Wuhan to World: The COVID-19 Pandemic Kumar, Ashok; Singh, Rita; Kaur, Jaskaran ...
Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology,
03/2021, Letnik:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
COVID-19 is a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), caused by SARS-CoV-2, a novel virus which belongs to the family
. It was first reported in December 2019 in the Wuhan city of China and soon ...after, the virus and hence the disease got spread to the entire world. As of February 26, 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has infected ~112.20 million people and caused ~2.49 million deaths across the globe. Although the case fatality rate among SARS-CoV-2 patient is lower (~2.15%) than its earlier relatives, SARS-CoV (~9.5%) and MERS-CoV (~34.4%), the SARS-CoV-2 has been observed to be more infectious and caused higher morbidity and mortality worldwide. As of now, only the knowledge regarding potential transmission routes and the rapidly developed diagnostics has been guiding the world for managing the disease indicating an immediate need for a detailed understanding of the pathogen and the disease-biology. Over a very short period of time, researchers have generated a lot of information in unprecedented ways in the key areas, including viral entry into the host, dominant mutation, potential transmission routes, diagnostic targets and their detection assays, potential therapeutic targets and drug molecules for inhibiting viral entry and/or its replication in the host including cross-neutralizing antibodies and vaccine candidates that could help us to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the current review, we have summarized the available knowledge about the pathogen and the disease, COVID-19. We believe that this readily available knowledge base would serve as a valuable resource to the scientific and clinical community and may help in faster development of the solution to combat the disease.
Microbes are unique creatures that adapt to varying lifestyles and environment resistance in extreme or adverse conditions. The genetic architecture of microbe may bear a significant signature not ...only in the sequences position, but also in the lifestyle to which it is adapted. It becomes a challenge for the society to find new chemical entities which can treat microbial infections. The present review aims to focus on account of important chemical moiety, that is, pyrimidine and its various derivatives as antimicrobial agents. In the current studies we represent more than 200 pyrimidines as antimicrobial agents with different mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted classes along with in vitro antimicrobial activities of pyrimidines derivatives which can facilitate the development of more potent and effective antimicrobial agents.
Sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) at different levels (1, 3 and 5%) was used to prepare cross-linked (CL) barnyard millet starch. The starches were studied for their physicochemical, pasting, steady ...shear rheological and thermal properties. Further, films were formulated from these starches and assessed for their functional and mechanical behavior. Amylose content of native starch (15%) decreased upon cross-linking (7.86–9.65%). CL starches had lower swelling power (SP) and solubility than native starch. CL starches showed lower peak (7049–9649 mPa.s), breakdown viscosities (BV) (1073–3172 mPa.s) but higher pasting temperature (PT) (79.7–80.8 °C) than native starch. Pasting properties were more affected for CL (5%) starch. Steady shear properties revealed lower yield stress (σo) values of CL starch pastes (1.39–2.37 Pa) than native starch paste (15.40 Pa). Flow behavior index was <1 for native and CL starches, thereby indicating their shear thinning behavior. Cross-linking increased gelatinization temperature, but decreased the enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔHgel) values. CL starch films exhibited lower water vapor permeability (WVP) and higher tensile strength (TS) and solubility than native starch films. CL (5%) starch film exhibited the lowest WVP (1.28 g.m/Pa.s.m2) and the highest TS (13.12 MPa) among films.
Urbanization is an important determinant of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. To determine location-based differences in CVD risk factors in India we performed studies among women in rural, ...urban-poor and urban middle-class locations.
Population-based cross-sectional studies in rural, urban-poor, and urban-middle class women (35-70 y) were performed at multiple sites. We evaluated 6853 women (rural 2616, 5 sites; urban-poor 2008, 4 sites; urban middle-class 2229, 11 sites) for socioeconomic, lifestyle, anthropometric and biochemical risk factors. Descriptive statistics are reported.
Mean levels of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR), systolic BP, fasting glucose and cholesterol in rural, urban-poor and urban-middle class women showed significantly increasing trends (ANOVAtrend, p <0.001). Age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes and risk factors among rural, urban-poor and urban-middle class women, respectively was, diabetes (2.2, 9.3, 17.7%), overweight BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (22.5, 45.6, 57.4%), waist >80 cm (28.3, 63.4, 61.9%), waist >90 cm (8.4, 31.4, 38.2%), waist hip ratio (WHR) >0.8 (60.4, 90.7, 88.5), WHR>0.9 (13.0, 44.3, 56.1%), hypertension (31.6, 48.2, 59.0%) and hypercholesterolemia (13.5, 27.7, 37.4%) (Mantel Haenszel X2 ptrend <0.01). Inverse trend was observed for tobacco use (41.6, 19.6, 9.4%). There was significant association of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes with overweight and obesity (adjusted R2 0.89-0.99).
There are significant location based differences in cardiometabolic risk factors in India. The urban-middle class women have the highest risk compared to urban-poor and rural.
African American youth in rural Alabama are clinically underserved and have limited knowledge about the human papillomavirus and the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, including knowledge ...about the risk for developing cervical or oropharyngeal cancers or COVID-19.
In this 30-month study, we propose to develop an in-clinic, youth-tailored, vaccine-promoting intervention for vaccine hesitancy reduction that can be seamlessly integrated into the existing environments of pediatric and family practice settings in rural Alabama.
This exploratory, sequential mixed methods study will be conducted in 3 phases. In the first phase, we will assess stakeholders' knowledge, sentiments, and beliefs related to vaccination in general, COVID-19 vaccination, and human papillomavirus vaccination. We will also assess stakeholders' perceptions of barriers to vaccination that exist in rural Alabama. This will be followed by a second phase wherein we will use the data collected in the first phase to inform the development and finalization of a noninvasive, modular, synchronous counseling intervention that targets the behaviors of 15- to 26-year-old adolescents. In the third phase, we will conduct a pilot hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation cluster-randomized controlled trial to assess intervention acceptability and feasibility (clinics: N=4; African American youth: N=120) while assessing a "clinical signal" of effectiveness. We will document implementation contexts to provide real-world insight and support dissemination and scale-up.
The study was funded at the end of December 2020. Approval from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Institutional Review Board was obtained in May 2021, and the qualitative data collection process outlined in the first phase of this project concluded in November 2021. The entire study is expected to be complete at the end of December 2023.
The results of the trial will provide much needed information on vaccine hesitancy in rural Alabama, and if found efficacious, the intervention could notably increase rates of vaccinations in one of the most underserved parts of the United States. The results from the trial will provide information that is valuable to public health practitioners and providers in rural settings to inform their efforts in increasing vaccination rates among 15- to 26-year-old African American youth in rural southern United States.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04604743; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04604743.
DERR1-10.2196/33982.
Bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) is an overlooked pathogen, recently gaining widespread attention owing to its associated enormous economic impacts affecting the global livestock industries. High ...endemicity with rapid spread and morbidity greatly impacts bovine species, demanding adequate attention towards BEFV prophylaxis. Currently, a few suboptimum vaccines are prevailing, but were confined to local strains with limited protection. Therefore, we designed a highly efficacious multi-epitope vaccine candidate targeted against the geographically distributed BEFV population. By utilizing immunoinformatics technology, all structural proteins were targeted for B- and T-cell epitope prediction against the entire allele population of BoLA molecules. Prioritized epitopes were adjoined by linkers and adjuvants to effectively induce both cellular and humoral immune responses in bovine. Subsequently, the in silico construct was characterized for its physicochemical parameters, high immunogenicity, least allergenicity, and non-toxicity. The 3D modeling, refinement, and validation of ligand (vaccine construct) and receptor (bovine TLR7) then followed molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation to validate their stable interactions. Moreover, in silico cloning of codon-optimized vaccine construct in the prokaryotic expression vector (pET28a) was explored. This is the first time HTL epitopes have been predicted using bovine datasets. We anticipate that the designed construct could be an effective prophylactic remedy for the BEF disease that may pave the way for future laboratory experiments.
In this paper, we introduce blending functions of Lupaş
q
-Bernstein operators with shifted knots for constructing
q
-Bézier curves and surfaces. We study the nature of degree elevation and degree ...reduction for Lupaş
q
-Bézier Bernstein functions with shifted knots for
t
∈
a
μ
q
+
b
,
μ
q
+
a
μ
q
+
b
. For the parameters
a
=
b
=
0
, we get Lupaş
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-Bézier curves defined on
0
,
1
. We show that Lupaş
q
-Bernstein functions with shifted knots are tangent to fore-and-aft of its polygon at end points. We present a de Casteljau algorithm to compute Bernstein Bézier curves and surfaces with shifted knots. The new curves have some properties similar to
q
-Bézier curves. Similarly, we discuss the properties of the tensor product for Lupaş
q
-Bézier surfaces with shifted knots over the rectangular domain.
The fine wool Shahtoosh obtained from the Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii Abel, 1826) which is endemic to Tibetan Plateau, is highly valued for its rarity, warmth and lightness. The illegal ...trade in Shahtoosh may lead to extinction of this species. The Tibetan Antelope is protected from commercial trade throughout its range, both nationally and internationally thereby prohibiting any commercial use or trade of any product in India and in the international market. Though globally banned the illegal trade of Shahtoosh driven by international demand has continued to be actively operational undercover in India. In order to bypass this trade ban, the traffickers mis-declare Shahtoosh consignments as Pashmina, Cashmere or conceal by mixed them in shipments between look-alike woolen products. In the present study the illegal Shahtoosh trade was analysed from 2009 to 2020. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has envisaged Operation Soft Gold to curb this. A total of 62 confirmed Shahtoosh cases were detected in India from 2009 to 2020. Most of them were detected at exit points and intended for international smuggling. The Indri Gandhi International airport New Delhi in India was the most preferred airport, while Air Cargo and Air Courier were often used by the traffickers. Our analysis shows that the illegal Shahtoosh trade network is going on between the Western Asian countries, Oman, China, Japan, Pakistan, UK, Spain, Hong Kong and Switzerland are either destination or transit countries for illegal Shahtoosh products.
Oxidative stress (OS) is primarily caused by the formation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species; it is considered as one of the prominent factors in slowing down and degrading cellular ...machinery of an individual, and it eventually leads to aging and age-related diseases by its continuous higher state. The relation between molecular damage and OS should be particularized to understand the beginning of destruction at the cellular levels, extending outwards to affect tissues, organs, and ultimately to the organism. Several OS biomarkers, which are established at the biomolecular level, are useful in investigating the disease susceptibility during aging. Slowing down the aging process is a matter of reducing the rate of oxidative damage to the cellular machinery over time. The breakdown of homeostasis, the mild overcompensation, the reestablishment of homeostasis, and the adaptive nature of the process are the essential features of hormesis, which incorporates several factors, including calorie restriction, nutrition and lifestyle modifications that play an important role in reducing the OS. In the current review, along with the concept and theories of aging (with emphasis on free radical theory), various manifestations of OS with special attention on mitochondrial dysfunction and age-related diseases have been discussed. To alleviate the OS, hormetic approaches including caloric restriction, exercise, and nutrition have also been discussed.
•Oxidative stress (OS) is considered as one of the prominent factors in slowing down and degrading cellular machinery.•The relation between molecular damage and OS should be particularized to understand the destruction at various levels.•Several established OS biomarkers are useful in investigating the disease susceptibility during aging.•Slowing down the aging process is a matter of reducing the rate of oxidative damage to the cellular machinery over time.•Breakdown of homeostasis, mild overcompensation and re-establishment of homeostasis are the essential features of hormesis.
We describe a protocol for identifying wild versus domestic bovid horns using multidisciplinary approaches for implementing applicable wildlife laws. We used DNA and morphometry methods to identify ...four wild and two domestic bovid species from horn trophies. It helped in testing a horn trophy suspected from a wild buffalo that was seized by authorities and sent to us for species identification. Two measurements, circumference at the base (CAB) and length on the front curve (LOFC), were measured for the seized and different bovids horns. The three-dimensional (3-D) scatter plot, generated by the values of CAB, LOFC and CAB/LOFC, differentiated the different bovid species into distinct clusters and placed the seized horn in the proximity of domestic water buffalos. The Bayesian evolutionary analysis of the partial D-loop gene (521 bp) placed the seized horn in a clade with swamp buffalos, which are considered domestic. Hence, the morphometric and the DNA analyses showed consensus in concluding that the seized horn originated from a domestic buffalo. The current protocol may differentiate between wild water buffalo, wild yak, guar, takin and domestic water buffalos (river and swamp). It may also help address the illegal wildlife trade of different bovid species at national and international levels.
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