scGIST: gene panel design for spatial transcriptomics with prioritized gene sets.

A critical challenge of single-cell spatial transcriptomics (sc-ST) technologies is their panel size. Being based on fluorescence in situ hybridization, they are typically limited to panels of about a thousand genes. This constrains researchers to build panels from only the marker genes of different cell types and forgo other genes of interest, e.g., genes encoding ligand-receptor complexes or those in specific pathways. We propose scGIST, a constrained feature selection tool that designs sc-ST panels prioritizing user-specified genes without compromising cell type detection accuracy. We demonstrate scGIST's efficacy in diverse use cases, highlighting it as a valuable addition to sc-ST's algorithmic toolbox.

The importance of community health workers as frontline responders during the COVID-19 pandemic, Somalia, 2020-2021.

Introduction: We examined the contribution of community health workers as frontline responders for the community-based surveillance in Somalia during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic for detection of COVID-19 cases and identification of contacts. Methods: We retrieved COVID-19 surveillance data from 16 March 2020 to 31 March 2021 from the health ministry's central database. These data were collected through community health workers, health facilities or at the points of entry. We compared the number of suspected COVID-19 cases detected by the three surveillance systems and the proportion that tested positive using the chi-squared test. We used logistic regression analysis to assess association between COVID-19 infection and selected variables. Results: During the study period, 154,004 suspected cases of COVID-19 were detected and tested, of which 10,182 (6.6%) were positive. Of the notified cases, 32.7% were identified through the community-based surveillance system, 54.0% through the facility-based surveillance system, and 13.2% at points of entry. The positivity rate of cases detected by the community health workers was higher than that among those detected at health facilities (8.6% versus 6.4%; p < 0.001). The community health workers also identified more contacts than those identified through the facility-based surveillance (13,279 versus 1,937; p < 0.001). The odds of COVID-19 detection generally increased by age. Community-based surveillance and health facility-based surveillance had similar odds of detecting COVID-19 cases compared with the points-of-entry surveillance (aOR: 7.0 (95% CI: 6.4, 7.8) and aOR: 7.5 (95% CI: 6.8, 8.3), respectively). Conclusion: The community health workers proved their value as first responders to COVID-19. They can be effective in countries with weak health systems for targeted community surveillance in rural and remote areas which are not covered by the facility-based surveillance system.

Post-COVID-19 Memory Impairment: Prevalence and Associated Factors

IntroductionMemory complaints resulting from COVID-19 may have a significant impact on the survivors quality of life. Unfortunately, there is insufficient information available on memory loss and its relationship to COVID-19. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of memory complaints in post-COVID-19 patients and to find potential contributing factors. MethodA cross-sectional survey was conducted on 401 individuals who had previously been diagnosed with COVID-19 at four COVID testing centers situated across Bangladesh. The MAC-Q questionnaire was used to evaluate memory. A binary logistic regression model was fit to study the variables related to memory complaints, with a p-value of <0.05 deemed statistically significant. ResultMemory complaints was prevalent in 19.2% of the post-COVID patients. Individual predictor analysis revealed that among the treatment modalities, steroids and antibiotics were associated with impaired memory. Multiple logistic regression showed that individuals who recovered from COVID-19 within six to twelve months were more likely to have memory deficits. Even though age, sex, oxygen demand, and hospitalization were not linked with memory complaints, rural residents exhibited more significant memory complaints than urban residents. ConclusionNearly one-fifth of the COVID-19 patients suffer from various degrees of memory complaints within one year. However, no association was found between COVID-19 severity to memory complaints.