Development and Application of Estimation Method for the Scale of Damage in Domestic Drought

In this study, an estimation method for damage and recovery costs on account of domestic droughts was developed. The estimation method for the scale of damage was applied based on the national drought statistics generated by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. The damage and recovery costs of domestic droughts were calculated based on the damage data of domestic droughts that occurred in 2018 and 2019. The estimation method was developed for damage costs incurred due to domestic droughts by considering the number of people affected by water supply restrictions, accommodation, and restaurants. The method for estimating recovery costs after domestic droughts was developed considering domestic disaster support, water support, water development support, equipment support, and human resource support for victims. Due to the construction of a DB of limited domestic drought damage status, the damage costs were calculated for the number of people affected by water supply restrictions, and the recovery costs were calculated for the domestic disaster and water support. The total damage costs caused by domestic droughts in 2018 amounted to 612.471 M KRW, and in Gangwon-do and Jeollanam-do, they were 218.616 M KRW in 2019, and more than 90% of Incheon metropolitan city was calculated. The total recovery costs caused by domestic droughts in 2018 were 5,994.555 M KRW, and in Gangwon-do and Jeollanam-do, they amounted to 4,882.024 M KRW in 2019, and more than 90% of Chungcheongnam-do was calculated. The difference between the damage and recovery costs of domestic droughts was approximately tenfold in 2018 and twentyfold in 2019.

Covid-19 Impact on Retailing

In early 2019, retailers had reason to be optimistic. Unemployment was low and while many retailers closed branches, overall, retailing rose. The hospitality and travel industries were at their highest revenue levels in more than 16 years and consumer spending was at a high. Traditional retail formats were no longer working as Omni channel retailing took hold. Very few could have predicted that retail employees would become essential workers as a pandemic hit the world. The retailing industry took a major hit and experts are unsure about a total recovery. In this paper we examine the impact of COVID-19 on retail environments and what the future of retailing may hold

COMPARISON OF EFFICACY OF EPLEY MANOEUVRE AND VESTIBULAR SEDDATIVE IN POSITIONAL VERTIGO

Objective: To carry out the comparison of the effectiveness of Epleys manoeuvre and Vestibular Sedative in the management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of ENT, Combined Military Hospital Peshawar, from Jul 2019 to Dec 2020. Methodology: The study was conducted on 60 patients who were diagnosed Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo by Dix Hallpike test. The patients were divided into 2 groups of 30 each. Group A was treated with vestibular sedative and group B was treated with Epleys manoeuvre. The examination of all patients was done on day 3, day 7 and day 14 and the results were documented. Results: The study revealed that the 30 cases which were managed by Epleys manoeuvre, 27 cases were completely symptom free after 14 days. Meanwhile from the 30 patients who were treated by oral vestibular sedation, only 5 patients had total recovery on 14th day. Chi square test was used to compare the results. The results showed that Epleys manoeuvre has greater efficacy in the treatment of Epleys man oeuvre than vestibular sedative. Conclusion: Epleys manoeuvre is more effective for the management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo than vestibular sedative.

Prevalence of COVID-19 Positive Cases Diagnosed By Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction and Mortality from SARS-Cov-2 among Suspected Population

SARS-CoV-2, a newly emergent virus is the responsible agent for causing Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) which is an outgoing pandemic. Test for SARS-CoV-2 is necessary not only to confirm the cases but also to control its transmission. To diagnose Covid-19, Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 is used. A retrospective, cross sectional research was conducted in Brahmanbaria Medical college to find out the prevalence of RT-PCR positivity in suspected COVID-19 patients presented from July, 2021 to August, 2021 in the Department of Microbiology. Data was collected from the registry book of the Department of Microbiology. Among the total suspected samples (n=2025), about 1145 (56.54%) cases found positive. Among the positive cases, 59% were symptomatic, and 41% were asymptomatic. Out of the total confirmed cases, 487 (42.53%) were male & 658 were (56.54) % female. Among the confirmed cases, total recovery cases were 1057 (92.3 %) and death cases were 88 (7.7%). More death was observed in age group between 51-60 years. More than half of the positive cases with a medium number of asymptomatic population indicate a high chance of disease transmission. Female being the more vulnerable group of getting infected and age group above 50 years were more prone to succumb.

Vanishing White Matter Disease Presenting as Acute Febrile Encephalopathy: Case Report

A 3.5-year-old male child patient with mild developmental delay presented with history of acute onset fever, encephalopathy, and dyskinesia. The patient was investigated for common etiologies and was managed supportively. His neuroimaging was suggestive of vanishing white matter (VWM) disease which was confirmed by clinical exome sequencing. The child had an eventful hospital stay followed by near-total recovery after 4 weeks. The case attempts to sensitize readers about the current perspectives pertaining to VWM disease.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Non-Invasive Ventilated ALS Patients

Background: The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection among neuromuscular diseases with respiratory involvement, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is still to be elucidated. Objectives: We aim to characterize the clinical outcome of ALS patients non-invasive ventilated (NIV), following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: We analyzed retrospectively our patients followed regularly at our ALS clinic, from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (middle March 2020) to March 2021. We included patients on NIV with a documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. We recorded demographic and clinical data, including from the acute infectious illness. Results: Three men with spinal-onset ALS are described, mean age of onset was 55±9.1 years (45–61), and mean disease duration was 17.5±15.9 months (6.1–41). All of them were wheelchair-bounded, with a mean ALSFRS-R of 15.3±0.6 (15–16). One patient used NIV 15 hours/day, 2 between 4 to 7 hours/day, and all used assisted coughing twice daily. None had coexistent comorbidities. They were managed for SARS-CoV-2 infection as outpatients with fluticasone, bronchodilators, azithromycin and increasing frequency of assisted coughing. Supplemental oxygen (mean of 2 liters per minute) was needed in two patients, and one required NIV also during the daytime. Total recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed in all, despite being in an advanced stage of their disease, with severe respiratory involvement. Conclusions: Prompt medical treatment is recommended for ALS patients with severe disease infected by SARS-CoV-2.

Ionic liquid-based multi-stage sugaring-out extraction of lactic acid from simulated broth and actual lignocellulosic fermentation broth

In this study, ionic liquid-based sugaring-out extraction was developed to separate lactic acid from the synthetic solution and actual lignocellulosic fermentation broth. Except for [EOHmim]BF4, the ILs with BF4− and OTF− anion can form aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) with the aid of saccharides. With the same kind of saccharides, the ATPS formation ability of ILs could be promoted by increasing the side-chain length of ILs in the order of [Hmim]BF4 ≈ [Bmim]BF4 ˃ [Emim]BF4 due to the decrease in ILs’ kosmotropicity. On the other hand, for the same type of ILs, an ATPS was formed more easily with glucose than with xylose. When IL concentration varied from 35% (w/w) to 40% (w/w) at a low glucose concentration of 15% (w/w), an interesting phase reversal was observed. When lactic acid was undissociated at pH 2.0, 51.8% LA and 92.3% [Bmim]BF4 were partitioned to the top phase, and 97.0% glucose to the bottom phase using an ATPS consisting of 25% (w/w) glucose and 45% (w/w) IL. The total recovery of LA would increase to 89.0% in three-stage sugaring-out extraction from synthetic solution. In three-stage sugaring-out extraction from the filtered and unfiltered fermentation broth obtained via simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) of acid-pretreated corn stover by the microbial consortium, the total recovery of LA was 89.5% and 89.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the total removal ratio of cells and pigments from the unfiltered broth was 68.4% and 65.4%, respectively. The results support IL-based sugaring-out extraction as a potential method for the recovery of lactic acid from actual fermentation broth. Graphical Abstract

The Effect of Topical Oxygen Therapy in Horses Affected with Mycosis of the Guttural Pouch: An Experimental Pilot Study and a Case Series

Background: The management of bleeding originating from the guttural pouch (GP) has a high success rate, but the resolution of the macroscopic inflammatory lesions in the case of mycosis (GPM) is highly variable; the resolution of neurological disorders is inconstant and challenging. Objectives: Our aim was to test the feasibility and safety of topical oxygen therapy (TOT) in horses after induction of GPM and in cases with naturally occurring disease. Study design: This study was an in vivo experimental and retrospective two-phase study. Methods: During phase 1, the pilot study, both GPs were inoculated with Aspergillus fumigatus. One GP was randomly assigned to receive one to four TOT 30 min sessions with 100% medical oxygen at 9 L/min. Follow-up endoscopic images were assessed for scoring macroscopic inflammatory lesions of the pharynx and both GPs. In phase 2, the clinical study, TOT was administered for 45 to 60 min at 15 L/min in six horses presenting with GPM. Results: In phase 1, TOT administration was easy to perform in the standing horse with no adverse effects. After more than two administrations, macroscopic inflammatory lesions decreased more quickly in size in the treated GP. In phase 2, horses were treated with TOT only (n = 1) or combined with a transarterial coil embolization (TACE) procedure (n = 5). After TOT and discharge from the hospital, nasal discharge resolved in three horses, and improvement was noted in the fourth one. Between days 2 and 10 after admission, upper respiratory tract endoscopy (URTE) indicated size reduction and alteration in the appearance of all the macroscopic inflammatory lesions. The partial or total recovery of neurological disorders (2/4 laryngeal hemiparesis, 3/5 dysphagia, 1/2 dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), and 1/1 Horner’s syndrome) was recorded. Main limitations: In phase 1, the small number of horses did not allow for statistically significant conclusions; in phase 2, clinical signs at admission varied between horses, which made comparison difficult. Conclusions: In adult horses, TOT alone or in combination with TACE is feasible and safe with a propensity to reverse the course and the progression of inflammatory lesions without additional local or systemic treatment.

The role of concurrent engineering in resilient critical infrastructures during disasters

The world has complex mega-cities and interdependent infrastructures. This complication in infrastructure relations makes it sensitive to disasters and failures. Cascading failure causes blackouts for the whole system of infrastructures during disasters and the lack of performance of the emergency management stakeholders is clear during a disaster due to the complexity of the system. This research aimed to develop a new concurrent engineering model following the total recovery effort. The objectives of this research were to identify the clustered intervention utilized in the field of resilience and developing a cross-functional intervention network to enhance the resilience of societies during a disaster. Content analysis was employed to classify and categorize the intervention in the main divisions and sub-divisions and the grouping of stakeholders. The transposing system was employed to develop an integrated model. The result of this research showed that the operations division achieved the highest weight of information interchange during the response to improve the resilience of the system. The committee of logistics and the committee of rescue and relief needed the widest bandwidth of information flow in the concurrent engineering (CE) model. The contributed CE model helped the stakeholders provide a resilient response system. The final model and the relative share value of exchanging information for each workgroup can speed up recovery actions. This research found that concurrent engineering (CE) is a viable concept to be implemented as a strategy for emergency management. The result of this research can help policymakers achieve a collaborative teamwork environment and to improve resilience factors during emergency circumstances for critical infrastructures.