Background/Objectives: New SARS-CoV-2 variants are continuously emerging, making it essential to assess the efficacy of vaccine-induced immune protection. Limited information is available regarding T cell responses to BA.2.86 and JN.1 variants, parti...
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-variants BA.2.86 and JN.1 contain multiple mutations in the spike protein that were not present in previous variants of concern and Omicron sub-variants. Preliminary research suggests that these variants reduce the neutrali...
We report neutralization titer data against contemporary SARS-CoV-2 sublineages from an ongoing, phase 2/3, open-label, clinical trial of a single dose (30 μg) of an Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted BNT162b2 monovalent mRNA vaccine. The trial included heal...
The COVID-19 pandemic has lately been driven by Omicron. This work aimed to study the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages during the third and fourth waves of COVID-19 in Argentina. Molecular surveillance was performed on 3431 samples from Argent...
The SARS-CoV-2 sublineage BA [...]
19 February 2023
Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2, several Omicron sublineages have emerged, supplanting their predecessors. Here we compared the neutralization of Omicron sublineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 by human sera collected from indiv...
Even with its endemic transition, the COVID-19 pandemic remains a public health threat, particularly in the light of emerging variants of concern (VoCs) and the need for pandemic preparedness in the future. In November 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 VoC Omicro...
The Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5 caused several waves of SARS-CoV-2 in Germany in 2022. In this comparative study, public health data on SARS-CoV-2 infections from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, between January and October 2022 were...
SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) show increasing transmissibility and infectivity and induce substantial injuries to human health and the ecology. Therefore, it is vital to understand the related features for controlling infection. In this study...
Wastewater-based SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology (WBE) has been established as an important tool to support individual testing strategies. The Omicron sub-variants BA.4/BA.5 have spread globally, displacing the preceding variants. Due to the severe transmiss...
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) lineages rapidly became dominant in various countries reflecting its enhanced transmissibility and ability to escape neutralizing antibodies. Although T cells induced by ancestral SARS-CoV-2-based vaccines also recogniz...
The exploration of chalcogenides is on the rise owing to their desirable optical, electronic, thermoelectric, and thermal properties. Chalcogenide materials have been investigated for possible applications in areas such as non-linear optics and solar...
Knowledge on differences in the severity and symptoms of infections with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants BA.2 (Pango lineage B.1.529.2) and BA.5 (Pango lineage B.1.529.5) is still scarce. We investigated epidemiological data available from the public...
The circulation of SARS-CoV-2 omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants with enhanced transmissibility and capacity for immune evasion resulted in a recent pandemic wave that began in April–May of 2022. We performed a statistical phylogeographic study...
The acquisition of a high number of mutations, notably, the gain of two mutations L452R and F486V in RBD, and the ability to evade vaccine/natural infection-induced immunity suggests that Omicron is continuing to use “immune-escape potential&rd...
In this study, radiation damage in BaFBr and BaF2 crystals irradiated with 147 MeV 84Kr ions up to fluences of (1010–1014) ions/cm2 was investigated using X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) and pulsed cathodoluminescence (PCL). The effec...
In this work, the multiferroic property of Ba-deficient BaTiO3 (001) ultrathin film is studied employing the first-principles approach. The BaTiO3 (001) ultrathin film is more energetically stable and behaves as a semiconductor relative to the (111)...
Omicron BA.2.75 may become the next globally dominant strain of COVID-19 in 2022. The BA.2.75 sub-variant has acquired more mutations (9) in spike protein and other genes of SARS-CoV-2 than any other variant. Thus, its chemical composition and thermo...
Regionally metamorphosed, Neoproterozoic stratiform baryte deposits near Aberfeldy in the Grampian Highlands of Scotland, UK, contain barium-poor and barium-rich micas in the host rocks and mineralized strata, respectively. The barium-rich micas incl...
We have recently revealed that the new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages BA.4 and BA.5 exhibit increased resistance to cilgavimab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody, and the resistance to cilgavimab is attributed to the spike L452R substitution. However...
226Ra is an important contributor to naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and also considered in safety cases related to the disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a deep geological repository. Recrystallization and solid solution formation wi...
BaPb1−xBixO3 (BPBO) bismuthate, showing high TC superconductivity for 0.05 < x < 0.35, is an archetypal system for studying the complex inhomogeneity of perovskite lattice favoring the emergence of quantum coherence, called the superstripes pha...
BA.2, a sublineage of Omicron BA.1, is now prominent in many parts of the world. Early reports have indicated that BA.2 is more infectious than BA.1. To gain insight into BA.2 mutation profile and the resulting impact of mutations on interactions wit...
The results of the effect of the three Ba:Ti molar ratios (MR) (1:1, 2:1, 4:1) and four sintering temperatures (1250, 1275, 1300, 1325 °C) on the structural and electrical properties of BaTiO3 (BT)-type ceramics synthesized by the hydrothermal me...
Our contribution focuses on humidity gas-sensing device formation of metal oxide materials such as BaTiO3 nanorods and TiO2-BaTiO3 nanotubes. Processing of humidity sensors based on BaTiO3 nanostructured materials, that can operate under severe envir...
The recent emergence of the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants with heavily mutated spike proteins has posed a challenge to the effectiveness of current vaccines and to monoclonal antibody therapy for severe COVID-19. After two immunizations of individua...
We present and discuss the results of surface relaxation and rumpling computations for ReO3, WO3, SrTiO3, BaTiO3 and BaZrO3 (001) surfaces employing a hybrid B3LYP or B3PW description of exchange and correlation. In particular, we perform the first B...
The emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants has raised concerns about the ability of COVID-19 vaccination programs to establish adequate herd immunity levels in the population. This study assessed the effectiveness of adapted vaccines in preventing SA...
Photocatalysis is an effective technology for NO removal even at low concentrations in the ambient atmosphere. However, the low efficiency of this advanced process and the tendency of producing toxic byproducts hinder the practical application of pho...
Based on the previous work conducted by Fujii et al., NdBaInO4 compounds present modest oxide-ion conductivities. Therefore, it has been an attractive system of significant interest. In this study, we attempted to partially substitute Ca for Nd and t...
The cubic oxyhydride perovskite BaTiO3−xHx, where the well-known ferroelectric oxide BaTiO3 is partially hydridized, exhibits a variety of functions such as being a catalyst and precursor for the synthesis of mixed-anion compounds by utilizing...
In this work, a broad overview in the field of strontium titanate (ST, SrTiO3)-, barium titanate (BT, BaTiO3)- and barium strontium titanate (BST, BaSrTiO3)-based gas sensors is presented and discussed. The above-mentioned materials are characterized...
Since its initial detection, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineage BA.2 has been spreading rapidly worldwide. The aims of this study were to describe the first 284 patients infected with the Omicron BA.2 variant of concern (VOC) in the Apulia region of s...
Bitis arietans is a snake of medical importance found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and in savannas and pastures of Morocco and western Arabia. The effects of its venom are characterized by local and systemic alterations, such as inflammation and car...
In this study, the characteristics in the lead-free piezoelectric ceramic 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3−0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (0.5BZT–0.5BCT) were investigated to assess its potential for Rosen-type piezoelectric transformers. This piezoelectric cera...
Single crystals of BaWO4, BaWO4: 0.5 at. % Ce; BaWO4: 1 at. % Ce; BaWO4: 0.5 at. % Ce, 1 at. % Na; and BaWO4: 1 at. % Ce, 2 at. % Na were grown from an inductively heated iridium crucible by the Czochralski method on a Malvern MSR4 puller. They were...
The Omicron BA.5/22B variant has been designated as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization. We describe, here, the first evidence in Monaco of infection with an Omicron BA.5/22B variant, probably imported from the Republi...
The oxidation reactions of BaLaCuS3 in the artificial air atmosphere were studied at different heating rates in the temperature range of 50–1200 °C. The oxidation stages were determined by DSC-TG, XRD and IR–vis methods. The kinetic c...
This study presents theoretical and experimental investigations into the electron and hole color centers in BaFBr crystals, characterizing their electronic and optical properties. Stoichiometric BaFBr crystals grown by the Steber method were used in...
The Qin-Ba Ecological Functional Zone is a component of China’s ecological security pattern designed to protect the regional ecosystem and maintain biodiversity. However, due to the impact of mining and urban encroachment, the plight of a sustainable...
A novel Ba(II)/TiO2–MCM-41 composite was synthesized using binary mixtures with Ba2+/TiO2 and MCM-41, and Ba2+ as a doping ion of TiO2. The specific surface area and pore structure characterizations confirm that a mesoporous structure with a surface...
Although barium titanate (BaTiO3) shows prominent dielectric properties for fabricating electronic devices, its utilization in electrochemical applications is limited. Thus, this study examined the potential of a BaTiO3-based composite in the detecti...
Crystals of Ba2Zn(BO3)2 were grown by the top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) method. The optimum flux system for growing Ba2Zn(BO3)2 crystals was 2BaF2:2.5B2O3. The transmission spectra of a (100)-orientated crystal indicated an absorption edge of 230...
This work investigated the optical characteristics of BaWO4 nanoparticles that were produced through direct mechanochemical synthesis at varying speeds and times. This research expands upon our previous study. We demonstrated that the mechanochemical...
From December 2021 to May 2022, the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants successively became the most dominant strains in many countries around the world. Subsequently, Omicron subvariants have emerged, and Omicron has been classified into five main lin...
Transmissibility and immune evasion of the recently emerged, highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.87.1 are unknown. Here, we report that BA.2.87.1 efficiently enters human cells but is more sensitive to antibody-mediated neutralization than the currently d...
In this study, our objective is to investigate the anisotropic deformation behavior and the indentation size effect (ISE) of monocrystalline barium fluoride (BaF2) using nanoindentation experiments with a diamond Berkovich indenter. BaF2 is known for...
The material BaBiO3 is known for its insulating character. However, for thin films, in the ultra-thin limit, metallicity is expected because the oxygen octahedra breathing mode will be suppressed as reported recently. Here, we confirm the influence o...
6-BA, a small molecule compound of cytokinins, has been proven to delay leaf senescence in different species, including Chinese flowering cabbage; however, its specific mechanism remains relatively unknown. In this study, the application of external...
Due to issues with Pb toxicity, there is an urgent need for high performance Pb-free alternatives to Pb-based piezoelectric ceramics. Although pure BaTiO3 material exhibits fairly low piezoelectric coefficients, further designing of such a material s...
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