Coronavirus has had a significant impact on daily life. Prisons are not exempt from the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Prisons are particularly at risk due to their secure environment and vulnerable inmate populations. We examine steps taken by the 50 state departments of correction and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to mitigate COVID-19 as reported on their websites. While states vary in their response to the virus, those responses do not appear to be related to regional or political differences. Few are testing or quarantining all inmates, and there are more proactive responses devoted to staff than inmates in their facilities. Findings demonstrate that prison systems? policies regarding COVID-19 testing, quarantining, and provision of personal protective equipment for inmates do not fully align with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. As a result, the steps prison systems are taking to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 may be more reactionary than proactive, which may be less effective overall.

BACKGROUND New technologies, like socially assistive robots (SARs), may have the potential to support caregivers at home. Still, the evidence for people with dementia in home care is unclear because a lot of studies are performed in a laboratory or institutional setting, and mainly use robots in prototype stages. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the effects of the refined, commercially-available, humanoid SAR Pepper combined with a tablet PC-based dementia training program (Coach Pepper) versus an exclusively tablet PC-based dementia training program on psychosocial and physical outcomes of people with dementia living at home, including caregivers and dementia trainers. We hypothesize that Coach Pepper has a more positive effect on the primary outcome motivation (stable or decreased apathy) of people with dementia. METHODS A mixed methods study will be performed, including a randomized controlled, parallel, 2-arm study with a complementary qualitative part. This sample includes 40 PWD living at home and 40 relatives, each complemented with five professional caregivers and dementia trainers. The intervention group will receive Coach Pepper (a SAR connected with a tablet PC-based dementia training program), and the control group will receive exclusively tablet PC-based training without the SAR. The duration of the intervention will be three weeks per household. Data will be collected at baseline and during and after the intervention by standardized questionnaires, sensor data of the robot, and tablet PC, as well as semistructured interviews, focus groups, and observation. RESULTS To date, no results are available for this study protocol. The study intervention started in May 2019 and will end in Spring 2020. CONCLUSIONS The intervention of this study can be seen as a nonpharmacological intervention, including cognitive and physical training by a robot. This study will help to further refine SAR for the specific needs of people with dementia living at home. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/14927.

The objective: To provide pathogenetic justification for the need for extracorporeal blood purification in the new coronavirus infection Results: The article analyzes guidelines and the first experience of using extracorporeal methods in the new coronavirus infection in different countries It has been demonstrated that methods of extracorporeal blood purification have complex pleiotropic (multiple) effects and can quickly normalize the level of cytokines and other pathogenic factors, thereby preventing/reducing the severity of organ disorders The article specifies the criteria for choosing an extracorporeal method, as well as indications for its early and late use ? 2020 Messenger of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation All rights reserved

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emergent infectious pathogen causing an acute respiratory disease called corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Virus transmission may occur by contact, droplet, airborne or via contaminated surfaces. In efforts to effectively control the COVID-19 outbreak, the world health organization (WHO) and the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) have advised the public to practice protective measures to reduce transmission of the virus and reduce incidence of infection. These measures include hand washing, wearing masks and gloves and avoidance of touching the face with unwashed hands. The current study aimed to investigate knowledge and adherence of the Saudi population to these protective actions during the pandemic. After determining the required sample size using power analysis, a cross-sectional online self-reported survey of 5105 Saudi residents was conducted between 25(th) March to 17(th) April 2020 to evaluate public knowledge of COVID-19. Participants were all aged 18 years or above, Arabic speakers and residents of Saudi Arabia. Scores were calculated based on knowledge and adherence of the individuals to protective measures. About 90% of participants exhibited a high level of knowledge (scored 2/2) and practice (scored > 3/6) in relation to hand hygiene and wearing gloves and masks. Practice scores were positively associated with females and individuals with high income. Lower practice scores were linked to youth and residents of the northern and western regions of the Kingdom. Over two thirds of participants preferred hand washing to alcohol disinfection, and the frequency and performance of hand washing improved during the pandemic for more than half of respondents. Overall, the findings reflected high public knowledge of SARS-CoV2 transmission routes and adherence to personal protective measures. However, public awareness campaigns with an emphasis on the youth and individuals with low education and income are required to improve overall practice.

Introduction and objective Laparoscopic suturing of the vaginal cuff and knotting is the most challenging step in total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) and requires surgical skill. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of unidirectional barbed suture (V-LocTM 180; Covidien, Mansfield, MA) with the conventional polyglactin 910 suture (coated Vicryl; Covidien) for vaginal cuff closure in patients with benign uterine diseases undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Methods A prospective observational study was carried out at the department of obstetrics and gynecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, for two years. A total of 109 patients with benign uterine diseases planned for TLH were included in the study. Laparoscopic vaginal cuff closure was performed with the unidirectional barbed suture (V-Loc) in 44 patients and with the standard polyglactin 910 suture (Vicryl) in 65 patients. The primary outcome measure was vaginal cuff closure time. Secondary outcome measures included total operative time, blood loss, average number of stitches, postoperative pain perception, duration of hospital stay, vaginal cuff-related complications, and dyspareunia. Results Demographic variables and baseline characteristics were similar in both groups except for body mass index (BMI). The mean vaginal cuff closure time was significantly less in the V-Loc group (8.84 2.18 min) than in the Vicryl group (11.66 1.74 min) (p = <0.01). Mean operative time was comparable in both groups (V-Loc group - 109.3633.02 and Vicryl group - 108.4940.48; p = 0.91). Other intraoperative parameters, such as blood loss and number of stitches in cuff closure, and postoperative characteristics, such as pain score, duration of hospital stay, vaginal cuff-related complications (vault cuff dehiscence, hematoma, or abscess), and dyspareunia, were comparable in both the groups. Conclusions The unidirectional barbed suture significantly reduces vaginal cuff closure time. It is a safe, effective, and well-tolerated alternative to conventional Vicryl suture for vaginal cuff closure in TLH without increasing the risk of postoperative vaginal complications particularly where affordability is not an issue and resources are accessible.

The global burden of hypertension (HTN) is immense and increasing In fact, HTN is the leading risk factor for adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes Due to the critical significance and increasing prevalence of the disease, several national and international societies have recently updated their guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of HTN In consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic, this report provides clinicians with the best strategies to prevent HTN, manage the acute and long-term cardiac complications of HTN, and provide the best evidence-based care to patients in an ever-changing healthcare environment The overarching goal of the various HTN guidelines is to provide easily accessible information to healthcare providers and public health officials, which is key for optimal clinical practice However, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the ability to provide safe care to the most vulnerable hypertensive populations throughout the world Therefore, this review compares the most recent guidelines of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and multiple U S societies, the 2018 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension, the 2019 National Institute for Care and Health Excellence, and the 2020 International Society of Hypertension While a partial emphasis is placed on the management of HTN in the midst of COVID-19, this review will summarize current concepts and emerging data from the listed HTN guidelines on the diagnosis, monitoring, management, and evidence-based treatments in adults

The novel disease of 2019 by name coronavirus (Covid - 19 or SARS - CoV - 2), was first detected in December of 2019 in the Seafood Market of Huanan in Wuhan region of China. In less than a month it was proclaimed as a pandemic by The World Health Organization (WHO). Now, even after a year, it still remains to be a concern as a jeopardy to the global public health. The inception of Covid-19 has been identified as the third encounter of a highly morbific coronavirus after Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS - CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS_CoV) causing coronaviruses, in merely two decades. In this review, we illustrate the general features of coronavirus and highlight the pathogenesis of the disease, bringing forth the different theories of disease progression, which may help clinicians and other health professionals to achieve a direction for further research, therapeutic protocols and development of the vaccine for combating SARS - CoV - 2 infection.

Digital phenotyping is the term given to the capturing and use of user log data from health and wellbeing technologies used in apps and cloud-based services. This paper explores ethical issues in making use of digital phenotype data in the arena of digital health interventions. Products and services based on digital wellbeing technologies typically include mobile device apps as well as browser-based apps to a lesser extent, and can include telephony-based services, text-based chatbots, and voice-activated chatbots. Many of these digital products and services are simultaneously available across many channels in order to maximize availability for users. Digital wellbeing technologies offer useful methods for real-time data capture of the interactions of users with the products and services. It is possible to design what data are recorded, how and where it may be stored, and, crucially, how it can be analyzed to reveal individual or collective usage patterns. The paper also examines digital phenotyping workflows, before enumerating the ethical concerns pertaining to different types of digital phenotype data, highlighting ethical considerations for collection, storage, and use of the data. A case study of a digital health app is used to illustrate the ethical issues. The case study explores the issues from a perspective of data prospecting and subsequent machine learning. The ethical use of machine learning and artificial intelligence on digital phenotype data and the broader issues in democratizing machine learning and artificial intelligence for digital phenotype data are then explored in detail.

BACKGROUND In December 2019, an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), occurred in Wuhan, China. Patients with COVID-19 were also identified in Chongqing. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and demographic characteristics of cluster cases and sporadic cases of COVID-19 in 141 patients in the main district of Chongqing during one month, between January and February 2020. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective study included 141 patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19. The diagnosis was confirmed using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2. The patients were divided into cluster cases (n=90) and sporadic cases (n=51). Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between the two study groups and included the presence of comorbidities, the presenting symptoms, chest computed tomography (CT) imaging findings, and laboratory findings. RESULTS The mean age of the 141 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 was 47.3 years, and the most common presenting symptom was a persistent cough (48.9%). The 90 cluster cases (63.8%) were older than the sporadic cases, and cross-infection from family gathering occurred in 82.2%, and cough was more common than fever, and there was an increased prevalence of asymptomatic, mild, and moderate cases. Cluster cases showed fewer typical manifestations of COVID-19 on chest CT. However, the laboratory findings between the cluster and sporadic cases showed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS There were demographic and clinical differences between cluster cases and sporadic cases of COVID-19 in the main district of Chongqing during the month between January to February 2020.

Cloth masks can be an alternative to medical masks during pandemics. Recent studies have examined the performance of fabrics under various conditions; however, the performance against violent respiratory events such as human sneezes is yet to be explored. Accordingly, we present a comprehensive experimental study using sneezes by a healthy adult and a tailored image-based flow measurement diagnostic system evaluating all dimensions of protection of commonly available fabrics and their layered combinations: the respiratory droplet blocking efficiency, water resistance, and breathing resistance. Our results reveal that a well-designed cloth mask can outperform a three-layered surgical mask for such violent respiratory events. Specifically, increasing the number of layers significantly increases the droplet blocking efficiency, on average by a??20 times per additional fabric layer. A minimum of three layers is necessary to resemble the droplet blocking performance of surgical masks, and a combination of cotton/linen (hydrophilic inner layer)-blends (middle layer)-polyester/nylon (hydrophobic outer layer) exhibited the best performance among overall indicators tested. In an optimum three-layered design, the average thread count should be greater than 200, and the porosity should be less than 2%. Furthermore, machine washing at 60 C did not significantly impact the performance of cloth masks. These findings inform the design of high-performing homemade cloth masks.

Face detection perceives great importance in surveillance paradigm and security paradigm areas. Face recognition is the technique to identify a person identity after face detection. Extensive research has been done on these topics. Another important research problem is to detect concealed faces, especially in high-security places like airports or crowded places like concerts and shopping centres, for they may prevail security threat. Also, in order to help effectively in preventing the spread of Coronavirus, people should wear masks during the pandemic especially in the entrance to hospitals and medical facilities. Surveillance systems in medical facilities should issue warnings against unmasked people. This paper presents a novel technique for concealed face detection based on complexion detection to challenge a concealed face assumption. The proposed algorithm first determine of the existence of a human being in the surveillance scene. Head and shoulder contour will be detected. The face will be clustered to cluster patches. Then determination of presence or absent of human skin will be determined. We proposed a hybrid approach that combines normalized RGB (rgb) and the YCbCr space color. This technique is tested on two datasets; the first one contains 650 images of skin patches. The second dataset contains 800 face images. The algorithm achieves an average detection rate of 97.51% for concealed faces. Also, it achieved a run time comparable with existing state-of-the-art concealed face detection systems that run in real time.

The COVID-19 pandemic reveals how the systems and structures of racism devastate the health and well-being of people of color. The debate is an old one and the lesson we have yet to learn was tragically apparent a century ago during the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. Any history of structural racism in America must begin with the chronicles of African Americans, Native Alaskans, and Indigenous North Americans as they were the originally enslaved and displaced people, subjected to overt and covert policies of oppression ever since. The experiences of Native Alaskans of Bristol Bay Alaska in 1918-1919 present a parallel, illuminating a wrenching example of structural racism that cost lives and impoverished society, then as now. Proven policy solutions exist to remove the structures that produce inequitable health outcomes, but implementing them will require public health officials and policymakers to take multidisciplinary policy actions, to find policy opportunities for change to be made, and, likely, a change in the political environment. The first exists now, the second is afforded because of the current pandemic and the urgent need for policy solutions, and the third is likely coming soon.

Social isolation and loneliness are prevalent and impactful in the lives of older adult across care settings, and the emergence of a deadly global pandemic requiring social distancing and quarantining exacerbated these experiences significantly in 2020. A semester-long communication-focused clinical project was developed and piloted for sophomore bachelor of nursing science (BSN) students during fall 2020. Affording preclinical nursing students the opportunity to develop communication skills early in their program of study holds potential, and learning the story of older adults appears to be mutually beneficial; older adults serve as mentors and share their story, and preclinical nursing students have an opportunity to learn about their mentors life, challenging some prevalent stereotypes about aging. A pre- post-clinical survey of student attitudes toward older adults suggests a dramatic positive shift in perspective, and unsolicited, anecdotal comments in student reflections support this finding: ...it helped me feel much more open to working with older adults in the future; This conversation taught me that my assumptions about the older generation are not always correct. Of older adult participants, 96% reported the experience enriched and enhanced their social connectedness, with 88% requesting to participate in the program again. Narrative comments from residents indicated that their involvement enabled them to feel engaged and purposeful: I was a mentor; Conversations were so alive. Connections with curious young people fill my heart and soul. Intergenerational sharing of life stories has the potential for both healing and growth and may provide an antidote to ageism.

This paper presents a case study of a transdisciplinary scenario planning workshop that was designed to link global challenges to local governance The workshop was held to improve stakeholder integration and explore scenarios for a regional planning project (to 2050) in Blekinge, Sweden Scenario planning and transdisciplinary practices are often disregarded by practitioners due to the perception of onerous resource requirements, however, this paper describes a &lsquo;rapid scenario planning&rsquo;process that was designed to be agile and time-efficient, requiring the 43 participants from 13 stakeholder organizations to gather only for one day The process was designed to create an environment whereby stakeholders could learn from, and with, each other and use their expert knowledge to inform the scenario process The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) was used to structure and focus the scenario planning exercise and its subsequent recommendations The process was evaluated through a workshop participant survey and post-workshop evaluative interview with the regional government project manager to indicate the effectiveness of the approach The paper closes with a summary of findings which will support those wishing to conduct similar rapid scenario planning exercises to inform policy planning for complex systems

COVID-19 has been proved to create a pandemic over the world within a few years. All scientists and health workers are trying to develop an effective treatment with collaboration. Various strategies such as antiviral, antibacterial, and antimalarial drugs have been employed to treat COVID- 19, but they were found to relieve the symptoms only. The formation of various variants of the virus in various global parts made the treatment of COVID-19 more difficult. Developing an effective vaccine is the main goal of clinicians and scientists, which is under clinical trials, and some vaccines which have been approved for the treatment such as COVAXIN, COVISHIELD, ASTRA Zenaca, and SPUTNIK V vaccines are being used to develop antibodies against COVID-19, but due to spread of variants of virus these vaccines are not supposed to be 100 percent protective against the virus. With the help of nanotechnology, the treatment of SARS- CoV-2 can be made efficient due to its direct target on viral cells and modifying its genetic material functionings. In this review, we summarized the role of nanomedicine in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

In the present study, design of intelligent numerical computing through backpropagated neural networks (BNNs) is presented for numerical treatment of the fluid mechanics problems governing the dynamics of magnetohydrodynamic fluidic model (MHD-NFM) past a stretching surface embedded in porous medium along with imposed heat source/sink and variable viscosity. The original system model MHD-NFM in terms of PDEs is converted to nonlinear ODEs by introducing the similarity transformations. A reference dataset for BNNs approach is generated with Adams numerical solver for different scenarios of MHD-NFM by variation of parameter of viscosity, parameter of heat source and sink, parameter of permeability, magnetic field parameter, and Prandtl number. To calculate the approximate solution for MHD-NFM for different scenarios, the training, testing, and validation processes are conducted in parallel to adapt neural networks by reducing the mean square error (MSE) function through LevenbergCMarquardt backpropagation. The comparative studies and performance analyses through outcomes of MSE, error histograms, correlation and regression demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed BNNs methodology.

During the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, the immunogenicity of the virus for various autoimmune complications has been observed. To date, a few reports have been published that raise the possibility of new onset myasthenia gravis (MG) associated with COVID-19 infection. We report a case of a 65-year-old male who developed his initial myasthenic presentation with mild dysarthria 14 days after COVID-19 infection symptomatic onset. His bulbar symptoms, diplopia, and ptosis progressed considerably over the next 1.5 months before he was diagnosed with non-thymomatous MG. Serological tests showed a high concentration of anti-acetylcholine receptor and anti-titin antibodies. He responded well to treatment with pyridostigmine and intravenous immunoglobulin. Reasonable latency from COVID-19 infection and gradual evolvement of myasthenic symptoms makes the causative association probable in this case. To our knowledge, this is the first report of anti-titin antibodies in new-onset MG associated with COVID-19 infection. In the article, we analyze the previously reported cases and summarize the information published to date. We discuss the possible immunological mechanisms behind new onset autoimmune disease following a viral infection and the associated features that raise the suspicion for such a possibility. We also hint at structural homologies between SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and titin epitopes.

Smooth Brucella spp. share certain lipopolysaccharide antigens with other bacteria, resulting in serological cross-reactions which can prevent the definitive diagnosis of brucellosis. To identify other antigens with serodiagnostic potential, immunoblot studies following sodium dodecyl sulphate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were carried out. Sera from pigs experimentally infected with Brucella suis and naturally infected feral pigs, sera from pigs from a farm with a known history of Yersinia enterocolitica 0:9 infection, Brucella Complement Fixation Test (CFT) reactor pigs (aetiology unknown) and pigs from consistently Brucella CFT negative farms were examined. Although B. suis infected pigs recognized a total of nine B. melitensis antigens, individual pigs rarely recognized more than three antigens in the range. A 62 kDa antigen was recognized by the majority (73%) of the Brucella infected pigs, but only by 10 to 23% of pigs from the other groups. This antigen was shown to be the Brucella homologue of the ubiquitous 65 kDa heat shock protein (HSP-65) family by immunoblot studies with 14 monoclonal antibodies to the Mycobacterium leprae HSP-65. Only four of these monoclones (Y1.2, ML-30, D7C and IIIC8) identified the B. melitensis 62 kDa protein suggesting that unshared, potentially Brucella specific, regions exist. Sera from Y. enterocolitica 0:9 infected pigs, CFT reactor pigs (aetiology unknown), CFT negative pigs and hyperimmune pig serum raised to Y. enterocolitica 0:9 also recognized B. melitensis antigens, most notably a 17 kDa protein. This antigen appears to be a common cross-reactive protein.

Herein we evaluate the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on antidepressant effectiveness of intravenous (IV) ketamine in adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). We conducted a case series analysis of adults with TRD (n=268) who received four ketamine infusions at an outpatient clinic in Ontario, Canada, during COVID-19 restrictions (from March 2020 - February 2021; n = 160), compared to patients who received treatment in the previous year (March 2019 - February 2020; n = 108). Both groups experienced significant and comparable improvements in depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and anxiety with repeated ketamine infusions. Effectiveness of IV ketamine was not attenuated during the COVID-19 period.

Mutations in the ADCY5 gene can cause a complex hyperkinetic movement disorder. Episodic exacerbations of dyskinesia are a particularly disturbing symptom as they occur predominantly during night and interrupt sleep. We present the clinical short- and long-term effects of pallidal deep brain stimulation (DBS) in three patients with a confirmed pathogenic ADCY5 mutation. Patients were implanted with bilateral pallidal DBS at the age of 34, 20 and 13 years. Medical records were reviewed for clinical history. Pre- and postoperative video files were assessed using the "Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale" (AIMS) as well as the motor part of the "Burke Fahn Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale" (BFMDRS). All patients reported subjective general improvement ranging from 40 to 60%, especially the reduction of nocturnal episodic dyskinesias (80-90%). Objective scales revealed only a mild decrease of involuntary movements in all and reduced dystonia in one patient. DBS-induced effects were sustained up to 13 years after implantation. We demonstrate that treatment with pallidal DBS was effective in reducing nocturnal dyskinetic exacerbations in patients with ADCY5-related movement disorder, which was sustained over the long term.