Comparing Pregnancy and Childbirth-related Hospital Visits in Arizona Before and During COVID-19 Using Network Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe effect on all facets of human society, including healthcare. One of the primary concerns in healthcare is understanding and mitigating the impact of the pandemic on pregnancy and childbirth. While several studies have looked at challenges such as contract tracing of positive cases, predicting confirmed cases and deaths in individuals and communities, few studies have examined differences in hospitalization and treatment of pregnant mothers and infant care in large populations. In this study, the prevalence and co-occurrence of pregnancy and childbirth-related diagnoses reported in Arizona State hospitals for three sixth-month periods - before COVID-19 (second half of 2019), COVID-19 onset (first half of 2020), and COVID-19 (second half of 2020) are analyzed using network analysis. The results show that there are considerable differences in ego networks of few diagnoses during these time periods warranting further investigation into the causality of such population changes.

The impact of government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic on GDP growth: Does strategy matter?

We analyze whether and to what extent strategies employed by governments to fight the COVID-19 pandemic made a difference for GDP growth developments in 2020. Based on the strength and speed with which governments imposed non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) when confronted with waves of infections we distinguish between countries pursuing an elimination strategy and countries following a suppression / mitigation strategy. For a sample of 44 countries fixed effect panel regression results show that NPI changes conducted by elimination strategy countries had a less severe effect on GDP growth than NPI changes in suppression / mitigation strategy countries: strategy matters. However, this result is sensitive to the countries identified as “elimination countries” and to the sample composition. Moreover, we find that exogenous country characteristics drive the choice of strategy. At the same time our results show that countries successfully applying the elimination strategy achieved better health outcomes than their peers without having to accept lower growth.

Transmembrane Signaling Regulates the Remodeling of the Actin Cytoskeleton:Roles of PKC and Adducin

Members of the conventional protein kinase C (cPKC) family are activated by both DAG and Ca2+ and have been implicated in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Drosophila contains two cPKCs, Pkc53E (Pkc1) and eye-PKC (Pkc2); mutants missing each PKC lead to retinal degeneration. While eye-PKC is critical for the visual signaling, the role of Pkc53E is not known. We identified a photoreceptor-specific isoform of Pkc53E and show Pkc53E-RNAi negatively impacts the actin cytoskeleton of rhabdomeres. Interestingly, Pkc53E-RNAi enhances the degeneration of norpAP24 photoreceptors, suggesting Pkc53E could be activated independently of NorpA/PLCβ4. We further demonstrate that in norpAP24 photoreceptors Plc21C can be activated by Gq, which is responsible for the activation of Pkc53E. We explored whether Pkc53E regulates adducin in Drosophila photoreceptors. Adducin cross-links the actin cytoskeleton to the spectrin network, which is blunted by PKC phosphorylation. Importantly, we observed that phosphorylation of adducin was greatly reduced in a null allele of pkc53E. Downregulation of hts that encodes Drosophila adducin, exerts a more severe effect than Pkc53E-RNAi to impact the actin cytoskeleton. In contrast, overexpression of a mCherry tagged Add2, one of the three Drosophila adducin isoforms, led to the apical expansion of rhabdomeres with overgrowth of the actin cytoskeleton. This phenotype is likely caused by the dominant-negative activity of the tagged Add2 as it also was observed in α-spectrin-RNAi or β-spectrin-RNAi. Interestingly, downregulation of Pkc53E does not suppress the expansion of rhabdomeres during development, but negatively affects the appearance of rhabdomeres in adult photoreceptors. We conclude that Drosophila adducin has two distinct functions: in pupal photoreceptors, it regulates rhabdomere morphogenesis, which is independent of Pkc53E. In adult photoreceptors, it promotes the maintenance of the actin cytoskeleton, which is regulated by Pkc53E in response to the light-induced activation of the PLCβ activity.

Comparisons within the Rice GA 2-Oxidase Gene Family Revealed Three Dominant Paralogs and a Functional Attenuated Gene that Led to the Identification of Four Amino Acid Variants Associated with GA Deactivation Capability

Background GA 2-oxidases (GA2oxs) are involved in regulating GA homeostasis in plants by inactivating bioactive GAs through 2β-hydroxylation. Rice GA2oxs are encoded by a family of 10 genes; some of them have been characterized, but no comprehensive comparisons for all these genes have been conducted. Results Rice plants with nine functional GA2oxs were demonstrated in the present study, and these genes not only were differentially expressed but also revealed various capabilities for GA deactivation based on their height-reducing effects in transgenic plants. Compared to that of wild-type plants, the relative plant height (RPH) of transgenic plants was scored to estimate their reducing effects, and 8.3% to 59.5% RPH was observed. Phylogenetic analysis of class I GA2ox genes revealed two functionally distinct clades in the Poaceae. The OsGA2ox3, 4, and 8 genes belonging to clade A showed the most severe effect (8.3% to 8.7% RPH) on plant height reduction, whereas the OsGA2ox7 gene belonging to clade B showed the least severe effect (59.5% RPH). The clade A OsGA2ox3 gene contained two conserved C186/C194 amino acids that were crucial for enzymatic activity. In the present study, these amino acids were replaced with OsGA2ox7-conserved arginine (C186R) and proline (C194P), respectively, or simultaneously (C186R/C194P) to demonstrate their importance in planta. Another two amino acids, Q220 and Y274, conserved in OsGA2ox3 were substituted with glutamic acid (E) and phenylalanine (F), respectively, or simultaneously to show their significance in planta. In addition, through sequence divergence, RNA expression profile and GA deactivation capability analyses, we proposed that OsGA2ox1, OsGA2ox3 and OsGA2ox6 function as the predominant paralogs in each of their respective classes. Conclusions This study demonstrates rice has nine functional GA2oxs and the class I GA2ox genes are divided into two functionally distinct clades. Among them, the OsGA2ox7 of clade B is a functional attenuated gene and the OsGA2ox1, OsGA2ox3 and OsGA2ox6 are the three predominant paralogs in the family.

COVID-19 as an International Security Threat

After the Cold War a transition occurred in the international relations paradigm, where it was necessary to redefine which was considered as a threat to international security. As a result, human security doctrine was established which suggested that the international security agenda should focus on people and their needs, rather than states. In the globalized and interrelated world, we live nowadays, infectious diseases spread rapidly, and their consequences can be catastrophic. Hence, pandemics should be considered an international security threat. This paper aims to examine the COVID-19 pandemic as such. We discuss the development from international security towards human security, health security as a theoretical framework, the evolution of the pandemic in context of modern international security paradigm and international health security enforcement, and the securitization of the pandemic. In conclusion, based on the evidence presented, it is clear that the COVID-19 has severe effect on the international community, both in human lives and global economic, and has been securitized.

Diabetes With Co-Morbidities Of Covid19 Using Covid19 Lungs Images

Diabetes is a nightmare disease to fight, and it's prevalence of diabetes is been increasing every single day worldwide, India seems recording a high number of cases. As a condition, diabetes can also invite other health problems, COVID-19 being one of them. COVID-19 that's reputed to have emerged out of Wuhan (China) has generated a severe effect on nearly each modern society of the planet. As a result of issues due to this specific wellness catastrophe all around the Earth, that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced it's a international outbreak. COVID-19 is still a state that will get worse with co-morbidities. Researches snare that individuals Afflicted by diabetes Experience with worse results, possess a higher Danger of seriousness, and extended recovery period. In this paper we are trying to study and analyse the impact of covid-19 on the diabetic patients using the lung chest images. This study helps the doctors to understand more about the patients and overcome serious factors. We use Deep Learning methods to study the images and co-morbidities of diabetics with covid-19.

Modelling the Control of the Impact of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) Infestations on Maize Production

In this paper, we propose and analyze a stage-structured mathematical model for modelling the control of the impact of Fall Armyworm infestations on maize production. Preliminary analysis of the model in the vegetative and reproductive stages revealed that the two systems had a unique and positively bounded solution for all time t ≥ 0 . Numerical analysis of the model in both stages under two different cases was also considered: Case 1: different number of the adult moths in the field assumed at t = 0 and Case 2: the existence of exogenous factors that lead to the immigration of adult moths in the field at time t > 0 . The results indicate that the destruction of maize biomass which is accompanied by a decrease in maize plants to an average of 160 and 142 in the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively, was observed to be higher in Case 2 than in Case 1 due to subsequent increase in egg production and density of the caterpillars in first few (10) days after immigration. This severe effect on maize plants caused by the unprecedented number of the pests influenced the extension of the model in both stages to include controls such as pesticides and harvesting. The results further show that the pest was significantly suppressed, resulting in an increase in maize plants to an average of 467 and 443 in vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively.

The economic consequences of Covid in Spain and how to deal with them

Purpose This paper aims to review the economic impact of Covid in Spain and propose policies to deal with them. Design/methodology/approach Not relevant. Findings The pandemic is having a very severe effect, which varies across sectors and regions. Given the severity of the problem, a comprehensive policy strategy is needed. Specific proposals about such a strategy are made, distinguishing between the short and the long run. Originality/value You tell me.

“Skill, drill, and kill”

This paper reports on teachers’ summative assessment experiences at grade seven level in selected primary schools in Chegutu District, Mashonaland West Province in Zimbabwe. The study's purpose was to determine the effect and impact the final, standardised, and high-stakes assessment have on teaching and learning at grade seven level in these primary schools. Using a qualitative research design, we generated data from eight teachers who were purposefully selected from four of the different primary schools found in Zimbabwe (rural, farm, urban, and boarding). Semi-structured interviews, documents, and records analysis were employed as data generation to allow for rich and detailed information from all available sources for this research. This paper presents and discusses the data about teachers’ summative evaluation experiences at grade seven in the Zimbabwean education system. The findings reveal a severe effect and impact of end-of-year grade seven examinations on teachers, instructional practices, the curriculum, the learners, and the education system. It also shows that teachers depend excessively on drilling and repetitious revision practices to meet the standards required and expected by stakeholders. The findings further reveal contradicting responses from teachers on enhancing learners’ performance from drilling and coaching. There emerged from the findings a consensus among teachers on merging formative, continuous, and summative assessment forms. This paper suggests a more balanced and holistic assessment structure at grade seven level that caters to learners' diverse populations and environments in Zimbabwe.

Cardiac MRI to Manage Atrial Fibrillation

AF is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. In addition to the severe effect on quality of life, patients with AF are at higher risk of stroke and mortality. Recent studies have suggested that atrial and ventricular substrate play a major role in the development and maintenance of AF. Cardiac MRI has emerged as a viable tool for interrogating the underlying substrate in AF patients. Its advantage includes localisation and quantification of structural remodelling. Cardiac MRI of the atrial substrate is not only a tool for management and treatment of arrhythmia, but also to individualise the prevention of stroke and major cardiovascular events. This article provides an overview of atrial imaging using cardiac MRI and its clinical implications in the AF population.