays had mismatches in up to 3 sequences and two in many sequences. CONCLUSION: These results should be taken into consideration when using PCR-based diagnostics in Brazil.