VARIABILITY IN RESEARCH FIELDS OF QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES TO EXPLAIN SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIETY.. [DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/4zdcy] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

The principal goal is to analyze the variability of research topics in technologies to explain science dynamics and causes of the patterns of technological evolution. The study analyzes the variability of research topics within specific homogenous groups in quantum technologies (quantum optics, metrology, imaging and sensing) to explain characteristics and causes of the variation within and between research and technological fields that guide evolutionary pathways. Statistical methods based on entropy, measures of dispersion and variance decomposition show vital findings: quantum optics, originated in 1958, ha a lower relative entropy of 0.827, indicating a lower heterogeneity and higher concentrations of occurrences in specific research topics (Standard Deviation, SD=4,330.3), whereas quantum sensing originated in the year 2000 has a higher entropy of 0.925 suggesting a higher heterogeneity of occurrences evolutionary pathways of technologies (SD=49.6). Moreover, quantum optics (having lower entropy) has 66% of occurrences in the first 40 research topics, 8.66% in the last 40 ones, whereas quantum sensing with the highest entropy has only 59% of occurrences in the first 40 research topics, whereas 9.94% is in the last 40 research topics, suggesting emerging technological trajectories. Variance decomposition considering the four groups of quantum technologies reveals that 91.7% of variability is within groups, whereas 8.3% is between groups, implying the diversity in technological evolution. ANOVA, based on F-test= 18.29 (p-value=0.001), confirms that occurrences in research topics between technologies under study have a significant diversity that affects the evolution of the technologies. The statistical evidence here seems in general to support that science dynamics and the evolution of technologies can be explained by the level of variation in occurrences between research topics, suggesting the following properties: a) the growth of heterogeneity in research topics, driving the technological evolution, is inversely proportional to the age of research fields: recent research fields have a higher heterogeneity between topics during evolutionary dynamics, whereas older research fields have a lower heterogeneity and more concentration in vital research topics, proposing a stable evolution towards clear directions ; b) the nature of research fields has a systematic effects in driving the evolution of specific technology. These findings clarify main characteristics and causes of the evolution of science and technologies considering the underlying homogeneity or heterogeneity of occurrences in research topics, providing main implications to improve the scientific and technological forecasting that may support appropriate R&D investments towards promising research fields and technologies.

Structuring Strategies to Prevent and Prepare to Face Next Pandemics: Current Limits to Improve Future Outlook.. [DOI: 10.32388/vzsyam] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Countries are still dealing with the tail of the COVID-19 pandemic, and scholars and experts are already guessing that future pandemics and/or epidemics are almost inevitable events. In the context of climate, environmental and social change, one of the problems is not whether a new pandemic will happen, but when the next health emergency will emerge. The goal of this study is to analyze anthropogenic activities that may trigger factors determining pandemic threats and how nations can act to prevent and/or improve the preparedness to cope with the next pandemic crises. Results and discussion suggest that the next infectious disease similar to COVID-19 is the effects of main factors associated with high population growth worldwide, polluting industrialization, energy crisis, land use change, ecological and climate change, environmental pollution and in particular the change of the interrelationship between humans, fauna and plant life. In this context, large cities and conurbations can be the epicenter to amplify pandemic waves because of the high density of people, high air pollution, accelerated mobility and intensive trade at national and international levels. In fact, the globalization of economies and the high interaction of people within and between nations are critical factors for the diffusion of new viral agents around the world. To solve these urgent issues and improve forecasting, prevention and preparedness to cope with the next pandemic crisis, this study suggests strategic actions of surveillance that governments should implement for a reduction and/or removal of complex factors determining pandemics and new diseases that threaten national and global health. Hence, like MERS, COVID-19, etc., the next pandemic threats are the effects of a deterioration of the total environment and anthropogenic activities in a world based on different economic competitions. Discussions here suggest how nations should design appropriate strategies to be prepared to implement appropriate policy responses when the next pandemic impact occurs to mitigate socioeconomic and health negative impacts.

Causes of failures in project management: Analysis and inductive evidence.. [DOI: 10.32388/8sgx71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

The goal of this study is to examine the causes of project-level failure. In particular, the paper suggests typologies of failure in phases of project management associated with limited information and bounded rationality by organizations to achieve difficult goals and face environmental turbulence (increasing complexity and dynamism leading to increasing uncertainty). The main case study clarifies theoretical conceptualization, describing determinants of failure in project management of antibody drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, Mars Climate Orbiter, Boeing 737-MAX, bridge and building collapses and finally in the ICT industry (e.g., in streaming platform, a cloud-streaming gaming console, etc.). Two basic strategies to face failure in project management are suggested: the first is Strategic Learning with Argyris’ approach of a) single-loop learning in organizations that detects minor errors in the phases of project development and changes the actions to minimize deviations and difference between expected and obtained objectives/results, maintaining the design intent and current routines in organization; b) double-loop learning in the presence of major errors to support radical change in organizational and managerial behaviour to re-design project management to be effective to achieve goals. The second approach is strategic adaptation when an organization learns how to adapt when it is continuously subjected to internal and/or environmental change, such that it increases the ability to maintain its efficiency under different conditions. This study clarifies factors determining failure in project management to support best practices directed more effectiveness in achieving intermediate objectives and final goals for the competitive advantage of firms.

Nobel laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine: relation between research funding and citations.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2907940/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

One of the vital problems in scientometrics is to explore the factors that affect the growth of citations in publications and in general the diffusion of knowledge in science and society. The goal of this study is to analyze the relation between funded and unfunded papers and citations of Nobel Laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine over 2019-2020 period and the same relation in these research fields as a whole to clarify the scientific development. Original results here reveal that in chemistry and medicine, funded papers of Nobel Laureates have higher citations than unfunded papers, vice versa in physics that has high citations in unfunded papers. Instead, when overall research fields of physics, chemistry and medicine are analyzed, funded papers have a higher level of citations than unfunded, with a higher scaling factor in chemistry and medicine. General properties of this study are that: a) funded articles receive more citations than unfunded papers in research fields of physics, chemistry and medicine, generating a high Matthew effect given by a higher accumulation and growth of citations with the growth of papers, b) funding increases the citations of articles in fields oriented to applied research (such as, chemistry and medicine) more than fields oriented to basic research (physics). Overall, then, results here can explain some characteristics of scientific dynamics, showing the critical role of funding to foster citations and diffusion of knowledge, also having potential commercial implications in applied research. Results here can be provide useful information to understand drivers of the scientific development in basic and applied research fields to better allocate financial resources in research fields directed to support a positive scientific and societal impact.

High potential of technology to face new respiratory viruses: mechanical ventilation devices for effective healthcare to next pandemic emergencies

Some countries in the presence of unforeseen Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have experienced lower total deaths, though higher numbers of COVID-19 related infections. Results here suggest that one of the explanations is the critical role of ventilator technology in clinical health environment to cope with the initial stage of COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Statistical evidence shows that a large number of ventilators or breathing devices in countries (26.76 units per 100,000 inhabitants) is associated with a fatality rate of 1.44% (December 2020), whereas a higher fatality rate given by 2.46% is in nations with lower numbers of ventilator devices (10.38 average units per 100,000 people). These findings suggest that a large number of medical ventilators in clinical setting has a high potential for more efficient healthcare and improves the effective preparedness of crisis management to cope with new respiratory pandemic diseases in society. Hence, a forward-thinking and technology-oriented strategy in healthcare sector, based on investments in high-tech ventilator devices and other new medical technologies, can help clinicians deliver effective care and reduce negative effects of present and future respiratory infectious diseases, in particular when new drugs and appropriate treatments are missing in clinical environment to face unknown respiratory viral agents .

New trajectories of technologies for the removal of pollutants and emerging contaminants in the environment

Modern society has increasingly a diffusion of pollutants and emerging contaminants (e.g., different types of chemicals and endocrine disruptors in pharmaceuticals, pesticides, household cleaning, and personal care products, etc.) that have detrimental effects on the environment (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and anthroposphere) and also generate diseases and disorders on the people health. Environmental science requires efforts in the detection and elimination of manifold pollutants and emerging pollutants with appropriate product and process technologies. This study aims to analyze different paths of treatment technologies to investigate their evolution and predict new directions of promising technological trajectories to support the removal of contaminants directed to reach, whenever possible, sustainable development objectives. The work is mainly devoted to wastewater treatment technologies. A proposed model analyzes the evolution of patents (proxy of innovation and new technology) on publications (proxy of science and knowledge advances) to quantify the relative growth rate of new trajectories of technologies to remove pollutants and emerging contaminants. Results reveal that new directions of treatment technologies having an accelerated rate of growth are (in decreasing order): biochar and reverse osmosis in physical-based technologies, coagulation, and disinfection water treatments in chemical-based technologies and anaerobic processes in biological-based technologies. Other main technologies, such as carbon nanotubes and advanced oxidation processes, seem to be in the initial phase of development and need learning by using processes and further science and technology advances to be implemented as effective treatments and cost-effective. The results here are in accord with global water and wastewater equipment treatment market revenues by technology, showing a similar trend. These findings bring us to the main information to extend the knowledge about new directions of technologies for the treatment and/or elimination of pollutants and microorganisms that can support decisions of policymakers towards goals of sustainable development by reducing environmental degradation and people health disorders.

Theory of Innovation Failure and Application in Aerospace Missions.. [DOI: 10.32388/b2xhyv] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

In markets having innovation-based competition, one of the fundamental problems is the high risk of failure in new innovation projects that generates negative effects on organization performance and related competitive advantage. This study here seeks to provide a general theoretical framework to clarify the concept of failure and related properties in organizational setting. The failure here is a set of errors, which in turn includes a number of faults. Failure is caused by the impossibility of the system to make advances towards the principal goal of the design intent in order to take advantage of important opportunities or to cope with environmental threats. The theoretical framework is applied in two main study cases of aerospace missions, given by: spacecraft Soyuz 1 in 1967 and STS-10/ Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003. Theoretical framework here can guide, when a failure occurs in innovation processes, R&D managers, designers, analysts, etc. to strengthen strategic management and communication in order to maintain the goals of organization in the right direction in turbulent environment.

Editorial on the Topic "New Research on Detection and Removal of Emerging Pollutants"

With the Topic "New Research on Detection and Removal of Emerging Pollutants" (https://www [...].

Are mega-events super spreaders of infectious diseases similar to COVID-19? A look into Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics to improve preparedness of next international events

Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics have raised social issues regarding the potential rise in COVID-19 cases in Japan and risks associated with the safe organization of mega sporting events during the pandemic, such as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. This study investigates the Tokyo Summer Olympics as a unique case study to clarify the drivers of infectivity and provide guidelines to host countries for the safe organization of subsequent international sporting events. The result here reveals that Tokyo and Japan did not experience a rise in confirmed cases of COVID-19 due to the hosting of the Summer Olympics. Still, transmission dynamics seems to be mainly driven by the high density of population (about 1.2%, p-value <0.001) like other larger cities in Japan (result confirmed with Mann-Whitney U test, significance at 0.05). Our study provided evidence that hosting mega sporting events during this COVID-19 pandemic is safe if strictly maintained the precautions with non-pharmaceutical (and pharmaceutical) measures of control of infections. The Tokyo Summer Olympics hosting will be exemplary for next international events due to the successful implementation of preventive measures during COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

Effects of strict containment policies on COVID-19 pandemic crisis: lessons to cope with next pandemic impacts

The goal of the study here is to analyze and assess whether strict containment policies to cope with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis are effective interventions to reduce high numbers of infections and deaths. A homogenous sample of 31 countries is categorized in two sets: countries with high or low strictness of public policy to cope with COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The findings here suggest that countries with a low intensity of strictness have average confirmed cases and fatality rates related to COVID-19 lower than countries with high strictness in containment policies (confirmed cases are 24.69% vs. 26.06% and fatality rates are 74.33% vs. 76.38%, respectively, in countries with low and high strictness of COVID-19 public policies of containment). What this study adds is that high levels of strict restriction policies may not be useful measures of control in containing the spread and negative impact of pandemics similar to COVID-19 and additionally a high strictness in containment policies generates substantial social and economic costs. These findings can be explained with manifold socioeconomic and environmental factors that support transmission dynamics and circulation of COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, high levels of strictness in public policy (and also a high share of administering new vaccines) seem to have low effectiveness to stop pandemics similar to COVID-19 driven by mutant viral agents. These results here suggest that the design of effective health policies for prevention and preparedness of future pandemics should be underpinned in a good governance of countries and adoption of new technology, rather than strict and generalized health polices having ambiguous effects of containment in society.

Sources, diffusion and prediction in COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned to face next health emergency

<abstract> <p>Scholars and experts argue that future pandemics and/or epidemics are inevitable events, and the problem is not whether they will occur, but when a new health emergency will emerge. In this uncertain scenario, one of the most important questions is an accurate prevention, preparedness and prediction for the next pandemic. The main goal of this study is twofold: first, the clarification of sources and factors that may trigger pandemic threats; second, the examination of prediction models of on-going pandemics, showing pros and cons. Results, based on in-depth systematic review, show the vital role of environmental factors in the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and many limitations of the epidemiologic models of prediction because of the complex interactions between the new viral agent SARS-CoV-2, environment and society that have generated variants and sub-variants with rapid transmission. The insights here are, whenever possible, to clarify these aspects associated with public health in order to provide lessons learned of health policy that may reduce risks of emergence and diffusion of new pandemics having negative societal impact.</p> </abstract>

Evolution of Sensor Research for Clarifying the Dynamics and Properties of Future Directions

The principal goal of this study is to analyze the evolution of sensor research and technologies from 1990 to 2020 to clarify outlook and future directions. This paper applies network analysis to a large dataset of publications concerning sensor research covering a 30-year period. Results show that the evolution of sensors is based on growing scientific interactions within networks, between different research fields that generate co-evolutionary pathways directed to develop general-purpose and/or specialized technologies, such as wireless sensors, biosensors, fiber-optic, and optical sensors, having manifold applications in industries. These results show new directions of sensor research that can drive R&D investments toward promising technological trajectories of sensors, exhibiting a high potential of growth to support scientific, technological, industrial, and socioeconomic development.

New technological trajectories to reduce fossil-fuel pollution and support sustainable socioeconomic systems.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2323975/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

One of the fundamental problems in modern economies is high carbon emissions and diffusion of pollutants from industrial activities focused on fossil-based energy that generate detrimental effects on climate, environment and human population. The goal of this study is to analyze new trajectories of technologies that can reduce, whenever possible, environmental degradation and support a sustainable growth. A model of technological evolution is proposed to detect new technological trajectories directed to sustainability. Results reveal that technologies with a high sustainability perspective for reducing environmental pollution and climate change are: offshore wind turbines, carbon capture storage technology associated with renewable energy, cellular agriculture and blockchain technology directed positive environmental impact. Findings here can sustain decision making of policymakers towards investment in promising technological directions that reduce environmental pollution and sustain ecological transition and sustainable development in human society.

Diffusion and Prediction of Covid-19 Pandemic: Limits of Models and Strategies to Improve Outlook and Preparedness to Face Next Pandemics.. [DOI: 10.20944/preprints202211.0148.v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

One of the most important problems in the presence of epidemics and pandemics is an accurate prediction and preparedness. Scholars and experts argue that future pandemics and/or epidemics are almost inevitable events and is not whether next pandemics will happen, but when a new heath emergency will emerge. Epidemiologic models for prediction of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have shown many limitations because of unpredictable dynamics of the new viral agent SARS-CoV-2 in environment and society. The main goals of this study are twofold: first, the analysis of anthropogenic activities and factors that may trigger pandemic threats; second, the planning of new directions for strategies to reduce risks that a pandemic threat emerges and/or in the initial phase to reduce vast diffusion and negative impact of new viral agents that can generate hazards and problems in public health, environment and socioeconomic systems. In particular, the investigation and understanding of sources and driving factors concerning the emergence and diffusion of new pandemics have critical aspects for strategic actions of forecast, prevention and preparation of effective policy responses to cope with next pandemic crises and health emergencies. Insights here endeavor, whenever possible, to clarify these problems to increase the knowledge of the sources and factor determining the emergence of new viral agents in order to design optimal response policies to face next pandemic diseases similar to COVID-19. .

COVID-19 Vaccination is not a Sufficient Public Policy to face Crisis Management of next Pandemic Threats

This study reveals that a vast vaccination campaign is a necessary but not sufficient public policy to reduce the negative impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis because manifold factors guide the spread of this new infectious disease and related mortality in society. Statistical evidence here, based on a worldwide sample of countries, shows a positive correlation between people fully vaccinated and COVID-19 mortality (r = + 0.65, p-value < 0.01). Multivariate regression, controlling income per capita, confirms this finding. Results suggest that the increasing share of people vaccinated against COVID-19 seems to be a necessary but not sufficient health policy to reduce mortality of COVID-19. The findings here can be explained with the role of Peltzman effect, new variants, environmental and socioeconomic factors that affect the diffusion and negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic in society. This study extends the knowledge in this research field to design effective public policies of crisis management for facing next pandemic threats.

Improving preparedness for next pandemics: Max level of COVID-19 vaccinations without social impositions to design effective health policy and avoid flawed democracies

In the presence of pandemic threats, such as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, vaccination is one of the fundamental strategies to cope with negative effects of new viral agents in society. The rollout of vast vaccination campaigns also generates the main issue of hesitancy and resistance to vaccines in a share of people. Many studies have investigated how to reduce the social resistance to vaccinations, however the maximum level of vaccinable people against COVID-19 (and in general against pandemic diseases), without coercion in countries, is unknown. The goal of this study is to solve the problem here by developing an empirical analysis, based on global data, to estimate the max share of people vaccinable in relation to socioeconomic wellbeing of nations. Results, based on 150 countries, reveal that vaccinations increase with the income per capita, achieving the maximum share of about 70% of total population, without coercion. This information can provide new knowledge to establish the appropriate goal of vaccination campaigns and in general of health policies to cope with next pandemic impacts, without restrictions that create socioeconomic problems. Overall, then, nations have a natural level of max vaccinable people (70% of population), but strict policies and mandates to achieve 90% of vaccinated population can reduce the quality of democracy and generate socioeconomic issues higher than (pandemic) crisis.

Effective Contact Tracing System Minimizes COVID-19 Related Infections and Deaths: Policy Lessons to Reduce the Impact of Future Pandemic Diseases

One of the fundamental questions in the presence of Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis and in general of new pandemic diseases is to design effective policy responses to reduce the impact in the initial phase of diffusion, when appropriate therapies and drugs lack. This study analyses a main case study given by Italy, one of the first European countries to be damaged of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, this study focuses on health policy responses to the pandemic crisis across selected Italian regions that were the first areas to experience a rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19. The analysis of early regional health policies, from January to July 2020 (during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic), reveals that some regions have managed pandemic crisis with appropriate health policy responses based on: a) a timely and widespread testing of individuals, b) effective units of epidemiological investigation in a pervasive contact-tracing system to detect and isolate all infected people. This health policy response has reduced total deaths and negative effects of COVID-19 on health of people during the first pandemic wave, when are not available pharmaceutical interventions, such as vaccines and other antiviral drugs. This evidence in the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic provides important lessons to design an effective public health policy to constraint future pandemic waves driven by new variants and new viral agents, when appropriate drugs are not ready.

Meta-analysis to explain unknown causes of the origins of SARS-COV-2

New Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious illness that has generated a pandemic crisis worldwide. One of the fundamental questions in science and society is how SARS-CoV-2 has been originated to design best practices directed to prevent and/or to cope with future hazardous pathogens. The study confronts this question here developing a meta-analysis, which endeavors to explain, whenever possible, unknown sources of the SARS-CoV-2. Findings suggest that the natural spillover of novel viral agents that generate more than 6.00 M deaths worldwide in about two years (such as, SARS-CoV-2 from February 2020 to March 2022) has a remote probability of occurrence (using an analogy with the probability of natural disasters generating a lot of fatalities), whereas science advances on hazardous viral agents and consequential lab accident have a (higher) probability of occurrence (about 13-20% like in manifold lab accidents). The findings of this meta-analysis suggest the vital role of improving the technical guidelines of biosafety at all levels in laboratories during the development of scientific research of experimental virology on hazardous pathogens to minimize risks of pandemic threats in environment and human society.

Global analysis of timely COVID-19 vaccinations: improving governance to reinforce response policies for pandemic crises

Purpose

The goal of this study is to analyze the relationship between public governance and COVID-19 vaccinations during early 2021 to assess the preparedness of countries to timely policy responses to cope with pandemic crises.

Design/methodology/approach

This global study elaborates descriptive statistics, correlations, regression analyses and Independent Samples T-Test on 112 countries, comparing those with high/low level of governance, to determine whether statistical evidence supports the hypothesis that good governance can improve the timely administration of vaccines.

Findings

Bivariate correlation reveals that doses of vaccines administered × 100 inhabitants have a high positive association with the General Index of Governance (r = 0.58, p-value <0.01). The result is confirmed by partial correlation (controlling density of population per km2): r = 0.584, p-value <0.001. The coefficient of regression in the models also indicates that an increase in the General Index of Governance improves the expected administration of doses of COVID-19 vaccines (p-value <0.001).

Research limitations/implications

Although this study has provided interesting results that are, of course, tentative, it has several limitations. First, a limitation is the lack of data in several countries. Second, not all the possible confounding factors that affect the vaccination against COVID-19 are investigated, such as country-specific health investments and expenditures, and these aspects should be examined in the future development of this research. A third limit is related to the measurement of governance through the World Governance Indicators, which are based only on perceptions and can be biased by different socio-economic factors.

Practical implications

The identification of factors determining the timely vaccinations may help to design best practices of health policy for improving the resilience of countries to face pandemic crises.

Social implications

The improvement of preparedness of countries through good governance can foster a rapid rollout of vaccinations to cope with pandemic threats and the negative effects of their socio-economic impact.

Originality/value

This study presents a global analysis of the role of public governance for timely vaccinations to face pandemic crises in society.

P24 WEAREBLE CARDIOVERTER – DEFIBRILLATOR : UTILITY AND USER FRIENDLINESS

Background

Worldwide, cardiovascular disease are still a major mode of death, being sudden arrhythmic death (SCD)25 % of total death. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is an effective weapon for SCD prevention in high risk patients with reasonable expectation of survival with good functional status for &gt;1 year. However sometimes the risk of SCD can be transient, so the use of a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) is considered.

Methods

We considered consecutively 40 patients discharged from our cardiology department of Piacenza and Castel san Giovanni that, for potentially transient high risk of SCD, weared a WCD from August 2017 to September 2021, after a systematic education session lasting 30 – 45 minutes. They are followed through remote monitoring.

Results

Out of 40 patients, with average age 66 years old and average left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 29%, 88% were males, 70 % suffered from arterial hypertension, 32% diabetes mellitus, 17,5 % peripheral vascular disease, 35 % chronic renal failure, 55% heart failure, 7,5% previous stroke. 56% of these patients weared WCD for severe systolic disfunction in ischemic cardiac disease after recent myocardial infarction, after percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft, 7% after removal of an infected ICD, 9 % whilst awaiting completion of diagnostic tests (chanalopathies/right arrhythmogenic ventricular cardiomyopathy), 34% after newly diagnosed cardiomyopathy.The patients were discharged in high risk mode of SCD with WCD protection.The average wearing time of WCD was 51 days and 22,98 hours daily. We received 953 trasmissions, with 21 events: 7 ventricular tachicardia, 4 Sopraventricular tachicardia and 5 T wave oversensing .Neither inappropriate shock and neither death were detected .After wearing time and after clinical evaluation, only 52% of patients were subjected to ICD implantation.

Conclusions

In our experience we may consider that WCD use is effective, safe and with a good adherence in all patients, considering wearing time. The WCD allows saving resources with less hospitalization time.

C7 WEARABLE CARDIOVERTER – DEFIBRILLATOR IN PATIENTS WITH HIGH RISK OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH: IS IT USEFUL A PATIENT SELECTION?

Background

The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) is considered in patients with increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SDC), in which implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD) is temporary not definitively indicated. A few registry confirmed efficacy and safety of WCD and left ventricular ejection fraction recovery (LEVS)after wearing time.

Methods

We considered in our study 40 consecutively patients that used WCD in Piacenza and Castel San Giovanni Cardiology Department from August 2017 to September 2021 with recent acute myocardial infarction, newly diagnosed cardiomyopathy, primary arrhythmias syndrome awaiting diagnostic completation. They were followed by remore monitoring. The primary outcome were: the need of ICD implantation or not indication to ICD at the of the wearing time, We analyzed clinical variables related to primary outcome.

Results

Out of 40 patients, average age 66 years, average LEVS media 29%±12,5,88% were males, 32% suffered from diabetes mellitus, 35% renal failure, 55% acute and chronic heart failure, 10% previous ischemic stroke, 17% atrial fibrillation (AF), 12% cardiac arrest (ACC) after STEMI onset, 20% ventricular tachicardia (VT). 27% of these patients took amiodarone,92% beta blockers and 82% ACEi.The average wearing time of WCD was 51 days and 22,96 hours dailyAt the end of this period 48% of patients didn‘t receive ICD implantation for increasing LEVS.We evaluated clinical variables related to primary outcome with Chi Square test and Student’s t test.There weren’t significant difference regarding primary outcome between ischemic disease and other cardiophaties. The presence of AF, previous stroke, renal failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus was more but not significant in ICD group. No significant age difference(66.8±14.1 vs 66.3±11.8, p = 0,6) neither FEVS (29.4±11.6 vs 29.5±12.7, p = 0,8) was in patients that received ICD versus not received .The clinical variables related to primary outcome only were: ACC after STEMI onset and amiodarone therapy.

Conclusions

In our study of patients with WCD, the percentage of LEVS increase is consistent with European registries. A few clinical variables may be related to ICD indication. Further studies can be useful to identify patients who need more of WCD for a lack of LEVS improvement.

COVID-19 pandemic over 2020 (withlockdowns) and 2021 (with vaccinations): similar effects for seasonality and environmental factors

How is the dynamics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2020 with an health policy of full lockdowns and in 2021 with a vast campaign of vaccinations? The present study confronts this question here by developing a comparative analysis of the effects of COVID-19 pandemic between April-September 2020 (based upon strong control measures) and April-September 2021 (focused on health policy of vaccinations) in Italy, which was one of the first European countries to experience in 2020 high numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals and deaths and in 2021 Italy has a high share of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (>89% of population aged over 12 years in January 2022). Results suggest that over the period under study, the arithmetic mean of confirmed cases, hospitalizations of people and admissions to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in 2020 and 2021 is significantly equal (p-value<0.01), except fatality rate. Results suggest in December 2021 lower hospitalizations, admissions to ICUs, and fatality rate of COVID-19 than December 2020, though confirmed cases and mortality rates are in 2021 higher than 2020, and likely converging trends in the first quarter of 2022. These findings reveal that COVID-19 pandemic is driven by seasonality and environmental factors that reduce the negative effects in summer period, regardless control measures and/or vaccination campaigns. These findings here can be of benefit to design health policy responses of crisis management considering the growth of COVID-19 pandemic in winter months having reduced temperatures and low solar radiations ( COVID-19 has a behaviour of influenza-like illness). Hence, findings here suggest that strategies of prevention and control of infectious diseases similar to COVID-19 should be set up in summer months and fully implemented during low-solar-irradiation periods (autumn and winter period).

Restriction policies and effects of COVID-19 pandemic in environment: analysis and role of sustainable technology to cope with future pandemics.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1566878/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Restriction or containment policies (e.g., business and workplace closures, travel bans and restrictions, compulsory facemask coverings, mandatory vaccinations, etc.) can prevent high numbers of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) related infected individuals and deaths. However, one of the critical questions is varying degrees of strictness in containment policies to cope with negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic crisis in environment and society. This study confronts the question here by developing a comparative analysis between countries with high and low levels of strictness in containment measures to assess the effectiveness of their policy responses to cope with high numbers of infections and deaths of COVID-19 in society. A homogenous sample of 31 countries having a level of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita higher than U$16,000 are categorized in two sets: countries with high or low containment index (100 = highest restrictions and strictness). The findings here seem to be that countries with a containment index lower than 50 (i.e., lower degree of strictness) have average COVID-19 confirmed cases on population (24.69% vs. 26.06%) and fatality rates (74.33% vs = 76.38%) lower than countries with high level of containment index (about 60). This empirical evidence reveals that government responses based on high degrees of strictness seem to be ineffective to cope with COVID-19 pandemic crisis because can create socioeconomic issues. This study suggests that one of the best strategy of prevention of high numbers of deaths of new airborne diseases generating respiratory disorders is based on high levels of investment in health sector and in particular, high investments in new sustainable technology of medical ventilators that can reduce negative effects of emerging infectious diseases similar to COVID-19, when specific drugs lack and/or need months or years for process of drug discovery.

Technology matters to cope with unforeseen pandemics: low COVID-19 fatality in countries with high numbers of medical ventilators.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1465907/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

In the presence of global pandemic crisis of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), nations have applied containment policies of varying degree of strictness to mitigate mortality in society, but these non-pharmaceutical interventions have generated a low effectiveness. However, some countries though high levels of infections have experienced lower numbers of COVID-19 related deaths. Why? This exploratory research here analyzes the vital role of technological innovation of medical ventilators to cope with the initial stage of COVID-19 pandemic without specific pharmaceutical treatments (drugs and vaccines). Preliminary results, based on a comparative analysis of a small sample of countries, suggest that countries having a high number of medical ventilators (26.76 per 100,000 inhabitants) have in general a fatality rate lower (1.44% in December 2020) than countries with low average number of medical ventilators (10.38 per 100,000) that have a high fatality rate of 2.46% in the same period. These findings bring us to suggest a strategy of preparedness to cope with future pandemic threats, which focuses on high levels of R&D investments in healthcare sectors to support drug discovery process, new infrastructures and skilled human resources associated with modern technologies in high-tech medical ventilators that really can reduce negative effects of emerging infectious disease when specific drugs lack.

Scientific laws of research funding to support citations and diffusion of knowledge in life science

One of the main problems in scientometrics is to explore the factors that affect the growth of citations in publications to identify best practices of research policy to increase the diffusion of scientific research and knowledge in science and society. The principal purpose of this study is to analyze how research funding affects the citation-based performance of scientific output in vital research fields of life science, which is a critical province (area of knowledge) in science to improve the wellbeing of people. This study uses data from the Scopus database in 2015 (to assess the impact on citations in 2021, after more than 5 years) concerning different disciplines of life science, given by “agricultural and biological sciences”, “biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology”, “Immunology and microbiology”, “neuroscience” and “pharmacology, toxicology and pharmaceutics”. Results demonstrate that although journals publish un-funded articles more than funded publications in all disciplines of life science, the fraction of total citations in funded papers is higher than the share in the total number of publications. In short, funded documents receive more citations than un-funded papers in all research fields of life science under study. Findings also support that citations of total (funded + un-funded), funded, and un-funded published papers have a power-law distribution in all five research fields of life science. Original results here reveal a general property in scientific development: funded research has a higher scaling potential than un-funded publications. Critical implications of research policy, systematized in a decision-making matrix, suggest that R&D investments in “Neuroscience” can generate a positive impact of scientific results in science and society-in terms of citations-higher than other research fields in medicine. Overall, then, results here can explain some characteristics driving scientific change and help policymakers and scholars to allocate resources towards research fields that facilitate the development and diffusion of scientific research and knowledge in life science for positive societal impact.

Optimal levels of vaccination to reduce COVID-19 infected individuals and deaths: A global analysis

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be a pandemic threat that is generating a constant state of alert in manifold countries. One of the strategies of defense against infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19) is the vaccinations that decrease the numbers of infected individuals and deaths. In this context, the optimal level of vaccination for COVID-19 is a basic point to control this pandemic crisis in society. The study here,-using data of doses of vaccines administered per 100 inhabitants, confirmed cases and case fatality ratio of COVID-19 between countries (N=192) from March to May 2021,- clarifies the optimal levels of vaccination for reducing the number of infected individuals and, consequently, the numbers of deaths at global level. Findings reveal that the average level of administering about 80 doses of vaccines per 100 inhabitants between countries can sustain a reduction of confirmed cases and number of deaths. In addition, results suggest that an intensive vaccination campaign in the initial phase of pandemic wave leads to a lower optimal level of doses administered per 100 inhabitants (roughly 47 doses of vaccines administered) for reducing infected individuals; however, the growth of pandemic wave (in May, 2021) moves up the optimal level of vaccines to about 90 doses for reducing the numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals. All these results here could aid policymakers to prepare optimal strategies directed to a rapid COVID-19 vaccination rollout, before the takeoff of pandemic wave, to lessen negative effects of pandemic crisis on environment and socioeconomic systems.

High impositions and stringent measures of countries to cope with COVID-19 reduce economic performance and do not lessen final fatality rate.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1365546/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

The goal of this study is to develop a comparative analysis between countries having introduced a high or low level of restrictions and control measures in society to cope with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis to assess if a policy response based on many pervasive compulsory measures is more effective to support a reduction of negative impact of COVID-19 on health of people and socioeconomic systems. In particular, the idea here is to analyze if countries with high restrictions and mandatory measures have lower fatality rates of COVID-19 and better economic performances than countries having policy responses based on little restrictions. The results of this analysis here seem to be that: Ž a strict policy of many restrictions and obligations does not reduce negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic in society in terms of lower mortality per 1,000 people and a lower-case fatality rate than countries with little restrictions (findings here show 1.19 vs. 0.89 and 0.82% vs. 0.43%, for countries with high and low restrictions respectively) Ž countries with high restrictions and obligations reduce the economic performance in terms of lower average growth of quarterly Gross Domestic Product than countries with little restrictions (0.14% vs. 0.38%, for countries with high and low restrictions respectively). This result can be explained with the fact that harsh containment policies are not a sufficient strategy to reduce the negative impact of new coronavirus in society, because there are manifold factors that support the diffusion of the novel coronavirus and mortality of COVID-19. Many countries applied hard and pervasive restrictions with the objective to reduce pandemic diffusion and support economic growth, but the evidence of this study shows that it is not a policy having effectiveness. These results can provide main information to extend knowledge in these topics to improve the crisis management and design best practices and effective policy responses to cope with COVID-19 and similar pandemic crisis.

Only vaccinations cannot reduce mortality and stop the COVID-19 pandemic because of manifold environmental and socioeconomic factors driving diffusion.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1312175/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

One of the fundamental problems in COVID-19 pandemic crisis is whether vaccinations are a sufficient strategy to reduce mortality and mitigate negative effects of this novel infectious disease in society. This study confronts the problem here by developing an analysis of the relation between people fully vaccinated and mortality between countries to clarify sources and effects of COVID-19 pandemic in society. Methodology applies correlation and regression analyses based on global data of more than 150 countries. Findings reveal a strong positive correlation between share of people fully vaccinated and COVID-19 mortality in January 2022 (r= .65, p-value <.01). Multiple analysis of regression shows that a 1% higher share of people fully vaccinated, increases the expected deaths per 100 000 people by 0.7% (p-value < 0.001), controlling GDP per capita between countries. These results seem to suggest that COVID-19 vaccinations are not a sufficient strategy to reduce the negative impact of the new infectious disease in society, because socioeconomic and environmental factors, mutations of the novel coronavirus and technological aspects of countries (e.g., equipment of non-invasive ventilators in countries) affect the spread and mortality of this pandemic between countries. Overall, then, a pandemic policy only based on vaccinations cannot cope with the eradication of COVID-19 pandemic because manifold factors drive the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 and generate a lot of negative impacts in economic systems, though high levels of vaccinations in some countries.

Preparedness of countries to face COVID-19 pandemic crisis: Strategic positioning and factors supporting effective strategies of prevention of pandemic threats

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to generate a constant pandemic threat with new mutations of the viral agent (SARS-CoV-2) that create socioeconomic issues. One of the fundamental problems is the evaluation of the preparedness of countries to cope with COVID-19 pandemic crisis to detect and support factors associated with the reduction of mortality and the growth of vaccinations in society. The study here confronts this problem by developing two basic indexes, which measure the performance of countries to face pandemic threats. In particular, the Index r (as resilience) detects the countries having the best performance in the reduction of the negative impact of mortality related to COVID-19 pandemic and the Index p (as preparedness and prevention) assesses best-performer countries to support COVID-19 vaccinations in order to constrain future pandemic threats and support the recovery of socioeconomic systems. Index of resilience is a composite measure based on three indicators associated with COVID-19, given by average mortality, hospital occupancy and Intensive Care Units occupancy per 100 000 people, producing an overall score; Index of preparedness/prevention is a composite measure of two indicators related to COVID-19 vaccinations (i.e., doses of vaccines administered and total vaccinates per 100 000 people), producing also an overall score of performance. The application of these indexes on a case study of European countries, having a homogenous socioeconomic area, shows the strategic positioning of countries to cope with a major pandemic threat. Findings reveal that all countries have some weaknesses and no country has a high preparedness to cope with a major epidemic or pandemic. Moreover, results suggest that best-performer countries to cope with COVID-19 pandemic crisis have a smaller size of population and/or better public governance, associated with high expenditures in health system. These indexes can help policymakers for designing effective strategies to improve preparedness and prevention of countries to face future pandemic threats.