Assessing the long-stand antibody response induced by COVID-19 vaccines: A study in an educational cohort in San Luis, Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Although there has developed an increased interest in the vaccines BNT1622b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech), mRNA-1273 (Moderna/NIAID), and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AstraZeneca/University of Oxford), there are still few reports describing the immune response induced by different vaccine platforms in real-world settings of low-income countries. Here, we proposed to analyse the humoral immune response elicited by the primary vaccines used in Argentina from July-December 2021. METHODS: Anti-SARS-CoV-2-Spike-RBD IgG and neutralising antibodies were assayed by ELISA in a total of 871 serum samples obtained from 376 volunteers from an educational staff. The individuals were vaccinated with BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm), ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AstraZeneca/University of Oxford, AZ), Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V, SpV) or combined vaccines (mostly SpV and mRNA-1273, Moderna). The antibody response was analysed several days after the initial vaccination (20, 40, 120 and 180 days). RESULTS: After receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, we detected 93.34% of seroprevalence. Previously SARS-CoV-2 infected showed higher antibody concentrations compared with naïve vaccinees. Six months after the initial vaccination, combined vaccination induced higher anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels than the other vaccines in naïve volunteers. However, we did not find differences in the neutralising responses after any vaccine from naïve vaccines or between the naïve and previously infected volunteers on day 120 after vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Our long-term analysis of volunteers from the educational system provides data in a real-world context, showing the benefits of a boost dose still in previously infected volunteers, and suggesting the advantages of a heterologous prime-boost schedule.

Removing systemic barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion: Report of the 2019 Plant Science Research Network workshop "Inclusivity in the Plant Sciences".

A future in which scientific discoveries are valued and trusted by the general public cannot be achieved without greater inclusion and participation of diverse communities. To envision a path towards this future, in January 2019 a diverse group of researchers, educators, students, and administrators gathered to hear and share personal perspectives on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the plant sciences. From these broad perspectives, the group developed strategies and identified tactics to facilitate and support EDI within and beyond the plant science community. The workshop leveraged scenario planning and the richness of its participants to develop recommendations aimed at promoting systemic change at the institutional level through the actions of scientific societies, universities, and individuals and through new funding models to support research and training. While these initiatives were formulated specifically for the plant science community, they can also serve as a model to advance EDI in other disciplines. The proposed actions are thematically broad, integrating into discovery, applied and translational science, requiring and embracing multidisciplinarity, and giving voice to previously unheard perspectives. We offer a vision of barrier-free access to participation in science, and a plant science community that reflects the diversity of our rapidly changing nation, and supports and invests in the training and well-being of all its members. The relevance and robustness of our recommendations has been tested by dramatic and global events since the workshop. The time to act upon them is now.

Method for the Development of Accessible Mobile Serious Games for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) covers a range of neurodevelopmental disorders that begin in early childhood and affects developmental activities. This condition can negatively influence the gaining of knowledge, skills, and abilities, such as communication. Over time, different techniques and methods have been put into practice to teach and communicate with children with ASD. With the rapid advancement in the field of technology, specifically in smartphones, researchers have generated creative applications, such as mobile serious games, to help children with ASD. However, usability and accessibility have not been often taken into account in the development of this type of applications. For that reason, in this work we considered that both, usability and especially accessibility are a very important differentiators for the quality and efficiency of mobile serious games. Our approach has two important contributions, the incorporation of accessibility as a fundamental requirement in the development of a mobile serious game and the proposal of a method for the development of this type of applications for children with ASD, a method that can be used by other developers.

Healthcare and social needs of international migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America: analysis of the Chilean case.

International migrants are a particularly vulnerable group in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Immigrants in Chile tend to experience multidimensional poverty and layers of social vulnerability. Our analysis aims to describe the perceived social and health-related needs of international migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile in terms of migration as a social determinant of health and layered social vulnerability. We carried out a qualitative analysis of responses to an open-ended question focused on the social and health-related needs linked to the pandemic included in an online questionnaire disseminated during April 2020 aimed at international migrants residing in Chile. The information gathered was thematically analysed. We included 1690 participants. They expressed needs related to health and others linked to the overall socio-economic and political response, employment, material conditions and psychosocial aspects. They also reported needs related to 'being a migrant'. Additionally, some participants described situations of vulnerability. We analysed their needs and situations of vulnerability identified around the following emerging frames: (a) work and living conditions, (b) regularisation traps and perceived lack of support and (c) and physical and mental health needs. International migrants in Chile report experiencing interrelated layers of social vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic, where 'being a migrant' exacerbates physical and mental health risks. The issues revealed are immediate and direct public health challenges, as well as different aspects of social vulnerability linked to migratory status, employment and barriers to accessing healthcare that should be addressed through comprehensive policies and measures.

COVID-19 effect on herding behaviour in European capital markets.

This article investigates whether COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on herding behaviour in Europe. Using a sample from the stock exchanges of France (Paris), Germany (Frankfurt), Italy (Milan), United Kingdom (London) and Spain (Madrid), over the period from January 03, 2000 to June 19, 2020, we found robust evidence that COVID-19 pandemic increased herding behaviour in the capital markets of Europe.

Broadening Participation in Scientific Conferences during the Era of Social Distancing.

Virtual conferences can offer significant benefits but require considerable planning and creativity to be successful. Here we describe the successes and failures of a hybrid in-person/virtual conference model. The COVID-19 epidemic presents the scientific community with an opportunity to pioneer novel models that effectively engage virtual participants to advance conference goals.