Protective and detoxifying effects conferred by selenium against mycotoxins and livestock viruses: A review.

Animal feed can easily be infected with molds during production and storage processes, and this can lead to the production of secondary metabolites, such as mycotoxins, which eventually threaten human and animal health. Furthermore, livestock production is also not free from viral infections. Under these conditions, the essential trace element, selenium (Se), can confer various biological benefits to humans and animals, especially due to its anticancer, antiviral, and antioxidant properties, as well as its ability to regulate immune responses. This article reviews the latest literature on the antagonistic effects of Se on mycotoxin toxicity and viral infections in animals. We outlined the systemic toxicity of mycotoxins and the primary mechanisms of mycotoxin-induced toxicity in this analysis. In addition, we pay close attention to how mycotoxins and viral infections in livestock interact. The use of Se supplementation against mycotoxin-induced toxicity and cattle viral infection was the topic of our final discussion. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is currently causing a health catastrophe, has altered our perspective on health concerns to one that is more holistic and increasingly embraces the One Health Concept, which acknowledges the interdependence of humans, animals, and the environment. In light of this, we have made an effort to present a thorough and wide-ranging background on the protective functions of selenium in successfully reducing mycotoxin toxicity and livestock viral infection. It concluded that mycotoxins could be systemically harmful and pose a severe risk to human and animal health. On the contrary, animal mycotoxins and viral illnesses have a close connection. Last but not least, these findings show that the interaction between Se status and host response to mycotoxins and cattle virus infection is crucial.

Protective and detoxifying effects conferred by selenium against mycotoxins and livestock viruses: A review

Animal feed can easily be infected with molds during production and storage processes, and this can lead to the production of secondary metabolites, such as mycotoxins, which eventually threaten human and animal health. Furthermore, livestock production is also not free from viral infections. Under these conditions, the essential trace element, selenium (Se), can confer various biological benefits to humans and animals, especially due to its anticancer, antiviral, and antioxidant properties, as well as its ability to regulate immune responses. This article reviews the latest literature on the antagonistic effects of Se on mycotoxin toxicity and viral infections in animals. We outlined the systemic toxicity of mycotoxins and the primary mechanisms of mycotoxin-induced toxicity in this analysis. In addition, we pay close attention to how mycotoxins and viral infections in livestock interact. The use of Se supplementation against mycotoxin-induced toxicity and cattle viral infection was the topic of our final discussion. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is currently causing a health catastrophe, has altered our perspective on health concerns to one that is more holistic and increasingly embraces the One Health Concept, which acknowledges the interdependence of humans, animals, and the environment. In light of this, we have made an effort to present a thorough and wide-ranging background on the protective functions of selenium in successfully reducing mycotoxin toxicity and livestock viral infection. It concluded that mycotoxins could be systemically harmful and pose a severe risk to human and animal health. On the contrary, animal mycotoxins and viral illnesses have a close connection. Last but not least, these findings show that the interaction between Se status and host response to mycotoxins and cattle virus infection is crucial.

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infection in Vaccinated Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Although messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have established efficacy for prevention of severe SARS-CoV2 infection in the general population, their effectiveness in patients with malignancy, especially those on anti-neoplastic therapies, remains an area of open research. In order to better understand the risk of developing breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection and the outcomes associated with breakthrough infection for cancer patients, individual patient data from a curated outcomes database at the University of Kansas were retrospectively reviewed to determine the rate of breakthrough infection during an 8-month period encompassing the height of the delta variant surge. Although the rate of breakthrough infection in cancer patients after two doses of an mRNA vaccine remained low at 1.1%, hospitalization and death rates were 27 and 5%, respectively. Patients with hematologic malignancies, especially multiple myeloma, and those on anti-neoplastic therapy at the time of vaccination were found to be at higher risk for developing breakthrough infection.

Frontiers of COVID-19-related myocarditis as assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In some patients, COVID-19 is complicated with myocarditis. Early detection of myocardial injury and timely intervention can significantly improve the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients. Although endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is currently recognized as the 'gold standard' for the diagnosis of myocarditis, there are large sampling errors, many complications and a lack of unified diagnostic criteria. In addition, the clinical methods of treating acute and chronic COVID-19-related myocarditis are different. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can evaluate the morphology of the heart, left and right ventricular functions, myocardial perfusion, capillary leakage and myocardial interstitial fibrosis to provide a noninvasive and radiation-free diagnostic basis for the clinical detection, efficacy and risk assessment, and follow-up observation of COVID-19-related myocarditis. However, for the diagnosis of COVID-19-related myocarditis, the Lake Louise Consensus Criteria may not be fully applicable. COVID-19-related myocarditis is different from myocarditis related to other viral infections in terms of signal intensity and lesion location as assessed by CMR, which is used to visualize myocardial damage, locate lesions and quantify pathological changes based on various sequences. Therefore, the standardized application of CMR to timely and accurately evaluate heart injury in COVID-19-related myocarditis and develop rational treatment strategies could be quite effective in improving the prognosis of patients and preventing potential late-onset effects in convalescent patients with COVID-19.

Evaluation of the Durability of the Immune Humoral Response to COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients With Cancer Undergoing Treatment or Who Received a Stem Cell Transplant.

Importance: The durability of the antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines in patients with cancer undergoing treatment or who received a stem cell transplant is unknown and may be associated with infection outcomes. Objective: To evaluate anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (anti-RBD) and neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses to COVID-19 vaccines longitudinally over 6 months in patients with cancer undergoing treatment or who received a stem cell transplant (SCT). Design, Setting, and Participants: In this prospective, observational, longitudinal cross-sectional study of 453 patients with cancer undergoing treatment or who received an SCT at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City, blood samples were obtained before 433 patients received a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273), after the first dose of the mRNA vaccine, and 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the second dose. Blood samples were also obtained 2, 4, and 7 months after 17 patients received the JNJ-78436735 vaccine. For patients receiving a third dose of an mRNA vaccine, blood samples were obtained 30 days after the third dose. Interventions: Blood samples and BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, or JNJ-78436735 vaccines. Main Outcomes and Measures: Geometric mean titers (GMTs) of the anti-RBD; the ratio of GMTs for analysis of demographic, disease, and treatment variables; the percentage of neutralization of anti-RBD antibodies; and the correlation between anti-RBD and nAb responses to the COVID-19 vaccines. Results: This study enrolled 453 patients (mean [SD] age, 60.4 [13,1] years; 253 [56%] were female). Of 450 patients, 273 (61%) received the BNT162b2 vaccine (Pfizer), 160 (36%) received the mRNA-1273 vaccine (Moderna), and 17 (4%) received the JNJ-7846735 vaccine (Johnson & Johnson). The GMTs of the anti-RBD for all patients were 1.70 (95% CI, 1.04-2.85) before vaccination, 18.65 (95% CI, 10.19-34.11) after the first dose, 470.38 (95% CI, 322.07-686.99) at 1 month after the second dose, 425.80 (95% CI, 322.24-562.64) at 3 months after the second dose, 447.23 (95% CI, 258.53-773.66) at 6 months after the second dose, and 9224.85 (95% CI, 2423.92-35107.55) after the third dose. The rate of threshold neutralization (≥30%) was observed in 203 of 252 patients (80%) 1 month after the second dose and in 135 of 166 patients (81%) 3 months after the second dose. Anti-RBD and nAb were highly correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.93 [0.92-0.94]; P < .001). Three months after the second dose, anti-RBD titers were lower in male vs female patients (ratio of GMTs, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.34-0.81]), patients older than 65 years vs patients 50 years or younger (ratio of GMTs, 0.38 [95% CI, 0.25-0.57]), and patients with hematologic malignant tumors vs solid tumors (ratio of GMTs, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.20-0.81]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, after 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine, anti-RBD titers peaked at 1 month and remained stable over the next 6 months. Patients older than 65 years of age, male patients, and patients with a hematologic malignant tumor had low antibody titers. Compared with the primary vaccine course, a 20-fold increase in titers from a third dose suggests a brisk B-cell anamnestic response in patients with cancer.

Characterization of bat coronaviruses: a latent global threat.

It has been speculated that bats serve as reservoirs of a huge variety of emerging coronaviruses (CoVs) that have been responsible for severe havoc in human health systems as well as negatively affecting human economic and social systems. A prime example is the currently active severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV2, which presumably originated from bats, demonstrating that the risk of a new outbreak of bat coronavirus is always latent. Therefore, an in-depth investigation to better comprehend bat CoVs has become an important issue within the international community, a group that aims to attenuate the consequences of future outbreaks. In this review, we present a concise introduction to CoVs found in bats and discuss their distribution in Southeast Asia. We also discuss the unique adaptation features in bats that confer the ability to be a potential coronavirus reservoir. In addition, we review the bat coronavirus-linked diseases that have emerged in the last two decades. Finally, we propose key factors helpful in the prediction of a novel coronavirus outbreak and present the most recent methods used to forecast an evolving outbreak.

Augmented reality is human-like: How the humanizing experience inspires destination brand love

Drawing on humanizing experience theory, we examined the antecedents and consequences of humanizing the digital experience in a virtual tourism context. Using a scenario survey approach, we designed dynamic 360° augmented reality (AR) panorama and 360° spin-of-the-mouse environments to examine the research model and hypotheses. Data from 263 subjects were collected and analyzed with AMOS 20. The empirical results elucidate the psychological mechanism behind the formation of humanizing digital experiences, showing that a 360° AR panorama shapes three features of a humanizing experience—anthropomorphism, self-representation, and intimacy—significantly better than a spin of the mouse, resulting in a stronger effect on green destination brand love. Furthermore, the technology readiness of online tourists significantly moderates the effects of a humanizing digital experience on green destination brand love. This study demonstrates how an emerging disruptive technology, AR, may help meet the need for contactless services in unique situations, such as the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic. The study helps researchers of green destination brand love and AR better understand what a humanizing digital experience in contactless service journeys can offer, paving the way for further research and practical development in this area. Because AR can be used to process big data, ethical compliance is also addressed.

Lipid metabolism changes in patients with severe COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the dynamic changes in lipid profiles and their correlations with disease severity and clinical outcome in patients with severe COVID-19. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 519 severe COVID-19 patients with confirmed outcomes (discharged or deceased), admitted to the West Court of Union Hospital in Wuhan, China, between 29 January and 8 April 2020. RESULTS: Altogether, 424 severe COVID-19 patients, including 34 non-survivors and 390 survivors, were included in the final analyses. During hospitalization, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) showed an increasing trend in survivors, but showed a downward trend in non-survivors. The serum concentrations of HDL-C and apoA-I were inversely correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP), length of hospital stay of survivors, and disease severity scores. For in-hospital deaths, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of the ratios of CRP/HDL-C and CRP/apoA-I at admission were 0.84 and 0.83, respectively. Moreover, patients with high ratios of CRP/HDL-C (＞77.39) or CRP/apoA-I (＞72.37) had higher mortality rates during hospitalization (log-rank p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that hypertension, lactate dehydrogenase, SOFA score, and High CRP/HDL-C ratio were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: During severe COVID-19, HDL-C and apoA-I concentrations are dramatically decreased in non-survivors. Moreover, High CRP/HDL-C ratio is significantly associated with an increase in mortality and a poor prognosis.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for symptomatic venous thromboembolism in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: High incidence of asymptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been observed in severe COVID-19 patients, but the characteristics of symptomatic VTE in general COVID-19 patients have not been described. OBJECTIVES: To comprehensively explore the prevalence and reliable risk prediction for VTE in COVID-19 patients. METHODS/RESULTS: This retrospective study enrolled all COVID-19 patients with a subsequent VTE in 16 centers in China from January 1 to March 31, 2020. A total of 2779 patients were confirmed with COVID-19. In comparison to 23,434 non-COVID-19 medical inpatients, the odds ratios (ORs) for developing symptomatic VTE in severe and non-severe hospitalized COVID-19 patients were 5.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.91-10.09) and 2.79 (95% CI 1.43-5.60), respectively. When 104 VTE cases and 208 non-VTE cases were compared, pulmonary embolism cases had a higher rate for in-hospital death (OR 6.74, 95% CI 2.18-20.81). VTE developed at a median of 21 days (interquartile range 13.25-31) since onset. Independent factors for VTE were advancing age, cancer, longer interval from symptom onset to admission, lower fibrinogen and higher D-dimer on admission, and D-dimer increment (DI) ≥1.5-fold; of these, DI ≥1.5-fold had the most significant association (OR 14.18, 95% CI 6.25-32.18, p = 2.23 × 10-10 ). A novel model consisting of three simple coagulation variables (fibrinogen and D-dimer levels on admission, and DI ≥1.5-fold) showed good prediction for symptomatic VTE (area under the curve 0.865, 95% CI 0.822-0.907, sensitivity 0.930, specificity 0.710). CONCLUSIONS: There is an excess risk of VTE in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This novel model can aid early identification of patients who are at high risk for VTE.

Thyroid dysfunction may be associated with poor outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Thyroid hormones play a key role in modulating metabolism and the immune system. However, the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction (TD) and its association with the prognosis of COVID-19 have not yet been elucidated. In this study, we seek to address this gap and understand the link between TD and COVID-19. METHODS: Herein, we enrolled patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and had normal or abnormal thyroid function test results at the West Court of Union Hospital in Wuhan, China, between 29 January and February 26, 2020. We carried out follow up examinations until April 26, 2020. Data on clinical features, treatment strategies, and prognosis were collected and analyzed. TD was defined as an abnormal thyroid function test result, including overt thyrotoxicosis, overt hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, and euthyroid sick syndrome. RESULTS: A total of 25 and 46 COVID-19 patients with and without TD, respectively, were included in the study. COVID-19 patients with TD had significantly higher neutrophil counts and higher levels of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, lactate dehydrogenase, serum creatine kinase, aspartate transaminase, and high-sensitive troponin I and a longer activated partial thromboplastin time but lower lymphocyte, platelet, and eosinophil counts. A longitudinal analysis of serum biomarkers showed that patients with TD presented persistently high levels of biomarkers for inflammatory response and cardiac injury. COVID-19 patients with TD were more likely to develop a critical subtype of the disease. Patients with TD had a significantly higher fatality rate than did those without TD during hospitalization (20% vs 0%, P = 0.002). Patients with TD were more likely to stay in the hospital for more than 28 days than were those without TD (80% vs 56.52%, P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary findings suggest that TD is associated with poor outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

[Comparative analysis of structural characteristics and epitopes in S proteins between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV].

OBJECTIVE: To provide data support for the study of pathogenic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 at the molecular level, and provide suitable candidate targets for vaccine, antibody and drug research and development through comparative analysis for structural characteristics and epitopes of S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV. METHODS: Based on the reference sequences of S protein, physical and chemical properties, hydrophobicity, signal peptide, transmembrane region, domain, secondary structure, tertiary structure analysis and antigenic epitopes prediction were carried out. Meanwhile, the tissue expression, related pathways and reactome pathways of angiotensis Ⅰ converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and C-type lectin domain family 4 member M (CLEC4M) receptors were analyzed. RESULTS: The amino acid sequence of S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV has a 75.80% consistency. The structural characteristics of the two coronaviruses are highly consistent, but the secondary structure and tertiary structure of SARS-CoV-2 is not as obvious as SARS-CoV. ACE2 and CLEC4M are expressed in alimentary system, heart, kidney, lung and placenta. The main related the pathways of renin-angiotensin system, protein digestion and absorption pathway, and the reactome pathways of metabolism of angiotensinogen to angiotensins, GPCR ligand binding, are related to typical symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 induced by SARS-CoV-2. Three pairs of highly or completely homologous epitopes of S protein were obtained. The 600-605, 695-703 and 888-896 amino acid residues in SARS-CoV-2 were highly homologous with 586-591, 677-685 and 870-878 amino acid residues in SARS-CoV, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The similarity of S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV determines that they have similar infection patterns and clinical manifestations. The candidate epitopes with high reliability can provide reference for virus diagnosis and vaccine development.

Association of diabetes mellitus with disease severity and prognosis in COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.

AIMS: The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, China, and was characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Diabetes is an established risk associated with poor clinical outcomes, but the association of diabetes with COVID-19 has not been reported yet. METHODS: In this cohort study, we retrospectively reviewed 258 consecutive hospitalized COVID-19 patients with or without diabetes at the West Court of Union Hospital in Wuhan, China, recruited from January 29 to February 12, 2020. The clinical features, treatment strategies and prognosis data were collected and analyzed. Prognosis was followed up until March 12, 2020. RESULTS: Of the 258 hospitalized patients (63 with diabetes) with COVID-19, the median age was 64 years (range 23-91), and 138 (53.5%) were male. Common symptoms included fever (82.2%), dry cough (67.1%), polypnea (48.1%), and fatigue (38%). Patients with diabetes had significantly higher leucocyte and neutrophil counts, and higher levels of fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen and creatine kinase isoenzyme MB at admission compared with those without diabetes. COVID-19 patients with diabetes were more likely to develop severe or critical disease conditions with more complications, and had higher incidence rates of antibiotic therapy, non-invasive and invasive mechanical ventilation, and death (11.1% vs. 4.1%). Cox proportional hazard model showed that diabetes (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 3.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09, 12.21) and fasting blood glucose (aHR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.31) were associated with the fatality due to COVID-19, adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased disease severity and a higher risk of mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Clinical and CT imaging features between the first nucleic acid-negative and first nucleic acid-positive COVID-19 patients. / 2019å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’ç— é¦–æ¬¡æ ¸é ¸é˜´æ€§ä¸Žé¦–æ¬¡æ ¸é ¸é˜³æ€§æ‚£è€ ä¸´åºŠåŠCT影像学表现.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of chest CT for the diagnostic work-up for patients with suspected infection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: The clinical data and imaging findings of the first nucleic acid-negative COVID-19 patients were analyzed and compared with the first nucleic acid-positive patients. RESULTS: Compared with the first nucleic acid-positive patients, the onset time of the first nucleic acid-negative patients was shorter [(3.58±2.94) d], but the diagnosis was longer [(3.92±3.66) d]. There were no significant differences in the characteristics of the clinical data and radiological findings between the 2 groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Chest CT examination is important to avoid COVID-19 missed diagnosis due to false negative nucleic acid.