Online education action for defeating COVID-19 in China: An analysis of the system, mechanism and mode

This study explores the online education action for defeating COVID-19 in China from the perspectives of the system, mechanism and mode. In particular, the policy development of online education in China during the epidemic includes the education informatization policy, the online education system, and the online education mechanism in China. The online education and teaching mode during the epidemic involve the synchronous live class-based teaching mode, asynchronous recording and broadcasting teaching mode, online flipped classroom teaching mode, and online tutoring-based teaching mode. Both characteristics and trends of online education in China during the epidemic have been explored in this study. In addition, the problems, discussions and remarks are also offered.

China's education response to COVID-19: A perspective of policy analysis

This study explores how China's education responses to COVID-19 from a perspective of policy analysis. Specifically, it involves building an educational policy system for COVID-19 to examine educational governance framework, school management and teaching, policies for teachers during the epidemic. The education policy during the epidemic has achieved positive results. Those results aim to ensure the physical and mental health of teachers and students, ensure the supply of epidemic prevention materials and educational resources, ensure the quality of students' learning, and enhance the application ability of teachers' teaching technology. The process of policy changes and effects of policy implementation have been examined to analyze how China's education responses to COVID-19. The characteristics and experience of China's education policy in response to the epidemic concentrate on forming a governance system under the centralized and unified leadership of the Communist Party of China, building a pattern in which families and schools cooperate closely to promote the smooth development of education and teaching, transforming from an emergency substitute during the crisis into an important motivation to promote the transformation of education paradigm, and paying great attention to remote and poor areas and disadvantaged student groups.

New directions towards internationalization of higher education in China during post-COVID 19: A systematic literature review

This study aims to explore the new directions towards internationalization of higher education in China during post-COVID 19. The systematic literature review is applied as an evidence-based policy analysis approach. The findings indicate that the challenges and difficulties of internationalization of higher education in the post-COVID 19 were considered as a high-frequency discussion topic. In order to address the crises of internationalization of higher education during the post-COVID 19, the idea of internationalization at home (IaH) is regarded as a beneficial approach to deal with the process of internationalization of higher education, systematically. This study also highlighted that the internationalization at home within Chinese higher education institutions not only brings opportunities for the development of China's higher education system, but also poses challenges to the reform of the current higher education system. In addition, the conclusion and implication were provided to analyze the rationales of promoting internationalization of higher education system in contemporary China.

Semiparametric estimation of expected shortfall and its application in finance

Measuring risk effectively is crucial for managing risk in financial markets. The expected shortfall has become an increasingly popular metric for risk in recent years. How to estimate it is important in statistics and financial econometrics. Based on the single index quantile regression, we introduce a new semiparametric approach, namely, weighted single index quantile regression. We assess the performance of the proposed expected shortfall estimator with backtesting. Our simulation results indicate that the estimator has a good finite sample performance and often outperforms existing methods. By applying the new method to both a market index and individual stocks, we show that it not only exhibits the best performance but also reveals an insight about the effect of the COVID pandemic, that is, the pandemic increases the market risk.

Racial-ethnic disparities in psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: the role of experienced discrimination and perceived racial bias.

BACKGROUND: Research on mental health disparities by race-ethnicity in the United States (US) during COVID-19 is limited and has generated mixed results. Few studies have included Asian Americans as a whole or by subgroups in the analysis. METHODS: Data came from the 2020 Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic Study, based on a nationally representative sample of 2,709 community-dwelling adults in the US with minorities oversampled. The outcome was psychological distress. The exposure variable was race-ethnicity, including four major racial-ethnic groups and several Asian ethnic subgroups in the US. The mediators included experienced discrimination and perceived racial bias toward one's racial-ethnic group. Weighted linear regressions and mediation analyses were performed. RESULTS: Among the four major racial-ethnic groups, Hispanics (22%) had the highest prevalence of severe distress, followed by Asians (18%) and Blacks (16%), with Whites (14%) having the lowest prevalence. Hispanics' poorer mental health was largely due to their socioeconomic disadvantages. Within Asians, Southeast Asians (29%), Koreans (27%), and South Asians (22%) exhibited the highest prevalence of severe distress. Their worse mental health was mainly mediated by experienced discrimination and perceived racial bias. CONCLUSIONS: Purposefully tackling racial prejudice and discrimination is necessary to alleviate the disproportionate psychological distress burden in racial-ethnic minority groups.

Cepharanthine Dry Powder Inhaler for the Treatment of Acute Lung Injury.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces a severe cytokine storm that may cause acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) with high clinical morbidity and mortality in infected individuals. Cepharanthine (CEP) is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated and extracted from Stephania cepharantha Hayata. It exhibits various pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, and antiviral activities. The low oral bioavailability of CEP can be attributed to its poor water solubility. In this study, we utilized the freeze-drying method to prepare dry powder inhalers (DPI) for the treatment of acute lung injury (ALI) in rats via pulmonary administration. According to the powder properties study, the aerodynamic median diameter (Da) of the DPIs was 3.2 µm, and the in vitro lung deposition rate was 30.26; thus, meeting the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standard for pulmonary inhalation administration. We established an ALI rat model by intratracheal injection of hydrochloric acid (1.2 mL/kg, pH = 1.25). At 1 h after the model's establishment, CEP dry powder inhalers (CEP DPIs) (30 mg/kg) were sprayed into the lungs of rats with ALI via the trachea. Compared with the model group, the treatment group exhibited a reduced pulmonary edema and hemorrhage, and significantly reduced content of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6 and total protein) in their lungs (p < 0.01), indicating that the main mechanism of CEP underlying the treatment of ALI is anti-inflammation. Overall, the dry powder inhaler can deliver the drug directly to the site of the disease, increasing the intrapulmonary utilization of CEP and improving its efficacy, making it a promising inhalable formulation for the treatment of ALI.

Evaluation of the Inhibition Potency of Nirmatrelvir against Main Protease Mutants of SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a threat to public health. Main protease (Mpro) is one of the most lucrative drug targets for developing specific antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 infection. By targeting Mpro, peptidomimetic nirmatrelvir is able to inhibit viral replication of SARS-CoV-2 and reduce the risk for progression to severe COVID-19. However, multiple mutations in the gene encoding Mpro of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants raise a concern of drug resistance. In the present study, we expressed 16 previously reported SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutants (G15S, T25I, T45I, S46F, S46P, D48N, M49I, L50F, L89F, K90R, P132H, N142S, V186F, R188K, T190I, and A191V). We evaluated the inhibition potency of nirmatrelvir against these Mpro mutants and solved the crystal structures of representative Mpro mutants of SARS-CoV-2 bound to nirmatrelvir. Enzymatic inhibition assays revealed that these Mpro variants remain susceptible to nirmatrelvir as the wildtype. Detailed analysis and structural comparison provided the inhibition mechanism of Mpro mutants by nirmatrelvir. These results informed the ongoing genomic surveillance of drug resistance of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants to nirmatrelvir and facilitate the development of next-generation anticoronavirus drugs.

Experience of Racial Discrimination was Associated with Psychological Distress and Worsening Sex Life Among Adult Americans During COVID-19.

The recent escalation of racism in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic points to the importance of examining the association between experienced racism and sexual health. Based on data from a nationally representative survey conducted in the U.S. in October 2020 (n = 1,915), Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regressions were estimated to examine the association between experience of racism and changes in sex life during the pandemic. We further performed a causal mediation analysis using the bootstrap technique to assess the mediating role of psychological distress in the observed association between the experience of racism and changes in sex life. Among the respondents, the proportions reporting better, worse, or no change in sex life were, respectively, 15%, 21%, and 64%. Experiencing racial discrimination during COVID-19 was significantly associated with worsening sex life (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04, 2.25). Respondents with experienced racism were also more likely to report psychological distress (AOR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.09, 2.59). About one-third (32.66%) of the observed association between experienced racism and worsening sex life was mediated through psychological distress. Addressing racism and its association with psychological distress has the potential to improve sexual health and reduce related racial and ethnic disparities.

Children infected vs. uninfected with COVID-19: Differences in parent reports of the use of mobile phones to calm children, routines, parent-child relationship, and developmental outcomes.

Children were suggested to be at lower risk of developing the severe form of the COVID-19. However, children infected with COVID-19 may be more likely to experience biopsychosocial stressors associated with the pandemic and display poorer developmental outcomes. The current study is among the first to compare children infected and uninfected with COVID-19 on outcomes related to parents' use of mobile phones to calm children, routines, parent-child relationship, externalizing and internalizing problems, prosocial behavior, gratitude, and happiness. A total of 1,187 parents (88.6% mothers) of children aged 5 to 12 completed an online survey between April 2022 and May 2022 when schools were suspended during the 5th wave of resurgence in Hong Kong. Our findings showed no substantial differences in various psychological, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes between infected and uninfected children. Our findings can be used to educate parents to reduce their fear and anxieties associated with their children's COVID-19 infection. Our findings also suggested that support during the pandemic should be provided to children and families regardless of whether children have been infected with COVID-19.

Evaluation of Implementation and Effectiveness of China's Antibiotic Stewardship in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.

Antibiotic stewardship has been prioritized by governments and health care organizations in recent years as antibiotic resistance is markedly increasing. A tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China was chosen as a study example to undertake an implementation and effectiveness evaluation of China's antibiotic stewardship to improve and promote antimicrobial stewardship nationwide. The general surgery department of the study hospital was utilized to examine surgical site infection, and samples from across the hospital were used to identify bloodstream infection. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, the Mann-Kendall trend test, logit model and panel data model, and t-tests. In terms of prophylactic and therapeutic antibiotic rational use, respectively, we evaluated implementation conditions, the correlation between implementation and corresponding disease progress, and the cost-effectiveness of China's antibiotic stewardship. For perioperative prophylactic antibiotic use, antibiotic stewardship was found to have been well-implemented, cost-effective, and reduced the incidence of surgical site infection. However, concerning therapeutic use and antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection prophylaxis, the complexity of influencing factors and the contradiction between stewardship implementation and clinical demand needs to be further evaluated.

Mitigation of breathing contaminants: Exhaust location optimization for indoor space with impinging jet ventilation supply

Densely occupied spaces (e.g., classrooms) are generally over-crowded and pose a high risk of cross-infection during the pandemic of COVID-19. Among various ventilation systems, impinging jet ventilation (IJV) system might be promising for such spaces. However, the exhaust location of the IJV system used for densely occupied classrooms is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of exhaust location on the removal of exhaled contaminants in a classroom (15 × 7 × 5 m3) occupied by 50 students. Exhaled contaminants are modeled by a tracer gas released at the top of each manikin. The reference case has three exhausts evenly distributed in the ceiling. The results indicate that: a) a recirculation airflow entraining exhaled contaminants exists above the occupied zone;b) this recirculation air flow entrains contaminants and accumulates them at the upper part of the room near the diffuser;c) locating merely one exhaust on the same side of the supply diffuser leads to the best indoor air quality, i.e., it reduces the mean age of air from 278 s to 243 s, the mass fraction of CO2 from 753 ppm to 726 ppm, and the concentration of tracer gas from 305 ppm to 266 ppm;d) this layout still performs the best when the supply velocity drops to 0.5 m/s. It is worth noting that the proposed layout has fewer exhausts than the reference case but performs better. These results conclude that the exhaust for large spaces is not evenly distributed but depends on the indoor airflow pattern: the key is locating the exhaust near the region with high contaminant concentration. Factors determining the recirculation airflow are suggested to be further studied. Graphical abstract Image 1

Exploring the epistemology of internationalization at home: A scoping review approach

During the post COVID 19, internationalization at home (IaH) is gradually becoming a hot topic worldwide, which is an increasing learning field of pedagogical practice. Aiming at obtaining an in-depth understanding of the epistemology of internationalization at home, this study applies the scoping review analysis led by the research questions: what is acknowledged from the current literature review about the theories and practices of internationalization at home (IaH) contextually? What are the problems, characteristics, and implications of internationalization at home (IaH)? This study explores 22 studies with two third published in the last ten years. This result indicates that the core epistemological idea of internationalization at home (IaH) is identified and analyzed from multiple perspectives. It involves different stakeholders in the field of internationalization of higher education, such as students, faculty members, administrators, and policy makers. Creating international curriculum/courses serve as the goal for advocating internationalization at home (IaH). In addition, advocating internationalization at home still encounters a plenty of problems, such as the limited educational resources and financial support and proficiency of foreign language. Moreover, the conclusion and remarks have been offered in the last. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Educational Philosophy & Theory is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Structural basis of main proteases of HCoV-229E bound to inhibitor PF-07304814 and PF-07321332

PF-07321332 and PF-07304814, inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 developed by Pfizer, exhibit broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against the main protease (Mpro) from various coronaviruses. Structures of PF-07321332 or PF-07304814 in complex with Mpros of various coronaviruses reveal their inhibitory mechanisms against different Mpros. However, the structural information on the lower pathogenic coronavirus Mpro with PF-07321332 or PF-07304814 is currently scarce, which hinders our comprehensive understanding of the inhibitory mechanisms of these two inhibitors. Meanwhile, given that some immunocompromised individuals are still affected by low pathogenic coronaviruses, we determined the structures of lower pathogenic coronavirus HCoV-229E Mpro with PF-07321332 and PF-07304814, respectively, and analyzed and defined in detail the structural basis for the inhibition of HCoV-229E Mpro by both inhibitors. Further, we compared the crystal structures of multiple coronavirus Mpro complexes with PF-07321332 or PF-07304814 to illustrate the differences in the interaction of Mpros, and found that the inhibition mechanism of lower pathogenic coronavirus Mpro was more similar to that of moderately pathogenic coronaviruses. Our structural studies provide new insights into drug development for low pathogenic coronavirus Mpro, and provide theoretical basis for further optimization of both inhibitors to contain potential future coronaviruses.

Structural basis of main proteases of HCoV-229E bound to inhibitor PF-07304814 and PF-07321332.

PF-07321332 and PF-07304814, inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 developed by Pfizer, exhibit broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against the main protease (Mpro) from various coronaviruses. Structures of PF-07321332 or PF-07304814 in complex with Mpros of various coronaviruses reveal their inhibitory mechanisms against different Mpros. However, the structural information on the lower pathogenic coronavirus Mpro with PF-07321332 or PF-07304814 is currently scarce, which hinders our comprehensive understanding of the inhibitory mechanisms of these two inhibitors. Meanwhile, given that some immunocompromised individuals are still affected by low pathogenic coronaviruses, we determined the structures of lower pathogenic coronavirus HCoV-229E Mpro with PF-07321332 and PF-07304814, respectively, and analyzed and defined in detail the structural basis for the inhibition of HCoV-229E Mpro by both inhibitors. Further, we compared the crystal structures of multiple coronavirus Mpro complexes with PF-07321332 or PF-07304814 to illustrate the differences in the interaction of Mpros, and found that the inhibition mechanism of lower pathogenic coronavirus Mpro was more similar to that of moderately pathogenic coronaviruses. Our structural studies provide new insights into drug development for low pathogenic coronavirus Mpro, and provide theoretical basis for further optimization of both inhibitors to contain potential future coronaviruses.

Real-world experience of arbidol for Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.

Background: At a crucial time with the rapid spread of Omicron severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus variant globally, we conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of arbidol tablets in the treatment of this variant. Methods: From Mar 26 to April 26, 2022, we conducted a prospective, open-labeled, controlled, and investigator-initiated trial involving adult patients with confirmed Omicron variant infection. Patients with asymptomatic or mild clinical status were stratified 1:2 to receive either standard-of-care (SOC) or SOC plus arbidol tablets (oral administration of 200 mg per time, three times a day for 5 days). The primary endpoint was the negative conversion rate within the first week. Results: A total of 367 patients were enrolled in the study; 246 received arbidol tablet treatment, and 121 were in the control group. The negative conversion rate of SARS-CoV-2 within the first week in patients receiving arbidol tablets was significantly higher than that of the SOC group [47.2% (116/246) vs. 35.5% (43/121); odds ratio (OR), 1.619; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.034-2.535; P=0.035]. Compared to those in the SOC group, patients receiving arbidol tablets had a shorter negative conversion time [median 8.3 vs. 10.0 days; hazard ratio (HR), 0.645; 95% CI: 0.516-0.808; P<0.001], and a shorter duration of hospitalization (median 11.4 vs. 13.7 days; HR, 1.214; 95% CI: 0.966-1.526; P<0.001). Moreover, the addition of arbidol tablets led to better recovery of declined blood lymphocytes, CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cell counts. The most common adverse event (AE) was transaminase elevation in patients treated with arbidol tablets (3/246, 1.2%). No one withdrew from the study due to AEs or disease progression. Conclusions: As a whole, arbidol may represent an effective and safe treatment in asymptomatic-mild patients suffering from Omicron variant during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

A social media Data-Driven analysis for transport policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Wuhan, China.

Non-pharmacological interventions (NPI) such as social distancing and lockdown are essential in preventing and controlling emerging pandemic outbreaks. Many countries worldwide implemented lockdowns during the COVID-19 outbreaks. However, due to the lack of prior experience and knowledge about the pandemic, it is challenging to deal with short-term polices decision-making due to the highly stochastic and dynamic nature of the COVID-19. Thus, there is a need for the exploration of policy decision analysis to help agencies to adjust their current policies and adopt quickly. In this study, an analytical methodology is developed to analysis urban transport policy response for pandemic control based on social media data. Compared to traditional surveys or interviews, social media can provide timely data based on the feedback from public in terms of public demands, opinions, and acceptance of policy implementations. In particular, a sentiment-aware pre-trained language model is fine-tuned for sentiment analysis of policy. The Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model is used to classify documents, e.g., posts collected from social media, into specific topics in an unsupervised manner. Then, entropy weights method (EWM) is used to extract public policy demands based on the classified topics. Meanwhile, a Jaccard distance-based approach is proposed to conduct the response analysis of policy adjustments. A retrospective analysis of transport policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China is presented using the developed methodology. The results show that the developed policymaking support methodology can be an effective tool to evaluate the acceptance of anti-pandemic policies from the public's perspective, to assess the balance between policies and people's demands, and to further perform the response analysis of a series of policy adjustments based on online feedback.

CytoSorb in patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A rapid evidence review and meta-analysis.

Background: After its approval by the European Union in 2011, CytoSorb therapy has been applied to control cytokine storm and lower the increased levels of cytokines and other inflammatory mediators in blood. However, the efficiency of this CytoSorb treatment in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) still remains unclear. To elucidate the Cytosorb efficiency, we conducted a systematic review and single-arm proportion meta-analysis to combine all evidence available in the published literature to date, so that this comprehensive knowledge can guide clinical decision-making and future research. Methods: The literature published within the period 1 December 2019 to 31 December 2021 and stored in the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) was searched for all relevant studies including the cases where COVID-19 patients were treated with CytoSorb. We performed random-effects meta-analyses by R software (3.6.1) and used the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist to assess the risk of bias. Both categorical and continuous variables were presented with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as pooled proportions for categorical variables and pooled means for continuous outcomes. Results: We included 14 studies with 241 COVID-19 patients treated with CytoSorb hemadsorption. Our findings reveal that for COVID-19 patients receiving CytoSorb treatment, the combined in-hospital mortality was 42.1% (95% CI 29.5-54.6%, I2 = 74%). The pooled incidence of adjunctive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support was 73.2%. Both the C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels decreased after CytoSorb treatment. The pooled mean of the CRP level decreased from 147.55 (95% CI 91.14-203.96) to 92.36 mg/L (95% CI 46.74-137.98), while that of IL-6 decreased from 339.49 (95% CI 164.35-514.63) to 168.83 pg/mL (95% CI 82.22-255.45). Conclusions: The majority of the COVID-19 patients treated with CytoSorb received ECMO support. In-hospital mortality was 42.1% for the COVID-19 patients who had CytoSorb treatment. Both CRP and IL-6 levels decreased after Cytosorb treatment.

Synthesis of maleimide-braced peptide macrocycles and their potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanisms.

Macrocycles often exhibit good biological properties and potential druggability, which lead to versatile applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Herein, we report a highly efficient and practical methodology for the functionalization and macrocyclization of Trp and Trp-containing peptides via Pd(II)-catalyzed C-H alkenylation at the Trp C4 position. This method provides direct access to C4 maleimide-decorated Trp-containing peptidomimetics and maleimide-braced 17- to 30-membered peptide macrocycles. In particular, these unique macrocycles revealed low micro- to sub-micromolar EC50 values with promising anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities. Further explorations with computational methodologies and experimental validations indicated that these macrocycles exert antiviral effects through binding with the N protein of SARS-CoV-2.

Moral obligation to follow anti-COVID-19 measures strengthens the mental health cost of pandemic burnout.

BACKGROUND: It has been observed that people become gradually exhausted by receiving COVID-19-related information and adhering to the corresponding preventive measures as the pandemic unfolds. This phenomenon is known as pandemic burnout. Emerging evidence shows that pandemic burnout is related to poor mental health. This study extended the trendy topic by examining the idea that moral obligation, a crucial motivation driving people to follow the preventive measures, would amplify the mental health cost of pandemic burnout. METHODS: Participants were 937 Hong Kong citizens (88 % females, 62.4 % aged 31-40 years). They participated in a cross-sectional online survey reporting on pandemic burnout, moral obligation, and mental health problems (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress). RESULTS: Findings of moderation model analyses showed that higher levels of pandemic burnout and moral obligation were related to more mental health problems. Importantly, the "pandemic burnout-mental health problems" links were moderated by moral obligation, with those who felt more morally obliged to follow the measures reporting poorer mental health than those who felt less morally obliged to do so. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design of the study may constrain the evidence about the directions and causality of the relationships. Participants were only recruited from Hong Kong and females were over-represented, thus limiting the generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: People who experience pandemic burnout while feeling more morally obliged to follow the anti-COVID-19 measures are at greater risk of mental health problems. They might need more mental health support from medical professionals.