COVID 19 and nutrition: coronavirus and 5 immune boosting nutrients

The COVID-19 outbreak which started in 2019 in China, turned out to be a deadly, infectious worldwide pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 affects the respiratory system, symptoms including cough, fever and shortness of breath. Upon infection, there is an uncontrolled release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome, and even death. The shutdown of economies during the outbreak made acquisition of nutritious foods difficult, exposing the world to malnutrition. This was worse in underdeveloped countries where there is poor hygiene and poor healthcare systems. A good and balanced nutrition strengthens the immune system, with fruits and vegetables enhancing the anti-inflammatory responses and regulating chronic diseases which are risk factors for COVID-19. In Cameroon, decoctions against COVID-19 made from medicinal plants and foods were widely used. This included 'star yellow', a sauce formulated and used for its role in the control of the transmission of SARSCOV-2. Star yellow contains a combination of palm oil and limestone, which exposes viral RNA to zinc attacks. It also possesses anti-viral and antioxidant properties which inactivates the viral particles in the gut thus stopping the possible transmission of the SARSCOV-2 virus via faeces.

Evaluating the efficacy of a live virtual chalk talk as a teaching tool on a dermatology clerkship

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there continues to be a need for innovative virtual teaching methods. Chalk talks, or brief illustrated talks given on a whiteboard, are easily made virtual with a tablet and online whiteboard. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of a live virtual chalk talk given to medical students on their dermatology clerkship. Methodology: A 1-hour chalk talk was delivered over Zoom. The instructor engaged 3-4 students to complete a table differentiating five common papulosquamous diseases, which was followed by an interactive case-based practice session. Pre- and postintervention surveys were administered. Results: A total of 18 students participated. Based on a Likert scale (1 = least confident to 5 = most confident), and comparing pre- to postintervention, students became more confident recognizing (2.11 ± 0.76 versus 3.72 ± 0.46, P <.001) and differentiating (2.00 ± 0.59 versus 3.44 ± 0.62, P <.001) papulosquamous conditions, and students were able to more list more papulosquamous conditions (0.56 ± 2.45 versus 4.83 ± 0.51, P <.001). Qualitative responses showed that the talk was well-received: students appreciated the case-based practice (n = 13, 72.2%), the white-board table (n = 10, 55.6%), level of interaction (n = 8, 44.4%), and the mix of didactic learning followed by practice (n = 6, 33.3%). The most common suggestion was a request for more details about each disorder (n = 3, 16.7%). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the ability of live virtual chalk talks to teach dermatology to medical students in an effective and engaging manner. The results encourage the broader application of this teaching format in the virtual classroom.

Evaluating NOx emissions and their effect on O3 production in Texas using TROPOMI NO2 and HCHO

The Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on the Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) satellite is a valuable source of information to monitor the NOx emissions that adversely affect air quality. We conduct a series of experiments using a 4×4 km2 Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) simulation during April–September 2019 in eastern Texas to evaluate the multiple challenges that arise from reconciling the NOx emissions in model simulations with TROPOMI. We find an increase in NO2 (+17 % in urban areas) when transitioning from the TROPOMI NO2 version 1.3 algorithm to the version 2.3.1 algorithm in eastern Texas, with the greatest difference (+25 %) in the city centers and smaller differences (+5 %) in less polluted areas. We find that lightningNOx emissions in the model simulation contribute up to 24 % of the column NO2 in the areas over the Gulf of Mexico and 8% in Texas urban areas. NOx emissions inventories, when using locally resolved inputs, agree with NOx emissions derived from TROPOMI NO2 version 2.3.1 to within 20 % in most circumstances, with a small NOx underestimate in Dallas–Fort Worth (-13 %) and Houston (-20 %). In the vicinity of large power plant plumes (e.g., Martin Lake and Limestone) we find larger disagreements, i.e., the satellite NO2 is consistently smaller by 40 %–60 % than the modeled NO2, which incorporates measured stack emissions. We find that TROPOMI is having difficulty distinguishingNO2 attributed to power plants from the background NO2 concentrations in Texas – an area with atmospheric conditions that cause short NO2 lifetimes. Second, the NOx/NO2 ratio in the model may be underestimated due to the 4 km grid cell size. To understand ozone formation regimes in the area, we combine NO2 column information with formaldehyde (HCHO) column information. We find modest low biases in the model relative to TROPOMI HCHO, with -9 % underestimate in eastern Texas and -21 % in areas of central Texas with lower biogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Ozone formation regimes at the time of the early afternoon overpass are NOx limited almost everywhere in the domain, except along the Houston Ship Channel, near the Dallas/Fort Worth International airport, and in the presence of undiluted power plant plumes. There are likely NOx-saturated ozone formation conditions in the early morning hours that TROPOMI cannot observe and would be well-suited for analysis with NO2 and HCHO from the upcoming TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution) mission. This study highlights that TROPOMI measurements offer a valuable means to validate emissions inventories and ozone formation regimes, with important limitations.

Progress of the karstic-erosive processes of soils in San Jose de las Lajas polje

An update of the karstic morphogenesis in San Jose de las Lajas polje is carried out, with the objective of making a quantitative evaluation of the of karstic-erosive process advance. It is from a baseline of more than three decades in reference localities, in accordance with the conditions of use and management to which soils have been subjected. It demonstrates the effects of intensive anthropogenesis on the Red Ferrallitic soils, as a result of a multifactorial process, conditioned not only by the intrinsic properties of the soil cover and conditions of use, but also dependent on the geological-geomorphological conditions. The application of the Integrating System of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods allowed characterizing the complex influence of the relief in the evolution of the main morphometric parameters of the dolines with losses between 12.33-15.95 t ha-1 year-1. It converted into length units show reductions in the A+B horizons between 0.98-1.20 mm year-1, which exceed the permissible threshold values in terms of erosion proposed by the USLE and the rates of formation of soils derived from limestone rocks in Cuba. It has a marked tendency to increase, which confirm the need for protection and improvement so that their "immunity" to erosion ceases to be a myth and becomes a priority issue for Food Security in the post Covid-19 development programs in Cuba. These soils represent the maximum potential to satisfy the country's current demand for agricultural and livestock productions.

Assessing T/L Methods in Anatomy Effectively in Existing COVID-19 Pandemic- A Study Conducted in Government Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada

Introduction: Anatomy is the science of structure of body and forms basis for understanding function. It is taught in first year and is a prerequisite for any branch of health care system. COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges to learn anatomy for the students. Aims: In this COVID-19 era, an attempt to consolidate and enhance learning of the vast subject, it is necessary to assess the benefits and pitfalls of various available teaching and learning methodologies. Materials And Methods:100 medical students who had just completed their first-year syllabus in both offline and online methods, before and after lockdown, were given a questionnaire(offline), comprising of questions regarding T/L methodologies of anatomy. Results: Students have opted for traditional teaching like chalk & board along with PPT Presentation. Gross anatomy was mainly learned by the dissections involved by the students and faculty side by side. Histology, mainly learned by spending more time on the microscope. Embryology, mainly understood by small group teaching with the help of 3D models. Conclusion: Present study concludes that proper utilization of newer technologies along with the traditional teaching methods will certainly lead to enhanced understanding of gross anatomy and will ultimately improve students performance in this covid-era.

Distance Learning- Bane or Boon for qMedical Students? A Cross-sectional Survey among Medical Students

Introduction: Teaching and learning is an evolutionary process, it never ends. The emerging of information and communication technology had made teaching and learning activity a very dynamic process. It has evolved from classroom dependent stage to an online environment. Conventional chalk and talk method is being replaced by E-learning. With emergence of COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools started using distance teaching-learning platform to train their students. Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate effectiveness of distance learning among medical students. Materials and Materials: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students using a structured and validated questionnaire designed by subject experts incorporating statements related to advantages and challenges associated with distance learning and suggestions to address the same. Questionnaire was administered through google forms and responses collected. Descriptive statistics was used to analyses responses. Results: A total 83% of students expressed face to face interaction was missing in distance learning, 90% opined there was no disciplined way of learning, 76% lacked motivation, for 84% learning was passive, 78% felt monitoring by faculty was missing, 94% expressed practical sessions were ineffective, 88% missed critical thinking exercises of class room sessions, 98% missed social interaction with their friends, 90% missed competitiveness, 73% perceived that overall learning experience was poor with distance learning, 76% had issues with connectivity, 82% missed real time feedback form staff, 73% experienced psychological disturbance, 68% suffered from headache, visual disturbance, 78% opined there was a feeling of isolation. However, 90% enjoyed learning at their own pace, 95% opined that E-assessments provided immediate feedback and 84% expressed there was flexibility in distance learning. 90% opined to the use of blended learning format with class room learning for practical sessions and distance learning for theoretical part. Conclusion: Effectives of distance learning varied among students depending on their perception. Most of the students missed collaborative learning environment of classroom and hands-on practical sessions whereas they enjoyed the flexibility during distance learning. Blended learning approach was suggested by students to compliment class room learning and distance learning.

From Chalk Boards to Smart Boards: An Integration of IoT into Educational Environment During Covid-19 Pandemic

Internet of Things (IoT) is a unique paradigm shift in the domain of Information Technology. It converts the real-life things into intelligent virtual devices to ensure a machine-to-machine transmission of information. With its increasingly technological magnitude, it ascertains an imperative role in almost all spheres of life, and the global education markets have incredibly reaped benefits. The present paper gives an insight into the radical evolution and integration of IoT trends in education sector—the transition from conventional chalk boards to modern smart boards, especially at the outset of Covid-19 pandemic when the exigencies of global education demanded it the most. The paper also lists out opportunities, obstructions, scalability of tools and technology, and services allied to IoT expertise, while at the same time bridges the gap between educational and technical applications amid Covid-19 pandemic. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

COVID-19 and civil unrest undoing steady gains in karst conservaton and herpetological research in Myanmar, and an impediment to progress

The COVID-19 pandemic and politcal turmoil in Myanmar has dealt a severe blow to the country’s progress in herpetological research and the protecton of limestone habitats. Both afictons have reversed much of the scientfc and conservaton gains made in the past decade, and contnue to hinder exploratory surveys and contnued monitoring of threatened karst ecosystems. There is an urgent need to resume feld studies and conservaton efort as soon as possible and contnue enhancing the capacity of local scientfc and technical staf in Myanmar © Quah et al. 2022. Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproducton, and distributon of this artcle in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publicaton

Temporal and Spatial Variation of Radon Concentrations in Environmental Water from Okinawa Island, Southwestern Part of Japan.

In this study, to get a better understanding in characterizing groundwater and ensure its effective management, the radon concentrations in water samples were measured through Ryukyu limestone in southern Okinawa Island, Japan. Water samples were collected from a limestone cave (Gyokusendo cave, dropping water) and two springs (Ukinju and Komesu, spring water), and the radon concentrations were measured by liquid scintillation counters. The radon concentrations in the samples from the Gyokusendo cave, and Ukinju and Komesu springs were 10 ± 1.3 Bq L-1, 3.2 ± 1.0 Bq L-1, and 3.1 ± 1.1 Bq L-1, respectively. The radon concentrations showed a gradually increasing trend from summer to autumn and decreased during winter. The variation of radon concentrations in the dripping water sample from the Gyokusendo cave showed a lagged response to precipitation changes by approximately 2-3 months. The estimated radon concentrations in the dripping water sample were calculated with the measured radon concentrations from the dripping water obtained during the study period. Based on our results, groundwater in the Gyokusendo cave system was estimated to percolate through the Ryukyu limestone in 7-10 days, and the residence time of groundwater in the soil above Gyokusendo cave was estimated to be approximately 50-80 days. This work makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of groundwater processes in limestone aquifers, which is essential for ensuring groundwater sustainability.