Detailed knowledge on the prevalence of asymptomatic cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the clinical characteristics of mild COVID-19 is essential for effective control of the COVID-19 ...pandemic. We determined the prevalence of asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 and characterized the symptoms of patients with mild COVID-19.
Study participants were recruited from a community facility designated for the isolation of patients without moderate-to-severe symptoms of COVID-19 in South Korea. The prevalence of asymptomatic patients at admission and the detailed symptoms of mild COVID-19 were evaluated through a questionnaire-based survey. Diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR.
Of the 213 individuals with COVID-19, 41 (19.2%) were asymptomatic until admission. Among the remaining patients with mild COVID-19, the most common symptom was cough (40.1%; 69/172), followed by hyposmia (39.5%; 68/172) and sputum (39.5%; 68/172). Of the 68 individuals with hyposmia, 61 (90%) had accompanying symptoms such as hypogeusia, nasal congestion or rhinorrhoea. Fever (>37.5°C) was only observed in 20 (11.6%) individuals.
As much as one-fifth of individuals with COVID-19 remained asymptomatic from exposure to admission. Hyposmia was quite frequent among individuals with mild COVID-19, but fever was not. Social distancing should be strongly implemented to prevent disease transmission from asymptomatic individuals or those with mild and inconspicuous symptoms.
The key research aspects of detecting and predicting epileptic seizures using electroencephalography (EEG) signals are feature extraction and classification. This paper aims to develop a highly ...effective and accurate algorithm for seizure prediction. Efficient channel selection could be one of the solutions as it can decrease the computational loading significantly. In this research, we present a patient-specific optimization method for EEG channel selection based on permutation entropy (PE) values, employing K nearest neighbors (KNNs) combined with a genetic algorithm (GA) for epileptic seizure prediction. The classifier is the well-known support vector machine (SVM), and the CHB-MIT Scalp EEG Database is used in this research. The classification results from 22 patients using the channels selected to the patient show a high prediction rate (average 92.42%) compared to the SVM testing results with all channels (71.13%). On average, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity with selected channels are improved by 10.58%, 23.57%, and 5.56%, respectively. In addition, four patient cases validate over 90% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity rates with just a few selected channels. The corresponding standard deviations are also smaller than those used by all channels, demonstrating that tailored channels are a robust way to optimize the seizure prediction.
We present new constraints on the dark matter-induced annual modulation signal using 1.7 years of COSINE-100 data with a total exposure of 97.7 kg yr. The COSINE-100 experiment, consisting of 106 kg ...of NaI(Tl) target material, is designed to carry out a model-independent test of DAMA/LIBRA's claim of WIMP discovery by searching for the same annual modulation signal using the same NaI(Tl) target. The crystal data show a 2.7 cpd/kg/keV background rate on average in the 2-6 keV energy region of interest. Using a χ-squared minimization method we observe best fit values for modulation amplitude and phase of 0.0092±0.0067 cpd/kg/keV and 127.2±45.9 d, respectively.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of habitual exercise on urinary liver‐type fatty acid‐binding protein (L‐FABP), which can reflect the degree of various stresses on renal proximal ...tubule related to the progression of renal disease, in middle‐aged and older adults. Cross‐sectional and interventional approaches were used to comprehensively achieve this purpose. In the cross‐sectional study, we investigated the relationship between physical activity levels and urinary L‐FABP levels in 130 middle‐aged and older adults. In the interventional study, subjects (n=31) were divided into two groups: exercise (n=19) and control group (n=12), whereby we examined the effects of 12‐week aerobic exercise training on urinary L‐FABP levels. The cross‐sectional study showed that the urinary L‐FABP levels were significantly lower in the higher physical activity group than in the lower physical activity group (P<.05). In the interventional study, 12‐week aerobic exercise training significantly decreased urinary L‐FABP levels (P<.01). Furthermore, the relative changes in urinary L‐FABP levels were significantly correlated with the relative changes in physical activity levels and mean arterial pressure after intervention (r=−.374 and r=.530, respectively). Our results revealed that the urinary L‐FABP levels were lower in the higher physical activity individuals, and aerobic exercise training decreased urinary L‐FABP levels. These results suggest that habitual exercise appears to be associated with a decrease in the degree of several stresses on renal proximal tubule and to be beneficial for kidney health in middle‐aged and older adults.
The COSINE-100 dark matter search experiment is an array of NaI(Tl) crystal detectors located in the Yangyang Underground Laboratory (Y2L). To understand measured backgrounds in the NaI(Tl) crystals ...we have performed Monte Carlo simulations using the Geant4 toolkit and developed background models for each crystal that consider contributions from both internal and external sources, including cosmogenic nuclides. The background models are based on comparisons of measurement data with Monte Carlo simulations that are guided by a campaign of material assays and are used to evaluate backgrounds and identify their sources. The average background level for the six crystals (70 kg total mass) that are studied is 3.5 counts/day/keV/kg in the (2–6) keV energy interval. The dominant contributors in this energy region are found to be
210
Pb and
3
H.
The annual modulation signal observed by the DAMA experiment is a long-standing question in the community of dark matter direct detection. This necessitates an independent verification of its ...existence using the same detection technique. The COSINE-100 experiment has been operating with 106 kg of low-background NaI(Tl) detectors providing interesting checks on the DAMA signal. However, due to higher backgrounds in the NaI(Tl) crystals used in COSINE-100 relative to those used for DAMA, it was difficult to reach final conclusions. Since the start of COSINE-100 data taking in 2016, we also have initiated a program to develop ultra-pure NaI(Tl) crystals for COSINE-200, the next phase of the experiment. The program includes efforts of raw powder purification, ultra-pure NaI(Tl) crystal growth, and detector assembly techniques. After extensive research and development of NaI(Tl) crystal growth, we have successfully grown a few small-size (0.61–0.78 kg) thallium-doped crystals with high radio-purity. A high light yield has been achieved by improvements of our detector assembly technique. Here we report the ultra-pure NaI(Tl) detector developments at the Institute for Basic Science, Korea. The technique developed here will be applied to the production of NaI(Tl) detectors for the COSINE-200 experiment.
Initial performance of the COSINE-100 experiment Adhikari, G.; Adhikari, P.; de Souza, E. Barbosa ...
European physical journal. C, Particles and fields,
02/2018, Letnik:
78, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
COSINE is a dark matter search experiment based on an array of low background NaI(Tl) crystals located at the Yangyang underground laboratory. The assembly of COSINE-100 was completed in the summer ...of 2016 and the detector is currently collecting physics quality data aimed at reproducing the DAMA/LIBRA experiment that reported an annual modulation signal. Stable operation has been achieved and will continue for at least 2 years. Here, we describe the design of COSINE-100, including the shielding arrangement, the configuration of the NaI(Tl) crystal detection elements, the veto systems, and the associated operational systems, and we show the current performance of the experiment.
We present a background model for dark matter searches using an array of NaI(Tl) crystals in the COSINE-100 experiment that is located in the Yangyang underground laboratory. The model includes ...background contributions from both internal and external sources, including cosmogenic radionuclides and surface
210
Pb contamination. To build the model in the low energy region, with a threshold of 1 keV, we used a depth profile of
210
Pb contamination in the surface of the NaI(Tl) crystals determined in a comparison between measured and simulated spectra. We also considered the effect of the energy scale errors propagated from the statistical uncertainties and the nonlinear detector response at low energies. The 1.7 years COSINE-100 data taken between October 21, 2016 and July 18, 2018 were used for this analysis. Our Monte Carlo simulation provides a non-Gaussian peak around 50 keV originating from beta decays of bulk
210
Pb in a good agreement with the measured background. This model estimates that the activities of bulk
210
Pb and
3
H are dominating the background rate that amounts to an average level of
2.85
±
0.15
counts/day/keV/kg in the energy region of (1–6) keV, using COSINE-100 data with a total exposure of 97.7 kg
·
years.
A search for inelastic boosted dark matter (IBDM) using the COSINE-100 detector with 59.5 days of data is presented. This relativistic dark matter is theorized to interact with the target material ...through inelastic scattering with electrons, creating a heavier state that subsequently produces standard model particles, such as an electron-positron pair. In this study, we search for this electron-positron pair in coincidence with the initially scattered electron as a signature for an IBDM interaction. No excess over the predicted background event rate is observed. Therefore, we present limits on IBDM interactions under various hypotheses, one of which allows us to explore an area of the dark photon parameter space that has not yet been covered by other experiments. This is the first experimental search for IBDM using a terrestrial detector.