End Of November Research Articles

An Estimate of Time-Dependent Transmission of COVID-19 Pandemic in Katsina State from June to November 2021

This paper investigates the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Katsina state from 23rd June to 27th November, 2021, using graphical tools to visually analyse infection over time and time-dependent reproduction number to quantify the transmissibility of the disease. Study data consist of diagnostic results of reverse transcriptase real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays (RT-PCR) on nine hundred and eighty-nine nasal swab samples from suspected COVID-19 cases, collected from public and private health facilities across Local government areas of the State and analysed by the Molecular Laboratory of the Federal Medical Centre Katsina, recording a total of 137 positive cases. Our investigation revealed that, over the study period, COVID-19 transmission reaches its peak on 17th October 2021 (Epidemic Week 41), with a mean Reproduction number (Rt) of 3.22 and a standard deviation of 0.5976 (95% CI: 2.6193 - 3.8145), culminating in 19 new infections on Wednesday the 27th (Epidemic Week 43). The combined age groups 21-30 and 31-40 constituted the most affected cases with 29 (21.17%) and 19 (13.87%) positive cases, respectively. This was closely followed by age group 51-60 with 19 (13.87%) positive cases. On gender basis, 70 (51%) females tested positive compared to 67 (49%) males. We therefore conclude that for the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Katsina State, disease transmission reaches its peak in Epidemic Week 41 in October, then rapidly diminishes to Rt values of less than one, indicating that no new infections were expected by the end of November, with female gender and age groups in the range 21 to 40 years being most infected. We recommend that mitigation strategies that take into consideration features inherent in female gender and more pronounced in young (21 to 40 years) and middle-aged (51-60 years) adults should be adopted in case of future waves.

A Multicenter, Investigator-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Calf Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Program on Walking Performance in Peripheral Artery Disease: The ELECTRO-PAD Study Protocol.

This paper describes a currently on-going multicenter, randomized controlled trial designed to assess the efficacy of calf neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on changes in maximal walking distance in people with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD), compared with a non-intervention control-group. This study (NCT03795103) encompasses five participating centers in France. PAD participants with a predominant claudication at the calf level and a maximal treadmill walking distance ≤300 m are randomized into one of the two groups: NMES group or Control group. The NMES program consists of a 12-week program of electrical stimulations at the calf-muscle level. The primary outcome of the study is the change in maximal treadmill walking distance at 12 weeks. Main secondary outcomes include changes in the pain-free treadmill walking distance; 6 min total walking distance; global positioning system (GPS)-measured outdoor walking capacity; daily physical activity level by accelerometry; self-reported walking impairment; self-reported quality of life; ankle-brachial index; and skin microvascular function, both at the forearm and calf levels. Recruitment started in September 2019 and data collection is expected to end in November 2022.

Experience in developing and holding the All-Russian distance team quest on informatics

Every year since 2017, Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushinsky (YSPU) holds the All-Russian distance team quest "Around informatics" for 7–11-grade students, college and university students of all training areas. The geography of the quest is constantly expanding; 1065 teams took part in the quest in March-April 2022. The quest includes 100 tasks on all topics of the informatics school course, including tasks in the Basic State Examination and Unified State Examination format and Olympiad nature tasks. Quest tasks are united by a single plot. Each quest consists of four stages; 7-grade students can cope with the tasks of the first stage, 9-grade students can cope with the tasks of the second stage, 10–11-grade students can cope with the tasks of the 3rd and 4th stages. Information support for the quest is carried out in the group "Quest "Around Informatics" (the Physics and Mathematics Faculty, YSPU)" on the social network "VKontakte" and on the website of the Physics and Mathematics Faculty, YSPU. A demo version of the quest is published at the end of November, the main quest takes place in March-April. The article in general describes tasks related to various content lines of the school course in Informatics; examples of tasks at each stage of the quest are presented. The materials of the quest will be useful in teaching Informatics in 7–11 grades at school, including when preparing students for the Basic State Examination and the Unified State Exam in informatics.

SEASONAL AND INTERANNUAL DYNAMICS OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE BLACK SEA ALIEN SPECIES <i>PSEUDODIAPTOMUS MARINUS</i> SATO, 1913 (COPEPODA, CALANOIDA, PSEUDODIAPTOMIDAE) IN THE CRIMEAN COASTAL WATERS: INFLUENCE OF THE TEMPERATURE FACTOR

Observation on the occurrence of the Black Sea alien species Pseudodiaptomus marinus were initiated since this species was reported in the coastal waters of Crimea, in 2016. Current study is focused on the 170-500 µm microplankton fraction represented by nauplii and the first copepodite stages. These data were complemented by the mesoplankton fraction abundance contributed by copepodite stages II-V and adults. Samples were collected by plastic bottles at the sea surface and by Juday and Apstein plankton nets in the upper 10 m layer. Nauplial stages of P. marinus were observed during the first three years after species invasion, in September, at the sea surface temperature range from 21.1 to 25.5 C. From 2019 to 2020, specimens appeared in July, at temperatures from 25.8 to 26.0C. The presence of specimens in samples has been observed by the end of November or December, at sea surface temperature of 13.1 or 8.6C, respectively. The maximal abundance was observed in the inner part of the Sevastopol Bay. The correlation value of 0.7-0.9 was estimated between the abundance and sea surface temperature throughout the year. Inter-annual variations of the abundance were associated with an integrative indicator of temperature (in particular, the sum of active temperatures).

ODP108 Palovarotene for the Treatment of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: Methodology of the Phase III Open-Label PIVOINE Rollover Trial

Abstract Objectives Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an ultra-rare genetic disorder characterized byheterotopic ossification (HO) and progressive restriction of mobility. To date, no approved disease-modifying treatments for FOP exist, but interim phaseIII MOVE trial (NCT03312634) results suggest marked efficacy for palovarotene (PVO). 1 The PIVOINE rollover trial (NCT05027802) has been designed to allow treatment continuity and further evaluation of PVO safety and efficacy; the methodology is given here. Methods Patients will receive 5 mg PVO daily, or the parent study completion dose, for a maximum of 3 years; during flare-ups, patients will receive 20 mg daily for 4 weeks, then 10 mg daily for 8 weeks. Enrollment criteria: completion of a parent study (end of study/treatment visit of NCT03312634 or NCT02279095/NCT02979769), ≥14 years of age, full skeletal maturity if aged <18 or deemed to be final adult height. PIVOINE aims to enroll 61 patients; recruitment has not begun. The primary outcome will be the incidence and description of all treatment-emergent adverse events, collected continuously over the study period. Secondary outcomes (collected every 6 months; reported as raw values and change from the inclusion visit for outcomes specified by *) include: range of motion* (using Cumulative Analogue Joint Involvement Scale total score), the use of aids, assistive devices and adaptations*, physical function* (using adult form of the FOP-Physical Function Questionnaire; total score and upper extremities and mobility sub-scores), the frequency of healthcare utilization, and physical and mental health* (using Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health Scale). Lung function will be assessed via observed and percentage predicted (PP) forced vital capacity (FVC)*, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1)*, diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide*, and the absolute and PP FEV 1 /FVC ratio*. The number of investigator-reported flare-ups*, including duration and outcomes, will be reported along with the percentage of patients with new bone growth. Summary Results from PIVOINE, estimated to end in November 2024, will allow further evaluation of PVO in FOP.

Factors Driving Autumn Quercus Flowering in a Thermo-Mediterranean Area

The flowering period of plants is a critical time since it determines their reproductive success. Flowering is controlled by different factors including genetic regulation and environmental conditions. In the Mediterranean area, favourable conditions usually occur in spring, when most plant species flower including those of the Mediterranean Quercus genus. This paper reveals and analyses an unusual and lesser-known phenomenon occurring in the two main Mediterranean agroforestry ecosystems of South Europe, the Mediterranean forest and “dehesa”, that is, a second flowering occurring in autumn for the species Quercus ilex subsp. ballota (holm oak). The continuous pollen monitoring of the atmosphere in the city of Cordoba (southern Spain) for 25 years, together with field phenological observations in the area, has indicated that, apart from the main pollination period in spring, secondary flowerings also occasionally occur in this area, specifically in autumn. The present work examines these uncommon pollination events detected in the autumns of certain years with the aim of determining the main environmental factors that influence and control them. During the 25-year study period, there were 7 years in which a secondary Quercus flowering was detected in the area from the second half of October until the end of November. The univariate statistical analysis of the influence of environmental variables determined that the meteorological conditions in September were the most influential. Low mean temperatures, together with record rainfall in that month, led to autumn flowering events. The phenological characteristics of the spring pollen season were also influential. In the years with a shorter spring, the Quercus pollen season tended to present autumn flowerings. A multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) model was built to explain the effects of the different variables on the occurrence of autumn pollination. The results indicated that the combined effect of three predicting variables, September rainfall, the length of the spring pollen season, and the end of the spring pollen season, explained 92% of the variance. The validation showed a strong relationship between the expected and the observed autumn pollen concentrations. Therefore, the present analysis of a long-term pollen database revealed that the main causes of this unusual second flowering in autumn were strongly related to climate change, i.e., strong dry summers and warm autumns. In addition, the results showed that the phenomenon was more frequent in the years with low pollination during spring due to different meteorological events potentiated by climate change, such as dryness or heavy rain episodes, as a way of ensuring acorn crops. The results explain how this unusual and lesser-known phenomenon in agroforestry dynamics is related to the adaptation to climate change and the main factors that are driving it, as well as the potential consequences for these important and endangered Mediterranean ecosystems.

Assessment of Flood Hazard in Climatic Extreme Considering Fluvio-Morphic Responses of the Contributing River: Indications from the Brahmaputra-Jamuna’s Braided-Plain

Climate change is expected to raise river discharge and sea level in the future, and these near-term changes could alter the river flow regime and sedimentation pattern of future floods. Present hazard assessment studies have limitations in considering such morpho-dynamic responses in evaluating flood hazards or risks. Here, we present a multi-model-based approach to quantify such potential hazard parameters influenced by climate change for the most vulnerable communities living on river bars and islands of the Brahmaputra–Jamuna River. River flood-flow and flood wave propagation characteristics are predicted to be affected by changing temporal distribution patterns of precipitation as a result of enhanced global warming. Increased incidences of large multi-peak floods or uncommon floods resulting in long-duration floods driven by sea-level rise may happen as a result of this. To assess it, we have set up a hydromorphic model, Delft3D, for the Brahmaputra–Jamuna River forced by upstream flow, generated from a hydrological model SWAT, over the Brahmaputra basin. The simulations cover moderate, wettest, and driest conditions of the RCP8.5 scenario, and the results reflect the flooding consequences of the near-future, mid-century, and end-century. Floods in the Brahmaputra–Jamuna River are becoming more severe, frequent, and long-lasting, as a result of climate change, and are expected to last until the end of November rather than the current September timeline. While assessing the hazard, we found that the pattern and timing of the flood are as equally important as the peak of the flood, as the river continuously adjusts its cross-sectional area with the flow. The study also demonstrates that, depending on their location/position, climate-induced hazards can affect sand bars/islands disproportionally. The high flood depth, duration, and sedimentation have a significant impact on the sand bars downstream of the river, making them more vulnerable.

72 Distinguishing features of MIS-C to other paediatric febrile diseases in the acute setting

BackgroundMultisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) presents with fever, shock, rash, abdominal pain and raised inflammatory markers, as well as common features of inflammatory childhood illnesses. In the acute setting, especially in countries where infectious diseases are common differential diagnoses, it is challenging to diagnose MIS-C. Therefore, data differentiating MIS-C from other inflammatory and/or febrile diseases at presentation is needed.MethodsProspective data was collected from children admitted to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa from May 2020 to end November 2021 where MIS-C was part of their differential diagnoses. Clinical features on the day of admission were compared between children with confirmed MIS-C (MIS-C+) and those with alternate diagnoses (MIS-C-).ResultsIn this time period, 60 children were MIS-C+ and 34 were MIS-C-. There was no significant difference in age (p = 0.321), sex (p = 0.525), ethnicity (p = 0.279), or in the frequency of comorbidities (p = 0.151) between the two groups. The presence of conjunctivitis (OR = 8.12), rash (OR = 8.67), tachycardia (OR = 2.8) and oral mucositis (OR = 3.75) was associated with MIS-C+ while abdominal pain and hypotension were not. MIS-C+ had statistically higher median C-reactive protein (CRP), pro-brain natriuretic protein (pro-BNP) and ferritin, and lower median lymphocyte count, platelet count and sodium levels than MIS-C-. Ferritin discriminated MIS-C+ well (AUC = 0.86) with a 94% sensitivity and 60% specificity at a cut off of > 195ng/l. Sodium had an AUC of 0.72, with a 70% sensitivity and 71% specificity at a cut off of < 132.5 mmol/l. CRP did not distinguish MIS-C well (AUC = 0.52) and although they had good AUC, platelet count and pro-BNP had cut off values in the normal range decreasing clinical utility.ConclusionWe provide evidence for the use of accessible clinical and laboratory variables for the diagnosis of MIS-C in diverse settings.ImplicationsThese data will aid clinicians to do a rapid diagnosis (and ultimately treat earlier) of patients with MIS-C in the acute setting, especially those in under-resourced settings. 72 Table 4ROC analysis of laboratory tests which were different between MIS-C- and MIS-C+Test AUC (95%CI) p Potential cut-off value Sensitivity Specificity Youden ratio Ferritin 0.86 (0.70, 1) 0.017 *>19594%60% 54% 7-84 ng/L ** >31672%80% 52% Pro-BNP 0.80 (0.62, 0.98) 0.044 *>23983%40%23%<450 ng/L ** >37878%80% 57% Platelet count 0.75 (0.59, 0.90) 0.006 *<285 81% 71% 52% 180-440 x109/LSodium 0.726 (0.56, 0.88) 0.014 *<134.587%35.7%22%136-145 mmol/L ** <132.570%71%41%CRP0.54 (0.62, 0.98) 0.766 *>77100%40%40%<10 mg/L ** >161.550%60%10%2 potentials cut off values are given.*the value which gives the best specificity with a sensitivity >80% and.**the value that achieves the best sensitivity with a specificity of at least 60%.

“Send Forth the Very Best Ye Breed”: Captain Frederick S. Wild and the War in the Philippines, 1899–1902

“Send Forth the Very Best Ye Breed”: Captain Frederick S. Wild and the War in the Philippines, 1899–1902

Epidemics of Ordinary Time

Epidemics of Ordinary Time Emily Waples (bio) 1793 It begins when a three-year-old girl, the daughter of a doctor, dies at her family's home in Philadelphia. Within a week, yellow fever infections have been reported throughout the city. "Tis a sickly time now in phila.," the diarist Elizabeth Drinker notes on August 15; "there has been an unusual number of funerals lately here." It begins when the first infected Aedes aegypti mosquito injects its virus-charged saliva into the body of its first susceptible host, stimulating the urban cycle of the disease. It begins with the circum-Atlantic slave trade, with the traffic in human bodies from Africa to North America and the Caribbean, with the Haitian Revolution and the scores of French colonizers who succumb to fever in what is then known as Saint-Domingue. It begins with violence, viral and imperial. Or, as the early republic's preeminent medical authority, Dr. Benjamin Rush, believes, it begins with some rotting coffee that has been left to fester in one of the city's wharves. The miasmatic theory of disease, postulated by Hippocrates around the fourth century BCE, understands sickness as caused by pestilential substances released into the atmosphere from the putrefaction of organic matter. This will remain the predominant explanation of disease causation until the emergence of germ theory at the end of the nineteenth century. Breath infects; air terrifies. As jaundiced and vomit-stained bodies are carted in carriages to the quarantine hospital at Bush Hill, or dropped in Potter's Field for eventual burial, the College of Physicians issues guidance on how to check the progress of the deadly epidemic. Among their eleven recommendations is a directive to "put a stop to the tolling of the bells." The near-constant death knells, the order implies, are inciting an anticipatory frenzy, marking the mortal motions of this "sickly time." Shutting down the sonic index of death's omnipresence will help. It is [End Page 214] about more than mental health: prevailing medical theory holds that the disease can be incited by fear itself. Meanwhile, some 20,000 Philadelphians—including George Washington and his government—flee the infected capital, abandoning their fellow citizens to the city's insalubrious atmospheres. It begins with chills and body aches, a slight fever, fatigue, nausea. In some cases, this is the worst of it; in some cases, it lasts only a few days. Others are not so lucky, experiencing symptoms of escalating severity: high fever, hemorrhage, hepatitis, shock, multisystem organ failure. Two symptoms in particular are unmistakable signifiers of the dreaded disease: the jaundice that gives it its name, and the telltale "black-vomit": an excretion, observers note, that looks peculiarly like coffee grounds. What they are seeing is in fact the dried blood that has accumulated in the stomachs of the sick. Rush's medical philosophy posits that all diseases, whatever their origin, ultimately wreak their havoc in the body by disordering the operation of the circulatory system. Accordingly, he champions venesection as the remedy to almost anything. He opens the veins of his countrymen until the cobblestone streets outside his shop are stained red. Emboldened by a racist scientific theory, he recruits free Black men and women to serve as nurses, declaring that their imagined immunity to the disease affords them a "noble opportunity" to demonstrate their gratitude, their worthiness for citizenship. But of course, they, too, sicken and die, joining the capital's mass graves, and Rush admits—too late—that he'd been "mistaken" on the matter of African immunity. In the end, the disease takes its leave inexplicably, or it seems. But the epidemic quite literally decimates the city. By the end of November, when the weather has cooled and the mosquitoes have died, 5,000 of the capital's 55,000 residents are dead too. But it is not the end. The fever will return, summer after summer, a curse without a cure. In the account he published the following year, Rush would reflect on the way the epidemic had altered his perception of the passage of time: it was, he noted, "uncommonly slow." This sense of deceleration lent him a novel perspective on...

Timing of Increment Formation in Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) Otoliths

Controversies remain regarding the periodicity, or seasonality, of otolith growth band formation, which directly influences a correct age determination of Atlantic bluefin tuna using this structure. The aim of this work was to apply marginal increment analysis and marginal edge analysis to determine the timing of band deposition. The index of completion was analyzed using general additive models to evaluate the importance of variables, such as month, age/size, and reader. Results indicate that the opaque band formation begins in June and is completed by the end of November. From the end of the year to the beginning of the following year, there is minimal marginal edge growth as the translucent band begins to form. The translucent zone then reaches a maximum development in May. The results obtained in this study provide evidence that the annulus formation in the otoliths of Atlantic bluefin tuna are completed later in the calendar year than previously thought. This would mean it is necessary to delay the date of the current July 1st adjustment criterion to November 30.

Influence of Pine and Alder Woodchips Storage Method on the Chemical Composition and Sugar Yield in Liquid Biofuel Production.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of storing methods of woodchips from two species, pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and alder (Alnus Mill.), on the basic chemical composition and sugar yield in liquid biofuel production. Two methods of storing woody biomass were used in the study—an open pile and a cover pile. The wood was felled at the end of November and was stored as industrial chips for eight months from December onward. After this time, material was collected for chemical composition analyses and enzymatic hydrolysis. The results of the chemical composition analysis of the wood for both studied species showed the influence of the type of storage on the composition of the individual structural components of the wood. Based on the results of the enzymatic hydrolysis of the woody biomass, it can be seen that, irrespective of the hydrolysed material (wood, cellulose, holocellulose), the material from the biomass stored in the open pile gave higher results. The hydrolysis efficiency also increased with time, independent of the type of material that was hydrolysed. The highest sugar yield from the enzymatic hydrolysis of wood was obtained for alder wood stored in an open pile. The highest sugar yield from the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose was obtained for cellulose extracted from alder wood—as well—that had been stored in an open pile.

POLA HUBUNGAN EKSEKUTIF - LEGISLATIF DALAM PENYUSUNAN ANGGARAN PENDAPATAN DAN BELANJA DAERAH KABUPATEN MOJOKERTO TAHUN 2020

If the relationship between the two Executive and Legislative States Institutions is not managed properly, it will create a disharmonious relationship. The executive and legislative bodies are mandated by law to draft regulations, including Regional Regulations (Perda) related to the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD). Mojokerto Regency, one of the regions in the 2020 fiscal year, went through quite heated APBD discussions due to the absence of common ground between the DPRD and the Regional Government. As a result, efforts to accelerate APBD documents, which are expected to be completed before the end of November, are slow. The APBD document was finally carried out at the end of the month, November 30th. The research method used is descriptive qualitative research. The data collected is obtained through observation, literature study, archives/documents, or written literature related to the research title. The study results found that the pattern of relationships formed between the DPRD and the Mojokerto Regency Government in the preparation of the 2021 APBD tends to be Legislative Heavy, where the dominance of the DPRD is prominent. This can be due to the executive’s low political support because a temporary official leads Mojokerto Regency during the 2021 APBD preparation process. (Pjs) so that he does not have a representative power in the DPRD.

Cascade screening and registry for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia in Germany – A follow-up survey

Background and Aims : The aim of the registry is to record as many German patients with FH as possible and to raise awareness for FH among patients and physicians in Germany. Will the lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) intensify over the course of 2.5 years? Can the target values according to the EAS guidelines be achieved? Does the patients ‘quality of life improve?Methods: FH-patients are included into the registry after their informed consent. The data is recorded and analyzed using questionnaires for physicians and patients. After 2.5 years and five years follow up questionnaires are collected.Results: By the end of November, 2.400 FH patients had been entered into the registry. Follow up of 370 patients show that LLT intensified during the previous 2.5 years and average baseline LDL-C values of 132±67 mg/dl decreased to an average of 110±51 mg/dl. The target of the EAS dyslipidemia guideline of an LDL cholesterol below 70 mg/dl in FH is not achieved. FH patients are aware of their condition, which is reflected by a surprisingly healthy lifestyle. The majority (53%) never smoked; 36% have given up smoking and 94% of FH patients are active in sports. They had informed at least two relatives about their FH diagnosis and thus help to raise awareness in the population. One third of FH patients stated that their quality of life had improved, deteriorated, or remained the same, respectively.Conclusions: The registry can increase awareness of the disease. Despite this, achieving the target values of the EAS guidelines remains difficult. Background and Aims : The aim of the registry is to record as many German patients with FH as possible and to raise awareness for FH among patients and physicians in Germany. Will the lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) intensify over the course of 2.5 years? Can the target values according to the EAS guidelines be achieved? Does the patients ‘quality of life improve? Methods: FH-patients are included into the registry after their informed consent. The data is recorded and analyzed using questionnaires for physicians and patients. After 2.5 years and five years follow up questionnaires are collected. Results: By the end of November, 2.400 FH patients had been entered into the registry. Follow up of 370 patients show that LLT intensified during the previous 2.5 years and average baseline LDL-C values of 132±67 mg/dl decreased to an average of 110±51 mg/dl. The target of the EAS dyslipidemia guideline of an LDL cholesterol below 70 mg/dl in FH is not achieved. FH patients are aware of their condition, which is reflected by a surprisingly healthy lifestyle. The majority (53%) never smoked; 36% have given up smoking and 94% of FH patients are active in sports. They had informed at least two relatives about their FH diagnosis and thus help to raise awareness in the population. One third of FH patients stated that their quality of life had improved, deteriorated, or remained the same, respectively. Conclusions: The registry can increase awareness of the disease. Despite this, achieving the target values of the EAS guidelines remains difficult.

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Aedes albopictus Populations in Rural and Agricultural Areas in Chania, Greece, After Its Invasion

Aedes albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is an aggressive invasive mosquito species that transmits parasites that cause several major human diseases such as dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika. Its recent establishment in many European countries and the reported autochthonous cases of Aedes-transmitted arboviral diseases highlight the importance of effective surveillance programs to plan and implement efficient mosquito-control interventions. Aedes albopictus invaded the Greek island of Crete in 2014 and rapidly spread throughout; however, there are no comprehensive population-related data yet available. Our study focused on spatial and temporal dynamics of Ae. albopictus populations in rural and agricultural areas in Chania (western part of the Crete Island). An oviposition surveillance network, consisting of 51 ovitraps, was established in 2017 and systematically inspected for 2 years. Thirty ovitraps were established in rural areas and 21 in the surrounding agricultural areas. Eggs were collected weekly and transferred to the laboratory for counting and assessment of hatching rates. The spatial and temporal egg distribution was assessed by using geographical information systems and spatial statistical analysis tools. Kernel density and hot spot analysis were employed to identify clusters of high populations of eggs. Oviposition activity (eggs in traps) was recorded during April–May and December (of both years), while the maximum egg-laying rates were observed during September–October. The proportion of traps with eggs was similar between rural and agricultural areas, while the higher number of eggs was recorded in rural compared to agricultural areas during 2017. Egg hatch rates were high (&amp;gt;90%) until the end of September. The proportion of diapausing non-hatched eggs rapidly increased at the end of November. All hatched larvae were identified as Ae. Albopictus, indicating a negative effect of the invasion on the population of the local species Ae. cretinus. This was a systematic attempt to monitor the seasonal and spatial patterns of the Asian tiger mosquito in the island of Crete, the southernmost area of Europe, and a study in Europe that assessed temporal and spatial dynamics of Ae. albopictus soon after its invasion and establishment in an area.

Східне Поділля у другій половині листопада – на початку грудня 1918 р.: регіональний вимір протигетьманського повстання

The purpose of the article is to highlight the peculiarities of the overthrow of the hetman's authorities and the beginning of the institutions of the Ukrainian People's Republic in the eastern part of the Podіlska province in the second half of November – beginning of December 1918. The methodological basis of the research consists of research principles of historicism, scientificity, objectivity, general scientific methods: (historical and logical) and special historical methods (narrative and problem-chronological). The scientific novelty of the article is determined primarily by the formulation of the research topic and the complex use of various sources and special works on the problem, which allowed the authors to objectively approach the analysis of the overthrow of the Hetmanate and the establishment of the UPR Directory in eastern Podillya. Conclusions. At the end of November – beginning of December 1918 in the eastern part of the Podillia province was the overthrow of the Ukrainian State administration and the establishment of power of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The Hetmanate's mistakes in domestic and foreign policy, the lack of a sufficient social base, and the weakness of the security forces made the Ukrainian government vulnerable to radical action. The leading role in overthrowing the Hetman and establishing republican power belonged to former members of the Central Council, nationally conscious Ukrainian intelligentsia and cooperators united in local branches of the Ukrainian National Union, patriotic oriented military and the majority of the population - the peasantry. Eastern Podillya became one of the first Ukraine’s regions where the power of the Directory of the Ukrainian People's Republic was established. It was important for its approval to eliminate the attempt of the russian white guards to gain a foothold in some counties of Podillya. Eventually, when Vinnytsia was chosen as the temporary seat of the Directory of the Ukrainian People's Republic, the eastern part of Podillya became an important springboard in establishing a new Ukrainian republican government throughout the country.

Dynamics of Variants of Concern (VOC) of SARS-CoV-2 during the Different Waves of COVID-19 in Senegal

Background: In Senegal, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 evolved with four successive epidemic waves. The first wave started in March 2020 with low virus variability, whilst the second outbreak, which started in December 2020, was dominated by the Alpha variant. The third wave took place in June 2021, and the fourth at the end of November 2021. Our interest was to investigate the involvement of variants of concern during these four waves and to track the viral diversity of SARS-CoV-2. Methodology: During the four waves of the pandemic, 276,876 nasopharyngeal swabs were analyzed at the Institut de Recherche en Santé, de Surveillance Epidémiologique et de Formation (IRESSEF). Of these, 22,558 samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. Then, the virus genomes were sequenced in 817 positive samples using the ARTIC Network of Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT). In addition, 10% of the negative samples in RT-PCR new variants were also targeted for the detection of new and previously undescribed variants. Results: Our data have overall shown that the Senegalese strains are very similar to each other or closely related to other strains, such as Gambia, France etc. During the first wave, the most common clade found was 19A (67.5%) and a majority of the samples were of the B.1 (50%) lineage. We noted more diversity during the second wave where clade 20A (38.4%) was more frequent, followed by clade 20B (31.52%) and 20I (9.74%). At the level of lineages, we identified variants of concern as B.1.1.7 (9.74%) and B.1.617.2 (0.86%). In the third wave, we observed at the clade level with mainly 21A (32.63%) and 21J (16.84%). During the fourth wave at the end of November 2021, we mainly identified clade 21K Omicron variant 21K (B.1.1.529 and BA.1) (80.47%) and Delta variant (21A, 21J, and 21I) (AY.103, AY.122, AY.122.1, AY.26, AY.34, AY.36, AY.4, AY.48, AY.57, AY.61, and AY.87) (14.06%). Impact: SARS-CoV-2 diversity may affect the virus’s properties, such as how it spreads, disease severity, or the performance of vaccines, tools, or other public health and social measures. Therefore, such tracking of SARS-CoV-2 variants is not only of public interest, but also highlights the role some African institutes such as IRESSEF with surveillance capabilities through the real-time sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the local context. Conclusion: In Senegal, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has disrupted the organization of the health system. IRESSEF contributed to put in place strategies to respond effectively to the expectations of medical authorities by providing them with data on the strains circulating in Senegal at each moment of the epidemic.

Exploring bacterial diversity via a curated and searchable snapshot of archived DNA

The open sharing of genomic data provides an incredibly rich resource for the study of bacterial evolution and function, and even anthropogenic perturbations such as the widespread use of antimicrobials. Whilst these archives are rich in data, considerable processing is required before a biological question can be addressed. Here, we have assembled, quality controlled and characterised 661,405 bacterial genomes that were in the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) at the end of November of 2018, using a uniform standardised approach. A searchable index has been produced, facilitating the easy interrogation of the entire dataset for a specific gene or mutation. Our analysis shows how uneven the species composition is within this database, with just 20 of the total 2,336 species making up 90% of the high-quality genomes. The over-represented species tend to be acute/common human pathogens, often aligning with research priorities at different levels from individuals with targeted but focussed research questions, areas of focus for the funding bodies or national public health agencies, to those identified globally as priority pathogens by the WHO for their resistance to front- and last-line antimicrobials. Whilst this is a rich resource which often forms the context or references for multi-‘omic’ studies and supports discovery research in many domains, understanding the actual and potential biases in bacterial diversity depicted in this snapshot, and hence within the data being submitted to the public sequencing archives, is essential if we are to target and fill gaps in our understanding of the bacterial kingdom.

MO774: Clean Buttonhole Puncture Prevents Infection

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS The buttonhole (BH) puncture has been criticized for the problem of infection. We considered that at least one of the causes for the higher infection rate in the BH technique might be insufficient removal of scabs. The scab pushed into the BH by a dull needle provides optimal temperature, moisture and nutrition for the germs, and protects them from immune system attack. We considered that the infection would be established if enough bacteria were inside when the scab was dissolved. Usually, scabs covering the BH entry site are removed with needles or forceps, and this procedure tends to injure the entry site so that scabs stick more firmly to the site after that. We reported the effect of the moist wound healing procedure on the BH entry site to solve this problem from the 49th ERA-EDTA congress. Since that time, we have continued this method to the BH entry site in Yokohama Minami Clinic. After transferring to the Toshin Clinic in 2019, we faced the problem of difficulty in performing the BH method because nurses were not familiar with removing the scab. For this reason, we had to ask patients who wanted the BH procedure to soak the scabs in the bathtub and wash it with a nylon towel until the scab was gone. METHOD This study was conducted at Toshin Clinic from April 2021 to November 2021. In most patients, fistula vessels were punctured by either the BH or the rope-ladder method. But, in some patients, however, fistula vessels were punctured by both methods. For the BH method, supercath clump cath P painless needles were used. After hemostasis was achieved, we put a small amount of white petroleum jelly. We instructed patients to wash the puncture site at home, especially when they took a bath, using a nylon towel until the blistered scabs were gone. Patients were also instructed to apply the white petrolatum on the site after washing the site. Thanks to this method, in many patients, scabs could be wiped off easily. RESULTS At the end of November 2021 119 patients were punctured by the rope ladder method (79 males/40 females, 70.2 years old, 107 months on dialysis) and 35 patients by the BH method (29/6, 68.9 years old, 93.3 months). We have punctured 66 925 times by the rope-ladder method and 8011 by the BH method. One local infection requiring hospitalization debridement occurred in the rope-ladder group and one local infection occurred in the BH group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 1.0, Pearson's chi-squared test). CONCLUSION Infection can be prevented by continued moist treatment of the BH and vigorous self-cleaning. I would like to call this method the "clean buttonhole method" because it keeps the BH clean in appearance, unlike the conventional dirty BH method where the scabs are dried and have to be plucked off.

Is the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 coming to an end?

Is the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 coming to an end?