Deep Learning-Based COVID-19 Screening Using Photographs of Chest X-Rays Displayed in Computer Monitors

Several recent research papers have shown the usefulness of Deep Learning (DL) techniques for COVID-19 screening in Chest X-Rays (CXRs). To make this technology accessible and easy to use, a natural path is to leverage the widespread use of smartphones. In these cases, the DL models will inevitably be presented with photographs taken with such devices from a computer monitor. Thus, in this work, a dataset of CXR digital photographs taken from computer monitors with smartphones is built and DL models are evaluated on it. The results show that the current models are not able to correctly classify this kind of input. As an alternative, we build a model that discards pictures of monitors such that the COVID-19 screening module does not have to cope with them. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Sleep quality and anxiety in mothers and their children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey

Introduction: Sleep disorders and anxiety are common complaints during childhood. Mothers' anxiety and depression symptoms might also affect children's sleep quality in a negative way. Considering that both sleep and anxiety disorders might be affected by environmental factors, the social distancing and other circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic might increase the prevalence of anxiety and sleep complaints among mothers and their children. Objective: To analyse the correlation between anxiety and sleep quality in mothers and children from 2 to 10 years old. Methods: Mothers of children from 2 to 10 years old were invited to participate. The participants filled an online survey through Google forms, including a socio-demographic survey, anxiety and sleep questionnaires, both of their own (as a self-report) and of their children. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were used to analyse symptoms on the mothers, while Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL - both 1/2-5 and 6-18 years old versions) were used to analyse the children. The questionnaire was made available from August 2020 to January 2021. Data analysis was based on a Spearman correlation matrix and statistical significance level was set at 5%. Results: A total of 179 mothers were included in this study. Self-reported sleep quality decreased during the pandemic in 55% of the mothers. In relation to children, 40% of mothers reported that they noticed worsening of their sleep quality and 63% reported increased anxiety symptoms. Positive statistic significant correlations were observed between maternal sleep quality (PSQI) and maternal anxiety symptoms (DASS-21) (rho: 0.578, p<0.001), and between both mothers (PSQI) and children (CSHQ) sleep quality (rho: 0.318, p<0.001). A correlation between maternal sleep quality and anxiety symptoms in the children (CBCL) was observed only for children from 6-10 years old (rho:0,399, p=0.001), but not for those from 2-5 years old. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge to both maternal and children sleep and behavior. During this period, decreased sleep quality in the mothers was correlated with increased anxiety in both mothers and children, as well as with decreased sleep quality in the children.

Photochemical sensitivity to emissions and local meteorology in Bogota, Santiago, and Sao Paulo: An analysis of the initial COVID-19

This study delves into the photochemical atmospheric changes reported globally during the pandemic by analyzing the change in emissions from mobile sources and the contribution of local meteorology to ozone (O-3) and particle formation in Bogota (Colombia), Santiago (Chile), and Sao Paulo (Brazil). The impact of mobility reductions (50%-80%) produced by the early coronavirus-imposed lockdown was assessed through high-resolution vehicular emission inventories, surface measurements, aerosol optical depth and size, and satellite observations of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) columns. A generalized additive model (GAM) technique was also used to separate the local meteorology and urban patterns from other drivers relevant for O-3 and NO2 formation. Volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) decreased significantly due to motorized trip reductions. In situ nitrogen oxide median surface mixing ratios declined by 70%, 67%, and 67% in Bogota, Santiago, and Sao Paulo, respectively. NO2 column medians from satellite observations decreased by 40%, 35%, and 47%, respectively, which was consistent with the changes in mobility and surface mixing ratio reductions of 34%, 25%, and 34%. However, the ambient NO2 to NOx ratio increased, denoting a shift of the O-3 formation regime that led to a 51%, 36%, and 30% increase in the median O-3 surface mixing ratios in the 3 respective cities. O-3 showed high sensitivity to slight temperature changes during the pandemic lockdown period analyzed. However, the GAM results indicate that O-3 increases were mainly caused by emission changes. The lockdown led to an increase in the median of the maximum daily 8-h average O-3 of between 56% and 90% in these cities.

LIGA ACADÊMICA DE HEMATOLOGIA DA UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PARANÁ: USO DE REDES SOCIAIS

Introdução: A Liga de Hematologia da Universidade Federal do Paraná (LaHem UFPR) surgiu no início de 2018 e é composta por estudantes de Medicina com interesse em aprofundar os conhecimentos de hematologia. Com a pandemia do coronavírus e a suspensão das atividades presenciais, a LaHem passou por um processo de adaptação e reinvenção para manter suas atividades de extensão com a comunidade. Objetivos: Relatar os desafios experienciados pela pandemia e o uso de redes sociais para promoção de atividades com a comunidade por uma Liga Acadêmica de Hematologia. Métodos: A LaHem conta com a realização de um curso introdutório anual para ingresso na liga, por meio de uma prova abordando diversos temas da hematologia. Com a pandemia do coronavírus, já ocorreram dois processos seletivos, com adaptação da dinâmica das atividades a fim de manter os pilares ensino-pesquisa-extensão. Neste relato de experiência, contamos as ações desempenhadas no meio digital dos alunos para a comunidade. Resultados: A LaHem UFPR teve suas atividades presenciais suspensas devido a pandemia de coronavírus. Foi necessária uma adaptação da interação com a comunidade para promoção do conhecimento hematológico ao público. A ideia de promover publicações em redes sociais semanalmente com conteúdos relacionados à hematologia surgiu com o intuito de trazer de maneira lúdica o acesso à especialidade. Os assuntos abordados nas palestras virtuais da liga for3am resumidos pelos ligantes em forma de posts, reels e quiz abordando desde hematologia maligna, como leucemias, linfomas, mieloma, até hematologia benigna, como hemofilias e púrpuras, bem como, conceitos base de hemograma, hematopoese e cascata da coagulação. Por meio de perguntas e respostas, fazíamos dinâmicas com o público e, posteriormente, publicações explicativas traziam pontos-chave sobre cada assunto. O engajamento recebido foi gradativamente aumentando e atingiu níveis de participação 80% superiores ao início do processo. A diretoria da liga também promoveu o Simpósio Fevereiro Laranja em referência ao mês da leucemia, com participação aberta ao público nacional e conscientização da população acerca do tema de Leucemias. Discussão: No contexto atual de pandemia, as redes sociais ganharam força no sentido de divulgar conhecimento e aproximar as pessoas ao redor do mundo. As interações no meio digital ultrapassam os limites de distância e tempo, permitindo que muitas pessoas de outras cidades, estados e países participem de atividades que, presencialmente, talvez não pudessem participar. Com isso desfrutamos do ganho cultural e intelectual que a pandemia nos proporcionou para informar o público médico e não-médico de maneira descontraída a respeito da hematologia, especialidade tão diversa e ainda pouco compreendida pelo público geral. Conclusão: O uso de plataformas digitais promoveu uma fusão da comunidade acadêmica e não acadêmica com os ligantes e possibilitou um canal de transmissão de conhecimento sobre hematologia. Apesar de não ser possível uma integração presencial com o público, as redes sociais criaram um ambiente de interdisciplinaridade importante e o resultado para a LaHem UFPR foi satisfatório.

Who worked from home in Brazil? Inequalities highlighted by the pandemic

There is some consensus that the pandemic can widen pre-existing inequalities in the labor market and that an essential issue concerns the unequal possibilities of working remotely. This study analyzes inequalities in remote work in Brazil through descriptive analyzes and Probit regressions using PNAD COVID-19 microdata. We have found that workers with the least possibilities for remote work were the poorest, males, rural residents, non-whites, youngest, without college education, self-employed or wage workers from the private sector and agriculture workers. An important part of that stems from differences in selection into occupations;however, some variables maintained important independent effects, especially the college education and the labor income. The pandemic, regarding the possibility of remote work, had the effect of widening the existing inequalities, favoring the wealthier, more educated, and more formalized workers and imposing on the others the need to choose between employment and income versus risk of contagion. © 2022, Lundiana. All rights reserved.

The lack of legislative preventive control of conventionality of the Provisional Measure 936/2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has had numerous social, political, economic and legal consequences around the world. Among the measures recommended by health authorities is social distancing, a recommendation that significantly affected Brazilian society and economy, with a high rate of informality. The President of the Republic of Brazil, after a period of inertia marked by denial of the seriousness of the disease, issued Provisional Measure 936/2020 containing changes in the scope of Labor Law in order to protect the economy and also the jobs of Brazilians. However, even in the case of an atypical pandemic context that requires exceptional actions, the legal measures adopted must be compatible with the Federal Constitution and with international conventions, especially those ratified by the Brazilian State within the scope of the International Labor Organization. Therefore, all public authorities involved in the elaboration of the necessary measures to face the consequences of the pandemic must carry out the constitutionality and conventionality controls. Thus, the present work discussed the conventionality control through a bibliographical review and through the analysis of the opinion of the Mixed Commission of the National Congress on the Provisional Measure 936/2020. It was verified that such control did not exist in relation to Provisional Measure 936/2020, despite its incompatibility with International Labor Organization conventions ratified by the Brazilian State, a fact capable of giving rise to the international responsibility of Brazil. © 2021 Centro Universitario de Brasilia. All rights reserved.