Identification of Key Genes Related to Immune Cells in Patients with COVID-19 Via Integrated Bioinformatics-Based Analysis.

COVID-19 has spread all over the world which poses a serious threat to social economic development and public health. Despite enormous progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, the specific mechanism and biomarker related to disease severity or prognosis have not been clarified yet. Our study intended to further explore the diagnostic markers of COVID-19 and their relationship with serum immunology by bioinformatics analysis. The datasets about COVID-19 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected via the limma package. Then, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted to identify the critical module associated with the clinic status. The intersection DEGs were processed for further enrichment analysis. The final diagnostic genes for COVID-19 were selected and verified through special bioinformatics algorithms. There were significant DEGs between the normal and COVID-19 patients. These genes were mainly enriched in cell cycle, complement and coagulation cascade, extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor interaction, and the P53 signaling pathway. As much as 357 common intersected DEGs were selected in the end. These DEGs were enriched in organelle fission, mitotic cell cycle phase transition, DNA helicase activity, cell cycle, cellular senescence, and P53 signaling pathway. Our study also identified CDC25A, PDCD6, and YWAHE were potential diagnostic markers of COVID-19 with the AUC (area under curve), 0.958 (95% CI 0.920-0.988), 0.941(95% CI 0.892-0.980), and 0.929 (95% CI 0.880-0.971). Moreover, CDC25A, PDCD6, and YWAHE were correlated with plasma cells, macrophages M0, T cells CD4 memory resting, T cells CD8, dendritic cells, and NK cells. Our study discovered that CDC25A, PDCD6, and YWAHE can be used as diagnostic markers for COVID-19. Moreover, these biomarkers were also closely associated with immune cell infiltration, which plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and progression of COVID-19.

Evaluation of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Burnout Syndrome Among Healthcare Workers in Taizhou, China.

Objectives: To evaluate COVID-19 burnout syndrome among healthcare workers in Taizhou, China. Methods: A total of 1,103 qualified healthcare workers in Taizhou were included in the study. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) was used to assess burnout syndrome. Results: Among the healthcare workers surveyed, 25.9% experienced COVID-19 burnout syndrome, including 22.3% and 3.6% with mild and moderate burnout, respectively. Multivariate linear regression models revealed associations with emotional exhaustion among healthcare workers, as follows: occupation, education level and professional qualifications. Professional efficacy was impacted by the pandemic, as follows: sex and occupation. The following factors were associated with cynicism among healthcare workers: occupation and underlying disease. Occupation (medical technician vs. physician, ß = -7.40, 95% confidence interval: -12.09 to -2.71, p = 0.002) was significantly related to MBI-GS scores after adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusion: COVID-19 burnout syndrome was common among healthcare workers in Taizhou, China, and its impact was more burdensome to physicians.

SARS-CoV-2 SUD2 and Nsp5 Conspire to Boost Apoptosis of Respiratory Epithelial Cells via an Augmented Interaction with the G-Quadruplex of BclII.

The molecular mechanisms underlying how SUD2 recruits other proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to exert its G-quadruplex (G4)-dependent pathogenic function is unknown. Herein, Nsp5 was singled out as a binding partner of the SUD2-N+M domains (SUD2core) with high affinity, through the surface located crossing these two domains. Biochemical and fluorescent assays demonstrated that this complex also formed in the nucleus of living host cells. Moreover, the SUD2core-Nsp5 complex displayed significantly enhanced selective binding affinity for the G4 structure in the BclII promoter than did SUD2core alone. This increased stability exhibited by the tertiary complex was rationalized by AlphaFold2 and molecular dynamics analysis. In line with these molecular interactions, downregulation of BclII and subsequent augmented apoptosis of respiratory cells were both observed. These results provide novel information and a new avenue to explore therapeutic strategies targeting SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE SUD2, a unique protein domain closely related to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, has been reported to bind with the G-quadruplex (G4), a special noncanonical DNA structure endowed with important functions in regulating gene expression. However, the interacting partner of SUD2, among other SARS-CoV-2 Nsps, and the resulting functional consequences remain unknown. Here, a stable complex formed between SUD2 and Nsp5 was fully characterized both in vitro and in host cells. Moreover, this complex had a significantly enhanced binding affinity specifically targeting the Bcl2G4 in the promoter region of the antiapoptotic gene BclII, compared with SUD2 alone. In respiratory epithelial cells, the SUD2-Nsp5 complex promoted BclII-mediated apoptosis in a G4-dependent manner. These results reveal fresh information about matched multicomponent interactions, which can be parlayed to develop new therapeutics for future relevant viral disease.

Exosomes may be the carrier of acupuncture treatment for major depressive disorder.

The incidence of major depressive disorder (MDD) is increasing all over the world. There is a great need for complementary or alternative therapies with high safety, few side effects, and precise efficacy to care for MDD. In China, acupuncture has significant laboratory data and clinical trials to demonstrate its antidepressant efficacy. However, there is no clear answer as to how it works. Exosomes are membranous vesicles that rely on cellular multivesicular bodies (MVBs) fused to the cell membrane for release into the extracellular matrix. Almost all cell types are capable of producing and releasing exosomes. As a result, exosomes contain complex RNAs and proteins from their relatives (Cells that secretes exosomes). They can cross biological barriers and participate in biological activities, such as cell migration, angiogenesis, and immune regulation. These properties have made them a popular research topic. Some experts have suggested that exosomes may serve as delivery vehicles for acupuncture to work. This presents both an opportunity and a new challenge for improving the protocols of acupuncture as a treatment for MDD. To better define the relationship between MDD, exosomes, and acupuncture, we reviewed the literature from the last few years. Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials and basic trials evaluating acupuncture in the treatment or prevention of MDD, the role of exosomes in the development and progression of MDD, and the role of exosomes in acupuncture. We believe that acupuncture may affect the distribution of exosomes in vivo, and exosomes may be a new carrier for acupuncture treatment of MDD in the future.

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding COVID-19 among hospitalized patients in Taizhou, China.

Objection: This study investigated the relationship between the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among hospitalized patients regarding the prevention and control of COVID-19. Method: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospitalized patients between July 8 and August 11, 2021, at a tertiary hospital in Taizhou, China. We performed descriptive analysis, t test, ANOVA (analysis of variance), and generalized linear regression modeling on the exported data. All data were analyzed using R software, version 4.1.0. Results: A total of 1185 valid questionnaires were returned. The average score of the participants on COVID-19 behaviors was 69.3 (SD = 15.6, with a full score of 87), indicating that most inpatients had good COVID-19 prevention and control behaviors. In addition, we found that inpatients with higher COVID-19 awareness also behaved better (B (95%CI) = 1.00 (0.73-1.27)) and were more willing to recommend vaccination to other people (OR (95%CI) = 1.11 (1.06-1.17)). Moreover, hospitalized patients who had positive attitudes toward implementing COVID-19 prevention and control measures had better practices (B (95%CI) = 2.50 (2.24-2.76)) and more willingness to recommend vaccinations (OR (95%CI) = 1.20 (1.14-1.26)). Conclusion: The research showed that the COVID-19 behaviors of hospitalized patients were positively associated with their knowledge and attitudes. These findings suggested that, for inpatients, hospitals should focus on teaching basic prevention knowledge of COVID-19. Targeted education initiatives should also be developed for patients from rural areas, especially those over 60 years of age, to help improve their knowledge and cultivate good prevention and control behaviors. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10389-022-01796-y.

Post-vaccination adverse reactions, decision regret, and willingness to pay for the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers: A mediation analysis.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between post-vaccination adverse reactions, decision regret, and willingness to pay (WTP) for the booster dose. An online survey was conducted in Taizhou, China. Questionnaires were completed by 1,085 healthcare workers (HCWs) and 1,054 (97.1%) have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Mediation analysis method was adopted. Our study presented that post-vaccination adverse reactions in HCWs could decrease their WTP for the booster dose. Of note, HCWs experienced adverse reactions after vaccination would more likely regret their previous vaccination decisions, which, in turn, further reduced their WTP for a booster shot. Decision regret mediated the relationship between adverse post-vaccination reactions and WTP for the booster dose. The findings implied inextricable relationships among post-vaccination adverse reactions, decision regret, and WTP of the booster dose. It suggested that these post-vaccination adverse reactions should be further incorporated into vaccine campaigns to improve vaccine intention and potentially increase willingness to pay for booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Evaluation of burnout among stay-behind healthcare workers during the current Omicron wave of COVID-19 in Taizhou, China.

Background: Since February 2022, a new Omicron wave of COVID-19 emerged in Shanghai, China. Many healthcare workers came to Shanghai from hospitals of other parts of China as aid workers. Hospitals in areas with mild COVID-19 outbreaks will inevitably be understaffed, it is likely to cause job burnout of stay-behind healthcare workers. Stay-behind healthcare workers were those who had not been dispatched to support COVID-19 prevention and control in other regions. This study was designed to evaluate the burnout among stay-behind healthcare workers in the current COVID-19 Omicron wave in Taizhou, China. Methods: A population-based, anonymous, cross-sectional online survey was designed in the Wen-Juan Xing platform. The survey was sent to all stay-behind healthcare workers of the hospital (n = 1739) from April 29 to May 3, 2022. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) was used for the burnout survey. For univariate analysis, the χ2 test and one way ANOVA were used to assess differences in categorical variables and continuous variables, respectively. The effect of independent associated risk factors on each type of burnout was examined using the multinomial logistic regression model. Results: A total of 434 participants completed the survey invitation effectively. A total of 71.2% of stay-behind healthcare workers experienced burnout during COVID-19, including 54.8% experiencing mild to moderate burnout and 16.4% experiencing severe burnout. Night shift, depression, social support, positive coping and number of children appeared to be significantly related to mild to moderate burnout. Night shift, depression, social support, positive coping, number of children, professional title, and anxiety appeared to be significantly related to severe burnout. Conclusion: Job burnout among stay-behind healthcare workers was an important problem during the current Omicron wave of COVID-19. Night shift, depression, social support, positive coping, and number of children were associated with mild to moderate and severe burnout. Anxiety and professional title were associated with severe burnout.

Comparison of laboratory parameters, clinical symptoms and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 and influenza in pediatric patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: New and more severe clinical manifestations associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are emerging constantly in the pediatric age group. Patients in this age group are also primary carriers of the influenza virus and are at a higher risk of developing severe infection. However, studies comparing influenza and COVID-19 to show which condition causes a more severe form of disease amongst the pediatric age group are scarce. AIM: To compare the laboratory results, clinical symptoms and clinical outcomes in pediatric patients with COVID-19 and influenza. METHODS: A systematic and comprehensive search was carried out in databases and search engines, including EMBASE, Cochrane, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar from 1964 until January 2022. A meta-analysis was carried out using a random-effects model and pooled odds ratio (OR) or standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95%CI. RESULTS: A total of 16 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. Pediatric COVID-19 patients had a significantly reduced risk of cough (pooled OR = 0.16; 95%CI: 0.09 to 0.27), fever (pooled OR = 0.23; 95%CI: 0.12 to 0.43), and dyspnea (pooled OR = 0.54; 95%CI: 0.33 to 0.88) compared to influenza patients. Furthermore, total hemoglobin levels (pooled SMD = 1.22; 95%CI: 0.29 to 2.14) in COVID-19 patients were significantly higher as compared to pediatric influenza patients. There was no significant difference in symptoms such as sore throat, white blood cell count, platelets, neutrophil and lymphocytes levels, and outcomes like mortality, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation or length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 is associated with a significantly lower rate of clinical symptoms and abnormal laboratory indexes compared to influenza in the pediatric age group. However, further longitudinal studies of the outcomes between influenza and COVID-19 pediatric patients are needed.

Effects of Chinese medicine for COVID-19 rehabilitation: a multicenter observational study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Chinese Medicine (CM) on the health condition of the post-COVID-19 patients, particularly with the CM Syndrome diagnosis and Body Constitutions (BC), as well as related clinical characteristics. METHODS: 150 participants who had COVID-19 and discharged from Hong Kong public hospitals were recruited. They were provided with three to six months of CM treatments, during which assessments were made per month and at follow-up on their CM syndromes, BC, lung functions, and other medical conditions. This study was divided into two parts: (1) Retrospective survey: medical history of participants during COVID-19 hospitalization was collected during the baseline visit; (2) Prospective observation and assessments: clinical symptoms, lung functions, and BC status were evaluated in participants receiving CM treatment based on syndrome differentiation and clinical symptoms. RESULTS: The median hospitalization period was 16 days. Symptoms were presented in 145 (96.6%) patients at the day they were diagnosed with COVID-19. Fever, fatigue, and dry cough were the most common symptoms, exhibiting in 59.3% (89 of 150), 55.3% (83 of 150), and 46% (70 of 150) participants, respectively. Among the 150 post-COVID patients, majority (71.3%) were of the two particular post-COVID CM Syndromes (Qi Deficiency of Lung and Spleen, and Qi and Yin Deficiency). Upon CM treatment, there was an observable increase in participants reaching a balanced BC (i.e. healthy body conditions). The increase was observed to be more prominent in those without the particular CM Syndromes compared to those with the CM Syndromes. Main clinical symptoms in participants with the CM Syndromes decreased upon CM treatment. Occurrence of fatigue also dropped after CM treatment though not all accompanied clinical symptoms were resolved fully. Further to the improvement in terms of CM assessments, lung functions of the participants were found to show improvement after treatment. Both the performance in 6MWT and scores in the LFQ improved upon CM treatments (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence for individualized CM treatment on COVID-19 rehabilitation concerning the clinical symptoms improvements, lung functions improvement, and achieving a balanced BC. It is believed that CM may be a key to further promote rehabilitation and resolution of residual symptoms. Long-term large scale follow-up studies on sub-categorising post-COVID patients according to different CM syndromes would be required to further elucidate treatment of persistent symptoms that may be associated with long-COVID.

COVID-19 Vaccination in China: Adverse Effects and Its Impact on Health Care Working Decisions on Booster Dose.

Although many research studies have concentrated on people's willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine, little attention has been paid to the underlying mechanism of consent. An understanding of potential factors and mechanisms that affect the willingness to receive a vaccination can contribute information critical for containing the pandemic. This study explored the effects of post-vaccination adverse reactions on the willingness to take the booster dose and the role of decision regret. A self-administered online survey was carried out in Taizhou, China. Questionnaires were completed by 1085 healthcare workers (HCWs), 1054 (97.1%) of whom had completed two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Mediation analysis methodology was applied in this study. Our study showed that post-vaccination adverse reactions in HCWs could decrease their willingness to take the booster dose. Of note, HCWs who experienced adverse reactions after vaccination would be more likely to regret their previous vaccination decisions, which, in turn, further reduced their willingness to receive a booster shot. Decision regret mediated the relationship between adverse post-vaccination reactions and a willingness to take the booster dose. The findings implied inextricable relationships among post-vaccination adverse reactions, decision regret, and willingness to take the booster dose. It is suggested that notice of these post-vaccination adverse reactions should be further incorporated into vaccine communication campaigns and policy interventions advocating booster doses to improve vaccine uptake intent and increase the willingness to receive booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Relationship between attitudes toward the effectiveness of vaccine, concerns about adverse reactions, and proactively taking SARS-Cov-2 vaccine for family among medical workers in Taizhou, China.

OBJECTIVES: Concerns about the safety of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine have been a stumbling block in the promotion of vaccination uptake. Although many studies have focused on the investigation of people's intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, little attention has been paid to the underlying mechanism. This study explored whether concerns about the adverse reactions to the vaccine mediated the relationship between attitudes toward the effectiveness of the vaccine and proactively taking the vaccine for family. METHODS: Questionnaires were completed by 1,673 (39.9%, 1673/4191) healthcare workers at Taizhou Hospital, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China. Among these, 1,397 (83.5%) have received two doses of the SARS-Cov-2 vaccine. Mediation analysis approach was applied in this research. RESULTS: Attitudes toward the effectiveness of vaccines were positively correlated with proactively taking the COVID-19 vaccine for family. Additionally, concerns about the side effects to the SARS-Cov-2 vaccine mediated the relationship between attitudes toward the effectiveness of vaccines and proactively taking vaccines for family. CONCLUSION: The findings imply inextricable relationships among attitudes toward the effectiveness of the SARS-Cov-2 vaccine, fears about side effects to vaccines, and taking vaccines for family. It further suggested that the importance of highlighting the safety of vaccine in promotion of vaccination uptake.

A Joint Optimization Model considering the Product User's Risk Preference for Supply System Disruption

Logistics distribution is the terminal link that connects the manufacturer and product user and determines the efficiency of the manufacturer’s service. Therefore, the disruption risk of the joint system is an essential factor affecting the product user experience. In this paper, while considering the product user’s supply disruption risk preference (PUSDRP), a biobjective integer nonlinear programming (INLP) model with subjective cost-utility is proposed to solve the manufacturer’s combined location routing inventory problem (CLRIP). According to the user’s time satisfaction requirement, a routing change selection framework (RCSF) is designed based on the bounded rational behavior of the user. Additionally, the Lagrange Relaxation and Modified Genetic Algorithm (LR-MGA) is proposed. The LR method relaxes the model, and the MGA finds a compromise solution. The experimental results show that the biobjective cost-utility model proposed in this paper is effective and efficient. The RCSF based on user behavior is superior to the traditional expected utility theory model. The compromise solution provides a better solution for the manufacturer order allocation delivery combinatorial optimization problem. The compromise solution not only reduces the manufacturer’s total operating cost but also improves the user's subjective utility. To improve the stability of cooperation between manufacturers and users, the behavior decision-making method urges manufacturers to consider product users’ supply disruption risk preferences (PUSDRPs) in attempting to optimize economic benefits for the long term. This paper uses behavior decision-making methods to expand the ideas of the CLRIP joint system.

A Novel Real-Time Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Detection Platform: Application to Diagnosis of COVID-19.

The ongoing Corona virus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has become a huge global health concern. Here, we reported a novel detection platform based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), termed real-time reverse transcription LAMP (rRT-LAMP) and applied it for the diagnosis of COVID-19 (COVID-19 rRT-LAMP). rRT-LAMP integrates reverse transcription, LAMP amplification, restriction endonuclease cleavage and real-time fluorescence detection into one-pot reaction, and facilitates the diagnosis of COVID-19 at 64°C for only 35 min. The ORF1ab (opening reading frame 1a/b) and NP (nucleoprotein) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were detected for diagnosing COVID-19. The limit of detection (LoD) of COVID-19 rRT-LAMP assay was 14 copies (for each marker) per vessel, and no positive results were obtained from non-SARS-CoV-2 templates. To demonstrate its feasibility, a total of 33 oropharynx swab samples collected from COVID-19 patients also were diagnosed as SARS-CoV-2 infection using COVID-19 rRT-LAMP protocol. No cross-reactivity was yielded from 41 oropharynx swab samples collected from non-COVID-19 patients. These data suggesting that the COVID-19 rRT-LAMP assay is a potential detection tool for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in clinical, field and disease control laboratories, and will be valuable for controlling the COVID-19 epidemic.

Sex Differences in Adverse Reactions to an Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Among Medical Staff in China.

Objective: We investigated whether there were sex differences in adverse reactions to an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among medical staff in China. Methods: From 24 February to 7 March 2021 an online cross-sectional survey was conducted with a self-administered COVID-19 vaccine questionnaire among medical staff in Taizhou, China. In total, 1397 interviewees (1,107 women and 290 men) participated in the survey. Results: In our study, 178 (16.1%) women and 23 (7.9%) men reported adverse reactions following their first vaccination, and 169 (15.3%) women and 35 (12.1%) men reported adverse reactions following their second vaccination. After adjusting for confounding factors, adverse reactions to other vaccines, worry about adverse reactions, knowledge of the inactivated vaccine being used in the hospital, taking the vaccine for one's family proactively and receiving an influenza vaccination were significantly related to adverse reactions to both injections in women. In contrast, in men, concerns about adverse reactions independently increased the risk of adverse reactions following either vaccination, and a history of adverse reactions to other vaccines also increased the risk of adverse reactions to both injections. Conclusions: Sex differences in the frequency of reported adverse reactions to an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and potential factors were demonstrated in a sample of medical staff.

Edible and Herbal Plants for the Prevention and Management of COVID-19.

Background: The outbreak of the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has now become a global pandemic spreading throughout the world. Unfortunately, due to the high infectiousness of the novel ß-coronavirus, it is very likely to become an ordinary epidemic. The development of dietary supplements and functional foods might provide a strategy for the prevention and management of COVID-19. Scope and Approach: A great diversity of potential edible and medicinal plants and/or natural compounds showed potential benefits in managing SARS, which may also combat COVID-19. Moreover, many plants and compounds have currently been proposed to be protective against COVID-19. This information is based on data-driven approaches and computational chemical biology techniques. In this study, we review promising candidates of edible and medicinal plants for the prevention and management of COVID-19. We primarily focus on analyzing their underlying mechanisms. We aim to identify dietary supplements and functional foods that assist in managing this epidemic. Key findings and Conclusion: We infer that acetoside, glyasperin, isorhamnetin, and several flavonoid compounds may prevent and/or be effective in managing COVID-19 by targeting the viral infection, reducing the host cytokine storm, regulating the immune response, and providing organ protection. These bioactive dietary components (used either alone or in combination) might assist in the development of dietary supplements or functional foods for managing COVID-19.

Safety of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among healthcare workers in China.

Background: Although the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac) has undergone preclinical tests and clinical trials evaluating its efficacy and safety, few data have been reported in the post-licensure real-world setting. We aimed to assess the safety of the vaccine among healthcare workers.Methods: A self-administered online survey on monitoring adverse reactions post vaccination was conducted among the staff who worked at and were vaccinated in a tertiary hospital in Taizhou, China, from February 24 to 7 March 2021. A total of 1526 subjects responded to the questionnaire when they received an e-mail or an e-poster on WeChat.Results: The incidences of overall adverse reactions after the first and second injections were 15.6% (238/1526) and 14.6% (204/1397), respectively. The most common adverse reaction was localized pain at the injection site, with an incidence of 9.6% and 10.7% after each dose, accounting for 61.8% and 73.0% of adverse reactions, respectively. Fatigue, muscle pain, and headache were the most common systemic adverse reactions.Conclusions: These findings implied that the inactivated CoronaVac vaccine has an acceptable safety profile among healthcare workers due to the low incidence of self-reported adverse reactions. This may boost public confidence in nationwide mass vaccination campaigns.

Forecasting seasonal variations in electricity consumption and electricity usage efficiency of industrial sectors using a grey modeling approach.

The aim of this research is to forecast seasonal fluctuations in electricity consumption, and electricity usage efficiency of industrial sectors and identify the impacts of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). For this purpose, a new seasonal grey prediction model (AWBO-DGGM(1,1)) is proposed: it combines buffer operators and the DGGM(1,1) model. Based on the quarterly data of the industrial enterprises in Zhejiang Province of China from the first quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2020, the GM(1,1), DGGM(1,1), SVM, and AWBO-DGGM(1,1) models are employed, respectively, to simulate and forecast seasonal variations in electricity consumption, the added value, and electricity usage efficiency. The results indicate that the AWBO-DGGM(1,1) models can identify seasonal fluctuations and variations in time series data, and predict the impact of COVID-19 on industrial systems. The minimum mean absolute percentage errors (MAPEs) of the electricity consumption, added value, and electricity usage efficiency of industrial enterprises separately are 0.12%, 0.10%, and 3.01% in the training stage, while those in the test stage are 6.79%, 4.09%, and 2.25%, respectively. The electricity consumption, added value, and electricity usage efficiency of industrial enterprises in Zhejiang Province will still present a tendency to grow with seasonal fluctuations from 2020 to 2022. Of them, the added value is predicted to increase the fastest, followed by electricity consumption.

Immunity and coagulation and fibrinolytic processes may reduce the risk of severe illness in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019.

BACKGROUND: There are specific physiological features regarding the immunity and coagulation among pregnant women, which may play important roles in the development of coronavirus disease 2019. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the key factors associated with the deterioration of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and the differentiating clinical characteristics of pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 to interfere with the progression of coronavirus disease 2019. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study of 539 Chinese Han adult patients with coronavirus disease 2019 was conducted, of which 36 cases were pregnant women. In addition, 36 pregnant women without coronavirus disease 2019 were recruited as the control. The characteristics of severe and critical illnesses, which were differentiated from mild and moderate illnesses in patients with coronavirus disease 2019, were analyzed using a machine learning algorithm. In addition, major differences between pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 and age-matched nonpregnant women with severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019, paired with pregnant women without coronavirus disease 2019, were explored to identify specific physiological features of pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019. RESULTS: For the total patient population, the lymphocyte, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD16+CD56+ cell counts were significantly lower, and white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were higher in those with severe or critical illness than those with mild or moderate illness (P<.001). The plasma levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-10, and interleukin-6-to-interleukin-10 ratio were significantly increased in patients with critical illness compared with patients with mild, moderate, and severe illnesses (P<.001). The above immunologic coclusters achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.801 (95% confidence interval, 0.764-0.838), and its combined model with the coagulation and fibrinolysis indices (prothrombin time, D-dimer) achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.815 (95% confidence interval, 0.779-0.851) using the random forest regression model to predict severe or critical illness. For pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019, none had preexisting diseases. Compared with nonpregnant women with mild or moderate coronavirus disease 2019, pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 displayed increased white blood cell count, neutrophil count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and levels of D-dimer and fibrinogen, along with decreased lymphocyte and interleukin-4 levels (P<.05). Although they presented similar changes of immunologic markers of lymphocyte; white blood cell count; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD16+CD56+ cell counts; and interleukin-6-to-interleukin-10 ratio, compared with nonpregnant women with severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019, none of the pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 deteriorated into severe or critical illness. There was no significant difference in white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, immunologic markers, or coagulation and fibrinolysis markers between pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 and pregnant women without coronavirus disease 2019. As for the discrepancy of pathophysiological features between pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 and nonpregnant women with severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019, the immunologic markers achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.875 (95% confidence interval, 0.773-0.977), and its combined model with coagulation and fibrinolysis indices achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.931 (95% confidence interval, 0.850-1.000). CONCLUSION: Immune dysregulation was identified as a crucial feature of patients with coronavirus disease 2019, which developed severe or critical illness, and pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 presented with similar immune responses but rarer incidences of severe or critical illness. Immune dysregulation is related to the risks of deterioration into severe or critical illness. The specific coagulation and fibrinolysis systems of pregnancy may reduce the risk of pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 without preexisting disease from developing severe illness.

Characteristics and evaluation of the effectiveness of monitoring and control measures for the first 69 Patients with COVID-19 from 18 January 2020 to 2 March in Wuxi, China.

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused 91,305 confirmed cases and 4746 deaths in China by 13:50 on October 11, 2020. We analyzed data on 69 infections in Wuxi to describe the disease's characteristics, to analyze factors of cases clinical outcome and to evaluate the prevention and control measures. METHODS: The demographic characteristics, exposure history, time indicators and propagation dynamics in Wuxi were collected. RESULTS: The clinical severity of cases was mostly mild and normal (75.36 %). Aging (relative risk [RR] = 1.04, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.08) and fever (RR = 10.33, 95 %CI: 2.75-38.78) were risk factors for disease severity. The mean incubation period was estimated to be 4.77 days (95 % CI: 3.61-5.94), with a mean serial interval of 6.31 days (95 % CI: 5.12-7.50). The controlled reproduction number was estimated to be 1.12 (95 %CI: 0.71-1.69). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of COVID-19 in Wuxi has turned into a lower level, suggesting the early prevention and control measures have achieved effectiveness. Aging and fever of initial symptom were risk factors for severe clinical outcome. The family clusters provided further clues of the risk factors for COVID-19 transmission.

Multiplex reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor for the diagnosis of COVID-19.

The ongoing global pandemic (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a huge public health issue. Hence, we devised a multiplex reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (mRT-LAMP) coupled with a nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor (LFB) assay (mRT-LAMP-LFB) for diagnosing COVID-19. Using two LAMP primer sets, the ORF1ab (opening reading frame 1a/b) and N (nucleoprotein) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were simultaneously amplified in a single-tube reaction, and detected with the diagnosis results easily interpreted by LFB. In presence of FITC (fluorescein)-/digoxin- and biotin-labeled primers, mRT-LAMP produced numerous FITC-/digoxin- and biotin-attached duplex amplicons, which were determined by LFB through immunoreactions (FITC/digoxin on the duplex and anti-FITC/digoxin on the test line of LFB) and biotin/treptavidin interaction (biotin on the duplex and strptavidin on the polymerase nanoparticle). The accumulation of nanoparticles leaded a characteristic crimson band, enabling multiplex analysis of ORF1ab and N gene without instrumentation. The limit of detection (LoD) of COVID-19 mRT-LAMP-LFB was 12 copies (for each detection target) per reaction, and no cross-reactivity was generated from non-SARS-CoV-2 templates. The analytical sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 was 100% (33/33 oropharynx swab samples collected from COVID-19 patients), and the assay's specificity was also 100% (96/96 oropharynx swab samples collected from non-COVID-19 patients). The total diagnostic test can be completed within 1 h from sample collection to result interpretation. In sum, the COVID-19 mRT-LAMP-LFB assay is a promising tool for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infections in frontline public health field and clinical laboratories, especially from resource-poor regions.