Integration of a hybrid scan approach and in-house high-resolution MS2 spectral database for charactering the multicomponents of Xuebijing Injection

Xuebijing (XBJ) Injection is a reputable patent Chinese medicine widely used to cure sepsis, among the Chinese ″Three Medicines and Three Prescriptions″ solution to fight against COVID-19. We were aimed to achieve the comprehensive multicomponent characterization from the single drugs to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, by integrating powerful data acquisition and the in-house MS2 spectral database searching. By ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/IM-QTOF-MS), a hybrid scan approach (HDMSE-HDDDA) was developed, while the HDMSE data for five component drugs and 56 reference compounds were acquired and processed to establish an in-house MS2 spectral database of XBJ. Good resolution of the XBJ components was accomplished on a Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 column within 24 min, while a fit-for-purpose HDMSE-HDDDA approach was elaborated in two ionization modes for enhanced MS2 data acquisition. XBJ MS2 spectral library was thus established on the UNIFITM platform involving rich structure-related information for the chemicals from five component drugs. We could identify or tentatively characterize 294 components from XBJ, involving 81 flavonoids, 51 terpenoids, 42 phthalides, 40 organic acids, 13 phenylpropanoids, seven phenanthrenequinones, six alkaloids, and 54 others. In contrast to the application of conventional MS1 library, this newly established strategy could demonstrate superiority in the accuracy of identification results and the characterization of isomers, due to the more restricted filtering/matching criteria. Conclusively, the integration of the HDMSE-HDDDA hybrid scan approach and the in-house MS2 spectral database can favor the efficient and more reliable multicomponent characterization from single drugs to the TCM formula.

Engineered SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain improves manufacturability in yeast and immunogenicity in mice.

Global containment of COVID-19 still requires accessible and affordable vaccines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Recently approved vaccines provide needed interventions, albeit at prices that may limit their global access. Subunit vaccines based on recombinant proteins are suited for large-volume microbial manufacturing to yield billions of doses annually, minimizing their manufacturing cost. These types of vaccines are well-established, proven interventions with multiple safe and efficacious commercial examples. Many vaccine candidates of this type for SARS-CoV-2 rely on sequences containing the receptor-binding domain (RBD), which mediates viral entry to cells via ACE2. Here we report an engineered sequence variant of RBD that exhibits high-yield manufacturability, high-affinity binding to ACE2, and enhanced immunogenicity after a single dose in mice compared to the Wuhan-Hu-1 variant used in current vaccines. Antibodies raised against the engineered protein exhibited heterotypic binding to the RBD from two recently reported SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (501Y.V1/V2). Presentation of the engineered RBD on a designed virus-like particle (VLP) also reduced weight loss in hamsters upon viral challenge.

Continuing to teach in a time of crisis: The Chinese rural educational system’s response and student satisfaction and social and cognitive presence

This research consisted of two studies to investigate how the Chinese rural educational system supported students' online learning and to determine the factors that influenced students' online learning quality (satisfaction and cognitive and social presence) during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Study 1, based on interviews with three curriculum officers, seven principals and 30 course teachers, found that great efforts were made to realize digital equity and education for all students. The necessity of providing resources and support to teachers and students (facilitating conditions) was recognized, along with the importance of teachers' online course design and organization and the facilitation of discourse (teaching presence and social presence). Based on the findings of Study 1 and the literature review, a conceptual model of facilitating conditions and teaching presence reported to influence students' online learning quality was generated. In Study 2, 1,409 students from three rural primary schools were surveyed to test the conceptual model. The results indicated that facilitating conditions influenced students' online learning quality through enhanced technology self‐efficacy and perceived usefulness. Teaching presence directly and positively predicted students' online learning quality. This research highlights the importance of creating a learning community and providing technology access and support to ensure online learning opportunities and quality for rural students. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Chinese students from rural or migrant schools have fewer opportunities to access computers and the Internet, lower frequencies of online activity and technology self‐efficacy and less training and parental and teacher support. Providing support and resources to encourage and facilitate technology use among teachers and students in rural and underdeveloped schools is of great importance. Identifying the factors that contribute to online learning quality among rural school students to tackle the transition to online learning is necessary. What this paper adds The rural government and schools have made great efforts to ensure digital equity and education for all students, despite family conditions. Facilitating purposeful interactions and providing timely feedback is critical for effective learning in online teaching. Facilitating conditions represented by available support and resources and teaching presence influence students' online learning quality in rural areas. Implications for practice and/or policy Providing digital equipment and resources to all students is the first step towards distance learning. Providing opportunities to improve teachers' digital competency is critical for providing quality online instruction. Providing students timely assistance and useful and learner‐friendly technologies to enhance their satisfaction and social and cognitive presence is necessary. Online instructors should create a friendly online learning environment, facilitate active discussion and purposeful reflection and create opportunities to promote students' open communication, group cohesion and meaning construction. What is already known about this topic Chinese students from rural or migrant schools have fewer opportunities to access computers and the Internet, lower frequencies of online activity and technology self‐efficacy and less training and parental and teacher support. Providing support and resources to encourage and facilitate technology use among teachers and students in rural and underdeveloped schools is of great importance. Identifying the factors that contribute to online learning quality among rural school students to tackle the transition to online learning is necessary. What this paper adds The rural government and schools have made great efforts to ensure digital equity and education for all students, despite family conditions. Facilitating purposeful interactions and providing timely feedback is critical for effective learning in online teaching. Facilitating onditions rep esented by available support and resources and teaching presence influence students' online learning quality in rural areas. Implications for practice and/or policy Providing digital equipment and resources to all students is the first step towards distance learning. Providing opportunities to improve teachers' digital competency is critical for providing quality online instruction. Providing students timely assistance and useful and learner‐friendly technologies to enhance their satisfaction and social and cognitive presence is necessary. Online instructors should create a friendly online learning environment, facilitate active discussion and purposeful reflection and create opportunities to promote students' open communication, group cohesion and meaning construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of British Journal of Educational Technology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)