COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity Reduces Hospitalization and Critical Care Needs Related to COVID-19: a USIDNET Report

Background The CDC and ACIP recommend COVID-19 vaccination for patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). Not much is known about vaccine safety in IEI, and whether vaccination attenuates infection severity in IEI. Objective To estimate COVID-19 vaccination safety and examine effect on outcomes in patients with IEI. Methods We built a secure registry database in conjunction with the US Immunodeficiency Network to examine vaccination frequency and indicators of safety and effectiveness in IEI patients. The registry opened on January 1, 2022, and closed on August 19, 2022. Results Physicians entered data on 1245 patients from 24 countries. The most common diagnoses were antibody deficiencies (63.7%). At least one COVID-19 vaccine was administered to 806 patients (64.7%), and 216 patients received vaccination prior to the development of COVID-19. The most common vaccines administered were mRNA-based (84.0%). Seventeen patients were reported to seek outpatient clinic or emergency room care for a vaccine-related complication, and one patient was hospitalized for symptomatic anemia. Eight hundred twenty-three patients (66.1%) experienced COVID-19 infection. Of these, 156 patients required hospitalization (19.0%), 47 required ICU care (5.7%), and 28 died (3.4%). Rates of hospitalization (9.3% versus 24.4%, p < 0.001), ICU admission (2.8% versus 7.6%, p = 0.013), and death (2.3% versus 4.3%, p = 0.202) in patients who had COVID-19 were lower in patients who received vaccination prior to infection. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, not having at least one COVID-19 vaccine significantly increased the odds of hospitalization and ICU admission. Conclusion Vaccination for COVID-19 in the IEI population appears safe and attenuates COVID-19 severity

An empirical study of motivation and factors affecting motivation for teaching staff in private universities / colleges in Vadodara

An exploratory study was conducted in the city of Vadodara, India to examine the motivation levels of teaching staff in private universities. In order to study motivation levels, the factors leading to motivation were identified as “work and environment”, “superior relation”, “recognition”, “development” and “pay and benefits”. The research found that that motivation levels of teaching staff was low. The biggest factor contributing to this was the factor “work and environment” and “pay and benefits”. It could be advisable if bodies like the UGC/AICTE or other governing agencies could actually be strict in implementing norms relating to pay and benefits as well as working conditions. Currently, the focus of these agencies is more on infrastructure and other aspects and less on the teachers. This is also a reason as to why the quality of education in these institutes is declining with passage of time.Um estudo exploratório foi realizado na cidade de Vadodara, Índia, para examinar os níveis de motivação do corpo docente nas universidades privadas. Para estudar os níveis de motivação, os fatores que levaram à motivação foram identificados como "trabalho e meio ambiente", "relação superior", "reconhecimento", "desenvolvimento" e "remuneração e benefícios". A pesquisa descobriu que os níveis de motivação do pessoal docente eram baixos. O maior fator que contribuiu para isso foi o fator "trabalho e meio ambiente" e "pagamento e benefícios". Pode ser aconselhável que entidades como a UGC / AICTE ou outras agências governamentais possam ser rigorosas na implementação de normas relativas a salários e benefícios, bem como condições de trabalho. Atualmente, o foco dessas agências é mais sobre infra-estrutura e outros aspectos e menos sobre os professores. Esta é também uma razão para o motivo pelo qual a qualidade da educação nesses institutos está em declínio com a passagem do tempo

Relation between flow pattern and blending in stirred tanks

In the present work, the relationship between the flow pattern and blending has been investigated. The flow patterns generated by around 40 axial flow impellers have been examined. The impellers differed in blade angle, blade twist, blade width, impeller diameter, impeller location, and pumping direction. The mean-flow and turbulence characteristics generated by all of the impellers have been measured using laser doppler velocimetry (LDV). On the basis of available LDV data, the flow pattern throughout the vessel was established by employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and subsequently used for the simulation of the blending process. The predicted mixing times were found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental measurements. It has been shown that the dimensionless mixing time (θ ) varies inversely with the secondary flow number of the impeller. Comparison of the impellers on the basis of equal power consumption per unit mass has shown that θ<SUB>mix</SUB> ∝ N<SUB>P</SUB><SUP>1/3</SUP>T<SUP>2/3</SUP>/N<SUB>QS</SUB>. The present CFD model has shown the possibility of reducing the eddy diffusivity to about 20% of the actual value and still achieving the same mixing time. This reduction in eddy viscosity represents substantial savings in operating costs

Hydrodynamics of a stirred vessel equipped with a gas-inducing impeller

Hydrodynamic characteristics of a gas-liquid reactor equipped with a gas-inducing impeller were investigated. Four different impeller designs and two different ring spargers were used. The effects of superficial gas velocity, liquid submergence, and the interimpeller clearance on the critical impeller speed for gas induction, the rate of gas induction, and the fractional gas hold-up were investigated. The critical impeller speed was found to increase with an increase in the superficial velocity of the sparged gas. It was also affected by the lower impeller design and the sparger size. The rate of gas induction was found to decrease with an increase in the superficial gas velocity. It also depends on the lower impeller design and the sparger size. The liquid submergence had an optimum value at which the rate of gas induction was a maximum. The data obtained could be successfully correlated on the basis of mathematical models developed earlier