THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS INFECTION (COVID-19) CONCURRENT WITH PSEUDOMEMBRANOUS COLITIS IN THE EARLY POSTPARTUM PERIOD: A CLINICAL CASE.

Background: Women are most at risk for Clostridium difficile infection in the early postpartum period. Clostridium difficile-associated colitis may be mistaken for the intestinal form of COVID-19 during the ongoing novel coronavirus infection pandemic. Case report: The paper describes a clinical case of a female patient diagnosed with the novel coronavirus infection and Clostridium difficile-associated pseudomembranous colitis in the early postpartum period. It depicts the diagnosis and treatment of the identified concurrent pathology. It demonstrates data from of an endoscopic examination of the colon and spiral computed tomography of the chest and provides laboratory confirmation of the infectious etiology of comorbidity. There are data available in the literature on the high rate and recurrent course of pseudomembranous colitis in the early postpartum period. It is noted that timely C. difficile eradication and pathogenetic treatment for the novel coronavirus infection allow relief of clinical symptoms. Conclusion(s): The case of the novel coronavirus infection concurrent with Clostridium difficile-associated pseudomembranous colitis in the early postpartum period is of interest in connection with the need for differential diagnosis of the etiology of diarrheal syndrome, the precise identification of which determines the further tactics of patient management and the nature of anti-epidemic measures.Copyright © A group of authors, 2021.

The Three Dimensions of the Indian Wage Code (2019): Shifting Economic, Socio-political and Legal Values?

The value of work is intrinsically linked to its monetary equival ent expressed in wages. Changes in wage laws therefore impact a wide-ranging frontier of tensions inherent in the politics around remuneration, at the individual, the firm and the state level. In othe r words, wages do not form a single line of conflict, but in fact matters of payment unfold multiple struggles in the spheres of institutions, at the shop-floor and within the household. From thi s three-fold perspective, the paper analyses unravelling tensions in the economic, legal and sociopolitical constitution of wages in the Indian Wage Code of 2019. This evaluation shows the importance of strengthening need-based approaches to wages such as minimum wage pol i ci e s, not just to facilitate decent working standards, but also to guarantee adequate social safety nets, particularly in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rationality in social science: Foundations, norms, and prosociality

The concept of rationality and its significance for theory and empirical research in social science are key topics of scholarly discussion. In the tradition of an analytical as well as empirical approach in social science, this volume assembles novel contributions on methodological foundations and basic assumptions of theories of rational choice. The volume highlights the use of rational choice assumptions for research on fundamental problems in social theory such as the emergence, dynamics, and effects of social norms and the conditions for cooperation and prosociality. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2021.

Acute Pancreatitis as a Rare and Unusual Manifestation of COVID-19 in a Child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mainly causes pulmonary disease. However, extrapulmonary manifesta-tions, which affect the gastrointestinal tract and hepatobiliary system, have been reported. Case Presentation: Here we reported a 4-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and abdominal pain who had acute necrotic pancreatitis secondary to COVID-19. Conclusion(s): According to the COVID-19 epidemic, if drug-induced pancreatitis is ruled out, viral causes, especially COVID-19, should be considered.Copyright © 2023, Author(s).

PORTAL VEIN THROMBOSIS WHILE TAKING A COMBINED ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE AFTER EXPERIENCED CORONAVIRUS INFECTION.

Background: Contraceptives are an important component of women's reproductive health care, as they not only reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, but also improve reproductive function. However, oral contraceptives are known to increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. This risk is increased by infection with the COVID-19 virus that predisposes patients to both venous and arterial thrombosis as a result of excessive inflammation, platelet activation, aggravated endothelial dysfunction, and congestive events. If these patients have hereditary thrombophilia, the risk of venous thromboembolism becomes fatal. Case report: The paper describes a clinical case of a patient with total portal vein thrombosis, who have been taking oral contraceptives for a long time and recovering from the novel coronavirus infection. Studying the blood coagulation system and folate cycle genes, by using PCR, has revealed a gene mutation in the plasminogen activator inhibitor (serpine). The authors demonstrate the data of spiral computed tomography of the abdominal organs, as well as changes in laboratory parameters. Conclusion(s): A balanced approach is required when prescribing combined oral contraceptives during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in women with prothrombotic mutations.Copyright © A group of authors, 2023.

Application of chest low-dose CT screening of Corona Virus Disease 2019 with a third-generation dual-source scanner.

Objective: To investigate the application value of third-generation dual-source CT(3-G DSCT) low-dose scan mode combined with iterative reconstruction technology in the screening of COVID-19 and to evaluate the radiation dose. Method(s): One hundred and twenty patients suspected of COVID-19 from December 2019 to February 2020 were retrospectively analysed and randomly divided into two groups (test group and conventional group, 60 patients in each). The parameters for test group included 3-G DSCT, Turbo Flash scan mode, CARE kV, with reference 90 kV, pitch 2.0, and ADMIRE algorithm, while those parameters for conventional group included the 128-slice CT, conventional spiral scan mode, 120 kV, pitch 1.2, and FBP algorithm. The CT values of aorta, spinal posterior muscle, and subcutaneous fat, the aortic noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast noise ratio (CNR) were compared to evaluate the image quality between two groups. Two experienced doctors scored the image quality using a double-blind method, and compared the CT dose index volume (CTDIvol), dose-length product (DLP), and effective dose (E) of the two groups. Result(s): The CT value of the aorta and spinal posterior muscle and the aortic SNR in the test group were (45.38+/-4.77), (53.41+/-8.44) HU, and 2.82+/-0.59, and significantly higher than those in the conventional group [(39.68+/-6.26), (42.66+/-6.32) HU, 2.58+/-0.61, t=5.608, 7.897, 2.162, P<0.05]. The aortic noise, CNR and subjective scores between the two groups had no significant difference( P>0.05). The CTDIvol, DLP, and E in the test group were (3.09+/-1.02) mGy, (107.57+/-32.81) mGy*cm, (1.51+/-0.46) mSv, significantly lower than those in the conventional group [(7.00+/-1.80) mGy, (261.65+/-73.93) mGy*cm, (3.66+/-1.03) mSv;t=-14.680, -14.756, -14.756, P<0.05]. Conclusion(s): In the screening of COVID-19, using low-dose scanning mode of 3-G DSCT combined with iterative reconstruction technology would provide diagnostic quality images and meanwhile effectively reduce the radiation dose and improve the SNR of the image.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.

PORTAL VEIN THROMBOSIS WHILE TAKING A COMBINED ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE AFTER EXPERIENCED CORONAVIRUS INFECTION.

Background: Contraceptives are an important component of women's reproductive health care, as they not only reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, but also improve reproductive function. However, oral contraceptives are known to increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. This risk is increased by infection with the COVID-19 virus that predisposes patients to both venous and arterial thrombosis as a result of excessive inflammation, platelet activation, aggravated endothelial dysfunction, and congestive events. If these patients have hereditary thrombophilia, the risk of venous thromboembolism becomes fatal. Case report: The paper describes a clinical case of a patient with total portal vein thrombosis, who have been taking oral contraceptives for a long time and recovering from the novel coronavirus infection. Studying the blood coagulation system and folate cycle genes, by using PCR, has revealed a gene mutation in the plasminogen activator inhibitor (serpine). The authors demonstrate the data of spiral computed tomography of the abdominal organs, as well as changes in laboratory parameters. Conclusion(s): A balanced approach is required when prescribing combined oral contraceptives during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in women with prothrombotic mutations.Copyright © A group of authors, 2023.

PORTAL VEIN THROMBOSIS WHILE TAKING A COMBINED ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE AFTER EXPERIENCED CORONAVIRUS INFECTION.

Background: Contraceptives are an important component of women's reproductive health care, as they not only reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, but also improve reproductive function. However, oral contraceptives are known to increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. This risk is increased by infection with the COVID-19 virus that predisposes patients to both venous and arterial thrombosis as a result of excessive inflammation, platelet activation, aggravated endothelial dysfunction, and congestive events. If these patients have hereditary thrombophilia, the risk of venous thromboembolism becomes fatal. Case report: The paper describes a clinical case of a patient with total portal vein thrombosis, who have been taking oral contraceptives for a long time and recovering from the novel coronavirus infection. Studying the blood coagulation system and folate cycle genes, by using PCR, has revealed a gene mutation in the plasminogen activator inhibitor (serpine). The authors demonstrate the data of spiral computed tomography of the abdominal organs, as well as changes in laboratory parameters. Conclusion(s): A balanced approach is required when prescribing combined oral contraceptives during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in women with prothrombotic mutations.Copyright © A group of authors, 2023.

Acute Mesenteric Thrombosis, Small Intestine Necrosis and Peritonitis as a Complication of Covid-19 - a Case Report

Introduction. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to a family of ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses, causing novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Because of a global inflammatory response and endothelial damage, COVID-19 may predispose to coagulation disorders and severe thrombotic events. Case presentation. A 62-year-old man patient was admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia and abdominal pain for 10 days. Because of the rapid deterioration of the clinical status, shock and evidence of peritoneal irritation, the patient was consulted by a surgeon. The native spiral computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen detected enlarged colon filled with air collections and hydro-aeric levels. The surgical intervention revealed diffuse peritonitis with necrosis of the distal ileum secondary to mesenteric thrombosis. A partial resection of the ileum was done. The histological examination showed an infarcted small bowel, with hemorrhage, vascular thrombosis, and signs of necrotizing endovasculitis. Conclusions. SARS-CoV-2 binds to ACE2 receptor, which results in increased signalling by thrombin receptors on platelet and endothelial cells, leading to coagulopathy. In older patients presenting with abdominal pain, shock and peritonitis, the most common underlying cause is mesenteric thrombosis which could be a complication of COVID-19.Copyright © 2022 Balkan Medical Union.

Evaluation of the Spiral Chest CT Scan Findings in Patients with Multiple Trauma.

Objective: To evaluate the spiral chest computed tomography (CT) scan findings in patients with multiple trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This retrospective study was performed on multiple trauma patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in the north of Iran in 2020. All patients with multiple trauma who had undergone a chest spiral CT were included in this study. Furthermore, the data analysis was performed through descriptive and analytical statistics using SPSS software. Results: A total of 600 patients were included over the study period. The mean age of patients was 48.2±20.3 years. Of the total, 496 (65.3%) patients had blunt chest injuries, and 104 (34.7%) had penetrating chest injuries. Falling was the most common mechanical cause of chest trauma in 270 patients (45%). Surgical interventions were performed in 110 (18.3%) patients. A total of 276 (46%) patients had chest injuries identified by CT scans. Many patients (15.6%) had ground-glass lung opacity in the CT scan reports. Lung consolidation, pneumothorax, lung contusion, hemothorax, and rib fractures were the most common. Conclusion: Due to the high frequency of typical findings in spiral CT scan examinations, obtaining a reliable history of trauma severity, injury mechanism, and a detailed physical examination is recommended before prescribing a CT scan for patients.

A single-breath-hold protocol for hyperpolarized 129 Xe ventilation and gas exchange imaging.

Hyperpolarized 129 Xe MRI (Xe-MRI) is increasingly used to image the structure and function of the lungs. Because 129 Xe imaging can provide multiple contrasts (ventilation, alveolar airspace size, and gas exchange), imaging often occurs over several breath-holds, which increases the time, expense, and patient burden of scans. We propose an imaging sequence that can be used to acquire Xe-MRI gas exchange and high-quality ventilation images within a single, approximately 10 s, breath-hold. This method uses a radial one-point Dixon approach to sample dissolved 129 Xe signal, which is interleaved with a 3D spiral ("FLORET") encoding pattern for gaseous 129 Xe. Thus, ventilation images are obtained at higher nominal spatial resolution (4.2 × 4.2 × 4.2 mm3 ) compared with gas-exchange images (6.25 × 6.25 × 6.25 mm3 ), both competitive with current standards within the Xe-MRI field. Moreover, the short 10 s Xe-MRI acquisition time allows for 1 H "anatomic" images used for thoracic cavity masking to be acquired within the same breath-hold for a total scan time of about 14 s. Images were acquired using this single-breath method in 11 volunteers (N = 4 healthy, N = 7 post-acute COVID). For 11 of these participants, a separate breath-hold was used to acquire a "dedicated" ventilation scan and five had an additional "dedicated" gas exchange scan. The images acquired using the single-breath protocol were compared with those from dedicated scans using Bland-Altman analysis, intraclass correlation (ICC), structural similarity, peak signal-to-noise ratio, Dice coefficients, and average distance. Imaging markers from the single-breath protocol showed high correlation with dedicated scans (ventilation defect percent, ICC = 0.77, p = 0.01; membrane/gas, ICC = 0.97, p = 0.001; red blood cell/gas, ICC = 0.99, p < 0.001). Images showed good qualitative and quantitative regional agreement. This single-breath protocol enables the collection of essential Xe-MRI information within one breath-hold, simplifying scanning sessions and reducing costs associated with Xe-MRI.

Assessing the Usability of an Instagram Filter in Monitoring Essential Tremor: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Background: Spiral drawing is an important test in monitoring essential tremor (ET). With the rise of telemedicine amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, a contactless tool for monitoring tremors was required. We aimed to assess the validity of a novel smartphone technology using a video-based social media platform for rapid and objective monitoring of ET. Methods: A prospective pilot study evaluated patients with ET in 2 clinic visits. Videos of tremors were recorded using a publicly available Instagram filter and were visually compared with spirals drawn by the patients. The level of agreement among the raters was evaluated. Results: A total of 12 patients with ET were recruited. A consensus between both raters was achieved for 11 patients (91.6%) for both spirals and videos with good interrater agreement (κ value, 0.755 ± 0.332). Conclusion: This novel method was found to be valid and easy to use in measuring ET in real-world settings. Further research in a larger cohort is needed to suggest its use as a home-based or clinic-based monitoring tool.

Vaccine-related conspiracy and counter-conspiracy narratives. Silencing effects

Recent research explores the high proliferation of conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccination, and their potential effects within digital media environments. By means of a 2 × 2 experimental design (N = 945) conducted in Romania, we explore whether exposure to media messages promoting conspiracy theories about vaccination versus media messages debunking such conspiracy narratives could influence people's intention to either support or argue against vaccination in front of their friends and family (interpersonal influence). We also analyze the moderation effects of education and critical thinking. Main results show that both conspiracy and counter-conspiracy media content about vaccination negatively affect people's willingness to discuss the topic with others, which offers support for a silencing effect. Education and critical thinking moderate the main effects, but only to some extent and in certain experimental conditions. © 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston 2023.

News Framing and Preference-Based Reinforcement: Evidence from a Real Framing Environment During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 is a news issue that can be covered from many different angles. When reporting, journalists have to select, accentuate, or exclude particular aspects, which, in turn, may evoke a specific, and possibly constricted, perspective in viewers, a phenomenon termed the news-framing effect. Guided by the reinforcing spiral framework, we conducted a multi-study project that investigated the news-framing effect's underlying mechanism by studying the dynamic of self-reinforcing effects. Grounded in a real-life framing environment observed during the pandemic and systematically assessed via a content analysis (study 1) and survey (study 2), we offer supporting evidence for a preference-based reinforcement model by utilizing a combination of the selective exposure (i.e., self-selected exposure) and causal effects (i.e., forced exposure) paradigms within one randomized controlled study (study 3). Self-selection of news content by viewers was a necessary precondition for frame-consistent (reinforcement) effects. Forced exposure did not elicit causal effects in a frame-consistent direction.

Performance of spiral UTE-MRI of the lung in post-COVID patients.

Patients recovered from COVID-19 may develop long-COVID symptoms in the lung. For this patient population (post-COVID patients), they may benefit from longitudinal, radiation-free lung MRI exams for monitoring lung lesion development and progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of a spiral ultrashort echo time MRI sequence (Spiral-VIBE-UTE) in a cohort of post-COVID patients in comparison with CT and to compare image quality obtained using different spiral MRI acquisition protocols. Lung MRI was performed in 36 post-COVID patients with different acquisition protocols, including different spiral sampling reordering schemes (line in partition or partition in line) and different breath-hold positions (inspiration or expiration). Three experienced chest radiologists independently scored all the MR images for different pulmonary structures. Lung MR images from spiral acquisition protocol that received the highest image quality scores were also compared against corresponding CT images in 27 patients for evaluating diagnostic image quality and lesion identification. Spiral-VIBE-UTE MRI acquired with the line in partition reordering scheme in an inspiratory breath-holding position achieved the highest image quality scores (score range = 2.17-3.69) compared to others (score range = 1.7-3.29). Compared to corresponding chest CT images, three readers found that 81.5% (22 out of 27), 81.5% (22 out of 27) and 37% (10 out of 27) of the MR images were useful, respectively. Meanwhile, they all agreed that MRI could identify significant lesions in the lungs. The Spiral-VIBE-UTE sequence allows for fast imaging of the lung in a single breath hold. It could be a valuable tool for lung imaging without radiation and could provide great value for managing different lung diseases including assessment of post-COVID lesions.

Chest CT Features of Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia Following Hospital Discharge.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate chest computed tomographic (CT) findings in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia following hospital discharge. METHODS: 52 patients with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia underwent follow-up chest CT. The scans were obtained on average 43.1 days after hospital admission and analyzed for parenchymal abnormality (e.g., ground-glass opacities, consolidation, or interstitial thickening) and evidence of fibrosis (e.g., assigned to one of three groups: Group 1 (normal lung), Group 2 (parenchymal abnormality but without evidence of fibrosis), and Group 3 (evidence of fibrosis)). Clinical data and CT manifestations of the patients were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: 30.8% (16/52) of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia showed normal lung and were designated as Group 1. 69.2% (36/52) of patients showed parenchymal abnormality ranging from residual ground-glass opacities, consolidation, or interstitial thickening in Group 2 (51.9%) to fibrosis in Group 3 (17.3%). All patients in Group3 had severe/critical COVID-19, while most patients in Group 2 and Group 1 had common COVID-19. Patients in Group 3 were older (60.9 vs. 40.8 and 36.8 years, p<0.001, there is a significant difference), had a longer hospitalization day (20.2 vs. 15.3 and 12.3 days, p<0.05, there is a significant difference), a higher ratio of patients with comorbidities (88.9%vs14.8% and 25%, p<0.001, there is a significant difference), and higher peak CT scores (13 vs. 6.2 and 3.2, p<0.001, there is a significant difference) than those patients in Group 2 and Group 1. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly severe/critical COVID-19 patients with comorbidities are more prone to develop fibrosis early on following hospital discharge. On the other hand, lung inflammation in younger patients with common COVID-19 can be resolved completely.

Diagnostic performance of chest CT findings of COVID-19 with RT-PCR negative.

COVID-19 presented with lung abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) scans in patient with false negative RT-PCR, which are helpful in diagnosis of this emerging global health emergency. It's a case report the young woman of 35-year-old patient with 2019-nCoV pneumonia confirmed with IgM-IgG serology underwent thin-section Chest CT. Our patient has the Chest CT with some lung abnormalities, the Ground-glass opacities, crazy paving pattern and smooth interlobular septal thickening. The clinical findings and with conspicuous ground grass opacity lesions in the peripheral and posterior lungs on CT are highly suspected of 2019-nCoV pneumonia.

Diagnostic value of ground-glass opacity in suspected coronavirus disease 2019 patients: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of ground-glass opacity (GGO) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in suspected patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were searched from November 01, 2019 to November 29, 2020. Studies providing the diagnostic test accuracy of chest computed tomography (CT) and description of detailed CT features for COVID-19 were included. Data were extracted from the publications. The sensitivity, specificity, and summary receiver operating characteristic curves were pooled. Heterogeneity was detected across included studies. RESULTS: Eleven studies with 1618 cases were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve were 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61–0.84), 0.52 (95% CI, 0.33–0.70), and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.66–0.74), respectively. There was obvious heterogeneity among included studies (P < 0.05). Differences in the study region, inclusion criteria, research quality, or research methods might have contributed to the heterogeneity. The included studies had no significant publication bias (P > 0.1). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 was diagnosed not only by GGO with a medium level of diagnostic accuracy but also by white blood cell counts, epidemic history, and revers transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing.