Immunotherapy: ALLOGENEIC UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD REGULATORY T CELLS DECREASE INFLAMMATION AND PRESERVE ANTI-TUMOR ACTIVITY OF CAR T CELLS

Background & Aim: With larger accessibility and increased number of patients being treated with CART cell therapy, real-world toxicity continues to remain a significant challenge to its widespread adoption. We have previously shown that allogeneic umbilical cord blood derived (UCB) regulatory T cells (Tregs) can resolve uncontrolled inflammation and can treat acute and immune mediated lung injury in a xenogenic model as well as in patients suffering from COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome. The unique properties of UCB Tregs including: i) lack of plasticity when exposed to inflammatory micro-environments;ii) no requirement for HLA matching;iii) long shelf life of cryopreserved Tregs;and iv) immediate product availability for on demand treatment, makes them an attractive source for treating acute inflammatory syndromes. Therefore, we hypothesized that add-on therapy with UCB derived Tregs may resolve uncontrolled inflammation responsible for CART cell therapy associated toxicity. Methods, Results & Conclusion(s): UCB Tregs were added in 1:1 ratio to CART cells, where no interference in their ability to kill CD19+ Raji cells, was detected at different ratios : 8:1 (80.4% vs. 81.5%);4:1 (62.0% vs. 66.2%);2:1 (50.1% vs. 54.7%);1:1 (35.4% vs. 44.1%) (Fig 1A). In a xenogenic B cell lymphoma model, multiple injections of Tregs were administered after CART injection (Fig 1B), which did not impact distribution of CD8+ T effector cells (Fig 1C) or CART cells cells (Fig 1D) in different organs. No decline in the CAR T levels was observed in the Tregs recipients (Fig 1E). Specifically, no difference in tumor burden was detected between the two arms (Fig 2A). No tumor was detected in CART+Tregs in liver (Fig 2B) or bone marrow (Fig 2C). A corresponding decrease in multiple inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood was observed in CART+Tregs when compared to CART alone (Fig 2D). Here we show "proof of concept" for add-on therapy with Tregs to mitigate hyper-inflammatory state induced by CART cells without interference in their on-target anti-tumor activity. The timing of Tregs administration after CART cells have had sufficient time for forming synapse with tumor cells allows for preservation of their anti-tumor cytotoxicity, such that the infused Tregs home to the areas of tissue damage to bind to the resident antigen presenting cells which in turn collaborate with Tregs to resolve inflammation. Such differential distribution of cells allow for a Treg "cooling blanket" and lays ground for clinical study. [Figure presented]Copyright © 2023 International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy

Fake News Encoder Classifier (FNEC) for Online Published News Related to COVID-19 Vaccines

In the past few years, social media and online news platforms have played an essential role in distributing news content rapidly. Consequently. verification of the authenticity of news has become a major challenge. During the COVID-19 outbreak, misinformation and fake news were major sources of confusion and insecurity among the general public. In the first quarter of the year 2020, around 800 people died due to fake news relevant to COVID-19. The major goal of this research was to discover the best learning model for achieving high accuracy and performance. A novel case study of the Fake News Classification using ELECTRA model, which achieved 85.11% accuracy score, is thus reported in this manuscript. In addition to that, a new novel dataset called COVAX-Reality containing COVID-19 vaccinerelated news has been contributed. Using the COVAX-Reality dataset, the performance of FNEC is compared to several traditional learning models i.e., Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naive Bayes (NB), Passive Aggressive Classifier (PAC), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Bi-directional LSTM (Bi-LSTM) and Bi-directional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT). For the evaluation of FNEC, standard metrics (Precision, Recall, Accuracy, and F1-Score) were utilized.

Students' Perception and Acceptance of e-Learning and e-Evaluation in Higher Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased use of online resources in educational institutions, making e-learning a necessity. This study aimed to investigate how students from four colleges at Jazan University in Saudi Arabia perceived and accepted e-learning and e-evaluation. Methods: 236 students participated in a cross-sectional study conducted in October 2021. The students completed a well-constructed questionnaire with 22 closed-ended questions divided into five domains. The students rated their answers on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 to 5. To analyze the collected data, the researchers utilized SPSS (v26). Result: Out of the total 236 students who participated in the study, most (30.5%) from the College of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (59.8%) used laptops, while 78% of students had a favorable impression of e-learning. Students' perceptions were focused on whether e-learning and e-evaluation methods helped them understand the study material smoothly and clearly. Among the students, 27% strongly agreed, 25% agreed, 16% were neutral, 11% disagreed, and 11% strongly disagreed. Additionally, 28% of the students strongly agreed, and 34% agreed that exam questions during e-evaluation were appropriate and comprehensive. Although online learning may result in less social contact, a lack of social presence, and difficulties in communication harmonization, e-learning still has some positive effects on students. It is considered a powerful platform, especially during emergencies or for those unable to attend in-person classes to complete their studies. The study has significant implications for higher education institutions, especially during emergencies, where online learning is necessary. Future research can further explore the factors that affect student perceptions and acceptance of elearning and e-evaluation and how to improve them. © 2023, Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences. All Rights Reserved.

OUTCOME FOR PATIENTS WITH GIANT CELL ARTERITIS (GCA) TREATED WITH TOCILIZUMAB ACCORDING TO NICE GUIDANCE IN A SINGLE TERTIARY UK CENTRE

BackgroundIn 2018 NICE and NHS England approved one year of weekly subcutaneous tocilizumab for use in relapsing or refractory GCA [1, 2]. During the COVID pandemic NHS England allowed extended use of tocilizumab in selected high risk patients [3]. This extension ended in March 2022. This has created a cohort of patients who are now no longer treated with tocilizumab and may be at risk of GCA flare. Currently, NHS England does not allow retreatment with tocilizumab.ObjectivesThis service evaluation used an intention-to-treat approach to retrospectively evaluate patients, who were ratified to receive tocilizumab for GCA according to the NICE guidance. We aimed to describe this cohort of patients for whom the use of tocilizumab had been approved, and their outcomes in terms of complications and disease control.Methods49 patients were ratified to receive tocilizumab between May 2019 and April 2022 by a specialist multidisciplinary team at a single tertiary rheumatology center. Their response was assessed in terms of relapse rates, steroid usage and complications as described below.Results80% of the 49 cohort of patients consisted of females (Table 1). 55% of patients were diagnosed with GCA on combination of clinical history, laboratory and temporal artery duplex findings. 94% (46/49) had at least a week's course of tocilizumab. Around half (51%) had relapsing disease. 6% had first dose as intravenous due to critical ischaemia. 27% (13/49) of patients developed complications whilst on treatment. Six developed cytopenia, 3 acquired infections and 4 stopped due to other reasons. As per guidelines, tocilizumab was stopped after 12 months in 25 patients (51%). 16% stopped treatment early due to complications. 18% had incomplete information. 10% had ongoing treatment. One patient died several months after finishing tocilizumab. 47% had methotrexate as DMARD therapy added prior to tocilizumab commencement (Figure 1). Out of 25 patients who completeted treatment, 24% (6/25) relapsed. 83% of these relapses were diagnosed on recurrence of symptoms and high inflammatory markers. In addition, 3 patients, who had tocilizumab suspended relapsed. 2/3 of these patients had treatment suspended due to infection. 5/9 relapse patients did not have preceding DMARD therapy. 22% (2/9) of relapse patients had PET-CT due to involvement of extra-cranial disease. 56% (5/9) relapsed following a median follow-up of 11 months. Of relapsed patients, seven were treated with increased dose of prednisolone and two patients received 6 months extension of tocilizumab with adequate tolerance and efficacy.ConclusionOur data shows good tolerability of tocilizumab and a 24% flare rate amongst patients who completed treatment. This is less than the 50% rate seen in GiACTA and other cohorts, where the majority of which occurred within 6 months of stopping treatment [4]. DMARD treatment may reduce relapse rate, but this will require further study. The data describing the efficacy of treatment beyond one year is limited [3]. However, with no established guidance for treating patients following tocilizumab, extension of treatment is a plausible option.References[1]Tocilizumab for treating giant cell arteritis, NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance, 18 April 2018. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta518/resources/tocilizumab-for-treating-giant-cell-arteritis-pdf-82606786726597[2]Stone J, Tuckwell K, Dimonaco S et al.Trial of Tocilizumab in Giant-Cell Arteritis. N Engl J Med 2017;377:317-328.[3]Regola F, Cerudelli E,Bosio G. Long-term treatment with tocilizumab in giant cell arteritis: efficacy and safety in a monocentric cohort of patients Rheumatology Adv Pract 2020;0:1–9.[4]Conway R, Putman MS, Mackie SL. Benchmarking tocilizumab use for giant cell arteritis. Rheumatol Adv Pract. 2022;6(2):rkac037.Figure 1.Table 1.GenderAge at time of diagnosisIndication for stopping treatmentMaleFemale50-5960-6970-7980-89Completed treatmentComplicationsOngoing treatmentIncomplete information18313162010251058Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.

A sustainable approach for the degradation kinetics study and stability assay of the SARS-CoV-2 oral antiviral drug Molnupiravir.

Molnupiravir (MPV) is the first direct-acting oral antiviral drug that effectively decreases nasopharyngeal infections with SARS-CoV-2 virus. The stability of MPV was tested by subjecting the drug to various stress conditions. The drug is liable to oxidative, acidic, and alkaline degradation and showed significant stability against thermal degradation. Mass spectrometry identified the degradation products and guided suggestion of the degradation patterns. Interestingly, while inspecting the UV-absorption spectra, we observed no absorbance at 270 nm for the products of the three degradation pathways (c.f. intact MPV). Direct spectrophotometry seemed a solution that perfectly fit the purpose of the stability assay method in our case. It avoids sophisticated instrumentation and complex mathematical data manipulation. The method determined MPV accurately (100.32% ± 1.62) and selectively (99.49% ± 1.63) within the linear range of 1.50 × 10-5-4.0 × 10-4 M and down to a detection limit of 0.48 × 10-5 M. The proposed method is simple and does not require any preliminary separation or derivatization steps. The procedure proved its validity as per the ICH recommendations. The specificity was assessed in the presence of up to 90% degradation products. The study evaluated the greenness profile of the proposed analytical procedure using the National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI), the Analytical Eco-Scale, and the Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI). The three metrics unanimously agreed that the developed procedure results in a greener profile than the reported method. The method investigated the degradation reactions' kinetics and evaluated the reaction order, rate constant, and half-life time for each degradation process.

The Worldwide Prevalence of Sleep Problems Among Medical Students by Problem, Country, and COVID-19 Status: a Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Meta-regression of 109 Studies Involving 59427 Participants.

Purpose of Review: Several studies have found that medical students have a significant prevalence of sleep issues, such as poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, and inadequate sleep duration. The purpose of this review is to carefully evaluate the current research on sleep problems among medical students and, as a result, estimate the prevalence of these disturbances. The EMBASE, PsychINFO, PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science and retrieved article reference lists were rigorously searched and rated for quality. Random effects meta-analysis was performed to compute estimates. Recent Findings: The current meta-analysis revealed an alarming estimated pooled prevalence of poor sleep quality (K = 95, N = 54894) of 55.64% [95%CI 51.45%; 59.74%]. A total of 33.32% [95%CI 26.52%; 40.91%] of the students (K = 28, N = 10122) experienced excessive sleepiness during the day. The average sleep duration for medical students (K = 35, N = 18052) is only 6.5 h per night [95%CI 6.24; 6.64], which suggests that at least 30% of them get less sleep than the recommended 7-9 h per night. Summary: Sleep issues are common among medical students, making them a genuine problem. Future research should focus on prevention and intervention initiatives aimed at these groups. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40675-023-00258-5.

Quality of Life, Fatigue, and Physical Symptoms Post-COVID-19 Condition: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study.

The magnitude of post-COVID-19 syndrome was not thoroughly investigated. This study evaluated the quality of life and persistence of fatigue and physical symptoms of individuals post-COVID-19 compared with noninfected controls. The study included 965 participants; 400 had previous COVID-19 disease and 565 controls without COVID-19. The questionnaire collected data on comorbidities, COVID-19 vaccination, general health questions, and physical symptoms, in addition to validated measures of quality of life (SF-36 scale), fatigue (fatigue severity scale, FSS), and dyspnea grade. COVID-19 participants complained more frequently of weakness, muscle pain, respiratory symptoms, voice disorders, imbalance, taste and smell loss, and menstrual problems compared to the controls. Joint symptoms, tingling, numbness, hypo/hypertension, sexual dysfunction, headache, bowel, urinary, cardiac, and visual symptoms did not differ between groups. Dyspnea grade II-IV did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.116). COVID-19 patients scored lower on the SF-36 domains of role physical (p = 0.045), vitality (p < 0.001), reported health changes (p < 0.001), and mental-components summary (p = 0.014). FSS scores were significantly higher in COVID-19 participants (3 (1.8-4.3) vs. 2.6 (1.4-4); p < 0.001). COVID-19 effects could persist beyond the acute infection phase. These effects include changes in quality of life, fatigue, and persistence of physical symptoms.

Nitazoxanide and azithromycin for the early treatment of COVID-19: A multi-spectroscopic, biochemical and computational drug–drug interaction study

Herein, we present an experimental and theoretical drug–drug interaction study between nitazoxanide (NTZ) and azithromycin (AZT) in an aqueous solution. Interaction was studied by using UV/Vis, fluorescence, attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, while molecular docking studies were performed to establish the interaction computationally. A bright yellow color was observed when the two drugs interacted, giving a hyperchromic band at 420 nm. The rate of absorbance was linearly increased by increasing drug concentrations and in a time-dependent manner. Stability of the interaction complex (i.e., NTZ: AZT) was measured at variable temperatures (25–80°C), pH (5.0–10.0) and ionic strength (0.05–2.0 M NaCl), and not only proved stable but also retained antimicrobial potential with reduced cellular toxicity. Mole ratio and Job's method of continuous variations were used to establish the binding stoichiometry and found to be 2:1. The calculated binding constant (kb = 8,400 M−1) and Gibb's free energy (ΔG° = −22.4 KJ/mol) also suggested an energetically favorable interaction. FTIR spectra of NTZ: AZT complex in comparison with two drugs alone revealed significant interaction which was nicely complemented by molecular docking studies. Interaction was also successfully demonstrated in presence of carrier protein HSA and by spiking the two drugs in real samples of human plasma and urine. © 2023 The Chemical Society Located in Taipei & Wiley-VCH GmbH.

An IoT based Smart Robot that Aids in the Prevention of COVID19 Spread

The Internet of Things revolution is transforming current healthcare practices by combining technological, economic, and social aspects. Since December 2019, the global spread of COVID19 has influenced the global economy. The COVID19 epidemic has forced governments all around the world to implement lockdowns to prevent viral infections. Wearing a face mask in a public location, according to survey results, greatly minimizes the risk of infection. The suggested robotics design includes an IoT solution for facemask detection, body temperature detection, an automatic dispenser for hand sanitizing, and a social distance monitoring system that can be used in any public space as a single IoT solution. Our goal was to use IoT-enabled technology to help prevent the spread of COVID19, with encouraging results and a future Smart Robot that Aids in COVID19 Prevention. Arduino NANO, MCU unit, ultrasonic sensor, IR sensor, temperature sensor, and buzzer are all part of our suggested implementation system. Our system's processing components, the Arduino UNO and MCU modules are all employed to process and output data. Countries with large populations, such as India and Bangladesh, as well as any other developing country, will benefit from using our cost-effective, trustworthy, and portable smart robots to effectively reduce COVID-19 viral transmission. © 2022 IEEE.

A Matter of Time: Anticipation Work and Digital Temporalities in Refugee Humanitarian Assistance in Turkey

Scholarly work interrogating time and temporality in CSCW predominantly focuses on the temporal coordination of work in high-resource settings and is usually based in Global North. This paper aims to complicate and complement this scholarship by investigating the temporal entanglements of digital humanitarian work with refugees and asylum seekers in Turkey during COVID-19. We interviewed 22 humanitarian workers to understand their experiences and concerns as well as strategies they employed to support refugees and immigrants at a distance. The data reveal the complex temporal, informational, and infrastructural dimensions of technologically-mediated refugee support work, challenging the trope of "pivot to remote work", as popular in western countries. Our findings contribute to the CSCW research on the theory of anticipation work and its relationship with the concept of collaborative rhythms to explicate the relational and situated aspects of the temporal experiences of humanitarian workers in low-resource settings. © 2023 ACM.

Cardiac MRI in patients with COVID-19 infection.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 infection is a systemic disease with various cardiovascular symptoms and complications. Cardiac MRI with late gadolinium enhancement is the modality of choice for the assessment of myocardial involvement. T1 and T2 mapping can increase diagnostic accuracy and improve further management. Our study aimed to evaluate the different aspects of myocardial damage in cases of COVID-19 infection using cardiac MRI. METHODS: This descriptive retrospective study included 86 cases, with a history of COVID-19 infection confirmed by positive RT-PCR, who met the inclusion criteria. Patients had progressive chest pain or dyspnoea with a suspected underlying cardiac cause, either by an abnormal electrocardiogram or elevated troponin levels. Cardiac MRI was performed with late contrast-enhanced (LGE) imaging, followed by T1 and T2 mapping. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients have elevated hsTnT with a median hsTnT value of 133 ng/L (IQR: 102 to 159 ng/L); normal value < 14 ng/L. Other sixty-two patients showed elevated hsTnI with a median hsTnI value of 1637 ng/L (IQR: 1340 to 2540 ng/L); normal value < 40 ng/L. CMR showed 52 patients with acute myocarditis, 23 with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and 11 with myocardial infarction. Invasive coronary angiography was performed only in selected patients. CONCLUSION: Different COVID-19-related cardiac injuries may cause similar clinical symptoms. Cardiac MRI is the modality of choice to differentiate between the different types of myocardial injury such as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and infection-related cardiomyopathy or even acute coronary syndrome secondary to vasculitis or oxygen-demand mismatch. KEY POINTS: • It is essential to detect early COVID-related cardiac injury using different cardiac biomarkers and cardiac imaging, as it has a significant impact on patient management and outcome. • Cardiac MRI is the modality of choice to differentiate between the different aspects of COVID-related myocardial injury.

Evaluation of circulating insulin-like growth factor-1, heart-type fatty acid-binding protein, and endotrophin levels as prognostic markers of COVID-19 infection severity.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a worldwide pandemic challenge spreading enormously within a few months. COVID-19 is characterized by the over-activation of the immune system causing cytokine storm. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway can regulate the immune response via interaction with various implicated cytokines. Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) has been shown to promote inflammation. Given the fact that coronavirus infections induce cytokines secretion leading to inflammatory lung injury, it has been suggested that H-FABP levels are affected by COVID-19 severity. Moreover, endotrophin (ETP), the cleavage product of collagen VI, may be an indicator of an overactive repair process and fibrosis, considering that viral infection may predispose or exacerbate existing respiratory conditions, including pulmonary fibrosis. This study aims to assess the prognostic capacity of circulating IGF-1, HFABP, and ETP, levels for COVID-19 severity progression in Egyptian patients. METHODS: The study cohort included 107 viral RNA-positive patients and an equivalent number of control individuals with no clinical signs of infection. Clinical assessments included profiling of CBC; serum iron; liver and kidney functions; inflammatory markers. Circulating levels of IGF-1; H-FABP, and ETP were estimated using the corresponding ELISA kits. RESULTS: No statistical difference in the body mass index was detected between the healthy and control groups, while the mean age of infected patients was significantly higher (P = 0.0162) than the control. Patients generally showed elevated levels of inflammatory markers including CRP and ESR concomitant with elevated serum ferritin; D dimer and procalcitonin levels, besides the COVID-19 characteristic lymphopenia and hypoxemia were also frequent. Logistic regression analysis revealed that oxygen saturation; serum IGF-1, and H-FABP can significantly predict the infection progression (P < 0.001 each). Both serum IGF-1 and H-FABP as well as O2 saturation showed remarkable prognostic potentials in terms of large AUC values, high sensitivity/specificity values, and wide confidence interval. The calculated threshold for severity prognosis was 25.5 ng/mL; 19.5 ng/mL, 94.5, % and for IGF-1, H-FABP, and O2 saturation; respectively. The calculated thresholds of serum IGF-1; H-FABP, and O2 saturation showed positive and negative value ranges of 79-91% and 72-97%; respectively, with 66-95%, 83-94% sensitivity, and specificity; respectively. CONCLUSION: The calculated cut-off values of serum IGF-1 and H-FABP represent a promising non-invasive prognostic tool that would facilitate the risk stratification in COVID-19 patients, and control the morbidity/mortality associated with progressive infection.

A Survey on the Patients' Outlook Towards Dental Treatment During the Post-Covid-19 Pandemic Period

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted daily lives and affected the entire healthcare system, including dental treatment. Efforts have been taken to formulate ways to counter the pandemic. Dental practices have adopted modifications of dental protocols with the incorporation of preventive measures. The aim of this survey was to study the patient outlook towards dental treatment and the awareness of patients about the preventive measures provided by their dentists in the post-Covid era. Hence a cross-sectional study was conducted on patients wanting to undergo dental treatments in the US, UK and India with a total of 121 participants per country during post covid pandemic. The study was conducted using a questionnaire prepared by the researcher, which consisted of 22 questions. The results showed that pain was the main reason for dental visits in all three countries. In the US and UK, a large percentage of people preferred video and teleconsulting even in the post-covid period, while in India, the majority preferred personal dental visits. The trend of avoiding dental treatment was widespread in India, displaying the level of ignorance and financial constraints among them. It indicates the need for better awareness about the importance of oral health and the inclusion of dental insurance schemes.

Synthesis, spectroscopic, crystallographic, quantum and molecular docking investigations of cis-4,5-diphenylimidazolidine-2-thione

We present the synthesis and characterization of stereoselective thione. The synthetic procedure includes readily available starting materials and minimum side products. The reaction of meso‑stilbenediamine with carbon disulphide in the presence of strong base gave cis-4,5-diphenylimidazolidine-2-thione (DPIT) in an excellent yield. The thione compound was characterized via FT-IR and mass spectroscopy. In addition, the crystal structure of it was determined by single crystal X-rays diffraction analysis which inferred that the molecular configuration was stabilized by intramolecular π⋯π stacking interaction. The crystal packing was mainly stabilized by N-H⋯S bonding. Hirshfeld surface analysis was performed for the exploration of the intermolecular interactions. Void analysis was carried out to predict the mechanical stability. Interaction energy between the molecular pairs is calculated which showed that the dispersion energy played a dominant role in the stabilization of the crystal packing. Moreover, the quantum computational methods were used to study the molecular structure and electronic properties of entitled compound. The molecular geometries were optimized for possible thione and thiole tautomeric structures. A comparison of total energy of molecular tautomers indicates that thione tautomer possesses lower total energy which is about 20.18 Kcal/mol lower than thiole tautomer. The electronic properties of thione derivative were studied including 3-D wavefunction delocalization of highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) orbitals and their orbital energy gap. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap for DPIT was found to be 4.874 eV. The delocalization of wavefunction indicates the probable presence of HOMO and HOMO-1 are mainly localized over C-S bond owing to the presence of lone pair of electrons in the sulfur atom. Additionally, the molecular docking study was also carried out for main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2. The binding energy calculation and investigation of intermolecular interactions highlighted the probable inhibition tendency of DPIT for SARS-CoV-2. The present experimental and computational studies indicate a significant potential of entitled molecule for electronic and biological perspectives.

Effect of vegetation and land surface temperature on NO2 concentration: A Google Earth Engine-based remote sensing approach

With the increasing tension on the global sustainable environment in the urban areas, it is essential to monitor the airborne pollutants and understand the underlying factors that can trigger the situation in a worst-case scenario. Because of its cramped living conditions, excessive coal and fuel usage, and rapid deforestation, the southeast Asian region has historically had worse air quality than the rest of the world. The economic hubs of India and Bangladesh, in particular, have drawn so much attention away from rural regions that unrestrained urbanization is becoming controversial for planners, engineers, and stakeholders in sustainable development. This research combines the two main Asian capital regions, Delhi and Dhaka. It analyzes the change in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration, land surface temperature (LST), and vegetation dynamics across three years (2019-2021) for summer and winter. The NO2 concentration data from Sentinel-5P has been extracted using Google Earth Engine (GEE), and Landsat-8 imagery was utilized for LST, Normalizer Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Enhance Vegetation Index (EVI). The statistical analysis has been carried out by dividing the research regions into one sq. km grid (1512 grids for Delhi and 1485 grids for Dhaka). According to descriptive research, Dhaka's condition is worse than Delhi's, with significant vegetation loss with LST and NO2 concentrations rising. In both research regions, the NO2 concentration is high throughout the winter. The Pearson correlation value demonstrates a negative association between total NO2 concentration and mean NDVI and EVI values and a positive relationship between total NO2 concentration and mean LST. The data have been further assessed using linear regression, which overlaps the correlation result with a maximum R-squared value of 0.2998 for NO2 and EVI in winter 2019.

Synthesis, Characterization and Molecular Docking of New Nucleosides and Schiff Bases Derived from Ampyrone as Antiviral Agents to Contain the COVID-19 Virus

A new series of nucleoside derivatives was prepared from the reaction of 4-aminoantipyrene with different sugar moieties. In addition, ampyrone's reaction with different aromatic aldehydes gave the corresponding Schiff base derivatives, which were also synthesized. Both molecular docking and in vitro antiviral activities at different concentrations of different synthesized compounds against SARS-CoV-2 were screened. All newly synthesized compounds were characterized on the basis of IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectral data and physical data. The compounds were screened for potential cytotoxic activities. The molecular docking analysis showed that compounds 6b, 6e, 6c, 6f and 6d exhibited relatively higher binding energies (−8.1, −8.1, −8.3, −8.4 and −8.7 kcal/mol, respectively) compared to all the other compounds. However, the different compounds did not show any promising in vitro antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2.

CULTURE TRANSFORMATION - ENCULTURATION TO ACCULTURATION

Enculturation is learning the culture you grow up in and Acculturation is learning a culture different from that in which you grew up. The situation becomes more challenging when you are doing business in a developing country having low literacy rate and high cultural & language barriers. This paper describes the cultural transformation, behavioral systems and improvement initiatives Fatima Fertilizers Limited (FFL) has successfully implemented in past 9 years to improve the safety culture dimensions and to ensure compliance with standards. This resulted in improvement of FFL safety records to world class level. It will also describe the details of implementation process and maturing steps of systems on Behavioral/Cultural aspects and elements such as Process Safety Leadership & Engagement Program, Management Safety Audit Program, Perception Surveys, Operational Discipline & Excellence, Field vigilance & Area audits Program, Line Management Responsibility, Observation Reporting, Analysis & Action Plans and Contractor Safety Management Program etc which resulted in achievement of such remarkable results. The paper also includes the Organizations' vision & future plans on sustaining and further improving process safety culture as per changing & challenging scenarios across the globe especially post COVID-19. © 2022 AIChE Spring Meeting and 18th Global Congress on Process Safety, GCPS 2022. All rights reserved.

Utilitarian Ethical Triage Bayesian Decisions With Monetary Value During COVID-19 - A Bayesian Probability Analysis

Utilitarian ethical triage decisions with monetary value are complex and difficult to estimate, with possible benefits for a patient compared to other patients. A triage decision during an emergency combines expected economic value. It includes social and bioethical factors. A new Bayesian approach addresses risk probabilities and improves utilitarian triage decisions. Admission to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and the allocation of ventilators for patients depends on a risk-based comorbidity score. It considers the medical prognosis, social factors, personal and social costs. The rankings of the critical factors among patients with predefined ethical treatment success criteria depend on the likelihood of response to treatment and the patient's social circumstances. A sensitivity analysis with regression coefficients shows how the expected monetary value of patents is correlated to make a better judgment. Patient 3 in scenarios 1 and 2 is ranked consistently in priority. Low-ranked patients are placed on a waiting list as the demand for intensive care units increases dramatically with the number of patients infected with COVID-19 or its variants. The problem with utilitarianism ethics is that high net worth patients get an advantage, although disadvantaged patients with social liability are given due consideration. Furthermore, this research introduces a new hedonic Net Present Value based calculus of utilitarian ethics. © 2022 IGI Global. All rights reserved.

Chemoinformatics approach to design and develop vanillin analogs as COX-1 inhibitor

Background: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), commonly known as the silent killer, impacted the severity of COVID-19 patients during the pandemic era. Thrombosis or blood clots create the buildup of plaque on the coronary artery walls of the heart, which leads to coronary heart disease. Cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) is involved in the production of prostacyclin by systemic arteries;hence, inhibiting the COX-1 enzyme can prevent platelet reactivity mediated by prostacyclin. To obtain good health and well-being, the research of discovery of new drugs for anti-thrombotic still continue. Objective(s): This study aims to predict the potential of 17 compounds owned by the vanillin analog to COX-1 receptor using in silico. Method(s): This research employed a molecular docking analysis using Toshiba hardware and AutoDock Tools version 1.5.7, ChemDraw Professional 16.0, Discovery Studio, UCSF Chimera software, SWISSADME and pKCSM, a native ligand from COX-1 (PDB ID: 1CQE) was validated. Result(s): The validation result indicated that the RMSD was <2 A. The 4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl benzoate compound had the lowest binding energy in COX-1 inhibition with a value of-7.70 A. All vanillin derivatives show good intestinal absorption, and the predicted toxicity indicated that they were non-hepatotoxic. All these compounds have the potential to be effective antithrombotic treatments when consumed orally. Conclusion(s): In comparison to other vanillin derivative com-pounds, 4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl benzoate has the lowest binding energy value;hence, this analog can continue to be synthesized and its potential as an antithrombotic agent might be confirmed by in vivo studies.Copyright © the Author(s), 2023.

Mental health training needs of physicians in Bangladesh: Views from stakeholders

Bangladesh is a lower-middle-income country with a high burden of mental health conditions and inadequate health systems. Prior research in similar settings has found that training physicians in mental health literacy can contribute to reducing the mental health treatment gap and strengthening the mental health care pathway. This study explores the need for mental health training for physicians by gathering stakeholders' perspectives and proposes recommendations for designing a mental training program in the context of Bangladesh. Key informant interviews were conducted among psychiatrists (n = 9), and mental health entrepreneurs (n = 7);one focus group discussion was conducted with psychologists (n = 8);and one-on-one interviews were held with physician (n = 17). Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, all interviews were conducted online, recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed thematically, utilizing both an inductive and deductive approach. The data analysis from forty-one stakeholders generated three major themes and eight subthemes. Stakeholders perceived that the inadequate mental health system and low mental health awareness among physicians significantly contribute to the mental health treatment gaps. Stakeholders emphasized the need to include mental health training for physicians to increase skills related to identification and management of mental health conditions. Stakeholders suggested some basic components for the training content, feasible modalities to deliver the training, and implementation challenges. Recommendations included utilizing online training, ensuring interesting and practical content, and incorporating certification systems. At a systems level, stakeholders recommended including a mental health curriculum in undergraduate medical education, capacity building of other healthcare workers and increasing awareness at the policy level. There is clear agreement among stakeholders that implementing mental health training for physicians will promote universal health coverage and reduce the mental health treatment gap in Bangladesh. These findings can support creation of policies to strengthen the care pathway in countries with limited resources.Copyright © 2022 The Authors