Epidemiological characteristics of eleven common respiratory viral infections in children (preprint)

Background Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are one of the leading causes of hospital admissions among children. In this study, we aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics of viral pathogens associated with LRTIs in hospitalized children in Yan'an; this has yet to be reported in the literature and may guide public health interventions and resource allocation in this region. Methods Between June 2021 and May 2023, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the results of viral detection using oral pharyngeal swabs from 4565 children with LRTIs in the Inpatient Department of Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital. Eleven respiratory viruses, including influenza A virus (Flu A), influenza A H1N1 virus (H1N1), seasonal influenza A H3N2 virus (H3N2), influenza B virus (Flu B), parainfluenza virus (HPIV), adenovirus (HADV), bocavirus (HBoV), rhinovirus (HRV), metapneumovirus (HNPV), coronavirus (HCoV), and respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), were confirmed by applying a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit for respiratory viruses. We evaluated the epidemiological features of infections caused by respiratory pathogens, including aging and the seasonal variations of different pathogens, and explored the high-risk factors associated with virus-caused pneumonia. Results At least one virus was detected in all 4565 cases; the positivity rate was 27.95%. We also detected a total of 1,276 cases with mixed infections (with two or more viruses). Of the positive cases, 59.3% were male and 40.7% were female (x2 = 0.41, P = 0.68). The highest positivity rates for respiratory pathogens were observed for HRSV, HRV, and HADV, at 5.98%, 5.67%, and 4.38%, respectively. We also observed variations in the number and positivity rates of respiratory pathogen infections by season and age. HPIV (x2 = 12.05，P < 0.05) and HADV (x2 = 11.73，P < 0.05) were more common in children under 3 years-of-age. Conclusions In conclusion, our analysis revealed that respiratory pathogen infections varied by gender, season, and age in the enrolled population of children.

A systematic review on seafarer health: Conditions, antecedents and interventions

Seafarer health is critical for sustainable shipping management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the unfavourable working environment has posed physical and psychological problems to seafarers. Consequently, seafarer health has been receiving increasing attention from academics, the shipping industry and international organizations. The objective of this review is to identify key characteristics of the articles on seafarer health published in the past two decades, and summarize key investigated health problems, antecedents and health promotion interventions. The review suggests that cardiovascular diseases, transmittable diseases, fatigue and stress have been the most widely studied health issues. Moreover, seafarer health conditions can be influenced by the (1) natural environment;(2) physical working environment;(3) social environment;(4) personal characteristics;(5) management style;(6) industry-specific characteristics;(7) health crisis. Furthermore, medical care provided by telehealth, effective regulatory and education interventions can improve seafarer health. This review contributes to the existing literature by consolidating the scattered research on seafarer health. Combining the literature review results and recommendations from international organizations on public health and maritime transport, this study proposes several future research directions. • Consolidate scattered seafarer health research. • Summarize key characteristics of seafarer health research. • Identify six categories of seafarer health causes. • Provide future research recommendations. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Transport Policy is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science 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.)

A critical systematic review on seafarer health: Conditions, antecedents and interventions

Seafarer health is critical for sustainable shipping management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the unfavourable working environment has raised both physical and psychological problems to seafarers. Consequently, seafarer health has been receiving increasing attention from academics, the shipping industry and international organizations. The objective of this review is to identify key characteristics of the articles on seafarer health published in the last two decades, summarize key investigated health problems, antecedents and health promotion interventions. This review suggests that cardiovascular diseases, transmittable diseases, fatigue and stress have been the most widely studied health issues. Moreover, seafarer health conditions can be influenced by the (1) natural environment;(2) physical working environment;(3) social environment;(4) personal characteristics;(5) management style;(6) industry-specific characteristics;(7) health crisis. Furthermore, medical care provided by telehealth, effective regulatory and education interventions can contribute to improving seafarer health. This review contributes to the existing literature by consolidating the scattered research on seafarer health. Combining the literature review results and recommendations from international organizations on public health and maritime transport, this study proposes several future research recommendations for academic researchers and policymakers in public health and maritime transport.

Clinical and Virological Features of the First Occurrence of COVID-19 Delta Variant in Anhui Province, China (preprint)

Objectives Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it has caused serious casualties worldwide. In recent months, the virus has mutated into an increasingly infectious form (Delta variant) and spread rapidly.Methods In the current study, we analyzed the clinical, epidemiological and viral genetic characteristics of the first four imported Delta cases in Anhui Province, China.Results The four imported Delta cases developed chest inflammation, tissue damage and recovered after admission, the serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and CRP levels showed a first increasing and then decreasing trend. The changes of hs-CRP /CRP and serum neutralizing antibodies (Nab) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) levels were associated with the regression of chest lesions. The combination of genetic sequencing and epidemiological analysis suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant infection of these four patients may originate from Russia.Conclusions Our study found the certain correlations of serum hs-CRP/CRP and Nab levels with the occurrence, development and outcome of COVID-19 delta variant, suggesting that monitoring hs-CRP/CRP and Nab levels of COVID-19 delta variant patients at hospital admission may be useful for understanding the severity of patients’ current conditions.

Wax-Oil Lubricants to Reduce the Shear Between Skin and PPE (preprint)

Prolonged use of tight-fitting PPE, e.g., by COVID-19 healthcare workers leads to skin injuries. An important contributor is the shear exerted on the skin due to static friction at the skin-PPE interface. This study aims to develop an optimised wax-oil lubricant that reduces the friction, or shear, in the skin-PPE contact for up to four hours. Lubricants with different wax-oil combinations were prepared using beeswax, paraffin wax, olive oil, and mineral oil. In-vivo friction measurements involving seven participants were conducted by sliding a polydimethylsiloxane ball against the volar forearms to simulate the skin-PPE interface. The maximum static coefficient of friction was measured immediately and four hours after lubricant application. It was found that the coefficient of friction of wax-oil lubricants is mainly governed by the ratio of wax to oil and the thermal stability and morphology of the wax. To maintain long-term lubricity, it is crucial to consider the absorption of oil into the PPE material. The best performing lubricant is a mixture of 20 wt% beeswax, 40 wt% olive oil, and 40 wt% mineral oil, which compared to unlubricated skin, provides 87% (P = 0.0006) and 59% (P = 0.0015) reduction in instantaneous and 4-hour coefficient of friction, respectively.

Cloud-to-end Rendering and Storage Management for Virtual Reality in Experimental Education

Background Real-time 3D rendering and interaction is important for virtual reality (VR) experimental education. Unfortunately, standard end-computing methods prohibitively escalate computational costs. Thus, reducing or distributing these requirements needs urgent attention, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic Methods In this study, we design a cloud-to-end rendering and storage system for VR experimental education comprising two models: background and interactive. The cloud server renders items in the background and sends the results to an end terminal in a video stream. Interactive models are then lightweight-rendered and blended at the end terminal. An improved 3D warping and hole-filling algorithm is also proposed to improve image quality when the user’s viewpoint changes. Results We build three scenes to test image quality and network latency. The results show that our system can render 3D experimental education scenes with higher image quality and lower latency than any other cloud rendering systems. Conclusions Our study is the first to use cloud and lightweight rendering for VR experimental education. The results demonstrate that our system provides good rendering experience without exceeding computation costs.

Potential biochemical markers to identify severe cases among COVID-19 patients (preprint)

There is a high mortality and long hospitalization period for severe cases with 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia. Therefore, it makes sense to search for a potential biomarker that could rapidly and effectively identify severe cases early. Clinical samples from 28 cases of COVID-19 (8 severe cases, 20 mild cases) in Zunyi District from January 29, 2020 to February 21, 2020 were collected and otherwise statistically analysed for biochemical markers. Serum urea, creatinine (CREA) and cystatin C (CysC) concentrations in severe COVID-19 patients were significantly higher than those in mild COVID-19 patients (P<0.001), and there were also significant differences in serum direct bilirubin (DBIL), cholinesterase (CHE) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentrations between severe and mild COVID-19 patients (P<0.05). Serum urea, CREA, CysC, DBIL, CHE and LDH could be used to distinguish severe COVID-19 cases from mild COVID-19 cases. In particular, serum biomarkers, including urea, CREA, CysC, which reflect glomerular filtration function, may have some significance as potential indicators for the early diagnosis of severe COVID-19 and to distinguish it from mild COVID-19. Glomerular filtration function injury in severe COVID-19 patients should also be considered by clinicians.