scholarly journals Quantitative SARS-CoV-2 tracking of variants Delta, Delta plus, Kappa and Beta in wastewater by allele-specific RT-qPCR

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Lin Lee ◽  
Xiaoqiong Gu ◽  
Federica Armas ◽  
Franciscus Chandra ◽  
Hongjie Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Principles ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The World ◽  
Allele Specific ◽  
Alpha Variant ◽  
Viral Titers

The Delta (B.1.617.2) variant has caused major devastation in India and other countries around the world. First detected in October 2020, it has now spread to more than 100 countries, prompting WHO to declare it as a global variant of concern (VOC). The Delta (B.1.617.2), Delta plus (B.1.617.2.1) and Kappa (B.1.617.1) variants are all sub-lineages of the original B.1.617 variant. Prior to the inception of B.1.617, vaccine rollout, safe-distancing and timely lockdowns greatly reduced COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. However, the Delta variant, allegedly more infectious and for which existing vaccines seemed less effective, has catalyzed the resurgence of cases. Therefore, there is an imperative need for increased surveillance of the B.1.617 variants. Efforts have been made to utilize wastewater-based surveillance for community-based tracking of SARS-CoV-2 variants, however wastewater with its low SARS-CoV-2 viral titers and mixtures of viral variants, requires assays to be variant-specific yet accurately quantitative for meaningful interpretation. Following on the design principles of our previous assays for the Alpha variant, here we report allele-specific RT-qPCR assays targeting mutations T19R, D80A, K417N, T478K and E484Q, for quantitative detection and discrimination of the Delta, Delta plus, Kappa and Beta variants in wastewater. This method is open-sourced and can be implemented using commercially available RT-qPCR protocols, and would be an important tool for tracking the spread of B.1.617 and the Beta variants in communities.

scholarly journals Quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in wastewater through allele-specific RT-qPCR

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Lin Lee ◽  
Xiaoqiong Gu ◽  
Federica Armas ◽  
Fuqing Wu ◽  
Franciscus Chandra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Immune Evasion ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Qpcr Assay ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Control ◽  
The World ◽  
Allele Specific

On November 26, 2021, the B.1.1.529 COVID-19 variant was named as the Omicron variant of concern. Reports of higher transmissibility and potential immune evasion triggered flight bans and heightened health control measures across the world to stem its distribution. Wastewater-based surveillance has demonstrated to be a useful complement for community-based tracking of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Using design principles of our previous assays that detect SARS-CoV-2 variants (Alpha and Delta), here we report an allele-specific RT-qPCR assay that simultaneously targets mutations Q493R, G496S and Q498R for quantitative detection of the Omicron variant in wastewater. This method is open-sourced and can be implemented using commercially available RT-qPCR protocols, and would be an important tool for tracking the spread and introduction of the Omicron variant in communities for informed public health responses.

scholarly journals Psychological impact in the time of COVID-19: A cross-sectional population survey study during confinement

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910532098558
Author(s):  
Carmina Castellano-Tejedor ◽  
María Torres-Serrano ◽  
Andrés Cencerrado
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Population Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Psychological Interventions ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Young Females ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

The transformation that COVID-19 has brought upon the world is unparalleled. The impact on mental health is equally unprecedented and yet unexplored in depth. An online-based survey was administered to 413 community-based adults during COVID-19 confinement to explore psychological impact and identify high risk profiles. Young females concerned about the future, expressing high COVID-related distress, already following psychological therapy and suffering from pre-existing chronic conditions, were those at highest risk of psychological impact due to the COVID-19 situation. Findings could be employed to design tailored psychological interventions in the early stages of the outbreak to avoid the onset/exacerbation of psychopathology.

scholarly journals Increasing Outreach and Expanding Inclusion: Community-Based Educational Gerontology

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 540-540
Author(s):  
Jennifer Sasser
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Interest Group ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Creative Design ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Educational Pathways ◽  
Educational Gerontology

Abstract Gerontologists have the opportunity to step into an increasingly significant role as public educators who convene gatherings focused on expanding aging awareness and literacy, inter-generational inquiry and collaboration, and age inclusion, equity and justice. The purpose of this presentation is to share creative design principles and keen take-aways from several ongoing community-based educational interventions connected to these themes. As well, we will discuss the role such public-facing initiatives might play in making a compelling case for the importance of supporting and participating in various kinds of formal educational pathways in the field of aging. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Community College Interest Group.

scholarly journals Quantitative SARS-CoV-2 Alpha Variant B.1.1.7 Tracking in Wastewater by Allele-Specific RT-qPCR

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Lin Lee ◽  
Maxim Imakaev ◽  
Federica Armas ◽  
Kyle A. McElroy ◽  
Xiaoqiong Gu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allele Specific ◽  
Alpha Variant

scholarly journals Effect of Delta variant on viral burden and vaccine effectiveness against new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koen B. Pouwels ◽  
Emma Pritchard ◽  
Philippa C. Matthews ◽  
Nicole Stoesser ◽  
David W. Eyre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Infection ◽  
Absolute Difference ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Symptomatic Infection ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Viral Burden ◽  
Alpha Variant ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Prior Infection ◽  
Similar Peak

AbstractThe effectiveness of the BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 vaccines against new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections requires continuous re-evaluation, given the increasingly dominant B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of these vaccines in a large, community-based survey of randomly selected households across the United Kingdom. We found that the effectiveness of BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 against infections (new polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive cases) with symptoms or high viral burden is reduced with the B.1.617.2 variant (absolute difference of 10–13% for BNT162b2 and 16% for ChAdOx1) compared to the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant. The effectiveness of two doses remains at least as great as protection afforded by prior natural infection. The dynamics of immunity after second doses differed significantly between BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1, with greater initial effectiveness against new PCR-positive cases but faster declines in protection against high viral burden and symptomatic infection with BNT162b2. There was no evidence that effectiveness varied by dosing interval, but protection was higher in vaccinated individuals after a prior infection and in younger adults. With B.1.617.2, infections occurring after two vaccinations had similar peak viral burden as those in unvaccinated individuals. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination still reduces new infections, but effectiveness and attenuation of peak viral burden are reduced with B.1.617.2.

scholarly journals Movable Possessions: alternative housing through adaptable design

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Vernacular Architecture ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Adaptable Design ◽  
Alternative Housing ◽  
The World

Poor communities around the world have developed architecture without architects. Subsidized low-income housing has been built as if to provide only a shortterm solution. Poverty and lack of affordable housing is not a short-term problem but an ongoing issue that demands creative adaptable solutions for a changing world. Adaptable architecture is essential for the redesign of affordable housing that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. In order to mend the broken bond between lower-incomes and the architectural quality of space, this design research strives to both defend and produce affordable architectural alternatives to housing through the use of adaptable design principles and strategies found within Barbados’ Vernacular Architecture, the Chattel house.

Social Work in the Anthropocene

2021 ◽  
pp. 241-254
Author(s):  
Jim Ife
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
World View ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Western Modernity ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
The World ◽  
And Control

The reality of the Anthropocene hangs over our heads as we enter the 2020s. Humanity is facing multiple crises, and it has become clear that political and government structures are incapable of dealing with them adequately and equitably. We are seeing the erosion of the liberal democratic state and its institutions, the appeal of populism, mistrust both of politicians and of political institutions, and powerful interests responding by increasing surveillance, secrecy, and control. The Anthropocene also challenges the anthropocentrism that has been taken for granted in the world view of Western modernity, but is proving to be unsustainable and indeed harmful to human and non-human flourishing. This presents a new set of challenges for social work, if it is to remain relevant to the needs of the society, and also to remain true to its value base. This chapter argues that social work needs to explore and adopt theory/practice that is community-based, political, anarchistic, decolonised, matriarchal, and grounded in an ecological epistemology that is both Indigenous and post-human.

Introducing the Data Quality Vocabulary (DQV)

Semantic Web ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-97
Author(s):  
Riccardo Albertoni ◽  
Antoine Isaac
Keyword(s):  
World Wide Web ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Metadata Model ◽  
The World ◽  
The Web

The Data Quality Vocabulary (DQV) provides a metadata model for expressing data quality. DQV was developed by the Data on the Web Best Practice (DWBP) Working Group of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) between 2013 and 2017. This paper aims at providing a deeper understanding of DQV. It introduces its key design principles, components, and the main discussion points that have been raised in the process of designing it. The paper compares DQV with previous quality documentation vocabularies and demonstrates the early uptake of DQV by collecting tools, papers, projects that have exploited and extended DQV.

Restoring the Mauri of Oruarangi Creek

2003 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mills
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Management Process ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Riparian Management ◽  
Community Based Programs ◽  
The World ◽  
Key Aspects

In recognition of the societal and cultural values of ecological restoration several community-based programs have been developed throughout the world. In particular those with interests in the field of freshwater and riparian management have developed numerous programs to encourage community involvement in their management. While each of these programs gives de facto recognition to an ethos typically espoused by indigenous peoples, the concerns, values and localised knowledge of indigenous peoples continues to remain excluded from the management process. In documenting key aspects of the proposed restoration of Oruarangi Creek this paper aims to provide an example of how the concerns, values and knowledge of local indigenous communities can form a major component of the restoration process.

Learning Portals as New Academic Spaces

2011 ◽  
pp. 1422-1428
Author(s):  
Katy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Models Of Teaching ◽  
Collaborative Community ◽  
Management Function ◽  
The World ◽  
Teaching Learning

Many functional definitions emphasize a portal as an integrated system providing a gateway to organized data (c.f., Batson, 2000; Copeland, 2001; Eisler, 2001; Looney & Lyman, 2000). However, a learning portal may go beyond the information management function to provide important mechanisms for reaching out to new populations of learners and engaging them in new ways to facilitate learning and development. Beyond serving as a gateway and an organizer, a portal can provide access to a broader range of contemporary information and learning resources (experts, teachers, researchers, mentors), encourage enriched interaction with those resources and with other learners anywhere in the world, and support new models of teaching, learning and research. Ultimately, a collaborative, community-based process of designing and implementing a portal may support institutions in reorienting towards a user-centered learning community.

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