ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although interest in qualitative olfactory dysfunction (OD), including parosmia and phantosmia, has been increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about the clinical characteristics and associated factors of qualitative OD. METHODS: Adult patients with subjective smell disturbance who underwent both the olfactory questionnaire and psychophysical olfactory function test were retrospectively enrolled. Demographic and clinical characteristics were analysed according to the presence or absence of parosmia or phantosmia. RESULTS: Among a total of 753 patients with self-reported OD, 60 (8%) and 167 (22.2%) patients reported parosmia and phantosmia, respectively. Younger age and female sex were related to both parosmia and phantosmia. The frequency of parosmia was significantly higher in patients with post-viral OD (17.9%) than in patients with the sinonasal disease (5.5%), whereas that of phantosmia was not different according to aetiologies of OD. Patients with COVID-19 had significantly younger ages and higher TDI scores than those with other viral infections. Remarkably, patients with parosmia or phantosmia had significantly higher TDI scores than those without but experienced more disruption in daily life. In the multivariate analysis, younger age and higher TDI score were identified as independent factors associated with both parosmia and phantosmia, while the viral infection was associated with parosmia but not with phantosmia. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with OD who have parosmia or phantosmia have higher odour sensitivity than those who do not, but experience more deterioration in the quality of life. Viral infection is a risk factor for parosmia but not for phantosmia.
ABSTRACT
Objective: There is a growing interest in subacute thyroiditis (SAT), as this self-limited inflammatory thyroid disorder can be one of the manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection or side effects of COVID-19 vaccination. However, studies comparing the clinical characteristics of the SAT patients before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic have been scarce. Here, we tried to evaluate the clinical difference of the SAT patients before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): A retrospective study was conducted with SAT patients (n = 51) who visited our outpatient clinic between 2011 and 2021. All the patients were diagnosed as SAT with the modified criteria proposed by Stasiak et al., and all of them had at least two times of thyroid ultrasonographies (initial visit and after resolution). The patients were divided into two groups based on the date of the first reported COVID-19 infection (31 patients before and 20 patients after the first reported infection in South Korea, 8th, January 2020), and comparison study was performed. Result(s): Clinical characteristics such as sex and age were similar between the SAT patients before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Laboratory tests including thyroid function tests, thyroid autoantibodies, complete blood count, inflammatory markers (ESR, CRP) also showed no significant difference. Moreover, the proportion of patients who had bilateral involvement on thyroid ultrasonography, who showed hypothyroid phase during their clinical course and who had persistent hypothyroidism requiring levothyroxine replacement were comparable between the two SAT groups. In addition, the proportion of SAT patients who took prednisolone, their cumulative doses and treatment periods were similar between the groups divided based on the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Thyroid volumes at initial visit and after resolution also showed no significant difference between the two subgroups. Conclusion(s): This study shows that the clinical characteristics of SAT patients have not been notably changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies comparing the SAT patients before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and SAT patients associated with COVID-19 infection are needed to clarify the association between SARSCoV-2 and SAT in more detail.
ABSTRACT
In order to help adolescents cope with loneliness during the social distancing and isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we designed a conversational agent programmed to distract users from negative thoughts and advise them on strategies to improve their wellbeing. In order to assess the effects of the agent intervention on adolescent participants, we performed quantitative analysis of their self-reported mood states and qualitative analysis of their subjective views and opinions on the agent to help us understand their experiences. Trends in the quantitative data point to minimal changes in participants' wellbeing and loneliness after interactions with the experimental agent. However, qualitative data on adolescent experiences suggests short and long-term positive effects of the experimental interactions. In reporting our findings, we aim to bring attention to the importance of the qualitative data for understanding human experiences with technology, as well as the limitations of the instruments developed in the field of psychology for human-information interaction research. 85th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology ;Oct. 29 – Nov. 1, 2022 ;Pittsburgh, PA. Author(s) retain copyright, but ASIS&T receives an exclusive publication license.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 measures of isolation exacerbated the negative feeling, particularly in younger and older populations. We tested a voice conversational agent designed to support teens by offering interactions based on five types of behavioral interventions (compassion, self-compassion, positive psychology, mindfulness, and humor), and examined teen reactions to these interventions. Thirty-nine adolescents were asked to assess one randomized interaction a day for fifteen days. All five intervention types received positive ratings, with self-compassion scoring the highest and compassion scoring the lowest by the participants. Participants shared more positive than negative feedback about the interaction scenarios, the perceived agent’s personality and conversational flow. Positive feedback emphasized enjoyment and benefits of the interaction, empathetic traits in the agent’s responses, a sense of validation, and moments for self-reflection fostered by the interactions. Participants enjoyed the conversation flow that felt similar to a natural conversation. Negative comments generally revolved around perception of the impersonal agent, inappropriate pace of conversation (too slow/fast) or number of conversational turns, and dislike of some interaction topics. Recommendations based on this exploratory work are included. 85th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology ;Oct. 29 – Nov. 1, 2022 ;Pittsburgh, PA. Author(s) retain copyright, but ASIS&T receives an exclusive publication license.
ABSTRACT
In this article, we adopted the Full Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) Markov-switching model of Yoon to examine the contribution of the UK housing business cycle to the common G7 housing business cycle between housing price and GDP seeking to access the impact of Brexit on G7 properties. Taking a sample of G7 countries we investigated a period of over 50 years, using quarterly data from 1970:II to 2020:IV. Our findings demonstrate that UK GDP is a significant variable contributing to the G7 GDP growth, and furthermore that the UK housing price is a significant variable to the G7 housing prices. Considering common international housing business cycle, we found that the UK is not a significant variable for determining the common international housing business cycle between housing price and the real growth of output in the G7 countries. Finally, applying a FIML Markov-switching model to the G7 countries, we found a common international housing business cycle during the oil shock periods of the 1970s, the financial crisis in 2008, and COVID-19 pandemic. These findings are the first empirical evidence of the comparison of COVID-19 pandemic and other crises in terms of common international housing business cycle, thus providing significant input for policymakers.
ABSTRACT
Purpose - This study aimed to understand adolescents experiences, negative feelings and coping mechanisms associated with the major disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to develop a baseline for understanding adolescents and their environment to assist future developments of technological and other solutions to mitigate adolescents' loneliness, improve their wellbeing and strengthen their resilience. Design/methodology/approach - The data about adolescents' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic was collected through virtual interviews conducted via Zoom. A total of 39 adolescents (aged 12 through 18 years) primarily from the North East of the USA participated in the study. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings -This study found evidence of negative disruptions to adolescents' social, learning and emotional routines. This study also found that in dealing with the effects of COVID-19 disruption, most of the participants exhibited five key attributes of individual resilience, including social competence, problem-solving, critical consciousness, autonomy and a sense of purpose. External factors supporting resilience were also mentioned, including technology resources, family, school and broader community. Originality/value - This study relied on fast-hand adolescents' reports of their experiences, feelings and coping strategies during the pandemic. This study applied a resilience framework to interpret the findings and translate them into recommendations for further development of support systems for adolescents.
ABSTRACT
Background: From May to July 2015, the Republic of Korea experienced the largest outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outside the Arabian Peninsula. A total of 186 patients, including 36 deaths, had been diagnosed with MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection as of September 30th, 2015. Materials and Methods: We obtained information of patients who were confirmed to have MERS-CoV infection. MERS-CoV infection was diagnosed using real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay. Results: The median age of the patients was 55 years (range, 16 to 86). A total of 55.4% of the patients had one or more coexisting medical conditions. The most common symptom was fever (95.2%). At admission, leukopenia (42.6%), thrombocytopenia (46.6%), and elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (42.7%) were observed. Pneumonia was detected in 68.3% of patients at admission and developed in 80.8% during the disease course. Antiviral agents were used for 74.7% of patients. Mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and convalescent serum were employed for 24.5%, 7.1%, and 3.8% of patients, respectively. Older age, presence of coexisting medical conditions including diabetes or chronic lung disease, presence of dyspnea, hypotension, and leukocytosis at admission, and the use of mechanical ventilation were revealed to be independent predictors of death. Conclusion: The clinical features of MERS-CoV infection in the Republic of Korea were similar to those of previous outbreaks in the Middle East. However, the overall mortality rate (20.4%) was lower than that in previous reports. Enhanced surveillance and active management of patients during the outbreak may have resulted in improved outcomes. FAU - Choi, Won Suk