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Clinical utility of the over-ground bodyweight-supporting walking system Andago in children and youths with gait impairments. | BACKGROUND The Andago is a rehabilitation robot that allows training walking over-ground while providing bodyweight unloading (BWU). We investigated the practicability, acceptability, and appropriateness of the device in children with gait impairments undergoing neurorehabilitation. Concerning appropriateness, we investigated whether (i) stride-to-stride variability of the stride time and inter-joint coordination was higher when walking over-ground in Andago versus treadmill walking, and (ii) activation of antigravity leg muscles decreased with higher levels of BWU. METHODS Eighteen children and adolescents with gait impairments participated in three sessions. Practicability was assessed by determining the time needed to get a patient in and out of Andago, the accuracy of the BWU system, and other aspects. Acceptability was assessed by patients responding to questions, while six therapists filled out the System Usability Scale. To determine appropriateness, the participants were equipped with surface electromyography (sEMG) electrodes, electrogoniometers and accelerometers. Various parameters were compared between walking over-ground and on a treadmill, and between walking with three different levels of BWU (median: 20%, 35% and 50% of the bodyweight) over-ground. RESULTS Practicability: the average time needed to get in and out of Andago amounted to 60 s and 16 s, respectively. The BWU system seemed accurate, especially at higher levels. We experienced no technical difficulties and Andago prevented 12 falls. However, participants had difficulties walking through a door without bumping into it. Acceptability: after the second session, nine participants felt safer walking in Andago compared to normal walking, 15 preferred walking in Andago compared to treadmill walking, and all wanted to train again with Andago. Therapists rated the usability of the Andago as excellent. Appropriateness: stride-to-stride variability of stride duration and inter-joint coordination was higher in Andago compared to treadmill walking. sEMG activity was not largely influenced by the levels of BWU investigated in this study, except for a reduced M. Gluteus Medius activity at the highest level of BWU tested. CONCLUSIONS The Andago is a practical and well-accepted device to train walking over-ground with BWU in children and adolescents with gait impairments safely. The system allows individual stride-to-stride variability of temporospatial gait parameters without affecting antigravity muscle activity strongly. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03787199. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Therapy of Type 2 Diabetes in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection | COVID-19 infection poses an important clinical therapeutic problem, especially in patients with coexistent diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Potential pathogenetic links between COVID-19 and diabetes include inflammation, effects on glucose homeostasis, haemoglobin deoxygenation, altered immune status and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Moreover, drugs often used in the clinical care of diabetes (dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, metformin and insulin) may influence the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, so it is very important to verify their effectiveness and safety. This review summarises the new advances in diabetes therapy and COVID-19 and provides clinical recommendations that are essential for medical doctors and for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
The development of an entrepreneurial mindset at a HBCU during a pandemic | Over the years, African American leaders and entrepreneurs have been preaching the gospel of preparing students at Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to have an entrepreneurial mindset. The entrepreneurial mindset concept at an HBCU is at an early stage of development. As a result, the concept lacks rigorous theoretical foundations to adapt. The goal of this chapter is to introduce a conceptual change intelligence approach to explain the factors leading to the evolution of the way that an entrepreneurial mindset is developed in an HBCU. The conceptual change intelligence approach draws upon the Input-Process-Output (IPO) Model. In this chapter, the authors postulate that to develop an entrepreneurial mindset (output), the environment (process) in which the student (input) resides must be changed. This chapter is intended to highlight how an HBCU student environment can assist the students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset during COVID-19. © 2021, IGI Global. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Automated clinical pathway standardization using SNOMED CT- based semantic relatedness | The increasing number of patients and heavy workload drive health care institutions to search for efficient and cost-effective methods to deliver optimal care. Clinical pathways are promising care plans that proved to be efficient in reducing costs and optimizing resource usage. However, most clinical pathways are circulated in paper-based formats. Clinical pathway computerization is an emerging research field that aims to integrate clinical pathways with health information systems. A key process in clinical pathway computerization is the standardization of clinical pathway terminology to comply with digital terminology systems. Since clinical pathways include sensitive medical terms, clinical pathway standardization is performed manually and is difficult to automate using machines. The objective of this research is to introduce automation to clinical pathway standardization. The proposed approach utilizes a semantic score-based algorithm that automates the search for SNOMED CT terms. The algorithm was implemented in a software system with a graphical user interface component that physicians can use to standardize clinical pathways by searching for and comparing relevant SNOMED CT retrieved automatically by the algorithm. The system has been tested and validated on SNOMED CT ontology. The experimental results show that the system reached a maximum search space reduction of 98.9% within any single iteration of the algorithm and an overall average of 71.3%. The system enables physicians to locate the proper terms precisely, quickly, and more efficiently. This is demonstrated using case studies, and the results show that human-guided automation is a promising methodology in the field of clinical pathway standardization and computerization. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Sensitive Detection of SARS-CoV-2–Specific Antibodies in Dried Blood Spot Samples | Dried blood spot (DBS) samples can be used for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike antibodies. DBS sampling is comparable to matched serum samples with a relative 98.1% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Thus, DBS sampling offers an alternative for population-wide serologic testing in the coronavirus pandemic. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Evaluating the Role of a Socially Assistive Robot in Children’s Mental Health Care | Socially assistive robots (SARs) present a promising intervention for addressing the increasing prevalence of childhood stress. This innovative technology has become increasingly common in practical implementation. However, empirical support has not kept pace with the robots’ growing popularity. The present study set out to provide an empirical test of the stress-buffering capability of this technology. We examined the effects of the presence of an SAR on self-reported measures of stress in a community sample of 70 children (40 girls, 30 boys) between the ages of 7 and 10 years old. Child participants were randomly assigned to either a robot-present or a robot-absent condition during the Trier Social Stress Test for Children. Contrary to our predictions, we did not detect a stress-buffering effect of the presence of the robot. Instead, the primary analysis showed that the robot’s presence led to a larger decrease in positive affect following the task. However, further analyses found no significant difference in positive affect when accounting for baseline group differences. Exploratory analyses of the nature of children’s interactions with the SAR during the stressful task found that higher levels of parent-reported social anxiety were associated with greater prosocial behaviors towards the SAR, thus signifying a potential target for future interventions. Further work on SARs is needed to determine the optimal timing and robotic specifications that would maximize the potential of this developing technology to improve children’s mental health care. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) related to COVID-19: Review article | The pandemic of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) or Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still ongoing. The outbreak of this new emerging contagious disease has impacted a wide range of sectors including health and economics. Much information about COVID-19 has been discovered by many laboratories, and action taken in various ways as quickly as possible to inhibit the outbreak. It was found that COVID-19 is a ribonucleic acid virus (RNA virus) that can cause infection among humans. Moreover, it can mutate and spread contagiously mainly through the respiratory system. The most common symptoms are cough and fever. Many patients could develop to either pneumonitis or respiratory failure. The SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect various organs, the main infections being in lungs and rectum. In these cases, many laboratories can isolate the virus from oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swab and then apply the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test to identify the COVID-19 virus. Many of the viral infections can cause cystitis by immunologic response. There is a study that showed the SARS-CoV-2 virus could be isolated from the urine sample. The patients had significant changes in urinary storage for frequency, urgency, and urinary incontinence during infected period, which improved after the disease resolved. Moreover, there is a study that reported that the COVID-19 patients who had the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) scores of 20 to 35 had significantly longer hospital stays, more frequent intensive care requirements, and higher mortality rates. Therefore, physician and medical personnel should be aware of the irritative voiding symptoms that might be the presenting symptoms of COVID-19. Furthermore, as many studies have shown that the virus can be excreted in urine, thus, the virus could be contagious via urinary contamination. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Principal stratum strategy: Potential role in drug development. | A randomized trial allows estimation of the causal effect of an intervention compared to a control in the overall population and in subpopulations defined by baseline characteristics. Often, however, clinical questions also arise regarding the treatment effect in subpopulations of patients, which would experience clinical or disease related events post-randomization. Events that occur after treatment initiation and potentially affect the interpretation or the existence of the measurements are called intercurrent events in the ICH E9(R1) guideline. If the intercurrent event is a consequence of treatment, randomization alone is no longer sufficient to meaningfully estimate the treatment effect. Analyses comparing the subgroups of patients without the intercurrent events for intervention and control will not estimate a causal effect. This is well known, but post-hoc analyses of this kind are commonly performed in drug development. An alternative approach is the principal stratum strategy, which classifies subjects according to their potential occurrence of an intercurrent event on both study arms. We illustrate with examples that questions formulated through principal strata occur naturally in drug development and argue that approaching these questions with the ICH E9(R1) estimand framework has the potential to lead to more transparent assumptions as well as more adequate analyses and conclusions. In addition, we provide an overview of assumptions required for estimation of effects in principal strata. Most of these assumptions are unverifiable and should hence be based on solid scientific understanding. Sensitivity analyses are needed to assess robustness of conclusions. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Lessons and surprises from an inter- island re-introduction of the critically endangered raso lark alauda razae of cape verde | Confined to a single island where its small population fluctuates in response to rainfall, the Raso lark is likely to remain Critically Endangered unless a second population becomes established This paper reports translocations of larks, 37 in 2018 and 33 in 2019, to the nearby island of Santa Luzia where the species existed until about 500 years ago Both islands lie within the Reserva Natural Integral de Santa Luzia While the hard release protocol proceeded without mishap, problems with radio-tagging the released birds were encountered However early indications are encouraging;the released birds have bred, and their annual survival is not substantially worse than that of larks on the source island, Raso Unexpectedly, the study documented several natural, unassisted movements of larks from Raso to Santa Luzia (and, less unexpectedly, of translocated birds returning to Raso) The ultimate outcome of the project remains uncertain since eradication of Santa Luzia’s introduced cats, possible predators of the larks, was interrupted when the island was evacuated because of the Covid-19 pandemic © Paul Donald | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Outcomes of 3,737 COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin and other regimens in Marseille, France: A retrospective analysis | BACKGROUND: In our institute in Marseille, France, we initiated early and massive screening for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hospitalization and early treatment with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin (HCQ-AZ) was proposed for the positive cases. METHODS: We retrospectively report the clinical management of 3,737 screened patients, including 3,119 (83.5%) treated with HCQ-AZ (200 mg of oral HCQ, three times daily for ten days and 500 mg of oral AZ on day 1 followed by 250 mg daily for the next four days, respectively) for at least three days and 618 (16.5%) patients treated with other regimen (“others”). Outcomes were death, transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU), ≥10 days of hospitalization and viral shedding. RESULTS: The patients’ mean age was 45 (sd 17) years, 45% were male, and the case fatality rate was 0.9%. We performed 2,065 low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans highlighting lung lesions in 592 of the 991 (59.7%) patients with minimal clinical symptoms (NEWS score = 0). A discrepancy between spontaneous dyspnoea, hypoxemia and lung lesions was observed. Clinical factors (age, comorbidities, NEWS-2 score), biological factors (lymphocytopenia; eosinopenia; decrease in blood zinc; and increase in D-dimers, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine phosphokinase, and C-reactive protein) and moderate and severe lesions detected in low-dose CT scans were associated with poor clinical outcome. Treatment with HCQ-AZ was associated with a decreased risk of transfer to ICU or death (Hazard ratio (HR) 0.18 0.11–0.27), decreased risk of hospitalization ≥10 days (odds ratios 95% CI 0.38 0.27–0.54) and shorter duration of viral shedding (time to negative PCR: HR 1.29 1.17–1.42). QTc prolongation (>60 ms) was observed in 25 patients (0.67%) leading to the cessation of treatment in 12 cases including 3 cases with QTc> 500 ms. No cases of torsade de pointe or sudden death were observed. CONCLUSION: Although this is a retrospective analysis, results suggest that early diagnosis, early isolation and early treatment of COVID-19 patients, with at least 3 days of HCQ-AZ lead to a significantly better clinical outcome and a faster viral load reduction than other treatments. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Targeting the NF-κB pathway in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | Abstract Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are inflammatory lung disorders responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. While the importance of allergic responses in asthma is well known, respiratory viral and bacterial infections and pollutants especially cigarette smoke are important factors in the pathogenesis of both diseases. Corticosteroid treatment remains the first preference of treatment in either disease, however these therapies are not always completely effective, and are associated with side effects and steroid resistance. Due to such limitations, development of new treatments represents a major goal for both the pharmaceutical industry and academic researchers. There are now excellent reasons to promote NF-κB signalling intermediates and Rel family proteins as potential therapeutic targets for both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This notion is supported by the fact that much of the underlying inflammation of both diseases independent of stimuli, is mediated at least in part, by NF-κB mediated signalling events in several cell types. Also, a range of inhibitors of NF-κB signalling intermediates are now available, including DNA oligonucleotides and DNA-peptide molecules that act as NF-κB decoy sequences, small molecule inhibitors such as IKK-β inhibitors, and proteasome inhibitors affecting NF-κB signalling, that have either shown promise in animal models or have begun clinical trials in other disorders. This review will focus on the role of NF-κB in both diseases, will discuss its suitability as a target, and will highlight recent key studies that support the potential of NF-κB as a therapeutic target in these two important inflammatory lung diseases. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Systemic Medications of Dermatological Importance in COVID-19 | Early December 2019 witnessed an international outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID 19) designated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) Since then, a number of therapeutic molecules have been explored to have potential efficacy against the SARS-Cov-2 per se or its sequelae There are no Food and Drug Administration specific therapies approved so far;however, numerous drugs based on varying levels of evidence, in vitro studies and compassionate drug trials are being established as therapeutic agents, especially drugs approved for previous emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) and Middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-Cov) Numerous active clinical trials for COVID-19 with more than 150 drugs and products are under study Needless to say, many dermatological drugs are being employed to mitigate this pandemic threat We aim to review drugs with potential against SARS-Cov-2 widely used in dermatology practice Additionally, rampant and overzealous use of these drugs as well as introduction of new molecules might lead to emergence of adverse effects associated with these agents Dermatologists must be on lookout for any cutaneous adverse effects of these drugs J Drugs Dermatol 2020;19(9):889-892 doi:10 36849/JDD 2020 5323 | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
The Utility of Televisits in Patients with Cardiac Amyloidosis during the COVID-19 Pandemic | Purpose In the era of COVID-19, the televisit has become a critical means of providing healthcare for patients unable to attend in-person visits Transthyretin and light chain amyloidosis are complex diseases, that require frequent and close follow up The aim of this study was to assess the utility and effectiveness of televisit encounters for patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) during the COVID-19 pandemic Methods This was a prospective cohort study of consecutive patients with CA who were evaluated by televisit between March and May, 2020, at a large academic medical center Patient demographics, baseline medications and details of televisit encounters were collected from electronic medical records Patients were followed for 3 months from their first televisit for medication changes, in-person clinic visits, hospital admissions, and mortality Results Ninety-eight patients with CA were included Mean age was 76 5±9 1 yrs and 79 were male (80 6%) The number of televisits per patient is shown in Figure 1a Over 3-months follow-up, 26 patients (26 5%) were seen for either an in-person clinic visit or right heart catheterization There were 7 emergency room visits, of which 4 (4 1%) resulted in hospital admission, 1 patient (1 0%) had multiple admissions and no patient died (Figure 1b) None of the hospital admissions occurred within two weeks of a televisit Hospital admissions were due to heart failure exacerbation, sepsis, acute kidney injury and dehydration secondary to diarrhea During follow-up, 23 patients (23 5%) had medication adjustments, most commonly changes in diuretic (56 5%) and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (56 5%) doses Two patients were newly initiated on tafamidis, for treatment of transthyretin CA Conclusion The use of televisits for the management of patients with CA is feasible, and the low admission rate indicates that televisits are a safe and effective way to manage CA patients in the outpatient setting | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Fifteen-minute consultation: Recognition of sickle cell crises in the paediatric emergency department | Children with sickle cell disease can develop life-threatening and painful crises that require prompt assessment and efficient management by healthcare professionals in the emergency or acute care setting. Due to migration patterns and improved survival rates in high-prevalence countries, there is an increased tendency to encounter these patients across the UK. These factors warrant regular revisions in sickle cell crisis management, along with education for medical personnel and patients to improve clinical care and patient management. The focus of this article is on the initial assessment and management of acute paediatric sickle cell complications in the emergency setting. Specific case studies, including acute pain crises, trauma, splenic sequestration, aplastic crises, acute chest syndrome, infection, avascular necrosis, osteomyelitis and stroke, are discussed. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we have also reviewed specific concerns around this patient group. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Guillain-Barré Syndrome in a COVID-19 Patient: A Case Report and Review of Management Strategies | Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in an immune mediated disease that affects peripheral nerves with possible life-threatening complications GBS has multiple subtypes including acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP), acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) and acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN), which can make GBS difficult to diagnose GBS commonly presents after viral infections such as influenza virus, campylobacter jejuni, and zika virus GBS commonly presents with a prolonged clinical course leading to increased morbidity among affected patients It is not surprising that COVID-19 has been connected with multiple cases of GBS, which may alter the recovery course for several patients post-COVID In this report, we present a case of 69-year-old-female who presented with progressive motor weakness and loss of sensation in her extremities after testing positive for antibodies to COVID-19 one-month prior to presentation Her presentation and treatment of GBS in the setting of COVID-19 is an example of one of the many COVID-19 complications and sheds light on the prolonged recovery course that we may experience as clinicians in the wake of this pandemic | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
COVID-19 Related Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD among US Adults() | During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures often resulted in individual isolation, which can lead to adverse mental outcomes. We collected online questionnaires from 3,952 US adults to examine the impact of “shelter-in-place” guidelines on mental health, and to explore potential disparities and modifiable factors. Self-reported anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms were associated with more restrictive quarantine. Younger adults, women, those with lower income, more insecurity, more media exposure, reduced physical activity, or worsened family relationships were particularly affected. Targeted prevention on susceptible subpopulations, including young adults and lower SES groups, might help mitigate disparities in COVID-19-related mental health problems. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Interferon gamma immunotherapy in five critically ill COVID-19 patients with impaired cellular immunity: a case series | Background Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 shedding has been described in immunocompromised COVID-19 patients, resulting in protracted disease and poor outcome. Specific therapy to improve viral clearance and outcome for this group of patients is currently unavailable. Methods Five critically ill COVID-19 patients with severe defects in cellular immune responses, high SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA loads, and no respiratory improvement were treated with interferon gamma, 100 μg subcutaneously, thrice weekly. Bronchial secretion was collected every 48 hours for routine diagnostic SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and viral culture. Findings Interferon gamma administration was followed by a rapid decline in SARS-CoV-2 load and a positive to negative viral culture conversion. Four patients recovered and no signs of hyperinflammation were observed. Conclusions Interferon gamma may be considered as adjuvant immunotherapy in a subset of immunocompromised COVID-19 patients. Funding AvL and RvC are supported by National Institute of Health [R01AI145781]. GJO and RPvR are supported by a VICI grant [016.VICI.170.090] from the Dutch Research Council (NWO). WFA is supported by Clinical Fellowship grant [#9071561]) of Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development. MGN is supported by an ERC Advanced Grant [#833247] and a Spinoza Grant of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
A Novel Computational Approach for the Discovery of Drug Delivery System Candidates for COVID-19 | In order to treat Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), we predicted and implemented a drug delivery system (DDS) that can provide stable drug delivery through a computational approach including a clustering algorithm and the Schrödinger software. Six carrier candidates were derived by the proposed method that could find molecules meeting the predefined conditions using the molecular structure and its functional group positional information. Then, just one compound named glycyrrhizin was selected as a candidate for drug delivery through the Schrödinger software. Using glycyrrhizin, nafamostat mesilate (NM), which is known for its efficacy, was converted into micelle nanoparticles (NPs) to improve drug stability and to effectively treat COVID-19. The spherical particle morphology was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the particle size and stability of 300-400 nm were evaluated by measuring DLSand the zeta potential. The loading of NM was confirmed to be more than 90% efficient using the UV spectrum. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
A prospective study to identify rates of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the peritoneum and lower genital tract of patients having surgery | Introduction The risks to surgeons of carrying out aerosol generating procedures during the COVID pandemic are unknown. To start to define these risks, in a systematic manner, we investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the abdominal fluid and lower genital tract of patients undergoing surgery. Methods We carried out a prospective cross sectional observational study of 113 patients undergoing abdominal surgery or instrumentation of the lower genital tract. We took COVID swabs from the peritoneal cavity and from the vagina from all eligible patients. Results were stratified by pre operative COVID status. Results In patients who were presumed COVID negative at the time of surgery SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA was detected in 0/102 peritoneal samples and 0/98 vaginal samples. Peritoneal and vaginal swabs were also negative in one patient who had a positive nasopharyngeal swab immediately prior to surgery. Conclusions The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the abdominal fluid or lower genital tract of presumed negative patients is nil or extremely low. These data will inform surgeons of the risks of restarting laparoscopic surgery at a time when COVID19 is endemic in the population. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for a pancreatic lymphoepithelial cyst: case report and review of literature. | CONTEXT Lymphoepithelial cysts of the pancreas are a rare disease of true pancreatic cysts, the cause of which is unknown. The differential diagnosis is broad and includes many benign and malignant cystic lesions of the pancreas and surrounding organs. A combination of imaging modalities and fine needle aspiration might narrow the differential diagnosis. However, the final diagnosis can only be achieved with certainty after resection of the cyst. CASE REPORT The present case report is a lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas that was resected laparoscopically. A 53-year-old man was incidentally found to have a cystic tumor in the tail of the pancreas after undergoing an abdominal ultrasound, which showed a 41x33 mm cystic mass in the pancreatic tail. He had no abdominal symptoms. Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy were performed. Histologic examination revealed a lymphoepithelial cyst. CONCLUSION Herein, we discuss the diagnostic difficulties and management decisions that face surgeons treating pancreatic cysts. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Air contamination with SARS-CoV-2 in the operating room | Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a target cell receptor for internalization and proliferation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). When ACE2-highly expressed tissues are manipulated, SARS-CoV-2 containing aerosols may be generated. Normal breathing and speaking are capable of producing aerosols so mask ventilation, suction of airway tract and bucking during tracheal intubation and extubation are clinical procedures capable of significant aerosol production. Whilst no data have been reported on the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in the operating room (OR), contamination in the OR can be estimated from the intensive care unit (ICU) data. ICU data showed that SARS-CoV-2 was detected on all types of surface and in air within about 4 m from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. High concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 was detected in the personal protective equipment (PPE) removal room and medical staff office. Submicron virus-laden aerosols could result from resuspension of particles containing SARS-CoV-2 sticking the PPE surface; removal could produce the initial velocity. Supermicron virus-laden aerosol could come from floor deposited SARS-CoV-2, which were carried across different areas by medical staff (e.g., shoe). Knowledge of aerosol generation and distribution in the OR will aid the design of strategies to reduce transmission risk. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Ultrasound Sensing Can Improve Continuous Classification of Discrete Ambulation Modes Compared to Surface Electromyography. | Clinical translation of "intelligent" lower-limb assistive technologies relies on robust control interfaces capable of accurately detecting user intent. To date, mechanical sensors and surface electromyography (EMG) have been the primary sensing modalities used to classify ambulation. Ultrasound (US) imaging can be used to detect user-intent by characterizing structural changes of muscle. Our study evaluates wearable US imaging as a new sensing modality for continuous classification of five discrete modes: level, incline, decline, stair ascent, and stair descent ambulation, and benchmarks performance relative to EMG sensing. Ten subjects were equipped with a wearable US scanner and eight unilateral EMG sensors. Time-intensity features were recorded from US images of three thigh muscles. Features from sliding windows of EMG signals were analyzed in two configurations: one including 5 EMG sensors on muscles around the thigh, and another with 3 additional sensors placed on the shank. Linear discriminate analysis was implemented to continuously classify these phase-dependent features of each sensing modality as one of five modes. Five-fold cross-validation was used for each modality and subject. US-based sensing statistically improved mean classification accuracy to 99.8% (99.5×100% CI) compared to 8-EMG sensors (85.8%; 84.0×87.6% CI) and 5-EMG sensors (75.3%; 74.5×76.1% CI). Further, separability analyses show the importance of superficial and deep US information for stair classification relative to other modes. These results are the first to demonstrate the ability of US-based sensing to classify discrete ambulation modes, highlighting the potential for improved assistive device control using less widespread, less superficial and higher resolution sensing of skeletal muscle. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
A new frontier: Navigating hospital pharmacy practice during the covid-19 pandemic | The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first manifested in Wuhan, China in December 2019 as multiple cases of pneumonia with unknown etiology. This was the herald of an infectious catastrophe that would eventually affect millions of people across the world, claim countless lives, and uproot the very foundations of modern-day healthcare practice. Hospital pharmacists, alongside with physicians, nurses, and numerous other disciplines, are an integral part of the healthcare team that responded to this pandemic. The purpose of this article is to highlight the teamwork, determination, and innovativeness demonstrated by clinical pharmacists at a 510-bed community hospital in response to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Pharmacists rose to the occasion to ensure that patients continue to receive the best therapy possible during this pandemic, and they supported other disciplines to ensure a collaborative response. Despite the unprecedented challenges posed to hospital pharmacy practice in the setting of COVID-19, our pharmacy team’s response has resoundingly proven the resiliency of the human spirit, and shows that nothing is insurmountable in the face of collaboration, creativity, and an overwhelming desire to care for our community. © 2021 Marmara University Press. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Development of Carrot Nutraceutical Products as an Alternative Supplement for the Prevention of Nutritional Diseases | Nutraceuticals can serve as an alternative supplement to overcome nutritional deficiency for a healthy lifestyle. They can also play a key role in disease management. To develop carrot nutraceutical products, 64 genotypes from four different continents were evaluated for a range of morpho-nutrition variables. Genetic variability, heritability, strength and direction of association among variables, and direct and indirect relationships among physiochemical and nutritional traits with β-carotene content were evaluated. Core diameter, foliage weight, root weight and shoulder weight showed significant association with β-carotene accumulation. Principal component analysis for physiochemical and nutritional assessment divided these genotypes into two distinctive groups, Eastern carrots and Western carrots. Caloric and moisture content had high positive associations with β-carotene content while carbohydrate content was negatively associated. Five genotypes (T-29, PI 634658, PI 288765, PI 164798, and Ames 25043) with the highest β-carotene contents were selected for making three nutraceutical supplements (carrot-orange juice, carrot jam and carrot candies). These nutraceutical supplements retained high β-carotene content coupled with antioxidant properties. Carrot jam (6.5 mg/100 g) and carrot candies (4.8 mg/100 g) had greater concentrations of β-carotene than carrot-orange juice (1.017 mg/100 g). Carrot jam presented high antioxidant activity with the highest values in T-29 (39% inhibition of oxidation) followed by PI 634658 (37%), PI 164798 (36.5%), Ames 25043 (36%) and PI 288765 (35.5%). These nutraceutical products, with 4–6.5 mg/100 g β-carotene content, had higher values than the USDA recommended dietary intake of 3–6 mg β-carotene/day can be recommended for daily use to lower the risk of chronic disease. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
The Challenges of Teaching Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Online in the Time of COVID-19 | In early spring 2020, New York's K-12 schools, colleges, and universities went into lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and faculty began converting face-to-face classes into distance learning classes Teachers and college faculty learned to use new technology to continue instruction for the remainder of the academic year Learning curves were steep for some, as using technology proved to be overwhelming Students who registered for in-person classes had to learn in an online environment Pre-Health Science majors who rely heavily on practical, hands-on courses to gain the necessary skills required for their career participated in virtual anatomy and physiology laboratories Clearly, face-to-face courses are not always possible;therefore, it is imperative to know the best practices of online teaching and learning | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Monitoring social-distance in wide areas during pandemics: a density map and segmentation approach | With the relaxation of the containment measurements around the globe, monitoring the social distancing in crowded public spaces is of great importance to prevent a new massive wave of COVID-19 infections. Recent works in that matter have limited themselves by assessing social distancing in corridors up to small crowds by detecting each person individually, considering the full body in the image. In this work, we propose a new framework for monitoring the social-distance using end-to-end Deep Learning, to detect crowds violating social-distancing in wide areas, where important occlusions may be present. Our framework consists in the creation of new ground truth social distance labels, based on the ground truth density maps, and the proposal of two different solutions, a density-map-based and a segmentation-based, to detect crowds violating social-distancing constraints. We assess the results of both approaches by using the generated ground truth from the PET2009 and CityStreet datasets. We show that our framework performs well at providing the zones where people are not following the social-distance, even when heavily occluded or far away from the camera, compared to current detection and tracking approaches. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Mythologizing Time in Internet Memes of the COVID-19 Pandemic Period | The article is devoted to the mythologization of time in Internet memes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors consider modern social mythology in the context of the digital humanities. Digitalization of human existence leads to the emergence of digital mythology, which allows us to comprehend the new electronic social reality and influences the formation of worldview. The myths of the digital age are embedded in the tools of social communication, one of which is the Internet meme. The authors define the Internet meme as a part of digital culture and a communication phenomenon that can transmit emotionally colored information and influence its perception. Internet memes contain myth elements that allow communicants to perceive the transmitted information with a high degree of efficiency. Memes make it possible for Internet users to describe the realities of a rapidly changing world, while at the same time comprehending it at a high speed, thanks to the recognition of the myth. Myths about the time have become particularly relevant during the pandemic, as they were associated with the need to adapt to new conditions of existence and accelerate digitalization. Internet memes about the year 2020 demonstrate the features of the mythologization of time in the pandemic period. © 2021 IEEE. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Ferritin and Hemoglobin as Predictors of Fatal Outcome in COVID-19: Two Sides of the Same Coin. | INTRODUCTION Infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have multisystemic involvement with hyperinflammation being a cardinal feature and deranged iron metabolism having a possible role. In this premise, we studied the prognostic value of two markers of iron metabolism ferritin and hemoglobin. METHODOLOGY A retrospective-cohort study was carried out in a tertiary hospital in northern India involving 210 hospitalized COVID-19 patients aged 15-and above. Analysis was done for clinical profile, comorbidities and basic laboratory indices including ferritin-hemoglobin ratio (FHR) with primary end-point being in-hospital all-cause mortality. RESULTS Median serum ferritin levels (640.00ng/mL vs 220.00ng/mL) were significantly higher among non-survivors as against survivors while median hemoglobin levels were significantly lower (12.12g/dL vs 13.73g/dL). Serum ferritin levels >400ng/mL (Sn 80%, Sp 70%) predicted mortality with high sensitivity and specificity. Notably, serum ferritin levels >400ng/mL (HR 11.075 [1.481-82.801]) and anemia, defined as a hemoglobin of <12g/dL for females and < 13g/dL for males and were significantly associated with the risk of mortality in a univariable Cox-proportional hazards regression. The median FHR was significantly higher among non-survivors compared to survivors (56.98 vs 17.17). FHR>31 (Sn 85% Sp 71.6%) was highly sensitive and specific for predicting mortality. The multivariable analysis indicated that FHR >31 remained an independent risk factor for mortality (HR 12.293 [3.147-48.028]). CONCLUSION Ferritin-hemoglobin ratio (FHR), which encompasses into a single index, the effects of both elevated levels of ferritin and the severity of anemia, seems to perform particularly well as a prognostic marker and emerged as an independent risk factor for mortality in COVID-19 patients. Hyperferritinemia and anemia, both, are inexorably interlinked in addition to having a role, directly or indirectly in the disease pathophysiology. Ferritin and hemoglobin, hence should be seen as two sides of the same coin rather than as two discrete entities. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Nonstructural protein 6 of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus induces autophagy to promote viral replication via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis | Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has caused, and continues to cause, severe economic losses to the swine industry worldwide The pathogenic mechanism and immune regulatory interactions between PEDV and the host remain largely unknown In this study, the interaction between autophagy and PEDV replication in intestinal porcine epithelial (IPEC-J2) cells was investigated The effects of the structural and nonstructural proteins of PEDV on the autophagy process and the autophagy-related signaling pathways were also examined The results shown that PEDV replication increased the autophagy flux in IPEC-J2 cells, and that autophagy was beneficial to PEDV replication, which may be one of the reasons for the rapid damage to intestinal epithelial cells and the enhanced virulence of PEDV in both newborn piglets and finishing pigs When autophagy was pharmacologically induced by rapamycin, PEDV replication increased from 8 510sup5/sup TCIDsub50/sub/mL to 8 810sup6/sup TCIDsub50/sub/mL in IPEC-J2 cells When autophagy was pharmacologically suppressed by hydroxychloroquine, PEDV replication decreased from 8 510sup5/sup TCIDsub50/sub/mL to 7 910sup4/sup TCIDsub50/sub/mL To identify which PEDV proteins were the key inducers of autophagy, all 4 structural proteins and 17 nonstructural proteins of PEDV were eukaryotic expressed It was found that the nonstructural protein 6 (nsp6) and ORF3 of PEDV were able to induce significant autophagy in IPEC-J2 cells, but the other proteins were unable to induce autophagy It was indicated that nsp6-induced autophagy mainly occurred via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway The results accelerate the understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of PEDV infection and provide new insights into the development of effective therapeutic strategies | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Better outcome with D-dimer guided anticoagulant in hospitalised patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 illness | Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis is recommended for all hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the absence of contraindications. Although D-dimer is a recognized biomarker for disease severity, there are insufficient data to recommend using this parameter to guide therapeutic decisions. Purpose: The aim of the study is to investigate whether D-dimer guided anticoagulant therapy (ACT) is associated with a better evolution in moderate and severe COVID 19 illness. Methods: We retrospectively analysed 120 consecutive patients (71 men, mean age 62.8±14 years old), hospitalised for moderate or severe COVID-19 illness. All patients were clinically examined, thoracic CT was performed, hematologic parameters were measured. Presence of VTE in patients with risk factors was excluded with doppler imaging and/or contrast thoracic CT. Patients with D-dimer ≤0.5 mg/L received prophylactic ACT (enoxaparin 40 mg daily), patients with D-dimer between 0.5 mg/L and 1 mg/L received 40 mg bid and those with D dimer ≥1mg/L were treated with full dose ACT (enoxaparin 1mg/kg bid). During hospitalization D-dimer was measured and the ACT was adapted accordingly. In all patients COVID-19 disease was managed according to current guidelines. After discharge patients were followed up 30±7 days. Prophylactic ACT was continued in patients with high thrombotic risk. Results: 76 patients (63.3%) had moderate, and 44 patients (36.6%) had severe disease. Comorbidities were present in 71.5% patients (61.5% with cardiovascular disease, 16.6% with diabetes mellitus, 16.6% with obesity, 6.6% with renal failure, 4.1% with neoplastic disease). Average D-dimer was 1.3±0.8 mg/L. D-dimer elevation>0.5 mg/L was seen in 79 patients (65.8%). D-dimer was higher in patients with severe vs moderate illness 1.5±0.9 mg/L vs 1.01±0.9 mg/l (p<0.05) and in patients with comorbidities vs patients with no comorbidities (1.2±0.8 mg/L vs 0.7±0.6 mg/L, p<0.05). During hospitalization and subsequent follow up no VTE was recorded. 10 patients (0.83%) initially on prophylactic doses were switched to full dose ACT. Haemorrhagic complications were recorded in 5 patients (4.1%) and were minor. 4 patients (3.3%) with moderate illness at admission and comorbidities, were transferred to intensive care unit (ICU) and subsequently died (two patients with severe respiratory failure, one patient with respiratory failure and myocarditis and one patient with coma after resuscitated cardiac arrest). 116 patients (96.7%) were discharged after a median hospitalization of 12±3 days and there were no complications recorded during the short term follow up. Conclusions: D-dimer guided therapy is associated with a lower incidence of TVP complications and mortality in moderate and severe hospitalized patients (0% vs 10% and 3.3% vs 20.3% respectively in literature data base) with nonsignificant haemorrhagic complications. This small observational study needs to be validated by further research. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Toward Development of a Label-Free Detection Technique for Microfluidic Fluorometric Peptide-Based Biosensor Systems | The problems of chronic or noncommunicable diseases (NCD) that now kill around 40 million people each year require multiparametric combinatorial diagnostics for the selection of effective treatment tactics. This could be implemented using the biosensor principle based on peptide aptamers for spatial recognition of corresponding protein markers of diseases in biological fluids. In this paper, a low-cost label-free principle of biomarker detection using a biosensor system based on fluorometric registration of the target proteins bound to peptide aptamers was investigated. The main detection principle considered includes the re-emission of the natural fluorescence of selectively bound protein markers into a longer-wavelength radiation easily detectable by common charge-coupled devices (CCD) using a specific luminophore. Implementation of this type of detection system demands the reduction of all types of stray light and background fluorescence of construction materials and aptamers. The latter was achieved by careful selection of materials and design of peptide aptamers with substituted aromatic amino acid residues and considering troponin T, troponin I, and bovine serum albumin as an example. The peptide aptamers for troponin T were designed in silico using the «Protein 3D» (SPB ETU, St. Petersburg, Russia) software. The luminophore was selected from the line of ZnS-based solid-state compounds. The test microfluidic system was arranged as a flow through a massive of four working chambers for immobilization of peptide aptamers, coupled with the optical detection system, based on thick film technology. The planar optical setup of the biosensor registration system was arranged as an excitation-emission cascade including 280 nm ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diode (LED), polypropylene (PP) UV transparent film, proteins layer, glass filter, luminophore layer, and CCD sensor. A laboratory sample has been created. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Leadership Lessons and Career Advice From the Musical Hamilton. | The musical Hamilton, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, creatively depicts the life and career of founding father Alexander Hamilton. While Hamilton is the primary focus, highlights of the career and personal journeys of other leaders, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Aaron Burr, are interjected throughout the production. Often the musical numbers in Hamilton focus on aspects of leadership and career development that Hamilton and his contemporaries were learning or needed to learn. These lessons are applicable to the challenges that faculty members in academic pharmacy face today at different stages of a career. These include the importance of maximizing opportunities, listening, self-reflection, compromise, patience, empathy, prioritizing, tending relationships, making difficult decisions, knowing when to say goodbye, and managing a legacy. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Paediatric Liver Transplantation During COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned and Unanswered Questions | COVID-19 pandemic has imposed many challenges on paediatric liver transplantation (PLT) services and has necessitated several adaptations in different stages of the process to ensure transplant centres can still deliver the proposed services in addition to protecting patients and staff against infection. This review article digs through the current literature to clarify the challenges imposed by SARS-CoV2 on PLT centres globally. It provides an overview of current practice as well as suggestions from experts in the field to overcome multiple obstacles. In paediatrics, the reaction to SARS-CoV2 may be less severe than that seen in the adult population, but this can change in view of newly discovered virus strains. Response of transplant centres to the current pandemic was variable depending on the anticipated risk and available resources. Telemedicine has helped PLT programmes to continue their activities while protecting patients, as well as staff against the risk of SARS-CoV2 virus. Further studies are needed to guide immunosuppression management in post-transplant infected candidates; answering this critical question will help PLT centres solve this dilemma. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Virtual Screening and Molecular Docking Studies for Discovery of Potential RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Inhibitors | The current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Globally, this pandemic has affected over 111 million individuals and posed many health and economic challenges. Much research effort is dedicated to discovering new treatments to address the associated challenges and restrict the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Since SARS-CoV-2 is a positive-strand RNA virus, its replication requires the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) enzyme. In this study, we report the discovery of new potential RdRp enzyme inhibitors based on computer modeling and simulation methodologies. The antiviral ZINC database was utilized for covalent docking virtual screening followed by molecular interaction analyses based on reported hot spots within the RdRp binding pocket (PDB: 7BV2). Eleven molecules, ZINC000014944915, ZINC000027556215, ZINC000013556344, ZINC000003589958, ZINC000003833965, ZINC000001642252, ZINC000028525778, ZINC000027557701, ZINC000013781295, ZINC000001651128 and ZINC000013473324, were shown to have the highest binding interactions. These molecules were further assessed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) studies. The results showed that all 11 molecules except ZINC000027557701 formed stable complexes with the viral RdRp and fell within the accepted ADMET parameters. The identified molecules can be used to design future potential RdRp inhibitors. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Editor-in-Chief's Top Picks From 2021. | Each week, I record audio summaries for every paper in JACC, as well as an issue summary. This process has become a true labor of love due to the time they require, but I am motivated by the sheer number of listeners (16M+), and it has allowed me to familiarize myself with every paper that we publish. Thus, I have selected the top 100 papers (both Original Investigations and Review Articles) from distinct specialties each year. In addition to my personal choices, I have included papers that have been the most accessed or downloaded on our websites, as well as those selected by the JACC Editorial Board members. In order to present the full breadth of this important research in a consumable fashion, we will present these abstracts in this issue of JACC, as well as their Central Illustrations and podcasts. The highlights comprise the following sections: Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (NEW section), Basic & Translational Research, Biomarkers (NEW section), Cardiac Failure & Myocarditis, Cardiomyopathies & Genetics, Cardio-Oncology, Cardiovascular Disease in Women, Coronary Disease & Interventions, Congenital Heart Disease, Coronavirus, Hypertension, Imaging, Metabolic & Lipid Disorders, Neurovascular Disease & Dementia, Promoting Health & Prevention, Rhythm Disorders & Thromboembolism, Vascular Medicine, and Valvular Heart Disease.1-100. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Inanspruchnahme von Notaufnahmen durch sog. Mehrfachnutzer/-innen: Ergebnisse einer prospektiven Studie unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Migrationsstatus | OBJECTIVES: Can we identify predictive factors for the group of so-called multiple users (MU; 4 and more uses of an emergency department [ED] in the past 12 months)? Are people with a migration background more likely to be classified in the MU group? METHODOLOGY: Included were consecutive patients who visited three EDs in Berlin from July 2017 to July 2018. Using a questionnaire, diseases, reasons for visiting the ED and socioeconomic factors were recorded. Comparisons between migrants (1st generation), their descendants (2nd generation) and nonmigrants were assessed using logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 2339 patients were included in the evaluation (repeat rate 56%), of which 901 had a migration background. Young women (<30 years), chronically ill, pregnant women, patients with severe complaints and people with (self-assessed) moderate and poor health quality as well as those without medical referral had a greater chance of multiple use of ED. CONCLUSION: MU burden the already increasing patient volume of ED. However, they represent a heterogeneous group of patients, among whom people with a migration background are not common. Further research is warranted to better understand the factors that lead to frequent use and to develop effective strategies to address the complex health needs of MUs. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Tail event-based sovereign credit risk transmission network during COVID-19 pandemic | This paper investigates the interconnectedness between sovereign credit risk based on the tail event and network dynamics technique. Specifically, we examine the interdependence in upper tails of sovereign credit default swap in the case of fifteen most COVID-19 affected countries. Empirical findings indicate that connectedness among SCDS spreads changed over time and is higher during the COVID19 outbreak. Russia, Brazil, and China are the most credit risk emitter and receiver during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Employing learning health system principles to advance research on severe neonatal and paediatric illness in Kenya | We have worked to develop a Clinical Information Network (CIN) in Kenya as an early form of learning health systems (LHS) focused on paediatric and neonatal care that now spans 22 hospitals. CIN's aim was to examine important outcomes of hospitalisation at scale, identify and ultimately solve practical problems of service delivery, drive improvements in quality and test interventions. By including multiple routine settings in research, we aimed to promote generalisability of findings and demonstrate potential efficiencies derived from LHS. We illustrate the nature and range of research CIN has supported over the past 7 years as a form of LHS. Clinically, this has largely focused on common, serious paediatric illnesses such as pneumonia, malaria and diarrhoea with dehydration with recent extensions to neonatal illnesses. CIN also enables examination of the quality of care, for example that provided to children with severe malnutrition and the challenges encountered in routine settings in adopting simple technologies (pulse oximetry) and more advanced diagnostics (eg, Xpert MTB/RIF). Although regular feedback to hospitals has been associated with some improvements in quality data continue to highlight system challenges that undermine provision of basic, quality care (eg, poor access to blood glucose testing and routine microbiology). These challenges include those associated with increased mortality risk (eg, delays in blood transfusion). Using the same data the CIN platform has enabled conduct of randomised trials and supports malaria vaccine and most recently COVID-19 surveillance. Employing LHS principles has meant engaging front-line workers, clinical managers and national stakeholders throughout. Our experience suggests LHS can be developed in low and middle-income countries that efficiently enable contextually appropriate research and contribute to strengthening of health services and research systems. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Postprandial gut hormone responses and glucose metabolism in cholecystectomized patients. | Preclinical studies suggest that gallbladder emptying, via bile acid-induced activation of the G protein-coupled receptor TGR5 in intestinal L cells, may play a significant role in the secretion of the incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and, hence, postprandial glucose homeostasis. We examined the secretion of gut hormones in cholecystectomized subjects to test the hypothesis that gallbladder emptying potentiates postprandial release of GLP-1. Ten cholecystectomized subjects and 10 healthy, age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched control subjects received a standardized fat-rich liquid meal (2,200 kJ). Basal and postprandial plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, GLP-1, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), cholecystokinin (CCK), and gastrin were measured. Furthermore, gastric emptying and duodenal and serum bile acids were measured. We found similar basal glucose concentrations in the two groups, whereas cholecystectomized subjects had elevated postprandial glucose excursions. Cholecystectomized subjects had reduced postprandial concentrations of duodenal bile acids, but preserved postprandial plasma GLP-1 responses, compared with control subjects. Also, cholecystectomized patients exhibited augmented fasting glucagon. Basal plasma CCK concentrations were lower and peak concentrations were higher in cholecystectomized patients. The concentrations of GIP, GLP-2, and gastrin were similar in the two groups. In conclusion, cholecystectomized subjects had preserved postprandial GLP-1 responses in spite of decreased duodenal bile delivery, suggesting that gallbladder emptying is not a prerequisite for GLP-1 release. Cholecystectomized patients demonstrated a slight deterioration of postprandial glycemic control, probably because of metabolic changes unrelated to incretin secretion. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Characterization of respiratory microbial dysbiosis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the microbial composition of the respiratory tract and other infected tissues as well as their possible pathogenic contributions to varying degrees of disease severity in COVID-19 patients remain unclear. Between 27 January and 26 February 2020, serial clinical specimens (sputum, nasal and throat swab, anal swab and feces) were collected from a cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, including 8 mildly and 15 severely ill patients in Guangdong province, China. Total RNA was extracted and ultra-deep metatranscriptomic sequencing was performed in combination with laboratory diagnostic assays. We identified distinct signatures of microbial dysbiosis among severely ill COVID-19 patients on broad spectrum antimicrobial therapy. Co-detection of other human respiratory viruses (including human alphaherpesvirus 1, rhinovirus B, and human orthopneumovirus) was demonstrated in 30.8% (4/13) of the severely ill patients, but not in any of the mildly affected patients. Notably, the predominant respiratory microbial taxa of severely ill patients were Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC), Staphylococcus epidermidis, or Mycoplasma spp. (including M. hominis and M. orale). The presence of the former two bacterial taxa was also confirmed by clinical cultures of respiratory specimens (expectorated sputum or nasal secretions) in 23.1% (3/13) of the severe cases. Finally, a time-dependent, secondary infection of B. cenocepacia with expressions of multiple virulence genes was demonstrated in one severely ill patient, which might accelerate his disease deterioration and death occurring one month after ICU admission. Our findings point to SARS-CoV-2-related microbial dysbiosis and various antibiotic-resistant respiratory microbes/pathogens in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in relation to disease severity. Detection and tracking strategies are needed to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance, improve the treatment regimen and clinical outcomes of hospitalized, severely ill COVID-19 patients. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Phenotypic and Genetic Characterization of Avian Influenza H5N2 Viruses with Intra- and Inter-Duck Variations in Taiwan | BACKGROUND: Human infections with avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have frequently raised global concerns of emerging, interspecies-transmissible viruses with pandemic potential. Waterfowl, the predominant reservoir of influenza viruses in nature, harbor precursors of different genetic lineages that have contributed to novel pandemic influenza viruses in the past. METHODS: Two duck influenza H5N2 viruses, DV518 and DV413, isolated through virological surveillance at a live-poultry market in Taiwan, showed phylogenetic relatedness but exhibited different replication capabilities in mammalian Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells. This study characterizes the replication properties of the two duck H5N2 viruses and the determinants involved. RESULTS: The DV518 virus replicated more efficiently than DV413 in both MDCK and chicken DF1 cells. Interestingly, the infection of MDCK cells by DV518 formed heterogeneous plaques with great differences in size [large (L) and small (S)], and the two viral strains (p518-L and p518-S) obtained from plaque purification exhibited distinguishable replication kinetics in MDCK cells. Nonetheless, both plaque-purified DV518 strains still maintained their growth advantages over the plaque-purified p413 strain. Moreover, three amino acid substitutions in PA (P224S), PB2 (E72D), and M1 (A128T) were identified in intra-duck variations (p518-L vs p518-S), whereas other changes in HA (N170D), NA (I56T), and NP (Y289H) were present in inter-duck variations (DV518 vs DV413). Both p518-L and p518-S strains had the N170D substitution in HA, which might be related to their greater binding to MDCK cells. Additionally, polymerase activity assays on 293T cells demonstrated the role of vRNP in modulating the replication capability of the duck p518-L viruses in mammalian cells. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that intra-host phenotypic variation occurs even within an individual duck. In view of recent human infections by low pathogenic AIVs, this study suggests possible determinants involved in the stepwise selection of virus variants from the duck influenza virus population which may facilitate inter-species transmission. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Sarcoidosis and sarcoidal foreign body reaction after permanent eye makeup application: Analysis by immunohistochemistry with commercially available antibodies specific to Cutibacterium acnes and Mycobacteria. | We report two cases of eyebrow granulomas in patients who underwent a permanent eye makeup procedure. A rash was observed 16 months after the procedure in case 1 and 10 years after the procedure in case 2. Histopathologically, both patients exhibited non-caseating epithelioid cell granulomas. In case 1, most of the black-brown granules of the permanent makeup were not present in the granulomas but were localized in the upper dermis. In contrast, in case 2, some of the black-brown granules were phagocytized in the granulomas, preferentially within the giant cells. Based on systemic examinations, the patients from cases 1 and 2 were diagnosed with sarcoidosis and sarcoidal foreign body reaction, respectively. To clarify the pathogenesis of our cases, we performed immunohistochemistry using commercially available monoclonal antibodies specific to Cutibacterium acnes, previously Propionibacterium acnes (PAB), and Mycobacteria (LAM antibody). PAB antibody results were positive in granulomas only in case 1, and the LAM antibody results were negative in both cases. Immunohistochemical detection of C. acnes in granulomas could provide useful information for differentiating between cutaneous sarcoidosis and sarcoidal foreign body reactions. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Digital Ischemia in COVID-19 Patients: Case Report | As coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) continues to cause an immense burden on the global health care systems, it is crucial to understand the breadth of this disease process. Recent reports identified hypercoagulability in a subset of critically ill patients and extremity ischemia in an even smaller cohort. Because abnormal coagulation parameters and extremity ischemia have been shown to correlate with poor disease prognosis, understanding how to treat these patients is crucial. To better describe the identification and management of this phenomenon, we present 2 cases of critically ill patients with COVID-19 who developed fingertip ischemia while in the intensive care unit. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Low-cost thermal imaging with machine learning for non-invasive diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of pneumonia | Rapid screening and early treatment of lung infection are essential for effective control of many epidemics such as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Recent studies have demonstrated the potential correlation between lung infection and the change of back skin temperature distribution. Based on these findings, we propose to use low-cost, portable and rapid thermal imaging in combination with image-processing algorithms and machine learning analysis for non-invasive and safe detection of pneumonia. The proposed method was tested in 69 subjects (30 normal adults, 11 cases of fever without pneumonia, 19 cases of general pneumonia and 9 cases of COVID-19) where both RGB and thermal images were acquired from the back of each subject. The acquired images were processed automatically in order to extract multiple location and shape features that distinguish normal subjects from pneumonia patients at a high accuracy of 93 [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, daily assessment of two pneumonia patients by the proposed method accurately predicted the clinical outcomes, coincident with those of laboratory tests. Our pilot study demonstrated the technical feasibility of portable and intelligent thermal imaging for screening and therapeutic assessment of pneumonia. The method can be potentially implemented in under-resourced regions for more effective control of respiratory epidemics. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Two Opposing Functions of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) That Links Hypertension, Dementia, and Aging | A 2018 report from the American Heart Association shows that over 103 million American adults have hypertension. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (EC 3.4.15.1) is a dipeptidyl carboxylase that, when inhibited, can reduce blood pressure through the renin–angiotensin system. ACE inhibitors are used as a first-line medication to be prescribed to treat hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure, among others. It has been suggested that ACE inhibitors can alleviate the symptoms in mouse models. Despite the benefits of ACE inhibitors, previous studies also have suggested that genetic variants of the ACE gene are risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurological diseases, while other variants are associated with reduced risk of AD. In mice, ACE overexpression in the brain reduces symptoms of the AD model systems. Thus, we find two opposing effects of ACE on health. To clarify the effects, we dissect the functions of ACE as follows: (1) angiotensin-converting enzyme that hydrolyzes angiotensin I to make angiotensin II in the renin–angiotensin system; (2) amyloid-degrading enzyme that hydrolyzes beta-amyloid, reducing amyloid toxicity. The efficacy of the ACE inhibitors is well established in humans, while the knowledge specific to AD remains to be open for further research. We provide an overview of ACE and inhibitors that link a wide variety of age-related comorbidities from hypertension to AD to aging. ACE also serves as an example of the middle-life crisis theory that assumes deleterious events during midlife, leading to age-related later events. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Loneliness as a Biographical Disruption—Theoretical Implications for Understanding Changes in Loneliness | OBJECTIVES: While a great deal is known about the risk factors that increase vulnerability to loneliness in later life, little research has explored stability and change in levels of loneliness. METHODS: Narrative interviews were conducted with 11 participants who were identified as being lonely during Wave 1 of the Maintaining Function and Well-being in Later Life Study Wales (CFAS Wales). The interviews were used to explore stability and change in levels of loneliness from the perspective of older people themselves. The interviews focused on participant’s perspectives of the events that triggered loneliness, stability, and change in levels of loneliness over time as well as participant’s responses to loneliness. RESULTS: The findings show that participants experienced losses and loneliness as biographical disruption. How participants and their wider social network responded to these losses had implications for the individual’s trajectory through loneliness. DISCUSSION: Drawing on a biographical lens, the study reframed the events that triggered loneliness as disruptive events. This article discusses the utility of biographical disruption in understanding stability and change in loneliness. The findings suggest how drawing on valued identities may help lonely adults transition out of loneliness. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
A Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Patient with Multifocal Pneumonia Treated with Hydroxychloroquine | After an outbreak in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a pandemic The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019 nCov), now called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes a wide spectrum of illness and patients with underlying comorbidities have a high mortality Here we present a 49-year-old male patient with comorbid conditions who presented with fever, cough, myalgia and shortness of breath for five days with likely exposure to a COVID-19 contact A computed tomography scan of the thorax revealed multifocal bilateral ground-glass lung opacities with areas of subpleural sparing He tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by nucleic acid amplification Hydroxychloroquine therapy was started, and the patient responded favorably with improvement of symptoms Early diagnosis and self-isolation or quarantine remain key to stemming the tide of the contagion as there is a real risk of the healthcare system being overwhelmed | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Single-Use Disposable Waste Upcycling via Thermochemical Conversion Pathway | Herein, the pyrolysis of two types of single-use disposable waste (single-use food containers and corrugated fiberboard) was investigated as an approach to cleanly dispose of municipal solid waste, including plastic waste. For the pyrolysis of single-use food containers or corrugated fiberboard, an increase in temperature tended to increase the yield of pyrolytic gas (i.e., non-condensable gases) and decrease the yield of pyrolytic liquid (i.e., a mixture of condensable compounds) and solid residue. The single-use food container-derived pyrolytic product was largely composed of hydrocarbons with a wide range of carbon numbers from C(1) to C(32), while the corrugated fiberboard-derived pyrolytic product was composed of a variety of chemical groups such as phenolic compounds, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and oxygenates involving alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, acetates, and esters. Changes in the pyrolysis temperature from 500 °C to 900 °C had no significant effect on the selectivity toward each chemical group found in the pyrolytic liquid derived from either the single-use food containers or corrugated fiberboard. The co-pyrolysis of the single-use food containers and corrugated fiberboard led to 6 times higher hydrogen (H(2)) selectivity than the pyrolysis of the single-use food containers only. Furthermore, the co-pyrolysis did not form phenolic compounds or polycyclic aromatic compounds that are hazardous environmental pollutants (0% selectivity), indicating that the co-pyrolysis process is an eco-friendly method to treat single-use disposable waste. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Projecting the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on childhood obesity in the U.S.: A microsimulation model | OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. led to nationwide stay-at-home orders and school closures. Declines in energy expenditure resulting from canceled physical education classes and reduced physical activity (PA) may elevate childhood obesity risk. This study estimated the impact of COVID-19 on childhood obesity. METHODS: A microsimulation model simulated the trajectory of a nationally representative kindergarten cohort's body mass index z-scores (BMIz) and childhood obesity prevalence from April 2020 to March 2021 under the control scenario without COVID-19 and under the 4 alternative scenarios with COVID-19—Scenario 1: 2-month nationwide school closure in April and May 2020; Scenario 2: Scenario 1 followed by a 10% reduction in daily PA in summer from June to August; Scenario 3: Scenario 2 followed by 2-month school closure in September and October; and Scenario 4: Scenario 3 followed by an additional 2-month school closure in November and December. RESULTS: Relative to the control scenario without COVID-19, Scenarios 1, 2, 3, and 4 were associated with an increase in the mean BMIz by 0.056 (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.055–0.056), 0.084 (95%CI: 0.084–0.085), 0.141 (95%CI: 0.140–0.142), and 0.198 (95%CI: 0.197–0.199), respectively, and an increase in childhood obesity prevalence by 0.640 (95%CI: 0.515–0.765), 0.972 (95%CI: 0.819–1.126), 1.676 (95%CI: 1.475–1.877), and 2.373 (95%CI: 2.135–2.612) percentage points, respectively. Compared to girls and non-Hispanic whites and Asians, the impact of COVID-19 on childhood obesity was modestly larger among boys and non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics, respectively. CONCLUSION: Public health interventions are urgently called to promote an active lifestyle and engagement in PA among children to mitigate the adverse impact of COVID-19 on unhealthy weight gains and childhood obesity. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Coronavirus Disease Spread during Summer Vacation, Israel, 2020 | The relative increase in coronavirus disease incidence during summer 2020 in Israel was most prominent in young children. This finding contrasts with the lower increase in incidence observed in children than in adults during the school attendance period. School closure without lockdown conditions might not be independently effective at reducing spread. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Beyond the pathogen: social and behavioral aspects of COVID-19. (Special Issue: Symposium on coronavirus 2019: social determinants, disparities, and impacts.) | COVID-19 presents an existential challenge for millions of people and a generational challenge for the globe Scientific research is the primary vehicle in humanity's attempts to understand the virus and mitigate its effects Research on the pathogen is critically important At the same time, COVID-19's consequences are due to more than the pathogen Social and behavioral science research is essential in understanding how to achieve the highest possible health and safety levels, and how to preserve and improve quality of life, within complex and interdependent societies This article describes the social sciences' role in this challenge and offers examples of its insights | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Fiscal Stabilization in the United States: Lessons for Monetary Unions | The debate about the use of fiscal instruments for macroeconomic stabilization has regained prominence in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and its relevance has suddenly increased further, after the recent Covid-19 shock. The analysis of fiscal stabilization in the United States, a monetary union equipped with a common fiscal capacity, has often informed the literature on the European EMU and could serve as a reference for its possible future reforms. This paper expands that literature in three ways: first, by measuring stabilization not only as inter-state risk-sharing of asymmetric shocks, but also as intertemporal stabilization of common shocks;second, by doing this for specific items in the US federal budget, both on the revenue and on the expenditure side;and third, by also measuring the impact of the federal system of unemployment benefits and of its extension as a response to the Great Recession. Corporate and personal income tax, on the revenue side, and social security benefits and federal grants, on the spending side, are the most effective items. The US federal system of unemployment insurance provides great stabilization in the event of a large shock, in particular when enhanced by the discretionary program of extended benefits. These findings imply that a proper design of the budget can maximize its stabilization effect, when it helps bridging the gap between higher mobility of capital and lower mobility of labor, by collecting revenues based on the income of the most mobile factor (corporate income tax) and providing support to the income of the least mobile factor (social security). | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Integrated network analysis reveals new genes suggesting COVID-19 chronic effects and treatment | The COVID-19 disease led to an unprecedented health emergency, still ongoing worldwide. Given the lack of a vaccine or a clear therapeutic strategy to counteract the infection as well as its secondary effects, there is currently a pressing need to generate new insights into the SARS-CoV-2 induced host response. Biomedical data can help to investigate new aspects of the COVID-19 pathogenesis, but source heterogeneity represents a major drawback and limitation. In this work, we applied data integration methods to develop a Unified Knowledge Space (UKS) and used it to identify a new set of genes associated with SARS-CoV-2 host response, both in vitro and in vivo. Functional analysis of these genes reveals possible long-term systemic effects of the infection, such as vascular remodelling and fibrosis. Finally, we identified a set of potentially relevant drugs targeting proteins involved in multiple steps of the host response to the virus. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Maternal Distress/Coping and Children's Adaptive Behaviors During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Mediation Through Children's Emotional Experience | The present study focused on the psychological impact that the lockdown due to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) had on families in Italy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian government imposed a strict lockdown for all citizens. People were forced to stay at home, and the length of the lockdown was uncertain. Previous studies analyzed the impact of social distance measures on individuals' mental health, whereas few studies have examined the interplay between the adults' functioning, as parents, during this period and the association with the child's adjustment. The present study tested if maternal distress/coping predicts children's behaviors during the COVID-19 lockdown, hypothesizing a mediation effect via children's emotional experience. Participants were 144 mothers (M age = 39.3, 25-52, SD = 5.6) with children aged 5-10 years (M age = 7.54, SD = 1.6, 82 boys); mothers answered to an online survey. Results indicated that mothers with higher exposure to COVID-19 showed higher levels of distress and higher display of coping attitudes, even if in the structural equation modeling model, the COVID-19 exposure was not a predictor of mothers' distress. Compared with mothers with good coping skills, mothers with higher stress levels were more likely to attribute negative emotions to their children at the expense of their positive emotions. Moreover, children's emotions acted as mediators between maternal distress/coping and children's adaptive/maladaptive behaviors. In conclusion, it is important to support parents during pandemic emergence, by providing them with adequate information to manage the relationship with their children, to reduce their level of distress and to enhance their coping abilities. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Too Big to Fail, Too Small to Win: The Counter-Hegemony of WallStreetBets | This paper discusses the role of r/Wallstreetbets as a counter-hegemonic movement that is juxtaposed against the traditional Goliaths of finance in America. It argues that a series of factors, including: the Covid-19 pandemic, the coming of age of the 2008 GFC generation, rising inequality, a rejection of self-professed capitalist authority, group affinity, a “YOLO” yearning for leisure and experimentation, and disenchantment with the corruption of Wall Street;all collectively galvanize the r/Wallstreetbets community of retail investors to pose counter-hegemonic pressure and seek to smash the idols erected by the high priests of hypercapitalism. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Factors associated with work performance and mental health of healthcare workers during pandemics: a systematic review and meta-analysis | Introduction Healthcare workers’ work performance and mental health are associated with positive mental health outcomes and directly related to increased productivity and decreased disability costs. Methods We conducted a systematic review to identify factors associated with work performance of healthcare workers during a pandemic and conducted a meta-analysis of the prevalence of mental health outcomes in this context. Primary papers were collected and analysed using the Population/Intervention/Comparison/Outcome framework and using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. To critically appraise the studies included in the review, we used the AXIS appraisal tool to assess each cross-sectional study’s quality. Results The study identified nine factors associated with the work performance and mental health of healthcare workers, including experiencing feelings of depression, anxiety, having inadequate support, experiencing occupational stress, decreased productivity, lack of workplace preparedness, financial concerns associated with changes in income and daily living, fear of transmission and burnout/fatigue. Conclusion There is a rapidly rising need to address the work performance and mental health of healthcare workers providing timely care to patients. Regular and sustained interventions, including the use of information and communication technologies such as telehealth, are warranted. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
User Engagement With Smartphone Apps and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Outcomes: Systematic Review. | BACKGROUND The use of mobile health (mHealth) interventions, including smartphone apps, for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has demonstrated mixed results for obesity, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and hypertension management. A major factor attributing to the variation in mHealth study results may be mHealth user engagement. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aims to determine if user engagement with smartphone apps for the prevention and management of CVD is associated with improved CVD health behavior change and risk factor outcomes. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase databases from 2007 to 2020. Studies were eligible if they assessed whether user engagement with a smartphone app used by an individual to manage his or her CVD risk factors was associated with the CVD health behavior change or risk factor outcomes. For eligible studies, data were extracted on study and sample characteristics, intervention description, app user engagement measures, and the relationship between app user engagement and the CVD risk factor outcomes. App user engagement was operationalized as general usage (eg, number of log-ins or usage days per week) or self-monitoring within the app (eg, total number of entries made in the app). The quality of the studies was assessed. RESULTS Of the 24 included studies, 17 used a randomized controlled trial design, 4 used a retrospective analysis, and 3 used a single-arm pre- and posttest design. Sample sizes ranged from 55 to 324,649 adults, with 19 studies recruiting participants from a community setting. Most of the studies assessed weight loss interventions, with 6 addressing additional CVD risk factors, including diabetes, sleep, stress, and alcohol consumption. Most of the studies that assessed the relationship between user engagement and reduction in weight (9/13, 69%), BMI (3/4, 75%), body fat percentage (1/2, 50%), waist circumference (2/3, 67%), and hemoglobin A1c (3/5, 60%) found statistically significant results, indicating that greater app user engagement was associated with better outcomes. Of 5 studies, 3 (60%) found a statistically significant relationship between higher user engagement and an increase in objectively measured physical activity. The studies assessing the relationship between user engagement and dietary and diabetes self-care behaviors, blood pressure, and lipid panel components did not find statistically significant results. CONCLUSIONS Increased app user engagement for prevention and management of CVD may be associated with improved weight and BMI; however, only a few studies assessed other outcomes, limiting the evidence beyond this. Additional studies are needed to assess user engagement with smartphone apps targeting other important CVD risk factors, including dietary behaviors, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and hypertension. Further research is needed to assess mHealth user engagement in both inpatient and outpatient settings to determine the effect of integrating mHealth interventions into the existing clinical workflow and on CVD outcomes. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
A blended learning strategy: reimagining the post-Covid-19 architectural education | Purpose: The present work reviews the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on architecture education (AE), with the aim of discussing the interaction and integration of technology-based models. Design/methodology/approach: Different research methods were used to achieve the research purposes including an online survey, semistructured interviews, observations and reviewing recent literature. The study proposes a theoretical framework to investigate blended learning (BL) approaches in AE, based on the blended teaching–learning continuum, the growth of online delivery mode and technology integration and the gradual responsibility adopted for the current Covid-19 pandemic. Findings: The study proposes a vision to reimagine post-Covid-19 education and the required BL strategy to provide a theoretical framework that integrates the instructional models required to be investigated by instructors. Research limitations/implications: The research findings are based on a theoretical approach not tested practically. A further detailed investigation is required. Thus, the road to reimagining the post-Covid-19 AE is still evolving. Social implications: As faculty members, one should take steps toward preparing BL strategies. These strategies present other alternatives to continue teaching and learning while keeping safe in any other emergency in education. In this work, an overview of BL approaches, continuum and related technological and instructional models has been shaped to propose a new vision to post-Covid-19 AE. Originality/value: This paper responds directly to the initiated call on the pandemic's effect on traditional education by taking a pedagogical perspective. The study presents a holistic BL strategy and proposes a new theoretical and instructional model to design a suitable and balanced BL environment in AE. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Tumor Boards during COVID-19 Pandemic. | Null. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Demand for Mobile Health in Developing Countries During COVID-19: Vietnamese's Perspectives from Different Age Groups and Health Conditions | BACKGROUND: Vietnam’s economy and intellectual standards have witnessed significant development, improving conditions for residents to acquire novel mHealth applications. Additionally, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced Vietnamese awareness of healthcare; however, previous studies have only been clinician-centered rather than customer-centered. METHODS: This study addresses this literature gap by interviewing 50 Vietnamese participants grouped by age, namely Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z, and health conditions, namely whether participants or family members have chronic illness. The study utilized semi-structured and in-depth interviews to collect the data and used thematic analysis to analyze the data under the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology framework. RESULTS: Most participants were willing to adopt this technology and demanded a convenient and user-friendly one-stop-shop solution, endorsements from credible and authoritative sources, and professional customer services. However, each group also had distinctive demands and behaviors. CONCLUSION: This study contributes theoretically by providing context-rich demand for Vietnamese customers across three generations and healthcare conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and comparing their behavior with pre-COVID literature. While this research provides helpful information for potential app developers, this study also suggests that mHealth developers and policymakers should pay more attention to the differences in the demand of age groups and health conditions. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Piloting Forensic Tele-Mental Health Evaluations of Asylum Seekers | Problem Forensic mental health evaluations can provide critical evidence in the legal cases of individuals seeking asylum and other forms of protected immigration status. While the number of academically affiliated medical human rights programs has increased in recent years, there is still substantial unmet need for pro bono evaluations throughout the United States, especially for individuals in detention. Approach The Mount Sinai Human Rights Program launched its pilot Remote Evaluation Network in September 2019, with the aim to coordinate forensic mental health evaluations by telephone or video call for individuals who are unable to access in-person services. The authors recruited mental health clinicians from across the country, trained them in best practices in conducting forensic evaluations using telehealth platforms, and coordinated pro bono mental health evaluations of individuals seeking immigration relief. Remote forensic services have been a particularly relevant solution in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes The Remote Evaluation Network consists of seventeen active evaluators. From December 2019 to April 2020, the pilot program has coordinated fifteen forensic evaluations of individuals seeking asylum and other forms of protected immigration status in six different states. All clinicians participated in a training module on best practices in conducting forensic evaluations by telephone; respondents to optional pre-and-post-module surveys reported an increase in comfort level with conducting telephonic evaluations after participating in the module. Next Steps We will formally evaluate this pilot program's services by assessing the quality of medico-legal affidavits from telephonic evaluations, tracking legal outcomes and qualitative feedback from attorneys, and investigating the acceptability of telephonic mental health evaluations among legal professionals. Future directions include expansion to new geographies, including individuals affected by the Migrant Protection Protocols or "Remain in Mexico" program. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Effective implementation of unprecedented measures for the protection from COVID-19 syndrome | Despite 82 million populations, Turkey is one of the countries with the lowest mortality rates in the world as a result of successful crisis management and public compliance Turkey's public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been rapid and continually evolving as described here In this short communication we offer insight into the preparedness and response by Turkey of this continued global health threat posed by COVID-19 Turkey implemented multiple containment strategies prior to the first reported case within its borders- to reduce the burden and deadly risk of the virus In the absence of a specific vaccine, governments, health care professionals and communities in general are continually working together to reduce exposure, infection, clinical severity and community transmission of COVID-19 | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Part 2 - Hand hygiene and other hygiene measures: systematic review and meta-analysis. | OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of hand hygiene, surface disinfecting, and other hygiene interventions in preventing or reducing the spread of illnesses from respiratory viruses. DESIGN: Update of a systematic review and meta-analysis focussing on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-RCTs (c-RCTs) evidence only. DATA SOURCES: Eligible trials from the previous Cochrane review, search of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase and CINAHL from 01 October 2010 to 01 April 2020, and forward and backward citation analysis of included studies. DATA SELECTION: RCTs and c-RCTs involving people of any age, testing the use of hand hygiene methods, surface disinfection or cleaning, and other miscellaneous barrier interventions. Face masks, eye protection, and person distancing are covered in Part 1 of our systematic review. Outcomes included acute respiratory illness (ARI), influenza-like illness (ILI) or laboratory-confirmed influenza (influenza) and/or related consequences (e.g. death, absenteeism from school or work). DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Six authors working in pairs independently assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane tool and extracted data. The generalised inverse variance method was used for pooling by using the random-effects model, and results reported with risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: We identified 51 eligible trials. We included 25 randomised trials comparing hand hygiene interventions with a control; 15 of these could be included in meta-analyses. We pooled 8 trials for the outcome of ARI. Hand hygiene showed a 16% relative reduction in the number of participants with ARI (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.86) in the intervention group. When we considered the more strictly defined outcomes of ILI and influenza, the RR for ILI was 0.98 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.14), and for influenza the RR was 0.91 (95% CI 0.61 to 1.34). Three trials measured absenteeism. We found a 36% relative reduction in absentee numbers in the hand hygiene group (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.71). Comparison of different hand hygiene interventions did not favour one intervention type over another. We found no incremental effects of combining hand hygiene with using face masks or disinfecting surfaces or objects. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the lack of evidence for the impact of hand hygiene in reducing ILI and influenza, the modest evidence for reducing the burden of ARIs, and related absenteeism, justifies reinforcing the standard recommendation for hand hygiene measures to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Funding for relevant trials with an emphasis on adherence and compliance with such a measure is crucial to inform policy and global pandemic preparedness with confidence and precision. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Hydrogel Tethering Enhances Interdomain Stabilization of Single-Chain Antibodies. | Here, we identify the importance of molecular crowding agents in the functional stabilization of scFv antibodies. Antibodies were tethered through an engineered calmodulin (CaM)-binding peptide into a stimulus-responsive hydrogel composed of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-functionalized CaM. Macromolecular crowding is modulated by transient heating, which decreases effective pore sizes. Using a fluorescent ligand bound to the scFv, frequency-domain fluorescence spectroscopy was used to assess the structural coupling between the VH and the VL domains and relationships with functional stabilization. There is minimal structural coupling between the VH and the VL domains in solution, as is apparent from the substantial rotational mobility for the bound ligand, that is suggestive of an independent mobility for the VH and the VL domains. In comparison, the hydrogel matrix acts to structurally couple the VH and the VL domains, resulting in a reduction in rotational mobility and a retention of ligand binding in the presence of 8.0 M urea. Under these same conditions, ligand binding is disrupted for scFv antibodies in solution. Increases in the stabilization of scFv antibodies in hydrogels is not simply the result of molecular crowding because decreases in pore size act to destabilize ligand binding. Rather, our results suggest that the functional stabilization of the scFv antibody within the PEG hydrogel matrix includes important factors involving protein solvation that stabilize interdomain interactions between the VH and the VL domains necessary for ligand binding. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Triage of potential COVID-19 patients from chest X-ray images using hierarchical convolutional networks | The current COVID-19 pandemic has motivated the researchers to use artificial intelligence techniques for a potential alternative to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction due to the limited scale of testing. The chest X-ray (CXR) is one of the alternatives to achieve fast diagnosis, but the unavailability of large-scale annotated data makes the clinical implementation of machine learning-based COVID detection difficult. Another issue is the usage of ImageNet pre-trained networks which does not extract reliable feature representations from medical images. In this paper, we propose the use of hierarchical convolutional network (HCN) architecture to naturally augment the data along with diversified features. The HCN uses the first convolution layer from COVIDNet followed by the convolutional layers from well-known pre-trained networks to extract the features. The use of the convolution layer from COVIDNet ensures the extraction of representations relevant to the CXR modality. We also propose the use of ECOC for encoding multiclass problems to binary classification for improving the recognition performance. Experimental results show that HCN architecture is capable of achieving better results in comparison with the existing studies. The proposed method can accurately triage potential COVID-19 patients through CXR images for sharing the testing load and increasing the testing capacity. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Priorities for sexually transmitted infection vaccine research and development: Results from a survey of global leaders and representatives | OBJECTIVE: To determine the sexually transmitted infection (STI) vaccine research priorities of global leaders in STI vaccine research, development, and service provision. METHODS: Global representatives attending the STI Vaccines: Opportunities for Research, Development, and Implementation symposium preceding the STI & HIV World Congress in 2019 were invited to complete an electronic survey. We asked participants to rank items by importance/priority for STI vaccine development for the following areas of focus: specific STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and trichomoniasis), broad research domains (basic science, funding, communication, program planning, and vaccine hesitancy), and specific research activities related to these domains. We calculated weighted value scores based on the ranking (e.g., first, second, third) and the total number of responses in order to produce a ranked list of the priorities. RESULTS: A total of 46 out of 97 (44%) symposium attendees responded to the survey. Gonorrhea was identified as the STI that should be prioritized for vaccine development, followed by syphilis with weighted value scores of 3.82 and 3.37, respectively, out of a maximum of five. Basic science (and vaccine development) was the domain ranked with the highest priority with a weighted value score of 4.78 out of six. Research activities related to basic science and vaccine development (including pre-clinical and clinical trials, and surveillance measures) and increased funding opportunities were the most highly ranked activities in the “STI vaccine development” and “research domains and activities” categories. CONCLUSION: Global leaders in attendance at the STI Vaccines symposium prioritized continued scientific work in vaccine development and program planning. Gonorrhea was identified as the highest priority infection, followed by syphilis. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Bats and Viruses: complex relationships | With more than 1 200 species, bats and flying foxes (Order Chiroptera) constitute the most important and diverse order of Mammals after Rodents. Many species of bats are insectivorous while others are frugivorous and few of them are hematophagous. Some of these animals fly during the night, others are crepuscular or diurnal. Some fly long distances during seasonal migrations. Many species are colonial cave-dwelling, living in a rather small home range while others are relatively solitary. However, in spite of the importance of bats for terrestrial biotic communities and ecosystem ecology, the diversity in their biology and lifestyles remain poorly known and underappreciated. More than sixty viruses have been detected or isolated in bats; these animals are therefore involved in the natural cycles of many of them. This is the case, for instance, of rabies virus and other Lyssavirus (Family Rhabdoviridae), Nipah and Hendra viruses (Paramyxoviridae), Ebola and Marburg viruses (Filoviridae), SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV (Coronaviridae). For these zoonotic viruses, a number of bat species are considered as important reservoir hosts, efficient disseminators or even directly responsible of the transmission. Some of these bat-borne viruses cause highly pathogenic diseases while others are of potential significance for humans and domestic or wild animals; so, bats are an important risk in human and animal public health. Moreover, some groups of viruses developed through different phylogenetic mechanisms of coevolution between viruses and bats. The fact that most of these viral infections are asymptomatic in bats has been observed since a long time but the mechanisms of the viral persistence are not clearly understood. The various bioecology of the different bat populations allows exchange of virus between migrating and non-migrating conspecific species. For a better understanding of the role of bats in the circulation of these viral zoonoses, epidemiologists must pay attention to some of their biologic properties which are not fully documented, like their extreme longevity, their diet, the population size and the particular densities observed in species with crowded roosting behavior, the population structure and migrations, the hibernation permitting overwintering of viruses, their particular innate and acquired immune response, probably related at least partially to their ability to fly, allowing persistent virus infections and preventing immunopathological consequences, etc. It is also necessary to get a better knowledge of the interactions between bats and ecologic changes induced by man and to attentively follow bat populations and their viruses through surveillance networks involving human and veterinary physicians, specialists of wild fauna, ecologists, etc. in order to understand the mechanisms of disease emergence, to try to foresee and, perhaps, to prevent viral emergences beforehand. Finally, a more fundamental research about immune mechanisms developed in viral infections is essential to reveal the reasons why Chiroptera are so efficient reservoir hosts. Clearly, a great deal of additional work is needed to document the roles of bats in the natural history of viruses. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Impact of COVID-19 on heart failure hospitalizations: one year after | BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapidly spread worldwide since it first emerged in December 2019, with more than 100 million cases reported to date, causing a great impact on healthcare systems. Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem. It affects about 10 million people in Europe and is the leading cause of hospitalization for patients older than 65 years. During the first wave of COVID-19 there was an important decrease in HF hospitalizations. Data regarding HF admissions during the second and third waves and inter-waves periods is scarce. PURPOSE: To examine the impact of COVID-19 on HF hospitalizations during the first year of the pandemic and to compare the clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of patients admitted during the three pandemic waves with those admitted the previous year during the same periods. METHODS: Data from a tertiary Heart Failure Unit in Southern Spain between 1 March 2020 and 28 February 2021 were compared to the corresponding time period in the previous year. The impact of the pandemic on weekly hospitalizations was assessed using a Poisson Regression model, with year, season and pandemic wave as covariates. Clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of patients admitted during the three waves were compared to those admitted during the same periods one year after. RESULTS: A significantly lower weekly number of admissions for HF was observed during the three pandemic wave periods compared to all other included periods (inter-wave periods and same periods in the previous year) (p=0.002, IRR 0.81, 0.77–0.86). Figure 1 shows monthly HF admissions between 1 March 2020 and 28 February 2021 (pandemic year) and the previous year, as well as COVID-19 hospitalized cases in our area. Clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of patients admitted during the COVID-19 waves and the same periods in the previous year are shown in Figure 2. Patients admitted during the COVID-19 waves were younger, and fewer had diabetes mellitus (DM), atrial fibrillation (AF) and valvular heart disease (VHD). There were no differences in clinical outcomes (intensive care unit admission, in-hospital mortality). CONCLUSION: There was decline in HF hospitalization during the three waves of the pandemic year, but not during the inter-wave periods. Patients admitted during the wave periods had some clinical differences but similar in-hospital outcomes. FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Type of funding sources: None. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Suicidal ideation among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Identifying at-risk subgroups. | Given concerns of increased suicide risk among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examined rates of lifetime and past-year suicidal ideation (SI) among university students in Fall 2020 (vs. two earlier semesters), overall and across gender, racial/ethnic background, and sexual identity. Participants included 1700 university students enrolled in a general education psychology course in Fall 2020, Fall 2014, or Fall 2013. Rates of SI were not significantly higher in Fall 2020 versus the earlier semesters and did not differ across racial/ethnic background. However, rates of SI in Fall 2020 were significantly higher among sexual minority than heterosexual students. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Whole-grain Petri nets and processes | We present a formalism for Petri nets based on polynomial-style finite-set configurations and etale maps. The formalism supports both a geometric semantics in the style of Goltz and Reisig (processes are etale maps from graphs) and an algebraic semantics in the style of Meseguer and Montanari, in terms of free coloured props, and allows the following unification: for P a Petri net, the Segal space of P-processes is shown to be the free coloured prop-in-groupoids on P. There is also an unfolding semantics \`a la Winskel, which bypasses the classical symmetry problems: with the new formalism, every Petri net admits a universal unfolding, which in turn has associated an event structure and a Scott domain. Since everything is encoded with explicit sets, Petri nets and their processes have elements. In particular, individual-token semantics is native. (Collective-token semantics emerges from rather drastic quotient constructions \`a la Best-Devillers, involving taking {\pi}_0 of the groupoids of states.) | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
The Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes Associated with Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with COVID-19: Data from a Large Cohort in Iran | INTRODUCTION: Kidney involvement, ranging from mild hematuria and proteinuria to acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), is a recent finding with various incidence rates reported among hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Given the various AKI rates and their associated risk factors, lack of AKI recovery in the majority of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and limited data regarding AKI in patients with COVID-19 in Iran, we aim to investigate the potential risk factors for AKI development and its incidence in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we enrolled adult patients referred to the Sina Hospital, Iran, from February 20 to May 14, 2020, with either a positive PCR test or a highly susceptible chest computed tomography features consistent with COVID-19 diagnosis. AKI was defined according to the kidney disease improving global outcomes criteria, and patients were stratified based on their AKI staging. We evaluated the risk indicators associated with AKI during hospitalization besides in-hospital outcomes and recovery rate at the time of discharge. RESULTS: We evaluated 516 patients with a mean age of 57.6 ± 16.1 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1.69 who were admitted with the COVID-19 diagnosis. AKI development was observed among 194 (37.6%) patients, comprising 61.9% patients in stage 1, 18.0% in stage 2, and 20.1% in stage 3. Out of all patients, AKI occurred in 58 (11.2%) patients during the hospital course, and 136 (26.3%) patients arrived with AKI upon admission. AKI development was positively associated with all of the in-hospital outcomes, including intensive care unit admissions, need for invasive ventilation, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), acute cardiac injury, acute liver injury, multiorgan damage, and mortality. Patients with stage 3 AKI showed a significantly higher mortality rate, ARDS, and need for invasive ventilation than other stages. After multivariable analysis, male sex (odds ratio [OR]: 11.27), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (OR: 6.89), history of hypertension (OR: 1.69), disease severity (OR: 2.27), and high urea levels (OR: 1.04) on admission were independent risk indicators of AKI development. Among 117 (28.1%) patients who experienced AKI and survived, only 33 (28.2%) patients made a recovery from the AKI, and 84 (71.8%) patients did not exhibit full recovery at the time of discharge. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: We found that male sex, history of CKD, hypertension, disease severity, and high serum urea were independent risk factors associated with AKI in patients with COVID-19. Also, higher stages of AKI were associated with increased risk of mortality and in-hospital complications. Our results indicate a necessity for more precise care and monitoring for AKI during hospitalization in patients with COVID-19, and lack of AKI recovery at the time of discharge is a common complication in such patients. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
A new proposed mechanism of some known drugs targeting the sars-cov-2 spike glycoprotein using molecular docking | COVID-19 is caused by the novel enveloped beta-coronavirus with a genomic RNA closely related to severe acute respiratory syndrome-corona virus (SARS-CoV) and is named coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) In this study, six synthetic drugs were specifically docked against the RBD Most of the six compounds were observed to fit nicely with specific noncovalent interactions Oseltamivir was found to be the most strongly interacting with the RBD, exhibiting high values of full fitness and low free energy of binding It formed multiple noncovalent bonds in the region of the active site Hydroxychloroquine also demonstrated high binding affinity in the solvent accessibility state and fit nicely into the S-protein's active pocket The results revealed that these compounds could be potent inhibitors of S-protein that could, to some extent, block its interaction with ACE-2 It is obvious from the 3D structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was changed with the interaction of different drugs, which led to the unsuitability to bind ACE2 receptor Hence, laboratory studies elucidating the action of these compounds on SARS-CoV-2 are warranted for clinical assessments Chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, and oseltamivir interacted well with the receptor-binding domain of S-protein via noncovalent interactions and were recommended as excellent candidates for COVID-19 © 2020 by the authors | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Event segmentation reveals working memory forgetting rate | We encounter the world as a continuous flow and effortlessly segment sequences of events into episodes. This process of event segmentation engages working memory (WM) for tracking the flow of events and impacts subsequent memory accuracy. WM is limited in how much information is retained (i.e., WM capacity) and for how long the information is retained (i.e., forgetting rate). It is unclear which aspect of WM limitations affects event segmentation. In two separate experiments with multiple tasks, we estimated participants’ WM capacity and forgetting rate in a dynamic context and evaluated their relationship to event segmentation. The results across tasks show that individuals who reported more movie segments than others (fine-segmenters) have a faster decaying WM. A separate task assessing long-term memory retrieval reveals that the coarse-segmenters have better recognition of temporal order of events in contrast to the fine-segmenters who performed better at free recall. The findings show that event segmentation employs dissociable memory strategies and depends on how long information is retained in WM. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Dampak karantina wilayah terhadap perekonomian Indonesia | Tujuan penelitian yaitu untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis menangani permasalahan perekonomian di Indonesia karena adanya virus pandemi COVID-19 ini. Dengan menggunakan metode penelitian normatif dengan menganalisis kepustakaan penulis akan menganalisis bagaimana dampak penyebaran COVID-19 pada perekonomian Indonesia dalam hal perdagangan dan pariwisata serta Bagaimana solusi terhadap dampak penyebaran COVID-19 dalam hal perdagangan dan pariwisata? Melalui tulisan ini kami mengajukan beberapa upaya untuk menangani permasalahan ekonomi yang dihadapi oleh Indonesia dengan cara meningkatkan produksi dan konsumsi dalam negeri;dapat pula untuk mengantisipasi dengan cara menjaga stabilitas domestik;atau kemungkinan terburuk yaitu meminjam uang kepada IMF karena disadari bahwa hampir seluruh perusahaan menutup usahanya dan ini berlaku pula pada perekonomian seluruh dunia karena sektor perdagangan yang tidak berjalan sebagaimana mestinya. Hal ini juga dialami oleh China. Dimana China memegang perekonomian kedua di dunia dengan begitu otomatis seluruh negara yang bekerja sama dengan China akan terkena dampak. Dengan adanya pandemi ini yang dimulai dari China pada Januari 2020 tercatat terjadi penurunan ekspor impor dan penurunan jumlah wisatawan yang datang ke Indonesia. Pada sektor pariwisata per Januari Indonesia telah mengalami penurunan jumlah wisatawan asing yang akan melakukan destinasi ke Indonesia. Dengan situasi seperti ini maka diperlukan adanya peran serta seluruh lapisan masyarakat untuk menghentikan permasalahan COVID-19 ini agar perekonomian di Indonesia dan dunia kembali berjalan sesuai sebagaimana mestinya | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Human Cyclophilin B forms part of a multi-protein complex during erythrocyte invasion by Plasmodium falciparum | Invasion of human erythrocytes by Plasmodium falciparum merozoites involves multiple interactions between host receptors and their merozoite ligands. Here we report human Cyclophilin B as a receptor for PfRhopH3 during merozoite invasion. Localization and binding studies show that Cyclophilin B is present on the erythrocytes and binds strongly to merozoites. We demonstrate that PfRhopH3 binds to the RBCs and their treatment with Cyclosporin A prevents merozoite invasion. We also show a multi-protein complex involving Cyclophilin B and Basigin, as well as PfRhopH3 and PfRh5 that aids the invasion. Furthermore, we report identification of a de novo peptide CDP3 that binds Cyclophilin B and blocks invasion by up to 80%. Collectively, our data provide evidence of compounded interactions between host receptors and merozoite surface proteins and paves the way for developing peptide and small-molecules that inhibit the protein−protein interactions, individually or in toto, leading to abrogation of the invasion process. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Coagulopathy and thromboembolic events in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: pathogenesis and management strategies | In October 2019, a viral infectious disease appeared in the city of Wuhan in China. A new betacoronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has been recognized as the responsible pathogen in this infection. Although coronavirus disease is principally expressed as a pulmonary infection, critical SARS-CoV-2 infection is frequently complicated with coagulopathy, and thromboembolic events are recognizable in several patients. Dehydration, acute inflammatory condition, protracted immobilization during disease, existence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, obesity or hypertension, previous coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, peripheral artery disease are frequent comorbidities in SARS-CoV-2 hospitalized subjects, which possibly augment thrombo-embolic risk. However, other causal factors can still be identified such as unrestricted angiotensin II action, the use of immunoglobulins, an increased production of adhesion molecules able to induce vascular inflammation and endothelial activation, complement stimulation, excessive production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and increased platelet count. Low-molecular-weight heparin should be chosen as early treatment because of its anti-inflammatory action and its ability to antagonize histones and so defend the endothelium. However, several therapeutic possibilities have also been proposed such as fibrinolytic treatment, drugs that target NETs, and complement inhibition. Nevertheless, although the violence of the pandemic may suggest the use of heroic treatments to reduce the frightening mortality that accompanies SARS-CoV-2 infection, we believe that experimental treatments should only be used within approved and controlled protocols, the only ones that can provide useful and specify information on the validity of the treatments. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Immunopathological Roles of Neutrophils in Virus Infection and COVID-19 | Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been spread around the world and is currently affecting global public health. Clinical evidence indicates that the elevated number of peripheral neutrophils and higher ratio of neutrophils-to-lymphocytes are correlated with severe outcomes in COVID-19 patients, suggesting the possible immunopathological role of neutrophils during SARS-CoV-2 infection. As an abundant innate immune cell type, neutrophils are well known for their contributions to antimicrobial defense. However, their dysfunction is also associated with different inflammatory signatures during the pathogenesis of infection. Herein, in this mini-review, we summarize the recent progress on the potential role of neutrophils during COVID-19-associated inflammatory responses. In particular, we highlight the interactions between neutrophils and viruses as well as the relationship of neutrophils with cytokine storm and thrombosis in COVID-19 patients. Lastly, we discuss the importance of neutrophils as potential therapeutic targets for COVID-19. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Two-pathogen model with competition on clustered networks | Networks provide a mathematically rich framework to represent social contacts sufficient for the transmission of disease. Social networks are often highly clustered and fail to be locally tree-like. In this paper, we study the effects of clustering on the spread of sequential strains of a pathogen using the generating function formulation under a complete cross-immunity coupling, deriving conditions for the threshold of coexistence of the second strain. We show that clustering reduces the coexistence threshold of the second strain and its outbreak size in Poisson networks, whilst exhibiting the opposite effects on uniform-degree models. We conclude that clustering within a population must increase the ability of the second wave of an epidemic to spread over a network. We apply our model to the study of multilayer clustered networks and observe the fracturing of the residual graph at two distinct transmissibilities. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Implementation of guidelines to integrate the caregiver as a coassistant of health-care personnel during the hospital stay of COVID-19 pediatric patients: adaptation in a Mexican public pediatric hospital. | This paper describes the experience in a public pediatric hospital when implementing the Mexican Health Ministry's recommendations on the inclusion and importance of a chosen caregiver during the hospitalization of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pediatric patient. The implementation includes the adjustments, observations, and limitations made in real practice and process. In conclusion, the value and benefits of the accompaniment of hospitalized children with COVID-19 by a primary or chosen caregiver are evidenced and supported by family-centered care. Furthermore, the recommendations mentioned result in comprehensive bio-psycho-social care for the benefit of pediatric patients. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
AN UNEXPECTED FINDING AFTER ROBOTIC SUBTOTAL GASTRECTOMY: VOMITING OF TAENIA SAGINATA() | INTRODUCTION: Most Human taeniasis are asymptomatic or associated with vague clinical manifestations, but cases of unusual migration of these parasites have been described. PRESENTATION OF A CASE: A case of challenging diagnosis of human Taenia Saginata infection is here presented: during COVID-19 pandemic we performed a mininvasive robotic subtotal gastrectomy for gastric angulus adenocarcinoma. 10 hours after the end of the operation the patient presented an episode of vomiting with expulsion of a 5-meter-long adult form of Taenia Saginata. DISCUSSION: Parasitic infections are more frequent in the developing countries; in our case the transposition of small intestinal loop surely promoted the migration of Taenia Saginata throught the gastro-jejunal anastomosis into the gastric stump. Preoperative evaluation (history, physical examination and imaging features) led to gastric cancer diagnosis and hindered the recognition of the taeniasis because of similar clinical presentations and the need to start quickly a therapeutic oncological strategy. CONCLUSION: Even if these cases are exceptional especially in Western Europe, it is important to obtain a detail clinical history and exclude parasistic infection as a cause of loss of weight and gastrointesinal abnormalities. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Potent mouse monoclonal antibodies that block SARS-CoV-2 infection | Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has developed into a global pandemic since its first outbreak in the winter of 2019. An extensive investigation of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for disease control. Various recombinant monoclonal antibodies of human origin that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 infection have been isolated from convalescent patients and will be applied as therapies and prophylaxis. However, the need for dedicated monoclonal antibodies suitable for molecular pathology research is not fully addressed. Here, we produced six mouse anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike monoclonal antibodies that exhibit not only robust performance in immunoassays including western blotting, ELISA, immunofluorescence, and immunoprecipitation, but also demonstrate neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 infection to VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells. Due to their mouse origin, our monoclonal antibodies are compatible with the experimental immunoassay setups commonly used in basic molecular biology research laboratories, providing a useful tool for future research. Furthermore, in the hope of applying the antibodies of clinical setting, we determined the variable regions of the antibodies and used them to produce recombinant human/mouse chimeric antibodies. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
“A Plague upon Your Howling”: art and culture in the viral emergency | In this introduction, we outline the context for the international emergence of cultural policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic Our article first offers a general account of how arts and culture have been affected by the pandemic, before looking at some of the state interventions (bailouts’) to support the professional sector, and the present and future conditions they might be seeking to preserve or occasion We then examine the UK as a particular case study In rejecting a politics of “bailout” and “return”, and in synchrony with others seeking to situate culture in a re-vitalised political economy, we argue that professional arts and culture needs to move forward with a “new deal” in hand;one that can enhance culture’s potential and multipart value, as well as help the sector progressively engage with the many social, economic and environmental challenges ahead and beyond C-19 © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Experiences of transgender and non-binary youth accessing gender-affirming care: A systematic review and meta-ethnography. | OBJECTIVE Transgender and non-binary individuals frequently engage with healthcare services to obtain gender-affirming care. Little data exist on the experiences of young people accessing gender care. This systematic review and meta-ethnography aimed to identify and synthesise data on youths' experiences accessing gender-affirming healthcare. METHOD A systematic review and meta-ethnography focusing on qualitative research on the experiences of transgender and non-binary youth accessing gender care was completed between April-December 2020. The following databases were used: PsychINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO, international prospective register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42020139908). RESULTS Ten studies were included in the final review. The sample included participants with diverse gender identities and included the perspective of parents/caregivers. Five dimensions (third-order constructs) were identified and contextualized into the following themes: 1.) Disclosure of gender identity. 2.) The pursuit of care. 3.) The cost of care. 4.) Complex family/caregiver dynamics. 5.) Patient-provider relationships. Each dimension details a complicated set of factors that can impact healthcare navigation and are explained through a new conceptual model titled "The Rainbow Brick Road". CONCLUSION This synthesis expands understanding into the experience of transgender and non-binary youth accessing gender-affirming healthcare. Ryvicker's behavioural-ecological model of healthcare navigation is discussed in relation to the findings and compared to the authors' conceptual model. This detailed analysis reveals unique insights on healthcare navigation challenges and the traits, resources, and infrastructure needed to overcome these. Importantly, this paper reveals the critical need for more research with non-binary youth and research which includes the population in the design. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Single-port access total laparoscopic hysterectomy for stage 1A1 cancer of the cervix. | We describe the first case of single-port access total laparoscopic hysterectomy with intracorporeal suturing of the vault performed in Singapore. A 40-year-old woman with microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix successfully underwent single-port access total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Unique articulated and multifunction laparoscopic instruments were used to complete the surgery in 118 minutes, with no complications. The patient had minimal pain postoperatively and recovered uneventfully within two weeks. This case illustrates the benefits of single-port access laparoscopic surgery in well-selected cases. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Transcriptomics-based drug repositioning pipeline identifies therapeutic candidates for COVID-19 | The novel SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged in December 2019 and has few effective treatments. We applied a computational drug repositioning pipeline to SARS-CoV-2 differential gene expression signatures derived from publicly available data. We utilized three independent published studies to acquire or generate lists of differentially expressed genes between control and SARS-CoV-2-infected samples. Using a rank-based pattern matching strategy based on the Kolmogorov–Smirnov Statistic, the signatures were queried against drug profiles from Connectivity Map (CMap). We validated 16 of our top predicted hits in live SARS-CoV-2 antiviral assays in either Calu-3 or 293T-ACE2 cells. Validation experiments in human cell lines showed that 11 of the 16 compounds tested to date (including clofazimine, haloperidol and others) had measurable antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. These initial results are encouraging as we continue to work towards a further analysis of these predicted drugs as potential therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Initial-boundary value and inverse problems for subdiffusion equations in $\mathbb{R}^N$ | An initial-boundary value problem for a subdiffusion equation with an elliptic operator $A(D)$ in $\mathbb{R}^N$ is considered. The existence and uniqueness theorems for a solution of this problem are proved by the Fourier method. Considering the order of the Caputo time-fractional derivative as an unknown parameter, the corresponding inverse problem of determining this order is studied. It is proved, that the Fourier transform of the solution $\hat{u}(\xi, t)$ at a fixed time instance recovers uniquely the unknown parameter. Further, a similar initial-boundary value problem is investigated in the case when operator $A(D)$ is replaced by its power $A^\sigma$. Finally, the existence and uniqueness theorems for a solution of the inverse problem of determining both the orders of fractional derivatives with respect to time and the degree $ \sigma $ are proved. We also note that when solving the inverse problems, a decrease in the parameter $\rho$ of the Mettag-Leffler functions $E_\rho$ has been proved. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Trends in mental health symptoms, service use, and unmet need for services among U.S. adults through the first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic | The COVID-19 pandemic has led to rising morbidity, mortality, and social and economic disruption, likely impairing mental health. The purpose of this study was to track trends in mental health symptoms, use of services, and unmet need for services among U.S. adults and to delineate variation across demographic strata. Data were drawn from the 2020 U.S. Household Pulse Survey from repeated cross-sectional online surveys collected between April 23 and November 23, 2020 from 1,483,378 US adults, weighted to represent the U.S. population. Survey respondents self-reported their symptoms of anxiety and depression, use of medication, counseling services, and unmet need for services. Reports of probable anxiety and depression rose significantly through the study period, to prevalence rates of 50% and 44%, respectively, by November 2020, rates six times higher than early 2019 U.S. norms. Use of prescription medication, counseling services, and unmet need for mental health services also rose significantly. Prevalence rates of probable mental health disorders were highest among young, less educated, single, female, Black and Hispanic respondents, with age and education disparities growing over cohorts. Young, female, and moderately educated respondents also reported higher unmet needs for services. Disparities in estimates of mental health disorders and mental health treatment indicate a striking disequilibrium between the potential need for and the use of mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising mental health challenges are being borne largely by young, less advantaged people of color and women, with the potential for expanded interruptions to optimal functioning and societal recovery from COVID-19. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Allergic Fungal Sinusitis: Ophthalmic Complications Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Potential of Telemedicine | We report a case of a 26-year-old female who initially presented to an outside optometrist with complaints of proptosis and decreased visual acuity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) obtained at that time was concerning for allergic fungal sinusitis. Unfortunately, the patient’s referral to ophthalmology was delayed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. On presentation to ophthalmology one year later, the patient had clinically deteriorated with significant visual and olfactory loss. She underwent emergent endoscopic sinus surgery by otolaryngology with histological analysis of the sinus debris confirming allergic fungal sinusitis. This is a unique case demonstrating the devastating impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on patient care for an otherwise treatable condition. We propose the utilization of telemedicine networks as a way to prevent similar complications. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Genetic Characteristics and Phylogeny of 969-bp S Gene Sequence of SARS-CoV-2 from Hawai'i Reveals the Worldwide Emerging P681H Mutation. | The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the world, caused over 1.8 million deaths in its first year, and severely affected the global economy. Hawai'i has not been spared from the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the local population, including high infection rates in racial and ethnic minorities. Early in the pandemic, we described in this journal various technologies used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Herein we characterize a 969-bp SARS-CoV-2 segment of the S gene downstream of the receptor-binding domain. At the John A. Burns School of Medicine Biocontainment Facility, RNA was extracted from an oropharyngeal swab and a nasal swab from 2 patients from Hawai'i who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 in August 2020. Following PCR, the 2 viral strains were sequenced using Sanger sequencing, and phylogenetic trees were generated using MEGAX. Phylogenetic tree results indicate that the virus has been introduced to Hawai'i from multiple sources. Further, we decoded 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms across 13 unique SARS-CoV-2 genomes within this region of the S gene, with 1 non-synonymous mutation (P681H) found in the 2 Hawai'i strains. The P681H mutation has unique and emerging characteristics with a significant exponential increase in worldwide frequency when compared to the plateauing of the now universal D614G mutation. The P681H mutation is also characteristic of the new SARS-CoV-2 variants from the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Additionally, several mutations resulting in cysteine residues were detected, potentially resulting in disruption of the disulfide bridges in and around the receptor-binding domain. Targeted sequence characterization is warranted to determine the origin of multiple introductions of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in Hawai'i. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Ingredients such as trehalose and hesperidin taken as supplements or foods reverse alterations in human T cells, reducing asbestos exposure-induced antitumor immunity | Exposure of human immune cells to asbestos causes a reduction in antitumor immunity. The present study aimed to investigate the recovery of reduced antitumor immunity by several ingredients taken as supplements or foods, including trehalose (Treh) and glycosylated hesperidin (gHesp). Peripheral blood CD4(+) cells were stimulated with IL-2, anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies for 3 days, followed by further stimulation with IL-2 for 7 days. Subsequently, cells were stimulated with IL-2 for an additional 28 days. During the 28 days, cells were cultured in the absence or presence of 50 μg/ml chrysotile asbestos fibers. In addition, cells were treated with 10 mM Treh or 10 μM gHesp. Following culture for 28 days, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was performed to assess the expression levels of transcription factors, cytokines and specific genes, including matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) and C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 3, in unstimulated cells (fresh) and cells stimulated with PMA and ionomycin (stimuli). The results demonstrated that compared with the control group, chrysotile-exposure induced alterations in MMP-7, NNT and IL-17A expression levels were not observed in the 'Treh' and 'gHesp' groups in stimulated cells. The results suggested that Treh and gHesp may reverse asbestos exposure-induced reduced antitumor immunity in T helper cells. However, further investigation is required to confirm the efficacy of future trials involving the use of these compounds with high-risk human populations exposed to asbestos, such as workers involved in asbestos-handling activities. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Assessment of intestinal macromolecular absorption in young piglets to pave the way to oral vaccination: preliminary results | The small intestine of the piglet has evolved to be permeable immediately after birth to facilitate the uptake of colostrum-derived immunoglobulins as well as other macromolecules, and cells. However, the precise timing of gut closure in today’s precocious pig is not known. We gavaged piglets immediately after birth and at 1-h after birth with Cy5-labeled Ovalbumin (Cy5-Ova) then harvested their small intestine’s 6–7 h later. To assess localization of Cy5-Ova in the small intestinal epithelial cells, we performed immunohistochemistry using a basolateral surface marker and a recycling endosome marker called pIgR, the late endosomal marker Rab7, and the lysosomal marker LAMP-1. Cy5-Ova co-localized with Rab7 and LAMP-1 in the duodenum and jejunum of 0-h old and 1-h old gavaged piglets, but only in the ileum of 0-h gavaged piglets. These data suggest that movement of Cy5-Ova through the late endosomes to the lysosomes was much reduced in the ileum of 1-h gavaged piglets. Cy5-Ova was largely present in epithelial cell digestive and transport vacuoles, but it did not colocalize with pIgR-positive endosomes in 0-h and 1-h gavaged piglets. Differences in macromolecular uptake across the different regions of the small intestine after only 1-h may be due to prior processing of colostral macromolecules, changes in the intestine due to initiation of colonization by microflora and/or the initiation of gut-closure. Understanding the relationship between the localization of Cy5-Ova and small intestinal permeability may contribute to establishing whether oral vaccination in the newborn can capitalize on the transient permeability before gut closure to promote immune protection. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Sensitivity of Lung US compared to Chest CT for the screening of COVID-19: preliminary report of our experience | As lung ultrasound (LUS) is a noninvasive, radiation-free, repeatable and portable imaging tool suitable for a point-of-care use, several recent literature reports have emphasized its role as the ideal screening tool for SARS-CoV2 pneumonia. To evaluate the actual diagnostic accuracy of LUS for this purpose, we performed a systematic comparative study between LUS and CT scan findings in a population of 82 patients hospitalized because of COVID-19. LUS and Chest CT have been performed in all patients within 6-12 hours from the admission. The sensitivity of LUS in assessing typical CT findings was 60%. Despite LUS detected consolidations adherent to pleural surface in all cases, it was not able to detect all the consolidations assessed at CT scan (p=0.002), showing a risk to underestimate the actual disease’s extent. Moreover, only 70% of pleural surface is visible by LUS. Considering that the specificity and the positive predictive value of the same LUS signs may be lowered in a normal setting of non epidemic COVID-19 and in case of pre-existing cardio-pulmonary diseases, LUS use should not be indicated for diagnosis of COVID-19. However, it may be very useful for the assessment of pleural effusion and to guide safer fluid drainage. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
SER-109, an Investigational Microbiome Drug to Reduce Recurrence After Clostridioides difficile Infection: Lessons Learned From a Phase 2 Trial | BACKGROUND: Recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) is associated with loss of microbial diversity and microbe-derived secondary bile acids, which inhibit C. difficile germination and growth. SER-109, an investigational microbiome drug of donor-derived, purified spores, reduced recurrence in a dose-ranging, phase (P) 1 study in subjects with multiple rCDIs. METHODS: In a P2 double-blind trial, subjects with clinical resolution on standard-of-care antibiotics were stratified by age (< or ≥65 years) and randomized 2:1 to single-dose SER-109 or placebo. Subjects were diagnosed at study entry by PCR or toxin testing. Safety, C. difficile–positive diarrhea through week 8, SER-109 engraftment, and bile acid changes were assessed. RESULTS: 89 subjects enrolled (67% female; 80.9% diagnosed by PCR). rCDI rates were lower in the SER-109 arm than placebo (44.1% vs 53.3%) but did not meet statistical significance. In a preplanned analysis, rates were reduced among subjects ≥65 years (45.2% vs 80%, respectively; RR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.11–2.81), while the <65 group showed no benefit. Early engraftment of SER-109 was associated with nonrecurrence (P < .05) and increased secondary bile acid concentrations (P < .0001). Whole-metagenomic sequencing from this study and the P1 study revealed previously unappreciated dose-dependent engraftment kinetics and confirmed an association between early engraftment and nonrecurrence. Engraftment kinetics suggest that P2 dosing was suboptimal. Adverse events were generally mild to moderate in severity. CONCLUSIONS: Early SER-109 engraftment was associated with reduced CDI recurrence and favorable safety was observed. A higher dose of SER-109 and requirements for toxin testing were implemented in the current P3 trial. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT02437487, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02437487?term=SER-109&draw= 2&rank=4. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Single-incision and NOTES cholecystectomy, are there clinical or cosmetic advantages when compared to conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy? A case-control study comparing single-incision, transvaginal, and conventional laparoscopic technique for cholecystectomy. | BACKGROUND The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical and cosmetic results of transvaginal hybrid cholecystectomy (TVC), single-port cholecystectomy (SPC), and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC). Recently, single-incision laparoscopic surgery and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery have been developed as minimally invasive alternatives for CLC. Few comparative studies have been reported. METHODS Female patients with symptomatic gallstone disease who were treated in 2011 with SPC, TVC, or CLC were entered into a database. Patients were matched for age, body mass index, and previous abdominal surgery. After the operation all patients received a survey with questions about recovery, cosmesis, and body image. RESULTS A total of 90 patients, 30 in each group, were evaluated. Median operative time for CLC was significantly shorter (p < 0.001). There were no major complications. Length of hospital stay, postoperative pain, and postoperative complications were not significantly different. The results for cosmesis and body image after the transvaginal approach were significantly higher. None of the sexually active women observed postoperative dyspareunia. CONCLUSIONS Both SPC and TVC are feasible procedures when performed in selected patients. CLC is a faster procedure, but other clinical outcomes and complication rates were similar. SPC, and especially TVC, offer a better cosmetic result. Randomized trials are needed to specify the role of SPC and TVC in the treatment of patients with symptomatic gallstone disease. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Meeting Report: Vaccine Stability Considerations to Enable Rapid Development and Deployment | The Stability Community of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) held a virtual workshop on “Vaccine Stability Considerations to Enable Rapid Development and Deployment”, on March 24-25, 2021. The workshop included distinguished speakers and panelists from across the industry, academia, regulatory agencies, as well as health care leaders. This paper presents a review of the topics covered. Specifically the challenges in accelerating vaccine development and analytical characterization techniques to establish shelf-life were covered. Additionally, vaccine stability modeling using prior knowledge stability models and advanced kinetic analysis played a key in the EUA approaches discussed during the workshop. Finally, the role of stability studies in addressing the challenges of vaccine distribution and deployment during the pandemic were a focus of presentations and panel discussions. Although the workshop did not have any presentation topics directly dedicated to the mRNA vaccines, the techniques discussed are generally applicable. The mRNA vaccine developers were represented in the panel discussions, where experts involved in the EUA approval/deployment stages for this vaccine type could discuss the challenges as applied to their vaccines. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Comparative analysis on lung transcriptome of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Mo) - infected Bashbay sheep and argali hybrid sheep | BACKGROUND: Bashbay sheep (Bbs) has a certain degree of resistance to Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Mo), however, Argali hybrid sheep (Ahs) is susceptible to Mo. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the difference of the susceptibility for Mo infection, RNA-sequencing technology was used to compare the transcriptomic response of the lung tissue of Mo-infected Bbs and Ahs. RESULTS: Six Bbs and six Ahs were divided into experimental group and control group respectively, all of them were experimentally infected with Mo by intratracheal injection. For collecting lung tissue samples, three Bbs and three Ahs were sacrificed on day 4 post-infection, and the others were sacrificed on day 14 post-infection. Total RNA extracted from lung tissue were used for transcriptome analyses based on high-throughput sequencing technique and bioinformatics. The results showed that 212 (146 up-regulated, 66 down-regulated) DEGs were found when comparing transcriptomic data of Bbs and Ahs at 4th dpi, besides, 311 (158 up-regulated, 153 down-regulated) DEGs were found at 14th dpi. After GO analysis, three main GO items protein glycosylation, immune response and positive regulation of gene expression were found related to Mo infection. In addition, there were 20 DEGs enriched in these above items, such as SPLUC1 (BPIFA1), P2X7R, DQA, HO-1 and SP-A (SFTPA-1). CONCLUSIONS: These selected 20 DEGs associated with Mo infection laid the foundation for further study on the underlying molecular mechanism involved in high level of resistance to Mo expressed by Bbs, meanwhile, provided deeper understandings about the development of pathogenicity and host-pathogen interactions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-021-03040-3. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Charakterystyka wirusa SARS-CoV-2 i potencjalne farmakologiczne sposoby leczenia./ Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and potential pharmacological treatment | In December 2019 in Wuhan, China the first cases of previously unknown, coronaviral infection-induced pneumonia have been reported. The new virus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) was named after SARS-CoV due to their similarities and the disease caused by the pathogen is COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). On 11 March 2020 WHO (World Health Organization) defined the rapidly increasing number of incidents of COVID-19 as a pandemic. In this review we will present recent information about the SARS-CoV-2 focusing on the origin, clinical picture, diagnostic methods, structure, replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and potential pharmaceutical measures against COVID-19. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
The Shock Doctrine Comes to Canada: Laurentian University’s Insolvency Claim and the Neoliberal Tide | During the depths of COVID-19, Laurentian University, a small Canadian postsecondary institution located in the mid-sized city of Sudbury Canada, declared that it was insolvent and was legally allowed to terminate one-third of its faculty and cut almost one-half of its academic programmes. This historically unprecedented attack on a Canadian public institution utilized a Federal corporate court process, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), a piece of legislation akin to the US Chapter 11 process. The result of the still-ongoing process saw the university Administration and Board of Governors working against the interests of the community, targeting the arts, Indigenous, Francophone and working-class communities. This article poses the question ‘to whom do universities belong, and at what point does a publicly funded university stop being a collective “social good” – responsible to the society that spawned it – and start being a stand-alone organization that serves private interests?’ | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
Adverse Events Following Immunization to Covid-19 Vaccines in A Tertiary Care Hospital - A Descriptive Study | The pandemic due to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COV ID-19) is a major health issue resulting in mortality across the globe. Multiple newer medications are being tried in treatment but with minimal success. The development of vaccines is occurring with unprecedented speed using different platforms with collaborations of academia and the pharmaceutical industries globally. These vaccines are approved for emergency use authorization by health authorities based on limited data from clinical trials. Hence, there is a need for active surveillance of vaccine recipients to monitor for safety. Adverse drug reaction monitoring centre (AMC) of our institute is actively involved in surveillance of recipients for adverse events following immunization (AEFI) who received vaccines for COV ID-19 from the vaccination centre of the institute. As per the guidelines of National Coordinating Centre (NCC), Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), designated staff of AMC follows up vaccine recipients over their registered mobile number post-vaccination for AEFI if any. This is a descriptive study of all the AEFI reported to NCC, PvPI between 16th January 2021 and 31st March 2021. Of the 5793 doses of vaccination administered during the study period, 59.4% (3443) responded to follow up and 8.6% (299 of 3443) recipients reported 509 AEFI. The most common reported AEFI include fever, generalized body pains, and headache constituting 36.1%, 30.5%, and 18.5% respectively. 64.2% (327 of 509) of AEFI were reported from people younger than 45 years of age. Though females constituted 53.8% (161 of 299) of people who reported AEFI, total number of events reported from this group was 58% (295 of 509). More number of AEFI were observed after first dose of COV ISHIELD compared to second dose. COV ID-19 vaccination drive is rolled out in multiple phases for different age groups across the country. Many vaccinations are being approved for use in general public with limited data from clinical trials. Active surveillance of COV ID-19 vaccines for AEFI helps us in further understanding safety issues beyond the clinical trial environment. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |
The role of food science and technology in humanitarian response | BACKGROUND: In humanitarian contexts, ensuring access to safe, nutritious, good quality and culturally appropriate food in the right quantity at the right time and place during an emergency or a protracted crisis is an enormous challenge, which is likely to increase given uncertainties such as climate change, global political and economic instability and emerging pandemics like COVID-19. Several international organizations and non-government organizations have well established systems to respond to food security emergencies. However, the role of food science and technology in humanitarian response is not well understood and is seldom considered in humanitarian circles. SCOPE AND APPROACH: The role of food science and technology in humanitarian response and the importance of addressing the requirements of the local consumers within the local food systems are discussed. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Humanitarian food aid policies focus on immediate and short-term assistance to save lives. The implementation of emergency programs and projects tends to induce dependency on aid, rather than strengthening local food systems and ensuring resilience. Transformative change must embrace innovation across the whole food system with an increased emphasis on food science and technology that addresses local food security, generates employment and contributes to the local economy. There needs to be a move beyond rehabilitating and increasing agricultural production to addressing the whole food system with a view to link humanitarian assistance and longer-term support to sustainable livelihoods and resilience. | Please summerize the given abstract to a title |