Digital financing for SMEs' recovery in the post-COVID era: A bibliometric review

The restrictions that have been implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the growing importance of digital financing. While traditional banking services have been limited by social distancing, reduced work hours, and lockdowns, digital financial services can deal effectively with those restriction measures while facilitating governments to channel relief and stimulus funds to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). This paper analyzes, by using the bibliometric review approach along with the VOSviewer, a data visualization software, 629 Scopus journal articles relevant to the key components of digital financing for SMEs under the pandemic. Based on the review, it identifies the most crucial policy areas for digital financing. The paper presents policy implications on how digital financial services can support MSMEs in dealing with COVID's challenges. JEL classification codes: G21, G23, G28, G32. Copyright © 2022 Pellegrino and Abe.

When the going gets tough, the tough get larger: how pandemic affected fetal size

We aimed to evaluate whether COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on pregnancies not only in terms of already established maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity, but also regarding other often overlooked aspects inherent to deliveries, such as maternal diabetes and birthweight. Conclusions Babies born in 2021 in our clinic were significantly larger for their gestational age than those born before the onset of pandemic and maternal diabetes does not seem to have played a role in it. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES IN ITALY DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: GENDER DIFFERENCES

Objective: Italy responded to the Covid-19 pandemic early by forcing the entire population into a 2-month domestic confinement. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences in the impact of lockdown on physical activity and lifestyle habits. Design and method: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in April 2020 on a general population sample residing in Italy. Participants completed validated questionnaires. Gender differences were assessed using a multivariable adjusted logistic regression model using gender as independent and exposures as dependent variables. Metabolic equivalents-hour/week was used to evaluate physical activity. Results: A total of 2218 participants (761 men and 1457 women) agreed to participate in the study and completed the questionnaire. The survey found that women compared to men showed 1) a lower level of physical activity before the institution of lockdown, 2) a lower tendency to reduce physical activity levels during the lockdown, when gender differences in compliance with guideline recommendations for physical activity disappeared, 3) and a worsening of sleep and tool passage;men experienced an increase in alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Women, who previously had a lower level of physical activity than men, showed a lower tendency to reduce it during lockdown, revealing greater resilience than men. However, the worsening in sleep, in stool passage, and a trend to weight increase revealed signs of psychological suffering after a protracted lockdown period.

Management of atypical Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome in gravida with SARS-COVID-2 infection

Background. Coronavirus disease is a highly contagious infection that can be deadly and is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS-CoV-2.The current literature indicates that pregnancy may worsen the course of COVID-19 infection compared to non pregnant women at the same age. Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a complement-mediated disorder, characterized by microangiopathic hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure. Case presentation. A case of a gravida at 20 weeks of gestation with worsening clinical conditions due to aHUS, and SARS-COV-2 infection was managed. Continuous renal replacement therapies with transfusion of plasma was started. Diagnosis comprised atypical HELLP presentation with progressive reduction of PLT levels versus other thrombotic microangiopathy. Conclusions. The lack of anti-ADAMTS 13 antibodies allowed to make the diagnosis of Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome (HUS). The patient started therapy with Eculizumab 900 mg that was administered one time every 7 days. The patient resumed spontaneous urination after one day of therapy. Renal failure persisted after 5 days with creatinine levels at 7.9 mg/dL and azotemia at 126 mg/dL. It is challenging to predict the impact of immune-mediated therapies on pregnant women. Furthermore, additional data about the immunomodulatory changes in COVID-19 patients during pregnancy may reveal pathophysiological events behind this deadly disease.

Delivering Unemployment Assistance in Times of Crisis: Scalable Cloud Solutions Can Keep Essential Government Programs Running and Supporting Those in Need

The COVID-19 public health emergency caused widespread economic shutdown and unemployment. The resulting surge in Unemployment Insurance claims threatened to overwhelm the legacy systems state workforce agencies rely on to collect, process, and pay claims. In Rhode Island, we developed a scalable cloud solution to collect Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims as part of a new program created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to extend unemployment benefits to independent contractors and gig-economy workers not covered by traditional Unemployment Insurance. Our new system was developed, tested, and deployed within 10 days following the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, making Rhode Island the first state in the nation to collect, validate, and pay Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims. A cloud-enhanced interactive voice response system was deployed a week later to handle the corresponding surge in weekly certifications for continuing unemployment benefits. Cloud solutions can augment legacy systems by offloading processes that are more efficiently handled in modern scalable systems, reserving the limited resources of legacy systems for what they were originally designed. This agile use of combined technologies allowed Rhode Island to deliver timely Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits with an estimated cost savings of $502,000 (representing a 411% return on investment). © 2020 Owner/Author.

Clinical findings and disease severity in hospitalized pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical evolution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hospitalized pregnant women and potential factors associated with severe maternal outcomes. METHODS: We designed a prospective multicenter cohort study of pregnant women with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection who were admitted to 12 Italian maternity hospitals between February 23 and March 28, 2020. Clinical records, laboratory and radiologic examinations, and pregnancy outcomes were collected. A subgroup of patients with severe disease was identified based on intensive care unit (ICU) admission, delivery for respiratory compromise, or both. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients were included, 14 of whom had severe disease (18%). Two thirds of the patients in the cohort were admitted during the third trimester, and 84% were symptomatic on admission. Eleven patients underwent urgent delivery for respiratory compromise (16%), and six were admitted to the ICU (8%). One woman received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation;no deaths occurred. Preterm delivery occurred in 12% of patients, and nine newborns were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Patients in the severe subgroup had significantly higher pregestational body mass indexes (BMIs) and heart and respiratory rates and a greater frequency of fever or dyspnea on admission compared with women with a nonsevere disease evolution. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, one in five women hospitalized with COVID-19 infection delivered urgently for respiratory compromise or were admitted to the ICU. None, however, died. Increased pregestational BMI and abnormal heart and respiratory rates on admission were associated with severe disease.