A Pipeline for Graph-Based Monitoring of the Changes in the Information Space of Russian Social Media during the Lockdown

With the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, social media became a vital communication tool. The sudden outburst of online activity influenced information spread and consumption patterns. It increases the relevance of studying the dynamics of social networks and developing data processing pipelines that allow a comprehensive analysis of social media data in the temporal dimension. This paper scopes the weekly dynamics of the information space represented by Russian social media (Twitter and LiveJournal) during a critical period (massive COVID-19 outbreak and first governmental measures). The approach is twofold: 1) build the time series of topic similarity indicators by identifying COVID-related topics in each week and measuring user contribution to the topic space, and 2) cluster user activity and display user-topic relationships on graphs in a dashboard application. The paper describes the development of the pipeline, explains the choices made and provides a case study of the adaptation to virus control measures. The results confirm that social processes and behavior in response to pandemic-triggered changes can be successfully traced in social media. Moreover, the adaptation trends revealed by psychological and sociological studies are reflected in our data and can be explored using the proposed method.

Paediatric anti-GABAB receptor encephalitis associated with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection

Though we are approaching the end of second wave of COVID pandemic, we are still unrevealing the various presentation this viral infection can result in. There are few cases reported to have anti NMDA autoimmune encephalitis associated with COVID-19 infection or MIS-C. Here we are reporting one of its variants that was anti-GABAB receptor encephalitis associated with COVID-19 infection. We are reporting a 9 years old female child who was a known case of seizure disorder and on regular medications presented on 4th day of RT-PCR positive status for COVID-19 with complains of convulsions which was managed with antiepileptics. On day 6 of hospitalization she had autonomic instability in the form of tachyarrhythmia, repitation of speech, sudden outburst of laughter and on day 7 child landed in status epilepticus. Autoimmune encephalitis suspected secondary to COVID-19 infection and the child was started on IVIG but not much of improvement seen with this. CSF analysis showed weakly positive anti GABAB antibodies and child had persistently elevated inflammatory markers hence started on high dose corticosteroid. MIS-C ruled out. Child showed drastic improvement both clinical and biochemical after high dose corticosteroids. Prompt treatment with IVIG/corticosteroids have shown a drastic improvement in our child just like in any other autoimmune encephalitis. Though further detailed study is required to prove its exact mechanism in COVID-19 infection, it should be thought of when appropriate and prompt early initiation of therapy will help us reduce morbidity and mortality associated with it.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Advances in Diagnosis, Treatment, Organoid Applications and Impacts on Cancer Patient Management

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally and rapidly developed into a worldwide pandemic. The sudden outburst and rapid dissemination of SARS-CoV-2, with overwhelming public health and economic burdens, highlight an urgent need to develop effective strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of infected patients. In this review, we focus on the current advances in the diagnostics and treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Notably, we also summarize some antineoplastic drugs repurposed for COVID-19 treatment and address the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for oncologists to manage cancer patients in this COVID-19 era. In addition, we emphasize the importance of organoid technology as a valuable experimental virology platform to better understand the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and assist rapid screening of drugs against COVID-19.

Hydrodynamic modelling of outburst flood hazard in the Pokhara Valley, Nepal

<p>In May 2012, a sudden outburst flood along the Seti Khola river caused 72 fatalities and damaged infrastructure in the northern Pokhara Valley, Nepal. This destructive event raised concerns about possible future landslide- or glacier-surge-related outburst floods from the Higher Himalayas. The Seti Khola runs along one of the steepest topographic gradients in this mountain belt. The river is fed by the debris-covered Sabche glacier, Nepal’s only observed surging glacier, below the flanks of Annapurna III (c. 7500 m asl) and reaches Pokhara, the country’s second largest city, at about 850 m asl. Over a course of some 40 km, the Seti Khola shaped the Pokhara Valley’s distinctive landscape of unpaired, several tens of meters to >100-m high alluvial terraces that alternate with deep slot gorges of <1 km length, all mostly cut into deposits of medieval and earlier outburst and outwash deposits. These abrupt changes in channel cross section provide many potential locations of hydraulic ponding during floods. We present a reanalysis of the 2012 Seti Khola outburst flood, and combine field-based surveys of valley geometry, flood markers, and surface roughness (i.e. Manning’s n value estimates) with landform mapping from high-resolution satellite images and digital elevation models. These components form the input for a one-dimensional steady flow simulation in HEC-RAS that allows us to reconstruct the dynamics, stage height, and runout from the 2012 Seti Khola flood. Validated by both this recent and the catastrophic historic events, we use our model to simulate future scenarios of inundation by these infrequent but potentially highly destructive outburst floods and compare them to the Pokhara Valley’s recurring monsoonal floods.</p>

Preventive Measures for COVID - 19

COVID-19 sudden outburst is declared as a serious public medical health issue worldwide by WHO, in March 2020. The first case of COVID-19 was seen officially in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019. It’s a pandemic to which all the countries has to take action in the detection of the infection and prevention of it’s spread. Despite global efforts to contain the disease spread, the outbreak is still on the rise because of the community spread pattern of this infection. Earlier the mode of transmission of the virus was seen in animal to person but now the transmission is from person to person through respiratory droplet infection the confirmed case is seen in many countries and are increasing day by day Fever, cough and cold, difficulty in breathing, tiredness can be seen in the patients suffering. The virus is affecting our health, economy, social life. Till the time we don’t have any medication at least we should try to prevent the spread of the virus. The points which can help in the prevention of the spread of the virus in the community are maintaining of hand sanitation, social distancing, Avoiding person to person contact and Quarantine. Increase in a number of testing, detecting COVID-19 positive patients will also help to reduce the spread of virus and secondary cases with strict quarantine rules.

Labor safety and control of the working area state in the penals while mining steep coal seams by shield aggregates

In this article, circumstances and factors which can lead to a degraded labour protection and occurrence of emergency in a district are reviewed and analyzed on the example of an accident occurred at sudden coal-and-gas outburst in the panel face № 42-1146 m of the Tovstyi-Zakhid seam m3 in the Central Mine of the Toretsvukhillia Mining Company. In this article, state of equipment and its location in the district in accordance with the requirements of the safety rules, records of devices which monitor gas-dynamic state of the coal seam and operation of the shield aggregate are considered. Mining and geological conditions of the seam bedding and technological conditions of the district location within the working horizon; methane content in the air of the roadways in the district; change of coal physical and mechanical properties in the area of possible geological disturbance; results of control of the coal seam gas-dynamic state analyzed by acoustic emission parameters; and other risk factors that led to emergencies were studied. The decisions made for controlling possible area with geological disturbance impact which was detected in the horizons of 916 m and 1026 m on the basis of mining-graphic materials and data of geological study in the mining roadways adjacent to the panel No. 14 in the district 42-1146 m were analyzed. The order and sequence of the works established for eliminating consequences of the coal and gas sudden outburst and detecting zone with disturbed coal and outburst cavity were considered. On the basis of the results obtained, conclusions were made and actions were elaborated on preventing accidents at mining steep prone-to-outburst coal seams by the shield aggregates. It is recommended to continue the scientific research for the purpose of detecting zone with possible impact of discontinuous geological disturbance and plicate disturbed zones in the coal seams by the changed hardness of coal in the adjacent panel, and developing certain local measures on preventing gas-dynamic phenomena at mining steep prone-to-outburst seams by the shield aggregates. The objective of this work was to analyze state of the working area and labor protection and to study the conditions and factors which had led to the accident with serious consequences and emergency condition of the panel.

Simulation of dynamic phenomena in the ventilation network due to sudden gas outburst

An increase in the pace of cleaning and preparatory work, a transition to deeper horizons, a high concentration of machines and mechanisms in places where minerals are excavated and transported increase the likelihood of one of the most difficult and dangerous types of underground accidents - sudden outbursts of coal, rock and gas. In the event of a sudden outburst, the air distribution existing in the ventilation network experiences a sharp dynamic effect, leading to a violation of the stability of the ventilation of the workings close to the center of the outburst and the overturning of the air flow in them. The methane released in this case forms an atmosphere dangerous for humans in the adjacent workings. The size of the gas contamination zone depends on many factors: the intensity of the outburst, the ventilation scheme of the mine, the presence of ventilation facilities, their number, and others, and can become the object of special studies, including the study of the outburst process itself and its interaction with the ventilation network. The specificity of the occurrence of an oytburst as a type of accidents does not allow obtaining statistical and experimental results directly during its course, which greatly complicates the study of this process. In this regard, the most acceptable research method that allows assessing the results of the interaction of the outburst with the ventilation network and, guided by them, to develop effective measures to eliminate its consequences and restore the normal functioning of the mine, is the simulation method using a PC. The article analyzes the stages of changes in the mining-geological and mining-technical conditions preceding the occurrence of the outburst, the stage of the outburst, the calculation formulas are given, by which it is possible to evaluate the configuration and dynamics of the development of the zone polluted with methane as a result of the outburst. The results of modeling the gas-dynamic manifestations of the outburst and its effect on the state of mine ventilation are of great importance in ventilation calculations in emergency modes in order to use the possibilities of ventilation effects on an emergency, limit emergency zones and increase the effectiveness of eliminating the consequences of an accident.