The Role of Antibodies in the Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection,and Evaluating Their Contribution to Antibody-Dependent Enhancement of Infection

Antibodies play a crucial role in the immune response, in fighting off pathogens as well as helping create strong immunological memory. Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) occurs when non-neutralising antibodies recognise and bind to a pathogen, but are unable to prevent infection, and is widely known and is reported as occurring in infection caused by several viruses. This narrative review explores the ADE phenomenon, its occurrence in viral infections and evaluates its role in infection by SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of yet, there is no clear evidence of ADE in SARS-CoV-2, though this area is still subject to further study.     

Motivational,emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out

Social media utilities have made it easier than ever to know about the range of online or offline social activities one could be engaging. On the upside, these social resources provide a multitude of opportunities for interaction; on the downside, they often broadcast more options than can be pursued, given practical restrictions and limited time. This dual nature of social media has driven popular interest in the concept of Fear of Missing Out – popularly referred to as FoMO. Defined as a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent, FoMO is characterized by the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing. The present research presents three studies conducted to advance an empirically based understanding of the fear of missing out phenomenon. The first study collected a diverse international sample of participants in order to create a robust individual differences measure of FoMO, the Fear of Missing Out scale (FoMOs); this study is the first to operationalize the construct. Study 2 recruited a nationally representative cohort to investigate how demographic, motivational and well-being factors relate to FoMO. Study 3 examined the behavioral and emotional correlates of fear of missing out in a sample of young adults. Implications of the FoMOs measure and for the future study of FoMO are discussed.     

Tailoring real-time physical activity coaching systems: a literature survey and model

Technology mediated healthcare services designed to stimulate patients’ self-efficacy are widely regarded as a promising paradigm to reduce the burden on the healthcare system. The promotion of healthy, active living is a topic of growing interest in research and business. Recent advances in wireless sensor technology and the widespread availability of smartphones have made it possible to monitor and coach users continuously during daily life activities. Physical activity monitoring systems are frequently designed for use over long periods of time placing usability, acceptance and effectiveness in terms of compliance high on the list of design priorities to achieve sustainable behavioral change. Tailoring, or the process of adjusting the system’s behavior to individuals in a specific context, is an emerging topic of interest within the field. In this article we report a survey of tailoring techniques currently employed in state of the art real time physical activity coaching systems. We present a survey of state of the art activity coaching systems as well as a conceptual framework which identifies seven important tailoring concepts that are currently in use and how they relate to each other. A detailed analysis of current use of tailoring techniques in real time physical activity coaching applications is presented. According to the literature, tailoring is currently used only sparsely in this field. We underline the need to increase adoption of tailoring methods that are based on available theories, and call for innovative evaluation methods to demonstrate the effectiveness of individual tailoring approaches.     

The potential for gender equality in architecture: an Anglo-Spanish comparison

The practice of architecture is very similar in different national settings despite what may be very different sociological and cultural origins of the profession, the attendant variances in how work is organized and distinctions in equality and gender roles. The aim of this paper is to examine the quest for equality in architecture for women in the UK and Spain reporting the findings of a comparative study into women architects’ careers in the two countries. Within the qualitative paradigm, semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with a total of 55 women architects in the UK and Spain. Findings indicate surprising differences in levels and terms of equality for women in the two countries and marked differences in women’s experiences of working as an architect. Women have come to the profession in Spain much later than their British counterparts and, somewhat surprisingly, are present in greater numbers. However, despite there being more of a ‘critical mass’ this has not served to improve their situation; they report much higher levels of discrimination and find it difficult to progress in their careers. Conclusions argue for a stronger approach by the professional bodies to help improve the position of women.     

Characterization of GPVI- or GPVI-CD39-Coated Nanoparticles and Their Impact on In Vitro Thrombus Formation

Traditional antithrombotic agents commonly share a therapy-limiting side effect, as they increase the overall systemic bleeding risk. A novel approach for targeted antithrombotic therapy is nanoparticles. In other therapeutic fields, nanoparticles have enabled site-specific delivery with low levels of toxicity and side effects. Here, we paired nanotechnology with an established dimeric glycoprotein VI-Fc (GPVI-Fc) and a GPVI-CD39 fusion protein, thereby combining site-specific delivery and new antithrombotic drugs. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, NP-BSA, NP-GPVI and NP-GPVI-CD39 were characterized through electron microscopy, atomic force measurements and flow cytometry. Light transmission aggregometry enabled analysis of platelet aggregation. Thrombus formation was observed through flow chamber experiments. NP-GPVI and NP-GPVI-CD39 displayed a characteristic surface coating pattern. Fluorescence properties were identical amongst all samples. NP-GPVI and NP-GPVI-CD39 significantly impaired platelet aggregation. Thrombus formation was significantly impaired by NP-GPVI and was particularly impaired by NP-GPVI-CD39. The receptor-coated nanoparticles NP-GPVI and the bifunctional molecule NP-GPVI-CD39 demonstrated significant inhibition of in vitro thrombus formation. Consequently, the nanoparticle-mediated antithrombotic effect of GPVI-Fc, as well as GPVI-CD39, and an additive impact of CD39 was confirmed. In conclusion, NP-GPVI and NP-GPVI-CD39 may serve as a promising foundation for a novel therapeutic approach regarding targeted antithrombotic therapy.     

Filling the gap between Continuous and Discrete Time Dynamics of Autoregressive Processes

Discretization of continuous time autoregressive (AR) processes driven by a Brownian motion and embedding of discrete time AR sequences driven by a Gaussian white noise are classical issues. The article aims at establishing and using such discretization and embedding formulae between extended AR continuous time processes and discrete time sequences. The continuous-time processes are driven by either Brownian or jump processes, and may have random coefficients depending on time; Lévy-driven processes are also considered. The innovation of the discrete time processes may be of many types – including Gaussian. In one way, observing the continuous time AR process at discrete times leads the AR dynamics of the discretized process to be characterized. The other way round, AR sequences can be embedded, in the almost sure sense, into continuous time AR processes with the same dynamics. Illustration is provided through many examples and simulation.     

Statewide investigation of the role of pyrethroid pesticides in sediment toxicity in California's urban waterways

A statewide investigation of urban creek sediment toxicity was conducted in California in recognition of increased incidences of toxicity linked to pyrethroid pesticides. The goals were to examine the spatial occurrence and magnitude of sediment toxicity in California urban creeks, and to examine the role of pyrethroids in toxic urban creek sediment samples. After a preliminary screening of 90 sites, 30 creeks were sampled in eight geographical regions. Sediment toxicity was assessed using 10 day bioassays with the resident amphipod Hyalella azteca. Bioassays were conducted at two test temperatures of 23 degrees C and at 15 degrees C to provide evidence of the cause of toxicity, and to more accurately reflect ambient environmental temperatures. Twenty-five of 30 samples were toxic when tested at 23 degrees C, and all 30 samples were toxic when tested at 15 degrees C. The magnitude of toxicity increased in samples tested at 15 degrees C suggesting the influence of pyrethroids, which are more toxic at colder temperatures. Pyrethroids were present in all sediment samples and were the only compounds detected at concentrations toxic to H. azteca. Bifenthrin was the pyrethroid of greatest toxicological concern, occurring in all 30 samples at concentrations up to 219 ng/g. Pyrethroid contamination of urban creeks was most severe in the Los Angeles, Central Valley, and San Diego regions, respectively. However, pyrethroids were also linked to urban creek aquatic toxicity in all regions sampled, including the less urbanized areas of the North Coast and Lake Tahoe.     

Horizontal Dip‐Spin Casting of aqueous alumina‐polyvinylpyrrolidone suspensions with chopped fiber

A novel ceramic processing method, called Horizontal Dip Spin Casting (HDSC), enabled fabrication of tubular ceramic parts with an aligned chopped fiber phase. HDSC was demonstrated using highly loaded aqueous alumina suspensions with >50 vol.% solids loading and ≤5 vol.% water‐soluble polymer employed as a rheological modifier. Chopped carbon fibers were added to the suspensions to attain maximum loadings of 30 vol.%. During forming, cylindrical foam molds were dipped into the suspension while being rotated radially about the long axis. Simultaneously, a doctor blade was placed at a specified distance from the foam surface to facilitate the flow of the suspension to align the fiber and control the thickness of the material that accrued on the mold. Rheological study of alumina‐PVP suspensions with and without chopped carbon fiber showed that the suspensions exhibited a yield‐pseudoplastic flow behavior. The degree of alignment of the carbon fiber phase in the green bodies was characterized for various suspension formulations, carbon fiber contents and forming speeds. Stereological characterization of green body specimens confirmed the effectiveness of HDSC to attain the desired tubular geometry with considerable fiber alignment for a suspension composition containing ≤20 vol.% chopped fibers.     

An adaptive clinical decision support system for serving the elderly with chronic diseases in healthcare industry

With the increasing ageing population worldwide, providing effective nursing care planning in nursing homes is important in meeting the expectations of elderly patients and in streamlining the healthcare information process, hence maintaining high‐quality services. Instead of the traditional manual nursing care planning formulation based on expert experience and subjective judgement, this paper describes an adaptive decision support system, namely, the cloud‐based nursing care planning system, to enable decision making in formulating nursing care strategies. By integrating cloud computing technology and the case‐based reasoning (CBR) technique, medical records and documents pertaining to the elderly can be captured in real time, whereas appropriate treatment plans based on past similar treatment records can be formulated. However, the current case adaptation processes in CBR rely on domain experts to modify retrieved cases, which may not satisfy the needs of the elderly. Therefore, text mining is integrated in the case adaptation process of CBR for extracting up‐to‐date medical information from the Internet so that its efficiency can be improved. By conducting a pilot study in a nursing home, it was shown that the time for formulating applicable treatment plans for elderly patients can be reduced, and the service satisfaction level can be enhanced.