scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 Infection: New Molecular, Phylogenetic, and Pathogenetic Insights. Efficacy of Current Vaccines and the Potential Risk of Variants

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Charles Rotondo ◽  
Fernanda Martini ◽  
Martina Maritati ◽  
Chiara Mazziotta ◽  
Giulia Di Mauro ◽  
...  

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly discovered coronavirus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 has rapidly become a public health emergency of international concern. Although remarkable scientific achievements have been reached since the beginning of the pandemic, the knowledge behind this novel coronavirus, in terms of molecular and pathogenic characteristics and zoonotic potential, is still relatively limited. Today, there is a vaccine, or rather several vaccines, which, for the first time in the history of highly contagious infectious diseases that have plagued mankind, has been manufactured in just one year. Currently, four vaccines are licensed by regulatory agencies, and they use RNA or viral vector technologies. The positive effects of the vaccination campaign are being felt in many parts of the world, but the disappearance of this new infection is still far from being a reality, as it is also threatened by the presence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants that could undermine the effectiveness of the vaccine, hampering the immunization control efforts. Indeed, the current findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 is adapting to transmission in humans more efficiently, while further divergence from the initial archetype should be considered. In this review, we aimed to provide a collection of the current knowledge regarding the molecular, phylogenetic, and pathogenetic insights into SARS-CoV-2. The most recent findings obtained with respect to the impact of novel emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as the development and implementation of vaccines are highlighted.

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 191-210
Author(s):  
Julieta Paredes

This article analyzes the impact that neoliberal policies have on women and sets out the epistemological fracture that communitarian feminism produces in Western feminism.  We discuss the circumstances in which, for the first time in the history of Bolivian public policies for women, a Plan de las Mujeres emerges from within women’s social organizations. This article also offers the conceptual frame that guides such a Plan, which relies on five categories or fields of direct action that help us in defending ourselves from a market that has put our very lives on sale. These categories are our bodies, our space, our time, our memory, and the movements that we are able to articulate.Este trabajo analiza el impacto de las políticas neoliberales en la vida de las mujeres y expone el rompimiento epistemológico que el feminismo comunitario produce en el feminismo occidental.  Se discuten las circunstancias en las que, por primera vez en la historia de las políticas públicas para las mujeres en Bolivia, surge un Plan desde la base y las experiencias de las organizaciones sociales de mujeres.  El trabajo presenta el marco conceptual que orienta este Plan de las Mujeres y que descansa en cinco categorías o campos de acción directa que nos ayudan a defendernos de un mercado que puso en venta nuestras propias vidas.  Estas categorías son: nuestros cuerpos, nuestro espacio, nuestro tiempo, nuestra memoria y los movimientos que articulamos.


2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 613-620
Author(s):  
Mustafa Amdani, Dr. Swaroopa Chakole

BACKGROUND The expanse of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 is huge. The impact is multispectral and affected almost all aspects of human life. SUMMARY Respiratory impact of the COVID-19 is the most felt and widely reported impact. As the novel coronavirus maintained its history of affecting lungs as seen previously in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. Ventilators and oxygen support system are required mostly in comorbid patients particularly amongpatientsbearing illnesses like asthma, bronchial impairment and so on. CONCLUSION More study needs to be done in order to assess the impact on the respiratory functioning of the body. Respiratory care must be including proper instruments so that more efficient result can be obtained. Research is needed to promote the invention of specific therapy for targeted action for respiratory functioning improvement.


Kardiologiia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 36-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Yu. Sedykh ◽  
A. N. Kazantsev ◽  
R. S. Tarasov ◽  
V. V. Kashtalap ◽  
A. N. Volkov ◽  
...  

Purpose. Determination of clinical and instrumental predictors of progressive course of multifocal atherosclerosis (MFA) in patients one year after myocardial infarction (MI), initially having hemodynamically insignificant stenoses of carotid arteries.Materials and methods. From database of patients with acute coronary syndrome treated in the Kemerovo Regional Clinical Cardiac Dispensary in 2009–2010 we selected for this study 141 patients with verified diagnosis of MI and hemodynamically insignificant lesions in the internal carotid artery (ICA) (stenosis up ≤ 55 %). All patients had coronary atherosclerosis verified on coronary angiography at admission because of MI. A multivariate analysis of possible predictors of the progressive course of multifocal atherosclerosis was made based on assessment of the development of cardiovascular complications (CVC) (death, MI, stroke and transient cerebral circulatory attacks [TIA]), as well as revascularizations and negative dynamics of parameters of color duplex scanning (CDS) of ICA during one year after MI. Results. One year after MI the overall incidence of CVC was 16.3 % (n=23). Structure of registered events was as follows: death from MI 7.1 % (n=10), deaths from stroke 2.1 % (n=3) and other causes 2.1 % (n=3), non-fatal MI 5.0 % (n=7), non-fatal stroke / TIA 2.1 % (n=3), carotid revascularization 2.8 % (n=4), coronary revascularization 14.9 % (n=21). CDC of ICAs was repeated in 125 patients. There were 17 (13.6 %) cases of progression of carotid atherosclerosis in the form of de novo bilateral stenoses in 14 (11.2 %) patients, stenoses in the left and right ICA 1 patient and 2 patients, respectively. The following predictors of progression of atherosclerosis of cerebral arteries were identified: family history of cardiovascular diseases (CVD),ICA stenosis ≥45 %, baseline circular atherosclerotic plaque (ASP). Predictors of high risk of stroke were family history of CVD, history of stroke,ICA stenosis ≥45 %, heterogeneous hypoechoic ASP. As predictors of lethal outcome, we identified history of MI, high functional class of angina preceding the index MI, severe coronary vascular bed involvement (SYNTAX score >23), presence of any bilateral atherosclerotic lesion in ICAs, and heterogeneous hypoechoic ASP. Assessment of the contribution of adherence to therapy in the prognosis 1 year after hospital discharge was fulfilled in 125 alive patients. It allowed to conclude that patients with progression of atherosclerosis and nonfatal CVC were characterized by insufficient adherence to standard therapy.Conclusion. Predictors of the progressive course of multifocal atherosclerosis during one year after MI were identified in this study. It is necessary to strengthen therapeutic and preventive measures aimed at minimization of the impact of these factors in this category of patients.   


Author(s):  
D.V. Budianskyi

The characteristic features of I. Kavaleridze’s drama is considered in the article. It is noted that there are signs of the artist’s individuality, attraction to expressionist forms, artistic techniques characteristic for the art of sculpture: symbolism, monumentality, hyperbole. I. Kavaleridze was well versed in the drama laws, understood the specifics of the stage events construction, had a large arsenal of literary means, thanks to which the characters’ monologues and dialogues were extremely expressive and colorful. In his work, he implemented original solutions that were ahead of time. Therefore, many of the artist’s ideas and achievements received due recognition only after his death. I. Kavaleridze’s creative heritage covers a wide range of both purely artistic and general philosophical problems. Among them the formation of the era of modernism and its features in the Ukrainian art of the early XX century, the impact of revolutionary ideas on the work of the 1920s, the role of spiritual leaders of the Ukrainian people T. Shevchenko and G. Skovoroda in the formation of national consciousness, political and ideological pressure on figurative art language and the formation of a socialist-realist canon, etc. The analysis of the productions of I. Kavalerizde’s plays “The First Furrow” and “Gregory and Paraskeva” on the stage of the Mykhailo Shchepkin Sumy Theater of Drama and Musical Comedy in 1970-1972. The article notes that these plays were staged in Sumy for the first time in the history of Ukrainian theater. The premiere of “The First Furrow” (the play was called “Old Men”) took place on March 19, 1970. The figure of the national genius Hryhoriy Skov oroda was als o embodied for the first time on t he stage in Sumy in th e play “Hryhoriy and Paraskeva”. It premiered on October 21, 1972. I. Rybchynsky, Honored Artist of the USSR, performed the production. Creating generalized historical outlines of people’s life, features of life at that time, depicting psychological portraits of people in various, sometimes-dramatic collisions, in the productions of I. Kavaleridze’s plays on the Sumy stage the emphasis was on universal values such as virtue, love. The main character was the Ukrainian people, who nurtured such large-scale historical figures, gave them strength and wisdom for great achievements. Based on publications in periodicals of that time, memoirs of Ukrainian directors, the peculiarities of the director’s interpretation, stenographic and musical design of these plays on the Sumy stage are considered. Considerable attention is paid to the analysis of acting works in I. Kavaleridze’s plays. In particular, the peculiarities of the actor’s embodiment of the image of the national genius Hryhoriy Skovoroda on the stage are presented. It is noted that I. Kavaleridze’s plays, created in a difficult political, social and ideological context, are rightly considered to be highly artistic works of Ukrainian drama. Their staging was carried out on various theatrical stages, including Mykhailo Shchepkin Sumy Theater of Drama and Musical Comedy is an important page of national theatrical art.


2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 156-157
Author(s):  
Petru Sandu ◽  
◽  
Maria Aluaș ◽  
Răzvan M. Cherecheș ◽  
◽  
...  

"Besides its undoubtable significant contribution to morbidity and mortality worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has had numerous political, social, economic, and public health implications. Vaccination, an already long debated public health ethics theme, has reoccurred in force, as the efforts of the scientific community to curb the pandemic resulted in a viable vaccine less than one year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. High-level, international negotiations dictated states’ COVID-19 vaccine availability in the first few months, therefore each national Government had to develop and deploy vaccination campaigns prioritizing certain population categories. This paper aims to present Romanian COVID-19 vaccination campaign, from its inception to the present days, by focusing on the ethical considerations (e.g. prioritization, coercion, non-discrimination) and their practical implications ( e.g. vaccination hesitancy, rates, fake news). Like most countries in the European Community, Romania has initially adopted a Rawlsian approach to vaccination, prioritizing the older adults and the individuals with chronic conditions. However, unlike other European countries, coercion was not considered in any form (e.g. extended mobility facilities for the vaccinated), more recently incentives such as food vouchers being discussed. The impact of these decisions on the vaccination rates and hesitancy are discussed in the context of other European countries examples of vaccination campaigns. "


2019 ◽  
Vol 630 ◽  
pp. A91 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Alday ◽  
C. F. Wilson ◽  
P. G. J. Irwin ◽  
K. S. Olsen ◽  
L. Baggio ◽  
...  

Oxygen isotope ratios provide important constraints on the history of the Martian volatile system, revealing the impact of several processes that might fractionate them, such as atmospheric loss into space or interaction with the surface. We report infrared measurements of the Martian atmosphere obtained with the mid-infrared channel (MIR) of the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS), onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. Absorption lines of the three main oxygen isotopologues of water vapour (H216O, H218O, and H217O) observed in the transmission spectra allow, for the first time, the measurement of vertical profiles of the 18O/16O and 17O/16O ratios in atmospheric water vapour. The observed ratios are enriched with respect to Earth-like values (δ18O = 200 ± 80‰ and δ17O = 230 ± 110‰ corresponding to the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water). The vertical structure of these ratios does not appear to show significant evidence of altitudinal variations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 190 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kálmán Könyves ◽  
John David ◽  
Alastair Culham

Abstract Hoop-petticoat daffodils are a morphologically congruent group comprised of two distinct lineages in molecular phylogenetic trees of Narcissus. It is possible that the morphological similarity is a product of both historic and current low-level gene flow between these lineages. For the first time, we report population sampling from across the entire range of distribution covering the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. In total, 455 samples were collected from 59 populations. Plastid DNA sequences of matK and ndhF were generated alongside 11 microsatellite loci to permit comparison between plastid and nuclear lineage histories. The plastid DNA phylogenetic tree was highly congruent with previous molecular studies and supported the recognition of these two lineages of hoop-petticoat daffodils as separate sections. Assignment of samples to sections sometimes differed between plastid DNA and (nuclear) microsatellite data. In these cases, the taxa had previously been the focus of dissent in taxonomic placement based on morphology. These discrepancies could be explained by hybridization and introgression among the two lineages during the evolution of hoop-petticoat daffodils, and shows that placement of species in sections is dependent on the source of data used. This study underlines the complex evolutionary history of Narcissus and highlights the discrepancies between floral morphology and phylogeny, which provides a continuing challenge for the systematics of Narcissus.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Fregel ◽  
Alejandra C Ordóñez ◽  
Javier G Serrano

Abstract The establishment of European colonies across the world had important demographic consequences because it brought together diverse and distant civilizations for the first time. One clear example of this phenomenon is observed in the Canary Islands. The modern Canarian population is mainly the result of the admixture of natives of North African origin and European colonizers. However, additional migratory flows reached the islands due to the importation of enslaved Africans to cultivate sugarcane and the intense commercial contact with the American continent. In this review, we evaluate how the genetic analysis of indigenous, historical, and current populations has provided a glimpse into the Canary Islands’ complex genetic composition. We show that each island subpopulation’s characterization is needed to fully disentangle the demographic history of the Canarian archipelago. Finally, we discuss what research avenues remain to be explored to improve our knowledge of the impact that the European colonization had on its native population.


ARTMargins ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-118
Author(s):  
Terry Smith

Change in the history of art has many causes, but one often overlooked by art historical institutions is the complex, unequal set of relationships that subsist between art centers and peripheries. These take many forms, from powerful penetration of peripheral art by the subjects, styles and modes of the relevant center, through accommodation to this penetration to various degrees and kinds of resistance to it. Mapping these relationships should be a major task for art historians, especially those committed to tracing the reception of works of art and the dissemination of ideas about art. This lecture, delivered by Nicos Hadjinicolaou in 1982, outlines a “political art geography” approach to these challenges, and demonstrates it by exploring four settings: the commissioning of paintings commemorating key battles during the Greek War of Independence; the changes in Diego Rivera's style on his return to Mexico from Paris in the 1920s; the impact on certain Mexican artists in the 1960s of “hard edge” painting from the United States; and the differences between Socialist Realism in Moscow and in the Soviet Republics of Asia during the mid-twentieth century. The lecture is here translated into English for the first time and is introduced by Terry Smith, who relates it to its author's long-term art historical quest, as previously pursued in his book Art History and Class Struggle (1973).


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (11_suppl3) ◽  
pp. 2325967114S0018
Author(s):  
Ceyda Sarıal ◽  
Abdulhamıt Tayfur ◽  
Beyza Kap ◽  
Dılara Donder ◽  
Ozum Melıs Ertuzun ◽  
...  

Objectives: To investigate the impact of having previous history of inversion ankle sprain on balance tests in adolescent volleyball players. Methods: Fourty-five adolescent volleyball players with mean age of 15.26±1.03 participated in our study. Twenty-nine were uninjured (control group) and sixteen had previously experienced inversion injuries on right ankle. 9 players had the injury more than than one year ago and 7 players had it before six to twelf months. Balancing abilities were evaluated by Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and Single Limb Hurdle Test (SLHT). The fact that players with history of injury had the ankle sprain at right foot led us to perform the measurements in the control group also for the right foot. We compared the results of injured and uninjured players on both tests. Results: Uninjured players' reaching distance on right foot was found out to be significantly more than in players with ankle sprain at medial and posteromedial directions of SEBT(p<.05), whereas there were no differences detected for the other directions (p>.05). For comparing athletes' performances with SLHT, finishing time was found significantly better in uninjured players (p<.05). Conclusion: Adolescent volleyball players with history of injury show lower performance on balance tests compared to uninjured players. This demonstrates that they should be given a training including balance and stabilization programs.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document