Intranasal delivery of NS1-deleted influenza virus vectored COVID-19 vaccine restrains the SARS-CoV-2 inflammatory response (preprint)

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) variants and "anatomical escape" characteristics threaten the effectiveness of current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines. There is an urgent need to understand the immunological mechanism of broad-spectrum respiratory tract protection to guide broader vaccines development. In this study, we investigated immune responses induced by an NS1-deleted influenza virus vectored intranasal COVID-19 vaccine (dNS1-RBD) which provides broad-spectrum protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Intranasal delivery of dNS1-RBD induced innate immunity, trained immunity and tissue-resident memory T cells covering the upper and lower respiratory tract. It restrained the inflammatory response by suppressing early phase viral load post SARS-CoV-2 challenge and attenuating pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-1B, and IFN-{gamma}) levels, thereby reducing excess immune-induced tissue injury compared with the control group. By inducing local cellular immunity and trained immunity, intranasal delivery of NS1-deleted influenza virus vectored vaccine represents a broad-spectrum COVID-19 vaccine strategy to reduce disease burden.

Investigation of the mechanism of fangfeng tongsheng pills in the treatment COVID-19 by network pharmacology and molecular docking

Objective: To explore the active components and potential mechanism of Fangfeng Tongsheng Pills by using network pharmacology and molecular docking in the treatment of coronavirus disease 19(COVID-19). Methods The main chemical constituents and action targets of various medicines in Fangfeng Tongsheng Pills were collected via traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacology database and online analysis platform(TCMSP). The related targets of COVID-19 were collected by using GeneCards database, and the repeating parts with Fangfeng Tongsheng Pills were taken as the research targets. Cytoscape software was used to create a drug-target-disease network. The common target was imported into STRING database, and the protein-protein interaction network diagram was constructed by Cytoscape software. The GO(gene ontology) function enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed by DAVID to predict their mechanism. The core components of Fangfeng Tongsheng Pills were docked with the therapeutic target of COVID-19 by AutoDock software. Results A total of 224 active compounds and 696 active targets were screened from Fangfeng Tongsheng Pills, including 79 targets coincided with COVID-19, and 10 active compounds, i.e. quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol,beta-sitosterol, naringenin, etc., 23 effective targets, i.e. PTGS2, PTGS1, NOS2, F10, DPP4, etc. A total of 65 GO function enrichment analysis results and 101 KEGG pathway enrichment results were obtained, including inflammatory response, tumor necrosis factor(TNF) signaling pathway, hypoxia inducible factor-1(HIF-1) signaling pathway, vascular endothelial growth factors(VEGF) signaling pathway, toll-like receptors(TLRs) signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B(PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathway. Conclusion The active components in Fangfeng Tongsheng Pills, such as beta-sitosterol, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol and naringenin, can combine with SARS-Co V2-3CL hydrolase and ACE2, act on the key target [TNF, Caspase-3, mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK1), interleukin-6(IL-6), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PGTS2)] of TNF, HIF-1, VEGF, MAPK and toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and play the roles of anti-inflammation, immune regulation, anti-hypoxic stress and anti-virus infection, thus play a role in the treatment of COVID-19.

Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Vicarious Traumatization among Frontline Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic

To investigate the prevalence of vicarious traumatization and its influencing factors among healthcare workers in Wuhan during a 6-month period following the last wave of Covid-19 in China, a random sampling survey was conducted among the frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak (from January 20, 2020, to April 30, 2020) in first-class hospitals in Wuhan. Vicarious traumatization questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Baker Anxiety Scale, the Coping Style Questionnaire, and the Social Support Rating Scale were utilized. Results are as follows: (1) The score of vicarious traumatization of 99 health care workers was (65.79 ± 25.76), which was lower than the norm, the degree of depression was slight, but the score of anxiety was generally higher than the norm. (2) Correlation analysis and regression analysis of the results showed that depression, anxiety, coping style, and social support were the main factors that influenced vicarious traumatization. The effect of this regression analysis was 57.4%. Depression, anxiety, coping style, and social support were the main influencing factors. It is suggested that the hospital and the society should pay more attention to this group, and carry out appropriate psychological training or large-scale psychological counseling. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

Evaluation of Scientific Research in Universities Based on the Idea of Education for Sustainable Development

Our research aims to establish an evaluation framework and evaluate the sustainability of scientific research in universities. Based on the concept of Education for Sustainable Development and the function of scientific research activities, an evaluation framework was constructed including three dimensions: the sustainable trend of scientific research activity, research performance related to the topic of sustainable development, and sustainability of scientific research contributions. Descriptive analysis, Data Envelopment Analysis, and a Statistical Index Method were used to calculate the sustainability of scientific research of world-class universities in China. Results show that China’s world-class universities published more articles related to sustainable development than the best-performing universities in the UK and USA. They make sustainable contributions to society through cultivating Ph.D. graduates, publishing research papers, and transforming science and technology. However, the sustainable trend of the scientific research of universities is still to be improved. The result of resource efficiency is relatively low, and attention should be paid to the waste of human and financial resources. In addition, universities should improve their ability to withstand external risks to minimize the influence of external public emergencies such as COVID-19.

Relationships between Nutrition and Physical Activity, and the Symptoms of Insomnia, Depression and Anxiety among Adolescents in South China During COVID-19 Pandemic (preprint)

COVID-19 has caused mental health issues among adolescents. This study aimed to explore the related factors of nutrition, physical activity (PA), and symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety, and to investigate associations between the two lifestyle behaviors (insolated or combined) with symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety. Cross-sectional data of 1,756 middle school students from a survey conducted in May 2020 was used. The t-tests or c2 tests were used to determine the related factors of nutrition, PA, and symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety across the subgroups when appropriate. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationships between nutrition and PA, and symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety. Girls, rural students, left-behind, sibling, students with low family income or excessive fear had worse lifestyle or mental status. Both poor nutrition and inactive PA were related to higher odds of reporting symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety. Students with both poor nutrition and inactive PA tended to report insomnia symptoms (OR = 2.16) and depressive symptoms (OR = 2.57) than those with only one behavior or neither of them after controlling for confounding factors. The present study indicates the importance of helping adolescents to pursue a healthier lifestyle.