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The respiratory pump that provides pulmonary ventilation includes the respiratory center, peripheral nervous system, chest and respiratory muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of the respiratory center and the respiratory muscles strength after COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease 2019). Methods. The observational retrospective cross-sectional study included 74 post-COVID-19 patients (56 (76%) men, median age - 48 years). Spirometry, body plethysmography, measurement of lung diffusing capacity (DLCO), maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP and MEP), and airway occlusion pressure after 0.1 sec (P0.1) were performed. In addition, dyspnea was assessed in 31 patients using the mMRC scale and muscle strength was assessed in 27 of those patients using MRC Weakness scale. Results. The median time from the COVID-19 onset to pulmonary function tests (PFTs) was 120 days. The total sample was divided into 2 subgroups: 1 - P0.1 <= 0.15 kPa (norm), 2 - > 0.15 kPa. The lung volumes, airway resistance, MIP, and MEP were within normal values in most patients, whereas DLCO was reduced in 59% of cases in both the total sample and the subgroups. Mild dyspnea and a slight decrease in muscle strength were also detected. Statistically significant differences between the subgroups were found in the lung volumes (lower) and airway resistance (higher) in subgroup 2. Correlation analysis revealed moderate negative correlations between P0.1 and ventilation parameters. Conclusion. Measurement of P0.1 is a simple and non-invasive method for assessing pulmonary function. In our study, an increase in P0.1 was detected in 45% of post-COVID-19 cases, possibly due to impaired pulmonary mechanics despite the preserved pulmonary ventilation as well as normal MIP and MEP values.Copyright © Savushkina O.I. et al., 2023.
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MXene‐Based Aptameric FluorosensorsThe aptamer‐functionalized MXene nanosheet acts as an effective bionanosensor for fluorescence‐enhanced detection of COVID‐19 with high sensitivity and specificity. This fluosensor is capable of detecting SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein (limit of detection: 38.9 fg mL−1) and SARS‐CoV‐2 pseudovirus (limit of detection: 7.2 copies) within 30 min, and can also detect clinical samples. More details can be found in article number 2301146 by Binwu Ying and co‐workers.
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Objectives: The effectiveness of prone positioning (PP) under VV-ECMO for severe COVID-19 still be unclear. Until now, PP under VV-ECMO was often performed as the trump card for refractory hypoxemia and weaning off ECMO. On the other hand, PP has the effect of promoting homogenization of Lung aeration and leading to prevention of VILI. Combine use of early prone positioning together VV-ECMO may have synergy effects of ultra-lung protective strategy. In this study, we analyzed early PP cases under VV-ECMO for severe COVID-19 in our hospital and examined their efficacy and feasibility. Method(s): We performed a retrospective study of patients with SARS-CoV-2-induced ARDS submitted to early PP during VV-ECMO. During VVECMO, PP was considered in case of "Type-H transition in imaging findings (CT / LUS) " and cases that the physician deemed necessary. The lung aeration is evaluated by LUS before and after each PP. If there is a finding that the dorsal collapsed lung is improved through PP, it is implemented as effective, and it continued. Result(s): From April 2021 to August 2021, there were a total of 10 early PP cases under ECMO, and the age was (average) 56 years. ECMO was implanted with P/F 98 and Murray score 3.3 points, and PP was started 14 hours after the ECMO implantation. The average PP duration is 17.4 hours and PP performed 5.8 times per patient. Comparing blood gas and respiratory mechanics before and after PP showed a significant difference in PaCO2 (before: 46 +/- 8 vs after: 42 +/- 9, p = 0.02). Finally, there were 10 ECMO successful weaning (100%) and 8 surviving discharges (80%). No major complications were observed. Conclusion(s): Early PP under VV-ECMO for severe COVID-19 can be safely performed, and it is suggested that the synergy effect of ultra-lung protective strategy may be associated with a reduction of hospital mortality.
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Playing in the streets is presented as a possibility for leisure. In order to study this phenomenon, the article aimed to understand the configuration of playing in vulnerable communities in Florianópolis, southern Brazil, during the covid-19 pandemic. This is a research with a qualitative and descriptive perspective, inspired by researchers of Merleau Ponty phenomenology, which adopts a posture of deep observation in relation to human movement. Children who were present on the streets of communities in vulnerable situations in Florianópolis participated in this study. Data collection consisted of observations performed by the main researcher. Considering the obligation to maintain a distance, the car was identified as an innovative transportation for data collection. The observations refer to the passages through the streets, at moments captured and written in a field diary. Nine car trips were carried out with an approximate duration of five hours each. The results are presented as narratives, subjected to critical review by the researchers in the study. The narratives describe the delicacy of each observation about who plays and experiences leisure on the streets. Playing in the streets of Florianópolis communities has meanings that reveal leisure as a manifestation of the creative experimentation of subjects with rights. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Leisure Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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The results of a comparative analysis of the functional features of the QAnon theory and the conceptual signs of ARG (games in alternative reality) are displayed. The signs of ARG are designated and given as elements of the reference game model, the basis for comparison. The authors found that the QAnon conspiracy theory, the history of its emergence and development features is of a synthetic nature: ARG elements are present in modified form. They transform the roles of developers and participants. The QAnon quest structure was visualized, the gameplay based on experiencing the state of apophenia – a painful search for a connection between random phenomena or events – was described. The similarities of QAnon with religion and at the same time political ideology based on the mechanics of the game were identified, which explains its popularity. The relevance of the topic is due to the steady growth in the number of conspiracy theories and their followers since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic against the backdrop of audience distrust in the media. The authors demonstrate how QAnon, not being essentially a game in an alternative reality, but using game technologies and eschatological narratives about the Great Tribulation and Judgment Day, achieves high efficiency in shaping public opinion. © 2023, RUDN University. All rights reserved.
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The title of the ConferenceXXII Conference of PhD Students and Young Scientists "Interdisciplinary topics in mining and geology”The location and the date of the conferencevirtual event – online conference, June 29th to July 1st, 2022 in Wrocław, PolandXXIInd Conference of PhD Students and Young Scientists "Interdisciplinary topics in mining and geology” continues a series of events that started in 2000 at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. Scientific programme of the Conference focuses on four thematic panels:1. Mining Engineering: sustainable development, digitalisation in mining, problems of securing, protecting and using remnants of old mining works, underground mining, opencast mining, mineral processing, waste management, mining machinery, mine transport, economics in mining, mining aeronautics, ventilation and air conditioning in mines,2. Earth and Space Sciences: geology, hydrogeology, environmental protection, extraterrestrial resources, groundwater and medicinal waters, engineering and environmental protection, geotourism,3. Geoengineering: environmental protection, applied geotechnics, rock and soil mechanics, geohazards,4. Geoinformation: mining geodesy, GIS, photogrammetry and remote sensing, geodata modeling and analysis.The XXII Conference of PhD Students and Young Scientists was held as a virtual event, that is as a virtual, online conference in real-time. The reason why the Organizing Committee decided to change the traditional formula of the event to online formula was related to the concern for the health of the participants due to the COVID-19 epidemic.The XXII Conference of PhD Students and Young Scientists took place from June 29th to July 1st, 2022 in Wroclaw, Poland. That is the organizers worked and managed the event from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology Geocentre building. Because the conference focused on four thematic panels, four different special opening lectures were delivered by wellknown scientists- Professor Jan Zalasiewicz (University of Leicester, England)- Associate Professor Artur Krawczyk (AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland)- Professor Biljana Kovacević-Zelić (University of Zagreb, Croatia)- Assistant Professor Eduard Kan (Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanizations Engineers, Uzbekistan).The Conference was divided into 8 oral sessions (with 33 presentations) and 1 poster session (with 33 posters). The amount of time provided to one presentation was 15 minutes, after presentation there was 5 minutes available for discussion. The poster session was available throughout the event, and the posters were available for online viewing on the Conference's website with the possibility of make discussion and ask questions in real time via zoom meeting application as well. Every day of the Conference one "virtual coffee break” was devoted for discussion between participants and question and answer session for the Organizers.There were 96 registered participants from 13 countries. The online XXII Conference of PhD Students and Young Scientists was conducted using the Zoom meeting platform with commemorative screen shots taken. By tradition two competitions, for the best oral presentation and for the best poster were held. The award for the best oral presentation was given ex aequo to Julia Tiganj (TH Georg Agricola University of Applied Sciences, Germany) for the presentation entitled Post-mining goes international: hurdles to climate neutrality using the example of China and Oksana Khomiak, Jörg Benndorf (TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany) for the presentation entitled Spectral analysis of ore hyperspectral images at different stages of the mining value chain, whereas the best poster was awarded to Adam Wróblewski, Jacek Wodecki, Paweł Trybała, Radosław Zimroz (Wrocław University of Science and technology, Poland) for the poster entitled Large underground structures geometry evaluation based on point cloud data analysis.List of Scientific Committee, Organizing Committee, Editorial Team are available i this pdf.
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ABOUT ICMSOA2022Organized by Yaseen Academy, 2022 The 2nd International Conference on Modeling, Simulation, Optimization and Algorithm (ICMSOA 2022), which was planned to be held during 11-13 November, 2022 at Sanya, Hainan Province, China. Due to the travel restrictions caused by covid, the participants joined the conference online via Tencent Meeting at 12 November, 2022. The Conference looks for significant contributions to related fields of Modeling, Simulation, Optimization and Algorithm. The aim of the conference is to provide a platform to the researchers and practitioners from both academia as well as industry to meet and share cutting-edge development in the field.CALL FOR PAPERSPlease make sure your submission is in related areas of the following general topics. The topics include, but are not limited to:Simulation modeling theory and technology, Computational modeling and simulation, System modeling and simulation, Device/VLSI modeling and simulation, Control theory and applications, Military Technology Simulation, Aerospace technology simulation, Information engineering simulation, Energy Engineering Simulation, Manufacturing Simulation, Intelligent engineering simulation, Building engineering simulation, Electromagnetic field simulation, Material engineering simulation, Visual simulation, Fluid mechanics engineering simulation, Manufacturing simulation technology, Simulation architecture, Simulation software platform and Intelligent Optimization Algorithm, Dynamic Programming, Ant Colony Optimization, Genetic Algorithm, Simulated Annealing Algorithm, Tabu Search Algorithm, Ant Colony System Algorithm, Hybrid Optimization Algorithm in other related areas.The conference was begun at 10:00am, ended at 17:30am, 12 November, 2022. There were 77 participants in total, 2 keynote speakers and 17 invited oral speakers, Assoc. Prof. Jinyang Xu from Shanghai Jiaotong Univeristy in China and Dr. Victor Koledov from Innowledgement GmbH in Germany delivered their keynote speeches, each speech cost about 50 minutes, including the questions&discussion time.On behalf of the conference organizing committee, we'd like to acknowledge the unstinting support from our colleagues at Yaseen Academy, all Technical Program Members, speakers, reviewers, and all the participants for their sincere support.Conference Organizing CommitteeICMSOA 2022List of Conference General Chair, Program Chair, Conference Committee Chair Members, International Technical Committee Members, International Reviewers are available in this Pdf.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, 15% of hospitalized patients have required mechanical ventilation and because the reorganization of health services at COVID-19 centers, a large percentage of health personnel have assumed new functions in the care of the critical patient;situation that makes evident the need to analyze the different techniques, maneuvers and calculations for an adequate assessment and decision-making. A bibliographic review of the topic was made searching for references in Elsevier, Pubmed, SciELO, Medline, Nature, New England Journal of Medicine using the words mechanical ventilation, COVID-19, acute respiratory distress syndrome, lung protection strategy, airway pressures, pulmonary mechanics, published from 2010 to 201 9 in English and Spanish. During the COVID-1 9 pandemic, mechanical ventilation has been a fundamental procedure in the management of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, becoming indispensable that health personnel who work in COVID-1 9 areas know and understand the different techniques, maneuvers and calculations used to determine the state of the respiratory system in the ventilated patient and apply treatments accordingly.Copyright © 2022 Comunicaciones Cientificas Mexicanas S.A. de C.V.. All rights reserved.
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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have focused on the different clinical presentations of the disease. The existence of a broad spectrum of respiratory compromise has been initially interpreted as the manifestation of different clinical phenotypes, with peculiar pathophysiological aspects translating into different requirements of respiratory support. Extensive research now converges on interpreting these phenotypes as different stages rather than distinct manifestations of the same pathology. While not all patients will evolve from an early COVID-19 pneumonia to an established COVID-19 related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the correct identification of the disease phase will translate into different therapeutic approaches. This chapter discusses the classification of COVID-19 phenotypes based on imaging and respiratory mechanics parameters, also in relation with the differences and similarities with the ARDS from causes other than COVID-19. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.
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PrefaceThe International Association for Relativistic Dynamics was organized in February 1998 in Houston, Texas, with John R. Fanchi as president. Although the subject of relativistic dynamics has been explored, from both classical and quantum mechanical points of view, since the work of Einstein and Dirac, its most striking development has been in the framework of quantum field theory. The very accurate calculations of spectral and scattering properties, for example, of the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron and the Lamb shift in quantum electrodynamics, and many qualitative features of the strong and electroweak interactions, demonstrate the very great power of description achieved in this framework. Yet, many fundamental questions remain to be clarified, such as the structure of classical relativistic dynamical theories on the level of Hamilton and Lagrange in Minkowski space as well as on the curved manifolds of general relativity. There, moreover, remain the important questions of the covariant classical description of systems at high energy for which particle production effects are not large, such as discussed in Synge's book, The Relativistic Gas, and in Balescu's book on relativistic statistical mechanics, and the development of a consistent single and many body relativistic quantum theory. In recent years, highly accurate telescopes and advanced facilities for computation have brought a high level of interest in cosmological problems, such as the structure of galaxies (dark matter) and the apparently anomalous expansion of the universe (dark energy). Some of the papers reported here deal with these problems, as well as other fundamental related issues.It was for this purpose, to bring together researchers from a wide variety of fields, such as particle physics, astrophysics, cosmology, foundations of relativity theory, and mathematical physics, with a common interest in relativistic dynamics, to investigate fundamental questions of this type, that this Association was founded. The second meeting took place in 2000 at Bar Ilan University in Israel, the third, in 2002, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and the fourth, in 2004, in Saas Fee, Switzerland. Subsequent meeting took place in 2006 at the University of Connecticut Storrs, in 2008 at Aristotle University of Thessalonica, in 2010 at National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan, in 2012 at the Galileo Galilei Institute for Theoretical Physics (GGI) in Florence, in 2014 as the University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut, in 2016 at Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and in 2018 in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, under the sponsorship of the Instituto Politécnic Nacional. The 2020 meeting, planned for Czech Technical University in Prague, was successfully held online at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the physical meeting in Prague was delayed to 2022.The 2022 meeting forms the basis for the Proceedings that are recorded in this issue of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series. Along with the work of some of the founding and newer but already much engaged members of the Association, we were fortunate to have lecturers from application areas that provided strong challenges for further developments in quantum field theory, cosmological problems, and in the dynamics of systems subject to accelerations and the effects of general relativity. Topics treated in this issue include studies in general relativity and astrophysics, relativistic dynamics and electrodynamics, quantum theory and particles, and foundations of relativistic dynamics.This first physical meeting of the Covid-19 era took place 6 - 9 June at Czech Technical University in Prague, as originally planned for 2020. The meeting was divided into seven plenary sessions over four days. As a result of continued travel restrictions in some areas, a small number of talks were delivered by videoconferencing. The papers presented in this volume represent extensions and refinements to the conference talks, building on feedback and discussions associated with the lect re . We once again express our gratitude to Czech Technical University, and especially the local conference chair Petr Jizba, for their generous hospitality.List of Scientific Advisory Committee, International Organizing Committee and Editorial Board of the proceedings, Dedication are available in this Pdf.
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PrefaceThe 16th International Conference on the Modelling of Casting, Welding, and Advanced Solidification Processes (MCWASP XVI) was held from June 18 to 23, 2023, in Banff, Canada, at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Founded in 1933, the Centre in Treaty 7 Territory within Banff National Park—Canada's first National Park—is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. The "all-inclusive” nature of the conference and the remote setting meant that participants dined, attended oral and poster presentations, and participated in social activities as a group, fostering outstanding opportunities for networking.Given that the MCWASP community had not met in person since 2015 in Japan (the 2020 edition of MCWASP was virtual owing to COVID-19), the 2023 conference provided the opportunity to renew old friendships and make new ones as well as discuss the science of solidification and related processes—all within the backdrop of the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains.The technical program comprised more than 70 oral and poster presentations. In addition to content related to modelling of casting, welding, and advanced solidification processes, keynotes were invited to talk about related subjects (artificial intelligence/machine learning, and permeability modelling in shale rock) as well as the rich diversity of fossils, especially dinosaurs, found in Alberta.The oral technical program was organized with as a single session (i.e., no concurrent presentations). It featured all aspects of solidification modelling, including solidification process technologies (continuous and semi-continuous casting, shape casting, additive manufacturing, and welding), coupled multi-physics simulations, defect formation, fluid flow, micro- and macro-structure formation, numerical methods, and related experimentation, especially in-situ observation of solidification.The four-day technical program was spread over five days to give participants the opportunity to explore the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains.In these proceedings, the papers are organized by major theme. The dominant topics are Additive Manufacturing and Welding and Microstructure Formation, followed by Continuous Casting – Shape Casting, Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow, Alloy Segregation, Defects, Imaging of Solidification, Thermomechanics, and Materials Properties. In these themes, the authors report advances in numerical modelling techniques, new scientific and process developments in solidification, and related in-situ experimentation.Although significant progress has been made over these past 16 MCWASP conferences covering 43 years, it is clear that the complexity of advanced solidification phenomena as related to conventional and emerging manufacturing technologies still attracts a great deal of scientific and industrial interest to support technological innovation.André PhillionBanff, Canada, June 2023MCWASP XVI 2023List of Peer Reviewers, Sponsors, MCWASP XVI Organizers, International Scientific Committee are available in this Pdf.
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The respiratory pump that provides pulmonary ventilation includes the respiratory center, peripheral nervous system, chest and respiratory muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of the respiratory center and the respiratory muscles strength after COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease 2019). Methods. The observational retrospective cross-sectional study included 74 post-COVID-19 patients (56 (76%) men, median age - 48 years). Spirometry, body plethysmography, measurement of lung diffusing capacity (DLCO), maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP and MEP), and airway occlusion pressure after 0.1 sec (P0.1) were performed. In addition, dyspnea was assessed in 31 patients using the mMRC scale and muscle strength was assessed in 27 of those patients using MRC Weakness scale. Results. The median time from the COVID-19 onset to pulmonary function tests (PFTs) was 120 days. The total sample was divided into 2 subgroups: 1 - P0.1 <= 0.15 kPa (norm), 2 - > 0.15 kPa. The lung volumes, airway resistance, MIP, and MEP were within normal values in most patients, whereas DLCO was reduced in 59% of cases in both the total sample and the subgroups. Mild dyspnea and a slight decrease in muscle strength were also detected. Statistically significant differences between the subgroups were found in the lung volumes (lower) and airway resistance (higher) in subgroup 2. Correlation analysis revealed moderate negative correlations between P0.1 and ventilation parameters. Conclusion. Measurement of P0.1 is a simple and non-invasive method for assessing pulmonary function. In our study, an increase in P0.1 was detected in 45% of post-COVID-19 cases, possibly due to impaired pulmonary mechanics despite the preserved pulmonary ventilation as well as normal MIP and MEP values.Copyright © Savushkina O.I. et al., 2023.
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Introduction: Ventilation in prone-position (PP) improves survival in moderate-to-severe ARDS. However, optimal duration of the intervention to gain maximum benefit is unknown. We sought to examine the efficacy and safety of a prolonged PP protocol in COVID-19-associated ARDS. Method(s): This was a prospective observational study. We included consecutive intubated and mechanically ventilated patients with ARDS and positive PCR for SARS-CoV-2 who underwent at least one session of PP from March 2021 to August 2021. PP was undertaken if P/F < 150 with FiO2 > 0.6 and PEEP > 10cmH2O. Oxygenation parameters and respiratory mechanics were recorded before PP, at the end of PP session and 4 h after supine repositioning. Patients with PP longer than 24 h (prolonged group) were compared to patients who were proned for less than 24 h (control group). The duration of PP was at the discretion of the treating intensivist. Result(s): We recorded 56 patients (62.7% male). Five patients were excluded because PP was terminated in less than 4 h. Mean age of the 51 studied patients was 61.4 years. Patients in the prolonged group had significantly higher BMI than controls. Baseline oxygenation and respiratory mechanics were similar between groups. PP duration was 39.8 versus 20.5 h (p < 0.001). Increase of P/F was higher in the prolonged PP group during proning (103.8 +/- 70.8 vs 66 +/- 53.9, p < 0.05) and after supination (76.3 +/- 64.6 vs 48.6 +/- 34.9, p = 0.058). No change in respiratory mechanics was observed in either group. 28-day survival was 75% in the prolonged PP group and 69.5% in the control group (p = 0.665). Duration of mechanical ventilation, number of PP cycles and rate of complications were similar between groups. Conclusion(s): In patients with ARDS due to COVID-19 prolonged PP resulted in better oxygenation, but had no impact on outcome. However, it is both feasible and safe and can be an alternative in conditions of increased work load as was the case during the recent pandemic.
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Introduction: This study included pregnant patients with severe COVID to test the hypothesis that the impact of delivery on maternal outcome depends upon illness severity at the time of delivery;we hypothesized that patients not yet requiring IPPV would improve following delivery (due to improvement in respiratory mechanics), while patients already on IPPV, or close to requiring ventilation, would deteriorate (due to maternal cardiovascular intolerance to autotransfusion). Method(s): This multicenter, prospective/retrospective cohort study evaluated Israeli ICU admissions of pregnant women with COVID-19 pneumonitis from 1-Feb-2020 to 31-Jan-2022. We assessed maternal, neonatal outcomes and longitudinal maternal clinical data. The primary outcome was maternal outcome (no-IPPV, IPPV, ECMO, death). The primary longitudinal outcome was SOFA score, the secondary longitudinal outcome was the novel PORCH score (PEEP, Oxygenation, Respiratory-support, Chest-X-ray, Haemodynamic-support). Patients were classified into: no-delivery, postpartum admission, deliverycritical and delivery-not-critical groups. Result(s): 84 patients in 13 ICUs were analysed;there were 34 nodelivery, 4 postpartum, 32 delivery-critical, 14 delivery-not-critical patients. Delivery-critical and postpartum had worse outcomes with, 26/32(81%) and 4/4(100%) requiring IPPV;12/32(38%) and 3/4(75%) requiring ECMO;1/32(3%) and 2/4(50%) dying. Deliverynot- critical and no-delivery had far better outcomes with, respectively, 6/34(18%) and 2/14(14%) requiring mechanical ventilation;no patients required ECMO or died. SpO2, S/F ratio, P/F ratio in Deliverycritical deteriorated on the day of delivery, continued to deteriorate, and took longer to recover;delivery-not-critical improved rapidly following delivery. The day of delivery was a highly significant covariate for PORCH (p < 0.0001), not SOFA (p = 0.09). Conclusion(s): Interventional delivery should be considered for maternal indications before patients deteriorate and require IPPV.
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Liquid–solid triboelectric nanogenerators (L–S TENGs) can generate corresponding electrical signal responses through the contact separation of droplets and dielectrics and have a wide range of applications in energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. However, the contact between the droplet and the electret will cause the contact L–S TENG's performance degradation or even failure. Here we report a noncontact triboelectric nanogenerator (NCLS-TENG) that can effectively sense droplet stimuli without contact with droplets and convert them into electrical energy or corresponding electrical signals. Since there is no contact between the droplet and the dielectric, it can continuously and stably generate a signal output. To verify the feasibility of NCLS-TENG, we demonstrate the modified murphy's dropper as a smart infusion monitoring system. The smart infusion monitoring system can effectively identify information such as the type, concentration, and frequency of droplets. NCLS-TENG show great potential in smart medical, smart wearable and other fields.
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Studiul s-a concentrat pe determinarea politicilor guvernamentale esenţiale si a barierelor comerciale care afectează performanţa exporturilor industriei textile în timpul pandemiei de COVID-19. Acest studiu a analizat influenţa politicilor guvernamentale de export asupra performanţei la export a industriei textile. Acest studiu a comparat, de asemenea, factori din trei industrii textile din Asia de Sud, respectiv Pakistan, India si Bangladesh. Studiul a identificat nouă politici guvernamentale de export esenţiale si bariere comerciale bazate pe vizualizarea organizaţiei industriale (Vizualizarea I/O). A fost utilizat un model de regresie de tip panel pentru a analiza semnificaţia fiecărei politici guvernamentale si barierele comerciale care afectează performanţa exporturilor de produse textile. Rezultatele studiului au arătat că ratele de schimb valutar, costul de export, timpul de export, stabilitatea politică a ţării, calitatea infrastructurii din ţară, libertatea din corupţie, costul de afaceri al terorismului si stabilitatea economică în ţară au un efect semnificativ asupra performanţei la export a industriei. În schimb, taxele pentru desfăşurarea afacerilor au un efect nesemnificativ asupra performanţei la export. Testul de Estimare aparent fără legătură (SUEST) a comparat diferenţele de performanţă la export ale industriilor textile din Pakistan, India si Bangladesh datorate politicilor guvernamentale. Rezultatele au arătat că un nivel mai ridicat de timp pentru export, costul de export si costul pentru desfăsurarea afacerilor terorismului duc la performanţa scăzută la export a industriei textile. În acelasi timp, un nivel mai ridicat al cursurilor de schimb valutar, stabilitatea politică a ţării, calitatea infrastructurii, libertatea din corupţie si stabilitatea economică în ţară duc la performanţe ridicate la export ale industriei textile. Mai mult, taxele pentru desfăsurarea afacerilor au un efect nesemnificativ asupra performanţei la export. Acest studiu este printre puţinele care abordează industria textilă în timpul pandemiei de COVID-19. Din cauza circumstanţelor incerte, va fi greu pentru guvern să identifice factori importanţi care ar putea ajuta exportatorii de textile să supravieţuiască si să se dezvolte în timpul pandemiei de COVID-19. Studiul a identificat politici guvernamentale importante si bariere comerciale care afectează exporturile de textile pe baza unui sprijin teoretic solid si a comparat si a elaborat, de asemenea, importanţa fiecărui factor în trei ţări din Asia de Sud. Acest studiu va ajuta factorii de decizie să-si reconsidere factorii legaţi de export pentru a-si spori exporturile de textile si pentru a-si relansa economia după pandemia de COVID-19.Alternate :The study focused on determining essential government policies and trade barriers affecting the textile industry's export performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study has analysed the effect of government export policies on the export performance of the textile industry. This study has also compared factors among three South Asian textile industries, including Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. The study identified nine essential government export policies and trade barriers based on Industrial Organization View (I/O View). A panel regression model was used to analyse the significance of each government policy and trade barrier affecting textile export performance. Results of the study showed that currency exchange rates, the cost to export, time to export, political stability of the country, quality of infrastructure in the country, freedom from corruption, business cost of terrorism and economic stability in the country have a significant effect on export performance of the industry. In contrast, taxes on doing business have an insignificant effect on export performance. The Seemingly Unrelated Estimation (SUEST) test compared the differences in export performance of Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi textile industries due to governmen policies. The results showed that a higher level of time to export, cost to export and business cost of terrorism lead to the low export performance of the textile industry. At the same time, a higher level of currency exchange rates, political stability of the country, quality of infrastructure, freedom from corruption and economic stability in-country lead to the high export performance of the textile industry. Further, taxes on doing business have an insignificant effect on export performance. This study is among the few contributing to the textile industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to uncertain circumstances, it becomes hard for the government to identify important factors which could help textile exporters to survive and grow during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study has identified important government policies and trade barriers affecting textile exports based on strong theoretical support and has also compared and elaborated on the importance of each factor across three South Asian countries. This study will help policymakers reconsider exportrelated factors to enhance their textile exports and revive their economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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We present an analysis of students' thinking skills as evidenced by free-response exam problems during the Covid-19 pandemic. We compare two inquiry-based, laboratory-based classical mechanics courses, one taught online and one taught in person during the pandemic, and two inquiry-based, laboratory-based electricity and magnetism courses, one taught online and the other in person during the pandemic. We use a rubric that was previously developed based on Bloom's taxonomy (revised version) to compare the thinking skills of students in classes taught by different pedagogies. We discuss the method and analysis, and present results and interpretations. No significant differences were found in thinking skills between students in the online and in-person pandemic classical mechanics courses. However, we did see a difference in the thinking skills between the online and in-person pandemic electricity and magnetism courses as the semester progressed.
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PrefaceAfter the success of the GIREP Malta Webinar 2020, both GIREP Board members and the organisers/hosts from the University of Malta decided to plan for another meeting for GIREP members, to be organised in 2021. Restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic had automatically led the organisers of the first meeting to decide in favour of organising a webinar. There was hope, from both organisers and participants, that the 2nd meeting would be held face-to-face in Malta. But even this idea had to be abandoned in 2021. So a second webinar was organised instead. Seeing that participants of the first webinar indicated the need for further discussion related to physics teacher education, this being such an important topic, the GIREP Board decided that Webinar 2021 would still focus on ‘Physics Teacher Education: What matters?' This was the title of the GIREP Malta Webinar 2021.During the Webinar, various keynote speeches were presented. Participants were then sub-divided into groups, according to the workgroups of their interest. The workgroups dealt with specific topics for discussion, led by experts in the field. Participants had time at their disposal to present their work and research. They actively interacted with each other and the group leaders, during discussions. A number of papers were submitted, post-webinar. Each paper was independently and anonymously reviewed by two experts.The workgroups dealt specifically with the following topics:• Preparing teachers for TPACK (technological, pedagogical and content knowledge) and Lab work;• Developing and evaluating teacher PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) in Quantum Mechanics (tools and approaches);• In-service Physics teacher education for early childhood and primary levels;• Pre-service Physics teacher education at all levels;• In-service Physics teacher professional learning for second and higher level education.The topic titles shown above have been used as Section Titles for this Journal of Physics: Conference Series publication. Published papers have been sectioned according to the working group in which they were originally presented.Once again, we must admit that organising the GIREP Malta Webinar 2021 and finalising the editing process for the post webinar publications has been quite a challenge. We have worked with passion and enthusiasm. We firmly believe that discussions, interactions and publications of this kind can help improve teaching and learning at all levels, offering creative ideas that can be used personally by teachers to enhance the class environment, both physically and mentally, as well as creating the important link between theory and practice. We would like to thank all those who contributed to the publication of these papers, including the GIREP board, the authors and reviewers. Thank you for your time and effort.List of International Advisory Committee and Scientific Programme Committee, Local Organising Committee, The Editors are available in this Pdf.
ABSTRACT
Computational screening is one of the fundamental techniques in drug discovery. Each compound in a chemical database is bound to the target protein in virtual, and candidate compounds are selected from the binding scores. In this work, we carried out combinational computation of docking simulation to generate binding poses and molecular mechanics calculation to estimate binding scores. The coronavirus infectious disease has spread worldwide, and effective chemotherapy is strongly required. The viral 3-chymotrypsin-like (3CL) protease is a good target of low molecular-weight inhibitors. Hence, computational screening was performed to search for inhibitory compounds acting on the 3CL protease. As a preliminary assessment of the performance of this approach, we used 51 compounds for which inhibitory activity had already been confirmed. Docking simulations and molecular mechanics calculations were performed to evaluate binding scores. The preliminary evaluation suggested that our approach successfully selected the inhibitory compounds identified by the experiments. The same approach was applied to 8820 compounds in a database consisting of approved and investigational chemicals. Hence, docking simulations, molecular mechanics calculations, and re-evaluation of binding scores including solvation effects were performed, and the top 200 poses were selected as candidates for experimental assays. Consequently, 25 compounds were chosen for in vitro measurement of the enzymatic inhibitory activity. From the enzymatic assay, 5 compounds were identified to have inhibitory activities against the 3CL protease. The present work demonstrated the feasibility of a combination of docking simulation and molecular mechanics calculation for practical use in computational virtual screening.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Peptide Hydrolases/metabolism , Protease Inhibitors/chemistry , Viral Nonstructural Proteins , Cysteine Endopeptidases/chemistry , Cysteine Endopeptidases/metabolism , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Molecular Docking Simulation , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Antiviral Agents/chemistryABSTRACT
Bagchi et al.: Screening of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 inhibitors Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 poses a huge threat to humans. The beta genus Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has four structural proteins: Spike, envelope, membrane and nucleocapsid protein. Among them, spike plays an important role in the host cell attachment and fusion. The S1 subunit of the spike is responsible for bonding to the host and hence is the most crucial target for finding appropriate inhibitors. Molecular docking calculations at the receptor binding domain of S1 subunit have been carried out with twenty celastroid triterpenoids and found that they have very good binding energies. The interactions of these compounds with important amino acid residues were also thoroughly investigated. The docking poses were further validated by the farPPI web server.