Conceptualizing the Nexus of Migration and Food Security during COVID-19
subject: covid-19, Pandemic, Migration, vulnerability, food security
description: Migration has been a part of the livelihood strategy and risk diversification to relieve crises. Food insecu­rity as a consequence as well as a cause of migration demands review during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper is an attempt to explore the dynamics and vulnerabilities that ensue from the nexus of migra­tion, food security, and COVID-19, as the economic crisis of COVID-19 seems more intensive when viewed through a migration lens. The vulnerability of the economy based on food imports and remit­tances is heightened by COVID-19. The whole nexus of migration and food security has shifted; even the positive aspects of migration are predisposed to vulnerabilities.
creator: Manoj Sharma
source: Epidemiology and Health
publisher: Korean Society of Epidemiology
date: 2020
coverage: Agriculture, Environmental sciences, Geography. Anthropology. Recreation, Technology, Social Sciences, Nutrition. Foods and food supply, Recreation. Leisure, Urban groups. The city. Urban sociology, Regional planning, Communities. Classes. Races, Human ecology. Anthropogeography, Home economics

Synthesis and systematic review of reported neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infections
description: There are a growing number of reports of neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infections. Here, De Luca and colleagues systematically analyse 176 published cases to better understand the route of transmission, as well as the clinical features and outcomes of neonatal COVID-19.
creator: Daniele De Luca, Roberto Raschetti, Alexandre J. Vivanti, Christelle Vauloup-Fellous, Barbara Loi, Alexandra Benachi
source: Epidemiology and Health
publisher: Korean Society of Epidemiology
date: 2020
coverage: Science

Pemantauan Perhatian Publik terhadap Pandemi COVID-19 melalui Klasifikasi Teks dengan Deep Learning
subject: covid-19, deep learning, twitter, Word Embedding, monitoring public concern
description: Monitoring public concern in the surrounding environment to certain events is done to address changes in public behavior individually and socially. The results of monitoring public attention can be used as a benchmark for related parties in making the right policies and strategies to deal with changes in public behavior as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Monitoring public attention can be done using Twitter social media data because the users of the media are quite high, so that they can represent the aspirations of the general public. However, Twitter data contains varied topics, so a classification process is required to obtain data related to COVID-19. Classification is done by using word embedding variations (Word2Vec and fastText) and deep learning variations (CNN, RNN, and LSTM) to get the classification results with the best accuracy. The percentage of COVID-19 data based on the best accuracy is calculated to determine how high the public's attention is to the COVID-19 pandemic. Experiments were carried out with three scenarios, which were differentiated by the number of data trains. The classification results with the best accuracy are obtained by the combination of fasText and LSTM which shows the highest accuracy of 97.86% and the lowest of 93.63%. The results of monitoring public attention to the time vulnerability between June and October show that the highest public attention to COVID-19 is in June.
creator: Novrindah Alvi Hasanah, Nanik Suciati, Diana Purwitasari
source: Epidemiology and Health
publisher: Korean Society of Epidemiology
date: 2021
coverage: Information technology, Systems engineering

Focal seizures with impaired awareness as long-term neurological complication of COVID-19: a case report.
subject: covid-19, encephalitis, epilepsy, Focal seizures with impaired awareness
description: We report here the first case of a young individual otherwise healthy, who presented with frequent focal seizures with impaired awareness as a possible long-term complication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection. Seizures were documented by electroencephalography and responded clinically and neuro-physiologically to antiseizure therapy. The patient underwent an extensive investigation including cerebrospinal fluid examination, conventional and quantitative brain magnetic resonance imaging, and 18-FDG positron emission tomography. Beyond the clinical interest, this case contributes to clarify the possible pathways by which SARS-CoV-2 may enter the central nervous system and cause long-term neurological complications.
creator: Marco Bozzali, Alberto Grassini, Giovanni Morana, Michela Zotta, Sara Cabras, Alberto Romagnolo, Carlo Alberto Artusi, Elisa Montalenti, Mario Giorgio Rizzone, Diego Garbossa, Elisa Montanaro, Mara Cercignani, Leonardo Lopiano
source: Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology
date: 2021

Technology to Address Food Deserts: Low Energy Corner Store Groceries with Integrated Agriculture Greenhouse
subject: optimization, sustainable development goals, food deserts, efficient energy management
description: Food deserts have emerged as sources of urban crises around the world. The lack of access to healthy food has rendered health inequities that have been made more visible by the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the populations experiencing food insecurity and healthy food access. Research is posed to fight food deserts through innovation and technology; specifically, through the development of corner store grocery markets with integrated agricultural greenhouses in such a way as to both provide access to healthy foods at reasonable cost to better meet nutritional needs, and significantly reduce operating costs. The posed technology includes a combined heat and power (CHP) system to reduce overall energy costs by meeting the partial electric and thermal loads required within the store and the connected greenhouse. A mathematical model is developed to control the operation of the CHP system and to dispatch the generated electric power to the store and the thermal energy to the greenhouse to minimize overall energy requirements. The model is applied to an ambient environment representing a heating-dominant climate. Results indicate the potential to reduce operating costs by 55% in a heating-dominant climate.
creator: Kevin P. Hallinan, Fahad Awjah Almehmadi, Rydge B. Mulford, Saeed A. Alqaed
source: Biotemas
publisher: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
date: 2020
coverage: Environmental effects of industries and plants, Renewable energy sources, Environmental sciences

Prevention and Control Strategies for Coronavirus Disease-2019 in a Tertiary Hospital in the Middle East of China
subject: Coronavirus disease 2019, infection management, health-associated infection
description: Qingfang Kong, Li Yan Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qingfang KongZhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, No. 87 Dingjiaqiao, Nanjing, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail njkqf@163.comBackground: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease. The COVID-19 outbreak has quickly spread globally and now is having remarkable effects on public health and national economies.Purpose: Effective measures for prevention and control of nosocomial infection are urgently needed to control COVID-19 infection among medical staff.Methods: Herein, we described COVID-19 prevention and control strategies that have been implemented in a tertiary hospital in the middle east of China. Hospital layout was adjusted to prevent and control transmission. Other procedures were then implemented to prevent the spread of the virus, including specialized training and evaluation of medical staff, pre-testing and triage, measures to promote early identification of patients, environmental cleaning and disinfection, new medical waste processing procedures, new patient management procedures, timely disinfection of potential sources of nosocomial infection, and strict protective measures.Results: Since the new measures were implemented, to date there have only been three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, no cases of medical staff infection, and no COVID-19-related deaths at the hospital.Conclusion: The current report provides a protocol that could be implemented in medical departments in similar cities worldwide.Keywords: COVID-19, health-associated infection, infection management, SARS-CoV-2
creator: Kong Q, Yan L
source: Biotemas
publisher: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
date: 2020
coverage: Public aspects of medicine

Smell/Taste alteration in COVID-19 may reflect zinc deficiency.
creator: Ruth E Propper
source: Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition
date: 2021

Structure-Based Virtual Screening Identifies Multiple Stable Binding Sites at the RecA Domains of SARS-CoV-2 Helicase Enzyme
subject: covid-19, Molecular Dynamic Simulation, phytochemicals, SARS-CoV-2 helicase
description: With the emergence and global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community worldwide has focused on search for new therapeutic strategies against this disease. One such critical approach is targeting proteins such as helicases that regulate most of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA metabolism. The purpose of the current study was to predict a library of phytochemicals derived from diverse plant families with high binding affinity to SARS-CoV-2 helicase (Nsp13) enzyme. High throughput virtual screening of the Medicinal Plant Database for Drug Design (MPD3) database was performed on SARS-CoV-2 helicase using AutoDock Vina. Nilotinib, with a docking value of −9.6 kcal/mol, was chosen as a reference molecule. A compound (PubChem CID: 110143421, ZINC database ID: ZINC257223845, eMolecules: 43290531) was screened as the best binder (binding energy of −10.2 kcal/mol on average) to the enzyme by using repeated docking runs in the screening process. On inspection, the compound was disclosed to show different binding sites of the triangular pockets collectively formed by Rec1A, Rec2A, and 1B domains and a stalk domain at the base. The molecule is often bound to the ATP binding site (referred to as binding site 2) of the helicase enzyme. The compound was further discovered to fulfill drug-likeness and lead-likeness criteria, have good physicochemical and pharmacokinetics properties, and to be non-toxic. Molecular dynamic simulation analysis of the control/lead compound complexes demonstrated the formation of stable complexes with good intermolecular binding affinity. Lastly, affirmation of the docking simulation studies was accomplished by estimating the binding free energy by MMPB/GBSA technique. Taken together, these findings present further in silco investigation of plant-derived lead compounds to effectively address COVID-19.
creator: Sajjad Ahmad, Yasir Waheed, Saba Ismail, Saadia Bhatti, Sumra Wajid Abbasi, Khalid Muhammad
source: Biotemas
publisher: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
date: 2021
coverage: Organic chemistry

The Impact of Digital Communication and PR Models on the Sustainability of Higher Education during Crises
subject: covid-19 pandemic, crisis management, online communication, higher education systems, PR models
description: Currently, the world is going through a pandemic, COVID-19, that affects the four pillars of organizational sustainability. At this point, institutions’ sustainability depends on how they handle crisis communication. It seems that institutions that can adapt themselves to changes regarding the usage of digital communication platforms are survivors, and even winners, of this crisis. The general belief concerning education in developing countries claims that these countries are slow in adapting to technological innovations. Being a developing country, North Cyprus has a multi-cultural environment due to the presence of international students in tertiary education. This study explores how two public and two private universities maintained sustainability in higher education during COVID-19 by discussing the public relations models (PR) that they have used regarding digital communication. This study uses a qualitative content analysis and a quantitative method. The paper asserts that the effective usage of digital communication contributes to the sustainability of universities during this crisis. The findings revealed that the posts (text/image/poster) and videos these universities share are more concentrated on either press agentry or the public information model. Yet, a two-way symmetrical model that maintains dialogue within stakeholders is practiced less than the other PR models. Hence, there is a need for the universities to listen to their stakeholders not only in face to face communication but more through digital communication platforms as well.
creator: Umut Ayman, Anıl Kemal Kaya, Ülfet Kutoğlu Kuruç
source: Biotemas
publisher: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
date: 2020
coverage: Environmental effects of industries and plants, Renewable energy sources, Environmental sciences

https://socictopen.socict.org/items/show/4599
title: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial of intravenous plasma purified alpha-1 antitrypsin for SARS-CoV-2-induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: a structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised, controlled trial
subject: covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, acute respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, Randomised controlled trial, protocol
description: Abstract Objectives The primary objective is to demonstrate that, in patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 resulting in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), administration of 120mg/kg of body weight of intravenous Prolastin®(plasma-purified alpha-1 antitrypsin) reduces circulating plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6). Secondary objectives are to determine the effects of intravenous Prolastin® on important clinical outcomes including the incidence of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs). Trial design Phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial. Participants The study will be conducted in Intensive Care Units in hospitals across Ireland. Patients with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2-infection, moderate to severe ARDS (meeting Berlin criteria for a diagnosis of ARDS with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio 18 years of age and requiring invasive or non-invasive mechanical ventilation. All individuals meeting any of the following exclusion criteria at baseline or during screening will be excluded from study participation: more than 96 hours has elapsed from onset of ARDS; age < 18 years; known to be pregnant or breastfeeding; participation in a clinical trial of an investigational medicinal product (other than antibiotics or antivirals) within 30 days; major trauma in the prior 5 days; presence of any active malignancy (other than nonmelanoma skin cancer) which required treatment within the last year; WHO Class III or IV pulmonary hypertension; pulmonary embolism prior to hospital admission within past 3 months; currently receiving extracorporeal life support (ECLS); chronic kidney disease receiving dialysis; severe chronic liver disease with Child-Pugh score > 12; DNAR (Do Not Attempt Resuscitation) order in place; treatment withdrawal imminent within 24 hours; Prisoners; non-English speaking patients or those who do not adequately understand verbal or written information unless an interpreter is available; IgA deficiency. …
creator: John G. Laffey, Noel G. McElvaney, Natalie L. McEvoy, Jennifer L. Clarke, Oliver J. Mc Elvaney, Oisin F. Mc Elvaney, Fiona Boland, Deirdre Hyland, Pierce Geoghegan, Karen Donnelly, Oisin Friel, Ailbhe Cullen, Ann M. Collins, Daniel Fraughen, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Martina Hennessy, Gerard F. Curley
source: Epidemiology and Health
publisher: Korean Society of Epidemiology
date: 2021
coverage: Medicine (General)