2,711 results
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2. Stability of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus varies across different paper types
- Author
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Tomo Daidoji, Hajime Miyazaki, Takaaki Nakaya, Risa Bandou, Ryohei Hirose, Takuma Yoshida, Naoto Watanabe, and Yoshito Itoh
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Paper ,Microbiology (medical) ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Virus transmission ,viruses ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,IP, inkjet paper ,PBS, phosphate-buffered saline ,Viral transmission ,Biology ,medicine.disease_cause ,SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ,Virus ,IPP, inkjet photo paper ,FBS, fetal bovine serum ,IAV, influenza A virus ,Influenza A virus ,medicine ,Humans ,Surface structure ,Pharmacology (medical) ,FFU, focus-forming units ,DMEM, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium ,TCID50, 50% tissue culture infectious dose ,SARS-CoV-2 ,PP, plain paper ,Postcard ,COVID-19 ,MDCK, Madin–Darby canine kidney ,Orthomyxoviridae ,Virology ,Infectious Diseases ,Original Article ,Stability - Abstract
Introduction The assessment of the risk of virus transmission through papers, such as postcards, is important. However, the stability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A virus (IAV) on different types of papers is currently unknown. Investigation of the survival time of these viruses on different types of papers will provide insights into their risk of long-distance transport by postal items. Methods We evaluated the stability of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV, mixed with a culture medium, on the surface of postcards with various coatings, including plain paper (PP), inkjet paper (IP), and inkjet photo paper (IPP). The surface structure of each paper was microscopically assessed. Results The surface structures of PP, IP, and IPP varied greatly depending on the presence or absence, and type, of coat layer, regardless of the base material. IP and IPP surfaces were less conducive to virus survival than PP surfaces, because of the difference in surface shapes. The survival times of SARS-CoV-2 on each paper were approximately 59.8 (PP), 6.5 (IP), and 9.8 h (IPP), and significantly longer than those of IAV (10.3, 1.8, and 3.3 h, respectively). Conclusions The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via paper, such as postcards, is significantly higher than that of IAV transmission. While PP, IP, and IPP have the same base material, their surface structures differ, which affects viral stability. The IP and IPP surfaces are less suitable for virus survival. This study provides novel insights into the risks of viral transmission via paper.
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- 2022
3. Stability of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus varies across different paper types.
- Author
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Hirose, Ryohei, Miyazaki, Hajime, Bandou, Risa, Watanabe, Naoto, Yoshida, Takuma, Daidoji, Tomo, Itoh, Yoshito, and Nakaya, Takaaki
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INFLUENZA viruses , *INFLUENZA A virus , *SARS-CoV-2 , *VIRAL transmission , *SURFACE structure - Abstract
The assessment of the risk of virus transmission through papers, such as postcards, is important. However, the stability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A virus (IAV) on different types of papers is currently unknown. Investigation of the survival time of these viruses on different types of papers will provide insights into their risk of long-distance transport by postal items. We evaluated the stability of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV, mixed with a culture medium, on the surface of postcards with various coatings, including plain paper (PP), inkjet paper (IP), and inkjet photo paper (IPP). The surface structure of each paper was microscopically assessed. The surface structures of PP, IP, and IPP varied greatly depending on the presence or absence, and type, of coat layer, regardless of the base material. IP and IPP surfaces were less conducive to virus survival than PP surfaces, because of the difference in surface shapes. The survival times of SARS-CoV-2 on each paper were approximately 59.8 (PP), 6.5 (IP), and 9.8 h (IPP), and significantly longer than those of IAV (10.3, 1.8, and 3.3 h, respectively). The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via paper, such as postcards, is significantly higher than that of IAV transmission. While PP, IP, and IPP have the same base material, their surface structures differ, which affects viral stability. The IP and IPP surfaces are less suitable for virus survival. This study provides novel insights into the risks of viral transmission via paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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4. The Mpox, serious menace, or paper tiger?
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Jalilian, Shahram and Bastani, Mohammad-Navid
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MONKEYPOX , *SMALLPOX , *VIRAL transmission , *POXVIRUSES , *SMALLPOX vaccines - Abstract
One of the most horrible diseases in history, Smallpox is caused by the Variola from Poxvirus family, has caused great morbidity and mortality along the way since it was eradicated in the 20th century. During and after the eradication program for Variola, other Poxviruses such as the Monkeypox (Mpox) virus, which causes a smallpox-like disease, became flagrant. With its long range of enzymes and proteins, poxviruses are effectively resisting hostile immune system attacks and disrupting cell signaling pathways. After Smallpox vaccination, cross-reaction immunity develops between Orthopoxviruses. Mpox is indeed an African endemic virus; however, increasing and emerging cases have been reported globally in recent years. According to Smallpox eradication in the 1970s and vaccination ceasing, nowadays centerpieces of the world population are vulnerable to Mpox virus. Our knowledge of Mpox is severely limited due to the lack of regular surveillance methods. Increasing education, boosting surveillance, and developing diagnostic competence is the most significant policies for improving identification, treatment, and restricting further virus spread. So Mpox can play a double-edge blade role in which without monitoring and increasing awareness it could be horrific and with public awareness and boosting surveillance it could be a paper tiger. This article reviewed previous reports about the Mpox merge from PubMed and google scholar from 2018 to June 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
5. Two years into COVID‐19 – Lessons in SARS‐CoV‐2 and a perspective from papers in FEBS Letters.
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COVID-19 , *SARS-CoV-2 , *VIRAL transmission , *EUROPEAN integration , *VACCINE development - Abstract
The 2019 outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) in Wuhan (Hubei province of China) has given rise to a pandemic spread of virus, more than 240 million incidences and a death toll larger than 5 million people. COVID‐19 has set off large efforts in research, therapy and patient care, as well as public and private debates in every imaginable form. A number of scientists used the publication platforms provided by the Federation of the European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) to present their research data, reviews, opinions and other contributions relating to COVID‐19 and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). Here, I highlight the recent COVID‐19 papers which have been published and collected in a Virtual Issue in FEBS Letters, and discuss their implications towards understanding the molecular, biochemical and cellular mechanisms of SARS‐CoV‐2 infections, vaccine development and antiviral discovery strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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6. When Does a Gadget Become a Paper?
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Avery Tung and Keith J. Ruskin
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2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,biology ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,business.industry ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Viral transmission ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Virology ,Pneumonia ,Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine ,Pandemic ,Medicine ,business ,Betacoronavirus ,Coronavirus Infections - Published
- 2020
7. Protocol Paper: Oral Poliovirus Vaccine Transmissibility in Communities After Cessation of Routine Oral Poliovirus Vaccine Immunization
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Elizabeth Ferreira-Guerrero, Clea Sarnquist, Lourdes García-García, John F. Modlin, Manisha Desai, Luis Pablo Cruz-Hervert, Shanda Boyle, Jonathan Altamirano, Rogelio Montero-Campos, Guadalupe Delgado-Sánchez, Natasha Purington, Yvonne Maldonado, José Luis Díaz Ortega, Leticia Ferreyra-Reyes, Sergio Canizales-Quintero, and Marisa Holubar
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Adult ,Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Microbiology (medical) ,oral polio vaccine ,030106 microbiology ,Supplement Articles ,inactivated polio vaccine ,Serogroup ,medicine.disease_cause ,Feces ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Residence Characteristics ,Poliomyelitis eradication ,Environmental health ,Humans ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Viral shedding ,Mexico ,Family Characteristics ,poliovirus ,business.industry ,Transmission (medicine) ,viral transmission ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Poliovirus ,Vaccination ,Infant ,medicine.disease ,Virus Shedding ,Poliomyelitis ,Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated ,Infectious Diseases ,Immunization ,Child, Preschool ,Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral ,Female ,business - Abstract
Background We aimed to elucidate household and community-level shedding and transmission of trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) in communities with inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) routine immunization after tOPV is administered during a national health week (NHW). Methods We conducted a 3-arm, randomized trial with data collected at baseline through 10 weeks post-NHW in households with at least 1 child
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- 2018
8. Preclinical In Vitro Activity of QR-435 Against Influenza A Virus as a Virucide and in Paper Masks for Prevention of Viral Transmission
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Robert Lambkin, Mario Guralnik, Carolyn LeFante, Michael P Petteruti, Richard A Rosenbloom, Kelly Digian, and John S. Oxford
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Paper ,Drug ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ,Viral transmission ,Green tea extract ,Kidney ,medicine.disease_cause ,Antiviral Agents ,Virus ,Microbiology ,Dogs ,Virucide ,Influenza, Human ,Toxicity Tests ,Pandemic ,Influenza A virus ,Animals ,Humans ,Medicine ,Pharmacology (medical) ,media_common ,Pharmacology ,Infection Control ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,Tea ,Plant Extracts ,business.industry ,Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ,Masks ,General Medicine ,Combined Modality Therapy ,Virology ,In vitro ,business - Abstract
Prophylaxis against influenza is difficult, and current approaches against pandemics may be ineffective because of shortages of the two proven classes of antivirals in the face of a large-scale infection. Herbal/natural products may represent an effective alternative to conventional attempts to protect against infection by avian influenza virus. QR-435, an all-natural compound of green tea extract and other agents, has been developed to provide protection against a wide range of viral infections. The antiviral activities of several QR-435 preparations as well as QR-435 (1) green tea extract were tested against A/Sydney/5/97 and A/Panama-Resvir 17 strains of avian influenza virus H3N2 by means of an assay based on Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. Toxic effects of QR-435 formulations on these cells were also evaluated as were the virucidal properties of a commercially available mask impregnated with QR-435. The efficacy of a QR-435/mask combination was compared with that of the QR control/mask combination, an untreated mask, and no mask. QR-435 had significant in vitro activity against H3N2 at concentrations that were not associated with significant cellular toxic effects. The antiviral activity of QR-435 (1) was similar to that of QR-435. Masks impregnated with QR-435 were highly effective in blocking the passage of live H3N2 virus. These preclinical results warrant further evaluation of the prophylactic use of QR-435 against viral infection in humans.
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- 2007
9. Six sigma DMAIC approach based mobile application for statistical analysis of COVID-19 data
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Nagarajaiah, Kavyashree, Maganahalli Chandramouli, Supriya, and Malavalli Ramakrishna, Lokesh
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- 2022
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10. Risk compensation in times of COVID-19: Do people keep distance when wearing a facemask? A rapid review.
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Ten Hoor, Gill A., Ruiter, Robert A. C., and Kok, Gerjo
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VIRAL transmission ,HEALTH promotion ,MEDICAL masks ,BEHAVIORAL scientists ,SOCIAL processes - Abstract
Aim: To nuance the discussion on the suggested absence of the risk-compensation phenomenon in times of COVID-19. Subject and methods: In many countries, behavioral restrictions for COVID-19 prevention started with asking people to stay 1.5 m away from each other. To further prevent the spread of the virus, governments made it mandatory for people to wear facemasks in situations where keeping the 1.5-m distance was not possible. This triggered a discussion among behavioral scientists regarding whether making face-masks mandatory might lead to the undesirable side effect that people would be less compliant with the 1.5-m distance rule: risk compensation. Mantzari et al. (2020) published a paper claiming that risk compensation was a non-existing phenomenon. Czyprionka et al. (2020) repeated the same claim, referring to the same original publications. We performed a rapid review of the existing literature and identified 19 papers that presented original data on studies that identified the consequences of wearing a facemask. Results: The evidence for risk compensation is inconclusive. Risk compensation may occur with the encouraged use of face coverings. However, it may not always be present, especially when there are other social processes in play, such as respecting other people's choices. Conclusion: Inconclusive evidence doesn't mean that risk compensation should be ignored or that potential public health interventions shouldn't be implemented. The introduction of mandatory face masks should, therefore, always be accompanied by a theory- and evidence-based health promotion campaign to prevent the possible negative effects of distancing. Carefully applying social psychological insights to guide people in their decision to wear masks when needed and to do so correctly, may overcome potential risk compensation and thereby optimize COVID-19 preventive efforts. Highlights: The evidence for risk compensation – in this case, keeping less distance while wearing a mask for COVID-19 prevention – is inconclusive. Risk compensation should not be a reason to refrain from implementing an evidence-based health promotion intervention. The implementation of health promotion interventions should always be combined with additional interventions to reduce the chance that risk compensation will lessen the intended effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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11. Forecasting the impact of epidemic outbreaks on the supply chain: modelling asymptomatic cases of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Jha, Pradeep K., Ghorai, Suvadip, Jha, Rakhi, Datt, Rajul, Sulapu, Gowrishankar, and Singh, Surya Prakash
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COVID-19 pandemic ,BASIC reproduction number ,COVID-19 ,VIRAL transmission ,EPIDEMICS ,PRECISION farming - Abstract
An epidemic outbreak largely disrupts supply chains (SCs) worldwide through plummeting business confidence, especially when it becomes a pandemic; its unpredictable re-emergence and spreadability may lead to inappropriate decision-making, in turn causing severe economic shocks. In March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak attained a pandemic level, and many millions of cases were confirmed globally. Many countries reported an increasing number of active cases and formulated long-term lockdown guidelines, which resulted in an unexpected disruption of SCs. A key challenge in this scenario is that the rising number of confirmed COVID-19 cases does not necessarily reflect the already infected or asymptomatic cases. It is thus critical to understand the impact of asymptomatic carriers on the SC, as they may be the key driver of the novel virus spread, disrupting long-term SCs. This paper generalised the susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (S-E-I-R) approach to create a mathematical model for which the impact of a proposed asymptomatic situation on the SC is evaluated through the basic reproduction number (R
0 ), considered the main driver of SC disruption and the equilibrium status of infection over time. This paper presents an action plan for reducing disruption in the SC based on the R0 of the model. Overall, the current study as validated through a case study suggests that the asymptomatic-situation-based model is more convenient for critically understanding as well as forecasting the outbreak’s impact on SCs. This study also highlights different perspectives of SCs for managing such types of pandemics using modelling approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2023
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12. Surveying Bat-Hosted Adenoviruses and Herpesviruses: A Comprehensive Analysis.
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Méndez-Rodríguez, Aline, Horta, Pedro, Zarza, Heliot, Constante-Pérez, Luis Guillermo, Salgado-Mejia, Fernando, López-Wilchis, Ricardo, and Juste, Javier
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HERPESVIRUSES ,ADENOVIRUSES ,VESPERTILIONIDAE ,VIRAL transmission - Abstract
Bats have gained cumulative attention as potential reservoirs for viruses, being crucial to increase our ability to predict viral prevalence and transmissions, as well as support the possible management of future zoonotic episodes. Following the PRISMA standard systematic review protocols, we conducted a comprehensive search worldwide for scientific papers dealing with bat-hosted viruses of the Adenoviridae and Herpesviridae families. The search was completed using the Scopus, CABI, and SciELO, databases of bat-associated viruses of these two families as well as the Google Scholar search engine. Our search comprised a total of 2656 scientific papers. After a thorough review and screening of the papers, we selected for our study a total of 90 papers published between 1996 and 2022. We found marked taxonomic and spatial biases, the most studied bats being predominantly vespertilionids, rhinolophids, phyllostomids, and pteropodids, whereas other families (e.g., Natalidae, Noctilionidae, and Furipteridae) are still lacking information. The most studied areas are southern and east Asia, although there are large areas (north Africa, the Middle East, and all the way to central or northern Asia) still overlooked. Out of the total number of papers, as many as 55 identified bat-hosted Adenovirus (AdV) and 54 papers identified Herpesvirus (HSV). Our revision reveals the presence of AdVs in a total of 97 bat species from 42 genera and 11 families. The presence of HSVs is reported also in 109 bat species from 45 genera and 10 families. Although both AdVs and HSVs in general show a clear host specificity and parallel evolution with their hosts, these results also point to the potential of these viruses to cross, in some cases, species barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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13. People with blood disorders can be more vulnerable during COVID-19 pandemic: A hypothesis paper.
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Aydemir, Duygu and Ulusu, Nuriye Nuray
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COVID-19 pandemic , *COVID-19 , *NON-communicable diseases , *IRON metabolism , *VIRAL transmission , *BIOCHEMISTRY - Abstract
The world has been encountered with COVID-19 pandemic since at the beginning of 2020 and the number of infected people by COVID-19 is increasing every day. Despite various studies conducted by researchers and doctors, no treatment has been developed until now, therefore self-protection and isolation are strongly recommended to stop the spread of the virus. The elderly population and people with chronic diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer are categorized as risk groups, however, we suggest that people with hemoglobinopathies or porphyria can be described as risk groups as well. Current in silico studies have revealed that the COVID-19 virus can attack heme and hemoglobin metabolisms which are responsible for the oxygen transport to the tissues, iron metabolism, elevated levels of oxidative stress, and tissue damage. Data of the in silico study have been supported with the biochemistry and hemogram results of the COVID-19 patients, for instance hemoglobin levels decreased and serum ferritin and C-reactive protein levels increased. Indicated biochemistry biomarkers are tightly associated with inflammation, iron overload, and oxidative stress. In conclusion, since people with hemoglobinopathies or porphyria have already impaired heme and hemoglobin metabolism, COVID-19 infection can enhance the adverse effects of impaired hemoglobin metabolism and accelerate the progression of severe symptoms in patients with hemoglobinopathies or porphyria compared to the normal individuals. Thus those people can be considered as a risk group and extra precautions should be applied for them to protect them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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14. Comments on the Paper: "COVID-19: Data-Driven Dynamics, Statistical and Distributed Delay Models, and Observations" (Liu, X., Zheng, X., and Balachandran, B., 2020, Nonlinear Dyn., 101, pp. 1527-1543).
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Stepan, Gabor
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COVID-19 , *COVID-19 pandemic , *HOSPITAL supplies , *VIRAL transmission , *MECHANICAL engineers - Abstract
No doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has been and is one of the greatest challenges of the mankind in its recent history. Though not unexpectedly, it has come abruptly. The reaction of the educated community has been abrupt, accordingly. Independent from the professional background, it must be said that almost everybody has a share in the global fight against the global consequences. It is not surprising, for example, when mechanical engineers have their own immediate contribution to satisfy the sudden extreme need in hospital equipment, the fast design and manufacturing of ventilators, test tools, to mention a few only. However, it is a welcome surprise when mechanicians and mechanical engineers have relevant and important comments on the underlying problem, the global spread of the virus. Actually, this article of Professor Bala Balachandran of the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, and his group represents just one... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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15. Probing nanomechanical interactions of SARS-CoV-2 variants Omicron and XBB with common surfaces.
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Xiao, Yuelong, Zheng, Bin, Ding, Xuan, and Zheng, Peng
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SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant ,SARS-CoV-2 ,SPECIAL drawing rights ,CORONAVIRUSES ,VIRAL transmission ,NUCLEAR forces (Physics) - Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has further raised concerns about viral transmission. A fundamental understanding of the intermolecular interactions between the coronavirus and different surfaces is needed to address the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through respiratory droplet-contaminated surfaces or fomites. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein is a key target for the adhesion of SARS-CoV-2 on the surface. To understand the effect of mutations on adhesion, atomic force microscopy-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS) was used to quantify the interactions between wild-type, Omicron, and XBB with several surfaces. The measurement revealed that RBD exhibits relatively higher forces on paper and gold surfaces, with the average force being 1.5 times greater compared to that on plastic surface. In addition, the force elevation on paper and gold surfaces for the variants can reach ∼28% relative to the wild type. These findings enhance our understanding of the nanomechanical interactions of the virus on common surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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16. Social Value: A Computational Model for Measuring Influence on Purchases and Actions for Individuals and Systems.
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Williams, Dmitri, Khan, Euna Mehnaz, Pathak, Nishith, and Srivastava, Jaideep
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SOCIAL values ,VIRAL marketing ,VIRAL transmission ,SOCIAL influence ,VIDEO games ,COMMUNITIES - Abstract
Measuring influence of one person on another has applications in advertising and marketing and across the sciences. Most approaches involve inferring influence based on speech and social media. In contrast, this paper takes existing spending data and attributes influence on to the spenders and those likely to have caused their spending. The resulting metric, Social Value, is expressed in units of behavior over time. While a person's total influence on others is called their Social Value, a person's behavior caused by someone else is called their Following Value. These metrics can also be used across an entire community, customer base, or audience, allowing an objective measure of how much spending or other behavior is social versus nonsocial. These measures in turn open up the potential to test interventions and campaigns to measure viral spread as well as overall shifts in social influence. This article presents a computational model for estimating Social Value, as well as validation of the estimation approach in a study involving players of an online game. A noncommercial open-source implementation of the computational model accompanies this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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17. Quick Response (QR) codes for patient information delivery: A digital innovation during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Sharara, Shima and Radia, Sapna
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COVID-19 pandemic ,VIRAL transmission ,TWO-dimensional bar codes ,INFECTION control ,COVID-19 - Abstract
Over the past year, Quick Response (QR) codes have played a significant role in our day-to-day lives in reducing the transmission and tracking the spread of COVID-19. In this article, we share our innovation utilising QR codes to replace paper information leaflets allowing patients to immediately access the required information on their own personal device. This is contactless and therefore preferred to reduce viral transmission, as well as having several other advantages. Our findings demonstrate that QR codes are a familiar, easy-to-use system and a preferred tool for delivering patient information over paper leaflets. The findings and methodology may be of benefit to other units seeking to improve their infection control in the COVID-19 era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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18. COVID-19 transmission and control in land public transport: A literature review.
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Qiqi Luo, Wenbing Liu, Jiayuan Liao, Zhongli Gu, Xiaodan Fan, Zhiwen Luo, Xuelin Zhang, Jian Hang, and Cuiyun Ou
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COVID-19 ,PUBLIC transit ,VIRAL transmission ,VENTILATION ,MOTOR vehicle occupants - Abstract
Land public transport is an important link within and between cities, and how to control the transmission of COVID-19 in land public transport is a critical issue in our daily lives. However, there are still many inconsistent opinions and views about the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in land public transport, which limits our ability to implement effective interventions. The purpose of this review is to overview the literature on transmission characteristics and routes of the epidemic in land public transport, as well as to investigate factors affecting its spread and provide feasible measures to mitigate the infection risk of passengers. We obtained 898 papers by searching the Web of Science, Pubmed, and WHO global COVID database by keywords, and finally selected 45 papers that can address the purpose of this review. Land public transport is a high outbreak area for COVID-19 due to characteristics like crowding, inadequate ventilation, long exposure time, and environmental closure. Different from surface touch transmission and drop spray transmission, aerosol inhalation transmission can occur not only in short distances but also in long distances. Insufficient ventilation is the most important factor influencing long-distance aerosol transmission. Other transmission factors (e.g., interpersonal distance, relative orientation, and ambient conditions) should be noticed as well, which have been summarized in this paper. To address various influencing factors, it is essential to suggest practical and efficient preventive measures. Among these, increased ventilation, particularly the fresh air (i.e., natural ventilation), has proven to effectively reduce indoor infection risk. Many preventive measures are also effective, such as enlarging social distance, avoiding faceto-face orientation, setting up physical partitions, disinfection, avoiding talking, and so on. As research on the epidemic has intensified, people have broken down many perceived barriers, but more comprehensive studies on monitoring systems and prevention measures in land public transport are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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19. Failure to Deliver.
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GOODMAN, PETER S.
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INTEGRATED circuits , *VIRAL transmission , *COVID-19 pandemic , *TOILET paper , *STAY-at-home orders - Abstract
The article discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the global supply chain, which had become heavily reliant on just-in-time shipping and manufacturing in China to cut costs. It traces the roots of these issues back to decades earlier when Western businesses increasingly turned to China for manufacturing and market opportunities, illustrating the precarious nature of global trade systems.
- Published
- 2024
20. The Media in the Times of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic.
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Gapsiso, Nuhu Diraso and Garba, Hajara Ibrahim
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CORONAVIRUSES ,PANDEMICS ,HYGIENE ,CONTACT tracing ,VIRAL transmission ,COVID-19 - Abstract
The media became a strong driver of either reliable information or misinformation. The trends of issues during the pandemic indicate that media has been targeted by global health authorities, national governments, and health agencies, among other developmental vital stakeholders, in mobilizing the public at all levels to communicate the preventive measures, symptoms, and non-surgical and hygiene practices that would help in stemming the spread of the virus. The paper indicates that knowledge plays a significant role in driving public health practices. Another critical role the media plays in influencing public perception, opinions, attitudes, and behaviors during the peak of the public health emergency. Media also performed the responsibility of being the watchdog of society through consistent follow-ups on contact tracing, daily broadcasts of the infected, recoveries, and fatalities in different countries across the globe, including Nigeria. The paper recommends that the media should be more watchful in the information they disseminate to the public to avoid jeopardizing the primary aim of reducing people's uncertainty. This can be done by controlling information overload by deploying more instruments of gatekeeping to titrate the kinds of information they send through their channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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21. Chinese Town Faces Virus Risks From Myanmar Returnees: Paper.
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COVID-19 ,COVID-19 pandemic ,VIRAL transmission ,CITIES & towns ,VIRUSES - Abstract
The Ruili government said in a statement that there are "unprecedented risks of imported infections growing by the day", according to The Paper. (Bloomberg) -- China's southwest border town of Ruili is under increasing pressure from expatriates wanting to return from neighbor Myanmar, where a coronavirus outbreak is spreading, The Paper reported. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2021
22. Analyzing the research trends of COVID-19 using topic modeling approach.
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Trivedi, Shrawan Kumar, Patra, Pradipta, Singh, Amrinder, Deka, Pijush, and Srivastava, Praveen Ranjan
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COVID-19 ,COVID-19 pandemic ,GOVERNMENT shutdown ,VIRAL transmission ,LABOR mobility ,LABOR supply - Abstract
Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted 222 countries across the globe, with millions of people losing their lives. The threat from the virus may be assessed from the fact that most countries across the world have been forced to order partial or complete shutdown of their economies for a period of time to contain the spread of the virus. The fallout of this action manifested in loss of livelihood, migration of the labor force and severe impact on mental health due to the long duration of confinement to homes or residences. Design/methodology/approach: The current study identifies the focus areas of the research conducted on the COVID-19 pandemic. Abstracts of papers on the subject were collated from the SCOPUS database for the period December 2019 to June 2020. The collected sample data (after preprocessing) was analyzed using Topic Modeling with Latent Dirichlet Allocation. Findings: Based on the research papers published within the mentioned timeframe, the study identifies the 10 most prominent topics that formed the area of interest for the COVID-19 pandemic research. Originality/value: While similar studies exist, no other work has used topic modeling to comprehensively analyze the COVID-19 literature by considering diverse fields and domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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23. Educational System Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Review and Perspective.
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AlQashouti, Noof, Yaqot, Mohammed, Franzoi, Robert E., and Menezes, Brenno C.
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COVID-19 pandemic ,LEARNING ,VIRAL transmission ,EVIDENCE gaps ,EDUCATIONAL change - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the educational system worldwide because of the restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic for the purpose of impeding the fast spread of the virus. Educational institutions and people around the world worked intensively to create contingency plans that ensured the quality and continuity of the educational system. The ability to cope with the new changes in the educational environment varied since it depended on the available technologies and level of social restrictions, among other factors. This paper aims to investigate the literature on the educational system during the pandemic, with a particular emphasis on (1) the challenges faced by students and educators during the learning process, (2) the strategies used to overcome such challenges, and (3) the roles of educational institutions and parents. Two databases were selected in this review: Scopus and Web of Science. There were five stages in the identification, screening, and assessment of the eligibility of papers, whereby 87papers were selected to be analyzed. Opportunities to ensure the continuity and quality of learning are highlighted, and a framework is derived from the literature to achieve enhanced and more resilient online educational systems. By including multiple educational levels, potential research gaps can be identified, highlighting the need for further investigation and exploration in specific educational domains—e.g., addressing behavioral, procedural, and technological challenges requires a thorough examination to achieve optimal solutions and implement reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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24. The daily swab test collection problem.
- Author
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Aringhieri, Roberto, Bigharaz, Sara, Druetto, Alessandro, Duma, Davide, Grosso, Andrea, and Guastalla, Alberto
- Subjects
LITERATURE reviews ,CONTACT tracing ,VIRAL transmission ,ORIENTEERING ,GLIDING & soaring - Abstract
Digital Contact Tracing (DCT) has been proved to be an effective tool to counteract the new SARS-CoV-2 or Covid-19. Despite this widespread effort to adopt the DCT, less attention has been paid to the organisation of the health logistics system that should support the tracing activities. Actually, the DCT poses a challenge to the logistics of the local health system in terms of number of daily tests to be collected and evaluated, especially when the spreading of the virus is soaring. In this paper we introduce a new optimisation problem called the Daily Swab Test Collection (DSTC) problem, that is the daily problem of collecting swab tests at home in such a way to guarantee a timely testing to people notified by the app to be in contact with a positive case. The problem is formulated as a variant of the team orienteering problem. The contributions of this paper are the following: (i) the new optimisation problem DSTC that complements and improves the DCT approach proposed by Ferretti et al. (Science https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb6936, 2020), (ii) the DSCT formulation as a variant of the TOP and a literature review highlighting that this variant can have useful application in healthcare management, (iii) new realistic benchmark instances for the DSTC based on the city of Turin, (iv) two new efficient and effective hybrid algorithms capable to deal with realistic instances, (v) the managerial insights of our approach with a special regard on the fairness of the solutions. The main finding is that it possible to optimise the underlying logistics system in such a way to guarantee a timely testing to people recognised by the DCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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25. Traces of anti-programs against COVID-19: retailers' responses aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus.
- Author
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Wulff, Gabriella
- Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic ,VIRAL transmission ,SOCIAL sciences education ,ACTOR-network theory ,CLOTHING industry - Abstract
Purpose: The aim of the paper is to demonstrate how programs of action and anti-programs, concepts developed by Bruno Latour, are of excellent value in interpreting current world developments through a study of the effects and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The study was inspired by actor-network theory (ANT) and Bruno Latour's inclusion of nonhuman actors. In this case, I have studied how signs and other artifacts leave traces of anti-programs against the COVID-19 pandemic. Observations, in physical stores and online, are presented as the main empirical material used to identify traces of five anti-programs. Findings: The five types of anti-programs identified were, namely (1) fighting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic through prompts, (2) verbalizing responsibility, (3) creating a feeling of collectivity, (4) aspiring to heroism and (5) mobilizing support for continued business. The anti-programs were organized via a connection between human and nonhuman actors. Originality/value: The study illustrates the usefulness of Latour's terminology in exploring contemporary sequences of events by means of using programs of action and anti-programs to study the case of retailers' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study echoes ANT and Latour's ideas about including nonhuman actors in social studies. Moreover, the study demonstrates how these concepts can be productively introduced into studies of complex phenomena, by discussing the choice of viewpoint, how actors can be conjoined into one entity, the inclusion of nonobservable actors and the co-existence of an actor in both the program of action and the anti-programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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26. Abrogation of the RNase activity of Erns in a low virulence classical swine fever virus enhances the humoral immune response and reduces virulence, transmissibility, and persistence in pigs
- Author
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Yoandry Hinojosa, José Alejandro Bohórquez, Miaomiao Wang, Markus Gerber, Matthias Liniger, Carmen L. Perera, Llilianne Ganges, Liani Coronado, Sara Muñoz-González, Nicolas Ruggli, Producció Animal, and Sanitat Animal
- Subjects
Microbiology (medical) ,RNase P ,Swine ,Immunology ,Virulence ,610 Medicine & health ,Infectious and parasitic diseases ,RC109-216 ,Microbiology ,Virus ,Classical Swine Fever ,viral persistence ,Immune system ,Ribonucleases ,Interferon ,medicine ,Animals ,viral attenuation ,Neutralizing antibody ,pestivirus ,630 Agriculture ,biology ,viral transmission ,biology.organism_classification ,Virology ,erns rnase activity ,Immunity, Humoral ,Infectious Diseases ,Viral replication ,Classical swine fever ,Classical Swine Fever Virus ,biology.protein ,570 Life sciences ,590 Animals (Zoology) ,viral replication ,Parasitology ,Persistent Infection ,type i ifn ,classical swine fever virus (csfv) ,humoral response ,medicine.drug ,Research Article ,Research Paper - Abstract
The prevalence of low virulence classical swine fever virus (CSFV) strains makes viral eradication difficult in endemic countries. However, the determinants for natural CSFV attenuation and persistence in the field remain unidentified. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of the RNase activity of CSFV Erns in pathogenesis, immune response, persistent infection, and viral transmission in pigs. To this end, a functional cDNA clone pPdR-H30K-36U with an Erns lacking RNase activity was constructed based on the low virulence CSFV field isolate Pinar de Rio (PdR). Eighteen 5-day-old piglets were infected with vPdR-H30K-36U. Nine piglets were introduced as contacts. The vPdR-H30K-36U virus was attenuated in piglets compared to the parental vPdR-36U. Only RNA traces were detected in sera and body secretions and no virus was isolated from tonsils, showing that RNase inactivation may reduce CSFV persistence and transmissibility. The vPdR-H30K-36U mutant strongly activated the interferon-α (IFN-α) production in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, while in vivo, the IFN-α response was variable, from moderate to undetectable depending on the animal. This suggests a role of the CSFV Erns RNase activity in the regulation of innate immune responses. Infection with vPdR-H30K-36U resulted in higher antibody levels against the E2 and Erns glycoproteins and in enhanced neutralizing antibody responses when compared with vPdR-36U. These results pave the way toward a better understanding of viral attenuation mechanisms of CSFV in pigs. In addition, they provide novel insights relevant for the development of DIVA vaccines in combination with diagnostic assays for efficient CSF control. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
- Published
- 2021
27. Functions of the UL51 protein during the herpesvirus life cycle.
- Author
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Xiaolan Liu, Mingshu Wang, Anchun Cheng, Qiao Yang, Bin Tian, Xumin Ou, Di Sun, Yu He, Zhen Wu, Xinxin Zhao, Ying Wu, Shaqiu Zhang, Juan Huang, Renyong Jia, Shun Chen, Mafeng Liu, and Dekang Zhu
- Subjects
LIFE cycles (Biology) ,VIRAL proteins ,VIRAL transmission ,PROTEINS ,HERPESVIRUSES - Abstract
The herpesvirus UL51 protein is a multifunctional tegument protein involved in the regulation of multiple aspects of the viral life cycle. This article reviews the biological characteristics of the UL51 protein and its functions in herpesviruses, including participating in the maintenance of the viral assembly complex (cVAC) during viral assembly, affecting the production of mature viral particles and promoting primary and secondary envelopment, as well as its positive impact on viral cell-to-cell spread (CCS) through interactions with multiple viral proteins and its key role in the proliferation and pathogenicity of the virus in the later stage of infection. This paper discusses how the UL51 protein participates in the life cycle of herpesviruses and provides new ideas for further research on UL51 protein function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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28. Underestimating the Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 on Income Distribution in the U.S. and Brazil.
- Author
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Alfani, Federica, Clementi, Fabio, Fabiani, Michele, Molini, Vasco, and Schettino, Francesco
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INCOME distribution ,TELECOMMUTING ,COVID-19 pandemic ,VIRAL transmission ,HEALTH equity - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed individuals to various risks, including job loss, income reduction, deteriorating well-being, and severe health complications and death. In Brazil and the U.S., as well as in other countries, the initial response to the pandemic was marked by governmental underestimation, leading to inadequate public health measures to curb the spread of the virus. Although progressively mitigated, this approach played a crucial role in the impacts on local populations. Therefore, the principal aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 and, indirectly, of the policies adopted by the U.S. and the Brazilian governments to prevent pandemic diffusion on income distribution. Utilizing available microdata and employing novel econometric methods (RIF-regression for inequality measures) this study shows that growth in COVID-19 prevalence significantly exacerbates economic disparities. Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19 on inequality has increased over time, suggesting that this negative impact has been intensifying. In the U.S., results indicate that working from home, the inability to work, and barriers to job-seeking significantly increase inequalities. Although further data are necessary to validate the hypothesis, this preliminary evidence suggests that the pandemic has significantly contributed to increased inequality in these two countries already characterized by increasing polarization and significant social disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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29. Beyond 'fast' and 'slow': explicating the multiple temporalities of policy mobilities.
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Morais, Franchesca
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- *
LITERATURE reviews , *VIRAL transmission , *COINCIDENCE , *COVID-19 , *WORLD health - Abstract
Research on 'policy mobilities' investigates the ways in which policies and ideas flow from one place to another across interconnected spatial and temporal boundaries. However, scholars have argued that policy mobilities literature has primarily focussed its analysis on the 'spatial' rather than the 'temporal'. In evaluating the extent to which policy mobilities research has critically engaged with 'time', this paper aims to advance a temporal understanding of how policies and models circulate across the globe. Drawing from mobilities studies more broadly, the paper proposes four distinct temporal concepts – rhythms, tempos, synchronicity and disjuncture, and timing agents – to acknowledge the multiple and varied temporalities involved in the movement and assemblage of policies. After a comprehensive literature review, the paper sets out to operationalize the four temporal concepts in the context of COVID-19. Under the urgent conditions of a global health crisis, the pandemic has seen fast-shifting benchmarks and best practices circulate around the world aimed at suppressing the spread of the virus. Focusing on COVID-19 regulations in Singapore, the paper adopts a 'multiple temporalities approach' to interrogate how expertise and knowledge regarding pandemic response circulated within, to and from Singapore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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30. Analysing student performance for online education using the computational models.
- Author
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Bhimavarapu, Usharani
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MASSIVE open online courses ,COVID-19 pandemic ,ONLINE education ,AT-risk students ,DEEP learning ,VIRAL transmission - Abstract
Traditional face-to-face education has shifted to online education to prevent large gatherings and crowds from spreading the COVID-19 virus. Several online platforms like Zoom, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx restore traditional teaching and promote online education. Online learning classes are particularly beneficial for hospitalized students, massive open online courses (MOOCS), and lifelong learners. This paper uses the deep learning model to predict student performance in an online environment. Student interaction with the online environment is vital to predicting student performance. This prediction will help identify at-risk students, and teachers can help motivate the poor-performance students. We used student interaction features like click sums. We studied credits to understand the students' behaviour and tried to forecast the outcomes of their final scores by using the hybrid deep learning models. The proposed hybrid model predicts student performance with an accuracy of 98.80%. The results proved that the proposed deep learning model effectively predicts student performance in an online environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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31. Diplomatic immunity.
- Author
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Batchelor, Tom
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COVID-19 pandemic ,MEDICAL personnel ,BAR codes ,VIRAL transmission ,HEALTH information technology ,ELECTRONIC paper ,COVID-19 vaccines ,TRANSATLANTIC flights - Published
- 2021
32. Application and Challenges of IoT Healthcare System in COVID-19.
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Al-Atawi, Abdullah A., Khan, Faheem, and Kim, Cheong Ghil
- Subjects
INTERNET of things ,COVID-19 pandemic ,VIRAL transmission ,MEDICAL care ,KEYWORD searching - Abstract
The importance of the IoT is increasing in every field of life, and it especially has a significant role in improving the efficiency of the healthcare system. Its demand further increased during COVID-19 to facilitate the patient remotely from their home digitally. Every time the COVID-19 patient visited the doctor for minor complications, it increased the risk of spreading the virus and the cost for the patient. Another alarming situation arose when a patient was in a critical position and may not claim an emergency service from the nearby healthcare system, increasing the death rate. The IoT uses healthcare services to properly monitor COVID-19 patients by using the interconnected network to overcome these issues. Through the IoT, the patient is facilitated by the health care system without spreading the virus, decreasing the death ratio during COVID-19. This paper aims to discuss different applications, technologies, and challenges of the IoT healthcare system, related to COVID-19. Different databases were searched using keywords in PubMed, ResearchGate, Scopus, ACM, Springer, Elsevier, Google Scholar, etc. This paper is trying to discuss, identify, and highlight the useful applications of the IoT healthcare system to provide guidelines to the researchers, healthcare institutions, and scientists to overcomes the hazards of COVID-19 pandemics. Hence, IoT is beneficial by identifying the symptoms of COVID-19 patients and by providing better treatments that use the healthcare system efficiently. At the end of the paper, challenges and future work are discussed, along with useful suggestions through which scientists can benefit from the IoT healthcare system during COVID-19 and in a severe pandemic. The survey paper is not limited to the healthcare system and COVID-19, but it can be beneficial for future pandemics or in a worse situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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33. The fit and predict COVID-19 using an extended compartmental model in the context of Indonesia.
- Author
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Siradjuddin, Indrazno, Ningrum, Bella Cahya, Agiska, Inta Nurkhaliza, Sumari, Arwin Datumaya Wahyudi, Syaifudin, Yan Watequlis, Asmara, Rosa Andrie, and Funabiki, Nobuo
- Subjects
- *
BASIC reproduction number , *COVID-19 pandemic , *EPIDEMIOLOGICAL models , *COVID-19 , *VIRAL transmission - Abstract
In a pandemic outbreak such as COVID-19, that spreads widely around the world requires in depth research to predict the pattern of its spread and strategies to reduce the number of spreads. Predictive control is a mathematical approach to control systems where a model is used to make predictions about the future behavior of a system, and these predictions are then used to determine the control actions that should be taken. Based on these predictions, control measures such as lockdowns and social distancing could be optimized to reduce the spread of the virus and minimize its impact. A dynamic model is needed for quick and precise handling decisions. Mathematical models Epidemiology can be used in various fields, the implementation of which is COVID-19. The presentation of a dynamical system can use the basic compartment model, in which critical 퐶 and death 풟 states are considered, addressing more possibilities of mutual transitions between compartment states. 풮ℰℐℛ풞풟 estimates and forecasts the COVID-19 spread under uncertainties and constraints. This paper focuses on This paper focuses on fit and predict the 풮ℰℐℛ풞풟 model with time dependent basic reproduction numbers and health resource-dependent death rates to real COVID-19 data in Indonesia. Data have been collected for a specific period of time, the best-fitting parameters have been obtained, and the changes in the basic reproduction number over time have been estimated. The presented model has included the transition probability of the infected state to the critical state and the transition probability of the critical state to the death state, based on different age groups, so that the number of hospital beds has also been cooperative in computing the compartment states. Using the best-fitting parameters of the 풮ℰℐℛ풞풟 model, the development of the compartment states in the near future was estimated. The simulation result shows that the obtained parameters of the 풮ℰℐℛ풞풟 model were reasonably satisfying where the simulated states from the model could fit the real data with a small degree of error so that it can be used to predict the path of further deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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34. STUDY ON THE ESTIMATION OF SARS-CoV-2 VIRUS PATHOGENS' TRANSMISSION PROBABILITIES FOR DIFFERENT PUBLIC BUS TRANSPORT SERVICE SCENARIOS.
- Author
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BURDZIK, Rafał and SPEYBROECK, Niko
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SARS-CoV-2 ,PUBLIC transit ,BUS transportation ,COVID-19 pandemic ,COVID-19 ,VIRAL transmission - Abstract
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic revealed societal challenges, with passenger transport rapidly experiencing the impacts of the virus and the evolution of the concept of safety in transport. Evaluating the likelihood of viral transmission within transportation systems may be a substantial challenge, considering the complex processes that influence the incidence of random transmission events. This paper introduces a method for determining the probability of pathogen transmission in public transport, focusing on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The study draws on scenarios from the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland, a period that was devastatingly marked by the lack of available vaccines. This study aims to add value to the scientific community by offering an estimation of the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in public transport and a preliminary risk assessment for COVID-19 infection, considering the number of active, non-isolated COVID-19 cases in the Polish population. The potential of this approach was demonstrated through a comparison between two different categories of passenger transport in a city bus. Based on the presented case study and the calculated probability of pathogen transmission, it is estimated that the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland through the use of public transport was approximately 0.05%. Probability estimations based on elementary events, which can vary depending on the service category (for instance, the form of ticket purchase, availability of seating or standing places, or ticket inspection), can reveal even the smallest differences in the total likelihood of pathogen transmission. However, these minute individual variations significantly impact the total metrics calculated for daily users of public transport. For effective monitoring of potential epidemic threats and for designing suitable interventions and restrictions to lower the risk of future pandemics, it may be necessary to understand the role that transportation systems, particularly public transport systems, play in the spread of pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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35. Comments and Discussion.
- Author
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ACEMOGLU, DARON
- Subjects
INFECTIOUS disease transmission ,OLDER people ,VIRAL transmission ,JACOBIAN matrices - Published
- 2020
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36. Part A: Special Section on COVID-19 Research.
- Author
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Sharma, Susan Sunila and Sha, Yezhou
- Subjects
COVID-19 ,COVID-19 pandemic ,FINANCIAL market reaction ,VIRAL transmission - Abstract
This special section builds on the Sha and Sharma ([11]) special issue on COVID-19 research published in I Emerging Markets Finance and Trade i . The second paper by Liu et al. investigate the stock market response of 77 countries to the 11 SP th sp March 2020 official announcement made by the WHO that the spread of the COVID-19 virus was a global pandemic. This study documents evidence of sectoral heterogeneity which was first identified by Narayan and Sharma ([9]), and in the COVID-19 context is consistent with Narayan, Gong, and Ahmed ([7]). [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2020
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37. Heavy-tailed distributions of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths in spatiotemporal space.
- Author
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Liu, Peng and Zheng, Yanyan
- Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic ,PARETO distribution ,VIRAL transmission ,AVIAN influenza ,PARAMETER estimation ,STATISTICS - Abstract
This paper conducts a systematic statistical analysis of the characteristics of the geographical empirical distributions for the numbers of both cumulative and daily confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths at county, city, and state levels over a time span from January 2020 to June 2022. The mathematical heavy-tailed distributions can be used for fitting the empirical distributions observed in different temporal stages and geographical scales. The estimations of the shape parameter of the tail distributions using the Generalized Pareto Distribution also support the observations of the heavy-tailed distributions. According to the characteristics of the heavy-tailed distributions, the evolution course of the geographical empirical distributions can be divided into three distinct phases, namely the power-law phase, the lognormal phase I, and the lognormal phase II. These three phases could serve as an indicator of the severity degree of the COVID-19 pandemic within an area. The empirical results suggest important intrinsic dynamics of a human infectious virus spread in the human interconnected physical complex network. The findings extend previous empirical studies and could provide more strict constraints for current mathematical and physical modeling studies, such as the SIR model and its variants based on the theory of complex networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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38. 'You should have come back earlier': the divisive effect of Australia's COVID-19 response on diaspora relations.
- Author
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Larson, Anna
- Subjects
DIASPORA ,COVID-19 pandemic ,COVID-19 ,GROUP identity ,VIRAL transmission - Abstract
Australia is largely considered an immigrant-receiving country, however, it is estimated that over one million Australians are living overseas at any given time. Despite this, diaspora relations have never been particularly robust, the consequences of which have become particularly visible during the Covid-19 pandemic. Australia used a strict closed-border approach in handling the pandemic and, although effective at reducing the spread of the virus, it will be argued that this isolationist approach was at the detriment of diaspora relations. This paper uses the findings from in-depth interviews with Australians living overseas to demonstrate that the country's response to the Covid-19 pandemic created an intergroup divide between Australia and its expatriates. Social identity theory and the theory of intergroup threat will be used to support the findings that Australian expatriates became the 'outgroup', perceived as a realistic threat by the resident national 'ingroup'. Public fear of the virus and Australia's strict isolationist stance created a divide between those within the border, and those trying to get in. This paper provides the first-hand experiences and sentiments of Australian expatriates, while further research exploring the perspective of resident nationals is recommended to facilitate a more robust understanding of the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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39. Mapping trajectories and flows: facilitating a human-centered approach to movement data analytics.
- Author
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Dodge, Somayeh and Noi, Evgeny
- Subjects
HUMAN migration patterns ,CARTOGRAPHY ,VIRAL transmission ,MAPS ,VISUAL analytics ,FOREST canopy gaps - Abstract
This paper argues for a "human-centered" approach to knowledge discovery from movement data through the use of visualization and mapping. As movement data becomes more available and diverse in dimension and resolution, mapping becomes particularly important in the exploratory analysis of movement trajectories and for capturing patterns and structures in large origin-destination flow data sets. Movement phenomena (e.g. ranging from micro-movements of humans and animals to macro-level mobility, to migration flows, to spread of viruses) are complex dynamic processes which are realized in a multidimensional location-time-context space. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of various visualization techniques for mapping movement through the lens of cartography and with a special focus on the "human user" (e.g. data scientist, analyst, domain expert, etc.). We systematically characterize and categorize available techniques based on their visual specifications and functional capacities for human control, map-interaction, and design flexibility. These elements are beneficial to enhance the user's capacities for map reasoning and knowledge discovery. Trends and gaps in the literature on movement visualization over the past 10 years are discussed. Our review suggests that future research should focus more on the role of the "human" in the development of human-centered visual analytic and exploratory tools, while providing functionalities for mapping uncertainty and protecting individual privacy in knowledge discovery of movement. These tools should be guided by a cartographic framework and visual principles specifically pertinent to movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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40. UK street art and the meaning of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-21.
- Author
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McEwan, Cheryl, Lewis, Kate V., and Szablewska, Lucy
- Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic ,STREET art ,VIRAL transmission ,PUBLIC art ,CULTURAL geography - Abstract
Copyright of Social & Cultural Geography 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2023
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41. Chitin‐lipid interactions and the potential relationship between Demodex and SARS‐CoV‐2
- Author
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Lawrence Chukwudi Nwabudike, Alin Laurentiu Tatu, and Thomas Nadasdy
- Subjects
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,viruses ,Viral transmission ,Chitin ,Dermatology ,Demodex ,Virus ,SARS‐CoV‐2 ,Microbiology ,Short Papers ,030207 dermatology & venereal diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Viral envelope ,Medicine ,Short Paper ,Humans ,Pandemics ,biology ,integumentary system ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,COVID-19 ,General Medicine ,biology.organism_classification ,Lipids ,Pyemotidae ,chemistry ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,business - Abstract
Already from the early days of the COVID‐19 pandemic, regulatory agencies have attempted to ascertain the possible routes of SARS‐CoV‐2 viral transmission. It is hypothesized that the lipid bilayer that surrounds the SARS‐CoV‐2 improves its ability to remain stable on sebum‐rich skin and serves as another possible route of contracting the virus. One possible aspect of these observations that has yet to be explored in detail is what role arthropods that have been associated with human skin infestation, such as Demodecidae or Pyemotidae species, play in viral transmission. It seems likely that arthropod‐coronavirus interactions may take place through the molecular attraction forces between the chitin found on the exoskeleton of mites commonly found on human skin and the lipids present on the viral envelope of the SARS‐CoV‐2. We believe this may mean that arthropods are currently an overlooked cofactor in viral infection which may have some important biomedical implications for both prevention and treatment.
- Published
- 2021
42. The social evolution of COVID-19: pandemics as total social facts.
- Author
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Labora González, Juan José and Fernández-Vilas, Enrique
- Subjects
SOCIAL facts ,COVID-19 pandemic ,SOCIAL evolution ,CONTACT tracing ,VIRAL transmission ,ROADKILL - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented global event in recent history. Beginning with an initial outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the virus spread rapidly across the globe, causing millions of deaths and triggering an unprecedented health, economic, and social crisis. The initial response to the outbreak in many countries was the implementation of social distancing measures, including the closure of schools and businesses, the cancellation of mass events, and the banning of travel. These measures were aimed at reducing the virus' spread and preventing health systems from being overwhelmed by the numerous severe COVID-19 cases. However, these measures also had a devastating economic impact, especially on precarious workers and freelancers, as well as those who were unable to work from home. As the pandemic (also considered a syndemic or synergistic epidemic) dragged on, countries adopted more flexible approaches to dealing with the virus, adopting mitigation measures rather than social distancing measures. These included the use of masks, testing and contact tracing, and the opening of businesses and schools with the implementation of additional safety measures. This paper highlights the social consequences of the pandemic, ultimately arguing that it is a total social fact (from the French fait social total), based on Marcel Mauss' categorization, since it encompassed and impacted all facets of human life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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43. Microplastics and viruses in the aquatic environment: a mini review.
- Author
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Xiuwen Wang, Kaixin Zheng, Yi Wang, Xin Hou, Yike He, Zhiyun Wang, Jiabo Zhang, Xiaochen Chen, and Xianhua Liu
- Subjects
PLASTIC marine debris ,MICROPLASTICS ,WATER pollution ,ENVIRONMENTAL security ,VIRAL transmission ,ENVIRONMENTAL health - Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have been widely found in the environment and have exerted non-negligible impacts on the environment and human health. Extensive research has shown that MPs can act as carriers for viruses and interacts with them in various ways. Whether MPs influence the persistence, transmission and infectivity of virus has attracted global concern in the context of increasing MPs contamination. This review paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the interactions between MPs and viruses in aquatic environments. Latest progress and research trends in this field are summarized based on literature analysis. Additionally, we discuss the potential risks posed by microplastic-associated viruses to human health and the environmental safety, highlighting that MPs can affect viral transmission and infectivity through various pathways. Finally, we underscores the need for further research to address key knowledge gaps, such as elucidating synergistic effects between MPs and viruses, understanding interactions under real environmental conditions, and exploring the role of biofilms in virus-MPs interactions. This review aims to contribute to a deeper understanding on the transmission of viruses in the context of increasing MPs pollution in water, and promote actions to reduce the potential risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Responding with care: ethical measures in the fashion industry during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.
- Author
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Castillo, Ana, Gutierrez, Leopoldo, Montiel, Ivan, and Velez-Calle, Andres
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COVID-19 pandemic ,CLOTHING industry ,VIRAL transmission ,QUALITATIVE research ,COVID-19 - Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the ethical responses of the fashion industry to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic when the entire world was shocked by the rapid spread of the virus. The authors describe lessons from emergency ethics of care in the fashion industry during the initial months of COVID-19, which can assist fashion managers in improving ethical decisions in future operations. Design/methodology/approach: Rapid qualitative research methods were employed by conducting real-time, in-depth interviews with key informants from multinational fashion companies operating in Spain, a severely affected region. A content analysis of news articles published during the first months of 2020 was conducted. Findings: Five critical disruptions in the fashion industry were identified: (1) changes in public needs, (2) transportation and distribution backlogs, (3) defective and counterfeit supplies, (4) stakeholder relationships at stake and (5) managers' coping challenges. Additionally, five business survival responses with a strong ethics of care component were identified, implemented by some fashion companies to mitigate the damage: (1) adapting production for public well-being, (2) enhancing the flexibility of logistic networks, (3) emphasizing quality and innovation, (4) reinventing stakeholder collaborations and (5) practicing responsible leadership. Originality/value: Despite the well-documented controversies surrounding unethical practices within the fashion industry, even during COVID-19, our findings inform managers of the potential and capability of fashion companies to operate more responsibly. The lessons learned can guide fashion companies' operations in a post-pandemic society. Furthermore, they can address other grand challenges, such as natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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45. Mathematical Modeling of COVID‐19 Disease Dynamics With Contact Tracing: A Case Study in Ethiopia.
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Zerefe, Shimelis Bekele, Ayele, Tigabu Kasie, Tilahun, Surafel Luleseged, and Ünver, Mehmet
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BASIC reproduction number ,INFECTIOUS disease transmission ,CONTACT tracing ,PUBLIC health research ,VIRAL transmission - Abstract
In this paper, we developed a mathematical model for the dynamics of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) transmission. The model embraces the notion of contact tracing and contaminated surfaces which are vital for disease control and contribute to disease transmission, respectively. We analyzed the model properties such as the positivity of the solution, invariant region, existence, and stability nature of equilibria. Besides, we computed the basic reproduction number R0. The local stability and the global stability of disease‐free equilibrium (DFE) points are proved by using the Routh–Hurwitz criteria and the Castillo‐Chavez and Song approach, respectively. LaSalle's invariant principle is applied to prove the stability of an endemic equilibrium (EE) point. The possibility of bifurcation is discussed using the center manifold theory. We used real data on the spread and control of COVID‐19 disease in Ethiopia. Based on the data reported, we estimated the values of the parameters using the least squares method together with the fmin function in the MATLAB optimization toolbox. The sensitivity analysis of the model is explored numerically to illustrate the impact of the parameters on disease transmission. The study addressed that contact tracing is especially important because COVID‐19 often has asymptomatic carriers, and there are many asymptomatic individuals unaware in Ethiopia. The new infections would decrease in the communities by detecting and isolating COVID‐19 cases before they could spread the virus to others. Moreover, the study endorsed that the contaminated surface has contributed to disease transmission. The sensitivity analysis shows that if the rate of disinfected contaminated objects (ϕ) rises, then the transmission of the disease is reduced. Consequently, this study will aid in the fight against COVID‐19 policymakers and NGOs. It can also be used as a policy input for different countries under this crisis. Because of the mathematical modeling of this global pandemic, there is another point of view rather than public health research outputs. Additionally, with the concept of contact tracing and contaminated surfaces incorporated into the model, the result provides insight for disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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46. On optimal lockdown policies while facing socioeconomic costs.
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Gubar, Elena, Policardo, Laura, Sánchez Carrera, Edgar J., and Taynitskiy, Vladislav
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STAY-at-home orders ,VIRAL transmission ,COST functions ,SCHOOL uniforms ,FREE enterprise ,COST - Abstract
The paper analyzes the optimal lockdown policy using the SQAIRD model over a network with three population groups (young, adult, and old). We show that different lockdown policies may be justified by different socioeconomic structures (objective cost functions that are either convex or concave). We also show that a lockdown policy is always better than a laissez-faire policy, and a targeted policy specific to each group outperforms a uniform policy. In our benchmark example, we consider the case of Italy. Our simulations show that: (a) a lockdown policy is always better than the laissez-faire policy because it limits the costs generated by the pandemic in an uncontrolled situation; (b) a group-specific targeted lockout policy is more effective than a uniform policy to the extent that the groups differ. The latter is a less expensive targeted policy (as it optimally minimizes direct, indirect, and vaccination costs), and it is equally effective in controlling the pandemic. One finding of particular interest is that the optimal lockdown rate should be higher for the young and elderly than for adults. This is motivated by the fact that younger individuals are more likely to spread the virus in question asymptomatically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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47. Exploring the dynamics of monkeypox transmission with data-driven methods and a deterministic model.
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Das, Haridas K.
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MONKEYPOX ,VIRAL transmission ,CONVOLUTIONAL neural networks ,TIME series analysis ,DEEP learning ,EPIDEMIOLOGY - Abstract
Introduction: Mpox (formerly monkeypox) is an infectious disease that spreads mostly through direct contact with infected animals or people's blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions. In light of the global outbreak that occurred in 2022-2023, in this paper, we analyzed global Mpox univariate time series data and provided a comprehensive analysis of disease outbreaks across the world, including the USA with Brazil and three continents: North America, South America, and Europe. The novelty of this study is that it delved into the Mpox time series data by implementing the data-driven methods and a mathematical model concurrently--an aspect not typically addressed in the existing literature. The study is also important because implementing these models concurrently improved our predictions' reliability for infectious diseases. Methods: We proposed a traditional compartmental model and also implemented deep learning models (1D-convolutional neural network (CNN), long-short term memory (LSTM), bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM), hybrid CNN-LSTM, and CNNBiLSTM) as well as statistical time series models: autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and exponential smoothing on the Mpox data. We also employed the least squares method fitting to estimate the essential epidemiological parameters in the proposed deterministic model. Results: The primary finding of the deterministic model is that vaccination rates can flatten the curve of infected dynamics and influence the basic reproduction number. Through the numerical simulations, we determined that increased vaccination among the susceptible human population is crucial to control disease transmission. Moreover, in case of an outbreak, our model showed the potential for epidemic control by adjusting the key epidemiological parameters, namely the baseline contact rate and the proportion of contacts within the human population. Next, we analyzed data-driven models that contribute to a comprehensive understanding of disease dynamics in different locations. Additionally, we trained models to provide short-term (eight-week) predictions across various geographical locations, and all eight models produced reliable results. Conclusion: This study utilized a comprehensive framework to investigate univariate time series data to understand the dynamics of Mpox transmission. The prediction showed that Mpox is in its die-out situation as of July 29, 2023. Moreover, the deterministic model showed the importance of the Mpox vaccination in mitigating the Mpox transmission and highlighted the significance of effectively adjusting key epidemiological parameters during outbreaks, particularly the contact rate in high-risk groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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48. THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON STUDENTS' SPORT ACTIVITY.
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ȘANTA-MOLDOVAN, Cristian-Ioan, BACIU, Marius Alin, ȘERBAN, Radu-Tiberiu, MONEA, Dan, and ȘANTA, Ionela
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COVID-19 pandemic ,PHYSICAL education ,PHYSICAL training & conditioning ,VIRAL transmission ,PHYSICAL activity - Abstract
Copyright of Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Educatio Artis Gymnasticae is the property of Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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- 2024
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49. Unveiling Influence in Networks: A Novel Centrality Metric and Comparative Analysis through Graph-Based Models.
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Bendahman, Nada and Lotfi, Dounia
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PEARSON correlation (Statistics) ,COMPARATIVE studies ,SOCIAL networks ,RANK correlation (Statistics) ,VIRAL transmission - Abstract
Identifying influential actors within social networks is pivotal for optimizing information flow and mitigating the spread of both rumors and viruses. Several methods have emerged to pinpoint these influential entities in networks, represented as graphs. In these graphs, nodes correspond to individuals and edges indicate their connections. This study focuses on centrality measures, prized for their straightforwardness and effectiveness. We divide structural centrality into two categories: local, considering a node's immediate vicinity, and global, accounting for overarching path structures. Some techniques blend both centralities to highlight nodes influential at both micro and macro levels. Our paper presents a novel centrality measure, accentuating node degree and incorporating the network's broader features, especially paths of different lengths. Through Spearman and Pearson correlations tested on seven standard datasets, our method proves its merit against traditional centrality measures. Additionally, we employ the susceptible–infected–recovered (SIR) model, portraying virus spread, to further validate our approach. The ultimate influential node is gauged by its capacity to infect the most nodes during the SIR model's progression. Our results indicate a notable correlative efficacy across various real-world networks relative to other centrality metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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50. Variance of the Infection Number of Heterogeneous Malware Spread in Network.
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Guo, Dongchao, Jiao, Libo, Jiao, Jian, and Meng, Kun
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BIPARTITE graphs ,VIRAL transmission ,MALWARE ,INFECTION ,POISSON processes ,APPROXIMATION algorithms - Abstract
The Susceptible–Infected–Susceptible (SIS) model in complex networks is one of the critical models employed in the modeling of virus spread. The study of the heterogeneous SIS model with a non-homogeneous nodal infection rate in finite-size networks has attracted little attention. Investigating the statistical properties of heterogeneous SIS epidemic dynamics in finite networks is thus intriguing. In this paper, we focus on the measure of variability in the number of infected nodes for the heterogeneous SIS epidemic dynamics in finite-size bipartite graphs and star graphs. Specifically, we investigate the metastable-state variance of the number of infected nodes for the SIS epidemic process in finite-size bipartite graphs and star graphs with heterogeneous nodal infection rates. We employ an extended individual-based mean-field approximation to analyze the heterogeneous SIS epidemic process in finite-size bipartite networks and star graphs. We derive the approximation solutions of the variance of the infected number. We verify the proposed theory by simulations. The proposed theory has the potential to help us better understand the fluctuations of SIS models like epidemic dynamics with a non-homogeneous infection rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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