The emergence of the circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 in multiple countries requires active surveillance : current scenario and counteracting strategies

Dear Editor, On April 11, 2022, a child less than two years old living in the Tamanrasset province of South Algeria showed signs of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). On July 8, 2022, this was notified by the WHO through the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN) as a case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) [1]. In the past few months, several genetically-linked Sabin-like type 2 (SL-2) poliovirus isolates have been detected numerous times in the US and the UK [2]. Since last February, the GPLN in London has been consistently detecting SL-2 isolates in sewage samples. The latter showed enough mutations to be classified as type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV2) and, due to the evidence of community transmission, were classified as circulating VDPV2 (cVDPV2) [2]. No human cases of VDPV2 have been documented in the UK as of September 5, 2022. Only one case of VDPV2 was reported in an unvaccinated paralytic individual. This was the first poliomyelitis case reported in that country since 2013 that was not linked to recent international travel. In the US, the virus isolates detected in environmental samples were found to be genetically-related to those reported in the sewage samples from London and those from Jerusalem, Israel [2]. In the case of the child who showed AFP in Algeria, the cVDPV2 isolates were detected in the stool samples. This was the first case of cVDPV2 in that country. Genome sequencing showed that the isolated virus was genetically-related to one strain previously isolated in Kano, Nigeria. The child had not received the polio vaccine and had never travelled outside the Tamanrasset province. Public health investigations are currently underway in that region to identify any more AFP cases [1]

Assessing the impact of a construction virtual reality game on design review skills of construction student

Being able to perform an effective design review is a fundamental skill that every design or construction student should possess. Performing a design review requires critical thinking, analysis, and communication skills. To support the acquisition of these skills, this study investigated the impact of a virtual reality game, the design review simulator (DRS), in a classroom environment. To assess the impact of the game, the authors performed a crossover experiment with 120 students. The students were split into groups and were asked to perform design reviews in two treatment conditions, 2D drawings or the DRS. A knowledge test was administered at the end of different treatments to collect quantitative data on the students’ performance. Results from this research indicate that the DRS supported students in identifying a higher number of design mistakes. Furthermore, students that played with the DRS after performing 2D drawings reviews scored significantly higher in the knowledge test. The research results contribute to the growing knowledge base on the implementation of VR in the classroom and in supporting students in meeting learning objectives related to design review skills. In particular, the research illustrated that the benefits of VR found in the construction industry in terms of improved communication, user involvement, and feedback collection could be translated into the classroom environment

COVID-19 Era and the Constantly Reemerging Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variants Calls for Special Attention for the Geriatrics: A Real Challenge

Global public health is significantly challenged due to the continuing COrona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak brought forth by the severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) [...

Post‐COVID‐19 complications: Multisystemic approach

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Presepsin: A Novel and Potential Diagnostic Biomarker for Sepsis

Abstract Sepsis is a potential clinical condition which is a consequence of infectious disease or a severe inflammatory reaction secondary to infection or injury. Sepsis in Greek means putrefaction or decay, correlating well with the multiple organ failure and severe shock resulting in death of the patient suffering from severe sepsis. Clinical management of sepsis requires prompt laboratory diagnosis and formulation of effective patient management strategies that may include antimicrobial chemotherapy in case of sepsis induced by infectious microbe. Although many laboratory biomarkers are available for the diagnosis of sepsis, only few markers have proven to be beneficial in differentiating infectious disease sepsis and sepsis of non-infectious origin. Of the available markers only few have prognostic value. We in this review discuss the utility of a novel and emerging sepsis marker, the presepsin which has a better diagnostic and prognostic value, and has been effective in predicting the survival of the sepsis patients