International Impact of COVID-19 on the Diagnosis of Heart Disease

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has adversely affected diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable diseases. Its effects on delivery of diagnostic care for cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death worldwide, have not been quantified.OBJECTIVES The study sought to assess COVID-19`s impact on global cardiovascular diagnostic procedural volumes and safety practices.METHODS The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing alterations in cardiovascular procedure volumes and safety practices resulting from COVID-19. Noninvasive and invasive cardiac testing volumes were obtained from participating sites for March and April 2020 and compared with those from March 2019. Availability of personal protective equipment and pandemic-related testing practice changes were ascertained.RESULTS Surveys were submitted from 909 inpatient and outpatient centers performing cardiac diagnostic procedures, in 108 countries. Procedure volumes decreased 42% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 64% from March 2019 to April 2020. Transthoradc echocardiography decreased by 59%, transesophageat echocardiography 76%, and stress tests 78%, which varied between stress modalities. Coronary angiography (invasive or computed tomography) decreased 55% (p < 0.001 for each procedure). hi multivariable regression, significantly greater reduction in procedures occurred for centers in countries with lower gross domestic product. Location in a low-income and lower-middle-income country was associated with an additional 22% reduction in cardiac procedures and less availability of personal protective equipment and teteheatth.CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 was associated with a significant and abrupt reduction in cardiovascular diagnostic testing across the globe, especially affecting the world's economically challenged. Further study of cardiovascular outcomes and COVID-19-related changes in care delivery is warranted. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

The role of virtual social networks in the development of para-social relationships

Parasocijalni odnosi su odnosi koji se upostavljaju između persona masovnih medija i virtualnih društvenih mreža s jedne strane, i pojedinih zainteresiranih pripadnika/ca publike s druge strane, pri čemu se stvara iluzija osobnog odnosa licem-u-lice. Prvi puta su ovaj fenomen definirali antropolog Donald Horton i sociolog Richard Wohl 1956. godine. Razvitkom Interneta i virtualnih društvenih mreža, parasocijalni odnosi dobivaju novu dimenziju i formiraju se između novih vrsta persona — influencera, i njihovih pratitelja. Kako su virtualne društvene mreže dostupne preko pametnih telefona koji su postali sastavni dio svakodnevice, tako je i formiranje parasocijalnih odnosa gotovo neizbježno. Sam fenomen se u kontekstu sociologije istraživao u manjoj mjeri u odnosu na druge grane društvenih znanosti poput komunikacijskih znanosti, ekonomije i psihologije. Cilj rada je davanje pregleda postojećih teorijskih i empirijskih spoznaja o fenomenu parasocijalnih odnosa u svijetu, kao i skrenuti pozornost hrvatske sociologije na temu parasocijalnih odnosa, kako bi se ukazalo na njihovu raširenost i značaj u suvremenim društvima. Rad donosi sustavni pregled dosadašnjih teorijskih radova i istraživanja koja su se bavila formiranjem parasocijalnih odnosa s medijskim figurama s naglaskom na virtualne društvene mreže, tumačenje kontekstualnih razloga koji stoje iza tog fenomena, analizu možebitnih pozitivnih odnosno negativnih strana parasocijalnih odnosa za različite društvene skupine, te razmatranje o primjeni nekih elemenata parasocijalnih odnosa u nastavnim metodama na različitim obrazovnim razinama.Parasocial relationships are relationships established between the persona of mass media and virtual social networks on the one hand, and individual interested members of the audience on the other hand, creating the illusion of a personal face-to-face relationship. This term was initially coined by anthropologist Donald Horton and sociologist Richard Wohl in 1956. In the digital era, with the emergence of virtual social networks and celebrity culture, these relationships have evolved and expanded to encompass new types of personas — influencers, and their followers. As virtual social networks are available via smartphones, which have become an integral part of everyday life, the formation of parasocial relationships is almost inevitable. The phenomenon itself has been researched in the context of sociology to a lesser extent compared to other branches of social sciences such as communication sciences, economics and psychology. The work aims to provide an overview of the existing theoretical and empirical knowledge about the phenomenon of parasocial relations in the world, as well as to draw the attention of Croatian sociology to the topic of parasocial relationships and to point out their prevalence and significance in contemporary societies. The paper provides a systematic review of previous theoretical works and research that dealt with the formation of parasocial relationships with media figures with an emphasis on virtual social networks, the interpretation of the contextual reasons behind this phenomenon, the analysis of possible positive and negative sides of parasocial relationships for different social groups, as well as consideration of the application of some elements of parasocial relationships in teaching methods at various educational levels

The Politics of Exhibition Practices of Postmodern Architecture: The Example of the 2000 Venice Biennale

Venecijanski bijenale ima dugu povijest koja seže od kraja 19. stoljeća do danas. Osnovan je kao institucija kroz koju se talijanska nacionalna umjetnost mogla razvijati, ali i kao međunarodna platforma kroz koju su se umjetnici i arhitekti mogli predstavljati, stvarati veze i raspravljati o novim tendencijama u umjetnosti i arhitekturi. Izložbe posvećene arhitekturi bile su uobičajena praksa prije Venecijanskog bijenala arhitekture, međutim upravo je Bijenale kao institucija, osnivanjem posebenog odjela posvećenog arhitekturi, podigao izložbe arhitekture na međunarodnu razinu. Već 1968. godine, u središtu studentskih prosvjeda (koji nisu bili usmjereni direktno protiv Venecijanskog bijenala, već su bili dio širih međunarodnih društvenih i političkih gibanja), prvi puta se otvara izložba posvećena arhitekturi u sklopu Venecijanskog bijenala. Međutim, poseban odjel posvećen isključivo arhitekturi predstavljen je tek 1980. godine kada je održan prvi Venecijanski bijenale arhitekture čiji je kustos Paolo Portoghesi odabrao kao temu “Prisutnost prošlosti” raskidajući tako s postavkama modernizma i okrećući arhitektonsku praksu u smjeru postmodernizma. Kroz godine održavanja Bijenala arhitekture, teme su pratile aktualne arhitektonske, ali i šire društvene pravce. Krajem 20. stoljeća dolazi do teorijskog zaokreta prema etici, odnosno razmatranja problema ljudskih prava, pravde i demokracije. Pod utjecajem kritičkih teorija poput postkolonijalne teorije, feminističke teorije i queer teorije, teorija arhitekture i arhitektonska praksa okreću se prema etičkom, društveno osviještenom i odgovornom oblikovanju privatnih i javnih prostora. Upravo je ovaj pomak, ali i rastuća svijest o globalnim ekološkim problemima te ubrzani razvitak tehnologije, utjecao na formiranje teme sedmog Venecijanskog bijenala arhitekture: Less Aesthetics More Ethics.The Venice Biennale has a long history dating back to the end of the 19th century. It was founded as an institution through which national Italian art could develop and as an international platform where artists and architects could present themselves, create connections and discuss new trends in art and architecture. Exhibitions dedicated to architecture already existed before the Venice Architecture Biennale. Still, it was the Biennale as an institution that raised architecture exhibitions to an international level by setting up a dedicated section for architecture. As early as 1968, at the centre of the student protests (which were not directly directed against the Venice Biennale, but were part of broader international social and political movements), an exhibition dedicated to architecture was opened at the Venice Biennale for the first time. However, a separate section dedicated exclusively to architecture was not presented until 1980 at the first Architecture Biennale in Venice, whose curator Paolo Portoghesi chose the theme "The Present of the Past", thus breaking with the assumptions of modernism and steering architectural practice in the direction of postmodernism. In the years of the Architecture Biennale, the themes followed current architectural trends, but also more general social trends. At the end of the 20th century, a theoretical turn towards ethics began, centred on considerations of human rights, justice and democracy. Under the influence of critical theories such as post-colonial theory, feminist theory and queer theory, the theory and practice of architecture turned to the ethical, socially conscious and responsible design of private and public spaces. This change, as well as the growing awareness of global environmental problems and the accelerated development of technology, influenced the theme of the seventh Venice Architecture Biennale: Less Aesthetics, More Ethics

The Politics of Exhibition Practices of Postmodern Architecture: The Example of the 2000 Venice Biennale

Venecijanski bijenale ima dugu povijest koja seže od kraja 19. stoljeća do danas. Osnovan je kao institucija kroz koju se talijanska nacionalna umjetnost mogla razvijati, ali i kao međunarodna platforma kroz koju su se umjetnici i arhitekti mogli predstavljati, stvarati veze i raspravljati o novim tendencijama u umjetnosti i arhitekturi. Izložbe posvećene arhitekturi bile su uobičajena praksa prije Venecijanskog bijenala arhitekture, međutim upravo je Bijenale kao institucija, osnivanjem posebenog odjela posvećenog arhitekturi, podigao izložbe arhitekture na međunarodnu razinu. Već 1968. godine, u središtu studentskih prosvjeda (koji nisu bili usmjereni direktno protiv Venecijanskog bijenala, već su bili dio širih međunarodnih društvenih i političkih gibanja), prvi puta se otvara izložba posvećena arhitekturi u sklopu Venecijanskog bijenala. Međutim, poseban odjel posvećen isključivo arhitekturi predstavljen je tek 1980. godine kada je održan prvi Venecijanski bijenale arhitekture čiji je kustos Paolo Portoghesi odabrao kao temu “Prisutnost prošlosti” raskidajući tako s postavkama modernizma i okrećući arhitektonsku praksu u smjeru postmodernizma. Kroz godine održavanja Bijenala arhitekture, teme su pratile aktualne arhitektonske, ali i šire društvene pravce. Krajem 20. stoljeća dolazi do teorijskog zaokreta prema etici, odnosno razmatranja problema ljudskih prava, pravde i demokracije. Pod utjecajem kritičkih teorija poput postkolonijalne teorije, feminističke teorije i queer teorije, teorija arhitekture i arhitektonska praksa okreću se prema etičkom, društveno osviještenom i odgovornom oblikovanju privatnih i javnih prostora. Upravo je ovaj pomak, ali i rastuća svijest o globalnim ekološkim problemima te ubrzani razvitak tehnologije, utjecao na formiranje teme sedmog Venecijanskog bijenala arhitekture: Less Aesthetics More Ethics.The Venice Biennale has a long history dating back to the end of the 19th century. It was founded as an institution through which national Italian art could develop and as an international platform where artists and architects could present themselves, create connections and discuss new trends in art and architecture. Exhibitions dedicated to architecture already existed before the Venice Architecture Biennale. Still, it was the Biennale as an institution that raised architecture exhibitions to an international level by setting up a dedicated section for architecture. As early as 1968, at the centre of the student protests (which were not directly directed against the Venice Biennale, but were part of broader international social and political movements), an exhibition dedicated to architecture was opened at the Venice Biennale for the first time. However, a separate section dedicated exclusively to architecture was not presented until 1980 at the first Architecture Biennale in Venice, whose curator Paolo Portoghesi chose the theme "The Present of the Past", thus breaking with the assumptions of modernism and steering architectural practice in the direction of postmodernism. In the years of the Architecture Biennale, the themes followed current architectural trends, but also more general social trends. At the end of the 20th century, a theoretical turn towards ethics began, centred on considerations of human rights, justice and democracy. Under the influence of critical theories such as post-colonial theory, feminist theory and queer theory, the theory and practice of architecture turned to the ethical, socially conscious and responsible design of private and public spaces. This change, as well as the growing awareness of global environmental problems and the accelerated development of technology, influenced the theme of the seventh Venice Architecture Biennale: Less Aesthetics, More Ethics

The role of virtual social networks in the development of para-social relationships

Parasocijalni odnosi su odnosi koji se upostavljaju između persona masovnih medija i virtualnih društvenih mreža s jedne strane, i pojedinih zainteresiranih pripadnika/ca publike s druge strane, pri čemu se stvara iluzija osobnog odnosa licem-u-lice. Prvi puta su ovaj fenomen definirali antropolog Donald Horton i sociolog Richard Wohl 1956. godine. Razvitkom Interneta i virtualnih društvenih mreža, parasocijalni odnosi dobivaju novu dimenziju i formiraju se između novih vrsta persona — influencera, i njihovih pratitelja. Kako su virtualne društvene mreže dostupne preko pametnih telefona koji su postali sastavni dio svakodnevice, tako je i formiranje parasocijalnih odnosa gotovo neizbježno. Sam fenomen se u kontekstu sociologije istraživao u manjoj mjeri u odnosu na druge grane društvenih znanosti poput komunikacijskih znanosti, ekonomije i psihologije. Cilj rada je davanje pregleda postojećih teorijskih i empirijskih spoznaja o fenomenu parasocijalnih odnosa u svijetu, kao i skrenuti pozornost hrvatske sociologije na temu parasocijalnih odnosa, kako bi se ukazalo na njihovu raširenost i značaj u suvremenim društvima. Rad donosi sustavni pregled dosadašnjih teorijskih radova i istraživanja koja su se bavila formiranjem parasocijalnih odnosa s medijskim figurama s naglaskom na virtualne društvene mreže, tumačenje kontekstualnih razloga koji stoje iza tog fenomena, analizu možebitnih pozitivnih odnosno negativnih strana parasocijalnih odnosa za različite društvene skupine, te razmatranje o primjeni nekih elemenata parasocijalnih odnosa u nastavnim metodama na različitim obrazovnim razinama.Parasocial relationships are relationships established between the persona of mass media and virtual social networks on the one hand, and individual interested members of the audience on the other hand, creating the illusion of a personal face-to-face relationship. This term was initially coined by anthropologist Donald Horton and sociologist Richard Wohl in 1956. In the digital era, with the emergence of virtual social networks and celebrity culture, these relationships have evolved and expanded to encompass new types of personas — influencers, and their followers. As virtual social networks are available via smartphones, which have become an integral part of everyday life, the formation of parasocial relationships is almost inevitable. The phenomenon itself has been researched in the context of sociology to a lesser extent compared to other branches of social sciences such as communication sciences, economics and psychology. The work aims to provide an overview of the existing theoretical and empirical knowledge about the phenomenon of parasocial relations in the world, as well as to draw the attention of Croatian sociology to the topic of parasocial relationships and to point out their prevalence and significance in contemporary societies. The paper provides a systematic review of previous theoretical works and research that dealt with the formation of parasocial relationships with media figures with an emphasis on virtual social networks, the interpretation of the contextual reasons behind this phenomenon, the analysis of possible positive and negative sides of parasocial relationships for different social groups, as well as consideration of the application of some elements of parasocial relationships in teaching methods at various educational levels

The role of virtual social networks in the development of para-social relationships

Parasocijalni odnosi su odnosi koji se upostavljaju između persona masovnih medija i virtualnih društvenih mreža s jedne strane, i pojedinih zainteresiranih pripadnika/ca publike s druge strane, pri čemu se stvara iluzija osobnog odnosa licem-u-lice. Prvi puta su ovaj fenomen definirali antropolog Donald Horton i sociolog Richard Wohl 1956. godine. Razvitkom Interneta i virtualnih društvenih mreža, parasocijalni odnosi dobivaju novu dimenziju i formiraju se između novih vrsta persona — influencera, i njihovih pratitelja. Kako su virtualne društvene mreže dostupne preko pametnih telefona koji su postali sastavni dio svakodnevice, tako je i formiranje parasocijalnih odnosa gotovo neizbježno. Sam fenomen se u kontekstu sociologije istraživao u manjoj mjeri u odnosu na druge grane društvenih znanosti poput komunikacijskih znanosti, ekonomije i psihologije. Cilj rada je davanje pregleda postojećih teorijskih i empirijskih spoznaja o fenomenu parasocijalnih odnosa u svijetu, kao i skrenuti pozornost hrvatske sociologije na temu parasocijalnih odnosa, kako bi se ukazalo na njihovu raširenost i značaj u suvremenim društvima. Rad donosi sustavni pregled dosadašnjih teorijskih radova i istraživanja koja su se bavila formiranjem parasocijalnih odnosa s medijskim figurama s naglaskom na virtualne društvene mreže, tumačenje kontekstualnih razloga koji stoje iza tog fenomena, analizu možebitnih pozitivnih odnosno negativnih strana parasocijalnih odnosa za različite društvene skupine, te razmatranje o primjeni nekih elemenata parasocijalnih odnosa u nastavnim metodama na različitim obrazovnim razinama.Parasocial relationships are relationships established between the persona of mass media and virtual social networks on the one hand, and individual interested members of the audience on the other hand, creating the illusion of a personal face-to-face relationship. This term was initially coined by anthropologist Donald Horton and sociologist Richard Wohl in 1956. In the digital era, with the emergence of virtual social networks and celebrity culture, these relationships have evolved and expanded to encompass new types of personas — influencers, and their followers. As virtual social networks are available via smartphones, which have become an integral part of everyday life, the formation of parasocial relationships is almost inevitable. The phenomenon itself has been researched in the context of sociology to a lesser extent compared to other branches of social sciences such as communication sciences, economics and psychology. The work aims to provide an overview of the existing theoretical and empirical knowledge about the phenomenon of parasocial relations in the world, as well as to draw the attention of Croatian sociology to the topic of parasocial relationships and to point out their prevalence and significance in contemporary societies. The paper provides a systematic review of previous theoretical works and research that dealt with the formation of parasocial relationships with media figures with an emphasis on virtual social networks, the interpretation of the contextual reasons behind this phenomenon, the analysis of possible positive and negative sides of parasocial relationships for different social groups, as well as consideration of the application of some elements of parasocial relationships in teaching methods at various educational levels

Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiovascular Testing in the United States Versus the Rest of the World

OBJECTIVES This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-U.S. institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality.METHODS Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States.RESULTS Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p 1/4 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p &lt; 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis.CONCLUSIONS We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Reduction of cardiac imaging tests during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Italy. Findings from the IAEA Non-invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Background: In early 2020, COVID-19 massively hit Italy, earlier and harder than any other European country. This caused a series of strict containment measures, aimed at blocking the spread of the pandemic. Healthcare delivery was also affected when resources were diverted towards care of COVID-19 patients, including intensive care wards. Aim of the study: The aim is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac imaging in Italy, compare to the Rest of Europe (RoE) and the World (RoW). Methods: A global survey was conducted in May–June 2020 worldwide, through a questionnaire distributed online. The survey covered three periods: March and April 2020, and March 2019. Data from 52 Italian centres, a subset of the 909 participating centres from 108 countries, were analyzed. Results: In Italy, volumes decreased by 67% in March 2020, compared to March 2019, as opposed to a significantly lower decrease (p &lt; 0.001) in RoE and RoW (41% and 40%, respectively). A further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 summed up to 76% for the North, 77% for the Centre and 86% for the South. When compared to the RoE and RoW, this further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 in Italy was significantly less (p = 0.005), most likely reflecting the earlier effects of the containment measures in Italy, taken earlier than anywhere else in the West. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic massively hit Italy and caused a disruption of healthcare services, including cardiac imaging studies. This raises concern about the medium- and long-term consequences for the high number of patients who were denied timely diagnoses and the subsequent lifesaving therapies and procedures