Automatic paraphrasing tools: an unexpected consequence of addressing student plagiarism and the impact of COVID in distance education settings

Text matching tools employed to detect plagiarism are widely used in universities, but their availability may have pushed students to find ways to evade detection. One such method is the use of automatic paraphrasing software, where assignments can be rewritten with little effort required by students. This paper uses the search engine analytics methodology with data from SEMrush and Google Trends to estimate the level of interest in online automatic paraphrasing tools, focusing on the period 2016 to 2020 and the four countries: the USA, UK, Canada and Australia. The results show a concerning trend, with the number of searches for such tools growing during the period, especially during COVID-19, and notable increases observed during the months where assessment periods take place in universities. The method employed in this study opens up a new avenue of analysis to enrich and supplement the existing knowledge in the field of academic integrity research. The data obtained demonstrates that faculty should be alert for student use of automatic paraphrasing tools and that academic integrity interventions need to be in place across the sector to address this problem. © 2023 Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.

Seguridad De La Endoscopia Ambulatoria Sin Test De Cribado Para Sars-Cov-2. Desde La Reanudacion De La Actividad Endoscopica Hasta La Vacunacion

Introduccion: Durante la pandemia del COVID-19 las sociedades endoscopicas recomendaron el uso de equipos de proteccion personal (EPP) y la realizacion de cuestionarios de cribado (CC) dirigidos a la deteccion de sintomas;sin quedar clara la necesidad de realizar test diagnosticos de SARS-Cov-2 (SCV-2). La seguridad de esta actitud no ha sido valorada adecuadamente. Metodos y objetivos: Nuestro objetivo primario es evaluar si para prevenir la infeccion por SCV-2 en los trabajadores de nuestra unidad (t-UE) es seguro hacer un CC a los pacientes con endoscopias programadas, sin realizarse test diagnosticos. Nuestro objetivo secundario es comparar la incidencia de SCV-2 en la poblacion de referencia (PR), los pacientes programados (SPs) y en t-UE. Se analizaron retrospectivamente los pacientes con endoscopias programadas de forma ambulatoria previamente a la vacunacion (junio/2020- diciembre/2020). Se realizo un CC en las 72h previas a la prueba y en el dia de la misma. Todos los trabajadores disponian de EPP. Resultados: Se programaron 7.089 endoscopias. Un 9,5% fueron canceladas: un 0,35% por sospecha de SCV-2 y un 0,1% por SCV-2 confirmado antes del procedimiento. 638 pruebas se suspendieron por motivos no relacionados con SCV-2. Se realizaron 6,419 endoscopias. Se diagnostico SCV-2 en 15 pacientes en los 15 dias siguientes a la endoscopia. De los 106 profesionales trabajaron en nuestra unidad se diagnostico SCV-2 en tres casos durante este periodo. En ninguno de ellos se demostro relacion con la exposicion laboral. En la tabla se muestra la densidad de incidencia (DI, x 100,000 habitantes) y la razon de tasas (RR) de la infeccion por SCV-2 en la PR, SPs y t-UE. [Table presented] Conclusiones: En ninguno de los trabajadores con diagnostico de SCV-2 se pudo atribuir la infeccion al medio laboral. La implementacion de CC de SVC-2 resulto seguro para los t-UE, incluso en ausencia de vacunacion global de la poblacion. La incidencia de SCV-2 fue menor en SPs y en los t-UE que en la PR.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. Todos los derechos reservados.

Catholic Impact evolution Through Public Twitter data during CoVId-19

During the Covid-19 crisis, many networks have sprung up disseminating information. This study examines the influence of religion during the Covid-19 pandemic. It understands religion as a factor capable of mitigating frustrations and critical situations in society. To this end, a data mining analysis was developed for a set of 107,786 tweets collected from the social platform Twitter in the framework of user-generated content (UGC), linked to the Covid-19 related tweets published by @Pontifex and @Pontifex_es. To achieve this goal, hidden insight data extraction and sentiment analysis are carried out, along with the application of social network analysis (SNA) techniques. The main outcome of the study is the positive correlation between the repercussion of the Pope's tweets and the evolution of the Covid-19 incidence in Europe. Finally, the latent dirichlet allocation (LDA) algorithm identifies the relevant topics in the analysis. Copyright © 2022, IGI Global.

Booster vaccination protection against SARS-CoV-2 infections in young adults during an Omicron BA.1-predominant period: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: While booster vaccinations clearly reduce the risk of severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and death, the impact of boosters on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections has not been fully characterized: Doing so requires understanding their impact on asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic infections that often go unreported but nevertheless play an important role in spreading SARS-CoV-2. We sought to estimate the impact of COVID-19 booster doses on SARS-CoV-2 infections in a vaccinated population of young adults during an Omicron BA.1-predominant period. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We implemented a cohort study of young adults in a college environment (Cornell University's Ithaca campus) from a period when Omicron BA.1 was the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant on campus (December 5 to December 31, 2021). Participants included 15,800 university students who completed initial vaccination series with vaccines approved by the World Health Organization for emergency use, were enrolled in mandatory at-least-weekly surveillance polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and had no positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test within 90 days before the start of the study period. Robust multivariable Poisson regression with the main outcome of a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test was performed to compare those who completed their initial vaccination series and a booster dose to those without a booster dose. A total of 1,926 unique SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified in the study population. Controlling for sex, student group membership, date of completion of initial vaccination series, initial vaccine type, and temporal effect during the study period, our analysis estimates that receiving a booster dose further reduces the rate of having a PCR-detected SARS-CoV-2 infection relative to an initial vaccination series by 56% (95% confidence interval [42%, 67%], P < 0.001). While most individuals had recent booster administration before or during the study period (a limitation of our study), this result is robust to the assumed delay over which a booster dose becomes effective (varied from 1 day to 14 days). The mandatory active surveillance approach used in this study, under which 86% of the person-days in the study occurred, reduces the likelihood of outcome misclassification. Key limitations of our methodology are that we did not have an a priori protocol or statistical analysis plan because the analysis was initially done for institutional research purposes, and some analysis choices were made after observing the data. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that boosters are effective, relative to completion of initial vaccination series, in further reducing the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a college student population during a period when Omicron BA.1 was predominant; booster vaccinations for this age group may play an important role in reducing incidence of COVID-19.

Outpatient Endoscopy without Sars-Cov-2 Testing: From the Resumption of Endoscopic Activity to Vaccination Was It Safe to Do That?

Introduction: Recommendations made by scientific societies regarding the need of pre-procedural testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection have been inconsistent throughout the pandemic. Several society guidelines advocated the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and screening questionnaires for active COVID-19 disease without testing patients before endoscopy. The safety of this approach before the start of widespread vaccinations has not been properly assessed. Aims & Methods: Primary: To evaluate the safety of a screening questionnaire for active COVID-19 disease in the scheduled patients (SPs) for endoscopic procedures, without testing SARS-CoV-2, to prevent the infection in health-care workers of our endoscopy unit (EU-HCWs). Secondary: To compare the incidence of COVID-19 disease between the reference population (RP), SPs and EU-HCWs. Outpatient endoscopies scheduled from June 2020 to December 2020 were retrospectively analysed. Patients were screened by a questionnaire within 72 hours of their planned procedure and on the day of attendance. Healthcare professionals received appropriate training in infection control practices and handling of PPE. Patients were not tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection before endoscopy. Result(s): Seven thousand and eighty-nine outpatient endoscopies were scheduled. In 670 cases (9.5%) the procedures were cancelled. In 25 patients (0.35%) active COVID-19 disease was suspected before endoscopy. Two of the suspected cases had positive confirmatory tests (PT). Besides, 7 patients had a PT prior to endoscopy. Thus, 9 endoscopies (0.12%) were deferred because of confirmed COVID- 19 disease. The remaining 638 procedures were cancelled because the patient did not attend to the endoscopy unit (346) or due to a cancellation request other than COVID-19 disease from the physician or patient (292). A total of 6.419 endoscopies were performed. In 48 patients (0.75%) compatible symptoms with infection were present during the following 15 days after the procedure. COVID-19 disease was confirmed in 11 of these symptomatic patients. Besides, 4 asymptomatic patients had PT: two of them had close contact with a family member. There is no information about the reason for testing SARS-CoV-2 in the other 2 asymptomatic positive patients. In total 15 patients (0.2%) were positive within 15 days after endoscopy. One hundred and six professionals were working in our endoscopy unit (EU) during this period. Three EU-HCWs were diagnosed of COVID-19 disease. They were all physicians. None of these cases could be linked to occupational exposure. Table 1 shows the incidence rate (IR,) and rate ratio (RR, 95% confidence interval) of SARS-CoV-2 in our SPs, the RP and in our EU-HCWs. Conclusion(s): During the pre-vaccination period, 3 EU-HCWs were diagnosed of COVID-19 disease. None of them could be attributed to occupational exposure.The implementation of a COVID-19 infection screening questionnaire before the procedures without performing SARS-CoV-2 testing was safe enough for the EU-HCWs even in the absence of global vaccination of the population.The incidence of confirmed infections was lower in the SPs and EU-HCWs when compared to our RP.

Elizabethkingia miricola: an opportunistic pathogen in ICU : Eva Soler

Background The Elizabethkingia genus is formed by a group of bacteria which are widely distributed in nature. Elizabethkingia is not part of human microbiota, therefore is considered to be an opportunistic pathogen. In the last years, it has become a cause of potentially fatal disease, becoming an emerging bacteria of increasing relevance. The objective of this study is to describe the impact of Elizabethkingia bacteria in infected patients in the ICU of a hospital in Granada. Methods Descriptive study. Patients who have been isolated in a biological sample of Elizabethkingia miricola throughout the year 2.021 in the ICU of San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada. Date and place of isolation were registered. Other variables registered were sex, age, length of ICU stay, days between ICU admission and bacterium isolation, days between bacterium isolation and death, infection, cause of admission or cause of death. Results Bacterium was isolated in 15 patients. Cause of admission was COVID-19 in 73.3% of patients. 73.3% were men and 26.6% women.The average age was 56.9 years. The average length of ICU stay was 43.8 days. 4 patients were diagnosed with ventilator-associated pneumonia and 5 patients were diagnosed with tracheobronchitis.The average days between ICU admission and bacterium isolation was 26,4 days. The average days between mechanical ventilation and bacterium isolation was 25.9 days. 53.3% of patients died. The average days between bacteria isolation and death was 18.2 days. Conclusions Elizabethkingia miricola is an emerging bacterium under special vigilance due to its capacity to cause major morbidity and mortality in admitted patients in ICU. The rapid identification and the study of the antibiotic susceptibility is considered of special relevance so they can be correctly managed to avoid infections and complications resulting from this microorganism. Key messages • Elizabethkingia is a special surveillance bacterie due to its morbidity and mortality effects. • Elizabethkingia could be a severity indicator in admitted patients to the ICU.

Graphene BioFET sensors for SARS-CoV-2 detection: a multiscale simulation approach.

Biological Field-Effect Transistors (BioFETs) have already demonstrated enormous potential for detecting minute amounts of ions and molecules. The use of two-dimensional (2D) materials has been shown to boost their performance and to enable the design of new applications. This combination deserves special interest in the current pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus which demands fast, reliable and cheap detection methods. However, in spite of the experimental advances, there is a lack of a comprehensive and in-depth computational approach to capture the mechanisms underlying the sensor behaviour. Here, we present a multiscale platform that combines detailed atomic models of the molecules with mesoscopic device-level simulations. The fine-level description exploited in this approach accounts for the charge distribution of the receptor, its reconfiguration when the target binds to it, and the consequences in terms of sensitivity on the transduction mechanism. The results encourage the further exploration of improved sensor designs and 2D materials combined with diverse receptors selected to achieve the desired specificity.

Deep Learning Application of Automated Facemask Classification and Physical-Distancing Detection

COVID-19 adversity has stopped the global economy and most of the countries in the entire world are still in locked down even though there is now a vaccine available to fight the COVID-19 diseases. Many nations including the Philippines proclaimed national emergencies to combat the further spread and to reduce the infections brought about by the COVID-19 virus. People are now getting vaccinated with the COVID-19 yet everyone is still in doubt when this catastrophe will end because the virus has evolved in many variants which is more infectious and deadly compared with the original virus. To fight this disease, health authorities implements wearing of facemask, avoiding crowds, cleaning and washing of hands often and staying at least 1-meter apart. This study aims to detect and classify facemask according to the types of facemask they are wearing and detects the physical distancing observe by the person in the area. Deep Learning is a family of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning that emulates the human brain in processing information and creates patterns to be use for decision-making. Dataset uses 4,000 images of the person wearing a facemask and not wearing a facemask and the type of facemask they are wearing including the surgical mask, N95 mask, and cloth mask. A real-time video is used to analyze the observation of physical distancing. The images were trained using the MobileNet model and recorded an accuracy rate of 94.50% during training. The trained model has effectively classified persons wearing a cloth mask, surgical mask, N95 mask, person not wearing a facemask, and detected the persons observing the physical distancing protocol. The study can be implemented in real-time to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by identifying the persons wearing the mask, classify the type of mask they are wearing, and detecting the physical distancing protocols. © 2021 IEEE.

A qualitative analysis of perceptions of and reactions to COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To understand communities' perceptions, beliefs, and health-related behavior choices related to COVID-19 in order to guide public health nursing communication and interaction with patients and the community. DESIGN: A qualitative study, guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), strove to comprehend the perceptions and reactions to COVID-19 among Wisconsinites. SAMPLE: Twenty-five diverse Wisconsin residents aged 18 or older. MEASUREMENTS: Semi-structured interviews provided information about individuals' attitudes, perceptions, and reactions to COVID-19. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes. RESULTS: We identified three major themes: (1) "health care starts way before you ever enter the doors of a healthcare facility"; (2) "to live in a society is to help each other"; and (3) mental health as impacted by COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the need for greater public health support, as well as the role of Social Determinants of Health. Understanding perceptions and reactions to COVID-19 can help public health nurses understand and better respond to future pandemics.

Mechanisms of instantaneous inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by silicon nitride bioceramic.

The hydrolytic processes occurring at the surface of silicon nitride (Si3N4) bioceramic have been indicated as a powerful pathway to instantaneous inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the virus inactivation mechanisms promoted by Si3N4 remain yet to be elucidated. In this study, we provide evidence of the instantaneous damage incurred on the SARS-CoV-2 virus upon contact with Si3N4. We also emphasize the safety characteristics of Si3N4 for mammalian cells. Contact between the virions and micrometric Si3N4 particles immediately targeted a variety of viral molecules by inducing post-translational oxidative modifications of S-containing amino acids, nitration of the tyrosine residue in the spike receptor binding domain, and oxidation of RNA purines to form formamidopyrimidine. This structural damage in turn led to a reshuffling of the protein secondary structure. These clear fingerprints of viral structure modifications were linked to inhibition of viral functionality and infectivity. This study validates the notion that Si3N4 bioceramic is a safe and effective antiviral compound; and a primary antiviral candidate to replace the toxic and allergenic compounds presently used in contact with the human body and in long-term environmental sanitation.

Impact of SARS CoV 2 outbreak in the molecular diagnosis of advanced NSCLC: A retrospective comparative cohort study

Background: The SARS CoV 2 coronavirus pandemic has rocked health care systems to the core. Concurrent circulation of COVID 19 has led to service disruptions and delays in the standard procedures related to lung cancer (LC) diagnose and may negatively impact in the management, care and therapeutic patient intervention. We aimed to determine COVID 19 impact in the molecular diagnosis of LC at our institution. Methods: A total of 203 patients (pts) diagnosed with advanced NSCLC with molecular testing requested in the period of 2019–2020 were included. Clinical characteristics and testing patient results evaluated in 2019 and 2020 were compared. The SOC at our institution includes evaluation of DNA and RNA from tissue(t) and/or blood(b) with NGS or nCounter. Single-gene testing by PCR, IHC and/or FISH is used as complementary assays to NGS when tissue is limited or in case of genomic platform service interruptions. Results: A total of 106 and 97 pts were required for molecular testing during 2019 and 2020 respectively. Clinical patient characteristics in both cohorts were very similar and there were no significant differences in the number of DNA-based or RNA-based analyses required between both period times (DNAt p = 0.25;DNAb p = 0.59;RNAt p =.08). The 2019 cohort identified 66 pts (65%) with driver genes: being KRAS the most commonly detected (34%), followed by EGFR 15%, BRAF 4%, ALK 4% and METΔ14 4%. During 2020, driver alterations were found in 56 pts (60%) in a quite similar proportion except for KRAS mutations, 21%. The total number of non evaluable (NE) samples was significantly increased in 2020 compared to 2019 (p =.029). During 2019, 80% of the NE samples could be evaluated by any multiplex technique. On the contrary, during 2020 only 54% of NE were tested by any NGS-based method. Conclusions: Our results show that molecular diagnosis of LC could be preserved during the COVID 19 outbreak. However genomic service disruptions during critical months of the pandemic clearly impacted in the number of pts with a NE result and might explain the differences in the incidence of KRAS mutations observed. While this global crisis rightly demands the world's attention, a continuous and accurate molecular diagnostic testing must be ensured to guarantee quality-care for LC pts. Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding: Has not received any funding. Disclosure: C. Teixido: Honoraria (self), Personal fees: Pfizer;Honoraria (self), Personal fees: Novartis;Honoraria (self), Personal fees: Takeda;Honoraria (self), Personal fees: MSD;Honoraria (self), Personal fees: Roche;Honoraria (self), Personal fees: Diaceutics;Honoraria (self), Personal fees: AstraZeneca;Research grant/Funding (self), Research funding: Pfizer;Research grant/Funding (self), Research funding: Novartis. R. Reyes: Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Roche;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: MSD. L. Mezquita: Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Bristol-Myers Squibb;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Tecnofarma;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Roche;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Takeda;Advisory/Consultancy: Roche Diagnostics;Advisory/Consultancy: Takeda;Advisory/Consultancy: Roche;Travel/Accommodation/Expenses: Bristol-Myers Squibb;Travel/Accommodation/Expenses: Roche;Research grant/Funding (self): Amgen;Research grant/Funding (self): Bristol-Myers Squibb;Research grant/Funding (self): Boehringer Ingelheim;Speaker Bureau/Expert testimony, Mentorship program with key opinion leaders: AstraZeneca. N. Reguart: Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: MSD;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: BMS;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Roche;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Boehringer Ingelheim;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Guardant Health;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Pfizer;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: AbbVie;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Ipsen;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Novartis;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: AstraZeneca;Honoraria (self), Speaker onoraria: Lilly;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Takeda;Honoraria (self), Speaker Honoraria: Amgen;Honoraria (self), Organization of educational events: Amgen;Honoraria (self), Organization of educational events: Roche;Advisory/Consultancy: MSD;Advisory/Consultancy: BMS;Advisory/Consultancy: Roche;Advisory/Consultancy: Boehringer Ingelheim;Advisory/Consultancy: Guardant Health;Advisory/Consultancy: Pfizer;Advisory/Consultancy: AbbVie;Advisory/Consultancy: Ipsen;Advisory/Consultancy: Novartis;Advisory/Consultancy: AstraZeneca;Advisory/Consultancy: Lilly;Advisory/Consultancy: Takeda;Advisory/Consultancy: Amgen;Travel/Accommodation/Expenses: Boehringer Ingelheim;Travel/Accommodation/Expenses: MSD;Travel/Accommodation/Expenses: Roche;Research grant/Funding (self): Novartis;Research grant/Funding (self): Pfizer. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Neurologic and Neuroscientific Evidence in Aged COVID-19 Patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to prevail as a catastrophic wave infecting over 111 million people globally, claiming 2. 4 million lives to date. Aged individuals are particularly vulnerable to this disease due to their fraility, immune dysfunction, and higher rates of medical comorbidities, among other causes. Apart from the primary respiratory illness, this virus is known to cause multi-organ dysfunction including renal, cardiac, and neurologic injuries, particularly in the critically-ill cohorts. Elderly patients 65 years of age or older are known to have more severe systemic disease and higher rates of neurologic complications. Morbidity and mortality is very high in the elderly population with 6-930 times higher likelihood of death compared to younger cohorts, with the highest risk in elderly patients ≥85 years and especially those with medical comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and underlying respiratory illness. Commonly reported neurologic dysfunctions of COVID-19 include headache, fatigue, dizziness, and confusion. Elderly patients may manifest atypical presentations like fall or postural instability. Other important neurologic dysfunctions in the elderly include cerebrovascular diseases, cognitive impairment, and neuropsychiatric illnesses. Elderly patients with preexisting neurologic diseases are susceptibility to severe COVID-19 infection and higher rates of mortality. Treatment of neurologic dysfunction of COVID-19 is based on existing practice standards of specific neurologic condition in conjunction with systemic treatment of the viral illness. The physical, emotional, psychologic, and financial implications of COVID-19 pandemic have been severe. Long-term data are still needed to understand the lasting effects of this devastating pandemic.

Use of ivermectin in patients with covid-19: A narrative review

Introduction. Towards the end of the last month of 2019, a new highly contagious coronavirus was identified in China causing the start of a new pandemic. Millions of infected people and thousands of deaths are the result of SARS-CoV-2 infection;different therapeutic strategies have been proposed for its treatment, one of them has been ivermectin, causing discrepancies in the medical community regarding its use. We set out to review the available scientific evidence on the use of ivermectin in the context of IDVC-19 in humans. A literature search was conducted on the following databases: Pub Med, Web of Science, Cochrane, Clinical Trials, and ISRCCTN using search expressions that include the following terms: ivermectin, antiviral, virus, covid-19 and/or SARS-CoV-2. There is no scientific evidence to support the use of ivermectin as a treatment and/or prophylaxis for SARS-CoV-2 infection.