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This study investigated the effectiveness of natural infection in preventing reinfection with the JN.1 variant during a large JN.1 wave in Qatar, using a test-negative case-control study design. The overall effectiveness of previous infection in preventing reinfection with JN.1 was estimated at only 1.8% (95% CI: -9.3-12.6%). This effectiveness demonstrated a rapid decline over time since the previous infection, decreasing from 82.4% (95% CI: 40.9-94.7%) within 3 to less than 6 months after the previous infection to 50.9% (95% CI: -11.8-78.7%) in the subsequent 3 months, and further dropping to 18.3% (95% CI: -34.6-56.3%) in the subsequent 3 months. Ultimately, it reached a negligible level after one year. The findings show that the protection of natural infection against reinfection with JN.1 is strong only among those who were infected within the last 6 months, with variants such as XBB*. However, this protection wanes rapidly and is entirely lost one year after the previous infection. The findings support considerable immune evasion by JN.1.
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PurposeThis study aims to explore the status and drivers (including free-floated shares, board size, rule duality and board independence) of corporate risk disclosure (CRD) for the conventional listed banks in the Egyptian stock market from 2010 to 2021, which include the country's major political upheavals and the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approachThis study based on a sample of 117 annual reports of sampled banks from 2010 to 2021. RD index of Al-Maghzom (2016) was developed and adopted to quantify CRD using an unweighted scoring system. The multiple linear regression model was used to validate the hypotheses. FindingsThe analysis shows that the COVID-19 pandemic increased insignificantly disclosure of all risks except for segment risks. In addition, findings reveal that all sampled banks adhere highly to the requirements of mandatory RD, with a low level of adherence to voluntary RD. Moreover, the analysis concluded that the board size and free-floating shares positively affect the disclosure of financial, operational, general information. Research limitations/implicationsThe study's limitations include the content analysis methodology, reliance on annual reports, emphasis on financial and non-financial risks, focus on listed conventional banks in Egypt. Practical implicationsCurrent study's findings are more likely to be useful for many parties. It informs investors about the characteristics of the boards' directors of Egyptian listed banks that disclosed risk information. Banks should disclose more comprehensive risk information. For academics, the current study's limitations can be considered in their future research. Originality/valueThis work fills a new research area in which there is relatively little research in emerging financial markets that adds new evidence to the relationship between RD and both free-floating shares and board characteristics, particularly in Egypt.
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Internet of things is progressing very rapidly and involving multiple domains of everyday life including environment, governance, healthcare system, transportation system, energy management system, etc. smart city is a platform for collecting and storing the information that is accessed through various sensor-based IoT devices and make their information available in required and authorized domains. This interoperability can be achieved by semantic web technology. In this paper, I have reviewed multiple papers related to IoT in Smart Cities and presented a comparison among the semantic parameters. Moreover, I've presented my future domain of research which is about delivering the COVID-19 patients report to the concerned domains by the healthcare system domain. © 2023 IEEE.
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Objective: Malaysia's first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was reported in January 2020, with the first case in the state of Negeri Sembilan diagnosed on 17 February 2020. The National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme commenced in early March 2021 in Negeri Sembilan. This study describes the COVID-19 cases and vaccination coverage in Seremban District, Negeri Sembilan, during 2021. Methods: The demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 cases and the district's vaccination coverage were described. Vaccination coverage was plotted against COVID-19 cases on the epidemic curve. The chi-square test was used to examine the differences between the vaccination status of COVID-19 cases and severity category, hospitalization status and mortality. Results: In Seremban District, there were 65 879 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 2021. The data revealed that the 21–30-year age group had the highest proportion of cases (16 365;24.8%), the majority of cases were male (58.3%), and most cases were from the sub-district of Ampangan (23.1%). The majority of cases were Malaysian. Over half (53.5%) were symptomatic, with fever (29.8%) and cough (22.8%) being the most frequently reported symptoms. COVID-19 vaccination status was significantly associated with severity category, hospitalization and mortality (P < 0.001 for all categories). Discussion: This is the first study to describe two-dose vaccination coverage and the trend in COVID-19 cases in Seremban District. It was observed that COVID-19 cases had been reduced following more than 60.0% vaccination coverage. © 2023, World Health Organization. All rights reserved.
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In Malaysia, there has been an increase in bankruptcy cases among the younger generation, indicating poor money management among youths. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) outbreak has exacerbated this emerging financial issue since financial transactions are now more accessible through the growth of online digital financial products and services (DFS) (Mansour, 2022). Therefore, it is crucial that the younger generation is financially literate from the digital perspective — digital financial literacy (DFL). This study identified factors that may affect one‘s DFL that have not been previously explored in the financial literacy literature. In a survey that involved 183 Malaysian university students, determinants of DFL were identified, namely: financial knowledge score (FKS), programme or study level (PL), gender, age, as well as parental influence (PRI), peer influence (PEI), and social media influence (SMI). The data were analysed using partial least squares (PLS) modelling. The structural model analysis revealed that FKS and SMI positively impacted DFL, highlighting the importance of social media for financial education. Age had an insignificantly negative effect on DFL, contradicting earlier studies that used age as a proxy for financial experience. This research outcome adds to the existing and growing literature on DFL, which has lately gained prominence due to the proliferation of DFS. © 2023 The Authors.
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Although some believe it has been wiped out, the coronavirus is striking again. Controlling this epidemic necessitates early detection of coronavirus disease. Computed tomography (CT) scan images allow fast and accurate screening for COVID-19. This study seeks to develop the most precise model for identifying and classifying COVID-19 by developing an automated approach using transfer-learning CNN models as a base. Transfer learning models like VGG16, Resnet50, and Xception are employed in this study. The VGG16 has a 98.39% accuracy, the Resnet50 has a 97.27% accuracy, and the Xception has a 96.6% accuracy;after that, a hybrid model made using the stacking ensemble method has an accuracy of 98.71%. According to the findings, hybrid architecture offers greater accuracy than a single architecture. © 2023,International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications. All Rights Reserved.
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Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to unprecedented mental health repercussions in the lives of every individual including university students. Therefore, study on students' psychological state and its associated factors during the pandemic are of importance. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned issue. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey was done on a total of 207 university students of Pakistan to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, concerns or fears amidst COVID-19 and mental distress. Validated tools;Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)-Depression were used to assess stress, anxiety and depression, respectively. Findings: Around 14% of the university students were experiencing severe stress and anxiety, while 8.2% had severe depression. The authors found that stress among university students was related to psychiatric illness or symptoms (OR = 5.1: 1.1, 22.9) and unpredictability due to the pandemic (OR = 3.7: 1.2, 11.2). The significant determinants of anxiety were psychiatric illness/symptoms (OR = 6.6: 3.4, 12.9), implementation of public health measures (OR = 3.7: 1.1, 11.6), employed mothers (OR = 2.4: 1.1, 5.0) and lack of support from university administration (OR = 2.2: 1.0, 5.0). While the factors associated with depression included psychiatric illness or symptoms (OR = 8.4: 3.3, 21.5), unpredictability due to pandemic (OR = 6.8: 2.2, 20.7), impaired social support system (OR = 3.7: 1.3, 10.4) and studying without a scholarship (OR = 2.1: 1.0, 4.4). Research limitations/implications: These findings call for an urgent need to develop appropriate interventions and educational programs that could address the psychological needs of students. Practical implications: The study directs the role of university and faculty in dealing the mental health needs of the student in COVID-19 pandemic time. Social implications: Educational programs are important that could address the psychological needs of students in COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value: University students reported mental distress during COVID-19 pandemic which shows that younger people are at risk of COVID-19 repercussions. Moreover, several stressors (i.e. impaired social support system and lack of support from universities) were revealed that could be mitigated by implementing appropriate strategies. © 2023, Naureen Akber Ali, Anam Feroz, Noshaba Akber and Adeel Khoja.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected medical education worldwide. Developed countries have successfully managed this by adopting modified ways of teaching and assessment and utilizing their resources but low income countries have struggled in managing the challenges they have faced in teaching and assessment. Medical exams have been postponed multiple times because of no clear way forward due to limited resources. This has not only resulted in wasting of the time of students but also adds to desperation and frustration of the students as well as teachers and institutes. Newer modes of information transfer including E-lectures, pre-recorded videos, simulation based learning and assessment (Kahoot, Socrative etc) have been introduced over the past two years. This paper illustrates a modified model for medical exams which may prove a suitable alternative for low income countries during pandemic. © 2022, Khyber Medical University. All rights reserved.
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The death t toll of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been considerable. Several risk factors have been linked to mortality due to COVID-19 in hospitals. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of patients who either died from COVID-19 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in Bangladesh. In this retrospective study, we reviewed the hospital records of patients who died or recovered and tested positive for COVID-19 from May 3 to August 31, 2020. All patients who died during the study period were included in the analysis. A comparison group of patients who survived COVID-19 at the same hospital during the same period was systematically sampled. All available information was retrieved from the records, including demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables. Of the 3115 patients with confirmed COVID-19 during the study period, 282 died.The mean age of patients who died was higher than that of those who survived (56.7 vs 52.6 years). Approximately three-fourths of deceased patients were male. History of smoking (risk ratio 2.3;95% confidence interval: 1.6-3.4), comorbidities (risk ratio: 1.5;95% confidence interal:1.1-2.1), chronic kidney disease (risk ratio: 3.2;95% confidence interval: 1.7-6.25), and ischemic heart disease (risk ratio:1.8;95% confidence interval: 1.1-2.9) were higher among the deceased than among those who survived. Mean C-reactive protein and D-dimer levels [mean (interquartile range), 34 (21-56) vs. 24 (12-48);and D-dimer [1.43 (1-2.4) vs. 0.8 (0.44-1.55)] were higher among those who died than among those who recovered. Older age, male sex, rural residence, history of smoking, and chronic kidney disease were found to be important predictors of mortality. Early hospitalization should be considered for patients with COVID-19 who are older, male, and have chronic kidney disease. Rapid referral to tertiary care facilities is necessary for high-risk patients in rural settings.Copyright © 2023 Hoque MM.
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BACKGROUND: Neurocognitive dysfunction (NCD) is a common comorbidity among children with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, it is unclear how underlying CHD and its sequelae combine with genetics and acquired cardiovascular and neurological disease to impact NCD and outcomes across the lifespan in adults with CHD. METHODS: The Multi-Institutional Neurocognitive Discovery Study in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease (MINDS-ACHD) is a partnership between the Pediatric Heart Network (PHN) and the Adult Alliance for Research in Congenital Cardiology (AARCC) that examines objective and subjective neurocognitive function and genetics in young ACHD. This multicenter cross-sectional pilot study is enrolling 500 young adults between 18 and 30 years with moderate or severe complexity CHD at 14 centers in North America. Enrollment includes 4 groups (125 participants each): (1) d-looped Transposition of the Great Arteries (d-TGA); (2) Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF); (3) single ventricle (SV) physiology; and (4) "other moderately or severely complex CHD." Participants complete the standardized tests from the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery, the NeuroQoL, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the PROMIS Global QoL measure. Clinical and demographic variables are collected by interview and medical record review, and an optional biospecimen is collected for genetic analysis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, participation may be done remotely. Tests are reviewed by a Neurocognitive Core Laboratory. CONCLUSIONS: MINDS-ACHD is the largest study to date characterizing NCD in young adults with moderate or severely complex CHD in North America. Its results will provide valuable data to inform screening and management strategies for NCD in ACHD and improve lifelong care.
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COVID-19 , Heart Defects, Congenital , Noncommunicable Diseases , Transposition of Great Vessels , Young Adult , Humans , Adult , Child , Heart Defects, Congenital/epidemiology , Transposition of Great Vessels/complications , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , Pilot Projects , Quality of Life , COVID-19/complicationsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) are more likely to develop severe course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and experience increased risk of mortality compared to SARS-CoV-2 patients without CRC. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CRC patients and analyse the demographic parameters, clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in CRC patients with COVID-19 illness. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Proquest, Medline, Embase, Pubmed, CINAHL, Wiley online library, Scopus and Nature for studies on the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CRC patients, published from December 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, with English language restriction. Effect sizes of prevalence were pooled with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Sub-group analyses were performed to minimize heterogeneity. Binary logistic regression model was used to explore the effect of various demographic and clinical characteristics on patient's final treatment outcome (survival or death). RESULTS: Of the 472 papers that were identified, 69 articles were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis (41 cohort, 16 case-report, 9 case-series, 2 cross-sectional, and 1 case-control studies). Studies involving 3362 CRC patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 (all patients were adults) were analyzed. The overall pooled proportions of CRC patients who had laboratory-confirmed community-acquired and hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infections were 8.1% (95% CI 6.1 to 10.1, n = 1308, 24 studies, I2 98%, p = 0.66), and 1.5% (95% CI 1.1 to 1.9, n = 472, 27 studies, I2 94%, p < 0.01). The median patient age ranged from 51.6 years to 80 years across studies. The majority of the patients were male (n = 2243, 66.7%) and belonged to White (Caucasian) (n = 262, 7.8%), Hispanic (n = 156, 4.6%) and Asian (n = 153, 4.4%) ethnicity. The main source of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CRC patients was community-acquired (n = 2882, 85.7%; p = 0.014). Most of those SARS-CoV-2 patients had stage III CRC (n = 725, 21.6%; p = 0.036) and were treated mainly with surgical resections (n = 304, 9%) and chemotherapies (n = 187, 5.6%), p = 0.008. The odd ratios of death were significantly high in patients with old age (≥ 60 years) (OR 1.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.96; p < 0.001), male gender (OR 1.44, 95% CI 0.41-0.47; p < 0.001) CRC stage III (OR 1.54, 95% CI 0.02-1.05; p = 0.041), CRC stage IV (OR 1.69, 95% CI 0.17-1.2; p = 0.009), recent active treatment with chemotherapies (OR 1.35, 95% CI 0.5-0.66; p = 0.023) or surgical resections (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.8-0.73; p = 0.016) and admission to ICU (OR 1.88, 95% CI 0.85-1.12; p < 0.001) compared to those who survived. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 infection in CRC patient is not uncommon and results in a mortality rate of 26.2%. Key determinants that lead to increased mortality in CRC patients infected with COVID-19 include older age (≥ 60 years old); male gender; Asian and Hispanic ethnicity; if SARS-CoV-2 was acquired from hospital source; advanced CRC (stage III and IV); if patient received chemotherapies or surgical treatment; and if patient was admitted to ICU, ventilated or experienced ARDS.
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A mathematical model revealing the transmission mechanism of COVID-19 is produced and theoretically examined, which has helped us address the disease dynamics and treatment measures, such as vaccination for susceptible patients. The mathematical model containing the whole population was partitioned into six different compartments, represented by the SVEIQR model. Important properties of the model, such as the nonnegativity of solutions and their boundedness, are established. Furthermore, we calculated the basic reproduction number, which is an important parameter in infection models. The disease-free equilibrium solution of the model was determined to be locally and globally asymptotically stable. When the basic reproduction number (Formula presented.) is less than one, the disease-free equilibrium point is locally asymptotically stable. To discover the approximative solution to the model, a general numerical approach based on the Haar collocation technique was developed. Using some real data, the sensitivity analysis of (Formula presented.) was shown. We simulated the approximate results for various values of the quarantine and vaccination populations using Matlab to show the transmission dynamics of the Coronavirus-19 disease through graphs. The validation of the results by the Simulink software and numerical methods shows that our model and adopted methodology are appropriate and accurate and could be used for further predictions for COVID-19. © 2022 by the authors.
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BACKGROUND: Acute arterial thromboembolism among the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) patients is worrying as it can result in significant thrombotic events. AIM: The research aimed to determine the clinical results of COVID-19-infected patients who had acute limb ischemia (ALI) during the COVID-19 epidemic. METHOD(S): ALI patients who had a positive COVID-19 were included in the observational cohort study, which was conducted at a single center. The primary outcomes were 30 days mortality, limb salvage, and successful revascularization. RESULT(S): From May to October 2021, data from 21 ALI subjects who had positive COVID-19 were analyzed. Of the 21 included subjects, 10 were male (48%). Their mean age was 65 +/- 5 years. In 9 subjects (42%), revascularization was done. Four (19%) of the 21 persons died while they were hospitalized. Twelve patients underwent major amputation, and among them, one patient died after a month of hospitalization for COVID-19-related pneumonia. Among the 12 patients that underwent amputation, 10 of them presented with ALI during the 1st week of COVID-19 illness. Only one patient developed acute limb ischemia despite being on heparin thromboprophylaxis. CONCLUSION(S): Despite attempts at revascularization, ALI associated with COVID-19 has high mortality and high rates of limb loss. In our experience, major amputation is required in up to a third of patients. This poor result appears to confirm that these infected individuals have a marked hypercoagulable condition. However, adhering to the treatment protocol of heparin thromboprophylaxis confers a benefit in this patient group. Copyright © 2022 Karthigesu Aimanan, Nurul Nadiah Nazurah Mohd Ali, Mohd Nurhisham Azmi Abdul Rahman, Putra Mas Pian, Kumaraguru V. K. Pillay, Firdaus Hayati, Hanif Hussein.