Knowledge, attitudes and practices of university students toward COVID-19 in Southern region, Afghanistan: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Successful implementation of preventive measures and level of awareness in particular among university students in Afghanistan could play a crucial role in spreading the information for better control of the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding COVID-19 among Kandahar university students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted among undergraduate students to investigate their KAP regarding COVID-19 from January to March, 2021. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire (socio-demographic characteristics, KAP questionnaire) by phone call interviews. RESULTS: From 359 participants, 88.9% were males, 81.3% were single, 65.1% lived in urban areas, and more than 64% of the students were less than 23 years old. Overall, 86.6% of the study participants had adequate level of knowledge and 87.5% had positive attitudes toward COVID-19. Almost one-third of the participants had good practices regarding COVID-19. All KAP scores were higher in male students. Significant difference of good practice (p < 0.001) was observed among students who were in high socioeconomic status (SES) group. In univariate analysis, female sex (ß: -0.75, p = 0.007) was negatively and watching television (ß: 0.44; p = 0.014) was positively associated with knowledge score. However, in multivariate linear regression analysis, the knowledge score was significantly associated with age (ß: -0.115; p = 0.004); attitude score was significantly associated with female sex (ß: -2.776; p < 0.001) and radio use (ß: -0.974; p = 0.031); and practice score was significantly associated with female sex (ß: -3.704; p = 0.002) and urban area (ß: 1.702; p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: The overall knowledge and attitudes regarding COVID-19 among university students were desirable. Higher university year, young age, male sex and living in urban areas were significantly associated with good KAP regarding COVID-19. Good practices towards COVID-19 should be increased through awareness programs.

Green financing and wind power energy generation: Empirical insights from China

The study tests the connection between green financing and wind power energy generation during the COVID-19 crisis. The study tested the relationship between the variables using the Kalman approach, Hansen technique and sensitivity analysis using matrix component factors. The findings revealed that wind power energy consumption had increased quickly in past times due to its input nature for biofuel production. However, the capability of onshore and offshore wind power production grew by 7% in COVID-19 with the role of green financing in the wind power sector. Moreover, green financing enhances the demands on wind generators and energy converters' usage and dependability by 26%. For this, a 39% increase in green financing is noticed by the research findings during the COVID-19 crisis period. Such robust study findings present the latest insights that green financing is an eminent and viable source of financing to enhance wind power energy generation. Following these, multiple research implications are also presented for the key stakeholders.

Clinical characteristics among patients with COVID­19: A single­center retrospective study.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical features and laboratory parameters of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and assess the characteristics between severe and non-severe cases. The study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 1,096 patients, of which, 626 (57.11%) and 470 (42.89%) were categorized into severe and non-severe groups, respectively. Clinical parameters such as signs and symptoms, comorbidities, levels of D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and lactate dehydrogenase were analyzed. The data are presented as frequencies, means and standard deviations. The chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to assess any significant differences between the severe and non-severe COVID-19 groups. The clinical symptoms in severe COVID-19 cases included anosmia (P≤0.01), sore throat (P≤0.01), fatigue (P≤0.01), headache (P≤0.01), and shortness of breath (P≤0.01). Laboratory findings showed a significant increase in CRP (21.90±40.23 vs. 16.13±21.82; P≤0.01) and IL-6 levels (58.92±55.07 vs. 41.41±38.30; P≤0.01). Patients with severe COVID-19 had significant lymphopenia compared with that in non-severe cases. Among the comorbidities, hypertension (P≤0.01) was significantly more frequent in patients with severe COVID-19. In conclusion, major derangements in laboratory parameters were observed in patients with severe COVID-19 infection.

I am more inclined to buy online–novel social media engagement stimulated purchase intentions post-COVID-19: a case of Pakistani market

Purpose This study sheds light on the differential impact of social media brand engagement on two distinct types of purchase intentions, i.e. online and physical, in the special context of the post-COVID-19 situation in Pakistan. It has shed light on the factor (trust in online purchases during COVID-19) that has shaped the post-pandemic purchasing attitude. The above-stated association is unlocked based on the mediating role of brand equity. Design/methodology/approach The people who followed the social media pages of major sellers (apparel, grocery, food items and medical supplies) in Pakistan were included as the target population. A time-lagged web-based survey method was employed to collect primary data which generated 308 responses. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. After checks for validity and reliability, mediation and moderation analysis were run by Hayes PROCESS model 4 and 14 respectively. Findings Results show that brand equity mediates the relationship of social media engagement with both online and physical purchase intentions. Further, results confirm that trust in online purchases during COVID-19 19 weakens the relationship of social media engagement with physical purchase intentions but strengthens with online purchase intentions. Originality/value This study attempts to unveil the moderation of trust in online purchases during COVID-19 on the relationship of social media engagement with online and physical purchase intentions through the mediation of brand equity.

The Mediating Role Of Team Effectiveness On The Relationship Between Industry 4.0 Technologies And Operational Performance Improvement

Purpose- Current study examines how Industry 4.0 technologies affect operational performance improvement. The study also examined the mediation effect of team effectiveness that almost neglected in the previously conducted studies. Design/methodology/approach - The target population was operations managers in the textile sector. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire from 153 respondents was subjected to PLS-SEM for analysis. Findings - Findings revealed that team effectiveness is the significant antecedent for Industry 4.0 technologies. Moreover, found that team effectiveness positively contributes to performance improvement initiatives in the textile sector of Punjab. Furthermore, the results show, if the employees involved as a team in decision making and implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies, they feel motivated and perform better. Further, the results show that team effectiveness mediates among Industry 4.0 technologies and performance improvement initiatives. Practical implications - Current study provides valued practical implications for the top management and policymakers to ensure the team effectiveness towards Industry 4.0 technologies to get performance improvement initiatives. Originality/value - The proposed model considers the cyber-physical system (CPS) and the social constructionist theory (CST) in the domain of Industry 4.0 technologies to tackle team effectiveness. The current study is the novel addition in the literature by using team effectiveness as a mediator. Furthermore, it ascertains that Industry 4.0 technologies are anticipated to be a game-changing player in operational performance improvement.

Comprehensive Phytochemical Profiling, Biological Activities, and Molecular Docking Studies of Pleurospermum candollei: An Insight into Potential for Natural Products Development.

The purpose of this study was to find the biological propensities of the vegetable plant Pleurospermum candollei by investigating its phytochemical profile and biological activities. Phytochemical analysis was done by spectroscopic methods to investigate the amount of total polyphenols, and biological evaluation was done by the different antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory (tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase), thrombolytic, and antibacterial activities. The highest amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents was observed in methanolic extract (240.69 ± 2.94 mg GAE/g and 167.59 ± 3.47 mg QE/g); the fractions showed comparatively less quantity (57.02 ± 1.31 to 144.02 ± 2.11 mg GAE/g, and 48.21 ± 0.75 to 96.58 ± 2.30 mg QE/g). The effect of these bioactive contents was also related to biological activities. GCMS analysis led to the identification of bioactive compounds with different biological effects from methanolic extract (antioxidant; 55.07%, antimicrobial; 56.41%), while the identified compounds from the n-hexane fraction with antioxidant properties constituted 67.86%, and those with antimicrobial effects constituted 82.95%; however, the synergetic effect of polyphenols may also have contributed to the highest value of biological activities of methanolic extract. Molecular docking was also performed to understand the relationship of identified secondary metabolites with enzyme-inhibitory activities. The thrombolytic activity was also significant (40.18 ± 1.80 to 57.15 ± 1.10 % clot lysis) in comparison with streptokinase (78.5 ± 1.53 to 82.34 ± 1.25% clot lysis). Methanolic extract also showed good activity against Gram-positive strains of bacteria, and the highest activity was observed against Bacillus subtilis. The findings of this study will improve our knowledge of phytochemistry, and biological activities of P. candollei, which seems to be a ray of hope to design formulations of natural products for the improvement of health and prevention of chronic diseases; however, further research may address the development of novel drugs for use in pharmaceuticals.

The Use of Telepsychiatry during Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Cross-sectional Study on Demographic and Clinical Profile of Those who Sought Help by Using this Facility

Aim: We aimed to study the demographic and clinical profile of patients who sought teleconsultation for psychiatric disorders from august 2020 to January 2021. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, data was retrieved from the telepsychiatry services and was analyzed to examine the demographic and clinical parameters of patients. Results: Atotal of 3444 teleconsultations were sought with a mean age of 37.78 ± 15.08. About 80% of the patients were in the age group of 20-60 years. Females outnumbered males with 1938 (56.3%) females and 1538 (43.7%) males. Mood disorders were the most frequent diagnosis with Major Depressive Disorder in 1572 (45.6%) and Bipolar Disorder in 636 (18.5%). Co-morbidity was present in 234 (6.8%) of the study group. The mean psychotropics prescribed were 1.95 ± 0.84. One, two, three and four psychotropics were prescribed in 918 (26.7%), 1470 (42.7%), 900 (26.1%) and 42 (1.2%) respectively. Those aged < 20 years or ≥ 60 years prescribed psychotropics at lower rates in comparison to the 20-60 years age group. Female patients had a significantly higher rate of psychotropic prescription than male patients. Three or four psychotropics were prescribed to those with co-morbidity at a significantly higher rate. Conclusion: Demographic and clinical profile of patients seeking treatment through telepsychiatry was found to be comparable with face-to-face outpatient consultations. Clinical Significance: With the development of clinical, operational, legal, and ethical guidelines for telepsychiatry practice, the systematic application of Information and Communication Technologies to the practice of mental healthcare is being rapidly adopted.

A Review on Remdesivir: A Broad-spectrum Antiviral Molecule for Possible COVID-19 Treatment.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus strain and the causative agent of COVID-19 was emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 [1]. This pandemic situation and magnitude of suffering have led to global effort to find out effective measures for discovery of new specific drugs and vaccines to combat this deadly disease. In addition to many initiatives to develop vaccines for protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2, some of which are at various stages of clinical trials, researchers worldwide are currently using available conventional therapeutic drugs with the potential to combat the disease effectively in other viral infections and it is believed that these antiviral drugs could act as a promising immediate alternative. Remdesivir (RDV), a broad-spectrum anti-viral agent, initially developed for the treatment of Ebola virus (EBOV) and known to showed promising efficiency in in vitro and in vivo studies against SARS and MERS coronaviruses, is now being investigated against SARS-CoV-2. On May 1, 2020, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for RDV to treat COVID- 19 patients [2]. A number of multicentre clinical trials are on-going to check the safety and efficacy of RDV for the treatment of COVID-19. Results of published double blind, and placebo-controlled trial on RDV against SARS-CoV-2, showed that RDV administration led to faster clinical improvement in severe COVID-19 patients compared to placebo. This review highlights the available knowledge about RDV as a therapeutic drug for coronaviruses and its preclinical and clinical trials against COVID-19.

It is time to control the worst: testing COVID-19 outbreak, energy consumption and CO2 emission.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, managing energy consumption and CO2 emission remained a serious problem. The previous literature rarely solved this real-time issue, and there is a lack of public research proposing an effective way forward on it. However, the study examines the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on energy consumption and CO2 emission. The design of the study is quantitative, and the data is acquired from different online databases. The model of the study is inferred by using panel unit root test and ARDL test. The robustness of study findings was checked through panel quantile regression. The findings highlighted that the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively significant with energy consumption and CO2 emission. The study suggested revising the energy consumption patterns by developing and implementing the national action plan for energy consumption and environmental protection. The study also contributed in knowledge by suggesting the novel insight into CO2 emission and energy consumption patterns during COVID-19 pandemic and recommended to consider renewable energy transition methods as an opportunity for the society. For a more effective management of energy consumption and environmental pollution, country-specific measures are suggested to be taken, and the national government should support the concerned public departments, ministries and private organizations on it. To the best of our study, this is one of the pioneer studies studying this novel link and suggesting the way forward on recent topicality.

Possible Therapeutic Effects of Adjuvant Quercetin Supplementation Against Early-Stage COVID-19 Infection: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, and Open-Label Study.

BACKGROUND: Quercetin, a well-known naturally occurring polyphenol, has recently been shown by molecular docking, in vitro and in vivo studies to be a possible anti-COVID-19 candidate. Quercetin has strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antiviral properties, and it is characterized by a very high safety profile, exerted in animals and in humans. Like most other polyphenols, quercetin shows a very low rate of oral absorption and its clinical use is considered by most of modest utility. Quercetin in a delivery-food grade system with sunflower phospholipids (Quercetin Phytosome®, QP) increases its oral absorption up to 20-fold. METHODS: In the present prospective, randomized, controlled, and open-label study, a daily dose of 1000 mg of QP was investigated for 30 days in 152 COVID-19 outpatients to disclose its adjuvant effect in treating the early symptoms and in preventing the severe outcomes of the disease. RESULTS: The results revealed a reduction in frequency and length of hospitalization, in need of non-invasive oxygen therapy, in progression to intensive care units and in number of deaths. The results also confirmed the very high safety profile of quercetin and suggested possible anti-fatigue and pro-appetite properties. CONCLUSION: QP is a safe agent and in combination with standard care, when used in early stage of viral infection, could aid in improving the early symptoms and help in preventing the severity of COVID-19 disease. It is suggested that a double-blind, placebo-controlled study should be urgently carried out to confirm the results of our study.

Whether the Health Care Practices For the Patients With Comorbidities Have Changed After the Outbreak of COVID-19; Big Data Public Sentiment Analysis (preprint)

After the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, it has influenced the health care practices around the world. Initial investigations indicate that patients with comorbidities are more fragile to this SARS-CoV-2 infection. They suggested postponing the routine treatment of cancer patients. However, few meta-analyses suggested evidences are not sufficient to hold the claim of the frailty of cancer patients to COVID-19, and they are not in favour of shelving the scheduled procedures. There are recent studies in which medical professionals, according to their competence, are referring to change the routine practices on how to manage the applicable therapeutic resources judiciously to combat this vital infection. This is a different study that reveals the cancer patients' viewpoint about how health care practices have been changed in their opinion during this pandemic year? Are they satisfied with their treatment or not? To serve the purpose, we gathered more than 60000 relevant tweets from Twitter to analyse the sentiment of cancer patients around the world. Our findings demonstrate that there is a surge in argument about cancer and its treatment after the outbreak of COVID-19. Most of the tweets are reasonable (52.6%) compared to the negative ones (24.3). We developed polarity and subjectivity distribution to better recognise the positivity/negativity in the sentiment. Results reveal that the polarity range of positive tweets is within the range of 0 to 0.5. Which means the tendency in the tweets is not so much positive but surely not negative. It is a piece of modest statistical evidence in support of how natural language processing (NLP) can be accepted to better understand the patient's behaviour in real-time, and it may facilitate the medical professional to make better decision to organise the routine management of cancer patients.

SNPs at 3'UTR of APOL1 and miR-6741-3p target sites associated with Kidney Diseases more susceptible to SARS-COV-2 infection (preprint)

Background: Since APOL1 is expressed by proximal tubules and podocytes, the kidney is likely a target for SARS-CoV-2. This increases the likelihood that African American people with the high-risk genotype APOL1 are at increased risk for kidney disease in the COVID-19 environment. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are found in various microRNAs (miRNAs) and target genes are changed the miRNA activity that leads to different diseases. Evidence has shown that SNPs increase/decrease the effectiveness of the interaction between miRNAs and disease-related target genes. The aim of this study is not only to identify miRSNPs on the APOL1  gene and SNPs in miRNA genes targeting 3'UTR but also to evaluate the effect of these gene variations in kidney patients and their association with SARS-COV-2 infection. Methods: In 3'UTR of the APOL1 gene, we detected 96 miRNA binding sites and 35 different SNPs with 10 different online software in the binding sites of the miRNA (in silico). Also we studied gene expression of patients and control samples by using qRT-PCR (in vitro). Results: In silico study, the binding site of miR-6741-3p on APOL1 has two SNPs (rs1288875001, G> C; rs1452517383, A> C) on APOL1 3'UTR, and its genomic sequence is the same nucleotide as rs1288875001. Similarly, two other SNPs (rs1142591, T> A; rs376326225, G> A) were identified in the binding sites of miR-6741-3p at the first position. Here, the miRSNP (rs1288875001) in APOL1 3'UTR and SNP (rs376326225) in the miR-6741-3p genomic sequence are cross-matched in the same binding region. In vitro study, the relative expression levels were calculated by the 2-ΔΔCt method.  The expression of APOL1 gene was different in chronic kidney patients along with COVID-19. By these results, APOL1 expression was found lower in patients than healthy (p<0.05) in kidney patients along with COVID-19. In addition, miR-6741-3p targets many APOL1-related genes (TLR7, SLC6A19, IL-6,10,18, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5, SWT1, NFYB, BRF1, HES2, NFYB, MED12L, MAFG, GTF2H5, TRAF3, angiotensin II receptor-associated protein, PRSS23) by evaluating online software in the binding sites of the miR-6741-3p. miR-6741-3p has not previously shown any association with kidney diseases and SARS-COV-2 infection. Conclusions: It assures that APOL1 can have a significant consequence in kidney associated diseases by different pathways. Henceforth, this study represents and demonstrates an effective association between miR-6741-3p and kidney diseases, i.e collapsing glomerulopathy, chronic kidney disease (CKD), acute kidney injury (AKI), and tubulointerstitial lesions susceptibility to SARS-COV-2 infection via in silico and in vitro exploration and recommended to have better insight.

Sequence variation of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein may facilitate stronger interaction with ACE2 promoting high infectivity (preprint)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is a novel beta coronavirus emerged in China in 2019. Coronavirus uses spike glycoprotein to interact with host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and ensure cell recognition. High infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 raises questions on spike-ACE2 binding affinity and its neutralization by anti-SARS-CoV monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Here, we observed Val-to-Lys417 mutation in the receptor-binding domains (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, which established a Lys-Asp electrostatic interaction enhancing its ACE2-binding. Pro-to-Ala475 substitution and Gly482 insertion in the AGSTPCNGV-loop of RBD hindered neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by anti-SARS-CoV mAbs. In addition, we identified unique and structurally conserved conformational-epitopes on RBDs, which can be potential therapeutic targets. Collectively, we provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the high infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and development of new effective neutralizing agents.