pre-COVID Period Research Articles

Особенности антисоциальной креативности и ее профилактики у подростков в современном социально-политическом контексте

<p style="text-align: justify;">The article presents the results of a series of studies on the influence of socio-political conditions — the modern context and the pre-covid period, on the manifestation of malevolent creativity in behavior that harms other people. The sample consisted of adolescents (N=52, 19 - boys; Age = 16.0 years); samples of cadets (N=96, 72 - boys; М = 15.4 years), cadets-students (N=204, 152 — men; M = 19.3), psychology students (N=50, 3 - men; M = 20.4). Hypotheses about differences in different contexts were tested: 1. in the levels of malevolent creativity (MC), 2. in the relationship MC with personal characteristics and between personal characteristics, 3. the presence of age-related characteristics of MC that do not differ in different socio-political conditions. A battery of questionnaires was used: NEO-FFI, BPAQ-24, “Behavioral features of antisocial creativity”, moral identity, “Tolerance Index” and a developed questionnaire with statements about the presence/absence of attention to the news about the situation in Russia and the world and the sources of this information. The results obtained confirmed the hypotheses put forward. It is noted that the existing limitations in the study made it possible to identify not only the features of antisocial creativity in adolescents in different socio-political conditions, but also features related to the professional context (civil professions and law enforcement agencies), allowing them to be taken into account in the prevention of antisocial creativity in the modern socio-political context.</p>

Gun Violence in the COVID-19 Era: Using Multiple Databases to Describe the Experience in Buffalo, NY

Objectives In 2020, the public health crises of gun violence and novel coronavirus (COVID-19) collided and interventions to decrease COVID-19 transmission displaced millions of Americans from normal activity. We analyzed the effects of COVID-19 and its resultant shutdowns on gun violence in Buffalo, NY. Methods We queried the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) and the hospital databases from the 2 level 1 trauma centers which serve Buffalo firearm victims between March 15th and June 24th, 2020 (“COVID”) and the same time period for years 2013 (hospital data)/2014 (GVA data) through 2019 (“pre-COVID”) and 2021 through 2022 (“post-COVID”). Data points collected included number of daily victims, victim age, gender, and morbidity/mortality. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare gun violence in these 3 periods. Results There were 518 and 913 victims in the GVA and hospital data sets, respectively. Bivariate analyses showed fewer incidents on Saturdays during the pandemic in both data sets ( P < 0.05). Multivariate analyses demonstrated no association between number of gun violence victims and time period in either data set ( P > 0.05). Conclusions There was no change in number of gun violence victims during the COVID-19 shutdowns compared to pre-COVID and post-COVID periods in Buffalo, NY. However, there was a change in the weekly temporality of gun violence during the COVID pandemic. Multiple databases are needed to accurately capture gun violence from an epidemiologic perspective.

Connecticut Pediatric Opioid Poisoning Trends Surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective Opioids are common substances involved in poisonings with increasing rates in fentanyl-related mortality since 2014. The COVID-19 pandemic compromised school attendance and supervision, which may have increased the risk of opioid ingestions in children. Our objective was to evaluate pediatric opioid poisonings in Connecticut before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional retrospective study used emergency department (ED) discharges involving children aged 0–17 years captured in the Connecticut Injury Surveillance System. International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification codes were used to identify discharges involving opioids (T40.0-T40.4, T40.60, T40.69, F11). The χ2 test was used to identify differences by pre-COVID (2017–2019) and COVID (2020–2022) periods. Rates were examined by age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance, and discharge status. Results There were 1,386,796 ED discharges during the study period. Less than 1% involved opioid (N = 257) or fentanyl (N = 31) poisonings; no discharges were coded for both. The rate of opioid poisonings decreased 28.6%, from 2.1 to 1.5 per 10,000 ED visits. Subanalysis showed that the rate of fentanyl poisonings remained the same (0.2 per 10,000 ED visits). The rate of opioid poisonings was highest among non-Hispanic White children during both periods. However, there was a 57.7% increase in the rate of opioid poisonings in non-Hispanic Black children. The rate decreased for all other race/ethnic groups. Conclusions Results of our study showed a rise in opioid poisonings among non-Hispanic Black and elementary school-aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future prevention efforts may choose to further investigate and understand the trends in the more vulnerable groups.

The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on routine surgical turnover in otolaryngology: a retrospective analysis of service dynamics utilizing finalized, cumulative data from a tertiary-care teaching institute in India.

To ascertain the effect of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on routine (non-COVID) Otolaryngology and Head-Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) turnover in a tertiary-care teaching institute, utilizing the cumulated, finalized dataset one year after the pandemic ceased to be a "public health emergency of international concern". In this retrospective analysis, annual routine turnover in the ORL-HNS categories (otology, rhinology/skull-base, head-neck/airway, emergency, miscellaneous) for the COVID-period (2020-21) were individually compared with pre-COVID (2017-19) data. Subsequently, categorical turnovers, along with the major surgeries in each category, were compared trimester-wise in the COVID-period. Data were interpreted statistically and explained graphically superimposing on the COVID timeline. Overall surgical turnover in 2020-2021 decreased by 64.11% and 34.59%, respectively, from the pre-COVID period. The decline was [62.3%, 78.05%, 59.96%, 65.14%] and [34.2%, 29.27%, 30.64%, 45.6%] in otology, rhinology/skull-base, head-neck/airway, and emergency surgeries, in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Significant decline, however, was only in rhinology/skull-base (p = 0.00012) for 2020, which again increased in 2021 (p < 0.00001). Tympanomastoid surgeries, endoscopic sinus/septal surgeries, direct laryngoscopic procedures and tracheostomy topped the respective categories. Despite the deadlier second wave in 2021, there was a statistically significant change in trimester-wise turnovers across categories from 2020 to 2021. Overall turnover in 2020 was lesser, the second and third (lockdown/unlock) trimesters being mostly affected. In the most comprehensive post-COVID service dynamics analysis, routine ORL-HNS turnover was apparently not found to be significantly affected by the pandemic except in rhinology/skull-base. However, trimester-wise comparison within the COVID-years revealed statistically significant changes in categorical turnovers from 2020 to 2021.

The impact of COVID-19 stringency policies on primary health care in Cameroon: a case study of the expanded program of immunisation

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and containment policies disrupted health services, including vaccination activities in Cameroon since March 2020. This study evaluates the impact of COVID-19 on the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) in the Littoral region of Cameroon. Methods A cross-sectional study used secondary data from Cameroon’s District Health Information System-2, from the COVID-19 situational report, and from the international data platform on contingency measures. Time series analysis of monthly vaccination data (BCG, PENTA 1 and 3, measles) compared Pre-COVID (Jan 2019-Feb 2020) and COVID periods (Mar 2020-Dec 2021). Bivariate analysis with simple linear regression assessed the association between COVID-19 cases stringency index, and vaccination coverages. The Wilcoxon rank sum test compared vaccination coverage changes between rural and urban districts. Results Vaccination coverage increased initially right after the start of the pandemic, but dropped over the following 10 months. There was a weak, non-significant negative association between COVID-19 cases/stringency index and vaccination coverages. BCG coverage dropped by 4.75% (P=0.3), while PENTA1, PENTA3, and measles coverages dropped significantly by 7.83% (P=0.04), 9.55% (P=0.002), and 12.11% (P=0.001), respectively. Rural areas, despite having fewer COVID-19 cases, saw a more pronounced decline in EPI coverage than urban areas, suggesting additional influencing factors. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant declines in PENTA1, PENTA3, and measles vaccination coverage in the Littoral region of Cameroon, especially in rural areas. While other studies showed that these declines were due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our study showed that factors beyond COVID-19 cases and stringency measures influenced vaccination rates. There is therefore a need to do further studies to identify some of these factors to strengthen health systems and to maintain immunisation services during future health crises.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tobacco and alcohol use in the Russian Federation

Introduction. The study is devoted to the analysis of the dynamics of the tobacco and alcohol use prevalence among the adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic.The purpose of the study: to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of tobacco and nicotine-containing products consumption among the adult population of the Russian Federation, men and women, as well as different age groups.Materials and methods. The data source for calculations was microdata from the Sample observation of the health status of the population conducted by Rosstat in 2019–2022. The indicators characterizing the prevalence and intensity of tobacco and alcohol use by adults of different age groups, men and women, as well as their relative changes in the pre-covid (2019), covid (2020–2021) and post-covid (2022) periods were calculated by the authors.Results. In 2019–2022, the prevalence of alcohol consumption among the adult population, men and women decreased annually. The largest relative decrease was noted in 2021 and amounted to –5.4% among the adult population, –4.3% among men and –6.1% among women. In 2022, the decline continued and amounted to –1.8%, –0.7% and –2.7%, respectively. In 2021, the maximum decrease in alcohol consumption was detected in the age groups of 15–24 years (–11.0% and –12.2%, respectively), which was replaced by significant growth in 2022. A similar trend was found in relation to the prevalence of tobacco/ nicotine use. During 2020–2021, a decrease in the intensity of alcohol and tobacco use was noted.Conclusion. In general, the COVID-19 pandemic did not affect the general trends in reducing tobacco and alcohol use among the adult population. The changes in the dynamics of their use (decrease) were temporary and were probably related to both health concerns and restrictions imposed during the pandemic period.

THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF ECTOPIC PREGNANCY: A RETROSPECTIVE COMPARISON

Objective: To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment processes of ectopic pregnancies (EP) at a tertiary hospital in Turkey. Methods: This retrospective study compared 221 cases of tubal EP diagnosed after March 15, 2020, with 217 cases diagnosed before this date. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and treatment modalities were analyzed. Statistical analyses, including independent t-tests, Chi-square tests, and multinomial logistic regression, were conducted to assess differences between the COVID and pre-COVID periods. Results: The study found no significant differences in maternal age, gravidity, parity, or gestational weeks between the COVID and pre-COVID periods. However, there was a notable increase in patients presenting with abdominal pain (52.5% vs. 37.8%) and intraperitoneal hemorrhage (26.7% vs. 7.4%) during the COVID period. Despite the higher frequency of abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding was less common during the pandemic. Treatment approaches also shifted, with a significant increase in medical management (41.2% vs. 29.0%) and a slight decrease in surgical interventions during the COVID period. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that parity, gestational week, presence of Douglas fluid, and the period of diagnosis (COVID vs. pre-COVID) were significant predictors of treatment modality. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the clinical presentation and management of ectopic pregnancies in our hospital. While there were no significant differences in key demographic or laboratory parameters, the increased presence of abdominal fluid and a shift towards medical management during the pandemic period suggest changes in patient presentation and treatment preferences. This study underscores the importance of maintaining vigilant diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for EP, even during global health crises.

Young Сraft Entrepreneurs of Saint Petersburg about State Support Measures

The article analyzes the attitudes of young craft entrepreneurs (artisans) towards government support measures for small businesses. The analysis is based on a series of qualitative interviews with artisans from St. Petersburg developing their businesses within the creative economy. The interviews were collected in 2021 and allowed to trace how the perception of government assistance changed in the pre-COVID and COVID periods. The authors prove that young entrepreneurs are focused on officially registering their business at a certain stage of its development for rational and ethical reasons. The key values in relations with the state are the value of autonomy and subjectivity, the avoidance of paternalism and the desire for comfort and clarity in bureaucratic procedures. COVID-19, on the one hand, has pushed young entrepreneurs to seek support from the state, on the other hand, the proposed government measures are of little demand and ineffective, since they do not meet the needs of entrepreneurs or “do not see” craftsmen as those in need.

Impact of COVID-19 on Square Pharmaceuticals Stock Prices: A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Models

The aim of this paper is to compare the forecasting performance of different machine learning algorithms in case of the daily stock prices of Square Pharmaceuticals Limited. To ensure the impact of COVID-19 on the stock prices we separated the data into different segments such as pre-COVID period from January 2011 to March 2020, and the COVID period from March 2020 to September 2021 and the whole study period from January 2011 to December 2021. This study compares predicting performance of various machine learning algorithms such as K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (GB), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). To ensure a fair comparison of algorithm performance, we implemented the same combination of data splits and time steps consistently across all algorithms, which yielded optimal performance for each model. The empirical findings indicate that the Random Forest model consistently delivered the highest accuracy across all periods, the SVM model showed an unexpected increase in accuracy during COVID period whereas the LSTM model's performance declined. This comprehensive analysis highlights the adaptability and robustness of machine learning models in volatile market conditions, emphasizing their utility in financial forecasting during global disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Statistical Sciences, Vol. 24(2), November, 2024, pp 73-84

Prognosis of Patients with Breast Cancer Following Delayed Diagnosis During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Real-World Cohort Study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has globally impacted healthcare systems, delaying cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment. South Korea experienced a 3-month lockdown during the peak of the pandemic, leading to postponements in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Although the pandemic's severity has decreased, addressing the treatment gap remains a concern. This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with breast cancer at five academic hospitals in South Korea during the pre-COVID (May-July 2019) and COVID (May-July 2020) periods. The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival (RFS), and secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), stage distribution, and age subgroup analyses. Among 716 patients (374 pre-COVID, 342 COVID), the 3-year RFS was significantly lower in the COVID group (88.3 vs. 89.7%, p=0.030), while the 3-year OS was similar between groups (96.2 vs. 95.5%, p=0.439). Age subgroup analysis revealed a significant RFS difference in patients under 65 years of age (p=0.005) but not in those aged 65years and older (p=0.682). Stage distribution did not differ significantly between groups (p=0.531). The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected 3-year RFS, especially among younger patients, despite no significant increase in advanced-stage distribution. Timely cancer screening remains crucial for young patients with fewer infectious disease complications.

Rise of long-distance urology transfer during the COVID-19 pandemic: Identifying factors to enhance transfers of care efficiency and clinical outcomes.

The objective of this study is to identify variables associated with clinical outcomes after urologic transfers before and during the COVID pandemic. After IRB approval, a retrospective chart review was performed on adult patients transferred to our institution from 01/01/2018 to 12/31/2019 ("pre-COVID") and from 01/02/2020 to 12/31/2022 ("COVID"). We identified demographics, origin hospitals, ICD-10 pre- and post-transfer diagnoses, distance of transfer, and post-transfer CPT codes. During the study period, our adult urology service accepted 160 transfers with a mean patient age of 71 years. A total of 49/160 (30%) of subjects made up the "pre-COVID" cohort and 111/160 (70%) made up the "COVID" cohort. There were 11/111 (10%) transfers of >100 miles in the COVID period but 0/49 in the pre-COVID period (p = 0.02). Patients from the COVID period waited on average 1.2 days longer for a procedure after transfer compared to pre-COVID period (p = 0.03). The time until a patient's surgical procedure after transfer was a significant predictor of length of stay > 5 days (OR 1.91, CI 1.43 - 2.58, p < 0.01). Different diagnosis upon re-evaluation after transfer was associated with a decreased rate of subsequent readmission (OR 0.30, CI 0.09-0.97, p = 0.05). Long-distance transfer, even >100 miles (which we termed "mega-transfers"), was a new pandemic-related phenomenon at our institution. Delays in definitive care and changes in diagnoses after transfer were associated with readmission and length of stay. Our findings illustrate the importance of inter-institutional communication, diagnostic accuracy, and post discharge planning when managing transfer patients.

Persistent Inequality in Access to Rheumatology Care for Females After the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To examine the effect of biological sex on wait-times to first rheumatology appointment in a central triage system before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. De-identified data of patients referred to one centralised Rheumatology referral centre between November 2019 and December 2023 were extracted from the electronic medical record. Variables collected and analysed included time from referral to first appointment, biological sex, referral period, triage urgency, age, and geographic location. 19,681 referrals were identified. In the pre-COVID period, there was no significant difference in wait-times by biological sex or age. After adjusting for triage level, age and geographic location, females waited significantly longer in the peri-COVID period versus males (10.2days, 95% CI 7.1, 13.3), which persisted in the post-COVID period (7.5days, 95% CI 4.0, 11.1). Similarly, younger patients waited longer than older patients in the peri-COVID period (4.7 fewer days per decade increase in age (95% 3.9, 5.6)). This age discrepancy persisted through the post-COVID period (2.3days, 95% CI 1.6, 3.5). Geographic location was a significant predictor of wait-times in the post-COVID period, with those outside of Edmonton waiting longer than in Edmonton. Once the change in referral pattern from Northwest Territories was accounted for, this discrepancy ceased. Female and younger patients have been disproportionately impacted by wait-time increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, with minimal improvements observed during the post-COVID period. These findings should prompt further investigation into the underlying causes of these observed inequities in access to rheumatology care to identify solutions.

Mortality trends among Indian Medical Association member doctors in India (2018-2023): Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: To analyze mortality trends among Indian Medical Association (IMA) member doctors in India from 2018 to 2023 and to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on secondary data analysis of the doctors’ mortality reported to and published by the IMA as a part of their National Social Security Scheme. Yearly membership details and death records of the member doctors from 2018 to 2023 were accessed from the published annual reports of IMA-National Social Security Scheme and analyzed. Results: The number of deaths reported annually among IMA member doctors increased from 896 out of a total population of 15862 in 2018 to 1579 out of 16253 in 2023. The calculated death rate among member doctors was 56.5 per 1000 in 2018 and 97.1 per 1 000 in 2023. The mean age at death among doctors during the COVID period (64.9±9.0) was significantly lower than that during pre-COVID (67.3±11.1) and post-COVID (66.1±8.5) periods. Conclusions: This study shows a rising number of deaths and death rate among member doctors of IMA from 2018 to 2023. The average age at death during the study period ranged from 64 to 67 years, with a significant decline of approximately 2.4 years during the COVID-19 period.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on direct medical costs of acute coronary syndrome admissions in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The number of admissions, therapeutic management, and clinical results of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been extensively reported. However, the economic impact of ACS therapy has been ignored. This study examined the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on direct medical costs for ACS hospitalizations in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A retrospective study of patients with ACS admitted to one of three hospitals during March to August in 2019, 2020, and 2021 was conducted. Direct medical costs from a provider’s perspective were estimated using the charges. All costs were reported in Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) at a 2021 value. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on total direct medical costs. The total direct medical costs associated with ACS admission per patient during the pandemic period was approximately 40% higher than that during the pre-COVID period (28.41 vs. 20.33 million IDR or 1976.90 vs. 1414.65 USD). A substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on total direct medical costs still remained after adjusting the ACS types, hospital types, length of stay, percutaneous coronary intervention, in-hospital mortality, and delay time of onset to first medical contact. Given the limited health budget, reallocation of health care resources must be prioritized to maintain the provision of essential health care for those who timely treatment is crucial.

How Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Emergency Dental Trauma Settings in Permanent Dentition? A Retrospective Study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the patterns, distribution, and circumstances of dental trauma (DT) cases at a German cranio-maxillofacial trauma center. Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis compared DT cases from the PreCovid (PC) period (February 2019-January 2020) with those from the IntraCovid (IC) period (February 2020-January 2021). It included an examination of baseline characteristics, types of DT, circumstances leading to DT, and the treatment approaches applied. Results: In the IC period, there was an increase in the number of DT, a significant increase in uncomplicated crown fractures, crown-root fractures, subluxations, avulsions, alveolar fractures, combined tooth fractures and dislocations, and concomitant soft tissue injuries. There were no differences regarding the location of DT. During the IC period there was a significant reduction in sports accidents, road traffic accidents, interpersonal violence, and alcohol-related DT. Simultaneously, there was a marked increase in falls, syncopal episodes, home accidents, and DT incidents occurring on weekdays. Furthermore, during the IC period, the number of cases of DT increased in the morning and decreased at nighttime. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the types of DT, the treatment approaches, and the circumstances under which DT occurred. Investigating these impacts can help to predict the effects of a future pandemic on DT and/or maxillofacial trauma and possibly reduce these effects through establishing appropriate preventive measures.

Overweight Prevalence Changes Before and After COVID-19 in Spain: The PESCA Program Longitudinal Outcomes 2018-2021.

Background: Overweight prevalence in Spain reached critical levels before the COVID-19 pandemic, which likely exacerbated this issue. The PESCA (Programa Escolar de Salud Cardio-vascular) program is a multicomponent school-based intervention, launched in 2018 with the aim of tackling this health problem and reducing overweight rates in youth. Objectives: (1) To analyze the efficacy of the PESCA program intervention on body composition, overweight prevalence, physical activity (PA)/sport practice, resting time, and screentime before COVID-19 and (2) to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 and the associated lockdown measures on these parameters in the studied sample. Methods: This longitudinal study included 207 children and adolescents from schools in Madrid (aged 2.82 to 15.84 years; 44.4% girls), with measurements taken at three time points: two before COVID-19 and one after its onset. Overweight prevalence, body fat percentage diagnosis, physical activity, resting time, and screentime were assessed. Cochran's Q test and repeated-measures ANOVA were used to compare outcomes across the three assessment time points. Results: Overweight prevalence remained stable among children in the PESCA program before COVID-19 (17.87% to 19.81%). However, a significant increase was observed from point 2 to point 3, post-COVID-19 onset (19.81% to 26.57%). Similarly, healthy body composition significantly deteriorated from 63.16% at point 2 to 52.48% at point 3. PA/sport practice prevalence significantly increased until COVID-19 onset (80.19% to 91.22%) but declined thereafter (91.22% to 79.10% from point 2 to point 3). Although the differences were small, resting time significantly decreased post-COVID-19 onset (from 10.18 h at point 2 to 9.96 h at point 3), with no changes in the first period. Non-academic screentime showed a similar pattern: stable before COVID-19 and significantly increased after its onset (1.61 h at point 1; 1.70 h at point 2; 2.29 h at point 3). Conclusions: The PESCA program positively impacted PA/sport practice prevalence and may have provided some protection against overweight and related variables during the pre-COVID period. However, health authorities' restrictions and lockdown policies during COVID-19 negatively affected the health and lifestyle variables studied, offsetting previous improvements.

A comparative study of bitcoin price prediction during pre-Covid19 and whilst-Covid19 period using time series and machine learning models

Investment in cryptocurrencies has garnered substantial attention in the recent past as the prices for these digital currencies started recording all-time highs. While there are numerous contenders in the cryptocurrency market, bitcoin has emerged to be the most popular and sought after digital currency. Despite its popularity, the theoretical understanding of the value of this cryptocurrency is still limited. Hence this study aims to find out the significant predictors of the bitcoin price and build a machine-learning based model to evaluate and predict the complex phenomenon of bitcoin price. Here we contribute to the extant literature by searching for the potential contributors of bitcoin prices ranging from fundamental, macroeconomic, financial, speculative, and technical sources to the most marked event of 2020 i.e., Covid19 pandemic. For this purpose, we have used state-of-the-art machine learning, deep learning, and statistical time-series models (univariate and multivariate) to forecast bitcoin price. The study revealed that deep learning models performed almost at par with Random Forest model for both pre- and whilst-Covid19 era. Traditional time-series models, namely VAR and VECM gave the most consistent performance within acceptable margins for both pre- and whilst-Covid era. We have also found that macroeconomic factors play an important role in determining bitcoin price formulation process during both periods, while mining difficulty and market sentiment factors gain more importance during pre-Covid period. In addition, number of covid cases is also found to be a significant factor for the prediction of bitcoin price during whilst-Covid period.

Open Source Adoption for Digital Transformation and Data Management During the COVID-19 Crisis

With COVID-19-led business disruption and businesses expediting their move towards digital transformation, Industry experts observed a phenomenon of increased adoption of Open Source Software and database management systems to digitalize the business while keeping costs low. This research has studied this phenomenon using a three-step approach: using the collective intelligence of Twitter without the context of COVID-19, Twitter data with the context of COVID-19, and empirical validation with actual monthly downloads data of open source projects from SourceForge in Pre-COVID and COVID-19 time periods. The research finds that although the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a digital transformation and the use of database management systems in many organizations, but there is no statistically significant increased use that can be attributed to a crisis response due to the pandemic.

Abstract 4121840: Contemporary Safety of Ultrasound Enhancing Agents in a Nationwide Analysis

Background: Ultrasound enhancing agents (UEAs) are an important diagnostic tool for transthoracic or stress echocardiography (TTE/SE) but recent concerns have been raised about their safety in reports from individual health systems. Objectives: To identify if UEAs for TTE/SE are associated with serious adverse events within 48 hours of receipt in nationwide claims data. Methods: All-payor nationwide claims from 320 million insured individuals across the US, 2018-2022 from the Komodo Health database were used to evaluate rates of death or the composite of death, anaphylaxis, MI, coronary angiography, PCI, CABG, ventricular tachycardia or cardiac arrest within 48 hours of UEA receipt for TTE/SE among adults. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to account for baseline imbalances. Results: Of the 11,421,463 individuals included (mean age 57.5 ± 16.2, 54.0% female, 46.2% White), a total of 500,073 (4.4%) received TTE/SE with UEAs. Individuals receiving Lumason™ or Definity™ more frequently had TTEs/SEs performed in the emergency department/inpatient setting and had more comorbidities than those receiving Optison™. After PSM, the odds of death were lower in those receiving UEAs (receipt vs. non-receipt, 0.02% vs. 0.14%, OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.19-0.28, p &lt; 0.001) and were similar across agents ( Table; Definity™: 0.02%, OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.18-0.28; Lumason™: 0.03%, OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.18-0.28; Optison™: 0.01%, OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.08-0.38; all p &lt; 0.001). Rates of the composite outcome were essentially unchanged after excluding claims for anaphylaxis. Rates of all outcomes were stable across study years, including considering pre-COVID (2018-2019) and post-COVID (2020-2022) periods. Conclusions: In this large nationwide claims analysis from 2018-2022, serious adverse events from UEAs for TTE/SE were uncommon and overall similar across agents and years of study. Receipt of UEAs was associated with a lower odds of death at 48 hours.

Trends in medically serious suicide attempts before and after COVID-19: a four-year retrospective analysis (2018–2022)

BackgroundSuicide has become a first-order public health concern after the negative impact of COVID-19 on the general population’s mental health. Several studies have analyzed the trends in suicide attempts (SA) before and after the onset of the pandemic, but few studies focus on the impact of the pandemic on medically serious suicide attempts (MSSA).MethodsParticipants were 385 hospitalized individuals ≥ 16 years old who made MSSA identified retrospectively through a review of e-medical records between 2018 and 2022 (“pre-COVID-19” and “COVID” periods). The two groups were compared on sociodemographic and clinical variables using Chi-square or Exact Fisher’s tests for categorical variables and a Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables. To study the variation in MSSA over time, MSSA were aggregated monthly. Joinpoint regression analyses were used to assess time trends.ResultsA sample of 161 MSSA patients, 80 women and 81 men, were selected from 385 admissions after a suicide attempt (SA) in the four years (n = 160 pre-COVID period vs. n = 225 COVID period) (OR = 1.41; CI 95% = 1.0003–1.7223, p < 0.001). Sixty-eight patients with MSSA were admitted during the first period, and 93 during the COVID period (OR = 1.4 ; CI 95% = 1–1.9 ; p < 0.05). MSSA patients were more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit during the COVID period than during the pre-COVID period (OR = 3.5; CI 95% = 1.7–6.9; p < 0.001).ConclusionsThis study highlights the need for research on suicide risk during and after crisis periods, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides valuable knowledge on the incidence of SA needing hospitalization, MSSA, and highly severe MSSA for four years before and after the pandemic onset.