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     

The effect of traffic noise on sleep of young adults in their homes

The disturbance of sleep by traffic noise is a major problem area in noise pollution. Extensive laboratory tests using multichannel electroencephalograms (EEG) have been carried out by many workers to determine the general response of people when exposed to noise during sleep. An experimental technique for obtaining results in people's homes has been developed using a simplified one-channel EEG. The responses of six people in the age range 19-24 were measured. A significant correlation was found between sleep disturbance and traffic noise when the noise is expressed in EPNdB. In the home experiments the subjects appeared to be approximately 10 dB less sensitive to noises than laboratory subjects for similar noise exposure. There also appeared to be some adaptation to the noise exposure; however, only one subject was tested for a period of 20 days and was insufficient to give definite results on adaptation.     

Improving Construction for Connected Dominating Set with Steiner Tree in Wireless Sensor Networks

The connected dominating set plays an important role in ad hoc wireless networking. Many constructions for approximating the minimum connected dominating set have been proposed in the literature. In this paper, we propose a new one with Steiner tree, which produces approximation solution within a factor of 6.8 from optimal. This approximation algorithm can also be implemented distributedly.     

Enhanced chromatographic resolution of amine enantiomers as carbobenzyloxy derivatives in high-performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography

The carbobenzyloxy (cbz) protecting group is evaluated for it's potential to enhance the resolution of chiral amine enantiomers using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). A series of cbz derivatives of commercially available racemates was prepared and analyzed by enantioselective chromatography using a variety of mobile phases and polysaccharide and Pirkle-type chiral stationary phases (CSPs). The cbz-derivatized product consistently demonstrated enhanced chiral resolution under HPLC and SFC conditions. Improved selectivity and resolution combined with an automated preparative HPLC or SFC system can lead to the rapid generation of highly purified enantiomers of desirable starting materials, intermediates or final products.     

Solid-phase microextraction–capillary gas chromatography combined with microwave-induced plasma atomic-emission spectrometry for selenite determination

The use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with gas chromatography coupled to microwave-induced plasma atomic-emission detection (GC–MIP-AED) is described for selenite [Se(IV)] speciation. Aqueous standards were derivatised with sodium tetraethyl- or tetrapropylborate and extracted by SPME. Headspace extraction of the ethyl and propyl derivatives was studied. Relevant experimental conditions were optimised, including conditions for derivatisation and extraction and those of gas chromatographic analysis. The limits of detection achieved for headspace sampling of derivatised Se(IV) were in the low ng mL^–1 range for both ethylation and propylation. When the method was applied to analysis of selenite in selenised yeast reference material results were in good agreement with the indicated values.