https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114609

An assessment of hospital wastewater and biomedical waste generation, existing legislations, risk assessment, treatment processes, and scenario during COVID-19

In vitro induction of interleukin-8 by SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein is inhibited in bronchial epithelial IB3-1 cells by a miR-93-5p agomiR.

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a significant threat to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To address this challenge, a thorough examination of the pandemic’s influence on four SDGs in Egypt is presented in a system dynamic model. The addressed goals are related to no poverty (SDG 1), zero hunger (SDG 2), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), and climate action (SDG 13). The model is simulated over 35 years extending from 2015 to 2050. Furthermore, a web-based interactive learning environment is developed to analyze the interdependencies among public health activities and study the impacts of possible intervention countermeasures or prevention policies. Indicators including poverty line, food insecurity, gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are evaluated to track Egypt’s performance in relation to SDGs 1, 2, 8, and 13. According to the simulation model, the poverty line will continue to decline until it reaches around 16% by 2050. According to the significant governmental efforts to follow its vision of 2030, Egypt can achieve a decreasing percentage of food insecurity, reaching 3% in 2030, and this percentage will continue to decrease until it reaches full sufficiency by 2050. The GDP growth rate will rise every year until it reaches 13.71% in 2050. With respect to climate, GHG emissions are predicted to fall to roughly 97 Mt CO2-equivalents by 2050. This approach revitalizes debates about the achievement of SDGs amid the crisis and acts as a powerful tool that aids decision-makers in identifying leverage points to avoid the long-term negative repercussions of the crisis on the economy, people, and environment. 

/pdf/modeling-covid-19-effects-on-sdgs-using-system-dynamics-in-3as7bmcp.pdf

Modeling COVID-19 effects on SDGs using system dynamics in Egypt

Urban resilience under the COVID-19 pandemic: A quantitative assessment framework based on system dynamics

The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) is still a major health issue. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the university teaching to consider in high priority the switch from in-presence teaching to remote teaching, including laboratory teaching. While excellent virtual-laboratory teaching has been proposed and turned out to be very useful, the need of a real-laboratory in-presence teaching is still a major need. This study was aimed at presenting a laboratory exercise focusing (a) on a very challenging therapeutic strategy, i.e. SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics, and (b) on technologies that are playing a central role in applied biochemistry and molecular biology, i.e. PCR and RT-PCR. The aims of the practical laboratory were to determine: (a) the possibility to identify SARS-CoV-2 sequences starting from a recombinant plasmid and (b) the possibility to discriminate cells with respect to the expression of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. This activity is simple (cell culture, RNA extraction, RT-qPCR are all well-established technologies), fast (starting from isolated and characterized RNA, few hours are just necessary), highly reproducible (therefore easily employed by even untrained students). We suggest that this laboratory practical exercises should be considered for face-to-face teaching especially if the emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic is maintained. The teaching protocol here described might be considered in order to perform fast but meaningful in-presence teaching, making feasible the division of crowded classes in low-number cohorts of students, allowing the maintenance of the required social distance.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0266419&type=printable

Teaching during COVID-19 pandemic in practical laboratory classes of applied biochemistry and pharmacology: A validated fast and simple protocol for detection of SARS-CoV-2 Spike sequences

The COVID-19 pandemic now affects the entire world and has many major effects on the global economy, environment, health, and society. Focusing on the harm COVID-19 poses for human health and society, this study used system dynamics to establish a prevention and control model that combines material supply, public opinion dissemination, public awareness, scientific and technological research, staggered work shifts, and the warning effect (of law/policy). Causal loop analysis was used to identify interactions between subsystems and explore the key factors affecting social benefit. Further, different scenarios were dynamically simulated to explore optimal combination modes. The main findings were as follows: (1) The low supervision mode will produce a lag effect and superimposed effect on material supply and impede social benefit. (2) The strong supervision mode has multiple performances; it can reduce online public opinion dissemination and the rate of concealment and false declaration and improve government credibility and social benefit. However, a fading effect will appear in the middle and late periods, and over time, the effect of strong supervision will gradually weaken (but occasionally rebound) and thus require adjustment. These findings can provide a theoretical basis for improving epidemic prevention and control measures.

/pdf/system-dynamics-analysis-of-covid-19-prevention-and-control-1pcghbw9pb.pdf

System dynamics analysis of COVID-19 prevention and control strategies.

With the rapid development of the economy, violations of public interest, such as environmental pollution, and food and drug safety issues, are increasingly occurring, resulting in the violation of personal rights and enormous losses of property assets for a large number of people. At present, citizens or relevant public organizations are unable to take legal action affecting the public interest to resolve problems, so it is necessary to rely on the prosecution authorities to protect public order and the public interest through the exercise of their prosecutorial powers. The implementation of relevant legislation by prosecutors has achieved considerable results in favor of the protection of public interests, but problems have accordingly arisen in both civil and administrative proceedings for the protection of public interests brought by prosecution authorities. One set of problems is the limitation only to areas of cases specified in law, making the range of cases is narrow; the implementation of prosecutorial supervision leading to difficulties in proving damage to the public interest; and prosecutors’ lack of professional knowledge. The article presents and analyzes the legal framework for prosecutors’ involvement in public interest litigation in China and reveals the causes of the fundamental problems; and suggests ways to improve the current legislation and ways to solve the problems arising by using a modern intelligent judicial system and with the help of relevant administrative authorities in the field of environment and environmental protection, natural resources, food and medicine, consumer protection, and so on.

Yao Li

Papers

System dynamics analysis of COVID-19 prevention and control strategies.

Prosecutor’s participation in civil and administrative proceedings in defense of public interests in the China