ABSTRACT
Antibody-antigen specificity is engendered and refined through a number of complex B cell processes, including germline gene recombination and somatic hypermutation. Here, we present an AI-based technology for de novo generation of antigen-specific antibody CDRH3 sequences using germline-based templates, and validate this technology through the generation of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. AI-based processes that mimic the outcome, but bypass the complexity of natural antibody generation, can be efficient and effective alternatives to traditional experimental approaches for antibody discovery.
ABSTRACT
To combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, countries enforced quarantines, physical and social restrictions on people. These restrictions left many feeling isolated and lonely due to prolonged quarantines and lockdowns. This raises questions about using robots as social support to alleviate these symptoms, while still complying with restrictions and regulations. Since acceptance of social robots as companions has traditionally been low, an event like COVID-19 could change acceptance of robots as social companions as loneliness can influence the likelihood of anthropomorphizing nonhuman agents. Here, we aimed to see if loneliness, due to COVID-19 restrictions, influence the Uncanny Valley pattern that prior work has shown. As such, participants saw robot images that varied in physical human-likeness and were asked to evaluate them regarding trustworthiness, mind perception and likability. The measurements were obtained once before COVID-19 (in 2016) and once at the peak of the pandemic in September 2020. Results show that ratings of mind perception and likability were significantly impacted by the pandemic, with less pronounced UV patterns for those who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no differences in the UV pattern was observed on trust. Post-hoc analyses also illustrated that people were more likely to judge machinelike robots negatively, which could be due to increased loneliness/anxiety. These data suggest that loneliness attenuates UV patterns that are observed in "Uncanny” robots and that people have more favorable attitudes towards humanlike robots when feeling lonely, which provides important considerations for the use of humanlike robots as social companions. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
The involvement of citizens in the production and creation of public services has become a central tenet for administrations internationally. In Scotland, co-production has underpinned the integration of health and social care via the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014. We report on a qualitative study that examined the experiences and perspectives of local and national leaders in Scotland on undertaking and sustaining co-production in public services. By adopting a meso and macro perspective, we interviewed senior planning officers from eight health and social care partnership areas in Scotland and key actors in national agencies. The findings suggest that an overly complex Scottish governance landscape undermines the sustainability of co-production efforts. As part of a COVID-19 recovery, both the implementation of meaningful co-production and coordinated leadership for health and social care in Scotland need to be addressed, as should the development of evaluation capacities of those working across health and social care boundaries so that co-production can be evaluated and report to inform the future of the integration agenda.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Italy was the first European nation to undergo a general lockdown as a means of containing the COVID-19 pandemic. In that period, a significant reduction in pediatric accesses to emergency rooms (ERs) was reported. In this study, we evaluated whether, in addition to the fear of infection, the reduced ER visits were also an indirect indicator of reduced incidence of common seasonal viruses. Methods: Sales data for pediatric formulations of antipyretics and probiotics from 27 pharmacies were evaluated, during March-May 2020, and compared to sales during the same period in 2019. Pediatric accesses in the emergency department (ED) also were evaluated. Results: The median number of antipyretics and probiotics sold per pharmacy was respectively 152 (IQR = 144) and 55 (IQR = 52) in 2019;during the same period of 2020 it was 77.5 (IQR = 60) (p < .001) and 27 (IQR = 44) (p < .05). In the March-May period of 2019, the number of pediatric accesses was 1004, whereas in the same period of 2020 it was 143, a reduction of 85.76% (p < .001). Conclusions: We found a statistically significant reduction in pediatric admissions to the ED during the lockdown, but that this reduction could largely be due to a reduction in seasonal viral disease as an effect of social distancing, mask use, and frequent hand-washing, as mandated by healthcare dispositions.