ABSTRACT
Purpose: The Taiwan Central Epidemic Command Center raised the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic alert to level 3 throughout the nation since May 19, 2021, and asked hospitals to reduce patient intake. Surgical departments were the worst affected. The aim of this study is to share experiences of urological practice adjustment in a tertiary medical center during the pandemic and to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the urological service in Taiwan under a level 3 epidemic alert. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted from June 1, 2021, to June 31, 2021, when a level 3 pandemic alert was declared. Data of patients visiting the urology department at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital were recorded and compared with data 1 year before the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan (June 1, 2020, to June 31, 2020). Data included outpatient visits, elective surgeries, emergent surgeries, functional urological examinations, and diagnostic procedures in outpatient settings. Results: There was no significant decrease in all types of uro-oncological surgeries, except bladder urothelial carcinoma (UCB)-related procedures. The total number of UCB-related procedures showed 66.67% reduction. Stone-related surgeries were reduced by 45.7%. Only 12% of all transurethral prostate resections were performed in the pandemic. There was a significant decrease in all types of functional urology and andrology procedures. More than 30% reduction was noted in the number of patients visiting the urology department in June 2021 compared to that in June 2020. Conclusion: Our data provide a reference of how the urological service was affected during the level 3 pandemic alert in Taiwan. We postponed most elective surgeries and outpatient visits or diagnostic outpatient examinations procedures according to prioritization guidelines. Uro-oncology-related service was less affected because oncology patients have a stronger motivation for treatment. Benign urological condition-related procedures were significantly influenced. After the epidemic slowdown, the backlog should be gradually managed based on priority.
ABSTRACT
Turkey coronaviral enteritis caused by turkey coronavirus (TCoV) continues to infect turkey flocks, resulting in significant economic loss. Determining and understanding genetic relationships among different TCoV isolates or strains is important for controlling the disease. Using two-step RT-PCR assays that amplify the full length of TCoV spike (S) gene, TCoV isolates can be sequenced, analyzed, and genotyped. Described in this chapter is the protocol on PCR amplification and sequencing analysis of full-length TCoV S gene. Such protocol is useful in molecular epidemiology for establishing an effective strategy to control the transmission of TCoV among turkey flocks. Copyright © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016
ABSTRACT
A series of lockdown measures in response to the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak resulted in a drop in anthropogenic emissions and changes in concentrations of PM2.5 and O-3. Backward trajectories analysis, cluster analysis, potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) technologies were conducted to reveal the characteristics and potential source areas of pollutants in Beijing before the COVID-19 outbreak (BCO period), during the outbreak (COB period) and after the outbreak (ACO period), as well as the contemporaneous period in 2019 (CCO period), which is critical for exploring the efficient control measures and making policy. The results indicated that despite the significant reduction in anthropogenic emissions during the epidemic, the PM2.5 concentrations increased by 1.0% caused by unfavorable meteorological conditions. O-3 concentrations increased by 174.8% compared to that during the BCO period due to the increased temperature and inappropriate precursor reduction ratios. A considerable decrease of NO3- in PM2.5 was observed under the influence of significant reductions in vehicle emissions during the lockdown. The cluster analysis revealed that short-range transport played a significant role in the accumulation of local PM2.5 pollution, while long-range northwest airflows contributed more to O-3 accumulation, and weakened as the season changed. The PSCF and CWT analysis demonstrated that potential source areas of PM2.5 were mostly located in the central and southern Hebei, the southwestern Shandong in the CCO period, and expanded to central Inner Mongolia and northern Shanxi in the COB period. These areas were highly compatible with the high emission areas of the emission inventory statistics. After the outbreak, the source areas of O-3 were centered in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Shandong province, with a radial dispersion in all directions, while they were distributed in the central Mongolia and Inner Mongolia during the other periods.
ABSTRACT
The SARS-CoV-2 belongs to a family of coronaviruses, responsible for the covid-19 pandemic. The Chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) and Papain-like protease (PLPro), two important enzymes of the SARSCoV-2 play a key role in translating the viral RNA genome into functional proteins. This study aimed to evaluate and analyse the binding interactions of phytochemicals of oleoresin of Commiphora mukul plant with 3CLPro and PLPro enzymes of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Docking studies were performed on 3CLPro and PLPro with 30 phytoconstituents using AutoDock Vina. A total of 12 compounds were shortlisted based on their minimum binding energies. Their minimum binding energy ranged from -9.2 to -7.1 kcal and the analysis and interpretations are tabulated. Further, the ADME, drug-likeness, and bioactivity scores were documented. The current study enlightened the binding abilities, and the interactions of constituents present in the oleoresin of Commiphora mukul plant with the active sites of 3CLPro and PLPro enzymes. © The Electrochemical Society
ABSTRACT
Objective: China adopted an unprecedented province-scale quarantine since January 23rd 2020, after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) broke out in Wuhan in December 2019. Responding to the challenge of limited testing capacity, large-scale (>20 000 tests per day) standardized and fully-automated laboratory (Huo-Yan) was built as an ad-hoc measure. There is so far no empirical data or mathematical model to reveal the impact of the testing capacity improvement since quarantine. Methods: Based on the suspected case data released by the Health Commission of Hubei Province and the daily testing data of Huo-Yan Laboratory, the impact of detection capabilities on the realization of "clearing" and "clearing the day" of supected cases was simulated by establishing a novel non-linear and competitive compartments differential model. Results: Without the establishment of Huo-Yan, the suspected cases would increase by 47% to 33 700, the corresponding cost of quarantine would be doubled, the turning point of the increment of suspected cases and the achievement of "daily settlement" (all newly discovered suspected cases are diagnosed according to the nucleic acid testing result) would be delayed for a whole week and 11 days. If the Huo-Yan Laboratory could ran at its full capacity, the number of suspected cases could start to decrease at least a week earlier, the peak of suspected cases would be reduced by at least 44%, and the quarantine cost could be reduced by more than 72%. Ideally, if a daily testing capacity of 10 500 tests was achieved immediately after the Hubei lockdown, "daily settlement" for all suspected cases could be achieved. Conclusions: Large-scale, standardized clinical testing platform, with nucleic acid testing, high-throughput sequencing, and immunoprotein assessment capabilities, need to be implemented simultaneously in order to maximize the effect of quarantine and minimize the duration and cost of the quarantine. Such infrastructure, for both common times and emergencies, is of great significance for the early prevention and control of infectious diseases.