Impact of COVID-19-induced home quarantine on parental stress, as well as anxiety and depression among children

Background: One of the most important harmful effects related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the psychological effects that can affect all population groups. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of home quarantine caused by COVID-19 on parents' stress, as well as children's anxiety and depression. Methods: This study included 230 parents who had children aged 5-12 years. The data were collected using the Children Symptom Inventory (CSI-4) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), which were sent to people through the social messenger WhatsApp. (22). Different variables including the impact of the event, avoidance, intrusion, hyperarousal, anxiety, and depression were measured and analyzed using these two questionnaires. Results: The results of the correlation analysis showed that the impact of the quarantined event caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the IES-R subscales in parents were directly and significantly related to the anxiety and depression scores in their children. In addition, multivariate regression analysis showed that higher IES-R scores by parents can significantly predict higher anxiety and depression scores in children. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the home quarantine caused by the COVID-19 pandemic causes stress in parents and this also increases anxiety and depression in their children. Therefore, it is suggested that in addition to the management, control, and treatment of these types of pandemic diseases, special attention be paid to their psychological effects, especially during home quarantine.

The Highly Conserved Stem-Loop II Motif Is Dispensable for SARS-CoV-2.

The stem-loop II motif (s2m) is an RNA structural element that is found in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of many RNA viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Though the motif was discovered over 25 years ago, its functional significance is unknown. In order to understand the importance of s2m, we created viruses with deletions or mutations of the s2m by reverse genetics and also evaluated a clinical isolate harboring a unique s2m deletion. Deletion or mutation of the s2m had no effect on growth in vitro or on growth and viral fitness in Syrian hamsters in vivo. We also compared the secondary structure of the 3' UTR of wild-type and s2m deletion viruses using selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension and mutational profiling (SHAPE-MaP) and dimethyl sulfate mutational profiling and sequencing (DMS-MaPseq). These experiments demonstrate that the s2m forms an independent structure and that its deletion does not alter the overall remaining 3'-UTR RNA structure. Together, these findings suggest that s2m is dispensable for SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE RNA viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), contain functional structures to support virus replication, translation, and evasion of the host antiviral immune response. The 3' untranslated region of early isolates of SARS-CoV-2 contained a stem-loop II motif (s2m), which is an RNA structural element that is found in many RNA viruses. This motif was discovered over 25 years ago, but its functional significance is unknown. We created SARS-CoV-2 with deletions or mutations of the s2m and determined the effect of these changes on viral growth in tissue culture and in rodent models of infection. Deletion or mutation of the s2m element had no effect on growth in vitro or on growth and viral fitness in Syrian hamsters in vivo. We also observed no impact of the deletion on other known RNA structures in the same region of the genome. These experiments demonstrate that s2m is dispensable for SARS-CoV-2.

Clinical and baseline computed tomography features of patients infected with the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical and baseline computed tomography (CT) features and their correlation in patients infected with the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical and chest baseline CT data of patients infected with the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 from July to August 2021 were collected. First, the correlation between the clinical data and baseline CT results was analyzed according to CT positivity or negativity. Then, subgroup analysis was performed between different age distributions and clinical characteristics. Next, the CT characteristics and clinical data of all baseline CT-positive patients were collected, and the correlations between CT characteristics and age, vaccination status, and chronic disease were analyzed. Lesions in patients with baseline CT positivity were evaluated by semi-quantitative scoring to analyze the correlations between the semi-quantitative scores and vaccination status and age distribution. RESULTS: A total of 221 nucleic acid-positive patients with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant were included, of whom 107 patients were baseline CT positive and 114 were baseline CT negative. Baseline CT positivity was associated with age distribution, and baseline CT positivity was most common in patients aged >60 years (P < 0.001), but not with vaccination status or gender. The results of the subgroup analysis according to age distribution indicated that different age distribution subgroups had different vaccination statuses, and the majority of patients aged <18 years and >60 years were unvaccinated (90.5%, 19/21, and 57.3%, 63/110, respectively). In contrast, most patients aged 18–60 years had received two doses of the vaccine (61.1%, 55/90) (P < 0.001). Different age distribution subgroups had different clinical infection types. Asymptomatic and mild cases were most common in patients aged ≤60 years, and moderate and severe or critical cases were most common in patients aged >60 years. For baseline CT-positive patients, the extent of lung involvement was associated with age, vaccination status, and chronic disease. The number of involved lobes was higher in patients who were unvaccinated or who had received one injection, who were aged >60 years or had chronic disease. There was a statistical difference in CT semi-quantitative scores between the different age subgroups. Compared with patients aged < 60 years, patients aged >60 years had higher semi-quantitative scores (P < 0.001). However, there was no statistical difference between the different vaccination groups. CONCLUSIONS: Age had a large effect on baseline CT positivity, CT characteristics, and semi-quantitative CT scores in patients infected with the Delta variant.

Single-cell RNA sequencing to decipher the immunogenicity of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/AZD1222 and mRNA-1273 vaccines in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Objectives: To investigate the differences between the vector vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/AZD1222 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) and mRNA-based vaccine mRNA-1273 (Moderna) in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD), and to explore the cell-cell interactions between high and low anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels in patients with rheumatic arthritis (RA) using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Methods: From September 16 to December 10, 2021, we consecutively enrolled 445 participants (389 patients with AIRD and 56 healthy controls), of whom 236 were immunized with AZD1222 and 209 with mRNA-1273. The serum IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain was quantified by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay at 4-6 weeks after vaccination. Moreover, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from RA patients at 4-6 weeks after vaccination for scRNA-seq and further analyzed by CellChat. ScRNA-seq of PBMCs samples from GSE201534 in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were also extracted for analysis. Results: The anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG seropositivity rate was 85.34% for AIRD patients and 98.20% for healthy controls. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG level was higher in patients receiving mRNA-1273 than those receiving AZD1222 (ß: 35.25, 95% CI: 14.81-55.68, p=0.001). Prednisolone-equivalent dose >5 mg/day and methotrexate use in AIRD patients, and non-anti-tumor necrosis factor-α biologics and Janus kinase inhibitor use in RA patients were associated with inferior immunogenicity. ScRNA-seq revealed CD16-monocytes were predominant in RA patients with high anti-SARS-CoV2-IgG antibodies, and enriched pathways related to antigen presentation via MHC class II were found. HLA-DRA and CD4 interaction was enhanced in high anti-SARS-CoV2-IgG group. Conclusions: mRNA-1273 and AZD1222 vaccines exhibited differential immunogenicity in AIRD patients. Enriched pathways related to antigen presentation via MHC class II in CD16-monocytes might be associated with higher anti-SARS-CoV2-IgG level in RA patients and further study is warranted.

Single-cell RNA sequencing to decipher the immunogenicity of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/AZD1222 and mRNA-1273 vaccines in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases

Objectives To investigate the differences between the vector vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/AZD1222 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) and mRNA-based vaccine mRNA-1273 (Moderna) in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD), and to explore the cell-cell interactions between high and low anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels in patients with rheumatic arthritis (RA) using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Methods From September 16 to December 10, 2021, we consecutively enrolled 445 participants (389 patients with AIRD and 56 healthy controls), of whom 236 were immunized with AZD1222 and 209 with mRNA-1273. The serum IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain was quantified by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay at 4-6 weeks after vaccination. Moreover, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from RA patients at 4-6 weeks after vaccination for scRNA-seq and further analyzed by CellChat. ScRNA-seq of PBMCs samples from GSE201534 in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were also extracted for analysis. Results The anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG seropositivity rate was 85.34% for AIRD patients and 98.20% for healthy controls. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG level was higher in patients receiving mRNA-1273 than those receiving AZD1222 (β: 35.25, 95% CI: 14.81-55.68, p=0.001). Prednisolone-equivalent dose >5 mg/day and methotrexate use in AIRD patients, and non-anti-tumor necrosis factor-α biologics and Janus kinase inhibitor use in RA patients were associated with inferior immunogenicity. ScRNA-seq revealed CD16-monocytes were predominant in RA patients with high anti-SARS-CoV2-IgG antibodies, and enriched pathways related to antigen presentation via MHC class II were found. HLA-DRA and CD4 interaction was enhanced in high anti-SARS-CoV2-IgG group. Conclusions mRNA-1273 and AZD1222 vaccines exhibited differential immunogenicity in AIRD patients. Enriched pathways related to antigen presentation via MHC class II in CD16-monocytes might be associated with higher anti-SARS-CoV2-IgG level in RA patients and further study is warranted.

Teaching Nontheatrical and Useful Media

Teaching nontheatrical film and useful media poses a number of challenges for instructors and students alike. Because these subjects lie at the limits of conventional disciplinary historiographies-organized around aesthetics, artistic movements, entertainment industries, national cinemas, etc.- they receive little attention in most introductory film and media textbooks. [...]while many nontheatrical films have become easier to access online, their availability remains decentralized and often outside of traditional (state/government) institutions. By illustrating how she incorporates these overlooked film histories into her survey course "International Cinema to I960," Goldman effectively demonstrates how doing so can complicate histories of documentary film, contextualize national cinemas and film movements within broader histories, and reveal the ways in which film was enmeshed in colonial discourses and imperial power. [...]she shows how paying attention to amateur and student films enables one to diversify what often amounts to a "greatest hits" survey of feature films, addressing the marginalization of specific groups within the commercial film industry as well as the film canon. Tayara, a film studies undergraduate at Seattle University and a student in SchultzFigueroa's course "Film 8c Science," applied film-studies concepts in the development of a virtual reality tool for analyzing the possible habitability of distant planets while working for VR Ulysses, a software startup founded within the Astrobiology Program of the University of Washington.

Analysis on seven virus detection results of 15 636 children with respiratory tract infection in Wuhan children's hospital, 2019

Objective: To analyze the epidemiologic characteristics of common respiratory virus infection in hospitalized children in Wuhan Children's Hospital from January to December 2019, and provide evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

A Comparison of CT Manifestations Between Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Other Types of Viral Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Though imaging manifestations of COVID-19 and other types of viral pneumonia are similar, their clinical treatment methods differ. Accurate, non-invasive diagnostic methods using CT imaging can help develop an optimal therapeutic regimen for both conditions. OBJECTIVE: To compare the initial CT imaging features in COVID-19 with those in other types of viral pneumonia. METHODS: Clinical and imaging data of 51 patients with COVID-19 and 69 with other types of viral pneumonia were retrospectively studied. All significant imaging features (Youden index >0.3) were included for constituting the combined criteria for COVID-19 diagnosis, composed of two or more imaging features with a parallel model. McNemar's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare the validity indices (sensitivity and specificity) among various criteria. RESULTS: Ground glass opacities (GGO) dominated density, peripheral distribution, unilateral lung, clear margin of lesion, rounded morphology, long axis parallel to the pleura, vascular thickening, and crazy-paving pattern were more common in COVID-19 (p <0.05). Consolidation-dominated density, both central and peripheral distributions, bilateral lung, indistinct margin of lesion, tree-inbud pattern, mediastinal or hilar lymphadenectasis, pleural effusion, and pleural thickening were more common in other types of viral pneumonia (p < 0.05). GGO-dominated density or long axis parallel to the pleura (with the highest sensitivity), and GGO-dominated density or long axis parallel to the pleura or vascular thickening (with the highest specificity) are well combined criteria of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The initial CT imaging features are helpful for the differential diagnosis of COVID-19 and other types of viral pneumonia.

Discovery and characterization of high-affinity, potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies via single B cell screening.

Monoclonal antibodies that target SARS-CoV-2 with high affinity are valuable for a wide range of biomedical applications involving novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) diagnosis, treatment, and prophylactic intervention. Strategies for the rapid and reliable isolation of these antibodies, especially potent neutralizing antibodies, are critical toward improved COVID-19 response and informed future response to emergent infectious diseases. In this study, single B cell screening was used to interrogate antibody repertoires of immunized mice and isolate antigen-specific IgG1+ memory B cells. Using these methods, high-affinity, potent neutralizing antibodies were identified that target the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. Further engineering of the identified molecules to increase valency resulted in enhanced neutralizing activity. Mechanistic investigation revealed that these antibodies compete with ACE2 for binding to the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. These antibodies may warrant further development for urgent COVID-19 applications. Overall, these results highlight the potential of single B cell screening for the rapid and reliable identification of high-affinity, potent neutralizing antibodies for infectious disease applications.

Clinical characteristics of 182 pediatric COVID-19 patients with different severities and allergic status.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has made widespread impact recently. We aim to investigate the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 children with different severities and allergic status. METHODS: Data extracted from the electronic medical records, including demographics, clinical manifestations, comorbidities, laboratory and immunological results, and radiological images of 182 hospitalized COVID-19 children, were summarized and analyzed. RESULTS: The median age was 6 years, ranging from 3 days to 15 years, and there were more boys (male-female ratio about 2:1) within the studied 182 patients. Most of the children were infected by family members. Fever (43.4%) and dry cough (44.5%) were common symptoms, and gastrointestinal manifestations accounted for 11.0%, including diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, and vomiting. 71.4% had abnormal chest computed tomography (CT) scan images, and typical signs of pneumonia were ground-glass opacity and local patchy shadowing on admission. Laboratory results were mostly within normal ranges, and only a small ratio of lymphopenia (3.9%) and eosinopenia (29.5%) were observed. The majority (97.8%) of infected children were not severe, and 24 (13.2%) of them had asymptomatic infections. Compared to children without pneumonia (manifested as asymptomatic and acute upper respiratory infection), children with pneumonia were associated with higher percentages of the comorbidity history, symptoms of fever and cough, and increased levels of serum procalcitonin, alkaline phosphatase, and serum interleukins (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α. There were no differences in treatments, duration of hospitalization, time from first positive to first negative nucleic acid testing, and outcomes between children with mild pneumonia and without pneumonia. All the hospitalized COVID-19 children had recovered except one death due to intussusception and sepsis. In 43 allergic children with COVID-19, allergic rhinitis (83.7%) was the major disease, followed by drug allergy, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and asthma. Demographics and clinical features were not significantly different between allergic and nonallergic groups. Allergic patients showed less increase in acute phase reactants, procalcitonin, D-dimer, and aspartate aminotransferase levels compared with all patients. Immunological profiles including circulating T, B, and NK lymphocyte subsets, total immunoglobulin and complement levels, and serum cytokines did not show any difference in allergic and pneumonia groups. Neither eosinophil counts nor serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels showed a significant correlation with other immunological measures, such as other immunoglobulins, complements, lymphocyte subset numbers, and serum cytokine levels. CONCLUSION: Pediatric COVID-19 patients tended to have a mild clinical course. Patients with pneumonia had higher proportion of fever and cough and increased inflammatory biomarkers than those without pneumonia. There was no difference between allergic and nonallergic COVID-19 children in disease incidence, clinical features, and laboratory and immunological findings. Allergy was not a risk factor for developing and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection and hardly influenced the disease course of COVID-19 in children.

Similarity and Specificity of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulas for Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The pathogenesis similarity is leading to the introduction of drugs commonly used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) into coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was widely used for the treatment of infectious diseases and rheumatic diseases. However, there is little knowledge of the relationship between COVID-19 and RA treatment employing TCM formulas. The present work was aimed to compare the similarity and specificity of TCM formulas for the management of COVID-19 and RA, as well as to deduce the potential mechanism of TCM for COVID-19 treatment. Two formulas including lianhuaqingwen (LHQW) and duhuojisheng (DHJS) were selected as the representatives of TCM for COVID-19 and RA treatment, respectively. An integrated network pharmacology was used to investigate their similarity and specificity. Although different herbs are present in the two formulas, they generated fairly similar ingredients, targets, interaction networks and enriched pathways, which were mainly involved in virus infection, inflammation, and immune dysregulation. Undoubtedly, they also exhibited their respective specificity. LHQW showed the cold property and lung channel tropism which dominated heat-clearing and lung-freeing, while DHJS showed the warm property and liver channel tropism. Herbal compatibility of LHQW was more in line with the rules of the TCM formula against coronavirus disease. Although both formulas suggested multifunctionality in virus infection and inflammation, LHQW was inclined to cope with virus infection, while DHJS was inclined to cope with inflammation. Therefore, LHQW was reliable for providing the desired efficacy in COVID-19 management because of its cold property, lung channel tropism, and multifunctionality for coping with virus infection and inflammation.