Snapshot of RSV

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is known to cause bronchiolitis and other upper respiratory infections (URIs) in children. However, given the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns, circulation of other respiratory viruses was uncharacteristically low. Restrictions are quickly falling and with increased interaction there has been an uncharacteristic jump in cases. Purpose: To summarize the pathogenesis of RSV and the mechanisms the virus uses to evade immune responses. Additional discussion of the increased rates of RSV hospitalizations as well as the role of vaccinations in controlling infection

Use of Point of Care Ultrasound in the pre-op evaluation of dialysis patients needing creation of permanent arteriovenous access – preliminary study

Background: Non-invasive ultrasound evaluation is part of the preoperative evaluation of patients needing creation of arteriovenous access. This study requires patients to return for an additional visit for imaging or visit an outpatient imaging facility. These visits produce delays in surgery and increase costs in healthcare. Point of care ultrasound examination at the same time of initial physician visit, allows to decrease cost, improvement of anatomical planning, and decrease timing of surgery. Methods: We reviewed the UTRGV Vascular Surgery Database from January to December 2020, for patients who has elective outpatient arteriovenous access creation, in which has pre-operative evaluation with rapid ultrasound evaluation performed by surgeon at office visit. The evaluations were performed in the non-dominant extremity, the superficial veins and arteries. If no suitable vessels were identified for arteriovenous access in the non-dominant vessel, examination of the contralateral dominant extremity was performed. Patients with suspicious central stenosis, morbid obesity, were excluded for the performance of POCUS examination. After office visit patients were schedule for surgery. Data was obtained for demographics, type of surgery, successful creation of arteriovenous access, maturation and successful use for dialysis. Results: Fifteen patients underwent POCUS examination at vascular surgery visit and underwent creation of arteriovenous access, 9 males and 7 females, average age of 51.1 years. All patients have creation of arteriovenous fistulas, 7 brachiocephalic, 4 radiocephalic and 4 brachiobasilic who were plan for creation in two stages. An AV fistula was successfully performed in 14 out 15 patients (93.3%) with presence of thrill and bruit at outpatient visit follow-up. Four of the 15 AV fistulas successfully mature and were able to establish as a successful access for dialysis; 5 additional patients have been clear to be use for dialysis, with 60% of all access being currently use in dialysis or clear to use for dialysis. No patient developed steal or infection. The total savings calculated for performance of POCUS examination was 9,480 dollars as unilateral testing is nation average of 632 dollars per study. Conclusions: This preliminary study results demonstrates that performance of POCUS examination by surgeon in office, is a suitable technique which allows for creation arteriovenous access creation, a short period for surgery scheduling performance, and with significant savings in healthcare costs of the patient

Technological innovation and the future of work: a view from the South

Fil: Albrieu, Ramiro. CEDES. Centro de Estudio de Estado y Sociedad, Área de Economía. Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC); ArgentinaFil: Aneja, Urvashi. Tandem Research; IndiaFil: Chetty, Krish. Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC); SudáfricaFil: Mathur, Vikrom. Tandem Research; IndiaFil: Rapetti, Martín. CEDES. Centro de Estudio de Estado y Sociedad, Área de Economía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC); ArgentinaFil: Uhlig, Antje. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); AlemaniaA global narrative about technological change and the future of work is emerging. It states that technological innovation will be pervasive across the world, and the impacts on labor markets will be deep but largely transitory. Will the future of work look the same everywhere? On the one hand, evidence points to developing countries lagging behind in terms of technological diffusion and the re-skilling of their current and future workers. This could exacerbate development gaps with respect to advanced countries as has happened in previous technological "revolutions". On the other, structural factors that are country-specific -such as demographics, factor endowments, gender gaps- may cause new technologies to have different impacts on labor markets. We believe that the menu of policy options that the G20 is developing should ideally start with country-specific diagnoses taking into account these structural factors. However, given that this may be unreachable in the short run, we recommend to start monitoring the trends in technological adoption and skills development in each G20 country. For this, more and better data is needed