NBACC's Scientific Research and Operational Posture During the 2020-2021 COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) is a national resource established to understand the scientific basis of the risk posed by biological threats, and to analyze evidentiary material from bioterror or biocrime events. Like many other U.S. research institutions, the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and rapid development of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed only a few short weeks of preparations before infectious disease controls could be implemented. Due to the nature of its mission, the NBACC must be available on a 24/7 readiness posture to support bioforensic casework from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). It also serves to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with key scientific data to assess the hazard from biological agents, especially in this instance to inform the national response to COVID-19. These factors caused the operational tempo to significantly increase. Methods: To accomplish our mission during a national emergency, laboratory staffing levels needed to be maintained at prepandemic levels. As a result, the Battelle National Biodefense Institute (BNBI) leadership took significant actions to prevent COVID-19 exposure and transmission within the workforce. These multiple actions included engineering changes to the facility, stockpiling of personal protective equipment and consumable products, educating the staff on the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, reducing the population of the nonlaboratory staff, and the completion of a comprehensive risk assessment to quantify the risk of COVID-19 infection for all NBACC staff. Conclusion: These early actions, used in tandem, were successful in maintaining a healthy and stable workforce so that BNBI's research objectives could be met.

Evaluation of a home-based exercise and training programme to improve sit-to-stand in patients with chronic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of a task-specific home-based exercise protocol for improving sit-to-stand (STS), with additional exercises to strengthen lower limb extensor muscles in patients with chronic stroke. DESIGN: A pre-test, post-test design was used. SUBJECTS: Six subjects at least one year post stroke and discharged from all rehabilitation services for at least six months participated in the study. OUTCOME MEASURES: Functional performance of sit-to-stand was evaluated using the Standing Up item of the Motor Assessment Scale (MAS). Peak vertical ground reaction force, walking speed over 10 m and grip strength were also measured. RESULTS: Group MAS score was significantly higher at post-test than at pre-test with two subjects reaching the highest point on the scale and three subjects reaching the second highest point. Time-to-peak vertical ground reaction force occurred significantly closer to thighs-off, the critical time when the body mass is propelled into standing. Walking speed increased significantly over 10 m from a mean of 0.86 m/s to 1.10 m/s. Grip strength, which was not trained, did not change. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that a home-based task-specific exercise and training protocol for STS can induce improved performance of STS and increase walking speed more than one year after stroke.

Effects of task-specific training on walking and sit-to-stand after total hip replacement.

Twenty subjects with total hip replacement (THR) who were still experiencing movement problems at an average of 12.7 months post-operation undertook a six week outpatient program based on task-specific training of functional activities. All subjects demonstrated improved performance of walking and sit-to-stand after the training period. Specifically, scores on the ratings of occurrence of critical biomechanical components of the two tasks increased. In addition, step lengths of both legs, stride length and peak weight on the side of the most recent THR during the extension phase of sit-to-stand all improved significantly. This descriptive study suggests that task-specific training may assist individuals to improve performance of walking and sit-to-stand even if undertaken many months after a THR.