Analysis of Epidemiological Investigations and Responses to Human Rabies Deaths in Côte d’Ivoire, 2021

Rabies is an infectious disease that almost always leads to death as soon as the first signs appear, and is still endemic in several regions, including Côte d’Ivoire. Epidemiological investigations are carried out and response measures implemented in the event of any death from human rabies. However, the quality of these investigations does not always allow the adoption of response measures. The aim of this work was to evaluate the reports of epidemiological investigations and response actions carried out during the occurrence of human rabies deaths from 2016 to 2018. This was a cross-sectional study that took place from April to September 2021 at the National Institute of Public Hygiene and focused on human rabies deaths notified from 206 to 2018. Of sixty-one (61) human rabies deaths recorded, sixty (60) were investigated, among which fifty-nine (59) deaths had been subject to response. Most deaths occurred in rural areas (75%), and the main vector was the dog (98%). Several shortcomings were noted: response actions were not carried out promptly;joint interventions bringing together human and animal health professionals were rare, there was little communication about rabies to communities (36%), and very little vaccination of the vector, the source of the disease (12%);an almost total absence of capacity-building for local players (7%);the health districts of Abobo-Ouest, Bondoukou, Divo and Fresco, which had regularly recorded human rabies deaths, had not benefited from dog vaccination, which is supposed to break the circulation of the virus. The persistence of rabies deaths in the health districts could probably be linked to these shortcomings. Faced with these realities, it is essential to strengthen the epidemiological investigation capacities of the players involved, in order to improve the quality of investigations and ensure an effective response.

Analysis of Epidemiological Investigations and Responses to Human Rabies Deaths in Côte d’Ivoire, 2021

Rabies is an infectious disease that almost always leads to death as soon as the first signs appear, and is still endemic in several regions, including Côte d’Ivoire. Epidemiological investigations are carried out and response measures implemented in the event of any death from human rabies. However, the quality of these investigations does not always allow the adoption of response measures. The aim of this work was to evaluate the reports of epidemiological investigations and response actions carried out during the occurrence of human rabies deaths from 2016 to 2018. This was a cross-sectional study that took place from April to September 2021 at the National Institute of Public Hygiene and focused on human rabies deaths notified from 206 to 2018. Of sixty-one (61) human rabies deaths recorded, sixty (60) were investigated, among which fifty-nine (59) deaths had been subject to response. Most deaths occurred in rural areas (75%), and the main vector was the dog (98%). Several shortcomings were noted: response actions were not carried out promptly;joint interventions bringing together human and animal health professionals were rare, there was little communication about rabies to communities (36%), and very little vaccination of the vector, the source of the disease (12%);an almost total absence of capacity-building for local players (7%);the health districts of Abobo-Ouest, Bondoukou, Divo and Fresco, which had regularly recorded human rabies deaths, had not benefited from dog vaccination, which is supposed to break the circulation of the virus. The persistence of rabies deaths in the health districts could probably be linked to these shortcomings. Faced with these realities, it is essential to strengthen the epidemiological investigation capacities of the players involved, in order to improve the quality of investigations and ensure an effective response.

Hydrological response to climate change and human activities:A case study of Taihu Basin,China

Climate change and human activities have changed a number of characteristics of river flow in the Taihu Basin.Based on long-term time series of hydrological data from 1986 to 2015,we analyzed variability in precipitation,water stage,water diversion from the Yangtze River,and net inflow into Taihu Lake with the Mann-Kendall test.The non-stationary relationship between precipitation and water stage was first analyzed for the Taihu Basin and the Wuchengxiyu(WCXY)sub-region.The optimized regional and urban regulation schemes were explored to tackle high water stage problems through the hydrodynamic model.The results showed the following:(1)The highest,lowest,and average Taihu Lake water stages of all months had increasing trends.The total net inflow into Taihu Lake from the Huxi(HX)sub-region and the Wangting Sluice increased significantly.(2)The Taihu Lake water stage decreased much more slowly after 2002;it was steadier and higher after 2002.After the construction of Wuxi urban flood control projects,the average water stage of the inner city was 0.16e0.40 m lower than that of suburbs in the flood season,leading to the transfer of flooding in inner cities to suburbs and increasing inflow from HX into Taihu Lake.(3)The regional optimized schemes were more satisfactory in not increasing the inner city flood control burden,thereby decreasing the average water stage by 0.04e0.13 m,and the highest water stage by 0.04e0.09 m for Taihu Lake and the sub-region in the flood season.Future flood control research should set the basin as the basic unit.Decreasing diversion and drainage lines along the Yangtze River can take an active role in flood control.

Impact of cold indoor thermal environmental conditions on human thermal response

To explore the thermal responses under the non-thermal equilibrium cold environmental conditions,a laboratory study was conducted in climate chamber.The local skin temperatures and thermal sensation of 20 subjects were recorded at 10 min intervals for 90 min under air temperatures of 7.4,9.1,11 and 15 °C.The results show that both local skin temperatures and mean skin temperature decrease not only with the drop of ambient air temperature but also with the exposure time.Local thermal sensation and overall the thermal sensation have the similar temperature-varying and time-varying characteristics.Predicted mean vote(PMV) model cannot correctly predict the thermal sensation under non-thermal equilibrium cold environment.The correlation between local thermal sensation and local skin temperatures shows that thermal sensation is closely related to skin temperature.Skin temperature is an effective indicator of thermal sensation.A linear relationship model between overall thermal sensation and mean skin temperature,considering both ambient temperature and exposure time,was established in the non-thermal equilibrium cold environment,which makes the evaluation of thermal sensation more objective.

An alternative approach to predict human response to blast induced ground vibration

The aim of this study is to create alternative approaches to predict human response to ground vibration.Site measurements were conducted in an urban quarry.The multiple discriminant analysis technique was used to develop classification models.The measured ground vibration values were grouped based on the limit values appearing in the literature.Two classification models were created to predict human response to ground vibration.In addition,classical predictor equations were developed to compare to the classification models.The best equations were chosen considering several error measures.All the models were tested on the independent data.The prediction accuracy of the discriminant analysis models is quite promising.Nearly eighty-nine percent of the test data were correctly classified.The classification models have a combined structure.The results of the models can be directly presented to the neighbors of the studied quarry.The models are not complex.They do not require additional software or information to practice and can be easily used by site engineers.

The Planet’s Response to Human Activity. Thermodynamic Approach

The applicability of the laws of thermodynamics to processes on Earth is discussed and it is shown that the chemical thermodynamics provides the reasonable basis for predicting probable changes. The historical evolution of the planet is considered in the framework of the Harari approach;a civilization’s level is estimated by the Kardashev scale based on the amount of energy it is able to use. During a short historical interval (≈500 years), when the effect of biological evolution is imperceptible and the main changes on the planet are caused by human activity, two systems are considered: 1) a nonequilibrium inhabited planet and 2) a quasi-equilibrium hypothetical planet without people, which is accepted as a comparison system. It is shown that in response to the energy impact, the equilibrium of the hypothetical system with the primordial nature is disturbed and processes are initiated aimed to prevent further growth of energy production. In the case of a real planet, this implements changes preventing the uncontrolled activities of humans—the energy producers. Climate change, an increase in the number of natural disasters and epidemics can be recognized as a direct response of the planet, while changes in socio-economic relations, morality, demographic situation, new threats etc. can be considered as an indirect reaction to changing conditions of human beings. The latter results from the mutual correlation between the progress of society, on the one hand, and humanitarian and political processes, on the other. The role of renewable and non-renewable energy sources in evolution is taken into account. Obviously, it is better to take meaningful measures to achieve an acceptable balance now than to wait for the blind and extremely painful action of the laws of nature, which would lead to a reduction in the population.

Numerical Model of Thermal Responses in Human Skin under Low-Level Radiant Exposure

For improving the evaluative accuracy of thermal protective clothing performance,the estimated methods of thermal response of skin and the human body were comprehensively described and analyzed.This study reviewed the one-dimensional(1D)and multi-dimensional heat transfer models of the skin heat transfer model,including the corresponding heat and moisture transfer.Further,it investigated the influence of moisture transfer in vivo heat transfer.Moreover,the thermo-physiological model with active regulation was analyzed,especially in the local extremes,such as fingers and toes.Additionally,future research trends are discussed in estimating thermal protective performance.In developing the thermal protective model,it is essential to consider the geometric structure,local heat thermoregulation of extremities,and mass transfer inside the skin.

Protective effect of perioperative recombinant human growth hormone application on intestinal mucosal barrier function in patients with intestinal obstruction and the assessment of immune inflammatory response

Objective:To study the protective effect of perioperative recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) application on intestinal mucosal barrier function in patients with intestinal obstruction and the influence on the immune inflammatory response.Methods:60 patients with intestinal obstruction who underwent surgical treatment in our hospital between February 2013 and July 2016 were selected as the research subjects and divided into the control group (n=34) who received conventional surgical treatment and the observation group (n=26) who received surgery combined with perioperative r-hGH treatment. The serum levels of intestinal mucosal barrier indexes, immunoglobulin and inflammatory response indicators were compared between two groups of patients before and after treatment.Results: Before treatment, differences in serum levels of intestinal mucosal barrier indexes, immunoglobulin and inflammatory response indicators were not statistically significant between the two groups of patients. After treatment, serum intestinal mucosal barrier indexes Endotoxin, D-Lactate and DAO levels in observation group were lower than those in control group, immunoglobulin IgA, IgM and IgG levels were higher than those in control group, and inflammatory response indicators IL-1, IL-6, PCT and TNF-α levels were lower than those in control group patients. Conclusion:Perioperative r-hGH application in patients with intestinal obstruction can protect the intestinal mucosal barrier, also optimize the humoral immunity and suppress the systemic inflammatory response.

Complete Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Specific T Lymphocyte Response to Chinese Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 B/C Chronic Infectors

Objective To characterize the human immunodeficiency virus （HIV） -specific T lymphocyte responses and identify the immunodominant regions in Chinese HIV-1 recombinant subtype B/C chronic infectors at complete genome level. Methods Twenty-five HIV-I B/C recombinant chronic infectors were screened for their specific T lymphocyte responses to a panel of peptides corresponding to the complete HIV-1 subtype B genome by gamma interferon ELISPOT assay. Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric analysis of variance was used to test significant differences across gene regions, and Tukey pairwise analysis was used to identify differences between gene regions. Spearman rank correlation was used to assess the relation between responses. Results The order of recognized frequencies of specific T lymphocyte responses to HIV proteins was Nef〉Vpr〉Gag〉Pol〉Vpu〉Env〉Rev〉Vif〉Tat. When adjusted for protein length, Nef, Vpr, Gag, and Pol were the most intensely targeted proteins and the central region of Nef, Gag p24, Pol RT, and Vpr was most frequently recognized. No significant correlation was observed between the magnitude of IFN-γ production of HIV-l-specific T lymphocyte responses and plasma viremia, breadth of response and CD4 counts. Conclusion The central region of Nef, Gag p24, Pol RT, and Vpr is most frequently targeted in HIV-1 B/C recombinants chronic infectors. HIV-1-specific T lymphocyte responses and plasma viremia or CD4 counts play no protective role at complete genome level in these infectors.

Eye Blink Responses to the Four Basic Taste Stimuli in Healthy Young Humans

Taste stimuli can elicit facial responses, and the facial responses may be useful indexes of taste sensations. In this study, we propose that eye blinking is also elicited by taste stimuli and we examined eye blink responses in six healthy young adults. Low and high concentration solutions of the four basic taste qualities (sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness) and distilled water were delivered via a silicone tube. Facial responses were recorded by a video camera and eye blink responses were identified. The number of eye blinks in the 5 s following stimulation, and the latency and duration of the first eye blink, were quantified. High concentrations of sour and bitter solutions increased the number of eye blinks (195% and 227%, respectively;P P

Human umbilical artery smooth muscle exhibits a 2-APBsensitive capacitative contractile response evoked by vasoactive substances and expresses mRNAs for STIM, Orai and TRPC channels

After depletion of intracellular Ca^(2+)stores the capacitative response triggers an extracellular Ca^(2+)influx through store-operated channels(SOCs)which refills these stores.Our objective was to explore if human umbilical artery smooth muscle presented this response and if it was involved in the mechanism of serotonin-and histamine-induced contractions.Intracellular Ca^(2+)depletion by a Ca^(2+)-free extracellular solution followed by Ca^(2+)readdition produced a contraction in artery rings which was inhibited by the blocker of Orai and TRPC channels 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate(2-APB),suggesting a capacitative response.In presence of 2-APB the magnitude of a second paired contraction by serotonin or histamine was significantly less than a first one,likely because 2-APB inhibited store refilling by capacitative Ca^(2+)entry.2-APB inhibition of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca^(2+)release was excluded because this blocker did not affect serotonin force development in a Ca^(2+)-free solution.The PCR technique showed the presence of mRNAs for STIM proteins(1 and 2),for Orai proteins(1,2 and 3)and for TRPC channels(subtypes 1,3,4 and 6)in the smooth muscle of the human umbilical artery.Hence,this artery presents a capacitative contractile response triggered by stimulation with physiological vasoconstrictors and expresses mRNAs for proteins and channels previously identified as SOCs.

The Study on Immuno-response and Antisera Properties of Recombinant β-subunit of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in C57 Black Mouse

In this study, the immuno-response of recombinant hCG-β and natural hCGβ was comparatively investigated by using Freund's adjuvant. The results showed that, the properties and merits of the antibodies elicited by both kinds of hCG-β were similar. The antisera had high affinity for binding with hCG (Kαγβ≈5.86×108/mol/L, Kαβ≈8.18×108/mol/L), and were found to be effective in inhibiting the binding of 125I-hCG to receptors in rat testes. Results also indicated that, similar to the antisera induced by natural hCG-β, the recombinant hCG-β induced antisera had capacity of neutralizing the biological activities of hCG. Recombinant hCG-β could be used as an immunogen for contraceptive vaccine.

RESPONSE OF HUMAN RENAL CANCER TO UFT IN NUDE MICE

A primary human renal cell carcinoma was developed as a xenograft (NT-25) and maintained by serial transplantation in nude mice. The effect of UFT on this neogrowth was tested and evaluated as well its distribution in the animal tissues. The concentration of UFT was higher in tumor tissues than that in other tissues and in the animal experimentation UFT was found to be effective on human renal cell carcinoma.

RESPONSES OF HUMAN FETAL SPLENOCYTES AND THYMOCYTES TO INTERLEUKIN-2: LAK ACTIVITY AND PROLIFERATION

Using cytotoxicity and thymidine uptake assays, we investigated the effects of human recombinant in-terleukin-2 (rIL-2) on the induction of lympholine-activated killer (LAK) activity and cellular proliferation in splenocytes and thymocytes from human fetuses (18-22 weeks). We observed that fetal splenocytes and thymocytes incubated with low doses of rIL-2 (10-100 U ml) developed broad antitumor activity (LAK activity) although the kinetics and magnitudes of the responses were different. It indicated the LAK precursors are present in fetal spleen and thymus. Further, rIL-2 induced a strong proliferative response in splenocytes, but not in thymocytes. On the basis of the findings, we conclude that the responses of fetal splenocytes and thymocytes to IL-2 are different.

Numerical Estimation of the Thermal Response of Thermal Protective Clothing-Air Gap-Human Skin Micro-system

Thermal protective clothing has been recognized as the primary shielding against emergency fire hazard and inflammable gas leakage. Therefore,the thermal response of human covered with thermal protective clothing under high temperature is the key work to investigate the thermal insulation of thermal protective clothing. A coupling model composed of thermal protective clothing,air gap and human skin is established and the temperature of the micro-system is numerically solved via the finite element method( FEM).Especially,the heat transfer of air gap located between clothing and human skin considering conduction and radiation is established while the human skin layers involve the effect of blood perfusion. Then the effect of thermophysical properties( thermal conductivity and volumetric capacity) of fabric and thickness of fabric and air on the thermal response of the micro-system is elucidated and compared.The results indicate that the volumetric heat capacity of fabric is the key parameter to affect the thermal shielding performance of thermal protective clothing,and the thicker fabric thickness and air gap thickness can improve the thermal protective properties of the micro-system.

Morphodynamic response of an embayed beach to different typhoon events with varying intensities

Beach erosion has occurred globally in recent decades due to frequent and severe storms.Dongsha beach,located in Zhujiajian Island,Zhejiang Province,China,is a typical embayed sandy beach.This study focused on the morphodynamic response of Dongsha beach to typhoon events,based on beach topographies and surficial sediment characteristics acquired before and after four typhoon events with varying intensities.The four typhoons had different effects on the topography and sediment characteristics of Dongsha beach.Typhoons Ampil and Danas caused the largest(-51.72 m3/m)and the smallest erosion(-8.01 m3/m),respectively.Remarkable alongshore patterns of beach profile volumetric changes were found after the four typhoon events,with more erosion in the southern and central parts of the beach and few changes in the northern part.Grain size coarsening and poor sorting were the main sediment patterns on the beach influenced by different typhoons.Typhoons that occurred in the same year after another typhoon enhanced the effect of the previous typhoon on sediment coarsening and sorting variability,but this cumulative effect was not found between typhoons that occurred during different years.A comparison of the collected data revealed that the topographic state of the beach before the typhoon,typhoon characteristics,and tidal conditions were possible reasons for the difference in the responses of Dongsha beach to typhoon events.More severe beach erosion was caused by typhoons with higher intensity levels and longer durations,and high tide levels during typhoons can determine the upper limit of the beach profile erosion site.Taken together,these results can be used to improve beach management for storm prevention.

The Place of Human Resource Management in Lagos State Healthcare Delivery: A Statistical Overview

Background: Behind every great system is an organized team;this is especially true in the healthcare industry, where a dedicated human resources team can effectively recruit employees, train staff, and implement safety measures in the workplace. The importance of human resources in the healthcare industry cannot be overstated, with benefits ranging from providing an orderly and effectively run facility to equipping staff with the most accurate and up-to-date training. Proper human resources management is critical in providing high-quality health care. A refocus on human resources management in healthcare requires more research to develop new policies. Effective human resources management strategies are greatly needed to achieve better outcomes and access to health care worldwide. Methods: This study leveraged NOI Polls census data on Health Facility Assessment for Lagos State. One thousand two hundred fifty-six health care facilities were assessed in Lagos State;numbers of Health workers were documented alongside their area of specialization. Also, demographic characterizations of the facilities, such as LGA, Ownership type, Facility Level Care, and Category of the facility, were also documented. Descriptive statistics alongside cross tabulation was done to present the various area of specialization of the health workers. Multiple response analysis was done to understand the distribution of human resources across the health facilities. At the same time, Chi-square and correlation tests were conducted to test the independence of various categories recorded while understanding the relationships among selected specialties. Results: The study revealed that Nurses were the most common health specialist in the Lagos State health facilities. At the same time, Gynecologists and General surgeons are the two medical specialists mostly common in health facilities. Midwives are the second most common health specialist working full time, while Generalist medical doctors make up the top three health specialists working full time. Nurses and Midwives had the highest number in Lagos State, while Pulmonologists were currently the lowest human resource available in Lagos State health care system. It was also noted that health facility distribution across Lagos’s urban and rural areas was even. In contrast, distribution based on other factors such as ownership type, Facility level of care, and facility category was slightly skewed. Conclusion: The distribution of health workers in health facility across LGA in Lagos State depend on Ownership type, Facility level of care, and category of the facility.

Exploration on Research Methods for Exploring Human Response to Luminous Environment with Chromogenic Windows Applied

Chromogenic windows enable both energy-saving and daylighting regulation.However,the human response to the luminous environment affected by them is difficult to test,since their features of dynamic change and tinting automatically.This study explores the research methods,including experimental design and statistical analysis,by literature review and an experiment demonstration.The results show that a proper size of the test room is significant to obtain desired data,and the advanced VR technologies have the potential to be applied for testing these dynamic variables.Bayesian approaches are recommended to be tried and get more accurate interference about the experimental results.

Practice and Outlook of China's Regulation on the Extraterritorial Human Rights Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations

As China’s overseas investment and business operations continue to expand,the issue of human rights risks faced by Chinese transnational corporations abroad has attracted sustained attention from society.In recent years,China has enacted a series of laws,regulations,and policies to better regulate the overseas business conduct of transnational corporations,urging them to respect the human rights of the people in host countries and fulfill their social responsibilities to achieve sustainable development.Meanwhile,China has actively participated in the formulation of the Legally Binding Instrument on Activities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises in International Human Rights Law,providing a Chinese solution to promote global governance of transnational corporations.However,in practice,the lack of institutional mechanisms,systems,and industry rules to supervise and guide transnational enterprises in fulfilling their human rights responsibilities,as well as the limited awareness of human rights risks among these enterprises,have resulted in ongoing human rights risks in their overseas business operations,particularly regarding labor rights and environmental rights.In response,China should take its national conditions into consideration and focus on the development trends of human rights issues in the business sector at the international level.Drawing on the experiences of other countries,China should explore and establish institutional and practical measures to regulate the human rights responsibilities of transnational enterprises through legislation,administration,and judiciary actions,in order to address the risks and challenges faced by Chinese enterprises in foreign investments and contribute to the sustainable development of the world and global human rights governance.

Research on the Relationship Between Human Resource Management and Corporate Environmental Responsibility

The significance of human resource management in enterprise management is steadily growing,especially as businesses today are expected to shoulder their share of social responsibility.Among these responsibilities,corporate environmental responsibility assumes a pivotal role.This paper aims to investigate the interplay between human resource management practices and corporate environmental responsibility.The study employs various factors of human resource management practices as independent variables,using the current environmental status quo and environmental innovation capacity as intermediary variables,and adopts multiple regression analysis to scrutinize the influencing factors of corporate environmental responsibility.The findings underscore that when the working environment is favorable,enterprise human resource management practices can effectively enhance corporate environmental responsibility.Furthermore,when supported by environmentally responsible behavior,these human resources practices exhibit a positive influence on a company’s environmental responsibility.Consequently,this study provides practical recommendations for enhancing corporate environmental responsibility.