A new Software Training Model at Belle II

The physics output of modern experimental HEP collaborations hinges not only on the quality of its software but also on the ability of the collaborators to make the best possible use of it. With the COVID-19 pandemic making in-person training impossible, the training paradigm at Belle II was shifted from periodic workshops towards guided self-study. To that end, the study material was rebuilt from scratch as a series of modular and hands-on lessons tightly integrated with the software documentation using Sphinx. Each lesson contains multiple exercises that are supplemented with hints and complete solutions. Rather than duplicating information, students are systematically taught to work with the technical reference documentation to find the important sections for themselves. Unit tests ensure that all examples work with different software versions, and feedback buttons make it easy to submit comments for improvements. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

The Financing of Higher Education in Colombia: Crisis and Disputes in the Framework of the Pandemic

The article analyzes the way in which the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the structural crisis that characterizes the financing of higher education in Colombia and the different proposals that have emerged to face it. The text presents the issue of financing higher education as a political problem in which, on the one hand, privatization projects and growing government control face, and, on the other hand, transformative alternatives aimed at guaranteeing higher education as a right and a common good. Likewise, it shows how the field of dispute regarding the financing of higher education in the country has been reconfigured between 2011 and 2022. © 2022 Instituto de Estudios Sociales Contemporaneos IESCO. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of persistent COVID and SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in a cohort of patients on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain.

INTRODUCTION: This study analyzed the impact of patients' age, sex, vaccination, immunosuppressive treatment, and previous comorbidities on the risk of developing persistent COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 virus reinfection. METHOD: Population-based observational retrospective study of a cohort of 110,726 patients aged 12 years or older, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between June 1st, 2021 and February 28th, 2022 in the island of Gran Canaria. RESULTS: 340 patients suffered reinfection. The combination of advanced age, female sex and lack of complete or incomplete vaccination against COVID-19 was strongly predictive of reinfection (p<0.05). In the 188 patients who developed persistent COVID-19, the persistence of symptoms was more frequent in adult patients, women, and patients with a diagnosis of asthma. Complete vaccination was associated with a lower risk of reinfection ([OR] 0.05, 95%CI 0.04-0.07; p<0.05) and of developing persistent COVID-19 ([OR] 0.07, 95%CI 0.05-0.10; p<0.05). None of the patients with reinfection or persistent COVID-19 died during the period of the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed the link between age, sex, asthma and risk of persistent COVID-19. It was not possible to define the patient's comorbidities as a factor that influences the development of reinfection, but its association with age, sex, type of vaccine and hypertension was demonstrated. Higher vaccination coverage was associated with a lower risk of persistent COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 reinfection.

[Epidemiological study on the impact of influenza vaccination on the clinical course of patients with COVID-19 and co-infection by both viruses in Gran Canaria, Spain]. / Estudio epidemiológico sobre el impacto de la vacunación antigripal en la evolución clínica de pacientes con COVID-19 y la coinfección por ambos virus en Gran Canaria, España.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the frequency of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 co-infections, as well as the differences in the course of disease (risk of mortality, hospital and intensive care admissions) in patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in relation to flu vaccination status in the 2021-2022 season. METHODS: Population-based observational retrospective study in a cohort of 19,850 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between June 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022 on the island of Gran Canaria. RESULTS: A total of 1,789 patients (9%) diagnosed with COVID-19 had received flu vaccinations. 13,676 people (68.9%) had a full course of COVID-19 vaccinations. In the period between June 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022, 8 cases of flu and COVID-19 coinfection were recorded. Hypertension (18.5%), asthma (12.8%) and diabetes (7.2%) were the most frequent comorbidities. There were 147 deaths (0.7%). Older patients ([OR] 1.11 95% CI 1.09-1.13) and people with cancer ([OR] 4.21 95% CI 2.58-6.89) had a higher risk of dying from COVID-19 (p<0.05). Female sex was noted as a protective factor ([OR] 0.61 95% CI 0.40-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Old age, male sex and cancer were independent prognostic factors for mortality. Three doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and influenza vaccines were highly effective in preventing COVID-19-related deaths and hospital admissions. These findings suggest that flu vaccination can help control the pandemic.

Medical avoidance among marginalized groups: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medical avoidance is common among U.S. adults, and may be emphasized among members of marginalized communities due to discrimination concerns. In the current study, we investigated whether this disparity in avoidance was maintained or exacerbated during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed the likelihood of avoiding medical care due to general-, discrimination-, and COVID-19-related concerns in an online sample (N = 471). As hypothesized, marginalized groups (i.e., non-White race, Latinx/e ethnicity, non-heterosexual sexual orientation, high BMI) endorsed more general- and discrimination-related medical avoidance than majoritized groups. However, marginalized groups were equally likely to seek COVID-19 treatment as majoritized groups. Implications for reducing medical avoidance among marginalized groups are discussed.

Crossed analysis of three-variable for early pre-diagnosis of COVID-19

This study presents a new analysis method of physiological variables considered vital for the early diagnosis of COVID-19: Body Temperature, Heart Rate, and Blood Saturation. The applied method was the cross-analysis of variables to obtain triage-type criteria for classifying the individual in one of the three states: Prevention (yellow), Warning (Orange), and Alarm (Red) for each particular case. As a result, an automatic analysis algorithm was developed to support the physician in preventive treatment. It is possible to generate the warning states and classify the situation when making a report according to its condition by validating the results. The algorithms are published on Github to make them available to the scientific community in general and thus solve the early diagnosis. © 2021 IEEE.

How to provide light to COVID data by means of FCA

COVID data are usually presented in a non-structured format and mainly focused on healthy issues (incidence, mortality, etc). At the same time, Governments have designed a set of measures to deal with the Pandemic. In addition, several institutions have studied the economical effects of the situation in each country. In this work, we combine these three data sources and illustrate how Formal Concept Analysis can become a useful tool to discover relationships among these three views of the situation: health, politics and economy. Our aim is to provide an implication-driven approach to discover knowledge behind the data. © 2021 for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Performance and reproducibility assessment across multiple time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy device replicas

Reproducibility between different replicas of the same device is an important aspect in the biomedical research field. Multiple replicas of a dual-wavelength, single-channel “NIRSBOX” device have been assembled and characterized. In this work, we present their full performance assessment. Characterization is focused on measurement accuracy, reproducibility, and reliability, following well-defined and widely adopted procedures to assess the quality of diffuse-optics instruments. The results of the performance assessment procedures are promising, demonstrating highly reproducible performances over different time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy devices, a feature of paramount importance when it comes to comparing results from different instruments, e.g. in multicenter studies. © 2022 SPIE

Representing social and political life during the pandemic. Education, body, ideology, politics and beliefs in Argentina (2020-2021)

This paper develops some findings and dimensions derived from the work carried out in the first part of the Project "Identities, experiences and social discourses in conflict around the pandemic and post-pandemic: a multidimensional study on uncertainties, hatred, solidarity, care and unequal expectations in all regions of Argentina" that is part of the "Research Program of the Contemporary Argentine Society. The social and human sciences in the COVID-19 crisis". Specifically, this article is made by the research teams of the Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educacion - Universidad Nacional de La Plata, that respond to four thematic subnets: Education, Body, Beliefs, Ideologies, identities and political passions. The objective is to know different social representations in the context of the pandemic. As regards the methodology, semi-structured interviews were made to people having different sociodemographic characteristics of the country. It may be concluded that both temporality and emotionality are related with the situated representations collected from the four thematic subnets.

How Can I Get COVID?: Understanding Differences in American Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Men's Risk Perception.

Men are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections compared to women, but their risk perceptions around COVID-19 are persistently lower. Further, men often engage in less health promotion behavior because self-care in this capacity is seen as weak or less masculine. This combination has consequences for mortality; thus, a better understanding of men's COVID-19 cognitions and individual difference factors is critical. In a web-based survey conducted during the beginning stages of the pandemic in the U.S., we collected risk perceptions of various sexual and non-sexual behaviors from heterosexual (n = 137) and gay/bisexual men (n = 108). There were no significant sexual orientation differences for perceptions of COVID-19 risk from routine activities or in overall risk estimates. However, gay/bisexual men did report engaging in more precautionary behavior while socializing (i.e., masking, social distancing) and reported higher risk perceptions than did heterosexual men for nearly all intimate and sexual activities. A more nuanced understanding of cognitions around COVID-19 is needed to better understand motivation for-and especially motivation against-pursuing vaccinations and continuing precautionary behavior.

Changes in Utilization of Birth Control and PrEP During COVID-19 in the USA: A Mixed-Method Analysis.

In the USA, the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges beyond the direct consequences of the infection. Because of shifting resources in response to need, many domains within the healthcare sector unrelated to COVID-19 have had interrupted abilities to provide care. In the current study, we focus on preventative sexual health care during the pandemic. In a sample of 511 (mean age = 27.7) people, we examined quantitative data regarding continuation and discontinuation of birth control and PrEP during the pandemic, along with qualitative data illustrating the underlying reasons for participants' (dis)continuation. Results showed that most (92.5%) of birth control users reported continuation of their birth control, with the predominant reasons reported being use for health reasons, long-acting reversible contraceptive use, access to remote healthcare services, and increased vigilance over pregnancy prevention. Conversely, around half (52.6%) of PrEP-using participants reported already discontinuing or planning to discontinue their PrEP regimen. Temporary abstinence and concerns about accessing in-person health care were the predominant reasons for PrEP discontinuation. These results have implications for both researchers and sexual healthcare providers. Disruptions to preventative sexual health care should be considered in ongoing research about patient needs, and healthcare providers may wish to consider particular challenges faced by PrEP users concerning re-start and continuation.

A RARE CASE OF TYPHUS FEVER PRESENTING IN TEXAS

TOPIC: Critical Care TYPE: Medical Student/Resident Case Reports INTRODUCTION: Typhus Fever is a rare bacterial infection (R. prowazekii and P. human capitis) commonly transmitted via louse vectors on humans. While rare in the US, there have been cases located east of the Mississippi River. We will describe a case of typhus fever in an elderly male located in Dallas, Texas. CASE PRESENTATION: A 73-year-old man with Parkinson Disease and hearing impairment developed acutely progressing weakness and encephalopathy. At baseline he was oriented to self and others and could ambulate with a walker. Now he was unable to ambulate, sit up in a chair and required a sitter due to disorientation. Initial labs were unremarkable save thrombocytopenia. He was admitted for progressing Parkinson vs infectious meningitis. The next day, he was less responsive and aphasic with a fever of 102.1F. An infectious work up and empiric antibiotics were started. By day 3, fever remained with negative cultures prompting an Infectious Disease consult. Head CT was unrevealing (cochlear implants precluded MRI). EEG revealed diffuse encephalopathy without epileptiform discharges. Lumbar puncture was deemed unsafe (thrombocytopenia). Repeat blood cultures, viral respiratory panel, COVID testing, strep pneumoniae, legionella and mycoplasma serologies, HIV, and a myriad of serologies for atypical sources of fever were drawn – all negative. Empiric treatment was broadened to include CNS dosing. On day 8, he required intubation for respiratory failure. Post platelet transfusion an LP was done, ultimately negative. On day 11, serologic Typhus Fever antibodies (IgM) resulted. At the time of diagnosis he had become ventilator dependent and prognosis was grim. Family withdrew life sustaining measures on day 13. DISCUSSION: Typhus fever occurs via louse feces which are highly infectious with Rickettsia and infect the host via injured skin or mucous membranes. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, myalgia, fatigue, and rash. Neurologic manifestations include confusion, drowsiness, seizures, and coma. Diagnosis is made via serologic studies;immunofluorescent antibody tests or immunoblots. Treatment varies from days to weeks of doxycycline or chloramphenicol. Prognosis is dependent on patient demographics. Mortality is higher in males and increases with age. Prior to the development of antibiotics, prognosis was poor and mortality was high. With modern efficiency of testing and antibiotics, mortality has modestly improved (10-40%). CONCLUSIONS: While rare, Typhus fever is an important diagnosis to consider in patients presenting with encephalopathy regardless of location. Prognosis is fair in those promptly treated. Thus, high suspicion combined with early testing and empiric treatment is crucial for recovery. REFERENCE #1: Anderson, JO. Andersson, SG. A century of typhus, lice and Rickettsia. Research in Microbiology. 2000 Mar;151(2):143-50. REFERENCE #2: Houhamdi, L. Fournier, PE. Fang, R. Lepidi, H. Raoult, D. An experimental model of human body louse infection with Rickettsia prowazekii. J Infect Dis. 2002;186(11):1639. REFERENCE #3: Raoult, D. Roux, V. Ndihokubwayo, JB. Bise, G. Baudon, D. Marte, G. Birtles, R. Jail fever (epidemic typhus) outbreak in Burundi. Emerg Infect Dis. 1997;3(3):357. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by christopher bettacchi, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Adan (Adam) Mora, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Ciara Wisecup, source=Web Response

Safety and efficacy of anakinra in severe SARS-CoV2 infection (covid19) at a tertiary hospital

Background: SARS-CoV-2 virus is a novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease, which in its most severe form produces life-threatening atypical pneumonia and ARDS. Coronaviruses induce dysregulation of the immune system resulting in a cytokine storm syndrome with activation of the macrophage mediated mainly by IL-1 and IL-6. Although there is no specific treatment to date, researchers have explored novel approaches through targeting both IL-6 and IL-1. Anakinra is a recombinant human IL-1 receptor antagonist that prevents IL-1β and IL-1α binding and therefore blocks signal transduction. Its high bioavailability, rapid action, relatively short half-life and good safety profile make it a promising drug. Objectives: Analyse the experience of administering Anakinra for severe forms of COVID19 in patients hospitalised at a tertiary hospital. Methods: Retrospective single-center study in which all patients admitted for COVID-19 and treated with Anakinra from April 1st to the end of the 1st wave (July 2020) were included. Medical records were reviewed to collect demographic, clinical and lab test data, using Brescia-COVID respiratory severity scale, SaFi, CRP, Ferritin, LDH and lymphocytes. Variables were assessed at baseline, 72h and 7 days after treatment initiation. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed, including a sub-analysis of patients who received anakinra as the only biological treatment. Results: 54 patients were included, of which 37 male (68.5%) with a median age of 69.5 years (36-94). Comorbidities were lung disease 14 pts (25.9%), cardiovascular disease 39 pts (72.2%), Diabetes Mellitus 11 pts (20.4%), kidney disease and rheumatic disease each in 6 pts (11.1%), and immunosuppression 13 pts (24.1%). Each patient received a mean of 4.85 doses of anakinra (± 3.96). Other therapies included low-dose steroids (70.3%);high-dose steroids: 1mg/kg (87%), bolus (24%), Tocilizumab (57.4%), Infliximab (24.1%), Lopinavir/Ritonavir (48%), Hydroxychloroquine (94.4%), and Azithromycin (79.6%). Mortality was 22% overall, 75% due to COVID19, 8.3% due to infectious complications and 16.7% due to non-infectious complications. In the group receiving Anakinra as only biological drug, mortality accounted for 17.9% of patients, 75% due to COVID19 and 25% to non-infectious complications. No adverse effects related to anakinra were observed Conclusion: Anakinra in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection offers respiratory improvement and partial lab tests improvement. No adverse effects were observed.

Physical activity as self-regulating behavior of perceived anxiety and dysfunctional patterns of dietary intake during isolation due to covid-19 among latin americans

Physical activity is considered an anxiety-regulating behavior and is effective in reducing this emotional condition. Due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), governments of Latin America have applied isolation strategies to reduce the probability of contagion and thus control health effects;however, an unfavorable effect of this situation has been the increase in anxiety levels that can affect food intake. The objective of the current study was to analyze the association between physical activity and differences in dysfunctional patterns of intake in Latin American people who were in isolation. A questionnaire was applied to 1.035 people from different countries. We observed that those performing physical activity presented a 50% lower probability of perceived anxiety. Additionally, the subjects who performed physical activity presented greater cognitive restriction, and those who did not perform physical activity registered a higher level of disinhibition and emotional intake. We conclude that physical activity is an anxiety-regulating behavior in this time of isolation or quarantine and has a positive influence on individuals, since it reduces disinhibition and emotional intake, and could prevent weight gain and possible development of food pathologies. This finding is important for the promotion of physical activity in this time of confinement and similar situations, and it is also useful for interventions on subjects with emotional feeding. © 2021, Sociedad Chilena de Nutricion Bromatologia y Toxilogica. All rights reserved.

The management of scarce life supports in pandemic contexts. Reflections on the application of triage within the COVID-19 framework

In the context of a worldwide pandemic such as COVID-19, one of the greatest bioethical dilemmas that arise is the management of certain scarce medical devices, such as ventilators (mechanical ventilation), since the survival of many critically ill patients depends on the access to these ventilators. The present paper tries to determine the criteria applicable for the management of these medical devices in a context of extreme scarcity to face the needs of all the patients who require them. To this end, the comparative literature on the subject as well as different institutional and academic reports in the field of bioethics are analysed. Copyright © 2020 Carlos María Romeo Casabona, Asier Urruela Mora.

No harm from angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor inhibitors in patients with COVID-19. Results of a prospective study on a hospital-based cohort

This study aims to assess the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor inhibitors (ARBs) on the course of COVID-19. It is a prospective study on 221 (M/F ratio= 143/78, mean age 72±13) consecutive hypertensive patients with COVID-19: 76 (34.4%) treated with ACEIs, 63 (28.5%) with ARBs and 82 (37.1%) with antihypertensives OTHER than ACEIs or ARBs. They were all followed up until discharge or death. BAD outcome was defined as the need for invasive mechanical ventilation or death. The three classes of medication were well balanced for confounding variables. BAD nly outcome was overall recorded in 63/221 (28%) patients, in 20/76 (26%) of ACEI, in 17/63 (27%) of ARB and in 26/82 (32%) of OTHER users, with no statistically significant difference in any comparison. These findings refute the hypothesis that treatment with ACEIs or ARBs may negatively affect the course of COVID-19.

Clinical characteristics of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Spain: results from the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry

Background Spain has been one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective To create a registry of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Spain, in order to improve our knowledge of the clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects of this disease. Design A multicentre retrospective cohort study, including consecutive patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 throughout Spain. Epidemiological and clinical data, additional tests at admission and at seven days, treatments administered, and progress at 30 days of hospitalization were collected from electronic medical records. Results Up to June 30th 2020, 15,111 patients from 150 hospitals were included. Their median age was 69.4 years (range: 18-102 years) and 57.2% were male. Prevalences of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus were 50.9%, 39.7%, and 19.4%, respectively. The most frequent symptoms were fever (84.2%) and cough (73.5%). High values of ferritin (73.5%), lactate dehydrogenase (73.9%), and D-dimer (63.8%), as well as lymphopenia (52.8%), were frequent. The most used antiviral drugs were hydroxychloroquine (85.6%) and lopinavir/ritonavir (61.4%). 33.1% developed respiratory distress. Overall mortality rate was 21.0%, with a marked increase with age (50-59 years: 4.7%, 60-69 years: 10.5%, 70-79 years: 26.9%, ≥80 years: 46.0%). Conclusion The SEMI-COVID-19 Network provides data on the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Spain. Patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Spain are mostly severe cases, as one in three patients developed respiratory distress and one in five patients died. These findings confirm a close relationship between advanced age and mortality. Resumen Antecedentes España ha sido uno de los países más afectados por la pandemia de COVID-19. Objetivo Crear un registro de pacientes hospitalizados en España por COVID-19 para mejorar nuestro conocimiento sobre los aspectos clínicos, diagnósticos, terapéuticos y pronósticos de esta enfermedad. Métodos Estudio de cohorte retrospectiva, multicéntrico, que incluye pacientes consecutivos hospitalizados con COVID-19 confirmada en toda España. Se obtuvieron los datos epidemiológicos y clínicos, las pruebas complementarias al ingreso y a los siete días de la admisión, los tratamientos administrados y la evolución a los 30 días de hospitalización de las historias clínicas electrónicas. Resultados Hasta el 30 de junio de 2020 se incluyeron 15.111 pacientes de 150 hospitales. Su mediana de edad fue 69,4 años (rango: 18-102 años) y el 57,2% eran hombres. Las prevalencias de hipertensión, dislipemia y diabetes mellitus fueron 50,9%, 39,7% y 19,4%, respectivamente. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron fiebre (84,2%) y tos (73,5%). Fueron frecuentes los valores elevados de ferritina (73,5%), lactato deshidrogenasa (73,9%) y dímero D (63,8%), así como la linfopenia (52,8%). Los fármacos antivirales más utilizados fueron la hidroxicloroquina (85,6%) y el lopinavir/ritonavir (61,4%). El 33,1% desarrolló distrés respiratorio. La tasa de mortalidad global fue del 21,0%, con un marcado incremento con la edad (50-59 años: 4,7%, 60-69 años: 10,5%, 70-79 años: 26,9%, ≥80 años: 46%). Conclusiones El Registro SEMI-COVID-19 proporciona información sobre las características clínicas de los pacientes con COVID-19 hospitalizados en España. Los pacientes con COVID-19 hospitalizados en España son en su mayoría casos graves, ya que uno de cada tres pacientes desarrolló distrés respiratorio y uno de cada cinco pacientes falleció. Nuestros datos confirman una estrecha relación entre la edad avanzada y la mortalidad.