A closer look at the utilized radiation doses during computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: CTPA stands for computed tomography pulmonary angiography. CTPA is an X-ray imaging that combines X-rays and computer technology to create detailed images of the pulmonary arteries and veins in the lungs. This test diagnoses and monitors conditions like pulmonary embolism, arterial blockages, and hypertension. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has threatened world health over the last three years. The number of (CT) scans increased and played a vital role in diagnosing COVID-19 patients, including life-threatening pulmonary embolism (PE). This study aimed to assess the radiation dose resulted from CTPA for COVID-19 patients. Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from CTPA examinations on a single scanner in 84 symptomatic patients. The data collected included the dose length product (DLP), volumetric computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol), and size-specific dose estimate (SSDE). The organ dose and effective dose were estimated using VirtualDose software. Results: The study population included 84 patients, 52% male and 48% female, with an average age of 62. The average DLP, CTDIvol, and SSDE were 404.2 mGy cm, 13.5 mGy, and 11.6 mGy\, respectively. The mean effective doses (mSv) for males and females were 3.01 and 3.29, respectively. The maximum to minimum organ doses (mGy) between patients was 0.8 for the male bladder and 7.33 for the female lung. Conclusions: The increase in CT scans during the COVID-19 pandemic required close dose monitoring and optimization. The protocol used during CTPA should guarantee a minimum radiation dose with maximum patient benefits.

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE INVESTING, COVID-19, AND CORPORATE PERFORMANCE IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES

We examine the impact of Environment, Social, and Governance–ESG investing on corporate performance of non-financial firms in Muslim countries during the pandemic. Employing the random effect panel model with 1,546 firm-year observations, we find that the ESG combined score and its pillars have significant influence on corporate performance during the COVID-19 period. Namely, the performance of firms with higher ESG is relatively less affected as compared to the performance of firms with lower ESG. We also note that firms in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates with high ESG have better operational (financial) performance. Finally, from the sectorial perspective, health care and energy (consumer staples) firms with higher ESG have higher operational (financial) performance during the pandemic. © 2023 University of Ljubljana - Veterinary Faculty. All rights reserved.

Microfluidic-based technologies for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of COVID-19: recent advances and future directions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to existing healthcare systems around the world. The urgent need for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 has boomed the demand for new technologies that can improve current healthcare approaches, moving towards more advanced, digitalized, personalized, and patient-oriented systems. Microfluidic-based technologies involve the miniaturization of large-scale devices and laboratory-based procedures, enabling complex chemical and biological operations that are conventionally performed at the macro-scale to be carried out on the microscale or less. The advantages microfluidic systems offer such as rapid, low-cost, accurate, and on-site solutions make these tools extremely useful and effective in the fight against COVID-19. In particular, microfluidic-assisted systems are of great interest in different COVID-19-related domains, varying from direct and indirect detection of COVID-19 infections to drug and vaccine discovery and their targeted delivery. Here, we review recent advances in the use of microfluidic platforms to diagnose, treat or prevent COVID-19. We start by summarizing recent microfluidic-based diagnostic solutions applicable to COVID-19. We then highlight the key roles microfluidics play in developing COVID-19 vaccines and testing how vaccine candidates perform, with a focus on RNA-delivery technologies and nano-carriers. Next, microfluidic-based efforts devoted to assessing the efficacy of potential COVID-19 drugs, either repurposed or new, and their targeted delivery to infected sites are summarized. We conclude by providing future perspectives and research directions that are critical to effectively prevent or respond to future pandemics.

HOW DO CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY AND PANDEMIC AFFECT CASH HOLDINGS IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES?

We investigate how corporate sustainability (Environmental, Social, and Governance-ESG) influences cash holdings of non-financial firms in Muslim countries from 2003 to 2021. Using panel models, we find that firms with lower ESG hold more cash over the entire period, which aligns with the agency and precautionary motives of cash holdings. We also note that the negative relation between ESG and cash holding is not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking at individual countries in the sample, we note a positive relation between ESG and cash balances for Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, similar to the full sample, their relation is negative for firms from Malaysia and Turkiye. Finally, the ESG and cash policies of firms in different industries tend to vary. Overall, firms in Muslim countries use cash holdings as a substitute for corporate sustainability without any changes in the COVID era. © 2022 Universidade Federal de Goias. All rights reserved.

Investigation of Reasons for the Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy of Citizens over the Age of 18

Due to the circulation of false information about Covid-19 in our country, Covid-19 vaccination studies are approached with suspicion and the numerical majority of citizens who are hesitant about vaccination draw attention. The aim of this study is to determine the vaccine hesitancy of citizens over the age of 18 and to investigate the Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy in terms of various variables. The population of this descriptive quantitative study consisted of 385 participants, and the sample of citizens over the age of 18 living in Konya. Research data were collected through online platforms. The obtained data was analyzed with SPSS 20.0 statistical program. As a result, individuals who are against the Covid-19 vaccine do not see the coronavirus as a deadly disease;they are against Covid-19 vaccines mostly due to the side effects of vaccines, foreign production of vaccines, insufficient experimental studies, disbelief in protection, storage conditions, vaccine phobia, being against religious belief;It has been seen that most of the participants have partial knowledge about Covid-19 vaccines, and effective sources of information are social media, TV channels, academic publications, health authorities.

Infection control and radiation safety practices in the radiology department during the COVID-19 outbreak.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Radiology personnel must have good knowledge, experience and adherence to radiation protection and infection control practices to ensure patient safety and prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 virus. This study analysed compliance and adherence to radiation protection and infection control during COVID-19 mobile radiography. METHODS: A cross-sectional using online survey was conducted from September to December 2021. Data on demographic characteristics, adherence to radiation protection and infection control practice were collected during mobile radiography for COVID-19 patients in the study. A random sample of the radiographers working in COVID-19 centres in the United Arab Emirates. RESULTS: Responses were received from 140 participants, with a response rate of 87.5%. Females were the predominant participants (n = 81; 58%). Participants aged ages between 18-25 years (n = 46; 33%) and 26-35 years (n = 42; 30%), (n = 57; 41%) had less than five years of experience, followed by participants who had more than 15 years (n = 38; 27%). Most participants (n = 81; 57.9%) stated that they performed approximately 1-5 suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases daily. The participants had moderate to high adherence to radiation protection, with a mean and standard deviation of 42.3 ± 6.28. Additionally, infection control adherence was high, with 82% of the participants showing high adherence. CONCLUSION: Continuous guidance, training and follow-up are recommended to increase adherence and compliance to radiation protection and infection control compliance. Educational institutions and professional organisations must collaborate to provide structured training programmes for radiology practitioners to overcome the practice and knowledge gap.

Electromechanical RT-LAMP device for portable SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Rapid point-of-care tests for infectious diseases are essential, especially in pandemic conditions. We have developed a point-of-care electromechanical device to detect SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA using the reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) principle. The developed device can detect SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA down to 103 copies/mL and from a low amount of sample volumes (2 µL) in less than an hour of standalone operation without the need for professional labor and equipment. Integrated Peltier elements in the device keep the sample at a constant temperature, and an integrated camera allows automated monitoring of LAMP reaction in a stirring sample by using colorimetric analysis of unfocused sample images in the hue/saturation/value color space. This palm-fitting, portable and low-cost device does not require a fully focused sample image for analysis, and the operation could be stopped automatically through image analysis when the positive test results are obtained. Hence, viral infections can be detected with the portable device produced without the need for long, expensive, and labor-intensive tests and equipment, which can make the viral tests disseminated at the point-of-care.

Compliance with infection control and radiation protection measures during COVID-19 in the UAE's radiology department

Introduction To guarantee patient safety and prevent the future transmission of the COVID-19 virus, radiology staff members must have solid knowledge, expertise and commitment to radiation protection and infection control practices. Compliance and adherence to infection control and radiation protection during COVID-19 radiography were examined in this study. Methods Online cross-sectional research was conducted using an electronic survey. The survey collected participants’ demographics, radiation protection compliance, and infection control practices during COVID-19 patients' radiography procedures. Results The participants adhered to patient protection and self-protection by 89.2% and 90.2%, respectively. The total adherence to radiation protection practices score was 80.2%. Older participants with more experience had significantly higher adherence scores (P = 0.0001). However, there was no discernible difference in adherence scores between the participants’ educational backgrounds. The individuals’ mean and standard deviation for infection control were 87.5% ± 16.28, respectively. Additionally, a large percentage of participants (95%) demonstrated good adherence to infection-control measures. Conclusion To promote adherence to and compliance with radiation safety and infection control, ongoing guidance, training, and follow-up is advised. To close the practice and knowledge gap, educational institutions and professional organisations must work together to offer structured training programmes for radiology practitioners.

The impact of COVID-19 on construction labor productivity: the case of Turkey

Purpose The aim of this study is to measure the impact of the factors affecting construction labor productivity by focusing on different types of construction works during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, as well as discuss solutions and immediate actions. Design/methodology/approach This research was conducted in two steps. First, a quantitative survey was carried out to determine the dimension of factors negatively affecting construction labor productivity and the loss rate of different construction works from the employee perspective. The factors were identified through a literature review. The crucial relationships were highlighted as a result of a statistical analysis. Second, a survey was performed to determine the loss rate through a comparison of man-hour values before and after the beginning of the pandemic from the employer perspective. After an analysis and comparison of the results, semi-structured interviews were performed to discuss all findings and discover ways to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on construction labor productivity. Findings The results of the study clearly show that construction labor productivity was deeply affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Legal obligations, such as social distancing, wearing masks, and limitations on the number of workers, have been major drivers for lower labor productivity. Such obligations have a profound impact on interior construction works, especially based on teamwork. Concerning employer and labor-related factors, problems with getting payments on time, loss of income, and financial hardships are the leading factors resulting in decreased worker performance. Excavation, insulation, and plastering works were determined as the most affected construction works under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research limitations/implications The quantitative portion of this study is limited to a sample of respondents in the Turkish construction industry. Further research is necessary to provide an in-depth review into construction labor productivity in other countries with a larger respondent sample. Another limitation is sourced by the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may turn out that some findings are outdated. Despite these limitations, the insights from this study may enable employers to understand the major drivers and deep impacts of labor productivity loss by uncovering the main vulnerabilities during the pandemic. Recommended measures may also help policy-makers and stakeholders in the construction industry take necessary and immediate actions to ensure better construction labor productivity. Originality/value The study may contribute to a better understanding of a pandemic's impact on labor productivity by focusing on both employee and employer perspectives, especially in developing countries. The paper may help employers decide which priority measures are required for each construction work separately. The study is crucial not only for minimizing the negative effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on labor productivity but also for preparing for the post-pandemic era.

Telemedicine applications for pandemic diseases, with a focus on COVID-19

Dating back to the development of modern medicine, pandemic and epidemic diseases, such as bubonic plague, smallpox, the plague of Justinian, and the Antonine Plague, have caused massive damage to the human race. For instance, more than 200 million people are estimated to have died due to Black Death (bubonic plague) alone. This situation has not changed in near history either. Diseases such as influenza, HIV/AIDS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as today, have emerged and threatened the modern human life. The common feature of these diseases can be listed as having a high risk of infection and transmission, rapidly spreading to large areas, and having high mortality rates and causing permanent damage to the body because of the low immunity profile of the exposed population. If the number of cases increases rapidly for these diseases, the capacity of healthcare services can be exceeded and healthcare services can be threatened as well. These characteristics of pandemic diseases force the authorities to take extraordinary precautions such as isolation and quarantine to reduce the risk of infection. However, these applications can make it difficult to provide proper health services to patients. The development of information technologies provides patients an easy and remote access to healthcare services via telemedicine applications. Telemedicine is used for diagnosis and treatment of diseases by following the same practices used in clinics. It also provides care givers a real-time and remote monitoring of their patients, which can be beneficial in terms of reducing the risk of infections and maintaining healthcare services during a pandemic. Authorities can also use these telemedicine applications to track infected patients and get necessary precaution to minimize the infection risk. This chapter introduces the latest telemedicine applications for epidemic and pandemic diseases, especially for COVID-19. These potential applications could improve and transform the current practices for pandemic disease management. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Assessment of Risks in Building Inspection Services during and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic

The building industry has been deeply affected by the Covid-19 pandemic due to the cessation of many businesses and the changes in working methods. Building inspection is of great importance for ensuring safety and well-functioning steps in the building life cycle. This study aimed to determine the potential dangers threatening building inspection services during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Accordingly, a risk assessment method based on a three-stage survey conducted with mainly construction inspection experts working in the Turkish construction industry was applied. Within this scope, both quantitative and qualitative data were utilized. An analysis of all findings concluded that careless inspection due to the shortening of site visits, unreliable remote inspection ways, and the everlasting paper-based bureaucratic steps of the system are the most threatening risk factors for building inspection mechanisms. All these risks have potential consequences, such as loss of life, crucial defects in building services, and the spread of the pandemic. Indirect risks are mainly caused by financial difficulties. In order to avoid all potential risks, standards should be introduced and technology-based precise remote control mechanisms should be improved through online tools and applications. Moreover, public bodies should provide adequate financial support. This study suggested immediate actions to be taken by the relevant parties against the impacts of Covid-19 by highlighting potential cases and their risks with regard to building inspection services. The implementation of such actions may enable practitioners to conduct more reliable inspections during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. © 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Bitcoin-specific fear sentiment matters in the COVID-19 outbreak

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of fear sentiment with a novel data set on Bitcoin's (BTC) return, volatility and transaction volume. The authors divide the sample into two subperiods to capture the changing dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The authors retrieve the novel fear sentiment data from Thomson Reuters MarketPsych Indices (TRMI). The authors denote the subperiods as pre- and post-COVID-19 considering January 13, 2020, when the first COVID-19 confirmed case was reported outside China. The authors use bivariate vector autoregressive models given below with lag-length k, to investigate the dynamics between BTC variables and fear sentiment. Findings BTC market measures have dissimilar dynamics before and after the Coronavirus outbreak. The results reveal that due to the excessive uncertainty led by the outbreak, an increase in fear sentiment negatively affects the BTC returns more persistently and significantly. For the post-COVID-19 period, an increase in fear also results in more fluctuations in transaction volume while its initial and cumulative effects are both negative. Due to extreme uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, investors may trade more aggressively in the initial phases of the shock. Practical implications The authors are convinced that the results in this paper have more far-reaching implications for other markets regulated by the states. BTC provides a natural benchmark to understand how fear sentiment drives and impacts the markets isolated from any interventions. Hence, the results show that in the absence of regulatory frameworks, market dynamics are likely to be more volatile and the fear sentiment has more persistent impacts. The authors also highlight the importance of using micro, asset-specific sentiment measures to capture market dynamics better. Originality/value BTC is not associated with any regulatory authority and is not produced by the governments and central banks. COVID-19 as a natural experiment provides an opportunity to explore the pure effects of market sentiment on BTC considering its decentralized and unregulated features. The paper has two main contributions. First, the authors use BTC-specific fear sentiment novel data set of TRMI instead of more general market sentiments used in the existing studies. Next, this is the first study to examine the association between fear and BTC before and after COVID-19.

Assessing the impact of Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey with a novel economic uncertainty index

Purpose: This study aims to measure economic uncertainty in Turkey by a novel economic uncertainty index (EUI) employing principal component analysis (PCA). We assess the impact of Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey with our constructed uncertainty index. Design/methodology/approach: In order to obtain the EUI, this study employs a dimension reduction method of PCA using 14 macroeconomic indicators that spans from January 2011 to July 2020. The first principal component is picked as a proxy for the economic uncertainty in Turkey which explains 52% of total variation in entire sample. In the second part of our analysis, with our constructed EUI we conduct a structural vector autoregressions (SVAR) analysis simulating the Covid-19-induced uncertainty shock to the real economy. Findings: Our EUI sensitively detects important economic/political events in Turkey as well as Covid-19-induced uncertainty rising to extremely high levels during the outbreak. Our SVAR results imply a significant decline in economic activity and in the sub-indices as well. Namely, industrial production drops immediately by 8.2% and cumulative loss over 8 months will be 15% on average. The losses in the capital and intermediate goods are estimated to be 18 and 25% respectively. Forecast error variance decomposition results imply that uncertainty shocks preserve its explanatory power in the long run, and intermediate goods production is more vulnerable to uncertainty shocks than overall industrial production and capital goods production. Practical implications: The results indicate that monetary and fiscal policy should aim to decrease uncertainty during Covid-19. Moreover, since investment expenditures are affected severely during the outbreak, policymakers should impose investment subsidies. Originality/value: This is the first study constructing a novel EUI which sensitively captures the critical economic/political events in Turkey. Moreover, we assess the impact of Covid-19-driven uncertainty on Turkish Economy with a SVAR model. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Microfluidic-based virus detection methods for respiratory diseases.

With the recent SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, the importance of rapid and direct detection of respiratory disease viruses has been well recognized. The detection of these viruses with novel technologies is vital in timely prevention and treatment strategies for epidemics and pandemics. Respiratory viruses can be detected from saliva, swab samples, nasal fluid, and blood, and collected samples can be analyzed by various techniques. Conventional methods for virus detection are based on techniques relying on cell culture, antigen-antibody interactions, and nucleic acids. However, these methods require trained personnel as well as expensive equipment. Microfluidic technologies, on the other hand, are one of the most accurate and specific methods to directly detect respiratory tract viruses. During viral infections, the production of detectable amounts of relevant antibodies takes a few days to weeks, hampering the aim of prevention. Alternatively, nucleic acid-based methods can directly detect the virus-specific RNA or DNA region, even before the immune response. There are numerous methods to detect respiratory viruses, but direct detection techniques have higher specificity and sensitivity than other techniques. This review aims to summarize the methods and technologies developed for microfluidic-based direct detection of viruses that cause respiratory infection using different detection techniques. Microfluidics enables the use of minimal sample volumes and thereby leading to a time, cost, and labor effective operation. Microfluidic-based detection technologies provide affordable, portable, rapid, and sensitive analysis of intact virus or virus genetic material, which is very important in pandemic and epidemic events to control outbreaks with an effective diagnosis.

The radiology workforce's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East, North Africa and India.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the response of the radiology workforce to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on professional practice in India and eight other Middle Eastern and North African countries. It further investigated the levels of fear and anxiety among this workforce during the pandemic. METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey from 22 May-2 June 2020 among radiology workers employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey collected information related to the following themes: (1) demographic characteristics, (2) the impact of COVID-19 on radiology practice, and (3) fear and (4) anxiety emanating from the global pandemic. RESULTS: We received 903 responses. Fifty-eight percent had completed training on infection control required for handling COVID-19 patients. A large proportion (79.5%) of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed that personal protective equipment (PPE) was adequately available at work during the pandemic. The respondents reported experiences of work-related stress (42.9%), high COVID-19 fear score (83.3%) and anxiety (10%) during the study period. CONCLUSION: There was a perceived workload increase in general x-ray and Computed Tomography imaging procedures because they were the key modalities for the initial and follow-up investigations of COVID-19. However, there was adequate availability of PPE during the study period. Most radiology workers were afraid of being infected with the virus. Fear was predominant among workers younger than 30 years of age and also in temporary staff. Anxiety occurred completely independent of gender, age, experience, country, place of work, and work status. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: It is important to provide training and regular mental health support and evaluations for healthcare professionals, including radiology workers, during similar future pandemics.