High seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at one of three captive cervid facilities in Texas

Free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginanus) across the United States are increasingly recognized as involved in SARS-CoV-2 transmission cycles. Through a cross-sectional study of 80 deer at three captive cervid facilities in central and southern Texas, we provide evidence of 34 of 36 (94.4%) white-tailed deer at a single captive cervid facility seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 by neutralization assay (PRNT90), with endpoint titers as high as 1280. In contrast, all tested white-tailed deer and axis deer (Axis axis) at two other captive cervid facilities were seronegative, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in respiratory swabs from deer at any of the three facilities. These data support transmission among captive deer that cannot be explained by human contact for each infected animal, as only a subset of the seropositive does had direct human contact. The facility seroprevalence was more than double of that reported from wild deer, suggesting that the confined environment may facilitate transmission. Further exploration of captive cervids and other managed animals for their role in the epizootiology of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for understanding impacts on animal health and the potential for spillback transmission to humans or other animal taxa.

Mitigate SIR epidemic spreading via contact blocking in temporal networks

Progress has been made in how to suppress epidemic spreading on temporal networks via blocking all contacts of targeted nodes or node pairs. In this work, we develop contact blocking strategies that remove a fraction of contacts from a temporal (time evolving) human contact network to mitigate the spread of a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered epidemic. We define the probability that a contact c(i, j, t) is removed as a function of a given centrality metric of the corresponding link l(i, j) in the aggregated network and the time t of the contact. The aggregated network captures the number of contacts between each node pair. A set of 12 link centrality metrics have been proposed and each centrality metric leads to a unique contact removal strategy. These strategies together with a baseline strategy (random removal) are evaluated in empirical contact networks via the average prevalence, the peak prevalence and the time to reach the peak prevalence. We find that the epidemic spreading can be mitigated the best when contacts between node pairs that have fewer contacts and early contacts are more likely to be removed. A strategy tends to perform better when the average number contacts removed from each node pair varies less. The aggregated pruned network resulted from the best contact removal strategy tends to have a large largest eigenvalue, a large modularity and probably a small largest connected component size.

A Case Study of Material Selection Method Based on Engineering and Material Perception Applied to the Smartphone Rear Panel

Smartphones were launched in the market as a product in the early 2000’s. Today, less than 20 years later, the smartphone has become one of the most frequently used devices for human contact. The market is saturated, and competition between products has intensified, and it is not difficult to find products that are culled. To be selected by consumers, product differentiation must be outstanding, which is not easy when the basic technology is standardized. Currently, competition in the fields of cameras and displays is intensifying, but it is expected that advanced technology will become commonplace in the near future. There are several ways to increase the competitiveness and differentiation of a product, for example, by considering the technical aspects, or making the personality of the product unique. Consumers communicate with products through materials. The process and selection of materials suitable for the design requirements of a product is a very important component in competitive product manufacturing. The final material selection is performed by dividing the design requirements into function, constraints, personality, objectives, and supporting information aspects, and the selecting materials suitable for each stage. By capturing the overall concept as a function, the processes of selecting materials that meet the constraints, determining the type of material that matches the personality, and using the objectives to obtain the top-ranked materials, the final material suitable for all conditions can be selected by referring to supporting information from the top-ranked materials.

Disconnect to Connect to Different Age Group Customers

The present study aimed to identify the inabilities of service firms to connect to different age group customers whilst the era of smart technologies. Despite various service innovations customer services seem to be worsening across the world. It is imperative to understand different age group customers' experiences while using smart technologies to address current customer strategies and practices in the service sector. The study adopted the CIT method to collect participants’ experiences who were using smart technologies in various service settings. The study indicates that how staff and top management personnel of service firms are using smart technologies as a shield to avoid human contact with their customers presently. Additionally, the study highlights the relevance of people, empathy, and interactive marketing practices for improving services even in the era of smart technologies. It means that service firms should connect more and more customers through various smart technologies but get themselves disconnected from these technologies to keep a direct human interaction.

The Role of the Government in Environmental Sustainability During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak and its global spread through human-to-human contact have made it even more important to analyze the environmental effects. The higher the population, the higher the energy usage, the higher amount of carbon emissions, and the faster the environmental degradation. Having a high-quality environment is important for people to protect themselves from infection. During the lockdowns, city residents could benefit from the environment. Shutdowns contributed not only to break the chain of infections but also to the development of the environment and ecosystems. Due to the great cuts in transportation and industrial sectors, air and water pollution levels have come down, and nature has started to reassert itself. In this process, governments have a great role to fight the pandemic and protect the environment. In this chapter, environmental sustainability and the role of governments during the pandemic will be analyzed. Also, the viable solutions for environmental sustainability that can be provided by the governments will be put forth.

Emerging Washable Textronics for Imminent E-Waste Mitigation: Strategies, Reliability, and Perspective

The desire for close human contact with electronic components for portable sensing, energy harvesting, and healthcare has sparked massive advances in wearable textile electronic (textronic) technology. Hierarchical textile assemblies (yarn/fibers,...

Natural knowledge of Smart bioinformatics to reduce tasks without added value or human contact in a pandemic

The goal this article about use Natural knowledge of bioinformatics and digitalization is that the use of technological innovations within the business context with a major influence on product, services, business processes, sales channels, and supply channels. The associated potential advantages include, among others, increased sales or productivity, innovations in price creation, and new sorts of client interaction. Global enterprises are facing supply chain issues, consequently potentially higher operational costs, lower inventory and the prospects of lower demand will be reluctant to disburse resources and time to connect in M&A and financing activities, predominantly if valuations of targets remain high. Digitalization of supply chain (SC) could be a way that companies can start to strategize and accomplish trade strength against supply chain disturbance. Main focus of this chapter: Digitalization enhances prosperity, Digitalization will alter labor markets, Digitalization impacts business models, Factors influencing digitalization in SC, Impediments of digitalization in SC etc.

Unguided computer-assisted self-help interventions without human contact in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Computer-assisted treatment may reduce therapist contact and costs and promote client participation. However, there are no updated review about the efficacy and acceptability of an unguided computer-assisted therapy without human contact in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OBJECTIVE This meta-analysis examined the efficacy and acceptability of an unguided computer-assisted therapy without human contact in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) compared to a waiting list or attention placebo. METHODS We conducted a search on PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov (7/28/2021), as well as the reference lists of the included studies. The primary outcomes were short-term improvement of OCD symptoms measured by validated scales and dropout for any reason. RESULTS We included 11 randomized controlled trials with a total of 983 participants. The results indicated that unguided computer-assisted self-help therapy was significantly more effective than a waiting list or psychological placebo (standard mean difference, −0.47; 95% CI, −0.73 to −0.22, 659 participants). The intervention was significantly less acceptable than control in terms of dropout for any reason (Risk Ratio, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.21 to 3.23; 11 studies, 983 participants). However, the quality of evidence was very low because of the risk of bias and inconsistent results among the included studies. The subgroup analysis showed that exposure response prevention and an intervention duration of over 4 weeks strengthen the efficacy. Only a few studies have examined the interaction between participants and systems, and no study has used gamification. Most researchers only used text-based interventions, and no study has used a mobile device. CONCLUSIONS Unguided computer-assisted therapy without human contact in patients with OCD were more effective but less acceptable compared to a waiting list or attention placebo. However, efficacy and acceptability may be influenced by factors such as the type of intervention and duration. Future studies should examine these as well as other factors including gamification and interaction. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO CRD42021264644

A Pusher and a Clip Applied to Hind Paws Under Isoflurane Sedation to Evaluate Neuropathic Pain in a CCI Model

: Rodent behavior assessments have been developed to evaluate pain. However, their fidgety activity and reactivity to human contact make it hard to activate animals in a consistent manner and get uniform and trustworthy responses. The present study was performed on prairie voles (aged 8 weeks). Sham (7 male prairie voles) and chronic constriction injury (CCI) (8 male prairie voles) rodents were investigated before surgery and four and seven days later. Each animal was assessed for nociceptive behavior. Pressure and mechanical threshold tests were conducted by the application of three different pushers to the center of hind paws and arterial clips to the toes while sedated with isoflurane. The CCI affected right lower extremity prominently increased nociceptive behavior scores four and seven days after the experiment, and the CCI affected right hind paw prominently decreased pressure and mechanical threshold tests four and seven days after the experiment . The pressure and mechanical thresholds were relevant to the scorings of nociceptive behavior in CCI model animals.