Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Stability and Infectivity in Oropharyngeal Swab Samples

The reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA and infectious virus particles from patient samples requires a good sample quality. This is especially critical when the sample has to be transported to the analysing laboratory which can take several days. To determine optimal transport conditions, we simulated oropharyngeal swab samples using defined virus amounts and stored the samples at 4 °C or at room temperature for up to four days. Moreover, we analysed the influence of dry swabs in comparison to swabs stored in transport medium. Our results show that care should be taken when analysing samples for infectious SARS-CoV-2 particles since infectivity is strongly influenced by sample storage.

Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Stability and Infectivity in Oropharyngeal Swab Samples

The reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA and infectious virus particles from patient samples requires a good sample quality. This is especially critical when the sample has to be transported to the analysing laboratory which can take several days. To determine optimal transport conditions, we simulated oropharyngeal swab samples using defined virus amounts and stored the samples at 4 °C or at room temperature for up to four days. Moreover, we analysed the influence of dry swabs in comparison to swabs stored in transport medium. Our results show that care should be taken when analysing samples for infectious SARS-CoV-2 particles since infectivity is strongly influenced by sample storage.

Simultaneous Quantification of 25 Fentanyl Derivatives and Metabolites in Oral Fluid by Means of Microextraction on Packed Sorbent and LC–HRMS/MS Analysis

Fentanyl and fentalogs’ intake as drugs of abuse is experiencing a great increase in recent years. For this reason, there are more and more cases in which it is important to recognize and quantify these molecules and related metabolites in biological matrices. Oral fluid (OF) is often used to find out if a subject has recently used a psychoactive substance and if, therefore, the person is still under the effect of psychotropics. Given its difficulty in handling, good sample preparation and the development of instrumental methods for analysis are essential. In this work, an analytical method is proposed for the simultaneous determination of 25 analytes, including fentanyl, several derivatives and metabolites. OF was collected by means of passive drool; sample pretreatment was developed in order to be fast, simple and possibly semi-automated by exploiting microextraction on packed sorbent (MEPS). The analysis was performed by means of LC–HRMS/MS obtaining good identification and quantification of all the analytes in less than 10 min. The proposed method was fully validated according to the Scientific Working Group for Forensic Toxicology (SWGTOX) international guidelines. Good results were obtained in terms of recoveries, matrix effect and sensitivity, showing that this method could represent a useful tool in forensic toxicology. The presented method was successfully applied to the analysis of proficiency test samples.

A Translation of Al-Fuzai’s “Resolution”

Khalil I. Al-Fuzai (1940) is an Arab writer who wrote and published few collections of stories. In his stories, he depicts Arabian society in a simple, clear, and direct way (Dohal 2013). “Resolution” is one of his stories which addresses social issues. I translated this story because it represents a good sample of Al-Fuzai’s literary writing (Dohal 2021 & 2019), telling how a man could be treated at his old age by his children.

A Translation into English of Khalil I. Al-Fuzai’s1 “A Lot of Hands”2

Translating Khalil I. Al-Fuzai’s “A Lot of Hands” aims at what Bhabha calls “cultural communication” (228). In this way, translation reconstructs and introduces the self to other people and nations. In this sense, translation contributes to the concept of identity. Khalil I. Al-Fuzai (1940-today) is a writer from Saudi Arabia who wrote a few collections of stories. In his stories he tries to present his Arabian community in a direct, simple way (Dohal 2013). One of his stories is “A Lot of Hands.” Methodology is a document translation of a story for it is a good sample of what Al-Fuzai has written (Dohal, 2018 & 2019). In addition, it addresses a side of the Arabian culture; this story depicts the abuse and oppression that some children face from their close relatives. Indeed it is about a universal concern.

A TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH OF KHALIL I. AL-FUZAI’S “EURHYTHMICS ON THE PAVEMENT OF DANGER”

Khalil I. Al-Fuzai (1940-) is a man of letters from Saudi Arabia who published few collections of stories. In these stories he tries to introduce his characters in a simple, frank way (see Dohal 2013). One of these stories is “Eurhythmics on the Pavement of Danger.” Here he addresses the issue of journalism. I chose to translate this story for it is a good sample of how Al-Fuzai has connected between journalism and war (see other themes he addresses in Dohal, 2013, 2018 & 2019). Furthermore, it presents some aspects what has happened in 1991; this story has a part of history.

Interviews with Whom?

Chapter 3 considers the principles underlying the selection of an appropriate sample for depth interviewing and the range of strategies available to identify and recruit participants in that sample. Rather than claiming representativeness, as a quantitative researcher might, a depth interviewer aims to select a sample capable of yielding theoretically generalizable insights—an approach called theoretical sampling. Theoretical sampling focuses on finding a variety of participants who are well positioned to reveal the practices, mechanisms, and relationships the research seeks to explain. The chapter then looks at the range of strategies for finding a good sample and deciding whom to include and whom to exclude. Whether the sampling strategy involves recruiting randomly selected participants, snowball sampling, seeking volunteers, or some combination, a good sample contains both the core controls and the built-in comparisons needed to answer the study questions and develop an explanation for the outcomes.

A New TOPSIS Methodology Based on Single-Valued Neutrosophic Numbers for Selection of Suitable Roll Stabilizer Type for Motor Yachts

Selection of a suitable stabilization system for motor yachts is a challenging problem for both owners and designers. Also, this is a good sample of multicriteria decision-making problem that includes many criteria required to be assessed at the same time. The present work aims to propose an extended Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution methodology based on single-valued neutrosophic numbers which represent the uncertainty of real-world applications. A questionnaire was applied to a group of experts who were asked to evaluate four different stabilizer alternatives according to the 15 criteria determined. Evaluations of the experts were analyzed through the proposed methodology, and results were presented and discussed.

Psychological Effects of Peer Tutoring in Mathematics in Primary Education

In this work, a literature review of peer tutoring studies in Elementary Education Mathematics has been carried out. This review has focused only on those studies in which psychological variables are analysed. The main objectives of this work have been to compile these studies, to analyse the influence of peer tutoring at a psychological level on the students and to identify those variables that influence the results obtained (type of tutoring, ages of the participants, duration of the sessions...). The final review is made up of 22 studies. Among the main conclusions obtained from its analysis, it should be noted that 16 of these 22 studies reported important improvements in the psychological variables analysed (73% effectiveness), which is a sign of the potential of this methodology. The psychological variable on which the greatest improvements were detected was that of self-concept (89% of studies with evident improvements). Although the conclusions obtained can give a good sample of the potential of this methodology on a psychological level, a series of limitations are provided in this work to be taken into account. These limitations must be taken into account when analysing these conclusions from a critical perspective.

Population genomics in two cave-obligate invertebrates confirms extremely limited dispersal between caves

Caves offer selective pressures that are distinct from the surface. Organisms that have evolved to exist under these pressures typically exhibit a suite of convergent characteristics, including a loss or reduction of eyes and pigmentation. As a result, cave-obligate taxa, termed troglobionts, are no longer viable on the surface. This circumstance has led to an understanding of highly constrained dispersal capabilities, and the prediction that, in the absence of subterranean connections, extreme genetic divergence between cave populations. An effective test of this model would involve (1) common troglobionts from (2) nearby caves in a cave-dense region, (3) good sample sizes per cave, (4) multiple taxa, and (5) genome-wide characterization. With these criteria in mind, we used RAD-seq to genotype an average of ten individuals of the troglobiotic spider Nesticus barri and the troglobiotic beetle Ptomaphagus hatchi, each from four closely located caves (ranging from 3 to 13 km apart) in the cave-rich southern Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee, USA. Consistent with the hypothesis of highly restricted dispersal, we find that populations from separate caves are indeed highly genetically isolated. Our results support the idea of caves as natural laboratories for the study of parallel evolutionary processes.