Efficacy of Antidepressant Drugs for the Treatment of Covid-19

In adult populations (18-65), does the administration of antidepressants, compared to not administering antidepressants, reduce the severity of the Covid-19 infection? Current treatment protocols for Covid-19 virus are still new and needing improvement. Discovering a new pharmacologic approach has been on the forefront of medical research since the beginning of the pandemic. The purpose of this paper is analyzing the efficacy of antidepressant drugs for reducing morbidity and mortality associated with Covid-19 virus. A literature search was conducted using Cinahl, Google Scholar, and UMaine Nursing Reference Center. The search words included covid, covid-19, pandemic, coronavirus, antidepressants, and SSRI. The inclusion criteria were all adults, male and female aged 18-65. The exclusion criteria included all viruses other than Covid-19, patients under 18, and patients over 65. Our search included 10 articles. Studies found that the administration of antidepressants has the potential to decrease the severity of the Covid-19 infection and improve outcomes. Specific antidepressants including fluoxetine and fluvoxamine were shown to decrease mortality in patients with Covid. Other studies suggest venlafaxine, mirtazapine, paroxetine, and escitalopram limited the need for intubation in those with serious covid infections. Promising research has emerged in the past few years suggesting there may be a link between antidepressant use and decreased symptoms of Covid-19. Some even suggest the use of certain antidepressants can decrease the risk of contracting the virus. Because Covid-19 is a relatively new disease, more research is needed to truly determine the applications antidepressants could have on patients who have contracted the virus

Acoustic scattering in circular cylindrical shells

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonDuring the past 60 years fluid-structure interaction in a wide range of three dimensional circular cylinder problems have been studied. Initial problems considered a rigid wall structure which were solved using impedance model comparisons. Soon after, further solution techniques were used, such as computer simulation, transfer matrix methods and finite element techniques. However such problems were only valid for low frequencies when compared with experiments, this was because that did not include higher order modes. The importance of higher order modes was then established and studies have since included these modes. More recently, mode matching methods have been used to find the amplitudes of waves in structures comprising two or more ducts. This has been done with using an orthogonality relation to find integrals which occur from the application this method. This methodology is demonstrated in as background information and is applied to prototype problems formed of rigid ducts. The rigid duct theory led to the consideration of elastic shells, of which several shell modelling equations were available from the vibration theory. In this thesis, the Donnell-Mustari equations of motion are used to model thin, elastic, fluid-loaded shells of circular cross-section. It is demonstrated that generalised orthogonality relations exist for such shells. Two such relations are found: one for shells subject to axisymmetric motion and one for shells subject to non-axisymmetric motion. These generalised orthogonality relations are new to the field of acoustics and are specific to shells modelled with the Donnell-Mustari equations of motion. The mode matching method is used to find the amplitudes of waves propagating in prototype problems and the generalised orthogonality relations are used to find integrals which occur through this method. Expressions for energy for all considered structure types are used to find the resulting energy for each prototype problem and results for equivalent problems are compared. In addition, verification of the resulting amplitudes is done by ensuring that the matching conditions are suitably satisfied. It is anticipated that the method will have application to the understanding and control of the vibration of cylindrical casings such as those enclosing turbo-machinery. Another application of the method would be the tuning of cylindrical casings, such as those featured on car exhaust systems or HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems

The Fyn-STAT5 Pathway: A New Frontier in IgE- and IgG-Mediated Mast Cell Signaling

Mast cells are central players in immune surveillance and activation, positioned at the host–environment interface. Understanding the signaling events controlling mast cell function, especially those that maintain host homeostasis, is an important and still less understood area of mast cell-mediated disease. With respect to allergic disease, it is well established that IgE and its high affinity receptor FcεRI are major mediators of mast cell activation. However, IgG-mediated signals can also modulate mast cell activities. Signals elicited by IgG binding to its cognate receptors (FcγR) are the basis for autoimmune disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Using knowledge of IgE-mediated mast cell signaling, recent work has begun to illuminate potential overlap between FcεRI and FcγR signal transduction. Herein we review the importance of Src family kinases in FcεRI and FcγR signaling, the role of the transcription factor STAT5, and impingement of the regulatory cytokines IL-4, IL-10, and TGFβ1 upon this network

QAA Shared Modules Collaborative Enhancement Project: Shared modules literature review

Modules taught to students on more than one degree programme, henceforth referred to as shared modules, are a common feature across the Higher Education (HE) landscape. Yet, a gap exists in the definition and study of shared modules in the HE literature and in designing pedagogical tools to support the construction of shared modules. To elicit the distinctiveness of shared modules and their implications for curriculum design, this literature review first draws on selective literature related to modularisation in HE, disciplinary identity, interdisciplinarity, interprofessional education and curriculum frameworks. From the insights gained, the second part of the review proposes a definition and typology of shared modules that includes the challenges they present. The review highlighted the institutional forces underneath the development of shared modules in HE, and the conflicting identities (disciplinary, student, teacher) and heterogeneity that emerge as a result. The review also revealed insights into issues involving a convoluted articulation between disciplinary boundaries, interaction with other disciplines and integration across disciplines. Challenges associated with shared disciplines include academic isolation and alienation, disciplinary protectionism, curricular incoherence and intractable administrative arrangements that take module sharing for granted. However, shared modules offer opportunities to highlight the potential of disciplinary interaction in the curriculum and for collaborative curriculum design and team teaching which can ultimately enhance the quality of learning. Thus, there is a need for a distinction between the process of module sharing and the shared module as a vehicle for learning and creation of interdisciplinary students. Understanding and approaching the design of shared modules to promote inclusive education requires a nuanced approach that recognizes the variations in the shared modules universe and associated issues. A typology is developed which defines and differentiates between implanted, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and interprofessional shared modules, highlighting the challenges that are associated with each. Just as important for understanding the nature of module sharing are the student pathways that underpin module sharing. Based on this review, we are proposing the following possibilities for such pathways.  • Shared by students on different programmes or pathways in the same disciplinary area  • Shared by students from different disciplinary areas which are within the same school or faculty  • Shared by students from different disciplinary areas which are in different schools or faculties  • Can be selected by students on a combined honours programme  Each of these has different implications for students’ experience, particularly in terms of identity and belonging. There is little attention in the literature to how students’ characteristics are brought into curriculum design and the learning environment in the case of shared modules

Evaluation of immunoglobulin purification methods and their impact on quality and yield of antigen-specific antibodies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Antibodies are the main effectors against malaria blood-stage parasites. Evaluation of functional activities in immune sera from Phase 2a/b vaccine trials may provide invaluable information in the search for immune correlates of protection. However, the presence of anti-malarial-drugs, improper collection/storage conditions or concomitant immune responses against other pathogens can contribute to non-specific anti-parasite activities when the sera/plasma are tested <it>in vitro</it>. Purification of immunoglobulin is a standard approach for reducing such non-specific background activities, but the purification method itself can alter the quality and yield of recovered Ag-specific antibodies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To address this concern, various immunoglobulin (Ig) purification methods (protein G Sepharose, protein A/G Sepharose, polyethylene glycol and caprylic acid-ammonium sulphate precipitation) were evaluated for their impact on the quality, quantity and functional activity of purified rabbit and human Igs. The recovered Igs were analysed for yield and purity by SDS-PAGE, for quality by Ag-specific ELISAs (determining changes in titer, avidity and isotype distribution) and for functional activity by <it>in vitro </it>parasite growth inhibition assay (GIA).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This comparison demonstrated that overall polyethylene glycol purification of human serum/plasma samples and protein G Sepharose purification of rabbit sera are optimal for recovering functional Ag-specific antibodies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Consequently, critical consideration of the purification method is required to avoid selecting non-representative populations of recovered Ig, which could influence interpretations of vaccine efficacy, or affect the search for immune correlates of protection.</p

Extraordinary Normalcy, Ableist Rehabilitation, and Sporting Ablenationalism: The Cultural (Re)Production of Paralympic Disability Narratives

In the UK, significant changes have occurred in the Paralympic media production environment and style of Paralympic broadcasting. Given the generative nature of media texts on cultural representation, we explore the circulation of disability narratives in contemporary Paralympic media coverage. Drawing on an integrated dataset that brings together textual analysis and audience perceptions, we highlight the presence of three disability narratives, termed: Extraordinary normalcy, ableist rehabilitation, and sporting ablenationalism. We unpack the ways these three narratives differ from the widely and commonly used ‘supercrip’ critique and discuss the implications of these narratives, and the wider cultural discourses and dialogue they generate, in terms of inclusion/exclusion and progressive social change

Miscellany

Art Writinghttps://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/miscell/1000/thumbnail.jp

Astro2020 APC White Paper: The Early Career Perspective on the Coming Decade, Astrophysics Career Paths, and the Decadal Survey Process

In response to the need for the Astro2020 Decadal Survey to explicitly engage early career astronomers, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted the Early Career Astronomer and Astrophysicist Focus Session (ECFS) on October 8-9, 2018 under the auspices of Committee of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The meeting was attended by fifty six pre-tenure faculty, research scientists, postdoctoral scholars, and senior graduate students, as well as eight former decadal survey committee members, who acted as facilitators. The event was designed to educate early career astronomers about the decadal survey process, to solicit their feedback on the role that early career astronomers should play in Astro2020, and to provide a forum for the discussion of a wide range of topics regarding the astrophysics career path. This white paper presents highlights and themes that emerged during two days of discussion. In Section 1, we discuss concerns that emerged regarding the coming decade and the astrophysics career path, as well as specific recommendations from participants regarding how to address them. We have organized these concerns and suggestions into five broad themes. These include (sequentially): (1) adequately training astronomers in the statistical and computational techniques necessary in an era of "big data", (2) responses to the growth of collaborations and telescopes, (3) concerns about the adequacy of graduate and postdoctoral training, (4) the need for improvements in equity and inclusion in astronomy, and (5) smoothing and facilitating transitions between early career stages. Section 2 is focused on ideas regarding the decadal survey itself, including: incorporating early career voices, ensuring diverse input from a variety of stakeholders, and successfully and broadly disseminating the results of the survey