The Global Economy During COVID-19: A Study on Increasing Disparity

COVID-19 has become an ongoing issue in the present business world. The topic raises confusion and debate over many resolved issues. Not only the developing but also developed countries faced the heat-shock of this micro-infectious agent. But the power to regain and cope with the uncertainty has not been the same everywhere. To some extent, the developed nations have been able to tackle the bad days with their enriched resources, manpower and efficient system whereas this has become a total collapse for the developing and underdeveloped nations. Inefficiency and lack of social security have made life unbearable for the general people in these areas. What is the condition of the vaccination program? Whereas it is costly for the developed nations, it has simply become a dream for the developing nations. No one knows when the world will get a hundred per cent population with vaccination. In this paper we will cover these issues also we will take a look at the ravages of the pandemic in both worlds, as well as identifying the amalgamation of reasons behind the terrible second-wave in India and other developing nations.

Crystal structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa FabB C161A, a template for structure-based design for new antibiotics

Background: FabB (3-oxoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] synthase 1) is part of the fatty acid synthesis II pathway found in bacteria and a potential target for antibiotics. The enzyme catalyses the Claisen condensation of malonyl-ACP (acyl carrier protein) with acyl-ACP via an acyl-enzyme intermediate. Here, we report the crystal structure of the intermediate-mimicking Pseudomonas aeruginosa FabB (PaFabB) C161A variant. Methods: His-tagged PaFabB C161A was expressed in E. coli Rosetta DE3 pLysS cells, cleaved by TEV protease and purified using affinity and size exclusion chromatography. Commercial screens were used to identify suitable crystallization conditions which were subsequently improved to obtain well diffracting crystals. Results: We developed a robust and efficient system for recombinant expression of PaFabB C161A. Conditions to obtain well diffracting crystals were established. The crystal structure of PaFabB C161A was solved by molecular replacement at 1.3 Å resolution. Binding site comparison between PaFabB and PaFabF revealed a conserved malonyl binding site but differences in the fatty acid binding channel. Conclusions: The PaFabB C161A crystal structure can be used as a template to facilitate the design of FabB inhibitors.

An Efficient System for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: A Pilot Study

In this paper, we describe an actuator-based EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) virtual assistant system that can be used for the treatment of participants with traumatic memories. EMDR is a psychological therapy designed to treat emotional distress caused by a traumatic event from the past, most frequently in post-traumatic stress disorder treatment. We implemented a system based on video, tactile, and audio actuators which includes an artificial intelligence chatbot, making the system capable of acting autonomously. We tested the system on a sample of 31 participants. Our results showed the efficiency of the EMDR virtual assistant system in reducing anxiety, distress, and negative cognitions and emotions associated with the traumatic memory. There are no such systems reported in the existing literature. Through the present research, we fill this gap by describing a system that can be used by patients with traumatic memories.

Investigation of the Operational and Technological Reliability of the Small-size Internal Threading Process

The article presents the results of research in the direction of improving technological equipment for internal threading of parts in a flexible automated production. Methods for assessing the operational and technological reliability of a flexible manufacturing module (FMM) of thread processing are considered, which can be used as the basis for the developed method of synthesis of its elements. It is proposed to consider the technological system of the flexible manufacturing module (FMM) of thread processing as a system in which transitions from state to state occur under the action of the simplest flows with parameters of the transition probabilities of a continuous Markov chain. The developed mathematical model describing the state of the FMM taking into account the failures of the functioning of its elements, parametric failures, as well as taking into account the recovery after these types of failures, makes it possible to reflect the influence on the operation of the module of the parameters of the flows of failures and restorations of the tool, machine tool, fixture, loading device. The solution of the obtained systems of equations of final probabilities allows for given (or experimentally obtained) intensities of failure streams (functioning and parametric) for FMM threading to obtain the values of the probability of failure-free operation, as well as the probabilities of finding the system in an inoperative state due to corresponding failures. The measures taken make it possible to solve the synthesis problem at the level of structural and layout optimization, so that at the stage of parametric synthesis to determine the elements that are vulnerable according to the developed criterion, the improvement of which will lead to the creation of the most efficient system.

Research on the continuation of mining works in the license perimeter of the Peşteana Nord quarry

Exploitation works at the North Pesteana Quarry is located in areas with mineral energy resources, and contributes to ensuring the country’s energy security, based on an efficient system of supply of primary resources, production, transport, distribution and supply, to ensure food of all consumers in terms of accessibility, availability and affordability of prices, taking into account the evolution of the quality of the environment. The exploitation surface is isolated from the protected area Jiu Corridor ROSCI0045 through the neighborhoods from the eastern limit-the regularization channel of the river Jiu and the villages Balteni, Peșteana Jiu, Cocoreni, Olari and the neighborhoods from the western limit - the villages Valea cu Apa, Pesteana de Jos, Hotaroasa, Urdari. Lignite mining works do not affect the integrity of the protected natural area; by carrying out the works, the artificial barriers between the natural and the anthropic terrain are not created. The paper presents the results of the research undertaken in 2019 through the technical expertise in File no. 14666/3/2017*, Archive of the Bucharest Tribunal [1]. Measures are proposed to prevent, reduce and, where possible, offset significant adverse effects on the environment, including: measures for the protection of water quality, air quality, protection against noise and vibration, in the field of soil and subsoil quality, biodiversity and measures for the rehabilitation of the land for its subsequent use, etc.

Border security and surveillance System using IoT

Security along the international border is a critical process in security assessment; It must be exercised the 24x7. With the advancements in wireless IoT technology, it has become much easier to design, develop and deploy a cost-effective, automatic and efficient system for intrusion detection in the context of surveillance. This paper set up to set up the most efficient surveillance solution, we propose a Border Surveillance Systems and sensitive sites. this surveillance and security system is to detect and track intruders trespassing into the monitoring area along the border, it able which triggers off precocious alerts and valuation necessary for the catch of efficient measurements in case of a threat. Our system is based on the classification of the human gestures drawn from videos envoy by Drones equipped with cameras and sensors in real-time. All accomplished experimentation and acquired results showed the benefit diverted from the use of our system and therefore it enables our soldiers to watch the borders at each and every moment to effectively and at low cost.

A Brief Review on Hydrophobic Modifications of Glycol Chitosan into Amphiphilic Nanoparticles for Enhanced Drug Delivery

Glycol chitosan (GC) is the chitosan derivative that is capable of forming amphiphilic nanoparticles upon structure modifications at the reactive functional amine group on the polymer sugar backbone. Owing to the hydrophilic feature of GC and hydrophobic moieties that can be added to the GC structure, modifiable nanosystems were constructed to entrap poorly soluble drugs, mostly chemotherapeutic agents and several anti-inflammatory, anaesthetic, immunosuppressant, and antifungal drugs for more efficient delivery of the payload to the target site and improving the intended therapeutic effects. This review highlights the various hydrophobic molecules used in the chemical modification of GC to create amphiphilic nanoparticles for hydrophobic drug delivery, along with the summary of their physicochemical criteria and successful therapeutic enhancement achieved with the application of the drug-loaded amphiphiles. The biodegradable, GC-based nanoparticles particularly having the inner hydrophobic core and outer hydrophilic shell are an efficient system for drug entrapment, protection and targeting to improve the bioavailability and safety of the drug, in particular for cancer treatment purposes. The significant drug delivery enhancements achieved by these various hydrophobically-modified GC nanoparticles may provide the insights for their further use in nanomedicine.