Utilization of Telemedicine among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing Hepatopancreatic Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Telemedicine may serve as an important avenue to address disparities in access to cancer care. We sought to define factors associated with telemedicine use among Medicare beneficiaries who underwent hepatopancreatic (HP) surgery, as well as characterize trends in telemedicine usage relative to community vulnerability based on the enactment of the Medicare telemedicine coverage waiver. METHODS: Patients who underwent HP surgery between 2013-2020 were identified from the Medicare Standard Analytic Files (SAF). Telemedicine utilization was assessed pre- versus post- implementation of the Medicare telemedicine coverage waiver; the county-level social vulnerability index (SVI) was obtained from the Center for Disease Control. Interrupted time series analysis with negative binomial and multivariable logistic regression methods were used to assess changes in telemedicine utilization after the implementation of the Medicare telemedicine coverage waiver relative to SVI. RESULTS: Pre-waiver telemedicine visits were scarce among 16,690 patients (0.2%, n = 28), while post-waiver telemedicine adoption was substantial among 3,301 patients (45.8%, n = 1,388). Post-waiver, the median patient age was 70 years (IQR, 66-74) with the majority of patients being age 65-69 (n = 994, 32.8%); 1,599 (52.8%) were female. Most patients self-identified as White (n = 2641, 87.1%), while a minority of patients self-identified as Black (n = 190, 6.3%), Asian (n = 18, 0.6%), Hispanic (n = 35, 1.2%), or Other/unknown (n = 147, 4.9%). On multivariable regression analysis, patients who lived in highly vulnerable counties (referent Low SVI; moderate SVI: OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.86-1.39, p = 0.449; high SVI: OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55-0.94, p = 0.001) and individuals with advancing age (referent 18-64; 65-69, OR 0.68, 95%CI 0.54-0.86; 70-74, OR 0.56, 95%CI 0.44-0.71; 75-79, OR 0.57, 95%CI 0.44-0.75; 80-84, OR 0.43, 95%CI 0.30-0.61; 85 + , OR 0.25, 95%CI 0.13-0.49) had lower odds of utilizing telemedicine. In contrast, Black patients (referent White; OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.65-3.10) and patients with a higher CCI score > 2 (referent ≤ 2; OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.28-1.71) were more likely to use telemedicine (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Medicare beneficiaries residing in counties with extreme vulnerability, as well as elderly individuals, were markedly less likely to use telemedicine services related to HP surgical episodes of care. The lower utilization of telemedicine in areas of high social vulnerability was attributable to concomitant lower rates of internet access in these areas.

Impact of e-service quality on e-loyalty of online banking customers in Pakistan during the Covid-19 pandemic: mediating role of e-satisfaction

This study explores the mediating role of e-satisfaction during the pandemic on the relationship between e-service quality and e-loyalty of banking customers in Pakistan. The data were collected from 442 customers of online banking services in Pakistan during the Covid-19 pandemic, following a survey-based study. Baron and Kenny (J Personal Soc Psychol, 51(6):1173, 1986) and Preacher and Hayes (Behav Res Methods, 40(3):879-891, 2008) mediation technique which utilizes the bootstrapping method has been used to explore mediation. The findings show that e-service quality has a significant positive effect on the e-loyalty of the customers of online banking services. Relationships between e-service quality and e-loyalty of online banking customers in Pakistan are significantly and fully mediated by their online satisfaction in unusual situations. This study would help the bankers to implement more effective marketing strategies to retain their customers and attract potential customers, particularly during non-normal situations like the Covid-19 pandemic. It will help them identify the areas of e-services that need improvement to enhance the satisfaction and loyalty of the customers. The bootstrap method for mediation along with Baron and Kenny (J Personal Soc Psychol, 51(6):1173, 1986) leads to using a more sophisticated methodological technique to explore the mediation. The Oliver Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm (EDP) in electronic banking setup during non-normal situations like the Covid-19 pandemic also served as a unique contribution to this study. Application of Baron and Kenny (J Personal Soc Psychol, 51(6):1173, 1986) mediation along with Preacher and Hayes (Behav Res Methods, 40(3):879-891, 2008) leads to more robust findings for the study in non-normal situations like the Covid-19 pandemic. The study findings add scientific value as they are applicable to the banking sector in particular in non-normal situations like the Covid-19 pandemic and the overall service sector in general. Further, as two different methods of mediation have been employed and this makes the study more rigorous and scientific.

Clinical Disease Characteristics and Treatment Trajectories Associated with Mortality among COVID-19 Patients in Punjab, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Data on Pakistani COVID-19 patient mortality predictors is limited. It is essential to comprehend the relationship between disease characteristics, medications used, and mortality for better patient outcomes. METHODS: The medical records of confirmed cases in the Lahore and Sargodha districts were examined using a two-stage cluster sampling from March 2021 to March 2022. Demographics, signs and symptoms, laboratory findings, and pharmacological medications as mortality indicators were noted and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 288 deaths occurred out of the 1000 cases. Death rates were higher for males and people over 40. Most of those who were mechanically ventilated perished (OR: 124.2). Dyspnea, fever, and cough were common symptoms, with a significant association amid SpO2 < 95% (OR: 3.2), RR > 20 breaths/min (OR: 2.5), and mortality. Patients with renal (OR: 2.3) or liver failure (OR: 1.5) were at risk. Raised C-reactive protein (OR: 2.9) and D-dimer levels were the indicators of mortality (OR: 1.6). The most prescribed drugs were antibiotics, (77.9%), corticosteroids (54.8%), anticoagulants (34%), tocilizumab (20.3%), and ivermectin (9.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Older males having breathing difficulties or signs of organ failure with raised C-reactive protein or D-dimer levels had high mortality. Antivirals, corticosteroids, tocilizumab, and ivermectin had better outcomes; antivirals were associated with lower mortality risk.

Development of Carbon-Nanodot-Loaded PLA Nanofibers and Study of Their Barrier Performance for Medical Applications.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) all round the world and, in turn, it has also increased the waste caused by disposable PPE. This has exerted a severe environmental impact, so in our work, we propose the utilization of a sustainable electrospun nanofiber based on poly lactic acid (PLA), as it is biobased and conditionally degradable. We optimized the weight percentage of the PLA-precursor solution and found that 19% PLA produces fine nanofibers with good morphology. We also introduced carbon nanodots (CNDs) in the nanofibers and evaluated their antibacterial efficiency. We used 1, 2, 3, and 4% CNDs with 19% PLA and found increased antibacterial activity with increased concentrations of CNDs. Additionally, we also applied a spunbond-nanofiber layered assembly for the medical face masks and found that with the addition of only 0.45 mg/cm2 on the nonwoven sheet, excellent particle filtration efficiency of 96.5% and a differential pressure of 39 Pa/cm2 were achieved, meeting the basic requirements for Type I medical face masks (ASTM-F2100).

Advanced and Smart Textiles during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Issues, Challenges, and Innovations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hugely affected the textile and apparel industry. Besides the negative impact due to supply chain disruptions, drop in demand, liquidity problems, and overstocking, this pandemic was found to be a window of opportunity since it accelerated the ongoing digitalization trends and the use of functional materials in the textile industry. This review paper covers the development of smart and advanced textiles that emerged as a response to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. We extensively cover the advancements in developing smart textiles that enable monitoring and sensing through electrospun nanofibers and nanogenerators. Additionally, we focus on improving medical textiles mainly through enhanced antiviral capabilities, which play a crucial role in pandemic prevention, protection, and control. We summarize the challenges that arise from personal protective equipment (PPE) disposal and finally give an overview of new smart textile-based products that emerged in the markets related to the control and spread reduction of SARS-CoV-2.

Deep Structural Analysis of Myriads of Omicron Sub-Variants Revealed Hotspot for Vaccine Escape Immunity.

The emergence of the Omicron variant has reinforced the importance of continued SARS-CoV-2 evolution and its possible impact on vaccine effectiveness. Specifically, mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) are critical to comprehend the flexibility and dynamicity of the viral interaction with the human agniotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor. To this end, we have applied a string of deep structural and genetic analysis tools to map the substitution patterns in the S protein of major Omicron sub-variants (n = 51) with a primary focus on the RBD mutations. This head-to-head comparison of Omicron sub-variants revealed multiple simultaneous mutations that are attributed to antibody escape, and increased affinity and binding to hACE2. Our deep mapping of the substitution matrix indicated a high level of diversity at the N-terminal and RBD domains compared with other regions of the S protein, highlighting the importance of these two domains in a matched vaccination approach. Structural mapping identified highly variable mutations in the up confirmation of the S protein and at sites that critically define the function of the S protein in the virus pathobiology. These substitutional trends offer support in tracking mutations along the evolutionary trajectories of SAR-CoV-2. Collectively, the findings highlight critical areas of mutations across the major Omicron sub-variants and propose several hotspots in the S proteins of SARS-CoV-2 sub-variants to train the future design and development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Structural plasticity of omicron BA.5 and BA.2.75 for enhanced ACE-dependent entry into cells.

The current study investigated the binding variations among the wilt type, Omicron sub-variants BA.2.75 and BA.5, using protein-protein docking, protein structural graphs (P SG), and molecular simulation methods. HADDOCK predicted docking scores and dissociation constant (KD) revealed tighter binding of these sub-variants in contrast to the WT. Further investigation revealed variations in the hub residues, protein sub-networks, and GlobalMetapath in these variants as compared to the WT. A very unusual dynamic for BA.2.75 and BA.5 was observed, and secondary structure transition can also be witnessed in the loops (44-505). The results show that the flexibility of these three loops is increased by the mutations as an allosteric effect and thus enhances the chances of bonding with the nearby residues to connect and form a stable connection. Furthermore, the additional hydrogen bonding contacts steer the robust binding of these variants in contrast to the wild type. The total binding free energy for the wild type was calculated to be -61.38 kcal/mol, while for BA.2.75 and BA.5 variants the T BE was calculated to be -70.42 kcal/mol and 69.78 kcal/mol, respectively. We observed that the binding of BA.2.75 is steered by the electrostatic interactions while the BA.5 additional contacts are due to the vdW (Van der Waal) energy. From these findings, it can be observed the Spike (S) protein is undergoing structural adjustments to bind efficiently to the hACE2 (human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor and, in turn, increase entry to the host cells. The current study will aid the development of structure-based drugs against these variants.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Metal nanoparticles-assisted early diagnosis of diseases

Early diagnosis is essential for effective illness treatment, but traditional diagnostic approaches inevitably have major downsides. Recent advancements in nanoparticle-based biosensors have created new opportunities for accelerating diagnosis. High surface area, exceptional sensitivity, high specificity, and optical characteristics of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles have made it possible to detect a variety of health conditions and diseases immediately, including cancer, viral infection, biomarkers, and in-vivo imaging. Metal nanoparticles may be produced in a variety of ways, enabling the creation of innovative tools for chemical and biological sensing targets. The utilization of various metal nano-formulations, metal oxide nanoplatforms, and their composites in the early identification of illnesses is reported and summarized in this review. Additionally, the challenging corners in the use of metal oxide-based nano-scale diagnostic technologies in clinical applications are highlighted. The current work is believed to serve as a roadmap for in-depth research on inorganic nanomedicine, both in-vitro and in-vivo diagnosis of diseases and illnesses, especially pandemic infections like COVID-19.

Ultra-Large-Scale Screening of Natural Compounds and Free Energy Calculations Revealed Potential Inhibitors for the Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2.

The emergence of immune-evading variants of SARS-CoV-2 further aggravated the ongoing pandemic. Despite the deployments of various vaccines, the acquired mutations are capable of escaping both natural and vaccine-induced immune responses. Therefore, further investigation is needed to design a decisive pharmacological treatment that could efficiently block the entry of this virus into cells. Hence, the current study used structure-based methods to target the RBD of the recombinant variant (Deltacron) of SARS-CoV-2, which was used as a model variant. From the virtual drug screenings of various databases, a total of four hits were identified as potential lead molecules. Key residues were blocked by these molecules with favorable structural dynamic features. The binding free energies further validated the potentials of these molecules. The TBE for MNP was calculated to be -32.86 ± 0.10 kcal/mol, for SANC00222 the TBE was -23.41 ± 0.15 kcal/mol, for Liriodenine the TBE was -34.29 ± 0.07 kcal/mol, while for Carviolin the TBE was calculated to be -27.67 ± 0.12 kcal/mol. Moreover, each complex demonstrated distinct internal motion and a free energy profile, indicating a different strategy for the interaction with and inhibition of the RBD. In conclusion, the current study demands further in vivo and in vitro validation for the possible usage of these compounds as potential drugs against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.

Structural communication fingerprinting and dynamic investigation of RBD-hACE2 complex from BA.1 × AY.4 recombinant variant (Deltacron) of SARS-CoV-2 to decipher the structural basis for enhanced transmission.

The BA.1 × AY.4 recombinant variant (Deltacron) continues to inflict chaos globally due to its rapid transmission and infectivity. To decipher the mechanism of pathogenesis by the BA.1 × AY.4 recombinant variant (Deltacron), a protein coupling, protein structural graphs (PSG), residue communication and all atoms simulation protocols were used. We observed that the bonding network is altered by this variant; engaging new residues that helps to robustly bind. HADDOCK docking score for the wild type has been previously reported to be -111.8 ± 1.5 kcal/mol while the docking score for the Deltacron variant was calculated to be -128.3 ± 2.5 kcal/mol. The protein structural graphs revealed variations in the hub residues, number of nodes, inter and intra residues communities, and path communication perturbation caused by the acquired mutations in the Deltacron-RBD thus alter the binding approach and infectivity. Moreover, the dynamic behaviour reported a highly flexible structure with enhanced residues flexibility particularly by the loops required for interaction with ACE2. It was observed that these mutations have altered the secondary structure of the RBD mostly transited to the loops thus acquired higher flexible dynamics than the native structure during the simulation. The total binding free energy for each of these complexes, that is, WT-RBD and Deltacron-RBD were reported to be -61.38 kcal/mol and -70.47 kcal/mol. Protein's motion revealed a high trace value in the Deltacron variant that clearly depict more structural flexibility. The broad range of phase space covered by the Deltacron variant along PC1 and PC2 suggests that these mutations are important in contributing conformational heterogeneity or flexibility that consequently help the variant to bind more efficiently than the wild type. The current study provides a basis for structure-based drug designing against SARS-CoV-2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Structural topological analysis of spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern highlight distinctive amino acid substitution patterns.

Since the onset of pandemic in 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has diverged into numerous variants driven by antigenic and infectivity-oriented selection. Some variants have accumulated fitness-enhancing mutations, evaded immunity and spread despite global vaccination campaigns. The spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated the greatest immunogenicity and amino acid substitution diversity owing to its importance in the interaction with human angiotensin receptor 2 (hACE2). The S protein consistently emerges as an amino acid substitution (AAS) hotspot in all six lineages, however, in Omicron this enrichment is significantly higher. This study attempts to design and validate a method of mapping S-protein substitution profile across variants to identify the conserved and AAS regions. A substitution matrix was created based on publicly available databases, and the substitution localization was illustrated on a cryo-electron microscopy generated S-protein model. Our analyses indicated that the diversity of N-terminal (NTD) and receptor-binding (RBD) domains exceeded that of any other regions but still contained extended low substitution density regions particularly considering significantly broader substitution profiles of Omicron BA.2 and BA.4/5. Finally, the substitution matrix was compared to a random sample alignment of variant sequences, revealing discrepancies. Therefore, it was suggested to improve matrix accuracy by processing a large number of S-protein sequences using an automated algorithm. Several critical immunogenic and receptor-interacting residues were identified in the conserved regions within NTD and RBD. In conclusion, the structural and topological analysis of S proteins of SARS-CoV-2 variants highlight distinctive amino acid substitution patterns which may be foundational in predicting future variants.

Changes in Lifestyle, Health Practices, and Perceived Anxiety amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted on the General Population of Pakistan.

Background: The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented challenges across the globe. In addition to its debilitating impacts on health, the pandemic has also resulted in sudden changes in the quality of life. Our study aims to assess and highlight the alterations in lifestyle, health practices, and perceived anxiety in amongst the Pakistani denizens during the categorical lockdown across the country. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during April 2020 through an online self-administered questionnaire using the snowball sampling technique. The online survey included a diversified set of questions ranging from the demographics, participants' sleeping routine, physical activity, hygiene habits, daily routine, and dietary habits during the quarantine period. It also assessed their anxiety through a series of questions, stretching from their own apprehension of their mental health to their assumption regarding the uncertainty of the future. SPSS v23 was used for data analysis, and chi-square test was applied. Results: A total of 384 respondents were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 21.26 ± 4.267 years. It was observed that 203 (52.9%) individuals spent most of their time in self-isolation on social media, and 167 (43.5%) of participants claimed to be undertaking online classes or watching television. Furthermore, half of the participants noted that their sleep duration had increased 194 (50.5%), along with increased levels of perceived anxiety 242 (63%). Conclusion: The imposed nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 has extensively affected the daily routine of the people living in Pakistan, eliciting profound changes in their sleeping patterns, dietary habits, mental health, and physical activity. Therefore, addressing the issues that arise amidst the lockdown remains pivotal.

Isatin derivatives as broad-spectrum antiviral agents: the current landscape.

In recent decades, several viruses have resulted in large outbreaks with serious health, economic and social consequences. The current unprecedented outbreak of the new coronavirus, SARS-COV-2, necessitates intensive efforts for delivering effective therapies to eradicate such a deadly virus. Isatin is an opulent heterocycle that has been proven to provide tremendous opportunities in the area of drug discovery. Over the last fifty years, suitably functionalized isatin has shown remarkable and broad-spectrum antiviral properties. The review herein is an attempt to compile all of the reported information about the antiviral activity of isatin derivatives with an emphasis on their structure-activity relationships (SARs) along with mechanistic and molecular modeling studies. In this regard, we are confident that the review will afford the scientific community a valuable platform to generate more potent and cost-effective antiviral therapies based on isatin templates.

A medical ethics review of elective orthopaedic surgery management during the pandemic COVID-19 Era.

Introduction: Orthopaedic surgeons may wonder what preparation and recuperation would be like during pandemics. We are concerned about the patient's safety during the operation. All surgical centres have received instructions to discontinue all elective surgery operations, although urgent surgical cases are still being carried out. This procedure should not be delayed in orthopaedic issues such as fracture repositioning surgery, as the unionization process is ongoing. Methods: We gather review articles from a variety of sources. The keywords "Ethics," "COVID-19," "Elective Surgery," and "Orthopedic Surgery" were used to filter the documents. We found 863 documents and then set the criteria for including documents that we thought eligible for review articles, such as research journals and newspaper pieces from reliable sources, resulting in the discovery of 40 papers that met our requirements. Result: We will discuss four basic principles of medical ethics: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice. Orthopaedic surgeons will face many decisions that will challenge these ethical principles, especially in performing elective surgery during a pandemic. Conclusion: Physicians must protect the most vulnerable, but they are under no obligation to administer treatment they believe to be ineffective. In individuals who are positive for COVID-19, orthopaedic surgical procedures have a significant mortality rate. Surgical leaders must remain attentive, and surgical services must be reintroduced gradually and carefully. A good option is to carry out treatment at a different place and time and ensure that the patient has tested negative for COVID-19 before the procedure, thereby creating safety for patients and health workers.

From COVID-19 Pandemic to Entrepreneurial Behavior: The Mediating Effect of Proactive Personality and the Moderating Role of Anticipated Regret

COVID-19 is a global public health issue that poses a challenge to the education sector. The pandemic has a devastating impact on student entrepreneurial behavior and their mental health. This study aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the student entrepreneurial intention/behavioral model with a mediating effect of proactive personality and the moderating role of anticipated regret. The sample of the study comprised 345 university students from Pakistan. Data were collected using a self-report and other report survey questionnaires. The hypotheses were investigated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM) approach. According to the findings, COVID-19 perception has a negative and significant impact on the student entrepreneurial intention/behavior model. Meanwhile, findings show that a proactive personality significantly mediates the relationship between COVID-19 perception and entrepreneurial intention. The results show that anticipated regret moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial behavior in a favorable and significant way. Furthermore, discussion and implications were also discussed in this article.

Mapping molecular gene signatures mediated by SARS-COV-2 and large-scale and genome-wide transcriptomics comparative analysis among respiratory viruses of medical importance.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging RNA virus causing COVID-19 disease, across the globe. SARS-CoV-2 infected patients may exhibit acute respiratory distress syndrome which can be compounded by endemic respiratory viruses and thus highlighting the need to understand the genetic bases of clinical outcome under multiple respiratory infections. In this study, 42 individual datasets and a multi-parametric based selected list of over 12,000 genes against five medically important respiratory viruses (SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, influenza A, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus were collected and analysed in an attempt to understand differentially regulated gene patterns and to cast genetic markers of individual and multiple co-infections. While a certain cohort of virus-specific genes were regulated (negatively and positively), notably results revealed a greatest correlation among genes regulation by SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. Furthermore, out of analysed genes, the MAP2K5 and NFKBIL1 were specifically and highly upregulated in SARS-CoV-2 infection both in vivo or in vitro. The most conserved genetic signature was JAK2 gene as well as the constitutively downregulated ZNF219 gene. In contrast, several genes including GPBAR1 and SC5DL were specifically downregulated in SARS-CoV-2 datasets. Finally, we catalogued a set of genes that were conserved or differentially regulated across studied respiratory viruses. These finding provide foundational and genome-wide data to gauge the markers of respiratory viral infections individually and under co-infection. This work compares the virogenomic signatures among human respiratory viruses and provides valid targets for potential antiviral therapy.

Development of Eco-Friendly Nanomembranes of Aloe vera/PVA/ZnO for Potential Applications in Medical Devices.

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is a crucial need for the development of antimicrobial and antiviral personal protective equipment such as facemasks and gowns. Therefore, in this research we fabricated electrospun nanofibers composite with polyvinyl alcohol, aloe vera, and zinc oxide nanoparticles for end application in medical devices. Electrospun nanofibers were made with varying concentrations of aloe vera (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%) having a constant concentration of ZnO (0.5%) with varying concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%) having a constant concentration of aloe vera (0.5%). To check the morphology and composition, all prepared nanofibers were subjected to different characterization techniques, such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, its antimicrobial activity was checked both with qualitative and quantitative approaches against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The results suggest that increasing ZnO concentration kills and inhibits bacterial growth more proficiently compared to increasing aloe vera concentration in electrospun nanofibers; the highest antimicrobial was found with 4% ZnO, killing almost 100% of gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria and 99.2% of gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. These fabricated nanofibers have potential applications in medical devices and would help control the spread of many diseases.

Structural Bases of Zoonotic and Zooanthroponotic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

The emergence of multiple variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) highlights the importance of possible animal-to-human (zoonotic) and human-to-animal (zooanthroponotic) transmission and potential spread within animal species. A range of animal species have been verified for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility, either in vitro or in vivo. However, the molecular bases of such a broad host spectrum for the SARS-CoV-2 remains elusive. Here, we structurally and genetically analysed the interaction between the spike protein, with a particular focus on receptor binding domains (RBDs), of SARS-CoV-2 and its receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for all conceivably susceptible groups of animals to gauge the structural bases of the SARS-CoV-2 host spectrum. We describe our findings in the context of existing animal infection-based models to provide a foundation on the possible virus persistence in animals and their implications in the future eradication of COVID-19.

Avian Orthoavulavirus Type-1 as Vaccine Vector against Respiratory Viral Pathogens in Animal and Human.

Avian orthoavulaviruses type-1 (AOaV-1) have recently transitioned from animal vaccine vector to a bona fide vaccine delivery vehicle in human. Owing to induction of robust innate and adaptive immune responses in mucus membranes in both birds and mammals, AOaVs offer an attractive vaccine against respiratory pathogens. The unique features of AOaVs include over 50 years of safety profile, stable expression of foreign genes, high infectivity rates in avian and mammalian hosts, broad host spectrum, limited possibility of recombination and lack of pre-existing immunity in humans. Additionally, AOaVs vectors allow the production of economical and high quantities of vaccine antigen in chicken embryonated eggs and several GMP-grade mammalian cell lines. In this review, we describe the biology of AOaVs and define protocols to manipulate AOaVs genomes in effectively designing vaccine vectors. We highlighted the potential and established portfolio of AOaV-based vaccines for multiple respiratory and non-respiratory viruses of veterinary and medical importance. We comment on the limitations of AOaV-based vaccines and propose mitigations strategies. The exploitation of AOaVs vectors is expanding at an exciting pace; thus, we have limited the scope to their use as vaccines against viral pathogens in both animals and humans.