ABSTRACT
Background and rationale: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is a respiratory tract infection because of a novel coronavirus. The clinical picture ranges from asymptomatic to severe manifestations mandating intensive care and respiratory support. We aimed to assess the serum level of iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation in COVID-19 patients and their relation to disease severity and outcome. Methodology: This observational cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 who were admitted to Kasr Al-Ainy hospitals between June and December 2020.Serum levels of iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation were measured for all study populations. Result: One hundred patients were involved in this research, 51males and 49 females, with a mean age of 51±14.9years. Regarding the disease severity,53% were moderate cases, 34% were mild, and 13% were severe cases. Fifty-two (54.2%) patients showed normal serum levels of iron, 38 patients (39.6%) showed high serum levels of iron, and 6 patients (6.3%) showed low serum levels of iron. The mean ±SD values of iron, TIBC, and transferrin saturation were 163.1±105 mcg/dL, 366 ± 162.6 mcg/dL, 44.4 ± 20.2 %, respectively. Iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) levels and transferrin saturation did not show a significant association as regards either COVID-19 severity or mortality. Mortality and deterioration were detected in 31.7% out of 60 patients with COVID-19. The results showed that obese patients showed a higher percentage of severe COVID-19,which was statistically significant (p=0.037).There was a statistically significant higher mortality rate in patients with severe COVID-19 (p=0.000).High mortality was observed significantly in patients with diabetes mellitus (p=0.041).Iron levels, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) levels and transferrin saturation did not show a significant association regarding either COVID-19 severity or mortality. Conclusion: In our study, COVID-19 severity was not related to iron metabolism but was affected by obesity and diabetes mellitus. COVID-19 mortality was significantly associated with diabetes. © 2020 The author (s). Published by Zagazig University.
ABSTRACT
Undoubtedly, due to the increasingly competitive pressures and the stride of varying demands, volatility and disturbance have become the standard in today's global markets. The spread of Covid-19 is a prime example of that. Supply chain managers are urged to rethink their competitive strategies to make use of Big Data Analytics (BDA), due to the increasing uncertainty in both demand and supply side, the competition among the supply chain partners and the need to identify ways to offer personalised products and services. With many supply chain executives recognising the need of 'improving with data', supply chain businesses need to equip themselves with sophisticated BDA methods/techniques to create valuable insights from big data, thus, enhancing the decision-making process and optimising the efficiency of Supply Chain Operations (SCO). This paper proposes the building blocks of a theoretical framework for understanding the impact of BDA on SCO. The framework is based on a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on BDA and SCO, underpinned by Task-Technology-Fit theory and Institutional Theory. The paper contributes to the literature by building a platform for future work on investigating factors driving and inhibiting BDA impact on SCO.
ABSTRACT
Background: Emergence of current pandemic caused by novel SARS-COV-2 has already caused over 963000 deaths. Case fatality rate (CFR) estimation helps understanding the disease severity and the lethality trend, high risk population and subsequently, optimization of quality healthcare facilities. Our observational study aimed to find out existing trends in treating the most vulnerable group with scarce medical resource allocation and to implement necessary support services to comply with the ensuing need for best possible outcomes in our ICU. Methodology: In this observational study, all COVID-19 diagnosed patients admitted in our ICU from July 4, 2020 to September 22, 2020, were enrolled. Data were obtained from the core ICU register of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh. Information accumulated on predesigned data sheets comprised of particulars of patients, co-morbidities, duration of ICU stay, mode of oxygenation, organ support and quick SOFA scores. Total deaths in ICU (in hospital or referred from outside of BSMMU) were recorded. Results: The results revealed that all patients were either very severe or critically sick with COVID-19 pneumonia at the time of ICU admission. Out of 174 patients, 46 (26.44%) were put on invasive ventilation and the rest received noninvasive ventilation in the form of NRM, high flow nasal cannula (HFNC), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP or BiPAP), CTEX CPAP and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) as appropriate. Male and female ratio was 74:26. Age of patients ranged between 19-95y. The median age of patients was 65 y (IQR: 57-70).Quick SOFA scores were more than 2 in 65.37% of patients. Regarding co-existing organ dysfunction 13.8% had 3 or more co-morbidities;while 74.1% had 2 and 9.8% had a single systemic illness along with COVID-19. Most common diseases encountered among 135 deceased were hypertension (64%), IHD (49%), diabetes mellitus (45%), bronchial asthma or COPD (32%), renal failure (either ARF or CRF) (20%). Overall CFR due to COVID-19 pneumonia associated with co-morbidities was 77.6%. Relatively higher CFR (82.6%) was evident harboring multi-organ dysfunction especially among COVID-19 patients aged 50y or more. Gender linked CFR were 81.4% and 66.7% in males and females respectively. Conclusion: High CFR demonstrates significant correlation with increasing age and co-morbidities and survival functions. Late presentation to the hospital and invasive mechanical ventilation also contributed to high CFR.
ABSTRACT
A well-reputed course prepared according to sound instructional design principles and successfully delivered multiple times in a traditional face-to-face classroom mode failed to stimulate students’ motivation to learn in an online delivery mode amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, a motivational framework developed according to the processes outlined in the ARCS model, implemented, and tested using a single-case study. A cohort of seventy-five undergraduate students aged between 24 to 29 years from different program majors enrolled in a six-week mandatory IT in Business course participated in this research. A blend of a traditional flipped classroom and gamified teaching methodologies were applied in alignment with the ARCS model’s four motivational factors: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction, associated process, and strategies. Before, during, and after treatment surveys based on the original Instructional Material Motivation Survey (IMMS) with 36 questions were conducted to determine the effectiveness of blended teaching methodologies on students’ motivation. As a result, the teaching resources of the selected course were systematically aligned as required. We found that the blended teaching methodologies based on the ARCS model, process, and strategies have enhanced and/or sustained students’ motivation and kept the subject interesting in an online environment, and ultimately improved their learning. © 2021, ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.
ABSTRACT
The need for petroleum engineers to provide energy for the world population in the upcoming decades and the role of SPE in this regard are discussed in this paper. There have been recent papers suggesting that there is a diminished or no need for petroleum engineering (e.g., SPE 194764, The End of Petroleum Engineering as We Know It;SPE 195908, Petroleum Engineering Enrollment: Past, Present and Future). This is simply inaccurate and the proliferation of their message is alarming in that it may deprive the industry from having the required talent to produce the energy the world needs from natural gas and oil for decades to come. Engineering disciplines, including petroleum, have been transforming all the time. The practices we use today have little resemblance to what we did 20 years ago. They will continue to evolve, not stop, due to three major points: 1. Although the percentage of the energy from oil and natural gas the world needs is expected to decline from about 53% to about 48% over the next 30 years, the amount of production is actually expected to increase by 20% for oil and 50% for natural gas. This is due mainly to expected increase in world population (from 7.5 to 9 billion) and improvements in the economic conditions of developing countries. Considerable advances and efforts in all aspects of petroleum engineering (from drilling under more challenging conditions to completion and production from deeper wells to increasing recovery from heavy oil and through EOR) are required to meet those higher production levels. We know that even maintaining production at the current level is a challenge. 2. Climate change is real. As engineers we do not debate the science, and we should transform our industry in every possible way to minimize any adverse effects of our work on the environment and to comply with state regulations. One manifestation of this has been the measured increase in historical natural gas production and simultaneous decrease in CO2 emissions. The information and manuscript of this paper were developed before the pandemic of COVID-19 affected most of the world. This is why the effects of this pandemic are not discussed. Nevertheless, it is a reasonable assumption that the pandemic will not affect the long range for energy from oil and natural gas which is the subject of this paper. Another example as one of the major factors in reducing Green House Gases is to inject and store CO2 in underground formations. Petroleum engineers will be the ones tasked with finding answers to the challenge of injecting in already fluid-saturated formations. 3. With the recent developments in Data Science and Engineering Analytics, there is a greater need for petroleum engineers with an understanding of physics to take advantage of these improvements and optimize the processes we use (Anadarko's SPE 187222 Creating Value by Implementing an Integrated Production Surveillance and Optimization System - An Operator's Perspective and Chevron's SPE 181437 Application of Machine Learning in Transient Surveillance in a Deep-Water Oil Field, are good examples). Required and expected efforts by various stake holders of SPE;educational institutions;national and international operators, service companies, and regulatory bodies to provide needed petroleum engineers are discussed. © 2020 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). All rights reserved.