The Effect of COVID 19 Pandemic on ClinicalPractices and Education in Cukurova University Faculty of Dentistry

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the strategy of Cukurova University Faculty of Dentistry in clinicalmanagement and education during COVID 19 pandemic and report the effects of the coronavirus outbreak that affectedthe whole world. Methods:The number of patients, income and expenditure rates were compared between March-November 2019 andMarch-November 2020. The effect of COVID 19 pandemic on education was evaluated by comparing the preclinical andclinical course methods and assessment-evaluation methods before and during the pandemic period. Comparisons weremade considering the theoretical and the practical training, feedback and student evaluation methods. Results:The number of patients and income levels in March 2020 was approximately 50% of the income in March 2019.A dramatic decrease was observed in the number of patients and income-expense levels in April and May. Althoughnormalization has started by October 2020, clinics have been working with a performance of approximately 40%compared to 2019. Cukurova University Faculty of Dentistry does the online dental training using Microsoft Teams.Practical applications are thought using videos and photographs. Feedback is important in practical training. For thisreason, students are asked to prepare a powerpoint presentation with pictures taken in a pre-determined format andsubmit the presentation through the software. The lecturer gives feedback using the Microsoft Teams program. Onlineexams (multiple choice, structured open ended or oral) are conducted using the same software. Conclusion:Cukurova University, Faculty of Dentistry is affected by COVID 19 pandemic. However, the minimal impactof COVID 19 pandemic has been targeted. Therefore, the effective clinical arrangements and rapid adaptation to thedistance learning was needed. Pandemic gave us a new vision for dental practices which will be used in the postpandemic period and help us reconsider our previous working habits.

Metabolic activity in cryopreserved and grafted ovarian tissue using high-resolution respirometry

Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue followed by transplantation represents a strategy to restore ovarian function and fertility. Stress from cryopreservation-thawing processes can lead to alterations and/or damage to mitochondrial structure and functionality. High resolution respirometry and histological analysis were used to evaluate the effect of cryopreservation and transplantation on ovarian tissue. Four different conditions were performed: Fresh non-transplanted tissue, Fresh transplanted tissue, Cryopreserved non-transplanted tissue and Cryopreserved transplanted tissue. All groups were able to respond to the substrates-uncoupler-inhibitor protocol. We found a dramatic decrease in general oxygen consumption in hemi-ovaries submitted to cryopreservation and/or transplantation. The effect of cryopreservation on mitochondrial metabolism was less intense than effect of transplantation, since the transplantation affected all of the mitochondrial states. A total of 2644 follicles were analyzed. Of these, 2198 were classified as morphologically normal. The percentage of morphologically normal follicles was significantly lower in the Cryopreserved transplanted group when compared to the Cryopreserved non-transplanted group and the Fresh transplanted group (p-value < 0.05). Despite decreased follicular viability and mitochondrial activity, the cryopreservation followed by transplantation of ovarian tissue proved feasible for attempts to restore ovarian function.

Enhanced bulk photovoltaic effect in two-dimensional ferroelectric CuInP2S6

The photocurrent generation in photovoltaics relies essentially on the interface of p-n junction or Schottky barrier with the photoelectric efficiency constrained by the Shockley-Queisser limit. The recent progress has shown a promising route to surpass this limit via the bulk photovoltaic effect for crystals without inversion symmetry. Here we report the bulk photovoltaic effect in two-dimensional ferroelectric CuInP2S6 with enhanced photocurrent density by two orders of magnitude higher than conventional bulk ferroelectric perovskite oxides. The bulk photovoltaic effect is inherently associated to the room-temperature polar ordering in two-dimensional CuInP2S6. We also demonstrate a crossover from two-dimensional to three-dimensional bulk photovoltaic effect with the observation of a dramatic decrease in photocurrent density when the thickness of the two-dimensional material exceeds the free path length at around 40 nm. This work spotlights the potential application of ultrathin two-dimensional ferroelectric materials for the third-generation photovoltaic cells.

From the History of Studying the Traditional Culture of the Terek Cossacks: Vladimir Vasilyevich Kikot

Статья посвящена забытому ныне краеведу и собирателю Владимиру Васильевичу Кикотю, осуществлявшему сбор фольклорно-этнографического материала в Терской области по специальной программе Кавказского учебного округа. Записи В. В. Кикотя и его практика изучения традиционной культуры терских казаков крайне востребованы сегодня, когда многие аспекты духовного наследия терского казачества оказались утраченными в ходе социальных потрясений и этнополитических конфликтов, драматических потерь русского населения Северного Кавказа в ХХ в. Материалы, собранные учителем и опубликованные в «Сборнике материалов для описания местностей и племен Кавказа», носят во многом любительский, описательный характер; автор не задумывается над смыслом упоминаемых явлений народной культуры, смотрит порой на них с позиции интеллигентного учителя как на «суеверия», «предрассудки», «пережитки», «невежество». Однако его сведения позволяют сегодня проследить динамику развития традиционной культуры русского старожильческого населения на Тереке, уточнить географию распространения ее элементов, степень вовлеченности в контактную зону русско-кавказского культурного пограничья. This article is devoted to the now forgotten local historian and collector Vladimir Vasilyevich Kikot, who gathered folklore and ethnographic material in the Tersk Region under a special program of the Caucasian Educational District. Kikot’s recordings and his practice of studying the traditional culture of the Terek Cossacks are very much in demand today, since many aspects of the spiritual heritage of the Terek Cossacks have been lost due to social upheavals, ethnopolitical conflicts, and the dramatic decrease of the Russian population of the North Caucasus in the twentieth century. The materials Kikot collected and published in the “Collection of Materials for Describing the Localities and Tribes of the Caucasus” are largely amateur and descriptive in nature and the author does not consider the meaning of the phenomena of folk culture. He sometimes looks at them as “superstitions,” “prejudices,” “remnants,” and “ignorance.” The information he amassed, however, allows us to trace the development of the traditional culture of Russian oldtimers on the Terek River, to clarify the geography and distribution of its elements, and to assess its degree of involvement in the contact zone of the Russian-Caucasian cultural borderland.

HIV reprograms host m6Am RNA methylome by viral Vpr protein-mediated degradation of PCIF1

N6,2′-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am) is an abundant RNA modification located adjacent to the 5′-end of the mRNA 7-methylguanosine (m7G) cap structure. m6A methylation on 2′-O-methylated A at the 5′-ends of mRNAs is catalyzed by the methyltransferase Phosphorylated CTD Interacting Factor 1 (PCIF1). The role of m6Am and the function of PCIF1 in regulating host–pathogens interactions are unknown. Here, we investigate the dynamics and reprogramming of the host m6Am RNA methylome during HIV infection. We show that HIV infection induces a dramatic decrease in m6Am of cellular mRNAs. By using PCIF1 depleted T cells, we identify 2237 m6Am genes and 854 are affected by HIV infection. Strikingly, we find that PCIF1 methyltransferase function restricts HIV replication. Further mechanism studies show that HIV viral protein R (Vpr) interacts with PCIF1 and induces PCIF1 ubiquitination and degradation. Among the m6Am genes, we find that PCIF1 inhibits HIV infection by enhancing a transcription factor ETS1 (ETS Proto-Oncogene 1, transcription factor) stability that binds HIV promoter to regulate viral transcription. Altogether, our study discovers the role of PCIF1 in HIV–host interactions, identifies m6Am modified genes in T cells which are affected by viral infection, and reveals how HIV regulates host RNA epitranscriptomics through PCIF1 degradation.

COVID-19-related travel restrictions temporarily reduced the demand for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in France

Due to travel restrictions, a dramatic decrease of rabies post-exposure demand was observed in 2020 in the Ile-de-France region. The recovery of international travels may lead to a rebound in rabies exposures. This risk need to be anticipated and prevention messages delivered to people travelling to rabies-enzootic countries.

Performance and Durability of the Zr-Doped CaO Sorbent under Cyclic Carbonation–Decarbonation at Different Operating Parameters

The effect of cyclic carbonation–decarbonation operating parameters on Zr-doped CaO sorbent CO2 uptake capacity evolution is examined. It is revealed that the capacity steady state value increases with the decrease in the carbonation temperature, CO2 concentration in the gas flow upon carbonation and with the increase in the heating rate from the carbonation to the decarbonation stages. The rise in decarbonation temperature leads to a dramatic decrease in the sorbent performance. It is found that if carbonation occurs at 630 °C in the gas flow containing 15 vol.% CO2 and decarbonation is carried out at 742 °C, the sorbent shows the highest values of the initial and steady state CO2 uptake capacity, namely, 10.7 mmol/g and 9.4 mmol/g, respectively.

Mass Balance Sensitivity and Future Projections of Rabots Glaciär, Sweden

Glacier mass balance is heavily influenced by climate, with responses of individual glaciers to various climate parameters varying greatly. In northern Sweden, Rabots Glaciär’s mass balance has decreased since it started being monitored in 1982. To relate Rabots Glaciär’s mass balance to changes in climate, the sensitivity to a range of parameters is computed. Through linear regression of mass balance with temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed and incoming radiation the climate sensitivity is established and projections for future summer mass balance are made. Summer mass balance is primarily sensitive to temperature at −0.31 m w.e. per °C change, while winter mass balance is mainly sensitive to precipitation at 0.94 m w.e. per % change. An estimate using summer temperature sensitivity projects a dramatic decrease in summer mass balance to −3.89 m w.e. for the 2091–2100 period under climate scenario RCP8.5. With large increases in temperature anticipated for the next century, more complex modelling studies of the relationship between climate and glacier mass balance is key to understanding the future development of Rabots Glaciär.

Impact of COVID-19 Related Lockdown on the Frequency of Acute and Oncological Surgeries—Lessons Learned From an Austrian University Hospital

Innsbruck Medical University Hospital, Austria, provides the highest level of care for a region of approximately 1.8 million people. During the early COVID-19 outbreak in spring 2020 surgical activity was drastically reduced with the prime goal of preserving hospital capacities, especially intensive care beds. We conducted a retrospective analysis of surgical activities performed at Innsbruck Medical University Hospital during the lockdown period from March 15 to April 14, 2020 and compared these activities to the same period during the previous 5 years. Total surgical activity was reduced by 65.4% compared to the same period during the previous 5 years (p &lt; 0.001); elective surgeries were reduced by 88.7%, acute surgeries by 35.3% and oncological surgeries by 47.8% compared to the previous 5 years (all p &lt; 0.001). This dramatic decrease in acute and oncological surgeries can most likely be ascribed to the fact that many patients avoided health care facilities because of the strict stay-at-home policy and/or the fear of contracting SARS-CoV-2 in the hospital. In view of future waves, the population should be encouraged to seek medical help for acute symptoms and to attend cancer screening programs.