The Impact of COVID-19 on the Size Distribution of New Firms in Turkey

A surge in new firm registrations have been one of the most intriguing outcomes of the economic turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Turkey followed a similar pattern to many other economies that observed an initial drop and a rapid V-shaped recovery of entry when the virus hit the country. However, the size distribution of new firms has been very different. While others experience a strong rise in smaller entrants, larger firms have dominated the pack in Turkey. As a widely-known long-term problem of the Turkish economy, which has been accused of causing the stagnation of growth, miniscule firms have been losing their weight rapidly among the entrants. It revives lost hopes for the future of the economy and also motivates questions regarding the other determinants of such transformation in new firm formation.

Effect of Viscosity on Bouncing Dynamics of Elliptical Footprint Drops on Non-Wettable Ridged Surfaces

An initial drop shape can alter the bouncing dynamics and significantly decrease the residence time on superhydrophobic surfaces. Elliptical footprint drops show asymmetric dynamics owing to a pronounced flow driven by the initial drop shape. However, the fundamental understanding of the effect of viscosity on the asymmetric dynamics has yet to be investigated, although viscous liquid drop impact on textured surfaces is of scientific and industrial importance. Here, the current study focuses on the impact of elliptical footprint drops with various liquid properties (density, surface tension, and viscosity), drop sizes, and impact velocities to study the bouncing dynamics and residence time on non-wettable ridged surfaces numerically by using a volume-of-fluid method. The underlying mechanism behind the variation in residence time is interpreted by analyzing the shape evolution, and the results are discussed in terms of the spreading, retraction, and bouncing. This study provides an insight on possible outcomes of viscous drops impinging on non-wettable surfaces and will help to design the desired spraying devices and macro-textured surfaces under different impact conditions, such as icephobic surfaces for freezing rain or viscous liquids.

International Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean amid the COVID-19 Crisis: A Push for Digitalization?

Remittances constitute a significant safety net for millions of households in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Consequently, changes in international transfers can be a crucial agent of transmission of the COVID-19 induced economic crisis from richer to poorer nations and from urban to rural areas. Relying on data on queries to the search engine Google between December 2018 and July 2021, this study looks at the evolution of demand for in-person versus digital international transfer services and evaluates if take-up rates of different types of service providers trace the initial drop and subsequent rebound of remittances. The recovery of remittances was accompanied by a modest and temporary increase in the interest in digital mechanisms for sending money to home countries, which is accompanied by lower demand for brick-and-mortar service providers.

Modelling of Non-Newtonian Starved Thermal-elastohydrodynamic Lubrication of Heterogeneous Materials in Impact Motion

This study presents a numerical model for the thermal-elastohydrodynamic lubrication of heterogeneous materials in impact motion, in which a rigid ball bounces on a starved non-Newtonian oil-covered plane surface of an elastic semi-infinite heterogeneous solid with inhomogeneous inclusions. The impact–rebound process and the microscopic response of the subsurface inhomogeneous inclusions are investigated. The inclusions are homogenized according to Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion method. The Elrod algorithm is adopted to determine the lubrication starvation based on the solutions of pressure and film thickness, while the lubricant velocity and shear rate of the non-Newtonian lubricant are derived by using the separation flow method. The dynamic response of the cases subjected to constant impact mass, momentum, and energy is discussed to reveal the influence of the initial drop height on the impact–rebound process. The results imply that the inclusion disturbs the subsurface stress field and affects the dynamic response of the contact system when the surface pressure is high. The impact energy is the decisive factor for the stress peak, maximum hydrodynamic force, and restitution coefficient, while the dynamic response during the early approaching process is controlled by the drop height.

Computational analysis of homogeneous nucleation and droplet growth applied to natural gas separators

A natural gas droplet is generated at certain thermodynamic conditions through three stages: supersaturation, where the gas has more molecules than it should have in equilibrium, forming “embryos” of liquid phase; nucleation, where embryos form groups of different shapes and sizes of nanometer order; and the droplet growth, where the number of molecules increases until equilibrium is reached. In this paper, the homogeneous nucleation and droplet growth of natural gas applied to gravitational separators operating at high pressure conditions (7MPa) are analyzed. The results showed that at a high pressure, the initial drop size reached was 8.024 nanometers and the final diameter of the drop was 4.18 micrometers.

Slow oxidation of magnetite nanoparticles elucidates the limits of the Verwey transition

Magnetite (Fe3O4) is of fundamental importance for the Verwey transition near TV = 125 K, below which a complex lattice distortion and electron orders occur. The Verwey transition is suppressed by chemical doping effects giving rise to well-documented first and second-order regimes, but the origin of the order change is unclear. Here, we show that slow oxidation of monodisperse Fe3O4 nanoparticles leads to an intriguing variation of the Verwey transition: an initial drop of TV to a minimum at 70 K after 75 days and a followed recovery to 95 K after 160 days. A physical model based on both doping and doping-gradient effects accounts quantitatively for this evolution between inhomogeneous to homogeneous doping regimes. This work demonstrates that slow oxidation of nanoparticles can give exquisite control and separation of homogeneous and inhomogeneous doping effects on the Verwey transition and offers opportunities for similar insights into complex electronic and magnetic phase transitions in other materials.

An Unusual Hematologic Manifestation in a COVID-19 Patient Treated with COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma

Introduction/Objective A subset of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) patients with COVID-19 may manifest rapid elevations in lymphocyte counts and poor clinical outcomes. Here we report our observations regarding this unusual hematologic manifestation in a CLL patient after he experienced a COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) transfusion reaction. Methods/Case Report 56-year-old A Rh- male with stable, treatment-naive CLL (13q deletion positive) diagnosed three years prior was admitted for COVID-19 hypoxia. Before developing COVID-19, baseline white blood cell (WBC) count was stable (~ 64 K/ mm3). Due to worsening hypoxia he was treated with an ARh+ High Titer CCP unit, Remdesivir, tocilizumab, and dexamethasone. The Blood Bank was notified of a possible CCP reaction and performed its standard workup which was adjudicated to be a febrile TACO reaction. During this evaluation it was noted that the patient’s WBC count had initially decreased to 46 K/ mm3, but rose on HD 3, to 78.4 K/mm3 and by discharge on HD 10 had increased to 200 K/ mm3. Flow cytometry revealed a B cell CLL immunophenotype. Post discharge day (PDD) 6 he developed herpes zoster. On post-discharge day (PDD) 7 his WBC count was 124K/mm3. By PDD 77 his WBC count had returned to baseline (~50 K/mm3). Results (if a Case Study enter NA) NA Conclusion The pt’s initial drop in his WBC count followed by a gradual rise has been observed in patients with severe COVID-19 independent of CCP infusion. Lymphocytosis in a subset of CLL patients with COVID-19 has been reported (termed “COVID-19 Induced Lymphocytosis” (CIL)) and, in contrast to our patient with an improved outcome, has been associated with severe/fatal outcomes. Of note these other patients did not receive CCP. Mechanisms related to CIL are unknown. Such poor clinical outcomes heighten the need for further studies of CIL. The role of CCP in affecting this process, if any, also merits further clarification.

Experience with the Urinary Tetrasaccharide Metabolite for Pompe Disease in the Diagnostic Laboratory

Following clinical indications, the laboratory diagnosis of the inherited metabolic myopathy, Pompe disease (PD), typically begins with demonstrating a reduction in acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), the enzyme required for lysosomal glycogen degradation. Although simple in concept, a major challenge is defining reference intervals, as even carriers can have reduced GAA, and pseudodeficiencies complicate interpretation. Here, we developed a mass spectrometric assay for quantification of a urinary glycogen metabolite (tetrasaccharide) and reported on its utility as a confirmatory test for PD in a diagnostic laboratory. Using two age-related reference intervals, eight returned tetrasaccharide concentrations above the calculated reference interval but did not have PD, highlighting non-specificity. However, retrospective analysis revealed elevated tetrasaccharide in seven infantile-onset (IOPD) cases and sixteen late-onset (LOPD) cases, and normal concentrations in one heterozygote. Prospective tetrasaccharide analysis in nine individuals with reduced GAA confirmed IOPD in one, LOPD in six and identified two heterozygotes. Using this metabolite as a biomarker of therapeutic response was not overly informative; although most patients showed an initial drop following therapy initiation, tetrasaccharide concentrations fluctuated considerably and remained above reference intervals in all patients. While useful as a confirmation of PD, its utility as a biomarker for monitoring treatment warrants further investigation.

Maintaining trust in a pandemic: Blood collection agency messaging to donors and the public during the early days of COVID-19

COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to health systems around the world, including bloodcollection agencies (BCAs). Many countries, such as Canada and Australia, that rely on non-remuneratedvoluntary donors, saw an initial drop in donors in the early days of the pandemic followed by a return tosufficient levels of the blood supply. BCA messaging plays a key role in communicating the needs of theblood operator, promoting and encouraging donation, educating, and connecting with the public anddonors. This paper reports on discourse analysis (Bloor and Bloor, 2013) of BCA messaging in Canadaand Australia from March 1-July 31, 2020 to understand how BCAs constructed donation to encouragedonation during this period and what this can tell us about public trust and blood operators. Drawing onmultiple sources of online content and print media, our analysis identified four dominant messagesduring the study period: 1) blood donation is safe; 2) blood donation is designated an essential activity;3) blood is needed; and 4) blood donation is a response to the pandemic. In Canada and Australia, ouranalysis suggests that: 1) implicit within constructions of blood donation as safe is the message thatBCAs can be trusted; 2) messages that construct blood donation as essential and needed implicitly askdonors to trust BCAs in order to share in the commitment of meeting patient needs; and 3) thepandemic has made possible the construction of blood donation as both an exceptional andcommonplace activity. For BCAs, our analysis supports donor communications that are transparent andresponsive to public concerns, and the local context, to support public trust. Beyond BCAs, healthorganizations and leaders cannot underestimate the importance of building and maintaining public trustas countries continue to struggle with containment of the virus and encourage vaccine uptake.

Prevalence, incidence and bothersomeness of urinary incontinence between 6 weeks and 1 year post-partum: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction and hypothesis Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common complaint for post-partum women. Reported prevalence and incidence figures show a large range due to varying study methodology. The crude prevalence of post-partum UI may differ when accounting for bother. Precise prevalence and incidence figures on (bothersome) UI are of relevance for health care providers, research planning, and policy makers. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the prevalence and incidence of UI in post-partum women in the Western world for relevant subgroups and assessed experienced bother in relation to UI. Methods Observational studies, published between January 1998 and March 2020 and reporting on prevalence and incidence between 6 weeks and 1 year post-partum, were included, regardless of type of UI or setting. We used a random effects model with subgroup analyses for post-partum period, parity and subtype of UI. Results The mean (weighted) prevalence based on 24 included studies, containing a total of 35.064 women, was 31.0%. After an initial drop in prevalence at 3 months post-partum, prevalence rises up to nearly the same level as in the third trimester of pregnancy at 1 year post-partum (32%). Stress UI (54%) is the most prevalent type. UI prevalence is equal among primi- and multiparous women. Experienced bother of UI is heterogeneously assessed and reported to be mild to moderate. Conclusions Post-partum UI is highly prevalent in women in the Western world. After an initial drop it rises again at 1 year post-partum. Experienced bother is mild to moderate.