Viral infections in outpatients with medically attended acute respiratory illness during the 2012-2013 influenza season

While it is known that acute respiratory illness (ARI) is caused by an array of viruses, less is known about co-detections and the resultant comparative symptoms and illness burden. This study examined the co-detections, the distribution of viruses, symptoms, and illness burden associated with ARI between December 2012 and March 2013. Methods: Outpatients with ARI were assayed for presence of 18 viruses using multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (MRT-PCR) to simultaneously detect multiple viruses. Results: Among 935 patients, 60% tested positive for a single virus, 9% tested positive for ≥1 virus and 287 (31%) tested negative. Among children (<18 years), the respective distributions were 63%, 14%, and 23%; whereas for younger adults (18-49 years), the distributions were 58%, 8%, and 34% and for older adults (≥50 years) the distributions were 61%, 5%, and 32% (P < 0.001). Co-detections were more common in children than older adults (P = 0.01), and less frequent in households without children (P = 0.003). Most frequently co-detected viruses were coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza A virus. Compared with single viral infections, those with co-detections less frequently reported sore throat (P = 0.01), missed fewer days of school (1.1 vs. 2 days; P = 0.04), or work (2 vs. 3 days; P = 0.03); other measures of illness severity did not vary. Conclusions: Among outpatients with ARI, 69% of visits were associated with a viral etiology. Co-detections of specific clusters of viruses were observed in 9% of ARI cases particularly in children, were less frequent in households without children, and were less symptomatic (e.g., lower fever) than single infections

Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 among symptomatic persons aged ≥12 years with reported contact with COVID-19 cases, February-September 2021

BACKGROUND: Individuals in contact with persons with COVID-19 are at high risk of developing COVID-19; protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines in the context of known exposure is poorly understood. METHODS: Symptomatic outpatients aged ≥12 years reporting acute onset of COVID-19-like illness and tested for SARS-CoV-2 between February 1 and September 30, 2021 were enrolled. Participants were stratified by self-report of having known contact with a COVID-19 case in the 14 days prior to illness onset. Vaccine effectiveness was evaluated using the test-negative study design and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 2229 participants, 283/451 (63%) of those reporting contact and 331/1778 (19%) without known contact tested SARS-CoV-2-positive. Adjusted vaccine effectiveness was 71% (95% confidence interval [CI], 49%-83%) among fully vaccinated participants reporting a known contact versus 80% (95% CI, 72%-86%) among those with no known contact (p-value for interaction = 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to growing evidence of the benefits of vaccinations in preventing COVID-19 and support vaccination recommendations and the importance of efforts to increase vaccination coverage

Effects of a preparatory education and play program on responses of young children to selected medical procedures

Includes bibliographical references.The effects of health information and play sessions on the nonverbal behavior of children ages four through nine were observed as the children participated in routine clinic procedures. It was hypothesized that children receiving health information and children receiving a combination of health information and a play session prior to the clinic procedures would demonstrate more positive and fewer negative behaviors than would the children receiving routine clinic care. Forty-seven children in three pediatric clinic sites were placed in one of the following three study conditions: those receiving routine clinic care, those receiving a 10-minute health information slide/audiotape session, and those receiving the slide/tape program plus a 10-minute play session. There were 19 children in the control condition, 15 in the health information only condition, and 13 in the health information and play condition. The nonverbal behavior of the children was recorded by nurse volunteers using a modified version of McCorkle's Nonverbal Behavior Worksheet. There were no significant differences in positive and negative behaviors by experimental group, sex, or age. Thus, the hypotheses of the study were not supported.M.S. (Master of Science

Forschungsverbund Elbe-Oekologie - Bedeutung der Nebenfluesse fuer den Feststoffhaushalt der Elbe. Bd. 1: Abschlussbericht; Bd. 2: Messstellenuebersicht, Zahlentafeln und Diagramme zum Schwebstoffhaushalt der Elbenebenfluesse

While the transport of suspended matter in the Elbe river itself is well documented, knowledge about its tributaries is still scarce. This project therefore focused on the quantification and analysis of seasonal and discharge-dependent variations of solid matter concentrations in the tributaries along the border to the Czech Republic. In consideration of the goals of the EU-WRRL, also the transport processes of suspended matter in the catchment areas and the solid matter supply potential of the tributaries of the Elbe river were investigated. (orig.)Im Rahmen der Forschungskonzeption 'Elbe-Oekologie' werden interdisziplinaere Verbundvorhaben zur Oekologie der Fliessgewaesser und Auen, zum Stoffhaushalt und zur Landnutzung im Elbeeinzugsgebiet gefoerdert. Dabei nimmt die Kenntnis des Feststoffhaushalts im Einzugsgebiet der Elbe fuer die Beurteilung der Erosions- und Akkumulationsprozesse im Flussbett und auf den Vorlaendern sowie im Hinblick auf Gewaesserstruktur und Habitatentwicklung sowohl aus wasserwirtschaftlicher und verkehrlicher als auch aus oekologischer Sicht eine Schluesselstellung ein. Zuverlaessige Quantifizierungen des aktuellen und potentiellen schwebstoffgebundenen Naehr- und Schadstofftransports der Fliessgewaesser setzen eine detaillierte Bilanzierung der suspendierten Feststofffrachten in den jeweiligen Flussgebietseinheiten voraus. Waehrend durch die intensiven Untersuchungen der Bundesanstalt fuer Gewaesserkunde zum Geschiebe- und Schwebstoffhaushalt der Elbe die Transportprozesse im Hauptstrom selbst seit geraumer Zeit Beachtung finden, ist die Kenntnis ueber die Bedeutung der Nebenfluesse und ihrer Einzugsgebiete fuer die Feststofftransportcharakteristik der Elbe noch vergleichsweise gering. Im Mittelpunkt der Forschungsarbeit, die sich im wesentlichen auf die Nebengewaesser der freifliessenden Elbe zwischen der deutsch-tschechischen Grenze und dem Wehr Geesthacht bezog, stand daher sowohl die Quantifizierung als auch die Beurteilung der jahreszeitlich und abflussdynamisch bedingten Variationen des Feststoffeintrags der Nebenfluesse in die Elbe. Bezugnehmend auf die Ziele der EU-WRRL wurden ausserdem umfassende, Bundeslaender uebergreifende Untersuchungen zu den Schwebstofftransportprozessen in den Einzugsgebieten und zu den Feststofflieferpotentialen der Nebenfluesse der Elbe vorgenommen. (orig.)Published in two vols.SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RN 4055(1382,1): RN 4055(1382,2) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, Berlin (Germany)DEGerman

Pyroelektrische Sensorsysteme Schlussbericht

With 338 refs., 12 tabs.; 120 figs.SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F93B97+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman