Search Results (34)

Background: Starting in early 2022, SARS-CoV-2 Omicron has driven large outbreaks in China, a predominantly infection-naive population with high inactivated vaccine coverage. This unique context provided a substantially less-confounded opportunity to evaluate how vaccination, public health, and social measures influenced severity. Methods: We systematically reviewed 86 studies (224 severity estimates) published from 2022 to 2024, reporting symptom and clinical severity outcomes (fever, cough, and sore throat; symptomatic, severe/critical, and fatal illness) of Omicron infections in China. Using meta-regression, we evaluated the associations of study setting, age group, vaccination status, predominant subvariants, and Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) indices, including the Government Response Index (GRI), Containment and Health Index (CHI), and the Stringency Index (SI), with infection outcomes, adjusting for key confounders. Results: We found the primary or booster series of inactivated vaccines conferred strong protection against severe/critical illness (pooled relative risk (RR) 0.17 [95% CI: 0.09–0.33]) but did not reduce symptom frequency (RR 0.99 [95% CI: 0.95–1.02]). Each 10-unit increase in GRI or CHI was associated with 7% (95% CI: 1–12%) and 6% (95% CI: 1–10%) lower odds of symptomatic infection and 3% (95% CI: 1–4%) lower odds of severe/critical illness. Later subvariants (BA.5, BF.7, and XBB) showed 24–38% higher odds of upper respiratory symptoms versus BA.1. Conclusions: The data collection context significantly impacted severity estimates, with higher estimates from emergency hospitals. Overall, inactivated vaccines provided strong protection against severe/critical outcomes while stringent public health measures were associated with lower severity. Our findings underscore the importance of consistent and standardized protocols to produce reliable estimates of SARS-CoV-2 severity in evolving epidemiological contexts. Full article

To analyze the extent of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) reporting by all companies listed in the Bahrain Bourse, we investigated their levels of engagement with reporting their contributions to and progress towards achieving the SDGs. The analysis was conducted through content analysis based on the PwC (2016) and GRI (2016) frameworks, in addition to the business reporting indicators for the SDGs. The results provide evidence for a steady increase in the SDG disclosure levels from 2019 to 2022. Moreover, the results for the business reporting indicators for the SDGs demonstrate that not all the SDGs were equally addressed by the sampled companies. The SDGs that organizations can easily integrate into their business models were more frequently addressed (SDGs 1, 3, 4, and 9) than those of a macroeconomic nature. The results highlight the need for business organizations to adopt sustainability practices and embed SDG-related disclosures into their reporting systems. Moreover, this study offers new insights into the role of accounting in advancing the achievement of the SDGs. Full article

As global temperatures rise, the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is undergoing accelerating mass loss, with significant implications for sea level rise and climate systems. Using GRACE and GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) RL06 data from April 2002 to May 2023, alongside MARv3.14 regional climate model outputs (ice melting, runoff, rainfall, snowfall, and land surface temperature (LST)), we investigated the drivers of GrIS mass changes. Continuous wavelet transform analysis revealed significant annual signals in all variables except snowfall, with wavelet decomposition showing the largest annual amplitudes for ice melting (58.8 Gt/month) and runoff (44.5 Gt/month), surpassing those of GRACE/GRACE-FO (31.1 Gt/month). Cross-correlation analysis identified ice melting, runoff, rainfall, snowfall, and LST as significantly correlated with GrIS mass changes, with ice melting, runoff, and LST emerging as primary drivers, while snowfall and runoff exerted secondary influences. Temporal lags of 3, 4, 4, 7, and 4 months were observed for ice melting, runoff, rainfall, snowfall, and LST, respectively. These findings highlight the complex interplay of climatic and hydrological processes driving GrIS mass loss. Full article

(1) Background: Medication adherence is influenced by a variety of intricate factors, presenting hurdles for nurses working to improve it among adults with chronic conditions. Pinpointing the reasons for non-adherence is crucial for customizing interventions. The objective of this quality improvement project was to improve medication adherence among adults with chronic diseases in primary healthcare by promoting evidence-based practices, identifying barriers and facilitators to compliance, and developing strategies to ensure optimal adherence through engaging the nursing team, enhancing knowledge, and evaluating the effectiveness of the implemented strategies. (2) Methods: This study was a quality improvement project that utilized the JBI Evidence Implementation framework, the Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System, and the Getting Research into Practice audit tool across three phases: (i) forming a project team and conducting a baseline audit, (ii) offering feedback via the GRiP tool, and (iii) conducting a follow-up audit to assess best practice outcomes. The study was conducted between September 2021 and March 2022 in the community care unit of Algarve Regional Health Administration, targeting adults with chronic illnesses. (3) Results: A total of 148 individuals were audited, including 8 nurses, 70 baseline patients, and 70 post-implementation patients. Initial compliance with key best practices was low, with several criteria at 0% compliance at baseline. Post-intervention, we observed significant improvements; compliance with key best practices improved dramatically, with many reaching 100%. Notable improvements included enhanced patient education on medication management, regular medication adherence assessments, and increased engagement of healthcare professionals in adherence activities. (4) Conclusions: This quality improvement project demonstrated that structured, evidence-based interventions could significantly enhance medication adherence among adults with chronic diseases. The success of the project highlights the potential of similar strategies to be applied broadly in primary healthcare settings to improve health outcomes. Full article

Evidence indicates that harmful work practices such as long working hours in high-income countries kill more people than road accidents (International Labour Organisation, 2021). The Global Reporting Initiatives (GRIs) for Sustainability—Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) 403 standards (2018)—include ‘work-related leading indicators’, but currently, a limited understanding of these exists to prevent an increase in deaths due to work-related non-communicable diseases. The health harm of work construct, which is different from work stress, is a recent development in the sustainable HRM literature explaining employees’ perception of the restrictions imposed by work practices on achieving positive health. To promote health and well-being for all in the employment stage of life (SDG 3), this study aims to establish the health harm of work that is caused by work intensification as work-related leading indicators of adverse/decent working conditions (SDG 8). A total of 605 white-collar full-time employees completed work intensification, the health harm of work, and mental well-being questionnaires, and self-reported on health risk factors and chronic health conditions. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the mediational research model of the dynamic transitionary effect of work intensification on employee health and well-being through the health harm of work. The findings indicate that work intensification improves employee mental well-being (SDG 3), but the mediation transitionary effect of the health harm of work highlights that mental well-being is reduced when work intensification (SDG 8) started increasing the health harm of work among individuals. The health harm of work from the sustainable HRM perspective is found to be effective work-practice related leading indicators of health and well-being in the working population. Research and practical implications to develop a business-health agenda of shared values are discussed. Full article

In this study, an analysis of the virome of 51 grapevines from the Don ampelographic collection named after Ya. I. Potapenko (Russia) was performed using high-throughput sequencing of total RNA. A total of 20 previously described grapevine viruses and 4 viroids were identified. The most detected were grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (98%), hop stunt viroid (98%), grapevine Pinot gris virus (96%), grapevine yellow speckle viroid 1 (94%), and grapevine fleck virus (GFkV, 80%). Among the economically significant viruses, the most present were grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (37%), grapevine virus A (24%), and grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (16%). For the first time in Russia, a grapevine-associated tymo-like virus (78%) was detected. After a bioinformatics analysis, 123 complete or nearly complete viral genomes and 64 complete viroid genomes were assembled. An analysis of the phylogenetic relationships with reported global isolates was performed. We discovered and characterized the genomes of five novel grapevine viruses: bipartite dsRNA grapevine alphapartitivirus (genus Alphapartitivirus, family Partitiviridae), bipartite (+) ssRNA grapevine secovirus (genus Fabavirus, family Secoviridae) and three (+) ssRNA grapevine umbra-like viruses 2, -3, -4 (which phylogenetically occupy an intermediate position between representatives of the genus Umbravirus and umbravirus-like associated RNAs). Full article

COVID-19 has resulted in a great inconvenience and has had a severe impact on the economy and residents’ daily life in China and even the world. Urban resilience, as the key representation of social and economic stability, can directly reflect the development and stability of cities. In addition, the Mamdani fuzzy inference system (MFIS), as one of the commonly used fuzzy inference systems, has been successfully applied in various application problems involving imprecise or vague information since it was proposed. In this paper, we mainly consider the urban resilience of 50 important node cities for population migration (50INCPM) in China in 2020 under the influence of COVID-19. We apply MFIS for approximating the urban resilience index (URI) based on multiple inputs, which includes the population density resilience index (PRI), gross domestic product per capita resilience index (GRI), in-degree centrality resilience index (IRI), out-degree centrality resilience index (ORI), confirmed cases number (CCN), recovery rate (RR) and mortality rate (MR). Meanwhile, based on the big data of population migration and COVID-19 data in China from 15 January to 15 March in 2020, we calculate the URI of 50INCPM in China in 2020 under the influence of COVID-19. Moreover, we show the spatial difference of URI and its changes in different stages. The results show that (1) the URI of 50INCPM decreases from the eastern coastal area to the western inland, and the cities with URI more than 0.5 are gathered in the eastern coastal area of China. As COVID-19 is controlled, the URI is gradually rising, and the growth rate of URI in southeast coastal cities exceeds that of inland cities. (2) The second-tier and third-tier cities have stronger resilience in the case of large-scale emergencies. (3) There exists a positive correlation in URI and RR. The expectation of the research finding gives a basis for judging the economic and social situation under the impact of COVID-19, which can help local governments accurately judge city resilience, and provide a reference for the decision on resuming production and work, so it is of positive significance for national economic resilience and social stability. Finally, on the basis of universal vaccine coverage, we hold that the GOC should promote the cities’ resilience in China, especially in the first-tier city in inland China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen). On the other hand, on the premise of implementing epidemic prevention and control measures, local governments should stimulate the resilience of each city in terms of population and economy. Full article

French-American hybrids and North American grape species play a significant role in Canada’s grape and wine industry. Unfortunately, the occurrence of viruses and viral diseases among these locally important non-vinifera grapes remains understudied. We report here the results from a large-scale survey to assess the prevalence of 14 viruses among 533 composite samples representing 2665 vines from seven French-American hybrid wine grape cultivars, two North American juice grape cultivars (Concord and Niagara), and the table grape cultivar Sovereign coronation. Based on reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, ten viruses were detected. Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus, grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3, grapevine Pinot gris virus and grapevine red blotch virus were detected with the highest frequency. As expected, mixed infections were common; 62% of the samples contained two or more viruses. Overall, hybrid wine grapes were infected with more viruses and a higher prevalence of individual viruses than juice and table grapes. To validate these findings and to refine the virome of these non-European grapes, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) analyses of five composite samples representing each category of grapevine cultivars was performed. Results from HTS agreed with those from RT-PCR. Importantly, Vidal, a widely grown white-wine grape with international recognition due to its use in the award-winning icewine, is host to 14 viruses, four of which comprise multiple and distinct genetic variants. This comprehensive survey represents the most extensive examination of viruses among French-American hybrids and North American grapes to date. Full article

Among other pathogens, more than 80 viruses infect grapevine. The aim of this work was to study the virome diversity of grapevine viruses and mycoviruses of a vineyard using high-throughput sequencing technologies. The grapevine virome was studied in symptomatic vines of the Rkatsiteli cultivar (V. vinifera) collected at the vineyards of the Krasnodar Krai in Russia. Ribosomal-depleted total RNA and isolated small RNAs were used for library preparation and high-throughput sequencing. Six grapevine-infecting viruses and two viroids were validated by RT-PCR and analyzed phylogenetically. We identified the presence of grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3, grapevine Pinot gris virus, grapevine virus T, grapevine rupestris stem-pitting-associated virus, grapevine fleck virus, and grapevine rupestris vein feathering virus, as well as two viroids, grapevine yellow speckle viroid 1 and hop stunt viroid. We also studied the mycovirome of the vineyard and identified nine viruses with single-stranded positive-sense RNA genomes: alternaria arborescens mitovirus 1, botrytis cinerea mitovirus 1, botrytis cinerea mitovirus 2, botrytis cinerea mitovirus 3, botrytis cinerea mitovirus 4, sclerotinia sclerotiorum mitovirus 3, botrytis cinerea hypovirus 1, grapevine-associated narnavirus 1, and botrytis virus F. In addition, we identified botrytis cinerea hypovirus 1 satellite-like RNA and two single-stranded negative-sense RNA viruses. This is the first study of grapevine mycoviruses in Russia. The obtained result will contribute to the development of biocontrol strategies in the future. Full article

This is the first viral metagenomic analysis of grapevine conducted in Mexico. During the summer of 2021, 48 plants displaying virus-like symptoms were sampled in Queretaro, an important grapevine-producing area of Mexico, and analyzed for the presence of viruses via high-throughput sequencing (HTS). The results of HTS were verified by real-time RT-PCR following a standardized testing scheme (Protocol 2010). Fourteen different viruses were identified, including grapevine asteroid mosaic-associated virus (GAMaV), grapevine Cabernet Sauvignon reovirus (GCSV), grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV), grapevine red globe virus (GRGV), grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV), grapevine rupestris vein feathering virus (GRVFV), grapevine Syrah virus 1 (GSyV-1), grapevine virus B (GVB), and grapevine leafroll-associated viruses 1, 2, 3, 4 (GLRaV1, 2, 3, 4). Additionally, divergent variants of GLRaV4 and GFkV, and a novel Enamovirus-like virus were discovered. This is the first report of GAMaV, GCSV, GLRaV4, GPGV, GRGV, GRVFV, and GSyV-1 infecting grapevines in Mexico; the impact of these pathogens on production is unknown. Full article

The pressure chamber is the most used tool for plant water status monitoring. However, species/cultivar and seasonal effects on protocols for reliable water potential determination have not been properly tested. In four grapevine cultivars and two times of the season (early season, Es; late season, Ls, under moderate drought), we assessed the maximum sample storage time before leaf water potential (Ψ_leaf) measurements and the minimum equilibration time for stem water potential (Ψ_stem) determination, taking 24 h leaf cover as control. In ‘Pinot gris’, Ψ_leaf already decreased after 1 h leaf storage in both campaigns, dropping by 0.4/0.5 MPa after 3 h, while in ‘Refosk’, it decreased by 0.1 MPa after 1 and 2 h in Es and Ls, respectively. In ‘Merlot’ and ‘Merlot Kanthus’, even 3 h storage did not affect Ψ_leaf. In Es, the minimum Ψ_stem equilibration was 1 h for ‘Refošk’ and 10 min for ‘Pinot gris’ and ‘Merlot’. In Ls, ‘Merlot Kanthus’ required more than 2 h equilibration, while 1 h to 10 min was sufficient for the other cultivars. The observed cultivar and seasonal differences indicate that the proposed tests should be routinely performed prior to experiments to define ad hoc procedures for water status determination. Full article

The negative effects of viruses and the positive effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on grapevine performance are well reported, in contrast to the knowledge about their interactive effects in perennial plants, e.g., in grapevine. To elucidate the physiological consequences of grapevine–AMF–virus interactions, two different AMF inoculum (Rhizophagus irregularis and ‘Mix AMF’) were used on grapevine infected with grapevine rupestris stem pitting virus, grapevine leafroll associated virus 3 and/or grapevine pinot gris virus. Net photosynthesis rate (A_N), leaf transpiration (E), intercellular CO₂ concentration (C_i) and conductance to H₂O (g_s) were measured at three time points during one growing season. Furthermore, quantum efficiency in light (Φ_PSII) and electron transport rate (ETR) were surveyed in leaves of different maturity, old (basal), mature (middle) and young (apical) leaf. Lastly, pigment concentration and growth parameters were analysed. Virus induced changes in grapevine were minimal in this early infection stage. However, the AMF induced changes of grapevine facing biotic stress were most evident in higher net photosynthesis rate, conductance to H₂O, chlorophyll a concentration, total carotenoid concentration and dry matter content. The AMF presence in the grapevine roots seem to prevail over virus infection, with Rhizophagus irregularis inducing greater photosynthesis changes in solitary form rather than mixture. This study shows that AMF can be beneficial for grapevine facing viral infection, in the context of functional physiology. Full article

After a long period of the inclusion of materiality matrices within standard setters documents and non-financial reports, the Global Reporting Initiative officially abandoned the materiality matrix in 2021 after the GRI 3 standard release. To bridge the detected gaps in the literature, this article aims to investigate approaches to and arguments for the matrix until the issuance of GRI 3. The two-step research strategy adopted gives the same level of attention to the opposite positions found. Phase 1 (approach-oriented) reviews the materiality matrix presentation in the 2014–2020 non-financial reports of a sample of worldwide sustainability-oriented companies. Phase 2 (argument-oriented) performs qualitative content analysis on feedback for the GRI 3 preparatory works. The findings show that, besides the staunch adopters, a core of non-adopters persisted and prevented the takeoff of the matrix. Moreover, further insights into possible drivers both in favour of and against these approaches are provided. The final discussion both considers the lessons learnt, overlapping with policy implications, and suggests future research avenues. Full article

The restoration of cerebral blood flow (CBF) to achieve brain tissue oxygenation (PbtO₂) is the primary treatment for ischemic stroke, a significant cause of adult mortality and disability worldwide. Nitric oxide (NO) and its bioactive s-nitrosylated (SNO) reservoirs, such as s-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), induce hypoxic vasodilation to enhance CBF during ischemia. The endogenous pool of SNOs/GSNO is enhanced via the activation of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS/NOS3) and by the suppression of class III alcohol dehydrogenase 5 (ADH5), also known as GSNO reductase (GSNOR). Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC), which augments NOS3 activity and SNO, is an emerging therapy in acute stroke. However, RIC has so far shown neutral effects in stroke clinical trials. As the majority of stroke patients are presented with endothelial dysfunctions and comorbidities, we tested the hypothesis that NOS3 dysfunction and diabetes will abolish the protective effects of RIC therapy in stroke, and the prior inhibition of GSNOR will turn RIC protective. Our data demonstrate that RIC during thrombotic stroke failed to enhance the CBF and the benefits of thrombolysis in NOS3 mutant (NOS3^+/−) mice, a genetic model of NOS3 dysfunction. Interestingly, thrombotic stroke in diabetic mice enhanced the activity of GSNOR as early as 3 h post-stroke without decreasing the plasma nitrite (NO₂⁻). In thrombotic stroke, neither a pharmacological inhibitor of GSNOR (GRI) nor RIC therapy alone was protective in diabetic mice. However, prior treatment with GRI followed by RIC enhanced the CBF and improved recovery. In a reperfused stroke model, the GRI–RIC combination therapy in diabetic mice augmented PbtO₂, a translatory signature of successful microvascular reflow. In addition, RIC therapy unexpectedly increased the inflammatory markers at 6 h post-stroke in diabetic stroke that were downregulated in combination with GRI while improving the outcomes. Thus, we conclude that preexisting NOS3 dysfunctions due to comorbidities may neutralize the benefits of RIC in stroke, which can be turned protective in combination with GRI. Our findings may support the future clinical trial of RIC in comorbid stroke. Further studies are warranted to test and develop SNO reservoirs as the blood-associated biomarker to monitor the response and efficacy of RIC therapy in stroke. Full article

In order to accurately realize the contact fatigue state identification of specimen, a new method based on vibration and image heterogeneous data, as well as on D-S evidence theory, is proposed. Firstly, combined with the bearing public data set from CWRU, the vibration signal imaging methods such as SDP, GAF and GRI, as well as neural network models such as VGG16, ResNet and S-T, were compared and analyzed. It is determined that the SDP method is used to visualize the vibration signal, and the two state identification evidence bodies based on the vibration information source are obtained through the VGG16 and ResNet models. Secondly, combined with image monitoring signals, the fatigue defect identification method based on automatic weighting threshold and the detection error dynamic compensation method based on fatigue defect edge features are used to quantify the fatigue damage area and obtain the state identification evidence body based on the image information source. On this basis, a state identification network model based on vibration and image spatiotemporal heterogeneous data is constructed, and the D-S evidence theory is used to realize the contact fatigue state identification of the specimen. The results show that fusion of vibration and image data can achieve information complementarity and may identify the contact fatigue state of the specimen more accurately. The accuracy of state identification after fusion is 98.67%, which is at least 3% higher than that of a single information source. This research is of great significance for the accurate acquisition of material contact fatigue properties and has certain reference value for the heterogeneous data fusion from different sources. Full article