Persistence of Antibodies Against Spike Glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 in Healthcare Workers Post Double Dose of BBV-152 and AZD1222 Vaccines

Purpose: We investigated the persistence of the vaccine-induced immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Odisha who received a complete dose of either Covaxin or Covishield vaccine.Methods: This 24-week longitudinal cohort study was conducted from January to July 2021 with participants from 6 healthcare and research facilities of Odisha to understand the dynamicity of the vaccine-induced IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 after the complete dose of vaccines.Results: Serum samples were collected from 614 participants during each follow-up and were tested in two chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CLIA)-based platforms to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies both qualitatively and quantitatively. Among these participants, 308 (50.2%) participants were Covishield recipients and the rest 306 (49.8%) participants took Covaxin. A total of 81 breakthrough cases were recorded and the rest 533 HCWs without any history of postvaccination infection showed significant antibody waning either from T3 (Covaxin recipient) or T4 (Covishield recipient). The production of vaccine-induced IgG antibodies is significantly higher (p < 0.001) in Covishield compared with Covaxin. Covishield recipients produced higher median anti-S IgG titer than Covaxin. No statistically significant differences in antibody titers were observed based on age, gender, comorbidities, and blood groups.Conclusion: This 6-month follow-up study documents a 2-fold and 4-fold decrease in spike antibody titer among Covishield and Covaxin recipients, respectively. The clinical implications of antibody waning after vaccination are not well understood. It also highlights the need for further data to understand the long-term persistence of vaccine-induced antibody and threshold antibody titer required for protection against reinfection.

Practical Tools and Guidelines for Young Oncologists From Resource-Limited Settings to Publish Excellence and Advance Their Career

Cancer research is evolving worldwide. However, publishing high-quality academic literature in oncology remains challenging for authors in the developing world. Young oncologists in low- and middle-income countries experience several barriers including lack of funding and research facilities, as well as inadequate training. Publication best practices, science integrity, and ethics are required to improve oncology research quality and therefore, improve patients' care in these countries. To achieve this goal, we propose some basic principles and tools that may help young oncologists especially in developing countries overcome these issues and boost their academic careers.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Number of Research and Publications-A Review

COVID-19 is having a major effect not only on healthcare delivery systems but also on the science and research sector. The pandemic of COVID-19 immediately closed universities as well as colleges all over the world, amid government orders to adopt social distance, which could help to flatten the transmission curve and decrease the total mortality from the pandemic. Fundamental scientific studies have been especially difficult hit as a result of statewide lockdown restrictions, whilst clinical researchers have encountered similar difficulties as a result of the cessation of medical care and a sudden return to full-time clinical tasks. The number of publications on COVID-19 has rapidly and dramatically increased. This emphasizes the importance of collaborating with other medical research facilities in addition to intra-institute cooperation and collaboration. One method to modify the picture of clinical research is to incorporate additional innovation into the study's design.

Animal Feed from Microalgae Grown on Biogas Digestate as Sustainable Alternative to Imported Soybean Meal

This work investigates the environmental potential to develop a circular economy solution to create benefit from agricultural waste by integrating microalgae technology into the nutrient-rich digestate (NRD) stream from anaerobic digestion plants. Different environmental benefits can be captured by algal uptake of nitrate and the scarce resource phosphorus from biogas digestate. First, unwanted excess nutrients polluting groundwater are reduced and second, the algal animal feed can substitute soybean meal (SM) imported to North-Western Europe (NWE). That allows a decentralised circular bio-economy and avoids deforestation of rainforests due to SM overseas import. Life cycle assessments were conducted based on novel data from engineers in academia and industry, acquired through pilot-scale research facilities in United Kingdom, France, and Belgium. The findings of this study highlight the environmental impacts of three different technologies with varying scales of production and offer recommendations based on sensitive analysis for more sustainable pathways. In this study, a pilot-scale bio-refinery is considered a promising solution to excess nutrients in fertilisers in the NWE and an alternative source for imported SM as an animal feed source, having a comparable environmental footprint.

A Nationwide Survey of Lower Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes in Japan

Introduction: There are some treatment options for lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) such as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), anabolic steroids, hypomethylating agents, and immunosuppressants. The object of this multicenter retrospective study was to survey the current situation about treatment selection and the prognosis of the lower risk MDS cases in Japan. We also evaluated the prognosis of the cases with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) type cells and therapeutic effects of cyclosporine. Methods: We investigated the clinical information in the form of a questionnaire for joint research facilities as to each case of newly diagnosed MDS between 2013 and 2018 corresponding to the lower risk of International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) or revised IPSS (IPSS-R). The diagnosis of MDS was based on WHO 2008 or WHO 2016 classification. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard regression model. This study was approved by the institutional review board of the University of Tokyo and other research facilities. This work was supported by the Research Program of Intractable Disease (the Japanese National Research Group on Idiopathic Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes) provided by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan. Results: 1,304 cases at thirty facilities nationwide were enrolled. Median age was 76 years [IQR, 68 - 83], and male and female ratio was 61.3% and 38.7%. At diagnosis, 19.0% and 4.4% of the cases were dependent on red blood cells and platelets transfusion, respectively. The risk classification of enrolled cases was as follows: very low, 217 (16.6%); low, 652 (50.0%); intermediate, 360 (27.6%); high, 56 (4.3%); very high, 4 (0.3%); not determined, 14 (1.1%). 1,230 cases of the very low, low and intermediate risk groups were included in subsequent analyzes. Serum erythropoietin levels were measured in 466 cases (37.9%) with a median of 61.8 IU/l, and 74.2% and 85.7% cases showed less than 200 IU/l and 500 IU/l, respectively. PNH type cells in the peripheral blood were evaluated in 231 cases and were positive in 33 cases (14.3%). Median follow-up period was 22 months. As an initial therapy, 26.4% and 11.6% of transfusion-dependent and independent cases started to receive ESAs, respectively. 16.6% and 11.5% took oral anabolic hormones, and azacytidine were administered to 17.0% and 7.2% of each group. 55.4% of transfusion-independent cases were just followed up at first. Median overall and acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-free survival was 70.0 months [95% CI, 61.0 - not reached] and 62.0 months [95% CI, 54.0 - 74.0], respectively. Log-rank analysis revealed significant differences among IPSS-R risk groups about overall and AML-free survival (p<0.01 and p<0.01, respectively). Multivariate analysis confirmed that initiating azacytidine at the time of diagnosis conferred an independent significant poor prognostic factor with respect to overall survival (hazard ratio for death, 1.74; p<0.01) and AML-free survival (hazard ratio for death or onset of AML, 1.86; p<0.01) in addition to sex, age, IPSS-R classification, and transfusion-dependency. Comparing thirty-three positive cases of PNH type cells with 198 negative cases, overall and AML-free survival was significantly better in the former group (p<0.01 and p<0.01, respectively). Median overall and AML-free survival were not reached in the positive group and 51.0 months [95% CI, 47.0 - 79.0] and 49.1 months [95% CI, 40.0 - 57.1] in the negative group, respectively. Interestingly, focused on the positive cases, 14 cases receiving cyclosporine revealed better AML-free survival than the others (p=0.033). Overall survival was tended to be better (p=0.052). On the other hand, cyclosporine did not improve the prognosis of the PNH type cells negative cases. It is thought to be consistent with the effectiveness of immunosuppressive therapy in aplastic anemia with PNH type cells. Conclusion: ESAs, anabolic steroids, and azacytidine were frequently selected as an initial treatment for lower risk MDS cases in Japan, however, when to start azacytidine is an issue for consideration. Good response to cyclosporine may be obtained in cases with PNH type cells. Disclosures Masamoto: Eisai Co., Ltd.: Speakers Bureau; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.: Speakers Bureau; ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.: Speakers Bureau; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.: Speakers Bureau; Chugai Pharmaceutical Company: Speakers Bureau; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd.: Speakers Bureau; Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd.: Speakers Bureau; AbbVie GK: Speakers Bureau; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.: Speakers Bureau; SymBio Pharmaceuticals: Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb: Speakers Bureau; MSD K.K.: Speakers Bureau. Miyazaki: Kyowa-Kirin: Honoraria; Sumitomo-Dainippon: Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Nippon-Shinyaku: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; Astellas: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Eisai: Honoraria; Daiichi-Sankyo: Honoraria; Chugai: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria. Mitani: Nippon Shinyaku Co.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; MSD Pharma.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Pfizer Inc.: Speakers Bureau; Celgene Co.: Speakers Bureau; Takeda Pharma.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Kyowa Kirin,: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb: Speakers Bureau; Shire plc: Speakers Bureau; BML Inc: Speakers Bureau; Mochida Parma.: Speakers Bureau; Alexion Pharma.: Speakers Bureau; AbbVie Inc.: Speakers Bureau; Ono Pharma.: Speakers Bureau; Chugai Pharma.: Research Funding; Teijin Pharma.: Research Funding; Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma: Research Funding; Taiho Phama.: Research Funding; Otsuka Pharma.: Research Funding. Kurokawa: Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie GK: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Teijin Limited: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer Japan Inc.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Daiichi Sankyo Company.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Eisai Co., Ltd.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; MSD K.K.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Chugai Pharmaceutical Company: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Astellas Pharma Inc.: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.

Repercussions of Covid-19 crisis on students’ remote learning in Saudi universities

This study aims to identify the positive and negative repercussions of the novel Coronavirus crisis on students’ remote learning in Saudi universities. A descriptive survey method is carried out using a questionnaire and distributed to a cluster sample of 651 undergraduate students. Results reveal the most prominent positive repercussions, which are that the university cares about the learners' safety and health health and places them at the highest priority, review of recorded lectures and investing time. Results also reveal the most prominent negative repercussions, which are students’ concern about their academic conditions, reduced access to teaching and research facilities and laboratories, and large assignments. Statistically significant differences are also found in favour of males, health disciplines, and King Faisal University and University of Hail. Keywords: Repercussions,covid-19, student,remote learning,Saudi universities

Inquiry Into the Temperature Changes of Rock Massif Used in Energy Production in Relation to Season

This research was undertaken to perform and evaluate the temperature measurement in the ground utilized as an energy source with the goal to determine whether significant temperature variations occur in the subsurface during the heating season. The research infrastructure situated on our University campus was used to assess any variations. The observations were made at the so called “Small Research Polygon” that consists of 8 monitoring boreholes (Borehole Heat Exchangers) situated around a borehole used as an energy source. During the heating season, a series of monthly measurements are made in the monitoring boreholes using a distributed temperature system (DTS). Raman back-scattered light is analysed using Optical Frequency Time Domain Reflectometry (OTDR). Our results indicate that no noticeable changes in temperature occur during the heating season. We have observed an influence of long-term variations of the atmospheric conditions up to the depth of a conventional BHE (≈100 m). The resulting uncertainty in related design input parameters (ground thermal conductivity) was evaluated by using a heat production simulation. Production data during one heating season at our research facilities were evaluated against the design of the system. It is possible to construct smaller geothermal installations with appropriate BHE design that will have a minimal impact on the temperature of the surrounding rock mass and the system performance.

The 1918 Influenza Pandemic: Back to the Future?

<b><i>Background:</i></b> It is just over a century since the 1918 flu pandemic, sometimes referred to as the “mother” of pandemics. This brief retrospective of the 1918 pandemic is taken from the viewpoint of the current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic and is based on a short lecture given during the 2021 Virtual Congress of the ERA-EDTA. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> This review summarizes and highlights some of the earlier pandemic’s salient features, some parallels with today, and some potential learnings, bearing in mind that the flu pandemic occurred over 100 years ago at a time of major turmoil during the climax to WWl, and with limited medical expertise and knowledge, research facilities, or well-structured and resourced healthcare services. While there is little or no information on renal complications at the time, or an effective treatment, some observations in relation to COVID-19 and vaccination are included. <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> Lessons are difficult to draw from 1918 other than the importance and value of non-pharmaceutical measures to limit viral transmission. While the economic impact of the 1918 pandemic was significant, as it is now with COVID-19, subsequent economic analysis has shown that protecting public health and preserving economic activity are not mutually exclusive. Both H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2 viruses are neurotropic and may cause chronically debilitating neurological diseases, including conditions such as encephalitis lethargica (still debated) and myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome), respectively. Although coronavirus and influenza viral infections have some similarities, they are certainly not the same, as we are realising, and future infectious pandemics may still surprise us, but being “forewarned is forearmed.”

State Support for Shared Research Facilities: Any Results Yet?

Introduction. The article is based on the findings collected by monitoring the Russian Сore Shared Research Facilities (CSRF) and Large-Scale Research Facilities (LSRF). The monitoring is carried out annually by RIEPL specialists on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. The author suggests that the CSRFs and LSRFs sponsored by the state under the federal target programme Research and Development in Priority Areas of Development in Science and Technology in Russia for 2014-2021 stand to deliver high performance across the key indicators, namely the number of external users, value of the work performed for their benefit, and actual workload on research equipment in the interests of external users. Monitoring Tools. The empirical basis of the study is the reporting data for 2014-2020, obtained from CSRFs and LSRFs representatives through the use of the web forms on the portal http://ckp-rf.ru. Results. In the group of sponsored CSRFs, the high growth rate in the number of external users and the average value of the work completed was due to the expansion of the range of services through the use of equipment purchased under the Federal Target Programme. The growth rate of the actual workload proved to be lower compared to the other groups. In the group of sponsored LSRFs, only the actual workload values showed some growth. The growth rate in the number of external users was lower compared to the non-sponsored facility group; the growth rate in the value of work performed did not change from the 2014 baseline. It is, therefore, concluded that there is a need to abandon the competitive financing of shared use infrastructure in favour of targeted financing. Conclusion. The results may be useful in assessing the state of the Russian research infrastructure and divising guidelines for its continued support.