The Grizzly, December 3, 1997

New Bookstore Anticipated Fall 1998 • Capano Charged with First Degree Murder • Opinion: Time to Procrastinate; Have Faith • Exam Schedule • Foreign Correspondence • Like Visiting an Old Friend • Soccer Seniors Reflect on Disappointing Seasonhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1411/thumbnail.jp

Burundi’s ‘Worst Enemy’: the Country’s Fight Against COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has proved to be a severe global public health threat, causing high infection rates and mortality worldwide. Burundi was not spared the adverse health outcomes of COVID-19. Although Burundi’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic was criticized, hope arose in June 2020 when the new government instituted a plan to slow virus transmission that included public health campaigns, international travel restrictions, and mass testing, all of which proved effective. Burundi has faced many challenges in containing the virus, the first of which was the lack of initial preparedness and appropriate response to COVID-19. This was exacerbated by factors including shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), limited numbers of life-saving ventilators (around 12 ventilators as of April 2020), and the presence of only one COVID-19 testing center with less than ten technicians in July 2020. Moreover, as Burundi is amongst the poorest countries in the world, some citizens were unable to access necessities such as water and soap, required for compliance with government recommendations regarding hygiene. Interestingly, Burundi did not implement a nationwide lockdown, allowing mass gatherings and public services to continue as usual due to a firm belief in God’s protection. As the daily confirmed cases have tripled since December 2020, Burundi must prepare itself for the threat of a new wave. Establishing precautionary measures to contain the virus and strengthening the health surveillance system in Burundi would significantly positively impact the prevention and management of COVID-19

The Grizzly, November 5, 1997

Distinguished Alumni Return for Symposium • Ursinus Students and Faculty Attend Million Woman March • More Grants Received by Ursinus • Student\u27s Perseverance Rewarded • Test the Waters this Spring • Opinion: Faculty Responds to Curriculum Questions; Tired of Falling Asleep? • Stress Management • November Stress • Oedipus! Lives • There\u27s Something Brewing in The Java Trench • What\u27s with The Giant Green Gymnasium Anyway? • Ursinus: The Pseudo Liberal Arts College • Bears\u27 Swimmers Kick Back at Dickinson Relay Carnival • Men\u27s Soccer Continues to Struggle • Player Profiles: Jill Grau; Megan Larkinhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1409/thumbnail.jp

Semi Blind Channel Estimation: An Efficient Channel Estimation scheme for MIMO- OFDM System

Abstract: In this paper, an efficient channel estimation scheme for MIMO OFDM system has been presented. The semi-blind channel estimation is combination of blind estimation and least square training based channel estimation. Method uses linear prediction for estimating blind constraint and least square (LS) method to estimate 'A' matrix, which is further used to find semi-blind estimate. LS method and semi-blind method are compared based on BER and also mean square error. Results show that when same number of training data is used, semi-blind channel estimation provide lesser MSE and BER compared to LS method

Incidence and Predictors of Nephrotoxicity Associated with Intravenous Colistin in Overweight and Obese Patients

Intravenous colistin is used to treat resistant Gram-negative infections and is associated with nephrotoxicity. In overweight and obese adults, a paucity of data exists regarding the incidence and predictors of such toxicity. A retrospective nested case-control study was performed over 35 months for patients receiving intravenous colistin for ≥72 h with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m(2). The objective was to investigate the incidence and predictors of nephrotoxicity. Severity of acute kidney injury was defined by RIFLE (risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage kidney disease) criteria. Dosing and mortality were secondarily investigated. Forty-two patients met the inclusion criteria, and 20 (48%) developed nephrotoxicity. Patients with toxicity were in the risk (15%), injury (5%), and failure (80%) categories based on RIFLE criteria. A logistic regression model identified four predictors of colistin-associated nephrotoxicity: a BMI of ≥31.5 kg/m(2) (odds ratio [OR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15 to 8.35), diabetes (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 0.84 to 5.29), the length of hospitalization in days prior to receipt of colistin (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.08), and age (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.17). Among all of the patients, dosing based on the actual body weight and excessive dosing due to the use of the actual body weight were frequent at 64% and 92%, respectively. The 30-day all-cause in-hospital mortality rate was 40% in the toxicity group and 14% in the nontoxicity group (P = 0.14). Patients receiving intravenous colistin should be monitored for nephrotoxicity, especially when the BMI exceeds 31.5 kg/m(2). Prospective, randomized, controlled trials are warranted to further examine nephrotoxicity incidence and predictors and appropriate dosing strategies in this population