MATERIALS AND METHODS: 18F-florbetapir PET and 18F-FDG PET imaging was prospectively performed on 78 subjects (20 cognitively healthy controls [HC], 27 MCI patients, and 31 AD patients) within 6 weeks of their neurocognitive assessments. The PET datasets from 19 HCs were used to create an NBD. The 3D-SSP analysis and Z-score mapping of 18F-florbetapir accumulations in the brain were further staged based on their accumulation patterns. Global and regional standard uptake value ratios (SUVRs) of 18Fflorbetapir were calculated using the cerebellar cortex as the normalised region. The relationships between the 18Fflorbetapir PET results, the clinical diagnoses and Thai Mini- Mental State Examination (TMSE) scores were determined.
RESULTS: There was high agreement between the visual assessment results and the semiquantitative analysis (κ = 0.793 and 0.845). The stages of amyloid deposition were consistent with neurocognitive status across participants. Significantly higher SUVRs were found in AD than MCI and HC. Visual assessment and stage were not significantly correlated with TMSE scores. A significant negative correlation between the SUVRs and TMSE scores was partially demonstrated in MCI and AD, but not HC.
CONCLUSIONS: 3D-SSP analysis of 18F-florbetapir PET provides special patterns and intensity of beta amyloid accumulation semi-quantitatively that are associated with the diagnosis and neurocognitive performances in MCI and AD patients.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on an online survey of 811 HCWs working at 39 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Bangladesh. A pretested structured questionnaire consisting of questions related to respondents' characteristics, capacity development trainings and safety measures was administered. Binary logistic regressions were run to assess the association between explanatory and dependent variables.
RESULTS: Among the respondents, 58.1% had been engaged for at least 2 months in COVID-19 care, with 56.5% of them attending capacity development training on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), 44.1% attending training on hand hygiene, and 35% attending training on respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. Only 18.1% reported having read COVID-19-related guidelines. Approximately 50% of the respondents claimed that there was an inadequate supply of PPE for hospitals and HCWs. Almost 60% of the respondents feared a high possibility of becoming COVID-19-positive. Compared to physicians, support staff [odds ratio (OR) 4.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.25-8.51] and medical technologists (OR 8.77, 95% CI 3.14-24.47) were more exhausted from working in COVID-19 care. Respondents with longer duty rosters were more exhausted, and those who were still receiving infection prevention and control (IPC) trainings were less exhausted (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.34-0.86). Those who read COVID-19 guidelines perceived a lower risk of being infected by COVID-19 (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.29-0.67). Compared to the respondents who strongly agreed that hospitals had a sufficient supply of PPE, others who disagreed (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.31-5.51) and strongly disagreed (OR 5.05, 95% CI 2.15-11.89) had a higher apprehension of infection by COVID-19.
CONCLUSION: The findings indicated a need for necessary support, including continuous training, a reasonable duty roster, timely diagnosis of patients, and an adequate supply of quality PPE.
METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline & CINAHL, Turning Research into Practice (TRIP), ProQuest Theses & Dissertations Databases, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from inception till March 15, 2021. The primary outcome measure was a reduction in respiratory illness; decrease in frequency, symptoms, and duration. Random-effects model was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). We used Cochrane's RoB-2 to appraise the risk of bias of included RCTs.
RESULTS: A total of nine RCTs were eligible for this review, of which six were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, two studies demonstrated a high risk of bias. The meta-analysis revealed a significantly reduced odds of developing respiratory infections with the use of Lf relative to the control (pooled odds ratio = 0.57; 95% confidence interval 0.44 to 0.74, n = 1,194), with sufficient evidence against the hypothesis of 'no significant difference' at the current sample size.
CONCLUSIONS: The administration of Lf shows promising efficacy in reducing the risk of RTIs. Current evidence also favours Lf fortification of infant formula. Lf may also have a beneficial role in managing symptoms and recovery of patients suffering from RTIs and may have potential for use as an adjunct in COVID-19, however this warrants further evidence from a large well-designed RCT.
CASE PRESENTATION: We report the first case of Longitudinal Extensive Transverse Myelitis (LETM) in Malaysia following administration of the chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccine. A 25-year-old female presented with bilateral lower limb weakness and inability to walk with a sensory level up to T8 with absent visual symptoms. Urgent gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine showed long segment TM over the thoracic region. Cerebrospinal fluid autoantibodies for anti-aquaporin-4 and anti-myelin-oligodendrocyte were negative. A diagnosis of LETM following vaccination was made, and the patient was started on a high dose of intravenous methylprednisolone. The patient eventually made a recovery following treatment.
CONCLUSION: LETM is a rare but serious adverse reaction following vaccination. Previously reported cases showed an onset of symptoms between 10 to 14 days post-vaccination, suggesting a delayed immunogenic reaction. However, the incidence of myelitis in COVID-19 is much more common, far greater than the risk associated with vaccination.
Results: The CHVs' skills before training were far from adequate. Although widely varied, all trainees improved their abilities. Stacking analysis showed that the skills of all CHVs in measuring infants and toddlers increased by 2.68 and 3.34 logits (p < 0.01), respectively. Racking analysis showed a decrease in the perceived difficulty of all items by 2.61 and 3.07 logits for infant and toddler measurements, respectively (p < 0.01). The results of the racking analysis showed that the difficulty in measuring the anthropometrics of infants decreased more than that of toddlers.
Conclusions: CHVs' capacity to monitor child growth must be refreshed regularly. Standardized and proper training and assessment were developed to make CHVs reliable in taking anthropometric measurements of infants and toddlers.