| Title | Venue | Year | Impact | Source |
| 7651 | Human brain evolution and the "Neuroevolutionary Time-depth Principle:" Implications for the Reclassification of fear-circuitry-related traits in DSM-V and for studying resilience to warzone-related posttraumatic stress disorder The DSM-III, DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10 have judiciously minimized discussion of etiologies to distance clinical psychiatry from Freudian psychoanalysis. With this goal mostly achieved, discussion of etiological factors should be reintroduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V). A research agenda for the DSM-V advocated the “development of a pathophysiologically based classification system”. The author critically reviews the neuroevolutionary literature on stress-induced and fear circuitry disorders and related amygdala-driven, species-atypical fear behaviors of clinical severity in adult humans. Over 30 empirically testable/falsifiable predictions are presented. It is noted that in DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10, the classification of stress and fear circuitry disorders is neither mode-of-acquisition-based nor brain-evolution-based. For example, snake phobia (innate) and dog phobia (overconsolidational) are clustered together. Similarly, research on blood-injection-injury-type-specific phobia clusters two fears different in their innateness: 1) an arguably ontogenetic memory-trace-overconsolidation-based fear (hospital phobia) and 2) a hardwired (innate) fear of the sight of one's blood or a sharp object penetrating one's skin. Genetic architecture-charting of fear-circuitry-related traits has been challenging. Various, non-phenotype-based architectures can serve as targets for research. In this article, the author will propose one such alternative genetic architecture. This article was inspired by the following: A) Nesse's “Smoke-Detector Principle”, B) the increasing suspicion that the “smooth” rather than “lumpy” distribution of complex psychiatric phenotypes (including fear-circuitry disorders) may in some cases be accounted for by oligogenic (and not necessarily polygenic) transmission, and C) insights from the initial sequence of the chimpanzee genome and comparison with the human genome by the Chimpanzee Sequencing and Analysis Consortium published in late 2005. Neuroevolutionary insights relevant to fear circuitry symptoms that primarily emerge overconsolidationally (especially Combat related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) are presented. Also introduced is a human-evolution-based principle for clustering innate fear traits. The “Neuroevolutionary Time-depth Principle” of innate fears proposed in this article may be useful in the development of a neuroevolution-based taxonomic re-clustering of stress-triggered and fear-circuitry disorders in DSM-V. Four broad clusters of evolved fear circuits are proposed based on their time-depths: 1) Mesozoic (mammalian-wide) circuits hardwired by wild-type alleles driven to fixation by Mesozoic selective sweeps; 2) Cenozoic (simian-wide) circuits relevant to many specific phobias; 3) mid Paleolithic and upper Paleolithic (Homo sapiens-specific) circuits (arguably resulting mostly from mate-choice-driven stabilizing selection); 4) Neolithic circuits (arguably mostly related to stabilizing selection driven by gene–culture co-evolution). More importantly, the author presents evolutionary perspectives on warzone-related PTSD, Combat-Stress Reaction, Combat-related Stress, Operational-Stress, and other deployment-stress-induced symptoms. The Neuroevolutionary Time-depth Principle presented in this article may help explain the dissimilar stress-resilience levels following different types of acute threat to survival of oneself or one's progency (aka DSM-III and DSM-V PTSD Criterion-A events). PTSD rates following exposure to lethal inter-group violence (combat, warzone exposure or intentionally caused disasters such as terrorism) are usually 5–10 times higher than rates following large-scale natural disasters such as forest fires, floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. The author predicts that both intentionally-caused large-scale bioevent-disasters, as well as natural bioevents such as SARS and avian flu pandemics will be an exception and are likely to be followed by PTSD rates approaching those that follow warzone exposure. During bioevents, Amygdala-driven and locus-coeruleus-driven epidemic pseudosomatic symptoms may be an order of magnitude more common than infection-caused cytokine-driven symptoms. Implications for the red cross and FEMA are discussed. It is also argued that hospital phobia as well as dog phobia, bird phobia and bat phobia require re-taxonomization in DSM-V in a new “overconsolidational disorders” category anchored around PTSD. The overconsolidational spectrum category may be conceptualized as straddling the fear circuitry spectrum disorders and the affective spectrum disorders categories, and may be a category for which Pitman's secondary prevention propranolol regimen may be specifically indicated as a “morning after pill” intervention. Predictions are presented regarding obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (e.g., female-pattern hoarding vs. male-pattern hoarding) and “culture-bound” acute anxiety symptoms (taijin-kyofusho, koro, shuk yang, shook yong, suo yang, rok-joo, jinjinia-bemar, karoshi, gwarosa, Voodoo death). Also discussed are insights relevant to pseudoneurological symptoms and to the forthcoming Dissociative-Conversive disorders category in DSM-V, including what the author terms fright-triggered acute pseudo-localized symptoms (i.e., pseudoparalysis, pseudocerebellar imbalance, psychogenic blindness, pseudoseizures, and epidemic sociogenic illness). Speculations based on studies of the human abnormal-spindle-like, microcephaly-associated (ASPM) gene, the microcephaly primary autosomal recessive (MCPH) gene, and the forkhead box p2 (FOXP2) gene are made and incorporated into what is termed “The pre-FOXP2 Hypothesis of Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia.” Finally, the author argues for a non-reductionistic fusion of “distal (evolutionary) neurobiology” with clinical “proximal neurobiology,” utilizing neurological heuristics. It is noted that the value of re-clustering fear traits based on behavioral ethology, human-phylogenomics-derived endophenotypes and on ontogenomics (gene–environment interactions) can be confirmed or disconfirmed using epidemiological or twin studies and psychiatric genomics. | Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol | 2006 | | CORD-19 |
| 7652 | IL-6: Relevance for immunopathology of SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 mortality is strongly associated with the development of severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome with the worst outcome resulting in cytokine release syndrome and multiorgan failure. It is becoming critically important to identify at the early stage of the infection those patients who are prone to develop the most adverse effects. Elevated systemic interleukin-6 levels in patients with COVID-19 are considered as a relevant parameter in predicting most severe course of disease and the need for intensive care. This review discusses the mechanisms by which IL-6 may possibly contribute to disease exacerbation and the potential of therapeutic approaches based on anti-IL-6 biologics. | Cytokine Growth Factor Rev | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7653 | Mental health of college students during the COVID-19 epidemic in China Objectives: To assess the psychological status of college students in China during the COVID-19 outbreak, and offer some theoretical evidence for psychological intervention of college students. Methods: An online survey was conducted from May 10, 2020 to June 10, 2020. Anxiety symptoms were measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7). Categorical data were reported as number and percentage, while continuous data were reported as mean ± SD. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between different factors and anxiety symptoms. Results: A total of 89,588 college students participated in the current study, among which 36,865 students (41.1%) reported anxiety symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk factors for anxiety symptoms included the age of 26-30 (OR=1.456), sophomore (OR=1.038), junior (OR=1.087) and senior grades (OR=1.161), a higher paternal education level (OR=1.055), low economic status (OR=1.520), and low social support (OR=1.542). Conclusions: About two-fifths of Chinese college students experienced anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 epidemic. Timely and appropriate psychological interventions for college students should be implemented to reduce the psychological harm caused by COVID-19 epidemic. | J Affect Disord | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7654 | A molecular modeling approach to identify effective antiviral phytochemicals against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 is one of the important targets to design and develop antiviral drugs. In this study, we have selected 40 antiviral phytochemicals to find out the best candidates which can act as potent inhibitors against the main protease. Molecular docking is performed using AutoDock Vina and GOLD suite to determine the binding affinities and interactions between the phytochemicals and the main protease. The selected candidates strongly interact with the key Cys145 and His41 residues. To validate the docking interactions, 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the five top-ranked inhibitors including hypericin, cyanidin 3-glucoside, baicalin, glabridin, and α-ketoamide-11r are performed. Principal component analysis (PCA) on the MD simulation discloses that baicalin, cyanidin 3-glucoside, and α-ketoamide-11r have structural similarity with the apo-form of the main protease. These findings are also strongly supported by root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF), radius of gyration (Rg), and solvent accessible surface area (SASA) investigations. PCA is also used to find out the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) for pattern recognition of the best ligands. Multiple linear regression (MLR) of QSAR reveals the R(2) value of 0.842 for the training set and 0.753 for the test set. Our proposed MLR model can predict the favorable binding energy compared with the binding energy detected from molecular docking. ADMET analysis demonstrates that these candidates appear to be safer inhibitors. Our comprehensive computational and statistical analysis show that these selected phytochemicals can be used as potential inhibitors against the SARS-CoV-2. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma | J Biomol Struct Dyn | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7655 | Emerging Adults and COVID-19: The Role of Individualism-Collectivism on Perceived Risks and Psychological Maladjustment The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has dramatically changed our habits and routines. Uncertainty, insecurity, instability for the present and future, and reduced autonomy and self-directedness, are common feelings at the time of COVID-19. These aspects are very important during emerging adulthood. In spite of the fact that medical reports suggest that youth are less prone to experience COVID-19 infections, emerging adults might be at higher risk for their psychological adjustment. Emerging adults showed higher concerns about their role as a possible asymptomatic carrier than being positive with COVID-19 themselves. Both worries and concerns about COVID-19 and psychological maladjustment may be related to cultural factors. Individualism, collectivism, equality, and hierarchy seem to be meaningful perspectives to take into account. A total of 1183 Italian emerging adults were asked to fill out an online survey during the second week of the national lockdown in Italy. Results showed they reported an accurate perceived knowledge about COVID-19. At the same time, they showed higher worries and concerns about COVID-19 for their relatives, followed by more general/social worries. The lowest score included worries about COVID-19 related to themselves. State anxiety and stress levels were above the normal cutoff, confirming the challenges that emerging adults are facing during the pandemic. On one hand, emerging adults’ collectivistic orientation was related to higher perceived risks of infection; on the other hand, it predicted lower psychological maladjustment, controlling for socio-demographic variables. The study suggests that to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and decrease levels of psychological maladjustment in emerging adulthood, individuals’ cultural orientation such as the wish of sharing common goals with others, interdependence, and sociability, have to be emphasized and promoted as protective factors. | Int J Environ Res Public Healt | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7656 | Clinical Best Practice Advice for Hepatology and Liver Transplant Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: AASLD Expert Panel Consensus Statement Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), the illness caused by the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus, is rapidly spreading throughout the world. Hospitals and healthcare providers are preparing for the anticipated surge in critically ill patients but few are wholly equipped to manage this new disease. We all must do our part to prepare our patients, clinics, and hospitals for the drastic changes necessary to mitigate the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 or we risk overwhelming the capacity of our healthcare system. The goals of this document are to provide data on what is currently known about COVID‐19, and how it may impact hepatologists and liver transplant providers and their patients. Our aim is to provide a template for the development of clinical recommendations and policies to mitigate the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on liver patients and healthcare providers. | Hepatology | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7657 | Cutaneous signs in COVID-19 patients: A review Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) primarily affects the epithelium of the airways. With the increasing involvement of dermatologist in management of this crisis, cutaneous symptoms gained more and more attention. In this review, we will describe cutaneous symptoms of patients of all ages in association with COVID‐19. We will focus on such disorders that are caused by direct action of SARS‐CoV‐2 on tissues, complement, and coagulation system and on nonspecific eruption of the systemic viral infection. Drug‐induced reactions are only mentioned in the differential diagnoses. Although more systematic investigations are warranted, it becomes clear that some symptoms are clinical signs of a milder COVID‐19 course, while others are a red flag for a more severe course. Knowledge of the cutaneous manifestations of COVID‐19 may help in early diagnosis, triage of patients, and risk stratification. | Dermatol Ther | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7658 | The clinical implication of dynamic neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and D-dimer in COVID-19: A retrospective study in Suzhou China Abstract Objective To investigate the clinical features of COVID-19 cases in Suzhou China. Biomarkers were screened out of hematological parameters for risk stratification. Method Confirmed COVID-19 adult patients in Suzhou were included. The patient data was collected, and the results of laboratory examinations were compared between the mild/moderate and severe COVID-19 groups. A ROC was calculated to compare the diagnostic performance of candidate indexes, and dynamic levels of hematological indexes were compared between the two groups. Result 75 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 46.6 ± 14 years, and 45 patients were male. All patients were classified into two groups: the mild/moderate group and the severe group. WBC, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), D-dimer, and fibrinogen levels of the severe group were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the mild/moderate, and the lymphocyte was lower. The ROC test showed that the hematological parameters had a larger AUC than that of inflammatory factors. There was a significant difference in lymphocyte and fibrinogen levels between the two groups on day 1 (P < 0.05). However, NLR of the severe group was higher than the mild/moderate on days 1, 4 and 14 (P < 0.01), and so was D-dimer on days 1, 7 and 14 (P < 0.05). Conclusion The common COVID-19 abnormal hematological indexes on admission included hyperfibrinogenemia, lymphopenia, the elevation of D-dimer, and leukopenia, which were significantly different between the mild/moderate and severe COVID-19 groups. Furthermore, the dynamic change of NLR and D-dimer level can distinguish severe COVID-19 cases from the mild/moderate. | Thromb Res | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7659 | Psychosocial factors associated with postpartum psychological distress during the Covid-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study BACKGROUND: Trauma, natural and man-made catastrophic events can be predictors of postpartum psychological distress. In a public health response due to coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, the Italian government imposed a lockdown from March 9 to May 3. This extraordinary situation may have been challenging for maternal psychological health. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms in women giving birth during the Covid-19 pandemic and its associations with quarantine measures, obstetrical factors, and relational attachment style. METHODS: Women who gave birth in a high-volume obstetric/gynaecological medical centre located in an epidemic area during the Covid-19 pandemic (March 8 to June 15) were asked to complete an online survey about their childbirth experience and the perceived effect of the pandemic. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) were administered to assess levels of postpartum depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and relational style of attachment, respectively. Multivariate analysis was applied to identify associations between quarantine measures, childbirth experience, attachment style, and EPDS and IES-R scores. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 163 women (response rate 60.8%). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 44.2% (EPDS cut-off score ≥ 11) and the PTSS rate was 42.9% (IES-R cut-off score ≥ 24). Dismissive and fearful avoidant attachment styles were significantly associated with the risk of depression and PTSS, respectively. Perceived pain during birth was a risk factor for postpartum depression. Perceived support provided by healthcare staff was a protective factor against depression and PTSS. Another protective factor against PTSS was quiet on the ward due to the absence of hospital visitors. CONCLUSION: This study reports a high prevalence of postpartum depressive and PTSS in women who gave birth during the Covid-19 pandemic. Postnatal psychological distress seemed to be associated more with the prenatal experience and other individual factors than with the pandemic hospital restrictions. Early detection during pregnancy of an insecure attachment style is fundamental to provide targeted preventive and therapeutic psychological interventions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-020-03399-5. | BMC Pregnancy Childbirth | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7660 | When the world's population took off: the springboard of the Neolithic Demographic Transition N/A | Science | 2011 | | CORD-19 |
| 7661 | Undertaking a scoping review: A practical guide for nursing and midwifery students, clinicians, researchers and academics N/A | J Adv Nurs | 2021 | | CORD-19 |
| 7662 | Virtual Teams in Times of Pandemic: Factors That Influence Performance In the digital age, the global software development sector has been a forerunner in implementing new ways and configurations for remote teamwork using information and communication technologies on a widespread basis. Crises and technological advances have influenced each other to bring about changes in the ways of working. In the 70’s of the last century, in the middle of the so-called oil crisis, the concept of teleworking was defined using remote computer equipment to access office equipment and thus avoid moving around using traditional vehicles. Then from the 90s, with the advent of communications and the widespread use of the Internet, the first virtual work teams were implemented in software development companies that already had some of the important characteristics needed to work in this way, such as, cultural diversity, characterized tasks, geographical distribution of members, communication, interdependence of tasks, leadership, cohesion, empowerment, confidence, virtuality. This manuscript groups the main factors into different models proposed by the literature and also analyzes the results of a study conducted in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis on 317 software development teams that had to work in virtual teams (VT). The results of the quantitative methodology with structural equation modeling based on variance using the partial least squares route method are analyzed. The results of the research focus on some determinants that can directly affect the performance of the virtual team. A first determinant is communication in relation to the tasks. The second is trust in relation to leadership, empowerment and cohesion. The results of virtual teams provide information that can serve as a basis for future research lines for the implementation of virtual work strategies in post-pandemic work. | Front Psychol | 2021 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7663 | Impact of COVID-19 Confinement on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour in Spanish University Students: Role of Gender During the COVID-19 pandemic, entire populations were instructed to live in home-confinement to prevent the expansion of the disease. Spain was one of the countries with the strictest conditions, as outdoor physical activity was banned for nearly two months. This study aimed to analyse the changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviours in Spanish university students before and during the confinement by COVID-19 with special focus on gender. We also analysed enjoyment, the tools used and motivation and impediments for doing physical activity. An online questionnaire, which included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form and certain “ad hoc” questions, was designed. Students were recruited by distributing an invitation through the administrative channels of 16 universities and a total of 13,754 valid surveys were collected. Overall, university students reduced moderate (−29.5%) and vigorous (−18.3%) physical activity during the confinement and increased sedentary time (+52.7%). However, they spent more time on high intensity interval training (HIIT) (+18.2%) and mind-body activities (e.g., yoga) (+80.0%). Adaptation to the confinement, in terms of physical activity, was handled better by women than by men. These results will help design strategies for each gender to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour during confinement periods. | Int J Environ Res Public Healt | 2021 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7664 | Effect of Laparoscopic-Assisted Resection vs Open Resection of Stage II or III Rectal Cancer on Pathologic Outcomes: The ACOSOG Z6051 Randomized Clinical Trial N/A | JAMA | 2015 | | CORD-19 |
| 7665 | Cognitive profile following COVID-19 infection: Clinical predictors leading to neuropsychological impairment BACKGROUND: Cognitive manifestations associated with the severity of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection are unknown. An early detection of neuropsychological manifestations could modify the risk of subsequent irreversible impairment and further neurocognitive decline. METHODS: In our single-center cohort study, we included all consecutive adult patients, aged between 20 and 60 years old with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Neuropsychological assessment was performed by the same trained neuropsychologist from April, 22nd through June, 16th 2020. Patients with previous known cognitive impairment, any central nervous system or psychiatric disease were excluded. Demographic, clinical, pharmacological and laboratory data were extracted from medical records. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients met inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Patients presenting headache, anosmia, dysgeusia, diarrhea and those who required oxygen therapy had lower scores in memory, attention and executive function subtests as compared to asymptomatic patients. Patients with headache and clinical hypoxia scored lower in the global Cognitive Index (P = 0.002, P = 0.010). A T score lower than 30 was observed in memory domains, attention and semantic fluency (2 [5.7%]) in working memory and mental flexibility (3 [8.6%]) and in phonetic fluency (4 [11.4%]). Higher scores in anxiety and depression (P = 0.047, P = 0.008) were found in patients with cognitive complaints. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort of COVID-19 patients neurologic manifestations were frequent, including cognitive impairment. Neurological symptoms during infection, diarrhea and oxygen therapy were risk factors for neurocognitive impairment. Cognitive complaints were associated with anxiety and depression. | Brain Behav Immun Health | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7666 | Applying Palliative Care Principles to Communicate With Children About COVID-19 Children are seeing rapid changes to their routines and facing an unpredictable future. Palliative care teams may consider expanding their communication training and skill sets to help families consider caring ways to communicate with their children and grandchildren about the coronavirus. Palliative care teams are wise to encourage families to ground their communication with children on key values: honesty and trust, self-compassion, safety, sensitivity, connection, preparedness, community building, recognition of death as a part of the life cycle, and legacy. | J Pain Symptom Manage | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7667 | Research lines on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business. A text mining analysis COVID-19 has brought about a marked slowdown in global economic development. Companies have been forced to adopt new managerial guidelines to adapt to the difficult conditions and to survive in this “new normal”. The recent and still scarce literature in this field seeks to provide suitable solutions to prevent irreparable disruption and help strengthen business, but does not apply advanced statistical methods to that end. The aim of this paper is to identify the current research lines developed around COVID-19 and their impact on the business environment, applying text mining methodology. The analysis, which uses statistical software R, focuses on systematic review of studies published in prestigious journals of business and marketing areas. In light of the results obtained, three different areas of intervention were identified. The common thread that runs through all of them is the need to introduce new forms of action to improve citizens' quality of life. | J Bus Res | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7668 | Forty years with coronaviruses I have been researching coronaviruses for more than forty years. This viewpoint summarizes some of the major findings in coronavirus research made before the SARS epidemic and how they inform current research on the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2. | J Exp Med | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7669 | Nutritional status of micronutrients as a possible and modifiable risk factor for COVID-19: a UK perspective Recent scientific evidence has indicated that the elderly have increased risk of COVID-19 infections, with over 70s and 80s being hardest hit – especially residents of care homes and in clinical settings, ethnic minorities, people who work indoors and those who are overweight and obese. Other potential risk factors include lack of exposure to sunlight, darker skin pigmentation, co-morbidities, poor diet, certain medications, disadvantaged social and economic status, and lifestyle factors such as smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol. A key question is to understand how and why certain groups of people are more susceptible to COVID-19, whether they have weakened immune systems and what the roles of good nutrition and specific micronutrients are in supporting immune functions. A varied and balanced diet with an abundance of fruits and vegetables and the essential nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin A, B vitamins (folate, vitamin B(6) and vitamin B(12)), vitamin C and the minerals, Fe, Cu, Se and Zn are all known to contribute to the normal functions of the immune system. Avoidance of deficiencies and identification of suboptimal intakes of these micronutrients in targeted groups of patients and in distinct and highly sensitive populations could help to strengthen the resilience of people to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to highlight evidence-based public health messages, to prevent false and misleading claims about the benefits of foods and food supplements and to communicate clearly that the extent of knowledge between micronutrients and COVID-19 infection is still being explored and that no diet will prevent or cure COVID-19 infection. Frequent handwashing and social distancing will be critical to reduce transmission. | Br J Nutr | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7670 | Mesenchymal stem cells and management of COVID-19 pneumonia Human coronavirus, hCoV-19, is highly pathogenic with severe pneumonia associated with rapid virus replication. Arising in Wuhan China December 2019, the current COVID-19 epidemic has rapidly grown with person-to-person infection expanding to become a global health emergency now on pandemic scale. Governments will not be able to minimise both deaths from COVID-19 and the economic impact of viral spread in mitigation of this current COVID-19 pandemic, according to Anderson et al. 2020 [1], Keeping mortality as low as possible will be the highest priority for individuals; hence governments must put in place measures to ameliorate the inevitable economic downturn. The current global picture shows small chains of transmission in many countries and large chains resulting in extensive spread in a few countries, such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Japan. Most countries are likely to have spread of COVID-19, at least in the early stages, before any mitigation measures have an impact. The scale of the problem is massive. Here I consider new approaches to improve patient's biological resistance to COVID-19 using stem cells, and how benefit might be scaled and simplified using synthetic stem cells to meet logistical needs within a short time frame. | Med Drug Discov | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7671 | Back to the spring of 2020: facts and hope of COVID-19 outbreak | Front Med | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7672 | A short questionnaire to assess changes in lifestyle-related behaviour during COVID-19 pandemic BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The lasting impact of COVID 19 pandemic and associated restrictions are bound to be significant on lifestyle-related behaviour including diet, physical activity and sleep which is one of the important components in the management of diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. This study was conducted to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess changes in individual's lifestyle-related behaviour during COVID 19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The questionnaire was developed through a standardised methodology including literature review, focus group discussion, expert evaluation, pre-testing and validation. The face validity and content validity of the questionnaire were analysed. A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 103 participants to validate the questionnaire that used a 5-point Likert scale for the response option. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to establish construct validity. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to test the internal consistency of the whole questionnaire. RESULTS: A questionnaire with 20 items to assess the lifestyle-related behaviour of people was developed. The questionnaire shows a satisfactory validity and a good internal consistency with the Cronbach's alpha value of 0.72. CONCLUSION: The developed tool is valid and reliable to assess the changes in lifestyle-related behaviour of individuals during COVID 19 pandemic. | Diabetes Metab Syndr | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7673 | The use of facemasks to prevent respiratory infection: a literature review in the context of the Health Belief Model N/A | Singapore Med J | 2014 | | CORD-19 |
| 7674 | COVID-19, a pandemic or not? | Lancet Infect Dis | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7675 | The psychological impact of preexisting mental and physical health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic N/A | Psychol Trauma | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7676 | Application of Artificial Intelligence-Based Technologies in the Healthcare Industry: Opportunities and Challenges This study examines the current state of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology applications and their impact on the healthcare industry. In addition to a thorough review of the literature, this study analyzed several real-world examples of AI applications in healthcare. The results indicate that major hospitals are, at present, using AI-enabled systems to augment medical staff in patient diagnosis and treatment activities for a wide range of diseases. In addition, AI systems are making an impact on improving the efficiency of nursing and managerial activities of hospitals. While AI is being embraced positively by healthcare providers, its applications provide both the utopian perspective (new opportunities) and the dystopian view (challenges to overcome). We discuss the details of those opportunities and challenges to provide a balanced view of the value of AI applications in healthcare. It is clear that rapid advances of AI and related technologies will help care providers create new value for their patients and improve the efficiency of their operational processes. Nevertheless, effective applications of AI will require effective planning and strategies to transform the entire care service and operations to reap the benefits of what technologies offer. | Int J Environ Res Public Healt | 2021 | | CORD-19 |
| 7677 | Prediction of the COVID-19 spread in African countries and implications for prevention and control: A case study in South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya Abstract COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) is globally spreading and the international cooperation is urgently required in joint prevention and control of the epidemic. Using the Maximum-Hasting (MH) parameter estimation method and the modified Susceptible Exposed Infectious Recovered (SEIR) model, the spread of the epidemic under three intervention scenarios (suppression, mitigation, mildness) is simulated and predicted in South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria, where the epidemic situations are severe. The studies are also conducted in Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya, where the epidemic situations are growing rapidly and the socio-economic are relatively under-developed, resulting in more difficulties in preventing the epidemic. Results indicated that the epidemic can be basically controlled in late April with strict control of scenario one, manifested by the circumstance in the South Africa and Senegal. Under moderate control of scenario two, the number of infected people will increase by 1.43–1.55 times of that in scenario one, the date of the epidemic being controlled will be delayed by about 10 days, and Algeria, Nigeria, and Kenya are in accordance with this situation. In the third scenario of weak control, the epidemic will be controlled by late May, the total number of infected cases will double that in scenario two, and Egypt is in line with this prediction. In the end, a series of epidemic controlling methods are proposed, including patient quarantine, close contact tracing, population movement control, government intervention, city and county epidemic risk level classification, and medical cooperation and the Chinese assistance. | Sci Total Environ | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7678 | Food system disruption: initial livelihood and dietary effects of COVID-19 on vegetable producers in India Disruption to food systems and impacts on livelihoods and diets have been brought into sharp focus by the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to investigate effects of this multi-layered shock on production, sales, prices, incomes and diets for vegetable farmers in India as both producers and consumers of nutrient-dense foods. We undertook a rapid telephone survey with 448 farmers in 4 states, in one of the first studies to document the early impacts of the pandemic and policy responses on farming households. We find that a majority of farmers report negative impacts on production, sales, prices and incomes. Over 80% of farms reported some decline in sales, and over 20% of farms reported devastating declines (sold almost nothing). Price reductions were reported by over 80% of farmers, and reductions by more than half for 50% of farmers. Similarly, farm income reportedly dropped for 90% of farms, and by more than half for 60%. Of surveyed households, 62% reported disruptions to their diets. A majority of farm households reported reduced ability to access the most nutrient-dense foods. Around 80% of households reported ability to protect their staple food consumption, and the largest falls in consumption were in fruit and animal source foods other than dairy, in around half of households. Reported vegetable consumption fell in almost 30% of households, but vegetables were also the only food group where consumption increased for some, in around 15% of households. Our data suggest higher vulnerability of female farmers in terms of both livelihoods and diet, and differential effects on smaller and larger farms, meaning different farms may require different types of support in order to continue to function. Farms reported diverse coping strategies to maintain sales, though often with negative implications for reported incomes. The ability to consume one’s own produce may be somewhat protective of diets when other routes to food access fail. The impacts of COVID-19 and subsequent policy responses on both livelihoods and diets in horticultural households risk rolling back the impressive economic and nutrition gains India has seen over the past decade. Food systems, and particularly those making available the most nutrient-dense foods, must be considered in ongoing and future government responses. | Food Secur | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7679 | COVID-19 and multiorgan failure: A narrative review on potential mechanisms The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) in December 2019 form Wuhan, China leads to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While the common cold symptoms are observed in mild cases, COVID-19 is accompanied by multiorgan failure in severe patients. The involvement of different organs in severe patients results in lengthening the hospitalization duration and increasing the mortality rate. In this review, we aimed to investigate the involvement of different organs in COVID-19 patients, particularly in severe cases. Also, we tried to define the potential underlying mechanisms of SARS-CoV2 induced multiorgan failure. The multi-organ dysfunction is characterized by acute lung failure, acute liver failure, acute kidney injury, cardiovascular disease, and as well as a wide spectrum of hematological abnormalities and neurological disorders. The most important mechanisms are related to the direct and indirect pathogenic features of SARS-CoV2. Although the presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, a receptor of SARS-CoV2 in the lung, heart, kidney, testis, liver, lymphocytes, and nervous system was confirmed, there are controversial findings to about the observation of SARS-CoV2 RNA in these organs. Moreover, the organ failure may be induced by the cytokine storm, a result of increased levels of inflammatory mediators, endothelial dysfunction, coagulation abnormalities, and infiltration of inflammatory cells into the organs. Therefore, further investigations are needed to detect the exact mechanisms of pathogenesis. Since the involvement of several organs in COVID-19 patients is important for clinicians, increasing their knowledge may help to improve the outcomes and decrease the rate of mortality and morbidity. | J Mol Histol | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7680 | Post-traumatic stress disorder: A differential diagnostic consideration for COVID-19 survivors N/A | Clin Neuropsychol | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7681 | Efficacy of masks and face coverings in controlling outward aerosol particle emission from expiratory activities The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a surge in demand for facemasks to protect against disease transmission. In response to shortages, many public health authorities have recommended homemade masks as acceptable alternatives to surgical masks and N95 respirators. Although mask wearing is intended, in part, to protect others from exhaled, virus-containing particles, few studies have examined particle emission by mask-wearers into the surrounding air. Here, we measured outward emissions of micron-scale aerosol particles by healthy humans performing various expiratory activities while wearing different types of medical-grade or homemade masks. Both surgical masks and unvented KN95 respirators, even without fit-testing, reduce the outward particle emission rates by 90% and 74% on average during speaking and coughing, respectively, compared to wearing no mask, corroborating their effectiveness at reducing outward emission. These masks similarly decreased the outward particle emission of a coughing superemitter, who for unclear reasons emitted up to two orders of magnitude more expiratory particles via coughing than average. In contrast, shedding of non-expiratory micron-scale particulates from friable cellulosic fibers in homemade cotton-fabric masks confounded explicit determination of their efficacy at reducing expiratory particle emission. Audio analysis of the speech and coughing intensity confirmed that people speak more loudly, but do not cough more loudly, when wearing a mask. Further work is needed to establish the efficacy of cloth masks at blocking expiratory particles for speech and coughing at varied intensity and to assess whether virus-contaminated fabrics can generate aerosolized fomites, but the results strongly corroborate the efficacy of medical-grade masks and highlight the importance of regular washing of homemade masks. | Sci Rep | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7682 | Self-Isolation Compliance In The COVID-19 Era Influenced By Compensation: Findings From A Recent Survey In Israel N/A | Health Aff (Millwood) | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7683 | Peptide-like and small-molecule inhibitors against Covid-19 Coronavirus disease strain (SARS-CoV-2) was discovered in 2019, and it is spreading very fast around the world causing the disease Covid-19. Currently, more than 1.6 million individuals are infected, and several thousand are dead across the globe because of Covid-19. Here, we utilized the in-silico approaches to identify possible protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. Potential compounds were screened from the CHEMBL database, ZINC database, FDA approved drugs and molecules under clinical trials. Our study is based on 6Y2F and 6W63 co-crystallized structures available in the protein data bank (PDB). Seven hundred compounds from ZINC/CHEMBL databases and fourteen hundred compounds from drug-bank were selected based on positive interactions with the reported binding site. All the selected compounds were subjected to standard-precision (SP) and extra-precision (XP) mode of docking. Generated docked poses were carefully visualized for known interactions within the binding site. Molecular mechanics-generalized born surface area (MM-GBSA) calculations were performed to screen the best compounds based on docking scores and binding energy values. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out on four selected compounds from the CHEMBL database to validate the stability and interactions. MD simulations were also performed on the PDB structure 6YF2F to understand the differences between screened molecules and co-crystallized ligand. We screened 300 potential compounds from various databases, and 66 potential compounds from FDA approved drugs. Cobicistat, ritonavir, lopinavir, and darunavir are in the top screened molecules from FDA approved drugs. The screened drugs and molecules may be helpful in fighting with SARS-CoV-2 after further studies. | J Biomol Struct Dyn | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7684 | Novel Coronavirus and Old Lessons-Preparing the Health System for the Pandemic N/A | N Engl J Med | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7685 | A "Global Safety Net" to reverse biodiversity loss and stabilize Earth's climate Global strategies to halt the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change are often formulated separately, even though they are interdependent and risk failure if pursued in isolation. The Global Safety Net maps how expanded nature conservation addresses both overarching threats. We identify 50% of the terrestrial realm that, if conserved, would reverse further biodiversity loss, prevent CO(2) emissions from land conversion, and enhance natural carbon removal. This framework shows that, beyond the 15.1% land area currently protected, 35.3% of land area is needed to conserve additional sites of particular importance for biodiversity and stabilize the climate. Fifty ecoregions and 20 countries contribute disproportionately to proposed targets. Indigenous lands overlap extensively with the Global Safety Net. Conserving the Global Safety Net could support public health by reducing the potential for zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 from emerging in the future. | Sci Adv | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7686 | COVID-19 Testing: The Threat of False-Negative Results | Mayo Clin Proc | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7687 | Gender differences of depression and anxiety among social media users during the COVID-19 outbreak in China:a cross-sectional study BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that the outbreak of infectious diseases would result in mental health problems. Females are in greater risk for psychological problems than males. The present study investigated gender differences of depression and anxiety and explored associated factors during the COVID-19 epidemic among Chinese social media users. METHODS: We recruited 3088 participants through social media cross China. Participants completed sociodemographic and the COVID-19 epidemic related questions, the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), and the 2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2), the Chinese version of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. We applied Chi-square test and ANOVA for data description and linear regression analysis for exploring factors associated with depression and anxiety. RESULTS: Of 3063 participants eligible for analysis, the total prevalence of depression and anxiety was 14.14 and 13.25%. Females were experiencing more severe stress and anxiety symptoms, while males showed better resilience to stress. The severity of depression symptoms would decrease with the increase of age resilience, and it would increase if being unemployed, feeling less adapted, being more stressed. The severity of anxiety symptoms would decrease with higher education and better resilience, and it would increase if being female, spending over 60 min on COVID-19 related information, less adapted, and being more stressed. CONCLUSION: The findings show the increased prevalence of depression and anxiety in Chinese population during the COVID-19 epidemic, and females are experiencing more severe anxiety symptoms than males. As social media is the current main resource of information related to COVID-19, interventions should be implemented to help users to limit the time they spend on social media and to get key information related to the epidemic from authoritative and authentic resource to avoid infodemic and prevent mental health problems. | BMC Public Health | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7688 | COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Considerations and Costs of Telehealth Exercise Programs for Older Adults With Functional Impairments Living at Home-Lessons Learned From a Pilot Case Study OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the process and cost of delivering a physical therapist–guided synchronous telehealth exercise program appropriate for older adults with functional limitations. Such programs may help alleviate some of the detrimental impacts of social distancing and quarantine on older adults at-risk of decline. METHODS: Data were derived from the feasibility arm of a parent study, which piloted the telehealth program for 36 sessions with 1 participant. The steps involved in each phase (ie, development, delivery) were documented, along with participant and program provider considerations for each step. Time-driven activity-based costing was used to track all costs over the course of the study. Costs were categorized as program development or delivery and estimated per session and per participant. RESULTS: A list of the steps and the participant and provider considerations involved in developing and delivering a synchronous telehealth exercise program for older adults with functional impairments was developed. Resources used, fixed and variable costs, per-session cost estimates, and total cost per person were reported. Two potential measures of the “value proposition” of this type of intervention were also reported. Per-session cost of $158 appears to be a feasible business case, especially if the physical therapist to trained assistant personnel mix could be improved. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide insight into the process and costs of developing and delivering telehealth exercise programs for older adults with functional impairments. The information presented may provide a “blue print” for developing and implementing new telehealth programs or for transitioning in-person services to telehealth delivery during periods of social distancing and quarantine. IMPACT: As movement experts, physical therapists are uniquely positioned to play an important role in the current COVID-19 pandemic and to help individuals who are at risk of functional decline during periods of social distancing and quarantine. Lessons learned from this study’s experience can provide guidance on the process and cost of developing and delivering a telehealth exercise program for older adults with functional impairments. The findings also can inform new telehealth programs, as well as assist in transitioning in-person care to a telehealth format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. | Phys Ther | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7689 | Assessment of Maternal and Neonatal SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load, Transplacental Antibody Transfer and Placental Pathology in Pregnancies During the COVID-19 Pandemic IMPORTANCE: Biological data are lacking with respect to risk of vertical transmission and mechanisms of fetoplacental protection in maternal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. OBJECTIVE: To quantify SARS-CoV-2 viral load in maternal and neonatal biofluids, transplacental passage of anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibody, and incidence of fetoplacental infection. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study was conducted among pregnant women presenting for care at 3 tertiary care centers in Boston, Massachusetts. Women with reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results positive for SARS-CoV-2 were recruited from April 2 to June 13, 2020, and follow-up occurred through July 10, 2020. Contemporaneous participants without SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled as a convenience sample from pregnant women with RT-PCR results negative for SARS-CoV-2. EXPOSURES: SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy, defined by nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The main outcomes were SARS-CoV-2 viral load in maternal plasma or respiratory fluids and umbilical cord plasma, quantification of anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in maternal and cord plasma, and presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the placenta. RESULTS: Among 127 pregnant women enrolled, 64 with RT-PCR results positive for SARS-CoV-2 (mean [SD] age, 31.6 [5.6] years) and 63 with RT-PCR results negative for SARS-CoV-2 (mean [SD] age, 33.9 [5.4] years) provided samples for analysis. Of women with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 23 (36%) were asymptomatic, 22 (34%) had mild disease, 7 (11%) had moderate disease, 10 (16%) had severe disease, and 2 (3%) had critical disease. In viral load analyses among 107 women, there was no detectable viremia in maternal or cord blood and no evidence of vertical transmission. Among 77 neonates tested in whom SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were quantified in cord blood, 1 had detectable immunoglobuilin M to nucleocapsid. Among 88 placentas tested, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in any. In antibody analyses among 37 women with SARS-CoV-2 infection, anti–receptor binding domain immunoglobin G was detected in 24 women (65%) and anti-nucleocapsid was detected in 26 women (70%). Mother-to-neonate transfer of anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was significantly lower than transfer of anti-influenza hemagglutinin A antibodies (mean [SD] cord-to-maternal ratio: anti–receptor binding domain immunoglobin G, 0.72 [0.57]; anti-nucleocapsid, 0.74 [0.44]; anti-influenza, 1.44 [0.80]; P < .001). Nonoverlapping placental expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptors angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane serine protease 2 was noted. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study, there was no evidence of placental infection or definitive vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Transplacental transfer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was inefficient. Lack of viremia and reduced coexpression and colocalization of placental angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane serine protease 2 may serve as protective mechanisms against vertical transmission. | JAMA Netw Open | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7690 | Potential false-negative nucleic acid testing results for SARS-CoV-2 from thermal inactivation of samples with low viral loads BACKGROUND: Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has spread widely throughout the world since the end of 2019. Nucleic acid testing (NAT) has played an important role in patient diagnosis and management of COVID-19. In some circumstances, thermal inactivation at 56 °C has been recommended to inactivate Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) before NAT. However, this procedure could theoretically disrupt nucleic acid integrity of this single-stranded RNA virus and cause false negatives in real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests. METHODS: We investigated whether thermal inactivation could affect the results of viral NAT. We examined the effects of thermal inactivation on the quantitative RT-PCR results of SARS-CoV-2 particularly with regard to the rates of false-negative results for specimens carrying low viral loads. We additionally investigated the effects of different specimen types, sample preservation times and a chemical inactivation approach on NAT. RESULTS: Our work showed increased Ct values in specimens from diagnosed COVID-19 patients in RT-PCR tests after thermal incubation. Moreover, about half of the weak-positive samples (7 of 15 samples, 46.7%) were RT-PCR negative after heat inactivation in at least one parallel testing. The use of guanidinium-based lysis for preservation of these specimens had a smaller impact on RT-PCR results with fewer false negatives (2 of 15 samples, 13.3%) and significantly less increase in Ct values than heat inactivation. CONCLUSION: Thermal inactivation adversely affected the efficiency of RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Given the limited applicability associated with chemical inactivators, other approaches to ensure the overall protection of laboratory personnel need consideration. | Clin Chem | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7691 | Near-term pregnant women's attitude toward, concern about and knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic N/A | J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7692 | The emerging landscape of single-molecule protein sequencing technologies N/A | Nat Methods | 2021 | | CORD-19 |
| 7693 | Grading the commercial optical biosensor literature-Class of 2008: 'The Mighty Binders' N/A | J Mol Recognit | 2010 | | CORD-19 |
| 7694 | Which treatment is most effective for patients with Achilles tendinopathy? A living systematic review with network meta-analysis of 29 randomised controlled trials N/A | Br J Sports Med | 2021 | | CORD-19 |
| 7695 | Overview of Protein Microarrays Protein microarray is an emerging technology that provides a versatile platform for characterization of hundreds of thousands of proteins in a highly parallel and high-throughput way. Two major classes of protein microarrays are defined to describe their applications: analytical and functional protein microarrays. In addition, tissue or cell lysates can also be fractionated and spotted on a slide to form a reverse-phase protein microarray. While the fabrication technology is maturing, applications of protein microarrays, especially functional protein microarrays, have flourished during the past decade. Here, we will first review recent advances in the protein microarray technologies, and then present a series of examples to illustrate the applications of analytical and functional protein microarrays in both basic and clinical research. The research areas will include detection of various binding properties of proteins, study of protein posttranslational modifications, analysis of host-microbe interactions, profiling antibody specificity, and identification of biomarkers in autoimmune diseases. As a powerful technology platform, it would not be surprising if protein microarrays will become one of the leading technologies in proteomic and diagnostic fields in the next decade. | Curr Protoc Protein Sci | 2013 | | CORD-19 |
| 7696 | Middle East Respiratory Syndrome N/A | J Spec Oper Med | 2015 | | CORD-19 |
| 7697 | An emerging class of air pollutants: Potential effects of microplastics to respiratory human health? Abstract It is increasingly recognized that the ubiquity of convenient single-use plastic has resulted in a global plastic pollution challenge, with substantial environmental and health consequences. Physical, chemical, and biological processes result in plastic weathering, with eventual formation of debris in the micro to nano size range. There is an increasing awareness that plastic fragments are dispersed in the air and can be inhaled by humans, which may cause adverse effects on the respiratory system and on other systems. Urban environments are often characterized by high concentrations of fine airborne dust from various sources. To date, however, there is limited information on the distribution, shape, and size of microplastics in the air in urban and other environments. In this article, we review and discuss our current understanding of the exposure characteristics of airborne plastic debris in urbanized areas, focusing on concentration, size, morphology, presence of additives and distributions of different polymers. The natural and extend data are compiled and compared to laboratory-based analyses to further our understanding of the potential adverse effects of inhaled plastic particles on human health. | Sci Total Environ | 2020 | | CORD-19 |
| 7698 | From Hendra to Wuhan: what has been learned in responding to emerging zoonotic viruses | Lancet | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
| 7699 | Rapid point of care diagnostic tests for viral and bacterial respiratory tract infections-needs, advances and future prospects Respiratory tract infections rank second as causes of adult and paediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. Respiratory tract infections are caused by many different bacteria (including mycobacteria) and viruses, and rapid detection of pathogens in individual cases is crucial in achieving the best clinical management, public health surveillance, and control outcomes. Further challenges in improving management outcomes for respiratory tract infections exist: rapid identification of drug resistant pathogens; more widespread surveillance of infections, locally and internationally; and global responses to infections with pandemic potential. Developments in genome amplification have led to the discovery of several new respiratory pathogens, and sensitive PCR methods for the diagnostic work-up of these are available. Advances in technology have allowed for development of single and multiplexed PCR techniques that provide rapid detection of respiratory viruses in clinical specimens. Microarray-based multiplexing and nucleic-acid-based deep-sequencing methods allow simultaneous detection of pathogen nucleic acid and multiple antibiotic resistance, providing further hope in revolutionising rapid point of care respiratory tract infection diagnostics. | Lancet Infect Dis | 2014 | | CORD-19 |
| 7700 | Epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis Our understanding of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to evolve and there are many unknowns about its epidemiology. This study aims to synthesise case fatality rate (CFR) among confirmed COVID-19 patients, incubation period and time from onset of COVID-19 symptoms to first medical visit, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, recovery, and death. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and bibliographies of relevant articles from 01 December 2019 to 11 March 2020 without any language restrictions. Quantitative studies that recruited people with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis were included. Two independent reviewers extracted the data. Out of 1675 non-duplicate studies, 43 were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled mean incubation period was 5.68 (99% confidence interval [CI]: 4.78, 6.59) days. The pooled mean number of days from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms to first clinical visit was 4.92 (95% CI: 3.95, 5.90), ICU admission was 9.84 (95% CI: 8.78, 10.90), recovery was 18.55 (95% CI: 13.69, 23.41), and death was 15.93 (95% CI: 13.07, 18.79). Pooled CFR among confirmed COVID-19 patients was 0.02 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.03). We found that the incubation period and lag between the onset of symptoms and first clinical visit for COVID-19 are longer than other respiratory viral infections including Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome; however, the current policy of 14 days of mandatory quarantine for everyone potentially exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) might be too conservative. Longer quarantine periods might be more justified for extreme cases. | Epidemiol Infect | 2020 | | LitCov and CORD-19 |
