Public perspectives on COVID-19 public health and social measures in Japan and the United Kingdom: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, was one of the greatest modern public health crises that the world has faced. Countries undertook sweeping public health and social measures (PHSM); including environmental actions such as disinfection and ventilation; surveillance and response, such as contact tracing and quarantine; physical, such as crowd control; and restrictions on travel. This study focuses on the public perceptions of PHSM in two countries, Japan and the United Kingdom (UK) as examples of high-income countries that adopted different measures over the course of the pandemic. METHODS: This study was conducted between November 2021 and February 2022, a period in which the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 was predominant. Fourteen online focus group discussions were conducted in each country. Overall, 106 total participants (50 from the UK and 56 from Japan) participated in 23 focus groups (11 in the UK and 12 in Japan) with an average of three to six participants per group. Both countries were compared using a thematic analysis method. RESULTS: Both countries' participants agreed that vaccination was an effective measure. However, they did not favor mandatory vaccination policies. Working from home was well accepted by both sides, but they reported that schools should have continued to be opened as before COVID-19. Both sides of participants expressed that temperature testing alone in indoor facilities was ineffective as a COVID-19 control measure. There were contrasting views on face covering rules in public spaces, international and domestic movement restrictions. High acceptance of mask-wearing was reflective of Japanese customs, while it was accepted as a strong recommendation for participants in the UK. Japanese participants favored quarantine for international travel, while the UK participants supported banning non-essential travel. CONCLUSION: Similar and contrasting views on PHSM against COVID-19 between Japan and the UK demonstrated how policies in controlling an epidemic should be tailored by country with respect to its norms, cultures, economic and disease burden. Our findings may guide how policy makers can engage with the public through effective health communication and consider regulations that are aligned with the public's views and capacities in changing their behavior for future pandemic preparedness.

Activity-stability trade-off observed in variants at position 315 of the GH10 xylanase XynR.

XynR is a thermostable alkaline GH10 xylanase, for which we have previously examined the effects of saturation mutagenesis at position 315 on enzyme alkaliphily, and found that at pH 10, the activities of variants could be ordered as follows: T315Q > T315S = T315N > T315H = wild-type XynR (WT) > 15 other variants. In this study, we sought to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the variable activity of these different variants. Crystallographic analysis revealed that the Ca2+ ion near position 315 in WT was absent in the T315Q variant. We accordingly hypothesized that the enhancement of alkaliphily in T315Q, and probably also in the T315H, T315N, and T315S variants, could be ascribed to an activity-stability trade-off associated with a reduction in stability due to the lack of this Ca2+ ion. Consistent with expectations, the alkaline resistance of T315H, T315N, T315Q, and T315S, evaluated through the pH-dependence of stability at 0 mM CaCl2 under alkaline conditions, was found to be lower than that of WT: the residual activity at pH 11 of WT was 78% while those of T315H, T315N, T315Q, and T315S were 0, 9, 0, and 43%, respectively. In addition, the thermostabilities of these four variants, as assessed using the denaturing temperatures (Tm) at 0 mM CaCl2 based on ellipticity at 222 nm in circular dichroism measurements, were lower than that of WT by 2-8 °C. Furthermore, the Tm values of WT and variants at 5 mM CaCl2 were higher than those at 0 mM CaCl2 by 6-11 °C. Collectively, our findings in this study indicate that mutation of the T residue at position 315 of XynR to H, N, Q, and S causes an increase in the alkaliphily of this enzyme, thereby reducing its stability.

A global comprehensive vaccine-preventable disease surveillance strategy for the immunization Agenda 2030.

As part of the Immunization Agenda 2030, a global strategy for comprehensive vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) surveillance was developed. The strategy provides guidance on the establishment of high-quality surveillance systems that are 1) comprehensive, encompassing all VPD threats faced by a country, in all geographic areas and populations, using all laboratory and other methodologies required for timely and reliable disease detection; 2) integrated, wherever possible, taking advantage of shared infrastructure for specific components of surveillance such as data management and laboratory systems; 3) inclusive of all relevant data needed to guide immunization program management actions. Such surveillance systems should generate data useful to strengthen national immunization programs, inform vaccine introduction decision-making, and reinforce timely and effective detection and response. All stakeholders in countries and globally should work to achieve this vision.