scholarly journals A Rapid Screening Test for the Diagnosis of Influenza Infection Incubation Period Using Coincidence Analysis of Pulse Waves

Author(s):  
Po-Ying Chen ◽  
Keng-Chang Tu ◽  
Shyr-Shen Yu ◽  
Wen-Kuan Yeh

Viral infections have long been the biggest threat to human survival, and from a medical perspective, the development of noninvasive high-throughput screening methods that target the incubation period to either treat diseases or limit viral spread would be strikingly effective. Using this technology to target viral incubation periods would also be inexpensive to perform. The current study proposes to transform pulse signals into a rapid diagnostic test using “coincidence analysis” in the hope of preventing or reducing the symptoms of viral infections. The heart plays a critical role in calculating and supplying the needs of all tissues of the body. Pulse waves are pressurized signals in response to heart’s calculations and include all phases of the cardiac cycle, which maintains life and provides energy needed to perform tasks. Any small movement gives a corresponding signal to pulse waves. The current study investigated conclusive data on self-limiting infections, such as common cold. We used pulse wave, coincidence analysis technology to capture signals from individuals with common cold during the incubation period and investigated if particular characteristic signals could be applied to influenza during the incubation period. Preliminary work demonstrated that pulse waves could generate signals using this technology that would be worthwhile for future research. A small amount of analytical data from common cold existed previously. The data structure is based on the idea that a single pulse wave at differing physiological conditions would have slight modifications that would be amplified and presented by various geometrical shapes after extensive data are accumulated. These geometric shapes can then be sliced vertically or horizontally to extract data during different illness stages. The significance of these findings are impressive; from a personal or a public hygiene perspective, this analytical technology provides many benefits, such as rapid and precise decision-making that can be directly visualized or can be analyzed using software programs. Also, this technology also uses futuristic wearable technology that brings practical problem solving to physiology.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Humairah Abd Rahman ◽  
Anatoly Medvedev ◽  
Andrey Yakovlev ◽  
Yon Azwa Sazali ◽  
Bipin Jain ◽  
...  

Abstract With the development of new oil formations and with the advent of new directions in the global energy sector, new requirements for materials for well construction appear. With the close attention to environmental footprint and unique properties, one of the promising materials for well cementing is geopolymers. Being a relatively new material, they are characterized by low carbon footprint, high acid resistance and attractive mechanical properties. This article is aimed at developing new geopolymer slurries for the oil industry, their characterization and field implementation analysis. With the ultimate goal of developing a methodology for the analysis of raw materials and designing the geopolymer slurries, studies were carried out on various raw materials, including different types of fly ash. Based on the data obtained and rapid screening methods, an approach was developed to formulate a geopolymer composition recipe. Since not all cement additives directly work in geopolymers, special attention was paid to control the thickening time and fluid loss. The methods of XRD, XRF, ICP-MS, density, particle size distribution measurements as well as API methods of cement testing were used to understand the composition and structure of the materials obtained, their properties and design limitations. A special approach was applied to study the acid resistance of the materials obtained and to compare with conventional cements and slags. Using one of the most common sources of aluminosilicate, fly ash, formulations with a density of 13.5 – 16.5 lbm/galUS were tested. A sensitivity analysis showed that the type of activator and its composition play a critical role both in the mechanical properties of the final product and in the solidification time and rheological properties of the product. The use of several samples of fly ash, significantly different in composition, made it possible to formulate the basic rules for the design of geopolymers for the oil industry. An analysis was also carried out on 10 different agents for filtration and 7 moderators to find a working formulation for the temperature range up to 100°C. The samples were systematically examined for changes in composition, strength, and acid resistance was previously measured. Despite the emergence of examples of the use of geopolymers in the construction industry and examples of laboratory testing of geopolymers for the oil industry, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no evidence of pumping geopolymers into a well. Our work is an attempt to develop an adaptation of the construction industry knowledge to the unique high pressure, high temperature conditions of the oil and gas industry. The ambitions of this work go far beyond the laboratory tests and involve yard test experiments.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitri Athan Bikos ◽  
Chiachi Hwang ◽  
Kristen A Brileya ◽  
Albert Parker ◽  
Emma Kate Loveday ◽  
...  

Rapid testing methods can identify outbreaks and trigger preventive strategies for slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The gold-standard detection method for SARS-CoV-2 is reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) performed on samples collected using a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab. While NP RT-qPCR provides high sensitivity, it requires trained personnel to administer and suffers from lengthy time-to-result. Recently, the testing community has turned to rapid saliva-based screening methods including saliva-to-RT-qPCR and/or saliva-to-RT-LAMP (reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) to identify infected individuals regardless of symptomatic presentation. Here, we report a simple and rapid RT-LAMP fluorometric assay performed directly on heat-inactivated saliva, without the addition of buffers or proteinase K treatments we call saliva LAMP (SLAMP). Over the course of two days, a total of 243 individuals were tested using NP RT-qPCR, saliva-based qPCR, and saliva-based RT-LAMP. Of the 243 NP RT-qPCR tests, 65 were positive, 178 were negative, and SLAMP demonstrated a 91% sensitivity and 98% specificity. SLAMP sensitivity becomes 95% when samples negative in saliva tests while positive in NP RT-qPCR are excluded from evaluation, potentially indicating significant differences in viral titer between collection sites on the body. SLAMP is performed in triplicates and takes 45 min to run in the laboratory, requiring less technician time and instrument run time than NP RT-qPCR. These results demonstrate that saliva-based RT-LAMP can enable frequent and rapid screening of large numbers of people to identify pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals thereby controlling outbreaks.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e88636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wu ◽  
Limin Zheng ◽  
Hongyan Chen ◽  
Dongsheng Jia ◽  
Fan Li ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Zhi Ji ◽  
Shi-Rui Liu

Abstract Koebner phenomenon refers to the emergence of new psoriatic lesions in the healthy skin regions following an injury/trauma to psoriatic patients. The occurrence of psoriatic lesions at unusual areas of the body regions such as on penis, around eyes and on keloids suggest that the Koebner phenomenon may be responsible for these lesions. A number of agents/triggers have been reported to induce the development of new psoriatic lesions in healthy skin areas and these include, tattooing skin, radiations, skin incision, viral infections and striae etc. The different mechanisms that contribute in inducing the development of new psoriatic lesions as Koebernization include the involvement of mast cell-derived inflammatory mediators such as tryptase, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, and IL-36γ. Moreover, an increased expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) also contribute in Koebernization. Apart from these, there is a critical role of α 2 β1 integrins, S100A7 (psoriasin) and S100A15 (koebnerisin), change in the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells, down-regulation of mechanosensitive polycystin 1 protein, decrease in inflammation controlling atypical chemokine receptor 2 (ACKR2), reduced expression of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs) on the keratinocytes and increase in levels of chemokines (CXCL8 and CCL20) in inducing formation of new psoriatic lesions. The present review discusses the role of Koebner phenomenon in the development of new psoriatic lesions. Moreover, it also describes the mechanisms involved in Koebernization in the form of discussion of different key targets that may be potentially modulated pharmacologically to attenuate/halt the development of new psoriatic lesions.


1964 ◽  
Vol 11 (02) ◽  
pp. 506-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. A Lovric ◽  
J Margolis

SummaryAn adaptation of “kaolin clotting time” and prothrombin time for use on haemolysed capillary blood provided simple and sensitive screening tests suitable for use in infants and children. A survey of three year’s experience shows that these are reliable routine laboratory tests for detection of latent coagulation disorders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (9) ◽  
pp. 38-46
Author(s):  
A. P. Babkin ◽  
A. A. Zuikova ◽  
O. N. Krasnorutskaya ◽  
Yu. A. Kotova ◽  
D. Yu. Bugrimov ◽  
...  

The widespread worldwide spread of acute respiratory diseases is an urgent problem in health care. Expressed polyetiology of respiratory diseases does not allow to limit the use of specific vaccine preparations and dictates the need to use to combat them a variety of non-specific means that stimulate the natural resistance of the human body. The main pharmacological action of sodium deoxyribonucleate is the stimulation of phagocytic activity of T-helpers and T-killers, increasing the functional activity of neutrophils and monocytes/ macrophages, providing regeneration and repair processes in the epithelial component of antiviral protection of the body. Based on the above, the study of the clinical efficacy of Derinat® in the form of spray in the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections is relevant.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 716-722
Author(s):  
Sneha Dhakite ◽  
Sadhana Misar Wajpeyi

The “Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)” is caused by “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)”, a newly discovered member of the Coronaviridae family of viruses which is a highly communicable. There is no effective medical treatment till date for Coronavirus disease hence prevention is the best way to keep disease away. Rasayana proved to be highly efficacious and cost effective for the Prevention and Control of viral infections when vaccines and standard therapies are lacking. Rasayana Chikitsa is one of the eight branches of Ashtanga Ayurveda which helps to maintain healthy life style. Rasayana improves immunity and performs many vital functions of human body. Vyadhikshamatva that is immune mechanism of the body is involved in Prevention of the occurrence of a new disease and it also decreases the virulence and progression of an existing disease. In COVID-19 the Respiratory system mainly get affected which is evident from its symptoms like cold, cough and breathlessness. Here the drugs help in enhancing immune system and strengthening functions of Respiratory system can be useful. For this purpose, the Rasayana like Chyavanprasha, Agastya Haritaki, Pippali Rasayana, Guduchi, Yashtimadhu, Haridra, Ashwagandha, Tulsi are used. Rasayana working on Respiratory system are best for Prevention of Coronavirus and boosting immune system. Rasayana Chikitsa can be effective in the Prevention as well as reducing symptoms of COVID-19.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaimie Krems ◽  
Steven L. Neuberg

Heavier bodies—particularly female bodies—are stigmatized. Such fat stigma is pervasive, painful to experience, and may even facilitate weight gain, thereby perpetuating the obesity-stigma cycle. Leveraging research on functionally distinct forms of fat (deposited on different parts of the body), we propose that body shape plays an important but largely underappreciated role in fat stigma, above and beyond fat amount. Across three samples varying in participant ethnicity (White and Black Americans) and nation (U.S., India), patterns of fat stigma reveal that, as hypothesized, participants differently stigmatized equally-overweight or -obese female targets as a function of target shape, sometimes even more strongly stigmatizing targets with less rather than more body mass. Such findings suggest value in updating our understanding of fat stigma to include body shape and in querying a predominating, but often implicit, theoretical assumption that people simply view all fat as bad (and more fat as worse).


1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 614-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Patick ◽  
K. E. Potts

SUMMARY Currently, there are a number of approved antiviral agents for use in the treatment of viral infections. However, many instances exist in which the use of a second antiviral agent would be beneficial because it would allow the option of either an alternative or a combination therapeutic approach. Accordingly, virus-encoded proteases have emerged as new targets for antiviral intervention. Molecular studies have indicated that viral proteases play a critical role in the life cycle of many viruses by effecting the cleavage of high-molecular-weight viral polyprotein precursors to yield functional products or by catalyzing the processing of the structural proteins necessary for assembly and morphogenesis of virus particles. This review summarizes some of the important general features of virus-encoded proteases and highlights new advances and/or specific challenges that are associated with the research and development of viral protease inhibitors. Specifically, the viral proteases encoded by the herpesvirus, retrovirus, hepatitis C virus, and human rhinovirus families are discussed.


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 348
Author(s):  
Francesco Menzella ◽  
Giulia Ghidoni ◽  
Carla Galeone ◽  
Silvia Capobelli ◽  
Chiara Scelfo ◽  
...  

Viral respiratory infections are recognized risk factors for the loss of control of allergic asthma and the induction of exacerbations, both in adults and children. Severe asthma is more susceptible to virus-induced asthma exacerbations, especially in the presence of high IgE levels. In the course of immune responses to viruses, an initial activation of innate immunity typically occurs and the production of type I and III interferons is essential in the control of viral spread. However, the Th2 inflammatory environment still appears to be protective against viral infections in general and in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections as well. As for now, literature data, although extremely limited and preliminary, show that severe asthma patients treated with biologics don’t have an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or progression to severe forms compared to the non-asthmatic population. Omalizumab, an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, exerts a profound cellular effect, which can stabilize the effector cells, and is becoming much more efficient from the point of view of innate immunity in contrasting respiratory viral infections. In addition to the antiviral effect, clinical efficacy and safety of this biological allow a great improvement in the management of asthma.


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