A cluster-randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of facemasks in preventing respiratory viral infection among Hajj pilgrims
subject: facemask, Hajj pilgrimage, influenza, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Viral respiratory tract infection
description: Background: Cost-effective interventions are needed to control the transmission of viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in mass gatherings. Facemasks are a promising preventive measure, however, previous studies on the efficacy of facemasks have been inconclusive. This study proposes a large-scale facemask trial during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and presents this protocol to illustrate its feasibility and to promote both collaboration with other research groups and additional relevant studies.Methods/design: A cluster-randomised controlled trial is being conducted to test the efficacy of standard facemasks in preventing symptomatic and proven viral RTIs among pilgrims during the Hajj season in Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The trial will compare the ‘supervised use of facemasks’ versus ‘standard measures’ among pilgrims over several Hajj seasons. Cluster-randomisation will be done by accommodation tents with a 1:1 ratio. For the intervention tents, free facemasks will be provided to be worn consistently for 7 days. Data on flu-like symptoms and mask use will be recorded in diaries. Nasal samples will be collected from symptomatic recruits and tested for nucleic acid of respiratory viruses. Data obtained from questionnaires, diaries and laboratory tests will be analysed to examine whether mask use significantly reduces the frequency of laboratory-confirmed respiratory viral infection and syndromic RTI as primary outcomes.Conclusions: This trial will provide valuable evidence on the efficacy of standard facemask use in preventing viral respiratory tract infections at mass gatherings.This study is registered at the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), ACTRN: ACTRN12613001018707 (http://www.anzctr.org.au).
creator: Mandy Wang, Osamah Barasheed, Harunor Rashid, Robert Booy, Haitham El-Bashir, Elizabeth Haworth, Iman Ridda, Edward C. Holmes, Dominic E. Dwyer, Jonathan Nguyen-Van-Tam, Ziad A Memish, Leon Heron
source: Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
publisher: Atlantis Press
date: 2019
language: EN
identifier: DOI: 10.1016/j.jegh.2014.08.002
coverage: Public aspects of medicine

A Clutter-Analysis-Based STAP for Moving FOD Detection on Runways
subject: FOD, inhomogeneous clutter, IID sample decoupling, scattering cell division, STAP
description: Security risks and economic losses of civil aviation caused by Foreign Object Debris (FOD) have increased rapidly. Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs) with high resolutions potentially have the capability to detect FODs on the runways, but the target echo is hard to be distinguished from strong clutter. This paper proposes a clutter-analysis-based Space-time Adaptive Processing (STAP) method in order to obtain effective clutter suppression and moving FOD indication, under inhomogeneous clutter background. Specifically, we first divide the radar coverage into equal scattering cells in the rectangular coordinates system rather than the polar ones. We then measure normalized RCSs within the X-band and employ the acquired results to modify the parameters of traditional models. Finally, we describe the clutter expressions as responses of the scattering cells in space and time domain to obtain the theoretical clutter covariance. Experimental results at 10 GHz show that FODs with a reflection higher than −30 dBsm can be effectively detected by a Linear Constraint Minimum Variance (LCMV) filter in azimuth when the noise is −60 dBm. It is also validated to indicate a −40 dBsm target in Doppler. Our approach can obtain effective clutter suppression 60dB deeper than the training-sample-coupled STAP under the same conditions.
creator: Xiaoqi Yang, Kai Huo, Xinyu Zhang, Weidong Jiang, Yong Chen
source: Sensors
publisher: MDPI AG
date: 2019
language: EN
identifier: DOI: 10.3390/s19030549
coverage: Chemical technology

A cobertura televisiva da pandemia de Covid-19 em Portugal
subject: televisão, jornalismo televisivo, cobertura jornalística covid-19, homenagem a Nelson Traquina
description: O ano de 2020 ficará marcado na memória mundial como o ano da pandemia de Covid-19. Embora a doença tenha eclodido na China no final de 2019, a sua propagação foi posterior e veio colocar em causa a sociedade globalizada, com efeitos sociais, políticos e económicos graves, mas ainda a serem determinados em toda a sua extensão. Na cobertura do surto o jornalismo, em crise há algu- mas décadas (Zelizer, 2004; 2009; 2015; 2017), reassumiu um papel central e ad- quiriu um novo vigor, viajando por múltiplos dispositivos e écrans (Deuze, 2019). Em Portugal, num cenário de isolamento, predominantemente familiar, a televisão emergiu como elo social (Wolton, 1994), confirmando que continua ser o médium dominante (ERC, 2016, 2019; OBERCOM, 2018; Statista, 2019). Neste contexto, a nossa homenagem a Nelson Traquina tem como objetivo apresentar, comen- tar e discutir a sua contribuição para o estudo do jornalismo em Portugal a partir da análise da cobertura jornalística televisiva da crise pandémica. Com este fim, recuperámos estudos teóricos sobre as Teorias da Notícia e os estudos empíri- cos sobre o HIV/SIDA realizados pelo autor (por exemplo, Traquina, 1993; 2002; 2004; 2010; Traquina e al., 2001). Elegemos um corpus de análise empírico, com- preendido por blocos de jornais televisivos dos canais generalistas RTP1, SIC e TVI. Utilizamos uma metodologia fundada na construção de uma base de dados em File Maker Pro inspirada nos trabalhos de Traquina sobre o HIV/SIDA. Os re- sultados obtidos, ainda que com caráter exploratório, permitem a discussão das teorias da notícia enquanto construção (Traquina, 1993) e o papel das rotinas na produção da informação televisiva.
creator: Isabel Ferin Cunha, Ana Cabrera, Carla Martins
source: Media&Jornalismo
publisher: Coimbra University Press
date: 2020
coverage: Communication. Mass media

https://socictopen.socict.org/index.php/items/show/18340
title: A coexistência do pensamento cartesiano e sistêmico: as limitações territoriais enfrentadas pelo PAA e PNAE em Pelotas/RS / The coexistence of the cartesian and the sytemic thinking: the territorial limitations faced by the PAA and the PNAE in Pelotas/RS
subject: Abordagem sistêmica, Agricultura Familiar, Políticas Públicas, Territorio, Trabalho de campo
description: O presente trabalho aborda as limitações territoriais enfrentadas pelo Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos (PAA) e pelo Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) em seu processo de operacionalização no município de Pelotas a partir da visão de três grupos de entrevistados: agricultores fornecedores, instituições mediadoras e entidades executoras. Adota-se como método a abordagem sistêmica, operacionalizada através de trabalho de campo para realização de entrevistas, estas exploradas por meio de análise de conteúdo. De modo geral, verifica-se uma tendência de cada um dos três grupos pesquisados em associar, majoritariamente, as limitações territoriais dos programas à atuação dos outros dois grupos envolvidos, minimizando os problemas ou dificuldades decorrentes da sua própria ação. Enquanto as entidades executoras associam as limitações territoriais essencialmente aos fornecedores, estes imputam as limitações principalmente às executoras. Os mediadores preferem, por sua vez, associar parte dos problemas enfrentados à alçada das executoras e outra parte aos fornecedores. Colige-se que essa tendência decorre de uma visão de mundo cartesiana e fracionada, que enxerga apenas as partes e, por isso, não pode compreender a complexidade da realidade e do contexto que cerca e condiciona a ação de cada indivíduo.
creator: Maiara Tavares Sodré, Giancarla Salamoni
source: Revista Sociedade & Natureza
publisher: Editora da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia
date: 2016
relation: http://www.seer.ufu.br/index.php/sociedadenatureza/article/view/34380
coverage: Environmental sciences, Social sciences (General)

A cohort of cancer patients with no reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection: the possible preventive role of Methylene Blue
subject: COVID-19, cancer, methylene blue, metabolic treatment
description: We report the case of a cohort of 2500 French patients treated among others with methylene blue for cancer care. During the COVID-19 epidemics none of them developed influenza-like illness. Albeit this lack of infection might be by chance alone, it is possible that methylene blue might have a preventive effect for COVID-19 infection. This is in line with the antiviral activity of Chloroquine, a Methylene blue derivative. Both Chloroquine and Methylene blue have strong antiviral and anti- inflammatory properties probably linked to the change in intracellular pH and redox state.
creator: Marc Henry, Mireille Summa, Louis Patrick, Laurent Schwartz
source: Substantia
publisher: Firenze University Press
date: 2020
language: EN
identifier: DOI: 10.13128/Substantia-888
coverage: Chemistry, History (General) and history of Europe

A cohort of cancer patients with no reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection: the possible preventive role of Methylene Blue
subject: cancer, covid-19, Methylene blue, metabolic treatment
description: We report the case of a cohort of 2500 French patients treated among others with methylene blue for cancer care. During the COVID-19 epidemics none of them developed influenza-like illness. Albeit this lack of infection might be by chance alone, it is possible that methylene blue might have a preventive effect for COVID-19 infection. This is in line with the antiviral activity of Chloroquine, a Methylene blue derivative. Both Chloroquine and Methylene blue have strong antiviral and anti- inflammatory properties probably linked to the change in intracellular pH and redox state.
creator: Laurent Schwartz, Marc Henry, Mireille Summa, Louis Patrick
source: Epidemiology and Health
publisher: Korean Society of Epidemiology
date: 2020
coverage: Chemistry, History (General) and history of Europe

A Cohort of Patients with COVID-19 in a Major Teaching Hospital in Europe
subject: Spain, Europe, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19
description: Background: Since the confirmation of the first patient infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Spain in January 2020, the epidemic has grown rapidly, with the greatest impact on the region of Madrid. This article describes the first 2226 adult patients with COVID-19, consecutively admitted to La Paz University Hospital in Madrid. Methods: Our cohort included all patients consecutively hospitalized who had a final outcome (death or discharge) in a 1286-bed hospital of Madrid (Spain) from 25 February (first case admitted) to 19 April 2020. The data were manually entered into an electronic case report form, which was monitored prior to the analysis. Results: We consecutively included 2226 adult patients admitted to the hospital who either died (460) or were discharged (1766). The patients’ median age was 61 years, and 51.8% were women. The most common comorbidity was arterial hypertension (41.3%), and the most common symptom on admission was fever (71.2%). The median time from disease onset to hospital admission was 6 days. The overall mortality was 20.7% and was higher in men (26.6% vs. 15.1%). Seventy-five patients with a final outcome were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) (3.4%). Most patients admitted to the ICU were men, and the median age was 64 years. Baseline laboratory values on admission were consistent with an impaired immune-inflammatory profile. Conclusions: We provide a description of the first large cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Europe. Advanced age, male sex, the presence of comorbidities and abnormal laboratory values were more common among the patients with fatal outcomes.
creator: Jesús Mingorance, Juan J. Rios, Miguel A. Hernán, Elena Ramírez, Concepción Prados Sánchez, Alberto M. Borobia, Manuel Quintana, Rodolfo Álvarez-Sala, Alejandro Martín-Quirós, Francisco Arnalich, Gonzalo Martínez-Alés, Antonio J Carcas, Juan Carlos Figueira, Antonio Buño, José R Arribas, Jesús Frías, Francisco Moreno-Ramos, Julio García-Rodríguez, Francisco Reinoso-Barbero, Jaime Monserrat Villatoro, Rosario M. Torres Santos-Olmo, Alberto Martín-Vega, Nicolás García-Arenzana, M. Concepción Núñez, Milagros Martí-de-Gracia, Angélica Rivera Núñez, Carlos J. Carpio Segura, Daniel Prieto Arribas, Esther Rey Cuevas, on behalf of the COVID@HULP Working Group
source: Journal of Clinical Medicine
publisher: MDPI AG
date: 2020
identifier: DOI: 10.3390/jcm9061733
coverage: Medicine

A COMERCIALIZAÇÃO DE HORTALIÇAS NA AGRICULTURA FAMILIAR: UMA ANÁLISE NO ASSENTAMENTO SANTA OLGA, NOVA ANDRADINA/MS
subject: assentados, cooperativa, produção
description: O presente artigo apresenta um estudo de caso sobre a comercialização de hortaliças dos agricultores familiares da Cooperativa do Projeto de Assentamento (PA) Santa Olga Nova Andradina, estado de Mato Grosso do Sul. O objetivo do trabalho é delinear ótica de alguns autores sobre cooperativas na agricultura familiar, que comercializam hortaliças para as escolas municipais, por meio, do Programa Nacional da Alimentação Escolar (PNAE). O método utilizado é um estudo de caso de forma empírica, com dados primários e secundários, realizando uma entrevista semi estruturada com o administrador da cooperativa, na qual procurou identificar o processo de comercialização de hortaliças. Dentre os resultados obtidos, a cooperativa apresentou um funcionamento ativo aos pequenos produtores, no entanto, é necessária que a administração proponha aos cooperados uma visão inovadora para o fortalecimento da cooperativa.
creator: Vanderlei de Freitas Santos, Luiz Henrique Wanderley Silva Guimarães, Thiago Correa da Nobrega, Fabiano Greter Moreira
source: Revista Desenvolvimento Social
publisher: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento Social - Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros
date: 2020
relation: https://www.periodicos.unimontes.br/index.php/rds/article/view/2040
coverage: Social sciences (General)

A comment on inter-field spatial extrapolation of vine (Vitis vinifera L.) water status
subject: predawn leaf water potential, soil moisture, spatial variability
description: Aim: Recent work has identified strong intra-field relationships of pre-dawn leaf water potential (ΨPD) between paired sites. This study investigates if these relationships exist at the inter-field level when soil types between fields are constant or different in a vineyard in Southern France. Method and result: Nine fields were sampled for ΨPD on 6 dates over two growing seasons. When general assumptions of uniformity in climate, growing conditions and soil moisture were able to be met, a linear relationship between the mean ΨPD responses of different fields was observed. The relationship was no longer linear when the soil moisture regime between fields differed. Conclusion: The results indicate that it should be possible to extrapolate a reference ΨPD value across a production region (syndicate/co-operative) defined on a similar soil type. Significance and impact of study: These intra-field relationships may minimise the need for ΨPD sampling to define irrigation/crop management in areas planted to similar soil types. The poor fit between fields with differing soil moisture regimes indicates that the original intra-field model may be flawed in larger fields or vineyards with heterogeneous soil moisture conditions.
creator: Bruno Tisseyre, James A. Taylor, Hernán Ojeda, César Acevedo-Opazo, Serge Guillaume
source: OENO One
publisher: International Viticulture and Enology Society
date: 2011
relation: https://oeno-one.eu/article/view/1490
coverage: Agriculture, Botany

A commentary on The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: Adaptations in medical education"."
subject: covid-19, Pandemic, medical students, online learning, Medical education, e-learning, patient safety, medical teaching, General medical council, Video platforms
creator: Leah Naglik, Pahalavi Ravindran
source: International journal of surgery (London, England)
date: 2020