Possible Role for Bacteriophages in the Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019. Since then, the outbreak has grown into a global pandemic, and neither a vaccine nor a treatment for the disease, termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is currently available. The slow translational progress in the field of research suggests that a large number of studies are urgently required. In this context, this review explores the impact of bacteriophages on SARS-CoV-2, especially concerning phage therapy (PT). Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacterial cells. Several studies have confirmed that in addition to their antibacterial abilities, bacteriophages also show antiviral and antifungal properties. It has also been shown that PT is effective for building immunity against viral pathogens by reducing the activation of NF kappa B; additionally, phages produce the antiviral protein phagicin. The Ganges river in India, which originates from the Himalayan range, is known to harbor a large number of bacteriophages, which are released into the river gradually by the melting permafrost. Water from this river has traditionally been considered a therapeutic agent for several diseases. In this review, we hypothesize that the Ganges river may play a therapeutic role in the treatment of COVID-19.

Download Full-text

Role of Phage Therapy in COVID-19 Infection: Future Prospects

10.5772/intechopen.96788 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Amresh Kumar Singh ◽

Vivek Gaur ◽

Ankur Kumar

Keyword(s):

Phage Therapy ◽

Future Prospects ◽

Antiviral Protein ◽

Nf Kappa B ◽

Viral Pathogens ◽

Inflammatory Reactions ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Viral Adsorption ◽

Definite Treatment

The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan City, China, in 2019. After that, the outbreak has grown into a global pandemic and definite treatment for the disease, termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is currently unavailable. The slow translational progress in the field of research suggests that a large number of studies are urgently required for targeted therapy. In this context, this hypothesis explores the role of bacteriophages on SARS-CoV-2, especially concerning phage therapy (PT). Several studies have confirmed that in addition to their antibacterial abilities, phages also show antiviral properties. It has also been shown that PT is effective for building immunity against viral pathogens by reducing the activation of NF kappa B; additionally, phages produce the antiviral protein phagicin. Phages can also induce antiviral immunity by upregulating expression of defensin 2. Phages may protect eukaryotic cells by competing with viral adsorption and viral penetration of cells, virus mediated cell apoptosis as well as replication. Moreover, by inhibiting activation of NF-κB and ROS production, phages can down regulate excessive inflammatory reactions relevant in clinical course of COVID-19. In this chapter, we hypothesize that the PT may play a therapeutic role in the treatment of COVID-19.

Download Full-text

Freshwater, climate change and adaptation in the Ganges River Basin

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2011.065 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 67-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Heather R. Hosterman ◽

Peter G. McCornick ◽

Elizabeth J. Kistin ◽

Bharat Sharma ◽

Luna Bharati

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

River Basin ◽

Water Resource Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Ganges River ◽

Economic Sectors ◽

The Ganges ◽

The Impact ◽

Ganges River Basin ◽

Growth Economic

Climate change is one of the drivers of change in the Ganges River Basin, together with population growth, economic development and water management practices. These changing circumstances have a significant impact on key social and economic sectors of the basin, largely through changes in water quantity, quality and timing of availability. This paper evaluates the impact of water on changing circumstances in three sectors of the Ganges Basin – agriculture, ecosystems and energy. Given the inherent interconnectedness of these core sectors and the cross-cutting impact of changing circumstances on water resources, we argue that adaptation should not be viewed as a separate initiative, but rather as a goal and perspective incorporated into every level of planning and decision making. Adaptation to changing circumstances will need to be closely linked to water resource management and will require significant collaboration across the sectors.

Download Full-text

Analyzing the Impact of Learning Rate in development of the Prediction Model using Artificial Neural Network

Journal of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology ◽

10.51201/jusst/21/06494 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (07) ◽

pp. 121-135

Author(s):

Anil Kumar Bisht ◽

◽

Ravendra Singh ◽

Rakesh Bhutiani ◽

Ashutosh Bhatt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neural Network ◽

Water Quality ◽

Artificial Neural Network ◽

Mean Squared Error ◽

Learning Rate ◽

Ganges River ◽

Squared Error ◽

Artificial Neural ◽

The Ganges ◽

The Impact

Water Quality (WQ) modeling and forecasting are very challenging for water management bodies due to the complex and nonlinear relationship between the parameters responsible for determining water quality. The main focus of this paper is the water quality prediction of the Ganges River by analyzing the impact of one of the critical configuration parameters of a neural network known as the learning rate. The proposed prediction model based on an artificial neural network (ANN) consists of different sets of experiments performed by comparing twelve different training functions against the variation in learning rates. A total of 360 experiments have been conducted on the dataset collected over the period 2001 to 2015 with five stations along the Ganges River in the state of Uttarakhand, India. All experiments have been conducted in MATLAB software. The ANN-based program is written in Matlab’s NN-Toolbox. As input parameters, we have used temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and total coliform. The water quality standard set by the Central Pollution Control Board of India has been used. The performance of the developed model has been calculated based on Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). Trail training function-based artificial neural network models indicate higher predictive accuracy when compared to other models developed using the remaining eleven training functions when the learning rate is set to 0.04. In conclusion, ANN has the ability to efficiently predict the water quality of rivers and the learning rate has a greater impact on the development of such predictive models. So, it is required to be tuned very carefully.

Download Full-text

Navigating the New Retail Landscape

10.1093/oso/9780198868767.001.0001 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alan Treadgold ◽

Jonathan Reynolds

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Business Models ◽

Retail Industry ◽

Drivers Of Change ◽

Economic Crises ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Personal Leadership ◽

Practical Guidance ◽

The Impact ◽

Rapid Emergence

The retail industry globally is in an era of profound, perhaps unprecedented, change, change which has been further accelerated for many by the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic and its attendant health and economic crises. This book is intended to serve as a wide-ranging, robust, practical guide to leaders of enterprises tasked with understanding and delivering success in the new landscape of retailing. Part 1 describes the major directions and drivers of change that define the new global landscape of retailing. Accelerating changes in technology, the rise to prominence globally of internet enabled shoppers and the rapid emergence of entirely new retail enterprises and business models are combining to re-shape the very fundamentals of the retail industry. The new landscape of retailing is unforgiving: success can be achieved more quickly than ever before but failure is equally rapid. Opportunities in the new landscape of retailing are profound, but so too are the challenges. Part 2 discusses the structures, skills and capabilities that retail enterprises will need to be successful in this new landscape and the skills and capabilities required of the leaders of retail enterprises. More than 25 detailed case studies of innovative, successful enterprises internationally and more than one hundred smaller examples, all updated and many new since the first edition, are used to illustrate the themes discussed. Frameworks are presented to provide practical guidance for enterprise leaders to understand and contextualize the nature of change re-shaping retail landscapes globally. Clear guidance is given of the capabilities, skills and perspectives needed at both an enterprise and personal leadership level to deliver success in the new landscape of retailing.

Download Full-text

Theory and Method and the Stakes of a Fragmented Discipline: Or, What Economics Taught Me About the Study of Religion

Journal of the American Academy of Religion ◽

10.1093/jaarel/lfaa060 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Thomas A Lewis

Keyword(s):

Religious Studies ◽

The Public ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Recent Developments ◽

The Common ◽

The Impact ◽

Academic Study

Abstract As a discipline, the academic study of religion is strikingly fragmented, with little engagement or shared criteria of excellence across subfields. Although important recent developments have expanded the traditions and peoples studied as well as the methods used, the current extent of fragmentation limits the impact of this diversification and pluralization. At a moment when the global pandemic is catalyzing profound pressures on our universities and disciplines, this fragmentation makes it difficult to articulate to the public, to non-religious studies colleagues, and to students why the study of religion matters. We therefore too often fall back on platitudes. I argue for a revitalized methods and theories conversation that connects us even as it bears our arguments and disagreements about what we do and how. Courses in methods and theories in the study of religion represent the most viable basis we have for bringing the academic study of religion into the common conversation or argument that constitutes a discipline without sacrificing our pluralism.

Download Full-text

Riding the waves: the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on a national surgical training cohort

Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -) ◽

10.1007/s11845-021-02739-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Orla Hennessy ◽

Amy Lee Fowler ◽

Conor Hennessy ◽

David Brinkman ◽

Aisling Hogan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surgical Training ◽

World Health Organisation ◽

World Health ◽

Training Methods ◽

Viral Spread ◽

Surgical Services ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Surgical Trainees ◽

Secondary Survey ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background The World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic on the 11 March 2020 resulting in implementation of methods to contain viral spread, including curtailment of all elective and non-emergent interventions. Many institutions have experienced changes in rostering practices and redeployment of trainees to non-surgical services. Examinations, study days, courses, and conferences have been cancelled. These changes have the potential to significantly impact the education and training of surgical trainees. Aim To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on training, educational, and operative experiences of Irish surgical trainees. Methods Surgical trainees were surveyed anonymously regarding changes in working and educational practices since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic on 11 March 2020. The survey was circulated in May 2020 to both core and higher RCSI surgical trainees, when restrictions were at level five. Questions included previous and current access to operative sessions as well as operative cases, previous and current educational activities, access to senior-led training, and access to simulation-/practical-based training methods. A repeat survey was carried out in October 2020 when restrictions were at level two. Results Overall, primary and secondary survey response rates were 29% (n = 98/340) and 19.1% (n = 65/340), respectively. At the time of circulation of the second survey, the number of operative sessions attended and cases performed had significantly improved to numbers experienced pre-pandemic (p < 0.0001). Exposure to formal teaching and education sessions returned to pre-COVID levels (p < 0.0001). Initially, 23% of trainees had an examination cancelled; 53% of these trainees have subsequently sat these examinations. Of note 27.7% had courses cancelled, and 97% of these had not been rescheduled. Conclusion Surgical training and education have been significantly impacted in light of COVID-19. This is likely to continue to fluctuate in line with subsequent waves. Significant efforts have to be made to enable trainees to meet educational and operative targets.

Download Full-text

The Fellow’s Perspective: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Fellowship Training and Job Appointment

The American Surgeon ◽

10.1177/00031348211024195 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000313482110241

Author(s):

Adam Truong ◽

Farin Amersi ◽

Van Chau ◽

Taryne Imai

Keyword(s):

Clinical Training ◽

Medical Center ◽

Fellowship Training ◽

Surgical Specialty ◽

Job Interview ◽

Educational Structure ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Procedural Volume ◽

Interview Format ◽

The Impact

Background Fellows have been uniquely affected by the widespread changes in educational structure, mandatory limitations in elective procedural volume, and hiring freezes during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Study Design A voluntary and anonymous survey was distributed to all Graduate Medical Education fellows at a tertiary medical center querying perspectives on clinical and didactic training and job placement. Results A total of 47 of 121 fellows (39%) completed the survey. The majority were in a medical (43%) or surgical specialty (34%) followed by critical care (13%) and procedure-based (11%) fellowships. Approximately 59% of surveyed fellows felt their programs were providing a virtual curriculum that would train them just as well as the in-person curriculum. Twenty-eight (60%) fellows were in their final or only year of training. Of the 25 fellows who were seeking employment, 52% have experienced difficulty in finding a job due to hiring freezes and 40% have encountered challenges with job interview cancellations and changes to virtual interview formats. Conclusion Almost half of surveyed fellows reported an educational deterioration due to COVID-19 and graduating fellows seeking employment felt hindered by both the virtual interview format and widespread hiring freeze. Fellows are both unique and vulnerable as they balance the solidification of clinical training with securing employment during these tumultuous and unprecedented times.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Geopolitical Risks on Tourism Supply in Developing Economies: The Moderating Role of Social Globalization

Journal of Travel Research ◽

10.1177/00472875211004760 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 004728752110047

Author(s):

Giray Gozgor ◽

Marco Chi Keung Lau ◽

Yan Zeng ◽

Cheng Yan ◽

Zhibin Lin

Keyword(s):

Fixed Effects ◽

Capital Investment ◽

Developing Economies ◽

Sustainable Tourism ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The Media ◽

Factor Data ◽

The Impact ◽

Moderating Role ◽

Geopolitical Risks

Capital investment is vital for sustainable tourism growth, particularly in times of geopolitical turmoil. This study examines how tourism investment was influenced by geopolitical risks considering social globalization as a moderating factor. Data were collected from 18 developing economies between 1995 and 2018. The results from the fixed effects and the least squares dummy variable–corrected methods show that the geopolitical risks negatively affect capital investment in tourism, with social globalization playing a moderating role in alleviating the adverse effect. The results were robust to different measures and analyses. The study advances our understanding of sustainable tourism growth amid geopolitical turmoil. Policymakers, especially those from developing economies, are suggested to be vigilant about the media atmosphere of geopolitics and enhancing social globalization as a countermeasure against politically turbulent times. The study also provides implications for alleviating the impact of the global pandemic on tourism investment.

Download Full-text

The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Sustainable Indexes

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041846 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1846 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Helen Chiappini ◽

Gianfranco Vento ◽

Leonardo De Palma

Keyword(s):

Abnormal Returns ◽

Nonparametric Tests ◽

Market Growth ◽

Bear Market ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Screening Strategies ◽

The Usa ◽

Sustainable Investment ◽

Sustainable Investments ◽

The Impact

This paper analyzes the response of sustainable indexes to the pandemic lockdown orders in Europe and the USA, contributing to both the research on the effects of the global pandemic outbreak and the resiliency of sustainable investments under market distress. Our results demonstrate that sustainable indexes were negatively impacted by lockdown orders; however, they did not show statistically significant different abnormal returns compared to traditional indexes. Similarly, our empirical results confirm that sustainable screening strategies (negative, positive, best in class) did not have an influence during such announcements. These results are robust across several model specifications and robustness tests, including nonparametric tests, generalized autoregressive conditionally heteroskedastic (GARCH) estimation of abnormal returns, and alternative events. The findings suggest that investors do not have to pay the price for the investments in sustainable assets when a bear market occurs; consequently, ceteris paribus, these investments appear suitable for financial-first investors. Such results have relevant practical consequences in terms of sustainable investment attractiveness and market growth.

Download Full-text

COVID-19 Pathogenesis: From Molecular Pathway to Vaccine Administration

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines9080903 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 903

Author(s):

Francesco Nappi ◽

Adelaide Iervolino ◽

Sanjeet Singh Avtaar Singh

Keyword(s):

Hospital Setting ◽

Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽

Systemic Response ◽

Respiratory Complications ◽

Thrombotic Risk ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The Impact ◽

Multiple Variants ◽

Roll Out

The Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a global pandemic that has affected millions of people worldwide. The advent of vaccines has permitted some restitution. Aside from the respiratory complications of the infection, there is also a thrombotic risk attributed to both the disease and the vaccine. There are no reliable data for the risk of thromboembolism in SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients managed out of the hospital setting. A literature review was performed to identify the pathophysiological mechanism of thrombosis from the SARS-CoV-2 infection including the role of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme receptors. The impact of the vaccine and likely mechanisms of thrombosis following vaccination were also clarified. Finally, the utility of the vaccines available against the multiple variants is also highlighted. The systemic response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is still relatively poorly understood, but several risk factors have been identified. The roll-out of the vaccines worldwide has also allowed the lifting of lockdown measures and a reduction in the spread of the disease. The experience of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, however, has highlighted the crucial role of epidemiological research and the need for ongoing studies within this field.

Download Full-text