The evolution and future of influenza pandemic preparedness

The influenza virus is a global threat to human health causing unpredictable yet recurring pandemics, the last four emerging over the course of a hundred years. As our knowledge of influenza virus evolution, distribution, and transmission has increased, paths to pandemic preparedness have become apparent. In the 1950s, the World Health Organization (WHO) established a global influenza surveillance network that is now composed of institutions in 122 member states. This and other surveillance networks monitor circulating influenza strains in humans and animal reservoirs and are primed to detect influenza strains with pandemic potential. Both the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO have also developed pandemic risk assessment tools that evaluate specific aspects of emerging influenza strains to develop a systematic process of determining research and funding priorities according to the risk of emergence and potential impact. Here, we review the history of influenza pandemic preparedness and the current state of preparedness, and we propose additional measures for improvement. We also comment on the intersection between the influenza pandemic preparedness network and the current SARS-CoV-2 crisis. We must continually evaluate and revise our risk assessment and pandemic preparedness plans and incorporate new information gathered from research and global crises.Subject terms: Influenza virus, Infectious diseases     

A Procedure for the Deposition of Macrocomponents in Determining Selenium and Tellurium in Metallurgical Materials by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Journal of Analytical Chemistry - Studies on the separation of the Se and Te trace components from Co, Ni, Cu, Fe, Cr, Mo, and W macrocomponents for their determination by inductively coupled...     

Chemical Profiles and Pharmacological Properties with in Silico Studies on Elatostema papillosum Wedd

The current study attempted, for the first time, to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the phytochemical components of Elatostema papillosum methanol extract and their biological activities. The present study represents an effort to correlate our previously reported biological activities with a computational study, including molecular docking, and ADME/T (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion/toxicity) analyses, to identify the phytochemicals that are potentially responsible for the antioxidant, antidepressant, anxiolytic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities of this plant. In the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis, a total of 24 compounds were identified, seven of which were documented as being bioactive based on their binding affinities. These seven were subjected to molecular docking studies that were correlated with the pharmacological outcomes. Additionally, the ADME/T properties of these compounds were evaluated to determine their drug-like properties and toxicity levels. The seven selected, isolated compounds displayed favorable binding affinities to potassium channels, human serotonin receptor, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), COX-2, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and human peroxiredoxin 5 receptor proteins. Phytol acetate, and terpene compounds identified in E. papillosum displayed strong predictive binding affinities towards the human serotonin receptor. Furthermore, 3-trifluoroacetoxypentadecane showed a significant binding affinity for the KcsA potassium channel. Eicosanal showed the highest predicted binding affinity towards the human peroxiredoxin 5 receptor. All of these findings support the observed in vivo antidepressant and anxiolytic effects and the in vitro antioxidant effects observed for this extract. The identified compounds from E. papillosum showed the lowest binding affinities towards COX-1, COX-2, and NF-κB receptors, which indicated the inconsequential impacts of this extract against the activities of these three proteins. Overall, E. papillosum appears to be bioactive and could represent a potential source for the development of alternative medicines; however, further analytical experiments remain necessary.     

Bring the Sunshine Indoors: Easy Dosimetry for Indoor Daylight Photodynamic Therapy

Daylight photodynamic therapy (DPDT) is an effective and patient preferred treatment for the management of field change actinic keratosis. An important factor in DPDT is light dosimetry, to ensure that patients receive sufficient daylight for effective treatment, and this is the focus of the contribution to this issue by (La Rochelle et al. [2019] Photochem. Photobiol., https://doi.org/10.1111/php.13170 ). In this work, the authors present an easy-to-use method for obtaining real-time information about patient received light dose during treatment and for determining indoor locations best suited to DPDT.     

Formation of low-temperature deformation-induced segregations of nickel in Fe–Ni-based austenitic alloys

ABSTRACT

The authors present the results of an investigation in Fe–Ni-Cr austenitic alloys of the low-temperature deformation-induced segregations of nickel that form in the micro regions being (i) located close to grain- and subgrain boundaries and (ii) characteristic of the concentration and magnetic inhomogeneities indicated by the appearance of a dark diffraction contrast at the electron diffraction patterns taken from these regions typical (at the same time) of an enhanced value of Curie temperature. The observed effects were connected with the micro distortions caused by the local change of lattice parameter because of an increase in nickel concentration, as well as in the result of a magnetostriction dilatation. Using methods of the X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) and atomic-probe body-section radiography (tomography – APT) has made it possible to determine the borders of those regions of austenite that were characteristic of an enhanced concentration of nickel in the fields of the localisation of a deformation-induced segregation of nickel in the vicinity of grain (subgrain) boundaries of austenitic alloys of the types Fe–13Cr–30Ni and Fe–37Ni–3Ti.     

Electrical Resistivity Training Effect in the Exchange-Biased GdBaCo2O5.5 Cobaltite

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics - The nature of the training effect in exchange-biased compounds is studied. This effect consists in a decrease in the exchange bias field (HEB)...     

On the Order of Magnitude of the Double Fourier Transform

Mathematical Notes -     

Mesoscopic Strain Fields Measurement During the Allotropic α − γ Transformation in High Purity Iron

The allotropic phase change from ferrite to austenite represents a moment of massive interplay between the microstructural and mechanical states of iron. The difference of compacity between the two phases induces a microplastic accommodation in the material at grain scale. However, mechanical heterogeneities resulting from the transformation process remain challenging to characterise due to the high temperature conditions it is associated with. We developed experimental equipment for in situ observation of α ? γ and γ ? α transformations. Images of the surface of an iron sample taken by an optical camera were used as input for a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) routine. Special care was taken to maximize image resolution to capture sub-grain phenomena. Observations show that, at the mesoscopic scale, shear strain fields exhibit strong localisations that are evidence of transformations that are occurring.

     

Function of the Non-Crystalline X-Ray Amorphous Phase of Highly Dispersed Powder of CaO in Adsorption of CO2 and H2O

Russian Journal of General Chemistry - Highly dispersed CaO has been synthesized by heating an aqueous solution of calcium nitrate and D-glucose up to 800°C. Calcium oxide is formed with an...