A stochastically perturbed co-infection epidemic model for COVID-19 and hepatitis B virus.

A new co-infection model for the transmission dynamics of two virus hepatitis B (HBV) and coronavirus (COVID-19) is formulated to study the effect of white noise intensities. First, we present the model equilibria and basic reproduction number. The local stability of the equilibria points is proved. Moreover, the proposed stochastic model has been investigated for a non-negative solution and positively invariant region. With the help of Lyapunov function, analysis was performed and conditions for extinction and persistence of the disease based on the stochastic co-infection model were derived. Particularly, we discuss the dynamics of the stochastic model around the disease-free state. Similarly, we obtain the conditions that fluctuate at the disease endemic state holds if min ( R H s , R C s , R HC s ) > 1 . Based on extinction as well as persistence some conditions are established in form of expression containing white noise intensities as well as model parameters. The numerical results have also been used to illustrate our analytical results.

Global stability of a general HTLV-I infection model with Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte immune response and mitotic transmission

Mathematical models have been considered as a robust tool to support biological and medical studies of human viral infections. The global stability of viral infection models remains an important and largely open research problem. Such results are necessary to evaluate treatment strategies for infections and to establish thresholds for treatment rates. Human T-lymphotropic virus class I (HTLV-I) is a retrovirus which infects the CD4+T cells and causes chronic and deadly diseases. In this article, we developed a general nonlinear system of ODEs which describes the within-host dynamics of HTLV-I under the effect Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes (CTLs) immunity. The mitotic division of actively infected cells are modeled. We consider general nonlinear functions for the generation, proliferation and clearance rates for all types of cells. The incidence rate of infec-tion is also modeled by a general nonlinear function. These general functions are assumed to satisfy a set of suitable conditions and include several forms presented in the literature. We determine a bounded domain for the system's solutions. We prove the existence of the system's equilibrium points and determine two threshold numbers, the basic reproductive number R0 and the CTL immunity stimulation number R1. We establish the global stability of all equilibrium points by con-structing Lyapunov function and applying Lyapunov-LaSalle asymptotic stability theorem. Under certain conditions it is shown that if R0 <= 1, then the infection-free equilibrium point is globally asymptotically stable (GAS) and the HTLV-I infection is cleared. If R1 < 1 < R0, then the infected equilibrium point without CTL immunity is GAS and the HTLV-I infection becomes chronic with no sustained CTL immune response. If R1 > 1, then the infected equilibrium point with CTL immu-nity is GAS and the infection becomes chronic with persistent CTL immune response. We present numerical simulations for the system by choosing special shapes of the general functions. The effect of Crowley-Martin functional response and mitotic division of actively infected cells on the HTLV-I progression are studied. Our results cover and improve several ones presented in the literature.(c) 2022 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier BV on behalf of Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

Analysis of a stochastic coronavirus (COVID-19) Lévy jump model with protective measures

This paper studied a stochastic epidemic model of the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Severe factors impacting the disease transmission are presented by white noise and compensated Poisson noise with possibly infinite characteristic measure. Large time estimates are established based on Kunita's inequality rather than Burkholder-Davis-Gundy inequality for continuous diffusions. The effect of stochasticity is taken into account in the formulation of sufficient conditions for the extinction of COVID-19 and its persistence. Our results prove that environmental fluctuations can be privileged in controlling the pandemic behavior. Based on real parameter values, numerical results are presented to illustrate obtained results concerning the extinction and the persistence in mean of the disease. © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

US policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and sectoral stock indices: A fractional integration approach

This paper uses fractional integration to assess the impact of US policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic on 10 US sectoral stock indices from 1 January 2020 to 11 June 2021. The results provide evidence of mean reversion in most cases and suggest that the Effective Federal Funds Rate and monetary and fiscal announcements are the most effective policy tools. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

[Educating to properly close the toilet knob taps or to replace them]. / Educare a chiudere in modo corretto i rubinetti a manopola del bagno o a sostituirli.

Systematic reviews have shown a prevalence close to 20% of gastrointestinal symptoms in COVID-19 positive patients, with nearly 40% of patients shedding viral RNA in their faeces, even if it may not be infectious, possibly because of inactivation by colonic fluid.According to current evidence, this virus is primarily transmitted by respiratory droplets and contact routes, including contaminated surfaces. The virus is quite stable on stainless steel, being detected up to 48-72 hours after application. Therefore, some individuals can be infected touching common contaminated surfaces, such as bathroom taps. Taps can be underestimated critical points in the transmission chain of the infection. Indeed, just by turning the knob, people leave germs on it, especially after coughing over their hands, sneezing, and/or blowing their nose. After handwashing with soap, user take back their germs when turning the knob. Paradoxically, the following user collects the germs back on his/her fingers by implementing a preventive measure, maybe before putting food into the mouth or wearing contact lenses.The Italian National Institute of Health recommends to clean and disinfect high-touched surfaces, but it is unrealistic and inefficient to do so after each tap use. As an alternative, new toilets should install long elbow-levers - or at least short levers - provided that people are educated to close them with the forearm or the side of the hand. This is already a standard measure in hospitals, but it is particularly important also in high-risk communities, such as retirement homes and prisons. It would be important also in schools, in workplaces, and even in families, contributing to the prevention both of orofaecal and respiratory infections.In the meantime, people should be educated to close existing knobs with disposable paper towel wipes or with toilet paper sheets.

SARS-CoV-2 persistence on common food covering materials: plastic wrap, fruit wax, and cardboard takeout containers.

AIMS: Assess the persistence of infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus and virus genomic material on three common food coverings. METHODS AND RESULTS: The stability of infectious virus and genomic material on plastic wrap, fruit wax, and cardboard takeout containers was measured. SARS-CoV-2 in simulated saliva was applied to the surface of these materials and allowed to dry. Samples were stored at 4°C or 20°C and a relative humidity of 30%, 50%, 65%, or 70% for up to 7 days. Viability was measured by TCID50 and the half-life for infectious virus was determined to be ~24 hours and ~8 hours at 4°C and 20°C, respectively, on all surfaces and RH tested. There was no loss of virus genomic material as measured by qRT-PCR at all conditions evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 virus remains infectious on food coverings for hours to days. It is estimated that a 99.9% reduction in titer requires 10 days at 4°C and 3 days at 20°C for all RH tested. SARS-CoV-2 genomic material showed no loss when assayed by qRT-PCR. Significance and Impact of Study: SARS-CoV-2 virus on food coverings loses infectivity over a certain period, but PCR assays can still detect virus genomic material throughout the same time. Thus, testing and controls may need to consider the fact that virus genomic material may still be detected when no infectious virus is present.

Safety and immunogenicity of the bi-cistronic GLS-5310 COVID-19 DNA vaccine delivered with the GeneDerm suction device.

OBJECTIVES: The CoV2-001 phase I randomized trial evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the GLS-5310 bi-cistronic DNA vaccine through 48 weeks of follow-up. DESIGN: A total of 45 vaccine-naïve participants were recruited between December 31, 2020, and March 30, 2021. GLS-5310, encoding for the SARS-CoV-2 spike and open reading frame 3a (ORF3a) proteins, was administered intradermally at 0.6 mg or 1.2 mg per dose, followed by application of the GeneDerm suction device as part of a two-dose regimen spaced either 8 or 12 weeks between vaccinations. RESULTS: GLS-5310 was well tolerated with no serious adverse events reported. Antibody and T cell responses were dose-independent. Anti-spike antibodies were induced in 95.5% of participants with an average geometric mean titer of ∼480 four weeks after vaccination and declined minimally through 48 weeks. Neutralizing antibodies were induced in 55.5% of participants with post-vaccination geometric mean titer of 28.4. T cell responses were induced in 97.8% of participants, averaging 716 site forming units/106 cells four weeks after vaccination, increasing to 1248 at week 24, and remaining greater than 1000 through 48 weeks. CONCLUSION: GLS-5310 administered with the GeneDerm suction device was well tolerated and induced high levels of binding antibodies and T-cell responses. Antibody responses were similar to other DNA vaccines, whereas T cell responses were many-fold greater than DNA and non-DNA vaccines.

Persistence On Tourism In North Macedonia: The Impact Of COVID-19

This study analyzes the level of tourism persistence in the North Macedonia through predictors of foreign arrivals and overnight stays for the time period of annual data from 1956 to 2020 and for monthly data from January 2010 to October 2021 by applying fractional integration techniques. The results show that for the annual data shocks are temporary by applying autocorrelation model. However, at the monthly data the shocks are expected to have permanent effects. The government should react further in trying to bring back the tourism figures as before the pandemic COVID-19. Copyright © 2022 The Authors.

A review on mpox (monkeypox) virus shedding in wastewater and its persistence evaluation in environmental samples

Since May 2022, an outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) has been spreading in non-endemic countries and this disease is caused by a mpox virus (MPXV) belonging to Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. Public health surveillance is essential to assess the disease prevalence and spread in the populations. In this purpose, wastewater surveillance has proved to be an effective and affordable tool to detect and monitor disease threats and outbreaks, such as SARS-CoV-2, poliovirus, and other viruses. Prior to the current mpox outbreak, previous studies suggested that MPXV shedding is possible after viral genome and infectious particles were detected in the feces of infected animals. On the other hand, using metagenomic and sequencing approaches to assess the diversity of human viral pathogens in wastewater, contigs assigned to orthopoxviruses and poxviruses were among the most abundant contigs detected in collected samples. Recently, MPXV DNA has been detected in wastewater samples from wastewater treatment plants in cities and airports in the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, France, and Spain. It has long been reported that poxviruses are stable in the environment for long periods and might represent as a source of transmission. However, the stability of MPXV in the environment is unknown and the presence of infectious MPXV in wastewater has not yet been determined. The present work is devoted to reviewing past and recent advances in MPXV detection in wastewater. It also addressed the survival data of orthopoxviruses, which may be of interest to evaluate the persistence of MPXV species in environmental matrices.

Picturing persistence: High-achieving Black undergraduate women's photographs of community cultural wealth in the COVID-19 pandemic

Few studies have focused on the pandemic experiences of Black collegiate women who have been successful amidst unprecedented health, economic, and racial crises in the COVID-19 pandemic. In this qualitative study, we utilized a community cultural wealth (CCW) framework to examine the key factors that seven high-achieving Black undergraduate women students at a Historically White University attributed to their persistence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Countering research that overemphasizes the role of individual factors in Black women's educational success, this study utilizes CCW to represent the multileveled and interrelated individual, relational, and institutional factors related to Black high-achieving undergraduate women's persistence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by photo-elicitation methods, we created a photographic writing task to foreground the challenges that Black undergraduate women high achievers experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resources that nurtured their success. Through photographic and/or online imagery, written captions, and individual interviews, Black women participants illuminated the social, familial, aspirational, resistant, and navigational capital that they accessed and leveraged to persist beyond pandemic times. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Carbohydrate vitrification in aerosolized saliva is associated with the humidity-dependent infectious potential of airborne coronavirus.

An accepted murine analogue for the environmental behavior of human SARS coronaviruses was aerosolized in microdroplets of its culture media and saliva to observe the decay of its airborne infectious potential under relative humidity (RH) conditions relevant to conditioned indoor air. Contained in a dark, 10 m3 chamber maintained at 22°C, murine hepatitis virus (MHV) was entrained in artificial saliva particles that were aerosolized in size distributions that mimic SARS-CoV-2 virus expelled from infected humans' respiration. As judged by quantitative PCR, more than 95% of the airborne MHV aerosolized was recovered from microdroplets with mean aerodynamic diameters between 0.56 and 5.6 µm. As judged by its half-life, calculated from the median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50), saliva was protective of airborne murine coronavirus through a RH range recommended for conditioned indoor air (60% < RH < 40%; average half-life = 60 minutes). However, its average half-life doubled to 120 minutes when RH was maintained at 25%. Saliva microaerosol was dominated by carbohydrates, which presented hallmarks of vitrification without efflorescence at low RH. These results suggest that dehydrating carbohydrates can affect the infectious potential coronaviruses exhibit while airborne, significantly extending their persistence under the drier humidity conditions encountered indoors.

Global dynamics of two-strain epidemic model with single-strain vaccination in complex networks.

Contagious pathogens, such as influenza and COVID-19, are known to be represented by multiple genetic strains. Different genetic strains may have different characteristics, such as spreading more easily, causing more severe diseases, or even evading the immune response of the host. These facts complicate our ability to combat these diseases. There are many ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, and vaccination is the most effective. Thus, studying the impact of vaccines on the dynamics of a multi-strain model is crucial. Moreover, the notion of complex networks is commonly used to describe the social contacts that should be of particular concern in epidemic dynamics. In this paper, we investigate a two-strain epidemic model using a single-strain vaccine in complex networks. We first derive two threshold quantities, R 1 and R 2 , for each strain. Then, by using the basic tools for stability analysis in dynamical systems (i.e., Lyapunov function method and LaSalle's invariance principle), we prove that if R 1 < 1 and R 2 < 1 , then the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable in the two-strain model. This means that the disease will die out. Furthermore, the global stability of each strain dominance equilibrium is established by introducing further critical values. Under these stability conditions, we can determine which strain will survive. Particularly, we find that the two strains can coexist under certain condition; thus, a coexistence equilibrium exists. Moreover, as long as the equilibrium exists, it is globally stable. Numerical simulations are conducted to validate the theoretical results.

Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 antibody persistence and viral spread in stool: a long-term care experience before COVID-19 vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Due to elderly residents, nursing homes/assisted living facilities were the most affected places in COVID-19 pandemic. Besides symptomatic patients, asymptomatic patients were detected during routine screening. AIM: This study aims to determine the factors that affect antibody response and viral shedding in stool samples after natural exposure to the virus in residents and staff who recovered from COVID-19 before the vaccine was available. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the nation's highest-capacity Residential and Nursing Home. Blood samples were collected between December 15, 2020 and January 15, 2021 from participating residents and staff for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. Stool samples were obtained for SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing 2 months after COVID-19. The Social Sciences (SPSS) program version 15.0 was used for statistical analysis. The Mann-Whitney U test compared SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentration between two groups. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-four (52.3%) residents and 424 (47.7%) staff participated. Entirely 259 (29.2%) participants were anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG (+) and 255 (28.7%) were SARS-CoV-2 PCR (+). Both antibody and PCR positivity was detected in 196 (76.9%). In PCR (-) group, 63 (10.0%) participants were SARS-CoV-2 IgG (+). Antibody titers were found highest in SARS-CoV-2 PCR (+) male residents. SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers were significantly high in SARS-CoV-2 PCR (+) and hospitalized participants regardless of age. Stool samples were obtained from 61(23.9%) participants and were found negative. CONCLUSION: A durable SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody response was monitored at least 9 months after the participants were diagnosed with COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity was detected 76.9% in PCR (+) and 10.0% in PCR (-) participants. Knowing the duration of detectable antibodies is an important finding for developing disease prevention and public health strategies.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant in children and utility of rapid antigen testing as an indicator of culturable virus.

We screened 65 longitudinally-collected nasal swab samples from 31 children aged 0-16 years who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 omicron BA.1. By day 7 after onset of symptoms 48% of children remained positive by rapid antigen test. In a sample subset we found 100% correlation between antigen test results and virus culture.

Persistence and Time Challenges in an Open Online University: A Case Study of the Experiences of First-Year Learners

Student persistence in the first year of studies is a crucial concern in online higher education. Recent accelerated growth in online programs due to the COVID pandemic has increased concerns over higher dropout rates, which are often connected to students' time challenges--time poverty, juggling multiple commitments, and fitting studies into busy lives. However, research seldom focuses on students' perceptions of time issues related to persistence. This study addresses this gap by exploring how 20 second-year students retrospectively viewed their experiences of time challenges and how they impacted their persistence in their first year at an online open university. Content analysis of in-depth interviews demonstrated that time pressure and time-conflicts were crucial barriers for success in the foundational semester, the main barrier was juggling study with multiple priorities. Most persisters had good time management and high levels of intrinsic motivation, satisfaction, and self-determination. However, even procrastinators with heavy work-family duties managed to persevere due to their resilience and personal motivation. Lastly, recommendations and strategies for effective student-based interventions to foster persistence are suggested.

Teaching, Enacting, and Sustaining Hope in the Shadow of COVID-19

This article extends initial ideas on what hope is, why it matters to democracy, and how to teach it in schools, which were first presented by Sarah M. Stitzlein in her book "Learning How to Hope: Reviving Democracy through Our Schools and Civil Society" (Oxford University Press, 2020). It accounts for recent obstacles to hope, especially the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It suggests ways that other philosophers of education might further pursue describing and cultivating hope in light of recent social, political, economic, and health obstacles due to the pandemic. It emphasizes the role of inquiry and problem-solving using pragmatist philosophical approaches.

Report on the Condition of Education 2022. NCES 2022-144

The "Report on the Condition of Education" is a congressionally mandated annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Using the most recent data available (at the time this report was written) from NCES and other sources, the report contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. There are core indicators that are updated every year and spotlight indicators that provide in-depth analyses on topics of interest to education systems, policymakers, researchers, and the public. At the broadest level, the Condition of Education Indicator System is organized into five sections: family characteristics, preprimary, elementary, and secondary education, postsecondary education, population characteristics and economic outcomes, and international comparisons. The "Report on the Condition of Education" 2022 encompasses key findings from the Condition of Education Indicator System. The Indicator System for 2022 presents 88 indicators, including the 23 indicators on crime and safety topics, and can be accessed online through the website or by downloading PDFs for the individual indicators. [For "'The Condition of Education 2022': At a Glance," see ED619873. For the "Report on the Condition of Education 2021. NCES 2021-144," see ED612942.]

Teacher Shortages during the Pandemic: How California Districts Are Responding

How are California districts handling deepening teacher shortages 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic? Following up on a March 2021 study, "California Teachers and COVID-19: How the Pandemic Is Impacting the Teacher Workforce" (ED614374), this report describes the severe shortages many districts are experiencing and the strategies some are using to mitigate these shortages. Through a survey of a sample of California superintendents and human resources administrators conducted in August and September 2021, this study investigates the role COVID-19 has had on key aspects of teacher supply and demand, including teacher retirements, resignations, vacancies, and hiring strategies. Leaders from eight of the largest California districts participated in the study. In addition, the study included leaders from four small rural districts because research shows these types of districts often have additional challenges recruiting and retaining teachers. Together, these districts serve nearly 1 in 6 California students.