scholarly journals Nanomedicine for the Diagnosis and Therapy of COVID-19

Author(s):  
Yingruo Wang ◽  
Yuanping Hao ◽  
Shunxin Fa ◽  
Weiping Zheng ◽  
Changqing Yuan ◽  
...  

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemics caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading around the world due to its high infection rate, long incubation period, as well as lack of effective diagnosis and therapy or vaccines, which is tearing global health systems apart. It is an urgent demand for point-of-care diagnosis and effective treatment to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Currently, based on the rapid development of functional materials with unique physicochemical features through advanced fabrication and chemical modification, nanomaterials provide an emerging tool to detect SARS-CoV-2, inhibit the interplay in the virus and host cell interface, and enhance host immune response. In our manuscript, we summarized recent advances of nanomaterials for the diagnosis and therapy of COVID-19. The limitation, current challenges, and perspectives for the nano-diagnosis and nano-therapy of COVID-19 are proposed. The review is expected to enable researchers to understand the effect of nanomaterials for the diagnosis and therapy of COVID-19 and may catalyze breakthroughs in this area.

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 003685042110096
Author(s):  
Yair Y Shaki

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared SARS-CoV-2 a global pandemic, based on a high infection rate and a high case fatality rate (CFR). The combination of these two points led WHO to forecast a high expected mortality rate of approximately 2% of the population. The phenomenon of Simpson’s paradox teaches us that we should be careful when we combine two variables together. Indeed, despite the high mortality rate in several places, this forecast seems to have collapsed. We believe one of the reasons for the erroneous forecasts is that combining the above points ignored a confounding variable – many of the virus carriers are asymptomatic and therefore not diagnosed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Al Jaid Jim ◽  
Ibrahim Rafi ◽  
Md. Sanaullah Chowdhury ◽  
Niloy Sikder ◽  
M. A. Parvez Mahmud ◽  
...  

At present, the whole world is witnessing a horrifying outbreak caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The virus responsible for this disease is called SARS-CoV-2. It affects its victims respiratory system and causes severe lung inflammation, making it harder for them to breathe. The virus is airborne, and so has a high infection rate. Originated in China last December, the virus has spread across seven continents, affecting the population of over 210 countries, making it one of the fiercest pandemics ever recorded. Despite multiple independent and collaborative attempts to develop a vaccine or a cure, an effective solution is yet to come out. While the disease has put the world in a standstill, detecting the positive subjects and isolating them from the others as soon as possible is the only way to minimize its spread. However, many countries are currently experiencing a massive shortage of diagnostic equipment and medical personals. This insufficiency inspired us to work on a computer-based automatic method for the diagnosis of COVID-19. In this paper, we proposed a sequential Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based model to detect COVID-19 through analyzing Computed Tomography (CT) scan images. The model is capable of identifying the disease with almost 92.5% accuracy. We believe the implementation of this model will help the physicians and pathologists all over the world to single out the victims quickly and thus reduce the prevalence of COVID-19.


Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-9
Author(s):  
Gurkan Ozenen

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been essential for some workplaces to stay open. Considering the rapid spread of the virus, interior architectural re-designing of these essential workplaces such as markets, banks, and drugstores is crucial for prevention. The employees, as well as the customers in these workplaces, have a high infection rate. Some precautions need to be taken urgently to prevent the spread of the disease. Some workplaces may have already performed their action plan whereas others have not. OBJECTIVE: Some practical, rapid, and cost-efficient preventive precautions are presented in this paper for employers to take action in their workplaces. METHODS: Two new proposals are advised to be carried out. The contents of these newly designed barriers will be introduced. RESULTS: Some practical and cost-efficient ideas are given within this report. CONCLUSION: All the preventions proposed in this paper are claimed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and may save lives around the country as well as the world.


In many areas of the world there is a geographically localized high incidence of alimentary and bladder cancer in cattle. Studies in western Scotland have demonstrated that this phenomenon is associated with ingestion of bracken fern. However, the affected animals and herds were shown also to have an unusually high infection rate of alimentary papillomas caused by a previously unrecognised bovine papillomavirus (BPV) and that these tumours could undergo malignant transformation. Long-term field and experimental studies were started and indicate that the pathogenesis of the tumours and their relationship to virus infection and food-derived mutagens is complex. Results from these studies, and from cellular and molecular biology experiments, are pre­sented and discussed in the context of recent papillomavirus findings in the human subject.


Author(s):  
Tetyana Jezhyzhanska

In the information society the status of information is changing: this main value of global civilization becomes an important resource of socio- economic, technological and cultural development. The rapid development of virtual technologies and the growing number of Internet users in Ukraine and in the world causes the new challenges to communication of each organization. The book publishers are also obliged to respond to these processes. However, the works devoted directly to publishers’ communication in the modern media space are still lacking in Ukraine. The objective of the article is to clarify peculiarities and conditions of the activities of Ukrainian book publishers in today’s media space which is an important issue today. It is analyzed the literature and sources on this issue and it is ascertained the theoretical and practical possibilities to take into account the trends in the world of modern media in the PR-activity of book publishers. Also the prospects for further scientific study and practical use of PR-communications in the activity of publishers are determined. The analysis of current changes in the modern information space allows us to trace the general tendencies: the new subject and object areas are formed; the number of subjects is expanded; the new formats of interaction within the system of communications of the organization and in society as a whole are created. That means that publishing house’s PR-communications are complicated by the emergence of new elements, such as active audience, social networks as communication channels, promotions on the Internet and others. PR communication in the Internet space is the most effective and inexpensive tool for interaction of publishers with active audiences. Thus, the activation of PR communication in the modern media space is associated with the emergence of the latest information technologies, online media as well as development of Internet. The use of online channels of Internet for communication with the target audience of publishing organizations has certain advantages over traditional media. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the information saturation of media space, which complicates the way of PR-messages of book publishers to the reader.


Author(s):  
Shira Rabinowicz ◽  
Eyal Leshem ◽  
Eli Schwartz

Abstract Background Schistosomiasis in non-immune travellers can cause acute schistosomiasis, a multi-systemic hypersensitivity reaction. Little is known regarding acute schistosomiasis in children. We describe acute schistosomiasis in paediatric travellers and compare them with adult travellers. Methods A retrospective study of paediatric travellers (0–18 years old) diagnosed with schistosomiasis at Sheba Medical Center. Patients’ findings are compared with those of adult travellers from the same travel groups. Results 18 children and 24 adults from five different trips to Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria and Laos were infected (90% of the exposed travellers). The median bathing time of the infected children was 30 minutes (interquartile range 15–30 minutes). The most common presentations were respiratory symptoms in 13 (72%), eosinophilia in 13 (72%) and fever in 11 (61%). Acute illness included a median of 2.5 symptoms. Three children required hospitalization and three were asymptomatic. Fatigue was significantly less common in children compared with similarly exposed adults (33% vs 71%, p = 0.03). Rates of hospitalization and steroid treatment were similar. The median eosinophil count in children was 1045 cells/μL (interquartile range 625–2575), lower than adults [2900 cells/μL (interquartile range 1170-4584)], p = 0.02. Conclusions Children may develop acute schistosomiasis following a short exposure to contaminated freshwater, demonstrating a high infection rate. Severity seems to be similar to adults, although children report fatigue less commonly and show lower eosinophil counts. Disease should be suspected in children with multi-systemic illness and in asymptomatic children with a relevant travel history.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Li ◽  
Yanan Sun ◽  
Lihua Jin ◽  
Xiaohong Qiao ◽  
Cong Li ◽  
...  

With the rapid development of point-of-care (POC) technologies, the improvement of sensitive method featured with fast analysis and affordable devices has become an emerging requirement for the practical application. In...


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1125
Author(s):  
Raluca Nicu ◽  
Florin Ciolacu ◽  
Diana E. Ciolacu

Nanocelluloses (NCs), with their remarkable characteristics, have proven to be one of the most promising “green” materials of our times and have received special attention from researchers in nanomaterials. A diversity of new functional materials with a wide range of biomedical applications has been designed based on the most desirable properties of NCs, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and their special physicochemical properties. In this context and under the pressure of rapid development of this field, it is imperative to synthesize the successes and the new requirements in a comprehensive review. The first part of this work provides a brief review of the characteristics of the NCs (cellulose nanocrystals—CNC, cellulose nanofibrils—CNF, and bacterial nanocellulose—BNC), as well as of the main functional materials based on NCs (hydrogels, nanogels, and nanocomposites). The second part presents an extensive review of research over the past five years on promising pharmaceutical and medical applications of nanocellulose-based materials, which have been discussed in three important areas: drug-delivery systems, materials for wound-healing applications, as well as tissue engineering. Finally, an in-depth assessment of the in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity of NCs-based materials, as well as the challenges related to their biodegradability, is performed.


Author(s):  
DI Zhang ◽  
Liyan Zhang ◽  
Aihua Gong

Abstract As an emerging discipline, disaster nursing is very important in disaster emergency management, but there are few mature practice models and theoretical discussions. In particular, the contribution of nursing staff in disaster emergency has not yet received widespread attention and recognition. After more than ten years of rapid development, China’s disaster nursing has gradually formed a Chinese model and Chinese experience. During the global fight against COVID-19, this article takes the nursing work in disaster emergency rescue as the perspective and briefly describes the development process of disaster nursing in China to introduce the practice and theoretical development of disaster nursing in China to nursing workers around the world. By analyzing the role of Chinese nurses in national disaster emergency response, it provides a reference for global disaster nursing talent capacity building. By sharing the Nightingale spirit of Chinese nurses in disaster emergency, we will show people all over the world the professional value of disaster nursing practitioners and pay tribute to the nursing staff engaged in disaster emergency work.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document