SARS-CoV-2 ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF ZOTATIFIN, A HOST-TARGETING eIF4A INHIBITOR

Background: Zotatifin (eFT226) is a potent and selective inhibitor of eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A), a host RNA helicase required for SARS-CoV-2 replication. Zotatifin selectively inhibits translation of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) containing specific short polypurine motifs in their 5-prime (5') regions. Two such highly conserved motifs are found in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Zotatifin is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b dose escalation study in 36 patients with mild to moderate COVID disease. In this in vitro study, we evaluated the selectivity of zotatifin's inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 translation, the antiviral activity of zotatifin alone against different human coronaviruses and the antiviral activity of zotatifin in combination with other antivirals against SARSCoV-2. Method(s): The selectivity of zotatifin for viral translation was evaluated in a cell-based reporter assay wherein luciferase translation was driven by 5'-sequences from SARS-CoV-2 or tubulin, a housekeeping gene. The antiviral activity of zotatifin was evaluated against SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 variants (Wash/1/2020 (ancestral), delta, omicron BA.2), MERS-CoV and HCoV-299E in primary or established cell lines using cytopathic effect or infectious virus as endpoints. The antiviral activity of zotatifin in combination with remdesivir, N-hydroxycytidine (NHC;active nucleoside analogue metabolite of molnupiravir), nirmatrelvir, baricitinib or sotrovimab was evaluated against SARS-CoV-2 and analyzed by the method of Pritchard and Shipman. Result(s): Zotatifin inhibited the translation of the SARS-CoV-2 luciferase reporter construct with a mean IC50 of 3 nM and was ~14-fold less potent in inhibiting the tubulin reporter construct. Zotatifin potently inhibited the replication of all human coronaviruses tested with 50% effective concentrations (EC50s) ranging from 0.016 to 37.3 nM. The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) value for zotatifin was 250 to >100,000 nM, yielding selectivity indices of 7 to >6250. Zotatifin was ~20 to >100-fold more potent than remdesivir, nirmatrelvir or NHC (figure) and demonstrated additive interactions when combined with remdesivir, NHC, nirmatrelvir, baricitinib or sotrovimab in vitro. Conclusion(s): The potent broad-spectrum activity of zotatifin against a variety of human coronaviruses and additive activity when combined with different anti-SARS-CoV-2 antivirals highlight the advantages of eIF4A as a target and warrant further evaluation in human clinical trials.

That Line in the Day: The Perceived Effect of Required Work From Home on Male Managers' Sense of Self and Wellbeing

Experiences of required work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the sense of self and wellbeing of men, especially managers, potentially shaped by positions that men take up within discourses of masculinity. Thematic decomposition applied to verbatim transcripts of semi-structured interviews with seven white collar managers living in Australia who identified as men revealed a challenge to the participants' productivity and subscription to the traditional masculine subject position of the "ideal worker";and dissolution of boundaries between home and work that prevented some participants from privileging their "breadwinner" subject position. The liminal space of the Home-Office needs to be negotiated to alleviate impacts on self, anxiety, and stress resulting from conflicting work and domestic roles. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Men's Studies is the property of Sage Publications Inc. 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.)

Inflammasome but Not Ifn-I/Iii Response Is Altered in Children with Long Covid

Background: Severe COVID-19 is less common in children than in adults. Increasing evidence show that distinct immune-pathological changes can persist weeks or months after SARS-CoV2 infection, leading to Long COVID (LC). We investigated the systemic type I/III interferon (IFN-I/III) and inflammation response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of children with and without LC symptoms. Method(s): Blood samples were collected from children attending Umberto I hospital of Rome, within 3-6 months after a SARS-CoV-2 positive test and from control children. RNA was extracted from PBMCs for determining the levels of IFN-I (IFN-Alpha2, -Beta, -Epsilon and -Omega), IFN-III (IFN-Lambda1-3), NLRP3 and IL-1beta genes, and miR-141 expression by quantitative RealTime-PCR assays, normalized to housekeeping GUS gene and RNU6B, respectively. Result(s): 28 participants (M 12.5y SD 3.0) with LC symptoms, 28 participants (M 11.8y SD 3.0) without LC symptoms and 18 children who've never had SARS-CoV- 2 infection (M 10.5y SD 3.1) were enrolled. Comparing the three study groups, we found reduced levels of IFN-Lambda1, IFN-Lambda2 and IFN-Lambda3 (p=0.006, p< 0.001, p=0.012, respectively;Kruskal-Wallis (KW) test) mRNA in patients who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection as opposed to control group, whereas transcript levels of IFN-Epsilon (p= 0.019;KW test) were increased in the former with respect to the latter group;as well, remaining IFN-I genes analyzed showed a tendency to be up-regulated. As far as NLRP3 and IL-1beta levels was concerned, these genes were increased in LC patients (p< 0.001 for both genes;KW test). Additionally, miR-141, which has been reported to regulate inflammasome response, was overexpressed in LC patients (p< 0.001;Mann-Whitney test). Conclusion(s): These results showed a decreased levels of IFN-III mRNAs and an overexpression of IFN-Epsilon in children after 3-6 months of SARS-CoV-2 infection regardless of development of LC symptoms, suggesting that SARSCoV- 2 could have caused dysregulation of IFN response through unknown mechanisms (e.g. epigenetic modifications). Also, we found an overexpression of miR-141, NLRP3 and IL-1beta mRNAs in LC patients, indicating that a prolonged activation of inflammasome pathways could be associated with the development of LC symptoms.

Occupational Health Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment with Introduction of Biomass in Coal Based Captive Power Plant

Introduction: Occupational Health should aim at the Promotion and Maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental, and social well-being of all the employees. A pilot project was taken up due to acute shortages of coal during the COVID Pandemic, on industrial level, mixing of biomass with coal at a ratio of 20:80 respectively was considered as a good raw material. With introduction of biomass, workers were exposed to different organic substances either directly through dermal route or respirable dust with risk of becoming victims to Occupational diseases. Objective(s): The objective of the study is to identify and mitigate occupational health hazard of various nature prevailing at workplace after introduction of new raw materials;to safeguard the workforce from discomfort and occupational illness and to provide healthy working environment at RIL-Hazira. Method(s): Walk through survey was initiated by team of industrial hygienist and medical officer along with the process engineer. Subsequent workplace evaluation was done according to ACGIH screening criteria for respirable dust & VOC monitoring. To measure airborne respirable contaminants, we have considered housekeeping staff, operator, field executive, Boiler operation engineer which were found more likely to be at the risk of airborne contaminant exposure. To identify the concentration of contaminants, personal air sampler (SKC Make) was used for collection of respirable dust samples for different job category of workers. NIOSH 600 method was used for exposure assessment and samples were collected by using PVC filter used at the flow rate of 2.5 lpm. The composition of biomass pellets was received from biomass team & chemical analysis of biomass was done at our laboratory. Occupational Diseases known to be caused by organic agricultural compounds used as fuel were taken into account such as Bagasossis, farmer's lung & other hypersensitivity pneumonias, non-tubercular mycobacterial infections, infections caused by various fungi & bacteria. Prevention & Control measures were taken during the project such as modification of process, local exhaust ventilation, worker education on different diseases, personal hygiene, use of PPE, good housekeeping. Result(s): Through effective Risk assessment, Hazard Identification and measures taken to mitigate Occupational health hazards, no occupational health disease was reported after implementation of the change in process in a total of 55 identified workers. Moving forward these workers will be periodically monitored. The amount of total respirable dust was reduced by approx. 10- 25% at different location of the plant after control measures taken. This project also brought huge monetary benefits to the plant. Leading forward as the pilot project for introduction of biomass was a great success it has been planned to be scaled up to 40% mixture of biomass.

The Impact of Household Labor Distribution on Domestic Conflicts During Covid-19 Confinement Orders in Spain and Italy

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns that started in March 2020 have sparked an increase in domestic labor in many families across the globe. This study focuses on gender differences in the distribution of domestic housework and childcare, as well as how they have impacted couples' conflicts during confinement, in the context of Spain and Italy. It employs a sequential mixed-methods approach in which a quantitative survey was followed by qualitative in-depth interviews. The results of the quantitative study (N = 447) showed that, for women, total household labor performed during confinement led to the perception of an unequal household distribution, which impacted couples' conflicts. In-depth interviews with participants from both countries confirmed the quantitative findings and allowed a nuanced understanding of how conflict negotiations evolved during the confinement. The results provide a comprehensive view of how the pandemic may have worsened women's situation in the household. HIGHLIGHTS Pandemic lockdowns intensified the already unequal distribution of housework in households in Spain and Italy. Women disproportionally spent more hours on childcare and household chores during confinement. Traditional gender norms shaped women's and men's perceptions of unfairness in terms of division of housework. Gender norms also limited women's bargaining power and shaped couples' conflict and negotiation strategies. Policies should aim to alleviate intrahousehold inequality to achieve better work–life balance for women. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Feminist Economics 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.)

Effect of COVID-19 on Working Women's Physical and Mental Health: A Descriptive Study of Pre and Post Pandemic Era

Background and Aim: In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic and a public health emergency of global significance. Recent studies have revealed that these restrictions and women's anxiety of the virus itself may have had an adverse effect on their mental health. Children and family members are spending more time at home;thus, society needs to be conscious of how this is affecting working women's emotional and physical health especially in the absence of any assisting maid. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown affected working women's physical and mental health. Material(s) and Method(s): To examine the effects of COVID-19 on the physical and emotional health of working women, a cross-sectional survey was conducted. Data is collected using an online survey platform. To investigate the impact of lockdown on the women's mental and physical health, a semi-structured questionnaire comprising a number of open-and closed-ended questions was prepared. Additionally, any mental health disorders and emotional difficulties that developed during lockdown or became worse were enlisted. Another goal was to gauge how much family members understood and were sympathetic to the physical and mental strain the working women were under. Result(s): The study involved 200 women from different states of India. The hours spent in the kitchen and other associated activities increased from 1.5 hours to 5.5 hours when the time between before and during the lockdown was compared. The amount of time spent engaging in physical activity, such as yoga and morning and evening walks, significantly decreased during the lockdown are coming to normal after the lockdown. 68 per cent of those surveyed said that women's behaviour had changed. About 58 per cent of the women suffered physical changes such fatigue, headaches, lower back discomfort, and other issues with women's weight gain. Conclusion(s): Additional research is required to better understand the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's mental health, particularly in regard to the identification of additional variables that may be connected to the pandemic's potentially multiplicative effects on women.Copyright © 2023, Institute of Medico-legal Publication. All rights reserved.

Effects of Various Mrna-Lnp Vaccine Doses on Neuroinflammation in Balb/C Mice

It has been proven that mRNA vaccines are highly effective against the COVID-19 outbreak, and low prevalence of side effects has been shown. However, there are still many gaps in our understanding of the biology and biosafety of nucleic acids as components of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) most often used as a system for inctracellular delivery of mRNA-based vaccines. It is known that LNPs cause severe injection site inflammation, have broad biodistribution profiles, and are found in multiple tissues of the body, including the brain, after administration. The role of new medications with such pharmacokinetics in inflammation developing in inaccessible organs is poorly understood. The study was aimed to assess the effects of various doses of mRNA-LNP expressing the reporter protein (0, 5, 10, and 20 microg of mRNA encoding the firefly luciferase) on the expression of neuroinflammation markers (Tnfalpha, Il1beta, Gfap, Aif1) in the prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus of laboratory animals 4, 8, and 30 h after the intramuscular injection of LNP nanoemulsion. It was shown that mRNA-LNP vaccines in a dose of 10-20 microg of mRNA could enhance Aif1 expression in the hypothalamus 8 h after vaccination, however, no such differences were observed after 30 h. It was found that the Gfap, l11beta, Tnfalpha expression levels in the hypothalamus observed at different times in the experimental groups were different. According to the results, mRNA-LNPs administered by the parenteral route can stimulate temporary activation of microglia in certain time intervals in the dose-dependent and site specific manner.Copyright © 2022 Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University. All rights reserved.

Domestic load, dependent care and home violence during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Covid-19 pandemic carried Peru to confront many challenges in the public health system;we wonder about relationships at home during the quarantine period;even more when Peru has the challenge to reach de gender equality and decrease violence. Objective(s): To describe the distribution of the housework, dependent care and violence in home during the quarantine, according to gender. Method(s): This is a descriptive study where a virtual questionnaire was applied to an intentional sample of 1,124 males and females above 18 years of age from all over Peru between May and July 2020. Result(s): Although most of the respondents indicated that they had shared housework during the lockdown, females assumed more frequently these labors alone than males, difference that was statistically significant. Both, males and females accepted that home violence increased during the lockdown, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion(s): During the lockdown both males and females shared homework, but females assumed more responsibilities than males, home violence was perceived increasing.Copyright © 2022 Revista Medica Herediana. All rights reserved.

Implementing the Nhs National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021 into a Hospice Inpatient and Clinic Setting

Background The National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021 (NHS England and NHS Improvement) apply to all healthcare environments, replacing the national specifications for cleanliness in the NHS. They encourage continuous improvement, combining mandates, guidance and recommendations of good practice. Some of the standards are mandatory and there is a 'compliance grid' supporting auditing and monitoring of quality. They act as a benchmark against which to compare services, assisting in establishing delivery of safe effective cleaning. Method The Infection Control Lead and Cleaning Services Manager reviewed the National Standards and compliance grid, adapting them for a hospice environment. In addition, the Hospice Cleaning Charter was amended. Cleaning responsibilities were reviewed across the cleaning services, nursing and maintenance teams. The new standards were tested and were found to be suitable for use in the hospice environment and a new cleaning audit tool was implemented Findings The new audit tool was introduced in October 2021, results demonstrated that two of the wards were meeting the cleaning standards, however, one ward was not meeting some of the standards. The Housekeeping Supervisors had further training, which was supported by an accredited training course with a particular focus on new methods of cleaning. All cleaning staff on ward A undertook additional internal training and cleaning was monitored by the supervisors. Conclusions The Housekeeping team were keen to improve standards to achieve the national standards. National standards have been challenging to implement due to their health care focus and the challenges of training staff over the COVID pandemic. (Table Presented).

Measuring single-cell level gene expression stability and variability in healthy and severe COVID-19 patients using Kullback-Leibler divergence

Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology have enabled the acquisition of RNA at the single-cell level, which showed that the expression level of genes is highly variable across and within the cell types. Even well-known housekeeping genes showed high expression variance in a single condition and within the same cell types. Previous studies made efforts to identify stably expressed genes and use them as a yardstick for robust gene expression normalization. On the other hand, drugs were shown to be less effective on genes with high expression variance. Thus, identifying both stably and variably expressed genes is an important task, especially at the single-cell level. In this study, using the Kullback-Leibler divergence method, we proposed a metric to measure the expression stability of each gene. Using private scRNA-seq data composed of 25 severe COVID-19 patients and 40 healthy individuals, we identified variably expressed genes specific to COVID-19-infected patients and healthy cohorts. © 2022 IEEE.

The impact of ergonomic practices on housekeeping employee retention and efficiency in hotels during COVID-19 in India

This article explores the current status of housekeeping-employee retention and efficiency in hotels particularly during COVID-19 in India, then discusses the implications of ergonomic practices on these. Ergonomic practice research in hotel housekeeping has been given enlarged scholarly attention, yet similar research in the Indian context is almost non-existent. Housekeeping work involves considerable physical effort that can lead to discomfort or even injury. This research involved 210 housekeeping employees from five-star hotels through an online survey. The data were interpreted using the partial least square (PLS) software SmartPLS 2.0. The constructs used in the study were working conditions, risk assessment and control, pandemic response plan, employee efficiency and employee retention. Working conditions were found to have a significant positive relationship with employee retention, whereas, risk assessment and control was found to have a positive relationship with employee retention and employee efficiency. Also, the pandemic response plan was found to have a positive relationship with employee efficiency. The pandemic response plan was not found to have a significant positive relationship with employee retention, while working conditions were not found to have a significant positive relationship with employee efficiency either. © by the author, licensee University of Lodz – Lodz University Press, Lodz, Poland.

HAND HYGIENE: A SCHOLASTIC INTERVENTION PROJECTING THE BOTTOM OF HIERARCHY OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS

Background: Amid this escalating pandemic crisis, adequate awareness about spread, control and prevention of COVID 19 is of utmost importance. As there is an emerging evidence on the presence of viable viral particles in the secretions and excreta of patients, untreated sewage, surfaces, it has become indispensable concern for the health care providers to be aware about the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) risks and practices. Hand hygiene is the leading measure for reducing healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices of hand hygiene among housekeeping staff, technicians and attendants working in COVID-19 tertiary health care Centre. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted for the then present staff in JK hospital, COVID centre, Bhopal in the month of July, 2020. A standard form for recording the data was made. Housekeeping staff and attendants were involved from all the clinical departments. The tools for the data collection were: questionnaires including multiple choices, yes/no answers. A prior orientation was provided to the respondents regarding how to fill the questionnaire. The questions were verbally asked by the researcher and the responses were sought. Result: A total of 83 health care workers participated in the study. Amongst the total participants, 37.34% were males and 65.65% were females. Most of the participants were in the age group of 18-39 years, 69.88% of them had gained knowledge about infection control in COVID-19 through hospital, 74.70% of them had received training about hand hygiene in past 6 months. Comparing the pre and post training responses, it was observed that the knowledge component significantly increased on post training evaluation regarding correct steps of hand hygiene (90.31% from 55.01%). There was remarkable increment from 55.16% to 95.54% in the practice element of hand hygiene on post training evaluation for all the five moments. Women showed 42% improvement in their knowledge, attitude and practice of hand hygiene after training in comparison to men who did not show a significant habit change. Conclusion: Our study portrays moderate level of knowledge regarding many aspects of hand hygiene among health care workers. Education plays an important role in overcoming these barriers and makes it easy to incorporate changes in hand hygiene habits of healthcare workers. Middle aged workers show more sense of responsibility towards habit change as compared to the young.

Intersections of caste, class, and gender in healthcare sanitation work in India: Social work imperatives for restructuring marginalized women's care work

Housekeeping and sanitary workers are crucial for the functional efficiency and hygiene of healthcare facilities. In India, women from oppressed castes and backward classes are predominantly recruited in these occupations. The work, regarded as “polluting,” is stigmatized, devalued, and lies at the historical and sociocultural intersections of caste, class, and gender. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper utilizes the concepts of “feminization of labor” and “care ethics” to read caste into an intersectional theoretical analysis of the organization of marginalized women's labor in such essential, yet invisibilized healthcare work. An exploratory narrative review of literature focusing exclusively on marginalized healthcare housekeepers and sanitation workers in India is undertaken and supplemented with a critical analysis of labor laws and policies to trace the sustained reproduction of the caste-based sexual division of labor in these occupations. I propose that their exploitative terms and conditions are sustained by what I refer to as the “feminine caste contract” – a complex sociopolitical and legal arrangement of precarious, casteist, and gendered work conditions. Recognizing the exploitation inherent in this contract, recommendations are made for social work education and practice to play a key role in restructuring marginalized women's labor in essential care work. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

To find the steady state again: The strategy of selection, adaptation, and integration of multitasking female physician during the COVID pandemic, a qualitative study

Background: The clinical practice was challenged and threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the pandemic, healthcare workers had problems dealing with an unbalanced system between life and work, especially female physicians who were multitasking among work, advanced study, and being a mom. Much research highlighted the dilemma between an increased home burden and clinical duties in the hospital of female physicians and others mentioned about how the pandemic might be adversely impacting women physicians. However, those studies were conducted in western countries instead of Asian countries. Objective: Our study, first, aims at finding out the coping strategy of female doctors about how they deal with the dilemma facing multitasking of housework, career, and advanced study. Second is to investigate how the female doctors adapt themselves to fit the changing challenging world. Methods: The current research is a qualitative study sampling by purposive sampling, inviting female physicians with a variety of identities like mothers, on-the-job trainees, and clinical doctors. In-depth interviews were performed individually. The transcripts were analyzed by thematic analysis to extract the important topics among those interviews. Results: Seven multitasking female physicians were interviewed. The content of interviews was analyzed through a point of view of phenomenology to display the essence of experience. There were 3 main themes and 13 accessory themes identified. Through fusion of horizons, those themes were further unified into three coping models including selection, adaptation, and integration. By the SAI model, multitasking women physicians coped with the difficulties arising during pandemics and found the steady state of life and work again. Conclusion: By selection, adaptation, and integration, multitasking female physicians got through the chaos and unsteadiness during the pandemic and achieved the steady state of life, family, and work. The current study also provided suggestions for building. Implications: The model of selection, adaptation, and integration may provide a novel way to interpret the coping strategy of female physicians. Further studies are needed to investigate how to help female physicians to measure and to use the model to defeat the dilemma between career and family.

The unseen frontlines: Perceptions and challenges of ancillary staff in the emergency department during COVID-19 pandemic

Background and objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has shed some light on healthcare workers (HCW), their safety, and their well-being. Although medical and nursing teams are traditionally perceived as the faces of healthcare, ancillary staff are also integral to the effective operations of the frontline of the pandemic and can be exposed to occupational hazards in their line of duty. Despite this, few studies have focused on their experience during the pandemic. This study explores the perceptions and challenges faced by ancillary staff working in an emergency department (ED) in Singapore during the first year of the pandemic. Methods: Fourteen participants were recruited via stratified random sampling from administration, portering, housekeeping, and security personnel from the ED. Data were collected from July 2020 to December 2020 through in-depth, semi-structured interviews until data saturation. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Codes were identified independently then iteratively by three research members and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The results centered on a total of seven main themes. Three themes were identified as challenges: "adapting to changes," "exhaustion and insufficient rest," and "increased manpower demands." Four themes were related to perceptions: "fear and uncertainty," "safety and preparedness at work," "team communication and support," and "motivation for work." Foreign staff (71.4% of the respondents) faced additional stress from travel restrictions and being away from family;35.7% of the respondents do not feel recognized as a healthcare hero. Conclusion: This study highlighted the different challenges faced by ancillary staff and their perceptions of working during a pandemic. It is important to provide open and clear communication channels between management, the staff, and the public and to provide rationales for change. Regular training sessions, disease outbreak simulations, and knowledge of the disease boosted the confidence of staff in their safety. Practical implications include reviewing the work contract obligations to provide adequate rest for ancillary staff.

Family care, employment and health of women: An international comparative view

The multidimensional pressure of simultaneous family care responsibilities, employment outcomes and health dynamics enact multiple effects on individuals, especially on women. In fact, women in Europe are traditionally the major suppliers of family care. This results in a lower presence of women in the labour market (employment) compared to men, as these latter bear lower family burdens. The unequal share of family care responsibilities between men and women also influences health perceptions and outcomes. We wonder if this is more a cause rather than an effect for women having multiple roles (housework, childcare, care of nonautonomous family members, like elderly and disabled people). In this contribution, we investigate the role of family responsibilities in shaping employment and health outcomes, in an international comparative view, by considering a wide time period. We use cross-sectional data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) survey for (many) European Countries. Our empirical strategy allows us assessing the effect of family care responsibilities on both employment probability and health outcomes. The models are estimated separately by gender on the time span from 2005 to 2020. This enables us to ascertain the possible effects of the Great Recession and subsequent austerity measures, and the current COVID-19 pandemic on the role of family care responsibilities on employment and health by gender. Our results suggest a disadvantage for women, since most family responsibilities, i.e. care of children, elderly and/or disabled household members, are mainly negatively associated with their employment and health outcomes.

DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED IMMUNOLOGICAL GENES in MILD and SEVERE CASES of COVID-19

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has varied clinical presentations from mild subclinical to severe disease with high mortality. Our aim was to determine whether examining immune-related gene expression early in infection could predict progression to severe disease. Methods: In subjects of the All Ireland Infectious Diseases Cohort study, we analysed expression of 579 genes with the NanoString nCounter Immunology panel in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in those with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection collected within 5 days of symptom onset and matched SARS-CoV-2 negative controls with respiratory infection. Subsequent maximum COVID19 disease severity was classified as mild or severe. Read counts were normalized using panel housekeeping genes. Expression changes in severity groups were estimated against control baseline. Results: Between April and July of 2020, we recruited 120 subjects, 62 with COVID19 and 58 controls, with average age 59 y.o. (IQR 34-88), 66% males and 69% Caucasian ethnicity. Maximal disease severity was used to separate COVID19 cases into mild (n=31) and severe (n=31). We identified 20 significantly deregulated genes between those with COVID19 and controls (;log2 fold;>0.5, p<0.05, Benjamin-Yekutieli p-adjustment). Function of 12 of these genes related to cytokine signaling, 9 upregulated genes to type I interferon signaling (MX1, IRF7, IFITM1, IFI35, STAT2, IRF4, PML, BST2, STAT1), while 7 downregulated genes mapped to innate immune function (IRF7, ICAM2, SERPING1, IFI16, BST2, FCER1A, PTK2). Expression in the severe group showed downregulation of FCER1A (innate immunity regulation), IL1B and TNF (inflammatory cytokines), and PTGS2 (inflammatory mediator) and greater upregulation of TNFSF4 (cytokine signaling) and PTK2 (innate immunity). Mild cases presented higher upregulation of IFIT2 (type I interferon signaling). Conclusion: Observed early downregulation of regulators and mediators of inflammation in those who developed severe COVID19, suggested dysregulation of inflammation. Specifically, IFIT2 upregulation in mild cases and FCER1A downregulation in severe cases, points to early differences in host responses centered on deregulation of the interferon and inflammation responses. Whether these patterns reflect delayed interferon involvement in pathways to control the infection and contribute to pathological inflammation and cytokine storms observed in severe COVID19 requires further research.

Antimicrobial Resistance of Secondary Bacterial Infections in Patients Hospitalized with Covid-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging serious global health problem. It has been recognised for a considerable time-period, that viral respiratory infections predispose patients to bacterial infections, and that these co-infections have a worse outcome than either infection on its own. This study was carried out on 100 samples of sputum from COVID-19 patients. During the laboratory diagnosis, 156 bacterial isolates were obtained from the positive samples . The Gram-positive bacteria isolates included Strptococcus pneumonia 64(40%) Streptococcus pyogenes, 7 (4%), Streptococcus mitis 1 (1%) Streptococcus mutus 1(1%), Streptococcus parasanguinis 1(1%) Staphylococcus eidermidis 10(6%), staphylococcus aureus 4 (2%), Micrococcus lutus,1 (1%). Whereas, Gram-negtive bacteria included Pseudomonas aeruginosa 9 (6%), E coli 10 (6%), Serratia marcescens, 3 (2%), Klebsiella pneumonia 31 (19%), H.influenzae 10 (6%) Acinetobacter baumannii, 4 (2%) .The isolates varied in their response against the antibiotics;and Gram positive bacteria were significantly (p<0.05) more sensitive to the antibiotic then Gram negative. To detect the Streptococcus pneumonia isolates, the house keeping Eno genes was screened. Results showed that all the isolates, had Eno gene (100%). Furthermore, This study was carried out in order to detect tet-L and ermB gene in 10 S.pneumonia isolates . genes were Results showed that all the isolates, numbering 10, had both tetL and ermB genes(100%).

Care work and Covid-19: Changes in the daily mobility of women in Santiago, Chile.

Since 2020, the world has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, causing significant changes in cities, affecting the daily mobility of people, and exacerbating inequalities, particularly for women. Confinement has deepened gender inequality in different dimensions and contexts, whereby many women, as part of their reproductive roles, have assumed more care and domestic work in various spaces, especially at home and in their neighborhoods. This article analyzes the impact of the pandemic on the daily mobility of women linked to their care work in the San Cristóbal neighborhood of Recoleta in Santiago, Chile. With this aim, online in-depth interviews and exploratory maps were conducted with women who perform care work, comparing their work and daily mobility before and during the pandemic. The results show that since the pandemic began, the gender inequality experienced by women has increased, as reflected in their daily activities, particularly in relation to the increase in domestic work and care work. Likewise, a change is observed in the daily mobility of women who perform care work, as they have focused more on walking and movement within their own neighborhoods to cover basic needs. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] Desde el año 2020 el mundo vive en un contexto de pandemia debido a la covid-19, lo cual ha significado cambios drásticos en las ciudades y en la movilidad cotidiana de las personas y ha agudizado las desigualdades, en particular para las mujeres. El confinamiento profundizó la desigualdad de género en diferentes dimensiones y contextos, pues muchas mujeres han debido asumir, como parte de su rol reproductivo, una carga mayor de labores de cuidado y tareas domésticas en distintos entornos, sobre todo en el hogar y en el barrio. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar el impacto de la pandemia en la movilidad cotidiana ligada a las labores de cuidado de mujeres del barrio San Cristóbal en Recoleta, Santiago, Chile. Con este fin se realizaron mapas exploratorios virtuales y entrevistas semiestructuradas a mujeres que realizan labores de cuidado, comparando dichas labores y la movilidad cotidiana antes y durante la pandemia. Los resultados muestran que desde el confinamiento pandémico se ha acrecentado la desigualdad de género que viven las mujeres, reflejada en sus actividades cotidianas, particularmente en relación con el aumento del trabajo doméstico y las labores de cuidado. Asimismo, se observa un cambio en la movilidad cotidiana de las mujeres cuidadoras, centrada más en la caminata y ubicada en el entorno barrial a fin de cubrir sus necesidades básicas. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Íconos. Revista de Ciencias Sociales is the property of FLACSO Ecuador (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales) 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.)