The strategies to support the COVID-19 vaccination with evidence-based communication and tackling misinformation

COVID-19 vaccinations are about to begin in various countries or are already ongoing. This is an unprecedented operation that is also met with a loud response from anti-vaccine communities—currently using all available channels to manipulate public opinion. At the same time, the strategy to educate on vaccinations, explain their mechanism of action, and build trust in science is subdued in different world parts. Such actions should go much beyond campaigns promoting the COVID-19 vaccines solely on the information provided by the health institutions and national authorities. In this paper, actions provided by independent expert groups needed to counteract the anti-vaccine propaganda and provide scientific-based information to the general public are offered. These actions encompass organizing groups continuously communicating science on COVID-19 vaccines to the general public; tracking and tackling emerging and circulating fake news; and equipping celebrities and politicians with scientific information to ensure the quality of messages they communicate, as well as public letters, and statements of support for vaccination by healthcare workers, recognized scientists, VIPs, and scientific societies; and no tolerance to false and manipulated claims on vaccination spread via traditional and social media as well as by health professionals, scientists, and academics. These activities should be promptly implemented worldwide, regardless of the current status and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in a particular region. If we are about to control the pandemic for the sake of public benefit, it is high time to collectively speak out as academic and medical societies with support from decision-makers. Otherwise, the battle will be lost to those who stand against scientific evidence while offering no feasible solution to the problem

Managing patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support during the COVID-19 pandemic – a proposal for a nursing standard operating procedure

Background Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is effective in a selected critically ill patient population with promising results in refractory hypoxemia related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, it requires specialized clinicians and resources in advanced technology. Moreover, the COVID-19 remains an ongoing global emergency, and there is no evidence-based practice in preparedness. This article proposes an innovative and optimized nursing care protocol, the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), that regulates safety and efficiency in using personal protective equipment (PPE) during ECMO-relevant procedures while providing ECMO therapy for patients with COVID-19. Methods After performing a narrative literature search, we developed a high-fidelity translational simulation scenario. It included practicing appropriate donning and doffing PPE during work organization, ECMO-related procedures, and routine daily nursing care and management of ECMO over nine hours. In addition, we held supplementary constructive debrief meetings to consult international expert in the field. Results A proposal for nursing standardized operating procedures was created, divided into categories. They included work organization, workload references, competences, infrastructural conditions, cannulation equipment, daily routine nursing care, and procedures during ECMO. Conclusions High-fidelity medical simulation can play an important role in staff training, improvement in previously gained proficiency, and development of optimal SOP for nursing care and management during ECMO in patients with COVID-19. Optimal SOPs may further guide multidisciplinary teams, including intensive care units and interventional departments

Synthetic Capped mRNAs for Cap-Specific Photo-Cross-Linking Experiments

International audienc

Techniczne aspekty projektowania bateryjnych magazynów energii w świetle doświadczeń z realizacji projektu GEKON

The article discusses practical aspects related to the design, installation, and commissioning of battery energy storage, which are new, little-known elements of the power system. The experience gathered in Puck during the launch of the first battery energy storage in the National Power System implemented as part of the national research project GEKON, has been related to the knowledge available in publications on this industry’s development in the world.Artykuł przybliża praktyczne aspekty związane z projektowaniem, instalacją i uruchomieniem bateryjnych magazynów energii, które są nowymi, mało znanymi elementami systemu elektroenergetycznego. Doświadczenia zebrane podczas uruchamiania pierwszego w Krajowym Systemie Elektroenergetycznym (KSE) magazynu w Pucku, realizowanego w ramach krajowego projektu badawczego GEKON, zostały odniesione do wiedzy dostępnej w publikacjach omawiających rozwój branży na świecie

Technical aspects of designing battery energy storage system on the basis of experience from the implementation of the GEKON project

Artykuł przybliża praktyczne aspekty związane z projektowaniem, instalacją i uruchomieniem bateryjnych magazynów energii, które są nowymi, mało znanymi elementami systemu elektroenergetycznego. Doświadczenia zebrane podczas uruchamiania pierwszego w KSE magazynu w Pucku, realizowanego w ramach krajowego projektu badawczego GEKON, zostały odniesione do wiedzy dostępnej w publikacjach omawiających rozwój branży na świecie.This paper presents practical aspects of the design, construction, installation and commissioning of BESS (Battery Energy Storage System), which are a new, little-known elements of the Polish Power System. Experience gained during the launch of the first BESS in Poland (Puck), which was implemented as a part of the national research project GEKON, has been referred to the available knowledge about energy storage industry

Modifications of middle voltage control algorithm by means of multiple lines drop compensation method on the basis of experience from the trial implementation

Artykuł przedstawia doświadczenia z testowego wdrożenia zaawansowanego systemu sterowania poziomem napięcia u odbiorców, wykorzystującym algorytm kompensacji spadku napięcia na wielu liniach. Autorzy zaproponowali modyfikacje literaturowych opisów tego algorytmu i jego rozszerzenie tak, że do regulacji napięcia sieci dystrybucyjnej wykorzystywany jest transformator o zmiennej przekładni oraz magazyn energii, jako źródło mocy biernej. W pracy przedstawiono wnioski z badań przeprowadzonych w ramach realizacji programu badawczego GEKON, który dotyczył budowy bateryjnego magazynu energii.The paper presents experiences from the test implementation of an advanced customer voltage level control system using multiple lines voltage drop compensation algorithm. The authors proposed modifications of the literature descriptions of this algorithm and its extension, so that HV/MV transformer and battery energy storage as a source of reactive power in MV network are used to control the voltage. The potential for safe lowering of the network voltage as a means of immediate reduction of energy demand as well as long-term reduction of energy consumption was emphasized

KSE Assessment of the wind farms ability to participate in primary and secondary regulation

Malejący udział systemowych źródeł wytwórczych w bilansie mocy powoduje, że dla zapewnienia bezpieczeństwa i niezawodności dostaw energii niezbędnym staje się wykorzystywanie zasobów regulacyjnych pozostających do niedawna poza obszarem zainteresowania OSP. W artykule, w kontekście wymagań IRiESP dla źródeł konwencjonalnych, zaprezentowano rzeczywiste możliwości regulacyjne oferowane przez typową farmę wiatrową (FW). Omówiono model wymiany danych pomiędzy regulatorem centralnym LFC (Load Frequency Control) i FW, umożliwiający udział w regulacji mocy i częstotliwości w KSE. Ocenę zdolności do udziału w regulacji mocy czynnej FW oparto o wyniki projektu [8] realizowanego przy współudziale PGE Energia Odnawialna SA, PSE Operator, PSE Innowacje oraz Instytutu Energetyki Oddział Gdańsk.Declining share of the conventional generation units in the system power balance force involvement of the renewable power sources into the process of power system regulation. The article presents results of the pilot project aimed to include the wind farms into the process of active power regulation. The pilot project has been implemented in cooperation with PGE Energia Odnawialna SA, PSE Operator, PSE Innowacje and the Institute of Power Engineering

Structural basis of mRNA-cap recognition by Dcp1-Dcp2.

Removal of the 5' cap on mRNA by the decapping enzyme Dcp2 is a critical step in 5'-to-3' mRNA decay. Understanding the structural basis of Dcp2 activity has been a challenge because Dcp2 is dynamic and has weak affinity for the cap substrate. Here we present a 2.6-Å-resolution crystal structure of a heterotrimer of fission yeast Dcp2, its essential activator Dcp1, and the human NMD cofactor PNRC2, in complex with a tight-binding cap analog. Cap binding is accompanied by a conformational change in Dcp2, thereby forming a composite nucleotide-binding site comprising conserved residues in the catalytic and regulatory domains. Kinetic analysis of PNRC2 revealed that a conserved short linear motif enhances both substrate affinity and the catalytic step of decapping. These findings explain why Dcp2 requires a conformational change for efficient catalysis and reveals that coactivators promote RNA binding and the catalytic step of decapping, possibly through different conformational states