The Approach of the Exact Sciences and Philosophy Towards the Looming Climate Change Disaster

This paper analyses the attitude of the contemporary philosophy to the problems associated with increasingly radical diagnoses concerning anthropogenic climate changes that may lead the human civilization on Earth to a global catastrophe. One can identify three approaches to this issue in contemporary philosophy: involvement in the breakthrough taking place; evaluation of the change process from an axiological perspective or ignoring the evolving phenomena on the grounds that it is not possible to define them meaningfully from the perspective of theoretical orientations that currently dominate the contemporary philosophy.

Aerosol decontamination and spatial separation using a free-space LED-based UV-C light curtain

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic demonstrated the vulnerability of our societies to aerosol transmitted pathogens. With no less than 260mio known cases and >5mio deaths, SARS-CoV-2 is a global catastrophe leading to human and economic losses unprecedented in recent history. Thus, effective methods to limit the spread of aerosol transmitted pathogens are needed. Universal masking and curfew laws are effective but no permanent solution. Methods: A mass producible LED light source emitting homogeneous parallel UV-C light was used as a light-barrier to block the spread of infectious aerosols. In an aerosol test channel, Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as coronavirus were nebulized and inactivation rates were determined. Findings: With air speeds of 0.1ms-1 an exposure time of 1s in the UV-C light is obtained. Reduction in CFU for E. coli was >3log10 and for S. aureus ~2.8log10. Plug-forming-units of the murine coronavirus (Mouse Hepatitis Virus, MHV) were reduced by about 3log10. Interpretation: The concept of a UV-C light barrier to ward off infectious aerosols if feasible and possible with a light element as described here. Coupled with sensor based activation/deactivation, such a technology could greatly reduce the transmission rates of aerosol transmitted pathogens while not disturbing natural human behaviour. This is an interesting technology allowing a new normal in societies after/with SARS-CoV-2.

Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout during a pandemic

Background: Work-related mental health issues in New Zealand are increasing yearly and impact on how employees are able to cope with day-to-day pressures and work productivity. Work-related mental health issues are especially prevalent during times of great stress such as the coronavirus pandemic. Aim: In this study, the prevalence of compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction were assessed using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale and a range of demographic and descriptive questions. Methods: The ProQOL is a Likert-style survey for those in human- or animal care roles, such as veterinary nurses. It measures compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction, rating the scores as low, moderate, or high risk. The survey was hosted via an online survey website for 6 weeks. Results: The survey received 166 usable responses. The average scores indicated moderate risk for most respondents for compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. Conclusion: This research indicates that New Zealand's veterinary nurses show similar levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction to international results in veterinary nurses assessed prior to the coronavirus pandemic, indicating that New Zealand veterinary nurses coped remarkably well during the global catastrophe.

Crisis Response Framework and Public Policy Response

Covid-19 brought an unprecedented and challenging time all over the globe. With the unpreparedness and lack of awareness regarding the global pandemic, it soon became an international concern. From loss of lives to loss of livelihood, the pandemic had a huge impact on global citizens and various nation-states. Unlike any other crisis, Covid-19 too pushed the government and its people to restructure and reform their framework, especially in the face of such an unprecedentedly adverse situation. This article highlights the need of a crisis response framework and formulation of agile public policy during such a global catastrophe. Taking the novel coronavirus as the epicentre demanding a rapid response formulation of Government of India, the article delineates upon strategic intervention of the government towards Covid-19 and the need of a crisis response framework for the future.

Patterns of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and mortality suggest endemic infections, in addition to space and population factors, shape dynamics across countries

Some countries have been crippled by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic while others have emerged with few infections and fatalities; the factors underscoring this macro-epidemiological variation is one of the mysteries of this global catastrophe. Variation in immune responses influence SARS-CoV-2 transmission and mortality, and factors shaping this variation at the country level, in addition to other socio-ecological drivers, may be important. Here, we construct spatially explicit Bayesian models that combine data on prevalence of endemic diseases and other socio-ecological characteristics to quantify patterns of confirmed deaths and cases across the globe before mass vaccination. We find that the prevalence of parasitic worms, human immunodeficiency virus and malaria play a surprisingly important role in predicting country-level SARS-CoV-2 patterns. When combined with factors such as population density, our models predict 63% (56-67) and 76% (69-81) of confirmed cases and deaths among countries, respectively. While our findings at this macro-scale are necessarily associative, they highlight a need for studies to consider factors, such as infection by other pathogens, on global SARS-CoV-2 dynamics. These relationships are vital for developing countries that already have the highest burden of endemic disease and are becoming the most affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Using MTurk to Capture Change: Tracking Perceptions of COVID-19 in a U.S. sample through the UO-EPIDeMIC Study

The University of Oregon’s “Emotions and Polarization in Decisions & Media in COVID-19” (UO-EPIDeMIC) study tracked perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic from February 17th of 2020 through December 17th of 2020 in a single cohort of 1,284 American Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers. Affect, attitudes, risk perceptions, intentions for protective behaviors, trust in various actors, media usage, and attitudes towards potential solutions were measured throughout the pandemic’s progression. Through six longitudinal waves of surveys, we demonstrate Mturk’s potential as a tool for recruiting high-quality longitudinal cohorts of participants. The data collected through these surveys have been used in various lines of research to learn about how individuals react and adapt to a global catastrophe.

The risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma following SARS-CoV family infection

COVID 19 disease has become a global catastrophe over the past year that has claimed the lives of over two million people around the world. Despite the introduction of vaccines against the disease, there is still a long way to completely eradicate it. There are concerns about the complications following infection with SARS-CoV-2. This research aimed to evaluate the possible correlation between infection with SARS-CoV viruses and cancer in an in-silico study model. To do this, the relevent dataset was selected from GEO database. Identification of differentially expressed genes among defined groups including SARS-CoV, SARS-dORF6, SARS-BatSRBD, and H1N1 were screened where the |Log FC| ≥ 1and p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Later, the pathway enrichment analysis and gene ontology (GO) were used by Enrichr and Shiny GO databases. Evaluation with STRING online was applied to predict the functional interactions of proteins, followed by Cytoscape analysis to identify the master genes. Finally, analysis with GEPIA2 server was carried out to reveal the possible correlation between candidate genes and cancer development. The results showed that the main molecular function of up- and down-regulated genes was “double-stranded RNA binding” and actin-binding, respectively. STRING and Cytoscape analysis presented four genes, PTEN, CREB1, CASP3, and SMAD3 as the key genes involved in cancer development. According to TCGA database results, these four genes were up-regulated notably in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Our findings suggest that pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the most probably malignancy happening after infection with SARS-CoV family.

The Moderating Effect of Attentional Control on the Relationship Between COVID Stress and Generalized Anxiety Symptoms

The recent global pandemic (i.e., COVID-19) has had a serious impact on psychological health, as the stress associated with the pandemic increases the likelihood of developing clinically significant anxiety. Evidence suggests that attentional control may protect those individuals with outcome-specific vulnerabilities from developing maladaptive psychological outcomes. In the present study, attentional control was examined as a moderator of the relation between COVID-19 stress and generalized anxiety symptoms in a community sample ( N = 359 adults). As predicted, the relationship between COVID-19 stress and anxiety was moderated by attentional control. Specifically, as attentional control decreased, the strength of the association between COVID-19 stress and anxiety increased. The results suggest that, among those with higher levels of COVID-19 stress, attentional control may act as a protective factor against developing anxiety. It may be beneficial as a matter of standard public health guidance to recommend that the general public engages in activities that are known to improve attentional control and alleviate emotional distress (e.g., mindfulness-based techniques) at the outset of a pandemic or other global catastrophe to reduce the likelihood that prolonged event-related stress will lead to impairing anxiety.

The mystery of revelation and apocalypse: the content of symbolics

The philosophical, psychological and sociological analysis of the Christian symbol of the Revelation is for the first time in the Ukrainian humanities carried out in the study. Understanding Revelation based on scientific concepts is a very complex problem, however, it is clear that its cause is the lack of the necessary methodology, ignoring the leading trend of world history and spirit i.e. the struggle of impersonal and personal principles of social being. It is proposed to base the study on the concept of four stages of human spiritual development: dependent personality, mediocre personality, mature personality, genius. With the help of Revelation, Christianity rethought the philosophical meaning of the concept of “truth”, which concerned not the material world, but the inner qualities of man. Christianity has come to the conclusion that the question “Who is the truth” is more important to man than the question “What is the truth?” Lack of a philosophical answer to the question “Who is the truth”? led to the dominance of the value judgment “every person is an individual”, which became the philosophical basis of the depersonalized paradigm of human being. Revelation appears as a way out of impersonal being into personal (transcendent), overcoming the fear of personal being, the birth of a spiritual principle in man and as a symbolic beginning of a new – personal – paradigm of being, when the highest values are self-actualization, self-realization and related work. Revelation is not only the birth of a person from an egocentric person, but it is a recognition of the significance of a person in another person. The reasons that prevent the scholars from revealing the meaning of Revelation are analyzed – the mechanisms of psychological protection and fear of personal being. Ignoring the leading trend of the world spirit (the struggle of the impersonal and the personal) and the concept of the four stages of spiritual development of man has led to a decrease in the critical mass of individuals in the human community. Failure to recognize the importance of the idea of personal existence is a crucial ideological cause of the existential vacuum, mental epidemics in the form of hybrid wars, global terrorism and violence against both human nature and nature in general. The modern apocalypse – an anthropological-global catastrophe – is the result of a crisis of impersonal existence and the priority of the material over the spiritual, which is realized by the mediocre person. It is proved that the proposed metaphysical theory of personality meets modern global challenges, opens opportunities for philosophical, psychological and sociological understanding of the causes of the crisis in Ukrainian society and in the human community. It is substantiated that the ideological basis for overcoming the crisis of impersonal existence is the assertion of the priority of the spiritual over the material, the adoption of the ideological law “Personality is the basis of being” and changing the form of determination. Determination of the present must be replaced by determination of the future.